9 Reasons Why I Still Blog + Okra (Bendakaaya) Sambar Recipe

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This post from my good blogger friend Sra got me thinking. I read it. re-read it and was even compelled to tweet it. I felt she hit a homerun by aptly putting in words how we, bloggers feel almost every time we hit that "Publish" button. I did write a few words on how this blog got started in my anniversary post and today's version is just an extension of it - a contemplation of sorts on Why I Still Blog ..

+ I blog because it gives me joy, immense joy.

+ I blog because there is an under nourished writer in me. Sigh! I don't even consider myself  good at expressing myself - to put in words how and what I feel. And I want to change that, one post at a a time.

+ I blog because I make new friends almost every day. I read new blog posts which give a different perspective to life in general and inspire me to do and cook better.

+ I blog because I get to share stories and take notice of those moments which otherwise would be lost in oblivion.

+ I blog because I want to know my own story many years down the line. How my thoughts were shaped, what I did and why I made certain choices.

+ I blog because it is my platform to find support, to help people around.  Remember how so many of you rallied with me to raise funds for little girls at Vaidehi Ashram. I can never forget that heartwarming gesture and each one you who came forward and lend their hand has a special place in my heart.

+ I blog because it is a reflection on bit and pieces of my every day life. Not in its entirety, but you get an idea.

+ I blog because a lot of effort and passion goes into duplicating my mother's recipes; it's more than just a list of ingredients and a set of directions to follow. I want to remember the aroma of freshly ground spices in her kitchen, how my mother smiles at a perfect bowl of dal and how we discuss on what to make next for the blog - that is something I always, always wait for!

+ I blog because it challenges and inspires me in more ways I can ever imagine. I do fail many at times like not finishing VeganMoFo challenge last month, but the journey itself where I constantly brainstorm what to cook next and how to photograph within the limited resources I have is worthy enough to give any challenge an honest attempt.

So, tell me friends why do you blog? I know how much effort it takes to bring one post to life. I want to know what is that one thing that inspires you to do what you the best. :-) 

Today's recipe is from one of the first blogs I read very diligently. - Mahanandi. I am proud to say that Indira, the vivacious lady behind this popular blog is a good friend and I even had an opportunity to talk to her once. She occasionally blogs about food now and her posts these days are mostly about her garden and menu plans. But, I still adore her as she is one of the few people who influenced me to start my own blog.

Sambar with Okra (Bendakaaya Sambar)
Serves 3 to 4
Adapted from Mahanandi 

Bendakaaya (Okra) Sambar is something we make pretty often and is our house favorite. We save all those chewy, not-so-good okra and make this delicious stew by the end of the week. When served with rice and pickle, this sambar tastes darn good especially on cold dinner nights. If you have made it before, it is time to make some. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

10 okra, washed and cut into long pieces
1/2 cup toor dal, washed and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oil

For Tadka:

1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp each - cumin seeds, urad dal, mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies
few curry leaves
a pinch of hing

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker, add toor dal with 1 cup water and cook for 3 to 4 whistles. Mash the dal. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a kadai and add onion and tomato. Cook for few mins and then add okra pieces. Saute until soft. Add a glass of water, tamarind pulp, turmeric, salt, coriander powder and sambar powder. Mix well, cover and let it simmer for about 10 to 12 mins on low-medium heat. Okra must become tender. Add mashed dal and continue to simmer for 10 mins. Adjust salt if necessary. Turn off heat and cover.

In a separate kadai, add a tsp of oil. Once hot, reduce heat and add urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds along with red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Once mustard seeds start to splutter, gently add the tadka mix to sambar. Cover and let it sit for few minutes so that the flavors blend in. Serve hot with rice and papad.

This is Recipe 60 added to 2013 Recipe Archive. Check out the rest of the recipes too.

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until next recipe,

Stuffed Okra (Bhindi) with Indian Cottage Cheese (Paneer) in Tomato Gravy Recipe

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My favorite vegetable is Okra i.e ladies finger or bhindi as we call here in India. Many of my friends tease me for my cravings to this supposedly a "slimy vegetable". But, I say any vegetable if cooked properly will taste fabulous and Okra is no exception. Today's recipe is one such fantastic variation (If I may say so) which I learnt from my mom. It is as simple as: stuffing okra with grated paneer, pan frying it until slightly charred and then dunking into a tomato gravy. This dish goes well with rotis and rice. Try it, am sure it will enter your favorite list too!.

