Radish Beans Salad / Mongra Salad

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Summers are on while the spring is rapidly vanishing alongwith my veggie greens. So while it’s the time to bring in the beans and gourds in the garden, it’s the time for final harvesting of lettuce, radish etc. some of which have been purposely allowed to bolt. After the radish bolts into white flowers, they develop small beans or pods which are extremely yummy and pungent if harvested in proper time.

This salad is prepared with a handful of radish beans, some green chickpeas, some freshly harvested beetroot and some lettuce. It is so refreshing while I am dug up in my subjects and keeps my burning tummy cool and healthy. Very similar in yumm quotient as the sassy egg chaat which I shared sometime back. I have it for breakfast as well as a 4 pm meal and I bet you will not miss trying it at least once since it’s so simple. So read on, try on and party on 🙂 !!

Radish Beans Salad / Mongra Salad

Radish Beans Salad / Mongra Salad

Radish Beans Salad / Mongra Salad

Radish Beans Salad / Mongra Salad

 

…need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 1 to 2
• Preparation time : 5 minutes max.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Radish Beans, Mongra, 1 cupful : Regular radish plants bolts after the root has ripened (i.e. it grows buds and generates flowers). These flowers then falls off giving way to the beans or pods (hindi : mongra). While it is cooked in dishes as a pungent veggie, I enjoy it well in my salad.
• Beetroot, 2 average sized, 3/4th cup : High in fiber, Vitamin C and manganese to help in immunity, bones, liver, kidney etc. We harvest a decent amount of beet from tubs and sacks in our garden every year. We use the leaves and the stalks as well besides the meaty root.
• Lettuce, Loose leaves, 1 plateful : Lettuce is amazing in summers (though hard to find in this season). It’s so hot in Delhi in summers that all my lettuce dries up (if any is left) by early march itself. It has over 90% water and very low fiber. It gives us Vitamin C, potassium, calcium to us adding the mild peppery and crunchy flavor to the salad.
• Green Chickpeas, 1 cupful : Green chickpea is less available as against it’s dried counterpart which  is a rather popular pulse in Indian kitchens. However, if you can get hold of green chickpeas you have better than peas fresh ones at hand. Raw, crunchy, and high in proteins, fibers and folate and anti-oxidants you would supplement them for peas any good day. 
• Chaat Masala, 1 teaspoon : Again, one of the most popular Indian seasoning for salads etc. Chat masala is typically made by dry grinding coriander seeds, cumin, carom seeds, rock salt, mint, mango powder and a few other things. Again, besides all the digestive and other heath benefits, the chat masala brings in the ‘Xing’ factor.
• Salt to taste : Regular table salt would do in this.
• Lime juice, 1 teaspoon : Sour and acidic, with a good amount of citric acid, we add lemon here not just to enhance the sour essence but also to use it’s hydrating and digestive qualities.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Get a large light bowl. Large to make space for all veggies and light, so it allows sufficient tossing.
• Line up the bowl with lettuce and sprinkle salt across.
• Add the veggies, mix them (beet, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes, radish beans and the green chickpeas) and toss them in the bowl.
• Squeeze the lemon juice and sprinkle the chaat masala. Toss the salad well to your satisfaction.
• There you go !!

Storage : Please do not. It looses the crunch .

Missing Something ? : You can grate some mild pepper like jalapeno if you so seek.

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Turkey in Piri Piri Sauce

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There are days when one wants to just give in to the desire of hogging and slurping yummy goodies. Such prevail more when you forsee a busy day ahead and have an inkling to prepare for spreading long on your couch at the end of it with a yum-gun platter on your lap. That would really crown the big busy day, won’t it.

Well, now that I’m friendly to the meat of turkey, I feel confident in curing the dishes as per the required degree of succulence, texture and aroma. This is dished out in my favorite sauce, the piri piri aka the favourite one of my kiddo as well !!

So, cook on ! dish on ! party on !!

