Bhendi / Okra Masala Dry#Foodieextravaganza

Bhendi also known as Okra or Ladies finger is a very nutritious green vegetable is available as year round so it's a regular in our weekly menu.
This Bhendi Masala Dry has great flavors, it's vegan and taste awesome. This can be enjoyed as a side dish with roti or rice.

Ingredients
200-250 Grams Bhendi / Okra
1 Medium Onion - chopped
2 Medium Tomatoes - chopped
¾ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon Garam masala powder
½ Teaspoon Amchur powder
Salt to taste
2 + 2 Tablespoons Heaped Oil
1 Teaspoon Kasuri Methi

Method

Rinse the bhendi well in water and pat it dry then wipe with a clean kitchen towel.
Cut the top and the tail of the bhendi then chop them into 2" thick pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons heaped oil in a kadai/wok or pan. Add the bhendi and saute till they are nearly cooked. Keep stirring them on medium flame. Once nearly cooked, remove the bhendi on to a plate keep aside. In the same pan heat another 2 tablespoons heaped oil, add the chopped onions and fry till they become translucent. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. If the tomato mixture becomes too dry add about ¼ or ½ cup water and continue to cook, don’t cover the pan with the lid till the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add all the dry spice powders, stir well and sauté for a minute or two. Add the sautéed bhendi, kasuri methi & salt and mix so that the onion-tomato masala coats the bhindi well. Cook for 2-3 minutes or till the bhendi is cooked, stirring in between. Once cooked switch off the flame.

Serve the Bhendi Masala garnished with some coriander leaves. Enjoy with chapatis, rotis or naan.
Labels: Foodie Extravaganza Party, Side Dish, Gluten free, Bhendi, Okra, Vegan, Lady Finger, Sabzi 

November is World Vegan Month, so we are celebrating this in Foodie Extravaganza. Check some of the other vegan recipes here.

• Baba Ghanoush from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Bhendi - Okra Masala Dry from Sneha’s Recipe
• Capsicum Potato Curry - Aloo Shimla Mirch from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Chickpea Falafel Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Lumina Pumpkin Olan from Magical Ingredients
• Sticky Pudding Carrot Pineapple Cake from Food Lust People Love
• Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Han’s “Dice”-d Potatoes - Recipe Inspired by : A Star Wars Story#Foodieextravaganza

Han’s “Dice”-d Potatoes were inspired by Han’s lucky dice. Not only are they themed but they are also an easy, delicious, a healthier replacement for traditional French fries and the best part it that these are not fried at all! These can be perfectly paired with Millennium Falcon Burgers!

Han's later while escaping his home world of Corellia, gave the pair of dice to Qi'ra as a symbol of good luck, only for her to be captured by Moloch, taking the pair of dice with her.

Ingredients
2 Medium Potatoes - cut into large cubes/ diced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Homemade Garlic Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Paprika Powder
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper Powder 
½ Teaspoon Sugar  
Method 

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil with ½ teaspoon salt .
Add diced potato cubes.
Cook for until just fork tender. (Do not overcook them)
Drain and allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, add potatoes, oil, and rest of the seasonings, toss them well to coat in the seasonings.
Spray a air fryer grill basket with cooking spray.
Add potatoes to grill basket.

Cook at 200°C for 10 - 12 minutes. Then , shake the basket to , tossing occasionally so they don’t burn after every 5 minutes. 

Let them continue to cook until golden brown and crispy.

Taste for salt, sprinkle a dash if necessary, on the potatoes and serve with Millennium Falcon Burgers.

Labels: Foodie Extravaganza Party, Potato, Side Dish, Air Fryer, Homemade, Garlic Salt

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of the month.    

• Baked Lightsaber Churros by The Spiffy Cookie
• Blue Milk Cocktail by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  
• Galaxy’s Edge Inspired Blue Milk by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Han’s “Dice”-d Potatoes by Sneha’s Recipe
  
• Homemade Cheese Cracker TIE Fighters by Food Lust People Love
• Millennium Falcon Peanut Butter Cups by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Pork Sorpatel - East Indian#SundayFunday

No matter how this is spelt and pronounced by many Sorpotel or Sarpatel or Sarapatel, the dish that makes mouths water and leave you drooling anywhere it’s served. The Goan and East Indians claim theirs it the best, but, that's a debatable issue that will last for every more. Each one is brought up with the taste that their parents or grandparents made for them. 

