Top 10 Food Memories of 2017 + Buttermilk Kootu Recipe (Vegetable Buttermilk Stew)

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Phew! there it is. an end of 2017. an end to an year I quickly want to forget and erase from my memory. Though the year started on a positive note, it quickly took a nose dive and by the end it felt like an unintentionally long and painful roller coaster ride. Amidst all this chaos, the blog took a big hit and I no longer felt like cooking or writing elaborate posts. I am super active on Instagram though and the only two positive things I will remember 2017 for are: my love for watercolor and how I found support from my bullet journal. Rest all let's say - it feels good to be forgotten. :-) 

There were a few moments though during the year, here and there where I took a few photographs of food and also tried a new recipe from Chandra Padmanabhan's book - Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine From South which you can find at the end of the post. As always, I have grand plans for self and for my hobbies in the coming year and only time will tell on how far I will be able to execute on them. For now, here are Top 10 food memories of 2017 I want to share with you all. 

Happy Holidays and Wishing you all a Joyous 2018 ahead! May the force be with you!

Happy Holidays! more watercolor artwork here on my other blog.

[VeganMoFo 2016] Sindhi Kadhi | Vegetables in Chickpea Flour Gravy Recipe

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All the kadhi (yogurt gravy) recipes I know so far are made with yogurt by default. Never had I ever tasted or encountered a dish which is named as a kadhi but without the use of any diary. Made just out of chickpea flour as a base for the gravy, today's recipe (Sindhi Kadhi) is an exception. If you are wary about how would it taste (just like I did), then you got to make it to believe how mind blowing it tastes. For several Sundays after I teetered on the recipe, I found myself eagerly making two portions of it for my upcoming weekday lunches. Did I tell you, it is a lovely make-ahead recipe too which keeps well for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. All I had to was warm it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, pour on top of some rice and enjoy my desk lunch. 

The recipe is from justagirlfrommumbai, one of my favorite Instagram accounts with beautiful (unpretentious) food photography and heart warming stories behind each one of them. If you are not following her already on IG and love food then give her a follow right way!

I for Iguru | Vanakaya Kodi Guddu Iguru | Eggplant and Egg Curry | Andhra Recipes

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Learn how to make a combination which is as appetizing as it sounds - eggplant and egg curry. Have you ever tried that? Served with hot steaming rice and ghee this recipe is sure to please all, especially egg lovers like me. With minimal ingredients, this perfect weeknight dish can be made from start to finish in less than half an hour!

[VeganMoFo 2013] Brown Rice Ratatouille Salad Recipe

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Bonjour Septembre! 

VeganMoFo (Vegan Month of Food) is here finally. It's a challenge where hundreds of bloggers have pledged to write about and cook only Vegan recipes all month long, and I am one of them.

[Book Review] Bongmom's Cookbook by Sandeepa Mukherjee + Beguni (Spicy Eggplant Fritters) with Dhonepata Chutney (Coriander Chutney) Recipe

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Just when I thought that food memoirs are getting one-dimensional (read as boring), I stumbled upon Sandeepa's new book which she penned based on her childhood memories of being a bong. In her introduction page she says - "This is my story, but it might well be yours and may be even yours". That's so true to its every word.

Eggplant Parmigiana - a Step by Step Recipe

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There are some recipes which make your mouth water just by the very mention and some which are considered as "comfort food" which pep you up on a not-so-good day. For me, Olive Garden's "Eggplant Parmagiana" fall into both the categories. This classic Italian-American dish is a lovely way to serve eggplant. The very combination of fried eggplant with tomata sauce, pasta, cheese and basil on the top is too good to resist. It is a scrumptious vegetable dish, perfect for any parties or potlucks.

Instead of baking in a casserole dish, I chose to assemble the fried eggplant individually on a bed of pasta & tomato sauce. Since its just two of us eating dinner most of the times, this works as I don't need to worry about left overs.

But, for a bigger group, to make things simple - in a shallow baking dish, arrange fried eggplant slices with cheese, pasta and tomato sauce as layers to form a stack and bake until cheese bubbles. Top with shredded basil leaves. Yum!

Amma's Recipes: Eggplants Stuffed with a Spice Paste

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"Sweater, n.:  garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly".  ~ Ambrose Bierce.

