Vegetable Kurma for RV's CWS Event

I fell in love with RVs blog even before I visited the Blog. I mean when you are clicking a link that says Food for 7 Stages of Life you are but just floored!! And the blog didn't disappoint either. Its both pleasing to the eye as well as a treasure house of a variety of recipes and not to mention events.

I wanted to take part in a lot of the previous events but as you can see I haven't been very regular in my postings. This time when I saw CWS -Coriander seeds, I had loads of recipes in my mind, but I never got around to making any of them.

This recipe was calling out to me because I had a couple of slices of Pineapple in my fridge.I had made it the first time from a Nita Mehta Cookbook.I love the sweet sour taste that pineapple imparts to any gravy, be it Chinese or Mughlai.The deep fried cauliflower just adds to the bevy of taste that this gravy provides with the crispiness its vegetables, tanginess of the fruit, the richness of the paste and not to forget the aroma of the spices.Its light yellow colour is as pleasing to the eyes as the taste is to the taste buds!!

While I was making it I thought why not this recipe for the event. So here is my submission for the Cooking With Seeds - Coriander Seeds hosted by RV of Food for 7 Stages of Life and the event originated at Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes.


Vegetable Kurma/Khurma/Khorma

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Mixed Vegetables - 2 Cup - Cut and Boiled (I use Potato, Carrot, Green Peas)
Cauliflower - 1/2 Cup - Florets cleaned well and deep fried till slightly golden
Pineapple - 2 Rings - Cubed
Onions - 2 medium - Chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 1 Tbsp (You may also use Garam Masala Instead)
Sugar - 1tsp (Optional)
Salt - To taste
Oil - 1-2 Tbsp

Mix , let soak for 10min & grind into Paste:



Today's Star - Coriander Seeds - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Cashew nuts - 10-12 nos
Poppy Seeds - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp (You may also use fresh ginger & garlic)
Coconut grated - 2 Tbsp
Cardamom Whole - 3
Curd/Yogurt - 3/4 Cup


To Make :

1. Heat oil and fry the chopped onion till golden.

2. Add turmeric, stir for less than a minute for the raw smell to disappear.

3. Add the ground paste and cook covered till almost dry.

4. Add the Kitchen King Masala and cook for another 1 minute

5. Add a cup of boiling water followed by the mixed vegetables (You might add the water in which the vegetable is cooked.)

6.Add salt to taste

7. When the curry almost reaches a consistency of your choice, add cauliflower and pineapple bits.Let cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add sugar if the curry is too sour. It should be more tangy than sour


Preparation Time : 15min

Cooking Time : 15min

Serve it hot with any kind of India bread or even slightly flavoured rice like Jeera Rice or Peas Pulao

PS: Hi Folks, do do deep fry that Cauliflower. It brings in a whole new twist to the taste rather than just boiling it.

Tried and Tasted - The Singing Chef

Last time when I participated She was hosting it and this time its her blog that is featuring in the Tried & Tasted Event for March 2010 hosted by Divya of Dil Se, an online event started by Zlamushka


To me,Raaga - The Singing Chef is much much more than a blogger that I love to follow. I am sure I wouldnt have enough words to explain but I would like to try. I first met her almost 12 years ago to the date when I & my father went to our Institute for GD & Interview. An apprehensive father and an eager daughter were pacified by the words of this charming and confident girl

I had a taste of what was coming when she wrote to me personally to let me know the results even before I got an intimation from the Institute. She welcomed me whole heartedly into her course and her room, which was the domain of students of that particular course. I soon changed my course,she let me continue in the room but not before extracting the promise that once she leaves I would allow only a junior from her course into the room(Ps: I did keep my promise Raaga!!)

Friend, giver of surprise gifts(I still have the family snap that you laminated for me),generous donor of yummy food that she used to bring from home almost every weekend and perhaps the most popular girl on campus - u have to see to believe the number of friends she has - which should not be a surprise as she takes so much effort to remember every little thing about you and work so hard to keep in touch....one couldn't have asked for a better Room-mate on one's first stay away from home.

I still remember the time she took me home during a break.Her Mom is a world class cook.She makes the most impressive variety of food and all of them finger - licking good. I still remember the little "katoris" of yogurt at the end of the meal. My readers can imagine how yummy the food must have been if today after 11 years I can still remember even the yogurt Aunty made.

