Chikoo - Nuts MilkShake

I cooked some protein based dishes to post this week in advance but at the last minute decided to put them aside. I instead opted to post some super easy and quick dishes which would be way more than welcome during this season. I posted uddina hittu yesterday which was a 5 minute yogurt based, south Indian side dish. Today's recipe is for a nutritious, yummy and rich milkshake can be whipped up in a couple of minutes. 

I had used store bought almond milk, frozen chikoo / sapodilla pieces, almonds, cashews and soft pitted dates for my milkshake. Cow's milk, coconut milk, oat milk or any other kind can be used in place of almond milk. Fresh chikoo are easily available in India where as frozen chikoo can be found in the freezer section of Indian grocery stores in US. I would recommend freezing the chikoo pieces if one is going with fresh ones to avoid adding ice cubes which dilutes the shake. I added nuts to make it protein rich drink but that can be avoided all together. I did not feel any need to add sweetener because of the dates I used. 

This creamy, rich and very tasty milkshake can be a part of a breakfast / brunch platter or a quick breakfast on it's own.

Ingredients:

2 cups chilled almond milk

1.5 to 2 cups of fresh / frozen chikoo / sapodilla pieces
1/4 cup almonds & cashew nuts

8 -10 pitted dates

Directions:

* If using fresh chikoo pieces then freeze them in advance. 

* Chill the almond milk as well if using home made almond milk.

* Blend together all ingredients to a thick puree and enjoy.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon under the theme 'Protein rich dishes'. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Andhra Snack and Sweet Platter ~ Fried Cashews

Some 'platters' are going to be posted here this week, as part of the 'Indian Thaalis and Platters' themed month long marathon. I could not decide what to present under this theme among the jumble of ideas I had. Initially I wanted to do a colorful poori platter, a thought I have been nurturing for years now. I however discarded the idea when I cooked three pooris under breakfast theme. Some of the ideas I kept contemplating included a millet platter, steamed dishes one, a platter with variety of pohas, pakoda platter, vrat ka khana, a breakfast platter with Karnataka style 'bhaaths', 'rice' platter, parathas, dosas, guilt free snacks, sandwiches, fusion food and so on. I kept on listing the dishes that could go under each category but ended up altogether with something else when it was time to implement the ideas.

The first one in the series is a traditional platter that would have served as snack time food for kids, up until a generation ago in the state of Andhra Pradesh besides some of them being festive food. This is what my mother and her siblings would have as an after school treat, all freshly homemade and stored in big tins to snack on for a week or two. It was a time when people moved around a lot instead of being couch potatoes and no machines to substitute for their work. It was a time when kids played around instead of being glued in front of televisions and computers. Also a time when low-cal food wasn't a fad yet and hence no guilt attached to eat these high calorie foods. In fact, traditionally sunnundalu is considered to be one of the highly nutritious foods to consume.

I am not into frying that much and it would be a big fat lie if I say that I make these traditional goodies as regularly as my grand mothers used to make. Thanks to a wedding I attended in Los Angeles this February, this platter happened. The bride's parents who happen to be my cousin and his wife had brought all those sweets and chegodi from India and I happened to get a big batch of those. The rest of the savory snacks are store bought. The idea of this traditional platter occurred when I remembered that these were the snacks my mother grew up on. The only exception being jeedipappu burfi / cashew burfis that I included in this platter because I had them though my grandmother never made them. The cashews would be a special treat for guests.

I have ariselu, ladlu and cashew burfi under the sweets category.

Ariselu / Athirasalu - This is a traditional sweet prepared using freshly ground rice flour and jaggery syrup. Freshly ground flour is the key here. Store bought rice flour doesn't work in this recipe. Small portions of the dough is patted and deep fried. This stays fresh at least for two weeks or more. This sweet is commonly prepared in south India, Maharashtra and even in some eastern parts of India and go by different regional names. 

