Indian Cuisines - Taste of India by Nandita Shenoy

Potatoes in coconut gravy

2008-07-30T22:47:00.009+02:00

Foody Chat

Its been a long long time since I ate this dish, had almost forgotten it.. When I came across curry mela hosted by Srivalli, I suddenly recalled it. It is called as "Batata Umman", & is a konkani dish prepared at Mangalore. It was the first time that my husband tasted it & within minutes the dish had disappeared, with both of us relishing & enjoying it with rice. If you are a prawns lover, you can use the same masala to make a prawn's curry & it too would taste great... I made it with potatoes & here's the list of ingredients & method to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

4 Medium sized potatoes
1 Full cup grated coconut
5 Fried red chillies
1.5 Tsp of tamrind pulp
Half Tsp of Hing (or as required)
1.5 cup of water
1 Tsp of oil
Salt as per taste

Method

Cook potatoes, cut it into small cubes & keep aside.
Grind Coconut, red chillies, tamrind pulp, hing with water to a smooth paste.
Add the masala to the cooked potatoes, add salt & bring to a boil.
Just before you switch off the gas, add oil & allow it to boil for a minute( usually coconut oil is preferred, but you can use any other cooking oil also).

The dish is ready to savour with rice now!!! Enjoy!!

I contribute this recipe to The Curry Mela Hosted by Srivalli

Methi Dosa

2008-07-25T12:35:00.004+02:00

Foody Chat

I tasted this dosa only after my wedding & it tops among my favourites.. I made this one with dried methi leaves as I could'nt find fresh methi leaves. It came out well & tasted as good as the one, had it been done with fresh methi leaves.
Suma has posted this recipe in her blog..Just go throught the below link to find out, just how its done....
http://sumascuisine.blogspot.com/2008/07/methi-leaves-dosa-and-unndi.html

Sprouted Moong Sidedish

2008-07-18T17:09:00.005+02:00

Foody Chat

This is the first time that I prepared a side dish made of sprouted moong, especially after learning the numerous health & dietary benefits that sprouts encompass. Apart from increasing its protein content when sprouted, they are considered excellent for people who are trying to lose weight.
For more benefits on sprouts & proteins kindly go through the below link, which is very informative.
http://www.sproutnet.com/Press/meat_equivalent_for_vegetarians.htm

Back to the recipe now. We call this "Mooga Ghassi" in Konkani. Make a note of the below ingredients & get in your cooking aprons...

Ingredients

1 Bowl of sprouted moongdal
Half bowl grated coconut
6-7 Fried red chilly
2 Tsp tamrind pulp
1 glass of water
Salt as per taste

For seasoning

1 Tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves for garnishing
1 Tsp zeera/cumin seeds
1 Tsp oil

Method

Grind grated coconut, red chilly & tamrind into a smooth masala paste.
Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds & once it starts to pop, add curry leaves & zeera & fry for a minute.
Add sprouted moong dal & masala to it, add salt, required quantity of water & bring to a boil.

You can make this dish a bit watery or make it dry also by adding the required quantity of water accordingly..

Happy cooking!!!

I contribute this recipe to Sangeeth's Eat Healthy - Protein Rich CONTEST

Palak Aloo Paratha

2008-07-02T22:58:00.005+02:00

One more post from Suma's blog. Combination of Palak ( Spinach ) & Aloo ( Potato ) is both nutritious & tastes awesome. Must try for chapathi lovers...Here's the link to it..
http://sumascuisine.blogspot.com/2008/06/palak-alu-paratha.html

Enjoy!!!

Apple Banana Halwa

2008-07-02T13:08:00.005+02:00

I tried this one from Suma's blog, with slight variation. Came out superb..!!Check out the recipe here..
http://sumascuisine.blogspot.com/2008/06/fried-apple-banana-halwa.html

The only variation I have done is instead of deep frying the apples & bananas, I have chopped them & heated them together in a pan with just a drop of oil, kept stirring till it became brown.
Rest of the process remains the same...

Dal Tadka

2008-06-26T13:45:00.007+02:00

Foody Chat

My husband's boss loves all kinds of Indian food. But he has a special liking towards Dal Tadka. So the last time he came home for dinner I had prepared it & he loved it!! You can have dal with rice or with chapathi's or you can gobble it up just like that... All taste equally good..
Here's how it's done..

