Pepper 'n Spice

 Cowpeas were frequently called poor man's food because it was grown mainly as fodder for cows. That's how the name was acquired. Red cowpeas, also called red lobia is reddish to brown in hue. In malayalam, it is called vanpayar. Oftentimes, it is fixed as a thoran, a coconut preparation which is customary as a side dish to rice. The thoran alongside pickle and papad is well-liked with kanji or rice porridge. We coupled it with quinoa.  The contents.. red cowpeas - 1 and 1/2 cup Olive oil, extra virgin - 2 tsp Carom seeds - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - a sprig Garlic - 3 cloves Coconut, grated - 1/4 cup Small onions - 5 or 6 Green chili - 1 Turmeric powder - a speck Kashmiri chili powder - 1/4 tsp The strategem to dish up the stir fry.. Drench the cowpeas overnight, or for 8 hours. Strain water. Pressure cook the cowpeas with water and a pinch of salt. Clear out excess water. Mince garlic, chili and shallots. Grind coconut together with chili, shallots, salt, turmeric powder and chi...

 Pakoda (also called pakora or baji) is a hors d'oeuvre with its origins in India. The hot favorites are ones made with onion (ulli baji) and potato (aaloo baji). Street vendors deep fry them in deep bottomed pans filled with oil. I made the pakoda's by pan frying the broccoli with as little oil as possible. It turned out crisp on the outside and a little mushy on the inside. Perfect with tomato ketchup and a cup of masala chai. The ingredients of the appetizer.. Broccoli - 1 Chickpea flour - 1 cup Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - a dash Water - 1/4 cup Olive oil, extra virgin - 2 Tbsp The plan.. Break broccoli into smaller pieces and submerge them in hot water with a pinch of turmeric powder for 15 minutes. Strain water and keep the broccoli aside for subsequent use. Knock up the dipping mixture by putting together the flour, chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, carom seeds and water. Drop the broccoli florets in this and coat it complete...

 Curd traditionally made from cow's milk is also called dahi in North India. It is prepared by curdling milk with curd itself or lemon juice or vinegar. Yogurt, on the other hand, is produced by fermenting milk with a yogurt culture which contains bacteria. The bacterium converts the lactose in milk into lactic acid during the fermentation, thus giving the store bought yogurt a slightly acidic flavor. For rustling up the cauliflower entree, I took advantage of the ever present supply of curd at home. The bits and pieces that contribute to the recipe ... Cauliflower - 1 Olive oil, extra virgin - 5 tsp Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp Ginger - 1/2 inch Green chili - 1 Onion - 1 Kashmiri chili powder - 1/4 tsp Garam masala - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Yogurt - 3 Tbsp Tomato - 1 Green bell pepper - 1 The exercise.. Split the cauliflower into small florets. Immerse them in a bowl of hot water with a pinch of turmeric powder for 15 minutes. Clear out the water. Steam for 5 minutes. Warm up a saucepan a...

 Cauliflower is like a white broccoli. The white head is also called curd, because it resembles cream cheese. Although white is the quotidian shade, cauliflowers also come in green, orange and purple tinges. The green one is called broccoflower and sometimes have a spiral curd instead of a smooth head. In 100g of a cauliflower, 92g amounts to water. Cauliflower can be steamed, roasted, pureed or mashed. In some recipes, they are steamed and mashed along with potato for a more nutritional mash up. Here, we are performing a uncomplicated and straightforward stir fry. The components of Mom's appetizing paten.. Cauliflower - 1 Potato - 1 Vegetable oil - 4 tsp Mustard seeds - a tad Curry leaf - a few Ginger - a bit Green chili - 1 Onion - 1 Chili powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder - a speck Salt - 1/4 tsp The proceeding.. Snap cauliflower head into small florets. Drench them in hot water with a small amount of turmeric for 15 minutes. Strain water.  Peel potato and julienne them. Ste...

