Chettinad Pakora Curry : Pakoda Kozhambu

I was not aware of the word “ Chettinad” till I heard it first time on Master Chef India – Season 1. The episode where all the participants were given the challenge of preparing food for over 50 people based on a specific Cuisine. And one of them got this option, Chettinad Cuisine. And I googled it the first thing next day. ( Mind you ! I like saying “googled” it, rather than looked for it or searched for it. It sounds so much cooler ;P ) So anyway, I googled the cuisine and found out some really interesting facts about it. Again, being a person lived in Northern India all my life I was not much aware of the differences in South Indian Cuisine. Except few basic facts like Dosa being called  Dosai and Idli can also be eaten with Chutneys instead of Sambhar. Yes, I was that naïve !!

Coming back to the Chettinad Cuisine, I would like to share a part of my knowledge to the guys who share my level of understanding of the Cuisine. My friends from South India, please correct me if I go wrong anywhere. So, Chettinad cuisine is originated from Southern District of Tamil State and the current state of the Cuisine is an interesting mix of flavours from ancient cities like Bangalore, Tanjore, Madurai, Udupi, Mysore, Cochin and of course Chennai.

Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered essential part of a meal. They also use a variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and lamb. Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis.

These were just my two pennies about the origin and history of  this Masaaledaar Cuisine, you can always refer to Wikipedia for more information. As of today I am going to give you a recipe that speaks for itself. This Chettinad Pakora Curry was suggested by Priya for this month’s challenge of South v/s North team. Being a part of the North team, I prepared this last weekend for Lunch. And what an amazing treat it was, I could still taste the spices in my mouth. 

This month’s SNC challenge was a savory curry made in Chettinad style. This was my first time preparing Chettinad cuisine and since I have not tasted this particular curry, I was not entirely sure about what to expect or how it should really taste. But take my word for it. it was absolutely delicious. The addition of coconut, cashews and roasted chana dal adds a whole new dimension to our regular onion-tomato gravy and also alters its texture in a soothing way. Curry leaves and the roasted chana dal reinforce the south indian flavors while chana dal pakoda with crushed fennel seeds offered a new surprise at every bite. Thanks once again to Divya for organising this Challenge. Click here if you are also willing to participate in this amazing group. 

What you need?

For the Pakoras:
1/2 cup Channadal
3-4 Dry red chillies
1tsp Fennel seeds
Salt
Oil for frying

For Gravy:
2 Onions (chopped finely)
2 Tomatoes (chopped finely)
4-5 Garlic pods (chopped)
2-3 Green chillies 
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Red chilly powder
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste 
Fresh Coriander leaves (chopped)

For seasoning:
1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
2  Cloves
2  Green cardamoms, crushed 
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Fennel seeds
Few curry leaves

To grind:
1 tsp Poppy seeds
4 tbsp Grated coconut, frehs or frozen 
6-8 Cashew nuts
1 tbsp Roasted Chana dal

How to make?
Soak the Chana  dal for two hours.
Take the soaked dal, dry red chillies, fennel seeds, salt together and grind as bit coarse paste with v little water.
Heat oil for frying, and fry small shapeless pakodas with the batter
Fry the pakodas until they turns golden brown. Drain the excess of oil with a paper towel and keep aside.

Grind all the ingredients given under the list 'to grind' as fine paste with enough water. Keep aside

Heat oil in a pan, add the spices given under 'for seasoning' and fry until they turns brown.
Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic, green chillies  all together for 4-5 minutes till the tomatoes get all mushy and nion leaves its raw smell
Now add the grounded paste to the onion-tomato mix, and cook for 4-5 minutes on low flame. .

