Showing posts with label gluten free. Show all posts

Fresh Fruit Tart with Mango Cream

Crispy gluten free tart shell made of oats and almonds, a fresh creamy mango cream topped with assorted fresh fruits.

How to make eggless fresh fruit tart recipe, vegetarian fruit tart recipe, fruit pie recipe, mango tart recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Long weekend plans got thrashed when Raj came home on friday night and complained of a body ache. Then came the fever and a massive headache. We really did not have any out of town plans thankfully. But I had just booked tickets to go watch the movie of the year - "Baahubali - The Conclusion" and I had no company!!! I actually got a cool discount on the already expensive tickets that made me less guilty about splurging so much for a movie. I was not gonna let that go. I though of putting up my tickets for sale online, but I've been waiting months for this movie!! So while I prayed he recovers, I also began searching for back up options on whom to go with. Luckily for me, my sis in law pitched in for her brother. What fun!!! Absolute entertainer, this movie. We were laughing for most of it. Sometimes you really need a melodramatic over the top movie to take you away from the craziness of the real world.

I had to cancel plans with friends and family because of the sick guy in the house. I haven't also been cooking too many things. Well, that's not true. I went a little overboard on Sunday and made this taste heavy Mahastrian Thali . Poor guy got to just eat the rice and dal, but the rest of us definitely enjoyed the rest of the meal. #MyWeekendThali is an instagram series I'm doing about my weekend meals. Go check it out!!

I have been rambling for three paras now, but I've still not reached my recipe of the day - Fresh Fruit Tart with Mango Cream. I did not make it this weekend. Not with all that bodyache and fever around. I couldn't deny that guy so much of dessert. I actually made this around a month ago, but the recipe was in drafts. Note to self --> Clean out drafts!!

So, while it may be a month ago, I remember the taste of this tart as if I'm eating one right now instead of sipping on my ginger tea. The base of this tart, the pastry shell is so simple to make AND it is gluten free and vegan. Oats, Almonds, Dates, Oil, Sugar, Cocoa. I tried to keep it refined sugar free, but the dates I have aren't too sweet and I ran out of them, so I had to add in a little bit of powdered sugar. You can totally avoid the sugar and keep it all natural. Cocoa powder is absolutely optional. Add it if you like a little bit of chocolate bitterness in your dessert. This pastry shell is nothing like the traditional pastry shell, it has a more cookie or biscuity feel to it. And may I suggest, make a little extra of the oats, almond powder, cocoa and dates powder? It tastes SO good!! You can eat spoonfuls of it just like that or may be throw in a little liquid something and make bars or balls of it. You can also store it in this form in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Add in the oil and mix when you are ready to bake.

The Mango cream is simply paneer and mango pulp and of course, sugar. I made it fresh as it ends up being a little creamier when fresh. But you can always use store bought paneer (not the frozen kind) or cream cheese instead of making it fresh. Flavor with cardamom or vanilla if Mango isn't in season or if you want a more neutral cream. I'm a total sucker for Mango, so I use it everywhere when in season.

Once the pastry shells have cooled, spoon in the mango cream and top with assorted fruits. This is the fun part, you can use whatever you like and have fun decorating the tart. Let you kids do it so they feel they helped you make it. Chill chill in the fridge and then serve. If you plan on eating these after a day or two, I'd suggest to not spoon in the mango cream into the pastry shells but to keep them separately in the fridge and to assemble the tart either while serving or an hour before, else the pastry shells may become soggy.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.

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Tender Coconut Ice Cream - 4 ingredient eggless Ice Cream made with Tender Coconuts.
Maavina Hannu Seekarne - Aamras or flavored Mango pulp is a popular Summer dessert.
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake - This no bake Strawberry Cheesecake is egg and gelatin free.

Fresh Fruit Tart with Mango Cream

Fresh Fruit Tart with Mango Cream is a dessert with a n oats-almond crust stuffed with mango cream and topped with fresh fruits.

