Bimbla Nonche/Pickle

I have a weakness for pickles, and more-so when they are home made. This pickle made out of Bimbal is one of my favourites and I love this one made by my mom. These are pictures and recipe I took when mom made it during my last visit.

The recipe involves the regular pickle seasonings, but there's something in the way each one makes them.
We use this Bimbal fruit/veggie very widely in our cooking, in gravies and pickles. Its a sour fruit and lends the tart/sour base needed in some dals and curries. Read more about Bimbal here.

The fruit has to be very firm when used for this pickle. It will not work even if it gets a little soft when making the pickle. Ofcourse, once you make the pickle, it will soften out slightly.

Ingredients

Bimbal, patted completed dry and cut into small rounds - 2 cups

Til Oil - 2 tsp+4 tsp

Red Chilli pwd - 4 tsp

Methi/Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 3 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Haldi/Turmeric pwd - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 3 tsp or as you like.

Method

- Warm 2 tsp of oil in a small pan. Add the fenugreek seeds, hing, mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the haldi, black pepper, red chilli pwd and 3 tsp salt. Take off from heat. Once this cools, grind all together in a mixie.

- Add the cut Bimbal pieces to this masala, add the other 4 tsp of oil, mix everything well and keep in airtight bottle. It will be ready to eat the next day.

Note:

- The shelf life of this pickle is very little.

- It will last a few extra days if kept in the refrigerator.
- The pickle will ooze out moisture the next day and won't be as dry as when you first mix it.

Also, check out the Bimbla Nonche recipe at Shilpa's.

Tambdi bhajji randayi

One of the most common curries/gravies made in a Konkani home, is this Tambdi Bhaji randayi, ofcourse when available.

The red amaranth leaves are not only tasty and make a wholesome gravy, but also lend a very nice reddish color to the dish. Both the leaves and the tender stems are used in the cooking. Many different combinations can also be made of this randayi/gravy, but here is the most common one.

In the picture above, you will see Vadi's also as part of the gravy. These vadis are sundried items which normally make a great addition to this randayi and some other gravies also.

So, here is the recipe for this dish..

Ingredients

Red Amaranth Leaves, chopped fine - 3 cups

Toor Dal - 1/4 cup

Vadi - 5 pieces

Fresh/Frozen grated coconut - 1 cup

Red Chillies - 5

Tamarind - a small 1/2 inch piece

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Haldi/Turmeric pwd - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - to temper

Salt - to taste

Method

- Cook the greens with the dal and enough water for 3 whistles in pressure cooker.

- Grind a masala by combining the Coconut, haldi, red chillies, tamarind, coriander seeds and water to make a fine masala.

- Once pressure subsides from the cooker, take the greens with dal in a pan and cook it with the ground coconut masala till the rawness from the masala goes away. Add water and cook to adjust the consistency.

- In a separate small pan, heat little oil, add the mustard seeds, once the splutter, move them to the side and fry the vadis also in the same oil. Then add this tempering to the pan with cooked greens.

- Dish is ready.

Note :

- The vadis in the dish are optional but one of the ways we normally make the dish with.

- If you are not using the Vadis in the tempering, then temper the dish with mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and dry red chillies.

Green peas roti

Wishing all the readers a Happy new year! Yes, a very belated one, but hope you guys are having a great start to the year.
Today, am sharing a simple green peas roti which I had prepared a long time ago. Its very simple and here it it..

Ingredients
Green peas - 1 cup
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Jeera/ cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3
Salt - to taste

Method

Grind the thawed/fresh peas with cilantro, green chillies, jeera and salt.
Make a tight dough with the flour, adding water as needed.
Keep aside for 10 mins.
Then roll into rotis and fry with oil/ghee.

Serve with chutney or curry of your choice.

Fish Paatio/Patia

After making the Maacchi Pulao, I had actually picked out a list of things to be tried for Parsi Cuisine, hosted by dear Meera of Enjoy Indian Food, for 'RCI-Parsi Cuisine'. However, it shows clearly I wasn't able to do any of it. I just got to one dish and sharing it here, which is also late, but thanks Meera for accepting it.

I had frozen Salmon fillets and so decided to make another fish item again. The pictures of the Patio/Patia looked really mouthwatering everywhere that I looked. So, decided to go with it and this is the source of the original recipe.

