Herb and Cheese Dip - Dips and Chips

A quick fix appetizer, no cooking required! Get a french baguette and you are good to go!

1 package cream cheese
1 small package feta cheese
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup mint leaves
3 - 4 garlic cloves (pass through a garlic press)
1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature.
Mix all ingredients in a food processor till well mixed.

Serve with a sliced baguette.

Sauteed fresh corn salad

This recipe is perfect to use some of the fresh corn that you could not resist buying at the farmer's market.


8 ears of corn on the cob - kernels removed.
4 TBS onion - finely chopped
2 jalapenos finely chopped
1 red pepper finely diced
4 TBS red onion finely diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TBS red wine vinegar
4 TBS olive oil
4 TBS basil leaves chopped

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the corn and saute till the oil coats the corn. Add the chopped onion and jalapenos and saute on medium-high heat till the onion gets transparent.
Add the chopped red onion, red peppers, salt, pepper and sugar and saute for 5-6 minutes till the flavours blend. Stir in the red wine vinegar and chopped basil leaves.

You can serve this as a side or as a salad, warm or room temperature. Just make sure the corn is really fresh.

Egg Curry Version 2

Egg curry is 'go to' dish - simple enough when you want it to be simple. Anagha this one is for you. Make it a dry version and you have a fancy egg masala dish. The onion puree in the recipe is made in a blender using a tiny bit of water. See the Learn the Basics section of my blog for perfect boiled eggs! Never compromise on...cooking the onions, they have to be brown..

6 eggs hardboiled and peeled
1 1/2 cup onion puree
3/4 cup fresh tomato puree
2 TBS tomato paste
3 TBS ginger-garlic paste
5-6 cherry tomatoes or 1 large tomato cut into big pieces
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
4 TBS oil
2 TBS chopped mint leaves
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the onion puree, cover and let cook till the water evaporates. Then saute on medium heat till brown. Really caramel brown. This step will take at least 15 minutes. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste and the ginger garlic paste. Cook on medium heat till the oil separates from the masala. This step takes another 10-12 minutes. Add the chili powder, salt, tomatoes and the mint leaves. Add water to the prepared masala, to desired consistency. Add the garam masala and mix.
Make a slit in the eggs - lengthwise and place them carefully , cut side down - in the gravy. Sprinkle the coriander leaves and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes only.

Serve hot with parathas or rice.
You can adjust the thickness of the gravy as per your liking. Instead of boiled eggs, add steamed and fried whole little potatoes or fried chunks of paneer for a change.

Pithla - Spiced chick pea flour

Pithla is the go to dish in most Maharashtrian households when you are pressed for time, or haven't been to the market to buy fresh vegetables. Unless, it was the house I grew up in, then we had pithla every week! My dad just loved this dish and asked for it every week almost. So dad, this post is for you. And what I really love is that Anagha loves this dish as much...and she actually asked for the recipe.

There are variations, you can use spring onions, radish, regular onions, or fenugreek leaves. You can make it dry, or semi-solid or even liquid like a thick curry. Its all in the proportion of water to chick pea flour. So feel free to experiment and adjust to your taste. The recipe I have put here is for a semi solid consistency. Kinda like mashed potatoes!

1 cup chopped onion
2 green chillies
6-7 curry leaves
1 cup besan (chick pea flour)
3 cups water
4 TBS oil
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
3-4 garlic crushed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves

Heat oil in a wide bottomed pan. Temper with hing, mustard seeds, garlic and turmeric. Add the chopped green chiliies, onion and curry leaves. Saute till the onion is soft. Add the chili powder and mix. Add the 3 cups of water, salt and sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the besan, stirring all the time. Cover and let steam for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve hot with chapatis or bhakri.

Chicken Biryani

Yes - finally. Chicken Biryani is a step forward! Remember it's all in the rice. How your biryani turns out will depend on how your rice is cooked. The other part is the prep. There is a lot of prep involved and it has to be done in time. The entire time to cook the biryani is about 3 hours. Be prepared for a long time in the kitchen. But the end result can be so satisfying and oh so delicious. Biryani is the only rice preparation that my daughter Anagha will eat without complaint!