Add 5cups of water, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt, give a stir and cook in medium flame. Add some more water if needed, to keep the gravy a bit runny and not dry since Pakodas also would need  enough water to soak in
Once the oil gets separates slightly from the gravy, add the pakodas immediately and close the lid. 
Dont stir the gravy after adding the pakodas, bring boil the gravy once and turn off the flame. 
Granish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rice or Chapathis

My Notes:

This is very similar to the Kofta Curry we make, but with the addition of Coconut and Poppy Seeds. These two ingredients actually changed the whole taste of the curry, which was very much liked by us

You can also sprinkle some Garam Masala on top, or add some cream before serving. Just to give this curry a creamier and richer taste.

For a difference, we can also add a bit of Moong or Urad Daal to the Chana Daal batter

I am planning to make Paneer Kofta Curry next time keeping the gravy base same. 

Linking this entry to this Months SNC challenge hosted by Priya 

Dapka Kadhi : Moong dumplings in Yogurt gravy

I met a long lost friend last weekend and since then it’s that Teenage-y fever I am on. My heart getting all very nostalgic with all those College memories coming back… Hostels, crazy roomies, movies and then late night snacking. It was all so much fun, and past ! This friend of mine, we did a lot of those “first” activities together. Like first day in college, first class bunk, first night out with friends, first “trial fag” and first cough hysteria after that.. Err.. OK let’s not go there, but yes this friend does hold a very special place in my life. The best part with meeting an old friend is that you can talk endlessly on topics you never even knew existed. I feel the same with her, we kept on chatting till mid night and then suddenly remembered our mid-night snacks thing. And then had 2 packs of maggi and some Egg Rusks with Ginger-chai just to re-live those moments. We had a heavy dinner too, which altogether made our stomachs upset the next morning but that’s a separate topic of consideration.

Once we went together on a trip to Hrishikesh with a bunch of other mates, a total of 16 people we were. While we were at Garhwaal, we stayed in a guest house called Aangan. I am not sure if that place still exists, we only booked it since it was cheap and also since we couldn't get anything else at last minute. The owner of the guest house, Ranjan Kaka had a sort of personality I would never ever forget in my life. We stayed with him for 4 days and we all worshipped him and hung on his every word. He was the most mellow guy I've  ever met, fifty-ish or may be older, who’d done everything from attending Harvard to founding his own company and going bust, to sailing around the world and ending up on Garhwaal where he married a local girl. He would sit every night with us for a bonfire getting gently stoned ( I secretly believed it ! ) and telling people about the time he had lunch with Rajiv Gandhi and turned down his job offer to join his Party. He’d had so many adventures, and he was so wise. I even remember myself staring at him during one of those nights with amusement and him motivating me with some really amazing stuff, ( I can’t remember exactly what now, but it was amazing.... I think !)

But anyway, so all these stories crept up and we went all emotional and sniffy over the lost time. And to pacify our upset stomachs, we had this Dapka Kadhi the next day. Kadhi, since made up of Gram flour and yogurt, the two ingredients which balance out the warmth and cold taseer of each other is very good for upset stomach and headaches. And specially this Dapka Kadhi, since doesn’t involve any sort of frying unlike the Punjabi KadhiPakora is even more healthy and light on stomach.

I like the yogurt based gravies in my menu. Every now and then I do prepare something with yogurt as base, specially Guajarati or Rajasthani cuisine. It keeps the gravy light yet provides that richness and also balances out the pungent spices too. This Dapka Kadhi is one such dish which can be kept virtually fat free, like really without fat. If you don’t do any Tadka into it, it will be a zero-oil complete  meal in itself. It has Protein from Moong daal, Carbs from Gram flour and calcium and minerals from yogurt and other ingredients used. Initially I thought that the Dapkas, i.e. the steamed/boiled balls of Moong Daal would not taste that good since they are not fried, but food never stops surprising me. This was as wonderful as its fried friend Pakora Kadhi, rather better since steamed balls were melting in mouth. Try this as a variation to the usual Kadhi and  dal every day, it teams up very well with a  Simple potato side dish and  Lemon Rice or Lachha Paranthas. 

