Cookery Corner

Kaara Vadai

2009-11-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

My dad loves bajjis and always finds some reason or another to whip up a batch & enjoy. If it rains, it goes without saying that bajjis will most likely make it to the table :) So, one rainy evening we had bajjis on the mind but were out of kadalai maavu (besan). My mom decided to make these kara vadais (spicy vadais) instead which are pretty instant if you have idli/dosa batter on hand and we absolutely loved these spicy bites.

KAARA VADAI

Ingredients:
Idli/Dosai Batter - 1 cup
Rice Flour - 1/3 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium to large, chopped
Green Chillies - 5, minced finely (reduce if you want make it less spicy)
Ginger - 1/2 inch, minced
Coriander leaves - few, chopped
Salt - to taste
water - as required to make a thick dough
Oil - to deep fry

Method:
1) Combine everything (except the water and oil) in a bowl and mix uniformly. Add water little by little (it doesn't require much) to make it pretty thick. It should NOT be too wet & watery.

2) Heat oil to deep fry (test to make sure it is the right temperature), add small bits of the batter and fry till golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels before serving with some hot tea.

Vanilla Cupcakes and a Birthday celebration

2009-10-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone... Thank you so much for your well wishes. I thought I would be able to get back into the blogging world in a few months but boy was I wrong.. it's been super hectic to say the least and before we even realize that a day has dawned it's drawing to a close. 2 kids are definitely a handful and they constantly keep us on our toes. That didn't stop us from having a small celebration at home in view of my daughter's 4th birthday on October 10th. She also had a small party and a Montessori ritual at her school so I baked some vanilla cupcakes for her friends and decorated it with a light pink icing and she put the sprinkles on top and was positively excited about it. For the 'cake cutting' at home, I baked a carrot cake and again enlisted Anushka's help to decorate it with her favorite candy - m&ms. She was all smiles and said that she loved the 'celebragens and decoragens' :)

SIMPLE VANILLA CUPCAKES - makes around 12 to 15 cupcakes

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 1.5 cups
Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick), at room temperature
Sugar - 1 cup (slightly more if you want it sweeter)
Eggs - 2
Milk - 3/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1.75 tsp

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin tin with paper cups. Sift together the flour & baking powder.

2) In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. I used a hand beater and kept at it for a good 6 to 8 minutes.

4) Beat in eggs one at a time, beating really well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract next and beat really well again.

5) Now stir in the sifted flour + baking powder until almost mixed. Add the milk and beat till the batter is smooth.

6) Spoon it into the paper cups - 3/4 full is good because they rise quite well. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes clean.

These are great plain or with an icing of your choice.. since my daughter likes Cream cheese I used that to make this icing and topped with some sprinkles. "

Here's a picture of the other carrot cake also topped with cream cheese icing

and also one of the birthday girl, the baby brother & my mom.

On a Break...

2009-08-13T05:47:00.001-07:00

This is probably a late announcement since I've been away for quite a while already. There has been a new addition to our family last week - a little boy and so we've all gotten busier. I will be absconding from the blog world for a while and hope to get back in a month or two.

Dum Aloo

2009-07-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

I find baby potatoes so cute looking and adorable that I never miss a chance to buy them when I spot them. I usually make either dum aloo with them or a spicy, dry masala fry. I don't use the dum technique per se for cooking these but just let them simmer for a long time so the potatoes can absorb the masalas.

DUM ALOO

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes - 12, parboiled and peeled
Coriander leaves - chopped, for garnish
Thick yogurt - 2 tbsp
Milk / Cream - 2 tbsp
Oil - 4 tsp, divided
Cloves - 1
Cinnamon stick - half inch piece
Cumin seeds - half tsp
Salt - to taste

To Fry & Grind:
Onion - 1 large, peeled and cut into big pieces
Tomato - 1 medium, ripe
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - half inch piece
Almonds/Cashews - about 8

Masala powders (to be mixed into a paste with some water)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 1 to 2 tsp

Method:
1) Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and fry the onion, ginger and garlic till browned on the edges. Add the tomatoes with a bit of salt and when they are mushy. Transfer out to a bowl and allow to cool a bit. Then grind this with almonds or cashews to a fine paste.

2) Return the same pan to the stove and add another tsp of oil, slightly prick the parboiled ( I used a microwave to do this), peeled potatoes and toss in the oil with a pinch or two of salt and allow them to get fried a bit.. They will just get a light brown colour. Take this out and keep aside.

3) Now add the remaining 2 tsp of oil and season with cloves, cinnamon and cumin seeds and add the ground onion-tomato paste, followed by the masala powder paste with some salt and allow this to cook on a medium flame till it is nice and thick and the raw smell is gone.

4) Now add about a cup of water and the fried potatoes, let this come to a boil, cover, reduce flame and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or till thick. You will see some oil splitting and floating on the top after this. The reason we want this thick now is so the curd and milk mixture will bring it back to the right consistency.

5) Blend the curd with milk/cream until smooth and add to the gravy. Switch off the stove and cover again and let it stay for about 10 to 15 minutes before garnishing with coriander leaves and serving. If desired more cream can be drizzled on top.

Serve with naan, rotis or pulaos.

Potstickers / Vegetable Dumplings

2009-07-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

I love potstickers and find these just as satisfying (sometimes even more so) than the deep fried spring rolls. These have a crunchy coating from the pan frying and the steaming method makes them a bit chewy as well. I usually use wonton wrappers that one can find in the freezers at the supermarket and they really make life easy because one just makes the filling and encloses them in the wrappers. These can then be frozen for later or pan-fried immediately or even steamed.

The wonton wrappers that I had on hand weren't wrapped properly after the first time I took them out so turned rather brittle. I then resorted to making the outer covering myself similar to what is used for momos, just a dough of all purpose flour, salt and some water. These were time consuming but they still tasted good and were a lot chewier than the wonton wrappers. One could also just steam these and they are just as tasty.

