Food, In The Main...

Topcorn - popcorn with a difference

2012-01-08T23:15:00.000Z

Recently I was asked if I would like to review a new range of popcorn brought out by Caffe Nero, called Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn.There are four flavours - Sea Salt, Chocolate Crackle, Sweet n Salt and Wasabi.

The Sea Salt is just regular salted popcorn and as such there's nothing particularly different about it, other than unlike movie theatre popcorn, it doesn't taste oversalted.

I was expecting the Chocolate Crackle popcorn to be completely covered/dipped in chocolate - but it wasn't anything of the sort. The crackly chocolate (which tasted like dark chocolate to me) was drizzled over the fat round kernels, so the popcorn didn't really taste oversweet or over-chocolatey. Ok, I know this last bit would not been seen as a plus by most chocolate-crazy people, but trust me when I say that the drizzled chocolate worked really well. My husband, a chocolate fiend, didn't complain about the "lack" of chocolate - he just said that the whole taste-and-texture sensation was brilliant.

The Sweet n Salt flavour was a surprisingly big hit again with my husband. He ate an entire pack meditatively, finally saying "It's odd, but the sweet n salt flavour does work really well". (His excuse for eating the whole pack was that he had to try all the popcorn to make his decision on the taste. Riiight...). My opinion was pretty much a foregone conclusion because I love contrasting flavours, like sea-salt flakes in sweet chocolate or caramel, but Pete's not usually in favour of that. This popcorn must really have taken his fancy like it took mine.

And now for the Wasabi flavour. I was kind of disappointed that the horseradish flavour didnt come through strongly enough for me - although the wasabi-flavoured popcorn was very tasty all the same. Then again, I suppose if the Japanese wasabi had been strong enough to clear the nasal passages, there would be very few takers for this popcorn apart from me. Certainly Pete would not have appreciated the effect. Oddly, I kept getting the impression that the popcorn had been popped in mustard oil, because the wasabi had a faintly mustardy taste, if you ask me. Pete's not familiar with either wasabi or mustard oil, so he didn't really have a handle on my opinion. After some experimental eating, his verdict was that the wasabi popcorn was different but tasty and savoury.

This brand of popcorn is aimed to compete with the gourmet crisps market, but - as nice as they are - I'm not sure that their appeal will be knocking off the potato crisps off their perch anytime soon. Perhaps a posh cheese-and-onion Topcorn flavour needs to make its entry...

As far as the price of these Skinny Topcorn flavours is concerned, I don't really know how much it costs per single packet as sold by Caffe Nero. But according to the "shop" on the website, it costs between £9 and £9.84 per dozen packs, depending on the flavour - and of course the Chocolate Crackle is the most calorific and the most expensive... but you could have guessed that, right?

Balsamic roasted brussels sprouts and mushrooms

2012-01-07T17:52:00.000Z

So here I am with the first offering (luckily not burnt) of the year - roasted brussels sprouts, which I simply adore. The recipe is simpler than simple and I've been eating this for four days straight - although not JUST this, of course, otherwise I'd be my own jet-pack being propelled around by - er, you know, natural gas. (Not petroleum - respect for the earth's resources and all that).

I love the flavour of balsamic vinegar and it goes beautifully well with the sprouts. It doesn't hurt the mushrooms either, although you don't HAVE to use mushrooms at all if you don't want to.

Do try this, if you're a brussels sprouts fan like me.

Recipe for: Balsamic roasted brussels sprouts and mushrooms

Ingredients:

12-15 medium sized brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced vertically in half
10 baby chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean
1-2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp olive oil or 2-3 sprays of Pam
1/2 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh (I used lemon thyme)
Salt and freshly-milled pepper to taste

Method:

Toss all the ingredients together well, and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C (about 390F), until the sprouts are caramelised and cooked. Check on them after 20 minutes, and do not let them get mushy. Serve warm as a side dish. I like it as a snack too.

BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

12-15 medium sized brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced vertically in half
10 baby chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean
1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp olive oil or 2-3 sprays of Pam
1/2 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh (I used lemon thyme)
Salt and freshly-milled pepper to taste

Method:

Toss all the ingredients together well, and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C (about 390F), until the sprouts are caramelised and cooked. Check on them after 20 minutes, and do not let them get mushy. Serve warm as a side dish. I like it as a snack too.

Hello and welcome, 2012!

2012-01-06T16:25:00.002Z

So this cheery ushering-in of the new year comes about 6 days too late, but what of that? The cheeriness is entirely organic with impeccable local credentials and no mention of chemical fertilisers, air-miles or carbon footprint whatsoever despite the delay - so what's not to like about my welcome?

Now that's sorted, how has the new year been treating you, my loyal readers? Kindly, I hope, with plenty for you to look forward to in the months to come, in your lives and on your blogs (if you have any).

The new year sees no changes in my blog's appearance, but I'll be trying to post mostly low-fat recipes (my one resolution is to lose weight and eat healthy - or, to be precise, the other way around). I will be baking cakes, but not as often as before and, again, trying to make them healthy - or as healthy as possible, given that they're sugar-laden carb-fests in the first place.

I'm probably not going post particularly frequently either... so no change there, really.

So there we have it. Now you know what's in store for this blog, and for you in this blog. Happy new year 2012, you wonderful people!

Spinach & green bean rice

2011-10-07T11:56:00.002+01:00

So, what’s your take on spinach? Do you like it? You do? Oh good. And green beans? Oh, you like that too? Well, how very curious, they’re both things that I like too! What are the odds???

So, what do you think about spinach and green beans cooked with rice? You think it’s a divine idea too? I AM gratified to hear that, because – wait for it – that’s EXACTLY what I made a little while ago. I mean, really, it’s too good to be true, isn’t it? There you are, dreaming about a flavoured rice that involves spinach and green beans, and here I am, actually making your dream into reality.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” You are thinking that too, aren’t you? I knew it. Nothing amazing there, given that our thoughts have agreed so awesomely perfectly for the previous couple of paragraphs. There can’t be anything to amaze you after that.

No, wait, I tell a lie. There IS possibly something that you might find amazing, even after all this… and that, dear you, is my gut feeling that if I’d written the dialogues for Hamlet, instead of ol’ Will Shakespeare, I might very possibly – not 100% certain here, to be fair, but very possibly – have written those exact same words that we were thinking of together in the previous paragraph.

Now tell me, is that amazing or is that amazing?

What’s that? Oh, you want the recipe. Well ok, here it is.

Hey, you forgot to tell me if that was amazing or if that was amazing…! Hello...? Are you there?

Recipe for: Spinach and green bean rice

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice, soaked for 15-30 minutes
1 cup spinach, chopped
3-4 green chillies or to taste

3 cloves of garlic
1" piece ginger
1 cup green beans, chopped fine

2 onions, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cups water
1 tbsp oil
Juice of one lime (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind the spinach, garlic, green chillies and ginger to a fine paste and set aside till required.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and sizzle the cumin seeds, then add the onions and green beans, and fry them till the onions begin to turn soft.

3. Stir in the spinach paste

and fry it for 4-5 minutes, till the raw smell goes away.

4. Now drain away the soaking water from the rice, and add the rice to the pan.

Add salt to taste and the two cups water and mix well.

5. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat right down. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. If you like, you can place a towel over the pan before placing the lid on it, so that the condensation is soaked up by the towel. Let the rice cook for around 17 minutes, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve it hot, sprinkled with lime juice if you like, accompanied by any raita and potato crisps or papad.

RECIPE: SPINACH AND GREEN BEAN RICE

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice, soaked for 15-30 minutes
1 cup spinach, chopped
3-4 green chillies or to taste
3 cloves of garlic
1" piece ginger
1 cup green beans, chopped fine
2 onions, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cups water
1 tbsp oil
Juice of one lime (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind the spinach, garlic, green chillies and ginger to a fine paste and set aside till required.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and sizzle the cumin seeds, then add the onions and green beans, and fry them till the onions begin to turn soft.
3. Stir in the spinach paste and fry it for 4-5 minutes, till the raw smell goes away.
4. Now drain away the soaking water from the rice, and add the rice to the pan. Add salt to taste and the two cups water and mix well.
5. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat right down. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. If you like, you can place a towel over the pan before placing the lid on it, so that the condensation is soaked up by the towel. Let the rice cook for around 17 minutes, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve it hot, sprinkled with lime juice if you like, accompanied by any raita and potato crisps or papad.

Lemony vegetable rice

2011-10-04T17:52:00.000+01:00

Are you wondering why this recipe is described as a lemony vegetable rice rather than a vegetable-y lemon rice? Well, why ARE you wondering that? Which of the two do you think is catchier? Welllll??? Yeah, I thought so too. Now you know the intricate thought process behind the title of this post.

I could tell you about how I arrived at all my other post titles too, but you might get bored, and the last thing I want is for my little audience to be bored. Boredom is not the right reward for dogged faithfulness, is it? So let’s just say that the reasoning for any or all of them is usually not far off that for this post. I mean, if I were to tax my brain for the title, what would I do for the main body of the post?

Actually, the answer to that is: Probably what I’ve just done so far.

There it is, peoples of the world. I save my deepest thoughts for finding a cure for an itchy nose, not for blog posts or their titles. That, right there, is the naked truth. Not particularly exciting for something that is naked, is it? Kind of like getting a 65-year-old pot-bellied nondescript-looking man in a beefcake magazine centrespread where you were expecting… oooh, I dunno, say Hrithik Roshan or Colin Firth or Hugh Jackman or … *slurrrrrrp*

Excuse me while I go off in search of a towel to mop up the drool.

But please, don’t wait for me to return, go right ahead to the recipe. I insist.

Recipe for: Lemony vegetable rice

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice, cooked and cooled
2 cups vegetables, chopped into little cubes (potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, etc)
½ cup chopped red or white onion
2 cloves garlic
4-5 green chillies, sliced into thin rounds (add to taste or omit entirely)
1 tsp chana dal/kadalai paruppu
1 tsp urad dal/ulutham paruppu
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Lemon/lime juice to taste
Coriander leaves and roasted/fried peanuts for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a big pan, then add the chana dal/kadalai paruppu, urad dal/ulutham paruppu and mustard seeds. Cover and let the mustard seeds pop.

2. When the dals are golden brown, add the chopped garlic, the chillies and the onion along with the turmeric powder and fry on medium heat till the onions begin to turn translucent and soft.

