Zucchini Chutney, my long list of awards…and doubts..

Hello Friends.

A few of my blogger friends had asked me to share what all do I cook with Zucchini. Friends, I do make a few things when I get Zucchini at a cheap rate here, but today I share an extremely tasty, spicy and tangy chutney with this quite tasteless Zucchini.

I had experimented with this chutney a few years back but ever since then it has become our favorite. This chutney can be used with Dosa, Idli, snacks, as a side dish, as a spread …is quite a versatile  one. One can make this in surplus and refrigerate it. I can eat it with anything except the sweets. The flavors added to the chutney completely camouflages the Zucchini  so this Chutney is perfect for people who like/dislike it but surely can enjoy all it’s health benefits in this way!!!

Ingredients

1 large Zucchini chopped/cubed

12-15 bedagi chilies

7-8 garlic pods

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp methi dana/ fenugreek seeds

3-4 sprigs curry leaves

2 tbsp tamarind paste

salt to taste

oil for cooking and tempering

1 tsp mustard seeds

a pinch of good quality asafetida

Method

Heat about 2-3 tsp of oil in a pan and add fenugreek seeds, when they change colour (do not let them burn) add garlic and saute. I have used about a tea spoon of fenugreek as I love it’s flavour but one is free to reduce it as per their taste.

Now add red chilies, zucchini, curry leaves, turmeric and salt. Mix, cover and cook till done.

Cool the mix and transfer it to a grinder pot and add tamarind paste. Grind it.

Temper the chutney with mustard and asafetida. Mix and refrigerate. Remove in small quantity when ever you use..

This chutney is off to SE and Priya’s cooking with seeds- fenugreek

I also take the opportunity to wish my MOM and my dear friend Nalini G on their birthday today.

Coming to the awards, first of all accept my apologies for the delay in accepting all these awards. Honestly speaking I was puzzled about the award thing. I truly appreciate my blogger friends feelings when they think of bestowing an award to my blog but I am surely puzzled and have my own doubts about them, do I deserve …? Am I an expert in cooking…? What have I really achieved..? I still feel I have a long way to go, a lot more to learn!!!

During the initial days of blogging my heart used to leap out every time I got an award. I remember so clearly the day I got my first award I had called up S and told him that I got a one… but during the course of blogging I realised that I am more satisfied when I read honest and genuine comments at my blog rather than getting awards.  I am extremely happy when someone tells me what they liked in my recipe or why is the recipe different or  what else I could do to improvise my recipe.

I appreciate it more when my friends read my recipes or congratulate me when I try something new. In fact I do feel low at times when a good preparation goes unnoticed but I cheer myself saying what’s good for me may not be important to others…or they might know that and it’s not new for them.

I get immense satisfaction in learning new things from so many talented bloggers and I am extremely glad if I can be of any help to my foodie friends, I genuinely try to answer all the queries that are asked here in my blog.

Please do not get me wrong or feel offended..I do understand your feelings but for me my REAL AWARD IS WHEN I GET A COMMENT THAT SOMEONE TRIED MY RECIPE AND THEY ENJOYED MAKING AND EATING THAT or SOMEONE ASKS ME TO POST A RECIPE. I feel recognised and my work appreciated. I am truly truly humbled when people find my work honest and take out time to appreciate all the work and effort that goes in making a recipe as well as writing the post.

So here I am accepting all the awards with utmost humility as I treasure my blogger friends and do not want to hurt you….. Thank you so much, I hope you will understand me …why I delayed!!!

   from Sanjana of KO Rasoi .
from Indrani of Appayan, Kanchan of Kitchen Gossip, Asha of Asra ashaon ka, Renuka fom Love Of Cooking, Gayathri of Kavitha’vin Kaivannam, Rujuta and Deepa of Food Lyrics
from Deepa of Food Lyrics, Indrani of Appayan , Asha of Asra ashaon ka and Siddhi of Cooked Dil Se
from Siddhi of Cooked Dil Se and Asha of Asra ashaon ka
from Priyas Recipes on her 200th post.....
Some more TOFAS from Asha  and Renuka

Nithu also shared the Smart food blogger award with me. I apologize in advance if I have missed out any.
All the tags I have done earlier and you are welcome to read them in my previous posts. Please click awards in  the navigation bar to read more about me.

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Flambéed Capsicum in Red Gravy…without any liquor!!!

