This is a very popular halwa in Chennai, India well known for its name “Dum Ka Rote”. It is basically a baked semolina pudding made with ground almonds, semolina, ghee, khoya (reduced milk solids)and saffron. To make this halwa the mixture is first cooked on flame then baked in the oven on low. In olden...
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Coconut Shrimp Pulao is a light and simple dish with a subtle flavour and delicious taste. It is made with minimal ingredients and no powdered spices so as not to over power the shrimp flavour and taste. The warm, woody fragrance of the whole spices combined with the soothing and calming sweetness of the coconut...
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Haleem is a delightful delicacy, a very popular one pot dish enjoyed by people not only in India and Pakistan but across the globe. It is made with pounded or broken wheat, barley, lentils and meat (lamb, beef or chicken) and ghee (clarified butter) in a flavourful combination of exotic spices slow cooked to perfection....
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Aloo tikki chaat is a tongue tingling, mouthwatering delight which is served hot with a combination of red, green and brown chutneys and condiments such as thinly sliced onions, julienned radish and ginger. It is a very popular street food in India which is enjoyed by everyone. This is a typical Delhi style aloo tikki...
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This king fish curry flavoured with mustard and coconut is just divine. The yellow mustard pairs so well with coconut and gives a unique flavour to this Bengali style fish curry. I wanted to keep it lightly spiced but flavourful so used only those spices and ingredients which can complement each other. I used white...
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This rich tasting delicious moong dal halwa is a warm Indian dessert or sweet treat that is believed to have originated in the city of Rajasthan in India. It has a golden hue and a shiny glaze of ghee topped with nuts and is mostly enjoyed during the winter months to keep warm against the...
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These kind of chicken kebabs can be found only at an Afghani restaurant, in fact that’s where I got to taste them for the first time and have been so much in love with them ever since that I resorted to experimenting with the ingredients to get the exact flavour that is so appealing to your taste buds and this is the closest I could get after 3 or 4 trials. Infused with a subtle hint of cardamom & saffron flavour. spiced up with turmeric, coriander, black pepper, some ginger garlic paste and some small green chillies for a little sting, these kebabs are one of a kind. They can be grilled on the barbecue or under a broiler till they are just done, not over done so that they are soft and moist inside when you bite into them. They go so well with naan or rice. You could also roll them in a chapati(flat bread) with some condiments and enjoy them for lunch. So yummy!
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts
1 medium size onion
2 small green chillies
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
6 green cardamoms
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 egg yolk
a pinch of saffron
salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Clean, wash and cut the chicken breasts into cubes and towel dry them.
2. Finely chop onion, green chillies and cilantro.
3. Mix together all the ingredients with the chicken cubes except the egg yolk and oil. Mince them together in a meat grinder.
4. Remove in a bowl and then add the egg yolk and 1 tbs oil to the chicken mince and mix well.
5. Now make golf ball size rounds of the kebab mince and set aside. Oil the flat metal skewers and with wet hands take a kebab round in one hand and place the flat metal skewer on it with the other, envelope the kebab mince around the skewer smoothening it evenly and shaping it like a sausage to your desired length. Keep wetting your hands as you shape them, otherwise the mince will stick to your hands and become unmanageable.
6. Once you are done shaping all of them, baste them with oil. place them gently on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil with a wire wrack or grill grate on it.
7. Grill them under the oven broiler for 3-4 mins on each side until just done. When you turn them over to grill on the other side baste them again with oil. The kebabs should not be over done. They taste delicious when they are moist but cooked.
8. Let them rest for 2 minutes them gently slide them out carefully using oven gloves while still hot.
9. Enjoy with naan or roti, salad and chutney.
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The coastal regions of India where sea-food is fresh and abundant, revel for their wide variety of fish curries and each is one of a kind. With the use of fresh ground coconut, fragrant curry leaves, cumin, fenugreek and other spices in various combinations, different types of curries are made and each community has its own special curry to offer.
This is an easy version of fish curry that I created as I was feeling lazy and wanted to eat fish but something quick without using onions. So made this in tomato chutney style et voilà it was sensational!
Ingredients:
1 whole trout fish 1 lb
2 large tomatoes chopped
2-4 small green chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp roasted cumin & fenugreek powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 dried red chillies
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
A few fresh curry leaves
4 tbs olive/canola oil
Instructions:
1. To clean descale the fish, rub salt on the skin to remove the slime and rinse under running water well. Then scrape the shiny white and black skin with a paring knife and rinse again till all the slime is off and the scales are removed.
