Methi Tikki

It has been a very long time since I have last blogged....there has been a lot going on in our lives....and this has put me off my stride....have been meaning to get back to it for quite a while - but have found that once I am off - it is almost forgotten....weird right...considering how into it I was once...

Anyways after ages, I actually baked something...muffins with figs and cashew nuts....sounds very yum....somehow it did not turn out that good - there was some problem either with the recipe or the method - or with the usual substitutions that I tend to bring to any recipe I read...so whatever ...the end result was not truly professional ( it was ok for me and my family...)...so though we all ate & relished it up - I did not feel like I could write about it - maybe after I tweak it some more...

Then a couple of days later - a bunch of methi leaves which were sitting in my fridge and nagging me to do something...got me started in the thinking, planning, recipe reading etc...mode....
After a lot of thought decided to go ahead with the making of tikkis...had all the necessary ingredients on hand...and it had been a really long time since I had last made it...
Then had to choose between the more healthy option of baking...or the more tasty option of fried...went with the fried for this time...

Somehow during the making of this, I kept remembering my mother-in-law, an amazing cook and an avid foodie herself - even ill health ( towards the later years ) did not keep her from getting involved in the process of any special dish being prepared...
One such memory still lingers, of her removing the leaves of the methi - then after the dough was put in the dish - she supervised the amount of oil to be added and mixed it herself - and saw to the addition of the spices and leaves, left the final kneading and frying to the cook, she was so particular about how it is to be prepared....esp. if it was being prepared for her loved ones...
Though she has told me how she used to do this ...and I have prepared it too earlier as per her recipe - this time around I did not remember all the details - so looked up the net for a few different options ( will check it out later to see how it differs from m-i-l's version )...

Adai Dosa



Adai Dosa

 

 It is our anniversary today – and we have planned to go out to dinner, but I had wanted to make something different, something special at home…so decided I would make dosa the previous evening for dinner along with sambhar, potato veggie, chutney….hubby loves dosas ( I think he married a south Indian hoping he would have dosa, idli  everyday,  didn’t happen ) …...but as I said special occasion calls for special dosa…and so today it was the turn of adai dosa…....a mix of various dals (lentils) & rice …..

For a South Indian idli, dosas are normally a common affair…. at Mom’s place she would make the regular rice-udad dal dosa, or else neer dosa – which is only rice ( some make it with coconut & rice ), and she had her own concoctions when she had leftover batter – she would add rava, or maida or even egg and increase the quantity so that she had sufficient dough for another breakfast ( that was when we normally had it ) ….

In my case initially I would make only the regular dosa – rice-udad dal combo, tried neer dosa a couple of times without much success…it requires a skill to pour the batter and turn the skillet  to cover the entire pan and make a paper thin dosa – my mom’s were so amazing that we would generally coax her to make some for us.

Later I broadened my scope ( thru net, friends etc..) and tried  few other variations of dosa – one of which is already on my blog – pesarattu and the other is adai dosa. Am hoping to attempt the neer dosa one day ( hopefully with more success than my previous attempts, wish me luck )….nyways thought I should post my adai on the blog, this is one of the tastiest dosa and sometimes I feel that it can be had on it’s own ( almost )…it is that good….and here’s how I go about it…..

Oh and before I get down to the recipe let me tell you that there are many different combinations and proportions for this recipe – you could try out your combi too….so not too worry about the exact proportions….if you do not have any one dal, omit it or use more of the others…

Ingredients:

1 cup regular rice

½ cup idli rice, or you can use boiled rice

½ cup each of tuvar, moong, chana, udad dal  ( total 2 cups )

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

2-3 green chillies

A few sprigs of coriander

1 medium onion chopped ( optional )

 

Method :

1)      Soak  both rice, all dals, fenugreek seeds in sufficient water for 6-8 hrs or overnight.

2)      Chop green chillies  roughly…and add to above mixture.

3)      Grind with little water to make a fine batter. Do not add too much water initially, you can add it later if required to get dosa batter consistency.

 

4)      Keep for 6-8 hrs or overnight, the batter will ferment and rise to twice it’s quantity.

5)      Add salt to taste and chopped coriander and lightly mix it in.

6)      Take a ladle full of batter and pour onto a non-stick pan. Keep on high heat for a minute and then reduce the heat, keep covered, after a minute check if dosa is done on one side, turn the dosa over and keep for a minute on medium to low heat on the other side.



 

7)      Once done on both sides – take out and serve hot.

8)      If adding onions  - you could either put it in the batter along with coriander or after pouring the batter onto the pan you could sprinkle the onions on the top.

Enjoy !!!

The dosa was a big hit – took some over to Mom’s too…she too loved it, made some mini masala utappam with it the next day ( day of anniversary – so breakfast also was made special )…..here’s wishing my dearest hubby a very happy anniversary….and a big thank you for all the wonderful years that we have spent together.

Eggless Carrot & Apple Muffins

Eggless Carrot Apple Muffins

The rain gods have really been showing their might the past few days, this in the month of September ...is most unusual - but then this year - the monsoon has been very weird - in the months of June to August ( when it should have been at it's peak ) it hardly rained - a few short bursts of rainfall and then hot & dry the rest of the time....we were all worried for our yearly water supply, which if the lakes were not filled would be short ....well now I think that problem should be taken care of....

But all this unprecedented rains is causing a lot of gloom....we generally tend to avoid going out - due to the roads being bad ( potholes etc...) and traffic slowing down...and being at home more than a couple of weekends brings in a feeling of claustrophobia...so it was with a sigh of relief that I greeted the news that we were going to meet up with some friends this weekend....some gupshup...some chai / shai...a welcome change.

