SPICY TOMATO RASAM (CHARU) Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Pickles and Chutneys )

Have been looking for a recipe to send over to Asha of Foodieshope (RCI-Karnataka) for at least the past week, but my search did not turn up any results, being North Indian ,here I was treading unknown territory!....but to think about it was I really???

I can rustle up several  South Indian dishes ...and thinking about it ,Rasam is one of those, it is my comfort food..... in a class of it's own, my panacea, can't get enough of it, all in all singularly spectacular! Hope it fits the bill Asha!

Ingredients-

• Tomatoes- 3 large, sliced
• Onion- 1 medium sized, sliced
• Green chillies- 2 chopped
• Tamarind- lemon sized ball ,soaked and strained
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp.
• curry leaves- 5-6
• asafetida(hing)- a pinch
• top water of red-gram dal- as required
• refined oil- 1 tbsp.
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• pinch of sugar

                              ingredients for the rasam

Method-

Heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let sputter, add tomatoes and onions, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients , simmer for another 10-15 mins. ,the Rasam is ready, serve with rice.

                                   the ready tomato rasam

Over to Asha now-

 http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/2007/08/rci-karnataka-announcing-early-benne.html

UNDER THE SPELL OF AMARANTH Filed under ( Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

"Amaranth greens, also called Chinese spinach, hinn choy or yin tsoi , callaloo, thotakura (telugu) , tampala, or quelite, are a common leaf vegetable throughout the tropics and in many warm temperate regions. It is very popular in Andhra Pradesh. They are a very good source of vitamins including vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, riboflavin, and folate"

This is what the Wikipedia says ,so I thought, if something can be that good ,why not give it a try?...and I was not at all disappointed, in fact it's now a part of my regular meals, it's so great, apart from being so healthy, they taste sooo good!. This is the first dish I ever tried- combining it with toor dal and the results were amazing!

                                   the beautiful red variety

                                the green variety- chopped up

RECIPE FOR AMARANTH -DAL

Ingredients-

(serves-3-4)

• toor dal-1/3 cup,(washed and drained)
• fresh amaranth leaves-2 cups, (washed & chopped)
• tamarind- a walnut sized ball, (soaked in 1/2 cup water)
• cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
• sambhar powder-1 tsp
• green chilli- 1 chopped
• asafetida(hing)- a pinch
• curry leaves- 5-6
• turmeric powder(haldi)-1/2 tsp.
• oil- 1 tbsp.
• salt to taste
• sugar-1/4 tsp.

Method-

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds and curry leaves as well as the dal ,fry for a few mins., next add the green chilli ,sambhar pwdr., asafetida, turmeric,and the amaranth leaves, along with 1 cup of water remember to wash the leaves very well, so that any little particles of mud sticking to it are washed off, close the lid of the cooker and give at least 4-5 whistles, let pressure drop by itself.

Open the cooker,adjust quantity of water, give it a good stir to mash up everything together,it should be thick, lastly add the strained tamarind juice, salt and sugar, cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with either fresh-hot rice or chapatis along with papad and yogurt- a complete meal.

Note-Toor dal (yellow pigeon peas) is called tuvar dal (Gujarati), arhar dal (in Uttar Pradesh & Bengal) or kandi pappu (Telugu), tuvara parippu (Malayalam) or tuvaram paruppu in (Tamil).

   amaranth-dal , rice and papad-under the golden rays of the sun

THE MAGICAL JOURNEY OF...BHINDI MASALA Filed under ( Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

  LET ME TAKE YOU ON A MAGICAL OKRA JOURNEY

                  

the pretty okra flower.....

                   

turns into fresh-green okra.....

        

is sliced into roundels....

            

with the addition of these.....

(from left to right row -cumin pwdr, salt, red-chilli, turmeric, amchur, and garam-masala)

TURNS INTO THIS - DELICIOUS BHINDI MASALA!

now for the recipe....

