Sweet and Sour Bottle Gourd Curry (Sorakaya Antu Pulusu)

We're staying warm this Autumn with comforting food like the dish below. It's got a little bit of everything and lots of flavor. 

Ingredients

- About 10" long Bottle Gourd (also known as long squash), peeled and chopped into 1" cubes

- Size of big lemon of Tamarind

- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

- 1/2 tsp green chili paste (or 1/4 tsp of chili powder)

- a pinch of Turmeric

- 1 tsp Salt or as per your taste

- 2 Tbsp Besan (Chickpea flour)

- 2 Tbsp Rice Flour

Ingredients for the seasoning:

- 2 Tbsp Vegetable oil

- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

- A pinch of Hing (Asafotida)

- 6 to 8 Curry leaves (fresh or dry) - optional 

- A pinch of chili powder

Procedure

Soak tamarind in half cup of warm water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the juice using additional water. Alternately add the soaked tamarind into a blender, add additional 3 cups of water and blend for one minute. Then strain the liquid and remove the tamarind fiber. In a small pressure cooker, add the chopped bottle gourd, tamarind juice, brown sugar, turmeric, chili paste, and salt. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. When the steam is released, open the cooker and boil the mixture on low-medium heat. 

Add the besan (Chickpea flour) and rice flour in half a cup of water to make a sauce like consistency. Mix this sauce into the bottle gourd mixture to thicken the tamarind sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until it thickens. Heat vegetable oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add cumin seeds and then hing and pinch of chili powder. Remove from heat and add curry leaves and then add to the bottle gourd mixture. 

Serve hot with rice and/or your favorite flatbread.  

Atlanta - Indulging In Sweets

Cracker Candy! Really? Doesn't that name sound a bit strange? At first I thought so too but as I started eating one and then two, I stopped thinking about it and just gave into the indulgence. Sometimes I feel we care too much about the names and less about the actual taste.

These remind me of black and white cookies! You know what I'm talking about.

The "candies" were crunchy, salty, sweet and simply yummy. We made these the night before I was leaving, so my friend packed me a goodie bag full of them for the flight the next morning. Isn't she so thoughtful!

I think it's okay to give into your sweet cravings once in a while. Give into your cravings and try it out. Don't let the name deter you from trying. 

Ingredients:
- 2 sticks Salted Butter (do not use margarine)
- 1 (12oz) package of Milk chocolate* chips
- 1 cup of Brown Sugar
- 1 sleeve or roughly 35 saltine crackers (can use Ritz crackers too)

***Preheat oven to 400 degrees***

Procedure:

1) Line baking tray with aluminum foil and arrange the saltine crackers into the tray so they touch each other, making sure there are no spaces between them.

2) Melt butter in a saucepan and slowly add brown sugar. Boil at medium to high heat for approximately 3 minutes until it becomes bubbly. (Hint: Stir constantly to prevent the mixture from burning.)

Immediately pour the liquid over the crackers and spread it thoroughly over all the crackers.

3) Place in oven for 5 minutes and then take it out immediately.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the caramelized crackers evenly. Set aside for 5 minutes and then spread the softened chocolate over all the crackers. Place tray in the refrigerator or freezer until solid. When it is ready to serve, lift the candied crackers from the foil and cut/break into desired shapes.


***Quick Tips: 
- Dark chocolate may be substituted instead of regular chocolate.  
- If you want to dress them up with M&Ms, peppermint bits, and/or nuts, it's best to do it right after spreading the chocolate over the crackers (when it's still hot).

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.

~Not So Bitter Karela Curry~

You learn many lessons in life; some stick with you and some don't. My favorite is "don't judge a book by its cover". It applies not only in life but also in cooking. Just because it looks different, doesn't mean it tastes bad or is bad for you.

Sometimes it's quite the opposite; like in the case of the Karela aka The Bitter Melon. Karela is a green, prickly and bitter tasting gourd or melon. It's probably the last to be picked among the more popular vegetables like eggplant or bell pepper. However I don't think people know that this vegetable is really quite good for them. Among the Asian and African countries, Karela is noted to have medicinal value to treat many illnesses. Karela juices and pills are also available for daily consumption.

