Chili con Elote -Chili with Corn | Mexican comfort for chilly nights

Now that its raining at nights, I thought I better prepare something that will keep us full and warm. I was thinking of good ol' chili when Aunt Google showed me chili with corn or Chili con Elote. I was under the impression that chili sin carne or meatless chili which has corn was the ultimate. But curiosity made me try this 'sweet corn only no other veg' chili  from here and it hit the tastebuds like anything.  Seriously its easy to prepare and goes well as a soup or with rice and/ or breads.

Ingredients:

Onion: 1 chopped (almost 1 cup)

Garlic: 1 medium size chopped

Green Bell Pepper : 1 medium :chopped into bite size pieces

Vegetable Stock / Water: 2 cup +/-

Tomatoes: 1 cup chopped 

  OR

Tomato Paste : 2 tbsp

Fresh/ Frozen Sweet corn : 2 cups +

Cooked Red Kidney Beans: 3 -4 cups

Paprika / (Mexican) Chili Powder: 1/2 -1 tsp

Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp

Oregano: 1 tsp + 

Salt: as per taste

Oil: for sauteing

Preparation:

Saute onion and garlic in oil until transparent and aromatic. Add in green pepper pieces and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add in the spice powders, little salt,corn and tomato chopped/ tomato paste along with water/stock and bring to boil. Also add in the cooked beans mashed coarsely.

Reduce heat and let it simmer for bout 20-30 minutes till it thickens a bit and reaches your choice of consistency. Do taste test and adjust the salt and spices.

Serve as a soup, side with bread/roti/rice and also as tortilla filling or bread spread or even as a dip if you grind it coarsely

A simple spicy gravy or curry if you prefer so. I liked it as a soup as well. An easy one too if you have cooked beans sitting in the fridge waiting to be used. No hassle of chopping other vegetables too. You can refer the other varieities of chili - sweetpotato and chocolate if you prefer to add veggies or go different from the usual.

Dhansak Dal | Healthy Parsi Style Lentils & Veggies

Since last post was Parsi Brown rice obviously this post will be its partner in gourmet crime - Dhansak dal. The word dhansak literally transaltes into grains & vegetables. Coming the Persia, the Parsis /Zoroastrian community settled along the Indian coast mainly Gujarat and developed a unique cuisine combining both the cuisines. Normally it is made of mutton,lentil and vegetables along with brown rice for a hearty Sunday lunch.  A heavy dish with long prep time it is a traditional Parsi Sunday lunch. Dhansak is also cooked during funeral or sad occasions, so you will not find it during weddings. 

I have tried the vegetarian version from Madhur Jaffrey's World vegetarian and it turned out quiet hearty and heavy but easier than expected.

Ingredients:

Masoor Dal: 4 tbsp

Toor /Arhal Dal (Split Pigeon Peas) : 4 tbsp

Mung Dal: 4 tbsp

Aubergine/Eggplant: 1 small peeled and cut into chunks almost 3/4 cup

Pumpkin: 1/2 cup peeled and cubed 

Fresh Mint Leaves: few 

Fresh Coriander/Cilantro: few

Cumin Seeds: 2 tsp

Coriander Seeds: 1.5 tbsp

Cinnamon: 1 " piece broken into smaller pieces

Cardamom Sees: 1/4 tsp

Dried Red Chillies: 3-6 or as per taste

Black peppercorns: 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds: a big pinch

Turmeric powder: 1 tsp

Vegetable oil: 2-4 tbsp 

Onion: 1 medium finely chopped

Garlic: 2 cloves ground + Ginger: 1 inch piece peeled and ground 

                                  OR 

simply Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp 

Tomatoes : 1.5 cups peeled and chopped 

Salt: 2 tsp or as per taste

Tamarind pulp/paste 1 tbsp or lemon juice :2-3 tsp

Dark soft Brown sugar /Jaggery: 1 tsp 

Garnish: (Optional) 

 Browned onions, Fresh cilantro or green chilli sliced into fine rounds

Preparation:

Cook together on stovetop  or pressure cooker, the lentils, herbs and veggies and keep aside. 

Dry roast the cumin, coriander, cinnamon,cardamom dried red chillies, peppercorns and fenugreek seeds in a small pan until they start browning and become aromatic. Cool slightly and grind into a fine powder in the mixer or coffee grinder.

Heat oil in a deep pan and saute onions till they turn brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir until the raw smell goes. Add the spice powder and then the tomatoes. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add 1 ccup of water ad bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and let it cook until the tomatoes are softened. 

Pour the tomato mix into the lentil mixture along with enough salt, tamarind pulp and sugar/jaggery. Stir gently and let it cook for 15-20 minutes covered but the lid slightly ajar so that it does boil over. This will let the flavours mingle well. Mix all the ingredients well even mashing them up with the back of the spoon/ladle. 

Serve warm garnished with browned onions,cilantro or green chilli rounds. As usual I skipped this part and just consumed it hungrily with brown rice.

Sri Lankan Green Beans &Potato Curry - Bonchi Curry

This is again a delicious Sri Lankan stew or curry that I had adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. The dish makes use of a Sri Lankan raw curry powder which is again a fragrant mix of spices that I have made use of in my Lankan Dal. 

