Verkadalai, Shengdana aka Peanut chutney (dry)

I have used peanuts in many different ways in my cooking. Peanuts play an important role as an ingredient in South Indian cooking, especially cuisines from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. After living in cities like Hyderabad and Pune, I have started to see how people use it in their cooking.


In Andhra, the "Gutti Vankai Koora" - Stuffed brinjal; or Bagara Baigan (Brinjal curry) (http://servantlesscooking.blogspot.in/2013/07/bagara-baingan-eggplant-dish-hyderabadi.html) is very similar to "Bharlele Karle" - Stuffed bitter gourd (http://servantlesscooking.blogspot.in/2013/06/bharlele-karle-stuffed-karela-bitter.html) in that all these recipes use peanuts as base ingredient. In Tamil Nadu, I have seen peanuts being used to make spicy powder that is used to eat with rice or as base ingredient to make wet chutneys that can be eaten with Idlis, Dosas (breakfast items). I discovered another new use for peanuts from my colleague, Vivek Bibave who started bringing this simple dry chutney from home made of peanuts that was so very tasty.

So, wanted to share with you two unique or different ways of making Spicy Peanut Chutney (dry)

Shengdana Chutney (Sukha)
Courtesy: Vivek Bibave's mom

1 cup Peanuts
4 Green /Red Chilli
Salt to taste

1 clove Garlic (optional)
1 Tbsp refined oil


If you have mortar and pestle at home, grind the raw peanuts, chilli, salt and garlic together to make a coarse ground powder/paste. The oil from the peanut and the water from the chilli will make it a little sticky. Heat oil in pan, and saute this paste/powder until it is no more sticky (2-5 min). The Sukha (dry) Chutney is ready to serve with hot Chapathi/Roti, or Rice.


Verkadalai Podi (Peanut powder)
Courtesy: Dakshin - Chandra Padmanabhan

1 cup peanut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
7 red chilli
1/2 tsp asafoetida
salt to taste

Dry fry the peanuts, sesame seeds, chilli and asafoetida. Grind it well in a powder. Ready to use with Rice or Dosa/Idli.

Peanut Powder Rice
2-3 Tbsp Peanut powder (as above)
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp black gram
1/2 tsp chana dal (yellow split pea)
1 red chilli
few curry leaves


Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, dals and when the mustard sputters, add the red chilli and curry leaves. Add the rice salt and peanut powder and mix well. Serve hot.

The Shengdana chutney is very common in Maharashtrian cooking, and raw chilli/garlic along with peanuts brings a unique taste to the recipe. You can make this without garlic and it tastes good too. A little bit more salt than usual is typical to this recipe as it is supposed to be eaten as a chutney as is or with yogurt mixed in it with chapathi.

Health tip: Peanut is the protein bank for vegetarians, a poor man's food and an excellent meat substitute for protein. It also provides necessary fat (unsaturated) to your diet.
Eating raw or less processed garlic is a very good for heart as the functional components within it are heat labile and when we fry/saute the garlic to get the flavor, we actually kill the healthy contributors.

Creamy Tomato Pasta - Home style

Pasta is a favorite amongst my kids. They have grown up eating plain cooked and salted pasta (various shapes and colors) since childhood as it was a nutritious alternate to Rice and could be eaten on their own without me feeding it to them.

Back in India, I found couple of stores (some are chains) that provide Pasta at premium prices, directly imported from Italy or US. In comparison to Indian snack or meal options, Pasta is quite costly (4x).  For example: Poha or Suji (Rava) is  30 Rs. per Kg, Pasta is 110-125 Rs per 0.5 kg. However, I spoil my kids sometimes by giving them Pasta dish. When ever they hear that's for dinner,  they shout a Yay! and the good part is I send left overs as lunch option as their school allows it where as Pizza is completely prohibited.

Since I started writing the blog, I have been interested in turning my meals into masterpieces (well, atleast I try) - all homemade. So, this time instead of using a Pasta sauce from outside, I decided to make my own. Also, since kids love cheese, I added cheese into the sauce and made it creamy. It was a very quick fix meal and everyone including the adult in my family loved it..

