Potato and Spring Onion: A quick sabzi

Where have I been? Its a question I ask myself more than you would have asked me. Mid way into 2010, I find myself with one thing that I have never been comfortable with - Change (with a capital C), or to be more precise Unplanned Change. Yeah yeah..."Change is the only constant" wise men have cited and so have the management books, but I am someone who just runs away from it. Maybe because I am too lazy or maybe (as my husband says) because I am a control freak.

And yet, this year has been full of unplanned changes. Change of job (which I wanted), followed by unplanned changes at personal front and professional front too. I do not know what tomorrow holds. If I were someone else, I might have enjoyed the roller coaster ride. But not me! The only bright spot has been an official visit to London (Yipee!). I hope I can blog about it sometime soon.  

Coming to food, sharing a recipe which I have loved as a kid, and still do. Its quick, simple, has minimum spices and has one of my favourite veggies - Spring Onions (also called Scallions or Green Onions).

Ingredients:

Potatoes: 3 medium, diced in small cubes
Spring Onion: a bunch, finely chopped (approx 2 cups)
Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
Mustard oil: 2 tbsp
Turmeric: 1/3 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1/3 tsp
Jeera / Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Salt: To taste

Method:

- Heat oil in a kadhai / heavy bottomed pan, till it starts smoking. Turn off the heat and let the oil cool
- Turn on the heat again, and when the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds. Let the seeds splutter.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, including the spices. Mix well.
- Lower the heat. Cover and cook. Do lift the lid and stir every few minutes to ensure that the potatoes do not stick to the bottom.
- The potatos should be done in around 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with dal - rice or parathas / chapatis.

Sending this over to Weekend Herb Blogging # 239 hosted this week by Mele Cotte. The event is managed week on week by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything Atleast Once

Gajar ka Halwa

It's so good to be back. And relaxing. I spent the last few days going through the updates on my Google Reader (and there were so many!) and I now feel much more at peace after moving the "unread" items to "read".

So, without much ado, we go straight to the Gajar ka Halwa, which is one of the most popular winter desserts, especially in North India. The dessert is best made from the "red" carrots which are available only in winters.

Like most Indian recipes, this too has several variations. The quickest way to prepare is using condensed milk. What I am sharing today is the more traditional method, which takes atleast an hour to prepare, if using a kilogram of carrots! The time can be reduced if you are making lesser quantity.

The dessert can be stored in refrigerator and will easily last for a week. Heat it everytime before serving.

Ingredients:

Red Carrots: 1 kg

Milk (preferably full cream): 1 lit

Sugar: 3/4 cup, or to taste

Ghee (Clarified butter): 1/2 cup

Nuts, raisins

Method:

- Scrape off the peel, and wash the carrots well. Grate them (or refer to the short cut below).

- Add the grated carrot and milk in a heavy bottomed pan (preferably non stick). Bring to a boil

- Let it simmer on low - medium heat till the milk evaporates, and the mixture becomes dry. This will take approximately 45 minutes. While the milk is in the process of drying, keep stirring in between to ensure that the mixture does not stick to the bottom

- Add the ghee and let the mixture cook in it on medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes. Keep stirring from time to time.

- Mix in the sugar. The halwa will become slightly fluid as the sugar melts. Stir it on low heat for another 10 minutes.

- Add nuts, raisins of your choice. Serve hot

Alternate to grating carrots:

Grating carrots manually (as it is still done in many kitchens in India), can be an extremely tedious task. My food processor ensures that I donot spend more than a few minutes on the grating bit. However, since my Mom's kitchen is bereft of the processor, my Dad has found an alternate.

Cut the carrots roughly in small - medium sized pieces. Pressure cook them with milk (2 whistles and a few more minutes should do the job). Mash the carrots using a fork / masher. Transfer contents to the pan and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

My Mom was initially sceptical about this short cut, but now is more than happy with it. There is no loss of flavour, and the halwa is as yummy as it can get!

