GOBI-BROCCOLI KURMA WITH PHULKAS AND A MeMe!

To all Hindus,let me greet you first. Happy Makara Sankranti on Jan.14th! Makar Sankranti means transition of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn, during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. More Info here! It's all good for us,have fun!!:)

Keeping with my "only Indian dishes in January" theme (I might break it very soon like next week!:D),here are my second week's Indian dishes.Most Indians are probably familiar with these as they are very homely everyday dishes.But I am posting them anyway with my own style of recipes.They are simple and delicious vegetarian side dishes, give them a try and enjoy.

These are: Gobi-Broccoli Kurma,Mixed veg Bhaji,Spinach-Mustard greens with Yoghurt along with Phulkas which are basically puffed Chapatis with step-by step photos!
And a mini(?) MeMe "What Your Blogger Friends Look Like and why?" which is just launched by sra of whenmysoupcamealive! blog, who I think as a very intelligent,articulate Journo and my dear friend too!I am tagged by Indosungod!:))

Cauliflower-Broccoli Kurma:


Kurma is really a mild dish with added yoghurt for mellowing the sauce.You can add some heat with more chilli flakes if you like.I know there are lot Kurma recipes around which I love, add mine as well to your collection!No step by step photos for side dishes since there are three of them and because I want to keep this post relatively short.I don't want people to run the other way! For Phulkas,I have to do it to show you!!:D
YOU NEED:
3 cups each Cauliflower and Broccoli,1 small Tomato(optional,just for color),1/4 cup sour cream or thick yogurt,1/2 onion minced,1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,cilantro.
TO GRIND:
Heat 2 tsp oil,fry 1 big onion chopped until reddish,take it out.In the same pan,add 1 tbsp coriander seeds,1 tsp cumin seeds,1 tsp each poppy seeds and fennel seeds,1" cinnamon (dalchini),3 cloves,2 or more dry red chillies,4-6 Almonds or Cashews,2 tsp yellow roasted chana dal,fry well until you get a aroma and add all these to a blender along with 1 tsp of Paprika, tomato ,pinch of turmeric for color and grind to a smooth paste with no or very little water.

HOW TO:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil and butter, add Gobi-Broccoli pieces.Saute with little salt until almost cooked but still whole and take them out on a plate.
2. Heat the pan again with little more oil,saute minced onion until soft,add ground ginger-garlic paste,fry for 2 mins and add the ground sauce with salt to the pan.
3. Cook this on a medium fire until you see little oil specks on top and lower the heat,then add sour cream or yoghurt spoon by spoon until well blended.Keep stirring. Cook until fairly thick and oil shows on top again.Add 1/4 cup water if needed.
4. Add in stir-fried veggies now,cover and simmer for 10 mins.Garnish with some cilantro,(sprinkle pinch of garam masala as optional) and serve with Phulkas.Taste great the next day!

Mixed Vegetable Bhaji:


A very simple healthy dish with very little gravy, goes excellently with Phulkas.You could make this dry stir-fry too but little gravy to dip phulkas sounds good.You don't see gravy in the photo bcos I scooped the veg from the top just to take this photo!Enjoy.
YOU NEED:
3 cups of chopped Cabbage,1 cup grated carrots,1/2 green bell pepper,1/4 cup frozen Green Peas,Mustard seed,cumin seeds,curry leaves,1 red dry chilli,1 tsp Chana dal,1 small onion,1 garlic,turmeric,1 tbsb crushed toasted peanuts or cashews,cilantro,1 tbsp Sambhar pd or Rasam pd (or mixture of 1 tbsp Coriander pd,1/2 cumin pd,1/2 tsp red chilli pd,1/8 tsp pepper pd,1/2 tsp Garam masala) 1 tbsp dry coconut and 2 tsp lemon juice.

HOW TO:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil and butter,add 1/2 tsp mustard,few curry leaves,1/2 tsp cumin seeds,1 tsp chana dal and dry chilli.When they splutter,add and stir-fry onion with turmeric until reddish.
2. Add chopped garlic, stir-fry for 2 mins.Add chopped bell pepper,then carrots and cabbage in that order after frying each until soft.Add green peas and salt.
3. Pour in 1/4 cup water,cover and cook.Uncover,add all the dry spices or 1tbsp rasam or sambhar pd,cilantro and simmer until little gravy is left.
4. Garnish with toasted peanuts or cashews and cilantro.

Mustard leaves-Spinach with Yogurt:(Mor Keerai)


Here is another nutritious and tasty dish for Phulkas or even for Rice rotis.This recipe is almost like Kerala Avial but not quite the same.There are additional ingredients,so I didn't dare say it's Avial and get buried alive by my Keralite bloggers buddies!:D This is a Tamilian dish I found in one my books.It's called "Mor Keerai".It tasted good though whatever we choose to call it!:)
YOU NEED:
1-2 bunches of each Spinach and mustard leaves,chopped (or 1 lb bag each of frozen or 1 canned greens each will do too),1 onion minced,2 garlic minced,1/2 tsp each mustard seeds,cumin seeds,Urad dal,few curry leaves,3 tbsp coconut dry or fresh,2-4 fresh green chillies,2 tsp coriander seeds and 1 tbsp cumin seeds,2 tsp raw rice,1/4 cup yoghurt or sour cream.
HOW TO:
1. Grind coconut,green chillies,curry leaves,coriander seeds,rice and cumin seeds with little water to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil and butter,add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,curry leaves.Add onion and saute until reddish,add garlic,stir for a min and add all the chopped greens and (add water only if you use fresh greens not if frozen)cook until almost dry.
3. Add ground masala with salt,mix well and simmer covered for 5 mins until the raw smell of masala goes away.Add 1/4 cup yoghurt or sour cream spoon by spoon until it is well mixed.Make sure heat is on low to prevent curdling.Simmer for 5-10 mins.
4. Adjust the salt and you are done!:)

PHULKAS!


