Jackfruit Seeds Curry, Palakottai Varuval

          This year's jackfruit season is over, as much as I miss the fruits, I miss the seeds too. In fact my daughter doesn't like the fruit at all, but she likes the seeds very much, especially in the sambar that I make with drumstick and the seeds. Usually I'll buy a dozen jackfruit bulbs or the edible part of the fruit and always used the seeds for making the sambar. Once, I got a large quantity of the seeds alone and I wanted to try out a varuval ( curry ) with it, I made it just like the way I make potato curry. It's an easy dish and it goes very well with rice and dal/sambar..

Need To Have

• Jackfruit Seeds - about 2 cups
• Onion - 1 big, chopped
• Sambar Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fennel Seeds Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Salt to taste

Method

          I have shown how to peel and clean the seeds, usually when you remove the seeds from the fruit, it has a slimy outer skin, remove that and let the seeds dry. Then remove the outer white skin, usually I cut the seeds into half, then peel the skin, it has another thin brown skin inside.

           Either you can use it as such, or soak the seeds in water for some time, then scrape the brown skin, cook the seeds with some water and salt till cooked.

          Now heat some oil, add the chopped onion, followed by the fennel seeds powder and saute till the onion turns pink. Now add the jackfruit seeds, turmeric powder, sambar powder, red chilly powder, curry leaves and salt and keep sauteing on low heat till the seeds are well roasted.

Note
The seeds should be soft to the bite but should not become too soft or mushy.
If you like pepper powder, you can add a little towards the end and roast, it'll give a nice flavor.

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Mohanthal ( Besan Fudge )

          After making payasam I had some leftover condensed milk in the fridge and I wanted to try out something new with it. For quite some time now, I had wanted to try out a sweet using besan flour and condensed milk, then I saw this recipe here for Mohanthal. I had all the ingredients in hand, so just went ahead and made it today, the entire dish took about 30 minutes to cook and a little extra time to cool and slice the burfis. The sweet turned out really good, it had a fudgy texture unlike our Mysore Pak but it's much easier to make..

Need To Have

• Besan Flour - 1 cup
• Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 5 tablespoons
• Milk - 2 tablespoons
• Pistachios - 6, chopped
• Almonds - 3, chopped

Method

          Mix the besan flour and milk with hand to get a crumbly mixture. Heat the ghee, add the besan flour and saute it well till you get a nice aroma and the besan changes color, takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

          Now add the condensed milk and keep stirring till the mixture becomes thick and it becomes a little tough to mix.

          Spread it out in a greased ( with ghee ) tray, smooth it out with a spatula, then spread the pistachio and almond pieces and press it a little. Let it cool, then slice out with a sharp, greased knife.

Note
Don't skimp on the ghee, and also roast the besan well till the raw smell goes away.
Also you can add some saffron along with condensed milk, I forgot to add, but still the flavor from the ghee was good.

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Mushroom And Basil Rice

          Mushroom And Basil Rice, this is another easy rice that can be put together in no time. The main and important ingredient here is the basil leaves, the leaves along with the chopped garlic gives all the flavor to this simple rice. I have just added a few sliced mushrooms to the rice, it goes well with the basil, just serve it with some chips and raitha for a delicious meal..

Need To Have

• Cooked Rice - 3 cups
• Button Mushrooms - 5 or 6, sliced
• Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
• Chopped Garlic - 1 teaspoon
• Cashews - 5, broken into pieces
• Red Chilly Flakes - 3/4 teaspoon
• Basil Leaves - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Method

          Heat some oil, add the chopped garlic and cashew pieces and saute it for a minute or two till the garlic and cashews turn golden. Then add the chopped tomato and saute till it breaks down, then add the sliced mushrooms.

          Saute the mushrooms till it's cooked ( should take about 2 to 3 minutes ), then add the chilly flakes, salt and basil leaves and mix for another minute. Finally add the cooked and cooled rice, mix it well, garnish with more basil leaves and serve.

Note
I usually cook quinoa and rice together ( 1 cup rice and 1/2 cup quinoa ), I have used that here, but you can make it with only rice.