Today I am, sharing my mother's traditional East Indian version that is made at every feast or celebrations. This is a must dish for every function of ours. In weddings when this is prepared usually country liquor, wine or brandy is added. But I did not add any of these. Even the pork tongue is added to make this dish, here is it's difficult to get it, if you get hold of it do add, it taste good in this dish.

East Indian Sorpatel is like a pickle that stay's long in if refrigerate well. This is side dish that can be had with anything. So vinegar and oil are very important to preserve this dish for long storage. In East Indian weddings this is prepared and stored in large ceramic jars for a long time at room temperature in a cool pantry shelve. But now with weather changes this stored and heated daily or refrigerated.

Ingredients
1 Kg Pork- cut into big pieces
¼ Kg Liver=  cut into big pieces - Optional
2 Full Big Pods Garlic – finely cut lengthwise
3 - 4 Inch Piece Ginger – cut into juliennes
8 green chillies – cut lengthwise
3 Tablespoons East Indian Bottle Masala - adjust spiciness
¼ Cup Vinegar or to taste  

Method

Salt the pork and liver well and leave it aside for at least 20 to 30 minutes then wash it well in fresh water to remove any excess salt.

Boil pork & liver with a little salt till nearly done.

Cut the cooked pork and liver into small tiny pieces.

Slice the ginger, garlic and green chillies.

In a large pan first fry all the fat of the pork till browns and release all it's fat/lard.  

Remove the pork fast once brown then in the same lard fry the meat and liver in batches till brown. Keep aside.

In a large pot/ vessel add the from the frying of the pork and fry the ginger, garlic and green chillies. When they start to soften add in the bottle masala and meat and fry well till the spice coats the meat. Now add in the vinegar and the stock from the cooked meat and let it cook on medium low flame till oil surfaces.

Taste for salt and vinegar adding accordingly for this should be a little sour or else this start to mold. Let it simmer till oil surfaces.
This is best eaten after a day or two as it taste better the next day and gets time for all the flavors to marry.

Enjoy this with crusty bread, taste awesome!!  
Labels: East Indian, Pickle, Pork, Sorpatel, Sunday Funday, Side Dish, Gluten free

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Today we are sharing Easter Side Dishes. 

• Bunny Cupcakes from Amy’s Cooking Adventures 
• Feta and Strawberry Tabouli Salad from Food Lust People Love 
• Fresh Pea Hummus from Culinary Cam
• Pineapple Bread Pudding from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Pork Sorpatel - East Indian from Sneha’s Recipe 
• Potato Salad with Condensed Milk from Palatable Pastime 
• Stir-Fried Balsamic and Ginger Glazed Carrots from Karen’s Kitchen Stories 
• Veggie Niçoise Salad from Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Whole Wheat Rosemary Garlic Bread Recipe from The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen

Bhendi (Okra) Sabzi With Pickle Masala#SundayFunday

Ingredients

200 Grams Okra/ Bhendi - cut into big bits
1 Medium  Onion - finely chopped
1 Small Tomato - finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
1 Teaspoon Homemade Pickle Masala
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
A pinch of Turmeric powder
2 - 3 Tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste

Method

In a pan heat oil add the mustard seeds, when it splutters add the asafoetida, turmeric and the onions and sauté till light brown then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the onions have turned dark brown, then add the pickle masala and the bhendi and fry well on high flame for 2 minutes. Now add the tomato and fry for a minute, add salt stir well. Cover and cook till done are tender but still firm. Serve hot with rotis. 