From food

Hi Everyone!

How do you feel when DH is not around or has gone on a tour? Do you feel sad…or is there a sense of relief and you are happy that you have got sometime for yourself… Or you cry and cry remembering him and missing him?

In the early days of marriage I was in the last category, I found it extremely difficult to stay without him…going to office was inevitable but tours used to be a no no from my side. Today I am surely sad  and do miss him a lot but then I try to keep my brain occupied in many things so that I do not end up myself in a self invited depressed state..Earlier to keep myself engaged I would read a lot ..but after  starting to blog  I involve myself in experimental cooking, this not only removes the negative energy surrounding me but brings in a lot of positivity and enthusiasm. I enjoy the feel of creating new and all this I prefer to do when I am alone..in a lot of ways I enjoy being alone and not being disturbed (only in the mornings) by afternoon I start to crave to see my younger one as he loves being around me, hugging me, kissing me every now and then…gives me a feeling of being wanted!!!

So one of these days when S was on a tour or rather a training program where he did fire walk and glass walk and all kinds of scary but exciting things…I was keeping myself busy with the experimental cooking.

FLAMBE is such a musical word sounds so melodious to the ears…The word Flambe is French for "flaming" or "flamed”. The food is topped with a liquor, usually brandy, cognac, or rum and lit afire. The volatile alcohol vapor burns with a blue tint, leaving behind the faint flavor of the liquor or liqueur. This technique is used by chefs in the kitchen to burn off the raw alcohol flavor from a dish as well for dramatic flair at the table.

Now that I say that I did a Flambe without any liquor I know I have pinched your attention. I love watching all kinds of cookery shows and about three years back Chef Vishnu Manohar Joshi  who used to host Mejwaani on ETV had shown this technique and ever since then I have used this once in a while in my cooking especially when kids are not around and mastered this art ..Once in a while because it’s good to enjoy such a flavour occasionally.

Some precautions that one needs to take while doing the flambe is use an old pan as there are chances of it getting spoilt (I have set aside an old pan for this)  and it might spoil your kitchen walls if you are not careful. So people who have very expensive kitchen this method is not for you !!!!

Here’s a video which shows how you can Flambe

The video shows the use of alcohol in Flambe but Chef Vishnu has taught using water…the method asks for splattering of oil to catch fire, so read the method carefully to understand it more clearly.
Today’s recipe is  for people who are wanting to graduate in Gastronomy and all food bloggers surely fall in that category..

Ingredients
4-5 capsicum cubed
2 onions chopped
6-7 garlic pods
an inch of ginger
3 tomatoes chopped
salt to taste
oil
butter/ clarified butter
Spices
3 bay leaves
3 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp cumin pwd
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp red chili pwd
1/4 tsp garam masala (a good quality)
Method

Grind together the ginger-garlic and onion coarsely, also grind the tomatoes separately.

Heat a pan and add 2-3 tsp oil and tip in the bay leaves. Now add the ground onion paste and saute till nicely brown in colour.

Add the tomatoes and saute again till the oil separates. Add all the spices and salt to taste and mix properly.  Now, keep the masala aside.

Deseed the capsicum and cube them. Sprinkle some water on the capsicum (very imp step)

Heat a broad and shallow pan ( I prefer one with an even base) with a handle and add  a spoon full of oil, spread the oil to all corners by turning the pan. Heat the pan to a smoking point so use HIGH FLAME ONLY (it should be really very very hot) and then put the moistened capsicum in one stroke. You will see the capsicum catching fire for a few seconds. Toss the capsicum  for a minute but let it be crunchy. Remove the FLAMBEED Capsicum.

In the same pan add clarified ghee and heat it to the smoking point and quickly put in the masala and Flambe it, tip in the Flambeed Capsicum  and mix. Cook for a minute and serve immediately.

This tastes best with Naan and surely feel that you are eating an exotic preparation from a restaurant. It’s the best way to enjoy a restaurant like food in an inexpensive way.
You need practice to Flambe and one needs to take all precautions and be careful during the process. Do not try it in front of children is what I would say.
So tell me friends
IS IT NOT A GREAT WAY TO BOOST UP ONE’S SPIRITS..!!!!!!Let me know what you do to cheer up yourself..

