Cilantro and red chilies pickle - Kothimeera, pandu mirapa paCHAdi

Chilies in many forms, from colorful fresh ones to dried ones to various kinds of chili powders have become an integral part of Indian cooking (though these guys are not native to the subcontinent.)

Newbies to Indian grocery stores often are awed at dedicated aisle for pickles. A peek into any South Indian pantry would reveal jars of various pickles that look inviting. The aroma of well made pickle transports me back to my grand parents' village, the rainy days and to the perfectly mixed piping hot steamed rice with ghee and the prized pickle. It reminds of the soil that produced the ingredients, the hands of my mom and grandma skillfully convert the raw materials into heavenly concoction.

Pickle making in Indian families is a knowledge that is passed from older generation women to younger generations. It was a sight of pleasure to see all the womenfolk in the family (and sometimes in the neighborhood) come together to churn up jars and jars of delicious pickles. This pickle, a modern one, I have learned from my mother.

Ripe red chilies (long variety) are hard to find in US super markets. I got lucky on one of these days and spotted them in a grocery store. How fitting, just when JFI ingredient is chilies! JFI was started by Indiraji of Mahanandi and is hosted by Nandita of Saffron Trail

Much of the preparation in this recipe is actually waiting. So, patience and a slow day are key ingredients. :-)

What you need to make this recipe

9-10 long fresh red chilies ( 2 cups when cut into half inch pieces)
3-5 large bunches of cilantro
large lemon sized tamarind
2 tbsp peanut or sesame oil
Salt to taste

For popu/tadka or seasoning or talimpu

5 tbsp peanut or sesame oil
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 dry red chilies, snipped into half inch pieces
fistful of fresh curry leaves
4 cloves garlic, pounded lightly




Prep Work:
-Wash and take stems off red chilies. Wipe them with kitchen towel and let them dry until no moisture can be felt on skins.
-Pick any yellow or rotten leaves out of cilantro bunches. Wash gently and spread them on a kitchen towel in thin layer. Let then dry. No moisture should be there in the leaves.
-Wash tamarind and cook in 1/2 cup of water until it turns soft. Allow it to cool, and squeeze the pulp. Keep it aside.

Method:Note: It is very important to use dry hands and utensils while making a pickle. Otherwise, the pickle would not preserve well.

• Cut the red chilies into pieces. Heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the pieces to heated oil, saute until the chilies become soft. Remove from pan, keep aside.
• Add Cilantro to the same oil, saute until cilntro is wilted. If the quantity is more, do not add at once. Saute in batches. Take cilantro out, spread in a plate evenly in a thin layer.
• Let both red chilies and cilantro cool completely.

• Blend red chilies, cilnatro, tamarind pulp and salt together to form a thick paste. Do not add water. I used food processor to make this as food processor does not require too much liquid to move.
• For tadka/seasoning, heat 4-5 tbsp oil in the same pan.
• When the oil starts "dancing", add tadka ingredients one by one. Saute until the garlic is softened. Add the ground paste, stir well. Adjust salt according to taste. The pickle should be a bit salty to preserve well. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously for 3 minutes.
• Take off of heat, let it completely cool before transferring into clean, dry jar or glass bottle.

This pickle may be served with Dosas, Idlies, Roties or simply mixed with steamed rice with some Ghee (clarified butter).
Notes:
-This pickle keeps well for 2 -3 months without refrigeration.
-The pickle should be glistening. If it looks dry, heat some sesame or peanut oil and
pour over the pickle, mix well and preserve.
-As ready-made tamarind pastes are too viscous and too tangy, it is best to use freshly made pulp as the fresh one would be sweeter.

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.

Punjabi Kichdi - Rice and Mung lentil preparation, Punjabi style

Garden bounty

Fruits of backyard gardening:

Ullikaram - (Spicy onion paste)

This is a simple, pungent and delicious preparation that takes less than a two minutes to make, that too it uses only four ingredients! But the usage options are endless. This paste can be used to make 'Karam Dosa' (lentil and rice crepe smeared with spicy paste), can be added to 'igurus' (Andhra dry curries), can be mixed in roti or parantha dough or simply served with rice with heated sesame oil or smear on a slice of bread while making sandwich or burger.

