A Recipe, A Book and a Cause!

It's that time of the year when my Organizer is almost full! Mine runs from October of old year to October of the next year. Call me old-fashioned, I am still into writing all my appointments, meetings, kid's activities etc. in a book. I tried the Palm-Pilot when it first came out, but i just could not get the hang of it! So much so that it remained not updated for weeks together and i usually forgot appointments or conferences etc.! So I've given up and i stick with the good old dated organizer.
Wondering what all this is about??? The other day I stopped by at Borders bookstore to look for a new organizer. My favorite place to hangout! Though i don't get a chance to do much of it nowadays. Instead of buying an organizer I ended up buying 2 books - a little hand book on easy to cook Italian dishes and "Dakshin" by Chandra Padmanabhan - a South Indian Vegetarian cookbook. I must have been hungry - it was early evening almost closer to dinner time, I was so taken in by the glossy pictures that I just had to have the book.
Like always I brought it home and spent about 2 weeks reading and ogling at the pictures. Most of the recipes hit very close to home, very much like my mom's style of cooking and so I was familiar with most of them. But I really liked the way that Chandra describes the entire process from scratch with no shortcuts! Very authentic recipes and very articulately segmented into various divisions.
So finally I decided to try a very simple recipe the other day - Vegetable Korma - it was very similar to the way I made mine but it had some extra ingredients that I usually did not use. I tweaked the recipe a bit to make the process simpler. The verdict - it was delightfully delicious!


Vegetable Korma from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan

You will need:
3 cups of Mixed vegetables - I used fresh green beans, carrots, Potatoes, Green peas, Frozen Baby Lima beans, some Edamame and about a quarter of a head of cauliflower.
1 Large Tomato
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Canola Oil or Olive Oil (she says Ghee)
a few bay leaves (i was out of these)
1/2 bunch of Fresh Cilantro for Garnishing

For the Masala Paste:
1/2 coconut grated (I just used about 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut)
8 green chillies
1/4 onion - chopped
a small piece of ginger
1 pod garlic (she does not have this in her recipe, i just used my own discretion)
a few sprigs of cilantro
some water

Grind all of the above into a smooth paste and keep aside.

For the Masala Powder:
1 tbsp Aniseed (Somf)
a small piece of cinnamon
a few cloves
a few pods of cardamom
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Note: I used a masala powder that one of my friends gave me - which she got from back home India. It seemed to have similar ingredients as above. And i verified that with her. But she also said that it included some more additional ingredients. She said it was called "Curry Masala Podi" and was usually used in cooking Mutton Korma and such. She said she would get me the recipe from her mother-in-law. Will update you guys when i do get that recipe.
But in the meanwhile, the above is what Chandra recommends. Dry roast all of the above spices in a saucepan and then grind into a smooth powder.

Method:
Here's where i tweaked the recipe quite a bit. In a pan, heat the oil. Add the bay leaf and some chopped onion. Saute until transclucent. Then add the chopped vegetables, salt and cook until half cooked with some water. Meanwhile, I coarsely ground the tomato into a semi-puree. Add this to the vegetables. Then add the masala paste and masala powder and cook, covered with a lid until throughly cooked ( for about 10 minutes). Add water if needed. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro.

Here's another look... I think it looked pretty darn close to her picture in the book.



I apologize dear friends for not posting or adding my two cents on most of blogger friend's blogs! I have been very busy. For one, my parents left to India and i have been depressed and have been trying to handle things on my own. I really miss them and miss the comfort of having them at home.
Apart from that work, travelling, kids and other stuff have taken up all my time. I hope to be regular now :-)

With so much going on, I did not get a chance to participate in the Subscribe to Smiles - FAHC Campaign on time. But I still want to show my support to this worthy cause. I figured better late than never.

Subscribe to Smiles
The Feed a Hungry Child campaign was started by one of our dear blogger friends VKN of My Dhaba. A wonderful worthy cause, where the mission is to feed one hungry child at a time. And as a reward their wonderful smiles and lots of good will.
In a world of so much waste, I shudder each time I see food go down the drain or trash. Knowing fully well that there are so many hungry children in the world. This thought really disturbs me. Every day, online I see pictures of poverty, pictures of children malnourished and pictures of children with no food, no shelter or no clothes. Some of the basic necessities of life that we all take for granted.
Please take some time to think this through and please do your share. However, small every cent/penny or goodwill counts! Remember that little drops make a mighty ocean.

Please do participate! And Thanks so much in advance for your time and contribution!

A Simple Rajasthani Meal

Rajasthan the princely state, known for its fiery, delicious cuisine is a popular tourist spot and is the beautiful land of royal cities such Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur. It’s been a while, but what I remember of my visit to Rajasthan is the Hawa Mahal – the Palace of the winds. The Hawa Mahal is a huge beautiful palace structure made of pink sand stone with numerous windows and balconies.

Source: MapsofWorld.com

I also remember the innumerable camels in this desert land, camels beautifully adorned with tinkling bells and thick colorfully embroidered runners around their back to serve as a seat for visiting tourists. I remember getting on to the camel’s back a little scared but also remember how comfortable it felt and how easily the camel walked, swaying side to side. I also remember visiting the Amber Fort, the white marbled palace, where the décor, the ornamented walls and the many beautiful mirrors of the palace were stunning beyond words.
See Pavan Gupta’s beautiful, captivating pictures of Amber Fort and colorful Rajasthan here.

And coming back to the reason for this post… Rajasthani Food is unique and fiery in taste. The ever famous Dal Bati – which is spicy lentils and dumplings made of flour served with ghee or clarified butter, and Churma – ground wheat flour cooked with ghee and sugar served with Bajre ki Roti – Roti made of Bajra flour, is the daily staple of Rajasthani’s. Not to mention the gatte ki sabzi and innumerable sweets such as malpua, Balushahi etc. All this and more can usually be eaten in any Rajasthani style restaurant.
But to me a home-cooked simple Rajasthani meal is made of Dal (Cooked Lentils), Chaawal (Rice), Sabji (Curry) and Roti.
While I was growing up, a Rajasthani family lived on the 2nd floor of my maternal home in Bangalore. Prem and Bimal, were a wonderful couple that were very hospitable and very friendly. I literally lived in their house. Prem Bhabiji as I used to call her, was wonderful company. She constantly entertained me with her wonderful stories of Rajasthan and her life there and her wonderful home cooked rajasthani food. Life has just happened and I have lost touch with them. Not sure where they are, but if anyone from the Bansali family is reading this, please get in touch with me. I would love to here from you guys!
Prem Bhabiji used to make this simple home cooked combination all the time, a combination of Roti, Dal, Chaawal, Papad ki Sabzi ( Curry made of Papad or Crepes) and Aloo Matar ki Sabzi (Curry made with Potato and Peas). Everything was usually dabbed with generous amounts of ghee and was always served with a roasted papad on the side.
In her memory, I tried to recreate this combination at home this weekend. I can say that I did pretty darn good as far as taste was concerned! I’m sure she would be proud of me.
Hope you guys enjoy this simple home-cooked Rajasthani meal! And as always if you do try it, let me know, I’ll be thrilled to here from you guys!