2. Cut into steaks or fillets, drain and keep aside.
3. Add oil to the pot on medium heat. When hot enough throw in the dried red chillies and mustard seeds. As they begin to crackle, toss in the crushed garlic cloves, slit green chillies and curry leaves.
4. Immediately add the chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric, roasted cumin fenugreek and red chilli powder and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes soften and blend well in the masala. Sprinkle a little water from the sides, and simmer for 2 minutes.
5.Now gently drop the trout pieces one by one into the curry leaving enough space between them. Pour in half a cup of water from the sides, give the pot a gentle shake by holding it with kitchen mitts or gloves then Let it cook on medium heat till the curry starts bubbling.
6. Turn down the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the oil rises on top and the curry aroma hits your nose making your mouth water.
7. The trout curry is now ready to enjoy with steamed rice or rice hoppers or rice paashtis (soft rice tacos)
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“Sundal” a south indian delicacy is a delicious salad which is mostly enjoyed as a snack especially at the beach.
Strolling along the shore at the Marina Beach (Chennai, India) on a hot summer evening, all you would crave for is this “sundal”. It is a tongue tingling melange of boiled dried yellow peas tossed with chopped pink onions, grated fresh coconut, green chillies, green mango, ginger, cilantro, salt and drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice, then infused with flavour by tempering with mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Such a popular street snack to enjoy at the beach and so yummy!
This ‘sundal’ is usually made with dried whole yellow peas called ‘battani’ in tamil. If you don’t find it in the stores the best alternative is chickpeas. I prefer using the dried chickpeas to the canned ones even though it is more time saving and convenient. Canned food has always been my last priority for most of the food items as you know it not only contains preservatives but most of its nutrients are lost during the canning process, therefore are not as flavourful and tasty as well. It probably takes the same time to dump the dried chickpeas into the instant pot, add water and close the lid as it takes to open a can of chickpeas and rinse before using them. Why not make good choices and reap the health benefits by incorporating wholesome foods in our diet and avoiding canned foods?
It is best to hydrate the chickpeas prior to cooking. If they are soaked all the way through, then they not only swell up and soften evenly but also in less amount of time. It is much easier cooking them in the Instant Pot as it not only saves time but is so convenient. You could also pressure cook them in the Instant pot without soaking them but it would take longer – between 45 minutes to an hour, while pre soaked chickpeas are al dente tender in 35 minutes. Slow cooking them in the Instant Pot retains all their water soluble nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Pre soaking them and draining away the water does break down the complex sugars that produce gas but very slightly (upto 25%). I prefer not to drain out the soaking water to prevent the loss of the valuable nutrients.
With this ‘sundal’ are tagged so many memories too. Here is one …..
I remember, I still remember
the taste, the flavour
the whiff of the aroma
that hit our olfactory nerves
as we sat watching the waves
dancing in glee
bouncing on the shore
as if they were enjoying
our company!
Yes, I still remember
those little vendors
scooping out the ‘sundal’
with their little hands
while we sat waiting,
drooling with impatience
over this sensational concoction,
this melange of flavours
that stimulates your brain
and leaves you craving for it
over and over again!
But in all this ecstatic endeavour
little did we realize how hard
those little hands worked
to combat their dire needs
to help, support and provide
for their poverty stricken families.
They were little kids indeed
but burdened down
by so many responsibilities!!
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup chickpeas
1/2 a medium onion
1-2 green chillies
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/4 cup coconut grated
1/3 cup green mango chopped or grated
1 inch piece of ginger julienned and chopped.
Juice of half a lemon
a pinch of asafoetida
a few curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ghee(clarified butter)
1 – 2 dried red chilies
Instructions:
1. Soak the chickpeas overnight or at least for 8+ hours to hydrate them to the core.
2. Place the soaked chickpeas in the Instant Pot and Pressure cook on manual for 30 – 35 minutes till they are soft but al dente. It is up to you to use the same water to cook or discard it. I prefer not to lose the valuable nutrients in the water so I use the same. Sauté till the chickpeas absorb all the water left in the Instant pot. If you forgot to soak them, just cover them up with boiling water and simmer on the stove till they are soft and tender. Or slow cook in the Instant pot.
3. Add to the boiled chickpeas, chopped onions, green chilli, ginger, cilantro, grated coconut, squeeze in the lemon juice and toss them we till they get mixed well.
4. Heat the ghee in a tadka (tempering) pan. When hot, crackle the mustard seeds, then add dried red chillies followed by curry leaves and asafoetida. Immediately pour the tempering over the chickpeas. Toss once more to mix well. Enjoy!
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Spicy Carrot & Green Apple Salad
Egg Salad
Pineapple Kachumbar
Chickpea Sundal Salad
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