Ingredients of Turkey in Piri Piri Sauce

Marinated Turkey

Preparation of Turkey in Piri Piri Sauce

Turkey in Piri Piri Sauce

Turkey in Piri Piri Sauce

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 3 to 4.
• Preparation time : 1 hour
• Serving size : 2 to 3 chunky roasts are a great treat.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Turkey pieces, 500 grams : Turkey has a thicker and firmer meat than chicken. It stronger flavor and a darker meat. Turkey is rich in proteins, amino acids and minerals like zinc. Not many find connoisseurs in India but can be sought and bought whenever required.
• Salt, 3/4th teaspoon : Use the Himalayan pink salt for authenticity and it’s minerals.
• Butter, 1 tablespoon : Butter is the best grease for a grill. While some oils also do the trick but nothing separates the meat from the bones like butter and gives it a perfect browning.
• Piri piri spice chili mix, 2 teaspoon : Generally piri piri spice mix is a mix of something sour and red ground chilies and some pepper. Kids absolutely love this since the heat is under control and is well balanced with the citrus essence. 
• Lemon juice, 2 to 3 medium lemons : Sour and acidic, with a good amount of citric acid, we add lemon here not just to enhance the sour essence but also to use it’s hydrating and digestive qualities.
• Dried red chilies, 4 to 5 : Dried red chilies have a sharper, earthier essence then the fresh green ones. They are a good source of Vitamin C, A and E hence beneficial for skin and hair.
• Onion chopped, 1 medium : As in Red Onions for us Indians, strong, acidic and bitter. That’s what a good red onion is supposed to be. They are also good sources of Vitamin C and Iron and are good for hair, skin and help in weight-loss. 

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Mix the piri piri spice with half a teaspoon of molten butter (half) and squeeze all the lemon juice in it.
• Now poke the turkey in several place for the juice to seep in well. Marinate the turkey pieces with this sour chili mix for an hour or so. Whatever mix drips off should be carefully layered inside the turkey by carefully lifting the skin up with a spoon or a fork.
• Take a pan and melt remaining butter in it on medium heat.
• Layer the pan with crudely chopped onions and the red dried chilies. I also added some green chilies to add a veggie essence.
• Saute the same for 15 minutes on medium flame.
• Now add the turkey pieces to the pan and any surplus butter, lime juice, piri piri mix that is left over.
• Cook well and covered for 45 minutes straight so as to reach the texture and softness as per your suitability.
• Serve hot with your favorite ketchups or chutneys and enjoy the sumptuous treat.

Storage : Can refrigerate wrapped, but will tend to harden the texture.

Missing Something ? : Dress it up with some freshly chopped rosemary !!

Pinwheel Tiffins (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot Pinwheels)

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I have always admired the wisdom of the traditional homemakers due to their practical ability to churn out the right dishes for the right moods and within the handful of ingredients in the kitchen. They are the real goto folks who spare not a thought before getting their hands moving and with a confident smile on their faces clearly projecting “I know whatsup and I’ll take good care”. 

This little snack has been a treat for many a parties, gatherings and tea sittings and has never failed to win an applause. These are so quick and simple to prepare that you can almost make them while having tea with your guests. It uses the intrinsic flavors of the core ingredients and allows them to blend with any herb that can be dry mixed with it. These look so much like the Tricolor Tiffins  which I made earlier. Read on and have a great tea time snack recipe or a kids tiffin recipe ready !!

 

Pinwheel Tiffins (Apple, Carrot, Beetroot Pinwheels)

Pinwheel Tiffins (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot Pinwheels)

…need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 4 to 5 pinwheels each !!
• Preparation time : 15 minutes max.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Carrot, grated, 1 cupful : Carrots are high source of iron and anti oxidants and have sweet and earthy flavor . Color of the carrots do not matter here. Just don’t let them be black ones.
• Cheese, grated, 1/3rd cup : With all the calcium and protein benefits, cheese here is added for it’s creamy texture and nutty essence.
• Table salt : Keep it low. I suggest less than a pinch per pinwheel. This would enhance the flavor of other seasoning.
• Pepper, ground : Good proportion of salt and pepper are great anti oxidants too.
• Oregano, dried : With .Bitter and pungent oregano is a great antioxidant and hence should be added to fried food. It also has anti fungal and antibacterial qualities. Interestingly, oregano when dried dose’nt loose much essence. 
• Bread slices, 6 to 8 : No specific reason why I chose wheat bread. It’s just the one that we use at our place and that was what I had with me then. BTW, wheat bead is said to have all the great nourishment of  whole wheat like fiber, protein, antioxidants and iron.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Combine the grated apple/ carrot/ beetroot with salt and keep aside overnight in a fridge. This will make the grated mix shed water which can then be squeezed off and drained.
• To the squeezed off grated mix, add the dried herb/ oregano.
• Trim the bread slices by their edges. Now roll them hard using a rolling pin such that it becomes a thin yet single pieces. Meaning, that single bread slices should not be broken while rolling.
• Now spread the grated cheese on this slice well to cover.
• Lay out and spread the grated mix on this slice well.
• Pick up one length of the slice and start rolling tightly. Some surplus mix might falls off. Let it fall.
• Once these slices have been rolled you may pin them with tooth picks to keep them together and prevent them from opening and falling apart.
• If your slices are big then you may want to chop the pinwheels into smaller width ones.
•  Enjoy !!

Storage : Nil . The bread will get stale if kept longer than an hour.

Missing Something ? : You may add dried parsley to the grated mix.

