Ensaladilla Rusa#FoodieExtravaganza

Welcome to this month's event in Foodie Extravaganza {Party}. We are celebrating World Tapas Day our Host Juli Meyers asked us to prepare Tapas.

This traditional tapas is served throughout every region of Spain, with little variation. Ensaladilla Rusa is easy and simple Spanish salad , a version like the Russian Salad - except in this no fruits are added.  

This colorful salad is served at nearly every tapas bar; it is even served free at times with an order of alcohol.

Serves 3
Ingredients
1 Medium Potatoes - skinned and cubed
1 Carrot -  diced
1/4 Cup  Green Peas - I used frozen

1/4 Cup Chopped French Beans
1 Small Onion - chopped
1 Tablespoon Each Red & Green Bell pepper - diced
3 Tablespoons  Pickled Gherkins /Dill Pickle - sliced
1 Tablespoon Capers
1 Hard Boiled Egg -  chopped
1/2  Cup Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh Parsely, to garnish

Method

In a saucepan, cook the potatoes and carrot in lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until almost tender. Fold in the peas and beans, and cook until all the vegetables are tender. Drain the vegetables and transfer them into a serving bowl. Add the onion, bell pepper, gherkins,  capers and egg slices.

In a separate bowl,  combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard  very well. Add this mixture to the serving bowl, mixing well to ensure all the ingredients are coated. Sprinkle with pepper and toss. 

Garnish with chopped parsley and dash of black pepper powder,  refrigerate. Serve this salad cold.

The remaining next day I filled in a crusty bread and had it for breakfast.. it tasted so ooo good.  Yummy..yum.

My Notes

 As any dish made with mayonnaise, ensaladilla should be refrigerated and will not keep for more than 1 to 2 days.

Labels: Appetizer, Egg, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Mayonnaise, Salads, Tapas, Spanish, Spain, Homemade Pickled Gherkins
Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly food fest, where a group of bloggers all create and share a recipe around one of the monthly food 'holidays' as detailed in The Nibble. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook pageFoodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.
See all the other recipes for today's Foodie Extravaganza

Check out the other #FoodieExtravaganza Spanish Tapas recipes this month!

• Patatas Bravas with Tomato Aiolifrom Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Flamenquínfrom Pandemonium Noshery
• Ensaladilla Rusafrom Sneha's Recipe
• Potato Cake Grilled Cheese Nibblesfrom Food Lust People Love
• Spiced Beef Kabobsfrom A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mango Avakaya / Andhra Avakkai Pickle

Summer and the king of fruit - Mangoes are in season. It'is time to make mango pickle so that we can relish throughout the year.

Andhra cuisine is popularly known for its hot and spicy foods. Mango Avakaya or Andhra Avakkai Pickle is a spicy, mango pickle from Andhra cuisine. I make this pickle every year along with my Mango Metham Pickle - East Indian .

This time I, made this Andhra Avakkai Pickle recipe with step by step pics and decided to post the recipe.

Ingredients 

600 Grams  Mango pieces - see notes

¾  Cup Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

Gingelly / Sesame Oil as required  

1 Big Pod Garlic  - cleaned

For the  Pickle Masala  

1 Cup Red Chilly  Powder  - see notes 

¾  Cup  Yellow Mustard Seeds
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt  

1 ½ Teaspoons Fenugreek Seeds  

¼ Teaspoon Asafoetida powder 

Method

For the  Pickle Masala 

Coarsely powder the yellow mustard and fenugreek seeds separately then mix all the ingredients well, in a big bowl and keep aside.  

For the Mangoes

Place the chopped mangoes add the turmeric, salt and mix well keep it overnight.  

Next morning place this in a strainer /colander and place weight over it it and keep it aside for 3 to 4 hours.

After 3 -4 hours.

In the meantime heat the oil till hot do not bring this oil to a boiling point.  Keep the oil cool completely.

To assemble the Pickle

Place the mango pieces in a big bowl add the  garlic ( if the garlic pods are big then cut them into smaller slice like  I did) 

Add the Pickle Masala, with little oil and give it a good mix.  

Pour  the mango pickle in a sterilized bottle and pour the cooled oil over it.  

The oil level should be at least an inch over the mango pieces.  Cover with the lid and tie a clean cloth over it,  let it remain covered for two days.  After two or three days check the oil level since the pickle masala will absorb little oil.  Pour more oil if needed ( again note that the oil level should always be an inch above).

After 2 to 3 weeks the pickle is ready to enjoy for the  year or till the next mango season.   Have this with Dal Rice or paratha or just anything you fancy. 

My Notes

I have used Rajapuri Mangoes to make this pickle.  Wash the mangoes and wipe  them with a clean cloth, then give them to  cut into medium small pieces.  

When they are cut, them remove the seeds and  skin the stems and then weigh the mangoes.  I got 600 grams of mango.

This mango pickle masala is sufficient for 600 to 700 grams of mangoes.

The beautiful color of chilly powder is got from the chillies that's a homemade chilly powder, I use equal quantity of Kashmiri and Bedki chillies.

Take good mature Mangoes/pickle mangoes and never go for tender mangoes. 

Always use a clean dry spoon to serve pickle.

There should be enough oil so that pickle can last long. 

Lables :  Pickle Masala, Homemade, Andhra Pradesh, Mango, Pickle

Gorkeri Sweet & Spicy Mango Pickle

The Gorkeri Recipe is a traditional Gujarati Raw Mango Pickle that is made sweet and spicy with jaggery. It's a pickle you will love.  My friends who tasted this recipe loved it.

