Spiced Pumpkin Banana Bread

Its five months now that I have stopped eating packaged bread, except for a few exceptions when one is visiting friends. So whenever I get a craving for eating bread, I bake one. This way, I know exactly what I have put in it and it’s free of preservatives and harmful chemicals that packaged bread has and I can indulge at my heart’s content.

Yesterday when I decided to bake a bread, I went rummaging for the ingredients I have in my kitchen. The initial plan was to bake a banana walnut bread (which I have made numerous times over), but turned out that I had only one over ripe banana and no walnuts. I knew I had some pumpkin left over in the refrigerator. And I LOVE a spiced pumpkin bread.

So that was that, and voila the idea of a spiced pumpkin banana bread was born. The recipe uses wheat bran and flax seed powder making it fiber rich and nutritious, also thus making it a truly whole grain bread. This bread contains absolutely no refined sugar, just 2 tablespoons of jaggery. It’s delicious, it’s salty, it’s spiced with a huge hit of cinnamon and slightly sweet because of the pumpkin and banana. And the toppings of pistachios’ and sultanas add that extra crunch and richness to it. It’s a perfect accompaniment with your afternoon tea.
Here’s presenting my spiced pumpkin banana bread and its recipe:

SPICED PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD

PREP: 15 mins PLUS COOLING TIME BAKE: 30 MINS TOTAL: 45 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cup wheat bran
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup grated/pureed pumpkin
½ cup mashed banana (1 big over-ripe banana)
2 cups plain yogurt
2 eggs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup ground flax seed powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons organic jaggery powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Handful of pistachios and sultanas for the topping

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven at 170 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: wheat bran, wheat flour, jaggery powder, ground flax, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients: eggs, grated pumpkin, bananas, yogurt and olive oil.

Pour in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

Spoon batter into a 9”x 3”silicon loaf pan. Add the pistachios and sultanas as the topping.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Serve warm with tea.

Please Note:
~ This bread is very high in fiber, so consume it within 24 hours of making it.
~ Its advisable not to refrigerate it, but to store in some place warm.
~ The banana must be very, very ripe (sweet!) for this bread as there’s very little added sugar. The more the blackened skin on the banana, the sweeter it is. So, don’t throw away those, instead freeze them.

Kavi’s Special Tomato Preserve

Did you know that the cooking process increases the antioxidant activity in tomatoes, which can offer you many health benefits? Cooked tomatoes are low in calories and fat and supply you with a good dose of protein and fiber. Tomatoes contain a good dose of vitamin C and iron too, that the cooking process doesn’t destroy. So if a juicy slice of fresh tomato is your idea of a tasty and nutritious snack, consider adding cooked tomatoes to your diet as well.

Fresh, locally grown tomatoes are one of summer’s greatest gifts. I for one, as soon as summer starts, go to the local market where the freshest produce comes from the nearby farms and pick up the juiciest luscious blood-red ripe tomatoes to make my very own tomato preserve, which in Tamil (where it originates from) is known as Thakkali Thokku. Thakkali means Tomato and Thokku means Preserve.

This tangy, spicy and a wee bit bitter-sweet preserve can be used as a spread on your toast or as chutney with idlis, dosas, pancakes or as a pickle with parathas or even as a rice mix to make delicious tomato rice. The luscious ripe tomatoes lend their tanginess to this preserve while the red chillies make it spicy; curry leaves add their freshness and aroma to it; while mustard and fenugreek seeds give it a slight bitter after taste and natural organic jaggery adds a hint of sweetness to it.

Although the ingredients are simple, this preserve needs a lot of patience and love, as do all good things in life. It takes almost three hours of constant monitoring for the juice of the tomatoes to dry up into this thick glossy preserve. I cannot describe the heady aroma that wafts through the house as soon as you start cooking and you start salivating inadvertently. You have to experience it to believe it. This Tomato Preserve will last you for atleast a fortnight; it needs to be stored in an air-tight container (preferably glass) and refrigerated properly.

