Saturday Brunch:Aloo-Gajar Kati roll/mushroom soup/Raw Mango dal

I was so busy this week with office work and could not blog any posts.Last week I visited in laws house and totally enjoyed roaming here and there .. no cooking.... no status calls..nothing.. hmm .. so I don't have no posts in drafts too to submit..During week days there is a sort of routine in the food too. So I try to avoid routine food and spend much time in kitchen as the weekend provides two days to recharge. This week end its veggie brunch in my home. I prepared alu-gajar kati roll for breakfast and mushroom soup for appetizer following rice with mamidikaya pappu,rasam and thick curd.

Kati roll is street-food originating from Kolkata.pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kati roll. Kati Roll comes in a large number of variants. The innovations tend to be in two areas - the fillings or the wrap. Common variants on the filling are egg, potato, paneer, mixed vegetables and curried chicken or mutton.One can put various kinds of sauces, a dash of vinegar, a squeeze of lime, sometimes a shake of chaat masala and maybe some julienned carrots.I tried with julienned carrots and aloo along with some green peas.

Kati Roll Ingredients:

For rotis:

• 1 cup atta(wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup low fat milk
• pinch of salt

For filling:

• 1 cup julienned carrots, aloo
• fistful of boiled peas
• 1 tbsp green chilli ginger garlic paste
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp amchur powder
• 1 onion finely sliced
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsps oil
• small cup green chutney(mandatory)

Procedure:

1. Dissolve salt in 1 tbsp of water and mix with wheat flour,slowly add milk and form a soft dough.Cover with you lid for 10 minutes until you prepare the filling.
2. Heat oil in a vessel, add the ginger-green chili-garlic paste and saute for few secs. Add blanched carrots, alu, green peas and saute for 10 mts.  Add turmeric pwd, amchur powder,salt and coriander powder and combine.Pour 1/4 cup of water and cook until water evaporates.Turn off heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the raw sliced onions with green chutney and keep aside.
4. Prepare rotis and let the cook lightly on both sides.
5. Spread some onion green chutney filling and place 2 tbsps of carrot-aloo filling in the center of the roti. Now roll the roti to form a roll and wrap  the lower part in an aluminium foil.Serve hot.

Procedure for preparing Green Chutney:

• 1/2 cup coriander leaves
• fistful of mint leaves
• dash of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsps water

Wash coriander and mint leaves thoroughly,drain water. Grind all the ingredients mention above into fine paste.

Mushroom Soup:

Ingredients:

• 4 mushrooms cleaned and chopped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp spring onion greens cut into small pieces
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 2 cups water
• salt to taste
• pinch of pepper powder

Procedure:

1. Add mushrooms,garlic paste to water and boil till mushrooms are soft.
2. Now add pepper powder and salt.
3. Combine corn flour with 1 tbsp of water and add slowly to the boiling mixture.Mix it well.Cornflour adds thick consistency to the soup.
4. Finally add spring onion greens and serve with corn flake crumbs.
5. Serves as a very good appetizer.

Mamidikaya pappu:

Summer is about to start and rythu bazar(Sabzi Mandi) is full of raw mangoes. I love recipes of raw mango in any form like pachadi or pappu.I remember those hot sunny summer school days where mom was busy in preparing pickles.I used to take of handful of mango pieces and eat along with salt and chilli powder.. Yummmmmmm.. the thought itself makes my mouth water,hope yours too..The combination of raw mango with lentil dal is a heavenly recipe.Coming to the recipe its very easy and can be prepared in few minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentil/tur dal
• 1/2 cup raw mango pieces(adjust as per sour levels)
• 4 green chillies
• a pinch of turmeric powder
• salt to taste

For popu/tadka:

• few mustard seeds,fenu greek seeds,cumin seeds
• 2 red chillies
• 5-6 garlic pods
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 medium sized onion cut into small pieces
• few curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Procedure:

1. Soak tur dal for 20 minutes. Pressure cook dal,mango pieces,turmeric powder upto 4 whistles or until dal gets soft.
2. Mash the dal and keep side.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard,fenu greek and cumin seeds.On spluttering add onion pieces and saute till transaparent.
4. Now add garlic pods,red chillies. Combine the above popu and dal and cook for few minutes.
5. Finally add coriander leaves and serve hot with a dallop of ghee.

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.