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

28 August, 2008

Dondakaya Vepudu: What's in a Name?

Dondakaya Vepudu

What’s in a name?
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…
~ William Shakespeare

But TonDekai and BenDekai taste different and even smell different…

For those who don’t know what I am blabbering about, TonDekai and BenDekai are the names for Tindora/Ivy Gourd and Okra/Ladies finger respectively in Kannada. Growing up back in India, I always got confused between these two vegetables. Whenever my Amma asked me to buy TonDekai from vegetable shop, I ended up getting BenDekai and vice versa. Reason? Confusion in names, between single Kannada letters!!! For a girl who always won prizes in memory games, these two vegetable names were source of frustration and irritation. I would go to nearby shop and stare endlessly at these two vegetables trying to recall which one did Amma asked me to buy. Is it BenDekai or TonDekai? TonDekai or BenDekai??? B or T? T or B? TB, TB, TB, Tuberculosis???

If rose is a rose is a rose is rose,
Then TonDekai is a TonDekai is a Tondekai is a TonDekai
And BenDekai is a BenDekai is a BenDekai is a BenDekai
~ With due respect to Gertrude Stein

At last I decided to do something about it. I decided to call Ivy Gourd as Man’s toes. Well, if Okra could be named as ladies finger for its appearance then Ivy Gourd very much looked like Man’s toes to me. Hence then onwards I asked Amma if she was planning to cook ladies finger or man’s toes for dinner! Sounds funny but was not that amusing for guests who were shocked when I told them they will be served man’s toes curry with Roti for lunch ;) Well, at last I was forced to remember their name as my parents were not very keen to develop the reputation of cooking and serving man’s toes for their unassuming friends.

Growing up I always loved Ivy gourd, even when I was one rebellious teen. There was the time when my dad grew TonDekai in backyard. This tropical vine would give beautiful white flowers which grew into crunchy green fruits with thousands of small seeds in them. Eating young raw ivy gourd was one of my favourite pass times and I continued to religiously eat them till one day my Ajji told me it’s not good for memory cells. I am still not sure if there is any truth behind it or it was one of the tricks of my granny for to keep me away from eating all tender ivy gourds before they could be used in cooking. If you haven’t tasted this very young ivy gourd then I suggest you to do so when you get a chance. It is crunchy and totally delicious. Well, I wouldn’t suggest the same for mature ones.

My favourite way to cook Ivy gourd is stir fried with cashews, simple stir fry and Mangalorean Huli-Menasina Kodhel. Amma also makes simple Tindora Rice which I will post sometime soon. Recently I was looking for some new recipes to cook with Ivy Gourd and I stumbled upon Sailu’s blog where she has posted a simple recipe of Tindora stir fry with Peanuts called Dondakaya Vepudu. There I also saw a list of common names in different languages by which ivy gourds are known. TinDora, TenDli, TonDekai, Ivy Gourd, DonDakayi, Kovaikai, etc … I have come across all these names for Tindora but did you know it is also called as Gentleman’s toes? Now my name of Man’s Toes for TonDekai doesn’t sound too alien ;) coming back to the recipe, this is a popular Andhra style stir-fry from her Amma where the sliced Tindora is cooked with a tempering of fresh curry leaves and mustard seeds and then mixed with aromatic powder of roasted peanuts, dry red chillies and cumin seeds. One look at her photographs of the final dish I was all set to create this magic in my kitchen. I almost followed her recipe but tweaked little extra ingredients in tadka/tempering, along with roasted peanuts, which we normally use in Kannadiga Palya or stir-fries to add extra crunch. With in no time this delicious stir fry was ready to be devoured with steaming bowl of white rice and simple Tadka Dal. Next day I served it with fresh Chapatti and small bowl of Yogurt and the plate was licked clean. Thank you Sailu, for posting this delicious recipe which has become our family favourite and will again be cooked shortly.

Dondakaya Vepudu

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Dondakaya Vepudu (Ivy Gourd stir fried with roasted spices and peanuts)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 3-4
Recipe Source: Sailu’s Food

Ingredients:
20-25 Ivy Gourds, ends trimmed, slit vertically length wise into two pieces and again sliced into thin long strips
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts, for garnishing
Salt to taste

To be Roasted & Coarsely Powdered:
Few drops of Oil
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2-3 Dry Red Chillies, stalk removed and deseeded if needed (Adjust acc to taste)
1½-2 tbsp roasted Peanuts

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils (Optional)
½ tbsp Channa Dal/Split Bengal Gram (Optional)
1-2 Dry Red Chillies
Few Curry Leaves
A big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida (Optional but recommended)
1 tbsp Oil

Method:

Heat few drops of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle and turn light brown, add red chillies and sauté it for another 10-15 seconds on medium flame. Turn off the heat and let the spices cool. Add these roasted spices with roasted peanuts and grind into coarse powder. Keep it aside till needed.
Heat oil in a same pan and add mustard seeds to it. When it starts to pop and splutter, add channa dal, urad dal, broken red chilli and sauté till dals turns light golden brown. Mix in hing and curry leaves and stir till nice aroma comes out, about 10-15 seconds on medium flame.
Add the sliced ivy gourds and mix well. Mix in turmeric powder and salt to taste. Sauté it continuously on medium heat for about 4-5 mins, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and cover and cook for another 5-7 mins, stirring in between. Make sure that you don’t over cook the gourds as it should retain its crunch.
Mix in ground powder and combine well. Cook on reduced heat for another 2-3 mins till all the flavours blend well.
Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve hot with steaming bowl of rice/chapatti, dal/rasam/sambar and enjoy.

