Nivedita's Kitchen

Friday, October 15, 2010

Punjabi Kadi Pakoras for ICC

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am happy to be a part of Indian Cooking Challenge. Indian Cooking Challenge is the event hosted by Srivalli where every month,she gives us a challenge to make one traditional recipe. Till last month, I never went through the rules or the event as I thought its only for experienced chefs!! True, I thought its not my cup of tea.

But last month when I was chatting with Srivalli, she asked me why I did not join this event all these days, when I told the reason, she insisted me to go through the rules at least. When I finished reading, my expression was "arre, yeh to itna easy hai!!" and one more thing came into my mind that even my event "COOK AND CLICK" had the same theme, but I could not take it longer as I did not get more entries or only one entry for each event (in 4 events).

Now, coming to this challenge, Making Punjabi Kadi Pakoras or Pakods kadi is my first entry to ICC. Srivalli got this a recipe from Simran who blogs @ Bombay foodie I am really excited to prepare this one as its very interesting. Many times I have prepared kadi pakoda but the other methods. But it was a long time again that I prepared this type. So here I am presenting my

"PUNJABI KADI PAKORAS FOR ICC"

There is one advantage when making this one. You will get pakoras to eat before they go into kadi. My suggestion to everyone is make more batter to make those extra pakoras, or else you will get only kadi on the dining table!

Coming to the recipe,

To make Pakoras:
Gram flour - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, thinly sliced
Water to make thick batter
Oil to deep fry

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl.

Add the water to make batter of semi thick consistency.

Heat oil in a kadai. When hot, drop the batter with a spoon or hand to make small pakoras. Fry till golden brown to get crispy pakoras.

Transfer these into a bowl or plate and keep it aside.

For making Kadi:

Curds / Yogurt - 1 cup
Gram flour or besan- 1/3 cup
Water - 4 to 5 cups

Mix the curds and gramfour to remove lumps.

Add the water to get thin batter to make kadi.

Ingredients for kadi:

Oil -1 tbsp

Onion - 1 large, sliced

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds or Jeera- 1 tsp

Ajwain or Carom Seeds- 1 tsp

Methi seeds or Fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder a pinch

Salt to taste

Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

To add it later:

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Amchur/ Dried Mango powder - 1 tsp

Get ready to make kadi:

Heat oil in a kadai or deep and round vessel.

When hot, add mustard seeds, let splutter.

Now be quick to add cumin seeds, methi seeds and ajwain. Wait for 10 seconds.

Add sliced onions and fry till brown.

Keep on a low flame, add curd and besan batter.

Add turmeric, salt and red chilli powder.(I must say here that, I was not sure of adding salt at this stage, as I always believed if I add salt before only, the butter milk will get curdled, but as I had to follow the rules I added it.) And nothing happened to the kadi.

Bring it to a boil, boil it atleast for half an hour.

Wait till you get thick kadi.

Now add the fried pakoras and boil it for some more time(may be 2 minutes)

Give final touch by adding garam masala and amchur powder before taking it from heat.

Punjabi Kadi Pakora is ready to serve with hot rice.

This is for Indian Cooking Challenge

Keep Smiling,

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Two pickles( remixed & reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more set of food for reposting. NO need of any introduction to these yummy, tangy friends which help us to enjoy each bite. And if you are feeling sick or on those early days or months!!(??), these pickles are soothing to our tongue!! Am I writing something wrong? Forget it.

Remixing my recipes from the archive for my event:

First is my daughter's favorite pickle :Ginger Pickle

Second one is My husband's favorite : Lime and chilly pickle

Sending it to my event

Event Announcement ~ "Complete My Thali(CMT)-Pickle...

Keep Smiling,

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

3 C(K)heers (Reposted for the event)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am reposting these Kheer recipes for Umm's evernt.

First one is Vermicelli Kheer( (ಶ್ಯಾವಿಗೆ ಪಾಯಸ)

My Husband's anytime favorite which he loves to have with hot milk.

The Second One is Sago(Sabudana) kheer

Again my husband's favorite sweet which I prepare on Hanuman Jayanti(nothing connected with the festival).

And the last one is Basundi(Milk kheer)

All these Kheers are going to Umm of Taste of Pearl City's ongoing event which is started by me ;

Celebrate Sweets-Kheer

Keep Smling,

Friday, October 8, 2010

Red Chilly Pickle

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When you are tired and hungry, pickles comes as a blessing. At least for me, I love to have Chapati and pickle rolls or curd rice with pickle.

This red chilli pickle is very spicy and not everyone can eat. Its just like my other post "Red chilly chutney".

(This photo is taken immidiately afer I mixed the chilly with masala)

Ingredients:

Red chilly - 15 to 20

Wash the chilly, pat dry to remove the water. Cut into 4 pieces and keep it aside.

