CafeLajja

Pasta with Mango Sauce

2009-09-11T16:19:00.002-05:00

Pasta here is not the typical Italian pasta, but a desi version of it. Its basically a spiral wheat pasta that is handmade & sun-dried by my husband's aatya (paternal aunt).. She is very famous in our family for her mastery in the various types of Indian flat breads & also these different shaped noodles. These here, are known as "Sargunde" .. do not know why, but to me all it is is an interesting name. There is also the sevaiyaan type that she makes, and a smaller pasta, but the name escapes my memory.

So this summer on our India trip I got a chance to try these. Aatya had just made a huge batch of sargunde for our family, and we brought it home with us to Bombay. One afternoon, for lunch, we had this with fresh mango pulp (what we call aam-ras).. It was so delicious with a little ghee & a sprinkle of sugar. It was served in place of rice.. as in there was no rice made that day, and we had company over, so my mom-in-law decided to serve this instead. It also acts as a dessert, because of the mango pulp which is perfect.

We made this for a light lunch a couple of weeks ago.. yumm!

You will need:
2 cups sargunde
2-3 cups Mango pulp
Ghee & Sugar for garnish

Method:
Bring a few cups of water to a boil. Add the dried pasta & let it cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft.
Drain & keep aside. You may add a dollop of ghee in the boiling water to keep the pasta from sticking to one another.

If you are making home made mango pulp (like I did):
Soak the ripe mangoes for an hour in water.
Take each mango & gently press down all over its flesh to loosen the meat from the skin.
Then, when soft all over, cut off the top of the mango & squeeze out all of the pulp.
You may run it under a hand blender to smoothen out the texture or keep as it, which is also fine.
Refrigerate the mango pulp for a good few hours before serving.
If you are using canned/frozen mango pulp, you may proceed to the next stem. If using canned however, just bear in mind that the pulp needs to be cold.

To Serve:
Take the warm noodles in bowl.
Generously top them off with the mango pulp.
Add a good dollop of ghee, and if you like the mango pulp sweeter, a spoonful of sugar.
Mix well & enjoy!

Note:
Instead of the 'Sargunde', any type of wheat sevaiya/noodle may be used that you can find in the Indian/Asian grocery store.

Stuffed Banana Curry (Bharela Kela Nu Shaak)

2009-08-25T22:56:00.005-05:00

This is a classic from my Mom's kitchen. I miss being back at home & eating this subzi with warm parathas & yummy sweet gujju kadhi!! Well, I had a few too many bananas & since we were in the Paryushan Parva(Jain fasting week) I figured why not!

Its really simple, really..

You will need:
4 just ripe Bananas,
1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp Coriander-Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
1 tsp Mustard seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida(hing)

Method:
Wash the bananas. Cut a slit across the length making sure to keep the top & the bottom intact.
Mix all the dry masala powders together.
Stuff the bananas with the masala mixture. Now cut each banana into 3- 4 parts depending on its size. Retain some of the mixture to add on top while cooking.
Heat a little oil, splutter the mustard seeds.
Add hing, and saute the stuffed banana pieces for a minute.
Add rest of the masalas mixture & give it a toss.
Add about 1/2 to a cup of water (it should not be too thin)
Cook covered until the bananas turn tender.
Enjoy hot with parathas or rice.

Rigatoni in a Mushroom Broccoli Sauce

2009-08-13T13:33:00.003-05:00

I love quick pasta dishes. I also love grocery shopping.. So, there are days I fill my reusable grocery sacks with all kinds of fruits & veggies, but do not manage to finish them all while they are still fresh. This recipe is one of those good ones, where you can use a little of this & a little of that & turn it into a delicious dinner.

You will need:
1 lb. of Rigatoni pasta (I used rigatoni, but you can use any shape pasta that you have)
3-4 large tomatoes, stewed & crushed
1 cup Mushrooms of your choice
1-2 cups florets of Broccoli
1 Zucchini, cut into pieces
1 small Onion, diced
5-6 cloves of Garlic, peeled & crushed
Dry Italian seasoning of your choice OR Any fresh herbs that you have - Parsley, Rosemary, Basil, etc
Crushed Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions
Heat a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, sauce the onions & the garlic.
Add the dry seasoning at this point, & cook the mushrooms, broccoli for a few minutes.
Add the zucchini.. continue cooking.
Lastly, add the crushed tomatotoes, salt, pepper & red pepper flakes to taste & cook for 5-7 minutes.
Add the cooked paste, mix well together & Serve hot!

Note:
If using fresh herbs, add them last when you add the pasta to the sauce.

Green Undhiyu

2009-08-11T01:07:00.002-05:00

'Undhiyu' is typically eaten in winters. However, in the summer months Mom makes this green version of it using Tindora (Ivy Gourd), any Papdi/whole beans available at the time, Raw bananas for a Jain version &/or Potatoes for a non Jain version; Peas, sometimes its with bhindi, sometimes with some Surti lilva beans frozen from winter days.. you get my drift, right?

Anyhow, couple of weeks ago, we had a baby shower for 2 friends and I was asked to bring a mixed vegetable. Most mixed vegetables - like kormas & such tend to be heavy & rich & I was looking for something more lean & this recipe quickly came to mind. The only thing I changed from the way Mom makes it is that I added garlic for flavour & it turned out pretty good, if I may say so myself.

Here is what I used:
2 Raw bananas, cut into 1 inch sticks
2 cups Tindora, cut into slivers
1 cup frozen Surti Lilva beans
1 cup frozen Green Peas
2 cups Sugar snap Peas
4-5 Green Eggplant (if you do not have green, regular ones are fine too)
2 tbsp finely chopped Garlic
1 tsp each of Mustard & Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder, or to taste
1-2 tbsp of Coriander-Cumin Powder
1 tsp of Turmeric
Salt to taste

For the green masala:

1 cup (generous) frozen or fresh shredded coconut
1/2 cup Roasted Peanut powder
1/2 cup Roasted Sesame powder
3/4 cup freshly chopped Coriander leaves
1 tbsp fresh Ginger paste
4-5 Green Chillies, chopped finely

Mix all of the above together & keep aside.

Method:
In a big heavy bottom pan/kadhai , heat a couple of tbsp. of oil
Temper the mustard & cumin seeds. Once they flutter, add the asafoetida.
Now add the garlic & fry for 1/2 a minute.
Now add the eggplant & bananas & fry till they start to soften
Next add the tindora & allow to cook
After a few minutes, throw in the papdi
Follow with the Lilva beans & the peas..
Allow to cook all of the above on a medium flame (uncovered if you can help it) till they are almost done.

Add the salt & all the masalas. Mix well.
Finally, add the mixed green masala & cook till you can see the peanuts & the sesame powder turning colour.
Garnish with lime or lemon juice
Serve hot & enjoy!

