Throwback Thursday: Creamy Kantola Curry

I started this blog with my mom because I wanted to learn about Indian cooking and all the dishes she made for our family.  When I was away at college, I used to call my mom and she would recite the recipe to me over the phone for the dish I was preparing at the time. Over the years, I learned a lot about spices, how to pick vegetables, and of course how to cook them. 

When I got married and moved away, I felt like I was in college again. Not only was I cooking for myself now but also for my husband...who, by the way, loves Indian food. He's my guinea pig now, I mean my loving partner! 😍

Even my mom says I've come a long way and that she's proud of me. It's all thanks to this blog. Even though I'm far away from home, whenever I'm cooking a dish from the blog, I feel like my mom is right there with me. Sometimes, it really does feel like she's here with me because I call her to ask questions about ingredient substitutions. 

I made two curries tonight, Paneer Bhurji and Creamy Kantola curry. 

The recipe below is for Creamy Kantola Curry - a dish I really like and am so happy I got to cook it tonight for dinner. I haven't eaten this vegetable curry in a long time and I enjoyed making it.

Ingredients
- 1 packet (12oz/340g) of frozen chopped Kantola*
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/8 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

Ingredients for the gravy
- 1.5 Tbsp peanut butter (alternately you can use Tahini as well)
- 1/4 cup grated coconut*
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp

Ingredients for seasoning
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp whole cumin
- 1 tsp urad dal (black gram lentil) optional
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil


Procedure
1) Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium flame and season with urad dal, mustard, and cumin. When the mustard splutters, and dal is fried, add onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add turmeric and chili powder and mix well.

Add frozen Kantola, brown sugar, salt and 50 ml of water. Mix well. Cook under tightly closed lid until Kantola is cooked and soft (about 10-15 minutes). You should be able to split the pieces easily with a spatula.

2) Remove the lid and add the ingredients for the gravy (peanut butter, grated coconut, plain yogurt, and tamarind). Mix well and add more water to loosen up and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture thickens. Taste and adjust salt and brown sugar per your taste.

3) Remove from stove, transfer into a serving bowl and garnish the curry with fresh coriander. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

***Quick Tips

  

- On the left is the frozen Kantola packet I bought at my local Indian grocer.

- If Kantola isn't readily available, you can also use Chinese bitter melon or Karela (bitter gourd). If using Karela, you may have to add more brown sugar to tone down the bitter taste as needed. 

- I didn't have plain yogurt to use for the gravy, so I used coconut milk instead and it still came out well.
- I used dry coconut powder instead of freshly grated coconut. You can also buy grated coconut at your local Indian grocer (in the frozen section). 

Simple Guvar Beans Stir Fry

I visited my parents this past weekend and enjoyed some good ol' home cooking. I love simple stir fry dishes especially if those stir fries are made with guvar, tindora or snake gourd. 

It can be difficult to find these vegetables in the fresh produce section in supermarkets. That's why we buy them frozen in the Indian supermarkets. Check out the recipe below for simple Guvar Stir Fry.   

Ingredients

- 12 oz packet of Cut Guvar beans (frozen)

- 2 green chilies or per taste, chopped finely

- 3 gloves of garlic, sliced finely

- 1 Tbsp brown sugar

- 1/2 Tbsp salt

- 2 Tbsp sesame powder (sesame seeds roasted and powdered)

- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Ingredients for seasoning

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 Tbsp Urad dal (also known as black gram lentil)

- 1 tsp whole cumin

- 1 tsp mustard seeds

Procedure

In a small pressure cooker, heat oil on medium and when you feel heat on your palm, add the seasoning ingredients: urad dal, cumin, and mustard seeds. 

When the dal is roasted and the mustard seeds splutter, add the green chilies and garlic. Toss until the garlic aroma comes out (about 1 minute). 

Now add turmeric, guvar beans, salt and brown sugar. 

