Savoury Tricolor Panna Cotta ( Independence Day Collaboration with ADollopOfThat and DelishPotpourrie)

IMP - This i an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on Oriyarasoi. 


"Mommy, Aarav is so bad ! "

"Why ? What happened ? "

" He does not play Cricket with us."

" So what ?"

" Why doesn't he like to play Cricket ?"

" But he plays football with you, doesn't he ? I think he is just like your Mommy. Even I prefer football. Guess we are just a little bit different . "

Diversity. A beautiful word that is fast losing it's relevance in a world where intolerance is constantly rearing up it's ugly head. That is why it is all the more important that we should be having this kind of conversation with our kids on this Independence day or rather on any day when we feel that he or she is showing any signs of parochialism. For a nation that revels in it's diversity, we need to make sure that the basics of it are ingrained into the next generation.

And with diversity occupying the topmost echelon of my mind, I set about with the task of creating a dish that pans the Indian subcontinent. Choosing the three recipes that represented the three regions of India was the toughest task. But after a lot of deliberation I picked Palak Paneer from the North, Erissery (Pumpkin curry) from the South and Dahi Baingan from Odisha ( just being true to my roots ). Now I wanted to give it a whole new avatar which deifies their regular hierarchy in the main course. Hence the introduction of the savory panna cotta, a light as air and tongue tickling appetizer that leaves you wanting for more. Of course one can serve them in a tiny-weeny portion as a palate cleaner too but I would rather go for the first option.

That's not all !! This recipe is part of a collab with my favorite bloggers Saswati ( of Delish Potpourrie ) and Parinaaz ( of A Dollop Of That ) so there is much more to be explored :) . [ Remember to scroll down to the bottom of this post ]

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 45 mins ( plus more time for setting the panna cotta )

Ingredients -

For the Palak Paneer Panna Cotta -

• a fistful of baby spinach leaves
• 1 inch sized cube of paneer
• 2 tsp chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 pinch garam masala
• 1 tsp gelatin 
• 1/4 cup fresh cream
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp butter for frying the onions

For the Pumpkin Erissery Panna Cotta -

• 1/2 cup red pumpkin cubes
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• a pinch of cumin powder
• a pinch of red chili powder
• 2 tsp chopped shallots
• 1/2 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp gelatin
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup fresh cream

For the Dahi Baingan Panna Cotta -

• 1/2 cup eggplant slices
• 4-5 curry leaves
• a pinch of roasted cumin-chili powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp oil 
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp gelatin
• 1/4 cup fresh cream
• 1/2 cup hung curd

Preparation - Soak each teaspoon of gelatin with about 3 tbsp of water in three separate bowls. Once it swells up, place the bowls in a saucepan of hot water and stir them to dissolve completely.

Cooking -

For the Palak Paneer Panna Cotta -

Blanch the baby spinach leaves.

Heat a little butter in a wok. Add the onions and garlic. Fry till onion turns translucent.

Take the blanched spinach, garam masala, fried onion and garlic, and the paneer cube in a liquidizer jar.  Blend well. Then add the liquid gelatin and blend again.

Around the same time, simmer the fresh cream for about 5-7 mins in a thick bottomed saucepan. Season with salt and remove from the flame. Add the pureed mixture to the cream and beat lightly to mix evenly.

Pour into moulds/ramekins/glasses. Put inside the fridge for 30-40 mins to chill. Remove just before serving.

For the Pumpkin Erissery Panna Cotta -

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the curry leaves and let them turn brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the garlic and shallots . Fry lightly. Next add the pumpkin cubes along with the cumin and red chili powder.

Add a little water, salt to taste and cover with a lid. Once the pumpkin is cooked through, remove from the flame.

Blend the pumpkin along with the liquid gelatin.

Around the same time, simmer the fresh cream and the thick coconut milk for about 5-7 mins in a thick bottomed saucepan. Season with salt and remove from the flame. Add the pumpkin mixture to the cream and beat lightly to mix evenly.

Pour into moulds/ramekins/glasses. Put inside the fridge for 30-40 mins to chill. Remove just before serving.

For the Dahi Baigana Panna Cotta -

Heat a little oil in a pan. Add the curry leaves and remove after 30 seconds. Add the eggplant slices along with a little salt. Cook till lightly browned on both sides.

Once the eggplant has cooled down, blend it along with the hung curd, roasted cumin-chili powder, liquid gelatin and salt.

Around the same time, simmer the fresh cream for about 5-7 mins in a thick bottomed saucepan. Season with salt and sugar. Remove from the flame. Add the eggplant and curd mixture to the cream and beat lightly to mix evenly.

Pour into moulds/ramekins/glasses. Put inside the fridge for 30-40 mins to chill. Remove just before serving.

Garnish as per the images or use your own imagination.

