Monsoon Spice | Unveil the Magic of Spices...: March 2008

30 March, 2008

Last Minute Click

Yes, another last minute entry for Click-Metal hosted by Jai & Bee of Jugalbandi. This is an antique brass Havan/Yajna Spoon and my priced possession.

According to Wiki,

"A Havan is a sacred purifying ritual (yajna) in Hinduism that involves a fire ceremony. It is a ritual of sacrifice made to the fire god Agni. After lighting a Havan Kund (sacrificial fire), objects such as fruits, honey, or wooden goods are put into the sacred fire. If there are any spirits that are evil around you or even inside you they get burned off in the sacred fire. It is believed that this sacrifice will bring health, happiness, luck and prosperity."

Havan/Yajna Spoon

This elegant spoon has exquisitely carved Lord Krishna’s idol on top and two peacocks attached on bottom. As lentils are main part of any Indian food diet I have filled the spoon with mixed lentils. Now without much delay this photo goes to J & B.

Havan/Yajna Spoon for Click-Metal
Click Here to view Enlarged Image

My Last Click Entries are,

Click-Liquid Comfort- Disco H2O

28 March, 2008

From India's Bread Basket: Mooli Paratha with Lassi

Mooli/Radish Parathas

There is a land that is drenched by five rivers, their shimmering magical water making it India’s ‘bread basket’. It’s the land that has its own colour, aroma and unique life style with cheerful and most lively people. In this same magical land there is one beautiful farm house with white washed walls and a large courtyard right in a centre of lively, lovely, golden mustard farm with delicate mustard flowers swaying with the cool breeze spreading their earthy aroma all around. It’s early morning time. Birds are singing their welcome songs as the sun rises and spreads his golden rays making everything to gleam and glitter as he touches them. Women of the house are up and awake even before the sun rays could touch the mother earth and they are found in the courtyard busy with their rolling pins.

All ladies are busy as they roll thick poories and then stuffs them with a spoonful of spiced and flavoured vegetables and rolls again it into thick paratha. The Chulha in one corner cooks delicious flat breads one after another and with in no time you see stacks of parathas smudged with dollops of Desi Ghee. They hurry up as they know its just matter of time when the whole household will get up and get ready to face another morning. As one of the ladies cooks last few parathas, another starts making sweet/salty Lassi to go with the Parathas. In few minutes time all the members of the family sit together and enjoy home made delicious Parathas dripping with Desi Ghee and gulping big brass glass of Lassi. Who can resist second servings of these parathas served with dollop of mother’s love? The feeling of fullness, satisfaction and contentment that comes from eating these delicious parathas cooked with mother’s love is emotional family heirlooms for every kid and even grown-ups.

Whenever I make parathas this is the scene which comes into my mind! I guess I have been getting little too much of Bollywood dose these days. After all this is very common scene in most of the movies. Whenever I used watch those ladies (in real and reel life) squatting next to hot tava (griddle), slapping together dozens of roties for their family, I would always wonder if I could make at least one roti at that time period. With little bit of practice and patience I have come a long way from rolling geographical maps to round-puffed roties and neatly stuffed Parathas. Making perfect round shaped stuffed Parathas without the filling oozing is an art in its own way and I am still learning to master this art. We owe a lot to land of five rivers for giving us this opportunity to cook and explore this extraordinary culinary delight, fresh from home.

Paratha dripping with Desi Ghee and a big glass of refreshing Lassi is common breakfast item in Punjabi household. It might sound little odd and too heavy thing to have for early breakfast but Punjabi’s by nature are extremely industrious and helps them to sustain throughout the day. Cooked with different fillings depending on preference and availability of ingredients, these Parathas are one whole meal by itself. Serve them with plain Yogurt with Pickle or with any side dish, they are sure to win everyone’s heart.

This time I made these delicious Mooli/Radish Parathas flavoured with Chillies, Garlic, Garam Masala and Anardaana/ Dried Pomegranate Powder. This simple Mooli/Radish Paratha served with Chass or Spiced Buttermilk is my entry for Mansi of Fun 'n Food’s WBB-Blanced Breakfast.

Print This Recipe

Mooli Paratha (Indian Flat Bread stuffed with Flavoured Radish)
Prep Time: 20 mins (Excluding Resting time)
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Makes: 10 medium sized Parathas

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour/Atta (I use Pillsbury’s Chakki Atta)
¼ cup Yogurt
Warm Water for kneading
Salt to taste

For the Filling:
1 large White Radish/Mooli (Approx. 2 packed cups), washed, peeled and grated
2 tbsp Red Onion, finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped (Adjust acc to taste)
2-3 Garlic Flakes, finely chopped
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds, roasted and powdered
½-1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Anardaana/Dried Pomegranate Seeds Powder
1 tsp Lemon Juice (Optional, I like it little sour)
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients Needed:
Oil/Ghee to brush while cooking the Paratha
Little Atta/flour for dusting

Mooli/Radish Stuffing

Method:
For the Filling:
Mix salt with grated radish and keep it covered for about 30 mins to 1 hour. (Don’t forget to cover the radish properly if you don’t want your kitchen and house to smell of dead rat!)
Take handful of radish at a time and squeeze out the water (which can be used while kneading the dough) as much as possible. They should be as dry as possible or else the moisture content will make it difficult when rolling the stuffed paratha.
Mix in chopped onion, chillies, pomegranate seeds powder, garam masala, chopped garlic, lemon juice if using and roasted jeera powder and keep it aside.

