Restaurant Style Navaratna Kurma

Whenever I think of a rich fruit based dish,, one dish which stands out is the Nine Gems Kurma also called the "Navaratna Kurma".. This dish is a combination of flavour, richness & simplicity.. The blend of vegetables with fruits in a rich broth makes this extra special..
I have tried varieties of recipes to prepare this dish as my mytaste buds.. One which stands out and one which I personally love is below:


You Need
boiled Mixed vegetables -1cup ( I have used water based veggies without strong colors like chayote, knool coll, potato & white pumpkin)
1onion chopped
1tomato chopped
1 apple chopped
1 slice pineapple cut into chunks (if you find crushed canned pineapple, you can use 2tbsps)
6-7 white grapes
tooty frooty/cherries 1/2 cup
Fried panner cubes-1/2cup
garam masala 1tsp
red chillie powder 1/2tsp
ginger powder or fresh ginger 1tbsp

Grind to a fine powder
2tsp poppyseeds
3cardamom pods

Grind to a fine paste with 1/2 cup milk
10 deskinned almonds

Method:
In a pan, add 2tbsp oil.. when heated, add onions and fry till translucent.. To this add the ginger powder and fry for 2mins.. Now add the tomatoes and mix well.. Add salt and close the lid for
2mins till the tomatoes cook well.
Meanwhile boil/microwave the mixed veggies till tender.
Now add the fruits to the onion tomato mixture and mix well. Apples cook very fast. Add the almond paste and the masalas and boil till the flavours blend. Add the boiled veggies and panner and mix well till the right consistency is attained.. Garnish with grated paneer and enjoy...

"Fruit & Nut Halwa"!!!!

Going Nuts with a Nut.........
Delicious Fruit & Nut halwa..

Almond is called the "King of nuts"..This nut is almost used in a varitey of cuisines, oils, soaps, creams, therapies etc etc..
I wanted to use this nut in one of my favourite sweet treats.. which is the authentic "Bombay Halwa"..I used to indulge in the sweet often, wrapped in a flimsy plastic wrap and colorfully chewy this halwa is divine in its taste...
Here is one version of this halwa which is very simple to prepare and uses a combination of fresh fruit & ofcourse the Nuts....

To Prepare this, you need:
1can mixed fruits (I have used peach, pineapple, cheeries, apple)
1/2cup maida
1/4 cup corn flour
1cup water
1/2 cup melted butter/ghee
1tsp fresh cardamon powder
Nuts: sunflower seeds/melon seeds, slivered almonds--1/2 cup
sugar 1cup
food color:optional

Method:
In a thick bottom pan, add sugar and 1/4 cup water and boil till the sugar melts.. Mix corn flour, maida with the rest of the water till no lumps are formed and add this to the sugar mixture and keep stirring in a medium heat..Now add the fresh fruit and 1/4 cup butter and keep stirring for 7-8 minutes to make sure it doesnt stick to the pan.. Now add the cardamom powder, the nuts and the remaining butter along with the food color and mix well and stir for another 3-4 minutes till the butter leaves the sides of the pan and the mixture becomes like a thick mass.
Grease a plate and spread the mixture with a spatula.. Garnish with nuts of your choice..When it is cooled. cut it into chunks and wrap it into individual treats in a plastic film..
This serves as an excellent gift during festivals..

Menasina Kootu/Broccolli Black Pepper Kootu

Pepper is believed to have many medicinal properties...Pepper loses flavour and aroma through evaporation, so airtight storage helps preserve pepper's original spiciness longer. Once ground, pepper's aromatics can evaporate quickly; most culinary sources recommend grinding whole peppercorns immediately before use for this reason. Handheld pepper mills (or "pepper grinders"), which mechanically grind or crush whole peppercorns, are used for this, sometimes instead of pepper shakers, dispensers of pre-ground pepper.

