Chitti's Kitchen

Tukda

2011-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is a fried snack made with maida( refined flour ) and atta ( whole wheat flour ). I make it mostly with refined flour with just a bit of whole wheat flour thrown in. It is more tasty this way. But it can also be made using equal amounts of refined flour and whole wheat flour. It will definitely be more healthy that way and it will be less oily too. So you've got to decide... whether you want it more tasty or more healthy. I decided on more tasty for this occasion.

Ingredients

cup of maida or refined flour
1-2 tbsp of whole wheat flour or atta
a pinch of chilli powder
a pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method

Take the flours in a bowl. Add the spices. Heat the oil for deep frying. When it is smoking hot, add 1 - 2 tbsp of the oil into the flour mixture. Rub it into the flour with your finger tips. Add enough water to make a really stiff dough. Rest for a few minutes.

Take lemon sized balls of dough and roll out into thin large circles. Cut into small diamond shaped peices with a pizza wheel.

Deep fry in oil on medium flame until golden on both sides.

Remove and cool.

Store in airtight containers.

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Mullu Thenkuzhal

2011-10-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

My amma used to make this mullu thenkuzhal really well. They used to be perfectly golden & crisp & really melting in the mouth. Perfectly spiced with just a hint of asafoetida (hing) and some salt & chilli powder, this crispy snack made from rice flour and a bit of roasted and powdered lentil flour is a perfect example of Tamil Bakshanam ( fried snack ).

The recipe is basically quite simple. Some freshly ground rice flour, some moong and chana dal lightly roasted and ground into powder, salt, chilli powder and some hing. Some butter to give it an extra bit of crispness...thats it. A stiff batter is made using water & is pressed out through a thenkuzhal naazhi into hot oil.

& Voila....it is ready..........

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup dal flour

( for this dry roast moong dal 1 part to 1/2 part chana dal (2:1) ratio, lightly, cool & powder in a mixer, seive & use )

salt to taste

1/4 tsp chilli powder

a pinch of hing

1tbsp of butter at room temperature

Method

Take all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl. Add the butter & rub into the flour mixture with the fingertips very well. Add enough water to make a stiff dough.

Heat enough oil in a karahi or pan & press the batter into the hot oil through a thenkuzhal naazhi or chakli press on medium heat until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon & place on paper to remove excess oil. Remove & store in airtight container until required.

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Its Diwali........

2011-10-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

The children are here with me this Diwali .............

So I decided to go all out & make everybody's favourite stuff............

Here are the pictures.

Recipes will follow...

Mullu thenkuzhal
click here for the recipe... http://chittiskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/mullu-thenkuzhal.html

Ribbon Pakoda

Mysore Pak

Tukda
click here for the recipe... http://chittiskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/tukda.html

Omapodi made from besan ( chickpea flour ) and rice flour

Chocolate and Walnut Burfi

Ribbon Pakoda

Tukda - made with refined flour + whole wheat flour

Recipes will follow soon..............

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Oreo Cheesecake

2011-10-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

Oreo Cheesecake

A quick & easy, no-bake cheesecake recipe............

Ingredients :

Biscuit Crust:

1 1/2 cups (100 grams) oreo cookies, without the cream (crushed)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

One 8-ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

Topping:

Some oreo cookies and whipped cream for decoration

Method :

Biscuit Crust :
In a large bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a well greased 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. (A spring form pan can also be used. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and about one inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the pan.) Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.

Cheesecake Filling:
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla extract.

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Gatte ki Subzi

2011-10-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

Piping Hot Gatte ki Subzi garnished with fresh coriander

I have adapted this recipe from Nita Mehta's "'Recipes from Rajasthan". As the name suggests, this is a Rajasthani recipe with a curd based gravy & besan ( chickpea flour ) dumplings. You will notice that other than the tomato, there is no other fresh vegetable in this dish. Lots of Rajasthani dishes are made in this manner without using too much fresh ingredients. This is because parts of Rajasthan are deserts. The areas are remote & the land & weather conditions are also not conducive to growing fresh stuff. Water is also scare in lots of areas. Hence, the people of this state have over centuries come up with innovative ways to cook with whatever is easily available to them. Hats off to these people, that with these limited ingredients available to them, they have managed to make their cuisine, one of the most popular ones in the country !!!

The gatte or chickpea dumplings are made with besan of chickpea flour, curd and some spices. A soft dough is first made & then rolled into thin finger like cylinders. They are then steamed for a few minutes until cooked. Later on, they are cut and added to the gravy.

The gravy used here is a curd based one and again, besan or chickpea flour is used as the thickener. If the curds are sour, all the better. I recommend using 2-3 day old curds. They are perfect for the gravy. So, sour curds, besan, some wonderful spices like fresh ginger, jeera, cardamom& cloves, salt & chilli powder....Those are the main things that go into the gravy.

The method is really simple too. Nothing much to it really. Do try & write in to me.

Wonderful with garam-garam rotis or chawal..........

the dumplings, cut into small bite sized pieces & waiting to be dunked into the gravy

Ingredients

1 cup + 1 or 2 tbsp besan as per requirement
a pinch of soda bi carbonate
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ajwain( carom seeds )
1/2 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp saunf coarsely powdered
1/2 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ginger paste
3 tsp malai
2-3 tbsp curds
1/2 tsp chilli paste

For the Gravy ( mix together)

1 cup curd
2 tsp besan
1/ 2 tsp haldi
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger paste ( optional )
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp jeera
8 -10 curry leaves
3-4 cloves
2 moti elaichi
1/2 tsp red chilli pow
1-2 tomatoes pureed and strained
some fresh dhania or coriander for garnishing

Ready & waiting to be eaten !!!

Method

Making the Gattes

1. Mix together all ingredients to get a soft dough (like chapati dough ).

Add more curd if required to get soft dough. Do not add water.

2. With the help of oil smeared hands, roll out thin fingers 3-4 inch long, like cylinders.

3. Boil 5 cups of water. Keep gatte in a stainless steel round strainer and keep on pan of boiling water and cover with lid.

4. Steam gatte for 5- 7 minutes. Cool. Later cut into rounds of 1/2 inch thickness and keep aside.

For the Curry

1. Mix together curd, besan,haldi,salt,ginger paste & green chilli paste.

2. Add 1 cup water. Beat well & seive.

3. Heat oil. Add jeera, when brown, add curry leaves, laung and moti elaichi. Fry for a minute.

4. Add red chilli powder.

5. Add the curd mixture. Go on stirring until it starts boiling.

6. Add pureed tomatoes ( should be very smooth...so strain and add )

7. Give 2 boils. Add the gatte. ( add more water if more gravy is required )

8. Cover , lower heat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

9. Serve hot garnished with fresh dhania.

For Paneer Gatte:-

To 1 cup besan, add 1/2 cup grated mashed paneer along with all the other ingredients. adjust seasonings and continue with the recipe.

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Spicy Corn on toast

2011-10-06T03:34:00.000-07:00

It's quick, simple & really yummm .......

Ingredients

1 Tbsp - butter
1 cup - milk
2 tsp - maida (refined flour )
1 small tin corn nibblets
1 small onion - very finely chopped
1 cube cheese grated
1 green chilli finely chopped
salt to taste
2 slices of bread

Method

1. Melt the butter in the pan on slow flame.
2. Add the onions & green chillies. Fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the flour & stirr for a few minutes until froth appears. You will get a wonderful aroma .
4. Add the milk gradually stirring all the time until the sauce thickens.
5. Add salt , cheese & the drained corn nibblets . Mix well & switch off the stove.
6. Lightly toast 2 slices of bread. Place on the plate & pour the spicy corn mixture over them.
7. Enjoy !!!

Serves one.

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Chennar Payesh

2011-10-06T03:21:00.000-07:00

This is my entry to Khushi's Event :My Diwali My Way.

Check out her site at http://yummyfood-khusi.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-diwali-my-way.html.

This is the first time I am participating in any of these events & am at a loss as to the procedure. So here's hoping I have done the right thing..............

I have this weakness for all things Bengali. Being born & brought up in Cal, ( as we used to call it then) ensured I love many of the Bangla stuff ....Dhakai saris, Murshidabad silks, the block prints from Kanishka, the lake market, New Market, Park street, shingara, luchi-alu dum & specially the Bong Sweets...........rossogolla, chum-chum, keer-kadam, rajbhog , guder sandesh & everything else !!!!

So when I saw a programme by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor on TV showing me an easy way to make my favourite Bong sweet, there was no stopping me !

This is a quick version of the classic Bengali dessert. It looked so easy that I tried it immediately !!!
It was fabulous!!
& then I tried to get a bit creative & tried making the strawberry chennar payesh too. That was even better. Even if I do say so myself.

Come on. Get going . Try it out just now. You are going to love it!
Here's the recipe..............

Ingredients

fresh paneer - 1/2 cup

( if you make fresh paneer from 1/2 a litre of milk, it will give you 1/2 cup of paneer. Paneer made at home freshly, using either lemon juice or curds works best. Curdle the milk & strain the paneer immediately. Do not let it get hard & rubbery. Soft fresh paneer will give the best result. )

milk - 1 litre ( 5 cups )
sugar - 1/2 cup
almonds - 6-7, blanched & sliced
pistachios - 5-6, chopped

Method

1. Bring the milk to a boil, lower the heat & simmer until it is reduced to half the original quantity.
2. Add sugar & cook until the sugar dissolves.
3. Mash the paneer in a bowl & add it to the milk. Simmer for just another 2 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with nuts & serve cold.

Strawberry Chennar Payesh

For the strawberry chennar payesh............

After step 3. leave it to cool completely.
Then crush some fresh strawberries roughly in a blender & mix with the now cool payesh. About 4-5 of medium sized berries should be enough. Top with chopped strawberry & serve cold.

ENJOY !!!

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Navratri Special

2011-10-06T03:09:00.000-07:00

I made a different kinds of sundal and sweets as naivaidya for the Ambal / Goddess. Sundals are nothing but lentils or dals that have boiled & then lightly sauteed & garnished with curry leaves & freshly grated coconut. A simple yet tasty & filling savory snack that no one can refuse.

I also made payasam, kesari & chena payash too.

Do check the photos. The recipes will be up soon. I am too busy just now, attending garba sessions to really sit down and write.

Ciao !

chana dal Sundal

Kesari

Chickpea sundal

aama Vadai

chana dal sundal again

Chena paayas

kesari Again

Chocolate Delice

2011-09-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful recipe that I found in a book called "Traditional puddings and desserts" by Mary Berry. As the name suggests, the books has all these really gorgeous, old fashioned classic recipes that we always love.....

the old English trifle, crème brûlée, zabaglione, lemon soufflé, gooseberry fool, banoffi pie, apple cobbler etc, etc................

Its a wonderful book with all these amazing photographs and really well written recipes and sometimes, step by step photographs too. I just love it !

While I was going through the book, in-between steamed puddings & trifles and cobblers, there was this recipe - a chocolate délice. I read it once, and then again. I was sure I was missing something here. There was nothing to it at all. It was too simple to be true.

I had to try it immediately, and; I did . Here's the result.