We enjoy eating Karela in a number of ways: Steamed and stuffed with masala, stir fried, and in a gravy based curry.

 

Last night we picked up some fresh Karela from the Indian grocery and made the gravy based curry as one of the curries for the week. The addition of the peanut butter, brown sugar, coconut and milk tone down the bitter taste of karela.

Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs Karela/Bitter Melon
- 2 Medium Onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
- 2 Dry Coconut powder
- 2 to 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- ½ tbsp Chili powder
- ½ tbsp Salt
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- ½ tsp Turmeric


Procedure:
Cut the ends of the karelas and chop them longitudinally and then cut into thin slides.  Heat oil in a pan, season with mustard and cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add onion and saute them for 2 to 3 minutes. Next add turmeric and chili powder, karela and salt. Mix well and cook under low-medium heat until karela is cooked well. Now add peanut butter, brown sugar, coconut, and milk and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until all the milk is absorbed. Serve it with rice or rotis. 

***Quick Tips:

- Karela can be substituted with Kantola (another type of bitter melon, which isn't as bitter). You can find it in the frozen section in most Indian grocery stores. If using this vegetable, reduce the brown sugar and peanut butter measurements. 

Tangy Tomato Chutney

Who says you can't play with your food and eat it too? These idlis really know how to "chill" out and soak in the flavor! Can't wait to pop 'em in my mouth!

One of my favorite South Indian dishes is Idlis. They are savory steamed cakes made with husked black gram and rice. You'll never find idlis without the accompaniment of the chutney powder and/or sambhar. However lately, I've been craving for something different; that's not traditional and doesn't require a lot of preparation. We experimented with a few ingredients and came up with another option. It's called Tangy Tomato Chutney and it's also a great dipping sauce for vadas, dosas, garelu (mini lentil patties) and even paratha. 

Chutney Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs Firm Red Tomatoes, chopped
• 3 to 4 Green Chilies, finely chopped
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• ½ tsp Whole Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
• ½ tsp Turmeric
• ½ tsp Salt, adjust for your taste
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil, for seasoning

Procedure:

Heat oil in a saucepan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add green chilies and mix well for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, brown sugar and mix well. Cook them under closed lid for 5 to 6 minutes and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then blend the cooked vegetables along with peanut butter under pulse mode to making sure all ingredients are mixed well. Once it reaches a smooth consistency, transfer the sauce into a serving dish and enjoy with your favorite dish. 

~Chocolate and Coffee Lovers Unite~

~Happy Valentine's Day~

Decadent Chocolate Espresso Bean Cookies

It's nice to try different things to spice up one's life. I love cooking Indian dishes with my mom because I feel it brings us closer together. However, lately I've been going on a baking binge...from gingerbread cookies, banana and walnut muffins to seasoned potatoes and carrots. I get inspiration from lots of places including what I see on TV and what I think would go well together. I think some of my mom's cooking skill rubbed off on me (in a good way)! Whenever an idea pops in my head, I have to follow through so I don't fuss over it too long.

Recently my mom brought home a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans that she received from one of her friends. My mom wasn't a coffee lover, but she knew my dad might like them. To her surprise, he didn't care too much about them either. So now we were stuck with a bag full of chocolate bitter beans.

What shall we do with them? I immediately Googled espresso beans and found my next baking adventure, thanks to 101cookbooks. I tweaked the recipe a bit by substituting some of their ingredients with the ones we had in our pantry. Below is the list of ingredients I used for my version. 

Ingredients:

- 2½ cups All-Purpose Flour

- 2 tbsp Coffee powder, freshly ground

- ¾ tsp Baking Soda

- ¾ tsp Baking Powder

- ¾ tsp Salt

- ½ cup Cocoa Powder

- 1 cup Unsalted Butter

- 1½ cups Light Brown Sugar and ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar

- 2 Large Eggs

- 3 tsp Vanilla Extract

- ¾ cup Chocolate covered Almonds, chopped

- 6.75oz Chocolate covered espresso beans

- 1.25oz Chocolate covered candied ginger

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Makes 2-3 dozen chunky, medium cookies.

