Bottle Gourd and Cottage Cheese Curry

Hi Folks. As you all know I have to travel, so had been busy clearing up the refrigerator. I was left with a small bottle gourd and cottage cheese which I partly utilised in my previous post of Ajwaini Paneer in Curds Gravy. So, just thought of mixing the two and making the curry. Initially I thought of not posting it, then on second thoughts I found it another interesting idea of introducing bottle gourd, which is a rich source of many vital nutrients. Not many people like this vegetable, so this version can be very interesting for them as the Paneer and gourd blend completely in each other and hides the gourd. 

I do not want to write much, lets quickly get to the recipe.

Ingredients

1 small bottle gourd peeled, washed and cubed

3 onions cubed

5-6 garlic pods

2 large tomatoes chopped roughly

1 tsp dry ginger powder

1 tsp red chili pwd

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

2 tsp coriander pwd

1 tsp cumin pwd

1-2  tsp  kitchen king masala

a pinch of garam masala

salt to taste

Oil for cooking

Method

Grind coarsely onion, garlic and tomatoes together. Heat oil and add this paste and cook till the oil separates. Now add ginger, coriander, cumin powders. Also add the kitchen king masala. Add the gourd and cook  covered till almost done. Now add the paneer cubes and mix gently. Adjust the consistency by adding water, bring the curry to a boil. At the final stage put the garam masala, mix and serve with hot Paratha. I served it with Masala Kulcha.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Ajwaini Paneer in Curds Gravy- a health recipe

Ajwain / Carom/ Ova or Bishop’s Weed is a herb that belongs to  parsley family and is a close relative to cumin, dill and caraway. It is largely used in Maharashtra and Gujarat to flavor the vegetarian dishes delicately. It is also added to Paratha, Fritters and Khakra to enhance the taste.

It is of great medicinal use especially in gastric discomforts.

Some other home remedies with Ajwain are (courtesy Tarla Dalal):

If one is bothered by bad breadth, chewing on a mixture of ajwain seeds and fennel seeds (saunf) or suva seeds can act as an effective mouth freshener.

To ease a toothache, gargle with some boiled water to which is added one teaspoon of ground ajwain and a little salt. Repeat the process two to three times a day.

Sore throat and hoarse voice? No problem with ajwain around. Simply add a quarter to half teaspoon of ajwain to some warm milk to make a ready concoction to soothe the throat.

A natural inhaler for easing a cold can be made by crushing a tablespoon of ajwain seeds and tying the powder in a small cloth bundle. As for a cough, all one needs to do is chew a little ajwain and follow this by drinking some hot water.

For bronchitis or asthma, having a teaspoonful of ajwain with hot water every morning and evening will give some relief.

To get rid of Indigestion and flatulence, combine one teaspoon of ajwain with two pinches of salt or with betel leaves. Chew the combination, swallow it and then hear yourself sigh with relief as you get rid of the discomfort.

To enhance appetite, all one needs to do is swallow a teaspoon of ajwain with or without water 3 to 4 times a day.
Ajwain oil can help relieve earache with just one or two drops in the ear.

The oil can also be used to massage legs and knees to get relief from pain if one is suffering from arthritis.

   I decided to use this versatile herb in my cooking especially for it’s effect on gastronomical problems. As my regular readers are aware that my younger one has not been keeping well and he had to get back to regular eating, so to aid in his digestion, I decided to use Ajwain in larger quantities. With the doc’s consent I introduced Cottage Cheese (Paneer) in his diet and I flavoured the Paneer very delicately with Ajwain and Curds, another very important digestive.

I imparted fresh flavors of green coriander, roasted and pounded coriander and cumin seeds to the gravy. This made the curry delicately flavored. I served it very lightly oiled, hot parathas. Gladly, he liked it a lot and grinned after eating the paneer which he ate after a very long time.

Read the ingredients and the method to make this delicately flavored curry.

Ingredients

225gms Paneer/Cottage Cheese cubed

2 onions cubed

200gms thick curds

6-8 tbsp chopped coriander/cilantro

2 tsp ajwain

3 garlic pods crushed

1 tsp red chili pwd/ 3-4 green chilies finely chopped

2 tsp each of roasted and pounded cumin and coriander seeds

a pinch of garam masala

and a large pinch of mint powder/pudina

salt to taste

and

oil to cook

Method

Heat oil and add ajwain followed by onions and saute. Add the crushed garlic, cumin, coriander, red chili pwd and mix properly.

