MISCELLANEOUS
Andhra Chilli Kakara Kaya
Kaakara kayalu (bitter gourd), 3 inch size, 1 pound
Ghee, ¾ cup
Groundnuts (peanuts) - ¼ cup
Dhaniya (coriander) seeds - 1/8 cup
Dry coconut - ¼ cup
Red chilli powder - 2 tblspn.
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp.
Asofoetida - 1-1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tblspn.
Peel kakara kaya, wash them in cold water and wipe with dry cloth. Slice through each vegetable from top to bottom and remove all seeds. Fry them in oil till golden brown. In the meantime roast the groundnuts, dhaniya, coconut until golden brown. Add chilli powder and grind the mixture to a powder. Add salt, sugar and tumeric. Fill each fried bitter gourd with the mixture. Place the gourds in the same pan they were fried in earlier. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes and offer hot. This preparation can last for 15 to 30 days if stored in an odourless container.
Barbati A-ha
Barbati (runner beans), ½ pound
Ghee for frying
Paneer, cubed, 2/3 cup
Asofoetida, 1 tsp.
Red chili powder, ½ tsp.
Coriander powder, roasted, 1 tsp.
Sugar, 1 tbspn.
Tamarind paste, 1 tbspn.
Salt to taste
1 Tomato for garnish
Steam the runner beans (barbati) until cooked but firm. Drain, and make a paste from them, then set aside. In a little oil fry the paneer dubes until golden brown. Add the bean paste and fold in well with paneer cubes. Add chilli powder and roasted coriander powder, along with salt, sugar and tamarind juice. Cook till it thickens and is almost dry. Garnish with slices of tomato, and offer.
Bhindi Fry
Tender bhindi (okra or lady's fingers), 1 pound
Ghee for frying
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Wash, wipe and slit the bhindi. Mix all the other ingredients together except the ghee. Stuff the slit bindis with the mixture. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan, place the stuffed vegetable in it and fry on a medium flame, turning regularly and carefully. Fry till done and all ghee is absorbed. Bhindi should be a little crusty on outside. Scrape all the masala stuck to the pan and smear on top of bindi.
Cauliflower Pea Bhaji
Cauliflower 1
Ground turmeric 1/2 tsp
Ghee 4 tsp
Salt to taste
Green peas 1/2 cup
Panchporan 1 tsp
Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
Bay leaves 2
Red whole chili 2
Chop the cauliflower into very small florets. The hard stem at the bottom has to be cut into tiny pieces. green peas and drain them. In the same ghee, fry the panchphoron, dry red chilies, cumin seeds and bay leaves. After a couple of minutes, throw in the cauliflower. Stir once or twice, add a little salt and reduce to a medium heat. Sauté gently for three to four minutes, add the peas and simmer covered over a low heat until the florets are tender. Uncover, turn the heat to high and stir until the vegetables are browned and liquids are absorbed.
Cauliflower Pea Shaak
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium Cauliflower
1 tsp turmeric
½ lb peas (fresh or frozen)
1-1/2 tsps chilli powder
2 tblsps ground coriander
1/2 tsp Garam Marsala
Handful of coriander leaves
Ghee for frying
In a little hot ghee fry the mustard and cumin seeds until they splutter. Add a little water (about 1/4 inch) along with cauliflower and turmeric. Mix well. Turn up the heat, cover and steam the cauliflower for 5 minutes or so. Add the peas, chilli powder and ground coriander and mix well. Turn the heat to simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is just tender and liquids have been absorbed. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and garam marsala and offer.
Erucheri
2 plantains
1-1/2 cups fresh coconut
1-1/2 tsp. crushed black pepper
1 tsp. Turmeric
Salt to taste
½ tsp. Mustard seeds
1 red chilli
1 tblsp. urad dal
Sprig of curry leaves
Ghee for frying
Peel plantains, split lengthwise and cut into small pieces. Cook in plenty of water adding, salt turmeric and pepper. Keep on low heat until lengthwise are well done, about 25 minutes or so. Grind half the fresh coconut and add to cooked plantains. In a separate pan fry the mustard till it splutters, then add urad dal, curry leaves and remaining grated coconut and fry until it gets a reddish brown. Pour over the plantains and erucheri is ready.
