Kaddu Ki Sabzi | Red Pumpkin Curry | Bhopla Bhaji

My mom rarely used to prepare any pumpkin dish as she does not eat this vegetable.All she used to prepare with red pumpkin was a slightly sweetish gravy which pairs up beautifully with chapatis/plain rice flour rotis and also fryums using the thick pumpkin skin.Beyond those two recipes I never had tasted any other variations.After I started cooking I have started using this vegetable in my cooking more often and this version of Pumpkin curry I have learnt from my neighbor after shifting to Mumbai.It is a simple curry recipe which suits best even for those fasting days with few modifications in the recipe.

Check out other Pumpkin recipes in my blog:

• Gummadikaya(Pumpkin) Pulusu
• Gummadikaya(Red Pumpkin) Sambar
• Pumpkin-Carrot Soup
• Red Pumpkin Yogurt Salad
• Pumpkin Curry | Meethi Kaddu ki Sabzi 

Kaddu Ki Sabzi | Red Pumpkin Curry Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Side dish for Rice/Rotis

Ingredients:
350 gms Red Pumpkin
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
a pinch of Asafoetida
3/4 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp Amchur powder
1-2 tsp grated Jaggery
2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
5-6 Curry leaves,optional
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and peel the pumpkin,remove the seeds and chop them into 1/2 inch uniform cubes.
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle cumin seeds and add fenugreek seeds and fry for 30 secs.
• Add asafoetida,curry leaves and chopped pumpkin pieces and fry for a minute.
• Add turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry for another 2-3 mins until the masalas coats the pumpkin properly.
• Add jaggery to it and mix well and add 1/3 cup of water to it and cover it wit lid and cook it for 12-15 mins until it becomes soft.You can cook it until the pumpkin pieces becomes soft or slightly mushy based on your preference.
• Add amchur powder,garam masala powder and salt to it and mix well.You can slightly mash few pumpkin pieces with the back of a ladle, do not mash all the pieces.The consistency should not be either thick or too mushy and runny, it should be slightly soft with chunks of  pumpkin pieces.
• Add coriander leaves to it and switch off the flame.

Serve it hot with Rice/Roti/Parathas/Pooris.

Notes:

1. If you are preparing it during fast you can use sendha namak instead of regular salt and follow the same recipe.
2. The addition of jaggery enhances the taste of the curry,but if you do not want it you can avoid it completely.
3. You can replace red pumpkin with sweet potato and follow the same process,even it tastes nice but the cooking time may vary.

Technorati Tags: red pumpkin curry, kaddu ki sabzi, bhopla bhaji, side dish for rotis, side dish for rice, no onion no garlic recipes ,upwas recipes, north indian side dishes

Mango Phirni | Layered Mango Phirni | Mango Dessert Recipes

 

This mango season I did not post a single mango recipe so far though we have been enjoying the mangoes thoroughly in their own form or few variations of them.When I was going through my drafts last week,these mango phirni photos caught my attention.I had prepared this dessert at my mom's place when we had my cousins coming over for breakfast to our place.Instead of preparing a uniform colored phirni I thought of preparing a layered version which makes it more appealing and it was a big hit and everyone loved the look of the dessert.

When I Invite guests I usually prefer preparing simple desserts which can be prepared ahead so that I can reduce my work at the last minute.Phirni is one such recipe which is simple to prepare but tastes very nice.Phirni is a very rich and creamy rice pudding and is a popular traditional dessert in India.It is very simple to make when it is made bit carefully otherwise one can even mess up with this simple dessert.It is more versatile and open to various flavors like Kesar Phirni and various fruit flavours like apple,strawberry,mango,peach etc and also carrot.I love all the variations as the addition of fruits not only changes the taste but also the look of the final dessert.

Check out Carrot Phirni recipe here.

Check out other mango desserts/sweets recipes here:

• Aamras  
• Mango Fudge | Mango Burfi
• Mango Ice-cream
• Mango Kulfi
• Mango Sheera | Mango Sooji Halwa
• Mango Shrikand | Amrakhand | Aamkhand 
• Shrikarini/Seekarane..a simple mango delight

Mango Phirni Recipe | Layered Mango Phirni:

Serves 5-6

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins+chilling time(2-3hrs)

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Desserts

Ingredients:

3/4 litre Full Cream Milk

1 big ripen Alphonso(or Kesar variety)

3 tbsp Basmati Rice

1/3 cup Condensed Milk

2-3 tbsp Sugar,optional

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

8-10 Almonds,blanched and slivered(or Pistachios)

Method:

