Green Almonds

Green almonds (Hara Badam) are a rare and raw delicacy in India. I was very happy to see these precious gems again here in Houston at an Indian grocery shop. For us, like I mentioned they are a rare and raw delicacy. Short season and high price makes them a treat. We usually cut the green almond to half lengthwise, sprinkle salt and eat. Skin, seed and all. The sweetness of green almond has a delicate quality to it. Like the valley’s mist in early morning, the sweetness is ethereal and enthralling. You know the vadu manga? Very tender, bud size unripe mango, which is baby sweet with adult sourness just palpable. Green almond’s flavor is almost like that. They are really a delight, and I enjoy them greatly.

Champaka

In late 80’s, I read an article in a Sunday magazine of The Hindu newspaper. I still remember vividly its title and some of the pictures published in it. The title was, “Stunning Beauty in the Wild” and it was about the beautiful flowers in the wild and had some really stunning pictures printed. I saved that copy and it took me nearly over a decade before I could clearly understand how these pictures were shot, what type of lens were needed and also to shoot some pictures myself.

That article caught my attention and I was so fascinated by the beauty of the nature’s creation in the form of flowers and the ability of photographic equipment to capture that beauty.

I found such stunning beauty in my own backyard and tried to capture it through the lens.

Equipment:
Nikon Micro 105mm/f 2.8
Nikon D70s

Rose

Rock Rose Pavonia

Gardenia

Nooru Varahaalu (Ixora)

Pooja Pushpam ~ Mandaram

Polls are over and we still have to wait for another three days before any results are announced in Bharath. Parents with first hand elections experience from home are here with us now. Getting together at the dining table with a plate of decent meal can always be a good place for a lively discussion about current happenings. That’s what had happened this afternoon at home. We had a typical Andhra bhojanam (Annam, avakaya, tomato pappu, beerakaya kura and on the side cherry tomatoes and carrots from the garden, along with coriander rasam and curd) and a lively chat. What was on your plate today?

Meal Today

From yesterday’s leftover green papaya, I made some curry for today’s meal. Peel, cube, do tadka, add onion and papaya. Flavor with traditional Bharath seasoning. We had this type green papaya before, but this is the first time for our parents. They liked it.

For those of you new to green papaya or hesitant to try this veggie-fruit: raw has cucumber like taste and cooked has Chayote (Cho Cho) like taste. Firm flesh, mild sweet flavor and minimal papaya smell. It’s easy to like green papaya even if you don’t like ripe papaya fruit. Give it a try.

Green Papaya Kura

Green Papaya – 1 small fruit. Half is enough for this recipe.
Red onion or shallot – 1
Green chilli – 2
Turmeric – 1/4 teaspoon
Coconut – 1 tablespoon, grated fresh
Salt – 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
Peanut oil – 1 teaspoon
from Masala dabba: tadka ingredients

Cut papaya to half and remove the seeds. Peel the skin. Chop the white flesh to small bite sized cubes (about 3 cups). Finely chop onion and green chilli to small pieces.

In a large skillet, heat a teaspoon of peanut oil over medium heat. From masala dabba, add a pinch each – cumin, mustard seeds and few curry leaves. Saute for few seconds to fragrance. Add onion, green chilli. Saute for couple of minutes till onion becomes translucent. Add green papaya. Cover the skillet and cook on medium-low heat, until papaya is just tender. Takes about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the turmeric, coconut and salt. Cook and stir for two minutes or more.

Serve warm with chapati or roti. Makes about 4 side dish servings.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

Green Papaya Kura with Jonna Roti ~ For Meal Today

Kura (Telugu) = Curry (English)

It was an odd day. We bought green papaya thinking it was red sweet papaya. When cut open, realized that it was really a “green” papaya and not a red papaya. Not going to waste such pretty fruit, I prepared all-raw papaya kosambari by adding mung bean sprouts, onion, tomato and green chilli. Green papaya has cucumber like taste and made a fine appetizer to our afternoon meal.

Green Papaya

Green Papaya Kosambari
(makes 4 servings)

Green Papaya – 1 small fruit. Half is enough for this recipe.
Red onion or shallot – 1
Green tomato – 1
Green chilli – 1
Mung sprouts – 1 cup
Salt to taste
Lime Juice to taste
Few coriander leaves

Cut green papaya and remove the seeds. Peel the skin. Cut the white flesh to bite sized cubes. About 2 cups.

Finely chop onion, tomato and green chilli.