Creamy tomato Pasta
 
Ingredients
500 g Pasta (any type)
1-2 of Onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1 Kg Tomatoes
1 Tbsp - Italian herb mix
1 tsp - Black Pepper
4-5 Slices of Processed cheese
1/4 cup milk 
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin oil
1 Tbsp Red chilli flakes (optional for heat)
salt to taste

Directions

Cook pasta in hot water with salt for 10-20 min (as directed in pack) and strain it in cold water - Keep it aside. In another pan, heat oil, and garlic, onion and green pepper. Once sauteed, add chopped tomatoes, spices and salt and cook until the tomatoes are very soft. Squash them into a fine paste. Add Cheese and let it melt in the sauce to a nice cream. If the sauce is too thick, you can add milk instead of water. Let the mix get cooked well in low heat for 10 min. Add the pasta and mix it well with Creamy tomato sauce. Serve hot with Garlic bread (Bread with sprinkled garlic and toasted on flat pan with butter or in oven).

Enjoy!

Sukha Methi (Fenugreek side dish)

If you are reading my blogs, you would remember the recipe Sukha Besan (Chick pea flour dish). This is very similar in that it is made dry (not gravy) and goes well with hot chapathis or rotis.

Fenugreek (leaf or seed) is a functional food in that it helps with many ailments such as reducing blood sugar levels (diabetics), producing mother's milk to name a few. I started to love this vegetable since my times as a diabetic during pregnancy, and I in fact started liking the bitter note it imparts.

The Methi Rice dish (previous blog) was all I knew on how to use the vegetable, however, since I came to Pune I have learned many ways of using the vegetable and creating non-bitter variations of the vegetable. This dish also has the lentils that adds protein and is preferred by parents for school lunch boxes. There are certain ways of cooking and preparing the dish that makes it non-bitter that helps with its universal acceptance amongst kids and adults. 

Sukha Methi
Courtesy: Lakshmi (my maidservant)

1 bunch Methi leaves (fenugreek leaves), finely chopped
(you could substitute Methi with Dill leaves)
1 cups Moong dal (green gram), partially cooked in water
Garlic - 2-3 cloves
Green Chilli - 4-5
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 0.5 tsp
Oil - 6 tbsp refine oil
salt to taste

Directions
Boil the lentils in a separate pot of boiling water and decant in a strainer. In a blender, take the green chilli and grind it with salt into a fine paste. The more chilli you use, the better for reducing the bitterness of Methi. The dish will not be very hot due to the chillies as the bitterness neutralizes the heat from the chillies.

In a pan, take oil, add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds sputter, add asafoetida, curry leaves, garlic and chilli paste and let it cook for 2-3 min. The chilli paste should be completely immersed in oil. I was afraid that by heating the chilli paste, the entire household is going to be coughing and sneezing, but nothing happened. The secret lies in complete immersion of the chilli paste in oil - that doesn't let the fumes out.

Add the cut leaves and lentils (half cooked) and mix it well with the chilli garlic paste and oil. Let the leaves and lentils get cooked together for 10 mins or until the vegetable and lentils are fully cooked.  The juice of the leaves will be enough to cook the lentils well. Don't add any extra water. Remember, it is sukha (dry) dish.The leaves will change color from light green to dark green and will curl up when cooked well.

Tips: You should add salt in ample amount that you usually do for other dishes. This helps to remove the bitterness and reduce the heat from the chillies.The combination of chilli, garlic and salt cooked in oil is the key that brings the flavor and taste to the dish. The lentils should not be too much cooked, otherwise, it will turn pasty and make the dish into one big lump.

Enjoy with hot chapathis!

Aakkha Masoor Rice

Growing up as a south Indian eating Rice and Sambhar (spicy lentil soup), to learn to cook a dish with lentil and rice was not all that exciting. However when I saw this recipe, it intrigued me for there was no strong spices as I am used to, and yet seemed delicious.