Dondakaya Vepudu

Reminder for JFI-Soya:

I invite you all to celebrate Jihva for Ingredients with this month’s theme JFI-Soya. Choice of Soya products, the recipe, ingredients, method etc is entirely left to you. I would greatly appreciate if you can send me any Vegan or Vegetarian recipes but I leave it to your choice. Soya foods include tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein (chunks, mince etc), miso, soya sauces, soya oil and margarine, and soya dairy alternatives.

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and also in your e-mail while sending your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish, Type of Dish and Perm Link of the entry along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

26 August, 2008

Food for Thought

How many regional cuisines of India have you tasted?
Check out the must taste food items throughout the country…!!!

Click on the Image or Here for enlarged image
Image Source: Unknown

Reminder for JFI-Soya:

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

21 August, 2008

Serving Crazy with Lauki & Kala Channa Curry

Lauki-Kala Channa Curry

Have you read Amulya Malladi’s “Serving Crazy with Curry”? It is a story of protagonist, Devi, who is fired from her job at Silicon Valley and is suffering from a miscarriage. Tired with the way her life is leading Devi attempts to commit suicide and consequently is brought to her parents' home to recuperate and be looked after. The novel describes the tensions and frustrations, triumphs and tribulations within Veturi family. What happens next is nothing less of a Bollywood movie. After moving to her parents home Devi refuses to talk with anyone and channels all her emotions into cooking elaborate meals. She sprinkles more chilli when she is angry, cook sour food when she is sad and she churns sweets when she is happy. She uses unusual ingredients, as in non-traditionally Indian ones and yet succeeds in cooking extraordinary dishes that pleasantly surprises her family. What happens in the end is something you need to read yourself.

Although I am not much impressed with the novel, I enjoyed reading Devi’s bold character when she takes in charge of kitchen and starts to appreciate her mother who otherwise was portrayed by her as nosy, intrusive and Desi inspite of spending half of her life in other part of the globe. It is Devi’s cooking which prompts her family to initiate honest conversation with one another making them closer than ever before. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in reading something different and the bonus is every chapter ends with Devi’s culinary creations.

Few days back I was in a mood to create my own curry instead of following some recipe book or something which we had already tasted. The result was this delicious Lauki-Kala Channa Curry. Instead of adding cubed Bottle Gourds to curry base and cooking it, I sliced them to half-moon discs and pan fried them in batches till they turned golden brown. Then I simmered them in tangy and spicy tomato gravy till they were cooked to perfection. Don’t be shocked to see unusual use of ingredients like Curry leaves used in almost all the South Indian recipes and Kasuri Methi which adds extra flavour for any North Indian dish. And there are also tamarind, jaggery and garam masala. I used Kala Channa to much loved Kabuli Channa as I like its rustic and earthy flavour and it beautifully complimented the Bottle Gourd. But what I loved the most is the way in which all these ingredients blend together harmoniously and deliver extraordinary taste which tickled our taste buds. There is nothing like feeling of ecstasy when you create something from scratch and it is much appreciated and loved by your loved ones. Pure bliss!
This recipe is on its way to Lore's Original Recipe event.

Print This Recipe

Lauki-Kala Channa Curry (Bottle gourd and Black chickpeas cooked in spicy and tangy Tomato gravy)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 medium Bottle Gourd (approx 4-5 cups)
1 can Black Chickpeas or 1 cup Dry Black Chickpeas cooked in pressure cooker
1 large Potato, cooked, peeled and roughly mashed
1 can Chopped Tomatoes or 3 Large Tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Optional but recommended)
½ tbsp Jaggery/Brown Sugar (to balance the tartness of Tomatoes)
1 tsp Tamarind Paste (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Kashmiri/Deghi Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
½ tbsp Oil
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
Few Fresh Curry Leaves

Bottle Gours, Kala Channa & Tomatoes

Bottle Gourd Slices -Before & After Pan Frying

Method:

Trim the ends of Dudhi/Lauki/bottle gourd and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Slit it length-wise in middle so that you are left with two long pieces. With a help of a spoon, scoop out the seeds and the surrounding spongy mass carefully so that you are left with two dudhi ‘boats’. I left the seeds as they were very tender. Cut them into 1 cm slices as shown in the picture.
Heat a tbsp of oil in a flat pan and arrange bottle gourd slices so that they fir in single layer. Cook them on both the sides till they turn golden brown in colour and place them in a kitchen towel till required. Do it in batches so that you have evenly fried bottle gourd pieces. This step is purely optional. Skip this step if you wish.
Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When it starts to pop and splutter, add hing, cumin and curry leaves. Sauté it on medium flame till cumin starts to brown, about 30 seconds.
Mix in finely chopped onion and sauté it on medium flame till it turns golden brown, about 2 mins. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, kasuri methi and garam masala and sauté it on low flame for about 30 seconds.
Pour in pureed tomatoes and mix well. Add jaggery and tamarind and mix well. Cook this at medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cooked kala channa, fried dudhi and mashed potatoes and mix well. Mix in salt to taste and add about cup of water. Simmer and cook the curry, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 mins till dudhi is cooked properly and flavours blend well.
Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves if desired, with Chapatti or Rice and enjoy. Tastes better the next day.

