Rocking The Nutty Boat!!

A simple entry for jugalbandi Click: Show us your nuts, December 2007.

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Rasedaar Aloo-Gobhi (Fragrant Potato-Cauliflower Curry)

Aloo-Gobhi sabzi (Potato-Cauliflower Vegetable) happens to be one of my favourite vegetable combinations. There are so very many ways in which this vegetable combination is cooked and dished out. Yet it is only in winter that one gets the opportunity of enjoying it in this fragrant curry form. Primarily because this recipe uses loads of Dalchini or Cinnamon. Cinnamon which is an essential spice in Indian cooking, is regarded by Ayurveda as a warming spice. It is, in general, used in combination with other spices that complement its flavour and often in its bark form. Also it is used to flavour savoury vegetables and meats from the main course rather than sweets and desserts! Cauliflower curry with cinnamon is a perfect example of this. I find it to be a comfort food - tasty, warming, and utterly delicious once served on a bed of Basmati rice.

Ingredients:
1 medium-size cauliflower
4 small red potatoes
2 medium onions
1 tin tomato puree
1 tsp tamarind extract
8 Curry leaves
4 tbsp dried unsweetened coconut
1" cinnamon stick
4 black peppercorns
2-4 dried red chillies
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp ghee
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash, clean, and divide the cauliflower into florets. Quarter the potatoes, and slice the onions.
2. In a saucepan, roast the cinnamon, peppercorns, red chillies, and cumin. Set aside to cool.
3. Pour the oil in the pan, heat, then add the onions and dried coconut and fry till brownish in colour.
4. Meanwhile, dry grind the cooled spices to a powder. To this powder, add the fried onions and coconut. Grind further till well blended.
5. Heat the ghee in the saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
6. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop add the freshly prepared spice paste and fry till the ghee begins to separate.
7. Now add the potatoes, cauliflower florets, salt, and just enough water to make up a curry. Cook till the vegetable is tender. Add the tomato puree and tamarind extract and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve hot with Basmati rice.

I am sending this Winter Warmer in to Sunita's Think Spice.... think Cinnamon .

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Christmas Cookies: Cinnamon-Chocolate Swirls

Now home-baked cookies and I have a history of sorts. I developed an avid interest in baked goodies early on, and as time went by it turned into a passion of sorts. Yes, there's always a time for a story and this is one for Christmas cookies. As I stumbled across Susan's Christmas Cookies from Around the World 2007, I was inspired to dig out my old faithful - a treasured recipe book which holds a collection of my very favourite tried and trusted cookie recipes. Just a turn of the page and memories of baking batches of cookies for school events, for family, friends all came flooding back. Just as much as I loved the aroma of my Mum's kitchen every time I loaded in a fresh batch to bake, the fact remains that I really have not had the time or the opportunity to indulge in this joy for several years. Now thanks to Susan I have come back to delight in baking cookies. Of course half the joy of baking cookies at home (read from scratch) lies in the sharing. With every fresh batch I have been counting off friends and family to whom I am shipping off these delectable delights. May be that is the true spirit of a Christmas cookie - its sharing!! I have picked my favourite cookies - Cinnamon-Chocolate Swirls to share with everyone at Eat Christmas Cookies!

Two of my favourite flavours spliced together to create an aromatic and tasteful cookie. I used cocoa powder for the chocolate part of the dough. If you prefer a sweeter taste in chocolate you can substitute the cocoa powder for semi-sweet chocolate or sweet milk chocolate.


Ingredients:
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of Salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 oz demerara sugar
1 large egg
1tsp vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Dough:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 level tsp cinnamon powder

For the Chocolate Dough:
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar


Method:
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and soda.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Next add the egg and the vanilla extract. Beat until well mixed.
3. Gradually add the flour, blend well into a pliable dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal halves.
4. Stir the flour and cinnamon into one half, and the cocoa powder and sugar into the other.
5. On a sheet of wax paper, roll out the chocolate dough into a rectangle just around 1/8" thick. On a separate sheet of waxed paper do the same for the cinnamon dough.
6. Now, pick up the cinnamon dough using the waxed paper beneath it and place it on the chocolate dough, dough side down. Take care to align the sides correctly. Remove the top sheet of wax paper.
7. Starting with the length of the rectangle, roll the dough to form a log.
8. Cut log crosswise in half. With a sharp knife cut the log into 1/6 inch slices. Place them 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet.
9. Bake at 350F for around 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer onto wire racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining logs.
10. Store in air-tight jar and enjoy for up to a week.

