Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Sambar

12/10 Sambar
by Sree Devi

Ingredients
Toor Dal – ½ cup
Vegetables – 2 cup
Onion -1
Tomato – 2 or 3
Tamarind – 1tsp
Sāmbhar powder – 2 or 3 tbsp.
Salt – 1 ½ tsp.

Seasoning
Mustard – ½ tsp.
Urad dal – ½ tsp.
Cumin – ½ tsp.
Red chillies – 5
Curry leaves
Hing – ¼ tsp.
Methi seeds – 5 count
Garlic – 2/3 pods

HOW TO:
1. Soak the tamarind; squeeze the tamarind juice; add Sāmbhar powder and keep aside
2. Boil the Toor dal with turmeric, preferable pressure cooker, mash it and keep aside
3. Season with all the ingredients and crushed garlic, then add chopped onions and fry them for
couple of minutes
4. Add chopped tomatoes
5. Add vegetables, and cook till they are 3/4 done
6. Add the dal and once it starts to boil, add the tamarind juice
7. Add salt and chilli powder(optional) as per the taste
8. Optional seasoning(mustard, urad dal, cumin, red chillies, curry leaves, onions) can be added to
the Sāmbhar at the end

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

11/26 Roopa Rao

GOBI MANCHURIAN


Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Corn starch - 1/3 cup + 2 tsp (for gravy)

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil - for frying

Gobi / cauliflower floret - 2 cups

Onion - 1 medium (chopped)

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Tomato Ketchup - 2/3 cup

Soy sauce - 3 tsp

Vinegar - 2 tsp

Chilli sauce - 2 tsp

Cilantro / green onions - for garnishing

Water

Method :

  • In a mixing bowl add in the flour, corn starch salt and mix well. Add water little by little. The batter should not be too watery.
  • Next add in the cauliflower florets to the batter and mix well so the gobi is coated with batter from every side.
  • Heat oil and deep fry the gobi until it is brown. Take out and bloat excess oil on a kitchen paper towel
  • Meanwhile, in a separate pan heat 2 tsp of oil add in the chopped onions and garlic. Fry until the onions are translucent.
  • Add in the tomato ketchup, soy sauce and vinegar.
  • Keep stirring. In a small bowl mix 2 tsp corn starch and little water and add this to the gravy. Mix well so there is no lumps.
  • Lastly, add in the fried gobi and toss it well so the gravy is completely coated to gobi.
  • Garnish with cilantro or green onions.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Rice Flour Dosa with Chutney

11/6 from Merlyn

Ingredients for dosa:
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour

Ingredient A (for grinding)
1/2 small sliced onion
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp coriander seed
2-3 tbsp freshly grated coconut
1 inch ginger
2-3 green chilli

Ingredient B
1 small finely chopped onion
3-4 finely chopped curry leaves (optional)
handful of finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt

Method
In a frying pan lightly roast Ingredient A except ginger in 1-2 tbsp oil. Then gring along with ginger. Mix this in rice flour and Ingrediant B. Add water to make a thick batter.

Ingredients for chutney:
Ingredients for grinding:
1 cup coconut
4 green chilli
1 inch ginger
handful cilantro
salt

For tempering
2-3 tbsp of oil
a few mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves

Method
Grind the ingredients for grinding for chutney and keep aside. Heat oil in a container. Add mustard seeds, let it crackel and then add curry leaves. Then add the ingredients for grinding, let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

10/29 Sunita Mankunath

Gobi Manchurian (Cauliflower Manchurian)

Indo Chinese recipe


Ingredients:

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into florets, placed in salted hot water for 10-12 minutes, drained

For Batter:

2 tbsps all-purpose flour

2 tbsps cornflour

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

Pinch of turmeric

salt to taste


Oil to deep fry.

For sauce:

1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped,

1 1/2 tbsps finely minced garlic

1/2 tbsp finely sliced ginger

2 finely chopped green chilis

1 tsp red chili powder

2 tsps soya sauce

2 tsps vinegar

salt as required

1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

1 tbsp oil


Method:

Heat oil for deep frying.

In a bowl, combine all purpose flour, cornflour, salt, ginger-garlic paste and water to make a thick paste. Dip the washed and drained florets into the batter so its well coated. Place each dipped floret into the hot oil. Deep fry till the cauliflower florets are golden brown. Remove and keep aside on paper towels.


