Vegetable Platter

Raw Tamarind Thokku | Hunase Thokku

Those in the South, especially from the Karnataka & Andhra region will know what Thokku is & how dear it is to them. Thokku is a semi dry chutney made with various seasonal produce like raw mangoes, Tamarind, Tomatoes, Gooseberry. They are usually made in huge batches & is meant to be stored for a long time. If stored well, a Thokku can stay good for a couple of years.

Now that it is Tamarind season in Namma Bengalooru, I bought some nice & tender tamarind to add it to Gooseberry Pickle & the rest was used up to make this amazing Thokku.

You Will Need:

250 grams of tender Raw Tamarind
12-15 Green Chilies or Ripe Red Chilies - I used Green Chilies
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds/Methi seeds
Salt as per taste - Usually about 4-5 Tablespoons
A big pinch of Turmeric Powder
4 tbsp Oil - I used Groundnut Oil

How To:

Wash & Clean Tamarind. Spread it on a kitchen towel & pat them dry. While buying tamarind, choose the ones that are tender as they can be chopped easily & will have less fibre to discard.

Chop tamarind into tiny pieces & discard the rough outer skin. Pound the tamarind with a pestle to remove any seeds.

Heat the oil along with a pinch of turmeric & set aside to cool

In a blender, grind green chilies & fenugreek seeds into a fine paste. Add salt & chopped tamarind & grind into a slightly coarse paste. Mix well with a spatula & add oil & whizz for a couple of times.

Store in a clean & dry, air tight jar & consume as needed. I usually refrigerate the those & it stays well for almost a year

The best way to eat Thokku is to mix it with hot steamed rice & a little bit of groundnut oil.

Unlike Chutney, this those is slightly on the spicier side & will not go well with Idli/Dosa as it. You can take a couple of spoonfuls of those & grind it with grated coconut & a little bit of water to get a chutney like consnitency. Add mustard seeds tempering & use it to go along with idli/dosa

These gorgeous planks that I have used in these photographs are given to me by Mallika. She writes a beautiful food blog called Veg Bowl & It's always a pleasure when fellow bloggers turn into friends. She was also generous enough to send me a few other props. Only a fellow blogger will understand how thrilled I was :) Thank you Mallika. I will treasure them

2 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Italian

Broccoli Pesto & A Simple Pesto Pasta

A lot of people seem to dislike Broccoli but I am on the other side. I just love that green coloured Vegetable. I can probably eat it everyday & in the most simple manner, steamed -- with a dash of salt & pepper.

I am always on the lookout for new ways of using broccoli. Broccoli Parathas taste excellent & so does Aloo Broccoli .. Oh and Tandoori Broccoli is divine by the way, try it

I made a nice pesto with Broccoli & I think it is a great way to sneak in this healthy vegetable if your kids are picky eaters.

You Will Need:

1 large heaf of Broccoli
A big handful of Almonds
A couple of stems of Mint
2 tsp chopped Garlic
juice of half a lime
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tbsp water
1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
Salt as per taste

How To:

Cut Broccoli into florets. Steam them for 3-4 minutes & strain. Set aside.

In a food processor, add all the ingredients & whizz for a couple of minutes till it reaches a pesto like consistency. If you find the pesto very thick & dry, add a little EVOO

Store it in an air tight jar. Keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Use this pesto in your pasta, As a Dip, in Marinades as a salad dressing, on toast or you could eat it by the spoonfuls. Its quite yummy that way too

For the Pesto Pasta, You Will Need:

1 cup cooked Pasta
Half a cup of Broccoli Pesto
A handful of cherry Tomatoes
Sliced Black olives
Fresh Basil for Garnish
A dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt if needed

How To:

Choose any pasta of your choice, I used Macaroni because it is the child's current favourite :) Cook according to package instructions. Drain & set aside.

In a wide bowl, Add the pasta, Pesto, Halved cherry tomatoes, olives chopped Basil & EVOO . Give it a good mix. Check if you need some salt & Add if necessary. Gently mix again. If you find the pasta too dry, add some more pesto. I love a Pesto heavy pasta

Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before serving for the flavours to infuse

NOTE:

I didn't find the need to toast the almonds. You could, if you wish to.
You can try replacing Almonds with other nuts like Pine nuts, melon seeds, Walnuts or Pecans

1 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Biryani

The Fiery Chettinad Biryani

Here is a revamped post on Chettinad Biryani. The first time, I made this recipe was way back in 2009. I made it several times after that And, somehow I never went back to making this version again. in a long time. Although, I have a few favourites, I keep trying new versions of to improvise.

