Aarti's Corner

A long blog break..

2011-12-16T10:35:00.002+01:00

Oh yes, I have stopped blogging for years now.. Not that I have stopped cooking, but life has become hectic.. I miss the times when I was jobless and had all the time to write and follow blogs.. Nevertheless, I enjoy being busy now.. And oh, did I mention that I eat more raw foods (salads and fruits) than cooked food.. It has to do with my healthy vegetarian diet, which is keeping me away from the kitchen ;)

Eat healthy, stay helathy.. Do drop me a line if you need some tips on healthy foods.. Happy Cooking to all my blog visitors..

Diwali 2007 Faral :)

2007-11-11T18:28:00.000+01:00

It seems so nice to be here after so long to blog something.. A Very Happy Diwali to all my blogger friends(though its the last day today). I firstly thank all my friends who left some comments to my previous posts and apologize for not replying! Also for my friends who continue cooking and sharing awesome recipes and whom I cant visit though I sometimes just peek at your blogs and quickly drool our the snaps.. Life is busy with college and assignmnets and exams but not there had to be one post in Diwali, else my diwali would not have been complete! So here's my spread for this Diwali.. Time required: 2days

For non- Maharashtrians, "Faral" is the wide array of snacks that Maharashtrians prpeare for Diwali and have it everyday for breakfast and serve it to friends and visitors during Diwali. Since I started making this stuff only after coming here, I realise why my mom used to start preparation for this a week or two in advance. Recipes not inclded.. Will come in as soon as I get time .. I PROMISE!!! :)

My faral consists of:

1) Chivda: The yellow one in the center

I made one with Mamra/murmura/flaked rice as I did not get Thin Poha(flattened rice) :(

and now move up to

2) Besan Laadu: The yellow balls

This time I made it in microwave just like I did rawa ladus.. Find the non microwave recipe for besan laadu's here

and follow clockwise to

3) Shev: The brownish spirals

I didnt prepare this and chakli last year as I didnt have the chakli press.. But had to make it this time.. Very simple and oh so crispy.. recipe will follow later

4) Tikhat Shankarpale:

Not actually tikhat but salted.. Also called as namkeen i guess.. recipe will follow later

5) Chakli:

My favourite.. Made it using rice flour and not the real maharashtrian way using bhajani (this is a special mix which is used for chaklis).. Find the recipe here...

6) Karanji:

This is the naivedya that we have for the most important day of Diwali... Laxmi Pujan.. Or do I say "Euro Pujan" ;) Recipe follows *soon* as they turned out really well and I just dont wanna miss the recipe thats still on my mind by not posting it :D

7) Gode Shankarpale:

The sweet ones..This was my first trial at this using sugar syrup.. Mom usually makes it using Jaggery.. my recipe will follow later.. And mom's version too will be up sometime

Thats for today.. My Karanji recipe will be posted next.. Hope you guys are having a great Diwali with just lights and no crackers!

Kolar Boda

2007-10-02T19:22:00.000+02:00

Had big plans for making something using raw bananas for JFI Banana this month, but didnt get time to find any.. So settled down for a bengali snack- Kolar Boda (meaning Banana Wadas).. My dear Bengali friend S enlightened me with this recipe.. Its my last minute entry for JFI-Banana, hosted by Mandira of Ahaar..

Kolar Boda

Makes:

5-6 small

Preparation Time:

10 mins

What you need:

1 ripe Banana
2 tbsp Plain Flour
1-2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Fennel Seeds(Saunf)
1 tsp grated Cocunut

Oil for Frying

How to proceed:

1) Mash bananas with hand and add remaining ingredients to it (except oil)
2) Deep fry in hot oil on both sides till golden brown..
3) Enjoy sweet pakodas/wadas as a snack!

I prepared this using the overripe banana that was lying around for 4-5 days... Though black on the outside, it was perfectly in good condition to mash n make bodas!

Chawal Paratha

2007-09-28T13:30:00.001+02:00

Not much of background of this dish.. but surely an invention lately while dealing with college, exams, assignments and cooking :D Better title for this post could be: cooking more quantity when u get time or husband cooks or cooking on weekends.. This rice paratha is a result of cooking more on a friday to have a lovely relaxed breakfast on Saturday.. My chawal/rice parathas prepared using leftover cooked rice hops over to Nandita for WBB#15-Leftovers

Chawal/Rice Paratha

Makes:

4-5 parathas

Preparation Time:

20-30 mins

What you need:

For the cover:
2 cup Wheat flour (Atta)
1-2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Oil
Water

For the filling:
1.5-2 cups cooked Rice (Leftover stale rice is perfect)
4-5 Green Chillies
1 inch Ginger
3-4 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2-3 strands of Corriander, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon(optional)
Salt

How to proceed:

For the cover:
1) Mix all ingredients and knead into soft dough
2) Keep aside for 15-20 mins

For the filling:
1) Mash the rice properly to small pieces
2) Put chillies, ginger in blender and blend to a paste, add this to mashed rice
3) Add the remaining ingredients and mix well
4) Divide the filling into 4-5 balls of equal size

Putting it all together:
1)Divide the dough into 4-5 parts. [the size of each part should be nearly same to size of part of each filling]
2) Roll the dough to diameter of approx 4 inches
3) Put the stuffing/filling in the middle and get the ends of dough together and close so that the filling does not come out
4) Roll the parathas using wheat/rice flour
5) Roast on hot girdle on both sides till brown spots appear using oil/ghee/butter
6) Serve hot wit raitas, curd or pickles!

* The sticky rice works perfect for this! Btw, did I say that this is my first post from college PC drafted during lunch break! :D

Black Grape Sorbet

2007-09-20T22:49:00.000+02:00

Something quick and yummy.. And so pleasing for the last summer days.. European weather has started showing its true colors and last 3-4 days have been really bad.. The weekend is predicted to be sunny and probably the "last" sunny weekend this year.. Thats possibly why I am taking some extra efforts to post today as I didnt wanna miss to post something that I prepared just for blog events.. Black Grape sorbet, a lovely sweet n sour combi with a oh so inviting color, for Swapna's AFAM-Grapes and Marta's FPM#4-Grapes..

Before I share the recipe, I would like to share some pics of grape yards in Luxembourg and Germany which we visited this year.. We own grape yards back in India and love to visit such places here..

The pic below is from Remerschen, Luxembourg, a lovely city in South Luxembourg from where we could see Germany to the left and France to the right from our hotel balcony.. That was sometime in April when the season of grapes hadnt started and we could just see the bare farms and support system of grape wines.. But we did not miss the cruise across the wone route and even visited a winery for wine testing :D

The snaps below are from Bensheim, Germany which we visited in July.. We were lucky to find grapes in their youth ;) Now is the best time to visit this place.. In the first week f September, the local farmers get together and organise an event dedicated to wine processing and is a treat for wine lovers!

Isnt it lovely to be so close to nature? I prefer to visit such places rather that castles, bridges and towers :D No more blah blah.. Let me get back to the main point!

Black Grape Sorbet

Preparation Time:

1 hour

What you need:

A bunch of Black Grapes
1/3 cup Sugar(approx)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

How to proceed:

1) Cut the grapes(remove sedds if any) and defreeze for 30-40 mins
2) Add them to blender with sugar and lemon juice and blend well
3) Place again in refridgerator for 15-20 mins
4) Remove, scoop and take snaps/serve immmediately!

Modaks for Lord Ganesha

2007-09-16T14:50:00.000+02:00

Happy Gansh Chaturti to all my blogger friends.. May Lord Ganesha always shower His blessings on you! Ganesha is one diety I worship regularly, and specially more during my exams :D And why shouldn't I? He's the lord of intellect and wisdom.. And since its his festival, one of my favourite festival-the Ganesh Utsav now, I had to please him more :) Or do I say I had to please myself with the sweets/naivedya?? ;)

In India, especially in Maharashtra,Ganesh Festival is celebrated with great pomp.. It brings along 10 days of joy, happiness and celebration.. At mom's place we used to have Ganesh idol for 5 days and used to have naivedya of Modak on the 5th day before visarjan(immersion).. Since I cant place a ganesh idol at my place here, I made it a point to make modaks yesterday as naivedya.. I made the modaks using my mom's recipe, a more simple one than the Ukadiche Modak I posted sometime back.. Modaks are usually offered in number of 21 but for small families or lazy/busy people 5 or 11 modaks are acceptable!

Modak

Makes:

~11 modaks

Preparation Time:

25-30 mins (+3hrs for dough to be set aside)

What you need:

2/3 cup Plain Flour (Maida)
A pinch of Salt
Water

1/2 cup grated dry Cocunut
1 tbsp Poppy Seeds(KhusKhus)
1 tbsp Fine Semolina (Baarik Rawa)
1.5 tbsp Ghee
3-4 tbsp powdered Sugar
Chopped Nuts(kishmish, charoli, cashews, almonds)

Ghee/Oil to fry

How to proceed:

1) Add salt and water to plain flour and make a pliable dough. Set dough aside for 2-3 hrs
2) Slightly roast cocunut, poppy seeds and semolina separately
3) Coarsely grind the cocunut with hands on in a mixie.
4) Mix the remaining ingredients(except oil) to make the filling.
5) Divide dough into 11 equal sized balls
6) Roll each ball in circular shape to size of puri.. Place it on the palm and add 1-2 tsp of filling to it.. Then get the sides of the puri together at the center, bind them together to cover the filling.
7) Prepare the remaining modaks in similar fashion.
8) Once all modaks are done, heat ghee/oil and fry these modaks on medium heat till they turn golden brown.
9) Dont forget to offer as naivedya (prasad/offering) before popping them in your mouth :)

Just stumbled upon an event for festival foods for Ganesh Chaturti.. So my modak's go to Latha for Ganesha Chaturti Foods

Bhel

2007-09-14T20:31:00.000+02:00

Anytime of the day(or night) you ask me whats my favourite snack, by default you'll hear "Any chaat item".. More specifically Bhel :) Then Paani Puri, Ragda Patties, SPDP, Dahi Wada... and the list continues :D I can live my entire life eating chaat.. There was a time I used to eat bhel every alternate evening during college times, that too when I used to stay home and get "maa ke haath ka khana" everyday.. The one thing I miss here is the bhel at "bheleshwar", a famous joint in Pune where I used to have bhel with my colleagues.. Spending hours there having bhel, then paani puri followed by malai kulfis.. How I wish Bheleshwar had a branch here in Belgium!!!!

I can enjoy bhel at any place, anytime... Though my husband doesnt like to eat bhel on roadside thelas (but who cares!!!!!), he doesnt mind homemade bhel.. The easiest snack on a sunday evening, mostly coz it is to be followed by a shortcut dinner ;) Bhel can be best enjoyed when its a bit spicy and has a proper balance of the sweet n sour tamarind chutney and the hot green chutney! My bhel hops over to Hima for the lovely event she started hosting this month-- WYF-Snacks!

Bhel

Serves:

3-4 (Only 1 if its me! ;))

Preparation Time:

5-6 mins

What you need:

2 cups Murmura/Mamra/Puffed Rice
1 cup Farsan/Shev Mix
1/4 cup Tamarind Chatni
1/4 cup Green Chilli Chatni
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
1 tbsp roasted Peanuts
1 chopped Onion
1 chopped Tomato
2 tbsp chopped Green Mango (Kairi)
Salt to taste

For Garnishing:
Chopped onions, Tomato and Green Mango (Kairi)
1 tbsp Thin Shev
Few roasted peanuts

To make Chatnis:

Chatni 1:
Blend 3-4 chillies, corriander, salt, lemon juice with some water to make the hot green chutney!

Chatni 2:
Mix tamarind pulp, jaggery/sugar, some water to make the sweet sour tamarind chutney!

How to proceed:

1) In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients well
2) Serve in plates topped with chopped onions, tomatoes, green mango, corriander, some roasted peanuts and thin sev.

I prefer adding more of tamarind chutney to have proper ooli (wet) bhel and eat with potato chips which serve as my disposable (read as edible) spoons ;)

Mysore Pak

2007-09-07T21:48:00.000+02:00

Last week was a start of a new phase in my life.. Its feels good to get back to student life :) Was dead busy throughout the week.. Early morning cooking, then full day college, then come back and cook again, then an hour infront of the TV and then the cozy bed waiting for me to just lie on and put me to sleep at that instant :D Did not get a chance to blog anything or visit my blogger friends.. This phase is gonna last long but I have decided not to give up blogging.. This was my only passion for last few months and I cannot abandon for some other priorities.. Blogging will remain a weekend chore and I'll make it a point to post atleast one recipe every weekend and visit my dear blogger friends during this time.. I apologize in advance if I'll not be able to participate in all events that keep rocking the food blog world... But will surely not miss the round-ups! :)

Mysore Pak is a famous sweet from the Karnataka Cuisine.. As the name suggests, this sweet comes from Mysore, acity in Karnataka famous for its palace. beautiful handicrafts and lovely silk sarees.. Mysore Pak is probably one of the easiest sweet which calls for minimal ingredients and is ready in no time... This is my second entry for Asha's RCI Karnataka Cuisine!

Mysore Pak

Preparation Time:

15-20 mins

Makes:

10-12 pieces

What you need:

1 cup Besan/Chickpea Flour (sieved)
3/4 cup Ghee
3/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder

How to proceed:

1) Heat 1 cup of Water and add sugar to it.
2) Bring to boil till sugar syrup is formed (one string consistency test)
3) Now add ghee and cardamom powder
4) Mix well and slowly add besan..
5) Stir continuously while adding besan to avoid forming any lumps
6) Stir and cook till the mixture stops sticking to sides of vessel and ghee starts coming out from the sides
7) Remove from heat and pour in a flat plate greased with ghee and spread evenly.
8) After 5 mins, cut into desired shape and leave aside to cool for another hour..
9) Enjoy the yummy melt-in-the-mouth sweets.. These can be stored for 3-4 days!

BlackBerry Milkshake

2007-09-04T11:14:00.000+02:00

I was introduced to this fruit called Blackberry 2 months back when we visited city of Bensheim in Germany. This city is famous for wine grapes and there were plenty of blackberry trees bordering the grapeyards.. Until then, I used to look at these as some wild fruits but when my friend just grabbed some and started feasting on them, I had to try it! And once I had some (luckily I found a big colony of sweet ones), there was no stopping.. I ate many along the way and also admired the lovely clustered structure till my husband declared that I unknowingly had 2 glasses of wine :D

Last week I found a pack of fresh blackberries at the fruit market and couldnt stop myself from buying them.. The plan was to prepare something for Meeta's monthly mingle.. But I ate some and then realised there were very few left for trying anything.. So on weekend, back I went to the fruit market and prepared blackberry milkshake the same day.. The end result aeemed lovely not just due to the tatse, but due to the lovely color! I am not sure if I can call this milkshake as I added some yoghurt as well alongwith milk.. But I surely cant call this lassi as there is more milk than yoghurt :D This blackberry Milkshake goes to Meeta for Monthly Mingle, this month's theme being "Liquid Dreams"

BlackBerry Milkshake

Preparation Time:

5 mins

Serves:

2 glassfuls

What you need:

1 Cup Blackberries
3 cups Milk
2-3 tbsp Beaten Yoghurt
2-3 tbsp Sugar

How to proceed:

1) Mix all ingredients in a blender
2) Place in refridgerator for sometime
3) Serve cold!

* I used Yoghurt to thicken the milkshake.. It can be left out to have thin milkshake!
* Chop few blackberries and put some pieces in milkshake
* Add 2-3 mint leaves to give a twist in the taste!

Hirvya Tamatyachi Bhaaji (Green Tomato Sabji)

2007-09-02T13:51:00.000+02:00

Green/Raw Tomatoes have a different taste than the ripe red ones. I love tomatoes in any form..When it comes to ripe tomatoes, I can eat tomatoes any time of the day without any dressing or cooking.. From a plate of salad in front of me, its the tomatoes that vanish first, then cucumber, then cabbage, then carrots and then other things.. Olives and Onions mostly remain unfinished :D Other than salads, most of my soup creations include Tomato- tomato soup, rasam, sambar, tomato saar etc... Tomatoes make the base in all my gravy preparations and also spice up some rice dishes..

Hirvya Tomatochi Bhaaji is a maharashtrian vegetable prepeared using raw tomatoes.. This is my mom's recipe and she made it a point to bring these tomatoes whenever they were in market just to make this sabji or chutney! (which I am yet to prepare and post). I found these at the turkish shop here last week and decided to give it a try.. And it turned out real tasty.. A tangy taste as expected.. This Indian style stir fry vegetable prepared from green tomatoes goes to Chemcook for Fresh Produce of Month.. The theme for this month is Tomatoes!

Hirvya Tamatyachi Bhaaji

Preparation Time:

15-20 mins

Serves:

2

What you need:

3-4 Green Tomatoes chopped
1 Onion,chopped
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Pinch of Turmeric
2 tbsp Jaggery (can be replaced by 2-3 tsp Sugar)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil

How to proceed:

1) Heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds
2) When they start spluttering, add onions and saute till they turn translucent
3) Now add red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well
4) Add chopped tomatoes, mix and cook covered for 5 mins
5) Add salt and Jaggery, stir well and cook covered for some more time
6) Turn off when tomato is soft
7) Serve hot with rotis or bread!

Chitranna

2007-08-31T07:53:00.000+02:00

Chitranna is a very famous South Indian rice dish from Banglore.. We had a South Indian friend in college who used to bring this rich rice dish in her tiffin.. We used to love it and she used to just hand over her tiffin to us(which was twice a week) when it was Chitranna.. She said it was a very common item at her home and she had been eating it since childhood and so was bored to eat the same thing again and again :D We shameless people didnt even care to ask her the recipe, and would just ask to bring it more often..

And now time comes that you have to cook things yourself, I have learnt to cook some dishes from other regions as well.. And since my husband encourages me by eating everything without complaining (does he have any other option?? ;) ), I keep trying things.. When it comes to inviting friends for dinner, one rice dish is a must.. And when the same friends are invited more often, the menu should not be repeated. (Both of us agree on this rule!) That is how I learnt to make Chitranna, the flavourful lemon rice from the Karnataka Cuisine! The crispy dals, the munchy nuts and the zest of lemon have made this dish one of our favourite rice dish. Chitranna goes over to Sharmi for "JFI-Rice" and Asha for "RCI-Karnataka Cuisine"

Chitranna

reparation Time:

30 mins

Serves:

3-4

What you need:

2 cups Basmati Rice
5-6 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Chana Dal
1 tbsp Urad Dal
1 tbsp Moong Dal
2 Onions, sliced
4 Green Chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
5-6 Cashews
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

How to proceed:

1) Cook Basmati rice in water until just done and then drain excess water..
2) Spread in a wide pan to cool
3) Heat oil, fry peanuts and cashews and keep aside
4) To remaining oil, add curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds
5) When they start spluttering, add all 3 dals and fry until they turn golden
6) Add chilies and sliced onions and cook for a min
7) Add turmeric, salt, nuts and cashews
8) Now add rice and mix well
9) Squeeze juice of lemon over rice,mix well and turn off gas!

Serve hot wit tomato rasam or raitas..

Rawa Laddu

2007-08-29T21:00:00.000+02:00

When it comes to microwave cooking, I am *scared*.. A friend packing up to go back to India left his microwave(without the book of instructions) at our place 2 months back.. It took us one month to take time to check if it was in good condition.. We then started using it for re-heating veggies and at times cooking rice.. When Srivalli announced the "microwave easy cooking" event, I discovered that I was the only one in this blog world who was afraid to load the microwave with any tough tasks! Looking at some other real tough entries for making desserts in microwave, I decided to try making something on the easier side... Also since Srivalli had extended the deadline for accepting entries, I had to make something! Finally I tried my hubby's favourite sweet, Rawa Laddus, last weekend.. This is a very common sweet at my place, and I need to make it twice a month, at times investing 2-3 hours.. The laddus in microwave turned equally good, and saved me a lot of time n efforts.. With my college starting next week I was worried how I gonna cater to my husband's wish for a continuous supply of these and besan laddus, but now am totally relaxed about this :) Thanks Srivalli for this event and other bloggers , I am no more afraid of experimenting with the microwave now :D Am sharing both ways the normal one and the microwave one...

Rawa/Semolina/Suji Laddu

*Total* Preparation Time:

1.5-2 hrs normally
Less than 1 hr in microwave

Makes:

10-12 big Laddus

What you need:

2 cups Fine Semolina/Rawa/Suji
1.5 cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 cup Ghee
1 tsp Powdered Cardamom
8-10 Cashews cut into pieces (Optional)
12-15 Raisins (Optional)

How to proceed:

1) Place rawa in a microwave safe bowl and add ghee to it.. Mix well and place in microwave on high for 6 mins
2) Keep stiring in between at interval of every one minute.. (6 mins)
[In case not using microwave:
*1) Heat ghee in a pan and add semolina to it
*2) Roast on low medium stiring constantly till u smell aroma of rawa.. (30-40 mins)
This procedure usually takes 30 mins or so and your hands tend to retire before the rolling of laddus starts!
Follow rest of the steps as below]
3) When done, remove and set aside to cool in a wide plate (30 mins)
4) Once cool, add powdered sugar cardamom and nuts and mix well to remove lumps. I prefer not adding any nuts to rawa laddus.
5) Roll laddus with hand.
6) If they break easily and are hard to roll, add 2-3 tbsp hot melted ghee and then try rolling in circular shape..
7) Store in air tight container and enjoy for next few days!

