Hungry Poka

"Kamala" Tomato Chutney In honor of a historic day with Kamala Harris being sworn in as Vice President of the United States, I made this spicy tomato chutney.   It goes well with Idli, Dosa, sandwiches, pancakes, crackers, chips and pretty much anything you want to eat it with.   1 can diced/stewed tomatoes 4 dried red chillies 4 green chillies 2 tsp Urad daal 2 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp Hing (Asafoetida) 6-7 curry leaves (fresh or dried.  I used dried since that's all I had) 3 tsp coconut oil Salt to taste Chutney base Heat 2 tsp coconut oil.  Add 3 dried red chillies and 1.5 tsp mustard seeds in the hot oil.  Wait 30 secs.  Add 1.5 tsp Urad daal.  Stir till mustard seeds start/finish popping and urad daal is light brown.  Add 1 tsp Hing and half the curry leaves and stir for 10 secs.   Add canned tomatoes, green chillies and salt.  Cook, stirring occassionally, for 20 min on medium-high heat.  Tomatoes should be soft at th...

  Candied Fruit Cake (Kakoli's Mom's Recipe)   ( Note:   I add a generous amount of Brandy/Cointreau/Any good liqueur to the steeping stage for the fruits.  I, also, add nuts such as Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Pistachios - whatever you like or have in stock.  Dates are an essential fruit to add to this cake, else, you will need to adjust the sugar so that it's sweet enough.) (VERBATIM FROM KAKOLI)  Take a medium size sauce pan  2 cups dried fruit required. Here you can use whatever you prefer. 1 cup light golden raisins, 1 cup dark raisins, or dried cranberries, cherries, dates whatever. Add the fruits 2 cups into the sauce pan. Add 1 cup of light brown sugar. Add quarter cup of butter. Cut the butter into small cubes and add it into the sauce pan. You can use unsalted butter. Next we will use some spices. 1 tsp of ground cinnamon  1 tsp of ground ginger 1/2 tsp of salt 1 cup of water into it.  Put it into medium heat and warm it gen...

 South Indian Coconut Chutney 1 packet frozen, fresh coconut (I get the Deep Premium brand from the Indian grocery) 10-12 fresh curry leaves (Fresh is critical.  Dried is ok, not great) 2 tsp plain yogurt (The tangier the better) 6-7 green chillies - adjust to your taste 2 tsp mustard seeds 2 dried red chillies 1 grinder - use something that is used to make smoothies Salt to taste 4-6 Tbsp water - to help with grinding 2 tsp coconut oil 1 Tadka ladle - if you don't have one, just use a small pan ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079ZXFVKV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) Defrost coconut and put into grinder.  Add green chillies and half the curry leaves to the coconut in the grinder.  Add salt.   Grind for 2-3 minutes or until green chillies + leaves + coconut are well blended into a thick paste (chutney).  You might need to add some water (about 4 tbsp). Pour coconut chutney into a bowl. Heat tadka ladle on medium heat with co...

  Light, soft, fluffy Idli's - no baking soda or other additives (takes 2 days due to fermentation duration)          2 cups Urad daal  1 cup Idli Rava (rice powder that's coarsely ground - buy it from the Indian grocery store) For fluffiest idlis - Urad:Rice ratio is 1:2.  Then add 1/2 tsp of Eno fruit salt right before you steam the idlis For medium fluffy idlis - Urad:Rice ratio is 1.5 : 2. If you're concerned with carbs, go for the Urad:Rice ratio of 2:1.  Not as fluffy but more filling and you'll eat fewer carbs Instant Pot - this is a critical tool in this recipe for the fermentation stage 2 tsp plain yogurt Salt Idli stand - get the stainless steel one with 4 per layer   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032RH696/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 1 tbsp coconut oil to grease the idli pans 1 pot with lid such that the idli stand fits into it and you can put the lid on.  This is used for steaming the idlis....

  No Photos - I forgot to take photos and ate all of it.  Next time. Recipe (approx. proportions) 4 bulbs of red beets  (It doesn't taste the same with other beets) 3 Tbsp oil (olive) 1.5 tsp mustard seeds 1 pinch Asafoetida (Hing) 2 Tbsp coriander powder 1 Tbsp cumin powder 1/4 cup grated coconut 1 sprig (5-7 leaves) curry leaves 2 green chillies finely chopped Salt to taste (1 tsp or so) Finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional) Peel beets, cut into large pieces and steam till an inserted knife crosses through the beets easily Cut up cooked beets into 1/4" pieces Heat oil in pan for 2 min Add Asafoetida to oil Add mustard seeds and cover till it starts popping (1 min) Add curry leaves and cover (30 seconds) - just enough to get the leaves heated and cooking Add beets - stir 30 secs Add coriander, salt and cumin powder.  Stir 30 secs till well coated Cook for 5-7 min in med-high heat, stirring every minute Add green chillies and coconut.  Stir for 30 secs. Turn ...

  Rupa's Kala Chana Breakfast 1/2 cup soaked, uncooked chana 1/4 onion finely chopped 1/4 tomato finely chopped 3 Tablespoon lime juice (fresh squeezed is best) 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro 1-2 fresh green chillies (optional) - do not use dried red chillies or red chilli powder Salt to taste Soak a cup of the chana (pronounced "chuh-naah") overnight (covered) Drain the water You can put it in a container in the fridge and eat it over time as it sprouts.  Sprouted chana is very good for health. Stir everything together in a bowl.  Find a relaxing place to sit and eat it. Masala chai (w/ ginger) goes well with this. This is pretty filling and will sustain you for several hours.  Increase the amount if you need to.  

    Kalakand is a milk-based north Indian dessert.  This recipe is a super hit and works like a charm.  Kakoli's mom was visiting her from India a few years ago and invented this recipe.  It is now in widespread use among friends and their extended networks and has saved us all when we had sudden guests (you know how Indians are) and had to whip up something scrumptious to feed them.  I suspect this recipe has also saved many a marriage from food boredom. Note: I have made adjustments to the original recipe to suit my tastes and my particular microwave oven.  My microwave oven is 1000 Watts.  This is important since it will help you gauge what container to use and how long to heat at different stages.  Experimentation is urged in this recipe. Kakoli's Ma's Kalakand 15 oz tub of Ricotta cheese 12 oz can of condensed milk ¼ tsp cardamom powder ( Rupa - 1/2 tsp - I like cardamom ) ¼ cup ground pistachios ( Rupa - extra 1/4 cup - I like pistachio...