So now that was set...my mind got whirring...what do I take with me....ran through my list of cakes/ muffins....our friends would prefer something without eggs...thought of my favourite eggless chocolate cake...but having made that a couple of times recently, decided against it, thought of a carrot cake - had a great eggless recipe ( had made it once before - my sister's friends had given it a thumbs up...awarded it the no. 1 place )...so went ahead with that plan...even started with the carrots...but then while going thru the recipes I had noted with me ( on the search for the above carrot cake recipe ) ....found this carrot & apple muffins....it also had coconut ( which I was keen on )...and there the capricious mind was hooked...

Rice Chilla

When I first heard this name I was not sure what it was, how it looked, how was it made....then I realised that it was a modified version of  what we called a tomato omelet - we use to have it in restaurants ( Mom did not prepare it at home when we were kids ) -  do not know why they called it omelet ( it did not have eggs ) - was basically made from besan and served with a couple of triangles of bread.

While the tomato omelet is made of besan & onions, chillies, tomatoes...rice chilla as the name suggests has rice flour in it too...I was introduced to the above variation by my friend.

We were invited to lunch at my friend's place, they stay in the neighbouring state - it was a hour and half drive to their place ( but since it was mainly on the interstate - not really that bad a drive and quite scenic so the time really does tend to fly by)...
 
We always have a great time at my friend's place - she is part of my group of college friends and hence we have known each other a long time...there is something very comforting about meeting up with old friends...and having known her family too for as long....you feel totally at home with them...so we were looking forward to meeting them all again and since G ( my friend ) and her mom ( aunty) are great cooks, were anticipating a yum lunch.

When we arrived there, G and aunty were busy getting the lunch organised and then after most of the main dishes were all set, G started pouring out ladle full of the batter ( rice chilla ) onto the pan...and serving it to us piping hot in turns ...it was really delicious ( chilla and the entire meal ).....so had to get the recipe from her right away.

G gave me the info on the dish - but those days we were busy with winding up our stuff in US and the move back to India and settling down and other issues ....so for a while this dish was out of my mind.
Later remembered it ( sort of ) - tried to recreate it...made some changes...not sure how true to G's recipe I have managed to come to....but have gotten an amazing result...and thought let me share it....

Rajma Tikki - Kidney Beans Cutlet

Rajma Tikki

Certain dishes just tend to happen...without planning or thought...well not exactly ( some thought does go into it )...but almost...since this is how this tikki happened...

My original plan was to make a 3 bean salad , but one of the 3 beans (the kidney beans ) that I had pressure cooked was under done...so could not use it that day...so froze them...with plans to recook and then use another time...

Recently I had made rajma curry...and then a few days later it was rajma rice...so was not too keen to do either of  those again...wanted to do something different...

Then I remembered a recipe I had watched on the Food Channel...it was a tikki with rajma and brown rice...but did not have all the ingredients ready.....so decided to go for our traditional cutlet (tikki) recipe...with potato etc...

So that's how this all came about...and boy, was I glad I went with it...it was really and truly awesome...and so I had to share the recipe with all of you...here's hoping that you all love it too...

Ingredient :

1/2 cup rajma  - kidney beans
2 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
2 green chillies
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 Tblspn of oats
1 or 2 slices of bread or bread crumbs
a few sprigs of coriander leaves.
oil for shallow frying.

 Method :

1) Soak the rajma ( kidney beans ) over night and then pressure cook it with about 1/8 tsp of salt, till done. Drain the water ( you can use it in a curry ). Mash the beans.
2) Boil and mash the potatoes after draining the water.
3) Chop the onions and chillies and coriander leaves.
4) Mix rajma, potatoes, the veggies above and the seasonings, oats, ...then if required add bread crumbs or a slice or two of bread, you need for it all to come together. The oats and bread absorb any moisture left in the cooked beans and potatoes. Do not make it too dry.
5) Form small balls the size of a lemon...flatten it slightly and then shallow fry it in a non-stick pan with a little oil. Cook on both sides till it becomes firm and browned up.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
Enjoy !!!

This is good as a chaat - with beaten curds, chaat masala and roasted cumin powder sprinkled over it...you could add the green chutney and tamarind chutney too...
Or it could be had as a snack, or as a side with a meal, any which way - it is an amazing dish.

I made a few and kept the mix for the next day to make some more - had wanted to give some to my mom too to try out - she also loves trying out what ever I make...love to have her opinion on the same.
Since both T and my mom gave the thumbs up for these - guess I will be making it soon again...would be great if you try it out and let me know how you like it too....
 

Apple muffins

Apple muffin

The original recipe given to me by my friend has applesauce in it...and even when I was in the US with easy access to that product, I never used it...would generally make do with Gala apples - the red delicious apples which we would regularly stock at home...

Back here in India - I use whatever I tend to have at hand...am not sure of the names of any of the varieties - one they call Chinese, the large one sold with a mesh cover, then another small red variety and another large red types...just shows how ignorant I am....not that it matters which one but generally for these muffins if using the Chinese ones which are pretty large I use one and half - whereas if using the small red variety - I tend to use 2...

While in US, I used to make these many times, somehow here I have broadened my scope of baking and keep trying out different recipes and have not really baked these as much...but it is one of my all time favourites - the flavours, taste, smell of these are more subtle than the banana muffins which have a more intense, in your face types,  taste & smell of bananas...
The delicate taste of apples as it comes thru when you bite into it...along with the aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar is something to relish.

So when we were invited to dinner along with my visiting sis-in-law and her hubby to a cousin's place, I decided to bake these apple muffins...it was her favourite muffin and so I thought she would enjoy it...and so would our hostess and her two lovely daughters...

