Masala Vada Curry ~ Paruppu Vadai Curry

Spicy curry of coconut and tomatoes, with lentil dumplings

This one is a firm favorite when we eat out at Tamizh or Chettinadu places (I know they are not interchangeable words, but I am trying to keep it simple here)

I always thought it was impossibly laborious to first make the vadais and then the curry. A few weeks ago, my MIL sent us some paruppu vadais that she made on some occasion. Being a mother, things like diet and restraint fall on deaf ears and she sent us a cartload of these. After setting aside a few to eat as snacks, I made this curry for lunch the next day.

Not all of you may be as lucky, so you will have to make the vadais first. The recipe is as follows.

Masala Vada Curry

For the Masala Vadas

Chana Dal                                           – 1 cup (soak for 1 hr)

Green Chillis                                     – 2 (paste or chopped finely)

Curry leaves                                     – a few

a big pinch of asafetida

Salt and chilli powder as per taste

oil for frying

Grind the soaked channa dal with very little water to a coarse paste. Add the chopped green chillies,  asafetida, chopped curry leaves, salt and red chilli powder to taste and mix well.

1. With wet hands, make into small balls and flatten them.
2. Heat the oil and deep fry till golden brown.
3. Remove and drain on paper towels.

For the Curry

Grated fresh coconut                          – 2 tablespoons

Whole Cumin Seeds                            - ¼ teaspoon

Whole black pepper                            – ½ teaspoon

Onion                                                        - 1 large, sliced

Green chillies                                         – 1

Ginger Garlic Paste                             – 1 teaspoon

Coconut Milk                                         1/3 cup

Tomatoes                                                 – 2

Tamarind extract                                 – ½ cup

Oil                                                               – 1 tablespoon

Curry leaves a few

Coriander leaves for garnishing

1. Grind to a fine paste with a little water, the coconut, whole cumin, whole black pepper and green chilli.
2. Heat the oil, add the curry leaves and onions and ginger garlic paste and fry till the onions are pink.
3. Add the ground masala and sauté till it is beginning to stick to the pan.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook covered till it turns soft. Add ½ cup water and the tamarind extract and bring to a boil.
5. Add the masala vadas and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and mix to taste. Add the coconut milk, simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring.
6. Check for seasoning and adjust. Serve hot with plain steamed rice.

Falafel ~ Non Deep Fried Version & NaBloPoMo Finale

Chickpea dumplings

For the longest time, I loved exotic (read non Indian) food for the simple reason that they had such awesome names! When I discovered Falafel at the lone hyderabadi restaurant, I fell in love with these crispy fried protein packed goodies. I couldn’t get enough of them. I was also amazed at how a simple preparation, could be made so glamourous with just the addition of a few other items. I’ve served falafels on their own as appetizers, as a meal with hummus, tzatziki and pita bread. Whichever way you choose to serve them, they are always appreciated and polished off.

Learn to make your own Pita from this post of mine. If you have not been able to plan the yeasted dough or don’t have it handy, use readymade store bought pizza bases to serve it. It works just fine.

Falafel (makes about 14-16 small ones) 

Chickpeas – 1 cup (dried ones)

Onion – 1 large, finely chopped

Garlic – 2-3 cloves

Fresh Coriander  – 1 small bunch, chopped

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Fresh bread crumbs or Maida – 2-3 tablespoons

Salt – to taste

3-4 tablespoons oil for shallow frying, or use the paniyaram chatti to make them in lesser oil.

• Soak the chickpeas in enough cold water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain, add 3 cups fresh water, pressure cook for 4-5 whistles till they are cooked but not mushy. Drain the water (keep this water for other uses, it is high in nutrients).
• Add the chickpeas and the garlic into a jar of the mixer and pulse 6-7 times in short bursts to get a coarse mixture. Add a little of the drained water if needed, but do not add too much.
• Take out into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• In a non stick pan, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat on a medium heat.
• Using your hands, make lemon sized balls of the chickpea mixture, shape it smoothly by rolling between your palms and flatten just a little bit. Place them on the hot skillet and fry till it is browned evenly. Gently turn over and fry the other side too.
• To make them with lesser oil, use the paniyaram chatti / pan or aebleskiver pan to make them, shaped into balls and drizzle a bit of oil on them to fry evenly.
• Remove onto a plate with a paper towel and drain till needed. Serve as an appetizer with hummus and tahini dips or use to assemble into a sandwich with salad and pita bread.

