Red Kidney Bean Curry – Rajma Curry

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Margaret Christo

Mea culpa! On Sunday, my trigger happy finger clicked the Publish button by mistake and my subscribers received a unintentional sneak preview of the pictures for Tuesday’s blog post. I hope it built up the anticipation for today’s recipe!

Red kidney bean curry, which is called rajma in Hindi, is a traditional dish prepared in almost every home in India. It is served with rice or whole wheat bread. Red kidney beans are naturally gluten free, nutritious, and well suited for those on a vegan or vegetarian diet. It is a great source of protein and good for lowering cholesterol because of its fiber content.

This recipe is ideal for a quick weeknight meal since you’ll be using canned kidney beans and spices that are already on your kitchen shelves. You can also make this dish with dried red kidney beans, but you’ll need to soak the beans overnight and then cook them in a pressure cooker the next day.

Please note that you can adjust the heat level of any recipe that I share with you, by lowering or raising the amount of green chillies, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, garam masala powder, or red chilli powder. The recipe below has a higher heat level, so you may wish to adjust the level to suit your family.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you that take the time to comment and “like” my blog. You inspire me to learn, teach, and share.

Red Kidney Bean Curry
Prep time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1lb 13 oz (822 grams) red kidney beans
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bay leaf, (tej patta)
2 black cardamoms
1-inch piece cinnamon
2 cups finely chopped onion
salt
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 cups diced tomatoes
3 green chillies, (slit down the center – adjust depending on heat and your preference)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, (depending on heat and your preference)
1 teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes, (depending on heat and your preference)
1 tablespoon coriander powder
2 teaspoons garam masala, (depending on your preference)
3 teaspoons kasori methi, (crushed in your palm)
1 cup warm water
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
3-4 mint leaves, (torn into bits)

Directions:
Heat a heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Add oil and when it shimmers add the bay leaf, black cardamoms, and cinnamon. After 30 seconds add the chopped onion and salt. Fry until the onion turns light brown. Lower the heat to medium and add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell of ginger-garlic disappears, then add the tomatoes and green chillies. Cook until you see the oil separate from the tomato-onion mixture.

Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, chilli powder, crushed red chilli flakes, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and kasori methi. Cook for 30 seconds and then add the canned red kidney beans along with the liquid in the can and one cup of warm water. Turn the heat to high and let the beans come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat to low, and let the beans simmer for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and mint. Serve with plain steamed rice or rotis.

Paneer Makhani

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Margaret Christo

Have you ever been to a restaurant and eaten a dish that you really liked and you wanted to make that dish at home? Well, this is one of those dishes that I really enjoyed in a restaurant in India and wanted to replicate at home. With every bite that I took, I tried desperately to detect what went into it. I also tried many recipes from cookbooks and finally came up with this version of paneer makhani which I felt matched what I tasted at the restaurant.

I recently made this dish for a potluck with my friends and was pleased when they asked me to post the recipe on my blog. The restaurant version had a lot of makhan (butter) floating in it, but I didn’t use as much as they did. Of course, adding an extra pat of makhan just before finishing the dish makes it richer and yummier. But I’ll let you be the judge of whether that is necessary or not when you taste my version.

There is a bit of prep work that goes into making this dish. The paneer needs to be cut into cubes, lightly fried and soaked in hot water. The onions need to be boiled and puréed. The tomatoes need to be blanched, the skin discarded, and then puréed. The ginger-garlic paste can be bought from an Indian grocery store or you can make it at home. I’ve described how to do that in the directions. Cashew nuts need to be soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then puréed in a blender. Once all the prep work is done and you have all the other ingredients measured and ready to be used, it is easy to put the paneer makhani together. Please note that I made this dish for a large group so it is a larger quantity than I usually make. I hope you will enjoy this dish as much as I do. Happy cooking!

Paneer Makhani
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 10

Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 14 ounce (400 grams) packets of paneer, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, (quartered, boiled, drained and puréed – 2 cups onion purée)
4 large tomatoes, (blanched, peeled, and puréed – 3 cups tomato purée)
5 tablespoons butter, plus 2 teaspoons oil
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon hot red chilli powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
3 teaspoons garam masala powder
salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon red food color, (optional)
2 teaspoons kasoori methi, (dry fenugreek leaves)
20 cashew nuts, (soaked in water for 30 minutes and puréed)
¼ cup whipping cream
2 cubes grated fresh paneer, for garnishing

Directions:
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring three cups of water to a boil, over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat off, and set it aside. You will use this to soak the fried paneer.