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: International
Total Time: 2 Hours
Yield: 6 tarts

Ingredients:

For the Pastry Shell:

1/2 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Almonds
4-5 Tbsp Oil
15 deseeded Dates
2-3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Cocoa Powder (Optional)
Water as required

For the Mango Cream:

1 litre full fat Milk
1 Lime
1 Mango
5-6 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

To Assemble the Fresh Fruit Tart:

Assorted fresh fruits

Method:

To make the Pastry Shell:

Soak dates in hot water for 15 minutes.
In a mixer, powder both the rolled oats and almonds until fine.
Add cocoa powder, if using and pulse once so that it mixes with the oats and almonds. Cocoa powder gives a the pastry shell a slightly bitter taste after it is baked, you can skip it if you prefer a sweeter pastry shell.
Add dates and pulse until combined.
Drizzle in oil until you have loose dough. The dough is ready when you can roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball without it crumbling. Add more oil if it is very dry.
Add powdered sugar and knead until combined. If the dough feels very sweet already because of the dates, you can skip the powdered sugar.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
Grease the pie tins. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
Take one ball of dough and press it to the bottom of the pie tin. Using your fingers spread the dough so it is evenly distributed and well packed on the bottom and up the sides.
Bake the pastry shells for 10-12 minutes. The pastry shell will feel soft when hot. Remove them from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack. I baked mine for 12 minutes.

To make the Mango Cream:

Boil the milk until it comes to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and add the juice of 1 lime and stir vigorously.
Allow the milk to curdle.
Once the milk has curdled and the milk solids have separated to leave a clear liquid behind, strain the milk using a muslin cloth or a fine mesh strainer.
Keep aside for 15 minutes until the liquid has drained.
Peel and puree the mango.
Blend the milk solids with 1 Tbsp of water until smooth.
Add the mango puree and mix well.
Add in powdered sugar by the spoonful until you have the desired sweetness.

To assemble the Fresh Fruit Tart:

Once the pastry shells have completely cooled, spoon in the mango cream.
Top with chopped fresh fruits.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Tendle Bibbe Upkari

Fresh tender Cashew Nuts!!! This Konkani new year dish lets you enjoy the creamy tender nuts in a mild fry with ivy gourds and potatoes.

Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Fresh Cashew Nuts!! I cannot believe I was oblivious to their existence. Being Goan, my love for cashew nuts is obvious. But until today, all I had was dried cashew nuts, sometimes salted, mostly plain, sometimes flavored and once or twice, I have mustered courage to eat the fruit that causes throats to itch. Somehow, I totally missed getting on the fresh tender cashew nuts wagon, until now, of course. My friend Vindhya of A Million Morsels, introduced me to this tender creamy crunchy delicacy.

So when Raj went to Karkala for an extended vacation for Ugadi (Hindu New Year), he got me these tender cashew nuts or bibbo/ bibbe. They are sold in packets of 50 or 100 and are very seasonal. They are usually sold around Ugadi as this Tendle Bibbe Upkari is a specialty for Ugadi in a Konkani household. If you cannot find tender cashew nuts, you can replace them with dried cashew nuts that have been soaked in water overnight or for 4-5 hours until they are nice and soft.

Upkari is a simple palya or a dry vegetable curry. It is also super healthy, low on oil, high on seasonal ingredients, barely any spices. It is a refreshing fresh dish fit for Summer.

Tendle or Tendli / Tondekayee or Ivy gourds is the fruit of a creeper. Tastes best when harvested when they are raw and tender and green. As they ripen, they become red and soft. Ripe tendle can be used to make Tondekayee Chutney. My luck shined when Raj got me home grown fresh tendle from Karkala. I am a big fan of anything home grown and organic. The tendle he got me were so tender and cooked so quickly. They were delicate and crisp, just the way I love them.

Potatoes, you can add them or you can leave them. Sometimes, if one cannot find tender cashews or not enough of them, the quantity of the upkari is increased by adding more potato. I put them in as everyone loves potatoes.