3. Now add the chopped vegetables and sprinkle 3-4 tbsp water over them. Turn the heat down as low as it will go, then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook till they’re done – say 10-12 minutes.

4. Once the vegetables are cooked, get rid of any excess water by turning the heat up and stirring the vegetables about for 1-2 minutes.

5. Now add the cooked rice, sprinkle on salt to taste and add 3-4 tbsp of lemon/lime juice.

Mix carefully till the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more lime/lemon juice according to taste.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried peanuts. Serve hot with potato crisps or other fried snacks or pickles of choice. (I like it with avakkai.)

RECIPE: LEMONY VEGETABLE RICE

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice, cooked and cooled
2 cups vegetables, chopped into little cubes (potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, etc)
½ cup chopped red or white onion
2 cloves garlic
4-5 green chillies, sliced into thin rounds (add to taste or omit entirely)
1 tsp chana dal/kadalai paruppu
1 tsp urad dal/ulutham paruppu
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Lemon/lime juice to taste
Coriander leaves and roasted/fried peanuts for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a big pan, then add the chana dal/kadalai paruppu, urad dal/ulutham paruppu and mustard seeds. Cover and let the mustard seeds pop.
2. When the dals are golden brown, add the chopped garlic, the chillies and the onion along with the turmeric powder and fry on medium heat till the onions begin to turn translucent and soft.
3. Now add the chopped vegetables and sprinkle 2-3 tbsp water over them. Turn the heat down as low as it will go, then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook till they’re done – say 10-12 minutes.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, get rid of any excess water by turning the heat up and stirring the vegetables about for 1-2 minutes.
5. Now add the cooked rice, sprinkle on salt to taste and add 3-4 tbsp of lemon/lime juice. Mix carefully till the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more lime/lemon juice according to taste.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried peanuts. Serve hot with potato crisps or other fried snacks, or pickles of choice.

Kothavarakkai kootu

2011-10-03T16:51:00.000+01:00

Until my mother mentioned it, I didn’t know that kothavarakkai (cluster beans) could even be made into kootu (although, thinking about it, there’s no reason why not – it’s just that it never occurred to me).

This kootu, however, is quite different from the other kootu recipes I’ve posted so far. I probably wouldn’t have liked it as a kid (preferring it as usili above all, because kothavarakkai has a mild bitterness to it that the dal disguised). But, as a more discerning adult, I have to say I welcomed the chance to learn another way to prepare this vegetable. It was definitely to my taste, what with all the kadalai paruppu in it, but my mother was dissatisfied because she felt it would’ve been better with less of that particular dal.

We’ve agreed to disagree on the issue.

Recipe for: Kothavarakkai kootu

Ingredients:

2 cups kothavarakkai, chopped

1/4 cup masoor dal, cooked and mashed
1/4 cup chana dal/kadalai paruppu, soaked for 15 minutes
1 tsp tamarind paste dissolved in 2 cups water

2-3 tbsp finely grated coconut
2 tsp oil
2 heaped tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp whole urad dal (or regular broken urad dal if you don't have whole)
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook the kothavarakkai with 2 cups tamarind water (3 whistles) or microwave (8-10 minutes in an 800W oven on full power). You can also cook it on the hob with 2 cups tamarind water till the vegetable is soft.

2. Cook the soaked chana dal/kadalai paruppu in 1 cup water on the hob until it is cooked but still retains its shape (should be able to easily squash the dal between your finger and thumb). There should not be too much water left.

3. Add the kothavarakkai to the chana dal along with the cooking water. The liquid level should be just enough to cover the dal and vegetable (you can add more water if required).

4. Add two heaped tsp sambar powder and stir it in.

5. Add salt to taste and stir that in too.

6. Mix the cooked masoor dal and 1 tbsp rice flour with some water from the pan itself, to make a pourable paste, and mix that in with the kothavarakkai in the pan.

Let this simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

7. In the meantime, heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan. Add the asafoetida powder, 1 tbsp whole urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, the curry leaves and 1 tsp coriander powder and let it fry for 30-40 seconds on medium-high heat. When the urad dal starts turning a lovely reddish colour, add the grated coconut and fry till it begins to get a pale brown tinge and smells nutty and fried.

8. Add the fried coconut mix immediately to the kothavarakkai and stir it in.

Bring the kootu to a boil and let it remain on high heat for 2 minutes. Then take it off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm with steamed white rice and appalam or vadam and any pickle.

RECIPE: KOTHAVARAKKAI KOOTU

Ingredients:

2 cups kothavarakkai, chopped
1/4 cup masoor dal, cooked and mashed
1/4 cup chana dal, soaked for 15 minutes
1 tsp tamarind paste dissolved in 2 cups water
2-3 tbsp finely grated coconut
2 tsp oil
2 heaped tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp whole urad dal (or regular broken urad dal if you don't have whole)
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook the kothavarakkai with 2 cups tamarind water (3 whistles) or microwave (8-10 minutes in an 800W oven on full power). You can also cook it on the hob with 2 cups tamarind water till the vegetable is soft.
2. Cook the soaked chana dal/kadalai paruppu in 1 cup water on the hob until it is cooked but still retains its shape (should be able to easily squash the dal between your finger and thumb). There should not be too much water left.
3. Add the kothavarakkai to the chana dal along with the cooking water. The liquid level should be just enough to cover the dal and vegetable (you can add more water if required).
4. Add two heaped tsp sambar powder and stir it in.
5. Add salt to taste and stir that in too.
6. Mix the cooked masoor dal and 1 tbsp rice flour with some water from the pan itself, to make a pourable paste, and mix that in with the kothavarakkai in the pan. Let this simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
7. In the meantime, heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan. Add the asafoetida powder, 1 tbsp whole urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, the curry leaves and 1 tsp coriander powder and let it fry for 30-40 seconds on medium-high heat. When the urad dal starts turning a lovely reddish colour, add the grated coconut and fry till it begins to get a pale brown tinge and smells nutty and fried.
8. Add the fried coconut mix immediately to the kothavarakkai and stir it in. Bring the kootu to a boil and let it remain on high heat for 2 minutes. Switch off the heat and serve warm with steamed white rice and appalam or vadam and any pickle.

Bittergourd pitla

2011-09-29T16:00:00.003+01:00

Over the last few years, I’ve been testing my limits with that most unattractive of vegetables, the bittergourd (or karela, bitter melon, pavakkai or whatever name you call it – my husband terms them “rats”), to see just HOW much I love it.

I used to hate it completely, in any form, as a kid. In my late teens or thereabouts, I would as a concession eat them deep fried (yes, I know, very broad-minded of me) mainly because the ones from Hot Chips in Abhiramapuram were sensational.

Eventually, after a couple of decades, I got around to eating them pan-fried crisp, as a dry curry. After that things moved a lot more rapidly in the experimentation department, and I moved on to karela-without-frying-too-much, karela as a semi-dry curry cooked with onions and tomatoes, karela with mustard paste (a double-whammy in the strong flavour department).

While karela pitla (South Indian style) is probably not as scary as it used to be, or even as full-on as karela-with-mustard-paste, I still had to see if I'd like it - just to drive away the last of the childhood fear and hatred of the karela's bitter flavour. And, of course, I passed the test with flying colours, practically inhaling the pitla which my mother made a day or two before she left Shrewsbury.

The only karela-based item that I know I won't like is karela juice. Where that is concerned, I think I'm as blinkered as I ever was, with just one standard reaction: "No way Felipe." (Jose wasn't available.)

Recipe for: Bittergourd/karela/pavakkai pitla

Ingredients:

2 medium karela/bittergourd/pavakkai, sliced into rounds
1 cup masoor dal, cooked
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tsp gingelly oil (or any neutral cooking oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp sambar powder
2 tbsp finely grated coconut
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
3-4 cups water

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the asafoetida powder, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Cover and let the seeds pop, then add the grated coconut.
Fry on medium heat till the coconut is light brown and aromatic.
Remove from heat and set aside till required.
2. Put about a cupful of water in a pan along with the karela/bittergourd/pavakkai and turmeric powder.
Let it cook till it becomes soft.
3. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 2 cup water and add it to the cooked karela/bittergourd/pavakkai.

4. Bring this to a boil, then add the sambar powder and rice powder and stir till well mixed.

5. Stir in the cooked masoor dal
6. Add salt to taste along with the roasted coconut and mix in.
7. Boil the pitla for a few minutes longer till it thickens.
Serve hot with rice.

RECIPE: BITTERGOURD/KARELA/PAVAKKAI PITLA

Ingredients:

2 medium karela/bittergourd/pavakkai, sliced into rounds
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tsp gingelly oil (or any neutral cooking oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp sambar powder
2 tbsp finely grated coconut
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tbsp rice flour
Salt to taste
a few fresh curry leaves, torn up
3-4 cups water

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the asafoetida powder, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cover and let the seeds pop, then add the grated coconut. Fry on medium heat till the coconut is light brown and aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside till required.
2. Put about a cupful of water in a pan along with the karela/bittergourd/pavakkai and turmeric powder. Let it cook till it becomes soft.
3. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 2 cup water and add it to the cooked karela/bittergourd/pavakkai.
4. Bring this to a boil, then add the sambar powder and rice powder and stir till well mixed.
5. Stir in the cooked masoor dal.
6. Add salt to taste along with the roasted coconut and mix in.
7. Boil the pitla for a couple of minutes longer. Serve hot with rice.

Golden beet and split-pea dal

2011-09-25T23:31:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I went to a supermarket called Morrisons, which I visit only occasionally. It turned out to be very exciting, in the event, because I saw display after display of vegetables and fruits that I'd only ever seen in "ethnic" markets before... bittergourd (albeit the Chinese kind), colocasia, bottlegourd, plantains, curry leaves and so on, along with even more exotic heirloom items - tomatoes and golden beets and pink beets.

To say that I was thrilled is an understatement - Pete was amused by my ecstatic squeaks of joy as I came upon more and more things, some of which I'd only seen in Singapore, or heard of from other food blogs. My first instinct was to buy everything in sight, but in the end I restricted myself to buying some heirloom tomatoes and beetroots (and some spiky looking rambutan. I just couldnt resist those fruits).

To get back to the beets, they looked absolutely lovely when they were peeled - a sort of golden orangey pink, all the shades of a glorious sunset. The intensity of the colours lessened somewhat when the beets were cooked, but they were still very apparent. I have to say I prefer these heirloom beets to the regular red ones because they don't turn everything they touch to a lurid pink. And they still taste like proper beets. They definitely made my dal look pretty in pastel shades! Don't you think so too?