Red parboiled rice is locally called matta rice or chuvanna ari or puzhukkalari. It has a red husk; the color on account of its anthocyanin content. It's the traditional rice cooked in most Kerala households. It is consumed on auspicious occasions too. Like in the chorunnu ceremony, when a baby starts eating solid food, the infant get's its first taste of the fluffy red rice. A Kerala sadya meal during wedding or festive functions is always served with this rice.  The individual pieces of Mom's tempting kozhukattas are.. Red rice - 1 cup Coconut - 1 small Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Douse the rice in water overnight. The next day, wash and clean it well. Draw off the water. Grind the rice into a powder.  Grate the coconut. More the coconut, more the scrumptious the modak turns out. Grind grated coconut and cumin seeds. Add these along with salt to the rice powder and merge in a thorough manner. Prepare round shaped balls out of this and steam. What a toothsome mors...

Bell peppers (capsicum) come in a variety of colors; green, red, orange, yellow, purple and white. The red peppers are actually the ripe form of the green ones and have much more Vitamin C and A than the green sort. The diverse peppers add brightness and a splash of hue to a simple dish. They can be eaten without much cooking and so are excellent for fresh salads. My chow mein has shades of green and red, owing to broccoli and peppers. The additives.. Veg hakka noodles - 80g Olive oil, extra virgin - 4 tsp  Organic brown eggs - 3 Dark soy sauce - 2 and 1/2 tsp Red chili sauce - 1 and 1/2 tsp Apple cider vinegar - 1 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Pepper, freshly crushed - 1/4 tsp Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves Green chili - 1 Onion - 1 Red bell pepper - 1 Broccoli - 1 The instructions... Cook noodles in boiling water with a smidgen of salt and a trickle of oil until well done. Clear out the extra water.  Break broccoli into small florets and cover them in hot water with a tad of salt and turmeric ...

Mutton is the meat of sheep typically 3 years old. Traditionally, it is slow cooked in an earthen pot to become soft and tender, by fire. I put it together in the naadan Kerala style by first assembling the masala from scratch, including it with the mutton and pressure cooking it. The method does take a while, but the meat turned out juicy and ambrosian.  The factors adding up to the succulent food,, Mutton, curry cut pieces - 500g Hot water - 1 and 1/2 cups Olive oil - 1 Tbsp Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp Onion - 3 Ginger - 1 inch Garlic - 4 or 5 cloves Green chili - 1 Salt - 1/4 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tsp Tomato - 1 Curry leaf - 2 or 3 sprigs The technique .. Chop onion, garlic, ginger and chili into thin slices. Blend, in batches, into a coarse mixture. Warm up a saucepan and drizzle oil. When it becomes scorching hot, add carom seeds and a sprig of curry leaf. Then add in the ground concoction. Stir around for 20 minutes for the onion mix to turn light b...

The inset picture portrays the typical puri and aaloo sabzi combination. It is traditionally a breakfast fare, in high favor in North India. But these days, it is mundane in the South Indian diet too. Sabzi generally refers to a dry vegetable speciality.  The elementary units of mom's flavorsome sabzi... Potatoes - 2 large Vegetable oil - 1/2 Tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Bengal gram - 1/2 tsp Onion - 2 large Green chili - 1 Ginger - a small piece Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves Curry leaves - a sprig Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Coriander leaves - a few Method to achieve the delectable comestible... Cook potatoes in seething water. Permit to cool and peel off the skin. Mash them. Hash onions, mince ginger, garlic and chili. Warm up a saucepan and drizzle oil. Sprinkle mustard seeds. When they start to sputter, add in bengal gram, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, chili and onion. Coalesce and sautee till onions categorically soften. Intermix with turmeric powder, salt and mashed pot...

The Spanish derived name of chickpeas is called garbanzo beans. Crammed with protein, fiber and minerals, it is a great meat replacement for vegetarians. Harvard research says that eating chickpeas help to control diabetes, heart disease, obesity and gut flora. So, make this masala peranda channa and polish it off. :-) The integrants... Chickpeas - 2 cups Water - for boiling Olive oil - 3 tsp Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp Onion - 2 Ginger - 1 inch Garlic - 4 or 5 cloves Green chili - 1 Curry leaves - 2 sprigs Turmeric powder - a pinch Coriander powder - 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Tomato - 2 The tactic.. Soak chickpeas in water for 8 hours changing water time and again (at least 4 times). They will swell up. Drain water. Pressure cook the chickpeas with some water and a pinch of salt. Hew the onions, mince chili, ginger and garlic. Warm up a saucepan and trickle oil onto the edges. Sprinkle carom seeds. Add in curry leaves, onions, chili, ginger and garlic. Commix th...

