mayurisjikoni

kunde na nazi    Besides red kidney beans(maragwe), red cowpeas (kunde) are cooked often by the local people of Kenya. In the coastal region it is usually cooked in coconut milk (nazi). I love the nutty flavour of cow peas or what Gujaratis commonly call it.. chora. I wanted to make a different curry a few days ago. Rachael suggested coconut. However, I did add my own flavours to it as the one made by local people here is not spicy. They use onion, ginger and green chillis only. If they can afford then a bit of garlic is added. However, garlic is pretty pricey! Just a coconut base may make the curry a bit watery so to thicken it up a bit I added minced onion and coconut. I liked the curry. Full of flavour and thick just the way I like it. I served it with plain rice. I think this is a filling and cook ahead dish for all the football fans out there. Football mania is all over the world at the moment. I missed the opening match as I couldn't stay up till 1a.m. to watch. Maybe I ...

I am getting there  My eldest son had been asking for rajma since he got here. Basically, I was avoiding making them as usually the way I cook them, it does not turn out nice. I remember I made some rajma for Nami's friends(mostly from North India) in Bangalore and I hardly got any reviews, comments or praises. Here I was trying to compete with North Indian mums for whom making rajma is not a big deal. Nami's friend's mum makes yummy rajma and whenever I would ask her how she made them... she would say arre Mayuri, there is nothing special about making them, stir fry onions,garlic, ginger etc etc etc and there your rajma is ready.   So this time, since my son was craving for them, I thought that this dish required some research before I made them and I am so glad I did so. I took tips from most of the recipes I read and now I have a recipe that my family appreciates. Excuse the poor quality of the photo as I took it when the rajma were steaming hot and thus the steam made...

creamy and buttery    Anyone who has been to an Indian restaurant or dhaba, has heard of or tasted dal makhani. Its a famous Punjabi dal, usually served along with naan, parathas, vegetables and rice. The original dal makhani is cooked over a low heat charcoal furnace or in the naan furnace overnight. Very slow cooking makes the dal tasty. The following day all the spices, homemade butter and cream are added to make it thick, creamy and buttery. In this fast world, I seriously do not have the patience of cooking it over low flame overnight. I think, fire hazard, not fuel efficient, what if it burns etc etc. My version of the recipe is not loaded with fat and is easily made in our normal kitchens which may not have a furnace or jiko. updated 11/01/2016 DAL MAKHANI 6 servings 1 cup whole black grams (urad)   ¼ cup red beans 5 cups water ½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi) 2 tsps cumin seeds 2 tbsps clarified butter(ghee) or oil 1½ cups finely chopped onions 2 tbsps garlic paste 2...

Packed with protein  Like other legumes, green lentils or moong are low in fat and high in protein and fiber, and have the added advantage of cooking quickly. Moong have a mild, often earthy flavor, and they're best if cooked with assertive flavorings.  Lentils cook more slowly if they're combined with salt or acidic ingredients, so add these last. Moong can be cooked in many ways, with the traditional onion tomato gravy, on its own as a dry dish, if sprouted can be cooked as a dish to accompany kadhi or in salads. Most Indian families cook moong at least once a week if not more. Moong curry with a spoonful of ghee tastes very delicious. My recipe is khatta (sour) moong. I prefer to make this type of moong to give that slight different taste as I tend to make lentils practically everyday. The usual tomato onion gravy makes all the lentils taste the same. The first time I had khatta moong was when my kaki made them with just a lot of garlic. My version is slightly different. Kh...

wholesome dal     Whole masoor, flat lentils or puy lentils as they are called are packed with proteins, dietary fibres and Vitamin B1. The colours of these legumes or lentils range from yellow to orange red  to green, brown and black. They are used in making curries, soups and even salads. Today I will share with you the recipe of spinach masoor dal. Serve it with hot rotis, bread or rice.     This lentil cooks well and quickly. I usually soak it for 30 minutes or so in warm water and then put it in the pressure cooker. 2-3 whistles and its done. You may even just boil it in enough water in a saucepan till done. updated on 28/09/2015 SPINACH MASOOR DAL 4 serving 1 cup whole masoor dal (flat lentils, puy) 2 cups of roughly chopped spinach ( if using frozen spinach then you may need about 6 pieces) (about a cup of spinach puree) 4 cups water of which 2 cups should be warm 1 big onion finely chopped 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped or 1 tbsp garlic paste 1 t...