It required the use of whole lentils similar to ones used in the Meditteranean lentil soup of Progresso brand or found in any middle eastern restaurant. I got Aakkha Masoor dal (whole Masoor lentil), another lentil usually found in grocery stores here in Pune.  Soaked the lentils and cooked them in the pressure cooker along with rice in two separate containers.  The tomato sauce that gives it the unique signature taste is simple to make as below. 

Tomato Sauce: 1 finely chopped onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 2 tbsp vinegar, green chilli (1-2), 4-5 large tomatoes chopped, 2/3 cup water, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Saute the onion, garlic and chilli, add the tomatoes and cook for 10 min until water is absorbed. Add water and vinegar, chilli flakes and let it cook for another 10 min until the tomato sauce is slightly thick.

Layer the Lentil, Rice on the serving bowl or plate (as below) and add the tomato sauce on top. Serve hot.The presentation is the key and creates a feeling of dining in a 5-star restaurant..

When you slice into the layers of lentil and rice and eat it with the spicy tomato sauce (the vinegar brings the tangy taste to it), it brings the flavors together into a wholesome meal.

Very simple and quick to make.. the best part is the presentation ! 

Mushroom Toasts- Tasty quick snack

Here is a quick snack that could be used as a breakfast item and also as appetizers in parties.

Mushroom toasts: The Little Big Vegetarian Book - Page 17
600 g fresh mushrooms
1.5 tsp butter
4 tbsp extra virgin oil (you can substitute with refined oil)
1/2 red onion (can add 1 onion)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp thyme and parsley (you can use Italian spice mix)
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup vegetable stock (can use Maggi cube derived stock)
bread slices (brown /whole wheat is healthy)

Clean the mushrooms and chop them fine. Saute finely chopped onions and garlic with spices for 5 min. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook for another 5 min stirring constantly. Add the vegetable stock and cook for another 8-10 min. Cooking the mushrooms until tender brings the flavor of the mushroom. Add salt sparingly as Mushrooms tend to taste saltier than other dishes.. Spread on toast and enjoy..

You can Indian-ize this dish by adding Indian spices instead of Italian. Garlic of course is recommended as it goes well with Mushrooms and bring out the flavor.

Spicy Eggplant Stew

Need something quick to make as a side dish? Well, here is a recipe that has the Italian flavor (of course we need to add garlic) and is good addition to a meal.

Spicy Eggplant Stew - The Little Big Vegetarian Book - Page 454
1 kg Eggplant cut into big chunks
500 g tomatoes - coarsely chopped
5 tbsp extra virgin oil
4 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 tbsp sweet paprika (can substitute with red hot chilli powder)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground black pepper,
1 lemon (juice) and salt to taste


Steam the eggplants over large pot of boiling water for 20 min, until tender. Alternatively, you could cook the eggplants with the tomatoes so you retain the nutrient that is lost in water.

Cook the tomatoes with the oil, garlic, paprika, cumin and pepper in saucepan over medium heat for 20 min. Season with salt (add the egg plants with tomatoes - alternative), Cook for 15-20 min until all vegetables are tender. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil and serve hot with Rice.

Bharlele Karle - Stuffed Karela (Bitter gourd)

Stuffed Karela (Bitter gourd)) has always been my favorite as it was rarity at home. It is strange but true that the rarer a thing is, the more we want to own it. A simple example many of you women would agree is that we crave for stones or metal such as diamond, platinum and gold, because they are precious (rare). Would we care if it was available in plenty on the streets like a common rock?


Back to the Karela, I was taught to cut it into very fine pieces and make it into a Kar-amudu (Hot delicacy) with spicy powder. Since my times as as diabetic (gestational) and have diabetics in the family, I have grown to love this vegetable as we have found ways to eat it.  Frying it usually renders it less bitter, however that is not all that healthy!. So, I had found ways of using it baked as well. I used to stuff it with all kinds of nut powders, gram flour (Guju style) with spices and loved all stuffed recipes.


