in love with food: November 2007

November 27, 2007

DELIGHTFUL 4 M's SUBZI

Before you all wonder what is it that I am talking about ,let me explain- 4 M's refers to MUSHROOMS, MUTTAR, METHI, MALAI and this delightful, delicious dish is made up of precisely these four! ,now I am not a great fan of peas (muttar) and used to avoid them like the plague as a child, but now tastebuds have changed and I do like them little more, not totally but little more...

Yesterday on a trip to the subziwala, I bought peas for the first time ever with Peas Pulao in mind, but somehow changed my mind, and Boy! am I glad that I did, this subzi is a feast even for hardcore non-vegetarians like me, I was completely bowled over by the flavors!

Ingredients-

Frozen tender peas(muttar)- 1/2 cup
Mushrooms- 1/2 cup, sliced
Fresh/Dry methi leaves (fenugreek)- 2 cups
Onion- 1 medium, grated
Readymade Tomato puree/paste- 4 tbsp
Readymade Ginger+Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
Fresh malai/cream- 1/2 cup
Fresh ginger juliennes- 1 tbsp.
MDH Meat Masala- 1 tsp.
Green chilli- 1 sliced
Cumin- 1/2 tsp
Oil-1 tbsp.
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method-

Heat oil , add cumin and grated onion, let brown add tomato puree, cook for 2 minutes.Tip in the rest of the ingredients ,except fresh cream, cook for another 5-10 minutes till mushrooms are done , add cream in the end, garnish with fresh coriander.

Another addition that would taste good in this is fresh paneer(cottage cheese) cubes.

This delightful gravy is off to

Sra for her event-http://whenmysoupcamealive.blogspot.com/2007/11/announcing-grindless-gravies-event.html

and to Sunita for hers-http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/11/think-saffron-round-up-and-announcing.html

November 26, 2007

ROSEMATTA RICE WITH LEMON SAMBHAR

I read about this rice a long time back on Mahanandi in which, they have been accorded their rightful place, as have most of the other ingredients that Indira blogs about, I think that's the beauty of this lovely blog!, I am sure all of you agree with me.

Anyways coming back to Rosematta rice, I was quite pleasantly surprised to find it at my neighbourhood South Indian store( named Kannan Store), now this is the store that has always fascinated me with it's wide array of unfamiliar foodstuffs, I always ask the owner so many questions as to what is this?, how does this taste?, how is this cooked? and so on...

Yesterday I came across some more varieties of rice, about which I would be blogging about later, maybe I should post a picture of the store itself , so that you all would join me in the gazing- with- awe state that I find myself in ,when I am there.

When I asked the owner about Rosematta rice after spotting it, about what it is ,he said that this is Red rice (simpler to explain I guess for him!), upon asking that what is it called down South ,he said that they call it "matta"rice, so then I knew I was on the right track!, my next question was- how is it cooked?, to which he simply replied- cook in lots of water and NEVER in a pressure cooker, so I set about cooking it exactly that way.

Rosematta Rice- raw

I took about 2 cups of Rosematta rice in a big pan with loads of water, and washed it thoroughly and drained the reddish mud coloured water, put it on the stove after refilling with more water and let it come to a boil, lowered the gas knob to sim and let them gently bubble away, now I was prepared that this variety takes longer to cook so after tasting a few grains after every 10 minutes, they were done in under half an hour, I drained out the rest of the water and covered the pan for another 15 minutes.

Rosematta Rice- cooked

I was overjoyed with the results, a thick, plump rice grain very separate from others with a delicious rich, nutty , creamy flavor, had them hot with some lemony sambhar, ghee and tomato chutney, Unforgettable taste, will be making these often now!

FOR THE LEMONY SAMBHAR-

Ingredients-

Toor Dal- 1/2 cup
Mixed veg.-1 cup
Curry leaves-5-6
Lemon juice- 2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp.
Sugar- 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
MTR Sambhar powder- 1 tbsp.
Oil- 1 tsp.

Method-

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, tip in all the other ingredients, except lemon juice, fry for a minute, add water and give four whistles,let steam drop by itself.

Open cooker, sprinkle lemon juice , season with salt, add ghee and serve.See this is an extremely quick and easy sambhar, ready in under 20 minutes if you have all the ingredients at hand.

