My Recent Culinary Creations
Chayote Squash Chutney
1. Fry dry-red peppers along with one or more of Chana dal, Urad Dal or Toor Dals until the Dal turns color and put it aside. Dry frying gives nuttier taste. If you do not like nuttier taste skip this step, but add them in step 2, and wait till the dals turns the color and then add the vegetable.
2. Cut chayote squash in to small pieces. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and when it is hot put the cut squash and fry covered until the squash is soft. Also add some peppers or some combination of peppers. I always add one or two Habaneros or Carribean Reds and one or two other peppers (Cayenne, Thai, Serrano etc). You dont need to add any water as the squash has a lot of water. For this particular preparation, I also added some carrots.
3.Put some cilantro (1/4 bunch) in a blender. Add the cooked squash and the pre-fried mixture from step-1. Add a spoon of tamarind paste (or tamarind). If you dont have tamarind, put a tomato or yogurt (Yogurt is OK only for certain vegetables). Blend them coarsely without adding any water. Add hot water only if necessary. If you want your chutney to be smooth then blend it smooth.
4. Heat some oil in a skillet, add cumin and mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add four dry-red peppers and some curry leaves, asafotedia (optional) and a few fennel seeds (optional) and after five seconds, take it out and mix it with the chutney. Add salt as needed.
Variations:. The recipe given above is very generic and can be used with any other vegetable, combination of vegetables, nuts, fruits and combo of fruits and nuts and even greens. Vary the peppers for different taste
Almost any squash and gourd can be used. Even try with greens (eg leeks, green onions, spinach, asparagus, celery, broccoli, etc. If you do greens, I suggest adding a spoon of corriander seeds in step 1). Onions can also be added in step 2. Try with root vegetables like carrots or with rhizomes (lotus roots). Try with red pepper with carrots.
Try with egg plant! Try with bell peppers! Try with cauliflower! Try with combo of vegetables. My favorite is combo of baby carrots, red bell peppers and onions!
Try with any of the nuts or a combo of nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans etc .. For nuts, do step 1 (optional) dry fry the nuts and while blending add some water and green peppers (Cayenne or Thai)
Try with fruits (eg peaches, pears, apples, pomegranate) or fruits and nuts (walnuts or pecans). Skip frying part of step 2 for fruits and dry roast the nuts. While blending add some water and green peppers.
Mint: Add mint leaves if you like minty taste. Do this only for squashes/gourds. Mints are very strong and it obscures the taste of the vegetables.
Oil: I usually use grape seed oil or safflower oil. But any oil should be OK. But be aware of the distinct flavor each oil.
Peppers:
Eggplant Curry
Egg Curry
1. Fry dry-red peppers along with one or more of Chana dal, Urad Dal or Toor Dals until the Dal turns color and put it aside. Dry frying gives nuttier taste. If you do not like nuttier taste skip this step, but add them in step 2, and wait till the dals turns the color and then add the vegetable.
2. Cut chayote squash in to small pieces. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and when it is hot put the cut squash and fry covered until the squash is soft. Also add some peppers or some combination of peppers. I always add one or two Habaneros or Carribean Reds and one or two other peppers (Cayenne, Thai, Serrano etc). You dont need to add any water as the squash has a lot of water. For this particular preparation, I also added some carrots.
3.Put some cilantro (1/4 bunch) in a blender. Add the cooked squash and the pre-fried mixture from step-1. Add a spoon of tamarind paste (or tamarind). If you dont have tamarind, put a tomato or yogurt (Yogurt is OK only for certain vegetables). Blend them coarsely without adding any water. Add hot water only if necessary. If you want your chutney to be smooth then blend it smooth.
4. Heat some oil in a skillet, add cumin and mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add four dry-red peppers and some curry leaves, asafotedia (optional) and a few fennel seeds (optional) and after five seconds, take it out and mix it with the chutney. Add salt as needed.
Variations:. The recipe given above is very generic and can be used with any other vegetable, combination of vegetables, nuts, fruits and combo of fruits and nuts and even greens. Vary the peppers for different taste
Almost any squash and gourd can be used. Even try with greens (eg leeks, green onions, spinach, asparagus, celery, broccoli, etc. If you do greens, I suggest adding a spoon of corriander seeds in step 1). Onions can also be added in step 2. Try with root vegetables like carrots or with rhizomes (lotus roots). Try with red pepper with carrots.
Try with egg plant! Try with bell peppers! Try with cauliflower! Try with combo of vegetables. My favorite is combo of baby carrots, red bell peppers and onions!
Try with any of the nuts or a combo of nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans etc .. For nuts, do step 1 (optional) dry fry the nuts and while blending add some water and green peppers (Cayenne or Thai)
Try with fruits (eg peaches, pears, apples, pomegranate) or fruits and nuts (walnuts or pecans). Skip frying part of step 2 for fruits and dry roast the nuts. While blending add some water and green peppers.
Mint: Add mint leaves if you like minty taste. Do this only for squashes/gourds. Mints are very strong and it obscures the taste of the vegetables.
Oil: I usually use grape seed oil or safflower oil. But any oil should be OK. But be aware of the distinct flavor each oil.
Peppers:
Eggplant Curry
Egg Curry
posted by satish at 8:25 PM
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