Thursday 26 February 2015

Quick scrambled wheat flour (puttu ) stir fry with egg and spinach


Quick scrambled wheat flour (puttu )stir fry with egg and spinach
Quick scrambled wheat flour (puttu ) stir fry with egg and spinach

Pittu is scrambled rice flour or all purpose flour cake. It resembles couscous and has a taste vaguely similar to it. This an Asian dish found in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. Its spelling and pronunciation can vary from country to country. It may be either puttu or pittu. It can be consumed as a sweet or savory. It is normally eaten with curry, coconut sambol butter and sugar or maple syrup. 
This recipe is for stir frying pre-made puttu. My recipe for making puttu is here.

 Pittu can be made in advance and frozen. It can be reheated in a microwave oven or steamed before serving.

Today I will make a quick stir fry with eggs and spinach. It a good dish for breakfast.


                                    Recipe summary
                                               For
  Quick scrambled wheat flour (puttu ) stir fry with egg and   spinach

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1

Preparation
1. Beat 1 egg with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and keep aside.

2. If you made the pittu in a barrel steamer crush the pittu to break into small pieces.
Ingredients
If you made the putu in a simple steamer it need not be crushed  because they are already in the state you want it to be.

3. Wash 100 grams spinach leaves and wipe them to dry. Chop them coarsely.

4. Chop 1 onion and 1 green chili coarsely.

5. Wash and cut 8 curry leaves fine.
Broken puttu made by barrel steamer
Puttu before stir fried



Method 
1. Heat a large pan or a wok. When it is hot add 2 tablespoon sesame or olive oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat and add 1 onion coarsely chopped chili and fry for 3 minutes or till onions are translucent. 

2. Add curry leaves and fry for a minute.

3. Add chopped spinach stir fry for 1 minute.

4. Add the beaten egg and give it a good stir.
Continue to stir and fry for 3 minutes or until the egg becomes firm.

5. Lastly add pittu and fry while stirring for 3 minutes. If you like you can add a teaspoon of butter to give additional taste. That is it. 
Quick puttu stir fry with egg and spinach
Quick puttu stir fry with egg and spinach
Serve while still warm. It can be served on its own or with curry or with something fried like chicken, fish or vegetables.



Variations
There are many possible variations to make this recipe richer.  You can add fried egg plant, potato  and deep fried onion.

you can add fried peanut and sprats or fried chicken pieces.

The following  pictures shown at the bottom are showing ways how I  make puttu  in a big steamer.

Quick scrambled wheat flour (puttu ) stir fry with egg and spinach is ready.

                                                                                  
                 Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Main
300 grams pittu.
Others

1 onion chopped coarsely
1 egg beaten
1 green chilli cut into small pieces
100 grams spinach chopped coarsely
2 tablespoon sesame or olive oil
¼ teaspoon pepper powder
¼ tsp salt 
8 curry leaves chopped fine

Preparation

Beat the egg with salt and pepper and keep aside.
If you made the pittu in a barrel steamer crush the pittu to break into small pieces; like what is shown in this picture.
Broken puttu made by barrel steamer
Broken puttu  made by barrel steamer
If you made the putu in a simple steamer it need not be crushed to set the pieces apart be cause they are already in the state you want it to be.
Steamed puttu
Steamed puttu

Wash spinach leaves and wipe them to dry. Chop them coarsely.

Method 

     Heat a large pan or a wok. When it is hot add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat and add onion and chili and fry for 3 minutes or till onions are translucent. Add curry leaves and fry for a minute.
Add chopped spinach stir fry for 1 minute.
Added egg and spinach, Onion, green chili,
Added egg and spinach, Onion and green chili.

 Add the beaten egg and give it a good stir.
Continue to stir and fry for 3 minutes or until the egg becomes firm.


Addition of egg
Addition of egg
Lastly add pittu and fry while stirring for 3 minutes. If you like you can add a teaspoon of butter to give additional taste. That is it. Serve while still warm. It can be served on its own or with curry or with something fried like chicken, fish or vegetables.


