Mushroom and peas dry gravy

This is a great side dish consisting of mushrooms and peas in a spiced tomato curry with a touch of fenugreek leaves.
Serves 2 to 4

sliced mushrooms 2 cups
green peas 1 cup
diced tomatoes 1 cup
shredded ginger 1 tsp (opt)
fenugreek leaves(fresh or frozen) 3 tbsps (also known as kastoori mathi)
oil 2 tbsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
turmeric 1 tsp
coriander powder 1 tsp
red chilli pwdr 1 tsp
salt (adjust to taste) 3/4 tsp
lemon juice 1/2 tsp
green chili 1 chopped

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium high heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil.

Add the cumin seeds. As cumin seeds crack add turmeric. Stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add tomatoes, ginger, salt, coriander, and chili powder. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and reduced to half.

Add mushrooms, and peas. After coming to a boil reduce the heat to medium.
Add fenugreek leaves after mushrooms have cooked half the way about 4 minutes.
Cook until mushrooms and peas are tender.
Add lemon juice and green chili if you like. Serve hot.

Notes:

Dicing the tomatoes will give a different texture to the curry then tomato puree.
Fenugreek leaves can be replaced with chopped cilantro.

Veal and pork bolognaise

Veal and pork mince, 500 grams
Ripe tomatoes 3,chopped
Carrots,2 chopped small
Onion,1 chopped small
Olives, 1/4 cup,chopped and drained
Garlic 2-3 cloves minced
White wine,1/2 cup
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Red chilli flakes 2 tsps
Bacon, cooked and chopped,1/2 cup
Salt,pepper
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese


Take a wok, add oil.add garlic,onion,sauté well. Add tomatoes and carrots. Cook till carrots are soft.
Add mince,olives,red chilli flakes and 1/2 cup water. Close pan and let simmer for 15 mins till meat is cooked.
Add the white wine and cover and cook for about 30 mins on low flame.Add chopped bacon. Season with salt and
pepper.
Serve hot on pasta of your choice.
Grate Parmesan cheese on top before serving.

Lemon rice

Rice, 1 cup (cooked and cooled)
Juice of 1 lemon
Groundnuts 2 tbsps
Dry red chilli 2, broken
Sesame oil, 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Bengal gram 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Few curry leaves
Salt
Asafoetida,a pinch

Add oil to wok, add mustard seeds,once it's splutters.add Bengal gram, then groundnuts and sauté well.add red chillies, curry leaves,asafoetida and turmeric. Switch off flame. Immediately add the lemon juice and salt, stir once and pour the mixture into the rice. Mix well.

Serve with brinjal curry.

Serves 2

Pasta with creamy Spinach pesto

Ingredient
Large spirals 250 gm (cooked till al dente)
Almonds 8 (soaked in water, you can use as is if you don't have the time )
Spinach 3 cups(blanched)
Kalamata olives 1/4 c ,chopped
Sundried tomatoes, about 4,drained
Olive oil, 1/4 cup or more
Pepper and salt

Blend the almonds,half of the olives,sundried tomatoes till smooth. Add the spinach and little water and pulse till coarsely ground.
Take a wok,add extra virgin olive oil.Add pesto paste and remaining chopped olives. Warm through. Add cooked pasta.Season with salt and pepper.
Steamed asparagus or crunchy green beans or artichoke hearts preserved in oil can be added to make it more healthy.
Enjoy!

Adai - Savory Indian pancakes



I love the taste of crisp, golden brown and flavourful adai.

I brings back memories of my grandma fussing over all the grand kids, sultry summer afternoons and carefree childhood days.

How time flies but I can still smell the aromas of crackling mustard seeds and ginger wafting over the house that would make our mouths water . This is savory and choc-a-bloc packed with protein, perfect for breakfast or dinner and requires hardly an time for the batter unlike idlis or dosas.

Toor dal 1 c

chana dal 1 c

urad dal 1 c

masoor dal (red lentils) 1 c

rice 1 c

asafoetida 1/4 tsp

dry red chillies 3

garlic crushed 1 tbsp

mustard seeds 1 tsp

curry leaves 2 strands

cumin seeds 2 tsp

oil

salt

Take a bowl and soak all the dals and rice, red chillies and 1 tsp of the cumin seeds for 4 hours or overnight.

Grind the mixture to a smooth pancake like consistency.

In another wok,add oil ,splutter mustard seeds and 1 tsp cumin, add ginger and asafoetida, saute well.

Add this to the batter,mix well and add salt.

Take a skillet/kadai and add 1 tsp oil, make pancakes with the batter and cook both sides till crispy. It does need a bit of oil to get them tasty and crisp.

Serve hot with chutney podi or tomato thokku. (Recipe here )

Saffron and Almond Panna Cotta

I was craving something sweet and decadent. All I could think of was my moms rice pudding but with a twist.
I found this pannacotta recipe with such a delicate blend of aromas that it swept me away, perfect to satiate that sweet tooth.
Adapted from the blog " Whats for lunch, honey?"  The recipe is  found  here  Do check out Meeta's blog for some culinary gratification. Beautiful site, she has a way with words that captures the readers heart.

                                                                                                                                    Serves 4-6
 heavy cream 1 1/4 cups

sugar 6 tsp (about 1/4 cup

salt pinch

cardamom pods  3 crushed

saffron strands - 1/4 tsp crushed

whole milk 1/2 cup

gelatin granules 1 1/2 tsp

almond ,chopped coarsely

Heat the cream, sugar, and salt in a small pan until hot and sugar is well dissolved. Stir well to prevent the cream from burning as that wreaks the dish

Add the cardamom  and remove from heat.


In the meantime pour the milk into a small bowl warm, sprinkle the  saffron strands and gelatin over it. Set aside - about 5 mins to allow the gelatin to soften.

Add the milk-gelatin mixture to the cream mixture and reheat to steaming, stirring well to dissolve the gelatin.


Divide the mixture evenly between 4 to 6 bowls


 Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.


To serve: Sprinkle with chopped almonds and a few saffron strands.

Egg masala

This is a wonderful accompaniment for rice and can be whipped up in a jiffy. Takes about 20 mins, boil the eggs at the start so you can make the gravy while the eggs cook.Then peel the eggs and drop them into the prepared gravy.

Eggs are a wonderful sourse of protein and essential fatty acids.
Best to use organic or free range eggs.
Adjust the spice leve to suit your palatte.


Egg 6 nos

Oil 2 tbsp 

Curry Leaves 1 strand

Big Onion 2 nos ( medium )

Tomato 6 nos ( medium )

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Garlic paste 2 tsp

Chili Powder  1 tsp

Coriander Powder 1 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Water 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Tamarind pulp 2 tbsp


Cook the egg, boiling in water for 10 -15 min and remove the shell. With the knife just make  longitudinal slits in the egg.

 Chop Onion and tomato finely.

In a wok heat oil. When hot add mustard seeds, curry leaves, garlic and onion. Fry till the onion is translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and  saute for 5 mins.

Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Fry for 2 min.

Add tamarind pulp and water and allow it to boil.

Add the egg after gravy thickens and coat the eggs well.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.