This recipe has been well received by my readers. A few of them wrote back to me mentioning that it turned out very well for them. So, do give it a try
You will love this version of Biryani, if you have a thing for Spicy Biryani. Chettinad Cuisine is known for its Spice after all

The very first time I tried this Biryani was in Goa. We were away on a little getaway & it had been a couple of days since I had eaten rice & I was really craving for a big bowl of Rice & Dal. It was late in the night & a small eat out that we went to didn't have much rice options. Chettinad Biryani was on the list & I placed an order without expecting much. Goa isn't a place for Chettinad Cuisine anyway.

I had never tried Chettinad Biryani before & this one was one of the good Biryanis I had tasted. I came back home & did my little research to recreate the recipe. And, this is quite close

You Will Need:

1 cup Basmati Rice
1 Big Onion - sliced lengthwise
2 carrots - cleaned & diced
1/2 cup Green Peas - fresh/frozen
1 big potato - peeled & diced
2 tbsp Ghee
A small piece of ginger
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric
2 Bay Leaves
A handful of chopped fresh coriander
Juice of half a lime
Salt as per taste

To Roast & Grind:

1 big onion
2 tomatoes
5-6 cloves
A small stick of cinnamon
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
2 green cardamom
2 Black Cardamom
5-6 cloves of garlic
7-8 Dry Red chilies - I used Byadagi Chilies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4th tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh grated coconut

How To:

Clean Basmati Rice under running water until the water runs clear. Soak in ample water & set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Immerse diced potatoes in water until put to use.

In a small pan, dry roast all the ingredients mentioned in the list, except Onios, tomatoes & garlic. Once the spices are aromatic & transfer into a mixie jar. In the same pan, heat a tsp of oil & add Garlic. Add onions & tomatoes & fry until they are well cooked. Allow it to cool a bit. transfer into the mixie jar & grind into a smooth paste along with ginger. Do not add any water.

In a Pressure cooker, heat Ghee. Add bay leaves. Now add sliced onions & fry till they turn pink. Now add the ground paste & give it a mix. Fry for a couple of minutes.

Now add all the vegetables one by one. Add Garam Masala, turmeric powder & mix well. Drain Basmati rice & add.

Now, add about 1 1/2 cups of water & add the salt. mix well with the spatula. Pressure cook for 1 whistle

Once the pressure drops, allow it to cool & bit. Add lime juice & garnish with coriander before serving. Fluff gently with a fork to avoid breakage.

Serve with slices of Onion & diced cucumber & a Raita of your choice.

NOTE:

Use good quality Basmati Rice. There are many brands available. I mostly use Daawat

You can make your own Biryani spice mix by dry roasting & powdering all the dry ingredients mentioned in the list. Store it in an airtight jar for later use.

Not everyone loves a lot of spices in their Biryani. Reduce the amount of spices, if its not your liking

71 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Festive Food

Sesame Laddoo | Til Laddoo | Ellu Unde

The earliest memories of Sankranti was probably when I was a Five year old girl & I remember being all excited about the whole Ellu Bella distribution.

It would take almost a week for my mom & my grandmother to make Ellu Bella & a couple of days before Sankranti they would spend atleast half a day making Sakkara Achchu /Sugar Candies & safely stored them away so that we kids wouldn't eat them before the festival

As kids, we loved eating Sakkare Achchu/Sugar Candies & there would be quite a bit of leftover Sakkare Achchu / Sugar Candies post the festival, & I would carry one sugar candy in my snack box each day until the stock got over

During my early School Days, we moved to Mumbai & the concept of Sankranti was a little different there. Instead of Ellu Bella Mixture, Maharashtrians make Sesame Laddoos/Ellu Unde known as Tilgul.

'Tilgul Ghya & Goad Goad Bola' is what say while sharing these Laddoos with near & dear ones.

I love Sesame Laddoos or Ellu Unde as they are known in Kannada. Sesame is loaded with Vitamin C & since these Laddoos are jaggery based, & has no fat in them, it makes an almost guilt free indulgence.

