DOUBLE BEANS POTATO HUMMAN

 DOUBLE BEANS POTATO HUMMAN

In India, Lima Beans or Broad Field Beans are popularly called "Double Beans". Fresh Double Beans are  more commonly available during the winter months but at other times of the year are available in dry form. When using the dry Double Beans, you will have to soak them in adequate water overnight. They would have increased in size next morning.  

It might interest you to know that they have numerous health benefits apart from being so tasty when used in dishes. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes made with Double Beans such as:-

• Double Beans Gravy Karwar Style
• Double Beans Saung
• Double Beans Kurma
• Double Beans Ambat

Today's recipe is again from our Konkani GSB cooking. It is for a "Humman" made with Double Beans and Potatoes. "Humman" is a spicy, thick coconut based curry with the distinctive flavour of asafoetida and coconut oil. It is a saatvik dish as we don't use garlic or onion. Consequently, this is often made when one wishes to avoid these ingredients.  Hummans are usually made with potatoes in combination with hyacinth beans or double beans. It is served a side dish to the main meal.

Ingredients:

• Double Beans, 1 cup
• Potatoes, medium-sized, 2
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 7
• Tamarind, a small marble sized piece
• Raw Rice, 1 tsp
• Asafoetida Powder, (Hing), 1/4 tsp
• Coconut Oil, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Soak the Double Beans overnight. Next morning, discard the water.

Wash, peel and cube the potatoes

Place the soaked double beans and cubed potatoes in a vessel with adeqaute water and a little salt. Pressure cook  for 2-3 whistles or till they are done. The double beans should be cooked yet remain firm. 

Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked double beans and potatoes. Keep aside.

To prepare the masala: In a mixer jar, grind together fresh coconut gratings, along with roasted Byadgi red chillies, tamarind and 1 tsp of raw rice, adding water as required to get a smooth paste (masala) 

Add this masala to the cooked double beans and potatoes. Mix well. 
Add water to get a curry-like consistency. Add salt to taste. 

Bring this to a boil then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 3- 5 minutes 
Now add the asafoetida powder and mix well. 

Switch off the gas 

Finally, drizzle coconut oil and mix well. Let it rest for a couple of minutes so that flavours of the asafoetida and coconut oil get well infused. 

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Double Beans Potato Humman as a side dish. 

Tip: Adding raw rice while grinding the masala helps improve the texture of the ground masala. 

SEER FISH TAWA FRY

 SEER FISH TAWA FRY

India is a vast and diverse country so our people are used to eating so many different types of fish- be they saltwater fish or freshwater fish! In the coastal belt of Karnataka, a very popular fish- despite it being more expensive than most others- is the Seer Fish.  Also called King Fish, it is known as Surmai in Hindi and Marathi, Anjal in Kannada, Vanjaram in Tamil and Visonu, in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Seer Fish are strong in Omega 3 fatty acids and are considered very good for overall health. This article in InvestoHealth speaks of the 10 Astonishing Benefits Of Consuming Seer Fish. 

We like seer fish because it is fleshy and flavourful . Besides, it is easy to handle as it has one single central bone.  

Being fond of seafood, from time to time I use fish to make some yummy dishes. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for dishes such as:-

• Mangalorean Fish Curry 
• Goan Fish Curry 
• Maanji Pulimunchi

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet delicious shallow fried fish done in the Mangalorean style. I prefer to shallow fry rather than deep fry. The Byadgi Red Chillies which are soaked and ground add to the colour and visual appeal. I have adapted this recipe from the YouTube video for Surmai Fish Fry by Spice Dhamal.

We tried this out for lunch yesterday. It tasted so yummy with fried rice.

Ingredients:-

• Seer Fish Fillets, 250 gms
• Garlic Cloves, 8
• Ginger, chopped, 1/2 " piece
• Curry Leaves, 8
• Turmeric  Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp
• Black Peppercorn, 8 
• Cloves, 4
• Cinnamon, small stick
• Lemon Juice, 2 tbsp 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required for shallow frying 

Method:-

Wash the Seer Fish fillets and pat them dry

Soak the Byadgi Red Chillies in hot water for about 25 minutes. Discard the water and keep the soaked chillies aside.

In a mixer jar, grind together the soaked Byadgi Red Chillies, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt to taste 

Grind this to form a thick smooth paste, without adding any water

Remove the ground paste from mixer to a bowl. This forms the marinade for the seer fish. 

