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Recipe: Simple But Special – Semiya Upma

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For the longest time, from when I was a child, I’ve been eating semiya upma as a breakfast dish. Our mother prepared it often when we were growing up. Back then, cereals and so on were not readily available (at best, some cornflakes would show up at the grocery store, but they were a rarity, as were items such as baked beans). We would make a big fuss about wanting bread, buns or what to us were more interesting fare, but the fact is that our mother made us a hot, fresh breakfast every morning – and we were all the luckier for it. Things have really reversed now, and I understand that such thoughtfully prepared breakfasts are simple luxuries. I find myself doing the same now, giving my family the same benefits of a home-cooked meal.

After eating copious amounts of sugar for Diwali, this makes for a healthy and comforting breakfast. Many people feel like they really don’t want to reach out for sweets at this time, and are almost sick of them, so nutritious foods like a good semiya upma are ideal.

Upma is a South Indian dish that is usually made with any grain: poha, rava, broken wheat, millet and so on. Semiya is a kind of roasted vermicelli, and this is what my mother and now I mostly use to prepare upma.

My mom’s upma contained onions, as is usually the case, and I take the vegetable quotient further by adding carrots and beans. As children, we would often ask for a sprinkling of sugar over the dish, which she gladly agreed to in order to get us to consume it. She would occasionally take this to the next level and prepare a sweet upma with sugar and ghee too. I have yet to try this dessert version, but regularly have a variety of savoury upmas at home. We enjoy exploring an assortment of dishes, but upmas and pohas appear on our table at least once a week each.

Upma cooks very quickly, so aside from being a good breakfast it’s also perfect when you have a guest over suddenly during the day and need to whip up a meal fast. As far as breakfasts go, I have made various attempts at intermittent fasting but this semiya upma is the thing that gets in the way. It is just too dear to me and I don’t want to miss it, so I guess you could say it’s a cheat day special!

 

Semiya Upma

(Serves 2-3)

 

2 tablespoons oil

½ teaspoon mustard seeds and cumin seeds

1 cup carrots and beans (finely chopped)

½ cup onions (finely chopped)

1 cup semiya

1 green chilli

Salt to taste

3-5 curry leaves

3 cups water

1 lime

 

Heat a kadai. Add the oil. Once it has heated, add the mustard and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter, and then add green chilli and curry leaves.

Next, add the onions and sauté for a minute. Now add the vegetables. Cover and allow to become tender on a low flame.

Next, add the water and salt. Increase the flame and once the water boils over, add the roasted semiya.

Mix gently. Cover and allow to cook on a low flame until the water evaporates and the semiya is tender to the touch.

Finally, squeeze the lime juice in and mix gently. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Your semiya upma is now ready to be served. It can be eaten plain, or with some coconut chutney on the side.

While I’ve shared a traditional Indian favourite this time, breakfast does come every day and you may want to explore the varied recipes I’ve shared before from different cuisines. They will all give you a happy start to the day!

 

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Recipe: Memories & Many Learnings – Mixed Veg Cutlet

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I recently visited my very dear friend Girija, whom I’ve talked about before. Her stew is famous. I hope you’ve experienced why; I shared the recipe a while ago so that its delightfulness could spread even further. Whenever I visit her, it feels like I’m going home. She spoils me, looks after me, cooks everything that I like to eat, and I have to admit that she is a way better cook than I ever can be.

In my previous recipe, for beetroot cutlets, I mentioned that the dish had been popping up in various conversations around the same time. Girija was one of the people I discussed the dish with, and I recall telling her that what I usually make is a mixed vegetable cutlet. I enjoy talking to Girija about culinary innovations because there is a lot I learn from her. Through her, I know about cooking meat dishes that I wouldn’t otherwise have a familiarity with, along with details like spice usages and the reasons behind them. I often say that my mother was my first teacher in the kitchen, and that subsequently studying Macrobiotics at the Kushi Institute enhanced my outlook and the way I see and treat food. I feel Girija is among these teachers of mine too.