POTSTICKERS / VEGETABLE DUMPLINGS

Ingredients:
For the dough: (or use store-bought wonton wrappers)
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Water - as required to make a stiff dough
Oil - 2 to 3 tsp to cook the dumplings

For the Filling:
Carrots - 2, cut into thin slivers
Cabbage - 1 cup, sliced thinly or chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch, grated
Garlic - 1 to 2 cloves, chopped
Spring Onions - 3 to 4, chopped (I didn't have any this time)
Soy Sauce - 1 to 2 tsp
Sriracha chilli sauce - to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
(You could add other veggies as per your preference like mushrooms, beans etc.)

Method:
1) For homemade dough, mix the flour, salt and water to make a stiff dough.

2) For the filling, heat the 2 tsp of oil and add the whites of spring onions, ginger and garlic, after abt 20-30 seconds, add in the veggies and a pinch of salt and stir-fry till crisp-tender. Stir in the soy & chilli sauces with pepper to taste & spring onion tops (greens) and when done. Keep aside and allow to cool a bit.

3) Pinch small portions of the dough and roll out into circles of 3 to 4 inch diameters. Place the filling in the middle and close over to make a semi-circle. Pinch the edges together. If using the wonton wrappers, follow a similar procedure and fold over to form triangles, a bit of water along the edges will help seal the wrappers. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.

4) Heat a wide, shallow pan and spread a layer of oil... Place the potstickers/dumplings flat in a single layer (possibly in batches). Allow to cook for a few minutes until the bottoms of the pot stickers brown a bit and get crispy. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the hot pan, cover and allow the dumplings to get steam cooked.

5) Serve with dipping sauce of choice or even plain.

Spicy Cabbage Curry

2009-07-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple, spicy, dry curry and something that a friend whipped up. I've only made poriyals/thorans with cabbage or a few kootu varieties and that usually involves coconut but this just needs a bit of chilli powder and the channa dhal lends a bit of bite and comes together very quickly... so I was sure to try this at home and liked it.

CABBAGE CURRY

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 3 to 4 cups, chopped into half inch pieces
Onion - half of a medium one, sliced thinly into 1 inch pieces
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece, grated
Chilli powder - 1 to 2 tsp, or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

Seasonings:
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - half tsp
Urad dhal - half tsp
Channa dhal - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few

Method:
1) Heat the oil in a pan and add the seasonings, asafoetida and curry leaves.

2) Next add the ginger and onion and fry till transparent. Then add the chopped cabbage, chilli powder and salt.

3) Allow this to fry for a few minutes, sprinkle some water, cover and allow to cook on a medium flame, till done. I usually don't let it become too soft so there's a bit of crunch. Keep stirring every few minutes so it doesn't stick to the bottom.

4) When it's dry, remove from the stove and it's ready to serve.

Coconut Buns

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've always loved Coconut Buns that we get in Indian bakeries and was so happy when the Salara I tried from Cynthia's place was pretty close. They were my absolute favorite with soft buns (cut into triangular wedges) encasing a sweet, coconut-tutti frutti mixture. On those days my mom couldn't get these, she would buy the coconut puffs instead but that never quite stood up to the buns. Infact, since I loved it so much, my grandparents actually bought an entire round bun (which was not cut into wedges) from a bakery and I cut into that for one of my birthdays instead of a cake :)

So, a few weeks back, I decided to bake these coconut stuffed buns and we really enjoyed the treat. The buns were soft and the coconut filling was delicious. I had some tutti frutti leftover from this Plum Cake I had baked and so added that as well along with some dates and raisins. The next time however, I think I will use brown sugar instead of white so the filing can get that deep colour that the store bought ones have. I also didn't glaze the buns with egg whites or mik so they had a dull looking exterior but that didn't take away from the taste one bit.

COCONUT BUNS

Ingredients:
For the Buns:
All Purpose Flour - 1.5 cups
White Whole wheat flour - 0.75 cups (if not available, use AP flour)
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Warm Milk - 1 cup
Active Dry Yeast - 4 tsp
Unsalted butter (cold) - 4 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp

For the Filling: (Combine the following in a bowl)
Coconut grated - 1.5 cups, run it through the mixie to make it softer if using frozen
Combination of Tutti Frutti, Raisins & Dates - 0.5 cups, chopped
Sugar - 1 cup or slighty lesser.
Cardamom, powdered - 1/4 tsp or more

Method:
1) To the warm milk, add yeast and sugar and mix. Allow this to proof for about 10 minutes. It will become foamy.

2) Mix flour and salt and crumble in the cold butter. Add the yeast-milk mixture and combine until you get a smooth, sticky dough. I had to add a touch more flour at this point.

3) Spray a bowl with some oil, place dough, cover with wrap and put in a warm place (e.g. oven with light on) and let it rise for an hour or so until it doubles.

4) Punch down the dough and knead lightly. Then take a piece of about 2.5 inches diameter and flatten it lightly to a circle, place about 2 tbsp of the filling in the middle. Pull the edges over the filling and enclose it. Seal it and place on a greased parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough. I got about 16 buns.

5) Cover with wrap and allow to rise again till doubled about 45 minutes. Then, remove the cover and bake in a pre-heated 350F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. If preferred you can brush an egg white wash or milk over the buns before baking.

6) Allow to cool a bit and serve warm or at room temperature. Keeps well for a few days on the counter.

Egg Curry

2009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had several malayali neighbours growing up and thanks to them I tasted quite a few kerala dishes and one of my favorites was the delicious egg curry that they often whipped up. I love the results of the recipe below & use it often but I still feel that it doesn't stand up to the ones that Radha aunty and Usha aunty made. I even made them give me the egg masala powder that they use but I guess it needs their magic touch or something :)

What I like about this recipe is that it needs no grinding and I often use coconut milk powder mixed with warm water instead of opening an entire can since this needs just quarter cup of coconut milk. You could add a few chunks of boiled potatoes too if you want to extend this curry and add them right after the masala powders go in so they absorb the flavours.

EGG CURRY

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4, harboiled and peeled
Onion - 1 medium, thinly sliced and cut into half inch pieces
Tomatoes - 1 small, chopped
Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp or so chopped, for garnish

Masala powders (to be mixed with water to form a thin paste)
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Egg Masala powder/Kitchen King Masala powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp or lesser

Method:
1) To Harboil eggs, place eggs in a bowl and cover with water. Bring this to a boil and after 2-3 minutes, switch off the stove, cover and let this sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The eggs can then be peeled and cut into 2 halves, with a few slits on the whites so the masala can steep in.