The procedure is similar to what is listed on 101cookbooks. For your convenience, it's listed below:

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coffee powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl or electric mixer, beat the butter until it is fluffy and lightens a bit in color. Then beat in the sugar - it should have a thick frosting-like consistency. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the first egg gets incorporated before adding the next. Next add the vanilla and mix well.

3) Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix in about four waves. Stir a bit between each addition until the flour is incorporated well. At this point, you should have a moist brown dough that is uniform in color. Stir in the espresso beans, chocolate covered almonds and candied ginger by hand and mix only until they are evenly distributed through the dough. 

4) Use roughly one heaped tablespoonful for each cookie and place it onto the baking sheets. Don't worry about them being perfect.

I wasn't quite sure how the addition of the candied ginger would work in this recipe, but to my surprise, it was perfect. With each bite of this decadent cookie, you get a different taste: bitterness, spiciness, and sweetness; without overpowering either of those flavors. We are resisting the temptation of eating more than just one...however, we are still trying.

What are you doing for Valentine's Day? Staying in and cooking or dining out? Feel free to share your experiences with us.

Poha Laddus - Sweet Balls of Joy

I know you want one or two; or maybe the whole plate!

We've heard a lot from our readers that they like multipurpose ingredients. We agree with that too. No one wants to buy uni-purpose ingredients that aren't affordable. With that in mind, we looked into our spice rack and cupboard to see what sweets to make for Diwali that everyone can make. After chatting up my infamous aunt, we decided on making Poha Laddu. She said it was really easy to make and required minimum ingredients; that works for us.

Just a recap, Poha is another name given for flattened rice. There are two kinds of poha: thick and thin. It is important to choose the right one when cooking with it as results vary. It can be used to make dishes like Garden Poha or mixture (Indian snack). Let's begin making our sweet as we have lots to show you. This recipe makes twenty to twenty-two lime-sized balls. 

Ingredients:
- 1½ cup of thick Poha
- ¾ cup of Sugar or Brown sugar
- ¾ cup of Dry Coconut Powder
- 10 Raisins
- 20 Nuts (Any combination of Cashews, Almonds or Pistachios), cut into pieces
- 3 to 4 tbsp of Butter
- 6 to 8 pods of Cardamom, seeded & powdered
- 4 tbsp of Evaporated Milk (or as needed to hold the mixture)

Procedure:

Melt butter in a pan and add all the nuts and raisins. Toast them lightly, remove from butter and set aside. Then add poha into the butter and fry on a reduced flame until it is well roasted. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool. Powder the poha, sugar and coconut separately in a blender. Transfer all the powders into a mixing bowl including cardamom powder and mix well. Add evaporated milk and take portions of the mixture and roll into a ball. Finally take nuts and raisins and press them gently into the ball. Arrange them on a tray and let them dry before serving. 

***Quick Tips: 

- For a longer shelf life, use melted butter instead of evaporated milk. 

- You can use fresh coconut, if grated coconut is not available. 

Seasoned Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Curry

What a nice spread of gourds we have here!

Can you name them all? There are pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet dumpling squash and lots of other ornamental gourds. We were passing by this farmer's market and decided to pick up a few to make our fall dishes. 

We love cooking with these sweet and savory gourds because when they are cooked, they retain their beautiful color and flavor. Our two favorite dishes are Seasoned Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Curry and Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar.  

Seasoned Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Curry

This curry is popular both in North and South India and most people eat it with hot rice or roti (also known as chappati). This dish can also be served as the vegetable side dish with your meal. It is enough for 4-6 servings. 