The dish is called Fish Paatio and I must say, tastes very good and doesn't take much time to make.

I am writing down the quantities that I used and the method for future reference.

Ingredients

To Grind into paste
2 - dried red chiles

2 - cloves garlic

1 - tsp cumin seeds/jeera

1/4 - tsp turmeric pwd

You also need (for the Ragout)

1/2 lb. -Fish fillets

1/4 - tsp red chilli pwd

1/4 - tsp turmeric pwd

1 tbsp - oil

2 - green chillies, slit to the stem

1 - small onion, finely chopped

1 -large ripe tomato, chopped

1/2 cup - (loosely packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems

Salt to taste

1 tbsp - jaggery or brown sugar

1/2 tbsp tamarind pulp or lime juice

Method

For the masala:

- Grind the red chillies, garlic, cumin, and turmeric together into a paste (or see the note below).

To make the ragout:

- Rub the fish with the chilly powder, turmeric and little salt.

- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the green chillies, allow to sizzle for a moment, and follow with the onions. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden.

- Add the masala paste and stir over moderate heat until the aroma rises. Add the tomatoes and the fresh coriander. Cook over low heat till its pulpy.

- Add salt to taste, the jaggery, and tamarind/lime juice to get a good sweet-sour balance, adjusting all as needed.
- Fry the fish separately on a tawa in as little oil as possible until tender. Add to the onion and tomato mixture. Cook together just enough to heat through and they all come together.

Note:

- If you haven’t got a grinder, you can still make patia masala in a food processor or blender. Pound the cumin seeds first in a sturdy mortar or pulverize them in a spice grinder, then add them to the food processor bowl along with the garlic, chopped first to make grinding easier, 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, and the turmeric. Dribble in just enough water to turn the mixture into a paste.

- I used Salmon fillets and cut them into slightly bigger chunks.

Recipe Credits : http://www.parsicuisine.com/DhanDarPatio.html

So, off this goes to 'RCI-Parsi Cuisine', hosted by Meera of EnjoyIndianFood.

Regional Cuisine of India- RCI is the brainchild of Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.

P.S: Please excuse my photograph, I took this from the cell phone as my camera is broken.

Maachi/Fish Pulao - Parsi Cuisine

Its the first time that I actually made something related to Parsi Cuisine, and that too I tried a hand since its dear Meera of Enjoy Indian Food, who's hosting her first event 'RCI-Parsi Cuisine'.

I was very happy with the outcome of this Pulao and best of all, its super easy and fast to make. I know for sure what to do with rice and fish next time. So, do try it.

I looked up in the links provided by Meera and here is the original recipe and the source for my dish. I have used Salmon fillets for this pulao.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups

Fish - 3 large fillets ( I used Salmon)

Green chillies,chopped - 3

Onions, sliced finely - 2 big

Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch piece

Green Cardamoms - 3

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Tomatoes, skinned and chopped - 1 large

Garlic cloves, ground - 2- 3 cloves

Cloves - 4

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro - 1/4 cup

Salt- to taste

Oil

Method

- Fry the onions golden brown. Remove about 2 onions for later use. In the remaining onions, add in chopped coriander, green chillies, garlic and turmeric allowing it to cook for a few minutes. - Add in chopped tomatoes, cook till pulpy, and then add in the fish pieces with about 4 cups of water. When the fish is nearly done, add chilli powder and sugar and allow to simmer till about 1/2 cup of gravy is remaining.

- In the meantime, boil the rice with salt, removing when half done. Drain off the water and cool.

- In a pan put the reserved fried onions with oil, on a slow fire and add in cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and cummin seed which have been pounded slightly. Allow to simmer for a few minutes and remove off the fire.
- In a large pan, spread half the rice and layer with fish, fried onions with garam masala, fish gravy and then lastly another layer of rice which has been infused with saffron, topping it with very hot oil. Cover the pan and cook on a low fire for atleast 10 minutes. Mix all the palao together, cover and cook till rice is done.

Note :

- I used Salmon fillets and cut them into slightly bigger chunks.

- I have not used Saffron.

So, off this goes to Meera's 'RCI-Parsi Cuisine'. Wishing you great success in your first event Meera !

Regional Cuisine of India- RCI is the brainchild of Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.