...and there is such profound truth in this quote. Isn't it? This is one of my favourite ones and I remember reading it in an article couple of years ago. It just stuck to me since then.

Today's Recipe: Eggplants Stuffed with a Spice Paste (scroll below for the recipe)

My mother is an inspiration in my life who has a great influence on me. Though, I  look more like my dad, my thoughts & my mind are just constituted like her. We are very emotional by nature and We see the world as black-and-white, no grey shades in between which is the case most of the times..:-)

It was because of her that I happened to visit the Vaidehi Ashram, quite coincidentally I must say. It was first week of January, during one of my usual visits to Hyderabad my mom casually asked me if I was free to visit the place with her. I said "Yes", frankly expecting nothing in return.

Happy are those children who have a mother to whom they can pour out their hearts and always count on her understanding, and a father in whose strength and loyalty they are so confident that they seek his advice and help all their lives. Many people long to be such parents to their children, and could be, if only they possessed enough wisdom and love. ~ Eberhard Arnold

... that one visit did change my life for good. I visited them again, this time with a pretext of my dad's birthday to spend some time with the girls. Fast forward few days..I took up this ambitious Fund Drive for the Vaidehi Ashram. Words cannot express how happy and humble I feel with the unprecedented response I received until now. More than 2 Lakh Rupees 2.84 Lakh Rupees have been raised with the help of 115 generous souls from all across the world.

Just to give you an idea what this money can do - It costs about 4,000 Rupees to feed all 108 children for 1 day. That means, with the money raised until now, the girls can eat their stomach full 3 times a day for 50 71 days! :-)

You can still participate. The Fund Drive is open till Feb 25th 2012, mid night. Click on the Chipin button above. More details here.

Now that we are talking about my mom, it is only befitting to share one of her signature recipes. Isn't it? - Eggplants/Brinjals stuffed with a spice paste made of ginger, salt, cumin seeds and red chilli powder. Simple as it sounds, it tastes just divine when served with hot rice and a dollop of ghee on the top!. My mouth is already watering.. :-)

Eggplant slit, ready to be stuffed

a simple spice paste of - ginger, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder

 {Recipe} Eggplants Stuffed with a Spice Paste

Ingredients:

10 long green eggplants (small, round ones or long, purple ones can also be used), chopped into pieces and slit (see pic above)
2 tbsp oil

For Spice paste: Grind the following into a coarse paste (see pic above)

2 inches or 25 grams of ginger, washed, peeled, roughly chopped
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp red chilli powder (or more, if you can handle the hear ;-))
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Stuff a little spice paste (not too much) into each of the slit eggplant. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan (which has a cover) and add the stuffed eggplant pieces. Pour about 1/2 to 1 cup water. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 mins, until fork tender. Toss them around carefully for every 5 mins.

3. Serve with rice or roti. 

tastes best with rice and roti..

For Dinner tonight - Fresh Cilantro/Coriander ready to be dunked into a pulao..

Some more recipes featuring cilantro/coriander -

Hara Bhara Paneer Pulao
Rosemary Cheese Biscuits (substitute rosemary with cilantro and add some garam masala for an indian twist)
Paneer Methi Chaman
Roundup of Herb Mania: Coriander (for many ideas from fellow bloggers)

Cilantro, though devoid of its vibrant green color, still looks beautiful. Isn't it?

Posted the above pic for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

Bon Appetit everybody..

until next time,

In memory of Jayasree Satish: Soya-Vaangi Bhath

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"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." ~ Eskimo Proverb 

Image: Lata Raja

It was a dim Wednesday morning on October 12th when things were quiet.Then, Bang! I read the status message on Lataji's FB profile. I almost wanted to cry. How can somebody vanish into thin air, just like that. A fun-loving, warm and ever-smiling person is no more. She is Jayasree Satish who blogged at "Experiments in Kailas Kitchen". Her blog was full of lively conversations, sharing some snippets of life around her and featured traditional recipes. For people away home, it felt like home.

I am still in disbelief. Is Life so short and unpredictable?

It was on September 3rd she 'liked' Cooking With Siri page and within a month's time, she is gone. I just wish, I can go back in time and pray for her good health, get her back.

