Puffy & Creamy: Phool Makhani Curry

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Blogging has its own advantage. I was used to cooking same food with same ingredients before I started blogging. I must admit that the time I am referring goes back to the era of me being a novice cook and I was not in a position to identify and differentiate one ingredient from other, especially when it came to lentils and flours. There were times when I mistook channa dal for toor dal and ended up using fine rice flour in place of maida to make Naan. And horrors of horror when I ended up using all that expensive Basmati rice in preparing Dosa batter, fit for one small army to feed, back in India. It’s a different story that I use Basmati rice quite often to make Dosa batter as they are much cheaper than Idli and Dosa rice we get here.

It’s since I started posting recipes in my blog that I learnt numerous recipes from different part of the world and discovered new ingredients which were unheard of while growing up. My Amma is an exceptional cook who even today fascinates me with her innovative recipes using rarest of ingredients. Fortunately I am like her when it comes to experimenting with ingredients and learning new recipes., just moving little away from comfort zone. Food blog world is one such place where you get to see and learn something unique every single day. Everyday I go through fascinating and adventurous journey of innovation in cooking with rare ingredients and I must say I am enjoying it thoroughly.

But there are sometimes when I get recipe requests from readers of Monsoon Spice with few ingredients which I have never tried or tasted. Some time back I received a recipe request from one of the readers to post Phool Makahni aka Puffed Lotus Seeds recipe. Till then I was not that familier with lotus seeds and I had no idea that there was puffed lotus seeds just like puffed rice or pop corns. Yes, they do look like pop corns and I felt to some extent they did taste like one especially when they are deep fried. Before I knew, I ended up eating half a cup of fried phool makhani sprinkled with little chilli powder and salt and had to fry little more for the curry. I had to stop myself from popping few more puffed lotus seeds and proceed into making this delicious Phool Makhani Curry.

This is a recipe I put together from various recipes found all over the web world. Most of the recipes had three things in common, coconut, cashews and poppy seeds. And all the recipes asked I deep fry these Phool Makhani before adding it to base gravy. But next time I am going to pan fry these puffed lotus seeds with little oil till they turn golden to reduce little amount of fat and calorie. And one more thing lesson I learnt is to buy extra pack of these puffed lotus seeds just to eat with little sprinkle of salt and pepper ;) In the end we had this delicious tasting bowl of curry which was creamy from addition of coconut, poppy seeds and cashews with touch of little spice notes to it from aromatic whole spices and spice powder used. Fried Phool Makhani, which is quite crisp when deep fried, transforms into melt-in-mouth creamy delight when added to the base gravy is one whole new experience we really enjoyed. This is my entry for Kayln's WHB guest hosted by Joanna.

Phool Makhani Curry

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Phool Makhani Curry (Puffed Lotus Seeds Cooked in a Spiced and Creamy Coconut Gravy)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:

2-3 cups Phool Makhani/Puffed Lotus Seeds
1 large Onion, finely chopped
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Sugar (Adjust acc to taste)
Small bunch of Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Oil + Oil for Deep Frying
Salt to taste

Ground to Smooth Paste:
½-¾ cup Coconut, fresh/frozen
1 tbsp Cashews
1 tbsp Poppy Seeds/Khus-Khus, dry roasted till light golden
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
3 Green Cardamoms
1 inch Ginger, peeled

Phool Makhani/Puffed Lotus Seeds

Method:

Deep fry phool makhani in heated oil till it turns light golden brown in colour and place them on paper towel to drain excess oil.
Grind cashews, roasted poppy seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and coconut to smooth paste adding little water at time.
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add finely chopped onion and sauté till they turn golden brown.
Mix in ground paste and keep stirring for about 4-5 minutes till the masala paste turns light brown in colour and becomes dry.
Now add finely chopped tomatoes, garam malasa, kitchen king masala, sugar and give it a good stir till tomatoes turn pulpy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add around 1½-2 cups of water and mix in salt to taste. Cook this gravy on medium-low heat for about 10 mins, stirring in between.
Now add fried phool makhani and mix well. You can add little more water if needed depending on required consistency of the gravy. Cook on low heat for another 3-5 minutes. Mix in finely chopped coriander leaves and serve this delicious Phool Makhani Curry with roti, chapatti or rice of your choice.

Phool Makhani Curry

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Notes:

Phool Makhani takes very few minutes to absorb all that gravy and turns into creamy delight. So add it to the gravy just five minutes before you switch off the gravy.
Although this time I deep fried these puffed lotus seeds I would suggest you to try pan frying them in batches with very little oil till it turns light golden if you want to restrict fat and calorie content.
You can also serve these fried Puffed lotus seeds with little sprinkle of salt and chilli powder.

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Reminder (Just 6 more days remaining):

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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Simplicity in Cooking: Raw Mango Kodhel

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Simplicity in cooking is something I am learning these days. It’s not necessary for you to add all the spices and more ingredients to cook delicious food. There were times when I couldn’t think of cooking without adding onions, tomatoes and garlic with minimum half a dozen of spices to jazz it up. With time I feel more confident in choosing just few spices that is right for the main vegetables. In other words I don’t panic and hop around when I have to use just few ingredients to cook something exceptionally delicious. These days I am seeing different me when it comes to cooking. I have stopped harassing the vegetables with extra handful of herbs and suffocating them with overdose of spices. I see dramatic change in my style of cooking. It’s like seeing mirror image of my mother who always cooks exceptionally great food with just few ingredients. Well, I may never be able to reach her standard of cooking but I am on my way of becoming at least one decent cook.

Such simplicity in cooking is very common when it comes to Udupi-Mangalorean cuisine. Everyday food is cooked with very few ingredients and lots of love and coconut. Coconut is the heart of this region’s cuisine and you will find most of the recipes using it in one form or other. Don’t be surprised to see people getting little carried away when it comes to Coconut be it coconut oil, gratings, desiccated coconut, coconut milk and even coconut water. Coconut not only dazzles any dish it touches but also gives it very distinct flavour by easily complimenting any vegetables, herbs and spices it is blended with.

