Quick Onion & Capsicum/Pepper Subji: Quick, Simple, Delicious & Healthy too!!!

Quick Onion & Capsicum Subji

Quick – tick.
Simple – tick.
Delicious – tick.
Healthy – tick.

Wondering what am I talking about?

Recipe, of course! These days whenever I cook I go through these four pointers. I am looking for the recipes which quick to cook so that it saves lot of my time in doing rather something more important. And it should also be rather simple as I am trying to use very little ingredients so that the taste of main ingredient or the star ingredient is not chocked to death by hundreds of other ingredients and spices. Since I believe you can cook tasty and delicious food in spite of the recipe being quick and simple one I look out for those recipes that sound promising to produce the same result. Last but not the least, the health factor and I am, well, very conscious about it and try to make sure that the ingredients retains its nutrition and are not overly cooked all the time.

So when my dear friend Alka posted recipe of Quick Onion & Capsicum Subji on our group blog Beyond Curries, I knew I had to cook and taste!!! This recipe of Quick Onion & Capsicum Subji uses few ingredients and could be prepared in flat 15 minutes time. And it’s not only delicious but also healthy as it is a quick stir fry and not overly cooked for hours making it loose all its nutrition. And the bonus is its pretty to look at :) Who in their right mind can ignore this blissful delight! Well, not me ;) So dear readers please give this quick stir fry a try and let me know if you think the same. While you are enjoying this quick capsicum recipe, take a look at my post on pearly delight of Sagu/Sabudana Kichidi at Beyond Curries :)

Coloured Bell Peppers for Quick Onion & Capsicum Subji

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Quick Onion & Capsicum Subji (Quick stir fry of Bell Peppers and Onion)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 10-12 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: Low to Medium
Serving Suggestion: With Chapatti or Rice and Dal
Recipe Inspiration: Beyond Curries

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Ingredients:
3 Capsicums/Bell Peppers, cut into 1 inch squares
1 large Onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium Tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Green Chillies, slit
½-1 tsp Garam Masala/Kitchen King Masala
1 tsp Coriander Powder
A pinch of Haldi/Turmeric Powder
A pinch of Sugar
Salt to taste

For Tadka:
1 tsp Jeera
½ tbsp Oil

Quick Onion & Capsicum Subji

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When cumin sizzles and turns golden red in colour.
Mix in chopped onions and green chillies and sauté till onion turn light golden in colour.
Add chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric, sugar and garam masala/kitchen king masala and cook for 3-5 minutes till tomatoes are cooked through.
Add chopped capsicums/bell peppers and sauté for 4-6 minutes so that it is lightly cooked yet retains its crunch.
Switch off the gas and mix in finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve this Quick Onion & Capsicum Subji with Chapatti or rice and enjoy!

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Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry with Random Rants :)

Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry

Missed participating in blog events - Check.
Missed visiting blogger friends – Check.
Missed leaving comments in their blog – Check.
Missed posting recipes twice a week – Check.
Missed writing new post for Beyond Curries – Check.
Missed cooking recipes from other blogs (at least 2 recipes per month) – Check.
Missed taking photographs of new recipe I cooked and loved for blog – Check!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I can understand the first six things happening now and then when I am buried till my nose with all new projects and meeting deadlines. But I am still scratching my head thinking how I could have missed taking photos for my blog??? Looks like I am not only busy with hectic work schedule but may be little stressed also. HELP… Anybody?!

Few days back I found few interesting replies from friends on FB when I mentioned that my blog honeymoon period seems to be finally over after 2½+ years of blogging. Some said they too are sailing in the same boat with me and others said this too shall pass! But there was this dear friend of mine who mentioned as far as she was concerned, her relationship with her blog is over and they are divorced! :) I couldn’t help but wonder what will happen to my blog in few months time? Will I ever reach that stage and stop blogging for good? Hopefully not for a while… Yes, not yet!!!! I hope that dear friend of mine resumes blogging as I really miss visiting her witty, humorous and delicious blog. And at the same time I wonder will I be missed by readers of my blog if I decide to stop blogging? :) Looks like I have some food for thought ;)

And not to forget, I also have some recipe for all you lovely people. Today we have this simple, delicious and flavourful Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry to please all your senses! I am quite fond of coloured bell peppers and baby corns and I use them quite often in Indo-Chinese cuisines. Using these two veggies in Indian cuisine has got nothing to do with my creative brain cells or unusual taste buds. It was the result of lack of vegetables in fridge and also laziness to go out for shopping. But I am not here to complain as the chemistry between bell peppers and baby corns was quite hot and sizzling and they literally set our taste buds on fire! ;) While creamy onion and almond gravy tasted superb, the crunch from capsicum and baby corns were very pleasing to our palettes. When served with soft and warm Phulkas and simple Cumin Rice, it was nothing short of touching the stars! Try this curry when you are tired of eating same combination of vegetables or pulses and see this colourful Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry winning positive approval from everyone sitting around your dining table. :) And off this goes to dear Vysh who has spiced up all our blogs by asking us to cook some spicy dishes for her JFI: Chilli, an event initiated by dear Indira of Mahanandi and dear Priya who is guest hosting AFAM-Bell Peppers, an event started by Maheshwari of Beyond Usual.

Capsicums & Baby Corns

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Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry (Tender Baby Con and peppery Bell Peppers cooked in creamy gravy of Onion, Tomato and Almonds)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30-40 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium to Hot
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads or with flavoured/steam cooked rice

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Ingredients:
15 Baby Corns, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large Capsicums/Bell Peppers (I used 1 red and 1 green)
3 large Tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
1 tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Cumin Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder or 1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Sugar (Optional but recommended)
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

For Onion-Almond Paste:
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 large Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
2 Green Cardamoms
2 Cloves
10 Almonds, soaked in warm water for 10 mins and skinned
½ tbsp Oil

Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry

Method:
For Onion-Almond Paste:
Heat ½ tbsp oil in a pan and add cinnamon stick, cloves and green cardamoms. Cook for a minute, on medium heat, and then add cumin seeds to it. When cumin starts to sizzle and turn golden red, add roughly chopped onions and fry till they turn transparent, about 2 mins.
Next add ginger-garlic paste and stir for a minute or two till raw smell disappears. Switch off the flame and transfer the content to food processor or mixer jar. Let it cool slightly.
Add skinned almonds and grind the mixture to smooth paste without adding any water.

