Whole Wheat Naan: For a Healthier Me!

Whole Wheat Naan

It is one of those ‘frozen brain’ days where I am I am not able to put my feelings into words or sentences (well, in my case lengthy rants). So till I try to thaw my brains, my friends, enjoy this rare moments where you will not be tortured with my ramblings or stories. All we going to talk are food, food and only delicious food!!!

Today I have this delicious Whole Wheat Naan that I had prepared to go with Malai Koftas.
Now before going to recipe part let me give you a brief note on what is Naan.

The first recorded history of naan can be found in the notes of Amir Khusrau (AD 1300) as naan-e-tunuk (Persian: نان تنک) (light bread) and naan-e-tanuri (Persian: نان تنوری) (cooked in a tandoor oven) at the imperial court in Delhi. In Mughal times, Naan, accompanied by qeema/Kheema or kabab, was a popular breakfast food of the royals. The word is believed to have originated in Central Asia within the Persian speaking nations of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Tajikistan, the word naan literally means "bread." The word and bread later spread to South Asia, into present-day Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and the surrounding regions. (Source: Wiki)

Traditionally Naan is cooked in Tandoor or an earthen oven which works on the same principle as of the modern day ovens. Interestingly, the biggest advantage of cooking in Tandoor is that it provides complete wrap around heat due to the way it is built and by controlling the draught and the fuel, Tandoor can be heated up to 400 degrees C, which is something no other traditional cooking oven can achieve (Source: buzzle.com). To bake breads like Naan or Tandoori Roti, the rolled circular dough is stuck inside the Tandoor with the help of a hooked stick or even bare hands. When the Roti or Naan is cooked, it falls off and is then collected using long pointed stick. The aroma and the taste of Rotis or Naans cooked in Tandoor oven is something hard to describe and one needs to taste the hot, soft Tandoor Roti or Naan to experience how delicious bread can taste! Since we don’t own a Tandoor or have no plans of owning one in future, we use simple method of making Naan using stove top or gas/electric oven at home! I usually use simple iron griddle and make Naan on stove top.

Unlike my previous recipe for Butter Naan which is made using Maida/All Purpose Flour, this one is a healthier version and hence, guiltless indulgence (and works very well for my current diet plan)! I wasn’t too sure as how it would taste in the beginning as Naan meant flat bread made with Maida and Maida alone! But to my surprise (a pleasant one too!), it not only tasted wonderful, it also remained soft even when I served it again for dinner! Yes, none of that unpleasant rubbery texture which requires you to use both your hands to tear the Naan into pieces! ;) All I needed to do was wrap it in a paper towel and pop it in a microwave for a minute and voila, soft, aromatic and delicious Naan was ready to be served with in minutes. Next time I am thinking of freezing it and see how it turns out. If you have already tried freezing it, do leave a line as how it tasted. Before I sign off, I would like to send this bread basket to dear Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen who is guest hosting this month's Think Spice: Kalonji, a wonderful event started by dear friend Sunita and also Susan's Yeastspotting.

White Sesame & Nigella Seeds for topping

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Whole wheat Naan (Indian flat bread made using whole wheat flour)
Prep Time: 15 mins
Resting Time: 2-3 hours
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Makes: 10-12
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Low
Serving Suggestion: With any curry of your choice

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Ingredients:
2½ cups Whole Wheat Flour/Atta
½ cup All Purpose Flour/Maida (Optional. If you want to omit Maida simply increase the amount of Wheat flour used to 3 cups)
¼ cup warm Milk
¾ - 1 cup Yogurt
1 sachet Yeast
½ tbsp Sugar
¼ tsp Baking Powder
1-1½ tsp Salt
2 tbsp Oil
Warm water for kneading

Other Ingredients:
Choice of ingredients for topping (I used Nigella seeds, Sesame Seeds & finely chopped Coriander Leaves)
Ghee/Butter
Wheat flour/All purpose flour for dusting while rolling the Naan

Whole Wheat Naan

Method:
For the Dough:

Dissolve yeast in warm milk and keep aside for 10 minutes. Soon the yeast will start to react and will become all bubbly and frothy.
Next, sift wheat flour and all purpose flour along with sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a small well in the centre and slowly add yogurt, oil and yeast dissolved milk. Add little warm water if needed and kneading till you get soft pliable dough.
Cover this dough with a wet cheese cloth or cling film/plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours till the dough rises and doubles its original quantity.
Punch down this raised dough to release air and divide it into equal sized lemon sized balls.

Whole Wheat Naan cooking on cast iron tawa/griddle

For Cooking the Naan:

Heat tawa/griddle at medium flame. Roll this dough ball in little wheat flour and flatten it on flat surface. With the help of rolling pin, roll it into a ¼ inch thick oval shaped roti. Sprinkle little sesame seeds, nigella seeds and coriander leaves or any topping of your choice and gently press them using rolling pin.
Flip the naan and sprinkle little water and gently place it on the heated iron tawa. Remember to put the water side down.
When you see bubbles forming on the surface of naan in few seconds time, increase the heat to high and lift the tawa and turn it down so that the surface of naan is directly exposed to the flame. While keeping the flame on high, move the tawa so that naan is cooked evenly and dark spots starts to appear.
Well, Whole Wheat Naan is ready to serve. Apply butter or ghee and serve hot with any Curry of your choice.

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Dahiwale Baingan: Less is More!

Dahiwale Baingan

Some times a bright sun beam escaping from grey clouds is enough to lift your mood…
Some times a small cup of coffee at the end of long, hectic day is enough to cheer you up…
Some times a funny forward in your email box is enough whisk away the blues…
Some times a smile from small baby is enough to wipe away the tiredness…
Some times a little card from your dear one is enough to brighten your day…
And some times a simple food is all we need to comfort us and make us feel at home…

Some times all we need is little things that make your day… Just small things that makes us happy and content!

Yes, today we are talking about simple pleasures of life today and also the theory of less is more. Food that we cook or eat everyday is no exception when it comes to simple pleasures of life. And to prove this age old theory, we have a very simple recipe that uses very few ingredients in creating one of the best tasting curries! I made this Dahiwale Baingan following the recipe posted by Saffron Hut. Saffron Hut was one of the very few Indian blogs I came across during initial days of my blogging and I was instantly hooked to her breath taking photographs and wonderful narration. I had bookmarked her recipe for Dahiwale Baingan, or to be precise, Sour Creamwale Baingan long back and almost forgot about it till yesterday. Why till yesterday? Well, yesterday was the first day in last three years of living here in UK that I came across this popular type of Eggplant that we grow in India. Yes, I got hold of the very old Chinese Eggplants I have been so craving for using in Vangi Bhath and Sweet & Sour Eggplant Palya. At last I found them in new Indian grocery in our city and came back home singing and dancing and all that goes with it! Did I hear some one say “What big show-off”? Well, then you definitely don’t have a clue about my love for these purple beauties! I call it simple pleasures of ‘my’ life…

After cooking and eating Vangi Bhath and Palya to my heart’s desire, I was left with three more Chinese Eggplants. One quick look into my bookmarks and I knew instantly what I wanted to try next. It was Dahiwale Baingan from Saffron Hut and I didn’t waste any time in creating this wonderful recipe. I followed her recipe to T except I used a combination of fresh cream and yogurt in place of sour cream. The end result was something that is hard to put into words! I have never thought simple recipe like this would turn into one of the best tasting eggplant dishes and trust me when I say I have tasted quite many recipes made using the king of vegetables. Thanks to Saffron Hut for making me believe once again that less is definitely more and tastier! Dahiwale Baingan is a simple dish of pan fried eggplants that had been marinated with ginger-garlic paste and salt and then mixed with sour and spicy yogurt gravy. Nothing fancy about it except it can give tight competition to any recipe that uses exotic and exclusive ingredients. Don’t you believe me? Then may be it’s time you tried this Dahiwale Baingan for your self and please let me know how you liked it.