This recipe is actually a new one I have never tried and want to dedicate it to my friend, Akshaya Dubbewar from Pune who is my colleague at Rich Graviss. We used to have dedicated time off from work during lunch time where all of us would sit together, socialize, share each other's lunches and eat onto clean plates and spoons that would be washed later by hourly labor. This was a wonderful change to the US lunches I was used to where I would eat out of my box staring at the computer. This was great time to know each other, share anecdotes and build relationships. I always cherished my lunch time moments.

Being bred in US culture, I always used to bring left overs in my tiffin box all mixed together. For example, it would be a Sambhar+Rice+Vegetable - all mixed together. All my other colleagues used to bring separate containers where they would separate out the entrees and eat it restaurant style by serving onto the plates.

Let me talk a little about Akshaya who was the best in the crowd for she would bring a full course meal everyday including a salad (she never misses her salad), rice, chapathi (bread), dal (soup) and curry. And all of this was freshly made that morning!!! She would make this meal actually for her husband and pack his lunch. On Saturdays when her husband doesn't go to work, she sometimes brings her favorite potato dish - why only on Saturdays? because her husband doesn't like it, so she could bring it only on a day when he doesn't take lunch! This is not all, she manages to make breakfast for her in-laws and feed her little boy with what he would like for breakfast (may it be dosa, or any snack), get his snack box for school and then come to work!!

Compared to her, I felt I had a really easy life! My husband is tamed in US to eat left overs, adjusts with whatever I feed him (lately he is actually looking forward to my elaborate recipes - am actually spoiling him). In the US I used to make a dish that lasted for 2 days and would make Rice fresh everyday. Here in India, I atleast make a meal everyday! so, that is progress, isn't it?

Akshaya once brought me stuffed karela, the best I have ever tried and so wanted to publish it in my blog. I tried to follow her instructions the best I can. I am waiting to hear from her on what she thought about it, today at work. I loved it! I dedicate this recipe to Akshaya Dubbewar, for all the hard work she puts in everyday to feed her family (one of the many chores) and come to work with a smile!! This dish I discovered requires a lots of preparation and tons of patience.. so Kudos to Akshaya and to all your moms who multitask everyday .... you are all the best!!

Husbands if you are reading this blog, I urge you to take time to chip in the kitchen to help your better half... atleast help her out in her chores, or try to be in her shoes for a difference and you will realize what a daunting task, a cook has - everyday! 

Stuffed Karela
Ingredients:  4-6 tbsp of refined oil, 5 medium size Karela cut into 4 pieces; 2 cups peanuts; 5-6 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 a lime/lemon, 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing), red chilli powder and salt for taste, chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) for the stuffing.

Cut the Karela into medium size drums and remove the seeds from within. Fry these in oil until brown. Remove from oil and set aside.

In another pan, dry roast the peanuts and remove the skin (this is the difficult part - needs a lot of patience). Alternatively, you could buy Planters peanuts available in stores (salted and peeled). Blowing the peeled skin was the most fun, my kids would have loved it (they are at their Grandparents), but is the most painful to clean afterwards :)

Add the peeled and roasted peanuts, garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin, masala powder, red chilling powder, salt, turmeric, hing and grind it into a nice powder. Add the cilantro into this ground mix and squeeze in the lemon. Stuff the Karela drums with the powder and set aside.

Take some oil from the Karela fry, add mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp of cumin and when these pop, add the stuffed Karela and saute in low heat until all sides are brown.






Serve hot with rice. I also made Sambhar with the beans I had cooked for Chile (has some extra reserved for the Sambhar) that I will share the recipe later.  The dish was excellent!

Yellow Split Pea Puree

Yellow split pea is another name given to Chana dal (split garbanzo bean, split chick pea), a very common lentil used in Indian and in Middle Eastern cooking.

Well, the name Puree is not all that catchy and it reminded me of Hummus (a Mediterranean dish) that we used to love as a dip for Pita chips or in making bread rolls with falafel (chick pea fritter). In fact Falafel Hummus wrap was always the best vegetarian pick at any middle eastern Gyro takeout.

Kadalai Paruppu thuvaiyal (Spicy paste of yellow split pea) is a very common dish in South Indian cooking where we grind turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger and red chilli pepper with roasted split pea.  We eat it with hot rice as it is quite spicy.
 