Ingredients:

9 chicken thighs, skinless, bone in.
2 cups of basmati rice - washed and drained. Soak for couple of hours. This is very important
3 TBS ginger garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
salt
1 cup yogurt
3 TBS biryani masala (recipe follows)
4 cloves
4 green cardamom
6 pepper corns
few pieces of cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
oil
1 tsp saffron
5 TBS milk
15 whole almonds blanched and slivered
20 cashews
2 large tomatoes (or 3 medium) tomatoes
1 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 cup chopped mint leaves
4 large red onions sliced thin.
4 TBS ghee
4 eggs


For Biryani masala

1 Bay leaf
4 TBS coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black cumin seeds
8 cloves
8 pepper corns
5 green cardamom
2 black cardamom
2 star anise
1/2 tsp mace
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 TBS crushed dagad phool
3 pieces - 1 inch - cinnamon.

Dry roast these ingredients and grind to a fine powder. This can be done anytime. The masala can be stored in an airtight container.

Preparation:

Wash and drain the rice, let sit for at least a couple of hours.
Marinate the chicken in the ginger garlic paste,turmeric, chili powder and 1 tsp salt.
Fry the sliced onion till crisp. (You can use store bought fried onions - just make sure they are fresh)
Soak the saffron in warm milk.
Blanch the almonds and remove the skins. Cut them into slivers.
Fry the almonds and cashews in a little oil and keep separate.
Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water till the skin splits. Remove and peel them. Chop into 4 pieces each.
Boil and peel the eggs and make a slit in them - but do not cut them all the way.

Cooking:

Heat a large pot, add 3 TBS of oil. Add the 4 cloves,4 green cardamom,6 pepper corns and few pieces of cinnamon and fry for a minute. Add the pre-soaked rice and  at least 3-4 times the water - by volume. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp lemon juice. Bring to a rolling boil. Cook till the rice is almost done. Al dente. Then drain and run cold water over it. Make sure you spread out the rice in a tray, or the residual heat will cook the rice and then you won't get the perfect biryani.
Take about 3 TBS of the rice and add to the saffron/milk mixture.

Heat a large pot, add 4-5 TBS oil and add the marinated chicken. Saute the chicken till you see it turn white. Cover and cook. DO NOT add any water. Once the chicken is cooked, add the yogurt, biryani masala and tomatoes and cook till the yogurt is absorbed and the tomatoes start to break up. Remove from heat.
Add the fried onions and chopped coriander and mint leaves. Reserve a few fried onions for garnish.
Let cool for a few minutes.

Layering:
Pre heat oven to 275.

I use a lasagna pan. But any large oven proof casserole will work. Grease the bottom of the pan with a little oil. Add the chicken to the pan, arrange the chicken pieces so they are spread evenly over the pan. Add the eggs to this layer, arranging them in between the chicken pieces. Spread the rice evenly over this layer. Spread the saffron soaked rice over the rice. If any of the milk is left over just pour it over the rice, make sure you use all the saffron strands. Sprinkle the reserved fried onion and the fried nuts on top. Melt the 4 TBS ghee and 'glaze' the biryani. Cover entirely with aluminium foil.
Place the prepared pan on the bottom rack and let it cook for 30 minutes. Then MOVE the pan to the top rack and let it cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before opening the foil. When you serve the biryani, make sure you use a spatula that will reach all the layers.

Serve with onion raita and either bagare baingan or mirchi ka salan. Enjoy!!

Chicken Curry - Traditional

Ah chicken curry!

Each cook has his/her unique way of making chicken curry at home. Even if I give you the recipe here, it will never taste the same - so don't worry- make it a couple of times and you will hit upon the magic proportions that you and your family love. It never has to be exactly the same as someone else's. The biggest fan of my chicken curry is my little one- Anagha...this is especially for her.

I use either whole chicken,cut up or chicken thighs for chicken curry. That's simply because the leg meat always tastes better when braised and personally I love the chicken thigh meat. But feel free to use breast meat if that's what you like. The only rule is that it should be skinless and bone IN. Never boneless.

1 medium chicken cut into medium sized pieces.
2 cups yellow onion chopped
2 bay leaves
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves
3 TBS oil

For the marinade:
1 TBS turmeric
1 1/2 TBS chili powder
1 TBS salt
1 cup yogurt

Clean the chicken and pat dry. Apply the marinade and make sure all the pieces are covered. Ideally this should be marinated overnight in the fridge, but if you don't have the time, at least an hour or so.

Green Masala paste:

15 cloves of garlic
1 TBS ginger
2 TBS sliced onion
3-4 cloves
5-6 peppercorns
2 star anise
2 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
2 TBS coriander seeds
1 TBS cumin seeds
1/2 TBS fennel seeds
2 inch piece cinnamon
2 bay leafs
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds

Grind all of the above to a fine paste.

