Thursday, April 29, 2010

Pumpkin Buds Fritters (Dudya Kaley Phodi) & 200th post!!

Pumpkin Buds are long, tender greenish-yellow hued buds which are picked when they tender for delicious Fritters or to dish out a simple vegetable side dish. In Konkani, this bud is known as Dudya Kaley/ Kalo. This easy to make dish requires little check cum preparation just to see if there are worms in the inner membranes of the bud. Wash the buds, make a small incision on one side of the bud and just poke through the inner membrane, weed out the outer strings of the bud and retain only the bud for edible needs. Still if you are sceptic, soak them in water with little salt for 15 minutes to expose and eliminate any suspects.

The buds taste amazing upon frying and make a delicious, crunchy snack. In US, some of my friends bought Squash Blossoms which taste and look very similar to Pumpkin Buds. I do not know if they are same or different. If anyone is aware, kindly enlighten. The taste upon frying is similar to the Pumpkin Buds Fritters.
The stem of the Buds (called as Dudya Dentu) can be used and added in coconut gravy based preparations like Koddel and Ambat as a complementary vegetable.

This is my 200th post.Wow! I am elated and cannot help but smile when I look at my initial posts (need some terrible proof-reading), some evolved ones (sign of improvement) and some really great write-ups (I am improving, yay!). Thanks to all my blogger friends, family, friends, my husband who gets the daily edible dose of my blog and last but not the least my Mom for being the inspiration behind all what I do and say!

Serves: 2-3 individuals
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Buds - 8-15 pieces
Salt - as per taste

Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Oil - for frying

For Batter:
Rice (Sona Masori - Pre-soaked) - 1/2 Cup
Red Chillies (Byadgi) - 6-8
Asafoetida - Just a pinch
Water - For accomodating grinding consistency

Method:
Pre-soak washed rice in water for minimum 4 hours. Grind it to a batter after draining water along with red chillies and asafoetida, salt and very less water. This batter should be thick and sticky, so add no or less water.
Wash the buds, remove the strings which are on the sides of the bud, check for any suspects in the inner membranes of the flower. Apply salt and turmeric powder to pieces and set aside for 1/2 hour. Heat oil in a deep dish pan. Once oil heats up (should not be smoking hot as fritters would burn) dip the pieces in batter and deep fry. Transfer to an absordent paper. Serve hot as a side dish.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Vada Pav ~ The Pop Mumbai Street Food

Who does not like Vada Pav? I am yet to come across one who could say 'no' to this delicious humble Indian Burger unless some dietary restriction prevents them from saying so. The humble seasoned Potato Patty deep fried in Gramflour ~ Besan and wrapped in a Pav ~ The Indian version of double decker daily bread, with some spicy dry red colored chutney interspersed between the buns; throw in a deep fried salt wrapped green chilli and chow chow away to glory. I picked my mom's recipe which has no ginger-garlic and modified it a little to suit a spicy palate with some extra's and more crispness.

The best Vada-Pav I've had was at Bandra, Mumbai where an aunty serves home made Vada Pav outside her door step. She sits on a rickety wooden chair perched outside the door with a huge tray with Vada's on one side, a heap of Laadi Pav on another and a tiny mountain of some spicy red coconut chutney or Tikhat Chutney Pood along with. On another corner would be the green chillies deep fried which is given along with the entire loot. So, post the order she curls up all of them in a newspaper, ties them with a cloth string with a professional expertise and hands over the warm potli with a smile. Whenever I visit Mumbai, I make sure I hunt down this aunty after going through the various narrow bylanes just to eat this warm snack.

Khao Galli, Mumbai, a street dedicated entirely to 'FOOD' located near Marine Lines is another place which is a favorite food spot of mine. You will spot different street-food treats adorning the sides of the pavement. The efficiency is uber cool and your dish gets ready on demand within 2-3 minutes approximately. The person serving you suggests to have it with Cut Chai ~ a simple cardamom flavoured tea with some cream or malai dunked on top for extra flavour. The plate looks colorful with the reddish brown Patty peeping in from the Pav with bright colors of red coarse chutney bursting out. He also gives you a nice green chilli deep fried and wrapped in salt. It certainly makes me a happy soul for the entire day!


The best way to enjoy a Vada-Pav is certainly to discover a local vendor selling Vada-Pav. You can spot the vendors in most of the places in Mumbai - near the local train station, market places and if nothing works out, take time to go to a restaurant and order for one without further ado. Both of us yearn for Street Food and we make sure we make Vada-Pav's very often. That's the beauty of this humble snack which costs a tiny little sum of Rs.5/- and gives lots of happiness and soul-satisfaction in return.

