Mahanandi

Fresh Moong Sprouts and Pomegranate Kernels

I wanted something light for my mid-day meal today. I had some moong sprouts and a pomegranate. Shelled some pomegranate kernels, added some moong sprouts, added yogurt and sprinkled little bit of salt and pepper. Mixed all these lightly and had a spoonful. “Wow” was the reaction.

Pomegranate kernels’ sweet juice combined with moong sprouts’ raw earthy flavor, together with yogurt – it was refreshing and filling. I loved the sprouts-pomegranate combination.

Recipe:
(for two, for one light meal/snack)

Fresh moong sprouts – 1 cup
Pomegranate kernels – 1 cup
Fresh yogurt – 1 cup
Salt and black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

Take yogurt in a bowl. Add salt and black pepper. Mix with a spoon. Add moong sprouts and pomegranate kernels. Combine gently. Serve.

Moong Sprouts with Pomegranate~for Jihva Sprouts

Kosambari (India) ≈ Salad (English)

Pomegranate Yogurt ~ Food as Unexpected Beauty

I love fruit-flavored yogurts. I often make them at home with whatever fruit I have at hand. I cut and crush the fruit and mix with homemade yogurt. Depending on the fruit sweetness level, I usually add sugar or honey and salt to the yogurt. Takes only few minutes to prepare and offers a very cool way to end the meal. Also, no matter what time of day it is, a small cup of fruit-yogurt always has the power to cheer me up.

Homemade Yogurt ………………………..Pomegranate

Plump pomegranates and tart cranberries are in season right now here in Seattle. I purchased few pounds last weekend with the idea of preparing jam/cooked relish. I thought it would be fun to try something new with these two tart and fruity ingredients.

I’ve combined the cranberries with pomegranate juice and water. The sweetener was the jaggery. I let them simmer on medium heat to jam like thick consistency. It was an easy process.

I made pecan pancakes for lunch. The carbos and the bright tasting jam, I really liked the whole combination. People who go for unique flavors and anti-oxidant fanatics alike will enjoy this jam/relish, I think.

Pomegranate Seeds and Cranberries

Recipe:

2 cups pomegranate seeds
2 cups cranberries, rinsed
2 cups jaggery, crushed
1 cup water

Coarsely crush pomegranate seeds (blender, citrus juicer, food mill or with your hands). Pour through a coffee filter to remove the seeds and extract the juice. (I carried this process somewhat carelessly, thinking few escaped seeds won’t hurt, but I will be taking extra precautions next time to remove seeds completely.)

Take pomegranate juice, cranberries and jaggery in a wide pot. Add water. Bring to a boil. Then simmer, uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes, till the cranberries pop and the whole thing thickens to jam like consistency. Let cool and store in a clean jar.

Enjoy with pancakes, or as bread/ chapati spread.

Cranberry~Pomegranate Jam/Relish

We live in downtown, Seattle next to an interstate. Noise and activity, even with doors and windows closed, seep in to my home and would surround us 24 hours of the day. Lately the same thing is happening at my blog space. Too much activity, along with some unwelcome noise in the form of comments.

Peace and positive energy are very much a priority at my home right now. So I’ve decided to close the comments on current posts for few days. Old posts (at least one week old) will be opened for commenting, mainly for those of you – the passionate cooks ardent in sharing your food experiences on Mahanandi just like me. This is my way to keep things subdued around here and also to exercise my opinion sharing freely on food related topics/politics that interest me without the ‘back and forth’ reply spectacle.

For the New Year celebrations, we’ve kept the food preparation simple. Vijay has prepared Chitrannam. I on the otherhand made cashew sweet and pomegranate sherbet (Danimma/Anar Juice with soda water). That was the menu. Jewel like seeds of pomegranate, when crushed deliver strong sweet-sour juice and when mixed with plain soda, make an impressive sherbet. One can’t help but say ‘Wow’ while sipping it. Good combination with chitrannam.

Recipe:

Place the pomegranate seeds in a blender. Add little water and sugar to your taste. Blend them well. Strain the juice with tea/coffee filter to remove seed particles. Pour pomegranate juice into glasses and add plain cold soda to taste. Serve immediately.

For 2 glasses of sherbet, I have blended 2 cups of seeds from 2 medium sized fruits, with half cup of water and one tablespoon of sugar. Filled the glasses with half cold soda water and half juice. Tasted lip puckering good.

Pomegranate (Danimma/Anar) ~ Fruit and Sherbet