Methi Dal (Yellow Pigeon Peas with Fresh Fenugreek Leaves)

Methi (fenugreek), whether used as a herb or a spice adds a wonderful flavour to Indian cuisine.  However, there are other uses for Methi and you might want to check the Wikipedia for this.

Methi, in its fresh form can be used to make side dishes like Aloo Methi (potatoes with fenugreek), Methi ka Paratha (Indian flat bread with fenugreek), Methi Pulao (rice with fenugreek) - you name it!

I had been getting a little bit bored with my dal recipes, so when I happened to come across this one I thought it might be a great idea to give it a try.  This recipe isn't mine.  Purna Chowdhury, a very accomplished culinary enthusiast, was really kind to share this recipe with some of us.  If you want to find more of her fantastic recipes, please go ahead and check her out on Facebook.

If you are interested, you might ask her to add you to the foodie group I found this recipe in.  She has a fantastic repertoire of different types of cuisine, and if you're nice and make a request for a specific recipe, she might pull it out of her hat just for you!

Additionally, there are hundreds of other foodies sharing their recipes (me included ;-)), so this should be incentive enough to go join the group.  But do remember - to get some, you need to give some.  Only fair, right?!  So, share your favourite recipes and get some from the others.

The dal turned out fabulous and I might try this in future with spinach to replace the methi.  And to add a note, I served this daal with a squish of lime over hot and fluffy basmati rice with Aloo Methi on the side (another friend's recipe, but I didn't have the time to take any pictures).

To prepare your fresh Methi, my friend Swati told me that you should first pluck the leaves from the stalks, making sure you don't include the stalk, and then wash the leaves thoroughly.  Once you've cleaned the leaves of the sand and grit, soak in cold, saline water for about 20 minutes.  When ready, wring the water out of the leaves and chop them up roughly and you're good to go.  Thanks for the tip, Swati! :)

You will need:
Toor Daal (yellow pigeon peas): 250 gm (cooked with a little salt and turmeric)
Two cups of fresh Methi (fenugreek) leaves/two small blocks of frozen Methi
Whole cinnamon and cloves: 1 tsp
Grated garlic: 1 tsp
Grated ginger: 1tsp
Tomatoes: 2-3
Cinnamon powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Fresh coriander, chopped: 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
Ghee: 1 tsp (optional)Salt to taste
Method:

1. Add the oil to the pan and add all the whole spices. 
2. Add garlic, ginger; saute for half a minute on low heat.
3. Add the chopped methi, tomatoes and salt; let it turn to a gravy.
4. Add the cinnamon and coriander powders and stir till the mix is consistent. 
5. Add the daal and stir well; cook for another 5 minutes or so till well blended.
6. Add a teaspoon of ghee (optional) and serve garnished with coriander.

Happy smacking-your-lips! :)

Bell Peppers with Spicy Pork Stuffing

I had been longing to try my hand at making stuffed bell peppers, but I kept putting it off until recently (actually, not that recent, come to think of it; just didn't get the time to post this sooner).  Bell peppers were on sale (thanks to the bountiful Summer), and I thought that it would be just the right time to have a go at this. 

 

Anyone that knows me, knows I'm a big fan of spicy food, and fortunately for me, my son is too!  Therefore, I knew what my stuffing would be - a spicy meat filling.  

I had originally wanted to make the filling with lamb, but since luck didn't favour me that day, I didn't find ground lamb at the supermarket.  I'm not very fond of ground beef or chicken, so my only other option was to settle for pork.

I made this recipe up as I went along, and you can pretty much use any kind of meat for the filling.  I like to use a lot of onions, ginger and garlic, but you can always adapt the measurements to your taste.

I do plan to retry this recipe with crumbled Indian cottage cheese, called paneer, and mixed veggies sometime in the future.  I will be starting to get ready for my cooking classes again, so I have a sneaking feeling it won't be anytime soon.  If you try it ahead of me, please drop me a line to let me know how that came along.

Here's the recipe that serves four!

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Spicy Pork

Ingredients

Bell peppers - 4 large (any kind will do; I used orange and yellow)

Ground pork: 250 gms

Onion, sliced - 1 medium

Green peas (frozen or fresh) - 1 cup

Potato, cubed - 1 medium

Croutons - 1 cup

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1/2 stick

Cloves - 2

Green cardamom - 2

Peppercorns - 10

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - to taste (remember we're adding peppercorns)

Salt - to taste

Fresh coriander, chopped - 1/2 cup

Olive oil - 3 tbsp

Method

For the stuffing:

1. In a grinder, add cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom and peppercorns and grind to a fine powder.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat, and add the ginger and garlic paste.  
3. Saute for a minute and then add the sliced onion.
4. Add the salt, and let the onions cook until they become translucent.
5. Make a paste of all the spice powders with a couple of tablespoons of water and add to the onions.
6. Let the spices cook for a few minutes, till they are nice and aromatic.
7. While the spices are cooking, microwave the small potato cubes in 2 cups of water, so they are half-cooked (oven settings vary, but about 2 minutes on high in a 1000w oven).  Drain the potatoes and set aside.
8. Once the spices look nicely cooked and you see the oil starting to leave the onion, add the ground pork. Cook well, breaking up any lumps with a spatula.
9. Add the potatoes at this stage, cover the saucepan and let cook for about 10 mins, stirring frequently.
10. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the green peas, and cook covered for an additional 5 mins. 
11. Add the croutons and fresh coriander, and mix them in well.
12. The filling needs to be really dry, so if you see any moisture, cook uncovered for a few more minutes until completely dry. 