To assemble

4 mini pizza bases or 6 pita breads

toast the mini pizza bases on a medium hot tava and cut into quarters, slice horizontally not cutting all the way, but creating a flap.

put a generous amount of hummus and stuff with a few leaves of lettuce, one falafel, add a bit of tzatziki, cucumber and tomato slices and serve.

This marks the end of the NaBloPoMo. The first ever disciplined writing project I have attempted. I dragged my feet a bit, posting late on a few days and back dating. But i was determined to have all 30 posts. I realised I have a lot of food related stuff, pictures and recipes in my archives and it was easy to dip in and use them. I didn’t make anything exclusively for NaBloPoMo. It requires terrific amounts of discipline to do this nonstop. I am so glad and awfully proud I managed to do it.

November has been a month of tremendous discipline for me. Not just posting here, I also did a non stop one month photo project. If you would like to check it out, click here. Offline, I didn’t miss a single scheduled workout the results of which are showing, I have been on a very testing diet to help with some metabolic issues and was off shopping completely. Phew, made me realise that I can accomplish anything if only I applied my mind to it.

Thank you for reading and commenting and cheering me along, could not have done it without your support my dear readers.

I do not think I have the energy to sustain this kind of blogging again for a while. But I hope to be more regular than usual!

Tzatziki and Hummus

These two dips are my favourites to make, store and serve. They pair well with bread of any kind ~ Pita, Bread sticks, Crackers or vegetable crudites as well. For the Tzatziki, I add the cucumber just before serving and have found, that having hung yogurt in the fridge (keep it in the freezer if storing for more than 3 days, defrost as needed) is helpful. I also do the same with boiled chickpeas. Hummus, made from boiled chickpeas, makes an excellent sandwich spread and keeps well for atleast 5-6 days in the refrigerator.

In my next post, I will post Falafels and assembling a full on Lebanese style platter. Stay tuned.

 

Yogurt Cucumber Dip

Tzatziki – Yogurt Cucumber Dip 

Yogurt – 200 grams

Cucumber – I small, skinned deseeded and chopped small

Garlic – 1-2 cloves, crushed fine

Sesame seeds paste – 1 tablespoon

Olive oil – 2 tablespoons

Salt – to taste

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Mint and coriander leaves – a small bunch, chopped fine

• To make hung yogurt, line a sieve with a muslin cloth, pour the yogurt and place a bowl underneath, place in the refrigerator for a few hours till all the water drains off.
• Add all the ingredients except the olive oil in a bowl and whisk till everything is well mixed, pour the olive oil over it as a garnish. Serve chilled as a dip.

Chickpea Dip

Hummus – Chickpea Dip

Cooked Chickpeas – 1 cup

Lemon juice – 2-3 tablespoons

Sesame seed paste – 1-2 tablespoons

Garlic – 1 clove, crushed finely

Salt to taste

Olive oil – 2-3 tablespoons for garnish

Red chilli powder – to garnish

• If using dried chickpeas, soak ½ cup overnight, pressure cook for 20 mins, drain and reserve both the water and the chickpeas.
• Add all the ingredients except the red chilli powder and olive oil into a blender and blend adding ¼ cup of the reserved liquid to make a smooth paste.
• Check for salt and adjust.
• Transfer  to a serving bowl, using a spoon, make a well in the centre.
• Drizzle the olive oil in the centre of the hummus and sprinkle the red chilli powder as a garnish around the sides. Serve immediately with toasted pita bread, vegetable crudités or as use as a sandwich spread.

Of the Blogging Marathon and other stuff

So, its almost the end of NaBloPoMo and I cannot believe that I stuck it out. For five years now I have watched blogging marathons happen in the blog world. I watched in awe, but knew I didn’t have the time or the discipline to do something like this…This year, I don’t even know what  I was thinking when I signed up.

thanks to the marathon, I have blogged more this one month than in a whole year! It has given me such joy to just sit at my computer and type away. I realised I have so many recipes in the archives and photographs in my hard drive. They languish there because I was either lazy or felt they were not good enough to be published.