A Simple Rajasthani Meal


Clockwise from top:Dal or Spicy Lentils, Papad ki Sabzi, Chaawal or Rice, Roti and Aloo Matar Sabzi.

Tadka Dal (Spicy Lentils seasoned to perfection)


Tadka Dal


Dal Chaawal - Spicy Dal served with Rice

You will need:
1 cup Toor Dal (split Gram Dal)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
a pinch of Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro for Garnishing

For Seasoning:
1 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter
1 tsp Cumin seeds or Jeera

Method:
In a pressure cooker, cook the Toor Dal with a pinch of Turmeric and about 4 cups of water. Cook for 3 whistles or until fully done. Allow to cool. When the pressure has cooled off, open the cooker and mash the dal lightly with a ladel. In a small seasoning pan, heat the ghee, add the cumin seeds, a 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and the chilli powder. Add this seasoning to the dal mixture. Add salt and garam masala and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes until well blended. Add about 1/2 cup water if the dal is too thick. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Papad Ki Sabzi (Tangy curry made with papad)

Papad Ki Sabzi


Papad ki Sabzi - One more look

You will need:
2 Papads - Broken in pieces (Prem always used authentic Bikaneri Papad, but I just used Lijjat Pepper Papad - available in most Indian stores)
1 cup Homemade Curds
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Dhaniya Powder or Coriander Powder
a pinch of Hing or Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds or Jeera
2 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter
Salt to taste

Method:
In a pan, heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds and all the dry powders except the salt. Then add the homemade curds and mix well. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes on a medium flame. Then add the salt and the broken pieces of papad. Mix well and cook for about 3 more minutes. If you think the curry is to thick add just about 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with roti.

Aloo Matar Ki Sabzi (Spicy Potato and Peas Curry)

Aloo Matar ki Sabzi


Aloo Matar Sabzi - One more look!

You will need:
4 Potatoes - Peeled and Washed
1 cup Green Peas (Fresh or Frozen is good)
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Dhaniya Powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter

Method:
Peel, Wash and Chop the Potatoes into cubes. In a pressure pan or pressure cooker, heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds, then the green peas. Then add all the dry powders and mix well. Saute for about a minute. Then add the chopped potato cubes. Add salt, about 2 cups of water and mix well. Close with the lid and cook the mixture for about 1 whistle. Allow the pressure to cool. Open the pan, mix well and cook some mroe if needed on a open pan. Garnish with chopped Cilantro and serve hot.

And finally, for the rice, I just cooked Basmati Rice on stovetop seeasoned with 1 tbsp of ghee and cumin seeds and salt. Cook until done and serve hot. I served the Rajasthani meal with a side of sliced onions and green chillies. Eaten traditionally this way, the onions and green chillies add a zest and flavor to the meal!

Onions and Green Chillies on the side


Our simple Rajasthani Meal

Hope you guys enjoyed the simple meal. It was fun sharing some memories and cooking a fast simple Rajasthani meal.

Tangy Tomato Moong Saagu

A staple in our home is warm chapathis or rotis with a fresh, hot bowl of sabji. This is our meal most nights and mostly during lunch as well. When it does get mundane, we indulge in soft idlis or piping hot dosas. And then again, sometimes it is Pasta time! But give us chapathis with sabji and we'll take it anyday!
I have many friends ask me, "Dont you guys get bored" or "We love chapathis too but we get bored with the same old side dishes again and again!" Truly said.. Variety is the spice of life!
I make many many sides for rotis that sometimes I loose track! But some of these are classic, recipes that were made in my maternal home time and time again, the familiarity of the aroma when the dish is cooking or the familiarity of the taste brings on loads of nostalgia.
This Tangy Tomato Moong saagu or "Pesara Pappu Saagu" as we call it is one such dish. My mom tells me that my grandma (her mom) used to make it for them all the time while they were growing up. Traditional dishes passed down through generations. I dont remember ever thinking of this dish as a favorite or a classic while growing up.. I guess it was just taken for granted.. a simple side, always made at home. But now, I relish this taste and enjoy its wholesomeness. Hopefully, my kids will appreciate this saatvik dish in the future!
Now on to the recipe of my mom's Tangy Tomato Moong Saagu...

Tangy Tomato Moong Saagu

You will need:

1 cup Moong Dal (or Split yellow lentils)

2 Big tomatoes - Chopped into cubes

5 Green Chillies - Slit lengthwise

a few curry leaves

1 tsp Cumin seeds or Jeera

1/2 tsp Black Pepper (Peppercorns)

a pinch of Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

2 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

a pinch of Hing ot Asafoetida

1 tsp Urad dal

For Garnishing:

Chopped Cilantro

Method:

In a wide, heavy bottomed pan, cook the moong dal with about 2 to 3 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric powder. Stir in between. When the dal is 3/4th cooked - it is still whole but cooked, add the chopped tomatoes, slit chillies, curry leaves and salt. Mix well and cook until done. The dal will split and the tomatoes will cook well. The whole gravy comes together. If it is too thick, add about 1/2 cup of water. Meanwhile, coarsely powder the jeera and pepper. Add this to the cooked dal mixture. Season with mustard seeds, hing and urad dal. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot as a side to warm rotis.

Green Beans Poricha Kootu

There are some recipes that are classic, traditional recipes! And no matter how much we innovate and experiment, coming back to traditional, home cooked recipes is a delight. This is one such recipe. My mom's delicious Green Beans Poricha Kootu recipe. She makes it the best in the whole world! :-) I love any poricha kootu. I can eat it by the bowlfull just as a meal! And the wonderful fresh taste of the vegetable with the nutty almost grainy taste of the Split yellow lentils aka moong dal and the fiery taste of the spicy chillies - a combination that fires up the tastebuds.
The beauty of this classic recipe is that you can make it with a variety of vegetables - Green beans, Guar Beans or Cluster beans (called gorichikudukaya or Mattikayalu in Telugu, Gorikai in Kannada and Kotthavaranga in Tamil, Gavar in Hindi), Chayote Squash (or Bengaluru Kathrikaa - BK in Tamil (this is what my cousin and her family call it! :-), Broad Beans (Chikudukaya in Telugu or Avarakaa in Tamil) and the list can go on. Heck you can even make this with potato! It is such a versatile dish and so easy to make. Ok enough said, lets move on to the recipe!
Note: Mom was the one who actually made what you guys are seeing below.

