Potato and Mushroom Curry (For rice or Roti)

I never wished for a summer this hot to burn you when you are out even for a minute :(
temperature here reached as high as 105 Degree F last week and more expected in the coming months.
Though I like to have Non vegetarian dishes always, this time of the year is when we'll need to avoid rich, spicy, non vegetarian foods and concentrate on making food cooling and simple as much possible, especially for those who are out in the sun during day time.
Drinking lot of water, fruit juices, coconut water, including yogurt once in a day, having at least 1 fruit daily (Watermelon, Grapes and other fruits with lots of fluids in it)  and including herbs like mint  and other cooling vegetables like Cucumber regularly are ways to keep our body cool.

I felt guilty when I had chicken continuously for 2-3 days last week so decided to go vegetarian at least for few days, though its not an easy task to keep my family happy with the same.

This is a simple and tasty potato curry, recipe is typical way of making potato curry for rice in Kerala, I just included mushroom to make it extra nutritious,if you dislike mushrooms may avoid the same and make it even simpler :)
Used Button mushrooms here, as these are good source of Vitamins and Minerals, benefited only if they aren't overcooked, hence care should be taken while cleaning and cooking the same, a quick rinse under running water then patting'em dry using kitchen towel or tissue is the best way to clean them, as the more it gets exposed to water, more nutrients (B vitamins) gets drained away, also slicing the same just before cooking them keeps its nutrients intact.

Ingredients 

Potatoes - 3 no's cut in to small size pieces.
Button mushrooms - 5-8 numbers ( cleaned and sliced as written above)
Onion - 1 small , sliced
Tomato - 1/2 of 1 whole tomatoes thinly sliced
Ginger & Garlic - 1 tsp finely chopped
Green Chili's - 2 no's slit
Fennel Seeds/Perumjeerakam - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut Milk -(Thick) 1/2 cup
Oil - (Coconut oil or any Vegetable Oil) 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 1 or 2 springs (Optional, I didn't use)

Method 

* Boil and cook potato pieces until cooked nicely, keep aside.

*Heat oil in a pan(Cheena chatti) , add first fennel seeds first , followed by ginger,garlic, onion and tomato pieces & Curry leaves (if using). Saute till the oils starts to separate.

* Add the powders (Coriander powder, Turmeric powder and Red chili powder) , cook for a minute and add sliced mushrooms(slice them just before adding it for cooking)

* Saute for 2 minutes in medium heat, until the mushrooms starts to sweat and release water.

* Add the cooked potato pieces along with the water in which it was cooked, add salt , stir and cook for another 5 minutes until the curry starts to boil and reduce.

* When the curry reaches the needed consistency (Thick or thin as you want it to be) add Coconut milk, stir and switch off the heat.

Enjoy potato and mushroom curry with plain rice,  Roti or any Bread.

Notes :
            Make this curry thick or thin, how ever you want it to be, if you like it thick boil the curry until very less water left before adding coconut milk.
            Coconut Milk is optional too, though it makes this dish rich and extra flavorful.
            This curry thickens a bit when it sits because of the potatoes in it.
            May omit Mushrooms and make these with potatoes alone 

Boiled Egg Sandwich (Indian Style)

I am attracted to the Roses seen everywhere here during this time,

standing heads-up in front of houses,welcoming guests with its charming smile...

can't wait to see my roses bloom...as its Summer 

Time for Mom's,  to do some extra multitasking , trying hard to keep their super energetic kids busy during the vacation. 

Very filling and nutritious sandwiches these are , easy to make too 

something worth to be in the list while you pack your food-basket for summer-picnic. 

Ingredients 

Bread (White or any Grain) - few slices 

Boiled Eggs - 1 or more (Depending on the number you want to make)

Green Chutney - Few Tbsp's (See recipe below)

Butter - Few Tsp's 

Tomatoes slices - few 

Onion rings - few (Optional, I didn't use)

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Recipe for Green Chutney with Coconut.

