Bendekaayi Gojju

Today, I am posting one of my all time favorite side dish/gojju with my all time favorite Vegetable, Okra/lady's finger (bendekaayi as we call in Kannada). Gojju is a combination of sour-spicy- sweet flavors all combined  and cooked  together. Tomatos, onions, brinjals, bellpeppers(Capsicum) and okras are most widely used vegetables for making this kind for curry.



Ingredients :

Okra/bendekaayi - 1 packet frozen ( use fresh tender once if available )

Tempering : Oil, mustard seeds and channadal - 1tsp each.

For spice-sour-sweet sauce :

• Red chili powder/ Sambar powder for spicyness- 1tsp ( add green chillis for more spicyness)
• Jaggery/ brown sugar for sweetness - 1tbsp.
• Salt accordingly.

Method :

1. Heat oil in wide pan, when hot add mustard seeds and channadal, when dal starts to change colour add Okra ( thaw the frozen okra before putting it in, if using fresh chop first and then add)
2. Let it cook on medium heat untill its colour changes from light to dark green ( to avoid stickness , donot turn frequently).
3. Gently turn them and let it cook through. It takes about 15 20 mins for okra to cook and loose the stickness. Once this is done.
4. Add tamarind water (squeeze tamarind, discard pulp and use the water), add more water if required and add chili powder, jaggery and salt to taste. On medium-high heat allow it to cook and let the flavors combines will. Once the curry thickens, switch off.
5. Allow it to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with rice or rotis.

Tamarind for sour/tangyness - Dried tamarind soaked in water( tamarind paste can be used)

Hummus with Pimmentos

Pimentos are also called cherry peppers which are small, round in shape, like red bell peppers(roasted) they also can be found in canned jars. Read more about pimentos here.

I was thinking of making something quick and light for our evening snack, so I used a can of chickpeas and small jar of pimentos to make hummus. I can say this recipe is a 5 minute wonder !




Ingredients

• Chickpeas - 1 cup (I used store brought, so rinse with water and drain well)
• Pimentos - about 2 tbsp (I used store brought, Roasted red bellpeppers be used instead)
• Roasted sesame seeds - 1tbsp ( use tahini paste instead)
• Green chilli's- 1 for spiciness
• Cilantro leaves- 1 hand full
• Olive oil - 1tsp
• Salt to taste.

In a blender, put all the above ingredients and grind together to smooth paste. If required add more Olive oil or water, while grinding. Thats it, enjoy with chips or crackers.

* Leftovers can be used as a base for making noodles or spread on pizza.

Beet Greens Stir-fry

Being Vegetarian and living in remote part of Alaska has its disadvantage, mainly with the produce we get. Selection of vegetables we get here is very limited, and we don't get any organic produce what so ever. Sometimes I do feel like cooking with greens, just thinking for chemicals and pesticides used to grow that greens, puts me off from buying that. I never thought of cooking with organic vegetable, as long as I lived here in this part Alaska.



Well, things have changed lately, we are able to get fresh Organic veggies and fruits from a neighboring state. They ship about 10 -12 types of different fruit and veggies which are fresh that week. This week we got a bunch of fresh beets along with its stem along with other fruits and veggies.

So I made a quick stir-fry with the beet greens and also used the stem. Taste was absolutely amazing. For a change I used powdered Dalia Dal/roasted gram Dal(hurigadale) instead of coconut.

Ingredients :

• Beets greens - 1 bunch(l used both leaves and stems)
• Spring Onions - 1 bunch (optional)
• Onion - 1 medium
• Green chili- 2 slit (optional, can use red chilli powder instead)
• Lime juice- 1 tsp freshly squeezed
• Dalia Dal- 1tbsp powdered ( coconut can be used)

Tempering : Oil, mustard seeds and Channadal - 1 tsp each

1. Clean beet greens, wash and chop them , Chop green onions and yellow onions as well.


2. Heat oil in a pan, when hot add mustard seed and Channadal, when Dal starts to change color add onions and fry till soft.


3. Then add chopped greens, cover and cook till the greens are wilted (reduced to half). Then add salt and powdered Dalia Dal. Squeeze some fresh lime juice. Mix well.

We had with rice and Dal. Enjoy !

Majjige Huli /Vegetables in Yogurt sauce

Majjige (meaning curds/yogurt in kannada), Huli means thick curry made by grinding coconut with spices(huli also means sour/tangy). I make this whenever I have lots of yogurt at home or sometimes when I am bored of eating sambar with rice.