This recipe was a pleasant mix of Hummus and Thuvaiyal with middle eastern spices (garlic, onion, olive oil) and south Indian spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chile pepper), hence intrigued me to try it as a breakfast item today to serve with toasted bread.


Yellow Split Pea Puree
Courtesy: The Little Big Vegetarian Book Page- 429

350 g yellow split pea (chana dal)
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
4 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 scallions (did not add)
1 tbsp mint (did not add)
1/2 fresh green chile pepper (added 2-3)
2 shallots (did not add)
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp lime juice
salt and black pepper to taste
1 small red chile pepper

Cook the split peas in water until soft, add onion, oil and turmeric while cooking. Process the peas in food processor until it is a fine paste. Melt the butter, saute garlic, add scallions, shallots, mint, green chile pepper until brown. Crush the coriander and cumin seeds along with red chile pepper along with lime/lemon juice and add to the sauteed mixture, cook for 3 min. Add the split pea paste and mix well, cook for 5-10 min in low heat, season with salt and pepper and let it cool. Garnish with cut green or red chile pepper and serve with toasted bread.

The green chile is my suggestion for adults who like to spice it up - kids would love it as is. 

Tips: Ensure that the lid of the food processor is tight, and add ample of water to grind the split pea into a smooth paste. You don't have to have scallions, shallots and mint but can't make without garlic.

With more Indians opting for western style of eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner or parties and like something fast, this recipe holds a lot of promise as dip for finger foods during parties and a healthy snack for kids with toast- a western spin on Grandma's good old "Kadalai Paruppu thuvaiyal". 









 

Couscous Salad

I still remember the very first time I ate a dish made with couscous, it was the meditteranean salad, Tabouli with chick peas and mint - it was quite sour and flavorful.

I also remember the very first time I ate bulgur (broken wheat) or Daliya (as called in India), the Turkish style. Belma, my Turkish friend had specially cooked it for me. It was so simple (she had steamed the bulgur in hot water and added flavorful spicy oil, garnished with sauteed onions and tomatoes, salt and red chilli flakes. mmm.. delicious.. thanks Belma..

Tonight, we had left overs at home and thought of making a simple salad and chose this dish as I had Daliya (broken wheat) at home.. Couscous a processed form of wheat and is not exactly Daliya or Bulgur which is more a broken wheat.  However, it has similar texture and can be used as a substitute for this dish.

Added Daliya into hot water and closed it with lid to cook. Sauteed cut onion (one) and garlic (2-3 cloves) in refined oil, along with diced green bell peppers and cucumber. Added dash of salt, pepper and loads of red chilli flakes. Doused it with two full lemons to make it tangy like Tabouli. Did not have the mint.. otherwise, it tasted yummy and tangy like Tabouli..

Cheers for healthy eating!

Egg and Eggless options

I tried experimenting with a egg and an eggless snack option this time. These could be used as appetizers or snacks for everyone.. and are quick to make.

1. Eggs with Zucchini - Page 721 (The little big vegetarian book)

You could always substitute zucchini with any of our Indian vegetables like snake gourd, bottle gourd. I anyway had zucchini in local market so used it. The recipe book I am following is by Italian authors, and they seem to not know anything better than zucchini in most of their dishes.. but I plan to improvise with local vegetable variety..  

350 g Zucchini
1 clove garlic
4 tbsp torn basil ( I used dry basil flakes - 2 tsp)
6 tbsp extra virgin oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 hard boiled eggs shelled
1 bunch fresh salad greens (did not have that)
6 tbsp diced mixed bell peppers (for decoration - did not have that either)

Chopped the Zucchini into thin wheels, saute with garlic until pale gold with oil, season with salt and pepper. Remove yolks from the eggs and blend the zucchini garlic saute with yolks in a blender into a smooth paste. Fill the egg whites with this paste. Sprinkle with diced bell peppers and place them on plate with greens.