2) In a pan, heat oil and season with mustard seeds and add the curry leaves. Then add the sliced onions and fry till they are translucent. Next add the chopped tomatoes and some salt and cook till they are mushy.

3) Now add the masala paste and allow this to cook for about 3-5 minutes more. Add about a cup of water at this stage and let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the flame and allow to simmer on low heat till it thickens - around 10 to 15 minutes.

4) Add the halved eggs in and let it cook for 5 more minutes before stirring in the coconut milk. Let this heat through (low heat is best so the coconut milk doesn't split). Garnish with coriander leaves, cover and let rest for a few minutes before serving so the flavours mingle.

This is great with rice, rotis, aapams, idiyaapam or parottas.

Tamarind-Date Chutney & a tasty snack

2009-06-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

We all love chaats and most chaats are spiced up with a delicious array of chutneys of which the most popular ones are the green chutney and this tangy, sweet tamarind chutney which is my absolute favorite. It has a light spicy kick to it and is lip smackingly good and there have been so many occassions when I've just had this plain. After seeing how easy it is to whip this up, i've stopped buying it from the store and use it on so many items like bhel puri, ragda patties, dahi vadas etc.

TAMARIND DATE CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Tamarind/Puli - 1/4 cup, soaked in warm water for 15-20 mins
Dates - 1/2 cup, seeds removed (I used seedless)
Jaggery (Vellam)/Brown sugar - 3/4 cup, powdered
Ginger - half inch piece, crushed/grated
Chilli powder, Cumin powder - half teaspoon each
Garam masala - a pinch
Salt - to taste

Method:
1) Extract juice from the soaked tamarind and keep aside.
2) In a pan, add the tamarind extract, coarsely chopped dates, jaggery and sufficient water. Allow to boil, then reduce flame and allow to cook for about 15 mins or so till the dates soften.
3) Allow this to cool a bit and blend together till smooth.
4) Return to the pan, add the masala powders and salt to taste and cook till it thickens sufficiently.
5) Cool and serve or store in an airtight bottle in the refrigerator.

Here's a quick snack that I put together with some leftover Punjabi Chole and some Aloo Tikkis... Top the tikkis with channa masala, freshly cut onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves and drizzle green chutney and this tamarind date chutney, topped with sev for a flavor explosion that is sure to tantalize your taste buds:

ALOO TIKKI CHANNA CHAAT

Luscious Lemon Tart

2009-06-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

I don't like lemon tarts, I can tolerate them but it's not something that I enjoy - so why did I bake this? For my husband who is a big fan. A month or so ago we were at a pastry shop which showcased (and sold) some very decadent looking cakes and tarts and we came home with a dark chocolate-raspberry ganache cake and a lemon tart.. tiny 2.5 inch diameter portions for a hefty price of $6 each. While my daughter and I devoured the chocolate cake, we wanted nothing more to do with the lemon tart after a customary taste - but my husband was so in love with it and kept raving about lemon tarts and how much he always loved them and so on. He hasn't really mentioned it before... so i casually looked up what making a lemon tart entails and was surprised to see that it was rather simple.

So, I set about making this over the weekend and I must say that it came together rather easily and I tasted a bit just out of curiosity and though it was lemony, fresh & nice, it really isn't my cup of tea but I loved the crust and so did my daughter. Had I known, how yummy the shortbread crust would've been, i'd have baked some of the dough separately. Anyways, I was happy that my husband loved it and in a way I'm glad that there's this dessert in the fridge but I'm not battling any temptation to eat it all up... :) So, this recipe is for all you lemon tart lovers out there...

LEMON TART

Ingredients for Shortbread Crust:
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Confectioners sugar (Powedered) - 1/3 cup
Cold, unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick) cut into abt 10 slices
Salt - 1/8 tsp

Method For Crust:
1) Prepare a 8 or 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom ( I used a pie pan lined with aluminium foil with some over-hang, so I could remove it easily later) by spraying with cooking oil/butter.

2) In a food processor (I used our indian mixie fitted with a medium jar), place flour, sugar and salt and process to combine. Then add the cold butter slices and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and looks clumpy - see picture.

3) Transfer this to the pie pan and evenly press the pastry onto bottom and sides of pan. My sides were thinner than the bottom so that is something you'll want to keep in mind and try to do this more evenly. Pierce the bottom of the crust with a tines of a fork (so it won't puff up while baking).

4) Cover this with cling wrap and freeze for about 15 minutes (which helps prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes). Meanwhile Pre-heat oven to 425F with rack in center of oven.

5) When pastry is chilled, place tarn pan on a larger baking pan and bake till the crust is golden brown (about 13-15 mins). Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing the filling. Also, reduce the ove temperature to 350F.

Ingredients for Filling:
Cream cheese (I used lower fat) - 5 oz, softened at room temperature
Sugar - 2/3 cup (1/2 cup was the original recipe but i increased it a bit)
Fresh lemon juice - 1/2 cup (I juiced 4 lemons to get this much, depends on the size)
Eggs - 2, large
Grated lemon zest - 1 tbsp (Zest the lemons before juicing them)

Method:
1) In a food processor (I used the same medium jar of the mixie not wanting more things to clean), put cream cheese and process till smooth. Next add the sugar and process so it is combined.

2) Now add the eggs one by one and process till well combined. Add the lemon juice, zest and process till smooth. Pour this in the tart shell and bake for 25-30 minutes (in the 350F) oven till filling is set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or you could pipe the whipped cream over the entire tart.

Hara Aloo

2009-06-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

This is a curry that I first made almost 9 years ago and is a recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor. I remember my friend & me enjoying it quite a bit but unfortunately I lost the recipe and didn't make it after that. So I was thrilled to see this on Lakshmi's blog and was able to recreate it after all these years and it was really delicious. My family really liked it and I particularly relished this with curd rice - very satisfying. Hara Aloo translates to green potatoes and the coriander leaves lend such a bright, fresh burst of flavour and offers for a great varatiation to our ubiquitous potato fry. In her recipe, she's first baked them in the oven and though that's a fabulous idea, with the hot weather that prevails, I didn't want to switch on the oven, so instead tossed them on a wide pan in 2 batches.

