Malabar Vegetable Stew

Simple, wholesome and healthy side dish which goes well with appam (hoppers) or most Kerala breakfast mains. Its subtle flavor, the aroma of the spices and the thick & creamy coconut milk makes it all just blend well and perfect! My Aunt often makes this when I and my cousins visit her place and after a course of appam and vegetable stew.. she surely won our hearts. :)!

Ingredients

-Mixed vegetables ( Carrot, Potato, Green Peas, Cauliflower, Broccoli). These would be the common 
 vegetables used for this stew, but you could vary the choice of vegetables to your preference. For this
 recipe I used 200g of mixed vegetables from packet

-Onion – 1, sliced finely

-Green chilly – 4-5

-Ginger & garlic – 1 tbsp each, crushed

-Thin coconut milk – 1 1/2 cup

-Thick coconut milk – 1/2 – 3/4 cup

- Cashew paste (for thicker gravy) : soak cashews (around 6,7) in hot water for 5-10 mins. Grind it into a smooth
  paste. Mix the cashew paste with the thick coconut milk

For seasoning

-Whole black pepper – 1/2 tsp

-Cinnamon – 1 piece

-Cloves – 3

-Cardamom – 3

-Curry leaves

-Coconut oil

salt to taste 

MethodHeat oil in a deep bottom pan  add the seasoning spices and let it spultter.
Add the onion, ginger and garlic, curry leaves and green chilly and saute for a few minutes till the onion becomes soft/transparent. Dont make the onions brown.
Add the mixed vegetables and stir well.
Add thin coconut milk and salt to taste, bring to boil, reduce heat.
Simmer and cook till vegetables are tender, it will take 10 mins approx.
Add thick coconut milk and cook for 5 more minute. To make the gravy very thick, I added 1 tbsp of cashew paste and remove from stove. (This step is optional)
Garnish with curry leaves fried in coconut oil or ghee  .

Serve with Hot Appams or Puttu.

 Enjoy :)!

Kubus (Pita Bread) & Hummus

Having always been in love with Arabic cuisine, it never occurred to me to actually try making it myself.
This recipe was inspired by my two friends Rajesh and Siddarth who are currently working in UAE. Through a conversation with them over the phone, their Arabic national food came to topic. Since they were so fond of Kubus and Hummus, I thought to myself why not give my hand at it a try. 

Kubus, also known as Pita bread  is served at just about every meal in the Middle East. It can be used for dipping, or to make sandwiches. In the Middle East, pita is made in brick ovens, where very high heat can be achieved. Since I always take the easy way out, I just stuck to making it in my kitchen oven. It turned out just fine.

The English word hummus comes from Turkish humus meaning the hummus food dip or spread. Probably the most common thing that identifies that the food is indeed Arabic is the Hammus it is made with Chick Peas and Sesame Seeds known as Tahina. I made my homemade tahini, but it is readily available at the stores for your convenience. My tahini recipe is mentioned below, that is, if you prefer making your own tahini as well. Both these food items are quite famous internationally, but you can personalize it to suit to your taste. This is my version of it.

How to make Kubus: 

Ingredients:

-1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast

-1/2 cup warm water

-3 cups plain flour

-1 1/4 tsp salt

-1 tbsp sugar

-1 cup lukewarm water

Method

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.
Combine flour and salt in large bowl. 

Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic.

Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.  

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated. Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.  

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to also preheat your baking sheet.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.  

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.  

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking. 

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags. 

 

p.s : Pita bread can be stored for up to a week in a pantry or bread box, and up to a month in the freezer. Be sure to use freezer bags when storing in the freezer  

How to make Hummus: 

The Hummus I made was with the combination of cilantro(coriander leaves) and jalapeno pepper (or green chillies). If you prefer the traditional hummus just avoid these two items.

Ingredients:

-25 g chickpeas, soaked for a few hours better soak in the evening and prepare in the morning (or use can of cooked chickpeas in saltwater)

-juice of 2 lemons 

-3 tbsp tahina (Sesame Seeds) 

-2 garlic cloves, crushed

- 1 Jalepeno pepper/ 2-3 green chilli

-a few sprigs of cilantro(coriander leaves)

-salt

GARNISHING 

-1 tbsp olive oil 

-1 tsp. paprika 

- a few sprigs of cilantro(coriander leaves)

Take the soaked chickpeas and cook in water until well cooked & tender( or use the canned chickpeas). 

Drain the cooking water aside.

Grind the chickpeas in a blender (or food processor) with the lemon juice, tahina, garlic, salt and enough of the cooking water you kept. Bring it to a soft creamy consist paste.

Garnish with a dribble of olive oil, a dusting of paprika and a little parsley or coriander leaves.

Serve with warm pita bread for dipping. 

Homemade Tahini 

-4 cups sesame seeds  

-1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350° F.Spread the sesame seeds on a shallow baking tray and bake, shaking frequently, until fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not brown. Cool.Put the sesame seeds in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the vegetable oil. 

Process to a smooth paste, about 5 minutes. Add more oil if necessary, to bring the paste to a thick pouring consistency. 

(makes 3 cups)

PS. Tahini will keep stored in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for several months.

Enjoy :)!

Kiribath - Coconut Milk Rice Cakes

Happy Sinhalese and Hindu NEWYEAR greeting to all my friends and family.! :)! Today every Srilankan celebrate this day with a new begining..however one old traditional recipie still remains the same.. The Coconut Milk Rice or Kiribath. Kiribath makes it's way into every important event or auspicious moment in a Lankan's life.

This dish is normally eaten for breakfast with a spicy chilli sambal called Katta Sambal,the reddish blob on the diamond in the photos or the mild version of it with onions and green chillies called Lunu Miris.
The addition of Pandan/Screwpine leaf locally called as Rampe is what makes this dish stand out with it's unique flowery aroma and flavor.
It is made with new rice (although I had to used boiled rice this instance as it was not available here) in a new clay pot to symbolize new beginnings and prosperity.

Ingredients:
-1 cups of white rice,washed and soaked for 30 minutes
-3 1/2 cups of water
-salt to taste
-Pandan/ScrewPine leaf (optional)
-3 cardomom pods/2 cloves/2 cinnamon sticks
-1 cup coconut milk

For the Onion chilli sambal
- 8-9 shallots,cleaned and sliced
- 1 green chilli sliced
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
- lime juice
salt to taste

Place the rice,water,salt and the spices in a pot and cook in medium flame until the rice becomes mushy.
Add the coconut milk,give it a stir and adjust the seasonings.
Let it simmer until all the liquid has evaporated and the rice becomes a one big mass.
Press the cooked rice onto a plate and let it cool.Then slice it into diamonds.

For the sambal,mix all the ingredients. Add lime juice and salt to your taste.

Happy new year! Enjoy!