Well hey. A year and a half later--after shift changes, job changes, and going back to school--I've found myself cooking a lot again. And I thought to myself "Hey. I used to do a blog for that." So here we are again.
Carrie's birthday was last week, and this was my birthday present to her: a homemade Indian dinner and a clean house.
PALAK DAL
(recipe from about.com)
Ingredients
1 cup chana dal (yellow lentils)
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste
1 package frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces) or 1 bunch spinach chopped.
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped or 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chopped green chili
4 tablespoons lemon juice (I left this out, as I didn't have any on hand.)
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
cilantro to garnish
Method
1. Cook the dal in the 5 cups of water with turmeric and salt for 30 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach is tender and mixed with the lentils--about 35-50 minutes.
2. In a separate pan heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and as they pop add the onions. Brown the onions.
3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, green chili, coriander, garam masala, red chili powder, stir 2 minutes.
4. Add the daal and spinach and lemon juice, stir and heat through.
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with pita or chapati or basmati rice.
KIRTI'S MOM'S ALOO GOBI*
(Recipe handed down to me from a friend of a friend.)
Ingredients
2 medium cauliflower heads (cubed)
4 medium potatoes (cubed)
13 cloves garlic
4 green chilies (Serrano or jalapeno) cut small
2 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3 small ginger root pieces
Method
1. Start with cold pan. Fry potatoes in a few tablespoons of oil until browned, stirring regularly, add cumin.
2. Grate ginger and garlic in to pan with potatoes.
3. Combine spices in to small bowl and add to potatoes.
4. Add cauliflower--stir until coated. Add more oil, if needed.
5. Cook covered on medium-high for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Turn to high, stir, cover, cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add chilies, cook uncovered for 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Once dry, cook on lowest setting for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
VEGAN ORANGE CAKE
(recipe from earthvegan.blogspot.com)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup minus 2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp Cointreau liqueur (I used Grand Mariner, as that's the orange liqueur I had on hand.)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
Method
1. Mix together the wet ingredients and add to the dry. Stir until smooth.
2. Pour into a greased and floured 9 inch square cake pan.
3. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then slide a thin knife around the edges.
5. Gently remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling on a rack.
NOTES:
*I made HALF this recipe for dinner that night. Although Indian food refrigerates well and will last for a good week or so before getting weird, I wasn't sure that we needed quite that much food between three people. In the end, apparently, I probably could have made the full recipe.
VERDICT:
I was a little nervous about the palak dal, as it's actually not a dish I'd had before. But we had yellow lentils on hand and, more importantly, a bunch of spinach that needed to be used that day. It turned out really well, though, despite my lack of lemon juice. I ate it for three meals.
The aloo gobi was also a hit, as potatoes and cauliflower are among Carrie's favorite vegetables, and she'd never had it before. It was gone by the end of the next day.
The cake was amazing. I served it with frosting (store-bought whipped vanilla).
Will definitely make all of these dishes again.
Showing posts with label indian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indian. Show all posts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Aloo Tikki with Chhole
Recipe: aloo tikki
Another dish I've had at a restaurant and have tried to reproduce at home. The chhole isn't what I had in the restaurant. I had sev sar over it, but apparently the internet doesn't know what sev sar is...oh well. They were still good separately.
Aloo Tikki
Ingredients:
1/4 kg potatoes boiled and grated
1/4 cup of boiled and mashed green peas
2 slices white bread toasted a bit and made into a coarse powder (bread crumbs)
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
1" ginger grated
3 tbsps of chopped fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chaat masala (optional)
1 tsp roasted cumin pwd
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
ghee/oil for shallow frying
Method:
Boil potatoes and cool them before grating them.Add the rest of the ingredients except the ghee and mix well.Roll into lemon sized balls and flatten them and shape into cutlets or round burger shaped patties and flatten them a bit.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee on a griddle and add 3 to 4 tikkis at a time and let them cook on slow fire till a crisp golden color crust is formed on both the sides.Remove on absorbent paper and serve with chole & a squeeze of lemon.
CHHOLE-
Ingredients:
2 cans Garbanzo beans also called Chick Peas
2 large Onions, chopped finely
4 large Tomatoes, chopped finely OR 1 cup of canned tomatoes can be used instead
2 teaspoons Ginger paste
2 teaspoons Garlic paste
2 Bay leaves
1 Star anise
2" long Cinnamon stick
2 to 3 teaspoons Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Garam masala
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons Oil
3 table spoons fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
1/4th cup cilantro or coriander leaves, chopped finely
Method:
Heat the oil; add the bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick and the ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for a few minutes till light brown.
