Naga Thali | Nagaland Cuisine

Friday, May 02, 2014

Naga Thali | Nagaland Cuisine

After Mizo here comes the turn of Nagaland which is one tough state to get veg state I would never survive in the state without veg recipes. But some of the veg recipe I found impressed me some wat and I was happy to make thali again for this one difficult North east state.As for all the North eastern states Meats and fermented foods and most popular here. Naga cuisine comprises of variety of recipes from each tribe dwelling there.They love to include boiled veggie in their meal and Rice is the staple food here too. There are varieties of chutney prepared here in which the great naga chilli chutney is very popular , The Raja Mirchi world's spicy chilly comes from this state and so some dishes are enjoyed spicy too.The very famous tribes are angami , anishi and lotta. They preferred  meat is Dog meat , I was shocked to read about this here we consider dog as the best friend but they enjoy dog meat.. No offense to their culture and cuisine every one has their own preference right.

Since here the cuisine would offer spicy food the seasoning plays a very important role in every dish.Ginger is very much used in the preparation of all dishes. Rice beer is a  very traditional drinks here and other than that  Zutho, dzutse, and ruhi are other types of drinks consumed here. Galho is one famous naga  khichidi which is prepared in many ways with veggie and meats. Cabbage and palak galho are one such khichidi they make for a meal. I was suprised to see that they make Kantola / Spine gourd gravy and went forward to do it fully veg they do add pork fat to the recipe. The very favorite dessert here is the black rice pudding which is again a very healthy dessert to enjoy. Chutney's are always  popular here and tomato chuney is most frequently made here. Lets quickly move on to the recipe..

Nagaland Thali Menu 

Cabbage Palak Galho ( Naga Khichidi)

Nkhonathoi Ganh

Aloo Dal

Rongmei Naga Style

Naga Tomato Chutney

Cabbage Palak Galho

Nagaland Thali Menu 

A rice porridge with many ingredients, this is similar to khichdi. Galho goes a step ahead though, in terms of throwing items into the boiling dish. The are meat pieces and fermented soya or bamboo are also added to this khichidi but I made it all veg and  without using fermented products , If you like Do add them too.

Thupka ~ Noodles Soup of Arunachal Pradesh

Thupka

 Noodles Soup of Arunachal Pradesh

THUPKA.. Noodles Soup of Arunachal Pradesh

Second day of mega Marathon takes you to one and largest of seven sister states of North India - ' Arunachal Prdesh ' which is also known as land of dawn lil mountains .  Arunachal Pradesh  is one of the 28 states of India. Located in northeast India, Arunachal Pradesh borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Bhutan. 

            The dishes of Arunachal Pradesh vary within the region, including to Apang (Tradtional drink) or rice beer made from fermented rice or millet is a popular beverage in Arunachal Pradesh, as an alcoholic drink.  There are different varieties of rice beer with different flavours.  The staple food is rice along with fish, meat and lots of green vegetables. Different varieties of rice are available. Lettuce is the most common and preferred vegetable of all, prepared by boiling it with ginger, coriander and green chillies. Boiled rice cakes wrapped in leaves is a famous snack. The momos are also popular. Dishes in eastern districts like Tirap and Changlang have some different method in their way of food preparation.

Thukpa is another traditional dish common among "Monpa" a tribe of Arunachal. It is a noodles soup usually prepared with meat or fish. But I prepared using vegetables. You can add any vegetables and tofu or paneer according to your choice. This healthy soup is perfect for wintry evening.. Try this delicious soup and you will sure love it..

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Adapted from  

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil or butter

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 tsp minced green chilles

3/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup cabbage, chopped

1/4 cup carrot, diced

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup tomato chopped

1/2 tsp red chilli powder or to taste

1/2 tsp corainder powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp chaat masala or taste( optional, but I added it to soup and it was so good)

4 cups vegetable stock or water

4 oz noodles of your choice, chopped into 2-3" lengths

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For Noodles:

1. Cook noodles as per package instructon. pour the noodles in colander and drain the water.

2. Transfer the drained noodles to another bowl and add few drops of oil and stir gently to coat the noodles to avoid sticking together.