Soya-Vaangi Bhath

My condolences to her family and hope God give them enough strength to get through this tragic time.

In an effort to keep this amazing woman in our memories, the food blogger community gave a shout out to cook Jayashree's recipes, with no modifications whatsoever.

I made some Soya-Vaangi Bhath. Click here for the recipe.

Soya-Vaangi Bhath

People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive.  It is as though they were traveling abroad.  ~ Marcel Proust

R.I.P Jayasree.

Basic Eggplant/Brinjal Chutney

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At the end of the day, a tired cook often thinks of dinner of buying some prepared foods. Sitting in not-so-far-away Bangalore, peeping out of our french window, the rain falling pitter-patter all over the horizon, I think of my mom's easy-to-prepare, filling home cooked meal - hot rice cooking in the rice cooker, a simple yet delicious eggplant/tomato/toor dal chutney, papads with tomato rasam and yogurt. For me, rasam and papads are each other's buds, friendship-made-in-heaven.

Today, I am sharing with you all one such chutney which can be made on a whim, anytime of the day as it doesn't need many ingredients, but flavorful nonetheless. Also, for the keen gardeners among us, chutney is an ideal way to use up excess home-grown eggplants (or any other veggies) and it stays good at least for a week, when stored in refrigerator.

There were times when I literally licked the spoon sitting on the kitchen counter, right beside my mother when she made this eggplant chutney for us. It is a silken delight with a faint hum of tamarind and a zing of curry leaves. Tastes delicious when served with hot rice & ghee. I use the left-over chutney (if any) as a spread for my sandwiches as well.

Enjoy.

Basic Eggplant Chutney [Vankaya Pachadi]

Recipe Source: My Mom

Ingredients:

6 eggplants/brinjals (preferably long green/purple ones), cut into pieces
4 tsp canola oil
salt - to taste
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp (or more) red chilli powder
2 tbsp or lemon size tamarind

For tadka:

1 tsp oil
little asafetida (hing)
1/2 tsp of each - urad dal, mustard seeds, jeera.
few curry leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add eggplant pieces, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and tamarind. Cover the pan with a plate filled with water and cook on low-medium heat until the eggplant is completely cooked. Mix once or twice in the middle.Cool and grind into chutney-like paste. Adjust salt, if needed.

2. Heat a small pan for tadka and add all the ingredients listed above. carefully add curry leaves as they tend to splutter in oil. Mix this into the chutney. Serve.

This is my entry for Back 2 Basics: Chutneys guest hosted by me this month, originally conceptualized by Jaya, the Desi Soccer Mom. Send in your entries too. Will ya? Last Date for participation is October 7th 2011.

Some Weekend Reading:

Everybody is busy ok? - a hilarious post by the very famous The Local Tea Party
Speaking of Writer's Block - The New Yorker
An Epicurean Pilgrimage: Meals Worth the Price of a Plane Ticket - NYT
Chez Panisse: Forty Years Later - Ruth Reichl
Sam Sifton is Out As Times Food Critic - The Atlantic Wire

until next time,

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Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan, demystified

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My mouth is watering at the very mention of this dish. Juicy, tender baby eggplants stuffed & dunked in a rich nutty-onion-ey gravy. What not to love in this very-popular-hyderabadi-dish. The only down-side is - its preparation and cooking time. But, for that too I have a trick for you. This recipe is a bit different than others. It makes use of a masala powder which can be ground ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Whenever you want to have some of this rich, decadent dish - pop out the masala powder, add some fried onions, turmeric & salt. Stuff the mixture into the eggplants and once they are cooked, sprinkle the rest (with some water) over them. 

D.O.N.E. 

Yes, it is as simple as that. Feel free to adjust the ingredients used for the masala powder - but the ones that are a must are - peanuts, sesame seeds & coconut.

It was late in the night and I was too tired to even click any pictures. Hence there are no step-by-step pictures this time. and You know what, I have a feeling there is no need of them. Have a look at the recipe & you will know why. - Just gather all the ingredients and jump right in.


