RADISH KADHI

Radish Kadhi/soup is my contribution this week's Kalyn's "Weekend Herb Blogging" hosted by my buddy Anh from "Food lover's journey" this week!:) My choice of vegetable this week for WHB is beautiful homegrown red Radishes! Thanks and happy Easter Ahn:)



Garden fresh red Radishes:

I thought I would take a break and not cook for WHB this week until I found that Anh is hosting!!Now how can I not contribute when Anh is hosting?!;D

Some facts:
Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. Relative to their caloric value, they are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. One cup of sliced red radish bulbs provides approximately 20 Calories or less, coming largely from carbohydrates, making radishes, a very filling food.Radishes are suggested as an alternative treatment for a variety of ailments including whooping cough, cancer,coughs, gastric discomfort, etc.More info at Wikipedia.

I have been cooking Chicken dishes for most of my WHB entries.I thought I would cook a simple veg soup dish this time. Then I saw these little beauties just about ready to pluck fresh off of the Earth in my little veggie patch which I had planted about 3 weeks ago!
Kadhi is a nutritious soup made with a simple blend of Chickpea flour and spices. There are Gujarati Kadhis like this one and Punjabi Kadhis which has fried fritters added to make it more substantial.I wanted to keep it light without any fried things.Here it is, a Gujarati Kadhi with red radishes.

Radish Kadhi:


This is a simple Radish Kadhi/soup made of yogurt or Sour cream mixed with some Besan or Chickpea flour,simmered with some spices and cooked radishes of course to add to the delicious sauce.Kadhi can be served some cooked rice or as soup for a light lunch or brunch.

You need:
Veg; you need 10-15 small red radishes,wash,top and tail(you can use chopped radish leaves in the dish too) and slice into halves and cook with just enough water to cover them in the microwave until they are tender.Discard the excess water if more than 1/2 cup left.
Sauce; 3 tbsp Chickpea flour (besan),2 cups Yogurt or fat free sour cream,2 cups of water,1 tsp green chili-ginger paste,(1-2 green chillies and 1/2" fresh ginger) 1/4 tsp turmeric powder(haldi), 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste.
For tempering: 1/2 tbsp butter,1/2 tsp each mustard seeds,cumin seeds,1 red chilli,few Curry leaves(optional) and a pinch of Hing.(asafoetida)

How to make Kadhi:
1. Whisk all the sauce ingredients given above and simmer in a very low heat to prevent the yogurt/sour cream from curdling.You don't want a cottage cheese soup ,do you?:)
2. Keep stirring as it thickens,add cooked Radishes and let it simmer until the flour cooks and the raw smell of the flour disappears.Take it off the heat when done.
3. To temper,heat a pan with 1 tbsp butter or oil,add all the ingredients above.When it starts to splutter,take it off the heat and cool.Add to the soup and mix well.
4. Garnish the soup with cilantro if you like and serve as a soup or with some cooked rice.Enjoy!:)

Note:You can add 1 tsp Cumin pd to the sauce to add to the flavor while it's simmering.You can skip the tempering part,if you just want to have it as a soup,your choice.

My garden patch with fresh radishes!

Radishes are a popular choice for personal cultivation, as they are fairly easy to grow. It is a rapidly-maturing crop, with many varieties able to reach maturity within 30 days.
Radishes grow best in full sun and moist, fertile, acidic to neutral soil. They are in season April, May, June, July, August, September, and part of October. Seeds will germinate if planted at a depth of 1 cm.Summer varieties include "Rainbow Mix", a red, white and purple radish; "Cherry Bell", which is cherry shaped.

