Mothaan di khichdi, Sukke aloo and Paneer di kadhi

Three dishes, so different from each other :). And all three are pretty simply, yet delicious! The first one, a very simple khichdi. Now, this khichdi is the simplest ode to this whole genre of dishes-dal+chawal=khichdi! As simple as this sounds :). Moth/matki and rice cooked together to creamy perfection with just some salt and ghee! Its a lovely meal, and is my favorite since childhood. My Bibiji used to make it a lot.....daal and rice slowly blending together on angeethi (movable earthen stove) and the final taste and aroma would come from moth, ghee and the smoke! Yes, food cooked on slow fire on an earthern stove has that distinct touch.....and sometimes, simple food can be the most delicious :). Anyway, years later, when i was in the hostel, i once wrote a letter to my Mom telling her how much i craved this khichdi. and in her really cute response she wrote, "You've to learn to cook, to eat something delicious". If it were chat, you would see some wink symbols after this ;). So yes, i love this one. I don't have an angeethi or a chullah (fixed earther stove), so i can't get that real smokey flavor, but hey, its still delish :)).

The next one, the sukki aloo sabzi is another quick eat and is a Multani style recipe. Sliced potatoes cooked with dry spices. Yummy and tangy :). The last one, is one of those really old fashioned dishes, sounds quite odd, but is real easy to make and easier to fall in love with. The only pre-requisites: sour curds and freshest possible paneer :). I have had it a few times, long ago.....The memories of this dish were rekindled again during a casual conversation with an acquaintance, who fondly mentioned how his Mom makes the best paneer kadhi :).

So lets start:

Mothaan di khichdi:


We need:

• 1/2 cup moth/matki (soaked 1 hr. in warm water)
• 1/2 cup rice (non-basmati, i used brown rice)
• salt to taste
• a pinch of red chilli powder and garam masala
• 1-2 tsp. ghee

Pressure cook the moth daal in 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups water(4-5 whistles) till its really soft. Add the washed rice and add some more water. Add salt and chilli powders to taste, a tsp. ghee and stir. Pressure cook for another 2-3 whistles. The result should be a liquidy, creamy khichdi.

Bubbling with joy ;)

Blend in the remaining ghee and enjoy with mango pickles, dahi and papad. Occasionally also with raw onions (broken with your fist, pendu/rural style). The khichdi looks gorgeous with its reddish color and tastes great!

Sukke aloo:

We need:

• 2-3 potatoes (sliced into rounds)
• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. coriander seed powder
• 1/4 tsp. ajwain (ground coarse)
• a pinch of strong heeng/asfoetida
• 1 tsp. sunddh/saunth/dry ginger powder
  
• 1 tsp. amchoor (traditionally its anardana/pomegranate seeds, i was out of it so i used amchoor)
  
• Salt and red chilli powder to taste
• Turmeric
• 1 tsp. oil
• Crushed, dried poodna/pudina/mint leaves or mint leaves powder (to taste)

This is a low-fat adaptation :). The original calls for deep frying potatoes. I usually either bake the slices or stir-fry and then cook with a lil' drizzle of water. So, heat some oil and splutter the cumin seeds, add the rest of the spice powders except amchoor. Add the potato slices and stir on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add amchoor, drizzle enough water, so that the slices do not stick to the pan. Lower the heat and cover to cook till the slices are tender. Don't forget to stir a bit in between. Finally, add the pudina powder or crushed dry leaves and serve hot as a side dish :).



One of the interesting recipes i found on the internet is a coriander take on this classic and involves baking. Its called Multani Aloo (the author says that this dish gets the name from Multani masala, but for some reason doesn't have the masalas like ajwain, heeng and sunddh, which are very popular in Multani food). Paging Rachna :).

