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Saturday, August 24, 2013

A Product Review : Mala's Strawberry Crush

A few days ago I was looking for strawberries at the supermarket. But could not find any, not even frozen ones. It was then my neighbor suggested this awesome Strawberry Crush. It the closest to natural strawberries , she claimed.
Feeling a little skeptical but with a glimmer of hope, i trudged on to find it. And I did find it at my nearest Total Superstore ( you will get the entire range at Nilgiri's ). It turned out to be even better than i had expected.




I used it in my lemonade, lassi, milkshake and sherbats. The added tang and color was too good. Made strawberry muffins and they too turned out yummy ( review coming out next week ). I have been using it almost everyday at a topping for museli or even as a bread spread. Priced at Rs 125 for 700 ml, it is a steal deal.


Friday, August 23, 2013

Rajma Chawal ( without onion and garlic )

Rajma-chawal remains one of my favorites right from my childhood days. I love this amazingly tangy curry with copious amounts of onion in it. But since it cannot be savored on certain no onion-no garlic days, I have been planning to find a way to substitute the onions. The current onion crisis which has hit us hard seemed to be the perfect excuse for some action.

I have used ginger and cumin liberally to get the desired pungency, and lots of yogurt and tomato puree for an added tang. Even the amount of chilli powder is more than I usually add .The sweetness provided by the sugar balances it out and all the flavors come together beautifully.




















Preparation Time - 30-40 mins

Ingredients - Rajma/kidney beans ( 1 1/2 cups ), yogurt ( 5-6 tbs ), tomato puree ( 5-6 tbs ), whole spices ( 1 small bay leaf, 4-5 cloves, 1 inch long cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin seeds ), ginger ( 1 1/2 inch julienned ), red chilli powder ( 1 tsp ), cumin powder ( 1 tsp ), coriander powder ( 1 tsp ), turmeric ( 1 tsp ), sugar ( 1 tsp ), oil ( 2-3 tsp ), salt to taste.

Preparation - Wash and soak the rajma overnight.

Transfer to a pressure cooker, add salt and half of the turmeric and cook for 1-2 whistles. They should be cooked but left with a little bite ( not too soft ).

Take the remaining turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder in a bowl. Add 3-4 tbs of water and make into a paste.

Beat the yogurt lightly and keep aside.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a wok. Add the whole spices and then follow with the ginger. Fry for 1-2 mins.

Add the masala paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add a little water if it is getting too dry.

Add tomato puree, sugar and salt, and cook till it thickens and darkens in color.

Add the yogurt and stir it for 3-4 minutes till it starts leaving the sides of the wok.

Finally add the boiled rajma along with 1/2 - 2/3 cup water. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from flame.

For the Basmati rice -

Take 1 cup of washed Basmati rice in a cooker. Add 3/4 cup milk and 1 cup of water. Sprinkle salt and 1/4 tsp of ghee over it. Close lid and cook for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame.












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Sending this to Priya's event CWS-Cumin : August 2013 .





Thursday, August 22, 2013

Vegetable-Soya Biryani

Nothing beats the comfort and warmth of a one pot meal. And biryani happens to be one of my favorite ones. Chicken, mutton, prawn, vegetable, soybeans or even kabuli chana, i enjoy all the varieties that come with this awesome dish. The Hyderbadi 'Dum' style of making biryani is the closest to my heart. And i have managed to replicate the results by using a presure cooker instead of a handi. 

One can get very close to the 'hyderabadi biryani' by half boiling the rice in a vessel and then transferring it to a pressure cooker ( with the whistle taken off ) along with the 3/4th cooked chicken for the final dish. But i always end up making it a one step process due to shortage of time. 

When we moved to Blore, my husband used to get very nostalgic about Hyderabad and that made him frequent 'Ammi's biryani'. It is the best we have had till date in Blore. and they deliver at your doorstep too. But the effects do show up on your waistline and that made him stop. 

Home made biryani allows more control over the quantity of ghee and spices used. Plus one can cook the chicken/mutton/vegetables/soya and keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days and make some mouth-watering biryani whenever desired. Vegetable biryani can provide the right balance of carbohydrates and fats along with dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This time i combined the vegetables with some soya chunks to enrich the protein content of my meal. 

Here is the recipe:


















Preparation Time - 30 mins.

Ingredients - Basmati rice ( 2 1/2 cups ), milk ( 1 cup ), chopped carrot ( 1 /2 cup), chopped beans (1/2 cup), chopped onion ( 1 no, medium sized ), boiled soya granules (1 cup), green peas (1/2 cup), coriander powder ( 1 tsp ), cumin powder ( 2/3 tsp), chilli powder (1 tsp), turmeric ( 1/3 tsp), garam masala powder ( 1/6 tsp), ghee (2 tsp), oil (2 tsp), curd ( 3 tbs), ginger garlic paste ( 1 1/ 2 tsp), 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 green cardamon, 1/2 of a mace, 1 star anise, 4-5 cloves, salt to taste.