The above snap is of microwave rawa laddus..Have a look at the ones I made 2-3 weeks back.. Dont both look equally mouth watering???? :)

* From now on, the microwave will be used to the fullest ;)

Celebrating RakshaBandhan with Gajar ka Halwa!

2007-08-28T10:54:00.000+02:00

Happy RakshaBandhan to all my blogger friends! Ask my brother whats RakshaBandhan and he would say "money making business for girls!!" :D For those who dont know, I have a real bro elder to me whom I call "Da" (Dada is marathi word for elder bro but its tooo long for me, hence......) And I used to agree with him on this till last year when we used to be together on RakshaBandhan day! But now both of us have better definitions for this festival.. Before my marriage all we did was quarrelling (and we plan to continue fighting when I am back in India), but now we really miss each other.. Sometime back he just called to wish me and I happily asked him to courier me some gift.. Oh yes, I didnt forget to courier a Rakhi so he better not forget about the gift! ;)

Its just impossible to find Rakhi material here in Belgium.. I tried nearly all the shops, even childrens hobby classes but nothing could suit my taste.. Finally I got some wool and made a batch of simple Rakhis for Da, a cricket team of cousins and Sid n Vish, two most important people in my life- whom duniya will call rakhee brothers, but for me they are just as close to me as is my real brother.. They have been by my side through all my tough times and at times helping me take the toughest decisions in my life.. The best gift that I have for Rakshabandhan is the assurance that whenever I need them they are just a call away! Love u guys n miss u very much! Happy RakshaBandhan.. A glimpse of the rakhis I made and sent alongwith handwritten letters which my brothers just loved!

Festivals are always associated with sweets and I decided to make something sweet today.. Now I cant make all the variety of sweets which my choosy bros love (with one becoming highly health conscious these days and posting all health funde on his blog :P) so decided to make my favourite.. Gajar Ka Halwa.. The most famous Indian dessert, thanks to Bollywood ;) 9 out of 10 mothers in Hindi films welcome their sons coming back from Pardes with a bowl of his favourite sweet.. No points for guessing.. its my dear favourite Gajar ka Halwa! :) Here's a bowl for u guys!!

Gajar Halwa

Makes:

3-4 servings

Preparation Time:

40-45 mins

What you need:

4-5 Carrots (2-2.5 cups grated carrots)
3 cups Whole Milk
2 tbsp Ghee
1-11/2 cups Sugar [may vary depending on sweetness of carrots]
1/2 tsp Elaichi Powder
4-5 strands of Saffron
Nuts (Golden Raisins, chopped cashews, almonds and pistachios)

How to proceed:

1) Boil milk
2) Heat 1 tbsp Ghee in a non-stick pan and fry cashews and raisins till they turn golden brown
3) Keep them aside and add grated carrots in the remaining ghee
4) Saute carrots for a 2-3 minutes
5) Now add cardamom, saffron and boiled milk and cook on medium low heat till all the milk is absorbed. Keep stiring at intervals. This might take 15-20 mins
6) When milk is nearly absorbed, add sugar, fried cashews and other nuts
7) Add remaining 1 tbsp Ghee
8) Cook till ghee separates from the sides of the pan (If you prefer mushy version as I do, cook for just 2-3 minutes)
9) Serve hot or cold.. I prefer the refridgerated one! :)

* Next Gajar Halwa is gonna be a trial in microwave.. Am looking for time saving recipes these days.. Hope it turns out equally good!

Belgian Waffles

2007-08-27T14:19:00.000+02:00

Glenna's theme for Weekend Breakfast Blogging (WBB#14)-"Ethnic Dishes with a Twist!" really inspired me to try my hand at making waffles at home! Staying in Belgium for past 10 months, I had to post something local to this place... I have been eating waffles regularly at a joint which boasts of "The Best Waffles in the World".. I always wonder how he can proclaim without having tasted waffles at all other places in the world ;) When it comes to food, Belgians are proud of their waffles, chocolates and frites- the thing we call "frech fries" were actually invented in Belgium.. Other than crossiants, pastries, chocolate bread or toasted bread with jam/cheese etc., a typical(traditional) Belgian breakfast consists of waffles topped with hot chocolate or whipped cream, served with fruits and juices or coffee.. Thanks to my allery towards breakfast, I enjoyed this "belgian breakfast" yesterday for lunch! :D Waffles with strawberry jam, fruits and juices...

Belgian Waffles

Preparation Time:

20 mins (if 4 waffles at a time)

Makes:

8 waffles of the size above

What you need:

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Butter, melted
1 tsp Oil
1 cup Milk
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of Salt

* Waffle maker

How to proceed:

1) Combine all the ingredients, mix well and keep aside for 4-5 mins
2) Pre-heat the waffle maker according to instructions.. If you dont have a waffle maker, go over to some friend who has one.. I did the same thing :D
3) Put batter on the hot waffle tray and close it
4) Bake for about 2 mins (Till waffles turn golden brown)
5) Serve hot or store it and heat in microwave before serving!

* Usually served with hot chocolate, whipped cream topped with fruits.

Jahni Aalu Posto

2007-08-24T13:24:00.000+02:00

Orissa cuisine is totally new to me.. And I didnt know what to cook for Swapna's RCI Orissa Cuisine.. Firstly I settled down with rasgullas from Puri temple.. But ek se mera kya hoga :D So decided to try another recipe and went on for Jahni Aalu Posto using recipe posted here.. And it came out to be amazingly tasty.. Loved this simple and lovely dish.. Not much of a hassle to cook and tastes is different from the normal sabjis.. This will be a regular dish at my place now :) That is what you need to do when you get minimal Indian vegetables here and cannot repeat the same dish for more than twice a month :D Here's the recipe for a simple yet lovely dish from the Orissa Cuisine

Jahni Aalu Posto

Preparation Time:

20-25 mins

Serves:

2

What you need:

3 medium sized Ridge Gourd (Jahni/Dodka/Turiya)
2 Potatoes
2 tbsp Poppy Seeds
5-6 cloves of Garlic
3 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Panch Phuran seeds (fennel,fenugreek, mustard,cumin and nigella/black onion seeds mixed in equal amounts)
2 tbsp Oil
Salt as required

How to proceed:

1) Peel and dice Ridge gourd and Potatoes
2) Soak poppy seeds in warm water for 10-15 mins
3) Heat oil in a pan, add panch phoran and chopped green chillies
4) When the seeds start spluttering, add turmeric and salt
5) Saute for 5-10 secs and then add the chopped vegetables
6) Let the vegetables cook
7) Grind soaked poppy seeds and garlic to a smooth paste
8) Cook the vegetables for 10-12 minutes and then add the poppy seeds-garlic paste
9) Cook for another 5 mins till vegetables are done
10) Serve hot with rotis!

Lychee Grape Drink

2007-08-23T15:13:00.000+02:00

Lychee on its own has a lovely taste... But when it comes to Lychee Juice, its just a few drops from a single Lychee fruit... I decided to mix grape juice to it, to make a lovely drink.. The end result was awesome.. Both tastes preserved and a refreshing drink ready!

This is my second entry for AFAM-Lychee, hosted this month by Sig.

Lychee Grape Drink

Preparation Time:

5 mins

Makes:

1 drink

What you need:

4-5 Lychees, peeled and deseeded
A bunch of seedless Grapes
(Juice of Lychee and Grape should be in 1:3 proportion)
A pinch of Black Salt
Few drops of Lemon

How to proceed:

1) Blend Lychees and Grapes in a Blender
2) Sieve the juice and add black salt and lemon juice to it
3) Refridgerate for some time and serve cold!

Pa Thong Ko [Thai Donuts]

2007-08-22T11:44:00.000+02:00

Glenna is hosting the Weekend Breakfast Blogging(WBB) event this month and has come up with a lovely theme- Ethnic Dishes with a Twist! She wanted "a dish from a culture, country, or ethnicity other than your own".. In my opinion, nothing can beat the Indain breakfast with a wide variety of dishes like Pohe, Upma, Thalippeth, Idli, Dosa, Vada Sambar, Puri Bhaaji etc..... A coward that I am when it comes to trying dishes from cuisines other than Indian, google was the only thing that could help..My fear is not due to the taste but because I dont eat meat and am allergic to eggs, pineapples and several other things :( Finally I settled down for an easy Thai breakfast dish called "Pa Thong Ko" literally meaning salted donuts which I followed from here. A lovely crispy dish, which would go best with hot cocoa or chocolate but I enjoyed with coffee.. Btw, I am not a breakfast person.. I am allergic to that too. :( I get a nauseatic feeling if i eat something early moning.. So its just an apple/juice at 10 am and then directly shortcut lunch.. But a lavish tea biscuit session at 4 and then proper dinner.. So these coffee and donuts served as my 4 pm breakfast yesterday :) Tastes much like Indian namkeen.. Why shouldnt? Afterall whats the difference between burger and vada pav?? :D

Pa Thong Ko

Preparation Time:

30 mins (4 hrs for dough)

Makes:

10-12 Donuts

What you need:

1 cup All Purpose Flour (Maida)
1/3 cup Water
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2-3 drope of Lemon
1 tsp Oil
Oil for frying

How to proceed:

1) Mix all the ingredients and make a stiff dough
2) Place dough in a bowl,cover with a thin damp cloth and leave aside for 3-4 hrs
3) Knead the dough and make 2 equal parts
4) Place oil in a wok for frying
5) Shape them long like sausages
6) Roll to a long strip 4-5 cm wide
7) Cut into 5-6 equal rectangular parts widthwise
8) For each part, cut 2 cms from each side in the middle, leaving them joint in the middle and pull each of the 4 parts aside to make an X shape
9) Deep fry in oil till they turns golden brown

* Tastes best when dipped for a minute in hot chocolate!

Jaljeera

2007-08-21T10:38:00.000+02:00

Summer here is coming to an end.. And so is my entusiasm to try my hand at summer drinks.. But Sunita inspired me to try this summer cooler when she started a lovely Spice-driven event called Think Spice.. Think Cumin! Cumin is one spice that is used daily in every household.. Whole cumin seeds or cumin(jeera) powder.. Its an absolute must in my masala dabba! Another speciality of tis spice is that I can use it in fasting foods.. Maharashtrian fasting foods allow the use of cumin seeds and hence sabudana khichadi and batata bhaaji can taste so yummy on these days. :D As a kid, I couldn't distinguish cumin from fennel seeds (saunf) and once ate jeera after dinner.. I had stopped eating saunf for years after that.. Mom explainedme the difference in their sizes and taste... After that I got back to eating saunf, but only the roasted one which had distinguishable yello color :D Now I wanted something some recipe for this event which was rich in cumin.. Though I use cumin in lots of things there are other spices used alongwith which dominate the taste.. Then I thought of the lovely summer cooler- Jaljeera.. A drink dedicated purely to the real taste of Cumin.. And a lovely appetizer to excite the taste buds!

Jaljeera

Preparation Time:

8-10 mins

Makes:

2 glassfuls

What you need:

2 tbsp Cumin seeds, roasted and powdered
11/2 tbsp Mint(pudina) leaves paste
1/2 tbsp Corriander leaves paste
1 tbsp Dry Mango(Amchur) powder
1/2 tsp Black Salt
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 glassful Water(normal/cold)
1/4 tsp Salt
Salted Boondi for garnishing

How to proceed:

1) Mix all the ingredients except water
2) Add water and put in fridge to cool (Optionally add cold water if you wish to serve immediately)
3) Garnish with boondi and serve cold as an appetiser.

* Sieve the jaljeera if you wish to.. I prefer having it with the masala layer on top alongwith boondi! :)

Murukku

2007-08-19T11:36:00.000+02:00

Murukku is to the Tamil Cuisine as Chakli is to Maharashtrians.. Well, same item but different names.. Also the procedure being a bit different.. I have to agree that chakli needs lots efforts and murukku is the easier version.. Last Diwali I was able to make all Maharashtrian snacks, except chakli and shev.. The only reason being that I didnt have the chakli press.. Mom finally sent it to me last month and from then my husband is pestering me to make chaklis, his favourite snack! But soon I realised that I cannot prepare Bhajani, the flour used for chakli here as there as no flour mills :D So I had to settle down with murukkus.. These taste equally great and I am satisfied to find an easier option to chaklis.. Now chaklis will only be prepared if I get readymade bhajani flour from India :)

Since Rice flour is the main ingredient in Murukkus, they will go to Sharmi for JFI-Rice. Now that it comes to RICE, before going for the recipe, someone please help me solve my query.. Is it healthy to eat rice regularly?? I have always heard that eating rice makes you fat.. Rice being the staple diet of South Indians, I always wonder how they tend to be so slim when they eat rice twice a day.. Also I read somewhere that eating rice during lunch (before 3 pm) is absolutely fine but should be avoided for dinner.. That ultimately means that rice can be eaten only on weekends since we have shortcut lunches and lavish dinners at my place.. Experts and dieticiens, please educate me :)

Murukku

Preparation time:

40-45 mins

Makes:

12-15 Murukkus

What you need:

2 cups Rice Flour
1/4 cup Besan
1/4 cup Urad Dal Flour
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Ajwain Seeds
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/8 tsp Sodium Bicarb
2 tbsp Hot Oil
Oil to Fry
*Chakli Press

How to proceed:

1) Sieve and mix all the flours
2) Add all the remaining ingredients except oil
3) Pour the hot oil over this and mix well with a spoon
4) Now add water and knead to a stiff dough
5) Place oil to heat for frying chaklis
6) According to quantity allowed by the chakli press, divide the dough into parts
7) Roll each part in a cylindrical shape and put it inside the chakli press
8) Squeeze spiral murukkus in a plate or a plastic sheet
9) Slide 2-3 murukkus in hot oil and fry them on medium heat till they turn golden brown.
10) Drain on kitchen towels and cool before you pop them into your mouth :)
11) Can be stored for 15-20 days in an air tight container.. Serves as a great snack wit hot tea!

* Take care not to hastily fry on high heat.. The murukkus will not get cooked from inside and will not be crispy

* I didnt have Urad dal flour.. So I just soaked Urad dal fro 2 hours and then prepared a paste in the mixer and added this to the other flours while making the dough!

Rasgulla

2007-08-16T14:16:00.000+02:00

Rasgullas have long been associated with West Bengal.. But the origin of Rasgulla is in the neighbouring state of Orissa.. Rasgullas were initially served as an offering in the Jagannath Temple at Puri in Orissa.. The brahmin cooks from Orissa who were employed in Bengali households prepared this sweet. Hence it became more popular as a Bengali sweet. (Read more here) This detailed study is just for making a smooth way for my Rasgullas to go to Swapna's RCI-Orissa Cuisine :)

In India, these sweets are easily available in sweet marts.. In pardes here, you are lucky if you are the first few to spot the can of Haldiram Rasgullas at the Indian stores.. Finally I googled once to find the smae recipe posted at every other site.. And it seemed too easy.. So I had to try this.. After many trial and errors, my rasgullas came out perfectly soft n fluffy at the fourth try.. Thankfully I always cooked in small batches so did not waste a lot of material into it.. No cooker, stored/store brought paneer or semolina/plain flour worked for me... Finally what made the yummy sweet balls perfect was this recipe....

Rasgulla

Makes:

~25 medim sized Rasgullas

Preparation Time:

3-4 hrs

What you need:

1/2 lit Whole Milk
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Sugar (add more if u want more sweet)
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
2-3 strands of Saffron (optional)

How to proceed:

1) Boil milk
2) As soon as milk boils, add lemon juice to it and boil for another 10 mins till two separate layers are seen
3) Drain the water and collect the paneer/curd in a muslin cloth.
4) Hang for an hour and then press under weight for another hour or two to remove all excess water from paneer/curd
5) Remove Paneer and knead it for 15-20 mins till it turn soft
6) In a cooking vessel, add sugar to water and bring this water to boil
7) Add cardamom powder and saffron strands to the water
8) Make round balls from the curd and add it to the boiling sugar syrup
9) Let them cook for 10-15 mins till the balls enlarge
10) Garnish woth nuts and serve yummy Rasgullas as soon as they cool down a bit

* The rasgullas *may* turn hard if left aside for long time.. I cant confirm this since I burnt my mouth while having these sweeties :D

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert

2007-08-14T13:26:00.000+02:00

With so many events coming up(and me not wanting to miss any), I hardly get any time to post other recipes... So I make it a point to try and cook something new for these events.. Thats how I learn and post something new and different (not always :D)

When Sig anounced Lychee as Fruit for AFAM this month, I had no idea what I would be preparing for this event.. Then some googling and I came upon a Thai dessert.. Decided to try it but had to wait long to find fresh lychees.. Frozen/canned foods are avoided as much as possible at my place.. Finally last weel I found these lovely fruits at a fruit mart and the long wait came to an end.. Greedily, I brought a big pack(later realising it cost me a lot!!! :( ) and ultimately I have one more recipe to try other than this one..

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert is my first entry for AFAM-Lychee.. Apart from Indian cuisine, I love Thai food.. Thai cuisine is mostly associated with use of coconut milk.. Not just in the curries, but also in desserts.. Coconut milk in Thai Desserts is as milk in Indian Desserts.. This is a simple Thai dessert, which can be prepared in no more than 5 mins.. I am not a big fan of cocunut milk, and hence didnt like the dessert a lot.. I prefer shikran(bananas in sweetened milk) to this.. But not a disaster either.. My husband didnt mind finishing off my share as well :D So overall, good for a change!

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert

Makes:

2 servings

Preparation Time:

5 mins

What you need:

7-8 ripe Lychees
1 Banana
200 ml Coconut Milk (Lite)
2-3 tsp Sugar

How to proceed:

1) Peel and deseed the Lychees and cut into halves
2) Cut the banana lengthwise and then make 1 inch pieces
3) Place the lychees and bananas in a bowl
4) Heat cocunut milk for a min and add sugar to it (Do *not* boil)
5) Pour the milk over the fruits
6) Let it cool and place in the fridge to cool for sometime
7) Serve cold.

I had to use a spoon to forcibly lift the lychees for a snap :D

Spiced Mamra

2007-08-11T13:47:00.000+02:00

During school days, picnics for me used to be more to do with food and then with roaming :D My all time favourite picnic food used to be Puri-Bhaji and Methi Parathas.. Mom used to wake up early in the morning to cook lunch for my picnic.. Other timepass foods or snacks would include varieties of homemade chiwdas prepared well in advance or store brought chips, cakes etc.. When Anupama announced the event for Picnic Food- Fun in the Sun, I could think of the easiest, quickest and tastiest snack- Spiced Mamra. This is obviously a snack to be enjoyed during the journey, as a timepass snack, not as lunch since its not filling.. Since I know there would be many entries for lunch category, I thought of this for the snacks category.. A snack that will be loved by all and will be finished off in minutes.. Thats too with minimul fuss and no fear of spoiling.. I usually make 2-3 batches of this snack every weekend.. Minimal ingredients and a few minutes is all it requires.. Can be prepared just before leaving for the picnic!

Spiced Mamra

Preparation Time:

2-3 mins

What you need:

3-4 cups Mamra/Murmura/Puffed Rice
1 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Salt

How to proceed:

1) Heat Oil, add asafoetida and turmeric powder
2) Saute for 5-10 seconds and add mamra and mix well till turmeric is evenly coated on mamra
3) After 2 mins, add chilli powder and salt and mix well..
4) Spiced mamara ready, pack and leave!

* Add fried Peanuts if you like...Add in some shev with chopped Onions, Tomatoes, Raw Mangoes and some Lemon Juice to make mouth watering Bhel!

30 minute K meal- Kadhi Khichadi Koshimbir

2007-08-09T15:11:00.000+02:00

I know u must be wondering whether I am too much into Ekta Kapoor serial these days.. Well fortunately nothing if that sort.. Its just coincidence that all dishes for "Summer Express Cooking Event" start with a K.. Kadhi Khichadi, a famous Maharashtrian combo with the Maharashtrian Koshimbir, tomato-onion-cucumber salad! I was very glad to hear about this event.. This was the first thing that came to my mind. Coz its usually the shortcut dinner at my place quite a lot of times! :D Am eagerly waiting for the roundup to get ideas and options for other quick meals.. I really need these since I'll be starting my Masters next month and will be attending college full time! : Hope I get time to do some blogging on weekends!

My kadhi khichadi koshimbir meal is perfectly ready in 30 mins with some rest time as well in between :D Well no intermediate snaps posted since I didnt waste any time taking snaps and then finishing up everything! ;) I proceeded like this.....