• Peel and cut the mango into pieces and grind it to a smooth puree.Reserve few mango pieces for garnish.
• Soak basmati rice in water for half an hour.Drain the rice and grind to a slight coarse paste.Do not make into a very smooth paste,a slight coarse paste works best in giving a nice texture to the dessert.
• Heat milk in a thick bottomed pan when it starts bubbling,simmer the flame and slowly add the rice mixture and stir continuously until it forms a thick mixture.It takes approximately 8-10 mins.If you are adding sugar you can add it along with rice, but if you are adding condensed milk you can add it after the rice mixture is thicken.You need to stir the mixture constantly,this step is most critical as you might end up with lumpy solution if you don't stir it continuously.If you end up having lumps,do not panic strain the mixture into another vessel and press the lumps in the strainer with the help of back of a ladle.Again keep the mixture back on the stove and continue cooking.Check the sweetness of the mixture, if you want more sweetness adjust it by adding more sugar or condensed milk at this stage.
• Add cardamom powder and mix well.Once the mixture is thick turn off the stove.
• Divide the mixture into two parts and add mango puree(reserve some mango puree) to one portion and mix it nicely.
• Take 5-6 medium sized glasses or glass bowls and start layering.First add a tbsp of mango puree in all the bowls.Then add 2 ladles(6-7 tbsp) of white phirni in all the bowls.Once you finish filling the mixture in all the bowls,start with the bowl which you poured first and gently add 2 ladles of mango phirni taking care that the mixture will not mix up with the white portion as we want the layers to be seen separately.
• Garnish with chopped mangoes,slivered/flaked almonds,pistachios and saffron strands.

Allow them to cool and keep in refrigerator for 3-4 hrs and serve chilled.This can be eaten warm,but the chilled one tastes better.

Notes:

1. 
   

   You can prepare just mango phirni instead of layering by adding more mango puree to the whole mixture.
2. Instead of pureeing the mangoes, you can even add finely chopped mango pieces to the white phirni.
3. I prefer to add condensed milk to the dessert as it gives richness to it,if you want you can use sugar instead.

Technorati Tags: mango phirni recipe, mango firni, aam ki phirni, fruit phirni recipes, indian dessert recipes summer desserts, mango recipes, indian sweets, north indian sweet varieties

Akakarakaya Kura | Kantola Curry

My blog has been silent from past some time, the reason simply because was that the past few months I have become extremely busy with my toddler and also was busy with my family.Though I did not want to take a break from blogging, with the growing demands of my toddler I am finding it difficult to blog on regular basis.It takes a while for me to blog regularly with enthusiasm like before, till then I would try to update my blog when I find time, please bear with me!

Akakarakaya,known as 'Kantola' in English is a kind of gourd which is slightly bitter in taste but not as bitter as bitter gourd.This vegetable is seasonal and hence when ever I find this vegetable in market I usually buy it as it is not easily available near my place.If you are not someone who likes bitter gourd this mildly bitter kantola would definitely impress you in the first taste.I usually prepare a simple stir fry or curry with this vegetable and not experimented other variations with this vegetable. I like this vegetable very much as it has slight crunch even after it has been cooked.If you want to check out Kantola Stir fry(Akakarakaya Vepudu) recipe check out here.

Akakarakaya Kura | Kantola Curry Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins

Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Side dish-Lunch

Ingredients:

250 gms Akakarakaya/Kantola

2 Onions,chopped

2 tbsp Sesame seeds powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Chana dal

1 tsp Urad dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

a sprig of Curry leaves

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Wash and cut the kantola into four quarters and cut into thin slices.
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds.Add chana dal and urad dal and fry until it turns red in color.
• Add curry leaves and chopped onions and fry until it turns translucent.Now add the chopped kantola pieces and fry for 5-6 mins.Add turmeric powder to it and cover it and cook for 12-15 mins until it is done.
• Add red chili powder, sesame seed powder and salt and mix well and cover it and cook for 3-4 mins and switch off the flame.

Serve it with Rice/Roti.

Notes:

1. You can replace kantola with bitter gourd,bottle gourd or ridge gourd and follow the same process.In case if you are using bitter gourd,add salt and turmeric powder to the bitter gourd pieces and leave them aside for 15-20 mins and squeeze to remove extra water and follow the same process,this way it removes the bitterness of bitter gourd.
2. Instead of sesame seed powder you can even use telagapindi in the recipe.

Technorati Tags: akakarakaya kura, kantola recipes, akakarakaya recipes, southinidan curry recipes, andhra curry recipes, kantola curry