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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tomato with coconut curry.

Tomatoche Sheeray - Tomato with coconut curry.

Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/Pathare Prabhu.
Preparation time: 30 minutes.
Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 3 Medium,
Onions - 2 small,
Coconut Milk - 1 Can,
Besan - Gram Flour - 4 tsp,
Geera- Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp,
Ghee - Butter - 1tsp,
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp for low spice, 1/2 tsp for medium spice
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch,
Hing - Aesafoetida Powder - 1 pinch
Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 5-6
Salt - To taste,
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cilantro - for garnishing.

Recipe:
Cut tomatoes and onions -Juliane (long thin) slices and keep aside in separate containers.
In a vessel on medium flame, add ghee. Heat for a minute and add a pinch of hing, geera, methi, haldi and onions. Saute till onions start getting soft and pale. Add tomatoes, red chili powder and saute for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. While the onions and tomatoes are cooking, on the side empty one can of coconut milk in a bowl. Add 2 cans of water. 2 -1/2 cans if the coconut milk is very thick. Mix in the besan , salt and sugar . Make sure there are no lumps formed.
Once the onions & tomatoes are cooked, add in the coconut milk mixture. Stir and cook on low to medium flame till it starts boiling.Garnish with finely chopped fresh cilantro.

Serving suggestion:
Best served with plain white rice and pickle.

Ravioli in Creamy Marsala Wine sauce.

Ravioli in Creamy Marsala Wine sauce.
Category: Italian Vegetarian

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Semi frozen ravioli (4 cheese/mushroom/spinach) - 1 Pack
Shallots -2 medium
Bay leaf -1
Red Chillies - 2 small
Black Pepper - 1 pinch crushed and 2 corns

Garlic- 4 medium to large cloves

Thyme - a pinch


Italian seasoning - a pinch


Dried basil leaves - a pinch
Olive oil -1Tbsp
Red cooking wine - 3/4 cup
Marsala wine - 1/4 cup
Light whipped cream. 1/4 cup


Recipe:

Boil ravioli directed on the pouch. Strain and keep aside. In a shallow pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add bay leaf, pepper corns, crushed red chillies, and finely chopped shallots and garlic. Saute for 7-8 muntes, till shallots are soft. Add a mixture of 3/4 cup red cooking wine and1/4 cup marsala wine (you can add more if you like a stronger sauce) Cook on low flame till sauce starts to boil and thicken. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, thyme and basil. Let cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Add salt to taste and a pinch of crushed black pepper. Add sweet cream as you desire. More the cream, richer the sauce. Let boil for 2 minutes. Add boiled strained ravioli and cook for 2-3 minutes before serving. Garnish with shredded Parmesan Cheese.

Note:
Boil the ravioli alongside the sauce so ravioli is hot when the sauce is ready.

Serving suggestion:
Best served by itself, with garlic bread or Bruschhetta. This sauce can be used with the stuffed Tilapia recipe posted here.

Spiced puffed Indian Bread.

Tikhat poori - Spiced puffed Indian Bread.
Category : Indian/ Snack/Meal
Preparation Time: 1 Hour
Serves - 4 to 6

Ingredients:
Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Rice Flour - 1 cup
Gram Flour (Besan) - 1 Cup
Whipped plain yoghurt - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp/Oil to fry
Green chillies - 2 -3 medium
Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Ajwain/Oova - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste.

Recipe:
Put together cumin seeds, green chillies, cilantro and 1/4 cup water in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. In a deep mixing bowl add the wheat, rice and gram flour. Heat 2 tbsp oil and pour it over the flour mixture. Add the green paste, yoghurt, salt, sugar, turmeric and ajwain. Mix well and knead to a soft dough (Just like the the dough for making chappatis). Add water in very small amounts to achieve the desired consistency of the dough. You may need to sprinkle some flour over the dough with kneading it. Cover the dough and keep aside for 15 minutes. Roll up small dough balls, with diameter just about the size of a quarter or a little bigger. Using a rolling pin, on a clean dry surface, roll the balls into pooris about three to four inch diameter, dipping them in dry wheat/ all purpose flour at intervals to avoid sticking. Deep fry the pooris and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve Hot with any pickle, vegetable curry, gravy, Kadhi or raita.

