Watercress Soup

 

What a respite after the excesses of the weekend. Clean and simple!

Ingredients:
3 bunches of watercress, chopped rough
2 small potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup peas
1 shallot, diced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
4 cups of stock aka broth (vegetable or chicken)
Juice of half a lemon

Method:
In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat and sweat the diced shallots. When soft add the potatoes. Don't brown. Add peas, watercress, salt and pepper. Sauté for a minute. Add the stock and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer and cook for about 10min. Potatoes should have turned soft. Turn off. Add lemon juice. 

Once cool enough to handle, blend for 3-4 minutes in a high-speed blender. Or longer with an immersion blender. You can choose to pass through a chinois/strainer for a smooth and silky consistency. 

Serve in a bowl with chili oil. Add a crispy topping of your choice- crispy onion or bacon or cubed toast. Enjoy! 

Pineapple Pulissery

Ingredients:
1/2 pineapple, cleaned and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
2 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
2-3 cups yogurt

For Grinding:
1 cup grated coconut
3-4 green chilies
2 pods of garlic (optional)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

For Seasoning:

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 spring curry leaves 

2 whole red chilli, broken in half
1/4 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

Method:
Cook the pineapple pieces with turmeric powder, red chili powder, 1 sprig of curry leaves, salt and water in a saucepan until soft and tender.

Whip the yogurt, water and salt into a smooth mix and keep aside.

Grind coconut, green chillies, garlic and cumin to a fine paste and add it to the cooked pineapple. Add the yogurt mix and simmer on a low heat. Stir often, making sure that the yogurt does not curdle. Cook until the raw taste is gone.

Heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the remaining seasoning ingredients, sauté once and  pour this seasoned oil over the pineapple-yogurt pulissery.

Serve with hot rice along with your favorite Onam delicacies.

Pumpkin Red Bean Erissery

We made some beautiful memories this weekend at Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom. Topmost among them was the mouth watering, traditional Kerala food served in their Ettukettu resturant. Their Kappa Perlan, Neimeen Mulagaittathu, Pineapple Pulissery, Pavakka Ulli Theeyal, Payaar Kumbu Thoran, Gothambu Payasam, etc. had us all in a food coma :)

The chefs were generous in sharing their tips and secrets with us. In a cooking demo, Chef Naveen MC (cheflagoon@cghearth.com) cooked Matanga (Pumpkin) Payaar (Red Bean) Erissery for us. The flavor booster lay in roasting the shredded coconut with spices to a dark brown color, for the final tempering. It elevated the humble pumpkin to a whole new level of distinctive taste.

Lest I forget, I made this Errisery for lunch today and savoured it with steamed white rice, lime pickle and pappadums.

Ingredients:

Yellow pumpkin (Matanga), 1/2 kg (1 lb)
Grated ginger, 1 tbsp
Black pepper powder, 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder, 1/2 tsp
Water, 1 cup plus 1/2 cup
Dry Red beans (Van Payaar), 1/2 cup
Grated coconut, 1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup, total 1 cup
Green chillies, 2 to 3, as per spicy level
Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
Curry leaves, 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
Whole red chilli, 2 to 3, as per spicy level
Sliced shallots, 1/2 cup
Coconut oil, 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the dry red beans and cook in the pressure cooker with 1 cup of water, for 2 whistles. When cooked, drain excess water and keep aside.

Remove the pumpkin peel and cut into cubes. Mix these cubes with salt, pepper, turmeric and red chilli powders, in a cooking pot. Add 1/2 cup water and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Boil on medium fire until pumpkin cubes are half cooked.

Grind 1/2 cup grated coconut with green chillies and cumin into a fine paste. Add this coconut mixture and the red beans to the half cooked pumpkin. Cook on a low fire until the pumpkin is completely cooked.

Prepare the tempering by heating the coconut oil in a shallow fry pan. Add the musturd seeds. Once they splutter, add whole red chilli, sliced shallots, a sprig of curry leaves and the remaining grated coconut. On a medium fire, saute this mix, until the shallots are roasted and the coconut turns dark brown. Add this tempering to the simmering pumpkin-bean errissery and mix well.

Adjust salt to taste. Serve with steamed rice.

Potato Ularthu

We've just came back from a long trip. The fridge is empty, no fruits and veggies. I do have potatoes and shallots (small red onions) in the pantry. Perfect! I will make potato ulathu. It will go well with steamed rice, paruppu curry (dal) and pappadams.

Ingredients :

Potato - 3 large sized ones
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp.
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp.
Whole red chilly - 2
Shallots - 6
Garlic - 4 cloves
Curry leaves - a handful
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp.

