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Showing posts from March, 2011

Pregnancy Take 2

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  Howdy folks!! I’m sorry, I’ve been long quiet. Didn’t mean to. Thought every other day I would get back. But each of those days for reasons of their own often killed my enthusiasm for blogging. Like the title says already, we are pregnant again :). That obviously is  my pathetic excuse for the long absence. We’ve been well. The baby inside me is getting lumpy and my two boys have been the best I could  ever wish for. Over indulgent and ever ready to please me they are exactly what any woman could want. For their charming behavior and for my ‘only existent during pregnancy’ luscious mane of hair and dimples I wouldn’t mind staying pregnant and carrying this baby well into adulthood ;). Anywhoo, I’m back and I hope to stay. In a couple of months Mom is going to be here to help with the new baby and it would be outrageously sinful if I didn’t post all the amazing food she is going to ‘insist on’ making. Yes, she is coming to help with the baby. But while at that, on her own accord, she ...

Pork Curry– Coorgi Style

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Many things about the Kodava community fascinated me right from when I was a child. Their gentle and good looking men and women folk, their intriguing customs, distinctive dressing and sweet sounding language always brought about great admiration in me. Even today this small community of Karnataka stirs in me great fondness for unknown reasons.   And like the community, the distinctive and exotic Coorgi cuisine has in me one of it biggest fan. This pork fry recipe from  coorg uses kanchampuli (thick black extract from kudampulli -dried and smoked fruit rinds of the camboge tree ) and the traditional coorgi masala. The only variation I made here is I sautéed the gravy to dry ‘cause that’s how Roy likes it. You could however leave it as a thick gravy and it pairs amazingly well with Indian wheat or Rice breads. Also, if you can’t get hold of kanchampuli you can substitute it with rice wine vinegar, the taste is almost close but you of course wont get the dark intense color.   ...

Pork Curry– Coorgi Style

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Many things about the Kodava community fascinated me right from when I was a child. Their gentle and good looking men and women folk, their intriguing customs, distinctive dressing and sweet sounding language always brought about great admiration in me. Even today this small community of Karnataka stirs in me great fondness for unknown reasons.   And like the community, the distinctive and exotic Coorgi cuisine has in me one of it biggest fan. This pork fry recipe from  coorg uses kanchampuli (thick black extract from kudampulli -dried and smoked fruit rinds of the camboge tree ) and the traditional coorgi masala. The only variation I made here is I sautéed the gravy to dry ‘cause that’s how Roy likes it. You could however leave it as a thick gravy and it pairs amazingly well with Indian wheat or Rice breads. Also, if you can’t get hold of kanchampuli you can substitute it with rice wine vinegar, the taste is almost close but you of course wont get the dark intense color.   Ingredients...

Vegetable Biryani- Chettinad Style

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Known to be the spiciest and the most aromatic cuisine of India, the Chettinad cuisine is one of my favorites. I’ve spent many glorious evenings in Chennai wiping away plates of Biryani and sucking on spicy succulent crab meat while my totally vegetarian best friend V, looked on with great amusing interest. I’m sure her smirk would disappear in a tick had she only known the great void (tragedy) her vegetarian life had conferred on her. Anyway, coming back to serious cooking,  here’s a vegetarian version of the popular Chettinad biryani which is so flavorful that I’m sure even a die hard meat eater would easily go for a second helping . Ingredients 1 lb veggies of your choice. (I used, cauliflower and broccoli florets, diced bell peppers and carrots, peas and  potatoes cut into long strip like fries) 3 cups basmati rice 1 large  or 2 medium sized red onions finely sliced 3 large tomatoes, diced in chunks  2 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves 11/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp cho...

Navratan Korma

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Navratan Korma, meaning a mixture of nine gems is a delicious vegetarian dish from the Mughlai cuisine. The nine gems indicate the nine veggies, fruits and nuts that go into the dish. Influenced by the imperial kitchens of the Mughal empire this is as grand and as rich as any vegetarian dish can get. Ingredients 10 oz of paneer/cottage cheese 1/2 cup cashew nuts  1 large onion chopped 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp white pepper powder 1 tsp punjabi garam masala 1 1″ piece of cinnamon 2 bay leaves 1 pod of bruised cardamom 4 cloves 3-4 cups mixed veggies(I used cubed potatoes, chopped French beans, diced carrots,green peas,cauliflower florets, diced bell pepper) 1/4 cup pineapple chunks 10-12 raisins 2-3 tbsp heavy cream 2-3 tbsp refined oil Salt to taste Directions Cut the paneer into slabs (not cubes) and toast them on both sides in a non stick pan in 1 tbsp of oil. Make sure you don’t over do it. Both the sides should have just a ...