'Quinoa' Maavinakayi Chitranna / Mango - Coconut Quinoa

(This was originally posted on 5 /3/2011.)

Quinoa can be incorporated into Indian cuisine effortlessly. It can be used to replace rice in most of the dishes that need it and this post happens to be one such recipe. Mango chitranna / pulihora is a simple yet delicious dish from South India that uses rice and green mango. It is prepared especially during summer times when green mangoes are available in abundance. I have replaced rice with quinoa in this popular, tongue- tickling dish and here is the method.

And don't worry about the long list of ingredients mentioned. Most of them go in the tadka / tempering.

Below are some other quinoa based dishes that I have already posted.

Cooking Quinoa

Quinoa Bisebele
Quinoa Khichdi
Quinoa - Masoordal Soup
Quinoa Panchkuti Dal Khichdi
Quinoa Pilaf
Quinoa Pongal
Quinoa Sweet Pongal
Quinoa Upma

Ingredients: (Yield - 3 servings)
1 cup quinoa
1 - 2 tbsp. oil
1/4 cup. peanuts
1 tbsp. Bengal gram / chana dal
1 tbsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves 
2 green chilies (I used Serrano peppers. If using other varieties, adjust the quantity according to the spiciness preferred.)
2 -3 dried red chilies, broken into small pieces
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida powder
3/4 cup grated raw mango
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut (thaw if using frozen)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds powder +  1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds / methi powder (optional but recommended. The quantities can be increased if preferred. Lightly toast mustard and fenugreek seeds and powder them fine.)
Minced cilantro for garnish

Method:

* Wash quinoa in several exchanges of water. Add quinoa and 1 & 3/4 cups of water to a pressure cooker and cook until done. (2 - 3 whistles). Cool and fluff.
Alternatively, it can be cooked on stovetop. Bring the water to a rolling boil and then add quinoa. Cover and cook until done, about 20 minutes. When done, the seeds become translucent and the white germ would partially detach itself, appearing like a tail.
* Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or a kadai. Add the peanuts, Bengal gram, skinned black gram and mustard seeds. When peanuts start to turn reddish, add green & red chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds and then add the turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, mango and coconut and stir well. Turn off the stove.
* Next add the cooked quinoa, salt, mustard and fenugreek powders to the pan and mix well to combine.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page to find what other marathoners are cooking.

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Round up of A - Z Indian Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi Series

Off and on, I have been part of a blogging group, coordinated by my blogger friend, Srivalli for the past 98 months. Yes it has been that long. Each month, we publish 3 posts per week under set themes as a group and during April and September months, we do month long posting dubbed as mega-marathon. Each marathon, I have something old and traditional and something new to offer. The former category usually helps me record the family recipes while the latter are those I come across and try to explore from my contemporary, real and virtual worlds. This particular marathon has been unique in it's own way as it has been a part of my leaning curve. A regular visitor on my blog would have noticed the series of biryanis, pulaos and khichdis posted here for the past one month. 

I am not new to khichdis but honestly speaking, the mothers in my life never ventured into the biryani / pulao worlds. My grand mothers and my mother in law had started their families even before India got independence and it sounds ridiculous to even imagine them doling out biryanis / pulaos in their traditional south Indian vegetarian kitchens where even the usage of onion and garlic were taboo. I think the Andhra vegetarian cooking was never influenced by the Muslim culture and does not use the spices liberally. Andhra was a part of the Madras presidency before independence and not a part of the Nizam's Hyderabad whose kitchen is the torchbearer for the biryani revolution. My mother has kept up the tradition since my father doesn't eat onion / garlic and they don't even like the spice combination used in the garam masala. The funny thing is that they use all the spices in one form or another but not in that particular combination. I have seen many south Indians who don't prefer garam masala in their food,  surprising it may sound to North Indians whose main variety of rice dishes depend on them for the flavor quotient. 