Pepper kootu is one of the traditional recipes during the winter months.. This is very nutritious and can be used with a combination of vegetables..I have used brocolli and tomatoes as the base vegetable for this kootu which makes it even more healthy..

What you need:

Brocolli florets(1cup)
2tomatoes chopped
cooked & mashed toor dall (1/2 cup)
milk 1cup
1tsp honey/little jaggery
oil 2tsp
seasonings: mustard, curry leaves, hing

To dry fry and grind

2tbsp coriender seeds
2tsp black pepper corns
3dried red chillies
1tsp jeera

Method:
In a pan add the seasonings with oil.. Now add the brocolli and tomatoes , 1/2cup water and boil the vegetables for a few minutes till they r well cooked.. Now add the boiled and mashed dall and mix well.
Now add the dry ground masala, salt and mix well..Add 1cup milk , honey and close the lid and boil the kootu for another 5minutes till all the flavours blend and the consisstency is right..
Serve this with hot rice or chapatis...

Microwave cooking tips:

Tip: The entire dish can be prepared in less than 10minutes in a microwave.. You can precook the toor dall ahead and add or dry grind 2tbsp toor dall which has been fried lightly for 2mins . Add this dal powder with the cooked vegetables and microwave adding water and milk.Make sure you stir the mixture every 2minutes once the masala and milk is added to the boiled veggies...

Tip 2: It is always helpful to fry toor/channa dal lightly till nice aroma comes and grind it into a fine /coarse powder and store. This will be very handy in microwave sambhars/rasam/any other gravies with a dal base. This will cook much faster and the consistency can be very well adjusted..

"Masala Chunky Potatoes"

Potato is the most versatile vegetable which is filled with carbs & energy.. The creativity with this wonder vegetable is amazing...Whether it is fried/boiled/baked it tastes divine and very filling..
Here is a very unique spicy masala aloo which is simple to make & very tasty with a unique flavour..
I found this recipe from a Regional cook book and I have tweaked to create my own version of this recipe ..

Here is what you need:
3 medium sized potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)
a big tomato chopped
chopped coriender leaves to garnish..

To fry and grind
3tbsp coriender seeds
3tsp saunf/fennel seeds
2tsp jeera
1/4 tsp pepper
3 dried red chillies

Other masalas:
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2tbsp oil
salt
1/2 cup milk

Method:

fry all the ingredients to fry with a tsp of oil till nice aroma comes and dry grind it into a fine powder..
Heat oil in a pan and add a tsp of fennel. Now add the potato chunks, turmeric powder and fry for a fw minutes till the oil coats the potatoes.. Now add the ground powder and mix well till the potatoes are coated.Add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup milk, salt and close the lid. After 6-7 minutes the potatoes will be fully cooked with the spices and tomatoes.. garnish with cilantro and serve with hot chapatis..

Eggless Cinnamon Fruit Cake.....

Merry Christmas All...

Needless to say, Christmas is incomplete without the traditional fruit cake..
I love the fruit cake.. but more than that.. something which really makes my mouth water is the Plum cake often found in Bangalore Nilgiris.. I am sure this cake is found in all parts of India but my memory goes to the Nilgiris bakery which serves a delicious rich plum cake.. I have always tried methods of getting a recipe for an easier version of this cake but invain.. i am sure its out there somewhere.

Here is a version of eggless cake for all the vegans.. The dry fruits can be selected as per the taste.. This cake is also simply good with cranberries and pistachios.. I have used a mixture of regular tooty fruity mix with dried plums and raisins.. If you dont like cinnamom, you can use just a tsp....
This is my entry to the "Think Spice" event hosted by Sunita's blog http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/12/think-ginger-round-up-and-announcing.html

Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
2teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 level teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup butter
3/4 cup dried mixed fruit ( I have added dried plums to this to get the flavour of plums)
1/2 cup sugar
12 tablespoons hot water
1/4 cup pepsi/thumpsup
1/2 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
flaked almonds

