Methi Masala / Fenugreek Leaves Gravy

AKA Menthukura Pulusu / Venthaya Keerai Kuzhambu.....

Regular calls to Amma(mom) back home, are not complete without an exchange of a recipe or what was the menu that day, how my Father liked it, or how my visiting brothers enjoyed her dishes. So much so that the making of this dish is totally inspired by her. Nearly every time she cooked it and my call came in, she would say how good it turned out and that I should give it a try.

Well, this is a common gravy/pulusu in Andhra, but somehow I always throw methi into dal to makes things easier rather than cooking it separately. But honestly this is one gravy you would really want to try if you havent' yet especially if  hail from Desh and love the combination of sour and sweet. The flavour is enhanced by adding fenugreek seeds and to the tangy tamarind gravy a hint of sweet is added to balance the taste that your taste buds will remember. Too bad that I end up eating extra rice when this is on my menu :(


Ingredients :
1 Bunch Fenugreek leaves /Methi
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
3-4 Garlic cloves, cut thin.
1 medium onion
2-3 Green & Red chillies each
8-10 curry leaves
1 smal lemon size Tamarind ball
2 Tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp each of chilly, coriander (CC)powders
1 tbsp crushed jaggery, you can substitute with sugar too
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish


Directions:
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for about 1/2 hour. Squeeze the juice into 2 cups of water. Keep aside.
Separate the fenugreek leaves from their stems, wash and chop them . Keep aside.
Heat oil in a wide pan/kadai, allow mustard to splutter, add fenugreek seeds, wait for a few seconds till a little color change and roasted fenugreek aroma comes out.
Add garlic and saute' till color changes slightly.
Add both the chillies, curry leaves, saute'
Add onions, and fry till translucent.
Now add the tomato puree, and cook till raw tomato smell is gone.
Add the CC powders and mix well and cook for 2 minutes
Add the chopped methi(fenugreek leaves), saute' for a minute, add salt and cook till greens are almost done.
Now add the tamarind juice, and bring it to boil.
Add the jaggery or sugar to the boiling gravy.
Here is the step by pictorial demo.

Once the gravy is thick enough like the last picture in the above grid, you can remove the gravy from heat.
Add coriander leaves if desired.
Serve with hot plain rice, biryani, roti, paratha or chapathi.
Don't forget to include crunchy papadams when eating with rice.


P.S. If you are unable to make egg plant gravy as a side dish to Biryani, I found out that this gravy goes too good with any type of biryani.

Potals Tomato Curry / Tamatar wale Parval

Yet another recipe from Grandma Bhanu's collection, is this Potals Tamato Curry. Don't know about rest of the family but I use to ardently love this curry whenever she made. No doubt I use to experience the warmth in her serving. Regular readers of my blog would know how I brag about her in some of my posts which are straight from her kitchen. Well, can't help it..she is that dearly special person to me. The memory of her cooking is so fresh in my mind that I got to let it out now and then. Okay, before I side track to emotion, let my focus return to the recipe.

For those who have missed my first post of this vegetable, here is the sneak peek. The best part with this dish is it doesn't need a stew or a condiment to be served along, just enjoy it with plain rice or roti, pita bread or tortilla. Unlike the sleek cut that we give to this when stir frying, here we just have to cut each potal into four or six pieces depending upon the size. The recipe is pretty much simple.

Ingredients:
1 lb Potals/Parval
1 Tsp Oil
1 big Onion cut length wise
2 large Tomatoes or 1 cup Tomato puree
3 Green chillies slit
8-10 Curry leaves
1 tsp Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Coriander leaves

Method :
Heat oil in a Pot/Skillet and add sliced onions, green chillies, curry leaves and saute till onions are cooked.
Add cut vegetable pieces, give it a stir.
Add chilly and coriander powders, salt, and mix well to evenly coat the potals
Sprinkle some water and cook covered in steam till potals became soft, say about 15-20mins
Occasionally open the lid and mix.
Sprinkle more water if needed.
Once the vegetable is soft add the tomato puree or mashed tomatoes, mix well.
Cook for another 5-7 minutes or till all the tomato is absorbed by the vegetable and the raw smell is gone.
Add coriander leaves, mix and remove from heat.