Ghugni
Dry white peas - 1cup
Ginger paste - 1-1/2 tbsp
Green chillies - 4
Cinnamon - 1 small stick
Cardamom - 2 pods
Bay leaf - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asofoetida - 2 tsp
Tomatoes- 2
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - a few
Coconut scrapings - 2 tbsp
Ghee for frying
Salt to taste
Soak dry peas overnight. In the morning pressure cook for half an hour or until softly done. Take a heavy bottomed vessel, add ghee, splutter cumin seeds then add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and fry for a few seconds. Add ginger, green chillies and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and tamarind paste and saute for a minute. When the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy add chili powder and garam masala powder and salt. Add the cooked dry peas and coconut shreds and simmer for five minutes, letting liquids absorb. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Gobi Dil Khush
1 large Cabbage, cut in small strips
1 Green pepper cut in similar strips
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, fine grind
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
2 Tablespoons Tamarind paste
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons lightly roasted Sesame seeds
Ghee for frying
Salt to taste
In a little hot ghee fry the pepper and Garam Masala for 15 seconds. Add the tamarind pulp, honey and salt, and stir. Let the mixture bubble lightly for 30 seconds or so. Add the vegetables, mix well and stir over a light flame until they are done but crunchy. Add the roasted sesame seeds, mix well. Offer hot or at room temperature as a salad.
Indian Chickpeas
Chickpeas 1 cup
2 Tbsp ghee
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
1 green chili pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp asofoetida
3/4 cup of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp garam massala
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
Soak chickpeas overnight, rinse, cook in water until tender, with enough water to just cover chickpeas. Drain, but keep the liquid. In a little hot ghee fry the cinnamon and cloves, cookinga few seconds. Add ginger, chili pepper, ground coriander and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes, with the juice and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Add the chickpeas to the pan, mix well, cook 5 minutes. Pour the cooking liquid of the chickpeas and simmer for 25 minutes, until all the liquid is gone. Sprinkle with the garam massala and cilantro.
Jain Dry Peas Ki Sabzi
2/3 cup dry peas (soak for 6 hours in water)
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tsp. red chilli powder
3/4 tsp. dhania (coriander seeds) powder
3/4 tsp. amchoor powder or juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. wheat flour
1/2 tsp. mustard
½ tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. asafoetida
Salt to taste
Ghee for frying
Add plenty of water and pressure cook peas till very tender to touch. (Approx. 4 whistles should suffice). Drain, wash with running water, drain, set aside. Mix all dry masala and salt in 1/2 cup water. Heat ghee in heavy saucepan. Add seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida. Allow to splutter. Add masala mixture, cooked peas, 1/4 cup water, and mix well. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer covered for 3-4 minutes. When almost all water evaporates, sprinkle flour, mix and remove from fire. Cover and keep aside for 2-3 minutes. Pour into serving dish, garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot .
Oriyan Alu-Beans Bhaja
1 lb green beans thoroughly washed and cut into small pieces
2 medium size potatos, peeled and cubed
1 green chilli minced
1 small piece of ginger minced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp cumin seed
Salt to taste
Ghee for frying
Boil the potatoes, then cool, peel and cube. Steam the green beans until ¾ cooked. In a little hot ghee fry the ginger and green chilis. When lightly fried, add the remaining spices and fry for another minute or so. Add the vegetables and gently mix to thoroughly coat in spices. Cover the pan and sauté on low heat until vegetables are done and getting slightly crusty on outside.
Papaya Fry
Raw Papaya 1 lb.
Mustard seed - 2 tsp
Whole red chillies 3
Salt - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Wash and grate the papaya. In a little hot ghee fry the mustard seed and whole red chillies. Add the grated papaya, salt and turmeric and fry over high flame for 5 minutes. Cover it and cook for 5 minutes over a low flame. Add sugar and mix well. Serve hot.
Zucchini with Coconut
4 medium zucchini grated
Handful of hot green chilies
1/2 a coconut grated
Handful of coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tsp kalonji seeds (nigella)
1 tblspn. sugar
Ghee for frying
In a little ghee fry the kalonji till they splutter a bit, then add the minced green chilies. Add the grated zucchini and mix well, cooking for about 5 minutes on high fire. Sprinkle with salt and turmeric, mix well, and fry until vegetables and well coated with spices. Cover tightly, lower heat, and steam for at least 8 minutes. No need to add water as zucchini releases enough water. Lift lid, stir, add sugar (or more if desired; this dish should be sweetish). Turn heat to medium high, throw in the grated coconut and stir and fry until oil floats up to the top and almost all of the water evaporates. This may take 5 minutes or more. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.
