Ready To Welcome 'Indian Date' Into Your kitchen??

Almost a year ago ,Seduce your Tastebuds played host for one of the popular events in blogosphere -Think Spice..,started by Sunitha of Sunita's World.With so many spices to select from,I chose my favorite Sesame seed.The response really good!!I got two dozen entries.

Then I wanted to host the event yet again and dear Sunita was kind enough to let me host it for the second time!Thanks a bunch Sunitha...

This time I have chosen a spice that has a culinary use,considered as a herbal remedy for certain illness,used to prepare dyes and to make furniture.Yes,it none other than Tamarinda indica.I did confuse you didn't I?Well ,the chosen spice for the month is Tamarind!!!!



Tamarind is a spice cultivated extensively in the Indian sub continent,South east Asia and West Indies. The spice that we use for cooking is enclosed in a capsule and has black colored seeds.The capsule and the seeds are removed and is commercially sold as pressed slabs or as a paste.

It has a wide range of culinary uses.

1. It is used as a souring agent in dishes like pickles and many of the Indian dishes
2. Used to prepare Worcestershire sauce,barbecue sauces .
3. The ripe fruit is used to prepare sweet syrups used in some beverages.
4. It forms an excellent dips for snacks.
5. In some countries the tender leaves and flowers are eaten as vegetables.

Having said all this,here is what we are going to do this month..

1.Prepare a Vegetarian /Vegan dish with Tamarind and write about in your blog.

Feel free to share all your thoughts and information on the chosen spice. You can also mention how important this spice is in your kitchen i.e. how often you use it, apart from cooking do you use this spice for any other purpose and of course does this spice bring to you any fond memories - maybe from your childhood or did you cook this spice for someone special or did someone cook this for you on an unforgettable moment.

2.Link back to this announcement and to Sunita's Think spice page for the benefit of the readers and for future references.

3. Mail your delicacy to seduceurtastebuds@gmail.com with the following details

-Your name
-Blog Name
-Recipe /Post title
-URL of the dish
-A picture of your creation.

4.Non bloggers can also send me your entries with the name of the dish, recipe and the photo of the dish.

5.If you have any recipe with tamarind in your archives just update the post with the two links.No need to re-post them.

6.The last date for the event is May 31st 2010.

So dear friends,all you ready to cook something with Tamarind this month?Am really eager to see all your yummy recipes so do send in as many entries as you wish....

Happy Cooking...

Somali Tea

Somalia is a word that brings in images of starving , emaciated children and adults and of poverty to my mind.Haven't we seen / heard about them on TV countless times in the past about these people suffering.A land torn apart by war and affected by mother nature in terms of drought and famine.

In ancient time it was seen in a different perspective.It was the seat of commerce and was a flourishing land.Sadly there were turns in events and a sad state of affairs now.

But what is unknown to most of us is its culinary treasures and here is a very relaxing tea from Somalia.

I used :

Tea leaves-1 teaspoon
Milk-1/2 a cup
Water-1/2 a cup
Cinnamon-a small piece
Cardamom-1 pod,crushed
Ginger-a small piece,crushed
Sugar to taste

Simmer all the ingredients in a pot for a few minutes till the desired color is got.Strain and sip.

This tea is off to AWED African hosted here.

Ful Medames-Egyptian Fava Beans

I have already told you about my obsession with Egypt.Here is yet another breakfast dish from my dreamland.I made it more like a curry than as a gravy.This dish has an interesting history.It is said to date back to the age of the Pharaohs!Now doesn't it make you all the more eager to try it out?

Ful is Fava beans and this dish is served with pita bread / Fried eggs.I served it as a curry with rice and salad.This can be prepared with fresh fava bean or the dried brown variety.If using the dried lentils,soak it overnight and then proceed.

I used:

Fresh fava beans - 1 cup
Tomato-1,chopped
Onion-1 chopped
Garlic-2 pods crushed
Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Lemon juice-1 teaspoon
Oil-2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

To garnish-Coriander leaves/mint leaves/spring onion greens

1. Cook the beans with enough water till done .Drain and keep aside.
   
2. Heat oil in a pan and put in the cumin seeds and when it crackles add the onion and garlic.
3. When the onion turns translucent add the tomato and cook till mushy.
4. Put in coriander powder,chilli powder,salt and cook till the raw smell is gone.
5. Add the cooked beans and simmer for a few minutes.
6. Just before serving drizzle lemon juice and serve garnished.
   