Here’s presenting my first batch of special tomato preserve this summer and its recipe:

TOMATO PRESERVE

Origin: Tamil Nadu

PREP: 30 mins PLUS COOLING TIME COOK: 2 1/2 HOURS TOTAL: 3 hourS

INGREDIENTS:

2 kg ripe organic tomatoes (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds
5-6 sprigs curry leaves
5-6 red chillies
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup organic jaggery powder/wet jaggery
Salt to Taste

Cold Pressed Coconut Oil for Tempering

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and chop the tomatoes roughly.

Take a skillet/kadhai with a thick bottom and put it on the gas on medium flame. Add three tablespoons of coconut oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Then add the fenugreek seeds and the curry leaves. Roast for the next 2-3 minutes or until you get the bitter sweet aroma from them.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the whole red chillies. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for approximately one and a half hour or until the juice of the tomatoes reduces to half. Keep checking and stirring the mixture intermittently.

Reduce the flame to low and then add the jaggery, chilli powder and salt. Mix it and again cover the skillet with the lid and let it cook for atleast 45 mins to one hour until the mixture thickens and the juice of the tomatoes dries completely. This time around, keep checking and stirring every five minutes otherwise there are chances that it might burn at the bottom.

Once done let the mixture cool down completely. Then blend it to a paste in a blender or food processor.

The preserve is ready. Don’t forget to store it in an air tight glass container and refrigerate it.

Hope you try this delicious and nutritious Tomato Preserve and love it as much as we do.

Cheers.

Magge Doddak (Sweet n Spicy Semolina Pancakes with Madras Cucumber)

When I got married, I was introduced to a completely different cuisine ~ Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin aka Amchi Cuisine. Being an ardent foodie it was a very exciting revelation for me.

Before I talk about the cuisine, here’s a little history of the CSBs which will show how the diversity and uniqueness of the cuisine came into being:-
Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins are originally Kashmiri Pandits who had settled on the banks of river Saraswati once and followed the river around. When the river began to dry up, they migrated downwards from Kashmir to various parts of the country. A section of these migrants who moved to the Western coast of India, found Goa to be a viable location to settle in, given its fertile soil and easy port access. They set up their temples in the state and became part of the landscape of the place. However, soon they found that Goa was not as safe as due to its port access the Muslims and the Portuguese began establishing their rule there.

Yet again, a smaller section of these Saraswat Brahmins moved southwards to Karnataka and set up base there. Today, that sect of Saraswats who set up their base in various parts of Karnataka and worship Shri Mangueshi (an incarnation of Lord Shiva) and Maa Shantadurga (both in Goa) are called Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins or Bhaanaps or Amchis. They speak a different dialect of Konkani than Goans and are mostly vegetarians!

My introduction to the CSB cuisine was primarily through my husband, his mother and sister. What I realised during the first year of marriage itself was that their curries use a lot of coconut, coconut oil, tamarind, and curry leaves which is not very different from other South Indian cuisine. Most of the dishes are also similar to Maharashtrian and Goan food and ingredients. For instance, Koccholi (a cucumber salad with coconut and peanuts) is much like Khamang Kakdi; on the other hand, the Tomato Saar as compared to the Maharashtrian Amti, has a vastly different flavour and their methods of preparation are also different.

Typical Bhaanap or Amchi dishes are Batata Song (potatoes cooked with tamarind, onions and chili powder), Kairus (ground coconut base with spices, capsicum, potatoes, tamarind, peanuts and cashews), Sukke (ground coconut base with spices and a variety of vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, okra, etc.), Upkari (dry vegetable preparation with grated coconut) and Ghassi & Ambat, both coconut-based curries with various vegetables. My mother-in-law also makes a variety of Gojju’s (wet chutneys made with curried vegetables) and Chitni pitti’s (dry chutneys). Their breakfast items consist of Idli, Dosa, Doddak (semolina pancakes), Phow (tangy and spicy preparation from poha/beaten rice), Surnoli (beaten rice sweet pancakes with jaggery & buttermilk), Upma, Appe, etc.