Take them in a big cup. Add mung bean sprouts and coriander leaves. Sprinkle salt and lime juice. Combine. Serve.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

Papaya Kosambari ~ for Meal Today

Kosambari: Indian equivalent to western salad. Usually prepared with raw ingredients.

May be it was the long gap of time we had or may be it was the long and tedious journey they did, but they looked much tired than we had expected. Our visual for my parents-in-law is almost four years old now. When we last saw them, they were very energetic and much stronger. I think it was the long tiring journey they had from India. After about ten days, they are now refreshed and active again. More than anything we are happy to see them after a long time and to be with them here. They are also enjoying the new home, place, and people around.

They have also given us hope that it is possible to age gracefully by living happy and eating healthy. That makes us feel better. Well, everything is related to food by some degree. One of the recipe techniques I have learned from them at Nandyala during my one year apprenticeship some ten years ago is pairing green leafy vegetables with some kind of legumes/beans. You can find countless recipes of this type at my old website. Here is one more. This time it is seasonal fresh amaranth leaves and fresh chickpeas. The recipe is simple, tastes great and makes a filling side dish for chapati or rice and dal combination.

Fresh Amaranth Leaf with Green Chickpeas

Amaranth with Chickpeas

1 bunch fresh amaranth
1 cup fresh chickpeas, shelled or frozen
1 red onion and 2 green chillies
1 tablespoon grated coconut, fresh
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
From Masala dabba: tadka ingredients

Wash amaranth and finely chop leaves and tender stems. Chop onion and green chillies to small pieces.

In a large skillet heat a tablespoon of peanut oil over medium heat. From masala dabba, add a pinch each – cumin, mustard seeds and couple of curry leaves. Saute few seconds to fragrance. Add onion, green chilli. Saute for couple of minutes till onion becomes translucent. Add amaranth and fresh chickpeas. Cover the skillet and cook the leaves until they collapse and chickpeas are just tender, for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the coconut, salt and turmeric. Cook and stir for two minutes or more.

Serve warm with chapati or rice and dal. Makes about 4 to 6 side dish servings.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

Amaranth and Chickpeas Kura with Chapati ~ Meal Today

Bluebonnets of Houston

The beauty of spring appears in the form of native wild flowers like bluebonnets here in Texas. If some happy and energetic faces appear on bluebonnets spread surfaces, the intensity of the beauty increases. One such occasion occurred recently when our friend Yasin invited us to enjoy the bluebonnets near their home and also asked me to take few pictures of them with the flowers showing in the background.

It was a crisp, warm and sunny late morning. We all enjoyed watching that small field of bluebonnets and taking pictures. They said they were happy I got to take their pictures. But, I think I was happier because I enjoyed bluebonnets and captured some beautiful moments and happy personalities. Thank you Yasin, Sadiqa and Abed!

Our Friends Sadiqa, Yasin and Abed ~ In Bluebonnet Field

Cilantro Soopa ~ for Jihva:Cilantro

Coriander flavor in full force, this cilantro soopa is a scintillating spicy preparation that would soothe the hunger pangs and mitigates the migraine pains. Natural ingredients pure flavor in full display, this original recipe from me is a dieters delight and tasty alternative to cream/butter/flour filled western soup preparations.

Cilantro Soopa
(makes about 2 servings)

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp – soaked in a cup of water and juice extracted
1 tablespoon – crushed jaggery
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon oil and tadka ingredients

Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin and black peppercorn in a small cast iron skillet. Powder to fine in a spice grinder, without adding any water.

In a vessel, add a teaspoon of oil. Heat. Add a sprig of curry leaves, pinch of mustard seeds and asafetida. Sauté few seconds until leaves start to brown.

Add tamarind juice, crushed jaggery and coriander powder. Also salt and about two cups of water. Bring to boil. Add cilantro leaves. Simmer for few minutes until leaves wilt. Switch off the heat. Serve warm. Excellent to sip or drink without rice.

******
Soopa=Sanskrit for rasam/chaaru like preparations.
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari

We had a busy weekend. More than usual, because we are expecting my in-laws this Thursday. I am excited about their visit and the possibility of learning more from them. They are my gurus and great persons in general. Counting the hours…

If my posts read out of touch with current fads of food blogosphere, contact elusive (what’s new, right? :)) in the coming months, you know the reason.