Lauki-Kala Channa Curry

Reminder for JFI-Soya:

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

P.S: I will be away for next 5 days on short break to make most of the last remaining bits of British Summer and hence will not be able to respond to your e-mails and queries. I will get back to you as soon as we come back from holidays.
Till then, Happy Cooking and Blogging :)

Cheers
Sia

19 August, 2008

A Campaign to Heal & Some Olan

Dear Valli of Cooking 4 All Seasons is my blog friend and since past few days we have become really close by exchanging long e-mails every other day. Mother of three adorable kids and full-time working woman, she is a good representative of modern Indian woman. Recently she mailed me about Anita Lakshmi, 28 years old with two small children, who is been diagnosed with Coronary Artery disease. Coming from an economically disadvantage family they are struggling to raise money for her surgery.

In Valli’s own words,
The darkest hour is just before the dawn. When in despair, you wait fervently, praying that night passes away quickly. Waiting for the hope to peep in. Wishing that ray of hope, to guide you away from difficulties. But for some unfortunate souls, hope never comes their way. They desperately wish that night never passes, for they don't have help, no means to get away from their difficulties. They, with heavy heart want to forget, slumbering the night away, wishing everything is fine.

Valli has undertaken a fundraising drive to help Lakshmi and the target is to raise enough money for her operation and other costs. To achieve this we need to raise about 15,000 US dollars by 15th September, 2008. Lakshmi desperately needs to be operated within 5-6 months and she needs all our support, in every possible ways.

Few blogger friends have offered to give away exciting raffle prizes for this cause. One lucky winner will get a copy of this wonderful book called “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule” from me. The bidding amount to win this prize from me is $25 and it will be shipped to USA and UK residents only. You can read raving reviews of this book here and here.

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
A sweet and sassy guide to baking everyone's favourite treat without using any animal products. This unique cookbook contains over 50 recipes for cupcakes and frostings some innovative, some classics with beautiful full colour photographs.
Bid amount: US $25
Code: Sia_Vegan Cupcake
Shipping: USA and UK only
Book Reviews: Here & Here

Please click the chip-in button to make your donations and be assured it is a secure transaction through Pay Pal and goes directly to Lakshmi’s account. Once you get the confirmation mail from Pay Pal, please forward that mail to Valli at lakshmi[dot]fundraising[at]gmail[dot]com and don’t forget to mention your choice of raffle prize, bidding amount, and location. You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser and also by spreading the word. Please find more information and also updates at Valli’s site. Contributors list will be updated HERE. Check what others have offered for Raffle prizes HERE .

To add this Chip-In button to your site, click on “Copy” within the widget. Copy and paste the code generated on your posts or sidebar.

This month lovely Zlamushka is featuring one of my favourite blogs, Jugalbandits oops, Jugalbandi for her Tried & Tasted event ;) I didn’t want to miss this chance of cooking something from their witty, humorous, and wonderful blog. These two are nature lovers, small time farmers (he he..look at the fresh produce from their backyards), health conscious, wonderful bakers and brilliant photographers. Visiting their blog is a pure joy, enriching and uplifting. One of these days I am sure to get caught by my boss for reading their blog during office hours as most of their new posts show up on my feeder at this time and I simply can’t resist reading it then and there. Bee and Jai, its pleasure knowing you two through your blog and I hope you continue with your Jugalbandi for many more years.

The recipe I chose to cook from their blog is Olan. I was looking for simple and quick recipe which also uses very few ingredients and Olan was one such recipe. First time I tasted this when I visited my close friend’s house in Calicut and her mom served us this delicious coconut stew with Black eyed peas and Winter Melon/Ash Gourd with Idiyappams or Rice Noodles. The aroma wafting from big terracotta pot in which it was cooked was intoxicating and the taste of it still lingers. Wonder why it took this long for me to cook it. Better be late than never.

I almost followed their recipe to T but used British Cucumber in place of Ash gourd as I didn’t have any. The idea to use Cucumber is from our lovely Punjabi Kudi, Musical, who had mentioned it in the comment section. I was not sure if she was mentioning Yellow Cucumber which is what we usually use in cooking or usual Cucumber we get here. I peeled the cucumber and deseed before adding them and to my surprise it tasted almost like Yellow Cucumber and very close to Ash Gourd. And I also cooked potato and beans together in a pressure cooker to save gas energy. I made it in large quantity and the leftovers we had on next day tasted much better than the one on first day. Will I be making this again? You bet. Thank you, Bee and Jai for this delicious recipe and this is on its way to Zlamushka’s T&T event.

Olan - Coconut Based Stew from Kerala

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Olan (Coconut based Stew with Black Eyed Peas and Cucumber from Kerala)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 25-30 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Source: Jugalbandi

Ingredients:
1 cup Black Eyed Beans/Alasande Beeja
1 large Potato, peeled and halved
½ British Cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite size pieces (Original recipe calls for Ash Gourd/Winter Melon or Yellow Pumpkin)
4-5 Green Chillies, slit
1 can (approx 1½ cups) Coconut Milk (I used canned ones. Feel free to use fresh one)
2 strings of Fresh Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Coconut Oil (Optional)
Salt to taste

Olan - Coconut Based Stew from Kerala

Method:

Wash and place beans in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. To this add halved potatoes and little salt and cook covered for 15 mins or 1 whistle. Alternatively you can cook the beans and potatoes separately on vessels till they are cooked. Once the pressure is released, open the pressure cooker lid and dice potatoes into bite sized pieces. Keep them aside.
In a sauce pan, bring 2 cups of water to boil. To this add cooked potatoes, diced cucumber and also slit green chillies. Cover and cook for 5-7 mins until the vegetables are tender.
Add coconut milk to the pan and gently stir in under low heat.
Now add cooked beans and curry leaves and mix well. Allow the beans to heat through by stirring at low flame for 2-3 mins.
Switch off the flame and mix a tbsp of coconut oil. You can skip adding the oil but it sure adds more flavour. Cover and let it rest for 10 mins for all the flavour to blend well.
Serve this delicious Olan with Rice Noodles or Rosematta Rice or just plain steamed rice and enjoy. It tastes better the next day.