Can't wait for May so I can plant some more veggies!:))

KHANDVI

Khandvi, a Gujarati dish is my contribution to Nupur from 'One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables"'s event.This week's letter is "K", thanks Nupur,love the cute A to Z button!:)

This week's K dishes were easy.I could find so many dishes starts with K,it was hard to choose for a change!:)
I decided to make Tarla Dalal's Gujarati Khandvi. Now, I have eaten this dish many time in the restaurants but never made it at home.Even Tarla Dalal says it's a hard dish to make!
Well ...I dared to make it anyway and I didn't find it hard at all expect when spreading the batter,you should do it quickly before batter gets cold and lumpy.If you have somebody to help you,that would be great.I cook alone,so such luck for me.I had to discard the last two spoonfuls.The rest came well as you can see and tasted so good almost like spicy Pasta!!They make a wonderful snack.It's definitely worth the effort I say!:)


Khandvi:





You need:

3/4 cup Chickpea flour(besan), 3/4 cup Yogurt,1 tsp green chilli-ginger paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder , a pinch asafoetida (hing), salt to taste.
For the tempering:1 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp sesame seeds(til), 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing), 3 to 4 curry leaves,2 dry red chillies. 2 tbsp oil.
For the garnish:2 tbsp grated coconuts, 2 tbsp chopped Cilantro and half a lemon.



How to make Khandvi:

Whisk the Yogurt with 1 cup water,the Chickpea flour, curds, green chilli ginger paste, turmeric powder,asafoetida and salt and make a smooth paste.Transfer into a non-stick pan and heat on a low flame, stirring constantly so that you don't get lumps.Keep stirring until the batter becomes thick.


Taste the batter to see if the gram flour is cooked. This will take about 7-10 minutes.Spread the mixture by spoonfuls, as thinly as possible on the reverse side of a baking sheet with a rubber spatula while the batter is still hot.Let it cool and roll up carefully like a swiss roll. Repeat with others.Cut 1" pieces of each roll to get bite sized khandvis.Place these on a serving dish.


To assemble the dish:
Prepare the tempering: Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, sesame seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies and stir for 30 seconds.Pour over the khandvis.
Serve ; garnished with the Cilantro and coconut.Squeeze some Lemon juice on top.Wasn't that easy? I think so,turned out great for a first try!

Enjoy a nutritious and very tasty snack!:)

UMM ALI!

Umm Ali, a Egyptian dish is my contribution to Meeta from "what's for lunch honey" blog's Monthly Mingle "Arabian Nights" event this month.Thanks for hosting Meeta.



My Arabian adventure:
When I starting surfing the net for a Arabian dish,I chanced upon this Egyptian dessert which seemed like a cross between Bread pudding and Baklava! Besides, the addition of all those nuts,sweetened coconut and Cinnamon made it irresistible to me.I thought Umm Ali it is and the story behind this dish also made me curious.When I took my first warm bite with a scoop of cold Vanilla Ice Cream ,YUM! My daughter said "it tastes like Heaven mommy"!!What more proof do you want, eh?:D
(Recipe from here with some of my changes)


A little story of Egyptian "Umm Ali" dessert:
"The apocryphal story of Umm 'Ali is that it was invented during the reign of the Ottoman Turks. One day while hunting in the Nile delta, the sultan developed a ravenous appetite and stopped in a small village. The peasants wished to please the sultan, so the best cook of the village, Umm 'Ali , pulled out a special pan and filled it with the only ingredients she had around: some dried wheat flakes (perhaps stale broken pieces of gullash, a phyllo-like pastry), sultanas, nuts, and coconut. She covered it with sugar and milk and put it into the village's oven. It was so good that the sultan asked for Umm 'Ali 's dessert the next time he visited. Another story is related by Charles Perry, a food writer for the Los Angeles Times: Umm 'Ali was a pudding learned from an English nurse named O'Malley!"(Story from here)

Umm Ali or "Ali's mother":

I made this dessert with half the recipe that is one sheet of Puff pastry(You can use Phyllo pastry too) and half of all the ingredients shown in the recipe below.It serves six people easily.If you want more ,you can follow the following recipe exactly.Have fun!:)


You need:



1 pack of Puff pastry(17 ounces),1 14 oz can of Fat-free sweetened condensed milk,1 cup milk,4tbsp each of pistachios chopped,walnuts chopped,almonds or any nuts or any amount you like, 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes,1 tsp Cinnamon pd and 2 tbsp of golden or dark raisins.