Preparation - Take the curd, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix together. Add the boiled soya granules, green peas and chopped vegetables. Mix and allow to marinate for 30 mins.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the chopped onion and fry till translucent. Add the marinated ingredients and cook for 5-6 minutes to get rid of the raw smell and half cook the vegetables.

Put a pressure cooker on the flame. Add 1 tsp of ghee and fry the whole spices in it for 20-30 seconds. Wash the rice and add to the cooker. Pour in the milk. Add enough water to cover the rice and an extra 1 inch above it. Stir in the cooked vegetables and soya . Drizzle the remaining ghee on top and close the cooker lid.

It takes about 10-12 minutes or 1-2 whistles to cook through. Remove from flame and allow to stand for 10 mins.

Serve hot with Dahi pacchidi/phalahari raita.


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Kanika

Kanika is a fragrantly sweet pulao that is traditionally prepared in Orissa. It finds a place of pride among the 'chappan bhog' or 56 items that form part of Lord Jagannath's menu. Before the fried rice and biryani became popular in Orissa, it used to be served at all wedding feasts, picnics and family gatherings. It is stronger in flavor than a traditional pulao and also a little sweet. Usually prepared with arua chaula 'raw rice' ( one can find it outside Odisa by the names Ambebhog/GovindBhog ), one can replace it by any other aromatic rice ( Basmati for example ). Though these days it is usually prepared for offering as prasad, I have many a childhood memories of sampling it with some finger-licking mutton/chicken curry.



















Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - Basmati rice ( 1 cup ), ghee ( 1 1/2 tsp ), raisins ( 10-12 nos), cashews ( 10-12 nos), whole spices ( 1/2 black cardamon( bada aleicha), 1 green cardamon (chotta aliecha), 1/2 inch long cinnamon ( dalchini), 2-3 cloves ( labanga), 1/4 of a mace (jaitri), 1 big bay leaf ( tejapatra) ), 1/6 tsp nutmeg powder, sugar ( 2-4 tsp ), salt to taste, 1/5 tsp turmeric.

Preparation - wash and soak rice for 1 hour. Drain all water and spread on a plate.

Sprinkle the turmeric over the moist and mix it gently with rice. Allow to dry for 1-2 hours in natural air circulation ( can also put it in the balcony but not under direct sunlight )

Cooking - Heat the ghee is a deep and thick bottomed vessel. Add the raisins and cashews. Fry till cashews swell up but do not burn them. Remove with slotted spoon and keep aside.

Add the whole spices and stir for 20 seconds. Add the dried rice and fry it gently for 3 minutes. Still better if you can gently toss it instead of stirring as with the latter one might end up with broken rice grains.

Add enough boiling water ( a little more than two cups in my case ) to cover the rice. Add salt. Allow to cook on a low to medium flame.

Stir gently at an interval of 4-5 mins. Once rice is almost done, add the sugar, nutmeg powder, cashews and raisins, and mix them gently with the rice. (Keep aside a few cashews and raisins to garnish later.)

Allow all the water to dry up. Remove from the flame.

Serve with mutton jholo or if vegetarian, go for channa dali-amba khatta.
















Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Almond Muffins

The baking bug has bitten me hard. I do find some excuse to bake something every other day. These are the almond muffins i couldn't resist after making the eggless nutmeg muffins which disappeared in a single day.


















Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients - All purpose flour ( 1 cup), butter ( 1/2 cup ), sugar ( 1/2 cup, powdered ), egg ( 1 no), almond meal ( 2/3 cup ), milk ( 1/4 cup ), baking powder ( 1/2 level tsp ), chopped almonds ( 1-2 tsp), almond oil ( 1 tsp ).

Preparation - Take the butter and almond oil in a mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and beat well for 5 mins or till the mixture turns a few shades lighter.

Break egg into a separate bowl and beat well such that stiff peaks can be formed.
Stir gently into the butter-sugar mix. Add the milk also.( do not panic if you find a slight curdling at this stage )
Mix the flour, almond meal and baking powder together. Use a sieve to gently sift it into the batter in small batches. Mix gently till no lumps remain.

Grease a non-stick muffin tray. Pour into the molds till 2/3 full. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

Cooking - Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Put the tray inside and turn down heat to 160 degrees after 5 minutes. Bake for another 10 mins. Insert a toothpick at the center of muffin and check if it comes out clean. Else bake for another 5 mins.


