Cream of Broccoli Soup

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Most of the food bloggers I follow on social media have been posting warm winter recipes and Xmas goodies these days. I am drooling over the pics and missing the Bangalore winter. While I cant bring the weather here I can always make the food memories alive again. Inspired by the soup recipes on insta I made this delicious broccoli soup along with some potato. It was so so good and none of us could wait until I finished clicking pics. I promise to add better pics next time :)  Try this warm and healthy soup this winter, here is the recipe.


 

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets : 2 big cups

Diced Onion : 1

Chopped garlic: 2 tbsp

Diced potato: 1 

Veg stock: 1 litre 

Butter: 1 tbsp

Bay leaf: 1

Cinnamon stick : 1 inch

Salt to taste

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Cream: 2 tbsp (optional)

 

 

Method:

1. Clean and wash broccoli florets 2-3 times, chop onion, garlic and dice potato and keep aside.

2. Heat butter in a soup pan add bay leaf and cinnamon stick and sauté for a minute.

3. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, add onion and fry until translucent.

4. Add diced potato and broccoli florets and sauté for a minute.

5. Add salt, pepper and stock and boil it for 20 minutes on low flame.

6. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Grind the cooked veggies to a smooth paste using a handheld blender or in the mixer (drain the water from veggies and cool it before grinding in the mixer)

7. Adjust the seasoning, garnish the fresh cream on top and serve hot.

Notes:

1. If you want to grind it in the mixer, strain the stock and let the veggies cool down a bit and grind it into a smooth purée, add back to the stock and bring to boil before serving.

2. If you want some chunks of veggies, if you can grind only half of it  and add back to the rest - this gives a chunky soup.

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Bendekayi -Amtekai Palya | Okra cooked with Indian Hogplum

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I am missing all the pampering and nice dishes that my mom served when I was home last month. Coastal style traditional vegetarian dishes were my favorite in childhood. Bendekayi Amatekai palya i.e., Okra cooked with hogplum was one of those dishes I liked. The hogplaums are crushed in a stone pestle and added to Okra masala. The most cherished part was the crushed hogplum that was cooked in all the masalas and Okra. That was oh so delicious! Here is my mother's recipe. It's a very traditional no fancy recipe. I also didn't get much time to click better pictures. Since one of my friends asked me for the recipe I am sharing with not so great looking pictures. But who cares when taste is the king 😊

 
Ingredients:
Bendekayi /Okra : 500 gms
Onion: 2 medium
Garlic: 3-4 cloves
Amatekai/Indian Hogplum: 4-5
Coconut Oil: 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves: 1 sprig.
Jaggery: 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder:  1 tsp
Grated Coconut: 3-4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves: for Garnish

Method:

1. Wash and dry okra completely, chop into 1 inch pieces and keep aside. Wash the hogplums and crush them in a mortar pestle and keep aside until needed.

2. Heat oil in a deep wok and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add curry leaves and crushed garlic and saute for a min

3. Add finely chopped onion and saute until golden in color.

4. Add okra and fry for 2 mins, add the crushed hogplums and saute for 5-6 minutes.

5. Add salt, jaggery, chilli powder and grated coconut and mix well and cook until the okra is done.

6. Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with rice and rasam/sambar:)

Notes:
1. I usually make it with kundapur masala powder instead of plain red chilli powder and skip garlic in the tempering. If you have the powder handy you could use the same, it brings out the authentic coastal taste. Click here for : Kundapur Masala powder recipe.


2. These hogplums are too sour in taste and adding jaggery will cut the sourness. Adjust the amount jaggery according to your taste.

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Chicken Masala

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Here I am back wearing my cooking and clicking hat after a month long stay at home in India. I traveled alone with my hyperactive toddler and I didnt want the world to know how stressed I was about this whole thing. Managing a toddler alone in the airport and safely reaching home was a task for me:) It didn't stop at that as I had to remotely work from India for almost all the days. Did I enjoy the trip? I guess so when I saw my little one enjoying her time with her grand parents and cousins. It was a joy trip for her. I think it was worth it:) I missed my kitchen and cooking a bit specially during deepawali but I totally relished all the special dishes that my mom and mom in law made for me.