Ingredients

7-8 Garlic cloves (chopped)
1 Tsp zeera (cumin seeds)
2 Onions chopped
2 Tomatoes chopped
1 & half cup of boiled toor dal
Half cup of water
1 Tsp chilly powder
1-2 Pinch turmeric powder
Half tsp garam masala powder
1 Green chilly (slit into half)
1 Tsp oil
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a pan
Add zeera , one green chilly slit into half, chopped garlic & chopped onions & fry till the onions are a little brown.
Add tomatoes & fry for some time.
Now add chilly powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder & salt & stir for 2 minutes till all the masalas properly blend together.
Add dal & water & mix well. Allow it to cook till it comes to a boil. Ensure that the consistency is not very watery.
Lastly garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Dal tadka is now ready to eat!!

The South Indian Sambar

2008-06-19T08:51:00.018+02:00

Foody Chat

I wanted to make this post last week back on “Father’s day” & dedicate it to my dad, but as I was caught up in some urgent work was unable to do so.

My dad has a lot of liking towards any kind of food. Being a non cook I didn’t know what was his most favorite. He had a long list of the things which fall into his list of favorite foods. I selected this one since it comes under the favorite listing of my husband & my brother as well.

The “South Indian Sambar” is the most famous & loved ones among the South Indian Cuisines. The addition of the varied spices gives it a spicy flavor & aroma which makes it impossible to resist & have a helping!! Sambar are eaten with dosa's, idly's & rice. There are different ways in which its made due to the varied use of the spices & addition of different vegetables.This is how I make it….

Ingredients

1 Cup Beetroot cut into square cubes ( or any other vegetables like raddish, carrot, potato, brinjal, beans, capsicum)
1 Medium sized onions
1 Medium sized Tomato
1 & half cup of boiled toor dal(Yellow lentils)
1 & half - 2 Cups of water
Salt as per taste

For the Masala :

Half Cup of Coriander Seeds(Around 40 seeds)
1 Tsp zeera seeds(Cumin Seeds)
8-10 Methi seeds(Fenugreek Seeds)
1/4 Tsp of hing(Asofetida)
1/4 Tsp of turmeric powder
7-8 Fried red chilly
1 1/2 Tsp tamrind extract
1 Tsp oil

For Seasoning

1 Tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
Chopped coriander leaves
1 Tsp oil

Method

Fry Coriander, zeera, methi, hing, turmeric powder with little oil till the mixture is slightly brownish.
Add the above mixture along with fried red chilly & tamrind & grind to a thin paste & keep it aside.
Cook the vegetables with water in a big vessel till all the vegetables are a bit soft.
Now add all the masala & the boiled toor dal to the boiled vegetables & cook till it starts to boil.
Ensure that the sambar is not very watery.
Now garnish the sambar with the fried mustard seeds & curry leaves.
Finally add chopped coriander leaves & cook for only 2 minutes.
Sambar is ready to savor now....

Mango Curry

2008-06-12T11:50:00.009+02:00

Foody Chat

The next dish I prepared with the mangoes is called as "Ambe Upkari" in Konkani. This is also an authentic Konkani festivity cuisine. We usually get a smaller variety of mango called as "Sakare Gutli", which is used in the preparation of "Ambe Upkari". Since I had a lot of mangoes with me, I decided to try it out & the result was quite suprisingly good.
Here's how you prepare it..

Ingredients

3 Mangoes ( You can use 4-5)
Half Cup of Maida ( All purpose Flour)
2 Green Chillies
1 Cup Sugar/Jaggery
1 Cup of water
1 Tsp salt

For seasoning

1 Tsp mustard seeds
2 Dried red Chillies

Method

Peel of the mango, add green chilly to it & boil it in water till it cooks well for about 6 minutes with the lid closed.
Dilute the maida with little water & add it to the mangoes along with sugar & salt & keep stirring.
Keep stirring for another 5 minutes till it is finally cooked.
Lastly heat oil in a pan & add mustard seeds. Once it starts popping add the dried red chilly.
Now garnish the mango curry with the fried mustard seeds & red chilly.

