Cauliflower kurma

Kurma or Korma is nothing but another form of Indian curry but little gravy.

Cauliflower can be eaten raw as salad. Cauliflower is considered very healthy because of two reasons

1) Low saturated fat (which is what we should avoid)

2) Rich in Fibre.

Did you know that India is second largest producer of cauliflower ? (From Wiki)

Now the recipe.

Cauliflower kurma goes well with Chapati/Paratha. It can also be had with rice.

I prefer to use pressure cooker while preparing this kurma as this is time efficient and does not consume more than 15 mins.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 medium sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Onion -2 medium sized
Cinnamon - 1 "
Cloves - 3- 4
Tumeric - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - As required
Garlic - 3 -4 pods
Ginger - 1/2"
Fresh coriander leaves - few
Oil - 1 Tsp

Dry roast:
Red chilli whole - 5
Coriander seeds - 1 Tsp
Channa Dhal - 2 Tsps
Coconut - 4 Tsps

Method:

1. Cut cauliflower into small florets.
2. Wash it in hot water with a pinch of salt (this kills small insects).
3. Cut onion and tomatoes into medium vertical pieces.
4. Heat oil in a cooker.
5. Fry cinnamon sticks and cloves.
6. Add onion and fry for 1 min.
7. Add tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes.
8. Add cauliflower pieces and fry for 2 minutes (or less).
9. Dry fry red chillies, coriander seeds, channa dhal and coconut.
10. Grind red chillies, coriander seeds, channa dhal, coconut, ginger and garlic.
11. Add this ground mixture to cauliflower.
12. Add turmeric powder and salt to cauliflower. Mix thoroughly.
13. Close the cooker lid and allow 1 or 2 whistles (based on the consistency you prefer).
14. Once cooked (allow the steam to be released by itself), open the cooker lid and allow it to boil for 2 mins.
15. Switch off the stove, transfer the contents from the cooker to a container.
16. Sprinkle coriander leaves over.
17. Cauliflower kurma is ready.

If you don't prefer to use cooker, you can cook using a pan.

Nutritional Facts:

• Cauliflower - Rich in fibre, folate, Vitamin C, Protein, Thiamine.
• Cauliflower - High in sodium (which is not very inviting though)

Tomato Pachadi / Tomato Pickle

Two things come to my mind when I think of tomatoes 1) Tomato Pickle (this stands first what to do...that shows the interest in eating :P) and 2) Tomatina festival.

Did you know that India is the fifth largest producer of Tomatoes.

Coming to the recipe. Pachadi means Chutney/Pickle in telugu.This is my mother-in-law's way of preparing Tomato pickle.

Tomato pickle is a very handy one which goes well with rice and any tiffin item. This can be used as a paste while preparing curry. This method does not require cutting/smashing tomatoes before cooking. One of the good thing about this method is it requires very less oil and does not splash while cooking.

Ingredients:
Tomato : 12
Tamarind : 200gms (clean it)
Salt : 1 Cup (150 ml cup)
Red chilli powder : 1 Cup (150 ml cup)
Turmeric - 1 Tsp
Oil - 5 Tsps

Roast and Grind:
Mustard - 5 Tsps
Fenugreek seeds - 5 Tsps


Method:

1. Wash the tomatoes and dry it well by wiping with paper towel.
2. Heat 5 Tsps of oil in a pan.
3. Add the tomatoes.Close it with a lid and allow it to cook.
4. Open and stir it frequently so that it does not stick to the pan.
5. Smash the tomatoes while it is cooking (this will allow easy cooking).
6. It will take atleast 20 mins to cook well.
7. Dry roast mustard and fenugreek seeds.
8. Grind it into fine powder.
9. Once tomato is cooked, add turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and fenugreek,mustard powder and spread tamarind.(Adjust salt and chilli powder according to your taste).
10. Mix it well and keep in stove for 5 mins.
11. Remove it from stove and allow it to cool.
12. Now grind the mixture into fine paste.Tomato Pickle is ready.

This can be stored in fridge for months.Whenever you want to use it, take a portion of it.

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add mustard seeds, channa dal, cumin seeds, red chilli whole (1 or 2) and curry leaves.
3. Add the portion of tomato pickle.
4. Mix it once and ready to eat.

Nutritional Facts:

• Tomato is rich in Vitamin C

Stir Fried Vegetables

My apologies for not having replied to your comments (to those of you who dropped in comments) and for not being in touch with anyone.

Yes. I have been disappearing for quite a while :D. Tight schedule at work. My inlaws were here until last month. Couple of months back, I went out with them and accidentally dropped my bag which had Camera and Handycam (both without cover) in it. Both stopped working. I got it working only couple of days back. Which is one of the reason that kept me away from posting recipes.

Though I got lot of recipes from my mother-in-law, I never had a chance to post any of them. Those are Andhra special. I will try to post one by one... By the way this recipe is not hers :)

I managed to find some time today to post my favourite and a quick recipe.

Stir Fried Vegetables - one of the easiest , less time consuming but a very healthy dish. Picking the right vegetables add to the taste. It hardly takes 10 mins (definitely not more than that including cutting vegetables) and it tastes good.

Ingredients:
Broccoli - 1/2 flower
Carrot - 3
Baby button Mushroom - 150 gms
Courgette (Zucchini) - 1 medium size.
Baby corn - 150 gms

Corn flour - 2 Tsps
Vegetable Stock - 1 Cube (I used Knorr)
Vinegar - 1 Tsp
Soy Sauce - 1 Tsp
Red Chilli Sauce - 1 Tsp
Olive oil - 2 Tsps

Method:

1. Cut all the vegetables into medium sized pieces (as shown above)
2. Mix corn flour in 1/4 cup of water.
3. Mix vegetable stock to corn flour paste. Ensure that no lumps are formed.
4. Add vinegar, soy sauce and 1 tsp of olive oil (you could use any other oil as an alternate). Mix well and keep it aside.
5. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil (or any other oil) in a pan.
6. Add the cut vegetables. Fry for 2 mins.
7. Add 1/4 cup of water and keep it covered for 1 min.
8. Remove the lid and add the paste prepared in step 4.
9. Add red chilli paste , fry for 20 seconds and remove from stove.
10. This goes well with rice and Chapati. Cook rice with little salt.

