CRANBERRY PICKLES 2 WAYS

CRANBERRY PICKLES - 2 WAYS

This is a delicious variation of the condiment used along with Indian food. We have already come across Preserved Limes, or lemons also called "Pickles". This one was tried by my Sister in law - Chitra's mom when she visited Canada. As usual we wanted to try new things, since they are not available in India. Once when we went to the grocery store, we saw this bag of cranberries and we were curious as to how it tasted. Unable to buy a small quantity, we bought a full bag. This was during christmas season when we get fresh ones so easily. We tasted one of them and obviously did not like it because of the tart taste. Hence this new innovation of the pickles. In general,we can do this with any kind of tart fruit. She has also tried Plum chutney which is absolutely divine. Enjoy this and let me know how you liked it.

MUSTARD BASED PICKLES:




Ingredients:

Fresh Cranberries – 1 lb
Whole Mustard seeds – 2 tbsps
Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp
Dry red chillies – 10 – 15 (depending on taste)
Note: If the chillies are of milder variety use 10-15. If they are very hot, use according to taste
Asafetida – 1 tsp
Green chilli peppers – 6-8
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Cut the cranberries in half and add salt and store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days or until tender
2. Grind the mustard, red chillies, asafetida and turmeric to a fine powder in a spice grinder
3. Slit the green chilli peppers in half or grind them coarsely in a food processor
4. Mix the spice powder and the chilli peppers to the cranberry-salt mixture
5. Store in airtight container.

With Fenugreek base:




Ingredients:
Fresh Cranberries – 1 lb
Fenugreek seeds – 2 tbsp
Dry red chillies – 10-15 (Or According to taste)
Asafetida – 1 tsp
Salt

Method:
1. Cut the cranberries in half, add salt and store them in air tight container for 3-4 days or until tender.
2. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds until reddish brown and a nice aroma comes out.
3. Grind the roasted fenugreek seeds, asafetida and the red chillies to a fine powder in a spice grinder
4. Mix the spice powder with the cranberry-salt mixture
5. Store in Airtight container.

Apple Pickle Chutney

This is a recipe all of us love to eat in our house. This is actually not mine. My husband's cousin Jayanthi lives in Hamilton, Ontario and we like to visit her as she is famous for quite a number of dishes. Among them are the most delicious Pineapple rasam and Apple Chutney which I am most familiar with. She is been unanimously asked to bring these two items in any function or potluck as they are very popular. Many were asking about this recipe and she agreed to send me the same. See below the recipe of Apple Chutney

4 green Granny Smith Apples (Medium size)
4 table spoons - Vegetable Oil
1/2 tea spoon - Turmeric
1/2 tea spoon - Mustard Seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida
Few curry leaves
Coarsely Powdered 2 table spoon Fenugreek Seeds
2 table spoons Salt
2 table spoons - red chilli powder
1/4 cup Lemon Concentrate

Core and grate the apples and set aside. In a sauce pan heat oil and add turmeric, mustard seeds and Hing wait until the mustard seeds splatter, add curry leaves, grated apples. On a medium heat sauté the apple for 5 mins, add lemon juice, salt, Chilli powder, and sauté for couple of minutes. Add Fenugreek powder in the end and mix will and take it out of the heat - let it cool before serving. Keeps upto 6 wks. in the fridge. Goes well with Chapatis, roties, rice, etc.

Bread Dosa

Ingredients:
Bread - 4-5 slices (left over bread also is fine)(I used Brown bread)
1 cup Rice flour
1/2 cup Rava
Besan - 2 table spoons
Onion - 1 medium sized (chopped fine)
Chopped coriander - 2 table spoons
Green chillies - 2 (chopped)
Red chilli powder - 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
oil to fry the dosa

For the tempering:
1 spoon oil
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
1 tea spoon urad dal
1 pinch of Hing
1 tea spoon chopped curry leaves

Method:
1. Soak bread slices in water for a few minutes and squeeze out extra water
2. Grind this bread with rice flour, rava and besan
3. Add salt and chilli powder
4. Add chopped onion, green chillies, coriander leaves and enough water to bring it to dosa consistency.
5. Heat one spoon oil and fry mustard seeds, when they crackle, add the urad dal, curry leaves and hing and when urad dal is browned, pour over the dosa batter.
6. Heat the tawa and pour the dosa fry both sides until golden brown on both sides.
7. Serve with Coconut chutney and vegetable kurma.

Variations:
1. Vegetables like finely shredded cabbage, green onions, cauliflower, carrots, capsicum etc can also be added to make vegetable dosa.
2. In addition to the green chillies, 1 tsp of grated or chopped ginger also can be added.
3. This dosa can be made plain instead of any vegetables too. Tastes very crispy without any vegetables.