Different kinds of squashes are used for making this curry, most common is ash gourd, other veggies and squashes like cucumber, winter squash, chayote, bottle gourd are used. I made this with Chayote (seemebadanikayi/chow chow) squash, which is available in our store all year.



Ingredients

• Curds/yogurt - about a cup ( I used home made)
• Chayote squash - 1( skin peeled, core removed, chopped and cooked till tender)

For grinding into paste

• Coconut grated- 1tbsp or more
• Dalia Dal/hurigadale - about 2tbsp
• Cilantro/coriander leaves- 1 big hand full cleaned and washed
• Chillies red or green - 2 or 3
• Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Tempering

• Oil, mustard seeds, urad Dal and - 1tsp each
• Hing a pinch

1. Cook squash with little water, until just tender.
   Grind into smooth paste all the above ingredients with adding enough water.
2. Mix grind paste with yogurt, to the add cooked squash mix well. Add salt and adjust to taste.
3. Do the tempering by adding mustard seeds and urad dal to to oil, add hing. When dal starts to change color add the tempering to yogurt mixture. Mix well.

Enjoy with hot rice.

Zucchini Chutney

Zucchini is a very new vegetable to me, started using this vegetable very recently. I don't know very many dishes to cook with it, I always make sambar or curry with it. But today I tried making chutney with it, same way we make Ridge gourd (heerekaayi as we call in Kannada) chutney. It turned out to be a very creamy,spicy and tasty chutney. We had this with Ragi Rotti. This was our Saturday Brunch.

• Zucchini -1 medium (cut into big chunks)
• Onion - 1 very small chopped
• Channadal - 1tbsp (peanuts or sesame seeds can also be used)
• Coconut grated - 1tbsp (optional)
• Cilantro leaves- few springs
• Red chillies - 3or4 ( Green chillies can also be used)
• Tamarind(dried one soaked in water)- about 1tsp (use tamarind paste)
• Oil - 1tsp

1. Heat oil, when hot add Channadal and fry for few minutes until its golden. Remove from heat and keep aside.
2. Chop zucchini and onions and fry them in little oil for 5-7 minutes, until just tender.
3. Once its cool enough, in a blender first grind Channadal and then add veggies, tamarind water, coconut , chillies and salt.
4. Grind them to smooth paste. I skipped the tempering part, since I had sautéed them in oil previously.

Tastes good with doses, idlies, rottis or use this as a dip with some chips. Enjoy !

Potato Sambar - Aloogadde Saaru

I make Sambhar (south Indian lentil curry) at least 3 or 4 times a week, I make this for our mid-day lunch. So here is my recipe for making Sambar.

• Potatoes,Onion and Tomato - each cut into big chunks.
• Sambar powder, tamarind paste and jaggery - 1 tsp each.
• Tempering : Oil, mustard seeds - 1tsp and Hing/asafoetida- 1/4 tsp or a pinch.
• Toor Dal(split pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup
• Garnish few cilantro/coriander leaves.

1. Wash Dal, chop veggies and pressure cook till soft.
2. Once done, add sambar powder(I use Mom made, one can substitute with corrinder-cumin-redchilli powder ),tamarind dissolved in water (or tamarind paste) and jaggery or Brown sugar. Mix well and let it cook for 10 mins until the raw smell of sambar powder is gone.
3. Then do the tempering, add mustard seeds and hing to hot oil, when it mustard seeds starts to pop, switch off and add that to sambar.
4. Garnish with few fresh cilantro springs. Serve warm.

We like to eat sambar with rice. Enjoy !

Avocado-Coriander Chutney

Avocado chutney/dip is a small twist on classic Indian cilantro-chili chutney. This is a very simple, quick and tasty chutney.



Ingredients:

• Avocado - 1 ripe
• Cilantro/coriander leaves - 1 bunch
• Green Chillies- 2-3
• Lime or lemon juice - 1tsp
• Salt to taste

1. Cut and mash avocados, squeeze lime juice all over it and mix well
2. In a blender/ mixer grind cilantro, chillies along with little salt and water to smooth paste.
3. Mix that with mashed avocados. Thin little bit using water to use as a dipping sauce.

I use this as a spread on cutlets, burger patties, sandwiches. Will be nice as a side dish for parathas too.
Enjoy !

Chutney Powder/ Spice Powder

This is my mother's recipe for chutney pudi/chutney powder. This is a very essential powder in my kitchen.