HARA ALOO (Spiced Coriander Potatoes)

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4 medium, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
Onion - 1/4 of a big red one, sliced thin into 1 inch pcs (optional)
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Water - couple tablespoons

To Grind:
Coriander (Cilantro) leaves & stems - about a cup, washed
Green chillies - 5
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 2 small cloves

Method:
1) You could toss the potato slices in some oil (the 2 tbsp) & salt and bake them in an oven until browned or pan fry them in a wide pan as a single layer until lightly browned. Flip over and cook the other side as well. I had to do 2 batches to finish all the potatoes. Remove them and keep aside.

2) Meanwhile grind coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic & ginger to a slightly coarse paste.

3) Heat a tsp of oil in the same pan and add cumin seeds, then add the ground coriander paste and cook this for a few minutes (so the raw smell goes away). Rinse the jar of the mixie with a few tbsp of water and add this to the fried paste and a bit of salt to taste.

4) Toss in the potatoes at this juncture and stir gently (with a spatula) so they are coated with the coriander masala. Keep the flame on a medium high until all the water is absorbed, which only takes a few minutes.

5) After that, reduce the flame to medium and keep tossing the potatoes until browned and dry. Serve with rice and rasam or my favorite combination curd rice and this - bliss.

Bread Upma

2009-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

I tried this bread upma recipe from Menu Today's blog and absolutely loved it and now this has become a standard method of preparation at our place. My MIL makes this differently where she first makes coarse bread crumbs and even adds eggs sometimes - my husband likes that version a lot too. This one just uses chunks of bread and has a slight tang from the yogurt and is quite spicy too. I've made a few variations to include more veggies, depending on what I have on hand but otherwise follow her recipe pretty much.

BREAD UPMA

Ingredients:
Bread slices - 12 to 15
Yogurt/Curd (thick) - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp, or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala / Curry Masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Onions - 1 large, sliced thinly and then into 1 inch pieces
Tomato - 1 small to medium, chopped
Green chillies - 4 to 5, slit in two
Ginger - half inch piece, chopped finely/grated
Carrot - 1 or 2, grated
Green bell peppers/Capsicum - 1 small, cut into 1 inch pieces
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sombu (Fennel seeds) - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a twig
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:
1) Cut each slice of bread into about 16 cubes (depends on the size of the bread slices and how big you want the chunks to be).

2) In a large bowl, combine the yogurt with the chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and some salt... add the bread cubes to this, mix gently until the mixture coats the bread pieces and allow to marinate for about 15 to 20 mins.

3) In a big, wide pan, heat oil and season with mustard seeds and sombu. Next add the green chillies, onion, ginger and fry till they wilt. Then add the capsicum pieces & grated carrot and cook till they soften.

4) Now the tomatoes go in with a bit of salt so it helps them turn mushy . Now add the marinated bread pieces and stir gently so it's evenly coated. Cook this on a medium flame, tossing every once in a while until the bread pieces get roasted.

5) Finally switch off the stove and toss in the coriander leaves. Yummy bread upma is ready to serve as is or with some ketchup.

This makes for a delicious breakfast and I would like to send this to Divya's Show me your breakfast event.

Falafel

2009-06-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Falafels are yummy, fried chickpea patties and when stuffed in a pita bread with some cucumber, tomato, onions and lettuce - it makes for a delightful & tasty sandwich. I had quite a few extra and though they are delicious all by themselves as a snack, I froze the leftovers and heated them up and used them like burger patties - worked great. Though this is a middle-eastern snack it has a lot of the indian spices going in and so really appeals to our palate.

FALAFELS (Chickpea/Channa Patties)

Ingredients:
White Channa / Chickpeas (dry) - 1 cup, soaked overnight in plenty of water
Onion - 1 medium
Garlic cloves - 2 to 3
Chilli powder - about a tsp (or to taste)
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt & Black Pepper - to taste
Sesame seeds - 1 to 2 tbsp (optional)

Oil - sufficient to fry the patties

Method:
1) Rinse the well-soaked chickpeas. Puree the onion and garlic in a blender and add the soaked chickpeas (in batches, depending on your blender) & puree it all together. It will be a little grainy & pasty (not chunky) for most part. Preferably no water should be added but if you absolutely must, add the bare minimum.

2) Add the masala powders, sesame seeds, coriander leaves , baking powder & salt & pepper to taste to the chickpea paste. Mix well and refrigerate for a while ( a couple of hours if you can).

3) Heat the oil for deep frying and make patties of this mixture and drop in hot oil & fry till golden. Ensure that the flame isn't too high because they will brown without cooking well on the inside. Drain on paper towels and eat by themselves or as a sandwich/burger.

Coconut Pineapple Cake

2009-06-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

This is a simple, easy to make cake which is so summery, moist and light and has tropical flavours like pineapple & coconut. I've made this several times and it's great to take on picnics as well... it's one that we enjoy at home and I had fun making this with my daughter too. It starts off with a boxed cake mix but the additions to the cake take this to another level.

COCONUT PINEAPPLE CAKE

Ingredients:
Yellow cake mix - 1 box (18.25 oz)
Evaporated Milk - 1 can (12 oz) - I used low fat
Eggs - 2 large
Crushed Pineapple in Juice - 1 can (20 oz), drained & juice reserved
Almonds/Walnuts - half cup, chopped
Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup
Flaked Sweetened Coconut - 1 cup, lightly toasted

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 13x9 inch pan (or two 9 inch round pans)

2) In a big bowl, combine cake mix, evaporated milk, eggs and beat on low speed for 2 mins. It will become thick and creamy. Stir in 1 cup of the drained crushed pineapple.

3) Pour the above batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with nuts on the top.

4) Bake this for 30 to 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for about 15 mins or so.

5) In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar with 2 tbsp of the pineapple juice (that was drained from the can). Stir until smooth.

6) Poke a few holes (about 2 inches apart) with a toothpick and spread the sugar+juice mixture on the top of the baked warm cake.