Kadhi-Khicadi-Koshimbir

What you need:

For Khichadi:
1 cup Rice
1/2 cup Moong Dal
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 big Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 tbsp Peanuts
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Maharashtrian Goda masala (can be substituted by 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder+1/2 tsp Corriander Powder+1tsp Garam Masala)
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Salt
Water
Corriander for garnish

For Kadhi:
1 cup Yoghurt
2-3 tsp Besan
Small piece of Jaggery
Salt (depends on sourness of curd)
5-6 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Ginger Chilli paste
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Turmeric

For Koshimbir:
1/2 cup Thick Yoghurt
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, chopped
3-4 tbsp Chopped Cucumber
2-3 tsp roasted Peanut Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
A pinch of Sugar
Salt to taste

How to Proceed:

0-5 mins:
1) Mix rice and dal, wash, drain and leave aside
2) Chop 2 medium sized Onions
3) Heat oil in a cooker and add mustard and cumin seeds to it
4) Add chopped 11/2 onion (leave aside half onion for koshimbir) and garlic to oil and saute for 2 mins

5-10 mins:
5) Add peanuts and other spices (red chilli powder, turmeric, goda masala/garam masala, cumin and corriander powder)
6) Now add rice and dal and mix well for a minute..
7) Add 31/2 cups of Water and salt as required and mix well..
8) Close the cooker and let the khichdi cook for 3 whistles

10-15 mins:
9) Take a mixing bowl, add 1 cup yoghurt and 1 cup water to it.. The mixture should not be too thin
10) Add besan, jaggery and salt to it.. Mix well to avoid any lump formation
11) Heat 1 tsp Oil, add curry leaves,hing, mustard seeds and ginger chilli paste to it..
12) Saute for a minute and transfer the buttermilk-besan mixture to this.
13) Let this cook on medium heat

15-20 mins:
14) Chop cucumber and tomato
15) Take 1/2 cup yoghurt in a mixing bowl and add chopped onions, cucumber and tomato to it.. 16) Add rest of the ingredients- roasted peanut powder,red chilli powder,cumin powder,sugar and salt and mix well
17) Koshimbir ready, keep it in fridge to cool
18) Stir the kadhi

20-25 mins:
19) Keep stiring the kadhi at intervals of 2-3 mins
20) Keep your ears tuned to the whistle else you'll miss the count ;)
21) The khichdi is ready in this interval, keep cooker aside to cool
22) After stirring the kadhi, you have some time to rest.. Dont sit down.. Roast some papads on the gas thats just free from cooker! :D

25-30 mins:
23) Kadhi starts boiling, switch off gas (Total time required for kadhi to boil is 10-12 mins)
24) Now the semi-cooled cooker and extra hot kadhi is set on the table
25) Take dishes, bowls and spoons and set the table
26) The cooker cools completely.. Remove koshimbir from fridge and get ready to dine!! :)

* I enjoy plain khichdi.. You can add vegetables like potatoes, peas, brinjals, cauliflower etc. if you like.. Khichadi can be served with some pickles as well!

Happy Birthday to Me and a MeMe :)

2007-08-03T12:30:00.000+02:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME... Its my birthday today! :) Now dont ask me my age :P Since I dont have an oven, there's no home made cake for me.. Also no cookig today.. So not another one of those regular posts ;)

My blogger friends Bhags of Crazy Curry and Ramya of Mane Adige tagged me for a meme for 7 random things about me.. I thought today would be the best day to do that! :)

Khabardaar, Hoshiyaar, Aarti ke life ke kuch paane aapke liye haazir hai!! :)

1) Since its my birthday today, let me start with something related to that.. I am very good at remembering birthdays and anniversaries.. Its rarely that I miss wishing my close friends and relatives- thats only when I have no internet or phone service/phone numbes. And I really hate it if these friends forget my birthdays or need to set reminders to wish me! Samajhdaro ko ishara kaafi hai.. hope my cell stays busy now ;)

2) Now this is real unique n random- My husband and I were married on the first day we met :D Shocked???? I can understand.. But thats another sweet long story behind this which I cant discuss here :D

3) There was not a single day that I stayed away from my house/parents before marriage.. No hostel life n no long night outs at friends (Just 2-3 times but no more that 1 night stay at friends.) I would tell my friends that I would marry someone who lives near my place so that I dont go too far from my parents.. And now here I am in Belgium right after marriage, saat samandaar paar :)) Thats destiny.. And I am happy about it.. Its now that I realise and completely understand the roles and importance of my dear ones in my life.

4) I am a very talkitive person. I can chat with my friends for days n nights and most of my friends call me a chatterbox. Within my team, people used to bet if I can stay quiet for 5 mins :D
If I am quiet for sometime, they think something's wrong with me.. But I am not the same when it comes to talking on stage. I can informally discuss the topic but cant present it formally to an audience. I have a stage fear and just go blank with just the thought of so many people ogling at me. I once was forcibly selected for an extempore speech competition in school and I couldnt say a word and started crying infront of everyone.. This was my most embaraasing situation in my life which I'll never forget!

5) I am a very religious person and believe in God... I fast and do lotsa pooja-paath.. I love to visit temples (which I used to do every single day when in India), but havent visited any church in my city as yet.. My hubby is total opposite.. He hasn't fasted even one day in his life! :) Opposites attract-Very true! I also believe in fate, destiny and luck but I know when and where to draw the line.. Sometimes I avoid doing things which my grandmom or mom used to disallow me to do.. Something like "Do not cut ur nails/hair in eveinng" n stuff like this...And I think that these small things dont make me a superstitious person!

6) About my likes: I love dogs and hate cats.. Kittens are ok but no cats! I love reading comics and had a huge collection of Tinkle n Archies comics :) I studied Japanese for 2 years(4-5 yrs back.. now have forgotten everything!) and am learning Dutch language now! I love travelling and prefer the countryside beauty to visiting big cities.. When it comes to shopping, I visit every single shop nearly 3 times a week and buy things only when I have done complete analysis.. If there's something which I love at the first site, its bought! :) I rarely watched English movies when in India, but now have watched most of the top Hollywood movies in the last 8-9 months.. In Bollywood movies, I love any type of comedy or Family dramas.. But (fortunately)I cant stand the sas-bahu Ekta Kappor serials!

7) Last but not the least.. Food and cooking.. I wasn't so much into cooking before marriage.. The first thing I learnt was Potato sabji.. And learnt some basic vegetables and chapatis and bhakris in the 10th std vacation.. But then didnt cook at all till I came to Belgium after marriage.. All cooking that I learnt was what mom used to prepare at home.. My father doesnt ever enter the kitchen.. I can confidently say that he cannot even boil water or prepare tea :) I took interest in bloogging and ultimately good cooking ;) when I bumped into Nupur's blog and through that the other flod blogs.. I am good when it comes to cooking for a small group.. But I mess up with some ingredients when I have a bunch of people coming in or the guests (ladies) forcing themselves to help in my kitchen... I am a "chikeneterian".. I am allergic to eggs and cant stand the smell of fish n sea food.. I have never prepared chicken.. I eat it only when my husband makes it or in restaurants.. I am a coward when it comes to trying other cuisines.. I hate wasting food but have done it twice when trying some restaurants here.. Ultimately the only options left for restaurants here is Thai or Mexican.. and Pizza Hut! I love chocolates and chaats.. can live my whole life on just these two things (provided I am given unlimited access) :D

Thats ALL about be.. It seems to be my biggest post till date :D Phew.. Chalo now, if you are done with "discovering" me, bake some birthday cakes for me ;)

Since most of you are already done with this meme, whosever is left can play along! :)

Zhaal Muri

2007-08-01T12:30:00.000+02:00

After Zhanzhanit(Marathi word for extra spicy), its Zhaal(Bengali term for extra spicy). Zhaal Muri is a famous bengali chaat, which is as famous in Calcutta as bhel is in Mumbai. Zhaal Muri, meaning spicy mamra(puffed rice/murmura) tastes best when prepared from crisp puffed rice and eaten with extra hot chillies!

I have a Bengali friend here whom I visit quite often. Once I took along murmura chivda for her and she loved it.. Siad that it reminded her of Zhaal Muri, a bengali chaat/snack. She told me how its prepared(plus minus some ingredients) and served.. As a true chaat lover, returning back home, my first task was googling for the recipe.. found it at some places and finally prepared a mix n match combination.. Tasted lovely.. Next time my friend visited me, I said I was preparing sukki bhel(dry) for her. She had the first bite and said "This tastes exactly like Zhaal muri".. Now this was the real compliment and confirmation I was waiting for. :) So this perfect bengali favourite chaat goes for Nupur's "Z of Indian Vegetables"

I just thought what were the other words that come to my mind when i think of Z.. in general, just for timepass.. firstly zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, ofcourse sleep :) secondly Z for Zebra and Zoo, strong basics :) Z for zucchini, a common vegetable here in europe, Z for zunka, a maharashtrian vegetable dish, Z for Zimbabwe, thanks to my love for cricket few years back.. Z for zero, my childhood score for drawwing paper where I painted the sun green and the mango blue. :D Z for zhakkas, my favourite appreciatory word meaning awesome when extremely happy with something... Z for..........Wondering if I have missed some important Z words? :D

Zhaal Muri

Preparation Time:

15-20 mins

Makes:

2-3 servings

What you need:

2-3 cups crisp Puffed Pice(Mamra/Murmura/Muri)
1 Onion, finely chopped
1-2 Potato, boiled and finely diced
1 Tomato, finely chopped
Cucumber chopped (1/4 cup)-Optional
2 tbsp roasted Peanuts
1 tbsp roasted Cashews-Optional
3-4 Green chillies, finely chopped
Jucie of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Corriander Powder
A pinch of Turmeric
2 tbsp chopped Corriander
1 tbsp fresh grated Cocunut
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Mix all the ingredients.
2) Garnish with corriander and cocunut.
3) Serve freshly prepared before mamra's become too soft

I served it topped with crushed Paprika flavoured Potato chips

* Best way to serve....

* A tsp of Mustard oil is usually added at the end before serving. I didnt have it and so didnt opt for it.. The quantity of lime, salt and red chilli powder should be adjusted as desired!

Zhanzhanit Thecha

2007-07-30T19:41:00.000+02:00

Zhanzhanit- meaning extra spicy in marathi is an exclusive word used for chilli preparations , mostly the ones that are so hot that it makes one cry while eating. :D Thecha is a chutney prepared from green chillies for which this adjective suits perfectly! Thecha is called so due to its process of preparation. Deep roasted green chillies and garlic are pounded (called "thechana" in marathi) to make this chutney.. This goes for Nupur's "Z of Indian Vegetables" and "JFI for August-Chillies" hosted by Nandita!

Thecha

Preparation Time:

15 mins

What you need:

10-12 Green chillies
5-6 cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp roasted Peanuts
Salt
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Remove the heads of chillies.
2) In a skillet, take 1/2 tsp Oil, and add chillies and garlic to it
3) Roast them uniformly on all sides till you see brown black spots over them
4) When done, pound these alongwith peanuts and salt as required using a mortar pestle (mixie will do, but mortar pestle works best)
5) Add a bit of oil while serving, and some salt(this will reduce the spiciness a bit).
6) Serve with bhakris!

Thecha can be stored for 4-5 days in fridge.

Ratalyacha Sheera (Yam Halwa)

2007-07-27T09:29:00.000+02:00

Feels so nice to get back to blogging after a break.. Had been to Austria and Germany for 10 days.. Was real fun to experience the adventure of camping :D Unplanned trips are great fun sometimes. ;) Saw "The Simpsons Movie" first day evening show as well.. a good way to get down your frustration level if your laptop is not working when you really need it after a long break!

Getting back to the important thing- food.. "Ekadashi.. duppat khashi" - a saying in Marathi meaning "eating double on day of the ekadashi fast".. So true... Yesterday was "Ashadi Ekadashi"- a big fast for Maharashtrians according to Hindu Calendar.. I call it big fast bcoz its full day upwaas, and ends the other day with proper full meal! When I am the only one fasting at home, its usually fruits and juices for me.. Also eating fasting food(sabudana khichadi, varyache tandul, potato etc.) go against the actual motives of fasting.. But I decided to please myself and made yummy sheera/halwa using sweet potato yesterday.. a typical maharashtrian dessert called Ratalyacha Sheera, it becomes Yam Halwa when it goes for Nupur's "Y of Indian Vegetables" :)

Ratalyacha Sheera

Makes:

2-3 servings

What you need:

2 big Sweet Potato/Yam/Ratale (~400 gm)
2 tbsp Ghee
4-5 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
1/2 cup Milk
2-3 tsp chopped nuts(optional)

How to proceed:

1) Boil sweet potato in cooker till soft (~ 3 whistles)
2) When cold, remove the skin and mash the sweet potatoes
3) Heat ghee in a pan and add mashed sweet potatoes to it.
4) Cook till ghee starts separating corners of the pan
5) Now add cardamom powder and sugar. Cook for another 5 mins
6) Now add milk and nuts. Stir continuously and cook for another 5-10 mins
7) Serve hot or cold.

* Remove the hairy part of sweet potato if possible. Dunno exactly what you call them! :D

Xtra Rich Patiala Lassi

2007-07-13T15:47:00.000+02:00

Patiala Lassi is a rich Punjabi drink prepared from Yoghurt. It probably gets its name from the place where it came from originally, Patiala, a district in Punjab. It is usually served in long steel glasses. This lassi(like others) is a filler, as its difficult to finish a glassful even after a light meal. Weight watchers.. Beware.. This is absolutely not recommended for you guys.. This is just for carefree people like me :) This Xtra rich Yoghurt Drink makes its way to Nupur’s “X of Indian Vegetables” and Richa’s "RCI Punjabi Cuisine"!

Patiala Lassi

Makes:

1 glassful

What you need:

2 cups full Yoghurt
2-3 tbsp Milk
2-3 tbsp Sugar
½ tsp Cardamom Powder
¼ tsp Nutmeg Powder
½ cup Crushed Ice
4-5 Saffron strands
Chopped dry fruits like pistachios, almonds, cashews

How to proceed:

1) Beat the yoghurt until smooth
2) Mix all remaining ingredients except Dry fruits
3) Blend again to dissolve sugar
4) Serve fresh topped with chopped dry fruits!

* You can optionally add vanilla /rose /pista essence!

Watermelon Popsicles

2007-07-12T21:55:00.000+02:00

Jai and Bee have chosen a lovely fruit for this month’s AFAM-Watermelon. Due to its high water content (95%), summers are incomplete without watermelons…Atleast for me :) I can have watermelon for breakfast, lunch as well as for dinner in summers… I am one person who doesn’t drink much water regularly (just 2-3 glasses), but eat loads of watermelon n cucumbers in summer.. That’s the reason I can bear the summers. :D I was planning for another watermelon drink or snack, but then thought of some way which would be pleasant and inviting.. Here are lovely watermelon popsicles for AFAM Watermelon!

Watermelon Popsicles

Makes:

6 popsicles (of size of Kulfi/Ice-Candies)

What you need:

1 cup Watermelon Juice
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Water
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
A pinch of Salt

How to proceed:

1) Deseed watermelon and run through blender to make juice
2) Mix sugar and water. Heat for 2-3 mins
3) Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients to it
4) Add to kulfi moulds/ ice trays and make popsicles of desired shape n size
5) Freeze for 3-4 hrs!

* Addition of chaat masala gives it a tangy flavour.. Reminded me of the “barf ka gola” sold in India :)

Dahi Wada

2007-07-12T07:54:00.000+02:00

I am an avid fan of chaat items(do i need to say that again???) and miss them here in Belgium. Although I try to prepare some chaat items at home, the taste of the ones served at roadside chaat corners in India is ohh so yummy!!! :) When I settled down here, I decided to try n cook as many chaats n snacks as possible at home so that I do not sacrifice my love for these foods :) If I would have not tried, I would have been extinct by now :D

Dahi Wadas are fried dumplings prepared using Urad Dal(Split Black Gram Dal) and served with loads of dahi (Yoghurt). Dahi wadas are my top favourite in chaat items and I am glad to say that my dahi wadas turn out equally good as the ones served in restaurants! :) Its a easy to prepare (with some preparatins before time) and a quick n appetising Punjabi snack which goes for RCI Punjabi Cuisine!

Dahi Wada

Makes:

8-10 wadas!

What you need:

1 Cup Urad Dal
2 tsp Cumin Powder
Pinch of Sodium Bicarb
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
1 kg Plain Yogurt
4-5 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Roasted Cumin Seeds
Red Chili Powder
Sweet Tamarind Sauce*

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak Urad Dal overnight.
2) Grind into smooth batter and add cumin powder, sodium bicarb and salt to taste, set aside for 10 mins
3) Beat the yoghurt and divide it in two portions. Leave one portion as is(normal yogurt) and add sugar to other portion to make sweet yoghurt
4) Heat oil in a pan, take handful of batter and slide into hot oil
5) Deep fry the vada on medium heat till crispy and golden brown
6) Drain excess oil and soak the vada in water for 10 mins
7) Press each vada to drain off excess water and soak in normal yoghurt for 10 mins
8) Put the soaked vadas in serving dish and cover with 2-3 tbsp of sweet yogurt
9) Garnish with roasted cumin seeds, red chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and tamarind sauce (optionally Corriander)

*Add tamarind pulp to water and mix sugar/jaggery to make sweet tamarind sauce

Matar Paratha

2007-07-10T19:16:00.000+02:00

What do you do when you got to finish off a packet of frozen peas lying in the freezer before leaving for a vacation? Matar(Peas) Paratha for RCI Punjabi Cuisine :) Its "the" best thing that can happen with peas! :) My display of love for Parathas continues ;) Similar to other parathas, this paratha can be served with curds, raitas or pickles! I served matar paratha with boondi raita.

Matar Paratha

What you need:

For the cover:
2 cup Wheat flour (Atta)
2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Oil
Water

For the filling:
1 cup Peas, boiled and drained
3-4 Green Chillies
1 inch Ginger
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
Salt
Oil

How to proceed:

For the cover:
1) Mix all ingredients and knead into soft dough
2) Keep aside for 15-20 mins

For the filling:
1) Mince green chillies and ginger and keep aside
2) Mince peas
3) Heat 2-3 tbsp oil and add ginger chilli paste to it
4) Add minced peas and remaining ingredients
5) Cook for 12-15 mins until the mixture seems dry and then set aside to cool for 1-2 hrs

Putting it all together:
1) Divide the dough and filling in equal parts.
2) Roll each ball of dough to diameter of approx 4 inches
3) Put the stuffing/filling in the middle and get the ends of dough together and close so that the filling does not come out
4) Roll the parathas to size 7-8 inch in diameter using wheat flour
5) Roast on hot girdle on both sides till brown using butter/ghee/oil
6) Serve hot wit raitas, yoghurt or pickles!

"Tour De France 2007" in Gent, Belgium

2007-07-09T22:38:00.000+02:00

A life time opportunity is what I would call it :) Watching the world's best known cycling race.. The "Tour de France".. The 3 week long race started in London on 7th July as completed the first stage yesterday. Today the 2nd stage in Dunkirk and ended in my own city "Gent", and the best thing- the end point just 300 meters from my apartment :D Though the streets seemed less crowded today, we had to be sure we left pretty early to catch a good place to get the best view.. The end point was so crowded that we preferred going a little ahead... Though I didnt know any cyclists (except David Miller), I just didnt want to miss an opportunity to see the race.. There were two Belgian cyclists whom we had to cheer ;) Sharing some snaps of the lovely experience...

Click on the pics to view high resolution

The teams had their buses in Gent a long time before the race ended.. This is the first thing we came across after we left our appartment.. At about 3:30 pm

Two hours before the end.. Seems no one wanted to miss anything so everyone has left early :)

Now this is height of enthusiasm.. Atleast spare the signals.. There's still a lot time from them to arrive!! :)
Center of attraction ;) There was not one high place left for me ;)

Some carnivals to entertain the crowd till the real entertainment comes in...

The scene an hour before.. I envy the guys standing on the terrace of their appartmets!

Police patrolling ...

Why to miss a golden opportunity to advertise your products? ;)

The aerial cameras..

Now this is real money making business... Selling soveniers for "oh-my-god" prices!

Above to arrive.. everyone is on thier tows.. some on other's shoulders ;)

Did not get to click the snaps of the first batch of cyclists as I just didnt want to miss "the" moment by clicking snaps.. Soon got a good place and some good snaps as well.. here they go...
Here come the local favourites.. the Belgian participants!

Some others follow as well...

Everyone being cheered.. be it in batches or all alone.. A warm welcome n lotsa cheer is an important factor for them to keep going!

The best part.. the cyclists, though competitors, seemed so friendly n comfortable with each other.. chatting along n cheering up each other as they made it to the finish...

God.. how can they seem so fresh after cycling so much!! :)

The cyclist on the extreme left (in yellow jersey) is "Fabian Cancellara", who's leading currently (combining timings for last 3 days).. Seems he had a tough time today after falling in the crash.. Details a bit later..

Some more cyclists...

And more...

And finally the last one! :)

The support system makes thier way as well :D

I suppose this was much needed today.. There was a crash just 3 km from the end point in which nearly 170 cyclists suffered.. Hence the second batch and the others arrived much later than the first...

Time to go towards the finish...

Had a tough time making way back home...

The media.. saw some real editing being done in these huge buses n caravans..