Proceed to Make Curry:
Heat tbsp of oil in a pan and add ground onion-almond paste. Saute on medium flame till the paste turns light golden brown in colour and becomes one dry mass, about 5-6 mins.
Add garam masala, kitchen king masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and stir for 30 seconds.
Mix in pureed tomatoes and give it a good stir, about 3 mins. Add 1-1½ cups of water, amchur powder, sugar and mix in salt to taste. Keep the flame on medium and bring the whole gravy to gentle boil, about 5 mins.
Add baby corn pieces and cover and cook for 5 mins. After 5 mins, add peppers/capsicums and cook uncovered for another 5-7 minutes till vegetables are cooked through but retain their crunch.
Serve this delicious Baby Corn-Capsicum Curry hot, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, with any Indian flat bread or flavoured rice and enjoy.

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Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce: What is Your Current Obsession?

Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce

Regular readers of my blog will know how obsessed I can get over few things. Ever since I moved to this country, weather has been one of the biggest obsessions of my life. Surprisingly, I am not going to talk about weather today (there is no point in nagging and repeating same things, is it?). But I am going rant on my other obsession in my life! Yeah, you guessed it right. Let’s talk about food! (What you had in mind?;)

I easily get obsessed with one food item at time. If I am start liking one vegetable at one point, then I continue to cook and experiment with same vegetable till I really get tired of it! If one day I chop and cook them, next time you will find the grated form of that veggie. At one time I may stuff that vegetable with aromatic spices and other time I may use it as a stuffing for some other vegetable. Sounds little crazy? Thankfully my ‘much’ better half is not a fussy eater and he doesn’t mind eating them as long as it tastes good!

Like vegetables or fruits, these days I am obsessed with ingredients and right now I am experimenting and dissecting Peanuts! Yes, good old peanuts. After using it in Capsicum Masala Rice and Rhengan Reveya, I seem to have fallen head over heels in love with Peanuts! And why not? They are good as they and get better when they are roasted! But trust me when I say they taste best when they are used as powder form in cooking! This simple looking guy transforms every dish into nutty and flavourful affair! And to prove that again I am presenting you Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce.

Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce

This Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce may look very imposing and complex dish! But trust me my friends, it is one of the easiest recipe that you can cook to impress your family and friends. I have used simple mashed potato spiced with aromatic spice powders as a filling for bell peppers. And the Peanut Sauce that we have here can be cooked by even the novice cook! Don’t shy away looking at the long ingredient list. If you look through them carefully, you will realise that the most of the ingredients used are easily and readily available. So what are you waiting for? Why not try this delicious spicy potato stuffed bell peppers served in delicious, nutty and creamy gravy of peanuts and see how your loved ones lick their plate clean? :) Well, now that you know about my current obsession, how about telling me yours? I am sending this delicious Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce to dear EC's WYF-Side Dish event.

Spicy Potato Stuffed Capsicum before cooking

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Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce (Spiced Potato Stuffed Capsicum in creamy Peanut Sauce)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25-35 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads or with flavoured/steam cooked Rice

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Ingredients:
For Stuffed Capsicum:
6 medium Bell Peppers/Capsicum
3 large Potatoes, washed, peeled, cooked and mashed well
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder or Juice of ½ Limes
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Optional)
1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
½ + 2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

For Peanut Sauce:
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
½ cup Roasted Peanut, ground to powder
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder or 1 tbsp Lime Juice
½ tbsp Jaggery/Palm Sugar/Sugar
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce

Method:

For Stuffed Capsicum:
Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and hing. Sauté till cumin starts to sizzle and turn golden red. Add finely chopped onion and sauté till it turns translucent, about 2 mins, on medium flame. Add ginger-garlic paste and kasuri methi and sauté till raw smell disappears, about 2 mins.
Mix in mashed potatoes and all spice powder along with salt to taste and mix them well. Switch off the flame and let this potato mixture cool.
Cut top of capsicum, about 1 cm, and scoop out seeds and membrane so that you are left with capsicum cups for stuffing. Stuff each capsicum with potato filling.
Next heat about 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and arrange capsicum in single layer. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid and turn the capsicum around so that it is cooked from all the sides. You will see that its skin is wilted and charred marks start to appear when cooked. Over all it will take 15-20 minutes to cook thoroughly on medium flame. Once cooked, keep it on aside on a plate lined with kitchen towel/paper.

For Peanut Gravy:
Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped onions. Sauté it on medium flame for about 2 minutes and then add ginger-garlic paste. Cook for another 2 minutes till raw smell of GG paste disappears.
Next add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder and cook for half a minute. Add about 2 cups of boiling water and bring the whole mixture to gentle boil.
Mix in peanut power along with amchur, jaggery and salt to taste. Keep stirring till the gravy starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes. If you think the gravy is too thick, add about ½ cup of water.
Switch off the flame and arrange stuffed capsicums. Serve this delicious Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, with any Indian Flat Breads or flavoured Rice and enjoy!

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Capsicum Masala Rice: An Ode to Vibrant Spring!

Capsicum Masala Rice

At last my favourite weather is here to stay. Yes, I am talking about spring, the season of new beginning! It’s the season of bursting colours and heady fragrances.

The streets in our neighbourhood are lined with cherry blossom trees and other flowering trees. So every morning and evening when I take a walk to work and back home, I feel blessed to walk under these trees where they shed their delicate petals while swaying to cool breeze. I find it really difficult to step on those delicate pink and white petals and crush them under my feet. So if you see some girl wearing crimson red jacket, walking cautiously with bowed head and taking small and big jumps in between walking, then you don’t have to think twice as who that person is! You knew I was little bit crazy, didn’t you? Well, sunny daffodils and vibrant tulips competing with the magnificent rainbow ob blue sky will surly make anyone go crazy and wonder at the splendour of Mother Nature blessing on us!

Capsicum Masala Rice

To match the dazzling colours of spring, I made this colourful Capsicum Masala Rice from dear Sailu’s blog.

Sailu says,

This fast and flavorful dish is a simple recipe, quick and easy-to-make and so tasty! Fresh crunchy capsicums, masala flavor and crunchy peanuts jazz up the taste of the rice dish and make this recipe a real winner!