PS. The rambutan? Pete and I ate them. They were beautifully sweet.

Recipe for: Golden beet and split-pea dal
Ingredients:

2-3 medium heirloom golden/pink beets, cooked

1 cup green split-peas, cooked 2 medium red onions, sliced thinly
-5 fresh green chillies, sliced thinly
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1 tsp Kitchen King masala (or other garam masala)
1 tbsp oil
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
1-2 cups water

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chillies and garlic cloves. Fry for a minute or so, until it's fragrant, then add the cumin-coriander powder.
2. Add the sliced onions and fry till they start to become soft
then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they're mushy and soft.
3. Add the chopped cooked beets and mix them in with the masala,
then add the cooked split-peas.

Pour in a cup or two of water, depending on how thick you want the dal, and stir well.

4. Bring to a gentle boil, then stir in the Kitchen King/garam masala. Add salt to taste.

5. Turn off the heat after a couple of minutes, then stir in the chopped coriander.

Serve hot over rice or with rotis.

RECIPE: GOLDEN BEET AND SPLIT-PEA DAL

Ingredients:
2-3 medium heirloom golden/pink beets, cooked
1 cup green split-peas, cooked
2 medium red onions, sliced thinly
4-5 fresh green chillies, sliced thinly
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1 tsp Kitchen King masala (or other garam masala)
1 tbsp oil
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
1-2 cups water

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chillies and garlic cloves. Fry for a minute or so, until it's fragrant, then add the cumin-coriander powder.
2. Add the sliced onions and fry till they start to become soft then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they're mushy and soft.
3. Add the chopped cooked beets and mix them in with the masala, then add the cooked split-peas. Pour in a cup or two of water, depending on how thick you want the dal, and stir well.
4. Bring to a gentle boil, then stir in the Kitchen King/garam masala. Add salt to taste.
5. Turn off the heat after a couple of minutes, then stir in the chopped coriander. Serve hot over rice or with rotis.

Avocado phulkas

2011-09-23T16:14:00.005+01:00

It’s been a long time since my last post. (If I were to count the number of times that I started a post with the previous sentence, I probably would need to make use of the fingers and toes of my friends and family in order to sum it up!)

The reason is that my mother was here for the last month or so, and I happily quit the kitchen – partly because it was convenient, and partly because there would not really have been any way to prevent her from cooking and cleaning, what with me being away at work from 9 to 5. Besides, it's been a while since I've had the comfort and pleasure of amma's cooking!

Anyway, I made these phulkas at least two months ago, and the post has been hanging fire ever since. It’s not going to be new for many people, because it’s possibly been a few years since the whole use-mashed-avocado-to-make-chapati-dough sensation arose and died down. I like to think that I’m like one of those marathon runners who lag way behind everybody all through the event and limp in alone a few hours/days/weeks/months/years later, and then get applauded for at least finishing the darned thing - although I doubt there will be any applause coming my way in this instance. However, if you do wish to congratulate me, I will be happy to accept any commendation. I’m not too proud for that.

The only other thing I wish to say that is unrelated to this post is that I will probably be taking it slow – or rather, taking it slower – with this blog in the coming months for personal reasons. I do still have 2-3 recipes that I want to post, but beyond that… well, hopefully 2012 will see in a more committed and enthusiastic me.

So, about the avocado effect – the chapatti dough was soft and could be rolled out beautifully thin, and the phulkas stayed soft for longer than they normally do with me. Very nice, as you all probably know already.

Recipe for: Avocado phulkas

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado

4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds

Method:

1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.

2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.

Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.

4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.

5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.

If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.

RECIPE: AVOCADO PHULKAS

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado
4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds

Method:

1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.
2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.
4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.
5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.
If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.

Roasted jalapeno sweetcorn rice

2011-08-24T12:21:00.003+01:00

Fresh sweetcorn – yum.

Chillies – yum.

Rice – yum.

Put ‘em all together – yum yum yum.

That’s the sort of maths I find easy, and that’s why I made this recipe from the eCurry website. I love the website, I love the recipes and the food, and I love the photos of the food. I can’t think of a single thing I don’t like there.

I've no idea what hatch chiles are, so I had to substitute jalapenos instead, but I think that was the only change I made from the original.

I made the chilli-flavoured oil from scratch, following her recipe exactly. (If you want to do it that way too, click the link to her recipe – there’s no point me repeating it here as I didn’t change a thing.) So while the home-made chilli-flavoured oil was nice, I do think that store-bought chilli oil would save on time and trouble (and some coughing and evil chilli fumes in the house as well).

Certainly if I wanted to make this rice again on a whim, I wouldn’t be able to if I had to start the chilli oil 24 hours ahead. Whims don’t really make for forward planning, and my life is very whimsical.

At this point I have to hope that the word whimsical means what I want it to mean – which is that my life runs on whims – and not whatever definition you get for “whimsical” in the dictionary… unless that definition includes “full of whims”.

Now, if I have ruined the word “whim” for you as much as I have for myself by making it seem suddenly weird, you are ready for the recipe.

Recipe for: Roasted jalapeno sweetcorn rice

Ingredients:

6 jalapenos
1 whole ear fresh corn
6 cloves garlic
a big handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds + 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cups cooked basmati rice
2 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, diced
Chilli-flavoured oil
fresh lime
salt
1 can mixed pulses/beans (about a cup), rinsed under cold water and drained

Method:

1. Slice the kernels from the corn with a sharp knife and separate the kernels if necessary.
2. Lightly toast them on a dry skillet till the water evaporates and they acquire light brown spots.

Reserve.

3. Roast the jalapenos on an open flame till the skin is blistered all over.
4. Place the jalapenos in a ziploc bag and close tightly. Allow peppers to steam for 10-15 min. When cooled, the skin will peel off easily from the flesh.
5. Puree roasted peppers, peeled and chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, fresh coriander and 1 tsp oil till smooth.

Set aside.

6. Heat a thick bottomed pan. Add the 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds and lightly roast them till they are a shade darker and fragrant.

7. Add 2 tbsp oil and add the onions. Fry the onions at medium heat till they are tender, and starting to brown at the edges.
8. Now add the beans and cook them all together with the onion for 5 minutes or so.

9. Next, add the roasted pepper puree to the pan.

Add salt to taste and cook at high heat for 5-6 minutes till the oil starts to separate and the puree thickens.

10. Add the corn and the rice and stir them together for a couple of minutes till the green sauce is well combined with the rice.

11. Cook for about 3 more minutes, tossing frequently but carefully so as not to break the rice.
12. Drizzle the chili oil over the rice and stir.

13. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side so that people can squeeze over the juice to taste.

RECIPE: ROASTED JALAPENO SWEETCORN RICE

Ingredients:
6 jalapenos
1 whole ear fresh corn
6 cloves garlic
a big handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds + 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cups cooked basmati rice
2 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, diced
Chilli-flavoured oil
fresh lime
salt
1 can mixed pulses/beans (about a cup), rinsed under cold water and drained

Method:
1. Slice the kernels from the corn with a sharp knife and separate the kernels if necessary. 2. Lightly toast them on a dry skillet till the water evaporates and they acquire light brown spots. Reserve.
3. Roast the jalapenos on an open flame till the skin is blistered all over.
4. Place the jalapenos in a ziploc bag and close tightly. Allow peppers to steam for 10-15 min. When cooled, the skin will peel off easily from the flesh.
5. Puree roasted peppers, peeled and chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, fresh coriander and 1 tsp oil till smooth. Set aside.
6. Heat a thick bottomed pan. Add the 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds and lightly roast them till they are a shade darker and fragrant.
7. Add 2 tbsp oil and add the onions. Fry the onions at medium heat till they are tender, and starting to brown at the edges.
8. Now add the beans and cook them all together with the onion for 5 minutes or so.
9. Next, add the roasted pepper puree to the pan. Add salt to taste and cook at high heat for 5-6 minutes till the oil starts to separate and the puree thickens.
10. Add the corn and the rice and stir them together for a couple of minutes till the green sauce is well combined with the rice.
11. Cook for about 3 more minutes, tossing frequently but carefully so as not to break the rice.
12. Drizzle the chili oil over the rice and stir.
13. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side so that people can squeeze over the juice to taste.

Vengaya vattha kuzhambu (Onion-tamarind gravy)

2011-08-17T13:29:00.000+01:00

Every day in every way I’m getting lazier and lazier.
This is not what I want to be confessing, dear reader. Believe me, I’d much rather be declaring the more conventional - and infinitely more impressive – version that goes “Every day in every way I’m getting better and better”.

The truth is that I have, at the very least, half a dozen recent recipes to post about and over a dozen older ones which have been ageing gracefully without seeing the light of publication. It’s so easy to take photos while cooking – that’s become second nature now – but it’s a lot less fun to have to edit them (even the simplest, most basic edit that I do which is basically adding my blog name to the photo). It’s infinitely less appealing still to write up the recipes step by step and match the correct photos every step of the way.
I know, nobody’s forcing me to do the whole step-by-step thing, and there wasn’t a gun held to my head when I began to write up the instructions this way. Call me short-sighted but I didn’t envisage a point where I would find it boring to continue doing it in such a painstakingly detailed way. More fool me, because it’s been ever thus with every single one of my enthusiasms over the years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bored with cooking. I’m not even bored of taking photographs while cooking. (And I’m certainly not bored with eating – no fear.) I enjoy writing the posts too, 98% of the time - probably because I feel no urge to stick to the point and no pressure to be topical or even informative. So it’s just the recipe itself, with the ingredients and instructions.

I guess I could stop the step-by-step routine… but after so many years of my blog, I can’t bring myself to do that. (Apparently I can bring myself to ignore my blog and the recipes that are clamouring for release… apparently that isn’t wrong. But simplifying things so that I can bring myself to post more often – oh golly gee gosh, that would feel so wrong.) Look, I can’t explain why this is so – but that is how it is.

Anyway, I decided to post this fairly standard, easy, everyday recipe that I make often - I haven’t posted about it thus far because, you know, it’s fairly standard, easy… etc etc. However, it struck me recently that it might not be standard to everybody, and not everybody might make it this way. So in the interests of posterity, and so on.