Final stage
Final stage 


Variations
There are many possible variations to make this recipe richer.  You can add fried egg plant, potato  and deep fried onion if you wanted this to be a vegetarian dish, But if you are not concerned with it being a vegetarian dish you can add fried peanut and sprats.You can use store bought
fried peanut and sprats or you cant make your own.


Quick puttu stir fry with egg and spinach
Quick puttu stir fry with egg and spinach


The following  pictures shown at the bottom are showing ways how I make puttu in a big steamer.
I make once in 2  weeks and divide the puttu and freeze  in small packets for future use as needed.
This is enough for three or four days.


puttu is ready for steaming
Puttu  is ready for steaming


Steamed puttu
Steamed puttu


The big steamer
The big steamer

Monday 23 February 2015

Spicy winged bean curry

Spicy winged bean curry
Spicy winged bean curry
Winged bean is an uncommon vegetable. This attractive vegetable has frilly “wings” along four edges, It is sold under various names such as four-angled beans, Goa beans, princess beans, winged peas and winged beans. It has a very bland flavour. We are going to make it tasty by adding spices.
Winged beans
Winged beans


                                       Recipe summary
                                                  For
                                  Spicy winged bean curry

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time:20 minutes

Serves: 4

1. Wash and cut 500 grams winged beans into ½ inch size pieces.
Winged beans
Winged beans


2. In a small frying pan or a wok, heat ½  cup vegetable oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium.


3. Fry the beans in small batches.


4. Add 2 coarsely chopped onions and deep fry for 15 minutes or till the onion turns dark brown in colour. Drain and set aside.
Spicy winged bean curry
Spicy winged bean curry


5. In a medium sized frying pan or a wok add the left over oil from frying the onion and heat it up.  When the oil is hot, add 2 dry chilies and fry for 30 seconds.

6. Add ¼ tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp fennel seeds, 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic, 5 grams finely chopped ginger, and 10 curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes.


7. I added 1 green and 2 red chili along with the above ingredients. But when you fry red chili followed by green and red chili there will be irritating vapors from the frying pan. Therefore add ¼ cup of water and then add 1 thinly sliced green chili and 1 thinly sliced red chili. Continue stir frying for 1 minute.

Ingredients for Spicy
 winged bean curry



8. Add the fried onion and fried winged bean pieces 

9. Add 2 cups of water, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder and  ½ tsp salt  Cover and cook in medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add 15 grams tamarind juice  and if the pan is dry add another ¼ cup of water.

10. Add 1/8 teaspoon pepper powder and 1 cup coconut milk. Mix well and cook uncovered for 3 minutes.

Fried beans
Fried beans




11. The curry is ready. You can serve this with rice or bread. It is a very tasty dish that you will enjoy.



Spicy winged bean curry is ready.

                                  
                        Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time:20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main
500 grams winged beans cut into ½ inch size pieces
Others
2 onions chopped coarsely
2 dry red chilies
10 curry leaves
3 cloves garlic sliced thinly
1 green chili sliced thinly
½ cup coconut milk
15 grams tamarind pulp, juice extracted
½ teaspoon salt
5 grams ginger chopped fine
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Ingredients for Spicy winged bean curry
Spices
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ cup coconut milk
15 grams tamarind pulp, juice extracted
½ teaspoon salt
5 grams ginger chopped fine
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preparation
Wash ans cut winged beans into ½ inch size pieces.
In a small frying pan or a wok, heat the oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium.
Fry the beans in small batches.

Soak 15 grams tamarind pulp in ¼ cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Massage and squeeze the pulp. Strain the liquid, discarding any solids. First you add only about ½ to ¾ of the juice. Add the balance after tasting and if necessary.


Fried beans
Fried beans

Add onion and deep fry for 15 minutes or till the onion turns dark brown in colour.
Drain and set aside.


Fried onion
fried onion

Method
In a medium sized frying pan or a wok add the left over oil from frying the onion and heat it up.  When the oil is hot, add dry chilies and fry for 30 seconds.

Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, garlic, ginger and curry leafs and fry for 2 minutes.
Dry chili,green chiliand garlic
Dry chili,green chili and garlic


Curry leaves , cumin seeds, fennel seeds added
Curry leaves , cumin seeds, fennel seeds added

I added green chili along with the above ingredients. But when you fry chili, there will be irritating vapors from the frying pan. Therefore add ¼ cup of water and then add green chilies. Continue stir frying for 1 minute.

