K for Kafuli from Garhwal region of Uttarakhand

K for Kafuli from Garhwal region of  Uttarakhand

Coming to K, let me tell you about some dishes in short before turning to Kafuli from Garhal.

First in the list is Kosha Mangsho from West Bengal. "kosha" in Bengali means "bhuna" or deeply sauted, and "Mangsho" is Mutton. So this dish involves slowly cooking a gravy over low flame for a very long time in an iron pan so as to get a rich, dark-brown gravy and tender mutton pieces with special spices of Bengal. It is served with Rice / Polao or Luchi.(Bread).

Another Famous dish is the snacks from Gujarat - "Khandvi" made as rolls from Gram Floor. 

Kangsoi from Manipur - is vegetable soup from the east with its unique taste. Another common recipe across India is Korma. It is again a non veg dish, where in meat (or vegetables for veg korma) is braised with yogurt or cream and slowly cooked with water and spices to produce a thick sauce or glaze in the curry.

Now Kafuli. Kafuli is primarily prepared of Spinach and fenugreek leaves. It is an exotic dish, prepared again in an iron kadhai, and  served with hot steaming rice. It is the most nourishing and health-conscious dish you will come across the hill state.

Ingredients

·         Spinach Leaves (Palak) -2 Cups

·         Methi Leaves (Fenugreek Leaves) – 1 cup

·         Green Chilli , chopped - 2

·         Ginger , chopped – 1 inch

·         Cumin powder (Jeera) – 1tsp

·         Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1/2 tsp

·         Coriander Powder (Dhania) – 1tsp

·         Asafoetida (hing) – a pinch

·         Rice flour 1 tbsp

·         Curd (Dahi / Yogurt) – ½ cup

·         Salt  as per taste, Oil for frying

Preparation

Clean & wash the spinach leaves and fenugreek leaves and chop them. Add the leaves along with green chilli, salt and little bit of water in a pressure cooker and cook for 2 to 3 whistle.

Let the cooker open. Scoop the cooked leaves and grind it in the grinder to form a smooth paste.

Heat an iron pan with oil, add hing and let it crackle. Add ginger, allow it soften. Add spinach paste & keep stirring. Add spices powder and salt and keep stirring. 

In a separate bowl mix rice flour with 1/2 cup of water and pour in the gravy mixture.Add the beaten curd to the mixture and keep stirring until the gravy thickens. Check for salt and garnish it with ginger. 

Serve the Garwhali Kafuli with steamed Rice or Missi Roti.

Aditya Sinha
13.04.2020

Other Recipe as part of A to Z challenge 

A - Appam, B- Bhutte Ka Kees, C - Chhena Poda , D - Dhuska, E - Eromba F- Fish Curry (Goan) , G - Gulaoti Kebab, H - Halwa Paratha, I- Idiyappam, J - Jadoh

Other Genres in the Challenge : 

English Poetry

Hindi Poetry

Short Story

Regional Food

J for Jadoh from Meghalaya

J for Jadoh from Meghalaya

So next is J . And here we would talk of a very special Biryani - Jadoh prepared by Khasi tribes. 

But before we talk about Jadoh, Jhal - muri is another local evening street food enjoyed in West Bengal , Bihar and jharkhand. Its nothing but the puffed rice with spices, vegetables, and chanachur or bhujia something like bhelpuri of mumbai.

Now Jadoh - Traditional Jadoh is a characteristic food of the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya.  Here ‘Ja’ means rice and ‘Doh’ means meat. In Khasi food some or the other form of meat is a must. Vegetables here are generally  consumed only as salads or for add on. The locals enjoy its original preparation called  ‘Jadoh snam’ which is cooked in blood. Jadoh for a Khasi is like biryani for a North Indian, i.e.  rice cooked with meat with their own special spices without use of much oil. In Jadoh snam the type of blood is chosen carefully as it can both enhance or destroy the taste. 

Here we would talk about simple Pork Jadoh (Pork can be replaced with chicken or mutton)

Ingredients

Rice – 2 cups (Short grain preferably)

Port – 300 gm with fat cut in small cubes. ( Alternatively chicken can be used, For Veg it can be replaced totally with vegetables)

Onion – 1 Chopped

Ginger Paste – 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

Black Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Bay leaves – 2

Vegetable Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Cilantro  for garnishing

Preparation :

Wash Rice and keep it aside for 15-20 mins

Heat oil in a flat bottomed pan. Add onion and sauté till it becomes pink. Add ginger paste, turmeric powder, black pepper and sauté .

Burn the tip of the bay leaf and drop in the pan. Add Pork pieces and fry till turns light brown. (Cook on low medium flame).

Add rice (water strained out) and fry for 5 mins. Add salt and 4 cups of water and let it simmer and cook till all become tender.

Garnish with herbs (Cilantro / mint / Coriander ) and serve with fermented soya paste and pork cooked in sesame (Tungrymbai & Dohneiiong respectively).

Other Recipe as part of A to Z challenge 

A - Appam, B- Bhutte Ka Kees, C - Chhena Poda , D - Dhuska, E - Eromba F- Fish Curry (Goan) , G - Gulaoti Kebab, H - Halwa Paratha, I- Idiyappam

Other Genres in the Challenge : 

English Poetry

Hindi Poetry

Short Story

Regional Food

Aditya Sinha
11.04.2020

I for Idiyappam

I for Idiyappam

Continuing with the list of regional dishes, now I move to the letter I.

And when we think of food from I , the first thing that comes to our mind is the most common working lunch / snacks prevalent across India - Idli Sambhar. Nice taste, light  & healthy food, no use of oil served with Sambhar and south indian coconut chutney . You can go for  it any time. 

The second common in this is the North Indian famous sweet - Imarti.  And you  would start craving for it the moment you think of it. So in the Corona affected lockdown period , you can try making it at home or its simper version Jalebi.

But here we would talk about Idiyappam,  another rice based dish from South India. Idiyappam is enjoyed across Kerala, Sri Lanka & even in Tamil Nadu. 

Idiyappam  or String Hoppers is an easy to make delicious, steamed rice noodle.  It is made instantly from rice flour,and is enjoyed with Veg Kurma / Sambhar / and sweetened coconut milk in breakfast or at dinner.

Ingredients 

Rice floor - 2 cup
Oil - 3 tbsp
Water - 2 cup
Salt as per taste 

Preparation

Add 2 tbsp oil to the water and boil. Once it boils, put of the flame . We will use this boiled 

water to knead the rice floor.

In a separate bowl, take rice flour add salt and mix well. Slowly add the hot water little by

little and mix. When all floor is mixed with water adding water slowly and no more water is

required, knead it properly to make a non sticky dough.

Tale an Idiyappam press, grease it from inside , put a portion of the dough in the press. 

Grease the steamer plate and press the idiyappam dough onto the steamer plate slowly.

Steam the idiyappam for about 5 mins or until cooked. Let it cool a bit, take from the 

steamer plate and transfer to a serving plate. ( Alternatively you can press the idiyappam

on idli stand and steam. )

                       

Serve hot and enjoy with spicy veg kurma (seasonal vegetable or simply veg used in mix

veg made in coconut paste & cashew paste) or  sweetened coconut milk or sambhar.

Other Recipe as part of A to Z challenge 

A - Appam, B- Bhutte Ka Kees, C - Chhena Poda , D - Dhuska, E - Eromba F- Fish Curry (Goan) , G - Gulaoti Kebab, H - Halwa Paratha

Other Genres in the Challenge : 

English Poetry

Hindi Poetry

Short Story

Regional Food

Aditya Sinha

10.042020