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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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

Gujarati Kadhi

Kadhi is to North India as Mor Kuzhambu is to the south - the only exception probably that Coconut is added to the latter. When there is less time to cook or when I dont feel like making elaborate side dishes, then I tend to make Kadhi's often. They are simple yet delicious and does not involve slogging. They are light yet filling.



Gujarati Kadhi's tend to be little more runny than the usual kadhi's. Here is the way I make it, thanks to my mom.

Ingredients


• 1 1/2 cup Curd ( full fat works better than skim ones)
  
  
• 1 1/2 cup water
  
  
• 2 generous tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
  
  
• 1 tbsp Ghee ( or Oil )
  
  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
  
  
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
  
  
• 1 generous pinch turmeric
  
  
• 1 pinch asafoedita
  
  
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds ( methi/vendayam)
  
  
• few springs of curry leaves and cilantro
  
  
• 2-3 cloves
  
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
  
• 1-2 dried red chilli
  
  
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped into thin slices
  
  
• salt to taste
  

Method

Take a large bowl and mix yogurt and water and blend well till there are lumps



In a small bowl mix chickpea flour with little of the above mixture till it forms into a paste. This helps to avoid lumps when added to the yogurt mixture.



Mix both of them well till blended.



In a pan, temper the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, chilli, cloves, cinnamon curry leaves with Ghee/oil



Add the mixture.



Simmer for 3-4 min and then add turmeric, salt and asafoetida and let it come to a boil. The heat should be minimum.



Garnish it with cilantro and serve with roti/phulkas.



This is my entry to Vindu's RCI : Gujarat Event