The curry is supposedly to be used as a side with rice and pickles. I found that the taste is similar to the stew that is made in Kerala to be served with appams. I loved it with rice and rotis. So suit yourself when to serve this.:)

Ingredients:
Potatoes: almost 1 cup peeled and cubed
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 + 1/4 tsp

Vegetable Oil: 1-2 tbsp
Fresh CurryLeaves: few or atleast 8-10

Red Onion: 1 big chopped finely
Garlic: 2-3 peeled and minced
Ginger: 1/2 tsp peeled and minced/ground
Green Chillies: 1-2 depending on heat and taste : chopped into rings (I used slit)

Green Beans: 1 cup chopped
Raw Curry Powder: 3 tsp +/- (recipe given below)

Coconut Milk: 1/2 cup +/- depending on thickness
Cinnamon: 2-3 inch stick
Salt: as per taste
Fresh Lime Juice: 2 tbsp +/- (I did not use this)


Raw Curry Powder:

Coriander Seeds: 2 tbsp
Fennel Seeds: 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1.5 tbsp
FenuGreek Seeds : 1 tbsp
Fresh CurryLeaves: 3 whoe sprigs or about 60 in no: OR a handful of dried ones
Dessicated Coconut: 1 tbsp (I used Fresh)
Raw Rice: 1.5 tsp
Brown/Black Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp

Preparation:


CurryPowder:

Preheat the oven to 65C/ 150 F. Spread the ingredients onto a baking sheet and bake for an hour. Cool and grind to a fine powder as possible.

My OTG does not have 65C. So I just lightly warmed the ingredients  in a pan. I put the pan on lowest heat and then added the ingredients. As it started warming up and the raw smell was just about to leave, I removed the pan from heat and then cooled and ground to a fine powder.Store in a n airtight container if remaining for a future use.

Curry:

Put the potato cubes in a pan with enough water and 1/4 tsp turmeric and cook till almost or 3/4 done.

Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add curry leaves and let them flavour the oil. 

Then after few seconds, add in the finely chopped onions,ginger-garlic minced, and chopped/slit chillies. Saute for a few minutes till the onions turn transparent or the raw smell goes. 

Add in the green beans and saute for a minute.Add the curry powder and stir once. Now add water,coconut milk,remaining turmeric, salt,cinnamon stick and potatoes. Stir well. Bring to a boil and then reduce and let it cook in simmer,till done covered with a lid almost 15-20 minutes.

Add the lime juice and adjust the salt and seasonings. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving. 

I did not add the lime juice as I had liked the taste of the dish without it. As also I was not sure how hot coconut milk will react with lime juice. 

Do as per your intuition in such cases. The curry/stew was very comforting and I would definitely be making it again.

On googling I found that 'Bonchi' is the Chinese name for Green Beans. How is is associated with Lanka, I am clueless.

Onion Tomato Gravy / Kande Bhaaji

This is a simple and quick gravy or rather curry- in - hurry.You can have it with breads or rice or atop canapes or sandwiched between bread slices.The curry is quite flexible and we can add more to it. But as such also, its awesome.All credit goes to Sumedha with whom I have been paired with this edition of Blog Hop Wednesdays ,an event by Radhika. You can take a peak into the original post  else read on..

Ingredients:
Onion: 4-5 medium or chopped into thin and long strips 3 cups
Tomatoes: 3-4 medium or almost 2 -3 cups chopped into bite sized pieces
Garlic Cloves: 2 big finely chopped

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder: 1 tsp+
Coriander Powder:1/2 tsp +
Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp +

Salt: as per taste
Vegetable Oil: 2-3 tbsp

Preparation:
Chop onions into long and thin strips. Chop tomatoes into bite sized pieces as well. Finely chop/grate garlic cloves.

Heat oil in a deep pan on med-high heat nad add onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes till they are transparent.Reduce to a simmer and add in the spice powders and saute for a minute. This is to remove the raw taste of the powders but make sure you do not burn them. 

Add in the tomatoes and turn up the heat. Saute for a few minutes till they start to cook and then add little salt, reduce to a simmer and cook till done. This may take about 5-8 minutes after which you will be getting a pulpy gravy which is ready to go with breads or rice or anything as an accompaniment.Do the taste test and adjust the salt and the spices added.

A tangy oniony gravy with pulpy tomatoes, slightly crunchy onions and comforting spices. Good to enter the blog hop edition this time.

Moroccan Style Potato Stew

A variety of stews especially with potatoes can be found in almost every cuisine. The use of spices and other condiments gives it a regional touch. I love spuds and try out several cuisines as well. So was very happy that I found a simple Moroccan style potato stew from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. It is easy to make and goes well with any choice of bread/rotis.

Ingredients:

Onion: 1 small size finely chopped

Tomatoes: 1 big chopped into small pieces

Potato: 2 big peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces 

Turmeric: 1 small pinch

Cumin powder: 1/4 tsp

Paprika : 1/2 tsp +/- as per taste

Cayenne Pepper  : as per taste (optional)

Fresh Cilantro/Coriander leaves: 1-2 tbsp finely chopped

Salt: as per taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a deep pan on med-high heat and when oil is hot, add the onions. Reduce the heat and saute till transparent. 

Add tomatoes,coriander leaves and potatoes along with spices and salt and stir well so that the spices are slightly toasted and get equally distributed. Add in enough water as needed for the potatoes to be cooked.