The freshened-up participants after the 168.5 km drive.. Phew!

Thats all from me :) Read rest in papers! ;)

Palak Paneer

2007-07-09T15:01:00.000+02:00

Now that I have learnt to prepare Paneer at home (and am really so glad about it :) ), here’s one of my favourite Paneer dish for RCI Punjabi Cuisine- Palak Paneer. An amazing combination of nutritious Palak and rich Paneer… As a child, I hated Palak.. Palak was just dear when watching "Popeye the sailor man" :D But once I started eating Palak Paneer, I suddenly started finding it good.. Mom used to make this often coz there are very few other leafy vegetables that I eat.. Sometimes wen Paneer was unavailable, she replaced it with boiled aalo(potatoes) to make Aalo Palak.. This is probably the best way to enjoy the iron rich Palak and non- fat cheese.. Enjoy my mom’s recipe of Palak Paneer..

Palak Paneer

Serves:

2-3 ppl

Preparation time:

35-40 mins

What you need:

1 bunch fresh Palak(Spinach)
250 gm Paneer
1 inch Ginger, chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, chopped
2-3 cloves Garlic,chopped
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 medium sized Onion, sliced
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1-2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
3-4 tbsp Oil
Water

How to proceed:

1) Wash and chop Palak coarsely
2) Heat 1 tbsp Oil in a pan, add ginger, garlic and green chillies
3) Saute for a min and add chopped palak
4) Add ½ cup Water and cook till the Palak turns soft. When done, keep aside
5) Dice the paneer in 1 inch cubes
6) Heat 2 tbsp Oil in another pan and add Paneer cubes to it
7) Shallow fry them for a minute till they turn golden brown.
8) Set them aside and add cumin seeds to remaining oil
9) Now add onion and cook till it turns transparent.
10) Add tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy
11) When done, turn off heat and set it aside
12) Blend both these mixtures (cooked palak, onion tomato) to pastes, mix them and keep aside.
13) Cook this mixture for 5-10 mins and add salt and sugar as required
14) Add fried Paneer cubes and cook covered for another 5 mins
15) Serve hot with rotis or parathas

* The above ingredients make thick Palak Paneer.. Add more water at step (13) if you wish to make the gravy thin.

* Add cream/ butter while serving if you like.

Limbacha Loncha (Lemon Pickle)

2007-07-08T20:48:00.000+02:00

Last week, Coffee announced the theme “Preserve it” for MBP July, and I was so glad about it.. I had just prepared something just fitting for the theme.. “No oil lemon pickle” using this recipe from Manisha. Actually I should thank Nupur’s post which leads me to the original recipe! The pickle is 6 days old now and is resting on my window sill for Sun God to shower His blessings on it ;) I loved the lovely pictorial step by step method by Manisha, used the same ingredients and proportions used by her, but changed some timelines while adding the ingredients.. Can update more on the taste as soon as its ripe.. I think It’ll take a month or so as the sun is not so hot regularly here.. But the pickle tastes yummy when I lick the fork after I mix it every morning! :)

Limbacha Loncha

What you need:

4 big Lemons
1/4 cup Salt
1/8 cup Red Chilli powder
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Methi Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Hing Powder
Juice of 1 lemon

How to proceed:
1) Take a glass jar (approx for 1 kg) and wash,clean and dry it totally
2) Wash and pat dry the lemons
3) Cut each lemon in 12-15 small pieces
4) Add these pieces to the glass jar and retain the lemon jucie that drips while cutting
5) When all pieces are added to the jar, shake the jar a well to settle down the pieces.
6) Now add salt and shake well
7) Add juice of one lemon and that juice while cutting lemons n mix well
8) Now close the jar and leave aside. Shake it on the second day using a dry spoon.
9) On day 3, add chilli powder, turmeric and sugar to the jar
10) Heat a pan, add methi seeds, mustard seeds and hing and saute till the methi seeds turn brown.
11) Grind these to a fine powder and add this powder to the pickle jar
12) Now use a dry sppon to mix the contents in the jar
13) When done, place the jar in a place where there is ample sun during day time
14) Shake the contents using a dry spoon every day until the pickle becomes ripe. This procedure might take a month or two depending on peel thickness of the lemons that are used.
15) These pickles can be stored for months, taken care that it does not come in contact with water.
Here's my first ever stock of home made lemon pickle proudly standing in the sun, awaiting to please me! ;)

* If the lemons have seeds in it, remove them while cutting

Beat the heat!!!

2007-07-08T14:19:00.000+02:00

Can there be a better way to eat watermelon on a Sunday afternoon after returning from a 5 hour long shopping streak on a rather hot day? Chilled watermelon escorted out of the fridge(deseed if you have patience), chopped into chunks of desired shape and add a bit of chaat masala, black pepper powder and black salt over it.. Aaahh… heaven! :)

Aalo Gobhi

2007-07-07T21:33:00.001+02:00

The simplest stir fry Punjabi sabji for RCI Punjabi Cuisine- Aalo Gobhi.. The other stir-fry Punjabi sabjis like aalo matar, aalo simla, gobhi matar, bhindi aalo etc. can be prepared on the same lines as this recipe! Aalo Gobhi is a simple sabji of potatoes and cauliflower. So simple that my husband loving cooks it for me on weekends :) Ready to be served in 15 mins and goes well with flat bread and rotis!

Aalo Gobhi

Preparation time:

15-20 mins

Serves:

2-3 ppl

What you need:

½ kg Cauliflower
3-4 Potatoes
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
2-3 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Corriander powder
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Chop Cauliflower and potatoes in medium sized pieces
2) Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida
3) When mustard seeds start spluttering, add all the spices and mix well
4) Now add chopped aalo and gobi and mix well
5) Cover and cook. Do not add water, let the vegetables cook in their own water
6) Stir at intervals till the potatoes are cooked and become soft (not mushy)
7) Add salt, mix well and turn off heat
8) (Optional) Add a dash of Lemon and serve hot with rotis

Homemade Paneer

2007-07-07T08:39:00.000+02:00

Making sabjis with Paneer was not so common at my place until last month. That's when I was cribbing about how rarely we find Paneer here at the Indian stores. She quickly replied that she preferred making it at home and the cook in me cursed me when I got to know the oh-so-easy procedure of making Paneer at home! I tried it out the next day and it turned out perfectly smooth and delicious.. I thought of sharing this with you guys so that you can make some lovely Paneer dishes for me :D

I dont think I need to talk more about this lovely no-fat cheese from India- Paneer, also known as cottage Cheese. I realised that its totally harmless when I prepared it at home.. And now since I have Paneer at hand, except some Paneer dishes next week from me for RCI Punjabi Cuisine! :)

Paneer

Preparation time:

3.5-4 hrs

Makes:

~400 gm Paneer

What you need:

1 liter full fat Milk
Juice of 1 Lemon

How to proceed:

1) Place milk in a pan and bring to boil
2) Keep stiring at intervals so that it does not stick to the pan
3) When milk starts boiling, add juice of 1 lemon to it
4) Heat for another 5-10 mins
5) You'll see a separate yellowish layer of water above
6) Take off the heat and seive using a strainer to remove the water
7) Hold under cold water for a min and then tie in a thin cloth
8) Hang it/Place it under weight for few hours till all water drains out
9) Cut in cubes and use it for your favourite Punjabi dishes!

* Strain the lemon juice before hand. Do not squeze it directly over the milk. This prevents the lemon particles from getting into paneer and paneer retains the pure white color.

* I prefer hanging the paneer for some time and then pressing it between my cutting board and my marble rolling platform (polpat/chakla). This makes the panner flat and becomes easier to store it as well as easy for making cubes!

Potato Wafers

2007-07-06T15:13:00.000+02:00

Summer time in India is time for ladies to prepare their year long stock of pickles and walawan.. Walawan is the category of things made which need to be sun dried. I remember mom making potato wafers, different papads and kurdais during summer time.. Our job as kids used to be to sit on the terrace to keep a watch on the birds that try feasting on these delicacies when they are left for drying :D Little did mom realise that we used to be the real birds feasting on them :) Especially the kurdais made from wheat flour coz they tasted awesome when half dry.. Mom used to have different prepataion for fasting food and for normal days as wells! Fasting preparations usually consisted of potato wafers, potato kees, sabudana papad and subudana babata kurdai/chakli.. Wafers used to be my favourite and I decided to try some last week as I had a bag of potatoes lying around. So here's one of my favourite fasting food- Potato Wafers- for "W of Indian Vegetables." I am glad I made these last week as I really enjoyed eating these yesterday during my Thursday fast :) Thats the advantage of fasting.. lots of yummy foods :D

Making Potato wafers is a bit lengthy process.. But once well prepared and dried, these can be stored for about year! So its just worth the efforts taken. Instead of deep frying in oil (the traditional way), these can be sprayed and baked in microwave as well! Take care while drying them.. If they are stored without proper drying, they can be spoilt by fungus.. So better check that the weather is gonna be sunny for the next 5-6 days before taking up this task ;)

Potato Wafers

Preparation time:

4-5 days

Makes:

Short snack for 1

What you need:

3 medium sized Potatoes (preferably flat and long)
Salt
Oil to fry
Red chilli powder
Hardware- Mandoline

How to proceed:

1) Peel potatoes and make chips using the wavy side of mandoline, or the plain one if you like it plain.. My opinion-the wavy ones look n feel good :D
2) Boil these in water with 1-2 tsp Oil for 4-5 mins
3) Now drain off water and hold the chips under cold water
4) Place the chips separately on a plastic sheet and dry in sunn for 4-5 days, flipping sides twice a day
5) When they are totally dry, store in an air tight container
6) Deep fry in oil, drain excess oil on kitchen towels and sprinkle with red chilli powder and salt or eat plain

Mango Mastani

2007-07-05T09:21:00.000+02:00

Today I prepared Mango Mastani specially for my best friend Shill.. Its her "quarterly engagement anniversary" today.. Other than Gujju n mexican food, she n her wud be better half love milkshakes.. Shill wanted me to prepare something for her and I cudnt find any other day better than this [Now am free to forget other important days;)].. So here's wishing Shill n Jiju a happy engagement anniversary with one of Shill's favourite Mango Mastani! I know there's nothing like quartely annivs and that too for engagements.. but we can celebrate events anytime we want to by just creating some! :) This day (5th July) has a lot importance in my life.. I joined my first job on this day and two years later resigned on the same day.. Also the date(5th) is pretty important and lucky for me... Two of my best friend's (Shill n Vish) bday falls on this date, I got married on this date, my friend got engagaed on this date etc etc...

Anyways getting back to the post.. Anybody from Pune will surely talk about one of the most famous dessert here- Mastani. Although its nothing very special than milk shake topped with Ice-cream, its historic name and its unforgettable taste and the fact that it gives you an extremely full feeling makes it even more memorable. Mastani was believed to be a very beautiful woman and mistress of the great maratha warrior, Bajirao Peshwa. She was believed to be so fair that when she ate a pan, one could see it clearly moving down her thought... Now now now..This is height of exagerration :D Read more about Mastani here.

Mastani in Pune is mostly associated with Kondhalkar's and Sujata. Kondhalkar opposite Saavan on Kumthekar road (parallel to Laxmi Road-the most famous shopping road for ladies in Pune) is probably the oldest of mastani shops in Pune. Sujata Mastani (acc to my knowledge) are their cousins who moved out to start their own chain of Sujata Mastani House in Pune.. I love both the places and Kondhalkar's used to be a must visit while shopping on Laxmi Road. A glass full of Mastani makes a good lunch. Better have it before shopping to shred off the extra calories! ;)

Mango Mastani is thick Mango milk shake topped with Mango Ice-cream. Other Mastanis include Orange Mastani, Pineapple Mastani, Rose Mastani, Custard Apple Mastani, Pista Mastani, Badam Mastani, Khus Mastani etc. I have tried almost each of them but Mango Mastani is my favourite. None of the others can match its taste. Another famous joint was Kasturi Mastani on Karve road since it was near to our college.. We friends visited this quite a few times for the Mango Mastani here.. The Bun Wada (dont remember if this is what exactly its called) of Kasturi Mastani is a must must must eat once.. You'll always want more n more of it.. Turning into too much of marketing :D Lets get back to my dear Mango Mastani!

This will be my entry for Meeta's Monthly Mingle- Scream for Icecream. I made Mango Ice-cream as well at home.. but since this was my first try, it was all trial and error with the measurements. The ice-cream turned out really soft n yummy. So will prepare another batch of Mango Ice-cream in a day or two (asa I get another Mango pulp can) and post the Mango Ice-cream recipe for you guys.. Till then enjoy this dessert in the hot summer.. I bet you'll love it!

Mango Mastani

What you need:

1/2 can Kesar Mango Pulp
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 liter Milk
1/2 lit Mango Icecream

How to proceed:

1) Mix mango pulp, sugar and milk in belnder to make mango milk shake
2) Defreeze it for 15-20 mins
3) Now again blend it well. This will make the milk shake thick!
4) Serve in a large glass topped with a big scoop of Mango Ice-cream!

* I prefer using less Sugar as the pulp is already sweet. Also the ice cream being sweet, the milk shake being a bit less sweet is perfectly allowed! :)

Rajma

2007-07-04T08:57:00.000+02:00

Rajma with rice is a well known combi meal for Punjabis.. Rajma is a gravy prepared from Red Kidney beans and this hot gravy served with rice has a heavenly taste :) This is one of the easiest and quickest meals for Punjabis. Punjabis love rice just the way I do ;) I prepared this yesterday for dinner and decided to post it today for RCI Punjabi Cuisine!

Rajma

Makes:

4 generous servings

What you need:

1 can (400 gm) boiled Rajma(Red Kidney Beans)
2 Onions, chopped
2 Tomatoes,puried
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Corriander powder
2-3 tbsp chopped Corriander
4-5 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) If you do not have canned Rajma, soak Rajma overnight and then boil it in cooker for 3 whistles with some salt n cooking soda.
2) Do not drain off the water in which rajma is soaked (even the canned content)
3) Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and onions
4) Saute onions till they become transperant
5) Add puried tomatoes and cook till mixture turns mushy and it starts leaving sides of the pan
6) Now add all spices and mix well for a minute
7) Add rajma alongwith water in which it is soaked
8) Add another cup or two of water (acoording to desired consistency)
9) Add oil as required
10) Cook for 10-12 mins, garnish with corriander
11) Serve hot with rice and papads!

Whole Moong Salad

2007-07-03T19:22:00.000+02:00

Whole moong salad is one nutritious salad prepared regularly at my place. Sometimes when I am too lazy to cook lunch for myself, this is just the thing for me.. My hubby loves this for breakfast since this is very quick n easy with some preparations on previous day! Just some sprouted moong and some Indian salad vegetables at hand and its ready.. Whole moong, rich in protein, makes a good salad with other salad vegetables topped with some fresh lemon juice... Here's Whole Moong Salad for Nupur's "W of Indian Vegetables"

Whole Moong Salad

Makes:

1 portion each for 2 people

What you need:

1 cup Sprouted Whole Moong (green gram)

1/2 Onion, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1 small Tomato, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1 small Carrot, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1/2 Cucumber, chopped finely [~1/4 cup]

1 Green Chilli, chopped finely

1 tsp chopped Corriander

1-2 tsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder

A pinch of Black Salt

Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Mix all ingredients

2) Add lemon juice just before serving

* If desired, substitute lemon juice with yoghurt to make Whole Moong Raita!

Methi Paratha

2007-07-02T10:11:00.000+02:00

Here's another paratha for RCI Punjabi Cuisine, the Methi Paratha! Methi(Fenugreek) is one sabji I strongly hate.. Its the same with most of the leafy vegetables :( But this is the only way used to eat Methi, in form of parathas.. Hence mom used to regularly make them for breakfasts or tiffins.. Methi paratha differs from other parathas since this does not need any stuffing. In methi parathas that I make, the methi is usually mixed alongwith the dough. Hence its easy to make this since its just the work of rolling it. As methi is directly added to the flour while making dough, the methi is neither cooked nor boiled. Hence, the vitamins (or whatever :D) provided by methi are totally preserved! So here's totally nutritious Methi Paratha for you!

Methi Paratha

Makes:

7-8 Parathas

What you need:

1 bunch Methi(Fenugreek)- picked and finely chopped
2 cups Wheat flour
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Ajwain
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 tbsp Yoghurt
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
Oil

How to proceed:

1)Mix all ingredients and knead to a soft dough
2)Keep aside for 30 mins
3)Divide dough into 7-8 equal sized parts and form round balls
4)Roll each ball to thin parathas
5)Bake using oil/butter
6)Serve hot with Yoghurt or pickles!

Boondi Raita

2007-06-30T20:20:00.000+02:00

Boondi Raita is a typical side dish from the Punjabi Cuisine. Milk products are a main part of Punjabi food. Raitas are usually salads in Yoghurt but boondi raita is different due to the addition of Boondi instead of salads! Boondi is a snack made from chickpea flour and can be prepared at home with some efforts! But since it is easily available in Indian stores, the raita becomes easy more easier to prepare.. Boondi raita with paratha is a cool combination for a weekend breakfast.. The boondi is initially soaked in water.. hence the oil from boondi drains off.. And hence the raita becomes even more healthy :) Here goes the recipe of Boondi Raita for RCI Punjabi Cuisine!

Boondi Raita

Makes:

1 serving each for 2

What you need:

4-5 tbsp salted Boondi
1 cup Yoghurt
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder/Pepper
½ tsp Cumin Powder
Salt
Corriander for garnishing

How to proceed:

1) Soak boondi in water for 5 mins
2) Drain water from boondi and add boondi to yoghurt
3) Add chilli powder, cumin powder and salt to yoghurt and mix well
4) Garnish with corriander and refrigerate for some time
5) Serve chilled with hot paratahas

* Adding a tsp of Chat Masala adds a zest to the raita!

Aalu Paratha

2007-06-29T16:55:00.001+02:00

The first food item that comes to mind when talking of Punjabi food is Paratha. Parathas are stuffed breads, available in different flavours, depending on the ingredients of the stuffing, most famous being the Aalu Paratha. Aalu Paratha is stuffed bread with stuffing prepared from boiled potatoes. Back in Pune, one of the most famous joint for lajawaab(tasty) parathe is "Chaitanya Paratha" on FC Road. Lately they started another branch in Kothrud which is gaining even more popularity. The parathas served here are priced at Rs. 25-30 and are pretty affordable as one paratha serves as a meal. These paratahs are served with dahi(yoghurt), pyaaz(onion), achaar(pickles) and a yummy dollop of makkhan(Indian butter) which melts on these hot paratahs.. No wonder its always crowded on weekdays and noon time as well! Another famous joint is "Nandu's" on Dhole Patil road,but I had been there just once and always prefer Chaitanya for locality and some other reasons (my friends know better ;) )

Aalu Parathas serve a heavy breakfast as well as filling one-dish meals. Quick and easy to prepare, here's aalu paratha for RCI Punjabi Cuisine.

Aalu Paratha

Makes:

6 parathas

What you need:

For the cover:
2 cup Wheat flour (Atta)
2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Oil
Water

For the filling:
4 Potatoes boiled
4-5 Green Chillies
1 inch Ginger
3-4 cloves of Garlic
2-3 tsp Ajwain seeds
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2-3 strands of Corriander, finely chopped
Salt

How to proceed:

For the cover:
1) Mix all ingredients and knead into soft dough
2) Keep aside for 15-20 mins

For the filling:
1) Mash potatoes
2) Put chillies, ginger and garlic in blender and blend to a paste, add this to mashed potatoes
3) Add the remaining ingredients and mix well
4) Divide the filling into 4-5 parts as desired [these should be of size same as dough]

Putting it all together:
1)Divide the dough into 4-5 parts. [the size of each part should be nearly same to size of part of each filling]
2) Roll the dough to diameter of approx 4 inches
3) Put the stuffing/filling in the middle and get the ends of dough together and close so that the filling does not come out
4) Roll the parathas to size 7-8 inch in diameter using wheat flour
5) Roast on hot girdle on both sides till brown using oil/ghee/butter
6) Serve hot wit raitas, curd or pickles!

I served aalo parathas with koshimbir/raita and tomato sabji

Bhatura

2007-06-28T08:50:00.001+02:00

Punjabi food is my second favourite after Maharashtrian Food.. So now a month of Punjabi food is gonna be fun after a month of Matthu food :) Thanks to my maternal surname(Mahajan), people consider me to be a Punjabi.. Thanks to my looks (?) gujjus start talking to me in Gujrati :D Few more call me Kashmiri (???????) and a very very few call me Maharashtrian! :D Things are bit better now when people dont get confused with my looks as my only identity here in Pardes is an "Indian" :)

Punjabi food is very famous in all nooks n corners of India. Be it in posh restaurant in cities or on the roadside Dhabasa on highways.. There is always a rush of people wanting to please their appetite with the "rich" Punjabi food :) Since I am not a figure conscious person, I am an absolute fan of Punjabi food... The oh so rich Paneer items and the array of Parathas with a generous topping of ghee and makkhan.. Ufff... Whats the use of fasting today if I keep thinking of such things!!

