Archive for indian cuisine

Hmmmmm… in Triplicate

November 15, 2009 at 8:48 pm · Filed under Cooking, indian cuisine

Three Questions —

First, in two parts, is a little plea from me:

A. I found a Vinod pressure cooker — stainless steel. Looking online, I see some places say it’s not recommended for use on electric burners!?! If it’s on the box, I missed it…

B. I realise the serving sizes are different on these nutrition info panels — and the fat and fiber make sense — but can anyone clarify the discrepancies in carb. and calorie content between these two brands of toor dal? Both are dry, not oily.

toordal
one of these things is not like the other… dating myself with a throwback to
(and copyright by) the classic and still-fabulous

Sesame Street!

Many thanks in advance for any assistance!

Last but not least…

hmmmmmmmmm
hmmmmmmmmm…

Comments (4)

Chard Challenges

September 3, 2009 at 9:53 pm · Filed under Cooking, garden, indian cuisine

chard
highlight of the garden ~ beautiful ruby and fordhook swiss chard

Swiss chard is a vegetable from my childhood.
Nana always had a patch in her garden, and it was cooked up simply
with a little salt water, then sprinkled with vinegar and dotted with butter.

Back then we boiled greens within an inch of their life;
no wonder we kids couldn’t appreciate the goodness.

Nonetheless, when I had my first home, I couldn’t wait to try growing chard.
I got myself a nice pot and dutifully planted a few seeds.

O Joy, the green leaves sprouted easily and soon I had a little harvest awaiting me. I will never forget the day, I had my little son, only 2 years old at the time, out there barefoot with me in the yard, and when I came to cut the chard leaves from the plant, out came a million earwigs ready to bite!!

That was the end of chard for me, for a long time ;)

Past few years I have grown it again, thankfully without earwigs. Last weekend
I went out to cut a bunch, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a GIANT black caterpillar, of the ‘wooly bear’ type. Said caterpillar was happily munching away on a leaf, and I couldn’t bring myself to remove the bug or the plant. I looked him up online; I think it was one of these.

I waited for my son (now 21!) to arrive home before I cut off the whole plant at the base and had him carry it to the woods.

The caterpillar is welcome to the plant, but he can’t live on my deck.
Seems chard is destined to present a little challenge in my garden :)

Last night, I cut leaves from the remaining plants. They should grow anew long before frost comes, and I wanted something for dear ISG’s Chard Challenge! Thanks, ISG, for always inspiring me in garden and kitchen :)

Here, with kind permission from Jigyasa and Pratibha, is Pedatha’s recipe for Thotakoora Koora. I have substituted chard for the amaranth, and made a
lip-smacking “Thotakoora” Koora Rice (with chard).

“Thotakoora” Koora Rice with Swiss Chard
adapted with permission from Cooking At Home With Pedatha

choppedchard
chopped chard, sans caterpillars!

swiss chard, 1 bunch, chopped
roasted gram, 2-3 TB powdered
oil, 1 TB
Salt to taste

the paste

ginger, 1 in. piece
garlic, 2 flakes
coriander leaves, 1/2 c
green chillies, 4

the tempering

split black gram, husked, 1 tsp
mustard seeds, 2 tsp
turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp
asafoetida powder, 1 tsp
curry leaves, 6-7, with stem

my addition:
1/2 c sona masuri rice, rinsed well and drained

~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Chop the greens roughly, along with the tender stems.
This should amount to about 6 cups after chopping.
mine amounted to about 3 cups, and I should have halved the seasoning,
but the extra worked out great when cooking rice *in* the koora

2. Grind the ingredients for the paste using a little water.

3. In a wok, heat the oil for tempering. Add the gram; as it turns golden, pop the mustard. Lower the flame and add the turmeric, asafoetida, and curry leaves.

