Artichokes - Genovese style - from Food TV

My love for artichokes is blind :-) Why blind? Because, I can't decide what I love about them. May be its the after taste or may be its their ability to absorb other flavors while their own flavor stands out. Being so smitten about artichokes, how can I pass on a recipe that is shown by Giada De Laurentis on her Everyday Italian show. In this recipe, the artichokes are trimmed, stuffed with sauteed mushroom mixture and then cooked whole in white wine. She cuts the intensity of wine with a cup of water. I've followed the recipe for most part, except, I have not used prosciutto. I've substituted the meaty flavor by using baby Portabello mushrooms than regular white button mushrooms. The result was, very delicious!! Once done, its was fun eating it. Best thing to eat while watching movie! Oh, yeah!
But, making it takes some patience and time. Check the recipe out and you'll know. But, the reward was worth the effort.

For people familiar with Indian food, Artichokes resemble a little in taste with drumsticks, but Artichokes has more complex flavor than drumsticks. The similarity also extends how these are eaten. Artichoke leaves can be chewed just like drumsticks.

What you Need to make this superb dish
4 good quality fresh artichokes
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb baby bello mushrooms, chopped
1 medium sized onion, chopped finely
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tsp dry parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups drinking quality white wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Note: Using drinking quality white wine enhances the flavor of artichokes.
Prep Work:
Trim Artichokes by cutting top off. And trim the leaves by snipping the top half of the edge.

Method:

• Heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil in a skillet at medium-high heat. Add garlic before the oil gets heated. Once the oil is hot enough, add onions and parsley saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they are golden brown in color, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, keep aside and let it cool.
• Once cooled, add grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, mix well. Keep aside.
• Pull apart the leaves gently and stuff mushroom mixture between the leaves.
• Once all the artichokes are stuffed, place them in a wide, heavy bottomed, high-sided saucepan. The artichokes should sit tightly so that they would not fall apart once cooked.

• Pour wine and water (not on top of the artichokes, but, in the gap between them). Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil over them. Cover and bring it to boil on a medium-high heat. Once comes to boil, reduce the heat to 'low' and let it simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the artichoke leaves are tender.
• Serve while they are still hot.

Bengaluru Mirapa - Senagapindi

(Bell Pepper Curry - Andhra Style)


This is a heavenly, fragrant curry that can be made with not so much effort. I make this variety of preparation whenever I crave for authentic Andhra fare, but short on time and energy. From prep work till serving this dish with a delicious meal takes only 30 minutes (Rachel Ray-ish).

RCI (Regional Cuisines of India), a brilliant event was started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine. I misses RCI-Tamil Cuisine, which I love. This time, its RCI-Andhra, my native cuisine, hosted by Latha. So, this month, its a parade of Andhra food. yay!


What you need to make this Curry:

2-3 medium green bell peppers
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 green chili, sliced
1/2 -3/4 cup gram flour or chick-pea flour (sengapindi)
1-2 tsp red chili powder
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)

Tadka/Seasoning Items:

3-4 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp each chana dal, urad dal
1 tsp each mustard seeds, cumin seeds
1-2 sprigs curry leaves
one or two pinches hing powder

Prep Work:
-Wash the bell peppers, core them, and dice them into small bite sized pieces. The core with stem should be discarded; the core with seeds can be used.
-Roast jeera seeds until they leave nice aroma. Cool, keep aside.
-If using flour from puffed chickpeas, no need to roast the flour.
-If using raw flour, roast on a low flame until it leaves nice aroma.
-Pound flour, cumin seeds, garlic cloves together to a breadcrumbs like consistency. Add little water to make thick paste of pouring consistency

Method:

• Heat a skillet , add oil. When the oil starts 'dancing', add tadka items in the order they are given.
• Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add onions, green chili. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
• Add bell pepper pieces, salt, mix well; cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, occasionally mixing.
• Salt will make the bell peppers cook faster. Once cooked soft, but not mushy, add the flour mixture. Mix well by turning gently. Cook until the flour mixture is thickened and a light brown crust is formed. Do not turn a lot during this time.
• Serve with steamed rice and rasam