When I returned to SG my better half was starving for home made food ;-) So I made this quick chicken dish that doesn't need any marination or extra effort. Put all the basic masalas from ur spice box and you will have this finger licking good chicken ready in 30 minutes. It goes so well with hot roti/chapathi. You can also cook it a little longer to dry it and serve it as a starter. 

Ingredients:

Chicken : 500 gms

Onion: 2

Tomato: 2

Green chillies: 2

Ginger:1 inch

Garlic: 5-6 cloves

Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tbsp

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves : 2 tbsp

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Oil: 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Wash and clean chicken and cut into medium size pieces and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a deep pan and finely chopped garlic and ginger and sauté, add finely chopped onion and sauté until it turns into golden brown color.

3. Add slit green chillies and red chilli powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt to taste and mix well, sauté on low flame for 30 seconds.

4. Add in chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and cook for 10-15mins or until the chicken is almost cooked. Add a little water if it's too dry.

5. Add finely chopped tomatoes and cover and cook for another 2 minutes.

6. Add garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

7. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and turn off the flame. Keep it covered for 5 minutes so that all the flavors blend well.

8. Serve it as a starter or a side dish with rotis.

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Hesarubele panchakajjaya / Split green gram panchakajjaya

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Panchakajjaya is a sweet dish popular from coastal Karnataka made mostly during Ganesha Festival as offering (Naivedya). There are five main ingredients in this, green gram, jaggery, coconut, Ghee and Cashews.  It's believed that panchakajjaya is Lord Ganesha's favorite food. Here is my mother's recipe that I follow.

Ingredients:

Hesaru bele / Split green gram: 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut: 1/2 cup
Jaggery: 1/4 cup
Cashew: 10
Clarified Butter/Ghee: 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1 pinch

Method:

1. Dry Roast green gram in a pan until they are golden in color and keep aside.

2. Heat ghee in the same pan and fry cashews and transfer into a plate and keep aside.

3. In the same pan mix freshly grated coconut, jaggery and cardamom and cook for 2-3 mins. Jaggery will melt and combine with coconut.

4. To this mixture add roasted green gram and cashews and mix.

5. Alternatively you can grind the roasted green gram into a coarse powder and mix with coconut and jaggery.

5. Serve as an offering to lord Ganesha.

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Tomato Bath | One pot Spicy, Tangy Tomato Rice

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When I was working in Bengaluru, I had a colleague, her mom used to cook super delicious food. During lunch hour we all used to wait for her to open her lunch box and before she knew it would be empty. One of the dishes that I liked the most was tomato bath. Those days I was all for simple cooking as I hardly knew anything and I had a simple way of making this one pot quick tomato rice but it never tasted as good as the one she got. I pestered her to get the recipe from her mom for many days and finally got the recipe via a phone call :) Sometimes we do crazy things for food ;) It was worth the effort as the taste is beyond delicious!! The main difference was she cooked it in coconut milk along with methi (fresh fenugreek leaves) and Mint leaves. The flavor and the taste is unbeatable and the best thing is it gets done in 30 mins without much mess around.

I have saved this recipe from many years and it's still my favorite. You must try this to believe me:) Let's get cooking!

Ingredients:
Ripe tomato : 4
Rice: 2 cups (preferably long grained Basmati)
Onion: 3
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Coriander powder: 2 tbsp
Cumin powder: 1 tbsp
Red Chilli powder:  1 tbsp
Coriander leaves: 1 cup
Fresh Methi (Fenugreek leaves): 1 cup
Mint leaves: 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk:  2 cups
Oil/Ghee: 2 tbsp
Cinnamon stick: 1
Cardamom: 3-4
Cloves: 3-4
Salt to taste
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice in enough water for 30 mins. In the meantime slice onions, chop tomoatoes and roughly chop coriander, mint and fenugreek leaves.

