Bitter is way better!! Week #22 of 52 recipes in 52 weeks

I hope you all enjoyed my tambada rassa recipe last week!
I was in Delhi in 2010 and had rented an apartment when I was playing in the Commonwealth Games. My in-laws and my parents had come and we had a cook in our apartment who was quite young but made some amazing dishes while we were there. But this one dish stood out- Bitter gourd masala. My hubby hated bitter gourd as do most people I know. I wasnt particularly fond of it, but this dish was so tasty that Sanjeev kept asking him to make it over and over again while we were there. So I asked the cook to give me the recipe and now I make it quite often. Bitter Gourd drastically improves blood sugar and is good for you, so making it edible is very important. Kasoori Methi are dried fenugreek leaves which are so important in this dish. It gives this dish its totally unique flavor.

Ingredients:
Bitter Gourd- 2 cups- cut in rounds or bite size pieces
thick plain yoghurt- 2 tablespoons- ( can be omitted if vegan- use lime juice instead)
onions minced- 1/2 cup
garlic and ginger- 3 tablespoons minced
tomatoes- diced 1/2 cup
chilli powder- 1 tablespoon
turmeric- 1 teaspoon
garam masala- 1 tablespoon
cumin-coriander powder-1 tablespoon
amchur powder- i teaspoon
Kasuri Methi flakes- 2 tablespoons
Cumin seeds- 1 tablespoon
oil- 3 tablespoons
salt to taste

Method:
Mix yoghurt or lime juice with bitter gourd and let it rest for 5 -10 minutes.Pour oil in pan or wok. Add cumin seeds and let it turn black. Then add onions and ginger and garlic and turmeric. Saute on medium high for 5-7 minutes. Add Chilli, garam masala powder and the cumin coriander powder along with a teaspoon of amchur and salt. Now add tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes. Now add the bitter gourd that soaked in yoghurt or lime juice. Mix well and reduce fame to low or medium and close with lid and let it cook for at least 10 minutes. The bitter gourd should be cooked by now, if not close the lid back and let it cook. Then increase heat, add a bit more oil and add the kasoori methi and saute on high for abt 4-5 minutes stirring constantly. Serve hot with rotis and dal.

Week #21 of 52 weeks of 52 recipes: An attempt at a very authentic Maharashtrian dish

My husband grew up in Nagpur and so his palate is highly influenced by that. Despite belonging to a Tamil family, his tastes are more attuned to Mahasrastrian spices and dishes. So, I am always keen to try some of the hardcore Maharastrian dishes at home.
This particular curry I made is actually a Rassa. Rassa is a gravy thats more runny rather than thick, but the flavor is intense. This can be eaten with roti or bread, but rice is ideal as side dish. I made the masala first and then made a vegetarian version for myself, whereas had friends over for a non-veg version of it.

Tambada Rassa:

Ingredients:
Onion - 1 big onion sliced lengthwise
Ginger- 1 inch
garlic- 8 clives
Green chillies- 5-8
oil- i tablespoon

2nd set of ingredients:
Jeera or cumin seeds- 2 tablespoons
Poppy seeds- 2 tablespoons
sesame seeds - 2 tablespoons
1 inch cinnamon stick
Big Elaichi- 1
cloves- 5
peppercorns- 1 teaspoon
dry coconut- 1 cup

Chicken or vegetables cooked with Kashmiri Chilli powder( 2 tablespoons) and onions

Method:
Dry roast the jeera for 3 minutes until fragrant, now add poppy seeds for 2 minutes and then sesame seeds until they start popping. Add the remaining 2nd set of ingredients except coconut and dry roast for 2-3 minutes. Remove them and then add coconut and dry roast it till it turns slightly brown. Remove coconut. Now add onions in the same pan. Allow onions to cook a bit before adding oil. Let onions brown and cook down at least for 10-12 minutes. Empty that mixture into the dry roasted ingredients and gring them together into a fine paste.Keep aside and now grind garlic, ginger and chillies into a fine paste. Mix the two pastes together well. Add some oil in a wok and add the paste and fry for about 10-12 minutes untilt he raw smell of garlic has gone. The masala paste can now be used for a vegetarian, chicken or any meat Tambada Rassa.
If you are using chicken, you will need to cook chiken with some fried onions and Kashmiri Chilli Powder which gives it the red color with 3-4 cups water until it is cooked. Then you will add the masala paste and allow it to cook for 4-5 minutes. If you are using vegetables, cook potatoes,carrots, beans and cauliflower in 2 cups of water and onions and Kashmirir red chilli powder and then add the masala paste and let it boil for an extra 3-4 minutes.