Coconut, another homegrown ingredient in my cooking. I feel so lucky to get homegrown coconut. I don't grow them in Bangalore, but every time someone comes from Karkala, my mother in law makes it a point to send me coconuts grown at home. They are huge, sweet and juicy.. YUM!! The coconut here is much more than just a garnish, it is almost the heart of the dish that brings everything together.

This Tendle Bibbe Upkari has very little in the way of spices, just mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies with a sprig of curry leaves. It uses very little oil, it is mostly cooked in water. As I said, it is very healthy. Tendle Bibbe Upkari is eaten as a side along with rice and dal or with chapati.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

If you liked this, you may also like:

Tondekayee Chutney - Chutney made from ripe ivy gourds or tendle and coconut.
Saasav - Ripe mango curry from the Konkan coast.
Banana Blossom and White Peas Curry - Dry curry made with banana flower and dried white peas.

Tendle Bibbe Upkari

Tendle Bibbe Upkari is a Konkani vegatable dish made with fresh tender cashew nuts, tendle or ivy gourd and potatoes. It is usually made during Ugadi.

Recipe Type: Side
Cuisine: Mangalore
Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

20-25 Tendle (Tondekayee or Ivy Gourd)
1 cup Bibbe or tender Cashew Nuts
1-2 Potatoes
3 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
3-4 dry Red Chillies
2 Tbsp grated fresh Coconut
8-10 Curry leaves
Water as required
Salt to taste

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water. Remove from heat once it comes to a rolling boil.
Soak the cashew nuts (bibbe) in the hot water for 1 hour. This will help loosen the skin.
Peel the thin brown skin of the tender cashew nuts.
Wash the cashew nuts thoroughly and split them into halves.
Cut the tips of the tendle and slice it into thin slices.
Peel the potato and slice them to the same size as the tendle
Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the urad dal, curry leaves and the dry red chillies.
Fry until the urad dal changes colour.
Add the sliced tendle and 0.5 cup of water.
Cover and cook until the tendle are half done.
Add the sliced potato and the tender cashew nuts.
Cover and cook until the potato and tendle are done.
Add salt and mix well.
Garnish with grated coconut.
Serve hot with chapati.

Sunday Lunch Special - Kathal Biryani | Jackfruit Biryani (with Photo Instructions)

Sunday Lunches are meant to be special, and this slow cooked Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani made with raw jackfruit, long grained Basmati Rice and lots of spices is definitely my definition of SPECIAL (Vegan option available)!!

How to make jackfruit biryani, jackfruit biryani recipe, vegan jackfruit recipe, raw jackfruit recipe, young jackfruit recipe, how to make kathal biryani, kathal biryani recipe, kathal recipes at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

When I think of Sunday lunch, I always think of something that is slow cooked and delicious. A dish into which I put my heart and time into. It may be because of my mom. Being children of a full time career woman meant that weekday food was simple and quick. It was still delicious and healthy. My mom made sure we ate home cooked healthy food literally every meal every day. Eating out was a rarity. Working 6 days a week, left out just one Sunday and she made sure that Sunday was special. It was the day she got to cook something special for the large family. A Sunday fare that everyone in the family loved and awaited.

A couple of years ago, I realized I'm turning into my Mom!! Good for me, she is the woman I admire the most, but not so good for my lazy hubby. He gets picked on for not keeping his tea cup in the kitchen sink almost as soon as he finishes the tea, a most definite hand-me-down trait from my mom. I instantly NEED (yes, it is a need) cups and plates and bowls to be kept in the sink as soon as they are empty of food. It may be a really annoying good habit or just OCD, but whatever that is, came from my mom to me.

There is one thing different though, she hated spicy food. Infact, all her siblings do. They cannot stomach anything spicy, they prefer a more bland affair. Luckily for me I can eat spicy a couple of times a week, and then I crave my simple daily home cooked rice-dal type of food.