Mustard Leaves

SCHEZUAN FRIED RICE

Ingredients:
2 cups short grain rice – cooked
½ cup green beans,
½ cup green cabbage- shredded/julienned
½ cup cauliflower + broccoli florets
½ cup carrots – julienned
½ cup fresh green peas (thawed if frozen is used)
½ cup sliced sweet peppers (green, yellow, red- or a combination of all 3)
½ cup sliced onion
1 table spoon grated or finely chopped ginger
1 table spoon garlic – chopped fine
1 table spoon red chilli paste (ready paste is available in local groceries- You can also make it by soaking a few dry red chillies in hotwater until they become soft. Grind to a paste with a little salt, add vinegar or lemon juice if required)
1 table spoon tomato ketchup
1 table spoon chilli garlic sauce
1 table spoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon white vinegar
2-3 green chilli peppers- finely chopped
Salt to taste
White pepper powder- to taste
1 small bunch green onions- chopped fine

Method:
1. Cool the rice completely so that each grain is separate
2. Heat oil on high heat, and fry the garlic, ginger and green chilli peppers for 1 minute.
3. Add onions and the sweet peppers and cook till just soft
4. Add tomato ketchup, soya sauce, chilli paste, chilli garlic sauce, pepper powder, vinegar and salt and mix well.
5. Add the vegetables and cook in the sauce for about 2-3 minutes
6. Add the cooled rice and toss until mixed well.
7. Check for seasoning and garnish with chopped green onions.
8. Serve hot with Vegetable Manchurian on the side.

VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN WITH HOT GARLIC SAUCE

Ingredients:
1 cup cabbage- very finely chopped or finely grated
1 cup green beans – finely chopped
1 cup carrots – grated
4-5 florets- grated cauliflower
1 small bunch green onions- finely chopped
2 table spoons white corn flour
1 tea spoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon finely chopped garlic
1 tea spoon white pepper powder
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil for Frying
Method:
Mix all the vegetables with salt, corn flour, soya sauce and white pepper powder.
If it is too dry, add a little water and mix well to form into small balls.
Heat oil in a wok or a fry pan and deep fry these vegetable balls until golden brown.
Can be consumed as is or with the accompaniment of any ketchup or sauce.

For the Hot garlic Sauce:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
1 table spoon finely chopped ginger
1/3 cup red chilli paste
¼ cup tomato ketchup
1 table spoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon white pepper powder
1 pinch MSG (Mono sodium glutamate) – Optional
2 table spoons oil
1 table spoon chopped sweet green peppers
1 table spoon sliced onion
1 table spoon green onions
1 table spoon corn flour dissolved in 2 table spoons of cold water
Salt and according to taste
Sugar- optional
Method:
1. Heat oil and fry the ginger and garlic on high heat
2. Add sliced onions and green peppers and fry again for 2 mins until soft
3. Add pepper powder, MSG (if using), salt, soya sauce, tomato sauce, red chilli paste and fry for 1-2 minutes
4. Add ½ cup water and let it boil; check for seasoning; add sugar if needed and if it is too spicy.
5. Add the corn flour slurry and adjust the consistency
6. Remove from fire.
7. Garnish with chopped green onions.

To serve:
Arrange the vegetable balls on the serving dish, and pour the sauce on top. Serve hot, garnished with chopped green onions with a side of schezuan fried rice.

Variation:
As mentioned above, prepare the vegetable balls and set aside. Prepare the sauce without the water. Add the fried vegetable balls in it and toss so that it coates them. Do not fry or mix for a long time as they become soft and soggy. Just toss for less than a minute on high heat and remove from fire. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately to retain the crunch.

MAKKI ROTI WITH SARSON KA SAAG

For the Rotis:
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Maize flour
½ cup Wheat flour
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil + oil for shallow frying the rotis
Water as required (preferably warm water)
Optional- Chilli powder according to taste and 1 tea spoon thymol seeds (Ajwain)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients with warm water to form soft dough. Divide into small balls and roll out into rotis carefully into circles and toast on a hot griddle with oil on both sides.
NOTE:
1. These rotis are generally done by hands and it needs a lot of experience. It can also be rolled with a rolling pin if done carefully.
2. These rotis are generally eaten hot as it tends to harden when cold.

For the Sarson-ka-Saag:
Ingredients:
1 bunch Mustard leaves (Rapini can be substituted)
1 bunch Spinach
1 table spoon butter+ 1 tea spoon oil
1 large onion – chopped fine
1 tomato- chopped fine
1 inch piece ginger- chopped fine
2 cloves garlic – chopped fine
3-4 green chillies- Finely chopped
3 tablespoons maize flour
1 tea spoon ground coriander
1 tea spoon garam masala
1 tea spoon red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Lemon juice, if required
Method:
1. Boil the Mustard leaves/ Rapini and spinach in Salted water to remove the bitterness of Rapini; cool and mash the greens, set aside
2. In a pan, heat butter and oil together so that butter does not get burnt
3. Fry the chopped green chilli, ginger, garlic for 1 minute and then add onion and fry until browned.
4. Add the maize flour and fry until the flour is browned (about 3-4 mins). There should not be any raw smell of either the onion or the flour
5. Now add the tomato and fry for 2 mins until the tomatoes are soft. Mash the mixture with the back of the spoon if there are any lumps formed during the process
6. Add ground coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and salt.
7. Add the ground rapini+spinach mixture and mix well and boil till thick.
8. Check for salt, and add lemon juice if required.
9. Serve hot with the corn rotis (Makki rotis)