Boondi laddu - These laddus are one of the traditional sweets of India and popular through out the country. These laddus are made with fried, tiny chickpea flour balls added to sugar syrup and shaped into balls. 

Cashew burfi / Jeedipappu burfi - Burfis made with a cooked mixture of ground cashews and sugar.

Sunnundalu - A highly nutritious laddu from Andhra Pradesh which is prepared using black garm / urad dal, both with husked and skinned variety. It can also be made with moong dal. The recipe can be found here.

I have chekkalu, chakli, chegodilu, mixture, spicy cashews under the savory snacks. Chekkalu are fried rice flour crisps that are also made in other parts of south India. Both chakli and chegodi are rice flour based snacks that are deep fried. Chakli are spiral shaped where as chegodilu are tiny rings. Where as mixture is literally a mixture of boondi and spicy sevs with a tempering of curry leaves and peanuts.

The fried, spicy cashews are homemade which are quick and easy to make. They are a savory treat though high in calories. Any spice powders according to preference may be added but I added only salt and chili powder here as my grandmother used to make. Also remember not to fry the cashews in big batches. Cashews turn golden brown quick and by that time all the cashews are flipped / tossed, some may get burnt.

Ingredients:

Cashew nuts

Oil / ghee as needed for shallow frying

Salt to taste

Chili powder to taste

Directions:

* Heat ghee / oil in a pan and don't bring it to a smoking point. Add a handful of cashews.

* Fry them on low heat until golden brown on both sides, flipping them in between. Transfer them onto a plate lined with paper towel and fry the remaining cashews.

* Turn off the stove and transfer any remaining ghee / oil that was used to fry to another cup. Add the fried cashews back to the pan and add salt and chili powder. 

* Toss the pan well so that the cashews are coated well. Serve them immediately or store them in an airtight container.

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Shahi Paneer

As the name suggests, shahi paneer is a dish fit for royals. It is a flavorful curry prepared in a rich and creamy base of nuts, onion, yogurt and cream. This mild and delicious paneer gravy curry is quite easy to prepare and makes a perfect party dish. 

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. ghee / oil
1 cup roughly chopped onion
1 inch piece of ginger
1 - 2 garlic cloves (I didn't use any.)
1 tbsp. cashews
1 tbsp. almonds
1 tsp. cumin seeds / caraway seeds
2 cloves
1 cardamom
1 inch cinnamon piece
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 cup full fat yogurt
1/2 cup water
A pinch of saffron, crushed
200 gm paneer cubes (more or less about 1 and 1/2 cups of paneer)
2 - 3 tbsp. cream (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat a tbsp. ghee / oil and add onion, ginger and garlic. Fry until the onion is cooked. Let the mixture cool. Blend it to a fine paste along with almonds and cashews, adding a little water.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. ghee / oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Saute for few seconds, until the spices start to release their aroma.
3. Next add the ground onion - nut paste, turmeric, chili powder garam masala, and salt. Fry for a couple of minutes on low flame.
4. Whisk the yogurt until smooth. Lower the heat and add the whisked yogurt and water. (Add more water if needed. The mixture gets quite thickened after cooking.) Stir and let the mixture simmer until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
5. Add saffron, paneer cubes and whisked cream if using. Simmer for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove. 
6. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl since the curry tends to cook further and gets quite thickened if left in the same pan.
7. Garnish with roughly chopped cilantro leaves and serve with rotis / rice.

Notes:
* 1 or 2 drops of kewra water can be added finally, if preferred.
* Paneer cubes can be lightly fried before adding to the gravy if preferred.
* Vegans can substitute tofu and non dairy yogurt.  
* Tomatoes can be added to the recipe if preferred. Add them after onions are sauteed and cook until mushy.
* The nuts added to the onion paste alone makes the gravy richer. I therefore avoid using ghee and cream in this recipe if cooking for ourselves. However they enhance the flavor of the dish.


This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Gravy Curries' theme.

