Snake Gourds!
The color is pretty amazing right? Though they look very similar to Bitter Gourd Seeds they are Snake Gourd Seeds.
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For the Joy of Cooking and Pleasure of Gardening - Indian Recipes made easy. [Mobile Version - Use Drop down for Search]
Heat oil in a Dutch oven and when hot add the onions and garlic and saute till the onions are translucent. Add the harissa paste, saute for a couple of minutes followed by the cumin and coriander powder and saute for a minute more. | |
Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and the wild rice and while wheat in a rice cooker or stove top till they are fully cooked. | |
Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till it gets mushy, about 5 minutes . Add the chopped coriander leaves and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the cooked chick peas and mix it in. | |
Add 3 cups of water and let it come to a boil and continue to cook for about 10-12 minutes. When the soup starts to thicken a bit, add in the cooked wild rice and whole wheat and let cook for another 5 minutes in a gently simmer. |
Harissa Spiced Chickpeas and Wild Rice, Whole Wheat Soup
Preparation Time:15 minutes + overnight soaking
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpeas soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup wild rice
- 1/2 whole wheat washed and soaked for about 1/2 hour
- 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions or shallots
- About 8-10 small small tomatoes chopped into fours
- 4 garlic cloves chopped or crushed
- handful of chopped coriander leaves
- 1 1/2 tbsp Harissa paste
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2-3 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp pepper powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp of olive oil
Method
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven and when hot add the onions and garlic and saute till the onions are translucent.
- Add the harissa paste, saute for a couple of minutes followed by the cumin and coriander powder and saute for a minute more.
- Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and the wild rice and while wheat in a rice cooker or stove top till they are fully cooked. Drain the chickpeas and set aside.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till it gets mushy, about 5 minutes . Add the chopped coriander leaves and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the cooked chick peas and mix it in.
- Add 3 cups of water and let it come to a boil and continue to cook for about 10-12 minutes. The soup will start to thicken at this time, add in the cooked rice and whole wheat and it gently simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Turn off the heat.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped jalapeno peppers.
Prepare the ingredients for the masala. | |
In a pan heat oil and saute the ingredients for the masala, first onions till they are translucent and starting to turn brown, followed by the ginger, garlic and red chilies. Saute the tomatoes till they are mushy. Add the coriander powder and saute for half a minute. Blend the above to a smooth paste. | |
Blend the coconut and almonds with 2 tbsp of water to a smooth paste. For the curry, in a wide mouthed pan heat oil and add the seasonings followed by the onions and saute till translucent. | |
Add the chopped long beans and turmeric powder. Add the blended onion-tomato-coriander powder mixture and mix it in to the beans. | |
Add about 1 cup of water and let it cook for about 5-10 minutes more till the beans are fully cooked. Add coconut paste and mix it into the curry. | |
Add salt and cook till the curry reaches the required consistency. |
Long Beans - Karamani Curry - Dum Aloo Style
Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 -3 cup of chopped long beans (about 1 inch)
- 2 tbsp of chopped onions
- seasonings- curry leaves and cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp of oil
For the masala paste- 1/2 cup of finely chopped red onions
- 2 ripe tomatoes about 1/2 cup chopped
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- 4-5 red chilies
- 3 tbsp of fresh or frozen grated coconut
- 3-4 almonds
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder (for the color - optional)
- In a pan heat the oil, saute the onions first till they are starting to turn slightly brown, followed by the ginger, garlic and red chilies. Saute the tomatoes till they are mushy. Add the coriander powder and saute for half a minute. Blend the above to a smooth paste with couple of tbs of water. Set aside.
- Blend the coconut and almonds to a paste with the addition of 2 tbsp of water.
Method
- In a wide mouthed pan heat oil and add the curry leaves and cumin seeds. Add the onions and saute till translucent.
- Add in the chopped long beans and turmeric powder. Cook in low heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the blended onion-tomato-coriander powder mixture and mix it in to the beans. Add about 1 cup of water and let it cook for about 5-10 minutes more till the beans are fully cooked.
- Add in the coconut paste and salt, mix it well and continue to cook till the curry reaches the consistency required.
Soak and drain the Amaranth seeds. Bring water to boil in a pot and add the seeds to cook in gentle heat. | |
Soak the almonds in hot water and peel them. | |
In about 10 minutes the Amaranth seeds should be cooked. While the seeds are cooking blend the almonds with the milk to a smooth paste. | |
Add in the sugar and cardamom powder and cook for about 2 minuted. Add the almond milk and stir for a few minutes. | |
After simmering for another 5-8 minutes the pudding should thicken. Add roasted cashews and raisins mix and utrn off the heat. |
Amaranth Pudding - Rajgira Kheer - Payasam
Preparation Time:10 minutes + 4 -8 hours soaking
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup of Amaranth seeds soaked overnight or at least 2-3 hours - 1/4 - 1/2 almonds soaked in warm water
- 1 1/2 cup of fat free or 1 percent milk or just water (use water for vegan)
- 1 cup of raw sugar
- 2 tsp of cardamom powder
- 1/2 cup of cashews (or any nuts you prefer) and raisins
- 1 tsp ghee
Method
- Rinse a couple of times the soaked Amaranth seeds and strain in a fine sieve.
- Bring to boil 2 1/4 cups of water and when it comes to a boil, lower the heat and add the Amaranth seeds.
- Cook in gentle medium heat for about 10 minutes till the water is all absorbed and the seeds plump up.
- While the seeds are cooking, peel the almonds and with a 1/4 cup of the milk or water blend the almonds to a smooth paste.
- Add the sugar and cardamom powder and let cook for 2 minutes or so.
- When the amaranth seeds are fully cooked add the almond paste along with the milk and gently simmer for another 5-8 minutes.
- Roast the cashews and raisins add them to the pudding and turn off the heat.
- Note:How thin or thick you want the pudding to be can be controlled by adjusting the amount of milk or water that is added or simmering for a bit longer.
- Turn of the heat when it is still has some liquid else the pudding will get too thick.