Set two cubes of paneer aside to be used for garnishing this dish. Fry the paneer cubes in two batches. Add one tablespoon of oil to a non-stick frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Swirl the oil so that it coats the bottom and sides of the pan. Add half the paneer cubes and fry until very lightly colored. Remove and put them into the hot water that you set aside for this purpose. Add another tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and fry the rest of paneer cubes until light brown. Remove and put them also into the hot water. Let the paneer soak until you need to add them to the gravy, and continue with the rest of the prep work.

Cut the onions into quarters, boil them in one cup of water until they turn translucent, drain and save the water as you will use some of it in the gravy. Cool the onion and purée. You should have two cups of onion purée. Set aside. Next blanch the tomatoes in hot water, drain, cool, remove the skin, and purée the tomatoes. You should have three cups of tomato purée. Set aside. If you are making the ginger-garlic paste yourself, clean and chop a two-inch piece of ginger and eight cloves of garlic. Add them to a blender along with one tablespoon of water. Blend until a paste is formed. Set aside. Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 30 minutes and then purée in a blender until smooth. Set aside until you are ready to use it in the paneer makhani.

Heat a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add two teaspoons oil and the butter. The oil is being added so that the butter does not burn easily. When the butter melts add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for three minutes or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic disappears. Add puréed onion. Sauté for eight minutes. Make sure that it does not burn or catch to the bottom of the dish. Turn the heat to medium-low if needs be.

Next, add Kashmiri chilli powder, hot chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Sauté for a minute and add quarter cup of the water in which the onion was boiled (if you remembered to save it or you can just add water). Sauté again till the water evaporates. Add tomato purée, tomato paste and food color. If you are using powdered food color, first dissolve it in a few drops of water and then add it. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

Add the cashew paste and crushed kasoori methi. Stir well, cover and cook for another five minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain the paneer that is soaking in hot water and add them. You don’t need to squeeze the water out of the paneer pieces. Add whipped cream. Stir gently so paneer pieces are coated with the creamy gravy and cook on low heat for five minutes. Dish out into a serving bowl. Grate the two cubes of fresh paneer, that you saved to garnish the dish, and sprinkle on top. There you have it, a restaurant style Paneer Makhani.

Lemon Rice

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Margaret Christo

If you like the tart, citrusy note of lemon, I am sure you will like the lemon rice recipe that I am sharing with you today. It is a simple South Indian rice dish that can be made in a jiffy. I remember my mom making lemon rice whenever we went on our long train journey from Pune to Kerala to visit my grandparents. We could hardly wait for mealtime and lemon rice never tasted better. It keeps well and doesn’t spoil so its great for picnics and packing in your child’s lunchbox.

This recipe is also great when you have leftover rice. I’ve used Basmati rice, but you can use any short-grain or long-grain white rice to make it. Sesame oil, green and red chillies, black gram dal and bengal gram dal add flavor to this dish so make sure that you use them. I had to use six tablespoons of lemon juice because my lemon was not tangy enough. So, taste and adjust the amount of lemon juice that you use. Try this dish and let me know how it turns out.

Lemon Rice
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoons Bengal gram dal, (channa dal)
1 teaspoon black gram dal, (urad dal)
3 tablespoons raw peanuts
3 dry red chillies, (broken into bits)
1 tablespoons finely chopped green chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
1 sprig curry leaves
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
salt
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups cooked rice, (cool and fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains)

Directions:
Heat a wok (kadai) over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil and when it shimmers add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the peanuts and fry them for two seconds. Next add the Bengal gram dal , black gram dal, red chillies and fry until the dal turns light brown. Add the green chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves, turmeric, salt and fry for one second. Turn off the heat and stir in lemon juice. Finally add the cooked rice. Mix well, cover and keep for 20 minutes so that the rice can absorb the flavor from all the ingredients and the lemon juice. Serve with mango pickle and papadum.

Samosa Chaat

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Margaret Christo

Just the mention of the word “Chaat” makes my mouth water. Chaat is a word used for many of India’s favorite street foods like bhel puri and paani puri. The last time I was in India I saw a street cart with the sign, “paani puri made with mineral water.” It was nice to see that local vendors are making efforts to make chaat safe for foreigners, or locals-living-abroad, such as myself.

