Healthy least oily Tomato Pickle

Tomato pickle

Pickles make regular appearance in the dining table and are most welcome guests. They have an intrinsic property to make a most dull platter of food look enticing and change the taste to mouthwatering. We Indians are blessed with different variety of food because of the diversity in weather, culture and eating habits of people of different part of our country. Tomato soup, ketchup, sauce etc. are well known as frequently used form of tomato but tomato pickle? It was a surprise to me in late seventies, when I had tomato pickle at my friends place while doing Ph.D. and wondered how the lady converted tomatoes to such innovative yum tasting pickle have. Later when I got married tips from my Andhrite friends and habit of experimenting in the kitchen resulted in this less oily healthy pickle.

 I love having it not only with rice and chapatti but love  using it for making sandwich also. My family loves having curd and rice with tangy spicy Tomato pickle.

Preparation Time: 15 min.

Cooking Time: 45 min

Servings  500 gm. pickle.

Materials Required for Making Tomato Pickle:

• 500 gm. Red Ripe Fleshy Tomatoes

• 100 gm. Tamarind

• 100 gm. Jaggery

• 50 gm. Salt

• 25 gm. Red chili powder

• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder

• 1 tea spoon Chana dal

• 1 Tea spoon Dhuli Urd dal ( Urd dal without green / black cover)

• 15-20Whole Red chilies

Spices for seasoning

• 50 ml. Cooking oil (Ground nut oil / sesame oil / soya oil / olive oil/ Mustard oil)

• 1/4Teaspoon Asafoetida powder

• 5-10 Kadi Patta (Curry leaves)

• 4 Teaspoon Mustard seeds

• 10 ml. Vinegar

Directions For Masking Tomato Pickle:

• Wash and dry tomatoes nicely.

• Cut tomatoes thin long pieces.

Tomato pieces for Pickle

• Take thinly cut pieces of tomatoes in a glass / stainless steel container and mix 25 gm. salt and 1 tea spoon turmeric powder in the tomato.

• If the pickle is being made in hot weather / summers then cut and mix salt and turmeric in night cover and leave overnight but if pickle is being made in cold weather / winters then cut and mix salt and turmeric in morning cover and leave for 24 hrs.

After 24 hrs of soaking Juices squeezed from tomato pieces

• Sieve the juices and squeeze the tomato pieces by pressing between the palms.

• Mix the squeezed juice to the sieved juice.

• Keep the squeezed tomato pieces under the s8un for drying on a stainless plate / plastic sheet / glass plate for 4-5 hrs. when the temperature is high ( 40 ^o C or more), 7-8 hrs. in winters when the temperature is 30^o C – 35^oC.

Tomato pieces kept under the sun for drying after squeezing the juices

• Clean the tamarind of the seeds and soak cleaned tamarind and whole red chilies in the tomato juices for 5-6 hrs.  under the sun.

Tamarind and whole red chilli soaking in tomato juices under the sun

• Tomato pieces will become semi dry and the tamarind will soak the juices of tomato and become soft.

Tomato pieces drying under the sun

Dried Tomato Pieces

• Blend the soaked tamarind and chilies to pulp along with juices. Keep extra juices aside.

Juice from tomato pieces , chilies and Tamarind pulp

• Take oil in a thick bottom wok (I always cook in anodized / non-stick wok / pans) and heat on high flame.

• When the oil is smoking hot lower the flame and add mustard seeds. Mustard seeds will splutter immediately.

• Add chana dal and urd dal and cook on low flame till touch of pink starts coming on them.

• Add 4-5 whole red chilies and kadi patta.

• Cook for 30 seconds.

• 

Seasoning getting ready for pickle

Add Asafoetida and immediately add semi dried tomato pieces.

Ready for Tomato pieces to be added

• Stir and mix spices and tomato pieces nicely. Cook with continuous stirring for 3-4 minutes on low flame.