Phalahari raita

This is a fruit raita i had made on Sankranti along with some vegetable biryani( w/o the onion and garlic ). Had it been a regular day, i would have paired it with some yummy Dahi Pacchidi.

The sweetness of the pomegranate offsets the acidic sourness of the fuji apples and black grapes, and the heat of the cumin-chilli powder, bringing together all the flavours. Add some fresh mint leaves for more zing.


















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients - fresh yogurt ( 1 cup ), chopped apple ( 2 tbs ), pomegranate seeds ( 2 tbs ), black grapes ( de-seeded & peeled, 12-14 nos ), rock salt/regular salt to taste, jeera-lanka ( roasted cumin-red chili) powder ( 1/5 tsp ), sugar ( 1 tsp, optional ).

Preparation - Take the curd in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and beat well to remove lumps. Add salt, sugar and jeera-lanka powder. Mix well.

Add the fruits and mix them with the yogurt.

Garnish with some grapes and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle some jeera-lanka powder on top. Serve cold.


Monday, August 19, 2013

Eggless Nutmeg Muffins

Baking supplies are difficult to come by in India. And even if you find them, they do not come cheap. A simple muffin tray would cost in the range of 500-700 bucks. Forget pastry sheets, even muffin liners come for 150 rupees a dozen at the cheapest. An imported cake mold could set one back by 1000-1500 bucks.

So when i chanced upon this non-stick muffin tray for Rs 167/- at Total Superstore i readily bought it. But decided to skip buying the liners. This also marks my first attempt at baking without eggs.















Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients - All purpose flour ( 1 1/2 cup), Fortune Rice bran oil ( 3/4 cup ), sugar ( 1/2 cup, powdered ), yogurt ( 3/4 cup ), condensed milk ( 4-6 tbs ), baking powder ( 1 1/2 level tsp ), nutmeg powder ( 1/2 tsp ).

Preparation - Take the oil in a mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and beat well for 5 mins.

Add the condensed milk and yogurt. Beat well for another 5 mins.

Mix the flour, baking powder and nutmeg powder togather. Use a seive to gently sift it into the batter in small batches.

Mix gently till no lumps remain.

Grease a non-stick muffin tray. Pour into the molds till 2/3 full.

Cooking - Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Put the tray inside and turn down heat to 160 degrees after 5 minutes.

Bake for another 10 mins. Insert a toothpick at the centre of muffin and check if it comes out clean. Else bake for another 5 mins.


Sunday, August 18, 2013

Chenna paratha

This is a quick paratha recipe. I had some leftover chenna in the fridge after preparing a lip-smacking 'Chenna Tarkari' for lunch. So when dinner plans were dropped at the last moment due to an unusually heavy downpour, I decided to turn it into these delicious and wholesome parathas. And i have been hooked to them ever since. Unlike other stuffed paratha recipes, this does not require boiling, peeling, mincing, chopping or grating.















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - Whole wheat flour ( 1 1/2 cups), chenna ( 2/3 cup ), onion ( 1 small, chopped ), coriander leaves ( 1 tbs, chopped ), cumin powder ( 1/5 tsp ), red chilli powder ( 1/5 tsp ), green chilli ( 1 no, finely chopped (optional)), salt to taste, oil/ghee ( 2 tsp ), warm ghee ( 1/2 tsp ).

Preparation - Take the flour in a plate. Rub in the warm ghee. Sprinkle salt. Make a small well at the centre and add water. Mix throughly and knead into a soft dough. Keep aside for 10 mins.

Take the chenna in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, green chilli, cumin powder, red chilli powder, coriander and salt. Mix well.

















Make four balls out of the dough. Roll out the balls into rotis. Divide the chenna mixture into two portions. Spread over two of the rotis.

















Cover with the remaining two rotis. Seal the sides.

Cooking- Heat a tawa. Put one paratha and cook on one side for 1 minute. Flip and add oil/ghee. Cook till done.

Repeat for the other paratha.

Note - These parathas taste equally delicious without adding onions. On the day of Osa/Vrat I make them without the onions and just add a rock salt instead of normal salt.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Corn Palak



This is another recipe i prepared using my favorite 'palak gravy'. As I have already mentioned in my earlier posts, I always stock some of it in the fridge as i find it to be very versatile. This time i paired it with some corn. 

Fresh corn is another ingredient that is always available in my fridge. If nothing else, it always eases my 5 pm hunger pangs. I boil it and season it into one of the combinations like 'Butter-chilli', 'Lemon-chilli', 'Chat masala','butter-garlic', 'Butter-oregano-garlic', ,butter-chilli-lemon, and so on. 

