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Showing posts with label food blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food blogger. Show all posts

Friday, September 8, 2017

Cauliflower Tawa Pulao

Sometime back when the term 'paleo diet' was still new and restricted to the jargon of a 'chosen few', I stumbled upon something called the 'cauliflower rice' . It was the proposed substitute of the regular rice. But I was a bit skeptical about it as cauliflower lacks the sweetness and the aroma of the latter. A single disastrous trial proved my worst fears and ensured that it stayed off the menu .

I had completely forgotten about the recipe till now. But a small mistake in the grocery list ended up with a glut of cauliflowers in my fridge and I was forced to resort to some really creative culinary techniques. From making a pasta sauce to a wholesome soup, I went overboard with my experiments and managed to finish off mot of the stock. Yet there was this small head of cauliflower that begged for attention before I logged out of the kitchen for a long weekend. That is when I pulled out the cauliflower rice recipe from the archives of my memory and gave it a Mumbaiya style twist !!

The spice of the pav bhaji masala and the tang from the tomatoes and lime juice surely turns this recipe into a winner. A dash of cheese is sure to add another level of yumminess to this dish. Most kids will love this version of the 'tawa pulao' so make sure you add it to the menu of your kiddo's potluck party.

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 25-30 mins

Ingredients -

  • 2 1/2 cups grated cauliflower (tightly packed)
  • 1 small carrot ( finely chopped)
  • 1 small capsicum ( finely chopped)
  • a handful of green peas
  • 1 large ripe tomato (finely chopped)
  • 1 small onion ( finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp GG paste
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp pav bhaji masala
  • 2 pinch turmeric
  • 2 pinch garam masala
  • 2-3 tsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2 tsp cooking oil
  • salt to taste
  • grated cheese for garnishing 


Preparation - 

To make the grated cauliflower, cut the cauliflower into large florets. Use either a grated with large holes or pulse it for a few seconds in a mixer. Dry it on a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.

Cooking - Steam the grated cauliflower for about 5 mins in a steamer.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large wok. ( use one that is usually used in Chinese style cooking as it has a large surface area )

Add onions and fry till translucent.

Add the GG paste next and fry for 2-3 mins.

Add all the powdered masalas along with 2-3 tsp water to prevent burning. Fry for 2 mins with sprinkling of water at regular intervals.

Add the tomato and cook it till mushy.

Add chopped carrots, capsicum and green peas. Add a little salt. Saute on medium high for 3-4 mins.

Finally add the cauliflower rice, sprinkle some more salt and turn up the heat.

Stir fry for 2-3 mins till everything is nicely mixed .

Add the lime juice and toss it once again.

Transfer to the serving bowls.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and grated cheese.

Serve immediately.




Sunday, July 9, 2017

Horse Gram and Spring onion Soup ( Comforting Monsoon Broths Collaboration )

Monsoon and romance. Well, these two have always seemed synonymous to me. Thankfully I am not the only one prone to their magical madness. The bewitching monsoons have fueled the imagination of many a creative souls resulting in those rain drenched Bollywood sequences that are symbolic of the heavens melting into the embrace of a scorched earth.

From watching those dark clouds traverse the canopy of the blue skies to catching those first rain drops with my hands, I find myself soaking in the beauty of this spellbinding season. And even if it scares the shit out of me at times, I am still fascinated by it. My childhood memories are littered with instances where I hid behind a thick curtain to take a peek at those almost mysterious lightning displays while closing the ears tightly every time the thunder rolled. In fact there are a dozen of those monsoon memories clearly imprinted in my memory.

Once the storm blew over, I would rush out to find the whole garden/terrace littered with Gulmohar blossoms from a huge tree that dominated the entrance of our locality. The lawns resembled something like a piece of modern art with splotches of red and yellow on a verdant canvas. And I would compete with my brother in gathering the most number of intact blossoms. Even if it meant venturing out in the muck and all. Replete with slithering earthworms and creepy crawlies. But somehow in those days, even though we were young, we had the values of 'peaceful co-existence' inculcated in us. So one was never bothered about these creatures.

While growing up has taken the fun out of the rains, it has certainly fired up the romantic in me. A dozen hopeless poems and passages in my short stories bear testimony to this. But speaking practically and sticking to realistic goals, every time it rains, I just want to cozy up with a book, a cup of warm liquid and a blanket. Good enough for most people, don't you agree ?

Now that I have already mentioned it, a warm broth aka soup seems to have become the mainstay of my monsoon diet. From the typical indigenous fare like Kanji, rasam and shorba, to chinese brews and healthy vegetable based nourishment, everything gets a chance to be on the menu. On a rotation basis of course. And the last entrant on this bandwagon is the 'Horsegram soup', a hearty decoction inspired by the 'Kolotho dali' which is an important past of Odia cuisine.

Check out the recipe -

[ and more !! Collab Post Alert *** ]























Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -
  • 1 cup roasted and split Horsegram
  • 2-3 spring onion bulbs
  • 4-5 tsp chopped spring onions (including the greens)
  • 2 medium sized tomato
  • 10-12 peppercorns
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 dry red chilis
  • 1 tsp oil
  • pinch of turmeric
  • salt to taste
  • additional spring onion bulb for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the horsegram for 2-3 hours. 

Cooking - Cook it for 5-6 whistles in a pressure cooker along with 2-3 spring onion bulbs, tomatoes, salt, turmeric, peppercorn and 3 cups water. 

Once the steam escapes, open the lid and use a hand blender to puree the cooked lentils and tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the crushed garlic and whole dry red chilis. Once it is fragrant, remove the chilis.

Add the chopped spring onions and saute for 2-3 mins. Pour everything over the pureed ingredients.

Put the pressure cooker back on the flame and let it simmer for 5-6 mins (without lid) . Adjust the consistency by adding hot water and check for the salt.

Pour into serving bowls. Serve.




Dont forget to dunk in some sliced spring onions for extra flavour.
























Check this striking soup recipe by my amazing friend Parinaaz  who is a part of the ongoing Comforting Monsoon Broths Collaboration !! Don't forget to visit her blog - A Dollop Of That for some mouthwatering Parsi fare :).






















Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup



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