Plum Chutney (Aloo Bukhara Chutney) Step by Step Recipe

Just a few more days before this dark ruby coloured sweet and sour fruit will disappear from the market; if you pick a ripe fruit one bite of this luscious ruby coloured gem is soo juicy and sugary sweet that you need to hold a bowl while eating to avoid ruining your clothes (sluurrrppp)

Yes, am talking about Plums (Aloo Bukhara)

My grandma (nani) introduced me to these lovely fruits when I was a child; during the season we always had them on the dining table in a fruit bowl. To get best out of it, I waited till they were almost black in colour and about to ‘give way’ when the plums were at their sweetest best!

These memories came flooding back when I saw plums in the super market today, even tough I could just wash and bite into them right away, I prefer to go to aaji’s house and pick them up from the fruit bowl! For now I will stick to making new 'plum' memories and savoring this chutney for years to come!

Ingredients	Quantity
Plums (Aloo Bukhara)	250 gms
Grated Jaggery	6-7 tbsp
Cloves	4-5
Dry red chili	One
Red Chili powder	1 tsp
Salt	1 ½ tsp

Makes – 1 small jar (approx 100 – 120 grams)

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking time -15 minutes

I made a small batch of chutney, but am definitely going tomorrow to pick some more up, this is just the right combination of sweet and sour to tickle your taste buds.

The plums which I used were tangier and red in color rather than almost back, which is when they are most ripe. Hence I needed more jaggery to tone down the sour taste.If you are using ripe plums adjust the jaggery / sugar accordingly.

Method:

• Wash and pat dry the plums; stone them and slice or chop them, keep aside.
• Take a heavy bottom pan, or a non-stick pan.
• Add two cups of water and bring to boil, once the water starts to boil add the plums with one red chili broken into two pieces and cloves, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add plums to boiling water

• You will be surprised how quickly these plums cooked!!

Cover and cook

• Add grated jaggery, red chili powder and salt.

Add grated jaggery

Add red chili powder

• Cook on medium flame for another 5 minutes, keep stirring. The chutney starts to get thicker.

Chutney starts to get thicker

• Remove from the flame, allow it to cool completely and store in an air tight container. Keep it in the fridge.

Let it cool completely 

I never have a problem cleaning the pan afterwards :)

• I have added NO PRESERVATIVES AND NO ARTIFICIAL COLOUR, the rich deep red colour is all work of nature!
• Serve with hot rotis or chapattis, add to toasted crispy cheese sandwich! I had this with homemade herb bread.

Note:

• You can also use white sugar; reduce the sugar quantity to 5-6 tbsp as sugar is sweeter than jaggery.

• To add more flavour you can add a 2 inch piece of cinnamon in the boiling water along with the plums.

Papaya+Ginger+Lime Cooler

Sweet, luscious, rich orange in colour with yellow and pink hues; these characteristics belong to none other than a ripe delicious Papaya. Once an exotic fruit; this was famously known as the ‘fruit of angels’ by Christopher Columbus.

Papayas are now available through out the year in the markets; they are a rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium and magnesium; and fiber.

Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which helps to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.

This fruit blends up smooth which is perfect for cool drinks or smoothies, though I love eating papaya's; at times I find the strong smell a bit repulsive. The best way to fix that and avoid too many calories by turning it into a sweet milkshake I found this cooler to be a perfect mix of health and taste!

Note: I dint add sugar as the fruit was sweet enough to satiate my sweet tooth, trust me it tasted delicious!

Ingredients	Quantity
Cubes Papaya	1 ½ cups
Water	1/4th cup
Lime juice	Juice of one lime
Ginger grated	2 inch piece
Ice cubes	7-8
Sugar only if required	1 tbsp
Mint leaves	To garnish

Serves 2

Preparation time - 15 minutes

No cooking time

Method:

• Wash, cut, remove the seeds, peel the papaya and cut it into small cubes.

• In a blender or food processor, add the cut papaya, juice of lime, ice cubes and grated ginger.

• Blend all together, add water if you wish to make the consistency of the drink thinner, though I like mine to be thick and smooth.

• Serve in a tall glass, garnish with mint leaves and papaya cubes!

• Once glass of papaya cooler and an egg white omelette.. am all set to go!

Spicy Colocasia (Masaledar Arbi) Step by Step Recipe

My better half comes from the city of Gwalior; having grown up in a food culture more inclined towards the north, he often craves for aloo parathas, chole bhature, rabdi, hot jalebi’s, khasta kachori’s, samosa’s (the list is endless). This endless list has another favourite root vegetable commonly known as arbi or colocasia.