And I completely agree with her. The peanut powder along with roasted and freshly ground spices lends it oh-so-good nutty flavour and the coloured peppers give it nice crunch along with vibrant colour. The aromatic tempering of curry leaves along with other ingredients and roasted peanuts gives it a nice crunch and wonderful flavour. I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit our taste. Over all, this recipe of Capsicum Masala Rice is a keeper and very simple and quick one without compromising taste and flavour! Thank you, dear Sailu for sharing this colourful and delicious recipe. Doesn’t it look like I have served you wonderful colours of vibrant spring in that bowl? Its my ode to vibrant Spring!

Before I forget, Wishing all the readers of Monsoon Spice a very Happy Vishu!

Roasted Spices and Peanuts for Capsicum Masala Rice

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Capsicum Masala Rice (Coloured peppered Rice spiced with freshly ground mixture of peanuts and aromatic whole spices)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins (If using leftover rice) – 30 mins (When using freshly cooked rice)
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Source: Sailu’s Kitchen
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner to Medium
Spice Level: Medium to High
Serving Suggestion: As it is or with Papad, any Raita or Yogurt

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Ingredients:
6-8 cups Cooked Rice (Use Basmati or Sona Masuri)
3-4 medium Peppers/Capsicums, cut into 1 inch squares
½ tbsp Jaggery/Sugar (Optional)
2 tbsp Lime/Lemon Juice (Optional)
2-4 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
Salt to taste

For Spice Powder:
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
5-7 Dry Red Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
½ tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils
½ tsp Mustard Seeds (Optional)
¼ tsp Hing (Optional)
2-3 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
Few Curry Leaves
½ tbsp Oil

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black gram
½ tbsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
A pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Oil

Capsicum Masala Rice

Method:

Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and all the ingredients (except roasted peanuts) listed for spice powder and roast them on low flame for 2-3 minutes till the lentils turn light golden and heady aroma of roasted spices fills your kitchen. Let them cool completely before you grind them to fine powder. Set aside this spice powder till needed.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, hing and curry leaves. Sauté till mustard starts to pop and splutter and also the lentils turn golden brown.
Add chopped capsicums and stir fry for 1-2 minutes till its skin starts to wilt. Mix in ground spice powder, jaggery powder and salt to taste and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Now add cooked rice, lemon juice and peanuts and gently mix them well till every grain of rice is coated with spice mixture. Cook for another 1-2 minutes till every grain of rice is heated through.
Serve this delicious bowl of Masala Capsicum Rice with chilled Yogurt/Raita, pickle and papad and enjoy.

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Tofu & Pineapple Thai Yellow Curry: Sunshine, at least, in My Bowl!

Tofu & Pineapple Thai Yellow Curry

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
~John Ruskin

Yeah, yeah! I got your point Mr. Ruskin! I have decided not to crib anymore about the weather anymore and instead enjoy it. It’s not exactly my resolution, but just to enjoy everyday as it comes irrespective of how gloomy and dark the weather turns out be! Living in a country that is known for its unpredictable weather, there is no point in comparing how brightly the sun shines at this time of the year in India! ~sigh~

Talking about other things, I have been busy shopping for new spring wardrobe (what else?;). But at the same time it’s really saddening to see many top shops and retail stores shutting down due to credit crunch. I kind of feel guilty when I see many people losing their jobs and I am busy walking around the malls with colourful shopping bags filled with new cloths and stuff for home! Once busy and overcrowded shopping malls and streets are now almost empty with very little crowd actually buying things rather than just window shopping. The ups and downs of life, some things that are beyond our control!!!

But what is within our control is cooking food at home instead of ordering takeaways or going to restaurants. K and I are not great fans of eating out. We choose to cook and experimenting in our kitchen than shedding unnecessary money on plate of food that we don’t enjoy. There are very few restaurants in our neck of wood that serves good food and that may be one of the reasons why we enjoy cooking. And having handful of friends is also another reason for not eating out that often. Whatever reason it may be, we both are kind of people who enjoy spending quality time in kitchen, doing things together and having lots of fun with experimenting and tasting new cuisines.

One cuisine that we are very comfortable with cooking is Thai. The simple flavours and aromatic ingredients make it a pleasant eating experience. Pour fridge and freezer is always stocked with fresh batch of homemade Thai curry pastes and when needed all we have to do it take them out and use in making quick and delicious pot of Thai curries. This Tofu & Pineapple Thai Yellow Curry is one such recipe that requires just few minutes and very little effort in stirring a pot full of aromatic and flavoursome dish in jiffy. The sweet and sour pineapple with soft tofu is a brilliant combination and the addition of peppers and peas gives it a crunchy and peppery flavour. Served along fragrant Thai Jasmine Rice, this Tofu & Pineapple Thai Yellow Curry is one plate of delicious meal to shoo away all the blues! :) And off this goes to dear Priya who is guest hosting this month's IAVW-Thai, a vegan event started by lovely Vaishali.

Ingredients for Tofu & Pineapple Thai Yellow Curry

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Tofu & Pineapple Thai Yellow Curry

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: Real Vegetarian Thai by Nancie McDermott
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium
Serving Suggestion: With Thai Jasmine Rice or Basamati Rice

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Ingredients:
2 cups Tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup Pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes
1½ cups Coloured Bell Peppers, cut into 1 inch squares (I used red and yellow)
½-¾ cup Green Peas, fresh/frozen
1 cans Coconut Milk or 2-3 cups of fresh Coconut Milk
2-3 cups of Vegetable Stock or Water
2-3 tbsp Yellow Curry Paste (use more according to your taste)
1 tsp Brown sugar
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 fresh Lemon Grass, bruised (Optional)
2 Kaffir Lime Leaves, thinly cut (Optional)
Small handful of Basil Leaves, roughly chopped
Coriander leaves of Spring Onion Greens for garnishing
Salt to taste

Tofu & Pineapple Thai Yellow Curry

Method:

Heat a heavy bottomed pan and empty 1/3rd of Coconut milk in a pan. Stir this coconut milk on medium heat till its sweet fragrance is released and starts to thicken, about 4-5 minutes, in a medium flame.
Now add 2-3 tbsp of Yellow Curry Paste and stir well. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes till the curry paste blends well with the coconut milk and its raw smell disappears. Add the vegetables, pineapple and tofu and mix them well so that each piece is coated with coconut and curry paste mixture.
Mix in vegetable stock or water, remaining coconut milk, Soya sauce, kaffir lime leaves & lemon grass if using, brown sugar and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Open the lid, add roughly chopped basil leaves and adjust the seasonings. Simmer the heat and let it cook uncovered for another 5 minutes till the vegetables are cooked to tender. Make sure that the vegetables are not overcooked and retain their crunch.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and greens of spring onion and serve with aromatic bowl of Jasmine Rice and enjoy.