One such recipe is Kodhel or Kodheal, a coconut based curry from Mangalore. Recipe is quite simple and straightforward, vegetables cooked with a ground paste of fresh coconut and few handfuls of spices. Sounds simple isn’t it? But the taste is unforgettable. Every time I make Kodhel it tastes different when used with different vegetables. From humble vegetables to royal fruits, the choice of main ingredient is many. This time I made summer special and my all time favourite Raw Mango Kodhel using Totapuri Mango which is a best choice for this recipe. Don’t fret if you don’t find Totapuri mangoes. Instead go for those mangoes which have mild sweet note with sourness. The rich and vibrant golden red colour of the gravy comes from special type of dry red chillies called Byadagi Menasu/Chilli which comes from Byadagi region in North Karnataka and is a must for Managlorean cuisine. This Raw Mango Kodhel where sweet and sour Totapuri mangoes are cooked in lightly spiced coconut gravy is delight to every foodie’s senses. And off this goes to Suganya who is guest hosting this month’s AFAM-Coconut. Oh yes, Coconut is really a fruit and like many of you I too learnt it recently.

Mango Kodhel

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Raw Mango Kodhel (Raw Mangoes cooked in Mangalorean Coconut Gravy)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
1 large Totapuri Mango, cut into 1 inch cubes (no need to peel its skin)
1-1½ inch cube of Jaggery
Salt to taste

For Ground Paste:
¾ cup grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
4-5 Dry Red Chillies (I used Byadagi, adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tbsp Urad Dal
Big pinch of Methi/Fenugreek Seeds
1 small marble size Tamarind (adjust acc to taste, if mangoes are quite sour them omit it)

For Tempering:
1 tbsp Oil (preferably Coconut oil)
1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
1 dry Red Chilli, halved
A big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves

Ingredients(clockwise): Raw Mango, Jaggery, Tamarind, Roasted Spices & Coconut

Method:

Cook cubed mango pieces in 3-3½ cups of water adding jaggery and salt to taste for between 7-10 mins on a medium flame. Make sure that the mangoes are just cooked and its peel change to dirty green colour.
Mean while, dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, urad dal and methi seeds for about 1 min in a medium flame till they turn light brown in colour and gives out nice aroma. Grind these roasted spices with coconut, tamarind pulp and just enough water to very smooth paste.
Add this ground paste to mango pieces and mix well. Add little water if needed to get required consitancy of base gravy. Cook this mixture for another 5-7 minutes and bring it to gentle boil.
Heat oil in a tadka pan and add mustard, dry red chillies, hing and curry leaves. Transfer this tempering to the curry when mustard starts to pop and splutter. Mix well and cover and keep it aside covered for about 10 mins for all the flavours to blend well. Serve this delicious Raw Mango Kodhel with Rosematta or Basmati Rice or with Dosa and Idli and enjoy.

Raw Mango Kodhel

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Notes:

While cooking mangoes make sure that you don’t over cook them as it is important for mangoes to retain their shape and not become mushy.
Don’t cook for too long once you add ground mixture of coconut.
This Kodhel tastes great the next day when all the flavours are blended well.

Other mango recipes blogged so far

• Spicy Mango Chutney/Pickle
• Raw mango Spinach Dal
• Aamras
• Mango-Coconut Chutney
• Uppu Mavina Kai Palya (Mangoes in brine stir fry)
• Uppu Mavina Kai Gojju
• Mango Rice

Thanks to dear Skribles of Food with a Pinch of Love (for Nice Matters & Good Chant Blog) and lovely Happy Cook of My Kitchen Treasures (for Arte y Pico) for passing me these awards. I am honored and feel cherished girls :)

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Reminder:

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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Baby Corn & Green Peas Curry & Some Random Thoughts

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Conversation with my boss:
Good morning. Lovely weather isn’t it? I hope it stays like this till this weekend.

Conversation with my friend on phone:
Oh!!! You know what? It’s supposed to be summer here but I can’t see even one single ray of sunshine!!!

Conversation with hubby:
I don’t feel like going out in this dreadful weather!!! Let’s just sit back and watch some movies. If the weather gets better we can always do bit of gardening and BBQ.

Conversation with a perfect stranger:
Nice weather isn’t it?

Ever since I came to England all I have been talking is about the weather. I read it somewhere that more than 90% of people in UK talk about the weather, as “whether the weather will improve!!!” The best way to start conversation with any perfect stranger here is, yes you guessed it, the weather! I guess it is because the weather is so uncertain here and that itself makes it quite interesting topic of conversation. Sometime when you are in jolly good mood you tend to find it quite amusing and start laughing out loud when it starts to pour just when the weather reporter on news channel is dancing around the screen saying how bright and sunny day it’s going to be! One thing I learnt through hard lesson is you must never contradict anybody when discussing the weather, as this is considered to be very bad etiquette. Even if it is snowing outside and someone says, “Nice weather, isn’t it?” you must reply, “Yes, it is!”

Is the weather a topic of discussion a global thing? I mean, is it only here that we talk about the weather or is it the same all around the world? I don’t remember weather being a topic for conversation back in India, well not to this extent! With the continuing rise in global warming and its impact on the weather pattern, we have become more aware of the change in weather condition and it has never been so important. Talking about it can not be considered as just a way of passing the time of the day anymore.

