Tangy Stuffed Bittergourd

I fell in love with this make of bitter gourd. I know there are lots of people out there who dislike bitter gourd. Some only like it dried, fried or fried crispy. I somehow have always liked bittergourd since childhood. I was the good daughter that my Mum had no issues with feeding veggies of all sorts.

I had tasted this make of bittergourd at our friends Binny and Vineet's home. Their maid had made this fabulous bittergourd and I believe we were on Lent that time so only vegetarian food. Binny shared this recipe with me last year and yes this was tried last year itself. Like I mentioned, I have a whole heap of archived vegetarian recipes for you friends and readers who have been asking me to post my veg. creations.

The health benefits of bitter gourd are plentiful some of which includes treating blood disorders, lowers sugar levels in blood and urine, improves energy and stamina, improved sleep patterns, is an immune booster and heals respiratory disorders to name a few.

This recipe is all too simple. Tomorrow being 'May Day', you may want to take it easy and make it simple in the kitchen.

You need:

• 5-6 whole bittergourds
• Salt to taste, some more to soak
• 1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Garam masala
• 2 medium sized onions, finely chopped 
• 2 Green chilies, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp Dry Mango powder
• 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp of pickle powder(optional)
• Water to soak
• 1 tbsp oil

The Make:

Serves 2 adults | Cooking Time : 10-15 minutes | Preparation time: 30 minutes

1. Slit the bitter gourd lengthwise on one side only. Soak in salt water for 30 mins and then squeeze so any bitterness goes away.

2. In a bowl, add all the other ingredients  and mix.

3. De-seed and clean the interior of the bitter gourd.

4. Stuff the bitter gourd shell taking care not to overstuff as the stuffing may spill out while cooking.

5. In a pan, heat the oil. Lower the flame and cover and shallow fry the bitter gourd.

6. After about 5 minutes flip the bitter gourd on another side.

7. Repeat after another 3-5 minutes and uncover and cook until softened for a few more minutes if required.

Serve hot with rotis/chapatis or rice.

I hope this recipe of bittergourd brings about a change to your taste of this miracle vegetable!

Okra, Drumsticks and Chow Chow in tangy Tomato stew

Chayote or best know in India as Chow Chow is a rich in Vitamin C whether raw or cooked. It has several names (from all over the world) including but not limited to choko, pipinola, ishkus, guatila, sayote, etc.Okra or Lady's fingers adds nutrition in terms of Vitamin A, B-6, C, D, Iron, Magnesium and Calcium. Drumstick (Moringa Oleifera) is yet another vegetable which is a rich source of several vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. This combination of Iron with rich Vitamin C sources ensures higher chances of iron absorption.

Growing up drumsticks were my favourite vegetable be in the form of its pods or leaves. My mom had no issues in my having vegetables unlike some parents who have to fuss over their kids not having their greens. She did have to force my sister though who was a die hard non-vegetarian. Ok before she kicks me (virtually), I better not add to it. I used to refer to the drumstick as 'nyum nyum'. Now my darling little one too is a fan of this vegetable. She enjoys the leaves too. These days it is not sold in the market at metros however my folks give me a good supply when I visit Kerala. It is eaten treasured by us.

There was no shortage of supply of both the leaves and pods owing to the fact that we had a huge drumstick tree growing out in our garden (even though we lived in Dubai, UAE). It also was a source of supply for the neighbours, strangers and such. I remember my mom yelling at strangers picking from our tree who shamelessly went about their business of picking despite the yelling.

There is no source of this recipe, it was been tried due to nutritional factors, tested to improve repeatedly and enjoyed by us several times in our home.