The preparation is really simple, and takes no time if you just soak and blend the Moong Daal 2-3 hours ago. The yogurt used should be sour to get the full flavours out, but if you don’t have it I use a really easy method to make it sour and that also squeezes out the best taste from the spices, keeping the oil usage at minimum. I beat the yogurt with all the spices, like coriander powder, salt, turmeric and red chili powder, along with ginger-garlic paste and heeng. And then leave it for 2-3 hours, and it gets sour good enough. Sometimes I also mix tomato Puree to this one, or even blended  onion. The options are infinite, and you can tweak them as per your choice and your extent of experimenting with flavours. 

What you need?

For Kadhi:

2 cups Yogurt

2 tbsp Gram flour – besan

5 cups Water

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (optional)

1 tsp each of Salt, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder each

A big pinch of Asafoetida ( heeng)

For Dapka:

1/3 cup Moong Daal – washed and soaked in enough water for 2-3 hours

2-3 green chillies

A small piece of ginger

½ tsp salt

3-4 seeds of Fenugreek – methi seeds

A pinch of Baking soda – optional and to be added after blending

For Tempering:

2-3 green chilies

1 tsp cumin seeds

5-6 curry leaves

½ tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Red chili powder (optional )

For garnish:

A sprig of Coriander leaves, chopped

1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (optional)

1 tsp Garam Masala ( optional, and totally depends on your taste ) 

 How to Make? 

Thoroughly wash dal and soak for 4 hours. Drain and keep aside.

Add rest of the ingrdients and grind to a fine but thick batter of dropping consistency. Add water only if required. Keep the batter aside for 20 minutes

In a pan, mix yogurt, gram flour and water. Whisk it to a smooth liquid. Add rest of the ingredients and keep on the flame.

On a low flame, stir the liquid continuously till it comes to a boil, take care no lumps should be formed. I usually give this liquid mixture a pulse in the food processor before keeping for boiling, so it remains smooth.

On a low flame, heat oil and ghee in a ladle for tempering. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. As they crackle, add asafoetida, curry leaves  and rest of the tempering ingrdients. Pour it to the boiling kadhi, mix well and stir.. Boil till the curry thickens slightly, keeping on the medium flame

After say around 10-12 minutes when the Kadhi gets thicker, drop the batter dumplings to it. Use your fingertips or a rounded spoon, make small dumplings from the batter. Add them directly to the simmering kadhi.

Cook for a few minutes till they start to float. This will take around 10-12 minutes

Stir gently, to avoid dabkas from sticking to the bottom of the pan, turn off..  Garnish with fresh cilantro and Kasuri Methi and serve hot.

My Notes:

• For the tempering, you can use any oil but Ghee or Mustard oil are the two best things to use for the same in this Kadhi.
• The dumplings can be deep fried separately in oil, that will bring an entirely different flavour. You can even steam them separately in  microwave, for 5-6 minutes or the usual idli steamer for 210 minutes. Add baking soda in this case, else the batter will split up.
• Always add the dumplings straight  to the boiling kadhi and not when you have turned off the flame. If you are adding the dumplings a few hours later you have prepared the Kadhi, reheat it and bring it to the boiling point and then add the dumplings else they will remain uncooked from inside.
• Here, I have used plain yellow Mung dal, you can also use green Moong for this preparation, soak it longer in warm water though to get the desired result.
• Consistency of kadhi depends on individual liking, hence adjust the water accordingly. I like it very thick

This was the challenge for ICC this month - Indian Cooking Challenge started and hosted by Srivalli

Mango Choco Cake : Eggless and Butterless

Mangoes are in season again !! I have not known a single person in my life who is not fond of this well-deserved fruits’ King. I remember in Childhood we used to buy the small mangoes in bulk and keep them in cold water in a bucket at home. Every day after Lunch me, my sister and brother used to sit around that Bucket and eat as many as we liked. Since Mum was rarely at home for lunch, we almost always did the over eating and then the upset stomach problems and Acne issues were a common scene. But still the same thing happened the next year and we were sick again.. Mangoes have such charm, they get you addicted to them like a drug :P