How to make Umm Ali:


Pre heat oven to 400F.Spread the puff pastry on a foil on a baking sheet,bake for 15 mins or until puffed.Take out and cool.Turn down the oven to 350F.Cut the Pastry into 3-4" strips,cut into squares,and then into triangles.Arrange these in a oven proof dish.




Sprinkle nuts,coconut flakes,half tsp Cinnamon pd and raisins in that order.In a bowl,mix condensed milk and milk,heat in the Microwave for a minute.Mix well and pour over the dish evenly and sprinkle the rest of the Cinnamon pd.



Put it in the 350F oven and bake it for about 30-40 mins or until it is bubbly and the pastry golden on top.Do not burn,you can cover it with the foil for the first 15mins and then remove it to prevent burning.Cool it to thicken the sauce and serve. You can warm a piece in the Microwave and serve warm with cold Vanilla Ice cream.



Here is a plate for you!



Tastes very good, Ali's mom rocks!!:D

RAGI ROTTI WITH JALAPENO(KHARA) CHUTNEY!

Jalapeno Chutney is my contribution to Nupur from 'One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables"'s event.This week's letter "J", thanks for hosting Nupur:)

Beautiful Jalapenos:





Jalapenos has Spanish origin,and is named after the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, where it was traditionally produced.Jalapeños contain a substance called capsaicin that has shown to have anti-cancer effects.These are medium hot chillies with thick pulp and easy to seed.They can be used to make Jalapeno Jelly,Salsa,smoked as Chipotle in Adobo sauce and in many other dishes with a great flavor. More info at Wikipedia.






Jalapeno Chutney seasoned with Garlic:

Green chilli chutney is a classic Mysorean dish often made by grandmother which is called "Khara chutney" in Kannada.Of course in India,they use very hot green chillies but in US, I find these jalapenos are perfect for this chutney which has thick pulp and not as hot as the other chillies.
This chutney is almost always served with delicious Ragi rotti(red millet flour)made with onion,cilantro etc. and topped with some Ghee to mellow the heat.These are my absolutely favorite rustic comfort food combo although I don't make it often because Ragi flour is not easily available to me but I do make chutney and keep it in the fridge.This chutney tastes fabulous with just some plain yogurt and rice! YUM!!
(This recipe makes about a cup of chutney which can be stored for 3-4 weeks in the fridge)

You Need:

Take about 15 Jalapeños,clean and slice in to rounds,small lump of Tamarind(not juice),small lump of Jaggery or sugar if you don't have it,salt,Few curry leaves, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1 garlic.For seasoning: 4 tbsp Canola oil,1 tsp mustard seeds,about 6-8 Garlic,peeled and chopped,few curry leaves.





How to make the Chutney:



In a non-stick pan,heat 1 tsp oil and fry chillies,1 garlic,curry leaves and cumin seeds until reddish on the edges.Take it out on a plate and cool.Add to a blender along with tamarind,salt,Jaggery and blend until smooth paste sraping the sides often. Absolutely no water added to this chutney.






To season it: Heat the rest of the oil left,add all the seasoning ingredients above and fry just the Garlic gets a pinkish color and add to the chutney and mix well.Let it cool completely before you store it in a bottle to keep in the fridge,not more than 3 weeks.




Ragi Rotti with onions and Cilantro:
(Ragi is Red millet)


Make the Ragi flour ball with 1 cup water,little oil,salt and 1 cup or more Ragi flour just like you make for "Rice Rotti" using as much as flour you need to get a firm ball.Cool it.Meanwhile, chop 1 small onion very finely,cilantro,mild red chillies(Optional) and add to cooled Ragi ball and mix well without water well.If it's too thin,add more ragi flour but not too much as it makes rottis hard.




Make four balls out of that,spray some no-stick oil on a foil,and press the ball with your palm to make about 6" roti.Keep it on a clean towel and repeat with others.Heat a Tava or a griddle to medium high and cook the rottis on both sides drizzling with some oil until reddish and crisp.