Honey Glazed Turkey Platter

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This was my first foray into cooking a turkey dish. Quite tangibly so, I was unaware of the outcome and had my fingers crossed. While being used to the extremes of a soft seafood bite to hard red mutton, turkey was quite a compromise. Roasting it in my oven was a safe bet, but I did manage to conjure up a recipe which was lip smacking and quite a treat for a chilly winter evening. Read on and enjoy the journey to a gourmet delight !! 

Ingredients of Honey Glazed Turkey

Honey Glazed Turkey Platter

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 3 to 4.
• Preparation time : 2 1/2 hours.
• Serving size : 2 to 3 chunky roasts are a great treat.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Turkey pieces, 500 grams : Turkey has a thicker and firmer meat than chicken. It stronger flavor and a darker meat. Turkey is rich in proteins, amino acids and minerals like zinc. Not many find connoisseurs in India but can be sought and bought whenever required.
• Salt, 3/4th teaspoon : Use the Himalayan pink salt for authenticity and it’s minerals.
• Butter, 1 tablespoon : Butter is the best grease for a grill. While some oils also do the trick but nothing separates the meat from the bones like butter and gives it a perfect browning.
• Dried Herb Mix, 3 teaspoon (Ground Mustard, Paprika, Pepper Black, Sage, Thyme) : All herbs are a fantastic essence. Dried herbs differ largely from the original harvest by the fact that they are more earthy and the fresh ones are moist and strong.
• Chopped Garlic, 1 teaspoon : Very few of my dishes skip garlic 1. due to its amazing health benefits & 2. because it provides the right amount of pungency with almost every veggie and meat. All hail the ‘King Pungent’ !
• Onion chopped, 1 medium : As in Red Onions for us Indians, strong, acidic and bitter. That’s what a good red onion is supposed to be. They are also good sources of Vitamin C and Iron and are good for hair, skin and help in weight-loss. 

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Mix all the dried spices well in 1/3rd of the salt. Pound lightly in a mortar and shake to mix well. Do not grind in a mixer. That makes the spices hot and loose their flavor. Classical is the best in this case.
• Now melt the butter and mix with honey. Warmth of butter will easily dissolve the honey at room temperature. Do not use refrigerated honey.
• Apply this butter honey mix well on the turkey. Since turkey is best enjoyed with skin so you need to lift the skin lightly and apply the butter honey mix there too.
• Take the spice mix and sprinkle well on all the turkey pieces. Cover well. Dried spice mix will stick well to the honey butter mix as well.
• Wrap the turkey in an aluminium foil and place it in a baking plate.
• Now pre heat the microwave for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
• Place your tray inside the microwave at a raised level. This allows for a more uniform roasting.
• Grill the turkey for 2 hours at 400 degrees.
• Serve hot with your favorite ketchups or chutneys as have been listed in the previous menus.

Storage : No way Jose !!!!

Missing Something ? : Only thing that can be added here would be freshly chopped rosemary if available !!

Broccoli Stalks Pesto Dip

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I have always confessed the satisfaction of preparing ketchups, dips, pickles etc. since they make flavors last beyond their seasons and last several treats as well. . This one is slightly different from the Basil Pesto I shared earlier by way of the green dominance of broccoli stems/stalks. This is a uniqueness that I am proud to preserve (i.e. the broccoli stems). Recall the recipe of Cream of Celery Broccoli Stalks . Here, I just use the same power packed, nutritious stems of broccoli to prepare this fritter (pakora) accompaniment common at our place, just like the ajwain chutney recipe. Read on and enjoy the treat !!

Ingredients of Broccoli Stalks Pesto Dip

Broccoli Stalks Pesto Dip

…need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : dip along and dip a long !!
• Preparation time : 15 minutes max.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Basil, sweet or Thai, 3 cupfuls : In this I used sweet or Genovese basil leaves which I pluck-wash at my garden. Basil is the “King of Herbs” for many reasons. It is a strong anti oxidant. It fights virus, bacteria and other microbes in the body. I grow 4 to 5 types of basil in my garden and am always looking for new things to do with it.
• Olive Oil, 1/3rd cup : Keep the oil light so as not to interfere with the flavor of your dish either in odor or in taste. Besides, olive oil is a great antioxidant, anti inflammatory, is good for heart and weight management.
• Garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon : You will hardly find any of my recipes missing garlic. Pungency is the reason why we use this allicin rich clove which combats sickness and common cold.
• Pink Salt, 3/4th teaspoon : I prefer coarse Himalayan pink salt here since it is extremely healthy.
• Cheese cube, 100 grams : With all the calcium and protein benefits, cheese here is added for it’s creamy texture and nutty essence.
• Walnuts, 1/2 cup : Walnuts have a good amount of good fats called polyunsaturated fats or PUFA. They have Omega 3 and decent amount of minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and Vitamins like E & B loaded in them. In taste they add a distinct earthiness and nutty essence.
• Broccoli stems, shaved, 250 grams : Broccoli’s health benefits and earthy flavors are amazing, esp. for kids. I use a rather peculier portion of the plant. The stems. I use the insides of the soft broccoli stems by peeling off the hard outer skin. It tastes like cucumber. you may also use it in salads and many other preparations.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Wash well and break the basil. Breaking works better than chopping the basil. Chopping is said to be detrimental to the flavor.
• Wash and dry the walnuts since they are quite dusty when fresh.
• Grate the cheese and mix with olive oil loosely.
• Shave off the broccoli stems using only the inner less fibrous meaty part. It would seem quite like a cucumber.
• Now add all ingredients in a kitchen grinder and make a paste of it. I would prefer not to add water to loosen it to your requirement, instead ad 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
•  There you are !!

