Aloo Posto

In an Oriya household - even the trult carnivorous ones - Tueday is a day of rest. It is the day when even the hardcore meat-eaters rest their laurels and settle down for vegetarian options. I do not actually know the origins of this austerity but from what I have been able to glean - Tuesday or Mangalbar is an equivalent of a sankrant day or a holy day. It is the day where satvik khana is the  that is food with no meat or egg or onions and garlic. I know that in our household, even red chili powder is considered to be in line of with non-vegetarian. Slightly crazy I know, but Indian culture and its cooking is defined by this unique quirkiness [and that is intended as an affectionate compliment].

 Luckily for me, my mother and my aunts have perfected the art of delicious cooking inspite of the ban. And their secret ingredient is - Posto or poppy seeds. The seeds are soaked in water all night and the next morning grinded into a paste that is still laced with some of the unblended seeds. That gives this dish its characteristic texture. Although it time-pressed, you can skip the overnight step but it is advisable that you soak it for at least two to three hours. This recipe has been worked at by my mother over the years and I can say that it has reached the pinnacle of its glory. Its versatility allows it to be eaten with anything - rotis, rice and dal, puris, paranthas and even toast. So you can make this dish with whatever you fancy. And you would be amazed at its cooking time. All you have to do is to take some time to boil your potatoes.

 

Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes, boiled
1/2 cup poppy seeds soaked in water
2 medium tomatoes
2tbsp cashewnuts
2tbsp nigella seeds or kalonji or kala jeera
2 green chillies, slitted
1tbsp turmeric
Salt to taste
3tbsp water
2tbsp oil for cooking

Method:
Make a paste with poppy seeds in water, tomatoes and cashewnuts. Dont worry of the little seeds that do not blend. It adds flavor. Keep your boiled potatoes ready.
Heat oil. When it is hot so you can see a line of smoke , add the spice paste. Fry for ten minutes.
Add a green chilly and turmeric. When the masala starts to stick, add the boiled potatoes and a little water. Fold in for five minutes.
Add the nigella seeds, the green chilly and salt to your taste. Cook for five minutes till all the masala has blended in.
I served this with hot matar puris which is a good combination for this subtle, slightly sweet, slightly hot curry.

Leftover Takeover: Open Faced Kebab Rolls

Living in Hyderabad means you get used to having awesome melt-in-the-mouth kebabs. You have to be really bad at cooking or eat at certain food courts to get kebabs dry and hard around this place. And no I am not going to name them. But, as a whole, there are some spectacular food places around the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and note to self: a review of Paradise to be written in the future. As it is usually is in our own Hindustan, the tiny little joints with slightly shady lighting and questionable cutlery are the best places to eat. During my tenure here, I have found many such gems with food with flavors that leave a indelible impression on your memory.

 

We have gotten off the topic. It was Friday movie night - we ended up ordering Murgh Malai Kebabs and Tangdi Kebab for our viewing of 2 States [good movie - go watch it if you have the time]. The thing with food in Hyderabad - you get a lot of it. The first time I had a meal in this place there was a mountain of rice to go with the limitless amount of curry, sambar and rasam at one setting. So, this takeaway was no different. We had a lot of kebabs and there was still a lot of it leftover. And I had with me a block to good Kodai Triple Layer cheese which trusts me is homegrown in its goodness. This particular cheese is available at larger chains like Auchan[Somajiguda/Banjara Hills Road no.3],Godrej Nature Groceries,Q-Mart[Road no.3, Banjara Hills] or HyperCity way out in Inorbit Mall. If you are living around these areas or can find the time to go to Kodaikanal, get your hands on this cheese. It is a good melting cheese that works well in French onion soups, grilled cheese, sandwiches, pizzas, white sauces for pastas etc. I used it for Breakfast today to make egg-in-a-hole sandwich with pieces of cheese in the middle.

But coming back to leftovers. It is so much fun to work with something cooked and adding stuff that will make for a delicious dinner. Sometimes a biryani is a biryani is a biryani. But, other times you can chop the chicken, toss some vegetables and make a rice salad with the kachumber as a yoghurt dressing. Or cutting up bits of vegetables to make fritters or filling for gozleme. This particular version takes its inspiration from the Mexican Taco and the Indian rolls or frankie if you will. The dough for the maida roti can be found in one of my other post. Except when you fry for the other recipe, here you only bake it in a tawa like you do a roti. The open nature of the roll makes it easier to prepare and you can have dinner in a matter of minutes. Also, this is a good recipe for a quick appetizer for a party so you can relax and enjoy a martini with your guests. Just order some kebabs, make the rotis in advance and you are good to go.

 

Ingredients:
Leftover takeaway kebabs of your choice.
Mint chutney
1 medium thinly sliced
1/2 cup Kodai Triple Layer Cheese grated
Red chili sauce
Maida rotis.

Assembly:
Make balls out of the maida dough. Roll into small puri-size rounds.
Heat tawa. Cook the rotis three minutes on each side.
Lay out the rotis on the plate.
Chop the kebabs into small dices. Grate your cheese and slice onions.
Spread mint chutney on the rotis. Place onions. Add the meat and finally sprinkle cheese on top.
According to my friend it tastes better with a little red chili sauce. So spray on some on your rolls before taking it out of the kitchen. Serve it on a giant platter and let friends and family have their way around with it.

QuickSmart Egg Curry

I love egg curry. It is my go to comfort curry whether I am having a bad day and need a pick me up or when it is one of lazy days when I can leisurely whip up a tasty curry, make some fried rice and toss in a couple of fritters while I am at it. I learnt to make egg curry from my grandmother actually. It was one of those days after school when she was minding me and my sister and to make sure that we stayed out trouble showed us how to make this particular dish. Her curries would always begin with caramelizing a little bit of sugar and then tossing in jeera and onions so as to make a slightly sweet and very savory curry to go with hot rice, dal and karela sabzi that she would have prepared earlier. It is one of my favorite memories of her - standing by the window patiently, framed in the afternoon light, as she guided us through the step by step process of cooking.

So returning to the recipe at hand, this was first sampled in the heartland of Kerala as a breakfast treat. The friend I was staying with - her mother had made idiappams and mutta curry which basically meant stringhopper idlis with egg curry. After that, I had the chance to sample it when this friend attempted to recreate it later. And it was delicious. This recipe is an adapation of the tastes that remain in the memory and cause incredible cravings months later.

Ingredients:
2 boiled eggs
1 large onion sliced
1inch ginger chopped
6 cloves garlic chopped
2 green chillies chopped
8 curry leaves
4tbsp tomato puree*
1tsp red chili powder
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp coriander powder
1tsp kitchen king powder
1tsp garam masala
 salt to taste
1/2 cup coconut milk
4tbsp water
Oil for cooking

Method:
Boil eggs for twelve minutes.
Heat oil in a saucepan. Add curry leaves. Be careful as they splatter. Fry onions till light brown - this should take a few minutes. Sprinkle ginger, garlic and one chopped green chilly. Cook for four minutes.
Add the tomato puree, the other chopped chilli, salt, red chili, coriander, cumin and kitchen king powders. Cook for a few minutes. Add a little bit of water so as get a smooth consistency.
Remove from heat and add coconut milk and water. Sprinkle garam masala. Adjust seasonings. The curry should be a thick soupy consistency by now. Add the egg and fold in. Serve hot with rice, rotis or pretty much anything that you choose.