Apply the marinade generously and evenly on both sides of the fish fillets

Marinate for about 20 minutes

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Allow it to become very hot, then reduce the heat and pan fry the marinated fish fillets for about 3 minutes on medium heat

Once one side is done, carefully flip the fillet ( so that it does not break) and fry the other side

Transfer the seer fish tawa fry to a serving plate

Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings

GREETINGS FOR MAKAR SANKRANTI

GREETINGS FOR MAKAR SANKRANTI 

Tomorrow, January 14 we celebrate the festival of Makar Sankranti. This article in The Art Of Living describes in great detail the significance of the Makar Sankranti festival.

Traditionally, in this festival we enjoy sweets made with sesame seeds, called "Til" in Hindi,  Every year, I make some of these sweets for family and friends.

I thought I would share these recipes with you in case you wish to make them in your homes.

As they say in Maharashtra, on the festive occasion of Makar Sankranti, " Til Gud Ghya, God God Bhola" which means " Have Til and Gud (Jaggery) and say Sweet Words". The essence of this phrase is for one to enjoy the sweets made with sesame seeds and jaggery and speak sweet words to others." 

We wish you and your families a Happy Makar Sankranti! 

TIL GUD KI CHIKKI

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2021/01/til-gur-ki-chikki.html

This one is special even though we love chikkis of all types. 

TIL KE LADOO

In this delectable guest post, my friend Mallika Nanda shared how she makes a sweet we used to crave for so much- Ladoos made with Til (Sesame seeds).

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2014/01/til-ke-ladoo-guest-post-by-mallika-nanda.html

PEANUT SESAME LADOO 

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2021/04/peanut-sesame-ladoo.html

This ladoo has the taste of both peanuts and sesame seeds making it a delicious addition to the Makar Sankranti platter! 

SPICY SWEET POTATO FRY

 SPICY SWEET POTATO FRY

Sweet Potatoes are known as Shakarkhand in Hindi, Sihi Genasu in Kannada and Kannang in my mother tongue, Konkani. It is well-known that sweet potato has several health benefits. It is an excellent source for Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fibre, potassium and antioxidants. 

As a result, in my house, I make dishes with sweet potatoes from time to time. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with sweet potato, such as;-

• Sweet Potato Masala Fry 
• Sweet Potato Podimas
• Sweet Potato Roast
• Sweet Potato Tikkis

Today's recipe is for a spicy side dish made with sweet potatoes. I have adapted this from Sweet Potato Spicy Curry in Subbu's Kitchen. The addition of the spice powder to the inherent sweetness of the Sweet Potato gives it a great taste. 

We tried this out a few days ago. It tasted great as a side dish with hot steamed rice and rasam. 

Ingredients:-

• Sweet Potato, 500 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste

For the Spice Powder:-

• Bengal Gram (Chana Dal), 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, (Dhania) ,2 tbsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 3
• Cumin Seeds, (Jeera), 1 tsp

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Black Gram Dal (Urad Dal), 1 tbsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly

Cook it in a pressure cooker with adequate water for 1 or 2 whistles taking care to see it does not get overcooked

Once the cooker cools, remove the sweet potatoes and once they are cool enough to handle, peel and cube them. Keep aside

In a kadhai, dry roast the chana dal, coriander seeds, Byadgi red chillies and cumin seeds on medium heat till the dal changes colour. Allow them to cool then transfer them to a small mixer jar

Grind to a smooth powder. Keep aside

In the same kadhai add 1 tbsp of oil and once it gets heated, on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the urad dal and saute till the dal changes colour. Add a few curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.

To this add the cooked sweet potato cubes, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well.

Next add the freshly ground spice powder and mix well 

Cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes 

Ensure that the sweet potatoes are well blended with the spice powder

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Spicy Sweet Potato Fry as a side dish with hot steamed rice, rasam or sambar

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE : KARIGARI BY CHEF HARPAL SINGH SOKHI

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE' KARIGARI BY CHEF HARPAL SINGH SOKHI

As a foodie first and a food blogger next, I have followed with great interest some of the best known Celebrity Chefs in India. One of them who catches the eye and grabs your attention in his videos and television shows is Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. Long after you have seen the video or program you  remember his infectious enthusiasm and high energy. His catch phrase of "Namak Shamak" made him a household name! 

