Hot and Spicy Yellow Cucumber Pickle

We're celebrating International Hot and Spicy Food Day with Dosaavakaya or Spicy Yellow Cucumber Pickle.

Dosaavakaya 

Pickling vegetables is very common in South India with its origin in Andhra Pradesh. We pickle our vegetables using a variety of spices including mustard seeds, powdered red chilies and oil. The most popular type is mango pickle made with green mangoes called Aavakaya. Other vegetables and/or fruits we pickle are lemon, lime, garlic, ginger, Indian gooseberry and yellow cucumber (Dosakaya) etc.

                                                                  

Below is an easy recipe for making Dosavakai or Spicy Yellow Cucumber Pickle. This pickle goes well with warm plain rice. 

Ingredients

- 1 medium Dosakaya (pictured above), chopped with peel into 1/2" cubes

- 1 lime, juiced

- 1 tsp salt

- 5 Tbsp Vijay Pickle Masala Mix* (as shown in picture above)

Ingredients for seasoning

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds

- 1/4 tsp Methi seeds (also known as Fenugreek seeds)

- a pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Procedure

Mix together yellow cucumber, pickle masala powder, lime juice, and salt in a small mixing bowl.

Scoop out the mixed ingredients into a mason jar and let it cure under closed lid for 3 to 4 days in a cool place. Make sure to mix the mixture at least one time each day. After a few days, you will see that water has accumulated in the jar to make a sauce with the other ingredients.

 

In a small saucepan, heat oil on low-medium flame. Once it is warm, add mustard seeds and when they start spluttering, add methi seeds and hing. Fry this mixture for about 30 seconds, turn off stove and add to the pickled yellow cucumber mixture in the mason jar. Mix it well and serve with plain rice and some oil or ghee (clarified butter).

Dosaavakaya mixed with plain white rice and oil

Quick Tips

- Vijay Pickle Masala Mix is made with Chili powder, Turmeric, Mustard powder, Fenugreek, Asafoetida, and salt. It can be found at most Indian grocers like Patel Brothers, Subji Mandi or Delight Bazaar. 

Pappuchekkalu - Rice and Lentil Crisps

Happy New Year Everyone!! It's a new year filled with new dishes and experiences. We're starting it off with one of our favorite snacks, Pappuchekkalu. We enjoy eating these savory lentil crisps on their own or with a hot beverage like tea. 

Although they are fried, Pappuchekkalu are gluten free and made with healthy ingredients. With so many benefits, they are hard to resist. Let's get to it then...  

To make the dough, you need

• 4-1/2 cups Rice flour
• 2-1/2 cups Urad dal flour (White lentil flour)
• 1-1/2 cups Soy flour
• 1/2 cup Moong dal, soaked and drained (also known as Mung bean)
• 1 cup peanuts, soaked, drained and coarsely crushed
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 6 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 8 cups water
• 2 to 2-1/2 Tbsp Salt

You also need the following for frying

• 3 to 4 cups Vegetable Oil

Here's what you need to do

Sieve together all the flours in a large bowl and set aside. In a 6 quart pan, combine water, moong dal, peanuts, chili powder, and sesame seeds. Bring it to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to simmer and stir in the flour mixture until the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool down.

When the mixture has cooled down, mix it well to form into uniform dough. Take portions of the dough (size of walnut) and place it in between a small piece of wax paper (or greased plastic sheet) and press it flat into a circle. Watch the demo below for clarification.

Next, prepare the flat patties or chekkalu in batches and keep them covered so they do not dry out. Heat oil in a skillet or frying pan. Drop a tiny ball of dough (size of pea) to test the temperature. Please Note: When the tiny ball of dough bubbles and rises to the oil surface, the oil is ready for frying.

Now slowly add the patties into the oil and fry them until they turn golden brown; you need to flip them over one or two times to get that color (as shown above).  Transfer all the crackers or pappuchekkalu from the frying pan with a wire skimmer and allow the oil to continue to drain by holding it into a bowl. 

Later, put the crisps on a paper towel or tray to cool down. Store them in an air tight container so you can enjoy for 2 to 3 weeks. 

I love snacking on these between my breaks at work; I pack myself a few in a ziplock bag and take it with me.

If you have any questions about this recipe, please let us know. We love hearing from you. If you liked this recipe, check out other snack recipes on our blog: Picante Peanut Poppers, Crunchy Crackling Cashews, Corn Flakes Mixture (Chivda), and Karapappalu.

Comfort Food Series: Spinach and Tofu Rice

Although today was the official first day of winter, we've been having winter weather for the past month or more. The temperatures have been fluctuating between 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit everyday so it's only natural to want to make and eat comfort food. 

