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.  

Mint Chutney - Minty Freshness with a Spicy Kick

Refreshing Mint Chutney

This past Friday (6/10), we celebrated National Herbs and Spices day with Mint. 

I love mint. It's one of the easiest herbs to grow. Just sow some seeds in soil and watch it spread like wild fire. Every once in a while, we just chop off a bunch and make something with it. With the hot weather lately, we decided to go with mint chutney. It's cool and refreshing.

This chutney can be eaten with rice and/or spread on bread and enjoyed as tea sandwiches.

Ingredients
- 3 cups Mint leaves
- 3-1/2 Tbsp Chutney powder
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter
- Size of lime of Dry Tamarind, microwaved for 45 seconds and set aside
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (or as per your taste)
- 1 Tbsp Brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Dhanjeera powder (ground coriander and cumin seeds)
- 1/4 cup Dry coconut powder (optional)
- 1 tsp Vegetable oil

Procedure
Separate the mint leaves form the woody stems, and then wash and dry them thoroughly. Next, chop the leaves finely. In a shallow pan, heat oil on low-medium flame, and the chopped mint. Fry them until wilted and keep aside and let it cool.

In a blender, add the cooled down mint along with the other ingredients. Next add 1/2 cup of water and grind to a coarse sauce like consistency. Additional water may be added if needed. Adjust the salt and spice level.

And Voila!! It is ready to be served and enjoyed. We enjoy eating this chutney with rice, roti, idlis and/or pongali.

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.

Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar

Sambhar is a type of vegetable stew or soup that has its roots from South India. Every South Indian state has its own variation. 

Warm Pumpkin Goodness!

Our version of sambhar hails from Andhra Pradesh (my home state) . Now the base of soups or stews starts off with the broth or stock, and then you combine it with meat, legumes or vegetables.  The broth in Sambhar is usually made with tamarind and/or pigeon peas and cooked with vegetables. The type of vegetables range from carrots, pearl onions, eggplant, tomato, sweet potato and/or okra with a blend of various spices (Sambhar powder can be found at most Indian stores).

We love cooking with seasonal produce whenever we have the chance. On our recent trips to the lcoal market, we bought pumpkin.

Here are some great ways to enjoy this chunky dish: In a bowl with pieces of toasted bread; mixed with hot rice and a touch of ghee or clarified butter; or dip your favorite dosa or idlis. This dish is an explosion of sour, spicy, and sweet flavors. 

Let's begin making this dish, shall we? 

Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs of Pumpkin (Spanish or Calabaza)
- Tamarind (measure size of a lemon)
- 2 tbsp of Brown sugar/Jaggery
- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder
- ½ to 1 tsp of Chili powder (or as desired)
- ½ tsp of Fenugreek powder (optional)
- 1½ tbsp of Besan (if not available, use rice flour or cornstarch)

Brown sugar is not shown above

For the seasoning*:
- 1 tbsp of Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp of Whole Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp of Mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp of Hing/Asafoetida
- 5 or 6 Curry Leaves


Procedure: 
1) Pick a pumpkin with orange skin and make sure the skin is not woody. Remove the seeds and cut the pumpkin into 2" squares. (Hint: Peel the skin if it seems thick and woody)

2) Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for at least 15-20 min and later squeeze the juice out using at least 1 liter of water. Transfer the juice into a soup pot or large saucepan and add the pumpkin pieces, chili powder, turmeric, brown sugar, fenugreek powder and salt.

Cook on low to medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. (Hint: Knife should pierce the pieces easily)

3) When the pumpkin is cooked and liquid is boiling, mix the besan/flour in ½ cup of water and add to the broth stirring continuously. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the broth thickens and remove from heat and keep aside.

4) Prepare the seasoning (listed above) for soup in hot oil.

QUICK TIPS
- Pigeon peas are added to the preparation of the broth to thicken and reduce the sourness of the dish. Besan/flour and pumpkin help in thickening the dish and reduce the sourness taste.
- Check out Cooking 101 for tips on preparing the seasoning or click here to watch the video.
- Sambhar Powder can be substituted for the following ingredients: Hing, Fenugreek powder, and Chili powder.

Did you know: How closely related sambhar and gumbo really are? 1) They both fall within the same category of soups and stews, 2) have a strongly flavored stock, 3) combined with lots of vegetables to create this thick dish, and finally 4) are traditionally served over rice. 

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 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.

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.