Kale With Coconut (Kale Thoran)

This green is tough! I had not tried cooking it till recently because I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. Then my parents dined at a Sri Lankan restaurant where they tried kale with coconut and they loved it. So there it was, my inspiration! A favorite specialty, of mine, from Kerala is their thoran, sort of a stir fry. So I decided to make thoran out of kale.

For this you will need

1 Bunch - Kale (I used the curly green)
1 Tablespoon - Coconut (I used frozen and thawed grated coconut)
3-4 pods - Garlic
2 Teaspoons - Red Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon - Turmeric Powder
2 Teaspoons - Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves (Optional)
1/2 Red Onion - Fine Chopped
1 Teaspoon - Mustard Seeds
2-3 Teaspoons - Oil
Salt as per your taste
A pinch of sugar

Method -

Chop kale as fine as possible. In a flat bottom pan add the oil. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the chopped onions and fry till they turn light pink.

Now add the chopped kale, a pinch of sugar and salt. Toss, cover and let cook for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, blend the cumin, coconut, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garlic and curry leaves coarsely. Not a fine paste and do not add water. Once the kale is cooked, add the ground mixture, toss and serve.

 

Paneer, Rasagulla and Rasmalai!

The process for making Rasmalai is quite long and along the way I will tell you how to make the famous Indian cheese, paneer and another sweet Rasagulla. Rasagulla and Rasmalai are delectable sweets from the eastern state of West Bengal in India. Bengalis have perfected the art of making light, airy balls of paneer (cheese from India) and filling every globule with sweetness! Rasmalai especially is a rich dish with few ingredients but needs some skill and practice. It has a smooth after taste that leaves you wanting for more :)

For this you will need -

4 Cups - Milk ( I used whole milk)
2 Tablespoons - White Vinegar ( mixed with 2-3 tablespoons of water)
Muslin/ Cheese cloth

1 Cup - Sugar
4 Cups - Water

1 Tin - Condensed Milk
2 Cups - Whole Milk
Nuts - Almonds and Pistachios roughly chopped (I used only almonds)
5-6 Strands - Saffron (Optional)

Method -

Bring the four cups of milk to a boil, stir occasionally to avoid burning the milk at the bottom. Once it starts to boil, add the vinegar and water mixture little by little (say in about three parts). Keep stirring and the milk fat will separate out leaving whey water behind. Some people use lemon for the same purpose but I prefer vinegar as lemon has a very strong flavor that the resulting paneer will take. It should look like this.

Use the muslin cloth to separate the paneer from the whey water. Don't throw the whey water as it is quite rich in nutrients. Use it to make curries or to cook rice in or to make the dough for rotis or drink as such with a pinch of sugar. I didn't get a picture of the paneer but basically wait for the entire water to drain out by hanging the muslin cloth for about 20 minutes and then squeezing out as much of the water as possible. You will be left with a nice soft ball of white cheese.

Now, the hard part. Knead the cheese really well for about 15 minutes. You will know it is ready when you can make smooth balls out of it. I should have kneaded a bit longer! For the quantities mentioned, you should get about 20 balls. Make small balls as they double their size when cooked. Flatten them slightly for rasmalai or leave them round for rasagulla.

 

 

Now in a thick bottom vessel, make the sugar syrup with one cup sugar and four cups of water. When the syrup comes to a boil, add the balls. Cook on medium high, do not reduce the flame. Cook for about 15-20 minutes till the balls double in size. Which means ensure you have a big enough vessel in the first place to accommodate the fully blown balls!

 

Cool and serve chilled as Rasagullas! As they cool, their size does reduce a bit, don't worry about that.

For Rasmalai, heat two more cups of milk with the saffron strands so the saffron hue spreads throughout the milk. Then add the condensed milk, you can change the quantity of condensed milk depending on your liking of sweetness and thickness. I used a whole tin! We are a sweet toothed family! After about five minutes, slightly and gently squeeze the rasagullas and put it in the milk. Add the chopped nuts and cook for about 10 minutes so the milk infuses into the cheese balls.

Serve chilled!

 

 

Fish Curry - Kerala style!

Kerala is a beautiful coastal state in the South of India abundant with food from the ocean, spices and coconut trees! Its cuisine is a unique combination of spices and coconut cooked in special earthenware combined with meat, fish or vegetables.
This is a most flavorful and aromatic fish curry which should ideally be cooked on an open flame in a mud pot on the beach! But oh well, not all dreams come true all the time, for now have this picture in your mind and create this magical dish in your very own kitchen!