You need:

• 8-10 sticks of drumsticks, peeled and cut into pieces (1 stick makes about 3-4 pieces)
• 3 medium sized chow chow, diced finely
• 1/2 kg lady's fingers, chopped into bite sizes
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1/2" ginger, crushed
• 3-4 large tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 cup of tomato puree
• 2 green chilies (slit lengthwise)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri Chili powder or Paprika powder
• 1/2 tbsp Amchur (Dry Mango Powder)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
• 2 tbsp tamarind water
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 large onion, diced
• Salt
• 2 - 4 cups drinking water

The Make:

Serves 5 adults | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

1. In a wok, add the oil and splutter the cumin seeds and add diced onion for a minute or until translucent.
2. Next add the ginger, garlic, green chilis and saute for about a minute.
3. Add the lady's finger and saute well for about 5 minutes.
3. Toss in the tomatoes and blend in until softened.
4. Add the dry spices and saute for about a minute. Add in the tomato puree and salt.
5. Next add the chow chow and drumsticks and cover and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
6. Add the tamarind water and drinking water as required for the gravy and cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes taking care not to over soften the veggies.
7. Toss well and serve with rice, rotis or your choice of flat bread.

Bon Appetit!

Three spotted (swimmer) crab in spiced coconut gravy

Happy New Year 2015 dear readers! It has been close to a year since my last blog post (sounds a bit like a confession at church - 'Forgive me Father it has been close to a year since my last confession!'). Jokes apart, I must apologise to you my dear readers for not having to hear from me. 2014 was quite a roller coaster ride with the best and worst seen! It was definitely a year full of changes and challenges. Thankfully we survived the bitter ones with the Grace of Our Lord! I also thank you dear readers for the numerous emails, messages, calls, texts and IMs to check in on me and motivating me to return to G'Gina's Kitchenette.

I lost my dear grandma in August of 2014 and as you may have noticed a lot of my previous blog posts and posts/tweets refer to grandma's influence in my cooking. So what started as what may have been a writer's block, saw me through a whole heap of events including a physical move of G'Gina's Kitchenette to a new location. I am not sure if you know that I also run a Tourism business ICare Holidayz which thanks to word of mouth from dear friends and family has been doing fairly well in 2014. I also work in my field of specialization which is Human Resources. Our recent relocation in 2014 has not been easy on my little one or us as a family owing to a lot of circumstantial changes. We hope for the best and a resolve in 2015. So among all this my recipe creations were on a hold from being shared!

I was contemplating on what to begin with as although the writing had ceased for a while, the cooking cannot! So there are a lot of new recipes I have tried and tested time and again which I hope to share with you soon. I thought I would begin with Mum's recipe which was liked a lot by my grandma as well. I am hoping I can be regular with my blog posts as often as possible to compensate for the 11 months silence. I dedicate this recipe to my dear grandma who I am sure is in Heaven's Abode praying and looking over us.

This recipe has always been welcomed by family, friends and relatives. And I am certain you would love the same.

You need:

• 1 kg of fresh three spotted swimmer crab, washed, cleaned and halved
• Cleaned hard shells of the crabs, air dry the shells (Mom does not incorporate this in the original recipe)
• 4-5 green chilies (depending on how spicy you like it)
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2" ginger, diced
• 2-3 cloves, garlic (*optional - mom does not use)
• 1/2 cup of drinking water
• 1/2 of a medium sized coconut, grated
• 1/4 tbsp of red chili powder (I use Kashmiri Chili powder)
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry the hard shells

The Make:

Serves : 4 adults | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 40 minutes

I normally get my crab cleaned at the vendor's place itself. This time, I got the hard shells cleaned as well. Garlic is not required but you can add a few cloves.

1. Grind the coconut gratings, green chilies, ginger, garlic (optional) ,chopped tomatoes, red chili powder and salt with a little water as required to grind the mixture for a minute on high to medium speed.

The ground mixture should be thick enough to leave a circle in mix when stirred with a ladle.

2. Next heat oil to fry the hard shells in a wok and add the air-dried hard shells, taking care to ensure that the shells do not have traces of water to avoid the splutter. Once the shells turn orange, strain off the oil and on to kitchen towel.

3. Drain off most of the oil leaving just 1 tbsp of oil in the wok. Next add in the ground coconut mixture to the oil on medium-low heat. Cook for 2 minutes or until the coconut mix leaves the sides of the wok.

4. Add the crab halves to the coconut mixture and cover the crabs with the coconut mix. Saute for 3-5 minutes.

5. Add a tad bit of water if the coconut mixture is too dry. This will help the cooking process and avoid drying or even getting burnt.