Ingredients-

• okra- 1/2 kg
• onion-1 large
• cumin powder-1 tsp
• red chilli-1/2 tsp.
• turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp.
• amchur(dried mango pwdr.)-1 tsp
• garam masala-1 tsp
• salt- acc. to taste
• oil- 2 tbsp.

Method-

Heat oil in a heavy bottom skillet, add the okra and chopped onion,cover and cook till okra is tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, stirring occassionally , be careful not to stir too much as it will cause more of the sticky stuff to ooze out.

Lastly add all the spices and salt ,give a quick stir and serve hot with chapatis or paranthas .

Tips for handling okra-

For a beginner making okra  for the first time it can turn into a nightmarish experience if proper precautions are not taken, these are some tips I have found useful-

• Always wash and DRY the okra before starting whether on paper towels or under the fan, the drier the okra is the less gummy liquid it will ooze out, i have even discovered that cutting it up and storing in an airtight container in the fridge for a day also helps.
• Try to keep the stirring to a minimum because that causes the okra to break up and again more gum
• Always buy fresh,tender okra that snaps easily and is not too big or hard  to the touch.
• Always add salt and spices at the end of the cooking process

BAINGAN-KA-BHARTA(smoky mashed brinjal) Filed under ( Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

g the long variety of brinjals

Eggplant, aubergine or brinjal -no matter what the name ,people all over the world love it!In each and every part of the world there is a favourite dish with this versatile vegetable be it Caviar d'aubergine (French Provencal Cuisine) or Mutabbal (Lebanese cuisine) or Moussaka (Turkish cuisine) or the Indian baingan-ka-bharta it is in a class of its own!
Today we are making baingan-ka-bharta for several reasons firstly because it a quick and easy dish, it is liked by the entire family and last but not the least it is indeed delicious, the roasting of the brinjals imparts a lovely smoky flavor.

Ingredients-
brinjals- 2 large(choose those with shiny,unblemished,firm skins)
onion- 1 large
tomatoes- 3 large and ripe
ginger paste- 1 tsp.
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
green chillies-2
garam masala(curry powder)-1 tbsp
refined oil- 3 tbsp.
salt to taste
chopped coriander for garnishing.

roasting the brinjal over direct flame

baingan-ka-bharta -ready to serve

Method-

Roasting brinjals-Wash the brinjals and pat dry ,roast them on an open flame as shown in the picture above till completely charred about 10-15 minutes each ,turning it frequently for even roasting, keep aside when done and let cool.

Finely chop the onion and puree tomatoes, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan/wok/kadhai and add cumin seeds and the onions ,fry onions till light golden brown, add ginger paste and stir ,cook for a few mins., tip in the tomato puree and the green chillies and cook over low heat stirring frequently till mixture leaves oil and sides of pan as well. Now add the garam masala and cook while stirring frequently over low heat.

Take the completely cooled brinjals and put under running water , peeling off their skin at the same time , transfer to a plate and slice to check for worms, discard any that is infested. add the mashed pulp to the onion-masala and cover and cook over low heat for another 15 mins or till the mixture leaves sides of pan.Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve piping hot with fluffy chapatis or flaky parathas!

Technorati Tags: baingan bharta , brinjals

SPICY CLUSTER BEANS(gawar-ki-phalli) Filed under ( Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

Cluster beans (guar or mattikayalu) is the lesser known cousin of the more popular french bean, it is a pale green coloured bean and interestingly finds use as guar gum which is used in dairy products like ice-cream and as a stabilizer in cheese and cold meat processing .I was introduced to this bean by my ma-in-law fairly recently, and i must say I have been hooked ever since, beautiful and with a delicate nutty flavour ,it is quite popular with indians ,the use of garlic and curry leaves in this recipe further enhances their mellowness.

ingredients for spicy cluster beans

Ingredients-
cluster beans-500 gms
onion- 1 medium (finely chopped)
garlic cloves- 6-7
kadhi-patta(curry leaves)-7-8
mustard seeds-1/2 tsp.
green chilli-1
refined oil- 1 tbsp
turmeric pwdr-1/2 tsp
sambhar masala-1/2 tsp
salt to taste

spicy cluster beans-ready to eat

Method-
Wash and pat dry the beans ,string and cut into 3' pieces. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the mustard seeds till they sputter and the curry leaves, next add the very finely chopped onions and fry on low heat till pink.
Grind the chilli and garlic together ,add to onions and cook for another five minutes,add the sambhar masala,and turmeric and salt and stir well lastly add the beans and let cook for 2-3 mins. ,close pressure cooker after adding about 1/4 cup of water and give 3 whistles, open when whistle drops ,dry if there is any excess water.Enjoy with hot chapatis or on its own.