Add the fried onion
Onions added
Onions added
Add fried winged bean pieces .
Fried winged bean added
                                     Fried wing bean added
                                                      
Add 2 cups of water, curry powder, turmeric powder and salt.  Cover and cook in medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add tamarind juice and if the pan is dry add another ¼ cup of water.
Water curry powder turmeric powder added
Water curry powder turmeric powder added
Add pepper powder and coconut milk. Mix well and cook uncovered for 3 minutes.
Pepper powder and coconut milk added
Pepper powder and coconut milk added
The curry is ready. You can serve this with rice or bread. It is a very tasty dish that you will enjoy.


Final stage
                                                Final stage



IF YOU LIKE SEE MY MILDER VERSION OF THIS CURRY  http://simplycookingandhealth.blogspot.com/2014/11/winged-bean-mild-curry.html



Winged Bean Mild Curry
Winged Bean Mild Curry




















Sunday 22 February 2015

Mild unripe jack fruit kernel curry


 Mild Unripe Jack fruit kernel curry
 Mild Unripe Jack fruit kernel curry


Jack fruit is delicious with a very pleasant aroma. Ripe fruit has a high sugar content. It is a distant cousin of durian but tasted very differently. It is found all over the world. A mature tree yields very generously. It survives dry spells. Not all are familiar with using unripe jack fruit in cooking. Therefore I am preparing an Asian curry with the kernel of the fruit. The seeds are also edible and very tasty. You can fry, roast, burn it in direct flame or make into curry. The seed from a ripe fruit will be hard when fried. If you fry the  seed after boiling it with little chilly powder and salt, it will be very soft and tasty. You can see my recipe Tempting soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds.


                                       Recipe summary
                                                 For 
                              Mild unripe kernel curry

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Jackfruit
Jackfruit
                 
            
1. In a pan heat 2 tablespoon of oil.

2. Add dry chili, cumin seeds and, fennel seeds and fry for 10 seconds.

.3 Add chili pieces, ginger,garlic, curry leaves, and fry for 5 minutes.
 Mild Unripe Jack fruit kernel curry
 Mild Unripe Jack
 fruit kernel curry

4. Add onion and fry for 10 minutes.

5. Add jack fruit kernel slices, chili powder, pepper powder, salt and turmeric powder.

6. Add water and bring to the boil in high heat.
Ingredients


















7. Add garam masala.
Unripe jack fruit kernels with seeds
Unripe jack fruit
 kernels with seeds


8. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes.


9. Add coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes uncovered.





Jackfruit seeds and long beans curry is ready.
                                  


                     Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main
350 grams jack fruit kernel
Others
I onion
1 green chili sliced into small pieces
5 garlic cloves made into paste
7 grams ginger  made into paste

You can grind ginger and garlic together into a paste. You can make this paste in bulk and store in the refrigerator after adding sesame oil to cover the paste. Ginger garlic paste is also available in the stores.
10 curry leaves
¼ cup coconut milk
½ tsp salt
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil of your choice
Spices
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 dry chili, broken into two
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder


                                     
Ingredients for Mild unripe jack fruit kernel curry
Ingredients for Mild unripe jack fruit kernel curry


              
Preparation
If you bought a whole fruit, you will have to cut the fruit into two halves and separate out the kernel from the fruit. You will find 
pre-prepared kernels in packets in the markets.
Unripe jack fruit kernels with seeds
Unripe jack fruit kernels with seeds
Remove the seeds. There is a transparent thin coat between the yellow fleshy part and the seed. Peel and remove it. slice the kernel into bite size pieces. cut the seeds small into bite size pieces.
The inner transparent coat
The inner transparent coat 

Method
In a large pan heat 2 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to low and add dry chili, cumin seeds and, fennel seeds and fry for 10 seconds.

