Cauliflower: whole cauliflower cooked in curd (yogurt)

This recipe is a favorite to all my guests whenever it is served.  In a vegetarian house hold, children used to have lots of fun feeling as if it was a turkey being carved and served!!

The recipe calls for very little masala and the natural flavor of cauliflower is retained. Of course, it takes a little longer cooking time as the whole cauliflower has to be cooked on slow heat.

In hotter climate like in South India you have to make sure that there are no insects lodged inside the flowerets.  It is recommended that you soak the flower in salted hot water for 2 or 3 hours and wash it thoroughly.

The pan in which the dish is cooked, has to have the same circumference as the flower and is deep enough to contain the curd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



     Ingredients:                                                                                                                                                       

•       Whole cauliflower head
•      1/4th cup diced onion
•      1/4th inch ginger
•      2 pods garlic
•      1 or 2 cloves
•      1 inch cinnamon stick
•      2 or 3 green cardamom
•      1 or 2 black cardamom
•      bay leaf
•      2 cups curd (yogurt)
•      1 tsp. garam masala

Directions:

1.      Place cauliflower (whole) in a microwave safe dish and cook covered till it is half cooked.
2.      Grind onion, ginger and garlic into a paste.
3.      In a saucepan with close filling lid, heat oil.
4.      Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Continue to fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
5.      Add bay leaf.
6.      Add onion paste. Fry till onion paste looses its raw smell.
7.      Add curd, salt and garam masala.
8.      Place cauliflower base down in the saucepan, add more curd or water , (if necessary). Take care that the cauliflower is fully immersed in the fluid mixture. cover the pan with with tight fitting lid.
9.      Simmer till the liquid is nearly evaporated, turn the cauliflower once during the cooking, very carefully, taking care not to break the flower.
10.      By the time the liquid is fully evaporated, the core of the flower must be soft and nicely cooked.
11.      When the liquid is completely evaporated, transfer the flower to a platter and serve it hot. when garnished with cilantro, shredded carrot and a few chips around, it lakes a great looking dish!!

Note:

        Generally, in India, two varieties of cardamom are available. They are called green and black cardamom or small and large cardamom. I am inserting a picture of both the varieties for reference. They are available in all the Indian stores in USA.

Methi paratha (fenugreek leaf paratha)

Methi paratha (fenugreek leaf paratha) can be made very easily. It has a nice unique flavor and very healthy, either as a breakfast dish or any meal. The leaves add a nice color to the parathas.

It is served with pickles, raitha or curd (yogurt).

Tender stems and leaves can be either finely chopped or processed in a processor.

Ingredients:

         ·        2 cups atta (wheat flour available in Indian stores)*

         ·        1 cup methi leaves finely cut (green fenugreek)

         ·        1 or 2 green chilis finely cut

         ·        Salt to taste

         ·        3 tbsp oil

Directions:

1.    Mix flour, methi leaves, salt and chilis.

2.   Add enough water to make a soft dough. Add a teaspoon of oil and knead the dough.                                           

3.     Cover and let it stand for about half an hour.

4.     Divide into 2 or 3 inch diameter balls.

5.     On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 5 to 6 inch round.

6.     Place on a hot pan and let it cook for a few minutes.

7.     Turn and let it cook some more.

8.     Brush the surface with oil and let it cook for a minute on either side.

9.     Serve it along with pickles, raita or curd (yogurt).

      

Variation:

  In place of methi, finely grated onion, grated mooli (daikon) or cauliflower can be used.

 *Note:     

                When I am mentioning wheat flour, it is usually the wheat flour which is available in the Indian stores. You may note that it is different from the whole wheat flour available in the grocery stores in USA.  For best results, it is recommended that you use the "atta", as it is called in India.

Mamidi allam (aam adrak, mango ginger)

Mamidi allam pieces in lemon juice

Mango ginger is a plant closely related to turmeric. The rhizomes look very similar to turmeric, but have a raw mango taste. They are pale yellow inside with lighter colour outside. The flavor is predominantly ginger with a delightful faint aroma and taste of mango. It is used in making chutneys and pickles in south India.  Mamidi allam called manga inji in Tamilnadu and aam adrak in north India.

Ingredients:

       ·        ½ cup mango ginger cleaned, peeled and cut into thin long pieces

       ·        5 or 6 green chilis cut into thin long pieces

       ·        ½ cup lemon juice

       ·        Salt to taste

       ·        1 or ½ tsp chili powder

       ·        2 tsp roasted methimustard powder (optional)*

Directions:

       1.     Mix all the ingredients.

       2.     Let the mixture sit for half a day.

       3.     Can be kept in a refrigerator for a month.

Variations:

Plain ginger or tender carrots also taste nice this way.
 

I normally keep some amount of roasted methi mustard powder in a bottle and use it in most of the chutneys. It saves some time in making the chutneys and also we can reduce the oil consumption.