Reminder for JFI-Soya:

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

15 August, 2008

Aloo-Methi Paratha: My Never Ending Love Affair

Aloo-Methi Paratha

Grocery shopping is never simple, at least in our case! Reason? Oh, the usual one!!! I feel like a kid lost in candy shop. I am one of those nut cases who spend more than required time gazing, touching, picking, thinking, re-picking, re-thinking, re-picking all those vegetables and fruits and even canned tomatoes till people waiting behind me start to throw darts from their eyes, fire from their mouth and are about to run their cart over me. Every time it’s a same story, go for just few ingredients and end up buying a cart load. I have no idea how we end up with bagful of things when we all wanted to buy was just a bar of soap or bag of potatoes!!! I say to myself, just last time but in the end we leave the supermarket with few extra bags and few extra pounds (wish it was weight!!!) lighter. Well, this is what being expected from me when you do weekly or fortnightly shopping at supermarkets. Well, Krish says he can’t take the high risk of taking me for grocery shopping on weekends when he can watch his favourite sports on telly. Men!!!

Few weeks back something different happened. I was looking for a bunch of indispensable coriander leaves at herbs sections and found out they were moved to different aisle. Just when I was about to get annoyed I spotted something which made me almost scream with joy. There it was, one whole shelf filled with Indian greens and vegetables. Bottle gourd, Okra, Bitter gourd, Plantains, Palak, Methi, Sugarcane and big bunches of Coriander and Mint leaves unlike the usual few stings. And to top it all they had even stocked Curry leaves. I did a virtual cartwheel with joy and pushed my cart at record speed towards them like a horse with a carrot dangling in front of it. And I did another virtual happy dancing when I saw 2 for a pound offer for all green leafy vegetables. 2 big bunches of palak, another two bunches of fresh methi leaves and big bunch of coriander, curry and mint leaves were picked at lightening speed.

For next few days we had marathon cooking series of Aloo Palak, Dal Palak, Aloo Methi, Methi Matar Malai, Methi Dal and still were left with half bunch of Methi. Not wanting to cook another curry we decided to make stack of hot and delicious Aloo-Methi Paratha. Oh yes! I am still in honeymoon period when it comes to stuffing and rolling parathas since I made first batch of Aloo-Peas Parathas few months ago. And every time I stuff and roll them I feel giddy with joy of getting evenly stuffed and perfectly shaped parathas.

This time I kept the filling very simple and minimal. Few green chillies for heat, amchur powder for tanginess, and cumin for fragrance is all I needed. Hing is added for digesting starchy potato. All these ingredients complimented little bitter fenugreek leaves and creamy potatoes. Served with a bowl of creamy Yogurt and spicy Garlic Pickle, it was one very fulfilling and delicious rainy and gloomy weekend brunch. Off my stack of Aloo-Methi Parathas go to dear Latha who is guest hosting this month’s WBB-Combi Breakfast initiated by lovely Nandita and also to dear Redchilli who is guest hosting Herb Mania-Fenugreek initiated by Dee.

Wishing all my fellow Indian bloggers a very Happy Independence Day... Jai Hind.

Print This Recipe

Aloo-Methi Paratha (Indian Flatbread stuffed with mashed Potatoes and aromatic Fenugreek Leaves)
Prep Time: 10-20 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Makes: 10 Medium Sized Parathas

Ingredients:
For Dough:
3 cups Chapatti Atta/Whole Wheat Flour (I used Pillsbury Chakki Atta)
2 tbsp Yogurt
Salt to taste
Warm water to knead

For the Stuffing:
2 packed cups of Methi Leaves, picked, washed and chopped
2 large Potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed well
2-3 Green Chillies, very finely chopped
½ tsp Amchur Powder
1 tsp Cumin Seeds, roasted
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
Salt to taste

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

Aloo-Methi Stuffing

Method:
For the Dough:

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

For the Filling:

Mix in chopped green chillies, dry mango powder, roasted cumin seeds, salt to taste with chopped methi/fenugreek leaves and mashed potatoes. Make sure the filling is lump free as it will be easier to stuff and roll the paratha without the filling oozing from the sides.
Make equal lemon sized balls and keep them aside till needed.

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 one aloo-methi ball 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 hot griddle and cook on both the sides till its cooked well and brown spots start to appear on top. Apply little ghee/oil if desired.
Serve hot Aloo-Methi Parathas immediately with any curry or with plain yogurt and pickle of your choice and enjoy.

Aloo-Methi Paratha

Notes:

Before mashing the potatoes let them cool completely. This way the filling will remain dry and filling will not ooze out from covering.
Make sure that the potatoes are mashed without leaving any lumps. This helps in rolling the parathas with even surface.
The leftover parathas can easily be frozen. To do this, cut few square sheets of butter paper or baking sheet of equal size so that it covers the paratha well. Place a paratha on one sheet and cover it with another square sheet. Place another on top of it and repeat till all the parathas are over. Place this in a large zip lock bag and store it in a freezer. It is better to write the date on which the parathas were cooked. I usually use them by one month.