Mix well and add 50 ml of water and pressure cook on low to medium heat until 3 whistles. Wait until the pressure is released from the pressure cooker and heat the curry on low heat to allow the extra water to evaporate and then add the sesame powder. Mix well and serve hot. 

You can serve this stir fry as a side dish or with rice. I like eating it with warm rice, topped with ghee (clarified butter). 

Quick Tips

- If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can make this dish in a skillet as well. Cook under tight lid mixing intermittently until the beans are cooked well and soft. Add sesame powder, mix well and serve hot. 

Dosa Heaven in Brooklyn

I can't believe there's only one dosa restaurant in all of Brooklyn! One?? That's so disappointing. What's worse is that, there's at least half a dozen North Indian restaurants in this area. 

I rather eat hot and crispy dosas over Chicken Tikka Masala any day. 

The "dosa heaven" I'm referring to is about the dosas I made at home. My husband and I decided to stay at home and clean this Labor day weekend. I made dosas as a reward. I made them using the homemade dough my mom gave me when I lasted visited their place. MOMS think of everything!!  

What better way to enjoy dosas than with dosa chutney and potato curry. Dosas would be naked without them.

I never understood why restaurants always served dosas with coconut chutney but not peanut chutney. They don't even have peanut chutney as an option. Is it because of allergies? 

Peanut chutney is only made at home. Why isn't it served outside of the home? It's not like it's difficult to make. The chutney consists of peanuts, tamarind, dried red chilies, salt, brown sugar and oil. In my opinion, coconut chutney is only good with idlis not dosas. 

What do you think about the potato curry served with dosas at the restaurants? I never liked it; it's tasteless and lumpy. My mom makes the potato curry with mixed vegetables so you're not just eating POTATO. Besides potatoes, she also adds cauliflower, French cut beans, carrots and peas in her recipe. It's a healthier version. 

I didn't have all the vegetables from her recipe, so I improvised and used: baby bella mushrooms, soy beans and cashews in with the potatoes. It turned out well and my husband liked it so it's a win in my book.

I hope to see more dosa places pop up in my area. The Brooklynites are missing out on our cuisine and culture. 

What is your "dosa heaven"? Which do you prefer: peanut chutney or coconut chutney with dosas? We would love to hear from you. 

Throwback Thursday: Protein Packed Lentil Waffles

Still thinking about the pesarattu waffles my mom and I made last year with our waffle maker from Costco. Pesarattu is a type of dosa made with lentils. Instead of making it the traditional way, we kicked it up a notch and used the dosa dough to make WAFFLES!!!

Check out these crispy lentil waffles... 

Whole Moong waffles

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole Moong (mung bean) and 1/8 cup rice soaked for 6 to 8 hours 
• Onion, finely chopped
• Cumin seeds
• Salt for taste

Procedure

We used our stone grinder and ground the soaked moong dal and rice to a smooth consistency (consistency of dosa dough).  Once the dough is prepared, it's time to make the waffles.

As you will see in the video, we applied oil on the waffle grooves and then poured the lentil and rice batter. Make sure to evenly spread the batter in the waffle maker. (Please see video for details). 

The waffles can be enjoyed on their own or with your favorite chutney. 

How do you use your waffle maker? Do you make savory waffles too? Please share your comments with us. 

Garden to Table - Fresh Gongura Chutney

Gardening is bliss! When we're not busy coming up with new dishes, my mom and I are tending to our garden.  

We love planting and watching them grow. Since moving away from home, I've started my own garden. This year, I planted cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, gongura, and various herbs. It's very relaxing and nurturing. 

One of the plants I'm very excited to see flourish is the gongura plant. We use the leaves to make a fresh chutney which we mix into rice and enjoy. 

Feast your eyes on this "fresh from the garden" pickle. 

Dishes made with Gongura leaves are popular in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (southern states of India). There are two varieties of Gongura: red-stemmed leaf and green stemmed leaf.