If you are a hyderabadi like me, hope this dish will bring you back some of your memories from - back home. :-)

Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan

Save this recipe for those special parties where you are determined to get some Umph's and Wow's from your friends. (or) even better - treat yourself and/or your family with this decadent dish, especially when you want to buy something expensive. I am sure, after tasting this, anybody would say 'Yes' to anything you ask for. ;-)

Simplified & Adapted from my mommy's recipe. Mom, you are THE best.


Step 1 - Dry roast each of the following ingredients separately and cool them on a shallow plate. Then grind them into a fine powder (in a coffee grinder, if you have one like I did). 


1/4 cup peanuts***
2 tbsp sesame seeds***
2 tsp poppy seeds**
1 tsp coriander seeds**
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp dried coconut*** (if using frozen shredded coconut, plan to use the whole thing in one-go. It not good for refrigeration.)
1 inch cinnamon stick**
5-6 black cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns


The ones which have 3 stars (***) are a must-haves & with 2 stars (**) are good-to-have ingredients.

Store this powder in an air tight container & refrigerate. It will stay good for several weeks. Remember to use dried coconut if you want to use it later.

Now that we have our masala powder ready to go, the process is much more simple than you think.

Step 2. Wash and pat dry about 10 tender baby eggplants. Don't make slits as of now.

Step 3. Heat a tsp of oil and add 2 cups of finely chopped onions & little salt. Saute for about 8 mins on medium-low flame until golden brown. Add 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste. Cook for 2 more mins. Remove from heat and cool down a bit.

Step 4. In a mixing bowl, add the fried onions, about 6-7 tbsp of the above masala powder, little salt, 2 tsp of tamarind pulp, 1/2 tsp of turmeric. Mix well.

Step 5. Slit the eggplants into fours. keep the stem in tact. Stuff half of the above onion-masala mixture.

Step 6. Heat a tsp of oil in a wide, shallow pan and add these stuffed eggplants. Make sure the pan is wide-enough to fit all of the eggplants in one single layer. Rotate and shake the pan occasionally so that the eggplants cook evenly, until tender - on medium flame. Cover. Let it take as long as it takes for the eggplants to cook completely. It took me about 15-20 mins. 

Step 7. Turn the flame to LOW and add the rest of the masala paste with 1.5 cups of water. Check for salt one last time. Donot use any spatula, just shake so that the eggplants are coated well. Cook on low heat until the oil start to separate at the edges. 

Ready to serve for anything - from biryani to rotis. :-)

Patience is virtue for this recipe to come out well and trust me, the end result is worth waiting for. I am sure my friends at work who got to taste it can vouch for that ;-).

Off this goes to Healing Foods: Eggplant, originally started by me & this month graciously guest hosted by dear Kavita. Hurry in your entries by Jan 31st and have a chance to win one of the two giveaways. :-)

As I said before, there are many variations of the same recipe. and the difference is mainly in the ingredients for the masala powder, in Step 1. See how Nags has prepared the same recipe, in her own ishtyle. :-)

take care and until next time,
Siri

Stuffed Eggplant (with Onion, Coconut and Chickpea Flour)

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The book that I am currently reading on my Kindle is Dianne Jacob's "Will Write For Food" - a complete guide about how-to's to the art of food writing. The book has references and interviews with many renowned star chefs Molly O Neill (who compares making a soup to a road trip in a blizzard) to accomplished food editors like Ruth Reichl to NYT restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton and many others. Truly such personalities *show* food, not just *tell* about food by using an umpteen number of adjectives. They, through their evocative, vivid writing styles  - transport their readers to a faraway, believable neverland, just for a minute and titilate the senses by taking on a journey, with them.

As you read through the pages, one would realize how beautiful and sensual 'food writing' could be. It truly describes what are the essential ingredients required to be successful and/or passionate foodie writer and also talks about what distinguishes the great food writers from the rest. I could not  agree more when Dianne when she says, in the context of joy of food writing - "On days where you're so immersed in your work that the hours fly by, you know you've chosen a great profession".

This book is a must for all who have passion for food and who wants to write good food articles and who secretly wish to write magazine-worthy articles. :-)

..now coming to today's recipe. Eons ago, I posted a Stuffed Eggplant recipe, which takes a bit longer to make. Today's version is much simpler, without being heavy on spices and tastes equally good. The basic idea is from Raaga's recipe and I tweaked that a bit to suit our palate.