Enjoy..

Okra Raita and Mint Raita

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There is absolutely nothing comforting than a bowl of cool yogurt to beat the scorchy summers outside. When I was a kid, having yogurt at the end of meal was a MUST in my house (just like in any other Indian household). Two or three days without yogurt, my body heat starts to build up till it finally signals me to have some immediately.

Yogurt with onion, tomato & coriander or Yogurt with grated carrot & cucumber are the usual combinations which one often ends up making. Today, I have two simple yet divine yogurt recipes for you guys. these can be made in a jiffy and can be enjoyed at any time of the day - as a side dish or like me, just have as-is.

Okra Raita (Bendakaya Perugu Pachadi/Vendakkai Thair Pachadi)

Stem and finely chop the okra into rounds. Heat some oil in a skillet. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram dal (urad dal), bengal gram dal (chana dal), halved red chilli, asafoetida powder and a few curry leaves.

When mustard seeds start to splutter, add the okra. Cook on a low heat until the vegetable is tender. Add salt to taste(at the very end as it prevents it from becoming soggy) and cook for a minute or so. Cool the okra and add to the well-beaten yogurt. Blend thoroughly. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Mint Raita (Pudina Perugu Pachadi)

This recipe is by my dear friend, DK of Chef in You. Last month when I visited CA for the first time, she cordially invited me and S for dinner and then, she made this cool, Mint Raita. Once we came back, couple of days later, S was craving for this and I had to call my buddy for the recipe. Since then I must have made this tons of times, atleast twice a week. It tastes that good.

In a food processor, grind mint leaves with some beaten yogurt. Add this mint mixture to rest of the yogurt with some roasted coriander-cumin powder and salt. Whisk the contents well. Ta-dah, its ready!

I hope you are all are enjoying the summer with lots of fresh fruits & vegetables, sangrias, lemonades, hikings and outdoor barbecuing!

Don't forget to put your Sunscreen at ALL times!.

[EDIT] Sending these two raitas as entries to Suma's event about Sidedishes other than Dals & Subzis.

Enjoy,

Cornmeal Cou Cou: a Caribbean delight

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Her blog is full of life, delight and all of her recipes 'tastes like home'. I am a great of hers and bookmarked almost every dish. :) Now, she even published her own cookbook - 'My Caribbean Cookbook: Tastes Like Home'. How cool is that!

..and the theme of this month's 'Monthly Mingle', a brainchild of lovely Meeta is 'Caribbean Cooking'. I went through all of my bookmarks from Cynthia's blog and finally made 'Cornmeal Cou Cou'. Its the first time I had my hands on 'cornmeal' and with the help of step-by-step instructions from Cynthia, the dish turned out to be delicately delightful with very subtle taste of gooey okra. though it has no seasoning in it except salt, it tasted so good with the left over gravy from last night's malai kofta, prepared by my roommate. Everybody loved it and saved some for tomorrow lunch, to have it tasted by their colleagues. Its that good! :))


About Cornmean Cou Cou (from Cynthia's blog)

"Barbados’ national dish is cornmeal cou cou and flying fish. Long ago, cou cou used to be a regular every-Saturday dish in many households just as pudding and souse is, but these days, because of the time it takes to prepare, a lot of people have stopped making it regularly. If we’re not careful, the technique of making good cou cou will fade away as we all get busier, eating out becomes the norm, and those with the knowledge of making cou cou leave this world without being able to pass on this traditional dish."

Thanks Cynthia for all your contribution is passing over such authentic, traditional recipes to all of us. :)

Click here for the detailed recipe instructions.

Note: Did you know, 'Coucou', in French means 'Hello' or 'Hi' :)

signing off for now,

RM 2: Tangy Okra Stew

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Today's dish is one of my all time favorite side dishes and I end up making this atleast once a week. I love the tangy taste of tamarind and the addition of Okra which gives it a distinct taste which is very hard to resist..:)




Tangy Okra Stew

Ingredients:

1 cup cut Okra pieces
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
1/2 Tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp Tomato paste
1 tbsp Tamarind pulp
Salt to taste
1/8th tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Canola Oil

For Tampering:

1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
a pinch of Hing


Preparation:

Step 1: Heat oil in a wok, add the ingredients listed for 'tampering'. Add in onion & tomatoes. Saute for couple of minutes.

