Vegetable Korma

Hey friends, this is the continuation of the previous post on Malabar Parotta. This is the Korma recipe, again from my younger daughter. Here she goes,

I love to learn new recipes as and when time permits. During my recent visit to India, my Mum-in-law, her mom (Hubby's grandma) and I were chatting about food over lunch. My mum-in-law had made this amazing vegetable korma which cleanly bowled me out. I immediately took out my iPhone and started typing  the recipe in my notes. I made this a couple of times and realized that it comes out best with fresh coconut and adjusting the spice quantity a little. And of course korma tastes the best with a nice flaky parotta and some filter coffee. Hope you enjoy this recipe. Thanks to my m-law for this recipe, although tuned to my taste.

Ingredients:

Fresh coconut- 1 cup

Finely cut vegetables: carrots, potato, beans & green peas

Onion: 1 nos

Bay leaf: 1nos

Clove: 2-3 nos

Cumin Seeds: 1tsp

Khuskhus - 3/4 tsp

Ginger: 1 small piece (finely chopped)

Garlic: 1-2 nos (finely chopped)

Green Chillies 1-2 nos

Oil

Salt to taste

Method:
Step 1: Separating the coconut milk involves three main stages. Add some water and fine grind 1 cup of grated coconut and the khuskhus. Strain the coconut milk, lets call it Coconut Milk 1(this will be our thick coconut milk). Add some more water to the coconut and grind it again, strain it and store it in a separate mug, this will be our Coconut Milk 2 (kind of like 2% fat milk). Add some more water to the coconut and grind it again, this will be our Coconut Milk 3 (will resemble fat free milk)

Step 2: Add some salt and boil the vegetables till it is just cooked but still has a slight crunch

Step 3: In a pan add 1tbsp of oil, add cumin seeds,bay leaf and cloves. After cooking them for a few minutes, add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute till the raw smell is gone

Step 4: Add the boil vegetables and Coconut Milk 3 (fat free milk) and bring it to a nice boil.

Step 5: Add the Coconut Milk 2 and turn down the heat to medium flame and bring it to a boil.

Step 6: Turn the heat to low flame and add the Coconut Milk 1, make sure  not to turn the heat to high as it may curdle.

Step 7: Add some more salt if needed.

Vegetable Korma is ready to be served!!!

Chayote/Chowchow/Bangalore Kathrikka kootu

Our daily meal consists of a veggie and  dal with rotis or rice. This is a 'must' thing everyday and there are a few additions, for sure in every meal apart from the standard dal and sabji. Sometimes I prepare plain dal thadka but most of the time, it would be some vegetable with dal. I would add Ash gourd, Snake gourd, Pumpkin etc to the dal and prepare kootu. Yesterday I was able to find some fresh Chayote in the market and the sabji I prepared turned out to be too tasty. A simple yet tasty recipe would definitely be liked by all.

Ingredients:

Chayote -2 chopped into cubes
Toor Dal - 3/4 cup cooked
Chenna Dal - 1/4 cup cooked
Sambar powder - 3/4 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 1 big chopped finely
Jeera - 3/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Oil
Salt

Cook the Toor dal and chenna dal. Chop the chayote into small cubes and boil it with Sambar powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Once done,add the mashed cooked dal and mix well. In a small kadai, poour a tablespoon of oil, add mustard seeds and jeera. When it splutters, add curry leaves and finally chopped tomatoes. When the oil leaves the kadai, pour this  to the vegetable and mix well. Yummy chowchow kootu is ready. It goes very well with rotis and rice too.

Ending with a humorouse Robert Frost quote:
There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't, and that a wife who can't cook and will.

Authentic Bindi Masala

There are times when you are bored with the same method of preparation of a particular sabji especially Bindi where I have only a couple of methods.  I thought of mixing and matching masalas and voila, the end product was awesome and then on, this preparation is always a hit. Aptly termed 'Bindi masala', I am sure you would enjoy this.

Ingredients:

Tender bindi - 1/2 kg
Onions (medium) - 1
Tomato (medium) - 1
Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves- a sprig
Oil

Chop the head and the tail of bindi after washing and drying well. I chose similar size ones and was easy to cook and a visual treat too once it was done.

Take two tablespoons of oil in kadai, add urad dal, mustard seeds and when it splutters, add curry leaves and hing.  Add chopped onions and keep stirring till it turns translucent. Now, add the chopped tomatoes.  Keep stirring in medium fire till it becomes slightly cooked.

Add the bindi and then add sambar powder,coriander powder, turmeric powder,chilly powder and salt in that order.  Stir slowly and cover just for a few mintues. After two to three minutes, remove the lid.  Keep stirring till it is done.

This goes well with rice and a perfect combination with garam garam rotis.

Healthy Green gram sabzi with Ash Gourd (Pushinika/Winter Melon)

Green gram is a healthy diet be it sprout or simple dal or prepared as sabzi.  This is a quick-make sabzi as there is no need of hours of soaking.  It has a simple yet rich taste of its own which enhances the dish you make.  This recipe is prepared at home at least once a month as it is stored for a rainy day when either I am exhausted of vegetables or there is time constraint :):) 

Ingredients:
Green gram (whole  Moong) - 1 cup
Ash gourd  (Pusinika)- 1 cup (cut into small cubes)
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped

Pressure cook the green gram with salt and keep it aside.  Cut the ash gourd into small cubes and cook  with salt and  1/4 tsp turmeric powder in minimum water.  Take oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.  When it splutters, add curry leaves, turmeric powder and chilly powder in low flame. Within seconds of adding these, add onions and stir for few minutes till it becomes soft.  Now add the chopped tomatoes and keep stirring till oil leaves the pan. Slightly mash the cooked green gram and add it alongwith the  cooked ash gourd. Do not add water. Let it boil for at least 5 minutes. Check for salt. Add finely chopped coriander leaves.

Yummy, healthy green gram sabji is ready to be had with either rice or rotis.

'You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients. Julia Child'  -  US cook & cookbook author (1912 - 2004)