cashews – Batter Up With Sujata

Okra / Lady’s Finger Or Bhindi Korma

Okra/lady’s finger or bhindi korma.
Bored of regular bhindi or okra fry or masala stir fry? Try this restaurant style rich, spicy, aromatic and delicious gravy of okra. Never heard of bhindi korma right? Try it, I am sure you will love the taste.
You can also make it as a party side dish. Everyone will enjoy the finger licking taste of this bhindi korma. Cashew, almond and melon seeds gives the gravy rich taste and texture. And whole spices makes it flavourful.

You may like some more korma recipes on this blog.

1. Soya chunks or soya nugget korma

2. Savoury rasgulla korma

3. Egg korma

And get two more okra recipes here.

1. Sarso bhindi or okra in mustard sauce

2. Okra with one teaspoon oil

Okra can double as a nutritional powerhouse filled with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that provide an array of health benefits from treating diabetes to preventing kidney disease.

A single cup of raw okra has a little over 30 calories, about 3 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of protein, 7.6 grams carbohydrates, 0.1 grams of fat, 21 milligrams of vitamin C, around 88 micrograms of folate, and 57 milligrams of magnesium. This makes okra a nutrition hero and a very available food when it comes to our health.
Whether you consume okra stewed, boiled, fried, or even in pickled form, you can reap the health benefits of this little green vegetable any time of the year. Here’s how:
1. Alleviates Asthma
2. Lowers Cholesterol
3. Manages Diabetes
4. Boosts Immune System
5. Prevents Kidney Disease
6. Promotes Healthy Pregnancy
Read more about health benefits of okra here.

To make this lip-smacking korma you can fry the okra and make masala previously. For masala fry chopped onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, soaked cashews, almond and melon seeds. Let it cool down and grind to make smooth paste.
I have used cashews and almond both 1 tablespoon each. But if you want you can use 2 tablespoon only cashews or almond.

You can use any fried vegetable, eggs, chicken in this gravy instead of okra.

Recipe

Bhindi/okra or lady’s finger – 250 gram

Tomato – 2, chopped

Onion – 2, sliced

Garlic – 3 – 4, chopped

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece, chopped

Green cardamom – 3

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cloves – 3

Melon seeds – 2 tablespoon

Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon

Almond – 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Cumin powder – 1 & 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tablespoon

Green chilli – 2, slit

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Water – 1 cup

Oil – 4 tablespoon + to fry okra

Method

1. Soak almond, cashews and melon seeds in hot water. Peel the almonds when cool and drain the water. You can use 2 tablespoon only almond or cashew nuts.

2. Rinse bhindi or okra well. Drain the water and spread on a plate.

3. Cut off the tips from both ends. If you are using small or medium sized okra keep it whole. Or if using large size make them half.

4. Heat sufficient oil and fry all the bhindi or okra till light brown and keep aside.

5. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, onion, garlic and ginger.

6. When onions starts to change it’s colour add the tomatoes. Saute till tomatoes becomes mushy. Now add soaked almond, cashews and melon seeds. Mix well and switch off the heat.

7. When it cool down grind to make a smooth paste.

8. Heat 2 tablespoon oil again. Add the ground paste, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and kashmiri red chilli powder. Saute till oil leaves the sides.

9. Add coconut milk, water and 2 slit green chilli. Mix well. When it starts to boil reduce the heat.

10. Cook on simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in between.

11. Add fried bhindi or okra. Mix and cook on simmer for 10 minutes more.

12. Your delicious okra or bhindi korma is ready. You can add 1 – 2 tablespoon fresh cream at the end if you like.

13. Serve with steamed rice, pulao, jeera rice, fried rice, roti, paratha, puri or any bread.

Notes
1. You can air fry the okra instead of deep frying.
2. Add slit green chilli more or less according to your taste.
3. You can use any fried vegetable, eggs or chicken in this gravy instead of okra or bhindi.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

