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Korean Beef stir-fry

August 13, 2015 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

What is one to do when left with a gorgeous cut of meat? Well other than eat it as is, would have been delicious given the meat in question was a 300 gm rump of steak with a fabulous chimichurri sauce. But I had other plans for the leftover steak. ( Where did I order this gorgeous steak? It was at CAU in Blackheath where I was invited for an Argentinian Street Food Masterclass where I learnt how to make empanadas and sampled some amazing authentic Argentinian cuisine. CAU group of restaurants is raising funds for the charity Action Against Hunger with the launch of #CAUnival a month-long celebration of  ‘Friend’s Day’ or Dia do Amigo. Read all about it here )

The thought of a spicy Korean beef stir fry served with a comforting bowl of rice was very appealing. I wanted to ensure that I made the most of the succulent medium-rare cooked beef and gave the vegetables just the right amount of flavour without any flavour overpowering the already moreish chimichurri dressing.

Korean Beef Stir Fry

Korean Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients:

  • 250 gm beef  (in this case I used leftovers from a medium-rare cooked steak with a chimichurri sauce)
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp Chimmichuri dressing
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 a red Thai chilli
  • 250 gm of vegetables – carrots sliced into ribbons, green beans, bok choy
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • Chopped fresh spring onion to garnish
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • Salt to taste
Argentinian Lomito Steak with Chimichurri

Argentinian Lomito Steak with Chimichurri

Method:

  • Slice the beef thinly and set aside soaking in the chimichurri dressing. The chimichurri contains paprika, garlic, parsley, tangy vinegar and oil. Packed with favour this Argentinian steak sauce pairs surprisingly well with the spicy Korean flavours of the stir fry. If you are serving the Korean beef stir fry with steamed rice then leave it to cook before starting on the beef, so that it is ready soon after the beef is done.
  • Remove the skin from the garlic cloves.
  • Heat the sesame oil in a large wok and fry the garlic cloves in the hot oil until it just begins to brown. Sprinkle the dried red chilli flakes into the hot oil.
Garlic,red chilli and dried chilli flakes in sesame oi

Garlic, red chilli and dried chilli flakes in sesame oil

  • Then add the chopped red chilli and add the carrots followed the beans, allow them to cook ensuring the vegetables still have a bite in them. Stir in the soy sauce and season with a little salt. (Light soy sauce has less salt content that’s why I generally prefer it over dark soy sauce)
  • Remove the vegetables and set aside in a bowl with a lid.
  • Then add the sliced beef into the wok and stir fry on heat for under a minute as the beef is already almost cooked.
  • Now reduce the heat to a minimum and add in the vegetables, add the bok choy and drizzle the chimichurri sauce over this. Mix everything well together.
Mixing the vegetables and the stir fried beef

Mixing the vegetables and the stir-fried beef

  • Remove from the wok and serve with the steaming hot sticky rice. Garnish with chopped spring onion for a fresh, crunchy garnish.
Korean Beef Stir Fry

Korean Beef Stir Fry

Filed Under: Food, Meat, Recipe Index Tagged With: bok choy, Chimmichuri dressing, Chopped fresh spring onion, classic Argentinian steak, fusion recipe korean and Argentinian, garlic, Korean Beef stir-fry, Korean Beef stir-fry with lomito steak and chimichurri, Korean Beef stir-fry with steamed rice, korean recipe, light soy sauce, Lomito with chimichurri, oil, paprika, parsley, Red chilli flakes, red Thai chilli, sesame oil, tangy vinegar, travels for taste, travels for taste cooks, travels for taste is a food and travel blog based in London

Vangyache Bharit- वांग्याचे भरीत (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

January 27, 2014 by manjirichitnis 20 Comments

I have noticed that I have become a bit more inclined towards celebrating festivals after coming to London, maybe it is out of being homesick during festive times and also to ensure that I remember the traditions involved I guess. ‘Makar Sankrant’ is a Hindu festival celebrated by my community ”Maharashtrians” with great pomp and enthusiasm as it heralds the season of Harvest. Similar to this festival is Lohri which is celebrated by the Punjabis in the North of India, Pongal in the state of Tamil Nadu, Uttaryan in the state of Gujrat. One festival so many names and so varied ways of celebrating! It is not only in India that this festival is celebrated it’s also welcomed in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos amongst others!

My mother always used to make a smoked aubergine vegetable dish called Vangyache Bharit – written in Marathi as – वांग्याचे भरीत on Makar Sankrant so I decided to make it too for Sankrant this year which was on the 14th of Jan’14. We also exchange small ladoos made of sesame seeds and jaggery called ”Tilache Ladoo” and wish each other by saying तिळगुळ घ्या गोड गोड बोला -‘Tilgul ghya god bola. It means that we shall forget and forgive any past bitter exchange of words and start afresh with this sweet offering and only speak sweet words of love. Til stands for sesame and Gul stands for jaggery in Marathi, so TilGul means a sweet made using sesame and jaggery as the main ingredients

The recipe is modified in various regions of the state of Maharashtra and also the variety of vanga/eggplant/aubergine or brinjal as we know it in urban India, is different in various parts of the state and in various states of India, of course differing due to climate and soil. Aai ( meaning Mother in the Marathi language – my mother tongue) always looked for the light green vanga or eggplant with white stripes on its skin which she rightly said tastes way better than its darker purple-skinned cousin.