Method
soak the dry fruit and plums in pepsi for 30mins.-

Put the cinnamon spice, nutmeg, butter, dried mixed fruit, sugar and water into a saucepan.- Place the over a medium heat and stir the mixture until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.-

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 3 minutes.- Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm.- Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir.-

Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center of it.- Pour the lukewarm mixture into this. -

Mix well and pour into a greased cake pan(i have used rectangular)- Smooth the top of the mixture and sprinkle with nuts if u wish to.- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes at 375 F- Turn onto a wire rack to cool

(tip: you can use any combination of dry and mixed fruits..the natural gum of the dried fruit peel actually acts as a binder here so I have used more fruit peels and soaked fruits than regular dried fruits...)

Bangalore Iyengar Bakery toast.../Masala Sandwich

Bangalore has given a start to some of the finest eateries, whether it is a quick fast food darshini or a sit in place like udupi garden/shanthi sagars/sukh sagar etc, the most oldest tradition is the bakery.

The signature Iyengar bakeries exist everywhere throught bangalore. Whether it is cakes, pastries, honey cakes, buns, cookies, puffs the taste is simply delicious. One of the finest creations ever made in these bakeries is the Iyengar toast...
Whenever I see bread , the first thing that comes to my mind is the colorful, spicy, savoury iyenga toast which is not only filling but extremely tasty....





Here is my creation of the famous Iyengar Bakery toast given by my mom which almost replicates the taste...

Ingredients:
1carrot grated
2 medicum onions chopped (not too fine)
3tomatoes ripe ( chop tomatoes and squeeze out the water)
1tsp turmeric
2green chillies
chopped cilantro
2tsp oil
salt
a pinch ofnutmeg(optional but will definetly give a twist to this toast)
Fresh salt bread

Method:
In a pan , heat oil.. add the green chillies and onions and fry on a medium heat till the rawness of the onion goes away.. Dont brown the onions as this will change the flavour. Now add the chopped tomatoes and grated carrot and mix well.. Add turmeric, nutmeg and salt and close the lid for 2minutes till the tomato cooks..
Now add cilantro and mixwell and switch of the heat..
Toast the bread and apply the above mixture generously on the toast and serve...

Low Cal Malai Mutter/Batani Saagu

Rich food doesnt have to necessarily contain heavy fatty ingredients...
Sometimes using simple ingredients could result in a delicious equally rich tasting food without the extra calories..
Here is a very low calorie malai mutter which is very rich, flavourfull, full of healthy vegetables and very low calories...The best part of this dish is it takes less than 10minutes to prepare without the hassles of grinding anything..

This is also my entry for the "Grindless Gravies" food event... the details of the event can be found here....

http://whenmysoupcamealive.blogspot.com/2007/11/announcing-grindless-gravies-event.html

Ingredients:

1cup fresh green peas (boil till tender)
1 ripe tomato
1 onion finely minced
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
1tsp red chillie powder
a pinch of turmeric
3tbsp skimmed milk powder
1tsp oil..
cracked pepper 1/2tsp(optional)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan..To this add ginger garlic paste, onion and fry till it turns light golden brown.. Now add chopped tomato and mix well for 2minutes.. Add the turmeric and chillie powder and salt and close the lid for 2mins till the flavours blend..
Now add the boiled fresh peas and any other veggies(optional) and mix well.. Take skimmed milk powder in a bowl and mix it with water to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the pan and mix well.add cracked pepper and close the lid for 4mins till the mixture cooks well. Serve with chapatis/roti

Tip: You can add finelly chopped brocolli/chayoti/any other green veggies you like with peas ..
This dish takes only a tsp of oil and literally calorie free but extremely delicious and rich...

Oatmeal Uppittu/Oatmeal Porridge

Quaker Oatmeal not only tastes delicious, it's good for your heart...

