Recently, My blog is showered by awards from my fellow bloggers. Kamalika of Silence Singshas shared a bunch of sweet awards with me....what to say, I am just honoured, Kamalika that you thought of me and you think that I deserve these awards. Kamalika, a extremely talented blogger, cook and writer. I am just attracted to her writing skill. I recently get to know her and from then she has never failed to encourage me by leaving her sweet comment on every post. I thank you from bottom of my heart for these lovely awards and hope our friendship will continue to bloom.
My another blogger friend, Deepti of Panchamrutham, has also showered me with Sunshine award. Thanks a lot, Deepti..Wish you all the success and fame in the blogosphere. Deepti is very talented blogger and has a wonderful space with so many traditional and creative recipes..I'm so happy to get to know such wonderful bloggers and learn from them. Friends, I'm sorry sometimes I don't get time from my busy schedule to visit your blogs and leave my comments. Please don't mind and visit me regularly and let me feel your presence with your encouraging comments on my posts.
Now, I would love to share my precious awards with few of my fellow blogger friends, who are very creative and talented. Sharmila, Tina, Bong Mom, Soma, Aruna, Sudeshna, Sowmya, Malini, Suparna, Chitra, Hari Chandana, Radhika, Sharmistha, Tulip, Sunanda, Shanthi & Sayantani
The rules of these awards :
Put the logo in your post or blog
Pass on to atleast 12 bloggers
Link the blogger in your post
Let them know they have received this award
Share the love and link to the person from whom you have received the award
So enjoy your awards, friends and a sunshiny yellow Mango Custard for you..have a spoon, please....:)) Recipe is following in my next post..till then....
As weather is shifting from cold to hot, this time is quite dangerous for kids as well as adults. Specially kids, it's really difficult to protect them from this change of season. So, they get cold and cough, sinus and so on. For my kids, I never use any cold & cough medicine/syrup. Because, for kids cold & cough syrup don't really work. I like to use natural herbal produces as a home remedy. It soothes and helps kids to recover quite fast. This remedies I have tried and got extremely good results. So, I want to share with you all............
Home Remedies for cold :
Mix 1/2 a tsp. of honey, 1/4 tsp. ginger juice, 1/4 tsp. lime juice and a small pinch of black pepper in a big spoon. This is one serving. Give your kids the same at least 3-4 times a day.
Oil massage : I also rub their chest, back, under the feet and palm with some hot oil. In a bowl, take little oil, add some black cumin seeds(kalonji) and crushed garlic, warm up the oil and rub on for 5-10 minutes, but the oil should be warm, don't use cold oil. Then cover their body with warm clothes. I normally do this before going to bed. This oil massage keeps the chest totally mucus free.
Home remedies for cough :
Mix 1/2 tsp. of honey and 1/2 tsp. juice of Tulsi(Basil) leaves in a big spoon. Warm up a little over the gas stove and give this to your kids 3-4 times a day.
In a big pan, boil some water with 4-5 cloves of crushed garlic bulbs. When cool in room temperature, filter the water and give it to your kid at least 3 times a day. A little sugar can be added.
For Dry cough :
Mix 1/2 tsp. ginger juice and 1/2 tsp. lime juice and drink it. It really works.
In cold and cough, the most important thing is to keep your kid's body warm. All these natural ingredients just does the same thing to your body, makes body warm.
As Summer is approaching quite fast towards us, our meal should be light but nutritious and at the same time should fulfill our hunger pangs. Salad is one such sort of meal which fits these criterions. In summer, I don't feel like having a heavy lunch, instead I would love to have some simple homemade soup and a plate full of crispy salad with a simple light dressing. Same time, salads are also good for your health. Fresh, raw vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and fiber in their full form. You can eat as much as you want until you're satisfied with minimal calories and salads are almost fat-free, unless you're adding some heavy cream in your salad dressing. To make your salad low in calories and fat free, buy fat-free salad dressing or make your own mixing little Olive oil, flavorful vinegar, honey and lime juice. Add some nuts, fresh fruits, dry fruits, cooked barley in it to make it more nutritious. Choose dark colored vegetables for your salad, as they contain more vitamins and minerals compared to light colored veges. So adding all these, you can make a perfectly balanced meal.....remember, the right amount of nutrients per meal is what you want.
Here is one Simple but crunchy, crispy salad idea for you.....this salad is very easy to put together and crispy and goes well as a side dish with any meal.
