Beetroot poriyal

What a beautiful intense colour! this root vegetable is so beautiful to see and healthy to eat, but the only problem I have with beetroots is that , it dyes and paints my cutting board with colour, my kitchen counter, knifes, bowls and my fingers of course! It makes it so hard to clean all the surfaces.  Otherwise, it is such a healthy nutrient dense vegetable.


Ingredients:
Beetroots - 2 boiled, peeled and chopped
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp ( fresh or dry)
Chana dal - 1/2 cup, soaked and cooked
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies -2
Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
Coriander - 1 tbsp chopped
salt
Oil

Method:
Take a pan add 2 tbsp oil, add red chillies, mustard, cumin when it starts spluttering, add curry leaves. Add the chopped beetroots and fry. Add salt and boiled chana , mix well.  Drizzle lemon juice, Garnish with Coconut and coriander and serve hot with rice as a side dish or salad.

Tip: Add 1 tsp vinegar and salt when boiling the beets.

Caramelized Butternut squash

Here's  a great recipe to make during the Thanksgiving and Halloween time, when Pumpkins and squashes are in abundance and available at throw away prices.  My Brother, a culinary expert made this recipe on a Thanksgiving dinner. It tasted so Juicy and tender, it was just melting in mouth. Especially the combination of warm squash, right from the oven and the cold ice-cream makes it more delicious.  Makes a great dessert!!  You can alternate the flavour with cinnamon or nutmeg.  Finally,  I was able to  make use of my belly dance hip-scarf to accent the table decoration, if not for dancing !

Ingredients:
Butternut squash -1
Butter - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon pwd - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Apple juice - 3 tbsp
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup

Method:
Pre-heat the oven at 350 Deg C
Split the squash in two peices. Scoop out the seeds.  Cut the squash in  length wise peices. Place it in a greased pan. Put the dallops of butter on the squash( it melts when placed in the oven) Add cinnamon sticks to it. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon powder evenly . Drizzle apple juice on top.  Place it in the oven for 45 min or until done.  The skin remains hard and firm but the inside should be soft when touched and turn slightly brown.
Serve it warm with ice-cream and Garnish it a hint of mint.

Tip:  It's hard to cut the squash in peices.  Use a big chopping knife.

Dal palak vada

During my University days, our college had a small canteen which was run by a woman.  Our college principal gave her special permission to run a canteen, and make a livelihood. She used to live there with her hub and  3yr old son.  During the break time, we  all friends gather in the canteen, sit under the thatched roof and on old  half broken benches. The canteen lady used to share some interesting stories about her native place, and make Dal vadas.  She also shared her Dal vada recipe with us.  I don't know about my friends but I still remember the recipe. She makes the best Dal vadas.  The taste is still lingering in my mouth. She made her Dal vadas with " Thota kura", a leafy vegetable, But I substituted it with spinach.  It equally tastes good. give it a try, here is the recipe....

Ingredients:

Chana dal/ yellow split chick peas - 1 cup, washed, soaked and ground to paste
Palak/ spinach - 1 cup, chopped
Red chilli pwd - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Aijwan / caraway - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Wash, soak and grind the chana dal  with less water to form a dough/paste.
• keep some soaked chana dal seperately, add it to the ground paste.
• Add chopped spinach, red chilli pwd, cumin, aijwan, salt and mix it well.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan .
• Take lemon sized ground chana dal paste and flatten it with fingers and deep fry. Serve .

Tip : If you want to make it spicy add chopped green chillies, and chopped onions.

My fellow blogger Radhika is hosting an event "Deep fried snack". This is the first time I am taking part in such events. Here is my contribution for this event...

Hyderabadi dishes

I uploaded some pics of Hyderabadi recipes.  Your questions, comments, suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Click here to view the presentation:

Potli ka masala

Most of my friends were asking about this unique Hyderabadi spice blend which is used in Biryanis and the method to use it. So, here it is....

Potli ka masala is mostly used in Hyderabadi cuisine. It is a mixture of various spices, herbs and roots. It is used for Bringing the special aromatic fragrance biryanis and various meat based recipes. Potli ka masala is tied in a muslin cloth and droped in the water and bring it to a boil. The spices releases the flavour into the water. The water is then used to cook rice, which gives the aromatic flavour to Hyderabadi Biryani. Potli ka masala is used in Biryanis, Nihari, Haleem, Paya etc... You can make your own Potli ka masala with the given ingredients. But, it is hard to find all the ingredients in one place. It is best adviced to buy the ready made packs, which is easy to use and there will not be problem finding the all the rare ingredients

Ingredients:


 Bay leaf (tej patta)

 coriander seeds whole (dhania)

 vetiver roots –dried, (khas ki kadi)

 sandalwood powder (chandan)

 dry rose petals (sukhe gulab ke phool)

 black cardamom (kali ilaichi)

cassia buds (kabab chini)

cinnamon (dal chini)

 litchen (pathar ka phool)

 galingale (pan ki jadi)

 Star anise

Kapoor kachli

Kasuri methi

 If you are trying to make your own mixture.  Except Daniya (50 gr), take 25 gr of each item and make your own spice blend.