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Karela Batata Nu Shaak ~ Bitter Gourd and Potato Curry

Bitter gourd, a vegetable despised by many and loved by a few actually happens to be a healthy gourd and in fact is quite beneficial for diabetics. It is a commonly consumed vegetable in India though the vegetable does complete justice to its name and everyone at home may not be fond of it. Today's recipe is an interesting and a different kind of bitter gourd preparation from Gujarati cuisine. Give this recipe a try if you happen to like the vegetable. 

I happened to see this recipe here while looking for a different style of bitter gourd preparation. At least, it was different to me who uses bitter gourd in south Indian style preparations at home. My husband loves both bitter gourd and potato and this one seemed right in his alley and I decided to try it. The addition of cashews and sesame seeds lend an interesting touch to this delicious curry. This curry is very easy to prepare and bitter gourd lovers would definitely love it. We felt that the addition of onions would enhance the taste further.

Check out my other bitter gourd recipes' links below if you are interested.
Microwave bitter gourd crisps
Kaakarakaaya Podi
Haagalakaayi Gojju
Haagalakaayi Gojju (Version 2)
Bitter Gourd Curry (Andhra Style)
Bharwan Karela
Kaakarakaaya Pachadi

Ingredients:
3 big sized bitter gourds (3 cups cut pieces) 
Salt to taste
1 potato (1 cup cut cubes)
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 cup broken / coarsely crushed cashews
2 tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. chili powder or to taste
1/4 tsp. dried mango powder / amchur
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
2 tbsp. minced cilantro + extra for garnish

Directions:
* Wash and trim the edges of bitter gourds. Quarter them and discard the center pith and seeds if mature. Cut each quarter lengthwise into 3 pieces and cut again into 1 inch strips. Add the cut bitter gourd pieces and about a tsp. of salt to a bowl and toss well to coat. Keep it aside for about 10 to 15 minutes.  After the resting period, squeeze out the excess water from the bitter gourd. (This step is done to cut down some of the bitterness.)

* Heat oil in a non stick pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add asafoetida, turmeric and squeezed bitter gourd pieces. Mix well, cover and cook on low flame for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice in between.
* Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes or strips.
* Add the potato pieces and continue to cook stirring occasionally,  until they are done and the bitter gourd have turned crisp, about another 8 to 10 minutes.
* Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and cook on medium flame for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

This goes to Blogging Marathon under 'Easy Dinner Recipes' Theme.


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K for Kaju - Karivepaku Annam / Cashew - Curry Leaves Rice

I am here with a south Indian style rice preparation for today that has curry leaves as the star ingredient. Curry leaves is an indispensable ingredient in south Indian kitchens and used in daily cooking there. It is mostly used in tempering as a flavoring agent in many spicy dishes ranging from lentil broths, curries to rice preparations. People who are acquainted with the flavorful curry leaves do not need any convincing about how good this curry leaves based rice tastes. Growing up in a region where most home back yards boast a curry leaves tree, this dish naturally attracted me, when I happened to watch this on a cook show. The version is different than the version I usually prepare and it equally tastes aromatic and delicious. This is a great lunch box / meal idea if you have a stock of curry leaves.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 cup Basmati rice
1 tbsp. oil 
1 cup curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
2 green chillies
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ginger, finely chopped
Salt to taste
For tadka / tempering:
1 tbsp. oil 
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal, 
1 tsp. black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
* The quantity of chilies can be changed depending upon the heat preferred.

 Method:
* Soak the cashews in water for few minutes and drain.
* Rinse and soak rice in water for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and pressure cook rice adding about 1.5 cups water.
* Heat oil in a pan and add red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger, curry leaves in that order. Saute for about 30 seconds. Curry leaves do not need to change the color.
* Grind the toasted ingredients to a thick paste, adding little water.
* Heat oil and add split chick peas, black gram, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. When the dals start turning reddish, add asafoetida, soaked cashews, curry leaves, salt and the ground paste and saute.(Soaking cashews can be skipped and they can be toasted to golden brown and added to the rice.)
* Next add the cooked rice and mix well to combine. Serve immediately with papad / wadis.