I share all this with gratitude, which is connected of course to the Indian belief that food must be treated with respect and should never be wasted, and to the practice of saying grace before meals in some cultures. As I share my mixed vegetable cutlet today, during this festive month and incidentally the month in which this blog of mine turns six years old, I want to say that am so happy to have such lovely people in my life. Between you and me, I am even grateful to have the not so lovely ones as well, for they teach us too. Life is all about learning and growing. Over the last few years, I’ve learned and grown so much in the culinary field and beyond. It all begins with the food we cook, the food we eat, and the food we learn to cook – together.

 

Mixed Veg Cutlet

(Yield: 6 pieces)

 

2 cups finely chopped vegetables (beans, carrots, peas)

1 boiled potato

1 slice of bread made into bread crumbs

1 teaspoon oil + oil for shallow frying

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon aamchur (raw mango powder)

1 teaspoon garam masala

 

In a kadai, add the 1 teaspoon of oil. Once it has heated, add the vegetables. Stir and allow to cook until tender.

Transfer the vegetables onto a shallow dish and add the potato, bread crumbs, salt, aamchur and garam masala. Mash all the ingredients together well until combined. Add the coriander leaves.

Make the mixture into palm sized discs. Set aside.

In a flat pan, add some oil. Once it has heated, gently place the cutlets onto the hot oil. Lower the flame to low-medium. Allow the cutlets to turn golden and then flip. Allow to cook on both sides.

Your mixed veg cutlets are now ready to serve. I hope you’ll try them out, and that you’ll also explore my beetroot cutlet, sweet potato tikki and harra bhara kebab recipes, which are in a similar vein. All go well with an assortment of dips, chutneys and sauces. Let me know what you think, and if there are any other cutlet recipes you’d like me to try out and share with you in future. As I said earlier – we just keep learning, and for me I find that sharing is a way of learning too.

 

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Recipe: Expanding The Veggie Oeuvre – Fried Okra Chips

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Okra, also known as lady’s finger, is a basic Indian vegetable that grows in any weather, any soil and any season. This means that it recurs as an ingredient in cuisines across the country, and there must surely be a hundred varieties or versions of cooking it. To give you some examples of its versatility: I’ve had it in a yoghurt raita and I’ve also had it in a tamarind sauce gravy, two very different concepts altogether. My most favourite way to eat okra, however, is in a dry stir fry that I make at home almost every other day as the sabzi part of our traditional Gujarati thaali. However, making a preparation attractive to the rest of my family, particularly the younger generation, has been a challenge. That was when I discovered that I could convince them to eat this vegetable by turning it into fried okra chips.

Initially, my plan was to simply introduce my kids to the wonders of a good okra dish and then have them develop enough of a liking for the vegetable that they also became interested in the regular stir-fry. I must confess this plan has backfired – we are all too addicted to this version! So it’s become more of a treat and less of a staple in my home.

Still, as I continue to find ways to increase the vegetable quotients in my kids’ diets, I’m glad to have figured out this simple yet delicious recipe. I have noticed that youngsters take some time to grow out of the feeling that brinjal or okra, vegetables that have a certain texture, are icky. Even though mine are now adults, they still have these dislikes. Preparing these vegetables they are picky about using a technique that makes the stickiness go away, such as frying, makes a difference. Do you have any such tips and tricks you’d like to share too?

Another great thing about these fried okra chips is that they require very little prep time, and as long as you have your usual spices and some fresh okra around, you can make them quite quickly. As with most vegetables, freshness is a key element when it comes to okra. When I was growing up, my mother taught me not only how to cook but also how to pick out the best vegetables when shopping for groceries. While you may not be able to do this at the market, when you’re about to cook, the secret to knowing how good your okra is this: snap the tiny piece of the tail end off. If it snaps immediately, it’s fresh. If it is tender, it’s losing its freshness.

When this happens, depending on the dish in question and the extent of the vegetable’s over-ripeness, I either use it in another preparation or else I discard it. By discard I mean that I go and feed it to the cows in the street. Most of the older vegetables amidst my groceries or in my fridge are “discarded” this way. In a sense, they are never wasted.

Fried Okra Chips

(Yield: Serves 4)

 

250 grams okra (sliced lengthwise)

Salt to taste

2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

5 tablespoons chickpea flour

1 teaspoon chaat masala

Add all the spices and the chickpea flour to the okra slices, and massage well using your hands. Allow to sit for half an hour.