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Wishing all the readers of Monsoon Spice a very Happy Ugadi!
May you find peace and lot more happiness in coming year :)

Warm Regards
Sia

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Capsicum Bhath: Spring Colours in my Blog!

Capsicum Bhath

Yes, it’s still blank. Did you just ask me what is blank? Arrey, my mind yaar!!! Remember this rant? It’s been close to a week and still the story remains the same. What story? The tragic story of my life, no stories to share! Yes, no rants, no stories and not even gibberish to write as my brain seemed to have frozen my creative corner (?!). Although I have kept my small creative corner to thaw, I am clueless as how long it will take to defrost!

While it’s till on long, extended vacation I will continue to write posts with just recipes which are the important bit of this blog. After all Monsoon Spice is a food blog and somewhere down the line I seem to have deviated a bit and concentrating more on writing my biography than food itself. So this might be the only chance for me to write just about food. And come to think of it, this might be the only chance for my readers to save themselves from unnecessary pain in finger tips and eyes due to excessive scrolling and reading my life saga! So dear reader friend, enjoy this golden opportunity while it lasts because opportunity like this doesn’t come very often ;)

Capsicum Bhath

So what do we have today? Well, we have another plate of delicious flavoured Rice, Capsicum Bhath. Very similar to Vangi Bhath that I had posted last month. Well, the truth is this is THE recipe for Vangi Bhath with just few extra ingredients but the purple beauties baby eggplants have been replaced by the colourful bell peppers. So why blog it when it is the same recipe? Because of Krish. K is allergic (literally) to eggplants and I am one of those nut cases who can eat anything cooked with eggplants every single day of my life (mmm… may be alternate days) and never get bored of it. Other day when I made Vangi Bhath powder I also happened to casually mention about my plan of using it in Capsicum Bhath and I remember him nodding his head. So yesterday when I mentioned about making Capsicum Bhath he didn’t show any interest and instead he had that look on his face when I had initially started cooking. He very much looked like the lab rat of my initial adventures in kitchen. Well, it’s not a very pleasant feeling when your husband doubts your cooking skill after 3 years of cooking (Ok, you can exclude first 6 months from it)!!! So I had this challenge of not only making something that looked appetizing but also delicious enough to make him ask for the second serving.

And boy, did I succeed in doing that or what!!! Not only it looked colourful and very much appetizing, it smelled heavenly. And the best thing of all is he even had it for dinner and licked the bowl clean ;) Now you know why I had to blog this recipe. Although the ingredients used are same as the Vangi Bhath, the taste is very different to that. It had slight sweet bites in between due to coloured peppers and jaggery. While the tamarind juice added wonderful sour note to it and the aromatic homemade Vangi Bhath Masala powder redefined the word ‘tasty’! When served with cool Cucumber & Mint Raita, this delicious plate of Capsicum Bhath was one exceptional meal that reminds us why simple food are the most loved ones. Just one look at that plateful of colourful Capsicum Bhath and I felt I am ready to say good bye to white winters! Don't you feel that the spring is in the air? I do...

Coloured Peppers & Basmati Rice for Capsicum Bhath

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Capsicum Bhath (Spicy and Sour Coloured Bell Pepper Rice)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins (If using leftover rice) to 30 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: Medium
Serving Suggestion: With Papad or with any Raita or with a cup of Curds/Yogurt

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Ingredients:
2 cups Rice or 6-8 cups Cooked Rice (Preferably Basmati or Sona Masuri)
3 medium Capsicums/Bell Peppers (I used red, yellow and green), cut into bite sized pieces
1 large Red Onion, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 Green Chillies, slit (Optional)
1 small lime sized Tamarind Pulp, soaked in ¼ cups of warm water and juice extracted
1-2 tbsp Jaggery (Adjust acc to taste)
2-3 tbsp Vangi Bhath Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
Few Cashews, roasted in little ghee
Salt to taste

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Grams
1 tbsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
2 Dry Red Chillies, halved
2 springs of Fresh Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
2 tbsp Oil/Ghee or combination of both (You can use more if needed)

Capsicum Bhath

Method:

Cook rice in enough water and let it cool completely. Then take this cooked rice and add tbsp of oil to it. Mix well making sure that every grain is separate. Keep it aside till needed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When it starts to pop and splutter, add jeera, channa dal, urad dal, halved dry red chillies, hing and curry leaves. Sauté till the lentils turn golden brown. Add slit green chillies, if using, and onion pieces to it and sauté till it turns translucent, about 2 mins.
Mix in bell peppers, turmeric and stir well. Keep stirring continuously till every piece of pepper is coated well with tadka and the skin starts to wilt, about 3-4 mins. Make sure that you don’t over cook the peppers and it should retain its crunchiness.
Next add tamarind water, jaggery, vangi bhath powder, and salt to taste and mix well. Cover and cook at medium heat for 2-3 more minutes, stirring in between. When the capsicums are cooked partially, add cooked rice and roasted cashews and mix well. Cook for 2 more minutes till every grain of rice is heated through and the spice mixture is coated well.
Serve this delicious Capsicum Bhath with cool Raita and Papads and enjoy.

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Capsicum/Bell Pepper Stew: Flavour Sensation

Capsicum Stew

The weather report said the snow has never been so severe in Britain in the last eighteen years. The Artic winds coming from Russia is the main cause for all these chaos and they are likely to last for few more days. All the motorways are jammed (and at some places there was 50 miles of congestion!), some of them are closed, most of the schools are closed and even public transport system is shut down in some parts of the country!!!

While washing the plates after dinner on Sunday evening I saw little dusting of snow on our garden shed and thought to myself it is one of those days where it snows everywhere except in our neck of woods. But soon small flakes of snow continued to fall and within half an hour there was an inch of snow covering the grass, trees and hedges. I was amazed to see the steady flow of snow flakes even when I went to bed and overjoyed when I saw thick coat of snow covered everything and turning gloomy grey scenes into white wonderland. It was the first time I had seen this much of snow in my neck of woods. Hell, 12 inches of snow is something that is very unusual in this county.