Brown masala paste:

4 TBS sliced onion
2 TBS grated coconut
1 TBS poppyseeds
1 tsp oil

Roast the onion in 1 tsp oil till brown, add the coconut and poppy seeds and roast till coconut turns brown. Grind to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a large thick bottomed pan, add the bay leaves and the chopped onion. Saute till onion is browned. Add the green masala and saute till oil separates. Add the marinated chicken with the marinade. Saute the chicken pieces till they turn white. Add 1 cup of water, lower heat, cover and cook. Stir frequently to make sure the chicken does not stick to the bottom of the pan. You may need to add a little more water, but do not add too much.
Once the chicken is cooked, Add the brown masala and then adjust the thickness of the gravy to your liking. Taste for seasoning. Add the chopped coriander leaves and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Serve with cucumber raita, chapati or paratha and basmati rice.

Learn the Basics - How to boil an egg

Sounds so simple right? Boil an egg, what could be simpler? It's as simple as boiling water.
But things can go wrong- especially for a new cook.
The perfect boiled egg is with the white done well, the yolk just done- and still bright yellow - no greenish edges - and perfectly peeled.

Always use the freshest eggs you can find. Start with cold tap water. The eggs should be immersed in the water. Add a teaspoon of salt or a splash of vinegar, so if an egg accidentally cracks in the water, the white does not spread. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and cover and keep the eggs in the water for 10-12 minutes. Then, run cold water in the pot. Take out the eggs and lightly roll them on the counter till the entire shell is cracked, then carefully peel them- under water. Peeling them under water helps to separate the thin membrane that holds the shell to the egg.

Voila! you will have the perfect boiled egg...every single time.

Sabudana Khichadi - Fasting food

Fasting Food - Oxymoron if I ever have heard one- but yes. Fasting in India basically means we cannot eat certain types of food which includes any meat or fish of course, cereals and most vegetables. There are certain 'fasting' approved foods - which are so delicious - you would never know you were fasting.

Sabudana Khichadi is a replacement for the rice that we would normally eat. Sabudana is Sago. You can find it in grocery store.

1 cup sabudana (pre-soaked. explained below)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup crushed peanuts (see note below)
1/2 cup diced potatoes (small dice)
1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar (for the potatoes)
3-4 green chillies chopped
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin)
2-3 TBS ghee
1 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS chopped cilantro leaves (just the leaves)
1 TBS finely chopped cilantro stems (only the tender part)
2 TBS fresh grated coconut.

To soak the sabudana.
Wash the sabudana and drain the water. Leave just about 2 TBS of water in the bowl and cover and keep aside. After about an hour check - if it is too dry sprinkle some water, mix it up and keep it covered. The sabudana needs to soak and soften completely. This takes about 2 hours. Best is to soak it overnight.
Do not soak it in standing water like we do with beans, it makes the final product lumpy.
Test it by squeezing the sabudana between your fingers, there should be no hard particle when you squeeze. Under soaking can result in a chewy final product.

To make crushed peanuts
Roast the peanuts in a pan till light brown, run them through a chopper to get a coarse chop. You want it a but chunky. And NO- please do not use peanut butter instead.

Once the sabudana is soaked, add the 1 tsp salt and 1 TBS sugar and the crushed peanuts to the sabudana. Mix well and keep aside. Keep it covered so it doesn't dry out.

Heat a saute pan, put in the ghee and when it is hot..not smoking ..add the jeera. Fry the jeera for about 30 seconds. Add the chopped coriander stalks and the green chillies. Add the diced potatoes, the salt and sugar marked for the potatoes, Saute for a minute. Lower the heat and cover and cook till the potatoes are tender.
Add the sabudana mixture and saute till the potatoes, ghee and sabudana are mixed together thoroughly. Test for seasoning, adjust if necessary. Cover and let it steam for about 5-6 minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves and coconut. Give it a good stir.

Serve hot.

Methamba - Sweet and Spicy Mango Chutney

It's the start of the mango season. That means raw mangoes flooding the market. There are so many things you can make with them. In India you get mangoes only during the season , not like here in North America where we get mangoes year round - from somewhere on the planet.
So when mangoes start arriving in the market in India, it's just crazy!

This is a quick and easy chutney - make it and it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks- if it doesn't get eaten before that.