Add the onions and fry till brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté till the oil starts to separate.
Add the cumin powder, garam masala salt, sugar and mint leaves. Mix well.
Add the garbanzo beans. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve over Aloo tikkis with some finely chopped red onion, cilantro leaves & a squeeze of lemon.
Verdict:
So, I ended up serving the aloo with yogurt and eating the chhole separately. I loved the aloo, but then again, it's potatoes and yogurt, two of the best ingredients ever. The chhole was good, too, but I think I should have used fresh tomatoes to make it more fresh and creamy.
This could be gluten free if you substituted the breadcrumbs with corn meal or something. There are other recipes that use corn meal, if you search.
Another dish I've had at a restaurant and have tried to reproduce at home. The chhole isn't what I had in the restaurant. I had sev sar over it, but apparently the internet doesn't know what sev sar is...oh well. They were still good separately.
Aloo Tikki
Ingredients:
1/4 kg potatoes boiled and grated
1/4 cup of boiled and mashed green peas
2 slices white bread toasted a bit and made into a coarse powder (bread crumbs)
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
1" ginger grated
3 tbsps of chopped fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chaat masala (optional)
1 tsp roasted cumin pwd
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
ghee/oil for shallow frying
Method:
Boil potatoes and cool them before grating them.Add the rest of the ingredients except the ghee and mix well.Roll into lemon sized balls and flatten them and shape into cutlets or round burger shaped patties and flatten them a bit.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee on a griddle and add 3 to 4 tikkis at a time and let them cook on slow fire till a crisp golden color crust is formed on both the sides.Remove on absorbent paper and serve with chole & a squeeze of lemon.
CHHOLE-
Ingredients:
2 cans Garbanzo beans also called Chick Peas
2 large Onions, chopped finely
4 large Tomatoes, chopped finely OR 1 cup of canned tomatoes can be used instead
2 teaspoons Ginger paste
2 teaspoons Garlic paste
2 Bay leaves
1 Star anise
2" long Cinnamon stick
2 to 3 teaspoons Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Garam masala
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons Oil
3 table spoons fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
1/4th cup cilantro or coriander leaves, chopped finely
Method:
Heat the oil; add the bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick and the ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for a few minutes till light brown.
Add the onions and fry till brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté till the oil starts to separate.
Add the cumin powder, garam masala salt, sugar and mint leaves. Mix well.
Add the garbanzo beans. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve over Aloo tikkis with some finely chopped red onion, cilantro leaves & a squeeze of lemon.
Verdict:
So, I ended up serving the aloo with yogurt and eating the chhole separately. I loved the aloo, but then again, it's potatoes and yogurt, two of the best ingredients ever. The chhole was good, too, but I think I should have used fresh tomatoes to make it more fresh and creamy.
This could be gluten free if you substituted the breadcrumbs with corn meal or something. There are other recipes that use corn meal, if you search.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Upitta and Ravioli
Recipes: Sage cream ravioli
This week has been crazy. So, due to different engagements every night, I have cooked two meals partly from scratch. Enjoy!
Upitta--
Ingredients:
Cream of Wheat
potatoes
peas
onions
spices
oil
Method:
1. Peel and boil potatoes. Toast Cream of Wheat.
2. Saute onions and spices.
3. Add potatoes.
4. Add Cream of Wheat and follow box's directions.
Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce--
Ingredients:
1 8- to 9-ounce package refrigerated vegetable-filled ravioli
Method:
Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
I used spinach and cheese ravioli, from the *gasp* frozen aisle. The sauce was nice. It needed a little more butter to mellow it out, and I was using a fruity wine that wasn't quite right. I also would have strained out most of the 'stuff' that ends up in the sauce at the end, just to make for a more pleasant eating experience. You could even use some of it as a garnish.
I served the ravioli with a radicchio and carrot salad that was okay. I also forgot to bring the bread (we had a picnic), so it wasn't as filling as it could be.
This week has been crazy. So, due to different engagements every night, I have cooked two meals partly from scratch. Enjoy!