Green Beans Poricha Kootu



Green Beans Poricha Kootu
You will need:
4 cups Chopped Green Beans (Wash, string and Chop fine)
2 cups split Moong Dal (Split, Yellow Lentils)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For the Kootu Masala:
2 tbsp Urad Dal
6 to 7 Dry Red Chillies
1/2 tsp Peppercorns
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
2 tbsp Fresh Grated Coconut
a pinch of Hing or Asafoetida

For the Seasoning:
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
a pinch Hing or Asfoetida
a few Curry leaves

Method:
In a heavy bottome pan, add the moong dal and about 3 cups of water and cook over stovetop. When the dal is about 1/2 cooked, add the chopped green beans, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Add some more water if needed and cook until the beans and dal is well cooked.

Meanwhile, in a pan, roast the red chillies, pepper and urad dal with 1/2 tsp oil until the dal is light to golden brown. Remove from heat. Add all the roasted ingredients and the cumin seeds in a mixer and grind until a coarse powder. Then add the grated coconut and some water and grind to a fine paste.

Add this paste to the cooked beans and dal mixture. Cook for about 5 to 10 more minutes on low heat until the kootu comes together and is a thicker gravy.

Season with the seasoning ingredients and serve hot with Chapathis or Rice. Best served with Rice, Rasam and an Appalam on the side.

Green Beans Poricha Kootu
Thanks guys for stopping by. If you do try the recipe do let me know. I would love to hear from you.

Gutthi Vankaya Koora

Our family (specifically my Dad's) is from the Ananthapur district of the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. It is the part of the region that borders the neighbouring state Karnataka and the region that is predominantly influenced by Bangalore and its culture. A lot of similarities can be found in the cuisine of Rayalaseema and the cuisine of Southern Karnataka.
Gutthi Vankaya Koora is a traditional Andhra dish. Be it Rayalaseema, Telangana or Kosta.. this dish is made all over. Except there are several variations to this! I myself make a couple of variations of this delicious dish. In Bangalore, this dish is known as "Badnekai Yengai" which translates to "Nooni Vankaya" .. the other Rayalaseema name for Gutthi Vankaya. Its amazing how regional proximity can influence everything from culture to food!
Well anyway, what more fitting than posting about the most celebrated dish in Andhra cuisine? And i know, that there are tons of recipes for gutthi vankaya out there on the web. But hey, add one more to the list :-) Besides this is my grandma's traditional recipe and believe me, it is out of this world!
I have a small story to share on this note.... when i was due with my first one, the afternoon before I had her, i ate rice with Gutthi Vankaya koora. My dad made the koora that day and boy was it spicy! It was spicy but yet delicious and I can remember slurping it off with my ears and nose turning red! Anyway, later that day my labor pains started and i kept thinking that it was constipation (thanks to the spicy vankaya koora ... :-) blush blush! ) Anyways, as the pains got worse, i knew that it was not the koora but something else!
I then had my baby the next day at 12:30 in the afternoon!

Now for my grandma's recipe:



You will need:
6 small eggplants (brinjals, aka Vankaya)
1 medium sized Onion - Chopped fine
1 Ripe Tomato - Chopped fine
Salt to taste
Seasoning ingredients
3 tbsp Oil

For the stuffing:
1 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tbsp Gasalu (Khus Khus or poppy seeds, soak in some water for about 10 minutes)
3 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Dhaniya powder (Coriander powder)
2 pieces Dal chini or Cinnamon
4 pieces Cloves
2 cloves Garlic
1/4 piece Onion - chopped roughly
2 tbsp Sesame seeds
a few sprigs curry leaves
2 small Tomatoes - chopped roughly
salt to taste

Method:
1. Dry roast the sesame seeds, cinnamon and cloves. Combine with the rest fo the masala ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.
2. Wash and chop the eggplants in the center both ways. Make sure the eggplant is still whole and not chopped fully. There should be two slits in the middle.
3. Stuff the ground masala into the eggplants gently ensuring that they dont break. Keep aside.
4. In a pan, heat the oil. Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then add the chopped onions and saute until onions are golden brown. Then gently place each stuffed eggplant in the pan. Pour the remaining masala over the eggplants. Pour about 3/4 cup of water. Gently mix. Use a spatula to gently lift the whole eggplants while mixing. Make sure they dont break.
5. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add more salt if needed.
6. Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix gently. Cover with a lid again and cook until the gravy thickens. Add a little more water if needed.
7. Cook until oil leaves the sides.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Rice or Chapathi.

This is one of my contributions to RCI- Andhra cuisine. Hope you guys enjoyed the little story and the recipe.

Also, see Indira's wonderful post on Gutthi Vankaya Koora. Her pictures describe the process just right! I tried her Stuffed Poluru Vankaya Koora recipe sometime back and it was excellent! Cannot go wrong with that one... I used the last stuffing in her list!

Reminder:
Tommorrow - May 25th is the last day to get your entires in for the RCI- Andhra Cuisine event. Thank you all for participating.

A Taste of Tradition

Tradition to me is a set of customs and practices that are given to me or handed down to me by my elders. It is what I practice in my daily life and it is what I want to pass on to my children. Culinary Traditions, among those are something I cherish. Cooking techniques, cooking styles and eating habits are all influenced by my upbringing, ways of life back home and practices my grandmother, mother and aunts followed in their routine day to day life.
With that in mind, the dishes that I chose as my entries for Indira’s JFI-WBB Greens and Nupur’s A to Z of Indian Vegetables for this week, where the alphabet of the week is M, are all traditional recipes. Recipes that are regulars at my maternal home and recipes that I make often, food that comforts me at times when I feel nostalgic and food that I want my children to experience, so that tomorrow they can look back and cherish the memories of home and mom’s cooking.

First, in my list today is Methi Dal (Menthi Kura Pesara Pappu). I must say that I tweaked this recipe a bit. My mom usually makes Tomato pesara pappu (also called saagu in my house). I usually add Fresh methi to this recipe to give it the extra boost of nutrition. It works out great. Wholesome, comfort food in a jiffy. Tastes great with Chapathis or Puris.

Methi Dal (Menthi Kura Pesara Pappu)

Methi Dal (Menthi Koora Pesara Pappu)

You will need:
1 ½ cups of Moong Dal
½ bunch Fresh Methi Leaves – Washed and Chopped fine
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro for garnishing

For the Seasoning:
1 tbsp Oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Channa dal
A few curry leaves
A pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
4 Green chillies – Slit lengthwise
½ Onion – Chopped fine
1 big tomato – Chopped fine
2 cloves Garlic – Peeled and chopped fine (optional)
1 tsp chopped Ginger

Method:
In a heavy bottom pan, place the moong dal and about 4 cups of water. Add the turmeric powder and cook the dal until soft. You will see that the dal splits a bit when it is almost cooked. Add more water if needed. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the dals. Sauté for a few minutes or until mustard splutters. Then add the curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Then add the chopped onion and sauté until light brown. Then add the chopped tomato and sauté again for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the finely chopped methi leaves. Sauté for about 5 minutes stirring in between. Add this to the cooked dal. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Turn off the stove, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rotis or chapathis.

