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MILAGAI PODI (GUNPOWDER MASALA)



    Gunpowder (podi), as the name suggests is a fiery dry powder which is basically a blend of spices and lentils. It’s a popular southern Indian food condiment typically served as side dish with idli as a dipping condiment along with ghee or sesame oil.


    This Milagai podi is a traditional recipe especially from the state of Tamilnadu. Each state of south India has their own variations of podi recipe. Podi is used as a substitute for the traditional chutneys served for breakfast with idli, dosa, appam or even uttapam.


    Every household in the south of India has their own podi recipe, but I’m sharing the one which I learnt from a friend from Tamilnadu. This particular recipe which I'm sharing is a traditional one, but sometimes I make different variations by adding flax seeds or peanuts.


    To see one of the ways I use the Gunpowder masala in a dish, click here!

    YIELDS: 200g approx.

    PREP TIME: 5 minutes

    COOKING TIME: 12 minutes

    KEEP TIME: 1 month



    INGREDIENTS

    • 1/2 cup urad dal

    • 1/4cup chana dal

    • 10-12 dried red chillies

    • 3 stalks curry leaves

    • 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)

    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

    • 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

    • 3 tsp oil (vegetable oil, sesame oil or coconut oil)

    • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste



    METHOD

    1. In a pan, dry roast the sesame seeds on medium low heat until lightly golden. Put it aside.

    2. In the same pan, warm 1 tsp of oil, add chillies and curry leaves, roast them on medium low heat for about 3 minutes, until the curry leaves are crispy. Put them aside to cool.

    3. In the same pan again, add rest of the oil, warm up slightly and add chana dal and urad dal, toast them for 3 minutes on medium low heat.

    4. Now add asafoetida, turmeric and salt and roast them for 3 more minutes on medium low heat until its toasted and turns golden brown.

    5. Transfer all the prepared ingredients in a blender and blitz to a coarse powder.



    COOK'S NOTES:

    • If you don't like too much heat in the podi powder, substitute the normal red chilies with Kashmiri red chillies which are mild in taste.

    • You can make days in advance and preserve it in an airtight jar for up to a month.

    • It’s bit dry on the throat on its own so it must be eaten with ghee (clarified butter) or sesame oil.

    • Serve these with steamed idlis, uttapam or appams. I even sprinkle on my toast with cottage cheese and avocado, it tastes delightfully delicious! Or learn the recipe of my Cocktail Idli Skewers that I made with this Podi by clicking here!


    SWEET POTATO AND SUMAC SOUP




      When it comes to nutrition and health, your mind runs to think of grabbing an option of food which will nourish your soul and is delicious at the same time. And one of the easiest ways to deliver both nutrition and flavour is the humble soup. This sweet potato soup blended with middle eastern touch of sumac and pomegranate molasses boasts tons of vitamins and minerals and is tastefully delicious which asks you for some more.


      The tanginess from sumac and pomegranate molasses compliments beautifully the sweetness of sweet potatoes and the touch of coconut cream adds that creamy texture to this most delightfully appetising soup.


      A little crunch is added with the toasted pistachios and fresh pomegranate seeds. I served these with my leftover sundried tomato and basil scones but you can serve it with crusty bread or rolls of your choice.

      SERVES: 4

      PREP TIME: 20 minutes

      COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

      TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes



      INGREDIENTS

      • 600g sweet potatoes/Kumara, peeled and cut in 2cm cubes

      • 1 medium onion, chopped

      • 3 cloves garlic, minced

      • 2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

      • 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil

      • 1 1/2 tsp sumac

      • 6 cherry tomatoes

      • 1 ltr vegetable stock

      • 1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

      • 2 tbsp coconut cream

      For Garnish:

      • Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

      • 50g roasted pistachios, roughly chopped

      • 1 tsp coconut oil

      • 6-8 cherry tomatoes

      • Pinch of sea salt

      • Dash of black pepper

      • Lime wedges

      • 1 tsp sumac

      • 1 tbsp coconut cream



      METHOD

      1. In a cooking pot, melt oil over medium heat.

      2. Add onion, garlic, red chilli and sumac. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent.

      3. Add tomatoes and sauté for another minute. Add sweet potatoes, stir to combine well.

      4. Roast for 2-3 minutes, add vegetable stock and coconut cream, bring to boil and cover with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

      5. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly and add pomegranate molasses. With the hand blender, blend the soup to a smooth silky texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.

