Beetroot Chops

                                                                           
                                                                           

I never realized it till I started writing this food blog but, so many of my pet recipes have stories attached to them. I am sure it must be the same with everyone. If you think about it you will find  some recipes connected to a particular incident, others to a period in time, a few to specific persons and so on. Each such recipe becomes even more precious as it is interwoven with happy memories.

During his childhood my husband's family lived next door to a Bengali family in Ranchi....the Duttas. Although I didn't ever get to meet her, I was told about Mrs Dutta's delicious cooking by different family members right from the time I got married. From all accounts she was an incredibly talented cook and Bengali dishes were her forte. Of all the wonderful dishes that were given shape in her kitchen, my husband remembers her Beetroot Chops with the most fondness. Crisp potato covering on the outside with a filling of beet, cashew, raisins and crisp onion...it was a treat he never got tired of eating or ever forgot.

As my husband's family moved away from Ranchi long before my marriage I could not ask Mrs Dutta herself for the recipe which my husband so loved. Failing that, I searched recipe books and asked other Bengalis I knew for the recipe in the early years of marriage and  later, as the internet opened up new possibilities, I went through renowned cookery sites. In the process I looked up many recipes and tried out  several versions of beetroot chops over the years but none seemed to fit the memory my husband had of Mrs Dutta's recipe. Finally, based on his description, this recipe evolved through trial and error. This is it then! As close as it gets to the original masterpiece. And, it is really, really good...and easy too. I don't do complicated :)

Beetroot Chops are a well known snack in Bengal. It is often prepared in homes and is also available at roadside eateries. I am told it's popularity rises during the Durga Puja festival when folks consider it a must to savour this tasty snack while visiting food stalls set up near Puja pandals.

Ingredients: 

2 potatoes, boiled, mashed
1 slice of bread, soaked in water, squeezed dry
1 table spoon rice flour
1/2 tea spoon red chilly powder
1/2 tea spoon cumin powder
1/2 tea spoon dried mango powder
Salt to taste
Breadcrumbs as required
Oil to fry

Filling: 1 small beetroot, boiled, cut in small pieces
1 table spoon raisins
1 table spoon cashew nuts, chopped
1 small onion, sliced, crisp fried
1/2 tea spoon chat masala powder

Method:  Boil potatoes, peel skin and mash. Boil beetroot, peel skin, cut in small pieces. Slice onion and fry in oil till crisp and golden. Remove and keep aside on absorbent paper. Chop cashew nuts. Soak raisins in water for few minutes, drain water and dry. Spread bread crumbs on a plate.

Place the boiled and mashed potatoes in a bowl. Add salt, red chilly powder, cumin powder and dried mango powder. Also add rice flour and a bread slice, soaked in water and squeezed dry. Mix everything well. To make the filling...in a separate bowl mix boiled and cubed beetroot with crisply fried onion, chopped cashew nuts, raisins and chat masala powder

To prepare the beetroot chops, take a lemon sized piece of potato mixture in your palm and flatten it. Place a tea spoon of filling on the flattened potato mixture and then close it, forming a roll. Transfer to the plate containing  breadcrumbs. Turn it around so all sides are coated evenly. Make others in a similar fashion.

Heat plenty of oil in a heavy bottom wide pan. When oil is medium hot add the beetroot chops one or two at a time. When one side is browned, flip to the other side. Remove when the chops are evenly browned. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.

Rajgira Atta Halwa

                         
                                               

                                                                             


I have been keeping the biannual Navratri fast for years now but never really bothered to make any of the special recipes from the flours permissible during fasts. I would mostly make do with fruits and milk shakes or at the most Sabudana Khichri or Sabudana Kheer  ( recipes already shared on blog). This time round I decided to try some new fasting recipes, hoping they would bring about some variety and newness to my diet during the fasting period. At the back of my mind the thought was also there that I could share some of these recipes on my blog for others like me who had so far not tried these recipes.

Rajgira Atta Halwa is one recipe I tried out this Navratri. It came out amazingly good the very first time I tried it out. Maybe because I wasn't really expecting it to be so easy and delicious, I was truly delighted at the results. During Navratri  I made it several times and each time it came out well. So, not a fluke then!!  I enjoyed it so much that I  will probably make it now even on non fasting days. Another reason I am not going to forget about Rajgira until the next fasting day, and will make sure I  include it as part of my regular diet, is because of it's numerous health benefits.