Note:

• It can be made like a gravy for as dip with pita bread.Add enough water in step 4 and simmer till the desired consistency is got.
• There are other methods which use only salt,pepper and olive oil.

This is off to AWED African hosted here and to vegetable marathon hosted @Anita's Kitchen,where the theme is 'Beans'.

Happy cooking...

Beans in peanut sauce

This month it is time to try out recipes from Sailu who blogs @ Saliu's Kitchen.This months edition is hosted by Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles.This is an event started by Zlamuskha of Zlamushka's spicy kitchen.

Having said all these here is the recipe I tried from Sailu's blog last year and luckily had the pictures in my blog.Here is a blog,a beans curry that is different to the regular one we often prepare.The peanut sauce in this recipe gave a unique taste to this recipe.

Here it is in her own words-French beans in Peanut sauce.The changes that I made are in [ ] ..

1/4 kgs stringed and chopped french beans

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2-3 slit green chillis[ I used 1]

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed[ I used 3]

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 dried red chillies[broken into bits]

1 tsp cumin seeds

1″ cinnamon (dalchini)

2 cardamoms (elaichi) [ I used 1 pod]

1/4 cup roasted peanuts

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 Steam the chopped beans, don't make them too soft and mushy.
2 Dry roast cumin seeds (1/2 tsp), coriander seeds, cardamom and cinnamon for a minute. Don’t burn the spices. Cool and grind them along with roasted peanuts and enough water to make a thick paste.
3 Heat oil in a cooking vessel and add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and let them brown a bit, add the dry red chillies, curry leaves, crushed garlic and green chillies and toss them for a few seconds.
4 Add the chopped onions and saute them till transparent.
5 Add the steamed beans and salt and cook covered on medium heat for 4-5 mts.
6 Add the ground peanut paste and combine it well and cook covered for 2-3 mts. Turn off heat.
7 Serve with hot chapatis or white steamed rice.

We had this as a side dish with steamed rice and the taste was really unique!Lovely recipe that I would definitely try in the months to come.

Happy cooking...

West African Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is said to have originated from the Wolof people of Senegal and Gambia and later spread to other parts of West Africa due to its ease of preparation and popularity.I found umpteen variations in for this recipe and settled on this method.


The basic recipe has rice,chicken,tomato,onion.Without the chicken it sounded like our Tomato Rice.Being a vegetarian I replaced chicken with a type of tofu that looks like this.You can use regular tofu/Paneer

I used:

Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1,chopped
Tomato-1,chopped
Tomato paste-2 tablespoons
Garlic - 4 pods,sliced
Carrot- 1 ,finely chopped
Peas- 1/2 a cup
Tofu cubed - 1/2 a cup
Garam masala- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil-2 teaspoons
Spring onion greens to garnish

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and put in cumin seeds
2. When they splutter add the onion and garlic and saute till onion is translucent.
3. Add tomato and cook till mushy
4. Next put in peas,carrot and saute for a minute.
5. Put in 2 cups water,salt,garam masala powder and bring to a boil
6. Add the washed rice and tomato paste.
7. Pressure cook for 8 minutes.
8. Remove lid and add tofu and cover and cook on low flame till water is fully absorbed.
9. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with spring onion greens
   

Serve with chips/raita of your choice.


Note:

• The quantity of water used to cook rice varies with the variety used.
• Other vegetables like beans can also be added.
  

This wonderful one pot meal is a part of AWED African hosted here.

Bon appetit...

Shaobing - Stuffed Chinese Naan

One cold Sunday evening,Ju and me were extremely bored and quite hungry.In no mood to prepare snacks,we dressed up and decided go out and find something good enought to eat.We walked a little while to a place where Ju usually buys some goodies.

On the roadside was a man and his wife busy selling these wonderfully aromatic breads.

I thought they were naans - a North Indian flatbread.Eager to try them out, the two got one each and paid RMB 1/piece.One bite and I knew this was going to be another of my favorite!!! The stuffing was green radish,Ju informed me, and I had never tasted it before.The sesame topping gave a wonderful nutty flavor to the bread.


Presenting to you a bite of Shaobing ,a famous street food where I live and it is delicious when had piping hot and needs no side dish!It is prepared in the same way as North Indian naans-in a tandoor oven and looks similar too.

I found that the street food here is inexpensive and extremely delicious! Am mighty glad that I am able to find quite a few vegetarian street foods!!!!

A Flood of Memories and Oriental Curd Rice

She stood by the window gazing out.The sights were alien for she lived in an alien land.Alien,not in the sense that she lived in Venus or Mars,but in the land where everything was different right from the language to the culture and the people.