Cover with a lid and bring to boil. Then reduce to simmer and let it cook till the potatoes are tender and enough gravy is there. To make the a thicker sauce/gravy you can mash in few potato pieces as well. 

Serve hot with breads/rotis or even rice and optionally some green salad as recommended by the author. I served it with my batbout bread and the pairing was great.

A gentle stew which is easy to make and very hearty too.My pics are not that great but the stew surely was. :)

Khatti Dal - Tangy Lentils Indian Style

There was a time I was not a great fan of dals. But surely those days are over. I relish a simple meal of white rice, dali thoy (Konkani style dal) ladled with a spoon of ghee much better these days and am also becoming a fan of other dals -like Srilankan Dal, Sindhi one etc. Recently I got Monisha Bharadhwaj's The Indian Kitchen from the library and have tried out this tangy khatti dal from it. The name  'khatti' implies  'tanginess' achieved due to the addition of lemon juice. I have seen other recipes for khatti dal where tangy agents like tomato or tamarind are used and sometimes other lentils as well. Here the author uses Chana Dal or Chickpea Lentils or split chickpea lentil or gram lentils and simple lemon juice to achieve a comforting dal which is simple and quick to make.

Ingredients:
Chana Dal :1/2 cup +

Seasoning:
Oil: 2-3tsp
Black Mustard Seeds:1/2 tsp +
Fenugreek Seeds (methi dana):1/2 tsp +
Aniseeds : 1/2 tsp
Carom Seeds (ajwain/omam): 1/2 tsp
Bayleaves: 1
Onion: 1 medium sized chopped finely
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp+
Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp +
Salt: as per taste


Preparation:
Cook chana dal in water till soft.Optionally mash the dal and keep aside.

Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter,add the fenugreek,aniseseeds ,carom seeds and bay leaf and fry for a minute till the spices flavour the oil.

Add in the onions and fry until golden brown. Pour in the cooked dal and add salt,turmeric powder and lemon juice. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to blend well and serve hot/warm as a side dish with rice/breads or even as a tangy dip.

A delectable dal which is quick and easy. The key thing is to cook the dal till soft and I do this in a pressure cooker for atleast 2-3 whistles.This is one lentil that I never add salt while cooking as I am not sure how it will turn out. This time the dal was soft and very mushy thankfully and the whole dish was excellent,much more tasty than you can make out from the pics. These days my photographic abilities are hibernating.

Shakalaka - Its Chakalaka !

Chakalaka is a South African spicy vegetarian gravy made with onion,tomatos,peppers and beans. It can be a side dish or a sauce or whatever way you like it. For me it is a side dish to be served with rice/breads and also as a soup in itself. You can have a chakalaka whatever way you like. I have adapted the recipe from here.

Ingredients:
Red Kidney Beans: 1/2 cup  presoaked and cooked

Onion: 1 almost big: chopped finely
Green Bell Pepper: 1 medium size chopped into bite sized pieces
Garlic: 1-2 cloves minced
Fresh Hot Chillies: 1 -2 small chopped /slit lengthwise

Curry Powder: as per taste
Tomato: 1 chopped into cubes
Tomato Paste: 1-2 tbsp

Salt and pepper: as per taste

Preparation:
Cook the beans and keep aside. You can use canned beans or even baked beans in tomato sauce, in which case avoid the tomato and paste.

Heat oil in a deep pan. Add in onion,garlic,fresh chilli  and bell pepper cubes. Cook till the onions are transparent and the raw smell of the peppers disappear stirring occasionally to prevent burning for a few minutes.

Add in the curry powder,saute till the raw smell goes -just about another minute and then add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and little salt and pepper. Mix well and cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy and then add the cooked beans along with the water in which it was cooked. Adjust the salt and pepper and cook for another 15-20 on simmer till the flavours blend and the required thickness is reached.

Serve warm with rice/rotis or enjoy as a soup with optional accompaniments.

A simple comforting soup or a hearty side stew. Normally it is served as accompaniment to meilie pap (rice porridge). I loved the stew I had made and found it similar to the several chilis or tomatoey stews I had made earlier.

Chocolate Chili

I love chili and can have it anytime of the day. I try out different versions as well.You can see two versions already posted  here and here and few else are in queue waiting for their turn.  Long time back I have heard about the use of chocolate in traditional Mexican chili recipes and recently tried out the recipe from Vegnews which had not just chocolate but coffee as well. It was simply IRRESISTABLE.

Ingredients:
Dried Beans: 1/2 cup presoaked and cooked or canned beans (I used pinto beans and pink beans)

Olive Oil: 2-3 tsp
Onion: chopped 1 small : around 4-5 tbsp
Carrot: 1/4 cup cubed /minced
Garlic: 1-2 cloves

Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp +
Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp +/-
Paprika: 1/2 tsp +/-
Oregano: 1/4 tsp
Pepper: 1/4 tsp +
Salt: as  per taste

Tomato: 1/2 cup chopped

Tomato paste: 3-4 tbsp  OR Puree : almost 1/2 cup

Chocolate: 1/2  oz semi sweet or dark, grated

Chipotle in adobo sauce: 1 small or as per taste (chopped /minced)

Sugar: 1/4 tsp + (omit if using semi sweet)

Espresso Coffee :2-3 tbsp or more as needed
Water: as needed (I used the water in which the beans were cooked)

Preparation:
Presoak the dried beans overnight and cook till  done in the pressure cooker or stovetop as per convenience.Keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep pan,add onion,garlic and carrots and cook for a few minutes until they soften. Add in salt,pepper and all the spice powders and also sugar (if using dark chocolate). Saute for a minute. 

