Sarson ka Saag Recipe | How to make Sarson da Saag

Learn how to make Sarson ka Saag ~ Mashed mustard green and spinach curry

The temperature outside is steadily rising and the latest weather forecast says that it will touch 18 deg C this weekend! The delicate snowdrops and colourful crocus are blooming everywhere and the daffodils are almost ready to spread their sunshiny cheer! It feels like the winter is at its teetering end in my neck of woods.

In the last 13 years of winters in the UK, this year has been the mildest and short winter ever. Last year, we were still buried under the blanket of snow until April, and this year I have seen more sunny days than in winter than all the winters in the last decade put together! Talk about global warming!

Ingredients for Sarson da Saag

Before we bid adios to winter and winter produces, especially winter greens, I am making the most of them by cooking all my winter favourite dishes from India. The ingredients you see here are used in making one of my most favourite winter dish from the land of 5 rivers. It’s Sarson ka Saag or in simple words, mashed mustard and winter greens. Saag is a generic name for cooked and pureed green leafy vegetables like mustard greens, spinach, fenugreek leaves, kale, spring greens, coriander and even mint leaves! Unlike spinach greens, which takes just few minutes to wilt and cook, saag takes much longer time as the greens usually have thick leaves and veins which take long time to break when cooking. I don’t call myself a patient cook, but once in a while when there is a special occasions like my loved one’s birthday, I pour my energy and every bit of me into making something special to celebrate the special days of my loved ones. Like every year, I cook something new which they have never tried before for birthday dinner and this year for my husband’s birthday I cooked this classic combination of Sarson ka Saag and Makki ki Roti.

Quick and Simple Palak Paneer Curry Recipe | Quick and Simple Paneer Recipes

Learn how to make quick and simple Palak Paneer Curry ~ Indian cottage cheese in mildly spiced rich and creamy spinach gravy

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. A pearl of wisdom by my grandmother who not only lived a simple life, but also beautifully incorporated the art of simplicity in her cooking as well. With so many produce; fresh, exotic and vibrant, available with a click of a button, we sometimes forget how a simple food can really be uplifting and soul satisfying. After all, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, isn’t it?

Ingredients for Palak Paneer Curry

As I am recovering from a nasty flu, hubby took over the kitchen and cooked simple meals for days which nourished my aching body and comforted my troubled spirit. His cooking is very much like the person he is; simple, straight forward and down to earth with a touch of humour and little madness to make it anything but boring. It is during this time I realised how my cooking has evolved over the time and how complicated it has become by adding one too many ingredients. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex but it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. Simple ingredients prepared in a simple way is the best way to take your everyday cooking to a higher level.

Lasooni Dal Palak Recipe | Quick and Easy Dal or Lentil Soup Recipes

Learn how to make Lasooni Dal Palak ~ Garlic flavoured lentil and spinach soup

As my mother complained about hot weather in India, unusual for this time of the year, I just wished I was at home in India as I gazed at grey skies wearing my winter jacket, snow boots and my hands tucked inside my jacket pocket to keep it warm! Spring in India is much hotter than the summers here in UK and the signals how brutal the summers are going to be. With air conditioning turned on during spring season, especially in the night, I can just imagine the kind of summer India is going to welcome in couple of weeks. I hate hot weather and the only thing that made the heat bearable was the arrival of summer bounty, especially mangoes. But given a choice, I will gladly take the sweaty and hot sunny days over the gloomy cold weather. I thought I was immune to it, and to be frank, I didn’t even care for the weather as I did enjoy the cold winters especially coming from a hot tropical country where the sun shines for 365 days a year! But I guess this is what happens to someone who hasn’t seen the face of sun god for weeks!

This winter by far been worse one during my 10 years of living in the UK. It feels like a big joke when the leader of first world says climate change is a fake news when we are still in the clutches of ruthless winter god even after mid-March! With terrible mood swings and low energy, I can’t wait to get enough of Vitamin D in summer. But if days continue to be this cold and gloomy, we might as well skip spring entirely and welcome summer! ~sigh~ Maybe it’s time to plan a trip to some sunny part of the world, or just cook something that brings the colours of summer in a bowl… Since the first one seems like out of reach as hubby is buried under workload, the latter is the only choice as of now…

Palak/Spinach Ambat Recipe | Konkani Style Spinach in Coconut Gravy

Learn how to make  Konkani Style Palak/Spinach Ambat ~
Mildly spiced Konkani recipe for spinach cooked in coconut and toor dal gravy flavoured with a hint of sourness from tamarind

Coconut + Vegetables = Awesome

Coconut + Spices = Awesome

Coconut + Legumes = Awesome

Coconut + Sugar = Awesome

Coconut + Fruits = Awesome

In short, Coconut + Anything = Awesome-st! (?)