Heat 1 tblsp of oil in a large wok, add the chopped garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the green chilies and ginger and stir fry on high for a few seconds.

Add the spring onions and sliced garlic, stir fry on high for 3-4 minutes constantly tossing so it doesn’t burn.

Reduce to medium heat and add soya sauce. Combine well and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the deep fried cauliflower and combine. Toss on high for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.

Garnish with cilantro.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Upma

10/15, Vidya

UPMA (cream of wheat (rava / semolina) & veges)

1. Chop 1 medium onion, 1 med potato, 1 small capsicum & 1 small carrot OR
use chopped onions and 1 heaped cup of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots,
corn, beans & peas)

2. Seasonings -1 or 2 green chillies, ginger 1 tsp, set aside some fresh curry
leaves (optional)

3. Using 1-2 tbs cooking oil (or gingoli oil) put 1 tsp mustard seeds, let it crackle then add
1 tsp white lentils, 1/2 tsp channa dal (do not let it brown excessively),
fresh green chilies, ginger, curry leaves [No-tomatoes as it makes upma too
soggy]. Let the veggies cook about 10 mins on med heat & set aside.

4. Roast coarse rava ( 1 ½ cups with a ladel of oil ) thoroughly in a heavy
bottomed sturdy pot and see the change in color from an off white to a
light golden color (please don’t burn it)

5. Separately boil water (approx 3 cups)

Using a sturdy heavy bottomed pot put the sautéed rava (can use oatmeal instead, but use less water),

Next add the veges (fresh or frozen but cooked & seasoned) to this

Stir it well, remove from heat and slowly add boiling water and salt to taste

Let it all cook for about 10 mins on low to medium heat.

Optional to garnish it with some chopped coriander

Serve it with some sugar, pickles, ketch-up, coconut chutney …..

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Spaghetti vangibath and Rajma

10/8, from Roopa Rao

Spaghetti vangibath
Whole grain sphaghetti-1/2 pack
Vangibath powder-2/4 tsp
oil-1 tsp
capsicum (green bell pepper)-1 (cut into 1/2 inch piece)
frozen peas-1/2 cup
mustard or cumin seeds-for seasoning
curry leaves-5-6 dry
shredded coconut-2-3 tsp
salt-to taste

Method:
In a sauce pan boil 2-3 cups of water, aff salt to it and add spaghetti. Cook until it is fully cooked. (Break spaghetti into 2-3 inch long before putting it in the boiling water). Drain the water and let the spaghetti cool down dor a few minutes. In another pan, heat the oil. Add mustard or cumin seeds. Once it spatters add curry leaves. Then add bell pepper and peas. Cook until it is tender and soft.

Rajma (kidney bean curry)
Ingrediants:
rajma/kidney beans
tomato sauce: 1-14 oz can
one small onion
ginger garlic paste-1/2 tsp
garam masala- 1 1/2 tsp
salt-to taste
cilantro/dry dill (optional)

Method:
*Empty the can of rajma, rinse under cold running water and just smash it a little using your hands.
*In a pan heat oil and add chopped onion.
*Add a little salt so onion cooks fast, then add ginger garlic paste.
*After onion are translucent add tomato sauce and reduce the flame to low.
*once the tomato sauce starts boiling add garam masala and rajma and mis well.
*garnish with cilantro, dry dill.
*rajma is ready to serve with chapati/roti or rice



Bhindi Masala

10/1, taught by Sherry Smith




BHINDI MASALA
Serves four

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Course salt
2 whole tomatoes, chopped
1 lb okra sliced into rounds
1 teaspoon chopped dried red chilies, or more to
taste
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped if you like spicier use a poblano or other spicy green chili
½ to 1 tsp amchur powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala

RECIPE
1. Grind ginger and garlic into a paste using a small food processor.

2. Heat oil in large skillet, over medium heat, add onions, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and salt; cook, stirring 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, chili powder, okra, and green peppers. If mixture appears dry, add 1/4 cup water. Add garam masala, and cooked covered, 15 to 20 minutes.

Garam Masala
Makes 7 1/2 teaspoons

1 teaspoon cardamom pods
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 whole nutmeg

RECIPE
Toast all spices for garam masala in
small sauté pan, over medium heat,
about 5 minutes until fragrant. Allow to
cool in the pan. Transfer contents to a
spice grinder and grind to a fine powder