THUPKA.. Noodles Soup of Arunachal Pradesh

For Soup:

3. Heat oil or butter in pan and saute green chillies and garlic.

4. Then add onions, saute for 1 ~ 2 minutes or until slightly translucent.

THUPKA.. Noodles Soup of Arunachal Pradesh

5. Throw in cabbage and carrot. saute for a minute. Then add tomatoes and stir once.

6. Add the spices and cook for few minutes. Finally add chopped spinach, cilantro.                              

7. Stir and cook for another a minutes. Pour in vegetable stock and the bring to boil. Lower heat and continue to cook for  another 15-20 minutes until soup thicken lightly. Adjust spice and salt to taste.

8. You may add noodles and cook for 5 more minutes or serve separately with the soup as I did.  Garnish with cilantro.

Rashmolai ..Assam

Rashmolai

Rashmolai .assamfoodies

Ingredients

• Milk: 2 litre
• Sugar: 3 cups
• Saffron: 10-15 strands
• Paneer: 300 gms
• Maida: 2 tbsps
• For garnishing: Saffron,Pista and cherries

Directions

1. • Take the milk in a heavy saucepan and bring to boil.
   • Reduce heat to minimum and stir occasionally.
   • Soak the saffron strands in a tablespoon of warm milk.
   • When the milk is reduced to 1/3 add about 1/3 cup of sugar.
   • Stir cook to a desired consistency.
   • In a large bowl take the paneer and mash.
   • Sprinkle the remaining flour and knead smooth.
   • Divide it into equal porions and roll.
   • Flatten each ball.
   • Take the remaing sugar in a heavy saucepan.
   • Add 2 and 1/2 cup of water and make a syrup.
   • Mix the remaining flour to half cup of water and add to the sugar syrup.
   • Add the flatten ball to the boiling syrup and boil for about 10 minutes.
   • Add 1/3 cup of water and bring to boil.
   • Boil for about 5-6 minutes.
   • Let it cool and squeeze the sweets.
   • Add the sweets to the thick milk.
   • Also add the soaked saffron strands along with the soaked milk.
   • Cook upon low heat till done.
   • Garnish with saffron, pista and cherries.
   • Serve chilled.

Sana Thongba from Manipur – A Simple Paneer Curry

 A Simple Paneer Curry........

Sana Thongba from Manipur – A Simple Paneer Curry

The recipe that I made today is a very good example of the simplicity of the cuisine, yet bringing out the most wonderful flavor from the food. This was one dish that truly amazed me by its flavors. I had used no spice absolutely except turmeric and cumin and yet the dish was so flavorful. This dish was a very big success with my boys and I would definitely be making this more often. This recipe is made during Usop, which is a traditional Hindu Manipuri feast and is considered one of the tastiest vegetarian dishes

The only change that I did to the dish was that I used tofu instead of paneer. The dish absolutely did not miss the paneer. 

Sana Thongba from Manipur – A Simple Paneer Curry

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Difficulty level – easy


Ingredients – (serves 6)

• Paneer (I used firm tofu) – 450 grams (chopped into ½ inch pieces)
• Potato – 1 large (peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces)
• Onion – 1 large (Thinly sliced)
• Green peas – ½ cup
• Green chilies – 4-5
• Milk – 1 ½ cup
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Oil – 2 – 3 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Cilantro – few for garnish

Procedure –

• In a wide pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the sliced onions and sauté for about 3 minutes.
• Now add the cubed paneer (or tofu) and then fry in medium flame until it turns light golden.
• Now add the potatoes and fry it for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Next add the peas and sauté for few more minutes until the peas becomes slightly soft. 

Sana Thongba from Manipur – A Simple Paneer Curry

• Add the turmeric powder and salt and mix it gently.
• Now add about 1 to 1 ½ cups of water and cook covered, until the potatoes are soft and completely cooked.
• Open the pan and add the milk. Reduce the flame to simmer and let the curry come to a gentle boil. Do not cook on high heat since the milk would curdle. As soon as the curry comes to a gentle boil turn off the flame right away as otherwise the milk would curdle. 