Step 2: Add tomato paste and tamarind pulp to the onion-tomato mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir the contents well.

Step 3: Finally mix in the okra pieces and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium-low flame. Then add about 2 cups of water and adjust the seasonings if needed. Cook for 5-6 minutes.

This dish tastes yum with a some rice and ghee! Enjoi..:)

There are 24 members running along with me in Recipe Marathon 2. Do check out what they cooked up for us today!

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

Cheers,
Siri

Okra cooked in Australian Manner

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When Rachna chose 'Edible Flowers' as her theme for this month's Jihva, (originally initiated by Indira of Mahanandi ) I was both skeptical and unsure about what and how to cook with them. I must say, was quite surprised to see quite a number of my favorite veggies, who bear flowers too are in her 'Edible flowers' list.

PEAS? RADISH? OKRA?

[EDIT]: No No, Okra is NOT an edible flower, its a veggie. The fact is the Okra plant also bears flowers, which are Edible. So, this is not a valid entry for JFI, as I was supposed to cook with 'Okra Flower'...:) Thanks Rachna for correcting me.

I chose to whip up with my favorite vegetable - OKRA! not the usual deep fry or stew.. I was searching for something different - flavors which I have never experimented with!

One lazy evening, I was just browsing through the Bible of Vegetarian cooking (atleast for me, it is a BIBLE!...and absolutely love the list.) - Madhur Jaffrey's 'World Vegetarian' and quickly looked through the vegetable section....for some ideas!

'Okra cooked in an Australian manner' - that sounds interesting and it immediately caught my eye and was quite impressed and happy with its motley of flavors !





Psst..Psst.. I tweaked the recipe a bit - to suit my taste buds and going with the little time I had on hand..:)

Ingredients:

1 packet of Frozen Okra. (I am lazy! so went for the frozen one. You could use fresh ones too.)
Salt to taste
1/8 cup Soya Sauce (You could reduce or increase the amount as per ur taste)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 whole Red Chillies
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Preparation:

To reduce the gooey substance from the frozen Okra, I baked them at 300 deg for about 10 mins.

Heat oil in a wok, add in cumin seeds and red chillies. Then add cut Okra and cook for about 7-8 minutes.

Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Mix in the soya sauce at the end and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Make sure the okra is cooked before you add the soya sauce.

Serve warm with hot rice.

I am a basically a 'rice-person' (rather than a 'roti-person').

You could serve this curry with roti too!

Enjoi.

signing off for now,
Siri

Recipe Marathon: Day 14: Open Sesame # 1 : Score card!

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I have a crown yet I am not the king
You cut my crown and feet off with a fling

I carry lots of eggs, yet I nothing but a veggie
Even with all that I am thin and long not pudgy

I am green and I am gooey
If u don't pay attention, I will make your dish go mushy and chewy

I do good to your health and to you brain
Which is what your elders told you without refrain
Now its up to you to think and guess
To who I am ...Cos I am good too and no less.

...this was the riddle on 'veggie' placed in BOX 1 of our first edition of Open Sesame contest.

...and those who guessed it correct and earned a total of 25 points are:

Kalai
Sailu
Divya Vikram

...Congratulations dearies!!! and Thanks for participating in Open Sesame..:D

Lets celebrate this moment with some yummy Tali Hui Bhindi... Shall we!!




Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's 'World Vegetarian' (Pg No: 254)

Ingredients:

Peanut or Canola oil for shallow frying
2 dried hot Red chillies
1.5 tsp whole (brown) mustard seeds (I used black ones)
1/2 pound Okra (See the note below)
1 smallish Onion, peeled, halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise into thin slices.
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced into strips (My addition)

Note: If using fresh Okra, choose young ones, tails & tops removed and then cut on a diagonal into 1/8inch-thick rounds.
I used 1 packet of frozen okra and to reduce its mucilage, placed the entire contents on a baking sheet and baked them for about 15-20 minutes at 400 deg. Believe me, this tip worked well and the subzi came dry and yummy!