Serve this with hot rice or chapathi.

Tangy Garlic Chicken Wings with Lemon, Onion and Coriander Infusion

Seems like the New Year has just began, but in just a few more days we'll already be heading to the second month of this year.. I couldn't take any time, to do posting for the last two weeks. It is still a crazy schedule. How nice it would be to have one good "Robo" for each family to help us with our work & daily chores. LOL!!! Well definitely we are in the era of Robotics, Rocket Speed age. So this is not far.

There is small mis-happening in publishing this post. It happened one day that I typed the whole draft, intro & recipe and with a single click, everything vanished. Since that day I couldn't get this done and put it up on my space.

Well better late than never, here I'm now. I'm not much a fan of Chicken wings, in spite of all the hype about it...I had never included it in my menu..Much more when my "SBD", is strictly wing-free. But this time I couldn't resist but to befriend them when I found these on sale and made this unique wings casserole.

I envisaged the flavour of lemon garlicky wings, so put together the wings with pepper, garlic, infusing fresh lemon, coriander leaves, onion into it and it turned out delicious. The juices from the chicken, lemon and onion, keep the wings moist.The best way to relish this is directly from the casserole, dipping the wings with the tangy juicy gravy!!! yummy!!!!


Ingredients :
10 Whole Chicken wings
1 tsp Olive oil

To Marinate:
1 small Garlic pod crushed fine
2 Tsp Lemon Pepper powder(use the regular black pepper alternatively)
1 tsp fennel seed powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder (Optional)
(1 tsp Garam masala powder can be used instead of the above three powders too).
A pinch of Tumeric powder
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 Tsp olive oil
Chopped coriander
Salt to taste fresh

To Infuse :
1 Big Lemon, cut into circles
1 Big Yellow Onion sliced
1 Small bunch of Coriander leaves

Method:
In a large bowl combine chicken wings with all the ingredients mentioned in the "To Marinate"

Marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven for 350F.

Moisten a large glass casserole with 1 tsp olive oil.

Place the marinated chicken wings in the casserole.

Now arrange the lemon circles and sliced onions in the gap between the wings.

Top with a layer the coriander leaves.


Broil the wings for 40 mins at 350F.

Roast for 10 mins at 400F chicken till reddish golden brown.

Insert a knife into one of wings to check whether done.

Remove from oven and serve warm along with the juices from the lemon and onion in the casserole.

Besan wali Bhindi / Floured Okra Masala fry

------ AKA / Kadalama Vendakai Poriyal / /Senagapindi Bendakaya Vepudu ------

The new year has been nice so far..thanks to the good start... The excitement of new beginning makes me share something special and new too..

Inspired by Sanjeev Kapoor's besan wali bhindi this veggie dish is simply a melt in your mouth..Though I'm not a big fan of Bindi, I try to include it in my menu, because its rich in Iron. Growing up I was only used to a simply stir fry(Bendakaya Vepudu, Vendakai Poriyal) or a stew (Pulusu, Kuzhambu). I didn't want to cook these regular preparations this time..so googled for Bindi recipes and the first one to pop up was a video of Sanjeev Kapoor's "Besan wali Bind". I pretty much reproduced it here in taste and pictures!!! Though I played with the quantities a little, like I reduced the amount of garam masala so it won't overpower the other flavours, added a little chat masala, etc..Overall this has been a fantastic preparation satisfying the taste buds.

The fun part is that you don't need to use this as a side dish to Rice or Roti, it is so tempting to eat just like that!!! Good for me..I can save on some Carbs!!!