Stuffed Baby Brinjal

2009-07-23T06:15:00.001-05:00

I used to eat this one stuffed brinjal bhaji at a Punjabi friend's house back in my school days in Bombay. It was sweet, sour, & spicy at the same time. I felt a craving for it, but unfortunately I did not remember the recipe, as it has been years since I have eaten or made this. So based on the taste, I tried to put it together. Although it did not taste entirely like my friend's, I was pretty happy with the end result.

You will need:
6-8 baby brinjals (eggplant)
1 small onion, chopped

Grind to paste (do not add water to grind)
2/3 cup roasted peanuts
1 small onion
1 small tomato
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp coriander cumin powder
1 tbsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
Salt to taste
1 small tamarind ball
1 -2 inch piece of jaggery

Heat oil & fry the chopped onion. Cook till it changes colour.
Add the stuffed brinjals to the pan & allow to cook a few minutes.
Now add the remaining paste & enough water to cover the brinjals & cook covered until the brinjals are tender.
Enjoy with rice, roti or a crunchy toast!

Dudhi Na Muthiya

2009-02-07T16:12:00.004-06:00

How do I describe what a 'muthiya' is? I would say that it is a dough made out of either a gourd, greens or leftover rice/khichdi. There are various flours used to incorporate it all together, along with different spices. Typically there are 3 types of muthiyas: steamed, boiled (like dumplings) & deep fried.

Dudhi Na Muthiya is one thing I crave of my Mom's. I do make it, but it doesn't turn out nearly as great as hers. It must be all the love :) This is a very typical gujarati dish & is made as a snack with tea. I have seen many people eat this with milk!

For the Muthiyas:
1 small Dudhi, grated & its water completely drained out.
1/8 cup Rawa/Sooji
1/4 cup Dhokla Flour
2/3 cup Wheat Flour
1/8 cup Besan/Chick pea Flour
1/2 cup Methi(fenugreek) Leaves, chopped
1/8 cup Coriander Leaves, chopped
Salt, Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric, Coriander-Cumin Powder - all to taste
1 tbsp Ginger-Green Chilli Paste
1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1-2 tbsp Sugar (or to taste)
Juice of 1 Lime
Plain Yogurt - just enough to knead the dough

To Temper:
2-3 tbsp Oil
1 tsp (generous) Mustard & Cumin Seeds each
1 tbsp (generous) Sesame Seeds
4-5 Dried Red Chillies (preferably the little round ones if you have them)
1 Cinnamon Stick
2-3 Cloves
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (optional)
A pinch of Asafoetida

Method:
Grate the bottle gourd & squeeze out the water from it.
Add the methi & coriander leaves.
Add all the spices, sugar & lime juice.
Mix in all of the flours.
Add a little yogurt & knead it into a semi-firm dough.
Oil your steaming vessel & spread the dough over it as it is, or shaped into cylinders.

Steam on high heat for 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool before trying to handle them. Cut them up into thin rounds.
Muthiayas are ready.

For Crunch lovers(Tempering):

Heat the oil in a flat surface pan, follow the usual tempering method.

After adding the asafoetida, add the chilli powder.

Throw in the muthiyas & cook on medium heat until the muthiyas have gained a brown texture.

Notes:

I added the Red Chilli Powder to the tempering for 2 reasons - I like the extra kick it gives & also it adds a deeper colour to the Muthiyas.

Muthiyas can be had just steamed as well. Just make sure that they are cooked all the way through. (Insert a knife in the centre of the muthiyas, if it comes out clean then they are cooked completely).

Enjoy them hot, with Tea or Chundo or any pickle of your choice.

Black Til laddoos

2009-02-03T14:15:00.008-06:00

As seasons change, we also change our diet. It is the case in India as well. During winters, there are sweets, treats, snacks made that are highly nutritious & also they are meant to warm you up. One such treat that Mummy made for the family was a Black Til (sesame) Laddoos.

You will need:
1 cup Black Sesame seeds, dry roasted
1.5-2 cups seedless Dates
1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 cup dry shredded Coconut
1/4 cup Sugar (if needed)

Method:

Dry roast the Sesame seeds. Once cool, start grinding them.
When they start to fall apart, add the dates. Keep grinding. It does not have to be perfect.
Take it out on a flat surface. Use your hands to mix it together.
Add the almonds & the coconut.
Mix it all well together, as if you were forming a dough. {It will bind well, as the sesame seeds will release their oils when you crush them & also the dates with their stickiness does its job. Therefore, no ghee is used here to help form the laddoos}.
At this point, if needed, add the powdered sugar. Sugar serves two purposes here - acts as a sweetener (if the dates aren't sweet enough), and also it helps to bind it all together.
Roll into laddoos of your desired size. Strong hands does the trick, quicker! My dear husband helped me roll these (I made a huge batch for the Sankrant get together. Thank you).

Note:

I did not add any sugar to my laddoos as the dates made it sweet enough for me.
Mom sometimes used to leave the whole mix in an air-tight container without rolling into laddoos. We'd just take spoonfuls out into little plates to enjoy :)
Black sesame seeds have a peculiar smell. It tastes just as great as the white seeds, so don't let that keep you from trying these.

Nankhatai

2009-01-28T10:31:00.008-06:00

Last summer we went camping & each person was to bring along some snacks for that weekend. I had been itching to try these sweet delicious biscuits, which are such a part childhood & school memories. It also takes me down me down the memory lane to this small shop (an Irani Cafe really) that we had near our place, and the guy would have jars filled with the different varieties of nankhatais or rusks. The camping trip then seemed like the perfect time to experiment with these. I looked up a lot of recipes & finally came up with this one. I baked a container full of these, and they were gone so fast, that I was almost sorry I didn't bake more! Well, I would have, but I had run out of ghee by the time I was done :)

This last weekend I had a tea party for Sankrant (Haldi-Kumkum). So I tried these again, as they seemed to fit the theme. I also made another type of nankhatai, some black til laddoos, chivda & chutney sandwiches. I will share some of these recipes in my later posts. But here is the much requested nankhatai recipe. Hope you all enjoy it as much as we did.

You will need:
21/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2tsp Baking Soda
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 cup Ghee (Clarified Butter)
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

Mix the powdered sugar & ghee well until it obtains a creamy consistency. Use ghee at room temperature to make this task easy & also helps while measuring.
Then sift the rest of the dry ingredients onto the sugar-ghee mixture & knead it into a dough.
Make small balls out of the dough, flatten then a little & line them up onto a cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 F.
Allow them to cool completely before handling them.
Enjoy.

Note:
If you'd like, you may take some nuts & insert them into the biscuits before baking. If you are using powdered nuts, as I did on some of them, wait till they are done baking, and sprinkle the nuts while the biscuits are still hot. This will prevent you from having burnt nutty biscuits :)

Bread Chivda

2009-01-27T12:57:00.002-06:00

You have 1/2 a loaf of bread in your refrigerator.
But its cold outside & you crave not buttered toast, but spicy poha!
What do you do then?
Take your poha recipe & use it on your bread!
Let's try, shall we?