Tomato pieces added to the seasoning

• Add the mixture of tamarind pulp and tomato juices.

Tomato juice left after making pulp of the soaked tamarind added

After 10 min of cooking 

• Mix nicely and cook for 3-4 minutes.

• Add

• Salt red chili powder

• Jaggery

• Mix and cook with regular stirring till all juices are absorbed and the pickle starts leaving the edges of wok.

• Add vinegar and mix nicely.

• Cook again for one minute with continuous stirring.

• Switch off the gas and let the pickle cool without covering the wok.

Pickle ready for bottling

• Store the cooled tomato pickle in a dry glass bottle.

Tomato Pickle

• Enjoy the Tomato pickle with Dosa/ Pesarattu / Idli / da-chawal / mutton or chicken biryan / Stuffed paranthas.It goes well with all vegetarian and non- vegetarian foods.

Tips:

• Do not dry the tomato pieces so much that they become hard.

• Remove the seeds and hard cover of tamarind before soaking in tomato juices.

• Preferably used fruit based vinegar rather than synthetic vinegar because fruit based vinegar has nutritional values.

• Pound /cut the jaggery before adding to the pickle it will dissolve faster.

• Always break whole red chili before adding to oil otherwise it may burst and cause accident.

• Tomato taken for pickling should be fleshier. Lesser fleshy and more juicy the tomato will require more cooking time and hard work.

• Jaggery, salt and red chili powder can be increased or decreased according to the taste.

• Always add red chili powder in small amounts and check the taste for hotness before adding all  said amount of chili powder. The grade of hotness for chili powder differs from one chili powder brand to other and homemade chili powder may have altogether different degree of hotness.

Suggested Variations:

• Peeled whole or sliced garlic can be added to the pickle just before adding the vinegar.

Ready to be bottled

• Grated 4-5 cm. piece of ginger can be added to the oil after adding kadi patta and cooked till the foam due to the moisture of ginger stops coming from oil. Then the semi dried tomato pieces can be added.

• Sugar / brown sugar can be taken in the absence of jaggery.

All Stir Fry Veggies and Chicken

All Stir fried veggies

All Stir Fry Veggies With  Chicken

Vegetables as well as chicken when stir fried retain their crispness, juices and none of the nutrients are destroyed while cooking and taste delicious. My daughter made this dish of stir fried vegetables and vegetables with chicken for me.I loved it so much that had no option but to learn it from her so that I can cook it at my home also. It is light to digest and goes very well with Garlic bread. But can be had with roti (Indian puffed bread).  So from mom’s kitchen comes the recipe lovingly made by her daughter. I never fail to thank God for the two wonderful daughters he has given me.

Preparation Time: 20-30 min.

Cooking Time: 20 min.

Servings: 4 Large servings

Ingredients Required For Making All Stir Fry:

• 100 gm. French Beans

• 100 gm. Carrots

Carrots

• 100 gm. Capsicum

• 1 medium size Onion

Onion

• 100 gm. Fresh / Preserved Peas

• 4-5 Cloves of garlic

Garlic

• 200 gm. Button Mushroom

Mushrooms

• 250 gm. Boneless Chicken

• Green Chili sauce

• Black Pepper sauce

• Dark Soy Sauce

• 2 Tea spoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

• Vinegar

• Salt to Taste

• Olive oil

• Ice

• Water

Direction For Making All Stir Fry:

                                                             Marinating the Chicken:

• Wash the boneless chicken thoroughly and pat dry the washed chicken.

• Cut the boneless chicken to 2 cm thick and -5 cm. long pieces.

4-5 cm. long and 1-1/2cm. thick pieces of washed Chicken

• Take the washed and cut chicken in a bowl and add:

• 2 Teaspoon Dark Soy sauce

• 2 Teaspoon Green chili sauce

• 2 Teaspoon Garlic paste

• 2 Teaspoon Ginger Paste

• 2 Teaspoon Vinegar

Chicken Ginger Paste,Garlic Paste, Dark Soya sauce, Green Chili sauce, Black Pepper sauce, Vinegar

• Mix all the ingredients of the bowl with chicken pieces nicely, cover and keep aside for 15 min. for marination.