Its been so many years, more than 3, that I have had the same fun again. We never visit India during summers and we don’t get that squeezing variety of mangoes here. I miss that fun a lot sometimes, try to compensate it with the Canned Purees we get here. Hardly the same, but still does the work J

I have never been good with Marble Cakes, so when HBC announced its second challenge of making a Mango Marble Cake, I was excited to make a Mango cake but a marble design was so out of my league. Here, I have tried my best to get something but as you can see I have failed with the design badly. The taste however was brilliant considering this cake was butter less ( with little oil ) and eggless. So I have decided to call it just Mango Choco Cake rather than the Marble Cake. 

Nevertheless, if you don’t go with the appearance, the taste was pretty good considering the fact that it is virtually fat free. With  no butter and a little oil, this cake was a proper show last weekend among my friends. We all pretended to be on diet and gulped down all pieces giving each other the “it’s healthy ”  look with each bite. The addition of Chocolate obviously  has taken out better flavours and this combination has worked out really well.

I never believed in Butter-less cakes until I try this Yogurt Poppy seed cake, which was irresistibly moist and tasty. I always try to substitute butter with oil and oil with yogurt in my bakes now. The results are not always encouraging, but then “It’s healthy” looks replaces all the guilt.. For the original announcement of the challenge, please visit Priya’s Blog and check how other members are coping with it. And if you are ready to forgive me for the useless design and poor pattern, please read on the recipe below. Trust me, it was really tasty, and “its healthy” too :D :D

What you need ?

• 2 cup All Purpose flour     
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder     
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda    
• A pinch of Salt     
• 1/2 cup Sugar       
• 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder      ( mix with 2 tbsp warm water)
• 1/4 cup Oil     
• 1 tsp Vanilla  Essence 
• 1 cup Mango Pulp     
• 1/4 cup Full fat Milk       
• 1/4 cup Buttermilk     

How to make?

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar & oil then to this add mango pulp, milk, buttermilk, vanilla,  and mix well.

In another small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt mix and now add this flour mixture to the mango-milk mixture and mix until everything combine well.

Now take a small cup, add cocoa powder & 2 tsbp warm water and mix well. Then transfer half of the mango batter to another bowl and add this cocoa paste and combine well

Pour in the two batters alternatively, or with pattern as you like. I am no good with Patters hence I just poured them in alternatively

Tap the pan gently to set the batter evenly and bake it for 50-55 minutes or until done. Mine took almost an hour to get done and pass the tooth pick test

My Notes:
This cake, being Eggless, and butter less was not risen till double its height and was a little dense, specially the part where I added the chocolate paste. What I found was, it got better in texture, more fully after being kept for a day. That is when it was cooled off completely. So if you could wait for a day before you try or better just prepare it a day before you actually want  to have it, you will get the best results.

Replace milk with double cream, this will result in a better texture. Fat is always helpful when baking, so don’t ever try to use low fat yogurt or any dairy product. Instead go for the one which has highest fat content

You can also use fresh mango pulp. Scoop out the pulp from the mangoes and blend it nicely and use it in the recipe.

This goes in for the Home Bakers Challenge started by Priya Suresh and hosted by Spicy treats. Check out the Pizza we made for the first Challenge here

Home made Harissa Paste and vegetables roasted in it

We Indians just adore the spicy flavours of our Cuisine, the massive range of options and colourful plate is just an add on. We collectively, are fond of other cuisines which are inclined towards good use of spices like Middle Eastern, Mexican, Mediterranean etc. But every once in a while the crave of our own flavours grabs us back to the same wonderland of spices and aroma. There are some cuisines which we are still less aware of like Tunisian Cuisine. When I was in Saudi Arabia,  one of my Colleague was from Tunisia and she prepared such awesome chickpeas soup with loads of chilies and local spices. And some vegetarian curries too which she used to prepare just for me, she used a small dollop of a paste called Harissa. That paste just transformed the taste of the simple veggie dishes into that hot and spicy curries that I actually used to lick my fingers despite of my mouth firing up with spices.