Sana Thongba from Manipur – A Simple Paneer Curry

• Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice or roti’s. When reheating the curry, heat it in low power in the microwave or in low flame.

Chicken hariyali kabab

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Chicken hariyali kabab

When I was in Bangalore, I had a habit of ordering chicken hariyali whenever we went out for lunch/dinner. I loved this kabab so much that, my brother and husband were tired of eating this dish. I would order this every single time. Chicken biryani and this kabab was my staple every time. My brother finally decided not to go out with me because I would never agree to eat anything else, and since I could never eat it all alone, they had to share these with me.

After coming to US, this is one of the dishes that I missed a lot. I tried making it couple of times, but was never satisfied with the results. Finally I can proudly say, I have learned to make the perfect hariyali kabab. I also made a yogurt-mint dip(grind some mint with yogurt and salt) that is usually served in the restaurants in Bangalore. The dip was not exactly same as the restaurant version, but was quite good and went very well with kababs.

Few years ago, V’s uncle owned a kabab center in Bangalore. Once we went there to talk to him and he offered us their specialties. While V was chatting with uncle, I was totally immersed in devouring the kababs. Finally I asked him the recipe for this kabab. I don’t remember his exact recipe, but this is what I could recollect. Now that it came out so well, I am going to stick to this.

I think my pappa(dad) would have loved this. So I am dedicating this recipe to him.

Ingredients:
1 lb (0.45kg) boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
3 tbl spn chopped mint
3 green chillies
1 tea spn ginger pieces
1 tea spn garlic pieces
4 cloves
1″ cinnamon
1/4 tea spn pepper
2 tbl spn very thick yogurt
1 tea spn lemon juice
Salt
Chaat masala

All the ingredient quantities are approximate only. So increase/decrease to get a thick coating on chicken.

Method:
Make a paste of coriander-mint leaves, ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, lemon, chillies to a paste. Do not add water.
Cut chicken into 2″x2″ pieces. Add the paste, salt, yogurt to the pieces and mix well. Keep it refrigerated for atleast 4hrs (I left it overnight).
Preheat the oven at 300F for about 10mins.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the chicken pieces on skewers. Keep the pieces on the sheet.

Cover the sheet with another foil(this is very important, otherwise the pieces get dry). Bake in oven at 300F for about 20mins or till chicken is cooked.

Take them out. Remove the covering foil. Bake it again for 2mins. Flip the pieces and then bake again for another 2mins (this helps to get the dry thick coating on top).
While serving, sprinkle chaat masala on top. Serve hot.

Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 40mins

Gajar Burfi/ Carrot Fudge

Gajar Burfi/ Carrot Fudge      karnataka

This beautiful orange colored burfi will surely grab the attention of your family, friends and guests. I had prepared them as prasad for our bhajan satsangh hosted by family friends few months back and glad to mention here that the full tray of over 90 pieces got finished in few seconds. 

Gajar Burfi/ Carrot Fudge      karnataka

A simple sweet prepared with ingredients easily available at home, recipe is adapted from here. The recipe ingredients remains the same but the method varies little 



Ingredients 2 cups grated carrot 1/2 cup milk 2 cups sugar 1 cup besan/ gram flour 1/2 cup melted ghee  1 tsp Cardamom powder Almond slices or chopped pista, for garnish - See more at: 



Method:

Sieve besan and roast it on low flame using ghee. Add around 2-3 tbsp ghee in intervals. Stir it well and continuously until it changes its color and a nice aroma wafts through the room. Switch off the flame, shift the flour to a plate and allow it to cool.

Wash, clean and grate the carrots. Grind grated carrots with milk and sugar to a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a nonstick frying pan and cook on medium heat. Simmer the flame, add roasted besan in parts and keep stirring nicely. Add melted ghee in regular intervals. Once the mixture starts boiling, it will splatter around so be careful of this step. Continue cooking until it forms a thick mass while stirring frequently and scraping down the sides. As the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan, add cardamom powder and switch off the flame. It will be a soft dough. Transfer it to greased plate and score into desired shapes. Allow it to set for an hour or two.