Ingredients

125 gms fresh brown breadcrumbs

90 gms demerara sugar

75 gms drinking chocolate powder

2 tbsp instant coffee

300 ml double cream

150 ml single cream

60 gms plain dark chocolate grated

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, sugar, drinking chocolate & coffee granules. In another bowl,whip the creams together until they form soft peaks.

2. Spoon half the cream into 6 glass serving dishes.Cover with the breadcrumb mixture and then with the remaining cream. Chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight for best results.

3. Sprinkle generously with the grated chocolate just before serving.

P.S :-

1 . To make grating chocolate easy, chill it well the refrigerator before you grate it, and use the largest holes on the grater.

2 .It's a great dessert to make when you are rushed for time or have to make one unexpectedly. All the ingredients are stuff that we have at home all the time !! No running out at the last minute for some fancy ingredients.

&amp

3 . For the bread crumbs, I just cut off the corners of the bread slices & gave them a good blitz in the mixer.

4 . I have used one large serving bowl here instead of smaller individual serving bowls.
5 .And the best part ! Everyone loved it !!!

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Blueberry Cheesecake

2011-09-29T03:43:00.000-07:00

I made Blueberry Cheesecake today.
It was adapted from one of my favorite sites on baking -

joyofbaking.com.(The recipes on this site are great & easy to follow& they turn out perfectly every time.)

This is a recipe for a No bake Cheesecake.... awesomely easy to make & fantastic to taste !!!!
Looks pretty nice too.

& with the right topping it is sure to bring a 'WOW' from your guests too.

This version of the cheesecake does not use eggs or flour & therefore does not need to be baked. That takes away the problems normally associated with cheesecake - that of over baking or cracking . But the texture of the cheesecake filling is awfully smooth & creamy with a tangy flavour that comes with the use of cream cheese.

Yes, this is the recipe for those of you who want a no tension, easy but delicious dessert.

I have been wanting to use Philadelphia Cream Cheese for a long time. But here in India, it is so prohibitively expensive that I always back out from buying it every time. But I just wanted to try it at least once. So yesterday, I just succumbed to the temptation & bought the Philadelphia Cream cheese & a can of my favorite blueberry topping. It was really worth it. Everyone loved it. & ' my just returned from Paris son' ( After all the desserts he had in Paris for a whole year! ) gave it a thumbs up too.

Whipeeeee.......

Ingredients :

Biscuit Crust:

1 1/2 cups (100 grams) marie or digestive biscuits (crushed)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

One 8-ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

Topping:

1 - 21 ounce (595 grams) can blueberry, strawberry or cherry topping

Method :

Biscuit Crust : In a large bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a well greased 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. (A spring form pan can also be used. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and about one inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the pan.) Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.

Cheesecake Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla extract.

In a clean bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually fold or beat the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the filling over the chilledbiscuit crust and smooth the top. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about an hour and then spread the blueberry topping over the filling. Return to the refrigerator to chill for several hours, or even overnight.

P.S - You can also serve the topping in a bowl so that the guests can take as much of it as they like. Or else if you want to do away with the ready topping all together, you can decorate or serve it with fresh fruits & berries too.

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Chocolate Torta with Spun Sugar

2011-09-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

I helped my daughter try out a chocolate torta recipe yesterday. It is an Italian dish obviously.( I think we've been bitten by the Italian bug since our jaunt to the country earlier this year ! )

It was the first time we were making it. But it was fairly simple & straightforward & came out rather well .

A nice deep chocolaty flavour & a slightly crispy outer crust with a lovely moist velvety texture inside............

Wonderful !!!

& of course my daughter was determined to make the spun sugar nest for the topping. We had both done it before. But that was quite some time ago. Yesterday, we messed up up the first time & had to do it all over again.

But, if you ask me, it was well worth the effort..........

Just for the " WOW " effect !!!!

Ingredients

250 dark chocolate

125 gms unsalted butter

3 eggs

50 gms sugar

1/2 tbsp dark cocoa powder

Method

1 . Grease a 10 inch baking tin & line it with butter paper

2 . Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

3 . Break the chocolate into pieces & melt with butter in a double boiler.

4 . Separate the eggs. In a bowl beat the egg yolks & the sugar together. Add the chocolate butter mixture & cocoa powder & mix well.

5 . Beat the egg whites until stiff & fold into the chocolate mix.

6 . Pour the mix into the cake tin & bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 160 degrees & bake for another 25 minutes.

7 . Cool & unmould.

Decorating the cake

Option 1.

Sift some icing sugar over it for a simple yet stunning effect.

Option 2.

Heat 50 gms of sugar with 25 ml water together until the sugar dissolves. Let it bubble until it starts turning golden at the edges. Take it off the heat & plunge the base of the dish into some ice water kept ready nearby( this is to stop the sugar cooking any further & hardening immediately )... just a minute. Dip a spoon into it & start pulling threads around your hands in a swift motion. ( Its not that difficult ). Place them on a greased foil for a few minutes until cool & then use as decoration.

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Cookies & Ice cream Sandwich

2011-09-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is one of those desserts I make on the spur of the moment when we feel like having something sweet. It's awfully simple & completely adaptable to whatever is available at home. That is what I like best about this ice cream sandwich............

Basically, all you need is some cookies & some ice cream. I have used Chocolate Chip Cookies with nuts in them & vanilla ice cream for a contrast in taste & colour. For the topping, I have used some softly whipped fresh cream, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup & some of the cookies crushed. It was awesome !!!

You can use any flavored ice cream with any cookies of your choice. I have previously used strawberry ice cream with shortbread cookies & topped it with fresh whipped cream & fresh strawberry slices; chocolate cookies with chocolate ice cream;

with vanilla ice cream & chocolate chips & syrup on top ;

butter cookies with butterscotch ice cream with crushed praline topping; etc........

basically anything you like. You can also use fresh fruits or fruit coulis for topping.......

Just let yourself go. Have fun putting it together.

Method

Sandwich the ice cream with the cookies & keep in the refrigerator for about half an hour.

When serving, place on a plate & top with with your choice of toppings................

ENJOY !!!

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Brandied Plums with Crème Chantilly

2011-09-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

I love watching Master Chef Australia. I watch the repeats too, as far as possible. I specially love those Master Chef classes. They teach so many new & interesting ways to handle food. & all those classes on baking & desserts...........They are just awesome !

Of course, sometimes, some of the stuff that they teach, look so basic to us, here in India........

but that's because those are the methods that all Indian households use every day. Sometimes, what seems so exotic & unusual to them, seems so ordinary & maamuli to us, if you know what I mean.

One day, one of the Master Chefs was extolling the virtues of this wonderful & exotic vegetable which is so awesome that it absorbs the flavours of whatever spices & other stuff you are using..........etc & etc........

All the participants were puzzled & completely baffled. But being a regular Indian housewife, (who cooks everyday of her life !!!!), I knew what it was...... immediately !!!

It was our good old PETHA !!! Can you believe it. All the participants were all wide eyed & exclaiming & examining it with what seemed to me as much wonder. Haha !!!

To us of course........it the mamuli petha.

As they say " Ghar ka murgi, dal barabar ! "

Anyway, I am so taken up with MasterChef Australia & I feel so excited & inspired to do something creative instead of following a recipe from a book or something !!!

This is my first effort at this. Its really simple but I feel satisfied & happy because ..........

my daughter ( who is difficult to please, I might add, ) was much appreciative of my efforts.............

Thanks Urmila........

Ingredients

3-4 lovely fresh plums

1-2 tbsp white or brown sugar

2 tbsp of good brandy

some Crème Chantilly

Method

Wash & dry the plums. Remove the stones & cut into pieces. Heat a pan, add the plum & sprinkle some sugar on them. Stir them for a few minutes till the juices are released & the fruit is cooked slightly ( I don't like them to become mushy ). Add the brandy & toss them around for a few minutes (3-4 ) until the fruit is glossy & well coated with the sugar & brandy mix. Remove in a bowl & cool.

Take a dollop of Crème Chantilly in a bowl & top with the brandied plums.

Serve immediately....

P.S - Crème Chantilly is nothing but whipped cream sweetened with sugar and often flavored with vanilla. A legend claims that it was invented by Francois Vatel, the maître d'hôtel at the Château de Chantilly in the 17th century

P.S - You can adjust the sugar to suit your taste. You can even try using honey or sugarfree. They all work well.

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Panna Cotta

2011-09-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Panna Cotta with Blueberry Preserve

Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert that literally means "cooked cream". It contains just a few ingredients; cream (and/or milk), sugar, and vanilla that are set with gelatin. This lovely pudding has a rich flavor and silky smooth texture that takes just minutes to prepare.

Panna Cotta is the perfect dinner party dessert as it is can be made ahead, is well suited for individual servings, is stunning to look at, and delicious to eat.

I like to serve these Panna Cottas with a medley of fresh berries, fruit coulis, a fruit compote, poached fruit, or a chocolate or fruit sauce ( I like strawberry best)

Panna Cotta with Strawberry Preserve

Ingredients

7 gms - unflavored powdered gelatin

1/4 cup (60 ml) - cold milk

2 1/4 cups (540 ml) - heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup (60 grams) - sugar

1/2 tsp - pure vanilla extract

Method

1 . Have ready six small (1/2 cup) (120 ml) custard cups, ramekins, ceramic bowls, wine glasses or other small dessert cups.

2 . In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold milk and let this mixture sit for about 5 - 10 minutes. It will soften, swell, and become spongy.

3 . Meanwhile, combine the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring it just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

4 . Once the cream is very hot, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. Stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. If necessary, return the saucepan to the stove and stir over low heat until you no longer see any gelatin particles.

5 . Stir in the vanilla paste or extract.

6 . Pour the cream into the dessert cups and place in the refrigerator to chill for two to four hours, or until set.

Makes 6 individual servings.

Note:- Panna Cotta can be made one to two days before serving.

P.S :-
1. For a more intense vanilla flavor, you could substitute half a vanilla bean for the pure vanilla extract. To use a vanilla bean simply split the bean down its length and scrape out the seeds using the end of a sharp knife. Then, stir all the seeds into the cream before it is heated. This not only imparts a wonderful vanilla flavor to the cream but I also like how the seeds dot the finished Panna Cotta.

Now, do not throw away the vanilla pod once you have scraped out the seeds. This can be used to make wonderful vanilla scented sugar. To make the vanilla sugar first leave the vanilla pod on your kitchen counter for several hours or even a day until it dries out. Then, simply bury the dried vanilla pod into your canister of sugar. After a few days you will find that the flavor of vanilla has permeated through all the sugar.

2. If you are bothered by the idea of heavy cream, don't worry. Just replace the cream with milk. The panna cotta will be less rich but just as wonderfully smooth & silky . I personally use Amul fresh cream which is a thin cream. It comes out wonderfully.

I have even made this from Slim milk once & marbled it with some coffee. Found it really light & wonderful. It makes a great low fat dessert.

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Iced Sugar Cookies

2011-08-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

I helped my daughter Urmila & her friend Kalapi bake some sugar cookies the other day. They wanted to make cut out some interesting shapes & frost them. Unlike me, who was quite content to cut out stars & hearts & stuff without too much trouble, they painstakingly cut out lots of cute & interesting shapes .

