Recycling store bought spice mixes – Bharwan Bhindi

this has been sitting in my drafts for a few months now… but better late than never….

Ever since Nupur called for looking into your pantry, i have been so inspired that i shall be continuing to post recipes here that have been the result of forcing myself to look into the inner recesses of my pantry and fridge.

K loves ladies finger. If you serve it to him everyday even, there wont be a complaint. I end up taking the easy route out and make a quick vegetable stir fry out of them. I had been eyeing a few recipes of bharwan bhindi or ladies finger stuffed with masala and fried whole. each recipe i looked at had a spice blend that was high on coriander powder, amchur or dry mango powder and chickpea flour or besan.  I rifled through my stockpile of store bought ready spices and found a packet of Rasam Powder. what does one do with the many assorted kinds of masalas that one acquires over time. this one i bought from a stall at an exhibition. it was a womens self employment group, and i picked up some munchies and this masala. long after the munchies were gone, i still had this packet that admittedly did’nt make very good rasam. not when i had my own killer recipe anyways. so i went back to the recipes of bharwan bhindi and decided whats good for rasam should be good for bhindi too!  so here it is. I cooked them crisp on a low flame in  anonstick flat bottomed pan. if you dont like to spend too much time, use a little more oil to get the job done faster!

Bharwan Bhindi (Stuffed Ladies Finger) with Rasam Powder

Serves 3

Time Taken: 30 mins

20 tender ladies finger (top snipped off and slit length wise without cutting it through)

3 heaped tablespoons readymade rasam powder or substitute by mixing together 2 tablespoons ground coriander powder + 1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin) powder + 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

salt to taste

1 heaped teaspoon besan (gram flour)

1 heaped teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango powder)

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon oil

wash and drain the ladies finger. lay out on a soft cloth or paper towels and pat dry. cut off the heads and slit lengthwise without slitting them fully. Make a paste of all the dry powders with the water. it should be a thick paste. with your fingers, stuff this masala into the slit lady fingers. heat the oil in the pan and add the stuffed vegetable to the pan. ensure they are laid out flat, if they’re crowded, they wont fry crisp. you may need to do this in two batches if your pan cant accommodate all of them at one go. fry them on a low flame for about 8 mins till they are crisp on the underside, flip over and cook the same way on the other side. Serve when they are still warm. since this is dry. goes well with Rice and a gravy or dal.

Gutti Dondakaya Kura ~ Stuffed Ivygourd

The Andhra must have at a celebratory meal for vegetarians is Gutti Vankaya. Baby brinjals, stuffed and slow cooked in a medley of wonderfully aromatic spices. I found a fool proof recipe at Sailu’s food that works each time. It also works with other vegetables such as capsicums and lady fingers. However, one that i really wanted to try was this masala stuffed into ivy gourd or dondakaya as it is called in telugu. There are many versions of this dish and this one is mine. Making the masala a day before is a good idea, as this dish is cooked on very slow heat and may not be the best thing to undertake on a busy work week.

Gutti Dondakaya Kura

20 fresh and tender ivy gourds, washed, tail and tip removed and slit lengthwise but not all the way, keeping the whole gourd intact

heat a pan of water, add salt to it and blanch the ivy gourd in this for about 4-5 minutes, till they are cooked about 50%. drain and set aside.

1 onion finely sliced

4 flakes garlic
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp jaggery or sugar (optional- but tastes good with it)

salt to taste
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves(garnish)

For the tadka

1 tsp cumin seeds
12 curry leaves
large pinch methi seeds (menthulu,fenugreek)

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the garlic cloves and onions and fry on medium heat for 7-8 minutes or till transparent. Remove from fire and cool. Grind to a paste with the coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, sugar or jaggery and salt adding little water to make a thick paste.

Stuff this gently into the precooked slit ivy gourds.

Heat the remaining oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, add the cumin seeds, methi/ fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and saute till the fenugreek is just turning colour. Ensure it does not get burnt. Add the stuffed ivy gourd, and saute on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Make sure the vegetables have enough space in the pan as crowding them will make them break. add 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook on medium heat for about 12-15 minutes. Check in between and gently turn around with a slotted spoon. Once the moisture is almost dry and the gravy is just enough to coat the ivy gourds, turn off the heat, garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with  steamed rice.

