THAI RED CURRY (feeds 4-5 approx.)

Thai red curry with thai rice 

Ingredients :-


1 medium stalk of broccolli, cut into florets
1 medium sized zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes  
5-6 white mushrooms, cut into one-sixths
1 medium sized green bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 medium sized Japanese eggplant, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
10 oz. packet of boiled mixed vegetables (bracken, bamboo shoots, enoki mushroom,    nameko mushroom, wood ear) (you can buy them separate if you want)
3-4 sprigs of Thai basil (for garnish)
1 cup bean sprouts
1 package firm tofu, sliced into 1-inch cubes (For frying, firm tofu works well)
4 oz. can  of red curry paste (you can buy it from any asian supermarket)
1 can (400 ml)  coconut milk 
3-4 tbsp oil
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt (to taste)

Procedure :-

1. Pat dry the tofu on a paper towel. This step is necessary because tofu is always preserved in liquid and when you put that tofu in hot oil, oil drops will coming flying off on your face. 

Thai red curry

2. Stir fry tofu in batches on medium heat turning on all sides until it is brownish everywhere. If you need more oil, add 1 more tbsp. oil for the new batch of tofu.


3. Now take it out on a paper towel to remove excess oil if any. Now to the hot oil, add eggplants, stir them for 2-3 mins, then add zucchini and stir for 2  mins,  now add brocolli and mushrooms and stir for 2-3 mins. At last add the sprouts.


4. Remove the liquid from the packet of boiled vegetables using a sieve. Once the above veggies are half cooked, add the packet of boiled vegetables. 


5. Now add the  red curry paste to the coconut milk and mix it nicely to form a smooth paste. Add it to the above veggies, add salt according to taste (there is salt present in the red curry paste, read ingredients) and let it simmer for 2-3 mins. Red curry paste is already hot but you can add red pepper flakes for more heat. Now add the fried tofu and mix everything properly. Tear off some basil with your hands and garnish the curry.


Variations :-  You can add summer squash and french beans. Also you can substitute shitake mushrooms for white mushrooms.


This curry tastes good with THAI RICE. You can get thai rice in any grocery store. Cooking instructions are given on it or else you can follow these.


1 cup rice washed with cold water
2 cups water


In a microwaveable bowl, add water to the rice and let it cook for 15-20 mins. Fluff them with a fork after 10 mins.  

FRESH MAVA / KHOYA GULAB JAMUN

Fresh Mava / Khoya Gulab jamuns

Today let's talk about my favorite topic - desserts !! I adore sweets, I would say desserts make my meals "complete" :) The recipe I am making today is from the Indian cuisine - these are deep fried mava (khoya) balls immersed in sweet rose syrup. You can get ready to make packets in Indian grocery stores or buy them pre-made in cans. But when I was a kid, my mom used to make it from scratch and I bet nothing can beat that taste !!  When I tasted one of this gulab jamun, it took me back instantly to my childhood days - to that old house and that fragrant kitchen ! In India, fresh mava is readily available and that's how they come out perfect. After a lot of searching, I found frozen mava here. I know that cannot be compared to the fresh taste but it is a thousand times better than the ready to make packets or the ready cans of gulab jamun. And if you happen to find fresh mava then I recommend to use that.

For those who are new to this cuisine, let me tell you that mava / khoya is the base of numerous recipes in India. Mava / Khoya is basically whole milk boiled down till the solids remain. It is somewhat like ricotta cheese but low in moisture. You can find frozen mava / khoya in the freezer section of an Indian grocery store. So, let's get started ! This recipe makes 10-15 gulab jamuns depending on the size of the mava / khoya balls.

Ingredients :-

1 cup frozen mava / khoya
1 pinch baking soda
3-4 tsp all purpose flour / maida
3 tbsp milk +  more if required
oil / ghee for frying

For sugar syrup :

1 cup sugar
3/4 - 1 cup water (so sugar gets immersed)
1 tsp freshly ground cardamom powder
5-6 strings of saffron (optional)
6-7 fresh rose petals / 1/4 tsp rose essence

Process :-

1.  Thaw mava for 3-4 hrs. or as per package instructions.

2.  Grate it with a fine grater / grinder / chopper so as to make a fine powder.

3.  Add soda, 3 tsp all purpose flour & milk. Knead constantly to make a soft, pliable dough - add milk if required. The final form should have no lumps at all. If you are using fresh mava, omit the milk as it already has the required moisture.