Other Stuffed Paratha recipes blogged so far
Aloo-Peas Paratha
Mooli/Radish Paratha
Gobi/Cauliflower Paratha
Zucchini/Courgette Paratha
Double Decker Paratha
Tofu Stuffed Kulcha

Reminder for JFI-Soya:

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

14 August, 2008

Carrot, Beans & Channa Dal Palya - For Simple Food Lovers

Carrot-Beans-Channa Dal Palya

For all the rants, ramblings, and grumblings you read in my blog, I won’t be surprised if you think I am very social and chatty person in real world!!! But people who know me very well in real world would laugh out laud if someone even suggests that. I am one of those people who hate the lime-lights and small social talks and are comfortable when I am with few people who are very close to me. To be frank, I shy away from moments like that. So it is great surprise to my family and friends who read my blog how out spoken and chatty I am while posting recipes and how easily I share my feelings or memories with total strangers. You see, it took them quite long of time and lots of patience to know and understand me ;) Many people I met still believe I have major attitude problem where in reality they fail to notice how difficult I find it when it comes to small talks. Life is full of contradictions and after all we are just humans!!! So that’s why I have many friends but very few close friends.

Likewise, I have many favourite recipes but very few which I like to eat every other day. These recipes are simple and homely, just like me ;) One such recipe which I cook very often and eat is Palya or simple vegetable stir-fry. Vegetables stir fried with a tempering of nutty channa and urad dal and mustard with a hint of spice from chillies, both dry red and fresh green, and sweet note of jaggery, with minimal oil what makes it healthy, quick and utterly delicious side dish. This time I made it bit different from usual vegetable stir fries. Usually my Amma made Carrot-Beans Palya where small pieces of Carrots and French Beans are stir fried with few spices. In the end she would squeeze few tsp of fresh lime juice giving it a little sour note. Addition of channa dal as one of the main ingredient is inspired from Sailu’s Kobbari Senaga Pappu Kura recipe. So please do refer to her blog for another healthy way to eat your vegetables and lentils and to see beautiful photos. I used Runner Beans, which I have become very fond of, instead of French Beans. What I loved the most is the nutty taste of cooked Channa Dal. The Palya was so delicious I ended up eating it as lunch and later at night I served it as side dish with Phulkas and simple Tadka Dal. I am sending this bowl of Carrot-Beans-Channa Dal Palya to dear Pooja for her Theme-Independence Day event and also to Anisheetu who is guest hosting SWC-Karnataka.

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Carrot-Beans-Channa Dal Palya (Stir Fried Vegetables with Lentils)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25-30 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Inspiration: Sailu’s Food

Ingredients:
½ cup Channa Dal/Split Bengal Gram
1 cup Carrot, peeled & cut into 1 cm cubes
2 cups Runner Beans, cut into 1 cm pieces (alternately you can use French Beans or other beans of your choice and availability)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Jaggery (adjust acc to taste)
2 Green Chillies, slit
1-2 tbsp grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
1-2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice (adjust acc to taste)
Salt to taste

For Tadka/Tempering:
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
1 tsp Channa Dal
1-2 Dry Red Chillies, halved
Big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
½ tbsp Oil

Carrot, Runner Beans & Channa Dal

Method:

Wash dal, 2-3 times, in clean water till the water turns clear. Place it in a pressure cooker or any thick bottomed vessel with lid. To this, add turmeric powder and few drops water. Cook covered in 1½-2 cups of water till it is cooked thoroughly, stirring in between. Make sure the dal should not turn mushy and should retain its shape. I cooked using thick bottomed pot and it took around 15-17 mins to cook. If using pressure cooker, cook for 8-10 mins or just one whistle. Drain water and keep it aside till needed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. Once mustard starts to pop and splutter, add urad dal, channa dal, broken dry red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Sauté till dals turns light golden yellow. Now add jeera and sauté for few more seconds till it turns light brown.
Mix in chopped carrots, runner beans, slit green chilli, salt to taste and jaggery. Add about tbsp of water and cook covered for about 5 mins on medium to low flame. Open the lid and mix cooked channa dal and mix well. At this stage add another tbsp or two of water and mix well. Cook covered for further 5-10 mins on medium to low flame, stirring in between to make sure vegetables doesn’t stick to the pan.
Mix fresh/frozen grated coconut and fresh lime juice and switch off the flame. Serve this hot with Rice/Chapatti/Phulka and Rasam/Dal or serve as evening snack.

Carrot-Beans-Channa Dal Palya

Note:
Same dish can be prepared using other vegetables like Cauliflower, French Beans, Potatoes, and Capsicum/Bell Peppers.
Vary the quantity of carrot, beans and channa dal used according to your preference and taste.

Other Palya recipes blogged so far
Tondekai/Tindora Palya
Tender Jackfruit Palya
Masala Badane/Eggplant Palya
Fried Bendekai/Bhindi Palya
Bell Pepper-Carrot Palya
Sweet & Sour Badane/Eggplant Palya
Green Peas-Cauliflower Palya
Uppu Mavinakai (Mangoes in Brine) Palya
Tondekai/Tindora-Cashew Palya
Green Peas-Cabbage Palya

Reminder for JFI-Soya:

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

08 August, 2008

Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Spinach & Quinoa: Try Something New

Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa

I don’t have anything to rant today other than give you one wonderful recipe I tried from gorgeous blog Vegan Yum Yum. This is one of my favourite blog where Lolo posts vegan recipes which make my eyes pop and I almost end-up licking my laptop screen. This blog has most tempting pictures of Vegan food which makes you drop all the things at once and rush to your kitchen to start cooking straight away. Not only that, you will be surprised to see so many ways of cooking vegan food without compromising taste factor. You will find an array of vegan food from appetizers to desserts including varieties of baked goodies to satisfy your cravings. Her Knitted Cupcakes are the best ever cupcakes I have ever seen or come across. Go check it for yourself and feast on her drool-worthy pictures. I have already tried two recipes from this wonderful blog and highly satisfied with the end result.

