Pleasures of a gourmet dish--Stuffed Tomatoes

Things have been a little hectic in the preetibhoj household. Four of our friends were paid a visit by the stork and we have been busy welcoming little bundles of joy. It is amazing to see the face of a newly born, it fills you with so much more faith in life. And since babies are being born, grandparents from India have been visiting, which gives me more reason to invite people over for food, chit-chat and memories. I have been busy looking for new recipe with each new dinner and wanted to include something different each time. And my search led me to gourmet cooking and stuffed tomatoes were served and well-received in one of the gatherings.
I have had baked tomatoes at parties and always liked it. This recipe includes making a stuffing and baking tomatoes at 350 degrees F. It is easy to make, yet delicious.

You will need:
5 ripe but very firm tomatoes

...and for stuffing:
1 can whole kernel corn, 1/4 cups finely chopped cauliflower, 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 1/4 cups of cooked beans(i used edmame beans), about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, 3/4 cups of bread crumbs, 1 tbspn of lemon juice, 2 green chillies finely chopped, salt and pepper.
...preparations for stuffing:
Drain the corn of all water. Put a tsp of butter in a pan and roast the corns for about 3-4 mins so that they turn a little crunchy.
Cook the cauliflower in the microwave for 2 mins so that it looses some of its water.
Now mix all the ingredients of the stuffing together.

..preparing the tomato:
lightly spray the tomatoes with olive oil, then cut off a round cap at the top of tomato. Spoon out the seeds and water(can be used in soups) to make a hollow in the tomato. Now take spoonfuls of stuffing and fill liberally into the tomatoes. Bake these at 350 degrees F for 20-25 mins, till the skin of the tomato starts shrinking. Serve it warm and while basking in the pleasure of being a gourmet cook!

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Cabbage Kofta Curry

How do you turn the humble cabbage into a delectable dish? Simple, make koftas! Cabbage kofta curry is, cabbage dumplings in a flavored tomato sauce. And if you want something to take for a potluck or cook for friends, this is it. It will sure win you accolades.

My cooking is most of the time inspired by snapshot memories of my Mom serving finger-licking food to me and my sisters. My Mom very often made lauki koftas, I decided to make cabbage kofta on the same lines. What makes it more appetizing is the crunch in the dumplings which stays long after the koftas have been simmered in the flavorful sauce.
what you'll need is:
For Koftas
1 small cabbage
1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
salt

For the gravy
1 medium sized onion, 4 medium tomatoes, 1" piece inch ginger, 2-3 cloves garlic, 1-2 red chilli, half a bunch of fresh coriander, 1 tsp freshly ground cumin powder, 1 tsp freshly ground fennel powder, 1 tsp freshly ground coriander powder, 1/2 tsp mango powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1tsp poppy seeds made to a paste.

Chop cabbage to very fine pieces. Sprinkle a little salt over it and keep aside for a few minutes. Remove as much water as you can by pressing the cabbage and mix it with all other kofta ingredients. If it makes a very watery mixture add a little more besan till it becomes easy to form into rounds. Make lime sized rounds and deep fry in oil till they turn golden brown. remove from oil when done and drain on a paper towel.

To make the gravy
Make a paste of onion, garlic, ginger. Add two tbsps of oil to a wok. Add the onion mixture and fry on medium heat. Meanwhile make a paste of tomatoes coriander and chillies. When onion mixture looks slightly translucent add poppy seeds paste and tomato mixture. Keep cooking on medium to high till oil seems to be separating from it. Add all the powders now and cook for another 5 minutes. You know the gravy is ready when you can see oil separate around it. Now add around 1-2 cups of warm water depending on how much thin you want your gravy, and mix well. Add the koftas to this and cook covered for 5 minutes on medium heat. Serve warm with whole wheat chapatis or Naan.

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