Aai’s recipe which I will share now is how we have always made this dish at home. There are several variations and styles depending on which part of Maharashtra you hail from and also various sub-cultures and availability of local ingredients and palates.I guess what makes this recipe so special is that it brings back happy memories of childhood, festivity, celebration and the unmistakable smoky and rich vanga (eggplant/aubergine) taste with the crunchy red onion and a slap of hot spicy green chilli mixed in between, all balanced so well with the various masalas that go into this bharit Ummm!

 bi_makar_08_dec_26_162509

Image Credit WebDunia

Vangyache Bharit- वांग्याचे भरीत (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

Traditional Indian Smoked Aubergine dish
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 portions

Equipment

  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Chopping Board
  • 1 Tongs
  • 1 non-stick heavy bottom saucepan with lid

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Large vanga/baingan/eggplant/aubergine
  • 1 Large Red Onion
  • 3 Green Chillies
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tsp Cumin / Jeera
  • 2 tsp Garam Masala
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Hing / Asafoetida
  • 1.5 tsp Turmeric
  • 1.5 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • Fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Roast the eggplant on a gas hob over a naked flame, completely turning it on the side and moving it up and down so you don’t miss any bits. Refer to my recipe notes if you would prefer to do this in the oven or on a BBQ.
  • Allow this to cool and then charred skin will come off easily.
  • Roughly mash the aubergine using a fork.
  • Finely chop one large red onion.
  • Remove the skin from the garlic cloves, place garlic and green chillies into a mortar pestle and ground into a rough paste.
  • Heat the saucepan and add oil, when the oil is hot, add asafoetida. Then add the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter, then add the cumin.
  • Now add the garlic and green chillies, chopped red onion and cook on low heat until the onions sweat.
  • Then add the red chilly powder, turmeric and garam masala and stir well, follow it up with the smoked aubergine.
  • Mix well and cook until done.
  • Garnish with finely chopped coriander/cilantro.
Keyword Bharit

IMG_6465 (Copy)

Recipe Notes

  • The beauty of this dish lies in the deep and rich smoky flavour of the eggplant, I would love to use charcoals and do this bit on an open rustic fire but well I make do with my hob. You could use the oven but it will take much longer but directly on the hob – though a bit messy, it’s quicker!
  • While roasting the aubergine on the hob ensure you monitor it closely and use tongs to turn it over. Cooking over a flame on a gas hob directly should be done very carefully. Use the overhead extractor fan so that the smoke does not set off your fire alarm.
  • For oven cooking, make some cuts in the aubergine using a sharp knife, rub lightly with some oil and wrap tightly with foil and place on a baking tray, and roast in a preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes at 180-degree celsius. Allow to cool completely before unwrapping and peeling off the skin.
  • My Aai does not add tomatoes to this dish and at times uses some Goda masala as well as it has dry grated coconut which can really alter the taste. Many people add chopped tomatoes.
  • Serve with hot rotis or steamed rice and dal.
  • We also enjoy this cold, cool completely, and serve it with a generous helping of set curd/ yoghurt.
IMG_6467 (Copy)
  • Mash with your hands in a smooth mass of soft cooked, smoked eggplant.
IMG_6477 (Copy)

IMG_6472 (Copy)

IMG_6482 (Copy)
Vangyache Bharit- ????????? ???? (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

LEARN HOW TO COOK WESTERN COASTAL INDIAN CUISINE FROM THE C.K.P COMMUNITY WITH MY EASY-TO-FOLLOW RECIPES.

FIND BELOW A LIST OF INDIAN RECIPES ON MY BLOG, SOME TRADITIONAL, SOME FUSION, AND MANY REGIONAL FAVOURITES!

  • Fresh dill and yellow moong daal recipe
  • Goda sheera/ sooji ka halwa/ Indian dessert
  • CKP Surmai curry
  • Pompfret fry
  • Konbichi khichadi – Prawn khichadi
  • Valache Birdhe – (वालाचे बिरडे) – MADE IN A TYPICAL C.K.P WAY
  • Kairi Panhe/ Aam ka panha – Raw mango summer drink
  • Cauliflower- vatana bhaji – cauliflower and green peas vegetarian side dish
  • Podhnichi khichadi
  • Akkha masoor aamti CKP style / Whole red lentils with skin curry recipe
  • Achari Mutton curry
  • Spicy Chicken curry
  • Egg curry
  • Kadhi – fusion of Punjabi and Gujrati kadhi recipes with vadi’s
  • Upma
  • Gujrati Kadhi
  • Shahi Khichadi
  • Sweetcorn and paneer bhaji/sabzi (vegetable side dish)
  • Tomato and coconut chutney
  • Steamed Idli batter
  • Ragi (Finger Millet) and blueberry pancakes
  • Masala egg omlette
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Tikka masala curry paste
  • Tawa chicken Frankie roll
  • Chai concentrate
  • Grated carrot salad
  • Strawberry flavoured shrikhand

Filed Under: Food, Indian, Recipe Index, Sides Tagged With: Baingan ka Bharta, Cambodia, chop, cilantro, coriander, eat healthy, garlic, green chillies, Gujrat, Happy Makar Sankrant 2014, Lohri, maharashtra, Makar Sankrant, Marathi, mash, Nepal, oil, Punjab, puree, recipes from India, red chilli powder, roast, salt, saute, smoke, Smoked Aubergine dish, Sri Lanka, toast, traditional Indian recipes, traditional maharashtrian recipe, turmeric, Uttarayan, Vangyache Bharit, vegetarian indian recipe, vegetarian marathi recipe, तिळगुळ घ्या गोड गोड बोला, वांग्याचे भरीत

Tasty Fish Dish in £1 – ready in 10 minutes – Raising awareness about extreme poverty and hunger

September 23, 2013 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

Hearty home-made fish dinner on a tight budget? Yes, it is possible!

