Indian Raw Papaya Pickle #Foodie Extravaganza {Party}

          Another Foodie Extravaganza Party is here . This time for this May 2020 it is International Pickles week party. International Pickles week is on the third week of May. We has to make our favorite recipe of pickle or recipe using pickles etc.   Lacto - fermented  or quick pickled . Our host is Camila of Culinary Adventures with Camila .

   Pickles has been a favourite in every cuisine . Pickles are a means of preserving the vegetables for the colder seasons when the fresh vegetables can't be sourced . Mostly pickles are made during summer season in India. There are many varities of pickles made in India.  I choose to make this quick raw papaya pickle.

  We have a papaya tree in our garden . We used to enjoy ripe papaya and I wanted to make a pickle with raw papaya.

  As this raw papaya pickle  is quick pickle , it can be relished once it is made.

Requirements :

1 cup chopped Raw Papaya
 Half tsp Red chilli powder 
Salt to taste 
Quater tsp Mustard seeds
2tbs Sesame oil
Half Lemon
To roast :
Half tsp Fenugreek 
Half tsp Mustard seeds

Method :

Dry  roast fenugreek and mustard seeds till the aroma comes , take care not to burn.
Grind the roasted fenugreek and mustard  seeds to a fine powder.
Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan , add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
 Add the chopped papaya pieces and saute for ten minutes. 
 Add the chilli powder , salt and grounded fenugreek - mustard powder , mix well.
Take off flame and let it cool.
Add the lemon juice and remaining sesame oil , mix well. 
Indian Raw papaya pickle is ready to eat.
Serve with curd rice , lemon rice , roti or paratha.

Notes :

  Peel the skin of the papaya and wash it before chopping it into small pieces.

Increase or decrease the chilli powder according to the spice level . 

Tamarind paste can be used instead of lemon juice.

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and
bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month.
If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our
Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking
for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

This month Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting this month's #FoodieExtravaganza.
She wrote: "International Pickles Week is the third week in May. Let's share your favorite recipes for
making pickles, using pickles, etc. Lacto-fermented. Quick-pickled. It's all fair game!
" Here's the list of our pickled creations...

Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Making Miracles

Fried Chicken Sandwich with a Spicy Dill Pickle Coleslaw by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Hot Pepper Vinegar by Palatable Pastime

Indian Raw Papaya Pickle by Sara's Tasty Buds

Japanese Pickled Ginger by Caroline's Cooking

Lime & Beer Pickled Red Onions by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips by Pandemonium Noshery

Pickled Pork Tongue by A Day in the Life on the

Farm

Pickled Rainbow Chard Stems by Culinary Adventures with

Camilla

Pickled Star Goosebery by Sneha's Recipe

Spicy Pickled Grape Tomatoes by Food Lust People Love

Indian spiced Empanadas #FoodieExtravaganza

              The National Empanada Day is to be celebrated on April 8 th in the USA .  We a group of bloggers in the facebook group Foodie Extravaganza are having an Empananda Party.

  An  empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling , common in Mediterranean , Latin American and Filipino cultures. The name empanada comes from the Spanish verb empanar , and literally translates as " enbreaded " , that is wrapped or coated in bread. 

   The  empanada are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat , cheese , corn or other ingredients and then cooking the resulting turnover , either by baking or frying. They resemble turnovers from many other cuisines and cultures including the pastry from the British Isles , the samsa from central Asia and Samosa or pedakiya from the Indian subcontinent , or the Pirozhki from Russia.


  Empanadas trace back their origins to the northwest region of Spain , Galicia . A cookbook published in Catalan in 1520 , Libre del Coch by Robert de Nola , mentions empanadas filled with seafood in the recipes for Catalan , Italian , French and Arabian food. 

    These empanada resembles the famous Indian sweet dish Somas ( Tamil Name ) / Gujiya  in its shape and method of preparation but differs in its filling. A gujiya or a pedakiya is a sweet deep- fried dumpling , native to the Indian subcontinent. It is made with semolina or all purpose flour stuffed with a mixture of sweetened milk solids and dried fruits. The earliest mention of gujiya dates back to 13th century , when a jaggery - honey mixture was covered with wheat flour and was sun - dried.

  I decided to make the Indian spiced empanadas . The filling is spiced with the Indian aromatic spices filled inside the empanadas and deep fried......
   I had used green peas and Soy Chunks ( Texturized vegetable Protein ) for the filling .

