South Indian Style Roast Potato

In South India, people would cut the Potatoes into cubes and add enough water to cover it, bring it to a boil, and then they would strain the water or the starch from the Potatoes, and roast them with very little oil.
The idea behind this, is to have a non- sticking potatoes, devoid of all the starch. It is an excellent idea for people who love regular Potatoes but being Diabetic have to avoid eating this otherwise healthy vegetable. Though, some nutrients maybe lost by doing this, all is not lost, and one can enjoy guilt free Potatoes roasted with very little oil.
If anybody knows the reason, as to why in many South Indian homes this practice was prevalent, please feel free to share your knowledge here.

Recipe: South Indian Style Potato Roast
Serves: 4-5 people
Ingredients:
6 medium sized regular Potatoes
Peel them if they are too muddy or difficult to clean, otherwise wash them well and keep the skin, and cut them into small cubes
In a pan transfer these Potatoes and fill it with enough water to cover them. and bring them to boil for a few minutes, and then switch off the flame, and strain the water/ starch from the Potatoes.

Other Ingredients:

2 tsp of oil
1/2 tsp each of Cumin and Mustard seeds
1/3 tsp of Turmeric Powder
1/3 tsp of Red Kashmiri Chilli Powder
A pinch of Asafoetida (optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp of Cumin and Coriander Powder mix
A few Curry leaves

For Garnishing
A few fresh leaves of Coriander ((optional)

Method:
Heat a pan (a nonstick pan would be better for people following Oil free diet), once hot add the Oil and add the Cumin and Mustard seeds and let them crackle.
Next add the curry leaves and the Potatoes, Turmeric powder, and Salt
Stir it once keeping the flame in medium
You will find the Potatoes hardly sticking to the pan.
Keep stirring it once in a while, till the Potatoes are cooked from the inside and crisp from the outside.
Lastly add the Red Chilly Powder,and Asafoetida, and give everything a good mix.

Cook them for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Transfer it to a plate or bowl and garnish it with fresh Coriander leaves.

People who are in oil free diet, can just bake these Potatoes, turning them once in a while, so that they get evenly roasted.

(I may be wrong in my reasons for the Potatoes being cooked in this way, but they were and are still cooked in this manner, not only during my grandma's times, but even now. Probably people also thought, it was an easy way to reduce the amount of oil used in roasting, and thus being safe from Cholesterol too).

There were so many things,

that were done in olden days, and we also blindly followed them without knowing the real reason behind such things. We never even bothered to ask why they did such things. Isn't it strange?

Potato Roast South Indian Style (with just 2 tsps of Oil)

3 photos

Masalaydhar Gopi (Cauliflower), Carrot and Onion Stuffed Parantas

Paranta Masala:

This is a Masala from the region of Punjab (North India) and the recipe for this masala is from a famous Chef from Punjab.

Recipe:

3 tblsps of Coriander seeds

1 tblsp of Cumin Seeds

1 tsp of Black Pepper

1 tblsp of Pomegranate (Dry ones)

1/4 tsp of Hing (Asafoetida)

2 tsp Black salt

1 tsp plain salt

1 and half tsp of Amchur Powder (Dry Mango powder)

1 tsp of Ajwain ( Carom seeds)

1 tsp and half Chilli flakes (you can use 2/3 dry red chillies)

Now dry roast all these ingredients on a very slow flame, for about 5-6 mins. constantly stirring it.

Switch off the flame and let it cool completely before you grind everything coarsely (remember not to run the mixer/ grinder too much, for it is very important that the mixture is coarse, for only then you would get the crunch in the parantas.

Now store this Masala in an airtight container and use it as and when required for making Parantas.

You can sprinkle a few tblsps in the flour while making plain Parantas, and make it into a crunchy Masala paranta, or you can add to any kind of stuffing which you make for the paranta, like Potato and Peas stuffed ones, or Radish and Onion ones, or like I have made Cauliflower, Onion, and Carrot stuffed Parantas.

So, now that we have the Masala ready let us go to the recipe for Cauliflower, Onion and Carrot Parantas.

Recipe for the stuffing:

1 medium size Cauliflower grated in a mixer/ grinder. Take it out and keep it aside

1 small size carrot grated in a hand grater. Keep it aside

2 green chillies,a small piece of Ginger and a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves.

Grind everything in the mixer and keep it aside. Do not add water to anything at all.

1 small onion finely chopped . Keep it also aside.

Now, since the Cauliflower would ooze out some water, instead of squeezing the water, which is a bit messy, I prefer to keep in the microwave on high for a few mins. (till the cauliflower has no water in it)

Once it is ready, add the grated carrots and the chopped onions and the ginger chilly and fresh coriander paste to the Cauliflower, and mix everything well.