Stuffed Eggplant (with Onion, Coconut and Chickpea Flour)

This recipes calls for tender baby eggplants that are stuffed with a onion,coconut and chickpea flour mixture. The highlight of this recipe is the fried coconut, which gives a slightly sweet finish to the overall dish. Serve with plain rice and Urad dal with tomatoes for a complete, nutritious meal.

Adapted from Raaga's recipe

Preparation:

1. Heat 2 tsp of oil and add 2 cups of finely chopped onions. Saute on medium-low heat until a little brownish color. Add 3-4 tbsp of grated coconut. (I used frozen coconut, microwaved for 30 secs and fluffed with a fork). Fry until the mixture turns brown.

2. Add 1/2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste, little turmeric powder, red chilli powder (as per taste), 1/2 tsp of garam masala and salt to taste. Finally add 3 tbsp of chickpea flour (besan). Mix well and saute for 3-4 mins until the raw smell of the flour is gone. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile slit small baby eggplants (I used about 9-10 small ones) crosswise and stuff with this onion-coconut-besan mixture.

4. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and drop the stuffed eggplant carefully, one-by-one. Cover and cook on medium heat for 3-4 mins. Turn the eggplants on the other side and cook untill well done. Make sure they are just charred on each side and not burnt.

5. Serve with hot plain rice.

Happy Holidays everyone.

until next time,
Siri

[UPDATE] - Do you want to host Healing Foods event? Slots from April 2011 are available. and from January 2011 onwards, there is an Amazon giftcard to win from every Healing Food event. Click here for more details.

Enter your email address and get these delicious recipes and more, Straight to your Inbox. It's FREE!

down the memory lane with Eggplant, Ginger and Chilli

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I call my grand mom - "Amma" (Mom), as she raised me till I was 4 years old. Once I started schooling, every summer, me and my sister used to spend all our time at their house - climbing guava trees, playing in the mud, making clay idols, plucking flowers, eating all goodies ...the list goes on. Ah! those were some of the best, care-free days of my life, where I didn't have any assignments to complete or any deadlines to meet. Life was at its best and since then, things have changed a lot back home. We all grew up and all those days, which will never come back are permanently etched as my memories.

my grand-mom, sweetest, cutest ever

Eggplant with Ginger and Chilli (Vankaya Allam Pachimirchi Koora)

Eggplant sauteed in minced Ginger and Chilli is one of the classic dishes that is regularly made in Andhra households. My mom and my grandmom are experts in such authentic recipes and am trying my best to re-create their magic in my kitchen. This recipe in particular is very close to my heart as I remember my ammamma (grandmom) feeding us all with hot rice and a big dollop of ghee with appadams on the side.

2 eggplants (I used the long, chinese variety)
8-10 small thai chillies (reduce the number to make it less spicy)
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled
table salt - to taste
1/8 tsp turmeric

Note: Run through your knife to very finely mince the chillies and ginger together or use a mortel & a pestle (like my grand mom used to do) to coarsely grind it. don't puree.

For poppu/tadka

2 tsp canola/vegetable oil
1/2 tsp each of - urad dal (skinned split black lentils - cream-colored), mustard seeds, cumin seeds
asafoetida (or hing) - a pinch

How to make -

1. Cut the eggplant, lengthwise into small pieces. Put them in lightly salted water, so that they don't change color.

2. Coarsely mince ginger and chillies together. Heat oil in a skillet and add urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the mustard starts to pop, add hing and ginger-chilli mixture. Saute for 1-2 mins.

3. Drain the water from eggplants, pat them dry. Add them to the skillet. Mix everything so that the eggplants are coated with ginger-chilli mixture. Fill a plate or a vessel  (which fits the skillet) with water and cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until eggplants are half-cooked. stirring one or two times in the middle. Season with salt and turmeric. Cook for 8-9 minutes more or until the eggplant is fully cooked. Serve.

Variations - Substitute eggplant with boiled plantain, cabbage or any bland vegetable. It will taste equally yummy.

until next time,
Siri

T&T: Achari Baingan & TofuPilaf

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"I love her blog. She has been a wonderful source of inspiration for many bloggers like me and the best part is, all her recipes are 100% fool-proof! I must have prepared more than a dozen recipes (before and after starting my own blog!) and every time I ended up with a yummy plate of delectable food!"