Ingredients:

- 1 lbs of Spanish Pumpkin (Calabaza) 
- ½ lb of Butternut Squash
- 1 cup Frozen Carrots & Peas (optional)
- 3 Green chilies, chopped finely
- 1" piece of Ginger, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp of Cumin/Coriander powder (use ½ tbsp curry powder as an alternate)
- ½ tbsp Brown sugar/Jaggery
- 2 tbsp Grated coconut (dry)
- 1 tsp each of Mustard & Cumin seeds
- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder
- ¼ cup of Fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1½ tbsp Vegetable oil

Procedure:
1) If the pumpkin and butternut squash are thick and woody, remove the seeds and peel the skin. Cut them into ½ inch pieces. 
2) Heat oil in a pan and add cumin and mustard seeds. When they start to splatter, add cumin/coriander powder, chilies, ginger and turmeric. Stir and then add pumpkin and butternut squash pieces, salt, and brown sugar. Mix well and cook the pumpkin with closed lid for 8-10 minutes or until it is cooked and firm. 

3) Stir the vegetable mixture in between, allowing the condensed water from the lid to fall into the curry for moisture. 
4) When it is done, add carrots & peas and coconut powder and cook under closed lid for 2-3 minutes. Once that is done, garnish it with chopped coriander. 


***Quick Tips: 
- Spanish Pumpkin is also known as Calabaza or West Indian Pumpkin. It is available in most grocery and ethnic stores. 
- The measurements of butternut squash and pumpkin can be adjusted as per availability. 

Ginger & Coriander Relish

The most popular relish in the United States is made with pickled cucumbers and it's commonly used on hot dogs or burgers. In Indian cooking, relishes or chutneys can be eaten with just about anything. There's one in particular that we prepare on Ganesh Chavithi that goes great with steamed rice and lentil dumplings and that is Ginger and Coriander relish. Along with the dumplings, this chutney goes great with moong dosa, namkeen (savory) pongal, and sooji (semolina) upma.

The main ingredients of course are ginger and coriander. The only prep work involved in this recipe is chopping up the coriander and soaking the tamarind.

Ingredients:
- 4" piece of Ginger, peeled and grated
- ⅓ bunch (1 ½ cups chopped) of fresh Coriander/Cilantro
- ¼ cup of Chutney powder
- 2 tbsp of Brown Sugar/Jaggery
- Size of a lemon of Tamarind or (1 tbsp if using concentrate)
- 1 tsp of Salt (to be adjusted per taste)

Remove any seeds and soak the tamarind in ½ cup of warm water for 15 minutes (if using concentrate, then skip this step). Next blend all the ingredients together on high speed to a smooth paste. If needed, add additional water to make a paste. Lastly, sample the chutney to check for salt and desired sweetness. Adjust as needed.

I think I'll go have some dumplings with the chutney...see you later!

The "Other" Dosa Chutney

Masala Dosa at Chennai Garden, NYC

What a lovely sight, indeed! Above is a great example of a dosa. It is a kind of crepe which is most commonly made from fermented rice and urad dal batter. Usually, most South Indian restaurants serve dosas with sambar, fiery chutney powder, and coconut chutney.  In my experience, the sambar is usually too spicy and so is the chutney powder. The coconut chutney is okay if it's properly made and sometimes, it's too watery which ruins the taste of the dosa. And that is why I have to speak out. I know of another chutney that deserves to take center stage and push the coconut one aside. It's creamy, a little tangy and sweet and oh so flavorful. I used to think this chutney recipe was a well kept secret but my mom only told me recently that variations of it are served in restaurants in Southern India. I guess it's not a secret anymore.

Yummy Peanut Chutney!

Feast your eyes on the one and only chutney that should be accompanied with the rice and urad dal dosa. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of Peanuts
2 Dry Red chillies (or 1 tsp crushed red chilies)
1" ball of Dry Tamarind or 1 tbsp of Tamarind Concentrate
1 tbsp of Jaggery or Brown sugar
½ Salt tsp or as needed
1 tsp of Vegetable oil

Procedure:
1) Fry peanuts and chillies in oil on medium heat to low heat until peanuts give out the roasted aroma. It should take about 6-7 minutes.