Serve hot or cold as desired. Both taste equally great... Enjoy!!!

Tips

If the mangoes are very sweet add some tamarind while cooking, since it gives the dish a tangy flavor.

Mango & Pineapple Dessert

2008-06-10T13:01:00.014+02:00

Foody Chat

Last Weekend, my husband's boss gave us 2 boxes of Alphonso mangoes. But we are only the two of us & I had 12 mangoes. So I decided to prepare as many variety of mango recipes as possible, so that we can enjoy the fruit to the maximum.The first thing & easiest that I prepared was the fruit custard with mangoes. But still we had many more mangoes left. So, the next day, I recollected a dish which you see in most of the Mangalorian festivities. Its called "Ambe Avnas Sasam" in Konkani language & has always been one of my favorites. Its quite simple & the only skill that you need while preparing is the "cutting skill",yes pineapple cutting is the only difficult part seperating you from this wonderful dessert.

Foody Facts

"Mango", the king of fruits

There are a lot of health benefits to this delicious fruit. Few of them are listed below-

Eating mangoes is said to be beneficial in curing night blindness.
Since the fruit is rich in iron content, people with anemia & expecting mothers are advised to eat this fruit.
It is said to improve complexion & stimulate appetite.
The fruit is beneficial in liver disorders & is also valuable to combat acidity & poor digestion.

Pineapple

Pineapple is very good remedy for people suffering from morning sickness, nausea or motion sickness.
It is found to be helpful in cases of goiter, Bronchitis, high blood pressure, Arthritis, Constipation & removal of intestinal worms & helps to keep the kidneys & intestines clean.
Since they are rich in manganese, they promote the healthy growth of bones & tisses.
Being rich in Vitamin C, maintains the oral health & helps in the prevention of gum diseases & formation of plaque.

Ingredients

2 Mangoes
2 Cup of pineapples
1 Cup of grapes
1.5 Cup of grated coconut
1/2 Tsp of mustard seeds
1 Fried red chilly
1 Tsp salt
1 Cup of sugar
Half Cup of water

Method

Cut mango & pineapple into small square blocks.
Cut the grapes into two halves & keep all the fruits in a seperate bowl, add a little sugar, mix well & refrigerate.
Grind the coconut, red chilly & mustard into a coarse paste.
Add the coconut paste to the fruits, add salt & remaining sugar with water & mix well.
This yummy dessert is ready to gobble now.

Tips

Add the coconut mixture to the fruits only while serving.

Methi Pulao

2008-06-07T22:35:00.036+02:00

Foody Facts

This is one of my favorite recipes. My mother in law had taught me to make this. The leaves & seeds are the edible part of the Methi or Fenugreek plant which has both nutritional & medicinal value. Few of the medicinal benefits of this miracle plant is as below.

Helps to maintain blood sugar levels, controls cholesterol & regulates blood glucose.
It is said to give great relief, if methi leaves are boiled in water & consumed for people suffering from throat pain, chest & stomach disorders. It is also believed to be effective in curing asthama, cough, gas, indigestion & also to reduce premature hair fall.
If consumed with food is known to reduce body fats.

Ingredients

2 Cups rice ( Soak for 1 hour)
2 Cups methi leaves
4 cups of water
3 Onions chopped
2 Tomatoes chopped
2.5 Tsp chilli powder
1/4 Tsp turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp garam masala
2 Tsp oil
Salt as per taste

Method

Fry rice with little oil for 7 minutes & keep it aside in a microwave vessel.
Fry onions in oil till light brown.
Now add tomatoes & cook for 5 minutes.
To this add methi leaves & fry.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder & add salt.
Now add the masala to the rice & add 4 cups of water & mix well. Cook in microwave for 10 minutes without closing the lid of the container. After 10 minutes, close the lid & cook again.
Serve hot with salad.