Here is the recipe for some lip smacking corn palak:
















Preparation time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 1-1 1/2 cup fresh corn, 3 cups chopped spinach ( palak, use only the tender leaves with stems chopped off ), 1 medium sized onion ( chopped roughly ), 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 green chilli, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/3 tsp chilli powder, 1/3 tsp garam masala (optional), 2 tsp butter, 1 tsp oil, pinch of turmeric, salt to taste. 

Cooking: Boil the corn for 5 mins. Drain water and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the green chilli and cumin seeds. When seeds start spluttering, add the onion. Fry till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2-3 mins. 

Add the chopped spinach and stir fry on medium to high flame to remove excess water. Remove from wok and keep aside to cool down. Transfer to a blender and blend into a smooth paste.

Heat 2 tsp butter in a wok. Add boiled corn and stir for 2 mins . Add the chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and blanched spinach. Cook for 5 mins.

Garnish with an extra dollop of butter. Serve hot as a side dish with rice/rotis.

Note- Blanch the spinach to retain its natural green color.


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Masala Chai ( Tea with spices )

Its been raining incessantly for 5 days now. The laundry baskets are spilling over and the house smells of half-dry clothes. No sunshine greets me as i wake up in the morning. The pitter-patter of the raindrops against the glass windows seems to be drowning out every other sound. The only saving grace to such a gloomy morning being the luscious verdant carpet that covers the open fields in sight.

I steal a sideways glance. Little angel is sleeping blissfully ensconced in his blanket. The sight of his innocent face always manages to lighten my mood. I tuck the blanket around him once again and step down from the bed. Hoping fervently that the newspaper guy is not late, I open the door. Today's edition of TOI greets me back. I pick it up lovingly and step into the kitchen. Need something special to warm up the house and dispel this dank musty feel which seems to hang in the
air. Its too early to bake a cake, so I settled for a cuppa of Masala chai instead.

Time to wake up hubby. Putting the water on the stove to a boil, I called out to him. Managed to wake him up but not without a few grunts and grumblings. Tea was served by the time he freshened up. Nothing better to drive away the blues. Before taking on the day, we savor these tranquil moments spent every morning with the newspaper and tea.

Here is the recipe for my special and always dependable 'Masala chai':


















Preparation time - 10-12 mins (serves 4 )

Ingredients - milk ( 2 cups ), water ( 2 1/2 cups ), sugar ( 4 tsp ), tea leaves ( 4 tsp), ginger ( 1 inch ), cloves ( 2 nos ), cinnamon stick ( 1/2 inch ), green cardamon ( 1 no ), star anise ( 1 no ), peppercorns ( 6-7 nos ), bay leaf ( 1 small ).

Preparation- Bring the water to boil in a saucepan. Add the crushed ginger and all other spices. Boil for 5 mins. Strain the water, remove the spices and put it back into the saucepan.

Add sugar and tea leaves. Boil for 2-3 mins.

Add hot milk and simmer for another 2 mins.

Strain and serve hot with khari biscuits/cookies.


Avocado Smoothie

Avocados are easily available in the market these days and the prices have also come down. This is a great time for avocado lovers like me. Though i was first introduced to this fruit during my Mangalore days, i immediately fell for it. One can readily find it in parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

For the uninitaited, this lush green fruit has a very subtle flavour and velevtty , melt-in-the-mouth texture. No wonder it is also popular as butter fruit. Though high in calories, it is has high amount of mono-unsaturated fats and dietary fibre. It is also loaded with vitamins and minerals. It helps in lowering the LDL ( bad cholestrol) and increasing HDL ( good cholestrol ). It is a skin superfood with its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

While buying the fruit, look for deep purple ones or very dark green ones. On pressing between the thumb and forefinger, it should yield only slightly. Too hard or too mushy is just not good enough.

Here is the recipe for a quick smoothie that i made with this fruit:
















Preparation time - 10 mins

Ingredients - ripe avocado ( 1 no), milk ( 1/2 cup), fresh yogurt (1/2 cup), almonds ( 5-6 nos ), honey ( 2 tsp), powdered flaxseed ( 1 tsp), ice cubes ( 5-6 nos).

Preparation- Soak the almonds overnight. Wash and remove skin in the morning.

Put a cut along the length of the avocado, and around its seed in the centre of the fruit. Hold the two pieces, turn in opposite directions and use gentle pressure to take apart. Remove seed with a sharp object. Scoop out the fleas using a spoon. (Do not throw the skin yet.Rub it on your face for yummy-licious skin)

Dissolve the honey in 2-3 tbs of lukewarm water.

Transfer all ingredients into the blender jar. Blend till smooth. Dilute with cold milk to get desired consistency or serve as it is.

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