Bhinda Ni Kadhi

May 4, 2010 · By Deepthi Shankar · Filed Under Gravy, Lunch/Dinner, Side Dishes · Comment 

have never been to Gujarat, But I think, it must be a Food Paradise. I love love Gujju Food The Dhoklas, Khakhras, Theplas, Handvo, Khandvi … I just can’t get enough of them. I had quite a few gujju friends in Mumbai, & as a South Indian, I was quite amazed to see the amount of farsans each Gujju household stocked.

Bhinda Ni Kadhi

I often did lunch at a Gujju friend’s house, & her mom made this yummy kadhi with okra. Many years later, I had this sudden urge to eat Bhindi /Okra kadhi. This was my lunch yesterday.

You Will Need:

  • 200g Okra/Bhindi - cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp chickpea flour/Besan
  • 2 cups yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 stick Dalchini/cinnamon
  • 2 cloves/Laung
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • A generous pinch of Hing
  • A few curry leaves
  • 3-4 broken red chillies
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • Salt as per taste
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together chickpea flour & yogurt such that no lumps are formed
  • Meanwhile. in a skillet heat some oil & fry okra until it gets soft & set aside.
  • In the same skillet, add some more oil, splutter mustard & cumin seeds, add hing, cinnamon sticks, cloves, grated ginger, curry leaves & red chillies.
  • To this, add the chickpea flour-yogurt mixture & about 2 cups of water & mix well
  • Add turmeric, sugar & salt. Stir continuously & bring it to a boil
  • Add some more water if the mixture is too thick
  • Add cooked okra & simmer for about 15 minutes

Serve HOT with Khichdi or plain steamed Rice. Enjoi !!!

NOTE: The apparent difference between & Punjabi Kadhi & its Gujarati counterpart is the addition of Pakodis. Also, Gujarati kadhi is on the runnier side & is slightly sweeter in taste because of sugar, You can add more sugar of you wish, I just struck to adding a couple of tsps as we aren’t that fond of sweets.

We ate this with Rice, But it tastes best when teamed with arhar dal ki Khichdi. Remember to serve this with a Dollop of Ghee !!

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Majjige Huli - Ash Gourd in Buttermilk Stew

April 23, 2009 · By Deepthi Shankar · Filed Under Gravy, Lunch/Dinner, Side Dishes · Comment 

This afternoon at lunch, I was just contemplating, how the simplest stuff is sometimes the best and so darn, finger-lickin’ good without anything exotic. One of the many ways of enjoying a simple meal is eating rice with a simple yellow colored, tangy yogurt based gravy- Majjige Huli.

 Its such a lovely dish to look at. A pale shade of yellow, vegetables cut into large chunks & dunked in a creamy buttermilk-coconut sauce. The tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves & red chillies add a lovely dash of color.

 

Summer has crept on us & on such Hot summer days, we immensely enjoy Majjige Huli with steamed rice. It has an amazing cooling effect on your body & it really brings out the flavor of vegetables.

Ash Gourd really blends well with the gravy & this is truly one of the best ways to use up Ash Gourd.This is comfort food in one of the most simplest forms.

You Will Need:

  • 400g Ash Gourd - cut into large chunks
  • 2 cups Yogurt - Slightly sour or a day old yogurt will work wonders
  • Salt as per taste

To Grind:

  • 3 tbsp grated coconut - fresh/frozen
  • 2 tbsp chana dal - soaked in water for 30 mins
  • 10 green chillies - medium spiced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • A small piece of ginger
  • A handful of chopped cilantro
To Temper:
  • 2 dry red chillies - broken
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • A few curry leaves
  • 1 tsp desi ghee/clarified butter
Method:
  • Cook Ash Gourd chunks with a pinch of salt in about 3 cups of water until completely cooked yet firm
  • Grind all the ingredients mentioned in the list into a smooth paste using little water
  • Add the ground paste to the cooked vegetables & bring the mixture to a boil
  • Add yogurt & salt as per taste & let it simmer on low flame for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
  • Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves & red chili
Serve with HOT steamed rice. Enjoi !!!
NOTE:
  • If the yogurt is not sour enough, add about 2 tbsp of tamarind juice
  • You could also use cucumber, okra, spinach instead of ash gourd for a different taste.