Naturally, I was excited to visit his restaurant in Bengaluru for the first time. The restaurant is called "Karigari". This is located in Yelahanka in the famous Phoenix Mall of Asia on the highway to the International Airport.

I went with my family to lunch there some days ago. Naturally, you need to make a reservation as it can get crowded especially over the weekend. The decor was quite nice and at the entrance is a large size portrait of the Namak Shamak Chef! 

Once we were seated at out table, we spent some time choosing what looked interesting from the well-presented menu.  The pictures of some of the popular dishes made them that much more tempting 

To begin with we looked out for the drinks. Some of us chose Aaam Panna. The mango-based drink here was a blend of sweet and tangy. Cool and enjoyable. 

Some others - like my husband, Prem opted for his favourite: Kokam! He joked that it matched the colour of his shirt, but I knew he took it as it is both an appetiser and a digestive apart from being delicious to taste. 

For starters, we had the Pav Bhaji Fondue: an interesting take of Mumbai's famous Pav Bhaji eaten in a fondue style with a rich, spicy and totally yummy gravy.  

The other dishes we had were Dal Palak Methi Tadka, Butter Chicken and Chicken Ghee Roast. 

The Dal Palak Methi Tadka (black dal tempered with spinach and fresh fenugreek) was very flavourful apart from being nutritious. The Butter Chicken was the usual Punjabi style tomato- based, creamy gravy with succulent and boneless chicken.  The Chicken Ghee Roast- a famous dish from our Home State of Karnataka- was awesome. 

Adding to the taste of the dishes were three accompaniments. I especially liked the pickle made with raw papaya. 

There were many varieties of Indian breads to go with these dishes. We decided to enjoy these dishes with Charcoal Cheese House Special Naan. 

For dessert, again we chose different treats. Some chose the traditional Hyderabadi favourite: Shahi Tukda known here as "Tukda-e-Jam" 

Others - including me- chose to have the much recommended Mirchaan Wala Halwa. I was delighted to see the innovative plating for this dessert. As the name suggests, the dessert had a spicy sweet taste which made it one of the hits of the lunch! 

Overall, we had a good time at Karigari. The staff were efficient and courteous. They did not hassle us as we had a leisurely meal. 

I would recommend this restaurant for the quality of their food. The fact that it has the touch of Celebrity Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi makes it that much more special !!  

CHRISTMAS PUDDING: GUEST POST BY BRIDGET WHITE- KUMAR

 

CHRISTMAS PUDDING: GUEST POST BY BRIDGET WHITE- KUMAR 

We are in the festive season with Christmas being around the corner! ! I was delighted when my friend, Bridget, the famous Cookery Book Author and Food Consultant kindly accepted my invitation to contribute a Guest Post for my blog. She is no stranger to this blog having contributed a Guest Post for Chocolate Yule Log Cake some years ago. 

Please do check out her blog Anglo-Indian Recipes and Anglo-Indian Food. She also has an active and popular Facebook Page. 

She has graciously shared her recipe for Christmas Pudding which I present below. 

You can check out her YouTube too.  

Christmas is a mixture of both religious and secular traditions in India and more especially in my hometown Kolar Gold Fields or KGF in the olden days.  It’s a time of celebration, of family and friends, of feasting and socializing. Christmas is a fascinating mix of traditions that combines pre-Christian rituals with modern traditions. Every family has its own customs and traditions while celebrating Christmas. Some of these customs and traditions are universal in nature while others may be a result of inculcating local practices and customs. Christmas is therefore the season for traditions, preserving old ones and creating new ones. One such tradition was making the steamed Christmas Pudding or Plum Pudding every year. 

Each family had their own traditional recipe for making the Christmas Pudding, which was sometimes handed down from generation to generation. The dry fruits and nuts that went into it were chopped finely well in advance and soaked in Rum and were normally made 3 or 4 weeks earlier before Christmas.

For me, Christmas is always associated with the smells, sounds and sights of the season. All of them awaken nostalgia in me for my home town Kolar Gold Fields and I relive the magical memories of Christmas of my childhood -- The smell of the decorated Pine Christmas tree in the sitting room, the enticing aroma of Christmas Cakes and puddings being baked, the Kal Kals and Rose Cookies being fried, the sight of all the Christmas decorations and Buntings everywhere and the soothing sound of Christmas Carols being played and sung in every home are my favourite childhood memories and are all part of the wonder of Christmas.