Vankaya pulusu pacchadi (Roasted eggplant chutney)

Ingredients:

      ·        Roasted eggplant

      ·        2 tsp tamarind

      ·        Salt to taste

      ·        ½  tsp Turmeric powder

      ·        2 or 3 Green chilis chopped

      ·        Finely cut cilantro for garnish

Seasoning:

           ·        2 tsp oil

      ·        1 red chili

      ·        1 tsp chana dal

      ·        1 tsp urad dal

      ·        ½ tsp mustard  seeds

      ·        ½ tsp jeera seeds

      ·         A pinch hing

      ·        2 tbsp finely cut onion (optional)

  Directions:

  1.     Mash roasted eggplant—if necessary, grind it in a blender. 

  2.     Add salt, turmeric powder, and tamarind.

  3.     Add 2 to 3 tbsp water for consistency.

  4.     Add cut green chilis and cilantro.

  5.     Fry seasoning in a heated pan and add to eggplant.

  6.     Fry the onion in a tea spoon of oil and add to the chutney.

Roasting the eggplant:

The best way to roast an eggplant is to place it on burning coal or fire. A few alternate methods are also available. Wrap it in aluminum foil and place it on gas flame and roast it till it is soft. Keep turning the eggplant once in a while.

Where an oven is available like in USA it is usually roasted in the oven. Poke the eggplant in a few places with a fork and wrap it or place it on an aluminum foil and put the oven on. It is suggested that you can set the oven to broil to get a nice texture. Keep turning the eggplant occasionally. You may roast 2 or 3 eggplants at one time and save the roasted pulp in the freezer. You have to add a little salt and turmeric and mash it before keeping it in the freezer. Another way is to cut the eggplant into small pieces and sauté it in a pan. Of course, it will not have the nice aroma of a roasted eggplant!

Gongura pacchadi (chutney)

Gongura which is a green vegetable, is very popular in Andhra Pradesh. The leaves are very sour. The most common dish is a pickle version known as gongura pacchadi. Gongura is available in many parts of India. Most of the Indian stores in USA sell bunches of gongura. The other dishes you can make are Gongura dal or pulusu.

Ingredients:

·          1 big bunch Gongura

·         ½ tsp tamarind

·         ¼ tsp turmeric powder

            ·        2 tsp roasted methi mustard powder*

·        Salt to taste

·        3 tbsp oil

·        2 or 3 Green chilis

·        ½ tsp chili powder

·        1 tsp sesame seeds

·        8 or 10 garlic pods (peeled) (optional)

Directions:

1.     Wash gongura leaves and dry on a cloth for a day. 

2.     Fry the dried gongura in a pan with a little oil.

3.     Roast the sesame seeds without oil and grind them.

4.     Add the tamarind and all other ingredients to gongura and grind to a paste.

5.     Transfer to a bowl.

6.     Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add ½ tsp chili powder and hing.  Add this to chutney  and mix.(optional)

7.     Fry the garlic in a small pan and when the pods are getting brown, add to the chutney.

*Roast a spoon of methi seeds and mustard seeds separately without oil and powder them.

I normally keep some amount of roasted methi mustard powder in a bottle and use it in most of the chutneys. It saves some time in making the chutneys and also we can reduce the oil consumption.

Bengaluru vankaya (chayote/chocho) subzi

Bengaluru vankaya is known as chocho in some places and also called chayote in USA.  It is a gourd like squash that is the size of a large pear and also has the pear shape. It cooks easily and can be used in subzis, sambar or kootu etc.

  

Ingredients:

·        1 chayote, cut into ½” pieces

·        3 tbsp shredded coconut

·        Salt to taste


                        

For seasoning:

·        2 tsp oil

·        1 tsp chana dal

·        1 tsp urad dal

·        ½ tsp mustard seeds

·        1 red chili

·        A few curry leaves

Directions:

1.     Add the chili, dals and mustard seeds to hot oil.

2.     Add curry leaves and chayote pieces.

3.     Sprinkle a little water and cook until nearly tender.

4.     Add shredded coconut and salt; let cook for a few additional minutes.

Variation:

Instead of grated coconut, roasted sesame seed powder can be added.

In place of Chayote you can use snake gourd, green beans, snap beans or fresh fava beans also.  

  

Daddojanum (Yogurt rice)

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

      ·        1 cup cooked and cooled rice

      ·        1½  cups yogurt

      ·        Salt to taste

 For Seasoning:

      ·        2 tsp oil

      ·        1 tsp mustard seeds

      ·        1 tsp cumin seeds

      ·        ½ tsp ajwain seeds                                             

      ·        A pinch hing

      ·        2 or 3 green chilis cut  and deseeded

      ·        1 tsp finely cut ginger

      ·        A few curry leaves

 For garnish:

     
      ·        Cilantro, fresh  pomegranate  seeds, grated carrot, blue berries etc

Directions:

1.     Rice has to be overcooked.  If necessary, you may mash the cooked rice. And let it cool.

2.     Whisk the yogurt and mix with rice.

3.     Add salt.                            

4.     To hot oil, add mustard, cumin and ajwain seeds. When the seeds splutter, add a pinch of hing.

5.     Add chopped chilis, ginger and cook for a minute and add curry leaves.

6.     Pour it over the rice mixture and mix thoroughly.

7.     Garnish with cilantro etc.

Note:

     The dish thickens after some time. So more yogurt/water or milk has to be added to get the proper consistency.

Variation:

      Cooked vermicelli or washed and soaked poha (flat rice) are good alternatives for rice.