February, 2021 - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Orange peel Gojju/ dip

Posted on February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

A lovely tangy Gojju aka Dip to enjoy either with your meals, on bread or even with Chapati. This recipe by my friend Aruna Panangapalli uses the peel of oranges to make this tangy , sweet and spicy Gojju.

Ingredients:

1 cup orange peel from about two oranges

5 tbsps jaggery syrup

2 tbsps Tamarind paste

1 tbsp dry roasted sesame seeds

Salt

1 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder

For the tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

A large pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

1 sprig of curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Method:

Powder the roasted sesame seeds coarsely. Keep aside. Scrape the insides of the peel ( the white portion) as it may make the Gojju slightly bitter. Cut the peel into tiny bits. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and after they splutter add the Hing and curry leaves. Toss and immediately add the orange peel, salt and turmeric powder. Saute for a minute and pour in one glass of water. Bring to a boil and simmer till the peels are cooked. Add the tamarind paste, jaggery syrup and roasted sesame seed powder. Keep boiling till the Gojju thickens to dropping consistency. Switch off, cool and bottle.

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Aloo Vurtha/ mashed spicy potatoes

Posted on February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Every region in India has their own version of mashed potatoes. Here is the recipe to a Bengali version called Aloo vurtha which my friend Savitha Umesh shared with me. As usual I love recipes that are simple, easy to make but at the same time delicious. This one if leftover can be used as a filling for Parathas or bread.

Ingredients:

3 potatoes pressure cooked ,peeled and mashed

1 large onion

15 cloves of garlic

5 Byadgi chillies

1 tsp oil to roast the garlic and chillies

Salt

A large pinch of turmeric

2 tsps oil to roast the onions

2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the garlic and roast to a nice golden brown. Remove and roast the Byadgi chillies in the remaining oil. Grind them to a coarse powder. Heat two tsps oil in a pan and drop in the onions and turmeric powder. Roast till translucent. Allow to cool. Add the powdered garlic and chilly powder, mashed potato and salt to it. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: I added a tsp of lemon juice for added flavour.

Serves three.

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Okra Curd Pacchadi

Posted on February 9, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

One needs no accompaniment to rice other than maybe a Papad or pickle when you serve it with this Okra Curd Pacchadi. I simply love this recipe shared by my friend Geetha Navaneeth as it can not only be prepared quickly, but is a quick fix solution when having guests.

Ingredients:

15 Okra/ Lady’s finger chopped into half inch bits

1 cup / 200 ml curds/ yoghurt

A pinch of turmeric

Salt

A quarter of a coconut grated

2 green chillies

1tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp oil to saute the Okra

For the tempering:

1 tsp coconut oil or oil of choice

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal/ split black gram

A large pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

1 dry red chilly broken into two

1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a pan . Tip in the chopped okra, turmeric and salt and roast on a gentle flame till it turns crisp. Keep aside. Grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Add it to the okra along with the curds. Mix well. Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard and after it splutters add the Urad dal. After the urad dal turns a golden brown add the red chilly bits, asafoetida and curry leaves. Toss. Drop the seasoning to the okra Curd Pacchadi. Mix and check for salt. Do be careful as salt has been added while roasting the okra.

Serves two.

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Rava Bhakri with onions.

Posted on February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This is the third variety of Rava Bhakri being posted in this website. It is as easy to make as the other two and is ready in no time. This recipe was shared by my dear friend Jyothi Chikramane. Fragrant with chopped onions and coriander leaves, it can be served with fresh home made butter or with a Chutney. The family prefers it with butter so I hardly ever make a chutney.

Ingredients:

1 cup / 200 gms Rava/ semolina

1/4 of a coconut grated

7 green chillies

1 inch piece of ginger

1 large onion chopped fine

4 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt

1/2 cup curds

Oil to roast the Bhakri

Method:

Tip the green chillies, coconut and ginger into the mixer. Grind to a coarse paste adding a little water. Pour it into a bowl. Add the curds, finely chopped onions and coriander leaves, salt and rava. Mix well . Now, adding a little water at a time make a batter which can be patted on to the tava/ skillet. Keep aside for about ten minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding a little water if you find the mixture too dry. Heat a tava. Take a little batter and pat it onto the hot tava. Drizzle with oil. Roast to a golden brown. Flip and roast on the other side too. Serve hot with either butter or chutney.

This proportion makes 10 Bhakris.

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Rava Bhakri with Banana

Posted on February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Rava Bhakri is made in a variety of ways. Posting the preparation that I learnt from my dear friend Shirley Bharath where she added a mashed banana and curds . This is one preparation that is filling and is ready in no time.

Ingredients:

1 cup / 200 gms Rava/ semolina

1 elaichi banana sliced fine

1/4 of a coconut grated

5 green chillies

1 inch piece of ginger

A chickpea sized piece of Hing/ asafoetida

2 sprigs curry leaves finely chopped

1/2 cup curd

Salt

4 tsps sugar

Ghee to roast the Bhakri

Method:

Grind the ginger, green chillies, hing, salt and sugar coarsely. Add the grated coconut and grind it with a little water till the coconut turns into a coarse paste. Drop in the banana and pulse it. Tip the mixture into a bowl. Add the finely chopped curry leaves, curds and Rava. Mix. Add enough water to make a batter which you can pat with your hand on the tava/ skillet. Keep it aside for ten minutes. If you find the mixture a little dry, add some water and adjust the consistency. Heat a tava. Take some batter and pat it onto the tava either thick or thin as required. I prefer patting it to medium thickness- neither too thick nor too thin. Drizzle with ghee or oil. Roast to a rich golden brown. Flip and roast the other side too. Serve hot with fresh home made butter.

This proportion makes 8 Bhakris.

