Kacchi Haldi Sabzi

I know winters are on their way out, but there is still time to make the most of the abundant produce. While summers are for light, fresh flavours, winters are for decadent indulgence. Eat seasonal all the nutritionists say. So when you gather all those vibrant veggies and dollop everything with fresh ghee, you are basically doing your health a service!

There is truth in it. Indian cooking has always been influenced by the change of seasons and local produce. We have our aamras and jaljeeras in summer. And our til, jaggery and saags in winter. When the veggies are fresh and the body needs extra calories to fight against the harsh weather.

Fresh turmeric or kacchi haldi is a winter essential up north, though relatively unknown as you move to warm and milder south. You will find my entire fam sipping turmeric steeped warm water as the weather gets progressively colder. Or snacking on this delicious Turmeric pickle as the weather oscillates with the onset of spring. 
Another fabulous dish to introduce more of this miracle spice is this lip smacking stir fry. The Kacchi Haldi Sabzi or Fresh Turmeric Stirfry is a little known dish from the state of Rajasthan. It is a fairly traditional preparation that is hard to find in restaurants. And though it involves some laborious prep, I can wholeheartedly say it is worth every second of the effort. 

Ingredients:

Fresh Turmeric                    250 gm

Carrots                                 80 gm

Peas                                     50 gm

Cauliflower                         50 gm

Ghee                                    150 gm

Curds                                   250 gm

Red chilli powder                1 teaspoon

Coriander powder                1 teaspoon

Green Chillies                      2, chopped

Ginger, grated                      1 teaspoon

Heeng                                   a pinch

Cumin seeds                         1 teaspoon

Black Cardamom                 4

Bay leaf                                1

Method: Peel the turmeric and carrots. Chop finely into small pieces. You can also choose to grate them, but I personally like the slight crunch from the whole pieces. Chop your cauliflower florets into small pieces as well. Add the spice powders and salt to the curds, whip lightly and keep aside. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan. When hot, add the turmeric and lightly fry till golden. Drain and keep aside. Repeat for the rest of the vegetables, frying each separately. Lower the flame, add the heeng, bayleaf, cumin and cardamom to the ghee. Once it sizzles, add the curds. Mix well and add the ginger and green chillies. Once the curd thickens and the ghee starts to separate, add the fried turmeric and vegetables. Mix well, adding a splash of milk if the masala starts to stick to the pan. Continue to cook on low heat till the vegetables are cooked and the starts to leave the sides of the pan. Serve warm, garnished with fresh coriander leaves. Tastes best with Bajre ki rotis!

    

 

Moist Honey Cake

Two rough looking mountain men stood outside my door. Wild eyes, chiseled features, long unkempt hair and sinister moustaches. "Bhaia ne bheja hai", they said. As I pondered which cousin had decided to prank me, Hubby turned up behind them. " They are with me." All further questions were preempted by the younger of the two. " Bhabhiji, patila. Fresh Honey hai hamare paas." 

Confession time. My hubby is pretty gullible when it comes to helping people in need. I have never known him to say no. Ever! So as I pondered what racket these guys were running, they produced a hive from their sack. Soon, oozing into my bowls was the fragrance of roses and spring! At least this was a sweet smelling racket. Three litres lighter and a few hundred rupees richer, the men departed happy.

Before I could launch my tirade, Hubby appealed to my health freak side. Uh uh! I was not falling for that. Honey may have health benefits, but there was no way i was consuming unprocessed honey! A few neighbours assured me this honey was marvellous. They had purchased from the Mountain Men in years past and never been disappointed. But I just wouldn't budge. So there stood the bottles in the pantry, forlorn and dusty. A month later, I opened them to check if they had gone stale. Once again, the promise of roses and sunshine enticed me. The monsoons were in full swing and the rains had me longing for spring. If I closed my eyes and inhaled the honey, I could just feel the fresh warmth around me. I had to figure out a way to incorporate this!