Note - This tastes best when served on the same day. The flavors tend to change after a day or two.

And here are the fabulous recipes shared by my friends -

Parinaaz's Rice Paper Rolls


and

Saswati's Tiranga Rabri Mousse


Happy Fooding around on this Independence Day !!! 

Stir Fried Tofu

With more and more folks joining the vegan bandwagon, I need to keep reinventing the starters menu everytime I plan a gathering. With potatoes being on the 'must-avoid' list of most folks, I am left with the usual suspects of baby corn, peppers, mushrooms and broccoli. But since protein is an integral part of every meal, I had to think of something that tasted good without being too fussy to prepare. And discovered that this rather simple Tofu stir fry perfectly fits the bill .

While Tofu is quite bland just by itself, it magically soaks up all sorts of flavours during the marination process. So, yes, that is the single most important step when preparing any recipe with Tofu. In this dish, the addition of a few ingredients like soy sauce, vinegar, chillis and sesame oil transforms the flavour completely. Addition of veggies like carrot, spring onions, or beans further improves the visual appeal of this dish. Serve it to your guests and have them asking for seconds.

Check out the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins ( 30 mins standby )

Ingredients -

• 200 gm firm Tofu
• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 6-7 dry red chilis ( medium spicy )
• 8-10 garlic flakes ( finely chopped )
• 1 small onion
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup carrot juliennes 
• 1/4 cup spring onion greens ( optional )
• Sufficient oil for deep frying ( I use Fortune Vivo Diabetes care oil )
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation - Wash and cut the tofu into long strips. 

Marinate with 1 tsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, chili powder and salt. Keep aside for 30 mins.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Drop in the tofu pieces, a few at a time. Fry on a medium flame.

Once they turn golden, remove and keep on paper towels.

Heat another skillet. Add about 1 tsp sesame oil to it.

Add the red chilis and chopped garlic. Saute for 1 min.

Then add the onions and carrot juliennes. Stir fry till onion turns translucent.

Add the fried tofu and sprinkle the remaining soy sauce and vinegar. Also, add  Season with a little bit of salt .(optional since soy sauce has some saltiness to it)

Toss on a medium high flame for 2 mins

Remove from skillet and serve hot .

Paneer Tawa Pulao ( Lunchbox special )

I love making various kinds of rice dishes for my kid. They are super easy to make and very much filling. Adding veggies, eggs, paneer, beans or even chicken boosts the overall nutritional profile of the dish. Plus there is the taste factor which is the ultimate clincher !

Tawa rice is a just another kind of pulao which is cooked on a shallow vessel which allows each grain/vegetable to get coated with the oil/ghee/butter and gives it a slightly burnt/smokey (depends on how long you prefer to cook) flavor .

This time I made Tawa pulao with some leftover paneer cubes and veggies. Used very less spices as per my kid's request so you will need to add more as per your taste. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cups cooked Jeera rice 
• 100 gm paneer (cut into small cubes )
• 1/3 cup green peas
• 1/4 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 of an onion (chopped into small pieces)
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 inch long cinnamon
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 green cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 red chilli whole ( less spicy )
• a pinch of garam masala
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 tsp butter
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Put the paneer cubes into a bowl of warm water to which you have added sufficient salt. Let it soak for 5-6 mins.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a skillet. Add the paneer cubes (drained on a kitchen towel) and fry on low heat to a golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the whole spices and fry till fragrant. Now add the garlic and fry to a light brown. 

The onions go in next. They need to be fried till translucent .

Put in the veggies, sprinkle a bit of salt and turn up the flame a bit. Sprinkle water at regular intervals and let the veggie cook in the steam and brown up a bit at the same time.

The rice goes in at last along with the paneer cubes. Season with salt and garam masala. Turn up the flame as you toss the ingredients to distribute the flavour evenly. Garnish with chopped cilantro and remove from the flame.

Serve warm/hot with some kachumbar or even pickle.

Note - Have used a steel tiffinbox for the presentation to create an awareness about the need to ditch plastic. It is not only harmful for the environment but the chemicals leached when we put hot food in plastic containers are carcinogenic in nature. Let us join hands and make a pledge to reduce the use of plastic with this post !

MLA Dosa ( Pesarattu / Green Moong Dosa with a filling of Upma )

Many many moons ago when I first stepped onto the Hyderabad soil, I had hardly bargained for the surprises in store. The language, the culture, the food and even the obnoxious auto-wallahs came as a shocker to me. However with the passage of time, I was able to make peace with everything except the food. Used to the mild and less than runny dals, I just could not fathom pairing my rice with rasam ( glorified tamarind water as I called it ), oily shriveled fries and curd. It was tough and the pickle become my only solace except for the weekends when they served Chicken/egg curry. Being on a student budget, Biryani seemed to be a rare luxury that could only be savored on special occasions. Sadly, the scenario did not change much even after I got a job and moved on to a better (read 'more posh') hostel. The cooks were sourced from Andhra and they catered to a South Indian majority.

