Tuesday, March 29, 2011

My experiments with Slow cooker series - Cabbage Chanadal Curry (Cabbage Chenagapappu Koora)

Today's dish is cabbage chandal curry which can served with both rice and roti. Very easy dish, came out very well in my slow cooker.

My Cabbage was already cut the previous day, So it took me only about 5 mins to assemble it at around 9:30. I went to shopping and came back at 1:45. By that time, my curry was ready along with Rice cooked in Rice cooker.


Cabbage Chanadal Curry
Ingredients :
1/2 Cup ArharChana Dal(Chanaga Pappu)
1/2 Large Cabbage
1  Medium Onion
1 Tomato
1 Tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 Tsp Red Chilli powder
1 Tsp Dhaniya powder
1/2 Tsp Jeera Powder
1/4 Tsp  Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Whole Jeera
1/4 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
1/2 Cup of water

Take Microwave safe bowl, Add Oil, Jeera,Mustard seeds, Red chilli powder,Jeera powder,Daniya powder,Turmeric, Onion peices , Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 Tbsp water and microwave for about 2 mins. This will remove raw smell of the masalas.

Cut Cabbage and Tomoto. Add Chana dal, Cabbage,  Tomato and the microwaved masala, salt and water to Ceramic pot. Mix well and  put the slow cooker on High for 4 Hrs.

After 4 hours , the curry is ready to be served with Rice ,Roti.

Monday, March 28, 2011

My experiments with Slow cooker series - Chicken Soup

Today is one of those very cold and rainy days at our place. This calls for hot hot soup, so what better than chicken soup. Soups taste better when done in Slow cooker. Chicken is well cooked and is ready to fall of the bone.

This soup has been my son's favorite from the time he was very small. It has Chicken, vegetables and you can add some spaghetti/noodles if you like.You can increase spice in case you like it spicier.

Chicken Soup
Ingredients :
500 gms Chicken
1  Aloo
1 Medium Onion
1 Medium Capsicum
1 Carrot
1 Tomato
1 Cup Cabbage
1/4 cup spinach
3 whole green chillies
6 curry leaves
2 Tbsp Kothmir
1 Tbsp butter
1 Bay leaf
1 Inch Dalchini
4 Cloves
7-8 peppercorns
1 Tsp Jeera
1 Tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 Tsp Jeera powder
a pich of Turmeric
Salt to taste
3 1/2 Cups of water
Spaghetti /Noodles - Optional

Take a wide bottomed pan. Put butter. Add bay leaf,dalchini,cloves,peppercorns,jeera,curry leaves. Add chicken pieces,turmeric,ginger garlic paste and jeera powder, Let it roast on medium/high flame. Cut vegetables and add them to the pan as you go.

Give it a good stir and transfer the contents to slow cooker. Add whole green chillies, kothmir , salt and water. Now put the slow cooker on High for 4 Hrs.

If you want to add noodles or spaghetti, add in the last half an hour.

Serve hot with dinner rolls or baguette bread slices.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Simple Chingri Malai curry

Chingri malai curry is one of my favorite dish.I like spicy food, so I made changes to traditional version to make it spicy. This is a simpler version which uses ready made coconut milk as the coconut I bought turned out spoilt. I usually make the coconut milk myself and that recipe is slightly different than this.

Chingri Malai curry
Ingredients :
40 Small Prawns
1 Medium Onion
1 Bay leaf
1 Inch Dalchini
4-5 Cloves
10 Pepper corns
5 Green Chillies
a pinch of turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1/2 Tsp Jeera Powder
1 Tsp Dhania Powder
1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
400 ml canned Coconut milk
1/2 Cup water
2 Tbsp OIL
1 Tbsp Ghee
Preparation
Take a pan Saute the onions to take out the rawness and grind into paste along with 3 Green chillies.
Now add oil to the pan , add turmeric and slightly fry the prawns. Take them out.
In the same oil put bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns,dalchini and saute for a while.Put the onion chilli paste, remaining 2 whole chillies, Ginger Garlic paste,Jeera powder,Red chilli powder , Dhaniya powder and saute them until it starts leaving oil. Add little water if it sticks to pan.
Pour the coconut milk and water and let it simmer on slow flame for about ten minutes until it starts to leave oil on the sides. Now add fried prawns and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
 Before switching of the gas, add 1 Tbsp of ghee. Serve with hot rice. 

Saturday, March 26, 2011

My experiments with Slow cooker series - Dalma

Dalma is another Oriya/Bengali dish which my mom-in-law makes quite often. It is a good candidate for slow cooker.  This dish is Dal combined with many vegetables. We can use vegetables like Pumpkin, Drumstick, Baingan etc. Today I used, Gobi, Beens ,Alu and carrots. This is a good dish for kids which helps to sneak in some veggies along with dal.
Dalma
Ingredients :
1 Cup Arhar Dal(Toovar Dal)
6  Large Gobi florets
1  Aloo
6-7 Green Beans
1 Carrot
1 Tomato
5 whole green chillies
1 Tsp Ginger cut into small pieces
1 Bay leaf
2 Tsp Ghee
1 Tsp PanchPhoran(Kalonji,Methi,Jeera,Mustard,Fennel seeds mix)
2 Dried red Chillies
a pinch of Turmeric
Salt to taste
3 Cups of water

Cut Aloo, Carrot , Beans and Tomato into medium size pieces. Wash dal and place into Ceramic pot. Add Gobi , other cut vegetables and tomato. Add ginger, bay leaf,turmeric, Green chillies, salt and 3 cups of water.
Now put the slow cooker on High for 4 Hrs. After 4 hrs turn off the slow cooker and add tadka.
Tadka -  add paanchphoren , dry red chillies in Ghee and let it splutter. Add it to Dal.
Serve it with hot rice.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Shukto

Shukto is my husbands favorite and is a bengali speciality. As this dish calls for a variety of vegetables, I make this dish when my fridge is full of fresh vegetables just after my grocery shopping.