My next entry is one of favorite rice dishes. Methi Rice. My mom, aunt and my late grandmother would make this for me frequently. I can eat this rice dish anytime and never tire of it. The subtle slightly bitter taste of fresh methi, the rice powder and the rice lends it an aromatic flavor that is never to be forgotten. On the lines of Vangi Bhaat, I just feel that the methi tastes much better than Eggplants in this rice dish.

Methi Rice

Methi Rice

You will need:
2 cups Rice
1 big bunch Fresh Methi Leaves – Washed and chopped fine
3 tbsp Vangi Bhaat Powder
1 tbsp Lime juice
Salt to taste

For the seasoning:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
A few curry leaves
1 clove garlic (optional)

Method:
Cook the rice in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker. If you are using Basmati rice, use the ratio 1 cup rice is : 1 ½ cups water. If you’re using Sona Masoori Rice, use the ratio 1 cup Rice: 2 ½ cups water. Once the rice is cooked, spread on a platter and cool.
In a pan, heat the oil. Add the seasoning ingredients. Once the mustard splutters, add the urad dal and sauté for a minute. Then add the remaining seasoning ingredients. Sauté for 1 minute. Then add the chopped methi leaves. Add a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Then add about ¼ cup water. Cover with a lid and cook until the water evaporates. Stir. Then add the vangi bhaat powder and mix well.
To the cooked rice, add the above methi mixture and mix well. Add more salt if needed. Add 1 tsp of ghee to give it a delicious taste (optional). Mix well. Add the lime juice, mix and serve hot with raita or papad.

My final recipe for today is Moong Gravy (Moong Gojju). This recipe I must say, I learnt from my mother-in-law. A typical Karnataka style recipe, the blend of coconut simmered with cooked whole moong gives it a delicate yet nutty flavor. Delicious when served with rotis or rice.

Whole Moong

You will need:
1 ½ cups Whole Moong
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnishing

For the Masala Paste:
½ cup fresh grated Coconut
½ Tomato – Chopped into cubes
A few sprigs fresh cilantro
2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 ½ tsp Dhaniya powder
1 clove Garlic
½ Onion – chopped fine

For the seasoning:
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
A pinch of hing
a few chopped onions

Ingredients for Moong Gravy

Method:
In a microwave safe dish, place the whole moong and microwave on high for about 1 minute. You may alternately dry roast the moong in a pan for a few minutes. Then place the roasted whole moong in a pressure pan, pour about 4 to 5 cups of water, turmeric powder and cook for about 2 to 3 whistles. Meanwhile, grind all the ingredients for the masala paste with some water into a smooth paste.
In a pan, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds. After they splutter, add the curry leaves and hing. Saute for a minute. Then add the chopped onions and saute until translucent. Then add the cooked moong and the masala paste. You can also add the remaining water from the cooked moong. Add salt to taste and boil. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add more water if needed. Once the gravy is slightly thicker, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve hot with rotis or rice.

Moong Gravy

Moong Gravy served with Rice and Roti

That's it for now folks! Whew, I feel like Asha! I'm amazed at how that superwoman writes posts like this everytime. Once is good for me I think! :-)

The Methi Dal and Methi Rice are my entries for Indira's JFI-WBB Greens and Nupur's A to Z of Indian Vegetables.
Have a great day!

"K" for Korma

The word “Korma” is said to have originated in the Mughal kitchens of ancient India. Korma is a curry made with meat or vegetables and a delicate blend of spices, cream and other basic ingredients. It is a perfect side to any bread such as Naan, Roti, Kulcha or Puri and/or to Rice dishes such as Pilaf or Cumin Rice, Peas Pilaf or Saffron Rice. A spicy yet mild, tangy, cream or coconut cream based side with a bland rice or bread dish.
For Nupur’s weekly event “A to Z of Indian Vegetables”, this week my kitchen will feature Korma Sabziyon Ka… which just translates to Vegetable Korma.. But you know, I just wanted to make it sound fancy and mysterious!


Korma with a "K"

You will need:
1 small head Cauliflower – Washed and broken into florets
2 Potatoes – Peeled and cubed (I used red potatoes and left the peel on)
½ cup shelled peas (or Frozen green peas)
½ cup edamame (optional- I used the frozen organic edamame)
And any other veggies you want to add.
Salt to taste
1 Onion – Chopped fine
2 tomatoes – Chopped fine or coarsely pureed
2 tbsp Cream or Malai (or you can use store bought heavy whipping cream)

For the Masala paste:
½ cup Fresh grated coconut
1 tbsp KhusKhus or Poppy Seeds
1 tbsp Cashews
A few sprigs Fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 inch cinnamon stick
5 cloves
2 Cardamom – Elaichi.. shelled
2 green chillies
A small piece of ginger
1 tsp Dhaniya Powder
3 tsp Red chilli Powder

For Seasoning:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds or jeera

Method:
Wash all the vegetables and chop and keep aside.
In a pan, dry roast the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and poppy seeds. Combine with the rest for the ingredients for the Masala paste and grind into a thick paste by adding some water. Keep aside.
I usually coarsely puree the tomatoes so that they give the korma a thicker consistency.
In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds. After a few minutes, add the chopped onions and sauté until light brown.
Then add all the vegetables, a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
Then add the pureed tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the ground masala paste and about 2 cups of water. Mix well. Cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes on a medium to low flame or until the vegetables are cooked al Dante. I usually cook such the cauliflower is just about cooked but yet slightly crunchy.
Finally add the cream and mix well.
Garnish with chopped cilantro or coriander leaves and serve hot with naan or rotis or rice.

Korma Sabziyon Ka... one more look!

This is my entry for Nupur's "A to Z of Indian Vegetables" for this week.

If you guys do try this recipe, please let me know.. I will be happy to hear from you :-)

Celebrating My Friends

“Celebrating My Friends”… This was the subject of an email that I received last week. I was curious! I opened it to see that it was from my friend Sumathe! She had sent us (a group of 12 girls) an email to invite us over to her house for a lunch to celebrate our friendship! What a wonderful, heart-warming thought! A lunch without the kids and husbands! Now that sounds exciting and fun. Not that we don’t do these “girls only” parties and get-togethers all the time!
Anyways, before I delve into the post I would like to tell you guys about Sumathe and my other friends.
Sumathe is a wonderful person. Very unassuming, very easy to be with, no hang-ups and a down to earth person. She has this whacky sense of humor and is a very dedicated mom. I love the wonderful stories she shares with us about her little idiosyncrasies and little incidents with her family. Her husband is another wonderful tale! He is a quite listener, very patient and is a perfect friend a girl could ask for! And did I tell u he is obsessive, compulsive! And that forms the basis for most of Sumathe’s funny tales! But jokes apart, they’re a special couple and I’m happy that I have a good friend like Sumathe.
And as for the rest of my girlfriends, we are a crazy bunch. We laugh too much when we get together. But yet, we can discuss about anything under the sun. Politics, Finances, Stocks, Arts, Movies, Kids, Cooking etc… The list is endless! In these 10 years that I have been here and known them, we have grown, matured, gone through many a ups and downs and seen ourselves through them. We have seen each other through good and bad times. Memories that will last a lifetime and friendships to cherish!
In the true sense of it, this post is surely to celebrate my friends! Celebrating Sumathe and her friendship!
And now for the meat of the post! That afternoon Sumathe had cooked this wonderful, simple and nutritious meal for us. Every dish was unique and different. A post in itself! I went armed with my camera and decided that I was going to do this post on my blog. I got all the pictures I needed and she was kind enough to share the delicious recipes with us. So let’s go check out Sumathe’s fare!