However, there was a silver lining to this gastronomic cultural shock. And that was the availability of the South Indian tiffin centers that sold Idli/Dosa/Upma during most times of the day. So, if on a particular day we felt nauseated by looking at the hostel menu, we ended up eating a masala dosa for lunch/dinner. It was during one such visit to a joint that I ordered the MLA dosa on a whim. The name had piqued my curiosity but the grandiose imagery that I had conjured up in my mind disappeared the moment it arrived at the table. I realized that I had been tricked into ordering the Pesarattu which I had been avoiding like the plague. I glanced at my roomie with the most innocent 'Puppy eyes' look that I could manage. But she was happily digging into her Choley Bhature and was quite oblivious to my distress.

Left with no option, I gingerly broke a piece of the Pesarattu, wrapped it around some of the upma, dipped it in some spicy chutney and popped it into my mouth with a bundle of misgivings. And was pleasantly surprised !! Turned out that my fears were completely unfounded and it tasted quite mild actually if I were to discount the spicy chutney. I was happy to have discovered yet another ally amongst the inscrutable South Indian menu.

While it took me a few trails and finally the help of my Andhra neighbor to nail this recipe, I am still in the dark about the real story behind the discovery of this dish. Whether it is the popular one about this dosa being a favorite on the Raj Bhavan canteen menu to the more credible one about a sycophant who combined the two favorites to please a member of the Legislature, each one has enough spice to keep one guessing. Try it out for yourself even as figure out the one that captures your imagination.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

For the Pesarattu -

• 1 cup whole green moong dal ( even split ones will do )
• a fistful of poha/avalakki/chiwda/chuda
• 1 green chili
• a small piece of ginger
• 1-2 pinch cumin seeds
• salt to taste

For the Upma -

• 1 cup rawa ( I use Bombay rawa )
• 1 tsp channa dal
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1/3 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 small onion
• 1-2 green chilis
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• a pinch of asafotida
• 1/2 tsp ginger juliennes
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp ghee 

Others -

• Oil for making the dosa
• chopped onions for garnishing (optional)

Preparation - Wash and soak the moong dal overnight. Rub it to loosen the skin. Remove about 50-60 perecent of the skin for a better taste.

Transfer the moong dal, poha, chili, ginger, cumin and salt into a mixer jar. Grind into a fine paste with a consistency that is similar to the dosa batter.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp ghee in a wok. Add the rawa and fry till it gives off a sweet smell. Remove and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil. Add the asafoetida, mustard seeds and broken green chili. Once it gets spluttering, add the dals and fry a bit. Then add the chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry till onion is translucent.

Add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. Add the salt and then the roasted rawa.

Cook till all the water is absorbed. Remove from the flame. Cover and keep aside.

Heat a dosa tawa. Take some of the green moong batter and spread it a little thick.

Once it is a little done, scrape off some of the batter for crispy and thin dosa.

Drizzle the oil on the sides. Place some upma in the center and garnish with onion/ginger/carrot . Fold and remove from the tawa.

Serve hot with onion-tamarind chutney !!

Note - If you are very particular about the bright green color, use a few coriander leaves for making the gravy. 

Kiwi and Black Rice Phirni ( An exotic rice pudding )

Important - This is an original recipe and has been published for the first time. Please do not copy/reproduce without approval of the owner.

Thanks to my numerous food posts on Facebook and other social media, I keep getting bombarded with requests from foodie friends . "Kabhi hame khane par toh bulao" is the most common rant that I get to here on a day to day basis. So, when a special friend arrived last weekend, it was time to create yet another magical recipe just for him. Is there a better way of making someone feel special ? Not really when the person in question is a die-hard foodie.

So, did I pull on my thinking cap ?? Or scour the supermarket shelves for some inspiration ? No. I did not do anything of that sort. I had a Black rice Phirni waiting for me in the drafts. The timing seemed perfect to debut my special dessert. Now I had been planning to prepare it for sometime but the inclement weather in Blore had dulled my taste for all things sweet. But as the sun shone bright, it seemed that the weather Gods were in tandem with my wishes.

I used jaggery as a sweetener to bring out the naturally nutty taste of the black rice. Instead of using nuts of any kind, I decided to top it up with a fruit. Makes it healthier and the acidity in the fruit acts as the perfect foil to the sweetness of the phirni. Luckily, I had quite a few options stocked up but I decided to pick on the Kiwi as it makes for a lovely contrast with the lavender hues of the black rice .

