Free Imagine Things: April 2010

CousCous Casablanca

Hi everybody, I know I might more than one post today, I made some recipes past week for participating in the events and I am going to do it in the last minute as always!!, I really was googling a lot to do something to bake but that was not going to happen and this one was my daughter's love to this grain!!, She loves couscous so much, she wanted me try this out when she came back from school. So here is the recipe which I took from All Recipes that's a wonderful website with a large collection of recipes, I hope this is a typical African meal, As I was googling I came to know that Couscous is like a staple food of the Africans and they love it veggies and meats, and reading more about it I came to know that their are different kind of Couscous found and there is an art to cook this grain too.., that was quite interesting. Well I really do not know any art in cooking this but I used to cook it according to the packet instructions but these I have become an expert :), I just pour water without any measurments and it cooks very well, just like I cook Rice. Coming back to the recipe this is how it goes...

COUSCOUS CASABLANCA

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Couscous
A fist full of Raisins
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh coriander leaves
1 tbsp Lime Juice
chilli sauce to taste
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tbsp of Orange flower water (which I did not have!!)

VEGETABLE STEW
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 Onions
4 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves
1'' Grated ginger
1/4 tsp of Turmeric powder
3/4th cup cubed Pumpkin
1/2 cup sweet potato
1 celery stick
1 Medium sized carrot
1/2 cup french beans
1 courgette medium
3/4th cup chick peas (soaked)
1/2 cup Tomato pureed
2 cups of Vegetable stock

HARISSA PASTE:
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp Caraway seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 tbsp of Extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

To make vegetable stew:
Take a wok heat oil, add the cloves, cumin seeds, ginger, chopped onions and garlic and saute for few minutes, then add the Tomato puree and then add all the veggies and cook till they are soft then add the vegetable stock and bring it to boil,
Meanwhile, In a wok add a tsp of oil and fry all the ingredients in the Harissa paste ingredients and saute for few minutes and when it is cool make it into a paste using the remaining oil.
Add this paste to the cooking vegetables and cook for further few minutes add salt to taste and put of the stove and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and keep it aside
Meanwhile when the vegetables are cooking start cooking couscous

To make couscous
Boil hot water around 2-2 1/2 cups . Take couscous and raisins in a bowl pour the hot water into it and close the lid and allow it to cook or you can just add required quantity of water to couscous and raisins and put it on a stove and allow it to boil. within few minutes it get ready quickly.

In a large plate spread couscous sprinkle cinnamon powder and orange flower water and pour some of the vegetable stew over it and keep the rest aside and serve it with chilli sauce on the side.

PS: As I was making this for the kids I just tweaked it a little bit which you will notice when you read the all recipes!!, I thought the chillies, chilli sauce and again Harrisa sauce is going to make the dish too hot for the curds to eat, what I made itself was quite spicy so said my kids so I had to provide one of them with cucumbers and the other with yogurt!!, but then they liked it said it was different and enjoyed and finished it!! Thank God!!, I was really keeping fingers crossed that it would be not too hot!!.

Now why did I make this!! I made this for AWED African this month hosted by Padmaja of Seduce your taste buds which was started by DK of chef in you, both have a wonderful blog you need to check them out!!, with lovely photographs to seduce your taste buds and bring out the chef in you into action!!!

Here is one last peak at my couscous casablanca!!!

Dug in!! and hope you enjoy!! c u soon!!.....

Beerakaya Paalu Posina Kura, Nimmakaya pappu, Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi, Kakarkaya Karam

Hi friends, Hope you are all doing well, I have missed lot of recipes, hope soon I will sit and check them out!!, I have made new friends, which is of course a very happy thing, Blogging has given me new friends , new interests, and a lot of different out look towards life!!.
As I have always written, everyday I sit to post and my eyes gets locked with something, new, innovative, lovely photography and an interesting write-up!!, and I end up seeing them!! and forget what I sat for..
Coming back to the recipe!!, Andhra vantalu ante ma ayniki chaana ishtamandi!!, My friend U was asking over the phone, Jayasri yemi chestha unnavu ?, Andhra vantaalu chestha unnanu, Inti ki raa thinesi yetalu undi anni chepu, anta chepinnanu, Aaa Ammayento srivaari ki pani late ayindi anta next day vacchindi!!, Anni dishes taste chesi, bhagaane chesinaavu Jayasri anta remarks Icchindi!! hahaha.., If only my friends read this they will laugh out loud, hope I wrote telagu properly!!, she keeps teasing when I insert lot of Tamil or kannada words when I speak telagu, but always encourages me and talks to me most of the time only in telagu, because I have told her strictly I want to learn to speak telagu properly, and she should talk to me in the same!!, howzit ?
Let me come back again to the recipe...
So I prepared all these and we had a Andhra cuisine ....

