Indian Cooking Unfolded & Uncomplicated By Raghavan Iyer | Recipes & Book Review

 

Hi!!

While I write this post, I must confess my heart is humming with joy. It is not always that you are sent a copy of your favourite cookbook author for a review and for that I need to thank John from Workman Publishing, New York, who are the publishers of the book.

I have been a proud owner of 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer and ever since then I’ve been an ardent fan of his cooking and teaching style. He is a pro at what he does and his new book is all about that.

Let me first begin with the appearance of the book. The appearance is quite unassuming. It does not have the customary glossy lushness but the book attracts you because of the smiling picture of the mentor, creator of the book Mr Raghavan Iyer, who is seen cooking on the cover page.

 

The book opens with an acknowledgment from the author where he has expressed gratitude by naming all the people who were involved in the making of this book and how their contribution had helped him. Next comes the contents, giving you a fair idea what the book comprises of and how the book has been split.

The book takes you through a culinary voyage of  recipes which are compartmentalized into ten chapters, of which eight are completely devoted to the recipes. The Indian Cooking Unfolded presents Raghavan’s system for learning to cook Indian food through one hundred basic recipes made using ten ingredients or less. Each chapter can be taken as a course of a meal where each recipe teaches a technique; which could be a cooking technique or a way to combine ingredients for exceptional flavours.

This book has been created keeping in mind the people living in USA, who are interested in learning about Indian food. But after trying recipes from the book I realized that it’s a book for anyone who would like to try their hands on Indian Cooking. The highlighted factor of this book is the fact that the author has tried to break the fallacy, that the Indian cooking needs a whole lot of ingredients, spices and condiments. He has created recipes in such a manner that for no ingredient in the book one needs to visit a specialised Indian grocery store and all recipes need, ten or less ingredients.

Each chapter opens with a lesson plan giving a small description of each dish in the chapter. The recipes have been arranged from easiest to complex ones. Each dish starts with an introduction from the author explaining why he likes that particular dish and where he tasted it first.

When I read the book, I realized, there are no major / complex recipes and those which are a bit tricky, the author has expounded them in great details that they appear to be easy. It also seemed that there’s simply no pruning on the illustration of recipes. There are no short cuts taken!!

Even if you do not cook, the book is informative and provides a thoughtful and insightful read. If you are fond of reading in details, this is the book to have. Meticulous research has been done on the history of spices and the extra credits added in each recipe provides a whole lot of information and knowledge; for example one of the extra credits mentions that ‘refined sugar is not vegan, as charcoal is used in the processing, which is derived from bone ash’. The extra credits also provides substitutes for ingredients where ever possible. One can find cooking tips for creating the recipe in this section. Also, in which section of the grocery store one can locate a certain ingredient, has been helpfully mentioned in the extra credits, which also indicates careful observation of the author.

There are seven step by step fold outs in the book. Other than that a few more recipes are explained step by step. Many recipes have pictures and I was happy to see them. Being a visual person, I definitely comprehend  better when a picture is associated with a recipe and if there are step by step pictures…you have won me!!

I decided to try a few recipes to resolve that my observations about the book are correct and I particularly wanted to crosscheck that the explanations are as much flawless, as they appear to be while reading... I decided to try a flatbread, a curry and a sweet.

Since, in India it’s peak festive season, I decided to try the Funnel cake or Jalebis as I’ve been wanting to try them for quite sometime and the recipe’s step by step foldout encouraged me to do so!! I also decided to try the Naan, which is an Indian flatbread. I’ve made Naan many times earlier and posted here too but I had never tried using an egg. The third recipe which intrigued me was the tamatar chana daal aloo, which is a fatless recipe and makes use of only three spices. I was curious to know how a fatless recipe would taste with minimum use of spices..

I decided to follow all the recipes verbatim. I wanted to see how well the directions were given and how precise the measurements are. If anything goes wrong with the recipe using the directions and measurements provided in the book, then I would use my experience and culinary knowledge to set it right..This would give me a fair idea how a novice in Indian cooking, would learn from the cookbook and also where one could go wrong..

Vegan | Dairy Free

The first thing I decided to try was the Jalebi or Funnel Cake in saffron Syrup, as the recipe asked for a resting time of 1-2hrs for the batter to ferment. I followed the procedure verbatim. On mixing the batter using the amount of water mentioned in the book, the batter appeared watery but I overlooked my doubt at that point of time, thinking that the batter might thicken after fermenting and it did but not as much. I was extremely doubtful of how to squeeze out a perfect shaped funnel cake using such a watery batter…

At that point, where I felt that the measurements provided in the book failed, I used presence of mind and added more APF to the mix and kept it aside for ten more minutes and then used it..I had seen the halwai’s in India piping out hot jalebis many times and had also noticed that the batter was thick, that observation helped me solve my problem but I did realize that the book needs to mention the consistency of batter and also to indicate that the water needs to be added gradually to get a thick consistency, as the absorption capacity varies from flour to flour..

