Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Click the above picture to have an enlarged version

Well first off I would like to say that the above picture is not the best photograph I have ever taken but I can assure the taste is 100% real and no joking about it.

This is one of my creations which turned out real good for the very first time.Well there is always more room for growth.May be the next time I can add a few or subtract a few.We had this side dish with bread yesterday and it was a real good combination. And today Iam gonna make chappathis to go with it.And tomorrow may be dosa if there is any left over from today. Sometimes its really hard to come up with a dish for dinner. I have to think real hard to squeeze something out of my brain. I open the fridge and stare at it twice, once when there are veggies and the once when there are no veggies AT ALL.The latter stare is an angry one and the former being a very happy one knowing that there are tonnes of veggies and I can come up with something new.

I somehow like the idea of vegetable and coconut milk together.It gives a total new definition to the otherwise plain and boring raw vegetables.So I thought why not make something interesting, something creative and something healthy and Wallah!!!!! I came up with this simple and unsophisticated dish.



Ingredients

Vegetables- potatoes(2 med),carrots(1 big),beans(12),
cauliflower(7 med florets), butter beans(1/2 cup), peas-1/2 cup
onion - 1 big(finely cut)
tomato - 3 med(blanched and pureed)
coconut milk - 1 tin(any brand from the Indian grocery stores)
seasonings- mustard,cumin,cardamom(1),cinnamon(1/2 inch)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
salt & pepper - to taste
oil or ghee- enough for frying

Method

1. Boil veggies in a separate vessel and keep ready.
2. In a kadai heat some oil add mustard seeds and once they pop add crushed cumin seeds and let them crackle.Now add cardamom and cinnamon and fry just about a min.
3. Now add onions and fry till dark brown.
4. Add turmeric powder and dhania powder and fry again for 2 to 3 min.
5. Now add the blanched tomatoes and fry nicely till all the oil separates and comes out.
6. Now add the boiled veggies and give a stir.
7. Reduce the flame to medium.
8. Add the coconut milk and mix properly.
9. Add salt and lots of pepper as there is no heat at all.
10. Let the veggies and the milk simmer for 15 to 20 min until it forms a thick and bubbly stew.Stir in between so that the milk does not burn.
11. Finally garnish with coriander leaves.
12. Serve with dosa/chappathis/puris/bread.

Note: This is a mild version which I ended up with but the next time I may add some g.chillies to enhance the heat and add few cloves of garlic too.

I would like to contribute this recipe to ARF/5 a day Tuesday.

Green Plantain Curry

Green Plantains are native to India.They are longer and have thicker skin than bananas.They are used as a vegetable in many cuisines.Plantain is relatively high in calories at 125 per cup. It is an excellent source of potassium, a good source of vitamin C, contains no cholesterol and is low in sodium.

Green plantains, which are very hard and starchy, have little banana flavor and no sweetness. They are generally cooked in the same ways as potatoes. They may be boiled or fried . Yellow-ripe plantains are more tender but can be used in these same ways, and will have a creamier texture. They can also be mashed, grilled or baked. Black-ripe plantains are also delicious prepared in any of these methods but have a sweeter flavor and a banana aroma.
(Source:http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/fcs/FlaFoodFare/Plantain.htm)

Ingredients

Green Plantain-1 diced into small cubes
tamarind juice - from big lemon sized tamarind
r.chilli powder- 1 tsp
turmeric powder- 1 tsp
jaggery- 1 tblsp
sambhar powder- 1 tsp(any kind)
salt-to taste
Seasoning
mustard
hing
cumin-1/2 tsp
bengal gram dhal - 2 tsp
urad dhal- 2 tsp
curryleaves-(1 to 2 sprigs),
g.chilli-(2) round slices

Method

1. Prepare tamarind extract from big lemon sized tamarind and mix with water to about 2 qts ie 8 cups
2. Now take tamarind juice and mix with all dry ingredients except the seasonings.
3. Now boil the plantain cubes in the tamarind juice until soft.
4. In a separate saute pan temper the seasonings one by one and keep ready.
5. Once the plantains are pretty soft add them to the seasoning and just roast them for another 5 to 7 min.
6. If the plantains dont have any taste to them try adding little more of sambhar powder in the end.
7. Finally garnish with coriander and serve with rice and dhal.