Then, heat the oil. Once the oil is heated, drop in the coated okra slices. Fry well until golden. Drain on a paper. Sprinkle with chaat masala for an additional boost of lovely flavouring. You can store the fried okra in a tin if consuming later.

These fried okra chips are a wonderful snack on their own, and also work as an accompaniment to a main course. I’d love to know what you think of them, and I’d especially love to know if you have more suggestions about how to sneak nutritious vegetables into the diets of the vegetable-averse!

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Recipe: Crunchy, Cool, Creative – Asian Cucumber Salad

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Confession: I have a dislike for cucumber. This has been a problem for me because for Indian salads, or at least the one I grew up having to eat, cucumber is a basic ingredient. At some point, I decided that I had better make friends with the vegetable. Not only is it present at so many meals, but it also happens to be very healthy, full of antioxidants and very hydrating. I knew that being innovative about the preparation, as well as making it attractive in its presentation, were the keys. That is how this Asian cucumber salad came to be.

The particular salad I grew up with was the Indian kachumber. It contains onions, tomatoes and cucumbers – all sliced and served raw, and seasoned with salt and chilli powder. My childhood impressions of it certainly did make me averse to cucumber, but in hindsight I recognise that it was the way it was presented that was as unappealing as the taste. Children’s palates veer away from vegetables. I eventually learned to love many of them, as you may have noticed from so many recipes and memories I’ve shared. But the way I saw cucumber changed only when I changed, well, the way I saw it.

As you can see, I have used a pretty platter to serve the dish. That is a vital component in making any dish look more attractive. When making this salad, here are a few more tips that will increase its visual appeal. Ensure that the cucumber is sliced just before serving, so that it doesn’t look wilted at all. I feel that round slices work better in terms of the look, but if you prefer long ones, go ahead. There are plenty of fancy slicers available too, to play around with shapes and cuts. They could especially increase the fun quotient for kids.

We eat first, but we also make things in our mind before we consume them. For instance, have you ever wondered why red wine is served in a certain glass or white wine in another? A plate, a cup, a serving spoon… It became the standard because someone began using it, and others followed suit. Make your own style, break out. It makes the whole culinary experience more interesting.

But it isn’t just the way the salad looks when well-plated that matters, but the dressing does as well. I found that an Asian-style dressing completely transformed the vegetable and perked it up beautifully. This really is the element that makes this whole dish what it is.

I’m very interested in Asian cooking and really enjoy the sauces used therein, along with certain techniques. For instance, vegetables are not always fully cooked. They are stir-fried in a variety of sauces that greatly increase their flavour and make you want to eat them in that semi-raw state. Being semi-raw, those vegetables are healthier and add more texture to the dish too. You may want to check out some recipes I’ve shared like this rice stir-fry and last week’s udon noodles to see what I mean.

My daughter happens to be quite talented at Asian cooking, and I love discovering dishes with her. We recently made kimchi together, which I shared on my Instagram. It was delicious, and also happens to be very good for gut health. When we get together, we explore this cuisine, and always make our regulars: burnt garlic rice and dim sums. If you happen to visit me when she’s in town, there’s bound to be something Asian on the menu. A really simple way to start trying out that range of cuisines is through a salad like this one.

Asian Cucumber Salad

(Yield: Serves 2)

 

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

3 cucumbers (medium-sized)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

10-12 cashews (split and roasted)

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

 

Toast the cashew and set aside.

In a bowl, prepare the dressing. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and chili flakes. Mix well.

When you are ready to serve the salad, slice the cucumbers into rings, as thinly as possible. As I said before, this is my preferred method, but you should do yours. Arrange the slices on a plate of your choice.

Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumber. Sprinkle the toasted cashew. Serve immediately. Enjoy the burst of flavours as they mingle with the texture and coolness of the fresh vegetable. See what a big difference a good dressing and a pretty plate can make?

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Recipe: My Usual – Vegetable Udon Noodles

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I hope you aren’t bored of hearing about how I’ve been increasing my intake of vegetables and proteins, but I know that many people are doing the same and would appreciate more recipes. This vegetable udon noodles preparation, which I sometimes add eggs to (especially for boosting that protein quotient), fulfills this need – and fulfills my cravings too. It is an Asian-inspired dish, and a meal in a bowl by itself.

