Oh..Bombay…

Random wake up call of the year.

You know you are chronologically challenged when ….

you get a peek at Ranbir Kapoor’s behind and the only thing you feel is an overwhelming urge to raid the diapers and wipes cabinet.

JFS:Dassera – the Round Up.

Raaga at The Singing Chef made some sundal to go with the memories of celebrating Navratri in Madras (now Chennai). 9 types of sundals for 9 nights! Now that is some Naivedyam. Along with the good, the somewhat not good memories surface.

We’d also get invited to people’s houses and everyone used to have the standard, “Oru Paattu Paadu Maa” (Please sing a song!). I was a moody child just as I am a moody adult. And I never did like singing at other people’s golus. … but try and see the world through the eyes of a 14 year old who has been learning music from the age of 4, who is interested in good music and not necessarily in raagas and azhuttam and all the associated stuff and you’ll know what I mean.

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Rachna from Soul Food made Vrat Kadhi

From my childhood days, I’ve spent these nine days fasting and feasting on yummy fasting food, hearing bhajans glorifying the mother goddess and waiting for my ‘kanjak’ on the 8th day. (In Punjab, on the 8th (ashtami) day, little gifts and a plate of halwa-poori, chole is given to little girls).

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Renuka from Fusion writes how Navratri Golu is celebrated in Tamilnadu. She lists the 10 Devis and their temples,too.

In Tamilnadu the tenth day is known as AYUDHA POOJA .On this day people worship books,instruments,machineries,vehicles….On VIJAYADASAMI it is considered auspicious to start anything new.Here we can find lot of children joining schools,music classes and dance classes

Her second entry brings recipes for 8 types of sundals. Now that is a celebration!

Sundals are made using Black channa,White channa,Channa dhal,Moong dhal,Green peas,White peas,Motchai,Horse gram,Greeng gram,Groundnuts/Peanuts,Red lobia (Karamani),White lobia.

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Siri at Siri’s Corner had a tri-color feast with Aloo Pulav, Palak Methi Paneer and Carrot Halwa. Check out the cream laced Palak Methi Paneer. Definitely my kind of girl! She also has a story.

But Rama needed 108 blue lotuses for the worship of the Divine Mother, while Rama had managed to procure only 107. He was on the verge of laying one of his eyes that was lotus-shaped and blue in color at the Goddess’s feet when Shakti, satisfied with the measure of his devotion, granted her blessings.

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Musical from Musical’s Kitchen explains the rules of fasting in Punjab and makes some smashing Khatte Wale Aloo.

People enjoy goodies made out of swaang (literal meaning, pretend) da chawal (samo), singhare da atta (water chestnut flour)-relished as rotis, choora and halva, kuttu de atte di roti (rotis made out of kuttu flour) etc. Salt is replaced by kala loon/kala namak/sendha namak (black salt). The sabzis, daals and kadhis are made sans and onion, garlic and even tomatoes! People enjoy the laddoos/pinnis made out of jaggery and red amaranth seeds (boor, seel, rajgira).

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Roopa at My chow Chow Bhath made some lip-smacking Bhoondi Ladoos. Now, if that doesn’t sound like festive season, I don’t know what would.

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Radha has lovely photos of the golu, thambulam and the Carrot Halwa and Black Kondakadalai. She explains the golu as

The Golu arrangement is a sheer exercise of creativity which reminds us of the age old folk lore and puranas. In modern context it gives an opportunity for people to mingle with one another and relish the refreshments served. The guests invited are offered betal leaves (thambulam) which is mutually reciprocated during the visits of friends and relatives. On an auspicious note, exchange of thambulam spells harmony and good will for hindu families.

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Easy Crafts made some Jevarisi (Sabudana/Sago) Pudding. Check out her other posts for navratri, too.

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Sunita from Sunita’s world has a wonderful post on her childhood bijoydashmi memories. When a post starts as I quote below, you know what follows has to be good.

