Alwatti with Corn Curry (Colocasia Leaves Curry)

ALWATTI WITH CORN COB

Colocasia/Taro/Alu leaves are seen in abundance in the tropical region. It adapts well to hot, marshy, humid climate. Very popular dishes are made using these leaves in the southern and western regions of India. Many households grow these beautiful plants in their backyards. They have so big leaves that it contributes to the lush greenness in the yard. Also known as Alu paan, this recipe is called Alwati, it's very tasty and can be made with the various combination of other ingredients like peanuts, jackfruit seeds, corn, channa dal etc. I consider this recipe exotic due to its unique taste, look and feel of the dish :) These leaves are also used in making the famous dish called Patrode or Patra.

HomeGrown Leaves

It is very easy low maintenance plant to grow in your backyard. You can either grow it in a big pot or directly in the soil. Get taro roots from the supermarket and soak it in water for a couple of days till you see small roots popping out of the root. Now all you have to do is plant it about 2-3 inches down in the soil. Water regularly and see this gigantic nutritious leaves coming out in a couple of weeks.

Let's check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 6-7 good size Colocasia leaves
• 3/4 cup grated coconut
• 1 small marble size tamarind
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 corn cobs cut into pieces
• 4-5 buttermilk chillies (taka mirsang) - optional
• salt to taste

For the tempering:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 10-12 curry leaves

Preparation:

• Chop colocasia leaves along with the stem. Pressure cook leaves and corn cobs for 4 whistles (or cook till corn is done). 
• Make a paste by grinding coconut, tamarind, green chillies and ginger.
• Take a pan, add this paste along with cooked corn and wilted colocasia leaves and bring to a boil.
• Add salt and simmer for few more minutes.
• For the tempering, in a tadka pan add oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, once it splutters add curry leaves and hing. Pour it over the cooked colocasia mixture. Stir gently.
• In the end, add fried buttermilk chillies in the curry and serve hot with roti's or rice. Your aromatic, healthy dish is ready!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

recipe credit to Anuradha Mudalagiri, my fellow foodie. 

Home-grown Colocasia leaves

Health Benefits: Colocasia leaves are loaded with potassium and several minerals and vitamins. Helps to build a strong immune system, fights fatigue problems, helps lower blood pressure, helps in anti-aging process as it has a high content of hyaluronic acid. It's a low glycemic index food. These are home grown Colocasia leaves :)

Khatkhate (Mix Vegetable Stew)

This is a classic dish consisting of a fun and unique vegetable medley made with coconut /peanuts as the base and adding many varied spices like schezuan peppers(triphala), kokum etc. Because of all these tangy spicy flavors, khatkhate used to be my favorite dish served during festivals.

Khatkhate is also the last name of many families in konkan/coastal etc. region and also 'khat khat'o means 'boiling' in Konkani. This recipe is a slightly different version of gajbaje dish which is another coconut based vegetable stew. There is Goan khatkhate version, Marathi version, and Konkani version with slight variations (that I know of :))

While growing up, we did not get a Ganesha Idol in my house during the Chaturthi festival but we performed Vayana pooja (coconut pooja) that I celebrate and perform even to this day. This is basically praying to Gowri (Parvati, mother of Lord Ganesha). It is usually celebrated a day before Chaturthi. Most of my neighbors got Ganesha Idol and celebrated with great pomp and show. We were invited to almost 3-4 houses for pooja and lunch/dinner. It used to be great fun! As is our appetites used to be so little and imagine having meals in every house, after eating like crazy we used to get back home with huge tummy (just like Lord Ganesha :)), crash on the bed and instantly go to sleep hehe

I was totally and completely in love with my neighbor's preparation of khatkhate. She never revealed the recipe and nor was I keen on cooking and knowing stuff in my childhood/teens. Sadly she is no more now but a big thank you to my aunt who knew the recipe roughly and has passed it on to me! I was thrilled to no end :)

Can't wait to share it with you all :)
Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:
For grinding into a paste:

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4-5 red dry chilies
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• pinch turmeric (haldi)
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 8 curry leaves
• 1/2 cup coconut grated
• 3-4 schezuan peppers (optional)
• 3-5 kokum soaked in little water ( or marble sized tamarind piece)
• salt as per taste

Steam Vegetables:

• 3 cups of vegetable mix ( beans, padwal, pumpkin, ash gourd, gherkin, carrots, raw banana, yam, potato, legumes like black eye peas, raw peas, drumsticks etc)
• pick any 4-5 kind of vegetables.
• 1-2 corn on the cob 

For tempering:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• a pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 10 curry leaves
• pinch of chilli powder

Preparation: 

