Indian Soup Recipe - Gingery Cauliflower Soup

Enjoy Hot & Tasty Indian Soup - Gingery Cauliflower soup

Ingredients :
3 tbsps vegetable oil
1 med onion -- peeled and chopped
1 1" piece fresh ginger -- peeled and slivered
4 cloves garlic -- peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsps ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 med potatoes, peeled -- cut in 1/3" cubes
1/2 lb cauliflower florets
1 1/4 qts chicken stock
2/3 c heavy cream
salt if needed

Method :
1. Set the oil over medium-high heat in a good-sized saucepan.
2. When hot, put in onion, ginger and garlic.
3. Stir-fry for about 4 minutes or onion is somewhat browned.
4. Put in cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne.
5. Stir once, put in potato, cauliflower and chicken stock.
6. Stir and bring to boil.
7. Cover and turn heat to low;
8. Simmer gently for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
9. Put soup into a blender and blend or use a hand blender to purée.
10. Add cream and reheat gently.

Source : Recipe Source

Indian Dessert - Steamed Dessert Dumplings

Lord Ganesh's Favorite - Modak (Steamed Dessert Dumplings)

Ingredients
For the filling:
2 cup shredded fresh coconut
1 cup jaggery *(see below)
1 teaspoon roasted poppy seeds
1 teaspoon rice flour
3-4 cardamoms

For the outer cover:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ghee / butter (Ghee is a clarified butter without any solid milk particles or water.)
½ teaspoon oil
a pinch of salt

Preparation

Filling:
1. Combine and cook coconut and jaggery together on medium heat.
2. Stir continuously until they are mixed properly. Do not overcook.
3. Add cardamom, roasted poppy seeds and 1 teaspoon rice flour to the mix. Cook for some
time.
4. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.

Outer Cover:
5. Boil 1 cup of water. When bubbles rise on top, add ghee, salt and oil and immediately add rice
flour. Stir well.
6. Cover for some time. Remove the lid and stir and cover again for a minute.
7. Remove from heat. Take all the mixture in a flat plate.
8. Knead it properly while hot (You can use a flat bowl for kneading to keep the hands from
burning). Make a soft pliable dough.
(Do it very carefully. The dough should be neither too sticky nor too dry.)

Method :
9. Divide this dough into small balls. Roll each ball into 1.5 inch diameter circle. Hold it in a
hand and make a small bowl of it. 10. Put some coconut filling into this bowl shaped dough.
11. Dip thumb and index finger in the oil and make 5-6 small pinches side by side on the edges
of the bowl.
12. Bring them together, join to form a peak. It should look like a whole garlic. Prepare all other
modaks like this.
13. Spread a damp cloth onto a flat round sifter and arrange all the modaks onto it.
14. Place the sifter in a steamer and cover. Steam for about 15 minutes. (Use a big size
saucepan or pressure cooker if you don't have a steamer. Do not put the whistle if you use
the pressure cooker.)
15. Serve with the ghee.

What is Jaggery?
Jaggery (Panela) or Gudh is a "natural" sweetener made with the concentrated sugarcane juice. It did not have any chemicals or synthetic additives or preservatives. Jaggery (Panela) is rich in nutrition and contains lot of minerals, protein, and vitamins.

Tip:
The proportion of water and rice flour for the cover should be accurate as written above. In addition, it is advisable to sieve the flour once.

Source : Recipe courtesy of Mumbai Masala

Indian Raita Recipe - Carrot & Beetroot Raita

Carrot and Beetroot Raita

Servings : 4

Ingredients :
1 medium beet, peeled and grated
1 large carrot, washed and grated
1 cup plain yoghurt
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of asafoetida powder
pinch of salt

For Tarka :
1 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 dried red chilli (crushed or whole)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Method :
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt and spices.
2. Cover the bowl.
3. Prepare the tarka by heating ghee in ladle or small frying pan.
4. Add the spices and saute for a few minutes, until well-toasted and fragrant.
5. Add it to the yoghurt mixture.
6. Stir well, and let stand for a few minutes by covering with tight-fitting lid till favour blends.
7. Add the grated vegetables.
8. Chill well before serving.

Source : Sanatan Society

Indian Drink Recipe - Mango Drink

AAM PANNA RECIPE

Ingredients:
6 medium sized Green Mango (Aam)
33/4th cup Water
1 tsp dry-roasted and grounded Cumin Seed (Jeera)
1/2 tsp Red chili Powder (Lal Mirchi)
1 tsp Salt (Namak)
3 tblsp Sugar (Cheeni)
3 tblsp chopped Mint Leaves (Pudina Leaves)
12 crushed Ice-cubes

Method :
1. Place the mangoes with water to cover in a sauce-pan and bring to boil.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Drain off the water and then peel, stone and pulp the mango with a spoon.
4. Place the pulp in a deep bowl.
5. Add water, sugar, salt, chili and cumin.
6. Whisk thoroughly.
7. Stir in the mint and whisk again.
8. Transfer it to a jug.
9. Serve chilled with crushed ice.

Source : Indian Food Forever

Indian Salad Recipe - Pineapple and Mango Salad

Pineapple and Mango Salad (Aunas Ambo Sasam)

Pineapple and mango (called in Konkani) are tossed in a mustard-flavored coconut paste to make a dish that surely serves as an exotic accompaniment.

Serves : 4

Style : South-West Indian Vegetarian (Konkani)

Ingredients :
4 cups mixed fruits chopped (pineapple, mango, apple and green or black grapes depending on availability)
4 tablespoons grated coconut
2 dry red chilli(es)
1 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
2 tablespoon(s) sugar or as per taste
salt to taste

Method :
1. Mix the sugar into the chopped fruits and keep aside.
2. Grind the coconut with the red chilli(es) and a little water.
3. When almost done, add the mustard seeds.
4. Grind for a few more seconds till the mustard seeds are crushed.
5. Add the coconut paste to the fruits with salt and mix well.
6. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Source : Syvum

Indian Fish Recipe - Fish Tikka

INDIAN NON-VEG FISH TIKKA RECIPE

Ingredients:
500 gms fish pieces of any type
150 gms vegetable oil
1 tbsp ajwain*
45 ml cream
2 tsp cumin seeds powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp garlic paste
20 gms flour (besan)
30 ml lemon juice
5 tbsp mint or coriander chutney
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1 onion, chopped in circles.
60 gms curd / plain yogurt
Salt To Taste
Chili powder to taste

Method :
1. Mix cream garlic paste, ajwain*, chili powder, cumin seeds powder, garam masala, lemon juice, salt, mint or coriander chutney, besan flour in yogurt.
2. Add fish pieces to the above mixture and mainate them for about 3 hours.
3. Heat oil in a pan, fry fish pieces on both sides till golden & crisp.
4. Serve fried fish tikka with chopped onions.

Note : (*)
Ajwain is a close relative of dill, caraway and cumin and belongs to the same family. Ajwain seeds are tiny, oval and ridged. The greyish-green seeds are curved and look like miniature cumin seeds. The fragrance of the spice is very similar to that of cumin.

Source : Indian Food Forever