Dahiwale Baingan: Work-in-progress

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Dahiwale Baingan (Pan fried Eggplants served with creamy gravy of Fresh Cream and Yogurt)
Prep Time: 5 mins (excluding marinating time)
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Source: Saffron Hut
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner to Intermediary
Spice Level: Low to Medium
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat bread or flavoured/steam cooked rice

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Ingredients:
3-4 long Chinese Eggplants (slit in middle and cut into 1cm half moons)
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
3-5 Green Chillies, finely chopped (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Fresh Cream (I used low fat single cream)
¼ cup Yogurt
Salt to taste
2-4 tbsp Oil

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
A pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
½-1 tbsp Oil

Dahiwale Baingan

Method:

Rub little salt and ginger-garlic paste to cut eggplant paste. Make sure that you mix them well. Place these eggplant pieces in a colander for 1-1½ hours to marinate. Make sure that you place it near sink as the liquid generated from salted eggplants will drain away. You can also place a bowl filled with water on top (that fits within the colander) which helps in draining more bitter juice from eggplants. Once the juice is drain out, the eggplants fried up very well.
Pan fry these marinated eggplants in little oil, on medium to high heat, till they turn brown and crisp. It’s best to fry them in small batches so that you get evenly fried eggplants. Place them in a plate lined with kitchen towel till needed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and hing. Saute till cumin turns golden red. Mix in finely chopped onion and green chillies and sauté till onion turns translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add turmeric powder and sauté the onions for another 2 minutes. Mix in fresh cream and yogurt and reduce the heat to low. Keep stirring the cream and yogurt for another 3-4 minutes and bring it to gentle boil. Switch off the flame and mix in pan fried eggplants and serve this delicious Dahiwale Baingan immediately, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, along with chapattis or Roties and enjoy.

Dahiwale Baingan

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Note:

It is important to marinate the eggplants for at least one hour before you pan fry. It not only helps in draining the bitter juice from eggplants, it also helps in frying them quickly and evenly.
Next time I might bake the marinated eggplants than pan frying. To do this, simply line the baking sheet with aluminium foil or parchment paper and spray little oil on top of it. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer and bake them till they are nicely browned.
Use pan fried Okra/Bhindi/Ladie’s Fingers in place of eggplants and follow the recipe for Dahiwale Bhindi.

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Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala: Recipes from Your Kitchen to Mine

Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala

There are many advantages of cooking from food blogs than cook books. One you get introduced to new cuisines with simple as well exotic ingredients. Second you get to see how the actual dish looks with drool worthy photos posted along the recipes. For me the best part is you can easily contact the blogger and clear all your doubts/queries which otherwise is not possible with cookbook authors. And not to forget, you get all these services without costing you a penny. Yup, the buzz word is FREE.

Since two years of blogging, I have tried many recipes following the recipes posted in blogs. Sometime the end result ended up in garbage but many a times it was licked clean from plates, spoons and even the serving bowl. When I think of those recipes which have become my family favourites, I realised I haven’t posted most of them. So with this new mission of mine, I will be posting at least one recipe per month which I had tried and tested from bloggers. So please look forward to many more delicious recipes cooked in our kitchen tried from other kitchens in a new series called Recipes from Your Kitchen to Mine.

First recipe in this series is from lovely, sweet and chatter box (sorry couldn’t help it;) Swati who rants at Chatkhor. Few days back she had posted her aunt’s recipe for Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala. Being big time Okra lovers, it didn’t take too long for us try it. I was curious as how creamy the yogurt gravy looked as most of the times when yogurt added in a curry ended up curdling with unpleasant texture and taste. My only solution to this problem was to add yogurt just before you switch off the flame. But here in Swati’s recipe she used a paste made using cashews soaked in milk and coconut and Bingo, I got fool proof recipe for getting creamy yogurt gravy without curdling it. Both cashews and coconut are used in many recipes to thicken the gravy, giving it a creamy texture and also to enhance its taste. The amount of cashew and coconut used in this gravy is comparatively quite small without overpowering the actual yogurt based gravy. This cashew-coconut paste is just enough to give creamy gravy without you worrying too much about the calorie. Another intersecting tip was sprinkle little salt on okra pieces and marinate for few minutes before frying. I was not sure about the reason behind it till I decided to give it a try and realised it actually helps in reducing the sliminess of okra. The spices itself used are very little, giving it right flavour. While curry leaves in tadka imparts wonderful aroma to the dish, the pleasantly bitter kasuri methi enhances its flavour. With few modifications to suit our taste, this recipe is a keeper and I will be trying it again very shortly. Thanks dear Swati for sharing this delicious recipe with us which has become one of our favourite yogurt based curry.

Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala

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Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala (Fried Okra in creamy Cashew-Coconut-Yogurt gravy)

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 3-4
Recipe Source: Chatkhor

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Ingredients:
3-4 cups Bhindi/Okra, washed, dried and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 large Onion, finely chopped
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Tomato Paste (Optional)
1 tsp Sugar (Optional, to balance the sour taste of amchur and yogurt)
1 cup Yogurt, beaten
1 tbsp Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
6-8 Cashew Nuts, soaked in warm milk for at least 10 mins
½ -1 tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves
1 tsp Garam Masala/Kitchen King Masala
½ -1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ -1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
½ tsp Coriander Powder
1-2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils
2-3 Dry Red Chillies, halved
A Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Oil

Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala

Method:

Sprinkle little salt to okra pieces and mix well. Keep it aside for half an hour. This helps in reducing the sliminess while frying the okra. This step is optional.
Heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add okra pieces to it. Fry them continuously at high flame till they turn brown retaining their crispiness, about 7-10 mins. Alternatively you can also deep fry them but I prefer pan frying for healthy option. Transfer these fried okras to a plate lined with kitchen/paper towel and keep them aside till needed.
Grind soaked cashews and coconut to smooth paste adding the milk used for soaking. Keep it aside till needed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add cumin seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies, hing and curry leaves and sauté it for a minute till cumin seeds and dal turns golden brown in colour.
Now add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn light golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another minute till their raw smell disappears and onion turns golden brown. Now add all the dry masalas (garam/kitchen king masala, red chilli powder, amchur, turmeric and coriander powder) along with Kasuri Methi and fry for a minute in low heat.
Mix in finely chopped tomatoes and sauté till they turn pulpy and release their juice, about 2 minutes. Now add ground cashew-coconut paste and mix well. Keep stirring for a minute.
Add yogurt, sugar and salt to taste and stir well. Depending on the consistency of gravy required, add ½-1 cup of water and mix well. Simmer the gravy and let it cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.
Mix in fried okra and adjust the seasonings. Add little more water if you think the gravy is too thick and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Serve this delicious gravy of Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala with any roties or flavoured Basmati rice and enjoy.