Delicious Asparagus Soup for Starters

This soup was creamy and tasty. It was a delicious surprise to the tastbuds! And she told me "Everything that went in there was low fat!"

Creamy Asparagus SoupYou will need:

2 ½ cups Chopped Asparagus (Wash, cut out the thicker tails and chop the rest in 1inch long pieces)
½ cup Chopped Onions
½ cup Chopped Potatoes (Wash, Peel and chop into cubes)
1 cup Skim Milk
2 tsp Oil (or Butter if u want)
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Cream for Garnishing (optional)

Method:
Sauté the chopped Asparagus with a few drops of oil for a few minutes. Keep aside.
In the same pan, sauté the chopped onions until translucent. Then add the chopped potato cubes and sauté for about 4 minutes. Then add 2 cups of water. Cover with a lid and cook until the potato is almost cooked. To this add the sautéed asparagus and mix well. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off the stove. Cool Completely. Blend this whole mixture in a blender until smooth. Add this asparagus paste, milk, salt and pepper and mix. Bring this mixture to a boil. Serve hot. Garnish with cream or chopped, cooked Asparagus bits if you want.

Mixed Vegetable Salad

This Salad was sweet and yet tangy. It was brimming with veggies and was very light to taste! An excellent filler when you're on a diet!

Mixed Vegetable SaladYou will need:

2 cups Chopped Cucumbers (Wash, Peel, core out the middle and chop the rest into fine cubes)
2 cups Chopped Carrots (Wash, Peel and chop into fine cubes)
1 bunch Green Onions (Chopped fine)
1 cup White Garbanzo Beans (White Channa, soaked overnight and cooked)
2 Green chillies (chopped fine, optional)

For the dressing:
1 bunch Mint Leaves (Wash and Chop fine)
2 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt to taste

Mix the above in a bowl and keep aside.

Method:
Combine all the chopped vegetables in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the dressing. Toss and Serve.

Hara Bhara Chaawal
This was a subtle yet delicious tasting Rice dish. It spelt "Healthy" to the core! Served with Raita, it was a perfect one pot nutritious meal!

Hara Bhara ChaawalYou will need:
2 cups Basmati Rice (Cook with salt. Spread in a large platter to cool).
1 cup Grated Carrots
1 cup Finely chopped Spinach (you can use baby spinach leaves)
3 Green Chillies – finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
½ Red onion – chopped fine lengthwise

For Seasoning:
3 tbsp Oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp Urad dal
Curry leaves

Method:
In a pan, heat the oil. Season with Mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. After the Mustard splutters add the chopped green chillies and the grated ginger. Sauté. Then add the chopped red onions and sauté until translucent. Then add the grated carrots and chopped spinach. Add a pinch of salt. Mix well and sauté for just about 2 or 3 minutes. Mix with the Basmati rice. Add some more salt if needed. Mix well. Garnish with cilantro and Serve hot.

Traditional Onion Raita

Traditional Onion RaitaThe above is the Traditional Onion Raita. Add chopped red onions, chopped tomatoes, some chopped green chillies and mix well. Add yogurt or curds. Mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Tangy Apple Thokku

Tangy Apple ThokkuThis apple thokku was very tangy and tasty. “It was actually quite simple to make “ she said. Peel and Grate two apples and keep aside. In a pan, heat about 2 tbsp of Sesame Oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add ½ tsp urad dal, some Hing (Asafoetida) and 4 methi seeds. Then add the grated apple, ½ tsp Red chilli powder, a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Mix well. Serve.


Apple Braid for Desert
Now this was a delight to look at. It was perfectly braided and was sitting on the table. Warm out of the oven, the aroma permeated the room. It was very lightly sweet and flaky! Kind off melted in your mouth! If you know me by now, I am not much for desserts or sweets! But this was one dessert that was going to stay with me! I'm sure my family would love this!

Apple Braid
The Apple Braid looks tough to make. But if you get everything together it is actually quite easy! I was surprised at how easy!

You will need:
2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls dough (she got the reduced fat ones! Perfect, because she said there was no compromise on taste!)
1 – 8 oz package Cream Cheese (this one was reduced fat too!)
½ cup Powdered Sugar
¼ cup Chopped Pecans
1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
½ tsp Cinnamon (powdered)
1 Granny Smith Apple – Peel, Core and Slice into thin slices.

Method:
Thaw the cream cheese. Mix with the powdered sugar and whisk it well so it is all evenly mixed. Keep aside.
Mix the granulated sugar and the cinnamon and keep aside.
Roll out the dough, side by side with a gap of about 3 inches apart. With a rolling pin, smoothen the dough out until all perforations are smoothened out and the two sheets meet into one. So now you have one big rectangular piece of dough.
In the middle, spread the cream cheese mixture. Make sure you spread it only in the middle. You will need the ends to pick up and close.
Then arrange the apple slices on the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the granulated sugar-cinnamon mixture all over the apple slices. Spread one more layer of cream cheese mixture on top of the apple slices. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Now here’s the tricky part. Cut the sides of the flat rectangular dough into strips about
1½ inches wide. Lift each strip to the middle twisting in the process to the middle. Lift the equivalent strip on the other side to the middle twisting as you do. The two strips will meet in the middle. Press them together and close the top. Repeat for each strip throughout the entire length of the rectangular apple dessert.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the braid for about 28 minutes at 375 degrees.
Chop into strips and serve warm.

Note: The process of braiding is kind off confusing. But once you get a hang off it, its simple. Next time, I will try to get pictures of the “Braid in the making” either when Sumathe makes it or when I try it out! Will update with those pictures eventually!

Hope you guys enjoyed the yummy spread! Do let us know if you try any of these exotic dishes!
Cheers.

Bittergord Gojju

Bittergourd - also called Kaakarkaaya in Telugu, Paavakaa in Tamil, Haagalkay in Kannada and Karela in Hindi is an Indian vegetable that is considered one of the healthiest of gourds. It has a bitter taste as the name suggests and is extremely nutritious in regulating blood sugar levels. In Ayurveda, the ancient science of Indian medicine, this gourd is considered as a cure to diabetes.
We at home love this vegetable. I make this in various forms to please our palate. It is definitely an acquired taste, this gourd. My kids used to scrunch up their noses at the sight and taste of this vegetable initially, but now they like it and have begun to relish its bitter taste!
My favorite way to make this vegetable is the Karnataka style - Haagalkay Gojju!. Have I told you guys about Gojju? Gojjus are ever so popular in Karnataka. Pretty much anything can be whipped up into a gravy like dish and can be called gojju. Any vegetable, any fruit! I have seen people make stuff like "Apple Gojju"! Now come on .. could there be a worse twist! Of course the quintessential "Pineapple Gojju" of North Karnataka is delicious and is a must have dish in a traditional North Karnataka meal. It is usually served as a side in Karnataka weddings! Ok, now I'm deviating form the post...Haagalkay gojju goes great with chapathis or with Rice. Try this dish and you'll thank me for having tried this vegetable.