This Carrot Dessert goes to Haalo's Weekend Herb Blogging # 221, the event originally started by Kalyn. This week, the event is being hosted by Cinzia from Cindystar.

Common Cold & Ginger Chai (Tea)

Common cold is so annoying. One sneezes, goes around with a runny nose, headache, fatigue and yet, one cannot be called technically ill. A day off from office requires a graver reason than “just” common cold!

And to think that science has still not been able to discover a cure for it. Hmph! Like my Dad says “Zukaam ho gaya hai? Dawa loge to 7 din mein theek ho jaayega, nahi to ek hafte mein”. (You have caught a cold? If you take medication, you will be fit in 7 days, else it will take a week).

So as you would have got the hint, I have “caught” a cold. And am not sure what medication to take. But what I did have in the morning, before leaving for work, was “Adrak wali Chai” – Ginger Chai (Tea). And trust me, it is really soothing.

Ginger is such a multi faceted tuber. Apart from enhancing the flavor of recipes, it has a high medicinal value as well. Wikipedia tells me that it is used in the treatment of diarrhea and nausea. And in several countries, including India, ginger is used for providing relief in common cold and sore throat.
So, what I am sharing today is a simple and age old recipe. Nothing creative, no experimentation whatsoever. But a sure way to keep warm in the cold weather.

Ingredients (For 1 cup):
Water: ¾ cup
Milk: ¼ cup
Ginger: ½ inch piece
Tea leaves: ¾ - 1 tsp or 1 tea bag
Sugar: To taste

Method:
- Wash the ginger piece and grate it with the peel on
- In a pan, add the water and grated ginger. Bring to a boil.
- When the water starts boiling, add the tea leaves / tea bag.
- Let it simmer for around half a minute so that color of the leaves seeps in
- Add the milk and bring the concoction to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for another 30 – 45 seconds
- Remove the tea bag / strain and pour it in a cup. Add sugar to taste.
- Serve hot and consume while still warm.

Note: Ginger may not be suited for people suffering from ulcers.

This tea makes its way to Weekend Herb Blogging # 214, the event started by Kalyn and now nurtured by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything Atleast Once. This week's edition is being hosted by Haalo herself.

Amla ki Chutney

Amla, or Indian Gooseberry, is a spherical fruit widely known for its medicinal properties.

Appearance: Light green in color with longitudinal stripes, it is smooth and hard in texture. It is usually the size of a table tennis ball, but may be larger. It has a seed in the center which is removed when the fruit is eaten / used for cooking
Taste: The primary taste is sour and bitter. The fruit leaves a sweet tinge on the tongue when swallowed.
Properties and benefits: Amla is a rich source of vitamin C and is a widely used ingredient in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. It is known to benefit digestion, cough and cold, diabetes and blood pressure. It also increases immunity and reduces hair fall. Some benefits of amla for common ailments are listed here.
Recipes and preparations: Though fresh amla is available in autumn, it is usually dried or pickled to be used throughout the year. Fresh amla is used in chutneys and preparation of side dishes. Another common recipe is "Amla ka Murabba" - whole amla pickled with sugar - which can be preserved for a long time.

As for me, I am completely hooked on to this wonderful Amla ki Chutney. I got the recipe from my Mother - in - law, and she had prepared it when we were home for Diwali.

Ingredients:
Amla: 6 - 8
Coriander leaves: a small bunch
Green Chillies: 2, or as per taste
Salt: To taste

Method:

- Wash the amla, and cut it in small pieces. Remove the seed.
- Clean and wash the coriander
- Finely grind the amla, coriander leaves, green chilies and salt in a blender. Add a few table spoons of water while grinding.
- The consistency should be smooth and not too dry. Adjust salt and add some more water if required.
- Serve it as an accompaniment with snacks or curries.
- The chutney can be refrigerated, and lasts for around 7 - 10 days

This chutney heads to the Weekend Herb Blogging # 206, the event presided over by Haalo of Cook Almost Anything Atleast Once, and hosted this week by Yasmeen from Healthnut. The weekly event was originally started by Kalyn.