Coriander Thogayal

This Coriander Thogayal has became a part of my family's day to day food. It was a day to day side in my lunchpack right from my school days. This thogayal is a bit sweet due to the jaggery content in it. If you don't like the taste of sweet Coriander thogayal, then you are free to ignore the jaggery from the list of ingredients.

Ingredients:



Coriander Leaves - 1 large bunch, finely chopped

Garlic  - 5 cloves

Tamarind - 1 gooseberry size

Dry Red chillies - 6 nos

Jaggery / Sugar - 2 teaspoon (Optional)

Salt - to taste

Oil - 3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:



1) Wash coriander leaves and chop them finely.

2) Take a Kadai / Wide Pan and add the chopped coriander leaves. Saute them until they are mashed completely.

3) Allow the mashed coriander to cool down.

4) Meanwhile, soak tamarind in a 1/4 cup of warm water.

5) Grind the mashed coriander leaves, red chillies, garlic cloves,  Jaggery, soaked tamarind and a little bit salt to a fine thick paste. While grinding, add only a little bit of water.

6) Take a Kadai / Pan and heat oil in it.

7) Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.

8) Add the coriander paste to the kadai and stir fry it.

9) Continue frying the coriander paste until the paste's colour changes to olive green / thick green

10) Coriander thogayal is now ready to be used as a side for Idly, Dosa, White Rice, Chapathi etc. Store it in a dry container. You can also refrigerate this and use it for a week or even more depending on how good it is.

Note:

1) I usually select the size of the tamarind to be added according to the mashed coriander leaves.(i.e.) Tamarind size is 1/2 the quantity of mashed coriander.

It Won't Last Strawberry Lemonade

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

(2011 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved)

This recipe was inspired by a drink I had at Holy Trinity High School in Wicker Park. I stopped by the school in April to see how Chef John Boundas and his staff are innovating Chicago's school lunch program, one meal at a time. At the end of the visit, a woman handed me a glass of the strawberry lemonade they stir up with frozen berries from the commodities program. The blush-colored drink had a fruitiness, a tang, and a touch of sweetness that would outshine any processed beverage. It is proof that John and his staff really do perform miracles in the kitchen.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Tip: Two years ago, I visited my Aunt Regina who lives just outside of San Francisco. At the time, her lemon trees were heavy with fruit. She taught me to pour extra lemon juice into an ice cube tray to store it for later use. Use this tip if you end up with more lemon juice that you need for the strawberry lemonade.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine 3/4 cup water and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Using a blender, puree strawberries with 3 tablespoon of lemon juice. Push juice through a sieve to filter out seeds.

In a pitcher, combine sugar syrup, strawberry juice, the rest of the water and lemon juice. Stir.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Vegetable Biryani

I guess Vegetable Biryani is a favorite dish to most of us. It's good taste and aroma is driven from its ingredients which includes most of the spices. There are many methods for preparing Veg biryani. Here I present a simple method which is best suited for amateurs.

Ingredients:



Rice - 1.5 cup

Carrot -1 no

Beans - 7 nos

Potato - 2 no

Peas - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 medium size, sliced

Tomato - 1 medium size, chopped

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic - 3 cloves

Coriander leaves - 4 string

Curry leaves - 1 string

Butter/Oil - 2 tablespoon

Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Bay leaves - 1/2 leaf

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

Green chilli - 1

Cardamon - 3

Red chilli powder - 2 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Water - 3 cups



Method:



1) Wash carrot, beans, potato and peas well. Cut them along in an inch length slices.

2) Grind ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, poppy seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 clove, 1/2 Cinnamon stick, green chilli and cardamon together in a mixer / food processor and make a paste out of them. While grinding don't add water. If required add only a tablespoon of water. Keep this paste aside.

3) Wash the basmati rice twice or thrice till the water used for washing becomes clear.

4) Take a pan and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in it.  Add the washed rice and gently fry the rice for a minute. Keep aside the fried rice.

5) Take a steam cooker and add the remaining oil in it.

6) Add the remaining ingredients namely fennel seeds, cumin seeds, clove,1/2 Cinnamon stick and curry leaves. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.

7) Add onion and saute them till they turn translucent.

8) Add tomato and saute them till they are mashed completely.

9) Add the well ground masala paste (as said in step 2) with this and saute them again for few minutes. Make sure the flame is in medium / low level.Otherwise the masala paste might get burnt.

10) Add vegetables and sprinkle handful of water. Allow the vegetables to cook for sometime. It is enough if the vegetables are even half-cooked.

11) Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix it well.

12) Add roasted rice (as said in step 4) and then add 1 and 3/4 cups of water and a cup of coconut milk to it.

13) Mix well. Now it is the apt time to taste and see if anything is missing or gone wrong. Adjust salt or extra spice as it suits your taste.

14) Close the steam cooker using its lid and wait until it produces three whistles or less according to your rice type. (I usually wait for 3 whistles for the basmati rice).

15) When pressure releases from the cooker, open the lid and mix the rice gently.

16) Serve the vegetable biryani with raitha.

Note:

1) You can add any vegetable of your choice for Biryani.

2) I would suggest to follow the Basmathi rice and water ratio as instructed in the rice pack to get proper results. I usually follow 1:1 for rice and water for biryani for the rice what I use.