Gujarathi Kadhi

 I have nothing much to say about this kadhi, but yes, this kadhi and the khichadi is a match made in heaven.  I like to drink this hot kadhi and enjoy each and every ingredients in it.

Ingredients :

1 cup thick sour curd
2 tbsp. besan / chickpea flour
2 tsp. sugar ( add or reduce according to preference )
salt to taste
ginger -  green chilli paste ( add a piece of ginger and 2 - 3 green chillies and blend in the small jar of the mixie along with some water ) else, if no time, chop the ginger and green chillies.
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

For tempering :

1 tbsp. oil
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. jeera
1/4 tsp. coriander seeds
1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds / methi
2 dry red chillies
a few sprigs curry leaves
a pinch asafoetida
 
Method :

1.  Whisk the curd along with besan, salt, sugar, ginger - chilli paste and 2 cups of water without any besan lumps.

2.  Heat a tbsp. of oil in a pan, splutter mustard and fenugreek seeds, next jeera and coriander seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and add to the curd mixture.

3.  Heat the whisked curd along with the seasonings on a low heat until the curd comes to a boil.  Keep stirring in between to avoid the yoghurt separating its whey and protein.

4.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot as a soup or as an accompaniment to khichadis.

Sending this recipe to Ec's WYF Specialty Food.


Krishnaarpanam

Maharashtrian rice khichadi

As the winter sets in, one would not like to stand long in the kitchen and cook.  Its always comfort food that we crave during those cold nights and that too the food should be hot.  One such comfort food from the western side of India is the khichadi.  For the south Indians, it is the Venn Pongal which is had for breakfast and for the northies, it is this khichadi.
 Khichadi with peanuts and the sweet and tangy Gujarathi Kadhi is a great combination and neverthless to say, this kadhi when had hot is like a soup good for you to digest the heavy khichadi.  Its a match made in heaven.

 Khichadi 

Ingredients :

1 cup rice ( any kind of rice will do )
1/2 cup toor dal
1 medium onion chopped
3 - 4 tomatoes chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic chopped
1 small piece ginger chopped
2 green chillies slit
1//2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. jeera
a few sprigs curry leaves
handful of peanuts
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. goda masala ( Maharashtrian black masala ) or garam masala
1 potato cut into cubes and 1/2 cup green peas ( this is optional )
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil / ghee

Method :

1.  Heat oil / ghee in a pressure pan.  Add the mustard and jeera and allow to splutter.  Next add the peanuts and fry for a few minutes till they turn deep red and crisp.

2.  Add curry leaves, green chillies, onion and tomato, turmeric powder, little amount of salt and saute till the onions and tomatoes turn soft.

3.  Meanwhile wash the rice and dal together and keep aside. 

4.  Add red chilli powder, goda masala / garam masala to the onion - tomato mixture and mix well.  Add the potatoes, peas and the rice and dal, salt to taste and mix well till all the grains of the rice are coated with the onion tomato paste.

5.  Add 3 - 4 cups of water and pressure cook normally.  If you want to khichadi to be gooey, add more water and pressure cook for about 5 - 6 whistles.  If you want the grains in the khichadi to be separated, cook for about 2 - 3 whistles.  Serve hot with kadhi.

You can add or omit vegetables to you liking.  Some vegetables that go well in khichadi is brinjal, gherkins (tondli), broad beans, carrot, beans, potato, green peas, butter beans.

Sending this to Ec's WYF Specialty Food.

Krishnaarpanam

Sabudanyachi Khichadi

I have not come across a single Maharashtrian who doesn't like this khichadi.  Having being lived in Maharashtra for so many years, my tastebuds have been adapted to the Maharashtrian cuisine and this khichadi is my all time favourite.
  The days of fasting was very welcoming among my friends and me who could get to eat this wonderful pearl khichadi and so many other upwaas faral ( fasting foods ) as these were not prepared on other normal days.  Though this khichadi does not take a favourite place in most of the south Indian homes, it is still welcome by my relatives as an evening tiffin.   It is a one whole meal  containing carbohydrate, protein and fat which keeps you full for a long time.

Ingredients :

2 cups sabudana
1/2 cup peanuts roasted and skin removed and ground into a coarse powder
3 - 4 green chillies
1 medium potato boiled and cubed
1 tsp. jeera
few sprigs curry leaves ( I don't think it is used when made for fasting )
Salt to taste
little sugar ( optional )
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder ( optional )
2 tbsp. ghee or oil ( ghee gives a good taste )

Method :

1.  Wash and soak sabudana with water till all the pearls are immersed in water.  After an hour or two,  loosen the sabudana with hands and check if they are soft.  If not sprinkle a handful of water and mix with hand and let soak for another few hours.

2.  Once the sabudana are soaked thoroughly, add the peanut powder, salt, sugar, red chilli powder ( if you feel that the heat from green chillies is enough, no need to add red chilli powder ) and mix well till all the spice and salt and powder are mixed with each and every pearl of sabudana.

3.  Heat ghee/oil, add jeera and after it gets fried, add green chillies, curry leaves and potato cubes and saute for a few seconds.  Lower the heat and then add the sabudana and keep stirring from bottom to top till the oil coats every pearl of sabudana and the pearls start turning transparant.