Cool on rack and serve with Khara chutney and little dab of ghee.Enjoy the delicious taste of Jalapeno chutney.I wanted to some Jowar rotis too,but I ran out of Jowar flour.This chutney tastes great with Jowar roti,Makkai roti or even with plain rice and Yogurt.Hope you try!:)






Ragi Rotti-Khara chutney-Tuppa:
(Translation: Red millet roti with Jalapeno chutney,topped with Ghee(flavored clarified butter!)


Jalapeno Jelly:
One of my husband's patients made this Jalapeno Jelly and gave it to him.It tastes sweet like any jelly at first and then the heat hits you in the throat!:D It's absolutely delicious on toast!! I will have to get the recipe and make my own someday.


****************************************************************************************************
Few tips for Jyotsna's "Safety Moments" for March:


Stoves can be the cause of many accidents in the kitchen.Always make sure the pilot light and fan are on when cooking.Never leave pan handles towards you over burners. Keep hot dishes out of reach of others to avoid burns.Use oven mitts when handling hot dishes.Use caution when working with steam or frying to prevent burns.


Enjoy, have a great weekend you guys!:)

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Smothered Chicken flavored with Allspice is my contribution this week's "Weekend Herb Blogging" hosted by Kalyn herself this time around.My choice of spice this week for WHB is Allspice berries and powder.Thanks for hosting Kalyn:)


Allspice berries and Powder:

Allspice -(Pimento) is a the "dried unripe berry" of the Pimenta dioica which belongs to the family Myrtaceae. It is also know as Jamaica pepper.Spanish explorers chanced on to the Allspice plant in Jamaica in the beginning of the 16th century. The Spaniards thought the fruits look like pepper so they gave it the name of Jamaican Pepper and pimento from the word "pimienta", Spanish for peppercorn. The English name "Allspice" was given because the spice is said to have the aroma of several spices including cloves, pepper and even cinnamon and nutmeg and used often in Jamaican cuisine, specillay Jerk chicken.I love the mild flavor and taste of Allspice.(Info; Gourmetsleuth)

Some of us Indians tend to think of Allspice as "Garam Masala", which is a Indian spice powder made of several aromatic spices,also completely different from Allspice berries.The beauty of Allspice berries is they do look like Garam masala when powdered and smells great somewhat like Garam masala with mild flavor but they are NOT interchangeable in the dishes.You can't beat the flavor and the aroma our own Indian Garam masala!!;D


Southern Smothered Chicken:



You usually don't get this dish in any regular restaurant on the main street but might get it in one of those "Soul food" Mama's kitchen restaurants as I have seen in some southern towns. I love the simplicity and the great taste of this dish with a confetti of vegetables and a thickish gravy with simple spices.I added Allspice powder which gives it a wonderful flavor which may not be the traditional spice for Smothered Chicken but hey, anything to enhance the flavor if you ask me!

That said let's smother some Chicken, shall we?!:)

You Need:

2 chicken breasts,slice across to make it thinner and made into 4 slices.In a plate,mix 1/2 cup plain flour,salt,pepper,1/8 tsp cayenne pd,1 tsp Allspice powder,1/2 tsp Garlic and Onion pd, and 1 tbsp dried Parsley.1 cup Celery, 1/2 cup Onion,1/2 cup carrots,all chopped to similar size,1 garlic minced, 1-2 cups Chicken stock, 1/2 tsp Allspice pd for the gravy.Cook 2 cups of rice to go with it!


How to make it:


Heat a non-stick pan with 1 tbsp butter.Mix the flour well,save about 1-2 tbsp flour for Roux and keep it aside.coat chicken fillets well and shake off excess flour and place them in the pan until reddish on both sides.Take them off on a plate.To the pan,add all the chopped veggies and Garlic,saute until cooked and little brown on the edges.



Add salt,pepper, 1/2 tsp Allspice pd,saved 1 tbsp flour,stir for a while and add 1 cup or more chicken stock.Mix well,add in sauteed chicken pieces in to the sauce and let it simmer until chicken is cooked and sauce is thicker but not very thick.Add more stock if it's too thick.Garnish with Parsley and serve with a bowl of rice.That's all, a wonderful meal is ready!