You will need:
8-10 Bread Slices, cut into cubes
1 medium Onion, chopped
3-4 Green Chillies, chopped
1 sprig of Curry Leaves
A handful of Coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp or so Dried Shredded Coconut (optional)
1-2 tbsp of Curd(yogurt)
A good handful of Raw Peanuts
1/2 tsp of Turmeric
Chilli Powder (to taste) - I know, this ingredient is not in your poha recipe, but even so!
Mustard & Cumin seeds, for Tempering
A pinch of Asafoetida.
Salt to taste

To Make:
Heat a little oil & splutter the mustard seeds. Then add the cumin seeds & peanuts.
Cook for half a minute.
Next add the asafoetida, curry leaves & green chillies.
Now throw in the onions & cook till they change colour.
Add the turmeric, chilli powder & salt. Also add the coconut at this point (if using).
Let the flavours come together - cook for a minute or so.
Add the chopped bread & the coriander leaves & cook till the bread starts to get a little toasty.
At this point, mix in the curds & let it cook covered for another few minutes on low heat.
Take it off the heat & enjoy it with a hot cup of masala chai!

Note:
You can substitute the curds with lime or lemon juice. But give the curds a try, I am sure you will enjoy the end result. It adds a different flavour altogether to the dish.

Kovlachi Bhaji (Pumpkin Curry)

2009-01-14T10:49:00.003-06:00

It is said that the darker the colour of the vegetable, the healthier it is for you! So that bright orange colour of pumpkin you know, is good for you! It is full of vitamin A, antioxidants like alpha and beta-carotene, it is a good source of vitamins C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron. So go for it!

Here in the US we eat a lot of pumpkin pies, spiced pumpkin breads & muffins, etc. It is widely used in soups. Grilled pumpkin is also delicious. In India, it is used in various curry recipes including this one that I am going to share with you. I tried this only after I met my husband & like him, am a big fan of it. It is really simple, you should try it.

You will need:
1 lb. Pumpkin, seeded & chopped into medium cubes
1 medium Onion, chopped
2-3 small Green Chillies (or to taste), chopped
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tbsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp Amchur powder (dry mango powder)
Salt to taste
1-2 inch piece of Jaggery (optional)

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds & a sprig of Curry leaves
a pinch of Asafoetida

Heat a little oil, temper the mustard & cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves & the asafoetida.
Throw in the chillies & the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for a minute.
Next fry the onions till they turn translucent.
Add all the spices including the salt. Mix together well.
Add the pumpkin to the pan & cook covered until tender.
You will not need to add any water as the pumpkin will release a lot of it.
In the end, add the jaggery after cutting it into small pieces & mix well together.

Note: My mother in law does not add any jaggery to this dish as the pumpkin has its own sweetness & I agree. But I find that the pumpkin we get in the US is not as sweet & so I like to add it. Plus it gives the dish a richer flavour with the jaggery. Try it & let me know!

Enjoy it hot with rotis!

Kela Methi Nu Shaak (Bananas with Fenugreek leaves Curry)

2008-12-30T20:24:00.005-06:00

Sounds weird, doesn't it? It is however delicious & lip smacking good... So simple & so good for you! Bananas, both raw & ripe are consumed a lot in Gujarati cooking. Some examples would be Kela na Bhajia (banana fritters), Kela nu Bharelu Shaak (stuffed ripe banana curry), Kela nu Shaak (plain banana curry), Kaccha Kela nu Shaak (raw banana curry - dry), etc. Raw bananas are also used in making the famous Gujarati Undhiya, used to make Kela wadas & such.

I made this dish a few days ago when I wanted something quick. We had just returned from an amazing holiday, and I wasn't in the mood of slogging in the kitchen.

You will need:
4 ripe Bananas, peeled & cut into thick slices
1 cup Fenugreek leaves, chopped (frozen works just fine too)
1 medium Tomoto, chopped
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Coriander-Cumin Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric
Usual ingredients for tempering
Salt to taste
1 inch piece of Jaggery (1 tbsp sugar will also do)

Heat a little oil, temper mustard & cumin seeds, add a pinch of asafoetida.
Add the Fenugreek leaves, add a little water (about 1/2 cup, cover & allow to cook for 5 minutes.
Add the bananas, all the masalas, salt, jaggery & mix.
Add a little water at this point if it seems dry & allow to simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
Enjoy hot with Chapattis.

Kachumber

2008-12-11T11:40:00.006-06:00

Kachumber, is a Gujarati word for a mixed salad. Usually it contains finely chopped cabbage, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes & then whatever else you have at hand -- beets, capsicums, radishes, etc. The dressing usually is -sugar, salt, pepper, lime juice & red chilli powder -- simple enough, right?

I was asked to bring a salad to a diwali party we had recently with our friends. So this is what I mixed up -- the plain old kachumber, enhanced!

Before I begin, my apologies for the picture. This is the best I could do, as I failed to take the picture of the salad alone & cropped this from picture of the whole dinner buffet!

1 cup Cabbage finely shredded or slivered
1 cup Cuumber finely chopped
1 cup Carrots, finely chopped
1 medium Red Onion, cut length wise
1 cup Sweet Corn (fresh or frozen)
1 cup Capsicum or any coloured bell pepper, finely cubed
handful of cranberries
1/2 cup Red Radish, cut into slivers

Dressing:
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tsp. of Red Chilli Powder, or to taste
Juice of 2 big limes

Mix all the chopped veggies into your serving bowl. Keep it chilled until ready to eat.
I cut the veggies in different shapes & sizes, as I like that texture. Makes the dish more appealing as well.

Mix together the dressing & reserve until its time to serve the salad.

At the time of serving, mix the dressing with the salad.
Enjoy!

Notes:

I omitted the sugar in this case, as the sweetness from the corn was enough for me. Also, I had the cranberries in the salad to further the sweetness.

Sometimes, the dressing also includes coriander-cumin powder, but I just stayed with the red chilli powder, as there is something of a marriage between the corn & the chilli powder with lime I think!!

Happy Eating!

Kothimbir Wadi

2008-12-10T18:29:00.006-06:00

Kothimbir Wadi, as the name says it, the main ingredient is Kothimbir/Kothmir/Coriander/Cilantro -- whatever you like to call it! This is traditionally served as a tea accompaniment. This was my first attempt at this delicious snack & it turned out great!

2 cups of finely chopped Coriander leaves
1 cup Chickpea flour(Besan)
1 tsp Green Chilli-Ginger paste
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Turmeric & Coriander-Cumin Powder to taste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
1/8 cup Dried Coconut - shredded
1 tsp Oil

Dry roast the poppy seeds & shredded coconut. Once cool, grind into a fine powder.
Mix together all the ingredients & adding a little water only, knead it into a dough.
Grease a plate & evenly spread the dough.
Steam covered like dhoklas/idlis for 12-14 minutes or till done.
Once cool, cut it into the shape of your choice. Enjoy!