I ended up with a husband who occasionally can enjoy a biryani / pulao but prefers south Indian style rice dishes over them any day. I used to make a simple vegetable or peas pulao at home now and then like most of my husband's family does though as a blogger, I come across the classic versions. With that kind of background, I was obviously oblivious to the varieties, the biryani and pulao world had to offer until I ventured into it, thanks to this mega marathon. Biryanis and pulaos, a craftsmanship evolved over centuries in the hands of khansamas of the Mughalai / Nawabi kitchens may or may not be replicated to perfection in today's world but along with them, there are plenty of modern varieties and also an equal number of vegetarian versions to suit the palates of vegetarians. For this marathon, I have tried to stick mostly to the versions that were vegetarian in origin except a handful of classic versions from the Nawabi kitchens that I wanted to try, converting them to vegetarian versions. It's like I have opened a pandora's box now and I have plenty of varieties to try later. 😋  Here is my humble effort to record my 'evolution' as one from being not able to differentiate between a pulao and biryani preparation to confidently pull off a decent preparation of a 'biryani / pulao' on my own. I chose to stick with Indian variety grain based dishes in an alphabetical order and here is the list for you to enjoy.

A for Ambur Biryani

Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao

Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao

Donne Biryani

Ek Toap na Dal 

F for Fada ni Khichadi 

G for Gutti Vankaya Biryani

H for Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani

I for Iyengar Puliyodhari

J for Jaipuri Mewa Pulao

K for Kashmiri Pulao

L for Lucknowi Biryani

M for Motiwale Pulao

N for Nei Choru

O - Oodhala Pulao

P - Pariba Khechudi

Q - Quinoa Panchkuti Dal Khichdi

R - Rajma Pulao

S - Sindhi Biryani

T - Tehri / Tahiri

U - Uttarakhandi Khichdi

V - Vaal Khichdi

W - Wadi - Subz Pulao

X - Xacuti Masala Veg Pulao

Y for Yakhni Pulao (Vegetarian Version)

Z - Zafrani Pulao

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A - Z Indian Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi Series ~ J for Jaipuri Mewa Pulao

When I first read about this easy breezy mewa pulao, my mind at first didn't register the word 'mewa' though I know what it means. I thought the cooked milk solids, called mawa is used to prepare this pulao and was intrigued. I checked the recipe twice only to see the mawa missing from it. Mewa means nuts/dry fruits and this pulao comes from the state of royals, Rajasthan as the name of the recipe indicates. I read somewhere that the dish is one of the specialty pulaos from the kitchens of Maharanas who preferred nutritious food, them being the warrior class. Hence the richness of the dessert. 

This mewa pulao / nuts pulao is not a standard pulao recipe or not even a basic version pulao like the sweetish Bengali mishti pulao that can be served with a spicy gravy curry. An article in "Times of India' mentioned to serve it with raita, pickle or curry but it sounds utterly ridiculous. It is a simple dessert loaded with nuts, that tasted super delicious to my palate, one that is biased towards any dessert. I made a small portion and ate it all by myself in one sitting. It was that good.

Rice, milk and ghee are leisurely cooked together in a pot until the rice is done. Sugar, nuts and the rest of the ingredients are added next and cooked for another 10 to 15 minutes. I didn't follow the traditional method of cooking it in a pot but pressure cooked it which was way simple and quick to cook this dessert. If saffron is missing, add a drop or two of yellow food color for visual appeal. It is going to be yummy even if you skip it. Blanch and peel the almonds if you are patient enough but I wasn't.😉 Try this simple and very inviting sweet version pulao if you have a sweet tooth. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Basmati rice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar (I substituted with stevia as needed.)
2 to 4 tbsp. ghee
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg / ground cardamom (one cardamom pod)
2 tsp. chironji / charoli seeds (sara pappu)
1 tbsp. each - Almonds, cashews, raisins and pistachios
2 pinches of saffron strands

Directions:
* Rinse and soak rice in water for about 15 minutes and drain.
* Soak saffron strands in a tbsp. of warm milk or water.
* Pressure cook rice, and milk together for 2 whistles. (I made a small quantity and so added contents to a small container and put it in the cooker.)
* Heat ghee in a pan (or directly to the pressure cooker if the rice was cooked in it) and add the cooked rice, sugar, nuts, raisins, saffron and cardamom. Mix them well once, cover and let the mixture cook on low flame for about 10 minutes. By the time, the sugar melts and incorporates into the rice mixture.
* Turn off the stove and serve it warm.