Add the paneer and mix gently into the spices and cook. Season with salt. Remove the pan from the fire and add in the beaten curds and mix. Add the chopped cilantro, pudina pwd and garam masala. Let the gravy simmer till the curry nicely coats the paneer.

Serve it hot with hot roti/paratha.

Tip- to make a more creamier and rich gravy, add 2-3 tbsp cashewnut paste/ powder to the curry when curds is added.

I am sending this to Food for seven stages of life- Pregnancy hosted by Sudeshna of Cook like a Bong and Radhika Vasanth of Saurashtra Kitchen, as this health recipe aids in digestion and is loaded with proteins which are a must intake in this period.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Gingered Carrot Soup for Taste and Create and a few awards again….

Hi!  This is my first participation in Taste and Create. Taste&Create event started by Nicole of ForTheLoveOfFood and is hosted by Min of BadGirlsKitchen. For this month I have been paired up with Min of BadGirlskitchen. Those who love eating non vegetarian food, you will love exploring her blog. She has some very  interesting  vegetarian recipes,of which, very conveniently I picked up a comfortable soup…the carrot and ginger. The combo sounded very interesting These day’s I am more into providing nutritious food to my younger one,  this selection helped me there.

The soup comes across as a  quickie  with a delectable taste. The ginger provides the zing to the mild carrot and the all spice provides the additional flavors along with the ever welcome cashew nuts. I adjusted some amount of spices to suit our palate.The original recipe one can read here.

Ingredients

1lb carrots/450gms cubed/grated

3/4 cup chopped onions
2 garlic pods
1 tbsp grated ginger
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup toasted cashew nuts
2-3 tsp olive oil/butter
Spices
1/4 tsp all spice ( I did not have, so made my own substitution) check here
1/2 tsp white pepper (not used in original recipe)
1/4 tsp roasted cumin pwd
1/4 tsp roasted fennel pwd
1/4 tsp mint pwd
1/4 tsp cinnamon pwd
salt to taste


Method

Peel and wash the carrots and grate them. Boil them in 4 cups of water.

Heat olive oil and saute the onions, followed by ginger and crushed garlic. Add all the spices, salt and let it cool.

Toast the cashew nut. and mix it with the onions and blend in a hand blender . Pour in the carrots and blend further. The soup should have small bits of carrot and cashews.

Bring the soup to a boil. One can adjust the consistency based on your preference-thick/thin. Remove from flame and add lemon juice, mix properly and serve.

I am sending this to Food for seven stages of life- Pregnancy hosted by Sudeshna of Cook like a Bong and Radhika Vasanth of Saurashtra Kitchen,the soup is rich source of Vit A present in the carrots.

PriyaRaj of Ensamaiyal has passed on a few awards to me. Thanks a lot Priya, that’s a very sweet gesture, I am humbled again.




I want to pass on these awards to Mriganayani, Lone Acorn, Palidor, Katy, Jaya, Parita, Lata Raja and Shubha. Sorry gals,if I have not named you properly, as I know most of you by your blog names.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A Kiddies Delight- Dinosaurs Pasta in a Vegetable Medley

I was in a mood to fix a quick Sunday breakfast for the kids, as I had to start shopping for FIL’s 80th b’day which I have to attend this month end in Bangalore. Last few days were very low for us and since the younger one seemed a little okay, and he had got the kind little nod from the doc, that he could have some whole wheat pasta made in little oil, I indulged myself in making some dinosaur shaped pasta for him. A treat for him after 3 weeks of stringent diet regime.

This is a very simple recipe, very quick to make and a complete heart winner with the kids. One can use any pasta of their choice, I used the dinosaur shaped ones as my younger one is very fond of it. I used fresh herbs, no artificial flavorings, a little olive oil and spiced with a little freshly ground pepper. We got a pasta with all natural and prominent flavors.

Ingredients
21/2 cups of boiled pasta
2 onions chopped
4 tomatoes chopped
2 large garlic cloves  chopped
1 green or any colored capsicum chopped
3-4 mushrooms washed and sliced
1/2 carrot peeled and grated
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2-3 tsp chopped celery
a large pinch of ajwain or carom seeds or oregano
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
3-4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
parsley to garnish
Method

Take a large pan and take enough and more water to boil the pasta. One should remember that Pasta almost doubles in volume after cooking. Add 2 tsp oil and some salt to the water. When the water starts boiling add about 11/2 cups of pasta and cook ‘Al Dente’. It means it is tender but with firm resistance to the bite.