4. Add the greens, and stir. Cover and cook (until well done — original instructions).
I cooked partway, to allow for additional cooking time with rice

5. Now, add the paste and salt and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
here I added the rice and about 1 cup of water, covered and cooked about 15 min till the rice was done

6. Finally, switch off the flame and add the powdered gram.

From the book:
“Serve with steamed rice, or as a side dish in a meal.
Pedatha says, you may substitute spinach for the amaranth”.

pedathas thotakoora koora rice
Pedatha’s “Thotakoora Koora” Rice with swiss chard ~ packed up for
lunch at work today :)

What a delicious meal this made! When I warmed it up at noon, the aroma was even more amazing than when I cooked it last night.

This dish is going straight to you, dear ISG, for your yummy swiss chard challenge, with many thanks to you, dear Jigyasa and Pratibha, for your generosity of spirit in allowing me to share another of Pedatha’s delights ~ from the heart and hearth :)

cutandcomeagainchard
chard will keep growing until frost ~ cutting the plant to the base brings healthy new growth :)

Comments (7)

Pick a Peck of Pepper Pakodas

August 24, 2009 at 11:24 pm · Filed under Cooking, indian cuisine

OK, so enough quasi-philosophical talk from me!
Time to get back to the kitchen.

It may not be the banner year for tomatoes that I had hoped,
but I am fortunate enough to have beautiful peppers in abundance.
Who am I to complain? :)

bananapeppers
banana and serrano peppers from the garden

Ever since Shammi posted this recipe for baked (lowfat!) veg pakodas, I have been thinking of how much I love pepper and besan combo, and how much I wanted to make them with the peppers in the garden. Friday’s storm had me picking peppers like mad, so I had lots to play with and tonight I tried it.

I followed Shammi’s excellent recipe and instructions and only changed the ingredients a little — ok, I love cumin and peppers too!
I halved the recipe because I was experimenting and also using the toaster oven.

No dissertation is necessary; here’s how I made them:

Shammi’s Baked Pakodas with Banana Peppers

1 c chopped banana peppers
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c grated potato
1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced fine

1 tsp cumin pwd.
1 tsp kashmiri chile pwd.
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c rice flour
1/2 c besan