There was still no way I was going to consume it raw, so a cake was the safest route to take. Google to the rescue and I chanced upon Marcy Goldman's recipe. It had the right texture I needed and the ingredient list was perfect to warm up these windy weeks of grey rain! I scaled and adapted it from here. And my house was enveloped with the warm smells of heavenly baking!

This cake is not over sweet or sticky as most honey cakes are. It is light, almost delicate with an intense flavour that just gets better with time. No stale cake quandries with this one. Infact this cake was so good, I had to bake another batch the very next day!

So elevate your monsoon cuppa with your very own version of sunshine. And bake some goodness today. Don't worry about indulgence! Honey is healthy, remember ;)

Ingredients: 

Maida                    1 and 3/4  cups

Baking Powder      1/2  teaspoon

Baking Soda          1/2  teaspoon

Salt                         1/4 teaspoon

Cinnamon               2 inches

Cloves                    10

Ginger Powder       1 teaspoon

Nutmeg                  1/4 teaspoon

Peppercorns           4

Oil                           1/2 cup

Honey                     1/2 cup

Granulated Sugar    3/4 cup

Brown Sugar           1/4 cup

Eggs                        3 (small)

Vanilla Essence       1/2 teaspoon

Warm tea                1/2 cup (I used Early Grey)

Orange Juice           1/4 cup (fresh)

Orange Zest            1/2 orange

Whiskey                 60 ml

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180 C. Grind together the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns and ginger powder. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and the spice powder. Make a well in the middle and pour in all the rest of the ingredients. Use a wire whisk to mix it all together. If you want to use an electric mixer, use it on slow speed. Too much air into the batter will spoil the texture of the cake. Scrape the bottom and the sides to ensure the batter is mixed thoroughly. Pour into a greased and lined 9 inch bundt cake pan. Bake for 60 minutes. The cake should spring back when you gently touch the center. Let it rest in the oven for 15 minutes before you demould and attack!!!

Notes:

I used early grey tea to intensify the citrus notes. You can use your regular brewed tea. Jus remember no milk or sugar.

You can also substitute the tea for strong brewed coffee.

You can bake the cake in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake. However I found baking in a ring or tube pan gave better results.

If you have large eggs, use 2 1/2 or just 2. 

The whiskey can be substituted with rum or fresh orange juice.

Not Just Any Hot Chocolate!

Growing up on a healthy diet of Enid Blytons and Archies, I was besotted by the seemingly exotic Hot Cocoa. Sipped steaming with a tossing of marshmallows, seated on a warm rug in front of a roaring fireplace. A dog cuddled next you and a throw carelessly wrapped around the shoulders. Really, that was the romanticism of winter for me. I dreamt of staring out the window, watching the snow fall softly as I warmed my palms on my very own cup of Hot Cocoa, the aroma of chocolate wafting through my senses. 

Mum didn't laugh off my fantasies. She indulged me with her shorthand version of the Hot Cocoa. But warm milk with drinking chocolate just didn't have the same magical feel. Dad would add a capful of brandy and insist it was the secret ingredient to that elusive taste. But sigh! My literary tastebuds weren't fooled!

Many snowfalls and failed milky cocoas later, I found it! As Nigella beamingly stirred her pot of hot chocolate, I knew it was The One! I could almost inhale the aroma through the telly. And I wasn't wrong. I made it the very next evening. And as we sipped it under the wintry stars, my chocoholic cuz agreed every sip was a trip to heaven. We had found the Hot Cocoa of our literary dreams!

Over the past few years, I've played around with the flavours, tweaking it a lil here and there. Made it truly my own. And as the winter chill nips my toes, I tuck em under my snoring dog, pull my Naga shawl a little closer and revel in that warm, molten chocolate dreamily making its way down my throat. The magic is alive. And this is Not Just Any Hot Chocolate! 