Met office is continuing to advice drives not to venture out unless it is essential and requested to take extreme care while driving. So while Krish is loading few bars of chocolates, water, and shovel in car’s boot I am snuggling under my favourite blanket with a wonderful book and flask of strong filter coffee and munchies ;) Yep, my holidays just coincided with the snow fall and boy, am I enjoying it or what? I did enjoy running around in our backyard and building snowman for good two hours. But it’s not much fun when your palms turn from deep red to purple and your nose start to leak! And you need a good target to throw all those big snow balls and my target was away on training and will be coming back home late in the evening.

That’s when I decided to take break and cook my lunch. Usually I opt for frozen food, takeaways or canned soups when I am alone at home. I don’t feel motivated or need to cook for myself. But good two hours of playing in cold weather left me wanting to eat something warm, something special, and something comforting. All I had in refrigerator was big cauliflower and a pack of multi-coloured bell peppers. People who know me quite well also know my love for stinking flower, I mean cauliflower. So there is no surprise as why I reached out for a bag of peppers.

All said and done, I was bit confused as what to cook with it. I follow strict rules when it comes to serving the food which means particular type side dish has to be served with particular type of food. For example,
Curry=Chapatti/Roti/Flavoured Rice
Soup=Bread
Dals/Rasam/Stews=Rice
Salads=mmmm… mmmm…. A big bowl of ice cream or chocolate bar to sooth your grumbling stomach ;)
Since kneading and rolling the dough was out of question after kind of kneading the snow balls so curry was stroke off from the list. Unbelievably we were out of usual whole meal pack of bread, so the soup was out of question. I was left with choosing between stew and salad and you don’t have to be a Sherlock Holms to find out what I opted for!!!

Capsicum Stew

Yup, I had Capsicum Stew for lunch served with a bowl of White Rice. While the rice was cooking in microwave, I went through a recipe book called 100 Vegetarian Curries by Mallika Badrinath. This is one of 4 books my mother bought for me when I left home as a new bride and it’s the same book referred when I couldn’t call my mother during initial days of my ‘hit and miss’ cooking days. This is a thin book which will fit well in your palms and has no glossy pictures to drool on. But what it has is collection of hundred different curries with outstanding results. I have had tried many recipes from this book and most of them have come out finger licking delicious. So all new brides out there, I would highly recommend this book if you have just started to cook and want to impress your family members with something exciting.

Mrs. Mallika Badrinath uses common, easily available ingredients in her recipes but her cooking style turns the final product to something exciting and exquisite. And the best example is this Capsicum Stew where she uses few spices and coconut milk that is very common ingredients in many households in south India, yet the end result is something beyond anyone’s expectation. Sweet and peppery capsicums cooked to tender in creamy goodness of coconut milk and roasted spice powder will surely make your head spin with different flavours dancing on your mouth and leave you feeling content. Don’t believe me? Well, then you simply have to try this dish and see if I am telling the truth or not!

Capsicums & Coconut for Capsicum Stew

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Capsicum/Bell Pepper Stew (Coloured Peppers cooked in creamy Coconut Milk and Roasted Spices)

Prep Time: 10-20 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: 100 Vegetarian Curries by Mallika Badrinath
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium
Serving Suggestion: With steam cooked rice

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Ingredients:
3 large Bell Peppers/Capsicums cut into 1 inch cubes
3-4 cups/1 can Coconut Milk (Keep thin and thick milk separately if using fresh coconut milk)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tsp Jaggery
Extract from 1 small Lime sized Tamarind Pulp/1 tsp Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste

For Spice Powder:
1 tsp Toor Dal/Split Red Grams
1 tsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
1 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Grams
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds (Optional as original recipe doesn't use it)
5-6 Dry Red Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
4-6 tsp White Poppy Seeds
1 tsp Oil

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tbsp Oil (Preferably Coconut Oil)
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
3-4 Cloves
2 Green Cardamoms, bruised (Optional as original recipe doesn't use it)
Few Curry Leaves
A big Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida

Capsicum Stew

Method:

Heat a pan and dry roast poppy seeds till they turn light golden, about 45 seconds. Transfer the roasted poppy seeds to coffee grinder or mixer jar. In the same pan heat oil and roast all the ingredients till lentils turn golden brown and aromatic. Let the roasted spices and lentils cool completely before you mix them with poppy seeds. Grind these roasted lentils and spices to fine powder and keep aside till needed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add cloves, cardamoms, curry leaves and hing. Sauté for a minute till the spices are aromatic.
Now add peppers and cook them on medium heat till their skin is wilted, about 3-4 mins.
Mix in spice powder, turmeric powder, jaggery, tamarind extract and salt to taste.
Now add 1/3rd of Coconut milk (thin milk if using freshly made coconut milk) and mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins. Mix in the 2nd extract or 1/3rd of coconut milk and cook uncovered in low heat and bring it to gentle boil, about 5 mins.
Now add the tick coconut milk (or remaining 1/3rd) and bring the gravy to gentle boil, about 2-3 mins. At this stage make sure that the peppers are cooked well and they still retain their crunch. Turn off the gas and mix in finely chopped coriander leaves. Cover and let it sit for 5 mins for all the flavours to blend well. Serve it hot with steam cooked rice and enjoy.

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Creamy Aloo-Capsicum Curry: A Delicious Beginning

Creamy Aloo-Capsicum Curry

Happy new year everybody! I know I am albeit late in wishing and replying to all those lovely wishes through emails and comments but I guess it’s better late than never. So how did you all celebrate your new year?

I am sure your New Year celebration must have been much better than ours. You see waiting to board flight in airport and sitting in those not-so-comfortable metal chairs is not exactly the best way to say good bye to 2008 and welcome 2009. But that is life… Once in a while it is fine to accept the fact that things may not go the way you want them to be!

Actually it was not that bad as much as I want to portray it. The last day of 2008 was spent doing the things I love the most, with my family eating Gol Gappas and delicious Chaats on the streets of Namma Bengaluru. Is there a better way to say good bye to 2008? Nah… And we welcomed 2009 in a lovely café cum restaurant in all new and spunky Bengaluru International Airport by enjoying delicious bowl of Plum Tomato Soup and Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich.