Knowing my better half’s love for food, we headed to the local ‘mandi’ as soon as we finished our morning run to pick up fresh arbi; along with some veggies and juicy bagepalli mangoes to eat at lunch.

Since this was my first attempt at cooking arbi M gave some valuable tips to make this a tasty main course or a side dish.

Here are his tips:

To make this veggie a success, it’s a must to cook it right, especially while cooking arbi / colocasia in the pressure cooker. If it’s overcooked it turns slimy.

While peeling arbi / colocasia, oil the hands (any oil will do) as sometimes the hands tend to itch.

After this valuable input I was a bit under pressure to make it right, thankfully all my worries were put to rest once M tasted the final output.

We could hardly get a good picture as these delicious bites were almost over before we could plate up our lunch!!

Ingredients	Quantity
Arbi/colocasia	250 gms
Refined Oil	1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Coriander Powder	1 tsp
Garam Masala	½ tsp
Green Chili finely chopped	1
Dry mango powder (amchoor)	½ tsp
Red chili Powder	½ tsp
Turmeric Powder (haldi)	1/4th tsp
Carom Seeds (ajwain)	1 tsp
Asafoetida (hing)	A pinch
Coriander finely chopped	A handful
Salt	As per taste

Serves: 2

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Method:

• Wash the arbi under running water, pat dry and cook the arbi in the pressure cooker.
• To get perfectly cooked arbi, I cooked it on ‘high flame’ for 1 whistle and then removed the pressure cooker from the heat / cooking range.
• Remove the arbi from the pressure cooker, oil hands and peel it, gather all the remaining ingredients.

• Take a non stick/ heavy bottom pan; add oil, once the oil is heated add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and carom seeds (ajwain)

• Once the carom seeds (ajwain) start to splutter, add turmeric powder (haldi powder)

• Then add coriander powder (dhania powder) and saute to get all the spices together.

• To this add chopped green chili and saute again.

• Add the arbi / colocasia, if you find the pieces too big, cut them in half, saute for a minute.

• Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of red chili powder and 1/2 tsp of garam masala (I used everest brand). I plan to graduate to making my own garam masala, but till then .. :)
• If you think this is going to get spicy, trust me its just perfect to tickle your taste buds!

• Add 1/4th tsp of amchoor powder, this gives a lovely tanginess to the dish and helps to reduce the spiciness. Saute for 5 minutes, till the arbi turns slightly crunchy!

• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and its ready to serve! 

• One quick veggies which am sure you family and friends will love!! 

Paneer Bhurji

It’s a cloudy day, perfect weather to sit with a book, sip coffee, and catch the re-run of Castle J I am never get tired of watching Richard Castle on screen and love the chemistry between him and Kate. As much as I want to while away my time and do absolutely nothing, I have several errands to run which I have been procrastinating for a couple of days!

To make the best of both worlds (I get to see Castle and be ready in time to complete all my errands) I have decided that today’s lunch is going to be Paneer Bhurji with hot phulka’s, salad and buttermilk. It’s perfect for this situation, a quick, easy to make and healthy bhurji which M and me relish, that goes perfectly well with a simple salad and buttermilk.

Ingredients	Quantity
Paneer – Cottage Cheese	200 gms
Oil – regular or olive oil	2 tsp
Onions finely chopped	2 medium
Garlic crushed	5-6 pods
Asafoetida (hing)	A pinch
Turmeric (haldi)	½ tsp
Red chili powder	1 tsp
Garam Masala	1-1/2 tsp
Cumin	1 tsp
Coriander finely chopped	A handful
Salt	As per taste

Serves: 2

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Cooking time – 7-10 minutes

Method:

• Gather all the ingredients and masalas, chop onions, coriander, crumble the paneer (cottage cheese), crush the garlic.

• Heat a non stick pan / heavy bottom pan add 2 tsp of oil, once the oil is heated add a pinch of asafoetida (hing), cumin (1 tsp) and crushed garlic. Saute for a minute.

• Then add the chopped onions and saute again till the onions are golden brown.

• Then add turmeric powder (haldi powder), saute for 1 minute, then add one 1tsp chili powder and saute again.

• Add 1 tsp of garam masala, a handful of chopped fresh coriander and saute just til all the ingredients are mixed. Add salt and adjust the seasoning as per taste.

