Saturday, July 28, 2012

Double beans curry

One day I bought this can of 'large butter beans' to test run before buying a pack of dry ones. Overnight Soaking and pressure cooking the dry beans is my first choice. But the canned cooked ones comes handy too if we didn't plan the meal earlier. The beans tasted very good just like the double beans we used to buy from T.Nagar in Chennai, India. In India the street vendors would sell freshly shelled double beans by measuring them in cups or small heaps (kooru). Long back I tasted it for the first time in my aunt Sakuntala athai's house and started liking it very much. Athai makes it like a dry masala curry along with rasam rice or sambar and that is the best according to me. May be some other day I will ask her the recipe and post here:) I prepared this like a thick gravy and it tasted great with chapati.


Ingredients:
cooked double beans - 1 cup
Shallot onion - 4
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
fennel seeds (sombu)- 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
coriander powder - 2 tsp
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
curry masala powder - 1/2 tsp
tomato - 1 (chopped)
salt - to taste

Procedure:
If using dry beans, soak them overnight and pressure cook for a whistle. Then reduce heat and switch off after 2 minutes . Don't cook after this 2 minutes. Release pressure and it would be cooked. If it needs a little more cooking, then do it in stove top , with careful observation.....otherwise the double beans turns mushy.
Otherwise use a can of cooked beans (remove that water and rinse twice before using).
Grind the shallot, coconut and cumin seeds together to a coarse paste.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the fennel seeds and let it become red. Then goes the curry leaves, chopped tomato. Saute till tomato gets mushy. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes. The put the coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes with little water. Then add the cooked beans.
Then put the ground masala and keep stirring occasionally, till the koottu / curry becomes a gravy.
Large butter beans or double beans curry is ready.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with chapathi, roti.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Almond Kulfi Ice cream

Some months ago I made this ice cream,when I bought this pack of almonds in sale in an Indian grocery store. Here in NJ, one can see even the grocery stores announcing Deepavali sale for the customers and it is the good time to stock up the pantry:) It is advisable to store the nuts in refrigerator to ensure the freshness. Nuts gives a satiety factor for the dieters.  Almonds are wonderful snacks if we pop them in microwave with a dash of salt . They turn crunchy while roasting and becomes flavorful, which can be served as a less spicy snack. But almonds part in desserts is more precious:)  One day I wanted to make some nutritious dessert with lesser calorie and got this ice cream. I have narrated two methods I tried. The one with condensed milk is very easy, while the other has very less calories but takes more time. Here is the dessert for the weekend.

While typing this post, I can see many getting prepared for Varalakshmi nonbu festival. I think it is apt to post a sweet today:)

Happy Varalakshmi Nonbu !


Ingredients:
Almond - 20
Milk (full fat) - 2.5 cups / 1/2 liter
custard powder - 2 tbsp (vanilla flavor)
sugar - 1/2 cup (or) 3/4 cup
condensed milk - 2 tbsp (optional)
butter - 2 tbsp
To soak and grind:
Almond - 20
cardamom seeds - 1 tsp
saffron - few strands
milk - to soak almonds

Method:
Soak the almonds overnight (or)Put it in boiling water, wait till it wrinkle, peel and grind immediately to a fine paste.
In a wok dry roast the remaining almonds and chop it to small pieces. Let it cool completely. Keep aside.
Bring to boil 2 cups of milk.
In the remaining 1/2 cup milk add sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, custard powder and mix well.
Add this mixture into the boiled milk.
Start heating in low fire. It will become somewhat thick. Take care not to burn it at bottom.
Switch off, add butter, almond paste mixture and let it cool.
Place it in freezer. Then after 30 minutes take out and beat it in the mixie for a minute or more.
Freeze it again for 30 minutes and beat for a minute in mixer.
Freeze again for 30 minutes and beat for a minute in a mixie.
Now add the chopped almonds and mix well.
Decorate with little saffron strands.
Then freeze it for 4 hours or till it sets completely..

                                                               Another method

To soak and grind:
Almond - 20
cardamom seeds - 1.5 tsp
saffron - 3 strands

Other ingredients:
Almond - 20
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz can (400 gm)
fat free Whipped Topping 8 oz (225 gm) - 2 packs

Preparation:
Soak the almonds overnight (or)Put it in boiling water, wait till it wrinkle, peel and grind immediately to a fine paste with saffron and cardamom (elachi).
In a wok dry roast the almonds and chop it to small pieces. Let it cool completely. Keep aside.
Method:
The whipped topping should be kept in refrigerator till we start using.
In a mixing bowl add the almond paste and Condensed milk . Mix well.
Then blend in the chopped almond.
Now add the whipped topping and mix gently (too much mixing will make the ice cream hard).
Immediately transfer them to a freezer-safe lidded container.
Cover and freeze for 3-4 hours.

Creamy rich almond kulfi ice cream is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as dessert.
Before scooping, keep the ice cream in room temperature for 2 minutes to get it smoothly.

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