Bhatura,a (fried) bread native to Punjab, is my first entry for RCI Punjabi Cuisine hosted by the lovely Richa.. Bhatura is usually served with spicy gravies but makes a perfect jodi with masaledaar chole.. Bhaturas seem to consume and retain less oil than Puris and hence I make them often! Easy to make with some preparation in advance, they are also more filling than puris or rotis.. 2-3 bhaturas make a good midday meal..

Bhatura

Makes:

7-8 Bhaturas

What you need:

1 cup Plain Flour (Maida)
1 tbsp Semolina
2 tbsp Sour Yoghurt
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
Oil for frying

How to proceed:

1) Mix all ingredients with 1 tsp Oil and knead to a stiff dough.
2) Cover and keep aside for 4-5 hrs
3) Divide into small balls and roll bhaturas to desired size.
4) Deep fry on both sides
5) Drain excess oil on tissues and serve hot puffed bhaturas with spicy Punjabi Sabjis!

Orange Burfi

2007-06-27T18:27:00.000+02:00

Sharmi of Naivedyam is hosting AFAM this month. I was thinking of going for some cool summer drinks when Orange was announced for AFAM this month.. But then I didnt want to disturb the sweet n sour taste of orange by mixing it wit some other fruit for beverages.. Hence I decided to go for Orange Burfi. The Maharashtrian cit of Nagpur is famous for its Orange cultivation.. The "Santra Burfi/Orange Fudge" from Nagpur is very famous. We used to be lucky everytime two of my Nagpuri team mates went back home :) Orange Barfi was "default" sweet that they had to bring along! I made these burfis a bit less sweet coz I found sweet oranges here. I also tried some laddus with this mixture (from the disformed mixture left out after separarting good-looking n in-shape barfis!) Enjoy the yummilicious sweet! :)

Orange Burfi

What you need:

2 Oranges
1 cup Plain Flour(Maida)
1+1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Ghee
4-5 saffron strands
Fried dry fruits (optional)

How to proceed:

1) Heat ghee in a pan and add plain flour to it
2) Fry till golden brown, stirring at intervals.. Now take off from gas and keep aside.
3) Peel oranges, remove seeds and transparent skin from each slice to get just the orange pulp
4) Heat milk, add sugar and orange pulp to it.
5) Keep stirring continuously till the mixture becomes sticky.. this might take 15-20 mins.
6) Now add the plain flour mixture to it and mix well
7) Add saffron and dry fruits if desired.
8) Cook till ghee separates from the mixture
9) Now place the mixture in a greased vessel and let cool
10) Cut into desired shapes and enjoy yummy orange burfi!

This was the first time I made something decorative/creative.. Flowers using the Orange skin/peel.. So just coundnt control myself from taking more snaps :)

I also made some laddus from the mixture that was left after making barfis!

Dhokla Sandwitch

2007-06-26T08:53:00.000+02:00

Coffee's MBP gives me a chance to write about recipes tried from fellow bloggers. The theme for this month's MBP is "Going Lite".. I was an absolute fan of Richa's Nylon Khaman Dhokla Sandwitch when I first saw it at the round-up of Nupur's "N of Indian Vegetables!" So when coffee announced the theme "Going Lite" for this month's MBP, this was the best dish to fit into the theme.. Light on calories n light in weight as well ;) :D But surely high on nutrition!

I used Richa's recipe from here. The only change was that I used 1/2 tsp sodium bicarb and 1/2 tsp Salt instead of Eno fruit salt. And obviously left aside the cocunut part for garnishing as I am not a great fan of cocunut. And yes, I didnt have a Dhokla Steamer like the one Richa has.. Alternatively, I used my Idli Steamer.. So, I have Dhokla Idli Sandwitch now :D

My Verdict : Easy and quick recipe to please guests that show up on short notice.. It took me less than 30 mins to prepare one batch of these.. The spicy green chutney on one side and the sweet n sour lime sugar mix on the other side makes the dhoklas ever more tasty and appealing.. A keeper recipe!

Summing up month long Maharashtrian Cooking!

2007-06-25T12:45:00.000+02:00

A month long cooking series for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine ends today.. My hubby didnt complain about having Maharshtrian food every day for past one month.. He actually loved it and was blessing Nupur every other day! :) When Nupur announced this event, no one would have been as glad as I was.. Starting from 25th May till today, 25th June, I posted 26 well known Maharshtrian recipes, trying to differenciate in various categories and atleast one entry for each category (obviously only vegetarian dishes). I surely cant take a "break" from Maharashtrian food as there are many more recipes to share, but for some time I'll be concentrating on posting dishes from some different cuisines as well..

Here goes a list of all my entries for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine

Upwaasache Padartha (Fasting Food):
* Sabudana Kheer

Sanache Padartha (Festive Food):
* GulPoli for MakarSankranti
* Puran Poli for Holi
* Ukadiche Modak for Ganesh Chaturti
* Besan Ladoo for Diwali

Nashta (Breakfast):
* Upma

Snacks:
* Vada Pav

Starters:
* Kanda Bhaji

Soup:
* Tomatoche Saar

Chutneys:
* Shengdana Chutney

Salads:
* Kakadichi Koshimbir

Side Dish:
* Waffole/Funke

Breads:
* Bhakri

Sukki Bhaaji (Dry Sabjis):
* Bharli Bhendi
* Batatyachi Bhaaji
* Tomatochi Bhaaji
* Matkichi Usal
* Gavaarchi Bhaaji
* Vangyacha Bharit

Ooli Bhaaji (Wet/Gravy Sabjis):
* Chawlichi Aamti
* Katachi Aamti
* Batata Rassa

Bhaat (Rice):
* Vangi Bhaat

Goad/Mishtanna (Desserts):
* Amrakhand
* Shevai Kheer

Peya (Beverages):
* Mattha

Best Combinations:
* Amrakhand-Puri
* Batatyachi Bhaaji-Puri
* Vangyacha Bharit-Bhakri
* Puran Poli- Kataci Aamti
* Pithla- Bhakri

Easiest Ones:
* Mattha
* Kanda Bhaji
* Koshimbir

Toughest Ones:
* Ukadiche Modak
* Puran Poli

I hope you try these recipes and like them.. Do leave a comment about how you find my recipes.. Your comments encourage me and help me improve my cooking. I hope to to make such a list for other Indian Cuisines as well :)

Shevai Kheer

2007-06-24T19:07:00.001+02:00

To end on a sweet note....

Today being the last day for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine, I decided to end my entries with something sweet.. Shevai Kheer is a Maharashtrian dessert prepared using shevai/vermicelli. Thin shevai (Ganesh Shevai) as well as the thick one (Pillusbury Vermicelli) can be used for this dish. Kheer's are a favourite Maharashtrian dessert because they are easy to prepare and hence make a quick dessert when guests suddenly drop in. :) The Maharashtrian Kheer family includes kheers made from Rice (Tandalachi Kheer), Wheat (Gavhachi Kheer), Semolina(Rawyachi Kheer) and Vermicelli(Shevai Kheer). Shevai Kheer is the richest of these all, hence not prepared as often as others.. Other desserts include the quick one-Sheera (semolina pudding), store brought Shrikhand, Amrakhand, Jilebi and the ones that take more time(1-2 hrs) to prepare- Gulabjamuns, Gajar Halwa and Basundi.

In Maharashtra, Birthdays and Sweets go hand in hand.. Its happens to be my Dad's borthday today.. and so this Kheer is for Dad.. Happy Birthday Papa!

Shevai Kheer

What you need:

100 gm Shevai (Vermicelli)
2 tbsp Ghee
2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Sugar (adjust acco to taste)
Fried dry fruits

How to proceed:

1) Heat Ghee in pan
2) Fry dry fruits and keep aside
3) Now add vermicelli in the remaining ghee
4) Fry stirring continuously till the vermicelli starts turning brown
5) Now add milk and let vermicelli cook
6) When milk starts boiling, add sugar and dry fruits
7) Cook till vermicelli becomes soft (is cooked)
8) Serve hot or cold

* Above ingredients make thick kheer. Add more milk if you wish thin kheer.

Funke/Waffole

2007-06-23T13:39:00.000+02:00

This is one dish near to my heart coz its from my ajool (granny's place). "Funke" as it is called in Khandesh (Northern Maharashtra), it is also known as "Waffole" after the process of cooking- steaming (this process is called "Waafavane" in Marathi, waaf being the marathi word for "vapour"). I can be undoubtedly called 100% healthy dish coz this recipe does not call for even a drop of oil. Toor daal, rich in proteins, onions and corriander and spicy chillies is all it needs for making waffole. Nutritious and tasty waffole can be served as a side dish or as breakfast or snack item with a hot cup of tea! :) As a side dish, this goes for "RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine", "W of Indian Vegetables" and as a healthy breakfast for "WBB #12-Spice it up"!

To enjoy something crispy, cut each waffole into 2-3 pieces and shallow fry in a skillet with one tablespoon of oil and some mustard and cumin seeds. If you are health/ calorie conscious people, below recipe is for you! Enjoy madi! :D

Funke

What you need:

1 cup Toor Daal
2 Onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup Corrainder, finely chopped
1 inch Ginger, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3-4 Green Chillies, minced
4-5 tsp Sesame Seeds
1 -2 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt

How to proceed:

1) Soak Toor Daal for 1-2 hrs
2) Drain all water and coarsely grind it
3) Mix all the remaining ingredients except Sesame seeds and knead together
4) Make small dumplings of desired shape and dip in sesame seeds
5) Put these dumplings in a steamer/cooker and steam it for 15-20 mins
6) Serve hot oil-free healthy waffole as a snack or a side item during lunch!

* The long funke on the left are the steamed funke and on the small funke on right are the shallow fried ones. I served them with tomato ketchup.

Batata Rassa

2007-06-22T20:03:00.000+02:00

Rassa Bhaaji is sabji in Maharshtrian meal where the gravy is very thin. Batata Rassa is a wet sabji from potato with thin gravy which I'll be posting for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine! I didnt get to spend time with my in laws after marriage.. So I cant really say much about dishes and cooking style at my in laws.. This is my husband's recipe and so I had to post it! :) Hence this is probably the only recipe that I learnt from my laws :D Enjoy this spicy batata rassa with hot rice once and you would surely give it another try!

Batata Rassa

What you need:

2-3 Potatoes,diced
1 inch Ginger
3-4 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup dry Cocunut, grated
1/4 cup Corriander
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 tsp Goda Masala
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/3 cup Peanut Powder(roasted)

Salt
Oil
Water

How to proceed:

1) Add ginger, garlic, corriander and cocunut to mixer and prepare a smooth paste
2) Heat 4-5 tsp Oil and add mustard and cumin seeds to it
3) When mustard seeds start spluttering, add asafoetida and paste to it
4) Fry the paste till it turns golden brown
5) Now add goda masala, red chilli powder and turmeric, mix well
6) Add diced Potatoes and saute for 5-7 mins
7) Now add 2-3 cups water (as desired) and let potatoes are cooked
8) Add salt and cook till oil comes up and forms a layer (This might seem too oily but its that way :) This oil is called Tarri/Tawang in Marathi)
9) Now add peanut powder and let cook for another 5 mins
10) If potatoes are still uncooked, cover and cook for some more time
11) Serve hot with rice, bhakris or chapatis!

Vangi Bhaat

2007-06-22T19:34:00.000+02:00

Rice is an important part of Maharashtrian meal.. Most common rice dishes being varan bhaat(dal rice), khichdi, dahi bhaat(yoghurt rice), vangi bhaat(eggplant rice), masale bhaat etc. Here's Vangi Bhaat for "RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine", "V of Indian Vegetables" and "JFI Eggplant"!

Vangi Bhaat

What you need:

2 cups Basmati Rcie
3-4 small Brinjals, cut into long pieces
2 Potatoes, cubed (optional)
1 Onion sliced

2-3 Cinnamon Sticks
10-12 Black Peppers
4-5 Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
3-4 Cardamoms

1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Goda Masala
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Turmeric

Water
Salt
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak rice in water for 15 mins
2) Cook rice and remove water from it. Each rice grain should be separate and intact!3) Spread rice and leave aside to cool
4) Cut brinjals and potatoes and soak in water
5) Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a pan, add whole masala ingredients to it
6) When the whole spices are done, add Cumin Seeds
7) Add Onions and saute for a min
8) Now add goda masala, red chilli powder and turmeric and mix
9) Add diced Eggplants and Potatoes and mix well to coat the spices well
10) Add a cup of Water and add some salt
11) Cook covered for some time till eggplants and potatoes are cooked
12) Now add rice, mix well using a fork (to prevent rice from breaking)
13) Mix well and cook for 2-3 mins

* I served the Vangi Bhaat with Dahi Chutney (Shengdana Chutney added to Yoghurt)

Vada Pav

2007-06-21T17:15:00.000+02:00

Some foods are close to the heart not due to the taste, but due to the memories associated with them. For me, Vada Pav falls in the category of food that always takes me back to college days. This post is dedicated to my dear college friends: Shill, Saii, Megh, Poo and Ridd! All 6 of us enjoyed our 4 years of Engineering together in a girls college.. Its exactly 3 years down the line that we left college.. Kisiko yaad bhi hai ki 21st-22nd June ko hamare project evaluation tha?? One thing we all loved was the Vada Pav at the college canteen. It was one of the best vada pav I have tasted.. Priced at just 4 rupees then, it used to be our regular favourite snack after 2-3 hours of lectures and boring practicles. Though we had decided that after college when we start earning, we would drop in college sometime to have vada pav together, the day never came.. Everyone got busy in their lives and some shifted to other city. Though 4 of us worked in the same company, we didn’t get a chance to go back to college together, now that we had found new joints near office. But sometime later we came to know that the caterer in the college canteen had changed and the new caterer was not so good.. so now we are just left with the memories of the vada pav and all the 4 years we spent together in that canteen eating mostly vada pav :) To cherish those memories, I made vada pav today and decided to post it.. So here’s our favourite snack gals.. toot pado ;) Also its Ridd’s bday today and Poo’s bday 4 days down the line.. Wish u a very happy birthday sweeties.. hope you have gr8 time with ur dearest….. Btw, Ridd those chillies are specially for you.. remember you used to be the only one who used to eat all those 7-8 hot chillies that we got with these 5-6 vada pavs :P And since Megh is in India, I know you will plan to meet up.. And I am the only one who’ll be left out :(( Do miss me :(

For fellow bloggers.. here’s some background about vada pav/wada pav.. It can also be called Indian Burger. :) It is a famous snack in Maharashtra, where vada made from potato (batata wada) is placed in a special type of bread called “pav” and is served with some chutney and chilli. The batata vadas are prepared using mashed potatoes, onions and some fresh spicy ginger, garlic and chillies. They are then coated with besan/chickpea flour and fried.. Pav can be replaced with any other bread (except sweet one) or vada can be eaten alone, provided its hot n fresh!

In Pune and Mumbai, vada pav is mostly sold on roadside thelas/joints. The most famous chain in Pune for vada pav is “Joshi Wadewale!” My personal opinion, the vada pav at the thelas taste equally good.. There’s one such thela in Kothrud area, opposite Jagruti sweets.. Its popularity is proved by the crowd there which seems to be competing to get their share! :D 2-3 vada pav’s can substitute a full meal for me :) So here’s vada pav which goes for (obvi) “RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine”, “V of Indian Vegetables” and “WBB #12- Spice it up!”

Vada Pav

What you need:

4-5 Potatoes, boiled
1 Onion, finely chopped
5-6 Green Chillies
3 cloves Garlic
1 inch Ginger
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 tsp Turmeric

11/2 cups Besan/Chickpea Flour
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Sodium Bicarb

Water
Salt
Oil for Frying

How to proceed:

1) Mash boiled potatoes, grind garlic, ginger and green chillies to a paste
2) Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a pan, add curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida.
3) When mustard seeds start spluttering, add the paste and sauté for 30 sec
4) Now add onion and fry till it turns brown
5) Add turmeric and mashed potatoes and mix well. Add salt as desired
6) Cook covered for 5-7 mins and leave aside to cool
7) When mixture cools, make small balls and flatten them a bit
8) Make batter by adding water to besan; add red chilli powder, turmeric, soda and salt to it.
9) Heat oil in a pan. Dip the balls in batter and slide in hot oil
10) Deep fry on both sides. Fry on medium gas to cook it evenly.
11) Serve hot with some chutney and green chillies

* I served this dish with dry shengdana chutney and fried salted chillies. I also applied some sweet tamarind chutney to one pav.. its the way I like it :)

Besan Laadu

2007-06-20T09:36:00.000+02:00

In Maharashtra, the last important festival of the year is Diwali! Diwali comes sometime in October- November and usually lasts for 5 days. These 5 days bring lots of joy and happiness and are a perfect time to visit near and dear ones! Diwali is the festival of lights and the festival of yummy foods n snacks. :D It is celebrated with a lot of crackers and lots of sweets!

Talking more about the 5 days of Diwali.. The first day is Vasubaras, where cows and calves are worshipped. The second day is Dhantrayodashi, where people worship their important business/work related documents. Also books are worshipped as part of Saraswati Puja- for the goddess of wisdom. The third day is LaxmiPujan, the day when goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. Since money is considered equivalent to goddess Lakshmi, people worship money and gold and other precious things! The fourth day is Bali Pratipada or Diwali Padwa, the day of victory of god over evils.. This is the day when married women butter their husbands, pray for them and then get expensive gifts and jewellery! The last day is Bhaubeej (Bhaiduuj) which is celebrated to respect the brother sister relationship.. The sisters get gifts from their bros on this day.. My bro calls this day as “Sister’s Day 2”, “Sister’s Day 1” being “Raksha Bandhan” and always questions me why it’s always me who gets the gifts n not vice versa. :D

On the morning of Lakshmi Pujan, people wake up early and have a bath with scented utana (special powder made from chandan and other herbs) before sunset. Women draw beautiful rangolis infront of their house and light diyas. Children wear new clothes and burst crackers. Around breakfast time, all family members gather together and feast on all delicacies prepared for Diwali :)

Talking of foods, other than readymade mithais, the ladies prepare an array of sweets and snacks at home. The most common Maharashtrian Diwali snacks include the chamchamit Chiwda, crispy Chaklis, spicy Shev and Kadbole and namkeen Shankarpale. The sweets include various Laadu- Rawa Laadu, Besan Laadu, Dry fruits Ladoos Chirote, Anarse(fried stuff prepared from Rice Flour), Karanji(fried stuff with coconut filling) and sweet Shankarpale! In continuity to my last three posts for festive foods, the sequence of some of the festive foods for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine comes to an end with the Besan Laadu for Diwali, a sweet/laddus prepared from Gram Flour! Happy Diwali in advance ;)

Besan Laadu

What you need:

2 cups Besan (Gram Flour)
1 cup Ghee
1 cup Sugar, powdered
2 tsp Cardamom Powder
Dry fruits- Golden Raisins, Almonds, Cashews (if desired)

How to proceed:

1) Sieve gram flour
2) Roast Gram flour in ghee till the typical odour of gram flour goes off
3) Continue roasting till it starts becoming reddish and then leave aside to cool for some time
4) When it cools, the besan is in form of lumps. Break these lumps using your hands. If this becomes too hard, heat it for some time
5) Now add sugar and mix well.
6) Add dry fruits and cardamom powder
7) Taking some mixture in your hands, roll into ladoos. If its too hard to roll (if ladoos easily break off), add some more ghee.
8) Store in an air tight container and enjoy for next few days ;)

Vangyacha Bharit/ Baingan Bharta

2007-06-19T17:17:00.000+02:00

Vangi/Brinjal/Eggplant/Aubergines.. what ever you call it, was one thing I never liked until I ate Vangyacha Bharit/Baingan Bharta/ Mashed smoked eggplant! Though Maharashtrians love eggplants (vanga –batata being one favourite sabji in marriages), this is probably the only dish that I prepare using eggplants. The difference between other eggplant preparations and bharit is that the eggplants are directly cooked for other sabjis while eggplants are baked first and then mashed and cooked. This is simple once you smoke/bake the eggplants properly. I finally got Maharashtrian Goda Masala from home (through a friend). I tried preparing some but my chotusa mixie didn’t help me much! The recipe asks for 1 tsp Goda Masala. If you don’t have any, replace it by 1 tsp Corriander Powder, 1 tsp Garam Masala and ½ tsp Cumin Powder.

This dish is my entry for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine, V of Indian Vegetables and JFI-Eggplant!

Vangyacha bharit is served as a dry sabji. It is usually not prepared in meals prepared to end/break fasts.(upwaas) I served Vangyacha Bharit and Pithla with bajrichi bhakri.. Both when served with bhakri make the two best Maharashtrian combo meals!