Next add about 4 tsps of the Paranta Masala, mix it with the stuffing, taste for the salt, if needed add some salt (but don't add it if you are not going to make parantas immediately, add salt just before you start making parantas) In fact add the masala only just before you start making the Parantas.

Now for the dough, take 4 cups of whole wheat flour add a pinch of salt, and adding water little at a time knead it into a soft non- sticky dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside till you are ready to make the parantas.

Now make two small lemon size balls from the dough and roll them out with a rolling pin, each separately, dusting with some dry flour, into about 3 inch circles.
On one circle place about 2-3 tsps of the stuffing and spread it all over the circle.
Next take the other circle and close it by pressing all the sides completely, so that the stuffing is sealed properly,
Now dust a little flour and roll it gently in to a 5-6 inch circle
Heat a girdle and place the stuffed paranta, and cook till the lower portion is slightly cooked .
Now flip it to the other side .
Apply very little oil on each side and let them cook till some brown spots starts appearing on both the sides, keeping the flame always low. (omit the oil and just dry roast it on both sides). Do not be in a hurry to cook them b keeping the flame on high.
They would come out crunchy on the outside and soft and cooked in the inside, only when cooked on a low flame
Take it out and lay it on a paper napkin.

Now make the other parantas in the same way, and serve them with yogurt, some chilly pickle or any other Indian pickle, and some fresh salad
My Parantas are not shiny as I have used very little oil, for in this way, it is more healthy and at the same time very tasty too.

Enjoy the delicious Masala, and also the Parantas made with  it!

Parwal A Favorite Dish Of West Bengal

Parwal is also know as Pointed Gourd in English. It    is a vegetable that has lots of health benefts. Bengalies can never lve without cooking it almost every day. They  have many dishes made with this vegetable.
What I have made is the simplest one and also very tasty and easy to make

       Here is the recipe:
     
10 Pointed Gourd washed and cut length wise wth the seeds

1 big onion cut similarly
Totally 4 tsps of oil
1/2 tsp each of mustard and cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp of dry coriander and cumin powder
1 tsp of Garam masala
1/2 tsp of red chilly powder
In a heated pan add 1 tsp of oil (Mustard oil goes well with this curry, but if you don't have use any oil)
once it is smoking hot fry the sliced onions in it for a few seconds (it is not ot be browned)
Take it off and keep it aside
Now in the same pan add 3 tsps of the remaining oil, bring it to smoking point , and then add the mustard and the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Add turmeric powder, salt and the Pointed Gourd and mix everything nicely.

Fry for a few seconds and then sprinkle 4 tblsps of water and cover it and let them cook on a slow flame for sometime, once in while stir them. You would find them becoming a little soft, if they are not sprinkle a little more water.
Once quite soft remove the lid, and fry them for a few more mins, adding the coriander and cummin powder
Next add the red chilly powder and the garam masala, and fry for a second or two.
Now add the fried onions and give everything a good mix and take the curry off the flame and serve it with Phulkas / parathas, or any Indian bread.
By adding onions in the end the curry comes out well and doesn't have the burnt onion look as the onions cook fry faster. 

Enjoy this extremely healthy vegetable. You can google it and find out how this vegetable looks and also all the benefits.

Simple, Lightly Spiced Vermicelli Pulav.

Recipe:
2 cups of Roasted Vermicelli ( you can get roasted one in shops)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small Green or any color Capsicum chopped
2 small Tomatoed chopped
1 carrot cut into thin strips (so that they would cook fast and also blend with the vermicelli)
1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2 green chilies slit
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 pices of Black Stoneflower
2 dry red chillies broken into pieces
2 green cardamoms
2-3 cloves
1 bay leaf Salt to taste
a few choppe dcoriander leaves
2-3 tsps of oil

Method:

Heat a pan and add oil and cumin seeds, let them splutter
Then add the whole Spices
Add the chopped onions and fry them for a few seconds
Now add the green chillies, turmeric powder, and the carrots and cook for a few seconds.
Add just a little amount of salt at this stage , mix well and transfer these vegetables to a plate and keep aside.

Next in the same pan pour about 2 cups of water, once the water starts to boil add the Vermicelli to it and let it boil in a low flame.
Add the required amount of salt to the Vermicelli,(remember that you have already added a little bit of salt to the vegetables)

Once the vermicelli is cooked add the vegetables to it and mix them gently and let them cook covered for a little while, just keep stirring gently off and on for about 3-4 mins.
Now finally add the chopped Coriander leaves.
Then switch off the flame and serve this lovely, Vermicelli pulav with Yogurt,or Raita (it is yogurt mixed with some raw vegetables like tomato, cucumber, onion and salt)
Enjoy!