Ingredients :
Red cabbage (shredded) : 1/2 head Tomato : 2(chopped) Cucumber : 1(chopped) Corn kernels : 1/2 cup Red onions: 1(finely chopped) Soaked and cooked red kidney beans: 1/3 cup(optional but recommended)
(You can see how colorful salad is it from the colorful ingredients, right?)
For dressing :
Vegetable oil/Olive oil(preferably) : 2 tblsp.
Fresh lemon Juice : 2 tblsp.
Vinegar : 2 tblsp.
Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves : 2 tblsp. (chopped)
Oregano : 1 tblsp. (optional)
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt and pepper to taste
Method :
Chop all the vegetables. You can add any vegetables of your choice.
Make dressing by putting all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together to mix well.
Add dressing in your salad bowl and combine well. Your zesty salad is ready to serve.
Today I want to share a very simple recipe..i.e., Sorshe Sim. Sim, is the name for Flat beans in Bengali and Sorshe is Mustard. So, flat beans is cooked in mustard seed paste. It's very easy to make and flat beans cook very fast, tastes yummy with Hot rice.
Flat beans are green and in their fresh form, they come with multiple beans in a large outer pod. Beans are full of nutrition. Beans are a good source of essential B vitamins, protein, fiber, carbohydrate and iron. Beans are a good source of fat-restricted diet, as it contains only 2-3% fat. Beans contain no cholesterol. Since they are one of the richest source of fiber, they actually help to lower bad cholesterol level.
Ingredients :
Flat beans: 10-15 nos.
Mustard seed : 2 tblsp.
Green chilli : 1 or 2
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : a pinch
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Method :
Wash and drain flat beans. Method to cut flat beans: First, trim the edges half way thru and pull all the way to take out the string like thing on both sides. Do the same for the other side. Follow the same process for other flat beans. Then cut in 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.
Prepare mustard seed paste: Set aside 1 tsp. mustard seed for tempering. Soak rest of the mustard seeds in 1 tblsp. water for 10 minutes. Grind into fine paste in a dry grinder/coffee grinder adding a pinch of salt and green chilli. Take out the paste and add 2 tblsp. of water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, temper with mustard seed. When they start to splutter, add cut flat beans. Season with little salt and add turmeric powder. Stir for 2-3 minutes, then add mustard seed paste.
Stir to mix well until paste dries up and mix well with beans. Then add about 2/3 cup or enough water to cook the beans. When water dries up and beans are cooked, check the seasoning. Add salt if needed and add sugar. Mix well.
Mughlai Cuisine : Mughlai cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines not only in India, even in Abroad, whose origin can be traced back to the times of Mughal Empire. Mughalswere an Islamic imperial power and descendants of the Timurids of Turkistan. Timurid prince Babur who invaded India on sixteenth century. Mohammad Akbar, Jahangir, Shahjahan are some of the famous Mughal emperors who ruled over India and Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Jama Masjid are some of the finest example of Mughal Architecture. They brought exotic spices, dried fruit and nuts and new cooking methods to India.
Mughlai cuisine consists of the dishes that were prepared in the kitchens of the royal Mughal Emperors. The cuisine is strongly influenced byPersian and Turkic cuisines of Central Asia.This cuisine dominates in the northern part of India and has strong influences of Muslim Cooking. 'Mughlai' dishes as they are called have lots of milk and cream with whole spices to make a rich and spicy meal. Mughlai food is quite spicy and has a very unique aroma. Mughlai cuisine includes many famous dishes such as Kormas, Kebab, Kofta, Pasanda and Biryani, Jalfrezi, raan (roast lamb) and pulao.The rich preparation of Mughlai food consisting of flavored sauces and butter based curries is so tempting that food lovers are bound to crave for more and more food. I also love the richness of Mughlai cuisine and tried some of them in my kitchen. I'll share a simple but aromatic Mughlai Potato dish today, which is just lip-smacking. This can satisfy your crave for resturant style food at your home within 30 minutes...try it out
Mughlai Potato...........................
Ingredients :
Small baby potatoes/new potatoes
Green peas : 1/2 cup
Onion : 2 (medium-grated)
Fresh root ginger : 1" (grated)
Garlic : 3 cloves
Green chillies : 1 or 2 (as per your tolerance level)
Dahi/Yoghurt : 2/3 cup
Poppy seeds : 2-3 tsp.
Green cardamoms : 2
Cloves : 4
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Chilli powder : 1-2 tsp. (as per your tolerance level)
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil/ghee: 3 tblsp.