For the Dough:
Sieve atta and mix in salt, yogurt.
Slowly add the sqeezed water from radish and warm water as and when required and make stiff dough.
Cover and keep it aside for at least half an hour.

For the Paratha:
Knead the dough again for a minute and make equal lemon sized balls.
Roll this dough ball in flour and roll them using a rolling pin into thick poories of 4 inch in diameter.
Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the centre. Cover and seal the ends and roll again, dusting flour if necessary, into ½ cm thick roties using rolling pin.
Mean while, heat a griddle at high flame and lower it to low-medium flame.
Gently dust off the excess flour and place Stuffed Paratha on griddle and cook on both the sides till its cooked and brown spots start to appear on top. Apply little ghee/oil if desired.
Serve hot Mooli Parathas immediately with any curry or with plain yogurt and pickle of your choice and enjoy.

Stack of Mooli Paratha

Note:
Remember to cover the grated radish tightly as it has got very unpleasant smell when its raw.
Squeeze out as much of water as possible from radish to avoid from getting soggy parathas. If the water is not squeezed well then there is high chances of it getting difficult to roll them with out the stuffing oozing from the dough and breaking them.
If you are a beginner, start with small amount of stuffing/filling and roll into parathas. Once you learn the technic and are comfortable with the process, you can gradually increase the amount of filling.
Other Parathas posted in Monsoon Spice

The best drink to go with Parathas is Lassi or Butter Milk. I like Majjige as it is called in Kannada which is nothing but Spiced Butter Milk which is the quintessential summer drink in India. My Ajji (Grandma) had this big earthen pot of churned buttermilk which was offered to the visitors who would come to meet my Ajja (Grandpa) who was the village head. It would be an understatement if I were to say that I grew up drinking Majjige more than water. It still remains to be one of my most favourite drinks for summer and even winters. Although I have different recipes and variations for this Spiced Butter Milk, Sig darling wants us to try something from other blogs and post it. I tried Priya’s Healthy Yogurt Drink which turned out to be absolutely refreshing and delicious. Thank you Priya for the recipe which we enjoyed a lot. This goes to Sig of Live to Eat who is guest hosting this month’s MBP-Mixed Drink.

Print This Recipe

Lassi (Spiced Butter Milk)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: -
Makes: 2 Glasses

Ingredients:
½ cup Yogurt (preferably sour)
½-1 tsp Green Chillies, chopped finely (Adjust acc to taste)
¼-½ tsp Ginger, crushed
1 tsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
2 cups Water
½ tsp Roasted Jeera/Cumin Seeds, Powdered
1 tbsp Lemon Juice (Optional)
Salt to taste

Lassi/Spiced Buttermilk

Method:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for about a minute.
Strain and place it in a fridge till required. Serve chilled garnished with coriander leaves or mint leaves and enjoy this refreshing drink.

An Award:

Surprise surprise!!! Little birdy just came and told me my recipe of Badane Ennegai has won an award of Most Authentic Recipe-Brinjal hosted by my dear friend Pooja.

Thank you Pooja for this wonderful event and thanks to all you people who voted for my recipe. And congrats to Gattina & Pooja for winning other two awards.

Click here for the Badane Ennegai Recipe.

26 March, 2008

Old is Gold: Ridge Gourd Dal

Ridge Gourd Dal

Bowl of popcorns, soda, crisps and pakodas, thick pillows and duvet and we are all set to watch one movie after another… Most of the Sundays are spent this way and last weekend we decided to roll back the time and go to 60’s and 70’s Bollywood movies. Boy, why don’t we have those kinds of movies with great storylines anymore!!! Watching them is like travelling through kaleidoscope of colours and reliving your colourful past. Every emotion is portrayed in a very subtle manner with generous doses of discreet symbolisms put in between. Just one look at the characters or the setting, you can easily decipher who they are and what is the situation. Through dress codes you can easily identify who is who. The hero of the movie is shown either wearing some colourful bell bottoms held with thick flashy buckled belt with matching shirt and driving a long, big car if he is from wealthy Khandan or spotted wearing simple kurtha-pyjama or simple shirt and trousers if he happened to be from poor/middle class family. Heroine is seen wearing colourful ‘decent’ frocks with matching high heels, sun glass and scarf if she is from wealthy family or draped in simple plain sarees with long hair when playing dutiful daughter. When it comes to the villain and vamp, they are always dressed in stripped t-shirt with a big mole or a scar on the cheek and figure hugging short dress with heavy make-up respectively. And then comes the most important roles next to these four characters, mother. She is always in kitchen cooking her son’s favourite Kheer or Besan ke Ladoos or Parathas and delivering standard dialogues with bucketful of tears!