Vegetarians: Skip the chicken and add thick sliced and sauteed Potatoes!! Tastes great too.


Here is a bowl of ultimate southern comfort food; Smothered Chicken with rice:




Enjoy!:))

MINTY MASOOR DAL

Mint and Chives flavored Masoor dal with Turnips is my contribution to "Green Blog Project Spring 2007" which is hosted by Mandira of 'Ahaar' blog this Spring.Thanks for hosting Mandira!:)


Some facts about Mint:
Peppermint and spearmint came to the New World with the colonists, who also used them medicinally. They drank mint tea for headaches, heartburn, indigestion, gas, and to help them sleep.They also drank mint tea for pure pleasure, especially since it wasn't taxed.More about Mint here.

About Chives:
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), a member of the onion family and native to Asia and Europe, have been around over 5,000 years. Yet, they were not actively cultivated until the Middle Ages. The botanical name is derived from the Greek meaning reed-like leek. The English name chive comes from the Latin cepa, meaning onion.More about Chives are here.


My little Mint and Chives Winter/Spring garden! :)


This event is all about growing what you can by April 10th and cooking with it. Sounds like fun,doesn't it? But we had such a cold winter this year,I can hardly grow anything but Mint and Chives in my little pot outdoors and it grew luxuriously with no maintenance at all! I tried growing some Radish but couldn't get them before the deadline.Anyway,I am happy with what I got and made some Mint and Chives dal instead!I love the flavor of mint and Chives in the dal,of course in moderation since Mint does overwhelm the dish if used in excess.(Masoor dal is Red lentils by the way for non-Indians.)


Garden fresh Mint and Chives ready to go in the Masoor dal:





Minty Masoor dal with Chives and Turnips:





How to make the dal:
1. Cook 1/2 cup Masoor dal,2-3 Turnips peeled and chopped,1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp oil with enough water in the pressure cooker or Microwave until soft.
2. Heat 2 tsp butter or oil, add 1/2" Cinnamon(Dalchini),2 cloves, 1 red dry chilli,1 tsp Cumin seeds,1 crushed whole cardamom, 2 tbsp Peanuts and 1 small onion minced,1 garlic minced,fry until reddish.
3. Add in cooked dal,salt,1 tbsp Coriander powder,1 tsp cumin powder,1 tsp Chill pd,1/2 Tomato sauce or 2 chopped Tomatoes,1/2 tsp Garam masala, 1/2" grated ginger,2 tbsp each tender mint leaves snipped from the top and Chives chopped finely,small piece of Jaggery or a tsp of sugar and heat through.
4. Do not boil too much.Garnish with some more Mint and Chives.You can remove the whole spices now so you don't bite in to them later.
5. Serve with plain white rice and wafers on the side.


That's it! A beautiful pot of Minty Masoor dal is ready!





Enjoy!:))

ASPARAGUS DELIGHT!

My choice of vegetable this week is Asparagus which is a unfamiliar vegetable to me at least and to most Indians as well.I made a simple side dish with Indian spices to go with a meal for Kalyn's "Weekend Herb Blogging" and this week it's Kate from "Thyme for cooking"'s turn to host.Thank you Kate.


About Asparagus:

A member of the lily family, asparagus, (Asparagus officinalis), comes from the Greek word asparagos, which first appears in English print around 1000 A.D. Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence.It is very low in calories,contains no fat or cholesterol, is very low in sodium and is the best provider of folic acid. More info at "Michigan Asparagus Advisory board".

"As quick as cooking asparagus" was an old Roman saying meaning something accomplished rapidly!