• Channadal / Kadalebele - 1 cup
• Urad dal/ Uddina bele - 3/4 cup
• Split Moonddal / heserubele- 1/2 cup
• Red chilies - 6 (use byadagi type chillies to get good red colour)
• Tamarind- dried about 1tsp
• Dried coconut and Jaggery - 1tbsp grated
• Salt to taste

Tempering : Oil - 1tsp and Hing/asafeotida - 1/4 tsp

1. Dry roast (or roast with little oil), all the above ingredients(except dried coconut, jaggery and salt) till golden brown in colour.
2. Once done, let it cool compeletly to that add dried coconut, jaggery grated, add salt.
3. Using a blender/mixie grind them to fine powder.
4. Heat oil, when hot add hing and add that oil to powder mix well and use as needed.

We use this Powder,mixed along with oilve oil or ghee or sometimes with curds/yogurt as a side dish with dosas, rottis, chapathis and rice as well.

Enjoy !

Brinjal Stirfry (Badanekaayi Palya)

I like the combination of brinjal/eggpalnt with tomatoes and onions. So I make this quick stir-fry with brinjals.
Here is the recipe for it.


Ingredients

• Brinjal /Eggplant - 1 big (if using small one 5-6)
• Onion - 1 small thinly sliced
• Tomato - 1 small finely chopped

Spices : Red chilli powder, cumin powder and Palya podi/kara podi (optional) - 1tsp each
Tempering : Oil, cumin seeds and channadal - 1tsp each

For garnish few cilantro springs.

1. Chop veggies thinly. Do the tempering by adding cumin to hot oil, add channadal when it starts to change colour add all the veggies. Cover and cook for 5 mins or untill its just soft.
2. Add salt and spices,mix well and let it cook for 5 more minutes or untill all the flavour combines well.
3. Switch off the heat and Garnish with corriender leaves. Goes well as a side dish with rice and sambar or rotis.

Enjoy !

Palak Paneer with home made Paneer

I like making paneer at home, whenever I make them I used that to make Palak paneer. Here is the recipe for making paneer and palak paneer.



Ingredients for making Palak Paneer

• Palak/Spinach - 1 bunch or more
• Green chillies - 2or3
• Onion and tomato - 1 each chopped
• Ginger and garlic - grated 1 tsp each
• Sesame seeds - toasted 2tsp ( to give rich taste and texture)(cashews, walnuts or peanuts can also be used)

For garnish I used few spring/green onions and few slices of red onions.

1. See below instructions for making paneer and keep it ready. If using store brought paneer, follow steps 7 and 8 (cut into bit size cubes and shallow fry them little oil till golden brown).
2. Toast and powder sesame seeds and keep that aside.
3. In the same pan,add cleaned and chopped spinach and chillies, cover and cook till spinach is all wilted down. Transfer to a blender/mixie when cooled little bit smoothly grind with toasted sesame seeds.
4. In the same pan add oil when hot add cumin seeds and once it starts to pop, add ginger-garlic paste and then add chopped onions and tomatoes. Cook till they are soft. Once done add Spinach mixture, add sesame powder mix well. Add salt and adjust to taste. Cook on medium heat for about 10mins or untill flavours combines well.
5. Add roasted flavoured Paneer, mix and garnish with raw onions. Allow it to stand for atleast 10 mins before serving.

This is how I make Paneer. I have flavoured it with black pepper, cumin and red chilli powder.

1. Heat 2 liter of milk(i use 1% milk) on a thick bottomed pan.
2. When Milk comes to boiling point(this takes about 20 mins or so) add lime juice or white vinegar(about 2 tbsp). Turn off the heat.
3. Stir the milk mixture after adding vinegar, it should starts to curdle, if not add some more. At this point whitecurds separates from the greenish white whey.
4. Place clean cloth or cheese cloth into a colander, pour the mixture in, let the whey drain. Let it stand for 5 - 10 mins.
5. Once the whey is completely drained, I wash it once with cold water to remove the smell of vinager and let it drain well. Now add 1tsp of each salt,cumin,pepper and red chilli powder. Mix well, tie the cloth tightly and squeeze all the water let it stand for 2-3 hrs. Put a pan or weight on it so most to the liquid drains out and hardens to a nice shape.
6. Remove from the cloth and use paneer to make desired curry (or store it in the fridge to use later).
7. Cut into bit size pieces. Fry with little oil and use as such.

Making paneer at home has its advantages, we can make it low fat or high fat . And add flavours with our favorite spice.