Mature Gongura leaves, ready for picking

My mom and I grew the green stemmed variety which is not as sour as the other kind. We haven't tried growing this plant before because of the hot climate that is required for its sustenance. I'm happy that the plant is doing well and is growing in our warm climate. We've collected enough leaves to make this popular pickle from India. 

Below is the recipe for this fresh South Indian chutney:

Ingredients

125g (or 1/4 lb) Gongura leaves, chopped (should measure 3 cups packed)

1/4 cup whole coriander seeds

1/8 cup urad (black gram lentil in English)

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds

3 to 4 dry red chilies

A lump of tamarind (size of a lemon), soaked in little water

1 Tbsp sea salt (reduce measurement slightly if using regular variety)

1/4 cup Sesame or Vegetable oil, for frying and seasoning

For Taalimpu (seasoning):

1 tsp whole mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1 dry red chili, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 pinches of Hing (also known as Asaphoetida)

Procedure

1) Add one teaspoon of oil to a medium saucepan on low-medium heat. Next, add coriander seeds, black gram lentil, chilies, and Fenugreek seeds. Fry until lentil is golden brown. Then, transfer the mixture into a blender and grind it into powder and add half the amount of salt. 

2) Bring the saucepan back to the stove and on low-medium heat, add half teaspoon oil and then add the gongura leaves. Wilt the leaves until they turn dull green. Remove from the stove and allow the leaves to cool down. 

3) Add the wilted gongura leaves, soaked tamarind and remaining salt into the blender with the dry powder. Then, add 1/4 cup or less of water and some oil and grind everything until the leaves are coarsely ground and blended with the dry powder. Transfer the chutney into a mason jar with a lid. 

4) Heat the remaining oil for seasoning in the saucepan and add mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds, and red chili. When the mustard seeds splutter, add 2 pinches of hing and then add this mixture to the chutney and mix well. 

5) The chutney is now ready to be served. We like to eat this chutney with warm plain white rice. You can also enjoy by spreading it on toast. 

Quick Tip: 

If you are using red-stemmed gongura leaves, adjust the tamarind as it is sourer than the green stemmed variety. If you prefer more gongura taste, reduce the coriander and black gram lentil quantities. 

Karapappalu - Crispy Ragi and Kale Patties

It's surely been a healthy ride these past couple of months...and still going! We're ending National Nutrition Month with a "Krispy" twist; scroll down for more details...

Every year my mom and I try various ways to eat better and stay healthy. Rice is our staple and we ate a lot of it. Alas, that has come to an end. Instead of eating rice heavy meals, we switched to salads for dinner. Don't get me wrong, I still eat rice but not as much as before. 

Does judge me when I say this but I love shopping for food items more than clothing. I love the aromas of different spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Our local farmers market has a good stock of vegetables and that's where we got the KALE. 

Didn't realize it at the time but I think we bought too much. So we started using it in everything. Even kale in Karapappalu! 

Karapappalu are crispy rice and moong dal patties that are a popular Telangana snack.  We got soo bored of eating salads few weeks back that we got creative and made Karapappalu with kale and other healthy ingredients. Check out the recipe below and tell us what you think:

Ingredients

- 1 cup Ragi flour

- 2 cups Rice flour

- 1 long squash

- 1 cup kale, finely chopped

- 1/3 cup moong dal, soaked in water for 30 minutes

- 1/2 Tbsp chili powder

- 3 Tbsp sesame seeds

- 2 Heaved Tbsp cornmeal

- 1/2 Tbsp Salt (or as needed)

- 2 to 3 cups Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Procedure

Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium to large bowl and mix well. Then add all the vegetables and soaked moong dal to the dry mixture and mix well. 

Slowly add water to the mixture and knead until it is of dough consistency. (Note: raw vegetables release water after few minutes of taking in salt, so keep the dough somewhat dry).

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Shape (lime size) dough balls into round flat ½ cm thick patties.

Quick tip: To avoid dough from sticking to your fingers, slightly wet your hands.  You can also use wax paper or plastic bag to press the dough into patties as shown below.