The Christmas Pudding is invariably made on Stir-up Sunday i.e. the last Sunday before the start of Advent or 4 weeks before Christmas, to give it time to mature. The Pudding is served after dinner on Christmas Day. In the olden days making the Christmas Pudding was a family event where every member of the family would give the Christmas Pudding a stir and make a wish. A coin, a ring or a thimble were sometimes added to the pudding mixture and the person who got it in his/her piece of the pudding on Christmas day was supposed to be lucky. The finger ring would foretell a wedding to the person who got it.

I’m sharing a simple and easy family recipe for a steamed Christmas Pudding that anyone could easily make in a very little while.

Ingredients 

50 grams breadcrumbs (do not use panko crumbs)

50 grams flour

100 grams butter melted 

50 grams sugar (powdered in the mixie)

2 teaspoons Nescafe powder

2 tablespoons of either treacle syrup or caramel syrup or date syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg beaten well

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

100 grams chopped black raisins, black currants, cherries etc.

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 or 3 tablespoons milk as required 

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together then add all the other ingredients and mix well

Grease a suitable bowl, that would fit in your steamer, with butter or oil then transfer the pudding mixture to it. Cover with foil.

Now place a perforated steamer plate or stand in a steamer or suitable pot.

Add one cup of water

Place the bowl with the pudding batter on the stand 

Cook on medium to Low heat for 45 minutes to one hour. 

Open and check if the pudding is cooked by inserting a toothpick. 

Remove the bowl from the Steamer and let it cool. 

Once cool, run a knife around the edge and turn over on a plate. 

Your steamed Christmas Pudding is ready. 

If desired, make a few small holes and pour a few tablespoons of rum over it

You could make the pudding in advance and leave it in the fridge. Just before serving microwave for a minute or two and serve warm

MALAIKA ARORA'S VIRAL PANEER THECHA

 MALAIKA ARORA'S VIRAL PANEER THECHA 

 Being so fond of paneer ( Indian cottage cheese) in my home, I frequently make dishes using this ingredient.  Not surprisingly, you will find in my blog,  many (46 actually) recipes for dishes made with paneer such as:-

• Shahi Paneer
• Paneer Khurchan
• Paneer Paratha
• Paneer Korma

Recently I happened to see an episode of Curly Tales featuring Malaika Arora, the celebrity actress, model, and former VJ. Here she talks about her Paneer Thecha with Kamiya Jani. As you may know, this recipe took the internet by storm. In his Celebrity Recipe Edition YouTube video  Chef Nehal Karkera shows us how to make this dish. I have adapted today's recipe from this, changing some of the measurements to suit our taste. 

I must say it was delicious. No wonder her original recipe became viral! 

Confession: Although Malaika says the thecha should be made using the traditional mortar and pestle for pounding the ingredients, I have used my faithful Panasonic mixer- grinder. I find using this on PULSE MODE gives you a coarse paste which still retains its chunky texture. 

To add more excitement to our meal, I paired the Paneer Thecha - which is usually served as a starter- with Fiery Jalapeno and Sichuan Peppercorn, distinct signature sauces from the famous restaurant chain: Foo Asian Tapas.

The combination was truly awesome! 

Ingredients: -

• Paneer, (Indian Cottage Cheese) , 200 gms
• Green Chillies, 5
• Garlic Cloves, 10
• Peanuts, (deskinned), 1/4 cup
• Juice, from 1/2 a lemon
• Fresh Coriander, Leaves, a bunch with stems 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2-3 tsp for pan frying 

Method:-

Cut the paneer into even sized cubes and keep aside

In a pan, dry roast the green chillies, garlic cloves, and peanuts on medium heat for a few minutes till they become aromatic

Transfer to a mixer jar

Add coriander leaves with their stems, salt to taste and lime juice

Grind on PULSE mode 

Add very little water

Grind till you get a coarse paste with a chunky texture - this is your thecha.

Coat each of the paneer cubes with the thecha. Coat them as evenly as you can. Allow them to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Heat 2 to 3 tsp of oil in a pan, spread the oil evenly

Add the coated paneer cubes and pan fry on medium heat till they become golden on the outside

Flip and pan fry the other side. Remove to a serving plate.

Serve this with a dip or chutney of your choice. 

To add more excitement to our meal, I paired the Paneer Thecha - which is usually served as a starter- with Fiery Jalapeno and Sichuan Peppercorn, distinct signature sauces from the famous restaurant chain: Foo Asian Tapas.