This Tunisian chili sauce- Harissa is a fantastic shortcut to spice up a meal and can be used with everything from meat to vegetables, couscous, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, as a dip for bread ... the list is truly endless.

Harissa is a spicy sauce that is a major feature in North African cuisine, whose main ingredients are piri piri (type of chili pepper), serrano peppers and other hot chili peppers along with  spices and herbs such as garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, caraway as well as some olive oil. It is most closely associated with Tunisia, Libya and Algeria but can also be found in European countries with strong Arab presence such as France or Germany. In Israel, harissa is a common topping for falafel. 

Recipes for harissa vary according to the household and region. Variations can include the addition of cumin, red peppers, garlic, coriander, and lemon juice. In Saharan regions, harissa can have a smoky flavour, but the basic recipe calls for hot peppers, garlic, salt, and lots of olive oil.

 Available in all major Supermarkets, freshly made harissa is generally spicier, as that way we can control the ingredients and use fresh peppers. I prepared a small jar full of Harissa and it worked for me for over 2 months. I prepared these Roasted Vegetables, Spegatti and sometimes just added into Soups and curries. Each time, it brought a unique taste and lots of tears in my eyes, though S loved it. I am not to ken on chilies, but he can have them raw.. specially the green ones.. Since in Varanasi, the food is generally more into spicy and hot side, so this was a kind of “nostalgic” for him to have the Harissa spooned food. 

What you need?
8-10 dried chiles of your choice 
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,

Optional additions: fresh lemon juice, preserved lemon, fresh or dried mint, fresh cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, cayenne, paprika etc... as per your choice and availability

How to Make the Paste

Soften the chiles. Place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Then toast all the spices. While the chiles are soaking, toast the caraway, coriander, and cumin in a dry skillet over low-medium heat, occasionally shaking or stirring to prevent burning. When the spices are fragrant, remove them from the pan and keep aside to cool off a bit and then grind them in a course powder

 Drain the chiles, and reserve the liquid for later use

Combine the chiles with spices, garlic, and salt. Combine the chiles, ground spices, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process to form a smooth and thick paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. If a thinner paste is desired, blend in a little of the chile soaking liquid until the paste has reached your desired texture.
 
The flavor of the harissa will deepen over the next day or two, but you can taste it now and add more salt or other optional ingredients ( as mentioned above ) to your liking.

Store it in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to a month, adding a fresh layer of olive oil on the top each time you use the harissa.

Roasted vegetables in Harissa Paste : Ingredients

• 2 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice - I took Bell Peppers, Courgettes (Zucchini), Aubergines, Olives, and some Potatoes 
• 1 tbsp Harissa Paste 
• 2 tbsp Olive oil 
• Seasoning as per your choice - I took some Oregano and Black Pepper

How to Make
Spread olive oil and some salt over the chopped vegetables generously and mix well with hands or spatula
Transfer to a baking dish and bake in an oven for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables turn a bit soft
Take the tray out, and with spoon mix the Harissa Paste and seasoning well with the veggies.
Keep inside the oven to cook again for 20-25 minutes, serve warm with CousCous or any Salad.

My Notes:

For a very mild harissa, you may use roasted red bell peppers too with the chilies. You can also use a mix of fresh and dried chiles.
If your mouth burns after eating harissa, or any other hot sauce, drink plenty of milk or yogurt. Drinking water tends to make thing worse, not better ;)
Because harissa paste is water-based, it will won't keep for long periods, even if refrigerated. Keeping the surface covered with oil helps to prolong its life a little.
Once made, only bottle what you are likely to consume within 1 month. refrigerate and always ensure that it is well covered with oil.
Divide the remaining harissa paste into freezer bags about the same size as your fridge bottle and freeze.