Transfer each shaped patty into hot oil and fry to golden brown/reddish color. 

For best results:  Use a steel skimmer to turn each patty in-between for even frying. Then use it to transfer the fried patty into a metal sieve resting in a bowl so that excess oil can be drained. After that, you can transfer the patty to a serving bowl (see video for for clarification). 

After the patties were ready, we served them with a dipping sauce we made with sour cream and crushed dried mint. You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream too. 

Comfort Food Series: Waffles to the Rescue!

Idli Waffles with hot sambhar and creamy coconut chutney 

Winter snowstorm Niko plowed us in for the day, so we took the day off and experimented in the kitchen. We got out our nifty Cuisinart waffle maker and made Idli Waffles. These crispy and savory waffles are a real crowd pleaser. 

Bon Appetit!!  

Andhra Special - Stuffed Eggplant and Potato Masala

One of my favorite vegetables to cook with is Eggplant. It's slightly sweet and pairs well with the spice mixtures (or masalas) we cook with. In addition, there are so many varieties to choose from and can make dishes: small round ones, Chinese eggplants that are long and slender; both purple and white, Italian Eggplants, fat eggplants that I use to make bharta, etc.

Last week we went to our local Indian grocer and we found these lovely small round eggplants perfect for making Guthi Vankaya.

Guthi Vankaya in English means stuffed eggplant. This dish is popular in Andhra Pradesh. The stuffing is made with a variety of spices, onion and fresh coriander.

Most of our family likes this dish, the only person who doesn't like it is my sister. She truly, deeply dislikes EGGPLANT. We trick her now and then by camouflaging the vegetable but she can see right through us.  

Guthi Vankaya - Stuffed Eggplant and Potato Curry

She's totally missing out. I mean who doesn't like Eggplant? I asked my sister many times but all she tells me is "I don't like the taste of it".

Since my mother is making this dish for all of us, she throws in a potato so my sister can still appreciate the dish without eating the eggplant. The masala and vegetable combination is really delicious.

It's not difficult to make; you just have to make the stuffing and stuff the eggplant and cook it together with the potato to the right consistency. Let's check out more details on how to make it.

Ingredients and Prep Work

1-1/2 lb or about 10 Eggplant (small round type) 

1 to 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1 large onion, chopped finely or grated coarsely

1/3 cup chutney powder

1/4 cup dry coconut powder

2 Tbsp Dhan-jeera powder (coriander and cumin powder)

1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

1 tsp tamarind pulp 

3 to 4 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp or 2 pinches turmeric powder

1 tsp salt or as needed

Procedure
Cut the stalks of each eggplant and make a + slit at the bottom (as shown in the picture below).

Mix in a bowl all the dry ingredients: chutney powder, dhan-jeera powder, dry coconut powder, chili powder, onion, fresh coriander, and tamarind paste. 

Then sprinkle two tablespoons of water to bring the mixture together.

Now it's time to stuff the eggplants. Rub a pinch of salt inside each of the slit eggplant.

And then take about a tablespoon of the mixture and stuff each of the eggplants and keep them aside.

Heat oil in a skillet on low-medium flame; then add turmeric.

Stir and immediately add the stuffed eggplant and potato and sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt.

Mix well and cook under a closed lid for  15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplants.

Add in remaining onion and masala mixture (if any) and stir and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the eggplant is browned. Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

If you liked this recipe, also check out our Stuffed Karela dish. For more dish ideas, also check out our recipes page. 

A South Indian Dinner on Sankranti

I've felt this emptiness inside of me ever since the demise of my favorite Indian restaurant, Bombay Grill. You may think my behavior is over dramatic but I have my reasons. You see, I'm very picky when it comes to dining out, especially at Indian restaurants. More than the ambiance and decor, I indulge in the food. I can tell when the dishes are made with LOVE and when they are not. The family that owned Bombay Grill cooked with such love and treated their customers very nicely. I was heartbroken when it closed its' doors forever.I was happy to know that although there was no more Bombay Grill, the spot wasn't vacant for long.

