Curried Lotus Roots with Potatoes - Kamal Kakdi Aur Aloo ki Subzi

I'm Back after a short break for Thanksgiving. Hoping all my fellow blogger friends had a happy thanksgiving. We were visiting some dear family friends for thanksgiving. My friend Shashi made this for me. She's an excellent cook. She was kind enough to let me assist her in making this dish so I could learn it first hand and today I'm going to share this recipe with you. This brings back childhood memories when my Nani (maternal grandma) used to make this dish.

Lotus Roots has numerous health benefits. Its rich in Iron, Vitamins B,C and has great fiber content. It is used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. It has a strong physical resemblance to the lungs which explains why it is used to treat various respiratory problems.You could checkout the health benefits here.

You should find this in any Asian grocery store. Lotus roots is an integral part of Chinese and Japanese Cuisine too. This is how a Lotus Root look likes....

If You cut it open , this is what the cross section looks like...its simply beautiful to look at..

Ingredients:

•  2 medium sized Lotus Roots/Kamal Kakdi
•  4 small potatoes diced
•  1 cup chopped onion
•  4-5 cloves of garlic
•  1 small piece of ginger
•  1 cup chopped tomatoes
•  4-5 green chillies slit
•  1 teaspoon turmeric
•  1 teaspoon red chilli powder
•  1 teaspoon Garam Masala
•  Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoon oil and some oil for shallow frying
• 2 tablespoon Freshly chopped Cilantro

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel the Lotus roots. Cut them into thin slices. Place the sliced Lotus roots in water to avoid discoloration.

 2. Now heat some oil in a Kadai or skillet and shallow fry the sliced lotus roots for about 6-8 minutes until they turn golden brown. Add the diced potatoes and fry for another 2 minutes.

3. Make a puree of onion, ginger and garlic. Also make another puree of the tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan or a pressure cooker. Add the onion/garlic/ginger puree and saute till golden brown. Add the tomato puree and saute till the oil leaves the masala.

 4. Next add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Add the stir fried lotus roots and potatoes. Season with salt and add garam masala. Mix well.

5. Add around 2 cups of water and pressure cook ( 2 whistles) or cook covered until cooked for around 15-20 minutes.

6. Garnish with Cilantro and serve with Parathas, Phulkas or any Indian bread of your choice.

Adraki Dal

There can never be Too much of Ginger . I just love ginger in everything. Even my tea has little bit of freshly crushed or grated ginger. So that led me to make this Adraki Daal/Dal.

Ingredients:
1) 1 cup Dhuli Urad Dal
2) 1 cup tomatoes chopped
3) 5-6 green chillies slit
4) 1/4 cup ginger cut into juliennes
5) 2 tablespoon Cilantro/Coriander chopped
6) 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
7) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
8) 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
9) 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
10) Salt to taste
11) 2 tablespoon butter/ghee
12) 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Wash the dhuli Urad dal in a pressure cooker and add 4 cups of water ,turmeric and Salt. Pressure cook for about 4 whistles or until Dal is cooked. If you do not own a pressure cooker you could boil this dal covered with 6 cups of water until cooked. Pre soaking this dal for atleast 1/2 hr will reduce the time to boil this dal.
2. Heat butter or ghee in a thick bottom pan or Kadhai. Add cumin seeds. When they crackle add ginger and fry for about 2-3 minutes and then add tomatoes and green chillies. Fry for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Now add red chilli powder , garam Masala and fresh cilantro and keep frying till the oil leaves the masala.
4. Add the boiled dal .Add lemon juice and it simmer for about 3-4 minutes.
5. Ready to serve. This dal goes well with any Indian Bread - Parathas, Naan,Kulcha, Phulkas.

The consistency is intended to be a little thick. You could always add a little more water and make it to the desired consistency.That way it could be enjoyed with rice as well.

Sabudana Kheer - Tapioca Pudding

Its my 25th Post. I am so excited. So an appropriate dish to mark this milestone in my food blogging world would be a dessert.