Cooking time - 10 minutes
Preparation time - 40 minutes
Yield - 6-8 Vada Pav's

Ingredients:
Vada: Patty -
Potatoes (boiled and mashed) - 4 cups
Onions - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Green Chilli paste - 1 teaspoon or 2-3 Green chillies chopped (fry them in little oil prior to be added)
Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Vada Seasoning -
Curry leaves (chopped into bits) - 3-4
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - For seasoning

Vada Coating Batter -
Gramflour or Besan - 3/4 cup
Boiled Toor Dal - 2 teaspoon (for crispness)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice flour - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Hot oil - 1 teaspoon
Water - For batter consistency
Oil - For deep frying

Spicy Red Coconut Chutney or Tikhat Chutney Pood
Coconut powder - 1/2 cup
Tamarind pulp (separated in raw form) - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic (shredded to tiny bits) - 1 teaspoon
Salt - As per taste

6-8 Green Chillies - Deep fried & dunked in some salt

Indian Pav - 6-8 or Hamburger Buns - 6-8

Method:
Boil and mash the Potatoes and keep them aside. Mix in Turmeric powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, chopped Coriander leaves and add salt as per taste, keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and once they begin to pop, add curry leaves which are chopped into bits. Add Onions and saute a little. Pour this seasoning on the Vada and mix well. If adding Green chillies not as a paste, make sure you saute them in little oil before adding to tone down the heat. Make small Vada's ~ round shaped of Ladoo size out of the mixture and keep them aside.

Make a thick batter of Besan along with baking soda, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and rice flour. Rice flour makes the Vada crisp. The thicker the batter, the better would the coating cling to the Vada. Heat the oil for deep frying the Vada, take a teaspoon of oil and pour into the batter. Mix well and deep fry the vada's individually after dipping them in the coating batter. Deep fry evenly till they turn golden brown and transfer to kitchen tissue to absorb excess oil. Deep fry green chillies, stir them in some salt, transfer to kitchen tissue and set aside.

Grind the coconut powder, red chilli powder and garlic along with little salt to a coarse powder. Store in an air tight container and refrigerate, use as per requirement.

While serving, plonk open the Burger or Paav, pour some generous amount of Red Chutney. Tuck the Vada in, pour some on top. Close the Vada and enjoy with a deep fried green chilli - a bounty full of flavour in your mouth.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Edamame


Edamame ~ Boiled Soya Beans is a savoury quick healthy, snack which is a power house of protein. Edamame is a simple dish of boiled baby soya beans popular in China, Korea and various oriental pockets of the world. I first sampled this at a oriental restaurant and loved the healthy bites. In US, you get frozen varieties where the beans are packed in pods. Simple and easy to make; they are quick to eat and kid friendly as well.

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Preparation time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:
Soya Beans pods - 4-6 cups
Salt
Water

Method:
Thaw the Soya Beans if specified in the package, else transfer them to a deep bowl of boiling water. Add a teaspoon of salt while boiling. Once completely cooked (check and eat one bean pod open to affirm), transfer to a different dish and drain water completely. Sprinkle sea salt and give a toss. Eat the beans while they are hot.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Breadfruit (Jeev Kadgi/ Neer Phanas) - An Essay

Breadfruit is a green, round species primarily belonging to the Mulberry family. The bark or the surface area of the fruit (Saali in Konkani) has hexagonal like structures. The fruit finds wide prominence and grows in abundance in Tropical region with good amount of rainfall and sunlight.

Breadfruit is known as Jeev Kadgi/ Jee Gujji in Konkani and Neer Phanas in Marathi. The leaves of the tree are wide spread, and grow upto 20-25 metres in height. The fruit of the tree is a most sought after one. The fruit has a starch content and can be roasted, baked, boiled, fried or deep fried depending on preference. The more fresh and young the Breadfruit the better the taste and flavour.


Some of my friends prefer eating the Breadfruit on Mondays and Thursdays when the diet is vegetarian in nature (Shivraag in Konkani). Cutting and chopping the fruit is a little tedious task. The knife needs to be well oiled, some oil applied on the palm before beginning the cutting process. This is to prevent the sticky milk of the fruit (called as Deek in Konkani) clinging to the hands while chopping the fruit. The bark is gently chipped off to find the white, soft meat of the fruit. The central core which is a thin tall membrane (Pith) called as Geeru in Konkani is extracted and discarded. Rest of the fruit is cut into desired shapes and sizes and used as per choice.