1 cup peeled and diced raw mangoes
1/2 cup grated jaggery
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 TBS oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hing
pinch of fennel seeds

In a saucepan, heat oil temper with mustard seeds. When they splutter add the fenugreek seeds and fry for about 30 to 40 seconds. Do not burn the fenugreek seeds, the entire dish will be too bitter if they burn. Add the hing, fennel and turmeric. Add the diced mango and saute. Make sure the mango pieces are coated with the tempered oil. Lower the heat, cover and cook till the mango pieces are tender. Takes about 5 minutes
Add the salt, chili powder and grated jaggery. Mix well. Cover and let cook on very low heat till the jaggery is all melted. At this point the chutney will be a little on the syrup side. Let the liquid cook down to the consistency you want.
Let cool completely before eating. Hot jaggery can burn really bad.

Serve with theplas, parathas, dal and rice or even with some buttered toast- in place of marmalade!

Soups and Stews - Vegetable Soup

This soup is chock-a-block with all kinds of vegetables. It's a very hearty soup and can be served by itself as a whole meal. It's got the fragrance of fresh basil, the heartiness of the vegetables and it's thickened using sourdough bread. It does use a little bit of pancetta but vegetarians can easily omit that. I have an alternative for you at the bottom of the recipe.


4 TBS good olive oil
1 cup diced onion (not red onion, you can use yellow or white)
1/4 cup pancetta diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chopped kale
2 cups chopped savoy cabbage
6-7 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 cup canellini beans (white beans)
1 large can whole tomatoes in puree
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tsp salt
1 TBS pepper
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
6 large slices of sourdough bread cut into 1 inch cubes (about 2 cups)

Prep: Soak the white beans over night and then cook them in salted water for about 45 to 50 minutes till they are done but not mushy. Puree half the beans using the cooking water and keep half of them whole. Reserve the cooking liquid.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil, add the diced pancetta and chopped onions. Saute till the bacon starts to crisp. Add the chopped carrots and celery, saute and let cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, cabbage and kale. Saute till well mixed. Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes.
Add the whole cooked beans to the pot, and the beans puree. Add the can of tomatoes and mix thoroughly. Add 4 cups of stock and 1 cup of the beans cooking liquid. Add the bread cubes and cover and let cook for about 20- 25 minutes. Add the chopped fresh basil leaves and let cook for 5 minutes.

To serve:

Serve with really good olive oil drizzled on top. Or some parmesan grated on top.

Note for vegetarians. You can omit the pancetta and instead add a tablespoon of butter with the olive oil. Just enhances the flavour!

Bhakri - Breads galore

People always ask 'what is a bhakri?' So here is the wikipedia definition
Bhakri (Marathi: भाकरी bhākrī) is a round flat unleavened bread often used in the cuisine of the state of Maharashtra in India but is also common in western and central India, especially in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Malwan, Goa, and northern Karnataka. It is coarser than a roti or chapati. It can be either soft or hard in texture, compared to a British biscuit with respect to hardness.
It is cooked in Marathi homes on a regular basis, and is much healthier than a wheat chapati. The grains used are jowar, bajri or nachani most commonly. In the coastal areas bhakri is also made from rice flour, especially when eaten with seafood.
The technique to making these is a bit different - we don't roll these out, we pat them out on the rolling board and then they are roasted, One flip on the griddle and second flip on the open flame.
When I moved to Canada I didn't have a stove with an open flame (Oh Canada, when will you grow up). But Indian ingenuity being what it is, people came up with a solution. You will see it in the pictures.

1 cup of jowar flour - sorghum flour (or any flour except wheat) - you can get this in bullk barn
pinch of salt
water

In a plate mix the salt and the flour. Make a well in the flour and add water. Form a loose dough. These flours do not contain gluten, so they don't form a neat dough like wheat.
Place the ball of dough on the rolling board and using the palm of your hand, and dry flour as required pat the dough, to form a roti...

Using a spatula carefully lift this and place top side down on a pre-heated tawa or griddle. Apply water liberally to the top of the bhakri and let cook. When the water evaporates and the edges begin to dry, flip the bhakri - wet side down on the griddle.

Let it cook on this side for a couple of minutes, then transfer - with a flip ....to the next burner - or on to the open flame if you have a gas stove. Please use tongs for this step.

Once the bhakri is cooked ...it puffs up...ideally. Remove it from the heat - apply some ghee on it if desired and - its ready to eat. 

Best of luck!

Egg Curry Version 1

By special request from Amruta. Here is egg curry. A simple enough dish - which if done right can be the star.
There are many recipes for this - over the years I tried many of them and discarded some. Took a bit from here..a bit from there and came up with my own version.
Heads up here - this recipe takes time. The onion and tomatoes have to be sauteed just right or the formula fails!