Ingredients:
Milk                            2 cups
Dark Chocolate           100 gms, chopped or shredded
Cinnamon                    1/2 inch stick
Brown Sugar               1 teaspoon
Vanilla Syrup               1 1/2 teaspoon
Peppercorn                 4, crushed coarsely
Rum                            1/4 cup

Method:
Pour the milk, chocolate, peppercorns, sugar and cinnamon into a saucepan. Heat on the lowest flame till the chocolate dissolves completely. Take off the heat and add the rum and vanilla syrup. Whisk well. Strain and get ready to be transported to Chocolate Heaven!

Notes: I used Monin Vanilla syrup but you can easily replace it with vanilla extract mixed with honey. And if you want a more decadent experience, substitute half cup of milk with Amul fresh cream :) 

A Spoonful of Immunity: Turmeric Amla Pickle

" Aah! You can feel the healing goodness travel through your entire being," exclaimed Mads Masi with every bite. That definitely had my attention. I backtracked to the table to get better acquainted with this health bomb I had missed. Never would I have guessed that the bowl of blinding sunshine I had dismissed as just another chutney was the reason for the health hallelujah! 

Turmeric and Amla Pickle. Yet another ingenious method Nani had devised to sneak immunity into our daily food. And its no grandma's tale, really. Science has backed the benefits of the Indian gooseberry for years. And turmeric of course, is already hailed as the super-food of 2016.

Turmeric has proven anti-inflammatory properties. It has been known to reduce the risk of cancer, normalize insulin levels, banish aches and arthritic pain, promote healthy digestion and boost brain function. Now, I could list all the proven benefits in detail, or you could just read them here and here.
As for Amla , the humble and much ignored Indian Gooseberry is loaded with Vitamin C making it ideal to stave off those pesky coughs and colds. The high iron content is great for combating anemia and getting that gorgeous glow. It is also a known agent for stabilizing blood sugar, promoting heart health and also the high fiber content means bye bye constipation.
On their own turmeric and amla are a little strong to munch. But toss them together in this super healthy and you will have the entire family lining up to get their daily dose. Bursting with freshness and flavour, who would have thought great health came in such chatpata form!
And yes, Mads Masi was right! You can truly feel the healing goodness travel through your entire being!

Ingredients:
Raw Turmeric Root        250 gm
Amla                              250 gm
Lemons                          3
Kala Namak                  to taste
Sugar                             3 teaspoon
Oil                                 2 tablespoon
Asafoetida                     a pinch
Red chilli powder          1/4 teaspoon

Method:
Grate the turmeric and amla as finely or coarsely as you like. Toss in the sugar and kala namak or black rock salt. Squeeze the juice of the lemons on top and mix well. Heat the oil in a small pan till it starts smoking. Add the asafoetida and turn off the heat. Let the oil cool a little and then add the red chilli powder to it. Once the oil is completely cool, mix in with the rest of the ingredients. Spoon into  a sterilized bottle and let it rest in the fridge. After three days, the pickle is ready to eat. It keeps well for a month if refrigerated. Just a spoonful with your lunch and let the pickle work its magic!
 

Mulled Wine

Christmas has just passed and already the new year is upon us! Seems like yesterday that we were ushering in 2015, and now its time to bid it adieu! But there is no sorrow in that. The year has been fair and the new one just offers more to look forward to. For now, I sit back and enjoy the festive air that warms the chill in the wind. I love the happy, carefree feel that comes this time of the year. When we all shed our baggage and Ho Ho Ho our thoughts and speech. It is also the time of year when the vodkas and martinis and sangrias gave way to the more traditional. Tis the season to be jolly... with mulled wine warming my belly! The warm spiced wine gently making its way down my throat. Clearing that lingering cough and cold. Enveloping me in the warm, fuzzy Santa hug. And of course, the best way to use up all that cheap wine languishing at the back of the cupboard! So mull yourself some wine. Pour one for you and yours and wish everyone with all the cheer. Happy New Year guys! Make every moment count!

