I have been away from the blog for a long time since my parents were visiting. But more than having so called fun we just got right down to business of home projects. I tell you my parents have more energy than me, my hubby, and my son combined! They are never tired to do anything. Dad is more of the fixer upper kinds and mom is a whole lot of that but also a whole of lot home decorator, organizer, cleaner, chef, advice giver, more advice giver, and a little more advice giver. I must have gained 2lbs from her advice and another 5 from all the great food she cooked. Perhaps another reason why I did not blog for the last few weeks. So here is my first recipe after this semi-long break. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture but the dish turned out pretty good.
Tondli means Gherkins only found in Indian grocery stores. You start by washing the vegetable, trimming the ends, and then cutting them in either circles or cutting them lengthwise. Here, I cut them into fours - a little time consuming but worth the effort. This recipe is actually based off of Maharashtrian Masale Bhaat. Supposedly, the hubby loves it - I just recently found out! So I never made it before, but I have eaten it and so it was easy to recreate the taste. I am not sure if this an authentic recipe but the end product did taste similar to masale bhaat.
Method and Ingredients:
Heat oil. Add 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 2 whole black peppers, 1/4th inch cinnamon stick, 1/4 tsp fennel seeds. When aromatic, add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and about 4 to 6 curry leaves. Let sputter. Add asofoetida and 1 red chilli. Keep the flame on low to medium. Give it a stir. Add finely lengthwise chopped onions (3/4th cup). Cook on low flame until translucent. Add about 1.5 cups of lengthwise cut tondli. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, salt, 1/2 tsp jaggery powder, 1/4 tsp tamarind paste, and 2 tsps of Kala Masala or Goda Masala. Stir. Add very little water, cover and cook until tondli is tender (time depends on the freshness of tondli you buy) - generally about 8 to 10 minutes. You may have to add a little more water if the water evaporates while the tondli is still cooking. Add about 2 to 2.5 cups of cooked white rice to the pan. Turn the heat up. Mix well so that the masala is incorporated very well with the rice we just added. Turn off the heat. Squeeze some lime juice. Cover and let sit for a few minutes. When serving, add freshly grated coconut on the top.
Note: The Kala masala or Goda masala is the key ingredient to give this dish a signature taste. I get mine from India but I have seen Goda masala in Indian grocery stores in the US in the past. If all else fails, use a strong Garam masala.