Recently, I read about living below a line challenge. The challenge is to feed your family by spending not more than £1 a day for 5 days. Why? To help put conservation around poverty into perspective. How the world views hunger, extreme poverty and issues related to poverty is an important conversation to have. For example, reading a hard-hitting fact like this one helped me understand how bad the issue of global hunger really is – ‘Hunger kills more than aids, malaria and tuberculosis combined’.

Please do visit The Hunger Project website to read about the challenge in detail. You can also donate, help fundraiser and do your bit to help end world hunger. World Hunger Day is on the 28th of May.

This recipe is basically to support some blogger friends who along with their families which includes their young children took up this tough challenge. But honestly, if someone told me I could make a fish main in £1 I would laugh aloud and make them a cup of tea to help them feel normal again. But trust me on this one you really can make a very delicious side dish and serve it with a spicy rice main for 2 adults for 2 main meals. Yes, it is possible to be thrifty and yet feed your family for less without compromising on taste.

When my friend S told me the easy-peasy recipe I just had to buy myself a pack from my new fav supermarket. This is probably the easiest recipe for a side dish ever.

Total prep time: Under 10 minutes Serves:2 adults as a side for 2 main meals

Ingredients:

  • Sprat Fish pack – contains about 20-25 fishes and costs around 90p to 95p
  • Turmeric powder 1 tsp
  • Red Chilli Powder -1.5tsp
  • 2 small hot green chillies sliced in a slant
  • Salt to taste
  • a pinch of Asafoetida
  • Oil – 2 tsp
  • 4 tsp Colmans Mustard
  • 1 tsp hot BBQ Mustard – don’t worry if you don’t have this just add half a teaspoon of paprika to 1 tsp of any mustard that you have lying around and mix half tsp of  BBQ sauce into this for a smoky flavour.

IMG_4734 with text

Recipe:

  • Wash the fish well under tap water and handle gently as it’s a small delicate creature and needs some fawning over but hey not much fuss I tell ya! But its all worth it because even my hubby apprehension that this fish has loads of tiny bones were all gone as he clicked his fingers after the meal 🙂
  • Heat a saucepan and  add 1sp oil, add asafoetida and the turmeric powder and salt and then the washed Sprat fish
  • Gently sautee them for about 1 minute or until you see the skin start to come off, don’t overdo it as they need to cook with the mustard in the next step.

Sprat has been sauteed

  • Remove the fish into a clean bowl and in the same sauce on a very low flame add another tsp oil, both the mustards pastes, chopped green chillies, red chilli powder and then the fish.
  • As it is a delicate fish it will cook quickly and as it does the big bone that runs lengthwise inside this tiny fish will be easy to remove and so you can get the head off to, I am not squeamish but my husband is and he refuses to eat the eyes but they are supposed to be packed with iron and fish itself is high on Omega 3 fatty acids, the good stuff your body needs. Mothers who breastfeed and consume fish are said to help give the baby better eyesight which is due to the high content Omega 3 fatty acids. Not only that as this recipe contains turmeric it has a heap of health benefits especially the fact that it helps people struggling to cope with psoriasis. If anyone has seen that episode of The Food Hospital on Channel 4 where a young mother and her son struggled with psoriasis, one of the big changes that they did to their diet was adding turmeric to even stuff like scrambled eggs.
  • A word here about the Le Range Mesurier BBQ Mustard, it’s one of the few things I purchased at the Cake & Bake Show 2013 apart from the sweet stuff. I also got a jar of zesty lime mayo from the same brand, they had a super offer of 4 jars at a great price!
  • I slant the green chillies slanted just because it looks posh 🙂
  • Ok, so I managed to remove most of the big middle bone with the heads and the fish cooks very easily in under 3 minutes.
  • Add a small helping of very finely chopped coriander for garnish.
  • Serve hot with steaming hot rice or khichadi, click here for a posh khichadi recipe from one of my older posts.
  • Do leave comments below and let me know what you thought of this recipe!

Sprat fish side is ready to serve!

I am entering this dish into a wonderful linky challenge called £1 or less recipe challenge started by Michelle Rice who blogs at Utterly Scrummy , with so much fresh and yummy fish made into a delicious dish and served with plain steamed rice its a thrifty budget dream dish full of flavour and ready without too much of labouring in the kitchen. Do link up and help spread the good cheer around in times of gloom when many families are struggling to make ends meet and feeding families with healthy food on a shoestring budget is a very real challenge for many.

one pound or less logo

Tasty Fish Dish in £1 – ready in 10 minutes !

