“Chana Madra”- Pahari Cuisine-No Onion, Garlic Recipe

Today I a m sharing the recipe of my lunch menu “Chana Madra”. It is a Pahari food that can be traced back to the state of Himachal Pradesh. The word “Pahar” literally means mountains.

There is a wide variety of foods in this region and it is all very delicious. When I was in college, I made lot of friends from this wonderful hilly region and it all proved favorable in expanding my cooking horizon with the delicate yet simple cuisines of this region. Himachali cuisine is something that is unheard by most of the people living outside the beautiful hill state. Although, the food is not different from the regular dal-roti-sabzi of North India, but the simplicity with which it is cooked and served is what makes it different. Also, the use of locally available spices and crops gives the food its rich aroma and high nutritional value.

Chana Madra is prepared by cooking boiled chickpea in thick beaten yogurt. A variety of whole spice including cinnamon, black cardamom, clove and heeng (asafoetida) are used with the turmeric and coriander powder. Little soaked and ground rice are also added to thicken the consistency of the dish. However I prefer to use grounded almond paste(soaked overnight) to thicken the gravy.

Desi Ghee again adds a lot of flavor to the dish. Be careful to use it in moderation. Ideally if I go by the original recipe then I should take equal amount of clarified butter and yoghurt. However I have done my variation by adding 2 tsp. of ghee. You can do a deviation and make this recipe with the help of kidney beans.

The most important step in making Madra is when you add the yogurt. You have to make sure that you stir continuously and do not allow the yogurt to curdle. This is a really crucial step or else you may have disastrous gravy on your hands. If the yogurt seems to have curdled just a little bit, continue stirring the gravy and it will eventually thicken up and be fine.

Ingredients:

Chick peas: 250 gms (soaked overnight)

Yogurt: 250 gms(beaten)

8-10 soaked almonds: You need to peel the skin of the almond and grind it with the yogurt in the mixer.

Whole Spices:

Black Cardamom: 2-3

Cloves: 3-4

Whole Cumin: 1 tsp

Bay leave: One broken

Cinnamon stick:1

Powdered Spices:

Green Cardamom powder:1 tsp

Ginger Powder:1/2 tsp

Sugar: a Pich

Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp

Coriander Powder:1 Tsp

Salt: As per taste

Water : 1 Cup( you can use the residual chickpea broth)

Ghee(Clarified Butter):2 Table Spoon

Method:

1. Wash the soaked peas and drain the water properly. Cook the chick-peas in a pressure cooker with proper water (do not overcook). If required, you can put in a pinch of soda while boiling it to ensure that it is cooked evenly.
2. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, when it starts crackling, it is time to sauté the whole spices. Stir it for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the powdered spices along with the sugar and stir it over a low flame to get rid of the raw smell. Don’t overcook it or else it might get burnt. Now you can add the curd with the almond mixture and be careful to stir it continuously over low flame to avoid any lump. This is a really crucial step and we have to continuously stir it to avoid curdling. Cook it over low flame for 15-20 minutes and add a little water to adjust the consistency.
4. It’s time now to add the chick pea and let it simmer for 10 minutes till it gets a thick consistency and you can see the oil getting separated on top.
5. It is the right time now to add salt and let it simmer for a minute before garnishing it with fresh coriander leaves and serving it with Steamed Rice.

It tastes equally good with Chapattis. Hope you will enjoy the recipe and hopefully try it at home. Happy testing and savor the food for life!

“Vegetable Manchurian”-Time tested Quick Recipe

Between office, home, blogging world and kids school, it often seems like life is one long, hectic chain of events. But no matter how busy you are, it’s essential for your mental health and well-being that you make time to relax. For me cooking and trying out new recipes works as a stress buster. It’s an art where I am allowed to cross the limitless boundaries of creativity.

Today has been a real hectic day at work with too many events falling out of place. Finally I am back at home and todays agenda was not to try any new recipe but to make some time tested recipe which is easy to make and tasty to eat.

So, here comes the recipe of Vegetable Manchurian. This is a delicious dish which is easy to make at home. 