 

The temperature mentioned for frying in the book is apt and yields crisp Jalebis. I made the first batch exactly following Raghavan’s instruction and in the second batch I followed how the halwai’s do, so fried the Jalebis first on a low flame till half done and then increased the flame to a medium high and fried till done. I realised the second batch tasted better than the first.

Squeezing out perfect jalebis is an art which comes out of practice, fortunately after one or two wrong shapes I managed decently later on. Another thing that one should take care while making jalebi and is not mentioned in the book, is to keep mixing the batter after every batch. On resting, the batter froths up and air pockets are formed, which needs to be removed before squeezing out the jalebi. If one squeezes out without removing the trapped air, the jalebis will have small air holes on it.

Recipe for Funnel Cake in Saffron Syrup (Jalebi)

For Funnel Cake

1/2cup APF/ maida

1tsp chickpea flour/besan

1/2tsp active dry yeast

1tsp warm water

1/2tsp sugar

1/2tsp refined oil

1/4cup– 1/2 cup water

For Saffron Syrup

1cup refined sugar

1/2cup water

1tbsp lemon juice

1/2tsp cardamom powder

1/2tsp saffron threads

Oil for deep frying

Special equipment required

a squirt bottle/ ketch up bottle

flat fry pan

Method  For Jalebi

Activate the yeast using warm water and sugar and add it to APF and chickpea flour mix. Add water gradually to make a thick, lump free batter, if required add more water. Let the batter rest for 1-2hrs and then mix again. Fill in the squirt bottle or a disposable plastic bag cone (cut it at the end).

Using all the ingredients of the syrup make a one string consistency syrup. A drop of syrup when pressed between thumb and finger should produce a string. At this stage remove it from fire. Warm the syrup just before adding fried jalebi.

Heat the oil in a flat pan (2inches of depth) to a temperature such that if a drop of batter is added it should gradually float to the top. Reduce the flame to the lowest mark and squeeze out jalebis, 3-4 at a time. Fry on low flame till half done and then fry on medium-high flame till done.( the book mentions to fry at 275F). Remove them using slotted spoon and transfer them in saffron syrup.

Completely coat them with the syrup and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Keep a plate under the rack to collect the extra syrup.

The jalebi can also be fried in clarified butter/ ghee but then it will not be dairy free or vegan.

Serve hot.

Naan –Tamatar Chana Daal

The chana daal aloo curry turned out awesome and I never missed the fat in it. The aroma of the roasted spices gives  a nice smoky flavour to the curry. My only input to the curry when I cook it the next time will be, to soak the lentils for an hour before cooking,  as it fastens the cooking procedure and reduces consumption of LPG. I was surprised that the book doesn’t ask for soaking the lentils in fact it says that does not require pre soaking..

I made the Naan in the tandoor and slightly overdid my first Naan as I was removing the jalebis that time. Anyhow, the Naan turned out flawless and was soft, the only flaw was in the procedure. The procedure asks to divide the dough into 4 parts. The pictures in the cookbook show small sized naan, whereas if the dough is divided into 4 parts, it makes 4 big naan of about 12”-15” size. Also, the book says roll naan to 3”-5” diameter but does not speak about the thickness of the flatbread. For a novice, it is very important to know the thickness of the flatbread as on cooking it can turn chewy, if it’s too thin. And if it’s too thick, it takes longer time to cook and doesn’t look like a Naan.

I would suggest to divide dough into 8-10 parts and then roll out 3-5 inch diameter naan of 3-4mm thickness.

For Smoky Yellow Split Peas/  Tamatar Chana daal aloo

1cup Yellow Split peas/ Bengal gram/ Chana daal

5 medium sized potatoes

1/4tsp turmeric powder

4dry red chillies

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1 medium sized tomato

salt to taste

1tbsp chopped cilantro

Method For tamatar Chana Daal

Wash the lentils 3-4 times and add 4cups of water to it. Transfer in a thick bottom pan, bring it to a boil, remove the froth. Add turmeric and potatoes and mix it thoroughly. Cook covered for 20-25mins (on a medium-low flame) or till the potatoes are done and lentils are cooked. Stir in between.

Meanwhile roast the red chillies, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a fry pan on a low flame till it produces an aroma. Cool and grind them together. Now add tomatoes and grind to a paste.

Add the tomato melange and salt to taste, to the curry and mix. Cook for 10-12mins or till the sauce thickens. If required, one can crush a few potatoes by pressing the backside of the ladle. Mix the cilantro. Serve hot with rice or phulka. I served  it with naan.

For Naan

3cupsAPF

2tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1 egg,  lightly beaten

oil, for brushing the dough

butter or ghee, for the finished naan

1 cup warm water

Method For NaaN

Take APF in a bowl and  add  salt and baking powder. Mix it thoroughly.

Make a well in the centre and put the egg and quickly mix it. You may feel the flour dry with a few wet spots.