Potato Wedges and Mixed Veggie Poriyal

Potato wedges are always a good party treat. They are a hot favourite with all and its easy for me as a hostess cos all i have to do, is bake them for 15 minutes in a preheated oven….i prefer this to frying them. i make them from scratch at home from nandita’s recipe, but if there is a need for “emergency party food” i buy a bag of readymade wedges. I discovered over the weekend tho, that there is such a thing as too many wedges!! It was the feast of the leftovers, we had bits and pieces from our party dinner, and freshly made rasam and rice. But those leftover wedges were on my mind. I decided to chop them up and “do something” with them…. too less to feed four adults, i tossed in some shredded cabbage, ½ cup of frozen peas and a chopped carrot. In about 5 minutes, i had a poriyal on hand, that disappeared fast at the table….

Potato Wedges and Mixed Veggie Poriyal

1 cup baked potato wedges chopped (or use 1 cup parboiled fresh potato)

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup shredded cabbage

1 medium carrot, skinned and chopped small

1 small onion chopped

1 green chilly chopped

1 teaspoon oil

A pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon each of mustard seeds and skinned urad dal

6-7 curry leaves

11/2 tablespoons shredded dry / fresh coconut ( i used dry)

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil. Add the mustard and uradm dal. Fry till the urad dal is golden and the mustard has spluttered, add the asafoetida and immediately add the curry leaves, green chilly and vegetables. Sauté for a few minutes, add ½ cup water, salt and cover and cook till the carrot is almost done. Turn off the heat, and add the coconut and stir. Serve with rotis or rice and sambhar / rasam.

Pan Sauteed Broccoli

Disclaimer: Not the most flattering of pictures, but if I were to post only the stuff that turns out pretty, I’d have precious little on the blog!!

This recipe is courtesy Sig, she suggested this way of preparation on a post or a blog of a fellow blogger, am unable to find the link. this must be one of the easiest dishes to make and adds to a simple or elaborate spread. I’ve made this several times since i discovered this way of making it and it makes a great low cal dinner on its own, or a great side to a pasta meal.

Pan Sauteed Broccoli (serves 2 as a side)

2 cups bite sized broccoli florets, washed and drained

2 pods of garlic, finely sliced

salt and pepper to taste

splash of Extra virgin olive oil

1/2-1 teaspoon of red chilli flakes (as per tolerance to spice)

1 teaspoon lime/ lemon juice

In a pan bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil, add the broccoli florets and blanch for 1-2 mins. The broccoli should be par boiled, still crisp and retain its bright green colour. Alternatively, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the florets in a microwave safe bowl and nuke for 2-3 mins on high. drain off the water and proceed as follows.

in a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic, saute till fragrant and just turning golden. Add the blanched broccoli and toss around. Add the salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Toss well. Turn off the heat. squeeze the lemon juice on top and toss well. serve warm.

Moussaka – not quite!!

Two nights ago i was watching this travel cum cooking show on Travel and Living and saw this lovely lady making moussaka…. she had such a lilt in her voice and was so delighted to be showing how to make this famous greek / arab dish…. K and i looked at each other and he said to me…” I want to eat Moussaka” . This evening, when i was struck at 7 p.m with the question of “what to make for dinner?” i said to myself “Moussaka”. Well i threw in some elbow macaroni to make it a complete meal. So this is my version of vegetarian “Not Quite Moussaka”. This dish was cooked up with a minimum fuss. Its also the first time that i am cooking with fake mince otherwise called soya granules. I was very pleased with the result. This is the first time I’ve made something from a TV show…. try it, you will love it. The paneer in the bechemel sauce was lovely without being too heavy. Since i made many changes to the original recipe, i am not claiming any authenticity

I also fell all over myself and almost broke my camera trying to take pictures of the making of the moussaka so that i could post a step by step….. humour me… while i do this… cos it doenst look likely that i will go through all of this again! Oh and since making the bechemel sauce in itself is difficult to do with the whisking etc, i dont have a step by step of that…. kind of the wrong recipe to choose to do a step by step… but what the hell…. i cant waste all the pictures i took!!

I’ve been off the blogging world radar for way longer than i expected… was just mentioning to my namesake that i am not keeping track of any blog events or participating in them… this moussaka then, goes to JFI- Paneer, the event conceptualised by Indira, being hosted this month at The Spice Who loved me!!

peel and slice the potatoes. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, if like K you cant stand too much olive oil, use any neutral vegetable oil. place the potato slices in a single layer and half cook them on both sides.

Drain out any liquid from the brinjal slices and repeat the half cooking process in the remainder of the oil.Transfer to a plate.

Cook pasta as per the instructions on the package. Plunge in cold water, drain and reserve.

soya granules, soaked in 2 cups of hot boiling water

add the olive oil, add the cinnamon stick, add the chopped onions and garlic and fry till transluscent. add the soya granules and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree, grated fresh tomato, cumin, salt and pepper and red chilli powder and cook till its almost dry.

place a layer of potatoes at the bottom of a buttered baking dish.

at this point, i realised i HAD to clean the counter of the clutter…. with one hand…

Cover the potatoes with a layer of the fried brinjals.