The dish turned out good and is good protein addition to a meal.. was slightly low in heat for Indian palate, so plan to add some green chilli next time:)



1. Egg-free Vegetable Frittata - Page 424 (The little big vegetarian book)

This is an excellent vegetarian substitute for an omelet and yet looks like one. Of-course the recipe asks us to add zucchini:) diced, tomatoes and carrots grated. I did not have any, so I added cucumber diced. Also added some red chilli powder to spice it up other than black pepper and salt that the recipe dictates.


200 g chick pea flour (besan flour)
7 tbsp water (you can always add enough to make it a smooth flowable batter)
2 zucchini grated (I added 2 cucumber finely chopped)
1 carrot finely grated (did not add)
2 tomatoes coarsely chopped (did not add)
salt to taste
red chilli powder to taste (to give it the Indian bite)


Mix the flour with water and add the cucumber and other vegetables, salt, pepper and chilli powder. Use a non stick pan and make a thick cake. Slightly oil on sides and turn it around. Cut it into triangular wedges and serve with ketchup. 


The dish turned out to be a quick breakfast option as my husband used it like an omelet and ate it in-between two bread slices.  Kids will love it with tomato sauce. It is not fried in oil like many of our Indian fritters made of chick pea flour, hence much more healthy.


Enjoy:)

Green Paella - Spanish vegetarian rice dish

Living in the US I used to see an ad for a Spanish restaurant that was called "La Paella" in the television. The pronunciation is "Pazheya" with "L" silent in the word. I knew it was a Spanish word but never thought about finding the meaning, but yesterday when I was cooking this dish, was curious to know.. So, here you go readers, the meaning from Google search is given below.. along with its pronunciation. 

pa·el·la/päˈāyä/

Noun:A Spanish dish of rice, saffron, chicken, seafood, etc.

Green Paella - Vegetarian version with all kinds of green vegetables.

I went shopping to get all the essential ingredients, especially garlic which we usually don't store at home. Garlic is the key condiment in this dish that gives it its signature taste and flavor.

I also did some improvisations to the recipe to suit my diet (more protein) and unavailability of ingredients near my home. Ultimately, the dish turned out good, in fact my husband who usually gives me an "ok" gave me "Good". 

Recipe Credit: The Little Big Vegetarian Book, McRae Books) - Page 370

Ingredients

500 g Spinach
2 Onions - Sliced
3 Cloves of garlic - Finely chopped (key ingredient - so don't miss it)
6 Tbsp - Extra Virgin Olive oil

2 Tbsp - Pine nuts (couldn't find it - so did not add it in recipe)

1 dried red chile pepper

250 g red tomatoes

1 large green bell pepper

250 g Italian risotto rice (did not find this so used Indian Kolam rice - Vidya's improvisation)

Salt, fresh ground black pepper 

1 tsp sweet paprika (did not find this)

1/2 tsp saffron soaked in hot water for 15 min (did not add this)

700 ml vegetable stock (did not use this to cook rice)

90 g peas

200 spanish piquillo peppers (did not find this) 

Nutrela (soya) chunk- two small hand fulls (Vidya's improvisation)

Cook the Kolam rice in Pressure cooker with less water and pull it out in 2 whistles. 

Wash the spinach and cook it along with Nutrela chunks and peas for 5-7 min until spinach is blanched or lightly cooked. I cut the spinach into medium size strands

Saute onion, garlic followed by bell pepper, tomatoes separately. In the recipe, they ask for us to add the Risotto rice (Italian) at this time and cook it in vegetable stock, along with red chile, pine nuts, paprika and saffron (so that the rice gets its yellow color). 

I however added the cooked white rice to the sauteed vegetables, added salt, pepper to taste, and topped it with cooked spinach, peas and Nutrela chunks. I added some water from the Spinach boil into the rice dish so that the rice doesn't get dry and let it cook for 5 min in low heat. 

We are to garnish with the Spanish pepper on top which I did not have. I however, served it hot with our classic Mango pickle from Andhra (Avakkai) and the combination was excellent.

Since my husband loved it, I plan to try this again, with Risotto and with No improvisations:)

  

Bon A petite!