Upitta--
Ingredients:
Cream of Wheat
potatoes
peas
onions
spices
oil
Method:
1. Peel and boil potatoes. Toast Cream of Wheat.
2. Saute onions and spices.
3. Add potatoes.
4. Add Cream of Wheat and follow box's directions.
Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce--
Ingredients:
1 8- to 9-ounce package refrigerated vegetable-filled ravioli
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage leaves
3/4 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup whipping cream
Parmesan cheese shavings
Method:
Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and stir until slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pecans to small bowl. Add shallots and sage to same skillet. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cream. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
Add ravioli to sauce; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls. Sprinkle with pecans and Parmesan.
Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and stir until slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pecans to small bowl. Add shallots and sage to same skillet. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cream. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
Add ravioli to sauce; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls. Sprinkle with pecans and Parmesan.
Verdict:
Well, I still can't make Upitta, but now that I can spell it, I have found some recipes that I can try. One day, Sharad will teach us how to do it. He's made it alot and it always comes out to this consistency that I just can't get. And I messed up the spices this time. So, I'm sorry if that recipe sucks. I'll share the winner when I can find it!
I used spinach and cheese ravioli, from the *gasp* frozen aisle. The sauce was nice. It needed a little more butter to mellow it out, and I was using a fruity wine that wasn't quite right. I also would have strained out most of the 'stuff' that ends up in the sauce at the end, just to make for a more pleasant eating experience. You could even use some of it as a garnish.
I served the ravioli with a radicchio and carrot salad that was okay. I also forgot to bring the bread (we had a picnic), so it wasn't as filling as it could be.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Dosas with Miscellaneous
Recipes: dosa, tomato chutney, cilantro chutney, red onion chutney
Dosa--
Ingredients:
1/2 kg raw rice
300 g black gram
salt as req'd
Method:
1. Wash and soak rice and black gram for at least 8 hours
2. In a blender, blend a little of each with enough water to get a pancake-batter consistency. Pour into a second bowl as needed so you are only dealing with about 2 cups at a time in the blender.
3. Set aside for 6-8 hours.
4. Lightly oil a flat griddle. If desired, rub a raw onion on the pan between each dosa.
5. Heat griddle with high heat. I'd give it about 5-7 minutes to get hot.
6. Turn down heat. With a ladle, add one ladle-ful of dosa batter to the middle of the pan. Pressing down, go in a spiral from the middle, pushing the batter out into a circle. You want the dosa thin so it cooks best so don't be afraid to really spread it out--but using circular motions. Think crepe thinness.
7. Turn heat back to high. With a spoon, drizzle oil around the edge of the dosa.
8. Wait about one-two minutes, right as the edges start to curl and the thin parts look brown, then flip it. Add a little more oil around the edges if you feel it is necessary.
9. Once golden and almost crispy, remove and repeat.
10. I seriously recommend eating a dosa at a restaurant or experienced friend's house before you try this. If you don't really know what a dosa is, it is hard to make. Once you know, it is as easy as pancakes.
Tomato Chutney--
Ingredients:
Method:
Cilantro Chutney--
Ingredients:
1 cup coriander leaves
1 tablespoon oil or Ghee
3 small green chilies, minced
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp sugar
salt to taste
Method:
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the green chilies and ginger for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and add garlic paste. Remove from the heat and add coriander leaves and mix completely. Place the mixture together with, salt and sugar in a food processor or grinder and mix until well blended.
Red Onion Chutney--
Ingredients:
object2=">2 cups finely chopped red onion
object2=">1/2 cup red wine vinegar
object2=">1/3 cup packed brown sugar
object2=">1 teaspoon mustard seeds
object2=">1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
object2=">1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
object2=">1/4 teaspoon salt
object2=">1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Method:
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Potato Curry--(Carrie's recipe)
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 large onion, chopped well
1 tsp tumeric powder
2-3 tsp curry powder
1/2 green chili, finely chopped
some chopped cilantro
salt
Method:
1. Really, I know what's it's supposed to taste like, and all the recipes online are too ocmplicated or I'm missing ingredients, or I feel like they are. So, just spice to taste.
2. Peel and boil the potatoes.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds. They will start to pop. Add onion and saute to golden brown.
4. Add spices and potatoes. Let simmer for a bit. Taste and re-spice as necessary.
I hadn't really eaten a dosa until this past year, and even then, I ate it with the usual restaurant-provided potato curry (what you get when you order Masala Dosa). So I set out to find alternative dips for the dosa. In the end, I loved the tomato chutney. The red onion was nice, but bland next to the tomato. The cilantro was, eh, something I wouldn't do again. And the potato curry was fabulous, as always.
