Vageesh Express
August 2006 Edition
Recipe of the Month
Recipe Of The Month
Let us be together,
Let us eat together,
Let us be vital together,
Let us be radiating truth, radiating the light of life,
Never shall we denounce anyone, never entertain negativity.
-The Upanishad
Indian cuisine
is As Diverse as Its Civilization
The
finest of India's cuisines is as rich and diverse as its civilization. It is an
art form that has been passed on through generations purely by word of mouth,
from guru (teacher) to vidhyarthi (pupil) or from mother to
daughter. The range assumes astonishing proportions when one takes into account
regional variations. Very often the taste, color, texture and appearance of the
same delicacy changes from state to state.
The
hospitality of the Indians is legendary. In Sanskrit Literature the three
famous words 'Atithi Devo Bhava' or
'the guest is truly your god' are a dictum of hospitality in India. Indians
believe that they are honored if they share their mealtimes with guests. Even
the poorest look forward to guests and are willing to share their meager food
with guest. And of particular importance is the Indian woman's pride that she
will not let a guest go away unfed or unhappy from her home. Indians are known
for their incredible ability to serve food to their guests - invited or
uninvited. Food customarily forms the crowning part of most festivities and
celebrations. Whatever the occasion Indians eat with great gusto and are adept
at finding reasons to feast and make merry. At traditional and festive meals,
the thali (plate) or banana leaf is
decorated with rangoli (a design
drawn with white and colored powders around the edges).
One
can eat a different Indian dish everyday, but still not repeat it for an entire
year! The food of India offers a staggering range of dishes to the gourmet with
an adventurous palate. Essentially spicy, the cuisine is, however, not always
hot. It is the different combination of a handful of spices that produce the
most delectable dishes in the world. In India, preparation of food is an art,
perfected over time and passed through generation by just word of mouth.
One
of the nicest things about the arrival of summer is the sudden availability of
all sorts of tasty garden-grown vegetables after the cold months. The fresh
asparagus, zucchini and their flowers, bell peppers in their many colors,
tomatoes, melons and much more are not only colorful and add crunch to taste,
the vegetables add nutrients and fiber. The
great part is to use whatever vegetables you prefer that are in season. One
such charming, capsicum recipe is from India. Here the bell peppers are stuffed
with spiced mashed potatoes and cooked to brown and then placed in
peanut-sesame sauce. Enjoy this light and easy prepare Stuffed Bell Pepper
in Peanut Sesame Sauce together with Carrot Pearl
Payasam.
Stuffed Bell Peppers in Peanut sauce
Ingredients:
For
Stuffing
6 Small sized fresh Bell Peppers firm and strong
(Pick Red /Orange or Green for color)
3 6 Small baby potatoes
1 Cup Frozen fresh peas
1 Medium Onion, chopped into small pieces
1 Tsp each Red Chili powder, Turmeric powder
1 Tsp each - Cumin powder; Clove powder; Coriander
powder; Cinnamon powder
1 tsp of each - cumin,
mustard seeds and few curry leaves for tadka
2-3 Tbsp peanut oil for Saut้ing
Salt per taste
For
Peanut Sesame sauce
ผ Cup each Toasted peanuts and sesame
2 Cloves
2 pieces - 1 inch Cinnamon stick
ฝ Tsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Tamarind paste and powdered
Jaggery
Salt per taste
For
Garnish
Few springs of cilantro finely chopped
Method:
For Peanut Sesame Sauce
Toast quarter cup peanuts and sesame seeds until golden in color.
Place in a grinder/blender; add cloves and pieces of cinnamon, chili powder and salt and a tablespoon of tamarind juice and powdered jaggery.
Grind to a smooth paste.
Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil in a large pan. Add the peanut-sesame sauce and about a half cup to one cup of water.
Mix well. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Adjust salt, sweet and sour levels to your taste.
For
Stuffing
Cut the tops off Bell Peppers. Remove the seeds and membranes inside and hollow the insides. (see picture).
Pressure-cook or boil potatoes in water, until tender. Remove the skins, mash to smooth paste.
In a pan, heat a teaspoon of oil, toast mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves.
Saut้ finely chopped pieces of one onion, 4 green chilies and a fistful of fresh peas.
Add the mashed potato. Stir in salt, turmeric and one teaspoon of clove-cinnamon-cumin-coriander seed powder (garam masala).
Mix well. Cook covered on medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes - This is the potato stuffing for bell peppers.
Fill the bell peppers with potato curry to the top.
In a big iron skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon of peanut oil.
Place the stuffed bell peppers neatly in a circle and cook them covered on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn them to sides in-between so that they get brown evenly on all sides.
(One could also cook these stuffed bell peppers in oven - baking and broiling at 375 F until they are soft and tender to touch.)
Add the stuffed bell peppers to the peanut-sesame sauce. Cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat, covered.
Finally add chopped cilantro while serving. Server with hot Phulkas/Roti or with Basmati rice
Tropical Sundae
Ingredients:
2
Scoops- Any falvored ice cream
1 Cup
- Toasted sweetened coconut
ผ Cup
- Chopped macadamia nuts
1 Cup
- Whipped cream
1
Tbsp - Caramel sauce
Method:
Place 2 scoops of ice cream in a dessert bowl.
Top with some toasted coconut, nuts, whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce and some extra coconut
Kitchen Tip - Don't store potatoes and onions together. Potatoes
will rot quickly if stored with onions. To chop dry fruits,
place them in the refrigerator for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits
out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).
Submit feedback to newsletter@mahaganapati.org with subject line as <Recipe> Disclaimer: Views of readers/column writers are that
of their own and not of the Temple