A new Indian restaurant called Urusi - The Taste of South India opened its doors on Pongal on January 14th the day before Sankranti. We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by for dinner.  The restaurant's entrance was adorned with sugarcane sticks and colorful Christmas lights. The host and owner welcomed us at the door with a smile and seated us to our table. While we looked at our menus, we chatted him up a bit and learned about the restaurant. He is originally from Tamil Nadu (Southeast State of India) and came to the United States with his family to start a restaurant business. His brother is the chef and he loves to cook all kinds of South Indian dishes.

After the pleasantries, we ordered a plate of idli fry with mint chutney for appetizer and different kinds of dosas (fermented crepe with rice batter, various lentils and/or flours) for dinner. Idlis are steamed rice and lentil cakes. As we enjoyed these crispy and well seasoned idlis, the host brought our dosas out one by one. My father ordered the ever popular Paper Masala Dosa with a side of hot sambhar, seasoned potato curry and coconut chutney.

Example of Paper Masala Dosa  

Whereas, my mother and I ordered my favorite, Onion Rava Masala Dosa with the same sides. Our dosas were not presented as majestically like my father but that didn't stop us from enjoying them. Onion Rava Masala dosas are typically made with rice batter, semolina flour (sooji) and all-purpose flour (maida). The taste was a bit different from what I've eaten before but it was still tasty. Overall, our dinner was enjoyable and the company was nice. I am looking forward to stopping by again soon to try more of their South Indian dishes.

 ***Quick Tips:

- Urusi is situated in the mini plaza off of Route 46 East in Rockaway, opposite of World Gym and BP Gas Station. 
- Dosas taste better when eaten hot; so don't take too long to enjoy them because you are taking pictures. 
- Also check out my review of the Thalappakatti Biryani, one of their specialty rice dishes. on my post, For the Love of Biryani

A Sweet Surprise in my Puri!

I have many loves in life. One specific love is for Indian sweets (or desserts). There is so much variety of sweets all over India and in every region. Long time ago, I think people got bored of making the same sweet all the time and decided to create their own. They went on to share with everyone they knew and then those recipes spread like wild fire all over the nation...but that's just my theory.
One of the sweets that became popular in South India, which is unique to the region is Halwa Puri. I Googled it  to see if I can find more information about it but didn't find anything conclusive. The only results I found were Puri served with Halwa, which isn't the same thing.

So what is Halwa puri? Halwa Puri is a sweet that is prepared on Ugadi (South Indian New Year). It is puri (a kind of Indian flatbread) stuffed with halwa. There are many ways to make Halwa and it's popular in various countries. For this particular recipe, we make it with semolina, sugar, milk, butter, and water. Simple enough so far, right? 

I love the crunchy texture of the puri combined with the sweetness of the halwa, you taste in every bite. It's so hard to eat just one. I'll stop here so you can continue reading on how to make the rest of this dessert.

Ingredients for Stuffing:

Sooji (semolina) Halwa - Prepare halwa without nuts and set aside to cool. Once it cools, roll into small balls. 

Ingredients for Dough:

- 2½ cups Maida*

- 1/8th cup Vegetable Oil (for mixing into dough)

- 2 cups Vegetable Oil (for frying)

- Handful of Sooji (Semolina)

- A pinch of Salt

Procedure:
1) Sift together maida, sooji and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Heat the 1/8th cup of oil and add it into the dry ingredients. Slowly add water to the ingredients until you form a soft but not firm dough ball. Put the dough aside and wait for at least 30 minutes to an hour for it to become malleable.

2) Take a walnut size dough piece and spread it on your palm. Place a small ball of halwa in the center of the flattened dough and wrap it with the dough by pulling from all sides. (Please watch video for demo) 

 Prepare all dough balls as described in Step 2

3) Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat until you feel the heat when you place the over the pan. On a 6x6" paraffin paper, spread the halwa stuffed dough ball into thin puri by pressing with your fingers (as shown in video below). Hint: Apply a little oil on your fingers to avoid sticking.