Coconut grated - 1/2 cup 

Green chili's - 1 or 2 no's (adjust as per your preference)

Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few springs(Use more or less as per your preference) 

Mint Leaves - few (Optional) 

Salt to taste 

Method for Green Chutney - Blend all ingredients to make a coarse paste (May sprinkle some water to make the blending easier)  

Note : The color of the chutney depends on the leaves, if you like the taste of cilantro/coriander leaves add more to make it look more green, this also makes the sandwich colorful. 

Assembling the Sandwich 

* Spread butter over one side of the bread slices & Spread Green chutney over it. 

                       

Wish I had more Cilantro to add in my Chutney,
would have looked more green then , making this sandwich look colorful :( 

* Place Egg slices over the chutney & Sprinkle salt & pepper. 

* Place Tomatoes (and Onion -if using) over the Egg slices.

   

* Cover this with another piece of Bread - spread with some butter on the inside. 

* Cut its ends off , slice to make desirable shapes and Serve. 

Notes 

            : Use any bread /Bun that you like , may toast the bread slices with some butter if you like. 

            : Use more Cilantro/Coriander leaves in the chutney to make it look more green, also makes the sandwich colorful. I didn't have much Cilantro to add  :( 

            : Add onion to give this sandwich some crunch, if you dislike the taste of raw onion, rinse the onion rings with some water after mixing it with little salt, drain'em nicely or else it will make the bread soggy. 

            : Health conscious ? Use the white part of the eggs alone  & enjoy it guilt free 

Cheers

TN

    

            

Soya Chunk Cutlets

A thought about thinking less

And another one 

I admire people who likes to keep silence,

I wish I could be like them 

:(

Have a very nutritious appetizer - recipe to share, though it can no way help me talk less ;) 

It definitely helps to keep our-self healthy and fit,  since Soy-chunks are packed with Protein and Fiber. 

Ingredients 

Soya Chunks - 3 cups (Approx) - soak in water for 1/2 an hour before using. 

Potatoes - 2 medium sized ( boiled and mashed.)

Onion - 1 medium (finely chopped)

Garlic - 5 to 7 no's (finely chopped )

Ginger - 2 tbsp (when crushed) 

Green chili's - 2 to 4 no's chopped (Adjust as per your preference)

Cilantro & Mint - 1/4 cup finely chopped (Optional- may not use if you don't like its flavor) 

Salt to taste 

Oil - 2 Tbsp 

Spice- Mix 

Garam Masala - 1 tsp 

Red chili powder or use Kashmiri Chili Powder - 2 Tsp (Adjust according to your preference) 

Coriander Powder - 2 Tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp 

Black Pepper crushed - 1/2 tsp 

For frying 

Bread Crumbs (or else use Rava/Semolina) - for coating 

Egg (or else Thick Butter milk) - for coating 

Oil - for frying.

Method 

* Soak Soya chunks in water for at least 1/2 an hour then cook the same with enough salt added to it, until it becomes tender, takes about 15 minutes, drain away the water and shred the chunks using a food processor or blender. Keep these aside. 

* Heat Oil in a pan , add finely chopped onion, garlic, ginger and green chili's , saute these till they start to turn brown.

* Add cooked, shredded chunks to it and stir nicely, cook in medium to high heat until any water in it evaporates. 

* Sprinkle all the spice mix to it, while you keep on stirring, add chopped cilantro, mashed potato & salt to taste , just before you switch off the heat. 

* Once the mixture is cooled, take about 2 tbsp of the mixture each to shape it (I made Oval shape)

* Dip each Cutlets in lightly beaten eggs / or thick Butter milk then coat'em with bread crumbs or Semolina/ Rava.

* May store these in  air tight containers, stays in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or else may freeze these. 

* Deep fry or shallow fry Soya chunk Cutlets.

