Kandhe Khas Khas

We  all have  that one  traditional dish, passed on generations after generations.  No matter however trendy the food gets, you always yearn for that delicious dish. Khande Khas Khas is one of them.  'Khande' meaning onions and 'Khas Khas' meaning poppy seeds, this dish is made of chana dal cooked with cubed onions and poppy seeds paste.  This recipe may differ from one family to another. My mother follows this, while my Mother-in-law avoids poppy seeds paste and cooks chana dal with onions.  But, I guarantee you will love this dish and make them quite often.  Combine them with roti or dosa, though they taste best with roti.

Please note that it is a spicy dish.  I have prepared them lightly spiced because my kid doesn't like too much of spice.  If you are preparing for your family, I suggest you add more chilly powder, accordingly.  

Shepherd's pie

   Shepherd's pie has a meat filling and is  lined with the crust made of mashed potatoes.  This savoury pie was traditionally devoured whenever there was  left-over of grilled meat.  I can also say that it's a comfort food.   With so much humidity around, all you need is a piping hot shepherd's pie and a good book to mark a great day.

I got this recipe from my mom's Morphy Richards oven guidebook.  They have beautifully twisted it according to our Indian palette.  This dish is a layered dish.  The layers start with  thinly sliced potatoes, followed by vegetable mince, lamb mince and topped with mashed potatoes.  This, in turn, is brushed with melted butter and some crumbled cheese.  When these layers are baked, all you get is aromatic and a crispy potato crust top, followed by soft layers of vegetables and meat mince and ends with potato slices. I flavoured meat mince with dill and totally  this pie had such complementing flavours that I ended up devouring them as such.  Alternatively,  you can dig them with roti as well.  

  The round  casserole, I used here is 15 cm in diameter and 5 cm depth.  The filling measurements are made accordingly.  You may have to twist the measurements according to your casserole's size. 

So, let's get started. 

Kundapura kozhi chaaru

    This morning, I was going through my recipe diary.  Initially, when I started to cook, I had this habit of writing down all interesting recipes from TV program.  As week-end special, we always have chicken- so when particular page read, ' Kundapur kozhi chaaru' I got very excited!  All ingredients mentioned was handy at home, so tried these for this week's CCC Challenge.

Kundapura kozhi chaaru is an regional speciality from Karnataka, in a place called, 'Kondapur'.  This curry is more like an soup.  Yes, chaaru is an equivalent term for, 'rasam' in tamil.  This soupy broth is best when served with rice.  This recipe also, involves in an special masala, that imparts an fresh taste to this curry.  To, top this coconut oil and curry leaves added an mystique flavour that circulated the entire home.  Do try this and let us know :)

Empanada vegetariana - Galician stuffed bread

    Empanada gallega/ Galician empanada belongs to cuisine of Galicia, and is mainly had as an appetizer.  This, in general refers to an variety of stuffed bread - filling being fish or seafood or vegetables or an ultimate combo  of all three.  They are known to have sweet fillings as well.  They are prepared as an large savoury pie, and is sliced for serving purpose.

So, when Swathi and Marisa suggested us this bread, I was very delighted to bake them.  I choosed vegetarian version of Empanada with an touch of scrambled eggs, you can avoid eggs if you want. Empanadas vegetarian mixture are called as, 'zaragallada' and they have an strong hint of onions along with garlic, capsicum and tomatos. 

Empanada can be circle or rectangular, depending on baker's choice. Once out of the oven, they were mild, delecious and filling as well.   Since, they are mild, they would go great with tomato-chilly dip or chilly sauce.  We cherished them as an week-end tea-time snack and all thanks to  Swathi and Marisa  for suggesting such an delecious bread

Tomato & fig flavoured sauce

    My kid is tomato sauce-aholic, yes, I think she might be the only kid on earth to have one regular pack of french fries with almost two cups of tomato sauce :D :D   Sometimes, I do worry, what goes into the sauce, but when you have the option of making your own sauce with customized taste - I say, 'Why wait, darling?'

 Tomato sauce makes an great option along with appetizers, but, with dozen of dried figs lying around the corner, I decided to hit on an combo-treat. :)  Suprisingly, the sauce/spread didn't taste like there were any figs on them.  They can go absolutely fabulous with tikkis, cutlets, stuffed parathas, chips etc.  You could also eat them with figs :)

Also, one other special mention is that this sauce is full of flavours- starting from caramelised onions to red wine (optional), there is an subtle sweetness, and tangyness felt towards the end.   This sauce, being iron-rich, can  also boosts up your health.  After an intial taste-check with your folks, I better suggest you to make an huge batch for an healthier you & your family.

Tomato chutney - DIP/SPREAD/LICK :)

What can I say about this chutney- with an multi purpose tag?   Isn't it an wonder to have some appetizer common to all three courses :D Yes, an apt start with any breakfast of day (idly/dosa/upma/semiya), to delecious tomato rice (Mix some paste with cooked rice to obtain the same) , also to spread over sandwiches, stuffed parathas, this chutney, is an boon for all.... And, like an cherry on top, this DIP/SPREAD/LICK tagged chutney is storable as well.......