..the Durga puja season…the season of autumn( sorot kal, as we call it)…. when there is a slight nip in the air…when the sun shines down a bit lazily…when there are smiles all around…people moving to and and fro with that sense of urgency to reach the puja mondop and offer their prayers…to get a strategic place to stand before it gets over crowded.

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Sharmi at Neivedyam made some Sago Pudding. Man, does that bring back memories.

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Vegconcoctions has some really beautiful and creative Golu pics at her blog. A must-see.

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Rina at >Rina’s Recipes has some very sunny sundal

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Remya over at Spices ‘n Flavors has Golu at her blog along with some gorgeous Sweet Appam”

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Vineela at Vineela’s Cuisine has some beautiful Golu pics as her entry.

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Daily Meals has very festive Boondi Ladoos up her sleeve.

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An excellent Dasara in Mysore post by Namratha at Finger Licking Food.

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Srivalli at Cooking 4 all seasons has neivedya for Ayudh Pooja

and Vijaya Dashmi.

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Rachna of Soul Food has some easy Peanut Ladoos, tailor made for the modern Indian pantry.

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Asha of Foodies Hope brings in a Tamilian Festive Feast to the gathering. Asha, How do you do it? The Mysore Palace and links toMysore Dassera celebrations make this a must-see post.

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Kajal of Kajal’s Dreams has all you ever wanted to know about Navrathri/Dassera and garba and more.

Modern Garba is also heavily influenced by Raas a dance traditionally performed by men. It is performed on 9 nights, ‘Navratri’ to Goddess Ambica, where women dance gracefully in circles sometimes also using, ‘Bedu, Kanjari’ or just ‘Taali’ and ‘Chapti’. The word Garba is derived from the word Garba Deep meaning a lamp inside a perforated earthen pot. The light inside the perforated earthen pot symbolized the embryonic life.

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Sandeepa, the one of the Bong Mom’s CookBook, the one who weaves stories with her words, the one who has disabled mouse selection on her blog – gives me a special post that has been coming a year. There are many parts of the post that would have been great previews, but lack of space and -ahem, some technical difficulties – led to me selecting this one.

..see Sondhi Pujo on Friday evening and wait for the 108 lamps to be lit albeit by electricity, wait for the Arati and seek blessings from those flames for myself, my daughter, my family, have Bhog on Styrofoam plates balanced on my knees, catch up with friends and overhear elderly Bengali ladies displaying their expensive saree and jewellery subtly.Amidst the crowds and the haze of the incense, I will look up to Durga’s face and see her still smiling kindly and I shall hope that smile gives my daughter belief in her own strength…

Sandeepa, special rule for you from next year. You need to send in the preview of your post as part of the entry. And that’s whats you get for the union wise crack.

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Talimpu has the most photogenic Andhra Pulihora. Don’t believe me? Just take a look!

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Gulkand and Khoya come together for this delicious sounding treat from Mansi at Fun and Food.

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I definitely know there were more entries around the blogospere for Dassera. But these are the only ones that I have emails for. If your entry is not included, please drop me a line! Diwali Entires next.

Stuffed Chillies.

I have had mind-boggling two weeks which along with the weather hasn’t helped my disposition at all.

Really groggy weather in my neck of the woods right now. It is not raining but it seems likes it would rain any minute now and its been like that for the past three days without a drop of rain. The greenery seems to be going brown without going through the customary color change and that is just sad. For fall is not fall until the colors come in. Three weeks into september and I am already missing summer. The weird weather is to blame. There is slight chill in the air. Not much but enough to send the kids into the customary change of season cold. I am already dreading the winter this season.

The weather, though, has had me craving for deep-fried stuff all week. I am resolutely ignoring it. Thinking ahead, I am saving myself for Diwali, you see. Maybe if I abstain for the next month, I can gorge away the diwali goodies guilt-free. One can always hope. Sedentary lifestyles make you plan ahead for these things. But I digress. I was talking about the last two weeks.