Using the warm water knead a soft dough which might feel sticky but still manageable. Knead for a few minutes to make a smooth, soft ball.

If you want big Naan, then break the dough into 4parts and lightly grease them with oil. Keep covered with a damp cloth. Rest it for 30mins.

Lightly flour the work area and roll out the Naan and cook it in a tandoor or even on a griddle. Smear some butter or ghee and serve hot.

Smoky Yellow Split Peas- Vegan | Gluten Free | Dairy Free; Naan- Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

 

After trying the recipes my opinion about the book swayed a bit, as I realized that the procedures and measurements had flaws here and there but the recipes are really good and worth trying. What matters is the flavour and that’s uncompromised.

I am still amazed at the meticulous and detailed work Mr Raghavan Iyer has put up. As a teacher he knows where the students go wrong and has explained procedures in great details to avoid complications and failures. But as the teacher would say, there’s always some scope of improvement..

After reading the book, I’ve become knowledgeable in terms of spices and their use. I can also proudly say now, that I’ve learnt the eight ways of using a spice. Yes, you heard it right, eight ways…read the book to believe it!!

I liked this book for one more reason. It is a book which has a plenty of vegetarian options to try and I’m so looking forward to try the Cardamom scented Cheese with Peppers, The Cashew-Pistachio Burfi and the Sweet scented Pilaf of the many recipes..

I loved the last section of the book as much. This section is devoted to Menus for Great Indian Meals. There are menus for various occasions for example, menu for picnic,  a winter menu, Indian soul food, Gluten Free gala or a Vegan table.

I appreciate the fact that each recipe has been categorised into Vegan/ Lacto-OvoVegetarian/ Gluten Free etc. This is a deciding factor for many to choose recipes.

All in all, I would just conclude that it is a good book to learn basic Indian cuisine. It will hold a special place in my heart for not only the recipes but also the immense knowledge that I attained by reading the book.

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Chickpeas in Pickled Spices & Pickled Chickpeas Sandwich Too | Achari Chana | Step Wise Cooking | Vegan | Gluten Free

 

 

 

Hi All!!

I’ve been away from blogging for about two weeks, but it feels like ages. People might guess that I was mopey and I didn’t have anything to post but that was not the case friends (pun intended). In the last fortnight on and off  I could see the fluctuations in the temperature here which I could also compare with my health, which was also going up and down but was largely down with the virus having fun in my body. Also, the younger kid was writing his first term papers and the house had become quiet to let him study. Being the mother I could feel the pressure of his studies hitting me as well. He needed me to be around all the time and help him with his difficulties and doubts. Fortunately he has his last exam today and I’m already elated that I can relax now…what a sense of relief!!!

While the kid studied, I would read a lot of books; fiction, romance and obviously cookbooks. The other day I had run out of the veggies and I had no mood to go out and shop. The lazy me soaked some chickpeas with no clarity or vision in my mind,  of how I would cook it. I wanted to cook something different but had no idea how..

So after soaking the chickpeas I came and sat with the kid, flipping through the books as I couldn’t watch TV too . After flipping through some old Good food magazines, I picked up Camellia Panjabi’s 50 Great Curries Of India and I was so happy reading all of them, all over again. While I read, I landed on a recipe of lamb cooked in Pickled spices. After reading the recipe I was too tempted to try it in a vegetarian way. I asked myself, people make achaari paneer, achaari aloo, achaari bhindi, why can’t I try the spices with chickpeas? The thought itself exhilarated me and believe me friends I needed that sense of elation desperately, with all the pressure around. The thought was so intoxicating that I immediately went ahead and searched for all the spices and other ingredients. I realized that a skerrick of an ingredient was not available in the desired amount required for the recipe; I was short of yogurt, so I immediately searched for tomatoes and was happy to see a few of them sitting pretty in the refrigerator.

Bit by bit I garnered all the ingredients and laid them on the kitchen platform and geared myself to cook. Fortunately, I always have ginger, garlic and onion in the pantry no matter what else finishes, so I was kind of sorted with the recipe. The curry turned out superb, perfect to inebriate my spirits. It was well spiced, tangy and perfect to tickle the taste buds.

During the course of cooking I got a thought that the chickpeas with pickled spice blend might taste great with the paav, the thought led me to remove a portion of the dry chickpea achaari, with which I intended to make a sandwich later on. The Achaari Chickpea Sandwich  was quite different & innovative. It turned out very tasty and the kid loved it.