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A few reposts for ongoing events

                                               MANGO HEARTS

                                 MINTY JACKFRUIT-RAW BANANA CUTLET  to Priya’s Hearts for St. Valentine’s Day

                               HEALTHY MULTI GRAIN MASALA POORI

 

                                                  BHARLELI VAANGI-I

                                    HYDERABADI BAGHARE BAINGAN to Anita’s Vegetable Marathon- Aubergine

                                            LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

                                            GINGERED CARROT SOUP

                                  SPINACH AND POTATO SOUP WITH ROASTED OATS sending the soups to Healthy Inspirations Event-Soups hosted by Usha at Veg Inspirations

  

 

                              DINOSAURS PASTA IN A VEGETABLE MEDLEY

             BAKED FUSILLI IN MARINARA AND HEALTHY  SPINACHY BECHAMEL SAUCE sending both the pastas to Pasta Party at Panch Pakwan

 

                                                MUGHLAI DUM ALOO

                                            MUSHROOM METHI MATAR  sending this to EFM Parathas-gravies-curries

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Zucchini & Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Hi Friends.

My introduction to cooking with Zucchini is a few years old. Earlier I had only heard this name in Sanjeev Kapoor’s show and would wonder how this vegetable will taste like. For me it was a very exotic thing which I would never see… During my college days  I had visited Pune, my father’s maternal aunt who lived there is an excellent cook. Once we had gone to pick some veggies when I asked her to show me this exotic stuff and like an overjoyed kid I was touching them and keeping them in my mind. That was my first intro to stuff like Avocado, Zucchini, parsley, celery… and was wondering when I would use them in my cooking..

I remember when we moved to Mumbai I used to regularly shop in Godrej Nature’s Basket. It used to be one stop shop for all kinds of veggies but more than veggies I would also get attracted by all actors visiting there. I had met actor like Rajat Kapur there(remember Vyomkesh Bakshi ..) and was so surprised seeing him buy a Broccoli like any other normal man….would wonder how simple these glamorous people are in there  real life. When I had visited this store the very first time I was  excited like a child and showing S Gerkins, Zucchini. … It was after then that I  learnt cooking these beautiful vegetables and my experimentation started..

Today’s cake is an amazingly tasty and moist cake which I had bookmarked from King Arthur flour when I had just started blogging. S had picked a huge batch of Zucchini and the minute I saw them I was reminded of this recipe. I have baked this cake and  kept it as a surprise for him. Me and my kids have just fallen in love with this cake. It is so good and the Zucchini  just disappears in the cake.
I am surely going to post more recipes using this amazing vegetable, so watch out..!

Ingredients for Cake
2-1/2 cups APF
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
3/4 cup chocolate chips
2 tsp espresso coffee pwd (optional but gives a great flavour)
2 eggs
2 cups grated Zucchini
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup curds/yogurt
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Method for Cake
Grease a 10” spring form tin. Preheat oven at 170C.
Sift together APF, Cocoa, baking soda, baking pwd.
Cream oil, butter and sugar together. Add eggs one by one and beat it till light. Add the vanilla, salt and mix.
Now gradually add the flour and curds alternately and beat it at low speed. Mix in the coffee pwd too.
Fold in the zucchini and choco chips.
Pour the cake mix in the tin and even the top surface.
Bake for an hour (the original recipe says 30-35 mins but my cake was not even half done till then). After 35 mins cover the cake with an aluminium foil to prevent over darkening.
Let the cake stand in the oven for 5 mins and then remove it on a wire rack. Let it cool a little and then spread the ganache (this should be done in winter as the ganache spreads easily)

For Chocolate Ganache-
Bring one cup of cream to boil and to it add 8 ounces of dark chocolate. Mix and cool.

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Stuffed Fenugreek Leaves (Methi) Paratha

Hi.

Fenugreek is one of the most healthy green vegetable. Kids avoid eating it for it’s bitter taste. Gladly my kids never make fuss while eating it still I keep making new things with this vegetable to introduce it in our diet in various ways …to break the monotony.

The leaves of Fenugreek has many health benefits. It helps prevent and cure arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, skin problems and digestion related problem. I read another interesting fact that it helps in breast enlargement and also helps lactating mothers in milk secretion. In addition it helps prevent breast cancer and control PMS.