For this you will need -
10 - 12 - Medium sized pieces of any fish (ideally ocean fish)
3 tbspns - Fresh grated coconut
1 tspn - Turmeric Powder
2 tspns - Red Chili Powder
3 tspns - Coriander Powder
1 tspn - Tamarind Concentrate diluted in water
1 tspn - Roasted fenugreek powder
A small piece of Onion or 2 pearl onions
Salt as per your taste
4 tspns - Coconut Oil


Method -

Take a teaspoon of oil in a small pan and roast the coconut till nice and golden. Make sure not to burn it :) It may take about 8 - 10 minutes.

To this add the turmeric, red chili and coriander powders and fry for a couple more minutes.

Allow to cool and grind to a fine paste with the onion.

Now take the vessel in which you want to make the curry and three teaspoons of oil. Once add the ground paste and fry for a minute. Add water to make it into a gravy consistency and let boil nicely. At least for about 10 minutes. Then add the fish pieces and cook for another 10 minutes. Once the fish is cooked and has taken in all the flavor from the gravy, add the tamarind water. Cook for a couple of minutes, add salt and the fenugreek powder. Allow the gravy to thicken to your liking. Turn off the heat and serve with hot rice.


 

Rave Dose

The last few months were absolutely divine for me. For a change, I didn't have to cook but could savor all the choicest delicacies. Thanks to my mom-in-law and then my mom. While all the eating was so good, I was so lazy to post anything.
Alas, now life is back to normal. Cooking by me and only me. However I have come up with a trick to ensure that I don't see cooking as a chore. Will talk about that in my next post.

After a long break, here's an out and out Karnataka special. So mouthwateringly delicious, no one can eat just one :)

For this you will need -

1 Cup - Fine Semolina (not roasted)
1/2 Cup - Yoghurt ( vary the quantity such that the semolina just gets coated with the yoghurt)
1 Cup - Rice Flour
3 Tbspn - Maida (All Purpose Flour)
2 Tspn - Cumin Seeds
1 - Green Chili (fine chopped)
1 Inch - Ginger (grated)
A handful of Coriander (Cilantro) leaves, fine chopped
Salt as to your taste
Lots of water
Oil - A couple of spoons
Optional - fine chopped onion

Pan - Tava or flat griddle


Method -

Mix the semolina with the yoghurt and let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes. Then add the rice flour and Maida and add water little by little. Keep mixing ensuring that no lumps are formed and bring it to the consistency of buttermilk. Now add the salt, cumin seeds, chili and ginger. If you like add the onions too. The batter is ready.

 

Heat the tava on medium heat. You can check if it is hot enough by sprinkling a few drops of water and it should sizzle and evaporate. Once hot, pour the batter from just above the tava without trying to spread the batter with the spoon. That will give the lacy look to the dose which is it's prime characteristic! Spread a teaspoon of oil all around the dosa. Once it begins to turn golden brown flip it and cook for about 30more seconds.

Serve hot, can be eaten as is, my son loves it! Or serve with coconut chutney and bisi bisi kaapi :)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is a recipe I have been planning to try for almost two years. Somehow I never got around to doing it until a couple of weeks back. It was my father in law's birthday and he loves cakes, infact both my in laws are foodies, so I thought it's the perfect time to try it. Turned out to be so moist, fragrant and pleasingly sweet. Real comfort food! Give it a try if you love pineapples, warm cakes or just want to give yourself a cuddle.

For this you will need -

Butter - 50gms + 120 gms
Brown Sugar - 160 gms
Canned Pineapple or Fresh - 7 Slices ( I used canned)
Flour - 200 gms
White Sugar - 200 gms
Eggs - 2 large, separated
Milk - 120 ml
Baking Powder - 2 Tspn
Vanilla Extract - 1 Tspn
Salt - a pinch

Method -

Prepare a 9inch round cake pan by smearing butter and sprinkling a little flour.