Coming to cooking part, I have not been cooking lately as much as I would like to due to lack of interest in cooking. I am blaming my mom and mom-in-law for spoiling me with delicious food everyday of our most enjoyable holiday. I am feeling kind of lost in my own kitchen here after 35 days of pampering. And coming back from 30+ degrees of glorious sunshine to -8 degrees of cold waves is not exactly lifting my mood. I would have gone hibernating happily for few more days if not for some threatening mails and messages from some of you to spam my mailbox and comment section which are already suffocating with overdose of spam messages! Nada, no chance of spamming me anymore :P

Although my blog draft is overflowing with last year’s recipes, I decided against posting them. Common, it’s New Year and I didn’t want to serve leftovers for my readers. So I cooked this delicious, creamy Aloo and Capsicum Curry following my Amma’s recipe which she had cooked for us when we were in India. The ingredients are the common ones that is used in almost all the curry recipes but the cooking technique is little different. And taste-wise it is totally different from the usual curries that I make often. Crunchy, sweet peppers and all time favourite spuds cooked in creamy gravy is a delight in every way and was perfect balm with Cumin/Jeera Rice to sooth my homesickness.

Creamy Aloo-Capsicum Curry

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Creamy Aloo-Capsicum Curry (Delicious, creamy and colourful curry of Potatoes and coloured Peppers)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25-30 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: Amma

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Ingredients:
3 medium Potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 medium Peppers/Capsicums of any colour, cut into 1 inch squares
1 large/2 medium Onions, finely chopped
1 can chopped Tomatoes or 3 large and juicy Tomatoes, cubed
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
½ cup Coriander Leaves (including stems)
2 Green Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
6-8 Cashew Nuts
1 tsp Garam Masala (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional but recommended)
1 tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder or 1 tbsp Lemon Juice (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Optional but recommended)
1 tsp Sugar
1½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Creamy Aloo-Capsicum Curry

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When it starts to sizzle and turn reddish brown, add finely chopped onions and sauté till it turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it cool slightly.
Grind half of sautéed onions, cubed tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies and cashew nuts to a smooth paste without adding any water.
Switch on the gas and add ginger garlic paste and kasuri methi to half of sautéed onions. Cook it for another 1-2 minutes till raw smell of the paste disappears.
Now add ground paste and cook on medium heat till oil separates from the paste and it becomes little dry, about 5-6 mins. Add garam masala, kitchen king masala, sugar and salt to taste and mix well.
Mix in 1½ cups of water along with chopped peppers and boiled and cubed potatoes. Reduce the heat and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and adjust the seasonings and add little more water if needed.
Add finely chopped coriander leaves and cook for another 2-3 minutes till all the flavours blend well. Remember not to over cook the peppers and it tastes best when it just half cooked and retains its crunch.
Serve it hot with any flavoured rice or Indian flat breads and enjoy this creamy delight.

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Taste Memory: Dhaas Shimla Mirch

Dhaas Shimla Mirch

The smell and taste of things
remain poised in memories
for almost eternity. Why is that?
Or am I alone in memories?

Like the butterscotch pudding
I tried to cook, as a child
I burnt it and even today
when I try to eat anything
with that flavor, it taste burnt.
Will that taste ever go away?
- By Robritt

Sometimes I breathe in the scents of foods, and I remember - places, times, people, adventures. In many cases the taste or smell of a sweet, coffee, gravy or an entire meal is capable of painting a picture with richer, deeper brush strokes than any snapshot in the photo album. While I struggle to remember my mobile phone number or grapple helplessly to recall my closest of friends' names when I need to mail them or introduce them to someone, the merest sniff of brewing coffee is enough to flood back memories of two decades ago, from my Ajji’s kitchen with frightening clarity. Give me that same coffee in a small steel tumbler and I can recall the dark room where I sipped that coffee with my sister hiding under the cot as we kids were forbidden from drinking strong coffee, the colour of bangles on my Amma’s hand when she pulled us out with a half filled coffee glass in my hand and a fake anger on her face:) Such details more glowing than the coffee I had just one hour back!!!

Food has also become a central way for me to socialise with others, to comfort my friends and family and even sometimes few strangers as food sure brings enormous pleasure and joy when shared with others. It has made me feel comfortable in new places, even some unknown places. And most importantly food had made me to remember the places I’ve lived and the people I’ve known in those places.

One such food memory is something I loved when I lived in Bangalore. I lived in a hostel owned by a Sindhi couple and V aunty was a wonderful cook and baker. Her delicious Sindhi style Stuffed Capsicums/Peppers is something I missed dearly after I left Bangalore. It was not usual stuffed capsicum with potato filling or rice but it used grated onions lightly spiced with fresh green chillies and coriander. I had been looking for this Dhaas Shimla Mirch recipe since long time and at last I found it in Alka’s Sindhi Rasoi. One look at the photo and the list of ingredients and I knew I just hit the jackpot. I could hardly contain my excitement and straight away went into kitchen to try it right away. Although V aunty and Alka had used Green Bell Peppers I cooked with Mini/Baby Orange Bell Peppers I bought from Farmer’s Market which I knew would be sweeter than the green ones. With few modifications to Alka’s recipe, this platter of golden beauties was ready in few minutes. Dont be fooled by the short ingredient list and simplicity of these ingredients. The recipe is surprisingly simple and the end result is simply superb. It was bit sweet with a touch of spiciness from green chillies and tanginess from dry mango powder and it was everything I remembered. Thank you Alka. It’s because of your recipe I am finally over with my obsession of finding this recipe and this recipe has become our family favourite. I will be making them soon with multi-coloured Baby Peppers and next time I might bake them and then grill instead of cooking on stove top to make it zero-oil cooking. This is my entry for Kayln's Weekend Herb Blogging event guest hosted by Astrid.