It took half a day to do make these shapes & bake them & so the icing had to be postponed to the next. The royal icing was quite easy to make. & we had lots of colours. So Urmila & Kalapi had a grand time mixing colours into the icing & playing around with them. They used some sprinkles too. I am putting up some pictures of their effort.
Pretty good, don't you think?

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Whisk together flour, salt & baking soda & keep aside.

In a bowl, beat sugar & butter together until light & fluffy. Add the eggs & vanilla & beat until combined. Add the flour mixture & beat until you have a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a baking tray & keep it ready.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.Cut out desired shapes with the cookie cutter & arrange on the baking tray.Place the tray in the refrigerator for 10 - 15 minutes ( to prevent cookies from spreading too much & loosing their shape.)

If you are not going to frost the cookies, you might want to sprinkle them with sugar at this stage.

Bake the cookies for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn brown.Remove & cool.

Frost with royal icing if desired. Be sure to let the icing dry completely before storing. ( This may take several hours )

For the Royal Icing

Ingredients

3 cups icing sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp lemon juice

Method

Beat the egg whites with lemon juice with the hand mixer. Add the sifted icing sugar & beat on low speed until combined & smooth.The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container.

Mix colours as required & use for frosting. Urmila & Kalapi used some small knives, spoons & tiny icing bags made from butter paper for the icing.

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Kuzhi Paniyaram & Grand Sweets

2011-08-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Kuzhi Paniyarams from Grand Sweets

It is raining here in Vadodara....

I am sitting & thinking longingly of how good it would be to tuck into some wonderful hot & crispy Kuzhi Paniyarams. But I am feeling too lazy to do anything about it. I will have to get up & do the whole thing myself...........no...thats too much effort. I can't.

Wish I were back in Chennai ...........I would just drive down to The Grand Sweets & order a couple of plates of it. !!!

Oh ! the sheer bliss of those wonderful Kuzhi Paniyarams !

Yummm..................

The Grand Sweets ones are particularly fantastic. ( in fact ..when ever I think KP (thats what I am going to call them now )...I can only think of the Grand Sweets ones...)

I can just imagine myself waiting near the counter where the KP maker is turning all those fluffy puffed up little balls of paniyaram batter in oil...........

feeling all hot & sweaty & yet standing right next to those large stoves ..............

waiting impatiently for those little balls to turn golden & crisp........

& soon she will stick these little skewers into them to check if they are done & dish them up in those plates made from leaves.

& on the side she will add some kind of a sambhar & a most awesome spicy onion chutney ever !!

Slurp ! Slurp ! I almost feel like Jughead now ................I am drooling terribly.

& let me tell you....when you have had a plate of those KPs,

you will definitely feel close to Nirvana !!

Do hope you get a chance to taste the Grand Sweets Kuzhi Paniyaram very soon.................

Ciao !

Simple Moong Dal

2011-08-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

I am writing down a simple recipe of this dal for the benefit of my niece who is a busy executive & has no time to cook ! She has been urging me to write lots of quick & easy everyday Dals and Curries which she can try out. So I am going to try and hopefully write down some useful stuff for her. & hopefully I don 't get too lazy in the middle of this project...............

I am starting with Moong Dal...........

Moong dal is one of the simplest dals to make. It cooks much faster than the toovar or chana dal.

It is easier to digest this dal too. Hence when we were sick or not feeling too good, my amma would often make dishes with this dal (like khichdi, ven pongal or some simple kootu ) rather than one of the others.

Moong dal can be used with or without the skin, full or halved. I normally use the halved ones without the skin.

Ingredients

moong dal - 1 1/2 cup

onion - 1, sliced or finely chopped

green chillies - 1-2 chopped

ginger - a small piece, grated or chopped finely

tomato - 1 chopped

turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

salt to taste

oil - 2-3 tsp

for the tadka

oil or ghee - 2 tsp

mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

jeera - 1/4 tsp

Method

Dals can be made in lots of ways. Every cook has her own version of it. But for the benefit of those busy , young people, I am writing down 2 simple versions...............

Method 1:-

1. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker & fry the onion, ginger & green chillies for a few minutes until the onions start turning brown at the edges. Add the tomatoes & cook for for another 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the soaked dal, turmeric powder and salt. Stir for a minute & then add 3 cups of water. Mix.

3. Close the pressure cooker & cook until the cooker releases 1 whistle.

4. After the pressure is released, open the cooker, check for seasoning & cook on sim for a couple of minutes.

5. Heat a tbsp of ghee or oil, Add some mustard seeds & after it splutters add the jeera & wait for it to turn golden ( 1/2 a minute ) Add the chilli powder & immediately pour over the hot dal. Top with fresh chopped corriander & serve with Roti or rice.

P.S - If you want to cook this in a kadhai & not a pressure cooker, just put a lid on after step 2. & cook on slow flame until the dal is soft & cooked. & then continue with step 5.

Method 2:-

1. Pressure cook the dal with enough water ( enough to cover the dal) with salt & haldi or else cook on slow flame in a kadhai or wok until soft & done.

2. In another kadhai or wok, heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil. Add the mustard seeds. After they splutter, add the jeera or cumin seeds . Wait for a minute & then add the chopped onion, ginger and green chillies. Fry for a couple of minutes until onions start turning brown at the edges. Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they turn slightly soft. Add the chilli powder, stir for a minute & pour over the hot dal.

3.Top with fresh chopped coriander

4. Serve with garma - garam rotis or steaming hot rice & curry & roasted pappad.

P.S - Any dal or lentil can be made in this same manner. Toovar dal, urad, chana dal etc. only the cooking time will vary slightly according to the dal being used.

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Pasta with Mushrooms & Bell Peppers

2011-08-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

A simple pasta dish with sauteed onions, bell peppers & mushrooms. Wholesome, quick and a wonderfully satisfying recipe that you can dish up in a jiffy!

Ingredients

Pasta

red, green and yellow bell peppers

onion

garlic

olive oil

salt and other italian seasoning

fresh basil leaves for garnish

Boil the pasta al dente with a little salt, drain & keep aside..

Stir fry the garlic for a minute or two in olive oil. Add the onions and stir for a minute then add the bell peppers and salt & saute for a few minutes until slightly cooked but still crunchy.( It just takes 3-4 minutes.) Keep aside.

Heat a little bit of olive oil again, add the sliced mushrooms . Season with salt and stir fry for 4-5 minutes or until done.

Now add the boiled pasta, bell peppers and some mixed Italian spices (basil, parsley, oregano, chillies, rosemary, thyme , marjoram etc .....whatever you have or want. I normally add chillies,oregano,rosemary & thyme.)

Mix & toss for a minute.

Serve hot topped with fresh basil leaves & parmesan cheese.

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Tequila Sunrise

2011-08-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

I am completely thrilled with myself...I got it right the first time!

A friend had explained it to me in great detail....... that it had to be done just so, etc & etc..

But it was a breeze as far as I was concerned.

Go for it if you like the tequila flavour...

Quick and easy .........

Looks Sooooooo Gorgeous !!!

Here's how.............

30 ml tequila
2 Dashes Grenadine ( it was a bit sweet....I reduced it a bit in the second one )
About 60 - 70 ml Orange Juice
Lots of ice

Directions:

Pour the tequila into a highball glass filled with ice, and then add the orange juice. Stir well. Add the grenadine by tilting the glass and pouring grenadine down the inside of the glass while simultaneously flipping the bottle of grenadine vertically very quickly. Then grenadine should straight down to the bottom and then rise up slowly through the drink.

Of course,you garnish with a maraschino cherry and orange slice but since i didnt have them I did not bother..............

It was just AWESOME !

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Watermelon Granita with an Extra Kick !!!

2011-04-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Summer is here again & the temperatures are already soaring really high.

All you really want to to do is .....just sit in air conditioned comfort & keep sipping some cold stuff all day long.

But of course, who will do the dirty job of making all the cool stuff in the Very Hot Kitchen?

Why me of course. & I get this job merely because no one else volunteers.........

But then....especially with my daughter at home with me for the summer, I am really eager to try all kinds of stuff .

& here's the result of yesterday's enthusiasm.............

The Watermelon Granita...........

Quick & easy to make..& wonderfully refreshing to eat in this hot weather.

My daughter loved it !

Ingredients

Some fresh, ripe red watermelon

sugar to taste

some lemon juice

some vodka (yes....that's for the extra kick )

some mint leaves for garnishing.........

Yep. That's it !!

Method

Cut up the watermelon into large chunks, remove the seeds & the thick skin.

Put them into the mixer or food processor along with some sugar & lemon juice. Beat well for a few minutes until well blended. Add the vodka. Taste the mixture & adjust the sugar & lemon juice. If the fruit is sweet, you will need to add less sugar & vice versa. The lemon juice adds a wonderful freshness & tartness to the granita.& the vodka provides the extra kick..........

Now pour the mixture into a plastic container with a tight lid & keep in the freezer. Allow to freeze for a few hours. When the mixture is nearly frozen remove & blend again in the mixer to break up the ice crystals & put back in the freezer to set.

If you have the patience to do this entire freezing - blending again I think the result will be awesome !

But me... i stopped with one blending.

Half an hour before you need to serve , transfer the granita container from the freezer to a shelf in the refrigerator.

Scoop out & place in a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh mint leaves & serve !!!

P.S -- The vodka is purely optional.........

Kozhakattai Recipe

2010-09-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

I make Kozhakattais the same way my mom used to......

The method is simple, if a little tricky, & quick & turns out perfectly for me every time I make it.

I guess you know that the kozhakattais are very similar to Dim sums. I once watched this extensive programme on Discovery Travel & Living on " Dim sums.." I was so amazed & surprised to see that the Chinese made a dish so similar to ours & that they were made exactly the same way as we Tamilians make Kozhakattais. Only the fillings differed.

Anyway, our kozhakattais are made from fresh rice flour with a great variety of fillings. Although, I always end up making the coconut- jaggery filling & the savoury urad dal one, there are various other fillings that can be made.... gram dal - jaggery, sesame - jaggery etc.etc..... They are then steamed gently for a few minutes.

Eaten fresh they are oh.. so delicate, fluffy & melting in your mouth kind of dish......

A bit tedious to make, but definitely worth every bit of effort one puts in.........

Go for it !

For the Rice flour:-

Wash & soak 1 cup of rice for about half an hour. Drain off the water & spread out on a kitchen towel, until it is damp but not wet.( about 20 minutes ). Powder in a mixer finely . Then pass through a sieve & store for further use.You will get about 1 1/2 cups of flour from this.

Heat 1 cup of water & add a pinch of salt & a tsp of oil. Bring to a boil. Reduce the flame & tip in 1 cup of the rice flour. Stir well for a minute & take off the flame. Let it cool for a few minutes. Then mix well. There should be no lumps in the batter. Cover with a damp cloth & keep aside.

For the Fillings :-

1. Take 1 cup of freshly grated coconut & 1/2 cup of gur or jaggery. Put in a pan or karahi & heat gently on slow flame. Mix until the jaggery melts. Then keep stirring until the the whole mixture comes together. You should be able to make little balls of the filling without it falling apart. That is the right stage. Keep aside to cool.

