Cabbage Kofta Curry

Cabbage gets used only in the from of thoran/ curry or a simple kootu. I've never heard or tasted cabbage koftas before. Seeing this recipe in a couple of blogs,i was so tempted to make it as cabbage is always in the refrigerator. koftas are fried dumplings or veggie balls which are then added to a gravy. Besan adds as a binder to hold the koftas. One sure can replace besan with cornflour or all purpose flour. I am so glad that I made these koftas as they were soft, satisfying and were elegant to present on the table too. Honestly, very simple to make, but will look like you worked so hard.

Get Ready ( serves 2-3)

For the Koftas ( made 11 koftas)

• 1 cup shredded cabbage ( i used my good ol' hands to chop)
• 2 tbsp carrot grated
• 1/2 cup besan/chick pea flour
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• salt to taste
• Oil to deep fry

For the gravy

• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp besan
• 1tbsp yogurt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder, red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
•  salt to taste
•  1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch asafetida
• Cilantro to garnish

Go:

• If you have a food processor, finely shred the cabbage. Add the little grated carrots, a pinch of salt and set aside for 15-20 mins. Squeeze all the water out of the salted cabbage and set aside.
•  Add the 1/2 cup besan, grated ginger, little salt and from into a dough which can be rolled into a ball with hand. There is no need to add any water as the cabbage will have some.
• Make smooth balls , the size of a small lemon or lindt chocolate and deep fry them till golden brown.
• Set aside. your koftas are ready.

Gravy:

• Puree tomatoes. ginger and green chilli and set aside.
• In a pan, add oil and splutter the jeera and asafetida.
• Add the besan and fry for few mins (1 -2)
• add the toamto puree and let it cook covered for 5 mins.
• Add the turmeric, coriander, redchilli powder and cook for few mins till the raw smell disappears.
• Add the beaten yogurt and whisk well. ( this prevents lump formation)
• Cover and cook for 1-2 mins.
• Add salt and chilli powder according to taste.
• Add 1/3 cup water and let it come to a boil.
• Simmer for few mins till the gravy thickens.
• Add the fried koftas, cilantro to garnish.

Serve hot with rice, chapathis or poori's. This recipe is a keeper and am looking forward to make it for a party.

I am on my way to India for a few weeks and will be MIA! Loves and hugs to all my fellow blogger's and will miss all your posts.
Enjoy your summer!

Mysore Rasam

Rasam is a staple thing in my household. So it makes sense to have a variety of rasam so one doesn't get bored of the usual tomato rasam. Rasam is usually eater by mixing with rice and having a vegetable side or just as an appetizer.

Chek out my Gottu and lemaon rasams here.
Mysore rasam aka arachu vitta rasam in my house. Basically the spice mixture is ground and added to the rasam rather adding a rasam powder. The black pepper and coriander seeds along with coconut gives a nice spicy flavor for this rasam.


Get Ready:

To roast and grind:

• 1/2 tsp black pepper corns
• 1/2 tsp jeera/ cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp dhaniya/ coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp toor dal ( dry)
• 1 small red chilli
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp coconut grated
• 1/2 tsp oil

For the rasam:

• 1/2 cup cooked and mashed toor dal
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
• 1/2 tsp asafetida
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp jaggery
• 1 tomato chopped

For the tadka:

• 1 tsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• cilantro to garnish

Go:

• Heat a pan, add 1/2 tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients to be ground till golden and aromatic. set aside.Let it cool and grind it to a fine paste with little water.
• In a pan add the tamarind paste, water, asafetida and cook for 10 mins or till the raw smell of tamarind goes away.
• Add salt, chopped tomatoes, ground paste and cook for another 5 mins.
• Add the toor dal and water. If rasam is too thick add little more water.
• Add a pinch of jaggery and let it come to a boil. It will froth when it boils well. Turn the heat off and add the cialntro.
• In another kadai do the tadka with ghee and mustard seeds and pour it on the rasam.

Enjoy with rice , drop of ghee and any vegetable curry.

sending it to  book marked recipes hosted by Priya and Us masala.

Rajma Curry / Red kidney Beans Curry

The most simple things in life are the ones that give us immense comfort. A classic example of that is the rajma curry. Rajma curry needs no intro as it is popular, comfort food in the northern part of India. It is surprising that I have never seen it on any Indian restraunt menus here in the US!
One can use the dry red kidney beans, soak them overnight and pressure cookit or take a short cut like I did and used canned ones.
Fridays can be crazy at my clinic and i wanted to come for an easy yet comforting dinner. I prepared it the night befor and refrigerated rajma curry. The kidney beans get infused with all the spices and tasted Hm.. hm... Slurp!

Get Ready:

• 2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 cup Tomato puree  ( from 3 medium roma toms)
• 1 medium sized onion sliced
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
•  salt to taste
•  3/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• Cilantro to garnish

Go:

• In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil and saute the onions till they are browned. Grind them into a puree.
• In the same pan, add the remaining oil and crackle cumin seeds.
• Add the onion puree and saute till oil separates.
• Add ginger garlic paste and fry till fragrant.
• Add the cumin, coriander and red chilli powder and saute till the raw smell disappears, for few mins.
• Add the tomato puree and cook stirring in between till the oil separates from the sides. It splashes out a bit, so cover for few mins, open and stir.
• Add the rajma/ red kidney beans, 3/4 cup water, salt to taste. Let it come to a boil and simmer for 5-7 mins.
• Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with rice/ rotis or parathas!