Filed Under: Food, Recipe Index, seafood Tagged With: breast feeding mothers, Brit Mums, Channel 4, child safe food, easy, easy-peasy, eat well for less money, England, fish, food that is good for you, green chilly, health benefits of turmeric, healthy recipe, improve eyesight, kitchen karma, london, low oil recipes, non oily, non spicy, oil, omega-3 fatty acids, one pound fish, one pound fish dish, PSORIASIS, psoriasis treatments, quick, ready in under 20 minutes, recession proof cooking, salt, save moeny, side dish under £1, sprat, The Food Hospital, turmeric, U.K, wiki, wikipedia

C.K.P Valache Birdhe (वालाचे बिरडे) – Field bean curry

September 22, 2013 by manjirichitnis 19 Comments

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry – a Regional delicacy from the state of Maharashtra, West coast of India

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry, is an extremely popular bean gravy and has helped soothe many aching hearts and settle ruffled feathers after long gruelling work days.I managed to procure a few packets of these beautiful field beans with brown skin after a lot of searching!Hubs goes completely mental at the mere mention of this dish and insisted on me uploading the recipe and help all the other hungry hubbies out there..ahem ..so without further ado ladies and gents I present to you yummyscrummy recipe.

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

वालाचे बिरडे

ThisValache Birdhe or field beans curry recipe is a typical C.K.P way of making a rather traditional legume curry. Vaal or kadve vaal (kadve meaning bitter in Marathi) are generically referred to as Field Beans in English.

Traditional regional cuisine and a beautiful heirloom C.K.P recipe

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

Manjiri Chitnis
Hieloom recipe from the CKP community from the western coast of Maharashtra, India
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 d
Cook Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Pan to cook the curry
  • Blender to make a paste from the garted coconut
  • Kitchen cloth to tie up beans for sporuting

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 Cup Vaal/ Field Beans – soaked, sprouted and skin removed – takes a few days
  • 3 -4 Cloves Lasun/Garlic with skin
  • 1 pinch Hing/Asafoetida
  • 1 Kanda/Red onion – one small finely chopped for the pan
  • 2 -3 tsp Dried Kokum 2 pieces or Tamarind (Chinch/ Imli) -tamarind paste OR dried tamarind soaked in water -remove the pips and use the gooey thick bits
  • 1/2 tsp Jaggery
  • 1 tiny pinch Mohri/Mustard Seeds
  • 1 Pinch Cumin/Jeera
  • 1.5 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Laal Mirchi / Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Halad / Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Jeere/Cumin powder
  • 1/2 fistful Fresh Coriander finely chopped to garnish
  • 3 – 4 tbsp Grated coconut paste * see notes
  • Salt as per taste

Instructions
 

  • Soak the Vaal overnight, change the water in the morning and by evening if they appear puffed then wrap them in a damp cloth and set aside in a vessel with a lid to create an environment warm enough to allow them to sprout
  • Remove sprouted vaal into a bowl and pour like warm water on them, stir with your palms to loosen the skin and many will float to the top, decant the water and remove all the rest of the skins and discard
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and dust some asafoetida and throw in the mustard and cumin.
  • When the cumin seeds begin to pop, throw in the garlic with their skin on and smashed to flatten them and as they turn colour and release their aroma, add the chopped onion.
  • When the onion turns a delicate pink add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and then add the vaal/field beans.
  • Now add the turmeric, red chilli, coriander and cumin powders and quickly stir in enough water to cover the beans
  • On a low flame cook with lid
  • When the vaal is almost done, add the jiggery, coconut paste and the tamarind paste or the water from the dried tamarind which has been soaked or dried kokum soaked in water and when the vaal are done add salt and garnish with finely chopped coriander.
  • Valache Birdhe or field beans curry is best enjoyed with steaming hot rice
Keyword Vaal
Vaalache Birdhe with text resized
Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

Food pairing

This Valache Birdhe or field beans curry is a delicacy pairs best with a portion of pressure-cooked rice of the Ambemohar variety, Basmati will do too. Always remember, a generous dollop of home-made sajuk tup or pure ghee is a must.

Stages of Vaal sprouting in photos

Sprouting of Vaal or field beans
Sprouted Vaal / Field Beans
Close-up – Sprouted Vaal or Field Beans

Notes:

  • Grated coconut paste: made by running fresh grated coconut or frozen grated coconut through a mixer/blender. Add 1 green chilli and 1 clove of garlic. My Aai (mum in Marathi) also prefers to also add 1/2 a finely chopped red onion which has been tossed on a pan with the coconut and green chilli – must admit it lends a toasty warmth to the gravy but I skip this step simply because the I compensate for it by using the onion in the pan!
  • Making Chinche cha kool ( usually, a block of tamarind is available packaged in any well-stocked Indian grocery store here in London, if not major spice brands now do tamarind paste in a bottle, find these online or any leading supermarket) – remove some in a bowl – add lukewarm water and gently ease the flesh of the tamarind loose from the seed. Use this thick mix to add to the curry. If you have fussy eater then maybe you want to strain this before adding into the curry. I would avoid straining as the gara – the thick flesh of the tamarind – is flavour packed so embrace it – fibres and all. 🙂
Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

I do know this process for cooking Valache Birdhe or field beans curry, sounds rather labor-intensive and complex but believe you me, its easy-peasy, and the main bit of hard work is only getting rid of the field bean skins.

Do leave me a comment of you make this dish and also any variations to the recipe that you may have heard of, any anecdotes, happy memories are always welcome. And if you do cook to my recipe do snap a picture of your creations and use the hashtag #travelsfortasteblogrecipe and share it to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and I will re-post it.

Bon Appe’tit !

P.S: coming soon a Valachi Khichadi ( Field Beans Pulav) recipe that’s another firm family fav!

Learn how to cook western coastal Indian cuisine from the C.K.P community with my easy to follow recipes.

Find below a list of Indian recipes on my blog, some traditional, some fusion, and many regional favourites!