Vangyacha Bharit

What you need:

2 long (preferably thin) Brinjals/Eggplants
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
2 Green chillies, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Goda Masala
½ tsp Turmeric
2-3 tbsp roasted Peanut Powder

2 tbsp Corriander chopped
Salt
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Apply oil on brinjals and bake/roast it on the gas.
2) Constantly keep rotating it to bake it evenly on all sides.
3) Insert a knife to check if its cooked till center
4) Now keep these baked brinjals in a plate and cover it for 30-40 mins
5) Now you can easily peel off the brinjal skin
6) Remove the skin and the head/cap of brinjal, mash the pulp with hands/masher (alternatively put it blender to mash it evenly) and put it aside. Discard the water that accumulates at sides of the vessel due to covering hot brinjals. Also discard the uncooked part and part with seeds.
7) Heat 1-2 tbsp Oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin seeds and asafeotida.
8) When mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped chillies, garlic and onion
9) Saute for a min or two and then add chilli powder, goda masala and turmeric
10) Now add mashed brinjal and mix well
11) Cook covered for some time. Add peanut powder and salt as desired
12) Serve hot with phulkas or bhakris.

Mattha

2007-06-19T14:37:00.000+02:00

Mattha or spiced buttermilk is a very famous drink in Maharashtra. Mattha and Kairi Panha are the favourite beverages of Maharashtrians in summer time. Mattha is usually to be consumed after (heavy) lunch, mostly during the hot summer days.. This drink is prepared from buttermilk or “taak” as we call it in Marathi. The exact proportion of salt sugar n chilli gives mattha the unique taste. This is a must in weddings that usually take place in summers. This drink is good for digestion and is so refreshing that people can easily make some space for 2-3 glasses of Mattha even if they are full. :)

In Maharashtra, most (non working) ladies prepare “Tup” (Ghee) at home. Every day the “sai” (cream) that accumulates on the boiled milk is separately kept in a “chini maticha bhanda” (clay vessel) and once the vessel was full, the process of making ghee starts. The whole lot of saii was churned using a “rawi” to separate the “loni” (butter) and “taak” (buttermilk). This taak was used to make kadhi or mattha. The loni is then heated to prepare tup at home… Unforgettable are those days when the smell of the loni and ghee used to be so tempting that we used to eat dollops of loni as kids. And now, even a bite of it is “full of calories!” :D Anyways, the mattha is just as good for calorie conscious people as well.. So here's a glassful to beat the summer heat and for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine!

Mattha

What you need:

½ cup Whole Yoghurt
1 cup Water
½ tsp Ginger, minced
1-2 Green Chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Cumin seeds, roasted and coarsely pounded
Salt to taste
Chopped corriander for garnishing

How to proceed:

1) Beat the yoghurt and add water to it to make buttermilk
2) Add all above ingredients to buttermilk and mix well
3) Add more water if it’s too thick
4) Serve cold

*Addition of pepper n chaat masala instead of chillies gives the mattah another yummy taste!

Kanda Bhaji/Khekda Bhaji

2007-06-17T09:51:00.000+02:00

Now now.. non veggies.. I am sorry to disappoint you.. this is not a dish with crabs.. don’t expect that from a vegetarian cook :) These are bhajis made from onions, Kanda bhaji, for RCI Maharashtrian cuisine.

Kanda bhaji needs no occasion.. lunch, midday snacks, dinner, weddings, or rainy days.. You just cant forget this :) These are cruchy dumplings prepared using besan and onion. More about the name.. There’s a historic fort in Pune, Maharashtra called Sinhagad fort.. It is a major tourist attraction and is famous mostly for the Khekda bhaji, Pithla Bhakri and Taak served there. Once I got a chance to ask this lady why its called so… She explained me that when they make these bhajis the onions take whatever shape they want which mostly resemble like a khekda (crab) as the thin onion slices come out from sides seem to be the crab’s foot and claws. The other reason that she told me was that these are as cruchy as fried crabs :D But this did not stop me from eating Khekda bhaji.. Something like “Listen to everything, but ignore the unwanted information”:D Sorry seafood lovers.. but I really cant stand these creatures.. and secondly I feel why be so selfish and kill these poor creatures.. just my views.. no offense meant!

Kanda bhaji is mostly enjoyed on a rainy day at a roadside thela with a cutting chai and some friends to chat with. In Pune, there was one such thela on JM road, opposite to the Z-bridge, which used to be a favorite joint on a rainy day.. Hot bhajis just made the day so refreshing and enjoyable.. Yesterday it was raining heavily here and so we had to stay home full day.. Its usually very depressing to stay home on a weekend and just stare at the rain[u guessed it right.. no one allows me to go out and get wet in the rains!] But a plate of hot kanda bhaji with a cup of tea just got the mood back to normal... Before I bug u more wit my love for it, here’s a plate of Kanda bhaji for you guys.. enjoy! :)

Kanda Bhaji

What you need:

1 cup Besan
2 small Onions, thinly sliced
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Ova (Ajwain seeds)
¼ tsp Baking Soda
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Water

How to proceed:

1) Mix all the ingredients except oil and sliced Onions
2) Add enough water to make consistency of idli batter
3) Heat oil in a kadhai/pan
4) Add sliced onion to this batter in batches (don’t add all at once else onions will leave some water and the batter will become free flowing!)
5) Make bhajis such that onion slices are coated with the batter and there seem equal amount of batter and onion
6) Deep fry in oil and drain excess oil using paper tissues
7) Serve hot with tomato sauce or with a hot cuppa on a rainy day!! :)

Other than the usual spices- red chilli powder and turmeric, the uncommon spice used is Ajwain seeds. More than in cooking, I know Ajwain seeds for its medicinal values-as a home remedy for stomach ache, indigestion and throat problems. Well all goody goody about this spice just bcoz this recipe also goes for WBB#12 Spice it up! Btw, just add more red chilli powder to really “Spice it up!” ;)

Jwarichi Bhakri

2007-06-16T11:38:00.001+02:00

Make way for the humble bread from Maharashtra- Bhakri. Making bhakri is an art and needs lot of practice and patience to attain perfection. People in Maharashtra, especially the grannies, still believe that if a girl knows how to make bhakris, then she can learn to cook all other things. Though this seems an exaggeration, its not such a difficult task!

Bhakris are made from different flours in different parts of Mahrashtra. Mostly Jowar(called Jwari in Marathi) flour and Maize flour in Solapur side, Rice flour in Konkan area, Bajri and Nachni flour in Khandesh and Vidharbha etc. Bhakri used to be the staple food in some areas of Maharashtra, but things have changed over time and there are few households (mostly in rural areas) where bhakris are prepared regularly. A personal opinion: Bhakris take a lot of time and hence cooking chapattis seems easier and convenient. It took me nearly 1.5 hrs to cook 7 bhakris :( thanks to my electric hot plate!

Bhakris are typically prepared on a special type of tawa/ hot girdle prepared from iron/aluminium. It’s a bit deep and circular and hence gives the bhakris a good shape when they puff up. The bhakris are baked on tawa first and then transferred directly on gas to make them puff. I am not lucky to have puffed bhakris here, but am glad that I find bhakri flour here :)

I prepared Jwarichi Bhakri yesterday evening and am posting it here for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine! I am also posting some tips and preparation method from my mom who makes awesome bhakris. On my next trip to India, I’ll make sure to take a video of full procedure of a perfect bhakri preparation and post it!

Jwarichi Bhakri

What you need:

1 cup Jowar Flour (for 2 bhakris)
Warm Water

How to proceed:

1) Take a cup of flour and add warm water to it
2) Knead well to soft and pliable dough.
3) To test softness, press the dough gently with a finger. This should leave an impression on the dough. [If it leaves a hole, then dough is too soft]
4) If the dough is not kneaded well, the bhakris will develop cracks at corners.
5) Divide this dough in 2-3 parts
6) Heat the tava
7) Apply little water to both palms and put a part of dough in between palms and shape well to a ball and then flatten it.
8) Now spread dry flour in a large flat plate (normally a vessel called “parat” is used for this process) and put the falttened dough onto it.
9) Apply flour on one palm and using this palm, gently press the dough to flatten it
10) While flattening the dough, move it in circular pattern to ensure that bhakri does not stick to the plate
11) When the bhakri is flattened and ready, flip and lift it on both palms and place the bahkri on tawa [The side that was flattened should be baked first]
12) Now lower the heat and take some water in hand. Apply water over the full surface of upper side of bhakri.
13) Now raise the heat to normal. When this water starts drying, flip the bhakri to cook the other side
14) When the bhakri starts becoming brownish on the other side, remove from tawa from gas and directly put the bhakri on gas
15) If you are lucky, the bhakri will puff well. On gas, cook both sides till they get dark brownish stains.
16) Take off the heat and place tawa back on gas. If the sides of bhakris seem uncooked, cook the sides on tawa.
17) Hush.. Bhaikri taiyar! (ready to eat) :)

Tips for good bhakris:

* The flour should not be very fine, but a bit coarse
* Use luke warm water for kneading
* Knead knead knead
* Knead the flour in batches for 2-3 bhakris, not all the flour at one time

Ukadiche Modak

2007-06-15T08:53:00.000+02:00

After Gulpoli and Puranpoli for Makar Sankranti and Holi respectively, its time for the biggest festival celebrated in Maharashtra, the Ganesh Utsav/ Ganesh Festival.. Lord Ganesh/Ganpati being the favourite god of all Maharashtrians, this festival is celebrated on account of His birthday. :D It comes sometime in Septemer, on the day of Vinayak Chaturti [4th day of the month of Bhadrapad] and lasts for 10 days, ending on the day of Ananth Chaturdarshi.. On the first day of this festival, people bring home Ganesh idols made from clay. For the next 10 days, the idol is worshipped- Puja, Aarti and then Naivedya/Prasad. :) The last day is the day of “Visarjan” when the idol is immersed in water saying “Ganpati Bappa Moraya, Pudchya Warshi Laukar ya!” (Come soon next year!) Some people do the Visarjan after 11/2, 2, 5 or 7 days.

Here are some artistic pictures of Ganesh representing His different names. These pictures came through a forwarded mail with the title “Akshar Ganesh” and were so artistic that I thought of sharing it with you people! Open in new window to view original size!

Ganesh Festival celebrations were limited to homes until Lokmanya Tilak, a freedom fighter from Maharashtra, started this festival as “Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav”(public Ganesh Festival) in the pre-independence period in Pune, with the motive of getting people together and celebrating the festival which provided an easy opportunity for the freedom fighters to convey their ideas about independence to the public. Till date, people from Pune and from other cities in Maharashtra celebrate this festival with full josh! There are big Ganesh idols at every nook and corner by small and large societies/ mandals. The Ganesh festival from Pune and Mumbai are very famous and people come down from nearby places to watch the last day procession (called “Visarjan Miravnuk”) which sometimes lasts for 30-32 hrs. A large amount of money is spent on sets and decorations for the 10 day celebrations as well as for the procession.

Coming to the important part of the festival.. yes obviously the feasts :) Ganesh festival is incomplete without the naivedya of Ganesha’s favourite food-the modaks.. Modaks are prepared in different ways, some can be the stuffed ones and some can be the ones made from khava/mava. The stuffed ones can be normal fried modaks or the steamed ukadiche modak. The khava modaks are just khava put in moulds and comes in various flavours like amba modak, pista modak etc. At our place, mom makes the fried modaks which I’ll post some other time. Today I’ll be posting Ukadiche Modak for "RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine".

Since these were never prepared at my place, I used to eat them like a “havrat”(greedy) whenever I got a chance to :) Especially at my workplace, where a big ukadicha modak used to be a sweet dish once every 2-3 months. We generally used to have team lunch and on such days, there would be 4-5 modaks infront of me, generously given up by calorie conscious and non-sweet eating colleagues! :) My love for sweets and chaats is well known by most of my friends :) Since I fast on chaturtis, I decided to try these as Naivedya for last week’s chaturti. I followed the recipe mostly from Mumbai Masala. This seemed to be one risky recipe to try hence started with small amounts :D The modaks turned out very well.. heavenly taste!! I am sure Lord Ganesh wud have been happy with the naivedya ;) the only problem was that the covering turned out a bit thick than expected. The covering seemed more than the filling. The covering wasn’t getting rolled properly and was breaking so often hence had to make it thick. And the shapes of just 2 modaks seemed perfectly like modak.. Hence it’s just these 2 modaks for you guys.. enjoy!! :)

Ukadiche Modak

What you need:

For the covering:
½ cup Rice Flour
½ cup Water
2 tsp Ghee
A pinch of Salt

For the filling:
1 cup Coconut, shredded
½ cup Jaggery, grated
1 tsp Poppy Seeds, roasted
1 tsp Cardamom Powder

How to proceed:

For the filling:
1) Heat a pan and put jaggery in it
2) When jaggery starts melting, add 1 tsp Ghee and coconut to it
3) Mix well and cook on medium heat for 5-6 mins
4) Add cardamom powder and roasted poppy seeds
5) Filling is ready, keep aside to cool

For the covering:
1) Boil ½ cup water, add ghee to it
2) Add rice flour to boiling water and miz well stirring continuously
3) Add salt, mix well and cook covered for 2-3 mins
4) Remove from heat and knead well into a soft flour when its hot
This dough is called Ukad and hence the name!

Putting it all together:
1) Divide the dough into small balls
2) Roll each ball to size of puris
3) Place this on the palm and add some filling to it
4) Bring together the ends in form of plates and form a tip and seal
5) Repeat the procedure for rest of the modaks
6) Put these modaks in a steamer/cooker (do not put weight/whistle) and steam for 15-20 mins. The abobe ingredients make 7-8 modaks
7) Serve hot modaks with Ghee… aahh.. they just melt in the mouth.. Oops.. did we forget to offer the naivedya/Prasad?? ;)

This is also my entry for WTSIM-Stuffed Dumplings... I hope the modaks qualify the deadly tests ;)

Gavaarchi Bhaaji

2007-06-14T15:14:00.000+02:00

Gavaar bhaaji was not on my list as an entry for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine! Firstly, I don’t like gavaar, secondly I don’t get it here. But I had to post it. Firstly because my husband loves it, secondly because I found some fresh gavaar yesterday at the Indian store here, thirdly coz I cooked it for my husband yesterday and he loved to taste it nearly after 4-5 yrs and lastly coz I happened to taste it and could find no reason why I haven’t been eating it from so long! :)

Gavaar falls into the beans category, (called gavaarchi sheng in Marathi) popularly eaten as a dry vegetable in Maharashtra. Some people who don’t like to eat gavaar make excuses like “Only gavaar (meaning illiterate in Hindi) eat gavaar (the vegetable)!” It is a dry sabji, and a stir fry one! Not too much of a hassle to cook it and tastes good when served with hot rotis..

Gavaarchi Bhaaji

What you need:

300 gm Gavaar (Cluster beans)
1 big Onion
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1+1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Discard the ends of gavaar and cut each into 2-3 pieces of 1 inch each
2) Wash the cut gavaar and cook it in cooker for 1 whistle
3) Heat 1-2 tbsp oil and add cumin seeds to it
4) When the seeds start spluttering, add chopped onion and fry till it is a bit cooked
5) Now add red chilli powder and turmeric and mix for a few secs
6) Now add gavaar and mix well
7) Add salt, mix and cook covered for 5-10 mins
8) Serve hot with chapattis/rotis

Matkichi Usal

2007-06-13T13:34:00.000+02:00

When it comes to Maharashtrian food, one category of dry vegetables is typically the Usal. Usal is a vegetable made from whole beans and legumes (sometimes sprouted). The most common ones being Matki Usal (Sprouted Moth Beans), Moong Usal(Whole green gram), Olya Watanyachi Usal (green peas), Chawlichi Usal(Whole Black eyed beans), Walachi Usal, Harbaryachi Usal(whole green chana) etc. These lentils are high sources of proteins and best for surviving in places where fresh Indian vegetables are scarce. Oh yes... at my place I cook these twice a week! :D Here's Matkichi Usal for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine and "U of Indian Vegetables"

Matkichi Usal

What you need:

1 cup Matki (Moth beans), sprouted
1 Onion, chopped
1-2 tsp Garlic Ginger paste
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 Tomato, chopped (optional)
2-3 strands of Corriander
Oil
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak matki for 5-6 hrs.
2) Drain water and put in thin wet cloth for sprouting. [this process might take 1-2 days]

Read more @ sprouting tips by Nupur here.
3) Put sprouted matki in cooker and cook for 1 whistle (if cooked more, it will become mushy!)
4) Heat oil in a pan, add ginger garlic paste and onion.
5) Saute till onions turn translucent
6) Now add all spices and mix well
7) Add matki and salt and cook covered for 5-10 mins
8) Garnish with chopped tomatoes and corriander. Serve hot with phulkas

* If some gravy is desired, add water and 3-4 tbsp roasted groundnut powder

Upma

2007-06-12T15:48:00.000+02:00

Upma is the second best and favourite breakfast item for Maharashtrians after the lovely Kanda Pohe! A quick and nutritious breakfast prepared from coarse semolina, it is also called as “Tikhat Sheera”. Here's Upma for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine and Nupur's "U of Indian Vegetables"

Upma

What you need:

1 cup Coarse Semolina (Rawa)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
3 tsp Urad Dal
5-6 Curry Leaves
3-4 Green Chillies
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 cups Warm Water
2 tsp Shev (optional)
2 tsp Grated Coconut (optional)
Few strands of Corriander
½ Lemon
Salt to taste
Oil

How to Proceed:

1) Roast Semolina for 5 mins
2) Wash and soak Urad Dal in water for 10 mins
3) Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and chopped chillies
4) Add Urad Dal and chopped onion and fry till onion turns slight brown
5) Add turmeric and chopped tomato and cook for 2 mins
6) Add Semolina and mix well for 5 mins
7) Add Salt as required
8) Now add warm water and stir continuously to avoid lump formation.
9) Keep stiring at intervals on medium heat for 5-7 mins
10) Serve hot garnished with shev, grated coconut, chopped coriander and a dash of lemon.

Katachi Aamti

2007-06-11T11:32:00.000+02:00

In continuation to my previous post for Puran Poli, here’s katachi aamti for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine. Katachi Aamti is one the favourite spicy curries in Maharashtra. It is usually prepared with puran poli using the water in which chana daal is boiled. I love this aamti so much that I prepare it very often without puran poli and eat it with rice. Don’t worry about the cooked daal.. I make chana daal kheer :D This aamti is also known as rasshi in North Maharashtra and yelavni in the solapur region! Whenevr my mom makes puran poli, she takes some of the puran poli dough and puts small pieces of it in this aamti. These dumplings, known as dubukwade, taste awesome! :) At mom’s place, I see to it that all dubukwade fall in my bowl :D Mahrashtrina goda masala gives a nice flavour to this dish. Unfortunately I didn’t have any :( But still nothing much to miss.. mom’s recipe with all the remaining ingredients make my aamti “ek number”(number 1/superb)!! ;)

Katachi Aamti

What you need:

1 and ½ cups Katache Pani
1 piece Cinnamon
2 bay leaves
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Tamarind concentrate
3 tsp Jaggery
2 tsp Cumin Seeds, roasted
3-4 tbsp Dry coconut, grated and roasted
Salt to taste
1 tsp Corriander, chopped
Oil
Water

How to proceed:

1) Grind roasted cumin seeds and coconut to a thin paste
2) In a cooking vessel, add katache pani, tamarind, jaggery, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt to it. If you have Mahrashtrian goda masala, add 1-2 tsp of it
3) Bring this to boil and then add coconut paste
4) Boil for more time, add water if its too thick
5) In a separate pan, heat oil and add cinnamon, bay leaves and curry leaves to it. Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida.
6) When mustard seeds start spluttering, transfer the tadka to the aamti
7) Mix well and boil for another 5 mins.
8) Garnish with corriander and serve hot with puran poli.

Puran Poli

2007-06-11T00:27:00.000+02:00

After the lovely gulpoli for the first important festival- Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra, lets move to the second next important festival.. the festival of Holi, which comes sometime in March and (in food) is famous for the yummy Puran Poli, a very famous marathi dish that I specially prepared today for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine.. Holi is incomplete without the naivedya (prasad) of Puran Poli. It is served with katachi aamti whose recipe will follow soon.

Holi in Mahrashtra is celebrated on full moon day in the month of Phalgun- sometime in early March. On this day, a bonfire is made using a branch of eucalyptus tree, wood and dungcakes and this bonfire is worshipped by presenting a naivedya (prasad/offering) of PuranPoli and cocunut.. The bonfire symbolizes the destruction of evil and bad thoughts. Scientifically, the bonfire provides with some relief from the cold in March :D On the second day, Dhuliwandan, people play with colors and water. In Maharashtra, the festival of colors is less observed on this day, but is celebrated with full josh on the day of “Rang Panchami” which comes 20-21 days after holi... Actually schools and colleges have holiday on RangPanchami and not on Dhuliwandan.. But who cares... People like me used to celebrate Dhuliwandan in college with friends and Rang Panchami with relatives and friends later.