And then comes to the shooting locations. Romantic scenes? It’s usually hero following the heroine in bicycle or cars or dance sequence in disco with dome shaped wigs, or on snowy backdrop of Himalayas. Its common to see Hero and heroine dancing in the lush green garden and suddenly two flowers popping up and are shown brushing each other (those who are unfamiliar with Bolloywood movies, it means hero and heroine are indulging in physical romance). Fight sequence? Use dark and dingy go downs with gunny bags, huge glass partitions, drums, thick ropes, or market place with carts filled with tomatoes, mud pots, hills of colours, or use out door locations like edge of a cliff where hero is seen hanging like a hanging pot fighting with some dozens of bad guys and heroine screaming at top of her voice ‘Bachaoo’ (help!). Song sequence? It’s either hero or heroine playing piano or running around the trees.

All said and done, movies of those days still grabs our attention with strong story lines and in spite of standard dialogues they still remain magical. Who can ever forget ever green songs like Tumne Muje Dekha, Neele Gagan Ke, Ehsaan Tera Hoga, Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mera, Mohe Panghat Pe, Yeh Shaam Mastani, Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, Tere Mere Sapne, Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Zindagi Kaisi Ye Paheli, Maine Tere Liye Hi, O Mere Sona Re, Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi, Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi, Dil Kya Kare,..... The list is endless… these songs are still hummed, cherished and will always be my favourite. Yes, it’s true that “Old is Gold”.

Similar to old movies and songs are some recipes. Dal remains to be my comfort food and this special dal is no exception. This classic my Amma’s recipe of Ridge Gourd Dal is one such ever-green one. Silky ridge gourd is cooked in creamy moong dal and coconut paste is full of flavours. Like vintage movies and songs, this dal gets better and better when cooked every time. And this goes to brave lady Barbara of Winos and Foodie's Taste of Yellow event supporting LiveSTRONG Day which is on 13th of May, 2008.

She Says,

"Please join me again as we remember those loved ones who are no longer with us, support those still fighting and celebrate with those who have won the fight."

I couldn't participate last year due to time constraints and i almost forgot about it this year. Thanks to blog buddies I am back on track and sending my mother's recipe of Ridge Gourd Dal to her.

Print This Recipe

Ridge Gourd Dal (Ridge Gourd Cooked with Moong Dal and Coconut)
Prep Time: 10 mins
cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
4 cups Ridge Gourd, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large Onion, chopped
2 large Tomatoes, chopped into big chunks
¾ cup Split Moong Dal
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For Coconut Paste:
½ cup grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
2-3 Green Chillies (adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 inch Ginger

For Tempering:
1 tsp Ghee/Oil
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
A big Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida

Ridge Gourd & Moong Dal

Method:
Wash and cook Moong Dal with turmeric powder, ridge gourd cubes, onion and tomatoes and few drops of oil with enough water (about 2-2½ cups of water) in a pressure cooker for about 10-15 minutes/2 whistles till dal is cooked.
Release the pressure from pressure cooker and let it cool before opening the lid.
Meanwhile, grind coconut, green chilli, ginger and jeera to smooth paste by adding little water at time.
Transfer this ground paste to cooked dal and mix well. Add salt to taste and let it simmer on low flame for about 5-10 minutes for all the flavours blend well. Add water to the dal if needed to get required consistency.
Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. When mustard starts to pop and splutter add jeera, hing and curry leave in that order and sauté. When jeera starts to sizzle, transfer the content into dal and mix well.
Mix in chopped coriander leaves and serve this Ridge Gourd Dal with steaming bowl of Rice or Chapatti and enjoy.

Ridge Gourd Dal

Notes:
Some variations are, use Toor/Masoor Dal in place of Moong Dal and use coconut milk in place of grated coconut for different flavours.
You can also replace ridge gourd with bottle gourd, ash gourd or any other gourds.

Other dazzling dals posted on Monsoon Spice

25 March, 2008

Sakura

"Shikishima no
Yamato-gokoro wo
Hito-towaba,
Asahi ni niou
Yamazakura bana."

(If one should ask you concerning the heart of a true Japanese, point to the wild cherry flower glowing in the sun.)

– Norinaga Motoori (1730-1801)

"Could I die under a cherry blossom tree in full bloom on a full-
moon night of spring?"

21 March, 2008

Cooking with the Queen: Bendekai Gojju

Bendekai Gojju

Ladies Finger… such an elegant name for Okra/Bhindi. Considered as the queen of vegetables with its slender shape and crown on top, it is one of my favourite vegetable to cook with. Not many people prefer it because of its sliminess. When cut into pieces this queen likes to cling to anything it touches, knife, chopping board, your fingers. Well, no wonder that it’s not everyone’s favourite vegetable to deal with, especially the person who is in charge of the kitchen. Who would really want to deal with this slimy vegetable when you have so many other wonderful vegetables to choose from? It will be me and millions others like me who simply love this vegetables in spite of its clinging nature. The reason behind this is the taste which lingers for long hours. Okra is one vegetable that absorbs all the wonderful flavours of spices and transforms into smooth, silky in texture and unbelievable taste still maintaining its crisp crunch. When cooked to perfection, you will not hear any grumblings or see that ugly frowns or much of resistance from the same people who just moments ago were not very fond of it.