1/2 TB canola oil
Pam and Olivio sprays

~~~~~

Microwave the peppers for 2 min with a TB water. When cooled slightly, mix in the onion, potato and serrano pepper.

Sprinkle the cumin, chile pwds and salt. Mix well.
Add flours, mixing well again. Sprinkle clean hands with water and begin to mix, stopping when the batter comes together tightly. It should be sticky.
For this quantity I used about 1 TB water.

Heat the oil to smoking and add to batter — allow to cool slightly and mix thoroughly.

Preheat the toaster oven and its tray to 350F. When hot, line the tray with wax paper sprayed with Pam. Scoop the pakodas into balls with hands or two spoons, flatten and spray lightly with Pam.

In the toaster oven I baked as follows:

For softer pakodas:

Leave the balls a bit thick and bake 7-8 min — turn over while the Pam is still liquid and bake an additional 3-4 min. This gives a nice bit of crisp on the outside while soft inside.

For crisper pakodas:

Press the balls a bit thinner and bake 10 min, then flip and spray with Olivio spray. Switch to toast setting and cook for 5 min. This gives crunchy results!

pakodaing
grated potato, with chopped banana and serrano peppers and onion

pakodabatter
the mixed batter

pakodsaraw
pepper pakodas waiting to bake

Baking these in the toaster oven, I might try toasting the besan first next time –
to compensate for the lower energy heat.

Banana peppers come in hot and mild variety. Mine are mild — nevertheless when I seeded them, I got a very slight stinging sensation in my eyes. I tasted the peppers raw, but they didn’t seem spicy to me even though my tongue tingled a wee bit. Perhaps my tastes are changing for the better (read:hotter!) ;)

Something else to do with banana peppers:

Shilpa’s Spicy Banana Peppers

and with peppers in general:

Colorado State Extension

shammispepperpakodas
banana pepper pakodas ~ crispy on the left, softer on the right ~ dipping sauce of anji panca mixed with yogurt

Thanks Shammi, they were delicious!!!
(PS — did I win a prize for using ‘mix’ the most times in one recipe???) :)

Comments (8)

Hmmm…..Maxixe!

August 20, 2009 at 9:20 pm · Filed under Cooking, indian cuisine

maxixe
sea creature? maxixe!

I loved all the guesses! :)

I found these maxixe or “Brazilian cucumber” at the farmers market. Although I have been picking cucumbers all summer, I couldn’t resist the look of them.

Shammi’s delightful Food In The Main was one of my first favorite blogs, and it remains a place I return to time and again for a healthy dose of delicious cooking (complete with step-by-step photos!) and dry wit. I can really relate to one recent post in which Shyam so eloquently struck a familiar chord in my little foodie heart:

“. . . I like having well-stocked kitchen cupboards – I have more things than I know what to do with, all of which I’ve bought on the off chance that I might need it for a recipe – because it would be a disaster if I didn’t have it when required. Sometimes I think I should just live in a supermarket . . . “

Upon reading this, all I could think was “oh, ME TOO”!!!

anjipanca
things like this speak to me from grocery shelves…

Case in point — this little treat found in a Latin American market earlier this summer. I had passed the place countless times when I worked in the area, but never ventured in. I caught sight of this gen-u-ine imported-from-Peru anji panca sauce for only $1.09, and of course I had to have it. I was sure I had read a hundred recipes calling for it, and would need it soon.

anjipanca2
thick and rich anji panca sauce

Of course it’s been sitting on the counter for weeks now — not yet relegated to the pantry where myriad similar ‘necessities’ find themselves banished.

Since I had the Brazilian cucumbers, I thought I’d flavor them with the Peruvian pepper sauce. Those green spines had me a bit nervous, and they were chock full of seeds, so I decided to pressure cook the cukes with some dal.

Anji panca sauce is on the salty side, so I didn’t need salt.

Maxixe Dal with Anji Panca

Pressure cook the following:

1/4 c each toor dal and whole moong dal
1/2 c chopped onion
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
5-6 maxixie, chopped
1 small piece of tamarind
2-3 red chillies (anji panca is *not* spicy)
drop of oil and pinch of turmeric

When done, mash the dal and stir in
1/4 c anji panca sauce

A simple tadka of cumin and curry leaves can be added.
Swirl in a little extra anji panca and it’s ready to serve.

anjipancadal
maxixe dal with anji panca

While this tasted fantastic, I’m not sure I’d go for the maxixe again due to the millions of seeds. Anji panca on the other hand, is sure to find its way into many more meals!

Comments (5)

Udupi Beetroot Rasam and Cucumber Curd Rice

August 17, 2009 at 9:07 pm · Filed under Cooking, indian cuisine

longbeanflower2
long bean flower ~ in early morning light

doublelongbeanflower
and a double flower ~ unexpected beauty in the midst of a cloudy morning

beetrasam3
udupi beetroot rasam ~ spicy rich!

Well, as usual I am late late late for an event.

I didn’t want to miss RCI Udupi and Mangalore at Sia’s lovely Monsoon Spice,
but of course life got ahold of me and I was away at the deadline.
When I visited today, lo and behold, she’s been very busy too!

So, if I am too late for the roundup dear Sia, I certainly understand!
