Kamranga ( Star Fruit ) Chutney

As a kid I loved any thing sour. We lived in a township admist with all kinds of flora and I remember a neighbor having a star fruit tree which would constantly get raided by us kids. Looking back I don't know how I managed to bite through this juicy and sour fruit ( We wouldn't exactly wait for it to ripe you see...)

Like many other fruits this has also become a rarity in Bangalore. Thanks to my mom's neighbor we managed to get some of these star fruits, fresh from their farm.  I can no longer dare to bite into them like I used to...hence decided to make a traditional chutney out of it.

Chutney is a very summery menu in a Bong household. A typical watery and sugary affair is a definite entity in my mom's kitchen during the summer.

But I have chutney through the year....

You Need :- 

1. Kamranga ( Star fruit ) :- 4 No.
2. Oil :- 3 tbsp ( I have used mustard oil)
3. Dried red Chilli :- 2 No.'s
4. Panch Phoron :- 1 tsp
5. Salt :- 1/4 tsp
6. Fennel Seed :- 2 tsp (dry fried)
7. Sugar :- as per taste
8. Turmeric Powder :- 1/4 tsp
9. Lemon Juice :- 1 tsp

Preparation Method :-

1. Heat the mustard oil in a Kadai.
2. Once the oil is hot and smoky, add the panch phoron and dried red chilli. Fry for a few minutes
3. Add the diced Kamranga and the turmeric powder and the salt. Fry for 5-10 minutes. Cover the           kadai and cook till the Kamranga is well cooked. Add a little water of necessary.
4. Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Cook till the sugar is completely melted and the chutney starts       to thicken.
5. Add the fired fennel seeds and the cutney is ready to serve.

Spinach (Palak) Soup

My day is incomplete without my early morning bowl of Spinach Soup.......

 Unlike thousands of people across the globe, I was never addicted to coffee or tea. My morning would begin with a glass of warm water and the rest of the day was filled with some arbitrary binge. Needless to say that I was over weight ( I still have a few more kilos to shed )  and just about did any thing any one would say that would help me loose a few pounds. Aerobics, walking, gyming and dieting...I tried it all. some were more successful that the others but unfortunately did not last for long. Promptly I gained back the pounds that I lost within a short period of time. 

I had almost resigned to my fate of carrying my extra pound when I chanced upon a colleague at work who seemed to have have lost about 40 kilos and was looking quite trim when compared to his earlier rolly polly self. He set me up with his dietitian who changed the way I think of food.

This soup is one of her magic potions which I luckily fell in love this. I cannot imagine starting the day without my dose of spinach soup.

Preparation Method

You Need..

1. Spinach ::- 1 bunch ( 500 Grms )
2. Onion :- 1 Big
3. Tomato :- 1 Big
4. Black Pepper :- 10 - 12 No's
5. Garlic :- 10 Pods
6. Cinnamon :- 1 Inch
7. Cloves ;- 5-6 No's
8. Lime :- 1/2
9. Salt :- To Taste

Method :- 

1. Clean the spinach thoroughly and put in the cooker. You need not chop the spinach.
2. Roughly cut the onion and tomato and add to to spinach.
3. Add the pepper, salt, garlic, Cinnamon and cloves to the spinach.
4. Add 2 cups of water and boil. 1 whistle is good enough.
5. Once the pressure is released, remove the boiled spinach and the vegetables and grind to a paste using a mixer grinder. Keep the vegetable broth aside.
6. In a kadai, add ground spinach, the vegetable broth, 3 to 4 cups of warm water and boil.
7. Squeeze in the lime.
8. Adjust the salt and you are done.

Tit Bits :- 

1. This is an absolute diet food and is made without oil or butter.

2. you can add an extra dash of lime and ground pepper before serving.

3. This can be refrigerated and stored for 3 to 4 days.

4. The nutrient value of Spinach is innumerable and spinach make a great diet food.

Honey Walnut cookies

Baking can be therapeutic. I truly believe it. And you can seldom go wrong with cookies. Today I was in a mood for some really nice and chewy cookies and hence the traditional old fashioned Honey walnut cookies.