The dinner was amazing, we also had a delayed Raksha Bandhan since both my husband's sister and cousin had not met my husband since then...it was a fun party with lots of jokes and remembrances of past Raksha Bandhan. B ( our hostess ) is a very lively person and keeps us all in splits with her take on all matters....so thanks to all of them  for the lovely time we had...

Bajra Roti

Bajra Roti

A visit to the Salon ( Beauty parlour ) is so revitalising...both literally ( hair color takes 10 years off your age that you both look and feel younger ) and mentally ( it does relax you, a great de-stresser )....so my visit yesterday in the afternoon and all that buffing and polishing and pampering was very effective, it recharged me ....and got me going thru the list of things I had planned for this weekend...( currently I am half way thru, I think )...

Lots of baking - plan to carry some muffins to a cousin's place tomorrow ( for after dinner desert ), some cookies at my parent's place for visiting relatives, my biscotti ( baked a couple of days back ) at home, and some brownies for nephew and niece who will also be visiting...phew !!!

You would think with all of that going on, I would take a break and relax, but as the saying goes 'there is no rest for the weary'...though I wonder what does that mean ?!? ....why not ? guess if they are as crazy as me...it explains all...
I think what keeps me going is the pleasure I get when it turns out great and everyone enjoys what I have prepared...all the aches and pains vanishes...

Nyways so after all the above baking...(i.e at the halfway point of my list)...got sidetracked with lunch .... in mood for something different from our regular roti, went in for a more elaborate affair...bajra roti, and along with that a mixed dal (udad, tuvar, moong), baigan ka subzi ( brinjal vegetable ), and grated jaggery, chaas ( buttermilk ), mmmmhhhh....

That meal so hit the spot - pleasure in food  ( preparing and eating ) also is a good revitaliser...the rotis were just so, chaas amazing ( courtesy T ), dal, subzi, jaggery the perfect additions ....only problem...after that substantial meal - had to go in for an afternoon siesta...so after all there is rest for the weary :-)....and list is still pending....

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Biscotti...the word conjures up images of travel, exotic places, romance, intrigue...makes you wish you were all dressed up in a pretty frock(with frills & lace), gloves & hat...like you see in some old British movies...and sitting down to tea ...
The origin of biscotti ( which means twice baked ) is from Italy and it is from this that the English biscuit got it's name...though here it was refered to any biscuit and not particularly those that are twice baked.

Why is it that though it is our regular fare of dal-chawaal ( lentil-rice ) or chapati-subzi (flat bread and vegetable ), and curds ?...is what satisfies us most when we have it for lunch or dinner....it is when we talk of dishes from far away lands we feel as we have had something really good....words like pasta, enchilada, risotto, spaghetti, haka noodles...they all sound so sophisticated, romantic, and grand...like something special...

So anyways when I came upon this recipe of biscotti,  I could not resist trying it out...had been bookmarked it, but kept putting it off only cause I felt the whole process would be time consuming, making of the mix, then baking, waiting for it to cool, then cut it, and bake it again...
But surprisingly it was not that bad...blanching the almonds for this dish took more time, I think :-)...next time around the almonds will go in with the skin....in fact in oldtimes that was how they baked it...and in some modifications they also added some spice...so could try that too.

I saw a couple of recipes, one from Joy of Baking, and second adapted from it..in EasyCooking Blog...both amongst my favourites sites...decided to use that ....and of course as usual I made my own changes...and it turned out FAB !!! ..... using new lingo in the hopes that it will go with the word Biscotti... ha, ha, ha, ha...rather than my usual delicious or amazing...really do have to upgrade my vocab ...since the number of blogs are increasing, am finding it increasingly difficult to come up with new words to compliment the dishes...
Of course would love it if any of my tasters ( subjects ? ) could help with the words...but today after tasting this biscotti...the expression on T's face told more than words...and he went for seconds right away...and that told me that I had a hit on my hands...

Banana smoothie

Banana Smoothie

This year the rains have a strange pattern...it comes in fits and starts...it is certainly more scanty than earlier years...not at all like Mumbai monsoon...and since it is not a sustained rainfall there has not been any appreciable cooling down of the temperatures...we have been having more of summer like  rather than monsoon like weather...

Our regular (for the summer ) cooling drink of lassi along with our meals have been carried over to this supposedly rainy season too...and today with the heat still on, thought that instead of our mid morning regular fare of fruits, it would be great to have a smoothie...a cool refreshing healthy and yummy drink.

Smoothies are something we have had quite regularly in the recent past...earlier whenever we had to make a drink with a fruit it would be more like milkshakes - e.g. banana or mango or chikoo pulsed with milk and sugar...and there you have your typical drink...
Then the concept of smoothie was introduced...though the smoothie could be made with milk as well...the more popular ingredient is yogurt, along with or without milk, & ice.
And due to health conscious folks - sugar free sweetners, or honey etc replaces regular sugar...
I also tend to add some nuts to give it that extra punch....

Many recipes call for crushed ice ....I prefer to use frozen fruit - generally when a banana has ripened and is being ignored by all and sundry - I quickly peel it and put it in a container and freeze it for further use...sometimes it is in a muffin or bread ...and as today in a smoothie...

In my quest for the perfect Nankhatai...Indian Cookie

Nankhatai

Nankhatai is one of the most popular Indian cookie, it is very light, crunchy and sweet of course, as a kid it used to be one of my favourite cookies, another was the coconut cookie, and a cookie similar to the Nankhatai was the very famous Shrewsbury biscuit which we would get when ever any one came from Pune ( which is where they were available at a bakery called Kayani's  ).

So where and why did my quest begin ? Well it all started when I came upon a recipe for Nankhatai....and I was like oh! wow, now I can make my own and that was the start of all my travails ....am wondering whether I should trouble all of you with all my troubles...but what the ????....why not...so here goes...

