Some memories

Sometimes I wish i had named my blog - Masalamagic and More… Because many a times I really want to write about something  that is totally not about food. In fact, nowadays I am so bored with food! I am in one of my “not wanting to cook at all” moods - and don’t like the sight of food moods. That’s why you see I have not been blogging much. Also not to mention there have been changes and getting used to it is taking time. Anyway, this blog is not about food. Even though this is a food blog - I am going to write about something other than food - What the heck right? What’s in a name after all - espcially who cares about a food blog name…

The past few weeks have been extremely hectic for us here. First off, as I have mentioned here before that my home was up for Sale… what with a pretty bad housing market here in the US, it was a pretty stressful time for us. But by God’s grace and a lot of hard work, our house got sold in 5 weeks! Never expected that- it took us by surprise.. And when it was actually time to move out - it really hit us. The nostalgia and the memories of the house flooding in and threatening to make me all wishy washy about this whole deal was quite hard. This was our first home, built with every little detail in mind. And like most first homes, we put all our soul and effort into - did extensive landscaping, built retaining walls, gardens and veggie patches, painting inside and out, decorating and the whole nine yards! This home had also seen a lot of traffic in terms of friends and family and suddenly the thought of giving it all up was a tad bit overwhelming! To imagine that this would belong to someone else was weird and painful. But like all things in life - this was our choice and life does move on. We’ve moved now and all settled in our new place and house now belongs to someone else!
A few pictures of my lovely home that was….
Disclaimer - Its not always this clean, as you see in the pictures, its clean because it was on the market! The ridiculous things we have to do to sell the house!

My wonderful kitchen that I miss!

My living room ~sigh~ I’ve spent hours sitting on that couch looking out the window at the far off fields sipping hot cups of coffee or tea!

My dining room.

The girls really miss their room. Diya told me yesterday that she wants to go back to her sweet home!

A view from my deck!

Its amazing how something so material can mean so much to us. I believe that I have to grow stronger than this - to detach myself from such feelings… I have a long way to go!

Will hopefully get back in the mood for some cooking soon. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts and thanks for reading!

 

Masala Kharabhaat for WBB Express Breakfast

Kharabhaat - a traditional Karnataka breakfast - which is essentially another name for vegetable upma. What can be more express than that??? Of course, don’t count the oats, cereal, bagels etc.
Breakfast at our home is usually oats or cereal. Every now and then to fancy Isha I make her a scrambled Eggs, Hash browns and Toast style breakfast. She loves that, says its her favorite!
But come weekend, I make it a point to make an Indian breakfast just so we don’t loose touch with the variety of Indian breakfast dishes - and also its kinda become a tradition at our home now Its always either Poha, Upma, Dosa or Idli on weekends. Every other time - I make something more elaborate like Rava Idli or Gunta Ponganaalu etc.
So when Dear Raaga announced Weekend Breakfast Blogging - Express Breakfasts I thought why not whip up Karnataka’s celebrated breakfast dish! Restaurants and Darshinis (small stand up and eat style restaurants) in Bangalore serve what is called Chow Chow Bhaat - which is a combination of one scoop of Rava Kesari or Kesari Bhaat and one scoop of Kaharabhaat or vegetable Upma with Coconut Chutney on the side. Bisi Bisi (Hot) Kharabhaat is something to die for! Especially early mornings when the little Darshinis open their doors, usually Kharabhaat and Pongal are the two breakfast dishes that are available as early as 7 in the morning!

So if you’re in Bangalore next time, don’t miss this scrumptious breakfast in one of the many Darshinis! And then come tell me your experience
This recipe here has a little twist to it and that’s why I call it Masala Kharabhaat! Learnt it from a friend’s mom, who gave me the recipe years ago! Sumathi - are u reading?

Masala Kharabhaat

You will need:
2 cups Upma Rava or Coarse Suji
1 cup vegetables (I usually prefer just plain green peas, but sometimes i throw in a few carrots, 1 potato and some green beans too)
1 Eggplant - Washed and chopped really fine - gives the Kharabhaat a unique taste
1 large onion - Chopped fine
1 large Tomato - Chopped fine
5 green chillies - Chopped fine
1 tsp Sambar powder or huli pudi
3 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp fresh cocunut (ground into a paste with a little water)
3 tbsp curds (yogurt)
2 sprigs mint leaves - Washed and chopped fine
1/2 bunch Cilantro - Washed and chopped fine
Salt to taste

Dry Powders:
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp Garam Masala powder

For Seasoning:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
a few curry leaves
a small piece of cinnamon or dal chini
3 cloves
one small cardamom - coarsely powdered
1 tsp ginger grated
1 garlic - minced (optional)

Method:

1. Roast the rava or suji with 1 tsp oil or ghee in a non stick pan for about 5 minutes on medium heat stirring in between and keep aside. You will know that the rava is roasted once u smell the lovely aroma. Keep stirring so it does not get burnt.
2. Cook the vegetables (except the eggplant) until 3/4 th cooked in water with a pinch of turmeric powder. Drain the water and keep aside. First fry Suji/Rava/Semolina in about 2 tsp of oil in a pan until light brown. Remove and set aside.
3. In a pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Then add urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves, cumin seeds, elaichi, cloves and dal chini and saute until the dals are golden brown.
4. Add chopped onions and saute until golden brown. Then add the chopped green chillies, and eggplant and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste. Saute until the tomatoes are mushy.
5. Then add the fresh coconut paste and mix well. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and sambar powder and saute for a few minutes.
6. Then add the curds and mix well. Add chopped mint leaves and cilantro/coriander leaves and mix.Saute until the whole mixture leaves the sides.
7. Add the cooked vegetables and salt and mix well.
8. Then add the roasted rava and more salt if needed and mix well.
9. To this add boiling water slowly and stir well. Add enough to ensure that the upma is well mixed and cooked. Reduce your heat to low and cover with a lid.
10. Cook until well cooked. Turn off the stove and mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
11. Serve hot with Coconut chutney.

Even though the list of ingredients looks daunting, this is actually one of the easiest and delicious breakfasts you can make in under 15 minutes! Hope u enjoyed the recipe!
 

 

Tendli Bhaat

Maharastrian cuisine is a delight. My two years of 11th and 12th were spent in a bustling business town in Karnataka -Hubli, which is closer to the Maharashtra border. As a result, Hubli is swarming with Maharastrian and Gujurati (since its a business town!) families and is heavily influenced by the Maharastrian culture. A staple in Hubli homes is Bhakri with Bharli Vangi also called Yennegai in Kannada and Usal and some spicy red chilli chutney. And sometimes to go with this menu on special occassions Masale Bhaat is made.  Masale Bhaat is a delicious one pot rice dish wonder that includes rice, mixed vegetables such as potatoes, green peas and eggplants and some simple spices. The taste is heavenly.
Tendli Bhaat is a similar recipe - except that it incorporates chopped tendli or tindora (gherkins) and green peas. A simple and tasty recipe that is going to Simple Indian Food- An Easy Cooking Blog for her event “Mixed Rice Varieties”. Thanks for hosting this fun event EC!

Delicious Tendli Bhaat

And now for this recipe: 
You will need:
2 cups Basmati Rice - Soaked in water for 1/2 hour.
3 cups Tindora or Tendli - Washed, snipped at the ends and chopped lengthwise
1/2 cup Green peas - Fresh or Frozen is fine. (I was out of green peas so I used frozen Whole Tuvar here).
1 Big Onion - Chopped lengthwise
2 cloves Garlic - Peeled and minced
2 green chillies - Slit lengthwise
1/4 ysp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 small pieces Cinnamon (Dal chini) and 2 cloves - Coarsely powdered together
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp Oil

Dry Powders:
1 tsp Red chilli Powder
3 tsp Dhaniya Powder (Coriander Powder)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 to 2 tsp Goda Masala (I used the one that Bee was gracious enough to send me!)

Method:
1. Wash and chop the Tindora. Chop the onions, green chillies and mince the garlic.
2. In a pan, heat the oil. Add the powdered cinnamon and cloves and bay leaves. After about a minute, add the chopped onion and minced garlic and saute until golden brown.
3. Add the chopped tendli or tindora, the green peas, the turmeric powder and a little salt. Mix well and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add about 1 to 1.5 cups of water and cook covered with a lid for about 8 minutes on a medium flame until the tindora is almost cooked.
4. Then add all the dry masala powder and mix well. Cook without a lid at this point until all the water has evaporated. Turn off the stove and keep aside.
5. Meanwhile cook the basmati rice in a rice cooker until done. I use the ratio 1 cup rice to 1.5 cup water. Cool the cooked rice in a large platter or large mixing bowl.
6. Mix the tendli mixture, add a little salt and mix well. If it is too dry you could add 1 tsp of ghee and mix well.
7. Alternatively, you could add the soaked Basmati Rice to the Tindora when it half way cooked. Add just the required amount of water and cook covered on a low flame until the rice is fully cooked. Stir gently in between. Make sure you use a heavy bottomed pan for this process so the rice does not get burnt.
8. Serve hot with raita!

