Pesto..With Basil

Hi!
Come summer and your body starts asking for cooling and freshness producing food products. For me one such ingredient is the Basil, I’m in love with this herb and I use it profoundly in my cooking.
Topping the list is the Pesto, which is nothing but a quick chutney using the basil leaves. It is a good digestive and the freshness it produces on your palate is amazing. It makes you feel fresh and cool in this heat. I highly recommend this to be kept ready for use in the kitchen as it’s a versatile ingredient.
The pesto can be made in a jiffy if you have the pine-nuts ready for use after peeling, else one could use walnuts too. I use pine-nuts as they are very good for eyesight.


Ingredients
Makes-almost 3/4 cup
2 cups basil leaves. loosely packed
4-5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup/ 50gms pine nuts
2tbsp EVOO
salt to taste
Method

Grind the Pine nuts and garlic together.
Mix the Basil, salt and EVOO. Grind. If required add more EVOO.
Remove in an airtight container. If you want to store it for a few days, spread a layer of EVOO on top.
Variation :-
To make a Classic Italian Pesto, in the above mentioned ingredients add 1/4cup Parmesan cheese and reduce the salt. Grind together.

Tip- The Pesto should always be covered with oil as it oxidises quickly fading the natural green colour, which has happened with mine, while clicking pics.
You can try this
Bi Coloured Italian Sandwich

Chapati..Indian Bread From South India

 

Hi!

I’m posting here after a long time. Today I’m posting a simple and yet a little tricky Indian Bread made in South India called Chapati or Chapathi. It resembles the Paratha but is still quite different.

This bread makes use of the excess oil smeared inside and spreads easily and hence is very soft internally. It is rolled out much thinner than the Paratha and uses very little flour while rolling.

It can be served with any curry but it compliments best with the Jhunka.

Chapati

Serves:3

Preparation Time:5mins

Resting Time:15mins

Cooking Time:20-25mins

Makes:8-10

Ingredients

2cups Whole Wheat Flour for dough

1/2cup wheat flour for rolling

1/4tsp salt

water for kneading dough

veg oil

Method

Knead a soft dough using wheat flour, salt and water. Apply oil and rest covered for 15mins.

Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces. Make balls and flatten. Keep covered.

Roll each ball to a 3inch circle using wheat flour and apply 1/2-3/4tsp oil and fold to a ‘D’ shape.

Apply oil to the ‘D’ again and fold again to get a triangle shape.

Apply wheat flour lightly and roll to a 3mm triangular Chapati.

Heat the griddle cook the Chapati lightly on either side and then roast on each side again using 1/2tsp oil.

I prefer the Chapati soft so I do not over roast, for crispy Chapati cook on low flame on either side.

Serve hot with curry or Jhunka.

 

How To Make Restaurant Style Makhani Gravy For Curries

Makhani sauce, as the name suggests is a sauce made in makkhan (butter). It is a delicately flavoured sauce which has a taste of tomatoes, aromatic spices, butter and cream.

It’s a rich gravy, loaded with calories but extremely flavourful and very popular. One can find it dominating the menu cards of any Indian Restaurant serving North Indian Food. As a child it was my favourite and now it is my kid’s. I make both the low and high calorie version of it but here I’m sharing the high calorie version. If you want to try a low calorie version, check here.

This sauce is popularly used to make paneer (paneer makhani), dal (dal makhani), vegetables (veg makhani). One can check out my innovation with this sauce here.

Jeerige Kattu ( Traditional Karnataka Style Jeera Daal)

 

Hi!

Today I’m posting a traditional kannadiga preparation which is very popular at my place. It is an excellent accompaniment with spicy curries and is S’s and my elder son’s favourite. Recently when my elder son was visiting us I made this several times for him.

It’s an easy lentil preparation has a strong aroma and flavour of Jeerige (cumin seeds/ Jeera). The word kattu in kannada means daal from which all the excess water has been removed. Ideally it should be a thick lentil preparation but my family likes it made a little thin.I made it with Alasande Palya and Huruduperi which is again a family favourite and  for which  I will post the recipes soon.

Ingredients

2 katori cooked tuvar daal

1/2-3/4tsp turmeric

2tsp cumin seeds

3-4 green chillies finely chopped

1tsp ginger chopped

1tbsp coriander leaves chopped

1tsp cumin pwd

salt to taste

oil for cooking

Method

Cook tuvar daal in a pressure cooker with a pinch of turmeric and a drop of oil. Both turmeric an.d oil help cook daal faster.

Let the pressure drop, remove the daal and mash it.

Heat about 2tbsp oil in a pan and once it is hot, lower the flame and add cumin seeds. This prevents the cumin from burning and turning black in colour.

Once the cumin has spluttered add chopped green chillies, chopped ginger, coriander and saute for a few seconds.

Now add the cumin pwd, cooked daal and mix properly. Season the daal with salt and add about 1-1/2cups water.

Bring the lentil/daal to a boil and simmer.

Let it boil for 7-8mins.

Serve hot garnished with ginger juliennes.

I personally love this daal with a dash of lime.

Indian Round Gourd applied with garlic and coconut …Lasoon Khobra Lavoon Dhenashi

Hi friends!

Summer season offers a variety of gourds which are excellent source of water and minerals. Though many gourds are available, not many people like them as they can be quite bland and hence avoid eating them. At the same time, it’s always challenging to cook everyday meal as the food has to be tasty, healthy and not repetitive. I took a big challenge by using gourd and tried to make it tasty too.

The gourd I used is called Indian round gourd commonly called Tinda in Hindi and Dhenashi in Marathi. I used a standard Maharashtrian style of applying a mix of fresh coconut and garlic to the veggie and to my surprise the gourd turned out delicious. My fussy eater ate it eagerly and demanded more. What more can a Mom ask for!!!??

Ingredients

Oil for cooking

about 3cups Indian round gourd chopped

3-4 green chillies roughly chopped

about 1/2 cup fresh coconut

3 garlic pods

1/2tsp Marathi goda masala

1/4tsp turmeric

1/2tsp red chilli pwd

1-2tsp coriander pwd

salt to taste

1/2tsp mustard seeds

a pinch of good quality asafoetida

Method

Grind coconut and garlic to make a paste.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds followed by green chillies, asafoetida and turmeric. Do not let it burn and add the chopped vegetable, salt to taste and mix.

Cook covered, when half done add the coriander, chilli  powders.

Now add the coconut- garlic paste and goda masala. Cook for another minute or two.

Serve hot with chapati.

Gobhi Keema..Minced Spicy Cauliflower

Hi!

It’s been really long that I posted here, so here I’m with an interesting and tasty post today which is just apt for people who would like to enjoy the non-veg specialities the veggie way. This is a fuss free curry which I personally feel tastes best with paav or even naan.

Quick Microwave Cheese Sauce

This is  an extremely simple sauce which can be made in a matter of few minutes in the microwave. It can be a perfect dip or a sauce for starters and chips.

Ingredients

1/2 cup +3 tbsp milk

75gms grated processed cheese

1-1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp freshly crushed pepper

a large pinch garlic powder

salt to taste

Method

In a microwave safe bowl mix all ingredients except the three tbsp of milk.