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Black Bean Brownies

          Black Bean Brownies, I had wanted to give this a try, just to know how black beans would taste in a brownie. I checked out a couple of recipes and finally settled down with this one from here. She has not used butter but coconut oil, I have used vegetable oil and maple syrup instead of sugar. It's very simple to make, just blending together all the ingredients and baking. The brownies were on the denser side, nobody would be able to make out that it has been made with black beans. Now coming to the verdict, I would still prefer my flour brownies, and I have figured out an eggless and whole wheat flour brownies which turned out too good ( will post them soon ), but definitely these are healthy brownies, and also, I am thinking, that I can make them even better by increasing the cocoa powder a little, will try out and update..

Need To Have

• Soaked And Cooked Black Beans - 11/2 cup
• Cocoa Powder - 2 tablespoons
• Quick cooking Oats - 1/2 cup
• Vanilla Extract - 2 teaspoons
• Maple Syrup - 1/3 cup
• Brown Sugar - 2 tablespoons
• Vegetable Oil - 1/4 cup
• Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• Baking Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup 

Method

          Take all the ingredients except the chocolate chips in a blender and blend it well. Fold in the chocolate chips.

          Take it out in a greased baking pan ( 8 x 8 ), spread some more chocolate chips on the top and bake it at 190 C for about 20 minutes. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then slice it and remove them.

Note
The original recipe says that a food processor would work better than a blender.
Also after baking and cooling, if you still have a problem slicing them, then it can be refrigerated and then cut, but I didn't have the problem.
These black bean brownies are gluten free, if you make sure the oats, baking powder are all gluten free.

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Murungakkai Palakottai Sambar, Drumstick Jackfruit Seeds Sambar

          I like jackfruit seeds as much as I like the fruit itself, though it's a pain to peel these seeds, they taste delicious. We can make curries with the seeds alone, but I like this sambar made with these seeds and murungakkai/drumsticks more than the curries. The flavor from the murungakkai and also the tamarind added in the sambar adds more taste to the seeds. Serve it with rice and any vegetable curry..

Need To Have

• Tuvar Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas - 1/3 cup
• Jackfruit Seeds - 1 cup
• Drumstick - 2 big, cut into 2" pieces
• Onion - 1 small, chopped
• Tamarind - small lemon sized ball
• Sambar Powder - 3 teaspoons
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

Method

          Pressure cook the tuvar dal with the turmeric powder and keep. Take the soft skin from the seeds while removing it from the fruit, the seeds can be left to dry overnight. Now the outer white skin will be dried up, I usually dice it into two and remove the outer skin, then you'll see the brown skin.

          Next, to remove the brown skin, soak it in water for sometime ( about 30 minutes, then scrape it out ).

          Heat some oil, add the urad dal and mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida followed by the green chilly and onions. Saute it for a minute, then add the jackfruit seeds and drumstick and saute for another minute.

          Add the sambar powder, salt, about 2 cups of water, cover and cook till the drumsticks and seeds are cooked. Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup of hot water for 15 minutes and extract the juice, then add another 1/4 cup water and squeeze out. Add the tamarind extract to the cooked drumstick and seeds and cook another 10 minutes, then add the cooked dal and cook for 5 more minutes. Finally add the curry leaves and chopped coriander and remove.

Note
The drumsticks that we get in Chennai cooks so fast, but the ones that I get in Bangalore takes a long time to cook, so adding tamarind slows down the cooking even more, that's why I add it after the drumstick is cooked.
You can pressure cook the jackfruit seeds too, but not with the tuvar dal, cook it for only a whistle or two, the seeds should not become mushy.
Some people don't remove the outer brown skin, also the outer white skin is easy to remove ony when the seeds dry out, the seeds are slippery when you remove them from the fruit.

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Basil Pesto And Zucchini Risotto

          We love Italian food at home, so I make pasta dishes once a week or so, other than pasta, risotto is also a favorite. I have made Mushroom and Baby Corn Risotto a couple of times, I wanted to try out a different one this time, so I made this Basil Pesto And Zucchini Risotto. It's an easy one pot dish, of course you have to have store bought or homemade basil pesto in hand. Serve this creamy and delicious risotto along with a some lentil soup and salad for a complete and delicious meal..

Need To Have

• Arborio Rice - 1 cup
• Zucchini - 1 medium, diced
• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Frozen Green Peas - 1/2 cup
• Basil Pesto - 3 to 4 tablespoons
• Parmesan Cheese - 2 tablespoons
• Salt And Pepper to taste

Method

          Heat some olive oil, add the chopped onion and saute till it turns pink, then add the zucchini pieces and saute for another minute.

          Wash and add the arborio rice and mix it for one more minute. Add 2 cups of water and a little salt, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook.

