Summer Special - Mango Granita

I may not welcome summer warmly but I do it rather coolly. Since the time I was a kid, I love summers, may be b’coz they bring annual holidays or may be b’coz of fragrant jasmine flowers, may be b’coz they carry a hint that my birthday is near by or may be b’coz of mangoes. In southern states of India, its almost 365 days of summer, with some untimed showers and sometimes an uneven dipping of mercury levels. But the best part being in Bangalore is its salubrious climate. Round the year you can experience light to moderate to heavy showers keeping you cool even in summers.

As I told you summers bring the king of fruits with them, “The Mangoes”. Seasonal fruits are always special to relish. As they are found in particular season, they make best buy during that season. The best way to indulge with mangoes is by just peeling the skin and cutting the pulp into cubes. But the great mangoes can also be enjoyed in many more ways; they can be pureed and processed in cakes, cookies, sorbets, milkshakes, cocktails, mock tails, drinks, sweets, desserts, puddings, jelly’s, granita’s and etc.

Coming to today’s post on mangoes, it’s a simple and easy recipe with mangoes. Granita’s are normally flavoured iced scrapped version of fruit. When a fruit is processed into granita, it still retains all the flavor and naturality. As it’s been summer, cold dessert like mango sorbet is perfect to bask on. The medley of sweet mango with tangy lime juice and with hint of mint makes a luscious granita.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups chopped ripe mango
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp fresh Lime juice
• 2 tbsp Sugar, optional
• 2-3 fresh Mint leaves, minced

PREPARATION:

• In a blender, blend mango pieces, water and sugar until smooth. Now add lime juice and stir to dissolve.
• Pour the mixture into flat container with edges or rectangular baking dish. Place the container in the freezer. After 30-45 minutes, run a fork along sides of the container to break up large chunks of ice. Repeat this process for every 30-40 minutes.
• Once ice is full of large, irregularly flaky with no liquid remaining then your granita is ready to serve.
• Serve them in your choice of glasses with minced mint leaves on top.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

VARIATIONS:

• Adding rose petals enhances the look of granite.
• You can even add chat masala for that Indian punch.
• Freshly ground black pepper, give extra flavor and nice tinge to the taste buds.

NOTE: For best flavor and texture, serve within two days of making.

This granita is going to participate in Kurinji Kathambam's Healthy Recipe Hunt-3 where the theme is Healthy Summer, also going to participate in Culinary Smackdown Battle-Mangoes hosted by Tanvi of Sinfully Spicy, also going to participate in Healing Foods-Mango hosted by Reva of Kaarasaaram, healing foods event by Siri of Cooking with Siri, also going to participate in Radhika's FunNSun event, where she is celebrating her blog Tickling Palates birthday and also to Seasonal indulgence-series summer coolers, the very first event by SaffronStreaks.

Thothakura Pappu + Green Brinjal Stir-Fry + World Cup Celebration + Apple Tasting

Hooooh …it’s a long title…so is the post. As this is a long post, I directly dig into the recipes…..First one is simple and delectable Amaranth leaves with toovar dal….it is one of simple Andhra recipe, popularly known as ‘thotakura pappu’. Easy to cook, when greens are de-stemmed and chopped already (I always de-stem and chop the greens a day ahead). When nutritious amaranth leaves are cooked with mild tasting toovar dal with aromatic Indian spices, the resultant is extremely delectable.

When I was reading wiki on Amaranth leaves, I came across these beautiful lines,

Aesop's Fables (6th century BC) compares the Rose to the Amaranth to illustrate the difference in fleeting and everlasting beauty.

A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden,

and the Amaranth said to her neighbour,

"How I envy you your beauty and your sweet scent!

No wonder you are such a universal favourite."

But the Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice,

"Ah, my dear friend, I bloom but for a time:

my petals soon wither and fall, and then I die.

But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut;

for they are everlasting."

More can be found here.

