Baby Corn Kurma

Baby corn Kurma is a festive dish prepared with baby corns in a thick, spicy and creamy sauce of tomatoes, onions, cashew nuts and coconut. It is a comfort food served with parathas and flavored steamed rice. 

This is an experimental recipe which I tried it for the first time and turned out to be delightful and scrumptious dish. I had bought baby corns for Manchurian which I always make, but this time I wanted to make something different, so I decided to make spicy baby corn gravy for chapathi. The recipe has 2 kinds of masala - first masala is made with onions, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and garlic. This forms the base for the gravy. Second masala is made with coconut, cashew nut along with different aromatic spices which gives both smooth and creamy text for the base. 

This recipe has many steps, but its worth trying it !!

Ingredients

250 gms Baby corn, cubed

1 Bell pepper, diced

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

Salt

3 tsp Oil

For masala 1 -

1 Onion, diced

1 Tomato, diced

3 Green Chilies

2-3 cloves of garlic

small piece of ginger

For Masala 2 -

10 - 15 Cashew nuts, soaked in water for 30 minutes

1/2 cup Coconut

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 small piece of cinnamon

2 Cloves

Method

• For Masala 1 - In a pan, heat a tsp of oil, add onions. Saute until it turns transparent. Then make a paste of fried onions, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilies

• For Masala 2- Make a fine paste of cashew nuts, coconut, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Add water if required. 

• In a pot, heat 2 tsp of oil. Add onion-tomato-chili paste. Saute until raw smell goes out

• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix well

                                       

• Add baby corns and bell pepper. Evenly spread masala over baby corn. Saute for 2 minutes

• Add coconut-cashew nut paste and add 1 cup of water (you can always adjust amount of water depending up on how much gravy is required)
• Adjust salt as per taste and simmer for 5- 8 minutes

• Serve hot with chapathi or steamed rice or paratha

Tip-

• Instead of baby corn, paneer can be substituted

Strawberry- Mango Salsa

Celebrate spring time with "Strawberry-Mango Salsa". I loved experimenting this recipe, simply because it is tasty, healthy and a joyful recipe.  It can be paired with any thing like chip and dip, seared fish or chicken, and even as a salad. 

This salsa is infused with traditional salsa ingredients like cilantro, lemon juice, pepper as well as couple of Indian ingredients. I have substituted jalapeno peppers with green chilies. 

The recipe is very simple and can be made without a clinch.

Ingredients

8 Strawberries,  chopped
1 Mango, peeled and chopped
1 Jalapeno or green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
5 sprigs of Cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Procedure

• In a mixing bowl, whisk jalapeno/ green chili, cilantro, pepper powder, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt
• Add chopped strawberries and mango. Mix well
• Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Keep out 15 minutes before serving

Tip--

• Optional ingredients like red onions or green onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes can be added
• Add chat masala and serve it with pappadis or fried tortillas as a chat

Poached Egg Curry

Easy curry recipe for roti, paratha, chapathi or rice. The recipe is simple, yet it is a comfort food !!
The egg curry recipes vary across regions with different styles. The recipe below is onion- tomato based which forms the base for the gravy and the eggs are poached in gravy.

Ingredients

6 Eggs

1 Onion, diced

2 Tomatoes, diced

4 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Oil

Salt

Method

• In a pan, heat 1 tsp oil, add onions and fry until it turns brown

• Add tomatoes. Saute until tomatoes are completely cooked

• After onion-tomatoes have cooled. Grind it into smooth paste
• In the same pan, heat 1 tsp oil, add garlic, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder and add 1/4 cup of water

• Add tomato -onion puree. Adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for 5 minutes

• Break the eggs and pour it in gravy one beside the other, while the gravy simmers

• Cook eggs in low heat for 10 minutes without stirring.
• Turn off heat garnish with cilantro

• Serve hot with steamed rice or roti

Masala Vada

Masala Vada is my all time favorite in deep fried snack list!!