4 eggs hard-boiled
1 cup yellow onion chopped
1 cup tomatoes chopped
1 TBS ginger garlic paste
1 TBS poppy seeds (soaked for about 30 minutes)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 TBS oil
1-2 cups of water
salt to taste

Prep:
Blend onion and ginger-garlic paste together to form a smooth puree.
Blend tomatoes and poppy seeds together to a smooth consistency.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed saucepan. Add the onion puree and saute on a low flame, stirring frequently. You need to cook the onion till it turns golden brown and  all the raw smell is gone. This takes over 10 minutes.
Add the tomato and poppy seed puree, garam masala, chili powder and turmeric to the pan and saute till all the liquid evaporates and you see oil bubbles around the mixture in the pan. This takes another 10 minutes.
Once the purees are cooked, lower the heat and stir in a cup of water. You can make this as a thick sauce or a thinner curry, as per your preference. Ensure the base is a smooth consistency and add salt to taste. Slice the eggs length-wise but do not cut them through, just to about 3/4ths of the way. Slide the eggs into the curry, cut side down and gently agitate the pan to coat the eggs.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves just before serving.

Note:
You can add boiled potatoes with the eggs too. Just make sure you salt the potatoes while boiling.
The poppy seeds add creaminess and thickness to the curry. Remember they will keep absorbing water so please adjust the consistency of the curry accordingly.

Spinach Soup - Soups and Stews

Another addition to my Soups and Stews list! The vibrant green colour will surely tempt you to try it. Its a simple dish - there are so many variations you can try - it's like making a new dish every time.
I have found that using baby spinach for the soup does make a tiny bit of difference to the taste. But don't panic if don't have baby spinach, regular spinach works just as well. Make sure you just use the leaves, no stalks allowed.
This soup does use butter and cream...but you can change the amount of butter and cream as per your requirements.

3 TBS butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots (or sliced onion)
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
500 gms baby spinach leaves- washed and trimmed
500 ml milk (more if required)
500 ml vegetable stock.
1 cup peeled and diced potato.
salt to taste
1/2 tsp white pepper
few grates of nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
4 TBS half and half

In a stock pot add the butter, shallots and garlic and saute till transparent. Add the potato cubes and saute. Add the stock and cover and cook the potatoes till soft. Add half the spinach leaves and the lemon zest and saute till well mixed. Cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes till the spinach is completely wilted. Let this cool for a bit. Add the milk and the remaining raw spinach leaves. Then blend it using a hand blender or in batches in a regular blender.
Return to low heat and stir in salt, pepper and few grates of nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Use more milk to thin out the soup to your required consistency if desired.
Just before serving fold in the heavy cream.
Chiffonade a few baby spinach leaves to garnish the soup.


Notes:
You can add a few sprigs of mint to give it a slightly different taste. Just add them with the raw spinach and blend them in. Make sure to only use the leaves.
Using half the spinach raw will give a very vibrant green colour to your soup.
If you do not want to use potatoes to thicken the soup, you can always make a roux.

Cauliflower rassa...curried cauliflower

This takes a bit of TLC...so made when I have some time on my hands. It's creamy and has just a bit of bite from the garam masala. If you use Kashmiri chili powder you get the perfect colour. A treat for all the senses.

2 cups cauliflower florets. (keep them all the same size)
1 cup green peas
1 tbs of poppy seeds (khus khus) - soaked for at least 30 minutes
1 TBS grated ginger
2 cloves
2 pepper corns
2 green cardamom
1/4th inch piece of cinnamon
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
8-10 fenugreek seeds
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chili powder (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or  sweet Hungarian paprika
4 TBS oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp hing
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 TBS chopped coriander

Grind together the soaked poppy seeds, ginger, cloves, peppers, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat the oil, temper with mustard seeds, hing and turmeric. Add the cauliflower, peas and the poppy seed paste. Saute till the cauliflower is completely coated with the paste and the tempering oil. Usually about 3-4 minutes. Add salt, chili powder and sugar and cover and cook. Do not add water at this point. The cauliflower will leach out water as it cooks. Once the cauliflower and peas are cooked, add the coconut milk and tomatoes. Add water to get it to the consistency you want. Check for seasoning. Bring to a rolling boil. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.