For the bell peppers:

1. Wash the bell peppers very thoroughly under warm running water and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Slice off the tops of the peppers and retain.
3. Pass a knife very carefully around the insides of the peppers to remove the seeds and the white pith. Be careful not to puncture the flesh on the sides or the bottom.
4. Wipe down the insides of the peppers with a paper towel, making sure it's completely dry. 
5. Take a few drops of the remaining oil on your fingertips and rub the insides and outsides of the peppers.  
6. Stuff the peppers generously with the pork filling, and put the tops back on.
7. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
8. Line a baking sheet/tray with foil sprayed or rubbed with oil.
9. Place the peppers on the tray and bake for about 45 mins to an hour (time could vary with different ovens). Make sure that the peppers are cooked, but not completely mushy.  They won't hold their shape, otherwise.
10. Take the peppers out and gently brush them down with a little more oil.
11. Put the oven to the highest temperature setting, and put the peppers back in for another 5- 7 minutes, till the skin starts to char a little. 
12. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, as they will be too hot to handle. 
13. Carefully remove the peppers to a serving plate, and serve immediately.  Remember that the peppers will be a little soft and will need really careful handling to ensure they retain their shape.

Enjoy!  My son loved it, as you can tell from his plate! :)

Day 275 - Cooking class

I finally have a couple of images from my cooking class.  This happened purely by chance, because normally I'm so busy trying to get things running on schedule, I never stop to take pictures.  However, my students for today's class wanted to somehow preserve the memory of coming for an Indian cooking class - a first for both.  And since they didn't have their cameras, I offered to do a quick photo of them posing with the meal they'd learned to cook.



This was the main course, and the dessert was cooling in the fridge.  We also learned how to make a great "Masala Chai" after the meal.

These two lovely ladies were really gracious and had absolutely no objections to my using their photo for my shot of the day.

Day 273 - Cooking Again!

If you're tired of seeing my food photographs, well, I should assure you that there aren't too many more to come.  ;-)  I have decided to finish my cooking classes for the season by March 31, after which I shall completely immerse myself in the Great Outdoors!  I might still teach an odd cooking class if there is a request, but I'm pretty much decided that it has to end with the beginning of Spring.

This weekend class's menu includes another chicken recipe - Chicken Jhalfraezi.  You will encounter quite a few variations in spelling of "Jhalfraezi", but if cooked properly, regardless of how you spell it, it tastes pretty good.

This dish is cooked with a lot of tomatoes, green peppers and onions, and not as many spices as some other recipes, but you could make this really hot and tangy by adding lots of green chillies and vinegar.

And with this, I've just been warned by Google that I've run out of storage!!  If you don't see me around for the next little while, you'll know that I'm trying to figure out storage solutions yet again.  

Day 262 - Chicken Tikka Masala

I hadn't made much of an effort with photographing or posting in the past week as I was really busy prepping for yesterday's cooking class.  This weekend's menu was completely different from what I normally teach, therefore, it involved more planning and work than is normal.

This shot was done for a recipe and I had initially decided to not even post it, considering the poor planning and execution that went behind it.  I had to somehow take a snapshot of this dish, so I could just write my recipe down and have it done with.

Not posting would mean falling far back in my 365 project.  I'm actually looking at just finishing the challenge.  It would mean two things to me - freedom to post quality, over quantity, and also fulfilling my commitment I made to myself when I took up this challenge.

I will have more leisure this week as I won't have to prep for a cooking class this coming weekend.  I definitely hope to do a little more of serious photography and finish my Alphabet challenge as well - I'm stuck on "K"!

Day 260 - Tandoori Chicken

I have to admit I wasn't quite in the photography zone this evening.   However, I still had to do a shot of this dish as it's going to be on the cooking class menu for this weekend.  The chicken tasted great, but I have no idea why I couldn't really get a single shot to work out.   I'm just very disappointed!

Day 257 - Food for the Hungry Soul

The word "Soul" here has two intended meanings - soul as in a person (like when we call someone a "poor soul") and soul as in the Spirit - the essence of a person. 

Food feeds the soul, but when that soul is my son, it has to be good food!  But for me, food feeds my imagination, after it has nourished my body, of course.  