Requirements : 

For Dough 
  3 cup all purpose flour
  2 tbs butter 
  1 tsp salt 
  Half cup cold water
  2 tbs vegetable oil 

For Filling 

 a cup of Green peas
 a cup of Soy chunks
 1 tbs vegetable oil
  Half tsp cumin seeds
 1 onion 
 Half tsp ginger garlic paste
 Half tsp chilli powder
 Half tsp coriander powder 
 Half tsp Garam masala
 Salt to taste

 Oil for frying 

Method : 

•  In a bowl , add the flour and salt , mix well. 

•  Add in the cold butter and crumble the dough.

•  Then sprinkle little water at a time and knead a soft dough.

•  Add the vegetable oil and knead once. 

• Then cover the dough and let it rest in room temperature or in refrigerator.

To make the Green peas soya chunks filling

• Soak the soya chunks in warm water for ten minutes. Then drain the water.

•  Peel the skin of the onion and chop finely.

•  Heat oil in a pan , add the cumin seeds and let it splutter .

•  Add the chopped onion and saute till it becomes translucent.

• Add the ginger garlic paste and required salt , give a quick stir.

• Now add the green peas and the soya chunks , let them cook on a medium flame for five minute.

• Then  add the spices - chilli powder , coriander powder and garam masala , cook for two minutes.

• Let the green peas soya chunks filling cool down.

To make Empanadas 

• Roll the dough into flat bread , use mould or a glass to cut out circles.

• Place a large spoonful of the filling in the middle  and fold the empanada into half moon by bringing a edge of the circle to other by enclosing the filling and press the edges then twist the edges to seal.

•  Heat the oil in a frying pan , Fry the empanadas in a medium flame till they became golden brown.

Indian spiced Empanadas are ready to be served.

 

Argentine Beef Empanadas from Making Miracles

 

Beef Empanadas from Sneha's Recipe

 

Easy Cornish Pasties from Food Lust People Love

 

Easy Empanadas from A Day in the Life on the Farm

 

Empanadas de Atún (Argentinian Tuna Empanadas) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

 

Empanadas de Picadillo from Karen's Kitchen Stories

 

Indian Spiced Empanadas from Sara's Tasty Buds

 

Spiced Potato Empanadas from Palatable Pastime

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

Aloo Nachini Roti - Potato Fingermillet Flatbread #BreadBakers

    
   For this August Bread Bakers Challenge , the theme chosen was gluten free breads may be yeasted / non yeasted by Stacy of Food Lust People Love.

 I used Fingermillet flour to make Aloo Nachini Roti. It translates to potato fingermillet Flatbread.  Fingermillet is rich in calcium and is commonly given to pregnant and lactating mothers.

 Fingermillet porridge is commonly given to babies in India while in the weaning phase.

 There are many Indian recipes using this healthy millet. Here , I am sharing the recipe of a flatbread with fingermillet.



Requirements :

2 cup finger millet flour
Half cup warm water

2 tbs Rice flour
1 cup mashed potato
1 onion finely chopped 
2 green chilli chopped 
Salt to taste 
2 tbs Chopped coriander leaves
Vegetable oil as required

                     

Method:

In a bowl , add the fingermillet flour , rice flour , salt and mix well.

Add the chopped onion , green chilli , coriander leaves and mix well .

Now , add the mashed potato and mix well. 

Sprinkle little warm water at a time and mix the dough with a wooden spatula. Don't add half cup of water at one time. The dough must be in cookie consistency.

Let the dough rest for ten minutes.

Heat a tawa / griddle on medium heat.

Apply oil to your hands and take a small portion of dough and flatten with your hand or use a wooden roller.

Cook the fingermillet roti on the heat tawa on medium flame.

Turn to other side after five minutes and brush little oil on top side.

Aloo Nachini Roti is ready to serve .

Serve with curd or pickle of your choice.

I served with Homemade SouthIndian Mango Pickle.

Note : 

Use a glove  if you don't want the dough to stick in your hands .