The weather to some extent controls our moods and activities (at least in my case). And for me it is very evident when it comes to food! Well, it’s not some kind of story I am cooking up. Many a times I have noticed that the weather influences my cooking. When it’s dark, gloomy and cloudy, I take out the bright coloured vegetables and fruits with colourful lentils to cook with. When it’s sunny and bright, I go for fresh and crisp vegetables and fruits with very little spices to jazz it up. May be I am crazy to some extent (oh crap, don’t tell me I am one gone case ;). While writing this, I just peepd out of the window and unfortunately its one of that gloomy weather here. May be I need some coloured peppers to jazz up tonight’s dinner and my mood ;)

Well, on rare summery days of my part of the world I cooked this delicious pot of Baby Corn and Green Peas Curry. Unlike my previous Creamy Baby Corn & Baby Carrot Masala, this one is bit dry and goes well with any Roti or Poori or Chapatti or as a side dish to any rice items. If you like crispiness of baby corns and sweetness of fresh green peas, then this is a curry for you. Crisp and crunchy baby corn and sweet peas are cooked with very little spice blend to retain its own taste. Addition of tomatoes gives it mild note of tanginess and onions give it sweet touch. This dish goes to Maninas who is guest hosting this week's WHB that is initiated by dear Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen fame.

Baby Corn and Green Peas Curry

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Baby Corn & Green Peas Masala
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
15-20 Baby Corns, cut vertically and chopped to 1 inch pieces
1 cup Green Peas, fresh/frozen
1 medium Onion, very finely chopped
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Green Chillies, slit
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1-2 tsp Sugar (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder
1 tsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves
1 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Baby Corn and Green Peas Curry

Method:

Cook baby corns in enough water with turmeric and salt to taste for about 7-10 mins. Baby corns should be fork tender and still retain their crunch. Drain and keep them aside. Save 1 cup of water in which baby corn is used for later.
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle add finely chopped onions.
Sauté the onions till it turns translucent, about 1-2 mins, on a medium flame. Now add slit green chilli, ginger-garlic paste and sauté it for another minute or so till the raw smell of ginger-garlic paste disappears.
Add garam masala, kasuri methi, kitchen king masala and sauté it over a low flame for about 30 secs to 1 min till the raw smell of spices disappears. Now add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till they become pulpy. Add sugar, amchur powder and mix well.
Mix in cooked baby corn, green peas, ½ cup of water saved from cooked baby corn and mix well. Cover and cook for another 5-10 mins till all the flavours blend well. Add little water in between making sure that curry doesn’t stick to pan.
Squeeze in fresh lime juice, chopped coriander leaves and mix well and serve hot with any roti or rice of your choice.

Baby Corn and Green Peas Curry

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Note:

Other Baby Corn Recipes blogged so far

• Baby Corn & Baby Carrots Masala
• Baby Corn Manchurian

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Reminder:

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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Cooking with Babies: Baby Corn & Carrot Masala

Every time I come back from India I kind of go under emotional roller coaster ride. There you are, surrounded by your loved ones at any odd time of the day or night sipping a cup of filter Kaapi and talking about everything under this sky and it feels like time just flies without you knowing. And here you are, with only your partner to talk to (that to when he is not busy giving bubble bath to love of his life Lajjo Rani (don’t fret, its our car I am referring to) or jumping up and down like crazy guy while stuck to idiot box watching football or cricket (I call it kiri-kiri meaning irritating)). There you are, eating all wonderful food cooked by every other person other than you and hardly required to move your big fat ass. Here you are, fretting over what to cook everyday and arguing whose turn to empty the waste bin. There you are, just required to walk few steps to eat your heart’s content and yet pay few pennies. Here you are, travel miles together to eat at reasonably good restaurant and end up lightening your wallet and half full stomach. Ah!!! Some pleasures of staying away from home!!!!!!

While still recovering from jet lag (I blame my Boss for making me go to office very next day we landed here and now you know why I’ve not been able to blog hop these days. Bhohoo) all we have been eating is Ganji with Ghee and Pickle or just plain Curd Rice. Well, I am not really complaining here. All we wanted after eating the food served on flight was just simple ones as our taste buds were not ready to volunteer as a guinea pig in anymore of laboratory testing. So it was only during weekend after sleeping till noon that we finally managed to eat something other than simple Comfort Food. With big batch of Aloo Parathas I had cooked and tucked in the freezer before leaving to India, we had to just worry about some simple curry to serve. Well, not exactly simple when it comes to taste department. This delicious Baby Corn-Carrot Masala in creamy gravy of onion, tomato and cashews is what we enjoyed with Aloo Parathas. Very tender Baby Corn and Baby Carrots from Farmer’s Market are the highlights of this yummilicious Curry which simply retains is crunchiness and sweet taste even when cooked with spices. And another addition to this gravy is my ever favourite Kitchen King Masala and Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) which enhances its taste. Do try this Curry of Tender Baby Corns and Baby Carrot fingers simmered in rich gravy of sweet onions, tangy tomatoes and flavourful cashews and well balanced spices which is sure to awaken all your senses.

Baby Corn & Carrot Masala with Aloo Parathas

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Baby Corn & Carrot Masala (Veggies cooked in Creamy Gravy of Onion, Tomato and Cashew)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
15-20 tender Baby Corn, cut into fingers
10-12 Baby Carrots/ 2-3 medium Carrots
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, slit (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tbsp Oil/Ghee

Baby Corn & Baby Carrots

For Ground Masala:
1 small Onion, quartered
3 large Tomatoes, blanched in hot water and peeled/1 canned Chopped Tomato
2-3 cloves of Garlic
¾ -1 inch Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 Dry Red Chilli (I used Byadagi for Colour, adjust acc to taste)
¾ -1 tsp Garam Masala
½-1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
½ tsp Amchur/Dried Mango Powder (Optional)
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Sugar
10-12 Cashews

Baby Corn & Carrot Masala

Method:

Grind all the ingredients listed above from onion to cashews to smooth paste without adding any water and keep it aside.
Cook Baby Corn and Baby Carrots with turmeric powder and salt to taste in enough water for about 5-6 minutes till they are fork tender. Drain and reserve the water.
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When cumin starts to sizzle, add finely chopped onion and slit chillies and sauté on medium flame till it turns golden brown.
Now add ground paste, Kasuri Methi and sauté it continuously for about 2-3 minutes on medium to low flame till raw smell of masala disappears.
Mix cooked Baby Corn and Carrots. Add reserved water as and when required to get required gravy consistency. Simmer and cook for another ten minutes for all the flavours to blend well.
Mix finely chopped coriander leaves before serving it with Chapatti, Roti or Paratha of your choice and enjoy this creamy goodness.