One such dish which undoubtedly is loved by most people is Bendekai/Bhindi/Okra Gojju. Gojju is a classic Kannadiga dish cooked for everyday meal. The recipe varies from one part of the state to another and hence don’t be surprised if you come across other recipes using whole different ingredients and cooking style. This is my Aunt’s recipe which is different from the way my Amma makes it. Crisp, fried okra is simmered in the delicious gravy of tamarind, coconut, jaggary and chilli is everything one can ask for.

Is it spicy? Yes, it is.
Is it sour? Yes, it is.
Is it sweet? Yes, it is.
And is it delicious? You bet…

I am posting this recipe for Archana, one of the readers of Monsoon Spice who wants to introduce Bendekai/Bendekaayi Gojju to her hubby. Archana, I hope you both enjoy this Gojju.

Print This Recipe

Bendekai Gojju (Okra/Bhindi in Tangy & Spicy Coconut Gravy)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
15-20 tender Okra/Bhindi
2 Green Chillies, slit (Adjust acc to taste)
1 lemon sized Tamarind Pulp/1 tsp Tamarind Paste (Adjust acc to taste)
1 lemon sized Jaggary (Adjust acc to taste)
¾ cups Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
1 tbsp Oil

For Spice Powder:
4-6 Dry Red Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Black Peppercorns (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Chana Dal/Bengal Gram Dal
½ tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram
A big Pinch of Methi Seeds
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
A big pinch Hing/Asafoetida
1 tsp Oil

Ground Spice Powder for Gojju

Method:
Wash the Okra and dry thoroughly using a clean dry cloth. Make sure that all the moisture is removed. This is important step when using Okra in cooking to reduce its sliminess. Once they are dried, cut them into ½ inch rounds using dry knife and keep them aside.
Soak tamarind pulp in a cup of warm water for about 10 mins. Squeeze out the tamarind pulp and discard the seeds. Keep this squeezed tamarind puree aside.
Dry roast all the spices listed, from dry red chillies to hing on a low flame till they are lightly browned. Takes about 2-4 mins of time. Cool the spices and grind them to smooth paste with coconut adding very little water.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and when it is hot add cut okras. Sauté them continuously at medium to high flame till okra turns brown and retains its crispiness. Usually it takes around 5-7 mins.
Once the okras have turns crisp and brown, add tamarind puree, slit chillies if using and mix well. Add about 1 cup of water, salt and jaggary and let it simmer for about 3-4 mins.
Now add ground paste and mix well. Depending on the required consistency of gravy add water and mix well. Cook uncovered on a medium to low heat for about 5-10 mins till all the flavours blend well and small bubbles start to appear.
Remove Gojju from flame. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When mustard starts to pop and splutter transfer this tadka/tempering into Gojju and mix well. Cover and let it sit for about 10 mins for the flavours to blend well.
Serve this tangy, sweet and spicy Bendekai Gojju with plain steamed white rice and enjoy. You can serve this hot or cold depending on your preference.

Roasted Spices for Gojju

Note:

Beginners, always remember not to wash the okra once it is cut into pieces (been there, done that).
To reduce the sliminess of Okra, clean the knife and cutting board in between with kitchen towel or napkin.
Stir fry okra at medium to high temperature till it turns brown and crisp. This way the okra will not be gooey with slime.
When using frozen Okra, thaw and wipe it using kitchen towel. Preheat the oven at around 250 deg C. Line the baking tray with baking sheet or simply spray it with cooking spray. Spread it on a baking tray in single layer and bake it for about 5-10 minutes. I picked this tip from here and it works very well.

16 March, 2008

Ode to Potato: Grand Finale

“A man who prides himself on his ancestry is like the potato plant, the best part of which is underground”
- Spanish Proverb quotes

The humble, modest and unassuming Tuber grows out of sight, underground and when pulled up it looks like a part of earth. Have you ever seen it competing with any of the vegetables? Have you ever heard a vegetable vendor calling attention to this humble Tuber? When he is praising the goodness and beauty of other vegetables you will find a sack of these Spuds sitting quietly in some dark corner. Unlike other vegetables, Potatoes may not be even being considered when it comes to looks. It doesn’t have clear complexion of white Eggplant, glow of tomato, frills of cauliflower, slenderness of Ladies finger, nor radiance of Sweet Corn. One thing what it has is popularity and you wonderful bloggers proved it again how much this modest looking tuber is loved by everyone, aged from eight to eighty.
Make a way and cheer… Let us celebrate and sing along an Ode to Potato. The bright lights are on, Cameras are clicking away, people are cheering and there it is, Potato playing on center court… Pick your choice from these 135 wonderful, delicious entries… Chips, Chats, Soups, Fries, Masalas, Curries, Breads, Roties, Parathas, Mash, Pulao, Biriyanis, Raitas and even Sweets all made using Potatoes. Here I am spreading Potato Buffet… Pick your plates and help yourself…

Click here or on the image above to view the gallery...