So continuing with my story.....I came upon this while browsing some other recipes on the net ( this is one of my favourite pasttimes....I know...I know...it seems like I have lots of time on my hands..not quite so...but nyways )....and  decided to try it out.

This recipe had all-purpose flour and desi ghee in it...and of course sugar...sounded yumm...so got out my ingredients, bowls...fired up the oven ...tried to follow the recipe as mentioned, but the end  product looked no where liked the picture in the recipe...tasted good, but was a bit crumbly...

Some more research ...( basically googling )....and got another recipe with butter this time...so tried that ...very different flavour and texture...but felt something was still missing...it was more salty ( mainly cause I used salted butter instead of using the unsalted one and adding salt as per the recipe called for ) and it was a bit dry...

Then lightbulb moment...decided to try with a slight modification ( a combination of first and second ) and voila...a much better version....I felt like shouting "Euraka" and dancing around ( though a more censored version than Archimedes's)....

Beetroot Salad - Beetroot Kosambari

Beetroot Salad

When you read newspapers or magazines re. what to eat, what is good for you, you get so confused ....every day there is a new diet, new idea, a new fad....lots of confusion...should you follow it....or continue with the way things are?

A long time ago...( sounds like the start of a fairy tale, but is not so )...I too had  joined up along with a friend....a lady was conducting some classes - re. nutrition and healthy eating...would rather not mention the actual name of that organisation...do not wish to create any controversy....not sure how I feel about their ideas now....but at the time I was very convinced about their philosophy and thoughts etc...and followed it in totality....
Their concept was that in the morning our systems are busy with the cleansing process and so should be given energy to do their job !?!....and hence we should not eat a heavy breakfast...it should be just fruits...tons of it ( supposed to be energy givers )....
Lunch at around 12...the heaviest meal of the day...should definitely contain sprouts, and salads ( better if raw )...less or none oil in our meals...
Dinner light meal...
Milk to be avoided, yogurt good, nuts yes, along with fruits or salads.

There is a lot more in the same vein and as I mentioned ...that I had been a convert for a while...until regular life intruded and it became quite difficult to continue with that scheme of diet.

But certain points still remain with me...I try to reduce oil in my cooking...have as much as fruits as possible...and add nuts in salads for taste...whether it is fruits ( with walnuts ) or the above beets with peanuts....it adds a crunch to the dish and you do not miss the oil...a simple salt, pepper, lemon and you have an dish out of this world.

Sheera - Rava Halwa

We got good news today in the morning - my nephew ( brother's son ) had got admission in the college of his choice for engineering...and also got the stream he was looking for..electronics.

Nowadays the competition is so stiff with re. to schools, colleges, jobs...etc...regardless of how hard you work - you still have the stress when applying...and along with the kids, so do the parents, aunts ( in my case ), uncles, grandparents ( Mom & Dad )....well you get the picture !!!

So when we were all relieved of our nail-biting ( ?) tension, we decided ( me & Mom ...I was at her place at the time ) to celebrate with something sweet...( this was after our hugs and kisses )....

The first thing I could think of was sheera...actually not true I thought of a lot of other stuff - but either they required a lot of pre planning or preparation...or ingredients that I did not have on hand...so the easiest and quickest sweet that I could immediately whip up was sheera...

This is a dish which we all love, it is made many a time as a prasad when it is a festive occasion...sometimes we make it just to have as dessert after a special occasion meal...and sometimes just because... and sometimes cuz we want to have something sweet to eat...or like today to celebrate ...
We used to have it at times in breakfast instead of powa or dosa or upma - it would make a sweet change :-)
Whatever the reason or occasion - it is a quick and easy recipe and the results are awesome...

Pesarattu Dosa - Green Gram Dosa

Pesarattu
Green gram dosa

A few days back it was raksha bandhan / balev...and I wanted to make some sweet for the occasion - decided to make puran poli / vedmi...though that is not the ideal sweet for decorating the rakhi thali...but it has been some time since we had made it and it is a particular favourite of Mom's ( which is another odd thing...you would have thought that I would have probably made something my brother liked...but he is not that fussy about sweets - so it was ok ...I guess ...I hope...I think I had better ask?!?). Regardless it was a good raksha bandhan.....got calls from my sister-in-laws too wishing me...thank you To & Ru....

So nyways thought I would post that down - but the past few days was too busy, besides which I had not taken any pictures of the process or the end product....and now it is all eaten and done with...so maybe the next time I make it....

I had missed blogging the past week...and so when I made dosa yesterday, immediately got out my camera - took pictures before, after and during...and here I am...pictures and post all set to go...

.....In Ahmedabad.....Poha with Beans

Generally when I think of a new post it is with some recipe in mind - some new dish or an old one with a new twist...but today I just felt like putting down some thoughts ...

Have been here in Ahmedabad for a week now - and boy is it hot....that is the first thought that comes to mind...there have been no rains here at all and it is almost end of July - so everyday all of us look to the hopeful skies, and after seeing the gray clouds hovering above us, we all predict ( like the weatherman ) that today it will rain...and just like the weatherman - the Gods, and heavens, and rains prove us to be wrong....so there we go taking cool showers, sitting under fans or a/c's and eating ice creams - all in a desperate attempt to cool off....

The past week has evoked a mixed bag of emotions...on the one side my mother-in-law ( who we call Ma ) has not been well - but her spirits are so high, she is a very strong person and is bearing up very well ...and does not let us feel down either...it is an education spending time with her...she is still as involved in life ( people, recipes, events ) as ever....
I admire her a lot, she has been a good mentor, advising without preaching or judging...and always letting us be...allowing us to live our own lives, gently guiding us if she felt it was required....I could go on and on....but it suffices to say that I feel she is a great lady...and I am very proud and honored to have her as my mother-in-law....