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Shakkarai Pongal

Sakkarai pongal.
A delicious dessert from Tamil cuisine.
Pongal is a popular rice dish, originating from Tamil Nadu. In Tamil “pongal” ” means to ” boil over ” or “spill over”.
Sakkarai pongal (literally sweet pongal) is generally prepared in temples as a prasadam, (an offering made to a deity). This type of pongal is also made during Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu.
Ingredients can include rice, coconut and mung bean. Sakarai pongal is traditionally sweetened with jaggery, which gives the pongal a brown colour, though it can be sweetened with white sugar instead.
Source – Wikipedia

This post is going to be a part of a Facebook group Recipe swap challenge initiated by Jolly and Vidya.
We have to recreate a recipe from a fellow blogger’s blog. This month my partner is very talented blogger Priya Iyer who blog at My word through my eyes.
Check out her space for delicious and authentic recipes. I have selected this recipe Classic shakkari pongal from her space.

I love the aroma of ghee fried moong dal. So I have fried the dal. This dessert is not only delicious but aromatic. I am sure you will love the taste and flavour. Jaggery, ghee fried moong dal, cardamom and nutmeg made this dessert super yummy and aromatic. Nutmeg is optional if you don’t like, then you can skip it. If you want to make it vegan then skip milk and use water instead.

Recipe

Rice – 1/4 cup

Moong dal or yellow lentil – 1/4 cup

Jaggery powder – 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 1 – 2 tablespoon

Coconut – 1/4 cup, grated

Water – 2 cup

Cashew – 2 tablespoon, broken

Raisins – 2 tablespoon

Milk – 1 & 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Nutmeg powder – 1/4 teaspoon, optional

Method

1. Rinse and drain the rice and dal separately.

2. Heat ghee in a pan add the cashew nuts. Fry till the cashews becomes light brown. Remove from ghee.

3. Now fry the raisins. When the raisins fluff up immediately remove from ghee.

4. In the same pan add drained moong dal. Fry till the dal starts to change it’s colour.

5. Add the rice and fry with dal for a few seconds.

6. Transfer the fried rice and dal in a pressure cooker. You can also fry the dry fruits, rice and dal in pressure cooker.

7. Add 2 cup water in pressure cooker. Close the lid and cook for 4 whistle or till rice and dal becomes soft.
Let the pressure settle down on it’s own.

8. Open the pressure cooker. Mash the rice and dal with a spatula or ladle.

9. Add milk and let it boil. When it starts to boil, add grated fresh coconut and reduce the heat.

10. Cook on simmer for 10 minutes or till you get your desired consistency. Keep stirring.

11. Don’t make it dry. It will dry up when cool. Keep the consistency like kheer or rice pudding.

12. Add jaggery powder and mix. I like less sweat but if you like your shakkari pongal more sweet then taste and add 1 tablespoon more jaggery powder if require.

13. Add fried cashews, raisins, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Mix well and remove from heat. Nutmeg is optional if you don’t like the flavour, then you can skip it.

14. If it’s become too dry add little more milk or water.
Your shakkari pongal is ready. Serve warm or cold. It will be delicious in both ways.

Notes

1. If you want to make it dairy free, then omit milk and use only water.

2. Colour of this dessert depends on the colour of the jaggery you are using.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

Broccoli Malai Curry

Broccoli malai curry.
Yes broccoli again. But this time with a rich finger licking gravy. Generally we make this malai curry with prawns or chingri. Called chingri malai curry. If you want you can make prawns or any fish instead of broccoli with this gravy.

This week our 186 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is plant based milk recipes suggested by Archana Gunjikar Potdar who blog at Mad Scientist’s Kitchen. Visit her blog for some awesome recipes.

Today I am sharing my brother Sanjay’s recipe. I already shared his one more recipe.
Radhaballvi with dum aloo.

He always used strained water of soaked dry red chilies in his non-vegetarian dishes. In his view ‘its enhance the taste and colour’. So I have followed his method today. Try this gravy with any vegetables or fish chicken etc. And please let me know how it turns out.

