Healing Foods Event - Broccoli :)

Posting this event again and waiting for your entries...

'Healing Foods Event' aims at focusing one food item, every month by highlighting their health benefits and challenging you to come up with recipes in their most 'healthy form'. It was started by Siri and this month I am guest hosting the event with the theme Broccoli.

The reason I chose Brocoli is I myself want to know different recipes of it. I hardly know any recipe from brocoli :). So this event is going to help me by adding to my food knowledge.

Broccoli (from the Italian plural of broccolo, referring to "the flowering top of a cabbage") is a plant of the Kale family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). It is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli has large flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Many varieties of broccoli are perennial. Broccoli most closely resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivar group of the same species.

Broccoli's noteworthy nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium, and fiber. While the calcium content of one serving doesn't equal that of a glass of milk, broccoli is an important calcium source for those who don't consume dairy products. Calcium does more than build strong bones. Research shows that this mineral may play a role in the control of high blood pressure, and it may work to prevent colon cancer.

Beta-carotene and vitamin C are important antioxidants that have been linked to a reduced risk of numerous conditions, including cataracts, heart disease, and several cancers.

Come let's go green this November and make some special dishes (simple or complex , rice or daals, sandwiches or noodles) ....which must contain Broccoli.
If your dish contain Broccoli as main ingredient it would great :).

Guidelines for the event: (I will accept entries till  7 Dec 10 - Hurry :))

1. Create any dish using Broccoli and post the same in your blog. You could use any variety of spinach. Non-Bloggers can send their recipes with the details mentioned below to the same email address.

2. Please link this announcement in your posts. Also link to Siri's blog.Usage of the logo is optional.

3. Multiple entries are more than welcome - more the merrier!

4. Send your details - Name, Recipe URL and Photo (any size, optional) to spicemantra(at)live(dot)com before Nov 30th 2010, midnight.

5. You can send previously blogged entries, provided they are re-posted!

Happy Cooking!

Healing Foods Event - Broccoli :)

'Healing Foods Event' aims at focusing one food item, every month by highlighting their health benefits and challenging you to come up with recipes in their most 'healthy form'. It was started by Siri and this month I am guest hosting the event with the theme Broccoli.

The reason I chose Brocoli is I myself want to know different recipes of it. I hardly know any recipe from brocoli :). So this event is going to help me by adding to my food knowledge.

Broccoli (from the Italian plural of broccolo, referring to "the flowering top of a cabbage") is a plant of the Kale family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). It is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli has large flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Many varieties of broccoli are perennial. Broccoli most closely resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivar group of the same species.

Broccoli's noteworthy nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium, and fiber. While the calcium content of one serving doesn't equal that of a glass of milk, broccoli is an important calcium source for those who don't consume dairy products. Calcium does more than build strong bones. Research shows that this mineral may play a role in the control of high blood pressure, and it may work to prevent colon cancer.

Beta-carotene and vitamin C are important antioxidants that have been linked to a reduced risk of numerous conditions, including cataracts, heart disease, and several cancers.

Come let's go green this November and make some special dishes (simple or complex , rice or daals, sandwiches or noodles) ....which must contain Broccoli.
If your dish contain Broccoli as main ingredient it would great :).

Guidelines for the event:

1. Create any dish using Broccoli and post the same in your blog. You could use any variety of spinach. Non-Bloggers can send their recipes with the details mentioned below to the same email address.

2. Please link this announcement in your posts. Also link to Siri's blog.Usage of the logo is optional.

3. Multiple entries are more than welcome - more the merrier!

4. Send your details - Name, Recipe URL and Photo (any size, optional) to spicemantra(at)live(dot)com before Nov 30th 2010, midnight.

5. You can send previously blogged entries, provided they are re-posted!

Happy Cooking!

Happy Diwali and a recipe for "Chakali"

Its time of Diwali. Lights, special mithais, Pujas make a wonderful environment at home. Everybody just enjoys the 5 days of this auspicious festival and hopes for a bright future. I just love all the aspect of Diwali. Drawing rangolis, lighting diyas in evening, crackers, "Dhanteras" , "Laxmi Pujan" , "Abhyang Snan", "Bhai beej" getting "ashirwads" from elders. This one festival of lights is always so much awaited. Last but not the least the mithais and special namkins which we make for Diwali. Before getting married I just used to eat everything. I never new the techniques, the ingredients and tricks of making them. This year I got this chance to try my hands on "Chakali" . This one has various different recipes. Some make if of wheat flour, some make it of mixed flours and some make it of maida (white flour). Below is the recipe for the white flour.

Ingredients:

Makes about 40 Chakalis.