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Care for Some Aloo Tikki-Chole Chaat?!

Aloo Tikki-Chole Chaat

Inside a small restaurant with double glazed window you will find a number of posters of Bollywood stars smiling at you. There are small granite tables with pickle and chutney trays on top and matching red velvet cushioned chairs. Large framed photograph of Guru Nanak is hung just above the cashier’s desk and a small table fan is rotating gently. The aroma of food being cooked inside the kitchen is intoxicating and people are busy savouring plates of Naans, Curries, Chaats, Indian sweets & Kebabs. Come out of the restaurant you will find women in colourful saris and salwar kameez, men wearing colourful turbans and kurtas, pavement food stalls selling Samosas, Chaats and Jalebi, small shops selling mobile phones and bright fabrics in rainbow colours hanging in shop fronts. Add to this the Bhangra music and sweet smell of incense and spices is in the air. Am I in India?

Welcome to Mini India in London a.k.a Southall. For one moment you will forget that you are in West London and feel you are walking on the streets of any Indian market. No one can be blamed for getting confused as you can hardly see any Goora face among all Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshis. Chandini Chowk, Apna Baazar, Garam Chai, Pooja Ghar, Jalebi Junction etc are the few of hundreds of Restaurants, Spice shops, Chat shops in Southall. It is a food Mecca for people like us staying away from home as the food smells and tastes very close to what we find back home. Ranging from south Indian Idli and Dosa served on Banana leaves to North Indian Chaats and Naans served on road side, you will find almost all the colour and flavours of India. So if you are visiting London, don’t miss our own Mini India.

Having eaten (read stuffed or hogged) varieties of Chaats till we could hardly move our sweet seats, surprisingly we were craving for more Chaat after we came back home. So we set to create same magic in our kitchen with something we could make very quickly. And thankfully we had made Chole for dinner two days back and we had enough quantity of 3 delicious chutneys (Spicy Red Chilli Chutney, Green Mint Chutney & Sweet Date-Tamarind Chutney) stocked from our previous weeks Chaat party. So we set to create Aloo Tikki-Chole Chaat by making fresh batch of Aloo Tikkis. I made Tikkis with just boiled potatoes and few spices and with in no time hot, sweet and spicy batch of Aloo Tikki-Chole Chaat were ready to please our taste buds. If preparing every thing from scratch it might take more time and effort but trust me when I say it’s worth all the hard work. I am giving here detailed recipes for Aloo Tikki, Chole and all the chutneys used to make this delicious Chaat. Make it during leisure and enjoy. And don’t forget to make big batch of aloo tikkies as you can easily freeze them and when ever heart desires. This delicious plate of much loved Indian street food makes its way to Lucy of Nurish Me who is gust hosting My Legume Love Affair-Third Helping started by dear Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook. So without any delay, here we go…

Plate of Aloo Tikki-Chole Chaat

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Aloo Tikki-Chole Chaat (Potato cutlets served with spiced chickpeas and delicious chutneys and topped with onion and crunchy Sev)

Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 30-35 mins
Serves: 4-6

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Ingredients:
For Chole:
1 cup White Chickpeas/Kabuli Channa, soaked over night and cooked or 1 can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida (Optional but recommended)
Salt to taste

Ground to Smooth Paste:
For Onion Paste:
1 large Onion, roughly chopped
½ inch Cinnamon stick
2 Green Cardamoms
2 Cloves
½ inch Ginger, peeled
3 cloves of Garlic

For Tomato Paste:
3 large juicy Tomatoes/1 can chopped Tomato
2-3 Green Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
1-2 tbsp Tomato Paste (Optional)

Bowl of Chole

For Aloo Tikki:
3 large Potatoes
½-¾ cup Bread Crumbs/2-3 Bread Slices
½ tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Roasted Jeera/Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
¼ tsp Coriander Powder
1 tbsp Corn Flour (Adjust acc to requirement)
Salt to taste
Little Oil, for pan frying

Aloo Tikki with Chutneys

For Sweet Tamarind-Date Chutney:
1 lemon sized Tamarind Pulp, soaked in water
6-8 Dates, pitted
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
4-6 tbsp Jaggary (adjust acc to taste)
Salt to taste

For Green Mint Chutney:
1 packed cup Mint Leaves
½ packed cup Coriander Leaves
4-6 Green Chillies (adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste

For Spicy Red Chutney:
10 Dry Red Chillies
2-3 Garlic flakes
1 small Tomato (Optional, it helps in grinding the chillies to smooth paste)
½ tsp Tamarind Paste
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Salt to taste

For Curd/Yogurt Filling:
3 cups Yogurt, beaten till smooth
1 tsp roasted Jeera/Cumin Powder
1 tbsp Sugar
Big Pinch of Black Salt/Kaala Namak or Salt

Other Ingredients:
1 medium Red Onion, chopped
½-1 cup Sev
2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped

Plate of Aloo Tikki-Chole Chaat

Method:
For Chole:

Heat oil in a pan and add hing and cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle, mix in onion paste. Keep stirring at medium heat till the onion paste turns light golden brown and becomes little dry, about 6-8 mins.
Add garam masala, kitchen king masala, kasuri methi and stir for few seconds. Now mix in tomato paste, amchur powder, and salt to taste. Cook the gravy in medium heat, for about 5-7 mins, stirring in between.
Mix in cooked chickpeas and add about a cup of water. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring in between. Add more water if needed and adjust the seasonings.
Garnish with coriander leaves and it is ready to be served.

For Sweet Tamarind-Date Chutney:

Grind all ingredients listed to very smooth paste adding very little water at time. This paste should be little thick not runny.

For Green Mint Chutney:

Grind all the ingredients listed to smooth paste adding very little water at time. Adjust the number of green chillies according to taste. I personally like little hot. Make sure that the chutney is not very watery.

For Spicy Red Chutney:

Grind all the ingredients to very smooth paste adding very little water at time. If you find it difficult to grind, add small tomato (tip learnt from my favourite Chaatwalah).

For Curd/Yogurt Filling:

Beat the curd/yogurt till its smooth without any lumps. Now mix in powdered roasted cumin, sugar and salt to taste.