I know its just my 25th..compared to so many of my blogger friends who have so many beautiful recipes in their repertoire. I have great respect for you all and your beautiful creations. All of you are so supportive of each other , which made me stay here a bit longer and not give up. Each day just hanging in there...Knowing someone will read my recipe and care enough to leave their comments. That really feels good. Great thankyou to all my followers. Also we have so many newbies like me coming in afresh with newer ideas. A warm welcome to you all.

Today's recipe is really easy. I'm a great fan of easy recipes with minimum ingredients. So this is made with most of the stuff you'll find it in your pantry.


Ingredients:
1) 1/2 cup Sabudana /Tapioca
2) 4 cups milk
3) 1/2 cup Sugar
4) 2-3 green Cardamons/Elaichi (optional)
5) 1/3 cup almonds, cashewnuts and raisins
6) 1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter

See I did say its going to me easy breazy with a few ingredients...but tastes heavenly though..

Preparation:
1) Wash Sabudana and soak it in 1 cup of water for about 2-3 hrs. I prefer 3 hours but 2 hours is fine as well. Sabudana will soak up most of the water and become light and fluffy.


2) Next take a thick bottom pan and bring the milk to a boil. Add Sugar and the soaked sabudana with the water and crushed cardamoms. Keep this on slow flame and let it simmer for about 30-35 minutes.

4) In the meanwhile chop the almonds and cashews. Fry the nuts and raisons in ghee or unsalted butter and keep it ready.

Thats it...You just sit and relax or watch your favorite show while your Kheer is being slow cooked. You will see its color changing to a slight golden color.

5) Just when its done add the fried nuts and raisins and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot or chilled.

Word of Caution : Sabudana kheer will thicken over time. So if you have leftovers you might want to add some warm milk to the kheer and simmer for 2-3 minutes to get to the desired consistency.

Now its Award time....Marking my 25th Post with an Award. What more can I ask for..

My dear blogger friend Aruna @ Veggie Platter has been kind and generous to share this award with me which she received from Anncoo. Thankyou both.

I would be honoured to share this award with all my fellow bloggers. Please feel free to display it on your blog and join in my celebrations for my very 1st milestone my first 25 recipes.....

Khatti-Mithi Dal - Gujarati Dal

This dal as the name refers is little khatti (sour) little mithi(sweet). It is another way of preparing our Tuvar dal ( Arhar, toor, Split red gram). I love this recipe for its simplicity and ease of preparation. Another thing I like about it is I can use peanuts in this. So its an easy and healthy dish.

This is also known as Gujarati dal. This is my MIL 's recipe. I did tweak it a little though. Had to learn this dal as my husband simply loves it. For a North Indian this was a different way to make it. I know when we just married and whenever I made Tuvar dal , my husband would just sneak in the kitchen and add a little sugar or jaggery to the dal when it was simmering. I would think silly me why does my dal taste sweet..must be the water here in the US. Until I found out..Since then decided to make this dal once in a while just like his mom did...This is his Comfort food. Now even I and my kids love it .

Now for many of us this could be an acquired taste as it does require a little jaggery in it. But if you skip it it will still taste good.



Ingredients:
1) 1 cup Tuvar Dal
2) 1/3 cup peanuts
3) 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
4) 4-5 green chillies slit
5) 1 inch piece of ginger chopped
6) 1 piece of jaggery around 2 tablespoons (optional)
7) 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
8) 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
9) 1/2 teaspoon cumin-cilantro powder
10) 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
11) 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
12) 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(methi)
13) pinch of asaf0etida (hing)
14) 4-5 curry leaves
15) 1-2 whole red chillies
16) salt to taste
17) 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (adjust the amount to taste)
18) Oil for tempering


Preparation
1)Wash Tuvar dal in a pressure cooker and add peanuts,chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chillies, and about 6 cups of waters. Add Salt and turmeric.

2) Pressure cook until dal is slightly overcooked so it looks like its well blended.

3) Now add a piece of crushed jaggery to this dal. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the jaggery dissoves.