I feel quite noble to be dragging myself out of my ~~lethargy~~ comfort zone just for the sake of posterity. How nice of me to do this.

If you’ve finished acknowledging my nobility and niceness, you may go on to the recipe. Which is actually a fairly standard, easy…

Oh. I’ve said this before.
Recipe for: Vengaya vattha kuzhambu

Ingredients:

2 tsp tamarind paste
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped

1/4 tsp vendhayam/fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp toor/tuvar dal
1 tbsp manathakkali vatthal
1 tbsp gingelly oil/nallennai
3-4 dried red chillies, broken in half (or to taste)
1 tsp mustard seeds
a few fresh/frozen curry leaves (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
2-3 tsp sambar powder or vattha kuzhambu powder (if available)
2 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
handful of roasted peanuts (optional)

Method:

1. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 5 cups water. Reserve.
2. Heat the oil and add the manathakkali vatthal, the tur dal, dried red chillies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida powder and turmeric powder.

Fry all these for a couple of minutes on high heat, stirring to prevent burning.
3. Next, add the chopped onions and garlic and stir.

4. When the onions start to soften, add the sambar/vattha kuzhambu powder and stir it in, along with the black pepper powder.

5. Now pour in the tamarind water.

Bring to a boil on high heat, then turn it down to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes or so.
6. Whisk together 2 tbsp rice flour with some water to make a thick, pourable paste and stir it into the kuzhambu. Let it boil for another 4-5 minutes until the kuzhambu thickens and becomes less watery.

Add salt to taste and throw in the peanuts now, if using. Serve hot with steamed white rice and a dry vegetable curry.

RECIPE: VENGAYA VATTHA KUZHAMBU

Ingredients:
2 tsp tamarind paste
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1/4 tsp vendhayam/fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp toor/tuvar dal
1 tbsp manathakkali vatthal
1 tbsp gingelly oil/nallennai
3-4 dried red chillies, broken in half (or to taste)
1 tsp mustard seeds
a few fresh/frozen curry leaves (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
2-3 tsp sambar powder or vattha kuzhambu powder (if available)
2 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
handful of roasted peanuts (optional)

Method:
1. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 5 cups water. Reserve.
2. Heat the oil and add the manathakkali vatthal, the tur dal, dried red chillies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida powder and turmeric powder. Fry all these for a couple of minutes on high heat, stirring to prevent burning.
3. Next, add the chopped onions and garlic and stir.
4. When the onions start to soften, add the sambar/vattha kuzhambu powder and stir it in, along with the black pepper powder.
5. Now pour in the tamarind water. Bring to a boil on high heat, then turn it down to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes or so.
6. Whisk together 2 tbsp rice flour with some water to make a thick, pourable paste and stir it into the kuzhambu. Let it boil for another 4-5 minutes until the kuzhambu thickens and become less watery. Add salt to taste and throw in the peanuts now, if using. Serve hot with steamed white rice and a dry vegetable curry.

Tilda basmati rice

2011-07-20T22:21:00.002+01:00

Recently I was sent a few samples of Tilda basmati rice to try. I've always gone for Kohinoor basmati, I guess because that's what I've been using right from my India days. I've NEVER used instant rice or bothered with the ready-cooked stuff available in supermarkets - the "just reheat" type.

So I was kind of meh when I saw that there were two packs of pre-steamed flavoured basmati rice along with the pack of plain uncooked basmati. One was a Sweet Chilli & Lime rice, and the other was Lime & Coriander. They only needed two minutes in the microwave to be ready for consumption.

I chose the Sweet Chilli & Lime to try, on the principle that anything with "chilli" in it automatically meant that Pete would not really want to try it! The ricetasted nice, and the grains were cooked through properly and each grain was separate - but somehow they seemed TOO separate. At any rate, I've never been able to get that sort of "each grain separate" effect at home. Oh, and there wasn't nothing "chilli" about it!

Pete tried the Lime & Coriander, and while he liked the taste and texture, he said it still came second-best to freshly cooked rice. Fair enough, I guess... so my verdict is that while the instant rice varieties brought out by Tilda are a good last resort if you're short of time, I would still always go for freshly-cooked basmati as far as possible.

And talking about freshly cooked basmati, the Tilda basmati "dry" (uncooked) rice was fabulous! I soaked the rice for an hour or so before cooking it, and the grains were quite amazingly long, almost as long as giant wild rice (easily 1cm or more). The aroma was lovely, too, and if it turns out that Tilda is cheaper than Kohinoor, I might just switch loyalties - or perhaps divide my loyalties between them... seems like less of a betrayal, wouldn't you say?

Thai-style vegetable curry

2011-07-20T14:30:00.006+01:00

I call this a Thai-style curry because an authentic Thai curry was not what I had originally set out to make – and anything that’s not authentic can only be termed “-style” in the interests of accuracy (and also to forestall any comments from my self-adopted pet troll along the lines of “this isn’t how you make an authentic Thai curry, you pathetic poseur, call yourself a real cook?” and so on.)

Pete had asked if I could make him a South Indian fish curry, saying that all I had to do was make a regular Southie saucy vegetable curry and add the fish fillets to his portion in the last 7 minutes of cooking, as that was enough time for the fish to cook. I didn’t have a problem with that, so I quickly looked up a generic Kerala-style fish curry recipe online.

I can’t really tell you at what point the Kerala-style morphed to a Thai-style – I’m not certain, to tell you the truth - but the aroma of the frying masala definitely brought to mind a Thai curry rather than anything Kerala, so I threw in the towel (metaphorically, not literally) and added light coconut milk to the masala, because that’s what I associate with Thai curries.

It wasn’t the wrong thing to do, certainly, because the curry was pretty good when I tasted it. (I just wish I’d added carrots for some colour.) Pete was also right about the fish – it did cook in 7 minutes, but I was worried all the while that I was going to inadvertently poison him with undercooked fish. Actually, it was only after he woke up alive the next morning that I was finally reassured that I had cooked the fish properly!

(You there, in the back – stop sniggering. If you had as little experience in cooking fish as I do, you’d be empathising with me, and we both know it!)

Recipe for: Thai-style vegetable curry

Ingredients:

1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/3 cup coriander leaves
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger, chopped
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cups mixed vegetables (I used green beans, potatoes, courgettes), sliced into 1" pieces
1 cup light coconut milk
Salt to taste
1 cup water

Method:

1. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry skillet till they turn aromatic and dark. Let cool.

2. First grind together the green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds and fennel seeds;

then add the coriander leaves

and grind to a smooth paste.

3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the ground paste and turmeric powder.

Fry the paste for a minute or so, stirring continuously. Then add the onions and let them cook for 5 minutes or so, till they start to turn soft.
4. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, then add 1 cup water and bring the water to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and simmer till the vegetables are nearly cooked.
5. Now pour in the coconut milk and stir, letting the curry simmer on medium-low till the vegetables are fully cooked.

Add salt to taste and serve hot with plain white rice.

RECIPE: THAI-STYLE VEGETABLE CURRY

Ingredients:
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/3 cup coriander leaves
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger, chopped
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cups mixed vegetables (I used green beans, potatoes, courgettes), sliced into 1" pieces
1 cup light coconut milk
Salt to taste
1 cup water

Method:
1. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry skillet till they turn aromatic and dark. Let cool.
2. First grind together the green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds and fennel seeds, then add the coriander leaves.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the ground paste and turmeric powder. Fry the paste for a minute or so, stirring continuously. Then add the onions and let them cook for 5 minutes or so, till they start to turn soft.
4. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, then add 1 cup water and bring the water to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and simmer till the vegetables are nearly cooked.
5. Now pour in the coconut milk and stir, letting the curry simmer on medium-low till the vegetables are fully cooked. Add salt to taste and serve hot with plain white rice.

Vada-kari (lentil fritters in tomato-coconut gravy)

2011-07-15T11:33:00.004+01:00

Serendipity isn't something that manifests itself often in my life, so the rare occasions that it does, it's very exciting. On the day after I made the baked cabbage-onion masala vadas, I saw a recipe for vada-kari (literal meaning "curry made from vadas") on Srivalli's blog. There I was, with day-old vadas to hand, and there it was, a recipe to use them - like I said, exciting!

I think this particular curry must originaly have come about as a way of using up stale, hard vadas that would not otherwise be edible to most people - the fact that I like to nibble on them is by the way. I'm not most people. Nor are, I suspect, most people me. (It works both ways, as you can see. Hehe.)

Anyway, I changed very little from the original recipe, except perhaps the quantities. Oh, and I omitted the fried gram because I didn't have any, and reduced the quantity of coconut. It was one heck of a tasty curry, and the plump vadas, juicy from soaking up the liquid from the gravy, were delicious. I had them over rice with a simple cabbage-peas dry curry. Yum-my. Thank you, Srivalli's mother, for providing the recipe for vada-kari.

Man, do I love ever my fellow-food bloggers and their wide variety of homespun recipes! Long live the Internet, I say.

Recipe for: Vada-kari (lentil fritters in tomato-coconut gravy)

Ingredients:

About 8 day-old paruppu vadas (baked or fried)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 tsp ginger-garlic, grated

3 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

For the ground masala:

1/2 tsp fennel/saunf
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2" piece cinnamon stick
2 cloves
3-5 fresh green chillies
5 cashewnuts
5-6 coconut pieces, each about 2cm long (or 2 tbsp grated coconut)

Method:

1. Heat one tsp of oil and fry all the ingredients for the ground masala till aromatic.

Add the coconut pieces/grated coconut and stir-fry for another two minutes, then remove to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. Heat the other tsp of oil and fry the tomatoes till they are mushy. Set aside to cool.

3. Once they are all cool, grind the fried ingredients and the tomatoes to a smooth paste using a little warm water if necessary. Reserve.

4. Now heat the remaining oil and add the ginger-garlic paste, stirring for 30 seconds or so.
5. Then add the onions and fry till they become soft and turn pale brown.

6. Next, add the ground masala paste and stir it in,

adding a cupful of water.

You can add a little more water at this stage, depending on how many vadas you have.

5. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and simmer the gravy for 5 minutes or so, till it comes together and starts to thicken.
6. Drop the vadas into the gravy now and simmer the curry for 2-3 minutes, spooning the gravy over the vadas occasionally, if necessary.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with idlis or dosas, or over rice if you like. Add a dry vegetable curry for a complete meal.
Note: If the curry sits for a while, the vadas will absorb the moisture and make the curry very thick.