So while my Sunday lunch is a lengthy affair, it is definitely spicier than my mom's. This Sunday it was a recipe that I'd been wanting to make for a very very long time - Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani. Can I just tell you something? It was DELICIOUS!!! It was the best biryani I made till date. The aroma wafting through the house from the very first step had us drooling before we even got to eat the biryani. I am actually sorry that you cannot smell this through the photos. You can make this Biryani on anyday, but I'm just being honest in saying it is a time consuming dish and is best made on days when you have the time and do not have to rush through the steps. This is definitely not a quick weeknight recipe.

Biryani is predominantly a non-vegetarian dish in which rice is cooked along with meat and spices. Jackfruit is a perfect replacement for the meat due to is chewy moist texture. And this Jackfruit Biryani can convert anyone to a vegetarian!!

The most boring and tedious job while making this biryani is actually cutting the jackfruit. The sticky milky wax is kinda annoying. Rajeshwari of Rak's Kitchen has provided a beautiful visual tutorial on how to cut a jackfruit. You can follow that until step 2. I used coconut oil instead of sesame oil, use any cooking oil. Once the jackfruit is cut and ready, half your job is done. Salt the pieces and deep fry them. You can also steam them or just use it directly in the biryani and allow it to cook along with the rice and spices.

A major part of the biryani is the rice. Use the best long grained rice you can. Fragrant basmati works the best with this type of biryani. Since the rice is layered along with the masala and cooked again later, in the initial stages, we only parboil the rice. The rice is cooked along with whole spices until it is half done. Then it is drained and washed and kept aside.

The masala, this smells DIVINE. I'm not kidding. This is gonna bring neighbors home, that's how fragrant it is. Traditionally the masala is not vegan, but you can make it vegan. Just replace the Ghee with more Oil and the yoghurt with extra tomatoes. The spices are fried in ghee+oil and then the onion is added. Then come in the ginger-garlic, and this is when the aroma just explodes into your face. Then come tomatoes. If you are replacing the yogurt with tomatoes, just add them now. Add all your spice powders. Once everything is cooked, add in the jackfruit, yogurt, and coriander leaves. Your masala is practically ready.

Then begin by layering the masala, fresh mint leaves, rice. Usually 2 layers are made. Then on the top layer add saffron or turmeric powder mixed with either milk or water and pour. Sprinkle crispy brown onions. Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 mins or until the rice is done.

You can bake this too. Preheat your oven to around 200 degree C and bake the layered biryani for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is done.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

If you liked this, you may also like:

Jackfruit Biryani | Kathal Biryani (Vegan Option Available)

Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani is an Indian layered rice dish wherein raw jackfruit is cooked with rice and spices.

Recipe Type: Rice
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Fresh Ingredients:

1 small raw Jackfruit / Kathal (600-700gms)
4 Onions
4 Tomatoes
2 handfuls Coriander leaves
2 handfuls Mint leaves
1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
1 Tbsp Ginger Paste

Grains:

2 cups Basmati Rice

Whole Spices:

4 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
3 Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
1 tsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
1/2 tsp Caraway Seeds (Shah Jeera)
5 Cloves (Lawang)
2" Cinnamon (Dalchini)
1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
1 tsp Stone Flower (Pathar ke Phool / Dagad Phool)

Spice Powders:

3 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder

Dairy:

1 cup Yogurt / Dahi (Replace with 1 large tomato for a vegan option)
3 Tbsp Ghee (Replace with Oil for a vegan option)
2 Tbsp Milk (Replace with water for a vegan option)

Others:

3 Tbsp Oil
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
8 cups Water

Method:

Cooking the Jackfruit:

Oil your hands and the knife with any edible oil, preferably coconut.
Cut the jackfruit into quarters.
Peel the thorny skin of the jackfruit. Remove the center stalk.
Dice the jackfruit into 1" sized pieces.
Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt on the jackfruit pieces.
Heat oil in a deep kadhai or pan.
Deep fry the jackfruit until golden.
Keep aside until later.

Making the Crispy Brown Onions:

Slice 2 onions finely.
Deep fry the onions on medium heat until dark brown and crispy. Be careful not to burn the onions.
Remove from oil and keep aside until later.