All the same, I have cooked a little something for you :)

The recipe for this rasam was taken entirely (and followed precisely,
except I boiled my beets) from this blog, which, sadly, seems defunct.
If you’re out there Pavithra, thank you so much for the delicious recipe!
The combination of beet and coconut was absolutely amazing and
I know I’ll make it again.

Since I don’t know the blogger, I won’t reprint the recipe here –
please visit Pavithra’s Udupi Kitchen to get it.

To go with the gorgeous ruby red rasam, I made some cucumber curd rice;
which I am sure isn’t authentically anything, but it made good use of the gigantic cuke I picked :)

straight8a
cucumber ~ straight eight variety

In making the rice I referred to Pedatha’s recipe, which calls for pressure cooking. I didn’t do that, but I did cook the rice with some extra water to get a softer consistency. Then I mashed it lightly while still warm. I used thick greek yogurt rather than the boiled milk and regular yogurt called for — less fat for me, but still very creamy. The rest of it I just sort of made up ;) … many thanks to all the great cooks whose curd rice recipes I have read over the years!

Cucumber Curd Rice

scant 1 c rice, rinsed well and cooked with a little extra water,
slightly mashed while still warm

mixed with

1 small tub (7oz) greek yogurt

and

1/2 big cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated, then salted and
drained well in a colander lined with coffee filters
(once drained and squeezed thoroughly, this amounts to about 1/2 c cucumber)

season with tadka:

1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp cumin
few curry leaves
1 big green chile, seeded and minced, added at the very last

salt to taste
(careful, the cucumber has already been salted)

Set overnight in a cool place for the spices to mingle.

The pretty, flavorful beet rasam and the spicy yet cooling curd rice made
a most appealing lunch.

beetrasam
udupi beetroot rasam with cucumber curd rice ~ a comforting combination
even if you don’t feel much like eating

Here are a few more beet rasam and curd rice recipes that I am craving ;)

Asha’s Bangalore Style Beetroot Rasam

Shreya’s Beetroot Rasam

Red Chillies’ Beetroot Rasam Rice

Mythreyee’s Many Curd Rice Variations

Indira’s classic: Yogurt Rice with Mango

Vineela’s Beautiful Dadhojanam (with cashews!)

Comments (8)

Not Exactly a Traditional Combo ~ Featuring Kohlrabi

July 19, 2009 at 11:56 pm · Filed under Cooking, garden, indian cuisine

finally_71809
finally!

Summer has arrived at long last, and the garden is beginning to come along. Eggplants have yet to blossom, but the tomatoes are catching up quickly.

omars71209

omar’s lebanese tomato ~ July 12 ~ note the rungs on the cage, and the window…

omars71809

omar’s lebanese tomato ~ July 19 ~ what a difference the sun makes!

Cucumbers are growing like crazy…

sugarcrunchbabies71909
burpee’s sugar crunch cucumber ~ masses of yellow blossoms

various chili peppers are setting fruit as well…

serrano71909_crop
serrano peppers growing in long-awaited sunshine

I actually planted summer squash from seed today — with only 50 days to harvest, what have I got to lose? Dear Mom reminds me often that my Papa liked to say: “best garden he ever had, he planted on the 4th of July”!

Patience is not my strong suit. While waiting for my little garden to produce,
I find myself almost daily in one store or another, searching out fresh veggies. Yesterday I found some tiny kohlrabi with gorgeous greens attached. I went googling for recipes and came to Anita’s monjji haak.

It looked so good. It looked so GREEN! I had to have it :)

I don’t have cold-pressed mustard oil, so I used a smidge of extra-virgin olive oil (from Greece, my *flavorite* — no pun intended — I do believe the best-tasting olive oil comes from Greece. There is a little shop in Cambridge where you can go and have an olive oil tasting — but that’s another story!).

Other than that oil-sub, I followed Anita’s instructions exactly. My greens were young and tender, so I omitted the hing and special Kashmiri masala.

I was happy to be reminded of the old trick for preserving color in greens — baking soda. And what a delightful treat these greens are!!

Rather than break out the pressure cooker, I simmered the greens. I plan to take them to work tomorrow, so I drained off all the liquid to prevent further cooking.

Earlier this morning, I had mixed up a batch of ISG’s easy-breezy oats’n grits dosa. This time the batter was so thick that I think I unwittingly made uttapam.

As usual, I wanted sambhar — especially to go with the uttapam/dosai.
I decided to make some with the reserved haak broth.

Hmm….

Subtley-spiced Kashmiri haak and fiery sambhar?? Not exactly a traditional combo — but I eat at my desk and nobody’s watching ;)

It hardly seems necessary to set down a recipe for sambhar, but here’s how I made it tonight.

Kohlrabi-Haak Sambhar

4-5 small kohlrabi, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced

1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp urad dal
2 tsp chana dal
2-3 dried red chillies
1 sprig curry leaves

cooking water reserved from Anita’s haak mixed with
1 TB tamarind pulp (or to taste)

1 TB ISG’s magic sambhar podi

1/2 c cooked toor dal

salt to taste
~~~~~

