Get corny the 'Corn Kadhi' way!

Corn Kadhi
This is an experiment that turned up well.

In India, the kadhi is very popular. Most Indians are used to making kadhi in some form or other.It is a delicious gravy made of curd (yogurt) which should be eaten hot with Indian bread (chapatis) or steamed rice. While the recipe for the kadhi is fairly simple and will be given below, the reason I said experiment is because not many people put corn in their kadhis.

But come the monsoons, and when one wants to eat something hot and wholesome, as well easy to make, the kadhi comes to mind. And with the monsoons here, can corn be far behind in India?!

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:
* Whole American corn( butta) = 3 nos.
* Buttermilk = 3-4 cups. (Soured buttermilk is preferred. If there is no buttermilk, take yogurt and mix it well with water to get a consistent thick paste)
* Gram Flour (Besan or Chana atta) = 4-5 tbsp
* Red chillies = 4-5 nos (the smaller round varieties work better)
* Curry leaf (Kadipatta) = 3-4
* Black pepper corns = 5-6 nos
* Mustard seeds (Mori) = 1 tsp
* Cumin seeds (Jeera) = 1 tsp
* Salt = As per taste
* Sugar = 1/2 tsp
* Ghee= 1 tbsp (or even oil will do)
* Asafoetida (hing) = 2 pinches
* Turmeric powder = 1-2 tsp
* Red chilli powder = 1/2 tsp
* Coriander leaves = a sprinkling

Method:

* Break each corn into 2 halves or three pieces. Steam it in slightly salted water - or pressure cook it for about 3 whistles- till the corn is soft but not breaking. Let it cool.
* Mix the flour and butter milk well with a hand mixer or whipper and ensure there are no granules of the flour floating. Strain into a container.
* Heat ghee or oil in a saucepan and add peppercorns, cumin and mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillis . Let the seeds crackle.
* Add the buttermilk and flour mixture. Simmer on low heat.
* Stir continuously.
* Add salt, sugar, turmeric, red chilli powder and asafoetida.
* To the above mixture, add the steamed corn pieces. Stir again.
* Allow to come to boil before you stop stirring, and the mixture does not taste floury.
* Garnish with coriander and place a lid.

Heat again just before serving so that the corn gets completely soaked with the gravy.
Serve hot with Rice or chapati. OR have it like soup.

Mango Moramba/Murabba (Sweet Mango Pickle)

A simple recipe, a little time-consuming...but oh, so yummy! This is a typical Maharashtrian delicacy of sorts.

Ingredients:
* One mango (either green and raw or golden and ripe) = cut in small pieces.
* A cup of sugar
* Cardamom (Elaichi) = 3-4 nos, finely crushed.
* Saffron (Kesar) = few strands.

(Note: One cup of sugar for a cup of mango pieces. If the mango is ripe, then deskin it first. If the mango is raw, then the sugar quantity can be increased a bit.)

Method:
* Take a medium-sized vessel and put the sugar in it. To this, add water till the sugar is just about soaked.
* On low fire, heat the sugared water and continuously stir.
* Keep on stirring till the sugar has completely dissolved and the water has slightly thickened into a syrup.
* Add the mango pieces and keep stirring till the mangoes are well mixed.
* Add the cardamom and saffron and continue stirring till a homogeneous syrup is attained.The scent of saffron rises during this process and the mixture slowly gets a yellowish to orange tinge.This takes about 1/2 hour to 40 minutes.
* Remove from gas, let it cool.
* Bottle the mixture and refrigerate it.

This pickle can be a good accompaniment with almost anything. And since it is refrigerated, it can last for a longer time too. Enjoy! :)

Stuffed Pepper Chillies.

When we say chillies, a lot of people may really not want to read this recipe. But hey, hold on. The chillies I'm talking about are not only 'not that spicy', but are also delicious to eat. Especially when stuffed. They are the Anaheim chillis- a type of chile pepper from California, now found commonly in India, which is about 5 inches in length, is green or red in color, and has a mild to medium-hot flavour. Serves 3.

Ingredients:
* Anaheim green chillies= 4-6 nos
* Oil:= For frying.

For the filling:
* Potatoes= 4-6 nos, boiled and cut into small pieces.
* Red Chilli powder = as per taste
* Turmeric powder = 1/3 tsp (basically a little more than a pinch)
* Sarson/ Mori seeds (black mustard)= 1 tsp.
* Jeera (cumin seeds) = 1 tsp
* Salt= as per taste.
* Coriander leaves = a sprinkling

Method:
* Take a little oil in the pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds till they crackle.
* Add the boiled potato pieces, coriander leaves, the turmeric and chilli powder and mix well.
* Let it cook for few minutes on slow fire.
* Once cooked, add salt and mix again.
* Remove from gas and let it cool.
* Once cooled, mash it a bit and make a homogeneous mixture.
*****
* Take the Anaheim chillis and make one lengthwise slit on each of them .
* Deseed the chillis.
* Add the stuffing (the above homogeneous mixture) into the chillis.
* Heat a little oil in a shallow pan.
* Place the stuffed chillies and cover with lid.
* Let the chillis cook on low heat for a few minutes till one side is done. (slightly brownish)
* Turn the chillies and let them cook, till all sides are done.
* Serve hot with Indian bread (Chapati) or Dal Rice.

Note:
1. In case you do not want the potatoes, you can use some Besan flour (3-4 tbsp); turmeric powder (½ tsp); red chilli powder (¼ tsp); Peanuts (4-5 tbsp coarsely crushed); a pinch of Sugar; a bit of lemon squeezed or 1 tsp tamarind pulp; salt to taste; Coriander leaves and mix them all to get a nice paste, which can be used as stuffing. 2. While making the potato stuffing, you can exclude the Mustard seeds and directly mix all the other ingredients, and not fry it all. This will reduce the oil intake.

Paneer (cottage cheese) Delight!

A super fast and great-tasting recipe - it's non-spicy, but not bland. Healthy too! :)

Serves 4.
Ingredients:
200gm Paneer (cottage cheese)
2 large onions
Dry Celery
Dry Basil
Chilli Flakes
Olive oil (1-2tbsp)
Tomato Ketchup
Sweet n sour sauce.
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Take olive oil in pan and heat
2. Put crushed and powdered dry celery, basil and chilli flakes...saute...
3. Add onions, saute till brownish golden
4. Add paneer(cottage cheese), salt , ketchup and sweet n sour sauce and mix well. Saute for a while then keep aside.
5. Take/make pita bread/Indian roti (chappati)... put the hot cooked paneer mixture in it and roll.
6. Served and eaten hot.

Ps: This can be also accompanied with green mint chutney for a dash of flavour.