Montreal Trip

School is out and it's vacation time, right! Our trip was to Montreal, Canada and we had a  wonderful time. We flew from Virginia, as it is too far to drive. But if you in the northeast, the best way is to fly to Burlington, Vermont and drive from there.

Montreal, previously called Ville Marie or the town of Mary was found in the 1600's by french colonists. They sent missionaries to basically teach bible to the native Americans there. Montreal, is an island in  St. Lawrence River. It is the second largest city in the eastern part of Canada, next to Toronto. It is very cosmopolitan and everybody speaks English, unlike Quebec city! You have the feeling of being in Europe with cobble stoned streets in Old Montreal.

Montreal hosted the winter Olympics in 1976 and they still have the Olympic park.
We visited the Botanical gardens a huge place with spectacular flowers and my favorite the Herb garden!

These were some of the cool plants found there.

This really tasted like a mint and chocolate!

They had something called the curry plant, which is very different to our curry leaf plant. The leaves in no way were fragrant as a curry, but they named it so the leaves nice smell!

Notre Dame basilica is magnificent. I learned that basilica is a status given to a church in appreciation of its architecture, beauty, and religious activities. It was a great visit.

Notre Dame Basilica

You get a wonderful panoramic view of Montreal city from a 45 degree inclined observation deck, or from Mont Royal's lookout center.

45 Degree inclined observation deck

Biosphere is the largest spherical structure in North America.

Biosphere

 They have some cool exhibits like dresses made out of various materials (i.e. garbage bags, bullets, computer paper, snakeskin, pill bottles, asphalt, etc.)

                                                       This dress was made of bullets!

Montreal people take their food seriously. They have an excellent French and American influence in their cuisine. We enjoyed French crepes thoroughly. Not to mention the Nutella and whipped cream! Mind you, the portion sizes are small.

There is a Science Center in Montreal where the kids can have hands-on fun and learn about a lot of things. There is also a great IMAX movie there.

A view of the city skyline is spectacular from the cruise on the St. Lawrence river.

So, if you are planning a vacation for a long weekend or summer break, Montreal is definitely worth it!!!

Breaking News! I'm Going on Vacation!

Hi Folks!
I am going on a brief family vacation to Montreal, Canada and will be back. I am sorry if I cannot get to your new posts while I am gone, but I will be thinking about you all the time!

Canada, here i come!

Mango Cardamom Bread

Move over banana and zucchini bread! Mango Bread is taking your space now!

I do not buy mangoes from the supermarket as most of them are not as sweet as the one we get back home. As far as I am concerned nothing can beat our indian mangoes! we have Alphonso and in the south the juicy banganapalli, rumani, neelam, imam pasand, naduchalai....How many varieties we have! Unfortunately we have a limited options here. But thanks to canned mangoes ,we can get the home flavor all through the year.

Anyway i had these plump mangoes sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
After searching on line, I modified Dorie Greenspan's mango bread and made this. The original recipe called for raisins, ginger powder etc..I did not have those with me and replaced it with cardamom powder ( my favorite) and used cashewnuts. I used 2 mangoes and one of them was a little tart. The addition of raisins could have made it tad sweeter I guess!
It tastes awesome and i am taking this for a my co workers leaving party at work.

Get Ready:

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 2 & 1/2 cup All purpose flour/ maida
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
•  1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup cashews broken
• 2 cups diced mangoes ( i used 2 mangoes)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Go:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan or any baking utensil you have and dust with flour.
• Whisk flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom powder, cinnamon.
• Beat eggs and oil till combined
• Add sugar and brown sugar and combine well.
• Add the flour, cashews,mango, vanilla, lemom zest and fold till everything is combined. do not over mix.
• The batter will look pretty thick, but do not worry.
• Transfer to the baking pan and bake for 45- 50 mins or till the centre comes clear when a tooth pick is inserted.

This is my first attempt to bake from Dorie's collection, and I am happy that I did it.

So my fellow mango lovers,what are you waiting for??

Enjoy! I am gonna try an eggless version and also use kesar mango pulp the next time i mkae it.

Baingan Bartha

Baingan Bartha, or spiced eggplant curry, is very popular in the north of India. You may find it in all the Indian restaurants, too. Eggplant or baingan is charred and the flesh of eggplant is used to make a spicy curry. This curry goes well with rotis, chappatis, or even rice. I didn't char the eggplant but instead microwaved it for a quicker result. Lots of garlic gives an immense flavor but I reduced the garlic to my taste.

Get ready!

• 1 big eggplant
• 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garammasala powder
• A pinch of asafetida/hing
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• Cilantro to garnish

Go!

• Wash and pat dry the eggplant with a paper towel
• Pierce multiple holes with a fork and nuke it for 12-15 in the microwave
• Once you can handle it, peel the skin of the eggplant and cut off the top head.
• Chop the flesh of the eggplant and set aside
• In a pan or kadai, add a tbsp of oil and crackle the jeera.
• Add the onion and fry till brown
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till aromatic.
• Add all the dry spice powders and fry for a few seconds.
• Add the chopped tomato, salt to taste, and saute for few minutes.
• Cover the pan and cook the tomatoes till mushy for a few seconds.
• Uncover the pan and fry the tomatoes till the oil separates.
• Add the chopped eggplant and mix well. If too thick, add little water till you reach a desired consistency.
• Check salt to taste and cook for 5-7 mins. till everything is blended well.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

It tastes good with rice n yogurt!