Raw papaya, mung dal sabzi

Raw papaya has antioxidants, is diuretic in nature and rich in fibre with minimum calories. It can also help you lose weight as it burns fat, and help in detoxification.

Ingredients:

1 small raw papaya

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsps mung dal

¾  cup water

A small ball of tamarind soaked in water

To grind:

½ cup grated coconut

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 onion cut fine

1 small green chilli

To season:

1 tbsp oil

¼  tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cut onion

1 red chilli broken to pieces

Some curry leaves

Instruction:

-          Remove the skin and seeds of the papaya and cut into small cubes. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder,  salt and mix well. Keep aside for ten minutes.

-          Wash the mung dal, add this and water to the papaya and pressure cook for five minutes. Cool, open and lightly mash the papaya pieces.

-          Grind the ingredients, add this and tamarind pulp to the cooked papaya (add more water if needed) and simmer for five minutes.

-          Heat oil in a pan with mustard seeds. When they splutter, add broken red chilli pieces, cut onion and curry leaves. When the onion browns, pour this over the sabzi.

-          Serve hot with steamed rice.

Rajgira (Amaranth grain) Upma

                                                         Rajgira upma and chana chat

Rajgira or Ramdana, as it is popularly known in Northern India is a power house of nutrients. The English word is amaranth grain. The origin of the word amaranth is Sanskrit, it means, 'deathless'. It is easy to buy rajgira in grain form and flour form.

Amaranth is high in protein and has an abundance of nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Also, this is the only grain to have vitamin C. It also has lysine, an amino acid that helps to absorb calcium. Since it contains two times more calcium than milk, it can reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The grain has bioactive compounds which make it anti-allergic. Plus, it is suitable for diabetics because it helps in reducing hyperglycemia.

My husband brought rajgira home and after searching for the recipe on the net, I made upma. It was a disaster the first time. I used it straightway like the sooji and I had to keep on adding water and cooking for almost half hour, and it was not so tasty! Second time I soaked it overnight and pressure cooked for 4 minutes. The water quantity was more and we didn’t relish it. The third time I reduced the water quantity and it turned out delicious! So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup Rajgira grain

¼ cup water

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp cashew nuts

1 onion cut fine

1 green chilli cut

Some curry leaves

Salt to taste

Instruction:

-Soak rajgira overnight. Since the grains are so small and float in the water, you have to drain using a sieve.

                                                        Rajgira in water, soaked overnight

- Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, then cut onion, green chilli and curry leaves. Stir, add cashew nuts, when the onion turns transparent, add rajgira, salt and water.

Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Cool and open, serve hot.

Odissi dal

Last week we had dinner with friends and she had cooked Odissi dal that I was having for the first time. My husband and I relished it so much that on coming home I searched for its recipe.  I got the basic idea, which I modified to our taste and prepared today. This is a very delicious preparation that has seven different pulses.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup green gram

1/3 cup black gram

1/3 cup Bengal gram dal (chana dal)

¼ cup tur dal

¼ cup chick peas

¼ cup black chana

¼ cup rajma

1 ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 cinnamon piece

2 ½ cups water

Salt to taste

2 tbsps oil

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 green chilli cut

1 onion cut fine

2 tomatoes cut fine

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

A pinch of asafoetida

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

Instructions:

-          - Soak all the seven pulses together overnight. Pressure  cook them with water, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon piece, salt and turmeric powder for 15 minutes.

-         -  Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add cumin seeds and cut green chilli. Add cut onion, when they become translucent, add ginger garlic paste and mix in.

-        -   Add the cut tomatoes, stir for a while. Add all the masala powders, asafoetida and  2 tablespoons of water and let it cook and become thick.

-        -   Add the cooked pulses, mix well and simmer for five minutes.

-          - Serve with steamed rice or chapatis.

Proja – a traditional Serbian cornmeal dish

After having tasted the amazing proja for breakfast in Belgrade that Ashwita cooked for us, I was determined to make it at home. It can be prepared with ordinary corn flour, but since I had brought with me the corn flour that remained in Belgrade, I used it up for my first attempt. I had to do some modification to the basic recipe as the cheese used in the recipe is not available in Belgaum. Instead I used milk cream and there was no compromise in the taste!

Ingredients:

100 gms corn flour

1 cup water

2 cups milk

1 cup milk cream

A pinch of salt

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp chia seeds

Instruction:

-          Add the water, milk and milk cream to the corn flour and mix thoroughly, without any lumps.

-          Keep on medium flame and keep stirring, for about 15 minutes ( add salt in between, when it starts thickening) till it becomes quite thick and starts separating from the sides

-          Pat it down onto a shallow container and allow to cool.