Cooking the Biryani Rice:

Wash the basmati rice for 5-6 times until the water runs clean.
Soak it in water and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
Heat 8 cups of water in a large deep bottomed pan. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 1" piece of cinnamon and 3 cloves.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drain the rice and add the rice to the boiling water.
Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is half done.
Drain the water and wash the rice in cold water. Drain and keep the rice aside.

Making the Masala:

I make the masala in the same utensil in which I will be finally assembling the biryani. Use a deep bottomed pan or pot or pressure cooker for this if doing the same.
Finely slice the onions and chop the tomatoes. If you are making a vegan biryani, add one more large tomato.
Heat oil+ghee in a kadhai or pan. Replace ghee with oil for a vegan option.
Gently bruise the fennel seeds, stone flower, 1" cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 2 green cardamoms using a mortar and pestle. Do not crush it into a powder, just bruise it to allow it to release it's fragrance in the oil.
Once it heats up, add the caraway seeds (shah jeera) and bruised spices along with the bay leaf.
Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and cook them until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Now add the tomatoes. 1 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the tomatoes are cooked or for 5-6 minutes.
Add the deep fried jackfruit, whipped yogurt, salt and 1 handful of coriander leaves (chopped) and mix well.Skip the yogurt for a vegan option.
Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat.

Making the Jackfruit Biryani:

If you are going to cook the biryani in the same pan in which the masala was cooked, remove half the masala into a bowl.
If you are using a fresh pan to make the biryani, spread half the masala in the new pan.
Chop the coriander and mint leaves.
Sprinkle half the coriander and mint leaves over the masala.
Layer half the parboiled rice over the mint leaves.
Spread the remaining masala on the rice.
Sprinkle the remaining coriander and mint leaves.
Spread the remaining rice on the mint leaves.
Take half the crispy brown onions and spread over the rice. Dissolve 1/2 tsp turmeric in 2 Tbsp milk or water and pour over the rice.
Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Mix the layers while serving.
Garnish with the remaining crispy brown onions while serving.

Photo Instructions:

Dice the jackfruit into 1" pieces. Salt them and deep fry until golden.

Wash the basmati rice for 5-6 times until the water runs clean.
Soak it in water and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
Heat 8 cups of water in a large deep bottomed pan. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 1" piece of cinnamon and 3 cloves.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drain the rice and add the rice to the boiling water.
Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is half done.
Drain the water and wash the rice in cold water. Drain and keep the rice aside. take just 20 mins to make.

Deep fry finely sliced onions on medium heat until brown and crispy.
Heat oil+ghee in a kadhai or pan.
Gently bruise the fennel seeds, stone flower, 1" cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 2 green cardamoms using a mortar and pestle.
Once it heats up, add the caraway seeds (shah jeera) and bruised spices along with the bay leaf.
Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and cook them until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Now add the tomatoes. 1 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the tomatoes are cooked or for 5-6 minutes.

Add the deep fried jackfruit, whipped yogurt, salt and 1 handful of coriander leaves (chopped) and mix well.
Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Take a deep pan, and spread half the masala.
Sprinkle half the chopped coriander and mint leaves over the masala.
Layer half the parboiled rice onto the mint leaves.

Spread the remaining masala on the rice.
Sprinkle the remaining coriander and mint leaves.
Spread the remaining rice on the mint leaves.
Take half the crispy brown onions and spread over the rice. Dissolve 1/2 tsp turmeric in 2 Tbsp milk or water and pour over the rice.
Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Mix the layers while serving.
Garnish with the remaining crispy brown onions while serving.

Amritsari Chhole

It is time for Tea Lovers like me to get excited, this dark vibrant Amritsari Chhole is cooked along with tea and spices.

Would I skip the chance to have TEA for lunch? Probably not!

When a recipe calls for Tea as an ingredient, I'm more than likely to try it out. There was no way I'd skip making this wonderfully vibrant Amritsari Chhole.

