Sattvic sabji with Tender mini snacking cucumbers in Tomatillo and Cilantro stem dry gravy...Spiced with ginger and Serrano Pepper.

I got extra small snack sized cucumbers from Costco, these are grown in green house by Mucci Farms  and are marketed as "CuteCumbers" They are very crunchy and tasty. Today I made stir fry with these extra tiny cucumbers. I skipped use of onions and cooked this subzi  in Tomatillo  and ground Cilantro stem gravy, spiced it with Ginger and Serrano pepper. Tomatillos bring nice sourness to subzi, I added little brown sugar to balance sour and spicy taste.

Ingredients :

• 8-10 - Extra tender baby cucumbers, slice in round shapes ( 2 heaped cups)
• 4-5 - Tiny Tomatillos - chopped (1 cup)
• 1 - Tender Serrano pepper. chopped (any green chili can be used)
• 3/4 Cup - chopped cilantro stems
• 1.5 Cup - tightly packed chopped cilantro leaves
• 3 inch - piece of ginger - crushed to coarse texture.
• 12-15 - Curry leaves
• 1 Tb.spoon - Oil
• 1 Tb.spoon - jaggery or brown sugar

Method of preparation :

1. Combine chopped cilantro stems and 1 cup chopped cilantro in a small blender jar, crush to coarse mixture without adding water.
2. Combine ginger pieces and chopped Serrano pepper in a small blender jar, crush to coarse mixture without adding water, alternatively you can grate ginger and finely chop Serrano pepper. For less heat use regular green chili.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a open shallow saute pan. Add crushed ginger-chili mixture, 6-7 curry leaves, saute over medium heat for 1.5 minutes or until ginger slightly starts to turn brown. Next  add chopped Tomatillos, saute over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
4. Now add sliced cucumber rounds, little salt, mix well, continue to saute over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water and cook until water evaporates and cucumber slices are cooked tender, do stir frequently.
5. Add mixture of cilantro stems and leaves,  remaining curry leaves, 1 tbsp brown sugar,adjust salt level, mix well .If required add 2-3 tbsp water, continue to cook for 3-4 minutes over medium low heat.
6. Garnish with remaining chopped cilantro and serve over rice or eat with rotis. If you want to enjoy  zesty Cucumber-Tomatillo chutney/spread  just grind this subzi in a blender for 1-2 minutes, drizzle extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Earlier blogged cucumber recipes :

1) Persian cucumber stir fry with Tofu cubes
2) Cucumber Paratha/ Kakdi Paratha
3) Dosakai+Pickling cucumber subzi with split green peas.

Vine Sweet multicolor peppers,Snow peas & Matar subji with roasted peanuts. {Recipe for Indian style vegetable stir fry with mini sweet peppers,snow peas,green peas with roasted peanuts}

Fresh and good quality vegetables make delicious subjis. I got vine sweet mini multicolor peppers from Aldi store. Their vibrant color and sweet taste adds appeal to any dish. I made this subji by combining snow peas and green peas. This is very simple subzi recipe that calls for very few ingredients and does not use any masala powder, addition of  coarse crushed peanuts adds texture and unique taste.

Ingredients :
quantity good for three vegetable servings.

• 10-12 -  Multi color  sweet peppers. Slice into round shape. (I used these - Master's Touch Vine sweet Mini peppers)
• 2 Handful - whole snow peas, trim ends and slice into 1 inch pieces.
• 1 - Medium size onion - finely chopped
• 2 - green chilies finely chopped 
• 1/2 cup - frozen green peas
• 1/2 T.spoon - Turmeric powder
• 1/2 Cup - Roasted skinless peanuts - crush half in tiny chunks and half grind to coarse powder.
• 1/2 Cup - finely chopped cilantro
• 1 Tb.spoon - oil

Directions to cook Sweet Peppers and Snow Peas Stir fry :

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a open saute pan. Add chopped onions, saute over medium heat, stirring often. Once onions turn soft and translucent reduce heat to low, add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, continue to saute  3-4 minutes more or until onions start to  turn slight brown.
2. Add chopped green chilies,  sliced snow peas, stir fry over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring often. Now add sliced rounds of sweet peppers. Sprinkle salt and continue to cook over medium heat. Add around 1/4 cup water at short intervals when pan dries out. Saute around 7-8 minutes.
3. Next add roughly crushed peanuts, frozen green peas. Mix well, check salt level, add little chopped cilantro. Cook over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes. Shut off the heat, sprinkle remaining chopped cilantro. Serve over rice or eat with chapati. You can use this stir fry as wrap and sandwich filling.

Black and White Wednesday #77 {Sweet Tamarind from Thailand.}

This is my second entry for Black & White Wednesday #77, 3rd April, 2013. Haalo is hosting it at Cookallmostanything. This event was started by Susan at The Well-Seasoned Cook and now Cinzia will be managing it at Cindystarblog. Next B&WW event #78 will be hosted by Aparna at MyDiverseKitchen.

I have taken images of sweet tamarind from Thailand, these taste very sweet with no  hint of sourness. I will be making sweet tamarind and dates chutney to suit to old age diet and taste requirements. I have to make it less sour, less hot and rightly balance other chutney ingredients. I will blog chutney recipe later.

