चुकन्दर मसाला - Beetroot in onion masala

Beetroot - yet another vegetable where you can eat the root, the stem and the leaves. Have never seen the flowers but I am sure I would find a way to cook and eat them too. This here, is a recipe from my childhood days that Mom used to make. I loved having it with steamed rice and a dollop of desi ghee (sound familiar 😲 right ? 😲) on top.
Here it has been prepared in an onion (2 medium sized) and garlic (10 cloves) puree which is fried (bhuno-ed) in ghee, and then further sauteed for 5 minutes with turmeric, cayenne powder and coriander powder. Add the chopped stems, stir 2-3 minutes, then add the grated beetroot and cook for 15-20 minutes till tender. Add the chopped leaves, salt and cook another 5 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice. Can also be enjoyed with wholewheat roti (flatbread)

Gatta Curry - from Rajasthan

From Rajasthan, the desert state of the Rajput warriors comes this dish. Gatta aka 'Takey Paise' are spiced gramflour rolls, poached and then cut to resemble the golden guineas of the past. It is one of those unique dishes to represent a state, community as well as a style of cooking. The recipe here is from the Jain and Marwari households who are vegetarians and do not even eat onion and garlic. In fact some orthodox Jains do not eat any vegetable which grows below the ground - so no potatoes, carrots, turnips, colocasia, ginger for them.

To make Gattas - gramflour, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, pinch of hing, a teaspoon of oil and little cumin seeds. Add a little water and make a very hard dough. portion it out and make 3/4" diameter rolls using your palm - maybe 8-10 long. The surface should be smooth and not cracking open. Cover with moist napkin and leave aside. Being water to a boil in a wide mouth vessel, add salt and then boil the gatta rolls for 25 minutes on simmering heat. Take out carefully on to a greased surface and allow to cool. Cut them into 1/4' thick roundels.

To make the sauce we heat some Desi Ghee (clarified butter), add the cumin seeds and as they blossom, move the pan away from the heat and add all the powders and cloves in the fat. Stir it, without allowing it to burn and quickly add the beaten up yogurt. Bring the pot back to the flame, and bring the liquid to a boil while stirring continuously. The yogurt may curdle but that is OK. Once the gravy is boiling, add the cut Gattas to it, wait for the boil to return, add salt, and set it on simmer for next 20-25 minutes. Add cilantro and serve - best enjoyed with Roti (wholewheat flatbreads). If the yogurt is too sour you may add a pinch of sugar.











You can crush the cloves for better flavor

Goat Stew with preserved Lemons and Mint

Surfing the net is fun and sometimes one comes across recipes/dishes/pictures that spark your interest and imagination. Was reading about this Moroccan Goat stew and wondering about a few puzzling ingredients when in walks a lady from - yes, Morocco of course to solve away my problems. So this morning decided to make use of the recipe with slight modifications. Instead of buying Preserved Lemons, decided to use a pickle that my Mom had made 20+ years back which has gotten totally dehydrated sitting in the refrigerator all these years. Got a chance to use the mint leaves also that I had dried last year. So folks, grab a thick bottom pan, look up the ingredients in the picture and mix everything and add salt and oil. That is it, bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer away for 1.5 to 2 hours till done. You may pressure cook it for 25-30 minutes. I had forgotten to add the green hot peppers, so threw them in at the end and cooked for 5 extra minutes. Serve with Nan or Pita bread. I would even serve it with steamed rice. Or maybe Couscous.
Note: check the salt content of the preserved lemons before adding salt to the dish.

 

 

Shorshe Baingan (eggplant in freshly prepared mustard)

First of though it is a Bengali dish, I had never tasted it while in India. This is my wife Sonali's creation since she knows I love Eggplants - cooked in any possible way. So today I found some home made Kasundi (prepared mustard) in the fridge and decided to replicate what my better half has been feeding me. Once again the ingredients are listed in the order they go in to the pan and pictures will give a good enough idea of the quantity and proportion.
Mustard Oil, Kalaunji (wild onion seeds), Whole dry red peppers, Eggplant, Fresh ground mustard seeds, Salt. The coriander leaf on top is optional and I just might get some flack from the Purists :)

Again, like most Bengali dishes, this too best enjoyed with steamed rice.