Chhole has always been a house favorite. When we go to any North Indian restaurant or may be just the food court at the mall, Raj consistently orders Chhole-Bature. Just to prove he isn't this predictable, he toys with available options, but eventually we do end up with a bowl of dark Chhole and a spaceship sized Batura on our table. That man, so predictable, I say!!

So come weekend, I made this dark spicy Amritsari Chhole with soft fluffly Puris. To make Amritsari Chhole, you need to soak the dried chickpeas or kabuli chana/chhole overnight. The next day cook it along with spices and a tea bag. It is this Tea that gives it that wonderfully dark handsome look.

I love to try out different types of teas - Green Tea, Darjeeling Tea, Fennel Tea and what not. But when it comes my daily cuppa Chai or Tea, it has to be Assam Tea. That dark bold tea boiled with milk and sugar, sometimes with added ginger is what I crave every morning and evening. It is this kinda tea, dark bold Tea that works best with this recipe as well. Light teas will not impart color or the depth of flavor that Amritsari Chhole is made up of.

If you don't have tea bags at home, just tie up regular tea powder or tea leaves in a small piece of muslin cloth and add it while cooking the chhole. You can make a similar pouch of the spices too and add it to the chhole.

Anardana or dried Pomegranate seeds powder is added for sourness in Amritsari Chhole. If you don't have it (I usually don't), just replace it with Amchur (dried Mango Powder) or tamarind juice. Also, in this recipe I have not used any ready made store bought Chhole Masala Powder, but I've used the Spice Powders that are available in every Indian Kitchen.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

If you liked this, you may also like:

Chhole Palak - Chickpeas cooked in a palak / spinach based gravy.
Rajma - Red kidney beans cooked with a spicy tomato based masala.
Corn Tomato Bharta - Curry made with grilled or roasted tomatoes and sweet corn.

Amritsari Chhole

Amritsari Chhole is made by cooking Chickpeas/ kabuli chana along with tea, spices, tomato and onion.

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 8 Hours (Includes chickpea soaking time)
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup dried Chickpeas / Kabuli Chana
2 medium Onion
2 medium Tomato
4-5 cloves Garlic
1" piece Ginger
1 Tea bag
1 Bay leaf / Tej patta
1" piece Cinnamon / Dalchini
1-2 Green Cardamom
1-2 Black Cardamom / Badi Elaichi
2-3 Cloves
1 tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds
2 Tbsp Pomegranate seeds / Anardana or 1 tsp Amchur / Dry Mango Powder
2-3 tsp Coriander powder
2-3 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Red chilli powder
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
Salt to taste
Water as required
A handful Coriander leaves

Method:

Soak the kabuli chana in 2 cups of water overnight.
Pressure cook the chana along with 2 cups water,tea bag, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, black cardamom and around 1 tsp of salt until soft. It took me around 3-4 whistles or around 10-12 mins.
Drain the cooked chana and preserve the water. Discard the tea bag, cloves, cinnamon and bayleaf.
Dry roast the anardana and grind into a coarse powder. If you don't have anardana, you can use amchur.
Grind the onion along with the ginger and garlic
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds
Once they brown slightly, add the onion paste. Fry until all the water has evaporated and the onion turns slightly brown
Grind the tomato into a paste and add to the pan
Add all the spices to the pan and cook until the oil separates or around 8-10 mins on low flame
Add 1 cup of the water the chana was cooked in to the pan and simmer for 2 mins
Add the chana and salt. Add more of the cooking water if needed and simmer for another 5 mins.
Add kasuri methi and simmer for 1 minute.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Enjoy hot with puris or roti

MIL's Spicy Tomato Curry with fried Bhindi (Okra) [Video]

Spicy Tomato Curry with fried Bhindi / Okra recipe with video instructions. Spicy Tomato Curry is a quick vegan tomato soup that is served with pan fried okra. Spicy Tomato Curry is vegan, gluten free and fits a Jain diet.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

How to make spicy tomato soup recipe at One Teaspoon Of Life www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

They say winter is over. While I love the promise of sunshine all through the day, I miss the chill in the air. Luckily, it is still chilly in the morning, so I'm enjoying the last few days with my jacket until it is stacked in the cupboard for the next 6-7 months until the monsoons bring on some more chill.

