Haupia - My entry to JFI Event 01/07

For the past 4 months I have been following the JFI event started by Indira. This time when Ashwini of Food for Thought came up with the ingredient coconut I thought of taking part too. Moreover being New Year why not start with a refreshing sweet.
Since this is my first time I am entering a very simple but traditional dessert recipe made in Hawaii. It is called Haupia. Haupia is a Hawaiian dessert made from coconut milk. This has a pudding consistency. Usually this is made with coconut milk made from scratch. But since I did not have the time, I made it with canned coconut milk.



Ingredients

Coconut milk - 1 cup
whole milk - 1/2 cup
corn starch - 2 tbsp
sugar - 3 tbsp
finely cut fresh coconut to garnish



Method

1. In a pan heat the coconut milk. Keep it in low flame.
2. Mix the sugar and cornstarch to it . Stir in so that there are no lumps.
3. Cook it till it starts to thicken. At this point add the whole milk to it. Cook it in low flame stirring. It will thicken and will become smooth and shiny.
4. When it is thick pour it in a rectangular pan. Let it cool and chill it for 2hrs in the refrigerator till firm.
5. For serving Scoop and serve it in a plate. Sprinkle some finely cut fresh coconut.

This recipe serves 4 small cups.

Red Potato & Spinach

Since the skin is Red it is called Red potatoes. But if we peel it looks the same as normal potatoes. But this is always washed thoroughly and cooked with its skin on. Usually I bake the red potoes adding italian herbs. But today I thought of adding spinach to it and it tasted kind of different mainly because it didnot have much spices added to it. My kids loved it with chappathi and curd.

Ingredients

Red potatos – 3 nos
Spinach – ½ bunch
Salt to taste
Pepper pdr – 1 tsp
Coriander cumin pdr – 1 tsp
Oil – 3 tsp

Method

1. Wash the red potatoes well in water. Cut them into cubes. Donot peel the skin.
   Boil water. Add little salt and put the cut potatoes. Drain it when it starts to become soft.
2. Wash the spinach. Cut them finely and keep it aside.
3. In a pan add 2 tsp oil. Add pepper pdr and coriandercumin pdr . Mix it in the oil with a spatula.
   
4. Then add the cooked potatos and the cut spinach . Add salt to your taste. Cook till the spinach become soft.
   
5. Drizzle 1 tsp oil in the end.
   

Paneer-Capsicum Fry

This is a very easy dish to prepare when you are in a hurrybury. The masala paste I used here is the Parampara brand. It gives a nice taste and flavour to the dish.

Ingredients

Paneer,Capsicum,onion – 1 cup each(cut into small cubes)
Green chillies – 2
Salt to taste
Masala paste – 2 tsp(I use parampara brand)
Ghee – 2 tsp
Lime to garnish

Method

1. Place a non stick pan in low flame. When it is hot. Put the paneer cubes and fry it till all sides are light brown. If you feel it might stick to the bottom add ½ tsp oil before putting the paneer cubes.
2. In a pan heat 2 tsp ghee. Add the masal paste and green chillies. Blend it in the oil with a spatula.
3. Then add the onions fry it.
   
4. Then add capsicum and fry it.
5. In the end add the paneer cubes. Add salt to your taste.
6. Sprinkle some water and fry it for another 3-4 mnts stirring everynow and then.
   

Squeeze lime juice before serving. This is a dry dish.

Mixed Beans Curry

I had this packet of mixed Beans(pinto,blackeye,kidney,White,red,splitpea,lentil) to make Bean soup. I made it once , but was not a big fan. So I thought why not make a dish similar to Rajma. I changed the ingredients a little and here it is for you to check it out.