When I was a young girl, during my summer holidays, several schoolmates and I used to go to the Pune Cantonment swimming pool. Right after our swimming session we would stop by the street carts for our fix of samosa chaat, bhel puri, and paani puri. What fun we had! I wonder if anyone of them remembers those days.

On one of our vacations to India my children and I stopped in Mumbai. We went to a restaurant called Status. We heard they were famous for their samosa chaat. We were hungry after a whole morning of shopping. The three of us were ravenous and we ordered a whole bunch of dishes. My son ordered two plates of samosa chaat and the waiter told him that would be too much for the three of us. That one plate along with all the rest of the food that we had ordered would definitely be enough. But my son insisted on two plates. When our food came, we could hardly finish the first plate of samosa chaat. The samosas were humongous! That was a meal in itself. In the background we could hear the waiters whispering to each other with smiles on their faces.

Making samosa chaat at home is a time consuming job, but totally worth it. My friends and family have great fun assembling their own plates of samosa chaat. I made my own samosas but you can buy yours from an Indian store or restaurant. However, it is well worth making the chole, cilantro and mint chutney, and the date and tamarind chutney from scratch as homemade tastes best. So, here is my take on the famous samosa chaat.

If you plan to use dry chickpeas/garbanzo/Kabuli channa follow the Chole recipe from my previous recipe.

Chole – using canned garbanzo beans
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6

For the spice mix
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 black cardamoms, peel and use seeds
5 cloves
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole black pepper
1 bay leaf, (tejpatta)
4 whole dry red chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, (anardana)

Directions:
In a small pan, over low heat, roast the above mentioned ingredients until they smell fragrant and turn a very dark brown. Cool completely and then grind to a powder in a coffee grinder. Set aside.

For the Chole
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped green chillies, (optional)
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder
Salt
2 15.5 oz cans of garbanzo beans
3 cups water

Directions:
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, over medium-high heat, add oil. When the oil begins to shimmer add the onions. When they turn translucent add the ginger and fry for a minute. Add the green chillies and tomatoes. Keep stirring until the tomatoes are well cooked you see the oil separating from the tomato-onion mixture. Add the spice mix, Kashmiri chilli powder, and salt. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add the garbanzo beans along with the liquid in the cans and three cups of water. If you like the chole gravy to be a little thick, use a potato masher to mash a small portion of the garbanzo beans. Bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 30 minutes over medium-low heat, so the flavors can meld. Stir occasionally to make sure that the gravy does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Serve on top of samosa chaat.

Date and Tamarind Chutney
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup dates, pitted and roughly chopped
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup tamarind extract
3 teaspoons red chilli powder
2 teaspoons ginger powder
3 cups water
2 teaspoons chaat masala
1½ teaspoons black salt

Directions:
Add cumin and fennel seeds to a small non-stick pan. Roast over low heat until fragrant. Cool and grind to a powder.

Add cumin and fennel powder, chopped dates, brown sugar, tamarind pulp, chilli powder, ginger powder, chaat masala, salt and two cups of water to a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for ten minutes. Cool completely. Add to a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Serve with samosa chaat.

Cilantro and Mint Chutney
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup fresh mint leaves
3-4 green chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
2 tablespoons water
Salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
Roughly chop the cilantro, mint, and green chillies. Add to a blender and process until smooth. Use a tablespoon or two of water if necessary. Add black salt and sugar. Blend again and transfer to a bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Serve with samosa chaat

Plating and Garnishing

Ingredients:
12 Samosas, (can be warmed up in an oven at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes)
2 cups plain yoghurt, whipped
2 cups fine sev, (can be bought from Indian grocery store)
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced tomato
2 tablespoons finely chopped green chillies, (optional)
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons roasted and powdered cumin seeds
2 teaspoons chaat masala
2 teaspoons chilli powder

Directions:
Break two samosas into four or five large chunks and put them on a plate. Pour a large spoonful of chole over them. Scatter a heaped teaspoon of chopped onion and tomato. Add a few bits of green chillies, if you like your chaat to be spicy. Sprinkle with a pinch of cumin, chilli and chaat masala powders. Drizzle a tablespoon of yoghurt, tamarind and date chutney, and cilantro and mint chutney over them. Finally top them off with sev and bits of chopped cilantro. There you have it – one of Indian’s favorite street foods!

Vegetarian Puffs

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Margaret Christo

Some time ago I shared my recipe for Minced Chicken Puffs and many of you told me how much you enjoyed serving these puffs to your friends and family. Some of you asked if I could share a vegetarian version. This recipe is for you.