  • Fresh dill and yellow moong daal recipe
  • Goda sheera/ sooji ka halwa/ Indian dessert
  • CKP Surmai curry
  • Pompfret fry
  • Konbichi khichadi – Prawn khichadi
  • Vaangayche Bharit/ Smoked stuffed Aubergine ( Eggplant/Brinjal) in a thick gravy/ Baingan ka bharta
  • Valache Birdhe – (वालाचे बिरडे) – MADE IN A TYPICAL C.K.P WAY
  • Kairi Panhe/ Aam ka panha – Raw mango summer drink
  • Cauliflower- vatana bhaji – cauliflower and green peas vegetarian side dish
  • Podhnichi khichadi
  • Akkha masoor aamti CKP style / Whole red lentils with skin curry recipe
  • Achari Mutton curry
  • Spicy Chicken curry
  • Egg curry
  • Kadhi – fusion of Punjabi and Gujrati kadhi recipes with vadi’s
  • Upma
  • Gujrati Kadhi
  • Shahi Khichadi
  • Sweetcorn and paneer bhaji/sabzi (vegetable side dish)
  • Tomato and coconut chutney
  • Steamed Idli batter
  • Ragi (Finger Millet) and blueberry pancakes
  • Masala egg omlette
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Tikka masala curry paste
  • Tawa chicken Frankie roll
  • Chai concentrate
  • Grated carrot salad
  • Strawberry flavoured shrikhand
A typical C.K.P meal

Filed Under: C.K.P recipes, Curry - Vegetarian, Food, Indian, Recipe Index, Vegetarian Tagged With: asfoetida, C.K.P kitchen recipes, C.K.P recipes, coconut, coriander powder, cumin, eat, field beans, fresh, fresh coriander, grated, green chilli, Indian Food, Indian recipes, jeera, kokum, konkani food, Maharastrian food, Marathi, mohri, mustard, oil, pan, red chilli powder, saucepan, sautee, season, seeds, tamarind, traditional marathi recipes, turmeric powder, vaal, vaalache birdhe, yum

Grated Carrot salad

August 6, 2013 by manjirichitnis 4 Comments

This simple salad is a favourite at my mum’s .You can impress your guests with this simple and quick recipe that would look like you have really slaved to get it right. Nothing better I say 😉

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes including the grating

You will need:

  • 3 fresh medium-sized organic carrots
  • 1 tsp small size black mustard seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon oil
  • 1 Large heaped tbsp Chobani Blood Orange yogurt

Method:

  • Peel and grate the carrots after beheading them – Ha! I wanted to write that just to reinforce the morbid tone here that the word ‘’Blood Orange’’ .Wonder why such a delicious fruit has such a murderous sounding name 😉
  • Heat 1 tsp oil in a saucepan and pop in the mustard seeds and the finely chopped green chilli
  • When the mustard seeds begin to explode like miniature heat bombs, add the grated carrot and stir lightly.
  • Add salt to taste and take off the heat. We don’t want to overcook the carrot here and need to ensure it stays nice and crunchy!
  • Serve in small portions with a large blob of the yogurt on top ensuring you use a spoon that goes to the BOTTOM of the pot of yogurt as the fruity bit and heavenly fruity yogurt likes at the BOTTOM of these pots, like a secret hidden treasure, ummm!

I hope you enjoy making these FAT free yogurt recipes and feel good about lowering the overall calorie count of these dishes.

Grated Carrot Salad with Chobani Blood Orange Yogurt

Filed Under: Food, Indian, Product Reviews, Recipe Index, Sides Tagged With: carrots, cumin seeds, easy salad recipe, eat healthy, Grated Carrot salad recipe, Grated Carrot salad with Chobani Blood Orange Yogurt recipe, healthy low cal salad, Indian cuisine, Indian Food, indian food blog, oil, salt, totally fat free, zero % fat

Sun Dried Tomato and Chilli Spiced Bread

June 5, 2013 by manjirichitnis 5 Comments

It’s amazingly sunny this week and my spirits are up so I decided to make some  spiced bread with sun dried tomatoes and chilli, it turned out so yum I want to gobble it all up! This bread is a very filling,wholesome bread and is great for mopping up a thick gravy or having perfectly scrambled eggs with asparagus sprigs a dollop of butter – ah – sounds heavenly, my breakfast tomorrow for sure!

The oil from the sun dried tomatoes and the oil that goes in dough and really adds to the taste. It takes some kneading as I don’t own a bread maker (yet !) and didn’t really want to get into the hassle of trying the dough function on my food processor, still if you do possess one the bread bread dough tools, good for you!Recipe adaptation from here

Considering it was my first ever homemade bread, it turned out really nice, bursting with aroma and rich flavours and am now prepared to move on to well more bread making!