Once cooked remove in a colander and pour cold water on it and keep aside. This prevents the Pasta from sticking each other.

Heat olive oil in a pan and add chopped garlic. When it turns brown add the onions and cook till translucent. Now add chopped celery, carom seeds (I added this as they are good for gastric discomfort), carrot, tomatoes, salt and sugar. Cook till tomatoes are done and has a saucy texture.

Now add the pasta, capsicum, pepper pwd and toss it in the sauce properly for 2-3 mins max. Do not overcook, else you loose all natural flavors and the sauce turns too thick. It should coat the pasta properly (ideally the pasta should be dipped in hot water before adding to the sauce).

Serve it hot with some parsley and grated cheese (I did not add that, as he still can’t have it).

Sending the pasta to Kids delight hosted by Srivalli at Spice Your Life to celebrate her blog’s first anniversary.

And to  “Just not any other dish” hosted by My experiments with cooking @ cooking demystified, as this is a special meal for my child, for whom it is like the first step taken towards  normal eating after a very long duration. So, this Pasta is very special for him and for me too.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A few Reposts

Hi! The last few days have been really gloomy, with my younger one not keeping well, I am physically and mentally exhausted. Am just trying to squeeze in a few reposts for the events. I will hopefully be posting something interesting in a few days and if he is in full spirits may be tomorrow, till then see ya.

Sending in Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Pistachio Fudge

and  Healthy wheat chocolates to

CFK- Chocolate

This event is hosted by Hema of Salt to taste and is the brain child of Sharmi of Naivedyam.


I am reposting Cheesy bread rolls

 Bread rolls II (Stuffed Potato Bread Rolls)

for Priya’s Sunday snacks – Snacks with bread



For think spice – think red chilies hosted by Lakshmi at Kitchen chronicles and started by Sunita Bhuyan

I am sending Maavinkayi Chutney which was incidentally my first post.



Also sending my entries to http://cookingdemystified.blogspot.com/2009/09/event-announcement-just-not-any-other.html
My fist entry is Paneer kaju Pasanda and  Garlic Naan  which I had made for my kids when they wanted an exotic meal and had relished the meal a lot.


The second entry is Bread Butter pudding which again I had made remembering my brother on Rakhi and also to cheer up my kidos.


Sending all the above to Kids delight hosted by Srivalli at Spice Your Life to celebrate her blog’s first anniversary.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tangy Baby Potatoes in Onion-Cilantro Curry

 

It happens some times with me that I intend to make some thing and then I find myself short of certain ingredients. Then I concoct something instantaneously and it turns out good. Earlier I had made lot of things like this and  would conveniently forget them. And then kids would demand Mom make what you made that day and I will have a complete question mark on my face, as I would fail to recollect what I concocted… I am glad with this blog, there will be  no question marks any more.

It was one such day when I was planning to make Dum Aloo and I had picked up these baby potatoes specifically for that. I boiled the potatoes and realised I was short of a major ingredient for my Dum Aloo ( I will surely post the recipe later) and I was stuck. I could have made the Dum Aloo easily in the basic onion-tomato gravy… but I was in no mood to use my dear Tomatoes. I desperately wanted to make something interesting and different. Now the grey cells in my brain started working and I again started exploring my refrigerator to find something more interesting. The things I found were a small bunch of coriander , a little ginger , some lime juice ,some tamarind paste, a few dry fruits and a few regular veggies which I did not feel like mixing in my Potatoes. I wanted a dish only with the potatoes. 

Finally, I thought the small bunch of coriander was inviting me and then I just knew what I had to do. I wanted to make something tangy using the coriander and tamarind. I know one would wonder what is interesting with these ingredients…but make this dish to believe with such regular things, such simple yet very tasty curry could be made.And this is what I did…

I parboiled about 400 gms of peeled baby potatoes in water added with salt and turmeric. This imparts a nice yellow color to the potatoes.

Now I blended 3 medium onions coarsely . Heated some oil in the pan and put the blended onions in it and sauted them till light brown in color.

I added the very basic spices like chili pwd 1 tsp, 3 tsp coriander pwd, 1 tsp cumin pwd, 1/2 tsp turmeric pwd and salt to taste. Mixed them and cooked them for a while till the spices got nicely roasted.

Then the boiled potatoes were added and mixed properly in the spice-onion mix. The water was added at this stage to make a slightly thin curry and the curry was brought  to a boil.