Normally while making Methi paratha the leaves are chopped and mixed in flour and the dough made. Here in this paratha more amount of methi can be incorporated in  the diet..This Paratha which I make with Methi is an excellent way to hide the methi in a very tasty way. While making this paratha one thing that has to be taken care is that the subzi of methi which needs to be stuffed should not be too dry but at the same time not to wet too. The paratha is spicy and has delectable flavour. It tastes best with curds and obviously some butter. The subzi in itself can be used as a side dish with regular roti.

Ingredients

A bunch of fenugreek chopped

2 onions chopped

3 tsp g&g paste

7 spoons gram flour/besan

2 tsp red chili pwd

2 tsp coriander pwd

2 tsp cumin pwd

3 tsp amchoor/ dry mango pwd

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

salt to taste

oil for cooking and shallow frying

regular wheat dough

Method

Heat oil and add onions, saute. Tip in the g&g paste and saute again till the raw smell disappears. Now add all spices and salt and saute again for a minute.

Put the chopped vegetable and cook. The leaves will wilt and release water. When 3/4 cooked add the gram flour gradually and keep mixing continuously. Keep scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching. Cook till done and then cook further to make it slightly dry. Check the consistency in the pics.

Take a large lemon size dough. Spread it using fingers or roll it. Then take about double the volume of the stuffing and stuff it in the dough. Roll it to about 8-10 inch size.

Heat a griddle and then lightly roast the paratha on either side and then shallow fry using a little oil. A well rolled paratha puffs nicely on the griddle. See pics..

This Paratha is good for lunch box. It can be served for break fast or even for lunch. I had packed these for my children's lunch boxes and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sending this to my event the COMBO EVENT.
Also sending it to RV and Sudeshna’s Food for 7 stages of life – Tiffin Box

Yasmeen’s Bitter Better Foods and Think Spice- Think Amchoor at taste buds by Bhagyashree and is the brain child of Sunita
To EFM Paratha & Gravies hosted by Srilekha.

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Corn-Cottage Cheese Risotto and Grilled Broccoli

Hello Friends.

Valentine’s day is a special day for people in love and I can see the blogosphere flooded with dessert and chocolate recipes spreading all the sweetness… I also wanted to post something sweet but then decided completely against that.. and here I am posting two very tasty recipes which perfectly complemented each other! The true reason is I did not want to indulge myself in elaborate preparations as I am still recuperating..

I had made these two preparations for the dinner. S had demanded the Broccoli preparation. A few years back we had had this in a restaurant called Salt n Pepper in Andheri, Mumbai and had simply loved it. Risotto was completely my idea and is truely my version and I am glad I experimented. The last time I had made risotto I did not have the patience to add the stock gradually but this time I did it and the end result…I had that sticky kind perfectly made.I have used the small grain rice that I use at home..one is free to use the Arboreo rice.

Making a good risotto is rather like riding a vehicle for the first time, it takes a little bit of practice to begin with, and a certain amount of attention thereafter. Risotto’s are also very sensitive to timing, and this is why what is served in a restaurant (no matter how good it is) will rarely display that rich texture and just-right doneness that a good home-made risotto will.

The Brocolli I had cooked in grill-micro combination, the taste was nice and it had imbibed all the marinade but I will use 50-50 version the next time to avoid the slightly dry texture which I got this time. I surely like mine extra moist… Sending this combo to the COMBO EVENT  hosted here.

Ingredients for  Grilled Broccoli

2 Broccolis separated into flowerets

3/4 cup thick curds

1 tsp cumin pwd

2 tsp coriander pwd

2 tsp chili pwd

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp turmeric

2-3 tsp garlic-ginger paste

salt to taste

Chaat masala

Method

Blanch the Broccoli.

In the thick yogurt mix all the ingredients except the broccoli. and prepare the marinade.

Now mix the broccoli in the marinade and coat it properly with it. Leave aside for an hour and then insert it in the satay sticks, smear it with some butter  and using the grill-microwave function grill for 10-15 mins. Just before serving sprinkle some chaat masala.

