Spiced Pumpkin and sweet potato soup with toasted Almonds.

Its just raining Pumpkins everywhere in blogosphere.And the pumpkin bug has bit me too...though we Indians don't celebrate the American Thanksgiving .But here it's become kind of cool to celebrate Halloween,better known as the day of Dead.Every hotel and restaurant is throwing a Halloween themed party and even the shops have started stocking up on Halloween gear.

In fact my elder one had a Halloween themed birthday party ....well now everyone is thinking and going global.In the U.S. pumpkins go hand in hand with the fall holidays of thanksgiving and
Halloween.This time I also experimented  with lots of pumpkin recipes from around the world and
every single recipe is a keeper for sure.

From savoury soups to sweet treats the humble pumpkin is so versatile it reaches new heights with these ultimate ,mouthwatering recipes.

My soup is a traditional thanksgiving soup made of pumpkins,sweet potato,carrots and apple.This sweet,vibrant ,orange coloured soup is flavoured with spices and vanilla which goes very well with the creamy texture of potatoes and pumpkins.

3-4 servings
You Require

200 gms Pumpkin Peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
1 large carrot,chopped
1 medium apple,peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
3-4 pods Garlic,chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon,powdered
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp dry ginger powdered
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 C vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
15 gms butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Cream and toasted almonds to garnish

Method

• Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Add the sliced onion and garlic and fry till transparent.
• Add the cinnamon,ginger and all spice and fry until fragrant.
• Add the pumpkin,sweet potatoes,carrots and apples,fry for a few minutes and add the vanilla.
• Add the Veg stock and cover and let it cook for 15-20 mins.
• After the veggies are soft and mushy add the salt ,pepper and butter.
• Let it cool for a few minutes and then blitz with a hand blender or whisk it to a silky smooth consistency in a food processor .
• Add more water or stock if you want a thin consistency and check the seasonings.
• Warm and serve with cream swirled on it and a sprinkling of toasted almonds.

A perfect soup to keep you warm during the long winter nights!

Fried Eggplant roundels/Baigana Bhajaa

With the festival season in full swing all Indian kitchens are busy churning out new delicacies every day.Odiya delicacies dominate my kitchen on festivals and holidays.With sweets and delectable desserts in abundance everywhere the craving for simple, comfort food rises.

Last week during the Durga Puja I was into lot of traditional cooking and had made these golden fried eggplant slices with some Mung Dal Khichdi.These eggplant fry is called Baigana Bhaja in Odisha.The eggplant is cut into half inch roundels ,marinated in turmeric,salt and chilli powder and deep fried or shallow fried in mustard oil .

Bhaja in Odiya means fry and it's an integral part of a traditional Oriya meal.Its an accompaniment with rice,dal and curries.Have seen cooks deep frying the roundels in marriages and functions but I prefer to shallow fry in a wok with 2-3 tbsp of Mustard oil which imparts a unique flavour to the dishes.

You Require
2 round variety eggplants / brinjals
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt or according to taste
3-4 tbsp mustard oil for shallow frying

Method

• Wash and wipe dry the eggplants ,cut into 1/2 inch thick roundels.
• Marinate with the turmeric,chilli powder and salt.
• Smear it uniformly on the slices and keep it marinated for 15 mins.
• Heat the mustard oil in a wok till smoke emanates from it .
• Lessen the heat and fry the marinated slices in batches of 2 or 3 in a medium flame.
• Cook both the sides till nice and brown.
• Serve with a proper Oriya meal or with just plain ghee smeared Khichdi .

Divinely nostalgic!

Nolen Gur er Paayesh...Rice pudding with date palm jaggery

My better half with his Bengali roots is a true Bong at heart...thank god for the similarities in both the cultures and a truckload of Fatafati bong friends from whom I adopted their ways,I survived our marriage.To satiate our Bong Babu Moshai's hunger and as an offering to Maa Durga on the auspicious day of Dusshera I cooked this delicious Paayesh/ Kheer.For him it was a trip down memory Lane.

Nolen Gur basically means Notun Gur or New Gur and the Gur mentioned here is not the usual cane jaggery but date palm Jaggery which has a distinct flavour and aroma.This jaggery is typical of Bengal and Bangladesh and is available during the winter months.The sap of the date palm tree is collected and cooked on fire to make this Gur.

My stock of Khejur ( Date Palm) Gur comes from my Ma in law from Bengal.This time she sent me the Gur in Liquid form,Nolen Gur as well as the solidified version, Patali Gur.I am hanging on to the stock like prized possession till my next stock lands up.

Few important things to be kept in mind before we start cooking the kheer or Paayesh.The Paayesh is cooked on low heat and needs to be stirred continuously at regular intervals as it has a tendency to scald the bottom and however little burnt it is the taste and the look gets spoilt.Secondly the Gur has to be added to the Paayesh only after it is taken off the heat and just stirred into it till it incorporates with the Paayesh....otherwise the  Gur curdles.Lastly the amount of Gur you add is according to the taste of each individual .I add few tbsps of sugar and the Gur,some use more sugar and less Gur and some use only Gur.

You Require
1 l full fat milk
1/3 C Gobindobhog Rice or the Tukda Basmati Rice,washed and drained
2-3 tbsp of Sugar
2 bay leaves or 1/2 tsp of Cardamom powder
Khejur Gur,according to your taste( I used 1/2 C of Nolen Gur)
2 tbsp chopped cashews and small raisins sautéed in 1 tsp of Pure Ghee

• Method
• Heat the milk and bay leaves( if you are adding) in a heavy bottomed pan till it boils.
• Add the washed rice to the milk and let it cook..keep stirring in between to avoid the kheer burning as it thickens.Add the cardamom powder now if you are not adding bay leaves.
• Keep checking for the rice to get cooked.
• After the rice is cooked add the sugar and let it boil stirring continuously in low heat.
• When the Paayesh has thickened enough for the consistency you require take it off the heat.
• After few mins add the Nolen Gur and stir to incorporate properly.By this time your house will be smelling divine.
• Add the cashews and raisins sautéed in a little ghee to the Paayesh.
• Serve it warm or cold according to choice.