Lauki with Soya Nuggets : Healthy and Flavorful

I usually write the posts when I am done with the cooking, clicking and downloading the pictures. But then I have found that I usually miss one or two points which I think during the actual cooking. Sometimes those minor things are very crucial to make a recipe what it is. And its so difficult to go back  to the post when you remember that detail. I sometimes have to edit the recipes on my phone when I am commuting for Office in the mornings. And  considering what  a big bimbo I am in terms of Smart Phones in fact all gadgets, I end up disturbing any formatting or sometimes even the application on the Phone. God Knows how I do this, talent huh !

So I am writing this post in the morning taking few minutes off from the work, just to make sure I don’t miss anything while I cook it tonight. Bottle-guard is a vegetable which sadly does not have that many fans in the world. Despite of tremendous nutritional benefits it imparts, it still comes under the category of Karela ( Bitter Guard ) and Tinda ( I forgot the English name, help !! ) etc. for many people. Since I am one of the weirdest beings on the planet I adore all these vegetables. And Lauki/Dudhi is one of most fav since childhood. Where Mums used to torture or bribe  their kids with different gifts, my Mum never had to raise her voice to get me eat Bottle guard. As a matter of fact, she never raised her voice to get me eat anything.. I was always a big fat foodie.. err.. a good kid

So I came across this recipe through one of my neighbors in Delhi. There was a couple who had opened a tiny Dhaba within their home, and they used to serve the food to students at very little charge. We used to have a proper dinner with 3-4 chapathis, 1 subzi and Raita/side dish at no more than Rs.10 there every day. While everywhere else this much food would have easily cost us at least 25 Rs, Amma ( that’s what everyone called her )  was kind enough to sometimes refill without any extra charge. I reckon they were just doing this to cut their time, since they didn’t seem to have any major financial issues. None of  their kids were living with them and they were alone, hence they felt happy surrounded with chirpy and energetic students all day. Anyway, so this was one of Amma’s recipe  which was a hit among girls specially and none of the boys really liked it. So she used to make it only on our special demand and we used to hug and kiss her at the sight of it.

I moved from that PG after a while, and never got a chance to meet Amma ever again, but am sure she is still winning hearts with her love and care somewhere. Prepared with minimum spices and lots of love, this recipe is dedicated to her.  Its only  through her, that I learnt we can add Soya Nuggets to this  lauki else I haven’t seen it anywhere. Adding Soya nuggets enhances the protein content and builds out a unique taste of its own.

Lauki churns out maximum benefits when eaten lightly cooked with minimum spices. I have seen people who try to make it with a lot of Masala, like a proper gravy but still their kids won’t like it. That much of cooking time results not only in loss of nutrients but also the natural sweet taste of this wonder veggie. It has a lot of water content and is the best vegetable to have in diabetes. Read more about the befits of Bottle guard here  and here.

What you need?

• 1 long Dudhi/Lauki, peeled and diced small
• 1 cup Soya Nuggets, raw
• 1 tbsp Ghee ( you an use oil too, though Lauki tastes best in Ghee )
• 1 tsp Jeera, Turmeric each
• 3-4 small green chillies
• 1 medium onion, chopped very small – optional
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup of water

How to make?

Soak Soya Nuggets in warm water with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, squeeze all the water out and keep aside.

Heat Ghee in the cooker, add Jeera and fry till it pops.

Throw in chopped onion, green chili, salt and turmeric and cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame.

When the onion start turning translucent, add chopped Lauki and Soya Nuggets, mix well. Add water and cook till 1 whistle, release the lid when pressure ease off

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with Chapathi or Paranthas for a wholesome meal.

My Notes:

If you are cooking in  a pan, cook it covered after adding Lauki and Soya nuggets for almost 20-25 minutes stirring 2-3 times in between. Lauki takes a while to cook, so cook till you feel its alright for you to eat.

