Sunday 26 February 2017

Maharashtrian Kadhi

Kadhi is prepared by cooking besan together with the curd.

Each state in India has its special way of preparing the kadhi. This is a Maharashtrian style of kadhi which I learnt from my mother in law. I have cooked it in a ghee based seasoning of jeera, methi dana and green chillies. Do not skip the methi dana as it gives a peculiar and awesome taste to the kadhi.



Ingredients:
Besan/ Chickpeas flour - 2 tbsp
Curd/ Yogurt - 2 cups
Ghee/ Clarified butter - 1 tbsp
Jeera/ Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Sauf seeds - half tsp
Ajwain/ Carom seeds - half tsp
Methi dana/ Fenugreek seeds - half tsp
Hing/ Asafoetida - pinch
Green chillies (chopped) - 3
Chili powder - half tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Salt - as needed

Procedure:
1. Take a mixing bowl, add the yogurt , sugar and the besan and mix them well and keep it aside. Make sure that besan does not form any lumps.
2. Take a wok, add ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, ajwain, saunf, hing and green chilies.
3. Next add chilli powder and finally add the besan - yoghurt mix.
4. Add sufficient salt and water.
5. Let it boil uncovered on a medium flame for around 10 mins

The delicious Kadhi is ready to serve. Serve it with khichdi or rice.



Notes:
1. Adjust the sugar depending on the sourness of the curd. The curd I get here in Sydney is really sweet and hence I did not have to add much sugar. If the curd is sour, you may have to add ard 3-4 tbsp sugar.
2. Garnish it with Coriander leaves/ Cilantro. Since I did not have one, I skipped it.
3. You can make onion pakodas and add in the kadhi to prepare kadhi-pakodi.
4. Do not add too much water as the kadhi has to be thick.

Sunday 19 February 2017

Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

It was really long since I tried any new recipe. and also long time since I added a post on my blog.
Since the time I have joined back to work, I am back to my hectic routine with no much time to dedicate for cooking or blogging!!!
This weekend I decided that I am going to come over it and try a new simple recipe.
And that's how this recipe was born...soup...the simplest thing ever - to prepare as well as gobble



To give a delicious taste, I seasoned the pumpkin and sweet potato with olive oil , salt and pepper and roasted it in the oven before blending it to prepare the soup.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin - 500 gms
Sweet Potato - 1 big
Onion - 1 - chopped
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Garlic- 5-6 big petals - chopped
Salt
Ground Pepper

Procedure:
1. Chop the pumpkin and sweet potato into big cubes (along with their skin)
2. Take a mixing bowl, add in the chopped pumpkin and sweet potato. Add Olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper and mix well.
3. Take a baking tray and spread a baking paper. Arrange the pumpkin and sweet potato pieces on the baking tray.
4. Pre heat the oven at 200 degrees for 10 mins
5. Place the baking tray on the top section of the oven and bake till the pumpkin and sweet potato is soft and cooked. It should take around 15-20 mins depending o the oven. Once they are done, out them back in the mixing bowl and discard the skin of the sweet potato and pumpkin
6. Take a wok and add 1 tbsp olive oil, add the chopped onion and garlic and fry it till the onion is light brown in color and keep it aside.
7. When everything cools down, blend the baked pumpkin and sweet potato together with the fried onion and garlic in a blender.
8. After blending, pour it back in the vok and heat it up. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

The delicious Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup is ready.
Serve it steaming hot with baguette bread (or any bread of your choice)