Sweet Pulao infused with Mango pulp + Coconut milk - Topped with Bing Cherries, nuts, raisins, black currents. For side - Spicy Beetroot+Orange salad with Kalonji Tadka - A Special Indianized Valentine Treat

This year for Valentine's Day I  wanted to cook something more Desi or say Indianized Valentine Dish. I came up with Sweet Rice / Pulao and  spicy fruity salad. I cooked Sweet pulav  based on the Maharashtrian Naralee Bhat /Sakhar Bhat / kesari Bhat recipe, it is sweet coconut rice prepared during Narli Poornima. This Valentine special - Sweet rice is infused with Mango pulp and coconut milk. I added spices to make it aromatic and generously garnished with raisins,almonds, fresh coconut, carrots and Bing cherries. Salad  was  made with beetroot and fresh oranges, added a special zest with Kalonji + green chili Tadka. Both dishes reflected luxurious deep red and yellow color glow to match the feeling of affection. It was  a delicious and tasty treat for Valentine's Day. (Scroll down to enjoy few clicks of red miniature roses.)
Note :- Recipe published on 06/12/11. 

Ingredients:-

• 2 Cup Basmati Rice
• 1 Cup Mango Puree/Pulp + 1 Tb.spoon (used canned)
• 1/2 Cup Coconut milk  + 1 Tb.spoon  (used Renuka brand)
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup fresh grated coconut
• 20-25 - Fresh Bing cherries
• 1 Cup - carrots cut into disc shape
• 1.5 Tb.spoon Ghee + 4  more for roasting raisins, black currents, almonds, carrots
• 1 Tb.spoon - Black currents
• 2 Tb.spoon - Golden raisins
• 3 Tb.spoon - slivered almonds.

Whole Spices :-

• 5 Cloves
• 3 whole Cardamom
• 1 Bay leaf - ( 2 inch long)
• 5 Nagkesar pieces ( in absence - use 1.5 inch cinnamon stick)
• 1 Star anise

Ghee roasted ingredients and fresh coconut

Cooking process for  pressure cooker cooked Sweet Pilaf / Pulav.

A)  Pre-preparations :-

1. Rinse and soak rice for 20-25 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small skillet, add sliced carrots; stir fry for 2-3 minutes on a medium low heat. Do it in two  batches. spread them on paper towel and keep it aside.
3. Wipe out skillet with paper towel, moderately heat  one more teaspoon  Ghee, add 1 tablespoon black currents - quickly stir for 15-20 seconds and  place them on the paper towel.
4. Add little more ghee  and add  golden raisins, 1 tablespoon at a time - quickly saute for 15-20 seconds or until they puff up. Act quick to avoid burn. Drain raisins on paper towel.
5. Wipe out all ghee from skillet with paper towel, add 1 teaspoon  fresh ghee and roast slivered almonds until they turn light golden color - spread it on paper towel and keep it aside.
6. Cut each Bing cherry in two or four pieces - Discard seeds.

B)  Pressure Cooker cooking process :-

1. Heat 1.5 tablespoon ghee in pressure cooker (minimum 4 quart size). Add all whole spices - sizzle for 20-25 seconds. Pour one cup mango pulp, allow to simmer for three minutes. Add half cup coconut milk + One cup sugar - wait until it starts to boil. Add soaked rice (just rice no water )- stir  and simmer for two minutes.
2. Now add 2.5 cups water, 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut - mix well and allow it to simmer.Once it starts to boil - close the pressure cooker lid and wait until it blows first whistle. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow to cook for another 7-8 minutes. During this time it is ok if it whistles second time. Finally reduce heat to lowest heat setting  and leave pressure cooker on stove  for another 7-8 minutes. Shut off the heat, allow  it to cool down.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine rice with pan roasted  carrots, black currents, golden raisins, almonds. Now add remaining fresh grated coconut, 1 tablespoon coconut milk, mango pulp and gently mix with wooden spatula. Pulp and coconut milk will bring glaze and moistness also it will enhance  fresh  mango aroma. Finally add bing cherries, decorate your way and serve. You may also add fresh mango cubes for final garnish.This is great sweet rice/pulao dish for festivals and parties.