This recipe is off to sunita at -http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-monthly-event-think-spice-think.html

SIMPLY SAMBAR~VADA Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

South Indian aromas fill the whole house, a whiff of curry leaves here and a speck of sambar masala on the finger...lovely Sunday brunch, leaves everyone satiated for sure, here's how you can make it too...for a different flavor and much easy digestibility I chose mung dal over urad dal for these vadas.

• Mung dhuli dal-1 cup


• Ginger (fresh)-1 inch piece


• Asafoetida- a pinch


• Green chillies-1


• Salt to taste


• Refined oil for deep frying

Soak dal overnight and in the morning it should look like this- isn't it beautiful??

Add the rest of the ingredients with salt and minimal water grind to a thick paste in a coffee blender,

shape into round balls, flatten with wet palms and deep fry carefully Serve dipped in Tangy lemoney sambar...yummmmm

ARMENIAN CHICKEN~WALNUT SALAD Filed under ( Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Soups and Salads )

Never knew that I would learn so many dishes from my Armenian friend!, well it has been very satisfying and leaves me wanting more of this lovely cuisine...

Since it is so hot here, we wish to eat just the lightest of things and salads are top priority, this lovely light summer salad with a subtle lacing of garlic and the crunch of walnuts is just perfect!, we really enjoyed it with crisp toasted bread and since it is so easy to put together everyone was surprised that dinner was on the table in hardly any time at all!! For this salad you require-

• Chicken- 1 boiled and deboned (reserve stock for soup of your choice)


• Walnuts-1/2 cup


• Eggless low fat mayonnaise-1/2 cup


• Plump garlic cloves-2


• Coriander/Cilantro-1/2 cup, chopped


• Fresh ground pepper-acc to taste


• Salt-acc to taste

Method- With a sharp knife chop deboned chicken and keep aside, crush garlic cloves.In a large bowl combine all the ingredients together, adjust seasoning as well as the amount of mayo, chill for at least an hour, (you can prepare this salad even a day before).serve with soup and crisp bread slices.

RIDICULOUSLY EASY CHEESY PASTA Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

Don't we all love easy, quick dinners?? I sure do, this is one such pasta recipe which is ready from scratch to the table very quickly!.. and is nutritious to boot...

To make this ridiculously easy pasta you need-

Ingredients-

• Pasta of choice (I used tubes)-2 cups boiled till tender but not mushy, if you are a first timer, follow instructions here
• Frozen mixed chopped veggies of choice(carrots, beans, broccoli, cauliflower)-1 cup (u can use fresh too)
• Fat free/reduced fat mayonnaise-1/2 cup
• Ready tomato puree-1/2 cup
• Oregano-1/2 tsp
• Garlic- minced-1/2 tsp
• Sugar-1 tsp
• Onion- 1 small diced
• Olive oil- 1 tbsp
• Grated cheese- 2-3 tbsp 
• Salt and black pepper

Method-

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, saute garlic and onion for a minute till fragrant.
2. Add the tomato puree and fry till oil leaves sides of pan.
3. Microwave the mixed veggies on high for 5 minutes till tender, or simmer in open pan till tender but still crunchy even upto 1 day before.
4. Add the sugar and oregano to the tomato puree and mix well.
5. Now add in the vegetables, the pasta and mayo along with salt and pepper, combine thoroughly and cook till heated through
6. Sprinkle grated cheese (I skimped on the cheese but really you should not) on top and serve with toasted garlic bread.