From thoughts of Ma ....automatically my thoughts move on to one of her passions...cooking....she loves to try out different recipes, any new dish makes her very curious to figure out the ingredients and how it was made....
Under her guidance her cook ( at 3B, as this place is more fondly referred to as ) ....churns out dishes which could be compared favourably with any fancy restuarant chef's...

This week we had a quite a few...some dishes are complex and some simple - but all absolutely delicious ....a couple of days back, we had poha but with a healthy twist...it was made with moong beans and matki (moth ) beans...instead of the usual potato...
I thought I would try it out once I get back to Mumbai...but decided to put down the recipe...( is it cheating a bit to put down something I have not as yet made myself...only observed and eaten?...well...nyways never mind...)

Sweet Appam

When we were kids mom used to make a lot of the typical Karnataka dishes both sweet and savoury...but slowly our cuisine changed incorporating a lot of Mumbai cosmopolitan flavours and tastes, our neighbours were a mixed lot and it was from them that she picked up new dishes, recipes, masalas etc...

Many of the south dishes are time consuming to make, most involve soaking, grinding etc...earlier most of our veg curries included coconut which had to be ground to a paste with other spices ( so the first step is to grate the coconut before even grinding)...and me and my brother and sister were pressed into service ...we had the old stone grinder ...where in we had to sit on the floor and rotate the oval stone in one hand over the base which had a flat portion and centre hollow...not sure I am explaining it properly enough - and do not have a picture of the same...suffice to say that it was not an easy task...but according to Mom it would not taste the same if ground in an electric grinder...
Even our idli and dosa batter were ground the same way...

Later we started using the electric grinder for all our tasks - age and lack of time contributed to the change ..I think....

But as I mentioned all these south delicacies reduced to quite an extent and our general fare was quick and easy meals....

Recently we moved from our apartment ( due to redevelopment of the building complex ) to another part of Mumbai...our new apartment was quite close to a cousin's place - my Dad's nephew V....his wife (A) is a very lovely lady who still makes all the traditional dishes of Karnataka and since we are now close by she drops in at Mom's place often with some dish in tow...
Mom relishes all of them...and it tempted me to try it out too...one of them being the sweet appam.

Savoury Tomato Seviyan

Savoury Tomato Seviyan

A hot breakfast had been an everyday affair at my parents place....and we are all breakfast eaters ...can not imagine starting off a day without it...not so much hubby & his family...he did not prefer to eat anything ( at least before 9 or so )....
So he would look on in disbelief  when I would sit with a full plate of whatever even if I had to catch a very early flight or train or anything else...."it is like almost night time, ( this at  3 or 4 in the morning )...how can you eat"...but as I said once you are a breakfast person - you are hungry no matter what the time it is...cannot just have tea or coffee and leave...

And that is why, after I got married I would prepare a hot breakfast like powa, upma or idli, dosa, dhokla etc...only on weekends...another reason of course was on a regular working day it would be a big rush to cook early in the morning, and since I would be the only one eating it, it did not make it worthwhile...
Whereas on weekends both of us could have and it satisfied the second criteria of timing - I would prepare it leisurely and we could have it at 8:30 or 9...at a more "civilised time" according to T....

Rice Kheer

Rice Kheer

This plan happened in a very roundabout way...in the morning I started thinking about breakfast, lunch, dinner etc...as in what to prepare...what to organise..what I need...what I have...and such...

I had made some dosa batter...with rice, udad dal, ( the whole process...of soaking, grinding, fermenting etc..) ...had then proceeded to make dosa, sambhar, chutney for lunch a couple of days back...and had some leftover batter...so as I said in my thoughts was to use that up...and decided I would  steam it & voila we have dhokla....that decided on, was wondering what else with that...when hubby suggested kheer( hmmmm )....good idea - rice kheer goes really well with it....and that is how this post came about...made it ...took some pictures ...and decided to put it down...

With re. to kheer or payasam ( as we call it down south...er Southern part of India ) ...there are a lot of options, we make it with sabudana, rice, dal(s), vermicilli ( think I have covered most of it ) but with dhokla normally at my in-laws place it is made with rice...so that was what it would be today...

This is another very simple recipe ( my favourite kind )...and the end result ...awesome....and can be had just by itself, or with dhokla as we plan to later...or it could be served as dessert after a meal...any which way it is delicious...

Whole wheat Coconut Banana Mini Muffins

Mini Muffins

What again ??? This cause I was making my upmteen banana muffin or bread and also my third almost in a row coconut baked something....also have been using coconut quite a bit in other stuff, the most recent being the papad with coconut kosambari ( happala kosambari )....though according me to that does not count - it was a savoury ( spicy ) dish and not to be put in the same mould as a sweet one....

But as I said recently I had made a carrot cake ( which had been given a no. 1 star by my sister's work friends ), a coconut marbled cake / bread ( both recipes still to be posted ) and now this banana mini muffins with coconut...
well what do you do .....when you find a gem of a recipe you have to try it out ...right :-)

Well so here I am making this simple, very healthy ( whole wheat, no butter ), with some of my favourite ( banana, coconut ) ingredients...and very little sugar...so yes I am really thrilled...the occasion ...did not really need any...but had one handy...our friend was to pay us a visit ...it was not a sure thing...but I had to be ready  for him ???

The Amazing Papad...

Papad is one of the most amazing discoveries ( as I like to call it )...it really makes a great addition to any menu be it a main meal or a snack...it can be had in so many forms...though like all yummy things it is not considered good for you ( due to it's high salt content )...so be sure to have it in moderation ....

Well I am done with the general surgeon warning part of it - so here goes ...back with the high praise for this food item...
It can be had just plain roasted or fried  or in various other forms - some of which I decided to make a note of below...

