Kirlaile Bagade Ambat (Sprouted Red Beans Curry)

Kirlaile Bagade Ambat is a very popular Konkani dish. The peeled sprouted red beans is cooked in a mild coconut masala and then seasoned with caramelized onions. My mother used to make this once in a while and we used to enjoy it a lot. We never demanded to make this curry often as the peeling of the sprouts (which is the most difficult) was given to me and my brother. The peeling process takes hours which was never pleasant. But trust me the effort is worth at the end :-)

Ingredients:

• Dry Red Chori Beans (Bagado) - 3/4 cup
• Yellow Cucumber* - Half of a small one
• Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen - 1 cup
• Roasted Red chillies- 5-6
• Tamarind - A small ball
• Onion, medium sized- 1
• Oil- 1-2 tsp
• Salt- To taste

*I used a medium sized potato instead of yellow cucumber.

Procedure:

Wash the beans and soak them in enough water for 8- 10 hours. After soaking, they plump up. Now discard the water and rinse the soaked beans 1-2 times (drain the water completely). Then put them in a closed container or in a cloth and leave them in a warm, dark place for 7-8 hours. You can check out the detailed process of sprouting here. 

Now add the sprouts in a bowl containing water. 

Then start peeling it one by one without causing any damage to the sprout.

Then chop the onion and potato (or yellow cucumber).

Now take the pieces of potato ( or yellow cucumber) in a cooking pot along with peeled sprouts, half of the chopped onion. Then add water (just enough to cook it) and salt. Start heating it. Close it with a lid. 

While the veggies are getting cooked, prepare the masala.

To make Masala - Grind grated coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to get a fine paste. Add little water, which helps everything to come together.

After 20- 25 minutes, the cooked sprouts looks like this (don't over cook the sprouts).

Now add the coconut based masala.

Mix well. Adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding water (if required). I made it medium thick. Let the mixture come to a boil. 

Once it comes to a boil, continue heating for 2-3 more minutes and then turn off the heat and finally add the seasoning.

For seasoning - Heat oil and add the other half of the chopped onion. Fry it until it turns golden brown. 

Add this to the cooked mixture and mix well. Kirlaile Bagade Ambat is ready!!

Serve it hot as a side dish to rice. Above measurement serves 3-4 people.

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Stuffed Capsicum ~ Coconut Based

Stuffed Capsicum is a recent try in my kitchen. I noted this recipe (long time back) from a Konkani cook book written by Jaya V Shenoy. I did not want to try this recipe until I found small sized capsicum (green bell peppers). Finally I was able to find them in Farmer's market last week. This recipe instantly popped in my mind and hence bought a bunch of these.

The stuffing is similar to the masala in this post with slight variations. It is mild yet very flavorful and yummy. We really enjoyed it a lot and I am glad I found baby bell peppers :-)

Ingredients:

• Green Bell pepper/Capsicum, small sized - 5
• Onion, medium sized- 1/2
• Grated coconut, fresh/frozen - 1 cup
• Roasted red chillies- 6-7
• Tamarind- A small ball (gooseberry sized)
• Coriander seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
• Methi/ Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery- 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1tsp
• Curry leaves - Few
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Wash the capsicum and pat them dry. Then chop off the stalk (if any). Next step is to remove the seeds and make space for the filling. Using a sharp knife start cutting it at the top along the surface until it reaches 3/4 th the distance. Then slowly lift it (without breaking) and remove the seeds. After cleaning it should look like this-

Once done, continue with the rest of the capsicum.

For the Stuffing - Fry coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds in 1/2 tsp of oil, until it turns light brown. Allow it to cool on a plate. 

Now grind grated coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind, jaggery, salt, roasted coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds, to get a semi coarse mixture. Add little water so that all the things come together (Don't grind the stuffing very fine). Transfer it into a bowl.

Now add the chopped onion to the ground mixture.

Mix it well. Now add a portion of this into one of the capsicum.

Continue with the rest of them (I was left with little extra stuffing).

Now take a wide pan and start heating oil. Once hot add mustard seeds. After they splutter add curry leaves. Then start keeping the stuffed capsicum one by one. Add the remaining stuffing in the oil and sprinkle little water just enough to cook.

Close it with a lid and allow them to cook on a low - medium flame for 30 - 35 minutes. Keep turning the peppers (capsicum) every 8- 10 minutes so that they get cooked on all sides (Turn the capsicum carefully so that the filling doesn't come out).

Stuffed Capsicum is ready!!

Serve it hot along with rice and dal or with rotis. Above measurement serves two people.

