Eggless Banana Cake Using Ragi Flour

By    3:04 PM // 9 comments
I was about to finish my cooking for the day when my eyes fell on the brown spotted bananas, sitting and staring at me from the kitchen countertop waiting to be used. "Balala" [that's how my younger one asks for his favourite fruit] provide energy and nutrition and we often buy them for kids, they being convenient as a grab and go snack option when compared to chips and wafers. But sometimes these bananas get spotted so fast and too ripe that kids refuse to even look at them. Instead of throwing them, I prefer to prepare Mangalore buns [deep fried puris using these type of ripe bananas] and the times when I don't want to deep fry then I use them to make shikran/ halwa or paratha. 

 As I finished my cooking, flipped through my recipe notes and came across a recipe shared by Sahana on facebook few months back - an eggless cake using ragi flour and mango pulp. 
Baking with bananas ..a cake or may be a bread was in my mind since long time. While browsing through the net I came across a similar cake recipe on Lite Bite by Sanjeeta. A reader had left a comment on Sanjeeta's page about using bananas instead of mango pulp in the recipe. Ta ta da ... there I was super excited to discover another excellent way to use these overripe bananas and turn them into healthy baked treat. Thanks Sahana for sharing your recipe.




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Karbeva saaru

By    2:15 PM // No comments
In Konkani cuisine, saaru is a preparation having the consistency of soup. There are variety of saarus prepared by amchi people. The main ingredient used to prepare this dish highlights the flavor and mostly it is named after this main ingredient itself like tomato saaru, kultha saaru, birinda saaru, etc



Karbevu is a konkani word for curry leaves [popularly known as kadipatta] and by now you must have guessed the main ingredient of today's post. 



Curry leaves are known to add unique flavour to the dish and has been mainly used as seasoning ingredient. Fresh leaves have a short shelf life [they tend to blacken and lose the flavor soon] and so should be stored properly in airtight containers. They have many health benefits which you can read here. Despite all these benefits, many of us choose to keep them aside in plate and not eat it.

Below recipe is a healthy way to incorporate these leaves in our diet instead of allowing them to dry or keeping them aside on the plate. Thanks to Vidya Nayak Shenoy for sharing this recipe. I reduced the chilies as per my family requirements.



Ingredients

5 sprigs of curry leaves
Asafoetida [hard resin - small piece ]
2 tbsp chana dal
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 red chillies [byadgi variety] [original recipes calls for extra 4 chilis which I excluded]
2 tbsp fresh coconut
Marble sized tamarind
1 tbsp jaggery
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves.
2 tsp ghee /oil
1/2 mustard seeds
Few curry leaves

 Method:

 Take 1 tsp oil roast asafoetida. Remove and keep it aside. In the same oil roast one by one chana daal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, byadgi red chilies, grated coconut, and curry leaves. Keep the roasted ingredients on a plate and allow it to cool. Grind roasted ingredients with tamarind to a smooth paste. 

Transfer the paste to a vessel and add water to adjust its consistency as per your preference. Add salt to taste, jaggery and bring it to boil. After 5 minutes, switch off the flame. Prepare seasoning with mustard and curry leaves in oil and add it to the saaru. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and close the lid. Serve it hot with rice or you could just drink it as soup.

Happy cooking !!!

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Palak Paneer

By    10:43 PM // 2 comments
Palak paneer is a popular North Indian vegetarian dish that consists of paneer [cottage cheese] cooked in spinach puree and mildly flavored with Indian spices. I am sure, those who love Indian foods and have visited North Indian restaurants or Dhabas [the road side Punjabi dhabas are known to specialize in its preparation] have probably not missed their chance to taste it. 

 This dish is rich in protein, calcium and iron. The super color contrasts of green spinach with white paneer makes it look tempting. Traditionally, this dish is served as an accompaniment to rotis, naan, pulao or plain steamed rice and the combination tastes delicious.



Ingredients

2 bunches palak 
200 gms paneer [Frozen ones, soften them by soaking it in warm water]
2-3 green chili 
1 large Onion , finely chopped
1 large tomato , finely chopped
1/2 inch cinnamon stick 
2 tsp grated ginger garlic
1/4 tsp kasuri methi 
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder 
A  pinch of turmeric
1 tsp garam masala 
2 tbsp cream
1-2 tsp lemon juice 
Salt as per taste
1 tsp sugar 
1 ½ -2 tbsp oil 

Method:

Bring the frozen paneer cubes to room temperature. Wash, rinse spinach in running water. Remove the thick portion of the stem. [You can follow any method to clean it but make sure to clean it well from all dirt]. Roughly chop the leaves. 

Blanch it in hot water with sugar. Now drain and put the leaves in a bowl containing ice cold water [ adding sugar and ice cold water helps to retain the green color]. Collect the drained water* in separate bowl, add paneer cubes and keep it covered. This will soften the cubes. 

 Blend the blanched palak with finely chopped green chilies to a smooth puree.  Heat oil in a deep pan. Add dalchini, stir it for few seconds. Add finely chopped onion, grated ginger garlic and saute it till the raw smell goes and onion turns golden brown. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and pinch of turmeric and saute it again on low flame for few seconds taking care not to burn it. Add finely chopped tomatoes, salt and cook till they become soft. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms and add it to the  pan. Once soft, add the spinach puree, little amount of drained water * [to adjust the consistency of gravy], cream and allow it to cook on low flame. 

 Squeeze the paneer cubes, add it to the pan and gently mix it. You can crumble few pieces of paneer before adding it to gravy. Simmer it for a minute. Sprinkle some garam masala, squeeze some fresh lemon juice and mix it. Switch off the flame and transfer it to serving bowl. Serve hot with rotis or rice.



In the above pic you see toasted bread slices.  I place the gravy between two slices of bread, making it easy for my kids [especially my younger one who insists on eating by himself] to have it,  and less cleaning work for me after they finish :D

 Note: You can shallow fry paneer cubes on a flat griddle before adding it to the gravy. You can subsitute paneer with potato cubes or tofu.

 Happy cooking!
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