korivi karam (ripe red chilly pickle)

I have always loved this Andhra pickle ever since I tasted it in my Aunt's place. So I had to try it when I saw red ripe chillies interspersed with the green ones in the Indian grocery store. So I spent quite some time picking out a pound of just the red ones. After reading a few recipes here and here, this is what worked for me. It was quite easy to make and the most painstaking task was wiping the washed chillies to ensure that they are dry.

ripe red chillies (the slightly long ones would be less spicy) - 1 pound
tamarind (wet Indian variety) - .5 pounds
salt - .25 pounds or to taste
fenugreek powder - 2 tsp
asafoetida - 1/ a tsp
gingelly (sesame) oil - 1/2 a cup (approximately)

Wash and dry the chillies (by drying out in the sun or wiping each one of them). Remove the stems and add to a blender/mixer. Grind with tamarind and salt without adding water. (Add oil if needed). Marinate for 3 days before adding fenugreek powder and heated sesame oil with asafoetida. Mix well and let it stand for a week or 2 before the spice level tones down and it is ready for consumption. Stir with a ladle occasionally.Will store well for a really long time.

Goes well with curd rice (of course) and idlis (add sesame oil to it to combat the heat). Enjoy if you are sucker for spice and heat!

Note: Only RIPE chillies work well for this recipe.

Rava pongal

Ingredients:

Rava - 1 cup
Moong dal (pasi paruppu) - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup substituitional if not you can add water instead of milk.
Cashew nuts - 10
Pepper corns -1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Ginger - (minced)
Ghee - as you wish
Oil - The more oil the better it is
Curry leaves - a few

Procedure:

1.Pressure cook the dal, strain and save the stock and set aside the dal.
2.Roast the rava in a tsp of ghee and set aside.
3.In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and oil and season with pepper corns and cumin seeds.
4.Then add the cashews, ginger and curry leaves and fry until cashews turn golden brown.
5.Add two and half cups of the following mixture - water, milk.
6.Add salt and let the mixture boil. Then add the roasted rava and stir in medium heat until the rava is well cooked and reaches a semi solid consistency.
8.Now add the cooked dal, mix and cover in low heat for 5 mins.
9.Add some ghee on the top and mix well.
Serve hot with coconut chutney, sambar.

Coconut quinoa

Quinoa is a very interesting grain and a nutrition storehouse .. Lot of the recipes I have found online have a western tinge to them. A lot of the entrees and preparations didn't seem to naturally belong with quinoa as they would with rice or bread for example.

This recipe feels like it has arrived as far as quinoa was concerned.

quinoa - 1 cup
coconut (shredded frozen/fresh) - 1/2 cup
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal (black gram lentils) - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
dried red chillies - 2-3
curry leaves - few
oil - 1 tsp
salt to taste

To cook quinoa add 2 cups of water, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until completely dry and al dente. (If using half a cup of quinoa add 1 cup of water and cook for 10-15 minutes).
In a pan, add the oil, mustard seeds, black lentils, peanuts, chillies and curry leaves and let it sputter.
Add coconut and fry till it is dry and browned a little bit.
Add cooked quinoa and salt and toss. Serve by itself or with kadhi/kootu.

Penne Pasta with Broccoli pesto on the fly

I had basil growing at home and yesterday felt like pasta night. As I was just confirming the recipe of basil pesto online, I chanced on this recipe for a broccoli pesto. I was curious and cynical at the same time. So the recipe evolved depending on what I was feeling when!

First I went ahead and made a classic basil pesto.
pinenuts - 1/2 a cup
basil - I harvested two cups but used maybe half a cup.
olive oil - 2 tbsp
garlic powder - 1 tsp
cayenne (dried) red chilly - 2

Blend all the ingredients together. Add enough olive oil to make a paste to facilitate blending. I do not like the leafy pesto they serve in some restaurants. I just added enough basil leaves to make the pesto green but left it in the creamy state that the pinenuts and olive oil contribute to.

I wanted to make a white sauce but didn't have any butter in the house. Loads of cream sitting in my freezer (from the Farmers All Natural Creamery milk) just wouldn't thaw fast enough so I could whip some butter. In comes the broccoli.

Broccoli cream sauce (serves 2-3)
Broccoli stalks - 1 small head
Milk/Cream or a combination - 1.5 - 2 cups
Pesto - 1 tsp (from above)
leaf oregano - to taste
Fresh ground pepper
salt

Cut up the stalks of broccoli and keep the broccoli florets aside. Add water to stalks to submerge and simmer till soft. Blend the cooked broccoli stalks and simmer and stir with the milk till the sauce thickens. Remove from fire a little before the desired consistency is achieved since the sauce thickens further on cooling. Add freshly ground pepper, salt, oregano or other herbs, and 1 tsp of the pesto. By the time you finish you would hardly taste the stalks in the sauce. The sauce tastes very much like the basil pesto cream sauce you find in restaurants.

Roasted vegetables:
Bake vegetables of your choice (I used 1 small head broccoli chopped, 1 sliced onion, 1 bell pepper and 1 tomato deseeded) tossed in olive oil, salt and crushed red clilli flakes at 450 F for around 15 minutes. To our surprise, broccoli tasted the best with the pasta.

Make a pasta bowl with penne cooked with olive oil and salt, the roasted vegetables and sauce. Granish with basil leaves and even basil flowers (found out that they were very much edible)
Enjoy!

Update: tried the same with cauliflower (I liked it but G thought the broccoli sauce was better)
To do: try with squash

I am never throwing lauki peel away again!

My mom makes a chutney out of Lauki peel. I was very apprehensive and hence added a lot of other ingredients but still the wonderful flavor of the peel stood out and appealed.

Skin (peel) of 1 lauki (soraikkai, dhoodhi)
coconut and cilantro to taste
1 tbsp ural dal (black gram lentils)
tamarind to taste (1 spoon)
red chillies to taste
salt

Dry roast urad dal and red chillies and saute the lauki peel.
Grind all ingredients with coconut, cilantro and tamarind. Serve with rice/paniyaram etc.

butternut squash fries

A very good substitute for Kerela style jackfruit chips.

Peel and cut butternut squash into thick french fry style pieces. Spray(coat) with (olive) oil, salt and chilli powder. Roast in the oven at 450 F for 15-20 minutes on a greased roasting plate.
If not using a roasting plate ( with slits on its surface) you may have to turn the fries once in the oven.

Remove from oven when done and enjoy.
Recipe works with winter squashes. (i have tried acorn squash as well and prefer the butternut variety)

Pepper Mushroom

For people who love mushrooms in anyway,here is one you will really enjoy if made right.

INGREDIENTS:

Onion- 1 Medium or big sliced..
Mushroom- 1 box bought in King Soopers
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Garlic- 2 cloves minced fine(people who dont like it,can skip)
Curry leaves adds good taste- 1 bunch
Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Danya powder, Garam Masala,Pepper powder, Salt
Cilantro to garnish

PROCEDURE:

1. In a pan,heat oil and add sliced onions and minced garlic till golden brown and curry leaves.Add ginger garlic paste.
2.Add Sliced mushrooms along with onions and add turmeric powder, danya powder, chilli powder and fry well. Do not add salt till end to avoid mushrooms giving out water too much.
3. After sauteeing for a 10-15 mins and the mushrooms looks well done, add pepper powder,garam masala powder,salt and sautee for 5 more minutes.
4.Add cilantro for garnish and switch off. Simple but yumm.