2. Heat oil in the pressure cooker and add whole spices - cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Saute until the oil is fragrant.

3. Add sliced onions and saute until the onions turn golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears.

4. Add chopped tomatoes, all greens and spice powders - coriander -cumin powder and red chilli powder and salt .Mix and let it cook for 2 mins.

5. Add soaked rice and fry for 2 mins, add 2 cups coconut milk and 1.5 cup water and bring to boil. Adjust the seasoning and close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

6. When the pressure has released open the lid and add freshly squeezed lemon juice.

7. Mix gently and serve with chilled curd/raita.

Notes:
1. You can replace fresh fenugreek leaves with 1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
2. I used store bought coconut cream, you can also grind the fresh coconut at home and squeeze the coconut milk which will even taste better:)

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Mushroom and Cheese Omelette

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Omelette is a simple and very adaptable dish. One can make it in so many ways. This mushroom and cheese omelette is my personal favorite. It's a perfect brunch idea for a lazy weekend. Mushrooms cook faster and it will not take more than 20 mins to prepare this stuffed omelette. So here is a quick, filling breakfast idea to try this weekend.

Ingredients:

Button mushrooms: 8-10

Onion: 1

Garlic :3-4 cloves

Green chillies: 2

Crushed black pepper: 1 tsp

Dried Oregano leaves: 1 tsp

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp

Grated cheese: 1/2 cup

Eggs : 3

Milk: 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Olive oil: 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat 1.5 tbsp of oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic and green chillies. Sauté for 30 seconds.

2. Add thinly sliced onions and salt, sauté until onions turn translucent.

3. Add dried oregano and crushed pepper and mix well. Mix in sliced button mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are done. Turn off and let it cool down.

4. Once it's a bit cool, add coriander leaves and grated cheese and the mushroom topping is ready. (I used cheddar cheese).

5. For the omelette, beat the eggs in a bowl along with milk, salt, a pinch of oregano and crushed pepper.

6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and pour the eggs, simmer the flame and cover with lid.

7. Once the egg is firm carefully flip the omelette. Flip it back after a min. Now add the mushroom and cheese masala on top and cook it covered for another minute. Turn off the flame. 

8. You can fold it and serve just the omelette or make slices and serve with bread.

Notes: 

I have used cheddar cheese, you can use any other cheese or combination of cheeses.

I usually flip the omelette but you can skip it and top with mushroom masala once the omelette is dried on top.

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Creamy Egg masala | Motte masala

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This egg masala was not a planned recipe, I started with a plan to make simple onion tomato masala with some Indian spices but ended up making this finger licking good creamy gravy that was super delicious. 

Usually when the vegetables are out of stock I cook something with eggs. This creamy egg masala is a perfect spicy dish to go with any Indian flat bread or flavored rice. I made it quite spicy but you can adjust the amount of spice according to your taste. 

So let's get started with boiling the eggs.

  

Ingredients:

Boiled Eggs: 6
Oil: 2tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Garlic: 6-7 cloves
Ginger: 1 inch
Green Chillies: 2
Medium Onion: 3
Medium Tomato: 2
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala powder: 1/2 tsp

Kasoori methi(dried fenugreek leaves): 1 tsp
Cooking cream: - 2-3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Boil water in a pot and add salt to it drop in eggs slowly and cook for 10-12 minutes. Drain the water from pot and pour cold water on it and peel the eggs after 5 mins, cut into half and keep aside.

2. Thinly slice onions, garlic and ginger, chop tomatoes and slit green chillies and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds. Add garlic and ginger and saute until the oil is fragrant.

4. Mix in sliced onion and green chilles and cook until the onions turn translucent. We do not need to brown the onions.

5. Add in chopped tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder and mix well. let it cook on medium flame until the oil separates.

6. Add cream and a little water (Adjust according to the gravy needed) and bring to boil.

7. Sprinkle garam masala and crushed kasoori methi and mix well. Add boiled eggs, cover and cook for 2 mins and turn off the flame. Let the flavors sync in for 5 mins.  Serve with roti/chapathi or any flavored rice. 

