Shahi Parwal / Pointed Gourd

 

              Parwal / Pointed Gourd is a common and a favorite summer vegetable in the Northern regions of India. It is cooked in various ways. Today I bring to you Shahi Parwal, a seasonal veggie delight cooked in a Royal Mughlai style.

           

           The base of the gravy is a smooth creamy texture coming from the use of yoghurt, cashew nuts and sesame seeds. Parwal lovers like me will surely love this awesome and delicious dish. 

           You can relish with either rice or any Indian bread. I personally prefer having it with steamed rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 8-10 Parwal / Pointed Gourd 
• 1/4 cup cashew nuts
• 2-3 green chilies
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 green cardamom
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

           Cut both ends of the parwal and make a cross slit on both ends halfway through. Marinate with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes.

           In a small bowl, mix the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices (except salt) along with some water and keep aside. 

           Soak the cashew nuts in 1/3 cup water for 10-15 minutes. Then blend along with green chilies and yoghurt into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

       Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and sauté the marinated parwal till light brown. Keep aside. 

         Add remaining oil and temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Then add the spice paste and sauté till the oil separates. Add the parwals and salt to taste. Give it a nice mix so that they are well coated with the spices. 

         Add 1/2 cup water and cook, covered till they are tender. Now add the cashew paste and continue to simmer, covered for 4-5 minutes or till the oil separates.

          When done, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with hot steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani or any Indian flat bread. 

Cut both ends of the parwal & make a cross slit on both ends halfway through. Marinate with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the ginger-garlic paste & all the dry spices (except salt) along with some water and keep aside. 

Soak the cashew nuts in 1/3 cup water for 10-15 minutes. Then blend along with green chilies & yoghurt into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

 Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan & sauté the marinated parwal till light brown. Keep aside. 

Add remaining oil and temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves & cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                    Add the spice paste & sauté till the oil separates. 

Add the parwals & salt to taste. Give it a nice mix so that they are well coated with the spices. 

                   Add 1/2 cup water & cook, covered till they are tender.

Add the cashew paste & continue to simmer, covered for 4-5 minutes or till the oil separates.

         When done, switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve with hot steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani or any Indian flat bread. 

Pitod Ki Sabzi - Rajasthani style

 

          This is a traditional Rajasthani style yoghurt based recipe. This curry is prepared using only gram flour dumplings called Pitod which is added to the gravy. So there is no use of any veggies in this recipe. The base of the gravy has only yoghurt and few seasonings. So tomatoes, that usually forms the base of any gravy is not used in this recipe. Do check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional dish.

        

            Pitod ki sabzi almost resembles kadhi. However, instead of pakoda, sliced pitods are added to the gravy. However, I made a slight change here. I sautéed the sliced pitods in ghee slightly before adding them into the gravy. You may skip this process if you wish. This amazing dish can be served along with rice or chapatti. 

            This is a very easy and a simple recipe with gram flour and yoghurt the 2 main ingredients. Besides, you only require few seasonings to dish out this authentic delicacy. So it is a pure vegetarian dish as there is no use of onion or garlic.

To make Pitod  - 

• 1/2 cup gram flour (besan), sieved
• 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. carom seeds, crushed
• 1 & 1/2 cups water 

For the tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, slit

To make the gravy - 

• 1 cup yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 & 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          For the Pitod - In a bowl, sieve the gram flour first so that there are no lumps. Then add all the mentioned ingredients and prepare a thin batter by adding 1 & 1/2 cups water, little at a time. 

          Heat a pan and transfer the batter into it and cook on a low to medium flame, by stirring continuously till it turns thick. 

          Transfer to a steel plate and spread it evenly into 1/2" thick layer. Let it cool down before cutting it into desired shapes. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in a pan and lightly sauté the pitod on both sides and keep aside. 

          Add 2 cups water to the remaining pieces of batter stuck on the sides of the pan. Scrape the sides well and keep the water aside to be used later in the gravy.