Today I am posting Lolo’s recipe of Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Collard and Quinoa. This was the first time we bought quinoa and cooked at home. So Lolo’s recipe sounded something what we could try for first time. Another thing that got our full attention was the process of “dry frying” the Tofu as till date we had either used them as they are or simply pan fried them with little oil. So we were eager to test and taste quinoa and ‘dry fry’ tofu. Unlike Lolo I used Baby Spinach instead of Collards and made few modifications to the original recipe to our liking. Other change is in the ingredients used in Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce. We added little extra chilli flakes as we felt the sauce was little mild for our liking and also added a small spoonful of chilli sauce. And we replaced Tamari with Teriyaki sauce as we didn’t have it in our pantry. We also reduced the amount of lime zest used and instead increased the amount of lime juice from original recipe. And addition of ginger again was to our preference.

The sauce was easy to put together and was very flavourful. It formed a nice glaze on dry fried tofu and was a real pretty sight. Over all I can easily say that Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa was one flavoursome, nutritious, pretty and very healthy meal which we devoured without complaining. I am not sure if I have left a thank you note at Lolo’s blog. Lolo, I want to thank you for this wonderful recipe which has become our family favourite. This is my entry for JFI-Soya hosted by yours truly and dearest Pooja's Theme of the Week-Saffron, White & Green in spirit of my beautiful country's Independence Day celebration. And this is also my contribution for Melissa's Let it Grain-Quinoa event which showcases this lovely grain this whole month.

Print This Recipe

Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2-4
Recipe Source: Vegan Yum Yum

Ingredients:
1 block firm Tofu

For Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce:
3 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce (or just use Soya Sauce)
6-8 Mint Leaves, thinly chopped
2 tsp Chilli Flakes (adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Chilli Sauce
1 clove of Garlic, crushed and very finely chopped
½ inch Ginger, very finely chopped
2 tbsp Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
¼ zest of the Lime
¼ tsp Salt

For Wok Steamed Spinach:
2-3 packed cups of Baby Spinach
A big pinch of Salt
1 tsp Lime Juice

For Spiced Quinoa:
¾ cup Quinoa, rinsed in cool water and drained
¼ zest Lime
½ tbsp Lime Juice
2 Green Cardamom, lightly crushed
½ inch Cinnamon Stick
1 Bay Leaf
¼ tsp Salt
1-1¼ cups Water

Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce

Dry Fried Tofu glazed with Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce

Method:

For Spiced Quinoa:
Combine all the ingredients listed under Spiced Quinoa in a thick bottomed pot with tight fitting lid. Bring it to a boil, then cover the lid and reduce the flame to low. Cook undisturbed for around 15-20 mins and turn off the heat. Let it sit covered for about 10 mins so that the steam is retained.

For Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce:
Meanwhile, prepare the Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce by combining all the ingredients listed. Whisk the sauce till all the sugar and salt is dissolved and keep it aside.

For Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu:
Cut Tofu into bite sized pieces of desired shape and set aside.
Heat flat bottomed non-stick pan or good iron pan and arrange the tofu so that it fits in single layer. If not then do it in batches. I used good non stick pan in order to “dry fry” tofu without using any oil.
Spread out the tofu in a pan and with a help of spatula press the tofu. The liquid from tofu will squeeze out and boil away, and the tofu will start turning golden colour. The more water evaporates, the sturdier the tofu will be and that’s exactly what we want. Remember not to press the tofu too hard initially to prevent tofu from breaking.
After several minutes, flip the tofu over and repeat the same method. After 10 mins or so you will be left with dry fired golden tofu pieces. Now you can either proceed with the next step or wok steam the spinach.
To finish the Tofu, bring the pan back to stove if it’s not already very hot. Now add the sauce you prepared and let it bubble up. Switch off the heat and let the sauce reduce and form a glaze. Make sure that the sauce is bubbling up nicely before you switch off the heat.

For Wok Steamed Spinach:
Stack the spinach leaves one above the other and roll them. Slice the roll into 1 inch segments. Repeat same procedure till you get 2-3 tightly packed cups of Spinach.
Heat wok and add spinach, lime juice and salt. You can add about a tbsp of water if required. Cover and cook for 1-2 mins. Remember you don’t need to cook it thoroughly. I like my greens to be little raw and crunchy.

To Assemble:
Place cooked spiced Quinoa on a serving dish and arrange steamed spinach on top. Arrange sweet chilli-lime Tofu on a bed of Quinoa and Spinach and drizzle any left over sauce on top of it. Serve it immediately and enjoy.

Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa

Note:
Other Tofu recipes to feast on
Palak Tofu
Tofu Stuffed Kulcha
Veg & Tofu Thai Green Curry
Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu

Reminder for JFI-Soya:

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

07 August, 2008

Blogging This 'n That: All about Food Blog Events

With many new bloggers creating their own food blogs every single day I thought of writing few posts on “Blogging This 'n That” which will help any newbie or fresher food blogger. The response I got for my post on “Don't Learn Safety by Accident!” was amazing and I received few e-mails from my dear fellow bloggers to write similar posts. So here I am with my next post of Blogging This 'n That which is All about Food Blog Events.