After nine years of marriage, I can very much call myself a proud Bhanap or Amchi (as much as a Tamilian) who is still learning new things everyday about the delicious and one-of-a-kind CSB cuisine. Those precious and frantic phone calls to Amma (my mother-in-law) for a particular recipe; going through the ingredients needed in the grocery list to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything; trying to write down recipes so as to remember them the next time; bungling up, not getting it right; the frustration; and when you strike gold and the dish tastes like what Amma would’ve made; memories to treasure. I want to share these wonderful moments and recipes on this blog and also record them for posterity.

I still remember the first time when Amma made Magge Doddak (Sweet n Spicy Semolina Pancakes with Madras Cucumber), frankly I was a little taken aback and puzzled. I had never eaten sweet pancakes with semolina and jaggery alongwith madras cucumber. The whole idea seemed absurd, but it got me curious too. How will these seemingly strange ingredients marry each other?  But the first mouthful itself was a burst of flavours and sensations I had never experienced before. Sweet, savoury, mildly spicy and that hit of mustard transformed this ordinary-looking soft and delicate pancake into a connoisseur’s delight. To team it with some Kadhipatta chitni pitti (curry leaves dry chutney) or Mulagai podi (gun powder) is like a match made in heaven.

Over the years, Magge Doddak (Sweet n Spicy Semolina Pancakes with Madras Cucumber) has become a staple in our house for breakfast. I make them at least once a week. And I can now proudly claim that I have mastered the art of making the most delectable sticky, sweet and mild spicy delicate Magge Doddaks that taste as good as Amma’s, if not better 😉

Here’s the recipe:

MAGGE DODDAK
(Sweet n Spicy Semolina Pancakes with Madras Cucumber)

Origin: Karnataka

PREP: 30 mins COOK: 30 MINS TOTAL: 1 hour

Makes: 9-10 pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium sized Madras Cucumber /1 cup grated Madras Cucumber
1 ½ cup Semolina
¼ cup grated coconut
½ cup powdered jaggery/wet jaggery
2 mildly spiced green chillis (made into a paste)
1 inch ginger (made into a paste)
Salt to Taste

1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (for tempering)
2 Byadagi chillies (for tempering)

Clarified butter/Ghee for cooking

DIRECTIONS:

Take the madras cucumber and cut it into four quarters. Remove and discard the seeds and skin. Then put the four quarters into salt water and keep for 10-15 minutes to take away any bitterness (if any) in the cucumber. Wash again and grate.

Add the semolina, grated coconut, jaggery, chilli-ginger paste and salt to it. Add enough water to make a batter with thick consistency.

Now take 1 tablespoon ghee. Heat it and then add the mustard seeds and byadagi chilli. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add this tempering to the batter and mix it well. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Heat a little ghee on a frying pan (skillet) over medium-low heat and pour a ladle and a half of the batter in the frying pan once it is hot. Spread it over the base like a pancake and fry for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over with a spatula and fry the other side for a further 2 minutes.

Transfer to a serving plate and repeat with the rest of the mixture. This batter makes about 9-10 pancakes.

Serve with Kadhipatta chitni pitti (curry leaves dry chutney) or Mulagai podi (gun powder).

Bon Apetite.

Silk and Cotton: Textiles from the Central Asia that was ~ A Book Review

Silk and Cotton is the best book in years that I have read on the fascinating and complex world of Central Asian textiles. Meller’s thorough study of archival sources along with her deep understanding of textile production in the region combine to make this an important contribution to the field. Her selection of photographs, both modern and vintage are also well-chosen. These especially are helpful in understanding the way the textiles were made and used.

Appropriate to the title, Meller’s introduction also discusses the significant role that the cultivation and sale of cotton and silk have played in the region. For centuries the fabled Silk Road passed through the Central Asian caravan cities of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Tashkent, to name a few. Silk has also been produced in Central Asia since the middle of the first millennium AD.

In the late nineteenth century, the Russians colonizers began to encourage cotton cultivation in order to fill the vacuum created by the American Civil War. This development has had far-reaching and long-lasting effects on Central Asian society and economy, including the use of child labour and displacement of food crops.