Tinda Palak & RCI Reminder

Tinda Palak

Hello friends, how are you all? I know it’s been quite some time since I last updated my blog. But series of heavy work load and not that great health has kept me away from blogging and cooking for all these days.

Palak/Spinach Soup: Have You Had Your Greens Today?

Palak/Spinach Soup

Who says we can’t slurp steaming hot bowl of soup in middle of summer? If you are living in a place where this shining, burning sun decides to take a hike (literally) and leaves behind grey clouds, cold breeze and never stopping rain then you have no choice but switch from cold salads, pastas, chilled drinks to hot soups, warm breads and spicy curries!

Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Spinach & Quinoa: Try Something New

Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa

I don’t have anything to rant today other than give you one wonderful recipe I tried from gorgeous blog Vegan Yum Yum. This is one of my favourite blog where Lolo posts vegan recipes which make my eyes pop and I almost end-up licking my laptop screen. This blog has most tempting pictures of Vegan food which makes you drop all the things at once and rush to your kitchen to start cooking straight away. Not only that, you will be surprised to see so many ways of cooking vegan food without compromising taste factor. You will find an array of vegan food from appetizers to desserts including varieties of baked goodies to satisfy your cravings. Her Knitted Cupcakes are the best ever cupcakes I have ever seen or come across. Go check it for yourself and feast on her drool-worthy pictures. I have already tried two recipes from this wonderful blog and highly satisfied with the end result.

Today I am posting Lolo’s recipe of Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Collard and Quinoa. This was the first time we bought quinoa and cooked at home. So Lolo’s recipe sounded something what we could try for first time. Another thing that got our full attention was the process of “dry frying” the Tofu as till date we had either used them as they are or simply pan fried them with little oil. So we were eager to test and taste quinoa and ‘dry fry’ tofu. Unlike Lolo I used Baby Spinach instead of Collards and made few modifications to the original recipe to our liking. Other change is in the ingredients used in Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce. We added little extra chilli flakes as we felt the sauce was little mild for our liking and also added a small spoonful of chilli sauce. And we replaced Tamari with Teriyaki sauce as we didn’t have it in our pantry. We also reduced the amount of lime zest used and instead increased the amount of lime juice from original recipe. And addition of ginger again was to our preference.

The sauce was easy to put together and was very flavourful. It formed a nice glaze on dry fried tofu and was a real pretty sight. Over all I can easily say that Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa was one flavoursome, nutritious, pretty and very healthy meal which we devoured without complaining. I am not sure if I have left a thank you note at Lolo’s blog. Lolo, I want to thank you for this wonderful recipe which has become our family favourite. This is my entry for JFI-Soya hosted by yours truly and dearest Pooja's Theme of the Week-Saffron, White & Green in spirit of my beautiful country's Independence Day celebration. And this is also my contribution for Melissa's Let it Grain-Quinoa event which showcases this lovely grain this whole month.

Print This Recipe

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Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2-4
Recipe Source: Vegan Yum Yum

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Ingredients:
1 block firm Tofu

For Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce:
3 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce (or just use Soya Sauce)
6-8 Mint Leaves, thinly chopped
2 tsp Chilli Flakes (adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Chilli Sauce
1 clove of Garlic, crushed and very finely chopped
½ inch Ginger, very finely chopped
2 tbsp Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
¼ zest of the Lime
¼ tsp Salt

For Wok Steamed Spinach:
2-3 packed cups of Baby Spinach
A big pinch of Salt
1 tsp Lime Juice

For Spiced Quinoa:
¾ cup Quinoa, rinsed in cool water and drained
¼ zest Lime
½ tbsp Lime Juice
2 Green Cardamom, lightly crushed
½ inch Cinnamon Stick
1 Bay Leaf
¼ tsp Salt
1-1¼ cups Water

Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce

Dry Fried Tofu glazed with Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce

Method:

For Spiced Quinoa:
Combine all the ingredients listed under Spiced Quinoa in a thick bottomed pot with tight fitting lid. Bring it to a boil, then cover the lid and reduce the flame to low. Cook undisturbed for around 15-20 mins and turn off the heat. Let it sit covered for about 10 mins so that the steam is retained.

For Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce:
Meanwhile, prepare the Sweet Chilli-Lime Sauce by combining all the ingredients listed. Whisk the sauce till all the sugar and salt is dissolved and keep it aside.

For Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu:
Cut Tofu into bite sized pieces of desired shape and set aside.
Heat flat bottomed non-stick pan or good iron pan and arrange the tofu so that it fits in single layer. If not then do it in batches. I used good non stick pan in order to “dry fry” tofu without using any oil.
Spread out the tofu in a pan and with a help of spatula press the tofu. The liquid from tofu will squeeze out and boil away, and the tofu will start turning golden colour. The more water evaporates, the sturdier the tofu will be and that’s exactly what we want. Remember not to press the tofu too hard initially to prevent tofu from breaking.
After several minutes, flip the tofu over and repeat the same method. After 10 mins or so you will be left with dry fired golden tofu pieces. Now you can either proceed with the next step or wok steam the spinach.
To finish the Tofu, bring the pan back to stove if it’s not already very hot. Now add the sauce you prepared and let it bubble up. Switch off the heat and let the sauce reduce and form a glaze. Make sure that the sauce is bubbling up nicely before you switch off the heat.

For Wok Steamed Spinach:
Stack the spinach leaves one above the other and roll them. Slice the roll into 1 inch segments. Repeat same procedure till you get 2-3 tightly packed cups of Spinach.
Heat wok and add spinach, lime juice and salt. You can add about a tbsp of water if required. Cover and cook for 1-2 mins. Remember you don’t need to cook it thoroughly. I like my greens to be little raw and crunchy.

To Assemble:
Place cooked spiced Quinoa on a serving dish and arrange steamed spinach on top. Arrange sweet chilli-lime Tofu on a bed of Quinoa and Spinach and drizzle any left over sauce on top of it. Serve it immediately and enjoy.

Sweet Chilli-Lime Tofu with Wok steamed Spinach & Quinoa

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Note:
Other Tofu recipes to feast on

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

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Reminder for JFI-Soya:

I invite you all to celebrate Jihva for Ingredients with this month’s theme JFI-Soya. Choice of Soya products, the recipe, ingredients, method etc is entirely left to you. I would greatly appreciate if you can send me any Vegan or Vegetarian recipes but I leave it to your choice. Soya foods include tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein (chunks, mince etc), miso, soya sauces, soya oil and margarine, and soya dairy alternatives.

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and also in your e-mail while sending your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish, Type of Dish and Perm Link of the entry along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

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

Raw Mango & Spinach Dal

Luscious, succulent mango fruit!
How do we guard you from the brute?
King of fruits, without dispute
To you we all humbly salute!

Ripe, and unripe in forms many,
Enjoyed universally by all and any!
Ah., delicious and sweet as sugar cane,
Protecting you can be wildly insane!

Your name derives from the word "mAngaai"
You are linked to the legend of Surya Bai!
Food of the gods! How you enchant!
O’ tangy Drupe! Wishes you grant!

Akin to Maya - you are the fruit of gold,
That sages in Arunachala have extolled;
Witness to battle and thunder storm
You let Soorapadman take your form!

O’ earthy, ripe "Sappattai" delight,
Envy of the "Alphonso" this starry night!
Gazing at onlookers from the compound wall,
How gracefully you sway amidst trees tall!

Then, in the quiet afternoon Chennai sun,
When the siesta of ladies has just begun,
Fearless street urchin and vagabond alike
Gear up towards you to aim and strike.

Alas! Shouting to protect is of no avail,
For the wily ones on the prowl prevail;
As adroitly they grab and you will snatch Pray,
can any match a more princely catch?

A well directed stone at you they throw
Following victory cries of "kokku"* ru kO!
Ah.. heavenly "kokku" sweet as cane,
Yes, protecting you is indeed in vain!