7) Sprinkle with coconut and remaining drained pineapple. Slice and serve as-is or with whipped cream for a delicious treat.

Beetroot Halwa

2009-05-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

I can't remember when I had beetroot halwa... but in my mind I've always held a fascination for it and was sure that I'd prefer it over carrot halwa. I don't cook much with beets, except when making cutlets or some vegetable kurmas, or add to biryani... but I like quite a few preparations of this veggie. The last time I tried my hand at making this beetroot halwa, i added too much sugar and in an effort to get a thick halwa, overcooked it to the point that after 15 mins or so, the entire mixture had turned rock hard and stuck to the bowl to which i transferred it! No amount of poking and prodding could release it from the bowl and it was a total flop (taste & texture wise) to say the least. So, this time, i played with the proportions a bit and was more watchful of the sugar and the time it cooked so i could get the consistency right.... I just love the colour - ain't it pretty?

BEETROOT HALWA

Ingredients:
Beetroot - 1 big, peeled and grated (measured 2 cups total)
Sugar - 2/3 cups (depends on your sweet preference and the beetroot)
Milk - 2 cups
Cardamom Powder - a couple pinches
Ghee - 2 tbsp, divided

Method:
1) Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add the grated beetroot. Stir on medium flame for about 5-7 mins till beetroot is dry and softens a bit.

2) Add the milk at this point and once it begins to boil, reduce flame low-medium and allow to cook, stirring occasionally. This step is a time consuming process (took about 30 mins or more for me) but the good thing is that it doesn't require constant attention and there's no fear of the milk boiling over or the mixture getting stuck to the bottom. I just stirred it every now and then until most of the milk evaporated and the beets were cooked.

3) I had about a tbsp of milk left in the pan when I added the sugar. Stir this mixture until it thickens a bit - i was wary of it getting too thick and turning hard like the previous time i tried making this halwa so i didn't let it become very thick. Add the remaining tbsp of ghee and sprinkle cardamom powder. Stir until the mixture comes together and switch off the stove. Serve warm for a tasty, colorful treat.

Today is my thaatha's birthday so it's only fitting that I celebrate it with this tasty treat.

Mango Rice

2009-05-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

My (Shobana) periamma was visiting our home and so I got to have a little chat with her a few weekends back. She's quite the food enthusiast and always has many new recipes up her sleeve and used to bake a lot of cakes, pastries, make fruit squashes and concentrates, even wine when I was young and used to visit them during the holidays. She's also the one who introduced me to masala curries, theeyal etc.

Anyway, she was telling me about this mango rice that she made and even as she started to describe it, i was salivating at the idea of a tangy, raw mango rice and quickly noted down the ingredients and method. On my next trip to the grocery store, i picked a raw mango and set about making this - very satisfying and tasty - thank you periamma! :)

Raw Mango Rice

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - half cup, uncooked
Mango - 1 cup heaped, peeled & grated
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds/Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp each
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

To Dry Roast & Grind:
Methi/Fenugreek seeds - 4 or 5
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Channa Dhal - 1 tbsp
Dried Copra (Dessicated Coconut or shredded fresh coconut) - 1 tbsp
Dried Red Chillies - 3 to 4
Garlic - 3 to 4 small cloves

Method:
1) First dry roast the methi seeds, mustard, cumin & channa dhal. Add dried copra towards the end and remove from the stove. Next dry roast the red chillies and garlic. Grind the above mixtures together to a powder when it has cooled a bit.

2) Cook Basmati Rice separately with about 1 cup of water till done. Allow to cool so the grains are separate.

3) Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Add the ground spice mixture, turmeric and saute for a few seconds before adding the grated mango & salt. Cook this till the mixture is a bit dry (about 5 - 7 minutes).

4) Finally toss in the rice and stir gently so the mango mixture coats it evenly. Tangy, tasty mango rice is now ready.

I would like to send this as my entry to the event that Nags is hosting - Monthly Mingle #33 : Ravishing Rice Recipes which is an event conceived by Meeta.

I noticed that Srivalli is hosting a Mango Mela so off this goes to her Mango Mela as well :)

Broccoli Rajma Poriyal

2009-05-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

I know that sounds like a weird, unusual combination but it definitely results in a very tasty dish. We first tasted this when we ordered the meals at the Saravana Bhavan in NJ and I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised by how good this dish tasted. Simple masalas but very tasty. My attempt at re-creating it at home was a success and I just went based on what I thought must've gone into the dish. I use canned rajma since it's ready and available but you could just soak and pressure cook some at home (with a bit of salt) and use that too. It shouldn't be too mushy though.

BROCCOLI RAJMA (KIDNEY BEANS) PORIYAL

Ingredients:
Broccoli - 1 medium head, cut into small florets (about 2 heaped cups)
Rajma (Dark red kidney beans) - 1 can (15 oz) drained & rinsed well
Onion - 1/3 of a medium onion, cut into half inch slices
Tomato - half, chopped
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coconut - 1 to 2 tbsp, shredded
Cumin seeds - half tsp

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - half tsp

Urad dhal - half tsp
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:
1) Heat the oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida & curry leaves. Toss in the onions and fry them till transparent.

2) Next the broccoli florets go in and get sauteed for a few minutes. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the can of kidney beans completely.

3) Add the tomato to the broccoli and after a quick stir, sprinkle salt, turmeric powder & sambar powder followed by the rajma (ensure there's no liquid). Cover and allow to cook on medium flame or low-medium, stirring every couple of minutes so it doesn't stick to the bottom. I didn't add any water since the broccoli & tomatoes generated enough but if you feel that it's very dry, then by all means, sprinkle a few drops.

4) Meanwhile coarsely pound together the coconut and cumin seeds (I used a mortar and pestle) but a a mixie would work too. If you are not upto grinding then just sprinkle them directly on the curry.

5) When the broccoli is tender enough (to your liking and preference - a little bite is preferable so it doesn't become too mushy) and the masala has been absorbed, sprinkle the coconut-cumin mixture, switch off the stove and cover for a few minutes, before transferring to a serving dish.