Following the historical introduction, Meller’s book is divided into sections consisting mostly of photographs, with informative introductions and captions. The subjects include Adult Clothing, Children’s Clothing, Headwear, Suzani (embroidery), Household, Animal Trappings, Cloth, The Bazaar, and Soviet Influence. The introduction to the section on the bazaar is composed almost entirely of quotes from Western travellers, and the photos provide both historical and contemporary scenes of bazaars, tea houses, and common items for sale.

“Soviet Influence” documents a number of ways in which Soviet rule influenced Central Asian society, including embroidered wall hangings and banners displaying the Soviet hammer and sickle, the Soviet unveiling campaign for women, and specimens of embroidery celebrating Soviet-introduced holidays.

Silk and Cotton includes hundreds of striking photographs of brightly coloured, richly patterned, Central Asian articles of dress–hats, pants, robes, belts, veils–as well as wall hangings, bags, saddlery, and close-ups of cloth. Most of the artifacts date from the late nineteenth century through the middle of the twentieth. Not only is this a visually stunning work, Meller has mined travelogues and histories for fascinating period details. Meller’s introduction provides an overview of the people who have populated and ruled the region, including the various Turkic-speaking nomadic groups, the Persians, the Jews, and the Russians.

Silk and Cotton is an accessible and valuable source of visual and factual information. The range of textiles illustrated, especially embroideries, is quite extensive. Anyone with an interest in collecting Central Asian textiles, whether in Central Asia or the west will find this book an essential guide to the vast array of examples available today. It was both a pleasure and an education to read.

Thank you, Susan Meller for this gem!

Book Title : Silk and Cotton: Textiles from the Central Asia that was
Author: Susan Meller
Rating: 5/5

February WrapUp & A Strawberry Smoothie

2016 started with a resolution to read more books! 2015 I must have hardly read 20-25 books and I realised I was spending more time watching TV series or movies that I download on my laptop; and that many of them were trash. So I gave myself a target to read atleast 72 books this year i.e 6 books a month on an average.

February I read 3 coffee table books, 1 cookbook, 3 autobiographies/memoirs and 1 fiction; a total of eight books 😀 You can visit my Goodreads profile for more details.

1. Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe (Journeys of a Lifetime)
   by National Geographic Society (Editor), National Geographic Traveler Magazine
2. Silk and Cotton: Textiles from the Central Asia that Was (Review Coming Soon on the Blog)
   by Susan Meller
3. Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life With Dogs
   by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh
4. India: The Cookbook (Read Review)
   by Pushpesh Pant
5. When Breath Becomes Air (Read Review)
   by Paul Kalanithi
6. In Other Words
   by Jhumpa Lahiri, Ann Goldstein
7. When I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
   by Maya Angelou
8. The Forty Rules of Love
   by Elif Shafak

I also decided to resurrect my blog this year and finally got around to posting in February. The target was to do atleast 1 blog post a week, but I ended up doing 8 blogposts in February itself. Not bad eh! Apart from this as a Declutter Mission 2016 I sent out another batch of books to the orphanage library. Also Prado’s Chinese colleague who came home for an Indian meal, got me some delicious Chinese Green Tea along with some monkey silver coins for GOOD LUCK. Now time to gear up for March.

Here’s a Strawberry Smoothie recipe to kickstart the fabulous month of March 2016.

STRAWBERRY-OATS-CHIA SMOOTHIE

PREP: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon rolled oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
5-6 fresh strawberries
1/2 cup homemade coconut milk (How to make Coconut Milk)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon honey

DIRECTIONS

Soak the oats and chia seeds overnight in the coconut milk.

Next day morning add the overnight oats and chia seeds with fresh strawberries, water and honey to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes or until you have smooth paste.

Pour in a glass. Garnish with some cut strawberries.

Drink up.

Photo-Feature ~ Sunset from my Terrace

I witnessed the most amazing sunset today as I was sipping my green tea on my terrace. As I watched the deep blue sky transform into hues of deep orange and red with fluffy cotton-like clouds scattered all over I remembered Gulzar’s shayari सुरमई शाम इस तरह आये from the film Lekin.