That somewhere has changed with this exercise. I am no longer caught up with the appropriateness of a picture or a post (which explains why I am writing this!). In-fact I have stopped editing my pictures altogether. No cropping, no adjusting light and contrast. It is such a relief!

Blogging has given me a lot. It has made me more conscious about my food choices, about how I cook or what nutrition each meal provides. It has taken me away from mindlessly eating junk. It has made me read labels more attentively and make wiser choices.

Most importantly it has given me friends.

Funnily, for someone who has been blogging for more than 6 years now, I still feel like an outsider! I am awed by the blogs i discover each day as I trawl the internet. I am amazed by the talent that bloggers across the world posses.

I must confess tho, that there are times when I am torn. When I see the beautiful layouts and gorgeous pictures, the styling and detailing, the complicated recipes and the reach of blogs, and subscriber counts, I resolve to do better, put in more effort and try to make my blog/ recipes and pictures better.

A few days or weeks pass by and I post something here back in my laid back style…. then it hit me… This blog is me… its a reflection of me… I write here to document my experiments and I am not going to make a job out of it. I am most comfortable taking pictures thrust on my dining table which is near a door, at the most, I carry food out to the little table we have on the balcony. I have a decent collection of plates and bowls but I usually end up photographing in the bowls/ dishes and plates that we use everyday to eat.

Blogging for me is like me or my cooking, Easy and fuss free. I get very worked up with performance anxiety if something is thrust on me. I shy away and never venture out again. same with this blog. And I guess it will remain that way!

What are your thoughts on blogging? How much time do you spend on it a week? what are your concerns?

Raw Banana and Mint Cutlets

banana mint cultets

The Escapades household loves cutlets and patties in almost all forms. In fact to make up for the slacking away here, after I read this post of Nupur’s on after school snacks, I pulled out a few frozen ones that I had sitting in the fridge and made them to go with my chai today.

My formula is real simple, a nice starchy vegetable with lots of body as the base, add any more vegetables of choice, bread crumbs, spices, herbs to taste, shape up into cutlets, fingers or bullets and fry in a shallow pan with very little oil. infact, for about a dozen or so of the cutlets, i use just about a tablespoon of oil.

Raw Banana Mint Cutlets

(Makes 12)

2 medium Raw Bananas (boiled with skin on and peeled)

1 medium Potato (boiled and peeled)

1/2 cup Fresh Pudina (Mint Leaves)

1 slice of fresh / dried bread

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala (optional)

In a large bowl, add the boiled and peeled green banana, peel the potato and add it to the bowl. with your fingers, mash it till there are no lumps.

grind together the bread, mint leaves, red chilli powder and garam masala (if using) and add it to the banana-potato mix. Sprinkle the salt and lemon juice and mix.

Make 12 equal parts, roll between your palms into a ball and flatten slightly.

heat a pan with a teaspoon on oil (i used a non stick one). when the pan is hot, place the cutlets without overcrowding them and fry on both sides till golden brown. Repeat with all the cutlets. Serve with sauce as an appetizer, or with ragda or as a side with a nice dal/ sambhar and rice. you can also stuff this into a roti with salad and a bit of this spread to make a roll.

Baking ~ Boozy Ganache Filled Tarts (Eggless)

Ganache Filled Tarts

For someone who plays and works with chocolate, I post painfully few recipes here using chocolate… am about to remedy it. I first ate a jam tart was in college when my friend got some and I was so smitten. I thought her grandmother (who made them) was some angel with a magic wand. the same year, I spent good friday and easter with them in their home at Trivandrum and indeed her grandmother was an angel with a magic wand. For four days, all I did was gorge on amazing food and sleep like a hibernating bear…. I cannot forget her sweet face and impeccably kept home… more importantly, the warmth of her heart and the terrific relationship she had with her granddaughter, my friend D.