Ingredients:

Water                             2 cups

Sugar                              1/2 cup

Cloves                            12

Cinnamon                       2 inches

Nutmeg powder              1/2 tsp

Dry Ginger Powder         1/2 tsp

Lemon                             1/2

Red wine                         750 ml

Brandy                            1/4 cup

Method:

Heat water in a pan. Add sugar, spices and lemon. Reduce heat before it comes to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add wine and heat till just below boiling point. Now add the brandy. Turn off the flame. Serve warm in goblets and inhale the festive spirit!

Super Simple Pumpkin Soup

Winter is Coming! No, Wait! Winter is here! Not in the Stark way. But more of the 'dilli ki sardi' kinds. And how do I know winter's here? Well, the nip in the air and the extra layer of clothes, sure. But what positively heralds the onset of winters at my place is Soup Dinners!
It is another ritual that harks back to my childhood. The moment the weather turned, Mum would chop up those pesky veggies and dish out some awesome soup. Teamed with hot buttered toast and a baked casserole, this was the perfect weekday comfort food. Luckily, hubby dear is also quite the soup fan. Or maybe mum's soups have converted him! Either way, Soup Dinners live on in my household as well. With the toddler yum yumming every warm sip!
Mum's soups were always made fresh, light and flavourful. No gloopy cornflour from a packet for us. Infact soups are so quick and easy to make that it never ceases to amaze me that people choose the pricey preservatives to the fresh route! So, this winter here's my request. Give my soups a try. I promise to convert you! And come summers, your bikini bod will thank you ;)

Ingredients:
Pumpkin, chopped                1 cup
Onion                                     1
Peppercorns                         8
Nutmeg powder                   1/4 tsp
Ginger, chopped                   1 inch
Water                                    4 cups
Salt                                        to taste
Butter                                    2 tsp

Method:
In a pressure cooker, heat the butter. Add the onions and saute till translucent. Add the pumpkin and saute for another minute. Now add the rest of the ingredients and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Cool. Run in the blender till well mixed. Heat on low flame just before serving. Super Simple, didn't I say?!

Warm Potato and Egg Salad

Happy Independence Day, India! Its a holiday and Iam in no mood to cook! But my rumbling stomach demanded attention and i decided to toss up some tri-colour fun :) I adapted this recipe from the GoodFood India magazine, and gotta say it had my hubby literally lickin his fork clean!

To make the WARM POTATO AND EGG SALAD you need:

Boiled potatoes, 250gm (quartered)

Eggs, 4
Bacon, 70 gm
Olive oil, 2 tbsp
Red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard powder, 1 1/2 tsp
Water, 3 tsp
Baby spinach, 50 gm

Method: Mix the mustard powder and water, and keep aside. (You could also substitute this with store bought Dijon Mustard). Ease the eggs into boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Take off heat and immediately shift the eggs into a bowl of cold water.
Whisk together the mustard paste, olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and let it rest for a couple of minutes. In the meanwhile, cook the bacon till sizzlingly crisp.
In a bowl, toss together warm potatoes, bacon and spinach with the prepared dressing. Top with the shelled and quartered eggs and serve with a side of crusty bread.

Rasam

With winters just round the corner, sniffles are fast beginning to make an appearance. And the best way to combat this is with a hot glass of spicy South Indian Rasam. Besides warming your body and clearing your nasals, this drink is probably one of the most appetizing digestives. So what are you waiting for? Lets starting making our TOMATO RASAM.

Ing: 3 large tomatoes

       2 tbsp tamarind pulp

      1/4 tsp turmeric pd

       1/2 tsp chilli pd

     1/4 tsp asafoetida

       3 cups boiling water

      salt to taste

Rasam Powder: 1 tsp Cumin seeds

                           1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

                          8 peppercorns

Method: Combine all the ingredients for the rasam powder and microwave at 70% power for 2 minutes. Cool and grind. Pierce the tomatoes with a fork and Microwave at full power 4 minutes. Peel and discard the skin and run in the blender till coarsely mashed. Combine the hot water and tomatoes. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the rasam powder. Microwave at full power for 4 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice or slurp like a soup :)