“Pray for peace and grace and spiritual food,
For wisdom and guidance, for all these are good,
but don't forget the potatoes.”
-John Tyler Pettee, 'Prayer and Potatoes'

I have posted the entries in the order I recieved them. I have tried my best to collect all the entries and post them. If there is any errors or omissions, please mail me or leave a note in comment section. An Ode to Potato logo poasted in the side bar of Monsoon Spice will bring you to this event round-up page for future reference.

Thank you all dear Bloggers and non-bloggers for participating. Some of you resumed your blogs and some even started blogging just to participate in this event. I greatly appreciate you taking time and cooking delicious entries for me and giving due respect to this humble Tuber. Thank you once again….

14 March, 2008

A Twist in the Tale: Palak Tofu

Palak Tofu/Saag Tofu

Me: Eiks… What’s that ugly green thing Amma?
Mom: Its spinach. I am making spinach curry for tonight’s dinner.
Me: Eww… Don’t bother! I had rather eat plain rice than eating that yucky green thing!
Mom: Why don't you taste little and see if you like it.
Me: I don’t want to taste it because I know I won’t like it. So why tasting it when I already know I am not gonna like it?
Mom: Because it’s good for you. You’ll become strong if you eat it. Remember Popeye? He is strong because he eats spinach.
Me: oh yes! Popeye eats spinach and gets lots of energy and then he beats Bluto. That means even I’ll get lots of energy to beat that bad boy in my class who pulls my hair everyday during school assembly!!! Mmm…
Mom: ~rolls her eyes~

Sounds familiar right? It’s still unknown as why kids preferred to get their tongues burnt than eat greens. I too grew up hating green leafy vegetables with passion and there was no way my Amma could make me eat them. Like many mothers all around the globe Amma tricked me by mixing it with Paratha, Dosa, Poories, deep fried goodies which we kids would eat happily without knowing it had greens which we hated. There was one exceptional green leafy vegetable which I grudgingly ate and yes, it’s Spinach or Palak. Reason for eating it was of course my childhood super hero Popeye, the sailor.

But there was one dish which I wouldn’t have shared even with Popeye. I would happily eat it without anyone holding a gun on my temple! It is classic Punjabi dish Saag Paneer or Palak Paneer. Soft paneer cubes dunked in creamy, lightly spiced spinach gravy has to be one of the most liked side dish in Indian restaurants. It is mildly spiced and hence loved by people of all age groups from 8 to 80. As Paneer is little heavy on tummy and waist, I substituted it with Tofu to make it guilt free indulgence. Addition of cashews gives very creamy consistency for Palak gravy and makes it stand apart from usual Saag Paneer dish (Tip picked from Indira's Palak Paneer recipe where she says she learnt it from her Punjabi neighbor Deviji). We enjoyed this creamy Palak Tofu/Saag Tofu with Mooli Parathas (recipe will be posted soon).

Print This Recipe

Palak-Tofu/Saag-Tofu (Lightly Fried Tofu in Spiced Spinach Gravy)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
1 big bunch of Spinach (Approx. 6-8 packed cups, here I used Baby Spinach)
2 cups firm Tofu, squeezed to remove excess water and cubed into ¾ inch pieces
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
2 medium Tomatoes, finely chopped
6-8 Cashew Nuts
3-4 Green Chillies (adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1+ ½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ inch Cinnamon Stick
2-3 Green Cardamom
2-3 Cloves
¼ tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
½ tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Optional)
1 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Sour Cream (Optional)
½ + ½ tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Spinach & Tofu for Saag

Method:
Heat about ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and add cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves. Sauté it for few seconds and add ½ tsp of cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds start to crackle add cashews and green chillies. Sauté it on medium flame till cashews turn light golden brown in colour.
Mix in roughly chopped spinach, sugar and cover the lid. Cook this spinach cover for few minutes on a medium heat till it is wilted. If needed sprinkle little water in between to avoid them sticking to the pan.
Cool the mixture and grind it to smooth paste with coriander leaves adding as little water as possible. Keep aside this mixture till required.
Heat ½ tbsp of oil in the same pan and remaining cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle, add finely chopped onion and sauté it for a minute.
Now add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it till the raw smell disappears, about a minute. Mix in chopped tomatoes and sauté till it becomes pulpy.
Add coriander powder, kitchen king masala, garam masala and kasuri methi and keep stirring till nice aroma of masala fills the kitchen, about a minute time.
Mix in ground spinach paste and add about 1- 1½ cups of water and salt to taste. Let it cook on a low to medium flame for about ten minutes.
While the spinach gravy is cooking heat little oil in a pan and placed cubed tofu pieces. Pan fry both the sides of tofu till they turn golden brown. This step is optional and can be omitted if you don’t prefer to fry tofu pieces.
Add lightly fried tofu and sour cream, if using, to spinach gravy and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes so that tofu absorbs all the flavours. Serve this Palak-Tofu/Saag-Tofu with any Indian bread of your choice and enjoy.

