Karela Fry/Bitter Gourd Fry

I've started enjoying bitter gourd both for it's health benefits and taste. It tastes really good with simple dal-chawal (lentil and rice).

Here are some tips on how to select the right bitter gourd:

• Choose unripe ones,that are firm like a cucumber
• Avoid those that have turned yellow/orange or  have soft spots
• Riped ones can be excessively bitter
• The smaller variety is more bitter than the bigger one
• You can refrigerate them for 3-4 days
• Keeping bitter gourds at room temperature or with other fruits and vegetables will hasten them to ripen and become more bitter

Karela Fry is inspired by an aunt of mine and I've tried to blend in more flavours to make it more interesting.
This is my first attempt to showcase step by step clicks :)

250gms bitter gourd nicely washed and dried
4tbs oil for frying
1tsp jeera
1tsp mustard seeds
2cups of finely chopped onions
1tsp of coriander powder
1tsp of chilli powder
1/4tsp garam massala
1/2tsp amchur powder (dried mango powder)
2tsp jaggery powder
2tsp coarsely grounded peanut
salt to taste
2tsp roasted sesame seeds for garnish
cilantro and grated coconut for garnish

Grate the outer skin of karela.De seed and cut them into pieces.Keep them aside.

Deep fry the cut pieces till golden brown.

Heat oil 1tbs of oil in a pan and add jeera and mustard seed. After the seeds pop, add onions. Let the onions turn golden brown and add the grated karela, coriander powder,chilli powder and salt. Cook the massala on low flame for 20 minutes. Take care not to burn the massala. If sticking to the pan, add 1-2tsp of oil and keep stirring. Don't add water at any given point.The massala will be ready ones it's turned blackish-brown in colour.
Add the fried karela,jaggery,peanuts and amchur.Allow it to cook for 10 minutes on low flame.You can also add some lime after you have turned off the stove.
Garnish it with cilantro,sesame and grated coconut.

This is my submission to this month's Vegetable Marathon - Bitter Gourd, hosted by Nithu from Nithu's Kitchen and Shilpa from Anita's Kitchen and to SOS Challenge - Sesame, hosted by Ricki from Diet,Dessert and Dogs and Kim from Affairs of Living.

Punjabi Chole

An authentic dish from Punjab -  pungent and a blend of different flavours,  makes it a very interesting dish.The rare combination of tea and dried pomegranate seeds; makes it a rather rare combination. A must try, for those who love Indian spices.

Before I share the recipe; here are some tips on how to cook chickpeas:
To shorten their cooking time and make them easier to digest, chickpeas should be presoaked. There are two basic methods for presoaking. For each you should start by placing the beans in a saucepan and adding two to three cups of water per cup of beans.
The first method is to boil the beans for two minutes, take pan off the heat, cover and allow to stand for two hours. The alternative method is to simply soak the beans in water for eight hours or overnight. Before cooking them, regardless of method, skim off the any skins that floated to the surface, drain the soaking liquid, and then rinse them with clean water.

To cook chickpeas, you can either cook them on the stove top or use a pressure cooker. I prefer to pressure cook as it takes lesser time. Punjabi chole is cooked in a slightly different manner...

for cooking chickpeas
200gms of channa/chickpeas/garbanzo bean
4-5cups of black tea/tea bag (1no.)

for wet massala
2 cups of finely chopped onions
1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes
2 green chillies, diced
2 tsp of ginger, diced
2nos bay leaf
1tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)
2tsp dry coriander powder
1tbs oil/ghee (I used ghee)
cilantro for garnish
salt to taste

for dry spice ( to be powdered in the grinder)
1/2tsp garam massala
2tsp roasted jeera
6 roasted cloves
1tsp roasted black pepper corns
1 roasted cinnamon stick
4tsp dried anardana seeds (dry pomegranate seed)

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Boil/pressure cook the chickpeas with black tea/tea bag and some salt. Tea is used for colouring purpose. Take care not to overcook them. Once cooked, keep it aside.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan and bay leaf and fry onions till brown.Add tomatoes and some water and cook till the tomatoes are soft. Add chickpeas, powdered dry massala and salt if required. Add ginger, amchur and dry Coriander Powder.If the curry looks too thick then add some water.Allow it to cook for 15 minutes.Mash some of the chole by pressing it with a spatula to give it a thick consistency like thick cream.

Garnish with cilantro and green chillies and serve hot with puri or tortilla.

This is my submission to this month's Flavours of Punjab, hosted by Pari from Foodelicious and Nayan from simply.food and to My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Divya from Dile Se.. and Susan from The Well Seasoned Cook.

Blog Bites 8 : Pasta for me tonite!

Dinner time and I have to cook  specifically something for myself as hubby is out of town. What better way to indulge in some blog surfing and dishing out some good recipes to try.
I came across the event Blog Bites 8 hosted by One Hot Stove. The whole purpose of the event is to try out new recipes from your fellow blogger and criticise, praise or out-pour your emotions in words.....
This month's theme was to try a single dish for dinner that contains all the major food groups, that is filling and satisfying and tasty.The challenge was also  to make one dish meals beyond rice-based ones, like casseroles, over-stuffed wraps, stews and pasta dishes.

But I want to have pasta for dinner!!!