& now for the savoury filling. My mom used to make it from urad dal ( split black gram).

2.Wash & soak 1 cup of the dal for an hour at least. Drain off the water & then grind it coarsely with green chillies, salt & hing ( asafoetida) & as little water as possible.I manage with a spoonful of water. Steam this dal mixture in a idli steamer or any other for 7-8 minutes. When cool crumble as finely as possible & keep aside.

Now heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds & allow them to splutter. Add 2 little bits of dry red chillies, some fresh curry leaves & then add the crumbled dal mixture. Cook for a few minutes. Add 2 tsp of grated coconut. Check for seasoning. Remove from fire & squeeze a few drops of lemon juice on top. Sprinkle some fresh, chopped coriander leaves . Mix & keep aside.

& Now for the final stage of putting these kozhakattai together.

Smear your hands with a little oil. Take a small ball of dough in the palm of your hand. Make a dent in the middle with the thumb. Now gently try to make a slightly elongated cup shapes with it. Fill with a little filling of your choice & press the edges together ( in a semi circular shape ) to seal. After making the required number, steam them for about 5 minutes.
They are now ready...................

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Kozhakattais & more...

2010-09-11T01:26:00.001-07:00

It was a long & busy morning but I managed to to get my act together quite well. Systematically I started preparing all the dishes one by one.

The savoury filling for the uppu kozhakattai was made from urad dal & set aside for later use.

The kozhakattai maavu was made & set aside to cool.

Then the kozhakattais were painstakingly made.......
Some with the sweet coconut- jaggery filling & some with the savoury urad dal filling. They were then steamed for a few minutes.
My Wonderful Kozhakattais !!!

The aama vadai batter was prepared & kept aside for frying.

The vadais were then deep fried to a golden crisp stage.

By 11 o'clock all the stuff for the pooja was assembled & laid out in front of the new pillaiyar idol I had bought yesterday.The pooja itself took just a few minutes. Then it was time to gorge on the goodies................

Kozhakattai recipe to follow soon.........................

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Preparing for Pillayar Chaturthi ( Vinayak Chaturthi )

2010-09-10T03:13:00.000-07:00

It's Pillayar Chaturthi( Vinayak Chaturthi ) tomorrow.

I am busy getting various things done today so that i don't get hassled in the morning. Have to finish making the kozhakattais. vadai, payasam & idlis by 11 O'clock & do the puja immediately.

Hence, I started off by making the maavu ( fresh rice flour ) for the kozhakattais today morning.
It is not as simple as just powdering the rice in the mixie.That doesn't work out well at all. Neither do the kozhakattais turn out well with store bought rice flour !
So I really didn't have a choice but to get down to the job.

For this, I washed & soaked 3 glasses of raw rice in a little water for about half an hour. Then I drained off the water & spread out the rice on a soft absorbent kitchen towel for 15 - 20 minutes. The rice is ready to be powdered, when it is damp but not wet.This will take about 20 - 25 minutes. This is of course rainy season & the weather is sultry & humid. In hot weather the rice will come to this stage a little faster, I guess.

Put the damp rice into the mixie in 2 or 3 lots & grind into a powder. Do not allow the mixture in the mixie to get hot. If the mixture is getting hot, wait for a few minutes to cool the mixie before continuing.

Put the ground rice flour into a sieve & separate the fine flour from the coarse bits. You can put the coarse lot into the mixie & grind & sieve again. Measure the rice flour & store for making kozhakattais. I was able to get five & a half glasses of rice flour.
This flour is wonderful to make other rice flour savouries too.

Then I got down to making the thengai poornam ( coconut & jaggery Filling )

You need fresh coconut scrapings, soft golden jaggery & freshly ground cardamom powder for this preparation.
The method is awfully simple.

Place the coconut scrapings in a karahi or pan. Add the jaggery bits to it.........
2 glasses of coconut scrapings to 1 glass of jaggery.
Heat the pan gently & keep stirring. The jaggery will melt. Keep stirring on medium heat until the coconut & jaggery come together.
When it is done, you should be able to make a ball of the poornam, as this mixture is called.
If it falls apart, it is not cooked enough...
If it becomes too hard on cooling, you know that you have over cooked.
Better luck next time !!!

This one is not yet fully done...Can you see that they haven't come together yet?

This is the ready poornam or coconut- jaggery filling.

This whole exercise of this poornam business will take only about 15 minutes. Put in a container to cool & store for further use.

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A Surprise Gift for Me !!!

2010-06-10T03:44:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me when I came back home to Baroda yesterday. My daughter Urmila, who had just come back from a trip to Kolkata had a surprise gift for Me !!

I was soooo thrilled & delighted. Nobody gets me surprise gifts & all that, ever. It's normally me who does these kind of things for everyone else....

"It's a small gift ma...." she warned me. "But I think you will love it," she declared.

She gave me a bag.... which said FLURYS on it. Yes that's the famous pastry shop of good ole Cal...
But she cannot be giving me stale pastries even if they are from Flurys, I thought..... & then without further delay I opened the bag & took out the gift................

Wow! There was this perfect little chocolate box, in the most perfect hot pink colour ever , with a perfect little bow on it.

It was such a perfect gift for me !!! I was lost in complete admiration of this adorable box.......... for quite a while that I forgot to checkout the actual contents inside....
By the way, the chocolates were awesome too.........

Daughters are the best ...I thought to myself....They know you inside out..........& they know just the thing that you will simply love.........
She knew I would be more thrilled with the box than the actual chocolates......( she told me so..)

Yep ...............that's my daughter......... the sweetest ever.............

Until I heard her say, " Ma, Can I have the box after you've had the chocolates !"

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Jhatpat Subzi

2010-06-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

This jhatpat subzi is a lovely nutritious dish with paneer and capsicum. It's super quick & makes a great side dish to go with your rotis or phulkas. You can even use it as a filling for your wrap or roll. You could add a bit of cream to the dish towards the end to give it a rich, smooth taste.... but I like it as it is .....it is so much spicier !What ever you do do not leave out the kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves) . That's the secret ingredient which gives it that extra edge.

Ingredients

paneer - about 100 gms, diced
capsicum - 1 medium, diced
tomato - 1 medium, diced onion - 2 medium, diced
tomato puree - 3 tbsp
kasuri methi( dried fenugreek leaves) - 2 tbsp
chilli powder - 1 tsp
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 2 tbsp

Method

1. Heat the oil in a kadhai. Fry the paneer lightly for a couple of minutes. Remove & put into a dish of hot water until you need them.
2 . Into the same oil, add the onions & fry for a few minutes until they start becoming transparent ( they should not loose their crunch ). Add the capsicum & cook for another couple of minutes.
3 . Now add the tomatoes & cook for a couple of minutes. Then immediately add the paneer, salt, chilli powder, garam masala, kasuri methi & tomato puree & cook for 4-5 minutes on a high flame.
4 . Remove from flame & serve immediately.

P.S -
If you are making it for young children , you can substitute the tomato puree with tomato ketchup. They will love it. You could lessen the chilli powder to 1/2 tsp too.

On the other hand, if you want a richer taste , you can add a couple of tbsps of fresh cream at the end, a couple of minutes before finishing.

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Chocolate truffle cake & cupcakes with frosting..

2010-04-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

I am putting up the photographs of the baked goodies I made a while ago.........

The recipes will soon follow..............

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Cupcakes with Chocolate Butter icing

Walnut & Chocolate Chip Muffins

Cupcake again !

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Samosas, kachoris & more.........

2010-04-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

Had a marathon session of cooking demo + workshop with my friend Shila some time ago....

Now, My old friend Shila is a cook of the very first order... having learnt all the finer nuances of cooking & stuff from her mother-in-law. who was herself a wonderful & accomplished cook, I hear.

(In the photo.....My friend Kalyani on the left , & Shila on the right.)

I had been nagging Shila to teach me some of the stuff she always khiloas me ( feeds me ) every time i go to her place...

She makes tons of these really lip smacking little little starter things..... some filled with corn & cheese , some with paneer & capsicum, potatoes, fresh sweet green peas, green tuvar, coconut & onion & what nots......

& then finally she gave in to my pathetic pleading & decided to put an end to my persistent nagging...

We fixed a day, shopped for all the stuff in the list.... & invited another friend of mine, who begged to be allowed to come..... The demo session nearly threatened to became a cottage industry .... that's the amount of stuff we made that day !!!

What impressed me the most about Shila's technique is that she normally made all this at her own leisure , deep fried them for half a minute exactly & then cooled them & put them in the freezer to be taken out & fried when guests came.........
or for that matter when you wanted to eat them.

Super Idea..........
Works really well for me......
So do check it out...
the recipes & photographs follow.....

These recipes are greatly versatile I found. We used the same dough for the outer covering of all the eats. But the fillings & the shapes for each were different. You can of course, play around with the shapes & fillings as you like.

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For the covering...

maida ( flour) & atta ( whole wheat flour ) - 1: 1 ( flour -1 cup & whole wheat flour - 1 cup) about 2 tbsp of oil & ghee ( together )
salt - a pinch
a few drops of lemon( so that it remains crisp on re frying)
& water

Method

Take the both the flours in a bowl. Add the oil & ghee & salt. mix a bit. Add the lemon juice. & then add enough water to make a fairly stiff dough. Keep aside.

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Now for the various fillings.....

For the Matar Kachori filling

Some crushed fresh ( or frozen) green peas,
a small amount of green chilli & ginger paste
mustard seeds,
white sesame seeds,
cumin seeds,
a pinch of asafoetida ( hing),
some dry mango powder( amchur ) or lemon juice ,
chopped coriander leaves,
salt to taste,
a pinch of sugar,
oil &
one boiled ( & grated potato if you need extra binding in the filling).

Method

Heat the oil. Add mustard, sesame, cumin & asafoetida, & wait for the mustard to splutter, add the crushed peas, salt, amchur or lime juice & salt. Cook for a few minutes until the peas are cooked. Add the potatoes & cook for another minute. Add the sugar & stir for another minute. Mix in the chopped coriander & keep aside to cool.

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For the regular samosa filling with potatoes

Boiled potatoes,
some green chillies & garlic paste,
oil,
mustard seeds,
asafoetida,
garam masala,
tandoori masala,
chat masala,
salt,
red chilli powder,
amchoor powder ( dry mango powder ) or lime
& fresh coriander leaves.

Method

Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds & let it splutter. Then add the asafoetida, then the chilli garlic paste & stir for a minute. Now add the boiled, peeled & crushed potatoes & then all the spices.Cook for a few minutes & adjust the seasoning. Top with fresh coriander & keep aside for cooling.

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For the Corn filling

Some crushed corn kernels,
ginger - green chilli paste,
oil,
mustard,
cumin,
sesame,
asafoetida,
a pinch of sugar ,
lime,
salt
& fresh coriander.

Method

Heat the oil, add the mustard & allow it to splutter. Now add the cumin sesame & asafoetida, & stir for a few seconds. Add the crushed corn & salt & cook for a few minutes until the corn is cooked & nearly dry. Add the sugar & lime & cook for a couple of minutes more. Top with fresh coriander & set aside to cool.

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For the Paneer & Cheese filling........this one's the yummiest !!!