Add in tomatoes chopped,tomato puree/paste and chopped/minced chipotle. Stir well and cook for a few more minutes till the tomatoes start to cook.

Add in the beans,coffee and the water to this and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 30 -45 minutes stirring occasionally so that the tastes are well blended and the required thickness is reached. 

Serve as a side with rice/tortillas or as a wholesome soup topped with lowfat cheese slice  and garnished with chocolate gratings.

I enjoyed it as both and everybody licked their bowls clean. Ummmmmmmmm.. 

The aroma while adding the chocolate is GREAT.You savour the feeling as if you are savouring a cuppa of hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon and chilli on a snowy day. It truly lifts your mood. Chipotle as usual adds the smoky authentic chili taste and overall it has all the qualities and taste needed for a comforting chili.I am not sure about the coffee addition as the coffee added just a  mellowed sharpness and it could be because I had add just 2 tbsp of it - I had mixed 1/2 tsp powder with 2 tbsp of water and added to the gravy. But it does blend with the total taste of the gravy and does not stand out of line. 

Go make your own and enjoy as the few spoonfuls I have saved goes to AWED:Mexico,at MyTastyTreats, an event by DK.

Mango Shrikarani

I usually go for spicy side dishes with either rice and rotis or atleast sweet and spicy. But last year while on a vacation,I was surprised to see puris being served with thick mango juice and since I had heard of puri halwa combo in the Northern parts of India,I was thinking it was just a variation. But recently I read about Mango Shrikarani at Prathibha's space. 

Shrikarani or Shrikarni is a Karnataka style sweet side dish served with rotis. It like a chunky milk shake with mango pulp is mixed with chopped mango pieces and milk. Its easier to make and here is my version tried from Prathibha.

Ingredients:
Mango: 1 peeled and chopped
Milk: around 1/4 cup
Sugar: as per taste
Cardamom:1-2 pods crushed OR 1/4-1/2 tsp powdered

Preparation:
Clean and peel the mango and finely chop it. Mash half of the chopped mango pieces in a bowl.

In a serving bowl,mix in sugar and milk till sugar dissolves. Add in cardamom and give it a final mix so as to get spiced milk.

Fold in the mashed and chopped mango into this sweetened cardamom milk.

Chill till serving time.
Serve with rotis or puris.

I am no lover of mangoes,but inspite of this I relished this with rotis (just as I had done with puris). A cooling side dish in this hot summer.But yes,you can also enjoy it as itself just as a dessert.

This delightful side graces T&T:The Chef & Her Kitchen at SaviRuchi,an event by Lakshmi.

Sweet Potato Chili

These days the weather is such that you feel like putting your  head in the fridge in the afternoon,but come night,its chilly weather. Such fluctuations does call for soups -they can be cooked fast or atleast I feel so and  provide warmth dduring the night. Chili does com in th category of stew and can be used as a side dish as well as a hearty soup. I normally stick to the vegetarian chili I had posted previously,but these days I am trying out different chili recipe like this Vegetarian Chili from Jamie Oliver which he made using roasted sweet potato. I could never think of such innovations. The recipe was super simple and only changes I made was the use of three types of beans,and regular green peppers available with me.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato: 1 atleast :  or peeled and cubed.1-1.5 cups

Cayenne Pepper/ Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp+ more for sprinkling
Cumin Powder : 1/2  heaped tsp + more for sprinkling
Cinnamon Ground: 1/2 tsp + more for sprinkling
Olive Oil ,Salt & Pepper: as per taste

Onion: 1 chopped fine :around 1/4 cup +
Green Pepper: 1 big: cubed
Fresh Red Chilli: 1 small
Fresh Green Chilli: 1 small or as per taste
Garlic: 2 -3 small cloves

Red Kidney Beans: 1/2 cup
Pinto Beans: 1/2 cup

Tomatoes: Peeled & chopped : 3 ripe
Tomato Puree: 4  tbsp +

Fresh Cilantro: 1 small bunch

Preparation:

Peel,and cube sweet potato. Sprinkle with salt,pepper,cinnamon,chilli powder and cumin.Drizzle with olive oil and toss well to coat. Layer in a lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven at 400F for 20+ minutes or until browned.

You can also go for 450F and lesser roasting time.Take out the roasted potatoes and keep aside. I actually had few pieces one they cooled a bit just to see whether they were seasoned properly. :) You can go for just salt and pepper roasting and optionally add the spices when they are out of the oven and are still hot. Or ust add the spices in the chili. I went for salt and pepper roasting and then added the spices in the chili.

Presoak and cook the beans till done. Chop the onion roughly into small pieces.Mince/crush the garlic.Cube the bell pepper.Blanch,peel and chop the tomatoes. You can also use tomato paste instead of tomatoes + puree. Separate the cilantro leaves from the stalk and chop and keep aside each separately.Here we are using the cilantro stem for additional flavour.