 

 

Cooking from Other Blogs - Weekend Rambling

Cooking at my home has been pretty limited these past few weeks. But if you know me by now, you know that I cannot stay away from the kitchen for too long! Actually, to improvise, I have a makeshift kitchen on my deck Thanks to my friend Viji (from here- not our Viji of Vcuisine), I now dish out good food on my deck and have managed to keep the odors out of my home!
Here’s a look at my makeshift kitchen:

The 3 burner Gas Stove that’s a lifesaver!

Also, I have been cooking a lot from other’s blogs. Though I have not been great at taking pictures, I’ve taken a few here and there!
Pasta had been on my mind lately. For one it is delicious - who can resist a big bowl of Pasta? Weight watchers - out of the window! Carb overdose u bet! The other day we felt like a big bowl of spaghetti/pasta - I googled around for some recipes and I landed here.

Delicious Spaghetti!

It was an easy and delicious recipe - more to suit my taste buds - what with the red chillies. The only improvising I did was to add chilli powder instead of chillies. I also added some grilled red peppers to the spaghetti and some grated paneer! It was one heavenly bowl! Thanks Indira as always for a great recipe! No one needs any introduction to Mahanandi - I have cooked so many of Indira’s recipes at home and have adopted them as my own now

Next stop, Viji’s Kitchen. Viji’s blog is a private one - but by God she has the most mouthwatering pictures and I love the way she makes life look so simple! I admire her simple living, her outlook towards life and the courage with which she has faced so many battles! I love her “wordings” that she posts at the end of each post and her great advice on Parenting. I’ve learnt a tip or two from her on that. Somehow, she comes across as this extremely calm and serene lady!
I’ve tried many of her recipes - the one that I have a picture of is the Bittergourd Podi - Karela Stir Fry.

Bittergourd Podi
Since her blog is private - with Viji’s permission I am sharing her recipe with you here: In Viji’s own words -

Ingredients (for two servings)
Bitter gourd – Indian variety – 1 small
Oil for frying

To soak and grind
Channa dhal - 4 tbsp
Red chili – 2
Coconut 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp for sauting the grinded channa batter

To temper
Oil (Sesame + Coconut oil ) 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds ¼ tsp
Urad Dhal 1 tbsp
Onion 1
Green chili – chopped – 1
Grated Ginger 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Hing powder ¼ tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation

Wash and cut the bitter gourd into small pieces. Deep fry them in oil. If you want to avoid this you can marinate the cut pieces in 1 tsp oil and bake it at 200oC till it becomes crisp.

Soak the channa dhal along with chili for 30 minutes. Drain it for another 10 minutes. Grind it coarsely without adding water along with coconut. In a skillet take 1 tbsp oil and saute the grinded paste till it is granular.

In another skillet, temper as given. Add onion and other ingredients and saute for a while. Then add the sauted paste and fried bitter gourd. Adjust the salt. I normally add 50% salt with channa dhal and the remaining while mixing everything. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Very delicious.

Next stop, Shilpa’s Home. Now that Shilpa shares her online world with her mom Mrs. Varada, even the more merrier! We get to see and read about authentic recipes from a wonderful Indian kitchen near Kumta in Karnataka and also of course more wonderful recipes from Shilpa’s kitchen here! Again, I have trie dmany of Shilpa’s recipes but don’t often get to taking pictures! Konkani cuisine is very close to my heart - all through my growing up years I enjoyed Konkani food at my best friend Priya’s home, and now I am able to dish out those wonderful recipes here at home - Thanks to Shilpa!
This time I got my hands on some Malabar Spinach and tried Shilpa’s Valli Bhajji Ambat - Spinach Ambat! It was an awesome recipe and made me very nostalgic!

Malabar Spinach Ambat

Thanks Shilpa for a delicious Recipe!

More recipes that I tried and don’t have pictures of are:
Jai and Bee’s Rajma - Actually I do have a picture of this - but it sucks! I was in a big hurry to serve and gobble this up my self - could not resist and did not do justice with the pictures! The only thing I added to this recipe, was that I tossed in 2 small pieces of dal chini and 2 pieces of Laung. The Rajma itself was delicious - we ate it with some Rice and Desi Ghee Thanks Jugalbandits for a great recipe!

Anita’s Sarson Da Saag - This one was a sudden plan - so I could not serve it with Makki di Roti. We just ate it with plain rotis - but next time! A good Punjabi friend of mine - Kuldeep made this for me while I was pregnant with my second - it was divine! Anita’s Sarson da saag - reminded me of that time! It was a wonderful, easy recipe - will surely be making it again with makki di roti!

Sailu’s Tomato Kothimira Pachadi and Beerakaaya Pachadi - Both were excellent recipes. We liked the Tomato Kothimira Pachadi with Dosas and the Beerakaaya Pachadi with Rice. Of course, Sailu is the queen of Pachadi’s - I’m not going to say anything more on that

I think that’s it for now. I have many more on my list of “To Try” recipes. Hopefully, things on the home front will ease out soon and I can resume my blogging, my cooking and my picture taking with more vigour!