Ready made Potli ka masala packs are available in all Indian and pakistani Grocery stores.  Cost is around 2 bucks.

Qubani ka meeta

"Qubani- ka- meeta" a royal dessert from Hyderabad, India. The word " Qubani " in urdu meaning " Apricots" a sweet dessert made with apricots. This Exotic Hyderabadi dessert made with Apricots is sure to delight your tastebuds. There's nothing quite like a perfect nawabi dessert for your sweet tooth. "Qubani ka meeta" is served in the rich, royal weddings or on special ocassions. It is quick and easy to make recipe with very few ingredients. I agree it's an occasional treat, but it is simple to make to amaze your guests!

I made this recipe with the regular, dried, pitted apricots. If you find the brown apricots, it's excellent!! This is the first time I'm making it at home, after enjoying it in the Hyderabadi weddings. I used to think that it is made with dates, because of the brown colour. My muslim friends shared the secret of the recipe. I like some chunks of apricot  to remain when cooked or it will be totally like a baby food.

 

Ingredients:

Dried apricots - 1 cup, deseeded, soaked overnite

Sugar - 1 cup (Adjust accordingly)
Creme fraiche/ fresh cream/ whip cream/ Cool whip - few dallops to serve
Melon seeds - 1/2 tsp to garnish

 
Method:

• De-seed, Soak dried Apricots overnight,
• In a pan, fill water until it the apricots are just immersed and cook it on medium to slow fire until done.  It takes about one to two hours to become soft.  Stir occasionally. Cook until the water is almost evoporated.
• Coarsely crush the apricots with the back of the spoon.
• Add the sugar,  Stir  constantly  to make sure it is not burnt at the bottom.
• Remove from heat and let it cool down

Serving suggestions:  In the serving bowl, put few spoons of apricot mixture and top it off with Cream. Garnish with almonds or melon seeds.  Serve chilled. You can also use custard to layer but it is optional. 

KingFish Steak

I get the freshest fish here in Toronto, from a Chinese grocery store. He fishes out the live fish from the aquarium. You get to choose which fish you want... and kills right in front of you and cleans it roughly and makes pieces according to your request. I normally prefer live fish for the sake of freshness. But today, I found the fresh, beautiful king fish steaks, not the live fish ofcourse! It was so tempting to buy.... You can make various recipes with it.

Deep fried fish is normally done with batters like tempura, beer batter etc, or  breaded or coated with flour. It is full of oil.

Pan fried/ shallow frying fish seems to be a better option with less oil and cooks quick, tasty and nutritious.

Steamed fish is the healthiest option of all. It can be cooked with minimum or no oil at all. King fish steaks comes atleast with one inch thickness.It is meaty, fleshy and less of bones. This recipe should not take more than 10 mins to cook. You can apply the same recipe to all most all kinds of fish. Here is the recipe for you to enjoy and experiment with.


Kingfish steak
Ingredients:
king fish steaks - 2
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Red chilli pwd - 1/4 tsp
Coriander pwd - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric pwd - pinch
All purpose flour - 1 tbsp ( to make the thick crust)
Salt
Pepper
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Clean, rinse and pat dry the king fish steaks. Put them in a bowl add all the above ingredients except oil and marinate the fish for 30 mins. Heat the frying pan, pour oil and fry the fish on medium flame, until golden brown. Allow it to form the crust and turn golden brown and flip to the other side and fry. ( too much flipping will break the fish)  Drain the excess oil on paper towels. Serve with rice and sambar.

Quiche

Quiche is a french recipe, baked in the oven with butter, milk and eggs in a pie shell or without the shell, in a greased pan. This recipe is my kids favourite. I love to serve them, because it is covering all the food groups mentioned in the Canadian food guide. It has dairy products from butter, milk and cheese. Protein from Eggs. Carbs from the flour that is used. Choice of vegetables can be added. I made a slight change in the normal baking process. I used the Pancake puff maker to make the bite sized quiche, for the convenience of kids. They love the mini size and enjoy it ! The bite sized pieces can be served in the cocktail parties too.. A lot of variations can be made with this recipe like Corn Quiche, Mushroom Quiche, Shrimp Quiche, ham and cheese Quiche.  Quiche can be served as breakfast or any time of the day.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour -3 tbsp
Eggs - 3
Milk - 1/2 cup( adjust accordingly)
Butter - softned 2 tbsp
Cheese -  2 tbsp Grated
Vegetables : Mushrooms, Sweet red bell peppers,  Green peppers,  finely grated Carrot, Onions, Broccoli
approx 1 tbsp each, finely chopped.
Dried herbs -for seasoning, pinch like basil, tyme , tarragon
Baking powder: a pinch
Salt
Pepper

Method:
Saute the vegetables with few drops of oil  for a min or two and let it cool.
Beat together eggs  and  milk, add  softened butter and continue to beat.  Add the flour stir it well  and  make sure there are no lumps. Add  dried herbs, salt , pepper, and baking powder and mix.  Add sauted vegetables give a quick stir and pour it in the greased pan .Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake it in the oven at 350 degC for about 30 mins. or until the top layer is  sligtly brown . Test:  Insert a wooden skewer to check, if cooked. The skewer should come out clean.