Ingredients for the Manchurian Balls:

Carrots: 2 finely chopped

French beans: 1/4 cups finely chopped

Corn Kernels: 1/4 cup

Capsicum: 1 finely chopped

Onion: 1 finely chopped

Ginger: 1" piece, chopped finely

Garlic: 2 big cloves chopped finely

Green chilli- 1 chopped finely

Spring onions (scallions): 1/2 bunch chopped finely

Cornstarch: 3 tbsp

Flour: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Oil for deep frying

For Manchurian Sauce

Spring onions:1/2 bunch chopped finely

Shredded Red Onion: 1

Shreded Capsicum: One finely sliced

Ginger: 1/2" piece chopped finely

Garlic: 2 cloves chopped finely

Green chilli: 1 chopped finely

Chili powder: 1/2 tsp

Tomato sauce: 2 -3 tsp

Soya sauce: 2-3 tsp

Cornstarch: 1 tbsp ,mix with water to make a paste.

Water- 1 cup

Salt to taste

Oil-4 tsp

Method

1. Mix all the veggies and the ingredients of the Manchurian balls together in a bowl(preferably with hand and no need to add water as the water from vegetables are enough to bind). Make small balls out of this mixture and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

2. For the Manchurian sauce heat oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic and the white bottom portion of the spring onions. Sauté it for a minute and add shredded red onion and capsicum and stir fry them for a minute. Now it’s time to add salt, chilly powder, tomato sauce and soya sauce.

3. Add 1 cup of water to it and when it boils add the cornstarch paste. When the sauce starts to thicken add the Manchurian balls and immediately off the stove. Add the top green portion of the spring onions on top. Serve hot with Fried Rice or Hakka Noodles.

It is a simple dish but tastes great. Now let me give some background about its origination.

The recipe for Manchurian derives its name from the native region of "Manchuria" in China, where it originated. Over years, the traditional recipe has evolved to take the current fusion version, where Indian and Chinese spices come together to constitute a lip-smacking main course recipe wooing her hearts and palate.

Happy tasting and savor the Food for Life!

COUSCOUS RISOTTO-WONDER RECIPE FOR VEGGIE LOVERS

Couscous is one of my favorite ingredients and I love adding it to my food in form of salad or cook it like upma.

I love the shape, texture and taste of tiny round couscous. Even though the authentic way to make couscous (according to middle easterners) is using a coucousiere (double boiler with a perforated top to hold the couscous), I usually make it just like suji/semolina upma and with lots of vegetables for a light meal.

Couscous is a coarsely ground pasta made from semolina, a type of wheat. In fact, there is an expression in Hebrew based on the word semolina, which actually means 'the best there is’! Good luck and blessings. In North African tradition, couscous is always the first dish prepared to inaugurate a new home, and is served at holidays and celebrations to represent abundance and fruitfulness.

Ever since I tasted the instant couscous at a friend’s place, a year ago, I have been making them more often. Sometimes I try out new flavors with it apart from the recipe on the back of the box.

I love risotto and I was thinking why not make it with instant couscous rather than rice? So, here comes the outcome of my recent experiment- “Couscous Risotto”.

Ingredients:

Couscous: 1/2 cup

Red Bell pepper chopped: 1/2 cup

Green onions chopped: 1/2 cup

Green chilli chopped: as per taste

Blanched carrots ( finely chopped):1/2 cup

Cream style golden corn: 1 ½ cup (I have used Del Monte Sweet corn cream style)

Curd:1 cup

Water:1 cup

Balsamic Vinegar: 1 tsp

Salt: as per taste
Pepper powder: 1/4 tsp

Butter: 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves chopped: 2 tablespoon

Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese: 1 tsp grated.

Method:

1.Mix instant couscous and 1 cups of boiling water in a bowl and leave it closed for 15 min.

2. Fluff the couscous well breaking up any lumps. Add salt and keep aside.

3. Add all the vegetables including cream of corn and mix well.

4. Add water, curd, salt, pepper and coriander leaves.

5. Whisk all the ingredients together and mix it well. It should look like a dosa batter (consistency) or rather pan cake mixture consistency. Avoid making it runny.

6. Heat a pan and add butter and allow it to melt. Now add the risotto mixture and stir it for 5-8 minutes on medium flame. Don’t overcook it.Reduce the extra amount of water in the dish. Just do away with rawness of the veggies but the crunchiness should be retained.

7. Add the cheese and allow some standing time for the dish to absorb all the aromas.

8. Garnish it with loads of chopped coriander leaves and add few sprigs of mint leaves (break it with your hands).

 Let me tell you, the result was amazing! The texture of the couscous grains was PERFECT in the "risotto" and contrasted really well with the mixture of curd and cream corn that I used. And best of all, couscous cooks much faster than the arborio rice used in traditional risotto, it's a much faster process (only about 10-12 minutes)!

Happy Cooking and savor the food for life!