I have been eating this puran poli from childhood.. not just on holi but on special occasions/festivals such as Gudhi Padva (Maharashtrian New Year), Bail Pola (a festival where farmers honor the bullocks used at farms) or as a “shahi bhojan” for visiting guests. But this was my first chance to try my hands at it.. I had a tough time making these.. the pictures can say more.. but I didn’t have time and patience to make it again.. so decided to post the recipe wit the sad pictures.. will change the pics next time I make better ones which I dunno when coz my hubby doesn’t like puran polis and I am too lazy to take so many efforts to prepare it just for myself… Actually the taste was perfectly as expected but the looks and profile were not as expected ;) Thought of ditching it, but then had planned it for RCI. As long as I can promise the sincerity in taste, I am sure u'll excuse me for the pics :D

Puran Poli is bread stuffed with a sweet chana daal mixture called puran. In the early days before the invention of mixers and puran machine, a stone grinder called "pata warwanta" was used to make the puran. Hence puran poli might have been a big fuss in earlier days, but not anymore thanks to so many inventions popping up every other day! :) The process of making puran differs within parts of Mahrashtra. My mom directly mixes the boiled chana daal with sugar/jaggery and then grinds it in a mixie while my mummy(MIL) again cooks the boiled chana daal while mixing it wit sugar. Use of sugar makes the polis soft while adding jaggery is better for calorie conscious guys ;) I usually mix them in equal amounts for a win-win situation. :) Only one of then can be used according to desired sweetness.. doesnt matter for gourmets!! ;) The puran poils are usually of size of normal roti, but in Northern Mahrashtra region (known as Khandesh), the puran polis nearly 3-4 times the size of normal roti, say 10-12 inches in diameter. They are prepared on the earthern gas- “chulha” using a special eathern vessel called “khapar” as the base for cooking/roasting the puran poli. These puran poils are called “khaparachya puran polya” and are usually folded after cooking so as to ease the eating process. In the summer season, these are served with Aamras (Mango pulp mixture) while at other times with rice kheer. In the other regions of Maharashtra, puran poli is served with katachi aamti, the perfect combo! For the time, enjoy Puran Poli, katachi aamti will soon follow :)

Puran Poli

What you need:

For the covering:
1 cup Maida(Plain Flour)
1 cup Atta(Wheat Flour)
½ tsp Salt
Oil
Water

For the filling (puran):
1 cup Chana Daal
1/2 cup Jaggery, grated
1/2 cup Sugar, powdered
* 1 cup just Sugar/Jaggery can be used if the other is unavailable
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
½ tsp Nutmeg Powder
Ghee for roasting

How to proceed:

For the covering:
1) Sieve both flours and mix well
2) Add salt and a tsp oil and knead to a really soft dough and keep it aside in another plate
3) In the kneading pan, spread some oil, add some water and then spread the dough evenly over it and cover with a thin wet cloth and keep aside for an hour

For the filling (puran):
1) Cook chana daal with ample quantity of water in cooker for 2 whistles
2) When cooker cools, remove daal and place in a strainer to remove water. *Retain* this water for Katachi Aamti. This water is called Katache pani.
3) Add grated jaggery, sugar, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder to the daal. Cook in a pan for 10-12 mins stiring constantly
4) When cold, put in a puran machine/mixie. Thin smooth lumpfree puran is ready for puran poli
5) If the puran is watery, tie in a cloth and hang it for sometime to remove water from it.

Putting it all together:
1) When its time to make puran polis, knead, knead and knead the dough to mix the added oil and water and to make the dough lump free(if any)
2) Take some dough and knead it well. Now roll it using rice/wheat flour. When its as big as a puri, put a big ball of puran at the center and close from the sides so that puran does not come out.
3) Roll to size of roti taking care that puran does not come out (this happens with first timers like me :D)
4) Put some ghee on hot girdle and place the puran poli over it.
5) Add ghee on sides and when cooked, flip to cook on other side as well.
6) Serve with spicy katachi aamti!

Shengdana Chutney

2007-06-08T19:08:00.000+02:00

After soups and salads for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine, its turn of the humble chutney which occupies a very small but important place in Maharashrian Thali. Chutneys in dry forms are served after lemon, salt and koshimbir (salad).. the rest follows after chutney! Chutneys in dry form usually include lasun(garlic) chutney, tilachi(sesame seeds) chutney and shengdana(peanut) chutney. Wet chutneys include naralachi(cocunut) chutney, pudina(mint) chutney, chinchechi(tamarind) chutney etc.

Shengdana chutney is a dry chutney prepared using roasted peanuts. It is usually served as a "tondi lavana" (just another condiment if the other items are not so spicy). It can be used as bread spread(usually with "Wada Pav") or spread over rotis with oil to make "spicy roles" or on bhakri to make "Bhakri Burger" or add to yoghurt to make "Dahi Chutney". My hubby loves adding this chutney to yoghurt with a pinch of salt to make dahi chutney to have with rotis. He also loves to eat dahi chutney with chaklis. I know this is a wierd combi but everyone at my in laws eats it. so now its not wierd anymore for me :D Spicy roles and bhakri burger are my mom's recipes but the credits of naming ceremony remain with me ;) If it would be too late to cook anything for tiffin, mom used to just spread some chutney on roti wit oil on it and roll it to make "spicy rolls" I just loved it and demanded them many times when some vegetables that I didnt like were cooked! "Bhakri Burger" is one heavenly dish that I miss here.. Mom used to make a bit thick bhakris and then cook them on cooking gas. They used to puff from all sides. Then she would lift the upper layer using a knife from the corners, then spread chutney and oil on it and then put back the upper layer. This hot bhakri wih spicy chutney seemed so nice and I used to call it "Bhakri Burger" :D Sweet memories of childhood.. now laugh at such stupid names and keep pondering what made me think of such names :D Before I get too nostalgic, heres goes the quick recipe..

Shengdana Chutney

What you need:

100 gm Peanuts, roasted and deskinned
3-4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Cumin seeds, roasted
1 tbsp Sesame seeds, roasted (optional)
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Place peanuts in a blender and add chilli powder, roasted cumin and sesame seeds to it
2) Blend to a coarse powder, add salt and mix well

Tomatoche Saar

2007-06-07T16:11:00.000+02:00

Following the footsteps of tomatochi bhaaji is another tomato item.. but now in a liquified form.. Tomato Saar.. The Maharashtrian soup for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine and "T of Indian Vegetables"

According to my knowledge, Tomato Saar is the only Maharashtrian soup! (provided you dont call "Kadhi" as "Yoghurt Soup" and Daal as "Lentils Soup" :D) Tomato saar is thinner than the normal tomato soup and is easy to make. The real taste comes from the exact balance of sugar salt, pepper and the cumin-mustard tadka made in ghee. This falls in the soup/appetiser category and is usually served in Maharashtrian wedding ceremonies. People like me easily gulp down 2-3 bowls :D

Tomatoche Saar

What you need:

3-4 Tomatoes(preferably hard ones)

10-12 Black Pepper, powdered

2-3 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

2 tsp Corriander, chopped

How to proceed:

1) Boil Tomatoes in water till they are soft and skin comes off easily

2) Remove the skin from tomatoes and blend in a mixie

3) Sieve it to remove tomato seeds

4) Now transfer the contents in a cooking pan

5) Add powdered pepper, salt and sugar and bring to boil

6) Add water as required to get watery texture [Saar is very thin compared to soup]

7) Let it boil for 7-8 mins

8) In a separate pan, heat ghee, and add mustard and cumin seeds to it.

9) Once the seeds start spluttering, add the tadka to the saar

10) Now mix the saar well and let cook for 2-3 mins

11) Serve hot garnished with corriander

* Tadka in pure ghee gives an outstanding taste to the saar! Take care while adding tadka to the saar..

Tomatochi Bhaaji

2007-06-06T14:10:00.000+02:00

Tomatochi Bhaaji is my entry for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine and Nupur's "T of Indian Vegetables".

Tomato is known by the same name in Marathi. Tomatochi Bhaaji aka Tomato sabji is another dry sabji which is usually prepared with Thalipeeth(a Maharashtrian bread) but goes best with the punjabi Aalo Paratha! Onions and tomatoes, salt n sugar, some spices and peanut powder is all it takes to prepare this lovely sabji!!

Tomatochi Bhaaji

What you need:

4-5 medium sized Tomatoes (preferably not too soft), chopped
1 Onion, chopped
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric
2-3 tsp Jaggery (can be replaced by sugar)
4-5 tsp Peanut Powder (Peanuts roasted and pounded)
Salt to taste
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Heat 1-2 tsp oil and add mustard and cumin seeds to it
2) When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add onions to it
3) Sauté onions for a minute
4) Add red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well
5) Now add tomatoes, mix well and cook for some time
6) Add jaggery, salt and peanut powder and cook covered till tomatoes are cooked and become a little mushy
7) Serve hot with rotis/ parathas

Amrakhand Puri

2007-06-05T14:47:00.000+02:00

.. coz special occasions need something special!!

Today is a special date 05/06/07.. a special day for me.. and hence posting a special Maharashtrian combo of Amrakhand Puri for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine!

Amrakhand is a very popular dessert from Maharashtra.. also known as mango flavoured Shrikhand.. The most common brands in Pune for Amrakhand are Chitale Bandhu, Amul, Warana and now Aarti's ;) Thanks to these people, my mother never happened to prepare it at home.. And so this was my first trial at it.. and its really a very very easy task(preparing) and later very very yummy and easy task (finishing off! :D).. Being a milk product, it can also be eaten on fasting days.. Needs some preparation though.. but all the efforts are paid off once you have the first spoonful!! :)

Amrakhand is a popular dessert for Maharashtrian wedding, others being jilebi, bundi laddu, gulabjamun etc.. It can be eaten alone, but then you tend to eat very little. Maharashtrians serve it with hot puffed puris! I served it with simple Puris and batatyachi bhaaji!

Amrakhand Puri

What you need:

500 gm Full Yoghurt

200 gm Kesar Mango Pulp

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Powdered Cardamom

1/2 tsp Nutmeg Powder

8-10 strands of Kesar

How to proceed:

1) Place the yoghurt in a thin cloth/odhani and tie it

2) Hang it for 5-6 hours till all water from Yoghurt drains off

3) If there is still some water, place it under something heavy to drain excess water

4) Now remove the yoghurt and add sugar to it and mix well in a large bowl

5) Add cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and kesar to it

6) Finally add mango pulp and mix well

7) Keep to cool in the refridgerator

8) Remove 5-10 mins before serving.

9) Enjoy Amrakhand with hot puris!

To make the most simple Maharashtrian Puris: Add a tsp of turmeric, salt and oil to wheat flour and knead to soft dough. Roll into puris and fry in oil.

Kakadichi Koshimbir

2007-06-04T17:19:00.000+02:00

Indian salads are differenciated by addition of yoghurt. They are usually called as raitas, koshimbirs, pachadis etc. according to the region they belong to.. the major difference being the addition of one or the other ingredient. The Maharashtrian salad, koshimbir, is distinguished by the addition of roasted peanut powder. Koshimbir serves as a great accompaniment to parathas and daal rice. Koshimbir is prepared with cucumber, tomatoes, beetroot, carrots, onions etc. mixed with yoghurt, at times simply one ingredient or at times is combination! Koshimbir is a must in Maharashtrian wedding and is one of the first items to be served in the dish!

The Maharashtrian salad for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine is Kakadichi Koshimbir. Kakadi(cucumber) has a special importance in Maharashtra, specially on days on fasting. On special fasts, simply sliced kakadi or kakadi in salad form is eaten while breaking the fast. Some people consider kakadi as fasting food. Kakadichi koshimbir is quick and easy to make with just onion and cucumber at hand with some thick yoghurt.

Kakadichi Koshimbir

What you need:

1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup Thick Yoghurt
1 tsp roasted Cumin Seeds
4-5 tsp Peanut Powder (peanuts roasted and pounded)
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Mix all ingredients well
2) Leave in fridge to cool for sometime (optional)
3) Serve cold with hot rotis/ parathas!

Chawlichi Aamti

2007-06-02T21:25:00.000+02:00

Maharashtrian meal consists of one wet sabji, which is prepared either from beans, legumes , dals or vegetables. Wet sabjis can be classified as aamti (one with thick gravy) and rassa bhaaji (one with thin watery gravy). Chawli Aamti, which is a typical wet sabji from aamti category, is my entry for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine.

Chawlichi Aamti is prepared from Chawli/Lobai Beans/Black Eyed Beans and usually eaten with rotis or rice. If the amount of water is less, then the dry chawli sabji will fall in the “Usal” category, chawlichi usal and can be eaten only with rotis. The size of chawli beans does not matter in the preparation of this aamti. Tastes best served hot with rice with a dash of lemon.

Chawlichi Aamti

What you need:

1 cup Chawli/ Lobia Beans/ Black Eyed Beans
2 tbsp Oil
5-6 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 Onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Few strands of Corrainder, chopped
½ Lemon

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak Chawli in water for 4 hrs
2) Pressure cook Chawli in cooker with some salt till 1 whistle
3) Heat Oil in a pan, add curry leaves, mustard seeds and asafetida
4) When mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped onion.
5) Fry onion till it turns brown and translucent
6) Add chopped tomato and fry for 2 mins
7) Now add red chilli powder, garam masala, corriander cumin powder and turmeric
8) Fry for a min
9) Now add boiled chawli and mix well
10) Add salt as required
11) Add water according to desired consistency
12) Garnish with chopped corriander and a dash of lemon and serve hot with rice or rotis

GulPoli

2007-06-01T16:49:00.000+02:00

This was my first recipe on net, at the time when I didn’t have my own blog. It was my entry for My Dhaba’s FAHC Campaign. Since this is one of the well-known festival foods in Maharashtra, I decided to post it here for RCI-Maharashtrian Cuisine.

Makar Sankranti is the first important festival in Maharashtra wrt to English calender, and is celebrated on 14th January every year. Its an occasion to visit near and dear ones and distribute tilgul saying "Tilgul ghya, god god bola" (take tilgul(sweet) and talk sweet! :D) Makar Sankranti is a special festival for newly wed girls as well. On the first Makar Sankranti after marriage, the girl comes back to her parents place and is presented with various ornaments made from halwa/white tilgul called "halwyache dagine". Ladies also get a chance to wear black sarees on this day which is usually considered unauspicious on other good occasions/festivities.

Since Makar Sankranti falls during mid winter in India, the food prepared for this festival is such that it keeps the body warm and gives high energy. Hence til (sesame seeds) and gul (jaggery) are basically used in the preparation of sweets for this festival. Gulpoli is a traditional dish prepared on this day in Maharashtra as an offering to God. Other festives include tilache ladu(sesame balls), tilachi wadi (sesame squares), murmura ladu(mamra/rice flakes balls) etc. These sweet and crisp breads taste better when eaten on the second day.

GulPoli

What you need:

For the dough:
1/2 cup Plain flour(Maida)
1/2 cup Wheat flour (Atta)
2 tbsp cooking oil
Luke warm water
A pinch of salt

For the filling:
1 and 1/2 cup Jaggery
4 tsp Sesame seeds
2 tsp Poppy seeds
3-4 tsp Gram flour
1 tsp Cardamom powder
1 tsp Nutmeg powder
4-5 Cashewnuts
1-2 Almonds

How to proceed:

For the dough:
1) Sieve the flours so as to avoid lumps
2) Mix the flours. Prepare a hollow space in the center to put oil.
3) Heat oil and add it to the flour.
4) Mix hot oil with flour using a spoon.
5) Add a pinch of salt.
6) Add luke warm water and make a soft dough.
7) Leave aside covered by wet cloth for 2 hrs.

For the filling:
1) If the jaggery is soft, break it in small lumps by hand. If hard, just grate it.
2) Roast poppy seeds, sesame seeds and gram flour separately.
3) Grind poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cashews and almonds together to a smooth paste.
4) Mix Jaggery, gram flour, ground paste, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
5) Make 4-5 small balls about one inch diameter for filling.

Putting it all together:
1) Knead the dough well. Make 4-5 equal parts of dough
2) Roll the dough on rolling board till it becomes 3-4 inch in diamater.
3) Place a ball of filling in the center and close it by getting the edges together at top. Take care not to let the filling come out.
4) With the use of flour, just press the dough by both palms so as to equally spread the filling inside towards the edges as well.
5) Using flour, roll it to nearly 7-8 inches in diameter.
6) Heat the frying pan and put some ghee.
7) Roast the gulpoli on the frying pan on both sides using ghee till it turns brownish.
8) Serve hot with ghee or eat crispy gulpoli later.

Mind a look at the entire stock??

Batatyachi Bhaaji

2007-05-31T13:49:00.000+02:00

Presenting the most simple and adorable Maharashtrian bhaaji (sabji) for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine-Batatyachi bhaaji aka Potato Sabji. This too falls in the dry sabjis category of Maharashtrian food and can be sub classified as paratleli bhaaji. (stir fry vegetables)

Most people (of my generation) know this as the picnic food! :) Potato Bhaaji is quick and simple to prepare and a favorite among kids who usually hate eating other vegetables. Puri-Batatyachi Bhaaji used to be my tiffin for picnics for many years in school. It’s probably the first sabji that I learnt to cook and hence my favorite :)

If you cook the potatoes for long time without stirring, a brownish crisp coating forms over the potatoes at the base. In Marathi, this is called “kharpus bhaajna/karapna”, a typical stage of frying between proper frying/roasting and burning. If I have enough time for cooking, I purposely try to attain this stage to eat the crispy part just because I love its taste. The crispy part is called “kharad” and is mostly associated with Khichdi (Rice cooked with moong dal) and dry stir fry sabjis!

This bhaaji does not contain Onion, Ginger or Garlic. Hence it remains good (and even smells good) for long time even in hot weather conditions and is the perfect picnic food!

Batatyachi Bhaaji

What you need:

3 big Potatoes, boiled
1-2 tsp Sugar (preferably powdered)
Salt to taste
2 strands of Curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Turmeric
3-4 Green Chillies, chopped
4-5 strands of Corriander
2 tbsp Oil

How to proceed:

1) Dice the boiled potatoes
2) Sprinkle sugar and salt (as required) over the potatoes and mix well so that the potato cubes are coated with sugar and salt. Leave aside for 5 mins
3) Heat oil in a skillet. Add curry leaves and mustard seeds
4) When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped chillies and turmeric powder
5) Now add the potatoes and mix well
6) Cover and cook for 5-10 mins. Keep stirring at intervals
7) Garnish with corriander and serve wth puris/chapattis

Stuffed Okra/Bharli Bhendi

2007-05-29T16:23:00.000+02:00

A Maharashtrian meal consists of atleast one sukki bhaaji (dry sabji). Dry sabjis can be categorised as bharli bhaaji(stuffed vegetables), paratleli bhaaji(stir fry), usal etc. Dry sabjis are usually served hot with rotis/phulkas/chapatis or are served as accompaniment to dal-rice. These sabjis alongwith rotis are good tiffin foods since they are easy to carry without much of a mess!

Bharli bhaaji aka stuffed vegetables consists of vegetables stuffed with spice mixes and then fried/roasted/cooked in small quantities of oil. Most common stuffed vegetables are: bharli vangi (stuffed eggplants), bharli dhobli (stuffed capsicum), bharla dodka (stuffed ridgegourd) and my favourite bharli bhendi (stuffed okra). Here's assal marathi bharli bharli bhendi for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine!

Stuffed Okra/Bharli Bhendi

What you need:

400 gm Bhindi/Okra/Ladies finger- preferably long ones
1/3 cup Grated Dry Cocunut
½ cup Groundnut Powder (groundnuts roasted and pounded)
2 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Corriander Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Wash and pat dry okra/bhindi
2) Cut the heads and tails of okras/bhindi
3) Cut each okra/bhindi in 2-3 pieces of approx 1 inch
4) Cut each piece along the length, halfway deep [Take care not to cut in 2 pieces lengthwise]
5) Lightly roast the grated coconut till light brown
6) Put in a blender and pound to a powder. To this, add all other ingredients (except oil and okra/bhindi). This is the stuffing/saran.
7) Fill the stuffing/saran in the okra/bhindi pieces. If extra stuffing/saran is left, keep it aside
8) Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in the cooking pan
9) Add the extra stuffing/saran to oil (if left)
10) Now add the stuffed/bharli okra/bhindi in the skillet
11) Roast well and cover
12) Cook covered and stir at intervals till cooked.
13) (Optionally) Garnish with yoghurt or a dash of lemon. Serve with hot rotis/chapattis/phulkas/parathas.

This is also my entry for Nupur's "S of Indian Vegetables" and Cook Sister's WTSIM

Sabudana Kheer

2007-05-29T12:37:00.000+02:00

Most Maharashtrians are God fearing people. Or the better way to put it.. They truly believe in God!! Even I do. :) Fasting is one favoutrite "activity" of many Maharashtrians. Fasting is accompanied by visits to temples and lots of Puja Paath(worshiping). People fast atleast once a month on every chaturti or ekadashi or some specific day of the week for a specific diety (Specific dieties are associated with specific days.. Monday for Shivji.. Tuesday for Ganpati… and so on). Some people fast 4-5 days a week.. Strange but true! Fasting can be the regular upwaas (eat fasting food one time), kadak upwaas (no eating) or nirjala upwaas. (neither eating nor drinking.) Fasting is considered to be one way of pleasing god.. The other reason for fasting is the wide array of fasting foods. :D Fasting food includes preparation from sabudana (sago, tapoica), varaiche tandhul (some specific rice), batata (potaoes), shengdana (groundnuts), milk products and all types of fruits including dry fruits. Hence many people who are against fasting are never against fasting food! :)

Sabudana Kheer is a kheer (payasam/pudding) prepared from sago, milk, sugar and nuts. This was the best Maharashtrian food to start with for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine. Normally the tapoica that we get in India is big but I get the small one in Indian stores here. The only difference is the resting time for sago. If you have big tapoica, wash it, drain water and rest aside for 5-6 hrs/overnight. If you have the small one, wash, drain and rest for 15-20 mins. I prepared the kheer with small tapoica and no nuts! (calorie conscious ;)) Here goes the recipe..

