Category Archives: SoulFood Recipes

A perfect homemaker, a lovely hostess & a beautiful woman, there was much to learn from Mrs. Neeta Lodha. It was a pleasure to interview her along with Mr. Lodha for the SoulFood column. She also shared with us some of her favourite recipes while we enjoyed a wholesome meal at her Haveli in Ajmer, Rajasthan.

A traditional favourite in the state of Rajasthan, “Aloo Pyaaz with Tikkad” is a combination of Potatoes and Onions with tava roasted Rotis. One of Neetaji’s favourites, this recipe can enhance the menu of any party. We first published it in the Harmony magazine & are re-posting it here below.

For the Aloo-Pyaaz Subzi
Potatoes – ½ kg
Onions – ½ kg
Garlic – 7-8 cloves
Green chillies – 2
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Tomatoes – ½ kg
Cumin seeds – 1 heaped tsp
Bay leaves – 2
Asafoetida powder – ¼ tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Garam Masala – ¼ tsp
Yogurt – 250 ml, beaten
Fresh cream – ½ cup
Coriander leaves – for garnishing
Ghee – 3 tbsps, and for deep frying
Salt – to taste

1. Peel and wash the potatoes and ¼ kg onions, slice them into lengthwise bits and set aside.
2. Grind the tomatoes into a fine puree and set aside.
3. Grind the remaining onions and garlic into a fine paste & set aside.
4. Grind the green chillies and ginger into a fine paste & set aside.
5. Heat ghee for deep frying in a pan, add the potatoes & onions, a few at a time, and deep fry until golden. Remove on an absorbent paper and set aside.
6. Heat 3 tbsps ghee in a pan and add the cumin, asafoetida and bay leaves.
7. Add the onion-garlic paste and sauté until the aroma rises and the raw smell disappears.
8. Now add the chillies-ginger paste and the remaining spices and sauté for a few minutes.
9. Add the tomato puree & cook until well cooked. Add the yogurt & cream and sauté until the ghee
separates.
10. Add the fried potatoes and onions and cook for a few minutes.
11. Take off flame & garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Parathas known as Tikkads in Rajasthan

For the Tikkad
Wheat flour (coarsely ground) – 4 cups
In most shops of Rajasthan, you can ask for ‘baati ka aata’ and you will get coarsely ground wheat flour. Otherwise, use regular wheat flour. If it is finely ground, then use 3 cups wheat flour and add ½ cup sooji
& ½ cup besan (bengal gram flour).
Fennel seed powder (saunf) – 1 tbsp
Coriander seed powder – 1 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsps, and for shallow frying
Milk – 1 cup, for kneading the dough
Salt – to taste

1. Mix all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough. Add more milk if necessary.
2. Roll into 6 inches thick rotis & shallow fry on both sides until well done.
3. Serve with the Aloo-Pyaaz subzi.

More on this blog:
>> Neeta & Sumthimal Lodha ~ Read an interview of this charming couple.
>> SoulFood & SouMates ~ Click to view some more SoulFood recipes on our Blog.

We are happy to feature Jaya & Narain Mahbubani from Chennai, as the sixth couple in our Soulfood for Soulmate column in Harmony – Celebrate Age magazine. At the end of the interview, Mrs.Madhubani graciously shared a traditional Sindhi recipe with us – Saibhaji. When we asked Jayaji, “If you wanted to make something special for Narainji, what would that be?” she said, “Saibhaji with boondi raita & brown caramelized onion rice!” She further added, “Saibhaji is a very flexible dish and ever so healthy! It has many different vegetables tossed into it. I think it must have been innovated by women as an ‘end of week’ dish…when a little of everything would be left in the house.”

SAIBHAJI – A recipe from Jaya Mahbubani

A popular Sindhi dish that is easy to prepare & flexible since many of the ingredients are optional and can be easily substituted.

Spinach leaves ( palak) – 2 bunches, chopped
Bengal gram (chana dal) – 4 tablespoons, soaked
Brinjal (baingan / eggplant) – 1 medium sized, cubed
Potato – 1 large, cubed
French beans – 5-10, chopped
Carrot – 1, diced
Onion – 1 medium, chopped fine
Ginger – 1 inch piece, chopped fine
Green chillies – 3-4, chopped fine
Garlic cloves – 4, chopped fine
Tomatoes – 2 large sized, roughly chopped
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
Dry mango powder (amchur) – ½ teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tablespoon

If available
Sorrel leaves (khatta bhaji ) – ½ bunch
Dill (sua) – 1 cup
Fenugreek leaves (methi) – 1 handful

1. Heat the oil & add the onions, ginger & green chillies. Lower the flame & gently sauté until the onions turn translucent.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute.
3. Add the Bengal gram and chopped vegetables (brinjal, potatoes, beans, carrots) and pressure cook until the gram has cooked (2-3 whistles).
4. Add the remaining ingredients (chopped greens & masalas) except the garlic & pressure cook up to 1 whistle. (Some people add the greens along with the other vegetables but it is preferable to add them at the final stage since they don’t require as much cooking as the bengal gram.) 
5. Blend well using a hand blender (mandira).
6. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in another pan & add the garlic. Lower the flame and sauté for a while.
7. Toss into the vegetable.
8. Switch off the flame & serve hot.