Storage : Good for storage for upto 3 months at optimum temperature .

Missing Something ? : You can replace the walnuts for groundnuts and even better with pine nuts for max authenticity.

Rui Macher Kalia / Rohu Fish Curry

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I have often written as to how being in North isn’t the best place to lay hands on the best seafood, however considering the modern logistical wonders and also appreciating the fact that India has one of the largest coastlines of the world with the caches of Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal we can hardly complain about the seafood shortage, in any weather condition i.e. India also has one of the largest coverage of rivers in its plains, so freshwater fish is also never elusive.

The winters however brings a flood of carps, catfish etc. in the river plains which sometimes become hard to distinguish if you are not a subject matter expert 🙂 !

Rohu fish or Rui maach is a very popular fish in Bengal state. I mention it’s bengali name since the dish I offer here is bengali too. It is a common carp that prepares many a sprawling spreads on tables. Rui Macher Kalia is one such dish that I first remember having over a lunch in a delhi restaurant and feeling it’s taste lingering throughout that day thereon. It uses your simple kitchen spices and leaves a bowlful of absolute pleasure. So, read on ! 

Ingredients of Rui Macher Kalia / Rohu Fish Curry

Preparing Rui Macher Kalia / Rohu Fish Curry

Preparing Rui Macher Kalia / Rohu Fish Curry

Rui Macher Kalia / Rohu Fish Curry

Rui Macher Kalia / Rohu Fish Curry

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 1 fish to delight 3.
• Preparation time : 30 minutes + 15 minutes to prepare
• Serving size : Half platefuls would be a great treat, serve it with steamed rice and some Kimchi Salad as I did.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Rohu fish, cleaned, 250 grams approx. : Rohu has better quality meat and higher in Vitamin C than other carps. This is one of the most commonly eaten fish in our country.
• Salt, 3/4th teaspoon : Use coarse salt for authentic essence .
• Potatoes, 2 round cut : With virtually no sodium, no fats and no cholesterols and packed with potassium and Vitamin C  this fibre rich tuber veggie is undoubtedly one of the most famous ones across the globe.
• Turmeric Powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon : Turmeric gives a great orange color and a mild bitter taste to the pickle here. It is a wonderful antioxidant and anti inflammatory. I grow them in tubs in my backyard. They test your patience coming up, but they are amazingly pretty as a plant.
• Cumin seeds, 1/3 teaspoon : Cumin has the classical earthy and nutty essence. Cumin is also extremely popular due to it’s aid to digestion, immune system, respiratory system and being a source of iron.
• Garlic, 4 cloves : The King Pungent. Pungency is the reason why we use this allicin rich clove which combats sickness and common cold.
• Green Chilies, 2 slit : Fresh green chilies from my garden add to the fresh heat and mild bitter component while adding benefits of eyes and skin..
• Ginger, 1 inch : Unmistakably earthy, the ginger adds the heat quotient in the dish. The gingerol in ginger is a strong anti nausea and anti inflammatory agent.
• Onion, chopped, 1/2 cup :  As in Red Onions for us Indians, strong, acidic and bitter. That’s what a good red onion is supposed to be. They are also good sources of Vitamin C and Iron and are good for hair, skin and help in weight-loss.
• Parsley, 5 to 6 twigs : I grow moss green, long leafed, Italian varieties of parsley till late April. It is mildly bitter but an amazing garnish. It cures bad breath, diabetes and boosts our immunity. One can much the sweeter varieties fresh & raw from a harvest.
• Bay Leaf, 1 : Also from my garden’s bay leaf plant. Bay leaf is great for joints and skin and are packed with Vitamin A & C and many other minerals like iron, potassium and manganese. They are pungent and bitter in taste. I grow bay leaves in my garden so I can tell you that the fresh ones and dried ones are quite different. Use the dried ones only please. Bay leaves can grow into small trees giving lifetime supply 🙂
• Sugar, 1/2 teaspoon : Light coarse jaggery can also work.
• Mustard Oil.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Wash the fish and pat dry. Now season it with salt and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and keep aside for 15 minutes at least.
• Use this time to get your potatoes etc. ready and laid for later use.
• Grind the onion and ginger garlic paste.
• Now heat the mustard oil in a non stick pan and allow vapors to come out. The moment it steams, put the gas on medium heat and place the fish pieces in the pan to stir fry mildly without breaking or sticking. Do so for 5 minutes and then take off heat and keep aside.
• Now heat cumin over a separate pan. Heat till it crackles.
• Add ginger to it and saute’ for 30 seconds.
• To this add garlic and onions and saute’ further for 2-3 minutes till they turn golden brown.
• To this, add tomatoes and stir cook for 4 minutes.
• Add remaining turmeric, salt, sugar, red chili, green chilies and saute’ further for 2 minutes.
• Add 1 glass water (about 200 ml.) and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the potatoes to it and cook further for 10 minutes or till your fish is well done.
• Garnish with parsley chopped and serve steaming hot.

