Sinful Curry

The last one year for Nish who turned 4  in September has been profound in terms of mental maturity and verbal acquisitions. His preschooler sass, innocent fumbles, wise observations and insightful witticisms never fail to amuse us. Our days would definitely be dull without him. Here are some of his quips for some laughs— Ma, can you please leave the bathroom? I need some privacy. Pa, you need to listen to Ma, ok? him is the only grown up in this house. Ma, grow up! Hey Pa, can you turn on the lamp? I need some sun light in the room. Ma, when I was a baby in your tummy did I come out when you threw up? Ma, I don’t need a baby brother or a baby sister, can you make me a baby puppy instead? Reciting the Lords prayer – Our Father in heaven hallowed be thy name ……do not bring us to the test but deliver us from Eagle – Amen And these might be incriminating for my food blog, but nevertheless …. Ma, I only said it smells good, I didn’t say it tastes good. Ma, this tastes  funny. ar...

  Methi Pulao is something that I usually make when I’m entertaining vegetarian friends.  No reason in particular. But since I’m a big fan of the fenugreek leaf flavor I just assume every vegetarian out there will find it irresistible too.  And frankly every time I’ve made it I haven’t met anyone till date who hasn’t gone for a second helping of this. So like I always say, my assumptions are very rarely wrong ;). Ingredients 1 cup Basmati/Long grained rice 2 packed cups chopped fenugreek/methi leaves 1 med onion, finely sliced 1/2 cup fresh green peas 1 med tomato cut into chunks 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp red chili powder 4 cloves 2, 1/4 inch pieces of cinnamon  1 crushed cardamom 2 tbsp roasted cashewnuts  1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp saunf/fennel seeds Salt as per taste ghee/oil Directions Soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside for 15 minutes. Heat a tsp of ghee in a pan, gently roast the rice for a couple of min...

This all famous colorfully vibrant Punjabi dish goes perfectly well with all Indian breads. It is a very simple dish to make but can look very attractive on the table when you are entertaining. It is not just about the looks either, the taste’s amazing too. The powerful Indian spices ignites a roaring flame of passion between the mild and sweet colorful peppers  and the nutty cubes of paneer. Just one bite and you’ll know exactly what I’m harping about.   Ingredients 2 cups mixed multicolored bell peppers 14 oz of paneer/cottage cheese 1 medium onion chopped fine 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 large tomato chopped into chunks 1/2 tsp turmeric  1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp katoori methi / dried fenugreek leaves 1 tbsp coriander powder 2 tsp chopped green chilies 1 tsp red paprika/ kashmiri mirch 1/2 tsp 3 Cs spice mix 1 bay leaf 1 star anise 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder 1 tbsp cashew-almond paste -optional (cashew nuts and almonds in equal proportions ground to a paste with little water) 2 tbs...

Since I could never bend it like Beckham, I chose the easier alternative and learnt to make a killer Aloo Gobi. I consider a bowl of Aloo Gobi perfect when the potatoes and the cauliflowers remain intact in shape and size but are yet cooked thoroughly through. And of course the cauliflower florets shouldn’t be giving off that God-awful gaseous stench.  Over the years I figured the best way not to stink up your kitchen while cooking cauliflower and the like (cabbage, kohlrabi etc) was to cook them dry. And the easiest was to cook them dry is to deep fry them (tastier option) or broil/bake them (healthier option) . You of course can cook them dry directly in the pan too. But that requires frequent stirring and totally depends on how patient you are willing to be. I’ve detailed all four techniques here. Follow what ever floats your boat. Ingredients 2 cups cauliflower florets 1 cup quartered potatoes 1 small onion chopped fine 1 tsp grated ginger 1 medium tomato chopped into chunks 3/4 ts...

Well it is a day over a over a month since I bought my new toy and evidently I’m not yet bored with it like I thought I would be (or should be) by now. And since the Wife/Mother has shown no signs of curbing herself, the Husband and Son have stopped making efforts to hide their annoyance as well. The boys hopelessly voice out their oh-no! not again shrieks while the obsessive and unrelenting South Indian in me serves them yet another variation of a fermented crêpe or a mutant version of some fried or steamed dumpling they just had a day before. The only saving grace for both the parties involved have been the savory chutneys. These spicy and tangy dips always manage to get the boys excited and hence lessens the burden of guilt for me, though obviously I don’t seem as bothered as I should be ;). In any case, when I see my boys serve themselves big mounds of these chutneys, which again is so not the right way of doing it and I have had to dig my nails into the wall and eat my own hair ...

This chunky,mouth watering, finger licking chutney is for those who crave for that hint of sugar in every spicy bite. This is one of my favorite chutneys. It has a really long shelf life and actually never goes stale on you . Ingredients 1 chopped red onions 1 tsp red chili powder (base it on taste)   1tsp paprika (for color)   2 tbsp sliced garlic   1/2 cup tamarind pulp extracted from 1 lemon sized tamarind 3 green chilies slit lengthwise 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds small pinch of asafoetida  1 tsp jaggery shavings  salt to taste  1 spring of curry leaves  2-3 tsp of sesame oil (cold pressed) Directions Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida, mustard and curry leaves. Add onions, green chilies and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent Add chili powder and paprika and sauté for a few minutes. Pour in the tamarind pulp and bring to boil. Add jaggery and salt to taste. Serve with dosas or idlis.

This is another one of those chutneys that you continue to lick off of your plate even when the dosas and idlis are long gone. Ingredients 1 cup shallots chopped 4-5 dried red chilies   1tsp black gram dal/urad dal  1 tsp channa dal / bengal gram  1/4 tsp tamarind paste or marble sized pitted tamarind small pinch of asafoetida salt to taste 2-3 tsp of sesame oil (cold pressed) Directions Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida, dals, dried chilies and shallots and sauté until the shallots are golden brown. Add tamarind and sauté for a few more minutes.  Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool. Grind to a smooth paste. Serve with dosas or idlis.

This mildly sweet, delicately spicy, greenish tinged elegance pairs very well with dosas and idlis. This chutney is my Mom’s recipe and something that I absolutely love. Ingredients 1 cup grated fresh coconut 2 green chilies 2 tbsp chopped shallots salt to taste 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 1 sprig of curry leaves 2 tsp of coconut oil or refined vegetable oil Directions Grind together coconut, shallots and green chilies with 1/2 cup of water. Add more water after grinding to get desired consistency. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let the mustard pop. Pour the seasoning over the ground mixture and mix well. Add salt to taste. Serve with dosas or idlis.