My mom makes quite a lot of dishes from Breadfruit. Few which I wish to mention are - Breadfruit Fritters (Jeev Kadgi Phodi), Breadfruit Side Dish (Jeev Kadgi Upkari), Breadfruit Chickpea Curry in Coconut sauce (Jeev Kadgi Chane Soyi Bhajili Ghashi).

Breadfruit if stored, stay good for a week upon refrigeration. The fresher the Breadfruit, the better the taste and flavour. The Breadfruit can be found in huge numbers in tropical areas of Asia and Carribean regions. Couple of my cousins have huge Breadfruit trees in their backyard and I have fond memories of Breadfruit picking activity which we used to participate during summer. The fruit of the tree is an adored one and is a staple food in many a tropical regions across the globe.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Breadfruit Fritters (Jeev Kadgi Phodi/ Neer Phanas Chi Kaapa)


Do you get oodles and oodles of happines seeing that one long lost vegetable which you are sampling after decades..? Well I for one, relish such instances. Recently, I got my hand on a pretty young Breadfruit. I was delighted and on cloud zillion (if there was one) to see the mushy buttery vegetable. In Konkani, the Breadfruit is known as Jeev Kadgee (Konkani) or Jee Gujji (Konkani) or Neer Phanas (Marathi).


The Breadfruit is of mighty coconut size, with light green honey comb like structure on the surface. While chopping the vegetable, I oil the knife and apply some on my palms as well; the thick milk oozing from the Breadfruit sticks to hands otherwise and gets messy to clean up. Extract the central thick stem which is the Pith (called as Geeru in Konkani), chip off the thick Breadfruit green bark entirely from the surface of the vegetable. You will find white, pristine meat which is soft and easy to chop. Chop them into desired pieces or shapes of choice. Of many a dishes I ate, I love Fritters (Jeev Kadgee Phodi) and Breadfruit Chana Curry (Jeev Kadgee Chane Soyi Bhajili Ghashi).

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2-3

Ingredients:
Breadfruit pieces - 4-6
Sooji - 3-4 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper powder (optional) - 1/3 teaspoon
Water - For cooking
Oil - For frying

Method:
Remove the green bark from the breadfruit and the central core which is the Pinth. Chop them into desired size. Apply spice rub of all the powders. Sprinkle little water for moisture and leave aside for 20-30 minutes.
Dredge them in Rava/ Sooji. Shallow fry in a heated pan with oil on the sides. Turn them after they are fried on one side. Pour some oil on the sides. After some time sprinkle 2-3 handfull of water, cover the lid and allow to cook evenly on both the sides. Serve hot with rice and a side dish.

Suggestion: Breadfruits tend to have a dry texture once cooked. To prevent that, sprinkle some water after turning them over once and cover with a lid. This ensures the fritters have a soft, moist taste.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Mango Daal (Aambat Daal)

A bag of cut green Mangoes lying in the freezer compelled me to take a trip down the memory lane and grab a few bites of one of the gooey, creamy, tart and tangy flavoured Daal combination - Mango Daal or Aambat Daal. I made this for an afternoon lunch couple of days back and boy! I love the flavour. Chunks of pieces of raw mango cooked in Toor Dal with a little help of heat in form of seasonings - Garlic, Cumin, Mustard seeds and the good old Red Chilli - Byadgi Mirchi sourced from Bangalore Market.

I first sampled this Daal at my friend C's place for a lunch party many years ago. Knowing that C has a dexterous hand in terms of dishing out delicious lunches and dinners with lot of seasonal vegetables and flavours, I knew I would love what she makes. A deft hand, plenty of simplicity and loads of subtle flavours thrown in, she took me by surprise. I loved the Mango Daal recipe and can't thank her enough for sharing it. C calls this Aambat Daal - Aambat signifying tangy flavour in Marathi language. Years later, I tried cooking this in India and loved dishing this for a summer afternoon lunch. Mangoes are in season now; I had a bag of frozen green cut Mangoes, so thought of using this to sink in the summer cool flavours. The consistency of this Daal is thick, with different flavours mixing in. Sometimes when I crave for the tangy kick in my food, this Daal certainly vows to please my taste buds.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients:
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Green Mangoes (Fresh or Frozen) - 3/4 cup
Onions (chopped) - 1/3 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste

Seasoning -
Garlic pods (chopped) - 1
Mustard seeds - 1/3 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/3 teaspoon
Oil - For treating the seasoning
Curry leaves (optional) - 2-4 leaves