Recipes so far in A - Z Rice Dishes,
A for Achaari Chole Pulao
B for Bhuna Khichuri
C for Chintapandu Pulihora
D for Dindigul Thalapakatti Veg Biryani
E for Ellorai / Ellotharai  
F for Fodnicha Bhaat 
G for Gongura Pulihora 
H for Hare Moong ki Chaaswaali Khichdi 
I for Iyengar Style Kadambam 
J for Jodhpuri Vegetable Pulao


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68.
An InLinkz Link-up

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Horlicks Rava laddu

 
My daughter expects a chocolate cake and mysore pak which she calls as yellow burfi on her birthdays. It has become a sort of tradition in our home that those two items are a part of her birthday celebrations. She celebrated her birthday two days ago and as usual her birthday cake was a chocolate based one. She didn't get to pick her cake this time around and so, thankfully we didn't have to witness a riot of colors. Instead her dad brought a cake decorated with dainty, pink roses which was beautiful.

For a change, instead of Mysore pak, I decided to go with these rava laddu with a twist that I happened to see on a cook show. The chef had sneaked in a dose of horlicks to the rava laddu preparation to make it nutritious and kid friendly. For those uninitiated, horlicks is a nutritional malted milk drink.  I had a bottle of horlicks lying around for months now that was bought on my daughter's whimsy,  which she refused to drink later. These laddus seemed to be a great way to use up some of that horlicks. Don't go overboard while using horlicks in the recipe as it's flavor may get dominant. My daughter enjoyed these laddus better than drinking horlicks. She very rarely eats sweets and this must be her first time tasting laddus. A surprising feat considering that I have made loads of laddus in the past one and half decade and she hadn't bothered even to look at them so far.

Ingredients: (Yield 20 laddus)
2 tbsp. ghee
2 tbsp. raisins
1 cup semolina
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Horlicks powder
1/4 cup cashew powder
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
Ghee / Milk as needed to shape laddus

Method:
* Toast raisins in ghee, in a saute pan until plump. Transfer them to a wide plate using a slotted spoon.
* Next add semolina to the same ghee in the pan. Continuously stirring, toast it on medium flame  until it starts to change the color, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the stove and transfer the semolina to the wide plate (with raisins) to cool.
* When semolina is no longer warm to touch, add sugar, horlicks, cashew powder and cardamom to the semolina plate. Mix well to combine.
* Next add ghee or milk in tbsp. increments to the mixture until it can hold shape when fisted. (About 4 to 6 tbsp. liquid may be needed.) Shape lime sized balls out of the mixture.
* The laddus can be stored in a covered container and can be left on the counter if they are made with ghee since they stay good for few days. However if  not planning to finish them sooner, they can be refrigerated. Where as if milk was used to shape laddus, they need to be refrigerated since they don't store well beyond a day.

This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #64 under 'Bookmarked Recipes' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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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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Dates and Nut Laddu

Now these dates and nut laddus are my kind of dish. Simple, quick and easy to put together on a festival day like Diwali or Raksha bandhan. They can be prepared in less than 15 minutes. Dates add a sweet base and there is no need for other sweeteners in this dish. Use soft, pitted variety dates and add any variety of nuts you have on hand. All nuts are delicious anyway and healthy when eaten in moderation. Feel free to add or omit any of the nuts from the below given list to customize. If you are feeling lazier, omit the dates frying step as well and directly grind the dates.

Ingredients: (Makes around 10 laddus)

1 cup mixed nuts  (I used a handful of each - walnuts, almonds, pistachios and cashews.)
1 cup pitted, soft dates (about 2 dozen)
1 tsp ghee

Method:
* Toast each variety of the nuts individually in a pan until they turn crisp. Let them cool and grind coarsely.
* Finely chop the dates.
* Heat ghee in a pan and add the chopped dates. Saute them for 2 - 3 minutes, pressing down the date pieces with the back of the spoon so that the dates turn into a pulp. Add the ground nuts to the pan, mix well and turn off the stove.
* Transfer the mixture onto a plate and when it is warm, make laddus of desired size. If the mixture is sticky and hard to shape the laddus, grease your palms and try.
* For a variation, the laddus can be rolled in dessicated coconut or sesame seeds as well.