Simplicity at its Best: Sorekai Bolu Kodhel

We are back from short yet wonderful vacation from India and already missing home! Here I am in my office, feeling sleepy and jetlagged and terribly homesick. Each and every minute of those 18 days were filled with excitement and fun and our ears are still buzzing. It feels strange to be here away from all buzz and excitement. The two big family weddings in two weeks of our vacation kept us on our toes all the time. Mehendi, shopping, facials, flower decorations, shopping for gifts, last minute purchases, travelling, houseful of guests, shopping (did I say shopping again?!), phone calls to friends… It was complete madness and we enjoyed each and every moment of it. It won’t be exaggeration if I had to say that we hardly got time to think about coming back (Will write about it more in my later posts). Surprisingly even the flights were on time and everything went smoothly.

Can’t believe that we had been away for just few days and there is already change in weather. Thankfully the gloomy, cloudy weather is over and we were pleasantly welcomed by bright and sunny day. After 10+ hours of journey and forcefully eating the food served on flight all we craved for is some simple food, food which is also comforting. Ganji with Tender Mango Pickle and simple Bolu Kodhel is what comes to my mind whenever we fly back from India. Unlike other Coconut based Mangalorean Kodhels, this one uses very few ingredients sans much loved Coconut. Some things in life are better when they are simpler. How many times have we really tried to be simple but ended up complicating it more in that process? Keeping things simple is indeed complicated and it is very true when it comes to recipes. I am always impressed with the recipes which are traditional and handed down from one generation to the next. Most of them are uncomplicated, simple and yet the end result is always the winner. One such recipe which is handed down to me by my Amma, who in turn learnt it from her mom (my Ajji) is Bolu Kodhel. Bolu means plain and Kodehl means Curry from Mangalore. Bolu Kodhel is unfussy, comforting food for me that takes away all the ill-feelings after eating the food served on flights. Silky Bottle Gourd is cooked with spicy and aromatic Rasam/Sambar Powder and sweet Jaggery is the simplicity at its best. The simple tadka/tempering of Garlic and Hing gives it a touch of richness. Try it if you like simple food which tops the chart when it comes to taste and I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed with the end result. I am sending Sorekai/Bottle Gourd Bolu Kodhel to Laurie who is guest hosting WHB started by lovely Kalyn.

Sorekai Bolu Kodhel

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Bolu Kodhel (Plain Curry of Bottle Gourd from Mangalore with Rasam/Sambar Powder and Garlic Tadka)
Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
5 cups Bottle Gourd, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes)
1- 1½ tbsp Rasam/Sambar Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
½ - 1 tbsp Jaggery (Adjust acc to taste)
1 big marble sized Tamarind
1-2 Green Chillies, slit (Optional, adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
½ tbsp Ghee + 1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Dry Red Chilli, broken
A big Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
½ bulb of Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd Bolu Kodhel

Method:

Cook bottle gourd cubes with jaggery, salt to taste and tamarind in a pan with enough water (approx 5-7 cups of water) for about 5-10 minutes till they are half cooked.
Mix in Rasam/Sambar powder and slit green chillies. Adjust the seasonings and water as per your taste and cook on a medium to low flame for another 10 minutes till the water is reduced to 2/3rd and flavours are blended well.
For tadka, heat ghee and oil in a pan and add sliced garlic. Sauté till garlic turns golden yellow and add mustard seeds, broken red chilli, curry leaves and hing.
When mustard starts to pop and splutter transfer the tempering into the Kodhel and mix well.
Mix in chopped coriander leaves. Cover and let it sit for another 5-10 minutes for all the flavours blend well. Serve hot with steamed Rice and Papad and enjoy.

Sorekai Bolu Kodhel

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Notes:

Slow cooking is the best method to make Bolu Kodhel.
Make sure that the water quantity is reduced to 2/3rd from original quantity. This way of cooking is known as ‘Battisuvudu’ in Kannada which is also used when making simple Rasams and Dals so that the flavours are blended well.
Other than Bottle Gourd, Okra is also cooked in a similar fashion with little bit of Toor Dal sans Garlic.

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Cooking with Love: Huli-Menasina Kodhel

Ajji, my paternal grandma was the most beautiful lady I have had ever seen. Whenever I think of her, the aroma of fragrant Jasmine wafts away which she would wear on her scented oiled hair combed back in a knotted bun. Most of the times she was seen wearing silk sarees with half a dozen of green and red glass bangles in between lovely gold bangles. While the brightest of bright shade of Kumkum on her forehead always reminded me of bright shining sun, the sparkling diamond studs on her ears and nose reminded me of twinkling stars. Her eyes heavily lined with Kaadige (Kohl/Kajal) would twinkle with all the love and kindness and her beautiful smile would spread warmth in our heart. No wonder my Ajja (paternal Grandfather) fell in love with her the moment he met her when he was just 20 and she was at tender age of 16. Amma always would recall how much they were in love even after 50 years of marriage when she joined our large joint family as third daughter-in-law and she was warmly welcomed as a daughter by her in laws.