You will need:

5 bittergourds - Wash, Slit in the middle, scoop out the seeds and throw, chop the rest of the vegetable into tiny cubes.

½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilli Powder
2 tsp Sambar Powder
1 tsp Dhaniya Powder
2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
½ cup Coarsely powdered Peanuts (Roast the peanuts without oil, remove the skin and powder coarsely in a mixer or coffee grinder)
2 tbsp grated Fresh Coconut
1 tsp powdered jaggery or brown sugar
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:
3 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch Asafetida (Hing)
Curry leaves

Method:
In a pan, heat the oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida (hing), curry leaves. When the mustard splutters, add the chopped bittergourd pieces. Then add the the turmeric powder and mix well. Sauté for about 10 minutes stirring in between until the bittergourd pieces are slightly roasted.
Then add the chilli powder, sambar powder, dhaniya powder, salt and tamarind pulp. Cook until oil leaves the sides.
Then add the peanut powder, grated coconut and jaggery (or brown sugar) and mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Potato Parade

When I found out that the lovely Vaishali of Happy Burp is hosting “Jhihva for Potatoes” for the month of Febuary, I was excited! Potato –that’s an easy vegetable to cook with. There are recipes galore, both Indian and International that make use of this versatile bulb.
Everyone at our home loves Potatoes. What’s not to love about it? It cooks easy, tastes delicious no matter how you cook it and is easily available in most parts of the world!
So without much ado let’s get to the reason for this Post…Potato Recipes!

Potato-Methi Masala Curry


Potato and Methi (Fresh Fenugreek Leaves) – what a perfect combination! Fenugreek leaves have this slightly bitter taste and the humble potato combined with it dulls this effect and gives this curry a rich, exotic creamy flavor that tastes great as a side to chapathis or even with rice. This curry is different from the other aloo methi recipes I have come across. I learnt how to make this curry from my dear grandmother.
She mostly combined traditional masala’s with regular vegetables to make them delicious and authentic. Try them and you’ll surely thank my grandmother for this.

For the curry:
2 Potatoes – Washed, Peeled, Boiled and chopped into cubes. I usually cook my potatoes with some water in the microwave for about 6 minutes.
1 big bunch Fresh Methi Leaves – Wash and chop fine.
1 small Onion – Chopped fine
1 medium Tomato – Chopped into cubes
Salt to taste

For the Masala:
½ cup grated Fresh Coconut
1 clove garlic
5 green chillies
2 cloves
1 small piece cinnamon

Grind the above into a smooth paste with some water. Keep aside.

For the seasoning:
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
some curry leaves
a pinch of turmeric powder

To make the curry:
In a pan heat oil, add the seasoning ingredients. When the mustard splutters, add the chopped onions and sauté until light brown. Then add the chopped methi leaves, some salt and about ½ cup water. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the cooked potatoes, the ground masala paste, chopped tomatoes and some more salt if needed. Mix well. Cover with a lid and cook until all the water has evaporated. Stir in between. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

My next Dish is Sabudaana Khicdi.. This simple dish is the traditional dish made on days when the Hindu’s fast from most grains and beans. I make this dish whenever we feel like eating it! No fasting in our home, we are pretty poor when it comes to following religious fasts!
Almost everyone makes Sabudaana Khichdi. It is a Maharashtrian dish that is delicious, bland and chewy. Sabudaana are white, pearly rounds that are hard when dry and are soft and chewy when cooked. They are made from the sap of the tapioca tree. Read more about Sabudaana here.
My way of making sabudaana khichdi varies each time. But I have started to follow this recipe mostly, a recipe I learnt from Radhika .. a friend of mine from whom I have learnt many recipes. She loves giving me these recipes but acts like I am bothering her all the time! But I know .. she loves the attention :-)
Ok, now on to the recipe…

Sabudaana Khichdi

2 Cups Dry Sabudaana (Wash 2 or 3 times in a colander. Drain all the water. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle some water and cover with a lid. Keep covered for about 3 hours and keep sprinkling some water and mixing the sabudaana evenly a couple of times in between). The recipe itself is simple, prep time takes a little bit!

2 Potatoes – Peeled and grated. Then keep the grated potato in some water. When you are ready to make the sabudaana, drain all the water well from the potato and use.
1 cup Whole Peanuts – Roasted and ground into a coarse powder. (You may leave the peel on if u want or u can get rid of it after roasting).

1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
A few drops of fresh lime juice
Chopped Cilantro for garnishing

For seasoning:
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Jeera or cumin seeds
A few curry leaves
3 green chillies – Chopped fine

To make the Khichdi:
In a pan, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds and the jeera. When the mustard splutters, add the remaining seasoning ingredients. Sauté for a minute. Then add the grated potato and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring in between, making sure the potato does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Then add the soaked sabudaana, salt and sugar and mix well. Cook for about 5 to minutes stirring gently in between. When the sabudaana turns translucent, add the coarsely ground peanut powder and mix well. Add the lime juice and mix well. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro and grated coconut (optional).

And finally for a simple, traditional Karnataka Dish… Potato Palya. Potato Palya or Potato Curry is a perfect side for Puri, Masala Dosa or even Chapathis. I even use Potato palya as a filler in sandwiches when I have leftovers!

Potato Palya

To make this simple dish you need:
3 Large Potatoes – Boiled, Peeled and roughly mashed. Mash with your hands, since a masher usually mashes it into a very creamy paste, that is usually best for mashed potatoes with biscuits and gravy!
1 Large Onion – chopped lengthwise
3 green chillies – slit lengthwise
a few curry leaves
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

For the seasoning:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Channa dal
1 tsp Urad dal
¼ tsp Asafoetida or hing

To make the Potato Palya:
In a pan, heat the oil. Add seasoning ingredients. When the mustard splutters, add the chopped chillies, grated ginger, curry leaves and the onions and sauté until the onions are translucent. Then add the turmeric powder and the roughly mashed potato and salt. Mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a few drops of lime juice (optional) and serve hot with puris, chapathis or dosa.

Do check out some more Potato Recipes from my Masala Kitchen:

Potato Fry

Cabbage Potato Curry

and

Ragda Patties

These are my entries to the "Jhihva for Potato" parade at Vaishali's Happy Burp. Enjoy the Parade dear friends and dont forget to leave me a note! I would love to hear from all you wonderful readers. Cheers.