A delicious accompaniment to Rotis & Pulaos. The Mahbubanis enjoy it with Onion Pulao or Yellow rice. Serve with yogurt (boondi dahi or any other yoghurt preparation) if you like.

Special tip: This dish is a good way to use up small quantities of fresh vegetables (except ladies fingers). Most combinations work well but at least one of the following is required for the perfect consistency: brinjals, yam or bottle gourd.

More on this blog:
>> Jaya & Narain Mahbubani ~ Read an interview of this charming couple.
>> SoulFood & SoulMates ~ Click to view some more SoulFood recipes on our Blog.

Vegetables in slow-cooked Sour Buttermilk Sauce is an apt description given by Ammini for her ‘Kurukku Kaalan’ recipe which she shared with us during our interview with her for the SoulFood column. Below is the recipe as presented in Grains, Greens & Grated Coconuts, her fabulous cookbook of traditional Kerela recipes. The recipe below has been featured at Harmony website and is being re-posted here.

In the tropical heat of South India, milk and milk products are highly perishable. Before the days of refrigeration, the only way to use leftover milk was to ferment it daily to make yoghurt. Yoghurt was churned in the morning to separate the butter from the buttermilk. Even buttermilk turns sour quickly in tropical heat.

To preserve sour buttermilk from further fermentation, it was cooked over slow heat. In the old days, kurukku kaalan was prepared with reduced sour buttermilk and stored in ceramic jars for several days. Ground coconut and seasoning spices were added only just before serving.

1 green plantain, peeled and cut into cubes
1 ½ cup telinga potatoes (suran), peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons crushed black pepper
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons ghee
10 cups sour buttermilk
10 curry leaves
2 cups freshly grated coconut
6 to 8 fresh green chillies (Serrano or Thai) (less for a milder taste)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

For seasoning and garnish:
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, toasted in a quarter-teaspoon of ghee and powdered
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

1. Place the plantain and telinga potato cubes in a pot and pour in just enough water to cover them. Sprinkle on black pepper, salt and turmeric and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are under fork tender. Most of the water will have evaporated by the time the vegetables are cooked. Add the ghee, and keep stirring until all of the water has evaporated. Pour the sour buttermilk on top, sprinkle half of the curry leaves, and cook over low heat for several minutes, until the buttermilk has reduced to half of its original quantity.
2. While it is cooking, grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds into a very thick, smooth puree. Add the puree to the vegetables, and cook over medium to low heat until it just begins to boil. Remove it from the stove, and set it aside. Stir in the powdered fenugreek seeds.
3. Heat the oil in a small skillet, and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start sputtering, add the curry leaves, and remove it from the stove. Pour it over the cooked curry. Keep the dish covered until it is time to serve.
Serve with steamed rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings if served with another curry, as is traditional.
(P.S: There may be some minor editing changes before this article was printed in the Harmony Magazine.)
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Enjoy reading on this blog:
>> Ammini & Rama Ramachandran ~ An interview for SoulFood for SoulMates series.
>> SoulFood & SoulMates ~ Click to view the interviews in the SoulFood series.

We are happy to feature Merle (52) & Kumar Dodhia (52) – a warm-hearted couple from Chennai. as the fourth couple in our SoulFood for SoulMates column in the Harmony – Celebrate Age Magazine. At the end of the interview, Mrs Dodhia shared two of her family’s favourite recipes with us – Coconut Dal Rice and Devil Chutney. To read the complete interview, click HERE.

COCONUT DAL RICE
A Goan rice dish which is a family favourite, Mrs Kumar learnt this traditional delicacy from her mother.
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Bengal gram (chana dal) – ½ cup
Coconut Milk – extracted from 1 medium sized coconut
Milk – 1 cup
Cinnamon – 2 small sticks
Cloves – 2-3
Cardamom – 2
Sugar – ½ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsps
Ghee – 2 tbsps
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pressure pan or cooker, add the cinnamon, cloves & cardamom.
2. Add sugar & immediately add the washed bengal gram.
3. Add coconut milk, milk, and 4 cups water.
4. Add salt & bring to boil. Now toss in the rice, close the lid of pressure pan & steam over low flame for 15 minutes without the whistle.
5. Open lid, drizzle ghee over the aromatic rice, switch off flame & transfer to serving dish. Serve hot with devil chutney & any curry of your choice.

DEVIL CHUTNEY
When Mrs. Kumar saw our raised eyebrows & grins at the name of this chutney, she laughed and said that it is a popular preparation in most Anglo Indian homes.

Ingredients:
Onion – 1½ large
Tomato – 1 medium
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Garlic – 1 clove
Salt to taste
Sugar – 2 tsps
Lemon juice – 2 tsps
Grind together all the ingredients into a thick paste without adding any water.
Serve with Coconut Dal rice.