Ingredients:

  • 500 gm strong bread flour
  • 25 gm butter
  • Sun dried tomatoes and chillies about a large spoonfull
  • A sachet yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 280 ml water at room temperature
  • Plain white flour for kneading
  • Oil from the chillies and tomato
  • Oil to grease loaf tin
  • Cling Film

Method:

  • Sift the flour and add the yeast salt and sugar with a wooden spoon.
  • Ensure butter is soft and rub in the butter with your hands till the mix looks like breadcrumbs.
  • Add the finely chopped sun dried tomatoes and chillies and some of the oil and mix well.
  • Now add the water slowly, folding it using a wooden or plastic spatula and then knead to make the dough.Keep kneading till a soft dough forms, fold in some oil and plain flour as and when needed.It will take about 15 minutes, yes I know but its worth it!
  • While kneading use the same process as you would while kneading chapati/roti aata , kneading out from center and then folding sides back into the center.
  • Cover in cling film and coat with some more oil. Leave to rise for about 2 hours in  a warm and dry place.
  • Now remove the cling film and knead the risen dough again at least for 8-10 minutes, you will notice that the dough will loose air and will almost go back to its original size.Its like mini air pockets getting tiny punches with your hands.
  • Repeat the cling film process and leave to rise for 30 minutes in a loaf tin in a warm place.
  • Preheat oven to 210 degrees , I have a fan oven,bake for 25 minutes,to ensure it’s well risen.
  • Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then on the wire rack.
  • Serve sliced and enjoy with curries as a great alternative to regular wholemeal bread or as I plan to tomorrow with soft, perfectly done runny scrambled eggs, thinly sliced ham and asparagus sauteed in butter!

IMG_2792 (Copy)

Filed Under: Baking, Breads, Food, Recipe Index Tagged With: asparagus, butter, dough, easy bread recipe, fan oven, finely chopped, food blogger, knead, light, loaf tin, oil, oven, quick and easy bread recipe, recipe, rich flavours, salt, scarmbled eggs, sliceoffme, spicy bread recipe, sugar, sun dried tomato and chilli bread, tasty, warm, yeast, yummy

Simple Pasta with Homemade PESTO

September 5, 2012 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

This is again one of those recipes that has languished in my draft folder collecting virtual cobwebs for pete’s sake!

I even had a lot of positive response on Facebook when I uploaded a battered looking pic to my Facebook foodie album  ”Food and how much I love it” 🙂

So here’s to finally sharing it on my blog,yay,cheers !Bring on the bubbly…err ok

Here’s what you will need:

  1. Fusili enough for 2 people
  2. Fresh basil one small bunch
  3. Olive Oil 2 teaspoons
  4. 2-3 Garlic Cloves
  5. Pine Nuts
  6. Salt to taste
  7. 2 medium-sized potatoes skinned and sliced
  8. French Beans about a handful

Method:

  1. For the pesto – Mix the Fresh basil , olive oil,pine nuts ,fresh garlic cloves 2-3, salt and green chillies to taste,give them a spin in the mixie ,all done!
  2. Boil the fusilli in water and salt to taste with the beans , when it’s almost done add the potatoes.
  3. Mix the pesto once the pasta and veggie mix is boiled and excess water has been drained.
  4. Grate some mozzarella and serve!
  5. Top tip from readers of this recipe was to replace the mozzarella with parmesan for lesser calories 🙂

Filed Under: Food, Quick and Easy, Recipe Index, Vegetarian Tagged With: basil, french beans, fusili, mozzarella, nuts, oil, olive, pine, potato, salt

Cauliflower ani vatanyachi bhaji, Gobi Vatana Sabzi, Cauliflower side dish with green peas

September 5, 2012 by manjirichitnis 8 Comments

Cauliflower green peas Sabzi

I love cauliflower as a vegetable for its taste and sheer possibilities in the kitchen, my fav everyday vegetable to be eaten with chapatis is a mix of cauliflower and green peas in a spicy, semi-dry sabzi form. I used biryani masala to add a twang to my usual taste and the result was worth sharing:)

फ्लॉवर वाटाणा मसाला भाजी

Skill level beginner, basic

Serves :2 with rotis and curd to make a light meal

Cauliflower and Green peas Masala Sabzi

Manjiri Chitnis
Easy, delicious vegetarian sabzi, an everday dish in a Maharashtrian home
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Kadhai or Work or saucepan
  • Chopping Board
  • Sharp Knife
  • Spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium-sized Cauliflower
  • 4 tbsp Green peas
  • 1 pinch Asafoetida/hing
  • 1-2 Red Onions very finely sliced
  • 3 – 4 Curry leaves
  • 2 Green chillies
  • 2 tbsp Biryani masala
  • 1/2 Red juicy tomato
  • 1 tsp Ginger paste
  • 2 cloves Garlic very finely sliced
  • 2 tsp Oil for tadka
  • 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1/4 Cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp each of Turmeric n Red Chilli powders
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Jeera Powder
  • Few Sprigs Fresh Coriander leaves finely chopped to garnish
  • 1 tsp Lime Juice

Instructions
 

  • Heat cooking oil in a Kadhai/wok/ saucepan
  • When the oil is hot, add the asafoetida and mustard seed, when the seeds start to pop add cumin seeds and the finely chopped garlic bits
  • Ensure the cumin seeds turn a toasty brown and then swiftly move on to the next ingredients
  • Next, go in with the fresh green curry leaves and green chillies followed by the finely chopped onion
  • Add the coriander powder, ginger and garlic pastes and stir well and allow it to become a sticky sort of paste
  • Then add the biryani masala and feel the explosion in the aroma as it marries well with the onion and spice paste
  • Then go in with the cauliflower florets and the green peas
  • Turn off the heat for a bit, sprinkle turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder
  • Season with salt as per taste
  • Turn the heat back on, ideally a low flame on the hob and a really low setting on the electric cooker
  • Sprinkle some water enough to wet the veggies and allow for some steam to form, this will allow the cauliflower to cook
  • Stirring occasionally, cook with a lid for about under 5 minutes
  • Check after first 3 minutes to ensure the cauliflower does not overcook
  • To serve, garnish with fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine and a tiny squeeze of lime juice to add an extra twang
  • Best enjoyed served with hot puffy Polya (Marathi for Chapatis or Rotis ) off the hob!
Keyword cauliflower

Gobi Vatana Sabzi

I am linking my recipe, which happens to be my favourite fusion-Maharashtrian vegetarian recipe for Cauliflower and Green Peas Sabzi with In My Veg Box for May 2014 hosted by me for Nayna who Blogs at Simply. Food and Citrus Spice.