Sauces and spices mixed with chicken and kept for marination for 30 min.

Veggies All Stir Fry:

• Wash the vegetables.

• De-vein the beans and slice them from the middle. Cut them to 4-5 cm. long thin pieces.

• Scrap the carrots and cut them to1/2cm. thick 4-5 cm. long pieces.

Par boiled Peas and Cut carrot and Beans

• Cut large mushroom to 4 pieces and smaller ones to 2 pieces lengthwise.

• De-seed them capsicum and cut them to 1/2cm thick long pieces.

 Slices of Mushrooms,Capsicum along with par boiled peas and blanched carrots and beans

• If you are using the preserved peas then defrost them and give nice wash with fresh water, If fresh peas are being used then keep the peas aside after removing them from the pods.

• Par boil the fresh peas in salted water. 

Par boiled peas

• Peel and cut garlic very fine.

Finely cut Garlic

•  Peel and cut onion into thin long slices

Long thin slices of Onion

• In bowl take 1lt. water add 1 teaspoon salt and keep on the gas for boiling.

• When the water starts boiling put cut beans and carrots in it.

Carrots and Beans added to boiled water

•  Let the vegetables boil win water for 2-3 min. The texture and color of vegetables will change but they should remain crunchy.

Carrots and Beans ready for dunking in ice

• By the time vegetables are boiling in water take out ice in a sieve and keep the sieve with ice on an empty container.

Ice in a sieve for dunking hot boiled vegetables

• Strain all water from vegetables and dunk the hot vegetables on ice and toss the vegetables and ice two or three times to make sure vegetables are in contact with ice.

Boiled vegetables dunked into ice

• Let the vegetables cool on ice.

• In thick bottom wok/pan take 2 ml.Olive oil and heat it.

1 Tea spoon of oil heating in a non-stick pan

• When the oil is hot add finely cut garlic and cook till garlic attains light brown color.

Finely cut Garlic cooked to brown color in hot oil

• Add onion and cook on high flame till onion become transparent. It will take 2-3 minutes only.

Long thin sliced Onions added to the browned Garlic

• Add blanched beans and carrots. Cook on high flame with regular tossing for 2-3 minutes.

To the cooked onion blanched vegetables are added

• Add capsicum and toss nicely so that the vegetables get mixed nicely. Cook on high flame for just one minute.

Capsicum added to the blanched vegetable and Onion mixture

• Add peas mix and cook for just one minute on high flame. Keep tossing regularly.

• Add Mushrooms and mix nicely and cook on high flame for 2 minutes.

Mushrooms added to the vegetable mixture and stir fried on high flame

 vegetable ready for sauces to be added

• Add :
  •  2 Teaspoons black pepper sauce

• 2 Teaspoons vinegar

• 2 Teaspoons dark soy sauce

• 2 Teaspoons green chili sauce

• Toss the vegetables in the sauce while cooking continuously on the high flame.

Cooking for 1 min. on high flame with continuous stirring chicken cooked and kept aside

• Lots of steam will be formed, sauces will be reduced and vegetables will get the flavor and color of sauces.

• Place hot All stir fry vegetables in a serving plate and serve with hot garlic bread / Roti.

All Stir Fry Veggies

Chicken vegetable all stir fry:

• If you are chicken lovers then while vegetables are being stir fried heat a thick bottom pan on high flame.

• When pan is hot add marinated chicken pieces and cook on high flame for 3 minutes with regular tossing to make sure even cooking of chicken pieces.

Chicken cooked in it own juices while being stir fried

• Add salt to taste and mix nicely and stir fry on high flame for another 3 min. with regular tossing.