If you like a little crunch, as I do, you can either deep fry the cut wadis or just pan fry as I did.
Enjoy as a side dish or at tea-time!

Note:
If you are not too crazy about using only besan in this dish, you may use wheat flour or semolina in part with the besan.
Some people also add garlic to this dish -- I avoid it as I do not like garlic flavour for tea snacks!

Let me know how you like them :)

Macaroni & Cheese

2008-12-01T12:11:00.007-06:00

I know its 2 weeks since thanksgiving... or almost.. but you cannot blame me... I was too busy watching/following the news & events taking place in Mumbai over that weekend, that I didn't get out of the house.. literally! we were glued to our laptops & reading, watching whatever information we could get our hands on! well, that charade ended after 59hours! and life moves on! For a while, I wasn't sure if it was possible! Mumbai is home to us, its a part of our soul! it hurts to see it in this state! I wish, I wish for peace more than anything else for this world!!

But now coming back to this thanksgiving dinner which we had(Inspite of the horror in mumbai)... well, it wasn't a grand thing.. my sisters' family was over & another cousin. We had Mac-n-cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, Salad, Bread(store bought), Sides included -- Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Broccoli & Mushrooms!

Mac-N-Cheese:

2 cups Elbow Macaroni, cooked al dente according to the instructions on the box
2-3 cups White Sauce (Recipe follows)
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan
a handful of bread crumbs
1 tsp of Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste

For the White Sauce:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups of milk (low fat, full fat is entirely your choice)
1.5 cups of shredded Italian Cheese -- I used a mix of Parmesan & Asiago
Salt & Pepper to taste
A pinch of Cayenne Pepper
A pinch of freshly grated Nutmeg (optional)

In a Sauce pan, melt butter & add the flour. Cook till it changes colour slightly... be careful with the temperature, you do not want to burn the butter-flour paste.
Add the milk & whisk it all together.
Let it simmer on medium heat till you can see it all thicken up.
Add the spices. Mix well.
Take it off the heat.
At this point, mix in the shredded cheese & keep it aside.

Note: Shredded Cheese can be omitted if you want to go light. This was for thanksgiving, so I allowed the indulgence. Normally I do not add the cheese when I cook without any occasion.

Back to the Mac & Cheese now:
Cook the pasta al dente. You really want to retain the bite, as it will continue cooking in the oven with the sauce.
Mix in the white sauce.
Put a layer of cheese on top.
Cover the dish with a foil to retain the moisture.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes; or until the top layer is golden brown.
In the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top along with the cayenne pepper. I do this just to add a crunch to the dish. You can omit it if you like.
Serve hot!

Wrappers!

2008-11-11T15:56:00.006-06:00

I guess you can call them Veggie Wraps, or Paneer Wraps or any other name that you like. This was not supposed to be specifically paneer or veggie, so I am just going to call them 'Wrappers'.. sounds more fun, don't you think? The story behind this is just that I had some leftover boiled potatoes, some cooked chole (garbanzo beans) & some whole wheat tortillas...all gathered over the course of the week's dinners. I had a busy day that day, so wanted to fix something quick for dinner. This was easy & turned out delicious!

You will need:
1/2 cup boiled garbanzo beans (plain boiled with do fine if you don't have the cooked chole version)
1/2 cup boiled, chopped potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
Other salad items chopped that you would like in the wrap - I had tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber
A handful of chopped coriander & mint leaves; chopped green chillies
1/2 cup cubed paneer(if using frozen, make sure it is very well thawed)
1 cup curd, beaten
Wheat tortillas or chapattis -- whatever you have in hand

First of all, for the paneer -- you can just fry it & season with salt & keep aside. Or, marinate it in some thick yogurt & a tandoori masala or any other spice rub that you have.. keep aside for a while & then cook it on a griddle or grill till done. Keep aside.
Heat the tortiallas or chapattis.
Add cooked paneer, boiled beans & potatoes, all the other veggies.
Season to taste with salt or chaat masala.
Ladle a big spoonful of curd on top & then garnish with chillies & coriander-mint leaves.
Wrap it up & enjoy with some chutney or ketchup!
Dinner is ready in minutes!

Dudhi Halwa

2008-11-04T15:31:00.005-06:00

Dudhi Halwa is one of my favourite sweet dishes or dessert as we call them here. I remember my childhood days when Mom would make this for Diwali or a guest or just because Dad craved it! Dudhi(Bottle Gourd) is a very healthy vegetable as it is helpful in treating various stomach/digestive disorders. As a vegetable too it is one of my favourites. My Mom used to say to us when we were kids: "dudhi khao, toh budhi vadhe" -- which translates to that if you want to increase your brain power, eat dudhi! We won't go into the scientific reality of it here on this blog; but certainly the method to prepare the halwa:

Heat a pan & throw in the grated dudhi & let is cook on medium heat till all its water evaporates. (You may add a little to a few tablespoons of ghee if you like to cook the dudhi in; however I eliminated the ghee. At the end when the dish is ready, trust me, you will not miss the ghee!).
At this stage, add enough milk to the pan so as to cover all of the dudhi.
Keep stirring this mix till all of the milk is absorbed.
Now add powdered cardamom & sugar to taste.
Keep stirring till it starts to stick to the pan.
Turn the heat off.
Transfer into an air tight container to cool (do not put the lid on till its completely cooled)
Garnish with grated or chopped almonds.
Enjoy!

Notes:

If you are not comfortable to cook without measurements, use the basic sheera ratio:1 cup dudhi, 3/4 cup sugar, 2-3 cups milk - use your judgement to suit your personal tastes.
You may also add raisins to the halwa. If you do, keep in mind that the halwa may have a shorter shelf life. (owing to the fact that raisins have a sourness to them & the halwa is been cooked in milk)
You may also use 1 part cream/ half & half to get a richer, creamier halwa. As for me, I was completely satisfied with the results I got only using 2% organic milk.
This will stay a room temperature for a couple of days in cooler weather. However, its best to refrigerate this after a day or 2, if my any miracle you have some leftover until then!

P.S: I am really sorry that I am unable to post a picture with this.... the halwa was all gone before I had a chance of capturing it on camera :)

Spinach Avocado Parathas

2008-07-18T23:14:00.014-05:00

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamins K, A, C, Folate, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Calcium, & several other vitamins & minerals. Spinach has more iron per serving than most meats or vegetables. Something interesting that I recently found out about Spinach is that it loses its nutrient value the longer it stays in your refrigerator. So, these days I try to cook it within a day or two that I bring it from the store.