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Dhaas Shimla Mirch (Sindhi style Bell Peppers/Capsicums stuffed with Onion and Ground Spices)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 2-3
Recipe Source: Sindhi Rasoi

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Ingredients:
6 Baby/Mini Bell Peppers or 4 medium Bell Peppers (any colour is fine, I used orange coloured)
1 tbsp Oil

For Filling/Stuffing:
2 large Onions, grated (grated onion works best than chopped one)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala (Optional)
1 tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
½-1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
½ cup or small handful of Coriander Leaves
2-3 Green Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
2-3 cloves of Garlic
½ inch Ginger (Optional)
Salt to taste

Baby Bell Peppers & Ground Filling

Method:

Slit baby peppers on one side and remove its seeds and pith carefully without breaking it. If using large peppers, then slice off their top and remove its seeds and pith carefully.
Grind coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic and ginger roughly without adding any water. Mix this ground paste with grated onion, all spice powders listed and salt to taste.
Stuff this onion mixture into bell peppers carefully. Make sure that you don’t break bell peppers while stuffing by stuffing little filling at time.
Heat oil in a deep pan. Carefully arrange bell peppers in a pan. Cover the lid and cook on a low to medium flame.
Toss the bell peppers at regular intervals to make sure that they don’t burn and stick to the pan. Make sure that the bell peppers are cooked from all the side. On a whole, it took me around 15 minutes to cook these bell peppers on a very low to medium flame.
Serve this delicious Dhaas Shimla Mirch with Chapatti or Rice and enjoy.

Dhaas Shimla Mirch

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Note:

Next time I might sauté the filling for few minutes and then stuff the bell peppers and bake them in an oven for 5 minutes so that the bell peppers remain crunchy. And then grill these baked peppers for about 3 minutes to get smoky taste.

Other Stuffed Vegetables posted so far

• Badane Ennegayi/Stuffed Baby Eggplants
• Stuffed Chillies
• Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups
• Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy
• Stuffed Baingan
• Stuffed Okra/Bhindi

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Reminder (Just 11 more days to go):

MBP-Street Food ends on 24th of June, 2008. Start patrolling the blogs and cook your favourite Street Food that your tummy begs and heart desires and spread link love.

Deadline: 24th June, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

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Blast from the Past: Bell Pepper Soups

A soup has always been one of my favourite meals and my weakness. It being a typical weather where sunny uncle playing hide and seek in my part of the world, we get solace in slurping big bowls of delicious soups. This week it was all Peppers pepping us up in a form of Red Bell Pepper Soup and Creamy Green Pepper Soup. And they go to my dear buddy Pooja who is hosting two-in-one events JFI & VOV-Bell Peppers. Enjoy these blasts from the past.

Red Bell Pepper Soup

Creamy Green Pepper Soup

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Soup for the Soul: Pak Choy – Noodles Soup

Pak Choi - Noodles Soup

Where else could you catch a massive cold, if not in wet and cold Britain? I was surprised to see how I survived from Jan to mid Feb from the clutches of cold and flu when colleagues in my office were walking around with a tissue stuck to their nostrils!! Just when it seemed like we are going to celebrate early springs with daffodils smiling at clear blue skies, the temperature plunged to -10 degree celcious. Ha!!! Serves me right for planning my early spring shopping. Once I stocked up enough of cold remedies and boxes of Kleenex, I tried to research the latest findings on how best to tackle the illness that is still eluding the pharmaceutical industry. Well, what else I could have expected. As usual the results were not very encouraging. It seems there is actually no remedy for cold and one wise (wo)man even mentioned "Medicate a cold and it will be gone in 14 days; ignore it and it will be gone in two weeks." So if the cold usually lasts for two weeks then there is not conclusive proof that popping Vitamin C or zinc supplements is gonna work for you. These supplements might simply mask the cold but they don’t actually cure you.

With my nose looking like that of a buffoon’s, blood shot eyes watering continuously due to my coughing night concert, and tissue dangling from my nostrils I usually rely on some tried and tested recipes like pepper rasam, kashayam or bowl of piping hot soup. After all, there is nothing more comforting than boiling few tomatoes with little spices and a good pinch of salt or boiling a glass of water with tulsi (holy basil) with few crushed peppercorns and honey/jaggary. Well, it’s also all you likely to feel up to if you have a really nasty cold. But if it’s your hubby dear who is cooking for the poor you, then you as well give yourself a special treat;)

We created this Pak Choi-Noodles Soup using the ingredients which is sure to comfort me and clear the congestion. Who says creativity can't kick in when your nose is blocked? It's just your nose that is blocked not brain;). This sunshine coloured soup doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or too much of time and energy to prepare. The ingredients used are lemon grass stalk, ginger, black pepper corns and garlic which is a natural remedy for cold and a splash of soya sauce and lemon juice for tingling taste. Addition of noodles, pak choi, and red bell peppers make this filling as well as very comforting meal. I am sending this bowl of Sunshine to Lisa who is hosting No Croutons Required event and she wants us to make a soup that even the most carnivorous diner would drool over. Thank you Pooja for the tip:)

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Pak Choi – Noodles Soup
Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

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Ingredients:
4-5 cups Vegetable Stock
1-2 Pak Choy/Pak Choi, cut into bite size pieces
Handful of Noodles (I used medium noodles)
1 small Red Bell Pepper, cut into bite size pieces
1 small Onion, finely chopped (Optional)
4-5 stalks of Spring Onion, sliced
1 inch Ginger, crushed
2-3 Garlic flakes, sliced thinly
¾ tsp Lemongrass Paste/1 stalk of Lemon Grass, outer skin removed and bruised
Few Black Pepper corns, crushed
1-2 Green Chillies, slit (Optional)
¾ tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Sambal Olek (Optional)
Few Basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Pak Choi - Noodles Soup

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped onion and sliced garlic. Sauté it on medium flame till onions turns translucent.
Pour in vegetable stock and add bruised lemon grass stalk, sambal olek, slit green chillies and crushed ginger. Bring it to gentle boil.
Mix in noodles, red bell pepper, crushed peppercorns, soya sauce and salt to taste. Cook on a medium heat till noodles are cooked.
Add pak choi, spring onion and cook for another minute or two.
Switch off the flame and discard the lemongrass stalk and crushed ginger. Mix in lemon juice and basil and serve hot.

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Update:

With my nose and brain blocked, I kind of forgot to thank Sig for sending me this cute You Make Me Smile Award. Thank you sweetie for this award (You can send me the confession mail stating whether I really make you smile. I cross my heart and promise not disclose the contents of your mail). Well, it really means a lot to me when somebody says I make them smile and I take it as a great compliment. And the big surprise (read shock;) was there are some people who really read my l-o-n-g posts filled with everything under the sun. Boy!!! You guys really have patience ;) So thank you for reading my rants and continue to knock on my door in spite of driving you all mad with my non stop talking. Now to keep my reputation I think I need to post some jokes instead of my monologues dialogues to make you all smile! And I am passing this award to all you people who make me smile with your wonderful comments, suggestions and feedbacks. So spread the smile around because that’s what the world really needs.

