Sunday, February 12

Corn Korma

It is such a scrumptious dish that is so so simple and would appeal you very much. Sweet, tangy, salty and spicy korma goes well with pulao or rotis. As a fresher in kitchen, this is definitely one of my savior dishes.


Ingredients:

1. Corn - 1 cup
2. Oil - 2 tbsp
3. Onion - 1 finely chopped
4. Cardamoms - 2
5. Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped
6. Beaten curd - 1 cup
7. Chili powder - 1 tsp
8. Sugar - 1/4 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Green chili - 1 chopped fine (optional)
11. Salt to taste

Method:

Step 1: Blanch or steam the corn for 4 minutes.
Step 2: Now heat oil in a pan, add cardamoms and saute the chili, onion and tomato in it.
Step 3: Add the chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and add cooked corn to it.
Step 4: Add the beaten curd, stir continuously until it starts to boil and transfer immediately to serving bowl.



Friday, February 10

Pumpkin Kozhaviri

If kids do not like any vegetable, probably it is because the parents didn't make them like it. I remember hating pumpkin when I was a kid and someday my grandpa exemplified to me how much on this pumpkin kozhaviri and I suddenly started developing a taste for it. He did not really give any long gyan, after all at the age of 6 such a gyan would have made me to detest the vegetable further; instead he lightly described how beautiful and fresh they are grown in the season and how this particular dish melts in his mouth and not just words but observing him relishing the dish made me give it a try and somehow it started tasting great for me then onward. It sounds crazy, but some frames of childhood are so clear that they stay long lasting; so, it is wiser to make such frames good ones. 

Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin cubed and boiled with salt and turmeric – 2 cups
2. Green chillies – 2 chopped fine
3. Oil
4. Mustard seeds – ¼ spoon
5. Urad dal – 1 spoon
6. Asafoetida – 1 pinch
7. Curry leaves – 1 sprig
8. Tamarind extract – ¼ cup
9. Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Step 1: Temper mustard seeds, urad dal, green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida in this order in3 spoons of oil.
Step 2: Add boiled pumpkin and pour some water and slightly mash it with ladle
Step 3: Pour tamarind extract to it and let it boil
Step 4: Garnish with coriander leaves finally
Step 5: Serve with hot steamed rice along with ghee

Masala Gatte ki Subji

Gatté is one of the many vegetable substitutes of Rajasthani side dishes. In Rajasthan, due to the limited availability of fresh vegetables, they have invented ways to store preserved vegetables and then use them in cuisines when needed.  Apart from these sun-dried, preserved veggies they also use lentil dumplings of different types like gatté to cook delectable subzis. 

Ingredients:

For gatté 
1. Bengal gram flour - 1 cup
2. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
3. Garam masala - 1 tsp
4. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt as per taste
7. Oil - 2 tbsp

For Gravy
1. Tomato - 1
2. Green chilies  - 2
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
4. Bengal gram flour - 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric - 1 pinch
6. Chili powder - 1 tsp
7. Salt as per taste
8. Curd - 1 cup

Method:

Step 1: Make a tight dough with all gatté ingredients and some warm water.
Step 2: Grind tomatoes and green chilies in a mixer.
Step 3: Roll into thing long rolls. Boil water and add cylindrical rolled dough of 2" diameter into it and boil for 10 min. These dumplings can be steamed as well.
Step 4: Let them cool, then cut into small 1” thickness gatte.
Step 5: Shallow fry the gattés in some oil and keep aside
Step 6: In the same oil fry the ground tomato and ginger garlic paste until raw smell goes.
Step 7: Then add water to required consistency and add fried gatté  to it. Spice up with chili powder, turmeric and salt.
Step 8: Lower the flame, mix gram flour in the beaten curds and add it to the pan, now bring to boil, check and adjust salt and spices. Keep stiring in low flame and switch off once done, overdoing will curdle the curds.
Step 9: Serve with rotis or phulkas or puris.