Although I don’t remember much about my Ajji as I was just 5 years old when she left this world I do remember two things as clearly as if it was only yesterday. It was my Ajji’s cooking and every weekend oil bathing sessions. Unlike these days bathrooms were separate from main house building. We had this huge bathroom built with thick red mud walls and thatched roofs at some distance from the main house. The sun light coming from small wooden windows would compete with the sparkling lights from kerosene lamps. Out side the bathroom there was big granite stone stand used for washing the cloths. The other side of the bathroom had a big water well which was used for washing and bathing. The bathroom floor was made of thick, rough, unpolished granite stone and had thatched grass roof with wooden beams. At one corner of the bathroom was this huge (I mean really huge) Copper pot fitted to thick mud wood-burning stove and only the mouth of this round pot was visible from outside. Gallons of water filled to the brim from water well next to the bathroom was heated from the bottom by burning the wood which would make the dark bathroom steamy and smoky and lightly aromatic.

Although we had dozens of domestic helpers and maids at home Ajji would never leave a chance to give us the oil bath every weekend. First she would change from her silk saree to light cotton one. She would apply warm scented oil on our body and hair and give a thorough massage for at least half an hour starting from head to toe. I would always doze off by this time. Then she would take us to steaming bathroom and make us sit on wooden stool. First she would wash our hair with natural herbal shampoo made using Shikakai and then apply herbal conditioner made from Dasavala (Hibiscus) leaves. Then she would wash off the oil with a mixture of Gram flour and water rubbing vigorously. By this time we would be content and half asleep. After towelling us dry she would take us to main house to our recreational room on first floor to dry our hair with the Saambhrani/Dhoop (Dry leaves of Sambhrani being sprinkled on burning coal in a large clay container and is covered with cane basket). This aromatic, warm smoke of Sambhrani would slowly dry our hair so that we wouldn't catch cold.

And then came our weekend lunch time. Green plantain leaves would look like some artist’s palette with colourful dishes adorning them from top to bottom with every kid’s favourite dishes. After a heavy lunch cooked by our Amma, Aunties and Ajji, there was no way we could keep our eyes open. With heavy eyelids we would straight get into our kids room and I bet our mother’s would have been happy to see us naughty ones to doze off leaving them enough free time to take nap in the afternoon. Even today I just have to close my eyes to see my Ajji smiling at us, ready with platter full of munchies when we would get up from our nap and ready to go out for playing. Memories of her face, her smile, her soft, wrinkled hands, her bright, sparkling eyes, her perfume, our weekend oil baths, and her delicious food is very fresh in my heart.

One of my favourite food memories from my Ajji’s kitchen is Huli-Menasina Kodhel. It’s a typical Udupi-Managalorean curry made using very few ingredients and its one of the finest example as how simple food cooked with very few ingredients can taste utterly delicious. While Byadagi Menasu gives that fiery red colour with kick of spiciness, tamarind gives it much needed tang. Coconut and Jaggery makes it creamy, a hint of sweetness and pungent Garlic tadka takes it to another level of taste. Huli-Menasina Kodhel is usually made using Yellow Cucumber or Tindora/Tondekai or combination of both and is a very special dish for me, from my native. Coming from a Brahmin family who followed very strict vegetarian diet, we kids would imagine that Tondekai/Tindora as fish and annoy our elders. Ajji would laugh at our wild imaginations and made sure to cook this Kodhel during weekends for our pleasure. Even now when I cook this Kodhel, I can’t help but think of my blissful childhood days with dozens of cousins. I am sending this special dish to this month’s Jihva for Love which is guest hosted by Jigyasa and Pratibha who have started this beautiful blog A Tribute to Pedatha.

Huli-Menasina Kodhel

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Huli Menasina Kodhel (Mangalorean Recipe for Tindoras cooked in Coconut, Tamarind and Chilli Gravy)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 5-6

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Ingredients:

5-6 cups Tindora/Tondekai, trimmed and halved
1 tbsp Jaggery (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

For Ground Masala:
4-6 Dry Red Chilli, preferably Bydagi/Kashmiri Chilli (Adjust acc to taste)
1 big marble sized Tamarind Pulp
¾ -1 cup Coconut, fresh/frozen
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds

For Tempering:
6-8 Garlic Cloves, sliced
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Dry Red Chilli, halved
Few Curry leaves
½ tbsp Oil, preferably Coconut Oil

Tindora/Tondekai

Method:
Take a pan with 3-4 cups of water and bring them to gentle boil. Meanwhile, wash, dry and trim the ends of tindora and halve them horizontally.
Add these tindora pieces into boiling water along with jaggery, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Cook uncovered on a medium flame for around 10-15 minutes till they are half cooked.
Grind coconut with tamarind, dry red byadagi chillies and cumin seeds to smooth water adding little water at time.
Add this ground paste to cooked tindora and mix well. Cook on a medium to low heat for about 10-15 minutes and bring the curry to gentle boil and turn of the heat. Adjust the seasoning as per taste.
Heat oil in a pan and add garlic slices to it. Sauté till garlic turns golden yellow in colour. Add mustard seeds, dry red chilli and curry leaves and sauté. Once the mustard seeds starts to pop and splutter transfer the tempering to Kodhel and mix well.
Serve this Huli-Menasina Kodhel with steamed rice or Dosa or Idli and enjoy.

Huli-Menasina Kodhel

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Note:

The bright red beautiful colour of the curry is due to special type of Chilli used called Byadagi Chillies. They are milder in compared to other chillies and gives beautiful red colour to the curry.
Use Dosekai/Yello Cucumber in place of Tindora or mix both the vegetables in equal quantity and follow the same recipe.
Garlic is a must for this Kodhel as it gives Kodhel wonderful flavour.