Early on, as soon as I posted about the sweet appe, my blender died on me. Serves me right for cribbing about it in the last two posts. I had a good GE model with a coffee grinder attachment which had served me well the past 4 years. With the kind of use I have made of it, I am surprised it took so long for it to give up on me. But, the whole thing was disappointing. I always thought that the day it dies on me would be the day I have a dozen people for dinner. There I would be trying to grind up a heavenly curry paste and it would blast out, make horrible sounds, keep sputtering and the red light that signifies the machine is on would fade away slowly, kind of like the eye of the terminator at the end of each movie. And that I would see my dream of an Indianised Martha Stewartesque meal fading away with that light. O, the horror! O, the pain! If nothing so melodramatic, I thought that it would at least do me the favor of dying a spectacular death with the top flying away and the stuff that I was trying to grind hitting the roof and coming down in a shower. You know, a shower of strawberry smoothie early in the morning would be a spectacular way to start a day, wouldn’t it? But alas, no such luck. It just sputtered and ground itself to halt, never to make a peep again. Why? Because.

So anyway, I am having the biggest internal debate. I have decided to take this oppurtunity to invest in either an Indian mixer/grinder or the wet grinder. I can’t decide between the two. So I have decided to make it a democratic decision. I invite my readers to please vote for either so that I can finally decide. Yes, the word decide is on my mind too much these days. The Libran moon is up, my friends.

While you guys are voting on that, you could also comment on how one should deal with a 3 year old when you trying to talk to him about a certain not-good-boy thing he did and he replies,

“I don’t want to talk about it”.

To say, I was flabbergasted would be putting it mildly. I was completely dumb-founded and had no idea how to proceed. I stood there mute, actually feeling the sting of the ‘chaata‘ I would have got from my parents in such scenarios. They same ‘chaata‘ that they never got a chance to dispense, btw. He hasn’t repeated the action, but I would still like to be more prepared for statements like that one in case they make an appearance again. I still haven’t thought of a good retort. Yep, amazing two weeks I have had.

I decided to stuff my misery, my undecisiveness and my complete lack of ability to overcome a 3 year old among other stuff into some Anahiem Peppers and have a good dinner, instead. This decision was the easy part.

Recipe:

1)

Prep the chillies. Make a small horizontal cut,parallel to the stem about 1 cm below it. Make a vertical slit perpendicular to the first slit to the tip of the pepper. OPen up the pepper gently and remove all the seeds inside. I don’t remove the ribs. Sprinkle some salt on the peppers and keep it aside while you prepare the stuffing. The salting is an optional step. I do it because it softens the peppers just enough to allow it to cook quicker.

2) For the Stuffing. Mix

1/2 cup Besan/Chickpea Flour
1/4 cup Fresh Coconut gratings
1/4 cup Peanut powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder/Dhaniya
1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi
1 tsp Peanut Oil
a pinch Asafetida/Hing
Salt to taste
Juice from One lemon

together to almost form a dough. This stuffing is enough for 6 medium length peppers.

3) Gently stuff the dough into the chillies.

4) In a 8′ pan, heat a tsp of oil and spread it all over the pan’s surface . Add

a pinch of hing

Place the peppers on pan so that they are not overlapping. Immediately lower the flame, cover and cook for about ten minutes on each side. The time taken to cook would depend upon the amount of stuffing in your chillies. The steam and juices from the pepper should go through the stuffing right to its center. Make a cut on one of the chillies to make sure it has cooked all the way through. There is nothing good about uncooked besan. Enjoy.

Naivedya: Sweet Appe

Nothing shouts coastal cuisine than an abundance of coconut in it. Other than seafood, that is. But we are still in the festive mood and so lets just stick to the coconut part. If I had any doubts regarding the role coconut plays in our life, they are crushed to smitterens every time I ask my mom for a traditional recipe. And it was replayed again when I asked for the recipe of Goud(Sweet) Appe (dumplings?). These appe are the traditional naivedyam offered to Ganpati during the Chavathi festival. They are made of, among other things, coconut and jaggery which seems to be a recurring theme in all the forms of prasad that is offered to this diety. Of course, growing up they were not my favorite things but as is the case with things, once they were no longer present I missed them. I asked my mom for the recipe so that I could recreate it this year. Now we are all familiar with the way moms tend to dispense recipe nuggets. However, with traditional recipes like these which are made once a year, my mom has exact proportions for all the ingredients except they are in coastal cuisine lingo.