Winter may be over, and warm nights back on the calendar, but hey, that really does not stop me from enjoying hot meals. And speaking of hot meals, especially my Mother-in-law's Spicy Tomato Curry. This curry is perfect for winter nights or rainy nights when all you want is a bowl of spicy sour soul warming goodness. But don't let the weather stop you from enjoying something this delicious. Unless you live on the coast in a tropical country in the Northern Hemisphere, you still have a few days of cold nights left, use it to enjoy this Tomato Curry.

While the name suggests curry, this is really a spicy Tomato Soup flavored with cumin, thickened with chickpea flour (gram flour/ besan) and garnished with fried okra (bhindi). Isn't fried okra the BEST? Crispy crunchy salty and we can always pretend it is healthy, after all it is a vegetable. If I haven't convinced you to fry that okra, you can just as well be a health freak and grill it up until it is nice and charred. My mother in law sometimes adds boiled potato cubes to the curry as well, but okra is the family favorite.

This is probably the quickest and absolutely no fuss soup I know to prepare. So no fine chopping, no 100 ingredients, no exotic spices (unless you consider cumin exotic), no hours and hours of simmering. NADA!!! Just 3 main ingredients and barely 40 minutes to prepare. No chopping, just blending.

Making this curry is super simple. I pressure cook the tomatoes whole for 8-10 minutes or 1-2 whistles. Then allow them to cool a little, before peeling them and blending. Meanwhile, fry up your chopped okra or boil the potatoes. Heat oil in a kadhai or pot and add cumin seeds. When they brown, add in the gram flour and saute it well for 1 minute. Then add in the blended tomatoes. Add water if required. Season with salt and red chilli powder and allow it to simmer for 5-8 minutes. If it is too thin, add more gram flour. If it is too thick add water. Too sweet, then add a little tamarind juice or lime juice. Too sour, then you can sweeten it with sugar or jaggery. Just TRUST your taste buds more than anything. I like my curry hot, sour with full flavor of cumin. Add the fried okra or potato just before serving.

Serve it with some crusty bread and dinner is done! You can also serve it with rice, though then I'd recommend you keep it thick.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

Video Recipe

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Spicy Tomato Curry

Spicy and easy Tomato Curry or Soup made with fresh tomatoes, thickened with gram flour and garnished with crispy fried okra.

Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

5-6 large Tomatoes
6 tsp Oil
1 Tbsp Gram Flour (Chickpea Flour / Besan)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
15-20 small Okra (Bhindi)
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Optional)
A handful of Curry leaves
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Pressure cook the tomatoes with 1 cup of water for 1-2 whistles or 8-10 minutes. If cooking in a pan, cook the tomatoes until they are soft. Reserve the water.
2. Peel the tomatoes and leave aside to cool.
3. Chop the end of the okra.
4. Heat 3 tsp oil in a small pan and fry the okra until they are slightly browned and crispy. Keep flipping the okra so that they cook evenly.
5. Once the tomatoes have cooled, blend into a puree with 1 cup of reserved water.
6. Once the tomatoes have cooled, blend into a puree.
7. Heat 3 tsp Oil in a large pan or pot and add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
8. Once they brown slightly, add the gram flour and saute for 1 minute until the raw smell disappears.
9. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
10. Pour in the blended tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Add salt to taste.
11. Let it come to a boil and then simmer for 5-8 minutes.
12. If the consistency is too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, add a 1 Tbsp gram flour mixed in water.
13. If the curry is too sour, add a little sugar. If the curry is not sour enough add a little tamarind juice or lime juice.
14. Add the crispy okra just before serving.
15. Serve hot with crusty bread or rice.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Corn Tomato Bharta

Tomato Saar

Tomato Gazpacho

Vegan Zucchini Spinach Frittata

What's next on your breakfast table? How about this light and fluffy Vegan Zucchini Spinach Frittata made from chickpea flour, zucchini and spinach!