Cream : 2 tblsp.(optional)
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Method:
Wash and peel the potatoes, prick them allover using a toothpick or cocktail stick. Sprinkle a pinch of turmeric and little salt over them and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
Spice preperation : Grind cloves, cardamoms, poppy seed, chillies, ginger and garlic to a fine paste using very little water.
Heat oil in a pan, fry potatoes from all sides until lightly browned, remove and keep aside. Marinate potatoes with curd/yoghurt, above paste and salt. Keep aside for at least 45-60 mins. (frying potato is optional, but I prefer to do it)
In the same oil, add grated onion and fry until it is browned, then add cumin, coriander, chilli and turmeric powder. Add 2-3 tblsp water to avoid the spices to burn. Fry the spices with onion for 2-3 minutes or until oil seperates.
Add marinated potato mixture in that and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Then add enough water to cook potatoes. Season with salt, simmer the heat and let it cook covered until potatoes are tender, not over cooked. Add peas now, mix well.
Add cream, sugar and salt, if needed. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until peas are tender.
Your mughlai potato is ready to serve, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.
Enjoy this rich, aromatic curry with Biriyani, Pulao, or any kind of Indian bread, like naan, paratha, Kulcha etc.....
When oil is poured on water, the oil rises to the top and does not mix with the water. A phenomenon called polarity causes these molecules to repel one another. In atoms, the positive electrical charge of the nucleus is balanced by the negative charge of the electrons: as a result, atoms have no net electrical charge. But in molecules, formed when atoms link up, one end of the molecule may have a positive charge and the other a negative charge, resulting in an unequal charge. Molecules possessing this electrical imbalance are said to be polar; molecules with no such imbalance are called nonpolar. Water consists of polar molecules because the oxygen atom has a partial negative charge and the hydrogen atoms a partial positive charge. On the other hand, oil molecules, composed mainly of carbon and hydrogen are nonpolar, because they have the same positive charge everywhere. Polar molecules mix together because their positive and negative regions attract one another. Nonpolar molecules also attract one another but not as strongly. When a polar and a nonpolar substance are mixed together, the mutual attraction of the polar molecules squeezes out the nonpolar molecules, which are also drawn to one another. In this way, two substances remain separate.
2. How does soap remove dirt?
The simple act of washing one’s hands or clothing in soap and water involves chemical interactions at the molecular level. Typically, the dirt in clothes includes both dust from the air and greasy matter from the body. Because water is polar, that means it has a small electrical charge, and oil is non-polar or has no charge, the two substances do not mix, and water alone can’t remove oily dirt. But the soap molecule has both a polar end, known as hydrophilic or water-soluble and a non-polar hydrophobic or non-soluble end .
Working together the two parts remove dirt. The non-polar hydrophobic ends in the soap molecules absorb, or cling to the non-polar oily dirt molecules. At the same time, the hydrophilic ends completely surround the oily dirt particles, forming sphere-like structures called micelles. The surrounded dirt molecules are held in suspension in the water and prevented from reattaching themselves to the fabric. Rinsing away the soapy water removes the dirt molecules suspended in it.
3. How is drinking water purified?
The purification of drinking water proceeds in several stages. The first step is sedimentation, in which large particles suspended in the water settle to the bottom. The second is filtration, in which suspended solids and harmful bacteria are strained out. In the third stage, chlorine, a powerful disinfectant, is added to the water to kill the remaining microorganisms.
Unfortunately, chlorine can give water a bad taste and in large doses can even cause serious health problems. A substitute used in some countries is ozone, a safe, tasteless gas consisting of three oxygen atoms bound together. But because ozone’s germ-killer power does not last long, a tiny amount of chlorine must still be added for long –term disinfection. How ozone works--- An electrical discharge turns three molecules into two ozone molecules. In water, ozone splits into oxygen atoms and molecules that kill germs.
4. Why is flour cooked?
A major component of flour is starch, which consists of long chains of glucose molecules bound together. When raw, these chains form a rigid pattern, known as beta-starch, that resists digestion by the body’s enzymes. But when the starch is boiled with water, or baked as loaf of bread, its crystalline structures begin to break down. Water molecules seep in between the glucose molecules, giving the starch a pastelike consistency called alpha-starch. Since enzymes can break down the alpha-starch, the flour is much easier to digest.
Unfortunately, alpha-starch returns to the beta-starch stage when the temperature falls and the moisture evaporates. This tendency, known as the aging phenomenon of starch, produces a hard form of beta-starch as in stale bread that is once again difficult to digest.