Celebrating my 100th post with MOM'S SPECIAL MUTTON PICKLE Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Chicken and Mutton, Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Pickles and Chutneys )

I am so happy today, this is my 100th post, and what a ride it has been but I think I am happiest cooking and then blogging about it, really!

This pickle is one of my mom's signature dishes, (did I tell you she used to take cooking classes), it is a classic and is soooo delicious, anyone who tastes it once always keeps asking for more, it is Gagan's absolute favorite too and wins hands down over any other non-veg dish.

The pickle is spicy, sour and has a touch of Goan vindaloo style to it I think, it is full of flavor and is very good with paranthas and rice as well as on its own, it is actually my mom's secret recipe and it took a huge amount of coaxing and cajoling to get it out of her!

INGREDIENTS-

• Boneless mutton-1 kg


• Garlic-3 and a 1/2 whole heads peeled and ground to a paste


• Mustard oil-1 cup


• Red chillies whole-5


• Black cardamom-5


• Cinnamon sticks-3


• Cloves-7


• Cumin seeds-2 tbsp+1 tsp


• Cayenne pepper(deggi mirch)-1 tbsp


• Vinegar-1/2 to 3/4 cup


• Salt to taste

Method-

With a sharp knife chop boneless mutton into bite size pieces, DO not wash the mutton, dry roast and grind all the dry masalas together except for red chillies, marinate mutton pieces in about half head of garlic and 1 tsp dry masala, leave for an hour.Now after an hour, heat oil in a pressure cooker add the cumin seeds and let crackle, next add the garlic paste, marinated mutton and all the rest of the ingredients except vinegar, dry roast the mutton for 5 minutes then close lid and give 4-5 whistles, let pressure drop by itself, DO not add any water.Open the lid and on medium flame dry roast the mutton, stirring all the time and adding vinegar little by little, till oil leaves sides of pan , add salt, keep frying till totally dry.

This pickle can be transferred to a clean container and will keep stored in the refrigerator for several weeks,IF it lasts that long!

TO-DIE-FOR TANDOORI CHICKEN Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Chicken and Mutton, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

We Punjabi's are Tandoori Chicken freaks, you know papaji and tandoori chicken and peg-sheg :), all that!!! the association is so vivid haha!,so is the taste of this chicken, soft ,melt-in-the-mouth tender and sheer delight in every bite.Gagan loved it and declared it to be the best ever!

But after a hard day at work, do you really have the energy for making this kinda thing?, for this one- yessss, this is an incredibly easy way! the better part of the recipe can easily be done ahead of time, and from there on it hardly takes 15 minutes, I have a gas tandoor that I normally used for this, but that got too messy to clean up later, so I decided to adapt from David Lebovitz's Tandoori Chicken recipe, which turned out SOOOO beautifully!

INGREDIENTS-

• Fresh chicken-1 (about 850 gms)


• Thick yogurt-1 cup


• Fresh cream-2 tbsp


• Ginger paste-1 tbsp


• Garlic paste-1 tbsp


• Green chillies-2 ground


• Garam masala-1 tsp


• Lemon juice-1 tbsp


• Salt to taste


• a pinch of orange/red food colour


• oil for shallow frying

Method-

Wash chicken under running water very well, leave in a colander to drain.With a sharp knife make deep cuts in the chicken flesh so that the marinate can penetrate, add all the other ingredients and season, mix well in a large bowl, cover with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight like in below pic.

When you are ready to eat/serve, heat a heavy bottom pan and heat some oil for shallow frying, add the chicken pieces a few at a time, making sure that they are well coated with all that good marinade, fry for 15-20 minutes till golden and cooked through, serve with some onion salad and sprinkled with tangy chaat masala, oooh delicious!

Last night after writing this post, I remembered an old joke by Khushwant Singh, here it goes...