Heat Olive oil in a deep pan,add onion,peppers and garlic and cook till the onion changes colour and the peppers start to cook for about 5 minutes.

Add coriander stalks/stem ,slit chillies and spices (cumin,coriander and  cinnamon).Cook for few more minutes.

Add the cooked beans along with little water in which they are cooked,salt, tomatoes chopped and the tomato puree and mix well. You can add little coriander leaves as well. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer,cover and cook for 15-20 minutes more when the required consistency is reached. If too thick add more water.

Just before taking off the heat,stir in the roasted sweet potatoes. Heat through. You can mash a few pieces of sweet potatoes and beans to make it look thick. On sitting it thickens a bit as well. Taste and adjust the spices and salt.

Serve as a side dish or dip with tortillas/breads/rice.

I loved it both as a side as well as a thick soup.Mine had thickened more than needed and the pic shows a very thick chili. I topped crackers with this and enjoyed it. A warm,comforting and hearty dish.A sure shot winner as well.

Zucchini & Chickpeas Moussaka

Moussaka is a casserole dish which is associated to Mediterraenean cuisine and is common to few Middle eastern and European countries. The word moussaka comes from Arabic 'Musaqqa' meaning 'chilled',but other names also exist and it is perceived as a layered dish.Generally it is a baked dish containing eggplants,ground lamb,tomatoes etc. But there are several versions and can be made with other vegetables,cheese,lentils etc.We can generalize the fundamental ingredients as: a vegetable,sauce and a meat mix. I found a simple stovetop zucchini mousakka made with chickpeas and ground Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) or soy granules from AlmostTurkish and have adapted it here.

Ingredients:
Zucchini: 1 big
Chicpeas: 1/2 cup presoaked and cooked

Garlic: 2-3 cloves crushed
Onion: 1 medium size chopped finely
TVP /Soy granules/ ground soy chunks: 1/4 cup

Red Pepper Paste/Chili sauce: 2+ tsp as per taste
Tomato Paste: 1-2 tbsp

Tomato:1-2 diced /tomato puree
Fresh/ Frozen Parsley: finely chopped
Fresh mint: or dried mint flakes

Salt & Pepper: as per taste

Preparation:

Presoak and cook chickpeas and keep aside.You can also use canned beans. Cut zucchini lengthwise and slice into 1/4' slices.Soak it in salted water for atleast half an hour. (I am not sure why this step is needed,but I did soak the slices). Prepare the soy chunks/granules as indicated in the package and keep aside. If using soy chunks grind in your mixer to get granules. I used soy chunks and went for coarse grind.As a result mine doesn't look thick as in the original recipe.Chop onions finely and crush garlic.

Heat olive oil in a deep pan. Add in crushed garlic and then onion and saute till transparent.Add in the soy granules and little water and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes.Add in the chile sauce/red pepper paste and the tomato paste.Cook another 2-3 minutes.Add in diced tomato/tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add in zucchini slices and mix well. Continue cooking till it starts getting tender.Stir in chickpeas,parsley and little mint. I also added the water in which the chicpeas is cooked.Cook till the required thickness is obtained seasoning with salt and pepper.

Garnish with more mint/parsley.Serve with rice/enjoy as a soup. I went for mint garnish only as I used frozen parsley.I served it with rice.

 You can also grind little chickpeas to get more thickness for the gravy.You can use minced roasted eggplant instead of tvp if you do not have any or do not like the combo.This is not the traditional mousakka with layers or baking or even ground meat,but it is very hearty gravy with the refreshing herbs and comforting chicpeas and crunchy zucchini and its a keeper recipe thanks to AlmostTurkish.



Iranian style Kidney Beans

This is a simple gravy of Kidney beans which is supposed to be Persian style and is adapted from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven.I have adapted this from this site. The recipe is pretty much easy where cooked beans is added to a tangy gravy and is cooked to dry but since I was serving this with herb rice I went for a thick gravy.

Ingredients:
Red Kidney beans: presoaked and cooked: 1/2 cup

Olive Oil: 2+ tsp
Onion: chopped finely : 1 small
Garlic: 1 big clove crushed/minced

Cumin Powder: 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon: 1/2 tsp +/-

Orange Juice: 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice: 1-2 tsp
Tomato Paste: 2 -3 tbsp
Jalapeno/Red/Green Chilly: 1 slit

Salt: as per taste

Preparation:
Cook kidney beans and keep aside. If you are planning a dry dish,then drain out most of the water used for cooking the beans.

Heat oil in  pan.Add chopped onion.Saute till transparent.Add chopped garlic,cumin,cinnamon and salt.Saute till the raw smell goes. Add in orange juice,lemon juice and mix well. Add tomato paste and little water from the cooked beans and let it simmer for a few minutes.Add beans(with water for a gravy) and slit jalapeno/ red/green chilly and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.You can add in more water as per your preference of gravy or let it cook untl dry.Adjust the salt prior to serving.

Serve warm as a gravy with rice or if dry stuff it into pita and serve.I did the first option.

A simple gravy where orange juice is also used in addition to lemon and tomato for tanginess. I do not know what else this serves.The gravy is excellent with rice and next time I will be trying it out as a stuffing.

The delectable gravy is on way to AWED:Iran at Sweet Artichoke,an event by DK.

BTW, do you know how we finished off the Iranian Feast? Here's a glimpse..