Frankly, I knew next to nothing about Rajgira or Ramdana, as it is popularly known in North India, till recently.  After trying out a few Rajgira flour based recipes I read up about it and was surprised to learn that Rajgira is an ancient grain, known to man since thousands of years. It's nutrient profile is credited with so many positives that it is gradually gaining acceptance as a health food. Imagine that!! Not only is it gluten free and high in anti oxidants, it is also rich in protein, calcium, fibre, iron and other micro nutrients.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup Rajgira Atta ( Amaranth Flour)
1/4 cup sugar
3 table spoon ghee
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 tea spoon cardamom powder
1 table spoon almond slivers

Method:  Put water to heat in a pan. Meanwhile heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add Rajgira Atta. Stir on very low flame till the flour changes colour and turns golden. At this stage it will emit a nice aroma and ooze ghee too. Gradually add the warm water and keep stirring. Once the water is almost absorbed, add sugar and cardamom powder. Stir till the mixture leaves sides. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with almond slivers.

Methi Gajar / Fenugreek Leaves And Carrot Stir Fry

                                                                         
                                                                                 

Most days, except Sundays, I get a call from  The Mboga Man..... that is how I have saved the number of  my regular vegetable vendor... as Mboga in Swahili means vegetables.  He comes by around noon, with his cart heaped with fresh fruits and veggies. As soon as I get his call  I go downstairs and check out what he has and buy whatever I need. At times he also gets me any vegetable I ask for. I just have to request him a day ahead or give him a call early morning. Conversing with The Mboga Man is quite a feat for me as he knows no English or Hindi, the two languages I am familiar with, while I barely know any Swahili. But we manage somehow. I have picked up a smattering of Swahili with which I make do. One thing though that I haven't been able to figure out, and which continues to puzzle me, is why The Mboga Man calls certain veggies by their Swahili names and some by their Indian names, or rather Gujarati names!!

One day last week I was in the middle of an earnest conversation with my daughter when The Mboga Man called. I had  already decided that I didn't need any veggies that day as  I had plenty stocked in the fridge. Moreover, at that particular moment, I was in no mood to cut short my conversation. I quickly said " Hamna Leo Kaka" ( "not today brother" in Swahili) and disconnected. Not to be deterred he called again and again till I  took his call. All he said was "Mama, Kubwa Methi". Anyone else may not have been able to decode the cryptic message, but I did! I excused myself to my daughter and rushed down.  I had requested The Mboga Man several times to get me fenugreek leaves....  not the tiny seedling variety, but the one with regular, big leaves. Hence the message ...Kubwa, meaning big, in Swahili, and Methi, meaning  fenugreek leaves in Gujarati!

What I find most appealing about this dish, Methi Gajar, is the  play of colours and flavours ....the vibrant green contrasting with orange and the slight bitter taste of fenugreek leaves balancing the sweetness of carrots. The recipe itself is very simple and doesn't take much time to rustle up. I am not even going into the combined nutritional value of this dish! Who doesn't know that carrot is a giant among veggies, in terms of nutritive value and that fenugreek leaves too have immense health benefits!!?!!

Ingredients: 

250 gm  methi (fresh fenugreek leaves), finely chopped
2-3 carrots, cut in mid size pieces
1 tea spoon garlic, crushed
1/2 tea spoon cumin
Salt to taste
1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder
1/4 tea spoon red chilly powder
1/2 tea spoon dried mango powder
2 table spoon oil

Method:  Wash fenugreek leaves in plenty of water and place in a colander for water to drain away completely. Finely chop. Wash carrots and peel skin. Cut lengthwise down the centre and then cut in half  circles. Crush garlic.

Heat  oil in a heavy bottom pan and add cumin. When it sputters add chopped carrots. Stir on high heat for few minutes, till carrot is lightly fried and changes colour. Lower flame and add crushed garlic, salt, red chilly powder and turmeric powder. Sprinkle little water (about a table spoon) and cover and let it cook till carrot is tender. Uncover and add fenugreek leaves. Saute for a couple of minutes to allow the moisture released from the leaves  to dry up. Add dried mango powder and mix. Cover and close flame.

Do not over cook the fenugreek leaves. Cooking should be kept to a minimum once the leaves are added to retain their nutritive value and distinctive aroma.

Easy Kathal Ki Sabzi / Jackfruit Curry

                                                                             

                                                                             

If you were to ask people in India if kathal is a fruit or a vegetable, chances are, that half of them would claim it is a fruit while the other half would assure you that it is a vegetable! There is no wrong answer here as both versions are correct. This is because in the South it is largely eaten as a fruit and the sweet, yellow pulp of ripened kathal  is very popular. In  North India however, it is cooked like a vegetable curry  and is something of a delicacy  that is served on special occasions or at home as a high treat. As I lived in South India for a major part of my childhood I didn't get to eat Kathal  Ki Sabzi, as kathal  was not available in it's unripened, raw form. It was only later, when I moved to  North India, that I learnt to savour this amazing vegetable.