I am sending this off to-

JFI-Toor Dal hosted by Linda

(http://outofthegarden.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/hooray-its-my-turn-jfi-december/

FOR THE CHUTNEY-

In a grinder add 4 plump, ripe tomatoes and 1 small onion as well as 1 large green chilli and grind to a rough paste. Heat 1/2 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and 5 curry leaves add the tomato paste ,season and cook for 5 minutes, serve.

Rosematta Rice with lemon sambhar and tomato chutney

Technorati Tags: rosematta rice , lemon sambhar , tomato chutney

November 25, 2007

WAZWAAN~An Introducion to special Kashmiri Ingredients and basic recipes.

After all this time since my last post about Wazwan, it is NOW that I have finally managed to extract a few "secret recipes" from my mom, considering that she learnt them from a renowned Waza , this was no mean feat, Whew! She just gave in inch by inch and then I made them over and over again till SHE was fully satisfied with the end result, now over the course of next few weeks I would be posting some VERY authentic recipes, so keep a lookout!

I would like to start with the basics - without which any attempts at authentic Kashmiri Cuisine will be futile, so let's acquaint ourselves with these basic ingredients and recipes-

1. DRY MINT LEAVES(pudina/pudn)- A herb used to lend a distinct aroma to certain dishes.

2. CINNAMON(dalchini)- This is actually the bark of the cassia tree which is often substituted for the real cinnamon, this however is more aromatic.

3.CLOVES(laung/roung)- These are dried flower buds and are used in most Indian Homes.

4.TURMERIC(haldi,lader)- This gives food that characteristic yellow colour, it is an orange-yellow rhizome.

5. CUMIN SEEDS(jeera/zur)-In some dishes the white variety is used and in some the black one, both are an integral part of Indian Cooking

6.BLACK CARDAMOM(bari elaichi/badaul)-A very different tasting cardamom from the green variety which has a lighter taste.

7.DRY FENUGREEK LEAVES(kasoori methi)- A special variety of methi which is very aromatic, hence the name- kasoori.

8.SAFFRON(zafran/kong)- The most expensive spice in the world, it is usually used mixed in milk.

9.DRY COCKSCOMB FLOWER(mawal)-This is specifically used in Kashmiri Cuisine and is indigenous to the region.

10. CORIANDER(dhaniya/dhaniwal)-A very important ingredient , the seeds as well as the green leaves are both used a lot.

11.DRY GINGER POWDER(sonth/shount)- This is obtained by drying fresh ginger and the taste is very different from the fresh one.

12. FENNEL SEEDS(saunf/badayna)

13. GREEN CARDAMOM(choti elaichi/eaul)- These are very aromatic and have a delicate flavor, most of the flavor is in the seeds.

14.CASHEW NUTS(kaju)

15.WALNUTS(akhrot/doon)

16. ALMONDS(badam)

17.TAMARIND(imli/tamar)-Highly acidic with a bitter-sweet taste.

18.SHALLOTS(praan)-These belong to the Onion family,but once they are cooked they are more easy to digest.

19.DRIED PLUMS(alubukhara/alubukhar)-These are available at any dry fruit shop, and can be used to make alubukhara koftas(mincemeat stuffed dried plums)

20.ZIRISH- These are small, dry berries indigenous to Kashmir

21.PISTACHIOS(pista)

22. RED CHILLI PEPPER(lal mirch/marchwagan)

SOME BASIC KASHMIRI RECIPES-

VER PASTE

Dry roast 1/2 kg dried Kashmiri red chillies, 25 gm black cardamom, 1/2 tbsp. black cumin seeds(shah jeera), 1/2 tbsp. green cardamom seeds, 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon powder, 1/2 tbsp dry ginger powder , cool and grind to a fine powder.

Take 125 gm shallots and 125 gm garlic and grind to a coarse paste, add to the above powder and shape into patty cakes with a hole in the middle , to pass a thin rope, dry cakes in the sun till no moisture is left

GARLIC WATER

Take 2 tbsp. fresh garlic ,add 1/4 cup water ,let stand for 10 minutes ,strain and use as required.