Palak Tofu/Saag Tofu

Note:
Replace Tofu with Paneer to make wholesome Palak-Paneer or Saag-Paneer.
Addition of cashew is optional. I have added it to give creamy texture to the gravy.

Other Tofu Recipes posted in Monsoon Spice:
Tofu Stuffed Kulcha
Thai Veg and Tofu Green Curry
Thai Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu

Final Call for an 'Ode to Potato'! One more Day to Go...

An Ode to Potato ends on 15th of March (GMT Time). Send in your entry before the deadline and join us in the singing. Bake, boil, mash, fry, sauté, grill, stuff, cook... The choice is endless.

Deadline: 15th March, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry along with the gorgeous Photo of Potato dish.

Click Here to find out more information on this event.

12 March, 2008

Winter Warmers: Carrot-Coconut Shorba

Carrot-Coconut Shorba

Warm, cold, cold, cold, warm, warm, cold, warm, cold…

No, I am not chanting some mantra nor I have gone mad. Well, it’s my usual grumbling about the weather here in Britain. I guess I can write a thesis on changing weather and still be left with much more thing to talk about. Two weeks back it was earthquake and now its flood warning!!! Mother Earth is really angry at us and I am not surprised! Even 5 year olds are talking about Global Warming and its consequence!!! When I was of their age all I talked about was how snow white got her price charming and thinking of getting married to my prince charming. I even remember asking my parents for coloured television as my wedding gift!!! Ah!!! My first love, an Idiot Box.

I did it again, drifted away from current topic. Well, what was I talking about?! Oh yes, weather. We are experiencing quite unusual change in weather once in every few hours. Don’t be surprised to see if it starts to snow just when the sky was clear a moment ago with bright sunshine kissing the lovely daffodils. At once you see sun shining and next moment he is hiding behind the black clouds. It feels like weather god is busy playing games with us but not everyone is amused with his little games here. It’s very common to see people falling sick as the weather changes. With truck loads of work on my desk and deadline fast approaching I try not to take any risk when it comes to health. So we have been cooking and eating food which are good source of anti-oxidants and help in keeping us fit. If you are planning to visit us be prepared to be welcomed with big steaming pot of broth cooking in our kitchen. It’s a common to see piping bowl of soup and warm bread direct from oven in our household.

K and I both enjoy soup with bread. We both love experiment with the ingredients and use fresh produce from farmer’s market. Last weekend we bought big basket full of carrots from farmer’s market and decided to make soup. As carrots are rich source of vitamin A and C and also anti-oxidants we use them quite often, be it raw or cooked. Carrots are considered to be the ‘best vegetable’ for balanced diet. Sometime back I had watched Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe of Carrot-Coconut Shorba which immediately caught my attention. Carrot and coconut, a marriage made in heaven!!! He used king of spices and Indian spices to spice up this sweet vegetable and creamy coconut milk. No more convincing was required to cook this for our dinner. Although carrot and coconut milk are the main ingredients which are sweet in flavour, the real punch comes from black peppercorns, chilli, fresh cilantro and other spices. The burst of flavour you experience when sipping this bowl of soup is makes this recipe a keeper. I am sending this Carrot-Coconut Shorba to Holler of Tinned Tomatoes who is hosting March edition of No Croutons Required and the theme is Spicy Vegetarian Soups.

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Carrot-Coconut Shorba
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 3-4
Recipe Source: Sanjeev Kapoor

Ingredients:
4-5 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced to ½ cm pieces
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 medium Onion, roughly sliced
1 tsp Black Peppercorns (Adjust acc to taste)
2-3 Green Chillies (adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Few Curry Leaves
1 tsp Oil
4-5 cups Water
Salt to taste

Carrot & Coconut Milk for Shorba

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add jeera and sauté.
When jeera starts to sizzle, add roughly sliced onion, whole green chillies, black peppercorns and sauté for a minute.
Mix in sliced carrots, salt to taste and close the lid. Cook the carrots covered without adding any water for five minutes, sautéing in between.
Add water, coriander leaves and cook for further five minutes over a medium heat till carrots turn tender.
Drain the water and reserve. When it is cool enough to handle grind carrot mixture adding little reserved stock at a time to smooth paste.
Transfer reserved stock, ground carrot paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix in coconut milk and cook for another 2-3 minutes on a medium flame.
Adjust the seasoning and serve hot garnished with a splash of coconut milk and enjoy.

Carrot-Coconut Shorba

Reminder!

09 March, 2008

Back to Childhood Days...

Come on people move
For childhood is calling
time to get up and groove
there is no time for stalling

Enjoy the warm sunny day
and chase all of your blues away
this is a day that is so enthralling
listen, as your childhood is calling

old men sit and are soon recalling
and slowly as their hair is graying
they hear the siren song of youth playing
saying that their childhood is calling

the time is slipping away so quickly,
so run fast and catch the dying sun
for childhood is calling
and your life has just begun
- By Jim Milks

06 March, 2008

Saga of Saagu

Vegetable Saagu with Rava Idli

There lived a house wife in some part of Karnataka with her husband, kids, in-laws and other family members. Every morning, be it on weekday or weekend, she would get up early before the golden sun rays caressed the mother earth. With pearls of water adorning her long curly hair and the diamond studded nose ring sparkling from the golden glow of Diyas she entered her humble kitchen to prepare breakfast for her whole family. She had to prepare something which all her family members enjoyed and it was not an easy thing to achieve. To make the matters worse it was month end and there wasn’t many vegetables left in her kitchen pantry to cook with. She wished it was a bad dream and she just have to close her eyes for a second and open to see an array of baskets filled with vegetables which all her family members liked.