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Radish Raita - Summer Cooler

March 12, 2009 · By Deepthi Shankar · Filed Under Gravy, Side Dishes · Comment 

Summer has begun in our part of the world. I detest summer as much as I detest cockroaches, ( such a silly comparison :P ) . . I know a lot of people who love this season for the sunshine it brings on, But I have been the types who has always enjoyed winters, rainy days & pleseant weathers . .

While I already see the tempratures soaring, I look forward to eating something light & comforting for lunch. This raita is something that we make frequently during summers & it does have a cooling effect on your body. And, this is sure to surprise all ‘Radish-Haters’ & a few like me who love this yucky-smelling vegetable, this recipe is for keeps ..

 

You Will Need:

  • 1 colored radish - grated
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 2 tbsp grated coconut - fresh/frozen
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 -3 green chillies
  • 1 broken red chilli
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 4 - 5 curry leaves
  • Salt as per taste
  • 2 tsp desi ghee

How To:

  • Heat 1 tsp ghee in a small wok & saute grated radish till the raw smell disappears. This takes about 2-3 minutes. DO NOT cook completely. See to it that radish retains its crunch
  • Grind together green chillies, cumin seeds & grated coconut with very little water into a smooth paste.
  • Beat yogurt with salt, mix in sauteed radish, ground paste. adjust salt as per taste
  • Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves & broken red chilli

Serve with HOT steamed rice .. Enjoi !!!

We had ours with some Tomato Saaru, Rice & spiced buttermilk for a complete meal.

NOTE:

  • You could even use raw grated radish in this. But those of you who dislike the taste of raw raidsh, make sure you saute it before you proceed with the recipe.
  • You could use daikon radish too. But, red radish is much milder in taste
  • Enjoy as a Cold Soup too

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Moroccan Chickpea Stew

February 28, 2009 · By Deepthi Shankar · Filed Under Gravy, Lunch/Dinner, Side Dishes · Comment 
I didn’t know any other way of using up chickpeas other than making Channa Masala & other versions of the same, until I found this recipe that I have for you today.

 

Yes, its Moroccan Chickpea Stew this time, from my kitchen. I had really never ventured into Moroccan cuisine. After doing a little research on what Moroccan cuisine is all about, Iam more than happy to include it in my ever- growing palette for, I found a lot of vegetarian recipes out there.

 

Moroccan cuisine is diverse & exotic, thanks to the long history of invasions which has contributed to the diversity of food traditions. It carries distinct tastes from the north, south but, most significantly from the East ..

 

 
This particular stew is not only enriched with proteins, but also had the goodness of various veggies & is rather filling & soothing on your stomach. It is rather easy to put this together, if you have all the veggies at hand.

 

This is how I made it:

 

You Will Need:
  • 1 cup chickpeas - soaked overnight or for 5-6 hours ( you could use canned as well )
  • 1 onion - finely chopped
  • 3 tomatoes - chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper - finely diced
  • 1 zucchini - finely diced
  • 1 carrot - finrly diced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp Harissa Paste
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt as per taste

Method:

  • Pressure cook chickpeas until cooked
  • Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add ginger, turmeric, & saute for 20 secs
  • Add onions & saute till they turn transparent. Add chopped tomatoes & saute for another couple of minutes
  • Add diced carrots & cook for a couple of minutes adding 1/2 cup water
  • Add bell pepper & zucchini & add another cup of water, cover with a lid & cook on medium flame until the vegetables are cooked but are crunchy as well
  • Add cooked chickpeas & stir in 2 tbsp Harissa paste & cook on low flame for 5 minutes. Add salt as per taste.
  • Sprinkle dried thyme & serve HOT with any bread of your choice

Can be enjoyed as a soup or can be served with steamed HOT rice.