Remember this and this which I had posted some months ago (or is it a year ago? Well, never mind!). It was about the conversation between me and my much better half when I started participating in food blog events. Like many new blogger I had no idea about food blog events when I started my own food blog. I learnt about food blog events after many months of blogging and slowly started taking part in them. Unlike today, there were very few food blog events hosted by few bloggers who according to me were senior bloggers. I came to know about these blogging events while browsing different blogs as there were no blog aggregators. Thanks to people like Mathy & Indira, Sailu and Red Chilli, who created these wonderful food blog aggregators giving more exposure to food bloggers and food blog events and made our lives easier.

Today we have many food blog events being organised by bloggers around the world. JFI, MBP, MEC, A-Z, WTSIM, WBB…AWED, AFAM, RCI… these are just few to name from one long list of blog events!!! What makes them so special that people from all over the virtual world take part in them? Well, for one thing these events give us the feeling of being a part of one large and ever-growing community, here its Food Blog Community. Food blog community is a place where people are passionate about food they cook, something that you too are passionate about. Thus the bonding is stronger as there are many people like you for whom food and cooking is not just a chore. Participating in such food blog events gives you the feeling of belongingness as it is a great opportunity to meet new people who have similar love and passion and make new friends on a way. And there is also a benefit of Link Love which will drive more traffic to your blog (I will discuss about link love in another post).

Cartoon by Dave Walker.

While it is great to participate in these food blog events, there are some rules or guidelines to follow. Food blog events too have some Do's and some Dont's which every blogger need to remember. Food blog events involve two kinds of people, Event Host/Hostess and Participants. Let me first start with few guidelines for Participants then proceed to guidelines for Event Host/Hostess.

Guidelines for Participants:

First and foremost rule for any participant is to go through the rules or guidelines very carefully. Sounds simple and straight forward but most of the bloggers fail to do it (I am talking this from my own experience and also from my other blogger friends who have hosted the events). Most of the food blog events have similar rules/guidelines but don’t be under the impression that you don’t have to go through them by assuming they might be the same. Even if you have participated in some hundreds of events and you are one hot shot blogger (is there someone like that? LOL;) it is still required you to go through the rules as they might be slightly different from the other events. Trust me, you will be making it much easier for the host/hostess by reading all the rules they posted and host/hostess will be able to do the round-up dot on time. So always remember to follow the instruction and send all the details the host asked you. If they ask for Perm Link/Post URL then send the same, not some link. Always link back to the announcement page while posting your entry in your blog and sometimes you may be asked to link back to the blog who initiated the event. Use the event logo when asked. There are few events which let you to send same entry for other blog events but there are also few which want you to post the recipe exclusively for their events. If they have asked you to send particular sized image then do so. These small details are what make host/hostess’s life easier. If there are any doubts or queries regarding the rules or guidelines posted, e-mail or leave a comment to the host. Usually most the hosts respond to your e-mails promptly. If you think some details might be missing or wrong information is given, don’t hesitate to contact the host. Usually hosts greatly appreciate your feedback.
Always remember to send the entries before deadline. Don’t assume your entries will be included if you forget to send your entries or send it quite after the deadline. Don't expect the host to come and pick your entries when you fail to mail them and don't assume such entries will be included in the round-up. Most of the new bloggers and even some not-so-new bloggers may find it difficult to understand how difficult it is to host any event and then post the round-up right on time. If you are unable to send the entries before deadline you can always contact the host through e-mail or by leaving a comment as why you were not able to do so. Most of the hosts will are really sweet and kind enough to include even the late entries and include it in the round-up but don’t be offended if they don’t agree to do that. Each host have their own set of rules and bear in mind it is nothing personal. Be polite and kind when ever you send you entries.
Many hosts will respond to your e-mails within 3 days, though e-mail or by leaving comment in your blog. Remember that hosts have many other important things to do other than hosting food blog events. So be patient and don’t keep sending e-mails now and then. If they still not have responded to your e-mails in 3-4 days then you can send an e-mail or leave a comment, asking them politely if they have received your entry or not. Hosts usually notify the participants if they are out of the town and will not be able to respond to your e-mails. So it is always good to check their blog for any notification before mailing.
If you are sending the same recipe for more than one event, it is always better to send it in separate e-mails with event name in subject line. Main reason to do is one event guideline may be different from other and it is quite annoying when a host receives a e-mail with some 3-6 blog event names and it is more annoying when the participant has not included the details asked or has sent unnecessary information which was asked for other events.
Believe me when I say food blog event, like any event you might host in real world, takes host’s good amount of time and commitment. So be patient and don’t pressurise the hosts by asking them when they are going to post the round-up. If the host fails to do the round-up they have their own reason to do so. So don’t get annoyed. or angry Same thing applies when it comes to hosting the blog events. I have seen people asking questions around why particular blog event announcement has not been made by the bloggers who were supposed to guest host that month’s blog event. Remember there is more to life than food blogging.
Your responsibility doesn’t end after sending the entry. Check the round-up when it is posted and leave a ‘thank you’ note. Many a times there will be more than 60 bloggers participating in a blog event and not more than handful of comments thanking the host for their hard work. Always leave a note of thank you saying how much you appreciate the host for doing such a splendid job. It is a small courtesy to the host who has spent hours and sometimes even days to compile all the entries and post the round-up.
The number of entries and participants may vary from one event to other. Some events might have few handfuls of entries and some might cross two-digits. There is a possibility of your entry missing from the round-up. That time contact the host through e-mail or by leaving a comment gently reminding them of the mistake or any correction needed. Don’t be rude to them. To err is human and with so many entries to put together there is a chance of missing your entry from the round-up.
Last but not the least, never ever be under pressure to participate in blog events. Participating in food blog events should be fun and not because you are asked to do so. You are under no obligation to participate in any food blog events if you wish so even if the person asks you to send him/her entries. Always remember, your personal life comes first and rest all comes later.

