Cabbage Upkari - Simplicity at its best

He : Honey..I am so hungry! Whats special for dinner tonight?
She: mm..Usual Rasam but I made Cabbage Upkari..(looking at him with happy bright eyes!)
He : Oh cool! Sounds new! Lemme take a taste.....
(comes into kitchen, scoops a spoonful of the upkari ...chews..chews some more and now there is a small frown in his forehead!)
He : Ok Ok..I am tired but not that tired to not even notice that you are trying to cheat me with the same old cabbage that you make by giving it a different name! Its the boring cabbage after all!
She (grinning) : yeah - This same old boring cabbage (for you that is!) that I made is actually called Upkari and its not boring! I love it..



....And thus goes the conversation/ Has it ever happened to you that what you thought was "your creation" actually exists with a name to top it off? It has happened quite so often. I have posted the other famous egg-in-a-hole which was supposedly my creation until I saw the same being made on TV!!!! I have been cooking cabbage this way ever since..mm..I started cooking and only last year, thanks to bloggers I got to know that it is actually called Upkari - a Konkani dish meaning "side dish" in that language. It is called so when any vegetables are cooked with coconut and in water. So much for my originality! (smirking!) Anyways here is my version(!Duh!)

Ingredients


• 1 medium sized cabbage, shredded
  
  
• 1 large onion
  
  
• 1 tbsp black gram (urad dal)
  
  
• 1 tbsp Bengal gram (channa dal)
  
  
• 2-3 dry chilli (as per taste)
  
  
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  
  
• pinch of turmeric powder
  
  
• 2-3 tbsp grated coconut (fresh/frozen preferable but dry coconut works too)
  
  
• pinch of asafoetida
  
  
• salt to taste and curry leaves to garnish
  

Method

In 1/2 tsp of oil, saute the lentils , chillies until lightly golden, add the mustard seeds



and once they start popping add the onions



Add the cabbage along with little salt, asafoetida and turmeric.



Saute for 2 minutes, sprinkle slightly with water (I dont like my cabbage too mushy!), close the lid and cook until the cabbage is slightly soft.



Add the coconut and curry leaves.



Cook for another 2 minutes in open flame and serve warm.

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Am sending this over to Recipes for Rest of Us event hosted by my gal pal Siri

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Mixed Dal(lentils) with Red Chard

Lentils(dal) is predominantly a major player in my kitchen. We love dals and we usually accompany it for our dinner with roti's / phulkas. The protein in the dal helps to satisfy our hunger faster and thereby eat less. I consume these often enough to cut the amount of rice I eat per day. I cannot do without rice though, hence eating minimal works for me. Also including greens at least twice each week is another habit in my kitchen. The nutrients that it has to give is immense. Try to buy fresh greens and cook them on the same day. That way nutrients are not lost too much.



Recently on my recent grocery shopping, I came across the freshest looking Red Chard. I bought them home and thought of making a stir fry. I was not too sure if it will go well with my khasta roti, so thought of making it into a dal instead. The afternoon lunch was a joke with not so much of protein hence I thought I will make a mixed dal constituting 5 different lentils cooked together and add in the red chard alongwith it. It turned out to be a very satisfying meal.

Ingrediants


• 1 onion, chopped
  
  
• 1 tomato
  
  
• 2-3 garlic, minced
  
  
• 1 inch ginger,grated
  
  
• 1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced (or as per taste)
  
  
• 2 tbsp each of Red lentil(masoor), pigeon peas(toor), whole black gram(urad), bengal gram(channa) and yellow lentils(moong)
  
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
  
• 2-3 cloves
  
  
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
  
  
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice(as per taste)
  
  
• salt to taste
  
  
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
  
  
• 1 tsp dill seeds (optional)
  
  
• 1 bunch of Red Chard , washed and chopped
  
  

Method

In a saucepan, in 1/2 tsp oil add the spices. Saute for few seconds until aromatic. Add the onions and tomatoes along with salt, stir for 1 min and then add ginger and garlic.



Add the lentils(washed with cold water until clean water runs through),



stir for few more minutes and then add about 3 cups of water (or vegetale stock) along with turmeric.

Close the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes until the lentils are almost soft.

Add the chopped chard, close the lid and cook until the greens have wilted.



Few minutes before serving, add the lemon juice,



stir well and serve warm.

Bhagara Baingan - Stuffed Indian Eggplant in gravy

I have said it before. Hyderabadi's know to eat well! Their food reeks of delicious aromatic smells and appetizing rich plates. After the Biryani and bread pudding, the next thing I love about their cuisine is Bhagara Baingan. The Indian eggplants (small variety), stuffed with aromatic spices and immersed in a rich gravy is my kind of having fun while eating!