What you need to make this paste:
1 medium sized onion
1.5 tbsp good quality spicy red chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste

Method:
Peel onion and chop roughly. Place all ingredients in food processor and process to a coarse paste. Use immediately or store in air-tight container in refrigerator. Keeps well for a week if refrigerated.

________________

Kashmiri Dahi Baingan

(Eggplants in Kashmiri style yogurt sauce)

The ingredients and the deep frying part may make calorie-conscious people gasp with horror, but, it is not that bad. The eggplants do not absorb much oil if the oil is kept at right temperature. This dish is going to take your palette on a tantalizing journey! Enjoy!

adapted from recipe by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
~.~.~

What you need to make this curry:
4 medium sized long eggplants (Indian or Japanese variety)
4-5 cardamoms
1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder
1 cup fresh yogurt
1/2 to 1 tsp red chili powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil plus for frying



Prep Work:
Wash eggplants, slit into quarters lengthwise. Place them in salted water.
Pound fennel seeds to a coarse powder.

Method:

• Heat 1/2 to 1 cup cooking oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat.
• Take few pieces of eggplant, dry them by blotting with kitchen towel. Fry for 2 minutes or until the pieces are light brown in color. Remove and place them on a paper towel.
• Repeat until all pieces of eggplant are done.
• In a deep skillet, heat 1-2 tbsp cooking oil, add cardamoms. Saute for 15-20 seconds. Carefully add yogurt, start stirring immediately. Add salt, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add fennel powder, ginger powder, red chili powder, mix well. Cook, stirring continuously for 3 minutes or until the yogurt breaks down.
• Add eggplant pieces, adjust salt, mix gently. Cook for another minute, remove from heat.

This tastes great with vegetable pulao or biryani or steamed basmati rice.

adapted from recipe by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
~.~.~

Chepala Vepudu - Fish fry - Andhra Style

This is a spicy fish curry, made by shallow frying fish pieces coated with spice mixture and topped with seasoned wilted onions.

This dish can be made with a variety of fish. But, somehow, salmon and tuna are not suited. Any cut of fish is also fine. Cook times can vary depending on the fish and cut. For example, tilapia may take a minute more than sea bass; thin fillets take less time than steaks. I made this with wild Pacific Dover Sole (which, is a flat fish) fillets.

Supper for my husband, DS, yesterday
~.~.~

What I used to make this dish:

2 lb Pacific Dover Sole fillets
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 medium onion, sliced
4-5 green chilies, slit vertically
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1-2 tbsp cooking oil + some for shallow frying the fish
Tadka items:a teaspoon each of chana daal, urad daal, mustard seeds, jeera/cumin seeds and a fistful of fresh curry leaves (yep! that many curry leaves needed. This is what gives this dish nice aroma.)

For spice mixture:
3/4 cup besan/chickpea/garbanzo flour
3-4 tbsp red chili powder
1 tsp dhania/coriander powder
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin powder
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp cooking oil

Prep work:

• Cut fish into bite sized or portion sized pieces. Sprinkle turmeric powder and a tablespoon of salt. Rub the fish pieces well. Leave for 5 minutes. Wash the fish pieces under cold water, squeeze gently, take into a mixing bowl.
  
• Add items listed under spice mixture, salt (keep in mind that the pieces had been rubbed with salt before) and gently coat the fish pieces, adding very little water. You may sieve the flour to achieve good application.
  
• Cover the mixing bowl, place it in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Method:

• Heat a table spoon oil in a skillet (use well-seasoned cast iron one for better taste) to medium heat. Add the marinated fish pieces on a single layer. Keep some space between the pieces. Cook on each side for a minute or until they are medium-brown color on both sides. Drain on a kitchen towel. If there are more pieces, shallow-fry them in batches. Once all done, go to next step.
  
• In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the tadka items one by one. Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add onions, green chilies, garlic and little salt. Saute until the onions are wilted. Add a teaspoon of red chili powder, saute for 30 seconds.
• Return the fish pieces back into skillet, gently coat them with the wilted onions. Lower the heat to lowest setting, heat for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, squeeze lime juice before serving.

Serving suggestion: Can be served as appetizer or as a side dish with steamed rice and Andhra Pepper Rasam.

Supper for my husband, DS, yesterday
~.~.~