Paneer di kadhi:

We need:

• 10-15 cubes of fresh paneer
• 1 and 1/2 cup buttermilk or beaten curd (sour preferred)
• 3 tbsp. besan
• 1/4 tsp. each Shah-jeera (black cumin), methi dana (fenugreek seeds) and kalonji (nigella seeds)
  
• a pinch of strong hing
• Turmeric and red chilli-powder (to taste)
• Kasuri methi
• 2 tsp. oil

Prepare the besan-curds mix by first beating the curd smooth and then slowly blending in the besan. Heat 1 tsp. oil and add methi dana and heeng. Add the cubed paneer and stir till the cubes are lightly toasted. If you are using fried paneer then just throw the cubes in and proceed to the next step. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and mix. Reduce the heat to very low and stir in the besan-curds mix slowly. Stir again and add some water and mix thoroughly. Bring this to a boil and cook on low heat till the kadhi thickens. Now with the remaining oil (or melted ghee, if you will) prepare another quick tadka of shah-jeera and kalonji and pour it over the kadhi. Stir in some kasuri methi and garnish with hari-mirch. Enjoy this kadhi hot with rice or pulaav (and if you are like me, even with a sourdough panini sandwich).



Indira posted a recipe with paneer and dahi some time back, and i find it to be a kinder, gentler version of a kadhi. That dish requires addition of beaten dahi in the end and has no besan. Do try that as well, because it is a lovely one :).


So folks, enjoy these yummy dishes :).

And, these dishes are my contribution to RCI: Punjab, an event hosted this month by Richa (As dear as salt) and originally envisaged by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine, to celebrate the regional cuisines of India.

Arbi-bataun di sabzi-taro root and eggplants :)

This is just as simple as it sounds, friends. Arbi is taro and bataun is baingan, eggplants, aubergines, brinjals etc etc.....Now, isn't that combo interesting :). I know, i know.....y'all are thinking, hey, wasn't it meant to be aloo-baingan ;). The ever favorite of Punjus, the great spud, needs to take rest sometimes ;). Meanwhile, arbi/arvi or taro-root steps in and how! Aloo-bataun/aloo-baingan or "potatoes and eggplants", with or without wadis, is a classic Punju combo. Equally yummy, but a far less talked about variation is the use of taro with eggplants. Well, that statement is not completely true: it is a rather popular summer time combo in rural Punjab, but not much talked about elsewhere. So here's our chance to talk about it and enjoy it :). And its a very versatile combo too: enjoy it as a simple, mild, tari-wali (gravied) sabzi or a spicy, kicked-up sukki (dry) sabzi. It is usually made with Chinese eggplants (the long eggplants), but you can use any variety available and it would still taste good. So here are the two recipes: for all taro and eggplant lovers to enjoy.....and also as my contribution to RCI:Punjab :). My agenda is clear here :). That is, to blog about Punjabi recipes, that used to be common once upon a time and are fading away, or are not well known outside Punjabi community, or recipes that are only made in specific parts of Punjab, the regional specialities.....last post exemplified a recipe now sorta' extinct, and another one thats typically Punju, but not particularly famous outside Punjab. Why i am doing it? Just my attempt to preserve a bit of my own culinary heritage.....and share it with my friends.



Arbi-bataun sabzi (tari-wali):

We need:

• 1 big eggplant (round) or 4-5 Chinese eggplants or 6-7 small round eggplants
• 7-8 taro roots
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
  
• 1/4 tsp. each cumin and coriander seeds
• Turmeric and red chilli powder (to taste)
• 1 heaped tsp. Amchoor (mango powder)
  
• 1-2 green chillies (chopped, optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp. melted Ghee/Oil
• Chopped cilantro
• A pinch of garam masala (from the red-lobia post)

Wash the eggplants and cut them into 2-inch long pieces (traditional way). Wash and scrape the taro-roots and cut them into 1-2 inch long pieces.

In 1 tsp. hot oil, splutter the cumin and coriander seeds and saute' the onions. Add the cut taro pieces and cook with the onions on high heat for 4-5 minutes to eliminate the stickiness. Alternatively you may bake/toast the taro lightly or microwave the chopped taro for 4-5 minutes. In a separate pan, add the remaining oil and then stir-fry the eggplant pieces for 4-5 minutes. Add these to the taro and stir. Add the copped tomatoes, stir and cook for a cpl. of minutes. Now add the turmeric and chilli powder, followed by salt. Stir again and add 1 and half cup of water. Bring to boil and then cook on low flame till the gravy thickens. Add the chopped green chillies, cilantro and garam masala.