Enjoi !!!

For Harissa Paste:

You Will Need:

  • 3 red chillies
  • 2 cloved of garlic - minced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt

How To:

  • Soak 3 red chillies for about 2 hours in water
  • Blend together, soaked red chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, 2 cloves of garlic & salt with 1 tbsp oilve oil in a food processor into a smooth paste.

NOTE: You can make large quantities of this paste & freeze it in an air-tight container.

We had ours with some garlic bread & immensly enjoyed it. I was taken by surprise, watching my ‘picky-eater’ husband relish this. And, he didn’t seem to mind taking more than 2 helpings :) So, this has got to be really really tasty. So, I am gonna make this again.

What I really liked about this stew is that these spices so common in our Indian kitchen are put together so beautifully that it perfectly fits into the comfort food category. This one is sure to lift your spirits on a dull day.

Enjoy your bowl today !!!

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Drumstick Sambar

January 21, 2009 · By Deepthi Shankar · Filed Under Gravy, Lunch/Dinner · Comment 
Hailing from the south, our food preferances are predominantly South Indian. Even though our palate has expanded to different cuisines across the world, Its mostly South Indian food we crave for, everyday. I think that’s the best part about foods that you grow up with. You will always tend to associate & find comfort in them.

 

 While I crave for Rasam, my husband is more of Sambar person. He loves his veggies. Once such sambar that we have grown fond of & make quite often is, Drumstick Sambar along with sauteed onions & tomatoes. This sambar is slightly spicier than the regular ones & takes a little more effort at your end But, its well worth the effort.

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • Toor Dal/Split pigeon peas - A little shy of half a cup
  • 1 large tomato - chopped
  • 3 large onions - chopped into big chunks / 10 - 12 pearl onions
  • 3 - 4 drumsticks - cut into 3 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup grated coconut - fresh/frozen
  • Juice of a lemon sized tamarind ball soaked in warm water
  • A pinch of turmeric
  • 2 tsp oil
  • A small piece of jaggery
  • 1 tsp Dhalia/Roasted Gram/Hurigadale (optional)
  • Salt as per taste

To Roast & Grind:

  • 6 - 8 Byadagi chillies
  • 2 tsp Urad dal
  • 1 tsp Channa dal
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • A small stick of cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 3 - 4 pepper corns
  • 2 green cardamoms

To Temper:

  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • A few curry leaves
  • 2 Byadagi chillies (optioal)

Method:

  • Pressure cook Toor dal along with chopped tomatoes with a pinch of turmeric
  • Heat a small pan, & roast the ingredients mentioned in the list with a tsp of oil
  • Gring the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut & Dalia into a smooth paste along with little water
  • Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds & curry leaves, when they splutter, add the onions & saute until the onions turn transparent, add chopped drumsticks & add enough water for the vegetables to cook. Cover the pan with a lid
  • When the vegetables are fully cooked, add cooked toor dal & tomatoes & the ground Sambar paste.
  • Add a small piece of jaggery, Tamarind juice & salt to taste. Add some water, if necessary to get the desired consistency of a sambar
  • Bring it to a boil & turn off the stove.
  • Temper with mustard seeds & red chillies & transfer to a bowl.

Serve HOT with Rice/Idli/Dosa .. Enjoi !!!

NOTE:

  • To make Dry Sambar powder, roast all the ingredients mentioned in the list. Add roasted desicated coconut & powdered Dalia to this mixture & store in air-tight jars. Just add about 3 tsp of this powder to cooked vegetables & lentils & bring it to a boil. The sambar will thicken as you boil. This saves quite a bit of your time.
  • Add copped Brinjal/Eggplant for enhanced flavors

This Sambar is soo full of flavors & is Shankar’s absolute favorite. This makes its way on our menu quite often. We immensely enjoyed this with HOT steamed Rice.

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