Ingredients  

350 Grams Green Raw mangoes - cubed - see notes

120 Grams Jaggery - grated
2 Tablespoons Heaped Yellow Mustard Seeds or Whole ( this variety is used for pickling , if you don't get it powder normal mustard seeds )
1 Tablespoons Level Red chili powder¼ Teaspoons Rock salt¾  Teaspoon Heaped Turmeric powder
Mustard oil or Sesame oil as required
2 + 2 Teaspoons Sea Salt

Method

Wash and clean the mangoes , pat dry, peel  and remove the seed. Chop into small cubes .
Mix turmeric powder with 2 teaspoons heaped salt and coat  the mango cubes with it .
Let it rest for an hour or more . After an hour or so drain the water it leaves and steam cook lightly for 8 - 10 minutes but not very mushy . Keep aside  to cool completely.

Meanwhile dry roast yellow or whole mustard seeds till it leaves an aroma ( taking care not burn them). Cool and then powder it. 

Take a pan , heat sesame oil ( I used this), add the powdered jaggery , add the powdered spice , red chili powder,  add the marinated steam cooked mango cubes after patting dry into the mixture . Keep the flame on low and let the jaggery melt, stirring it so that it does not burn. Stir the whole mixture lightly taking care not to mash the mangoes. Take off flame after jaggery is completely melted.

Let it cool completely ( I left it overnight covered) before you bottle it in a clean sterilized glass jar . This Gorkeri pickle stays good for months . I have added oil one inch above the pieces. If you want it with less oil then keep it in the refrigerator. Use a dry spoon to remove the pickle. 

Tastes excellent with khichdi, theplas , rotis , phulkas and bhakris.

My Notes :

I had purchased 530 grams mango , after cleaning, cutting and chopping the mangoes measured 350 grams.

Labels : Mango, Pickle, Jaggery, Gujarat, Homemade

Homemade Biryani Masala

This spice blend you can use it 3 to 4 times to make biryani. This masala is preservative free,Vegan & Gluten free. 
Ingredients 1/2 Small Nutmeg
1 Flower Mace / Javitri 
10 Green Cardamom
1 Teaspoon Shahajeera
15 Cloves
1 Teaspoon Heaped Black Peppercorns
3 Star Anise / Bardian
4 Cinnamon sticks
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon Dagadful
2 Brown Cardamons / Badi Elaiche
6 Tablespoons Red Chilly Powder
4 Tablespoons Coriander Powder
2 Teaspoons Turmeric powder
2 - 3 Whole Bay Leaves

Method

In a small grinder grind together nutmeg maze, green cardamom black cumin, cloves, black pepper, badiyan, cinnamon very well. 

Add in all the powder masala, and run blend these again till well mixed and preserve in an air tight bottle.  

To preserve the color, taste I, store it in a zip lock bag and keep it in the refrigerator.

My Notes

For 1 kg of meat - Mutton or Beef - use 2.1/2 Tablespoons Heaped Biryani Masala or more according to the spiciness you required.

For 1 Kg Chicken - use 2 Tablespoons Biryani Masala or more according to the spiciness you required.
You can also add 1/2 level of Tandoori color too. Did not add it since in all biryani's, do not like it orange.

For vegetable biryani add according your taste, spiciness and quantity of veggies.

Labels : Masala,Homemade Biryani Masala, Preservatives free, Vegan, Gluten free

Veg Chessy Beer Soup For Two#Soupswappers

When Kathy Altman gave us Carft Beer for this month theme my first reaction was yuck! Beer in a soup! Since I, am not a beer drinker, so as to say hate the smell and taste of it. But since this theme was given decided to try using it in the soup.

 After the soup was made and I had it .. it was delicious. Thanks to this group who pushes me try different recipes.

Cheesy Veg beer soup is the perfect comfort soup for grown-ups! No Not all you can even serve this to your adult kids since most alcohol, burns off during cooking and there will be vague beer tang that adds an oomph and flavor to the soup. Absolutely delicious, a must try recipe

Serves Two
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Macaroni - optional
1 Tablespoon Salted Butter
1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Milk
3 Tablespoons Shredded Cheddar cheese - or to taste
500 ML Water
1 Small Veg Stock Cube
1 Small Carrot - chopped
1/4 Cup Sprouted Fresh Green Peas
1 Scallion / Spring Onion
2 Cloves Garlic - chopped
1 Teaspoon Heaped Hot & Sweet Sauce
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly Garlic Sauce or to your taste
2 Teaspoons Sugar
2o0 ML Beer
1 Teaspoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Each Chopped Red, Green & Yellow Bell peppers
Method

Boil the pasta according to package directions, till al dente. Drain, and set aside.

Chop the the white and green part of scallion and keep them separately.
Heat oil in a large sauce pan, add the garlic and saute for a minute or till it releases an aroma, add the white part of the scallion and saute for a minute add the carrot and peas, saute till for a minute only, add the water and stock cube and let it come to a rolling boil. 

Increase heat to medium-high, and add the beer and bring all to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Now add the bell pepper, all the sauces, sugar and taste for flavors add more sauces according to your taste if required ( for us the quantity was perfect), stir it well and bring it to a boil.

In the meantime, in a another pan let's make the Bechamel Cheese sauce as per this method. When the sauce is ready add the cheese stir it well till it melts, keep aside.

To finish the soup

Pour the cheese sauce into the soup and stir until thickened. Add the drained pasta. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Labels : Beer, Soup, Vegetarian, Vegetables, Soupswappers, Bechamel Sauce, Cheese
Do check on other Beer Soups

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm: Fasolada
Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories: Pressure Cooker Beef and Beer Soup
Sue of Palatable Pastime: Ale Onion Soup
Sid of Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking: Øllebrød (Danish Rye Porridge)
Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe: Veg Chessy Beer Soup For Two
Kathy of A Spoonful of Thyme: Ale and Cheddar Soup
Cindy of Cindy’s Recipes and Writings: Boozy Potato Soup