ELEPHANTFOOT YAM / JIMIKAND KOFTA CURRY (OL-ER KOFTA CURRY)

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

According to wiki, Elephantfoot Yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) is a tropical tuber crop, basically in South Eest Asian countries, which is very different from Sweet Potato. I saw in my childhood days, my grandma cooked this curry with little variations, and it was truly yummilicious. After her, my mom adopted this delightful curry from her MIL and oftenly served to our dinning table. Years gone, I tried out this curry with taking some tips from my mom and Meena. Trust me it came out just fabulous, so here sharing with you all.....

INGREDIENTS:
300 gm Elephantfoot Yam / Jimikand (ol/suran)
1/3 Cup Plain Yogurt or Curd
2 Onions
1 Tomato
3 Green Chillies (chopped)
4 tbsps Cashewnut Paste
1 tbsp Grated Ginger
1 tbsp Minced Garlic
1" Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
A Pinch Of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
3 tbsps Corn Flour
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Dried Mango Powder (amchur)
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Salt to taste
2 tbsps + Oil for Shallow Frying
Water As Needed
2 tbsps Coriander Leaves

METHOD:
Grease palms with little oil and scrab the outer surface of yam under running water.

Peel the yam skin carefully with a strong and sharp knife. Wash and cut yam into medium cubes.

Boil yam in pressure cooker with little water. Once cool, drain water and keep boiled yam aside.

For gravy, grind onion, tomato, 2 green chillies, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and garlic together to make a smooth paste. Set aside. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a wok or pan. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida in it. When cumin seed splutters, add the gravy paste (which we made before and set aside). 

Keep stirring till oil leaves side. Add turmeric powder, salt, 1tsp kashmiri red chilli powder, 1tsp coriander powder and garam masala in it.

Stir for a minute, then add cashewnut paste in it. 

Fry till spices leave oil from the side of the wok.

Add 3/4 cup of water to get the required consistency. 

Reduce the heat and let it boil for 3 minutes. Switch off the heat now. Delicious gravy is ready now.

For making koftas, mash yam nicely.

Add corn flour, salt, 1 chopped green chillies, 1tsp coriander powder, 1tsp kashmiri red chilli powder, dried mango powder and 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander powder in it. Mash and mix thoroughly. Set it aside.

Make small balls and shallow fry till both sides turn golden brown. Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil from koftas.

While serving, arrange koftas on a serving bowl, pour warm gravy on the top and sprinkle coriander leaves on the top. Garnish with few koftas and cashewnuts, serve with steamed rice, chapathis, naan or parathas. Enjoy this yummy delicacy........

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway; "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights; Taste of the Tropics @ ESHO-BOSHO-AAHARE; Jagruti's Mom's event- Food She Loved

DUDHI WITH CHANA DAL / SPLIT BENGAL GRAM WITH BOTTLE GOURD

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

This is a very light, mild, simple, quick and very delicious as well as healthy dish. Here both vegetable and lentil make a wholesome meal. This particular recipe, where 'dudhi cooked with chana dal and spices', is a Gujrati delicacy. It is not only tasty and flavorful, but a protein pack dish. My mom also made this dish with little variations, so I asked mom, how to make this dish  more toothsome and I made little modification according her. She enjoyed this dish fully and hope you will also enjoy.....

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Split Bengal Gram (chana dal)
1/2 of a Small Bottle Gourd (lauki/dudhi)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Green Chilli (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/3 tsp Garam Masala (optional)
1 tsp Curry powder
1&1/2 Cups Water
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste
Coriander Leaves For Garnishing

METHOD:

Wash and soak split Bengal gram for 1 hour. After 1 hour, drain water completely.

Wash and peel bottle gourd. Cut into medium cubes. Set it aside.

Boil 1&1/2 cups water in a pressure pan. Add lit Bengal gram, bottle gourd pieces, turmeric powder and salt to the water. Close lid and cook till 2 whistles. Lets cool naturally.

Open the pressure cooker now. (If dal seems too thick, add extra water. The dal should be the exact consistency of a casserole. It must be soft , but not mushy) Set aside.

Heat clarified butter in a kadhai/wok. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida in it. Let cumin seed splutters. 

Add tomato, green chilli and little salt in it. Fry for a minute.