For Aloo Tikki:

Cook potato till tender, peel and mash well. Keep it aside till it is slightly cooled.
If using bread slices, dip the slices in cold water and squeeze to remove the water. Crumble them with hands and add to the mashed potatoes. If using bread crumbs, directly mix with mashed potatoes.
Mix in garam masala, roasted cumin seeds and powder, coriander powder, salt to taste and corn flour and combine well. Adjust the corn flour as per requirement as it helps in holding the shape of tikkies while frying.
Make a small lemon sized balls and press them down. Shape them into round or oval shape (about 1 cm thick round or oval tikkies).
Heat tawa/griddle and place tikkies on it. Add about 1 tsp of oil for each tikkies and fry them on medium to low heat on both the sides till they turn golden brown. Repeat till you have cooked all the tikkies and place them in a paper napkin to remove excess oil. Alternatively you can also bake the tikkies till they turn gold and crisp on both the sides.

How to Assemble and Serve:

Place 2-3 Aloo Tikkies on serving plate. Pour 1-2 ladles full of Chole. On top of it, drizzle spoonfuls of Spicy Red Chutney, Sweet Date-Tamarind Chutney, Green Mint-Coriander Chutney & Spiced Yogurt. Now add spoonfuls of chopped red onion, Sev and chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately.

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Notes:

Store leftover Aloo Tikkies in zip lock bag and freeze it upto a month. When needed place them on hot griddle or oven and cook till it is heated through on both the sides.
You can also freeze the chutneys upto a month.

Other Chatakdar Chaats to tempt you

• Dahi Batata Puri
• Kutchi Dabeli

See another variation of Aloo Tikki

• Peas stuffed Aloo Tikki

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Ayurveda in Cooking: Kokum Tambli

Kokum Tambli

Today I was composing an official mail to my colleague and pressed spell check just before hitting the send button. Horrors of horror the whole mail had red highlights which surely had given heart attack to my English teacher. No, I am not talking about spelling mistakes but more serious matter than that. Without realising I have been using too many internet slang/lingo in my day to day life. LHM (Lord Help Me). I didn’t realise how bad it was till the day I had to attend one important call in between our team meeting. I left the meeting room saying BRB (Be Right Back). It took me quite sometime to reassure some of my colleagues that it wasn’t some code they had to encrypt but just e-slang. If you are nodding your head in understanding then you can skip the next few paragraphs (If you are still reading) and go to the recipe part straight away. If you are someone who is still wondering what’s this all about then let me have the pleasure of giving you crash course on so called “Wassup” generation.

My first encounter with internet slang or e-slang was when I was in my early teens. It all started when I was introduced to the most happening ‘in-thingy’ internet chatting. Remember good old AOL, MSN, MIRC chat rooms? I am sure most of you know what I am talking about. When you finally managed to get crash course on how it worked and you hopped your excited ass right into internet cafes, you were faced with new challenge. As soon as you signed into chat rooms you are bombarded with same question, A/S/L? No, I have not misspelled AOL here. They are asking your Age/Sex/Location. Slowly I realised it was common to shorten the words, then sentences as I became more accustomed to e-slang. LOL, GR8, IC, CU, ROFL, BRB, KIT, FYI, H&K, OMG, GMBO, IMO, SETE, SYS, TTFN, TTTL are just few examples from vast collection of e-slang. Well, if you are still wondering what they mean, fret not. There is wide collection of e-slang dictionaries available online. And to some extent even mobile SMS are also reason for ever increasing slang as not many people want to spend time typing long sentences. One way I am thankful to them as I am sure they will keep Alzheimer's at bay as you need every brain cells to decipher what they mean.

If you think e-slang is difficult to understand then wait until you hear today’s teenagers talking. It’s very common feeling that talking to teens today is like learning a new language. My current project had given me a chance to work with teenagers who are major part of the focus group. During these sessions, I must have encountered more unfamiliar slang than if you to drop me in Greek/Latin/Chinese language classes. Dude, Bro (more often pronounced as ‘Brah’), Ay Baybay (nope, it’s not some sleazy pick-up line), Yo Dog (it’s not their pet dog they are greeting. It’s their way to greet their best friends) Wassup are the common way to greet each other. Don’t offer chocolates when they say Sweet. It’s not something they want to eat, Sweet means Cool and something they like it a lot. Other day one of the girls from group really liked the Bling (means expensive jewellery) I was wearing. I make it a point to write down few words or sentences I don’t understand along with other notes so that I can research and expand my slang dictionary. Sometime it’s fun to hear then chatting and other time you are left behind looking like a complete idiot. Well, I must say it is not simple task to understand everything they speak as everyday they seem to have few more words added to their dictionary.

With all these daily humdrums, it really feels good when you come back home and cook something which was passed down from generations. Recipes like Tambli/Tambuli/Tamboli give me reassurance that there are few things in life which will retain its authenticity in this ever changing world. Tambli, yogurt based curries from Mangalore are a must during the sizzling hot summers. This cooling dish not only good during hot summer days but also uses very rare ingredients based on Ayurveda like Brahmi, Dried Pomegranate Peels, Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Gooseberry for their medicinal properties. This time I am posting sour and mildly spiced Tambli made using Kokum. Kokum or Vrikshamla as known in Sanskrit is known for its Vata and Kapha suppressant properties. Served at the end of the meal, this Kokum Tambli aids in the process of digestion. In my home town, Kokum is used in place of Tamarind as it is grown in abundant. As a kid I loved Sharbat (Juice), Saaru/Rasam and Tambli made from Kokum for its pretty Purplish Pink colour. With fruity and sour flavour it is sure to add zing to any recipe. I am sending this to Jugalbandi who are guest hosting Weekend Herb Blogging started by Kalyn.

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Kokum Tambli (Yogurt & Coconut based curry from Konkan Region)

Prep Time: 5-8 mins (Excluding soaking time)
Cooking time: -
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:

¼ cup Kokum
¼ cup Coconut, fresh/frozen
¼ inch Ginger
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 cup Fresh Yogurt/Curds
½ -1 tsp Black Pepper Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
Salt to taste

Kokum and its extract

Method:

Soak dry kokum in about ¾-1 cup of warm water for about 10-20 mins, so that it softens and releases its juice. Squeeze out as much of juice as possible and discard the peels. You will be left with dark red kokum juice which is used for the Tambli.
Grind fresh coconut with ginger and cumin seeds to smooth paste adding little water at a time.
Mix this ground coconut paste with kokum juice, yogurt, ground pepper powder and salt to taste.
Add little water if you feel the Tambli is too thick. Adjust the seasoning and keep it in the refrigerator before serving it chilled with plain steaming bowl of rice.