...and she is none other than lovely Nupur of 'One Hot Stove'!

I was thrilled when Zlamushka has chosen 'Nupur's blog' for her 'Tried & Tasted' event this month. I dugged into my prospicient list of bookmarks.. and chose to make two of her scrumptious dishes!

I already sent 'Aloo Posto' as my first entry and now I am back with - 'Achari Baingan' and 'Tofu Pilaf'..:)

Recipe 1: Achari Baingan: the very idea of stuffing cooked onion masala into big, Chinese Eggplants is so cool! I loved preparing this Rajasthani delicacy and was soundly enjoyed by all! the only variation is - Nupur stuffed in the onion masala into the big whole eggplants. I diced them into 2-3 pieces, slit them and then stuffed in the masala, just to make it more manageable.

Recipe 2: Tofu Pilaf: the original recipe calls for 'Paneer' . to have a vegan version of the same, I used some extra firm cubes of 'Tofu'. It was so delicious that the entire pot was finished within minutes! Yohoo!


Thanks Nupur for such yummy recipes and I end up tasting some new flavors every single time!

**************************************************************************************

Just 2 more days left (June 30th EST midnight) to send in your Open Sesame 2 entries! The official voting will begin on July 1st till July 5th 2008. the lucky winner(s) would receive a surprise gift from us! So, hurry up folks@!

To view the OS 2 entries photo stream (received until now): Click here**.

** updated for every 48 hours upon receiving the entries.

Cheers,
Siri

Recipe Marathon: Day 11 - AWED: Eggplant Rice

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I made this yummy yet simple Arabic rice dish from Seena's blog. She had learnt this from her aunt and I must say, it didn't disappoint me at all. When served warm, it was indeed a crowd pleaser...:)


Variation: I added some Garam Masala powder for that extra spicy flavor!

Hop on to Seena's Simple and Delicious blog to know how to whip up this recipe.


... and this is my entry to AWED: Middle Eastern event hosted by yours truly!..:)

Recipe Marathon: Day 11 Menu :
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Srivalli
Bhags
Arundati
Lakshmi
Divya Vikram
Ranji
Swati
Dhivya
Raaga

Have a great Tuesday ahead!

Siri

My favorite combination - Broad Beans n Eggplant !!

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This is probably *the best* combination of veggies I ever had ( Ok, I hear some saying - NO WAY!!. Some do have a love-hate relationship with this curry! ).
... But, I love the subtle and beany flavor of Indian broad beans ( a.k.a Chikkudukaya/ Surti lilva) combined with that of Eggplant, which gives a very different and distinct flavor to this dish. Believe me, ever since my mama made this dish for me ( probably when I was in my 5th standard...), the entire bowl of this curry made is JUST FOR ME...!!! After I came to US, I hardly could find some fresh beans, Thanks to *frozen food*, I quickly grabbed a pack of frozen beans last weekend and made my favorite curry, almost an year later...!! Served with hot rice and a dollop of ghee, the taste of this curry enhances multi fold...:DDD

Ingredients:

1 frozen pack of Indian Broad Beans
4-5 medium sized Eggplant
2-3 tsp Oil
2-3 cloves of Garlic
3/4 tsp Red Chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric
fresh coriander leaves
3 tbsp grated coconut (optional, but enhances taste!)

For Tadka/Seasoning:

1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
few red chillies



How to prepare:

1. Heat some oil in a pan, add in all the ingredients listed for 'Tadka' one by one until they splutter. Add the finely chopped garlic and saute until brown.
2. Then add in frozen beans ( which infuses some moisture into the curry) and let them cook for 2 mins until soft. Later, add the chopped eggplant and let the veggies cook for a while.
3. Season with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Mix the contents well.
4. Finally sprinkle some grated coconut over the top and cook for 2 more mins.



I served this dish with hot rice and spicy eggplant discs!! Yumm-O..:)

There are many variations to this curry, Some add jaggery, sesame seeds/powder, mustard powder etc etc. But, I like to have this basic curry as I don't want to add in stuff which can overpower the distinct taste of my beans!