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Okra and Onion Curry

There are so many Okra Curry recipes. I have already shared with you one with Tomatoes here:https://www.facebook.com/ramasrecipes/posts/452138551889397.

Today I am sharing a simple Okra recipe:
Just Plain Okra and Onion Curry
Recipe:
250 gms Okra cut into small pieces
Onions 2 cut into small pieces
1 Red Chilly just for flavor broken into small pieces
1/2 tsps each of Mustard seeds and Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of jeera powder
2 tsp of Coriander powder
1 tsp Red Chilly powder
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tsps
Method:
In a heated broad pan add oil (I always use Coconut oil, you can use any oil of your choice)
Once hot add the Mustard and Cummin seeds and let them crackle. Add the broken pieces of Red chilll too
Now add the chopped Onions and saute them for a few seconds
Next, add the salt and the Turmeric powder and the Okras, mix and saute for a few minutes.
Keeing the flame in Simmer, let them cook slowly. Keep stirring them at regular intervals.
It might take about 10 mins. or so for everything to cook .
Once they have been cooked add the Coriander powder, Cumin powder, and give everything a gentle mix and let everything cook together for about 2 mins.
Finally add the Red chilly powder and mix everything gently, and wait for a few seconds and then switch off the flame.
Simple, yet very tasty Okra and Onion Curry is ready to be served.
This healthy curry can be had with Chappathi, Plain Rice, can be filled inside a chappathi and turned it into a roll, or filled it in between two slices of toasted bread: the possiblities are many.
It is so good for Diabetes. Enjoy!!!

Fermented Millets More Kalli (Vegan)

This recipe, although is called More Kalli, can roughly be translated as, "Butter milk Porridge", we can make this without any Butter milk also. The idea is it should be sour. Usually it is a very easy and quick dish, which can be made in minutes, just by adding Rice flour to a very sour Butter milk.
However, I wanted to avoid using Rice flour and used Millets instead, which is a very healthy version of the same dish.
Millets are very good for people who have diabetes, and this dish is ideal for them.
There is no difference in taste or texture.

Recipe:
1/2 cup Millets (use any any millets)
2 tblsps grated coconut
Method:
Soak the millets for 24 hours (yes I meant 24 hours)
After that grind it with the coconut into a thick batter, don't add much water
Leave it to ferment for 24 hours (it should look really bubbly, the more it ferments the better, but try not keep it more than 24 hours)
Once the batter is ready, add about 1 cup of water to the batter to get a thin batter. Add salt to it.
Now the tempering:
3 tblsps of Sesame oil (it has to be made in this oil only to get the real authentic taste)
1/2 tsps of each Urad dhal,(Black gram) and Channa dhal (split Chickpeas)
1/2 tsp of Mustard seeds
1/2 an inch of ginger chopped
1-2 dry red chilllies broken into pieces
1 green chilly chopped
a few pinches of Asafoetida powder
a few crushed curry leaves
a few chopped fresh coriander leaves
Method:
In a heated non- stick pan heat oil
add the mustard seeds, red chillies, green chilly , ginger (all the tempering ingredients)
Then add the watery batter
Keep stirring it till everything turns into a pale, shiny color, and come out as a ball without sticking to the pan.
It would happen in about 5- 8 mins. or so, (keep stirring)

(You can add a little bit of any Vegan buttermilk, about 2 tblsps if you feel it is not sour enough, I added about 2 tblsps of peanut buttermilk)

Switch off the flame and enjoy this lovely Hot More Kalli or Porridge as it is,
Or
Another way to have it is to keep a lightly greased plate ready, and pour the More Kalli mixture into the plate and wait for it to cool and then cut it into squares
Both ways it tastes delicious.

I am posting after a very long time. I was encouraged by my  friends and relatives to start my own page in facebook on recipes, and finally I did. I thought I would start posting alll the recipes here too.

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Also, I have chosen Veganism, and so my posts would not have any non-vegan ingredients.

I would love to hear from all of you , who have tried my recipes.

Happy cooking!!!

Chocolate and Coffee Banana Loaf/ Cake

I found this recipe in a Vegan Site. The lady has simple recipes explained  and she also has videos of most of the recipes in her site.
I am slowly turning into a Vegan though  I am still not 100% Vegan, for it takes time. However as much as possible I cook only Vegan food.
Here are the pictures of my recent cake, I only added some Walnuts and some instant coffee  to the recipe, as I like the crunchy taste of Walnuts, which are also very good for brain health.
Just out of the Oven

For recipe go to:http://www.mrishtanna.com/2017/…/chocolate-banana-loaf-cake/

 Enjoy with Tea or Coffee!!!