These go to BM #43 under "Festival Special Theme". Check here to learn what other dishes are being cooked during this marathon.

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Karappoosa

Event: Blogging marathon #40
Theme: Evening snacks

Somehow I could connect and remember more of my maternal grandmother's food than my paternal mother's even though we use to visit them both during our summer trips and in between. Both my grandmothers were excellent cooks but it was probably because of the delicacies my maternal grandmother used to whip up for us during those memorable trips, I guess I remember hers' better. Among the several traditional sweets and savories she used to prepare, this version of spicy boondi is one everyone used to enjoy. 

I wanted to try her laddu and karappooosa in my kitchen and during one of my trips to India, I had made it a point to buy a couple of boondi ladles to my mother's surprise. Later when my mother had inquired whether I got  a chance to try those ladles, I had to ask her the recipe. As a kid, I had never paid attention to what goes in the background of boondi making and so naturally I was at a loss, when I thought of trying this for the first time. My mother who eyeballs measurements for everything she cooks, had hard time explaining me the correct consistency for the boondi batter. All I could get was that it's somewhere near bajji batter consistency. And of course a little google search led to this vahchef's video that proved to be a great help. I have tried boondi making a few times after that and have got satisfactory results.

Karappoosa literally means spicy beads in Telugu, referring to the shape and taste of the boondis. This is a great snack on it's own or to clean your palate after enjoying a sweet. A sweet and karappoosa combo used to be an a accompaniment to evening coffee in my ammamma's kitchen. Generally several variations of kara boondi can be seen all over India and this was her version. It never came to my notice until my mother mentioned that the salt and chili powder are sprinkled over the freshly fried boondi instead of adding them directly to the batter. And I thought it would be not messy if we add them directly to the batter and when I checked it with my mom, she was like "You asked for ammamma's recipe and here it is. If you want to make alterations, it is upto you". And since I was looking for my granny's recipe, I tried it as it is as my mother suggested. Peanuts can replace cashews in this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup besan / chickpea flour
Salt and chili powder to taste
2 tbsp Cashews
A handful of curry leaves 
Oil to fry

Method:
* Wash and wipe the curry leaves dry.
* Sift the besan and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Gradually add water and make a batter of about bajji consistency, without any lumps. Add a tsp of oil and mix well. Do not add water all at once. 
To test the correct consistency of the batter, gently dip the handle of the spoon into the batter and drop it into the hot oil from above. If the drop floats to the surface immediately and is round in shape, the consistency is right. Otherwise add water in increments of a tsp to test, until you reach the correct consistency. If the batter is too watery, besan can be added to fix it.
* Heat oil in a kadai / small wok on medium heat. Add cashews and fry them until light golden brown and remove them with a slotted spoon and keep them aside. Add curry leaves and remove them when they turn crisp.
* Pour a ladleful of batter into the boondi ladle. Hold it directly on the kadai and gently rub with the back of  a ladle. The batter drops into the hot oil as tiny droplets and immediately float to the surface forming rounds.
* When they appear cooked and attain a golden hue, remove them using a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent towels and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
* Transfer the fried boondi, cashews, curry leaves to a bowl and sprinkle salt and chili powder. Toss the bowl to combine. When cool, transfer the contents to an airtight container and store. This stays fresh for weeks.