I also cheated here because Grandpa (the father of my boss) made the dosa mix for me the day before. I have seen him do it five or six times, but never done it myself. I would suggest, because the chutneys and potatoes are a handful on their own, to just buy pre-made dosa batter at a local Indian store. It needs to ferment for at least 6 hours, so be sure to find out when it was made to make sure it will be ready when you cook.
In all, it was a delicious Indian-nosh kind of night.
Dosa--
Ingredients:
1/2 kg raw rice
300 g black gram
salt as req'd
Method:
1. Wash and soak rice and black gram for at least 8 hours
2. In a blender, blend a little of each with enough water to get a pancake-batter consistency. Pour into a second bowl as needed so you are only dealing with about 2 cups at a time in the blender.
3. Set aside for 6-8 hours.
4. Lightly oil a flat griddle. If desired, rub a raw onion on the pan between each dosa.
5. Heat griddle with high heat. I'd give it about 5-7 minutes to get hot.
6. Turn down heat. With a ladle, add one ladle-ful of dosa batter to the middle of the pan. Pressing down, go in a spiral from the middle, pushing the batter out into a circle. You want the dosa thin so it cooks best so don't be afraid to really spread it out--but using circular motions. Think crepe thinness.
7. Turn heat back to high. With a spoon, drizzle oil around the edge of the dosa.
8. Wait about one-two minutes, right as the edges start to curl and the thin parts look brown, then flip it. Add a little more oil around the edges if you feel it is necessary.
9. Once golden and almost crispy, remove and repeat.
10. I seriously recommend eating a dosa at a restaurant or experienced friend's house before you try this. If you don't really know what a dosa is, it is hard to make. Once you know, it is as easy as pancakes.
Tomato Chutney--
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of plum tomatoes, peeled and diced. (Unpeeled tomatoes will end up losing their peel in the mix, which is fine but affects the texture)--> just use two or three cans of peeled tomatoes, it will save you so much time though it won't taste as fresh
- 3 ounces of fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 1/4 c sugar
- 1 red onion, diced very small
- 10 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3/4 c apple-cider vinegar
- 3/4 c balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/3 c golden raisins (or dried apricots if you prefer)
Method:
- Simmer everything but the raisins into a heavy saucepan over low heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently over low heat, until you get syrup, about 45 minutes.
- Add the raisins and cook 5 to 10 minutes to make them plump.
- If the sauce seems runny while warm, it will thicken as it cools.
Cilantro Chutney--
Ingredients:
1 cup coriander leaves
1 tablespoon oil or Ghee
3 small green chilies, minced
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp sugar
salt to taste
Method:
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the green chilies and ginger for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and add garlic paste. Remove from the heat and add coriander leaves and mix completely. Place the mixture together with, salt and sugar in a food processor or grinder and mix until well blended.
Red Onion Chutney--
Ingredients:
Method:
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Potato Curry--(Carrie's recipe)
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 large onion, chopped well
1 tsp tumeric powder
2-3 tsp curry powder
1/2 green chili, finely chopped
some chopped cilantro
salt
Method:
1. Really, I know what's it's supposed to taste like, and all the recipes online are too ocmplicated or I'm missing ingredients, or I feel like they are. So, just spice to taste.
2. Peel and boil the potatoes.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds. They will start to pop. Add onion and saute to golden brown.
4. Add spices and potatoes. Let simmer for a bit. Taste and re-spice as necessary.
I hadn't really eaten a dosa until this past year, and even then, I ate it with the usual restaurant-provided potato curry (what you get when you order Masala Dosa). So I set out to find alternative dips for the dosa. In the end, I loved the tomato chutney. The red onion was nice, but bland next to the tomato. The cilantro was, eh, something I wouldn't do again. And the potato curry was fabulous, as always.
I also cheated here because Grandpa (the father of my boss) made the dosa mix for me the day before. I have seen him do it five or six times, but never done it myself. I would suggest, because the chutneys and potatoes are a handful on their own, to just buy pre-made dosa batter at a local Indian store. It needs to ferment for at least 6 hours, so be sure to find out when it was made to make sure it will be ready when you cook.