Coriander Cashew Pulao & Aloo Tamatar Kurma- Delicious Delights

These are perfect delights I tried from Priya.I made no changes to the recipes other than adapting the spices as per my taste and quantities needed. I was planning to post these  in the afternoon, right after I cooked them,but they were irresistible.TG for whatever pics I have taken. Within an hour everything was over and after posting this I am off to wash the dishes.

Coriander Cashew Pulao:
(original recipe here)

Ingredients:
Basmathi Rice: 1 cups

Oil/Ghee1-2 tbsp
Whole Spices :As Per Taste: BayLeaves,Cinnamon,Cloves, Cardamom
Cashew Nuts: 4-5 handfuls or 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 :chopped long
Coconut Milk: 1 cup + as needed to cook rice
Salt

To Grind:
Coriander Leaves: a medium bunch
Coconut: 2 tbsp
Ginger: 1 " piece
Garlic:1-2 cloves
Cumin Seeds:1/2 tsp +
Fennel Seeds: 1/4 tsp +
Green Chilly: 1 medium (adjust the amount with red chilly)
Red Chilly: 1
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 tsp +


Preparation:

Grind together all the ingredients from Coriander Leaves to Red Chilly.Keep Aside

Heat Oil/Ghee in a pressure cooker or deep pan. Add in the whole spices and let them sizzle. Add in cashew nuts and saute till brown. Add in the long thin onions and saute till transparent. Add in the ground paste and cook till raw smell goes. Add in Coconut milk and bring to boil.Add in rice,salt  and little more coconut milk or water as needed to cook the rice.Stir well and cook rice till done preferably in low heat if using pan or 1-2 whistles if using pressure cooker depending on your rice.

Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve hot with raitha and aloo & tamatar kurma.

Aloo Tamatar Kurma:
(original recipe here)

Ingredients:

Oil: 1tbsp +

Whole Spices: as per Taste: bayleaves,cinnamon,cloves,cardamom

Onion: 1 chopped finely
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1/2 tsp +

Fennel Powder: 1/2 tsp+
Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp +
Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp +

Coriander Powder: 2 tsp+
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Potatoes: 1 cup cubed
Tomatoes: cut & crushed/ground : 1/4-1/2 cup
Coconut Milk: 1/2 cup

Salt: as per taste
Mint : for garnish

Preparation:
Chop the potatoes and keep aside. Cut the tomatoes into pieces and grind them in a mixer. I went for chunky puree and you can also used crushed tomatoes. If you do not have fennel powder,dry roast the fennel seeds and powder them.

Heat oil.Add in the whole spices and sizzle. Add in chopped onions and ginger garlic paste and let them cook till raw smell goes. Add in the fennel powder,chilli powder,cumin powder and little salt and saute for a few secnds till the raw smell disappear. Add in coriander powder,turmeric powder and potato cubes,mix well ,add little water needed to cook the potatoes and let them cook. Halfway through,add the pureed/crushed tomatoes and continue cooking till the potatoes are done. Check for salt and add in the coconut milk and heat through to get the thickness you want. Serve hot with pulao, rotis or other breads.



Each dish was great. The two dishes use almost the same spice combo and are coconut milk based and I never tink twice when I see a spud dish. I also served onion raitha with the rice ,but let me tell you the pulao-kurma combo is unbeatable. Hearty Thanks for the keeper recipes Priya. The pulao and kurma are off to  PJ's T&T:Priyas Easy n Tasty Recipes, an event by Lakshmi. Dig in :P

Msakaet al Bathinjan - Eggplant Casserole

This is a simple dish from Lebanon made using fried eggplants and chickpeas.I have adapted the recipe from here.Normally the eggplants are deepfried and then mixed into a thick gravy of tomatoes,garlic,chilli and onion to which dried mint has been added.I have pan fried the eggplants and also used tomato puree instead of peeled tomatoes and have obtained a hearty thick comforting dish which goes well with breads.

 

Ingredients:
Eggplant: 1 medium size sliced into rounds or half rounds as I did

Chickpeas: 1/4 cup soaked and cooked till done.

Tomatoes: 2 big, blanched,peeled and sliced or Tomato puree
Onion: chopped 1 medium
Garlic: 2-3 cloves  roasted /grilled/deep fried in oil - I used fresh garlic cloves.
Sugar: a pinch
Fresh Green chilli: 1-2 as per taste


Garlic: 1-2 cloves crushed along with little salt
Dried mint: 2 tsp or as per taste

Salt: as per taste

Preparation:

Presoak chickpeas and cook in the pressure cooker or stovetop till done.Keep aside.You can also use canned chickpeas.Cut the eggplant into bite size pieces -circles/half circles- and apply salt and keep aside for atleast 15 minutes.They will gove out moisture /bitterness as it is also known. Prepare a grill/oven /pan for grilling/roasting/panfrying them applying oil/spray.I pan fried them till they turned brown and cooked on both the sides.

Heat oil in a thick pan (casserole) ,add chopped onions and saute until transparent and soft.Stir in garlic and saute until it gets aromatic and starts turning brown. The recipe calls for garlic that is already fried in oil to be added to the onion and sauteed.Since we are already planning to sautee it,I did not think there is any need to previously fry the garlic in oil.So I have added chopped fresh garlic to the soft onions and cooked till brown.