Sweet Tamarind Pods from Thailand.

Sweet Tamarind Pods.

Black and White Wednesday Event #77

Participants can join B&WW group at Flickr.

My first blog event entry for Susan's Black and White Wednesday Event #76, a weekly culinary gallery. {Images of Green peanuts, French green lentils and Purslane}

Since long time I was wishing to join Susan's Black and White Wednesday event but could not catch up. Today I am pleased to join her event with two images which I failed to submit earlier. Susan from Well seasoned cook is the founder of this  unique weekly event  where she invites  Black and white images relating to food. Classic look of  heart warming black and white images  portray beautiful texture and emotional essence. I am thankful to Susan for initiating me to give an appreciative look at black and white images/photography.

Now Cinzia of  Cindystarblog is a new admin for Susan's Black and White Wednesday event.For all guidelines  and an index of  all future hosting blogs please check her post here. Participants can join Flickr group created for B&W event.

I am contributing following two images  to Black and White Wednesday Event - Week #76  March 27, 2013  which is being hosted by event  founder Susan of  Well Seasoned Cook.

 Curry recipe - French Green lentils and green peanuts.

Purslane an edible weed. Check published post 

here - Purslane Stir Fry.

Black and White Wednesday Event #76

Spicy Home style Indian chicken curry for weeknight dinner, made with fresh home ground chicken curry Masala blend. {Chicken curry and Roti Meal}

This chicken curry was made for one  weeknight dinner. It was just basic Indian chicken curry but the  profile of mix and match of fresh ground spice blend and addition of some canned coconut milk made this chicken curry worth sharing on blog and repeating in future. I saved some curry to take images next day, after taking images for the blog post I savored  this chicken curry and roti for my lunch. Extra thick rolled Roti in image is made with American whole wheat flour which is more coarse and full of natural wheat flavor. This home made roti makes a delicious and wholesome match with home style chicken curry.

Hand rolled, fully puffed American whole wheat flour Roti.

Ingredients : 
Curry Quantity is good for 4 people.

• 2 whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts - (1.5 lbs) cut into one inch cubes.
• 2 large onions - finely chopped, 3cups heaped quantity. (I used one Red and one Yellow)
• 3-4 Roma tomatoes - diced (2.5 cups yield)
• 3 inch piece -Ginger coarsely crushed
• 7-8 - large Garlic cloves coarsely crushed
• 1 cup - chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T.spoon - Red chili powder
• Coconut milk - 3/4 cup. (try to use all natural, I used Renuka brand.)
• 2 Tb.spoon - oil

Spice blend

• 1 Tb.spoon - corriander seeds
• 1/2 T.spoon - shahijeera
• 1 T.spoon - fennel seeds
• 6 - cloves
• 1 T.spoon - whole black peppers
• 1 star anise - small size flower
• 1/2 inch square - cinnamon piece
• 1 Bay leaf - 2 inch long
• 6-7 inch long - Guajillo chilies or 4-5 bedgi chilies or you may use Kashmiri chili powder for color.

Cut dry chilies into very small pieces, Combine all above spices and chili pieces  in a spice grinder bowl, grind them to a  fine powder.

Method for preparing HomeStyle Indian Chicken Curry.

1. Clean chicken breasts, pat dry, cut into one inch cubes. Marinate with little salt, keep it aside.You can use your choice of  chicken pieces or whole chicken cut up, give more cooking time for bone in large size chicken pieces also increase onion quantity with one cup.
2. Combine ginger and garlic in a small blender jar, grind to a coarse mixture. Alternatively you can grate it by using microplane.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a thick gauge pot. (3-4 quart size) Add chopped onions, increase heat to high,  fry the onions stirring continuously  for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to saute onions, now stirring at some intervals. This will take around 8-10 minutes to soften the onions. Now add coarse crushed mixture of ginger and garlic, mix-saute for one minute.
4. Next add ground spice blend, mix well, saute over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes. If mixture sticks to the bottom and gets dry, sprinkle little water and continue to saute.
5. Add salt marinated chicken pieces, mix well. Cover with lid, cook over medium low heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring few times.
6. Now add half the quantity of diced tomatoes, salt, 3/4 cup water and 1 tsp red chili powder,  mix all well, cover with lid and  continue to cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring at some interval. (spice blend has 1 tsp of black pepper which brings good heat, skip adding red chili powder if you want medium hot curry.)
7. Stir in remaining chopped tomatoes, 3/4 cup coconut milk, little chopped cilantro, mix well, check and adjust salt level, cook over medium heat without covering the lid for 7-8 minutes. If you want thick gravy then cook over high heat for few more minutes, stirring often until  you have achieved the desired  gravy consistency. Finally add remaining chopped cilantro and shut off the heat. Cover with lid, allow to rest one hour before serving. You can serve this chicken curry over rice or eat with roti.

Home style spice laden Indian Chicken Curry.

Chicken Curry Roti Lunch.

Curry cooked on 19th,March..published on 17th May,2013.