Daily Archives: November 13, 2014

Gatta curry

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 20-25 minutes

Serving : 4-6 members

Description

We were on an European holiday for 24 days in a package where we had a caravan behind us cooking and serving an Indian , vegetarian menu for lunch and dinner . ( I know , sounds quirky but we Indians can never ever compromise when it comes to our daily food :-)) The best part being the chef was a South Indian from Bangalore who spoke fluent Tamil . I made maximum use from getting the menu changed to our liking to the spiciness and at times I myself would end up in the caravan making a cup of tea or just observing what the chef is up to today . Like wise we were served Gatta curry one day for lunch with rice and it was the first time I got to know about this deliciously warming Rajasthani dish . I made sure to get the recipe from the chef and it was a forgotten story there after . The recipe was there with me for ages and was lost while I was shifting in to a new home .last month was going through a foodie magazine and found this recipe that brought a shot of sunshine in to me . Immediately made it for lunch , making up for all the lost years of not giving a try . I felt the curry was too thin and runny . So I added a teaspoon of chick pea flour to get a smooth saucy textured curry . It was a medley of simple every day ingredients that was packed with both heft and flavours coming together as an incredibly satisfying light Indian curry . The gutta curry sure did take me to the lovely natural landscaping of Austria where we had it for lunch . How wired Austria and Gatta curry too far apart but in my memories it comes together itched as one .

Ingredients for the Gatta

Ingredients	Quantity
Gran flour ( basan )	250 grams + 1 teaspoon diluted in 3 tablespoons of water
Oil	1/4 cup
Kasoori methi	1 teaspoon
Salt	1 teaspoon or to taste
Red chilli flakes	1 teaspoon
Whole coriander seeds	1 teaspoon crushed
Curd	1/4 cup beaten

Ingredients for the curry

Ingredients	Quantity
Ghee	4 tablespoons ( I used vegetable oil)
Asafoetida ( hing )	1/2 teaspoon
Dry red chillies	4
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Curd	1 cup beaten
Red chilli powder	1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder	2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Kasoori methi	1 tablespoon

Method for the gattas

In a mixing bowl , add all the ingredients mentioned for gattas along with 2-3 tablespoons of water to get a stiff dough . Shape the dough into 4 long cylinders of approximately 3 cm in diameter .
Boil water in a large sauce pan , immerse the cylindrical dough in the boiling water and let them cook for ten minutes .
Check if the dough is cooked by inserting a wooden skewer in to it , if cooked it will come out clean or else cook further for another five minutes .
Once cooked remove from boiling water . cut each cylinder into small pieces to one cm thick and set aside .

Method for curry

Mix beaten curd with red chilli powder , turmeric powder and salt to taste .
Heat a pan with ghee/ oil . Add asafoetida , whole dry red chillies and cumin seeds . Sauté for a minute .
Top with beaten curd mixture and keep stirring until the gravy thickens in medium low heat as the curd should not curdle .
Finally add kasoori methi and diluted gram flour and keep stirring for about ten minutes until the curry thickens to a semi thick flowing consistency .
serve hot , warm or at room temperature with rotis , pulkas or rice.

Aattu kudal varatiyathu ( goat tripe / intestine )

Preparation Time : 35 minutes

Cooking Time : 40-45 minutes

Serving : 3-4 members

Description

I still remember asking my mom to make towel curry today .Don’t get confused as this is how I used to address goat tripe ( goats intestine ) as a little one . I guess the rough texture on top that resembles a towel made me call it so . My brother and myself used to fight over as who has to be served first and crazy we over ate , resulting in indigestion followed with getting sick . From then on I have never ever wanted to relish or have goat tripes . ( not sure what’s happened with my brother though ) In the recent hubby dear has started demanding for goats tripe to be prepared at home . Me not knowing head or tail of this dish from cleaning to recipe , felt totally lost . To add up to this hubby dear wanted it just like my mom makes it . Luckily had some one at home who knew to clean them to perfection . (I checked them more than three times once they were cleaned . ) went ahead with moms recipe which was quite easy actually . The cleaning part is the pains taking job here . The taste was spot on just like mom makes it and I was happy too as I got to add another authentic dish into my every day menu at home . Local authentic home fare is slowly loosing their place in the kitchens as preparing them is a tedious process but like me , I am sure each one of us relive our childhood every time we cook these sort of rustic dishes that never ever get out of style .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Goat tripe / intestine	1 full set washed and cleaned and chopped
Small onions	1 hand full chopped
Garlic flakes	10 big chopped
Salt	to taste
Coconut oil	4 tablespoons
Curry leaves	3 strands

Ingredients to grind

Ingredients	Quantity
Black pepper powder	6 tablespoon
Cumin seed powder	1 tablespoon
Coriander powder	3 tablespoons
Cinnamon	1 inch stick
Cloves	2