Method :

Peel and cut the potatoes into 1" long pieces. Marinate them in the turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, salt and pepper and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Chop the shallots and the garlic finely. Tear the whole red chilly and the curry leaves coarsely into the shallots and garlic mix. Crush this mix with your fingers to let the flavors mingle.

Heat a wok and when its hot, add the coconut oil and let it get hot. Add the crushed masala and stir until the shallots are translucent. Now add the potato (without the masala water which has oozed out from the potato) into the oil and stir fry in the hot oil for about 5 minutes.

Now add the masala water from the marinade, cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat. When potatoes are soft and cooked, sprinkle the fennel powder, and give it another stir. Remove from fire.

Serve with dal and steamed rice.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Every Thanksgiving, I cook Brussels Sprouts. My kids love them. I, on the other hand, am a bit picky about the texture. So, I try a different recipe every time or tweak my experience from the previous year, hoping to get them perfectly caramelized on the outside and crunchy on the inside. I hate those mushy ones.

This year is the first time, it has worked to my satisfaction, so I quickly jotted down the recipe. The texture was perfectly balanced and the sprouts were loaded with flavor. I didn't have any leftovers either!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Brussels Sprouts
2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
3 tbsp. Truffle Oil ( I got mine from Trader Joe's)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg. Set a large pot of water to boil. Wash and trim the sprouts. Cut them in half.

Put a tablespoon of salt in the boiling water and blanch the halved sprouts, for about 2 min. Drain the hot water and run some cold water through the sprouts and drain again. This will halt the cooking process inside the sprouts.

Whisk the oil and balsamic vinegar together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk again. Toss the blanched sprouts into this dressing.

Coat a baking tray with a thin layer of oil and arrange the sprouts evenly on it. Make sure the cut side is facing up. Spoon in the remaining dressing into the cut tops of the sprouts.

Bake for 15 minutes in the top 1/3 of the oven. Change the oven setting to Hi-Broil and broil for 5-8 minutes. Its important to keep a watch on the sprouts now to prevent it from getting burnt.

When desired caramelization is achieved, remove from oven and toss the sprouts in the tray to absorb the bubbling dressing at the bottom of the pan.

Roasted pancetta bits on top were a big hit with the kids last year. I like mine with a splash of lime juice and red chili flakes on top. Serve hot.

Blackberry Crumble Bar

Wild blackberries are ripening everywhere. It almost become a family tradition to go blackberry picking on a weekend in mid-to-late August. Prickly branches are disregarded for the luscious berries, a little scratch here and there is ignored. The sour-sweet berries are eaten as they are picked. Unanimous vote on what the leftover berries are turned into... can't hardly wait to dig in!

Ingredients:
24-36 oz. blackberries, freshly picked or store bought

2 tsp. cornstarch
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. water

For crumble:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup clarified butter (or ghee)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg. Grease a flat bottomed glass baking dish with a bit of softened butter or ghee.

Add the crumble ingredients in sequence into a large mixing bowl and mix well with a spatula.

Wash and clean the berries, drain the water and turn into a bowl. Whisk cornstarch, lemon juice, sugar and water in small bowl and pour over the blackberries.

Take half the crumble mixture and press evenly into the baking dish. Spread all blackberries evenly on top of this crumble layer. Cover the blackberries with the remaining mixture and press lightly.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 40-45 minutes. Serve warm.

Its a great breakfast if you are always on the go, but like the quintessential gulab jamun, this bar pairs up well with vanilla ice-cream for dessert.
 

Aval Vilayichathu

A traditional snack for teatime in Kerala, it is best eaten with a ripe banana. Jaggery is an energy booster with innumerable health benefits. It is rich in minerals, esp. iron. Both my kids have loved eating this snack after a long day at school. I tell them now to make it for my grandchildren :)

Ingredients:

Matta Rice flakes (Brown Aval) - 4 cups (250 gms)
Jaggery - 1 lb (around 450 gms)
Water - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 2 to 3 cups (as preferred), I used around 250 gms
Black Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp.
Roasted Bengal gram (Pottu Kadala) - 4 tbsp.
or Yellow Moog dal (split) - 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp.
Dry ginger powder- 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp.
Ghee - 3 tbsp.

Method:

In a hot pan, melt 1 tbsp. ghee. Roast the sesame seeds and the pottu kadala (or yellow moong) separately and set aside. Warm Aval in a hot pan to remove the raw taste and keep aside. Crush lightly to crumble the flakes.

In an urali (or kadhai or thick bottomed wok), melt the jaggery in water over medium heat. When all the jaggery is melted, remove from fire and let it cool a bit. Then pour through a metal sieve to remove impurities.