4.  Serve hot with grated dried coconut or fresh coconut, chopped coriander leaves and a wedge of lemon.  Enjoy....


Krishnaarpanam

Bagara Baingan ( Hyderabadi speciality )

Its been a long time that I tasted this wonderful brinjal preparation at a wedding reception.  I was in my middle school and dint know that it was a Hyderabad speciality ( I was living in Secunderabad then ).  After that I never tasted it until I made it and now I have forgottent the authentic taste of it.  But any baby brinjal preparation either stuffed or whole, I just love it.
After going through many recipes from others, I made Bagara Baingan with all the fusion in the other recipes.

 

Ingredients :

12 baby brinjals ( slit into four with the stem intact )
whole garam masala ( 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 1 small stick of cinnamon, badi elaichi /  big cardamom )
1 cup thick tamrind extract
2 green chillies slit ( optional )
1 big onion chopped finely
1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp. jaggery
few curry leaves
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
pinch of fenugreek seeds
pinch of kalonji / nigella seeds ( optional )
1/2 tsp. jeera
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder ( reduce or add according to spice level required )
Salt to taste
Cooking oil 1 tbsp. + 2 tbsp.

For the paste :
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
handful of groundnut
2 tbsp. grated dried kopra ( dried coconut the one you get in Indian stores )

Method :

1.  For the paste :  Dry roast the sesame seeds till brown and keep aside.  Then dry roast the grated kopra ( coconut ) till light pink.  Next roast the groundnuts till the skin looses from the nut, cool and remove skin.  Grind all the three i.e. sesame seeds, groundnuts and kopra with some water to a coarse paste.

2.  Heat 1 tbsp. of oil and shallow fry the brinjals with a pinch or two of salt till the skin begins to change colour and wilts. (  Recipes from other sources call for deep frying the brinjals to retain their colour.  To avoid too much of oil, I decided to shallow fry ).  The brinjals will be only half cooked, the remaining half will be cooked in the gravy.  Remove from pan and keep aside the brinjals.

3.  Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil, add the whole garam masala and let them puff up, then splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, kalonji and jeera.  Add green chillies, onion and saute till the onion turns translucent.  Add ginger-garlic paste and continue to saute till the onion turns light brown in colour.

4.  Add turmeric powder and mix and add the prepared paste ( sesame, groundnut & coconut ).  Mix well and saute for a minute or two.  At this stage the kitchen will smell with the heavenly aroma of coconut, onion, and the GG paste.  Add red chilli powder, salt and tamrind extract and mix well.

5.  Add the shallow fried brinjals, jaggery curry leaves and 1 1/2 cups of water and allow to boil.  Once it starts boiling, cover with a lid and cook till the brinjals are fully cooked within.  (  Ensure that you stir once in a while in between as the paste tends to sink to the bottom and get burned ).

6.  Once the brinjals are cooked thoroughly, remove and let the gravy stand for at least 1/2 hour before serving.  This is to let all the flavours and aroma of the spices and the other ingredients to sink into the gravy.  Serve with any Indian bread or pulavs or biriyanis.  I love it with hot phulkas.

Sending this recipe to Ec's WYF -  Speciality Food Event.

Krishnaarpanam

Cranberry Thokku

 I'm posting a recipe after a very long break.  I just happened to come across Cranberries in the super markets and I couldn't stand the taste of a fruit which is very sour and has no sweetness at all.  My friend Anuradha the other day brought me a small box of Cranberry Thokku which was very sour.  Being a person who likes sweet and sour taste, I tried to make this thokku of my kind.
  After reading many articles about this wonderful fruit and its benefits, now I have become a fan of it.  Many Indian bloggers have wonderful recipes using Cranberries.  Try reading about Cranberries here and get their full benefits.  This is my way of making Cranberry Thokku.

Ingredients :

One 12 oz packet of Cranberries ( I bought the OceanSpray brand )
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Red Chilli powder
1 tbsp. Jaggery ( optional )
1/4 cup Gingelly oil ( or any other oil one prefers )
1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder

To be roasted :

1/4 tsp. Fenugreek seeds ( methi daana )
a small lump of asafoetida / 1 tsp. asafoetida powder.

Method :

1.  In a kadai or pan dry roast fenugreek seeds till they start popping and turning into a reddish colour on a medium low heat.  Remove and let cool.  In the same kadai either dry roast the asafoetida lump or fry in a little oil till it puffs up. (  If you dont have asafoetida lump, one can use powdered asafoetida which need not be roasted or fried ).  Powder in a mixie the roasted fenugreek seeds, asafoetida lump and turmeric powder together and keep aside.
  While the seeds are cooling, wash and grind the cranberries into a coarse paste without adding any water.

2.  Heat the 1/4 cup of oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds in it, add the ground cranberries, salt, chilli powder and keep on stirring continuously till you find that all the oil is absorbed and the specs of oil oozes out from the sides.

3.  At this stage add the jaggery  and the ground powder and mix well and stir for another minute and remove from heat.
  After cooling, store in an airtight container in the fridge upto a month or two.

I couldn't resist having this thokku for everything, even on bread it tastes yummy.

This recipe goes to Sireesha's Pickles & Chutneys Event

Krishnaarpanam

Back after a very long time

Long time has passed and am back now with Krishnaarpanam. I did not even notice that this blog turned 1 . Hope to bring in a lot of new recipes in future.

Krishnaarpanam