When I thought of writing a post on papad, hubby was of the opinion that it was too simple to put down, but I was convinced that it is too beautiful to omit...not the plain form of roasting or frying ofcourse (that is known to all - I hope )...but some more elaborate methods of having it...which is not too difficult to prepare and hence is part of it's charm...

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup

Rains and more rains....after a very very veeeerrrryyyy long wait the rains finally arrived....and did they come down....started in the night and continued the whole morning...darkening the skies and casting a gloom over the day and our plans...

Had some errands to run....and some other things to take care of - so had decided to set out early in the morning - so as to avoid the traffic and complete all the jobs as planned...well that was totally taken care of by the rains...not that we were complaining as it was long overdue...causing the temperatures to shoot up...and a real possibility of water shortage due to the scanty rainfall we have had till date...but as I said this put a scrimp in our plans for the day .....so decided instead to spend the time enjoying the rains while staying indoors warm & toasty & dry...

Would have loved to have bhajiyas & hot tea with a good book and a fireplace ?!?.....well in lieu of that decided to go in for hot steaming soup and garlic bread...good book very much present ...fireplace very much absent :-)...anyways guess you have to make do with what you have...which reminds me of this saying... which is rather apt for the current weather...

"If  you think sunshine brings you happiness, then you haven't danced in the rain"

So with that thought (though not dancing ) let us proceed to make the soup...and enjoy the rainy day....

Spicy Curd....& Carrot Raita

I love curds in all it's forms...eaten plain or sweetened ( if thickened a bit it is like shrikand )  or made into chaas ( buttermilk ) which is  how we currently tend to have it ...just water and salt and all churned up (simple )...or sometimes we spice it up a bit with chillies or ginger or sometimes a pinch of chaat masala...

It is so versatile and we generally have it in some form of the other...sometimes I make a raita with either boondi or some veggie which could be potato, onion, spinach ( already posted ), cucumber, carrot...each one as delicious as the other...or sometimes I make curd rice...and had with pickles & or papad it can serves as a light meal.

T's cousin is the one who introduced us to spicy curd, it is so simple to make and yet it is like a good dip to use, we even have it with handwo ( which is another of her speciality, she is an awesome cook and also grows some veggies and herbs )...
I used the same to make my carrot raita and we thought it was just amazing...so decided just have to write this down...
So with big thanks to A for her handwo, spicy curd, brownies and loads of other yummy dishes, I am posting this....

Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter

When in Rome....as the saying goes

I have found this to be quite true of my eating patterns...while I was in US, was quite enamoured of their crackers ( as they call it ) ...here we call it biscuit...and now some have started calling their products cookies( ? ) ...anyhow...

So some of my favourites were Oreos, Graham crackers ( Nabisco's )...and the very light with a delicate salty flavour Club crackers in it's original form...and it's varieties, honey flavoured, and puffed etc...and also Wheat thins ( with it's varieties )....every trip to the grocery store would see me stocking up on them...so as to have them as my tea time snack...
But when we settled back here in India...all of those favourites were replaced by those available here...one of my current favourites is the toast made by Britannia, and biscuits like Hide-n-seek, Bourbon ....

Coming back to old favourites...the reason why I meandered into the crackers lane...was cause I saw a recipe for making peanut butter and felt a wave of nostalgia come over me...this was something else that I used to relish with the above mentioned crackers or bread ( ... do not have it here though it is now readily available )

Anyways decided to make it at home, checked out a few different recipes...and got 'cracking' on it :-) ....ok so not that funny...never mind...

Rave reviews Chocolate cake...in a Microwave

The day after....

Yesterday was my birthday ...and as I mentioned in my post of mocha muffins it was a hectic day of with phone calls, sms'es, FB msgs...and trying to do some special stuff in the kitchen in between all of these...

Then finally it was evening and my entire family got together - we had a great time - every one was eager to sample the baking - so even before the ceremonial cake cutting - the mocha muffins were disappearing quickly...it was proclaimed a success ( or maybe everyone was hungry.....no no it was truly amazing )...

Then came the cake...well what do I say...first of all the 'rave reviews part'  in the title ...they all come from my family - so you may think that they are biased...but you do not know my family...they do not hesitate to call a spade a spade...so if they like this - it has to be gooooood.....

Everyone was waiting eagerly...and finally the cake was  cut and served to all....my husband was eager to capture everyone's picture - so while I was serving or feeding the cake - he kept telling us "aam juyo", in gujarati it means "look here" - so that we could look into the camera for his shots....and the entire crowd being South Indian ( my side of the gang )...they all started saying "aam juyo" to each other and slowly the "aam" changed to "mango" - aam in Hindi means mango - the fruit...
So while T was taking the photos - everyone was calling out "mango juyo"...it was more funny then ...over there...and no ...there were no spirits involved......just high spirits :-)

Anyways ...the cake slowly disappeared too (after the mocha muffins )...& was proclaimed a big success too....
I have baked this many times - and had it appreciated by all...but somehow till date I have not had a chance to post this recipe...not sure why ...
So decided to do it...did not take any pictures of the said cake (too busy with all the phone calls I think ) - other than at cutting time...but had taken a picture of the cake made at an earlier time and have posted that here to give you all a glimpse too...this one did not have walnuts on top unlike the one made yesterday but never mind you get the idea.

Mocha Muffins

Mocha Muffins

It is my birthday today...

There were a lot of thoughts going thru my mind re. what I should be doing today...first thought was to just relax & pamper myself......just chilling out....but somehow things did not pan out...am not surprised....I have found that life seldom happens the way I want....more proof that there is a higher power somewhere controlling the events...and maybe we should just go along with the flow....
nyways...enuff of the philosophy talk....to get back on track...my plans for the day...