 Serve hot with Ketchup and / or Onion Salad.

Cheers

TN

Click Link for similar Recipes in this blog.

Chicken Cutlets                                                                                 Vegetable Cutlets

               

              

Ragi Dosa Recipe / Fermented Ragi Dosa

In my memory first time I tried Ragi was in Bangalore when I started working,
though my Mom says she used to feed Ragi Porridge while I was a baby.
I do remember my younger brother with "Ragi Porridge" all over his face and everywhere around when fed with the same while he was a baby.

In Bangalore we used to share our food during lunch time in office and once my good friend and colleague who's from Karnataka promised us to bring lunch for the whole team, Food is going to be authentic she said and the particular dish "Ragi Mudde" other wise called Ragi Ball , she'll be bringing is a Kannada delicacy. " Ragi " being the largely grown crop in Karnataka.
she said it can be had with any Non - Veg curry like chicken or Mutton , but she'll bring Sambar with it as that's how vegetarians prefer it.
Excitement to taste an authentic dish and its interesting looks attracted me so much that I didn't wait for anybody's permission to dig in to it. Took my first " Bite "

Wait a minute did I say " Bite " OH NO.....

 It got pasted everywhere inside my mouth :(

not being able to open my mouth I didn't know how to react,
noticing my facial expressions like how a " Kathakali " artist does , she understood what I did and said its not supposed to be chewed , its just to be swallowed along with the curry.

OH BOY....
 Y didn't I wait for her instructions.

now you know why I say I am Impatient.

"Ragi Mudde" is a  store house of various nutrients,
no wonder the Former Prime Minister of India "Deve Gowda" urged for having the same prepared and shipped from Karnataka to the Capital,
but only thing is that you shouldn't chew it :)

Health Benefits of Ragi are wide, other than reducing Cholestrol and Blood Pressure
some of its nutritional benefits include reducing Anxiety & Stress as Ragi being a rich source of Antioxidants mainly Tryptophan & some Aminoacids - fights damage causing free radicals in the body hence reducing oxidative stress.
Ragi is an excellent plant source of Iron hence helps to reduce Anaemia due to low hemoglobin levels.
Also its highly recommended for Lactating mothers.

Only issue I have with Ragi was how to make it appealing as I didn't like its taste :(
though I very much want to have it because of its health benefits , tried mixing Ragi flour with Atta to make Chapathi , which is not a bad Idea then tried this recipe which is almost similar to the recipe they have in the Ragi Flour cover which they sell in the Indian store.

For People like me and many other who doesn't like the taste of Ragi , do try this recipe as its good for our health, lets make it a point to cook highly nutritional food stuffs at least once in a week, like Green leafs , Soya , organic vegetable salads , freshly squeezed organic fruit juices and high fibrous grains/flours like Ragi ,Oats ,Quinoa etc.

Here's is how I made Ragi Dosa , it was good , but should enjoy it while its hot.

Ingredients 

Ragi Flour - 3/4 cup (May use Whole Ragi instead)
Rice Flour (Fine) - 1/2 cup  (May use Idli Rice instead)
Split Urad Dal / Husked Black Gram - 3/4 cup
Cooked Rice (White or Brown) - a hand full (Little less than Half cup)
Fenugreek Seeds / Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 Tbsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1/4 to 1/2 cup(Approx , adjust as you need , try grinding with less water as possible , and add water just to make grinding easier)
Oil or Ghee - few drops for each Dosa's.

Method 

* Wash and soak Urad dal & Fenugreek seeds in water for 3 hour's  (split Urad dal doesn't need more than 3 hour's soaking time, if using whole Urad dal,  Idli rice instead of rice flour and whole Ragi - do increase the soaking time)

* Grind the soaked dal & Fenugreek along with Rice flour, Ragi flour and cooked rice , adding little water to it initially(add more water little at a time to make grinding easier) keep in a warm place to ferment for 6 to 8 hour's depending on the climate.