Vegetables being stir fried on high flame ans chicken being cooked with out oil in non-stick pan on high flame

•  Stir fry chicken first and keep aside then cook veggies. 

• Once veggies are cooked then add cooked chicken to the stir fried veggies and mix nicely.
• Add :

•  21/2 Teaspoons black pepper sauce

• 21/2 Teaspoons vinegar

• 21/2 Teaspoons dark soy sauce

• 21/2 Teaspoons green chili sauce

• Cook for a min after adding the sauces. 

• Other option is to cook the veggies and chicken side by side on high flame with regular stirring.

• Mix the stir fried chicken to stir fried vegetables (which are cooking side by side).

• Add  :

•  21/2 Teaspoons black pepper sauce

• 21/2 Teaspoons vinegar

• 21/2 Teaspoons dark soy sauce

• 21/2 Teaspoons green chili sauce

• Cook on high flame for a min. with constant stirring.

• Take out in a serving plate and serve hot Chicken-Veggie All stir fry with garlic bread or roti.

All Stir Fry Veggies with Chicken

Tips:

• Cooking for All stir fry is done always on high flame and the vessel is never covered.

• Tossing and stirring regularly is a must to ensure even cooking of vegetables and chicken as well even mixing of sauces with the vegetables and chicken.

• The container in which cooking is done should be thick bottom otherwise while stir frying on high flame vegetables and chicken will get burnt,

• Since Soy sauce has salt in it so before adding salt taste the vegetables and chicken to make sure All stir fry does not become too salty.

• While blanching the vegetables do not boil the carrots and beans to soft texture boil just for 2-3 min. so that the color changes and the crunchiness of the vegetables is maintained.

• Remember the beauty of All stir fry is that the vegetables are always cooked to crunchiness and chicken to soft texture but never over cooked.

Suggested Variations:

• Cottage cheese can be cut to 1 cm. thick and 3-4 cm. long pieces and added along with mushrooms in All  Stir Fry.

• Long thin strips of cauliflower, Broccoli can be added to vegetables while blanching them for All Stir Fry.

• Red bell pepper, Yellow bell pepper (Pepperoni) can be added along with capsicum.

• Fresh basil can be added along with mushrooms. Basil flavor tastes great in All Stir fry.

• Roasted crushed Almonds, Hazel nut,walnut can be added to the veggie all Stir Fry just before serving. It adds crunchiness, Nutrition to all stir fry.   

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun / शकरकंद के गुलाब जामुन (A Delicious Indian Sweet)

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun

In search of Gulab jamun which are comparatively low on calories and also good in taste I came up with the idea of making Gulab jamun from Shakarkandi (Sweet potato). My friends and husband loved them and were surprised to know that I made the gulab jamun from sweet potatoes. They were soft and juicy and very authentic.

Khoya is not available in many places, as a result of which we are unable to enjoy this lovely dessert. Also some people do not make them due to high calories in Khoya or suspecting the purity of Khoya available in market.One solution to all problems. Make Shakarkandi (Sweet potato) Gulab Jamun. They are low in calories as compared to Khoya gulab jamun, being tuber based have their natural sweetness thus require comparatively less sugar, have good dietary fibers and also the cost involved in making these gulab jamun is less. So why delay? Make this healthier version of gulab jamun and satiate your urge to eat this Indian delicacy.
These gulab jamuns are not harmful for heart patients also if fried in oil especially in Rrice bran oil / Olive oil.

Preparation Time: 30 min.

Cooking Time: 45 min (Soaking time included).

Servings: 20 Medium Size Gulab jamun.

Ingredients Required for Making Shakarkandi Ke Gulab Jamun:

• 150 gm. Sugar

• 250 ml. Water

• 4-5 Green cardamom

• 150 gm. Shakarkandi (Sweet Potato)/ 3 medium size Shakarkandi

• 4 Level Teaspoon Maida (Refined flour) (Approximately 25 gm.)

• 3 Level Teaspoon Suji (Semolina) (Approximately 25 gm.)