In my veg box cauliflower

Filed Under: Food, Indian, Recipe Index, Sides Tagged With: asafoetida, biryani, chilly, coriander, cumin, curry, easy, food, garlic, ginger, green, green peas, Indian, lime, masala, oil, original, recipe, red onion, sabzee, saji, salt, squeeze, tadka, tumeric, twsit, veg

Angel Hair Pasta and Prawns in Thai Red Curry and white wine sauce

August 29, 2012 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

I loved the name of this recipe by Chef Delia and hubby was also so excited about eating that we went to supermarket that she endorses and got us some really nice White Cooking wine and vermicelli pasta which I used as ”Angel Hair”. The other thing about this recipe that I found appealing was that it was easy to make, serves 2 as a main meal if prepared with suggested quantities and is a really satisfying dish to both cook and eat!

Why is it called Angel Hair ? Capellini Pasta literally means Angel Hair – because this pasta is the finest, thinnest… and when boiled it opens up and is so delicate , almost like how an Angel’s hair would be! Since it is a very light pasta it pairs well with sea food and is sold in nest like shapes that open up into silky strands on boiling …ummm perfect !

Ok my cheat sheet for this recipe , I used Thai red curry paste from a bottle but you can make your own too.As with other types of pasta, it is generally cooked until it is al dente, or firm to the teeth.

I love this angel hair pasta as it cooks really fast and the sauces are taken up so well by the strands.

Serves:2

Marination Time: 4 hours Preparation Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time:25 Minutes

Ingredients:

  1. 175gm Angel Hair Pasta.
  2. 2 packets of prawns.
  3. 2 tablespoons light olive oil.
  4. 4 large tablespoons Thai Red Curry Past.
  5. 4- 5 large garlic cloves skinned and very finely sliced.I love the skins so I kept them, they add a diferent twist and crackle that I cannot resist!,
  6. 2 large tomatoes skinned,de-seeded and chopped.This was the first time in my life I skinned tomatoes and must say it was fun 🙂
  7. Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
  8. 200ml dry white wine
  9. For the garnish – 3 tablespoons fresh coriander finely chopped,fresh lime thinly sliced.

Method:

  1. Marinate the deveined prawns in the Thai Red Curry Paste and set aside for as long as you can before cooking the meal, as suggested by Delia for 4 hours in a fridge is ideal.
  2. To start with the sauce ,add oil in a pan and the chopped garlic, fry till i is a beautiful golden brown and the kitchen starts to give away a delicious aroma that tantalises your senses…ummm , then go in the pan the lime zest and juice , the tomatoes and wine  and on a high heat cook and eventually reduce  for about  8 minutes.
  3. Now add the prawns and mix well on a high heat, then reduce to a low flame and let this bubble again for 3- 5 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat once prawns are well cooked and cover and keep warm till the pasta is done as we have to be ready to serve this immediately when the pasta is ready , being thin it does not stay very easy to scoop out and handle once boiled.
  5. In a large vessel boil water with salt and cook the pasta , it is done in 3 minutes precisely.
  6. In bowls ready for serving spoon out the pasta ,whatever water comes with it , wil be soaked up by the pasta and the sauce.
  7. Serve the prawns in the Thai red curry paste and white wine sauce on top of the Angel Hair Pasta.
  8. In one word – Perfect !

Finito;)

Now for some pics- hover over each pic for a description, pics are followed by credits to the sites which inspired this blog post,Cheers Folks and do drop me a line if you liked this recipe and made it for your family 🙂

And last but not the least my sweetheart, my patient hubby for buying me the ingredients and for being my time keeper for this dish, I am eternally in love with you …..

Filed Under: Food, Recipe Index, seafood Tagged With: angle, bubble, capellini, chop, cook, dinner, flame, garlic, garnish, oil, olive, one dish, pan, pasta, paste, prawns, red curry, sauce, stir, tatsyy, thai, white wine

Spicy Chicken curry

August 20, 2012 by manjirichitnis 12 Comments

Sunday Special Lunch – A Family Tradition

What a Sunday Roast is to a traditional English Family Sunday Lunch is what the combination of Spicy Chicken Gravy and Jeera rice or layered Chicken Biryani is to my family. My sister and I, have been brought on such wholesome, hearty, home-made totally from scratch – delicious food.

All these divine yet easy to recreate dishes, which my parents have always cooked with great passion and a lot of effort are what fuel my desire to share them with all of you.

My Aai and Baba ( Mum and Dad in Marathi) who wake up early every Sunday morning and work as a team to produce this brilliantly tasty chicken curry. Saturday morning my Baba would take me with him to te butcher to buy fresh chicken curry pieces. After coming home he would very patiently explain to us how he marinates the bird using all the freshly ground pastes and purees that Aai used to prepare while he was out shopping. On Sunday morning they would again team up to cook us the most amazing lunch. My best memories of Sunday morning are of waking up to the aromas of food wafting through the house.