Notes:
You can use canned coconut milk here, actually works very well. You can soak fresh grated coconut in warm water...just enough water to barely cover the coconut shreds. Keep for 15 minutes. then squeeze out the coconut milk. This first extract is really thick and creamy. Keep aside to use in the curry.
Make sure you soak the khus khus or poppy seeds for at least 30 minutes so they can be blended into a smooth paste or your curry with be very rough.
To make it even creamier or richer throw in a handful of cashews in the paste. You can also fry some cashews and add them to the curry at the last minute.

Palak chi bhaji- Spinach

Very simple preparation - quick, easy and nutritious. Eaten with the ubiquitous varan bhat or best with bhakri!


2 bunches fresh spinach leaves. Cleaned, trimmed and chopped. Should be about 5-6 cups of chopped spinach in all.
1/2 cup chopped onion
4-5 large garlic cloves crushed and chopped into medium pieces... do not chop too fine.
2-3 green chillies slit lengthwise
salt to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
2 TBS oil (for tempering)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of hing
1/4 tsp turmeric.
1 tsp lemon juice

Best made in a wok or a kadhai or a wide saucepan...gives you room to saute.
Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, hing and turmeric. Add the garlic and fry till golden...please do not burn the garlic. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes till it is translucent. Do not hurry this step or later on you will taste raw onion in the finished vegetable... remember spinach cooks very fast.
Once the onion is cooked and translucent, add the spinach and chilies. Saute well till the spinach and onions are well mixed. Lower the heat to minimum and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt and sugar. Make sure the spinach is cooked. Steam for a couple of minutes more if required.
Just before you take it off the heat, add the lemon juice.

Bhuna Kaleji - Liver fry

Something to much on with your drinks!

250 gms chicken livers (cleaned and trimmed)
1 TBS ginger paste
1 TBS garlic paste
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
4 TBS oil
2 TBS finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp finely chopped mint leaves


Marinate the livers in the spices and ginger-garlic paste for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan or wok and add the marinated livers. Saute - gently - so you don't break the pices- for about 5-7 minutes till the livers change colour. Cover and let cook on low heat for about 3-4 minutes. When you take off the cover- there will be some water- let the livers cook on medium heat till the water evaporates. Stir occasionally. Stir in the coriander and mint leaves.
You can serve this hot- with roti or parathas. Or you can serve it by itself as finger food - it goes very well with a glass of beer.

Ambat Varan...CKP style Dal

You will find dal in every Indian household- each area- nay each house has it's own way of preparing dal. Ambat Varan- literally translated means Sour dal. This is due to the tamarind pulp we add to flavour the dal. This is a true panch ras (5 rasas or tastes) dish. Of course- me being a CKP- I make mine the CKP way...though dal any way is awesome
Ambat varan and rice - it's the ultimate comfort food in any CKP household.
Again - rule of thumb- 1 cup of dal will give you about 3 and half cups of the finished product..so check how much you need.
Tamarind pulp is extracted by soaking the tamarind in a bowl of warm water and squeezing out the fibrous part.
You can cook the dal in the pressure cooker- that's the easiest method. COuple of whistles and steam for 10 minutes and it's done. You can also cook it in a saucepan...just takes time.

For the dal:

1 cup tuvar dal
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp turmeric

Cook the dal in a pressure cooker till done. Remove and blend till smooth - not with a blender- just a wooden spoon will work.

For the Seasoning

1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS jaggery
1 1/2  TBS tamarind pulp
3/4 tsp red chili powder

Add these seasonings to the cooked dal.

For the Tempering

10-12 curry leaves
5-6 cloves of garlic crushed
2-3 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp hing
2 TBS oil

For the finishing

1 cup of water (or more if required)
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves

Heat oil in a saucepan, add the mustard seeds and hing. Add the garlic and fry till light brown...do not burn the garlic. Add the fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves and add the dal. Stir till the dal is completely mixed with the tempering.
Add 1 cup water- check the dal is at desired consistency- usually soupy - not watery. Recheck for seasoning...Garnish with the coriander leaves. Bring to a rolling boil and done.

Variations

You can use Kokum or raw mango for the sour ingredient instead of tamarind. It's a different flavour profile but equally delicious.
Serve hot over steamed rice - with anything else your heart desires!

Fried Fish - Ocean Smelts

We get a type of fish in Bombay called Mandeli. These are small fish- fried whole- and chomped down by the plateful with ice-cold beer. Really missed it here in Canada till I discovered Ocean smelts. Thanks to the lady at the fish counter at my grocery store for introducing me to this fish.

You can buy the smelts all cleaned at the fish counter. Just wash them and check that all the scales are off when you bring them home.