Kaddu ki Kahani - Part 2 in South India

This recipe is from the Southern states and I have mixed two recipes here - this seems a combo of Olan and Avial. Various interpretations of the common ingredient coconut are used in South India but it is Kerala where the full potential of coconut is exploited. Well, more on coconut later in a separate blog post.
Here we are making a paste of fresh coconut, cumin, coriander seeds and green chillies with some yogurt. The pumpkin is boiled in water with salt, little turmeric and a sprig of curry leaf. Once 3/4 done, the coconut paste is added. Once it returns to a boil, move it off the fire. Heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds (be careful as they blossom and splutter in the hot oil), then whole dry red peppers and curry leaf. Pour this over the cooked pumpkin, stir lightly to mix in the tempering oil. Best enjoyed with Seeraga rice. I would love to add a teaspoon of coconut oil on top of the rice. To impress guests serve it on a banana leaf - cut round and placed on a regular plate.

Kaddu ki Kahani - Part 1 in North India

Red Pumpkin, considered pretty low among the vegetables and the word KADDU used as a  derogatory word meaning someone who lacks intellect and finesse. But it has its own qualities - the best being its shelf life without any refrigeration, it can last more than three months in a cool, dry, dark place and does not lose its moisture because of its thick outer skin. Its bright hued flesh can be used to enhance other vegetables and its slightly sweet taste comes out great with a little bit of lemon juice or any other mild souring agent. In the West one normally sees it in connection with Thanksgiving Pies or as Jack of Lanterns during the Halloween revelry.

This recipe is from Uttar Pradesh (a Northern state) in India. The ingredients listed are in order of what goes into the pan first. One thing to be very careful of is when tempering the dish with fenugreek seeds which turn dark and bitter very fast when added to hot oil - make sure you have a few pieces of pumpkin ready to add to the pan to arrest the heat and preventing the seeds from burning.

Mustard Oil
Fenugreek Seeds
Red Pumpkin diced
Slit Green Chillies
Turmeric
Salt
Amchoor (powdered dry raw mango)

There is no name for this dish ;) Go ahead and give it a name Ha Ha

Well when you do eat a lot bottle gourd during summers you land up having an awful lot of peeled skin. As always, in a country with limited resources where nothing goes waste, the women cook up the peels too. I am sure they are high in fiber and other vitamins and minerals as well. Also sure that there is hardly any fat or sugar.
Just oil, cumin seeds, sliced onions, shredded peels and salt.

Lauki (bottle gourd)

Gourds of different kinds abound in summer months and come in different sizes, shapes, texture and taste. Here it is cooked in a simple recipe with ingredients listed in the order that they need to be put in the pan.
Oil
Cumin seed
Potatoes
Bottle gourd
Turmeric
Salt

Chopped Cilantro

SNAKE, anyone :) Snakegourd actually

Another recipe from the eastern state  of Bengal. Making use of mustard oil, ground mustard and wild onion seeds for tempering the dish. It is also called Chachenda, Chichinge, Pudalaggai, Padavala etc.

If the seeds are reddish, discard them

Heat mustard oil, add Kalaunji (wild onion seeds), onions, and cut snakegourd.
Saute for 5 minutes

Grind mustard seeds




Add slit green hot peppers and pour the ground mustard, add salt, stir and let cook till done



Serve with hot basmati rice, or still better to have it with parboiled rice

Lal Chaulai (Red Chard)

Yet another minimalist kinda recipe, where each ingredient shines and complements others.

Asafoetida, Whole dried red peppers

 Best enjoyed with steamed rice.
A dollop of desi ghee on top - optional for you but a must for me :)

TANDOORI PINEAPPLE

Here is the recipe for Tandoori Grilled Pineapple which has been modified so it can be made at home.

Ingredients:

1 Pineapple

¼ inch Ginger (finely chopped)

4 teaspoons Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

4 ounces Unsalted butter

For garnish:

1 sprig Mint

8 Cherries

Instructions:

1. Cut pineapple lengthwise in 4 pieces. Remove the flesh from each quarter & cut it into ¼ inch slices.

2. Drizzle lemon zest, brown sugar, chopped ginger and lemon juice on pineapple slices and mix lightly.

3. Heat pan to 250F, add butter, slide in the pineapple slices & sauté on both sides till light golden brown.

4. Arrange slices on the shell and pour the caramelized juices in the pan over them.

5. Garnish with mint leaf and cherries before serving. Goes well with ginger-vanilla ice cream!

BHINDI

BHINDI aka Okra, Lady's finger, Gumbo, Vendakkai, Bamia, Dhairosh - call it whatever but make sure you eat it, and it looks uniquely beautiful when cut. Other than those people having allergies, wonder why so many do not like it - cooked properly it does not retain its slimy mucilaginous texture
(which is actually soluble fiber and good for you)
To prevent the sliminess, always add salt at the end of the cooking process and adding anything acidic also will cut it down.

The ingredients are in order of use
Oil, Cumin seeds, Okra, Red Onions, Green Hot Peppers and salt.