(I kept it overnight to ferment, during winter , its better to place it in your preheated to Warm - Oven to help ferment it better - make sure your oven is not too hot to cook the batter :)
or else boil water in a deep vessel , when it starts to boil ,switch off the heat ,cover with a lid and place this batter - bowl on top of the lid , keep it in a comparatively warm place to ferment)

* The next day add sugar and salt to taste ,  stir , pour a ladle full of batter over a heated Dosa pan , spread with a spoon , drizzle few drops of oil , flip when one side is done and cook the other side for a minute.

* Serve with any Chutney or Sambar.

A very healthy and  nutritious , equally tasty Ragi Dosa - ready to be served.

Ragi is recommended for weight watchers as it helps reduce and maintain your weight, high amount of fiber in Ragi combines with water, to keep your stomach fuller for longer period.

Its health benefits are so many that I am not able to conclude this post
:)

Cheers
TN

Saag - Palak Shorba / Healthy - Mustard Leaves & Spinach Soup

"Winter" has officially started and Yesterday we had the first snow in Salt Lake.
The most fascinating thing about winter is that the trees starts exposing, sheds the very last leaf which clings to its branches, while people start covering up as much possible as they can.
Besides the beauty of a snow covered scenery, I like many others dislike this season,
Gloomy as it looks :(

So I made some Green Shorba / Green Soup - Its a Punjabi style Soup with " Saag " / Mustard Leaves which people in Punjab makes during winter to keep body warm.

To be honest I loved this soup than the Sarson ka Saag curry that I made with Saag/ Mustard Leaves last winter.
Heard much about "Saag Shorba" in Bombay House Restaurant - here in Salt Lake City,
so thought to try shorba with Saag , as this recipe is usually made with Spinach/ and usually called Palak Shorba.
This is definitely a must try recipe if you live in a place where you have "Winter" season.

Ingredients 

Combination of leaves : 1/2 bunch of Mustard Leaves , 1/2 bunch of spinach , few springs of Cilantro & few springs of Mint leaves (May use only spinach or only mustard leaves for this)

Green Chili's or  Thai Pepper's - 4 to 7 no's (Use as per your preference) may use Black pepper / Pepper Powder too.

Ginger and Garlic - 1/2 tsp each crushed (Optional)

Corn Flour or All purpose Flour - 2 Tbsp

Tomatoes - 1 no's (Optional , may use Lemon juice for that sour taste instead)

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp & Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Onion - 1/2 medium finely chopped (Optional)

Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp (Optional)

Ghee / Butter or Vegetable Oil - 1 Tb Sp

Heavy Cream - 1/4 cup (more or less)

Salt to taste

Method 

* Cook tomatoes in boiling water (Line tomatoes with a sharp knife -this helps to remove its skin when cooked) , remove tomatoes from this water and keep aside to cool.(Remove the skin)


*  To the same boiling water (Used to cook tomato) , blanch all the leaves along with green chili's (If using)  for 2 to 3 minutes,

*Remove the leaves , allow to cool and grind it (grind black pepper corns-  if using along with the leaves) Grind till smooth with little cold water added to it.
Do not throw the water, use this same water for the soup.

* In a pan / sauce pan , heat Ghee/Butter or Vegetable oil , add cumin seeds to it , when it sizzles add crushed ginger , garlic and finely chopped onions. Saute till the onion turns brown, add Corn flour or All purpose flour and stir vigorously.

* Add then Asafoetida (If using) and water / Stock used to blanch the leaves, add salt (& lemon juice if using it instead of tomato)
Let boil till it reduces a bit, then add the nicely ground Leaves mixture to the soup and continue boiling till it reduces and becomes thick

* When it reaches the consistency you like, add cumin powder , stir and add heavy cream and switch off the heat.

* Drizzle few drops of heavy cream before you serve it.

Stay warm and enjoy Winter :)

Cheers
TN.