Method:
Wash Toor Dal multiple times till water is clear. Wash raw green mangoes with skin and chop them into 1" chunks. I have retained the skin of Mangoes for nutritional value, retain or discard as per choice. Pressure cook both with onions (chopped), turmeric and red chilli powder. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. I prefer them extra mushy so went for 4 whistles. Allow to cool and mash the Daal to a thick consistency. Add salt and adjust consistency with water as per thickness desired.
Heat few teaspoons of oil in a separate pan on a low-to-medium flame. Once heated up, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they pop add red chillies split into two and curry leaves. Add chopped garlic and saute till they are brown. Pour this seasoning on the Daal and mix well. Serve hot with warm rice, ghee and some Vodee/ Vadams/ Crispies on the side.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Spicy Yam Stir Fry (Surnaa Upkari/ Sooran Bhaaji)


Upkari or Vegetable side dish are my favorites. They are easy to make, fast to cook and healthy with less or no oil. Fairly simple recipe, tasty to the core; goes well with Daals and Curries. Owing to the potential itchy sensation one may acquire while eating, many detest eating this dish.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
Yam/ Sooran/Suran (chopped into 1/2" cubes) - 4 cups
Red Chillies - 2
Salt - as per taste
Jaggery (optional) - 1/2 teaspoon

For seasoning:
Oil - For frying
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 4-6

For Garnish:
Grated coconut - 1/4th cup

Method:
Chop off the bark of Yam, use kitchen gloves if required because the yam can leave an itchy sensation on hands. Chop into 1/2" cubes and wash well with water. If using frozen ones, thaw them for 1/2 hour, rinse well in multiples washes till the water gets clear. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Set aside.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, once they begin to pop and curry leaves. Split Red Chillies into two and add them. Give a gentle stir and add chopped Yam pieces. Add salt as per taste. Add enough water to boil the vegetables. Add Jaggery pieces and stir well. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame till all the pieces are completely cooked and water gets evaporated. Garnish with lot of grated coconut and serve warm.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tender Banana Plantain Stem (Gabbo/ Gabbe) - An Essay

Tender Banana Stem (Gabbo or Gabbe)

Banana Plantain is an adored foliage in most of the western and southern parts of India. Every independent house would inevitably have one cosy corner adorned with bounties of Plantain families nestling together. The simple process of planting a Banana Plantain begins with the process of getting a baby sapling (Kele Kurlo) and planting in a marshy region of the backyard. Within few months you would begin to see tender shoots of dark green and light green sprouting out and the tree shooting towards the heaven.

Banana Plantain has many a parts which can be consumed or utilised in the kitchen, home or just for general purpose use. The Banana's can be used in raw or ripe form for edible delights. The leaves of Banana are used as plates while having/serving food especially for religious ceremonies, weddings, mass lunch and dinners. The skin of Banana especially the browned ones are soaked in water and sun-dried. Then they are used as threads to sew flowers (Kele Vaayu). The Banana flower (Kele Bondi) which is a reddish conch shaped element sprouting out along with the Banana bunch is also used to make many a tasty dishes. The most interesting part of Banana is the Tender Banana stem (Gabbo) which is embedded within the trunk of the Banana Plantain. Once the Banana bunch is trimmed from the tree, the Plantain is chopped off from the ground level. The trunk is then chipped off,of the many a layers of skin to find a tube shaped stem found in the core which is edible, rich is fibre and extremely nutritious. In Konkani, its known as Gabbo or Gabbe. The stem has to be scaled off the layers, chopped into slices and used as a complementary vegetable in Konkani dishes like Koddel, Bendi and all Masala based curries.

Banana Bunch on the Plantain

Interestingly, many of them are not aware of the Tender Banana Stem and discard the trunk once the harvest is completed. I have seen the stems being available in local markets in Udupi, Mangalore and some areas of Bombay markets as well. My parents source the Stems from local farmers who own large farms with arrays of Plantain. The Stem has many a curative powers especially for kidney related ailments and urinary disorders. Owing to the high fibre content, the fibrous cellulose content of the Stem acts as a cleanser and keeps the kidney in good shape. It also acts as a roughage when introduced in curries and gravies due to the high fibre content. Its an astonishing fact to learn that nature can endow a single plant form with so many utilities.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Fruity Sangria ~ A Delicious Spanish Drink


Summer is here. The sweltering heat gets on you, the sun is blazing hot, hitting you hard. Plenty of cool drinks, and you are sorted. We both sampled Sangria, a Spanish Wine-based drink few months back at a gourmet restaurant and became instant fans upon tasting. The boozy flavours of fruits treated with a heady concoction of red wine and fruit juice takes a whole new meaning when they all come together. Husband was too eager to try it out at home. At at a paltry sum, you can get the same flavours at home with the fruits and spices of your choice. I relish the Spanish appetizers or snacks or finger food, called as 'Tapa' which in Spanish means 'to cover'; bite-sized pieces of food, usually vegetables or meat, that you can nibble, infused with Olive oil and spices of choice. I am always on the pursuit of trying recipes which are a pleaser for the soul and have a home-style flavour.