Garlic White Sauce Pizza

2009-05-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

After eating a white sauce pizza a while ago, I was craving for it recently and set about making the entire thing from scratch upon a whim. It was a Friday evening and that's usually when I want to experiment and am willing to do something a little more elaborate than usual - of course it depends on my mood and hunger levels as well :)

The pizza crust was really easy to put together and didn't require a whole lot of effort or kneading... i won't say it was the best crust ever but it was pretty decent and i loved the sauce and toppings and so did the others in the family. I only used part of the dough and wrapped and refrigerated the rest using which we made another pizza the following day.

Also, the pictures taken here were done on Day 1 when I first placed the toppings and then added the pepperjack cheese so they are not that visible - the 2nd day however, i first sprinkled the cheese and then placed the toppings which resulted in a prettier looking pizza but there was no time to click pictures then.

GARLIC WHITE SAUCE PIZZA

For Pizza Crust:

All purpose Flour - 2.5 cups to 3 cups
Active Dry Yeast - 1 pouch (2.25 tsp)
Sugar - 1 to 2 tsp
Honey - 2 tsp
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Warm water - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Dried Italian herbs (Mixed) - 1 tbsp
Garlic powder (not salt) - 1 to 2 tsp
Dried Red Chilli Flakes - 1 to 2 tsp

Method for Pizza:
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, honey, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, stirring to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy (about 5 minutes). Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough lightly after each addition, until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky. You might not need all of the flour. Knead dough very lightly just to combine. Oil a large mixing bowl with remaining olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (I put it in the oven and turned on the light - no heat though) until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

For Garlic White Sauce - this yields enough sauce for about 3 to 4 medium pizzas

Garlic cloves - 6 to 8, peeled (or use roasted garlic if you have that on hand and skip step 1 below)
Red Chilli Flakes - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 cup, warmed in the microwave
Olive oil - 2 tsp
Butter - 3/4 tbsp
All purpose flour - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method for Garlic Sauce
1) Heat olive oil in a pan and add the red chilli flakes and the peeled garlic cloves, cook till they are golden brown and kind of shrivelled. Scoop out the garlic and as much of the red chilli flakes as you can and place in a blender. Leave the remaining olive oil as is in the pan.

2) Return the pan to the stove and add the butter, when it's melted, add 2 tbsp of flour and stir on a medium heat for a few minutes till the flour and butter combine to a mass and get a bit fried. Now add the warm milk, salt, red chilli powder and stir continously so no lumps are formed. Allow this to simmer (with frequent stirring) until it thickens. Allow this to cool for a bit.

3) Blend this sauce in a mixie/blender along with the garlic from step 1 (this takes care of the tiny lumps if any in the sauce) until you have a smooth, silky, white sauce, loaded with garlicky goodness.

Pizza Toppings: (these can be varied to your choice - the following are my suggestions and what i used except for the broccoli).

Caramelized Red Onions
Red Peppers - sliced into circles
Tomatoes - sliced into circles
Broccoli (par-boiled) / Spinach - small florets or chopped accordingly.
Basil leaves - few, chopped
Pepper jack cheese - about 1 cup

Method:
1) For the caramelized onions, heat some olive oil in a pan and add sliced red onions, after they have sweated it out a bit, sprinkle some salt & a touch of sugar and allow to cook till browned & caramelized.

2) Roll out the risen pizza dough to desired thickness. Coat a baking pan or pizza stone with some cooking spray and sprinkle some cornmeal (optional). Transfer pizza dough onto baking pan.

3) Spread a few tbsps of the garlic sauce, sprinkle the pepperjack cheese and evenly distribute the toppings on the pizza.

4) Cook in a preheated oven at 400F for about 15-20 minutes or till done. Slice and serve.

I would like to send this as my 2nd entry to Poornima's My Favorite things: Cheese Event which she is hosting on behalf of Bindya this month.

Batata (Aloo) Poha

2009-05-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is a well loved, simple yet tasty dish that comes together really quickly and as I understand is something that is often made during fasting. Though this is not something that my mom made, I first tasted it when a neighbour of mine (who spent a lot of her younger years in several parts of North India) made it for me - yummy. Now, this is something I often make for my daughter & me to enjoy.

BATATA (Aloo) POHA

Ingredients:
Poha/Aval - 1 cup, (I use thick) rinsed, drained and allowed to rest for 10 to 15 mins
Onions - 1/4 cup, chopped (Optional)
Potato - 1 medium, boiled, peeled and cubed
Peas, Carrots - 1/4 cup each (Optional)
Green Chillies - 4 to 5 (to taste), slit vertically
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp (optional)
Lemon juice - to taste (garnish)
Turmeric powder - half tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - half tsp
Cumin seeds - half tsp

Method:
1) Fluff the poha with a fork and ensure that they have softened. Be gentle with them.

2) Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard and cumin seeds, then toss in the onions and green chillies and saute. Next the veggies go in along with turmeric powder and salt. Saute until they get cooked. Sprinkle a little water and cover if they are too crunchy.

3) When the veggies are sauteed toss in the Poha along with 1 tbsp of the coriander leaves and stir gently until well coated with the masala. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4) Stir in the lemon juice and shredded cococnut. Yummy poha is now ready.

This is my 2nd entry to Mahima's 15 minute Cooking event which focusses on quick & tasty food.

Chilli Cheese Toast

2009-05-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from Tarla Dalal that I wrote down many years ago. It makes for a quick breakfast and is quite cheesy that it's almost like a pizza of sorts that kids will also like.

CHILLI CHEESE TOAST

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Bread - 4 to 6 slices
Capsicum/Green bell pepper - 1 medium, chopped finely
Onion - half of a small one, chopped finely
Cheese (mozzarella/pepper jack) - 4 to 6 oz, shredded (or to taste)
Butter/Margarine - 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - to taste
Red chilli powder / Hot sauce - to taste

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 400F.
2) Combine, capsicum, onion, cheese, butter, tomato ketchup, red chilli powder/hot sauce & mix well.
3) Slather this on the bread toasts and bake for about 10 minutes or till crisp at the bottom and the cheese has melted.