• Serve hot with a flat bread or phulka's with a dash of ghee (clarified butter)

• Simply delicious :) 

Tip:

Adjust the spices as per taste, if you like it spicier add more chili powder or finely chopped green chili's instead of powder.

If you wish to increase the volume if there are unexpected guests add green peas.

Guacamole

What looks simple may not always be so; this I have learned over the last few months during my various attempts to find a ripe avocado!

Guacamole – an avocado based dip / sauce which originated in Mexico has been on my mind for a very long time, almost all food channels have covered this recipe and I knew that I had to try it soon.

The biggest challenge for this recipe was to find just the right, ripe, soft fruit to make a perfect dip; and by no means this was an easy task for me (sad face)

So after a few failed attempts, I logged on to Google, found out how to find the right avocado and was very lucky the next time.

Here’s how to pick a ripe fruit:

Check the fruit for ripeness by gently pressing the avocado, if there is a little-give (a slight dent/dimple in the skin when you press the fruit) it’s ripe.

If its does not give (very hard and solid) then the avocado has yet to ripen.

And if there is a lot of give (squashy) is over ripe and not good.

Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients	Quantity
Ripe Avocado	1
Onion	½ finely chopped
Coriander finely chopped	1 tbsp
Fresh lime juice	1 tbsp
Freshly ground pepper	As per taste
Salt	As per taste
Green Chili finely chopped	1 chili to add the heat

Serves – 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

No cooking time

Time to find the perfect avocado – No comments (smile)

• Cut the avocado lengthwise in half remove the seed, scoop out the flesh from the peel (as shown in the picture) with the help of a spoon and put in a bowl.

• Using a fork or spoon mash the avocado. Add chopped onions, lime juice, coriander, salt and pepper and mix well.

• You can serve immediately with tortillas, chips, fresh veggies or bread.

Tip: If you want to serve the dip later warp and keep in fridge till serving time this will prevent oxidation!

Tofu Bhurji Wrap

Weekend is here; time to sit back, laze around and spend some quality time with my better half. Usually our saturday’s begin with a morning run, then breakfast at our favourite SN Refreshment or Vidyarthi Bhavan; these places have lip smacking dosas and vada’s which we love to eat; a perfect way to start our weekend. But given my root canal treatment, I just choose to snuggle deep in my bed for some more zzzzzzzz and eat at home instead.

The bliss of a lazy saturday morning was short-lived; my growling stomach demanded a quick, scrumptious and a healthy breakfast.

I took a brisk walk to the fridge; my eyes began to scan the contents, my taste buds demanded something delectable yet I knew I had to keep a check on calorie count (sigh).

After a lot of scanning and eliminating various options (frittata, pohe, upma, pooris) I decided to make a tofu bhurji warp. This bhurji is mildly spiced and sautéed with onions to remove the strong odor of tofu, garnished with a generous amount of coriander, sliced onions and tomatoes.

This bhurji can be wrapped in a plain roti/phulka or eaten with whole grain bread; it makes a very filling and wholesome breakfast or even brunch!

Ingredients	Quantity
Tofu (Soya paneer)	1 pack – 200 gms
Oil (regular or olive oil)	2 tsp
Onions finely chopped	2 small or 1 large
Garlic pods chopped	3-4 nos
Green chili	1 finely chopped
Asafoetida (hing)	A pinch
Cumin (jeera)	1 tsp
Mustard (rai / mohri)	1 tsp
Turmeric (haldi powder)	½ tsp
Coriander finely chopped	A handful

Serves – 2 very hungry people or 3 moderate hungry people

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Cooking time – 10 minutes

Method:

• First crumble the paneer by hand and set aside, chop coriander, onions, green chili's and garlic.

• Take a non stick pan / heavy bottom pan once hot add 2 tsp oil.
• To the oil add, asafoetida (hing), cumin (jeera), mustard (rai)
• Then add green chili's, then add chopped onions saute for a minute
• Then add 1/2 tsp of turmeric (haldi powder) and 1 tsp of red chili powder (you can adjust the heat as per taste)

• Then add crumbled tofu, saute for a minute.
• Add the coriander saute again till you get a nice aroma of all the spices and condiments.
• Remove from heat and Its ready to serve!

• Serve the bhurji with buttered toasts, rotis/phulkas or any other bread of your choice.
• Wrap the bhurji with fresh crunchy salad leaves, smear mayonnaise, hung curd (low fat option) or just let your creativity take over! 
• A very filling dish full of proteins.