I love the addition of garlic to this dish. So, off this goes to JFI: Garlic hosted by dear Mathy!

- Siri

WBB: Soya Moussaka

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'Moussaka' means 'moistened' and 'Vegetable Moussaka' is a traditional Greek dish made with lots of vegetables. I changed few ingredients from the original recipe - Soya chunks instead of chickpeas to make it more nutritious and healthy. It is also a nice winter comfort food. Reposting this dish, which I make very often for Rajitha's WBB:Soya event, originally initiated by Nandita of Saffron Trail.

This dish is adapted from "Vegeterian - the best ever recipe collection" by Linda Fraser. It has an awesome collection of vegetarian recipes neatly sub-categorized as soups, salads, main course and side dishes. I got to know about this book when I happen to visit my friend, then I quickly noted down some nice recipes to experiment in my kitchen...:D.



Soya Eggplant Moussaka
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Ingredients:

1 medium Eggplant
2 Tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil or PAM spray
1 cup Spaghetti sauce or tomato puree
1 Onion
1 tbsp chopped green chillies
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 cup toor dal (or any other lentils)
1 tbsp chopped Garlic
1 Bayleaf
200g Soya chuks
3 tbsp of chopped coriander
3 tbsp of low-fat yogurt
1 Egg
3 cups Vegetable stock
1/2 tbsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Corinader powder
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Step-by-Step Preparation:

1. Sprinkle the eggplant pieces with salt and place in a bowl. Cover and place a weight on top. Let it sit for atleast 30mins, to allow the bitter juices to be extracted.

2. In a pan, boil vegetable stock, lentils and bay leaf, cover and bring to boil and simmer for about 20mins until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain thoroughly and keep aside.

3. Soak the soya chunks in warm water for about 5 minutes or until they become soft.

4. Heat little oil in a skillet, add chopped garlic, boiled lentils, Soya chunks, tomatoes, chopped onions, spaghetti sauce(or tomato puree), coriander powder, garam masala and little water. Boil and cover and simmer for 10min. Stir occasionally and keep aside.

5. Preheat oven for 350F.

6. Rinse the Eggplants slices, drain and pat dry. Heat remaining oil in a pan and lightly fry the slices in batches for 4 mins, turning once so both sides are browned on low heat.

7. Arrange a layer of eggplant slices in the bottom of a shallow, oven proof dish or roasting pan then spoon a layer of soya mixture over the top. Continue layers until all the eggplant slices and lentil mixture is used up.

8. If desired, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese.

9. Now, beat the low-fat yogurt, egg and salt and pepper together and pour the mixture over the vegetables.

10. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and bubbling.

11. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice for a nice tangy taste and garnish with coriander. Serve immediately. This main course dish usually served with warm fresh bread for a hearty and satisfying meal...:)

Off this Moussaka also goes to What's Cooking Wednesday!.. at Shan's place.

Spicy Eggplant Discs - MEC: Snack

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These are some yummy "Spicy Brinjal Discs" which I made for Srivalli's MEC:Snack Event. and I absolutely loved them.. simple, quick and yet tasty. I made few changes to the original recipe to suit my taste buds..


Adaptation: Viewer's Recipe at Tarladalal.com
Prep Time: 10mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 medium Eggplant (Long/Chinese type)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Tomato Puree/ Spaghetti Sauce - 2 tbsp

For marinating:

Turmeric - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tbsp
Amchur Powder - 1 tbsp

How to make:
1. Cut the eggplant into round discs. Sprinkle some salt over them and let it stand for 10 - 15 mins till the bitter juices are extracted.


2. Rinse the brinjal discs under running water and pat them dry.
3. Mix the ingredients listed under "For Marinating" in a bowl and evenly coat it on the brinjal discs. Keep Aside for 5-6 mins.
4. In a MW bowl, heat oil for 1min, then add the marinated brinjal discs - MW for another 6-7 mins.
5. Finally, sprinkle evenly the sphagetti sauce/tomato puree over the discs and MW for another 1 min.
6. Serve hot as a snack or a side dish.