सुरमई शाम इस तरह आये सांस लेते हैं जिस तरह साये

कोइ आहट नहीं बदन की कहीं फिर भी लगता है तू यही है कहीं
वक्त जाता सुनाई देता है तेरा साया दिखाई देता है
जैसे खुशबू नज़र से छू जाए

दिन का जो भी पहर गुज़रता है कोई एहसान सा उतरता है
वक्त के पाँव देखता हूँ मैं रोज ये छाँव देखता हूँ मैं
आये जैसे कोई ख़याल आये

I had to run down and get my camera to capture this awe-inspiring sunset for posterity.

This is my DOLLOP OF SUNSHINE 😀

Post-workout Smoothie with the Goodness of Coconut Milk

Have you ever had freshly squeezed homemade coconut milk? If not, you are missing out on something absolutely divine.

The first time I made coconut milk at home was a couple of years back when I was on a sabbatical. Troubled with tons of time at hand, a hyperactive nature and an inquisitive mind, I tried my hand at doing a lot of things; be it gardening or painting or cooking or baking for that matter. Not that I had not done these things before but then this time I had the luxury of time. One of the many things I experimented with in my kitchen was to make coconut milk at home. And it was such an eye opener. Easy to make and the freshness, sweetness and creaminess of the homemade coconut milk is a thousand times better (and I am not exaggerating!). TRUST ME ONCE YOU HAVE HAD THE HOMEMADE COCONUT MILK, YOU WILL NEVER LIKE THE ONE BOUGHT FROM THE STORE.

Coconut milk is often considered a “miracle liquid” since coconut milk nutrition offers great ability to build up the body’s immune defenses and prevent disease. Coconut milk, along with it’s relatives coconut oil and coconut water are among the world’s healthiest foods ( and they are my favourite too). Coconut milk builds muscle and helps lose fat, provides electrolytes and prevents fatigue, improves digestion and relieves constipation, helps manage blood sugar and prevents anaemia, joint inflammation, arthritis and ulcers.

Today my post-run smoothie has this “miracle liquid” infused with saffron and a handful of almonds and pistachio. This creamy golden yellow naturally sweet coconut milk smoothie is packed with nutrition and goodness and is very good for weight loss. Here’s the recipe.

COCONUT MILK WITH SAFFRON AND NUTS SMOOTHIE

PREP: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 cup homemade coconut milk (How to make Coconut Milk)
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/4 cup water
10 blanched almonds
10 pistachio
1 tablespoon protein powder (I use Amway Nutrilite Protein Powder)
1 tablespoon cold pressed coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat the water until it is lukewarm. Add the saffron strands to it. Let it steep for 10-12 minutes.

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes or until you have smooth paste.

Pour in a glass and refrigerate.

Drink up once your back from the run or post workout 🙂

India Cookbook ~ Bharwan Baigan (Part 2)

In continuation with my previous post, here is one more recipe from Pushpesh Pant’s India Cookbook ~ Bharwan Baigan Aka Aubergines with Spicy Filling.

Full of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber and with the potential to lower cholesterol and help manage weight, aubergines are a favorite in our home. I use them in salads, stews, curries as well as rice preparations.

The list of benefits that this beautiful vegetable with deep purple, glossy skin encasing cream colored, sponge-like flesh dotted with small, edible seeds is quite long. To start with aubergines are very low in calories and fats but rich in soluble fiber content and therefore recommended for those managing type 2 diabetes or managing weight concerns. The peel or skin (deep blue/purple varieties) of aubergine has significant amounts of phenolic flavonoid phyto-chemicals called anthocyanins. Scientific studies have shown that these anti-oxidants have potential health effects against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological diseases. It also contains good amounts of many essential B-complex groups of vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (B3). Further, this vegetable is an also good source of minerals like manganese, copper, iron and potassium.

Having spent my childhood and early years in Mumbai, I usually make the Maharashtrian style stuffed aubergines i.e. Bharli Vangi which has coconut and groundnut filling along with a lot of other spices. I was keen to see how the Awadhi style stuffed aubergines would taste. Personally I love the smoky, pungent taste of mustard oil too.