Some fresh, grated paneer,
grated cheese,
finely chopped capsicum,
finely chopped onion,
salt,
some pizza masala ( they call it here ) or Italian seasoning ,
maybe a pinch of chat masala ( for that extra kick)
& pepper.

Method

No cooking. Just mix all the ingredients together, adjust the seasoning & keep aside.

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For the Coconut & onion filling.......

Now this is the surprising one.........it's a bit hatke ( different )
but.....completely mind blowing !

Some freshly scraped coconut,
finely chopped onion,
ginger & green chilli paste,
cumin,
sesame,
salt
sugar
& fresh coriander.

Method

Heat the oil & add the sesame & cumin & fry for a minute. Add the onions & chilli- ginger paste & fry for a few minutes just until the onions become transparent. Do not brown them. Mix in the coconut, salt, sugar & fresh, chopped coriander & &cook for a few seconds & take off the stove. Keep aside to cool.

***********************

These semi circular ones are called Ghughras here in Gujarat. They are normally filled with the green peas filling.

Roll out a small thin circle with the dough, place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle. Gently fold the circle into a semicircle. Seal the edges with a little water. To decorate the edges, twist the edges carefully with the thumb & forefinger.

***************

For the regular samosa shape....
which i think most of you might already know.......
Roll out small circles. Divide each into half.Make a cone with each half & put a little stuffing in. Seal the edges with a little water . Repeat for the rest of the samosas.

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This one's called a potli.( bundle)

Make a small circle with the dough & place a spoonful of filling in the centre. Bring up the sides together to give it a bundle like shape. Slightly press at the neck to seal. A little extra strip has been on the neck

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These rectangular ones are called cushions.I have put the corn mixture into these........Corn Cushions !!!

Roll out a small thin circle. Place some filling in the centre. Bring both the sides over the filling to make a three fold.Use a little water to seal the edge. Now fold the top & bottom a little & seal them using a little water. The cushions are ready to be fried !

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These are the kachori shaped ones. Very similar to the potli. Roll out a small circle & place some filling in the centre, bring up the edges & pinch them them shut. Pinch of the extra dough on top & slightly flatten between your palms...

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These are the kolkata shingara type samosa shape. They are just like the regular samosa shape except for a little extra pleat on one side so that it sits up.......

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The same regular samosa shape with twisted edges.

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Now for the final frying.......

If you want to serve them immediately...

Heat some oil & fry on medium flame until crisp & golden. Remove onto kitchen tissues to blot out the oil & serve piping hot with your choice of sauce or chutney.

If you want to freeze them for later use........

Heat some oil & fry these on medium heat exactly for a minute..........(i,e.... just lower them into the hot oil , wait for a second , turn them over & immediately remove them ). Place on kitchen towels to remove excess oil & allow them to cool completely.

Pack into containers & store in the freezer.

When you need to serve......Do not take out & leave for defrosting.
They will become soggy. Take them out of the freezer just 5 -10 minutes before you need to fry. Fry immediately in medium heat until crisp & golden.
Blot excess oil & serve .

Winter stuff .........

2010-04-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

I am back after a long, long break !
Thanks to my moody comp, I have barely been able to use it in the last 2 months....
But finally, It's back ........hopefully it should function alright for a while.
Meanwhile , I have promised myself a new laptop very soon, so that I don't have to go through this mental trauma again.

I meant to put down sooooo... many interesting things down in the blog during Feb & March..........Don't know how I am going to catch up.....

The weather here in Baroda was soooo good & there were all these wonderful flowers all around !
All these wonderful desi, gujju food stuff that I 've never even heard of before were there all over the place.
You know,I am always amazed at the various ethnic varieties that Indian food offers. But Gujarat, let me tell you takes the cake !

A friend of mine introduced me to this thing called Ponkh ! !Ponkh season starts from November. It is a small green lentil-looking beans has a slightly sweetish and succulent flavour. & I’ve been told that once you've eaten tender ponkh with three flavours of crisp sev, including the tantalisingly titled limbumarini (lime and pepper), tiny sugar balls and a tangy chutney made with the green garlic, you'll never lust for bhelpuri again.

There were ponkh stalls all over the city... & the kinds of stuff they manage to make out of it is simply amazing. Some eat it raw... some have it roasted. I saw a board outside one stall proclaiming the best ponkh patties ever. I had mine raw with hot minty chutney. It was great. I also tasted this dish called sev ponkh. ( It's apparently the Surti version of ponkh ) As the name suggests, the ponkh was topped with tons of hot, peppery sev !!
( You do know... of course, that Gujjus top practically every dish with sev or some farsan or the other......... even a simple batata poha is topped with sev & at least one other farsan ! )

There was also this fresh green tuvar! there were lots of stuff to be made with the green tuvar, but I found that the most popular snack made with green tuvar was tuvar ni kachori. Deadly stuff !!!

& then ............those tiny crescent-shaped beans that Gujaratis call Surti papdis are another story altogether. You have to spend hours shelling those tiny beans from their pods. They are then added to various dishes.............but it is a must in the undhiya ( the vegetable medley cooked with lots of oil and even more love.)

Then in March , with Holi, came half a dozen more stuff ……

To eat , of course………

There were vendors all over the place selling popcorn just before Holi. When I went to check them out, I found that they were not the usual popcorn, but pop jowar……… if you know what I mean !!!

Yep, they had popped the jowar seeds like we do with the corn. Pretty good it was too. Its called Dhani here in Gujarat.

Of course the matter doesn’t end there . As usual , there are different ways to consume them. Some have them slightly sauteed, like we do with the mumra ( puffed rice ) with a pinch of salt & chilli powder . & apparently it is normally washed down with lots of Masala Chaas. Others have it like we have popcorn, sometimes smeared with butter.

& then there was this fresh khajur, deseeded & smeared in ghee………..

& then there was ..................................

Well…… there is no end to the list. So I think I will stop here for now…..

Hopefully the rest will follow soon………………

Ciao !!!

Chole

2010-02-15T01:32:00.001-08:00

I am writing down a really simple & easy version of Chole. My friend in Alwar used to make it this way. All you've got to do is to put all the stuff into the pressure cooker, of course in requisite order & lo! the Chole is ready to be eaten.

I am planning to add more recipes of this kind that are quick, wholesome, nourishing & TASTY, for the benefit of my young friends who are always in a rush & don't want to spend too much time or energy in the kitchen.
Happy Cooking !

Ingredients

kabuli chana/ chick peas - 1 1/2 cups, soaked overnight
chana dal - 2 tbsp, soaked with the chick peas
cooking soda (optional ) - a pinch
tomatoes - 2, chopped
turmeric powder - a pinch
chilli powder - about 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
amchoor/ dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp
chana masala or garam masala (optional) - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste

Method

1. Wash & drain the soaked kabuli chana and chana dal & put into the pressure cooker.Add 4 cups of water & the soda if you are using it. Cook until pressure is released once ,then turn the flame down to low & cook for about half an hour.Keep aside until pressure is completely released.Remove a little of the water in the chana, if there is too much of it & keep aside. It can be added later if required.
2. Open the cooker & place on the stove again. Add tomatoes, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, amchoor & the masala & cook on low flame. Mash the chanas a bit with the spoon & simmer for 10 -15 mins more. Test for taste.
3. Top with chopped coriander.
4. Can be served with rotis or puris, pav or chawal.

P.S - You can have it as a snack too ...........
Spoon some chole onto a plate. Top with green chutney, imli chutney, chopped onions, chopped coriander & fine sev. Tastes deadly.
Both the chutneys are now available bottled in the supermarkets.

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Gobi Paratha

2010-02-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

Delicious stuff . Do check it out !

Ingredients

atta/ whole wheat flour - 1 cup
a pinch of salt
oil to pan fry the parathas

For the Filling

cauliflower - 1 small
kasuri methi - 2 tbsp or so
salt to taste
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

1. Cut the cauliflower very, very finely.
2. Heat the oil in the kadhai. Add the cauliflower, salt & turmeric powder & cook covered on low heat until the vegetable is nearly done.
3. Now add the kasuri methi & chilli powder, turn up the flame & cook for a few minutes until the filling is completely dry.
4. Set aside to cool.
5. Make a dough with the flour, salt & water as you would for rotis. (fairly stiff dough) Allow to rest for about 1/2 an hour.
6. Take lemon sized ball of the dough, roll it out a bit. Place a tbsp of filling in the center . Pull up the sides & pinch it together to close. Flatten & roll it out again into a circle.
7. Heat a tawa on medium flame & place the paratha on it. After the first side gets done a bit, turn it over & cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Dribble some oil all around the paratha & allow to cook for a min or two. Turn the paratha over again & dribble some more oil & cook again.
9. Serve hot with curds & pickle.

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My Trials at the wheel........

2010-02-13T04:36:00.000-08:00

I have recently started learning Ceramic Pottery. I have been going to this ceramic artist's place every morning. She lives in a farm in village just outside Baroda. It's a simple farm house but really cute. They've lots of Geese, Dobermans, Alsatians, Star turtles, Cock, Hens, Love birds etc, etc & etc.

The geese sitting in the shade, under the jhoola !

The studio is an open thatched area,with all the pottery studio requisite stuff.

& while I am working on the wheel or at the table with my clay, the geese, hens & dogs happily saunter by.
& you know how petrified I am of dogs..... that too Dobermans..........they are sooo huge ! I used to get really stressed out every time the Dobermans came around, but since they are around all the time , I am now slowly allowing myself to breathe calmly as they walk by. Brave Girl ! Even if I say so myself.

From where I sit at the wheel...

Well, coming to the work I am doing there,...I started off by learning to make some pinched pots.The oldest type of pottery. Made a few pathetic small bowls....Then started on coiled pottery. Made a small bowl & nice tall cylinder. Not bad for a first trial.

Made a few slab pottery too ...Some free form bowls too with some dry leaves stamped into it. I really was thrilled with it. But it seems to have cracked while drying. I will have to make another one !!

But what I really wanted to do is sit at the wheel & learn to make those easy looking jars, vases & bowls. & of course straight away , I realized that the easy looking work was not easy at all !!!

But I am determined to really get into this ceramic thing.

& So , every morning for the past month I have been mostly sitting at the wheel & trying my hand.
Of course, it helps that I have a extremely good teacher who is really patient & gives me all the time I need.

The coiled pottery............

I have now started turning out some half decent shapes. Of course they are all not all that big in size but I am able to make what I have in mind. ......( previously, I would have a shape in mind but end up making something completely different.........my hands weren't listening to me !)
That's a big thing let me tell you...........

But now, I am finally able to control the clay just as I want !!! I am so thrilled & satisfied ...you have no idea............

Finished pots drying...

Just made...not yet trimmed.

Still on the wheel............

From tomorrow I am going to try my hand at slightly bigger stuff. Let's see !!!

The lane leading to the farm................

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Dahiwale Pudina Chutney

2010-02-08T05:28:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

curds - 3/4 cup
pudina chutney -1/4 cup
salt to taste

For the pudina chutney

mint leaves/ pudina, chopped- 2 cups
chopped coriander/dhania - 1 cup
onion - 1 large, sliced
lemon juice -2 tbsp
green chillies - 4
ginger - 1/2 inch piece
salt to taste

Method

1. Grind all the ingredients for the pudina chutney in a mixer & store in the refrigerator until required.
2. Before serving, combine 1/4 cup chutney, curds & salt & mix well & use as required.