Ingredients:
1 lb Okra/Bhindi/Bendakaya/Vendakai
10 - 12 Shallots/Sambar Vengayam/Chinna Ullipayalu
1/4 to 1/2 cup Besan/Gram flour/Chenaga pinni/Kadala Maavu
1 tsp Kalonji/Onion Seeds
A few curry leaves - optional
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Dry powders for the masala :
1 tsp Crushed Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp of Garam Masala
1 tsp Amchur Pwdr/Dru Mango Powder
1/4 tsp Chat Masala(optional)
1tsp each of Cumin, Coriander and Chilly powders
1/2 tsp Turmeric Pwdr

Method:
Mix all the dry powders in a bowl along with salt and keep this masala aside.

Wash and dry okra(Bhindi) with cloth towel and slit in the middle.

Now stuff the slit okra with the malasa prepared and add a tbsp of oil to this and gently mix to coat all the bhindi with oil. Keep aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a kadai/wide pan, add kalonji(onion seeds), curry leaves and saute' till fragrant.

Now add shallots(small onions) and fry for a min or two.

Add gram flour (Besan/chengapindi/kadalamaavu) and keep stirring till the oil leaves the surface of the pan.

Now add the stuffed bhindi and mix to coat them evenly with gram flour.
Cover and cook on low heat stirring occasionally till the okra is cooked and turns crispy.

The picture puts all together.
Serve hot with rice, sambar or roti. As i said it can be eaten as a appetizer too....enjoy and have a wonderful year ahead!!!

Cardamom Caramel Pudding

AKA The famous Egg Pudding

Happy New Year to all!!! Welcome 2011!!! Hope you bring blessings with you!!! Well its already making news by recording setting temperatures here today at +11c for this time of winter.
Lets starts this new year with a sweet to sweeten our lives all through the year...

Ha ha!!! I know my blog page is filled with dessert posts...I promise my next post will not be a sweet dish..So wait and watch for my next post which will be a spicy yummy flavourful easy to cook dish.

For now lets go ahead with my ever luving Egg pudding, which reminds me of our Telugu version of Junnu..I think I mentioned about it in my Vattlappam post too..but can't help its so delicious that i had to brag about it here too..more over when this egg pudding is so similar to it.

Ingredients:
1 Pkt half and half cream(use skimmed milk for healthier version, if u can comprise taste)
4 eggs
3/4 + 1/4 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
6-8 Cardamom pods
Enough water
a pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 160-180˚c or 350F

Keep the pudding ramekins ready to pour the hot caramel sauce.

To the quarter cup of sugar add water just enough to melt it in a pan and cook it on medium heat stirring thoroughly.

Once the color of the liquid changes dark, pour a little into each of the prepared ramekins and set aside.

Whisk eggs thoroughly and to this add milk and keep whisking till all the egg is incorporated into the milk.

To this add rest of the sugar, and mix till sugar dissolves.

Add Vanilla essence, whole,crushed or powdered cardamom, salt and mix well.

Pour this mixture into each of the ramekins containing the caramel sauce.

Fill a wide, deep baking tray or pan with water up to 2/3 level.

Now place the milk filled ramekins on the tray containing water and bake for 45 - 60 mins or till the pudding is set at 325-350F.

Once the pudding looks firm and not wobbly you can be sure it is done.

Remove from the oven and let cool till room temperature, then chill it in the refrigerator till cold.

To serve run a knife through the edges of the ramekins and turn it upside down onto a serving plate to just enjoy it like that.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake - Going C agian for Christmas

So Christmas is finally here..Merry Christmas to all my family, relatives back home and my friends, my blog viewers and readers across the globe. May the joy and peace of Christmas fill your hearts and overflow abundantly. Though we miss a full white Christmas here in Toronto we are happy that we have clear roads to drive back and forth for Church services...

Being Christmas, I'm still continuing the sugar rush here on my blog. As promised, here is the Chocolate Chip cake which was made by default by using chocolate chips as excuse for raisins or other dried fruits...To my surprise the day i was baking i ran out of raisins in my pantry. Then suddenly i remembered that i had this small packet of semi sweet chocolate chips lying in one of the shelves for a long time..I actually bought them to bake some chocolate chip cookies for my kids who just luv them. But when we get PC's chocolate chip cookies for just $1.99, its easier to pick them up and treat kids rather invest my precious time on baking them. So this unused pkt of choco chips came to my rescue that day, also making me create a cake which i had never baked before.