This dish is a great way to consume vegetables that are in the fridge that you may not use up otherwise. It is a highly adaptable dish in so many ways. For instance, while I have used the traditional soy sauce, you may wish to swap it out for Indian masalas and spices that suit your palate.

I prefer to have early dinners, and am done with my meals by 7pm. This is so that there is sufficient time to digest before bed, as recommended by health experts, which means that I can have carbs in the evening with less guilt. This delicious dish, absolutely bursting with flavours and equally nutritious, is something I love to eat for dinner.

Certain things are non-negotiable for me when it comes to food. The quality of the oil I use is one thing. Another important choice is that I get my vegetables from good, clean sources, and buy organic as much as possible. When I go on drives outside the city, I always enjoy the lush beauty of the farms and gardens – so green, so gorgeous, so perfect. Yet, I have seen them being sprayed by chemicals too. Education about toxicity is so important for us all, whether as consumers or as farmers.

I am also conscious of consumption, and try to make use of everything that is in my kitchen. I see this is not just a cost-smart practical habit, but a mindful one. Food is so easily hit by any external factor. Whether that is war, climate change or excessive or minimal rains in a particular season, what we eat is affected first.

All this said, it is true that organic ingredients don’t come cheap, but I believe we must make good choices within what we can afford. We can also cultivate some ingredients ourselves. Whether we have ample backyards or terraces or compact kitchen gardens, we can all grow a little bit of what goes into our pots and pans. Staples like coriander and green chillies are ideal. You can also grow herbs and condiments, like lemongrass. This is something I do at home, and want to learn to do more of. That’s the thing about living mindfully and caring about sustainability – it’s not like you finish a degree and you know everything about the subject, you constantly have to adapt to changes in the world. Personally, I love to learn and to keep growing – including literally growing my own food where possible!

Udon Noodles

(Yield: Serves 2)

 

1½ to 2 cups chopped vegetables (capsicum, carrots, beans, spring onions, cabbage)

1 cup cooked udon noodles

1 tablespoon garlic (finely chopped or grated)

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 pinch black pepper

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon chilli oil

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon mirin

 

In a non-stick pan, heat 1 ½ tablespoon sesame oil. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté till it is fragrant. Add the vegetables, sauté and cook. Cover with a lid till it’s al dente.

Add the cooked noodles into the stir fried vegetables. Add pepper, salt, soy sauce, chilli oil, rice vinegar, mirin and chilli flakes. Stir until all the spices and ingredients come together.

Serve hot, and take in all the delicious flavours. If you enjoyed this dish, you may also enjoy this Asian stir fry. Do give both a try and let me know what you think!

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Recipe: An Amazing Accompaniment – Aloo Methi Sabzi

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In my previous post on bottle gourd thepla, a Gujarati flatbread variation, I mentioned that aloo methi sabzi is a perfect accompaniment. Aloo methi sabzi – or potato roast with fenugreek leaves – is very quick to make and tastes simply delicious. Besides – who doesn’t love potatoes?

I always seem to have some boiled potatoes ready in the kitchen, because I use them extensively. In Indian cuisine, this may be in the form of chaats, aloo tikkis, stuffed aloo parathas or more. They are just as useful for dishes from other cuisines, as potatoes really are enjoyed all around the world. Drop me a message or a comment if you’d like the recipes for any of the dishes I’ve named, or if there’s something more creative you’d like to explore together.

They really are such a versatile vegetable, and I like keeping them handy. When they are just lying around and I suspect they may go bad soon, I usually just boil them up and whip up some aloo methi sabzi. It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t ever go to waste in my house.

As it takes little time to prepare, as long as the potatoes have already been boiled, this is also my go-to recipe on days when my husband wakes up and says “Okay, I have to carry lunch to work today – it looks like I can’t come home in between”. With such short notice, sautéing this dish and putting some theplas in his tiffin box are the best way to make sure he gets a fulfilling lunch, made fast and fuss-free.