• Cut all vegetables( you can pick 4-5 variety) into bite size and steam it separately. Steam corn and cut into 2-3 inch rounds and keep aside.
• In a pan add 1 tsp oil and roast coriander seeds, red dry chilies, sesame seeds, curry leaves for few minutes and add to the blender. Roast in the same pan grated coconut till its light brown and add to the blender. Next, roast the peanuts and dump it in the blender. Also, add turmeric. Make a semi-solid paste by adding little water at a time. 
• In a vessel, add this paste along with kokum water, jaggery, salt and bring to a quick boil. Now gently add all the veggies and simmer the khatkhate for 5-10 minutes. (Adjust spices like chili pwd, kokum water, jaggery as per your liking)
• Make a tempering/tadka by heating coconut oil, add mustard seeds till they splutter, add curry leaves, chilli pwd, and hing. Stir and quickly pour this into the khatkhate and close the lid so that all the smoke and flavors stay in the curry!! 
• Serve hot with Rice, Dal, Roti. Enjoy this fantastic dish and don't forget to lick your fingers in the end :P

You may also like Vali Bhaji Randai (Indian Spinach curry), Lal Bhaji Curry.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes*: Do not over cook the veggies when you steam or cook, because you will be cooking it further in the curry. Try to cook all the veggies separately and accordingly. If you don't have kokum, use tamarind or sour tomatoes. A different variation of Khatkhate includes adding of cooked dal to get thick consistency and dal flavor. One can also use triphala as optional. Personally, I like it with it.

Health Benefits: By adding so many vegetables one is guaranteed to get a burst of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins from it. Coconut and peanuts will give much needed good oil for boosting good cholesterol. A very filling and satisfying dish for your health.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Slow Cooker/ or Instant Pot Cooker)

Chicken Tortilla Soup is filled with many ethnic ingredients to create a filling and savory side dish or a soup that could be served as the main meal. This is a hearty and enjoyable combination of vegetables, meat and seasonings that are combined to create a flavorful soup for any meal.

This was in California a few years back when I first visited a Mexican restaurant (On the Borders), and it happened, yes! love at first sight with a spoon of slurpicious chicken tortilla soup! I fell in love with this bowl of creamy goodness! Since then whenever I am in a Mexican restaurant without even blinking I order this soup to start my course of meal! I like On the Borders recipe a lot! There are times when I am totally disappointed by what they serve and I don't shy away from telling the server about it.

The smoky flavors of the soup gets me all warm and fuzzy! Then the goodness of avocado gives all the creaminess texture to it and the tanginess of tomatoes along with cumin and chilli pwd makes this soup very irresistible.

I tried making it in a slow-cooker and the results were amazing! Then I tried it in my Instant Pot Cooker using slow cook mode, excellent results. Gotta use that slow cooker pot once in a while- don't want it to feel lonely lol. You can cook it in a regular way too. Makes a great 1 pot meal and is very very filling. Less work, less cleanup, great flavors and a filling dish! Who can say no to that :)

Let us take a look at the Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4-5 chicken drumsticks  or (2 whole boneless chicken breasts)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper chopped
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 & 1/2 cup tomatoes chopped
• 32 ounces chicken stock (low sodium)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup garbanzo (originally use  black beans (15 oz. can))
• 1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo (very spicy and smoky flavor, use more if you need spicy)
• salt and pepper as per taste

For Garnish:

• 3 corn tortillas (or regular tortilla)
• sour cream
• diced avocado
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro
• lime
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Preparation:

• Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, chipotle, and garbanzo (black beans). Stir, place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on high for 5 hours or high (or 8 hours on low.) Stir in the lime juice.
• Using 2 forks, break up the chicken into chunks (or you may shred it more fine). Once its cooked chicken basically starts falling off the bone. Taste and add more salt if the soup needs it. 
• Now warm the corn tortilla on a griddle/tava on both sides till it is little hard (not soft). You can deep fry it too but former option is much better! Cut into strips of 2-3 inches.
• Serve the soup piping hot in a bowl topped with avocado, sour cream, grated cheese, cilantro leaves, and corn strips!

Preparation using Instant Pot Cooker :

• Place the chicken in the Instant pot Inner vessel.  Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper on the top (or use taco seasoning packet). Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, chipotle, and garbanzo (black beans). Stir, place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal on venting and hit slow cook button, adjust the time for 6 hours. 
• Open the lid, using 2 forks, break up the chicken into chunks (or you may shred it more fine). Once its cooked chicken basically starts falling off the bone. Taste and add more salt if the soup needs it. 
• Stir in the lime juice.
• Now warm the corn tortilla on a griddle/tava on both sides till it is little hard (not soft). You can deep fry it too but former option is much better! Cut into strips of 2-3 inches.
• Serve the soup piping hot in a bowl topped with avocado, sour cream, grated cheese, cilantro leaves, and corn strips!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* I have tried this soup many times, using both ways- cumin and chilli powder and sometimes adding packet of taco seasoning, it comes out good every single time! Also I like to add meat with the bones as it imparts more depth and taste to the broth and taste.

recipe courtesy Pioneer Woman.

Health Benefits: Chicken is a very good source of protein. It helps one build muscles, keeps your bones healthy, relieves stress, boosts immunity and promotes heart health. Always buy organic or a good quality chicken and try to include it in your diet regularly. Avocado is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber and is known to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The beans again is a good source of proteins and nutrients!