I am a weight watcher and careful about what I eat. This makes me constantly look for  treats are a slightly low in calories. These cookies do not contain butter and eggs. Though you cannot totally avoid sugar since it will not give you the desired result.

Since honey adds moisture, the cookies will tend to be soft and chewy after baking. The walnuts add a wonderful fragrance. In combination with honey, it is indeed a treat.

And what more...with just a few ingredients and a few minutes you will be ready with a batch of cookies.

Ingredients :- 

All purpose floor ( Maida ) :- 1 Cup
Demera Sugar :- 1/4 Cup
Honey :- 1/3 Cup
Baking Powder :- 1 tsp
Baking Soda :- 1/2 tsp
Salt :- a Pinch
Pure Vanila Extract:- 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil :- 1/4 Cup
Walnuts :- 1/3 cup, Roasted and Chopped

Baking Method :- 

1. In a mixing bowl add the flour, baking Soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk thoroughly such that all the ingredients are well mixed.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, honey and vanilla essence.
3.  Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk. 
4. Add the walnuts and mix well so that the nuts are well distributed. 
5. Make small round balls, flatten slightly and place them on a baking tray lined with butter paper.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C and bake the cookies for about 12 minutes.

Prawn Gassi

Gassi's are traditional Mangalorean dish.Though a part of Karnataka, Mangalore boasts of distinct and diverse cuisine which is quite different from the other regions of Karnataka. Though I have lived in Bangalore all my life, I had very limited exposure to mangalorean cuisine. It is thanks to my number of colleagues  from Mangalore in the recent few years that I was exposed to some of the traditional dishes.

I have mostly tried the non vegetarian dishes and I love the spicy, flavorful outcome. The curry leaves and the coconut milk leaves  a lovely aroma that is sure to tingle your senses.


Cooking Method :-

You Need :- 

 

Prawns :- 1/2 Kg. De-shelled and deveined
Mustard :- 1 tsp
Curry Leaves :- 1 sprig
Cumin Seeds :- 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind Paste :- 1 Tbsp.
Onion :- 2, 1 Sliced and 1 Chopped
Turmeric Pd :- 1 tsp
Pepper :- 8 - 10 No.'s
Coriander Seeds :- 2 Tb sp
Dried Red Chillis :- 5 No's
Dried Kashmiri Chilli ( Byadige ) :- 5 No's
Garlic :- 10 -12 Pods.
Ginger :- 1" Piece.Diced
Green chillis :- 2 No's
Coconut :- 1/2 No.Grated
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation :-

1. Marinate the prawns with salt, turmeric pd and lime juice and keep aside for about 1/2 hour.
2. Keep a pan and dry roast red chillis ( both varieties ) , coriander and cumin seeds and pepper.
3.  Transfer the roasted items to the mixie and add the grated coconut, sliced onion and garlic. Blend with a little bit of water.
4.  Heat a spoon of oil in a wok and add the curry leaves and the mustard seeds.
5. Add the diced onions and fry well. 
6. Once the onions are translucent, add the ginger and the green chillies.Saute
7. Add the ground paste and the tamarind paste. Fry well till the oil separates.
8. Add a cup of warm water to form the gravy.The gravy should be of thick consistency.
9. Add the prawns and let it simmer for a few minutes for the prawns to cook.

Tit Bits   

• This dish goes well with Rice or the traditional Neer Dosa.

• Prawns tend to become stiff if over cooked

Spicy South Indian Chicken Curry

Kerala cuisines are a great favorite with my husband. So when ever we have non south Indian guests, he insists that I make some keralite cuisine.His argument is to feed them sometime different. 

Over the years a lot of people have told me about the number of similarities that exits between the Mallu's and the Bong's. The love for fish and food ball, leftist government, wavy hair etc etc. This comparability does not extend to the cuisines for sure. I love swinging between both the worlds...

Here goes a simple Kerala Chicken Curry. This various is without the coconut milk -

You Need :- 

Chicken :- 1 Kg

Curry Leaves :- 1 sprig

Onions :- 2 Large 

Ginger :- 1.5 inch

Garlic :- 20 cloves

Flannel Seeds :- 1 tsp. 