Our go to comfort food is some kind of rice dish. It should have vegetables and protein so you are not just "carbing" it up. Below is a recipe for easy Spinach and Tofu rice.  

Ingredients

- 2 cups Basmati Rice, cooked with slightly less water

- 1 large bunch of fresh Spinach, chopped finely 

- 4 oz tofu*, cut into 1/2" cubes

- 1/2 tsp crushed green chilies paste (or 1 green chili, finely chopped)

-  1 tsp Garam Masala

- 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste

- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

- 1/2 Tbsp whole cumin

- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

- Salt, per your taste

- Fried onions (optional)

Procedure

In a large skillet, heat oil and add whole cumin. When it starts to sizzle, add turmeric powder, crushed chilies, and ginger-garlic paste. Stir for few seconds. Then add spinach, sprinkle some salt and stir the mixture until the spinach leaves are wilted (cook for about 3 to 4 minutes). Next add garam masala and mixture well. Then add cooked rice, tofu and salt as per your taste. Mix well until the spinach is evenly mixed into the rice. When it's ready to be served, top with fried onions. 

This dish can be enjoyed on its own or eaten with cucumber raita (yogurt dip). It's comfort food for the soul.  

*Quick Tips

- We freeze tofu for 3 to 4 hours to keep it firm and thaw it for a bit when we need to use it. This way it doesn't crumble when we cut portions of it. 

- Try our other rice dishes made with beets, coconut, and/or lentils. 

Sweet and Sour Bottle Gourd Curry (Sorakaya Antu Pulusu)

We're staying warm this Autumn with comforting food like the dish below. It's got a little bit of everything and lots of flavor. 

Ingredients

- About 10" long Bottle Gourd (also known as long squash), peeled and chopped into 1" cubes

- Size of big lemon of Tamarind

- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

- 1/2 tsp green chili paste (or 1/4 tsp of chili powder)

- a pinch of Turmeric

- 1 tsp Salt or as per your taste

- 2 Tbsp Besan (Chickpea flour)

- 2 Tbsp Rice Flour

Ingredients for the seasoning:

- 2 Tbsp Vegetable oil

- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

- A pinch of Hing (Asafotida)

- 6 to 8 Curry leaves (fresh or dry) - optional 

- A pinch of chili powder

Procedure

Soak tamarind in half cup of warm water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the juice using additional water. Alternately add the soaked tamarind into a blender, add additional 3 cups of water and blend for one minute. Then strain the liquid and remove the tamarind fiber. In a small pressure cooker, add the chopped bottle gourd, tamarind juice, brown sugar, turmeric, chili paste, and salt. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. When the steam is released, open the cooker and boil the mixture on low-medium heat. 

Add the besan (Chickpea flour) and rice flour in half a cup of water to make a sauce like consistency. Mix this sauce into the bottle gourd mixture to thicken the tamarind sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until it thickens. Heat vegetable oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add cumin seeds and then hing and pinch of chili powder. Remove from heat and add curry leaves and then add to the bottle gourd mixture. 

Serve hot with rice and/or your favorite flatbread.  

Egg Curry with Bell Pepper and Tomatoes

Cooking is more than a hobby for me; it's a way of life. This blog started out as my portable cookbook that contained recipes of dishes that my sister and I grew up eating. I've learned so much over the years, cooking alongside my mother; teaching me the ways of Indian cooking. 

However, as I grew up my tastes changed a bit. I was vegetarian when I first moved here. I slowly started trying new dishes and cuisines and now I'm half vegetarian. I eat eggs, chicken and fish every so often. However, I still stay away from meats like pork and beef. 

One of the dishes I really like is egg curry but my mom doesn't eat eggs so it's up to me to figure it out. I've watched YouTube videos and looked for recipes online. I've tested a few but didn't like the taste so much. A few months, I found a recipe at Archana's Kitchen called Quick and Simple Egg Curry Recipe. I did find her recipe to be simple enough and kind of quick. 

I made a couple changes for my taste, such as adding more vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms or spinach to the recipe. Check out the recipe below:

Yields: Serves 6 (2 egg halves and gravy per serving)

Ingredients

- 6 eggs (boiled, peeled, and cut into half vertically)

- 3 vine tomatoes, pureed

- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped into 1/2" pieces and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes

- 12 oz baby Bella mushrooms, chopped into 1/2" pieces (optional)

- 1 tsp Turmeric powder

- 1 tsp coriander powder (or Dhanjeera powder)

- 1 tsp Garam Masala powder

- 1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional)

- 1/2 tsp sugar

- 1 tsp salt (adjust as per your taste)

- a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Ingredients to be ground to a paste