Kokum Tambli

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Notes:

The kokum fruit, which grows on a slender evergreen tree in a shape of a pyramid, is round and resembles small plum. This fruit is about 2.5 cm in diameter and is deep purple when ripe and contains about eight large seeds. The fruit is picked, the rind removed, then soaked in the juice of the pulp and sun-dried. It is this rind that is used as a flavouring agent just like Tamarind.
Very commonly used in coconut based curries from Udupi-Mangalore, Maharashtra and some parts of Gujarat as it is grown in Western Ghats of India which is blessed with rich soil, adequate rainfall and sunshine.
It is vata and kapha suppressant. It is widely used in healing of wounds. It also helps in curbing infections in the body. It improves digestion and absorption in the body. It improves the cardiovascular system of the body. It also helps in suppressing the skin related ailments. It also brings down the fever and reduces burning sensation. According to Ayurveda it contains
-Gunna (properties) – laghu (light) and ruksh (dry)
-Rasa (taste) –amal (sour)
-Virya (potency) – ushan (hot)
(Source: www.ayushveda.com & www.uppercrustindia.com)
Find more information on Kokum here and here.

Other Tambli/Tambuli/Tamboli recipes posted on Monsoon Spice

• Brahmi Tambli
• Sun Dried Pomegranate Peels Tambli

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From India's Bread Basket: Mooli Paratha with Lassi

Mooli/Radish Parathas

There is a land that is drenched by five rivers, their shimmering magical water making it India’s ‘bread basket’. It’s the land that has its own colour, aroma and unique life style with cheerful and most lively people. In this same magical land there is one beautiful farm house with white washed walls and a large courtyard right in a centre of lively, lovely, golden mustard farm with delicate mustard flowers swaying with the cool breeze spreading their earthy aroma all around. It’s early morning time. Birds are singing their welcome songs as the sun rises and spreads his golden rays making everything to gleam and glitter as he touches them. Women of the house are up and awake even before the sun rays could touch the mother earth and they are found in the courtyard busy with their rolling pins.

All ladies are busy as they roll thick poories and then stuffs them with a spoonful of spiced and flavoured vegetables and rolls again it into thick paratha. The Chulha in one corner cooks delicious flat breads one after another and with in no time you see stacks of parathas smudged with dollops of Desi Ghee. They hurry up as they know its just matter of time when the whole household will get up and get ready to face another morning. As one of the ladies cooks last few parathas, another starts making sweet/salty Lassi to go with the Parathas. In few minutes time all the members of the family sit together and enjoy home made delicious Parathas dripping with Desi Ghee and gulping big brass glass of Lassi. Who can resist second servings of these parathas served with dollop of mother’s love? The feeling of fullness, satisfaction and contentment that comes from eating these delicious parathas cooked with mother’s love is emotional family heirlooms for every kid and even grown-ups.

Whenever I make parathas this is the scene which comes into my mind! I guess I have been getting little too much of Bollywood dose these days. After all this is very common scene in most of the movies. Whenever I used watch those ladies (in real and reel life) squatting next to hot tava (griddle), slapping together dozens of roties for their family, I would always wonder if I could make at least one roti at that time period. With little bit of practice and patience I have come a long way from rolling geographical maps to round-puffed roties and neatly stuffed Parathas. Making perfect round shaped stuffed Parathas without the filling oozing is an art in its own way and I am still learning to master this art. We owe a lot to land of five rivers for giving us this opportunity to cook and explore this extraordinary culinary delight, fresh from home.

Paratha dripping with Desi Ghee and a big glass of refreshing Lassi is common breakfast item in Punjabi household. It might sound little odd and too heavy thing to have for early breakfast but Punjabi’s by nature are extremely industrious and helps them to sustain throughout the day. Cooked with different fillings depending on preference and availability of ingredients, these Parathas are one whole meal by itself. Serve them with plain Yogurt with Pickle or with any side dish, they are sure to win everyone’s heart.

This time I made these delicious Mooli/Radish Parathas flavoured with Chillies, Garlic, Garam Masala and Anardaana/ Dried Pomegranate Powder. This simple Mooli/Radish Paratha served with Chass or Spiced Buttermilk is my entry for Mansi of Fun 'n Food’s WBB-Blanced Breakfast.

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Mooli Paratha (Indian Flat Bread stuffed with Flavoured Radish)
Prep Time: 20 mins (Excluding Resting time)
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Makes: 10 medium sized Parathas

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Ingredients:

For the Dough:
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour/Atta (I use Pillsbury’s Chakki Atta)
¼ cup Yogurt
Warm Water for kneading
Salt to taste

For the Filling:
1 large White Radish/Mooli (Approx. 2 packed cups), washed, peeled and grated
2 tbsp Red Onion, finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped (Adjust acc to taste)
2-3 Garlic Flakes, finely chopped
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds, roasted and powdered
½-1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Anardaana/Dried Pomegranate Seeds Powder
1 tsp Lemon Juice (Optional, I like it little sour)
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients Needed:
Oil/Ghee to brush while cooking the Paratha
Little Atta/flour for dusting

Mooli/Radish Stuffing

Method:
For the Filling:
Mix salt with grated radish and keep it covered for about 30 mins to 1 hour. (Don’t forget to cover the radish properly if you don’t want your kitchen and house to smell of dead rat!)
Take handful of radish at a time and squeeze out the water (which can be used while kneading the dough) as much as possible. They should be as dry as possible or else the moisture content will make it difficult when rolling the stuffed paratha.
Mix in chopped onion, chillies, pomegranate seeds powder, garam masala, chopped garlic, lemon juice if using and roasted jeera powder and keep it aside.

For the Dough:
Sieve atta and mix in salt, yogurt.
Slowly add the sqeezed water from radish and warm water as and when required and make stiff dough.
Cover and keep it aside for at least half an hour.

For the Paratha:
Knead the dough again for a minute and make equal lemon sized balls.
Roll this dough ball in flour and roll them using a rolling pin into thick poories of 4 inch in diameter.
Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the centre. Cover and seal the ends and roll again, dusting flour if necessary, into ½ cm thick roties using rolling pin.
Mean while, heat a griddle at high flame and lower it to low-medium flame.
Gently dust off the excess flour and place Stuffed Paratha on griddle and cook on both the sides till its cooked and brown spots start to appear on top. Apply little ghee/oil if desired.
Serve hot Mooli Parathas immediately with any curry or with plain yogurt and pickle of your choice and enjoy.

Stack of Mooli Paratha

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Note:
Remember to cover the grated radish tightly as it has got very unpleasant smell when its raw.
Squeeze out as much of water as possible from radish to avoid from getting soggy parathas. If the water is not squeezed well then there is high chances of it getting difficult to roll them with out the stuffing oozing from the dough and breaking them.
If you are a beginner, start with small amount of stuffing/filling and roll into parathas. Once you learn the technic and are comfortable with the process, you can gradually increase the amount of filling.
Other Parathas posted in Monsoon Spice

• Aloo Paratha
• Double Decker Paratha

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The best drink to go with Parathas is Lassi or Butter Milk. I like Majjige as it is called in Kannada which is nothing but Spiced Butter Milk which is the quintessential summer drink in India. My Ajji (Grandma) had this big earthen pot of churned buttermilk which was offered to the visitors who would come to meet my Ajja (Grandpa) who was the village head. It would be an understatement if I were to say that I grew up drinking Majjige more than water. It still remains to be one of my most favourite drinks for summer and even winters. Although I have different recipes and variations for this Spiced Butter Milk, Sig darling wants us to try something from other blogs and post it. I tried Priya’s Healthy Yogurt Drink which turned out to be absolutely refreshing and delicious. Thank you Priya for the recipe which we enjoyed a lot. This goes to Sig of Live to Eat who is guest hosting this month’s MBP-Mixed Drink.