You can use any vegetable you like but bitter gourd (Karela) is essential. You can add fried  vadi(sun dried urad daal dumplings) which add a nice crunch to the dish. Below are the vegetables I used today.


                                                                    Final Dish





Shukto

Ingredients :

1 Big Aloo
Few florets of Gobi
1 small baingan
1/2 Plantain
4 Parwal
6 Green Beens
1/4 Lauki
3 Bhindi
1 Drumstick
1 Karela
4 Tbsp Oil
1 Bay leaf
a pinch of turmeric Powder
2 green chillies
1/4 Tbsp Jeera Powder
1/4 Tbsp Dhania Powder
1/4 Tbsp Red CHilli Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp black Mustard seeds
1 Tbsp khuskhus (Posto,Gasagasalu)
1/2 Tbsp PanchPhoran(Kalonji,Methi,Jeera,Mustard,Fennel seeds mix)
Salt to taste
2 1/2 Cups water
Mustrad & Khuskhus paste
Soak mustard seeds in warm water for about 2 hrs and grind it with little water to form a smooth paste. Add some more water and strain it to remove the husk.
Soak khuskhus in warm water  for about 2 hrs and grind it with little water to form a smooth paste. It is quite difficult to grind 1 Tbsp of Khuskhus, so I usually grind  2 Tbsp and use 1/2 of it here.

Preparation
Cut all the vegetables. Arrange them in a bake tray, sprinkle 1 TBSP of oil  and a pinch of turmeric on them and grill at 500 degree for 10 minutes. I had to do two batches. I used to fry the vegetables earlier but it took too much oil, so switched to grilling.

Now put  2Tbsp of oil in cooking dish , Add bay leaf,panchphoran, let it splutter for a sec or 2. Add Green chillies, Red chilli powder, Jeera Powder and Dhania powder. Saute it for 3,4 seconds. Add khushus and Mustard pastes and saute it for few more seconds. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and salt. Once it comes upto a boil add all vegetables except Gobi and Karela. Cover and let it simmer till all the vegetables are done.Add more water if needed. Now add Gobi flowrets and let it simmer for few more minutes. Add Karela ,turn off the stove. Add urad daal vadi if you have.
Serve hot with rice.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

My experiments with Slow cooker series - Aloo Gobi ki Sabzi


Today I wanted to make Aloo Gobi with an 8hr setting. You can start it in the morning and come back in the evening to a fully cooked Sabzi and wonderful aroma from your kitchen. 

Aloo Gobi ki Sabzi.
Ingredients :

1/2 Medium Gobi
1 Big Aloo
a pinch of turmeric Powder
4 Slit green chillies
1 1/2 Tbsp Oil
1/4 Tsp Jeera Powder
1 Tsp Dhania Powder
1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Small onion
1/4 Cup Water
Salt to taste

Take A microwave safe bowl, add Oil,Onion Pieces, Ginger Garlic paste,Turmeric,Jeera Powder, Dhania Powder and 1Tbsp of water. Microwave it for 2 Minutes . This will take away raw smell of masala.

Cut Aloo ,Gobi. Place Aloo First,Gobi and Microwaved masala, Salt and water in the Ceramic pot. Give a light stir. Now put the slow cooker on Low for 8 Hrs. Turn off the cooker and Serve it hot with Roti when ready to eat.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

My experiments with Slow cooker series - Parwal Aloo Sabzi

I read about Slowcooker/Crockpot in a parents forum I follow,  I always wanted to try it. So when Walmart had a very small Slow cooker thier Thanksgiving Sale , I baught it without a blink and started my Slow cooker journey.

I have tried Chicken ,Dal and Wet and Dry sabzi's in It, Till now it has been going great. So I thought to chornical them in a blog for my future use and to anyone lookign for saving some time in thier routine.

It is boon for the woman when they are running low on time. I work full time, So this means, I have atleast one hot curry ready when I get home.

Today I tried making a dry sabzi.

Here it goes......

Parwal and Alu ki Sabzi.

Ingredients :

200 Grms Parwal
1 Big Aloo
1 Tomato
1 1/2 Tbsp Oil
a pinch of turmeric Powder
3/4 Tsp Red chilli Powder
1/4 Tsp Jeera Powder
1 Tsp Dhania Powder
1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Small onion
A little less than 1/2 Cup Water
Salt to taste

Cut the vegitables,Onion, Tomoto. Mix all the ingredients in the Ceramic pot ,add water. Prep done in less than 10 minutes.

Now put the slow cooker on High for 4 hrs. Thats it.Will put the picture later.

Looking forward to add more recipies as I go and get maximum out of my Slow cooker.