COOKED YOGURT

Take about 1 cup yogurt and whisk, cook on high heat till mixture is thick and approx. half the original quantity and has changed colour, use as required

Technorati Tags: special kashmiri culinary ingredients

November 23, 2007

MICROWAVE MAGIC- TARI WALE ALOO (Homestyle Curried Potatoes)

Srivalli hosts this event every month, and I definitely will try and participate everytime, I guess that's the only way I can put my micro to some good use!

These curried potatoes are excellent with pooris, and I make them for a leisurely breakfast/brunch on a holiday, and end up eating loads of it as a result, really love the sweet-sour and spicy taste!

Tari wale aloo (Homestyle Curried Potatoes)

Ingredients-

(you can vary acc. to your taste)

Potatoes- 4 large
Tomatoes- 2 medium
Sambhar masala- 1 tbsp.
Tamarind- 1 walnut sized ball, soaked
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp.
Asafetida- a pinch
Curry leaves- 5-6
Oil- 1 tbsp.
Sugar- 1/2 tsp.
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Fresh curd/yogurt- 2 tbsp
Salt and red chilli powder to taste

Method-

Microwave the potatoes in plenty of water for 20 minutes or till done, cool peel and chop.Put oil in a microwave safe bowl and add cumin seeds and tomatoes and microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes or till tomatoes are soft , add the rest of the ingredients and the strained tamarind water.Add 1 cup more water and again microwave for another 10 minutes , take out and stir in the curd, sprinkle coriander leaves and serve.

IF COOKING IN A PRESSURE COOKER AND NOT THE MICROWAVE-

Peel and chop raw potatoes, heat oil in a pressure cooker , add cumin seeds and curry leaves, add rest of the ingredients and about 1 cup water, give two whistles and let pressure drop by itself.Stir in the yogurt and Serve.

These curried potatoes are off to Srivalli for her lovely event-

http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2007/08/announcing-microwave-easy-cooking-event.html

Curried potatoes(Home Style) - ready to serve

Technorati Tags: curried potatoes indian style , tari wale aloo

November 20, 2007

FRESH ORANGEY~FRUIT CAKE (Low fat!)

An extremely refreshing, light fruit cake which is low fat too, only about a half cup oil is used for 2 cakes ,so that makes it 1/4 cup per cake!, the best part is that it is so quick- no elaborate beating ,folding, just dump everything into one large bowl it is ready to go into the oven!!

Fresh Orangey~Fruit Cake

Ingredients-

(makes 2 cakes)

Orange juice- 1/2 cup
Milk- 1/2 cup
Flour- 2 cups
Baking powder-3 tsp
Candied mixed fruit- 1 cup
Orange rind, grated- 1 tsp.
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Eggs- 3
Sugar- 1 1/2 cups
Vegetable oil- 1/2 cup
1 orange, cut into segments

For the fat-free glaze-

Combine half cup fresh orange juice with 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp cornflour, boil till it thickens, let cool .

Method-

Combine everything together in a large bowl and stir well, pour into prepared pans and bake for 45 mins at 180 deg.C .Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and decorate with orange segments. I am sending this one to Zlamushka for her spoonful of christmas event-http://www.burntmouth.com/2007/10/spoonful-of-christmas.html

Technorati Tags: fresh orangey frut cake , cakes and bakes

November 14, 2007

A DATE WITH CINNAMON ~ HEALTHY SUGARFREE COOKIES!

Cookies!, again! and if you have had enough of my sinful, buttery pistachio cookies then do balance it out with this HEALTHY and most importantly SUGAR-FREE Apple-cinnamon-date combo, I am sure post diwali, these would be more than welcome!

This is a soft ,moist cookie, with the natural sweetness of dates AND honey and a dash of cinnamon flavor. I have used a combination of wholewheat and plain flour as well as apples to make it fibre rich.

Ingredients-

(makes 1 dozen)

Dates- 1/2 cup (pitted and chopped)
Apple- 1 , chopped
Honey- 2 tbsp
Egg- 1
Wholewheat flour- 1 tbsp
All purpose flour- 2 tbsp
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Milk- 2 tbsp
Cinnamon- 1/4 tsp
Oil- 1 tbsp
Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp
a pinch of salt

Method-

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together and mix well, drop teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 deg.C, till edges turn golden.