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Trail Mix

 

Trail mix, an assortment of dried fruits, nuts, seeds, grain and (some times) chocolate developed as a snack food to be taken along on outdoor hiking trips. It is claimed that trail mix was first invented in 1968 by two California surfers who blended peanuts and raisins together for an energy snack. It is considered an ideal snack food for hikes since it is tasty and nutritious besides being lightweight and easy to store. This high energy “mix” gives the required stamina to hit the “trail” during hiking or any other similar activities demanding strength and endurance. August 31 is celebrated as National Trail Mix Day in USA.  (Info source: wiki).

This outdoor tradition tastes good on or off the trail and I usually keep a stock of it as my daughter loves to snack on it. We can mix and match with the ingredients we have on hand and can create our own mix. I have gone with salted cashews & almonds, dry roasted peanuts, dried cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, white chocolate chips, M&M' s. Mix everything together and store them in air tight container.

 

By keeping trail mix handy, one can have a nutritious snack ready for kids anytime. Also this could be a great substitute for many calorie laden treats, when serving kids during gatherings. Other additions could be granola, pretzels, marshmallows, toasted coconut, dried fruits or whatever one prefers.

Check what other marathoners are cooking during this month long marathon.

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Paneer - Dry Fruit Rice

This is my neighborhood after yesterday's winter storm. Doesn't it look picturesque? I enjoy every bit of it until it dawns on me that I am the one who needs to cleanup our driveway. :) Still I shouldn't be complaining as this winter has been mild and this is only third major storm this season.
Now coming to the third day of BM#13, here is one more quick and easy protein packed rice dish meant for a kid's lunchbox.  Recently I have become a big fan of a cook show that comes on a Telugu TV channel. I like the chef's style of cooking and  has started to note down interesting recipes that I come across. This was one of those and I tried it last week. It's very simple, apt for the morning rush hours and if your kids love paneer, then this is a dish to try.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
1/2 cup Basmati rice (Cook adding a cup of water and keep aside.)
1 Tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp shah jeera / cumin seeds
1 or 2 green chillies
1/4 cup dry fruits (raisins, cashews and almonds)
1/4 cup paneer cubes
2 Tbsp yogurt
1 tsp amchur powder
Salt to taste
Cilantro to garnish

Method:
* Heat ghee in a pan and add shah jeera. When it starts to brown add green chillies, cashews and almonds. Saute them for about 30 seconds and add raisins.
* Next add paneer and saute until golden brown.
* Next add the yogurt, amchur powder and salt. Fry until the mixture thickens. Add rice and mix well. Garnish with cilantro.

Check here to find out what the other marathoners participating in this BM are cooking.

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Sindhi Cuisine ~ Majoon for ICC

Majoon - a Sindhi delicacy from Mrs. Sabnani's blog has been this month's Indian Cooking Challenge theme. I kept contemplating until the end to go with it or not since it is a calorie laden sweet dish and only two of us at home like sweet stuff. I so enquired my son actually showed the recipe to my son and asked him whether he would like to have it. I started making it only after he assured me that he would try it. :)
Vaishaliji mentions that majoon is a winter special dish. Sindhis usually prepare it in bulk quantities and store it to last thru the winter months. It can be stored for up to six months if it doesn't come in contact with any trace of moisture. It is served as breakfast in small quantities, each day during winter. :) And newly wed daughters and married daughters receive it from their mothers during this season. 
This dish is simple in terms of preparation but takes longer since the milk and other ingredients have to reduce to a solid mass. And majoon is like embellished paalkova. It tastes fabulous as it's SouthIndian counterpart but is full of other yummy additions like poppy seeds and nuts.
I usually pick a time to cook dishes of this nature when I need to take care of things in the kitchen so that I can keep an eye on the dish instead of constantly hovering over it. This time I was cleaning in the kitchen and helping my daughter with her homework while the dish almost took care of itself. It was a lot easier since I cooked the whole time on simmer mode and didn't have to check quite often.