It is a deep fried snack made with channa dal or Bengal gram which is crisp on the outside and soft inside. Its great snack during tea time. 
Some recipes do not add garlic. I have used garlic, onions, cinnamon, cloves, mint or dil as aromatic ingredients.

Ingredients

2 Cups Benagal Gram or channa dal (soaked for at least 5  to 10 hours)

5 cloves of Garlic

5 Green Chilies

1'' stick of Cinnamon

4 Cloves

1 Onion, chopped

1 small bunch of Mint / Dill or both

1 small bunch of Coriander/ Cilantro

Salt

Oil for deep fry

Method

• Soak Bengal gram | Channa dal for 5 hours.Ccoarsely grind it without adding water

• Make a coarse paste of garlic, chilies, cinnamon, and  cloves

• In a mixing bowl, add the ground channa dal, garlic-cloves-cinnamon- green chili paste , chopped onions, mint/dill , coriander and adjust salt to taste.  Mix well

• Now, divide the dough into equal portions. Take each portion and pat the ball into 1/4th inch thickness

• Using a heavy bottom vessel, heat oil for deep frying. Gently add vada to it. Fry on both sides until it turns to golden brown.

• Serve hot with tea

Tip

• You can use red chilies instead of green chilies and adjust spice level as per taste
• Mint/ dill/ coriander is only optional ingredient. Adding these adds more flavor to this recipe
• Garlic is sometimes added or sometimes not added. Again this is only an optional ingredient

Strawberry - Watermelon Juice

Healthy smoothie recipe made with freshly cut watermelon and strawberries.  Beat the heat with this sensational summer beverage !!

Servings : 2

Ingredients

2 cup watermelon cubes

6 Strawberries halved

4 Ice cubes (optional)

Method

• using a blender, blend watermelon, strawberries and ice cubes until smooth
• Serve immediately

Methi Chapathi

Its spring and its time for harvesting fenugreek leaves which I planted it 1 1/2 months back in my vegetable garden. Also, its my first harvest for this season. I decided to make "Methi Chapathi" from my harvest which is a twist to regular plain chapathis. I also made egg curry to accompany this Indian flat bread. 

Ingredients

2 cups Wheat flour

1 large bunch of Fenugreek leaves |Methi leaves, discard stem and retain only leaves

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chili powder

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Salt

Water

Method

• In a mixing bowl, mix wheat flour, chopped fenugreek leaves, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seeds, garam masala and salt

• Add water to knead soft dough. Cover the dough and leave it for 30 minutes

• Now, divide the dough into equal portions
• Roll each portion into a ball

• Take a ball of dough, using rolling pin roll it flat and thin. Use wheat flour for dusting
• Gently place it on a preheated pan. Fry it evenly on both the sides until brown specks are formed

• Add a tsp of oil if required
• Serve hot with curry or sauteed vegetables

You may also like--
Palak Chapathi

Oats Chapathi 

Beetroot Chapathi

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

"Roasted Garlic Potatoes" is both easy and tasty appetizer which is infused with coriander powder, cayenne pepper, paprika and turmeric powder. Already cooked baby potatoes are roasted in low heat until all flavors are blended together.

Ingredients

250 gms Baby potatoes
6 Cloves of Garlic, minced
5 sprigs of Green onions, finely chopped
 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt
5 tsp Grape seed oil or any vegetable oil

Method

• In a pot wash and boil potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender

• After potatoes has cooled, cut them in half

• In a pan, heat oil. Add garlic and finely chopped green onions. Saute for a minute

• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, paprika and cayenne pepper. Also, add 1/4 cup of water to avoid burning of dry ingredients

• Add potatoes and cook in low heat for 15 minute with stirring in between 

• Garnish with spring onions and serve hot

Tip--

• Instead of baby potatoes, regular potatoes can be used. Cut it into wedges before sauteing