A few days back when Richa of 'As Dear As Salt' announced that the theme for this month's RCI event is Cuisine from Punjab, I knew what I was going to make. RCI is an event that has been started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.
Over the years, Punjabi food has gathered a fan following not only in India but also overseas, although authentic Punjabi food is very hard to find, amidst the restaurant made similar looking and tasting gravies. My memories of an authentic Punjabi meal are attached to the famous city of Chandigarh. My parents and me were visiting this city and we were craving for good, earthy food. That is when our driver suggested this place called 'Pal da Dhaba'. He warned us though, that this was a typical dhaba with no glimmer & glitz, but the food was to die for...we were sold on the idea and we had not only lunch over there but also dinner! The taste and aroma of their rajma still lingers on my tongue. I also noticed a very unusual thing there...the rotis were free!!! One could eat as many rotis as they wanted without any charge. When asked the reason behind this, the owner, very humbly and lovingly replied that, it did not feel right to charge people for rotis. I was so impressed!
For this event I decided to start off with the ever popular appetizer/snack--- Samosas. I have been planning to make Samosas at home ever since the time I got married, 3 years back...I know, its long pending ;) We do get amazing Samosas at our Indian store and almost every weekend my dearest hubby gets some for both of us after his game of cricket (the ground where he goes to play is so conveniently located next to the store :)). Anyways, this time I decided to surprise him. I specifically told him not to get any Samosas because we were eating too much fried stuff lately...thats it no more questions from him, my plan had worked ;).
On Monday afternoon, with the temperature hitting 90 degrees F, I started my long overdue-- 'Project Samosa'. It took me about an hour and a half to finish making the samosas. At one point I felt like submerging myself in a pool of cold water like a Hippo, with the blazing summer heat and the heat from the stove... but I was determined and nothing would stop me. The end result was a very happy one. My hubby was really surprised (as per my plan), and couldn't wait to try them out, and when he did he couldn't stop...what else could a girl ask for ;)
Ingredients: (makes 10 medium sized Samosas)
For the outer covering:
Maida (All purpose flour) 1 cup
Oil 2 tsp
Warm water to make the dough
A pinch of salt
For the stuffing:
Potatoes 3 medium sized
Green chillies 2-3
Ginger a small piece
Dhane (coriander seeds) 1 tsp
Badishep (fennel seeds) 1 tsp
Amchur powder (dry mango pwdr) 1tsp
Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tsp
Jeere (cumin seeds) 1/2 tsp
Hing 1/4 tspHalad (Turmeric) 1/2 tsp
Oil to fry the Samosas.
Method:
Cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker or microwave. Let them cool. Once cooled peel off the skins and mash them. Make ginger-chilli paste. Grind the coriander seeds and fennel seeds coarsely.
Next prepare the dough for the outer cover of the Samosa. Heat the oil a little bit and then mix it in the maida along with a pinch of salt. Mix this well with your hand. The right quantity of oil will make the maida stick together when you press with your hand. Once this is done, add some warm water and make a dough. This dough should not be too loose nor too tight, otherwise it will be difficult to spread it. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.
While the dough is resting, prepare the stuffing. In a pan/kadhai, heat 2 tsp of oil. Add jeera and when it starts sizzling, add hing and halad. Next, mix in the ginger-chilli paste and fry for a minute. To this, add the coriander-fennel powder and fry for a few minutes. Then add the mashed potatoes, cayenne pepper, amchur powder and salt. Mix well and finally garnish with some cilantro.
In a kadhai, start heating the oil to fry the Samosas. Make sure that you fry them on medium high heat, otherwise they will turn brown from the outside and remain uncooked on the inside, and you will end up with oily Samosas. Now comes the time to assemble the Samosas...
Take a small ball of dough (depending on how big you want your samosas to be) and roll it out like this...
Cut it into half like so,
Now work with each half separately. Take one half, fold it like this,
Then, apply a little water to the unfolded end and fold it to overlap the first one, and stick it like so,
Now pick up the cone carefully in your hand and fill it with the potato stuffing...
Apply a little water on the open edge of the cone and seal it well...
Slip the Samosa in the kadhai and fry till golden brown. Make sure you maintain the heat of the oil. It should not get too hot or too cold.