 

CHICKPEAS IN PICKLED SPICES | ACHAARI CHANA

Soaking Time:4-6hrs | Preparation Time: 1hour | Cooking Time: 30mins | Serves: 6-8 | Difficulty Level: Moderate

 

Ingredients

3-1/2cups Cooked Chickpeas

4 medium sized tomatoes/ 250gms yogurt

8-10 baby potatoes (optional)

2 medium size red onions

a large handful of fresh coriander

6-8 green chilies (spicy version)

1/4tsp red chili powder (optional)

4-5 garlic flakes

2” piece ginger

salt to taste

about 1/2cup oil

1/2tsp dry mango powder (optional)

Pickle Spices

1-1/2tsp Fennel seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp onion seeds (kalounji)

3/4tsp mustard seeds

3/4tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)

 

Method

Wash the dry chickpeas (about 1-3/4cups) and soak them in water for 4-6 hours. Pressure cook them with some salt to taste and a pinch of soda bicarbonate, till tender. This takes about 25mins. What I normally do is that I let the cooker attain full pressure on high flam, then reduce the flame and cook it on low flame for about 15-20mins.

 

Dry roast the pickle spices on a low flame for 5mins, cool and grind them together. I have powdered here but one can keep it coarse too. Fill the spice mix in slit green chilies and the spice mix left after filling be kept aside to be used later.

Roughly chop the onion, tomatoes and coriander.

Grind together onion, garlic and cleaned ginger to a paste.

Similarly grind together tomatoes and coriander.

Heat oil and tip in the stuffed green chilies and sauté lightly for a few seconds.

Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and sauté properly on low flame till oil separates.

Add turmeric, chili powder and the remaining spice mix and cook for a minute. Add the chili powder only if you believe that the green chilies are not spicy enough. Sauté for a few minutes.

Add the tomato-coriander paste and cook till done. Add salt to taste and dry mango powder. Cook till oil separates.

Tip in the boiled and drained chickpeas. The drained water should not be thrown as it is used later to make the gravy. Mix thoroughly and cook under cover for a few minutes. At this stage when the curry was dry, I removed a small portion to make the Achaari Chana Sandwich.

 

Add the halved potatoes (this is completely optional) and about 2cups of the drained chickpea water. Bring the gravy to a boil and cook after covering with a lid for about 15-20mins. One can keep the gravy thick or thin as per their choice.

 

For The Achaari Chana Sandwich

Take two whole wheat bread slices and spread a thick layer of achaari chana on one bread slice. Top the chana with sliced onions and carrot juliennes. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Cover it with the second bread slice. Heat a panini grill and apply some olive spray. Grill the sandwich. Serve with some sauce/ green chutney and salad.

 

Sending the sandwich to my event ‘Only’ Sandwiches, burgers & Panini, guest hosted by Savi-Ruchi.

A few chickpeas recipes that you can try ..

Green Chickpeas Biryani

Hariyali Chana Masala

Garbanzo & Paneer Curry

*No Oil Chana & Instant Whole Wheat Bread Bhatura

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Dum Parwal ( Pointed Gourd) & Flax Seed Flat Bread | Lunch Combo |

Hi!!

It was about 3yrs back, I was entering a new territory, a new job with new surroundings, new colleagues, new targets and pressures. I used to feel lost at times and my best friend in that hostile situation used to be the library, where I could spend a decent time reading various books, either work related or even others too.

Apart from the personal time that I used to spend in the library, I had to compulsorily use three quarters of an hour on records in the reference section. The reference section had books of all kinds, from literature and history to modern technology. And amongst all these books were a few cookbooks too which I could not touch during my officially allotted time but on other days, I could use them.

There were books on Cooking as a science and few cookbooks in the reference section. Amongst, all these books related to cooking, my favorite book was Nita Mehta’s Vegetarian Curries. This book has very nice collection of veg curries made using day to day spices. These are regular veggies cooked with a difference but no elaborate steps to follow. I started noting down recipes from the book into my diary and thought that I would try them one by one. But my job became very hectic, the day to day cooking itself had become very difficult for me but I managed somehow..and then one fine day we got our transfer orders and I had to quit my job and move..

Till recently, the recipes and my diary took a back seat for one or the other reason, one can see that from the number of blog posts per month. But about a few weeks back when I was cleaning book shelves, I landed on my old diaries and I started flipping through the pages, that’s when I landed on the recipes I had copied from Nita Mehta’s cookbook.

I was too tempted to try them at once and this particular recipe using the Pointed Gourd (Parwal) had taken preference as it used a pressure cooker for the ‘Dum Cooking’ making it a faster cooking method. Moreover, this particular recipe didn’t ask for any grinding or any exotic methods to try. The only thing required was chopping and thanks to my decent knife skills, I manage that well.

To go with the curry, which I realized might turn out a semi thick curry, I wanted to make a healthy flatbread. Recently, during a discussion on FB, a blogger friend asked what she could do with flax seeds and I had suggested that she could add it in the regular chapatis/ phulka. After mentioning her that I castigated myself as I also had a packet of the flax seeds which I had been postponing to use. I decided to use it immediately and it so happened that I also knew exactly what to cook with it..This was a recipe which had made a mark in my brain with it’s sheer simplicity and health benefits. It’s a recipe that I had read in Madhu Gadia’s The Indian Vegan Kitchen.