Storage : This one can be stored for a couple of days easily, but then you are making just 250 grams ??

Missing Something ? : You can use some cinnamon and black cardamom to enhance the flavors !!

Royal Junglee Maans (Rajasthani Junglee Mutton)

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So now that the winter chills our bones in North India, I can safely indulge in my major culinary love i.e. red meat with strong spices and strong flavors 🙂 !! This one recipe comes from a favorite Indian state of Rajasthan. Being largely a desert, Rajasthan’s menu is splurged with strong red chilies and salt. How do you expect the gypsies in the desert state to make a good dish without spices ???? Well you have to feast them to believe them. The combination of a few strong spices dole out such lip smacking dishes that are unbelievable. You can almost call it the mutton piri piri – the gypsy version ! This is so removed from the regular lunch table Mutton Curry Sunshine which I make for the family and shared earlier.

This one is a true gypsy delicacy called Junglee Maans. Cook on and feast on !! Weak palates to avoid please 😀

Ingredients of Royal Junglee Maas

Royal Junglee Maas

Ingredients of Royal Junglee Maas

Royal Junglee Maas

Royal Junglee Maans

 

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 2 extremely quite and slurpy guests (they wont open their mouths to speak while they gobble this, I promise 😉 ).
• Preparation time : 60 minutes to marinate and 45 minutes of cooking.
• Serving size : You will have to control them after a bowl each.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Mutton (Both goat and lamb would do) 500 grams approx. : Healthiest curry is prepared with mutton. It builds bones and is abundant in calcium.
• Salt, 3/4th teaspoon : Use the coarse rock salt for authenticity and it’s minerals.
• Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon or from 1 average sized lemon : Sour and acidic, with a good amount of citric acid, we add lemon here not just to enhance the sour essence but also to use it’s hydrating and digestive qualities.
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 teaspoon : Turmeric gives a great orange color and a mild bitter taste to the pickle here. It is a wonderful antioxidant and anti inflammatory. I grow them in tubs in my backyard. They test your patience coming up, but they are amazingly pretty as a plant.
• Coriander Powder : Coriander provides the garnish to the dish and takes off any unwanted smell. Coriander is also a great digestive and also aids in the digestive and blood system of our body. The sweet coriander is one of the most popular garnish across fat cooked dishes. I pluck the whole plant from my garden since roots give the best flavor in the coriander plant.
• Dried Red Chilies : This seems to be the staple spice of Rajasthan. Wherever I could see, large patches of land in Jodhpur, Bikaner etc. were all covered with dried red chilies like large red ponds.
• Red Chili powder : Red chili powder has a sharper, earthier essence then the fresh green ones. It is a good source of Vitamin C, A and E hence beneficial for skin and hair.
• Ghee (saturated fats), 2 tablespoon : Unlike popular belief, ghee actually helps in weight loss. It is also a great soluble of most vegetables and strengthens bones doing so. We use ghee here for cooking for its great buttery essence.
• Mustard oil, 1 tablespoon : This just brings out the bitter pungency beautifully.
• Garlic, 6 cloves : The King Pungent. Pungency is the reason why we use this allicin rich clove which combats sickness and common cold.
• Coriander, fresh plucked & chopped 5 to 6 twigs : It’s easy to garnish with a bunchfull freshly harvested from the backyard. 