Remove them and drain on a tissue paper. Serve with some green or tamarind chutney.
The Verdict : I am so glad I tried it out...the next time I won't wait for another 3 years and my hubby agrees ;)
Thanks Richa for hosting! Here is another look,
Sabudana Wada is my all-time favourite Maharashtrian dish! In Pune (Maharashtra), there are a lot of places where you get hot, delicious Sabudana Wada. It is very easy to prepare and requires very little preparation. Sabudana (Sago in English), is normally associated with fasting, and so naturally, Sabudana wada is popular on such days. But any other day is just as good to enjoy this comforting food. In fact, as far as I remember, I have never made it during a fast...but then I don't even remember the last time I kept a fast ;). Anyhoo, just go ahead and try out this recipe when you are bored of the same old, same old, and I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.
This is my entry for Nupur's 'S' of Indian Vegetables (I hope she will accept this one as there really aren't that many veggies in here). Since this is a Maharashtrian recipe, this is also going for RCI- Maharashtrian Cuisine.
Ingredients: (makes about 20 wadas)
Sabudana (soaked in water for at least 5-6 hours) 1cup
Boiled Potatoes 1 medium
Daanyacha koot (roasted peanut powder) 2 tbsp
Cilantro chopped 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper 2-3 tsp (as per taste)
Salt
Oil for frying
Method:
To make Sabudana wadas, it is extremely important that the sabudana is soaked properly (at
least 5-6 hours) in water. Rinse the sabudana in water and leave water just enough to cover. Once soaked, the sabudana will puff up and be soft to touch.
Boil 1 medium sized potato. Mash it and add to the soaked sabudana. Add roasted peanut powder, cayenne pepper, salt and chopped cilantro and mix together. You can also use green chillies instead of cayenne pepper. Check for taste. Now, make small flat patties and fry in oil till golden brown. Serve hot with green chutney.
To make green chutney:
Grind together green chillies, lots of cilantro, a tsp or two of roasted peanuts and 1 tsp of jeera. Add salt and a little plain yogurt and serve.
I love Jackfruits! So, when Jai & Bee of Jugalbandi announced that they had chosen this amazing fruit for JFI-May, I was more than thrilled!! Jackfruit or 'Fanas' as it is called in Marathi can be seen in abundance in the months of May-June in India. Our summer shopping trips were never complete without the purchase of some sweet ripe jackruit (which we call 'Gare'), from the 'thelas' (handcarts) that used to be parked on the roadside, proudly displaying their treasures!
I also love the green raw jackfruit, more than the ripe one frankly. It has a very meaty texture and one needs to develop a taste for it. It is also difficult to cut through the fresh green jackfruit. I remember my mom dipping the knife in oil and smearing some oil on her hands before she cut it. It was a tedious task, but thanks to the canned jackfruit available here, all I have to do is open it with a can opener! Much simpler, right ? :)
My mom used to make a very spicy and delicious curry with raw jackfruit, which I love! But it is a little time-consuming and I did not have enough time to make it this time. So I chose an appetizer recipe from my mom's diary which is relatively quick to prepare and sinfully delicious! Enjoy!!
Jackfruit Kababs
Ingredients: (makes 12 kababs)
Raw Jackruit (1 can) or about 250 gms fresh
Chana dal 1/4 cup
Jeera (cumin seeds) 1/2 tsp
Kaale mire (black peppercorns) 1/2 tsp
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1/2 a stick
Ginger 1" piece
Garlic cloves 2 big
Onion 1 medium sized
Red dry chillies 1
Green chiilies 1-2 (as per taste)
Cilantro 1-2 tsp
Water about 1 cup
Salt
Method:
If using fresh jackfruit, peel and chop it. For canned, just drain out the liquid. In a saucepan, put to boil the jackfruit pieces in the water along with half an onion, green and red chillies, dal, ginger, garlic, jeera, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and salt. Simmer till tender and then let all the liquid evaporate completely.
Grind to a fine paste in a blender/food processor. Remove the spices that are difficult to grind. Mix remaining onion (chopped finely) and cilantro. Check for taste. Add a little cayenne pepper if its not spicy enough. Mix well and then make small flat patties. These can then either be deep fried in oil or baked in the oven. I generally bake them in a preheated 375 degrees oven till they are golden brown (this can take a while, say 40 mins). Serve with mint chutney.