THOTHAKURA PAPPU (AMARANTH LEAVES + TOOR DAL)

INGRDIENTS:

• 2 cups tightly packed Amaranth leaves (discard the stems)
• 1 cup Toor dal, washed
• 1 Green chili, slit length wise
• 1 medium sized Onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp thick Tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp Red chili powder
• ¼ tbsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Sambar powder
• Salt

TEMPERING/TADKA:

• ½ tbsp Mustard seeds
• ½ tbsp Jeera
• 1 dry Red chili
• 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 10 Curry leaves
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• Pressure cook by mixing toor dal, chopped amaranth leaves, sliced onions, tamarind paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder and sambar powder until dal is completely cooked.
• In a heavy bottom vessel, add oil and to this add one by one the ingredients mentioned under tempering.
• Once the dal is cooked, mash with a wooden ladle by adding salt. Add above tempering and serve hot with steamed white rice with a dollop of ghee.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

This dal is going to participate in MLLA -34 hosted by Desi Soccer Mom, event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. This dal is aslo going to participate in Cooking with Whole Foods-LB-Toor Dal/Pigeon Peas hosted by Veggie Platter, event by Kiran of SUMAHURA.

GREEN BRINJAL'S STIR FRY

To go with thothakura pappu, i made this green brinjal’s stir fry. Green brinjal’s are commonly found in Bangalore. They cook very fast and taste almost the same as purple ones. A simple stir fry is easy and indulging recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-7 green Brinjals, discard stem and cut length wise
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 ½ tbsp Red chili powder
• ¼ tbsp Turmeric powder
• Salt

TEMPERING/TADKA:

• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 3-4 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 10 Curry leaves
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• Add oil to a heavy bottom cooking vessel and when oil starts to heat up add one by one ingredient’s listed under tempering. Once curry leaves start to change color, add brinjal pieces along with turmeric powder and salt.
• Sauté on medium heat by mixing gently. Crush garlic with red chili powder and make a coarse mixture.
• When brinjal pieces almost cooked, add this garlic-red chili mixture and combine with brinjal pieces. Cook till brinjal pieces are completely done. Serve with rice and dal.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

The above recipe is going to participate in Dish Name starts with G hosted by Akhila of Learning-To-Cook.

WORLD CUP KA JASHAN:

As the celebration of world cup continues…..it’s always makes me proud thinking of being a part of world cup glory….what if, if you are watching the match at home…..cheering from family members, smsing twitting and facebooking gave utmost enthusiasm. Stress was much built and pumped more on social networking sites. An SMS to end the grand celebration of world cup which made rounds and rounds in facebook and twitter sent by Deepa just came seconds after the world cup victory is Anhoni ko honi karde….honi ko anhoni…ek jaga jab jamaa ho teeno…Rajini, Gajini aur Dhoni…J Overall it’s a glorious victory and we are part of it…its like festive night, people celebrated…celebrated and celebrated….I can still feel the goose bumps….and love watching highlights over again and again. When two foodies and that too cricket crazy people live nearby….gives you more than enough reason to celebrate……Here is a glimpse of what we (me and Deepa) call…..”World Cup Ka Jashan”. In the photo below you can see, Roti, Shahi Paneer, Qubooli, Dalcha and Dahi Ki Chutney. A delectable platter to sooth the world cup mood and to pamper your taste buds. Love that indulging Shahi Paneer recipe Deepa. You can check Deepa’s Shahi Paneer recipe here.

APPLE TASTING:

Off late I got invitation from SCS Group to attend an exclusive cooking demo with Washington Apples by Chef Vicky Ratnani. As I could not make it to the event, they sent me these gorgeous juicy looking apples with an informational brochure and recipe booklet demonstrated by Chef Ratnani. Thank you SCS group for apples and information on them. More on this in coming posts.

Capsicum-Baby corn Ki Sabzi

Off late I got bored by eating the same routine vegetables and wanted to gratify my taste buds with something new and different. When I was returning from Deepa’s place I bought two packets of baby corn. With one I made baby corn manchurain and was wondering what I can do with another packet of baby corn. It has become quite a routine that I and Prathibha chat for almost whole day and asking the each other breakfast and lunch menu is quite a part of the chat. Sometimes I ask her to suggest a simple or quick dinner menu. As it is chapatti most of the times, I run out of ideas for side dish. Then the conversation between the two foodies (blogger’s) start like….

me: anything with baby corn to go with roti

prathibha: luv it,

http://thechefandherkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/04/babycorn-capsicum-curry.html

me: now a days u r blog is becoming a bible for me, in fixing dinners, :-)

prathibha: he he good, it happens with everyone, I search all blogs for fixing menus, you can avoid cream n add milk instead of it, if u want bit low cal version, baby corn is an amazing veggie, love it a lot

me: hmm, baby corn will cook upon frying?

prathibha: yeah, I like it crunchy

me: ok

prathibha: u can even steam it or microwave it

me: will give it a try, hmm thinking of that only

prathibha: u can even make stir fry out of it with capsicum, peas or paneer

even baby corn n paneer is a very good combo.

