Lotus stem in Spinach curry

Today i had a few cousins over and one of the things I prepared for them was Lotus Stam (kamal kakdi) in Spinach curry (palak). They and never had it before and since they enjoyed it, I thought you may like to try it.
Here is what you do.

Ingredients:

250 gms Lotus stem
2 bundles spinach
2 green chillies
1 inch piece ginger
8 to 10 flakes of Garlic
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 small ball of tamarind(soaked in half a cup of warm water)
1 sp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
3 to 4 tbps oil
2 tsps wheat flour
salt to taste

Procedure:

Wash and scrape the lotus stem skin, till it is clean. cut into slices of 1/2 cm thickness. In a little water boil the lotus stem in a pressure cooker , just one whistle, turn off and keep aside. Separately steam the spinach for a 3 to 5 minutes in a pan and blend to a puree in a blender. Finely chop/ grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies. Heat oil in a kadai or pan ,add mustard seeds and allow to splutter.. Now add ginger garlic paste , reduce flame and stir for a minnute or two. Now put in the boiled lotus stem without any water). Saute for a minute or two on low flame, add coriander and chilli powder and saute for a couple of minutes more, Now add the spinach puree , stir for a couple of minutes. Now squeeze out the tamarind water and put it in. A minute or two later dissolve the wheat flour in a cup of water mixing it well. Add this to the spinach - lotus stem being cooked, add salt, cover and cook on low flame for about 10 minutes. Serve hot. This dish tastes best when it is had with the famous Mumbai pav (bread) and topped with fine bhel sev.

I like brinjal and therefore am always looking for interesting ways to make it. I recently tried out a recipe for stuffed brinjals given by a Maharashtrian friend and really enjoyed it. Hope you like it too.




Ingredients:

10 to 12 small brinjals
1/4 fresh coconut,, grated
1 onion (small) finely chopped
5 to 6 flakes garlic
l1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1tsp jeera powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red chillie powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp groundnuts (powdered)
8 curry leaves
Few coriander leaves
3tbsps oil
Salt to taste


Procedure:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a tthick kadai, add chopped onions and garlic and saute. When light brown, add coconut.. Saute for a couple of minutes and remove from fire .Grind onion and coconut to a smooth paste. Add all dry spices to this paste.
Wash brinjals in water, wipe dry and slit vertically into four quarters, but not separated. Stuff each brinjal with the gound paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a thick kadai, give tadka with curry leaves and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add stuffed brinjals, a little water and cover. Cook on very low fame for 10 to 15 minutes till brinjals are soft and done. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves , hot rotis and dahi.. These brinjals also go well with dal and rice too.

It's been a while since I shared any updates . My extensive overseas travel for about a month put me out of gear. But here I am back now and ready to resume my food blogging.

The festive season is already upon us and we Sindhis make a vegetarian meal on those days with a variety of vegetables , sbacks like aloo tikki , samosas or sanha pakora. On most occasions the rice that ismade is called Taheri which is fragrant delicious sweet rice. I had it earlier this week at a cousin's place after a long time, loved it and decided that I must share the recipe on my blog.

TAHERI

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati rice

1 cup sugar

10 to 12 cardamoms ( peel and remove seeds)

20 to 30 strands of saffron ( soaked in a little warm water)

3 tablespoons pure ghee

3/4 cup dry fruits ( cahewnuts, almonds,( Slit into halves) and raisins)

4 cups water

3/4 tsp salt

Procedure:

Wash and soak rice in water in a bowl for about 20 minutes. Heat a thick bottomed pan. Add ghee. When melted, add rice, cardomom seeds and saffron with the water . Reduce flame and stir for a couple of minutes. Now add 3 cups of water and salt and cook on medium flame In another pan dissolve sugar in the balance one cup of water by heating it.

When the rice is almost cooked and the waterappears dried up add the dissolved sugar syrup and dry fruits. Cover and cook on lowest flame for about ten minutes or till the rice is steaming . Serve hot. Tastes great by itself too with mango pickle and roasted papad.

Mieng-Kum

Last week we had a delicious and unusual starter at a Thai restaurant in Orlando. Liked it so much, that imaged to get the recipe and a picture.!
Ingredients:
100 gms tofu
2inch piece ginger , peeled and shredded to thin strips
Juice of half a lemon
Handful of peanuts
3 to 4 inch piece of dried coconut shredded into thin steps
12to14 cabbage leaves
 Procedure:
Fry tofu in hot oil till crisp and golden brown. Remove after draining all oil on soft tissue. On a chopping board, shred fried tofu into thin strips. In a bowl mix together diced tofu, diced ginger, coconut and peanuts. Add lemon juice and mix well. Quickly , arrange cabbage leaves on soup spoons or other similar serving device, as in the picture. With a spoon put the mixture from the bowl on each cabbage leaf, as shown in the pic and serve fresh with caramelized dipping sauce or any sweet and slightly tangy sauce. And you have a delicious, very light starter which both vegetarians and non vegetarians would love.

Guacamole

I am in the US spending time with my children and realise that most people here love avacadoes . Yesterday, my daughter in law Natalie made Guacamole to serve as a starter to guests at a Bar -be-cue party. It tasted great with Tortilla chips and veggie sticks. Here's here recipe;


Ingredients:
3 avacadoes
1 medium sized tomato finely chopped
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
2 green chillies
3- 4 cloves of garlic
one small bowl of coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tsp cummin powder
Juice of one lemon
salt to taste

Procedure:
Peel the avacadoes and slit into halves. Apply juice of half a lemon and keep aside .

In a mortar  and pestle, pound onion, tomato, green chillies , coriander and garlic to a pulp. Add avacadoes, cummin powder, salt and the remaining lemon juice and  pound to make a homogeneous pulp. Empty the contents into an attractive glass serving bowl and keep in a cool place for an hour. When guests arrive, serve with tortilla chips, plan khakhra or veggie sticks.

Chilli Cheese Toast

The Rains have finally arrived in Mumbai and with it the desire to have tasty hot snacks with a hot cup of tea.  Chilli Cheese Toast is an all time favourite with most people and especially with vegetarians.  Here’s my recipe for which I am sure you will relish.

Ingredients

Grated cheese 200 gms

1 red or green finely chopped

1 green chilli finely chopped

1 large tomato finely chopped

4 slices of oatmeal or whole wheat bread

Procedure

Mix together the cheese, capsicum, chilli and tomato and refrigerate for five minutes.  Toast the bread slices  then spread the cheese paste evenly over the slices.  Bake in pre-heated oven for three to five minutes till the top layer is well cooked and the bread nicely toasted.  Cut each slice diagonally into two triangles and serve hot with ketchup and potato chips.  

Chingri Malai Curry

My friend Amrita today served us a delicious prawn recipes, which was loved by all of us and so we all got share it immediately with us and here’s for your to try it out on the weekend.

Ingredients

400 gm prawns 

2-3 potatoes

3 tbsp mustard oil

1/2 tbsp whole jeera

2 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp garam masala

1 1/4 cup coconut milk

2 tsp ghee  

Procedure: 

Blanch the prawns in turmeric water. 

Heat mustard oil in a pan and add sugar and whole jeera ; then add prawns and stir fry till white ( Prawns have to be white and soft). Keep prawns aside. 

Heat mustard oil in a pan and add sugar and whole jeera add chopped potatoes, ginger paste, jeera powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and sauté

Now add the prawns and slit green chillies and stir for few minutes. 

Add the coconut milk, cook for few more minutes and then add salt. 

In the end sprinkle garam masala and ghee on top and serve.

Serve with hot roti with pav / garlic bread