For Dry Masala:
Dry coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Fennel seeds- 1 tbsp
Methi seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Hing - a pinch
Lime juice - Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
Sugar - 1/8 cup

Put dry coriander seeds, Methi seeds and Cumin seeds in a blender or mixi to make slightly coarsed powder.

Transfer the powder into a bowl. Add all the other ingredients in Dry Masala. Mix well. Add red chilly into it and mix well again.

Transfer it into storing jar.

For tempering :
Oil - 1/8 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai. Add Mustard seeds. When splutter, remove from the heat.

Allow the oil to cool.

Add this oil with mustard seeds to the pickle jar. Shake well.

Keep for few hours before use.

Store in a refrigerator always for using it more days.

Sending it to my event Event Announcement ~ "Complete My Thali(CMT)-Pickle...

Keep Smiling,

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Raw Tamarind Chutney(ಹುಣಸೆ ತೊಕ್ಕು)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My very last minute last entry to Jagruti's ongoing event.

Raw tamarind! Do any one have the sweet memories of these tangy and mouthwatering green raw tamarind?

I am sure! You have at least one memory with this fruit!

I have plenty of memories. Among them is the one, where we used to wait for the Tamarind tree owners to sleep in the afternoon so that it will be easy for us to throw the stones to the trees and take the tamarind falling on the ground! If some one wakes up we used to run as if there is dog chasing us. Then we used to have it with rock stone.

Now coming to the recipe,

This is actually known as Tokku here. Very tasty chutney to eat with rice.

This chutney or tokku is prepared when tamarind is still green or raw. You can prepare it and store for a year.

Very easy to make it. Come lets see the ingredients :

Raw tamarind : 15 to 20

Green chilly - 10

Salt to taste

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Method:

Wash the tamarind properly. Dry them fully. Wipe the tamarind pieces with cloth to remove the water. Cut in to pieces.

Add green chilly, salt, methi seeds and hing. Put in a mixer or blender to get the coarse texture. Adjust the seasoning.

Chutney is ready to eat or store.

This will make almost 150 gm of chutney.

Sending it to

Jagruti's event Complete My Thali - Event Anouncement !

and

Priya's Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday Event - 5th Oct... Event.

Keep Smiling,

Event Announcement ~ "Complete My Thali(CMT)-Pickle"

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Hey!! One more feather in my cap for event hosting! I love Events! That makes me more responsible person! It makes me alert. It encourages me to try new dishes.

This time, it is from Jagruti's Joy of Cooking. Her event Complete My Thali - Event Anouncement ! which started last month and is continued for 6 months, with each theme holding for 2 weeks.

And there is a genuine cause behind this event :

Read in her words:

"After each and every round up the host will choose winner and will make winners dish....I will make that dish too, and in the end (about 6 months) I'll have my complete thali...
Every event comes with a prize, so when my thali is complete I will give the value of that one thali to someone else in the world who doesn't have the blessing of even a small amount of the food on the thali...The money will go to UNICEF...."

Now, coming to my theme, I have taken the most interesting and everyone's favorite : PICKLE!! Yes! The thali in not complete without a pickle. Pickle is a side dish and is a must in Indian food. From a kid to an old person, pickle is loved by everyone. I have many sweet memories with this!(stealing from kitchen, sharing with my friends...)

My Theme is

"Complete My Thali( CMT ) - PICKLE"

In India, it is popular as Achaar and can be prepared with many vegetables like mango, lime, garlic, ginger, tomato, cucumber, carrot, gooseberry, Chilli.... You name it and with few specific masala the pickle is ready. Usually the oil and the salt are the main ingredients while making pickle, and either green chilly or red chilly powder to make it spicy.

In some regions pickles prepared with meat or fish are very famous.

Home made pickles are very common and very tasty too.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Event Round Up : MEC - FRUITS

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Yes, one more event round up! I am getting expert in handling Events. Am I?!!
I do enjoy hosting the events and now I am used for expecting more entries for my events and every day getting up to check my mails for the entries!! And I have become strong person also to face the situation where I do not get any entry or a single entry. But thats fair here. Many times I too do not get the time to participate in many events(I try hard to send at least one entry for most of the events) I feel I get encouraged to try new food if I take participation in any event.

Sorry guys! I am going on..... with my dry philosophy.

I am very happy with this event! The way it went, the way I took time to try something new with fruits.

Fruits, usually is consumed directly or in the form of juice. I was very happy to try some new dishes with fruits and that too in MICROWAVE!! It was a great fun.

I want to thank Srivalli for giving me this chance to host her event MEC-series.

Now, coming to the entries, I am really happy to know that my blogger friends
are so much creative and dare to try new things.

I am posting the entries the way I got them!

Priya Srinivasan of Enveetu kitchen has sent
this healthy peda