It started out with what we should do to celebrate...decided to have a get together at my parents place...my brother and sister and their families....we were to order in from a nearby restaurant...and since I did not have to do any cooking / shooking decided that least I could do was bake a cake ....my Mom insisted that I should bake a chocolate cake that she loves ( had baked it many times earlier for her and others )....so that was the first item on the menu...

Then I thought that since we were so many should I bake another one...or try out something new on my bookmarked lists...( one of my favourite past times is going thru recipes and keeping them aside to try out some other time ?! ....that list is so long...am probably going to go before I get thru it...and this is just the stuff I want to do re. cooking....my bucket list contains many more things....and that is another long story...will save it for some other time )
So getting back to my bookmarked lists...decided to try out mocha muffins ....have been wanting to bake something with coffee & chocolate combination...had not done it before...though that made both  the items as chocolate dessert...I was ok with it...since most in family are chocoholics...
So that was the second addition to my menu...

All this was after we got up - had our cuppa & toast...and in between all the phone calls, sms, FB msgs....and all....
Then since the celebration was for the evening - had to think of brunch or lunch or whatever...did not want the regular fare...so decided to make rava idli, sambhar, and chutney.
That made the third addition to today's cooking....

So my day of chilling and relaxing changed into one of slogging and sweating...?!?.. is there some lesson to learn from this...I think so...will let you all know once I figure it out :-) .....

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

After I have written the title I do not think anything more needs to be written ...it is all said...mmmm....( well maybe the recipe, after all that is what this blog is supposed to be about )...hmmm...maybe I could put in a bit about the making & admiring & tasting...& admiring again...

The aroma of  the cookies has filled my house ...just absolutely love it....I think that is the reason I love to bake...just so as to have the house smelling so good...I know there are candles with that fragrance and can imagine that would be a good sell.

Our favourite cookies are oatmeal raisin cookies...and we would often buy a pack of them ....so when I decided to bake some, I went through quite a few recipes for the same...found some very healthy one - with honey and oats etc..did try it out....with disappointing results...not that the cookie was bad ...just not the same as what we were looking for...
Then I came upon this one from the "Joy of Baking" site...and it turned out to be amazing...the only thing I would change it the quantity of sugar - it could do with a little less.

This is good for a snack with milk or just by itself or after a meal for dessert...or if you are like me...just to nibble on and off... am wondering whether any will be left for others :-)

Bharela baigan - Ravaiya

Ravaiya - Bharela Baigan

We were in the US and had a cousin staying with us - she was on a vacation for a couple of months - and was taking turns visiting all her friends and relatives...there was a wedding in the family also - which she had come to attend ....and prior to that she spent some time with us...we had a great time sightseeing, of course shopping, going for walks - there was a lovely park next to a lake - which made for a good place to go to spend some time - walking around and just sitting next to the lake and chatting....

While she was there we spent quite some time cooking ofcourse - she is a very good cook ( very popular for her khandvi - which is excellent ) and I am not quite familiar with all the Gujrati dishes...so decided to learn a few under her tutelage. Did not attempt khandvi ( though she did make it whilst with us ) - found it quite difficult...but managed to pick up a few of the easier ( for me ) dishes. Maybe one day I may be more ambitious to try out khandvi too.... :-)

Anyways ....so one of them was bharela baigan -or as they call it ravaiya, she taught me do it with 2 stuffing's - one with besan, the other with green masala ...love both of them - and have made both quite a few times. While the besan stuffing is also good - somehow the one with coriander leaves and masala turns out much better ...it has a lovely moist filling - can be made as spicy as you would like...and the brinjal always tastes very nice when it is coated ( or filled ) with a spicy masala.
This is the one I made today and would like to share...


Ingredients :

8 - 10 small purple brinjals
2 medium potatoes
1 large onion
a bunch of coriander leaves chopped ( about 1&1/2 - 2 cups )
2-3 green chillies ( as per taste)
6-8 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 Tblspn  coriander-cumin powder
1 Tblspn sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Oil
a pinch of asafoetida or hing

Method :
1) Chop the coriander leaves, ginger, green chillies, garlic, into small pieces almost fine paste.
2) Add the dry masalas - turmeric, salt, red chilli, coriander-cumin, sesame seeds
3) Put a couple of tsps of oil ( any vegetable oil ) and mix the above mixture properly.
4) To prepare the veggies, cut the stalk of brinjals, make a slit on one side taking care not to reach the bottom - then turn the brinjal in the opposite bottom and make another slit perpendicular to the first - and again leaving a bit untouched at the bottom.
Similarly peel the potatoes and make slits, skin the onions and make just one slit ( not 2 ).
5) Put the stuffing into the veggies on both sides - the leftover stuffing should be retained for later.

To cook there are various options - you can choose the one that suits you....
1) Put a couple of tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan, add a pinch of hing, then put in the veggies, cover and cook - keep turning them after a few minutes each side till it is done.
2) Steam the above veggies in a steamer, and when done, take a pan with a little oil, put a pinch of hing, and stir the cooked veggies to light coat with the oil.
3) Take a pressure cooker / pressure pan - put a tablespoon of oil with hing then add the veggies in and pressure cook the veggies - just one whistle is normally enough ...in case you are cooking larger quantities - you may need to keep it a bit longer.

After the veggies are almost done - you can put in the remaining stuffing mixture around the veggies in the pan and let it cook for few more minutes...this gives sort of finishes off the dish.
Serve garnished with some coriander.

Enjoy !!!

Capsicum & Tomato Rice

What's for lunch / dinner ? This refrain sometimes makes me throw up my hands...