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Wash clean the tender mutton pieces and rub them with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and 1 tablespoon mustard oil and keep aside for an hour to flavor well. This mix itself will give out a bitter pungent essence.
• Now heat the ghee in a skillet till it melts.
• To this add the coriander powder, the chopped garlic and the dried red chilies and fry for a minute. Do remember to keep your exhaust fan on full speed else your whole household will be coughing mad and swearing at you while this is being done  🙂
• Add the marinated mutton and and salt to the skillet and fry the same for about 5 minutes.
• To this add 3 cups of water and cook covered on medium to low heat for 45 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander chopped and serve steaming hot.

Storage : A week, if you can manage to keep it without cleaning the bowl off in a single sitting.

Missing Something ? : Let it be. Keep it as simple as original.

Cream of Celery in Broccoli Stalks

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Think of a family which loves its daily soup and think of me who loves to grow greens in my garden. There will be some creative combinations indeed. We would not like to throw away stuff in the composter (which we have recently placed in our backyard) as long as there is any chance of using its flavor and richness in our food. You remember how I use the beetroot stalks in Cranberry Pickle and Sweet Beet Stalks Pickle and also Fries . It’s almost winters here and the large elephant eared broccolis will be coming up if all goes well. Look in the pictures how they are a gardener’s delight with beautiful green flower heads. Also, around the same time the celery will also start getting tall and harvest ready.

With the same spirit of using all possible and stirring out kitchen creatives, I bring this cream soup to enjoy. 

Broccoli In My Garden

Fresh Celery In My Garden

Fresh Broccoli In My Garden

Ingredients Of Cream Of Celery In Broccoli Stalks

Cream of Celery in Broccoli Stalks

…need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 1 a bowl, let that be the rule
• Preparation time : 25 minutes max.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Celery chopped, handfull, about 5 to 6 stalks would be good : I grow celery for around 5 months in a year and they grow well in tubs, bags and small planters. They have one of the healthiest foliage & excellent antioxidant. It gives good bitter pungency to the stock. 
• Table Butter, 1 tablespoon : The cheesy butter absorbs the basil’s herb flavor very well. Regular table butter is a good source of fats soluble vitamins and saturated fats. They are better in taste and health than margarine. 
• Onions, diced, 1 : As in Red Onions for us Indians, strong, acidic and bitter. That’s what a good red onion is supposed to be. They are also good sources of Vitamin C and Iron and are good for hair, skin and help in weight-loss.
• Garlic minced, 3 to 4 cloves : The King Pungent. Pungency is the reason why we use this allicin rich clove which combats sickness and common cold.
• Broccoli stems, 500 grams : Broccoli’s health benefits and earthy flavors are amazing, esp. for kids. I use a rather peculier portion of the plant. The stems. I use the insides of the soft broccoli stems by peeling off the hard outer skin. It tastes like cucumber. you may also use it in salads and many other preparations. 
• Oregano, 1/2 teaspoon : Bitter and pungent oregano is a great antioxidant and hence should be added to fried food. It also has anti fungal and antibacterial qualities.
• Bay leaf, 1 : Bay leaf is great for joints and skin and are packed with Vitamin A & C and many other minerals like iron, potassium and manganese. They are pungent and bitter in taste. I grow bay leaves in my garden so I can tell you that the fresh ones and dried ones are quite different. Use the dried ones only please. Bay leaves can grow into small trees giving lifetime supply 🙂
• Milk / Cream, 1 cup : A cream bowl would be better since the texture of the soup would be more to your liking and would require less thickenning while cooking.
• Salt, to taste : Regular table salt would do good.
• Black Pepper Powder, 1/4th teaspoon : Good proportion of salt and pepper are great anti oxidants too.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Take a pressure cooker and heat it on a medium flame with pen lid. Put the butter in it and melt well.
• Add onions to it and brown them well. To this add chopped celery and garlic minced and stir cook for 3 minutes.
• Add chopped broccoli stems and stir further for 2 miutes. Now add oregano, bay leaves and stir for a minute.
• Now add 3 cups water and shut the pressure cooker and cook on low flame for 10 to 12 minutes. Switch the gas off after this.
• Now open the lid after the steam has relaxed and switch the gas on to medium heat. To this add milk or cream and cook for 10 minutes further. This should reduce the broth to a nice creamy fluid about 40% of how you started earlier.
• All the while stirring it, add the salt and black pepper to it.
• Serve steaming now. Do not garnish.

Storage : Nopes, this is a cook and consume recipe. Holding it might sour the cream or thicken the butter.