Two Simple Curries

This post has been long overdue! As usual life is hectic with work, home, kids etc. I do cook and sometimes do muster up the energy to take some pictures before the food is devoured. Besides, when I cook later in the evening the lighting is not that great. I prefer to take my shots on weekend when the light is better!
Anyways, here are two simple recipes that are perfect for weekday nights. We are a family who eats rotis/chapathis most times. I love rice and anything that has carbs in it but unfortunately my waist loves it too! Afternoon lunches for us are usually simpler with soups and sandwiches or quick fixes. Dinners are usually chapathis with some nice sabji. I try to make a variety of vegetables so that we are not too bored with the same mundane stuff! These two simple sabjis are nutritious and easy to make.

Green Beans Masala Curry


You will need:
4 cups – Greens beans, strung, washed and chopped fine
1 cup Yellow Moong Dal
½ Onion – Chopped Fine
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For the Masala Paste:
½ cup grated coconut
5 Green chillies
A few sprigs of washed cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic
1 small piece cinnamon
2 cloves

Grind the above to fine paste with some water and keep aside.

For seasoning:
Some oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.

To make the curry:
Cook the Moong Dal with about 4 cups of water in an open pan until cooked. The lentils will split slightly and will be soft to touch when cooked. If you have too much water left, you can drain the water and use it to cook the vegetable. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat the oil. Add seasoning ingredients. Then add chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add chopped green beans, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Add about ½ cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook until the water evaporates. Then add the cooked moong dal (moong lentils) and the masala paste and mix well. Cover with lid and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes until well blended and all the water evaporates. Garnish with chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) and serve hot with Chapathis.

My next recipe is a simple recipe – Ridgegourd Curry (Beerakaya Curry)that is even easier to make. Thanks to my friend Radhika for sharing this convenient recipe with me. I made this the other night with Indira’s Avocado Chapathis. Oh, did I tell you about her chapathis! They were soft and tasty and we loved them!

Ridge Gourd Curry

You will need:
2 medium sized Ridge Gourds (Turai, Beerakaya, Heerekai or Peerkanga) – Peel only the ridges. Leave the rest of the skin on there. Wash and chop fine into cubes.
2 tsp Sambar Powder
1 tsp Red chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Jaggery - powdered(or Brown Sugar)
Fresh grated coconut – 1 tbsp for garnishing
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:
Oil, Mustard seeds, Jeera or Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida and Curry leaves

To make the curry:
In a pan heat the oil. Season with the seasoning ingredients. Add the chopped ridge gourd pieces. Add all the dry powders and the salt and mix well. Add about 1 cup of water, cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetable is cooked. Make sure the ridge gourd pieces are cooked yet slightly crunchy. Then add the jaggery powder and mix well. Garnish with grated coconut and some chopped cilantro and serve hot with chapathis or rice.

Have a good time cooking everyone and if you guys do try it let me know. Your comments and thoughts keep me motivated into cooking variety and letting you guys know about it! Cheers!

Weekend Cooking and More

Hey you wonderful readers out there.. Just a little game to challenge your smart brains! What do you think this vegetable is? Care to guess???

All you ghost readers out there, C'mon you can take a guess now.. Can't you???

Update on Feb 13, 2007

And the winner is.... sra, Priya and other wonderful bloggers! It is indeed Daikon Radish or White Radish as we know it. It looks so close to a Potato fry does'nt it?

Before I blog the recipe, I have to tell you guys this story. When I was a teenager (that was many eons back!) my parents and us kids (me and my brother) visited Delhi. On our visit we stayed at a Corporate Guest House (that belonged to one of my mom's friend). These Guest Houses are like 'Service Apartments' as we now know it in India. It is a neat, fully furnished apartment which usually has a caretaker and a cook. And on this visit, the cook at that apartment (I dont remember his name) dished out these wonderful dishes. You can imagine, if I remember it all these years later, then it sure must have been good ;-) He was this 'Bihari babu' who spoke Hindi with the Bihari twang. So anyways, one night he made rotis, muli ki sabji (radish curry), chaawal (white rice) and dal for dinner . We were all so hungry that we gorged up all the rotis and all the chaawal that he made for us and wanted more! He was aghast and amazed at how much rice we South Indians ate :-)

Anyways, this Radish Sabji is an attempt at creating the same sabji he made years back. The only difference is that he had both the radish and the radish leaves in his curry. I did not have any radish leaves with me.

Its quite simple actually. Peel, Wash and chop the radish fine. Then in a pan with some oil, season with Jeera (Cumin seeds) and some turmeric powder and Asafoetida (hing). Add the chopped radish pieces. Add red chilli powder, dhania powder and salt. Add about 1/2 cup water. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Open and let all the water evaporate. In the end add a pinch of garam masala and some chopped cilantro if you want. Fry until slightly roasted. Serve hot with Rotis or Chapathis.

This weekend, I was on a cooking spree. Do you guys do this sometimes? Every now and then, I bring out all my recipe books - I have a ton of these. I pour through them, ogle at the pictures, drool , spend about 2 hours on them and then I shut them and put them back. I'm very picky about the recipes I try. I keep thinking I want to try many but I cannot gather enough motivation to do so... Its just me!

Anyway, this weekend was different. I decided that I must try something. I poured through the books and then finally settled on one - Diwani Handi Sabzi ... Its a Sanjeev Kapoor recipe. It looked delicious and seemed simple yet rich.

So I got out my ingredients and cutting board and look at what happened!

I made some small improvisations... Here's how I made it:

Vegetables: Potatoes-2 - Peeled, Washed and Chopped into cubes

Carrots - 2 - Washed, Peeled and choppe dinto cubes, Green Beans - 1 cup chopped, Green Peas - 1/2 cup, Green Choliya (Green Fresh Channa) - 1/2 cup, 1/2 a bunch Methi leaves chopped fine, 1/2 bunch cilantro or coriander leaves chopped fine.

1 Oinion - Slit lengthwise

1 cup Sour Curds

2 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste

2 Green chillies - Slit Lengthwise

2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

Method:

A handi - "A handi is a round potlike vessel, with a neck narrower than the base. It may be made of metal or in earthenware. It must be heatproof though. If not available use a deep heavy saucepan". [Source: www.bawarchi.com].

Heat some oil and 1 tbsp of butter in a handi or a heavy bottomed pan. Add the chopped onions and saute until light brown. Then add the chopped green chillies and the ginger-garlic paste. Saute for about 2 minutes. Then add the yogurt and cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly. Then add the chopped veggies, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well. Add about 1 cup water and the heavy whipping cream. Cover with a lid and cook until all the veggies are tender. Then add the chopped methi leaves and the chopped cilantro. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Serve hot with Rotis or Rice.

The Diwani Handi Sabzi is my entry to lovely Nupur of One Hot Stove's "A to Z of Indian Vegetables" for the Feb 17th deadline.