Stir Fry Green bell Peppers- My Version of Comfort Food

This recipe is very easy and simple to cook.I tasted this for the very first time at one of my closest masi’s place (OUR BELOVED LATA Mausi). I don’t know whether my version tastes like hers or not but I found it very convenient and it is definitely a time saving recipe. I am continuously in search of  recipes which are simple and effortless and this one specifically fits the bill.

It comprises of very basic available ingredients at home. I would like to call it as my “Comfort Food”.

When we talk about comfort food, we mean simple, salty, fatty foods that remind us of our childhood binges, such as macaroni and cheese. For me comfort food is something which is hassle free and one that enhances my tastes. I enjoy eating good food. But I failed to understand why in the world does something have to be covered in cheese and butter to be "comforting"?

Anyways I was quick enough to imbibe this recipe in my own style and allowing it to enter my kitchen world. "Thanks Lata Mausi ji" for your simple but tasty throw away recipe :)

The best thing about this veggie is that it is really simple to put together, It is crisp but not dry and surprisingly sour and sweet at the same time- the sourness comes from the capsicum and the hint of sweet is the result of half a teaspoon of sugar added to the veggies. You can have it the way “V” likes it- as a subzi with hot chapatis or top it up on a warm toast- either way it is a beautifully spiced dish that celebrates this wonder vegetable which is loaded with vitamins, flavonoids and good antioxidants!

The most important part of this recipe is that it doesn't need a lot of preparation time and no need to add many spices. But it tastes awesome. Capsicum does not have its own taste or flavor. But when it is cooked with besan it gives very nice taste to it.

Ingredients:

Gram Flour: 2 Tbsp

Bell Pepper: 2-3 large ones, cut into chunks and deseeded

Whole black mustard seeds:1 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1 pinch

Coriander leaves: 10 sprigs

Coriander Powder: 1tsp

Chilli Powder: ¼ tbsp.

Salt: As per taste

Asafetida: a pinch

Sugar: 1 tsp

Oil: 3 tbsp

Amchur Powder(Dry Mango Powder): 2 Tsp

Sugar:1 tsp

Method:

•Cut the Capsicum into chunks of size 1 inch

•Heat oil, add mustard seeds n allow them to crackle, and then add hing, wait for few second and add in one slit green chilli.

•Then goes in the capsicum chunks, saute on medium flame for about 5 mins till they turn soft

• Add in the dry powders (chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, amchur powder n salt). 

• Now you can add sugar and stir it for few seconds.

• Lastly sift the gram flour before adding it to the capsicum to prevent any lumps in it. Mix everything together for a minute on low flame and switch off the flame.

Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and lemon wedge. Don’t overcook the capsicum. It is important to retain the crunchiness.

 Happy tasting and savor the Food for Life!

  

Protein Punch Kabab-Yes! Necessity is the mother of all invention

This recipe is the result of leftover ingredients in my fridge. I wanted to make some "kababs" but didn't actually comprehend the availability of the requisite stock in my kitchen.

My determination was driven by the amazing cool breeze accompanied by rains. It acted as a strong motivation to cook something delicious without stepping out of the house. I peeked out from my kitchen window and the evening dusky weather pushed me to experiment a new variety of vegetarian kabab as opposed to the traditional one. The challenge was to retain the tender meaty texture without using any non-vegetarian ingredients. I replaced minced meat with a mix of soy granules and the traditional chana daal with grounded paste of green sprouts. Finally I used hung curd to hold the melting moment. I am calling it as “Protein Punch kabab” because most of the ingredients used are rich in protein.

Ingredients:

Mixture of green gram sprouts (moong daal) blended in a mixer with one stem of green garlic: I have used one big cup of sprouts.

Alternatively you can use Dabur Homemade Ginger Garlic paste as well if you can’t find green garlic. 

Green Garlic

Green chillies: 2-3

Whole Cumin:1 tsp

Dabur Homemade Ginger Paste:1Tsp

Stems of green coriander leaves:6-7

Garam Masala: 1 Tsp

Salt: As per taste

Soya Granules:  1 cup

Onion: One big onion finely chopped

Coriander Leaves: few sprigs

Hung Yoghurt: ½ Cup

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric: 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Nutmeg Powder: ½ tsp

Oil: 1 table Spoon

Method:

1.    Grind the soaked green gram sprouts with one green garlic stem and few whole cumin seeds. Don’t use too much of water while making the paste. Retain a little coarser texture for a better aroma (If you want to make it from fresh sprouts then soak the green grams for 6-7 hours). Avoid making a runny paste.