She wanted to talk to someone-mom,a friend-someone who would make her near to her hometown.Tears welled in her eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks.She did not want to wallow in self pity so she made her way into the kitchen.

From the kitchen window she could see all the landscape the town offered.A beautiful view of the park nearby and the road that had rows of shops and restaurants and was always filled with people.Her eyes caught a lady talking animatedly to her teen aged daughter.Tears welled up yet again.She tried to divert herself from the scene and made plans for lunch.In no mood to cook something elaborate she thought she would make her favorite Curd rice....

Curd rice-It brought back to her the lady and her teen aged daughter,a mom and daughter,chatting happily.How she missed her mom!Mom used to make this curd rice seasoned and with fresh and dried fruits and nuts every morning, for this was her breakfast for many years.This was not because her mom couldn't cook or anything but because she loved this dish so much.She wished mom was there making and serving it for her. Anything and everything reminded her of her mom or her home.

Curd rice also got back another memory.Many times she had heard her mom telling her that when grand mom was sick,their lunch box would hold within itself curd rice and mango pickle.How she wished she could see her grandma now.She loved her grandma who was frail lady and looked like a lady of the past but her thoughts and actions were more in tune with the modern days.Many a times she voiced her thoughts that man must change with times and not stick on to meaningless rituals of the past.A lady with such thought must have held a position in the decision making of the house if not at the assembly,but she seemed to be happy to cater to the needs of her huge family.

This elderly lady had been a great source of support and courage and she felt she must at least hear her voice.She looked at the time.It was her grandma's nap time and she definitely did not want to wake her up.She told herself she would talk to her the first thing the next morning.

She walked up to the refrigerator and took out the yogurt container and saw a pack of mixed veggies-bean sprouts,shredded carrots,spring onion greens and took it out as well.She decided to make a different kind of curd rice today .....

She used:

Cooked rice- 1 cup
Yogurt-1 cup
Chopped veggies-1/4 cup[Bean sprouts,carrots,spring onion greens]
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Mustard-1/2 a teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds-1/2 a teaspoon
Red chillies-3
Curry leaves a few
Coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste

1. In a bowl put in rice,3/4th of the yoghurt,chopped veggies and salt and mix well.Add more yogurt to get the desired consistency.
2. Heat oil in a small pan and put in mustard,cumin seeds,red chillies,curry leaves and when it splutters add it to the rice.
3. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves
   

She had this with potato curry and pumpkin dhal.....

She carried it to the table and sat there thinking of her her mom and her grandmas failing health when another thought interrupted her.Her best friend in college-C!!C and she had been friends from the very first day of college.Their classmates always made fun of them that they were glued together for these two could never be seen alone!!

They had no secrets between them and shared all the fun,gossips and fears that seemed to float around the teens.C told her the desire of marrying her cousin,a handsome fellow,and asked her friend about her plans.She had none that time so the answer was always a shrug.

Lunch box was also another thing that these two had shared.C used to bring curd rice most of the time coz her mom was sick most of the days and the moment she opened the box C would sigh and close it.C would then share her lunch that mom had sent,a little extra always, for mom too know C's plight..

She wondered where C was now,if she married the man she wanted and was desperate to know where she lived and what she was doing.She had lost contacts with her after they left college and both of them moved out of the place.

Slowly she started her lunch still thinking of her mom and her her dear friend C and when she was done she looked at the clock.It was half past 4!!!! Hurriedly she washed her hands and put the dishes into the sink.

In a few minutes the love of her life would be back from work .Suddenly she felt the pangs of separation from her mom lessen for she now lived with her sweetheart and knew she would talk to her mom that night !!!

She still had time to kill before he came home so sat in front of her PC and decided to share her recipe on her blog.She wanted a suitable name and came up with 'Oriental Curd Rice' as it has ingredients typical to the land in which she now lived......

Sharing her memories and the recipe with Aqua daze for her lovely event Chalks and Chopsticks.

Qiancenbing-Spicy Chinese Chapathi

This is one of my favorite street foods in China.I love their spicy taste in spite of the fact that I am not very fond of spicy foods.This one has been my favorite snack from the day I first tried it and I love to have it with a cup of tea/ coffee.

My dear friend Ju first got me this Qiancenbing one evening when I was really hunger but was lazy to prepare an early dinner.She asked me to try it out knowing well about my 'fondness' for spicy stuff and I hesitated and yet hunger and the wonderful aroma drove me to take a bite and a sip of piping hot coffee and I was in love with this yummy stuff..Ever since its a regular in my house during tea time.We also discovered it to be an excellent side dish for out Sunday porridge.

