Koat Pitha - Mizoram cuisine

Koat Pitha is a sweet snack from Mizoram. These fritters are made using rice flour, jaggery and banana.

For the month of March, the theme for "Shhhhh Cooking Secretly" event is a cuisine from Mizoram.
Mizoram is one of the North Eastern States of India. The name is derived from "Mizo", the name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", means land, and thus Mizoram means "The land of the Mizos".

For the event, I am paired with Pavani Gunikuntla who gave me rice flour and banana as my secret ingredients. I gave her green chilies and ginger. She blogs at "Pavanis Kitchen". Do check out her blog for a wide collection of recipes.

Recipe source: betterbutter

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour - 1 cup
2. Jaggery - 1/2 cup
3. Banana - 1 (I used Chiquita/robusta banana)
4. Water - 1/4 cup
5. Salt - a pinch
6. Oil - for deep frying

Method:

1. Melt jaggery in 1/4 cup water and sieve to remove any impurities. Allow it to cool down.
2. Mash the banana with a fork into a smooth paste.
3. Add in rice flour, jaggery syrup and a pinch of salt to the mashed banana. Mix well and make a thick batter.
4. Heat oil in a pan and drop in a tablespoon of batter in hot oil. Fry on medium flame until the pitha turns golden brown in color.
5. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and serve. 

Janeiiong | Black Sesame Pulao from Meghalaya

For the month of February, the theme for "Shhhhh Cooking Secretly" event is cuisine from Meghalaya. 

Meghalaya is one of the seven North Eastern states of India. Meghalaya - alaya("abode") and megha("clouds") which means "the abode of clouds" in Sanskrit. It occupies a mountainous plateau of great scenic beauty. It is the home to three major tribal population - Khasis, Garos and Jaintias(in order of population). The staple food of people is rice with meat and fish preparations. 

For the cooking event, I am paired with Seema Doraiswamy Sriram, who gave me sesame seeds and rice as my secret ingredients. I have made this black sesame seeds pulao called "Janeiiong. I gave her rice flour and jaggery and she made a sweet rice flour cookie named "Pu klein". Do check her blog - 'Mildly Indian' for the recipe. 

Recipe Source: DesiFiesta

Ingredients:

1. Cooked rice - 1 cup
2. Black sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
3. Onion - 1 small sized
4. Ginger minced - 1 teaspoon
5. Green chilies - 2
6. Oil - 1 teaspoon
7. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast black sesame seeds on medium flame for around 5 minutes. Keep stirring continuously to avoid burning of seeds. 
2. After dry roasting, place the sesame seeds in a fine sieve and wash in running water.
3. Grind the sesame seeds into a fine paste by adding 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside the ground paste.
4. In a pan, heat a teaspoon of oil and add finely chopped onion, minced ginger and slit green chilies. Saute until onions turn translucent.
5. Add sesame paste and salt to taste. Mix well and let it simmer for around 3 minutes.
6. Add cooked rice and mix well. Serve hot.

Kovakka thoran | Ivy Gourd Stir fry

Ingredients:

1. Ivy Gourd/Kovakka - 250 gms
2. Dried red chilies - 2-3
3. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
4. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
5. Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
6. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and thinly slice ivy gourd and set aside.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. 
3. Add red chilies, curry leaves, ivy gourd and salt to taste.
4. Cover and cook on low flame. Ivy gourd cooks in steam itself and there is no need to add water while cooking.
5. Stir occasionally and cook for 10 minutes.

Serve as a side dish for steamed rice.

Long Beans Stir Fry | Pacha Payar thoran - Kerala style

Ingredients:

1. Long beans/Yard long beans - 250 gms
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Dried red chilies - 2-3
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
6. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
7. Coconut oil - 2 teaspoon
8. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
9. Garlic cloves - 2
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1.  Wash and cut long beans into small pieces.
2. Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add dried red chilies, curry leaves and chopped onions. Saute for a minute.
4. Add cut long beans, turmeric powder, salt and 1/2 cup water.
5. Cover and cook for around 10 minutes until the beans are well done.
6. Meanwhile, take grated coconut and garlic in a mixer and just pulse it couple of times.
7. Add the coconut to the long beans and mix well. If there is any water left, leave it uncovered for the water to evaporate. Turn off heat once all the water has evaporated.

Serve as a side dish for steamed rice.

Poached Egg Curry

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

1. Eggs - 3-4
2. Onion - 1 large
3. Tomatoes - 4 large
4. Garlic cloves - 6-7
5. Red chili powder - 1-2 teaspoon
6. Oil - 2 tablespoon
7. Salt to taste
8. Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped onion and minced garlic.
2. Sprinkle little salt and saute until onions turn soft.
3. Add red chili powder and saute for few seconds.
4. Add roughly cubed tomatoes and mix well.
5. Cover and cook until tomatoes turn mushy. It takes around 5-7 minutes.
6. Check for the salt and add if required. 
7. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well and allow the mixture to boil. Keep the flame to low-medium.
8. Break the eggs into the gravy and do not stir. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the whites are cooked. 
9. Turn off the heat and garnish with cilantro. 

Serve hot as a side dish for chapathi. 

ChakHao Tal | Black Rice Poori - Manipuri Cuisine

Chak-Hao is unpolished traditional black rice from Manipur. Black rice is also known as Forbidden Rice because for centuries, black rice is forbidden for common people making it reserved for only Chinese royalty. Black rice from Manipur have a special aroma and taste due to the soil condition and clean environment of this region.

Black rice is low in calorie and high in protein compared to white rice. These are rich in antioxidants, Vitamin E, Iron and dietary fiber. Source: Wikipedia

Ingredients:

1. Black Rice - 1 cup
2. Wheat flour - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil - for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash black rice couple of times and soak in water for 1 hour.
2. Drain water completely and add to the mixer/blender and grind into fine paste by adding 2-3 tablespoon of water. Rice paste should be very thick, hence grind with minimal amount of water.
3. Transfer the rice paste in a mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup wheat flour and salt to taste. Knead into a dough. If you feel the dough is sticky, add a tablespoon of wheat flour and knead. Repeat until the dough is non-sticky. 
4. Rest the dough for 15 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Roll out the dough into 4 inch circles and deep fry in hot oil.
6. Drain excess oil in a kitchen tissue and serve with potato bhaji or korma. 

For the month of Jan 2019, we have chosen the theme of Manipuri cuisine for "Shhhhh Cooking Secretly" event. My partner for this month is Sasmita Sahoo Samanta who gave me black rice and salt as my secret ingredients. I had given her Paneer and Cumin seeds, using which she made Sana thongba, a Manipuri Paneer Curry. Do visit her blog "First Timer Cook" for a collection of delicious recipes.

Easy Egg Bhurji | Easy Mutta Thoran

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 3
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Tomato- 1 medium
4. Green chillies - 2 or as per spice level
5. Cilantro - 3 sprig
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Take roughly chopped onion, tomato, green chillies and  cilantro in a mixer/blender. Pulse it couple of times.
2. Add eggs, salt and turmeric powder and pulse for few seconds.
3. Heat a pan on medium flame and add oil. When the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture and stir occasionally.
4. Stir until eggs are cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Asparagus with Mushroom Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1. Mushroom - 200 gms
2. Asparagus - 200 gms
3. Garlic - 5-6 cloves
4. Salt to taste
5. Pepper powder to taste
6. Oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add finely minced garlic. Saute for a minute and add cut mushrooms and asparagus.
2. Add salt and pepper powder to taste.
3. Stir well and cook uncovered until the water from mushroom evaporates.