green peas

Main Meal

Ras kalaan

A vegetarian dish which is simple to cook and delicious to eat describes Ras Kalaan, which originates from the southern state of Kerala. In spite of not containing any onions, garlic, or ginger, it is yet so pleasing to the palate. In today’s recipe, I have added drumsticks, sweet potato, broccoli, and green peas. Normally, it is made using tubers like yam or potatoes. I like adding different vegetables to this, and at times have even used mushrooms, baby corn, etc. Do try this recipe, which comes together very quickly. Kalaan, a name which was so unfamiliar to me years ago, until I stumbled upon it by chance when South Indian food was a big mood with me. It was that particular year when I was cooking a lot of South Indian food. Having been born and brought up in India, I love the regional food which our great country has to offer. Back to the Kalaan, which is basically a Keralite preparation made with fresh coconut and yogurt. Its fresh and tangy taste is so refreshing, making you want to make it often. The ideal pairing for this vegetable is rice, though I prefer having it with a roti adai, rice flour roti, or paratha. Many of us have an image about South Indian food which probably consists of dosa, idli, uttapams, etc. Reality is that it is a vast platter of numerous dishes which delight the palate. So, on to the recipe. Feel free to replace any vegetables with your favourites 😊. Ingredients For Tempering Method

Main Meal

Sarson (Mustard) Paneer And Peas With Chilli Oil Kulcha

This recipe, which is a fusion recipe, combines the tanginess of mustard and the smoothness of coconut milk. East India merges with South India. Mustard is one of the most important spices in Bengali cooking. Whole mustard seeds or a paste of mustard seeds are happily incorporated into daily cooking, used liberally to coat fish and wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. I have also used panch phoran to temper this dish. Panch phoran is a combination of five spices. Mustard seeds, onion seeds or kalonji as they are called in Hindi, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and fennel seeds are mixed together and used whole to temper the oil in the beginning of the cooking process. The use of mustard oil here imparts a nice nutty flavour. I love using mustard oil, coconut oil or ghee in all my Indian cooking. These oils bring out the true regional flavours of dishes from all over India. The use of coconut milk in this recipe balances out the tartness of mustard and vinegar used. Paneer, or cottage cheese, is so widely used in India, more so in the western, northern and eastern states. We Indians love our paneer in different forms, paneer pakodas, shahi paneer, paneer parathas, paneer bhurji, rosgollas, or kalakhands. Most Indian gatherings or parties will surely have a paneer dish on their menu. I remember when my mom magically transformed curdled milk into a delectable sabji just by adding a paste of green chillies and coriander leaves and some garlic. Paneer has been very subtly introduced into the Chindian cuisine in place of tofu, paneer chilli fry and paneer Manchurian for example. My love for paneer started with a cold paneer sandwich which was served in Greenfields restaurant in Main Street way back in the seventies when I was a very young girl. This awesome sandwich had thin slices of paneer sprinkled with only salt and pepper, sandwiched between two slices of white bread, slathered with mayonnaise and topped with crisp lettuce. Sadly, this restaurant shut its doors long ago. Puneites will surely remember this restaurant fondly. Do try this recipe and serve it with chilli oil kulchas, the recipe of which I will be sharing here. Mustard Paneer in Coconut Milk Ingredients Panch Phoran Mix Mix and use as required. In this recipe I have used 1 tsp. Method Serve garnished with grated cheese and chopped coriander leaves. Chilli Oil Kulchas Ingredients Method

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