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Preparation- Spicy Beetroot  Orange salad

Peel and thinly slice one medium size beetroot into half an inch size pieces.(1 cup yield) Peel one orange, remove all white pith and membrane from orange - slice into half an inch thin pieces. Keep it aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon Kalonji seeds - sizzle for 10 seconds. Quickly add chopped green chilies - saute for 15 seconds. Now add 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, saute for 30 seconds. Mix sliced beetroot; cook and stir over medium-high heat about 7-8 minutes until  tender, you may add little water to avoid burning. Sprinkle very little salt and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. make sure all water content is evaporated. Allow to cool.  When you are ready to serve, toss in  orange slices, gently combine and serve.

Pictures of miniature rose plant that I picked up from Walgreen for Valentine's Day.

Fresh Flowers in Vase - A soothing spot in the home. (Year 2010 collection)

Flowers are nature's beautiful creation. Glimpse of flowers mesmerizes every human being.  I strongly believe that flowers enhance peace,  love and positive energy in the home and there by stimulate emotional and physical healing. I love to secure a little spot in the home with fresh flower vase. Here in USA we have beautiful choice of fresh flowers available in grocery shops...just spending four to eight dollars one can create nice flower arrangement..adding some stems, leaves  and bushes found around home adds beauty to flower arrangement. Last year I started to post pictures of these arrangements at the right corner of the blog. I love this ritual. In this post I am collecting all last years captured flower arrangements...Enjoy!!

Summer time creation - flowers,leaves from patio garden (July)

Little more enhancement to above arrangement. (July)

Just two carnations from pot surrounded with pot  grown herbs
Parsley, Mint flowers, random leaves from woods.

Orange Roses surrounded with wild tiny white flowers from back yard. (October)

Two carnations and one mum from pot with green stems from

backyard surrounded with Sweetgum tree seed pods

except that violet  flower stem..all collected from backyard.

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Phodnicha Methi Paratha/Roti with crumbled Tofu - A quick Breakfast delight.

Today Morning I was to cook something for husbands tiffin and breakfast. I had two left over Methi Parathas which were turned a bit dry because I did not pack them neatly in cling wrap. I thought about phodnichi Poli , a typical Maharashtrian delight which is made with left over rotis. Also Gujarati people have similar recipe called Vaghareli Roti, so based on these recipes I made this quick stir-fry of left over methi roti/paratha. I added some scrambled tofu and garnished it with fresh mint and parsley. I packed some for husbands lunch tiffin and rest enjoyed  as my breakfast  with aromatic cardamom+nutmeg infused coffee.Ending this recipe post with today morning's pleasing sunrise moment while driving.

Ingredients :-

• 2  Methi Paratha (8 inch diameter) - break into one inch pieces.
• 1 Medium size onion - cut half lengthwise and rest half chop finely.
• 1 Cup extra Firm Tofu - crumbled  (I used Azumaya Extra Firm)
• 1.5 Tb.spoon cooking oil
• 2 Green chilies - finely chopped
• 1/2 Cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 T.spoon sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or your choice of fresh herbs

Cooking Process :-

1. Heat oil in  a medium size heavy gauge skillet / saute pan / Kadhai. Add chopped onions, stir fry on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add green chilies and little chopped fresh cilantro ( My cilantro was out of stock so I used mint and  garnished with pot grown parsley).
2. Add Paratha pieces and mix well with onions. Reduce heat to medium low. Keep stirring for 2 minutes. Now add crumbled tofu, little salt, sugar  and saute for another 2 minutes. If it sticks to bottom then sprinkle 1 teaspoon water.
3. Add Green peas. Mix well and allow it to cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium low heat, stir occasionally.  Sprinkle chopped cilantro and enjoy. You may top it with dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Note:- You may enhance this dish by using few other veggies like carrots, boiled potato pieces, cabbage,red radish, green beans, Lima beans.  Also you can  replace Tofu with scrambled eggs.

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Sunrise time 7.10 am on 28th January. It felt like wooded area behind gas station is on fire.

Makar Sankranti Sweets - Sesame Chikki / Brittle made with Brown candy and Indian Jaggery

Today made sesame chikki for for Makar Sankranti with some variation. I  mixed black and regular sesame seeds and used brown Candy instead of regular jaggery. Chikki / Brittles  got nice crunchy/chewy  texture. I had picked this Brown Candy pack from Asian Grocery store and it looks just like our Desi jaggery..also for the first time I used light corn syrup, it gave smooth binding and shiny glaze. I prepared few mix and match batches of chikki. Plain Combination of jaggery and sesame makes those chikkies quite addictive. Posting ahead two variations of  Til chikki / brittle.