5. Are all sour food acidic?
Not all sour food can be classified as acidic, even though they may appear to be at first. The lemon, for example, tastes sour and tests highly acidic, but it is classified as a basic or alkaline food. The lemon’s high content of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium- substances that, when mixed with water, show up as alkaline in laboratory tests-is the cause for the rating. Conversely, foods that contain substances such as chlorine, phosphorus or sulfur, all of which show acidity when they are mixed with water, are categorized as acidic. Such foods include carrots and spinach.
To determine if a food is acidic or alkaline, scientists heat it until all that remains are ashes- a process that mimics the digestive process that occurs in humans. Then they dissolve the ashes in water and measure the acidity of the solution, determining its pH value.
The pH value :
The pH scale which ranges from 0 to 14, upto 7 is neutral. Foods with a low pH value are acidic, while those high values are alkaline. The pH of human blood is 7.4, which is nearly neutral. Milk measures an acid 6.5, oranges 3.5, Ammonia registers an alkaline value of 12.
6. Why foods have different freezing points:
The freezing rates of various foods differ depending on their moisture contents. At –15 degreeC, or 5 degreeF, 93 % of the milk and 88 % of the onion-two foods with a high water content will freeze. At the same temperature, only about 78% of the apple and 73% of the orange and 65% of the banana frozen.
There is obviously great deal of Chemistry present in every steps of food formations. Do you want to know what happens when eggs are boiled and how it gets hard or why ice is hard but ice cream is soft or why oil and water can never be mixed? Here are some facts chemically :
1. Why does a sliced Apple turn Brown?
An apple that has been cut open, turns brown because molecules called phenols that are in the skin and around the seeds protect apple. When an apple is sliced or peeled, special enzymes take oxygen from the air and combine it with the phenols in the exposed flesh to produce polyphenols. The polyphenols react further with the enzymes and oxygen to create a form of the molecule quinone, which links with other molecules to produce a brown pigment that covers the apple’s exposed flesh. This pigment forms a protective barrier that blocks the advance of harmful oxygen molecules through the apple’s interior.
To prevent a cut apple fron turning brown, it must be kept from oxygen in the air. Dipping slices in water is the simpliest solution. Coating the exposed surfaces with vitamin C , found in products such as lemon juice , or adding vitamin C in the water. Since the vitamin reacts faster with oxygen than the phenols do, the brown pigment does not form and the apple stays white.
2. Why does instant coffee dissolve?
There are two ways to make instant coffee: the freeze-dry method and the spray-dry method. Both start identically as coffee beans water to produce a concentrated liquid.
In the freezing method----(1) The liquid is frozen at a temperature of –40degreeC or –40degreeF. The temperatures turn brewed coffee into a hard mass resembling a chocolate bar. This solid is then broken down into fine granules. (2) The frozen coffee granules are riddled with ice, which is removed in the drying chamber. (3) The reduced pressure in the drying chamber causes the ice in the coffee particles to sublime. What remains are porous granules of instant coffee.
In the hot air or spray dry process---(1) the concentrated coffee passes through a steam of hot air. The coffee’s water instantly evaporates. (2) The evaporating water leaves behind particles of pure coffee, which combine into larger granules.
Instant coffee dissolves quickly because its crystals are shot through with small holes. When water comes in contact with the crystals, it quickly seeps into these holes, dissolving the crystals from the inside as well as the outside.
3. Why is ice cream softer than ice?
Although ice cream contains a lot of water, it retains a fairly soft consistency at 0 degree C, or 32 degree F.- the temperature at which water freezes. The secret to ice cream’s smooth consistency lies in the nature of its ingredients and the way they are combined.
To make ice cream, the ingredients - which include milk, cream, eggs and other substances- are stirred together with sugar in a special freezer. At first only the water in the ingredients freezes, leaving particles of fat in liquid form. But as the stirring continues and the temperature decreases, tiny air bubbles become trapped in the mixture. These air bubbles, as well as the globules of fat, help separate the ice crystals, preventing the ice from forming large chunks that would turn the ice cream solid.
Some people like to make their own ice cream, using special home freezers. The ingredients are placed in a freezing chamber that is surrounded by salt and cracked ice to produce the necessary low temperatures. Then the mix is stirred by a special “dasher” that is driven by a hand crank or by an electric motor. Since a small machine can not stir the ingredients as thoroughly as industrial ice cream makers, the homemade product usually contains less air and is not as smooth as commercial brands.
