Stuffed Karela

Karela or the bitter gourd is not a veggie that turns up often on search engines. I haven't found too many people enthused by the idea of having karela for lunch. And the few who do, have it mainly for the health benefits it has to offer. Not for love of the vegetable. 

I genuinely do love karela. This puzzles as well as aggravates Mum. She absolutely abhors Karela. But love for her only child forces her to dish it up week after week! But there is only one way she deigns to consume it. Stuffed and deep fried. Health benefits be damned!

My grandmum makes this amazing bitter gourd curry with coconut and garlic. But nothing will induce mum to eat that. This recipe was handed to her by one of their neighbours. So for years these were referred to as Chandel Aunty Karelas!

These aren't as bitter as the other recipes. And the tangy, spicy filling is really quite addictive. Throw in a handful of french fries on top, and even kids will have a go!

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd                 6

Onions                          2

Ginger garlic paste        2 teaspoon

Garam Masala              1/2 teaspoon

Pepper powder              1/2 teaspoon

Dry Mango powder      1 teaspoon

Coriander powder         1 teaspoon

Salt                                to taste

Turmeric powder          1/2 teaspoon

Chickpea flour              2 tablespoons

Method:

Scrape the ridges of the karela. Slit it vertically and discard the seeds. Rub a little salt and turmeric inside and out. Leave in the sun for an hour. In the meantime, prepare the masala. Grate the onions, add salt and leave for 20 minutes. Squeeze the onions well to drain out all the water. In the drained onions, add all the rest of the ingredients, except the chickpea flour. Wash the karelas well and pat dry them with a kitchen towel. Fill the prepared masala into the cavity of the gourd. Now prepare a thick paste with the chickpea flour (besan), a little salt and water. Use this paste to seal the edges of the stuffed karelas. Heat oil in a wok and lower the karelas sealed side down. Cook on medium heat. You can choose to deep fry these. Or shallow fry them covered , turning them frequently to ensure they are well browned on all sides. Enjoy with some rice and plain yellow dal!

Bread Gulab Jamuns

Gulab Jamuns could truly be the most pan-Indian dessert. Found in every corner of the country, big and small, the flavour rarely varies despite the regional twists. Rose, kewra, cardamom, saffron... the gulab jamun still tastes just like home. 

I have yet to meet a person who doesn't like gulab jamuns. Or G-Jams,  to borrow a term from my cousin. Even those who prefer savoury over sweet can rarely resist the call of the G-Jam! Really, what's not to like? Golden, fried dumplings soaked in cardamom scented sugar syrup. Exotically delicious, yet endearingly simple!

The commercially available G-Jams are usually made of khoya. And homemakers like mum choose the less complicated route of instant G-Jam packets that use milk powder for a smoother, lighter version that is a lot less complicated than the original. And then there is a third, more unorthodox version. The Bread Gulab Jamuns!

I was first introduced to the bread version during my college years. Homesick on diwali, one of our friends surprised my roomie and me with a huge box of gulab jamuns. Made by his fauji mess cook. As we popped the first one into our mouth, he dropped the B-word! These were made with regular white bread! Despite being a foodie and a cooking enthusiast, I would never have guessed had he not told us! As for the taste? Suffice to say I disappeared with the entire box, coz, " Joey doesn't share food!"

I've been looking for the perfect recipe ever since and after many years of trial and error, I've created one that would have made the old Cook baba proud!

Ingredients:

Bread                        12 slices (I used wholewheat)

Custard Powder        3 tablespoon

Baking Soda             1 teaspoon

Milk                          2 cups

Sugar                        1 1/2 cup

Water                        1 1/2 cup

Cardamoms              3

Oil                             to deep fry

Method: Trim the edges of the bread. Soak a slice of bread in milk and squeeze to remove the excess. Repeat with all the slices. Run the crumbled, wet bread with the custard powder and baking soda in the food processor. Gently pulsing twice to obtain a smooth yet firm paste. Heat the sugar, water and crushed cardamoms in a deep pan till the syrup reaches a sticky, one string consistency. Take off the heat. Meanwhile, gently form the bread paste into smooth balls. Take care not to press too hard while rolling them or the consistency will not be spongy. Heat oil and gently drop the bread jamuns few at a time. Cook over medium heat so that the outside doesn't brown before the inside cooks. Once they are evenly golden, drain on kitchen paper and transfer to the warm syrup. Repeat with all the G-Jams. You can eat them warm or chill them in the refrigerator to serve later. Either way, they are easy to make and are always a blockbuster hit!

Chocolate Doughnuts

The first shower of the season had me splashing away like a kid. After months of heat and humidity, the cool water refreshed everything around. Of course, all that rain dance had me craving for some strong coffee and hot chocolate doughnuts. This recipe belongs to my dear friend Sonal, and every bite reminds me of the icy Himalayan rains, made warmer by her love <3

So while i demolish yet another batch, you can roll out your own deep fried indulgence :-)

Ingredients for CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS:

Eggs - 2

Caster Sugar - 1/2 cup

Butter / Oil - 4 tbsp

Refined Flour - 2 1/4  cups

Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup

Baking powder - 2 tsp

salt - a pinch

Milk - as required

Icing Sugar - as required.

Method: Mix all the dry ingredients together, and slowly add the eggs and oil to form a soft dough. If the dough feels a little tight, incorporate a little milk. Do not knead the dough. Keep aside for for 45 minutes. Now place the rested dough between two layers of cling film and roll out with the help of a rolling pin. Do not roll too thin or thick. With the help of a biscuit cutter or a sturdy cap, cut out rounds and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Deep fry in hot oil till puffed, golden and crisp. Generously dust with icing sugar and serve up with some hot coffee!

Amritsari Fish

North Indians are not usually known to be voracious fish eaters. They prefer the robustness of chicken and meat. So you have many varieties of tikkas, kebabs, biryanis and curries originating from Punjab, but no fish dish!!! But every rule has an exception, and this rule does too...
     
    AMRITSARI FISH

Amritsar is the Holy City, situated in Punjab.And Amritsari Fish is popular street food that is light, crisp and well, yummy! Its a tangy, Indian version of batter-fried fish and quite simple to make at home. 

Ingredients:

King Fish- 1 kg

Vinegar- 3tsp

Red chilli pd.- 2 tsp

Carom seeds- 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste- 4 tbsp

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Chickpea flour- 4 tbsp

Egg- 1 (whisked)

Salt to taste

Chaat masala- to garnish

To start, marinate the fish in salt and vinegar for 20 minutes. Make a batter with all the rest of the ingredients, except chaat masala. Add more Chickpea flour if the batter is too thin. Pour onto the fish, coating each piece well. Keep aside for another 30 minutes. Heat oil in a wok or deep fryer. Fry the fish to a crisp brown, taking care not to burn it! Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve hot with a chutney or sauce.