Super food super quick on Week #20 of 52 recipes in 52 weeks

I wanted to make something for my 9 yr old daughter that was quick but healthy and tasty. Kids are usually fussy with food and its hard to get them to eat their greens. But this recipe is so fast and so tasty, that they will gobble it up in no time.

Ingredients :
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup baby spinach-washed
1 bunch of cilantro or kothimilli
1/2 onion- minced
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup frozen peas or cooked garbanzo beans or any cooked lentil
oil- 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Take the spinach and rinse it again in water. Take microwave safe dish and add the spinach with a bit of water in in. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, so it wilts. Add bit of salt. Now put it in a blender with cilantro and garlic and blend till smooth. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add onions and saute till it starts to brown. Now add frozen cooked peas or any kind of beans or lentils. You can also add roasted peanuts or roasted cashews for protein and flavor. Saute for 1-2 minutes and then add the pureed spinach and cilantro mixture . add salt and peppera nd let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Now, add the rice and mix it thoroughly. Done- the rice with spinach, beans, and cilantro is so flavorful and still nutritious!!! Enjoy!

Week #20 Guess the recipe......

Week #19 Cinco de Mayo celebration!

To celebrate Cinco De Mayo, The Mexican Holiday on May 5th, I decided to dedicate this dish to Mexico.
Kale, brussels sprots, red cabbage, brocolli , minced fake meat make for this delicious enchilada with some spicy salsa and cheese on top. You can substitute any minced meat like chicken or beef or even cooked shrimp. Many Mexican retsuarants serve food that are too beany or too cheesy. Real Mexican food is actually quite light. They even eat interesting food like cactus root, tamarind, etc.

Ingredients :
Any type of greens cut up(spinach, broccolli)
Onions- 1/2 cup
Garlic- 1 Tablespoon minced
Oregano- 2 tablespoons
MInced meat or soy crumbles- 1/2 cup
Tortillas - 2
Salsa or spicy tomato sauce made fresh- 1 cup
cheese grated- 1/2 cup
Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Jalapeno chillies and cilantro to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to broil.Pour oil in a saute pan and add minced meat or soy crumbles. In 2 minutes, once it has browned add onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes till onion is transparent and is starting to brown. . Add green veggies and oregano and saute on high heat for abt 2 minutes. The green veggies should wilt, but stll be slightly crunchy. Switch off the heat.Take an oven safe dish and place tortillas. Add the greens and meat mixture to it. Roll it up, so the opening is on the bottom. Add the salsa on top of the tortilla rolls and sprinkle cheese. Place the tortillas under broiler until cheese is melted and is starting to brown. Take the enchiladas out and sprinkle cilantro and jalapeno to serve.Enjoy

Week #19 Guess the dish

Also those who have tasted this, cannot take part in this guessing game... :)

Week #18 Panko crusted chicken/tofu/paneer tandoori bites

The dish of this week is so versatile and so easy for anything you want to use- Be it Tofu, Paneer or Chicken. Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese breadcrumbs and have a unique texture and taste and work so well in this dish. If you dont have it, please try to make your own from old dried white bread. Just run it in a spice grinder or a mixie until its kind of coarse. It shouldnt be too well ground.. Also this is a much healthier option than deep frying. How you prepare the tofu, paneer or chicken is a bit different but the result is some really crunchy and fairly healthy appetizer or a great lunch box option for kids.


Ingredients :
Tandoori masala powder- 3-4 tablespoons
Panko bread crumbs- 1 cup
Buttermilk 1/2 cup
Egg - 2 ,beaten
Oil- For shallow frying- about 1/2 to 1 cup.

Mix buttermilk and egg together and lightly season with salt and pepper. Usually tandoori masala contains salt and spices. Taste the tandoori masala to ensure that salt is there, otherwise adjust to taste.

Tofu- 1 packet extra firm- drained and patted dry. Then cut into 2 inches long and 1 inch wide strips. Again pat them dry, so there is no moisture on them.

Paneer- Cut them into bite size pieces and drop into buttermilk/egg mixture until ready to shallow fry.

Chicken- Cut into bite size peices and drop into buttermilk/egg mixture.

In a separate plate, mix breadcrumbs and tandoori masala together well.
Heat non stick pan and add oil about 3 tablespoons. The oil should be hot enough, but not too hot that it will burn everything.
Now take tongs and drop tofu/paneer or chicken into the breadcrumbs and tandoori mixture. The egg will help coat it. Make sure the pieces are completely coated in breadcrumbs mixture. Now drop slowly in heated pan with oil one by one. Dont touch it for about 3-4 minutes. Then turn to the other side and make sure to adjust heat. Turn evenly so its brown on all sides. Remove on to paper towels and serve hot or warm as an appetizer or alongwith a salad for a small meal or even as a filling for a wrap or a roll. Enjoy!