Preparation:

1. Put the oil in a frying pan and set over a medium flame. When hot, put red chillies and garlic. Use a slotted spoon to remove and transfer them to a small bowl.

2. Put the mustard seeds into a long-handled metal cooking spoon, hold it with a dish towel or oven mitt, and lower it into the oil. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, remove the spoon, pouring back as much oil as you can into the frying pan but retaining the mustard seeds. Put them into the bowl with red chillies.

3. Now put the Okra and onion into the same pan. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down just a bit and continue to fry until the okra and onion are crisp.
The frying should take about 10-12 minutes. Remove the okra and onion with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels before putting in a serving bowl.

4. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and the popped mustard seeds. Throw in the red chillies, toss to mix, and serve hot!

'S' is a scorpion and Okra is the veggie given for SCORPIO in Fortune Cooking Contest. Off this dish goes to Shriya and Nithu's event!

Likewise, there were 3 more boxes in Open Sesame contest, with a riddle in each of them... here they go!

Box 2: Riddle for Spice: Answer: Saffron
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I am the queen or am I the King
A very little of me goes a long way

I am part of a team and we all cling
including me will make your dish yellow and gay

You can include me in all
All you have to do is to pinch and call
Tell me what you think of me and dont think twice
Cos I am royal spice of all and will cost u every single penny!

....Arundathi opted for Box 2 and BINGO, she get 25 points. Great job dear!

Box 3: Riddle for Grains - Answer: Millet
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I am old and ancient and in many places a staple
health and longevity are wonders I wear like a lapel

My different forms give different taste
one form is enjoyed in the mornings - eaten in haste!
Another form is in form of soups and porridge
Or in forms of plain or stuffed breads

I thrive in the hot summers..But make you feel good and warm
I am good to people although many just use me for feeding birds and cattle in farms
I am just no mean and lowly grass with striking resemblance to maize
I have 'pearls' of wisdom to share if you want, to listen to me with grace

People with celiac turn to me
I give you fibre and irons, so rich i am for the world to see
Now sit tight and give it a hard thought - be clever be sane
to guess who I am, the highly nutritious and healthful whole grain.

... Box 3 was the most popular one and the score card for this box is as follows:

Uma - 15 points
Cham - 25 points
Madhuram - 25 points
Rachel - 15 points
Srivalli - 20 points

... I know this was a bit tricky riddle gurls, but I must say, Hats Off to U all, for taking it so sportingly and guessing it till u got it right!!

Note: To know more about scoring pattern : Click here.

Box 4: Riddle for fruit: Answer: Banana.
---------------------------------------------------

I am golden yet not pricey
I can sometimes blush red but am no shy missy

I go green but i am not jealous
I know many like me for which I am over zealous

Cook me raw, eat me ripe
I give no room for gripe
People become me when they are mad or furious
Oh well, says not me, but Oxford and thesaurus

Every stage and every part of this being is put to use and for giving flavour
Be it the feet, the hands and me being the fruit of its labour
I am crescent shaped but am no moon
Dont delay, Think hard and tell me who I am, soon..

... Surprisingly, nobody opted for this Box..!!

I want to take this opportunity to thank my dear friend Dhivs, who wrote these cute riddles, which made Open Sesame more interesting. Thanks sweety..:)

Check out here, - the yummy dishes whipped up by our participants with their surprise ingredients!

Coming up next in Open Sesame:
Voting will begin for each of these categories on June 1st to June 5th 2008 (until midnight EST), where each of the Dining Hall forum members get to choose their favorites.
The winner and their prizes will be announced the following day!.

So, stay tuned folks.. there are lots of fun moments ahead!

Recipe Marathon Day 14: Menu

Srivalli is up with her famous LunchBox series.
Arudathi cooked up some yummy Mushroom Rolls.
Ranji made a yummy looking Eggplant curry today!
Known for her cool named recipes, Dhivya is up with one more today!
Its just a cup of Hot Chocolate, says Laks - a die heart fan of Chocolate.
Swati is suffering from IPL fever and check out what did she made today.
Divya whipped up a yummy looking Orange cake for us.
Raaga made a delicious looking Raspberry Raisin Ring today.

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Lets help Bri...



Have a great weekend ahead.

Siri