I love my mom's version which has pretty simple south Indian ingredients - but I also love Tarla Dalal's version which has more of North Indian spices. Since I couldn't decide between them, I made my own version which has a mix of these! Talk about hybridization! Choosing very small brinjals will help to reduce the amount of oil, used for cooking since they cook faster and need less oil. I choose the smallest ones, I can find among them. I know they look quite big in the picture, but they are not. :)

Ingredients


• About 10-15 small brinjals, slit into 4 with edges still attached
  

Spice Mix for stuffing


• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  
  
• 1 tbsp Urad Dal (split black gram)
  
  
• 1 tbsp Bengal gram (channa dal)
  
  
• 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds (daniya)
  
  
• 2-3 dried red chillies(or as per taste)
  
  
• 2 tbsp grated coconut (dried coconut works perfectly too)
  
  
• 1/4 cup peanuts
  
  
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  
  
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
  
  
• about 1/4 pinch of salt
  

For Gravy


• 1 onion, chopped finely
  
  
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
  
  
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  
  
• 1 tsp tamarind paste (or as per taste)
  
  
• salt to taste
  
  
• few sprigs of cilantro to garnish
  

Method

Dry roast the ingredients for the Spice mix in low heat until aromatic.



Grind it into powder and stuff them inside the brinjals as shown in the picture. If the spice mix is left over, dont worry - it will be used for the gravy



In a pan, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and once hot, place the brinjals inside on their sides. Close the lid and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.



Gently turn them on the other side and let them cook for another 5-10 minutes. The smaller the brinjals, faster these get done. Turn them gently until they are soft and done. Set aside.



In the same pan, add mustard seeds and cumin. Once they splutter, add the onions, ginger garlic paste along with tamarind. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.



Add about 2 cups water and let it come to a boil Add salt. Take care with the salt since you have already some in the stuffing. Let it come to a boil and then add the remaining spice mixture. Usually this will help to thicken up the gravy.



About 10 minutes before serving, drop the eggplants in the gravy. Be gentle, else the eggplants will break apart.



Garnish with cilnatro and serve along with some phulkas/roti

Thalipeeth - A quick healthy and filling fix for the fast and the furious!

You have had a long day, mentally exhausted and physically tired! Its 7:00 pm and you realize with a bang that you are the one to do the cooking for dinner, when all you wanted to do was settle down in that lush sofa and curl up to sleep! The 'other half' is obviously oblivious to all this and you know that the only solution 'kindly offered' by him would be to 'eat outside' since 'making food' and him dont go well together! Eating outside sounds so convenient but hold on! You had to go and take an oath of not eating outside since you wanted to be suddenly sensible about your eating! Seriously! Women should not be allowed to think so much! Dang! Women like me should not be allowed to check other's blog too - if not, you would not have noticed Sig looking remarkable thanks to her SBD and Meeta feeling way lot better thanks to hers and decided its high time,yours truly did something too!



With Asha cheekily seeing through my 'healthy' needs, I am totally left in a fix! Remembering how Kate Winslet looked at the Academy - I decided to draw inspiration and thought over healthy recipes - Thalipeeth! ta da! Yes, thats it. But the minute I entered the kitchen, exhaustion gnawed and I totally was not in for making dough, rolling, sticking and the other blah's. So what did I do? I made it into a batter and made a whole grain Adai :) Thalipeeth are savoury pancake like Maharashtrian dish enjoyed for breakfast. It does not need an elaborate side dish - some pickle and butter goes a long way! It is made with multi grains incorporating the raw nutrition straight on to your body. Usually the dough is made with what is called Bhajani which is readily made mix of different flours. One can replicate the same at home and the best part of this recipe is that one doesnt have to stick to the exact measurements for the flour. Add in as many, in whatever proportion you like and are comfortable with. This is my version. I am not sure, but I think I have seen few people making a batter version (like here) too.

Ingredients


• 1/2 cup Bengal gram flour (besan)
  
  
• 1/2 cup Sorghum flour (Jowar)
  
  
• 1/2 cup Millet (Bajra)
  
  
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
  
  
• 1/4 cup Finger millet (Ragi)
  
  
• pinch of turmeric
  
  
• ` red onion, chopped finely
  
  
• 1-2 green chillies, sliced thinly
  
  
• salt to taste and few sprigs of cilantro
  
  
• About 1-2 cups of water to make it into a thick batter
  

Method

1.Mix the flour, salt, turmeric together.



2.Add enough water to make it into a thick pourable batter.



3.Stir in the onions, cilantro and the chillies.



4.In a lightly greased pan, pour the batter to make into a rough circle. It need not be perfect. Rustic is good sometimes you know :)



5.Turn it after 1-2 minutes and cook likewise.



6.A little slab of butter along with pickle/curd is more than enough! Simple, easy and healthy living.