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Winter Warmers: Hot Mango Salsa

Mango is a great favourite on the Indian sub-continent. Indeed, as a mango lover one can't help but be passionate about this beautiful fruit. Every summer, desis in the US bemoan lack of access to the over a 100 varieties of mango available freely on the Indian sub-continent. And every so often I get a mango craving and I am tempted to buy one of the beautiful orange, yellow, and green mangoes in the local supermarket. Yet, these mangoes are very fibrous they don't do too well on a dessert plate. So to satisfy my mango cravings I began to experiment using these sweet fleshy fruits in new ways. I remember standing in my kitchen, mango staring at me when memories of eating sour kairi (raw mango) with rock salt and red chilli powder on a hot summer's day, flashed back to me. Mmmmm, the texture of the raw mango mingling with the sharp and mellow flavours was just heaven. And well, just like that I decided to do the same to the nice ripe mango on the kitchen table. An onion here, tomatoes there, green chillies, cilantro, and freshly squeezed key lime juice - hey presto - utterly delicious mango salsa.

This cool salsa is a surprisingly welcome winter warmer. While winter is a time for stews, soups, curries, and hearty cooked meals, I found it really satisfied that desire for fresh uncooked vegetables that I inevitably experience every winter. Serve with your favourite low-fat chips or top your bean burrito with it. This salsa also goes really well with cold cuts and is an excellent accompaniment to fresh grilled fish and prawns. An ideally refreshing accompaniment for a celebratory meal!!!!

Ingredients:
1 large ripe mango, pulp removed
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, diced
1 Jalapeno chilli, diced
2 key limes
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp roasted cumin, crushed coarsely
Salt to taste

Method:

Place the chopped onions, tomatoes, diced garlic, cilantro, and Jalapeno in a deep bowl. Add the mango pulp and mix will.
Season with salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper to taste.
Squeeze the juice of the two key limes into the salsa, and blend well.
Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Now if you were wondering about the nutritional value of a mango, you might be interested to know that the mango is an excellent source of nutrition. It is chock full of vitamins particularly Vitamins A, B, and C. Minerals and antioxidants like Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Zinc are also found in mangoes. This fruit is also know for aiding in digestion and improving intestinal health. This is largely due to the presence of enzymes such as magneferin and lactese in the fruit. And you know, some of the other stuff in the salsa isn't too bad for you either!!

I am sending my Salsa Recipe in for HotM 10 - Quick and Easy!

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Winter Warmers: Delicious Dal Dhokli

Temperatures below zero degrees always call for especially delicious treats. And last week, while it was snowing like no tomorrow, I decided to treat us to some hearty Dal Dhokli. Now Dal Dhokli is basically a Gujarati dish, though I believe that there are some Rajasthani versions of it too. It was particularly popular in Mumbai where I spent part of my childhood.

Not coming from either Gujarat or Rajasthan, I ate Dal Dhokli the first time when I visited a schoolfriends home. One taste and I was hooked! On my insistence, the dish was cooked every so often at home. Much as I enjoyed eating Dal Dhokli, I never had the chance to cook it in India. But my passion for food ensured that I carried the recipe with me. Yet, that's really no good - as I hardly ever follow a recipe. I work the ingredients available or from a combination of memory and taste. Memory of my Mum's kitchen (did I tell you she is a superlative cook!) and the taste of food I've enjoyed. I tend to innovate, tweak recipes to improve flavour, and taste all the time. I believe my version is somewhat different from the usual preparations of Dal Dhokli - you will see why :)


Ingredients:
2 cups toor dal
2 tbsp raw peanuts
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, freshly grated
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
3/4 tbsp tamarind
2 tsp jaggery
11/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

For Dhoklis:
1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp asafetida
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Fenugreek)
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp ajwain

For Tempering:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
1/2" piece cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
2 dried red chillies
1/4 tsp asafetida
1 tbsp Ghee
6-8 curry leaves

To Season:
2-3 key limes, cut into halves

Method:

1. First wash the dal and peanuts and cook them in water with 1/2 tsp turmeric and a pinch of salt. Allow the dal to cook itself into a soft mush.
2. While the dal cooks prepare the dhoklis. Mix the flours, spices, kasuri methi, and salt together. Rub the dough with both your hands so that all the ingredients are well mixed.
3. Add the oil to this mix, and using hands rub it into the flour as you would for pastry.
4. Add just enough water to knead this mix into a semi-hard dough.
5. Divide the dough into 6 smaller portions and each out into thin chappatis
   Cook each of these chappatis begin to dry out. They need not be completely cooked.
6. Cool and cut into squares. Set the dhokli aside.
7. Heat the ghee in a wide bottomed pan. Add all the tempering ingredients, and stir until the mustard seeds pop and you begin to get the mellow fragrance of blended spices.
8. Add the sliced onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Now add the tomatoes, ginger, green chillies, and stir for a few minutes. Add the remaining turmeric, chilli powder, and tamarind paste, and blend all the ingredients well.
9. Add 3 cups of water to this mix, and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Next add the dal and bring to a boil.
10. Lower the heat on the dal, add the salt, and then start adding the dhokli to this mix. Add only one at a time and stir as you add them. This will stop them from sticking to each other.
11. Once all the dhokli are added, cook the dal dhokli for around 10 minutes, stirring continuously. The dal will thicken and the dhokli cooking in this delicious mix will soak in sweetness of the jaggery and the piquant flavour of the spices and tamarind.
12. Serve steaming hot with key lime juice!
    