Recipe

Broccoli – 1

Onion – 2

Garlic – 2 – 3

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Tomato – 2 medium

Green cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cloves – 3

Bay leaf – 1

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Cashew nuts – 10 – 12

Poppy seeds or khas khas – 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tablespoon

Dry red chilli – 3

Salt to taste

Water – 1 cup + 1/4 cup

Mustard oil – 3 – 4 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon

Slit green chilli to garnish

Method

1. Soak the poppy seeds and cashew nuts in hot water.

2. Soak the dry red chilli in 1/4 cup water for 20 – 25 minutes.

3. Blend the soaked red chillies with it’s water. Strain the water with a sieve and keep aside. Discard the skin and seeds of dry red chilli.

4. Grind onion, ginger and garlic into smooth paste.

5. Grind tomatoes, soaked cashews and poppy seeds altogether. Make a smooth paste.

6. Crush green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves with a mortar pestle.

7. Rinse the broccoli well. Cut the broccoli onto small florets.

8. Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add the chopped broccoli.

9. Fry till the broccoli starts to change it’s colour. Remove from heat and keep aside.

10. Heat 3 – 4 tablespoon oil in the same pan. Add bay leaf, crushed green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.

11. Add onion, garlic and ginger paste. Sauce till the ground paste becomes light brown.

12. Add tomato, cashew and poppy seeds paste. Add cumin powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Saute till oil leaves the sides.

13. Add fried broccoli florets and salt. Mix well.

14. Saute for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add strained water of dry red chilli, coconut milk and water. You can also add some slit green chilli. Stir and mix well.

15. When it starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cover and cook on simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until the broccoli becomes tender.

16. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Remove from heat. You can add 1 – 2 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter if you like. I didn’t.

17. Garnish with slit green chilli.
Serve with steamed rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha, naan, puri or any bread.

Notes
1. You can make prawns or any fish or chicken in this gravy.
2. Any vegetables can be used instead of broccoli.

4. You can also make this curry with less oil if you want.

5. Any vegetable oil can be used instead of mustard oil.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

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Khajur Gur Or Date Palm Jaggery Oats Dry Fruits Cookies

Khajur gur/nolen gur or date palm jaggery oats dry fruits cookies.

A totally guilt free healthy cookie for you and your kids to munch and enjoy the delightful taste. Taste of dry fruits and aroma of date palm jaggery or khajur gur/nolen gur makes the cookies heavenly.

Khajur/Khejur/nolen gur or date palm jaggery derived from the sap of date palm tree. Which is collected and cooked for long time and then cool to solidify.

Its famous in Bengal. Well known as patali gur used in many desserts in winter like nolen gur rasgulla, sandesh, paesh or kheer and many more. All are lip-smacking dishes.These delicacies makes my Kolkata visit in winter more enjoyable 🙂

This post is going to be a part of #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is dried fruits.

I have made many desserts with date palm jaggery but never used it in cookies. Poush Sankranti or Makar Sankranti is around the corner. And we use this Jaggery in all the special delicacies on this auspicious occasion. Every year we make gokul pithe, paesh, patisapta, ranga aloor pithe, muger pithe etc on Maker Sankranti or Poush Parbon. I remember my mom spent whole day to make these delicacies. And for us it was a feasting day.

This time I have used this date palm jaggery in cookies for a change. And loved the aroma and taste. I have used homemade fresh butter in it. Wholewheat flour, oats, dry fruits and jaggery makes the cookies healthy too.

Date palm jaggery or khajur gur is the most nutrient rich variety of raw jaggery. Its loaded with vitamins and minerals and an excellent substitute for sugar. Sugar gives you only sweetness and contains no nutrients.

Whereas jaggery is healthy and natural sweetener because its processed without any artificial or chemical ingredient. Iron rich jaggery increases hemoglobin level and treats anemia.