Method for bite sized Quiche:
Heat the pan cake puffs maker and grease it with butter.  Pour the mixture into each slot leaving 1/4th space open for puffing. Cover it and cook it on medium to slow flame. Once you see the mixture cooked and the edges are slightly brown, it is time to flip.  Cook on the other side and serve.

Roast beef with Indian flavours

I used to have  hardtime finding the right kind of meat cut for my Roast.  There are too many varieties of meat cuts available in the market for various culinary uses and my knowledge about picking the right one and making the roast was limited. I was very intimidated to give it a try. During the summer, I decided to make it.

We went to view the sandcastle  festival at Cobourg. On our way back, kids were very hungry and  we're looking for a food joint.  We saw a big line up at the beach road. It was a Que for Beef roast sandwich at a  push cart street vendor.  Surprised by the serpentine line! We gave a try and guess what??  It was amazingly good! never thought it would taste so juicy and tender. I asked him how he made it... he quickly shared his recipe.  I made my own  changes to it and there you go...

Ingredients:
Beef / Lamb - Rump roast prefered
Salt
Pepper
Red chilli pwd - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala pwd - 1/2 tsp
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp

Tools required:  Roasting pan and rack ( the juices can collect )
Meat thermometer ( to check the internal temp of the meat)
Carving knife ( to get the perfect cuts)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and rub it to the Meat. Cover it and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two.

Preheat  the oven for 245 c/ 450F
Place the roast  on the rack and  place shallow pan  beneath the roasting rack to collect the drippings from the roast .  (No need to turn it frequently, if placed on rack) .  Place the meat in the middle of the oven.
When done, let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes, Cover it with aluminum foil to keep it warm, before carving to serve.

Time and Temperature control:
Take the temp of the meat with the Meat thermometer

For Rare roast, after 15 min it should read 54.deg C/ 71F

 for Medium rare, after 20min  it should read 60. deg C/ 140F
 for Well done, after 40 min it should read 75.deg C/ 135F

To make the gravy:
Loosen / deglaze the drippings from the roasting pan and collect the drippings  into a pan and place it  on the stove top at medium heat.   Add some water,  dash of red wine, or beef stock, salt pepper and your fav herbs like tyme/ rosemary . Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch in a little water and add . Stir constantly while the gravy thickens to avoid lumping.

Serving suggestions: Can be served as the main meal  with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes/ mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and Gravy on the side or the Carving slices can be served as a sandwich with bread.

Carrot Juice

Carrots are the excellent source of Beta carotene, Vit A, Fibre and potassium.  Good for the eye sight.  It helps prevents night blindness, protects against cancer.  Carrots are naturally sweet, makes an excellent low calorie snack. Eating one carrot provides enough Vit A, to prevent various illnesses.  Having prudent amount of carrots may confer major health benefits. This is the easy way to get the kids get their daily intake of Vit A.  When My kids were small I used to feed the fresh carrot juice through the  feeding bottle, without any additives.

Recipe 1
Ingredients:
Carrots - 2 peeled, washed and  roughly chopped
Water -1 cup
Crushed ice - 1 cup
Condensed milk - 2 tbsp

Method:
Put the chopped carrots into a blender, add water blend it till smooth. Using the filter take out any lumps.  Add the condensed milk and stir .Serve cold.

Recipe 2
Ingredients:
Carrots - 2 peeled, washed and roughly chopped
Water - 1 cup
Crushed Ice - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch, peeled , washed and chopped
Sugar - 2 tbsp

Method:
Put the chopped carrots, ginger, sugar into a blender, add water, crushed ice, blend it till smooth. Using the filter take out any lumps.  Garnish with mint, Serve cold.

Gobi Tandoori

This recipe is for vegetarians who don't quite enjoy the flavours of Tandoori chicken. "Tandoori Chicken"  is chicken marinated in yogurt and other spices and cooked in the oven called tandoor.  Here, we are substituting chicken with Cauliflower. Normally, I marinate tandoori chicken overnight so, it gives the moist, tender, succulent , juicy flavours.  You don't need long marinating hours for this recipe.  Use this as a starter or a side dish the flavours are going to take you to a different world. Sometimes I get big phool Gobi for a good deal at a nearby store.  I use some of the gobi  and don't know what to do with the leftover Gobi.  I marinate it and pop it in the oven. Doesn't need lot of cooking, and tastes great!

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 10  florets , washed
Tandoori masala  -2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic  paste - 1 tsp

Salt

Pepper

Yogurt - 2 tbsp ( thick)

Method:
Marinate the Califlower florets with all the above ingredients and set it aside for 1 hr.
Broil / grill/ Barbeque or Bake it in the oven at 350 deg C. for 30 min or until slightly browned.

Serve.