 The Mughals started ruling Upper India in 1526 when Babur defeated the Sultan of Delhi in the first battle of Panipat. The empire achieved maximum geographical extent in 1720 during the rule of the last major emperor, Aurangzeb. Soon in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the empire was dissolved by the British Raj. But the influence of the Mughlai cuisine is still felt. The dishes range in flavor from mild to spicy, but very rich with the addition of milk, butter, cream, nuts, dried fruits and whole or crushed spices. Korma or Qorma (in Urdu) traces its roots to the Mughal court kitchens. It is a type of cooking in which meat or vegetables are fried lightly and then stewed in yogurt or cream. This scrumptious platter is braised with yogurt. The different elements of the qorma ... Chicken, boneless - 500g Yogurt - 5 Tbsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Olive oil, extra virgin - 2 tsp Cloves - 2 Peppercorn -2 Green cardamom - 1 Star anise - a small piece Cinnamon - a small stick Onion - 1 Ginger - 1 inch...

 Lemon rice, oft-times called chitranna is a breakfast bowl from the state of Karnataka. Turmeric powder explains its light yellowish tinge. The dish consists of cooked rice mottled with fried lentils, curry leaves, groundnuts, cashews, raisins, chilies, mustard seeds and onions. My mom put together the flavorsome rice for luncheon. The contents of the delish rice are.. Basmati rice - 1 cup Water - 1 and 1/2 cup Vegetable oil - 1 Tbsp Groundnuts - a handful Cashews - a few Raisins - a few Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Urad dal - 1/4 tsp Bengal gram - 1/4 tsp Green chili (or red chili) - 1 Curry leaves - a few Salt - 2 pinches Turmeric powder - a pinch Lemon - 1 The stratagem.. Soak rice for half an hour. Clean it well and drain water. Boil rice with enough water and a drop of oil, until it is cooked perfectly.  Fry groundnuts, cashews and raisins. The raisins will bubble up.  Slice onions into thin pieces and slit chili. In a deep bottomed saucepan, add oil. When it becomes sco...

 The eggy plat du jour is easy to whip up for breakfast, along with the customary bowl of fruits. They carry a number of vitamins and minerals along with protein. Appending vegetables add fiber. The innards are.. Carrot, grated - 1 Tbsp Cabbage, shredded - 2 Tbsp Green chili - 1/2 Ginger bits - 1 tsp Organic brown egg - 1 Salt - 2 pinches Olive oil, extra virgin - 1tsp The technique.. Mince chili. Put in carrot, cabbage and salt in a small receptacle. Break egg into it and whisk lightly. Heat a flat saucepan. Spill oil onto it. Add ginger and chili bits. Add in whipped egg mixture. Tilt the pan gently to all sides so that the egg spreads. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes and flip. Turn off heat once the omelet is categorically cooked on both sides. Whoop it up alongside a toast. With the omelet in my platter, I concluded "Where the forest meets the stars. It's a gentle and humane book written by an Glenda Vanderah who worked as an endangered bird specialist before she wrote this...

Manchurian is actually a region in China. But this manchurian dish was invented by the Chinese settlers living in Kolkata during the British era Usually called gobi manchurian, the dry version is favored as a snack. The curry variant is well liked as a side dish for Chinese fried rice and steamed rice. Both are in demand in Chinese restaurants here. The constituents are... Cauliflower - 1 large Batter components.. All-purpose flour - 3/4 cup Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tsp Pepper, freshly crushed - 1/4 tsp Salt -1/4 tsp Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp Water - 1/4 cup Integrals for the gravy.. Olive oil - 3 tsp Ginger - 1/2 inch Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves Green chili - 1 Onion - 2 small Red bell pepper - 1/4 (of a whole) Green bell pepper - 1/4 (of a whole) Dark soy sauce - 2 Tbsp Red chili sauce - 2 Tbsp Tomato sauce - 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar - 1 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp The mechanism to arrive at this Indo-Chinese fare .. Cleave the cauliflower into multiple florets. Immerse in hot water with a pinch of...