But it wasn’t any nightmare and all she could find were few potatoes, some wrinkling carrots, few beans from backyard vegetable garden and a bowl of green peas and lilva which she had shelled a few days before with her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law while gossiping over a cuppa. This wasn’t the thing she expected to cook with, which not only should fill her family’s tummy but also please their palette. Sighing deeply she opened the kitchen cabinet and took out her prized possession, the spice box. She took a pinch of this and handful of that, added touch of this for flavour and splashed little of that for colour. The heady aroma of roasted spices lifted her spirit! With her lifted spirit she ground these spices with freshly grated coconut which she knew for certain will be loved by her family. She added this ground masala to cooked vegetables and let it simmer for the flavour to blend well with the vegetables. While the curry was simmering she made few poories for her children, rotties for her in-laws, fluffy idlies for her sisters-in-law and crispy dosas for her brothers-in-law. To add the final touch she fried some onion rings to golden brown and mixed with the curry. Thus the new dish was born, packed with flavour and oh so aromatic!!! It is what we know today as Vegetable Saagu, a dish which is a crowd pleaser and great side dish for poori, chapatti, rotti, dosa, idli or even with simple steam cooked rice. While roasting the spices I thought this might be the story behind the birth of Veg Saagu :)

Vegetable Saagu is a classic Kannadiga dish. Visit any of the Darshini hotels or Dosa corners and you are sure to see Vegetable Saagu as their signature dish. Just visit any Kannadiga home at breakfast time and the probability of finding Saagu for breakfast is very high. And why not? It is one of the delicious blends of spices with sweet coconut which is sure to show its magic on any vegetables it touches. The leftover vegetables at the weekend or month end dazzle with flavour and aroma and are not less worthy than any other exotic dish. Here is my Amma’s signature Vegetable Saagu recipe which I treasure a lot. It is full of flavours and scores high when it comes to taste department. And I love it more the next day. So don’t forget to make extra batch of Saagu which is sure to blow you away when you taste it next day. I just love the aroma of Saagu which lingers for hours on my finger tips and can’t help but feel hungry again in spite of having it just few minutes back.

Print This Recipe

Vegetable Saagu
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
1 large Potato, chopped into ½ inch cubes
2 medium Carrots, cubed
Few Cauliflower Florets
½ cup Avarekaalu/Tuvar Lilva
¼ cup Green Peas, fresh/frozen
Few French Beans
Few Flat Beans
(Basically, take about 5-6 cups of mixed vegetables of your choice)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Jaggary/Brown Sugar (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 large Onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
1 tbsp Oil
Few Curry Leaves

For Ground Masala:
1-1½ inch Cinnamon Stick
3-4 Cloves
3-4 Cardamom pods
4-6 Dry Red Chillies (adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1-2 Green Chillies (Optional)
¾ - 1 cup Coconut, fresh/frozen
1 tbsp Raw Rice, soaked in water for 15 mins
½ tbsp Poppy Seeds
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, including stems

Roasted Spices for Saagu Masala

Method:
Cook vegetables with turmeric powder and salt to taste in a pan or pressure cook till they are fork tender.
While the vegetables are cooking, dry roast all the spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds, jeera, dry red chillies) for 1-2 minutes on a medium to low heat till nice aroma appears.
Grind these spices with coconut, soaked rice, poppy seeds, coriander leaves, and green chillies, if using any, to a smooth paste adding very little water.
Mix this ground paste with cooked vegetables. Add jaggary and adjust the seasoning and let it cook on a medium flame for 15-20 minutes for all the flavours to blend well.
While the Saagu is cooking, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard starts to pop and splutter, add curry leaves and hing. Sauté it for few seconds and add thinly sliced onion. Saute it on a medium flame for about 5-10 minutes till it turns golden brown.
Remove Saagu from fire and mix browned onions and coriander leaves. Cover and let it sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavours to blend well. Serve hot Saagu with Poori, Chapatti, Dosa, Idli or with steaming Rice and enjoy. It tastes better the next day.

Veg Saagu with Rava Idli

Note:
Other Saagu Recipes worth trying in Blogsphere
Asha’s Chayote-Carrot-Green Peas Saagu
Latha’s Vegetable Saagu
Sailu’s Veg Saagu with Set Dosa
MT’s Veg Saagu

Reminder!