Hara Bhara Kabab / Veg Cutlet alteration

I am glad that I sit at home , enjoy every moment I spent in my house, enjoy that freedom of time and mostly enjoy sitting idle but things change when I see a women like me who earns and takes care of her family too, I adore people like "her" I don't think I could do it as I am not that good in multitasking.

Still "Thing change" when I see her sometimes adoration goes to level where it cannot be called the same and be named "Jealousy " and I tell that to " her " ,  I think that is the best way to fight that negative feeling in you , just tell that you are Jealous :)

Otherwise I ruin my happiness , ultimately ruin the happiness of my family too as

A Happy wife = A Happy Life  

Anyways at present I see no sign of hope for me, so I decided to be happy and sometimes "Jealous" of-course ;)  of people who work and enjoy freedom.
BUT I make it a point to tell that to them :)
How's my Idea ????

Doing my best to keep myself busy thinking mostly nonsense's ;)
But some times - really really rarely do my creative sense bloom up,
And most of the time, I try new recipes , which makes me more happy
That's how I tried "Hara Bhara Kabab" - Got the name from my North Indian friend as always, I think that's a common snack but the name not that common in the southern part of India, where we have cutlets instead of Kabab's.

Have recipe for Vegetable Cutlets - Here

Hara Bhara - as its name suggests is a green colored Nutrients packed snack,
as "Hara " in Hindi means "Green" Color.
Here's how I made it

Ingredients

Spinach - 1 Bunch
Green Peas - 1/2 cup or more
Potatoes - 2 No's (medium sized , boiled and mashed)
Green Chili's - 4 No's finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp crushed (or finely chopped)
Garlic - 2 no's crushed (or Finely chopped)
Chaat Masala or else use - Chana Masala  - 1 tsp (use Masala of your choice)
Salt to taste
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp (Optional)
Amchoor Powder / Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Coriander Leaves / Cilantro - few springs finely chopped (Optional)
Vegetable Oil -2 Tbsp (for shallow frying) + 2 Tsp (for the filling)
Cashew nuts -few or one each for each Kababs  (Optional)
Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (may use Corn Flour or Gram Flour , if using flour use not more than 3 Tbsp )

Method

* Blanch spinach leaves in boiling water for 2 to 3 Minutes till the leaves are soft , then drain and wash these under cold water - this helps'em to retain its color) Squeeze away water from the spinach, chop and keep aside.

* Heat 2 Tsp Oil in a pan, add cumin seeds first then add finely chopped Ginger , Garlic and green chili's, saute for a minute and add green peas, mashed potatoes and chopped (Blanched) Spinach.Saute these till no more water left in the pan , stir Continuously in medium heat.

Was thinking something else while pouring oil :( 

* Add Chat Masala or Chana Masala,Armchoor Powder (If using) , salt to taste and Chopped cilantro/Coriander leaves (If using) , use a masher or any other spoon to mash these nicely. (Make sure there isn't water left in this mixture)

* Switch off the heat , once cooled add bread crumbs to this mixture and nicely mash and shape these to desired shapes , place Cashews in the middle of each Kabab and lightly press'em to tuck it in.

* Heat the rest of the oil ( 2 Tbsp) oil in a flat pan( I used a Dosa Pan ) place each Kabab on the heated pan to lightly cook'em, turn to the other side after (2 minutes approx) in medium heat

* Serve Hot with Tomato sauce or Green Chutney.

 Enjoy a Healthy Snack !

Notes : If Using Gram flour, need to roast this flour, continuously stirring  in medium to low heat for 5 minutes (Approx) till the raw smell of that flour leaves. I had some left over bread so shredded'em, that is easy :) Using bread crumbs or Corn flour or Gram flour helps to bind the Kabab's easily and help keep them in shape. But color does vary , to get that bright Green color, its better to use flour's instead of Bread Crumbs.

Cheers
TN