Bhinda Ni Kadhi
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.
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:
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200g Okra/Bhindi - cut into 1 inch pieces
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2 tbsp chickpea flour/Besan
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2 cups yogurt
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1/2 tsp turmeric powder
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1 tsp grated ginger
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1 stick Dalchini/cinnamon
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2 cloves/Laung
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1 tsp mustard seeds
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1 tsp cumin seeds
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A generous pinch of Hing
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A few curry leaves
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3-4 broken red chillies
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2 tsp sugar
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Salt as per taste
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2 tbsp cooking oil
Method:
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In a large bowl, whisk together chickpea flour & yogurt such that no lumps are formed
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Meanwhile. in a skillet heat some oil & fry okra until it gets soft & set aside.
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In the same skillet, add some more oil, splutter mustard & cumin seeds, add hing, cinnamon sticks, cloves, grated ginger, curry leaves & red chillies.
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To this, add the chickpea flour-yogurt mixture & about 2 cups of water & mix well
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Add turmeric, sugar & salt. Stir continuously & bring it to a boil
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Add some more water if the mixture is too thick
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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 !!
South Indies: Dry Cabbage Curry/Palya
Palya is a vegetable/ mixed vegetable stir fry typically served as a side dish with anna-saaru or chapatis, in most kannada households.
Cabbage makes way into my kitchen very often because, whenever I send my husband to buy vegetables, he comes back holding a large head of cabbage. Not that cabbage is his favorite, its just that he really finds it convenient to buy them. He wouldn’t really need to test it for its tenderness. Just pick it up, weigh it, pay for it, & he’s done with vegetable shopping.
So I find myself making this palya quite aften as accompaniment with some simple anna-saaru. And, it sure does make an awesome comination with saaru. Simple & homely food that is.
You Will Need:
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2 cups cabbage - finely shredded
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1/2 cup grated fresh coconut ( Optional )
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2 tsp mustard seeds
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2 tsp cumin seeds
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A handful of curry leaves
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4- 5 green chillies - chopped finely
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1 tsp urad dal
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1 tsp chana dal
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1/2 tsp turmeric powder
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2 tsp cooking oil
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Salt as per taste
Method:
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In a heavy bottomed pan, cook shredded cabbage with about 1 cup of water. Add turmeric powder & a little bit of salt while cooking. Cover with a pan, & cook on medium flame, till the cabbage is soft. Add more water if the water has already dried up. But DO NOT add too much water as cabbage leaves additional water while cooking.
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Or simply, cook cabbage in the microwave. gets done pretty quickly.
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Once the cabbage is cooked yet crunchy, Add grated coconut. Temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chana dal & urad dal.
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Check for salt, Mix well
Serve HOT with steamed rice/chapatis .. Enjoi !!!
NOTE: You can even do without adding grated coconut. If you do not like the taste of coconut, or if you are calorie counting, give it a miss. It will taste as great.
Spicy Bell Pepper & Tomato Rice
I heart Bell Peppers. All colors. I tend to include them practically in anything. From South Indian cuisine, to North Indian to Italian to Mexican. I can eat them raw, steamed, roasted, smoked .Yep, Bell peppers & I share a very loving relationship.
But Shankar, isn’t exactly fond of these beauties. You give him anything that has diced bell pepper, & he painstackingly discards them. Anyways, that doesn’t stop me from cooking bell peppers ..
You Will Need:
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1 cup Basmati Rice
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1 cup bell peppers - diced ( All colors - Red, Green, Yellow & Orange )
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1/2 cup Green Peas - fresh/frozen
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2 small onions - chopped finely
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2 large tomatoes - chopped
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1 tsp turmeric
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1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
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1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
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1/2 tsp Garam Masala
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1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala
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1 tsp whole Garam Masala
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Salt as per taste
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Juice of half a lemon ( optional )
Method:
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Clean Basmati Rice in several changes of water. Drain & set aside for about 15 mins. Heat a tsp of desi ghee in a pan, Roast the rice for a couple of minutes. Pressure cook the rice with 1 1/2 cups of water. Once done, set aside & let it cool completely.
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In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee/oil. Splutter whoe Garam Masala. Add ginger-garlic paste.
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Saute onions till they turn pink. Add diced bell peppers, turmeric & red chilli powder & saute for about 5 mins. Add chopped tomatoes, Green peas & saute until the tomatoes are completely cooked & bell peppers are cooked yet form.
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Mix in Rice, Garam Masala, Kitchen King Masala, Salt & give a gentle mix without breaking the rice.
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Turn off the stove, add lemon juice & transfer to a bowl
Serve HOT with some onion-cucumber Raita. Enjoi !!!
I love this mainly because it has bell peppers in it. They give a nice twist to the otherwise plain tomato rice. Make this for your guests, if you are bored of Pulaos & Biryanis. Your guests will love it too.
Aloo Bhindi aur Gobi ki Subzi
Have you ever thrown some ingredients together & made a good recipe? Somehow, these ’throw it together, no effort meals’ always taste great, don’t they?
I made this curry from the odds & ends in the fridge. I am a huge fan of aloo bhindi & aloo gobi so this couldn’t have been anything less than, super yummy.
You Will Need:
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2 large potatoes - diced
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1 cup cauliflower florets
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1 cup okra/ladies finger - chopped into 1′ pieces
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A handful of green peas - fresh/frozen
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1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
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1/2 tsp turmeric
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1/2 tsp Garam Masala
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Salt as per taste
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2 tbsp cooking oil
Method:
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Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan/Kadhai, add okra & saute till half done,
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To this, add potatoes, cauliflower florets, green peas, turmeric, salt & red chilli powder & mix well
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Cover with a lid & let it cook on medium flame. Keep checking in between to avoid the bottom from getting burnt. You may require an additional tsp of oil at this time.
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The vegetables must be completely cooked yet firm.
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Check ofr salt. Transfer to a serving bowl. Enjoi with rice or rotis.
I threw in whatever I had. You could even add some chopped onions & tomatoes for a jucier version of the curry.
How about giving your leftover aloo bhindi or aloo gobi a new tiwst?
So tell me what are your ‘throw it together, no effort, favorite meals’ like?
South Indies: Kokum Saar
I wasn’t very familiar with dishes made out of kokum before my wedding. I wasn’t aware of anything beyond Kokum Sherbet. After my wedding, Shankar’s grandmom introduced me to a variety of kokum dishes.
Kokum Saar is one such dish I really fell in love it. If you are aware of the many health benefits that kokum has to offer, I am sure this would be on your menu.
I love this saar mainly because its very light. If you’ve had a heavy lunch/dinnernat your favorite restaurant, then this is perfect for you.
You Will Need:
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8 - 10 dried kokum
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3 1/2 - 4 cups of water
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1 1/2 tsp grated jaggery
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3 dry red chillies
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A sprig of curry leaves
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1 tsp mustard seeds
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1 tsp desi ghee
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Salt as per taste
How To:
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Soak dried kokum in warm water for about 30 minutes. Extract juice & discard dry skin
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In a heavy bottomed vessel, add kokum extract, 3 -4 cups of water & bring to a boil.
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To this, add grated jaggery & salt as per taste. If the saar turns out too strong or is tangy, add more water.Bring it to a rolling boil & turn off the gas.
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Temper with mustard seeds, red chillies & curry leaves.
Serve HOT with rice or if you prefer to gulp it down, even better .. Enjoi !!
I love this with plain steamed rice. If I’ve had a heavy meal, then this is usually my lunch the next day. Makes me feel light …
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