Do you all remember basic geometry theorems? You have one-line theorems that you have to prove using other one-line theorems that could be proved using the current theorem you are trying to prove? You do? Good. Because deciphering the recipe is almost the same. Of course, there are some basic assumptions.

First, the ingredient list.

“Ekka Narla-ka, ek Kilo Goud aNi ek Kilo Rawa”

Translation:

For one coconut, one kilo jaggery and one kilo rawa.

Assumptions:

1) One coconut = gratings of one coconut.
2) Size of said Coconut = medium.
3) Any konkani worth his/her salt would know what a medium coconut is. (Have I not taught you anything, O clueless child of mine?)

Procedure Part 1.

“Narla Vatooche, goud ghalnu melNu yevve tai vatooche. Kadeke rawa ghalnu ek pati ghundache “

Translation:

Grind coconut, add jaggery and grind till everything is mixed. Finally add rawa and blend once to mix.

Assumptions:

1) 1 kilo Jaggery = 1 kilo jaggery grated.
2) Cardamom not mentioned is cardamom included.
3) Grind coconut = grind coconut till just enough.
4) Any konkani worth his/her salt would know how much is just enough. (Have I not taught you anything, O clueless child of mine?)

Procedure Part 2.

Don ghante puNi bareen kaNu dAvarche. Maagiri hoguru Ujjari toLNu kadche.

Translation:

Keep aside for at least two hours and deep-fry on a low flame.

Assumptions:

1) Deepfrying Fat = Ghee.

The last one is the best because she manages to give the most important tips for the recipe in one sentence. One, to let the mixture rest and two, to deep fry on a slow flame. How do you know when it is cooked? Any Cook worth his/her ……

—-Sorry Mom—–

The biggest challenge after deciphering the recipe was to convert it into cup measures. Even though I have access to a coconut, the necessary implements for grating it and the enthu to grate it, the output from those proportions would still take us weeks to finish off. The second problem was the deepfrying the mixture. There is essentially no binder ingredient (like flour) in this mixture and it depends on the rawa absorbing all the liquid from the coconut and jaggery to help keep it together. The resting period goes a long way in achieving that. I have cribbed about my bender before and I do it again. In my kitchen, it is doing a job it is not engineered to do. Extra liquids go a long way in achieving this. More liquids means more trouble for the mixture to bind together. So, I decided to forgo the deepfrying to actually making them like appe. Which means access an Aebleskiver pan or the japanese takoyaki pan or the appam pan is essential.

Recipe :

Grind in a blender/ mixie, till the gratings seem like an homogenous mixture and not separate grains

2 cups Coconut gratings

using water, only as required. Once done, add

2 1/2 cups of jaggery, grated

and blend till the jaggery disintegrates. Add

1/2 tsp Cardamom/Elaichi powder, fresh always good.
1 cup Rawa/Sooji

and blend once just to mix everything together. Remove to a bowl and set aside to rest for at least 2 hours. I kept it for 4 hours.

Heat the appam pan. Lower flame to medium-low. Pour

1 tsp melted ghee, in each depression

When the ghee heats up, add

2 tbsp of the mixture, in each depression

This needs to be done very gently, be careful of the splattering ghee. Cook uncovered till the mixture on top changes color. Gently turn the appe over. You might have to slightly scrape the sides of each depression to do that. I use a small knife for the scraping and a spoon to turn it over. Cook until the other side browns up. Remove and drain on paper towels.

This recipe yields 32 appe. This post also joins the Festive cooking series: Ganesh Chaturthi at The Yum Blog.

GaNpati Bappa Morya…

Naivedya : Malai Modak

My favorite Deity is celebrating his birthday today.