Bharwan Baigan (Awadhi style) turned out to be quite an exquisite tasting dish; the succulent aubergines with their crispy skin, the velvety smooth delicate sauce with the pungent smoky kick from the mustard and the end result was delicious.  Also the fact that it has very few masalas, really lets the aubergines shine. We polished them off with earthy bajra rotis, carrot-tomato-beetroot salad, garlic chutney and pudina chaas.

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BHARWAN BAIGAN
Aubergine (Eggplant) with Spicy Filling
(Recipe Adapted from India Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant)

Origin: Awadh

PREP: 20 mins  COOK: 20 mins TOTAL: 40 mins

INGREDIENTS:

500 gms small purple aubergines
1 large tomato (roughly chopped)
2 onions (roughly chopped)
1 inch fresh ginger
5-6 cloves of garlic (with skin)
4-5 cloves
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
2 1/2 tablespoons mustard oil
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Slice the aubergines length ways keeping them joined at the stem. Place in a shallow dish, sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over high heat. Reduce the heat, add the coriander seeds and cloves. Fry for a minute and then add the onions, ginger and garlic. Fry for another 2-3 minutes, until the onions get translucent.

Add this to the blender with the tomato, turmeric and chilli powder. Blend to a smooth paste.

Now fill the aubergines evenly with this mixture. Keep the remaining paste aside to make a sauce later.

Heat the rest of the oil in a kadhai or heavy based pan. Once hot, place the aubergines, cover and simmer for next 15-17 minutes simultaneously turning them every 5 minutes so that they cook evenly.

Parallelly take another kadhai/pan and add the remaining spice paste to it along with 1 cup water. Simmer away for next 5-7 minutes until the sauce reaches a smooth consistency.

Once done, we are ready to serve it. Pour the sauce into your serving dish, then gently place the stuffed aubergines in the sauce just before you sit to eat.

Bon Apetite.

India Cookbook ~ A Book Review with Pant’s Recipes (Part 1)

India Cookbook shares with us, the secrets behind Indian home cooking and features over 1000 recipes and 200 colour photographs and illustrations. The first 18 pages of the book is dedicated to the history, influences, techniques and tastes of each region, covering Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Agra and Delhi, Awadh, Bengal, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, The Western Coast, and tribal food from Trans-Himalayan Region and The North and Northeast. It is an enlightening read which really showcases the diversity of our Indian cuisine, and more importantly seduces you with its exquisite descriptions.

India Cookbook isn’t like your typical cookbook because the author Pushpesh Pant is an academic who has spent the last 20 years researching and traveling the gastronomic regions of India to compile this remarkable culinary bible.

As you will see in these pictures i have shared, each section is colour-coded and grouped into categories of spices, mixtures and pastes; pickles, chutneys and raitas; snacks and appetisers (with sub-categories for vegetables, fish and seafood, and meat), main dishes (also with the same sub-categories as appetisers), pulses, breads, rice, desserts, drinks and guest chefs. But if you are looking for a specific recipe then you might have some trouble locating it (unless you have bookmarked it earlier) as this huge book does not have a proper (per recipe) index.

Since I have got the book, I think I have managed to skim through each of the 800 or so pages of this mammoth cookbook, a handful of times; but what I get out of it each time, is always different. Just so much has been condensed into this collection – the culture, thousands of authentic family recipes and the striking photos.

But this is not a picture book like so many other cookbooks. Though there is very nice photography throughout, most of the recipes are left up to your imagination. Being a visual person I would’ve liked at-least one photograph per recipe.

Having said that, I turn to Pant’s book regularly. When I need inspiration I know I will find it within India Cookbook. But then, I don’t follow many of the recipes exactly. Instead, I look at a recipe, think what a great idea and then I’m off to try to create something different or tweak the original recipe to my taste.

So I guess by now you are wondering what I ended up attempting to cook from this marvelous cookbook? Here are a few tried and tested recipes that I have adapted from the India Cookbook by Puspesh Pant.