2.    Heat some water and pour it over the soya granules to soften it. Immediately strain the granules or else it will turn soggy.  

3.    Heat 1 tsp of refined oil in a frying pan and add whole cumin seeds and let it crack. Add finely chopped onion, one green chilli and 1 tsp Dabur Homemade Ginger paste to it and fry till it turns golden. Now add a pinch of turmeric, ½ tsp red chilli powder and coriander powder to the mixture. Sauté it on high flame by continuously stirring it to avoid burning. Add ½ a pinch of garam masala powder and ½ tsp of nutmeg powder. Now it is time to add salt as per taste. Finish it with generous hand of chopped coriander leaves. Set aside the mixture to cool it down.

4.    Once the soya mixture cools down, add the green gram paste to it and mix it well. Add some salt to adjust the taste. If required taste it before adding. Finally it’s the turn for adding the hung yogurt to the mixture to give it a good consistency.

5.    Make kabab shape roundels using your wet palms and shallow fry them on pan over medium flame and frying it well both the sides.

6.    It is important to sprinkle chaat masala to the kababs, immediately after taking them out from the pan. This allows the masala to stick and soak inside the kababs.

7.    Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it with your choice of dip. My choice was to serve it with tomato, garlic and coriander chutney.

Earlier in the name of vegetarian kebab, it was usually aloo tikki {with some veggies thrown in and usually dry to taste}. But I am quite happy with this version of vegetarian soft succulent and melt in mouth kabab which not only tastes delicious but looks great too……………..
 

Happy tasting and savor the food for life!

Delectable Kathal Korma in a Kharbuza and yogurt based Gravy

Weekend means shopping veggies, pantry stock & fruits from nearby ‘market’ or ‘subzi mandi’ to last for the upcoming week. Especially weekends, I feel are more stressful for working women like us...

It is also the time when “V” usually demands for some unique recipe to be made and as you know because of my love for cooking, I like to happily submit myself to such kind of requests.

I wanted to make something which tastes unusual from the normal vegetarian curry and frankly speaking I wanted to give it a twist of non-vegetarian dish. So the only option was to make something out of raw jack fruit  This is not referred to as the vegetarian meat for no reason and cooking this in onion-garlic gravy really brings out the flavor. So when hubby demanded some Korma curry I knew I will have to plan it along with some flavored rice to keep the meal simple. So it was jeera rice and “Kathal Korma” for the weekend lunch that we immensely enjoyed.

Raw jack fruit is a very famous vegetable that is predominantly used in the tropical coastal places. It is very rich in fiber content and rich in vitamins. It is also rich in protein, iron and calcium content. The health benefits include boosted immunity and improvement in overall health.

Ingredients:

For the kofta: (makes 12-15 koftas)

Boiled Diced raw jackfruit: 1 ½ cup

Besan: ¼ cup

Cashew nuts: 5 pieces, finely chopped

Onion: 1 big finely chopped

Ajwain: 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp

Green chilies: 2

Chilli powder:1 tsp

Roasted pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander seeds and cardamom powder

Salt according to taste

Oil: 1 tbsp+ for deep frying

For the Korma Gravy Base:

Fried Onion paste: 1 cup

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Hung Yogurt: ¾ cup

Cashewnut and kharbuza seeds paste-keep cashewnut in a small bowl of milk and water along with kharbuza seeds forhalf an hour. Strain the seeds and grind them to a paste.

Oil: 2 tbsp

Dry Powder/Whole Spices:

Kashmiri chili powder: 1 tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/3 tsp

Tumeric: a pinch

Sabzi masala-1 tsp

Green cardamom: 1 pieces

Bay leaf: 1 pieces

Cloves: 3-4 pieces

Cinnamon stick: 1 small

Sabut Jeera:1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli for garnishing

Salt

Method:

Boil the tender jackfruit pieces till it’s cooked through and easy to mash. Do not overcook the jackfruit as it will be mushy and tasteless. Drain the water and mash all the ingredients for the koftas together. Gram flour (besan) is used for binding everything together so make sure the consistency is right. No single flavor should over power other essential aromas. Ration of everything should be apt to make the koftas succulent.