A) Black and White mix sesame chikki with Brown Candy

Ingredients :-

• 3/4 Cup crushed Brown Candy ( 1 stick shown in the picture below)
• 2 Tb.spoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 Cup - Black sesame seeds (lightly roasted)
• 1/4 Cup - Regular white sesame seeds (lightly roasted)
• 1/4 T.spoon - Ghee

Method of making chikki  with Brown Candy :-

1. Heat 1 quart heavy gauge pot/pan with handle, make sure it is not too hot. Add 2 tablespoon light corn syrup. Once it starts boiling you will see lot of bubbles, wait for 20-25 seconds and add crushed brown candy, stir with spoon for a  30-40 seconds.
2. Add 3 tablespoon water and keep stirring, maintain medium heat. Try to crush hard pieces of brown candy by pressing back of the spoon. Stir vigorously to dissolve all brown candy. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring as it is boiling. Syrup will  turn  a bit darker.
3. Now add black and white sesame seeds and mix well. Let it boil for little more than 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon ghee, mix well  and stir for another 30 seconds.. scrape all sides of the pot with flexible spatula and shut off the gas.
4. Take either flat dish or cookie sheet or cake pan (8 inch diameter will work good) grease it lightly with ghee and pour sesame and brown candy syrup at center and spread with spatula as wide as possible. I made thin layer of half centimeter thick. Once you roughly spread it, use flat bottom glass or bowl to pat-press-stretch. Allow it to set for 1-2 minutes.
5. Score horizontal and vertical lines with either knife or stainless steel turner/spatula. I used the one that is shown in picture below, by holding  it in vertical position press with pressure to mark lines. If it sticks to edges of spoon/knife then allow it to cool little more. Just rough marks are fine because once chikki is cooled it easily cracks in marked lines. Store in a jar or plastic ziplock bags.

Picture of Brown candy and Indian jaggery.

Light corn syrup brings soft flexible texture
 You can almost bend the chikki while it is cooling.

This stainless Steel Spatula easily scored chikki lines.

B) White sesame & peanut chikki /Tilgul vadi with Indian Jaggery

Ingredients :-

• 5 cubes - Indian jaggery (cubes shown in white cup) (equals 1 cup loosely packed grated jaggery)
• 1/2 Cup - White sesame seeds (lightly roasted)
• 1/4 Cup - roughly crushed roasted unsalted peanuts
• 2 Tb.spoon - light corn syrup
• 1/2 T.spoon - Ghee

Method of making chikki / Tilgul vadi  with Indian Jaggery :-

1. Heat heavy bottom 1 quart pot with handle. Once it is moderately hot, pour 2 tablespoon light corn syrup and allow it to boil and bubble 15-20 seconds. Add grated jaggery and stir with spoon on medium heat. It will turn too dry, quickly pour 2 tablespoon water and allow it to boil for 2 minutes. Keep continuously stirring and make sure all jaggery chunks are dissolved fully.
2. Add sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, ghee - mix well with jaggery syrup. Let it simmer  for  two minutes on medium low heat. Keep stirring. Shut off the gas and scrape all sides of the pot with flexible spatula and bring jaggery-sesame mass  at one end of the pot by tilting the pot.
3. Pour it on greased cookie sheet or plate at center...spread with spatula as per desired thickness. Use flat bottom of glass and smooth out chikki spread by pat-press-stretch process. Allow it to cool for 1-2 minutes. Score vertical and horizontal lines with knife or stainless steel spatula.Give enough time to cool before you break chikki squares. Store in a jar or ziplock bags.

Buckwheat and whole Red Lentil Curry/Usal/Thick soup - Weekend Lunch Thali

New years first Sunday, I prepared simple soul food for lunch. Lentil-Grain fusion curry was made with combination of whole Masoor Dal (Whole Red Lentil) and  Buckwheat groats, for side veggies I cooked Kerala style cabbage thoran and carrot salad with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoyed with hot rotis and fluffy par boiled rice. It was simple yet very satisfying lunch.