A Sardarji was lying on the railway tracks with a bottle of whiskey and some tandoori chicken, a passerby was curious to see what is going on so he asked the Sardarji that what is he doing, the Sardarji replied that he was fed up of his life and was going to commit suicide,"But then why the bottle of whikey and tandoori chicken?", "I DONT WANT TO DIE OF STARVATION TILL THE TRAIN COMES",replied the Sardarji!!!!:):)

STEWED CHICKEN WITH FRESH VEGGIES-A Healthy fatfree Dinner! Filed under ( Chicken and Mutton, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

I recently read somewhere-"The birth of my blog has been the death of my figure"!,how true is it?,I mean you cook and bake and...taste and taste...(just checking the salt mind you!) and before you even realize it, somewhere around 500 calories are consumed!!, I am on a health spree these days, go for an hours walk and try and eat as healthy as I possibly can.So for today's dinner I made this really fresh, comforting,easy and almost fat free stewed chicken with a zesty mustard sauce, note there is not a drop of oil or butter in the recipe, the chicken and vegetables cook in their own flavorful juices, hmmm no butter chicken for a few weeks I think:(

Here's the recipe...

• Fresh chicken -1


• Assorted fresh veggies-250 gms (I used beans, broccoli,carrots,peas,cauliflower..)


• Mustard powder-1 tsp


• Milk-1 tbsp


• Toasted bread-acc. to preference


• Fresh herbs-acc. to preference


• Seasoning- salt and fresh black pepper

Method-Combine milk and mustard powder and leave to "mature" for about half an hour.Heat about 2 cups water in a heavy bottom pan, add cleaned chicken once the water reaches a boil.Chop veggies lengthwise add to the boiling chicken, cook for 15-20 mnutes till done and water dries up, add herbs and seasoning of choice.Top with mustard sauce and serve with toasted bread preferably wholewheat(notice it is not buttered), heyyy! indulge, it's fat free and really healthy!!

CHOAQ VAGAN (HOT & SPICY KASHMIRI EGGPLANT) Filed under ( Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Wazwan- Kashmiri food )

Choaq Vagan are a favorite in all kashmiri homes, we love these sour and spicy eggplant with rice, and I feel they are the perfect accompaniment for any meat dish, the sourness perfectly offsets the meaty flavors,I sometimes pack up some with a parantha for a quick, spicy snack!

If you are interested in authentic kashmiri food, do check out my other posts in the sidebar, for newbies I also have an illustrated list of special kashmiri ingredients here.

• Ingredients-


• Small brinjals/eggplant-1/2 kg


• Tamarind imli-1 walnut sized ball, boiled in a cup of water and strained


• Garlic paste-1/2 tsp


• Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp


• Kashmiri red chilli powder-1 tsp


• Onion paste-2 tbsp


• Turmeric-1/2 tsp


• Green cardamom powder- a pinch


• Cinnamon powder-1/4 tsp


• Black cardamom powder-a pinch


• Dry ginger powder-1/4 tsp


• Refined oil for deep frying


• Yogurt 1/2 cup

Method-

Score eggplants into four and wash well, heat oil and fry a few at a time till reddish, drain and keep aside.Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, onion paste and garlic paste, fry till brown add the rest of the ingredients and season with salt, fry till masala leaves sides of pan, add a cup of water and then add eggplant, cook for another 10 minutes, serve piping hot!

SIMPLE CURRIED POTATOES Filed under ( Breakfast and Brunch, Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Instant Dishes )

This is probably the simplest,easiest and most satisfying of all potato curries.The use of curry leaves brings out the flavour of the potatoes and the tomatoes add a tang to it!

It is so simple that I am not specifying the quantity of ingredients also, just toss in according to your liking!

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker, add 1/2 tsp of cumin and mustard seeds, some asafoetida and a pinch of deggi mirch(cayenne pepper), next add 1 roughly chopped tomato to it alongwith 1/2 tsp sambar masala and a few curry leaves.

Add 2 large roughly chopped potatoes and 1/2 cup water, close lid and give 2 whistles, let pressure drop by itself, season with salt and pepper.You can stir in some curd also into it at this time.

Vary ingredients according to taste, ENJOY!

Delicious with puris and paranthas!!!