Labels: Bhendi, Homemade Pickle Masala, Sabzi, Side Dish, Vegan, Gluten free, Sunday Funday    

 For Sunday Funday- theme is Okra 

Baked Okra Fries from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Begova Corba from Bosnian Chicken Okra Soup from Pandemonium Noshery 
Bhendi (Okra) Sabzi With Pickle Masala from Sneha’s Recipe 
Crispy Oven Fried Okra from Food Lust People Love  
Okra Mexicana from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Hunter Beef Roast#SuperClubSaturday

Hunter beef is a method, where in, the meat is cured in curing salts/salt petre (potassium nitrite), this is similar to corned beef. This meat has to be refrigerated for at least 5 days in spices and salt petre to enhance the flavor of the meat.

Once cooked till fork tender, you can cut thin slices or shred the meat, use it as side dish or make sandwiches. It's delicious and aromatic.

Ingredients
1½ Kg Boneless Beef
6 Cloves Garlic
1 Inch Piece Ginger
5 Whole Red Chillies - broken in two paces
½ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice or Juice of 4 - 5 Lemons
2½ - 3 Teaspoons Salt or to taste
3 Tablespoons Jaggery or Brown Sugar 
1½ Tablespoon Salt Petre/Curing Salts
4 Cups Water
To Grind To A Coarse Powder 
1½ Tablespoon Salt Petre/Curing Salt 
1½ Teaspoons Level Cumin seeds 
2 Teaspoons Level Black Peppercorns
2 Teaspoons Level Cloves
4 Sticks ( An Inch Each) Cinnamon

Method

Fork the meat well with lemon juice and then add the paste, press the whole garlic cloves and small piece of ginger into the meat add the red chillies and rub i well into the meat. 

Tie the meat and the red chillies with thread into a nice long log. Keep it for 5 days  or more (maximum a week)in the refrigerator turning the sides every day.  After 5 days add the water and cook when the meat, turning after every 15 minutes check the water and add hot water if necessary. 

When the meat is fork tender, dry up all the water/stock. Cool the meat well then wrap it in a aluminum foil and refrigerate for a day or two. 

Cut it into thin slices or shred it as required and enjoy making sandwiches or as a side dish. 

I cooked this in the pressure cooker for 60 minutes, added only 500Ml water. One whistle on high flame then reduced the flame to low and cooked it for 55 to 60 minutes, depending on the cut of meat.

Labels: Beef, Roast, Pressure Cooker, Side Dish, Super Club Saturday

• Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies  by Patyco Candybar
• Hunter Beef Roast by Sneha’s Recipe
• Menestra de Lentejas/Ecuadorian Lentil Stew by Magical Ingredients
• Shredded Italian Beef Sandwiches by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Pork Chilli With Peppers#SundayFunday

Juicy pork slices with hot chillies in every bite, chilli pork can double as a side dish as well as a standalone snack. This is an absolute easy dish to prepare. It is quite versatile and pairs well with any rice or noodles or can be enjoyed as a starter/ appetizer too. This is an easy-to-cook pork recipe with soy sauce. We just love stir fry recipes as they are simple and easy to prepare.

Ingredients
500 Grams Pork - thinly sliced
1 Each Green & Red Capsicum/Bell Peppers - sliced
3 Green Chillies - slit - adjust to taste
4 Medium Onions - sliced
1" Ginger - chopped
10 Cloves Garlic - chopped
Freshly Ground Black Pepper powder to taste
1 Tablespoon Soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
1 Teaspoon Rice Vinegar (or regular white vinegar)
½ Teaspoon Sugar
Oil - as required for frying
3 Tablespoons Chopped Spring Onion Greens - for garnishing
For The Marination
2 Tablespoons Dark Soy sauce
½ Tablespoon Green Chili sauce - adjust to taste)
1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
Salt to taste
Method

Marinate the pork with salt and all the given ingredients, mix well. Keep aside at least for an hour.

Heat oil in a wide heavy bottomed pan or skillet and fry the slit green chillies, chopped ginger and garlic lightly and then add the marinated pork slices and fry till golden brown on both sides. Add about a cup of water and cook covered on a medium flame till the pork is tender.