These are off to Chandrika for AFAM-Dates:

http://akshayapatra.blogspot.com/2007/11/afam-november-dates.html

Technorati Tags: healthy sugarfree date cookies

November 10, 2007

PISTACHIO COOKIES WITH ICE-CREAM

"A crisp, buttery cookie studded with pistachios and served with Ice-cream!"

That sums up this gorgeous combo, I am at a loss of words to describe the flavors , but they are so unique and delicious that you gotta HAVE IT TO BELIEVE IT!

All in all -highly recommended! have with Ice-cream(use flavor of choice-here I used store bought Cookies-and-cream ). The cookies are irresistible enough on their own, dip-dip-dip them into garam masala chai and enjoy!

Pistachio Cookies with Ice Cream

Ingredients-

Butter- 1/2 cup
Confectioner's sugar- 3/4 cup
Egg- 1/2
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp.
All purpose Flour- 1 1/2 cups
Baking soda- 1/2 tsp.
Cream of tartar- 1/2 tsp.
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Pistachios- 1/4 cup (whole, unsalted)

Method-
Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl, gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.
Shape the dough into one of the following ways:

Roll out the chilled dough and cut with cookie cutters.
OR: This is what I did- Form dough into logs 2 inches in diameter flatten into a squarish shape and slice 1/8 inch thick WITH A VERY SHARP KNIFE when chilled ,bake for 7 to 9 minutes

Technorati Tags: pistachio cookies with ice-cream

November 9, 2007

SHUBH DEEPAVALI!

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DEEPAVALI!, ENJOY!

Technorati Tags: shubh deepavali

November 4, 2007

SOOKHA MASALEDAAR KATHAL (SPICY DRY JACKFRUIT)

Jackfruit tree a jackfruit- split wide open the outer spiny cover

From hating to loving this veggie (fruit???), I have come a long way-as a child I could never have so many of these vegetables ,the ghia/lauki family in particular and karela and kathal.

But now... I love them all, and ever since I have started blogging I feel my sense of taste has become keener than ever- do you all , fellow bloggers feel the same or -felt the same (here I am talking to vintage bloggers :) )???I look at unfamiliar veggies with new respect and want to try my hand at making eh! -parval? ghia? karela? tori? tinda? yup -all of em! haha!

Masaledaar sookha kathal

Ingredients-

Jackfruit- 250 gms(chopped)
Onions- 2 medium(chopped)
Tomatoes- 2 medium(chopped)
Ginger and garlic paste- 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala-1 tsp
Salt and red chilli powder to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method-

Deep fry the kathal pieces, keep aside. Heat two tbsp. of the same oil, pour off excess, add ginger and garlic and saute , add onions , let cook . Lastly add tomatoes and cook till masala leaves oil- add the fried kathal, salt and red chilli powder, give it a good stir, serve with chopped coriander leaves on top and a twist of lemon along with hot chapatis ,delicious!

Just writing this post and thinking how great tasting this sookha kathal IS -is making my mouth water! seriously!!

COUNTDOWN TO DIWALI- 4 DAYS TO GO!

Technorati Tags: kathal , jackfruit , sookha masaledaar kathal

November 1, 2007

FINGER ~ LICKIN ' FRIED CHICKEN

This is my husband's favorite snack and he can have loads of it! In fact now he prefers to have chicken this way rather than the regular gravy chicken, try it out you will know why!This is my desi version of fried chicken -very rustic and simple!

22102007768 Finger~lickin' fried chicken

Ingredients-

Fresh chicken- 1 kg
Deggi mirch (cayenne pepper)- 1/ 2 tsp
Garam masala- 1 tbsp.
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp.
Chaat masala and lemon juice for sprinkling over
Onion salad
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for deep-frying

Method-

Marinate the chicken in all the above ingredients( except for lemon juice and chaat masala) for 15-20 minutes, deep fry ,sprinkle lemon juice and chaat masala, serve hot with onion salad YUMMY AND UNBELIEVABLY SIMPLE!

Technorati Tags: chicken , snacks

COUNTDOWN TO DIWALI - 7 DAYS TO GO !!!