With moist hand make round dumplings out of the mixture and deep fry them on low flame till they turn golden. Set them aside to prepare the

For the korma gravy, heat 1 Table Spoon Mustard Oil and heat it. Add Whole spices to the hot oil and allow it to crackle. Now add the powder spices on low flame and continuously stir it so that it doesn’t get seared. When the rawness of spices disappears, add the chashewnut and kharbuza seeds paste and stir it over low flame. Add the fried onion paste till the raw smell is gone and oil separates, mix salt and hung yoghurt to the korma. Keep the flame low and add some water to give the korma a nice consistency. Keep on cooking on low flame till all the extra water dries up. Approx. 8-10 minutes. Mix in the chopped coriander leaves and add on the koftas softly to the gravy without turning or churning the dish. Switch of the flame after 5-8 minutes and let it cool. Sprinkle a half tea spoon of roasted garam masala powder and grated jaiphal(nutmeg) on top of the gravy for a nicer aroma.

Heat oil in a frying pan and add two dry red chilli and sauté it for few seconds to get rid of the rawness and to give it nice color.Now garnish the dish with the fried dry red chilli along with coriander leaves.

Tips:

·          

Always take raw white in color jack fruit.

·Use hung yogurt instead of normal yogurt  It gives a creamier consistency. It is also a healthier version.

"Veggie Mélange Kadhi” - My comeback Recipe

After a long gap, Back again into blogging world to reinstate my passion for cooking

After nine (9) months of long gap (sounds like a gestation period) with too much of tough and unavoidable reasons, circumstances, here I’m back again into my passion ‘Blogging world’.  Lots of interesting events have occurred within these 9 months.  

In a very brief period of time, many things have transpired around me. Although busy in my own world and not being able to blog, silently I was closely observing all the forces of evolution in my periphery with utmost consciousness and presence of mind and continued my passion of cooking for myself and for the happiness of my loved ones around me.

At last, I am happy to return back to do my basics, i.e.  Cooking for the sheer happiness of love for food and spreading it around….

I have been thinking what will be the best dish that I can work as my comeback recipe…well nothing special but as all of you know the essence of my cooking is simple but yet innovative healthy formula…

I am going to share the quickest and the simplest yet tasty dish that you can churn out is “Veggie Mélange Kadhi”

Don’t get skeptical by the name. You know the little “Fashionista” always looking for ways to do something stylish… It’s just in the name and not at all complicated :)

Ingredients

1.     A bowl full of seasonal vegetables (I have taken Cauliflower, Peas, Carrots and a tiny bit of turnip)

1.

2.     One cup finely chopped Onion

3.   Few Dry Red Chilly and few Curry leaves

4.   ½ inch finely chopped Ginger

5.   3 Big  pods of ginger finely chopped(if possible opt for the Chinese ginger for better aroma)

6.    1 liter of homemade butter milk (I usually use the butter milk churned during the process of making clarified butter at home). It usually light and tastes better than the usual yoghurt.

7.    Half teaspoon of panch foron(five seed spice).

8.    pinch of Asafetida.

9.   1 Table spoon of Gram flour.

10. Half tea spoon Turmeric .

11. Salt to taste.

12. Ghee (clarified Butter) as a cooking medium. I have specially used ghee in this because it gives a very good aroma…

Method

1.     Slightly parboil the veggies (with little salt in it) to speed up the cooking process. Don’t overcook it as we have to retain the original color of the veggies.

2.   Heat a Kadhai and pour a little amount of clarified butter and throw in the dry red chilli, curry leaves and panch phoron(Bengali 5-Spice). Let it splutter and then add chopped garlic, ginger and onion. Fry them till they turn golden.

3.   Add in the veggies with turmeric, salt and ½ tsp chilli powder.Saute them till they turn slightly burn but don’t overcook them. We have to retain the crunchiness of the veggies.

1.     Meanwhile take a bowl and mix the butter milk, gram flour and a pinch of asafetida and whisk it well to get rid of any lump. It will taste better if you can make the mixture as light as possible. You will have to add half cup water to balance the consistency. Add salt as per your taste to the mixture and blend it well and leave it to rest for a while.

2.   In a separate frying pan, take 1/s tsp of clarified butter and add two broken dry red chilli along with ½ tsp of panch phoron. Once it starts crackling, add in the buttermilk mixture.

1.     Let it boil on high flame for 10 minutes and keep stirring it randomly so that it doesn't stick to the sides.

2.   You will see bubbles on top once it gets boiled properly and the kadhi will turn thick.

3.   If the kadhi looks too thick than you can add little water to balance the consistency.

4.    Let it simmer on low flame for 15-20 minutes before finally transferring the veggies into the pan and mixing all the ingredients together to give the final look for the “Veggie mélange kadhi”.

10. Add salt as per your taste and remember that we have added salt to the buttermilk mixture also, so be careful… Now it is ready to be served…

Needless to say, it goes best with steamed rice or jeera rice..