RECIPE: VADA-KARI (LENTIL FRITTERS IN TOMATO-COCONUT GRAVY)

Ingredients:
About 8 day-old paruppu vadas (baked or fried)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

For the ground masala:
1/2 tsp fennel/saunf
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2" piece cinnamon stick
2 cloves
3-5 fresh green chillies
5 cashewnuts
5-6 coconut pieces, each about 2cm long (or 2 tbsp grated coconut)

Method:
1. Heat one tsp of oil and fry all the ingredients for the ground masala till aromatic. Add the coconut pieces/grated coconut and stir-fry for another two minutes, then remove to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. Heat the other tsp of oil and fry the tomatoes till they are mushy. Set aside to cool.
3. Once they are all cool, grind the fried ingredients and the tomatoes to a smooth paste using a little warm water if necessary. Reserve.
4. Now heat the remaining oil and add the ginger-garlic paste, stirring for 30 seconds or so.
5. Then add the onions and fry till they become soft and turn pale brown.
6. Next, add the ground masala paste and stir it in, adding a cupful of water. You can add a little more water at this stage, depending on how many vadas you have.
5. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and simmer the gravy for 5 minutes or so, till it comes together and starts to thicken.
6. Drop the vadas into the gravy now and simmer the curry for 2-3 minutes, spooning the gravy over the vadas occasionally, if necessary.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with idlis or dosas, or over rice if you like. Add a dry vegetable curry for a complete meal.
Note: If the curry sits for a while, the vadas will absorb the moisture and make the curry very thick.

Baked cabbage-onion masala vada

2011-07-12T12:52:00.001+01:00

I was inspired to make these baked vadas – or rather, reminded that such a thing existed on my blog – by a new friend based in Australia when she wrote to me saying that she had made the vadas (adding flaxseed as per the original recipe on The Taste Tinkerer’s blog). That’s when I suddenly remembered how LOVELY the baked vadas had tasted and wondered why on earth (and how on earth too) I’d not made them in such a long time!

And naturally I wanted them immediately (or as close to immediately as I could get) – so I ended up soaking the dals at around 10.30 p.m, just as Pete was delicately putting forward a suggestion of retiring to bed. But I wasn’t sleepy – no, the Sandman had been pushed into the background (and was probably sulking at being so rudely dismissed). I wanted to make those vadas there and then. Also, I was thrilled that I had flaxseeds at hand… and when you’re in the grip of a sudden obsession backed by having all the requisite ingredients – well, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, as they say.

By the way, I soaked the dals in very hot water for quick results because of the lateness of the hour, but the preferable method is to soak the dals in water for a few hours so that they rehydrate naturally.

So by 11 p.m, I was doing what I hadda do with the soaked dals, adding finely shredded cabbage as well as onions to make the batter... and 15 minutes later, the Sandman had officially given up on Pete as well, as he (Pete) had been awakened well and truly by the AMAZING aroma of the baking vadas that was wafting around the house.

By 11.40 p.m or so, I was taste-testing very hot baked masala vadas fresh from the oven, while Pete watched me somewhat grumpily – he was left out of the whole vada love-fest because they contained (to him) insane amounts of fresh chillies. Well, how was I to know he’d want some too?

But don’t worry, gentle reader… I satisfied his suddenly-awakened vada craving the next evening by baking some more vadas just for him at a reasonable hour of the evening, to the general satisfaction and happiness of all concerned (the Sandman included).

Recipe for: Baked cabbage-onion masala vada
Ingredients:

1/2 cup chana dal
1/2 cup toor dal
1/3 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup green cabbage, shredded

3-5 fresh green/red chillies
3-4 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
1" piece ginger
a few curry leaves, torn up (optional)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Oil-spray/Pam

1. Soak the chana dal and toor dal for 3-4 hours.

2. Grind a handful of the dals along with the flax seeds, red chillies and ginger to a smooth paste, adding a little water.

3. Next, add the remaining dal, the red onion and cabbage and grind to a coarse consistency using as little water as possible. The batter must be thick enough to hold its shape when made into patties.

4. Turn the batter out into a bowl and add the 1 tbsp oil, salt to taste, peanuts and 1 tsp baking powder. Stir thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are mixed in evenly.

4. Grease a small cupcake or mini-muffin tray, then place lime-sized pieces of the batter in the depressions, patting them level with the top of the tray.

5. Heat the oven to 180C/350F. Spray the tops of the batter with Pam or brush lightly with oil, and bake for 15-20 minutes in the middle of the oven, turning the tray around mid-way. When the vadas are golden brown on top, turn off the heat.

Let the vadas remain in the tray for 5 minutes, then turn them out. Serve hot as a snack with dips or chutney. These are best eaten hot and fresh, as they tend to become somewhat dry the next day and aren't as much fun to eat as a snack.

RECIPE: BAKED CABBAGE-ONION MASALA VADA

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chana dal
1/2 cup toor dal
1/3 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup green cabbage, shredded
3-5 fresh green/red chillies
3-4 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
1" piece ginger
a few curry leaves, torn up (optional)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Oil-spray/Pam

Method:

1. Soak the chana dal and toor dal for 3-4 hours.
2. Grind a handful of the dals along with the flax seeds, red chillies and ginger to a smooth paste, adding a little water.
3. Next, add the remaining dal, the red onion and cabbage and grind to a coarse consistency using as little water as possible. The batter must be thick enough to hold its shape when made into patties.
4. Turn the batter out into a bowl and add the 1 tbsp oil, salt to taste, peanuts and 1 tsp baking powder. Stir thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are mixed in evenly.
5. Grease a small cupcake or mini-muffin tray, then place lime-sized pieces of the batter in the depressions, patting them level with the top of the tray.
6. Heat the oven to 180C/350F. Spray the tops of the batter with Pam or brush lightly with oil, and bake for 15-20 minutes in the middle of the oven, turning the tray around mid-way. When the vadas are golden brown on top, turn off the heat.
7. Let the vadas remain in the tray for 5 minutes, then turn them out. Serve hot as a snack with dips or chutney. These are best eaten hot and fresh, as they tend to become somewhat dry the next day and aren't as much fun to eat as a snack.

Curried brown rice salad

2011-07-08T01:09:00.002+01:00

Yep, I've jumped onto the "rice salad" bandwagon, despite my doubts about what a salad actually is. :) Or perhaps I should call this a no-cook "raw" pulao. A salad by any other name - probably tastes exactly the same... right? I actually wasn't entirely certain if this would be to my taste, but as it turned out, it's delicious - IF you like raw onions. I do, and I think the salad tasted even better for sitting overnight in the fridge, when I had it the next day for lunch. At room temperature, I should add. I don't like to eat anything that's refrigerator-cold... not even sandwiches. It has to be room temperature, at the very least.

PS. I saw this recipe on someone's blog, but for the life of me I can't remember whose it was. If you recognise this recipe, dear blogger, please give me a heads-up and I will add a link to your original recipe together with an acknowledgement.

Recipe for: Curried brown rice salad

Ingredients:

1/3 cup brown basmati rice

2 tbsp red onion, minced
2 tbsp green bell pepper, minced
1/3 cup chickpeas, cooked (fresh or canned)
3 tbsp coriander, chopped fine
1 tsp sultanas/raisins

1 tsp sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

For the dressing:

1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp orange blossom honey
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp commercial curry powder (I used Schwartz medium-hot)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Soak the brown rice for a few hours if possible; put the soaked rice in a pan with a well fitting lid and add 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and let the rice cook till all the water has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). Let the cooked rice sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Once it has cooled, fluff gently with a fork. Reserve.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the salad ingredients bar the toasted almonds.

Then add the rice and mix gently to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients for the dressing.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix again, adding salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the dressing ingredients.

Fluff with a fork so as not to make the rice mushy.

Sprinkle the toasted almonds over. Serve at room temperature, or chilled.

RECIPE: CURRIED BROWN RICE SALAD

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown rice
2 tbsp red onion, minced
2 tbsp green bell pepper, minced
1/3 cup chickpeas
3 tbsp coriander, chopped fine
1 tsp sultana/raisins
1 tsp sliced almonds, toasted

For the dressing:
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp orange blossom honey
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp commercial curry powder (I used Schwartz medium-hot)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Soak the brown rice for a few hours if possible; put the soaked rice in a pan with a well fitting lid and add 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and let the rice cook till all the water has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). Let the cooked rice sit undisturbed for 15 minutes. Once it has cooled, fluff gently with a fork. Reserve.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the salad ingredients bar the toasted almonds. Then add the rice and mix gently to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients for the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix again, adding salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the dressing ingredients. Fluff with a fork so as not to make the rice mushy. Serve at room temperature.

Spring onion and carom seed (ajwain/omam) chapaties

2011-06-21T13:40:00.002+01:00

I like making chapaties with spring onions because you get their lovely delicate flavour and you can still have a romantic evening without worrying about allium breath. Not that I had a romantic evening when I made these yesterday – I was by myself because Pete’s in Scotland on work… or so he says. Personally I think it’s because he wanted to take the new love of his life – a Range Rover Sport Supercharged – on a long journey, hoping to find a Porsche or Ferrari en route that would be willing to take him on. Not that I was bothered. I mean, if you had a choice between spring onion chapaties and a road trip in a supercharged Range Rover, which would you go for, huh? The spring onion chapaties, right? Right?
*sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh* Still - the chapaties are very yummy. Just not as exciting as the road trip.

Recipe for: Spring onion and carom seed (ajwain/omam) chapaties

Ingredients:

3 cups wholewheat flour
5-6 spring onions, green and white parts chopped fine

1/2 tsp Kitchen King or other garam masala
1 tsp carom seeds/ajwain/omam
Milk as required
Salt to taste (optional)

Method:

1. Put the flour, garam masala and ajwain/carom seeds along with salt to taste in a large bowl and mix well.

Then add the chopped spring onions and stir them in.

2. Make a well in the centre and add milk, a little at a time.

3. Stir the milk into the flour mix until it comes together, then knead into a pliable but fairly stiff dough.

4. Pinch off lemon-sized pieces of dough and roll them into chapaties, using more flour to dust the chapaties and stop them sticking.
5. Cook the chapaties one by one on a tava, spraying each side with Pam, occasionally pressing down lightly with a spatula to let them acquire golden brown spots.