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Roasted Vegetable Quesadilla

Quesadilla is a very popular Mexican dish. It is cheesy, crispy and tastes amazing right from the griddle. Long time back when I first tasted it in a restaurant, I really loved them. But I never order it nowadays as they overload with cheese and oil. So I decided to try it myself. This way I can control the cheese and can play around with the veggies. 

I decided to use poblano and onions, as we love them. The quesadillas turned out amazing and I was really happy the way they turned out. Do try them and I am sure you will love them as much as we did!

Ingredients:

• Flour tortillas, large sized - 4
• Poblano pepper- 1
• Onion, medium sized- 1/2
• Monterey Jack Cheese, grated* - 1 1/2 - 2 cups
• Salt - To taste
• Oil - 2-3 tsp

Note: *Use any cheese of your choice.

About Filling - You can use any veggies of your choice like mushroom, green (or other colored) bell pepper, corn, black beans etc . 
You can as well add some spices to the veggie mixture like cumin powder or taco seasoning.

Procedure:

Chop the onion and poblano pepper.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add the chopped veggies. Fry until they turn slight brown. Sprinkle little salt when done.

When you are ready to make the quesadillas, preheat a skillet over medium high heat and brush one side of the tortilla with some oil and place it oiled side down onto a plate ( Tortillas were freshly made by me). 

Sprinkle some cheese on one half of the tortilla.

 Then top that with some of the roasted veggie mixture. 

Sprinkle a bit more cheese.

 Fold it in half and place it on the plate. 

Continue with the rest of the tortillas. Once done fry them on a preheated skillet until they turn crispy and golden brown on both sides.

Once done, transfer it on a plate. Cut each of the tortilla into 2-3 pieces using a knife or pizza cutter. Roasted Vegetable Quesadilla is ready!!

Serve it immediately along with Guacamole or Pico de gallo. Above measurement serves 3-4 people.

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Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad is a favorite of ours. I always look for different salad recipes as cucumber is one of the veggies we buy regularly. I always pack some cucumber slices for my husband's lunch box. 

Recently I bumped into this recipe and it was instantly liked by us. I follow Bhavana from a long time and I really like her recipes and ideas. Do try this recipe. It requires only few ingredients and very easy to put together.

Ingredients:

• Cucumber, medium sized- 1
• Green Chilli - 1
• Garlic clove - 1
• Cilantro (Coriander leaves) - 4-5 sprigs
• Roasted Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
• Lemon Juice- To taste
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Wash the cucumber and cut it into thin 1 inch strips (or desired size and shape). Then chop the cilantro, green chili, garlic as fine as possible.

Put all of it in a mixing bowl. Then sprinkle roasted cumin powder, salt and lemon juice. Mix well. Taste it and add more of any ingredient, if required. 
Cucumber Salad is ready!!

Serve it immediately as a side dish. Above measurement serves two people.

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Methi Roti ( Fenugreek Leaves Flat bread)

Methi Roti is a healthy Indian flat bread. Fenugreek leaves are very commonly used all across India. I am not a great fan of these leaves as they are bitter. My recent trip to India gave me this idea. My father had bought a bunch of these leaves. Then I thought of adding it to the roti dough. Generally the leaves are chopped and added to the dough. I didn't want to waste the stems. Hence cooked for few minutes and then made a paste out of it. This way I could use every bit of it and it also gave a good color and flavor to the dough. Do try this way and get the goodness of it :-)

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour/Multi Grain Flour - 1 cup+ extra for dusting
• Methi (Fenugreek) leaves - Half a bunch
• Roasted Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp
• Oil- 1 tsp and more for frying
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Clean the fenugreek leaves. Discard only the roots.

Then wash it thoroughly and give a rough chop (including the stems).

Now transfer them in a hot pan.

Wait until they wilt down (1-2 minutes). Then turn off the heat. Allow it to cool.

Once it cools down grind it to get a smooth paste (I added a small amount of water).

Now take a bowl add flour, salt, roasted cumin powder, oil and fenugreek leaves paste. 

Now make a soft non-sticky dough (add water, if required). Apply few drops of oil on the surface of the dough and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes, covered.

Divide the dough into 5-6 equal parts and make smooth balls.

Now dip one of the dough ball in flour and start rolling it into a circle, not too thick/ thin.

Now fry this on a pan or griddle on both sides, until golden brown spots are got. Spread few drops of oil on chapathi, while frying. Transfer it on a plate.

Methi roti is ready!!

Serve it hot with any curry of your choice. Above measurement makes 5-6 rotis. 

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