Sunday brunch-Spanish Omelet/Carrot Soup/Vankaya- Enduroyyala curry

Sunday my day starts late,I feel lazy to get up from bed ,as this is the last day of the week end followed once again by a hectic week.hmm..mostly I prepare brunch on sunday's.Todays brunch includes Spanish omelet/Tortillo Espanola with Spanish tomato Sauce/Sofrito along with carrot soup and vankaya-enduroyya curry.Once Sri and I visited ala carte of Mediterrenean food in some food festival here. He loved the concept of preparing omelet with potatoes and the way it serves as both appetizer and main course. I tried my luck and it turned out heavenly.I bookmarked the recipe from here which gives a step by step procedure for preparing the Tortillo.Coming to my recipe I tweaked the recipe as per Indian spicy style.

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes peeled,
• 1 whole white onion preferrably,
• 5 large eggs,
• olive oil for deep frying potatoes,
• salt for taste,
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes,
• 1 tsp pepper powder.

Procedure:

1. Cut the peeled potatoes into small pieces making sure that they wont stick each other.
2. Cut the onions into small pieces.Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Salt the mixture.
3. In a large frying pan prferrably non stick,heat the oilve oil on medium heat.
4. Once the oil is heated carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading them evenly over the surface. The oil should almost cover the potatoes and take care that the potatoes do not burn.
5. Cook the potatoes until done without burning the potatoes.Removethe potato onion mixture on to a tissue paper inorder to drain excess oil.
6. While the mixture is draining, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl,add red chilli flakes,pepper powder and beat by hand with a whisk or fork.Pour in the potato onion mixture. Mix together with a large spoon.
7. Pour 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil into a small, non-stick frying pan and heat on medium heat.When hot, stir the potato onion mixture once more and pour into the pan and spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges.Then you can carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly browned. The inside of the mixture should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.
8. The tedious step comes now.When the mixture has browned on the bottom, you are ready to turn it over to cook the other side. Carefully take the frying pan to a sink. Place a large dinner plate upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will fall onto the plate.
9. Place the frying pan back and put just enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Now slide the omelet (which is probably still a bit runny), into the frying pan, using a spatula to catch any egg mixture that runs out. Use the spatula to shape the sides of the omelet. Let the omelet cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the tortilla sit in the pan for 2 minutes.
10. Carefully slide the omelet onto a plate! To serve as a main course, slice it into 6-8 pieces like a pie.



Cross section of spanish omlete

 you can also try with variations like green peppers,small boneless chicken pieces.If any one tries let me know.

Tomato Sauce/Sofrito recipe:

Sofrito is a basic tomato sauce that is made from tomatoes, onions, garlic,green peppers and olive oil by sauting in a frying pan, so that the acid in the tomatoes mellows and mixes with the flavors of the onion, pepper and garlic.

Ingredients:

• 4 tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 1 white onion preferrably
• 3 garlic pods
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika(sweet)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Chop the pepper into smaller pieces.
2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Put the onions into the pan and saute them until they are transparent, reducing the heat if necessary so as not to burn them.
4. Add the green pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir often, to vegetables do not burn.
5. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
6. Pour the crushed tomatoes and paprika into the pan and mix well. Continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Carrot Soup in rich coconut milk:

Since the breakfast was too heavy I prepared carrot soup as an appetizer.This version of carrot soup also includes rich coconut milk.This carrot soup recipe is so good, I literally couldn't stop taking bites as I was trying to photograph it!This exotically spiced soup has an incredibly velvety texture and serve as a simple yet elegant appetizer soup.

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots slightly peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 onion cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp garlic pods cut into small pieces
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 3 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 tbsp green chilli paste
• 1 tbsp ghee for sauting

 Procedure:

1. In a vessel,add ghee and once it is hot add onions.Suate till the onions become pink in color.
2. Now add green chilli paste and fry for few seconds.Similarly add ginger pieces,garlic pieces,carrot pieces and saute for few seconds.
3. Add 6 cups of water,cinnamon,cloves and cook until the carrot pieces become soft.
4. Once carrot is cooked discard cinnamon,cloves.Carefully separate the cooked mixture from stock and puree it.Dont throw the stock away.
5. Now in a wide vessel add puree to the left over carrot stock.Add coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.
6. Finally add salt,pepper and serve hot.

Vankaya endu royyala mudda kura/Egg plant dried prawns curry:

Coming to main course,today first time I cooked endu royyalu aka dried prawns along with egg plant. As Sri is from coastal part he loves sea food in any form.The other day when we went to Inorbit Hyper city mall he found good dried prawns for sunday special.The recipe source is from mom.She used to cook endu chepa along with egg plant which was a favorite dish for dad.The rich aroma of cumin and fenugreek seeds along with coriander powder and tamarind juice adds more taste to dried prawns.Coming to recipe....

Ingredients:

• 250 gms dried prawns/endu royyalu,
• 6-8 small tender egg plants,
• 1 onion finely chopped,
• 1 tsp cumin seeds,
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds,
• 2 tbsp coriander powder,
• 10 garlic pods,
• 1 tbsp dried coconut powder,
• 2 tsps red chilli powder,
• 1 lemon sized tamarind ,juice extracted,
• 1 tbsp oil for poppu,
• few mustard seeds for popu,
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
• salt for taste,
• few curry leaves,
• few coriander leaves.

Procedure:

1. First soak the dried prawns in hot water to make them soft.
2. In a deep vessel add oil,once it is hot add mustard seeds.
3. On spluttering add turemric powder,onions,curry leaves and saute till they become transparent.Cut the egg plants into small pieces.
4. Add dried prawns and egg plant pieces in the oil and saute for few seconds.
5. Add 2 cups of water and cook till the prawns and egg plants are 3/4 th cooked.
6. Mean while saute cumin and fenugreek seeds on low heat.Dont overburn.Grind the cumin,fenugreek,coriander,coconut powder,garlic pods,chilli powder and prepare the ground powder.
7. Now add the ground powder and tamarind juice.Cook fro 10 minutes.
8. Finally add salt and coriander leaves.Serve hot with rice/rotis.