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.