I am missing Bombay, I am missing Wadala Math and Krida Mandir and more than that I am missing my family. Even with loud music blaring from speakers and all the vargani politics in Bombay, this festival rocks!

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi, Happy Chavathi, Everyone!

On the day before Chavathi, we have Gauri/VaiNa pooja.

A humble coconut goes from a hard nut to a beautiful woman’s face. All of the dried husk from its shell are removed. In fact, I actually take a knife and scrape on the hard shell to make it as smooth as possible. Each family takes pride in how smooth they can make the coconuts surface. The three “eyes” of the coconut become its face. The top two are applied “KaJaL” to signify its eyes while the bottom one is applied “Shindor” to imply the mouth/lips. The “Shindoor” is orange powder and different from the ” KumKum” which is red. ‘Gaandh’, sandalwood paste is applied in between the “eyes” to signify the ‘bindi’ ( and the ‘Savashini’-married not widowed status). Kumkum is applied on top of the “Gaandh’ and a flower on top of the coconut making the transformation to a ‘Savashin’ complete. At the end of the pooja and just before the aarti, a little ‘diva’ is replaces the flower turning the ‘Savashini’ into gauri/vaiNa. After the pooja, each of the VaiNa is distributed to all the ’savashin’ females of the house.

Till tomorrow people…

The Patholi Pictorial.

This summer I finally did what I had been planning for a long time. I pushed some fresh turmeric root into a pot of soil and prayed. In a classic manifestation of “ask and ye shall receive”, I received. Each of the root turned into a beautiful plant, having at least 10 leaves each. Though the leaves were nowhere near the size that one would get in an Indian market during this season, it didn’t matter because I had the leaves and that means that I could finally make some Paan Patholi.

Patholi is essentially Coconut+Jaggery mixture in rice+coconut paste steamed in turmeric leaves. It is a Konkani specialty and is usually made during Nagpanchami which is when I made these. The magic in this comes from the leaves. It is all about the leaves in fact. They are not just the pot holder here. They impart a very subtle taste to the rice paste during the steaming process that cannot be replicated by any alternative. Well, Banana leaves can be used but it would be a different taste. Good, but not the same. And the aroma, Oh the aroma, to die for. Not before eating a steaming hot patholi, though.

Turmeric Plants in my patio Garden

For the past four years, I made the patholi in parchment papers in the absence of the turmeric leaves. Shilpa has a great post on that.

Leaves washed and wiped clean

Trimmed and lined for the magic

And the magic happens so.

For the rice paste,

Soak

1 cup raw rice

for 1-2 hours. Grind the rice with

1 cup poha/flattened rice
2-3 tbsp of grated fresh coconut
1/2 tsp of Jaggery, grated
salt, a pinch

with as little water as possible,till it forms a smooth paste. With my blender the way it is, I had to add more water and ended up making it more watery than it is upposed to be. It didn’t hurt the end product, but it was messy applying it to the leaf. This paste needs to be not runny at all. You should be able to scoop it up with your fingers and smear it on the leaf, in the leaf’s shape without the paste running over. Once done, keep aside.

For the stuffing,

Mix, slightly crushing it to release the coconut and jaggery juices,

1 cup Fresh coconut gratings
3/4 cup Jaggery gratings
2-3 Cardamom Pods, crushed and powdered

Let the stuffing begin. Line the leaves on a clean table/counter top. Hold the tip of the leaf with your left hand, scoop some of the paste with your right hand and apply the rice paste, starting at the mid vein of the leaf. Start working outwards to follow the shape of the leaves. The hand instructions reverse if you are left-handed, of course. The paste should be applied in as thin a layer as possible without the green of the leaf coming through.Repeat for all leaves.

Wash hands. Have the steamer ready with the water boiling. Scoop the stuffing and put it on the mid-vein of the leaf in a thin line. This is so that when the leaf is folded over, the stuffing is exactly in the middle and the thin line makes sure that the stuffing does not overflow. When the jaggery melts during the steaming, it will start spreading towards a wider surface area.