Ready to be served with chapati/phulka, parantha or rice :).

Arbi-bataun sabzi (sukki):

We need:

• 1 big eggplant (round) or 4-5 Chinese eggplants or 6-7 small round eggplants
• 7-8 taro roots
• 1 onion (sliced thin)
• 2 inch piece of ginger and 4-5 garlic cloves (made into paste)
• 1/4 tsp. each cumin and coriander seeds
• Turmeric and red chilli powder (to taste)
• 1 heaped tsp. Amchoor (mango powder)
  
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. Oil

Chop the vegetables as in the recipe above. Microwave the taro pieces for 5 minutes. In a pan, heat 1/2 tsp. oil and splutter the seeds. saute the sliced onion on low heat till tender and brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir again. Add the taro pieces and stir. Now add the remaining oil, followed by the eggplant pieces. Stir and cook on high for 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, amchoor and salt. Stir and cook on low heat after covering the pan till done. To enjoy, inhale the spicy, yummy aroma, make some rotis or parathas and enjoy with this sabzi and some curds :).

Notes: The gravy sabzi is meant to be mild, if you have another dry sabzi to accompany. in that case you may omit the green chiliies. The dry sabzi is preferably enjoyed as a lip-smacking spicy dish with some chilled dahi/curds (with some salt and black pepper).Talking about dahi, many Punjus enjoy a small katori/vatki/cup of curds with sugar after lunch :)). i am not one of them.....i love my dahi with salt!! For variations, if you are using Chinese eggplants, cut them into rounds. Arbi can also be cut into rounds. Cutting the vegetables differently changes the taste and look of the dish! Makes a lot of difference! Also, you may like to try this recipe with arbi alone (just reduce the amount of onions, or omit them altogether and use hing and dry masala instead). I have tried to minimize the oil requirement here :). Patience is the key here, the eggplants do get cooked in due time, you don't need too much oil :). I mention this, because some households use deep-frying for the dry recipe. On an aside, I prefer using Olive Oil for my cooking. Try it :).

Oh! and the pictures for the dry sabzi have been taken with my camera phone! My camera is not working anymore.....he he, first the internet, now the camera! These pictures are doing no justice to how this dish actually looked!! Hmm, now that i am talking, lemme also tell you that the first recipe was meant to be posted for JFI eggplants as well.....but as i mentioned, internet wasn't helping :). So here it is finally :)).

Hope you'll enjoy this eggplant-taro affair :).

W for Wadi-toriyaan di subzi and Wagocha :))

Hello everyone! Please allow me a few minutes to explain that title :). Am sure you all know about the first two words "W for" : they refer to dear Nupur's A-Z of Indian vegetables (an event that i am so excited to join again, after the hiatus). As for wadis, they are spice cakes made out of daal (urad or urad+moong) and petha (ash-gourd), with lots and lots of spice-sun dried to perfection and used as condiments in Punjabi cooking. Now, toriyaan is the plural for tori or turai (ridge-gourd). They are also referred to as ghiya toriyaan (to distinguish them from bhindiyaan toriyaan)! So wadi-toriyaan di sabzi would mean, a vegetable preparation made out of ridge-gourd and wadis. I confess to having used zucchinis in place of ridge-gourd here :).