Missing Something ? : This is an Orginal G-Man, MCMH recipe. This is my creativity, you may try yours 🙂

Beet Stalks Pickle With Ginger Garlic / Chukandar Ka Achaar

Let me introduce you all to this wonderful new initiative from my loved one. Do check this out too and follow, there will surely be great posts rolling here .. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmtCkBgnsCo  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn7n9nuI85fuaZZiblobDOA?  https://www.facebook.com/gunnmaymarwaha/

This one is another of my indigenous garden to kitchen experiments that created the “MCMH Original Recipe” . Read on and try to believe it. You know that I am an avid gardner too. The effort that takes to create vegetables and flowers out of dry seeds is only next to parenting a child. So when it’s the time for fruitation, you would want your produce to be used to it’s maximum and respect every element edible or otherwise usable. This is exactly what made me use beet stalks in many ways. remember the beet stalk fries

Do try this one and I promise you’ll stand out unique when you discuss about it in a group. Enjoy !

Ingredients of Beet Stalks Pickle With Ginger Garlic

Beet Stalks Pickle With Ginger Garlic

Beet Stalks Pickle With Ginger Garlic

…need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : Several happy lip smacking faces 🙂
• Preparation time : 15 minutes max.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Beet Stalks (stalks + leaves) chopped, 2 cups : Amazing earthly tasting veggie with high level of immunity boosting Vitamin C and with other benefits to bones, liver, kidneys etc. So what are the stalks that i use here. Pluck a beetroot plant off the ground. Most popularly used is the bulbous root, then there are the leaves which are a great alternative to spinach. Finally there are 1/4th to 1/2 inch thick stems which may vary from 4 to 7 inches in length which lie between the root and the leaves. I am using that here. I know we use to throw them away forever long back as we knew. But it is the healthiest and tastiest part of the plant as i have discovered. 
• Garlic chopped, 1/2 cup : You will hardly find any of my recipes missing garlic. Pungency is the reason why we use this allicin rich clove which combats sickness and common cold.
• Green Chilies, 3-4 large, slit & deseeded : Fresh green chilies from my garden add to the fresh heat and mild bitter component while adding benefits of eyes and skin.
• Coarse Salt, 1 tablespoon : Use a rough pink salt, it is a good sodium and magnesium provider. Also aids in digestion and dissolution of food particles.
• Peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon : Hot and mildly pungent, black pepper is good for digestion, skin, respiration and is a good antioxidant too. On tables across the world salt n pepper are partners in relation.
• Yellow Mustard Seeds, 1 teaspoon : Mustard tastes from sweet to sour, bitter to steaming hot. But it’s great for digestion and respiration and strengthens bones and teeth. I use it here for the bitter sour essence.
• Cloves, 4 to 5 : Cloves is extremely beneficial for it being anti cancer, anti diabetic, pain killing and breath cleansing properties. It has a distinct pungent, bitter essence.
• Bay Leaf, 2 : Bay leaf is great for joints and skin and are packed with Vitamin A & C and many other minerals like iron, potassium and manganese. They are pungent and bitter in taste. I grow bay leaves in my garden so I can tell you that the fresh ones and dried ones are quite different. Use the dried ones only please. Bay leaves can grow into small trees giving lifetime supply 🙂
• Star Anise, 1 : It has a strong licorice essence and helps in digestion.
• Red Chili Powder, 1/2 teaspoon : Dried red chilies have a sharper, earthier essence then the fresh green ones. They are a good source of Vitamin C, A and E hence beneficial for skin and hair.
• Vinegar, White, 1/2 cup : Vinegar preserves the flavors in my dishes very well, so I don’t mind frequenting it. Prime reason for it’s preservative qualities are the amounts of acetic acid and anti bacterial present in it. And yes of course, the sour essence is brought out very well with vinegar. It is an amazing preservative.
• Heeng, Asafoetida, 1 pinch : Heeng controls blood flow and sugar level and further adds pungency.
• Jaggery, 100 grams : Jaggery is an amazing anti oxidant and helps the body fight against infections. It is like a buttery liquid sugar and is good to mix in food in powder or liquid forms.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• In a hard bottomed pan or a skillet, heat the Jaggery Vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon Salt and cook for 3 minutes on medium till it gets dissolved into a solution. You may take a couple of more minutes if required. Now set this aside for cooling.
• Now in another pan, heat some oil (2 tablespoon of any vegetable oil would do).
• Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and mustard to it on medium. Stir till it sputters.
• Add veggies to it one by one starting with chilies and cook for 2 progressive minute each.
• Add all the dry and whole spices now and cook till the spices are well immersed.
• Now set down and bottle once cold.
• In this bottle, now pour the vinegar solution made earlier.
• Secure the bottle cap well and shake hard to mix everything inside well.
• Place this bottle in sun for 10 days to sun bake well, while remembering to shake it before every sunbath 🙂
• You have your most unique pickle ready !

Storage : You can enjoy this for around 12 months for sure, if you do not gobble it all before so.

Missing Something ? : You may add some whole curry leaves to the pickle to give an amazing South Indian recall.