Traditionally , the roti are cooked on a tawa placed on a wood fired stove . They will place a ball of dough on the hot tawa and flatten with the wet hand to avoid heat.

https://saraniyapt.blogspot.com/2019/08/aloo-nachini-roti-potato-fingermillet.html/" target="_blank">Aloo Nachini Roti

from Sara's Tasty Buds

https://allthatsleftarethecrumbs.blogspot.com/2019/08/banana-coconut-and-goji-berry-bread.html/" target="_blank">Banana, Coconut and Goji Berry Bread

from All That's Left Are The Crumbs

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2019/08/brazilian-cheese-bread-pao-de-queijo.html/" target="_blank">Brazilian Cheese Bread

from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Coconut Biscuits from Simply Inspired Meals

https://amessykitchen.blogspot.com/2019/08/gluten-free-english-muffins-breadbakers.html/" target="_blank">Gluten Free English Muffins

from A Messy Kitchen

Gluten Free Pizza Crust from What Smells So Good?

https://www.sizzlingtastebuds.com/2019/08/multigrain-thalipeeth-gf-vegan.html/" target="_blank">Masala Mixed Flour Thalipeeth

from Sizzling Tastebuds

https://gayathriscookspot.com/2019/08/methi-aloo-bajra-roti-recipe-breadbakers/" target="_blank">Methi Aloo Bajra Roti

from Gayathri's Cook Spot

https://snehasrecipe.blogspot.com/2019/08/rajgira-rotibreadbakers.html/" target="_blank">Rajgira Roti

from Sneha's Recipe

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. http://www.pinterest.com/flpl/bread-bakers/ Links are also updated after each event on the BreadBakers home page. http://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/p/breadbakers.html We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Dal Baati Churma - Rajasthani Special

For  this July 2019 , Ssshhhh secretly cooking , We are cooking from Rajasthan . Rajasthan cuisine was lot different from other northern cuisine. As most part of the state is dessert , fresh vegetables are rarely used in cooking. 

   I was paired with Sujatha Shukla of pepper on pizza . I gave her amchur powder and fennel as secret ingredents. She made a delicious dish with that . Check her recipe here.


   She gave me Channa dal and Ghee as my secret ingredients. I made  the Rajasthani Favourite Trio - Dal Baati Churma .

  It is popular in Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. 
 Dal Baati Churma - A platter of semi sweet churma , spicy dal and cooked baati , a hard wheat bread.
 Churma is the sweet dish made by crumbling the few of prepared batti and mix powdered sugar. 
 Dal is prepared using tuvaar dal , Chana dal , mung dal , moth dal or urad dal. The pulses or lentils are cooked together after being soaked in water for a few hours. A tempering of mustard  , cumin  and hing , followed by green chili , garlic , coriander , turmeric powder , ginger are added to the vegetable oil. Cooked dal is added to the tempering  - Rajasthani Panchratna dal.

Baati is a hard bread made up of wheat flour . Wheat flour is kneaded  and shaped into tennis ball sized round balls and cooked on a well heated traditional oven. The golden brown baati is greased with ghee and is served with dal , rava ladoo , rice , pudina chutney , Kairi ( Raw Mango ) chutney , green salad with lots of onion and fresh buttermilk ( Chass ).

 The ingredient list may seem long , but with proper planning you can easily make the trio single handedly.

Requirements : 
For Baati :

2 cup wheat flour 
1/2 cup semolina
4 tbs melted ghee 
2 tbs besan flour ( Bengal gram flour )
1/2 cup milk 
1 tsp fennel seed 
1/4 tsp carom seeds 
 Salt to taste 
 Ghee for deep frying

For churma :

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup semolina
4 tbs melted ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
 5 tbs powdered sugar
 Ghee for deep frying

For Dal :

1/4 cup Channa dal ( Split Chickpea )
 1/4 cup Moong dal ( whole Green gram )
 1/4 cup Tuvar dal ( Split Pigeon pea )
 1tbs Urad Dal  ( Black gram )
 5 cloves Garlic
 1 onion chopped 
 3 tbs ghee
1 tsp mustard 
1 tsp cumin 
2 Tomato
 A pinch of hing / Asafoetida
 2 green chilli
 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
 1 tsp coriander powder
 1/4 tsp garam masala
 Salt to taste
 3 cloves 
 1 bay leaf

Method :

Making of Churma :
         In a bowl mix whole wheat flour , semolina and melted ghee , mix well. Sprinkle about a quarter cup of water and knead to a stiff dough.
   Divide the dough into equal parts .

 Shape each part of dough in the shape of your fist by pressing the four fingers into the dough.

 Heat ghee in a deep kadai , add one or two shaped dough and fry till golden brown on a slow flame.
 Fry all the dough and let it cool completely.
Crumble them and blend to fine powder by using mixer.
 Add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder , mix well.
 If adding silvered almonds , add and mix well.
Note : 
   If you don't want to deep fry in ghee , you can shape the dough into small round balls and cook in a Appe pan ( Paniyaram pan in Tamil ) / Ebelskiver  pan. Then dip the cooked balls in a cup of ghee or brush. I prefer this method over deep frying in ghee.