Method

Grind all the ingredients together mentioned under the to grind column to a smooth paste using little water .
Mix the ground paste with the cleaned goat tripe / intestine , chopped small onions and chopped garlic and place it in the pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water .
Pressure cook in medium flame for around 6-8 whistles or until the goat tripe / intestine is cooked through . Once cooked , season with salt and mix well .
Bring to boil and reduce the consistency of the gravy to required gravy consistency .( I like it to be semi thick gravy just enough to coat the tripes . ) Heat coconut oil in a heavy bottomed pan , add curry leaves .
Once they splutter pour over the cooked goat tripes . Take a ladle full of the goat tripes and add it to the pan that the coconut oil was used to temper the curry leaves and toss around making sure the tripes suck in all the flavours of the coconut oil into them .
Add it to the rest of the tripes in the pressure cooker and mix well . Taste and adjust seasoning ( salt + pepper ) . Serve hot with any thing and every thing .

Vegetable hummus wrap

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 35 – 40 minutes

Serving: 4-5 members

Description

It’s raining chapathi’s in the recent for lunch and dinner at home under the request of hubby dear for month’s together now . I desperately needed a change but with the chapathi itself as it’s counter in another form . The easiest I could think of was a katti roll as old – school favourites make us glow with child like delight and the next problem being , it has to be healthy comfort food too . Had the veggie filling and chapathi’s in hand ready . To add more taste in a healthy way , decided to give the chapathis an egg white wash on one side . Went ahead and filled the veggies and rolled one katti roll . Tasted but the katti roll was a bit dry and hubby dear likes food that has a lot of moister in it rather than dry dishes . Now wanting a spread to be added to the katti roll … Healthy spread as well ??? Umm the only option in mind was hummus but it was already 12 .30 noon and making hummus in one hours time for lunch .. Not possible as soaking the chick peas and going ahead umm … is actually possible but my laziness just didn’t let me do so . Quickly added all the ingredients in a blender I do for hummus except for boiled chick peas and substituted with a cup of sautéed vegetables that I had for the filling with hung curd for the creamy texture and went ahead . Tasted and adjusted the ingredients and seasoning to taste . Bingo I did get an awesome tasting humus that was profound in it’s simplicity but not the authentic way instead a quick fix one and got to realise that with a few tweaks and innovations these sort of casual classics can be even more memorable . No time to taste once I assembled the katti roll together as it was lunch time already . Took pictures when hubby dear was shouting out for lunch and waited for the results on taste .He was like who send this over ? It’s send over from ” Mahu house ” was my reply . That’s our home name :-)) . He knocked my head with a grin having a bite , mouth full of the katti roll and widened his eyes indicating it’s delicious . He’s being asking me to do the same often but it’s just not worked out yet not sure why ? So peeps at least all of you give a try and let me know the results as I have solved the mystery of what to make today at your homes for lunch box , breakfast , lunch or dinner as well :-))) .

Ingredients for the vegetable filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Carrot	2 big chopped to tiny bits
Beans	10 chopped
Cabbage	sliced thinly 1 cup
Green peas	1/2 cup
Capsicum	1 chopped
Onion	1 1/2 big chopped
Olive oil	2 teaspoon
Garlic	2 flakes crushed
Salt	to taste
Red chilli flakes	to taste

Method for vegetable filling

Heat olive oil in a non – stick pan . Top with crushed garlic .
Sauté to a light golden brown . Add all the chopped vegetables , green peas and onions .
Sauté until 3/4 cooked with a slight crunch on them . Sprinkle red chilli flakes to taste .
Mix well , set aside and cool completely .

Ingredients for vegetable hummus

Ingredients	Quantity
The above vegetable filling	3/4 cup
Olive oil	1 teaspoon
Garlic flakes	3
Salt	to taste ( be careful as the above sautéed vegetable filling has salt already )
Chilli flakes	optional
Tahini paste	2 teaspoons or use 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds instead
Hung curd	1/2 cup

Method for vegetable hummus

Blend all the above mentioned ingredients together to get a smooth semi thick flowering consistently paste .
Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more chilli flakes and salt if needed . Set aside .

Ingredients for assembling

Ingredients	Quantity
Soft Chapathis	4 to 6 ( click the link below in notes for the recipe )
Egg whites	2
Salt + pepper	to taste
Oil	2 teaspoons

Method for assembling

Beat egg whites with salt and pepper powder .
Heat a non – stick griddle .apply little oil all over . Brush one side of a chapathi with the beaten egg white . Place over the hot griddle and cook . Remove . Do the same to all the chapathis . Place the egg white applied and cooked side facing you over the kitchen counter .
Apply the vegetable hummus all over .
Place 3 heaped table spoons of vegetable filling in the middle of the hummus applied chapathi and roll tightly . Do the same with all the chapathis , filling and vegetable humus .
Cut each chapathi into equal two halves and serve warm as it is . There is no need of a dip or a salad as it taste good by itself .

Notes

To get soft chapathis , click the link below and follow the recipe