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A for Ambur Biryani
B for Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C for Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D for Donne Biryani
E for Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F for Fada ni Khichdi
G for Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H for Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I for Iyengar Puliyogare

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

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Black Forest Cake Parfait

This delicious dessert was mentioned in a cooking magazine ad that obviously was promoting dry fruits and nuts' sales. This recipe is kind of a cross between a parfait and a trifle and uses dry fruits instead of fresh ones. It is a recipe to try when one has any leftover chocolate based cake that need to be used up. 

Ingredients:
Black forest cake 
Low fat Greek yogurt
Dried and sweetened cranberries
Chopped walnuts


Directions:
* Crumble cake into pieces.
* Repeat layering cake, yogurt, and cranberries - walnuts in a parfait glass or any serving dish until it is full.

It goes to Blogging Marathon #95 under the theme 'Bookmarked recipes'.



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Dry Fruits & Nuts Kheer

This dry fruits - nuts kheer is easy to prepare and sinfully rich and delicious. The milk is boiled along with ground nuts until it turns thick and creamy. One can use any dry fruits or nuts they have on hand. It takes some time to reduce the milk quantity but it's worth it. 

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1 & 3/4 cups full fat milk
1/4 cup assorted nuts (I used cashews, almonds and pistachios.)
1 tsp. ghee + 2 tbsp dry fruits (I used raisins and dried sweetened cranberries.)
2 cardamom pods
2 to 3 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
Coarsely chopped nuts to garnish

Method:
* Heat the milk, preferably in a non stick pan. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to lowest setting and continue to heat it for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring in between.
* Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a saute pan on low flame for a couple of minutes and keep it aside to cool. Once cool, grind them fine. 
* Heat ghee in a small pan and add the raisins and cranberries. When they plump up, remove them with a slotted spoon onto a plate and keep aside.
* Crush the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle and grind the seeds to a fine powder. Don't throw away the husks.
* Add the ground nuts, ground cardamom along with the husks and condensed milk to the milk pan. Continue to cook for another ten minutes, stirring occasionally. By the time, the milk reduces a bit in quantity and becomes thicker.
* Turn off the stove and add the toasted raisins and cranberries.
* Garnish with chopped nuts and serve it either warm or chilled.

This goes to Blogging marathon # 89, under the 'Indian Sweets - Payasams' theme. Check out the page here to read what other marathoners are cooking.


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Cashew - Walnut Laddu

 Happy Birthday, Srivalli.

Any one who follows my blog might have noticed that I participate in a monthly event called blogging marathon without a miss. Srivalli, a dear blogger buddy who blogs at 'Cooking 4 all Seasons' and 'Spice your Life' is the brain behind that inspiring event. She is a remarkable woman considering that she is a wife & a mother of three, has a full time job, writes two blogs besides being a motivation / sounding board behind the marathon event, that has been successfully running for over five years. She is celebrating her birthday today and some of us who are regular participants of the marathon have thought to surprise her virtually by cooking something from her blog today. Wish you a very happy birthday, Valli and many many happy returns of the day. God bless you and may all your wishes come true.

Some how I have come to associate chocolate bakes, rotis and dals with her blogs even though she really has a good collection of recipes. I spent a good hour going through her recipes but finally decided to go with something sweet to celebrate. It turned out that the preparation and clicking of the dish took a fraction of time that I spent browsing through her blogs. I prepared these easy breezy laddus based on her cashew and almond laddu which took about 5 minutes from start to finish as I used pre-roasted nuts. Even my husband who stays away from sweet dishes tasted one without any prompting and loved it. The laddus were yum but I thought the milk powder flavor is dominant in the dish. If one prefers to change it, the quantity of the nuts in the dish can be increased and sugar quantity needs to be adjusted accordingly.