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Stir Fried Veggies

2010-02-08T04:28:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

3 large onions diced into large pieces
2 tomatoes chopped into large pieces ( 8 pieces .....cut into 1/2 then again each into 1/4 )
2 capsicums diced into big pieces
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2- 3 tsp oil
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil. Keep the flame on high.
2. Add the onions. Stir & fry for a 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the capsicums & continue stirring for another2-3 minutes
4. Add the tomatoes. Add the salt & chilli powder & keep stirring for another 3-4 mins.
5. Check for seasoning & serve immediately with the Kadhi & Chawal.

P.S You could change the proportions of veggies as you like. Also , you could add diced paneer along with the tomatoes & proceed in the same manner . Wonderfully flexi dish to make !

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Mixed Vegetable Raita

2010-02-08T04:25:00.000-08:00

Raita

Ingredients:-

1 cup curds
salt to taste ( or black salt )
a pinch - roasted jeera powder (optional)
a pinch - chilli powder ( optional)
chopped cucumber, grated carrot, finely chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped dhania--all
optional ( whichever salad veggies u have or want... OR ..... just seasoning will also do )

Method :-

1. Beat the curds lightly with a fork.
2. Add veggies as required.
3. Add salt. Mix.
4. Sprinkle a pinch of chilli powder.
5. Top with chopped dhania.

P.S .......Instead of ordinary salt, you can use some kala namak & bhuna jeera powder.

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Malai Kofta

2010-02-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

potatoes - 2-3 medium, boiled, peeled & grated
paneer - 50 gms, grated
1-2 green chillies, chopped
cornflour - 2 tsp
salt to taste
raisins - about 1/4 cup
enough oil for deep frying

For the Gravy

oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
onions - 3, medium, grated
ginger paste - 1 tsp
garlic paste - 1 tsp
green chillies - 1-2
coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
tomato puree - 1/4 cup
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
khoya/mawa - 1/4 cup
fresh cream - 1/4 cup
garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Mix the potatoes, paneer, green chillies, cornflour & salt & mix. Divide into 8 balls & stuff with raisins. Shape into oblong balls.
2. Heat the oil & deep fry the balls on medium heat, until golden brown & keep aside. ( If you do not want to deep fry, you can arrange the balls on a baking dish & bake at 180 degrees for about 5-6 minutes.)
3. To make the gravy, heat the oil in a kadhai & fry the onions until they start changing colour.
4. Add the ginger & garlic pastes,green chillies, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt , tomato puree, red chilli powder& khoya mixed with about 3/4 cup of water. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes.
5. Stir in the fresh cream & garam masala.
6. Add the koftas with 1/2 a cup of water, cook for a few minutes.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves & serve immediately.

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Chennar Payesh

2010-02-01T01:34:00.000-08:00

A quick version of the classic Bengali dessert. Caught it on a TV show. It looked so easy that I tried it immediately !!!
It was fabulous!!
& then I tried to get a bit creative & tried making the strawberry chennar payesh too. That was even better. Even if I do say so myself.

Come on. Get going . Try it out just now. You are going to love it!
Here's the recipe..............

Ingredients

fresh paneer - 1/2 cup

milk - 1 litre ( 5 cups )
sugar - 1/2 cup
almonds - 6-7, blanched & sliced
pistachios - 5-6, chopped

Method

For the strawberry chennar payesh............

After step 3. leave it to cool completely.
Then crush some fresh strawberries roughly in a blender & mix with the now cool payesh. About 4-5 of medium sized berries should be enough. Top with chopped strawberry & serve cold.

ENJOY !!!

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Apple Jam

2010-02-01T01:16:00.000-08:00

Easy & simple way to make apple jam. & really quick too. Haven't used any preservatives or added any food colour. I like it just natural!

Ingredients

cooking apples ( says the recipe ...I used green Granny Smiths) - 1/2 kg
sugar - 375 gms
water - 1 cup
lemon juice -2 tsp
or
citric acid - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Peel, core & cut the apple into thin slices & cook in water until tender.
2. Add the sugar & lemon juice or citric acid & stir on a hot fire until the jam sets when tested.
3. Cool a little & pour into sterilised jars.
4. The jam is ready for use.

P.S - Since no preservatives have been used, it is better to store the jam in the refrigerator.

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Cabbage Kootu

2010-01-30T22:14:00.000-08:00

This is a simple south Indian preparation made using cabbage with peas, lentils & coconut.
Mildly spiced & with just a negligible amount of oil, it is a healthy & wholesome option for people who are health conscious.

But don't worry, it is extremely tasty too.
You don't have to forsake taste for health all the time !!!

Ingredients

cabbage - 1 small one, chopped
shelled peas - 1/2 cup
moong dal (small split yellow beans ) - 2 tbsp, washed
freshly grated coconut - 2 tbsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
sambhar powder - 1/2 tsp
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste

for the tadka

oil - 1-2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal ( split & without skin ) - 1/2 tsp
a few curry leaves
some chopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Wash the moong dal & put it into the pressure cooker. Add the chopped cabbage, shelled peas, salt, turmeric powder & sambhar powder & about 1- 1/4 cup of water.
2. Close the pressure cooker & cook until the pressure is released just once. Remove from heat & wait until the pressure is released & you can open the cooker lid.
3. Add the coconut & asafoetida & adjust the consistency ( add a little water if the kootu is too thick ) & let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
4. Mix the rice flour ( or wheat flour -used here as an thickening agent) with a tbsp of water & add to the simmering kootu. Cook for just another minute or two & remove from heat.
5. For the tadka, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds & wait for it to splutter. Now add the urad dal & curry leaves & pour over the kootu when the dal sterts turning red.
6. Top with fresh coriander leaves & serve immediately.

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Dhebras

2010-01-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

A Gujarati Dish .........normally made in winter. Along with whole wheat flour, bajre ka atta ( pearl millet flour ) is used in this .

Ingredients

fresh methi ( fenugreek ) leaves - 1 cup, chopped
bajre ka atta (pearl millet flour) - 1/2 cup
atta ( wheat flour ) - 1/2 cup
besan ( gram flour ) - 1 tbsp
ginger-garlic-green chilli paste - 1tbsp
ajwain ( carom seeds ) - 2 tsp
til (sesame seeds ) - 2 tsp
hing asafoetida ) - 1 pinch
curd - 2 tbsp
oil - 2 tbsp
gur (jaggery ) - 1 tsp
salt to taste

Method

1. Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Now add the required amount of water & knead into a fairly stiff dough. It becomes a bit loose when you leave it for a few minutes. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes.

3. There are 2 ways to make the dhebras now.................

a. Roll out into fairly thin roti like circles. Place on hot tawa or skillet. Cook on one side & then turn it over . Apply a little oil around the edges & over it, cook for 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Turn over & apply a little more oil around the edges & over the 2nd side & cook again for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot with pickle & curds.

or

b. Pat into small circles between your palms & deep fry in hot oil like puris.
Drain & serve hot.

Tastes divine !!!

P.S -- Both of these taste superb. But obviously the deep fried dhebras are what I like best.

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Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

2010-01-30T05:07:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

For the Base
marie biscuits - 100 gms, powdered coarsely in a blender
soft white butter - 50gms,
melted sugar - 1 tbsp, powdered

For the Cheesecake

hung curd - 250 gms
sugar - 80 gms, powdered
gelatin - 2 1/2 tsp
fresh strawberry puree - 150 gms
fresh cream - 100 gms
grated rind & juice of 1 lemon
some strawberries for garnishing
whipped cream for decoration

Method

1. For the base, take an 8 inch loose bottomed cake tin & keep aside. In a seperate bowl, mix the crushed biscuit, powdered sugar & melted butter with the finger tips until they look like sand. Tip them into the cake tin & press down evenly to form a base. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours for it to set.
2. Soak the gelatin in 1/4 cup of water & heat very gently for a minute. Leave it for a few minutes & then stir well to dissolve it completely. Keep aside.
3. Put the hung curd into the blender & run until it is smooth. Add the fruit puree, powdered sugar, lemon rind & lemon juice & blend for a minute. Add the fresh cream & blend for another minute. Pour into a bowl.
4. Pour the gelatin into the mixture in a thin stream, stirring continuously. Mix well.
5. Pour the mixture into the set base & keep in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to set.
6. When set, decorate the top with sliced fresh strawberries & whipped cream.
7. Remove carefully from tin & place on the serving tray.
8. Cut into wedges & serve.

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Cheesecakes !!!

2010-01-29T01:15:00.000-08:00

Tried my hand at some cheesecakes this week.......Strawberry & then Pineapple.
Both came out extremely light & wonderful.

I used hung curd instead of cream cheese. Mainly because, the local cream cheese is not all that good & the Philadelphia Cream Cheese is extremely expensive here in India. & Also, I thought hung curd has less fat content in it than the cream cheese. Another point to note here is that I made the hung curd from slim milk or skimmed milk.

All in all, I told myself that having taken so much care about the fat content, I could enjoy the cheesecake without feeling the least bit guilty.

Both were much appreciated by my husband & guests.I think the hung curd works out very well. Am going to try another fruity flavor soon. Which one should I try...............guava, orange or custard apple ???

Do write in to me.....................

Strawberry Jam

2010-01-12T06:38:00.001-08:00

I saw some fresh strawberries in the market yesterday. Red, juicy & wonderfully tart & sweet ...... all at the same time. Just couldn't resist them.

Bought a whole load of them.

Served some with fresh cream for dessert yesterday night. It was yumm !!!

& then before more of the cream & strawberries found it's way to my hips I decided to make some jam with it.

I have made this jam many times before. It's an awfully simple recipe that I found on the Internet. Tastes divine ! The only problem with this recipe is that it needs to be kept in the refrigerator. It tends to get spoilt if it is kept outside for too long. But don't worry on that score. It never ever lasts that long.

Never !!!

Ingredients

fresh strawberries - 750 gms
sugar - 2 cups
citric acid - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Remove the stalks & wash the strawberries well . (I don't cut the berries unless they are very big or something. I like large chunks of fruit in the jam.)
2. Put the fruits in a heavy or non- stick pan & stir until the fruits start releasing their juices. Allow the fruit to boil for sometime until they look more or less soft & cooked. They start looking transparent & very liquidy at this stage. Don't get stressed out.
3. Mash the fruits slightly & add the sugar & citric acid.
4. Keep stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
5. Boil rapidly till the jam sets when tested.
( Testing - take some water in a small bowl & drop some jam into it. It should just settle to the bottom without dissolving )
6. Cool & immediately pour into clean & dry jars.
7. The jam is now ready for your toast.

I like it on top of just about anything ..................

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Methi Malai Matar

2010-01-12T05:24:00.000-08:00

A simple but wonderful dish using the fresh green, tender peas & the aromatic methi leaves. Both are widely available in winter here. I have added a dollop of fresh cream to the dish to give it that extra creaminess. Tastes wonderful with rotis or rice.

