Navrang Achar |
Rajastani Vegetable Medley |
Ingredients
| Carrots Peeled | 100 gms |
| Beans stringed | 100 gms |
| Turnips | 100 gms |
| Red Radish | 1no. |
| Green chilly | 50 gms |
| Cauliflower | 150 gms |
| Green Peas | 50 gms |
| Ginger | 100 gms |
| Garlic | 100gms |
| Capsicum | 1 no. |
| Fenugreek seeds | 1 tbsp |
| Mustard dal | 2 tbsp |
| Fennel seeds | 2 tsp |
| Jeera | 1 tsp |
| Kashmiri Chilly powder | 2 tbsp |
| Turmeric Powder | 1 tsp |
| Mustard oil | 1 cup |
| Ajwain | 1 tbsp |
| Black Pepper corn | 1 tbsp |
| Kalonji | 1 tsp |
| Back salt | 1 tbsp |
Method
Wash all vegetables, cut them into the size of small finger. Cut green chilly into two Halves, cauliflower into flowerets and keep aside. Blanch well the vegetables in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Strain the water off, and spread the vegetables on to a white cloth for drying.You can either keep directly under the sun or under a fan for 2 hrs. andthis time is enough for the vegetables to dry.
Keep a fry pan on a high flame and remove all moisture from it and then add Mustard Dal for dry roasting on a low flame. when the colour changes, remove from fire and transfer it into a dry mixer jar and powder very coarsely. Keep aside.
Keep a Low flame, dry roast Fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, grind the coarsely and keep separate. Remove the vege tables from sunlight or from under the fan and store in a bowl.
Heat mustard oil in a pan till the smoke point, so that the strong smell is removed. Bring the fire to normal mode, Add the ground masala powders, then the Kashmiri chilly Powder, ajwain, Kalonji and pepper corn, add green chilly, ginger and garlic slices sauté for 2 minutes on med.
Transfer into the pan and all all vegetables into the pan and mix well. Add salt to taste and black salt too. Mix well And keep for two hours with intermittent stirring.
Transfer into a glass jar and tie the lid with a clean cloth and seal it. Open the bottle after a week, transfer into a bowl and mix. The Navrang Achar is ready to use now and relish the goodness of vegetable in a different form.
Chef Nandakumar Menon or ‘Chef Nandu as he is known evolved into the Super Chef series. He was at the CASINO HOTEL in Kochi and later at the remarkable COCONUT LAGOON in Kumarakom. Both iconic Hotels and restaurants of repute for the quality and consistency of food offered at their restaurants. Coconut Lagoon where Chef Nandu headed the kitchen moulded him to cater to international clientele from all over the world coming in to experience the magic of the backwaters of Kerala and Kerala itself as a unique destination.
From his early Catering Technology days at Adayar, Chennai and training at the famed TAJ MAHAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, Mumbai, Chef Nandu was back again at the Welcome Group’s ADAYAR PARK INN, Chennai.
Later he headed the setting up of the various F&B outlets of the ABAD PLAZA group, Kochi as its Corporate Chef.
And then with the Quilon Beach hotels, Chef Nandu created a redefined art of culinary expertise. His clientele were Doctors, Cashew businessmen and of course celebrities from the tinsel world, the cloyed connoisseurs had a different feel with his nouvelle cuisine.
He still loves to cook and share his valuable experience of the world of food with The Daily Brunch and its readers in our series on SUPER CHEFS.
Cheers!