Racking my brains and trying to come up with something different ( within my repertoire ) every time is not an easy feat...somehow when we were abroad our fare was more varied - it included pastas, some Mexican dishes, more soups and bread  & I find that somehow on our return our general lunch or dinner is chapatis, subzis, rice, dal, salad sort of thing....other than weekends when we would make other stuff...or even one pot dishes...sometimes it is a mix...of the regular and something new...but I feel I need to dig deeper and find some long lost recipes of mine...

So I am more than happy to come across new recipes which gives me more options to our regular fare...which does becomes boring after a while... :-( .....and gives me something new to answer to the above question...

I came across an old recipe book with a whole bunch of ways to make rice...it was like finding a treasure...it makes for a great light lunch or dinner with salad or raita or just curds or lassi...especially on a hot summer day...

So here goes the recipe for the capsicum & tomato rice....not sure why it was called Mexican rice in the book - maybe the combi of capsicum & tomato? anyways I did add a twist to the actual recipe by adding some tomato ketchup...this is to moisten the dish ( do not like if the rice is too dry ) and for added flavour...

Capsicum & Tomato Rice

Ingredients :

1 cup - long grain rice - or basmati
2 capsicums ( green or a mix of green & yellow ), chopped into strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
1-2 green chillies, chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp jeera
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 -1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 Tblspns tomato ketchup

Method :

1) Soak rice for about 30 minutes - then cook it with about 1 and half cups of water and a pinch of salt till done...try to keep the rice grains separate and not mushy.

2) In a non-stick pan, heat a tsp of oil, add jeera, and when it splutters, add the chopped ginger and green chillies.

3) Fry for half a minute and then add chopped onions till it turns translucent, then add turmeric and chilli powder.
Then add chopped capsicums and fry till it softens a bit - for a couple of minutes.

4) Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it gets soft and mushy...and then add 2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup and stir it in.

5) Stir in the cooked rice gently, keeping the flame on low so as to not overcook any further...while seeing that all the grains are coated with the above capsicum, tomato mixture.
Switch off the heat...and garnish with a few sprigs of coriander leaves and serve.

Enjoy !!!

Manni .....Halwa from Karnataka



Manni

This is a sweet dish made predominantly in Karnataka...or rather it has come from there - now it is of course made the world over where all the Kannadigas reside..:-)

Each house has it's own version of the recipe....and there are quite a few that just like it the way it is made at their own or their mother's place...

The original recipe calls for rice, coconut or coconut milk and jaggery...along with cashews, raisins and cardamom...

My mom had modified the above to include a whole bunch of other things ...one to make it more healthy and second to utilize what is at home ( I think )....and we having gotten used to the way she makes it .... & do it the same way...
After making ( in huge quantities )  she used to pour it out onto plates and also 2 elliptical steel containers - so that once it had cooled we could cover with lid and take home...it made for convenient storage in the fridge and gave us our equal portions ( this is me and my sister - once we were married and had moved  out...)
So now I do the same....

So going back to the recipes given below are both ...

The first one is...

Ingredients :

1 cup rice - soaked for 2-3 hrs
1 cup coconut - grated
3/4 cup jaggery
1/4 cup cashews broken
1/4 cup raisins
2-3 pods of cardamom - crushed
2 tsps of ghee
a pinch of salt

Method:

Grind to a fine paste the soaked rice and coconut - then add jaggery, cashew, raisins and cardamom - along with about 5-6 cups of water....in a heavy bottomed pan.
Bring to a boil - then reduce heat and on low flame - keep stirring till it all comes together...Add the ghee, pinch of salt and stir till it is incorporated.
This entire process takes at least 30 - 45 minutes...
Once it is done - pour it onto a plate and cool - then refrigerate to harden - and cut into diamond or square shapes.

This is the simpler method - and the halwa is more light ....since it uses only rice...
Instead of coconut - some use coconut milk - in that case the rice is soaked and ground to a fine paste with a little water, then coconut milk is removed from 1 coconut - to get about 4 cups of coconut milk and it is mixed with the rice paste and jaggery and the process is the same as above.

At our place we used to make it with 1/2 rice and rava mixture...as below

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1 cup rava ( sometimes 3/4 rava & 1/4 ragi )
2 cups coconuts grated ( some tender coconut was also added ) ( as I mentioned we would use what was available at home at the time of making )
1 cup of cream ( this was malai which was gathered from the milk and stored in the fridge for making of ghee )
1/4 + 1/2 cup cashew
1/4 cup raisins
8 - 10 cardamoms crushed
a pinch of saffron
1 and 1/2 cup of jaggery
1 tsp of roasted and then crushed fenugreek seeds.
1/4 tsp salt.

Method :

1) Soak rice for 2-3 hours. Then grind the rice along with the coconut & 1/4 cashew adding water as required till it is a fine paste.
2) Transfer to a heavy bottomed pan and add the cream of milk, 1/2 cup cashew chopped, raisins, jaggery, salt, fenugreek seeds powder.
3) Add about 8 cups of water in parts - first 4 cups of water and mix well and heat the pan on high flame till it comes to a boil stirring continuously...then reduce the flame and continue to mix.
(If during the grinding process a lot of water was used then you can reduce the above 8 cups to 6 )
4) After about 10 mins - add the balance water, cup at a time - and mix to incorporate - this is so that it can absorb it slowly and continue cooking.
Also add saffron and cardamom powder at this stage.
5) At this point you can do a taste test and adjust salt, sweet ( jaggery ) and even fenugreek seeds ......it should not be bitter - the fenugreek  just heightens the taste of coconut and jaggery.
6) The mixture should be stirred till it all starts coming together - then pour it onto big plates ( at least 2 ) or containers. Due to the cream - the plates needs no greasing...
7) Cool for about 1/2 hr - then refregirate and then cut into pieces and serve. You can decorate the top with either cashew or raisin.
Enjoy !!!