6. Keep warm in a cloth-lined tin and serve hot with dal and any curry.

RECIPE: SPRING ONION AND AJWAIN/CAROM SEED/OMAM CHAPATIES

Ingredients:
3 cups wholewheat flour
5-6 spring onions, green and white parts chopped fine
1/2 tsp Kitchen King or other garam masala
1 tsp carom seeds/ajwain/omam
Milk as required
Salt to taste (optional)

Method:
1. Put the flour, garam masala and ajwain/carom seeds along with salt to taste in a large bowl and mix well.
Then add the chopped spring onions and stir them in.
2. Make a well in the centre and add milk, a little at a time.
3. Stir the milk into the flour mix until it comes together, then knead into a pliable but fairly stiff dough.
4. Pinch off lemon-sized pieces of dough and roll them into chapaties, using more flour to dust the chapaties and stop them sticking.
5. Cook the chapaties one by one on a tava, spraying each side with Pam, occasionally pressing down lightly with a spatula to let them acquire golden brown spots.
6. Keep warm in a cloth-lined tin and serve hot with dal and any curry.

Arachuvitta vengaya sambar - Version 2 (onion sambar with ground coconut masala)

2011-06-19T20:29:00.003+01:00

This variation on the classic arachuvitta vengaya sambar, that I posted way back when, came about thanks indirectly to my cousin Chitra, who is not only a fun person but also a really good cook. She’s in Seattle now on holiday and I deeply regret that I did not get the opportunity to invite myself over for a meal at her daughter’s place while I was there – mainly because I had to leave pretty much as she arrived, and there was no time.

I still vividly remember the chole she had made when we were in Madras – this is going back well over 10 years – which was hands down the best I’ve ever had, EVER. I haven’t had the opportunity of pigging out on her food in years now, and she can only have got better and better.

Anyway, the other day when I was Skyping with my mother, she mentioned Chitra's variation on arachuvitta sambar, so of course I had to try it out rightaway. It came out absolutely spectacular, and I kid you not, I was more than happy to eat it morning noon and night – with plain rice, with curd rice, with dosas, with idlis, with Greek yogurt... it was the star turn every single time. Needless to say, the sambar didn’t even last three days – and I was the only one eating it! If there was anybody else to share it with, I’d have had to make TWO bucketsful!

Note: If you can get the little Indian sambar onions or shallots, use those. I think they’re far more flavourful than regular onions – especially if you’re going to the trouble of making this arachuvitta sambar.

And for my fellow Tamils... this literally IS "arachuvitta vengaya sambar" :-)

Recipe for: Arachuvitta vengaya sambar - Version 2

Ingredients:

1 cup tuvar/toor dal/thuvaram paruppu, to make 2 cups well cooked and mashed dal

2 tsp tamarind paste dissolved in 5-6 cups water OR lime-sized ball of tamarind, pulp extracted to make 5-6 cups tamarind water

1/4 cup green beans sliced
1/4 cup fresh peas
10-12 sambar onions or 1 medium onion sliced
1/4 cup capsicum, cut in 1/2" pieces

Ground masala 1

1 tsp oil
5-6 cloves garlic
10-15 sambar onions (preferably), to make 1/4 cup sliced
2 small tomatoes, cut into pieces

Ground masala 2

1 tsp oil
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp kadala paruppu/chana dal
5-6 dried red chillies (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
3-4 tbsp fresh coconut (pieces or grated)
For tempering
1 tsp oil
1 htsp mustard seeds
a few fresh or frozen curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
3-4 tbsp coriander leaves chopped, for garnish

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and asafoetida powder.

Let the mustard seeds pop, then add the green beans, peas, sambar onions and capsicum, sauteing for 3-4 minutes.

Pour in the tamarind water and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer till the vegetables are cooked - 10 minutes or so.

2. While the vegetables are cooking, make the tempering. Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan and add the garlic, sliced onions and tomatoes.

Cook till the onions are soft and the tomatoes are breaking down. Remove from the heat. Once they are cool, grind them to a smooth paste. Reserve.

3. To make Ground Masala 2, heat a tsp of oil and add the ingredients, stir frying till the red chillies turn a darker shade and the dal and coriander seeds are aromatic and turn colour. If you are using pieces of coconut rather than grated, fry them for a little bit longer, but make sure not to burn any of the ingredients.

Remove from the heat and let cool, then grind to a smooth paste using a few tbsp of warm water as required. Reserve.

4. Once the vegetables are cooked, stir the tomato-onion paste into the tamarind water and let it boil for 2 minutes.

5. Now stir in the mashed cooked dal, making sure there are no lumps.

6. After a couple more minutes, add the ground coconut masala

and salt to taste, then bring the sambar back to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes longer, till the contents are well homogenised.

7. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve hot with rice and any dry vegetable curry, or with dosas and idlis for an extra-special meal.

RECIPE: ARACHUVITTA VENGAYA SAMBAR - VERSION 2

Ingredients:

1 cup tuvar/toor dal/thuvaram paruppu, to make 2 cups well cooked and mashed dal
2 tsp tamarind paste dissolved in 5-6 cups water OR lime-sized ball of tamarind, pulp extracted to make 5-6 cups tamarind water
1/4 cup green beans sliced into 1" lengths
1/4 cup fresh peas
10-12 sambar onions or 1 medium onion sliced
1/4 cup capsicum, cut in 1/2" pieces
Ground masala 1
1 tsp oil
5-6 cloves garlic
10-15 sambar onions (preferably), to make 1/4 cup sliced
2 small tomatoes, cut into pieces
Ground masala 2
1 tsp oil
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp kadala paruppu/chana dal
5-6 dried red chillies (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
3-4 tbsp fresh coconut (pieces or grated)
For tempering
1 tsp oil
1 htsp mustard seeds
a few fresh or frozen curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
3-4 tbsp coriander leaves chopped, for garnish

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and asafoetida powder. Let the mustard seeds pop, then add the green beans, peas, sambar onions and capsicum, sauteing for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the tamarind water and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer till the vegetables are cooked - 10 minutes or so.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, make the tempering. Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan and add the garlic, sliced onions and tomatoes. Cook till the onions are soft and the tomatoes are breaking down. Remove from the heat. Once they are cool, grind them to a smooth paste. Reserve.
3. To make Ground Masala 2, heat a tsp of oil and add the ingredients, stir frying till the red chillies turn a darker shade and the dal and coriander seeds are aromatic and turn colour. If you are using pieces of coconut rather than grated, fry them for a little bit longer, but make sure not to burn any of the ingredients. Remove from the heat and let cool, then grind to a smooth paste using a few tbsp of warm water as required. Reserve.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, stir the tomato-onion paste into the tamarind water and let it boil for 2 minutes.
5. Now stir in the mashed cooked dal, making sure there are no lumps.
6. After a couple more minutes, add the ground coconut masala and salt to taste, then bring the sambar back to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes longer, till the contents are well homogenised.
7. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve hot with rice and any dry vegetable curry, or with dosas and idlis for an extra-special meal.

Stuffed green peppers with nutty rice

2011-06-16T12:05:00.001+01:00

While vegetarian food is not hard to find in most pubs, hotels etc, the choice is woefully limited – usually pasta of some kind, vegetarian chili, bean burger, sometimes a vegetable curry or Mediterranean-veg lasagna chock full of gross aubergines/eggplant and zucchini (because, you know, they’re Mediterranean vegetables and apparently no other veggies are known to ever be used in Mediterranean cuisine). Some places offer two vegetarian options, if you’re lucky. But usually it’s just one of the above, and vegetarians have to like it or lump it.

I should be glad that there’s at least SOMETHING non-meaty and non-fishy to eat in Western restaurants, and I suppose I am... but I still can’t help wishing that their chefs would show just a little imagination for vegetarians. Which is why I like a little pub in Wem (Pete’s hometown), called the Old Post Office (Pete’s home-away-from), which is owned and run by Pete’s business partner Guy, and a couple of his friends. The pub is called the Old Post Office because before it was converted to a pub, it used to be the old post office premises before they moved lock stock and barrel to the new post office premises – well, why did you think the pub’s name is what it is?

Anyway, I like the pub for all sorts of reasons – one, the younger crowd (the noisy, binge drinking, annoying kind) stay away because it doesn’t offer them much in the way of a “hep” ambience. Two, the pub plays good music on an excellent sound system (which Pete set up). Three, the décor is homely (I especially love the squashy-soft sofas from whose hug it’s difficult to get out) but with an exotic touch in the way of beautiful sculptures and paintings and wall-hangings which Guy brought back from his trips to Africa. The effect is casual and comfortable.

And now for the fourth and most important reason - the food. The pub offers a carvery every Sunday, with at least two different choices of meat, which Pete loves. The Sunday carvery has had very good reviews in the local newspapers, because the servings and accompaniments are generous – and all freshly cooked that day, nothing from frozen. I would be happy to eat just the accompaniments that are available – roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, cabbage, peas, cauliflower or broccoli cheese, roast parsnips, carrots, leeks, stuffing balls, Yorkshire puddings - a veritable feast!

But I get a special entree just for me as the only vegetarian who goes there for Sunday lunch. The two lady chefs make it a point to try out a new recipe for me, even though – or perhaps especially because – vegetarian food is not their comfort zone. It’s not even as if I’m a guinea pig… apparently they try out their new recipes during the week on the regulars (the pub makes it a point to provide sandwiches and other finger food on the house, in the evening), asking them for feedback. And then, on a Sunday, the recipe makes its formal debut – just for me (or any other vegetarian, assuming any comes along. It hasn’t happened yet, they say.)

Since I know that there won’t be any aubergine in anything (the staff all know of my loathing for this gross slimy-when-cooked vegetable), I’m always delighted to try whatever they've made – and so far, every single thing has been a hit. It's really nice of them to take the trouble to make anything, just for one person, especially when they've got their hands full catering for all the regular guests.

One time it was peppers stuffed with a really nice rice mixture, and since I had peppers at home last Sunday (when Pete and Bex were having a Sunday lunch at home), I decided to make my own main course and share the accompaniments (called “trimmings”) with my husband and stepdaughter for our family meal. Pete served everything in a giant Yorkshire pudding - yummy!
Recipe for: Stuffed green peppers with nutty rice

Ingredients:

2 green peppers (capsicum/bell pepper)
1/4 cup paneer, diced into 1/2 cm cubes

1 cup cooked basmati rice
1 green chilli, sliced into thin rings
4 tbsp shredded methi leaves (optional)
1/2 cup shredded coriander leaves

1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp mixed nuts (peanuts, cashewnuts, pecans), chopped
2 tsp raisins or sultanas
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garam masala
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Slice off the tops of the peppers and carefully remove the seeds and pith. Make sure the peppers can remain upright; even up the bottoms if required so that they sit flat. Reserve the tops, don't throw them away.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chillies, paneer and chopped nuts. Stir fry till the nuts and the paneer are pale golden brown.