BEERAKAYA PAALU POSINA KURA

INGREDIENTS:

2 Medium sized Beerakaya/Ridge Gourd

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

5-6 Garlic pods

a sprig curry leaves

1 large onion

2-3 green chillies

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp coriander powder

salt to taste

2 cups water

3/4 th cup milk

coriander to Garnish

METHOD

Heat tbsp of oil, once it is hot add mustard seeds after they splutter then finely chop or crush the garlic and add finely chopped onion, Green chillies and curry leaves and saute them for a while until onion turns transparent, then add peeled (do not throw the peel keep it away) and chop and cube the Ridge gourd.

Once it is done add the Beerakaya pieces close the lid and cook them well together. Add the spices mix well and allow it cook for further 5-10 minutes, Once it is done add 2 cups of water and allow it to boil, and boil it until it is almost evaporated.

Then start addin paalu (milk) slowly and stir continously other wise milk might curdle!!, if it doesn't thicken mix rice flour (1 tbsp) with water and pour it into the pulusu

Once it gets thickened add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice.

NIMMAKAYA PAPPU, BEERAKAYA THOKKU PACHADI AND KAKARAKAYA KARAM

I Keep making these all the time, but with a little difference, like pappu (dal) which we always make for festivals, but I had not used Nimmakaya in it!!, and of course the Bittergourd stir-fry I have used everything in it most of the time, but the little powder mixture in it!! :)), and of course Beerakaya thokku pachadi is what I make it as chutney, which I have already posted earlier (my version), this is a little bit different . So here is how sailu makes it...

NIMMAKAYA PAPPU

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Tuvar dal

2 to 3 green chillies

2 to 3 sprigs of coriander

salt to taste

juice of small lime

1/4 tsp Turmeric

SEASONINGS:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1-2 tsp oil

1 sprig curry leaves

1 dry chilly

3 cups of water

METHOD:

In a pressure cooker cook dal with 2 1/2 cups of water with turmeric, until soft, Take it out and mash the dal add another 1/2 cup water, and allow it to boil in a low flame, add required quantity of salt, then put of the stove and squeeze lime juice mix well and keep aside.

In a wok heat oil, add mustard seeds once it starts spluttering add cumin seeds, put of the stove and add curry leaves and chopped coriander to it and put the tadka to the dal, put of the stove then serve it with hot rice with a dollop of ghee.

BEERAKAYA THOKKU PACHADI

INGREDIENTS:

2 Peels of Ridge Gourd (skin of ridge gourd)

2-3 green chillies

1 small (flake) Tamarind

1-2 dried chillies

2 tbsp Minapappu/urad dal

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp oil

SEASONINGS:

1/2 TSP Mustard seeds

1 tsp oil

1-2 red chillies dry

curry leaves

a pinch of asafoetida

METHOD:

Heat a tsp of oil in a wok fry dal, cumin seeds and red chillies and keep it aside.

In the same wok heat a tsp of oil, chop the skin or peel of the Ridge Gourd and green chillies and fry them for a 5 to 6 minutes then add the tamarind flake and fry it too until they are quite soft, keep them aside.

Grind all the above ingredients when they are cool into a coarse paste.

In a wok heat oil and add the seasonings fry for 2 minutes and add it to the coarse paste. Now it is ready to devour with hot rice, chapati, dosa etc.,,

KAKARKAYA KARAM

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Kg Kakarkaya/Bitter Gourd

1 1/2 tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 Onion

Salt to taste

1 tbsp of Jaggery (optional)

SEASONINGS:

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Chenna Dal

1 tsp Urad Dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

MAKE A COARSE POWDER

4 Garlic cloves

4 Red chillies

METHOD

Slice Bitter Gourd into thin circles add turmeric powder and a little bit salt and keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.

Slice the Onions

Grind Garlic and red chillies into a coarse powder and keep aside

Take a wok heat oil add mustard seeds when they pop add the dals and fry for few minutes until they change colour add sliced onions and saute for 5 minutes until it is transparent then add curry leaves and the Bitter slices which was kept aside and saute for few minutes may be 20-25 minutes, until it is cooked well.

Once it is well cooked add the coarse powder mixture and required amount of salt.

Mix everything well together and allow it fry for few more minutes and serve it with hot rice.

PS: Actually sailus says that when the Bitter Gourd is sliced and left to marinate for few minutes, She squeezes the juice out of them and adds it to the wok, But I have already told you in many of my Bitter gourd recipes, I do not throw away the water as the juice is very nutritious, and which really helps in reducing the sugar level, that is why people who have Diabetics drink these juice!!.