4) Remove each flattened out puri from the paraffin paper and slide it into the hot oil. Fry until it's golden brown on both sides. Place it on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. 

***Quick Tips: If maida isn't readily available, try the recipe with All-Purpose flour. Note that the taste may vary due to the use of different flour. 

Discover the world, one dish at a time! Check out our blog feature on Wanderfood Wednesdays by Lauren Van Mullem!! 

Warm Up This Autumn with David's Bottle Gourds Sambhar

Our first dish of the season was contributed by guest blogger, David Huggett who hails from Roanoke, Virginia. Join us as we discover and learn more about David's adventures in South Indian cooking:

As a home chef who holds the cuisine of India as a personal favorite, I consider it to be quite an honor to be invited by Jahnavi to write this guest post. I'm a big fan of her blog and the recipes which she and her mother create. 
Let me begin by stating that I am an American and have never traveled to India. However, I have long held a keen interest in the food and culture of the sub-continent. As a young man, I was first introduced to Indian cuisine by the kindness of a friend's family and several excellent restaurants in the Washington D.C. area. I was quite intrigued by the complexity of flavors and soon, I began experimenting with my own Indian inspired dishes. Thus began my twenty year journey into learning to prepare dishes from different areas of India, and to be as close to authentic as I know how to do.
At a recent trip to an Indian grocer, I was interested in the big beautiful Bottle Gourds, which were for sale. I asked the lady operating the store how I might prepare the gourd, and specifically asked if it would go well in sambhar. She explained that this is known in parts of India as Dudhi, and it would indeed work well in sambhar. I bought two dudhi and the store keeper threw in a nice aborigine (eggplant) and Wax Gourd.

Here's the recipe for Dudhi Sambhar that I prepared for my family recently.

Ingredients:
- 1 Dudhi (Bottle Gourd)
- 1 Wax Gourd
- 1 Capsicum or Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Aborgine or Baby Eggplant
- 1 large Onion
- 1 firm medium Tomato
- 1 cup Chana Dal
- 1 tbsp Sambhar powder
- 1 tbsp dry Tamarind
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- A pinch of Asafetida
 For the seasoning:
- 3 tbsp Butter or ghee
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- Dozen fresh Curry Leaves


Procedure:
We begin preparing the sambhar by lightly toasting the chana dal until fragrant.

In a pressure cooker, add the lightly toasted dal, 3 cups of water, salt, turmeric and asafetida. Bring to pressure and after 10 minutes, remove pressure cooker from heat and allow pressure to drop before opening the lid. Then mash well.

Peel dudhi and wax gourd and chop them into 1" cubes. Add them to the dal along with 1 cup of water. Place closed pressure cooker back on medium heat and bring to pressure. Once it reaches 10 lbs pressure, remove from heat and allow pressure to reduce.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the onion and capsicum. In a separate pan, heat the two tablespoons of butter. Toss in cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add onion and fry at medium heat until the mixture begins to turn golden brown. Add capsicum and stir for one minute. Then add chopped tomato, Sambhar powder, and salt. Fry this mixture for several minutes until tomatoes have become pasty and oil begins to separate from the vegetables.

Stir a small portion of the dal mixture into the onions and then return that to the dal. Soak dry tamarind in some lukewarm water for ten minutes and strain this into the dal. Allow the dish to simmer for 10 more minutes to allow the raw tamarind taste to cook out. Heat one tablespoon of butter in a pan. Add the fresh curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Drizzle the butter over the sambhar. Serve with Basmatic rice and chappati.


Check out more of David's Indian cooking...

