Happy Diwali! and a recipe for Fresh Figs with Lychee Honey – Nut Shrikhand

If you are looking to prepare some non-traditional, quick dessert this Diwali, here’s a refreshing guilt free dessert; Figs with Lychee Honey -Nut Shrikhand.

karale (कारळे) /Khurasni(खुरसणी)/ Niger seeds chutney and stuffed Bhindi/Okra

Every time I put a photo of the coming soon recipe on My Foodcourt’s FB page the ‘soon’ never happens. The past month has just zoomed past me (the entire half year for that matter!). Both the kids are back to school after a two month long vacation. The little one started going to her ‘new school’, she is very happy that she finally gets to go to her dada’s school 🙂

The  hot sultry summer has given way to a breezy-rainy weather. The Monsoon has also brought with it the much awaited new season’s of Masterchef Australia and White collar – lots of things to look up to; just like this chutney.

I have been meaning to make this chutney for many days but the easy availability of a readymade/mom-made chutney kept me from making it  till now.

The chutney that I am talking about is made from karale (कारळे) / Khurasni (खुरसणी) in Marathi or as I learned from Shruti on the FB page, they are known as Niger seeds in English. More on Niger seeds here.

The seeds are pound with garlic and red chilly powder to make a very tempting fiery chutney usually eaten with bhakri, Roti or hot rice. This chutney is also used as a filling for veggies like brinjal. I did not have brinjals and hence I added the chutney to the filling I made to stuff Bhindi/okra. The result was a fantyastic tasting spicy side dish. The lad kept asking for more and failed to notice the number of Rotis that went into his tummy. 🙂

Here’s the recipe for the Niger Seeds chutney:

1 cup from karale (कारळे) /Khurasni(खुरसणी) or Niger seeds

~ 10-12 garlic pods peeled (you may use less)

2 tsp red chilli powder (you can add more)

Salt to taste

Method:

Lightly roast the Niger seeds for 1-2 minutes (take care not to burn them)

Grind/ pound together all the ingredients to a dry chutney. I started by using a wooden morter and pestle but pounding the seeds to a fine powder was taking time so gave in and used the mixer.

Serve this with hot BhakriRoti/Rice preferably with a drizzle of groundnut oil.

Recipe for stuffed Okra with Niger seed chutney:

10-12 medium sized fresh and tender Bhindi/okra, washed, dried and slit lengthwise

2 tbsp oil

Juice of half a lemon/lime

Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

For the stuffing:

2 medium sized onions peeled and grated

½ cup roasted groundnut powder

4 tsp above Niger seeds chutney

2 tsp Kanda Lasoon masala (optional.I used my mom’s.)

Salt to taste.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for stuffing.

Stuff the okra with it.

Heat oil in a wide flat bottom nonstick pan. Add the stuffed bhindi carefully.

Cook for 3-4 minutes without stirring.

Stir carefully.

Cover and cook for the next 3-4 minutes. Add a few drops of lime juice and stir once.

Cook uncovered till done (not very soft or mushy ). If you have the time and the patience cook uncovered all the time stirring only occasionally.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Bhakri,Roti or Rice.

Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen has started a  series of photography exercises for amateur food photographers. See last month’s exercise for My Foodcourt here.

The theme for this month’s exercise was ‘Less is More’, which is currently my style of photography. The chutney as well as stuffed Okra/Bhindi  photos above was taken with this theme in mind.Keep it simple is currently my photography mantra too.

Thank you again Aparna for coming out with these simple but helpful themes for the exercise.

Spice it up 2

Sequel’s are in fashion in Bollywood and I don’t want to be left behind especially since most of the recent sequel’s have been hits!

This is a sequel to the Red Chili Chutney (Spice it up 1) –Red Chili Thecha (Spice it up 2)

The Protagonist is the same- Fiery Hot Red Chili Pepper, the treatment is a bit different and the leading lady J has changed!From the mildly flavoured,sweet Onion now it’s the strong flavoured and pungent Garlic.And since it is Garlic, I have roasted it before making the Thecha!

So here’s one more recipe Red Chili Thecha to spice up the Valentine’s Day!

3 Red Chili Peppers washed and stems removed

3-4 bulbs small fresh garlic bulbs (I have used fresh green garlic as shown in the photo alternatively you can use 5-6 garlic cloves

2 tsp lemon juice

Salt as per taste 

For the Tadka:

1tsp oil

½ tsp Mustard seeds 

Roast the Chili peppers directly on a low Flame.(Pierce a fork in each Pepper and Roast it.) Similarly Roast the Garlic bulbs.If you don’t have the patience to roast each Pepper and garlic bulb chop the peppers and garlic bulbs and roast them in a pan with 1 tsp oil.Cool the peppers and garlic.Pound together the Red pepper and garlic to a coarse paste adding salt as required using a mortar and pestle. You can also coarsely grind it in a mixer. I prefer the taste using Mortar and pestle.Remove the Thecha in a bowl and add lemon juice. Mix properly and add the Tadka. (Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds)

Mix well and serve with Bhakri or Paratha or Roti. This Thecha can stay upto 1 month if refrigerated but then who wants to keep it for a month! J

Spice It Up

Hot is the word you think of when you see a Red Cocktail Dress.

Hot is the word you think of when you see Red chili pepper!

Both Red hot and both irresistible. 🙂

Freshly cultivated Red peppers are available in plenty this season and like I said I cant resist the neatly stacked slender and juicy Red hot peppers in the Foodmart.

When I bought the peppers I wasn’t sure what I would be doing with them!Yesterday when I was making Dosa I wanted to make a quick hassle free Chutney to serve with it and I saw these Red peppers lounging in my fridge.I just picked up an onion, some of these Red Chili peppers and ground them together adding a little salt. For some more flavour I added a tadka (tempering) of mustard and Curry leaves.

Voilà – Fiery Hot Red pepper Chutney was ready in a jiffy!

For the Red Pepper Chutney you need

2-3 Fresh Red Chili peppers washed and roughly chopped (You can increase the number if you are brave enough!)

1 onion peeled and sliced

Salt as per taste

For the Tadka:

1tsp oil

½ tsp Mustard seeds

Few Curry leaves 

Grind together the chopped Peppers and sliced onions with some salt without adding any water.

Add the tadka (tempering)- Heat oil in a small pan add the mustard seeds and once they crackle add the curry leaves. Add this over the Red Chili Pepper chutney. Serve with Dosa or use for sandwiching bread slices.

Spice up your Valentine’s Day with this Red hot Red Pepper Chutney- Red’s the colour of this season!

Decorative Peppers

While browsing I found this beautiful photo of Chili peppers at Wikipedia

Chili peppers can also be used decoratively