Well now...although I have always loved Asparagus served in the restaurants and have seen Asparagus dishes in many blogs,I have never really tried to cook at home.Finally last week,I decided to buy some of these and stir fry with some Indian spices.It turned out to be a fabulous tasting side dish with crispy Chicken patties and a slice of home made Cheese bread as you can see! Well Asparagus stir-fry was a hit and will be on my table more often from now on!:))

A dinner plate with Chicken Patty,Asparagus Stir-fry with Cheese Bread:


How to make these:

Asparagus Stir-fry first:
1. Pick a tender (with thinner spears) bunch of Asparagus and wipe the outside with a clean wet towel.Hold the Asparagus at the end,snap the thicker part and it will break where is it tender and not stringy.Keep them whole.
2. Heat a 2 tsp butter in a wide pan,add asparagus spears ,sprinkle some salt and stir-fry for not more 5 mins,it should still be crisp when done not limp at all.
3. Before you take it off the heat,sprinkle 1/2 tsp each of Garlic powder,Cumin pd,1/8 tsp of Chili flaked or coarsely ground pepper.
4. Serve warm on the side with a some Mayonnaise(optional) on top.

Crispy Chicken Patties next:
1. In a bowl, mix 1 lb ground chicken,1 egg, 1 tbsp Mrs.Dash no-salt Spicy seasoning or Chipotle seasoning or any you like,2 tsp Parsley,salt and pepper well.
2. Divide in to four portions,make rounds and flatten to make four patties.
3. Add 1 cup Panko, Japanese bread crumbs on a plate and coat each patties well both sides and chill in the fridge covered until you are ready.
4. Heat 1 tsp butter or Olive oil in a non-stick pan on a medium heat,add one patty and cook until reddish on the bottom for about 3 mins,flip and cook the other side until the inside is cooked well with little more butter or oil.
5. Repeat with others and serve as soon as possible,warm and crisp.

Cheese-Garlic Bread last:)


I made some home made Naan bread stuffed with Cheddar Cheese and folded over to bake and brushed with Garlic-Parsley butter when done.Click here for that recipe.




Well..that was it for this week for WHB!!:))

IDLEEZ! :))

Idlies with Semolina,chana dal and vegetables are my contribution to Nupur's " A to Z Indian Vegetables" this week. Letter of the week is "I".Thanks Nupur,I truly enjoyed making these.


Idlies with Chana dal and vegetables:



These Idlies are made of Semolina(Cream of Wheat),Chana dal,vegetables etc, but not like the Rava Idlies.Don't expect them to be perfectly round, and fluffy like regular Urad idlies either! Because we use ground Chana dal to make these,they will be little dense and rustic looking on top and uneven but these are far more nutritious and tastier than the other two.I like rough looking top than the smooth one.You can smoothen the top a little if you like.You also cannot eat more than 3 of these idlies, 12 of these feed a family of four easily!!:))


You Need: Makes about 12 Idlies

1 cup Semolina/Rava roasted in 1 tsp oil until lightly reddish, 1/4 cup Chana Dal/red split peas soaked and ground,(save 1 tbsp Chana dal whole to add to the batter,) 1 carrot grated,3 tbsp frozen Green peas,2 tbsp plain yogurt,1/4" fresh ginger grated,1 green chilli minced,1/4 onion minced,few cilantro,salt,about 1/2 tsp baking soda and enough water to mix.


How to:

Roast Rava until reddish,place in a bowl.Take 1 tbsp soaked Chana dal out of soaked dal and grind the rest until smooth.Add both to the bowl with Rava.Add all the other ingredients including vegs and yogurt,mix well.Then add enough water to make fairly thick batter,thicker than normal Urad Idli batter.Adjust the salt and keep it covered for one hour for semolina to plump up.



After an hour,if you need to water to thin a bit,add it but do not make it thin.Just enough to drop in lumps.Spray the Idli moulds lightly with No-stick spray,add batter halfway to the mould,tap a little to smoothen the top.When done,steam in the pressure cooker for 10-12 mins.Take them out and cool on rack or serve immediately with Chutney.



Chutney:



I made this chutney by mixing 1/4 cup Dal Chutney powder with 3tbsp yogurt and water to make it thinner and seasoned it with mustard seeds,few curry leaves.
Or you can grind 1/4 cup yellow roasted Chana dal(Hurikadale/Pottu Kadalai),roasted red chillies,salt ,yogurt,1/4" ginger and some Hing(Asafoetida) with enough water to ake it thin and season it.




And the finale!





We are done, enjoy the nutritious breakfast or brunch:)