In the chutney blender was taken a small bunch of washed and roughly chopped cilantro,3 green chilies, 5 garlic pods and half inch piece of ginger and ground  to a paste using a little water.

This paste was then added to the boiling curry. 3 tbsp tamarind paste was also added at this stage to provide the tang  and the pan was covered with the lid , the curry was let cook on a low flame till it thickened.

It was then garnished with cilantro and served hot with some phulkas and hot rice. Personally I loved eating it with rice.

This curry can be kept thin if it is to be served only with rice. It tastes good either way. The curry has the richness of all fresh flavors.

I am sending this to  It’s Vegan world- Indian hosted by Erbe in Cucina and is the brainchild of Vaishali .

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Savory Scallion-Mushroom-Cilantro Scone

I got introduced to the word scone only after I started blogging and I had an instant liking for it. I have been planning to make them for quite some time but I had my own apprehensions. I finally got over them and attempted making my ‘First One’s’.

Before I start explaining what I made, let’s get introduced with this term properly. I did read a lot of blogs and surfed the net to understand them and the best explanation was given by joy of baking and jugalbandi  and  thus my final conclusions are:

There are two ways to pronounce scone; "Skon" and "Skoan".The origin of the name 'scone' is just as unclear as where it came from.  Some say the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, the Stone (Scone) of Destiny.  Others believe the name is derived from the Dutch word "schoonbrot" meaning fine white bread or from the German word "sconbrot" meaning 'fine or beautiful bread'.  Still others say it comes from the Gaelic 'sgonn' a shapeless mass or large mouthful.

They were first made with oats, shaped into a large round, scored into four to six triangles, and cooked on a griddle either over an open fire or on top of the stove. 

This small cake is a quick bread, similar to an American biscuit, made of wheat flour (white or wholemeal), sugar, baking powder/baking soda, butter, milk (whole, half and half, light cream, heavy cream, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.), and sometimes eggs.  This produces a soft and sticky dough that has the ratio one part liquid to three parts wheat flour.   It needs to be baked in a moderate to hot oven so the dough sets quickly thereby producing a light scone with a light to golden brown floury top and bottom with white sides.  The texture of the interior of the scone should be light and soft, and white in color.  

The key to  making good tender scones lies in handling the dough. The dough has to handled gently and not over kneaded.

I made my scones low in fat and high in nutrific value. They have a nice hard crispy crust  and soft and flaky inside. One can add veggies of their choice. The ones I have added surely have a nice aroma. The scones were perfect and I won over all my apprehensions and am ready to try the sweet versions.

Ingredients for the Scones

Makes 8

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
8 oz crumbled cottage cheese/ ricotta cheese (I used home made low fat)
1tbsp+2tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup milk
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1/4 tsp carrom seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp red chili pwd
4 mushrooms finely chopped
4-5 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 large or 4 small scallions chopped
1 green chili chopped
egg white/milk for glazing

Method

The correct mixing of the ingredients is crucial in producing an excellent scone. One can use an electric mixer but I used my hands. Mixing by hand helps to prevent over mixing of the dough.

To begin, the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) are whisked together in a large bowl.  Initially I used only 2 1/2 cups flour and reserved the remaining.

Next the cottage cheese is cut into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs.  When it is worked into the flour mixture it becomes small, flour- coated crumbs, not a smooth dough.  This method is similar to how a pie dough is made and gives the scone a wonderful delicate and flaky texture. 

This is the point add in the chopped veggies, spices,  and other flavorings are added. 

Mix milk and egg together.The wet ingredients so mixed together separately and then added to the flour mixture.  Only mix the dough until it comes together.  This dough should not be overworked and that a light hand is needed.  The test will be in the results.  If you end up with a hard and doughy scone, you will know to mix the dough less the next time you make them. 

If you find your dough sticky, add the reserved flour and mix.

When the dough is mixed, gather it up in your hands and place on a lightly floured surface.  Knead the dough a few times to make it a cohesive mass and then roll or pat it into a 7 inch (18 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.54 cm) high.

Cut it like a pizza, first through the middle, then into quarters, and then into eight wedges. Use a very sharp knife (preferably serrated) for this. Clean cuts enable the scones to rise better. ( I used a pizza cutter dipped in flour)

  Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush with an egg /milk wash, if desired.  Using an egg wash gives the scone a nice appearance and helps with browning. 