Oats have numerous uses in food; most commonly, they are rolled or crushed into oatmeal, or ground into fine oat flour. Oatmeal is chiefly eaten as porridge, but may also used in a variety of baked goods, such as oatcakes, oatmeal cookies, and oat bread. Oats are also an ingredient in many cold cereals, in particular muesli and granola. Oats may also be consumed raw, and cookies with raw oats are becoming popular.

Here is a 5minute Oatmeal Uppittu/porridge which is not only healthy but extremely tasty.. For all the busy folks who cannot afford to spend more than a few minutes for making a healthy breakfast.. try this and you will not be disappointed...

Ingredients:

1 cup quick oats ( I have used quaker oats)

1.5 cups water

For seasoning: 2tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard, 1tsp jeera, 4-5 green chillies chopped, a twig of curry leaves, 2tsp cashew bits

a pinch of turmeric

salt

grated coconut(optional)

juice of lime --1tsp

Method

In a pan heat oil, add the seasonings, add green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute. Now add turmeric and mix well. Add water and boil.. When the water comes to a boil, add coconut, limejuice and salt and mixwell. Now reduce the flame and add the oats and mix well...Close the lid for a minute till the oats cook well.

Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot...

Masala Hakka Noodles

Chinese noodles are generally made from either wheat flour, rice flour, or mung bean starch, with wheat noodles being more commonly produced and consumed in Northern China and rice noodles being more typical of southern ...

Here is a quick and delicious Chinese Hakka noodles which are spicy,sweet and tangy....

Ingredients:
1pack Hakka noodles (you can use any thick noodles/maggie noodles)
1/2 cup shredded carrots (boil for 3mins in a microwave)
1/2 cup sliced string beans (boil for 3mins in a microwave)
1bunch scallions
3garlic cloves
2tsp tamarind date chutney
2tsp red chillie chutney/schezewan sauce
1tsp tomato ketchup..
3tbsp oil

Method:
Prepare noodles per instructions and strain them and cool them..In a pan, heat the oil till it smokes.. Add garlic and scallions and fry till till the garlic gets golden brown.. Now add the tamarind chutney, red chillie chutney and ketchup and mix well. If you want more sweet and tangy taste add a little more of tamarind date chutney..Adding salt is optional since the sauce may already have salt.. Now mix the strained veggies.

Mix this masala with the cooled noodles till its coated well. Garnish it with scallions and serve....

Menthya/Methi Pulav

This mildly bitter herb is believed to have medicinal properties. Dried leaves, either whole or ground, are called kasuri methi, and they're a good substitute for fresh..

In the early hours in Bangalore, many "Soppu" vendors bring home different kinds of greens to sell in baskets.. I have always adored all the greens. They are fresh and best used immediatly. The taste is amazingly good. Whenever mom used to purchase Menthya soppu, this rice delicacy was always a must.. Its very delicious and simple..

Ingredients
Fresh Menthya soppu/Methi bunches: 2 bunches (clean and strip the leaves from the stem)
cashew nuts: 2tbsp
turmeric:1/2 tsp
Vangibath powder/Sambhar powder: 3tsp
salt
lime juice
seasoning: 2tbsp oil, mustard, hing, curry leaves, dried red chillies
jaggery/honey: 1tsp (optional)

Method
Clean the leaves thoroughly and spread it on a clean paper towel/kichen towel to dry.. Chop the leaves roughly.( Avoid chopping the leaves when wet since it bruises the leaves)..

In a pan, heat oil, season with mustard, hing, curry leaves, dried red chillies. Now add broken cashew bits and fry for a few minutes. Now add the chopped Menthya leaves and mix well. Add lime juice and fry for a few minutes till the menthya leaves are cooked.. Now add the masala powder and salt. Mix well till the oil separates. Cool and mix with rice and serve with raita of your choice...

Tip: This gojju can be made and stored in the refrigerator and used as needed..

If Vangibath powder is not available, fry 1/2 inch piece of cinnamom and 2 cloves. grind it with sambhar powder with 1/4tsp pepper. This will give a very good flavour..