4. How is Yoghurt made?
In the days before refrigeration and modern processing of milk, early nomadic herdsman searched for a way to preserve milk and transport it without spilling. Their solution was to ferment milk, a process that turns it into semisolid yoghurt. Today yoghurt is still valued because it is easy to digest and refreshing as a snack.
The yoghurt making process begins when raw milk is pasteurized, or heated to 82 degree C. or 180 degree F . to kill any bacteria that may live in it. A yoghurt culture is added to the pasteurized milk, and the mixture is incubated at temperatures between 37 and 45 degree C, or 100 and 113 degree F, which converts the milk’s natural sugars to acids, or ferments it. The newly formed acids connects the milk’s protein chains into large, complex networks, turning liquid milk into tart yoghurt.
Other foods produced from fermented milk include sour cream, Cheese and buttermilk.
The two stages of yoghurt formation: Yoghurt forms in two stages. In first step, bacteria break sugars down into acids that raise the milk’s acidity. The second step begins as the milk’s increasing acidity induces protein molecules to form bulky bridge like structures, and the milk takes on the familiar semisolid form of yoghurt.
5. Why do boiled eggs become hard?
The liquid interior of a raw egg hardens when boiled in water because the water’s intense heat changes the structure of the egg’s proteins. At room temperature, the protein strands are tightly folded in a complex three-dimentional configuration. But at higher temperatures the strands loosen up, and as they unravel, their ends become exposed. These ends bond with other protein strands, fastening the individual proteins into a mesh that turns the egg solid.
Because the protein structures of egg yolk and egg white vary slightly, they harden at different temperatures. Up to 60 degree C or 140 F, there is little change in either yolk or white. But above that temperature, the white part of the egg begins to resemble a semitransparent jelly. The yolk gets somewhat sticky at 65C or 149F and starts to harden at 70C or 158F. At this temperature, the egg becomes soft boiled. The white hardens fully at 80C or 176F and 85C or 185F, both yolk and white are hard boiled.
6. How are food preserved?
Food spoils for two main reasons. In fruits and vegetables, the neutral ripening process- caused by continued cellular respiration after the food is picked- can proceed too far, producing overripe, inedible food. Or, in a process that affects all foods, microorganisms that include bacteria, molds, and yeasts can attack the food and cause it to rot. Over the millennia scientists and cooks have developed a number of preserving methods that successfully delay or prevent these two processes.
Because food-spoiling microorganisms thrive only under specific conditions that include oxygen , moisture and warm temperatures, it is possible to destroy the organisms by altering these conditions. Storing food at low temperatures or sterilizing it with heat delays spoilage. Other methods of preservation-either by vacuum-packing the food or storing it with some carbon dioxide – minimize exposure to oxygen, which causes overripening and fosters bacterial growth. Sealing food off from air – a process known as vacuum-packing- isolates the food both oxygen and microorganisms. Foods that are preserved by this method keep their taste and aroma for a long time. Still other techniques include drying food and preserving it with salt and sugar. These are used to draw moisture from foods. The lower a food’s water content, the harder it is for bacteria to survive in it.
Another way is to freeze the food. Freezing puts foods in a kind of suspended animation. Cellular respiration and overripening stop, and the cold arrests the growth of bacteria.
Winter is almost out and Spring is knocking at our doors..even though in my part of World, as we are sitting on the Equator, this season changes doesn't work at all...we have couple of seasons at constant, hot and humid Summer and shower of rain. So, I always make a glass of lassi(a yoghurt drink) for us after our weekend lunch...just to chill with this great tasting refreshment and at the same time I can gain the benefits of Yoghurt which it is made of. Consuming yoghurt after a meal helps burning body fat and it helps body digesting food more efficiently.
Health benefits of Yoghurt :
Yoghurt is dairy product which is rich in Potassium, calcium, protein and B vitamins(B12).It is a great source of Calcium for lactose intolerant people, as there is very little lactose present in it and instead it contains the digestive enzyme, lactas.
The most outstanding benefit of yogurt comes right from the unique way yogurt is made. Yoghurt is simply milk or cream that is cultured with active live cultures. These cultures are the key to many of yoghurt’s health benefits. Active live cultures are basically good bacteria that are necessary for the body to function at its best. These good bacteria prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that cause bacterial infections and diseases. Healthy levels of good bacteria also promote digestive health and boost the immune system. Good bacteria prevent imbalances in the body’s yeast levels, which can prevent various types of yeast infections. It has been shown that good bacteria can also prevent urinary tract infections. If you are taking antibiotics, they may be destroying the good bacteria present in your body. Eating yoghurt regularly can help restore your good bacteria levels. Active live cultures actually reduce yoghurt’s level of lactose, making yoghurt a delicious dairy alternative for anyone who is lactose intolerant.