-By Rajeshwari Iyer

Mango mania… I just need to take a quick peek at food blogs and my heart goes mmmm….Mango. This is the magic of the “food of the Gods”. Ask any Indian child to share his/her childhood memories and mangoes will be golden part of his/her childhood. I remember the mango orchard in my grandma’s home, where hundreds of mango trees laden with beautiful shades of green and gold would lure me and turn me into mischievous brat. My mango memories match the vibrant golden colour of mangoes. We cousins a bunch of monkeys, loved eating mangoes the way monkeys eat them:) Raw or ripe, just bite and suck the whole mango and enjoy that sweet, sticky juice squirting all over our chin, arms and cloths. Pure bliss… Although eating mangoes from our orchard was fun, aiming a slingshot at our neighbour’s tree felt more appropriate ;) When confronted by our elders, we would innocently deny the fact that we stole mangoes from our neighbour’s tree. Staying in Pardes I can imagine the fruit markets in India with the bewildering array of mangoes, heaped lustily on straw baskets or placed in hay to ripen evenly from cool green to hot yellow. Most of my childhood memory strings are attached to the king of fruits and hence there is no question of I am getting tired of mangoes, be it rambling or eating. We Indians have been talking excitedly about the fruit for 3000, yes 3000 years, where as the western world has savoured it for only 300 years!!! More reasons to celebrate the mango season.

One particular dish I always liked was Amma’s Raw Mango and Spinach Dal. Everyday boring dal would dazzle with the addition of sour and tangy mangoes. The combination of mixed dals with power packed spinach and mango is a marriage made in heaven. Just few pieces of mangoes not only enhances the flavour but gives the much needed anti-oxidant supply to the body. Sweet, spicy and tangy dal will be ready to serve in no time.

Raw Mango & Spinach Dal

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Raw Mango & Spinach Dal
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25-30 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
1 cup Raw Mango, diced into 1 cm cubes
2 cups Spinach, finely chopped
1 large Tomato, finely chopped
1 small Onion, finely chopped
½ cup Masoor Dal/Red Lentils
½ cup Split Moong Dal
½ cup Split Channa Dal
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ inch Ginger, crushed
½ tbsp Jaggary
3-4 Green Chillies, slit
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Coriander Powder
2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp Fresh Lime/Lemon Juice (optional, use them if the mangoes are not sour)
1 tbsp Oil/Ghee
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1-2 Dry Red Chilli
Few Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
½ tbsp Ghee/Oil

Raw Mango & Spinach Dal

Method:
Wash all three dals in water and add about 2½ cups of water.
Cook these dals in a pressure cooker with turmeric powder and few drop of oil for about 10 minutes or one whistle.
Cool the cooker before opening the lid.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add chopped onion.
Sauté the onion till it turns transparent for about 2 minutes and add slit chilli, crushed ginger, cumin and coriander powder.
Sauté it in a medium flame for a minute till nice aroma comes and then add finely chopped tomatoes, cooked dal, spinach and about 2 cups of water. Adjust the amount of water based on the consistency of dal.
Cook this on a medium flame for 5 minutes until the spinach leaves are half cooked.
Now add diced mangoes, jaggary and salt to taste and cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes till the mangoes become tender and all flavours blend well.
Just before switching off the gas, add chopped coriander leaves and lime/lemon juice. Omit lime/lemon juice if the mangoes are sour.
In a tadka pan, heat oil and add jeera, mustard, red chilli, hing and curry leaves.
When mustard starts to pop and splutter transfer this to dal and mix well.
Serve this hot and delicious mango-spinach dal with Chapatti or with Jeera Rice or with plain rice and papad.

Raw Mango & Spinach Dal

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Did You Know?
The name mango comes from Tamil. From man-kay or man-gay, it changed to manga.
The people who gave it the name manga or mango were the Portuguese. They first came to India, across the oceans, about 500 years ago. As they settled down in parts of India, they discovered the mango.
It was Portuguese who started experimenting with new varieties of mango -- the famous Alphonso or Mulgoa that we cherish today, is the result of their hard work.
Down the ages, several qualities have got attached to the mango. It is seen as a symbol of good luck and in many parts of west and south India, mango leaves are put up at the front door.
It is a belief that the mango tree has the power to make wishes come true.
The mango tree is also associated with the god of love "Manmatha'; its blossoms are considered to be the god's arrows.
It is said that the Buddha created a white mango tree which was later worshipped by his followers.
(Source:www.pitara.com)

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Raw Mango & Spinach Dal

PS: This is one funny Indian rap I recieved as forward. Click on the play button, play the song and enjoy!!! And no, I am not the composer!!! ;) Have a gr8 weekend:)