Even though I began to  relish eating this vegetable, it was a fair while before I attempted to cook it. At first, the very appearance of kathal, with it's thick spiky skin, spooked me! Not for me, thank you very much! I was so sure that cooking such a daunting looking veggie had to be pretty cumbersome and time consuming. Over time however, my attitude to cooking kathal began to thaw and, by observing my mother in law and others cook it, I  gained confidence and started cooking  it.  So, was it worth the effort of learning to cook it??? Most definitely, YES!! I rate Kathal Ki Sabzi way up there, among the best of vegetarian dishes. Haven't tried it yet? You don't know what you are missing!!!

Ingredients: 

250 gm kaccha kathal ( raw jackfruit), cut in mid size pieces
2 onions, one chopped, one blended
1 tea spoon garlic paste
1 tea spoon ginger paste
1 tomato, blended
2 table spoon yoghurt
Salt to taste
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
1/2 tea spoon red chilly powder
1 tea spoon coriander powder
1/2 tea spoon whole spice powder
Whole spices: 1 tea spoon cumin, 4 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tea spoon black pepper corn, 2-3 green cardamom
4 table spoon oil
Coriander leaves, chopped fine, for garnish

Method:  Wash and dry kathal. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and deep fry the kathal pieces. Do not brown, just fry lightly. Take out and keep aside.  Finely chop one onion. Blend the other onion along with ginger, garlic and tomato. Chop coriander leaves.

In the same pan, remove excess oil and add whole spices...cumin, cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, pepper corn and green cardamom. When they begin to crackle add chopped onions and saute till they turn light golden. Add the blended onion, ginger, garlic and tomato. Also add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir till the moisture in the mixture dries out. Add yoghurt and saute some more till mixture leaves oil. Add the fried kathal and whole spice powder. Stir for a minute or two to enable the prepared spice mixture to coat the kathal. Transfer to a pressure cooker and add  about a cup of warm water. After the first whistle, lower flame and let it cook for a couple of minutes more. A lot depends on the quality of kathal. If kathal is tender, you need to cook less and if it appears a little tough, cook some  more. Before serving garnish with coriander leaves.

Instead of frying the kathal  pieces, you can lightly boil them before adding to gravy.  On opening the pressure cooker, if you find kathal has absorbed more water than anticipated,  add some more warm water and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Cholle Rajma Aur Lal Masoor / Chickpeas, Red Kidney Beans And Red Lentils Curry

                                                                                                                                                     

I was flipping through my recipe books the other day and came across this recipe which I had almost forgotten. I had discovered this unusual recipe by chance couple of years back. It had piqued my interest and I had tried it out on a whim, not really sure how it would turn out. To my complete surprise, the recipe was absolutely incredible. A sure shot winner, hands down!! I made it several times in quick succession, for entertaining as also for regular meals. I am so excited to share this recipe today with all of you out there who love to try out delicious new recipes.

This recipe varies from other chickpeas or red kidney beans curries. Not just because it combines chickpeas, red kidney beans and red lentils, but because it does away with onions, which is a vital part of most curries. The thickness of the curry comes not from onions but the lentils, thereby increasing the nutritive value of the dish and also making it a healthier option. For the many in India who do not eat onion and garlic this is an ideal recipe. Although I have added garlic, one can do without it too. One can serve this dish with rice, chapati (Indian flatbread) or just on it's own.  How you choose to enjoy it is your choice!

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup kabuli chana ( chickpeas)
1/2 cup rajma ( red kidney beans)
1/4 cup lal masoor dal (red lentils)
1 tea spoon ginger garlic paste (optional)
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 table spoon tomato puree
1 tea spoon tamarind paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tea spoon red chilly powder
1/2 tea spoon cumin powder
1/2 tea spoon dried ginger powder
2 table spoon oil
1 onion, chopped fine, for garnish
coriander and mint leaves, chopped fine, for garnish
Lemon slices, for garnish

Method:   Soak chickpeas and red kidney beans overnight in plenty of water.  Soak red lentils in water for 30 minutes.  Wash well and put to boil with 2-3 cups of fresh water...enough to cover the chickpeas and beans. If cooking in pressure cooker, lower flame after first whistle and let it cook on low flame for 5 minutes. If cooking in pan, let it cook till soft but not mushy. Keep aside. Chop tomatoes, onions, coriander and mint leaves. Cut slices of lemon.

In a heavy bottom pan heat oil and add tomato and ginger garlic paste. Stir for about a minute. Add tomato puree and the spice powders: red chilly powder, cumin powder, ginger powder and salt. Saute till tomato is completely mashed and mixture leaves oil. Invert the boiled chickpeas, red kidney beans and red lentils with the water they were boiled in. Also add the tamarind paste. Simmer for a few minutes on low flame till right consistency of curry is reached. Switch off flame. Serve hot garnished with finely chopped onion, mint and coriander leaves and lemon slices.

If you like you can add Chana Masala Powder or Garam Masala ( whole spices) Powder to make it spicier.