These spicy discs were so yummy, that I ate off all of them from the MW bowl itself.. couldn't wait to be served..hehe..:)

... another look..

Vegetable Pot Pie for Vegeterian Awareness Month Event

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'Vegetable Pot Pie' is a meal in itself. It becomes a beauty when its savory aroma tempts a hungry family to the table with all its luscious taste and flavors. I make this all the time; hence, I can assure this as a well-tested-successful recipe.
I added Paneer in my potpie instead of mozzarella/cheddar cheese which is optional of course if you are concerned about excessive calories.


Preparation time: :20 minutes
Cook time: :20 minutes
Bake time: :45 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Eggplant - 1 small
2. Broccoli - 2 tbsp
3. Pastry Puff sheets - 1 sheet
4. Onions - 1
5. Red Capsicum - 1
6. Green Bell Pepper - 1
7. Sweet Potato - 1 ( or normal potato)
8. Carrots - 1
9. All purpose-flour - 2 tbsp
10. Milk - 1.5 cups
11. Paneer - 1/2 cup ( instead of Parmesan/Feta cheese)
12. Butter - 3 tbsp
13. Nuts - 2 tbsp
14. Egg - 1
15. Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
16. Salt & Pepper - to taste
17. Bay leaf - 1

How to make:

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan, add all the chopped vegetables one by one and cook properly. Season with salt and pepper.
2. I made a classic cream sauce (Rue sauce) for this pie. For that, melt some butter in a pan and add bay leaf. Now, add flour over medium high heat. Mix until the mixture looks like dough - "RUE". Slowly add milk stirring rapidly until the desired consistency. Finally add the nuts and cook for 2 mins and keep aside.
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add to the vegetable mixture over medium-low heat.
4. Now, add the rue sauce and mashed paneer to the vegetable mixture and cook for few minutes.
5. Brush the round pie dish with melted butter or oil and then spread the vegetable mixture evenly in it.
6. Cover the pie dish with the long strips of pastry puff sheets ( roll it with a belan if needed) and press the edges to seal.
7. Coat the top of pastry sheet with egg mixture for nice texture.



8. Cut out shapes from pastry top to allow steam to escape or simply punch small holes in the pastry sheet.



9. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.



10. Cut into pizza like pieces and serves hot. I served with some baked sweet potato fries..:D



Spring, Summer or Winter - 'Vegetable PotPie' is a mouthwatering meal.. Enjoi..:D


October being a 'Vegetarian Awareness Month' - this is my entry to VAM event hosted by dear Coffee and Vanilla. For details of the event - Click here.

- Shriya

UPDATE: One can use Phyllo dough instead of pastry puff sheets, but remember to use a bunch of them (phyllo dough sheets) with a brush of butter between them..:)

Spicy Stuffed Baigan ka Bhartha

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"Aaha yemi ruchi, anara maimarachi
Roju tinnamare mojee teeranidi
Taaja kooralalo raaja yevarandi
Inka cheppala Vankayenandi....."
These are the lyrics of a famous telugu song which states -
"The Raaja of all vegetables is none other than our legendary " Brinjal/Egg Plant/Vankaya"...Indeed its the favorite of all..:D...



I made tons of Sarina Pudi for Ashaji Event and Suganya made me think about recipes to use up the pudi. and here it is "Spicy Stuffed Baigan ka Bhartha" which I by the way baked and steamed, so its tasty, less calories and absolutely delish..:D

Ingredients:

(small) Brinjals/Eggplants - 6
Sarina Pudi - 3 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Salt- to taste
Turmetic - 1/4 tbsp
Tamarind Jucie - 2tbsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2
Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp
Sambhar powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tbsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Chopped Onion - 4 tbsp

How to prepare:

1. Grind all the above mentioned ingredients except Brinjals into a thick paste adding very little water.
2. Slit the Brinjals into 4 parts and stuff them with the ground paste.
3. Keep aside the left over ground masala.
4. Bake the stuffed eggplants for 15 mins at 400 deg in the oven.
5. Now, In a pan, cook the left over masala for few minutes adding little water so that it becomes a gravy.
6. Add the baked eggplants to the pan and Cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves. It tastes good with hot rice or Roti.

I served with white rice and Theplas. Here is the entire spread...:D