It’s so true that whatever one is most used to in the kitchen comes together effortlessly, and this recipe is in that category for me. The thepla part comes so easy too – I could make them blindfolded! But as a cook and as a person, I enjoy the challenge of learning new things. Right now, I am hungry for more skills that take me out of my comfort zone, or help me improve. I’m back to my sloka chanting classes after a break, and I am also restarting learning to speak Spanish. I mentioned recently how much I want to study Italian cuisine, and the thought of learning about authentic pasta and gelato has fired my imagination. I’d love to do an exchange programme with an Italian chef – perhaps they could teach me their recipes, and I could teach them some from my part of the world.

All that said, amidst such exciting pursuits, comfort food that doesn’t require thought and energy is much cherished. This aloo methi sabzi isn’t just an easy, tasty dish for me, but it also carries with it many childhood memories. Quite unusually for our generation, my brother was very interested in cooking. As the oldest child, he was put in charge of meals while our mother was travelling. I can still recall sitting on the kitchen floor with my sister, both of us literally and figuratively looking up at him as he worked, the smell of aloo methi sabzi wafting around us. This simple dish, paired with a standard thepla, was obviously his go-to as well. So my favourite memories of aloo methi sabzi are also memories of him.

When I think about it, I recognise just how much of a hub of activity the kitchen was when we were growing up. The boys and men did not keep out, as was the norm at the time. While my father didn’t cook, he chose to be in charge of groceries, not because he could go out more freely as a man, but because he was very interested in and wanted to contribute to the workings of a kitchen. It was quite wonderful, and very rare, for that time: a brother who cooked and a father who knew all about groceries.

 

Aloo Methi Sabzi

(Yield: Serves 2)

 

3 medium sized potatoes

1 cup finely chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons oil

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 green chilli (split length-wise)

1½ teaspoons cumin-coriander powder

 

Heat the oil in a kadai. Once it is hot, add the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the split green chilli. Then, add the chopped potatoes. I sometimes add spinach as well, to make it even healthier.

Following this, add the methi leaves and all the masala. Stir all the ingredients together well and allow to cook.

As I said – the method for aloo methi sabzi is quite simple. Once the dish has cooked, serve hot alongside theplas, other flatbreads or rice. Or put it in a lunch box, and enjoy a home-cooked meal a few hours later.

Here are a couple more of my favourite potato preparations: a Gujarati potato brinjal curry that is close to my heart and also evokes my childhood, and spicy patatas bravas from Spain that always inspire me to keep exploring the world. As I said before, everyone seems to love potatoes, so I’m curious to know: what are some of your own favourites?

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Recipe: Simply Charming – Cherry Tomato Yoghurt Toast

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I seem to be on a toast spree at home, as my family has been very thrilled by my sourdough stylings lately. This has been a hassle-free and highly creative time of experimenting, as I have been exploring the use of different toppings to break the monotony of having toast at breakfast. In addition to my family, in the recent past we have been entertaining quite a bit with house guests. While most out-of-towners prefer the idli and dosa standards of local cuisine here, the toasts I whip up add some variety to their choices. This cherry tomato yoghurt toast in particular was perfect for a day when a friend from the Mediterranean was feeling a little nostalgic for some comfort food.

That’s right: Greek yogurt is one of the key components to this dish. I came across the use of yoghurt on toast during various travels in Europe, and the dahi-lover in me was naturally charmed. I believe it is used as it is lighter than ricotta and mozzarella, yet provides the nutrients of dairy while being easier to digest. However, it can certainly be substituted with feta cheese or any other fresh cheese that is available in your part of the world. If you don’t have Greek yoghurt, hung curd is a great option.

The beautiful organic cherry tomatoes I had at home, which I’d been using on pizzas, were perfect to layer on the toast. The overall effect was quite visually pleasing too.

While I had been toying with the idea of a European-style open-faced toast with yoghurt for a while, I only prepared it for the first time quite recently. This was when the Italian friend I mentioned earlier visited us. He would speak often about his Nona (grandmother) and her amazing cuisine and how much he was missing her during his travels. One day, he remarked that he was craving for a dish that was not Indian and that could sort of transport him back to her kitchen. I can safely say from his appreciative reaction that this toast did exactly that. While the varieties of tomatoes available here differ, he told me that this simple breakfast was the closest he had felt to the tastes of home.