I have a post dinner Sweet craving these days, so instead of diving into a jar of chocolate cookies, I am going to eat these

You Will Need:

2 cup White Sesame Seeds
1 cup Chikki Jaggery / Antu Bella in Kannada
1/4th cup of Water
Oil to Grease your palms

How To:

In a heay bottomed pan, dry roast Sesame seeds on low flame until it turns slightly golden & is aromatic. It should take about 3-4 minutes

Sesame Seeds tend to burn quite quickly & if they are over toasted, they turn very bitter so make sure the heat is low.

Once the Sesame seeds are toasted, transfer it to a wide plate & set aside

In the same pan, heat about 1/4th cup of water. Bring it to a boil & add Jaggery. Once the Jaggery melts, strain for any impurities.

Add the syrup back to the the pan, once it starts boiling. Keep a bowl of water handy. To test the syrup for the right consistency, Add a drop of the syrup into the water filled bowl. It should form a solid mass & once you take it in your palms & roll it, it should form a round ball.

Now add the toasted Sesame seeds immediately & mix well. Turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool just a little & while it is still warm but cool enough to handle, Grease your palms, quickly take a spoonful of mixture with the help of a spoon & roll them into balls.

Once you are done working with the mixture, arrange on a tray & Air them for about 4-5 hours & store them in airtight jars.

NOTE:

You can use regular Jaggery too, But Chikki Jaggery or Antu Bella works very well. I don't know what it is known in other languages.

Make sure you work with the Laddoos while the mixture is still warm. Do not allow it to cool down completely & it will harden. You will need some practice to roll them fast.

If making large quantities, it is always better to work in batches.

Sesame is known to increase body heat & that is the exact reason why Ellu Bella, Sesame Laddoos & other Sesame based goodies like Gajak are made during winter. But too much sesame can induce a lot of body heat so be careful while you indulge in them

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Appetizers

Fusion Food: Puliyogare Pasta

1 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Lunch/Dinner

Mixed Vegetable & Coconut Milk Stew

Alright, My first post for the year 2016. We got back from our Vacation during the beginning of the week. We had a great time & we are back refreshed and ready to take on what the year has to offer

I had to do a mandatory fridge cleaning before we headed off on a break. A quick stew that I made using the bits & odds from the fridge. A few unused Veggies & a can of partially used Coconut Milk. And this stew was made. Leftovers always lead to something tasty .. Everytime

You Will Need:

10-12 Baby Corn - Cut into Rounds of 2'inch thickness
1 large Potato
1 large Carrot
1 Red Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 Yellow Zucchini
100 ml Thick Coconut Milk
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala
2 tsp cooking oil

To Grind:

1 onion
1 tomato
10 Cashew nuts
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
A pinch of turmeric
5 cloves of Garlic
A small piece of Ginger

How To:

Dice Potato into cubes & immerse in cold water until you put it to use. Dice Carrots, Bell Pepper & Zucchini & set aside

Parboil Babycorn, Potatoes & Carrots to fasten the cooking process. I usually microwave them for about 6-8 minutes in salted water.

Roughly chop the onion & tomato. In a mixer, add all the ingredients listed under 'To Grind' list & add a tablespoon of water & grind into a smooth paste

In a cooking pan, heat oil. Add Bell Peppers & Zucchini. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the ground paste & a cup of water. Add the parboiled Babycorn, Potatoes & Carrots. Add half a teaspoon of kitchen king masala & stir. Let it come to a boil. Add Coconut Milk & some salt. Add some water if you feel that the gravy is too thick. It will mostly likely need more water. Gently simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Keep Stirring at regular intervals.

Turn off the heat & serve warm with Roti/Phulka/Jeera Rice or Peas Pulao. It goes well with plain Basmati Rice too

NOTE:

You can pretty much use any vegetables that are available. Some of my other favourites that would probably go into the stew would be

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Green Peas - Fresh/Frozen
Chayote

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Chickpea Recipes

Mixed Greens Saag | Saag Paneer | Chana Saag

I can't believe that it's almost the end of the year. For me, 2015 was a super fast one. I still feel Jan - Feb was just a few months ago & its already the end of December.

One of the good thing about 2015 was that I kind of managed to get my blogging mojo back & I hope it stays that way in 2016 as well.

We are going on a little holiday so, this is going to be my last post for 2015. So, I am here to share a favourite recipe - Mixed Greens Saag. I love anything that has greens in it. From Green Smoothies to a leafy Salad to a Green Rich Saag.