Note - Published on 12th April 2011

Whole Masoor Dal & Buckwheat Usal / Curry

Ingredients:-

• 1 Cup  whole Red Lentil (whole Masoor dal)
• 1/4 Cup whole Buckwheat groats
• 1 medium size onion - finely chopped
• 5-6 fresh garlic cloves - finely crushed
• 1.5 inch piece of ginger - finely crushed
• 12-15 fresh curry leaves
• 1 Tb.spoon oil
• 6-7 cups water
• 1 T.spoon red chili powder
• 1/2 T.spoon turmeric powder
• 1 heaped T.spoon Garam Masala  or you can use Goda, Malvani, Kpra - Zatpat Amti-bhaji Masala, also you can mix and match two different types of  ready-made masalas. 
• 1 T.spoon brown sugar
• 1 Cup - fresh chopped cilantro 

Curry Cooking  Process :-

1. Rinse Masoor Dal and Buckwheat thoroughly in water . Keep it aside by adding 4 cups water. No pre soaking is required. (If you are not using pressure cooker then soak Masoor Dal for 4 hours to reduce cooking time. Buckwheat cooks faster so 30 minutes  soaking should be fine.)
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil  in pressure cooker / pressure pan  (minimum 4 quart size) - toss in 7-8 curry leaves and sizzle for 10 seconds. Add chopped onions, saute for 7-8 minutes on medium flame until they get soft and translucent.
3. Add finely crushed ginger and garlic, saute for 1 minute.
4. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala or your choice of masala as suggested in the ingredients. Mix well - saute for 1-2 minutes on a medium low heat.
5. Now pour in soaked whole red lentils and Buckwheat along with 4 cups of water.Add salt, 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Mix well  and continue to simmer on high heat until it starts to boil. Close the pressure cooker lid and pressure cook until it blows two whistles. Quickly shut-off the heat and allow to cool down. It is o.k if it blows third whistle after you shut off the heat.
6. After pressure cooker is cooled down - switch on the heat again and add 2 more cups of water, you can adjust water quantity as per your desired consistency. Add remaining curry leaves and fresh chopped cilantro. Simmer it uncovered for 10-12 minutes on medium heat.
7. Serve over rice or enjoy with roti. Also this curry can be served  in a bowl as thick soup by drizzling warm  melted ghee.

Note :- You can enrich this curry/soup by adding some greens, veggies.. Like this black eyed peas curry enriched with Lauki and  this Split moong Dal enriched with Tomatillo and spinach.
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Carrot Salad with toasted sesame seeds 

Ingredients :-

• 2 Carrots - 7-8 inch long ( julienne cut - yield should be 1 heaped cup)
• 1 Green chili - finely chopped
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 1/4 cup - finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T.spoon Sesame seeds
• 1 T.spoon vinegar
• 1/4 T.spoon sugar
• 1 T.spoon oil

Process :- Heat 1 teaspoon oil, once it is moderately hot add chopped green chilies and 5-6 curry leaves..sizzle it for 15 seconds, now quickly add 1 teaspoon sesame seeds..stir for 10 seconds. Now add carrots...Stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon sugar, little salt. Stir fry for 2 more minutes on medium heat - remove from heat.Garnish with cilantro.

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Cabbage Thoran

Ingredients :-

• 1 small size half cabbage - ( sliced - yield 2 Cups heaped )
• 1 T.spoon - oil
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 2 green chilies - finely chopped
• 1/2 T.spoon Turmeric
• 1/2 T.spoon cumin
• 1/2 Cup - lightly packed fresh grated coconut
• 1/4 Cup - finely chopped fresh cilantro

Process :- This flavorful Thoran/stir fry subzi from Kerala cuisine  is very simple to prepare. Take small size half cabbage and finely slice in  1.5 inch length strips. (2 cup packed heaped) Heat 1 teaspoon oil, add 5-6 curry leaves and chopped chilies - sizzle for 10 seconds. Add half teaspoon cumin and half teaspoon  turmeric - stir and sizzle for 10 seconds. Now quickly add sliced cabbage, mix well, sprinkle salt  and cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Do stir at regular interval. Now add 1 tablespoon water - mix well and cook uncovered for another 4-5 minutes on low medium heat. Garnish with fresh coconut and  chopped cilantro.

For Cabbage Thoran with carrots and green peas click this  Recipe.

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