4) Lets get ready for the tempering. I always like to keep the ingredients handy so I don't forget to add anything and there's less clutter on my kitchen counter and lastly my tempering doesn't get burnt trying to find the various ingredients .

5) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a tempering pan or small pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds(methi). Fry for about half a minute then add whole chillies. Followed by curry leaves and then add hing. Remove pan from the flame and while oil is still hot add red chilli powder and cumin-cilantro powder. Add the tempering/seasoning to the dal.

6) Cook the dal for about 2-3 minutes. Add the freshly squeezed lime juice. Garnish with freshly chopped Cilantro.

7) Ready to serve with Rice, Papad and Pickle.

Now its Award Time :

My dear Blogger Friend Sangeetha @ Kothiyavunu. com has been kind enough to let her fellow bloggers share this award with her. She received it from our dear fellow blogger PreethVijay @ Luscious Indian Recipes.

Thank you both, Happy Blogging.

In the Spirit of Sharing and giving let me dedicate this recipe to all my fellow bloggers.

Jhatpat Raita - Vegetable Raita

This is a super duper Easy recipe. This raita can be prepared in minutes.

In today's recipe the main ingredient is Yoghurt . Its also know as Curds or Dahi. Yoghurt has many health benefits which makes it a dietary staple in many countries including India.

Yoghurt is rich in Calcium, Potassium, Iodine, Phosphorus, Vitamins B2, B5, B6, B12 and protein. Its truly a wonder food.

Yoghurt prevents osteoporosis, reduces hypertension, boosts your immune system, prevents yeast infections, helps cure ulcers and helps your digestive system. It even cures bad breath. Also we have our age old remedies where yohurt is used to treat many skin and hair problems.

Ingredients:
1) 2 cups yoghurt
2) 1 cup finely chopped onion
3) 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
4) 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
5) 2 tablespoons finely chopped Cilantro
6) 2 green chillies finely chopped
7) Raita Masala or Chat Masala to taste.

Preparation:
1) Whisk the yogurt in a bowl and add onions, tomato , cucumber and green chillies. Mix it well.
2) Season with Raita/Chat Masala/Salt. Garnish with Cilantro.
2) Ready to serve.

You can serve this with Biryani, Pulao or any spicy non-vegetarian food . You could serve this with Parathas too.

Dal Makhani - Maa ki Dal

Dal Makhani is very nutritious . Its also called " Maa ki dal" . My mom used to make this when we were kids when the weather got a little cooler. Making this dal brings back childhood memories. Now I want to make this for my kids. This dal also reminds me of the dhaba food. The slow cooked food which was simply delicious.

This is my mother's recipe. I'm happy to share my Maa ki dal with you.

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cup Whole Black Urad dal
•  1/2 cup Chana dal
•  1/2 cup Rajma
•  1 cup finely chopped onion
•  4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
•  1 inch piece of ginger chopped
•  2-3 cloves
•  4-5 black peppercorns
•  4-5 green chillies slit
•  1 1/2 cups tomatoes chopped
•  1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
•  1 teaspoon red chilli powder
•  1 teaspoon Garam Masala
•  1/2 teaspooon Cumin seeds
•  pinch of hing(asafoetida)
•  Salt to taste
•  3 tablespoon oil
•  2 tablespoon butter
•  freshly chopped Cilantro for the garnish

Preparation :

•  Combine Black Urad dal, Chana dal and Rajma with water and soak it overnight. Now if you are pressed for time you could do the quick substitute for soaking. Soak these dals in boiling hot water for about 30 -40 minutes. Keep it covered.
•  Now pressure cook the mixed dals along with salt, turmeric, chopped garlic , ginger , cloves ,peppercorns and about 5-6 cups of water. Cook till dal is cooked . I would say about 6-7 whistles.
•  Heat oil in a pan. Add Cumin. Once Cumin splutters add hing. Add the onion and saute till golden brown. Add the tomatoes and green chillies and fry till the oil leaves the masala.
•  Add red chilli powder . Mix well. Fry for about a minute or two and add the boiled dal mix. Bring it to a boil. You could add a little water as this dal thickens quickly. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. This is a slow cooking dal preparation. The slower you cook the tastier it gets. Add Garam Masala ,butter and the chopped Cilantro. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
•  Ready to serve with  Cumin (Jeera )Rice , Parathas, Phulkas , Naan or Kulcha . It also tastes good with garlic bread.

