Gujarati Kadhi

Hey Folks! I'm back after a short hiatus. February was supposed to be our home moving month, with the actual move planned for the end of the last week. However we had some rather unexpected warm and sunny weather on the weekend of 23-24 February. Given the 100 plus inches snow that we have plowed our way through since the start of this year, the ray of sunshine seemed promising, and indeed too good to pass up. At the very last minute we decided to take advantage of this good fortune that nature had sent us and move a week before planned. There was some unfinished maintenance at our new home, yet we decided to chance it :)

Moving is tough work and while I am still unpacking the boxes (does that ever end??), I made sure the kitchen was set up and functioning on 'Day One'. Now where have I hear that phrase lately?? LoL, but seriously - I needed the inspiration and the creativity to survive the sheer tediousness of the move, the packing, and the unpacking. And what better way to unwind at the end of a long day than to bring together cereals, lentils, vegetables, and spices and watch them transform into beautifully creative meals - with mouth-watering appeal....

While I am sure that many a blog here will find its way linked to 'the move', I think enough said about it for the present. Onto a dish that turns up in many an Indian home on cold winter evenings. It is heartwarming, delicious, nutritious, and wholesome - it is Gujarati Kadhi. Golden and creamy, yet amazingly light on the stomach, this Kadhi is best served with fresh steamed Basmati rice, and a dollop of ghee!!


Ingredients:
1/3 cup chickpea flour
1 cup yogurt
2 cups water, warm
1 tbsp sunflower/canola oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
8 black peppercorns
4 cloves
2 dried red chillies
6-8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt, to taste

For tempering:
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp coarsely grated red chilli powder

Method:

1. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy bottomed pan. When hot, reduce the heat to medium.
2. Add the cumin, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and red chillies to the oil.
3. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, and a fragrance emerges from the pan, add the warm water into the spices. Take care when doing this as the oil can sputter when water is added.
4. Now mix the chickpea flour, turmeric, salt, and the yogurt. Blend well so that the mixture is free of any lumps.
5. Gently pour this mix into the the water and spice mixture.
6. Cook the Kadhi on a medium heat stirring constantly. You will notice the mixture thicken and acquire a deeper yellow colour.
7. The Kadhi is ready when you can no longer taste the rawness of the chickpea flour. set aside.
8. Prepare tempering by heating the ghee in a small shallow pan. When warm, add the red chilli powder. Pour over the Kadhi.

The Kadhi is now ready. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

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

Watercress & Potato Soup

Now there's nothing quite like warm soup on a cold winter's day. And here in the Great Lakes area we appear to be having the coldest, snowiest winter ever. In fact, not only do we have 3 feet snow on the ground, the branches of trees have frozen over and are glittering like shiny ornaments in the bright winter sun! Yes I spent the better half of my day admiring this sight and taking loads of photographs. With the setting sun, I decided to get back in and get some hot soup going.

We love soup so much around here that I have taught myself to prepare it 'from scratch'!! Yes, I make my own soup stock, freeze it, and keep it handy to boil up a steaming hot favourite in a snap. Here's my recipe for our favourite Watercress & Potato Soup.


Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 oinion, chopped fine
1 potato, diced
5 oz watercress
2 cups vegetable stock
11/2 cups milk
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt to taste

To Serve:
Pepper, to season
Sour Cream
Orange peel

Method:

1. Warm the butter in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the onion and fry over low heat until it becomes translucent. Add the potato and fry for 3-5 minutes. Cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Wash the watercress, strip the leaves, and chop the stems.
3. Add the stock and milk to the pan and once they are warm, add the watercress. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper, then process in a blender. Return to the saucepan and heat.
5. Adjust seasoning, pour into warmed soup bowls, garnish with sour cream and orange peel.
6. Serve with warmed crusty bread or freshly baked biscuits.

I am sending this delicious and nutritious recipe over to Lisa for her wonderful new food event No Croutons Required....

I am also sending this great winter warmer to Jen at the The Left Over Queen. Jen hosts the delightful and very easily accessible web resource: The Foodie Blogroll. It is a superb link, indeed must-have for all Food Bloggers in the Blogosphere!! Thanks Jen!!

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

Til Gur (Crunchy Sweet Black Sesame Diamonds)

The change in seasons has always been a cause for celebration amongst peoples across the world. For Indians, one of the most auspicious days on the monthly calendar is marked by Sankranti - the day on which the sun moves from one sign of the zodiac to the other. Of all such days, it it the day of Makar Sankranti that is believed to be the most holy. This is because it is on this day that the sun returns to the Northern Hemisphere thereby marking the end of a long cold winter and the return of spring.