          Keep checking, when the water is gone, add 1 cup and  cook, do this 3 times ( total 3 cups water ). When the rice is almost cooked, add the green peas and cook till the peas are done. Mix in 2 teaspoons of butter, switch off and add the cheese and pesto and black pepper to taste, remove and serve it warm, drizzled with some more pesto.

Note
Cook the rice to the desired softness, we like it slightly mushy and creamy.
Take care with the salt, since both the pesto and cheese has some salt in them.
You can add some garlic along with the onions, or you can add some garlic butter instead of regular butter.
Also, you can serve it with lemon wedges.

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Pumpkin Paratha

          Pumpkin is not a vegetable that I buy every other day, I cook something with it, might be, once or twice in a month. That's mainly because, I know and have tried only very few dishes with it, a pachadi, soup and sometimes added it to sambar/kuzhambu. This pumpkin paratha has been on the try out list for some time, and finally, I made it couple of weeks back. These parathas are not the stuffed version, in this one, we just add pumpkin puree along with other spices to the flour while making the dough. The parathas turned out very soft and I have also added some ajwain, sesame seeds and ginger which gave a nice flavor to them..

Need To Have

• Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - 1 cup + 1 tablespoon
• Besan Flour/Chana Dal Flour - 1/2 cup
• Pumpkin Puree - 1 cup
• Sesame Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Ajwain Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Grated Ginger - 1 teaspoon
• Green Chilly - 1, chopped finely
• Chopped Coriander - 1/4 cup
• Salt to taste

Method

          Take the flours, ajwain seeds, sesame seeds. green chilly, ginger, salt, turmeric powder and coriander, add the pumpkin puree ( cook the pumpkin pieces with a little water and grind it ).

          Bring everything together and make a soft dough, apply some oil and keep it for 10 minutes and then make small lemon sized balls.

          Roll them out into discs, cook them on a hot tawa/pan, applying a little oil, till you get light brown spots on both sides. Remove and serve it warm with pickles or any side dish of your choice.

Note
I have added that extra tablespoon of flour, because the dough was very sticky. it depends on how thick or thin the pumpkin puree is.
You can use ghee instead of oil for a nice flavor.
Also you can increase the amount of sesame seeds and ajwain seeds by another half or one teaspoon. 

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Murungai Keerai Poriyal, Drumstick Leaves Stir Fry

          When something is available in abundance, we don't appreciate it, but then, when the same thing is not available easily, then you start liking it more. As far as food is concerned, this applies a lot, as a kid I didn't like sundakkai/turkey berries, vazhaithandu, small bitter gourds/midhi pavakkai and then the different varieties of greens/keerai, especially murungai keerai/ drumstick leaves. Forget about finding it when I was in the US, but even after coming to India, I don't get this keerai/greens that much here in Bangalore, or at least where I stay. So, now when I see it sometimes, I just get a couple of bunches. Usually my mom prepares this poriyal separately or along with vazhaipoo/banana flower, either way I love it. If you stir fry just the greens alone, it might not be that tasty, but the dal/lentils and grated coconut give it a nice taste and it goes well with rice and sambar/kuzhambu..

Need To Have

• Cleaned Keerai/Greens - 2 cups
• Tuvar Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 2 tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram Dal - 2 teaspoons
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Dried Red Chilly - 1, broken into half
• Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric Powder - 1/8 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Method

          Soak the tuvar dal for about 30 minutes, then cook it with some water and the turmeric powder, till done. Clean, wash and chop the keerai and keep.

          Heat some oil, add the urad dal and mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering add the dried red chilly followed by the asafoetida. Then add the chopped keerai/greens, salt, sprinkle some water, cover and cook till the greens get cooked, add the dal and mix.

          Finally add the grated coconut, mix and remove.

Note
The dal should not become mushy, but when you press between the fingers, it should be soft.
Actually I felt the dal was not cooked that well, that's why I added it along with the keerai and cooked it a little more, otherwise you add it only after the keerai is cooked.

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Eggless Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

          It's been a long time since I made chocolate chip muffins, or is this my first time, I don't remember, but when I decided to make it, I wanted to make it whole wheat and of course eggless. Now a days, I am more confident in doing eggless and whole wheat flour bakes, especially muffins have always come out well. I followed the recipe from Joy of Baking, I liked the cinnamon and sugar topping, it not only gave a nice flavor, but also gave a rustic, homemade look to the muffins. I just made a few changes to make it eggless and more healthier..