3. Add the coriander and methi leaves and fry till they wilt.

4. Add the sultanas/raisins.

5. Now mix in the rice, garam masala, black pepper powder and salt to taste. Heat this stuffing thoroughly, then turn the heat off and let it cool.

6. Spoon the filling into the prepared peppers, pressing down with the back of the spoon to get as much of the stuffing in as possible,

then put the tops of the peppers back on.

7. Place the stuffed peppers on a baking tray and spray them with Pam on the outside, or brush them with a little oil. Bake in the oven at 200C for 15 minutes or so, or till the peppers are a soft and wrinkled. Don't overcook them.
8. Serve the peppers hot as a main course with a selection of vegetables, and vegetarian gravy.

RECIPE: STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS WITH NUTTY RICE

Ingredients:

2 green peppers (capsicum/bell pepper)
1/4 cup paneer, diced into 1/2 cm cubes
1 cup cooked basmati rice
1 green chilli, sliced into thin rings
4 tbsp shredded methi leaves (optional)
1/2 cup shredded coriander leaves
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp mixed nuts (peanuts, cashewnuts, pecans), chopped
2 tsp raisins or sultanas
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garam masala
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Slice off the tops of the peppers and carefully remove the seeds and pith. Make sure the peppers can remain upright; even up the bottoms if required so that they sit flat. Reserve the tops, don't throw them away.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chillies, paneer and chopped nuts. Stir fry till the nuts and the paneer are pale golden brown.
3. Add the coriander and methi leaves and fry till they wilt.
4. Add the sultanas/raisins.
5. Now mix in the rice, garam masala, black pepper powder and salt to taste. Heat this stuffing thoroughly, then turn the heat off and let it cool.
6. Spoon the filling into the prepared peppers, pressing down with the back of the spoon to get as much of the stuffing in as possible, then put the tops of the peppers back on.
7. Place the stuffed peppers on a baking tray and spray them with Pam on the outside, or brush them with a little oil. Bake in the oven at 200C for 15 minutes or so, or till the peppers are a soft and wrinkled. Don't overcook them.
8. Serve the peppers hot as a main course with a selection of vegetables, and vegetarian gravy.

Pineapple rava (semolina) kesari

2011-06-10T17:00:00.000+01:00

The most common South Indian item made with rava or semolina is upma. Upma is not my first choice of breakfast or tiffin items, as I might have mentioned before. I don’t hate it, it’s just not my first choice. If I do have it at home, I like it plain, without anything added to jazz it up - like onions or tomatoes or ginger or any other vegetables – but with sugar sprinkled on top, or on the side – I’m not fussy (oh, the irony).

But when it comes to rava kesari, I have no objections at all. A friend who knows of my tepid feelings towards upma once commented that rava kesari is just sweet upma. I’m not certain now, but I think she might have been trying to put me off my serving of kesari – too bad for her it didn’t work. There was no sharing involved from my side, I can tell you.

When I first read about pineapple kesari, a great big light bulb seemed to go off in my head, illuminating every last cobweb in there – now WHY hadn’t the idea of pineapple kesari occurred to me? Adding one of my favourite fruits to a sweet that I liked even “plain” – how perfectly delicious!

And so it was – perfectly delicious.

Note: I have to add that my kesari was a bit on the dry side (ok by me) because I skimped on the ghee – well, slightly skimped. If you, on the other hand, weigh in on the skimpy side of the scales, by all means add another generous tablespoon of the good stuff. Your pineapple kesari will not suffer for it, I assure you.

Recipe for: Pineapple rava (cream of wheat) kesari

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rava (semolina)

1/4 tsp saffron strands
4 tbsp warm milk
1/2 cup hot milk
1/4 cup crushed/chopped pineapple (fresh or canned)

1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
4-5 cashews, broken in pieces
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp raisins or mixed dried berries

Method:

1. Add saffron to 4 tbsp warm milk and set aside to soak.

2. Mix the sugar, pineapple and water together and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and leave it for 3-4 minutes while you get the rava ready.

3. Melt the ghee in a small pan and add the cashews and raisins/berries.

Fry on medium heat till the cashews turn golden brown and the raisins/berries puff up. Remove from pan and reserve.

4. Toast the rava (semolina) on low heat in the same pan till it turns a darker shade and becomes aromatic.

5. Now carefully pour the boiling pineapple mixture over the toasted rava, stirring briskly to avoid lumps forming.

6. Stir in the hot milk as well. Cook the rava for 2-3 minutes longer, then add the ghee-fried cashews and raisins/berries. Serve hot.

RECIPE: PINEAPPLE RAVA (SEMOLINA) KESARI

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rava (semolina)
1/4 tsp saffron strands
4 tbsp warm milk
1/2 cup hot milk
1/4 cup crushed/chopped pineapple (fresh or canned)
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
4-5 cashews, broken in pieces
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp raisins or mixed dried berries

Method:
1. Add saffron to 4 tbsp warm milk and set aside to soak.
2. Mix the sugar, pineapple and water together and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and leave it for 3-4 minutes while you get the rava ready.
3. Melt the ghee in a small pan and add the cashews and raisins/berries. Fry on medium heat till the cashews turn golden brown and the raisins/berries puff up. Remove from pan and reserve.
4. Toast the rava (semolina) on low heat in the same pan till it turns a darker shade and becomes aromatic.
5. Now carefully pour the boiling pineapple mixture over the toasted rava, stirring briskly to avoid lumps forming.
6. Stir in the hot milk as well. Cook the rava for 2-3 minutes longer, then add the ghee-fried cashews and raisins/berries. Serve hot.

Alphonso mango milkshake

2011-06-09T12:41:00.003+01:00

Ok, I’m just boasting because I had Alphonso mangoes to spare (because they were too squishily ripe to eat, really, by the time I got to the last two or three.) If you don’t have Alphonsos, don’t fret, you can still make this recipe. Just use any really ripe mangoes, although preferably the kind that aren’t stringy. Meanwhile, I’m going to continue calling this recipe “Alphonso mango milkshake”, because yeah, I’m still boasting. Those Alphonso mangoes are just SO gorgeous!

Anyway, I like my home-made mango milkshakes (or smoothies – what’s the difference, if any?), Alphonso or otherwise, to be on the liquidy side rather than thick; or if not, I like them to be whizzed with plenty of ice, like frappes.

Sometimes I combine the two styles. I don’t have a name for this hybrid, mainly because I haven’t found a way to combine “frappe” and “shake” to make anything meaningful or catchy, no matter which way around I try it. Could “shakeapp” mean anything to you, apart from sounding vaguely like something that might be downloaded onto your iPhone or Android?

Okay - remember, if you come across the term on either appliance, the copyright belongs to ME and if I’m not acknowledged as the creator, I shall sue for millions! Yes, MILLIONS (of £££s)! You heard it here first, Steve Jobs.

Yeah, that threat should really “shake” ol’ Steve “app”.

HAHAHAHAHA.

*koff koff*

Recipe for: Alphonso mango milkshake

Ingredients:

2 ripe alphonso mangoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup vanilla icecream
1-2 cups cold milk (as required)
A couple of drops of vanilla extract OR rosewater OR 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Sugar if required
Ice cubes or crushed ice as required

Method:

1. Put the mangoes, vanilla icecream, 1 cup milk, sugar to taste and ice-cubes/crushed ice in a blender.

Blitz them till they are liquidised.
2. Blend in more milk or crushed ice as required to make the milkshake the consistency you like.

Blend in the vanilla extract, rosewater or cardamom powder, if using.
3. Serve the milkshake immediately in tall glasses.

RECIPE: ALPHONSO MANGO MILKSHAKE

Ingredients:
2 ripe alphonso mangoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup vanilla icecream
1-2 cups cold milk (as required)
A couple of drops of vanilla extract OR rosewater OR 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Sugar if required
Ice cubes or crushed ice as required

Method:
1. Put the mangoes, vanilla icecream, 1 cup milk, sugar to taste and ice-cubes/crushed ice in a blender. Blitz them till they are liquidised.
2. Blend in more milk or crushed ice as required to make the milkshake the consistency you like. Blend in the vanilla extract, rosewater or cardamom powder, if using.
3. Serve the milkshake immediately in tall glasses.

Green mango and coriander thokku (chutney)

2011-06-08T10:48:00.001+01:00

I saw a recipe for cilantro mango chutney on Talimpu foodblog and immediately wanted to try it, because I love mango thokku. I had to wait a few days before I could get the star ingredient for this recipe, of course, but thereafter everything was quicker than quick – a nearly unprecedented turn of events on this blog. (The main reason for the promptness being, of course, that raw green mangoes don’t stay raw for long.)

The chutney was far too sour and not hot enough for my tastes - my fault for using two mangoes rather than one, plus not having enough coriander leaves to offset the extra mango. So I had to resort to frying some red chilli powder in extra oil, then mixing the chutney in it, frying it all for a few more minutes before trying it again. This time around it was perfect – spicy-hot and sour and redolent with the coriander.

Like regular mango thokku except – and I feel obliged to point this out - different. Thanks for your original recipe, Raji!

Recipe for: Green mango and coriander thokku (chutney)

Ingredients:

2 green (unripe) mangoes, cubed

1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 green chillies (or to taste), chopped
1-1/2 cups chopped coriander
1 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste, optional)
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, green chillies, urad dal and red chilli powder (if using), and stir-fry for for a minute or two, till the dal turns a light brown and the mustard seeds have popped.

2. Add the green mangoes and fry them for 4-5 minutes, till they soften.

3. Add the coriander and fry till the leaves wilt.

Remove from the heat and let cool.

4. Grind to a fairly smooth consistency. This is good as a sandwich spread or as a side with idlis, dosa and chapaties.

RECIPE: GREEN MANGO AND CORIANDER THOKKU (CHUTNEY)

Ingredients:
2 green (unripe) mangoes, cubed
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 green chillies (or to taste), chopped
1-1/2 cups chopped coriander
1 tsp red chilli powder (to taste, optional)
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, green chillies, urad dal and red chilli powder (if using), and stir-fry for for a minute or two, till the dal turns a light brown and the mustard seeds have popped.
2. Add the green mangoes and fry them for 4-5 minutes, till they soften.
3. Add the coriander and fry till the leaves wilt. Remove from the heat and let cool.
4. Grind to a fairly smooth consistency. This is good as a sandwich spread or as a side with idlis, dosa and chapaties.