Hurray.....my menu is fixed for dinner….happy and relieved….When I try a new recipe from a blog or a recipe book or a tv show or any other medium….i completely follow the procedure mentioned to avoid recipe disaster. For the next time onwards if I am going to prepare it again….i make my own changes in the recipe accordingly….this is my funds of cooking….When Prathibha suggested me about this Capsicum and baby corn recipe, I simply followed the steps mentioned by her in the recipe…and now this recipe has become routine as side dish for roti’s. So with out delay scroll down for recipe and verdict……

INGREDIENTS:

RECIPE COURTESY: The Chef and her Kitchen

• 15 Baby corn, cut length wise
• 1 big green Capsicum, diced
• 1 Onions, sliced
• 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
• 4-5 Cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Red chili powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• ½ tsp Jeera powder
• ¼ tbsp Turmeric
• ½ tsp Amchur powder
• ½ tsp Jeera
• 1/4 cup Cream, optional
• 2-3 fresh springs of Coriander leaves, minced
• Salt
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• In a heavy bottom cooking vessel, add oil and sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent, then add ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, amchur powder and jeera powder. Fry till tomatoes are soft and completely cooked. Leave the mixture to cool.
• Once the mixture gets cooled, grind to smooth paste by adding cashew nuts.
• Heat oil. To this add capsicum and baby corn pieces. Fry till they are semi cooked. Take out and set aside.
• Now heat little oil, add jeera, and fry till it flutters then add ground mixture and fry until oil starts to leave the sides. Now add semi cooked capsicum and baby corn pieces and cook covered till baby corn is completely done.
• Add cream and give a gentle mix to the curry. Garnish with minced coriander leaves and serve hot with roti’s.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

VERDICT: With the punch of aromatic spices, the recipe makes an ideal side dish for roti’s. Addition of cream gives an extra flavour. Medley of capsicum and baby corn is simple yum. All in all simple and delectable recipe.

MY VARIATION: When I made this recipe for the second time, I microwave baby corn and capsicum pieces, added 4-5 spoons of skimmed milk instead of cream, opt out cashew nuts and did not use amchur powder and jeera powder. The result was equally same. Try on!

This recipe is going to participate in Tried & Tasted hosted by Sushma of Savi-Ruchi and event by Lakshmi. Hop to Prathibha’s, “The chef and her Kitchen”, to find medley of simple and delectable recipes sometimes with fusion and sometimes with Indian spice punch. You can try some innovative and traditional dosa recipes from her place.

Egg Fried Rice - Simple yet Indulging

Egg fried rice is simple to make and makes a perfect lunch box recipe…..This recipe comes handy when you are running out of vegetables and time…..Most of the times morning are like playing a movie on a fast forward mode in many houses……with kids to go to school, maid turning up, husbands to leave for their offices and in many houses wife’s going out for work……when you have so many things to do and running short of time…this simple egg fried rice comes handy….You can also make this with leftover rice….which makes the things more easier……And this recipe is for some of those who are stay at home mom’s and find difficult at times to cook a meal to gratify that hunger pangs…..

Those beautiful red chopsticks gracing the pictures were gifted by Padma Rekha. Thank you so much dear.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups cooked and cooled Rice
• 1 Onion, sliced
• 2 Eggs, beaten with little salt
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce, optional
• 1 tbsp Black pepper
• Salt
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• In a heavy bottom cooking vessel add oil and when oil gets heated up add onion slices and fry till translucent. Add beaten eggs and cook on medium flame for 1-2 minutes.
• With the help of a spatula or spoon, now scramble the mixture. Once mixture is cooked, increase the flame and add soy sauce and give the mixture a good stir.
• Reduce the flame and add rice and combine well. Now add salt and pepper powder and mix well.
• Cook covered for another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

NOTE:

• If you cooked rice with salt, then adjust salt in the recipe.
• You can even add ginger-garlic paste, garam masala powder or cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in the oil before adding egg mixture. The more the flavor the more the taste.
• You can even add mint or coriander leaves to enhance the flavor. You can garnish with chopped fresh spring onions.
• For an colorful twist to the above recipe, click here.