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What's Cooking? Indian recipes

Share recipes and cooking tips. Every fortnight, a selected entry will be featured in What’s Cooking? and its sender crowned NRI Pulse’s Gourmet Chef. Pls. send contributions to contact@NRIPulse.com with What’s Cooking? in the subject line.

Elaborate Gourds

Two tasty dishes that certainly do not qualify as your everyday, run-of-the-mill Indian fare. Try them when you are in the mood for something different...and vegetarian.


Bharwan Karela

Ingredients:

4 medium karela (bitter gourd)
1-cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1 dried red chili 
Garam masala:
4 cloves 
2 cardamoms
1 inch cinnamon
2 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 green chilies (chopped)
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 medium tomato (chopped)
1 bunch cilantro (finely chopped) 
Powdered masala:
1tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder 
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp tandoori masala powder (optional)
1 tbsp amchur powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste 
A pinch sodium bicarbonate
1.5 liters water
Thread 

Method:
1. Cut the ends of karela. Slit it open and remove seeds. Wash karela. 
2. Add 1 tbsp salt, soda, and 1 tsp coriander powder to the water and let it boil. To the boiling water, add the karela that has its internals completely taken out. Boil the karela covered on medium flame 8 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil, add cumin seeds, dried red chili and garam masala. When the cumin seeds begin to splutter, add onion and sauté for sometime over medium flame till onion turns transparent and pinkish. 
4. Add ginger paste and sauté for 3 minutes, then add all the powdered masalas and amchur powder. Add the chopped tomatoes and green chili. Sauté for 2 minutes and then cook everything covered on slow flame for 5 minutes. Put off the flame. The stuffing masala is ready. 
5. Take the karela out of the water, drain off the water well. Let it cool. When the karela reaches room temp, fill the karela with the stuffing. Then tie the 2 pieces of each karela together with the thread so that the masala does not spill off when the karela is fried. 
6. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a shallow pan. When oil is hot, empty the stuffed karela into the pan. Cook on one side on medium flame, then turn over put some more oil and cook it well from all sides. Put off the flame. Take the thread out of the karela. 
7. Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, and onion rings and sprinkle some amchur powder over the dish. 


Lauki Koftas

Ingredients for the kofta:
1 small bottle-gourd (lauki)
1/2 kg besan (chick-pea flour)
3 tbs coriander-cumin powder
4 green chilies (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying 

Method:
1. Peel and grate the lauki. Squeeze out the water and keep aside. 
2. Mix the besan, lauki, coriander-cumin powder and salt adding a little water to make the dough. (Water kept aside from the squeezed lauki can be used).
3. Prepare small balls and deep fry till golden brown and keep aside. 
4. Make a hole in the kofta with a fork. (care to be taken that they should not break) 

For the gravy: 
1 cup yogurt
2 onions (finely chopped)
2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 coconut (grated)
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp red chili powder 
Small piece of tamarind

Method:
1. Grind the coconut along with the tamarind into a fine paste and keep aside. 
2. Fry the onion and tomatoes in a kadai with 1 tbsp oil till onions are golden brown. 
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste, the coconut tamarind paste and the water from the squeezed lauki and bring to boil till the mixture starts becoming a little thick. 
4. Once it starts boiling, add the garam masala and red chili powder and salt and then drop the koftas in it. 
5. Once this starts boiling, wait for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Remove from fire and add the yogurt. 

  

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