Hot-sweet vegetable curry

2011-06-02T12:44:00.001+01:00

This recipe was a sort of off-the-cuff, make-it-up-as-you-go-along creation – and it tasted really nice. It wasn’t so much sweet as it was hot, because I used a Scotch bonnet pepper, and hot is how I like things... but the sweetness was there, all the same.

And that, it would appear, is all I have to say about it. I've been trying to come up with some kind of spin to eke out this post, but I believe I've run out of imagination. I need a ghost-writer with a sense of humour and endless creativity. Any takers?
Recipe for: Hot-sweet vegetable curry

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fingerling or salad potatoes, sliced in 1cm rounds
1/2 cup ripe mango,cubed
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup green beans, sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup carrots, sliced in thin sticks
1/4 cup bottlegourd, sliced in thin sticks

1/2 cup onions, chopped fine
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp Kitchen King masala (or your favourite garam masala)
Green chillies to taste
5-6 cashewnuts
2 tbsp oil
A generous handful of chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Toss the sliced potatoes with 1 tbsp oil and roast in the oven at 180C/350F, stirring them after 15 minutes, until they are golden and cooked - about 30 minutes or so. Reserve.

2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the ginger and cinnamon powder.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, or till they start to break up.

4. Add the chopped mangoes and the chillies, if using. Cook them on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they become soft.

Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

Once it's cool, puree along with the cashewnuts and reserve.
5. Now heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and fry the chopped onions.

6. When the onions are soft and pale brown, add the sliced carrots, beans and bottlegourd.

Add one cup water, cover the pan and let the vegetables cook till just done.
7. Stir in one cup milk and bring the mixture to a gentle boil on medium heat.

8. Add the pureed tomato-mango mixture and mix it in along with the Kitchen King masala powder..

9. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the oven-fried potatoes and stir them in.

10. Let the curry simmer for 6-7 minutes on medium heat. I like the gravy to be fairly thick, but if you prefer it more runny, add water or milk as required and simmer for a few minutes longer. Add salt to taste. Then garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

RECIPE: HOT-SWEET VEGETABLE CURRY
Ingredients:

1/2 cup fingerling or salad potatoes, sliced in 1cm rounds
1/2 cup ripe mango,cubed
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup green beans, sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup carrots, sliced in thin sticks
1/4 cup bottlegourd, sliced in thin sticks
1/2 cup onions, chopped fine
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp Kitchen King masala (or your favourite garam masala)
Green chillies to taste
5-6 cashewnuts
2 tbsp oil
A generous handful of chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Toss the sliced potatoes with 1 tbsp oil and roast in the oven at 180C/350F, stirring them after 15 minutes, until they are golden and cooked - about 30 minutes or so. Reserve.
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the ginger and cinnamon powder.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, or till they start to break up.
4. Add the chopped mangoes and the chillies, if using. Cook them on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they become soft.
Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.
Once it's cool, puree along with the cashewnuts and reserve.
5. Now heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and fry the chopped onions.
6. When the onions are soft and pale brown, add the sliced carrots, beans and bottlegourd.
Add one cup water, cover the pan and let the vegetables cook till just done.
7. Stir in one cup milk and bring the mixture to a gentle boil on medium heat.
8. Add the pureed tomato-mango mixture and mix it in along with the Kitchen King masala powder..
9. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the oven-fried potatoes and stir them in.
10. Let the curry simmer for 6-7 minutes on medium heat. I like the gravy to be fairly thick, but if you prefer it more runny, add water or milk as required and simmer for a few minutes longer.Add salt to taste. Then garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Couscous with lentils

2011-05-30T13:50:00.002+01:00

What does the term "salad" mean to you? Something with green leaves, tomatoes and cucumber and radishes, perhaps with a dressing? That's what denotes a salad to me - even now, when I know that practically anything can be a "salad".

I have to say it used to puzzle me. What is pasta salad, anyway? Or - a very strange thing to a South Indian - rice salad? Could South Indian lemon rice or tamarind rice be classified as rice salad?

I'm still not entirely sure why something that is not a salad when hot becomes a salad when cold. Examples? Well, pasta. Eat it cold, and it's a pasta salad. Eat it hot, and it's... well, pasta. Rice, too, undergoes that transition - especially if there's wild rice in there. Take couscous, too. Pizza Hut has cold couscous in its salad bar. When is couscous a side dish, and when is it a salad? More to the point, why is it a salad when it's cold? And then those hot salads - how do THOSE come about without becoming not-salad?

I don't mean any disrespect to the West when I say that perhaps everything is a "salad" here because they don't know how else to classify the various cooked foods from other cultures? What do you think?

This recipe could be a salad, or not. It could be a side dish. Or merely a form of couscous upma. Here's a thought - perhaps we Southies call everything "upma" because salads aren't really in our culinary heritage?

Because I don't know what to call my recipe - salad, side dish, upma, whatever - I'm terming it "couscous with lentils". At least it has the virtue of literalness.

Recipe for: Couscous with lentils

Ingredients:

1/4 cup green lentils
1 bay leaf
1 cup couscous
1 red onion, chopped finely
2 green chillies, chopped

1 small tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
a handful of fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
about 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
1 tsp oil

Method:

1. Cook the lentils in salted water along with the bay leaf, till they're cooked but not mushy.

Drain and reserve.

2. In a medium size pan, heat the oil and add the chopped chillies, garlic and red onion. Stir well.

3. Let the onions soften a little, then add the chopped tomato.

4. Once the tomatoes are beginning to break down, pour in the stock and bring to a brisk boil.

5. Now add the couscous and stir it well. Add salt to taste and bring back to the boil.

6. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a well-fitting lid. Let the couscous rest for 10-15 minutes.
7. Once all the water has been absorbed, fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the reserved lentils and freshly ground pepper to taste, and toss to mix, or fork it through to mix.

8. Garnish generously with shredded basil leaves and serve the couscous warm as a side with lamb dishes, or as a snack.

RECIPE: COUSCOUS WITH LENTILS

Ingredients:
1/4 cup green lentils
1 bay leaf
1 cup couscous
1 red onion, chopped finely
2 green chillies, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
a handful of fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
about 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
1 tsp oil

Method:
1. Cook the lentils in salted water along with the bay leaf, till they're cooked but not mushy. Drain and reserve.
2. In a medium size pan, heat the oil and add the chopped chillies, garlic and red onion. Stir well.
3. Let the onions soften a little, then add the chopped tomato.
4. Once the tomatoes are beginning to break down, pour in the stock and bring to a brisk boil.
5. Now add the couscous and stir it well. Add salt to taste and bring back to the boil.
6. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a well-fitting lid. Let the couscous rest for 10-15 minutes.
7. Once all the water has been absorbed, fluff up the couscous with a large fork. Add the reserved lentils and freshly ground pepper to taste, and toss to mix, or fork it through to mix.
8. Garnish generously with shredded basil leaves and serve the couscous warm as a side dish with meat dishes, or as a snack.

Karela rice

2011-05-28T17:55:00.003+01:00

I suppose I should be embarrassed about even considering this a recipe - and I suppose I am, a bit. But if I didn't write about it, there wouldn't be a post. There needs to be a post, and many more posts, if I am to reach my target of 500 posts. Not 500 posts this year (I wish!), but 500 posts in total since I started this blog. Looked at it that way, my output isn't particularly noteworthy, really. But it's all I have.

Anyway, I wish I could remember which blog it was where a commenter had mentioned that she always mixed raw karela with some yogurt and microwaved it for 3 minutes before going on to cook the vegetable on the hob.. and this way the karela was NEVER bitter.

I thought I’d try that out too, but I’m not sure how much it helped, if it did at all. Maybe it reduced the bitterness a little - but then I don’t have a huge problem with the bitterness of the vegetable when it’s shallow fried, especially as a side dish with rice. In any case, unless you try it cooked with yogurt and without, and compare the two side-by-side, it’s pretty hard to quantify any reduction in the level of bitterness in any useful way. Next time, maybe.

The karela rice only happened because I forgot to make sambar or any other kuzhambu, and I didn’t have any paruppu podi or thogayal ready – and only realized this when I got hungry for my dinner.

No problem – I mixed the karela dry-fry with the rice and called it “karela rice” and had that with yogurt, thereby getting around the problem of the missing sambar. Inspired innovation? Or merely good spin put on a pathetic situation? You decide.

Recipe for: Karela rice

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice, cooked and cooled
2 medium karela (bitter melon/gourd)
2 tbsp yogurt/curd
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 fresh curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
3 tbsp vegetable spice mix

Method:

1. Halve the karela lengthwise, then slice it into thin half-moons.

2. Toss the pieces with the yogurt/curd until they are evenly coated. Microwave, covered, for 3 minutes. Reserve.

3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. Let the seeds pop on meium-high heat, then add the karela pieces and stir well.

4. Let the karela cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, till they are soft and cooked. Then turn the heat up to medium so that they can become a little crisp and brown. Add salt to taste and mix in.
5. Now add the 3 tbsp vegetable spice mix and stir well.

6. Now mix in the rice gently with the karela, so as not to break the grains. Turn the heat down to low and let the rice heat up thoroughly. Serve hot with raita and papad or potato chips.

RECIPE: KARELA RICE

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice, cooked and cooled
2 medium karela (bitter melon/gourd)
2 tbsp yogurt/curd
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 fresh curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
3 tbsp vegetable spice mix

Method:
1. Halve the karela lengthwise, then slice it into thin half-moons.
2. Toss the pieces with the yogurt/curd until they are evenly coated. Microwave, covered, for 3 minutes. Reserve.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. Let the seeds pop on meium-high heat, then add the karela pieces and stir well.
4. Let the karela cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, till they are soft and cooked. Then turn the heat up to medium so that they can become a little crisp and brown. Add salt to taste and mix in.
5. Now add the rice to the karela along with 3 tbsp of the vegetable spice mix. Mix it in gently so as not to break the rice grains.
6. Turn the heat down to low and let the rice heat up thoroughly. Serve hot with raita and papad or potato chips.