Ingredients: (Make about 1 & 1/4 cups)
2 cups milk (I used a cup of each - full fat milk and skim milk.)
6 Tbsp sugar (I like my sweet dishes not overtly sweet. Sugar quantity can be increased if more sweetness preferred.)
1/2 cup khoya (Another half cup can be added if preferred.)
2 Tbsp poppy seeds / khus khus
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
10 dried dates - coarsely chopped (I added pitted dates.)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts - almonds, pistachios and cashews (I just pulsed them in food processor. Vaishaliji has mentioned to avoid walnuts if preparing the majoon in larger quantities.)
3 Tbsp ghee (I omitted it and still found the dish to be rich.)

Method:
When I have to deal with milk dishes and the recipe involves simmering and stirring for longer times, I usually go with a non stick saucepan. It makes the cooking job a hell lot easier and after cleanup is a cinch.
Heat milk in a nonstick pan and when it starts to boil, add everything except nuts. Cook on slow flame until it reduces to half the original quantity. Leave a spoon or a ladle in the pan so that the milk would not boil over (and so automatically your time to babysit that dish is considerably reduced. :)) Then add the nuts and ghee into the mixture and stir well. Continue to cook until the mixture turns into a thick mass and ghee starts floating over the surface.

How to serve:
Heat about  2 - 4 Tbsp of majoon with 2 tsp of milk in a microwave and serve piping hot.

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Black Pepper - Cashew Rice

My "cooking from a cookbook" themed, Day 4 post of BM#7 comes from "Healthy South Indian Cooking", co authored by Alamelu Vairavan and her American neighbor for the past two decades, Patricia Marquardt. When I was looking for cookbooks in my local library, this book caught my husband's attention for the word 'South Indian" and we borrowed it. J This book has a very good collection of South Indian style recipes, especially the ones belonging to Chettinad cuisine. Some of them are very new to me and I can't wait to try them.

Being a South Indian, rice is a staple dish in my home and I am on a lookout for new rice dishes. For the same reason and the simplicity of it, I tried this savory black pepper - cashew rice. The authors mention that it goes well with both vegetable and meat dishes or raitas. However I served it with plain raita since it was spicy enough on it's own.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (I used Sona masuri rice. Basmati variety can be substituted.)

For tadka: 2 Tbsp oil / ghee, 1 tsp urad dal (split black gram), 1 tsp mustard seeds, few curry leaves and 1 dried red chilli, broken into bits

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/4 cup dry toasted cashews

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the rice and cook adding 2 cups of water. Let cool to keep the grains separated.

Heat oil in a pan and add the tadka ingredients. When mustard seeds start to pop, add chopped onion. When onion turns translucent, add pepper and cumin powders, salt and cashews. Mix well.

Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking.

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Bhindi Masala ~ Spicy Okra in Cashew - Almond Sauce

The bhindi masala or the spicy version of okra in cashew - almond sauce is here, as a continuation of my previous post. Okra happens to be one of the unanimously favored veggies at my home and the favorite version is the fried one - done until crispy and crunchy. However this time, I wanted to try another version that would go well with rotis / tortillas. When planning for the 'Design a Menu' event, I thought of adding new flavors subtly to all the dishes I am going to present and hence the addition of cashew - almonds here. The nut - milk mixture lends a rich, creamy flavor and base to the veggies. If the spices are used mildly, then kids enjoy it too.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
2 cups okra (I used 12 oz frozen, chopped okra)
2 onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp kasuri methi (optional)
1 Tbsp cashews + 2 Tbsp almonds (or substitute cashews)
1/4 cup milk (at room temperature)
Salt & Chili powder to taste
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 - 4 Tbsp oil
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/8 tsp turmeric powder

Method:
* Fry okra adding 2 Tbsp oil in a pan till done.
* Grind the cashews and almonds into a paste adding milk.
* Heat 1 - 2 Tbsp oil and add cumin seeds. When they turn brownish, add onions and turmeric powder. Fry till the onion turns translucent. Next add the tomatoes and cook until mushy. Then add the fried okra.
*  Now, add the cashew - almond paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, salt, garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Also add water if necessary. Simmer for a few minutes and turn off the stove.
Serve with warm rotis.

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