As it is in the month of Magha that the sun enters the Makar Rashi or sign on the zodiac known as Capricorn, this Sankranti is known as Makar Sankranti. The terms come quite literally from the fact that the sun leaves the Tropic of Cancer and enters the Tropic of Capricorn. The ensuing period is also known as the Uttarayan Punyakalam.The most famous celebration of the arrival of this auspicious period is at the Kumbh Mela, celebrated Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik.

Makar Sankranti is also celebrated as a harvest festival inalmost all parts of the country. Known as Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Pongal in TN, Lohri in Punjab, Haldi Kumkum in Maharashtra, Khichiri Sankranti in Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarayan in Gujarat, Makar Sankranti is celebrated with kite flying competitions, folk dancing, bonfires, decorating cattle, and of course sharing sweetmeats.

While Mitha Pongal, Kurmure Laddoo, Sarson ka Saag, Khichiri, Ariselu, Ellu, Sugarcane, are all foods made and shared on Makar Sankranti, Til Gur has come to be synonymous with the festival. While Til Gur is often made with white sesame seeds, I have always preferred the taste of black sesame seeds. They impart a delicious flavour and when combined with jaggery give a sparkling look to this evergreen sweet. Here's my recipe for the nuttiest, smokiest, and crunchiest Til Gur ever!!

Ingredients:
1 cup black sesame seeds
1 cup jaggery
1 tsp ghee
2 tbsp raw peanuts
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Dry roast the sesame seeds on medium heat until it changes colour and gives off a sweet fragrance. Set aside to cool.
2. Roast the peanuts in the same pan until the skin begins to fall off, and the nuts become golden brown. Remove into a separate plate. Once cool, remove the peels, and crush coarsely.
3. Place a heavy-bottomed pan on the hob. Put 1/4 cup water into this and warm slightly. Now add the jaggery and one teaspoon ghee. Cook until it begins to bubble and splutter. Be careful at this stage as the heated jaggery might fly out of the pan. Keep stirring until the jaggery acquires a thickness.
4. Add the sesame seeds, peanuts, and cardamom powder to the jaggery. Mix well, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Grease a cookie plate or pan with some ghee. Remove the Til Gur into the thali. Quickly pat down evenly. Once the Til Gur begins to set, mark out squares or diamonds of a desirable size. Cut into pieces once the Til Gur is completely cool.
6. Store in an airtight container and enjoy with hot tea!!

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

Kulhad Wali Chai (Masala Tea in Earthenware Pots)

Anyone with any experience of travelling by rail in India will be all too familiar with 'Kulhad Wali Chai'. Served in earthenware glasses which are baked by potters in wood-fired furnaces, this syrupy and spicy Chai carries with it the sweet smell of the earth.


Without doubt, 'Kulhad Wali Chai' beckons the weary traveller and is the ultimate liquid comfort in a glass. I have had a passionate love for tea since I first sipped this concoction as a child travelling between Nagpur and Aurangabad!! For me, chilly winter mornings are synonymous with holding a warm tea glass in my bare hands, slowly sipping this soothing liquid. As comforting as the strum of the guitar to Simon & Garfunkel lyrics:

But look around, leaves are brown now
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter

This one's for jugalbandi Click: Liquid Comfort, January 2008.

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: Healthy Vegetarian Tacos

Tacos are a great favourite in my home and I am very experimental with the filling I make for for them. Here's a version of some yummy healthy vegetarian tacos that I made last weekend.


Ingredients:
4 large taco shells
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 green pepper, chopped
1 green zucchini, chopped
1 yellow zucchini, chopped
1 tin black beans, drained
1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped fine
4 medium tomatoes, chopped fine
1/2 cup chunky tomato salsa
1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used a mix of Cheddar and Mozzarella)


Method:

1. Set the oven to 350F. Place the taco shells on a cookie sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Heat for 10 minutes or until they appear toasted and lightly brown. Turn off the heat.
2. In the meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a wide-bottomed saucepan, pour the olive oil. When heated, add the garlic and fry until it releases a fragrance. Now add the onions, and fry them till transparent.
3. Add the chopped green peppers, the yellow and green zucchini, and the black beans for around 6-7 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, the chunky tomato salsa, Jalapeno pepper, crushed pepper, and Italian herbs. Blend well, cover and cook for another 6-8 minutes.
4. Remove cover, reduce the liquid in the sauce if any. Turn off the heat.
5. Carefully, remove the taco shells from the oven. Spoon in the filling. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Replace on the cookie sheet. Repeat with each of the shells.
6. Set oven to 350F. Place cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted completely.

Sit back, and enjoy the compliments!!

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.

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.