Now add curry powder, red chilli powder and garam masala in it. 

Fry for 3-4 minutes, till tomato turns mushy and leaves oil from the sides.

Pour boiled split Bengal gram along with bottle gourd on it. Stir nicely. 

Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Switch off the heat now.

Garnish with coriander leaves and seve hot with plain rice or chapathis.

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway; "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights; Taste of the Tropics @ ESHO-BOSHO-AAHARE; Jagruti's Mom's event- Food She Loved;  Gat's & Viji's Show Your Styles to the World - Fenugreek & Bottle Gourd

BREAD UPMA

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

If you are really bored with sandwich or bread toast or French Fry, just try this South Indian touchy Bread Upma. A wonderful breakfast, very flavorful and it cooks in jiffy. In my school days, my mom oftenly made this dish in my lunch box and she also loved this toothsome dish very much. Since then, I am foodie...:) Bread upma tastes best if you use a day or two old bread (or stale bread), which is little hard and dry - a spiced, a stir fried bread dish. So, lets get started.

INGREDIENTS:
8 Bread Slices
1 Parboiled Potato, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Tomato (finely chopped)
2 Green Chillies (chopped)
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
1/2 tsp Bengal gram Lentil (chana dal)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Lemon Juice
4 tbsps Oil
Handful Coriander Leaves (chopped)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Trim the edges of the bread slices, then cut each bread slice into 9 small cubes.

Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, cumin seeds, urad dal, bengal gram lentils. Saute for 40 seconds, let them crackle.

Add green chillies now, saute for another few seconds.

Now add onion and curry leaves in it. Fry till onions are translucent.

Then add potato pieces in it. Fold well.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder in it. 

Mix tomato and salt. Fry till tomato gets mushy.

Add bread pieces now. Immediately fold nicely.

Pour 1/2 Cup of water. Fold everything very nicely. Bread will be soggy but not mushy. Add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mix well.

Serve immediately.

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway; "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights; Taste of the Tropics @ ESHO-BOSHO-AAHARE; Jagruti's Mom's event

GRILLED SCRAMBLED COTTAGE CHEESE SANDWICH / PANEER BHURJI SANDWICH

Usually, we made sandwiches with eggs/chicken/veggies/cheese, but today I made sandwiches with the scrambled cottage cheese filling. Very easy to make, may use your leftover scrambled cottage cheese in a great way. My mom is pure vegetarian, she loves cottage cheese (paneer) a lot. Usually she makes paneer bhurji (scrambled cottage cheese) weekly once. So made these sandwiches specially for her and she relished it truely. Thanks a lot to my friend Meena Bhatia for this healthy and yummilicious recipe. You made my mom's day today...... 

INGREDIENTS: 
8 Bread Slices
Salted Butter For Spreading On The Bread Slices
Tomato Ketchup (for serving)

FOR MAKING SCRAMBLED COTTAGE CHEESE:
1 Cup Cottage Cheese/Chena (grated paneer)
1/4 Cup Green Peas (frozen)
1 Small Onion Chopped
1 Small Tomato Chopped
2 tbsps Small Cubes of Green Bell Pepper
2 tbsps Small Cubes of Red Bell Peppers
Few Sprigs of Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
1-2 Finely Chopped Green Chillies
1/4 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
TO MAKE SCRAMBLED COTTAGE CHEESE (PANEER BHURJI):

In a pan, heat little clarified butter. Add chopped onion and green chillies, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add green peas, tomato, chopped bell peppers and fry for 2-3 more minutes. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder and garam masala powder. Fry another 2 minutes. Now add grated cottage cheese, coriander leaves and salt in it. Fry on high heat for 3 minutes, till all spices incorporate well with cottage cheese. Switch off the heat now. Scrambled cottage cheese is ready now.

TO MAKE SANDWICH:
Butter the bread on one side.

Spread scrambled cottage cheese on it.

Cover the slice with another buttered side of bread.

Place both sandwiches on the sandwich toaster.

Grill them nicely.

Serve immediately with tomato ketchut or any other sauce. Enjoy this yummilicious breakfast...

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway; "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights; Taste of the Tropics @ ESHO-BOSHO-AAHARE; Jagruti's Mom's event