Stuffed Dal Chapathi

2008-05-22T10:57:00.021+02:00

Foody Facts

Chapathi's which are also known as Indian bread are made using whole wheatflour. The dietary fiber rich whole wheat flour has many nutritional benefits. Studies have shown that consumption of whole wheat flour results in the reduction of stroke risks by 30-36%, type 2 diabetes risks by 21-30%, heart disease risk by 25-28% & keeps a check on cholesterol levels. Further if replaced by rice in the diet, it leads to better weight maintenance & has been shown to reduce the incidence of obesity. Apart from these, it has also been known to be highly protective against childhood asthama.

Ingredients

For the stuffing

1 Cup Moongdal
2 Green chillies
Small piece of Ginger (around one inch long)
1 Tsp oil
1/4 Cup of coconut

For seasoning

1 Tsp mustard seeds
Few Curry leaves

For Garnishing

3-4 Strands of chopped coriander leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan & add mustard seeds.
When they start popping add chopped green chillies & curry leaves.
Add 2-3 glass of water to it.
Once it starts to boil add moongdal & allow it to cook for 15 minutes. Keep stirring. Take care to ensure that the dal is properly cooked.
Add salt & chopped pieces of ginger & stir it.
Lastly add grated coconut & garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

For Dough

Ingredients

2 Cups wheat flour
2 Tsp oil
Salt as per taste

Method

Add water, salt & oil to wheat flour. Knead into a soft dough.
Keep for around one hour.
Then divide it into equal portions & make small ball of the dough.
Roll out into small chapathi & add the cooled dal stuffing to it & seat it with another chapathi.
Fry on tawa by adding ghee/oil on both the sides. (If you are not the calorie conscious kind, fry it with butter. It tastes real good!! )
Serve hot with curds or ketchup.

Hope you all like it..!!!

This is also my first entry into any event. I am exited being a part of the roti mela being hosted by Srivalli.

http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2008/04/announcing-event-to-celebrate-indian.html

Fruit Custard

2008-05-19T19:07:00.010+02:00

Foody Facts

Its an inarguable fact that raw fruits & vegetables are true recommendations for a healthy diet. Eating a diet rich in fruits keeps a check on your calorie, fat & cholestrol levels. Most of the fruits are rich in the fiber, vitamins & minerals which form a part of a healthy balanced diet.

Different people have different versions of preparing fruit salad. I prepared this version since its fast, easy to prepare & tastes good.

Ingredients

1 Apple
2 Bananas
1 Sweet lime/Orange
1 Cup of cream
2 Cups of custard/condensed milk
1/2 Cup of milk
1/2 Cup sugar or as per taste
1 Drop of vanilla essence
Raisins & Cashewnuts for garnishing

Method

Whisk together cream, custard & milk in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle Sugar. Chop all the fruits & add it to the mixture & stir gently.
Garnish it with dry fruits.
Refrigerate and serve it cold.

You can decorate this in so many ways. I have used the custard & cream to decorate it to give it the look of ice cream!!!!! :)

Tips

To prepare the custard.

Boil half litre milk on medium flame, stirring continuously else the milk will get burnt.
Mix 5 tsp of custard powder in about 1/2 a cup of cold milk. Add this to the boiling milk & keep stirring continuously on a low flame.Your Custard is ready.

I personally used the readymade custard pudding available in the market, it gives the same taste & you also save time. :)

Beetroot Salad

2008-05-19T08:51:00.017+02:00

Foody Facts

Nowadays salads form an important part of the Indian diet. Here I have done a salad made from beetroot. This is also known as beetroot kosambari in konkani.
Beetroots are rich in iron & other minerals. Beetroots are very good to relieve constipation & is very good for obesity. Its fibre contents promotes healthy cholesterol levels, helps to build red blood cells & is believed to be a powerful recovery agent for life threatening illness such as cancer.

Ingredients

1 Beetroot
1 Medium sized onion
1 Green chilly
1/4 Cup of coconut
Small piece of lemon
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt as per taste

Method

Grate the beetroot and keep aside.
Grind the coconut & green chilly to a course mixture.
Then add the mixture to the beetroot with little salt & mix well.
Chop the onions finely & add the chopped onions to the mixture.
Squeeze the lemon & add salt as per taste.
Finally garnish the mixture with coriander leaves.

Your salad is ready.

Tips :

Add the chopped onions to the salad only when serving, otherwise the salad loses its freshness.