From Guntur - Kakarakaaya Bellam Vepudu- RCI- Andhra Cuisine

(Bitter gourd with jaggery)
'Vepudu' on Telugu is a dry curry, vegetables or meat are cooked until the water content is evaporated. The end result is a semi-crispy vegetables or meat packed with flavor.
Bitter gourd is one vegetable that needs some skill to make a tasty dish out of it. One small mistake or neglect would result a very unappetizing preparation. The preparation of a good bitter-gourd dish starts with selecting right gourds. Choose gourds which are not too young (no flavor) or too bulky and old (hard to cook, bitterness is too harsh).
There are numerous ways that karela can be prepared; but, this one is close to my heart, as it blends most of the 6 tastes (Salt, Pungency, Bitterness, Sweet, Astringent, Sourness)

What you need to make this 'Vepudu':

6-7 medium sized bitter-gourds (karelas)
1/4 medium onion, sliced
2 green chilies, chopped
1-2 tbsp jaggery
2 tbsp turmeric powder (I'm not out of my mind :-) Please see under Prep Work)
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tsp red chili powder (depending on tolerance)
5 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste
and tadka items: 1tsp each chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cimun seeds, two sprigs curry leaves

Prep Work:
-Quarter karelas, and slice into 1/4th inch thick pieces. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder, rub well, keep aside for 30 minutes. As the salt and turmeric powder are absorbed, salt brings out the excess water in the karelas, turmeric powder, adds a fabulous flavor.
-Squeeze well either by hand or in a kitchen towel and then squeezing; either way, the pieces should look wilted by the end.
-Grind garlic cloves and red chili powder together.(Mortar and Pestle or a back of spoon work better than a food processor/blender)

Method:

• Heat oil in a wide skillet or wok. Add the tadka items in the order given.
• Add the karela pieces, mix well. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally. The karela pieces should be done half-way through.
• Add onion and green chilies. Mix well and cook for another 15 minutes or until the karela pieces are well-cooked, i.e., the pieces are soft to bite with a crispy outer layer, doesn't feel like a piece of mulch when you bite.
• Add chili powder mixture and jaggery. Mix well and cook for another minute or two.
• Serve with rice and mudda pappu (plain boiled toor dal/pigeon peas) with a spoon of ghee.


My contribution for RCI-Andhra Cuisine.

Jihva for Tomatoes - Peanut, Tomatillos Chutney

This my contribution for JFI-Tomatoes hosted by RP of My Workshop. I'm a newbie in food blogging, but, a very curious and passionate cook. I'm a regular visitor on many blogs and when I saw JFI - Tomatoes on JP's site, I was thrilled. One thing that caught my eye instantly is 'Tomatillos'.

When I first saw Tomatillos in US, they reminded me of a fruit that grows on a weed back home. But soon, I learnt its extreme tartness and existence in many Latin American cuisines. How can one miss Tomatillo-Chipotle sauce living in Southern USA? Not a chance!

Since then, I'm hooked on it and tried incorporating this cute little vegetable (actually, fruit) in my cooking. I must tell you, I'm pleased with the results. One such incorporation is this Chutney I make with tomatillos and peanuts. As I've enjoyed this delicious preparation, I'm sharing it with you.

Peanut chutney is very popular in southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. Traditionally its made with peanuts and tamarind pulp. In my recipe, I'm replacing Tamarind with this "little tomato".

What you need to make this Chutney:

These measurements can be changed according to your spice level and tartness tolerance.


1 medium sized Tomatillo
2 cups peanuts, roasted (with or without salt)
8-12 Thai green chilies
Salt to taste (be careful with the amount if using salted peanuts)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon + 1teaspoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon each black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal
7-10 curry leaves

How to make:

1. Heat one teaspoon oil in a saute pan and add green chilies and whole tomatillo. When done roasting, remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Roast peanuts if not already roasted. Let them cool for 10 minutes.
3. Blend together tomatillo, green chilies, peanuts and clove of garlic, adding little water. Add salt and blend to a semi-smooth paste.
4. Heat one tablespoon oil, add curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal.
5. Roast them until they leave nice aroma. Add chopped onion. Saute for a minute.
6. Add the blended chutney. Lower the heat to simmer and let the chutney heat a little bit. This will allow all the flavors blend properly.

That's it! Enjoy with rice, idlies, dosas, or as a spread on falafel sandwich......the options are limitless.