Category Archives: Food

Recipes: Kada Prasad

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Today’s recipe brings back lots of memories from my childhood. The aunty opposite my house used to make this as a prasad or offering every full moon day. Aunty would share some with us and I would eat the lion’s share. The last few days, I suddenly started craving this sweet. So I made some and thought I would share it with everyone since it was so yummy.

Kada Prasad is the offering served in the Sikh temple or Gurudwara. Seva, or service, lies at the heart of Sikhism. It is no surprise then that the act of serving kada prasad in gurudwaras also takes from this belief. Gurudwara translates to “the door to the guru”, and it is believed that a guru never sends back a devotee empty-handed or hungry. So, a sweet and divine blessing is offered in the form of kada prasad, which you accept by cupping your hands. Since the prasad is considered a sacred sweetmeat, it is rude to turn it down. Both the offering and receiving of this sweet signifies community service and hospitality—two virtues that are very close to the heart of Sikhs. The ones performing seva by serving food usually dole out equal quantities from a large bowl.

It’s a very simple recipe with ghee, wheat flour and sugar used in equal proportions and water double the amount of ghee, wheat flour or sugar. The resulting halwa becomes kada prasad after it is offered to the Lord, otherwise, it is plain wheat halwa. On to the recipe.

Kada Prasad or Atte ka Hakwa or Wheat Flour Halwa

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup ghee
  • 2 cups water

Method:

  • Heat the ghee in a pan and let the ghee melt.
  • Once the ghee has melted and is hot, add the wheat flour and stir constantly, making sure there are no lumps.
  • Cook until the wheat flour is golden and aromatic.
  • Now add in the sugar and mix well. Once the sugar has melted and the paste becomes slightly running, you can start adding the water.
  • Add water bit by bit and mix well.
  • Continue cooking, stirring constantly until everything comes together and the halwa starts to ooze the ghee.
  • Switch off the flame and let it cool a bit before serving warm.

Notes: After making it, here are my thoughts. The amount of sugar was just enough for us who prefer sweets to be less sweet than usual. But if you are someone who likes things to be sweeter, then you can increase the amount of sweet to probably 1.25 cups. When frying the wheat flour with the ghee, do not worry if you do not get the dark brown colour of the halwa. It was the same for me too, only after I added the water, did the sugar and atta caramelise and become darker. Also when adding water, add hot water and add one cup at a time. Let the first cup of water get absorbed into the flour and then add the second cup. I also found the amount of ghee to be slightly too much, so the next time I would make it, I would reduce it to about 0.75 cup.

Recipes: Bhindi Do Pyaza/Bhindi Masala

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I have been sitting on this recipe since December of last year for no reason. GG, BB and I made this recipe for S’ birthday last year.

Bhindi, Ladies’ Finger or Okra, is a tricky vegetable to make and like. Most people don’t like it because of the sliminess of its seeds that ooze out while cooking. Also known as ladies finger in some countries (including India), Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family with edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with theories of its origin spread across West Africa, South and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the world and is used in many cuisines.

This recipe is a blend of Bhindi Masala, and Bhindi Do Pyaza. The recipe is richer than the usual recipes I cook and takes longer to make. But it is super delicious and will be a hit at any gathering if you are making it for family and friends. So on to the recipe…

Bhindi Masala/Bhindi Do Pyaza

Ingredients:

  • 500 gms bhindi or okra, washed and dried
  • 2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium-sized onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 7-8 garlic cloves, peeled
  • inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1-2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp dry mango powder or amchur powder
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup beaten yoghurt
  • 3 tbsp oil + oil to fry the okra
  • Finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Trim the ends of the okra and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Keep aside.
  • In a pan or kadhai, heat 2 tbsp oil and let the oil warm up.
  • Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • Add the ginger and garlic and saute for a few seconds. Then add the chopped onions and let the onions become translucent and a nice golden brown.
  • Now add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and let the tomatoes cook well and become mushy.
  • Remove from the pan and let it cool. Once cool, blend it to a smooth paste.
  • While waiting for the onion-tomato mixture to cool down, heat oil in another pan or kadai over medium heat. Add in the cut okra and deep or shallow fry until the okra is cooked and crisp. Keep aside.
  • Heat the balance of 1 tbsp oil, and when it warms up, add in the sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown and caramelised.
  • Now add in the blended paste and cook. Add in the dry spices at this point, adding in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, plus some salt. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes until the spices are well combined.
  • Add the fried bhindi and mix gently, ensuring that the spices coat the okra evenly. Cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Reduce the heat to low, add some water to bring it to the consistency you want, cover the pan, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add in the beaten yoghurt and stir continuously so the yoghurt does not separate.
  • Sprinkle garam masala and dry mango powder and crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle in the gravy. Mix well to combine all the flavours.
  • Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti, naan or rice. I served this with jeera rice.

You could also add cooking cream instead of beaten yoghurt to make the dish even richer and add more flavour to it.

Recipes: Apple Pickle or Chutney

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The other day, I had about 5-6 green apples in the fridge which would go bad in a couple of days. I didn’t feel like eating the apples, and when S asked me to make something with them, I decided to make this fusion chutney, thokku and chunda. I was cooking on the fly, but knew that if not good, at least the recipe won’t be bad. But it astounded me. I really enjoyed the result and this combination of chutney and pickle is so versatile. It can be used as a pickle, or as a spread, or even as a dip. Go ahead, try it and let me know how it tasted.