Add in tomatoes/puree,slit green chillies,salt,dash of sugar and chicpeas along with aa little of the water in which they are cooked.If using the canned chicpeas,adjust the salt accordingly.Bring to a boil,reduce and let it cook for a few minutes,until the raw smell of tomatoes disappear.Add in the eggplant pieces and cook covered for about 10 minutes, until the eggplant absorbs the flavours.Add in crushed garlic cloves and dried mint as a garnish and cook for 2 more minutes.

Serve as a side dish preferably cold,but I enjoyed it warm as it goes well with rotis/breads/rice.

Th dish was simple and doable and the combo of eggplant-chickpeas is hearty.The dish can be garlicky but the dried mint refreshes the mouth.Adjust the chilli,mint and garlic according to taste.Normally I am vary of making such dishes where there is only one spice/herb - green chilli in this case along with heavy other items like eggplants,chickpeas,tomatoes etc as I feel the spice will be inadequate to spice it up entirely.Even in North Indian dishes for a combo like this,we use coriander powder,garam masala ,cumin powder, chilli powder etc inaddition to green chillies. So here I added 2 medium sized green chillies and was surprised to find that they are sufficient. The dish is spicy just by using chillies.Also I have not tasted/seen the original,but mine turned out almost 'gravyless' or very thick me.Do adjust the amount of water to get a gravy of your preferance.

The dish is my humble contribution to MM:Taste of Lebanon at Dirty Kitchen Secrets, an event by Meeta.

Vegan Mexican Feast from Chef InYou

I love Mexican cuisine  and am always entusiastic to try different spicy and excellent dishes.While in US, we used to frequent Baja Fresh Mexican Grill and I still miss it. Ofcourse we stuck to the vegetarian menu there  and though limited certain good choices available.I have never been to Chipotle and when I saw the Chipotle style Cilantro Lime rice I wanted to prepare it.And I did make it along with DK's Vegan Frijoles Refritos and Pico de Gallo. An awesome feast and here it is.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

Ingredients:

Long Grain Rice /Basmati: 1 cup rinsed lightly in cold water

Oil: 1-2 tsp or butter for non vegan versions

Sugar: a pinch (optional)

Limes: 1 big or 1-2 small

Salt: as per taste

Cilantro: chopped: 3 tbsp+

Preparation:

Rinse rice in cold water and optionally soak in water for atleast 10 minutes.This prevents the rice from getting mushy.

Heat oil in a heavy pan and add the drained rice and optionally sugar.Stir well until the rice gets coated with oil/butter.Add in the lime juice and salt and enough water needed to cook the rice.

Cook the rice until all the water has been absorbed and your preferred consistency has reached.Stir it well and mix in chopped cilantro.Do the taste check and adjust the salt,cilantro and lime juice.Remove from heat,give it a nice fluff and let it sit for a few minutes with the lid on.

Serve with refried beans or Frijoles Refritos.

Refried Beans:

I am fascinated by refried beans and the term refried used to intrigue me at first.Then I tried refried beans from another blog for an event and loved it.So while trying out the cilantro lime rice,I also tried DK's Vegan refried beans as well.I had used red kidney beans instead of pinto beans though

Ingredients:

Red Kidney beans: 1/2 cup

Oil: 1tbsp +

BayLeaf: 1/2 tsp + or 1 bayleaf

Red onion: 1 medium size finely chopped

Garlic:1-2 cloves finely chopped/minced

Jalapeno chillies/Green Chillies: 1-2 chopped/slit as needed

Tomato:1 medium size chopped

Salt: as per taste

Preparation:

Presoak and cook the beans until tender or almost mushy.We will be mashing up the beans so its better we cook them till mushy.I cook them in a pressure cooker and stovetop works out to 40 minutes or more.

Heat oil in a heavy pan,add in bayleaf,chopped onion,garlic crushed/minced and slit chillies alongwith little salt and saute until the onions turn soft.

Add in chopped tomatoes and saute until soft .Add in the cooked beans after keeping aside the water in which they were cooked.mix well and with a ladle or potato masher,mash the entire mix together to the required or fine consistency.Adjust salt and serve with Cilantro Lime Rice and salsa

Pico de Gallo: 

I suppose DK had made  pico de gallo the authentic way which is much longer than the one I tried here. I wanted to try it when she posted the recipe and this obviously was great with the rice and beans. 

Ingredients:

Tomatoes: 1-2 big or 2 + cups chopped

Red onions: 1 medium finely chopped

Garlic: 1 small clove finely chopped/minced/crushed

Jalapeno/Green chillies:1 finely chopped or slit

Cilantro: few tbsps finely chopped

Salt: as per taste

Sugar: a pinch

Lime juice: few tbsp or 1 small lime

Preparation:

Chop tomatoes and place them in a colander placed on top of a bowl.Let it sit for about 45 minutes and the juice that will be collected in the bowl can be discarded or used for something else.

After about 20 minutes,add in finely chopped onions,minced garlic,chopped chillies and cilantro and give it a light toss for the flavours to mix well.

After the required waiting time of 45 minutes,shake the colander to drain off the juice if any and then put the contents of the colander to a bowl.

Add in salt,sugar and lime juice and toss everything and serve as a filling for tacos or a side salad with cilantro lime rice and refried beans.