Ask the better half to at least take the final photo - and not think twice about posting it because it was something 'you-dint-do-yourself' and also ask Asha not to smirk at the butter - BUTTER LOOKS BIGGER IN THE PICTURES! IT WAS SMALL YOU KNOW! ;-)

Kadambam Rice - Simple one pot South Indian dish with vegetables galore!

Some dishes never fail to remind you of home, of the warmth of mom's touch - in short that luxurious comfort which we never thought we will leave. But life moves on, and so do we. The ache slowly is replaced by new responsibilities and in accommodating new changes in our lives - but BAM! a spoonful of that special dish, one fine day, teleports your memory cells back to the days bygone. And this is exactly what happened when I made Kadambam(mixture in Tamil) Sadam(rice)




Usually on the last day of Pongal - for Mattu pongal, we have a custom of making flavored rice like coconut rice, lemon rice etc. Few households also make this rice. It is an excellent option esp. if you like me get this sudden urge to throw everything you have in the fridge into a pot! If you like Sambar Rice and if you like Bisi Bela Bath, then this is another likable option for you, since I think this dish is between those two dishes. This is my mom's version which was given to her by her elder sister who is an excellent cook herself.

Ingredients


• 1 cup rice
  
  
• 1/2 cup Bengal gram (channa dal)
  
  
• 1 cup pigeon peas (toor dal)
  
  
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  
  
• approx 3 cups of mixed vegetables chopped (ex. ladies finger, taro root, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplants, capsicum, peas, green pumpkin, drumsticks etc)
  
  
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp Sambar powder
  
  
• salt to taste
  
  
• few sprigs of curry leaves, cilantro and 1 tsp of sesame oil/ghee for garnish
  
  

Method

1. Cook rice with 3 cups of water. Meanwhile cook both the lentils together until cooked. Set aside. Par boil the vegetables for approx 10min.



2. Mix the tamarind paste in 3 cups of water and bring to a boil in a pan. Add salt, sambar powder, curry leaves along with vegetables and let it cook for 5 min. The vegetables are par boiled since they are further cooked again here.



3. Add the lentils mixture and stir for another 2-3 min.



4.Finally add rice



and gently mix making sure not to mash the vegetables.


5.Garnish with cilantro and sesame oil/ghee and serve hot with papad.



This is my entry to Harvest : the festival of Rice event. ( Thank you siri for letting me know :) )

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Some foods are our best friends, may be not so much for our taste buds ;-) but surely deeply loved by our body. Among such is Oats. Want to know more about Oats - the types available, how to cook the different varieties etc? Check my article about the same at Daily Tiffin

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Puran Poli - Unique and only one of its kind!

It looks like a flatbread but the similarity stops right there. Known by various names like Poli(Tamil), Obbattu(Kannada) and Bobbattu (Telugu), this traditional sweet dish is made for festive occasions. But festive or not, we enjoy Poli even on an ordinary day - that much is its love in our home. Until about a year back, I was not aware of another variation to poli where the stuffing is made using powdered sugar instead of the Jaggery which is what I grew up with. Variation nevertheless, it is one dish which will blow your mind however you make it.



This is made for quite a bunch of occasions like Pongal,Avani Avittam etc. I made it on the day of Boghi which is the first day of Pongal. Dont even think of cutting out the ghee! Forget your diets when having a bite of this - you can always starve yourselves the next day! ;-)

Ingredients


• 1 cup all purpose flour/Maida (sifted)
  
  
• 1 cup bengal Gram Dal
  
  
• 1 cup grated jaggery (remove stones/dust etc)
  
  
• 1/2 cut grated coconut, fresh preferred ( but incase of non availibility, forzen can be used too. Thaw it first)
  
  
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
  
  
• pinch of turmeric
  
  
• approx 1-2 tbsp broken cashews
  

Method

1.Mix flour, turmeric and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil(optional), mix well and add water as needed to make into a soft pliable dough.



2.Set aside covered with a cloth.



3.Meanwhile in a saucepan, boil bengal gram in 2 cups of water until soft.



4.Drain the lentil well and then drop it back into the saucepan along with jaggery, coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well until the jaggery melts and all the ingredients come together into one harmonious mass.



5.Cool it lightly and then grind this mixture in food processor without adding any water. Toast the cashews (dry roast/in ghee) and then add it to the lentil-jaggery mixture.



6.Now take a small lime sized ball from the dough.Roll it out into a small circle.



7.Similarly make a small ball from the lentil mixture and place it in the middle of the dough.



8.Bring the end of the dough to the center on top of the lentil mixture,pinch them together and then press it down into a flatbread.



9.Now lightly roll it out into a flatbread. It does not matter if a circle is not perfect. You can roll it as thinly or as thick you desire.



10.PLace it a griddle, spoon some ghee all around it and cook until golden brown.

11.Turn it around and similarly cook until golden brown/reddish.



12.It is good on its own although a little ghee on top makes it irresistable.