I must tell my readers here that the curry is not a vegan preparation but the flatbread is. The combination of the curry and flatbread turned out simply superb. My family enjoyed the lunch and S was simply happy with the preparations and the combo. The flatbread is good with the health benefits of flax seeds. What more do I need, a smile from the family after eating a hearty meal, that’s my bonus, that’s my increment.

Preparation Time: 15mins | Cooking Time: 20mins | Serves: 3-4 | Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients For Dum Parwal ( adapted from Nita Mehta’s cookbook)

5-6 Pointed gourd ( parwal) tippped, lightly peeled and cut into halves

4-5 baby potatoes, peeled or 1 potato, cubed

2tsp freshly made ginger garlic paste

2tomatoes, chopped finely

1large or 2medium onions, sliced

1/2 cup yogurt, smoothened

2tbsp oil + 2tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

1/2tsp cumin seeds

Dry spices:

1mace leaf (javitri) powdered

1tbsp coriander powder

1-1/2tsp chili powder

1/2tsp turmeric powder

1/2tsp garam masala powder

Whole spices

2-3 cloves

1bayleaf

2-3 black cardamom

2-3 small pieces of cinnamon

Method

Heat the oil and ghee together in a pressure pan and fry the pointed gourd and potatoes lightly, to a golden color.

To the remaining oil, which would be around 3table spoons, tip in the cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add the whole spices. Do this process on a medium flame else the hot oil burns the spices.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté to remove the raw smell. Add the sliced onions and sauté till golden in color.

Add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook till tomatoes are done. Add the dry spices and cook for a minute.

Remove from the fire and add the beaten yogurt and mix. Put back on fire and cook on low heat till the oil separates.

Tip in the garam masala and mace powder.

Add the fried veggies and a cup of water.

Pressure cook up to a whistle.

Let the pressure drop and then check for the consistency of the curry.

Preparation Time: 5mins | Standing Time: 10mins | Cooking Time Per Roti: 1min | Makes:8-10 | Serves: 3-4 | Difficulty Level: Needs Skill

Ingredients For Flax Seed Flat Bread ( adapted from Madhu Gadia’s Cookbook)

1-1/2cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup besan (Bengal gram flour) or Soya Flour
2-3tsp flax seed meal
water to knead
1/4tsp salt
2-3 drops oil
wheat flour for rolling

Method

Make a soft dough using the ingredients, apply oil and let the dough rest for 10mins.
Divide the dough into 8-10 portions. Make balls and flatten them.
Using dry wheat flour, roll the roti into a thin disc.
Cook it like a regular roti on a griddle and puff it directly on the flame.
Apply clarified butter on the flatbread/rotis (optional) else apply oil lightly. This keeps rotis soft for a longer time.
Serve hot as these flatbread/ rotis might become dry after sometime.

Sending it to my event ‘Only’- Cooking From Cookbooks guest hosted by Gauri.

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Bhawanee Singh’s Madhra | Himachal Pradesh Cuisine | Jain Recipe | Gluten Free | Shravan Special

 

Hi All!!

I love watching cookery shows, I can spend hours watching them if I have free time in hand. I love watching Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Rachael Ray..and the list goes on. Each and every cook has their favorite ingredient, own way of presentation, food styling and I learn a lot from their expertise and knowledge. I pick up so many handy tips. Out of the so many recipes that I must have watched, some get inscribed in my brain and two preparations which had left an impression on me were from NDTV good times, from the state of Himachal Pradesh…The name of the dishes and their location had got imprinted in my brain. I clearly remembered they were was called Madra and  Babroo , both were the preparations from Himachal Pradesh. The Madra/ Madhra is  a recipe famous in Chamba.

If you live in Delhi and you have not visited Ambience mall in Gurgaon, do visit. There’s a Reliance Time Out store there and I loved their collection of books. They even had books which are rarely seen in the market. Other than the  books which are famous world wide, I love reading books which are based on a local cuisine. These books give you an insight to what the cuisine is about and the intricacies and variety of the recipes in the cuisine.

One such book that I loved reading was Bhawanee Singh’s Classic Recipes From Himachal Pradesh, I loved reading the book and the recipes in it. Most of them I had never heard or tasted. For me it was a completely new cuisine and I realized the richness of the recipes while reading them. While turning the pages, my eyes hit on the title which said Madra and immediately the name rang bells in my head. I was now even more curious to read the recipe. I had a faint memory that the dish I had seen on TV had raisins and dry fruits in it but this particular recipe had none, nevertheless, I found the recipe and book interesting but I did not buy the book that time. Finally, just before we left Delhi for good, I bought this book fearing that I won’t get it in the new city and I’m glad that I bought it, as the book is very rarely seen these days..

I decided to try the Madra recipe from the book as the author has lived in Chamba and the recipe is from that region. I read the recipe thoroughly  and soaked the required quantity of Kidney beans overnight, also made yogurt in large quantity. This  is a ginger, garlic and onion free recipe, so even the Jain’s can enjoy and boy..it’s a rich recipe too..laden with clarified butter. The sourness comes from the large quantity of yogurt used in the recipe.