Avocado is a delicious fruit(belonging to the Berry family) most commonly eaten in the guacamole form - well at least here in Texas! To me, it has a very 'mango like' feel to it - well, not in taste or flavour, but the texture & the creaminess. Avocados are a good source of Vitamin K, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Folate, Copper, and contain more potassium than a medium banana! who would have thought, right!! Not to mention, it also contains less sugar than bananas! No, I am not trying to demote the bananas; they are still one of my favourites! Another thing that I heard somewhere is that the Hass Avocado from Mexico has half the fat compared to a California grown Avocado! Not sure how accurate this statement is, but sharing what I heard.

So, I wanted to make these Spinach parathas & opened my fridge to get the ingredients.. & saw there that I had some ripe avocados! Voila! instantly Spinach Avocado Parathas is what I decided to make.

You will need:
1 big bundle of Spinach
2 ripe Avocados (any kind you like)
A dash of lime/lemon juice
3-4 medium Green Chillies, chopped fine
1.5 tbsp Ginger paste
Salt & Black Pepper to taste (I love pepper with spinach)
3 tbsp very finely chopped Coriander
2 cups of Wheat Flour
2 tbsp of Oil (I used Canola)

Boil the Spinach, cool & puree it into a fine paste.
Peel, de-seed the Avocado & mash it. Mix it with the lime/lemon juice to avoid oxidizing.
Take the flour, add the salt & rub the oil onto the flour with your fingers.
Then mix in the rest of the ingredients form a smooth, soft dough.. add a little water while kneading if you require, but please be cautious with it, as the dough should be soft, but not too soft.

Roll them out into your desired size & thickness.
Heat a tawa/griddle. Place the rolled out paratha & cook until bubbles appear.
Turn over & cook till bubbles appear on this side.
Apply a little ghee or oil on both sides & cook till you see brown blisters on both sides.

Serve with any Bhaji, Yogurt or Pickles. We had the Parathas with a Dry Potato Bhaji & Punjabi Pachranga Pickle!

Go Green Curry {Cluster Beans with Broccoli & Spinach}

2008-07-17T13:38:00.003-05:00

I know what you are thinking, Cluster Beans with Broccoli & Spinach?? Odd combination! Certainly it sounds odd, but taste the end result & you will ove it!! Now one might wonder, what possessed me to even combine these 3 together; well, the answer is simply this that I wanted to empty my refrigerator. I had the 3 items in there for a couple of days & not enough of each to cook separately.

Ingredients:

1 cup each of leftover Broccoli, Cluster Beans & Spinach is what I had
1 medium Onion, chopped.
4-5 cloves of Garlic, minced.
2 Green Chillies, chopped.
A few sprigs of Coriander/Cilantro, chopped fine.
Cumin & Mustard Seeds for tempering.
1 Sprig of Curry Leaves
Chilli Powder, Cumin-Coriander Powder, Turmeric, Amchur(Dry Mango powder), & Salt to taste.

Method:

Heat oil & fry the mustard, cumin & curry leaves. Add the hing to it.
Then add the onions, garlic & green chillies & fry until the onions start to change colour. Add all the masalas & stir for a minute.
Add the Cluster Beans first & cook on a medium flame until they begin to soften. Then add the Broccoli & cook both until almost done.
Finally add the spinach. Spinach will take only a few minutes to wilt; & once that is done, check everything for taste.

I let the vegetables fry up on high flame for the last few minutes, as I love the burnt, crunchy flavour, but ofcourse, thats only my preferance.
It is now ready to eat!

We ate this with Polis (Rotis) & really enjoyed it, my husband especially :)

Broiled Broccoli

2008-07-16T00:36:00.004-05:00

I had been gone a week to Chicago for a family wedding. My cousin sister got married last weekend & it was a blast. The family got together after a long time, we had relatives visiting from India for the wedding, so it was really a special trip. For me, it was like a trip back to my Mom's place.. as the entire week pretty much we had festive Gujarati foods - Shrikhand, Mango Ras, Undhiyu, Dhoklas, Khamans, Dahi vadi/Khandvis, Pooris, Gali Rotli (Puran Poli), Bharela Bhinda, Bateta, Kadhi, Dal, etc, etc.. not to mention Jalebi-Gathiya for breakfast one day...yummmm! Well, needless to say, our systems needed a break! So today, I just made a simple tomato soup & some Broccoli on the side. I will share the soup recipe another time. Here is the Broiled Broccoli though:

1 head of Broccoli, cut into big florets. I leave some of the stem on, as its edible
2 cloves of finely chopped Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste (Generous with the pepper)
Olive oil - optional.

Spread the broccoli on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients & broil on 500 Farheneit for 20 minutes or until you can see the colour changing.

Enjoy! I love eating broccoli in any form; but especially this way. It turns nutty & delicious!

Dal Fry

2008-06-20T21:22:00.008-05:00

Dal fry & Jeera Rice - this combination is sort of a comfort food choice! This dish is something which is enjoyable in the daily grind, but its best after a long day, or when you are out travelling to a cold hill station in India & at 11pm, the waiter serves you this dal with phulka & rice... yumm yumm! Well, looks like I am making a trip down the memory lane just about now :) I am sure everyone has their own recipe for this dish. I always make it Punjabi style.. well, atleast I think it is a Punjabi recipe :)

Today I am making this for my little sister, who is visiting us from India.. its too bad her trip has to be soo short :((

You will need:
1/8 cup Toor dal
1/8 cup Chana dal
1/8 cup Masoor dal (whole)
1/8 cup Yellow Moong dal (whole)

Soak everything for 30 minutes to an hour & pressure cook till tender. Mash it, add a little water(if dry) & keep it warm over low heat. Keep in mind, that dal fry is usually thick, so add very little water if needed.

For the Tempering (Tadka, Fodni, Jhonk, Vaghar):
1 tbsp Mustard & Cumin seeds
A pinch of Hing(Asafoetida)
2 tbsp of fresh Ginger-Garlic paste
2 Green chillies (slit lengthwise) OR 5-6 dried Red chillies will also do
2 sprigs of Curry Leaves
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
1 large Tomato, finely chopped (this can be skipped, and you can add Amchur powder instead)
A handful of Coriander leaves, chopped
Red Chilli powder, Turmeric, Coriander-Cumin powder & Salt, all of these to your taste
2 tbsp Ghee/Oil
Lime juice for garnish.

Heat the fat of your choice & fry the mustard & cumin seeds. Add hing.
Follow with the curry leaves, chillies & saute the onions until translucent.
Add the masalas, fry for a minute.
Then, if you are using tomatoes, add now & cook until tender.
Top off with the coriander leaves at the very end & turn off the flame.
Add this to the dal, give it a quick stir & serve it immediately.
Garnish with lime juice.

Tip: You can cook the dal ahead of time if you need, but make sure to heat it & give the tadka just before sitting down to eat. Its best enjoyed fresh & hot with naan, rotis or any rice.