-          Cut it into pieces.

-          Heat the butter, add chia seeds. Toss in the proja, stir and let the pieces be coated well with the chia 

       seeds.

-          Serve hot.

Chole bature

 This is a special North Indian dish I used to relish during my post-graduation days in Lucknow  . By the time we left Lucknow, I had learned how to make it and my kids always looked forward to these preparations.

Ingredients:

 3 cups refined flour (maida), for 9 bature

¼   tsp baking soda

 Salt to taste

1 cup curds

2 tsps powdered sugar

Oil to fry.

Instructions:

Sieve the refined flour with baking soda. Add salt.

Mix the sugar powder thoroughly into the curds. Add this to the refined flour and knead into a smooth dough. You may sprinkle some water if you need.

Leave it covered overnight.

Divide into 9 portions, make them into balls, spread each one into a round and deep fry in hot oil.

Chole

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Bengal gram soaked overnight in water

2 tsp tea leaves
3 cups water

Salt to taste
1 bay leaf

Tamarind pulp

To grind

2 tbsps oil

2 onions sliced

1 large tomato sliced

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 ½ tsps. Coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

2 tbsps oil

Coriander leaves to garnish

Instruction:

Boil the tea leaves in 3 cups water for about 2 minutes, drain the tea

Pressure cook the soaked Bengal gram with the black tea, and salt for 15 minutes

Meanwhile grind the onions, tomato into a smooth paste and add it to hot oil, along with the bay leaf, in a thick bottomed pan. Keep stirring and when it starts separating from the sides (takes about 10 minutes). Add all the masala powders and stir well.

Add the cooked Bengal gram, and tamarind pulp into the pan and mix well. Mash a small portion (about 2 tbsps) of the Bengal gram to get a thick gravy.

Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from fire. Garnish with cut coriander leaves.

Serve with bature.

Pumpkin Soup

This is a very delicious, and nutritious soup. You need to make it with a well ripe pumpkin to get the optimum taste.

Ingredients:

3 cups skinned and cubed pumpkin pieces (for 2 bowls of soup)

5 flakes of garlic, finely cut

1/3 tsp garam masala powder

1 ½ cups water

1 tbsp milk cream (malai)

Salt to taste

½ tsp pepper powder

1 tsp butter

Instruction:

Pressure cook the pumpkin pieces with water, salt, garlic and garam masala powder for 8 minutes.

Cool the pressure cooker, use a blender to mash the pumpkin to make it to soup consistency.

Add the milk cream and blend again.

Serve in bowls, garnished with pepper powder and butter.

Jackfruit seeds curry, Sri Lankan way

Jackfruit seeds have many health benefits. The proteins and other vital micronutrients in the seeds are known to keep skin diseases at bay. The iron in the seeds boosts blood health and even treats anaemia – which is one major concern, especially for women.

The seeds, which taste like potatoes when boiled, are also good for the eyes. According to traditional medicine, powdered jackfruit seeds can treat constipation and other digestive issues. The seeds are also rich sources of dietary fiber, which makes them important for digestive health. The seeds contain vitamin A, a nutrient known to boost vision health. The seeds might also prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.

After enjoying my favourite fruit I never throw away the seeds. We make thoran and aviyal in Kerala and my husband is fond of those dishes. This time I wanted to try some different preparation and decided to go the Sri Lankan way. And it turned out amazing. I served it for a friend who visited. He liked it so much that he took the recipe from me before leaving!

Ingredients:

20 nos. Jackfruit seeds

1 medium sized onion sliced

1 sprig curry leaves

Salt to taste

¾  cup coconut milk

Spices to dry roast:

1 tsp red chili powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

1 inch Piece of cinnamon

1 tsp mustard seed

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

To grind:

3 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp raw rice

Instruction:

-          Wash and pressure cook jackfruit seeds for 8 minutes, after hitting them with a pounding stone to crack the skin so that it will be easy to remove the skin after cooking. Drain and allow them to dry, remove the skin and cut vertically into four pieces.

-          Dry roast the spices and keep aside

-          Now dry roast grated coconut together with raw rice until it turns golden brown, stirring continuously. Grind this toasted coconut and rice with a little water into a fine paste.

-          Take the cut jackfruit seeds in a pan, add the roasted spices, sliced onion, curry leaves, salt and coconut milk, and mix well. Cook for about six minutes till the onion is cooked.

-          Mix in the ground coconut and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

-          Serve with chapatis or steamed rice and dal.