Bake the scones in a preheated oven at 400 F.

Scones that are placed close together, that is almost touching, will have soft sides and their crusts will be less crispy.  If you place them further apart the scones will be crusty all over.  The scones are done when they are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the scone comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.  If you want crusty scones, cool them uncovered.  If a softer crust is desired, then wrap the hot scones in a clean dish towel.  Scones are best served warm. Serve them with butter or cream cheese.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Paneer, Peas and Potato Curry-(aloo-matar-paneer) Version-I

If you ever visit a North Indian restaurant and read the menu, amongst the few items which are a regular, this curry is one of them. It is surely a favorite amongst the old and the young and can be made in several ways. This time I made it on S’s demand. He has been asking me to make it for quite some time. One can read this statement  very frequently in my posts and yet S believes I rarely indulge into cooking his favorites.LOL.

Anyways, cooking this curry helped me in many ways..firstly S was happy that I made it, secondly, I made it in bulk so that I do not have to cook again for dinner, thirdly..It made my guests who were incidentally my parents, also happy and fourthly, I was happy to cook something nice with the veggies I had in store as I unable to go out and shop these days.

My father has always encouraged and liked my cooking. And my Mom strongly believes that I am a better cook than her. I guess all mom’s think like that. But I feel really honored that even before marriage my parents and my brother always encouraged my cooking and trying out various things, especially my brother who would be saying all beautiful adjectives whenever I tried something new. I remember I tried attempting pizzas at home for him as he liked them very much. How much I miss him, that he isn’t around,  and I just  get a days or 2 in 2 yrs to spend with him now. But gladly, the 3 men in my life  now are great supporters of my cooking and always encourage me to try new and are ready to eat whatever I cook. Lucky me!

All these small-small things in your life make your life more bearable and pleasing. Else in today’s mundane world, where one is hounded with all kinds of pressures and agonies, life can become very exhausting and depressing. But all these small little things come for a rescue, isn’t it?

Coming back to the curry, everyone relished the curry and the Jeera rice which I had made as it goes well with the curry, except for my little one for whom I had made sauted potatoes in minimal oil. My little one is down with Viral Hepatitis and is on a complete bed rest past one week. I was feeling sad for him as he is one Paneer lover and can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sadly, he is on a strict diet regime with lots of no-no’s when it comes to food. I have promised him I will cook all his favorites once he is completely okay. So wait for more cottage-cheese recipes, which are round the corner..

This curry that I made is very subtle  and is on the the delicate side when it comes to the flavors. But I assure you it’s worth trying as it has a distinguished taste and does not take a lot of time to cook and just melts in the mouth, provided the cottage cheese is fresh.

I must also apologize to my fellow bloggers whose posts I am unable to read these days, I promise I will catch up soon with all of them. This post too I am typing when every one is asleep.

Ingredients for the Curry

Serves- 8

4-5 potatoes peeled and cubed

200gms cottage cheese cubed ( I used Lebon)

1/2 – 3/4 cup peas ( fresh/frozen)

4 medium onions roughly chopped

5-6 garlic pods

1 inch ginger

4 tomatoes

7-8 cashew nuts blanched

 Spices

3 green cardamoms

1 black cardamom

1 bay leaf

a pinch of nutmeg

2 tbsp coriander pwd

1 tsp cumin powder

1 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chili pwd

1-2 tsp red chili pwd

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp Kitchen king Masala

2-3 pinch garam  masala

a mix of clarified butter(ghee) and oil to cook

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar (optional)

Method

Heat the oil-ghee mix  and throw in  lightly crushed, both the cardamoms and a bay leaf. Now add very coarsely ground onion-garlic-ginger paste to it and cook on low heat till it’s lightly brown.

Grind together the tomatoes and cashew nuts. This will not make a complete paste of the cashews and very small pieces of it are seen and tasted in the curry. Add this paste to the onions and cook again on low heat till the oil separates. Now add  all the remaining spices (except the garam masala) and salt one by one and cook on low heat till the aroma releases.

Add the potatoes, peas and cottage-cheese (paneer) and mix gently. Add water and bring the curry to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and let the curry cook on low heat till it’s done. Serve with hot Jeera Rice.

  I am sending this as my entry to

MLLA- 15  hosted by Sia at Monsoon spice and is the Brain child of Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

and to Side dishes for Chapati at Viki’s Kitchen hosted by Vicky Xavier

reade more... Résuméabuiyad