Ingredients: (Yield 6 laddus)
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup milk powder
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
2 tbsp. ghee

Method:
* Toast cashews and walnuts individually, until they start to change their color. If using toasted nuts, skip the step. Let the nuts cool before proceeding.
* Add all the ingredients to a food processor / blender and grind finely or slight coarsely.
* Transfer the contents onto a plate. Fist about a lime sized portion and shape it into a ball. Repeat the step with the remaining ground mixture.


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Microwave Dates - Nuts Bread Pudding

This is a simple and easy bread pudding that I saw on one of the cook shows I used to watch earlier. The pudding takes altogether about 10 minutes from start to finish in a microwave and is a yummy way to use up any leftover bread one might have. I usually like to prepare this in small bowls for individual servings and so have given measurements for that as well.

Ingredients:
1/2 liter boiled and cooled milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. custard powder
6 whole wheat bread slices
1/2 cup chopped dates
10 gm. each - raisins, cashews & almonds

Method:
* Add sugar to milk and stir until it dissolves. Then add the custard powder to the milk and whisk/ blend until there are no lumps. Keep it aside.
* Chop off the edges of bread slices. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 2 triangles.
* Arrange the 3 cut bread slices in a microwave safe pan in a single layer next to each other and sprinkle dates on top. Next sprinkle raisins, cashews and almonds uniformly. Place the remaining 3 triangular slices of bread over them and sprinkle dates and the other nuts as in the previous step.
* Pour the custard powder - milk mixture over the bread slices and let it sit for 2 minutes to soak up the milk.
* Microwave for 5 minutes and serve immediately. Garnish with honey if desired.

Ingredients for 2 individual servings:
2 & 1/2 whole wheat bread slices
3/4 cup boiled and cooled milk
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. custard powder
1/2 cup nuts and dry fruits (I used chopped dates, walnuts, cashews, dried cranberries and raisins.)

Method:
* Trim off the edges of the bread slices and tear them into small pieces.
* Take one cup sized microwave bowl and arrange the bread pieces in a single layer. Try to fit as many pieces as you can at the bottom of the bowl so that there are no gaps and no overlapping.
* Sprinkle about 2 tbsp. of dates and other nuts used, uniformly over the bread slices.
* Repeat the bread and nut layers one more time.
* Add sugar to milk and stir to dissolve. Next add custard powder and whisk until lump free. Pour half of the milk mixture over the bread and nut layers and let it sit for 2 minutes.
* Take another one cup sized microwave safe bowl and repeat the above steps with the remaining ingredients.
* Microwave each bowl for 5 minutes and serve immediately.

This is my entry to
1. Blogging marathon #58
 
2. Srivalli's Kids' Delight event, hosted by Kalyani this month under the theme 'Cooking with Whole Grains'.

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Tueseday 'Treats' ~ Banana - Date - Walnut Cupcakes

These cupcakes even without any frosting are really a treat. They come out soft and moist every time. I have tried them a few times before, coming up with slight modifications each time and have enjoyed them all. These eggless, butterless cupcakes can be easily converted into vegan ones by substituting the milk by soy / almond milk and subbing the sugar with a vegan version. The dates added here can be omitted in case if you don't have them on hand but I highly recommend them for the little bursts of sweetness they add, while biting into these cupcakes.
 

Recipe adapted from Cook's Hideout
Ingredients: (yield 12 medium sized ones)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk (Soy / Almond milk for vegan version.)
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed bananas (I used over-ripened 2 medium sized bananas)
10 roughly chopped soft dates
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Method:
* Preheat oven to 350 deg F / 175 deg C. Line the muffin pan with paper cups. (I use paper liners even for my silicone muffin tray since it is easy to serve.)
* Sift together flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add sugar to the same bowl and keep it aside.
* Add milk, oil, vanilla and mashed bananas to another bowl and mix well.
* Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients bowl and gently combine until mixed. Finally add dates and walnuts and give a stir.
* Fill each muffin cup up to 2/3rd and place the pan in the oven.
* Reduce the oven temperature to 325 deg F / 160 deg C and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51.

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