On that nostalgic note, each time I make tarts, I think of Ammachi… This batch was made almost a year ago and filled with Chocolate Ganache.

tart shells

Ganache Filled Tarts

For the tart shell

Maida – 1½ cup

Chilled butter – ½ (cut into small pieces)

Pinch of salt

Ice cold water – 1-2 teaspoons

With your fingers, mix the butter into the Maida till it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the iced water and gently knead into dough. Keep in the fridge for an hour. Make two portions of the dough, using a clean surface; gently roll out using very little dry flour. Make a large chapatti and cut out enough dough to line a tart shell. Press into it carefully and prick all over with a fork. Repeat till all the dough is used up. Preheat oven to 210 degrees F, fill the tart shells with beans or raw rice and bake for 12 minutes or till the edges are golden. Remove and cool completely.

tart shells

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

Dark chocolate slab – 100 grams

Milk chocolate slab – 50 grams

Milk – ¼ cup

Whiskey or brandy – 1 teaspoon (optional)

In a bowl kept over boiling water, melt the chocolate and mix well. Add the milk and the alcohol (if using) and thoroughly mix. This is the ganache to be poured into the tart shells just before serving. If you want to store it, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge; gently reheat over a pan of hot water to use.

quesadilla

I used to stuff leftover rotis with whatever curry of the day was available, grate cheese onto it and pan toast it till the cheese melted, not knowing that they had a fancy name! Imagine my joy when I realised that it was a very popular Mexican preparation! I love quesadillas. Usually with nice warm melty cheese inside. They are easy to make especially if you have lunch/ brunch with friends as you can make the components ahead of time and just assemble toast on demand.

I had a girls night out a few months ago and we made a Mexican spread… needless to say, the tortilla wraps and these quesadillas were a huge hit.

I’ve slacked off on the blogging …. catching up!

spinach and corn quesadilla

Quesadilla (Makes 6 servings)

Flour Tortillas                       6

Spinach                                    1 large bunch, washed and finely chopped

Corn                                           ¼ cup (fresh or frozen)

Cheese (such as cheddar)  1 cup, grated

Salt and pepper                      to taste

Onion                                          1 medium, sliced

Cumin powder                        ¼ teaspoon

Red Chilli Powder                  ¼ teaspoon

Vegetable Oil                           2 teaspoons

In a hot pan, heat one teaspoon of oil and add the onion and sauté till translucent. Add the corn and cumin powder and cook till the corn is half cooked. Add the finely chopped and well drained spinach and cook for 4-5 minutes till the water from the spinach has evaporated but the spinach is still a bright green colour. Cool this filling.

Heat the flour tortillas on a medium hot tava. Add the spinach and corn filling to one half of the tortilla and spread a few tablespoons of grated cheese over it. Fold the other half over it and press down with a flat spatula or a steel plate for 10-20 seconds.

Turn the tortilla over, drizzle a little oil on the edges and press down for 5-6 seconds till the cheese is melting. Remove from the tava, slice into wedges and serve hot with a salad, salsa and guacamole dip.

Repeat with all the tortillas. You can use any spicy curried filling instead of the spinach and corn one. Mushrooms, sautéed peppers, chicken or even curried Paneer can be used.

Coconut Panna Cotta ~ Gelatin free

Coconut Panna Cotta

Ever since I discovered Panna Cotta, I don’t miss any opportunity to make it or eat it when we dine at a restaurant that offers it. I tried this one with coconut milk in addition to regular cream and the subtle taste just blew me away. Try this if you are fond of sublime desserts.

I made this with a Raspberry Sauce a few months ago and used White chocolate in that too. I like the body and sweetness that white chocolate gives the panna cotta.

Coconut Pannacotta (makes 4 servings) 

Coconut milk – 1 carton, 200 ml

Fresh cream – 1 carton, 200 ml (like amul fresh cream)

Grated dry coconut – 3-4 tablespoons

Chopped white chocolate – 150 grams

Agar agar (china grass crystals) vanilla flavoured – 2 tablespoons

1.  In a saucepan, add the cream, coconut milk and chopped chocolate and heat gently on a low flame, bring it to a gentle boil, stirring continuously to help the chopped pieces of chocolate melt.
2. Add the powdered agar agar to the heated mixture and stir till it has melted into the cream mixture and is thoroughly combined.
3. Take the saucepan off the heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
4. The mixture will begin to start getting thicker, mix it a couple of times to prevent a skin from forming.
5. Pour this in small glass serving bowls. Cool completely and cover each one with cling film.  Chill it in the fridge for a minimum of 4-5 hours or overnight.