In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add mustard. When it pops, add cumin, urad and chana dals, red chillies and curry leaves. Cook for a few minutes, then add onion and cook until translucent. Add diced kholrabi and saute for a few minutes, then add the reserved haak water and tamarind. Stir well, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes over med-low heat.

Now add sambhar podi and mix well. Cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes.

By this time the kohlrabi should be tender-crisp. Add the cooked toor dal and mix well. Simmer another 5-10 minutes. Add salt to taste, and turn off the heat.

Let cool slightly before packing for lunch. Did I mention I can’t wait for lunch?? ;)

lunchtmo
lunch tomorrow ~ ISG’s oats ‘n grits dosa, uttapam-style, and Anita’s shaak

kohlrabistew
and kohlrabi sambhar to go with!

A few things I want to make with kohlrabi:

Pavani’s kohlrabi greens curry!

Shivapriya’s noolkol kalan

Shilpa’s navalkola sukke (which I said I was going to make way back in 2006!)

Dear Lera’s kholrabi masala — come on back Lera, I miss you! :)

Comments (8)

Easy Lowfat Pav Bhajji and Grape-Avocado Chaat

June 30, 2009 at 6:12 pm · Filed under Cooking, depression glass, indian cuisine

vegsoup
happy shortcut for easy pav bhajji

Sometimes you stumble upon a happy shortcut that makes cooking so simple, it’s ridiculous. This “cheater’s version” of pav bhajji using a can of soup is a go-to recipe for me whenever I’m short on time. I always have the ingredients handy!

You can use frozen and/or canned veggies. Canned potatoes work particularly well for this dish. I know most recipes call for peas — if I’m weight-watching (err, always, all ways!) I usually leave them out in favor of more green beans or another less starchy veg. The soup has a few peas, as well as corn which adds an interesting little crunch to the mashed mix.

This is my weight-watcher’s dream dish — big on flavor and low in fat.
Of course, one teeny pat of butter on top never hurt anyone… ;)

Easy Lowfat Pav Bhajji
makes a BIG batch!

In a large frying pan, heat 1 tsp canola oil over medium heat.

When hot, add:

1/2 c chopped onion (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp each ginger and garlic paste

Saute for several minutes, then add:

1 can sliced potatoes
1 16oz pkg frozen cauliflower
1 c frozen green beans

optional:
1/2 c frozen or fresh carrots
1/2 c frozen peas

Reduce heat to med-low, cover and cook about 10-15 minutes, until frozen veggies are no longer hard. Then stir in:

1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 heaping TB pav bhajji masala (I like MDH)

Mix well to blend spices, then add:

1 can Progresso Vegetarian Vegetable Soup
(rinse the bottom of the can with 1/2 c of water and dump that into the pan too)

Give it all a good few turns with a wooden spoon, then raise heat to medium, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. At this point the veggies should be soft — mash everything with a potato masher and continue to cook another 5-10 minutes, until the bhajji has thickened and smells deeeeeeelicious. Taste and add a little more masala if needed. Add salt at the very last — the soup is salty so it may not need any extra.

easypavbhajji
easy, lowfat pav bhajji with oat bran pita on ’spiral’ by Hocking glass, circa 1928

Serve with Joseph’s oat bran pitas for a ww treat — or with toasty buttery bread a la dear Nupur, if you want to indulge!