Need To Have

• Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - 1 cup
• Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
• Vegetable Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1/3 cup
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup
• Baking Powder - 11/4 teaspoon
• Vanilla Extract - 11/4 teaspoon
• Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
• Chia Seeds Powder - 1 tablespoon

For The Topping

• Sugar - 11/2 teaspoon
• Cinnamon Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Method

          Sift together the flour and baking powder. Soak the chia seeds powder in 3 tablespoon warm water for about 10 minutes. Melt the butter, add the oil, soaked chia seeds, brown sugar, salt, milk and beat it well. Mix the chocolate chips with some flour, add the remaining flour to the wet ingredients and mix it gently.

          Then add the chocolate chips and fold it in.

          Mix together the cinnamon powder and sugar and keep. Line the muffin pan with muffin liners, scoop out the muffin batter, spread some cinnamon topping and bake them at 190 C for about 20 minutes. Remove, let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan and cool them completely.

Note
Don't mix the batter too much, it'll make the muffins harder.
Since I have used whole wheat flour, the muffins were dense, we like it that way, but if you want it to be lighter, then use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour ( maida ).
If you don't have brown sugar, use regular sugar, use 1/3 cup.
For the quantity given, I got 6 regular muffins.

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Vazhaithandu Kootu, Banana Stem Curry

           Vazhaithandu/Banana Stem, when I see a good one in the market, I never fail to buy it, but there are only a couple of dishes that I do with it, a pachadi, poriyal and this kootu. It's a simple dish, once you're done with cleaning and chopping the banana stem ( you can checkout here to see how to chop vazhaithandu ). Usually kootu has vegetables and cooked dal/lentils, but we don't add lentils in this kootu, but yoghurt/curd. Vazhaithandu Kootu goes very well with rice and a spicy kuzhambu/curry..

Need To Have

• Chopped Vazhaithandu/Banana Stem - 2 cups
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried Red Chilly - 1
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Yogurt/Curd - 11/2 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

To Grind

• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Cashews - 4
• Chana Dal - 2 teaspoons
• Green Chillies - 2
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Method

          Roast the chana dal, fenugreek seeds and the green chillies in a little oil, then grind it along with the coconut and cashews into a fine paste and keep. Cook the chopped vazhaithandu/banana stem with about 1/2 cup of water and salt.

          Once it's cooked, add the ground paste, mix, then add the yogurt and turmeric, bring it to a boil and remove.

          Heat a little oil, add the mustard seeds, once it starts spluttering, add the dried red chilly and asafoetida, followed by the curry leaves, remove and add it to the cooked kootu and serve.

Note
If you like the flavor of coconut oil, then you can use it.
Vazthaithandu takes about 5 to 7 minutes to cook. 

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Oven Roasted Vegetables

          Roasted Vegetables, this is an easy and healthy side to any meal, I have sauteed vegetables on stove top, and oven roasted pumpkins and onions for a soup, but this is the first time I tried roasting a bunch of vegetables in the oven. I wouldn't even call this as a big recipe, it's just mixed vegetables roasted with some herbs and oil. Serve it with burgers, pasta or even roll it in a roti or chappathi topped with some chutney..

Need To Have

• Broccoli - a small head
• Red Capsicum - 1 medium
• Onion - 1 medium
• Baby Corns - 6
• Garlic - 8 small cloves
• Olive Oil - 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Dried Basil - 1 teaspoon
• Dried Oregano - 1 teaspoon
• Salt  and Crushed Pepper to taste

Method

          Separate the broccoli into small florets, add to boiling water, remove immediately and add to cold water, remove and keep. Dice the capsicum into big pieces, dice the onion into big pieces, separate the layers and keep. Slice and dice the baby corns into 2' pieces and chop the garlic finely. Now mix everything together along with dried herbs, salt, pepper and oil. Spread it on a baking sheet, lined with aluminium foil, bake it in a pre-heated oven at 190 C . Mix the vegetables, halfway through, remove it when you see the vegetables are roasted, it took about 30 minutes.

Note
Oven timings vary, I kept the tray in the center of the oven.
Keep checking, the vegetables should be roasted, not burnt.
You can also add baby carrots, asparagus, and you can add fresh herbs instead of dried ones and red chilly flakes too.
To make it more tasty, you can serve it topped with some parmesan cheese.

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