I had this wonderful tomato chutney, sometime back at Chennai.  My aunt served them with gingelly oil drizzled at top.  I, tried to skip them with an delusional diet :D  (LOL, this is what happens, we feast on KFC, but still try to follow diet, at home-made dishes :D)   But, my aunty patiently reminded me that gingelly oil drizzled over top, not only enhances the flavour and taste, but also cools down stomach and makes them free from any gastric problems.  She also reminded me, that due to this reason, girls are forced to take gingelly oil ,on an empty stomach during their puberty.

I, then, convinced took to the chutney and found them delecious as well. Smooth,  buttery, little tanginess compensated with hot spices is what my taste-bud felt.  According to aunt, her basic formula for this tomato chutney, is

Oil + Urad dal + 1/2 parts of Onions + 1 part of tomato + Dried red chillies + 1/4 parts of Coconut

Noting down, above formula, please remember that other than tomato and red chilies (which varies according to quantity of tomato), others are flavour enhancers.  So, roughly you can experiment with any ratios, or according to your stock availability :D  :D  :D

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves:  Might serve 20, I divided the prepared chutney in two containers and refrigerated them, this went on for two weeks :)

Ingredients required

• 2 tbspn of gingelly oil
• 1 tbspn of whole urad dal
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
• 1/2 kg of tomatos, finely chopped
• 10-12 dried,long red chillies
• 1/4 cup of coconut, finely sliced
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup of gingelly oil (For storing purpose)

Method

Heat gingelly oil in an heavy-bottomed kadaai, add urad dal.  Let them brown over an simmer flame.
Add onions, saute till onions turn pink (Don't brown)

Now, add our tomatos along with whole red chillies.  You can also add half tsp of salt, if you prefer.  Saute tomatos and simmer the flame, let the tomatos get mushy and reduce their quantity. 

When they got almost reduced and tomato residue sticks on to kadaai, add coconut and switch off the gas.  No need to cook coconut, as they will get cooked by the warmth shared by hot tomato residue.  Let this cool thoroughly.  Blend, without adding water, and serve, drizzled with (raw) gingelly oil over top.

Note

If you are planning to make an large batch to store, please know that after blending, these chutney can be divided into four or five small-sized containers.  And before closing the lid of each container, do remember to drizzle 1-2 tbspn of gingelly oil over the top.  This not only enhances the flavour and keeps you fit, but also helps in saving the chutney from any spoilage.  The reason, I asked to store in small containers, is that everytime, before consumption, the chutney, needs to be brought back to room temperature.  This way, if you are storing entire stock in one large container, you need to bring this out an hour earlier everyday, leading to increased chances of spoilage.  So, it is best to store them in four to five small containers.

Linking this to Srivalli's CCC Challenge

Dal Bukhara Recipe | Restaurant-Style Creamy Black Urad Dal

Dal Bukhara is a rich and flavorful lentil dish made primarily with whole black urad dal. Originally inspired by the cuisine of the historic city of Bukhara in Central Asia, this dish has become a popular delicacy in Indian restaurants.

Although Dal Bukhara is often compared to Dal Makhani, there is a distinct difference between the two. Dal Makhani is known for its buttery flavor and creamy texture, while Dal Bukhara has a more pronounced tomato flavor, giving it a beautiful reddish-brown color and a slightly tangy taste.

Slow-cooked black urad dal combined with aromatic spices and fresh tomato puree creates a comforting dish that pairs wonderfully with roti, naan, paratha, or jeera rice.

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Serves

4

Ingredients

To Be Pressure Cooked

• ½ cup whole black urad dal, soaked overnight
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 3 tsp finely chopped mint leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 cup water

Other Ingredients

• 3 tsp oil
• ¼ tsp crushed cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 2 cloves
• 4 tsp finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 4 tsp finely chopped tomatoes
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 cup tomato puree
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp salt or as required

Method

Step 1: Cook the Dal

Pressure cook the soaked black urad dal along with green chillies, ginger, mint leaves, asafoetida, and water until soft and well-cooked. Keep aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Masala

Heat oil in a pan. Add crushed cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom powder.

Add finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn light golden.

Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until aromatic.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft and mushy.

Step 3: Combine and Simmer

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt.

Mix in the cooked dal and combine well.

Pour in the tomato puree and simmer for 8–10 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend beautifully.

Step 4: Serve

Serve hot with roti, naan, paratha, kulcha, or jeera rice.

Serving Suggestions

• Butter Naan
• Tandoori Roti
• Laccha Paratha
• Jeera Rice
• Steamed Basmati Rice

This hearty and protein-rich Dal Bukhara is perfect for a comforting family meal and tastes even better the next day.