Since the mixture is very hot to handle, this is what I do: Line the tray with parchment paper, transfer the mixture over it and cover it with another parchment paper. With a rolling pin, spread it evenly from all sides to desired thickness. Top it with nuts of choice and score into desired shapes. Set aside to cool. Once set, slide a knife under the burfis to separate them and store them in air tight containers.

Rava Uppumavu

Uppumavu or Upma can be made using Rava, Vermicelli etc. In Kerala, people have Rava Uppumavu with Banana and Sugar, Cheru Payru (Green Gram) Curry, Kadala (Bengal Gram) Curry and so on. When I was a kid, I used to run away at the sight of Uppumav. During college days, hunger would force me to have the sticky Hostel Upma 

After marriage, I began making Upma as my husband was fond of it. He would mix Upma with Banana and sugar and give it to me. Ever since, I have liked Uppumavu and I make it frequently for breakfast. Here is the recipe for making Kerala style Rava Uppumavu.

Ingredients

1. Green Chillies (Chopped) – 3 or 4
2. Ginger (minced finely) – A small piece (about 1 inch long)
3. Dry Red Chillies – 4
4. Onion (chopped into fine pieces) – 1 medium
5. Curry Leaves – A sprig
6. Rava/Wheat Semolina (Sooji) – 2 Cups
7. Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
8. Oil – 2 tbsp
9. Salt – As Required
10. Water – 2 cups + A few tablespoons
11. Coconut Flakes – 2 tbsp (Optional)

Preparation Method

1. Lightly fry the rava in a non stick pan until it turns light brown. Stir continuously while frying the rava so that it doesn’t get burnt.
2. Add 2 tbsp oil in another pan and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add onions, green chillies, red chillies and curry leaves and saute till the onions become tender.
4. Add ginger and saute for 2 more minutes.
5. Add 2 cups of water and a little salt and allow it to boil.
6. Add the fried rava into the boiling water stirring continuously, so that no lumps are formed.
7. Sprinkle coconut flakes and mix everything well. (optional)
8. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes approximately.
9. If the upumavu is dry, sprinkle a few more tablespoons water and close the pan and cook for 2 more minutes.
10. It is now ready to be served along with Banana or Chutney or any other side dish
    

Note

• The catch is to add equal amount of water and rava so that the Upumavu doesn’t become too watery or sticky. You can later add a few more table spoons of water if you find the upma dry.
• A nice upma will neither be sticky nor dry. The grains should be well cooked yet separate.

Pulihora Andhrapresh

Pulihora  Andhrapresh

Pulihora  Andhrapresh

Pulihora (Tamarind Rice, but more funnily called Tiger Food because Puli=tiger!) – This is the mother of flavoured rice and the right taste can be enjoyed only in Andhra Pradesh. Every festival/function at home, every special occasion means only one thing – we have Pulihora that day! There are some variations to this – simpler versions made with lemon/mango. The main idea is tangy taste, so when the pulusu (thick paste made with tamarind as main ingredient) is not readily available, easy to squeeze a couple of lemons or add grated mangoes when in season. The pulusu used for this is actually difficult to cook perfectly because you never know how the tamarind reacts. Usually prefer old tamarind which has a stronger tang. If asked one piece of advice on its preparation, we’d say “Don’t use a ladle or spoon to mix the temper with the rice. Spread the rice in a large basin or plate and use your hand” Remember Pulihora doesn’t contain even Onion-Garlic so the perfect prasadam in temples.

Khatta himachaipradesh

Khatta himachaipradesh

Khatta himachaipradesh

Khatta literally means sour and that is really what this dish is all about.

It’s a scrumptiously sour gravy which is made of amchur powder which is basically a spice made by pulverizing dried green mangos. The way I like making khatta is with fried besan ka boondis (fried chick pea flour balls) but this can be substituted with regular chickpeas too.

You can make your own the boondi or buy it. A good brand of Boondi is Haldirams and is available at any Indian grocery store.