Celebrating Valentine's Day with Soji Appam

Today Iam celebrating Valentine's Day with one of my husband's favorite sweet namely Soji Appam.Both my husband and I have a sweet tooth.But as a health factor we try to avoid sweets as much as possible.....Well this time Iam pardoning myself for making this sweet.....It just feels really nice to sit back and enjoy your favorite sweets once in a while.......So here goes the wonderful recipe for my Soji appam.Well I have given more pictures than usual to help understand the recipe.

Well for people who are wondering what Soji Appam is , it can be literally translated to'Rava Pancake'. This pancake mix is made from maida which is available in the Indian grocery stores.This sweet has two parts, one is the stuffing part and the other is the pancake mix which we call the 'Sariga'.Ok here goes the recipe...

Ingredients

For the stuffing

Rava- 1/2 cup
sugar-1/2 cup
coconut -1 cup(frozen or fresh)
whole milk - 1 cup

For the sariga

maida - 1/2 cup
oil - 4 tblsp
salt - a pinch




Method

1. Add the salt in the maida and mix properly. Add water to make a slimy kind of dough that flows like a waterfall when released from your hand.
2. Now add 2 tblsp of oil and knead nicely.
3. Add another 2 tblsp of oil and knead again.
4. Close the bowl and keep it covered for 30 min atleast.
5. As for the stuffing combine the rava,sugar,coconut and whole milk and keep it on medium flame and keep stirring till rava is cooked and comes to halwa consistency.
6. Well the stuffing is ready if you can take the stuffing in hand and if you are able to make it into a ball without that much stickiness.
7. Now switch off the stove and let it cool for few min.
8. Make balls and keep them ready.
9. Now roll the balls in the sariga and pat them on a plastic sheet and fry them each side on a pan with 1/4 tsp of oil for each side until golden brown.
10. Thus place them in a box and store it in the fridge for a maximum period of 1 week.

Recipe Source: A handover recipe from my grandma.


Well I contribute the above recipe to Meena's Hooked on Heat celebrating Valentine's Day with all love and pure delight.....

Happy Valentine's Day !!!!!

On behalf of Taste Corner I wish all

food lovers
Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!

Brinjal Curry(Kathrika Rasavaangi)

Hello Friends..Iam back with yet another appetizing brinjal recipe.Well this is one of the recipe I picked up from Priya's Sugar and Spice.To begin with this is a great mouth-watering recipe which I definitely wanted to try as soon as I saw in Priya's blog and the result is really great.My husband and I emptied almost everything just about a little left for him to take office the next day.Well the curry has a very rich and deep blend of spices that gives the curry its flavor,its aroma and adds every bit of wonderful taste to the curry.Thanks Priya for posting this flavorful recipe!!

OK friends so here goes the recipe......

Ingredients
Brinjal chopped medium -3
Toor dal- 1/2 cup
Pitlai powder-1 1/2 tsps
Tamarind juice- medium lemon sized
Turmeric powder- 1/4tsp
Salt to taste

Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil -little bit

Pitlai Powder
Coriander seeds- 3 tbsps
Chana dal-1 tbsp
Red chillies- 2 to 3
Asafoetida-4 to 5 pinch's
Grated coconut ( fresh) - 2 tbsps
Oil-1/2 tsp

Method

1. Chop 3 brinjals into squares and microwave(enough water just to cover brinjals) for 5 min along with salt and turmeric powder.
2. Soak toor dhal in hot water for 15 min and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
3. Pitlai Powder Preparation: In a pan heat oil and add asafoetida and after few seconds add red chilli, coriander seeds, chana dal and saute till light brown and then finally add grated coconut and roast till golden brown and grind them coarsely in a mixie .
4. In a small pan temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and keep aside.
5. Now combine the cooked dhal, tamarind juice,cooked veggies, pitlai powder, salt and the seasoning in a microwaveable bowl.
6. Now microwave the contens for about 3 min.Stir the contents once and microwave for another 4 min.
7. Garnish with coriander and serve along with rice and papads.
8. YUuuummMy!!! is all I got to say!!