Pour the jaggery syrup back into the urali and add grated coconut. Let it boil for 5-8 minutes. Remove from fire before it becomes sticky i.e. before it starts to become one thread consistency.

Add the rice flakes and the roasted sesame, pottu kadala / yellow moong. Sprinkle cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, cumin powder and the remaining ghee. Mix well and let it cool to room temperature before serving.
 

Inji (Ginger) Curry

Besides the main delicacies of an Onam sadya, there are the small side dishes that make the meal complete and memorable. For me, Inji Curry is one of them. The sharp taste of ginger is mellowed down by the sourness of the tamarind and the sweetness of the jaggery. The taste improves as it ages. So, on other days, I eat it like a chutney with parathas, plain dal-rice and even dosas.

Ingredients:
 6 whole red chillies
1/2 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
250 gms ginger
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp tamarind paste
2 cubes jaggery
2 tsp vegetable oil

Method:
Roast whole red chillies, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds one by one on a hot tawa. Let it cool and poweder them together.

Clean and grate the ginger finely. Fry the grated ginger in a 1 1/2 tbsp oil to remove the raw taste. Once cool, grind it into a paste.

Heat the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the powdered masala. Add the ground ginger, tamarind paste, jaggery and salt to taste. Cook until all the jaggery melts and all the ingredients blend well into a thick consistency.

Once cool, store in a air-tight container. It keeps well in the refrigerator for one month.

NOTE: Amma read this post and told me that the consistency should be like a thick curry. Since I used tamarind paste instead of tamarind water, the above recipe turns out to be like a chutney. So, to get a curry like consistency, mix the tamarind paste with 1 cup water and follow the rest of the recipe.

Chowmein - My Way!

Chinese food in India has come a long way and created a entire genre of cuisine - Desi Chinese. From street vendors in India to high-end restaurants, we all have a version of the 'oh so delectable' Chowmein. Here is mine :)

Ingredients:
1 packet noodles of choice
1" piece ginger
2-3 green chillies
2 pods of garlic
1 carrot
1 green bell pepper
1/4 head cabbage
2 chicken breasts (or tofu)
1 tsp cornflour
3-4 stalks of green onions
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp hoisin sauce (optional)

Method:
Boil a large saucepan of water. When the water is boiling, put in some salt and a tsp of oil. Drop in the noodles, and cook as long as instructions on the packet. Drain in a colander or a large sieve in the sink. Pour some cool water over the sieve to stop the cooking else it may get overcooked. Mix the noodles with a tsp of oil so they don't stick together.

While the water for the noodles boils, cut the chicken (or tofu) into thin strips and marinate for 10 mintues in 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp cornflour. Peel and grate the ginger. Crush and chop the garlic. Slice carrots and cabbage into think strips. Remove the seeds and stalk of the bell pepper, then slice diagonally into strips. Cut the ends from the spring onions, and cut the green and white of the onion lengthways.

With everything prepped, you can now start cooking. Heat the wok – it’s hot enough when it starts to smoke. Add the oil and then the chicken/tofu. Use a wooden spoon to keep moving the chicken/tofu around the wok until it is cooked and slightly browned. Put in some salt and pepper and set aside. Now fry the carrots, cabbage and bell pepper separately and set aside. Make sure not to overcook the vegetables, they should have a crunch left on them.

Add some more oil to the wok and put in the green chillies and then ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute. Add the noodles, toss and then add the chicken/tofu and vegetables. Mix in some soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper. Let the flavors come together for a minute, then take it off the fire. Garnish with spring onions. If you like a litte smoky flavor add the hoisin sauce and toss again. Serve in bowls – an easy way is to use tongs.

Note: For a good chowmein, it is important to saute all the veggies separately.

Creamy Cauliflower

On my recent trip to visit family, Blossom, my sister-in-law, made this yummy cauliflower dish. It was delicious with chappatis and was relished by everyone. The cream added a satisfying richness to the dish. It was such a success that I thought I'd share this recipe on the foodblog.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 medium size
Onions - 2
Tomato - 1
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste -1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Kasmiri red chilli powder-1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Cream - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:
Clean and cut the cauliflower into florets. Steam the florets until half cooked. Fry them in oil until light brown and keep aside.

Mix all masala powders and the ginger-garlic pastes with little water. Saute chopped onion in hot oil till light brown. Add masala paste and fry on low heat till oil seperates Add finely chopped tomato and saute well.

Add fried florets and cream and mix well on low heat. Remove and garnish with finely cut coriander (cilantro) leaves and a little cream. Serve hot with rotis or plain parathas.