Green Chutney - Cilantro Chutney

Green Chutney is one of the most popular Indian condiment. It goes well with Samosas, Pakodas, Dhokla, Batata Vada to name a few. It could be used as a dip or even a spread, like the Chutney sandwich. Whichever way you use it, it is an integral part of our Indian cuisine.

Ingredients:

1) 2 cups freshly chopped Cilantro/Coriander

2) 1/4 cup chutney Chana or Dalia dal

3) 6-8 green chillies

4) 1/2 inch Ginger

5) Salt to taste.

6) Juice of one lemon.

Preparation.

1) Combine all ingredients in a Blender.

2) Blend until smooth.

3) Ready to use and refrigerate.

Note: You could also use 1/4 cup freshly chopped mint leaves. Adding lemon or lime juice is a must as it helps the chutney to preserve its bright green colour.

Beetroot Soup - Borscht

Borscht also borsht or borshch is a soup of Ukrainian origin that is popular in many Eastern and Central European countries. There are numerous variations for preparing Borscht. Beetroot is the one main Ingredient which is common in all the different varieties of Borscht.

Since Beetroot has so many health benefits I am always happy to use it in my recipes. It has a bunch of antioxidants which help fight diseases. Its a great source of fiber. Also said to have anti-carcinogenic properties in the red coloring matter. Also drinking beetroot juice helps lower blood pressure and also helps the digestive system.

Ingredients:

1) 2 cups Beet cut into julienne strips

2) 1/4 cup Carrots cut in julienne strips

3) 1/4 cup Potatoes cut in julienne strips

4) 1 cup Cabbage finely shredded

5) 3/4 cup onions finely chopped

6) 1 cup tomatoes finely chopped

7) 2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

8) 2 1/2 cups chicken stock/vegetable stock/Water

9) 2 tablespoon butter

10) 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

11) Salt and black pepper to taste

12) Sour cream for the garnish

13) Dill freshly chopped (optional)

Preparation :

1) Heat butter in a pan. Add onions and garlic and saute till golden brown.

2) Add the cabbage and fry for about 2-3 minutes.

3) Add the Chicken stock/vegetable stock, beets, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and Vinegar.

4) Season with salt and pepper.

5) Bring it to a boil and cook covered and allow it to simmer for about 30-35 minutes .

6) Serve hot and garnish with a tablespoon of sour cream and freshly chopped dill.

Carrot and Peas Oatmeal Soup

" S " is for Soup !!!!!

This is a soup enjoyed by kids and grown ups alike. I Started making this soup for my younger son when he was around 1 yr old and he's tw0 now and still likes it as well as my 6 yr old.

Ingredients:

1) 1/2 Cup Oatmeal

2) 1/4 Cup Peas

3) 1/4 Cup Carrots finely chopped or thinly sliced

4) 2 1/2 Cups Water or Vegetable Stock

5) Salt and Pepper to taste

6) 1 Tablespoon Butter

Preparation:

1) Melt Butter in a Pan. Add the carrots and peas and cook for about 5 minutes until soft.

2) Add the oatmeal and fry for a minute or two.

3) Add salt and pepper and add water.

4) Bring it to a boil and let it simmer on a slow flame for about 5 minutes.

5) Ready to be served. This is a hearty soup. Can be served as is.

I'm sending this recipe to the Cooking for kids- Veggies and Food Event hosted by Lakshmi http://http//delightsofcooking.blogspot.com/2009/11/cooking-for-kids-veggies-and-fruits.html and Sharmi http://www.neivedyam.com/

Jhatpat Vegetable Masala / Vegetable Medley

This is a super duper easy recipe. The most important thing about this recipe is, its quick and can be prepared in minutes. The term "Jhatpat" basically means quick or something in a hurry.