And finally, here's what we had for Lunch:

Clockwise: Hot Rotis, Diwani Handi Sabzi, Peas Pulav and Radish Sabzi.

Have a great Valentine's day friends!

Paneer – Peas Curry

It’s been a long time since I sat down to write a post about this and that. I’ve been busy at work and busy preparing for our upcoming trip to India. But the pressure is mounting.. My mom told me the other day that our neighbor in India asked her why I haven’t blogged any recipes lately. Well, I have been actually clicking away as and when I think I have made something that looks good and something that I think others would like to try.
We at home love Paneer. It a favorite amongst my kids and my husband really likes Palak Paneer. The other day my friend N gave my tastebuds a jolt with a fiery curry she had made – Paneer Peas curry which she brought for lunch in her lunchbox. I just loved it and had to try her recipe at home. What’s best was that this recipe was ever so simple!

Paneer Peas Curry If you have pre-made Paneer at home then that’s great. If not store bought frozen paneer will also do the trick. I usually like to use dried, soaked Peas for this recipe. The Frozen peas that we get here are so sweet that I don’t like using an abundance of them in any dish. It just makes the dish too sweet. I usually soak a whole bunch of dried Peas (or Vatana) overnight. Drain and put them in a freezer safe box or a Ziploc bag and stash them away in the freezer. And as and when I need, I just thaw a bunch of them and use them in whatever dish I’m making.

Paneer – Chop into cubes – 2 cups
Soaked and drained dried peas – 2 cups
1 big onion – Chopped into cubes
1 big tomato – Chopped into cubes
3 cloves garlic – Peeled
1 tbsp Ginger – Washed and peeled
½ tsp Peppercorns
2 sprigs Coriander or Cilantro leaves
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
½ cup homemade curds
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Dhaniya Powder
¼ tsp Garam Masala powder
½ cup Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Cook the soaked peas with enough water in an open pan until well cooked. Drain and keep aside.
In a pan, heat 2 tsp Oil. Add the cloves, cinnamon, pepper, ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Then add the chopped onion and sauté until light brown. Then add the chopped Tomato and sauté until mushy. Add the washed cilantro and mix. Turn off stove and cool this mixture. Then blend this mixture in a blender or a mixer until smooth.
In a pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the ground paste and sauté for about 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat stirring continuously. Add all the dry powders and mix well. Beat the curds with a fork and then add the curds to this. Saute for another 5 minutes. Then add salt to taste, the cooked peas, chopped paneer and mix well but gently. Add some more chopped cilantro to garnish. Serve hot with chapathis or Puris.

Paneer Peas Curry with Parathas

Egg Masala Chaaru

Sundays at home back in India were always lazy, relaxed and uneventful. Food was always the focus. Right from when I was little, my mom used to spend Sundays making squashes (fruit juice concentrates), pickles, cakes and other delicacies that she had learnt from a cookery class she used to attend. And then Sundays were also days when Dad would bring home packets of hot steaming idlis with chutney or Masala Dosa with chutney from nearby cafes. And yet again, Sundays were days when a special Egg Chaaru (or Egg Curry) would make its presence on the table. Our family has been a vegetarian family for the most part, but my Granddad and Dad introduced us kids to the Incredible, Edible Egg! (Indira of Mahanandi's line - and her amusing story about Puffy P Egg here).
So Sundays, were lazy. It started off with an elaborate hair wash routine with Shikakai. Then came the routine of lazing in the sun and drying long locks of hair. And then after the whole morning had gone by at about 2 in the afternoon when our tummies would make their presence known, we kids would go down for lunch - to a satisfying meal of rice and Egg Masala Chaaru.
This chaaru was my grandad's speciality! And yes, the men in our home cook awesome dishes. My granddad and Dad are wonderful in the kitchen. Looks like my brother did not get that gene! And of course my husband is too spoilt by - none other than yours truly!
Ok, coming back to Egg Chaaru. This wonderful mix of spices, fresh coconut and tomatoes, along with boiled Eggs served with Rice is pure heaven!

Egg Masala Chaaru

Ingredients:
4 Hard boiled Eggs - Shelled
1/2 Onion - Chopped lengthwise
1 Tomato - Chopped into Cubes

For the Masala:
1 cup Fresh grated Coconut
1 tsp Khus Khus or poppy seeds
1/2 chopped tomato
1 tsp peeled Garlic
1 tsp peeled ginger
1/4 Onion - chopped roughly
1 small piece cinnamon
3 cloves
a few sprigs cilantro
3 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Dhaniya Powder

Grind the above ingredients along with some water into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Method:
In a pan, heat some oil. Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the chopped onions and saute for a few minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and sautes until the tomatoes are pulpy. Then add the ground masala paste, about 1 cup water and salt to taste. Boil for about 10 minutes on medium flame. Meanwhile peel the hard boiled eggs. Slit them in between and then add them to the boiling gravy. Boil until oil separates to the sides. Serve hot with rice and ghee.

Egg Masala Chaaru with Rice

Vegetable Saagu

Saagu is a traditional Karnataka dish that is usually made with a mix of vegetables. Like Aviyal is to Tamilian cuisine, Saagu is to the Kannadigas. The nutritious combination of vegetables and lentils, the blend of freshly ground spices and the aroma of the whole mixture boiling wafting through the air bring back childhood memories for me. This dish is passed on from generations. My grandmother used to make it for my mom and now my mom makes it for me!
I know of several recipes for Saagu. But my favorite ones that are part of my recipe collection are – my mother in law’s Vegetable Saagu and my mom’s Vegetable Saagu. This is my mom’s version of this dish. This dish can be served with Chapathi, Poori or even Rice.

Mixed Vegetable Saagu

Ingredients:
2 cups Mixed Vegetables (Chopped green beans, Chopped Carrots, Peas, Lima Beans, Peeled and Cubed Potatoes)
2 Medium sized Tomatoes – Chopped into cubes
1 big tbsp Moong Dal (spilt green gram dal)

For the Masala Paste:
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds or Dhania
1 tsp Channa Dal
1 tsp Urad Dal
1 tsp Black Peppercorns
6 Dry Red Chillies
a pinch of Hing or Asafoetida
2 tbsp Grated fresh Coconut

For Seasoning:
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
a few curry leaves
1 dry red chilli

Method:
1. Combine all the chopped vegetables, the Moong dal and the Tomatoes in a pressure cooker or a pressure pan. Add about 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Cool.
2. Meanwhile combine all the ingredients for Masala paste, except the fresh coconut, in a sauté pan, add ½ tsp Oil and roast on a medium flame for about 5 minutes.
3. Grind the roasted ingredients with the fresh coconut and about ½ cup of water into a smooth paste.
4. Add the cooked vegetables, the ground Masala paste, salt and the curry leaves and boil for about 10 minutes on a medium flame. Add water to the gravy to thin it if needed.
5. Season with Mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies and a pinch of hing.
6. Serve hot with Chapathis, Puri or Rice.

Mixed Vegetable Saagu