Warm Spinach & Orzo Pasta Salad

Pasta is huge favorite with a lot of my family and friends. This particular recipe has a great combination of lemon and black pepper which gives this light dish a fresh and robust flavor. Best part is you don't need to have any sauce like marinara or alfredo to go with it. Kids will especially love this dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb orzo pasta, cooked al dente and drained
1/2 lb julienne-shredded fresh spinach
1 large red bell pepper, cut into quarter inch pieces
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
3 tbsp capers
3 tbsp sliced black olives
1 tbsp minced garlic
Juice of one small lemon and 1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Fresh cracked black pepper as per taste
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and give it a few tosses. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Next goes the red pepper, cook for no more than a minute, should still have a bite. Toss in the spinach and switch off the fire. The heat from the the pan will cook the spinach until just wilted. Add the orzo and the olives, capers and pine nuts. Sprinkle black pepper to your taste. Toss and fluff.

Check for salt (remember the cheese will add salt as well). Sprinkle with cheese to coat. Serve with crusty bread. You can also add sauteed shrimp or julienned chicken breast to make it a complete meal.

Ulli (Shallots) Theeyal

Theeyal is an authentic nadan dish, which can be made with all kinds of different vegetables such as brinjal (eggplant), bitter gourd, string beans, drumstick, etc. My favourite one, though, is the one made with shallots or chomnaulli. I got this recipe from my chechy; she is the one who has taught me this excellent theeyal.

Ingredients:
Shallots (cut in halves) - 1 cup

Shallots (sliced finely) - 4
Grated coconut - 2 cups
Ginger(sliced finely) - 1" piece
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Whole red chillies - 6
Whole coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric -1/4 tsp
Tamarind extract (from 1 small lemon size tamarind ball)
Oil -2 tbsp (preferably coconut oil)
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste
For Seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole red chillies - 2
A sprig of curry leaves

Method:
Saute the halved shallots in a little oil. Keep aside. In a tbsp of  oil, fry the grated coconut, finely cut ginger, finely cut shallots and curry leaves on medium heat. When slightly brown, add whole red chillies, coriander seeds and turmeric. Saute on medium heat for some more time till it is medium brown in colour. Take off from fire and let it cool.

Grind the cooled onion-coconut-masala-mix coarsely. Now add a little water and grind well. Remove this masala mix into a saucepan. Add 2 cups water, the tamarind extract, salt and let it boil. When it starts to thicken, add the sauted shallots and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Season the curry with a tadka of mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves in the remaining tbsp of oil. Serve hot with rice and pappadams.

Note: To make Drumstick Theeyal, cut drumsticks into 2" long pieces and boil in water with salt and 2 chillies seperately. Add them to the curry along with sauted shallots.

Another variation - cook 1/2 cup fresh shrimp along with the drumsticks and then add along with the sauted shallots. Makes a lip-smacking shrimp theeyal.

Good Ole Aviyal

This one is for all my North Indian friends who have had this at our home and loved it. It is quite commonly made in most South Indian homes. Other than cutting a large number of vegetables, the cooking process itself is very easy. Although traditionally eaten with rice and paruppu (dal) kari, I have always loved it with chappatti or plain paratha too. Enjoy!

Ingredients :
Veggies - 1 opo squash (lauki), 1 small cucumber, 1 potato/yam, 1 medium sized Carrot, 200 gms white pumpkin, 1 medium sized raw banana, 6-8 string beans, 1 drumstick, 1 small brinjal, 1 small raw green mango (optional).
Curry leaves - 10 to 12 or 1 long sprig
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli - 1
Salt to taste
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Yoghurt - 1 1/2 cups
Coconut oil - 2 tbsps
For paste
Coconut (scraped) - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 1 pod
Green Chilli - 1

Method:
Cut veggies into 2" batons/cubes. Put cut raw banana in salted water for sometime. Grind the coconut with 1 green chilli, cumin seeds and garlic to a slightly fine paste. Whisk yogurt and keep aside. If using yam, boil yam separately in salted water. Drain and reserve.

Boil all veggies (except raw banana) with curry leaves, turmeric and the second green chilli in salted water. When veggies are half done add raw banana and raw mango. When vegetables are almost done, add boiled yam and the yoghurt mixture, stir thoroughly. Bring it to a simmer remove from heat. Do not cook too long with the coconut/yoghurt mixture. Lace with coconut oil and serve.

Note: If the yoghurt is quite sour, eliminate the raw mango. When using raw mango, the yoghurt can altogether be eliminated too.