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Sweet corn tikkies

Posted on February 8, 2021February 9, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

These sweet corn tikkies will certainly be a hit with young and old alike. My heartfelt thanks to my friend Jayanti Mohan who shared this recipe with me. These double up as a snack or as an accompaniment to a meal. Serve them hot with either mint chutney or Tomato ketchup.

Ingredients:

1 cup sweet corn kernels

1/2 of a capsicum chopped fine

2 green chillies

1 inch piece of ginger

5 cloves of garlic

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt

2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

Rice flour to bind the dough

Oil to fry the tikkies.

Method:

Tip the cumin seeds, green chillies, ginger and garlic into the mixer jar. Grind it to a coarse paste. Add the corn kernels and run the mixer in pulse mode, taking care to see that the kernels are roughly crushed. Be careful not to run the mixer continuously as the corn kernels easily turn into a paste. Drop the coarsely ground mixture into a bowl. Add finely chopped capsicum, coriander leaves, salt and enough rice flour to bind it into a dough to make tikkies. Pinch a little of the dough and flatten into tikkies or any desired shape. Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the tikkies three at a time and fry on a medium flame till they turn golden brown and crisp. Serve hot with mint chutney or Tomato ketchup. I always serve such hors d’oeuvres with my All purpose chutney. Recipe link to it is given below.

This proportion makes around ten tikkies.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/all-purpose-chutney-recipe/

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Thali Meal – 130

Posted on February 7, 2021February 7, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Sharing a Thali today of Rice, Cumin Rasam, Cabbage vadas, Carrot stir-fry, Karmani, roasted Besan chillies and an orange. Recipe links to all the items are given below.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/recipe-to-make-the-perfect-rice/

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/carrot-poriyal-stir-fry/

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/jeera-cumin-rasam/

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/cabbage-vadas-fritters/

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/karmani/

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/roasted-besan-chillies/

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Carrot Poriyal/ stir-fry

Posted on February 7, 2021February 7, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Stir fries are known by different names in India. Upkari, Poriyal, Uperi , Sambharo are the various names depending on the regions from where they come. These are extremely healthy as minimum oil is used and they are not overcooked. Sharing the recipe of a carrot Poriyal today which my friend Vijaya Lakshmi shared with me.

Ingredients:

1/4 kg Carrot grated

1 large onion chopped fine

1 tomato chopped fine

2 tbsps grated coconut

Salt

2 tbsps coriander leaves finely chopped

For the tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

5 pepper corns crushed coarsely

2 green chillies slit

5 flakes of garlic crushed

1 sprig of curry leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard and after it splutters add the cumin seeds. Once they crackle add the crushed pepper corns, toss and add the curry leaves, slit green chillies and garlic. Toss till the garlic changes colour slightly. Add the onions and salt. Roast till translucent. Drop in the chopped tomatoes and give a quick stir. Add the coconut and saute for a minute. Drop in the grated carrot and saute gently for just a minute. Switch off and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Serves four.

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Jeera/ Cumin Rasam

Posted on February 7, 2021February 7, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

A hot fragrant Rasam to sip on those cold wintery days or as a mixer over hot rice followed by a dollop of Ghee. Sheer bliss! I have shared a couple of other varieties of Rasam in this website. The recipe of this Jeera rasam was shared by my friend Usha Shivashankaran and it’s amazing! Link to the Sambhar powder recipe is given below.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/sambhar-powder/

Ingredients:

3 tbsps Tamarind paste or a lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked and juice extracted.

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Sambhar powder

A tbsp of jaggery syrup or a small piece of it.

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Salt

1 tsp Ghee/ clarified butter

The following ingredients to be ground to a paste after being soaked in a little water for an hour.

1 tbsp Toovar dal/ Split pigeon peas

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 heaped tsp Cumin seeds

15 pepper corns

1 dry red chilly.

For the tempering:

1 tsp Ghee

1 tsp Cumin seeds

3 pepper corns crushed

1 sprig curry leaves.

Method:

Tip the tamarind paste, Sambhar powder, Turmeric, Ghee, jaggery and salt in a litre of water and bring to a boil. Allow it to simmer gently for about twenty minutes. Drop in the ground paste mentioned above and bring to a boil. Adjust salt. Once the Rasam froths up switch off. Heat Ghee in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and crushed pepper corns. After they splutter drop in the curry leaves. Toss and pour the tempering into the Rasam . Cover and keep aside for the flavours to infuse for ten minutes. Serve hot.

This proportion serves four.

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Cabbage vadas/ fritters

Posted on February 7, 2021February 7, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

I have shared a recipe of the instant cabbage vada that my mother always made. This recipe requires soaking of Toovar/ Arhar Dal/ split pigeon peas and rice. No onions are added, so either Asafoetida or grated ginger is added to enhance the taste. This recipe shared by my friend Usha Tukaram comes in handy on days when one avoids onion and garlic.

Ingredients:

1/3 rd cup split pigeon peas

2/3 cup raw rice

1/4 th of a coconut grated

2 tbsps chilly powder or 8 dry red chillies

1/2 tsp tamarind paste

2 Inch piece of ginger grated

3 large fistfuls of chopped cabbage

Salt

Oil for frying the vadas

Method:

Soak the rice and Toovar dal for three hours. Drain and keep aside. Grind the coconut, chilly powder, and tamarind to a smooth paste. Tip in the rice and dal mixture and grind to a semolina like consistency adding little or no water. Remove and tip it into a bowl. In the meantime heat oil in a pan . Now add the grated ginger, salt and finely chopped curry leaves to the ground batter. Mix thoroughly and start frying immediately as it oozes water if it’s allowed to rest. Fry to a golden brown on a medium flame. Drain and serve either as a snack or with a meal.

This proportion makes 25 vadas.

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