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

That Feeling of Coming Home! JFI Toor Dal

You can eat any cuisine in the world, you can travel the globe, you can eat out for days on end - but there is nothing quite like the feeling of coming back home!! Of course, coming home means different things to different people. But in my parents home - it had one simple meaning: "Ghar ka Khana" or simple food cooked at home.

I remember as a child we would go for our annual trek in the Himalayas, or on summer vacations across the country only to return home to the deliciously heart-warming dal-chawal. Now you can guess that dal on the occasion meant the humble arhar dal or toor dal, served hot with basmati chawal, and methi-aloo bhaji. Over the years this has become my most abiding memory of coming home. Now when ever we travel, the first meal on our return echos that memory.

In fact, this meal is a great favourite in my family. I tend to make toor dal thick and creamy, and top it with a great dollop "ghee ka tarka". Here's my recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups toor dal
1 medium onion
1" piece ginger
3-4 cloves garlic
1 level tsp turmeric`
1/4 tsp asafetida (hing)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 dried red chillies
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Method:

1. Soak the toor dal in water for 2-4 hours.
2. Pressure cook the dal with the ginger, tumeric, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of salt. Once cooked, continue to boil the dal until it thickens and becomes heavy. Adjust the salt to taste.
3. For the tarka, heat the ghee in a small pan. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add to the heated ghee and fry until onions become brownish. Then add the remaining cumin seeds, red chillies, and asafetida.
4. Remove the ready dal into a serving bowl. Season with tarka. Serve with fresh hot Basmati rice which has been seasoned with salty butter and a pickle to tickle your tastebuds!!!!
   
   

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Fasting & Feasting: Sabudana Khichiri

In India, feasting very often follows fasting. It is customary to observe fasts on numerous days throughout the year. Indeed, people fast on particular days of a week, month, and year to please and honour particular Gods and Goddesses, to give thanks for blessings received, or to pray for that their wishes be granted.

A fast usually begins at dawn and broken at dusk. During this time those undertaking the fast tend to partake of only water, fruits, nuts and milk. Yet, the entire day is often filled with the joy and camaraderie that accompanies a shared kitchen. Family members regardless of age come together to prepare for the feast that inevitably accompanies the successful completion of a fast. Some feasts are humble and traditional meals where only certain categories of foods permitted on fasts are prepared. And others are grand meals where the host's largess is shared with friends and neighbours.

Sabudana Khichiri or Sago Kedgeree is a traditional dish that is most commonly prepared to end a fast with. This simple yet delicious dish is viewed as a complete meal and oftentimes as the ultimate treat at the end of a day characterised by abstinence from carbohydrates and salt. I developed a taste for Sabudana Khichiri early in life and though it was prepared in several different ways by my Mum and my Grandmum, I choose to make it the traditional way.



Sago itself is tricky to cook. A little over soaking, a little overcooking and it has a tendency to dissolve into a gelatinous, gluey, and sadly inedible mass. My experience with sago has seen all these phases, and after numerous misses (considerably more) and hits, I have this recipe down to a T! Trial and error are a great methodology, yet in the end I have come to believe that it turns out best whenever I trust my instinct.

Ingredients:
2 cups sago
3/4 cup raw peanuts
2 medium sized potatoes
6-8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp oil
2 green chillies
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 level tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Clean the sago, and soak it in cold water overnight in a deep bowl. The water should cover all the sago in the bowl and should be at least 1 inch over the level of the dry sago. In the morning the sago should be plump and soft. If you see any excess water, drain it completely. Alternatively if the sago is still hard, sprinkle with more water and let sit for a few minutes longer.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan.
3. When oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leafs. Stir them till they begin to pop.
4. Chop the green chillies; peel and cube the potatoes. Stir them into the seasoning in the pan. Cover the pan and and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
5. Coarsely grind the raw peanuts.
6. Mix the ground peanuts, red chilli powder, and salt into the soaked sago.
7. Turn this mixture into the frying pan.
8. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Then remove the cover, add 1 tbsp oil and cook another 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally. The sago will acquire a translucent appearance once it is fully cooked.
9. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro. Serve with freshly set yogurt.

My husband adores Sabudana Khichiri, and so I do make it with a comforting regularity every weekend and usually during the Navratras. But it will always remain for me a childhood memory where this simple fare would become the feast after the fast. And as I am new to the world of Food Blogging, I am dedicating this entry to all you fabulous food bloggers out there who have inspired me to create my own food blog. As a part of this dedication I am sending this recipe out as an entry to Meeta's Monthly Mingle - Traditional Feasts, 3 December 2007.


All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Hello!

So, I love good food! And here's my tribute to enjoying it and living well. Hope you will visit soon, read often, and savour immensely.