Basundi

Sri was asking me from last 2 days to prepare any sweet. As it is week end I am busy with my clean and green chores.My search for a simple sweet dish ended with Basundi.

Basundi is an Indian Desert mostly in Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka. It is a sweetened dense milk made by boiling milk on low heat until the milk is reduced by half.Heavy cream may be added during the boiling process to hasten the thickening process. Once reduced, a little sugar, cardamom, and/or saffron are added. Basundi is served chilled, often garnished with slices of almonds and pistachios.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 saffron strands soaked in lukewarm milk
• pinch of cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp sliced almonds and pistachios
• 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Procedure:

1. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and heat milk on medium flame until it reduces to half.
2. Add sugar and stir till it dissolves.
3. Add saffron strands,cardamom powder ,whipping cream and mix well.
4. Turn off the heat,add almonds,pistachios.
5. Serve hot or cold.

Chinta Chiguru Mamsam/Chinta Chiguru Mutton

This week when I went to Sabzi Mandi I was delighted to see chinta chiguru every where. This is the best season to get chinta chiguru.Chinta chiguru is one of the Andhra delicacy. I got loads of it to try different variations like chinataku pappu and chinta chiguru mutton.As I find only time on sunday to buy groceries, chinta chiguru mutton took its first slot.First I dont have any idea of this delicacy , when I told to mom about the loads of chinta chiguru, she suggested this option. Coming to the recipe...

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh tamarind leaves,
• 1/2 kg mutton,
• 2 tbsp oil,
• salt for taste,
• pinch of turemeric powder,
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

For ground masala:

• 1 big onion cut into pieces,
• 8-10 garlic pods,
• 1 tbsp coriander powder,
• 1 tbsp garted dry coconut,
• 1 tsp red chilli powder(adjust as per spice levels),

Procedure:

1. Remove thick stalks of chinta chiguru(leave thin ones as they add taste), clean and keep aside.
2. Clean mutton in luke warm water and marinate with turmeric powder,salt,red chilli powder for 1 hour.
3. Pressure cook mutton until it is 3/4 th cooked or for 7-8 whistles.(depends on the nature of mutton).
4. Mean while prepare the ground masla by grinding the ingredients mentioned above along with chinta chiguru.
5. Now in a large bottomed vessel,add oil and once it is hot add the ground masala.Fry for 10 minutes until the rawness disappears.
6. Add mutton pieces and half cup of water.Cook on medium flame stirring in between until the gravvy become so thick.
7. Turn off the flame and serve with hot rice/rotis along with onions.

Egg curry/Kodi Guddu Pulusu

This sunday's lunch ended up with simple egg curry as last friday we had our lunch@Barbeque Nation.sri loves the concept of 'Food on Fire'.So he is a frequent visitor to Barbeque.Had all sorts of non veg(mutton,chicken,fish,prawn) starters so planned to have a very light meal on sunday. This curry adapted from my mom is a favorite curry for Sri and me. 

Ingredients:

• 4 boiled eggs
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 6 fenu greek seeds
• 1 big onion cut into small pieces
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 8-10 garlic pods
• 2 tbsp grated dry coconut
• lemon sized tamarind soaked and juiced
• few curry leaves
• few cilantro leaves
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil

Procedure:

1. Roast cumin and fenu greek seeds for 2 minutes.
2. Grind cumin and fenu greek seeds into coarse powder.
3. To this add onions,garlics,coriander powder,grated coconut,red chilli powder,salt and few spoons of water.Grind into fine paste.
4. Now in a vessel add oil and once it is hot add the ground paste and roast for 3 minutes until the rawness disappears.
5. Make slits on boiled eggs so that the gravy penetrates inside the egg and add the eggs to the gravy.
6. Add tamarind paste (add some water if you want the gravy to be thinner) and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Finally garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice/rotis.

Cabbage Kofta

Cabbage ,most of the people hates this healthy vegetable.Srikanth and me are not exceptional. But I want to include this veggie some how in our cuisine list as Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C.Cabbage can also be included in dieting programs, as it is a low calorie food.The present recipe is from my friend Smitha's collection of recipes bookmarked from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped cabbage
• 1 big potato
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup curry leaves
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 2 green chilli chopped into small pieces
• 10 pepper roasted in ghee and made into fine powder
• 1 cheese cube grated
• 1/2 inch ginger chopped into small pieces
• 1 medium sized onion cut into small pieces
• salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Boil cabbage and potatoes separately.Squeeze the excess of water.
2. Now in a vessel mix all ingredients mentioned above except bread crumbs.(boiled potato,cabbage,salt,green chilli ,ginger pieces,onion pieces,cilantro,curry leaves,grated cheese,pepper powder).Make desired patties of thickness and shape and roll in bread crumbs.
3. In a heavy bottomed vessel heat oil and once it is piping hot place the bread crumbs rolled patties.Deep fry until they become brown and place on tissue papers.
4. Serve hot on the bed of cabbage leaves with tomato sauce.This serves as a starter in parties.

Vankaya Vepudu/Brinjal Stir fry

It has been definitely a while since my last post. From last few weeks I was so busy that one week end we went to Shirdi,next week end to kadapa on occasion of Ugadhi.As soon as I came I was busy in shopping as chinna was travelling abroad(US) for office work.She landed safely and reported in office too.Now she has to perform additional duties like cooking for herself. Hope this blog helps her a lot as she is a newbie in kitchen.Coming to recipe Vankaya,brinjal aka egg plant is srikanth's favourite veggie.He likes to have it any form.Today I prepared simple stir fry with pappula podi which enhances the taste of brinjal.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kg purple/green brinjal cut into round shapes.(I tried this just for variety),
• pinch of garlic paste,
• 2 tbsps Pappula podi,
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 medium sized onion cut into small pieces
• 1-2 teared dry red chillies
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

for tadka/seasoning:

• pinch of mustard seeds,cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp sanaga pappu,urad dal
• curry leaves
• cilantro

Procedure:

1. While cutting the brinjals place the chopped pieces into a bowl containing salt water (pinch of salt in 2 glasses of water)so that the brinjals do not turn out black and the tanginess in the brinjals will disappear.
2. Now in a frying pan add oil and once it is hot add tadka seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add onion pieces and saute them till transparent.Now add red chilli and brinjal pieces.
4. Cook brinjals for 5-8 minutes on medium heat by closing with a lid. Add salt,red chilli powder,pappula podi  and combine well.Cook for few more minutes tossing constantly.Make sure that the cooked brinjal pieces do not become mushy.
5. Garnish with Cilantro and serve hot along with rice/rotis.