In another pan heat oil stir fry the onions, capsicums on medium heat till they soften for about 2 -3 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
When the pork is cooked add the remaining soy sauce, chili sauce if required, sugar, sesame oil, pepper powder, vinegar and mix well. Add the softened onions and capsicum, mix and cook on a medium high flame for just a minute.

Turn off the flame, garnish with spring onion greens and serve along with fried rice or noodles.

Enjoy!!
Labels: Pork, Chinese, Asian Cuisine, Side Dish, Main course, Starters, Sunday Funday, Stir Fry

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Our host for this week's event is Sue of Palatable Pastime and the theme is Chinese New Year , January 2022.  

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Tiger Salad
• Making Miracles: Shrimp Cakes
• Palatable Pastime: San Choy Bow
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Chow Steak Kow (Steak Stir Fry)
• Food Lust People Love: Butter Prawns
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Kung Pao Cauliflower
• Sneha’s Recipe: Pork Chilli With Peppers
• Sizzling Tastebuds: Instant Pot Asian Style Veg Noodles

Grilled Pork Chops In Homemade Pomegranate Molasses#Improv

Pomegranate Molasses or Narsharab is an Azerbaijani seasoning prepared by cooking the Pomegranate juice to thick tarty syrup. 

This pomegranate molasses has no sugar or added preservatives. You can also check this Pomegrante Raisin Sauce which is delicious.

Makes 200Ml Molasses 
Ingredients

5 Large Pomegranates - cleaned

Will give you - 900 Ml to 1000 Ml Pomegranate Juice
Method

Place the cleaned pomegranate in a pan, cover and cook for 10 minutes on low flame. 

When it softens, switch off the flame and cool.

Place it in a blender jar blend it for a minute. 

Strain the juice with a cheese cloth,

squeezing the cloth well to extract all the juice.

Place this back into the cleaned sauce pan, bring this juice to a rolling boil on high flame, stirring.

Once it comes to a rolling boil reduce the flame to low and

cook till it reduces to 1/3 or thickens to thick but flowing saucy consistency it too around an hour or so to reduce. Strain the mixture to remove the scum.

Let this cool completely after 2 hours it till thicken a little more. I added a drop or two red color to the juice, this is optional.

Cool and store in a soft squeeze bottle and refrigerate
Can use this for meats or salad etc.

Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredients
600 Gram / 5 Pork Chops skinless and fatless
.1½ Tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses
1 Tablespoon Honey
2 Large Cloves Garlic - grated
¾ Teaspoon Mustard Powder
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly flakes
1 Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Extra Light Olive Oil

To Garnish / Serve
Fresh Mint
Pomegranate Molasses
Salad
Labneh
Method

In a large bowl add in the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, garlic, mustard, chilly flakes, black pepper and salt whisk it well to combine. Take each pork chop and dip it in the prepared marinade and rub it the marinade on it. 

Place all these in a single layer in a container and refrigerate it overnight. The next day place the chops in a pressure cooker arrange them in a single layer. Add all the marinade and wash the dish/container with a cup of water. Cover the cooker and keep it in high flame take one whistle then reduce the flame to medium low, keep it for 7 minutes. Then again increase the flame to high take 4 whistles switch off the flame let the cooker cool completely. 

Open the cooker, dry all the liquid and keep turning the chop till they are fried and releases it own oil. 

To serve in a platter. Dollop a tablespoon or two of the Labneh on the platter. Arrange the pork chops on it. Sprinkle fresh mint, drizzle with pomegranate molasses. 

Serve with Pickled Radish and lettuce, onion and cherry tomatoes salad, drizzle some pomegranate molasses on the salad. Enjoy these juicy and fall off the bone pork chops. Super delicious.

Labels: Pork Chops, Homemade, Pomegranate, Molasses, Grilled, Main course, Side Dish, Improv Cooking Challenge, International Cuisine

October Improv Cooking Challenge

Pork & Molasses
• • Baked Beans and Cottage Ham by Palatable Pastime
  • Grilled Pork Chops In Homemade Pomegranate Molasses by Sneha's Recipe
  • Molasses Roasted Pork Tenderloin by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Pork and Beans by Culinary Adventures with Camilla