Now many a times when I'm pressed for time I prepare this dish. The frozen vegetables I have used in this recipe consists of carrots, corn, peas, green beans and Baby Lima Beans. You could use your choice of mixed vegetables.

Ingredients :

1) 2 cups frozen Mixed Vegetables (already chopped)

2) 1/4 cup cashew nuts

3) 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4) 2-3 cloves of garlic freshy grated or finely chopped

5) 1 inch piece ginger grated or finely chopped

6) 1/2 cup tomatoes finely chopped

7) 4-5 green chillies slit lengthwise

8) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

9) 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

10) 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder

11) 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
12) 1-2 Whole red chillies (Optional)
13) 2 tablespoon oil
14) Salt to taste

Preparation.
1) Heat oil in a pan . Add the mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add the whole red chillies.
2) Next add the onions and saute it till golden brown followed by garlic and ginger and fry for a minute.
3) Add the cashew nuts and fry for about a minute and add the tomatoes and green chillies. Fry for about 2-3 minutes.
4) Add all our spices- turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin-coriander powder and salt.
5) Add the mixed vegetables. Cook on medium heat covered for about 8-10 minutes. Since I'm using frozen vegetables for this recipe it should'nt take more time. If you are using fresh vegetables cook for a little longer until the vegetables are cooked.
6) Serve with Parathas, Rotis or could be served as a side dish.

Pav Bhaji

This is one of Mumbai's Popular Street food. Its a spicy and tangy blend of vegetables served with Pav (small squares of white bread).

Ingredients:

1) 3 cups chopped potatoes

2) 3 cups chopped cauliflower

3) 1/2 cup green peas

4) 1/2 cup carrots chopped

5) 1/2 cup capsicum

6) 1/2 cup canned beetroot or boiled beetroot (This is my secret ingredient)

7) 2 cups chopped tomatoes

8) 5-6 green chillies

9) 2 cups chopped onions ( 1 cup for the puree and 1 for the garnishing)

10) 3-4 cloves of garlic

11) 2 tablespoons fresh ginger

12) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

13) 1/2 teaspoon Chilli powder

14) 2 tablespoons Pav Bhaji Masala

15) 4 tablespoons butter ( 1 stick)

16) 1 tablespoon oil

17) 1 tablespoon lemon concentrate or fresh lemon juice

18) Lemon wedges for the garnish

19) Freshly chopped Cilantro for the garnish

20) 16-20 burger buns or Pavs if you can get it. Tastes divine with the Pav but you could substitute it with the buns.

Preparation:

1) Pressure cook the Potatoes, cauliflower, peas, carrot and capsicum till they are soft. Do not discard the excess water.

2) While the vegetables are boiling make a puree of onion/garlic/ginger and another puree of tomatoes/green chillies.

3)Heat the oil in a pan and then add the butter. Now to this add the onion/garlic/ginger puree and saute till golden brown. Next add the tomatoes/green chillies puree and cook for 2-3 minutes.

4) Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, Pav Bhaji Masala and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes

5) Next mash all the boiled vegetables using a potato masher and add to the pan. Add the left over water from boiling the vegetables too.

6) Now add the canned beetroot or the boiled beetroot. Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes till they are soft enough to be mashed. This will give a beautiful red color to the Bhaji and at the same time make it more nutritious.

7) Cook for another 4-5 minutes and add lemon concentrate/lemon juice. Your Bhaji is ready to be served.

For the Pav:

Heat a Large Tava and roast each side of the Pav in butter.

Serving :

Serve this delicious Bhaji with roasted buttered Pav on the side. Garnish the Bhaji with freshly chopped onions and Cilantro with Lemon wedges on the side. This recipe serves 6.

I'm sending this recipe for the Specialty Food event hosted by Simple Indian Food-An Easy Cooking Blog. This is my very first time I'm participating in an event. Very excited.

http://simpleindianfood.blogspot.com/2009/11/wyfspecialty-food-event-announcement.html