This dish, the Chicken Biryani, is a favourite with most Indians, and likewise a favourite with my son and me.  And although it could become a little elaborate, over time I have learned to simplify the process so I can whip it up quickly and on demand.  

The Biryani, a rice dish with add-ins, can be made with most anything - beef, lamb, chicken, shrimp, eggs and even vegetables!  I love making this really hot and spicy and colourful.  However, having run out of the orange food colouring, I had to use red, which in my opinion turned out pretty cheesy.  But as I don't usually like to judge a book by its cover, digging into the biryani sent my taste buds spinning on a deliciously pleasurable journey (although I say so myself)!  

Reminds me of a line from a commercial for Maggi Instant Noodles from when I was growing up in India - Fast to cook, good to eat! 

The best light for food photography would be - you guessed it - ambient daylight.  However, since I don't have the luxury of cooking dinner in the middle of the afternoon, I have to make do with the flash.  I set up the external flash at 28 mm, 1/4 power level, to bounce off of the ceiling, placed to the right of the subject.  

Both these shots are almost straight out of the camera - the exposure was fixed marginally in the first one.  The second one is SOOC.

The shots were taken with the 18 - 55 mm lens.  The reason is simple - I find it really helpful to either shoot with this one or the macro lens as they allow me to be flexible with the focussing distance and angles.  I chose a very shallow depth of field (f/4 and f/4.5) and a fairly fast shutter at 1/180s.

And just a little note to those who have referred to my tutorials page before - I have removed that page and added a new How-To Blog.  Please feel free to check it out.  I hope to upload more findings from my various experiments in the future.

Day 256 - Relearning the Alphabet: The Letter "V"

"V" for "V" in the Corner of the Serving Dish

The thought of "V" only kept bringing "vase" in my mind.  My friend suggested "Va-va-vrroomm" and that would mean a bike.  Where would I find a bike in this freezing cold?  My "vocabulary" seemed limited, so I decided to focus on the concept of vocabulary.  However, I was doing the image for my beef curry recipe when I decided to use one stone to kill two birds.

I don't think I will be able to put much effort into my photography in the next few weeks, because I'm now bracing myself for my cooking classes starting this weekend and continuing over the next few.  I'm wishing myself luck - they tend to be very, very intense.

I can't say I'm pleased with this shot at all, but unfortunately I have too many things to focus on right now - the cooking class being the top priority over the next few weeks.

Day 229 - Relearning the Alphabet: The Letter "L"

"L" for Lamb Curry

I made lamb curry after ages - because I had my cousin over to dinner, and I need to get some shots for my cooking class as well.  Nothing fancy, because I'm going to be really, really busy this week with different things before my trip.

Incidentally, the curry had turned out delicious, as confirmed by my cousin! :)

Day 152 - Getting ready for cooking classes

I have to restart my cooking classes soon after the summer break.  Therefore, the culinary experiments will continue feeding my Photo 365 project.  Yay!

The pictures were taken handheld under fluorescent light.   I actually had no plans of doing this when I started, but changed my mind halfway through the process since I was falling back on my photos again.

What I made was a potato-stuffed Indian bread which can be made spicy or mild, and a spicy chick pea curry to accompany it.  The bread is pretty filling and can be a complete meal in itself when paired with a yogurt based salad, called Raita.  But I needed to check out the compatibility of the two together, since the chick pea curry is normally had with a plain (without stuffing) deep-fried Indian bread called a Bhatura. The type of bread I made is also normally deep fried, but I chose to try out a healthier option and baked them instead.  These are called Kulcha.  They turned out really good, if not better than the fried option. :)

The dough balls and the potato filling waiting to be rolled out

The baked bread

The potato stuffing inside

Just out of the oven

The spicy chick pea curry garnished with shallots, cilantro, julienned ginger and a slice of lime

Day 61 - Cumin flavoured rice

I didn't have a chance to post anything for the last couple of days as I've been down with a really bad cold. It's a rare occasion when I will just not be able to drag myself out of bed, and this was one of those.  But the couple of times I forced myself to get out of bed yesterday, I tried a few experiments with the camera settings.  No, you guessed right!  My camera is never far from my mind or my bedside.

The cumin rice I made on Saturday was for a special reason which I won't go into at this time.  However, here are a couple of shots.  Handheld, under florescent lighting, not exactly the best but then lately my shots have been pretty blah.  I'll wait for when I feel better to start weekly themes.  I have a few going on in my head, but would welcome suggestions on them.

Day 49 - Mango Lassi

Great yogurt and mango cooler for  a warm day.  Today wasn't so warm (at least not indoors ;-)) but I had to get a snap for my recipe for tomorrow's class.  So!

I wanted to try different angles, but I'm so tired from having worked on my project till 3:00 a.m. and then barely getting 4 hours of sleep, I'm pooped.  And, there's still so much to prep to teach my first class tomorrow.