Ingredients

matar (peas) - 2 cups, shelled
methi (fenugreek) leaves - leaves plucked from 1 small bunch
malai (fresh cream) - 1 tbsp
onions - 2 medium, finely chopped
tomatoes - 2 medium, made into puree in the mixer
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
haldi (turmeric) powder - 1/4 tsp
jeera - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 2 tbsp

Method

1. Boil the peas with a little water in the pressure cooker. If the peas are tender, 2 whistles will do.
2. Heat the oil in the kadhai. Add the jeera & let it turn golden.
3. Add the chopped onions & fry for a few minutes until the edges start turning golden.
4. Now add the tomato puree & cook until the oil starts separating. ( about 7-8 minutes)
5. Add the haldi & chilli powder & fry for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the methi leaves & cook for 7-8 minutes until the leaves are cooked.
7. Add the boiled matar (with some of the water it was boiled in) & salt & bring it to boil again. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
8. Add the malai ( fresh cream) mix well & simmer for just a couple of minutes more .
9. Remove & serve piping hot..............

P.S - You can use kasuri methi instead of the fresh one . It tastes just as good.

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Am Back !

2010-01-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Am back after a long hiatus !
Went for a exotic holiday this time............to Egypt !!!

It was a wonderful experience with sightseeing, sightseeing & yet more sightseeing..........Pyramids at Giza, the Egyptian Museum at Cairo, the Coptic Churches, the Muhammad Ali Mosque & Citadel in Cairo, the Step Pyramid at Sakkara......we saw them all !!!

Of course, we went on a 3 day Nile Cruise on a luxury ship which was really enjoyable & really really pleasant.We made some great friends too. We boarded the ship at Luxor & made saw various places along the river all the way to Aaswan......The great Karnak Temple, the Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Kom Ombo, The Philea Temple etc, etc & etc....

& most important of all.................we did SHOPPING at the Khan el Khalili Market in Cairo.................

It was a super, fantastic, awesome & a mindblowing experience......
A must do in the lifetime thing.............

Check for the pictures in my Flickr photostream.

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Palak Paneer

2009-12-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

A simple North Indian dish made with spinach & cottage cheese.

These recipes that I write down are simple & the gharelu (homely ) type & not the restaurant variety. Having lived in the North for most of my life & in lots of places too , I have, over the years, picked recipes from friends & neighbours as they make it daily at home.On a daily basis ,everyone makes simple & nourishing food. The rich & heavy stuff is made for guests or on holidays & weekends to be savored at leisure.

Contrary to what most of us think about North Indian food, it is not at all oily. Only the North Indian food served in restaurants is so. & unlike the complicated recipes that you find in the cook books, they are fairly simple too .
So do check it out.

Ingredients

fresh paneer (cottage cheese ) - 200 gms
spinach - 1 big bunch, washed, & leaves picked
onion - 1 large, diced roughly
tomato - 1 large, roughly chopped
green chillies - 2
kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ) - 1 tbsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
oil - 2 tbsp
salt to taste

Method

1. Blanch the spinach in a little water & keep aside. After it cools down, grind it in the mixer, without the water, for just a minute.Do not make it too smooth.
2. Grind the onion, tomato & green chillies in the mixer.
3. Heat the oil in a kadhai. Add the onion- tomato paste - green chilli paste. Add the turmeric & chilli powder & cook on medium flame untit is well fried, ie, until the oil comes out from the sides.
4. Add the kasuri methi & fry for another 2 minutes.
5. Now add the spinach to the kadhai. Put the salt in & mix & cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes.
Chop the fresh paneer into small cubes & add the spinach. Bring to a boil & switch off.
6. Serve hot . Garnish with cream if you like.

P.S - I have not fried the paneer in this recipe but have used the fresh & soft ones that are available locally. But if your paneer is of the frozen variety or not so fresh..........you could fry them in oil or ghee & then soak them in hot water for a while until you need them. This will make the paneer a bit soft.

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Jaisalmeri Chana

2009-12-03T04:16:00.001-08:00

Interesting dish. It is a traditional dish made in Jaisalmer, Rajastan . A speciality, the kala chana in this dish is cooked in a curd based gravy to wonderful effect !!!
Lip Smackingly Good !!! Do check it out.

Ingredients

dried black chana - 1/2 cup( about 125 gms )
curds - 1 1/2 cups
besan ( gram flour ) - 4 tsp
salt to taste ( about 1-1 1/2 tbsp)
coriander powder - 2 tsp
amchoor powder ( dry mango powder to add tanginess ) - 2 tsp
chilli powder - 1 tsp
turmeric - 1 tsp
garam masala - 1 tsp
chat masala - 2 tsp
green chillies - 2-3, chopped
cloves - 1-2
moti elaichi ( black cardamom ) - 2
cinnamon sticks- 2 inch peice
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
jeera ( cumin ) seeds - 1 tsp
oil - 2-3 tbsp
lots of fresh dhania ( coriander) & sliced onions for garnishing

Method

1. Wash & soak the chanas in 3 cups of water overnight.
2. In a pressure cooker, put the chana with the water in which it was soaked & give 1 whistle & then lower the heat & cook for abouy 40 - 45 minutes.
3. When the pressure is released, open the cooker & mash the channas slightly.
4. In a bowl, beat the curd. Add 1 cup of water, gram flour, & all the dry spices. Mix well & keep aside.
5. Heat oil in kadhai & add the jeera. When they turn golden, add thecinnamon, cloves & cardamon. Fry for a minute or two.
6. Add the asafoetida & green chillies. Fry for a minute.
7. Now add the curd mixture & keep stirring until it comes to a boil.
8. Add the boiled & mashed kala chanas & mix well.( add as much of the water in which the chanas were cooked as you want to adjust the thickness of the gravy. Keep back the rest. )
9. Cover & simmer over low heat for about 10-15 minutes.
10. Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves & sliced onions.

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Masala Peanuts

2009-12-01T02:38:00.000-08:00

This is my entry
to khushi's Event :My Diwali My Way.

Do check out her blogs at :-

Event :My Diwali My Way
Event: Kerala Kitchen
Roundup: What’s on your kebab platter

This is a favourite recipe of mine. Do try it this Diwali...................

A wonderfully tasty & spicy snack.
A super accompaniment to Kapi (coffee), Chai ( tea ) or drinks !!!
& best of all ... takes 15 minutes to make.

Ingredients

Peanuts - 1 cup
gram flour ( besan ) - 1tbsp
rice flour - 1/2 tbsp ( optional - adds crunchiness)
salt to taste
chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
asafoetida ( hing ) - a pinch
oil for deep frying

Method

1. Wash the peanuts a couple of times. Drain the water.
2. Into the wet peanuts add the gram flour, rice flour, salt, chilli powder & the asafoetida . Mix well . All the flour & spices should stick to the nuts. If the mixture is too dry, add a tsp or so of water.The mixture should neither be dry nor wet. Something in between.
3. Heat enough oil for deep frying the nuts. Drop them into the hot oil by hand, separating the nuts as you drop them in. Fry on medium flame until they turn golden.
4. Drain & remove them from oil & place on paper towel to remove excess oil.
5. Store in a air tight bottle when cool.

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Spiral Masala Bread

2009-12-01T01:21:00.000-08:00

I have followed a basic bread recipe from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's book for this recipe. Since I have tried this recipe before, I have very confidently added all kinds of Indian
spices & stuff, like, onions, ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves etc to the basic recipe.
The end result , to my delight was terrific.

Do try it out.

Bread making, you will find, is not really difficult or any such thing. It takes a bit of time. That's for sure. But you will find that eating a home baked bread is worth the effort !!!

Ingredients

flour( maida) - 1 1/4 cup
whole wheat flour( atta ) - 3/4 cup
fresh yeast - 6 gms ( that's about 3/4 tbsp)
powdered sugar - 1 tbsp
salt - 3/4 tsp
water - 3/4 cup
spring onions - 1 chopped with the greens
ginger - 1/2 inch, chopped finely
garlic - 1-2, peeled & chopped
fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsp,chopped
green chillies - 2-3, chopped finely
freshly ground pepper - 1/4 tsp
melted butter- 1- 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

1. Combine the yeast & sugar with about 1/8 cup of lukewarm water, stir & set aside for 10 - 15 minutes until frothy.
2. sift the flours & salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center & pour the yeast mixture into it. Add approximately 3/4 cup of water & mix into a rough dough.
3. Transfer to a floured surface & knead well until smooth& elastic.( at least 15 minutes.) Return to the bowl & cover with a damp cloth & set aside for about 2 hours until double in size.
4. Knock back the dough.Add the onion, ginger, garlic, coriander, pepper & green chillies & knead well.
5. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into a cylinder. Twist 2 cylinders to form a spiral & place on a greased baking tray. Do the same with the other 2. Cover with damp cloth & set aside until double.
6. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade.
7. Place the baking tray in the oven & bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown & soft to touch. Remove from oven & brush with melted butter. Transfer to the wire rack & cool. Cut & serve.

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Alu Methi ( Potatoes with fresh fenugreek leaves )

2009-11-30T21:07:00.000-08:00

The winter is here in Baroda & the vegetable market is flooded with lovely fresh winter vegetables. There are wonderful red Delhi- carrots, fresh green peas, then these awesomely large & purply baigans ( aubergines ), tender french beans etc, etc.................

& of course get all the leafy greens like the spinach & fenugreek leaves that you do not get here in other seasons ,as the weather is too hot . With so many choices in the market i find it difficult to decide what to make these days !!!Today I decided to use up the methi leaves while they were still very fresh with a few potatoes thrown in.

This is a fairly simple dish & completely adaptable to each family's preferences. For example, my recipe does not include onions or tomatoes. Neither does it add any extra masalas like garam masala or dhania powder. But these can be easily added to give the flavour you prefer.
I have used fresh methi leaves, but you can use dried kasuri methi instead, if you are so inclined.

Ingredients

potatoes - 4 medium sized, washed, peeled & diced
methi leaves - 1 large bunch ( 2 cups ), washed & chopped
turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 2 tbsp

Method

1. Heat the oil in a kadhai. Add the potatoes & the chopped methi leaves. Sprinkle the turmeric powder & salt over it & mix. Cook over low - medium flame , gently stirring every now & then.
2. When the potatoes are done (about 10 minutes ), add the chilli powder & cook for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Serve hot.

P.S - If you are using kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ) instead of fresh ones. use about 2-3 tbsp of it.

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Latest Batch of Cookies !

2009-11-24T22:20:00.000-08:00

My Chocolate Chip Cookies in the oven !

& in the bowl.........

These fat little ones are called Butter Buttons. They were
pretty good too........

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Masala Bread

2009-11-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

I have been baking up a storm this past week. With my husband out of the city on work & plenty of time on my hands, I decided to pull a few of my old recipe books & get down to some serious baking............
I tried a bread & a couple of varieties of cookies.
I am posting the photographs of my efforts !!
They came out pretty well even if I do say so myself !!!

These are some Herb Buns .......
Don't they look great !

This is a Masala Loaf. The dough for both the bun & loaf
are the same, but the spices & herbs are different. The
loaf has some typical Indian spices & herbs...... green
chillies, onions, coriander leaves etc in them.

