Recommend it

Apr 20, 2011

Garlic Rasam

Rasam is one of the everyday lunch or dinner item in Tamil families. I am a big fan of rasam. When I think back of my child hood, rasam was my entrée with the rice, rather than sambar. I still remember how my mom goes about making her rasam. In my mom's home, we have the "ammi". She would crush the garlic in ammi without peeling the outer layers of garlic. After they are crushed, the garlic would leave out the peels on their own. Then cumin seeds and black peppercorns are crushed separately. She would pick up red tomatoes (desi version) and crush with her hands inside a bowl. She would pick curry leaves from the tree at the backyard of our house to add in the rasam. When the rasam is being cooked, the aroma wafts through the house making us hungry. I am sure, my daughter will recall these memories similarly. :)

Ingredients:
For rasam:

Garlic - 2 bulbs (with small pods)
Tomatoes - 2 big ones and a small one :D
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Coriander leaves - few
Rasam powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Tamarind water - 2 tbsp.
Boiled toor dal - 1/2 cup (with water)

For rasam powder:
Peppercorn - 1/2 tsp.
Roasted and powder cumin - 1 tsp.
Arhar dal - 1 tsp.
Chana dal - 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 4
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1/4 pinch
Dry red chillies - 2 (or as per taste)
Oil



Method:
For rasam powder:
Dry roast peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida for 2 minutes.
Fry chana dal, arhar dal and red chillies in little oil till dals turn golden in colour.
Powder all the ingredients and keep aside.

For rasam:
Make a + cut on the top of the tomatoes and boil them.
When the tomatoes are warm, peel the skin and grind the tomatoes into paste.
In a bowl, combine boiled dal, tomato paste, tomato water (if any left), turmeric powder, salt, tamarind water and rasam powder and mix well.
Now pour required water in this mixture and keep aside.
Heat a sauce pan and add oil.
Throw in the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
Add the peeled garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Break the red chillies into halves and saute.
Pour the rasam and cook in low-flame.
When foam forms on the top of the rasam, add coriander and curry leaves.
Remove and enjoy with rice or drink.

Sent off to Akila's "Dish Name Starts With G" event.

Apr 18, 2011

Spinach Poori/Puri



Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour/atta - 2 cups
Spinach - 1.5 cups (chopped)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tsp.
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1 tsp.
Ajwain (powdered) - 2 pinches
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp.
Green chillies - 2 (or as per taste)
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Blanch the spinach. Grind spinach, coriander leaves and green chillies into a paste.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients except oil.
Sprinkle little water and prepare a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into equal-sized balls.
Flatten them into small discs.
Heat the oil and deep-fry them till they're done.
Serve and enjoy with raita and any other side dish.



For raita:
Beat the yogurt without any granules. Add roasted and powdered cumin, black salt and red chilli powder. Mix well and enjoy with puris.

Apr 15, 2011

Chettinadu Aloo Muttar Mushroom Curry



Ingredients:
Potatoes (medium) - 2 (diced)
Green peas - 3/4 cup (fresh)
Mushroom - 10 (sliced)
Onions - 3 (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Garlic - 20 small pods (finely crushed)
Oil
Salt (to taste)

To grind (A):
Ginger - 3/4 inch
Small onions/sambar onions/shallots - 10
Green chillies - 2
Garlic - 10 pods (small)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1.75 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp.

To grind (B):
Coconut pieces - 1/3 cup
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Poppy seeds - 2 tsp.



To temper:
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Cloves - 2
Green cardamoms - 4
Bay leaf - 1 (big)
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - few

Method:
Add tempering ingredients and allow them to sizzle. Add onions (saute till pink), curry leaves, garlic (till the raw smell fades off), tomatoes (saute till mushy and releasing of oil).
Meanwhile, grind the given the ingredients from (A) into a paste.
Add this paste and saute.
Now add potatoes, green peas and mushrooms and saute them till all the masalas mix well.
Pour 2 cups of water and saute and then sprinkle salt.
Cover the kadai with a lid till the potatoes are tender.
Stir in between. Grind the given ingredients from (B) into a paste.
When the gravy is thick, add the coconut paste, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapathi or rice.
Adapted from: Solai's True Chettinad Kitchen

Sent off to CBB Series#2-Chettinad Special.

Apr 13, 2011

Bhapa Doi (Bengali Cheese Cake)


Bhapa Doi is a dessert consisting mainly of yogurt/curd and condensed milk (and milk). It reminds me of Haldiram's sweets.



Ingredients:
Yogurt/Doi - 150 g
Sweetened condensed milk - 150 g
Green cardamom seeds - from 4 cardamom
Milk - 2 tbsp.
Saffron - 5 to 6 strands
Nuts and raisins - to garnish



Method (My style of preparation):
Take 400 g of yogurt and remove the whey water by using a coarse woven cheesecloth for 2-3 hours.
After the removal of whey water, beat the curd in a blender (the thick curd measurement was 150 g).
Mix the curd along with the same quantity of condensed milk.
Then add cardamom seeds and mix well.
Pour into the ramekins or any other oven-proof dish.
Garnish with nuts or raisins.
Soak the saffron in warm milk and keep aside.
Pre-heat the oven in 190C.
Place the ramekins on a baking tray.
In a baking tray, pour hot water halfway up the dish.
Carefully place them in the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes. After that, pour the saffron-coated milk in each ramekin.
Bake for another 10 minutes or until the tester comes clean.
Let the dishes cool.
Then chill the desserts overnight and consume the next day immediately.