I must say, I too have had a craving for a while: to study authentic Italian cooking. My friend has been asking me to come visit and learn his cuisine from his beloved Nona. If I take him up on his offer, I will be sure to come back with a crateful or two of fresh Italian tomatoes!

Cherry Tomato Yoghurt Toast

(Yield: 1 slice)

I large sourdough slice

½ cup Greek yoghurt or hung curd

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Salt to taste

A pinch of pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

 

Toast the sourdough slice.

Spread the Greek yoghurt over the toasted slice.

Bake or sauté the cherry tomatoes in a pan, and arrange them over the yoghurt. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Add any herbs you like, such as fresh basil or oregano, drizzle with the olive oil, and serve.

Simplicity is crucial in putting a good breakfast toast together, to save time in the mornings. As you can see, this is a recipe that perfectly fits that criteria. It is easy to prepare, and is very healthy. Honestly, even one slice is quite filling. Did I mention that it’s also delicious? Try it out for yourself and tell me what you think!

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Recipe: Charmingly Green – Raw Mango Chutney

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As you probably know by now, I have mango trees in my garden. At home, we really do take these for granted. Sometimes, there are so many fruits ripening out there that we don’t even try to stop the monkeys in the neighbourhood from coming to make a meal of them. One of the varieties that we grow, known as the parrot beak or killimooku, is best enjoyed when it is still raw. It is not unbearably tangy, which makes it just perfect for condiments like this raw mango chutney. You may also remember it from this vegan raw mango dal and other raw mango recipes I’ve shared before.

Initially, the challenge for me was always about making it a green chutney, as I like the colour. Invariably, my many trials would result in a chutney that was blackish or another shade. While the taste remains the same, the visual effect differs. Both as a photographer and as a cook, I believe the eyes eat first. I wanted that beautiful, pure green of the fruit to be captured in the dish as well. So I persevered until I hit upon the perfect method to create a green raw mango chutney.

I have made and shared another green chutney before, a coriander one. I have also made and shared a raw mango thovayal, which is a coarse chutney from Tamil cuisine. But I have never shared a raw mango chutney itself so far, and this may be because it has taken me this long to figure out how to ensure it comes out green and stays that way!

I hope this will be the case when you try it out too, as that lovely green is such a delight to look at. I am not sure what the trick is exactly – whether it is the tiny pinch of turmeric, or the ice cool water. I am sure there’s a scientific reason, something about chemistry or temperature, that I just haven’t gotten to the bottom of. I do want to assure you again that if your chutney turns out anything other than green, it should still be fine to consume!

I somehow prefer this recipe to the coriander chutney, taste-wise. I enjoy it with dhoklas and other Gujarati savouries. It is absolutely delicious as a dollop of hot rice, in lieu of a pickle, along with some ghee. I also wonder whether it would work as a pesto replacement in a toastie. Since it’s the season, I may give this experiment a shot one of these days.

My inspiration for this really comes from the region I live in and grew up in. Tamil cuisine is full of chutneys and thovayals, and I’ve not really encountered raw mango used this way in Gujarati cuisines. It is not only the flesh that is used. I have recently seen a chutney made only with the seed, from the beginning of the season when it is tender. Mango peel, as well as ridge gourd peel, are also turned into similar condiments. I may also experiment with this, perhaps by cooking the skin a bit.

Once again, despite so often taking it for granted, I am reminded of just how versatile the mango plant is. Not only are all parts of its fruit edible, but its leaves too are used in prayers, as they are considered auspicious. Those lush green trees, beautifully blossoming away in summers, bring much needed cool relief. Whatever we do, we go full circle and come back to the beauty of nature – don’t we?

Raw Mango Chutney

(Yield: 1½ cups)

2 tablespoons coconut

2 tablespoons roasted chickpeas

Salt to taste

1 cup coriander leaves (no stalks)

¼ cup mint leaves

2 pods garlic

1 cup raw mango

1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

½ teaspoon sugar

2 green chillies

¼ cup cold water

A pinch of turmeric

 

Seasoning:

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

A few curry leaves

 

Wash and peel the mangoes and cut them into pieces.