While reading the recipe I also realized that it had no chilies in it, but I could not imagine my curry without the chilies so I did that change and added chili powder. There are recipes which use dry fruits and raisins but I’ve avoided them since this particular recipe didn’t ask for. The madra can be made using the chickpeas/ kidney beans/ black eyed beans but I’ve used kidney beans.

This is a tricky preparation as it needs cooking of the yogurt and if that curdles, the entire dish gets spoilt. So, one needs to be extremely careful while making this dish. When the dish was cooked and I tasted it, I wasn’t too happy as I had not added the chili powder till then and I found it low on salt too. After adding a little more salt to the curry, I liked it to an extent and thought Oh! So much of hard work for not so wow dish, but  I was wrong here, after a few hours when I tasted the curry again, it was great and it tasted awesome the next day. I felt good that the hard work paid off.. The kid loved it so much that he took it in his lunch box too and thought of sharing with his Jain friends in school.

Soaking Time: Overnight | Preparation Time: 10mins | Cooking Time: 1hr30mins | Serves:4-6 | Difficulty Level: Needs Skill

Ingredients

250gms Red kidney beans ( rajmah, I used the small Kashmiri variety)

1tsp turmeric powder

1kg fresh yogurt (this comes to about 750ml milk used to make yogurt), do not use the sour yogurt

1-1/2cups ghee/ clarified butter ( the original recipe asks for 2-1/4 cups)

2sticks dalchini/ cinnamon of 2”each

1/2tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds powdered ( I fried and powdered it)

5-6 green cardamom

4-5 black cardamom

1tsp garam masala

4-5 cloves/ loung

salt to taste

3tsp red chili powder (the original recipe does not use it)

Method

Pressure cook the beans with salt till tender. Drain the water.

Whisk the yogurt till smooth.

Heat a thick bottom pan and melt the ghee, add all whole spices and let them crackle (I read some recipes of Madra online, suggesting use of Mustard Oil).

Remove from flame and add turmeric, followed by addition of smooth yogurt.

Put the pan back on fire, keep on medium flame and continuously stir till the yogurt comes to a boil, this prevents curdling of the yogurt. Even if you feel that the yogurt is curdling, keep stirring, it turns out fine at the end. Else you can add 2tsp rice flour dissolved in water to the yogurt, this prevents curdling ( I did not add any rice flour).

Once the yogurt starts boiling, keep scraping the bottom and sides. One can add a tablespoon of water at intervals to prevent scathing. In about 40mins the yogurt thickens, the color changes to brown and the ghee separates. At this point add salt and chili powder. Mix.

Tip in the kidney beans and mix thoroughly. Also add the fenugreek powder. Pour a little warm water and keep the pan on low heat till the water evaporates.

Before taking the pan off stove, mix in the garam masala and cover with a lid.

Before serving, heat a tablespoon ghee and add a pinch of chili powder and pour immediately on the curry (This was my contribution to the curry).

Serve hot with rice or paratha.

Sending it to my event ‘Only’- Cooking From Cookbooks guest hosted by Gauri.

Tips

1. This recipe needs skill as it’s a yogurt based gravy and needs continuous stirring through the cooking.
2. It is advisable to add salt after the yogurt has boiled without curdling as salt can cause curdling.
3. As it’s a curd based gravy, it needs more salt to taste.
4. Adding rice flour to the curds, prevents curdling and also thickens the curry.
5. This recipe asks for more ghee but I’ve reduced the ghee quantity.
6. Addition of chili powder was my choice which can be completely skipped.

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Potato- Fox Nut Curry | Aloo- Makhana Curry | Vegan Curry

 

Hi!!

Hope all my readers are hale and hearty and enjoying the monsoon. The city I live in is still to see a proper rainfall but I’m happy as the temperature has come down a bit…I’ve learnt to thank God for small mercies!!! My eyes and sinus is improving too, thanks for enquiring about me and all the concern, I’m truly touched!!

I’m still not into elaborate cooking as heat of the burner troubles me, so I’m more into quick preparations. I’m avoiding roasting my masala for curries and missing it too, hopefully will cook and post an elaborate recipe in a few days, till then enjoy reading my quick preparations, and I also personally feel there are many more cooks and readers who indulge in quick cooking and these posts are definitely useful for them.

This curry is very simple to try, quick to make, needs few ingredients and yet there’s no compromise on taste. Many people have this false illusion that if the curry has many ingredients and exotic spices added the recipe and preparation is good, I mean with all the exotic things going into it it is bound to be good,what’s so big about it? But the trick and art is in using few ingredients and making the food tasty.