All along Ju used to bring home this tasty bite when she visited us and one day in my inquisitiveness to learn more about it I asked her to take me along when she got it.

She took me to a shop manned by two women-a mother and daughter perhaps.The younger woman, may be in her teens, was busy chopping a huge Qiancenbing and packing it off for the customers while the other one was busy in the 'kitchen' preparing it.

I eagerly asked the lady if I could watch her preparing and she smiled in approval.I stood there and watched her take out a really huge ball of dough[the size of 2 footballs put together!] which I guessed was made out of all purpose flour becoz of its texture.

She rolled it out into a large rectangle and put in a couple of handfuls of finely chopped spring onions,gathered the ends back to a ball and rolled them out to a huge Paratha.

A huge heated griddle was waiting to take in the rolled out dough and she cooked,closed, each side like we do for Parathas and when it was almost done she brushed a layer of some sort of spicy sauce and topped it up with a generous helping of sesame seeds.The griddle was closed once again and the Qiancenbing cooked to perfection!!!This was transferred to the counter where it is cut and sold.



For RMB 3 the quantity that we get is enough to feed 3 hungry mouths!!!The one that you see above is one portion from the lot that I had with coffee that evening.

This is usually sold as a street food and I have not seen it in restaurants.[Maybe they are sold in restaurants else where].

When we buy this piping hot it is crispy on one side-the side with the spicy sauce, and a bite of this crunchy deliciousness and a sip of piping hot coffee- All I can say is one word -Heaven!!!!!!

Purple Radish Paratha

Remember a few days ago there was a mystery file to be solved ?Here is another recipe with that mystery veggie....

The vegetable that I mistook for beetroot and later that it was purple carrot and finally found out that it was purple radish went to the Paratha that I made.No difference in the method but the result was definitely colorful...These parathas are slightly thicker than Chapathis....



I used:

Whole wheat flour- 3 cups
Purple radish-1,peeled and grated
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Black sesame seeds-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

1. Take all the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour little water.
3. Knead well and add water in small batches to make a firm dough.Knead again for 5 minutes.
   
4. Cover and let it rest for at least half an hour.
5. Knead again and pinch out golf sized balls and roll out into roundels .Use a little flour to dust if its sticky.
6. Heat a griddle and cook the parathas till brown spots appear on both the sides.

Serve hot with a side dish of your choice...

Purple Radish Paratha served with Kadalai Kuzhambu and Tomato sesame chutney

Note:

• You can use the regular radish instead of purple radish.
• I did not use oil to cook the Parathas.
  

Bon Appetit...

Tanzanian Tea

I came to India almost a month ago and till today I never stepped into the kitchen except to search for some munchies.I missed this months Taste and create as well as Indian cooking challenge.The reason for all this is the wonderful tour that Lil angel and me went along with my parents to Malaysia and Singapore.A lovely and memorable trip and I am so eager to share my experiences with all of you.

In the meantime I also missed blog-hopping and posting recipes.I had scheduled a few posts and luckily blogger did its job:).

Coming to today's recipes a simple tea recipe from Africa....

Experimenting with various tea recipe has become a kind of hobby for me.Here is one from Tanzania.It reminds me of the Indian Spiced tea.

I used

Milk-½ a cup

Water- ½ a cup

Tea leaves – 1 teaspoon

Ground Cardamom-a pinch

Ginger powder- ¼ teaspoon

Sugar to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and sip

This is for AWED African,hosted here,an event started by Divya of Chef In You.

Happy cooking....

Am Back...

After a wonderful and refreshing holiday I am back to the blogging world.Yes,it has been 20 days since I sat in front on my dear PC and I sure did miss all the fun...

Thanks you girls for all the lovely entries for AWED -African and I am really guilty as I could not acknowledge the mails in time.

I will be back to posting new recipes in a couple of days and until then take care and see you sooooon.

'Irea - Egyptian Cinnamon Tea

EGYPT- This is a place I would love to visit. It is a kind of feeling like I lived there sometime! Maybe I am kidding.Maybe it is true!!!I fell in love with this exotic destination after reading the novel – Sphinx by Robin Cook.

It is one-of-the-kind thriller packed with suspense and I could never put down without completing the last chapter. I have read that book ‘God-knows-how-many’ times and yet I would love to read it again!!! Such is the book!!

In this book the authors takes us through the streets of Egypt and the reading it I strongly felt I must visit Egypt at least once in my life time.