Methi Amba

2008-06-19T16:01:00.010-05:00

What can I say about Methi Amba. It is delicious, delicious, delicious! As the name suggests, the two main ingredients in this are Methi (Fenugreek Seeds) and Amba (Raw Mango). It is not a year long pickle, but more that you would make & finish within a few weeks. In any case, it is so tasty, that it wouldn't last a year, even if it were meant to!! Aai (my Mother in law) makes this every year & sends it for us. I usually ask for it too, as I am never happy with the raw mangoes that we get here in the US. They hardly ever have the sourness that we need to make this pickle. But a few weeks ago, I came across really nice raw mangoes & decided to give this a try.

Disclaimer: It is not nearly as yummy as Aai's version!!

Ingredients:

2 big Raw Mangoes
1 cup jaggery
1 tsp Methi (Fenugreek) Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric
2 sprigs of Curry Leaves
6-8 cloves of Garlic, chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for tempering

Heat oil, add the cumin seeds. & allow them to splutter.
Then add methi, curry leaves & garlic. Stir around.
Add salt, chilli powder & turmeric to all of this & cook for a minute.
Add in the mango & cook on medium heat till about half done.
Add in the jaggery & continue cooking till the mixture thickens up.
Methi Amba is ready :)

It will keep outside for 2-3days (maybe less, depends on the temperature inside the house). However, it will last you a fortnight or so if stored properly in an air tight container & kept refrigerated!

Paneer Toast

2008-06-18T13:01:00.009-05:00

I am always lost when it comes to making breakfast. I usually end up making poha or upma for a hot breakfast; or stick to plain old cereals, khakras or other breads, even though there are so many options out there :). Well, this morning I woke up & craved these paneer toasts that we used to make a lot over at our house. Its nutritious, healthy & most of all, filling! I enjoyed the toasts so much, that I am thinking of having the same for lunch :)

To make them, you will need:
1 cup of shredded or crumbled Paneer
1 big handful of any White Cheese(I used Parmesan, but I recommend using Amul Cheese for this dish if you have it) -
1-2 tbsp of finely chopped Green Chillies (to your taste)
1 handful of chopped Coriander(Cilantro)
a generous amount of fresh ground Black Pepper
Salt to taste (Remember that the cheese will already have some sodium in it)

Grate the paneer & cheese & mix together.
Top it with rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
Fill the mixture generously between 2 slices of bread (I used wheat) & toast them in your Sandwich Maker till done. It should make 4 such sandwiches.
Enjoy with ketchup, chutney & a cup of tea!

Today, I also added some Spinach & Fenugreek leaves to the toasts. The recipe that I gave earlier is the basic recipe, and it can be modified to your taste. One of my aunts' likes to add potatoes with the paneer, to make it even more filling!

Sprouted Salad

2008-06-17T12:48:00.009-05:00

This is a salad that my Mom used to make when we had guests over. As with all of other other dishes, this salad too was an instant favourite amongst our guests. She is a great cook - very versatile & adapts recipes to ingredients in hand or to the taste of her guests or family. I always admired that growing up about her cooking. I spent most of my time just watching her -- it was just fascinating to see her create these wonderful dishes.
Anyhow, I was not very fond of this salad when I was younger but it sure has grown onto me & now it is one of my favourites! It is such an easy salad & flexible too as you can add whatever you have on hand. I made this over the weekend for a friend's baby shower & it was a hit :)

You will need: (8-10 side servings or 6-8 big meal size servings)
1 cup each of sprouted Moong beans & Moth beans
1/2 cup of sprouted Red Garbanzo beans
2-3 small Japanese Cucumbers, chopped fine
1 cup shredded Cabbage
1/2 cup shredded Carrots
1 Bell pepper(I used green), chopped fine
1 cup Green Grapes
1-2 Apples, chopped fine
1/2 cup Currants or Raisins

Sprouts the 3 beans before hand.
Mix in all the ingredients.
Season with salt, pepper, red chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, lime juice & cilantro.
Adjust to taste.
Serve chilled.

Onions always add a nice crunch to a salad, but I refrained from adding them here, as they reduce the shelf life of the salad. (Minus the onions, the salad stays fresh in your fridge for 3-4 days).

As alternates, pomegranate, pears, cranberries, nuts -- it all works!
I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do :)

Rice & Corn Upma

2008-06-04T15:27:00.005-05:00

I tried fresh corn upma this time when I was in India. I didn't have any fresh corn on hand today, so I decided to use some corn meal with regular rawa. It turned out incredibly yummy.. had a great nutty taste to it. We enjoyed it a lot!

Here is the recipe:
1 cup rice rawa
1 cup corn meal
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 green chillies, chopped (I had some fresh red chillies, so I used those)
7-8 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal
A few pinches of asafoetida(hing)
Salt to taste
Grated fresh/dried coconut as garnish
Oil for tempering
4-5 cups of hot water

Heat a little oil, splutter mustard seeds, then fry the cumin & urad dal till it changes colour. Add curry leaves & hing. Add chillies, fry the onions till they change colour. Then roast the rawa till you can smell it; add the corn meal to it.. mix it well. Add the desired amount of salt & slowly add the hot water... be very careful as this will jump back at you! Add enough water till it covers the rawa & corn meal mix & keep stirring on medium heat till it all thickens up.
Garnish with grated coconut, a wedge of lime.

I enjoyed my upma with a cup of hot tea! Mmmm...

As an additional garnish, you can also have some sev or spicy chivda! yummy!!

Minestrone Soup

2008-05-31T23:33:00.005-05:00

Minestrone Soup is a quick & easy meal in itself. Its loaded with lots of veggies & also a little bit of pasta. Don't you love the soup & salad nights? This recipe is simple, delicious & hearty.

You will need:
3-4 large tomatoes, blanched, de-skinned & crushed.
2 carrots chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1/2 cup of chopped french beans
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup green peas
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup of elbow pasta, or any small size pasta that you like
4 cups of water or vegetable stock

Seasoning: salt, pepper, dried Italian herbs.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan. Saute the garlic, onion & celery until it begins to sweat. Add in the dried Italian herbs mixture of your choice, and follow that with the tomatoes & all of the water or stock. Bring it all to a boil, add your pasta & the veggies & cook until tender. Season with salt & pepper to taste & simmer for a few more minutes.

Minestrone Soup is now ready to be enjoyed!

If you prefer it spicy, add crushed red pepper to taste when you add in the herbs.

Vangyacha Rassa (Spicy Eggplant Curry)

2008-05-30T05:41:00.008-05:00

Rassa means thin gravy, however, in Vidarbha it also means spicy, flavourful & irresistible! Rassa bhajis are made as feast items & generally the basic versions include potato & eggplant rassa.