Gurda Kaleji Taka Tak

There are mughlai dishes in India that make the premium breads here, called Naan, disappear one after the other. This is true surrender to your sin of the palate as I would call it. Loaded and sumptuous and full of rich spices, the aroma of this dish converts any regular dining table to a feast of richness. Needless to say, I was tempted to make this one in monsoons, though winters would be a better time to relish steaming Gurda Kaleji Taka Tak. One plate of this sufficed to full stomachs for me and my kid. Have fun while you go through the recipe and hoping that you are mesmerized enough to cook a round of this street delicacy with it’s roots in mughlai cuisine. N’joy 😀

 

Ingredients of Gurda Kaleji taka Tak

Recipe of Gurda Kaleji taka Tak

Preparing Gurda Kaleji Taka Tak

Gurda Kaleji Taka Tak

…need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 2 to 3 spice starved, eager, famished guests
• Preparation time : 25 minutes
• Serving size : Half a bowl and any stretch to this would be a WoW !

….and we need (ingredients)

• Gurda Kaleji (Liver & Kidneys) of mutton, 250 grams : We all know that liver is the most nutrient rich organ and is filled with Vitamin A hence great for eyes. Kidney is extremely high in several minerals and Vitamins but is a cholesterol loaded food. So not recommended for the weight watchers 🙂 .  They taste like regular mutton but with less fiber hence disintegrating sooner than rest.
• Onion, red, chopped, 1 : Strong, acidic and bitter. That’s what a good red onion is supposed to be. They are also good sources of Vitamin C and Iron and are good for hair, skin and help in weight-loss.
• Tomatoes, chopped, 2 : Tomato not only acts as a great anti oxidant and giving us Vitamin K – C etc., it also gets the sweet & fresh essence on a high in this dish. I use the regular round ones from my garden generally.
• Green Chilies, 3, deseeded : Great for eyes and skin, green chilies are the healthiest ones to bring in the bitter zing in any dish. I used them here, freshly plucked from my garden to bring in their essence. I deseeded them well to ensure it being kids friendly.
• Ghee, 1 tablespoon : Unlike popular belief, ghee actually helps in weight loss. It is also a great soluble of most vegetables and strengthens bones doing so. We use ghee here for cooking for its great buttery essence.
• Garlic cloves, 5 : Pungency is the reason why we use this allicin rich clove which combats sickness and common cold.
• Ginger, 1/2 inch : Unmistakably earthy, the ginger adds the heat quotient in the dish. The gingerol in ginger is a strong anti nausea and anti inflammatory agent.
• Salt, 1/2 teaspoon : Quite unlike me, still used regular table salt here.
• Red chili powder, 1/3rd teaspoon : Dried red chillies have a sharper, earthier essence then the fresh green ones. They are a good source of Vitamin C, A and E hence beneficial for skin and hair.
• Cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon : Cumin has an amazing earthy, musk flavor essence. It is said to be the second most popular spice on the planet. It improves digestion, sugar control, weight loss etc. Roasting it makes it easy to mix in the salads and chaats. A non roasted seed would need irritable grinding by teeth while eating.
• Garam Masala, 1 teaspoon : The ever popular Indian concoction of spices helps in weight loss, pain fight, immunity boost etc. True to its name, it’s hot and powerful. Imagine being the blend of around 10 powerful spice essence.
• Coriander, chopped, enough to garnish : Coriander provides the garnish to the dish and takes off any unwanted smell. Coriander is also a great digestive and also aids in the digestive and blood system of our body. The sweet coriander is one of the most popular garnish across fat cooked dishes. I pluck the whole plant from my garden since roots give the best flavor in the coriander plant.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Heat the ghee in a pan, keep it on low flame. Take it a bit beyond melting point ( till you see vapors ).
• Chop the ginger and garlic cloves in tiny pieces and add to the pan. Add them to the pan and saute for 1 – 2 minutes.
• Ad the chopped onions to it and saute’ till they turn golden brown in color.
• To this add half the chopped tomatoes (1 in number) and stir saute’ for 3 to 4 minutes.
• To this add the cumin powder and red chili powder and mix well.
• Now add the remaining tomatoes, gurda and kaleji and salt and mix well.
• Put in the green chilies now and add 1/2 cup of water to the dish. Stir mix well.
• Sprinkle the garam masala over it and cook covered for around 10 minutes or till your desired texture is reached. Keep stirring after every couple of minutes.
• Now take off the flame, garnish with chopped coriander and serve steaming. I bet, you’ll get the platter back while it’s hot as well. The dish will relocate within greedy tummies in a moment or two 🙂

Storage : Yes, this can be stored for 2 to 4 days in your refrigerator.

Missing Something ? : Please do not iterate here. This is just too good and authentic !!