Foodpuzzle: Tell Me, Dear, What You Ate Just Now!

I was thrilled to find soya nuggets here! OK, in Indian stores you can get everything but still, I was happy, thinking that now I would able to serve my friends soya in a form that is eaten only in India, as much as I have experinced.
So, this was my soya-preparation, "Soya Nuggets in Onion and Tomato Sauce", for our party yesterday!

Unlike in India, I cooked this without adding potao or any other vegetables since it was supposed to be a finger food, and not to accompany steamed rice or roti.
"What are those small balls?" --- my frineds asked me.
"Taste and tell me!" --- was my reply!
And...... nobody passed the test of taste!!! Ha Ha Haahh!

Vietnam on My Plate: the Very First Experience

Since one of our friends is leaving Stuttgart, we had a get-together to say "Goodbye" to her.
The venue for the party was the garden in another friend,s house in Ehningen.
There I had my first Vietnam-food-experience.
The dish is called "tikaa": pork ribs with caramelised garlic.

A friend from Vietnma cooked it for us.
IT WAS REALLY VERY GOOD!

Kanchkolar Kofta Curry

Kanchkolar Kofta Curry --- Green Bannana Balls Curry / Gruenbannanebaellchen in bengallischer Sausse (pfewwwh --- translation, esskulturell unmoeglich!!)


Ingredients:
(For two servings)

Green banana – one
Potato – One medium
Cumin seeds – half a teaspoon
Coriander seeds (optional) – a pinch
Bay leaf – one big
Green chilly – one medium
Turmeric powder – half a teaspoon
Cumin powder – half a teaspoon
Red chilly powder (optional, if you want to make it really spicy)
Tomato – one small
Flour / besan (chickpea flour).
Sunflower oil (or mustard oil)
Ghee (optional)

Cook the green banana and potato until they are soft (completely cooked.)
Sauté finely chopped onion and shredded green chilly.

To make koftas:

Mash the banana and add salt, the sautéed onion and chilly, and a pinch of cumin powder to it.
Mix everything very well.
Make small balls of it.

Make the batter of flour/ besan.
Dip the balls into it and dip fry.
Now the koftas are ready. Keep them to one side.

To make the curry:
Peel and cut the potato into small cubes.
Add oil into the pan.
Add half a teaspoon cumin seeds, the bay leaf, torn into two pieces, into it.
Add potato. Sauté. As soon as the potatoes start becoming golden, add turmeric, a little cumin powder, cook for some time. Add tomato puree. Stir. Add salt. Stir. Add water and bring it to boil.
Add koftas. Simmer for a minute. Turn off the oven.
You can sprinkle a little ghee on top. But, this is optional.
You may not serve immediately. Let it stand for a few minutes. Let the koftas soak in the gravy.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

Shrimp and Potato in Mild Mustard Gravy

Bon Apettit to myself! This was my dinner tonight.


First I added shredded onion and half a green chilly to heated oil. As the onion turned golded I added the shrimps and potato and sauteed for some time. I added salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder a little and stirred from time to time, and then water to bring it to boil.
After the potatoes became softer I added mustard and a pinch of sugar and boiled untill the potato was completely cooked.

The word "mild" is important. All the spices, and especially mustard, if added more than required, will destroy the taste. On the other hand, when added only a little, will bring in the out-of-this-world flavour to the food.
Instead of mustard I can cook it with tomato, also. In that case, too, mild is the key-word. The quantity of tomato should not be so much that makes it taste sour.
I used olive oi, but traditionally it is cooked in cold-pressed virgin mustard oil.

I had it with steamed basmati rice.