Technorati Tags: simple curried potatoes,potatoes

MICROWAVE MAGIC ~ MUSHROOM MALAI CURRY Filed under ( Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Instant Dishes )

Another delicious dish for those who want to use their microwave for simple, rustic everyday cooking, this dish is for the very talented Srivalli (http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2007/12/microwave-easy-cooking-with-side-dish.html)who hosts her MEC (Microwave easy cooking event) every month.The theme for this month is gravies.

           

                                              Mushroom malai curry

Ingredients-

• Fresh mushrooms- 1 packet ,washed and sliced
• Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped
• Tomato puree- 4-5 tbsp
• Garam masala- 1 tsp
• Ginger+garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
• Fresh coriander for garnish
• Fresh cream- 1 tbsp
• Desi ghee- 2 tbsp
• Cayenne pepper-1/4 tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method-

Heat ghee in a large microwave proof dish, add onions+ginger and garlic paste and microwave on high for 5 minutes or till onions are slightly golden ,add all the other ingredients except for cream and coriander , alongwith 1/2 cup hot water and microwave again for 10-15 minutes , stir in cream , garnish with coriander and serve with hot chapatis or rice.... SIMPLE, EASY AND DELICIOUS!

Add tender peas too if you like!

Technorati Tags: mushroom malai curry

SPICY DAHI BHALLA(lentil dumplings in yogurt) Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

Whenever you think of Indian street food, the first thing that comes up is chaat papdi, dahi bhalle, samose, jalebi’s and so on…,coming to think of it, the scene is actually totally dominated with “chaat” and it’s variants, the sweet,sour,salty taste of chaat is loved by all, 99% of us find it irresistible and most of us salivate at the mere thought of it…

I think the combination of the freshest and best ingredients is the recipe for superb dahi bhalle, In fact I like it more than “papdi chaat”, the soft melting bhalla’s are mind blowing!Here I am taking it a notch higher and stuffing them with dry fruit, bhallas that are stuffed like this and shaped into semi circ'les are known as “gujiya”,not to be confused with the sweet version of it, this is salty, live, robust and bursting with energy….a definite kick to the tastebuds and a must try!!!

• Ingredients-
• Urad dhuli dal(white lentils)-1/4 cup
• Mung dhuli dal(yellow lentils)-3/4 cup
• Cool, whipped fresh yogurt-1/2 kg
• Fresh ginger juliennes
• Roasted cumin seeds powdered-2 tbsp
• Garam masala-1 tsp
• Fresh ground red chilli powder-acc. to taste
• Tamarind paste-1/2 cup
• Sugar-1/2 cup
• Boiled kabuli chana- 1/2 cup
• Fresh chopped coriander-1/2 cup
• Asafetida-1/4 tsp
• Almonds/cashews and raisins-a few
• Black pepper powder-acc.to taste
• Refined oil for deep frying

Method-

Soak both the dals overnight, next morning grind to a smooth paste with the help of little water.add asafetida, coriander and some chopped green chillies if desired, salt and black pepper, shape into semi circles as shown in picture and stuff with sliced almonds/cashews and raisins, shape with wet hands as it will be sticky-

Keep oil hot in a kadhai ready, drop two at a time into the oil, fry till golden, meanwhile put the tamarind paste and sugar to a boil, stirring frequently to make the imli chutney, add some garam masala and boil rapidl till thick, season and keep aside.

Drop the gujiyas into a pan of hot water and soak for 5 minutes.

To serve, squeeze water out of gujiyas by pressing down lightly with hands, place on serving plate, drizzle cooled whipped yogurt, then imli chutney, garam masala, chilli flakes, chana, ginger juliennes, salt, roasted cumin seed powder, pepper and green coriander as shown in picture…indulge in a piece of heaven!!!

Technorati Tags: indian street food,dahi bhalle,chaat

LIP-SMACKING ACHARI BAINGAN Filed under ( Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

This recipe will make even those who dislike brinjals, love them, the spices used lend a wonderful taste and aroma, these are heavenly with paranthas or rice.