Sabudana Kheer

What you need:

1 cup Sabudana/Sago/Tapoica
2 cups Milk
1 cup Sugar(according to taste)
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
A pinch of Nutmeg Powder
3-4 strands Saffron(optional)
Dry Fruits(cashews, almonds,walnuts,raisins)

How to proceed:

1) Wash sago. Drain and set aside.
2) Put milk to boil in a vessel.
3) When milk boils, add sabudana and heat till sago is cooked and can be easily pressed between fingers.
4) Now add sugar and mix well till the sugar dissolves completely.
5) Add saffron, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
6) Garnish with fried nuts(optional) and serve hot.

* The kheer with big sabudana tastes better than the kheer with small ones.
* This recipe makes thick kheer. If you wish to make it thin, take 1 & 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water.

This is also my entry for Nupur's "S of Indian Vegetables."

Mahinabhar Maharashtrian Swaipak!

2007-05-25T15:43:00.000+02:00

(Literal Translation: Maharashtrian cooking for a month!)

Regional Cuisines of India (RCI) is an event started by Lakshmik to feature cuisines from various states of India. Every month an Indian state is selected and bloggers are invited to try and post recipes for delicacies related to that state. This month is aapla “Maharashtra” :) and the RCI-Maharashtra is hosted by the versatile Nupur. Could there be a better opportunity for me to post most of the traditional Maharashtrian dishes that I know??? Conclusion: For a month from now, all my posts will be dedicated to Maharashtrian food! I’ll try to make these dishes in total Maharashtrian style, meaning everything original, no extra additions or modifications! Also expect Maharashtrian food as my entries for any other blog events in June :)

I am a proper Maharashtrian.. I am born in Nashik, brought up in Pune, aajol (grandmom’s place) is Dhule and my sasar (sasural/in laws) is near Solapur. Now don’t expect that I am an expert at cooking various dishes from each region. :D In Maharashtra, some ingredients and food qualities are typical to some region, but the well known dishes are prepared in same style in each region! The coastal regions of Maharashtra, called the Konkan area is famous for the sea food (esp fish), rice and coconut preparations. The Bombay side for junk food- chaats and snacks at chaupati.. Pune is famous for sweets from Chitale Bandhu and Lakshminarayan Chiwda.. and “Khawaiye Puneri” for their regular restaurant visits ;) Kolhapur is famous for their spicy Kolhapuri non veg dishes.. Nagpur for Varhadi non veg dishes and ofcourse the Haldiram products! :) These products helped me survive initially when I came here.:D And last, but not the least, Alphanso Mangoes from Ratnagiri and Konkan.. Yet to come here :(

Maharashtra is famous for its Ganesh Festival.. It is celebrated in Aug – Sept and lasts for 10 days.. The other important festivals celebrated in Maharashtra are Makar Sankranti, Holi and Diwali. Since festivals and foods go hand in hand, different festive foods are typicaaly associated with each festival. :) When it comes to food, (seriously) Maharashtrians are famous for “fasting/upwaas”.. On important fasting days like Mahashivratri, the fasting foods are feasts.. The fasting/upwaas food usually consists of sago, warai tandool(some type of rice), milk products, potatoes, dry fruits, groundnuts and fruits. If these are the pros of fasting, who won’t fast!! :D Normally a Maharashtrian meal consists of bread (poli/bhakri), a dry vegetable, a gravy vegetable, and rice and dal.. Chutneys, papads or pickles for accompaniment and desserts for some special occasions..

Maharashtra earns its economy mostly from the agriculture sector. Most people in Khandesh, Solapur and Vidharbha are farmers cultivating sugarcane, cotton, bajra, jowar, wheat, pulses, groundnuts and fruits like bananas, grapes and oranges. The booming IT industry is the other major economic sector. The state has a rich history of the Peshwas and the great Maratha warrior Shivaji in its name. The various forts and historic buildings in Maharashtra are an example of great architecture. There are about 175 forts in Maharashtra, the major ones being Murud Janjira, Pratapgad, Raigad, Rajgad, Sinhgad, Shivneri, Sindhudurg and Torna.

Coming to the major cities in Maharashtra and their attractions.. Bombay, the capital city, famous for the Bollywood film industry.. Pune, also called as “Oxford of East” for its reputed colleges and universities, is also famous for the booming software industry.. Nagpur, following the footsteps of Pune in IT industry, is known as the second capital of Maharashtra, is famous for its Orange cultivation.. Kolhapur, for its Mahalakshmi Temple and the world famous Kolhapuri chappals.. Heard lately that they were exported to Brussels and are sold at 100 euros a pair!! :O Nashik, the temple town, also has a mention in Ramayana.. Solapur, for its Solapuri chadar and the Siddheshwar temple.. Aurangabad, for the beautiful Ajanta Ellora caves and the mini Taj Mahal-“Biwi ka Makbara” and also the Himru shawls.. Not to forget the hill stations of Matheran and Mahabaleshwar.. And the ghats of Malshej, Lonavala and Khandala in rains.. And the beaches of Ganpatipule, Harihareshwar and Shrivardhan!

LOL, that seems too much to digest.. Seems as if I am writing an essay on “Majha Rashta- Maharashtra” :D Coming back to the topic of Maharashtrian food.. Stay tuned for a month full of Maharashtrian food! :)

Samosa

2007-05-25T09:12:00.000+02:00

Now that my true love for chaat items is truly justified, I have the feeling that I am free to go ahead and eat more chaat items :D Waise bhi I doubt that anything in this world can stop me from eating chaat! :) So this time its the lovely Samosa. Samosa is a North Indian snack but famous all over India. Since samosas are easily available at any sweet marts or chaat joints in India, these are hardly prepared at home. Wish wish wish they were so easily available here! :( Two euros for just one cold samosa.. isn’t it better to try at home and eat as many fresh hot samosas as you wish till your stomach is full?? :) I never ever thought that 1 day I would prepare samosas at home!! I had samosas at an Indian friend’s place here, found them very easy to prepare at home and decided to try it the other day for hubby dear. Needless to say, 10 tempting hot samosas disappeared in less than 10 mins!!

Samosa is my entry for Nupur's "S of Indian Vegetables".. I know its too early for the event, but my next post will soon justify why I am in such a hurry :) Till then, enjoy these yummy hot samosas! :)

Samosa

What you need:

For the covering
2 cups Maida
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (optional)
1 tsp Ghee
Few drops of lemon (this help to make the covering crispy)
Salt to taste

For the filling
3 Potatoes boiled and peeled
1/2 cup Peas boiled/frozen
1 tsp Ginger Paste
2-3 Chillies finely chopped
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
Chopped Coriander
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

For the covering
1) Mix all the ingredients and prepare soft dough.
2) Leave aside for an hr or two.

For the filling
1) Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
2) Add ginger paste, finely chopped chillies, garam masala, coriander powder and cumin powder
3) Add potato and boiled peas and mix well
4) Add salt as required
5) Squeeze juice of half a lemon , mix well and keep aside to cool

Putting it all together
1) Roll a chapatti (of size of rolling pin) using oil to roll, cut it into half, such that you have two semi circles.
2) Take one semi circle and make a cone from it. Seal the edges with water.
3) Fill in the potato filling and seal the edges with water.
4) Deep fry in hot oil and drain excess oil.
5) Serve hot with tamarind chutney or Pudina chutney

Ragda Pattice

2007-05-24T14:11:00.000+02:00

With respect to my eating habits, I am a kid!! Its true.. I love junk food... I can stay on chaat items for my whole life.. chaat for breafast, chaat for lunch, chat for teatime and chat for dinner.. Wish wish wish I had such a lifestyle!! :) Anyways, fortunately/unfortunately, I dont find any restos/thelas/chaat joints here.. Back in my hometown Pune, there used to be many chaat joints.. the most famous was Bheleshwar near SNDT college backgate... was the local hangout with colleagues and friends! Then the famous Ganesh bhel in Kothrud area and Kalyan bhel in Bibwewadi.. Also Deepak sweets in Aundh.. And how can I forget the chaat basket at Manmeet on FC road... How I miss all the chaat items that I used to eat!!! :( Thankfully, I have started to try prepaing some of these at home.. These are hygenic (i seriously dont care which water they use for preparation at the roadside thelas!) and I even get a chance to prove their nutrition value :D Many of you guys will agree with me that chaat items are not junk food... Murmura, aalo, tamatar, pyaaj, a bit of fried shev, groundnuts... we include these items regularly in our meals! To conclude, chaats are not junk food and I should try more of these dishes at home :) So here comes Ragda Pattice!

Ragda Pattice or Ragda Patties--(whatever u call it.. I mean, however u spell it) is my entry for Nupur's "R of Indian Vegetables". Ragda pattice consists of the thick gravy prepared from white peas(I used chickpeas instead) called ragda(probably due to the process of mashing some peas to thicken the gravy) and shallow fried Potato dumplings called pattice(probably because they are patted during shallow frying).. LOL.. what a logic!!! Well well.. the try wasnt bad at all.. Here goes the recipe!

Ragda Pattice

What you need:

For Pattice
3-4 medium sized Potatoes
2 Slices of Bread
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

For Ragda
1 can (250 gm) Boiled Chickpeas
1 small Onion finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger Gralic Paste
2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Jeera Powder
Salt to taste
1 cup Water
2 tbsp Oil

For Garnish
1 Onion finely chopped
2-3 tbsp Sweet Tamarind Chutney
2-3 tsp Corriander chopped
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Chaat Masala
Thin Sev
Yoghurt (Optional)

How to proceed:

For Ragda
1) Take oil in a skillet. Fry onion till translucent
2) Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a min or two
3) Add all the spice powders and mix well
4) Mash half chickpeas and add them to spices.
5) Add remaining half can of boiled chickpeas
6) Add water and salt and let cook for 5 mins
7) Add more water if ragda is too thick, mash more peas if too thin

For Pattice
1) Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker (4 whistles)
2) Mash potatoes well.
3) Soak bread slices in water, extract all water and add to mashed potatoes
4) Add salt and red chilli powder and knead well
5) Form 8-10 small round balls; place each ball on palm and flatten it to make pattice
6) Shallow fry/roast each pattice on a hot tava/skillet using a tsp of Oil

Putting it all together
1) Place 2-3 patties in a plate
2) Cover the patties with hot ragda
3) Garnish with onion, corriander, a pinch of chilli powder, chaat masala, tamarind chutney and sev.

Ulli Garelu

2007-05-23T19:39:00.000+02:00

Another recipe from Andhra which everyone adores! Wondering whats “Ulli Garelu”?? Even I would have surely not ordered this dish from the menu card in a Udupi restaurant. But if I knew what it is, there surely would have been no second thoughts! Its our own “Medu Wada” straight from Andhra and hence my entry for RCI Andhra!

Ulli Garelu aka Medu Wada is a festive food from Andhra, prepared from Black gram dal (urad dal) spiced with onion and ginger. Ulli means “Onion” and Garelu means “Wada”. These garelus are typically served with sambar and coconut chutney. But lazy Arts loves to enjoy its true flavour!! ;)

Ulli Garelu/Medu Wada

What you need:

1 cup Urad Dal (black gram dal)
1 big Onion finely chopped
2 tsp Cumin seeds
3-4 Green Chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped Ginger
A pinch of Baking Soda
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak Urad dal for 5-6 hrs
2) Remove all the excess water and convert the ural dal into a smooth thick paste using a grinder [if the batter is not thick, the wadas do not get a perfect shape]
3) Add cumin seeds, chopped onion, chillies, ginger and salt
4) Heat oil in a deep vessel.
5) Wet hands, take a spoonful of batter on the palm, form a circular shape and flatten the wada. Make a hole at the center of the wada using index finger. [This will ensure that the wada is fried evenly]
6) Slowly drop wadas in hot oil, deep fry on both sides till golden brown.
7) Serve hot with sambar or coconut chutney and enjoy! Rocks wit hot tea as well!!

Watermelon Pancakes

2007-05-23T00:27:00.000+02:00

"Summer Fruits" is the theme for WBB#11 hosted by Padmaja. The first fruit that comes to mind thinking of summer fruits is the king of fruits-Mango! But the genuine taste of mango is best enjoyed when eaten as is! So I decided to leave the Mango all alone and move on to the next favourite summer fruit- Watermelon. (Confession: The real reason is that I didnt find Indian mangoes here:( )

Watermelon is famous as a summer fruit for its high water content. I used Watermelon to flavour up the usual pancakes that we make for breakfast. Crisp and tasty watermelon pancakes served as a tasty and appetising breakfast and different than the usual pancakes!

Watermelon Pancakes

What you need:

¼ kg Watermelon pieces (deseeded)
½ cup Plain Flour/Maida
1 Egg
4-5 tbsp Powdered Sugar
2 tbsp Milk
Oil

How to proceed:

1)Blend the watermelon pieces to juice
2)Put flour in a bowl, add sugar, egg (discard the yolk), watermelon juice and milk; mix well
3)Add more milk if required to make the batter consistent and as thick as dosa batter
4)Put oil/butter on hot girdle and pour spoonful of batter over it
5)Spread the batter in circular pattern to form thin pancakes
6)Put oil on sides/corners to make them crispy
7)When cooked on one side, flip and cook on other side.
8)Serve hot with a cuppa of tea!

Pesarattu

2007-05-22T14:35:00.000+02:00

Thanks to RCI, I try my hand at something different than regular cooking. This month's state is my Andhra Pradesh hosted by Latha. My entry for RCI Andhra is Pesarattu.

Bloggers from Andhra, a genuine request!! Please don’t curse me for the way my Pesarattu’s turned out. I can never(seriously!!!) make a thin dosa. I tried to make it as thin as possible. This was the best I could do. I know I am supposed to make it look like a dosa, but this has turned out to be somewhere between a dosa and an uttapam. But 1 thing I am sure of is that the taste of the pesarattus is simply mind-blowing! And I'll surely keep trying and hope to improve my dosa skills!! Well, I am sure it wont take more time to improve since we just loved this dish and I'll have to prepare it more often now! :)

Pesarattus are breads prepared from whole Moong(green gram) and are normally served with Upma. While making Pesarattus(and obviously enjoying its taste simultaneously :D) they seemed so yummy and tempting that I was sure they wouldn’t remain in the plate until I prepared upma. Hence I served it with takku (raw mango chutney) and nimbu ka aachar (hot lemon pickle).

Pesarattu

What you need:

1 cup Whole Moong (Green Gram)
2-3 tsp Rice flour
4-5 Green Chillies finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
Salt to taste
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Wash and soak the moong overnight
2) Drain the water and grind the moong, add water to form a paste of medium consistency
3) Add rice flour, chillies, ginger garlic paste, rice flour and salt to taste
4) Keep the mixture aside for 5-10 mins
5) On a hot girdle, put some oil and add a spoonful of batter. Spread the batter in a circular motion to form thin dosas/uttapas
6) When the pesarattu seems to be cooked on one side, add some oil on the corners to make the corners crisp.
7) Turn and shallow fry on the other side as well
8) Serve hot with chatnis or pickles.

Refreshing Kairi Panha

2007-05-20T15:57:00.000+02:00

Kairi Panha(Green Mango Drink) is my second entry for AFAM Mango hosted by Deepa.

Panha is a drink made from raw mango. It was possibly the first mango preparation every summer at my place. Since this is my first year away from India, I am a bit late in trying out this drink! When I noticed some raw mangoes at the Indian store here in the start of May, I just brought some, called up Mom for her Panha recipe and then enjoyed sipping it in the noon after coming back tired from shopping.. Well, it refreshed me in no time.. And hence the name. :) This will also be my entry for Nupur’s “R of Indian Vegetables”

This drink is prepared using raw mangoes mixed with sugar or jaggery. The addition of fennel seeds and cardamom powder enhances the taste of this drink. A must must must try in summer time!

Kairi Panha

What you need:

1 big Raw Mango
1/4 cup Sugar – powdered
Few strands of Saffron – powdered
1 tsp Fennel Seeds – roasted and crushed
1 tsp ground Cardamon
2 cups water
A pinch of salt

How to proceed:

1) Cook the mango in a pressure cooker until soft (3-4 whistles)
2) When done, peel the mango, discard the seed and separate the pulp/flesh.
3) Remove strands if any from the pulp
4) Place the pulp in a blender; add fennel, saffron, cardamom and salt.
5) Blend well and add water
6) Add sugar and stir till it dissolves completely.
7) Adjust amount of water to have panha of desired consistency.
8) Sieve using strainer and serve cold with crushed ice.

* Sugar can be substituted by jaggery. This will make the Panha thicker.

Sukhadi

2007-05-19T13:49:00.000+02:00

Coffee's MBP event demanded "Something Sweet" this month. I found the quickest, easiest and tastiest recipe for Sukhadi from here. Thanks Trupti for posting this wonderful gujarati sweet.. it is just awesome!

Sukhadi

What you need:

1 cup Wheat Flour
½ cup Jaggery
3/4 cup Ghee
2 tsp Cardamom powder
2 tbsp Milk

How to proceed:

1) Grease a wide flat plate with ghee and leave aside
2) Heat ghee in a pan
3) Add flour slowly to the ghee and mix well stirring continuously.
4) Roast the mixture until it turns golden brown and till it comes along together.
5) Now add jaggery, cardamom powder and milk.
6) Take off heat and put the mixture in greased plate.
7) Spread the mixture evenly when it is hot and then cut into desired shape
8) Let it cool and then separate and store in closed container

My Verdict: The sukhadis didn’t seem the same as those posted by Trupti. The originals seem to be hard like chikkis. Maybe due to the a bit of extra ghee (or some other mistake :D), the sukhadis turned out to be soft[I used "haath ka andaaz" for 3/4 cup of Ghee]. But thankfully there was no compromise on the taste :) The sukhadis just melted in the mouth and (seriously) gave the feeling of eating kaju katlis!! :)

Quenchy Melon Lemonade

2007-05-18T18:16:00.000+02:00

Summer time.. Thirst.. Quench.. Quenchy.. Thats how I discovered the name of today's entry for "Q of Indian Vegetables" for Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables :) Presenting "Quenchy Melon Lemonade" to quench your thirst this summer! :D

This beverage is made from watermelon and lemon juice. The sweet watermelon jucie and the tangy lemon juice gives this drink a distininctive taste!

Quenchy Melon Lemonade

What you need:

1/2 kg Watermelon Pieces
1/2 Lemon
4-5 tsp Sugar
Black Salt for taste2-3 Ice cubes

How to proceed:

1) Deseed the watermelon pieces and crush well in blender
2) Do *not* sieve the juice
3) Add juice of half lemon, salt and sugar to the watermelon juice
4) Serve chilled with ice cubes or crushed ice

Quick Popcorn

2007-05-16T16:45:00.000+02:00

Today, 16th May, is LIVESTRONG Day 2007. Barbara of "winos and foodies" came up with a blog event "A taste of yellow" as a part of LIVESTRONG Day to support cancer survivors and raise awareness about cancer. Since I was too late to participate in it, I am posting a "yellow" snack to extend my support for the nobel cause.

And now, Nupur's "A-Z of Indian Vegetables" has another bouncer letter this week. The only word, starting with Q, that quickly comes to my mind is "Quick" (Thanks to Nupur for bridging the loophole, its in my mind frm past 2 weeks) :D So here goes Quick Popcorn for "Q of Indian Vegetables"..

Popcorn probably is the first word that comes to mind while watching movies(esp during the intermission). Well not just in the movie hall, even at home! Whenever there's a movie playing on the TV, my hubby demands popcorn n some soft drinks. :) Initailly we used to purchase popcorns in the store, but later realised that its easy to prepare it at home even without a popcorn maker. From then on, I have to prepare a huge stock of popcorn every weeekend... Though we find flavoured popcorn these days, I prefer the simple old-fashioned salted one! Its a handy snack at tea time as well! So this weekend rush n buy a CD of the lastest movie, try making popcorn at home, grab some soft drinks and enjoy the feel of watching the movie at the movie hall! :)

Popcorn

What you need:

1 Cup Popcorn Maize
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Salt

Preferably a steel vessel with thin bottom and a glass lid

How to proceed:

1) Put oil in the cooking vessel
2) When hot, add turmeric and salt and mix well in oil
3) Now add Popcorn Maize and mix well so as to coat each maize grain with turmeric-salt
4) Cover and cook for 5 mins
5) The popcorns start popping. Shake the vessel at intervals to settle down the uncooked/unpopped maize
6) Enjoy the quick snack!!:)