BUT LAST LAST BUT LEAST IF OU DO NOT THROW AWAY THE JUICE IT IS GOING TO VERY BITTER!!, But My family (except my twins who hate them but I wouldn't leave them until they eat at least 2 spoons!!, and they call me Bad mother!!) H, A and me love to eat it just the way it is !!.

I am sending this recipe to Lakshmi Venktesh of Kitchen Chronicles, who is hosting this month's Tried and Tested Recipes from Sailus Kitchen, Tand T was first started by Zlamushka of Spicy kitchen.

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Furry beauty riding at party

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Bridal Salwar Kameez 2010-11 | Fancy Dresses

Salwar Kameez is a traditional dress worn by both men and women of South Asia. The dress is most popular in Pakistan and India than any other dress and worn on occasions is compulsory like Eid, Diwali and Holli etc. She9.blogspot.com is a well known fashion blog dealing with new trends of women clothing and providing handsome information about latest trends of women clothing like, Salwar Kameez, Lehnga, Sarees etc. She9 team always tries to provide latest and different information about fabric, patterns and styles of clothing. Today we will guide you and share some new fancy styles of Salwaar Kameez those can be wearing casually but designed especially as a party wear (Marriage Ceremony). On marriage ceremonies girls and women try their best to look different and elegant so they always choose fancy and colorful dresses. For summer marriage season if one have choice between heavy kaamdar (Embroidered) suits with light weight but fancy Salwaar Kameez than she will select light weight suit if it gives powerful look. All the dresses those are being shown by us are very beautiful have latest and emerging trendy patterns. Let’s have a look on these…..!

Light weight cotton Kameez with churidar pajama is a best choice for a marriage ceremony party. Cultural style embroidery at neck looking gorgeous and short sleeves also makes this perfect for summer season. Multicolor Duppatta is also an indication of this dress that it is specially made for marriage ceremony.

Black Chooridar salwaar with mustered color Kameez having floral print looking fabulous. V shaped beautiful neck style with floral baildar embroidery at neck border gives perfect fancy look to this dress. The Kameez is in short sleeve due to summer season.

Casual Salwaar with sleeve less short semi frock Kurti is also very famous as a fancy wear. Kurti border have multicolor style and colorful strop on both corners and this looks marvelous. Strip type round neck style influenced purely from casual kurti style.

Zig zag diagonal lining with some beautiful print is front of you. The doppatta has also diagonal lining in silver color. Salwaar is in chooridar pajama pattern. The specialty of this dress lies in neck and cuff style. The full sleeve style with embroidered fancy cuffs and the neck style also have same embroidery in loose semi round style. This beautiful dress is a hundred percent fancy party wear.

Salwaar Kameez for bridal, if you looking for inexpensive and beautiful Salwaar Kameez for a bridal that can be wear in summer than that Salwaar Kameez is perfect for you. Beautiful printing looks like embroidery and thread work. Shiny stuff of fabric makes this perfect. Chooridar pajama also hot for a bridal wear.

Fancy thin fabric used to stitch with embroidered fabric to make this dress for Glamorous Party wear Salwar kameez. Full sleeves with cuffs are looking well. Kameez border also have same style as neck.

Same technique is being used to make this dress that described earlier. Chooridar pajama with short kurti having full sleeve is looking gorgeous. Floral style background of kurti nourished by the designer with separate embroidered strip a neck, kurti border and on cuffs.

Sleeve less beautiful short kurti having colorful, fancy and stylish designing can be used as a marriage ceremony dress in hot summer season. Floral style designing at kurti’s border is looking amazing. The loose casual salwaar kameez also seems amazing.

Fancy semi frock short kurti has modern and stylish neck style as you can see. The sleeve less Kameez pattern is due to the fashion of summer season. Same designing is on border and at front of the kameez giving unique and fancy look.

Fancy mustered multicolor suit have shiny stuff and this can be used 100 % as a marriage ceremony dress. Zig zag strip at kurti border and at front creates uniqueness in style and fancy colorful work of different strips on neck gives this dress a fancy look.

This dress also based on technique that has been defined earlier but the color and neck style is different. This is also a fancy dress having shiny look.

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Chocolate,Orange and Dates pudding for Daring Baker's challenge-April 2010

Hi friends, I know I am a few minutes late for my Daring Baker's challenge posting !! :), that's me always late for everything, But, But, just a second I posted in the forum right on time!! exactly 2 minutes before midnight!!.
This month April 2010 Daring Baker's Challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen, she challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using if possible a very British ingredients Suet!!!.