Shrimp with a spicy Onion Tomato sauce




Kandyvarchi Kolambi - Shrimp with a spicy Onion Tomato sauce
Note: Substitute Shrimp with potatoes for vegetarian version.
Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/ Pathare Prabhu
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Onions - 3 medium
Tomatoes - 3 medium
Shrimp - 300gms
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 5 large cloves
Green chilli - 1 medium
Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp (or to taste)
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Aesafoetida - Hing - 1 pinch (optional)
Bay leaf - 1
Butter - 1 tsp (Optional)


Recipe:

Put together ginger, garlic, green chilli, cilantro and 1/4 cup water in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a vessel, add hing, turmeric powder, bay leaf and finely chopped onions. Saute onions (stiring at regular intervals) till soft and pale. Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute for about 5 minutes or till tomatoes are soft. Add the green paste, red chili powder, garam masala and let cook uncovered till all the ingredients blend in well. You may add half cup water for changing the consistency. Let cook for 5 minutes. Add washed, cleaned, de-veined prawns, shrimp or lobster. Stir well, add 1/2 cup of water and cook covered on low - medium flame for 10 minutes or till shrimp is completely cooked. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and top it with a tsp of butter.


Serving Suggestions:
Great with white slice bread, chappati, naan, bhakri, roti or paratha.

Pickled Shrimp - Indian/Maharashtrian style

Kolambiche Lonche - Pickled Shrimp
Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/ Pathare Prabhu/side dish
Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Asafoetida Powder - Hing - 1 Pinch
Shrimp - 1 pound/500 gms
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Achar masala/ Pickle spice - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - 2 tsp.

Recipe:
Heat oil in a shallow pan. Sprinkle a pinch of Hing. Add washed, cleaned, deveined, shrimp and saute for 2 minutes. Add Red chili powder, achar masala,salt and stir well. Once the shrimp is cooked, keep it aside (off the heat) and let cool completely. Once the shrimp mixture is at room temperature add the lemon juice and stir lightly. A quick delicious Shrimp pickle is ready.

Note:
Pickled shrimp can stay fresh for 4 to 5 days if refrigerated. DO NOT reheat the pickle at anytime after its done cooking the first time, even for later servings. This recipe can be modified to make pickled pomfret or Tilapia. Just substitute shrimp with fish.

Serving Suggestion:
It is great side with a good seafood menu. Should be served at room temperature.

Potatoes in coconut garlic curry

Batatyache Bhujane - Potatoes in coconut garlic curry
Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/Pathare Prabhu
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Green/serrano pepper - 1or 2
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Garlic Cloves - 3-4 small
Cilantro - to garnish
Clove - 1
Kokum - 1(or 1 tsp lemon)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing - Aafoetida powder 1pinch

Recipe:
Grate coconut, garlic and green chillies with 1/4 cup water to a smooth paste and keep aside. Peel and cut potatoes and keep soaked in water. In a pot, heat oil and add hing, clove, turmeric powder, and finely chopped onions. Saute till onions turn pale and soft. Add potatoes, red chili powder, the paste and salt to taste. Add water as desired (about 1-1/2 cup should be good for 2 potatoes). Cover and let cook on medium to low flame. Add Kokum/lemon juice and stir. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot with white rice or chapati/roti/paratha.

Potatoes in sweet and sour tomato gravy.

Ambat god batate - Potatoes in thick sweet and sour tomato gravy.
Category: Indian/Vegetarian
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4 Medium
Thk Tomato Paste - 1-2 Tbsp
Aesafoetida Powder - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5 (dry or fresh)
Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Goda masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro Powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste -1 tsp if thick 2 tsp if regular
Jaggery - 1 inch
Cilantro - To garnish
Salt - to taste


Recipe:
Wash, peel and chop potatoes in approximately 1 inch cubes. Soak them in water. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add pinch of aesafoetida powder, mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and potatoes. Stir on low flame for 1 minute. Add all the spice powders - red chili, cumin, cilantro, goda masala and mix well. Let cook for 2-3 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking take thick tomato paste in a mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 cup of water, mix well. Add this tomato sauce to the potatoes. Stir well. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 -7 minutes. Uncover and stir. Add tamarind paste, jaggery and salt. Mix well and cook covered till potatoes are done. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serving Suggestion:
Best served with Roti, chapati, Naan, Paratha, dal & rice.

Note:
This recipe is based on store bought Hunt's Tomato Paste. If you make tomato paste at home, I recommend making it without any water. Also goda masala can be replaced with any Indian masala powder for a different taste.