Yoghurt Strengthens and stabilizes the immune system.
Yogurt Lowers LDL, Raises HDL Cholesterol
Calcium rich yoghurt signifivantly increases body fat loss, boost the body's ability to build bone, helps prevent and heal Arthritis
For Fresh Breath and a Healthy Mouth, Eat Yogurt
So, there are more than enough reasons why you should add yoghurt to your diet, especially, Women after 30, should consume at least 4 servings of calcium rich food.
Now, this week I made my lassi adding some fresh oranges. Lassi is a popular and traditional Indian yoghurt based drink. It is made by blending yoghurt with water or milk and Indian spices. Traditional lassi is sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin. Sweet lassi, blended with sugar or fruits instead of spices, is also very popular.
Ingredients : (yields 3-4 servings)
Yoghurt : 2 cups
Orange : 1 (deseeded and chopped)
Water : 3/4 cup
Pistachio nuts: 6-7
Sugar : 3-4 tblsp.
Salt : a pinch
Saffron strands : few
Method :
In a blender, take all the ingredients and blend until frothy.
To serve, pour over crushed ice and sprinkle some saffron strands over it to decorate.
This is my 150th post, another milestone achieved by me finally, just before my 2nd blog anniversary. As I was preparing to post this special post, I found that my interview has been published here, @ Cook like A Bong, where Sudeshna & Kalyan has done one survey to find out 7 best bengali food bloggers and my blog is one of them..I am so thankful to Sudeshna and Kalyan, for doing this survey. I never thought before starting this blog that, I can ever achieve something like this. This is a great achievement for me. To celebrate this special occassion, I don't have any sweet dish in my draft, so I'm posting one of my favorite dish today.......
All knows that bengalis have a love affair with Posto or poppy seeds or khus Khus. Especially me, I can't live without this spice, just love it with anything. If you ask anyone, bengali recipe of Posto or poppy seed, everybody will say ,"Aloo posto/potatoes in poppy seed paste" , as only this one is the most well known bengali posto recipe. But we, bengalis, use posto with every possible way, some of them I posted before, I"ll share another unusual/not so famous recipe of posto with Patol or pointed gourd, Which we call "Patol posto/pointed gourd in poppy seed paste". In bengali cuisine, posto is used all year round, but specially in summer it is used more, as posto has a cooling affect on body. Poppy seed has lots of medicinal properties, too..check out here. Patol or parwal or pointed gourd is also a summer vegetable, so this recipe is a perfect recipe for Summer.
Ingredients :
Parwal/patol/pointed gourd : few
Poppy seeds : 2 tblsp.
Onion : 1(medium)
Tomato : 1 (small)
Green chilli : 1 or 2(as per taste)
Black cumin seed/kala jeera : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tblps.
Method :
Wash each parwal. First, trim the edges and then peel the skin every 1/2" inch apart. Apply 1 tsp. turmeric powder and a pinch of salt on all the parwals and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
For grinding poppy seed, I use coffee grinder/dry grinder. Add 1 green chilli and poppy seed in grinder and grind. DO not make into a fine powder, it should be a coarse grind.After grinding, take out the coarsely grounded poppy seed into a bowl and mix it with 3-4 tblsp. of water.
Heat oil in a pan, fry the pointed gourds for 2-3 minutes until light brown from all sides. Take them out.
In the same pan, temper with black cumin seeds, then add sliced onions, fry until soft and light brown. Then add chopped tomatoes and 1 chopped green chilli. Wait until tomatoes get soft, then add poppy seed paste into it.
Stir so that it doesn't stick to the pan. Add 1 tsp. turmeric powder into it. Stir fry it for 1-2 minutes. When oil seperates, add fried parwals/ patols. Mix well with the spices, then pour about 1/3 cup of water. Add salt to taste. Remember, patol/parwal cook very fast.
Let it cook in medium heat. When all water are evaporated and parwals are done, check the seasoning. This is a dry dish, so no gravy will be there. Stir for another minute or two and remove from heat.
Patol posto is done. Enjoy with hot rice, or even with chapathi.
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