Add chili pieces, ginger,garlic, curry leaves, and fry for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure that they do not get burnt.
Add chili pieces, ginger,garlic, curry leaves
Add chili pieces, ginger,garlic, curry leaves
Then add onion and fry for 10 minutes.
Add onion
Add onion 
Add jack fruit kernel slices, chili powder, pepper powder and turmeric powder.
Add jack fruit kernel slices, chili powder, pepper powder and turmeric powder.
Add jack fruit kernel slices, chili powder, pepper powder and turmeric powder.
Mix well with spices.
   kernels mixed with spices
                               kernels mixed with spices


Add water and bring to boil in high heat.
Adding water
Adding water

Add garam masala.

Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Simmering
Simmering

Add coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes uncovered.
Add coconut milk
Add coconut milk 
Taste for seasoning and adjust. The curry is ready. Serve with rice or bread while warm. This is really a very delicious curry. I hope you will try it.




























Saturday 21 February 2015

Tempting soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds


Tempting soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds
Tempting soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds

                                  

Fried jackfruit seeds are suitable for serving as a snack or an accompaniment to a rice meal. If you fry this seed as it is it will be hard and very difficult to eat. I have made this fry soft by first boiling the seed and then frying it. When you eat jackfruit you can save the seeds to make this fry. It is really wonderful and great friend of children.

I bought the seeds from the market.



Raw jack fruit seeds
Raw jack fruit seeds

                     
                                       Recipe summary 
                                                 For 
                  Tempting soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time:15 minutes

Serves :4

1. Remove the outer celluloid like shell from 150 gram jackfruit seeds. Cut the seeds into bite size pieces lengthwise or side wise. I cut the seeds in the middle into two halves.
Raw jack fruit seeds
Raw jack fruit seeds



Cutting the seed and peeling the skin
  Cutting the seed and peeling the skin
Peeled jack fruit seeds
Jackfruit seeds
2. In a medium sauce pan place the seeds add 1½ cups water enough to cover the seeds, ½  tsp chili powder, ½  tsp turmeric powder, ½  tsp pepper powder, ½  tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp salt. Cover and bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium and simmer covered for 15 minutes or till the masala  becomes dry. Stir in between. Try the seeds, if it is not cooked soft add a little hot water and  simmer. The seeds will now be soft. Remove the seeds from the pan.

3. In a medium sized frying pan or a wok heat 2 tbsp sesame  oil. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the seeds and fry for about 10 minutes.
Soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds
Tempting soft and spicy
 fried jackfruit seeds

4. That’s all. The jackfruit seed fry is ready


5. Truly it is very delicious but do not eat too much at once as it may cause flatulence. Consume about 5 to 6 seeds at a time.




Tempting soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds is ready.
                                  
             
               Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time:15 minutes
Serves :4

Ingredients
Main
150 gram jackfruit  seeds
Others
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ tea spoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon pepper powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sesame oil

Preparation
We need to remove the outer celluloid like shell. With a sharp knife make a slit. Then pry with the knife and pull up the shell. Then use your fingers to remove the shell. You can also put the slits vertically and horizontally around the seed and then pull out the shell.
Cutting the seed and peeling the skin
                         Cutting the seed and peeling the skin

You can cut the seeds into bite size pieces lengthwise or side wise. I cut the seeds in the middle into two halves.

Peeled jack fruit seeds

Method

In a medium sauce pan place the seeds and add 11/2 cups water, enough to cover the seeds. Add chili powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, cumin powder and salt. Cover and bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium and simmer covered for 15 minutes or till the masala  becomes dry. Stir in between. Try the seeds, if it is not soft add a little hot water and  simmer for a few more minutes. The seeds will now be soft. Remove the seeds from the pan.
Raw seeds with chili powder, turmeric, pepper, cumin powder and salt
Raw seeds with chili powder, turmeric, pepper, cumin powder and salt
                                     
Boiled jack fruit seeds
Boiled jack fruit seeds

In a medium sized frying pan or a wok heat the oil. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the seeds and fry for about 10 minutes.
Shallow frying
Shallow frying

That’s all. The jackfruit seed fry is ready. 



Final stage
Final stage

Truly it is very delicious but do not eat too much at once as it may cause flatulence. Consume about 5 to 6 seeds at a time. 


Soft and spicy fried jackfruit seeds