I missed out on the chance to savour Raaga's cooking on my last visit to her city but her blog tells me she must be as good a cook as her Mom, if not better.S is a very lucky guy!!

Ok before I turn my Food blog to a Mush blog(sorry readers, I just couldn't help myself)let me turn to food. I have made a lot of recipes that Raaga has posted because they are so attractive and at the same time so simply done. However, this one was made after I read Divya's announcement so managed to capture some pictures before it was polished off.

Soya Makhani




I knew I would make this one as soon as I saw the post. I love Makhani gravy and Soya Nuggests was something I would never have associated with the gravy.

I am re posting the recipe here so that I can keep it for my future reference as I am sure to make this one again and again.

Serves : 2 (as Single side dish for rotis)


Ingredients :

Soya Nuggets - 1 cup (Prepared as instructed)
Onion - 2 medium - made into a paste
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato - 1 large - pureed
Milk - 1/2 - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp/To taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 Tbsp (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
Salt - To taste
Honey - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp


To make :

1. Heat oil and fry the onion paste till almost dry.

2. Add Ginger-Garlic paste and stir for 2 minutes till the raw smell of the paste is gone.

3. Add the chilli and turmeric powder. Stir for a minute

4. Add the tomato paste and salt, mix well and stir for 2-3 min till almost dry.

5. Slowly stir in the milk, bring to boil.

6. Add Soya Nuggets, when thoroughly immersed in the gravy, mix in the Kasoori Methi and Honey. Adjust seasoning.

7. Mix well and serve hot.


Preparation time - 15 min

Cooking time - 15 min


Variations I made :

1. Used fresh ingredients instead of the readymade masala which I am sure will cut down both the preparation and the cooking time.

2. Added more milk to increase gravy

3. Added honey to bring in the sweet and silky feel of Makhani gravy


This recipe is a keeper and the gravy is a good base for a lot of other stuff like Paneer, Green Peas, Mushroom and even the humble potato.

Thanks Raaga for this recipe and the great many that you have shared with us through your blog!!

PS: The logo for this event was designed by Ksenia who blogs at Tales of a Spoon.

Apple Rabadi

I am overwhelmed by the idea of making traditional sweets at home, so whenever I come across recipes that are traditional but has a twist as well, I never loose the opportunity to try it out. And the idea of having a fruit in the dessert, I just couldnt wait to start.This is how I made it, inspired by Sanjeev Kapoor's receipe.

Serves - 2 with second servings

Ingredients:

Apple - 2 - Peeled and grated
Milk - 1 litre
Sugar - 1 cup - Adjust to taste
Cardamom - 2- 3 powdered
Almonds (and/or any other dry fruit of your choice) - 4-5 - Slivered


To Make :

1. Boil the milk and let it reduce till thick and about 3/4th of original

2. Add sugar and stir till it melts

3. Add the grated apple and let cook for 3-4 minutes

4. Remove from fire and mix in powdered cardamom

5. Garnish with the almond slivers

5. Serve hot or cold - We loved it cold


Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Cooking time : 1 Hour


Its a simple yet delicious dessert. Don and Sunshine loved it equally.

Hope you all enjoy it too!!

Pazhyam Pradhaman (Payasam/Kheer made out of Kerala Plantains)

The first month of 2010 is about to end but I wanted my first post this year to be a new sweet recipe tried by me. I am the queen of Procrastination but thankfully my daughter's Star Bday came before the month could end and I made this lovely sweet..Pazhyam Pradhaman.

Pazhyam Pradhaman is made of "Nendran Pazhyam" - the Kerala Plantain.Its used in its raw and ripe forms for a variety of Kerala Specialities- Banana Chips, Sarkaravarti,Kaya Mezhakupartiyathu, Steamed Nendrans and much much more. Though the rest of the items mentioned here is almost a part of our daily lives, I had never tasted or made it ever.

I remember the first time I had heard of it was ages ago in a mallu movie where the comedian(might have played the hero's friend) describes how to make pazhyam pradhaman , his mouth watering all the time. I was never sure if he was actually giving the recipe or just "cooking it all up"

Anyways the first 2 lines of that recipe was always in my mind and this time I decided to try out Pazhyam Pradhaman for Sunshine's Star Bday. I based my recipe on those lines from the movie.