In all, it was a delicious Indian-nosh kind of night.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Malai Kofta
(Recipes: Malai, Kofta)
Malai (Gravy)--
Ingredients:
Onion - 2 medium
Tomato puree - made from 2,3 tomatoes
Gingergarlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Garam masala - 2 teaspoon
Cream - 1 cup
Method:
1.Cook sliced onions in 2 cups water. Once it is cooked, drain the water completely and grind the onions into a smooth paste. ( I cheated and used a blender. It was easier and saved a lot of time, but in the end, you really don't get the right texture)
2.Heat oil in a pan and saute onion paste. After 5 minutes add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2,3 minutes. Add all masala powders and stir for 5 minutes or until the oil starts forming a layer on top.
3.Add tomato puree and once the puree is mixed well in the gravy add the cream. After 5 minutes, remove from gas.
4.Spread prepared koftas in a plate and pour the gravy over it.
Kofta (Potato Cheese Balls)-
Ingredients:
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 200 gms
Potato - 1 medium - big (boiled & mashed)
Crushed pepper - 1 tablespoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Cornflour - 1-2 tablespoon
Salt
Oil - for frying
Method:
1.Mix all the ingredients (except oil) together.
2.Take small amounts from it and make small balls.
3.Deep fry in oil & serve hot with sauce of your choice.
This a favorite of both Seven's and mine at our local Indian restaurant. Feeling brave, I decided to try it on my own. It is very labor intensive, especially the first time because you don't know how to line up everything. I was also pressed for time due to working late, so I chose the simplest recipe I could find in five minutes. Many other recipes call for more complex spices and vegetables that I did not have on hand, but I would like to try those one day to see.
Okay--first, the sauce. I think I just about had the right flavor. The texture was wrong and the color too yellow. The sauce was a little mellow, but I held back on the chili flakes/powder just to be safe. Next time, I'll add more. It was really good over rice and I'd make it again.
The koftas--well, for some reason, mine just wouldn't fry. I went through three pans and four or five methods before giving up. I ended up just making pancakes...that were mushy. It tasted good but it wasn't the same. We'll see how it goes next time...
Seven says:
So it didn't look pretty, that's for sure. (Reminded me quite a lot of the time I tried to make lovely little bubble and squeak patties and ended up with fried mush, actually. If anyone has tips for neatly frying mashed potato-based food, I'd love to hear it.) However the dish tasted just about right, which was pretty impressive. I do love malai kofta.
Malai (Gravy)--
Ingredients:
Onion - 2 medium
Tomato puree - made from 2,3 tomatoes
Gingergarlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Garam masala - 2 teaspoon
Cream - 1 cup
Method:
1.Cook sliced onions in 2 cups water. Once it is cooked, drain the water completely and grind the onions into a smooth paste. ( I cheated and used a blender. It was easier and saved a lot of time, but in the end, you really don't get the right texture)
2.Heat oil in a pan and saute onion paste. After 5 minutes add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2,3 minutes. Add all masala powders and stir for 5 minutes or until the oil starts forming a layer on top.
3.Add tomato puree and once the puree is mixed well in the gravy add the cream. After 5 minutes, remove from gas.
4.Spread prepared koftas in a plate and pour the gravy over it.
Kofta (Potato Cheese Balls)-
Ingredients:
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 200 gms
Potato - 1 medium - big (boiled & mashed)
Crushed pepper - 1 tablespoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Cornflour - 1-2 tablespoon
Salt
Oil - for frying
Method:
1.Mix all the ingredients (except oil) together.
2.Take small amounts from it and make small balls.
3.Deep fry in oil & serve hot with sauce of your choice.
This a favorite of both Seven's and mine at our local Indian restaurant. Feeling brave, I decided to try it on my own. It is very labor intensive, especially the first time because you don't know how to line up everything. I was also pressed for time due to working late, so I chose the simplest recipe I could find in five minutes. Many other recipes call for more complex spices and vegetables that I did not have on hand, but I would like to try those one day to see.
Okay--first, the sauce. I think I just about had the right flavor. The texture was wrong and the color too yellow. The sauce was a little mellow, but I held back on the chili flakes/powder just to be safe. Next time, I'll add more. It was really good over rice and I'd make it again.
The koftas--well, for some reason, mine just wouldn't fry. I went through three pans and four or five methods before giving up. I ended up just making pancakes...that were mushy. It tasted good but it wasn't the same. We'll see how it goes next time...