I was first introduced to it after my wedding. We had arranged for a lunch reception at my father-in-laws village where some of our family still lives. One of the items at lunch was a rassa bhaji. I fell in love immediately; not to mention I need antacids right away! The thin rassa was full of flavourful ingredients -- poppy seeds, dried coconut, peanuts, green chillies, garlic-ginger, etc. When we got back to Mumbai, I told Aai(my mother-in-law) that I have to learn the rassa.
So, here goes:

Grind to a powder:
2T khus khus (white poppy seeds)
1/2 cup dried, shredded coconut
1/4 cup raw peanuts
5-6 pieces of cashews/almonds (optional, but it adds a slight mildness to the spicy rassa; and therefore we can leave out the sugar)

Dry roast the above ingredients until brown & grind them into a powder. Keep aside. (This powder will keep good if stored in an air tight container for a good couple of months)

Grind to a paste:
5-6 cloves of Garlic
1 large Onion, sliced.

Heat a little oil, and brown the garlic & then the onion. Once cool, grind it together to a paste. Keep aside.

Once we have the paste & the powder ready, we can proceed to make the rassa.

In a pan, heat generous amout of oil(as much as you can dare), and temper mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, green chillies & hing. Then fry the garlic-onion paste for a few minutes.

Add the following to your taste:
Red Chilli Powder
Turmeric,
Coriander-Cumin powder,
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp of the ground up masala. Let it cook till oil oozes out from the sides.

Then add chopped Eggplants & cook for a few more minutes. Add about 2-3 cups of warm water, goda masala(or any garam masala), chopped coriander & cook until the eggplant is done. The oil at this point should form a thin layer on the top.

Enjoy with Rodge/Roti/Rice.

Rodge/Bittya (baati)

2008-03-20T10:16:00.008-05:00

Rodge or Bittya, like baati is unleavened bread, made out of wheat flour. These are however baked underground until the outer layer is crunchy & crispy & the inner layers soft. Traditionally, dried cow dung cakes are used as a fuel to cook these with.

(For centuries, in rural India, other than as manure, dehydrated cow dung has been used as fuel for fire. Combined with straw, they are dried in the sun till they turn hard. According to Ayurveda (traditional system of Indian medications and treatments), both cow dung and urine are anti-septic. In Ayurveda, it is widely used for treatment of various skin problems and gastrointestinal problems. There are said to be 40-50 medicines made from it. Dried up dung is also believed to be an excellent (and inexpensive) insulator. The fire flamed with the use of cow dung is said to also act as an air cleanser.)

Here is how to make Rodge:
2 cups of Wheat flour,
Salt to taste,
Oil,
Water to knead

Take the flour, mix in the salt & add generous amount of oil & rub it into the flour. Add water little at a time & knead it into a hard dough. Keep aside for about an hour.
Coat the palms of your hands with oil, and keep kneading until you end up with a relatively soft dough.
Take a small portion of it & roll it out thin like a roti, apply a thin layer of oil to it & fold it into 4-5 layers & ultimately into a small ball.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.
* It is very important to not have any openings in the Rodge as they will crack while baking.

So, to bake these, a hole is dug in the ground(more wide,than deep) & a layer of dried cow dung cakes are set aflame(like coals).. once the smoke reduces, they are put aside; the Rodge are layered flat into the hole & then covered up with the flamed dung cakes. This is baked for 10-15 minutes, and then the sides are turned. After another 10 minutes, they are checked for colour, that is, the outer layer should be brown. At this point, they are almost ready. To finish cooking them entirely, the heat is reduced by removing some of the cakes & then continued to cook for another 10-15 minutes.
They are then removed from the fire, and smothered generously with ghee!

Rodge are now ready! They are eaten with a spicy eggplant curry & a simple plain dal(varan).

As an alternative, a charcoal grill would work fine, as it will add to the earthy flavour of this bread.

Thecha

2008-02-28T14:51:00.003-06:00

Thecha is a delicious, spicy condiment which livens up any dish & gives your meal a very rustic feel. Again, this is part of my Experiences of India tag..& also part of the farm meals that I talked about in my earlier posts.

The recipe couldn't be any simpler. Roast up some green chillies over flame or on a pan (with or without oil) & some garlic cloves & grind it up using a mortar & a pestle with salt & cumin seeds. It need not be a smooth paste; just enough to incorporate garlic & chillies. If you don't want garlic, thats fine too -- its to your taste. I love garlic in most of my Maharashtrian cooking.
Again, there are no rules to this recipe. If you prefer, you can plain grind up chillies, salt & cumin & serve it with oil at the time of eating. Fire roasting chillies just gives it more of an earthy taste. I love it!

Some even make thecha with dried red chillies.. its good! Give it a try!

Bhakar

2008-02-28T14:42:00.001-06:00

Bhakar or Bhakri in Marathi, and Rotla/Rotlo in Gujarati is an unleavened bread most commonly made out of Jowar(sorghum) or Bajari(Pearl Millet).. Sometimes it is also made with Ragi/Nachani(Finger Millet). The flour out of these cereals is coarser than fine flour, is high in protein & therefore more nutritious.

Bhakri preparations vary from region to region. In Maharashtra, or atleast in the Vidharbh region, bhakri is prepared by mixing salt to the flour & adding hot water into the well which you would create in the centre & knead it into a rough dough with the help of a spoon. Take small portion enough for one bhakar & knead it into a smooth dough with more flour & water as required. Traditionally bhakar is made by hand instead of the rolling pin. I only wish I had taken pictures of my mother in law & aunts making them! Let me try to atleast illustrate how its done. So you take the smoothly knead soft dough in your wet hands & flatten the dough into like a disk.

Place your fingers under the dough in the centre & with your other hand, roll the dough around in a way that is starts to get thinner & flatter on the sides & the centre will sort of pop upwards. (as you have the fingers placed under there)

Once you have achieved a circle of 5-6inches, you pull off the popped-up dough & set aside & then continue with wet hands to slap the bhakar from hand to hand till its atleast 10-12inches round.

On a hot pan, allow the bhakar to cook half-way on one side, when you see small bubbles forming, add a layer of water over the top of the bhakar & cover the pan.. after a few seconds, once the water has been absorbed, turn over & allow to cook uncovered for a little while longer, till you feel that the entire bhakar has been more or less cooked. Then you finish cooking it over the flame but turning sides till you see brown specs appearing on it. Apply some ghee over it & enjoy.

Always keep the cooked bhakri under a kitchen towel to keep it from drying out.

Back here to the US, my experience with the store bought flour hasn't been a happy one. The flour maybe old or not pure -- I am not sure of the reasons, however, I have been unable to make a smooth dough with either just the jowar or bajri. So what I do, is mix in some wheat flour while making the dough -- I mix just enough to attain a smooth dough & enough that it all combines together. The jowar or bajri alone sort of always falls apart on me!

My reciepe is as follows:

1 cup jowar flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

Salt to taste

Hot water to knead the dough

Heat the water till it almost comes to a boil. Mix in the salt with the flour & add water in slowly till you can make a dough.