Phulkas are nothing but puffed up chapatis.It needs some practice to make them,specilly when you are cooking directly on the heat.You have to be ready and quick orelse you will have burnt chapatis.They don't stay puffed after few seconds but chapatis get hollow like Pita and remain soft to eat.It's not hard at all if you make them often.Most Indians do know this.These steps are for new cooks or whoever would like to try.

HOW TO: Makes about 8-10 Phulkas




Take 2 cups Wheat flour,1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp of canola oil. Mix and knead this with enough water to make a soft but sticky dough.







Divide this in to 8-10 pieces depending on the size of chapatis you want.Roll them into smooth balls again,cover and let it rest for 15mins.







Take one ball and roll out to a 6-8" circle 1/16" thickness(not very thick or very thin),place them on a clean towel and cover with another.Repeat the same with other balls too.Heat a Tava or skillet on medium high heat on one burner.




Switch on another burner on high side by side ,place a bakers cooling rack directly on top and get ready for action!:) Take a chapati(rolled out circle),put it on the skillet first and cook just until it gets little bubbles on top.Flip the chapati and cook the other side in the same way.Cook the edges of chapati by pulling it to the side!






Immediately transfer the chapati on to burner with hot rack with a tong and watch it puff! If there is not much water in the dough when you kneaded it ie not a sticky dough,it will puff a balloon.








When it fully inflated which takes literally few seconds, pick it up carefully with a tong to flip and cook the other side.It will deflate as soon as you take them out of the heat but you get a deliciously soft texture with pita like hollow layer!Do not let them burn too much!:)



You can turn and cook the edges too if you feel that it's still raw.Another trick is to cook the edges of chapati when it's still on the skillet rather than on the hot rack.Makes it eaiser to cook the whole chapati that way.





Well...that's all folks!:)) Enjoy making Phulkas or "puffed ones" and don't give up if you don't succeed at first.It took me many burnt Phulkas to learn the skill too!:P

Here are some of my fellow bloggers dishes I cooked and enjoyed few weeks ago with Phulkas.Thanks ladies!:)

One delicious Hotel Kurma from Spice Lover of Box of Spices:
I used cayenne and paprika powder for color.



Madhu of Ruchi's tasty Spring Onion Curry :
I added some potatoes too for texture...



A mini MeMe!:)

I am doing a mini MeMe as Indosungod already covered most of you! Thanks for tagging me Indo! I think of you as a friend who is very observative and a wonderful foodie and blogger because you write and cook so well!:)
I second what she said about all other bloggers she mentioned in her post as well.I will continue from there to add my own short list!:)

I think and I know:
She is a beautiful proud Gujju who loves classical Indian music and a fusion cooking queen!:)
She is a young and wonderful who dishes out different veggie delights every week and sometimes henna art too!
She is my hometown girl who vents and brings out all my own memories!:)
She is a great cook and was on Emeril's show on Food Network!
She is a versatile cook who can bring food around the world!
She is a fantastic cook who makes me drool over her dishes..er..on my Laptop!:)
She is one of my all time fav bloggers,gives me her mom's recipes!
She is Doc who is scared of creepy crawlies and does monthly blog patrol!:)
She is self proclaimed Bong girl,loves to listen to NPR and blogs a cookbook!
She is from Queen's land and has passion for food!
She is Krishna's Priya Radha(;D) from Bengaluru,a city close to my heart!
She is the queen of Vcuisine and a great cook too!
She is from Bengaluru too,shows me beautiful pics of the city and cooks homely meriad tasty dishes!:)
She cooks in Indian Rasoi itself and Boy! what a great cook she is too!
She is a good friend and a fantastic cook,my fav girl!:)
She is a baker and a great Indian cook too.Try her recipes!;)
She is from Mangaluru and brings most delicious dishes of the region and others too!
She is posts some amazing mouthwatering dishes and I love to be the first to comment in her blog!:)
She is a great cook,a wonderful writer but very much under appreciated by foodies other than me!!
Finally,
a bhai!! NO! NO! Not that kind of Mumbai Mafia bhai! He is the most wonderful sweet bhai from Queen's land one could wish for to all us foodie girls!:)

I know!I know! I said it's mini but tried to list everybody!:D If I have left you out,it's not intentional.Hey,let me tag others and give them a chance to cover you as well!
I tag the hostess of this MeMe to begin with:
sra,Pooja ,Vani and Trupti or anyone who like to take up this MeMe and continue with all of your fav bloggers too!

Swami Vivekanada, a brilliant Indian Philosopher's birthday is on Jan 12th!Let's honor,celebrate his wisdom and try to adopt his thinking!You can find a beautiful article written by Deepak Gopi with his friend's help.Hope you read it!:) Happy Birthday honorable Swami V!

Last but not least, my latest Gadget for Kitchen Aid Mixer:)





I ordered this 'Food Grinder' attachment for my KitchenAid mixer before I went on vacation and it was waiting for me when I came back! This is great for grinding veg ,cheese or meat to make cutlets or patties and also for grating, coarse or fine.I haven't used it yet,will soon!Now I will know exactly what goes in to my burger because I can grind my own ingredients,can't wait!



Have a great weekend Y'all! I will be back with some winter munchies and an "Around The World" dish for Coffee's MBP!:))