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Lassi (Spiced Butter Milk)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: -
Makes: 2 Glasses

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Ingredients:

½ cup Yogurt (preferably sour)
½-1 tsp Green Chillies, chopped finely (Adjust acc to taste)
¼-½ tsp Ginger, crushed
1 tsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
2 cups Water
½ tsp Roasted Jeera/Cumin Seeds, Powdered
1 tbsp Lemon Juice (Optional)
Salt to taste

Lassi/Spiced Buttermilk

Method:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for about a minute.
Strain and place it in a fridge till required. Serve chilled garnished with coriander leaves or mint leaves and enjoy this refreshing drink.

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An Award:

Surprise surprise!!! Little birdy just came and told me my recipe of Badane Ennegai has won an award of Most Authentic Recipe-Brinjal hosted by my dear friend Pooja.

Thank you Pooja for this wonderful event and thanks to all you people who voted for my recipe. And congrats to Gattina & Pooja for winning other two awards.

Click here for the Badane Ennegai Recipe.

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Ayurveda in Cooking: Sun Dried Pomegranate Peel Tambli

Sun Dried Pomegranate Peel Tambli

Indian cooking is not all about curries, biriyanis and spices. Indian home food also benefits from the combination of Ayurvedic knowledge with day to day ingredients. In Ayurveda, India's ancient science of life, health and longevity, food plays a prominent role in promoting health and is therefore considered medicine. Dating back over five thousand years, Ayurveda is still a highly respected form of health care in India today.

It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has become overlooked in the modern health care system, and how in the name of convenience our fast paced society has given way to fast foods, canned foods, take-away, microwaves, quick fix meals, and eating on the run. With the hike in growing obesity and unhealthy eating habits, it is more important to focus on the understanding the importance of role that nutrition plays in maintaining good health and healthy lifestyle. It is not necessary to pop tablets for each and every little health problems. There are natural ingredients which can be used to cure health problems.

My Ajji was one such person who believed in using natural ingredients and Ayurvedic knowledge in cooking when someone fell sick. This treasure of recipes with Ayurvedic approach is what I treasure from my Ajji’s (Grandma) kitchen. These recipes are simple and are prepared using common ingredients which will be present in your pantry any time of the day. And the best part is you don’t feel like you are forced to take some bitter medicine. These recipes not only cured your illness but also tingled your taste buds.

One such recipe is Tambli or Tambuli. There is no cooking involved when making tambli. The main two ingredients used are fresh grated Coconut and chilled Yogurt which is very common ingredients found in any South Indian homes. Based on the season and health condition different ingredients like Brahmi, Onion, Jeera etc are used in making Tambli.

Whenever a kid or even grown up had Diarrhea, Pomegranate is used in treatment. But it is not possible to find pomegranate through out the year and hence the pomegranate peels comes to rescue. The sun dried pomegranate peels were ground with coconut and some fresh herbs and mixed with yogurt to make this unusual Tambli which is used to treat Diarrhea. It is such a simple and effective therapy which is much better than popping tablets. I usually make Tambli once in every fortnight with different ingredients as they are not only healthy things to eat but also tastes great. I am sending this Sun dried Pomegranate Peel Tambli to dear Sra who is guest hosting AFAM-Pomegranate. Sra, I kept my promise ;)

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Sun Dried Pomegranate Peel Tambli
Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: -
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
2 inch sun dried Pomegranate Peel
½ cup Fresh/Frozen Coconut, grated
1-2 Green Chillies
½ inch Ginger
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Mint Leaves
1 cup Yogurt
Salt to taste

Sun Dried Pomegranate Peel Tambli-Ingredients Used

Method:
Soak sun dried pomegranate peel in a cup of water for 15-30 minutes.
Drain and grind to smooth paste with grated coconut, green chillies, ginger, jeera, and mint leaves adding very little water.
Add the ground paste with yogurt and mix well. Refrigerate and serve chilled with rice and pickle.

Sun Dried Pomegranate Peel Tambli

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Note:
To sun dry the Pomegranate Peels, peel a pomegranate and save the peels. Cut them into 1 inch pieces and lay out in the sun to dry. The peels are ready when they become hard and are easy to break. Store them in a dry air tight bottle and use as and when necessary.
Another way to treat Diarrhea is to take 3-4 pieces of sun dried pomegranate peels and place them in a glass. Pour boiling water and cover and keep aside for few minutes. Drink half a cup of this water and see how it goes. If required drink other half a cup of this drink after 3-4 hours.

More Tambli Recipes from Monsoon Spice

• Brahmi Tambli

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Update:

Looks like second season of Blog Awards is giving tight competition with Oscars and Filmfare! Guess what?! My blog is Excellent! Nope, it’s not me who is self praising here;) This is what Pravs of Simply Spicy says.
Thanks Pravs for passing me this E for Excellent Award. It means a lot to me from coming from wonderful fellow bloggers. I am flattered :)

An Update:
Purnima of Fantasy Cooking nominated Monsoon Spice for E for Excellent Award. Thank you dear Purnima. I am really flattered by your kind words and gesture.

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Recipes from Ajji’s Kitchen-Brahmi Tambli

So many things we never got to do
So many conversations we never got through
I feel lost and empty now
Every day I ask, how?
I could feel nothing when you died
I felt I wanted to run and hide
Run and hide cause I felt blind
Peace and and clarity I couldn't find
They say when you die your soul just flies away
I wanted to chase your soul, so for another day you could just come and stay
You were my Grams, you taught me how to stand on my own
Now that you’re gone, I feel as though I can’t do it alone
I've tried so hard to see things through and become the person you wanted me to be
Sometimes it’s just so hard being me
I'd give anything if I could just talk to you once more
To see you walk through the door
and tell me that everything was going to be alright for sure
When I look into the sky I picture you staring down
Which is why I have no reason to frown
All the things you taught me, all the songs we use to sing
Now you’re gliding under God’s precious wings
I hope He’s taking good care of you because now you’re in His place
I hope all your worries and all your fears have left your face
I never got so say goodbye that was the worst part
But I know that when you left secretly you said goodbye to my heart
So when I lay myself into bed tonight
I know you'll always be there to hold me tight.
- Jonathan P. Lanier