Cool Cucumber Salsa

Didn't think we would see much sun this summer...especially with all the rain in the last couple weeks. However by clockwork, in the third week of June, the sun came up and dried up all the rain. Additionally, in the last week, it scorched us all with temperatures in the high 80s and 90s. It hardly gave us time to adjust to climate and temperature changes. It's important to keep cool and stay refreshed in this weather.
Some of the ways, we stay cool is by enjoying yummy delights like mangoes, spritzers, iced teas, and salads. Summertime also brings a lot of families and friends together for backyard parties. We came up with this new fusion recipe for a salsa that incorporates cucumbers...and not just as a garnish but as the main ingredient. It has a bit of everything; heat, sweet, tang, and surprisingly crisp flavor.

Ingredients:
- 1 long firm Green Cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 2 Green chilies, chopped
- Walnut size ball of Tamarind
- 1½ tbsp of Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp of Dhanjeera powder
- ¼ cup Coriander, chopped
- ½ tsp Salt (adjust to your taste)


Add a little water and soak tamarind until soft (or microwave for 30-40 seconds) and put aside. Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and use chop mode to mix all the ingredients well. Helpful Hint: Do not pulse until it's a smooth paste unless you want to drink the salsa. Pour out the mixture into a presentable dish and enjoy with your favorite chips.

Delightful Veggie Pops

This post is dedicated to my grandaunt who loves to feed everyone. Out of all the dishes my aunt makes, my mom's favorite is Sarvapindi (rice and moong dal flatbread). On our last trip to India, my mom and I visited my grandaunt and she made sure we left her home with a belly full of goodies. Along with my mom's favorite, she also made this yummy snack called Guntapongalalu*, which resembled cake pops but tasted like uttapams (Indian pancakes). 

We filled up on the the savory bites, while my aunt filled us in on the family updates. We enjoyed ourselves quite a bit and even received some recipes for our blog. Woohoo! 

Instant Uttapams (Indian Pancakes)

Here's a stereotype I can't stand, Indian people are hot heads. What does that even mean? I will tell you something that is true - we do eat a lot of spicy food but not all the time as people perceive it to be. We also like spicing our breakfast up with items like corn flakes with masala or uttapam (Indian pancake).

 You know how pancakes are a popular breakfast or brunch item here in the States. In South India, uttapams are a popular breakfast item. Pancakes and uttapams are similar in that they are both flatbreads except ours is savory. Traditional uttapams are made with a combination of urad dal and rice. Since Urad dal is not available in regular grocery stores, we came up with an easier Uttapam recipe. This blog is called "Indian" Khana (food) Made Easy for a reason.

This recipe makes about 10-12 pancakes or uttapams.

Ingredients:
- ½ packet of Pancake mix (any variety)
- 2 tsp Salt (or to taste)
- Vegetable oil or Pam (toasting pancakes on griddle)
Vegetables:
- ½ of Green Bell Pepper
- ½ of Red Bell Pepper
- ½ cup of shredded Cabbage
- ½ cup of Spinach (Frozen or Fresh)
- ½ cup of Frozen carrots and peas
- ½ of Medium Onion, chopped
- ¼ cup of Fresh Coriander, chopped
- 3 Green chilies, finely chopped or 1 tsp of Red chili paste

Procedure:

Follow the instructions for making the pancake mix from the packet or box. Add in all the chopped vegetables, salt and rice flour and mix well. Add an extra ¼ cup of water and mix to an uniform consistency.

Heat a griddle on medium heat for few minutes. Sprinkle or spray cooking oil onto the griddle and when it's hot, pour in 2 ladles of the dough onto the griddle.

Spread the dough out evenly in a skillet or electric griddle. Add a teaspoon of oil around the pancake and cover the griddle or skillet with a lid to cook evenly. Allow the pancake to cool and serve with your favorite chutney.

***Quick Tips:

- When using frozen vegetables, make sure to drain off the water before mixing into the batter. If the batter is runny, then the pancakes will come out soggy. 

- Also, for thicker pancakes, add 1/8 cup of rice flour. 

Another savory breakfast item that is really popular in South India is Guntapongalalu or Veggie Pops. Check it out!