          For the gravy - in a bowl, whisk together yoghurt and all the mentioned ingredients (except garam masala powder and coriander leaves). 

          For the tempering - Heat remaining ghee in a pan and first temper with asafoetida and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. Then add the slit green chilies and chopped ginger. Sauté for a minute. 

          Add the prepared curd mix and simmer on a low flame. Keep stirring until the ghee separates from the sides of the pan.          

           Add the 1 & 1/2 cups scraped water kept aside & bring it to a boil. Now gently drop in the sautéed besan pitods and simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

          When done, switch off the flame and garnish with garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with steamed rice or chapatti.

                    For the Pitod - In a bowl, sieve the gram flour so that there are no lumps. 

                                 Then in a bowl, mix together all the mentioned ingredients.

                            Prepare a thin batter by adding 1 & 1/2 cups water, little at a time. 

                       Heat a pan & transfer the batter & cook on a low flame, by stirring 

                       continuously till it turns thick. 

                      Transfer to a steel plate & spread it evenly into 1/2 " thick. Let it cool

                      down before cutting it into desired shapes & keep aside.

                        Heat 1 tbsp. ghee & lightly sauté the pitod on both sides & keep aside. 

                      Add 2 cups water to the remaining batter in the pan. Scrape the sides 

                      well and keep the water aside to be used later.

                         For the gravy - in a bowl, add yoghurt & all the ingredients (except 

                          garam masala powder and coriander leaves). 

                                  Whisk well and keep aside. 

                       For the tempering - Heat ghee in a pan & temper with asafoetida & 

                       cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.

                        Then add the slit green chilies & chopped ginger. Sauté for a minute. 

                      Add the curd mix & simmer on a low flame. Keep stirring until the ghee 

                      separates from the sides of the pan.

                      Add the 2 cups water kept aside & bring it to a boil. Cover & simmer 

                       for 4-5 minutes.

                                  Gently drop in the sautéed besan pitods.

Simmer for 1- 2minutes.

When done, switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves. 

                        

                            Serve with steamed rice, khoba roti or chapatti.

Mor Rasam (Buttermilk Rasam - Tamilian style)

 

          Mor Rasam is almost similar to Mor Kuzhambu, a yoghurt-coconut based gravy, most popular in Tamil Nadu. However, Mor Rasam is minus the coconut and vegetables. This is also the South Indian version of Kadhi. It is a very simple, easy to make and a yummy side dish, best relished with steamed rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this traditional buttermilk rasam.

Ingredients - 

• 1 cup thick yoghurt
• 1 cup water
• salt to taste 
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

To roast & grind - 

• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. Tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentil)
• 1 tbsp. chana dal (Bengal gram lentil)
• 3-4 dry red chilies

Tempering - 

• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 red chilies
• 1 sprig curry leaves 
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida

          Dry roast the ingredients mentioned and keep aside to cool. Then grind into a powder. 

    

          Beat the yoghurt, water, salt and turmeric powder till well blended. Now add the ground ingredients to the beaten yoghurt and give it a stir. 

           Transfer the yoghurt rasam to a pan and heat it gently on a low flame. Once it comes to a boil, switch off the flame and keep aside. 

          For the tempering - Heat oil in a pan. Temper with dry red chilies, mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds and pour it over the rasam. 

          Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with hot steamed rice for a comforting meal. 

 

Dry roast the ingredients & keep aside to cool. Then grind into a powder. 

Beat yoghurt, water, salt & turmeric powder till well blended. 

              Add the ground ingredients to the beaten yoghurt. Give it a stir.

Transfer the yoghurt rasam to a pan & heat it gently on a low flame. Once it comes to a boil, switch off the flame and keep aside. 

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with dry red chilies, mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds.

                         Pour it over the rasam. 

                         Mix well & garnish with coriander leaves.

               Serve with hot steamed rice for a comfort meal.