parrotglass
here is the bhajji in a depression glass sherbet cup ~ the pattern is called ‘parrot’ or ’sylvan’ by Federal glass, circa 1930 ~ if you look closely you can see the two parrots :)

~~~~~

I also tossed this little chaat together with cubed avocado, halved grapes, a little yogurt mixed with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar, and some spicy boondi. After I took its photo I realised the dish was a pattern called ‘tea room’ — ha! ;)

tearoomchaat
grape and avocado chaat in a ‘tea room’ bowl by Indiana glass, circa 1926

Comments (10)

What Happened To…

June 28, 2009 at 10:20 pm · Filed under Cooking, Great Lakes, Michigan, agates, birds, garden, indian cuisine, wildlife

…. the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer?


have a listen to Nat King Cole’s classic, set to pics courtesy of Snowqueen555.
The last sunset pic reminds me of Michigan,
so thanks, Snowqueen, whomever you may be!

Well it’s certainly crazy, but not hot and hazy — more like a June monsoon in my neck of the woods. If New England has seen five sunny days this month, I’ll eat my hat. Also not much time for lazy! The girl-child is off to drivers’ ed and then summer camp — while the boy-child is on break between classes and a summer internship. It seems once school lets out, life gets more hectic! I was, however, fortunate to enjoy a visit to my beloved upper peninsula over the past couple of months.

sandhillcranes_crop2
sandhill cranes ~ twenty miles north of nowhere and just south of Lake Superior

snowbuntings wfp
snow buntings playing at whitefish point

wfplightandpt
the lighthouse at whitefish point ~ with a laker far off on the horizon

paradiseagate4_09
lake superior agate

ryerson1_crop
dream boat ~ the Edward L. Ryerson ~ steaming downbound from the Soo

paradise409_a
a sunset in paradise…

And the garden, of course, takes much spare time in a most rewarding way!

As a very late birthday gift, I bought myself some organically grown heirloom tomato plants which arrived late in May, all the way from California (thanks, mom!).

In spite of the heavy rains and lack of sun, these tomatoes are taking off.

mariannaspeace1
marianna’s peace ~ heirloom ‘potato-leafed’ tomato ~ early June

mariannaspeace
… and late June

How does your garden grow?

Oh, and by the way… I’ve been cooking too, albeit mostly simple things of late.
I am hoping for some hot weather in July to get homemade dosa/idly batter going quickly! Tonight, it’s cool and rainy, so it’s this Udupi temple special from Ramya’s Mane Adige ~ a dish so delectable that it’s become a fast favorite. She made hers with brinjal; I also added pumpkin to mine in the form of sweet buttercup squash. So sweet in fact, that I didn’t add much jaggery. The squash was also a good thickener, so I didn’t use coconut. And of course, for seasoning, it was none other than ISG’s magical sambhar podi :) No photos of that, as it’s still on the stove, but check out Ramya’s pic and you’ll be drooling, I promise. Thanks, Ramya!

Comments (3)

Quick Capsicum with Home-Style Roti ~ From Sukham Ayu

April 6, 2009 at 12:09 am · Filed under Cooking, cats, indian cuisine

quick-capsicum-with-rotla-from-sukham-ayu
my rendition of quick capsicum with home-style roti ~ from Sukham Ayu

I wanted to illustrate the ease of Ayurvedic cooking as presented by
the authors of Sukham Ayu. As always, their generosity of spirit shines through;
Pratibha and Jigyasa graciously agreed to let me reprint a recipe here.

Many thanks, ladies!

I chose this green pepper curry because it uses ingredients easily found just about anywhere. Indeed, many recipes in the book call for standard items found in most Indian kitchens — although I was surprised to learn that cow’s milk is hard to come by in India. I have encountered only one unfamiliar ingredient: brahmi leaves.

According to the authors, capsicum is recommended for kapha and vata doshas due to its slightly pungent quality. The original recipe calls for roasted sorghum or green gram flour. Using the helpful and comprehensive food guide at the end of the book, I adapted it to suit my taste by substituting roasted besan (bengal gram flour). I remembered that from Indira’s Bell Pepper Zunka way back when; and more recently from my experiments with bell pepper pakoda. I know I am repeating myself, but there *is* something special about bell pepper and besan. I was glad to learn they’re both good for my prakriti — constitution.