Sangria is a Spanish drink made out of fruits, choicest spices and the best of red or white wine. Mix and match your savoury, favorite fruits, spices, citrus flavours to create a Sangria of choice. The process used here is called 'steep'. Prepare a wine-fruit-punch mix as per your taste, allow the fruits to soak and thereby 'steep' them for hours desired. When you are ready to serve, the fruits absorb the liquids and are dunked and soaked in the concoction flavours. This beverage is great crowd-puller for parties, get together events and a 'pleaser' for sure. My husband is a great fan of Sangria and now with the heat up in the air, we make it often with a splash of Apples and Pear and some Cinnamon sticks thrown in.

Preparation time: 24 hours
Processing time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Dry Red Wine ~ Cabernet Sauvignon - 4 cups
Fruit Punch of any brand - 4 cups
Sugar - As per taste
Red Apple (sliced) - 1
Pear (sliced) - 1
Lemon (sliced) - 1
Lime Juice (optional) - 1-2 teaspoon
Cinnamon stick - 2
Ice cubes - As per taste

Contraption used ~ A Serving Pitcher

Method:
Mix in Dry Red Wine and Fruit Punch in a Serving Pitcher. Add slices of Apple, Pear and Cinnamon sticks. Adjust for taste with addition of sugar and lime juice. I prefer the natural taste so preferred not to add any. Mix well. Cover with a foil or a wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours to steep. Serve next day after 24 hours, chilled over ice cubes along with the fruits. If you appreciate boozy flavours, try munching on the fruits soaked in the delectable liquer, you will be floored.

Note: Adjust flavours as per taste. If you wish for more wine flavour, add more wine, if you prefer fruity flavour to be dominant, add more fruit punch. Balance is key as you do not want flavours overpowering each other.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Savoury Bread Pudding In Flavored Milk (Double Ka Meetha)


Hyderabad - the beautiful city in India, home to many a stalwarts, sportspeople, politicians, film stars has a rich cultural heritage, an equally rich cuisine and history of traditional recipes passed on from generation to generation. The tall gigantic work of architecture at Charminar, beautiful robust fort of Golconda, the bustling markets of Secunderabad selling the best shiny white Hyderabad Pearls all form a part of distinct Hyderabad identity. Hyderabadi recipes pack a medley of flavours and tastes which have an origin and uniqueness of their own. Nothing to beat the authentic flavours of this land.

My observation is that Hyderabadi cuisine in its own way makes abundant use of exotic and ancient spices and condiments along with the ones which have a regular space in our kitchen. Few dishes which form a greater portion of Hyderabad's culinary identity are Hyderabadi Biryani with the famous 'Potli' masala, Haleem, Khubaani Ka Meetha, Double Ka Meetha, Mirchi Ka Salan. The famous dessert dish from Hyderabad is Double Ka Meetha, also called as Bread Ka Meetha. 'Double' is a derivative from the 'Double Bread' which signifies Bread or Pav. 'Meetha' is a hindi word for sweet. Slices of bread soaked in flavoured milk, garnished with toasted nuts equals heavenly delight. Easy to make dish, tastes good with all the flavours mixing in.

Happy Easter!! Crack your egg and have fun....


Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Milk Bread or White Bread slice - 6-8
Sugar - 1 cup ~ adjust as per taste
Whole Milk - 4 cups
Ghee - For frying bread
MTR Badam powder or Crushed Almond Powder - 1 tablespoon
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon

For garnishing -
Pistachio - 1/4th cup
Slivered Almonds - 1/4th cup
Saffron - Few strands

Method:
Boil 3 cups of milk with sugar and reduce to 1/2 the consistency in a non-stick deep dish pan. Add MTR badam powder and the consistency would come to a thick one. This whole process takes around 30-40 minutes. Keep stirring the milk occasionally to avoid milk sticking at the bottom of the vessel. Keep aside.
Cut bread slices into triangles. Remove the brown edges. On a frying pan, pan-fry bread slices with ghee till they are firm and well done. Transfer to a large serving pan. Place the fried bread. Pour the flavoured milk over the bread. Garnish with lightly toasted nuts of choice and few Saffron strands. Allow to cool for some time. Cover the pan with foil. Chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving.

Suggestion: For best taste use Milk Bread, if not White Bread also works well.