6 ocean smelts
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
Oil for shallow frying
rice flour for breading the fish

Clean the fish if needed and marinate in ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, chili powder and salt for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a frying pan, dredge the fish in rice flour and fry till crisp. This is a small fish, takes couple of minutes to fry each fish.
Drain on a paper towel and serve with an ice cold beer :)

Bharli Bhendi - Stuffed Okra

Okay so you need time on your hands to make this dish. You need a lot of time actually. Each okra has to be wiped dry, trimmed and slit lengthwise so you can stuff it with the prepared paste. But the end result is worth the effort. Try it one day - I promise you won't be disappointed.

1 lb (250 gms) of Indian okra - try and pick the smaller ones
5 TBS oil
1/2 tsp hing
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
12-14 curry leaves

Wipe the okra dry with a paper towel, trim the ends and slit them lengthwise. Take care not to go all the way through or the stuffing will just fall out the other side.

For the stuffing

1 cup fresh grated coconut. (you can use the frozen variety just make sure it's defrosted)
1 cup coriander (cilantro)
1 TBS lime juice

Grind these 3 ingredients to a paste but not too smooth. Let it have a bit of coarseness. Try not to use water when blending. If needed add maybe couple of tablespoons of water.

3 TBS coriander seeds
1 TBS cumin seeds
1 TBS fennel seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 TBS sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt

Grind all the spices together to a fine powder using a spice grinder or a coffee grinder.
Mix the ground spices with the coconut paste.

Stuff each okra with the spice-coconut paste mixture.
In a large frying pan (I use a paella pan) add the oil, hing, turmeric and chili powder. Stir it together and wait till its just warmed through, do not heat it too much, we don't want to burn the chili powder.
Add the stuffed okra and cover and cook. Give it a careful stir every so often. I usually just shake the pan to move them around. Cook till the okra are tender. This will depend on the size but on average about 25 minutes or so. The okra will loose the green colour and turn kind of black when they are cooked. Add the curry leaves and stir them in, turn off the heat and let sit for a couple of minutes to let the leaves steam and release the flavour.

Serve with chapati or kadhi (http://mykitchenbyswati.blogspot.ca/2011/05/kadhi-yogurt-curry.html ) and rice.

Soups and Stews - Mushroom Soup

This soup tastes nothing like the one out of the can. Just takes a bit of patience - brown the mushrooms in butter for a while and you will get a beautiful rounded out flavour to the soup. I make it with vegetable stock if I want to serve it to vegetarians- but beef or chicken stock is great in this soup.
I use crimini mushrooms- but mini bellas or regular white button mushrooms will work as well.


4 cups mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic peeled
8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme tied together
1 TBS sherry
1 TBS AP flour
1 TBS salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 TBS good olive oil
2 TBS butter
1 cup cream (half and half)

In a stock pot, add the oil, butter and the sliced mushrooms. Saute them on medium heat till they brown well - this will take about 20 minutes at least. Add the chopped onion and the garlic cloves and continue sauteing till the onion is translucent and the mushrooms start to caramelize. Do not hurry this step- this is what will flavour the soup.
Add the sherry and saute till the alcohol smell is gone. Add the flour and saute till the raw flour taste is gone.
Add 6 cups of stock, salt, pepper and drop the bunch of thyme in and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and let cook for 45 minutes.
Pick out the thyme bunch and blend the soup till smooth. You can either use an immersion blender or a regular blender. If using a regular blender make sure you fill the jar only about 1/3 full at a time.
Add the cream and check seasoning. If you prefer a thinner soup, use either water or stock to thin the soup. Do not use cream to thin the soup- or it will get too rich.
Bring to a boil before serving.

You can serve it with a crostini in the bottom of the bowl or a dollop of mascarpone on top. You could reserve a few browned mushrooms before adding the stock to garnish the soup.
Go ahead - I promise this will take the edge off the winter chills.

Matkichi Usal

This is very very Marathi! Maharashtrians love sprouted beans- very good source of protein- and especially CKP's will cook these on the meatless days!
A very famous Marathi snack food is Misal Pav...basically Usal served with pao (bread) and sides like chopped tomatoes, onion etc...with amti- made with misal masala...details follow at the end of the recipe.

 

This is what matki (or moth or math) beans look like.

you need to soak the beans overnight- then pour out the water and place them- covered- in a warm place to sprout. So making this dish takes a bit of planning. 1 cup of dry beans will yield about 3 cups of sprouted beans.

This is what the sprouted beans look like. 