In a blender, add all the ingredients and blend until you have a smooth paste.

Prepare the seasoning. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the curry leaves. Immediately, pour the seasoning over the prepared chutney.

Your raw mango chutney is now ready to be enjoyed. If you are a fan of Indian dips like this one, I hope you’ll also explore my recipes for ginger chutney, plum chutney, wood-apple chutney and date chutney.

 

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Recipe: Staying Fresh In The Summer – Sprouted Salad

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Summers in India are usually a time when many people prefer to eat lighter meals, but a heatwave like we are experiencing now makes this all the more important. You may find yourself automatically desiring light meals when the climate is hot, and there’s a science to this. Heavy food affects the metabolism, taking longer to digest, and this process increases the heat in the body. The lighter the meal, the lower the amount of internal heat generated during the digestion process. For some, a light meal may be some cooling yogurt and rice, or may even constitute simply of a tall and refreshing glass of buttermilk. As a lover of salads, I find that they are ideal for this season, and can pack many nutrients into a simple (and yes, light) dish. This sprouted salad, using homegrown sprouts and an assortment of fresh veggies, is one I’ve been making very often, and I’m glad to share it with you too.

At the start of this year, I shared the method for growing sprouts at home. You can use any legume of your choice, including fenugreek, beans and more. I love my green mung sprouts, as you may recall from that post, along with brown chana sprouts. Brown chana, also known as black chickpea, is believed to be high in iron due to its colour. As a darker legume, it’s usually eaten in the winters (as it’s heavier on the digestion than the lighter looking ones). Nature has a wonderful logic to it, which we can attune our appetites to, so as to make the most of seasonal produce. For me, I have found that the health quotient of brown chana makes it appropriate even for summer consumption, and it has made its way into this dish. It is rich not only in iron but also in protein, vitamins, calcium, phytochemicals and magnesium, and has benefits for the heart and brain functions and regularising cholesterol and blood sugar.

I’ve had my share of carb binges, partying, exotic meals in exotic destinations and culinary indulgences of all sorts. As I’ve said before, moderation is key. For me, eating right is a conscious choice, especially as I get older, and I’ve found that one of the key elements to this is ensuring that I get adequate protein in every meal. From experience, I can tell you that there is no scarcity of choice for vegetarians. This sprouted salad is an excellent example. Adding sautéed pieces of tofu or paneer will also increase the protein component of the dish.

Now, there may be something familiar about this recipe to long-term friends of re:store. That’s because re:store was one of the first entrepreneurships in Chennai to open up salad subscriptions. Back when I started the company in 2015, salads were a major component of the menu, though I’ve since honed my focus on baked goods. This one was among the bestselling items, and if you’ve eaten it before and had a craving for it anytime since, here you go – this is the recipe I used then and still do, shared with love.

That also reminds me: that was around the time when complimentary food stopped being served on many flights, so I began to pack a small container of this sprouted salad as my mid-air snack on many occasions. I still do this, in fact. This healthy salad is my preferred travel companion for short flights. It ensures that I’m feeling nourished and energised by a protein boost when I land and head into my appointments at my destination. It has the same effect on tired minds and bodies in need of rejuvenation in the summer heat.

Sprouted Salad

(Serves 2)

 

Fresh Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons spring onions

¼ cup capsicum

¼ cup raw mango (grated)

a handful of cherry tomatoes

½ cup steamed sprouts

1 tablespoon jalapenos (finely chopped)

a handful of coriander leaves (finely chopped)

¼ cup cucumber

 

Dressing ingredients

Salt to taste

1 pinch pepper

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 teaspoon pomegranate balsamic (optional)

 

Pumpkin seeds

Chopped almonds

 

In a bowl, add all the fresh ingredients. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Just before serving, add all the ingredients for the dressing and mix well.

When ready to serve, assemble all the ingredients, including the seeds and nuts, the dressing and the fresh ingredients. Mix well and gently. That’s all there is to it. Enjoy this delicious, nutritious salad and let it bring its refreshing qualities to your heat-busting methods.

