Karonda Pickle

Karonda Pickle

 

Carissa carandas is a species of flowering shrub in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It produces berry-sized fruits^photo that are commonly used as a condiment in Indian pickles and spices. It is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant that thrives well in a wide range of soils. Common names include karonda(Devanagari: करोंदा), karamardaka (Sanskrit), vakkay (Telugu), kalakai (Tamil). Other names less widely used include: karau(n)da, karanda, or karamda. It is called kerenda in Malaya, karaunda in Malaya and India; Bengal currant or Christ’s thorn in South India; nam phrom, or namdaeng in Thailand; andcaramba, caranda, caraunda and perunkila in the Philippines.^[1] In Assam it is called Karja tenga.

The supposed varieties congesta and paucinervia actually refer to the related conkerberry (C. spinarum).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carissa_carandas

 

Ingredients

• Karonda – 1 cup (cut into halves)
• Asaefoetida powder – a pinch
• Turmeic powder- 1/2 tsp
• Salt –  to taste
• Mustard seeds -  1 ½  tsp
•  Oil – 1 tblsp

Method:

1. Wash the plums and dry it nicely using a paper towel
2. Roast 1 tsp mustard seeds. Cool it and grind it to a coarse powder.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add pinch of Asafoetida. Add remaining mustard seeds and natal plum. Toss the mixture.
4. Now add turmeric and salt and coarsely powdered mustard. Stir for 2-3 mins.

Cool and keep in air tight container. This can stay out at room temperature for a week or refrigerate for 1 months.

 

Aamras

AAMRAS

Aamras or Amras is the pulp of the tropical fruit Mango eaten in India. The pulp of a ripe fruit is extracted usually by hand and consumed along with Chapati. At times ghee and milk are added to the pulp to enhance its flavour. Sugar is also added to adjust the sweetness.

A regional version of Amras is a popular dessert in Rajasthani cuisine and Marwari, Maharashtra, Gujarati homes, especially during festivities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aamras

Ingredients -

• Mangoes – 4 completely ripped
• Milk – 1/2 cup
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Pinch of cardamom (optional )

Method -

• Grind 1 tsp of sugar with cardamom on roller pin.

• Peel mangoes and cut them into small pieces.

• Blend mangoes with milk, sugar and cardamom mixture to a smooth thick paste.

• Serve chilled with pooris or as sweet dish.

• 

  AAMRAS

Semmel Knödel; German Bread Dumplings

Semmel Knödel; German Bread Dumplings

Knödel (singular: der Knödel), or Klöße (singular: der Kloß), are large round poached or boiled potato or bread dumplings, made without yeast. They are typical components of Central European cuisine, including Austrian, Slovenian, German, Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Serbian, Ukrainian, and come in many different forms. They can be made from flour, potatoes, old bread, semolina, etc. In most versions, they are used as a side dish for meat, like roasted meat or stews. But they can also be served as a dessert (e.g., filled with plums, as Zwetschgenknödel) or in a soup. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kn%C3%B6del

These dumplings are surprisingly simple to make.

Ingredients:

•  4 Cups of stale bread broken into chunk
• 1 Large onion (chopped)
• 1 Tbs of parsley (chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Ground pepper
• 2 Eggs
• 1/3 Cup of milk
• ¼ Cup of flour

Method:

• In a bowl, mix bread, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, eggs and milk.
• Combine the ingredients well.

• Make small dumplings.

• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil.
• Drop these dumplings into the boiling water.

• Reduce the heat.
• Cook for 15-20 mins.

Semmel Knödel; German Bread Dumplings

Serve with meat gravy or with mushrooms in a creamy sauce.

I fried my dumplings in small amount of butter.

Red Lentil (Dal) Recipe

Lentil colors range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black. Lentils also vary in size (e.g. Masoor lentils, shown in photo here), and are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split.