~A Big Fat South Indian Wedding~

One of my favorite movies is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The key takeaways for me from the movie were that weddings are about tradition, bringing lots of families together and food. I guess that's what we have in common with the Greeks.
In India, weddings can span anywhere from 3-5 days including all the rituals. The guest list typically ranges from 400 to 2000 people. The larger figures are more common in smaller communities, where weddings are the key occasions for the parents to invite everyone they know including the community to bless the happy couple.  Nowadays the wedding ceremonies have become like a Bollywood movie; glitzy and over the top. One of my friends who recently got married told me his wedding was done at a large scale and even included fireworks for all the main events. I didn't believe him until he showed the pictures. The Indian weddings I've attended in the States are in no comparison to those abroad. My cousin's wedding was spectacular with all the frills and more. One example is that she arrived to the mandap (ceremonial stage) in a palanquin carried by all her uncles. Now that's what I call an entrance...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M2tPUlYjAY

The wedding was one of the most memorable events of my trip. It was filled with lots of laughs, relatives I haven't seen in years, rich and traditional South Indian food, glitzy clothing and jewelry, and best of all...I was a part of my cousin's important day. That's priceless!!

Pulihora (Tamarind Rice), Made Easy!

Happy Ugadi or Gudipadwa to all!

Ugadi/Gudipadwa is a Andhra, Karnataka, and Maharashtrian holiday which celebrates the arrival of the New Year, which also coincides with the beginning of Spring. This year it falls on a working day (3/16) and so my mom decided to make dishes that don't require a lot of time and happen to be our favorite. Yay for all.

The two dishes are Pulihora (Tamarind Rice) and Sooji Halwa (A Semolina Sweet). Both of these items are served as Prasad (offering to the god) at South Indian temples. Tamarind Rice is a very traditional delicacy which is often served at festivals and weddings.

One of the key components to making this rice dish so tasty, is Chaunk or Talimpu (seasoning). Also, traditional Tamarind rice making involves time-consuming method of soaking tamarind in water, squeezing the juice out, cooking it to make it into a paste, and then mixing it with rice. With semi-processed tamarind paste available these days, tamarind rice can be made in 10-15 minutes. It is a great way to turn your left over rice into a mouth-watering dish enjoyed by all.


Ingredients:
- 2 cups Basmati Rice

Ingredients for seasoning:
* 3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup Peanuts
* 2 Tbsp Channa dal (yellow peas)
* 1 tsp Mustard seeds
* 1 tsp cumin seeds
* ½ tsp (Asafoetida) Hing
* 1 tsp Turmeric powder
* 1 tsp Methi powder (fenugreek)
* 1 to 1-½ Tbsp Tamarind paste
* 6 small Green chilies, sliced into half  (3 Red chilies, broken into 1-inch pcs)
* 8 to 10 curry leaves
* 1-½  tsp Salt to taste
* ½ Tbsp Brown sugar (or gud)

Procedure:
1) Cook rice with slightly less water so that the grains are separated and not sticky. Then immediately transfer into a open dish, add a tbsp oil and spread it to loosen the grains.


2) In a small skillet add oil and heat it on medium heat. Hold your hand above the skillet and feel the heat. When hot, add peanuts and fry for 3 minutes. Add channa dal and continue to fry.


3) When peanuts and dal start to turn golden brown, add mustard and jeera and fry until the seeds start to splutter.
4) Add green chillies and a pinch of salt and fry for 2 min., then add hing, turmeric and methi powder. Add curry leaves and mix well.
5) Remove from the stove and add brown sugar. Transfer the seasoning onto the rice.

6) Add tamrind paste into rice and mix it well to a uniform color of deep yellow color. Allow the rice to absorb the seasoning for atleast 30min and serve.



4/26/2010:

Hey you all, just wanted to add that, you can also make this dish with rice noodles or vermicelli. Just follow the same recipe but with cooked rice noodles versus cooked rice:

To learn more about the spices used in seasoning, click here.