6. Cook for about 20-30 minutes taking care to saute in between to avoid the coconut getting burnt. 

7. Serve with the hard shells on top on in the shells with piping hot /steamed rice.

Bon Appetit!

Lamb Curry

Off late I have made a couple of recipes using Lamb. This interest came about as I was avoiding chicken for several months due to health reasons and as per the Ayurvedic doctor's advice for alternate meat options. I have also opted for dry mango powder (again the Ayurvedic's advice - avoiding tomatoes for a while). I got a good produce of lamb from the vendor. I am not too keen of boneless meat unless it is a good cut of steak otherwise I am known to enjoy the boned meat esp. the marrow. The marrow bone otherwise known as the whistle in my home has been a cause of many a sibling argument :)

Lamb Curry for the soul -  comfort food!

This recipe was inspired by my taste buds one afternoon and is quite simple as I wanted to have some comfort food that afternoon. These are the times one really misses one's mum. I thought of her all the while when I planned to make this dish, to making it and whilst eating it as well :) No wonder it turned out so well.

You have two options to cook this curry, one is through slow cooking which is preferred however if you do not have a slow cooker, you can also opt for the pressure cooker.

You need:

• 800 gms of Lamb cut into medium pieces
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp of finely sliced ginger
• 1 tbsp finely diced garlic
• 1 large shallot finely diced
• 2-3 green chilies slit length wise and chopped in half
• 1 stem of curry leaves
• 1 tbsp of dry mango powder/amchur powder (or 1 large tomato diced)
• 1 tbsp of Garam Masala
• 1 tbsp of Kashmiri Chili Powder (or Paprika Powder)
• 1 cup of thick Coconut milk (first milk only) (or 1 tbsp of corn flour or corn starch diluted well with 2-3 tbsp of water) *optional
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp of Meat Masala powder (optional in case you are using my Homemade Garam Masala)
• 1 tbsp of cooking oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 tbsp of water

The Make:

Cooking Time : 60 minutes | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Serves 6-7 adults

As I mentioned, this curry can be made using a slow cooking process, however I will describe the easier process. 

1. Marinate the cleaned lamb pieces with ginger-garlic paste, amchur powder, salt and Garam Masala for at least 15 minutes - 1 hour. As with any meat marinating process, the longer the better (just make sure if its longer, you cover it properly and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 hours).
2. Pressure cook the marinated lamb pieces for 35-40 minutes. It takes at least 3 whistles on high and 1 on low heat. Try not to overcook it. 
3. In a large deep bottomed skillet, heat the oil, splutter the mustard seeds and add the curry leaves. Toss in the shallot and diced ginger and garlic and saute till translucent on medium heat.
4. Add the green chilies and saute for about a minute. Next add the Chili Powder and Meat Masala and mix well for about a minute. Add 2-3 tbsp of water to avoid the masala sticking to the bottom and allow to reach almost a  boil. Then lower the heat.
5. Give the contents of the pressure cooker a good stir and then transfer the contents to the skillet and mix well and allow it to reach a boil which would take about 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Note: Choose if you want to add the entire stock of the lamb. If you would like to leave some behind as you had initially added too much water, then make sure you stir well before you transfer the contents. To avoid this choice, do not add too much water to the pressure cooker whilst cooking. Try the 1:1.5 ratio.
6. This next step is optional. You can add either Coconut milk extract or Cornstarch mixed in water to get a thicker gravy. However, what I did was add half a cup of coconut milk and then I topped it with corn starch. It turned out well. However I know there are people who do not consume Coconut Milk or Corn starch in which case you can end with step 5. 
7. Lower the heat, and add the corn starch dilute and mix well. Allow it to reach a boil on medium heat. Then lower the heat and add the coconut milk extract and stir well and allow to warm. Turn off the heat and serve hot with your choice of rice, bread or Appams and your favourite greens on the side. My recipe on Spinach and Drumsticks gravy will follow soon.

Bon Appetit! Enjoy!

Lamb Curry served with Rice and Spinach and drumsticks gravy

Lamb Curry!

Lamb curry served with Rice