The texture of the bread was wonderful. To make it
healthier, I used whole wheat flour along with the
refined flour for this recipe.

I served the Masala Loaf with a spiced up Lentil Soup!!

P. S -- Do write to me if any of you out there is
interested in trying out the recipe.

Do drop a note in the comment box & I
will put up the recipe immediately.

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My New Obsession !!!

2009-11-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

The winter has started here in Baroda. & every other day , I have been drinking Chai ( Tea ) & more chai at homes of various people I know. But let me assure you that it is not a boring repetitive thing at all. I have in fact, started looking forward to this ritual.

You will of course be wondering, why.

Apart from the fact that I do collect gossip (and information, let me assure you ) at these sessions, I also am eagerly waiting to sample the tea of the day !!!

These Gujaratis have got this Chai thing into a complete art form ......................
Not for them the boring ole chai day after day ..........

First of all, they may serve it weak & watery like the rest of us or more milky as they normally like it.

Point 2 ..... It may be strong or weak as the mood of the day may dictate. & then........

Finally, it may be Plain ole Chai or flavored..............

No,no...don't get worried it is not vanilla or cinnamon.... as it may be in the west. It is more exciting & Indian than that !

It could be Masala Chai ( Spiced Tea ) or Adrak Chai ( Ginger Tea )! Or Pudina wali Chai ( Tea with fresh Mint ) or lili patti wali Chai ( Tea with fresh Lemon Grass leaves ) !!! Oh my God ! they are all fantastic! & completely & wonderfully energizing .
& Each one of them have specific purpose, I feel. On any day a Masala chai completely invigorates you. When you are down with cold & cough or are generally feeling miserable, Adrak wali chai is just the thing to get you going. & Nothing can be quite as refreshing as a wonderful Pudina chai made with freshly plucked mint leaves straight from your kitchen garden.............& As for the Lemongrass tea...........I just don't know what to say..........

I have tasted all of them, on & off & now have decided that I can't be waiting to be invited to other people's house for my various chai sessions.
So I found out about where I could procure the best chai masala in town & have bought the stuff .
Next I went to nursery at the edge of the town & bought some lemon grass & mint plants!!! ( I am into kitchen gardening now ! my next obsession !)

That was just yesterday. I can't wait to pluck & put those wonderfully aromatic Lili Pattis into my afternoon tea today. I am waiting !!!

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Gobi - Methi ki Subzi ( Cauliflower- fenugreek leaves Curry )

2009-11-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

I used to have this dish in a restaurant called 'Carnival' a long time ago. & I used to order it every time I went there! The dish had the most wonderful aroma & tasted divine.
So.. eventually I tried it out at home & to my surprise, found that it was an awfully simple dish to make. The whole secret was in the use of kasuri methi. Thats it !!

I have used kasuri methi of course, but those of you who have the patience to wash, clean & cut up fresh methi leaves can do so of course. It is definitely more healthy, & just a little bit more work.

Ingredients

Cauliflower - medium sized, washed & cut into small florets
potato - 1 or 2 ( peeled, & diced into medium sized pieces - optional )
kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ) - 2 tbsp
tomato - chopped
oil - 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in the kadhai & add the cumin seeds & allow it to turn golden.
2. Now add the cauliflower florets & potato pieces , salt & turmeric & stir well . Sprinkle a little water ( maybe a tbsp) & cover & cook on medium flame for 7-8 minutes until the vegetables are nearly done.
3. In another kadhai, add just a tsp of oil & saute the chopped tomato until slightly soft & squishy & then add to the cauliflower.
4. Add the chilli powder & kasuri methi & stir. Cook for for another 4-5 minutes on medium flame.
5. The Gobhi- Methi is now ready. Serve hot.

P.S - If using fresh methi, use about 1 cup of chopped methi & add it along with the cauliflower itself in Step 2.

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Melting Moments ( Cookies )

2009-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Check out these mouth watering cookies..........

Ingredients

flour - 150gms
baking powder - 1/2 tsp
butter - 120 gms
caster sugar - 90 gms
vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
egg - 1
cornflakes - about 50 gms

Method

1. Sieve the flour & baking powder together.

2. Cream the sugar & butter together.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg & essence together & then add to the creamed mixture.
4. Fold in the flour.
5. Wet the hand with water & divide into small balls.
6. Roll in crushed cornflakes & place on the greased baking tray. Leave enough space between each, because they expand in size.
7. Bake at 160-170 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes until the cookies are Golden.
8. ENJOY !!!

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Thengai Saadam ( Coconut Rice )

2009-11-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

A simple Rice dish from Tamilnadu.

Ingredients
boiled rice - 2 cups ( grains should be seperate, not sticky )
scraped coconut - 3/4 cup
cashew nuts - a few
mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
urad dal - 1/2 tsp
red chillies - 2, broken into bits
hing/asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - a few
oil - about 1 tbsp
salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil in the kadhai. Add the cashew nuts & fry until golden & keep aside.
2. Add the mustard seeds & allow to splutter. Then add the red chillies. urad dal & hing & saute until the dal turns red.
3. Add the coconut, curry leaves & a pinch of salt & fry until the coconut starts turning golden at the edges.
4. Immediately, add the rice & salt & mix well & stir for a minute or two on low flame.
5. Top with the fried cashew nuts & serve immediately.

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Onion Chutney

2009-11-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

This chutney is a must have in the family with dosa, pesaratt dosa, idlis etc. Nice & chatpata.
Do try it out.

Ingredients

onion - 3 medium sized, roughly chopped
grated coconut - 2 tbsp ( optional)
dry red chillies - 3
urad dal ( broken & without skin ) - 2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
oil - 4 tsp
hing/ asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
tamarind - a very small piece
or
tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a kadhai & fry the onions for a few minutes, till it starts getting transparent. Keep aside.
2. In another kadhai , heat the remaining oil, add the mustard & let them crackle. Then add the urad dal, red chillies, & hing & fry until the dal becomes slightly reddish. Remove from fire.
3. In the mixer first grind the fried red chillies until they are more or less powdered. Then add the urad dal& hing mixture,& grind for a another minute or two, until the dal is roughly powdered . Now add the tamarind bit & grind for another minute.
4. Then add the onions & coconut & the salt & just give a quick turn in the mixer. The onion mixture should not be ground to a smooth paste....it should be roughly ground.
5. Put the chutney into a serving bowl & serve with idly, dosa or pesaratt dosa.

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Marwari Alu ki Subzi

2009-11-15T21:55:00.000-08:00

This is one of those recipes I learnt from a friend when I lived in Alwar in Rajasthan. It's really tasty but involves minimum work. Gets done in a jiffy too. Just the kind of recipes I like !!!
It goes pretty well with both rice & rotis. But the Marwaris, I believe, normally have it with puris for breakfast. WOW !!!

Ingredients

potatoes - 4 medium sized, boiled, peeled & diced
curds - 1 cup, beaten
besan( gram flour) - 1 heaped tsp
tuemeric powder - 1/4 tsp
chilli powder - 2 tsp
dhania-jeera powder ( coriander-cumin powder) - 1 tsp
salt to taste
chopped coriander for garnish

For the Tadka

oil - about 1 tbsp
rai ( mustard seeds ) - 1/2 tsp
jeera ( cumin seeds ) - 1 tsp
saunf ( fennel seeds ) - 1 tsp
kalonji ( nigella seeds ) - 1/2 tsp
bay leaf - 1
cloves - 2
cinnamon - 2 sticks
hing ( asafoetida ) - a pinch

Method

1. Mix curds & gram flour in a bowl & whisk well. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander- cumin powder & salt & mix well again.There should be no lumps. Keep aside
2. Heat the oil in a kadhai & add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon & hing & stir for a minute.
3. Turn the flame to low & pour the curd- besan mixture in. Keep stirring on medium flame until the mixture comes to a boil.
4. Add the potatoes & salt with 1/2 a cup of water & mix well. Bring to a boil & cook on medium flame for about 7-8 minutes until consistency of gravy seems right.
5. Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander.

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Fried Potato Curry

2009-11-15T21:43:00.000-08:00

This curry is made with the skin on. It tastes just a bit different, but really good !!!
This is a good recipe to make with potatoes, specially when you don't have time to boil the alu in the cooker first. & it's really quick. & awesome. + tastes heavenly with vengaaya kozhambu !
What more can you ask for..........

Ingredients

Potatoes - 4, chopped like shown in the picture
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Method
1. Heat the oil & add the mustard, let it splutter. Add the urad dal & stir for a minute until the dal turns golden.
2.Add the chopped potatoes, turmeric & salt. Mix well . Cover & cook on slow flame until the potatoes are cooked. ( they will look kind of translucent) .
3. Add the chilli powder & cook for another5 minutes, until the raw smell of the chilli powder goes.
4. The curry is now ready to be served.

P.S :- You can add onion in this curry too. Just slice a onion finely & add along with the potatoes & continue with the recipe.

Tastes good with all the kozambhus & rice.

Alu subzi - Raswala ( Potatoes with a simple gravy )

2009-11-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

This one is simple & fast . ...
Just put everything in the pressure cooker & cook.
That's it!!
Makes for a great combo with chawal or roti.

Ingredients

potatoes - 3, peeled & chopped into, say, 1 inch cubes ( actually, you can cut them any way you want )
onion - 2, medium chopped, finely
tomato - 3, medium, finely chopped
green chillies - 2, cut into 2
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
ginger-garlic paste - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ( optional )
dhania-jeera powder - 1/2 tsp(optional )
or
garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp ( optional )
salt to taste
chopped coriander - 2 tbsp

For the tadka

mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
jeera - 1/2 tsp
oil - 2- 3 tbsp

Method

1. Heat the oil in the cooker. Add the mustard, let it splutter & then add the jeera.
2. Add the chopped onions & green chillies, & ( ginger garlic paste , if you want). Stir & fry for a few minutes until; the edges of the onions start turning golden. 3. Add the tomatoes & cook again for a 2-3 minutes, stirring now & then.
4. Now add the potatoes, salt, turmeric, chilli powder,the masala, if you are using them & 1 1/2- 2 cups of water & close the cooker.
5. Pressure cook until 3 whistles come & switch off the gas.
6. After the cooker releases, open the lid & cook again for a few minutes. Mash some of the potato pieces & continue cooking for a couple of more minutes, until the gravy thickens just a bit. 7. Top with chopped coriander & serve piping hot with chawal & rotis.

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Biscuit- Press Cookies

2009-11-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

I made a few of these for my daughter to take back to college...........
They are really crisp with a wonderful buttery flavor !!!
Keeps well too.

Ingredients

butter - 115 gms
powdered sugar - 115 gms
maida / flour - 225 gms
water - 3 tbsp
vanilla essence - 2- tsp

Method

1. Soften butter & add sugar , little at a time. Cream them well.
2. Mix in the essence & beat well. Pour the water & beat very well.
3. Mix in 1/2 the flour & beat lightly. Add the rest of the flour & mix well.
4. Fill in the biscuit press & pipe on to the trays.
5. Bake in a preheated moderate oven at 170* for 10-12 minutes.
6. Cool & store in air tight jars.

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