Fold one side of the leaf over the other length-wise. Press ever so lightly around the periphery of the leaf, so that paste sticks together. Steam for 10-12 minutes till the kitchen smells of all things wonderful. You will know, you will just know.

Paste applied and stuffing layered on the leaf.

The leaves folded over the stuffing and ready for steaming

The patholis steaming away to glory in a traditonal steamer. This is called the ‘peDavaNa’ and was a gift from my mother. A more traditional steamer would have been made of ‘pithili’ (brass, I think).

A Patholi uncovered and ready to be devoured.

Believe what I say and don’t believe my camera. The photograph does not do justice to the magic that is patholi.

My entry to JFI-Rice, over at Sharmi’s Neivedyam, and RCI-Karnataka at Asha’a Foodies Hope.

Turns out to be a excellent entry to Green Blog project-Summer 2007 over at Deepz, too.

UPDATE Aug 31 :

Just wanted to clarify that you do not eat the actual leaf. You peel the leaf off a steamed patholi, and just eat whats inside. At this point, the leaf has already given all of its magic to the patholi. The actual dish is the steamed rice + coconut paste with the sweet stuffing inside.

The different names for this sweet in various regional cuisines,

Konkani – Patholi
Kannadiga – Genesale
? – Paangi

Aloo Broccoli

Once in a while. you want to try something different. Steer away from the everyday and jazz things up a little. Change the routine and surprise yourself. Take a detour from the simple foods that you have no recipe for, the ones where you just put a few things together subconsciously. Then there are the times where you just want to clear out the fridge.

Aloo-Gobi (Cauliflower) is a no-brainer for anyone who cooks Indian – any region. I am sure that every one of us has tried a variation of this with broccoli. My first attempt at this, I realised that I (& the family) prefer broccoli that is lightly spiced. For all its similarity in looks to the cauliflower, the broccoli has a more pronounced flavor, chlorophyll will do that to you. IMO, less is more where this pretty vegetable is concerned. My second attempt at Aloo-Broccoli was one based on the upkari-vegetables cooked konkani style with mustard seeds and a sole dry Red chilli-I changed the spices a liitle bit. It worked great and is our most favored way to eat broccoli. When more pressed for time or when trying to add healthy sides in our lunch boxes, I microwave-steam the broccoli florets with salt in a covered plate for about 3 minutes. Toss with a little bit of olive oil to coat. Pack it and feel like a domestic goddess for the rest of the day for giving a side in the lunch boxes, healthy one to boot. I give baby carrots this treatment too.

Recipe

In a 10″ frying pan, take

2 tbsp of Peanut oil

warmed till the oil forms ripples, add-in quick succession-

Turmeric/tumeric/haldi-a pinch
Red Chilli Flakes – to taste, I prefer to be generous here
2 Medium potatoes, cubed

Stir to coat, cover and lower heat to medium low to cook till the potatoes are halfway cooked, about 4-5 minutes. Shake the covered pan in between to make sure they don’t stick. As soon as the potatoes are halfway cooked, add

1 cup of broccoli florets, trimmed
Black Pepper, ground, to taste
Salt, to taste

Normally, I mention salt to taste and leave it at that. But here, I would like to specify that when working with minimal flavors such as in this case, take care not to under-salt it. It also goes along without saying that you shouldn’t over-salt it. Stir gently to mix, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes till the broccoli softens just enough. Serve with rotis or as a side with rice and Bendi/dal/curry.

The Call for puri…answered.

All inmates, please gather around. Madam has announced a puri party for all bloggers. And when ever Madam beckons, we must follow. What other choice do we have? For at risk is another post from her highness with a long, angry and totally appropriate rant and no recipe at the end. We don’t want to go through that again. And so, we must mix and we must knead and we must roll and we must deep-fry and then try to gulp down those deep fried goodness dipped in some bhaji. It is not going to be easy but we have to do it. It is for the greater good after all.

And so my family did something that they usually go through only once a month. They sat down for a puri- bhaji breakfast. The sacrifices they make for this food blogging world that I have entrenched myself into brings a ache to my heart. Or it just might be all that peanut oil. I will never know. So here goes, Anita, all for you and your son and your cat.