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Cooking with the Queen: Bendekai Gojju

Ladies Finger… such an elegant name for Okra/Bhindi. Considered as the queen of vegetables with its slender shape and crown on top, it is one of my favourite vegetable to cook with. Not many people prefer it because of its sliminess. When cut into pieces this queen likes to cling to anything it touches, knife, chopping board, your fingers. Well, no wonder that it’s not everyone’s favourite vegetable to deal with, especially the person who is in charge of the kitchen. Who would really want to deal with this slimy vegetable when you have so many other wonderful vegetables to choose from? It will be me and millions others like me who simply love this vegetables in spite of its clinging nature. The reason behind this is the taste which lingers for long hours. Okra is one vegetable that absorbs all the wonderful flavours of spices and transforms into smooth, silky in texture and unbelievable taste still maintaining its crisp crunch. When cooked to perfection, you will not hear any grumblings or see that ugly frowns or much of resistance from the same people who just moments ago were not very fond of it.

One such dish which undoubtedly is loved by most people is Bendekai/Bhindi/Okra Gojju. Gojju is a classic Kannadiga dish cooked for everyday meal. The recipe varies from one part of the state to another and hence don’t be surprised if you come across other recipes using whole different ingredients and cooking style. This is my Aunt’s recipe which is different from the way my Amma makes it. Crisp, fried okra is simmered in the delicious gravy of tamarind, coconut, jaggary and chilli is everything one can ask for.

Is it spicy? Yes, it is.
Is it sour? Yes, it is.
Is it sweet? Yes, it is.
And is it delicious? You bet…

I am posting this recipe for Archana, one of the readers of Monsoon Spice who wants to introduce Bendekai/Bendekaayi Gojju to her hubby. Archana, I hope you both enjoy this Gojju.

Bendekai Gojju

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Bendekai Gojju (Okra/Bhindi in Tangy & Spicy Coconut Gravy)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:

15-20 tender Okra/Bhindi
2 Green Chillies, slit (Adjust acc to taste)
1 lemon sized Tamarind Pulp/1 tsp Tamarind Paste (Adjust acc to taste)
1 lemon sized Jaggary (Adjust acc to taste)
¾ cups Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
1 tbsp Oil

For Spice Powder:
4-6 Dry Red Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Black Peppercorns (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Chana Dal/Bengal Gram Dal
½ tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram
A big Pinch of Methi Seeds
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
A big pinch Hing/Asafoetida
1 tsp Oil

Ground Spice Powder for Gojju

Method:
Wash the Okra and dry thoroughly using a clean dry cloth. Make sure that all the moisture is removed. This is important step when using Okra in cooking to reduce its sliminess. Once they are dried, cut them into ½ inch rounds using dry knife and keep them aside.
Soak tamarind pulp in a cup of warm water for about 10 mins. Squeeze out the tamarind pulp and discard the seeds. Keep this squeezed tamarind puree aside.
Dry roast all the spices listed, from dry red chillies to hing on a low flame till they are lightly browned. Takes about 2-4 mins of time. Cool the spices and grind them to smooth paste with coconut adding very little water.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and when it is hot add cut okras. Sauté them continuously at medium to high flame till okra turns brown and retains its crispiness. Usually it takes around 5-7 mins.
Once the okras have turns crisp and brown, add tamarind puree, slit chillies if using and mix well. Add about 1 cup of water, salt and jaggary and let it simmer for about 3-4 mins.
Now add ground paste and mix well. Depending on the required consistency of gravy add water and mix well. Cook uncovered on a medium to low heat for about 5-10 mins till all the flavours blend well and small bubbles start to appear.
Remove Gojju from flame. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When mustard starts to pop and splutter transfer this tadka/tempering into Gojju and mix well. Cover and let it sit for about 10 mins for the flavours to blend well.
Serve this tangy, sweet and spicy Bendekai Gojju with plain steamed white rice and enjoy. You can serve this hot or cold depending on your preference.

Roasted Spices for Gojju

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Note:

Beginners, always remember not to wash the okra once it is cut into pieces (been there, done that).
To reduce the sliminess of Okra, clean the knife and cutting board in between with kitchen towel or napkin.
Stir fry okra at medium to high temperature till it turns brown and crisp. This way the okra will not be gooey with slime.
When using frozen Okra, thaw and wipe it using kitchen towel. Preheat the oven at around 250 deg C. Line the baking tray with baking sheet or simply spray it with cooking spray. Spread it on a baking tray in single layer and bake it for about 5-10 minutes. I picked this tip from here and it works very well.

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A Twist in the Tale: Palak Tofu

Me: Eiks… What’s that ugly green thing Amma?
Mom: Its spinach. I am making spinach curry for tonight’s dinner.
Me: Eww… Don’t bother! I had rather eat plain rice than eating that yucky green thing!
Mom: Why don't you taste little and see if you like it.
Me: I don’t want to taste it because I know I won’t like it. So why tasting it when I already know I am not gonna like it?
Mom: Because it’s good for you. You’ll become strong if you eat it. Remember Popeye? He is strong because he eats spinach.
Me: oh yes! Popeye eats spinach and gets lots of energy and then he beats Bluto. That means even I’ll get lots of energy to beat that bad boy in my class who pulls my hair everyday during school assembly!!! Mmm…
Mom: ~rolls her eyes~

Sounds familiar right? It’s still unknown as why kids preferred to get their tongues burnt than eat greens. I too grew up hating green leafy vegetables with passion and there was no way my Amma could make me eat them. Like many mothers all around the globe Amma tricked me by mixing it with Paratha, Dosa, Poories, deep fried goodies which we kids would eat happily without knowing it had greens which we hated. There was one exceptional green leafy vegetable which I grudgingly ate and yes, it’s Spinach or Palak. Reason for eating it was of course my childhood super hero Popeye, the sailor.