Its a very easy recipe , however just ensure that you plan well in advance as you need the plantains to be really ripe.

This is how I made it:

Serves - About 20 serving bowls

Nendran Pazhyam(Kerala Plantains) - 8 (Overripe)
Jaggery - 500 gms or more as per your taste
Ghee - 6 tbsp
Coconuts - 2 whole
Cashew Nuts - Handful
Raisins - Handful

Preparation:

1.Jaggery - Melt the jaggery in a bowl by adding just enough water to cover half the jaggery and let it boil till the entire jaggery melts. Strain it and keep aside

2.Coconut - Keep aside 2 inch piece of coconut and grate the rest.Take out coconut milk in 3 stages.
1st Milk - The first set of milk taken out of the freshly ground coconut
2nd Milk - Once the first milk is taken out use the same coconut and extract milk for a second time.
3rd Milk - USe the same coconut to extract milk for a 3rd time.

3.Cut the 2 inch piece of coconut into small and thin bits

4. Peel the Plantains, slice it to remove the strip of seeds in the centre. Cut into small cubes

To Make:

1. Heat 4 Tbsp of Ghee in a thick bottomed pan

2. Put in the deseeded and cubed Plantains. Cover and let cook on low flames for about 8 min till the Plantains are red and soft. Take off heat and Mash using a masher or a flat ladle.

3.Once well mashed add enough melted jaggery to make a paste. Mix well and let cook for about 15-20min till the mixture reaches the jam consistency. Keep stirring in between to avoid the bottom getting burnt.

4.Pour the 3rd milk and mix well. Cook till thick.When thick add the 2nd milk and let boil.Once the mix boils add the 1st milk, mix well and take off the fire.

5.Adjust taste by adding more jaggery syrup if required.

6.In another saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of Ghee. When hot add the coconut bits. Fry till it reddens. When red, add cashewnuts and once the cashew is almost done add in the raisins.Let cook for 30 secs and take off fire.

7.Empty the saucepan into the pradhaman

8. Serve slightly warm or Chilled

Preparation Time : 1 hour
Cooking time :45min - 1 hour.

Some changes you could make are :

1. Steam the plantains instead of frying in Ghee
2. Blend the cooked Plantains in a Mixer instead of mashing
3. The Pradhaman tends to get thick as it cools, in case you want it thinner just
add more coconut milk to get the right consistency.Adjust sweet with the jaggery
syrup

It might look like little hard work but is really really worth it.

Tried & Tasted - Dhingri Badaami

My dear friend Raaga is hosting this month's Tried & Tasted, an event originated by Zlamushka.

This month Tried & Tasted celebrated the blog of Sunshinemom...a blog as pleasing and vibrant as Sunshine.

Her Blog is exhaustive in terms of exotic and not so exotic recipes. I love the look and feel of the blog(that's why she is on my blog roll).She also manages to change any ordinary recipe to vegan, something I wouldn't dare. Kudos to her.

There were so many of her recipes that I wanted to try, that I spent the whole month since Raaga's announcement browsing through her blog wondering what to make till I realised that today was already the last day.

So picked up this exotic preparation for the event as well as Don's Lunchbox.

I followed the recipe as it is except for two variations:

1.I used Kashmiri Red Chilli powder instead of ordinary variety of Chilli powder, which made the curry look very red

2. I added some cream at the end of cooking to give the curry a little more rich taste.

Go on, visit Sunshinemom and enjoy her blog as much as I do.





PS: The logo is designed by Ksenia

Oh! Uncertain Life

7:30pm:
Husband is back home after a biz trip.I have had a lot of this and that today so I dont want dinner.

Wife back home from a gruelling day at work. Great I am tired and had a late lunch so I dont want anything too

Australia has scored 351. India is sure to lose.

9:30pm:
Husband is watching the match.I think I am getting hungry

Wife is browsing her food blog and checking out all the yummy blogs on her blogroll.Blog hopping she reachs here. I want to make this now

Sachin is blazing away.India is going to win


9:45pm:
Husband runs to get bread from the closest open store. I got it.