Chow mein is Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat or tofu. Chow means fried and mein means noodles. The sauce is made from sesame oil, oyster sauce and soy sauce. It has been westernized and indianized to suit the local flavor so much so that in some places the noodles is fried and in others it is boiled. Chow mein is believed to have been introduced in India by the Chinese inhabitants of Calcutta. Well, my chow mein has been nuanced to the taste buds of my home denizens and to the availability of resources. The different fragments... Veg hakka noodles - 75g Olive oil, extra virgin - 2 tsp Chicken, boneless - 1/2 cup Pepper, freshly crushed - a pinch Garlic - 4 or 5 cloves Cabbage - 3/4 cup Red capsicum - 1 Dark soy sauce - 2 Tbsp Red chili sauce - 1 Tbsp Salt - 1/4 tsp The way forward... Shred chicken and marinate with pepper, little salt and a tsp of soy sauce. Let it sit for 30 minutes. In a shallow saucepan, boil water with a drop of oil and a pinch of salt. When it...

Cauliflower 65 is commonly called Gobi 65 wherein gobi refers to cauliflower in hindi, It is the vegetarian counterpart of the well-liked chicken 65. Chicken 65 originates from Chennai, India. There are many myths around the 65 part of the name. An imaginative one is that the dish contains 65 chilies! Envisage eating a snack with so many chilies! My daughter loves spicy hot chicken 65, hence the attempt. Normally, I am cautious of buying cauliflower as there are often tiny green worms crawling in the unhealthy ones. Due to the likelihood of these tiny crawlies, the florets have to be soaked in hot turmeric water prior to cooking. Thankfully, today's cauliflower was creepy-crawlie free. The  contents of the crispy munchies  are.. Cauliflower - 1 medium Olive oil, extra virgin - for frying All-purpose flour - 1/3 cup Semolina - 2 Tbsp Carom seeds - 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tsp Pepper, freshly crushed - a pinch Lemon juice - 2 squeezes Salt - 1/4 tsp Water - 1/4 cup The me...

 Chicken cooked in coconut milk is a delicacy because of the luxuriating effect of coconut milk on the palate. It's almost a celestial dish because it also has a tomato onion base. In malayalam, this specialty is called kozhi thengapalil vattichathu . It means that the chicken is cooked in coconut broth until all the water evaporates and all the masala sticks to the tender chicken chunks. So there will no liquid part of the curry remaining. It's almost dry, but with a soft texture. The miracle of coconut milk is that you need just add a little, mix and cook covered. It takes care of the rest. I have also noticed that the amount of salt to be added is marginally reduced.  The elements of the ethereal dish are.. Chicken, boneless - 500g Turmeric powder - a pinch Pepper, freshly ground - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Olive oil, extra virgin - 1 Tbsp Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp Onion - 2 medium Green chili - 1/2 Ginger - 1 inch Garlic - 6 or 7 cloves Turmeric powder - a pinch Kashmiri chili po...

Red velvet cake is a sought-after pastry in bakeries and coffeeshops here. The red color of this notorious cake is from the acidic reaction of buttermilk and vinegar which brings out red anthocyanin from non-Dutched cocoa. Nowadays, as cocoa undergoes Dutch processing, the red color in the cake is rendered by food color or beetroot.  (For the uninitiated, Dutched cocoa is cocoa that has been processed to change its color and to make it milder than natural cocoa.) My red velvet became a brown velvet! I suspect the culprit is the jaggery. The different jigsaw pieces of the cake puzzle are.. All-purpose flour - 1 and 1/2 cup Cocoa powder - 1 and 1/2 Tbsp Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Baking powder - 1 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Olive oil, extra virgin - 1/2 cup Organic brown eggs - 2 Organic jaggery - 3/4 cup Vanilla extract - 1 and 1/2 tsp Buttermilk - 1/2 cup Beetroot, grated - 1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar - 1 tsp The rule of thumb is to have two separate glass bowls, one for dry ingredients and the...