Naturally, the home is going major upside-down cleaning ritual. So l needed an easy meal for lunch. An omelette filled with cilantro and some steam-cooked vegetables. Cilantro omelette, is what made me fell in love with cilantro. Even though it’s quite ubiquitous growing up, I used to have no opinion about cilantro, but one hungry day during college days similar to the one I had today, I made this. Boom… it’s been a technicolor Jai Ho for cilantro from then on. If this is your first time with cilantro, or looking for something new with cilantro, try this egg based recipe. You would love cilantro and always fondly remember the flavor it brings to the eggs.

Cilantro on Egg

Cilantro Omelette
(for two adults, for a light meal)

5 eggs of good quality
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup, finely chopped red onion or shallots
1 green chilli – finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Break eggs into a big cup. I always remove yellows because of their overtly chemical taste and smell. Keep them if you are immune/ accustomed. Add salt and lightly beat. Add cilantro, onion and green chilli. Mix well.

In a cast-iron skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil or ghee over medium-high heat. Add eggs mixture and gently swirl to spread eggs to the edge of skillet. When omelette is lightly brown at the edges, turn opposite side. Cook for couple of minutes to pale red. Serve hot.

For light meal, steam cook vegetables. Cut avocado to slices. Place them on a plate with omelette. Add tomato chutney or salsa for little bit of zing. There you go, a light meal that won’t take long to prepare and helps to keep the energy up.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari

Cilantro Omelette with Avocado, Steamed Vegetables and Tomato Chutney ~ Meal Today

This is my entry to lovely food blogger Cilantro’s Cilantro Jihva Event.

Strawberry-Pecan Mini Cake

I am fond of eating fruits straight, and I prefer no-cook fruit preparations like Soopa. I do not want to subject them to cooking. However, this easy dessert which takes only about ten minutes to prepare for baking is so delicious and liked by everyone who tasted, that I am more than willing to donate a pint of berries to it. Light and just sugary enough to satisfy that craving tooth, these strawberry mini cakes are good any time of the day. With this sweet sayonara to week long strawberry saga, I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Strawberry Mini Cakes
(makes 12 mini cakes)

3 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 cups turbinado sugar (or sugar of any kind)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup juice from oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cut strawberries
2 cups finely chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, sift and stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a small bowl, break and add 2 eggs. (I removed the yellows, my preference. Keep yellows if you like) Also add milk, oil, orange juice and vanilla. Beat the mixture lightly and add this mixture to flour mixture. Before the flour and liquid ingredients are fully combined, fold in the strawberries and pecans, stirring gently.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Apply ghee/butter or oil to mini cake pans. Fill about two thirds full with the batter.

Bake the cakes for about 45 minutes or until tops are golden and when a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Serve the mini cakes at room temperature.
******
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari

Fresh Out of Oven, Strawberry Mini Cakes ~ for the Weekend

An adorable little girl, friends’ daughter, comes to our home during weekdays after school. She stays until her parents pick her up in the evening. This little girl is a foodie in making and loves to try out new things. She seems to enjoy strawberry milk shake I prepare with soy milk. This is how I make it for her.

Strawberries, Bananas and Orange

Strawberry Shake with Soy Milk
(to fill two big or 4 small glasses)

Strawberries – 1 cup
Banana – 1 ripe, medium sized
Sweet orange like mandarin – 1 ripe
Soy milk – 1 glass
Honey – 1 tablespoon, or to taste
Crushed ice – quarter cup

1. Wash, trim, and slice the berries. Peel and slice the banana. Squeeze orange juice.

2. Put strawberries, banana slices and honey in a blender. Puree until smooth and combined. Add orange juice, soy milk and crushed ice. Run the blender again for few seconds until well mixed.

3. Pour the strawberry shake into glasses. Serve.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari

Strawberry Milk Shake with Soy Milk

Avocado and Sweet Strawberry

To add a touch of spring sweetness to classic salsa, start with fresh avocado. Mix ripe strawberries, a hint of tropics with limejuice and a zing of black pepper. That’s it. A sweet salsa that is quite different from the traditional chopped onion-tomato mixture. This fruity version is great on chapati or on toasted bread.

Strawberry Salsa
(makes about two cups)

1 Avocado – seed removed and pulp mashed to smooth
1 cup strawberries – finely chopped
1 Small lime/lemon – cut to half
1/2 teaspoon – Black pepper, cracked
1/4 teaspoon – Sea salt

In a big cup, take avocado and strawberries. Sprinkle black pepper and salt. Squeeze limejuice. Combine.
Enjoy this sweet salsa with chapati/crusty bread/chips.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari

Strawberry Salsa ~ for Lunch today

Technorati Profile