 
Ingredients for the Risotto
2 cups small grain rice
1 onion chopped
4-5 baby corns sliced
200g corn kernels
200g tomato puree (I used Kissan tetra pak)
about 150g cottage cheese crumbled
2 tsp each of  dry basil, thyme and Oregano
4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for cooking
4 garlic pods chopped
2 tsp of Paprika
1 tsp white pepper
about 8-10 cups of vegetable stock
Method
Wash the rice and soak for 10 mins.
In a pan take EVOO and heat it…add onions and chopped garlic. Once the onion turns translucent add the baby corns and corn kernels, saute.
Add the tomato puree, salt, herbs, parika, pepper and mix. Remove the water from the rice and put the rice. Mix it properly with the tomato sauce.
Add a cup of water at a time, once it gets absorbed add the next and so on..till the rice gets cooked and releases the starch. Cooking should be done in an open pan at no point it should be covered.
Once the rice is half cooked add the cottage cheese and continue cooking using more veg stock. At the end add some butter and give a final toss. The entire process of making the risotto can take time anywhere between 20-30mins.


How was the end result? I am writing this post an hour after dinner. Now, after reading this post S is going back to have another round of Risotto.. Need I say more…??!!
Wish every one a very happy Valentine’s Day…lets get together and spread the message of love.

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Dhaba Style Palak Paneer …A Recipe from initial day’s of Blogging

I am feeling so happy reposting  one of my paneer recipes which is very much enjoyed by my family and friends. I had posted this recipe during the initial day’s of my blogging. I thought I am good at making this preparation so had posted it that time. Since I was very new to the world of blogging, the recipes were not attended and appreciated by many..So when Jaya announced this event I was kind of excited to repost them. This recipe is my UNSUNG HERO as it just went unnoticed.

I would love to tell my friends why I feel I am good at making this and why it was amongst my initial posts. I have been making palak paneer in various ways since ages it seems…I was doing my post graduation in Pharmacy at Indore so I assume I must be around 20 years old. We had gone to Aaji’s place( grand mother’s place) to celebrate my grand parent’s 50th marriage anniversary. For that function my grand mom’s brothers, sisters, their children and grand children were invited..as my grandfather was the only child. So we had a gathering of about 45-50 people at our place.

Since everyone had gathered together after a long time they were there for about 3-4 days. One of these days my Kaka (my father’s brother) asked me to cook for everyone and my mother also pressed me. It was the first time I was gonna cook for so many so I was a little hesitant but then I agreed and gave my list of ingredients to my uncle and he got me about 6-7 large bunches of fresh spinach and a kilogram of paneer. And I made the palak paneer.  When it got served for the dinner every one was licking their fingers and were all praises for me. The demand for it continued the next day too for the lunch and I was surely at cloud nine. The best praise which I remember so clearly today  came from my father’s Mami (maternal aunt) who said that she has cooked well undoubtedly but I was observing her through out the cooking and she had kept the kitchen so clean through the process. Keeping the kitchen clean during cooking was very natural to me and had never realised that it is such a big quality.

This Paneer recipe is amongst the Top recipes in an Indian Restaurant. I hope this time my friends will find some time to read this for which I was praised by many!

 DHABA STYLE PALAK PANEER

Ingredients
A large bunch of Palak (spinach)
150 gms Paneer
2 onions (chopped finely)
2-3 green chillies (chopped finely)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 -2 tsp lemon juice (as per your liking)
3-4 garlic pods (crushed)
1 -1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
butter+oil for cooking
1 tsp ghee
Method

• Pluck the leaves of Palak ( do not use stem).Wash them properly.
• Boil water in a vessel, add a pinch of salt a baking soda, this helps keep the colour green .When the water start boiling put the leaves for 20seconds, remove and immediately put it in cold water. (This stops the process of cooking).
• Puree the blanched leaves.
• Heat a mix of butter and oil and add chopped onions and cook till light brown in colour, now add garlic .
• Add chili powder, coriander powder and salt, mix properly. (Add a little less of salt as Spinach has natural salts in it). Take oil to the corner of the pan, tilt the pan and sprinkle some water,  the pan will catch fire for a few seconds, this produces the 'Smoky Flavor' that one gets in Dhaba cooking.
• Add the Paneer and gently mix and coat it with all the spices. Cook for a min.
• Now add the pureed Spinach and bring it to a boil and switch off the flame. Do not overcook as the gravy loses it's natural green colour. Add lemon juice and mix.
• Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, let it splutter and then add green chilies, immediately pour it on the Palak Paneer.
• Serve with Naan/Paratha/Jeera Rice

I am very fond of this recipe and all those people who love Dhaba style food will surely enjoy it’s taste. The original recipe and post can be read here. To understand how to blanch greens and how to maintain the green colour etc..read here


I am sending this post to Jaya’s Repost Event. I hope Jaya I have posted this in the right way this time…

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