But there was one dish which I wouldn’t have shared even with Popeye. I would happily eat it without anyone holding a gun on my temple! It is classic Punjabi dish Saag Paneer or Palak Paneer. Soft paneer cubes dunked in creamy, lightly spiced spinach gravy has to be one of the most liked side dish in Indian restaurants. It is mildly spiced and hence loved by people of all age groups from 8 to 80. As Paneer is little heavy on tummy and waist, I substituted it with Tofu to make it guilt free indulgence. Addition of cashews gives very creamy consistency for Palak gravy and makes it stand apart from usual Saag Paneer dish (Tip picked from Indira's Palak Paneer recipe where she says she learnt it from her Punjabi neighbor Deviji). We enjoyed this creamy Palak Tofu/Saag Tofu with Mooli Parathas (recipe will be posted soon).

Palak Tofu/Saag Tofu

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Palak-Tofu/Saag-Tofu (Lightly Fried Tofu in Spiced Spinach Gravy)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
1 big bunch of Spinach (Approx. 6-8 packed cups, here I used Baby Spinach)
2 cups firm Tofu, squeezed to remove excess water and cubed into ¾ inch pieces
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
2 medium Tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 Green Chillies (adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1+ ½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ inch Cinnamon Stick
2-3 Green Cardamom
2-3 Cloves
¼ tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
½ tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Optional)
1 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Sour Cream (Optional)
½ + ½ tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Spinach & Tofu for Saag

Method:
Heat about ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and add cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves. Sauté it for few seconds and add ½ tsp of cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds start to crackle add cashews and green chillies. Sauté it on medium flame till cashews turn light golden brown in colour.
Mix in roughly chopped spinach, sugar and cover the lid. Cook this spinach cover for few minutes on a medium heat till it is wilted. If needed sprinkle little water in between to avoid them sticking to the pan.
Cool the mixture and grind it to smooth paste with coriander leaves adding as little water as possible. Keep aside this mixture till required.
Heat ½ tbsp of oil in the same pan and remaining cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle, add finely chopped onion and sauté it for a minute.
Now add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it till the raw smell disappears, about a minute. Mix in chopped tomatoes and sauté till it becomes pulpy.
Add coriander powder, kitchen king masala, garam masala and kasuri methi and keep stirring till nice aroma of masala fills the kitchen, about a minute time.
Mix in ground spinach paste and add about 1- 1½ cups of water and salt to taste. Let it cook on a low to medium flame for about ten minutes.
While the spinach gravy is cooking heat little oil in a pan and placed cubed tofu pieces. Pan fry both the sides of tofu till they turn golden brown. This step is optional and can be omitted if you don’t prefer to fry tofu pieces.
Add lightly fried tofu and sour cream, if using, to spinach gravy and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes so that tofu absorbs all the flavours. Serve this Palak-Tofu/Saag-Tofu with any Indian bread of your choice and enjoy.

Palak Tofu/Saag Tofu

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Note:
Replace Tofu with Paneer to make wholesome Palak-Paneer or Saag-Paneer.
Addition of cashew is optional. I have added it to give creamy texture to the gravy.

Other Tofu Recipes posted in Monsoon Spice:

• Tofu Stuffed Kulcha
• Thai Veg and Tofu Green Curry
• Thai Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu

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Final Call for an 'Ode to Potato'! One more Day to Go...

An Ode to Potato ends on 15th of March (GMT Time). Send in your entry before the deadline and join us in the singing. Bake, boil, mash, fry, sauté, grill, stuff, cook... The choice is endless.

Deadline: 15th March, 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 along with the gorgeous Photo of Potato dish.

Click Here to find out more information on this event.

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A Self Proclaimed Foodie: Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala

What are you?
A foodie, or the gourmet, or the gourmand?

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gour•met
noun
- A connoisseur of fine food and drink; epicure
adjective
- Of or characteristic of a gourmet, esp. in involving or purporting to involve high-quality or exotic ingredients and skilled preparation: gourmet meals; gourmet cooking.
- Elaborately equipped for the preparation of fancy, specialized, or exotic meals: a gourmet kitchen.

gour•mand
noun
- A person who is fond of good eating, often indiscriminatingly and to excess.
- A gourmet; epicure.

food•ie
noun Slang
- A person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking.
- A person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink)

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What would you call yourself, a foodie or the gourmet or gourmand? Well, I never would have thought about it until few months back when I was asked the same question by my colleague and then dear blog friend. All I knew was I loved food, both cooking and eating it. I would rather have a big plate of food which makes me feel good and content than sampling few tea spoons of fancy food. I would rather go for a double cheese burger or pizza with bunch of my friends’ right in front of the TV than eat three course meals at some quiet fancy restaurant. I would rather drink a bowl of hot ‘n spicy Rasam than sip some fine wine and I would gladly eat Curd rice with pickle than taste samples of fine cuisine. It means my love for food is not restricted to fine gourmet cuisine although I do love to indulge myself sometimes.
Whenever I think of food, I crave for some homemade simple foods than fancy eye candies. It’s the simple, comfort food that makes me happy and warm when I am hungry. So I can happily say that I am a foodie through and through. Well, what else would you call a person who talks about food, daydreams of food and loves to cook food? A foodie right? And to top it all my blog is dedicated to foodie’s food :) So what would you call yourself? A foodie or the gourmet or the gourmand?
Life’s been hectic since couple of weeks and Krish and I are spending very little time in kitchen during weekdays. When life gets hectic and you don’t have enough time to itch your a$$, all you want to cook and eat is something which is quick yet tasty. Spending little time in kitchen doesn’t mean that we are hogging some burgers and wedges or frozen pizzas (I am on diet remember?). Far from that we are eating some healthy food. Again, healthy food is not restricted to green salad or fruits tossed in our bowl but some sinfully delicious food with a touch of exotic spices. I had a big batch of frozen Tofu Stuffed Kulchas in freezer and it was begging to be eaten with some spicy curry. All I was left in fridge was a box of button mushrooms and tomatoes. With quick brainstorming session, Krish and I ended up making this Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala which tasted great with Kulchas. The crisp onions and tangy tomatoes were well balanced with chewy mushrooms and exotic spices. Do give it a try if you love mushrooms and peas like me and I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.

Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala

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Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
1 box Mushroom (approx 4-5 cups), quartered
½ cup Green Peas, fresh/frozen
1 large Onion, sliced thinly
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped
½ inch Ginger, finely chopped or ½ tsp Ginger Paste
1 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped or ½ tsp Garlic Paste
1-2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala
½ Lime Juice/ ½ tsp Amchur Powder
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves
Few Curry Leaves (Optional)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste

Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala with Tofu Stuffed Kulcha

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and curry leaves to it. Add sliced onion and chopped garlic when cumin seeds start to sizzle and sauté it on medium flame till onion turns translucent.
Add chopped green chillies and ginger and sauté it for about 30 secs. Mix in quartered mushrooms and sauté on medium flame for 2-3 minutes till the mushrooms are wilted and wrinkled.
Mix in green peas, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and salt to taste and cook for about 2 minutes on medium flame till tomatoes get pulpy and releases its juice.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, garam masala and kitchen king masala and mix well. Cook for another 4-5 minutes till all the flavours blend well.
Add kasuri methi and juice of half a lime and mix well. Cook for another two minutes on a reduced flame.
Serve hot Spicy Mushroom Curry garnished with chopped coriander leaves with Roti/Kulcha of your choice.

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Pleasure of Slow Cooking with Rajma

January, cold January…. As I stare down another long, bitter cold, horrid and dark January, my thoughts turn to the kind of food that nurtures my tummy and soul, brightens my mood, soothes my senses. When I ask myself what’s soothing on a gray winter day, I picture tucking into deep bowl of soup or dal rice. First thing I reach for is comfort food when the weather turns bitterly cold in the depths of British winter. And who can blame me for this when the central heating at home is on full blast and air-conditioning unit in office don’t seem to get over the fact that it’s no more summer. For most of us comfort food has three characteristics- it offers a substantial hit of carbos; it is never over-flavoured, neither bland nor too spicy/sweet; and it is always easy to eat without much fuss. From the time I got back from my trip I seem to have spent most of last two weeks feeling miserable, homesick and continuously struggling with my work deadline. Ultimately it’s comfort food that sooths my nerves and hugs me in its warmth as it touch my lips and spreads its warmth to my soul.
Yes, lately I have been cooking comfort foods. I am not talking about some high calorie sins here. I am cooking and eating simple, traditional, no-fuss food which I crave for. It’s a food which takes me on a virtual tour to back home where I see little 6 something me eating holding small balls of rasam/dal rice in my little chubby fingers and eating it while listening to stories. These small balls of rasam/dal rice with ghee, “Kai Thuttu" as we call, was given by Amma would taste heavenly in spite the fact that it was just every day food. It’s mother’s love that transferred this common food to something extra ordinary. It’s one experience which every one of us will treasure for rest of our life. Even now in my mid 20’s I never spare a chance of eating Kai Thuttu when I am at home with my Amma.
Apart from simple Dals and Rasams one such dish which I strongly believe falls into comfort food zone is Rajma-Chawal. Delicious Red Kidney Beans simmered in creamy and aromatic onion-tomato gravy lightly touched with right spices served with a steaming bowl of basmati rice is special favourite of mine for seeing off the winter blues. Rajma is one dish where you hardly need to sweat out in front of the stove yet unbelievably the end result is one lip smackingly delicious meal. When ever I cook some lentil/pulses I follow slow cooking method where the pulses are simmered in gravy for long hours to blend in all the flavour. One thing to remember when you go for slow cooking method is to use heavy bottomed pan or utensils so that the gravy doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If you own an earthen pot then you will sure to experience another dimension of taste. With little stirring here and there this Rajma recipe is simple to nothing and it is sure to please everyone’s taste buds. I'm sending this comforting bowl of Rajma to Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook who has asked us to cook with beans/pulses for her My Legume Love Affair and Meeta of What's for Lunch Honey who is hosting MM-Comfort Foods. How can I say no to these lovely ladies!!! Hope you girls enjoy it.

Rajma

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Rajma (Kidney Beans in lighly spiced Onion-Tomato Gravy)
Prep Time: 5-10 mins (Excluding soaking time)
Cooking Time: 45 mins - 1 hour
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
1 can Kidney Beans or 1 cup Rajma/Red Kidney Beans, soaked over night
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 can chopped Tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 inch Ginger, thinly sliced
2-3 Garlic Flakes, finely chopped
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
1 tsp Amchoor/Dry Mango Powder or Anardaana Powder
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
1 inch Cinnamon
3 Green Cardamoms
2 Cloves
½ + ½ tbsp Oil
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Hing/Asafetida
Salt to taste


Rajma
Method:
If using soaked kidney beans, cook the beans in pressure cooker with little salt and enough water for about 15 minutes till it is cooked.
Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic and onion pieces to it. Sauté it for about 1-2 mins till onion turn translucent and raw smell of ginger garlic is gone.
Add chopped tomatoes or canned tomatoes and sauté it for about 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and let the onion-tomato base cool down a little.
Once cooled take onion-tomato base, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in a blender and grind them to smooth paste.
Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add cumin seeds and hing. When jeera starts to crackle transfer the ground mixture to the pan and give a good stir. Cook on a medium flame for about 3-4 minutes.
Add cooked/canned Rajma, chilli powder, amchoor/anardaana powder, kasuri methi and salt to taste. Mix 1-2 cups of water and reduce the flame.
Cook cover in low flame, stirring occasionally for about 20-30 minutes till all the flavours blend well. This slow cooking gives creamy texture to the gravy as well as great taste.
Serve hot Rajma garnished with coriander leaves with steaming bowl of Basmati Rice or Roties and enjoy.

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Note:
Substitute Rajma with White Kabuli Channa or Black Channa with Potato