Note:

You could also add Water chestnut and bamboo shoots which will give a complete Chinese touch. Adjust quantity of vegetables and water according to your taste.

Nutritional Value:

• Broccolli - High in Vitamin C , Vitamin K , folate etc
• Carrot - Vitamin A
• Baby corn - Rich in Protein
• Mushroom - Rich in Thiamine, Niacin , Riboflavin, etc
• Courgette/Zucchini - Rich in folate, potassium, Vitamin A

Capsicum Curry

Capsicum curry is my sister's speciality. I learnt it from her and it is very easy to prepare and tasty too.

Few do not like because of its watery nature, but it is worth due its nutritional value.

Capsicum is also called as "Pepper".

Info from Wiki

The misleading name "pepper" (pimiento in Spanish) was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe. At that time peppercorns were a highly prized condiment. Today, the term "bell pepper" or "pepper" or "capsicum" is often used for any of the large bell shaped capsicum fruits, regardless of their color. In British English, the fruit is simply referred to as a "pepper", whereas in many Commonwealth of Nations countries, such as Australia, India, Malaysia and New Zealand, they are called "capsicum".

Ingredients:
Capsicum - 5 or 6
Onions - 2
Curry Leaves - Few
Green Chilli - 3
Oil - 2 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - As required

To Grind:
Red Chilli - 5
Urad Dhal - 1 Tsp
Channa Dhal - 1 Tsp
Coriander Seeds - 2 Tsps
Coconut - 6 Tsps




Method:

1. Cut Capsicum into small pieces.
2. Cut Onion and green chilli into small pieces.
3. Dry fry Red Chilli, Urad Dhal, Channa Dhal, Coriander Seeds and Coconut.
4. Grind the above.
5. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds.
6. Fry onion, curry leaves and green chilli.
7. Add cut capsicum pieces and add the ground powder.
8. Add turmeric powder and salt.
9. Fry until capsicum it is cooked and water disappears.
10. Once done serve with hot rice or chapati.

Nutritional Value:

• Rich in Protein, Vitamin A,C
• Helps to reduce blood pressure, cholestrol
• Good for treating colds and fevers
• Good for diabetics

Baby Button Mushroom Fry

Hello everyone. Hope all is well. Its been six months since I made an entry here. Ususal excuses.. busy ,lazy blah.. blah...blah.

We had been to India for Christmas holidays. Had a great time.

Fine. Coming to the recipe. Baby Button Mushroom Fry or call it however you want.

Mushroom is one of my favourite but most disliked by my family members. I was trying to make a dish with it to satisfy their taste. We had been to a Tandoori Restaurant and I ordered Mushroom Bhaji. It was the first time I had mushroom outside.I generally don't prefer to take Cauliflower, Mushroom, Brinjal and few other dishes outside as they need more careful cleaning. I really liked the taste of Mushroom Bhaji they served. I just got hold of the ingredients in it (whatever I could visually see). I tried it at home by adjusting the ingredients to my taste and it turned out to be really good.

Ingredients:

Baby Button Mushroom - 750 gms
Carrot - 1 cup - cut 2" lengthwise (approx 3 carrots)
Capsicum - 1 cup - cut into medium squares
Onions - 1 cup - cut into medium squares (approx. 2 onions)
Soy Sauce - 5 Tsp
Chilli Sauce - 2 Tsp
Green Chilli - 4 - cut into small pieces.
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 Tsp
Corn flour - 1 Tsp
Salt - As Required
Oil - 4 Tsp

To Grind:
Garlic - 3 pods
Ginger - 1"
or
alternatively 1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste

I know the pictures are not good. Poor lighting. I was cooking in the night and apparently had to use Flash.

Method:

1. Cut mushroom into 3 portions (3 pieces as in the picture).
2. Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan
3. Add the cut mushrooms and fry for sometime.
4. Do not add water. Mushroom by itself will leave out water.
5. Fry until the water evaporates and mushroom is cooked.
6. Remove the mushrooms from the pan.
7. Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan.
8. Add the cut carrots, capsicum, onions and green chilli.Fry for sometime.
9. Grind ginger and garlic and add to the vegetables.
10. Continue frying until the raw smell disappears.
11. Add 1/2 cup of water and let the vegetables cook. (adjust water accordingly)
12. Once cooked, add the mushrooms.
13. Mix the corn flour in a tsp of water.
14. Add chilli sauce, corn paste, soy sauce, red chilli powder and salt.
15. Stir well and keep in stove for 5 mins and remove.

You can have it with rice or Chapati. Add more water if you want it to be gravy.

Note:
Source Wiki: Mushroom
There are a number of species of mushroom that are poisonous, and although some resemble certain edible species, eating them could be fatal. Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild is risky and should not be undertaken by individuals not knowledgeable in mushroom identification, unless the individuals limit themselves to a relatively small number of good edible species that are visually distinctive. More generally, and particularly with gilled mushrooms, separating edible from poisonous species requires meticulous attention to detail; there is no single trait by which all toxic mushrooms can be identified, nor one by which all edible mushrooms can be identified.

Nutritional Facts:

• Mushrooms are a source of some minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus.
• Rich in vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, cobalamins, ascorbic acid.