1 cup of matki beans (sprouted so you get 3 cups of beans)

1 cup chopped onion

8-10 curry leaves

4 TBS oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp hing

3/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 TBS gur (jaggery)

3-4 kokum

1/4 tsp garam masala

2 TBS chopped coriander leaves

Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, hing and turmeric. Add the onion and curry leaves and saute till onion turns translucent. Add the sprouted beans, chili powder, cumin/coriander powder and salt. Add a cup of water and cover and cook till done adding more water if needed. 

When the beans are soft- NOT MUSHY- add the jaggery, kokum, garam masala and stir till the jaggery is melted. Stir in the coriander leaves. 

At this point you have the basic usal ready. Can be eaten as it is with chapati or pav- or with dal and rice- whatever takes your fancy.

If you want to serve usal pav...here you go

For the toppings

Finely chopped tomato

Finely chopped red onion

Chopped coriander leaves

Green chili chopped

Yogurt

Fresh grated coconut

Shev or farsan (only Indian will understand this ingredient- feel free to omit it :) )

Pav or dinner rolls

Serve the usal topped with whatever toppings you like....way better than a Big Mac!

Enjoy

Here is what shev looks like - seasoned chick pea flour is made into a dough and deep fried into crunchy sticks!

Sol Kadhi (Coconut milk with kokum)

Kokum is a sour fruit available in the Western coastal regions of India. It is used in the cuisines of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It imparts a unique sour flavour to the dish. Used very often in fish dishes and coconut based dishes.
Sol Kadhi is coconut milk flavoured with kokum. This is usually an accompaniment to fish dishes and can be eaten with rice or just served as a drink. Very popular among Maharashtrians, there are of course multiple recipes for sol kadhi. But the basic ingredients remain the same.


1 cup of fresh shredded coconut. (you can use the frozen kind, but do not use the dry coconut.)
3 cloves of garlic
1 small green chili
6-8 large kokum
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 TBS finely chopped coriander leaves
3-4 cups of water (room temperature)

Blend the shredded coconut, garlic cloves, chili, kokum, sugar and salt with 2 cups of water. Extract the milk and then blend again with the remaining 2 cups of water.
Taste for seasoning if required. Add the finely chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Serve with rice and fried fish!!!

Cabbage stir fry (Indian style - Kobichi bhaji) - 2 ways

On request from Amruta. I am still puzzled as to when she started eating cabbage bhaji!
This is very basic vegetable to prepare- everybody cooks cabbage- in many different ways.
I make a quick veg using green chillies or sometimes add soaked chana dal or soaked moong dal to it - which take a little bit more time to make - and bit more prep time.
I use the regular cabbage - not Napa cabbage and not the red cabbage.

So the simple version first.

Simple Cabbage Stir Fry

2 cups of green cabbage - shredded.
3-4 Green chillies slit length wise
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2-3 TBS oil
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dal
1/2 tsp hing
1/2 tsp turmeric
1.2 tsp cumin-coriander powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TBS chopped coriander leaves


The best pan for this is a wok. Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and  asafoetida (hing). Add the turmeric and udad dal- fry for 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves, ginger and chillies. Fry for less than a minute and add the cabbage. Give it a quick stir to make sure the cabbage is evenly coated with the seasoned oil. Lower the heat, add cumin-coriander powder, salt and sugar. Mix well and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Try not to over cook the cabbage, this tastes best when the cabbage still has a bit of a bite to it.
Garnish with the coriander leaves to serve.

Note- make sure you drain the cabbage completely before you cook it. The best way is to spin it through a salad spinner or lay it out on a kitchen towel and pat dry. Wet cabbage will not cook up crisp and crunchy.

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Now the lengthy version!


Cabbage with chana dal (split chick peas)

3/4 cup soaked chana dal (soaked for at least 3-4 hours)
3 cups of chopped cabbage
10-12 curry leaves
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder
3/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp red chili powder
3-4 TBS oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp hing
salt to taste
3/4 tsp sugar
3-4 lime wedges
2 TBS chopped coriander



Heat oil - add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Add 4-5 curry leaves and the soaked dal, turmeric and chili powder. Saute for a minute. Add 3-4 TBS water and let it come to a boil, lower the heat and cover and cook the dal till al dente. (should give when you press it with you finger but should not turn into a curry). Add the Cabbage, remaining curry leaves, ginger, cumin-coriander powder, salt and sugar. Saute till the dal is mixed with the cabbage. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander and lime wedges to serve.