You may also add a chopped potato in this, or replace Soya with potato cubes

Adding Garlic is another fine option, but I wanted to keep it simple hence avoided it . You may add ginger-garlic paste if you want it a bit spicy

Addition of water is totally upto you, I like it less watery since Lauki releases a lot of water of its own anyway.

Linked to Jagruti's Potluck Party for this month

Lemon Rice : Am officially a Rice Lover now :D

Yeah I know, you guys wont even read this part thinking it to be my old rant about me being a transformed person from being a Rice "disliker" ( hater is too strong  a word ) to rice lover now. No, I am not going to bore you with the same old story again but this is the moment where I would like to officially announce that I love experimenting with rice dishes now. I have tried many different recipes in the past 4-5 months which I never had before like Schezwan  Rice, Tawa Pulao, Coconut Rice etc.. And all of them are my favorite now. Believe it or not, I actually look for excuses to make rice now, when I really did not like to cook it even once a week. 

I had Lemon rice first time ( yes, in my entire life ) when I visited Preeti from "Icing Cakes" during our initial meetings about Bloggers Buzz last year. She had prepared a variety of food for me and Nisha, which we happily licked off through the plates and even serving bowls. This Gulkand Shreekhand is also inspired by her creation, she is one brilliant Marathi Cook who inspires me with her active lifestyle and balanced perspective towards life. So she prepared this rice that day and I fell in love with it since then. I didnt remember the exact recipe but I have tried to prepare it keeping in mind the flavors of her recipe. I shall be lucky if I even come closer to her excellent hand in cooking. 

I have seen many different recipes for this dish, most of them uses the leftover rice to turn into Lemon Rice. But here I have prepared them fresh along with all the flavours from the very beginning. I seldom use the other method too, i.e. churning the leftover rice to this classic South Indian staple, but then I really prefer the fresh version. If you also do this by leftovers, I am sure you will be intrigued to taste the difference. 

This dish is as elegant as you want it to be and kept as simple as the need arises.  I love recipes which can be dressed up on short notice but otherwise need only minutes to put together. This time I had it with Shahi Paneer, and it really goes well with Jeera aalu or any other sort of roasted potatoes, as I have heard from my South Indian friends. 

People often recommend to use the Basmati Rice for this specialty but I find that Sona Masuri Rice works as good as its rival Basmati. If you are not aware of what Sona Masuri Rice is, visit  this website here, here and here for more info. I have only learnt about it after coming here and since then I rarely use Basmati, mainly only for Parties etc. 

What you need?

• 2 cups Rice ( Basmati or Sona Masuri ) 
• Juice of 1 large lemon ( almost 2 tbsp) 
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 3-5 dried red chillies
• Handful of Curry leaves 
• 2 tbsp Dry roasted peanuts 
• 2 tbsp of Sesame Oil ( it works best, but any other oil can be used )
• Salt to taste 
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tbsp Urad Dal (split black gram) 
• A pinch of Asafoetida ( heeng) 

How to make?

Wash and soak Rice in warm water for half an hour, drain and keep aside. 
Heat Sesame oil in a Pan, splutter Mustard seeds. When it starts popping, add the lentils, Peanuts red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry for almost a minute on low flame. 
Now add the drained rice and stir it for 30-40 seconds keeping flame low, this will ensure rice keeps separate and grainy

Add 2 1/2 cups of water and lemon juice and cook covered on medium flame for 15-20 minutes. Dont stir in between, just fluff with fork once or twice if necessary to mix. 
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with Dal or Paneer or any Potato Subzi of your choice. 