I was at Whole Foods and they were giving out samples of this soy-free, gluten-free, beef-free, cholesterol free, 100% vegan crumble called Beyond Meat. It tasted good so I decided to try it as a filling for my puffs. Beyond Meat is a new soy free, fake meat company. The crumble is made from pea proteins. You could also make the filling with two cups of boiled vegetables like carrots, peas, potatoes and cauliflower instead of the feisty beef-free crumble and the potato that is listed in this recipe. The Shakti meat masala gives the filling a nice flavor.

No, Whole Foods or the company, Beyond Meat, is not paying me to promote these products. I just think the Beyond Meat Beef or Chicken Crumble is a great option for my vegetarian friends. I’ve included a picture of the packet so you can identify it in the freezer section of your Whole Foods grocery store. Try it and let me know how it turns out.

Vegetarian Puffs
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (17.3-ounces) Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cups finely chopped onion
Salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped tomato
3 teaspoons Shakti meat masala powder, (or any other meat masala powder)
1 medium sized potato
1 11-oz package Feisty Beef-Free Crumble, (available in the frozen section)
2 tablespoons soy milk

Directions:
Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or use the directions on the package. Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease or line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make the filling for the puffs, boil the potato until it is fork tender. Remove the skin and dice into small pieces. Heat oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and when they sputter add onion, and salt. Cook onions until they turn translucent. Then add the ginger, garlic, green chillies, and cilantro. Cook for three minutes or until the raw smell of the garlic disappears. Add tomato and the meat masala powder. Let the tomato cook until you see the oil separate from the mixture. Turn the heat to low and add the potato and beef-free crumble. Break up the pieces with your spoon, so there are no large lumps. Cover with a lid and cook for five minutes. Stir to dry out any water that may remain. Remove from heat and cool the filling completely.

To assemble the puffs:
Unfold one pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.
Cut the pastry sheet into three strips along the fold marks. Gently roll each strip to make it slightly wider.
Cut each strip in half crosswise, making six pastry rectangles.
Place the pastry rectangles onto the baking sheet.
Put one heaped teaspoon of the filling onto each pastry rectangle.
Brush the edges of the pastry rectangles with a little water.
Fold the pastries in half over the filling to form small rectangles.
Brush the tops of the filled puffs lightly with soy milk.
Put the tray in the freezer.
Repeat this process with the second puff pastry sheet.
Bake the puffs for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let the puffs cool on the baking sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes. Serve with ketchup or Cilantro and Mint Chutney.

Please note:
There are two pastry sheets in one package. If you do not want to use the second pastry sheet, you can wrap it in parchment paper, put it in a ziplock bag, and freeze it. Or, you can fill the puffs and freeze them individually wrapped in parchment paper. Bake them at 400°F for 30-35 minutes straight from the freezer. No thawing required.

Creamy Fenugreek Leaves and Green Peas

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Margaret Christo

Fenugreek leaves, also called methi in Hindi, is used as an herb and as a spice in Indian cooking. I use the fresh leaves in dals, vegetables dishes, and to make methi paratha. I use fenugreek seeds in pickles, sambars, and to make different powdered spice mixes or pastes. Several of my recipes call for dried fenugreek leaves, which is called kasuri methi in Hindi. The fresh fenugreek leaves have a slightly bitter taste which becomes more prominent when dried. I use dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) in small quantities to flavor my dishes. Amber in color, fenugreek seeds are an essential ingredient to the Bengali five-spice mix, which is call panch phoron. I’ll post a recipe using fenugreek seeds soon.

In one of his shows, Dr. Oz talked about how fenugreek helps boost energy and level your blood sugar. The seeds have been used in India for centuries as a natural remedy for many problems, such as, acid reflux, heartburn, reducing cholesterol, and soothing soar throats.

If you haven’t tried using fenugreek leaves before, here is a recipe to help you get started. You can buy fenugreek leaves at the Asian market or at an Indian grocery store. Use the young, fresh leaves as they have less of a bitter taste.