• Brinjals-250 gms (long variety, washed and sliced)


• Tomatoes-2 pureed


• Ginger paste-1/4 tsp


• Garlic paste-1/2 tsp


• Onion seeds (kalonji)-1/4 tsp


• Aniseed (powdered)-1/2 tsp


• Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp


• Oil for deep frying


• Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Pan fry brinjals till golden, drain with a slotted spoon.In the same oil, add cumin seeds, kalonji, and aniseed, let sputter, now add the ginger and garlic and fry till golden, next add the tomato puree+turmeric and cook till masala separates from pan, add the brijals and season, tip in little water and cook till brinjals are soft, your fragrant achari baingan are ready.

I had a traditional polki bangle giveaway on my blog from Dec 25th onwards and I am very pleased to announce the winner- True Random Number Generator picks result19 Powered by RANDOM.ORG ,the winner of this lovely bangle is Harjeet!, Congratulations!! just send me your complete address at bindiyasingh7@gmail.com.

GOING GAGA OVER GOBHI MANCHURIAN ~ FRIED RICE Filed under ( Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Rice/Rotis/Noodles and Breads )

I am a huge fan of anything Chinese, just love the flavors of the cuisine, I had read about Gobhi manchurian on a number of blogs, always accompanied with mouth-watering pics, so I finally decided to give it a go and made this today, I am telling you it was just superb and everyone just loved it, in fact I have requests to make it every week from now on! To make this "complete meal in itself " you require-

• Cauliflower-1 head


• Flour-1/2 cup


• Cornflour-1/2 cup +2 tbsp


• Ginger and garlic paste-2 tbsp


• Salt and black pepper to taste


• Capsicum-1 large


• Onion-1 large


• Basmati Rice- previously boiled and spread out on clean sheet to dry-3-4 cups


• Spring onions- 2 chopped finely


• Chopped mixed vegetables(carrots, capsicum, beans)-1 cup parboiled


• Tomato ketchup-2-3 large tbsp


• Soya sauce-1/2 tsp


• Vinegar-1-2 tbsp


• Sugar-1tsp


• Ajinomoto- a pinch if desired


• Refined oil- for deep frying

Separate cauliflower head into small florets, combine flour, cornflour, 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste, salt and pepper to taste and mix well, dip florets into batter and deep fry like pakoras till golden, fry all in same way and keep aside.Heat 1 tbsp refined oil and fry 1/2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste, add capsicum and onion chopped into largish square shaped pieces, fry for 2-3 minutes, next add tomato and soya sauce along with 1/2 cup water, then add vinegar and 2 tbsp cornflour (which has to be mixed in little cold water first), season, add sugar, let it thicken, lastly add the fried cauliflower and cook for two minutes, add ajinomoto if desired garnish with chopped spring onions.For fried rice- heat 2 tbsp refined oil and add ginger garlic paste, fry till golden, next add the parboiled vegetables and rice , season and add some soya sauce and vinegar if desired, toss well till heated through, serve hot garnished with chopped scallions.Enjoy!

CREAMY TOMATO PANEER laced with fenugreek and mint... Filed under ( Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

A classic Paneer dish one which is nowadays found on every restaurant menu..the tanginess of the tomatoes enfolds the soft creamy paneer in a warm embrace, here I have added just a touch of methi and mint which elevates this dish a notch up.Serve hot with naan's, paranthas or fresh bread.
Ingredients-

• Fresh cottage cheese(paneer)- 200 gms
• Ginger paste (fresh ground)- 1 heaped teaspoon
• Garlic paste (fresh ground)- 1 heaped teaspoon
• Onions- 2 medium sized skinned and pureed in blender
• Tomatoes- 3 large sized (blanched and pureed)
• MDH Kasoori methi- 1/2 tsp crushed and stems removed OR fresh fenugreek- 1 tsp chopped
• Fresh mint- 1/2 tsp finely chopped
• Garam masala- 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
• Orange food colour (optional)- a pinch or few drops
• Heavy cream- 2 large tbsp.
• Green chilli- 1 finely chopped
• Oil- 2 tbsp
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method-