1. This stays in the fridge for a few days, so is a good make ahead dessert.
2. To serve, toast the grated coconut in a hot pan till golden brown. Sprinkle over the chilled pannacotta and serve immediately

Protein Packed Salad ~ with Lobia

Am constantly trying to find ways to add protein to our meals in ways that do not use eggs. Not that I don’t love eggs, but there is something called overkill! Bean loaded salads are a good way to get a good portion of protein. I am fond of beans of all kinds. Indian cuisine makes wonderful curries and salads such as Koshimbir out of them. My standard rule to make a good salad is a layering of texture, flavour and taste. Pick 2 ingredients for each and you have a great salad in minutes.

I like to stock my vegetable tray with a variety of colours and textures. When I buy vegetables, I have a standard method. staples(such as onions, tomatoes), 3-4 green vegetables (beans, bhindi etc) and 2-3 colours (carrots, beets, cauliflower, coloured peppers, pumpkin, etc) that way i dont have a to eat monochromatic food! yeah I know… I have been told its very weird to constantly want coloured food like a child!

Here is the recipe for a good salad that can easily become a whole meal!

Protein Packed Salad (makes one large serving, can be split into two portions)

Ingredients:

Small head of iceberg lettuce, chopped roughly

Ripe Tomato                                       – 1 chopped into large pieces

Cucumber                                            – ½ peeled and cubed

Apple                                                     – ½ cored and cubed

Beetroot                                                – 1, boiled, peeled and cubed

Black Eyed Beans (Lobi                   – ½ cup, soaked overnight and boiled till just cooked (one whistle in the pressure cooker)

For the dressing

Lemon juice                                        – 1 teaspoon

Salt and pepper                                  – to taste

Honey                                                    – 1 teaspoon

Spring onion                                        – 1 shoot, finely chopped

Water                                                      – 1 teaspoon

Method:

Toss all the chopped vegetables together, add the boiled beans. Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl, pour onto the chopped vegetables and toss around to coat well. Serve chilled.

Thanksgiving & Comfort Food ~ Palak Dal

 

Today American’s celebrate Thanksgiving. It was tough to escape this one because there were reminders all over fb, twitter and in my training room today as my client for the day is an american company with operations in India.

I have a lot to be thankful for. this year in particular….its been a very tough year for K and me workwise. We’ve had to navigate over some super volatile minefields. Am thankful for the light at the end of the tunnel, the strength of spirit and the courage and integrity of the man i share my life with. Could not have chosen better. Am thankful for closures, new beginnings and a childlike enthusiasm that can never be put down.

Today is one of those days when I would want nothing better than a bowl full of hot rice, palak dal and a dollop of ghee. comfort food at its best. I make this one pot dal as often as I can, because its ridiculously simple to make. I’ve had a 12 hour day today and am looking forward to sleeping early. Not before I finished posting here tho.

Palak dal tadka (serves 2 )

Tur dal – ½ cup (washed and soaked in water for 15 minutes)

Spinach/ Palak leaves – 1-1½ cups (washed and chopped)

Small onion (chopped – optional)

Green chilies – 2

A pinch each of asafetida and turmeric

Salt to taste

For the tadka/ seasoning

Ghee/ oil – 1 teaspoon

Whole cumin seeds/ jeera – 1 teaspoon

Dry red chilies – 2-3

Fresh curry leaves – 15

Garlic – 2-3 pods

1. Take all the ingredients except the ones for tadka into a pressure cooker and cook for 3-4 whistles. The dal should be cooked and you should be able to mash it with the back of a ladle.
2. When the pressure releases, add the salt and mash the dal with a spoon. Put the dal back on the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
3. In a small pan, heat the ghee/ oil and add the whole cumin. Let it splutter, add the red chilies and peeled garlic, fry it till the garlic is turning golden brown.
4. Add the curry leaves, when they crackle, add it to the boiled, mashed dal. Serve hot with rotis or naan.