Saag is a great way to incorporate greens in our diet. You can use a variety of Greens based on your liking. Saag is a very versatile curry. It can be eaten plain along with Indian Breads or cook it with Paneer to make Saag Paneer, or with Chickpeas to make Chana Saag or even with potatoes to make Saag Aloo

To Make Saag - You Will Need:

2 Bunches Spinach
1 Bunch Methi Leaves
1 Bunch Green Amaranth Leaves
1 Bunch Mustard Greens (When in Season)
1 big Onion
1 Ripe Tomato
A small knob of ginger
7-8 cloves of garlic
2-3 Green Chilies
2 tsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Salt as per taste

How To:

Finely chop all the greens & wash them under running water. Set aside for the water to drain

Roughly chop the onions & tomatoes. Grate ginger & Slit the chilies lengthwise.

In a Pan, heat cooking oil. Add chilies, ginger & garlic & sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onions & sauté till they turn slightly pink in colour. Add the tomatoes & cook till the tomatoes are soft.

Add chopped greens & some salt & cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they slightly wilt. Turn off the heat & allow to cool.

Once, cool enough to handle, blend coarsely. Transfer back to the pan, add about 1/4 a cup of water, Add Garam Masala & bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. check for salt. Turn off the heat

To Make Saag Paneer:

You Will need about 200g of Paneer & about 2 cups of Saag

Dice the Paneer cubes & dunk them in salted warm water & let it stay for about 10 minutes. This makes the Paneer (especially Store Bought ones) stay soft

In a Kadhai, Add 2 cups of Saag & add the paneer cubes. If the Saag is too thick add very little water to adjust the consistency. Add salt if needed. Gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add juice of half a lime & mix well.

To Make Chana Saag:

You will need about Half a cup of Chana/Chickpeas & 2 cups of Saag

Clean & Soak Chickpeas in water overnight or for 6 hours. If I am short on time, I soak Chickpeas in Hot water for about 3 hours.

Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles in salted water.

In a Kadhai, Add 2 cups of Saag & Add cooked Chickpeas. If the Saag is too thick add very little water to adjust the consistency. Add salt if needed. Gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add juice of half a lime & mix well.

Serve with Hot Makai Rotis/Phulkas or any other Indian Bread of your liking. Add a bit of sliced onions on the side. Makes such a yummy meal

NOTE:

Any leftover Saag can be used to make Chapatis. Knead wheat flour along with Saag & make them like regular chapatis. Its a great way to sneak in some greens if your kids are fussy eaters

1 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Appetizers

Nylon Khaman - Steamed Savoury Gram Flour Cakes

Khaman - Not to be confused with Dhokla is a popular Gujarati snack. It is now well known all over India & is a hot selling street food. It is very healthy since it is steamed & it makes for a great party starter & a good snack box option for kids.

I remember my childhood days in Bombay when almost every store & even our school canteen sold tiny packets of Khaman with a good dose of mint chutney & we kids would occasionally eat this when we didn't bring our lunch boxes or we had to stay at school for extra hours

I also make a similar Dhokla out of Fine Semolina. You can Check out the recipe here

You Will Need:

1 1/2 cups Gram Flour/Besan
1 tbsp Fine Semolina - optional
1/2 cup Curds (Not very Sour)
1/2 cup water
A big pinch of turmeric
1 tsp Ginger Green chilli paste
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt as per taste
1 sachet Eno (Fruit Salt)

To Temper:

1 tsp mustard seeds
A bit of chopped coriander
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
1 tsp cooking oil
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp sugar

How To:

In a Bowl Add 1/2 cup water & Sugar & whisk well. Add the Gram Flour slowly & whisk so that no lumps are formed. Add Semolina, salt, sugar, Ginger-green chilli paste & Turmeric & give it a good mix.

Meanwhile, Grease a square/round dish with some cooking oil. Add water to the steamer. Just before pouring the batter into the dish, Add the Eno sachet & give it a quick mix. Immediately pour the batter into the dish & steam for 12-15 minutes. Insert a tooth pick in the centre to check if its cooked. If the tooth pick comes out clean, it means that it is completely cooked. Else steam for a few more minutes

Turn off the heat & allow it to cool a little. Meanwhile, heat some cooking oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add this to 1/4 a cup of water along with sugar & lime juice.

Once the Dhokla is slightly cool, Invert it onto a serving dish & even sprinkle the water + oil mixture. Let it soak for a while. Garnish with grated coconut & coriander.

Cut into squares & serve with Mint Chutney

NOTE:

Adding Fine Semolina is optional but I feel it gives the Khaman a nice airy texture