Ingredients

Mixed beans – 1 cup
Onion – 1
Tomato – 1
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds -1 tsp
Turmeric pdr – ¼ tsp
Sauf – 1tsp
Garlic – 2 cloves
Redchilli – 1
Curry leaf -7-8 nos
Oil- 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak the beans for 4hrs.
   Pressure cook it adding little salt. Drain and keep it aside after cooking. Keep the drained water.
2. In a pan add 1 tsp oil. Cut onions and add it. When it is lightly fried add garlic, coriander,cumin, sauf, redchilli, 4 curry leaves to it. Fry it lightly. Grind it in the mixie.
3. Add 1 tsp oil in the pan. When the oil is hot add rest of the curry leaves. Cut the tomato and add it to the hot oil. Fry it till soft. Add turmeric pdr.
4. Then add the ground mixture and fry it.
5. Then add the cooked beans.Add water . Add salt to taste.
6. Cook it in low flame for 10 mnts keeping it closed.

This goes well with plain rice and chappathis.

Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi in Italian means Dumplings. It usually falls under the pasta dishes. I love to watch the cooking show in PBS every saturday. One of the episode in Lidias Bastianich's show was Potato gnocchi. I wanted to try out but never got a chance to make it from scratch. So last weekend I included gnocchis in my list when I went shopping. I bought the Gnocchis sold in vaccum sealed packets(Colovita brand). You also get the dried ones. The tomato sauce ,I usually make and keep them so that when ever I want to make pasta I can use them. I have followed mostly Lidia's recipe for the sauce with little changes.



Potato Gnocchi – 1 cup
Tomato sauce – 1 cup
Parmesan Cheese – 1 cup(grated)
Bread crumbs – 2 tbsp
Italian herbs – 1 tsp

Tomato sauce
tomatos - 8 plum tomatoes
onions - 1
carrots - 1/2 cup(diced)
celery - 1/2 cup(chopped)
extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp
pepper pdr - 1 tsp
bay leaf - 2-3nos
paprika to your taste of heat
salt to taste

Cut the tomatoes and pulse it in the mixie till it is coarsely ground.

In a deep pan add olive oil. Add the cut onions , carrots and celery. Fry it lightly. Add the ground tomato sauce, paprika,salt and pepper pdr. Add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. Add the bay leaf , cover it and then let it simmer for 45mnts. Stir in between.
Open it and let it cook for anothe 15-20 mnts. The sauce will thicken. Use necessarry sauce for the gnocchi and store the rest in air tight container in the fridge for 8-10 days.

To complete the Gnocchi

Boil water in a pasta pot. Add the potato gnocchi when the water boils. Let it cook for 8-10 mnts till it is soft. Drain it. Keep some of the cooked water for later use.

Prepare the tomato sauce ahead. If it is thick add some cooked water to the sauce and heat it. Stir in ½ tsp Italian herbs to it.

Platter the gnocchi. Pour the tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle cheese,bread crumbs and Italian herbs.

You can eat this with italian bread or even just as it is.

Rajma Masala

Just as the name ,this maroon coloured bean has the shape of kidney. It is rich in minerals. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans has high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein.

Ingredients

Kidney beans – 1 cup
Onion- 1 medium
Tomato – 2 medium
Toor dal – 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sauf, black pepper – 1 tsp each
Cinnamon stick –small piece
Garlic – 2-3 clove
Garam masal pdr -1 tsp(optional)
Salt to taste
Redchillipdr to taste
Oil – 3 tsp
curry leaves

Method

1. Soak the beans over night. In a pan fry the toor daal to light brown. Pressure cook dal and beans i adding little salt. See that it is not over cooked. Cook till 4-5 whistles. When you drain the beans donot throw the water away. Keep it aside for later cooking.
2. Cut onion and tomato and fry it in a pan addingoil. When it becomes soft add garlic cinnamon,coriander,cumin,saunf and black pepper. Grind it in the mixie.
3. Add the ground mixture to the kidney beans and toor dal. Add salt and redchilli pdr to your taste. Also add garam masala pdr. Add necessary bean water and cook it in medium flame for 10-12 mnts.

Garnish it with curry leaves