Enough of my rambling — on to the food :)

Quick Capsicum with Basic Home-Style Roti
recipes from Sukham Ayu ~ Cooking at Home with Ayurvedic Insights

The home-style rotis are basic indeed — whole wheat flour and water, with a drop of ghee to moisten the hands while kneading. I won’t repeat the instructions as I am sure they’re fairly universal, as rotis go. The proportion of whole wheat flour to water is approx. 2:1.

I made them for practice :) Also, they taste great with the nutty capsicum curry.

blob
the first roti ~ affectionately known as ‘the blob’

As you can see, I need plenty of practice!

unblob
at last, slightly round ~ and puffing up!

OK, now that I finally made a semi-round roti, we can cook peppers –
and this time, I will type verbatim:

The Peppers

Green capsicum ~ 4 medium-sized
Spring onions (with leaves) ~ 1 bunch
Sorghum or green gram flour ~ 2 TB
Coriander powder ~ 2 tsp
Cumin powder ~ 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ~ 1 tsp
Coriander leaves ~ to garnish
Powdered rock salt ~ to taste

The Tempering

Cow’s ghee ~ 1 TB
Mustard seeds ~ 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder ~ a pinch
Asafoetida powder ~ a pinch

1. Chop the capsicums into 1 inch squares and the spring onion bunch finely.

2. Dry roast the flour over low flame for 1-2 minutes until the aroma rises. Set aside.

3. For the tempering, heat ghee in a wok. Add the mustard and as it splutters, add the turmeric and asafoetida powders. Immediately, toss in the spring onions and capsicums, reduce flame and saute for 2-3 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the roasted flour over the vegetable. Add coriander, cumin and chilli powders along with salt. Stir well, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve fresh with Roti and any Dal from this collection.

~~ You may substitute capsicum with fenugreek or spinach leaves ~~

To learn more about Ayurveda, visit KARE.

To learn more about Sukham Ayu, visit Pritya.

Recipes in this post are copyright by and courtesy of
Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain

Next up, ISG’s no-ferment oats ‘n grits dosas!
Yes, ISG, I finally got some steel-cut oats :)

And last but not least, can’t resist leaving you with this…

daisybox
daisy-in-a-box ~ ah, springtime sundays…

Comments (19)

Embracing Ayurveda with Sukham Ayu

March 30, 2009 at 1:52 am · Filed under About, Cooking, indian cuisine

Not long ago, I was the fortunate recipient of Sukham Ayu,
authored by the same talented ladies who invited us into Pedatha’s world in Cooking At Home with Pedatha.

Given my interest in Indian cuisine and culture, I was, of course, aware of Ayurveda. I had seen it mentioned and read a little. I never delved deep.
Perhaps because I am not Indian, I keenly felt what I perceived as my shortcoming. Ayurveda was far away, out there somewhere, high above me — residing on a plane beyond the realm of my understanding.

I was so wrong.

Cooking at Home with Pedatha brought the delights of traditional Andhra cookery within anyone’s reach. All you needed was a stove and pot, a few spices, and a willingness to learn — you, too could make Pedatha’s vangi bath!

With Sukham Ayu, in similar fashion, dear Jigyasa and Pratibha have lifted the veil of mystery from Ayurveda.

With their trademark ease, they have showcased the beauty and simplicity of age-old principles; making Ayurveda accessible to anyone with an open mind so that we may all reap the benefits of this ancient art.

The ability to bridge, through printed word, a world full of physical and cultural divides is truly a gift, and Sukham Ayu is truly a spectacular book. Once more I feel honored to be invited to the table — not only as a guest, but as an eager participant in the kitchen aforehand. All the while, I am embracing Ayurveda, and breathing deeply of the soul-food found in the lush greenery of the Western Ghats, above Mulshi Lake.

soya-pulav-with-jalepenos1

soya pulav from Sukham Ayu, served with oat-bran pita and spicy gongura pickle to temper my kapha and vata doshas

Comments (12)

Older Posts »