I went ahead with pasta and challenged myself that I would use something different in terms of sauce.I found the right recipe for my kind of liking and it is......

Summer Vegetable Pasta with Lemon Basil Almond Pesto by taste space - steam,bake,boil,shake!
Saveur also shares the recipe for the Lemon Basil Almond Pesto, which is simple, easy and the the best part is you can store it for two weeks .I can make this pasta again for my hubby once he's back next week :)

I cut down on the quantity to serves two. I used carrots, mushrooms and green pepper. A well deserved salad after a long day's work and very refreshing for a humid place like Mumbai.I loved the tangy lemon taste and almonds added richness to the sauce.Overall a filling dish and made my night!!!

Tahini Toast

I kick start my morning with a glass of water. Recently, I purchased  India's first natural spring water called Mulshi Springs and I really like the glass bottle...so much better than the packed plastics ones...
Morning tea is also important to me and my hubby. We can keep pouring ourselves pots and pots of tea all day long :)
It is always good to start your day with a well balanced healthy diet by supplementing your breakfast with some fruits and nuts; even if you are in a morning rush. Statics show that people who skip their breakfast are grumpy and irritable. So what are you waiting for...start your day with an easy to prepare Tahini Toast :)

for tahini
3 cups sesame
1 cup olive oil

Roast the sesame seeds until light brown. Allow it to cool.
Pour sesame seeds into food processor and add oil. Blend for 2 minutes. Check for consistency. The mixture should be thick, yet pourable. Add more oil and blend until desired consistency.Makes about 2 cups of tahini.
Tahini can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container for a month.

for toast (2 piece of bread per serving)
2 slice wheat bread/multi grain bread (any bread of your choice)
2tsp of tahini
1tsp ground cinnamon powder
1tsp honey or agave nectar (you can add more according to your taste)

Combine tahini, cinnamon and honey/agave nectar. Toast the bread. Spread the tahini mixture over the toast while still warm.

Enjoy the toast with a nice cup of hot tea or have it on the go :)

This is my submission to this month's SOS Challenge - Sesame hosted by Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Kim from Affairs of Living and to Breakfast Club # 5 - Bread hosted by Helen from Fuss Free Flavours and Sarah from fingers and toes.

Asian Noodle Salad with Sesame & Peanut

I came across the event 'In the Bag' which gives you ingredients to innovate a whole new recipe.For this month's event  mushroom,herbs and nuts were the suggested ingredients. I liked the entire concept and I quickly started gathering the ingredients......
Asian noodle salad can be made with various ingredients and they can be a healthy dinner after a long day's work. I hope you like my version of the Asian Noodle Salad with Sesame & Peanut.

2 cups noodles (any kind, I used durum wheat noodles)
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2tsp crushed garlic
2tsp olive oil

for salad dressing
1tsp soya sauce
1tsp agave nectar or honey
1tsp red wine vinegar
1tsp olive oil
1tbs roasted and coarsely ground peanuts
1/2tsp pepper powder
1tsp chilli flakes (optional)
salt to taste

for garnish
1 cup basil leaves
4tsp roasted sesame seeds

Cook and drain the noodles. Allow it to cool. Heat oil in a pan and add crushed garlic. I let the garlic turn a bit brown and crisp because it gives a nice flavor to the salad. Add mushrooms and let it cook until soft. Allow the mushrooms to cool.
Once the mushrooms are cold, add the salad dressing and mix well. Garnish it with sesame seeds, basil and serve at room temperature or cold.

This is my submission to this month's In the Bag hosted by Julia from A Slice of Cherrypie and Scott from Real Epicurean, to No Croutons Required - Noodles, hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen, to SOS Kitchen Challenge hosted by Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Kim from Affairs of Living and to Souper Sundays hosted by Deb from Kahaki Kitchen.

Black-Eyed Beans Curry

I'm back from my lovely trip to the Andaman. I found some interesting places to eat and I will blog about it very soon...until then enjoy the healthy recipe of black-eyed beans curry.

I find the black-eyed beans the most good looking beans. Not only are they low in fat, but when combined with other grains, beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein.
They have a smooth texture, pea like flavor and are good when mixed with other vegetables. Go ahead and use these beans in your daily diet.

1 cup black-eyed beans (Lobia) soaked overnight and boiled
1tbs cooking oil (any refined oil/olive oil)
1 cup chopped onions
2tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3-4 curry leaves
1 sliced green chilli
2 cups coconut milk

for dry massala
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Add oil in a pan. Put curry leaves in  hot oil and let it crackle. Add some chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste.Add chopped tomatoes and green chilli after onions are a little transparent. Add  the dry massala and some water. Allow the mixture to cook for about 2 minutes. Add  beans, coconut milk and salt. Cook for 20 minutes on low flame. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with  rice or tortillas.I served mine with brown rice.

This is my submission to this month's My Legume Love Affair hosted by Divya from Dil Se.. and Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook.

LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow 2010

October 2nd is LiveSTRONG day. LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow is a yearly event hosted by Barbara from winos and foodies.I dedicate this post to all the strong people whom I've known are figthing against cancer. For more hearts please do visit and support A Taste of Yellow LiveSTRONG .

The picture is of Coconut Milk Pilaf, click here for  recipe.