Ah! now its the last word "Wagocha" that i have to do some real explaining for :)). The Punjus in the crowd sure must be thinking that Musical has gone crazy!! Who has heard of such a dish!! Wagocha is a Punjabi word, implying a hurried job, quick and dirty sorts :)). Like one would say, "eh ki wagocha poora kita e" (what a rushed up mess you've made). And, this, on a food-blog!! So, dahlings! there does (or used to) exist such a dish.....long long ago.....forgotten in the years that have gone by since.....quite contrary to its literal meaning, a wagocha implies a gravied dish made out of wadis and rice!! A dish thats quick and versatile, and can be had both as a spicy sabzi with rotis or if thickened a bit, as a lip-smacking rice dish. How do i know about this?? Well, i consider myself fortunate to have spent my formative years in the rural Punjab (or the Pind).....and even more fortunate, that courtesy my dear Bibiji (Grandma), i was able to relish this spicilicious dish :). Bibiji and i, we both loved spicy khana.....and she would treat me to this dish often. It probably got this name, because its quick, versatile and doesn't need much preparation.....this is a very Pendu (rural) name. Its one of those Punju dishes that are hardly made these days.....

So this Wagocha along with wadi-toriyaan di sabzi, a signature everyday summertime Punjabi dish, have been prepared for much love and affection for Nupur's great e-potluck and also as my humble first contribution for RCI-Punjab, hosted by my dear friend Richa. RCI is a fantastic event highlighting regional Indian cuisine, conceived by the very creative Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.

These two dishes will also appeal to another friend who recently craved wadis :).

Wadi-toriyaan di sabzi:

A very versatile sabzi. Can be prepared dry or with gravy. The former needs no potatoes and goes really well with simple daals like the trademark Punjabi moongi-masoor daal (Marathi speaking friends, this is not mungi (ant), its Moooongi (Punju word for Moong)) :-D. The latter can do well to have some potatoes and tastes good with any dry sabzi of your choice.



We need:

• 6-7 tender turais/ridgegourds or 4 zucchinis
• 1 onion, thinly sliced (for dry sabzi) or chopped fine (for sabzi with gravy/tari or rase wali sabzi)
  
• 1 roma tomato, chopped
• 1 big potato (cubed, only needed for gravied sabzi)
  
• 2-3 Punjabi wadis, crumbled (adjust amount depending on how much spicy you like it)
• A generous pinch of hing/asfoetida
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
  
• 1/2 tsp. amchoor for dry sabzi (or lime juice to taste for gravy sabzi)
  
• 1 tsp. oil

Wash, clean and cut the toriyaan or zucchinis into small pieces. Heat oil and add the hing. Fry the sliced/chopped onions. Now add the tomatoes and stir them in, followed by crushed wadis. Add the turmeric powder, stir and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the chopped toriyaan, salt and stir. If making the dry sabzi, add amchoor, cover and cook on low heat till the toriyaan are tender-ready to serve.

For making the gravied sabzi, add the potatoes, cook for 5 minutes and water to completely cover the vegetables. Simmer on low heat till done. Add the lime/lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro (only for gravied sabzi)-ready to serve :). Enjoy with rotis or rice.

Wagocha:

This dish calls for a non-basmati rice. Yes friends, Punjus do eat rice other than basmati :). We usually make it with Parmal/Parimal rice back home. Sona Masuri and Samba rice also are quite good, for that matter any rice that's not as aromatic as basmati.



We need:

• 1/2 cup rice (i used Samba rice)
• 2-3 Punjabi wadis (crumbled)
• 1/2 onion (chopped)
  
• 1 big tomato (chopped)
• 1-2 potatoes, cubed (optional, used if you want to have it as a khichri)
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• Red chilli powder (to make it spicier, optional)
• Salt to taste
  
• Cilantro (chopped)
• 1 tsp.melted ghee (or any oil)

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee/oil and saute' the onions, followed by tomatoes. Now add 1/2 of the crumbled wadis and stir. Cook for 2-3 minuted and add potatoes, if using. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Stir again and add water (2-3 cups). Add rice after washing it throroughly and stir. Bring to boil and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Release the pressure and add more water to make gravy, if you want to have this dish as a sabzi. Add the remaining wadis, bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with chapatis.

In case you plan to have this as a spicy khichdi, reduce the amount of salt and wadis (don't add the second half), use potatoes for sure and enjoy with dahi and achaar. Let the simple pictures not fool you. Try it once, you will enjoy it!