I then take the desired amount of dough & roll it out & follow the same method as mentioned earlier. Apply some water on the top side once I put the bhakar on the griddle, turn it over.. Allow it to cook some more & then finish it off over the flame.

Enjoy it warm with ghee drizzled all over it.

For those who use electric cooking range, one way to make the bhakar would be after applying the water on one side, cover the griddle for a few seconds to let it cook. Then turn sides & cover the pan again till its done. Make sure to keep the heat over medium. Apply ghee & Enjoy!

Takacha Besan (Chickpea flour curry)

2008-02-07T10:57:00.002-06:00

Ok, so everyone has heard about Zunka Bhakar.. its probably one of the most widely known traditional Maharashtrian dishes. But at our home, this dry dish(Zunka) is not as popular as the wet one(Besan). It was one of the first things I learned to make when I met my husband & its become my favourite. Its also a very convenient dish if you run out of vegetables & don't have time to hurry to the grocery store.

Takacha Besan or also known as just Besan, and more commonly as Pithala is a delicious dish -- for me its more of a comfort food. Its most commonly had with a 'Bhakar' -- either jowar or bajri; and also its a good compliment to the sunday night 'Khichadi'.

'Besan' is ofcourse chickpea flour & 'Takacha' means, its make with 'tak' - which is buttermilk. The more sour the buttermilk, the tastier the dish comes out to be. So, if you have curd/yogurt which is in your fridge for a couple of days, it'll work best.

Take about a cup of sour yogurt (preferable, but its not a rule set in stone) & add to it about 1/2 cup of besan, salt, turmeric & stir it till the mix is lump free. Add to that about 2 cups of lukewarm water, and keep aside for about 30 minutes.

Chop a medium onion lenghtwise, couple of cloves of garlic, some fresh coriander & green chillies to taste. (red chillies may also be used instead)
Wash & dry curry leaves & keep aside.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil, add mustard seeds, cumin & a pinch of hing (asafoetida). As it all splutters, add the curry leaves, chillies & the garlic. Give it all a stir. Then add the onions. Once they change colour, add the chopped coriander leaves, red chilli powder, cumin-coriander powder & allow to cook for a minute. Make sure that the heat is on medium at this point. Now, add all of the chickpea mix to the pan & keep stirring on medium heat. The mix will start to bubble & even splatter around - so be careful. Keep stirring contintuously till the mixture turns into a pretty thick gravy.

Serve hot with bhakar.

In the picture, you can see that I served the besan over the bhakar itself. The bhakar acts as a plate in this case, and one would eat off of it with another piece of bhakar. In the end, when you are done with the besan & all... the leftover bhakar tastes great as it has soaked up all the flavours of besan, chutneys, etc.
Also in the picture with the besan, I have some chopped onion (Back in the farm, they just smash the little white onions with their hands against a stone or so, and the taste of that is just amazing!), lasun chutney & green chilli chutney called thecha.

Note: The chickpea flour varies by brand & so if you feel that the gravy didn't turn thick enough, try adding some more flour next time. These are all approximate measures & can be varied to taste & preference.

Experiences of India

2008-02-06T11:11:00.000-06:00

India is full of diversity in every sense of the word -- culture, people, languages, clothing, food, etc. Here ofcourse, I will mainly be talking about the food diversity. Each state, and each region within the state has their own recipe for different ingredients.

I recently came back from my trip to India & visited the Vidharbh region of Maharashtra... thats where my husbands family is from. Needless to say, I found so many differences there from what I thought was typical maharashtrian cooking! We had the privilege of having 2 farm lunches... where the meals where prepared right at the farms, & served hot! It was amazing... unbelievable.. the local vegetables, using what was in season, all fresh & beautiful.

I hope to write about the foods we ate there over the next few posts. I do not have pictures unfortunately for the farm cooking, as my husband was away visiting another farm, and he had the camera with him... but I hope that I can re-create atleast the experience with the recipes.

First up: Takacha Besan (chickpea flour curry), with Jowarichi Bhakri (sorghum flour bread)

Maggi noodles with vegetables

2008-01-31T16:12:00.000-06:00

As most children(and adults) in India, we enjoyed Maggi noodles very much. We probably had it once a week.. my brother liked it plain with just the masala & we sisters with ketchup. Knowing me, I had to try them in a different way. So one day, I took inspiration from hakka noodles (for the vegetables part) and the fact that I love maggi with ketchup, I came up with this. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do in our family. I made this last night; a perfect cold weather dish.

You will need:

200gms Maggi Masala Noodles
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium sized green bell pepper (any bell pepper would be ok, but I love the taste of green)
1 carrot, cut into sticks
1 cup french beans, cut thin lengthwise
3 green chilles, slithered (you may use more or less per taste)
1/3 cup tomato ketchup
3-4 tbsp dark soy sauce
3-4 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp hot sauce (modify to taste)
cracked black pepper, to taste
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, saute the green chillies & the onions. Once they change colour, add the bell peppers & allow to cook for a minute. Add the carrots, french beans & do the same. Lastly, add the cabbage & mix it all together. Add the sauces, vinegar, salt, pepper, maggi masala & allow to cook for 30 seconds. Add the noodles & the required amount of water as mentioned on the packet. Cook until done.
Enjoy!

Note: If you do not have maggi noodles, any other noddle will work here. To replace the masala, just add a little of chilli powder, turmeric, dhania-jeera (coriander-cumin) powder.

Artichoke Salad

2007-07-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

Salads can be so diverse... have them as meals, appetizers, side dish or even as a dessert. They are only limited to ones' imagination.

I recently experimented with an artichoke salad. I was always iffy about using fresh artichokes - one can never figure out how much of an artichoke you are to eat & how much of it to discard. So after several google searches, I felt confident with the fresh chokes. I love the artichoke dips, marinated or pickled variety,but the fresh ones, I had tried them only once before. It was on a trip to California. I was new to the United States & still learning about the different fruits & vegetables we get here compared to India. So anyways, my cousin ordered this particular appetizer.. a whole steamed artichoke, which you are to eat by pulling of the tender leaves with aioli sauce (made typically with garlic & olive oil). I tried it quite enthusiastically... I am a foodie, I'll try anything vegetarian once, however this didn't do anything for me!! (remember, these were new tastes & textures for me).

Thus, being determined to change my experience to a positive one, I thought of having it in a salad - washed, cleaned, boiled for 30-45minutes & cut in into sort of cubes. The salad also included fresh arugula, kidney beans(soaked overnight & then pressure cooked), cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions & some zesty delicious feta cheese.

The vinaigrette was a sweet & sour kind - extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, lime juice & some local honey.

Needless to say, it was a hearty meal for lunch. I had a garlic crostini to make it completely satisfying... ok, so maybe I had a few crostinis & not just one, but who's couting??