03 March, 2008

One of Many: Badane Ennegai

Badane Ennegai

Question: How to make Badane Ennegai?
Person #1: Oh, it’s very simple. You take little bit of fresh coconut, and then…
Person #2: No, you don’t use fresh coconut for Ennegai. You need desiccated coconut and you grind it with …
Person #3: Hey, hey… Aren’t you forgetting something? The authentic recipe calls for roasting the spices and coconut.
Person #4: Yes, roast dry chilli preferably Byadagi Menasu.
Person #5: Oh not Byadagi, you have to use Kolhapuri Menasu. It should taste spicy not bland!!! That’s how we Hubli-Dharwad people like!
Person #6: Cut the stem of the Brinjal and make ‘+’ mark half the way.
Person #7: Hello… You always keep the stem. You don’t take the crown away from this ‘King of Vegetables’.
Person #8: Ennegai is a dry dish.
Person #9: I don’t agree with you. Spicy, aromatic stuffed Brinjals are cooked in creamy gravy.
.
.
.
.
Person #N: …… This is the authentic recipe for Badane Ennegai.

Yes, ask some ‘N’ number of Kannadigas as how to cook Badane Ennegai and you will surely end up with ‘N’ methods of making them. Each and every household has their own ‘authentic’ recipe for cooking this delicious Baby Brinjals. Some stuff them with freshly grated coconut and some with desiccated one. Some roast the spices before pounding them and some grind them with out roasting first. Some make them mild where as some prefer spicy. So it’s not a big surprise if you find different versions of Badane Ennegai at different source. Well, for that matter I have already blogged two different recipes for Badane Ennegai in my blog. So to make it perfect 3, here is another way to cook Badane Ennegai. This recipe is from my Aunt S who is not just a wonderful cook but also has published a wonderful cooking book. I usually refer to this cook book of hers, gifted to me by her on my wedding, when I am unable to clarify some doubts with my Amma or Atte at odd hours. Well, even after two years of cooking on my own there are quite many times I keep calling them if I am not sure of some ingredients. And yes, I still haven’t learnt to write these recipes in my diary. Thanks to this blog, as it is just two or three times a week my Amma or Atte are forced to talk to me at odd hours. Well, it’s a vast improvement from getting some half a dozens of calls every single day ;) May be they’ll not have to worry about getting woken up at 2 in the morning in few years of time!!!

This delicious recipe of Badane Ennegai is a keeper for sure. My aunt stuffs the Baby Brinjals is lightly roasted dry/desiccated coconut with aromatic spices and peanuts for nutty flavour. Addition of onions in stuffing adds little crunch and sweet taste and the tamarind paste gives that oomph factor. Serve it with Dal Rice or Rasam Rice or with Roties. But the best way to eat it is with Jolada Rotti in Dharwad style. This favourite dish of mine goes to my dear friend Pooja for her VOW-Brinjal.

Print This Recipe

Badane Ennegai (Stuffed Babay Brinjals)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
8-10 Baby Brinjals
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
1-2 tbsp Oil

For the Stuffing:
1 small Onion, finely chopped
½ cup Desiccated Coconut
2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
¾ tbsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
½ tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram
½ tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
6-8 Dry Red Chillies, halved (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
1-1½ tsp Tamarind Paste/1 big marble sized Tamarind Pulp soaked in warm water
2 tbsp coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Baby Brinjals Stuffed with Ground Paste

Method:
For the Stuffing:
Dry roast desiccated coconut, channa dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, hing and dry red chillies in low flame for 2-3 minutes till you get nice aroma. They should be roasted nicely and turn light brown.
Grind these roasted spices with turmeric powder, tamarind paste/water and salt to taste to smooth paste adding very little water at time.
Mix this ground mixture with finely chopped onion and coriander leaves and keep it aside.

To Assemble:
Clean and wash the baby brinjals and slit them from bottom making a ‘+’ mark till 3/4th. Keep the stem intact. Keep them in a bowl of cold water to stop from discolouring till required.
Take about 1 tbsp of this ground paste and stuff these baby brinjals and keep them aside.
Now heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and curry leaves. When cumin starts to sizzle, arrange the stuffed baby brinjals in a pan. Make sure that the pan is big enough to hold all the brinjals in a single layer.
Sprinkle about a tbsp of water and cover the pan with lid.
Cover and cook these brinjals undisturbed for around 10 minutes on a medium to low flame. Open the lid and slowly turn the brinjals. Add left over ground paste if any and sprinkle another tbsp of water if required. Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Check in between to make sure the ground paste doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle little water in between if required.
Serve this Badane Ennegai garnished with chopped coriander leaves with rice or roties or with Jolada Rotti as it is traditionally served.

Badane Ennegai

Note:
Choose baby brinjals that are firm to the touch, have a smooth and shiny skin. The stem attached to them should be lively green in colour. The tender purple brinjals are the tastier ones. The ones with black seeds are mature ones and will taste bitter. So make sure that you choose the tender ones and have few extra ones just in case.
Store brinjals in a cool dry place, but avoid placing them near tomatoes and apples as they give off a gas that enhances the ripening process. Use the brinjals within 2 days. Refrigerating them doesn’t necessarily keep them fresh but if necessary, the brinjals may be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for as long as 5 days.
Other Brinjal/Eggplant recipes blogged in Monsoon Spice:

Reminder!