Best Chicken Pasta Recipes

 Best Chicken Pasta Recipes

 Best Chicken Pasta Recipes

Creamy, saucy or simply tossed in olive oil, how do you like your pasta? We like it with a bit of meat. A bowl of pasta definitely makes for a satisfying meal on a busy weeknight. Throw in some chunks of chicken and get your protein fix. In their book, Ideas in Food, Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa suggest roasting your pasta before cooking to enhance the flavour. This gives it an unusual smoky and nutty flavour. Toast the pasta in an oven for about 10 minutes at 175 degrees for best results. You can cook it after or place it in the fridge with water to hydrate for a couple of hours. Roasted pasta may take longer to cook. Pair it with a simple sauce to enjoy the toasty flavour.

Common mistakes to avoid while cooking pasta
 
Using a small pot for cooking pasta: If the pot is not large enough, the water temperature tends to fall when you add the pasta. While it reaches the boiling point again, the pasta may get mushy and sticky siting in water for longer. Also, use enough water.
 
No salt means no flavour: The purpose of salting is that it forms a coating around the pasta and prevents it from getting slimy. Salt also helps in seasoning. Add it to water after you bring it to a boil.
 
Adding the pasta too soon: Yes, we understand you’re in a hurry to dig in but wait up till the water boils. Adding pasta to the water before it boils will make it gummy and overcooked.

You forget to stir: You could solve the problem of the pasta sticking to each other by stirring continuously. Most people add oil but this makes the pasta too slippery to be able to stick to the sauce.

Rinsing after cooking: By doing this, you are washing away the starch that helps pasta cling to the sauce and also the wonderful flavour.
 
Keep these tips handy and get cooking now. We bring you every chicken pasta recipe you’d ever crave for.

Craii Al Kashmiri Food Recipes

Kashmiri Food Recipes

Craii Al

Kashmiri Food Recipes

Craii Al

Al has a great religious importance for kashmiri pandits and is prepared weather it is a festival or a fast. On the day of Janam Ashtmi, we use to prepare it to eat with falahaar. We prepare it  in various ways like craii al, thappa al etc. Today I am going to prepare craii al, steps of which are as follows.

 Ingredients

1. 1 kg kaddu of good quality (pumpkin).
2. 1 table spoon salt or to taste.
3. 2 table spoons mirchi powder (red  chilly powder).
4. 2 table spoons saunf powder (fennel powder).
5. 1 tea spoon saunth powder (ginger powder).
6. 1/2 table spoon haldi powder (turmeric powder).
7. 1 tea spoon zeera (cumin seeds).
8. 1/4 tea spoon hing (asafoetida).
9. 1/2 tea spoon kaala zeera (black cumin).
10. 3-4 crushed moti elaichi (black cardamom).
11. 4-5 half crushed laung (cloves).
12. 5 ladles of mustard oil or as per need.

Method

1. Peel off the kaddu (pumpkin), cut it into 50 g pieces, wash them and keep them aside to drain off the water.
2. Make holes in each piece with the help of a knitting needle.
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry 5-6 pieces at a time, till they turn brown. (Fry all the pieces in the same way).
4. Drain off the excess oil from the pan and let the rest of the oil to cool for 2 minutes.
5. Keep the pan on low flame and put zeera, mirch powder, hing along with 50 ml of water with constant stirring till water evaporates and dark red colour appears.
6. Put kaddu pieces and the contents of pan in a patila in which they are to be cooked.
7. Add two small glasses of water, salt, saunf, saunth, haldi, laung, moti elaichi and put on full flame.
8. As soon as it starts boiling, turn the stove to low flame, cover it with a lid and cook till tender.
9. Put kala zeera in it and cook for another 1 minute and serve with hot boiled rice.

Note: If you will not  find the al a sweet one, add 1/2 spoon of sugar to make it more tasty.

pinni

250 gms. Wheatflour 250 gms. Ghee 250 gms. Sugar ground 3-4 tbsp. Milk 1 tsp. Cardamom powder

Method Melt ghee in a heavy pan. Add flour and cook on med/low flame. Stir continuously, till medium brown. When aroma exudes then take off fire. Spread in a large plate. Cool till a shade above room temperature. Sprinkle cardamom powder and sugar. Mix well. Sprinkle milk. Mix again and form tight shaped pinni's.