Cardamom :- 4 No's

Cloves :- 4 No's

Cinnamon :- 1 inch

Regular Red chilli Pd :- 1.5 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilli Pd :- 2 tsp

Coriander Pd :- 1 tsp heaped.

Turmeric Pd :- 1/2 spoon

Pepper Pd :- 2 tsp

Garam Masala :- 1tsp

Tomatos :- 2 No's

Whole Chilli :- 2 No.

Mustard Seeds:- 1 tsp

Tamarind Pulp :- 1 Tb sp

Salt :- As per taste

 

Preparation Method :-

1. Marinade the chicken with Salt, both variety of Chilli Pd, Coriander powder, Flannel Pd ( Dry Roast the flannel seeds and powder), Garam Masala. Keep it aside for 2 hours.

2. In a kadai, add 2 tb sp of oil and heat. Add curry leaves, Red Chillies, Mustard seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

3. Fry for a few minutes and add finely chopped onions. Fry till the onions are translucent.

3. Add grated ginger and garlic. Fry well.

4. Add the diced tomatoes and pepper powder. Fry till the tomatoes are mushy.

5. At this stage add the marinated chicken and mix it well with the masala. Do not add any water.

6. Add the tamarind paste/pulp.

6. Continue stirring. Check on the salt. If needed add more salt. The chicken will release some water as it cooks.

7. Cover and cook till the chicken is done.

Titbits

1. You can cook it in the pressure cooker if you want to reduce gas consumption. But it is tastier cooked in the kadai.

2. Can be served with Rice, Chappatis, Appam.

3. I prefer it dry. You can add a cup of warm water while cooking the chicken, if you like more gravy.

Chettinad Fish Curry

I simply love fish. Any type.. any size. It's in my DNA. I happen to find really fresh white Pomfrets this weekend and I simply couldn't resist buying them.

Fish has been an integral part of my growing up years. Mom ran a typical Bengali Kitchen where no meal is complete without some form of fish dish.

I have of course expanded my horizon and cook all kinds of fish curry with no regional bias. I like spicy food and Chettinad cuisine has a special place in my heart...

You need :-

1. Fish ( Pomfret ) :- 1/2 Kg
2. Onion :- 2 Medium sized
3. Tomato :- 2 No.
4. Curry Leaves:- 1 twig
5. Green Chillis :- 2 no. slit.
6. Garlic :- 8 pods. finely chopped.
7. Mustard seeds :- 1 tsp
8. Red chilli Pd :- 1 tsp
9. Turmeric Pd :- 1/2 tsp
10. Tamarind paste :- 1 Tb Sp
11. Cooking oil :- 4 tb sp
12. Salt :- as per taste

 For Grinding:- 

 

1. Coriander seeds :- 2 tsp

2. Cumin seeds :- 1 Tsp

3. Fennel Seeds :- 1 Tsp

4. Pepper :- 10 No.s

5. Fenugreek Seeds :- 1/2 Tsp

6. 2 Dried Kashmiri Chillies :- 3 No.s

Preparation Method :-

• Clean the fish. Wash thoroughly. Add salt and turmeric powder and marinate it for about 1 minutes.
• Chop the tomatoes, Onions and Garlic and keep it aside.
• Dry Roast the masalas for grinding and then powder them.
• Heat Oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot add the fenugreek seeds followed by mustard seed.
• Add Curry leaves and onions. Fry till the onion turns light brown in color.
• Add garlic, followed by the ground masala powder . Fry for a few minutes.
• Add the chopped tomato and tamarind paste and cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
• Add a cup of hot water to make some gravy. Add salt.
• Once the gravy is boiling, add the fish, cover the vessel and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or till the fish is cooked.

Tit Bits :-

1. This gravy can be cooked with fish of your choice. I have used White Pomfret.
2. My gravy was medium spicy. Add more red chilli if you want it more spicy.
3. This dish is best eaten with rice but can be a good accompaniment for idli, Dosa or appam.