Hibiscus Tea: The Most Wonderful Drink!!

Hibiscus flowers are so beautiful, and they come in various colors. The most common and popular ones are the Red Hibiscus which are available in plenty everywhere. They don't need much care, also.

The benefits of making Hibiscus Tea at home are many.

Just drinking two cups of hibiscus tea, keeps blood sugar under control, controls the cholesterol levels, lowers BP,  is very high in Vitamin C, so it is good for the skin, hair and the eyes. This tea is good to keep away cough and cold. It also helps in preventing Urinary Tract Infection, if taken along with Cranberry Juice.

Best thing is,  it is very easy to make. here is the recipe:

5/6 hibiscus flowers, plucked from your own garden( doesn't matter, what color they are)

5/6 cups of water

a few tsps of sugar, or honey/ any natural sweetner) I usually don't add sugar at all.

A pinch of salt

1 lemon




Method:

Clean/ wash the flowers gently.

Take only the petals throw everything else.

                                                Throw away this thing, only the petals
                                                             should be there

Boil the water, once it starts to boil, take it off from the stove

You can add sugar/ whatever sweetner you want and also salt.

Put all the petals and cover the it with a lid.

Let it soak for about 20 minutes

Then strain it, it would a deep wine color

Now you can add the juice of 1 lemon, and voila you would immediately see the color of the juice turn to a pretty red color ( I used only Red Hibiscus), I don't know how the color would be if we used other color hibiscus, for I never had the chance of using other colors.

(our dog simply loves eating these flowers especially, the voilet, yellow, orange and the pink ones that I have. So, I never get to see them bloom at all)
                            Caught her in the act. (she was barely 3 months old). She is now a big girl and                                 still loves to steal Hibiscus                                                                                         

This juice doesn't have any taste of its own, so you can even mix it with any other juice you might like, and have it cold also.

Here I have mixed with a herbal Rose drink called Roofza. If you have cranberry juice you can mix it with that too for additional benefits

You can have it immediately as a hot tea or cool it in the fridge and have it later. You can even make a whole lot,  if you have many hibiscus growing in your garden then prepare them in the same way and store it in the fridge and keep using it whenever you feel like.

The pulp of the flower too should not be wasted, it can made into a fine paste in mixer/ grinder and used as a hair mask.

This hair mask can be kept for about 1/2 an hour with the hair covered with a shower cap.

Afterwards,  it can be thourghly rinsed and. No need to apply any conditioner after this treatment. You would find your hair very clean, shiny and bouncy, and you would simply love your hair.

So make the Hibiscus Tea/ Juice and make the Mask and enjoy the benefits .

BTW, the Hibiscus leaves too can be made into a paste and used as a shampoo, it would lather up nicely like a shampoo, but must be rinsed very well.

Gongura Leaves/ Sorrel Leaves: Gongura Puliodhrai

Some of the health benefits of Sorrel/Gongura include its ability to boost eyesight, strengthen the immune system, improve digestion, build strong bones, increase circulation, increase energy levels, help prevent cancer, reduce certain skin conditions, lower blood pressure, increase appetite, slow the aging process, protect against diabetes, strengthen heart health, and improve kidney health.

It is very popular all over India, especially in Andhra Pradesh, where it is considered a delicacy, and dishes cooked in a variety of ways with this spinach kind of leafy vegetable. it has a natural sourness to it, and the pickle made with  it very tasty. You can read about its benefits in the net, and if you can get  it in your part of the country, then make it following various recipes shown in Youtube/ cookery blogs.

Here  I am sharing with you a recipe called "Gongura Puliodaryai" ( Sorrel Rice)

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp, Urad dhal

1/2 tsp, Channa dhal

1/2 tsp Coriander seeds

4/5 Red chillies or according to taste

3 tblsps of Sesame seeds

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

around 1/2 a cup or little more of Sesame seed oil or Refined vegetable oil.

1&1/2 cup of brown rice ( if you don't like Brown Rice then you can use White Rice): Boiled with every grain separate.

1/2 cup of Coconut gratings (optional)

For seasoning : 

a tsp of oil from the oil listed

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Asafoetida (Hing) 

some curry leaves

1/2 a cup of onions chppped, split green chillies about 2

Two bunches of Gongura leaves (approximately 2/3 big cups of leaves)

The leaves should have been separated washed and dried, no need to cut them, just let them dry between sheets of news paper.