It seems like August is the cruellest month after all. At one moment the sun was smiling at me, and next moment he went behind the dark cloud leaving me in complete darkness… Losing a loved one is tough enough and losing two in two week’s time seems like some kind of cosmic joke. Little did I know I will lose my Doddappa and only two weeks later I was to suffer another loss… My maternal grandmother passed away this weekend leaving behind wonderful memories and pain of not being able to say my last goodbye to her.
Last year soon after my wedding she was diagnosed with Cancer which slowly drained all her energy and strength. All of us felt scared, helpless and angry and it was impossible to imagine our own life without her. With all sort of advancement in technology and medicine, I still wonder why there is no cure for cancer. Perhaps someday there will be an inoculation for cancer. For a person who has not spent even single day of her life lying on bed after sunrise, last few months had been too painful for her. When you see your loved one failing, looking ill, having no appetite, unable to walk steadily, losing weight and you are told that treatment isn't working, you can get a pretty clear picture of what is going to happen. Even then letting go is not easy. We Hindus believe in life after death and we will see our loved ones again on the other side. But death seems so final when it is a loved one and you are emotional. Ajji left this world on a very auspicious day surrounded by her family. Realising how much pain and suffering she had endured, we gave her permission to leave us. I know deep in my heart that she is at peace now and she will continue to be with us from where ever she is.
I am dedicating new series ‘Recipes from Ajji’s Kitchen’ where I’ll be sharing the recipes which are passed from one generation to next. These are the recipes which I learnt directly from Ajji and from my Amma and aunts who in turn learnt it from my Grandma. Simple recipes cooked using few ingredients which not only tastes good but also has many health benefits. One such recipe is Tambli/Tambuli is a coconut and yogurt based curry often served in summer. There is no cooking involved when making Tambli and is usually served as cold curry with hot rice. This cooling Tambli is very popular dish back at home during peak Indian Summers which always worked its magic. Different ingredients like gooseberry, kokum, onion, garlic, ginger etc are used depending on one’s taste.
One of my favorite Tambli is Brahmi Tambli. Brahmi, Thyme Leaved Gratiola, has been used since ancient time as a tonic for improving memory. In the gurukuls of ancient India there was the practice to regularly administer Brahmi to young students to help them learn sacred hymns.

Brahmi

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Brahmi Tambli
Prep Time: 10-15 mins
Cooking Time: -
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:

One small bunch of Brahmi Leaves
¼ cup Coconut, fresh/frozen
1½-2 cups Yogurt
1 Green Chilli
1 tsp Ginger
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds (Optional)
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
½ tsp Mustard
1 Dry Red Chilli
Few Curry Leaves
1 tsp Oil

Brahmi Tambli

Method:
Grind brahmi leaves, coconut, green chilli, ginger, salt to taste and jeera to smooth paste in a food processor using little yogurt at a time. Add little water if needed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, broken red chilli and curry leaves. When mustard starts to pop and sputter transfer it to Tambli and mix well.
Keep Tambli refrigerated till needed and serve it cold with rice and pickle.

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Did You Know?
Bitter and astringent in taste and light and slightly hot in effect, Brahmi is a pacifier of all the three doshas - mainly kapha and vata. Although people in India, especially ayurvedic physicians, knew about Brahmi’s benefits thousands of years ago, modern research on it was conducted recently by the central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. The trails have resulted in establishing that this long treasured herb, besides possessing antioxidant properties, also has the amazing ability to facilitate learning and enhance memory and concentration.
Ayurvedic tests describe Brahmi as medhya, a medicine that braces the mind to carry cognitive functions and intellectual pursuits. But ancient authors seem to believe that the healing effects of Brahmi extend far beyond mind and brain. Brahmi is not only a memory-booster and intellect-promoting herb; it is also a tranquilliser, a muscle relaxant, an anti-convulsant, a blood purifier, and an anti-pyretic, carminative and digestive agent.
Though Brahmi is beneficial for maintaining the tridoshic balance, ayurvedic physicians believe it to be the drug of choice for counteracting the vitiated vata dosha — the factor which governs the nervous system,
Brahmi is known for its salutary effect in anxiety, depression, hypertension, sleeplessness, mental retardation, insanity and hysteria. Acharya Chakradutta has written that Brahmi is beneficial in all types of epilepsy. Ancient texts describe the use of Brahmi in a number of other disorders like biliousness, ulcers, splenomegaly, asthma, skin diseases and in general and senile debility.
Brahmi enhances the mind’s ability to learn and concentrate. As it simultaneously calms and invigorates the mind, it is a very good medicine for reducing the effects of stress and nervous anxiety. It also helps maintain the clarity of thought and has proved effective in treating ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in hyperactive children, and age-related mental disorders in old persons.

(Source: www.ayurvediccure.com)

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Brahmi Tambli served with Rosematta Rice, Mago Pickle and Majjige Menasu

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Moong Kichidi with Carrot Raita

We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience,
and live without heart;
We may live without friends;
we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks.
-Owen Meredith, 'Lucile’

We are living in a modern busy world. World filled with busy people, busy families, busy work life with busy routine. We have everything we need or we want at our fingertips. Tired after long busy day at office? No worries, there are hundreds of restaurants or take-a-ways right next to the door. Feel like eating watermelon for Christmas? Just fetch one from local grocery store or supermarket who has them shipped from some exotic corner of the world. Did you say you like Chinese food? No worries, just pop into airport, catch the first plane to china to eat it fresh from the kitchen in few hours. Yes, almost everything is doable in this incredible, modern world. Almost everything… With everything looking incredibly simple can we make cooking as simple as possible? I am not talking about fast food here. I am talking about delicious, tasty, healthy home cooked food packed with nutrition.
I am a through and through “foodie” by heart. Although I love to cook, spending time in the kitchen isn’t always possible. At a same time I am not very fond of popping a pizza from freezer to oven or dialling nearest take-a-way. Eating out and convenience food may sound good for some time but at the same time they are expensive and packed with fats and calories. Having been a big foodie all my life, I have seen my Amma, Aunts and Atte prepare delicious, nutritious and healthy meals with little cooking time. They never compromised on the quality of the food cooked quickly. So express cooking doesn’t mean compromising on taste or quality of the food.

Moong Kichidi with Carrot Raita

When Shaheen of Malabar Spices came with an idea of Express Summer Cooking I was overjoyed. Here not only I can share some of my favourite easy-peasy dishes which take very minimal preparation and less cooking time but also I will get to see and learn from fellow bloggers. At last when it started to feel like summer in my part of the world what more can I ask than collecting some recipes which don’t need me slogging in my kitchen for hours. I can think of lots of other activities for this summer than just sweating away in my tiny kitchen ;)
First dish which came to my mind with the word ‘Express’ was Moong Kichidi, a recipe I learnt from Archana who is a childhood friend of mine. It’s a simple dish which takes very little preparation and cooking time. Kichidi, medley of lentils and rice is a one pot dish cooked with different spices. Kichidi is not just a comfort food but also packed with nutrition. Serve hot Kichidi with thanda-thanda, cool-cool Raita and there is very less chance of you not falling in love with this simple and superb dish. If all these coaxing and cajoling did not excite you then what I am going to say next is surely going to sweep you off your feet. So listen to me carefully. Kichidi is one dish which will not just save your cooking time but also your partner’s time in cleaning the dish ;) So here comes my Moong Kichidi with Carrot Raita for this Summer Express Cooking.