Palak Chappathi

'Palak' meaning Spinach is a green leafy vegetable is a very rich source of iron.It is exceptionally rich in carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lutein, and also contains quercetin, a phytochemical with antioxidant properties. Spinach is rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly folate (folic acid), vitamin K, magnesium, and manganese; it also contains more protein than most vegetables. (Although the protein is incomplete--spinach and other leafy green vegetables are low in the amino acid methionine--it is complemented by the protein in rice and other grains.) Raw spinach is a healthy addition to salads, but to get the full benefit from this leafy green, eat it cooked at least some of the time. Cooking makes the antioxidant carotenoids responsible for much of spinach's nutritional potency easier for the body to absorb.
(Source:http://www.wholehealthmd.com).Please readers have a look at this website for more additional facts about spinach...

Well here goes the recipe for one of my favorite chappathi....

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour- 2 cups
Palak - 4 cups
cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
g.chillies-3
turmeric pdr-1/2 tsp
dhania pdr-1/2 tsp
red chilli pdr - 1/2 tsp
garam masala pdr-1/2 tsp
salt - to taste
oil - dough+ frying

Method

1. Chop palak finely.
2. Heat oil and saute cumin seeds,green chillies and chopped palak by adding just very little water and the palak will shrink down in no time and will become soft.
3. Once the palak cools down grind it to a smooth paste with enough water(the mixture should not be too watery or too firm)
4. Now for the dry ingredients mix the flour,the powders, salt and just mix it completely.
5. Now combine the palak paste with the flour and knead to a smooth dough adding more water for mixing.After making into a smooth dough smear oil(a spoonful) all over the dough to prevent drying up.
6. Keep closed for atleast an hour for the dough to rise.
7. Now make chappathis and serve them with your favorite dhal , curry , salad, or sprinkle some sugar ; roll it up and gobble it as I do sometimes.

(Source: Recipe from "Tiffin Varieties from Mrs.S.Mallika Badrinath")

Vaangi Baath Made Simple(MTR Special)

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup cooked
turmeric pdr-1/2 tsp
MTR vaangi baath pdr- 3 tsps
oil-5 tsps
onion-1/2 big (cut into small squares)
peas - 1/2 cup cooked
g.chilli-2
r.chilli-1
seasoning-mustard,bengal gram,black gram,curry leaves
coriander leaves-for garnish
Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon

Method

1. Cook rice separately.It should be flowery in texture.
2. Spread the rice in a big bowl. Add 2 tsps of oil, 1/4 tsp of turmeric pdr and stir lightly with a fork so that steam escapes almost completely.
3. In a saute pan heat the rest of the oil and fry seasonings one by one in the given order to a golden brown.
4. Add onions.Saute for a min or two and add g.chilli and r.chilli.
5. Now saute till onions r just transluscent.Do not over-saute as you wont taste the onions while eating the rice.Now add peas and saute for another 2 min.
6. Add vangi baath powder and saute for 2 to 3 min in medheat.
7. Combine the sauteed ingredients with rice.Ofcourse add salt.
8. Add lemon juice to give tanginess and mix again.Check for taste and thus a simple dish is ready in less than 30-35 min.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:While sauteeing onions you can add cut brinjals to give more of an authentic taste but since my fridge was dry i made this baath a very simple version from the regular one. Add cashewnuts and peanuts to give more crunch.

Yummy Carrot Kheer(Bawarchi Contribution)

Ingredients

Carrots - 5 medium peeled and sliced lengthwise
Whole Milk - 2 cups(hot)
Sugar - 1/2 cup heaped
Cardamom Powder - 4 pcs powdered fine
Saffron - few strands
Ghee - 2 tblsp

Method
Boil peeled and sliced carrots in the microwave until soft say like 20 min. Once cooled grind the carrots to a smooth paste which should come to a heaped 1 cup paste.Now heat ghee and when quite hot add the paste , cardamom powder and cook the paste until raw smell disappears.Now mix the sugar and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.Its time to add the hot milk and stir it to integrate the mixture nicely and for more flavor and color add few strands of saffron and let the whole thing boil for 10 to 12 min until a thick consistency is obtained.Garnish with almonds and serve it hot or cold!!Yumm!!

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