So when I announced AWED African, the first thing I did was search for some Egyptian recipes and here is the first amongst my finds. A cinnamon tea from my dream land! Maybe it’s the name that made me want to try it in the first place, or maybe I wanted to be familiar with the dishes in the place I am desperate to visit. What ever be the reason, its worth the try….

I used:

Water- 1 cup

Cinnamon - a small piece

Sugar to taste

Mixed nuts, chopped- 1 tablespoon

Put in water, cinnamon stick and sugar in a pan and heat. Simmer till the water turns light brown. Remove the cinnamon stick and pour into a cup. Serve topped with chopped nuts.

.

Bon appetit...

Algerian Cucumber Yogurt Soup

A cold soup from Algeria that needs no cooking and is delicious when served on a hot summer noon.

I used:

Cucumber-1

Plain yogurt- 2 cups

Garlic-2 cloves,minced

Ice water-1/2 a cup

Coriander leaves

Salt,pepper and chill powder to taste

1. Grate the cucumber[with the skin] into a bowl.
2. Add yogurt,garlic and coriander
3. Add salt and pepper and mix.
4. Chill for an hour.
5. Stir in ice water.Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding more water if required.
6. Pour into bowls and serve garnished with chilli powder and coriander leaves.
   

Note:

• You can use mint leaves instead of coriander leaves.
• You can even omit chilli powder .
  

This cool soup is off to AWED African hosted here.AWED is the brainchild of Divya who blogs @ Chef In You

Happy cooking...

Ethiopian Kahawa

When I signed up with Divya to host AWED –African, I immediately searched for African recipes and started making a collection of them. Usually when I want to try dishes from other cuisines, I start from beverages then soup and salads and later proceed to the complicated ones.

When I was looking for some beverage recipes, I chanced upon this kahawa .I read some interesting anecdotes which I would like to share here.

Long long ago, a Shepard noticed that his sheep were exceptionally lively after they ate a certain plant. Curious to know what the reason was,he tried it himself and found that it had the same effect on him!!!

Later the monks of the Ethiopian church consumed these leaves to stay alert /awake during their prayers.In these two cases the plant was taken as a food ie they either chewed beans or mixed the crusahed beans with some ingredients to make cakes.

After many very many years people in other parts –North eastern Africa,Arabia made fermented drinks with the bean and it came to be know by various names like Kawa, Kahwa, Kahwah, Gahwa, Guhwah, Kahawa .If you are still wondering what it is then I can tell you that it is nothing but our good old coffee!!!

This kahawa [coffee ] is rather strong so adjust the ground coffee bean powder to suit your taste.I am not sure if it will come out right with instant coffee.

I used:

Water-1 cup

Ground coffee powder – 1 teaspoon

Cardamom pod- 1 ,seeds separated

Ginger powder- ¼ teaspoon

Sugar to taste

Bring all the ingredients to boil in a pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes.Strain and sip.

I don’t think the traditional recipe uses sugar but I did coz as I said earlier the coffee was too strong for my taste.

Bon appetit...

African Vegetable Stew

This vegetable stew is a wonderful side dish to prepare when you are desperate to clean the contents of your refrigerator.Its also handy when u have very few vegetables and wondering what to prepare.Sounds intriguing?

Well,this is one such curry where you can throw in any vegetable and add a little coconut milk for extra flavor and you will find your folks begging you to make it often!!!!


I used:

Carrot-1/2
Red bell pepper-1
Green bell pepper-1
Beans-5 numbers
Peas-a handful
Boiled garbanzo -a handful
Tomato-1
Zucchini-1/2
Coconut milk-1 cup
Garlic-2 cloves
Onion-1
Cinnamon-a small piece
Cloves-2
Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Bay leaf-1
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

1. Chop all the vegetables into even sized pieces and microwave adding a little water on high for 5 minutes till almost done.[all vegetables except onion,garlic,tomato]
2. In a pan heat oil and add cumin,Cinnamon,cloves,bay leaves.
3. When it crackles add onion and garlic.
4. Saute till onion is translucent.
5. Put in tomato and cook till soft.
6. Put in cooked vegetables,coconut milk,boiled garbanzo beans,chilli powder,salt.
7. Adjust the consistency by adding a little water if required.
8. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes

Remove from flame and serve as a side dish garnished with coriander leaves....



Does this sound familiar??It ought to !!!Its very similar to South Indian Kurma!!!!

This flavorful stew is off to join the other dishes @ AWED African,an event started by dear Divya

Bon Appetit...