4.  Heat oil / ghee in a deep pan on a low medium heat. Use oil which has no scent like light vegetable oil / olive oil.  

5.  Now here comes the tricky part. First of all form balls about the size little bigger than marbles. Make sure they have no cracks or lumps. 

Mava balls with no lumps / cracks

Put one ball in the fryer, if it starts to fall apart, quickly take it out and add little more flour to it, repeat the process. Note that fresh mava and frozen mava act in different ways.

6.  Fry gulab jamuns on low medium heat for about 2-3 mins. till they turn golden brown in color and are cooked through. If you fry them on high heat, their color will change quickly but they will be hard from the center, we want soft gulab jamuns.

Golden brown gulab jamuns

7.  Alongside make sugar syrup in a wide deep pan by adding just as much water so that sugar is immersed. Heat the mixture till sugar melts for about 3-4 mins, don't let it boil. (If the syrup boils, it will thicken and it won't penetrate the gulab jamuns) Thin syrup will be soaked nicely by the jamuns and they will swell in size. Turn off the stove top and set the pan aside.

8.  Add fried gulab jamuns to the hot syrup. After an hour garnish them with cardamom powder, saffron and rose essence / rose petals. Mix gently and let them sit for 4-5 hrs. till they absorb the syrup and turn fluffy and soft like sweet cotton balls.  When you add saffron, the color of the syrup changes to a beautiful golden orange.

9.  Gulab jamuns can be served warm or cold along with the sweet rose syrup. Enjoy this mouth watering sweet dish and make your life sweeter !!!

Soft and spongy gulab jamuns

KRACKJACK SHANKARPALE

Krackjack Shankarpale

Hi All !! Today is Dhanatrayodashi (Marathi) or Dhanteras (Gujarati) - is the first day of the 5-day Diwali festival. So today Diwali has officially begun ! Today I am posting one of the most traditional recipes made in almost every household during Diwali, Shankarpale (Marathi) or Sakkarpara (Gujarati) - I am not sure what this is called in other languages :) They are diamond shaped, deep fried crackers. They are made from whole wheat / all purpose flour and a combination of spices.  But the special thing about these is I am making them with a twist ! All those who are from India know the famous "Krackjack" biscuits, every once in a while kids had them in their lunch boxes :)  I remember an ad about these biscuits from my childhood which said "Thode meethe, thode namkeen - krackjack !!" means "Little sweet, little salty - Krackjack !!".

Again this is one of my Aai's inventions ! Normally shankarpale are either salty or sweet but my Aai decided to try these as a combo like the sweet and salty biscuits. And voila ! they came out delicious. As I have told you earlier my Aai is a great cook !  I decided to remember and re-create them this Diwali, they came out superb so decided to share with you.  So enjoy this easy to make sweet 'n' salty shankarpale.

Ingredients :-

1 - 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour/maida
1/4 cup sugar
Salt to taste
1 tsp cumin seeds
15 whole black peppercorns
5-6 whole cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp oil + more for frying
water

Process :-

1.  Make a fine dry powder of cumin seeds, peppercorns and cloves. You can leave the cumin seeds whole if you like and powder the rest.

2.  Take sugar in a small pan and add as much water so the sugar gets immersed. Now turn on the heat and let it boil for 2-3 mins. till the sugar is melted. Let it cool.

Soft pliable dough

3.  Add oil, salt, cinnamon pwd. and the dry mix of spices which we prepared to the sugar syrup, remove all  lumps.  Now add the flour little by little to make a soft, pliable dough. Cover and let it rest for 15 mins.

4.  Heat oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Divide the dough into 5-6 balls, roll them thin and cut into diamonds.

Diamonds ready to be fried

5.  Drop them gently into hot oil and fry them for  2-3 mins. till they turn golden and are cooked through. 

Golden brown shankarpale

6. Serve them once cooled completely (if you eat them hot, they won't have the crunch). Store them in an airtight container, they stay fresh outside for 10-15 days in moderate temp. Eat, drink and enjoy !!!

Sweet and Salty shankarpale