Rice, Whole & Split Moong

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Moong Kichidi
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
1½ cups Rice (I usually use Sona Masuri or Basmati)
½ cup Whole Moong Dal/Green Gram
¼ cup Split Moong Dal
1 large Onion, sliced
2-3 Green Chillies, split
1 inch Ginger, crushed and finely chopped
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
3 Cardamoms, crushed
2 Cloves
½ tsp Black Pepper Powder (Optional)
2 tbsp Oil/Ghee
3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped finely
Salt to taste

Moong Kichidi with Carrot Raita

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Carrot Raita
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 1-2 mins (Tempering)
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
2 cups Yogurt, beaten
1 big Carrot, grated
1 small Red Onion, finely chopped
1 large Tomato, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Dry Red Chilli
1 tsp Oil
Few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

Moong Kichidi with Carrot Raita

Method:
0 to 8 minutes:
Wash rice and lentils and soak them in water for 5-10 minutes till required.
Chop onions (one for raita and one for kichidi), coriander leaves and ginger finely.
Slit green chillies in center.
Lightly crush the cardamom and clove in pestle and mortar.
Heat oil/ghee in pressure cooker.
~Take a small break and refresh the Food Blog Desam and your Blogroll for new posts.~

8-15 minutes:
Add mustard, jeera and curry leaves and sauté.
When mustard starts to pop, usually with in 30-40 seconds, add finely chopped onion, ginger and green chilli and sauté it for 1 to 1½ minutes.
Now add the crushed spices and sauté it for another minute or so till onions turn translucent.
Drain water from rice and dal and add them with sautéed onion and spices.
To this add turmeric powder, salt to taste and about 6 to 6 ½ cups of water and mix well(add more water if you like it more mushy and soft).
Close the pressure cooker lid and put its weight on and reduce the gas flame to medium.

15-22 minutes:
Peel and grate carrot.
Chop a tomato very finely.
Take yogurt in a mixing bowl and beat it with a whisk for around 30 seconds.
Mix grated carrot, coriander leaves, chopped onions and tomatoes to the yogurt.
Add salt to taste and mix well.
Heat oil in a tadka pan and add mustard, curry leaves and halved dry red chilli.
When mustard starts to pop n splutter transfer the tadka/tempering to raita and mix well.
Keep the raita in fridge to chill.

22-25 minutes:
~Hit refresh button again on your laptop and flick the TV channels~
~Drag your hubby from couch to clean the cutting board and knife and to clear the worktop~
~Meanwhile, set the dinner table~

25-30 minutes:
Switch off the gas after 10-15 minutes or 3-4 whistles.
Don’t rush to open the pressure cooker right away or you will end up with modern art in your kitchen with few nasty burns on your body.
Let it cool down for few minutes before releasing the pressure and open the lid.

After 30 minutes:
Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
Serve hot Kichidi immediately with super cool Carrot Raita and enjoy this wholesome meal. (Err… Taking picture and eating time is excluded in this Summer Express Cooking right???? ;)

Moong Kichidi with Carrot Raita

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Ash Gourd Majjige Huli

June… A month of heavy down pours, loud claps of thunders, sharp lightening… Yes. I am talking about Indian Monsoon rain. It is raining here in UK but I still miss the monsoon rain. For me they were always wild yet serene. I miss the heavenly smell of damp earth when the rain hits the ground for the first time, first drop of rain falling on my face, subtle scents of jasmine from garden, aroma of hot cup of coffee, the swaying of palm trees, pittar-patter of rain drops on roof, knee-deep water on roads, the falling of mangoes and coconut in backyard… Ah monsoon… There is magic in that word, there is romance in season and there is life in it.
Magical beauty of monsoon cloud always reminds me the poems of Kalidasa’s Meghaduta. Meghaduta, the cloud-messenger is a collection of poems which narrates the story of a Yaksha (a divine attendant of Kubera, God of wealth according to Hindu mythology) who is exiled for a year from his home and his new bride. Yaksha during his exile passes his messages to his beloved through passing monsoon cloud and the poem beautifully covers the vivid journey of cloud passing through mountains, rivers, forests and the love, longing and passion these lovers share. No wonder monsoon is aptly called as lover’s season because monsoon brings with it a feeling of love, romance and longing.
If you want to see the true colours of India, visit her during the season of monsoon rains. It brings out the best colours of beautiful India with festivity and joy. How can you not fall in love with monsoon when you see kids dancing on streets, elders enjoying their cup of tea in the balcony of their home, mothers preparing naram-garam pakodas and coffee, lovers holding their hands and spending some intimate moments, farmers welcoming the rain goddess, the breath taking beauty of lush green landscape, palm trees gently swaying to the rhythm of rain… Yes, just thinking about brings lot of happiness and breath of fresh life for a people like me who are thousands of miles away from home. I do miss my home and I do miss monsoon…
Majjige Huli is one such recipe which brings back fond memories of home. Lightly spiced coconut and buttermilk curry is my favourite dish to eat with aromatic basmati rice and spicy mango pickle. It is one of the dishes which bring out the true taste of vegetable as usually only one vegetable is used to make it. My favourite vegetables for cooking Majjige Huli are green bell pepper, Thai eggplant (Udupi Gulla Badane), green tomato, chayote, yellow cucumber and ash gourd. Majjige Huli is much similar to Mor Kulumbu of our neighboring state and can be prepared with minimum ingredients and very little time.

Ash Gourd Majjige Huli

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Ash Gourd Majjige Huli
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
3-4 cups Ash Gourd, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
¾ cup Grated Coconut, fresh or frozen
1 cup Sour Yogurt or 1½ cups Sour Buttermilk
1 small marble sized Tamarind (Optional)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 Green Chilli
¼ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard
1 Dry Red Chilli
A Pinch of Hing/Asafetida
Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Oil (preferably Coconut Oil)

Ash Gourd Majjige Huli

Method:
Cook ash gourd in about 2½ cups of water with salt to taste and tamarind for about 5-7 minutes. Use tamarind only if the buttermilk/yogurt is not sour enough.
Grind grated fresh/frozen coconut with green chillies, jeera and turmeric powder adding little water to make a smooth paste and keep aside.
When ash gourd is cooked add this ground paste and mix well. Add little more water if the gravy is too thick and bring it to boil.
In a mean while, beat yogurt by adding little water at a time to get buttermilk consistency and add it to the curry and mix well.
Cook it for further 1-2 minutes in low flame and turn of the gas.
Heat coconut oil in a tadka pan and add mustard, hing, broken red chilli and curry leaves. When mustard starts to pop and sputter transfer the tadka to Majjige Huli and mix well.
Serve hot Majjige Huli with rice and pickle of your choice.

Ash Gourd Majjige Huli

PS: We will be leaving for a short vacation; away from all hustle-bustle, ringing phones and mobiles, glaring computers… Talk to you all when we get back :) Will miss you all. Happy cooking and happy blogging buddies :)

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