(This picture was taken in hurry and hence not great, but I assure you the recipe is very good and it looks better than in this picture...)
Last week I missed the 'L of Indian Vegetables' event. I had a couple of recipes on my mind, but somehow did not manage to get my grocery done in time...blame it all on my laziness!:) But this week I am back!
'M of Indian Vegetables' brought to my mind a variety of recipes ranging from brunch items to entrees to appetizers. I finalized on an appetizer dish made with a 'M' vegetable which is extremely versatile and popular in Indian as well as International Cuisine. Any guesses? It is the famous 'Matar'!!! Known as 'Peas' in English, it is the simple solution to add color and crunch to any recipe. I use 'Matar' in rice, curries, pasta, soups ...., in short, in anything & everything.
My entry for this week's event is 'Matar Kababs'. I found this recipe in my mom's diary of recipes. I don't know the original source of this recipe. My mom has been maintaining this diary since she got married.She has written recipes she found new at the time as well as the traditional & tried -out dishes. Staying away from home in a different country, this is certainly the most prized possession I have,which also comforts me with the feeling that my mom is always with me...
My recipe of Matar Kababs is very easy and quick to make. I have entertained with this appetizer and I can assure you that these kababs disappear from the platter in minutes! So be prepared...
Ingredients: Makes 8 small kababs (This is just a guideline--the quantities and size can be adjusted according to liking )
Matar (peas) about 1 cup(fresh or frozen)
Besan (Chickpea flour) 2 tbsp
Green chillies paste 1-2 depending on how hot they are
Garlic-Ginger paste about 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Kasmiri garam masala-- about 2 tsp --recipe follows
Method:
To make 2 tsp of Kashmiri Garam Masala you will need---
Equal quantities of :
Coriander seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds "
Cloves "
Black peppercorns "
Cinnamon stick about 1/4 inch stick
Nutmeg powder 1/4 tsp
Big Cardamom 1
Grind all these spices together to a powder. Excess can be stored and used in any curry.
To make the Kababs:
Put the matar in the food processor and coarsely mash them. If using frozen matar, thaw them and drain out excess water first.Make sure that you do not make a smooth paste. To this, add the garlic-ginger paste,green chilli paste, salt, besan and the kashmiri garam masala. Mix together, taste for seasoning and and adjust. This is how it will look...
Make small balls of the mixture, flatten them a little. The original recipe asks to deep fry these kababs, but I bake them in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a little oil on both sides of the kababs and bake them until golden brown in color. It takes about 20-25 mins. Make sure to flip them in between to finish cooking.
Before serving, insert toothpicks in each kabab to make it easier for the guests to enjoy them. Alternatively, you can also soak some toothpicks and make a skewer of these kababs and then bake them. Serve with ketchup or green chutney .
Another interesting way to serve these matar kababs is to make sandwiches/burgers. Replace the usual pattie with a matar kabab. Top it with sliced tomatoes, onions , lettuce leaves, mayo & mustard or green chutney. Enjoy as brunch, lunch or even a light dinner!
A few days back when Richa of 'As Dear As Salt' announced that the theme for this month's RCI event is Cuisine from Punjab, I knew what I was going to make. RCI is an event that has been started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.
While the dough is resting, prepare the stuffing. In a pan/kadhai, heat 2 tsp of oil. Add jeera and when it starts sizzling, add hing and halad. Next, mix in the ginger-chilli paste and fry for a minute. To this, add the coriander-fennel powder and fry for a few minutes. Then add the mashed potatoes, cayenne pepper, amchur powder and salt. Mix well and finally garnish with some cilantro.
Cut it into half like so,
Now work with each half separately. Take one half, fold it like this,
Then, apply a little water to the unfolded end and fold it to overlap the first one, and stick it like so,
Now pick up the cone carefully in your hand and fill it with the potato stuffing...
Apply a little water on the open edge of the cone and seal it well...
Slip the Samosa in the kadhai and fry till golden brown. Make sure you maintain the heat of the oil. It should not get too hot or too cold.
Remove them and drain on a tissue paper. Serve with some green or tamarind chutney.
The Verdict : I am so glad I tried it out...the next time I won't wait for another 3 years and my hubby agrees ;)
