Panna Cotta

The first Italian dessert I ever made! First time, I had followed a recipe from Food Network's 'Everyday Italian' for an Espresso Panna Cotta. The easiest one to make, requires very little preparation and time! This time, I just used a store bought Panna Cotta mix that came with a Raspberry sauce mix too.

Requires : milk & cream, 1 cup each.

Followed directions on the box

Bring milk to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in the Panna Cotta mix. Add 1 cup whipping cream, whisk until well combined. Pour into small ramekins or desert dishes. Chill for 2 hours or more. Turn onto a serving plate, garnish with raspberry sauce.

Sorakaya-Tomato Pappu (Bottlegourd-Tomato Dal)

Requires:
toor dal - 1 cup (washed & soaked in warm water for 1/2 hr)
sorakaya - 3 cups, chopped 1" cubes (peel the skin & chop)
tomatoes - 2 medium, roughly chopped
onion - 1 medium, roughly chopped
green chillies - 4

Pressure cook all the above together with 1 cup water, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Cook for 4 whistles. Turn the heat off. Wait until the pressure is released and uncover the pressure cooker/pan.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil and do the popu/tadka : 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 3 garlic cloves, (minced/crushed), pieces of 1 dry red chillie and curry leaves.

Add this popu to the cooked dal, add 2 tsp amchur powder, mix well & adjust salt.

Stir in 2 tsp ghee for that perfect taste! Serve with warm rice!

Pudina Pulav

Requires:
Pudina (Mint) Leaves - 2 cups, packed : add little water and make a puree (makes 1 cup)
Rice - 2 1/2 cups, basmati rice (I use the 'cup' from the electric rice cooker)
Water - 4 cups & Mint puree - 1 cup : to cook rice

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
cloves-5 ; cardamom pods-3; cinnamon-1/2" piece - make a coarse powder
ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
curry leaves
onion - 1 medium, roughly chopped
french beans, chopped & green peas - 1 cup
green chillies - 4, slit lengthwise
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter

• Start the electric rice cooker on 'cooking' . When hot, add oil & butter and toss in cumin seeds. Once they fry up, add clove, cardamon & cinnamon powder, ginger & garlic paste
• Let the paste fry for a minute, toss in curry leaves & chopped onion. Saute onion until translucent
• Stir in beans, peas & green chillies. Cover & cook until vegetables soften
• Add washed rice, salt & turmeric, mix and let fry for a couple of minutes
• Add water & mint puree, cover & cook until done

Is perfect all by itself or can be served with any korma

Bendakaya-Soya Chunks Pulusu (Okra-Soya Chunks in Spicy Sauce)

I was wondering how soya chunks would taste in a tamarind sauce. After some thought, decided to combine okra & soya chunks. I was happy with the result! The soya chunks absorbed the spicy sauce - they were chewy & juicy! This sauce variety is good with rice.

Ingredients

Bhindi - 12 (wash, dry & cut into 1 1/2 " pieces)

Soya chunks - 12 (soak in warm salted water for 10 mins. wash & squeeze water)

1 big onion, thinly sliced and halved

1 big tomato, roughly chopped

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

turmeric & salt, to taste

1 tsp red chillie powder (optional)

1 tsp sambar powder (optional)

4 green chillies, slit lengthwise

chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil

water

for seasoning:

1/2 tsp each, mustard & cumin seeds; 1 dried red chillie-pieces; 3 garlic cloves-minced; 4 cloves (lavang)-crushed; curry leaves

• Heat oil in a saucepan, do the seasoning - starting with mustard seeds. When they crackle, toss in cloves, cumin seeds, red chillie pieces, garlic & curry leaves
• Immediately add onion, saute just until tender
• Add in tomato pieces, salt & turmeric. Mix, cover & cook until tomatoes soften
• Add 3 cups water, tamarind pulp, green chillies. Toss in cut bhindi & soya chunks
• Let boil until bhindi softens, stir in red chillie powder & sambar powder
• Boil for 10 miutes, turn the heat off & sprinkle chopped coriander leaves

Dondakaya (Tindora)

This recipe involves deep frying, you wouldn't want to make it too often. Well, you just might, after you try it out once!!

Wash & thinly slice tindora, lengthwise. (You can also slice them into thin rounds) Deep fry them in oil until they shrivel, remove onto a paper towel. In a saute pan, heat a tsp oil and do the seasoning of 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, chopped garlic, curry leaves. Stir in thinly sliced, 1 medium onion (or finely chopped) Saute until translucent. Toss in a palmful of toasted peanuts, and the fried tindora pieces. Add salt, turmeric, red chillie powder. Mix well. Stir in 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut. Turn the heat off.

Serves as an excellent side dish with Rasam or Sambar.

Stuffed Brinjal/Eggplant (Gutthi Vankaya )

Requires:
14 small eggplants (you can use white or purple variety)
3 tbsp oil
turmeric, salt & red chillie powder - to taste
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp each tamarind pulp & sugar
1/2 cup water
chopped coriander leaves

make a fine paste:
1 medium & 1 small onion
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 " ginger piece
3 garlic cloves
4 green chillies
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

• Make slits to the eggplants, leaving the stem side intact
• Add salt, turmeric & red chillie powder to the ground paste. Stuff the eggplants with the ground paste
• Heat oil in a wide skillet. Add stuffed eggplants and the leftover ground paste, fry until eggplants become soft on the outside, and the paste loses its raw smell
• Add water, tamarind pulp, sugar & tomato paste. Mix, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes
• Adjust salt, if required
• Turn the heat off, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves
• Serve with rice

Red Chard/Swiss Chard - Toor Dal

There is nothing 'Swiss' about this Chard, though the name suggests so! I guess most of the leafy vegetables make a nice pairing with dals and the bonus is, our family loves dal! so, it is Chard with Toor Dal.

A very simple method, this is how I make :

wash and soak 1 cup toor dal in warm water for 30 minutes.
roughly chop 1 bunch of chard leaves (there are 5 or 6 big leaves in a bunch)
roughly chop 1 big tomato and 1 big onion

Pressure cook toor dal and chard with 1 cup water, tomato, onion, 4 green chillies, a pinch of turmeric & 1 tsp salt. Cook until soft or until 4 whistles

Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and turn the heat on. Add 2 or 3 tsp tamarind pulp. Let any excess water evaporate, turn the heat off

In a small saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil to do the seasoning/popu: 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 dried red chillie, 3 garlic cloves (chopped/minced), curry leaves
Add this popu to the cooked dal, adjust salt. Add 2 tbsp ghee, serve with warm rice!