Making of Dal :

   Dal can be easily cooked by soaking them for an hour. 

  Combine all the dal and wash twice in clean water. Then soak in about four cup of water.

 Pressure cook the dal along with turmeric powder for three whistles.

 Heat ghee in a pan , add cloves , bay leaf , cumin seeds , slit green chilli , Hing  and saute for a minute.

 Add chopped garlic and onion , saute till onion becomes transparent.
Add in the chopped tomato , chilli powder , coriander powder , garam masala and saute for a minute.

Add the cooked dal and required salt and simmer for ten minutes.

Making of Baati : 
 In a bowl , add the whole wheat flour , semolina , besan flour , fennel seed , Ajwain seeds and mix well. 
 Add the milk , salt and combine well.
Knead the dough and divide into equal parts. Shape into round balls and deep fry in hot ghee on slow flame.
I didn't deep fry in ghee , You can also bake the baatis in the oven for 200*C for 30 - 40 minutes. Then dip in a bowl of melted ghee.
I cooked the baatis in a appe pan / Ebelskiver  pan. 
I made a X shaped cut on the shaped dough and placed on the holes of the ebelskiver pan and cook on slow flame with a lid to cover . Turn in between to cook all sides, the outer skin of the baatis will become golden brown , indicates the baatis are cooked. It take around 20 - 30 minutes.
I used Iron paniyaram pan , so it heats quickly and retains the heat well.

Dip each baati in a cup of ghee or brush the ghee.

Serving :

In a plate place two baati divided into pieces , pour a laddle full of dal , a spoon of ghee and a spoon of chopped onion.

Oats Idli - Instant Idli with Oats and semolina

 Today I am posting a healthy south Indian  breakfast  using 

Oats. Eating oats porridge daily will be boring , so do try various recipes with this grain.

    Idli being announced as the world's top healthiest food , which is a common breakfast in the south Indian Homes. 

    Idli with oats , semolina and tempering mixed with curd, makes instant idli batter. 

Requirements:

  One cup rolled oats

  Half cup semolina / Rava

  Half cup sour curd

  one cup water

  1/2 tbs Lemon Juice

  Salt to Taste

  Half tsp sodium bi carbonate

  one tbs cooking oil 

  Half tsp Mustard seeds 

  Half tsp Split Channa Dhal

  A sprig of curry leaf

  Half tsp chopped ginger

  Two green chilli finely chopped 

  Chopped coriander leaves

  Half carrot finely chopped

   Method :

     Dry roast semolina and oats separately.

     Grind oats to a coarse powder.

  In a bowl , add the coarse oats , semolina , salt ,  sodium bicarbonate  and mix well.

    Heat oil in a pan , add the mustard seeds  and let it splutter. 

    Add the channa dhal , curry leaves ,chopped ginger ,  chopped green chilli and saute for a minute.

      Add the tempering to the mixture along with chopped carrot and coriander leaves.

   Add the water and curd , mix well without any lumps. Let the batter rest for ten minute.

    In the mean time , grease the idli plates if using stainless steel plates with ghee or cooking oil .

  After ten minutes , mix the batter well. If you find the batter is very thick add enough water to adjust the consistency same as idli batter.

  Pour a laddle full of batter and steam on medium flame for 20 minutes.  

      

   Switch off flame and wait for ten minutes till the idli cools, then demould the oats idlis.

 Oats idli is ready to be served. Serve with coconut chutney .

Neer Moor / Spiced Buttermilk

     Moor / Moru as we call the buttermilk in Tamil. Buttermilk is made by blending yogurt with the water using a wooden instrument known as Mathu in olden days. There are various sizes of mathu available which can be used according to the quantity of buttermilk to be blended.

     Nowadays , my mom uses mixer to blend , in the process , the fat / Butter accumulates on top. Remove the butter and reserve for later use.

    Buttermilk is the common drink in southindia especially they used as a drink and used to mix it with rice and eat.

  This spiced buttermilk is a excellent natural coolant for this summer.

Easy way to make buttermilk – mix 2 cup of cold water to 1 cup of yogurt.

 Requirements :

3 cup buttermilk

½ inch piece of ginger

1 green chilli

2 tbs coriander leaves

salt ½ tsp

Method :

Grind ginger green chilli and coriander leaves to a fine paste.

Mix the grounded paste and salt to the buttermilk .

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Spiced buttermilk is ready to serve.

Notes :

You can add the seasoning – Heat oil , add in mustard seeds and curry leaves , let it splutter  and add to the buttermilk.