SABUDANA UTTAPPAM
Sago Pancakes with Chopped Greens
(Recipe Adapted from India Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant)

These pancakes are crisp on the outside and melt-in-the-mouth soft at the center. Nutritious and filling they make for an amazing breakfast or snack for kids. I bet once you try them, they will become a staple in your home.

Origin: Tamil Nadu

PREP: 30 mins plus soaking time COOK: 20 mins TOTAL: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup Sabudana/Sago
½ cup natural yogurt
1 cup rice flour
1 onion (thinly chopped)
1 green chilli (thinly chopped)
2 small sprigs of curry leaves
2 tablespoons coriander leaves (thinly chopped)
Salt to Taste

Clarified butter/Ghee for cooking

DIRECTIONS:

Soak the sabudana in ½ cup water overnight.

In the morning add the yogurt, rice flour, onion, green chilli, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Then season with salt and add enough water to make a batter of pouring consistency. Let it soak for 1 hour.

Heat a little ghee on a frying pan (skillet) over medium-low heat and pour a ladleful of the batter in the frying pan once it is hot. Spread it over the base like a pancake and fry for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over with a spatula and fry the other side for a further 2 minutes.

Transfer to a serving plate and repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Bon Apetite.

BEETROOT THUVIYAL
Beetroot (Beet) Chutney
(Recipe Adapted from India Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant)

Sweet, tangy n spicy, this delicious chutney goes very well with dosas/uttappas (savoury pancakes), rotis/parathas (breads), hence makes for a great side dish.

Origin: Tamil Nadu

PREP: 20 mins COOK: 5 mins TOTAL: 25 mins

INGREDIENTS:

1 Beetroot (peeled and grated)
2 tablespoon grated coconut
1 long green chilli (thinly chopped)
1 small green chilli (for garnish)
2 tablespoon tamarind extract
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
½ teaspoon asafoetida powder
2 small sprigs curry leaves
Salt to Taste

Cold Pressed Coconut oil for Cooking and Tempering

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a frying pan (skillet) over medium flame. Add the beetroot and fry for about 5 minutes or until tender. Let it cool down. Then add the beetroot, coconut, green chilli, tamarind extract; season with salt and blend  it in a blender or food processor. Add 2-3 tablespoons water for smooth consistency. Remove in a bowl once done.

For the tempering heat ½ teaspoon coconut oil over low-medium flame. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Then add urad dal and fry until light brown. Switch off the flame and add curry leaves and a small green chilli.

Garnish this tempering on the chutney and your Beetroot Thuviyal is ready to eat. This should be eaten immediately.

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Hope you enjoyed the review and the recipes I have featured here from the India Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant. Do try them and give me your feedback. Also look out for more exciting recipes in the Part 2 of this feature.

“The only book on Indian food you’ll ever need.” is written boldly on the front cover. Though I don’t know about that, I definitely would not want to be without my copy of the India Cookbook.

Thank you for visiting.

Book Title : India Cookbook
Author: Pushpesh Pant
Rating: 4/5

Coriander-Dill-Mint Smoothie

Coriander or cilantro is a wonderful source of dietary fiber, manganese, iron and magnesium as well. In addition, coriander leaves are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and protein. They also contain small amounts of calcium, phosphorous, potassium, thiamine, niacin and carotene. The health benefits of coriander include its use in the treatment of skin inflammation , high cholesterol levels, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, anemia, indigestion, menstrual disorders, smallpox, conjunctivitis, skin disorders, and blood sugar disorders, while also benefiting eye care.

This aromatic coriander-dill-mint smoothie with a touch of lemon makes for a wonderful start to your day. Light, herbaceous and excellent for your digestive tract it’s a yummylicious treat.

CORIANDER-DILL-MINT SMOOTHIE

PREP: 20 mins 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Coriander Leaves (including stalks)
1 cup Dill Leaves (including stalks)
1 cup Mint leaves
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 cup water
Pinch of Salt 

Directions:

Take the bunch of coriander, wash at-least 2-3 times until the grime and dirt is washed away. Remove roots. Then add to the blender. Repeat the same procedure for the Dill and Mint leaves. Add lemon, water and salt. Blend and drink up this amazing glass of goodness.