Seven says:
So it didn't look pretty, that's for sure. (Reminded me quite a lot of the time I tried to make lovely little bubble and squeak patties and ended up with fried mush, actually. If anyone has tips for neatly frying mashed potato-based food, I'd love to hear it.) However the dish tasted just about right, which was pretty impressive. I do love malai kofta.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Vegetable Biryani
(Original recipe from BBC Food, completely mucked around with by Seven.)
Ingredients
1 cup Basmati rice
small handful peas
small handful green beans - chopped
1 medium (or several baby) carrot - cubed
1 small potato - cubed
1 tsp tomato paste (or a dollop of tomato puree)
tsp salt, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric to taste (I got lucky just chucking things in, but start with small amounts.)
55g/2oz finely chopped onions
4 roasted chopped cashew nuts (Steal from trail mix at work, if you don't feel like buying just 4 cashews.)
Method
1. Rinse and cook the rice until just soft. Drain well. OR throw into a rice cooker and forget about it until it's time to put everything together.
2. Cube the carrot, potato, and beans and cook with peas in a saucepan of boiling water until soft. Add tomato paste, salt, chili powder, masala, turmeric and onions to the vegetables.
3. In an ovenproof dish, press half of the rice down on the bottom of the dish, spread the vegetable mixure on top of that, and top with the rest of the rice. Make sure everyting is spread evenly.
4. Sprinkle the top with chopped cashew nuts, pinch of salt and red chili powder.
5. Cover with foil and warm through an oven at 140C/275F for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
I served this as it was, with an aloo paratha on the side (bought frozen from a local Indian store) and it was pretty good. However, it was extra delicious the next day with a bit of vegetable oil (not olive oil!) drizzled on and some Greek yoghurt on top. Yoghurt, of course, makes it not vegan.
This made enough food that Carrie and I could have had two servings each, although in the end we went with two large portions for dinner and I stole the rest for my lunch the next day.
Verdict
A good meal, very easy to make, and nice because we had all of the ingredients lying around the house already. (Enormous bags of frozen vegetables are so great.) Not my favorite of all time ever, but I'd make it again.
Carrie Says:
I liked it. I agree that it would have been nice with a little more oil to loosen things up. Just be careful with the garam masala. Seven seasoned it perfectly, but because recipes always call for so little, it is easy to want to put more. Don't. If it's any kind of decent, it is very strong and just a little is just enough.
Ingredients
1 cup Basmati rice
small handful peas
small handful green beans - chopped
1 medium (or several baby) carrot - cubed
1 small potato - cubed
1 tsp tomato paste (or a dollop of tomato puree)
tsp salt, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric to taste (I got lucky just chucking things in, but start with small amounts.)
55g/2oz finely chopped onions
4 roasted chopped cashew nuts (Steal from trail mix at work, if you don't feel like buying just 4 cashews.)
Method
1. Rinse and cook the rice until just soft. Drain well. OR throw into a rice cooker and forget about it until it's time to put everything together.
2. Cube the carrot, potato, and beans and cook with peas in a saucepan of boiling water until soft. Add tomato paste, salt, chili powder, masala, turmeric and onions to the vegetables.
3. In an ovenproof dish, press half of the rice down on the bottom of the dish, spread the vegetable mixure on top of that, and top with the rest of the rice. Make sure everyting is spread evenly.
4. Sprinkle the top with chopped cashew nuts, pinch of salt and red chili powder.
5. Cover with foil and warm through an oven at 140C/275F for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
I served this as it was, with an aloo paratha on the side (bought frozen from a local Indian store) and it was pretty good. However, it was extra delicious the next day with a bit of vegetable oil (not olive oil!) drizzled on and some Greek yoghurt on top. Yoghurt, of course, makes it not vegan.
This made enough food that Carrie and I could have had two servings each, although in the end we went with two large portions for dinner and I stole the rest for my lunch the next day.
Verdict
A good meal, very easy to make, and nice because we had all of the ingredients lying around the house already. (Enormous bags of frozen vegetables are so great.) Not my favorite of all time ever, but I'd make it again.
Carrie Says:
I liked it. I agree that it would have been nice with a little more oil to loosen things up. Just be careful with the garam masala. Seven seasoned it perfectly, but because recipes always call for so little, it is easy to want to put more. Don't. If it's any kind of decent, it is very strong and just a little is just enough.
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