                                            

Do enjoy the simple feast which is hearty and filling and a plate obviously goes to Priya who is hosting   T & T : Chef In You, an event by Lakshmi

Simple Sindhi Lunch

This is a simple Sindhi lunch I tried from Alka's SindhiRasoi.I had split green mung dal with me and made her Saayi Dal and also her gastronomic delight Took Patata. I love potatoes and it is always a staple but this double deep frying was new to me.I am not sure I have perfected the art of making took patata but heartily enjoyed both the dishes along with plain boiled rice.

Saayi Dal

Ingredients:
Split green mung dal: 1/2 cup
Tomatoes :2  chopped

Green Chillies: 2 +/- chopped/slit
Ginger: 1 inch piece chopped
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: as per taste
Water: as needed to cook the dal

Seasoning:
Oil/Ghee:1- 2 tsp
Garlic: 2-3 small cloves
CurryLeaves: few
Cumin: 1/2 tsp +

Preparation:
Wash and soak dal in water for about 30 minutes.You can remove the skin if you like else.I left it like that.

Cook the dal in the pressure cooker adding turmeric,ginger,greenchillies,tomato,salt  and enough water to cook the dal.Water should be same level as dal in the vessel.

Let it cool a bit and then with a masher/ladle /mathni/churner whisk everything together. Adjust the salt and add the seasoning.

Seasoning: Heat oil/ghee and add the crushed garlic,curryleaves and cumin in that order.When the cumin sizzles premove from heat and pour over the hot dal.

Serve with rice and tookpatata.

                                       

Took Patata :
These are Sindhi double fried potatoes and are gastronomers delight.I love potatoes and these take the taste to a different level.But only pulling back factor is the double frying involved :(. I have tried the recipe as given but mine doesn't look as good as Alka's, but the taste was unmatched.

Ingredients:
Potatoes: 4 medium size
Salt: as per taste
Oil: for deep frying

Chilli Powder:
Turmeric Powder
Coriander Powder
Dry mango powder (Amchur)

Preparation:

Peel and cut potatoes into 4 pieces.Slit them in criss- cross pattern,not so deep.Add Salt to potatoes, and keep aside for 2- 4 minutes as mentioned in the original recipe or immerse them in salted water.After soetime squeeze them out of water and heat oil in a pan and gently slide the pieces in oil

Fry on high heat for few seconds, lower the heat and put a lid over the pan.If needed put a heavy weight on the lid of the pan.Cook until done - a few minutes only- and remove from oil onto a paper towel.

Gently flatten these within palm of your hands when they are still warm but touchable. You can see the slits opening up like a flower.You can also press these against the sides of a plate/flat surface. Skip this step if you are not comfortable with it or else you may end up mashing the slice and end up with a gooey mess.

Drop the pieces again in hot oil, frying on high heat, until golden brown and drain on paper towels.

Put the potatoes back to pan and add the spice powders and mix well for a few seconds till the powders lose the raw smell and the potato absorbs the flavours.Adjust the salt and seasonings and serve warm without thinking about the calories it may add on you.!!!

The lunch was perfect and hearty and a plate goes to T&T:SindhiRasoi at Ria's Collection, an event by Lakshmi.Thanks Alka for the wonderful and authentic and very hearty comforting recipes.

Kerau Ra Tofu Tarkari - Nepali Tofu & Peas Curry

Nepali cuisine is a mix of mostly Chinese and Northern Indian cuisine.There are several varieties as per region and ethnicity and climate.I found a simple Tofu and peas curry or tarkari as the vegetable dishes are known in dear Zlamuska's blog. I find the dish a bit similar to the matar paneer or peas and paneer gravy that we make in India though this one is with tofu which makes it vegan.Do check her original recipe for ingredient estimates as I have adjusted these.

Ingredients:
Tofu: 1 pkt firm tofu (1 cup or more)
Peas: 1/2 cup +

Bayleaf:1-2 medium
Onion: 1 chopped
Cardamom: 2 pods

Ginger: 1 inch piece
Garlic: 1-2 cloves
Turmeric: a pinch
Cumin powder:1 tsp +

Fresh red chilli:1 (Green chilli works fine )
Tomatoes: 1-2 big chopped
Chilli powder
Coriander powder
Garam masala powder


Water /Veg broth: for cooking

Cilantro: for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Squeeze the tofu between paper towels and drain it.Avoid this if it is already firm.Cube the tofu into bite size pieces.Heat oil in a wok or pan and brown/shallow fry the tofu.You can also deep fry or grill them as how you like.Remove the tofu pieces and drain on paper towels.In the same wok,add bayleaf,onion and cardamom.Saute till the onion starts to brown.

Meanwhile,paste together ginger,garlic,turmeric and cumin powder.When the onion starts browning,add the paste and saute until the raw smell goes.Then add chopped tomatoes,chilli-coriander and garam masala powder and salt and cook till the tomatoes start cooking.

Add water/broth and boil down to a thick gravy/paste adjusting the salt and spices.Serve with rice,bread or as per choice garnishing with chopped cilantro.

Obviously it is similar to matar paneer and was spicy tasty and hearty with roti.My pics are not as good as Zu's though.This dish is my entry to T&T:Zlamuska's Spicy kitchen,hosted this time by Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles,an event originally by Zlamushka and currently handled by Lakshmi.