Spread a layer of the cooked pasta. (i added this step to make this a full meal, omit if you are serving this with garlic bread on the side.)

cover this with a layer of the soya ragu.

evenly spread the bechemel sauce on top.

Bake for 30 minutes in the hot oven, or till the top is browning slightly. Leave to settle in the oven about 5-10 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and serve with a light salad on the side.

Here’s the full Recipe

(Serves 4-5 main courses)

8 slices of brinjal (1/4 inch slices of the large bharta variety)

10-12 slices peeled potato (1/4 inch thick)

1 cup of cooked pasta (i used elbow, rigatoni also would do)

Slice the brinjal into 1/4 inch thick pieces and sprinkle with a little salt, leave in a colander to drain about 30 minutes. peel and slice the potatoes. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, if like K you cant stand too much olive oil, use any neutral vegeatble oil. place the potato slices in a single layer and half cook them on both sides. Transfer to a plate and reserve. Drain out any liquid from the brinjal slices and repeat the half cooking process in the remainder of the oil.Transfer to a plate.

Cook pasta as per the instructions on the package. Plunge in cold water, drain and reserve.

for the ragu:

1 cup red onion, chopped fine

10-12 pods of garlic, chopped finely

1/2 cup of soya granules, soaked in 2 cups of hot boiling water

1 cup of tomato puree

1 inch stick of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder/ cayenne

1 ripe red tomato, grated

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In the same skillet in which the potatoes and brinjal slices were fried, add the olive oil, add the cinnamon stick, add the chopped onions and garlic and fry till transluscent. add the soya granules and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree, grated fresh tomato, cumin, salt and pepper and red chilli powder and cook till its almost dry.

for the bechemel sauce:

2 tablespoons all purpose flour ( i used whole wheat)

11/2 cup milk (i used low fat)

1 cup of ricotta cheese (i used homemade grated paneer)

1/2 cup cheddar/ parmesan cheese (i omitted this)

2-3 tablespoons of plain yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt the butter and before it starts to brown, add the flour and saute till all the butter is absorbed. ensure neither the flour nor the butter gets burnt. this process needs your full attention. Add the milk, slowly using a whisk to ensure there are no lumps. add the salt and pepper to taste, while it is coming to a simmering point, add the cheese, grated paneer  and yogurt. Mix well. When the sauce has a custard like consistency (about 1-2 mins), turn off the heat. cool it a little before using for the layering.

To assemble the moussaka. butter a 8×8 inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. place a layer of potatoes at the bottom. over that, assemble a layer of the fried brinjals. cover this with a layer of the cooked pasta. i added this step to make this a full meal, omit if you are serving this with garlic bread on the side. cover this with a layer of the soya ragu. evenly spread the bechemel sauce on top. Bake for 30 minutes in the hot oven, or till the top is browning slightly. Leave to settle in the oven about 5-10 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and serve with a light salad on the side.

Salad Days….Pomelo Salad

Amma’s stay with me has almost come to an end. She will return to base on sunday. for once i am not jealous, because the call of the grand daughter is much stronger than mine! Rachel, someday i hope you will fully acknowledge that your Daadi is cuckoo for you dearie…. all she can talk of is you and of you….and that’s something that amuses and (ok i will admit) tires me too sometimes! i guess the joy of having a grandchild is something only a grandparent knows and i hope it is vice versa. i grew up not having or knowing my grandparents. the only memory i have, is of my paternal grand mother and distant and cantankerous are the words which described her the best….

anyways… i digress… what has any of this got to do with a salad? when amma came here 10 days ago, she brought with her a large citrus fruit called pomelo. it is the largest citrus fruits available. She didn’t quite know how we’d use it but brought it in her baggage anyways. the really thick and fleshy rind was peeled away to reveal a soft pink coloured flesh. it was quite tart and had a slight bitterness as an aftertaste and i wondered if i could make marmalade out of it. One of the easiest ways i find to use sweet limes/ oranges etc which are too tart to be eaten as fruit, is to add them to a salad and that’s what i did with a few sections of the pomelo. i still have half of the fruit sitting in the fridge. For now, i leave you with this refreshingly crunchy salad.

Pomelo Salad (serves 3)

All the vegetables I used were chilled before chopping

2/3 cup cubed red and yellow capsicum

2/3 cup peeled, deseeded and diced cucumber

2/3 cup halved cherry tomatoes (use any other tomato on hand)

1/2 cup pomelo segments, seperated

for the dressing

2 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbslp fresh lemon / lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 Tblsp finely chopped coriander

Method

In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add all the vegetables for the salad and toss well till the chunks are well coated. Serve immediately.