How to make vegan frittata recipe at One Teaspoon Of Life How to make vegetarian vegan omelet recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Breakfast time!

I've been eating clean this week. I've got some annoying breakouts on my face and I have gotta get rid of them. By clean eating, I mean no sugar, no greasy fried food, no processed food, basically no giving into temptation. So HARD, especially when people in office are getting sweets and chocolates pretty much everyday.

Instead I'm eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the start of the week I had oranges, apples, pomegranates and strawberry. Yummm. So fresh. I'm also on my way to making my first ever all natural orange face pack. Hope it works...

Even if you don't have any acne or other skin problems, just try this little trick my sister Gee taught me. Soak orange peels in a mug of water for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Use that water to wash your face. Careful with your eyes though - keep them shut. That water has such a fresh fragrance of oranges, it will wake you up instantly and leave your skin smelling all orange-y for a good half hour. I'm not even a fan of oranges, but I definitely loved that fresh feel in the morning. If you have any such wonderful beauty rituals, leave me a comment.

Beauty tips aside for the moment. Let me get back to my clean green recipe - Vegan Zucchini Spinach Frittata. Frittata is usually a really thick omelet that is either baked or cooked in a deep pan on stovetop. This vegan zucchini spinach frittata is made from chickpea flour or gram flour (besan). lightness of the frittata is achieved by adding fruit salt (eno). If you don't find fruit salt, replace 1 tsp of fruit salt with 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of lime juice or citric acid. Allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes to let the baking soda react with the citric acid.

You remember this wonderful Vegan Zucchini Kale Lasagna I made last week? I still had some baby zucchinis left over from it, that I sliced into thin slices and used here in this frittata. It is clean and it is green, One green ingredient down, more to go.

I wilted some spinach with garlic and chopped that roughly and added it to the frittata for my second and last green ingredient. Toss in some chopped onions and tomatoes and we are all set to make the frittata. Here's the fun part now, you can flavor this frittata however you like. I kept it minimal and only added a pinch of turmeric and half a teaspoon of chilli flakes. You can add anything from herbs like oregano, thyme, basil to spices like cumin, fennel or carom. After all, you are the CHEF!

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

If you liked this, you may also liked:

Instant Ragi Dosa - Instant Dosa / Crepe made from ragi flour (finger millet flour) and semolina.
Beetroot Chickpea Pancake - Instant vegan pancakes made from beetroots and chickpea flour (besan).
Instant Wheat Dosa - Instant savory dosa or pancake made with whole wheat flour.

Vegan Zucchini Spinach Frittata

Vegan Zucchini Spinach Frittata is a pan fried vegan frittata (thick omelet) made with chickpea flour (besan), zucchini and garlic wilted spinach

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes 2

Ingredients:

1 cup Chickpea flour or Besan or Gram Flour
2 cups chopped Spinach
2 baby Zucchini
1 small Onion
1 small Tomato
2 Garlic Cloves
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Fruit Salt or Eno
1 cup Water
4-5 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Mince the garlic. Finely chop the onion and tomato. Slice the zucchini.
Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan.
Add the minced garlic and fry for 20-30 seconds.
Add the chopped spinach and fry until wilted. It may take around 2-3 minutes.
Take the chickpea flour in a large bowl.
Add turmeric powder, chilli flakes, salt, fruit salt and 1/2 cup water. Add more water if required. The batter should be loose and light.
Heat a small non stick frying pan and grease it.
Spoon half the batter onto the pan.
Sprinkle half of the wilted spinach, zucchini, onion and tomato. Alternately, you can add all the vegetables to the batter before spooning the batter.
Cook on low to medium heat. Spoon oil on the sides.
Once the first side browns slightly, spoon 1 tsp of oil on the top and flip the frittata.
Cook until the second side browns slightly. Remove from heat.
Repeat the same steps with the other half of the batter.
Serve hot.