Well, well, well this was a difficult situation I was in and few more like me who are vegetarians and vegans, as Suet is made from meat!!, Even though here they sell a vegetable suet by Atora, I had never tried it and really did not know how it works, May be someday I might give it a try!!, But then Esther, was a wonderful host who wanted all of us to participate and was she flexible, yes!!, she was very !!!, she wrote that she wanted all of us to bake I mean Steam away or Bake or however you know how to make a pudding!!, and yes here we go we all had free reins so we could just make whatever we wanted!!
If you are interested on how the suet is made check out in Esther's blog or visit the main Kitchen where loads of our Daring bakers have contributed to stuning puddings to feast your eyes!!
I just wanted it to be atleast in something realtively near so I really wanted to Steam and see how the pudding tastes and looks!!, I was so surprised that it turned out very well..., Here is my pudding recipe...
This recipe after searching so many books I found this one, which attracted me for two reasons one by the look of it and the other was it had dates in it!! The most loved dry fruit by me....!!!,This book is a collection of Desserts and doesn't have an author.., whoever found this one won my heart and of course my family and friends who enjoyed it, especially my H who said, it was simply Gorgeous and had a generous second helping !!! as it was quite sweet...
Sorry once again I have to apologise the not-too-tempting-clicks!!, But they were really too yummy!!, you all must give it a try.

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE AND DATES PUDDING

INGREDIENTS:
100 gms Golden Caster Sugar
2-3 Seedless Oranges
200gms Unsalted butter, softened
200 gms Dark Muscovado sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed Oranges ( I used 2 tbsp)
3 tbsp of fine-cut Orange Marmalade ( I used home-made Marmalade from my previous recipe)
3 Eggs beaten
1 tbsp Orange-Flower water (Optional)
150 gms Plain Flour (I used 100 gms Plain flour + 50 gms Quinoa Flour)
50 gms Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 tsp of Baking Powder
150 gms ready-to-eat dates, chopped

Served 7 !!

METHOD:

First make a sugar syrup, pour 150 ml water into a small sauce pan and add the caster sugar. Cook over gentle heat until dissolved.

Slice each Orange thinly into about 6 neat slices. Submerge them in the sugar syrup. set a disc of non-stick grease proof paper on top and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. Lift the Oranges out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Boil the syrup until reduced by half.

Line the base of the pudding basin with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper. Place the best Orange slice on top of the disc, and use the rest of the slices to line the sides of the basin.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, muscovado sugar and orange zest using an elctric whisk, until light and fluffy.

Beat in the marmalade, then gradually beat in the eggs and orange-flower water, if using, mixing well between each addition. Sift the floour, cocoa and baking powder into the egg mixture and fold in. Finally fold in the dates.

Spoon the mixture into the basin, It should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides. Smoot the surface and cover with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper. Take a large sheet of aluminium foil and fold it in half. Make a pleat in the centre. Press the foil over the side of the basin with the pleat in the centre. Press the foil over the side of the basin, tie around the top with string and trim away any excess foil.

The pleat will open out and allow the pudding to expand during cooking.

Stand the basin on a trivet in a large, deep pan and add enoough water to come at least 5 cm up the sides. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2 hours, topping up the water level from time to time.

Remove the foil and disc and insert a skewer into the centre of the pudding. If it doesn't come out clean, re-cover and steam for a little longer. Run a knife around the sides, turn out onto a dish and brush with syrup. Serve with what ever you enjoy!!!!.

VERDICT: I just loved Steaming this pudding as I had never done this before, Every one loved it!!, I used my pressure cooker to steam this pudding, I did not have a pudding bowl, so I steamed it in a pyrex bowl!!

I served with my Home made Mascarpone cheese, which I had learnt it in previous Tiramisu (which I did not make !!, just made the cheese) Daring Baker's challenge.

Home Made Mascarpone cheese cre'me:

50 gms Mascarpone cheese

150 ml Double cream

50 gms Icing sugar

I softened the cheese, mixed it with Icing sugar and added the creame and thoroughly beat into a soft sweet cream.

Here are some more clicks of my lovely chocolatey, orangy dates pudding....

Digging into my lovely pudding and served with the cre'me, rather poured it on it!!, which was just out of the steamer and was quite warm... Mmm.....

This was one nice click ( :)))) so I say!!, this was really how it looked like... Absolutely Gorgeous and yummy....

My kids were saying it just tasted like the Orange chocolates sold exclusive only in UK, which is just like the orange segments, as if you are peeling an Orange, So if you ever come to UK, do not forget to buy these Orangy chocolates.., as I heard from lot of people that you can get it nowhere!!
Enjoy!!!

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