Apple Pickle or Chutney

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 green apples
  • 5-6 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
  • 3 tsp (or more) red chilli powder
  • 3 tsp (or more) powdered jaggery
  • 2 tsp (or more) salt

Method:

  • Peel the apples and grate them. Once you have grated them, put the grated apples in a colander and salt them and let them sit for about 30 minutes.
  • The apples will start to ooze water. Once the water has drained out, remove it from the colander and keep it aside.
  • In a pan, heat the oil and when the oil is smoking hot, add in the mustard seeds.
  • Once the mustard seeds pop, add in the asafoetida and turmeric powder and stir.
  • Add in the grated apples and saute for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Once the apples soften, add in the red chilli powder, mix well and cook covered until the apples are cooked.
  • You may need to add more oil at this stage and continue cooking until the oil starts to ooze out.
  • At this point, add in the powdered jaggery or brown sugar and check for seasoning. Add what is missing and if need be, add some more oil.
  • Once the jaggery has combined with the apples and the apples start to look brownish-red and glossy, add in the cinnamon powder and combine well.
  • Mix for about a minute and switch off the gas. Cover and let the chutney cool. Transfer to a container and enjoy your meals.

Note: You can use any oil, but I used a combination of canola olive and gingelly oils. You can also make this with a combination of red and green apples. In that case, reduce the jaggery powder otherwise it will become too sweet.

Recipes: Kadamba Kuzhambu

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This is another typical recipe which is usually served in temples. It is a no-onion, no-garlic recipe. My mother was talking about this recipe and so I got her to make it while she was here. In Tamil, Kadamba means mixed and this can be eaten as a sambar or a gravy which makes this dish very versatile. The masala is similar to arachavitta sambar and the vegetables are cut similarly to how we cut them for avial. You can use pretty much all root vegetables, including pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, drumsticks, raw bananas, beans etc. This was the first time I made this and it was so yummy.

Kadamba Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

  • 2 raw bananas, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 sweet potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 drumsticks, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 small piece of white pumpkin, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 5-6 curry leaves
  • 1½ tbsp + 1 tsp chana dal
  • 2½ tbsp coriander seeds
  • 10-12 dried red chillies
  • ½ cup fresh coconut
  • 1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
  • ½ cup toor dal, soaked for 20 minutes
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish
  • 2 tsp jaggery powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp sambar powder (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • In a small pressure cooker, pressure cook the toor dal with ¼ tsp turmeric powder till it is soft and the dal has broken down completely. This usually will take around 3 whistles in the cooker. When the pressure reduces, open the cover of the cooker and then whisk the dal well. Keep aside.
  • Mash the tamarind when it becomes cool to touch and then squeeze the tamarind and drain the water so the fibres get separated and you have the water. Alternatively, use 3-4 tbsp tamarind paste which you can get at any Indian store.
  • In a pan, dry roast 8-10 dried red chillies, 1½ tbsp chana dal and 2½ tbsp coriander seeds and once the seeds start to brown, add in the coconut and roast, stirring continuously, until the coconut loses moisture and turns brown. Remove from the flame, and let it cool completely and then grind to a fine powder and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in the same pan and when the oil heats up, add in the mustard seeds, balance chana dal and dried red chillies which have been broken into 2-3 pieces each. Let the mustard seeds splutter and then add the chopped and washed vegetables.
  • Now add the balance of turmeric powder and sambar powder and let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the tamarind water and salt as required. You can also add in the jaggery powder if you are using it at this point. Let the water come to a boil and let it simmer for another five minutes.
  • Next, add the cooked dal and the ground powder and mix well. At this point, check for seasoning and add if anything is missing. You can also add extra water if the kuzambu is still thick.
  • Let it come to a boil and let it boil for five minutes.
  • Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and shut off the flame. Let it stay covered for 10 minutes for the flavours to infuse and serve hot with rice.

Recipes: Kosamali Salad

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Also known as Koshambari, Kosamalli is a no-cook protein-rich salad that is made as a neividhyam for Rama Navami and also served in certain Tamil Brahmin weddings. It’s a super easy recipe to make, but one which I have never made. So in April, during the Tamil New Year, since I had my mother with me, I learned how to make it from her. And since it has been super hot in Singapore (no surprise there, right?), I also added in some raw mangoes which added a nice tinge of sourness to the salad.

Kosamali Salad

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup grated carrots
  • ½ cup grated cucumber
  • ¼ cup grated raw mango
  • ¼ cup yellow moong dal
  • 6-7 tbsp fresh grated coconut
  • 1 tsp oil or ghee
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida
  • 2 dried red chillies, broken
  • 4-6 curry leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • Salt as required
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Method:

  • Soak the yellow moong dal in a pan in hot water for about 30 mins, then drain completely and keep aside. You can also soak it in normal tap water for about 2 hours and then drain and keep aside. Just make sure when you drain it, all the water is completely drained.
  • In a large bowl, add the drained moong dal, grated carrots, grated mangoes and grated cucumbers and lemon juice and mix well.
  • In a small skillet, add the oil or ghee and when the oil or ghee warms up, add in the mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the curry leaves and let them splutter for a bit.
  • Then add the dried red chillies, and asafoetida and let it cook for a couple of seconds.
  • Switch off the flame and add the tempering to the mixed dal and vegetables.
  • Now add in the grated coconut and the finely chopped coriander leaves to the salad and cover and keep aside for at least 10 minutes.
  • If you are eating the salad immediately, then add in the salt and mix well and serve.
  • If this salad is meant to be eaten later, or you plan to chill it for a while, add the salt just before serving otherwise the cucumber will start to ooze water.

This was a super delicious salad and will make a good addition to our salad repertoire.