Method:

Boil Rice and spread it out in a plate and leave it to cool

In a non- stick pan, dry roast the Urad Dhal, Channa Dhal, Red Chillies, Coriander seeds and Sesame seeds keeping the flame low,  roast them till slightly golden, don't burn them.

Keep them aside to cool.

After they have cooled grind them into a nice powder and  keep aside. Roast the peanuts keep them aside

Now in the same pan add some oil and fry the Gongura leaves, after some time they would become soft and start to form a big lump, add a little bit of salt, wait till everything combines a becomes like a ball. Take it out of the flame and let  it cool. Now after it has cooled grind it into a fine paste in the grinder. If you see a few red stems just remove them

 

Next heat some more oil in the same pan, and once it is hot, drop the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and let them crackle, now add some curry leaves  Asafoetida, the roasted spice powder,  turmeric powder and the roasted peanuts and keep stirring everything for a few seconds  in low heat. 

Add salt, but always remember to be careful and add only little, if needed we can add some more salt afterwards. Next add the chopped Onions and just lighty fry them, they should not be fried too much, they should retain the slightly raw kind of crunchiness.

Now add the Gongura ground  paste to it and keep mixing everything till well blended. Take it out of the flame.

Now add the cooked and cooled rice and mix everything evenly, till everything is nicely blended, taste it and if you feel you need to add a little more salt add at this stage and keep on mixing it very nicely.

Finally add the coconut gratings.

Fry some Rice or Dhal Papads (fritters)

Serve it with some Raita made out of curd, raw  onion, and tomatoes, salt and green chilliies.

It is always nice to cook out of the box with these lesser known or less tried recipes, to do away with the boredom of eating the same kind of food everyday.

Also it is a very healthy dish and is a kind of one pot meal.

Enjoy!

Baigan Bhartha : Smoked Brinjal/ Egg Plant

Cooking time: 15 mins
( including the cutting  of the vegetables and the smoking of the brinjal)

Ingredients:
1 medium size Brinjal ( Use only fresh)
3 medium size Tomatoes
1 big green chilly
1 big onion
10 cloves of Garlic peeled and slightly crushed
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, and 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
2 or 3 tsps of Garam masala, and 1 tsp of Aam Chur (dry mango powder, optional)
Salt to taste
3 tsps of any vegetable oil.
1 tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of coriander, and cumin powder( Dhanu jerra powder) optional
Fresh chopped coriander leaves

Directions:
Instead of chopping the onions just slice them length wise
Cut the tomatoes too in the same manner
peel the garlic and just crush them lightly
slit the green chilly or you can even chop them finely, depending on your taste
wash and dry the brinjal, and slit a little and keep a few cloves of garlic inside it.
Roast the brinjal directly on the gas stove.
Keep turning around till all sides are smoked and cooked properly and the skin is charred
 Keep  it aside to cool

Take a frying pan and heat the oil in it. Throw in the cumin and mustard seeds into the pan and let them splutter.
Now add the sliced onion  to it along with the garlic, keep the heat in low and let the  onions turn slightly  pink, do not brown it.
Next add the tomatoes
Just lightly toss them
after a few seconds add salt, red chilly powder, dry mango powder and the danu jerra powder. Mix everything and let the tomatoes become slightly soft, do not try to mash them.
Now peel the brinjal remove the garlic cloves, ( just add the garlic to the onion, tomato mixture) and just lightly cut the brinjal, at the same time pressing them slightly with the knife itself, do not mash the brinjal completely.
Add this to the onion and tomato mixture and mix everything together, if it looks too thick add a little bit of water to bring to the right consistency
 Next add the garam masala powder, and keep the dish covered for about 3 minutes on a low flame. This is done to retain the flavour of the garam masala.
Never add turmeric powder to this dish, for the red colour should come only through the tomatoes and the red chilly powder.
People add fresh cream, some even add milk, but then it would taste different, the mild flavour of brinjal will be lost, and it would not get that red colour.
Pour it into a serving dish and garnish it fresh chopped coriander.
It goes best with Paranthas and Phulkas (all Indian breads).
I am aware that there are many ways in which people make this dish, but after trying this method, I found it to be the best, for it brings out the real subtle flavour of brinjal.
I learnt this recipe from a Punjabi friend of mine, whose husband runs a very famous Punjabi Dhaba in Bangalore.

                                                      Sorry for the bad image

                 See the chunks of lightly mashed brinjal, tomatoes and the garlic are visible

The attractive red colour comes out, by not adding turmeric.(this tip was given by my punjabi friend)
Enjoy this super simple dish, and let me know how you found the taste of this Smoked Brinjal recipe made my way.