This being a super quick recipe, I'd like to send it to Mahima's 15 minute Cooking event and thanks to its cheesy goodness this will also be sent to Poornima's My Favorite things: Cheese Event which she is hosting on behalf of Bindya this month. Thank you Ladies for hosting these :)

Rich Fruit / Plum Cake

2009-05-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of the dense, dark slices of plum cake that are wrapped in a translucent sheet of paper that we get in India... On seeing the fruit cakes here, I was rather excited at the prospect of re-living those yummy memories but they didn't stand a chance and came no where close to the taste of the plum cakes we get in India. Since I adore tutti fruiti I picked up a pack of Mixed Fruit & Peels that I saw on sale at the supermarket but the taste was quite different and rather disappointing...yet my craving for plum cake was still strong... and not wanting to add alcohol to the fruit mix, I decided to soak them in Pomegranate Juice (POM) but I didn't have enough so used the Pomegranate Blueberry juice that was in the fridge and let it marinate (refrigerated) for a month or so... along with some dates and raisins that I added to the mix as well, hoping that would improve the overall flavour.

I then used RP's fruit cake recipe primarily and was extremely pleased with the end result and couldn't get enough of it... :) The key is to have a really dark coloured caramel syrup so, the cake develops a rich, dark colour and nice flavour. So, here's my non-alcoholic version of a favorite... with a few changes I made.

PLUM CAKE

Ingredients:
Dried Fruits (Tutti fruti, cherries, raisins, dates etc) - 1.5 cups (soaked in POM or Pomegranate blueberry juice for a month or so in the fridge)
Nuts - 1/3 to 1/2 cup, chopped (I used walnuts and almonds)
All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Butter - 1 stick (1/4 lbs)
Eggs - 3
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, ginger powder & clove powder - 1/4 tsp each
Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 cup (to prepare caramel syrup)

Method:
1) Bring butter & eggs to room temperature.

2) To prepare Caramel Syrup, heat 1/4 cup sugar in a small pan with half tbsp of water. When the sugar begins to caramelize, stir slowly until it turns almost black (pretty dark). Remove pan from stove and place in sink (to avoid splatter - and oven mitts are recommended for the next step). Carefully pour 1/4 cup warm water to the caramel syrup (this is when you have to be careful of it splattering) and stir gently. Add the vanilla extract to this and keep aside.

3) Preheat oven to 350F and spray a cake pan with PAM or no-stick oil spray

4) In a bowl, beat the 1 cup sugar and butter to a creamy consistency. Then add the eggs one by one and beat well to incorporate.

5) In another large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and the spice powders together. Stir in the fruit & nut mixture.

6) Add the caramel-vanilla syrup, and the creamed butter-sugar mixture and stir. Pour this into the greased pan and bake for abt 45 mins to an hour or until a toothpick inserted comes clean.

Ideally, the cake should be allowed to mature and rest for a few days before consuming but I couldn't resist my temptation.. so I reserved a portion of it to taste as soon as it cools down and wrapped the rest in foil and allowed to rest on the countertop for 2 days before slicing and storing in the fridge. Typically this type of cake lasts a long time but we finished eating it all in a few days... :)

A Tale of Two Chutneys

2009-04-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly a tale... but basically born from my desire to have some chutney options on hand that include some veggies as well. Of course, my husband's reigning favorite of all times remains the Coconut Chutney but I don't make that often and my parents will probably be amused since it was an almost daily staple for breakfast along with idlis, when I was growing up.

Anyways.. coming to these 2 chutneys, I have not cooked much with turnips before and bought it thinking it would make a good addition to the sambar veggies but was pleasantly surprised when I attempted a chutney out of it. The other chutney is a Red Bell pepper chutney and it couldn't be simpler but i loved the combination of spicy and a subtle sweetness from the bell pepper itself and it has such a ravishing colour too that makes it all the more irresistible. Both chutneys pair great with idlis, dosais and oothapams.

TURNIP CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Turnip - 1 small/ half of a big one, peeled and cut into small cubes
Onion - half of a medium one, chopped
Tomato - 1 small tomato, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger - half inch piece
Red Chilli powder / Sambar powder - 1 tsp (or to taste)
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp + 1 tsp

Method:
1) Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add urad dhal, when light golden, toss in the onions, ginger and garlic. When transparent and light golden, add in the tomatoes and turnips and stir for a few minutes.

2) Stir in the sambar/chilli powder along with salt. Cover and allow to cook on a low flame till the turnips become soft. It takes about 5-7 minutes typically. When this is done, switch off the stove and allow to cool.

3) Grind this to a paste in the mixie/blender. No need to add any water.

4) Heat the remaining 1 tsp of oil in the pan and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves, when they splutter, add the ground chutney and stir until it thickens a bit. This is now ready to serve.

RED BELL PEPPER CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Red Bell Pepper (Capsicum) - 1, stalks & seeds removed, cut into pieces
Green Chillies / Dried Red Chillies - 4 to 5 (to taste, depending on spiciness of chillies)
Tamarind - small piece
Urad dhal - half tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Gingelly oil (Nallennai) - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - half tsp
Curry leaves - few

Method:
1) Heat the 1 tsp of oil and add urad dhal and a small piece of tamarind, then add the chillies and the capsicum pieces, with a bit of salt and saute till they soften a bit. Remove from the stove and allow to cool a bit.

2) Grind this in a mixie.

3) Heat the 2 tsp of nallennai and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add to the chutney.

Other Veggie Chutneys:
Radish Chutney
Zucchini Chutney

Mango Bubble Tea

2009-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

I don't typically have the best luck when it comes to finding sweet, good mangoes... either they are totally bland or on the few occassions they've been sweet, they are much too fibrous etc. So, when I do find the perfect mango, i just peel and eat it plain... and hardly venture into making anything with it. When it's not that sweet however, I typically toss them in with strawberries, sweet yogurt or some haagen dazs mango icecream & milk and blend them to a delicious smoothie.

This time however, though the mangoes I had were quite sweet, I was suddenly in the mood for bubble tea. Bubble tea is typically fruit flavoured tea with some tapioca starch in the bottom (which make up the bubble component). I first had them in Singapore and it was quite popular then and we would get many exotic flavours and I loved the chewy tapioca pearls in the bottom which made the drink a long lasting, even filling one and it was something we (my friends and I) enjoyed while roaming the streets of Orchard. I was quite happy to find them here in the US - and though I don't always go for different flavours here, the one my husband and I pretty much have is the mango flavored one and it doesn't seem to have much tea to it.. just mango juice with these tapioca pearls.

