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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Vangi Bhath / Brinjal Rice


This is one of the dishes that I didn't enjoy until recently, I don't like eggplants at all. But this time when my mom visited me she made this for us and I realized how much I was missing.

I still don't enjoy eggplants that much, but considering all the benefits of eggplants I think I can at least eat it now and enjoy it.
Hope you guys like it too..

Here is the recipe for Vangi Bhath

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 tbsp tamarind
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 6 small eggplant
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 cup of peas

For Spice Powder:
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2" stick cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 4 dry red chillies
  • 3 tsp Channa dal
  • 2 tsp Urad dal
  • 1 tbsp grated coconut (desiccated)

For Tempering:
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp asafoetida
  • 1 dry red chilli, torn into pieces
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
Direction:
  • Put the tamarind in a bowl with 1/2 cup of water with salt and turmeric.
  • Cube the eggplant and carrots and add to the tamarind juice and let soak for 15 mins.
  • Heat oil for spice powder in a pan and add remaining ingredients for spice powder. Fry till spices are fragrant and the dals turn golden brown. Cool and grind to a powder.
  • Heat oil for tempering in the same pan and add all the ingredients for tempering. When mustard seeds start popping, add the eggplant and carrots with the tamarind extract.
  • Add the peas to this mixture, also add the spice powder to this and let it cook.
  • Cover pan and simmer for about 10 mins till the vegetables are tender and water is almost completely adsorbed.
  • Mix in the cooked rice with some oil so that the rice grains are separated.
  • This can be eaten with curd.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Ragda Patties




Ingredients:

For the Ragda:

  • White Vatana (Whole Dried White Peas) – 2 cups
  • Water – 6 cups
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
  • Ginger – 2 tsp, minced
  • Garlic – 3 large cloves, minced
  • Green Chillies – to taste, minced
  • Onions – 1 cup, finely chopped
  • Tomato – 1 large, chopped
  • Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
  • Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Lime Juice– to taste
  • Cilantro – for garnish

For the Patties:

  • Potatoes – approx 4 lbs (2 kg), boiled, peeled and mashed
  • Ginger/Green Chili Paste – 1 Tbsp
  • 4 slices of bread
  • Cumin Powder – 2 tsp
  • Sugar – 2 tsp
  • Salt – to taste
  • Lemon Juice – 3 Tbsp or to taste
  • Cilantro
  • Corn Starch – 4 Tbsp
  • Oil – for pan frying
  • Makes approx 30 patties

Directions:

For the Ragda:

  • Wash and soak the Vatana overnight in water.
  • Drain, rinse and add Vatana plus fresh water (6 cups) and salt to taste in a pressure cooker. Allow pressure cooker to whistle once, reduce the stove to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to go down by itself.
  • Heat Oil in a pan. Add in Cumin Seeds, allow them to turn a little golden. Add Turmeric Powder.
  • Add Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilies and Onions. Mix. Allow Onions to become translucent.
  • Add Tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes then add Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Rasam Powder and a little salt. Mix.
  • Pour in cooked Vatana and bring to a boil. Additional water may be added to get desired consistency.
  • Garnish with Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) and Lime Juice.

For the Patties:

  • Boil, peel and mash Potatoes.
  • Soak the bread slices in water and squeeze out the water
  • Add the rest ingredients and mix well with hands. Add Corn Starch and mix well.
  • Take a small portion (as big as you want the patty to be) and form a round and flat patty. Form all patties.
  • Shallow fry patties with a little oil and brown both sides.

To assemble Ragda Patties:

Friday, February 5, 2010

Methi/Palak Malai Mater


Ingredients:

  • Fenugreek Leaves – 1/2 bunch
  • Spinach- 1/2 bunch
  • Paneer- 1 pound
  • Frozen Peas – 16 oz (1/2 kg)
  • Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 cup (or to taste)
  • Salt – to taste
  • Oil – 1 Tbsp
  • Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Whole Dry Red Chilies – to taste
  • Ginger – 1 Tbsp, minced
  • Onion– 1/2 medium, chopped
  • Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
  • Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Coriender Powder – 1 tsp
  • Garam Masala – 1 tsp
  • Red Chili Powder – to taste

Method:

  • Wash Fenugreek Leaves well, remove roots and chop finely.
  • Sprinkle salt over Fenugreek and Spinach Leave, mix well and set aside 15-20 minutes
  • Heat oil a medium pan on medium heat.
  • Fry the paneer and put it in some salt water.
  • Heat some more oil in the same pan, once it is hot
  • Add Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle for 10-15 secs.
  • Add in Dry Red Chili.
  • Add Turmeric Powder and immediately, add in Onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add Ginger, mix and cook until Onions are a light golden color.
  • Add Tomatoes, mix and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add Green Peas, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder and Salt. Mix well, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir in between to prevent sticking.
  • Squeeze out salt water from Fenugreek and spinach leaves and add it to the peas.
  • Add the paneer to this mixture
  • Cover and cook until it is cooked (3-6 minutes).
  • Add in Heavy Whipping Cream mix well and bring it to a boil
  • Serve hot with Chapati, Naan or Rice.

About Me

I just love to cook and everything that goes along with food. I cook at home most of the time but I do enjoy eating out once in a while too. I have 2 blogs, one with all my recipes and the other one is all the places that we eat at. My husband and I love to eat and go out. The other day I was looking for a new phone so we were doing our rounds to all the service providers around our house, before we can decide which one to go with. When we went to the Sprint store close to our house we realized that we even though we have been in this area for the past 4 years we have never been to that strip mall. We found a pizza place that looked really good from the outside. That's when we made a New Year's resolution of eating out once a week and try a new restaurant each time. And here I will write my thoughts of the place and what I think of it.

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