3 Cups of white flour
Red Chili Powder as per taste
Salt as per taste
Little sugar
1 tbsp Sesame seeds
2 tsp turmeric powder (Haldi)
Just 1 tsp of oil

Method:

1.  Place the white flour in a clean cloth and pack this cloth and tie knots.

2.  Place this in a steamer for about 20 minutes. 10 minutes each side down.

3. Let it cool. Then with the help of grater grate this flour and then mix all the ingredients.

4. Make a dough (this should not be sticky like the regular one).  This is the important step and your dough should be of proper texture. It should be easy to divide this dough into parts.

5. Then make the rolls out of this dough and put them in a chakali maker. (Get idea of what this machine is here)

6. Now you can make chakalis.

7. Heat oil in a frying pan and then fry these chakalis.

Tips:

Making a perfect Chakali will take lot of trials and errors. But sooner or later you will get it. 
Try making this out of different flours.

Happy Diwali To All My blogger friends and foodies. :)

Matki sprouts (Moth or Turkish gram Beans )

Sprouted beans are every body's favorite. Here in US we don't get ready made sprouted moth beans (matki). We make sprouts at home. It takes about 2-3 days. For this you need to soak beans overnight and the 2nd day transfer this to sprout maker. (If you don't have sprout maker tie this soaked beans in a wet cloth). Check after 1-2 days and you will find the sprouts.
Matki chi usal, misal, bhel  are popular maharastrian dishes. At home we make all of these and also a little watery sabzi of matki.

Ingredients: Serves: 4

1 1/2 cup sprouted matki
1 tbsp grated fresh coconut
1/2 cup tomatoes cut into pieces
1/2 cup potato cubes
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
Red chili powder, Dhaniyajeera powder, Salt as per taste
Oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida (hing), cumin seeds for seasoning
4-5 Curry leaves
Few drops of lemon juice (optional)
Coriander for garnishing (optional)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add ingredients for seasoning.

2. Immediately add curry leaves and chopped onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Then add tomato and potato pieces and saute till onion turns little brown. Now add peas and coconut and saute again.

4. Add all the powders and mix well till oil separates from the mixture.

5. Now add matki sprouts and saute well so that all the masala gets evenly applied to matki.Also add few lemon drops.

5. Now add water to cook matki and salt as per taste. Let matki cook for 10 - 12 minutes. Add more water if required. This curry is semi liquid in consistency.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Tips:

Tastes good even with plain rice. Also if you are a yogurt fan add it to the rice, add matki curry and enjoy the taste.

Dum Aloo...(Baby potatoes in a spicy gravy)

Dum aloo comes from a very beautiful state in India, Jammu n Kashmir but is extremely popular everywhere. There are various recipes found but shallow frying the potatoes in oil and then cooking them in a curd/tomato based gravy is common.

Ingredients:

8-10 baby Potatoes

3-4 tbsp Tomato Puree

2 tbsp Blanched Onion Puree

2-3 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

3 diced green chillies

4 tbsp yogurt (plain is preferred)

1/2 tsp fennel powder

1/2 tsp Amchur powder (dried mango powder)

1 tsp Sugar

Red chili powder as per taste

1 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Bay Leaf

3 Cloves

1/2" Cinnamon stick

2-3 tbsp Oil

Salt as per taste

Lemon juice

Butter to shallow fry potatoes

Method:

1. Blanch Onions, make puree of it and keep aside. Make tomato puree as well.

2. Peel all potatoes and prick them using a toothpick or fork. Sprinkle salt over them and keep aside. In a pan shallow fry the potatoes till they turn light brown in color. Remove them.

3. Now in same pan take oil. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick in it. When the spices start crackling add cumin seeds in it.

4. Now add Onion puree and a pinch of salt and pinch of sugar. Fry puree for 3-4 minutes. Then add chopped green chilies, ginger-garlic paste an stir for another 3 minutes.

5. Then add tomato puree, saute for about 2 minutes, add garam masala powder, cumin-coriander powder (dhaniyajeera powder), turmeric powder in it and saute again.

6. Meanwhile mix amchoor powder, fennel powder, sugar in yogurt; stir it well and add it to the pan. Mixing yogurt should be fast. Saute again until the oil separates out from the gravy. Yogurt thickens the gravy giving a nice feel.

7. Add salt, sugar and stir. Add fried potatoes in the gravy and lid it till potatoes cook well. Add little milk/water as required. At the end add crushed Kasuri methi and few drops of lemon juice.

Tips:

• 
  
  If yogurt is not plain and is bit sour then reduce the quantity of tomato puree.
• 
  
  Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
• 
  
  Serve with Garam Parathas.
• 
  
  If you don't have fennel powder make one from the fennel seeds we have at home. Aamchoor powder adds to the taste but is optional.