Notes:
1. You can skip the cream and continue with next steps for simple onion tomato gravy masala.

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Sabbasige bele palya | Dill leaves cooked with lentils

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Dill leaves Palya reminds me of my school holidays when my mother used to be busy cooking lunch. There was this warm aroma of garlic and some thing thats a bit sweetish, a bit like fennel seeds and celery that spreads to the living room.

The aroma was from this humble dish that's made with dill leaves and soaked yellow pigeon peas (Toor Daal) with onion and garlic tempering. My mother never failed to tell us how healthy and nutritious is dill leaves and paired with toor daal for protein it's a perfect recipe for building immunity. It goes extremely well with Jawar roti and chapathis. Here is the recipe from my mother.

Ingredients:

Dill leaves: 2 packed cups
Chopped medium Onion : 2
Chopped Green Chillies: 4-5
Chopped Garlic : 2 tbsp
Oil: 2 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Toor Dal : 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Method: 
1. Soak toor dal in warm water for 1 hour, finely chop dill leaves and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters and cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds.

3. Add chopped green chillies and garlic and fry until the garlic changes the color slightly.

4. Add onions and saute until translucent, add soaked dal and salt and cook until the dal is soft. It will not be mashed up but soft enough to bite.

5. Add chopped dill leaves and mix well, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the leaves are well cooked. Turn off the flame and serve hot dill palya with chapathi or jawar roti. It also tastes great with rice and rasam. 

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Stuffed Brinjal | Dharwad style Badanikay Engayi

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I am trying to come out of the long pause from blogging with this wonderful Stuffed Brinjal recipe. This one is my mom's version of Dharwad style Engayi. You can make it in so many different ways. I will post my other variations when I make them next time. Sometimes I make the masala from scratch and when I am pressed for time I use all ready spice powders to make a quick one. Here is the detailed recipe, do try it out.

Ingredients:

Baby brinjal : 10

Dry red chilles (mild spice): 10-12 

Ground nut: 1/4 cup

Shredded coconut: 2-3 tbsp

Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Peppercorn: 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds : 1/2 tsp

Onion: 3

Garlic: 4-5 cloves

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
jaggery: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 2+2 tbsp
Coriander leaves

Method:
1. Slit the baby brinjals in the centre to ¾ th keeping the stems. Make another slit making + mark and keep them in water to avoid discoloration.

2. Dry roast all the ingredients for the powder - ground nut, dry red chillies, coconut, sesame seeds, peppercorn, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds and make a coarse powder and keep aside.

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds.

4. Add curry leaves, finely chopped garlic and onion saute until the onion turn golden brown in color.

5. Add tamarind water, salt and Jaggery and bring it to boil.

6. Add in ground powder and mix well. Add coriander leaves and adjust the seasoning.

7. It will turn into a thick mixture, if its watery add a little bit groundnut powder and let it cool down.

8. Stuff the mixture into the slit brinjals. Keep the remaining masala aside.

9. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep pan and arrange the stuffed brinjal in a single layer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the brinjals and cook again with the lid for another 5 minutes.

10. Mix in the remaining masala and a little water and cover with the lid.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes and turn off the flame. Serve hot with jawar roti or Chapathi.

 

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Mango Payasa | Kheer |

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The simplest payasa is shavige or vermicelli payasa. Now that the the king of fruits Mango is here, I gave it a twist and made mango payasa. Since the beginning of mango season I have been trying different recipes. My all time favorite mango menaskayi, lassi, aamras and so on. The last one before the season ends is this delicious Mango Payasa/kheer. Did I say it's so easy to make and tastes divine! If you can still get hold of some ripe mangoes do try this recipe and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Sweet Mango puree: 1 cup

Milk: 1 ltr

Sugar: 1/4 cup

Vermicelli: 1 cup

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp

For garnish: 

Mango pieces: 3-4 tbsp 

Slivered almonds and pistachio: 2-3 tbsp

Saffron strands: 2 pinches

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a non stick pan and roast the vermicelli/shavige until golden brown.