I feel like mentioning my great granny here….she had seen tough times in her life and towards the end of her life she just had enough to meet her day to day needs but she had a warm heart, which welcomed all her guests with a smile and out of the little food that she could afford and cook, she would serve them. The lentils she cooked literally had a spoon of oil with bare minimum spices but the flavor and taste was just awesome, I’ve not yet tasted a better daal than what she made.

I had asked my readers on my fan page that which recipes using potatoes they would like to read in my blog, one of the readers wanted potato-vari but vari is not easily available here but the instead of fox nut the vari can be fried and added in this preparation. One just needs to keep the spice level up when using vari.

Preparation Time: 15mins

Cooking Time:10mins

Serves:4

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients

1tbsp ginger, grated

2green chilies, sliced

1/2 cup tomato puree ( I used readymade)

5potatoes, boiled and hand crushed

1cup fox nut

1tsp mustard seeds

3 –4tbsp oil +  1tbsp oil

1/2tsp turmeric powder

1tsp red chili powder

2tbsp coriander powder

1/2tsp sugar

salt to taste

about 2-3cups water

Method

Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan and roast the fox nuts on a medium flame till crisp. Remove in a plate.

Heat the remaining oil and add the mustard and let it splutter. Add the chilies and ginger, sauté for few seconds.

Add the tomato puree and sauté till oil separates. Add the spices, salt and sugar.

Mix in the crushed potatoes and cook in the spices on high heat for 2-3mins.

Add water and bring it to a boil. Once the curry boils, tip in the fox nut. Cover with a lid and cook till the fox nuts soften and absorb the flavor, also the curry has to reduce to a semi thick consistency.

Serve hot with rice or Poori/ chapati.

Tip:

The fox nut can be deep fried but it soaks a lot of oil and hence I avoid frying them and prefer roasting till they are crisp.

The tomatoes add sourness to the curry, to balance the sourness sugar is added.

 

Sending this to my event 'Only' Crazy For Potato, guest hosted at Nivedhanam.

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Know your Curry: 5 essential ingredients for Indian cuisine (Schoolofwok)

The British average spends a whopping 30,000 Indian food during their lifetime, according to the good Curry Guide 2013 Cobra, the majority coming from eating out in restaurants Indian 9 000 in the United Kingdom.

However, a large number of people still do not know where to start making their own Indian dishes from scratch.

At the school of the Wok, our Indian cooking classes give customers a comprehensive introduction to the kitchen, the dissemination of knowledge of an overwhelming array of exotic spices to simplify the Asian cuisine of the South, which means that you will need ever more never a takeaway!

After learning the essential ingredients, we'll teach you to replicate your favorite Indian curries in the comfort of your own home - you'll wonder why you never spent much money on take-out food.

RICE
It goes without saying: rice is a key element and a staple of Indian cuisine. More than 120 million tons of rice were produced in India in 2010, making the country the second largest producer in the world after China. It is an essential ingredient of any kitchen of the India, being an essential part of almost every meal, being the perfect for any curry or a spicy dish accompaniment. After remembering a few simple steps of cooking, you can cook a perfect fluffy rice every time.

GHEE
The ghi is a type of butter clarified and widely used as a cooking fat in Indian cuisine. It differs from normal clarified butter because it is heated for more until the milk solids start to brown, who gives a taste stronger, nuts, more fragrant with a highest point burning, adding richness to the curry.

TURMERIC
Turmeric is an essential ingredient in a lot of Indian curries. Commonly known as "Indian saffron", it is what gives dishes, their bright yellow color, but also earthy, slightly bitter and peppery taste. Turmeric is also famous for its medicinal properties, used for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and analgesic properties.

CUMIN
Cumin is an oblong seed, with stripes, cuminum cyminum dried plant (a member of the parsley family) and used as both whole and ground. It has a distinctive, strong, earthy and used flavor in most curries, is a common ingredient in garam masala spice mix. Rich in vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.

CORIANDER:
Coriander, one of the most common ingredients in Indian cuisine is used in the form of seeds, soil and leaves. The seeds are light brown and have a light lemon fragrance and flavour when crushed and are used in garam masala spice mix. It is a good source of dietary fiber and contains vitamin C, calcium and iron.

If this aroused your appetite and tickle your taste buds, why not book yourself in a class of Indian cuisine at Wok school learn the basics of Indian cuisine.

Treatment...

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Rizzala Tofu With Saffron Rice…my vegetarian take on the curry made by the Nawabs Of Bhopal (step wise)

Hello all!

Feels like I’m finally getting back to regular blogging. I have behaved myself and have posted again within two days of my last post on rosemary-onion Focaccia, hmm keeping fingers crossed. I hope things stay in my favor and I get back to active blogging..

I wanted to make this recipe in the last month, when the theme of the month for the ‘Only’ Series was Royal Cooking. But because of the health constraints, could not..so decided to start the soya obsession for my event  ‘Only’ Cooking With Soya,  with this preparation. It is guest hosted by Preeti this month. Also reposting Jackfruit & Soya Burger for the event.