Creamy Fenugreek leaves and Green Peas
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ cup tomato purée, (2 Roma tomatoes, blanched, skin removed and puréed)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 cup frozen/fresh peas
2 bunches fenugreek leaves, (methi)
1 cup heavy cream, (you can use milk for a lighter version)
¼ cup cream, (malai)
½ teaspoon sugar
salt
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons kasuri methi, (optional)

Grind to a paste:
1 cup roughly sliced onion
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
1 tablespoon roughly chopped ginger
3 green chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
8 cashew nuts (soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 cardamoms, (use seeds only)
1 clove
½-inch piece cinnamon, (broken into bits)
¼ cup water

Directions:
In a blender, grind the onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, cardamom seeds, clove, cinnamon, and water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Pick the fenugreek leaves and discard the stems. Wash the leaves in several changes of water and soak them in hot water for five minutes. Drain and chop them roughly.

Heat ghee and oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the ground ingredients. Stir constantly and cook until the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone. About three minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook until you see the oil separate. Add the turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, peas and fenugreek leaves. Stir well, cover with a lid, and cook for five minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream, two tablespoons of cream, sugar, salt to taste, and garam masala. Crush the kasuri methi in your palm and add it to the creamy gravy. Let it cook for another ten minutes. Do not let it come to a boil. If the gravy is too thick, you can add two or three tablespoons of milk. Turn off the heat, and garnish the dish with the remaining two tablespoons of cream. Serve with chapati, naan or rice.

Carving a Strawberry Rose

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Margaret Christo

I am a strawberry lover and I’m not just talking about eating the fruit. I love its vibrant color and I think it is one of the most beautiful fruits. I like them so much that I had a whole bunch of strawberry kitchen gear – strawberry dinner set, strawberry canister set, strawberry napkin rings, potholders, and the list goes on! I haven’t let go of my love for “anything strawberry” completely, because they are still sitting on my garage shelves!

A recent study called strawberries “brain berries” and confirmed that older adults who ate strawberries on a regular basis experienced improved brain function and memory. Needless to say, I’ve been eating my daily quota. One cup of fresh strawberries provides about 140 percent of our daily vitamin C needs. Strawberries are high in nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber and they are low on calories.

Many of you asked me how I made the strawberry rose that was on my Valentine’s Day blog, so my children helped me make this short video to show you how it’s done. Thank you, Dharti and Sanjay. It was fun working on this blog post with you.

Pune Peanut Chutney

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Margaret Christo

Having grown up in the peanut growing state of Maharashtra, India, I have eaten my fair share of a variety of peanut chutneys. Some of the most popular ingredients that go into making peanut chutney are fresh or dry grated coconut, garlic, dry red chillies, sesame seeds, tamarind, and whole garam masala.

You can easily make this recipe your own by changing the quantity of the ingredients to suit your taste. I love all the different peanut chutneys I learned to make when I lived in Maharashtra. Peanut chutney goes well with plain rice, dal, and a vegetable fry. I hope you will try it out.

Pune Peanut Chutney
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
1 cup roasted peanuts, (salted or unsalted)
¼ cup freshly grated coconut, (or frozen grated coconut)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
5 dry red chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
2-4 garlic cloves, (depending on your preference)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon sugar
salt

Directions:
Place a non-stick pan, over medium-low heat. Add the coconut and roast until it turns light brown. Transfer to a plate and cool. Next, add the sesame seeds, chillies, garlic, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds to the pan. Roast until the sesame seeds pop and the rest of the ingredients are fragrant. Transfer them to the plate with the coconut. Let the ingredients cool for about five minutes.

Grind all the ingredients to a coarse powder in a food processor, or blender. Use very little salt, if you are using salted peanuts. Make sure you don’t turn the chutney into peanut butter! Store in a small bottle or jar. Peanut chutney is a great accompaniment to any meal.

Tamarind and Tomato Rasam

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Margaret Christo

There are as many rasam recipes as there are South Indian families in India. Every home has their own unique blend of rasam powder and steps that they follow to make their favorite rasam. There are also several variations, such as, pepper rasam, cumin rasam, garlic rasam, lentil rasam, and buttermilk rasam. The list goes on and on! Today, I am sharing a rasam receipe that is easy and fool-proof. You won’t need to buy rasam powder. Everything is made from scratch. This post is for a my good friend, Bhadri, who requested this recipe.

Rasam is a popular soup used as an Ayurvedic remedy for coughs and colds all over Southern India. Whether you are sick or not, do give this recipe a try. It goes well with rice and a vegetable side dish like my avial, green bean thoren, or cabbage thoren.