Red Lentil

 

TYPES

• Brown/Spanish pardina
• French green/puy lentils (dark speckled blue-green)
• Green
• Black/beluga
• Yellow/tan lentils (red inside)
  • Red Chief (decorticated yellow lentils)
• Eston Green (Small green)
• Richlea (medium green)
• Laird (large green)
• Petite Golden (decorticated lentils)
• Masoor (brown-skinned lentils which are orange inside)
  • Petite crimson/red (decorticated masoor lentils)
• Macachiados (big Mexican yellow lentils)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil

In any form, they are highly nutritional and have a range of health benefits.

Nutritional Content

Red Lentil Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup of red lentils
• 2-3 Cups of water
• 1 Onion ( chopped)
• 1 Tomato (chopped)
• 2 Green chillies (chopped)
• 1 Tbs of chopped green coriander
• Salt to taste
• ½ Tsp of sugar
• Oil
• ½ Tsp of nigella seeds
• 1 Dry red chili

METHOD

• Pressure cook red lentils.
• In a sauce pan, heat some oil, add nigella seeds and red chili.
• When it sputter, add chopped onion, chopped tomato, and chopped green chillies.
• Saute for few minutes (till oil separates).
• Add sugar and salt.
• Temper this on pressure cooked lentils.
• Add water if required.
• Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.

Peas Masala Recipe

Green peas are one of the most nutritious leguminous vegetables, rich in health benefiting phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Peas masala is very simple and delicious recipe that goes very well with chapati or poori. It also tastes good with rice.

Here I am using dried green peas. 

PEAS MASALA

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup dried green peas or fresh green peas
• 1 Big chopped onion
• 2 Cups chopped tomatoes
• ½ Tsp of ginger-garlic paste
• 2 Green chillies
• 1 Tbs of curd
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Spice Powder

• ½ Tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 Tsp of coriander powder
• ½ Tsp of cumin powder
• ½ Tsp of red chili powder

For Tempering

• 3-4 Cloves
• 1 Bay leaf
• ½ Tsp of cumin seeds
• 2-3 Dry red chili

Method

If you are using dried green peas, soak dried green peas in water overnight. Next morning, pressure cook it by adding salt and enough water.

Heat oil in a pan, add all the tempering ingredients i.e.  cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds and dry red chili.

When it starts sputtering, add chopped onion and fry it well. Then add tomatoes . Cook the tomatoes till mushy.  Do not add water.

Add ginger-garlic paste and green chili.

In a separate bowl, take curd and mix with all spice powder ( turmeric, coriander, cumin, and red chili powder). Mix well.

Now pour this into our onion , tomatoes and ginger-garlic masala.

Add salt to taste. Saute for few minutes.

Add cooked green peas. Mix well. Cook for few minutes.

Green peas masala is ready to serve.

TASTY PRAWNS

Tasty Prawns

De-vein prawns before cooking.

• Prawns-1/2 kg
• Potato-1
• Oil     - 4 tbsp
• Onion paste - 2
• Tomato   2
• Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp
• Turmeric pwd   – ½ tsp
• Red chili pwd   – 1 ½ tbsp
• Coriander pwd  - tbsp
• Pepper pwd  - 1 tsp
• Capsicum- 1
• Salt to taste

1. Wash prawns and marinate with salt , turmeric pwd and  red chilly  pwd..
2. Set aside for 15 mins.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add chopped onion paste and sauté..
5. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell disappears.
6. Add tomato paste and cook until oil separates.
7. Now add turmeric pwd, salt, red chilli pwd, pepper pwd, coriander pwd,  and stir well. Add potato and capsicum and cook.
8. Add the marinated prawns and stir in the masala.
9. Allow to cook in low flame for 5 mins.
10. Simmer the flame and fry well, till the masala thickens.

SIMPLE EGG CURRY

“Learn how to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

~ Julia Child, My Life in France

Ingredients:

 

• Boiled eggs (5-6)
• Onion paste (2)
• Tomato paste (1)
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Oil
• Salt – to taste

Preparation:

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add onion paste.
• Saute till it become transparent.
• Add tomato paste and salt.
• Saute for 3-5 mins.
• Then add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Add 1 tbs of water.
• Saute for a min and add the boiled eggs.
• Fry for 5-10 mins.

Egg curry is ready to serve.