Pan Tossed Vegetables with Paneer

stir fried vegetables

every now and then when i want to purge my system of a carbohydrate overdose, i reach out for steamed and pan tossed vegetables. this is a good way of eating the required amount of vegetables ( 5-7 servings), they are incredibly colourful and really fill you up without making you feel like a goat that had a go at a cabbage patch!!

steamed veggies pan tossed with salt and pepper in olive oil takes less than the time to hard boil an egg. i cant seem to stop chopping vegetables for this once i start. i like to add about 5-6 different kinds of vegetables with varying textures and flavours, but please do go with whatever suits you or is stocked in your fridge!! i added the paneer because i had it on hand. while paneer adds protein to make this a balanced meal, boiled beans, tofu or strips of boiled chicken for a non vegetarian option will be great as well am sure.

pan tossed vegetables

this is a great side to garlic bread or a simple pasta. however, i like to make a full meal of it. the textures and flavours of the vegetables was

the zuchini retained its slight sweetness. the panner was just seared which allowed it to remain very very soft. this is an easy meal to fix on a busy day. i just use it to purge myself of excessive indulgences with carbs!!

For the Love of Sweet Potato……..

 

 

I cant remember when and where I first ate sweet potato in a savoury dish. I can tell you this is one vegetable I would hardly miss if I didn’t see it for the next 10 years!! K on the other hand, loves it. and after a long time I picked it up with the weekly vegetable supply. It sat there patiently till I ran out of everything else, and forced by circumstance I had to cook it for dinner one night.

 

This is a vegetable that will surprise you as it did surprise me! The mildly sweet flavour actually grows on you. I wont mind cooking it occasionally. While I would prefer to make wedges or bake it, k really loves it as a side dish with rotis. I kept the preparation really simple, not adding too many flavours and spices so that the flavour of the sweet potato really comes through.

Kakarkaya Vepudu with Goda Masala

A few months ago, I received a gift of ½ Kg of Goda Masala from a neighbor. She had moved into the apartment opposite us and is from Pune. I was her contact for all things hyderabadi, from finding a maid and translating for her, to directing her to the closest market ….. we had a good time getting to know each other while she got familiar with a new place. I asked her about goda masala and she very sweetly confessed that she wasn’t much of a cook, infact she was just learning to rustle up something in the kitchen post marriage, never having entered the kitchen before. She promised to ask her mom for the recipe and on her next trip, she came back with this large bag of Goda Masala. While I was touched by the gesture, I really didn’t know how to use up so much of it. I promptly shared it with a few friends and relatives and kept the rest in the fridge, to prolong its use.

Goda Masala is a typically Maharashtrian masala made of many whole spices and coconut. this is used in vegetable stir fries and dals (aamti) and gives the dish a flavourful and aromatic edge. Like everything about cooking, this masala has many versions, and each family has their own way of making it. while a few ingredients will remain integral, there are additions and ommissions too depending on an individual taste and choice. here are some great resources for Goda Masala….it is a labour of love…..so go ahead….

Anitha’s Goda Masala

Indian Food Forever’s Goda Masala

Bhaatukli’s Goda Masala

The Cook’s Cottage’s Goda Masala

Jugalbandi’s Goda Masala

Chakali’s Goda Masala

While I am away at work, Amma busies herself in the kitchen to make dinner. On one of her “see what you have in the kitchen/ fridge / pantry” meddling, she found the stash of goda masala and asked me in what she could use it. I told her most vegetable fries will go well with the masala. This evening, as I unlocked the door, the aroma of Goda Masala greeted me. She used it in this simple Kakarakaya (Bittergourd) fry. If you like bittergourd, this is a must try. It is fabulous, the flavour of the coconut with the garam masalas blended with the crisply fried bittergourd. If you aren’t fond of this vegetable, try the Goda Masala with tendli, brinjal or even pumpkin.

Mixed Love

 

It isn’t uncommon to have me stare at a few vegetable odds and ends and wonder how the hell I am going to make a meal out of what I see…..it used to throw me off gear and the head of the serpent that hissed I was pathetic at running my house raised itself…..then I realized, I need’nt waste time judging myself by the contents of my vegetable crisper….( Yeah I am strange)…. On their own, they may be meager….but thrown into a hotpot together, they do a merry dance….afterall no one need know that the mixed vegetables weren’t together by chance……so they lent themselves to a stew or pulav or a side dish …. With the addition of some fuss free masala, they’d be as good as a nicely planned item on the men…. and no one was the wiser!! this is a winner and for a while was my signature dish….it was in no way indicative of my home management skills!!