You may have noticed the use of raw mango in this dish. I know some of you may be wondering whether my long-standing tradition of sharing ripe mango recipes and desserts, since the fruit is in season, will continue this year. However, given the heatwave, I thought I’d do something different and focus on replenishing and energy-boosting recipes. Don’t forget to drink lots of water, and you can always keep hydration interesting with a hearty lassi. On the subject of mangoes and indulgences, the recipe archive is right here for you to explore!

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Recipe: Prasan’s Favourite – Paneer Makhani

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Paneer makhani is a staple in North Indian cuisine, and is loved by people across the country, but not many know that it is a far cry from the original preparation that it is based on. From my understanding, the authentic Mughlai dish did not use tomatoes, which were not available or at least not widely cultivated in India till the last couple of centuries. Tomatoes are a major part of the recipe as it is widely made today. Another element is that the cooks who invented the dish did not use fat such as oil, butter or ghee. Instead, they splashed yoghurt, which would release natural fat. This is what the meats and the gravies of the Mughlai kitchen would be cooked in. Having a sense of the evolution of paneer makhani – a curry using paneer, or Indian cottage cheese – has made me quite happy to share the version that is made in my own kitchen.

While my version caters to my family’s likes and dislikes, it is really focused on one member in particular. Everyone who knows us knows how much my son Prasan loves his paneer makhani. If I talk about this love in detail, he will be furious with me for putting it out in public, so I’ll try not to divulge too much. Suffice to say: he has adored it since childhood. When he visits our relatives, like my aunt or my sister, they usually ring me up and ask me exactly how to make it in the way he prefers. They know that he will only be satisfied with their meal if there’s a serving of his favourite dish. If they’re unable to prepare it that day, they organise for it to be at the table anyway. So this recipe is for them also – next time, they can just find it right here on this blog, as can you.

When we get together as an extended family, a good paneer makhani is a mainstay at most meals. I’ve noticed this to be true at all sorts of gatherings and feasts across communities in India as well. It is also a dish that pleases people of all ages. Children seem to appreciate it as much as the elderly. Whether it was one of my kids when they were little or my mother-in-law as a senior citizen today, I’m never surprised to see anyone at all reach out for another helping.

Paneer Makhani

(Yield: Approximately 2 servings)

 

50 grams onion

180 grams tomato (roughly chopped)

2 cardamom pods

½ teaspoon cumin

2 cloves

1 piece cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon garlic-ginger paste

4-5 pieces broken cashewnut

1 tablespoon oil (to sauté)

 

1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon dhaniya-jeera (coriander-cumin) powder

 

1 tablespoon ghee

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon garam masala

100 grams paneer

½ teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Add the oil to a kadai. Allow to heat, then add the cumin seeds. Immediately after, add the onions, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cashew nuts, garlic-ginger paste and the bay leaf. Sauté for about 1 minute. Then, add the roughly chopped tomatoes.

Now, add the salt, turmeric, chilli powder and dhaniya-jeera powder. Stir, cover and allow to cook until the tomatoes are tender.

Allow to cool and blend well. Strain and set aside.

Heat a kadai, and add the ghee. Once it has melted, add the blended purée that had been set aside. If required, add a little water to make the gravy in the consistency you prefer. Other options are to add butter or 2 tablespoons of fresh cream. I have added neither. I sometimes do, but rarely, as Prasan and the rest of us prefer it with less of the same. If you choose to, remember to add the milk or cream finally, else it will split.

Now, add the sugar and allow the gravy to cook well. Finally, add the paneer pieces. I occasionally sneak in some green peas, but my kids don’t like them in this dish. But they do go well with paneer in general, so you may want to try them out. Garnish with a sprinkle of kasoori methi. The gravy can be used as a base for other dishes, such as chicken or vegetable curries, and I’d love to know how you decide to use it.

Serve with flatbread, such as naan or rotis, or rice. Now that I have the hang of sourdough naan, that’s what I tend to serve my Prasan-style paneer makhani with.

There you have it: one of the top dishes at my dining table, made with love every single time. On that note… I’ve mentioned my son quite a number of times in this post, which means I may just have to head to the kitchen and whip up a fresh bowl of paneer makhani. You see, it’s become a bit of a running joke that whenever he is annoyed or upset, a little bit of his beloved gravy will calm him down! Having said this, I’d better get to making it right away, I suspect!

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