Thanks all for visiting!

 
 

 

 

 

 

Bloggers for Bri

Yet again, we the food blogging community have come together to organize and run a fundraiser. CLICK the monthly Food Photography event, that is the brainchild of Jai and Bee at Jugalbandi goes “Yellow” this month.  In honor of Brianna Brownlow who blogs at Figs with Bri the CLICK event this month is a special edition that will hopefully draw attention from a lot of people in Blogosphere!

Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.

She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.

The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.

CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for Bri

Yellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer.

The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.

The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.

There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button here.

Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.

This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE.

Thanks for visiting and thanks Jai and Bee for giving us all a chance to participate in our own little way.

 

 

 

Amaranth Stem Kootu

Amaranth Stem, the thick stalk of the the Amaranth Leaves, also called “Thandu” in Tamil and
“Dantu” in Kannada is a very delicious vegetable. Tender stems of the Amaranth leaves, cook really fast and have a unqiue taste and are extremely nutritious. Everytime I can lay my hands on Amaranth greens (Thotakura) here in our Indian stores, I look for a bunch that has thick but tender stems. This vegetable can be cooked in many ways. My favorite dish is to combine it with channa dal and make a kootu with it that is delicious with Rice or even as a side to Chapathis. A lip-smacking South Indian kootu with this tender green stem will make you fall in love with South Indian cuisine all over again.

Amaranth Stem Kootu

You will need:
2 cups Amaranth Stems - Wash and Chop fine
1 cup Channa Dal - Soak in water for about 1/2 hour
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 small round of tamarind soaked in warm water
salt to taste

For the Ground masala paste:
1/2 cup grated Fresh coconut
5 Dry red chillies
2 tbsp Whole Dhaniya
1 tsp urad dal
a small piece of cinnamon
2 cloves

For Seasoning:
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad dal
a pinch of Hing
Some curry leaves

Method:
1. Wash and Chop the Amaranth stems.
2. Soak the channa dal. Combine the chopped amaranth stems and the channa dal and pressure cook in a pressure cooker with enough water for one whistle.
Cool and keep aside.
3. Roast the dry red chillies, dhaniya, cinnamon and clove in 2 drops of oil. Keep aside. Then roast the urad dal to a golden brown in the same pan. Combine all the ingredients (including the roasted ones) for the ground masala paste and grind into a smooth paste with about 1/2 cup of water.
4. Soak the tamarind and squeeze out the extract/pulp and keep aside.
5. Combine the cooked stems and dal along with tamarind pulp , the ground masala paste, turmeric powder and salt and cook for about 10 minutes on a medium to low flame.
5. In a pan, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds, once they splutter add the urad dal, hing and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the cooked kootu and serve hot with rice or chapathis.

Note: For the traditional Tamilian style kootu omit the cinnamon and clove. I usually like to add just a bit to enhance the flavor and the aroma of the dish!

This picture and recipe from Raji of Talimpu is another favorite of mine. Simple and easy Amaranth Stem Koora, nothing can get more easy and divine as this. Simple Saatvik food to satisfy the saatvik soul!  

 

Quick and Easy Vegetable Sandwich

This simple and easy sandwich is a quick fix recipe that i usually use when i am really hard pressed for time or when it is just lunch for me. The crunchy texture of the onions combined with butter lend this sandwich a very pungent yet delicious flavor.

You will need: (makes 1 sandwich for 1 person)
Two Slices of Bread (I use Honey Wheat, you can use anything you prefer)
1/2 small onion - Chopped into Slices or cubes
1/2 small tomato - Chopped into Slices or cubes
1 tbsp grated Carrot
1 small green chilli - Chopped fine or minced
1 tbsp shredded cabbage
salt to taste
1 tsp butter (dont omit this - this gives the sandwich a delicious sticky texture) - I ran out of butter here, so I used ghee - but i prefer the butter.

Sandwich - All assembled - Ready to be Toasted!

Method:
1. Spread butter on the insides of the two slices and place on a plate.
2. On one slice, spread the onion and tomato slices, then top with the shredded cabbage, grated carrots and green chilli. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Close with the other slice.
4. On a pan, heat a hint of butter, place the sandwich on the pan and press firmly with your hand or the back of another flat pan (almost like a grill). Toast this way for a minute.
5. Slowly life the entire sandwich with a spatula and turn it over to toast the other side. Repeat step 4 until the other side is a golden brown.
5. Serve hot with some chips and a soda on the side

Sandwich - Ready to be gobbled!

A simple hearty sandwich for Anupama’s Sandwich Festival. Thanks Anupama for hosting this wonderful event.