Imagine my surprise when I found a pack of these tapioca pearls in an asian grocery store that we frequent.. I picked up a pack and decided to whip up some of this delicious bubble tea at home. Only thing I didn't have was those fat straws.. need to get them to complete the experience. For now, I just take a couple sips and use a spoon to scoop out the pearls. You could add black tea to the mix below but I skipped it this time.

BUBBLE TEA

Ingredients: (for 2-3 servings)
Ripe Mango - 1, peeled & cut into chunks
Low Fat milk - 1 cup
Water - about half cup
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Tapioca Pearls - half cup
Honey - to taste

Method:
1) Cook the Tapioca Pearls according to package directions - for mine, I boiled about 3 cups water and slowly stirred in the tapioca pearls and let them cook for 5 mins, covered on medium flame, till plumped up and soft. Scoop them out to a bowl and add a few tbsp of the water that the tapioca pearls were cooked in, 1 tbsp sugar and a bit of honey and mix well. This will keep it soft until ready to serve.

2) Blend mango pieces, milk, water as required (so it's not too thick) & sugar to taste.

3) To serve, add tapioca pearls to the cup, mango juice, (black tea, if using can be added at this point). It makes for a filling, refreshing drink.

I would like to send this as my entry to Refreshing Drinks - RD for Summer hosted by Chandrabhaga.

Avarakkai Poricha Kootu

2009-04-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

I love kootus and find them so wholesome and satisfying. Most of the time, I don't even need rice to go along with it and can eat it like a thick soup by itself. Poricha kootus are made more flavorful and have a different spice mixture going in than the usual kootus which typically have cumin + chillies + coconut. Several veggies will be suitable for this kootu and I chose to make a version with Avaraikkai (Broad beans/hyacinth beans).

AVARAKKAI PORICHA KOOTTU

Ingredients:
Avaraikkai - about 25-30 small ones, chopped into half inch pieces
Mung Dhal - 1/4 cup, toasted lightly
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida Powder - a couple pinches
Tamarind paste (thick) - 1/4 tsp (i used the canned one)
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds, Urad Dhal - 1/4 tsp each
Oil - 2 tsp

To Grind:
Red Chillies - 3
Urad dhal - 1 to 2 tsp
Black pepper - 6 peppercorns
Curry leaves - few
Roast the above in a tsp of oil and grind with
Shredded coconut - 3 tbsp to a paste with sufficient water.

Method:
1) Pressure cook mung dhal with sufficient water & turmeric till soft. Cook avarakkai with some salt & water separately till done. (Alternately this could be done as a separate layer in the cooker with no water alongwith the mung dhal).

2) When the veggies are done, add the tamarind paste, mung dhal and the ground paste and allow to cook for a few minutes till desired consistency is reached. Switch off the stove.

3) Heat the remaining one tsp of oil and season with mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida & curry leaves and add to the kootu.

If koottus are not your thing, try this Avarakkai Aviyal - a tasty, dry curry.

Chilli Parotta

2009-04-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

I've seen Chilli Parotta and Kothu Parotta being used interchangeably to describe the same dish and eventhough I'm no parotta expert, being quite a fan of this... i've observed quite a few differences between the two. I first had Chilli Parotta when my cousin raved so much about this dish from a hotel called 'Guru Prasad' in Madurai and since that was a vegetarian restaurant, my mom okayed it and soon he brought home a couple parcels of it for us to taste. I remember not liking it as much as kothu parotta and found it a bit too saucy but it was quite good.

Nowadays however Chilli Parotta is a common feature in most restaurants in India (atleast TamilNadu) and there is no trouble finding vegetarian versions of both chilli & kothu parottas. My dad's friend owns a small restaurant so I was allowed to watch the chef make this since my dad mentioned how much i like this to the owner... They first deep fried the parotta pieces (now that was a shock because parottas are fattening as is and are made with Lots of oil & maida and then to deep fry them as well was atrocious i thought)... and then he told me how they typically make the gravy and keep & toss it all together when an order comes through. So, the recipe here is my attempt at replicating it at home, but with a few modifications of which first & foremost was to skip the deep frying part... :) Still, this is definitely not a diet friendly or health conscious recipe but definitely falls in the 'once in a while indulgence, in moderation' category.

CHILLI PAROTTA

Ingredients:
Parottas- 5 to 6 (I use the frozen ones)
Red Onion - 1 big
Green Bell Pepper - 1 small to medium, cut into 1 inch cubes
Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
Tomato paste - about 1 tbsp
Poppy seeds (khasa khasa) - 1 tsp
Cashews - 3 or 4 (optional)
Ginger - half inch piece
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves
Spring Onions - 2, chopped, green & white parts separated
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Curry masala powder/Garam Masala - half tsp to 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Method:
1) Peel & halve the red onion. Chop one half and set aside. Cut the remaining half into 1 inch cubes (similar to the capsicum).

2) I used frozen paratha so i popped them in the microwave for 30 seconds before frying them on a tawa till they get crisp (instead of deep-frying). Cut the parotta pieces into 1.5 to 2 inch squares - i used a pair of kitchen scissors.

2) Meanwhile, heat 1 to 2 tsp of oil and saute the chopped onion, garlic and ginger cloves till brown, then add the chopped tomato with the masala powders and salt. Also add the poppy seeds & cashews at this point and let it cook till it gets thick. Allow this mixture to cool a bit and grind in a mixie to a paste.

3) Heat the remaining oil in the pan, and add the cubed onions & the white of the spring onions and saute for a few minutes till translucent before adding the cubed capsicum and a pinch of salt. When they get tender crisp, add the ground onion-tomato paste and saute for about 4 to 5 minutes atleast.

4) Add a tbsp or two of water (to loosen up the mixture so the parottas can soak it up) and immediately add the parotta pieces and toss so they are uniformly covered by the paste. Cook this on a medium-high flame till dry.

5) Switch off the stove and stir in the green tops of the spring onions - reserve about a tbsp for garnish later. Delicious Chilli Parotta is now ready.