      6. For garnishing, melt oil in a small pan, add cherry tomatoes with stalks, roast for 5 minutes, until they are soft and slightly pulpy. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan.

      7. Pour the soups in serving bowls. Swirl 1/2 tsp coconut cream in each bowl, sprinkle a pinch of sumac, garnish with toasted pistachios, pomegranate seeds and roasted cherry tomatoes.


      COOK'S NOTES:

      • Do not add molasses while cooking the soup as it may bitter the taste of the soup. Always use at the end when it’s slightly cool.

      • Make sure the onions don’t caramelise too much as it will make the colour of the soup bit murky and it will lose the rich bright golden orange colour.


      TOMATO AND WALNUT PESTO TART



        Make every day gourmet with this flavourful tomato tart that’s sure to satisfy your senses with the beautiful combination of Italian flavours from basil pesto and ricotta cheese filling.


        This tart was entirely made from home grown organic produce. Almost everyday I’m plucking these beautiful tomatoes from my backyard and try to make use of them in all different recipes...whether it’s in soups, curries, pastas, chutneys, jams, sandwiches, wraps or in salads, pretty much in everything you wanna add that kick of tomatoes.


        This exotic looking rich crust tart is filled with ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano layered with walnut basil pesto, which is again made from fresh basil growing in my backyard. To play with the summer’s bounty, I added all different colours and sizes of tomatoes and it looked sooo pretty, and tasted divine. A subtle hint of thyme in the crust adds a different dimension of flavours to the tart.


        Either make it as big tart for sharing, or just individual ones, they surely will grab the attention when served at your tea or dinner party.

        SERVES: 6-8

        PREP TIME: 30 minutes

        BAKING TIME: 55 minutes to 1 hour

        PASSIVE TIME: 30 minutes



        INGREDIENTS


        For Pastry:

        • 250g/2 cups of plain flour

        • 175g unsalted butter, cold and diced

        • 1/2 tsp salt

        • 1/4 tsp dried thyme

        • 2-3 tbsp cold water

        For Pesto:

        • 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves

        • 75g Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped

        • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

        • 2-3 cloves garlic

        • 1/8 tsp salt

        For Ricotta Filling:

        • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

        • 3 tbsp low fat creamy feta cheese

        • 1/4 cup Parmigiano Regianno, grated

        • Pinch of salt

        • Freshly cracked black pepper

        For Tomato Layer:

        • 8-10 mixed colour and different sized firm tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

        • 2-3 tsp Balsamic vinegar

        • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

        • 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

        • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

        • Few basil leaves for garnish



        METHOD

        1. In a stand mixer bowl, sift flour, add salt, thyme and butter, blend them together with paddle attachment until it resembles breadcrumbs.

        2. Add water and blend for few seconds until the dough combines and form a ball. Do not over work the dough.

        3. Remove the dough on a floured surface, gently knead to bring everything together, take care not to over work the dough. Wrap it in a cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

        4. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

        5. Take the pastry out from the fridge, remove cling wrap and place it on a floured surface.

        6. Roll the dough in a 7 x 16 inch rectangle. Lift and wrap the pastry gently from longer end around the rolling pin and transfer by unwrapping on the loose based rectangular tart pan. Press the pastry into the pan and trim any excess around the edges.

        7. Line the pastry with parchment paper, spread baking beans on top and blind bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment paper and bake further 5 minutes until the pastry is crisp. Remove to cool slightly.

        8. As the pastry is baking in oven, make pesto sauce by blending all ingredients together in a bender and keep aside.

        9. Make the ricotta filling by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. Keep aside.

        10. Take 5 tbsp of pesto sauce and spread on the cooked pastry. Pour and spread ricotta cheese filling on top. Arrange tomato slice, overlapping slightly on each other. Season it with kosher salt and pepper and drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top.

        11. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, garnish with basil leaves, cut into slices and serve warm.


        COOK'S NOTES:

        • I made this tart with plain flour but you can certainly make it gluten-free by replacing the plain flour with gluten-free flour.

        • Balsamic vinegar gives a slight sweet note to balance the tartness of the tomatoes. If you don’t have balsamic vinegar handy, drizzle little honey instead.


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