Keeping the tradition alive

Few years ago when my husband and I moved to London, I was determined to keep this Sunday family tradition alive. I cooked the chicken adding my own twists and trying my best to recreate the same flavour that my parents seem to get spot-on every single time! So, when they came to London to visit us shortly after we had moved here, I was super delighted that they would cook this special Sunday family meal for us. As promised they cooked us their Sunday special while hubby and I eagerly took notes, clicked pictures and took in the whole energy they bring to this whole process.

This recipe is a spicier version of our traditional Sunday Chicken curry. The bord is cooked in thick gravy bursting with flavour. My Baba loves serving this with Jeera Rice and a beautifully simple Maharahstian Kakdichi Koshimbir in Dahi – Cucumber yoghurt raita. I hope you will enjoy cooking up this dish and hopefully creating happy family memories of your own.

Spicy Chicken – Chitnis Family Sunday Special recipe

My family’s Sunday Special Chicken curry recipe

manjirichitnis
A spicy and easy traditional Indian chicken curry recipe
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe
Cook Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Large heavy bottomed pot with Lid/Pressure cooker/ Instant Pot / slow cooker
  • Spice grinder
  • Blender
  • Knife
  • Chopping Board

Ingredients
  

For marinating overnight

  • 1.25 Kilos Chicken – curry pieces / 1 medium sized whole
  • 25 gm fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp toasted Dhane/coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp Toasted Jeere/ Cumin
  • 3 cloves Lasun/Garlic
  • 15 gms Aale/Ginger
  • 2 Dry Laal Mirchya/ Red Chillies
  • 2 Dry Kashmiri Laal Mirchya/ Red Chillies
  • 2 Hirvya Mirchya/ Spicy Green chillies
  • 2.5 tsp Halad/Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp Meeth/Salt
  • 1 tbsp Tel/ Cooking Oil

Tomato-Onion Mix for the gravy

  • 1 tbsp from the marinade above
  • 2 medium Ripe Tomatoes
  • 2 medium Kaande/Red Onions/ Bombay Onions
  • 2 cloves Lasun/Garlic
  • 10 gm Aale/Fresh Ginger
  • 5 gm Fresh coriander leaves

For the Phodni/ Tadka

  • 2 tbsp Tel/ Oil
  • 1 tbsp Sajuk Tuj/ Pure ghee
  • 2 Tamalpatra/Bay Leaves
  • 1 small piece of Dalchini/Cinnamon stick
  • Pinch Hing/Asafoetida
  • 3 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 2 tsp Coriander powder
  • 2 tsp Halad/ Turmeric powder
  • 3 tsp Laal Tikhat/ Extra Hot Red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp Meeth/ Salt – or as per taste

Garnish

  • One dry red Kashmiri chilli and one green chilli sautéed insome oil /ghee
  • Few fresh leaves of coriander to tear and scatter on top

Instructions
 

  • Wash the chicken curry pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. I always use chicken without skin
    Whole chicken before marination
  • Make a thick paste in the mixer-grinder/ blender using all theingredients , asfmentionedabove for the marinade.Ensure the consistency is that of a thick paste and not a watery mixture
    Marinade for chicken
  • Using a sharp knife make small cuts to the chicken flesh to allow the marinade to really penetrate inside the chicken, this will ensure that each piece is flavourful and not just from the outside
  • Apply the marinade onto the washed chicken curry pieces, season with some salt and a splash of oil. Mariante overnight in the refigerator
    Marinade for chicken ready
  • The next day get the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking
  • While the chicken is coming to room temperature, make the puree usingall the ingredients as mentioned above for the tomato and onion mixture. Ensure this mixture it is not watery. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or a pressure cooker
  • When the oil is hot, add the asafoetida, sauté the bay leaf and cinnamon stick (dry red kashmiri chilli at this stage is optional)
  • Add the garam masala, coriander powder and sauté
  • Then add the onion-tomato mixture and cook for under two minutes until the mixture thickens
  • Now add in the marinated chicken stir and some water, mix well. Add the red chilli powder turmeric powder and salt
    Chicken gravy consistency
  • Add just enough water to allow for a thick gray. Stir , cover and cook on a medium flame until the gravy begins to boil
  • Cover and cook until the chicken is totally cooked through and the oil seperates, this shoud take approximately 20 minutes on a low flame. Stir occasionaly to ensure the gravy does not dry out In the pressure cooker this takes two whistles – for a large bird three whistles
  • Garnish with roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves and the fried red kashmiri chilli and green chilli
  • Serve hot with a side of pipping hot jeera rice and some cucumber raita

Loved this recipe? For more chicken recipes try some more of my creations:

  • Chicken noodle soup
  • Chicken Tikka Masala – Air-fryer recipe
  • Easy one-pot Moroccan Chicken
  • Minty Chicken Kadhai Masala
  • Tawa Chicken Frankie Roll
  • Chicken and Red lentil one-pot Stew
  • Spicy grilled chicken bites with an avocado dip
  • Spicy Mexican Chicken Wings
  • Pomegranate Chicken curry
  • Jerk Chicken and coconut rice
  • Easy and healthy one-pot Chicken noodles

Filed Under: C.K.P recipes, Curry - Meat, Seafood, Food, Indian, Meat, Recipe Index Tagged With: chicken, coriander, cucumber, curd, curry, family favourite, flavoured, grated coconut, green chillies, jeera rice, love, oil, onions, parents, puree, red, salt, sunday roast, tomato, tradition

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