- 1 large onion, chopped 

- 1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

- 4 cloves of garlic

- 2 green chilies (or 1/2 tsp of chili paste)

Procedure

Heat oil in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat. Add the paste made with onion, ginger, garlic, and chilies to the pan. Saute for a few minutes or until the onion mixture turns translucent in color. Next add turmeric powder, sugar, garam masala powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder. Mix until combined well. I added mushrooms next and let them cook a little before I added bell pepper.  Cook for a few minutes while stirring intermittently. Next, add the tomato puree, salt, and eggs. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer the egg and vegetable mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Lift the cover and check the salt and spice levels; adjust them to your taste. If you want the gravy to be a bit thinner, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Turn off the stove and sprinkle fresh coriander on the curry and serve with your meal. 

This curry goes well with plain white or brown rice, jeera rice, quinoa, or your favorite flatbread. Whenever I make this curry, I make two halves and some gravy and a couple of roti for lunch. It's healthy and filling. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone who likes eating eggs and wants to try something different. 

Quick Tips

- If wine or plum tomatoes are not readily available, you can buy a crushed tomatoes can. 

- Other vegetables you can add are yellow or orange bell peppers

- You can add evaporated milk for a creamier taste. 

Have a Sweet Diwali with Indian Bread Pudding (Double Ka Meetha)

From our family to yours...

Peace, Prosperity, and Good Fortune...May they all be with you in the coming year. 

I am thankful for my loving family as well as my friends (including my extended family at Open Door Toastmasters). They've supported and helped me accomplish a lot in my personal and professional life this year. 

Double Ka Meetha (Indian Bread Sweet)

This Diwali I wanted to show my mom that I have been paying attention to all that she's taught me in cooking and make an Indian sweet that she's only made once since we moved here. The dessert I made is called Double Ka Meetha. 

When I first heard the name, I thought it meant twice the sweetness because I was thinking in English and Urdu. 

Double Ka Meetha actually means bread sweet because in Urdu "Double Roti" means bread. This dessert is from Hyderabad, Telangana. It is a popular dessert in Hyderabad cuisine and served at special occasions such as weddings and parties. It is similar to Shahi Tukra. 

I know you are all dying to find out how to make this dessert, so let's get to it. 

Total cooking time (including prep work): About 2-2.5 hours

Ingredients

- 20 oz White Bread

- 2 sticks of butter or 16 Tbsp Unsalted butter*

- 2 (14oz) Condensed milk cans

- 1/4 cup Almonds or Cashews, chopped into quarters

- 10 Cardamom pods, seeded and powdered

- 1 cup Milk

- 1/2 cup Khoya or khoya powder (also known as Milk-Mava powder) - optional

Procedure

1) The day before making the dessert, open the bread packet and arrange the slices on a wide plate to allow them to air dry.

2) Set the toaster to medium setting and toast the slices. Afterwards, spread butter on both sides and toast to golden brown on a griddle (shown below). 

3) Cut all the slices diagonally into 4 pieces...

                        

Next, add 1/2 tbsp of butter to an non-stick skillet/pan and then transfer all the toasted breads pieces into it.

4) Next, transfer the condensed milk into a measuring cup and stir in the milk. Slowly pour this mixture on top and around the bread in the skillet/pan. 

Then add the khoya powder as well as the cardamom powder and mix well; making sure all the bread pieces are coated with the liquid.  Hint: Add another 1/4 cup milk if the mixture is dry.  

5) Transfer the contents into a greased tray or dish, garnish with toasted nuts and serve hot (shown above).

Although this dessert takes time to make, it is sure to please your guests. We served this dessert on Diwali and all of our friends and family enjoyed it. 

~~~Diwali Mubarak~~~

Celebrating Navratri on the Eve of Dusshera!

October 1st marked the beginning of the Navratri celebration, honoring the Hindu deity Durga, the destroyer of demons. Navratri means nine nights. During these nine nights and ten days, various forms or avatars of Durga are worshiped. The tenth day is Dusshera (October 11th). 

In the South (specifically in  Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu), one of the traditions of this festival is a display of toys and figurines called Bommalu Koluvu (Court of Toys) in one's home (as shown above). Our display includes divine presence of Goddesses of Laxmi, Saraswati, and Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Buddha, as well as representations of music and dance with the dancing dolls and musical players. 

The significance of this festival is that good triumphs over evil. This holiday is a great way to renew one's self or start over. A way to get rid of evil or obstacles in one's way and head in a positive direction. I've been stuck in a rut at work the past couple weeks and last week I just decided to tackle those obstacles so I can see a clear path for the new quarter. I realized that by destroying my "demons" or "negative thoughts" I can accomplish a lot. What does this holiday mean to you?

WISHING ALL A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY!!!