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Tomato Saaru & Pepper-Carrot Palya

Our Comfort Food: Rasam Rice, Papads, Pepper-Carrot Palya and Salad

"Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort."
-Norman Kolpas

Our senses hold some of our most potent memories. Touching the silk or smelling herbal soap, aroma of ground coffee brewing in coffee maker or sizzling of curry leaves in oil sends me back in time to my Ajji’s kitchen. There is a delicious Rasam bubbling in a large copper pot over an open fire-wood heated stove in one corner; one helper is pounding red chillies and spices in other corner while my aunt is grinding freshly grated coconut with chillies for chutney in a stone grinder. There is a small stream of water flowing close to the kitchen, with just the right breeze causing a mist to drift across my face, tickling my nose. I am sitting cross legged on red oxide floor with my sister and cousins wondering where to have our picnic lunch, that day’s most important question. The sight, smell and taste of what my granny cooked are fresh and vivid memories which I will always carry with me.

While cooking everyday meals, I find myself musing lately over comfort foods. If I were to ask you what food you associate with feeling good, what would be your answer? I know that your answer is probably different from what I consider to be my comfort food, mainly because of our individual life experiences, backgrounds and cultures. Comfort food satisfies our soul as well as the stomach and that’s why we love it so much. Often these dishes remind us of our childhood, happy memories. Cooking up that dish our Granny or Mom or Aunt used to make is as soothing as eating it because it reminds us of a time when life was simpler. My Amma would always say that the reason why comfort food always tastes best is because it is shared with our loving family and friends with no frills, just with love. The kitchen filled with the aroma and scent of food that brings back warm and fond memories is what makes it more comforting and as these recollections takes place around the table with our loved one, yet another fond and loving memory is born.

Like most people, I don’t have just one memory associated with just one food. I have good number of favourite foods which fall under comfort food zone. These recipes are simple with minimal ingredients used and are unpretentious. But these are the food which oozes with flavours and make me feel good when preparing and eating them. One such dish is simple tangy Tomato Saaru with Pepper-Carrot Palya. They are simple culinary delights I crave, just for comfort...

After many unsuccessful attempts at making simple Tomato Saaru which I wanted to taste just like the one my Amma and Ajji makes my hubby surprised me with his Rasam. It tasted as good as the one I remembered eating when growing up-same flavour, same aroma, same colour and same taste. Although he used the similar ingredients which most of us use when making Rasam it tasted different from what I cook. I immediately wrote down his recipe and tried it next time using same measures and ingredients and following his method. Darn!!! There was still something missing, may be it’s to do with the taste which goes into ingredients when he touches them. Since then it’s Krish who makes Rasam for me, the one which is comfort food for me and takes me down the memory lane.

Tangy Tomato Saaru

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Tomato Rasam
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-25 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
3-4 large ripe & juicy Tomatoes, thinly sliced or chopped
¾ cup Toor Dal, picked and washed
1 tbsp Rasam Powder
1 large marble sized Tamarind Pulp/½ tbsp Tamarind Puree
2 Green Chillies, slit
½-1 medium Onion, thinly sliced or roughly chopped
½ inch Ginger, crushed
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Black Pepper, lightly crushed using pestle and mortar
½-1 tbsp Jaggery
2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Black Peppers
3-4 cloves of Garlic
1-2 Dry Red Chilli, broken
Few Curry Leaves
A big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
½ tbsp Oil/Ghee

Rasam Rice with Papads

Method:

Cook toor dal with 2 cups of water, turmeric and a tsp of oil in pressure cooker for about 15-20 minutes till they are nicely cooked.
Release the pressure from pressure cooker before you open the lid and roughly mash the cooked dal with ladle or potato masher.
Soak tamarind pulp in half a cup of warm water for about 5 minutes and squeeze the pulp to release its juice. Discard the pulp once used.
Transfer cooked dal into heavy bottomed pan and add sliced onions, slit green chillies, crushed ginger and about 2-3 cups of water and boil it for about 5 minutes in medium flame.
Add sliced tomatoes, tamarind extract, rasam powder, jaggery, crushed black peppers and salt to taste and simmer the heat and cook for another 20-30 minutes on medium to low flame.
Add more water if you feel the rasam is thick. When rasam is reduced to ¾th of its quantity, mix in chopped coriander leaves.
For tempering, first crush cumin seeds and black pepper in a mortar and pestle. Also roughly crush garlic cloves and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, broken red chillis, crushed cumin-pepper-garlic, hing and curry leaves in that order and when mustard starts to pop and splutter transfer the tadka to rasam and mix well. Let the Rasam simmer for another 5 minutes for all the flavours to blend well.
Serve hot rasam with steamed rice and papad or serve in a bowl as a soup.

Rasam Rice, Papads, Pepper-Carrot Palya and Salad: Our Simple Meal

There is nothing better than a simple vegetable stir fry and Pepper-Carrot Palya which my mom made is something I would happily eat as a salad with Yogurt or as a side dish with Rasam Rice. The beauty of this dish is its simplicity with minimal preparation and cooking time. Stir fried green pepper and grated carrot is spiced up with simple seasoning and a splash of lime juice makes it comfort food for me.

Pepper-Carrot Palya

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Pepper-Carrot Palya
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Serves: 2-3

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Ingredients:
2 cups Grated Carrot
1 large Green Pepper/Capsicum, cut into 1 cm squares
1 Green Chilli, sliced (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Lemon Juice
½ tsp Jaggery/Sugar
A pinch of Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Coriander, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
1 Dry Red Chilli, broken
A Spring of Curry Leaves
1 tsp Oil
A pinch of Hing/Asafoetida

Pepper-Carrot Palya

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal, broken red chilli, mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves in that order.
When urad dal turns golden yellow and mustard starts to pop and splutter, add chopped capsicum pieces, slit green chilli and sauté over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes till its skin starts to wilt.
Now add turmeric powder, jaggery, grated carrots and salt to taste and sauté them for about 1 minute till the heat is equally spread. Make sure that you don’t over cook pepper and carrots and they should retain their colour and crunch.
Turn of the gas and mix in lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Rasam Rice or eat it with yogurt the way I prefer.

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