Read on -

Preparation Time - 40-45 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 liter whole milk 
• 4 tbsp black rice powder
• 4 tsp jaggery or as per taste ( I used the light hued variety )
• 2 kiwis ( for topping )
• 1/2 cup cold milk for mixing with the rice powder

Preparation - Soak the black rice grains for 4 hours. Drain and spread on a plate to air dry. Once the surface moisture evaporates, grind it into a powder.

Mix the rice powder in the cold milk.

Cooking - Boil the milk till it reduces to half of the original volume. 

Pour in the rice mixture and keep stirring till it starts to thicken a bit. Once the consistency reaches that of a custard, mix in the powdered jaggery.

Remove from the flame and allow it to cool down a bit.

Pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours.

Just before serving, peel and chop the kiwi into thin half-moon slices.

Pour the phirni into dessert glasses. Top it up with the kiwi and serve.

Note - Jaggery can cause the milk to curdle as it contains residual traces of alum. Hence I usually prefer to add it just before removing the phirni/kheer from the flame.

Sweet Quinoa Pulao ( Inspired by the aromatic 'Kanika' from Odisha )

In the Coastal pasts of Odisha, it is almost 'du rigueur' to prepare arua-dalma-khatta on the festival days. When one is abstaining from onion and garlic, it makes sense to prepare a combination that is light and well as tasty. But having grown up in Western Odisha, I am more inclined towards having a sweet pulao (kanika) / khechudi and alu-dum on such days. Much of our taste preferences are acquired during our growing years and hence we often balk at the thought of trying out new ingredients or combinations. That was pretty much the case with me before I started blogging and turned really adventurous with food. So it was no surprise to me when this combination was initially met with raised eyebrows at my in-laws home but they too loved it after trying it for the very first time ! However it is another story that they would pick the dalma-khatta combination if they have a choice.

So, on last Sankranti, I thought of preparing the a sweet pulao and aludum (without onion-garlic) for lunch. Just as I opened the cupboard to take out the rice, I glanced at the half used packet of quinoa that had been lying used for sometime. Since the cooking methods is rather similar, I decided to swap the rice with quinoa to give my meal a healthy twist.

So, here is the recipe of 'Sweet Quinoa Pulao' or 'Quinoa Kanika' -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 4-5 pepperorns
• 2-3 green cardamom
• 2 inch cinnamon
• 1 petal of mace
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp sugar ( adjust as per taste )
• 1 tsp ghee
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp chopped cashews
• 3 tsp raisins

Preparation - Wash the quinoa under running water. Let it soak for 30 mins. Drain.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a deep saucepan. Add the whole spices and wait till they turn fragrant.

Drop in the cashews and raisins. Fry for 20 seconds .

Add the rinsed and drained quinoa to the saucepan. Roast it for 5 mins to give it brownish shade and also to ensure that it's typical smell goes off. Now add 2 cups water and let it cook uncovered . Once it is almost 80 percent done, add the sugar and salt.

Once the water is absorbed, fluff it up .

Serve warm with the aludum or just it itself.

Note - It is important to wash the quinoa with plenty of water so that the bitterness goes off.

Cauliflower-Moong Dal Stir Fry

The flavour combination of moong dal and coconut is quite popular in Odisha . There are quite a few vegetables like cabbage, jackfruit, green papaya and even leafy greens which are prepared with the addition of these two ingredients. It is usually consumed during the 'no onion no garlic' days when the menu is kept light and predominantly 'Sattvik'.

However last week, I tried cooking cauliflower with roasted moong dal and coconut as I had run out of vegetables and more importantly, the inclination to cook a hearty lunch. A tiny cauliflower and some grated coconut was all I could salvage from the fridge. So, I tried a stir fry that I usually do with cabbage. It turned out to be quite delicious and I packed the same for husband's lunchbox along with some rotis. He quite liked it since it was very light, just enough moist and yet tasty. Even my four year old put it as 'not spicy' and finished his portion. Hence adding this recipe to the 'Lunchbox collection' on my blog.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup moong dal
• 3 tsp freshly grated coconut
• 1 tsp ginger juliennes
• 1/5 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 1-2 dry red chilis 
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp oil

Preparation - Wash and dry the cauliflower florets.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add broken red chili and mustard seeds.

Once they get spluttering, add the curry leaves and ginger juliennes. Fry for 30 seconds.

Now, add the cauliflower florets and sautee on a low to medium flame.

Dry roast the moong dal till fragrant. Wash and cook with 1 cup water is a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles. The dal should be just cooked and not very mushy.

Add cooked dal to the cauliflower florets when it is about 90 percent done.

Cover and cook for another 2-3 mins or till the excess water evaporates. ( this is the point where you can decide whether to keep it a bit firm or make it mushy. I end up cooking it a bit more so that my kid does not crib about having to chew too much, )

Remove lid and add the grated coconut. Mix in and switch off the flame.

Serve it along with rotis.