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add cumin seeds and let sputter, add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute 
2. Add the onion paste and fry till very light brown, take care not to over brown.
3. Now add the tomato puree and cook till oil separates from the masala.
4. Cube the paneer into bite sized pieces.
5. Add the cream, garam masala, green chilli, kasoori methi, mint, food colour to the masala and give it a good stir, add 1/2 cup hot water and cover.
6. After 2-3 minutes tip in the paneer, season with salt and pepper, don not cook the paneer for too long as it becomes tough, just a minute should suffice.Let the paneer soak in the flavours for 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve piping hot garnished with more mint/coriander.

DELIGHTFUL 4 M's SUBZI Filed under ( Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

Before you all wonder what is it that I am talking about ,let me explain- 4 M's refers to MUSHROOMS, MUTTAR, METHI, MALAI and this delightful, delicious dish is made up of precisely these four! ,now I am not a great fan of peas (muttar) and used to avoid them like the plague as a child, but now tastebuds have changed and I do like them little more, not totally but little more...

Yesterday on a trip to the subziwala, I bought peas for the first time ever with Peas Pulao in mind, but somehow changed my mind, and Boy! am I glad that I did, this subzi is a feast even for hardcore non-vegetarians like me, I was completely bowled over by the flavors!

Ingredients-

• Frozen tender peas(muttar)- 1/2 cup
• Mushrooms- 1/2 cup, sliced
• Fresh/Dry methi leaves (fenugreek)- 2 cups
• Onion- 1 medium, grated
• Readymade Tomato puree/paste- 4 tbsp
• Readymade Ginger+Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
• Fresh malai/cream- 1/2 cup
• Fresh ginger juliennes- 1 tbsp.
• MDH Meat Masala- 1 tsp.
• Green chilli- 1 sliced
• Cumin- 1/2 tsp
• Oil-1 tbsp.
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method-

Heat oil , add cumin and grated onion, let brown add tomato puree, cook for 2 minutes.Tip in the rest of the ingredients ,except fresh cream, cook for another 5-10 minutes till mushrooms are done , add cream in the end, garnish with fresh coriander.

Another addition that would taste good in this is fresh paneer(cottage cheese) cubes.

This delightful gravy is off to

Sra for her event-http://whenmysoupcamealive.blogspot.com/2007/11/announcing-grindless-gravies-event.html

and to Sunita for hers-http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/11/think-saffron-round-up-and-announcing.html

Technorati Tags: mushroom , methi , muttar , malai subzi(vegetable)

HOT & JUICY~ FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

The other day I came across some green tomatoes at the farmer's market and bought them with Fried green tomatoes on my mind, trying to imagine what they would taste like but not really getting it, when I did make them however I was pleasantly surprised, they were just what my tastebuds crave- sour and deliciously crispy, they really looked like tikkis or cutlets and no one could make out by just looking that there is a hot and juicy tomato slice inside!

They are incredibly simple and with very few ingredients, yet they are fun and tangy, you can bread them ahead of time and keep in the fridge, even a day before, I even took them to work for breakfast with scrambled eggs and toast and they were very good!, here's what all you need to make them-

• Fresh green tomatoes-4


• Egg-1


• Salt and black pepper to taste


• Fresh or dried breadcrumbs-1 cup


• Refined oil for frying

Wash the tomatoes and dry, chose very firm unblemished tomatoes, slice 1/2 inch thick and pat them with paper towel to soak excess liquid, crack open egg and beat well with salt and pepper.For the fresh breadcrumbs I simply take 3 slices of brown bread and pulse in my coffee grinder, ta-da fresh breadcrumbs are ready!.Season breadcrumbs with salt and pepper too, if like me you like it hot, sprinkle some chilli flakes in too :), now take the tomato slice and dip in egg, coat well with the crumbs and press down gently so that they stick well, shallow fry in a non-stick pan till golden and crispy, serve immediately.