My Notes:
You may skip peanuts, lentils or asafoetida as per your liking
I have seen one of my friend adds grated ginger in this and that turns out well and distinctive too, you may try that
Of course you can make it with leftover plain boiled rice too, keeping the Tadka same and adding lemon juice at the end after adding rice and mixing well. 
Preeti suggested me to add a tsp of lemon juice whenever I cook any form of rice, and I have seen following this always leads in fluffy rice. 
If you dont have time to soak rice, I would suggest the cheats way of soaking rice in hot water for 5 minutes and then wash it several times to take the starch away. I usually keep it microwave for 2 minutes and then wash 4-5 times 

Pineapple Raita : Summer cooling recipe

Pineapple Raita always reminds me of the time, when i first had it in a restaurant in Delhi while I was in college. One of my pals took me to this restaurant and recommended that the Pineapple Raita there, was the best in the area. It was some Punjabi restaurant in Noida with a very nice themed decor and dishes, and I always felt good whenever I visited them.

Anyway, so that day I was not very keen…. I was like.. Pineapple in yogurt !!… But she coaxed me to have it and wow, she was so right…it was the best Pineapple raita i have had till date. The creamy texture and just the right sweetness, what I also liked was they had also added pomegranate to it. So not only was it colorful but also gave a variation to the raita in taste as well as flavor. Since then, I never go for any other sort of yogurt dish on the menu ever. Yes, I have had my share of disasters in petty restaurants. Not everyone makes this one right you know, they add raw pineapple with its juice or they will just add too much of it. I have even had it once with a lot of salt and red pepper into it, which was horrible.. But yeah, I made this pineapple raita almost a  month ago and it came very close to the thing I had that day. 

Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium and also rich in fibre and calories. It is  good for skin, prevent cough and colds, strengthen bones and keep gums healthy. In short, it really is a powerhouse of nutrition. Same goes with Pomegranate too, a fruits that is full of antioxidants and helps prevent ageing process. But both of these fruits have a warm “taseer” i.e. effect on the body.. They produce heat inside the body and when we combine them with yoghurt, the hot characteristic of the two fruits is balanced out with the cold “taseer” of the Yoghurt. It might be a complex thing to understand but in India most of the combos we eat are based on this principle of Ayurveda so that our body can absorb all nutrients all nutrients well without over exerting itself.

Anyway, so this combo of the two fruits + yoghurt + black pepper + coriander to garnish serves a very good purpose if you are on a diet or having an upset stomach. Its very tasty and healthy, if you prepare it the right way. You can even chuck most of the sugar out since pineapples are sweet on their own. 

What you need?

• 1 cup of chopped fresh pineapple.
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 2 cups yoghurt
• 1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds, juice drained off
• 2 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin powder
• salt as per your taste
• Pepper to taste

How to make?

• Take a curd / yogurt on a clean cloth and hang it for 30 to 40 minutes to drain out the water. This step is really optional, but use as thick yoghurt as you can since this raita tastes best in thick consistency
• Put it in a glass bowl and beat the yogurt until it becomes smooth, keep aside. 

• Take Cumin powder and roast it on a low flame on a griddle, throw in black pepper and black salt into the same pan and turn off the flame. Mix well with spoon and take off in a bowl, keep aside

• Take fresh pineapple and chop them into small pieces.
• Heat 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan on medium high flame and add pineapple cubes and white sugar in to saucepan till it gets half boiled and stir it well on medium low heat until it becomes thick syrup then wait till it’s cooled down fully.
• You can store this syrup in refrigerator and you can use whenever you want to make pineapple raita.
• Add smooth Curd / yogurt in a glass bowl then pineapple syrup, add ground cumin powder, red chilli powder, pepper and salt and stir well till it mix properly.
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• Add 1 cup of Pomegranate seeds and keep it in refrigerator for 1 hour before you serve it.
• Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and temper with the roasted spices. 

My Notes:

• You can use canned Pineapple in this recipe, they work well too. You dont need to make the syrup if you are using the canned variety since they come in their own juice. Drain them well and use.
• You can skip Pomegranate completely for this
• Please make sure that the yoghurt is not sour, else it will spoil the taste of the whole thing. 
• It tastes best when chilled and eaten with any Rice dish.