• 1 Small pinch of Eating Soda

• Ghee / Oil for frying

Directions For Making Gulab jamun:

• Heat water in a pan and add sugar to it.

• Dissolve the sugar by continuous stirring while the water is heating on low flame.

• When the sugar has dissolved bring the flame to high and let the sugar solution boil for 10 min.

• Switch off the gas and cover the container with sugar syrup.

• Do not thicken the syrup too much as while soaking fried gulab jamun it has to be heated as a result it will become thick.

• Boil Shakarkandi and let it cool.

• Peel the boiled Shakarkandi and mash to smoothness.

Boiled and peeled Shakarkandi

Shakarkandi Mashed for Gulab jamun

• Mix eating soda and maida and sieve the mixture through a sieve to make sure even mixing of soda and eating soda.

• Mix maida-eating soda mixture and suji with mashed boiled sweet potatoes.

• Mix all ingredients with continuous mashing and kneading till a uniform soft dough is formed.

•  At least 5 min. continuous mashing and kneading is required to make the dough.

Shakarkandi (Sweet Potato) dough for Gulab Jamun

• While the dough of Shakarkandi is being made heat oil / ghee in a wok.

• Make 20-25 medium size balls from the dough.

Dough balls ready for frying

• Make sure the balls do not have any cracks in them the surface of the dough ball should be smooth.

• The oil will become hot by the time balls of dough are made.

• Put only one piece of dough to check temperature of oil, if it becomes brown then the oil is too hot so switch off the gas and allow it to cool for 2-3 min. it should start floating on the oil but not become brown immediately.

• The correct temperature to fry is when the ball of dough is when the balls start frying and start gaining pinkish brown color slowly.

Balls of Shakarkandi added to hot oil and being fried on low flame

• Fry the dough balls on low flame with constant stirring and turning over.

• In 10 min. the balls will gain golden brown color and in 12-13 min. they will turn darker brown. 

Ready for being pricked with tooth pick and put in sugar syrup for soaking

• Take the dough balls out from wok after 12-13 min. of frying and immediately prick holes on two three places with tooth pick and put in hot sugar syrup.

Poking the hot fried dough balls with tooth pick before putting in sugar syrup

• Turn them over two three times while soaking in sugar syrup.

• If the sugar syrup becomes cold while the fried dough balls are soaking in it, heat it along with fried dough balls soaking in it for 2-3 min. on low flame. Do not boil. 

Fried Sweet potato dough balls soaking in Hot sugar syrup

• After 15 min. of soaking in hot sugar syrup the fried balls will become soft and juicy.

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun

This is how they should look from Inside

• Repeat till all dough balls are fried and are soaking in sugar syrup.

• Add ground cardamom powder and serve hot.

Shakarkandi Gulab Jamun

Tips:

• While making balls from dough apply some oil on your palm.
  

• It is preferable that the smaller grain semolina is taken but in the absence of fine grain semolina any variety of semolina (Suji) will do.

• If the sweet potatoes have been over boiled and have soaked more water while boiling then increase the amount of semolina (Suji) by one teaspoon.

• Unlike Khoya gulab jamun the sugar syrup is comparatively thin so the sugar: water is also less than the one we make for Khoya gulab jamun.

• The sugar syrup should not be at room temperature while putting the hot fried dough balls for soaking.

• Once the fried dough balls are in the sugar syrup it should never be boiled just heated as the soaking takes best when the sugar syrup if hot.

• Frying should be done at low heat / flame only.

• Turning and stirring while frying should be done carefully so as not to break the dough balls.

• Pre heat the oil because the dough has soda in it and cannot be kept for long after making.

• While making sugar syrup the peels of cardamom can be added to bring flavor in the syrup.

Suggested Variations:

• Green cardamom can be replaced with rose water or Kewadajal.

• The balls can be stuffed with Pieces of almonds/cashew/raisin.