Recipe

Whole wheat flour or atta – 1

Oats – 1/2 cup, powdered

Butter – 1/2 cup

Jaggery or gur – 1/3 cup

Powdered sugar – 1 tablespoon

Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda – 1/4 teaspoon

Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Raisins – 1 tablespoon chopped

Cashew nuts – 3 tablespoon broken or chopped in small pieces

Almond – 2 tablespoon broken or chopped in small pieces.

Method

Preheat the oven at 180°.

Grease a baking tray or line with parchment paper.

Grind the oats into a fine powder.

Sift flour, powdered oats, baking powder, soda and cardamom powder. If you want you can use all purpose flour/maida instead of wholewheat flour/atta.

Mix butter, grated jaggery and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat well. If you don’t have date palm jaggery, you can use traditional cane jaggery too.

Add dry ingredients and chopped dry fruits. You can use any dry fruits of your choice. My son love cashew nuts and don’t like raisins much. So I have used less raisins. Add as per your choice.
Make a semi stiff dough. If your dough is not stiff enough to roll keep the dough in refrigerator for 10 – 15 minutes covered. Or if you feel its not smooth sprinkle little milk.

Roll It with the help of a rolling pin. Roll out into 1/4″ thick. Cut with a cookie cutter. Use any shape of cookie cutter of your choice.

Bake in preheated oven at 180° for 7 – 8 minutes or until the edges becomes light brown. It will be soft in the middle and becomes crisp when cool.

I have turned upside down and bake for 2 – 3 minutes more to bring some colour on other side too.

Let the cookies cool down before serving.

Enjoy the crispy crunchy delicious khajur/nolen gur or date palm jaggery cookies.

Eggless Fruit Cake Or Christmas Cake

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your life be filled with joy and happiness!

Egg less fruit cake. Super soft, moist, flavourful and loaded with dry fruits. No, not rum soaked its caramel soaked dry fruits cake or Christmas cake.

Very easy to make, no fuss and aromatic cake for this special accession.

And a delicious cake for vegetarian people.

I have already shared wholewheat flour eggless fruit cake.

The recipe is same with little changes.

You will love the texture, taste and aroma of this cake.

Recipe

All purpose flour/maida – 1 & 1/4 cup

Oil or butter – 1/2 cup

Curd – 1/2 cup

Milk- 1/4 cup ( room temperature)
Vinegar – 1 tablespoon

Flax seed- 2 tablespoon ( dry roasted and powdered), optional

Orange zest- 1 teaspoon

Baking powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda- 1/2 teaspoon

Sugar- 1 cup ( powdered)

Sugar- 3 teaspoon

Cashew nuts – 1/4 heaped cup, chopped or broken into small pieces

Almond – 1/4 cup chopped or broken into small pieces

Raisins – 1/4 cup chopped

Tutti fruity – 1/4 cup

Candied cherry – 1/4 cup chopped

Garam masala powder- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Cumin powder- a pinch

Nutmeg powder- a pinch

Vanilla essence- 1 teaspoon

Boiling water- 1/2 cup

Some cherry and sliced almonds for spreading over the cake.

Method

Take a pan and heat it, put 3 tsp sugar in the center, reduce flame to low. Don’t touch the pan or stir sugar. When all the sugar has completely melted pour the boiling water into it and switch off the flame. Mix the sugar and water well bring it back to boil and put all the dry fruits in it. Boil it for 5 – 6 minutes. Let it cool down.

Keep 3 tablespoon flour aside and in the rest of the flour add baking powder, soda, spice powder and flax seed powder.

Mix vinegar to the milk and keep aside.

Beat the oil and sugar, add vanilla. Add curd, vinegar mixed milk. Fold in the flour mixture to it.

Add 3 tbsp flour to the soaked dry fruits.

Mix orange zest. Add the dry fruits in the batter and fold gently. Add remaining caramelized sugar water in it.

Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and level the top. Tap the pan gently. Spread some sliced almonds and candied cherry.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180° for 40-50 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.

Slice it when completely cool.