2. Pour milk and boil it for 10 mins.

3. Add sugar and cardamom powder and  continue to boil for another 5 mins. Turn off and cool it completely.

4. Add mango puree and mix well. Chill it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

5. Garnish with some mango pieces, slivered almond, pistachio and saffron strands and serve chilled payasa/kheer. 

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Gargi | Red pumpkin sweet

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Gargi is a sweet dish from North Karnataka. It looks very similar to Athras/kajjaya but it's softer in texture and made of pumpkin. I have gulped down many of these in my friends' place during school days. It was never made at our house for whatever reason and I had almost forgotten about it.

The other day I brought a red pumpkin and I was thinking of recipes. While on the phone with my doc sis she reminded me of Gargi and also told me a recipe from her patient. I finished the call with a promise to make this for her when we meet next time :)) Surprisingly My little one who doesn't like the taste of pumpkin polished off 3 of them at one go. So I made it couple of times again and it was a quick hit. Here you go with the recipe.

Ingredients:
Grated Pumpkin : 1 cup
Jaggery: 1/2 cup
Wheat Flour: 2-3 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp
A pinch of salt
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Oil: To deep fry

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add grated pumpkin and salt, saute for 5 minutes or until the pumpkin becomes soft.

2. Add in jaggery and cardamom powder and saute on low flame for about 2-3 minutes. Now the pumpkin mixture will become a bit gooey.

3. Turn off the flame and add wheat flour, adjust the quantity of flour depending on the moisture in the pumpkin. Make a soft dough.

4. Take a small lemon sized dough and roll and press it on your palm and make a hole in the center like a donut. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown on medium flame.

5. Remove on absorbent paper and relish :)

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Mangalore Buns- Fried banana pooris

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Mangalore buns, as the name suggests is a delicacy from Mangalore, Karnataka. Although it's called a bun it's not a baked food, but similar to deep fried pooris. It's a great way to use the over ripe bananas. This mildly sweetened bun is soft and fluffy in texture. It's traditionally made with maida or all purpose flour but I have used whole wheat flour. Here is the easy recipe to make these delicious buns.

Ingredients:
Wheat Flour/Plain Flour : 1.5 Cups
Long Ripe Banana : 1
Yogurt: 2-3 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda:  1/4 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Sugar : 2-3 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Mash the banana with fork leaving no lumps (It can even be pureed in the blender).

2. Sift the flour with baking soda and salt.

3. Add Sugar and cumin seeds and combine well.

4. Mix in mashed banana, yogurt and knead the flour to make a soft dough. Add a little water if needed.

5. Apply few drops of oil and cover and keep aside for 3-4 hours.

6. Heat oil in a deep pan for frying the buns.

7. While the oil is getting hot, start rolling the buns. Take small lemon size dough and roll into 1/4" thick round sheet.

8. Slowly drop it into hot oil and fry on both sides until the color changes to golden brown.

9. Remove on absorbent paper towel and the delicious mangalore buns are ready to devour. 

10. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

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Masala Majjige | Indian Spiced Buttermilk

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I am back with another cooling recipe for the hot summer. It's yet another simple and humble drink majjige (butter milk). On a hot and humid day nothing works like a chilled buttermilk. It's low in calories and very good for digestion and keeps the body cool.

Ingredients:
Buttermilk: 2 large glasses
Ginger: 1 inch
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
Green chilli: 1
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Take ginger, coriander leaves, green chillies and salt in a pestle and crush roughly.

2. Take buttermilk in a mixer jar and mix the crushed masalas and whisk for a min and chill it in the refrigerator.

Delicious butter milk is ready to gulp down.

Notes:
1. If you do not have buttermilk, please take curd in the mixer jar, add enough water and whisk for 2 minutes.

2. Instead of crushing the masala in the pestle you can also add it in the mixer jar and pulse it before adding the buttermilk.

3. For variations you can add cumin seeds or mint leaves. or you can also add a tempering of mustard and curry leaves before serving.

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