Sent off to "Flavours of Bengal" hosted by Priya and started by Nayna.

Apr 12, 2011

Shukto

I gave my best try to create a Bangla cuisine, though I haven't lived in Bengal. A traditional Bengali meal consists of six dishes (each dish of each taste bud). After researching here and there all over the cyber world and my personal treasure of Indian recipes, I confirmed that a bitter dish is eaten first and at last is sweet which is quite 'sweet' after tingling with the taste buds. What I love about Bengali cuisine is fish and sweets. The very mention of my favourites make me drool now.

Coming back to the point, Shukto is a Bengali dish which contains bittergourd and other mixed veggies. The veggies shouldn't be cooked in such a way that they're mushy. This reminds me of aviyal. It should be eaten in the afternoons with rice only, and that too during summers. The reason? Very simple. It causes indigestion if consumed at night.

Personally speaking, I recommend bitter gourd lovers all over the world to enjoy this dish. It gets your digestive enzymes rushin' and gushin' in the stomach when you're having a meal at a Bengali restaurant.



Ingredients:
Bittergourd/uchche - 1
Beans - 8
Drum stick - 1
Green plantain - 1
Potato - 1 (medium)
Radish - 1/2
Pointed gourd/parwal - 2
Brinjals - 2
Ginger - 1 tbsp. (finely grated or paste)
Panch phoron - 1 tsp.
Bay leaves - 2 (small)
Asafoetida - 1/4 pinch
Milk - 2 tbsp.
Mustard oil
Salt (to taste)
Sugar (to taste)
Bori/wadi/sun-dried lentil dumplings - 2 (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Poppy seeds/posto - 2 tbsp.



Method:
Soak poppyseeds and mustard seeds in warm water for a few hours ( I soaked overnight). Grind them into a paste. Keep aside.
Dice all the veggies. Cut the drumstick into 1.5 inch long.
Heat the oil and fry the bittergourd and wadi (if using and I didn't use) till golden brown colour each separately.
In a pan, add mustard oil and temper with panch phoron, bay leaves and asafoetida.
Now add the hard vegetables and then the tender ones. Saute till lightly brown.
Mix ginger and mustard-poppy seeds paste with vegetables.
Now add the fried bitter gourd and mix.
Add salt and required water.
Cover and cook in low flame. Don't allow the vegetables to become mushy.
When the vegetables are cooked, add 2 tbsp. of milk and sugar. Mix well.
Add the wadis finally and mix.
Enjoy with rice for lunch.
Bon Appetit!
Sent off to "Flavours of Bengal" hosted by Priya and started by Nayna.

Apr 11, 2011

Kofta Pulao/Pulav

My kids were very very bored. This weekend I planned to make Malai Kofta to cheer them up. I suddenly changed my mind. There were some fenugreek leaves left in the refigerator.  After quick thinking, I prepared this kofta pulao.

Kofta Pulao/Pulav with Paneer Makhani (You can see the paneer drowned in the gravy)
Ingredients:
For Kofta:
Potatoes - 3 (boiled)
Paneer/Cottage cheese- 1/2 cup
Fenugreek leaves -1/2 cup
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder (Kashmiri) - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Cornflour/cornstarch - 1 to 1.5 tbsp.

Method:
Pat dry the paneer and grate. Grate or mash the potatoes without any lumps.
Pat dry the fenugreek leaves and chop.
In a bowl mix paneer, potatoes, fenugreek leaves, red chilli powder, cumin powder, corn flour and salt.
Prepare equal-sized balls.
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Sprinkle a little oil on each ball. Bake them till they become golden brown (Turn the koftas on all sides in between carefully).
Once they are done, remove and keep aside.



For pulav/pulao:
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Onions - 2 (sliced thinly)
Ginger-garlic (minced) - 1 tsp.
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Green cardamom - 4
Cloves - 3
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder (Kashmiri) - 1/2 tsp.
Mushrooms - 10 (sliced)
Green chillies - 2 (slit)
Curd - 2 tbsp.
Oil
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Wash rice till the water runs clear. Soak the rice in 3 cups of water. Cover and keep aside.
Heat oil and add green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, sliced onions and green chillies.
Saute onions till translucent. Add ginger-garlic and saute till the raw smell goes away.
Add mushrooms and saute.
Add the powders and curd and saute.
Add the rice along with water and salt as required. Cover with a lid and cook.
When the water is absorbed, remove the lid. Cover the pan with aluminium foil and then place the lid.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Remove from heat. Mix the baked koftas with pulav and serve immediately with any side dish.