Cartoon by Dave Walker.

Guidelines for the Event Host/Hostess:

First thing to remember is hosting a food blog event will not make you a famous/popular blogger . Your blog is popular because of the contents posted in your blog. So please don’t be under the impression by guest hosting any popular food blog events or starting your own blog is your way to blog stardom ;) I hope every one of you take this in right spirit and not be offended. Hosting an event does increase traffic to your blog but it will be for just certain time period.
Few questions to ask yourself before you commit yourself into hosting the event. Do you have enough time to host the event and post the round-up on time? Do you have enough time to visit all the bloggers who have sent you their entries and check if they have followed your instructions? Do you commit yourself to respond back to their queries and drop a line when you received their entries?
Next thing to remember is give clear cut instructions/rules/guidelines to the participants and don’t confuse them. If you do not wish to get non-vegetarian entries then make sure that you post it clearly under the guidelines. Many a times participants will prepare a non-vegetarian entry thinking the event in mind and are disappointed when they end up getting a response from the event host saying they accept only vegetarian entries who thought the participant will understand because theirs is a vegetarian blog and they need not write it under the guidelines (I am writing this from experience of one of my blog friends). So think before you write the guidelines and post them. Remember to give your proper e-mail id where you want the participants to e-mail you their entries. If you want a photo to be of particular size and type, then make a note of it.
If you are guest hosting the blog event started by other blogger, it’s always nice to thank them for giving you the opportunity to host it. If you have any doubts or queries about rules, then ask them in advance before you post the event announcement.
It is always nice to respond back to the queries from fellow bloggers. Do it as soon as possible. Same applies when you get an entry. It’s always a great feeling when you know that the host/hostess has taken time to go through the entries. Let them know that you have received their entry either by replying back to their e-mail or by leaving a comment in their blog. Thank them for taking time to participate in the event hosted by you. Even the simple ‘Thanks’ is enough to let the participant know that you have received their entries.
If the participant doesn’t send you all the details you asked, mail them back gently reminding them about the missing details. Always be polite.
Never pressurise the bloggers to send you entries. You can always drop a line asking them to send the entry, if they wish, when the recipe posted on their blog fits the event theme.
If someone sends a late entry and want to be included in the final round-up, it is upto you to decide if you want to include the late entries or not. If you are fine with receiving a late entry then go ahead and post it. If not, reply to their mail saying you can’t include it in the round-up. Never be partial by including few late entries and leaving other.
Post the round-up on promised date. Make sure you have double checked all the entries you received and have included them in the round-up. Include the entry in the round-up as soon as possible when a participant mails you pointing the omission or make correction as required.
If due to any reason you are unable to post the round-up on time, please make sure that you let the bloggers know. It can be just a simple post apologising for the delay in posting the round-up. You don’t need to give lengthy explanations. And again, if you are not able to post the round-up at all, don’t end up feeling guilty. As I said earlier, you and your family and personal life comes first. I have seen some of the best bloggers who have stopped posting because they are unable to host the event or the round-up which they were supposed to. Common friends, be realistic. This is just a virtual world and the happenings at real world is what important.

Well, that’s it folks. Please note that I am not pointing my fingers at anyone or my intention is to hurt you. My experience of participating in more than dozens of blog events and hosting few blog events has helped me while composing this post. It soon will be two years since I created my blog. All this time I too have made few mistakes, both as a participant and a hostess, and I hope this article of mine helps any newbie while participating or hosting their own food blog events. Food blog events are real fun to host and participate but there is a limit to everything in life. We do get carried away and endup completely getting addicted to blogging. Understanding where to draw line one’s responsibility. Let us all be a part of this ever growing, wonderful food blog world and not spoil it by playing politics. I hope everyone take this in good spirits and not be offended.

So folks, happy cooking and happy blogging and also happy hosting and participating in blog events ;)

Cheers
Sia

PS: I have posted the cartoons so that you don't get bored and fall asleep although it is not exactly related to the article ;) Cartoon credits to Dave Walker.

04 August, 2008

Join me for the Summer Feast: The Round-up

Is your fridge and freezer spilling with summer berries that you picked from farm or bought it from farmer’s market?
Are you someone like me who bought some exotic summer fruits and vegetables and have no idea as how to cook it?
Are you tired of making same fruit or vegetable juice, smoothies or milk shake and what to try something new?
Do you want to use those juicy, colourful summer fruits and vegetables in your breakfast or brunch?

If your answer is yes to any one of the above question, then look no more! Your quest for finding out perfect recipe to cook fresh summer produce stops here :) Presenting you, WBB-Summer Feast: Round-up.

Thanks dear Nandita, for giving me this wonderful opportunity to host Weekend Breakfast Blogging. My sincere thanks to all you wonderful bloggers, who joined me to celebrate the spirit of summer with seasonal fruits and vegetables and making this one successful Summer Feast. I have here total 87 recipes from around 70 bloggers sharing their favourite summer recipes. So get ready to bookmark your favourite summer recipes as there are some fabulous ideas for you to use all those summer fruits and vegetables.

I have divided the entries under different categories to make it easier for you to choose what you want to cook. I have doubled checked all the entries I received through e-mails and included them in the round-up. Please drop me a line in comment section or e-mail me if there are any errors or omissions and I will make the required changes as soon as possible. WBB-Summer Feast logo/link posted in the side bar of Monsoon Spice will take you to the round-up page for future reference. Without much delay let us check what’s cooking in the summer kitchens from around the world!