Take the 50gm butter and brown sugar in a think bottom pan and allow to melt and dissolve. Now let it cook without stirring till bubbles just begin to appear along the edges. Turn off the heat and pour into the cake dish. Arrange the pineapple slices as shown. If using canned make sure to drain all the liquid.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degF.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt (if using unsalted butter). In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the sides once in a while. Now add the vanilla extract, egg yolks and beat well. Add the flour mixture and milk alternatingly and fold into the batter.
In a third bowl, beat the egg whites till soft peaks formed and fold it into the batter. Pour this over the pineapple and bake for 45 - 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let it cool for 5 - 10 minutes and run a knife along the edge of the pan. Turn upside down and voila the cake is ready!

 

Palak Paratha with Cauliflower-Potato Sabji and Lima Bean Gravy

This is one of my favorites! The green in the paratha is so inviting and the spicy curries on the side served with a cup full of yoghurt and I'm in my sacred place.

For the Palak Paratha, you will need -

2 Cups - Whole wheat flour (Atta)
2-3 Handful - Spinach, washed and cleaned
Water as required
1 tspn - Salt
A pinch of sugar
1 tspn - Red Chili Powder (optional)
1 tspn - Turmeric Powder (optional)
1 tspn - Cumin - Coriander Powder (optional)
Ghee

Method -

Cook the spinach with as little water as possible. Add a pinch of sugar so it retains it color. After a couple of minutes turn the heat off and blanch the spinach. Drain the excess water but keep the water, don't throw it away. Grind the spinach to a fine paste.
In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, turmeric powder, cumin - coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. To this add the ground spinach and make it into a dough as shown. While making the dough, if required use the spinach water little by little, so as to not end up with excess water in your flour!

Make small balls and roll them out.

Heat a tava or a flat pan. Once hot put the paratha and cook evenly on both sides. Smear ghee on the cooked paratha for added flavor.

Cauliflower - Potato Sabji -

For this you will need -

1 Cauliflower cut into big florets
1 Medium Sized Potato cut into big chunks
1 Tomato quartered
2 tbspn Oil
A tspn cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
Salt
1 tspn turmeric powder

To grind -

A tspn cumin seeds
2 tspns coriander seeds
2 inches ginger root
2 garlic cloves
1/2 of a medium sized onion
1/2 inch cinnamon or 1 tspn cinnamon powder
3 cloves
1 pod cardamom
 
Method -

Keep the ground paste ready before starting.
Heat oil in a deep dish. Add the cumin seeds and once they splutter, add the bay leaf and the cauliflower florets. Fry till the florets turn slightly brown. Then add the ground paste and mix well. After a couple of minutes add the tomato, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for a few minutes.

Now add a glass of hot water, cover and simmer for a few minutes. That is till everything is cooked and the flavors have blended well.

 

 

Great Lima Bean Gravy

 

For this you will need -

 

About 100gms lima beans soaked overnight

 

 



1/2 an Onion
3-4 Dried red chilies
2 tspn ginger - garlic paste
2 cloves
1 tspn cinnamon powder
1 cardamom
2 tspn coriander seeds
1 tspn turmeric powder
Salt
1 tbspn Tomato Ketchup

Method -

Pressure cook the soaked lima beans till well cooked. In the meantime, lightly fry the rest of the ingredients that is onion, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and coriander seeds. Once cool, grind to a fine paste with ginger garlic paste. Fry this mixture in a couple of teaspoons of oil nicely, like really well. Add this, salt, turmeric powder to the cooked beans. Add the ketchup and give another whistle in the pressure cooker so the flavors are well blended. Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

Chilli Cheese Toast with Oven Roasted Veggies

Wow, it's been a month since my last post! Last month was busy and I haven't been cooking anything new. This is a staple in my house, really easy to make and there is something for everyone.

For the chilli cheese toast -

Whole wheat bread
Mozzarella cheese
Green Chillies ( Jalapeño, Serrano or any thing not too spicy) - fine chopped

Method -

Spread the chili and cheese on the bread and bake it in a pre heated oven at 350 deg F till the cheese melts. Serve hot.

For the Oven Roasted Veggies -

Veggies of your choice like cauliflower, broccoli, onions, butternut squash, cabbage, asparagus, peppers, egg plant, beans, carrots

Salt, pepper and a few herbs of your choice
A few pods of garlic, crushed
A tablespoon of olive oil
A teaspoon of brown sugar

Method -
Grease the baking dish with oil. Cut the veggies into big chunks. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic, brown sugar and herbs. Toss it all and bake in a pre heated oven at 350 deg F. Once the veggies char a little bit, they are done.