I also noticed that my kids never do like raisins added in cakes, cookies or bread..they prefer to eat them just like that. So when i declared to them that i was baking chocolate chip cake, they were overjoyed so much that they even wanted to be a part of the picture I wanted to click to post here.

So going beyond the idea of using chocolate chips in cookies and muffins, this chocolate chip pound cake is born.

Ingredients250 gms butter(softened)
1 cup white or brown sugar
3-4 eggs
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup all-purpose flour or use whole wheat flour for healthier choice
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nut meg powder
1/4 cup Cocoa powder if you want color and cocoa flavour(I used very sparlingly, cause i had only unsweetened one)
A pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen juice of ur choice( I used orange and passion fruit)
1/2 cup Evaporated milk to adjust the consistency of the cake batter.

Procedure:
Cut the portion of butter required and place it out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour your desired cake pan.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready,

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl until they turn creamy. Add eggs one by one and beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, nutmeg, baking powder cocoa powder(if using)and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with orange juice and evaporated milk to the batter mixture. Keep mixing while adding. add the milk only if necessary.

Mix half of the chocolate chips with a little flour and add to the cake mixture. Gently mix..Do not to over-mix.

Pour into Prepared greased pan/pans.

Add a layer of chocolate chips on the top

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes

As the cake rises fully and gets its shape, remove from the oven and add the last layer of chips. Return to the oven.

Once the cake gets a golden brown color, cover it with foil, shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely

Mini Cashew Coconut Rum Cup Cakes with a hint of Cream Cheese - Going "C" for Christmas

Somehow this year I didn't marinate/soak any dried fruits for the traditional Christmas cake. So was not in a mood to bake at all. Then, last weekend when holidays started for kids, thought of making it special for them and suddenly I got a sprout for baking..after all it is not right for me to deprive kids of their childhood baking memories with mamma.

Since I did no planning for this cake baking...and didn't want to drive to pickup any stuff from the store too..I had to be creative to whip up with the ingredients at hand in my pantry and fridge.

So baked Cashew Coconut Rum Cake, in a loaf and in cake cups to make it kids friendly. Also baked a Chocolate Chip Cake which I will post next.
Cashew Coconut Rum Cake with Cream Cheese Incorporated :
Addition of cream cheese gives a dense texture to this cake. To keep the spirit of traditional Christmas cake, I thought of adding rum. Since i had open Malibu Coconut flavour I used the same. You can experiment with any flavour of choice. Since this rum is too sweet, I reduced the amount of sugar to adjust the sweetness.

Ingredients :
250 gms butter(softened)
1/2 cup Cream Cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

Flour & Powders:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice (optional)
1 pinch salt

Liquids
1 tbsp Vanilla extract or Coconut Essence
2 tbsp lime juice
1 cup Malibu Rum Coconut flavour
Milk or cream if necessary

Nuts:
1/4 cup Cashew nuts broken

Garnish:
Broken Cashew pieces



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a loaf pan or which ever shaped pan using. Insert paper cup covers into tray of cup cake moulds.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready, Take butter out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl till blended and then add cream cheese and beat again till it is incorporated into the butter sugar mixture.

Crack eggs into this one by one beating in between . After adding all the eggs beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, allspice baking powder, soda and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients. Keep mixing. Add enough milk if the batter is too thick to arrive at the right consistency for baking.

Add half of the cashew pieces to the blended mixture.

Pour into Prepared greased pan and cups tray.

Garnish with remaining broken cashew pieces.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes for the loaf and 20 - 30 mins for the cup cakes.

Tip : Once the cake rises and gets the shape and is browning on the top, then remove from the oven and cover it with foil, shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Remove the cup cakes from the tray and store separately.