Wife opens the fridge and finds more than peas and corn and thinks.I got it

McKay bowls to Sachin and Hauritz screams aloud.I got it.


10:30
Husband is having his 4th sandwich.Yummy!!

Wife is thrilled to see hubby and baby devoring her creation."Yummy!!"

India is falling like nine pins and Ponting says "Yummy!!"


11:00pm
Satiated Husband

Happy Wife with a new recipe

India loses but its easier to digest on a full stomach. And we really tried and the game was awesome. what say?


11:30pm
Wife is Blogging about it.

And here is a recipe. As mentioned earlier tweaked but based on RV's Corn & Pea Sandwich

Veg Medley Sandwich (Makes 8 Sandwiches)

1.Bread Slices - 16
2.Onion - 1 Large - Chopped Fine
3.Mushrooms - 4nos - Chopped Fine
4.Capsicum - 1/2 - Chopped Fine
5.Cabbage - 50gms - Shredded
6.Carrot - 1 Medium - Grated
7.Green Peas - 1Cup -Boiled
8.Sweet Corn Kernels - 1 Cup - Cooked
9.Amchur Powder - 1/2 Tbsp
10.Chat Masala - 1/2 Tbsp
11.Pepper - 1/2 Tbsp
12.Salt - To Taste
13.Oil - 1/2 Tbsp
14.Ghee - 2 Tbsp
15. Mint-Corriander Chutney - 4 Tbsp


To Make:

1. Heat Oil.

2. Fry onion for 2 mins.

3.Put in the rest of the uncooked vegetables. Cover and let cook on low fire for 7-10 min

4.Add the cooked Corn and Peas.

5.Add all the masalas.Mix well and cook open at high fire for 2 min.

6.Take off fire and let cool.

7.Take out bread slices. Spread the Mint-Corriander Chutney on half of the bread
slices.

8.Put in the Veg Medley Filling

9.Cover with the rest of the Bread slices.

10.Brush the Sandwich with Ghee on the outer sides and grill till done

11.Serve with cut carrot/cucumber/onion pieces or wafers or just plain tomato sauce.


Preparation Time :15 min
Grilling Time : 5 min per set of 2 sandwiches


The Veg Medley



And The Sandwich - Brown and Crisp, Just the way we like it!!

And the twain shall meet

Don was bought up in a household where rotis were an occasional treat.It was almost always served with potato masala or dal.He was bought up to believe that potato and dal were the only accompaniments to roti.

The belief was fine as long as you were having the combo once a month, but today rotis/phulkas are what we have for dinner every day.And how many days can you have potatoes or dal.

It was tough to introduce him to other vegetables as accompaniment to phulkas but 5 years is long enough to train his taste buds and change his mind. But one veg he just would refuse to have with phulka was Bhindi/Ladys Finger/Okra/Vendakka. No preparation would convince him until I served him this and well what more can I say, this lady's finger finally worked the magic. The list of ingredients looks long but the dish is really simple, try it yourself:

Bhindi Masala (Feeds 2-3)

1. Ladys Finger - 250 gms
2. Onions - 3 Large - Chopped Fine
3. Tomato - 1 Large - Chopped Fine
4. Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
5. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
6. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
8. Kitchen King Masala Powder - 2tsp
9. Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Oil - 1+1 Tbsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Water - 1/2 Cup
To soak for 30 min and grind to a fine paste:
13. Fresh Curd - 2 tbsp
14. Green Cardamom - 2 nos
15. Cashew Nuts - 8-10 nos
16. Khus-Khus/Poppy Seeds - 1Tbsp
Garnish:
17. Coriander Leaves - 1-2 tbsp Chopped

To Make:

1. Wash the Lady's Finger and cut into 2"pieces.
2. Heat a Non-Stick pan, spread 1 tbsp oil on it, put in the cut pieces and let it
cook till well done.
3. Heat the rest of oil in another kadai(pan).Add the chopped onions and saute till
golden brown.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2-3 more mins
5. Add all the masala powders and the tomato and fry till masalas are well cooked.
6. Add the ground paste and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to boil.
7. Add the fried Ladys Finger and cook till the gravy is thick.
8. Garnish with cut coriander leaves.

Preparation Time :15 min
Cooking time : 25 min