Tamarind and Tomato Rasam
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
3 cups hot tap water
¼ cup of tamarind, (or one small lime-sized ball of tamarind)
1 ripe Roma tomato
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 cloves of garlic
1½ teaspoons ghee or sesame oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon black gram dal, (urad dal)
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, (methi seeds)
2 whole dry red chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida powder, (hing)
1 sprig curry leaves
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
Soak the tamarind in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes. When it is cool, mash it with your fingertips to extract the tamarind pulp/juice. Strain the juice into a bowl. Using the same tamarind, repeat the process with the remaining two cups of water. This will give you three cups of tamarind juice. Set it aside.

Crush the tomato with your fingertips and add it to the bowl with the tamarind juice. Trust me, the rasam tastes better when you use your fingers to mash the tomato! But you can cut it, if you prefer. Add the turmeric, sugar, and salt to the tamarind and tomato mixture.

Grind to a coarse powder the pepper and cumin seeds. You can do this in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Add the pepper and cumin powder to the tamarind and tomato mixture. Taste, and if the mixture is too sour, add a tablespoon or two of water. Crush the three garlic cloves and set them aside.

Place a wok (kadai), over medium-high heat. Add the ghee and when it shimmers, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add black gram dal. Watch carefully so you don’t burn the ingredients. When the dal turns light brown, add fenugreek seeds. Break the dry red chillies in half and add them next. Then add the asafoetida powder, curry leaves, and the tamarind and tomato mixture.

When you see the rasam beginning to boil and bubbles forming along the edges add the crushed garlic cloves. Let the rasam come to a rolling boil. As soon as you see froth forming on the top of the rasam, add the cilantro leaves and turn off the heat. Transfer the rasam to a serving bowl and cover it with a lid. Serve rasam with plain rice, papadums and a vegetable side dish. Yum!

Korma with Potatoes and Peas

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Margaret Christo

I want to introduce you to Parmotrema perlatum, commonly known as black stone flower, a species of lichen used as a spice in India. This mysterious lichen is the secret ingredient to my Chettinad and korma preparations. In India, it is called patthar ke phool in Hindi, dagad phool in Marathi and kalpasi in Tamil. It slightly resembles mushrooms and the plants grow on rocks and walls. An interesting fact about black stone flower is that it only grows in unpolluted air.

Black stone flower is sometimes included in some of the spice blends sold in Indian grocery stores. However, few home cooks use it knowingly. It is one of the ingredients in the famous Goda masala from Maharashtra. This unusual spice adds a very distinct, strong earthy aroma, and deep flavor to many vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. You will see, in the picture above, that I have added the spices I used in this recipe on a small white plate. Black stone flower is in between the bay leaves and cloves.

Well, now that my mystery ingredient has been disclosed, let’s use it in the korma recipe that I’m sharing with you today. Do you use black stone flower in your recipes? Tell us what recipes you use them in and how.

Korma with Potatoes and Peas
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons ghee
1 whole green cardamom, lightly crushed
1 clove
1 bay leaf
½ inch piece cinnamon, broken into bits
2 cups finely diced red onion
2 cups medium diced tomatoes
¼ teaspoon turmeric, optional
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
5 mint leaves, torn into bits
2 cups medium diced potato, (I used red potatoes)
1 cup frozen green peas
2 cups water
salt
½ teaspoon garam masala, (use my Home-made garam masala)

To be ground
1 inch-piece cinnamon, broken into bits
2 cardamoms, outer cover removed
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 small pieces of black stone flower
8 cashew nuts, (soaked in ¼ cup hot water for 15 minutes)
¼ cup grated fresh coconut
1 tablespoon roughly chopped ginger
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
2 roughly chopped green chillies, (depending on heat and your preference)

Directions:
First, prepare the ingredients to be ground. Add the dry spices to your blender or spice grinder and powder them. Next, add the cashew nuts along with the water it was soaking in, coconut, ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Grind everything to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat ghee in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the whole spices – cardamom, clove, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Sauté for 30 seconds and then add the onion. Cook until the onion turns translucent. Add the ground spice and coconut mixture. Fry for five minutes being careful not to burn the ingredients. Sprinkle a few drops of water, if it is catching to the bottom of the pan. Add tomato, turmeric, cilantro, and mint. Fry until the tomato turns mushy and you see the oil separate. Add potatoes, two cups of water, and salt. Cook on high until the water begins to boil. Turn the heat to medium-low, add peas, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are done. Sprinkle garam masala and cook for another three minutes. This dish goes well with chapatis or puris.