As explained by Camellia Panjabi, “Rizzala is a little known Muslim style curry found in only two cities of India-Calcutta and Bhopal. It’s origin is possibly the latter, where it is a curry  found only in the homes of the Muslim aristocracy. A fresh herb curry, this can best be described as a green korma”.

I’ve read two versions of the Rizzala, one obviously by Camellia and the other is by The King Of Sailana, Shri. Digvijay Singh. Even King Digvijay Singh claims that the origin of the curry is from Bhopal. It was made by the begum of the Nawab of Bhopal, hence has an aristocratic origin.

It is basically an aromatic green curry/ korma, whose aroma and unique flavor lingers for a long time. Both the authors have used coriander as the main leaf for preparing curry. While the Sailana king, advices usage of clarified butter/ ghee in making curry, Camellia, asks for regular oil with a final tadka/ tempering of clarified butter. The Sailana king uses curds in the curry while Camellia has opted for lemon juice. The major difference comes in the addition of cashew nuts, suggested only by Camellia. I realized while cooking, why Camellia opted for oil and not ghee..loads of calories get added with the cashew nuts. This curry is definitely a rich curry and definitely not for the weight watchers (that includes me too, LOL) but if eaten  in small quantity, should not be a problem.

I have adapted my preparation using Camellia’s recipe. This is originally a non-veg curry made either with mutton or chicken. I’ve replaced the mutton with it’s closest veg resemblance..tofu. I’ve explained a few advantages of eating Soy products here and I’ll highly recommend all women to read it.

I made a mild saffron rice to go with the curry. The rice complimented the curry really well..The light yellow color of the rice gives a beautiful contrast to the green of the curry.

Rizzala Tofu

            Serves:5-6

Preparation Time:15mins

    Cooking Time:45mins

 

Ingredients FOR RIZZALA TOFU

400gms Tofu/ Soya Paneer

1/2cup Cashew nuts/ Kaju

4-6 green chilies

4medium/ 2large onions/ Pyaaz – sliced

1-2  handful Coriander leaves/ 1- 2 mutthi dhania patta ( I used 1)

1/2cup Mint leaves/ Pudina

1tbsp coriander pwd/ dhaniya pwd

1/2tsp cumin pwd/ adha chammacch jeera pwd

4 plum garlic cloves/  4 moti lahsun ki kaliyan -finely chpped

1-1/2 inch ginger piece/ dedh inch adrak ka tukda -finely chopped

60ml cream/ malai

5tbsp oil

1tbsp ghee

2tsp lemon juice

1/2tsp sugar

salt to taste

Whole spices/ sabut masale

6 cardamom/ elaichi

2 bay leaves/ tej patta

1-1/2 inch stick cinnamon/ dedh inch dalchini ka tukda

1 blade of mace/ javitri

Ingredients For Saffron Rice

1cup long grain rice

a large pinch of saffron / kesar

salt to taste

2 cups water

1tbsp ghee/ clarified butter

4 cloves/ laung

Method For Rizzala Tofu

Soak the cashew nut in warm water for half an hour.

Heat 3tbsp of oil and sauté the onions on a medium flame till brown in color but not burnt. Keep stirring on frequent intervals to avoid the burning and enhance even browning, best is to spread the onions while cooking. Once done, move the onions to one side of the pan to remove the excess oil.

Wash the coriander and mint leaves, ensure that the leaves are fresh, this helps give the beautiful light green color.

Grind together the cashew nuts, brown onion, coriander-mint leaves and green chilies. Adjust the chilies as per your taste, or how hot you like.

Heat the remaining 2tbsp oil on low flame and add the whole spices except the mace. Also add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Keep the flame low during this process so that all the flavors seep into the oil.

Add the cubed tofu and sauté on high flame so as to sear it lightly. This takes about 2-3minutes. Do this step carefully as it helps the tofu imbibe the aroma and flavors of the spices added earlier.

Reduce flame and add coriander and cumin powder, mix properly and cook for a minute.

Add the onion-cashew-leaves paste and mix. Also add salt to taste, sugar and lemon juice, mix thoroughly.

Add about a cup of water and cook for about 2-3minutes and then add the cream. Remove from fire.Do not overcook, else it destroys the green color.

Finally just before serving, heat a table spoon of ghee and add a mace leaf, cook on low flame for 2minutes. Remove the mace and add the ghee to the curry.

Serve hot with saffron rice.

Method To Make Saffron Rice

Wash and soak rice for 15-20mins. Drain the water.

Soak saffron in half cup warm water. Boil the remaining water.

Heat a table spoon of ghee and add the cloves, keep the flame low as ghee heats up fast.

On a medium flame sauté the rice in ghee for 3-4mins and then add boiling water & salt to taste. Reduce the flame and let the rice cook with a lid on, open on one side, for the steam to pass.

Once the rice is almost done add the saffron water and let the rice cook completely.

Serve hot.

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