2)  If using tamarind, use sufficient water to cover it and microwave it for 15-20 seconds. Allow it to soak for 5 minutes; this will loosen it up so you can squeeze the juice out.

3) Blend peanuts and chillies to a fine powder. Then add salt and brown sugar. Squeeze the juice out of soaked tamarind and add the juice to the mixture. Next, add water to make the mixture wet and blend it to a smooth paste. Taste the chutney to adjust salt or brown sugar as needed and remove from the blender.

Quick Tips 
- You can also season the chutney with mustard seeds, jeera and curry leaves. It gives it that extra kick. 


I know you're dying to make dosas now, just so you can dip the dosa into this creamy and "nutty" chutney. Check out India on a Griddle: A Savory Dosa Recipe Worth the Effort. 

Sweet For My Sweetie - Chakkar Pongali

Serve it hot & enjoy!

Oh My Word!! Just look at those glistening cashews just waiting to be eaten. 

bout to Go ahead and drool all over this dessert! 

I've already told you about "Namkeen" pongali which is made on Pongal as prasad. 

However, did you know that you can slightly change the recipe and make a sweeter version? Today is your lucky day.

Ingredients (makes 10 servings of 1/2 cup size):

- 3/4 cup Basmati Rice

- 3/4 cup Moong dal

- 1/4 cup Sugar

- 1/2 cup Brown sugar or Jaggery

- 1 cup Milk

- 5 pods, seeded and powdered Cardamom

- 15 - 20 halves Cashew nuts

- 5 tbsp Butter (unsalted)

Procedure:
1) Cook rice and dal together with 5 cups of water either in rice cooker or stove top. Select the cooker or container size slightly bigger to avoid water spillage. Use low to medium heat level for stove top cooking. 

2) If using rice cooker, transfer the cooked pongal into a saucepan. 

Add milk, sugar, brown sugar and cardamom powder to the pongal and cook on low heat until it is well cooked and all the liquid is absorbed. Add 3 tbsps of butter and mix well.

3) In a small pan, heat the remaining butter and fry the cashews to golden brown and mix it into the pongail.

Basmati Rice

Sweet And Sour Toast

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he mentioned having an Okra smoothie for breakfast. He said it was delicious and very healthy. I took his word for it and made sure not to ask for the recipe. He's a bit of a health nut, so he is always on the lookout for nutritious meals. I'm not saying I'm into unhealthy stuff but I cross the line at green gooey shakes.  My usual day starts with toasted wheat bread and a glass of orange juice.

So on one of  my daily breakfast sit downs, it hit me. My breakfast meal is already healthy but it lacks pizazz. Then my mom told me that she also eats toast in the morning but tops off it off with some chutney.  She said that she was sick of eating it with peanut butter or jelly everyday. That's an interesting idea, I thought.  

And so I present to you my new breakfast item:  Toast with Chinese Okra Chutney



Chinese Okra

Ingredients:
- 3 Chinese okra/ Tori / Squash, approx. 8-10” long
- 1 tbsp of Tamarind pulp, (use the bottled brand)
- 1 tbsp of Peanut butter
- 2 tbsp of Idli podi*
- 1 tsp Salt, or as needed
- Half tbsp of Brown sugar
- 2 Green chilies

Procedure:
Peel the squash and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Then cut the chilies into two pieces. Saute the squash along with green chilies in a sauce pan along with salt and turmeric until soft. Set aside to cool. In a blender or food processor blend the squash mix along with all other ingredients listed.  Adjust the salt and sweetness as desired. It tastes great as a spread on toasted bread slices because it has the sweet and sour flavors blended together in one. And you can serve it with hot rice/ rotis or use it as a chutney or relish with any appetizers.


*If idli podi is not available the following powder can be used as a substitution. In tablespoon oil roast 2tbsp coriander seeds (dhania), 2 red chilies and 2 tbsp chana dal. Powder them to a coarse grain along with salt.