Now, puri with the potato bhaji is breakfast, but puri with anything else is dinner at my house. don’t ask me why. It is how it has always been and how it will always be. The spouse just enjoys his puri dipped in coffee. I need the bhaji with it and there are rigorous training sessions with my kids to make sure they like their puris just like mom does. It is working on the son, not on the daughter. Traitor!

And now as I am helping myself to the cooled puris off my plate, what with the photographs and all, I am thinking maybe Anita’s rants are not all bad. If fact, Anita, I think you should have more of these. Let the anger out baby and let’s Party!!!

The Sinful Malai Kofta, at last…

You know you have made some sort of a presence in the blogging world when you have your readers giving you a good earful for not posting regularly.

Now,it is one thing for my sister to bite my head off during one of our regular phone calls or send threatening emails for not posting the caramel pudding recipe yet. After all, peskiness and younger sisters tend to come as a package. Her, I just ignore out of sheer habit. I have been doing that to her all her life. No reason, you know, just because. It’s fun to see her get worked up (Plus, it is heart warming to keep hearing her say that she misses those cooking experiments we did together, but we are not going to tell her that).

However, it is quite something else when readers who know me only through my writings reprimand me for not posting enough. I mean, you actually go through the trouble of writing a comment just to nudge me to post. That is humbling and humble doesn’t come naturally to me. I am the kind of person who knows what works for me and what doesn’t and I don’t let modesty stop me from acknowledging it. So, chances are if you come to me and say, “You look nice today” or “you really worked hard on that project”, I would just say, “I know”. You can take it anyway to like. But, there is no “I know” regarding y’all missing my writings. I am all humbled and flustered and “Thank you” and all that. You know what I am saying. You Know.

One particular reader, though she doesn’t know it yet, managed to push all the right buttons to get me typing. She left a innocent comment chiding me for not posting, all in Konkani. Took me right back to my childhood. I could almost hear my Bapama (Paternal Grandmother)’s voice chiding me for whatever was my crime-of-the-moment. She always seemed to do that and it just might be my fault. We had been inured as kids to jump up to her bidding when she went into that mode. And we loved it when she went into that mode. When we moved to the US, I missed it so much that I would call her up and ask her to chide me just for the heck of it. Yeah, Crazy, I know. She is sorely missed.

From demanding readers to high-expectation level grandmas, temperamental seems to the word of the moment in the food world. First we had that British Chef from Hell’s Kitchen, spewing his anger at all and sundry in his restaurant. Then, Amitabh Bachchan in his chef-turn decided to go nuts about good ol’ Hyderabadi Zafarani Pulao. Now it is I-don’t-know-what-a-kitchen-is Catherine Zeta-Jones turn to go maniacal about some rare steak. Really. It used to be that chefs had this image of being these introverts who would stick themselves in the kitchen and create food magic. It used to be people would come to those restaurants, taste the food, close their eyes to savor it and smile and really that would be enough to get the message across. Now, we have chefs who have the “you better like what I put on the plate or else you have no taste” chip on their shoulder. I think all this came about when cooking became an “art” as opposed to a tasty way to shut up that growling stomach. It scares me because when a painter becomes an artist is when his paintings (oops sorry, art) stops making sense to me. I dread the day food stops making sense to me. Me, I cook because eating it is the only time my kids are quiet.

And Pel, if you read this long enough, you will get eight and more random facts about me. Talk about doing it all in one post, the meme plus a recipe. You guys are just lucky, lucky people, you know that??

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To the recipe at hand, I present the Malai Kofta. It became really popular in the late 80’s and early nineties on the restaurant menu. One would be hard pressed to walk into an Indian restaurant and not find it in the menu. I doubt there many, even now, that don’t feature it on the menu. When done right, it is an amazing journey into food texture and taste, what with a smooth gravy and koftas full of dry fruits and milk every which way, but the non-fat way. This is no every-day dish, of that you can be sure. You better have a very good reason to celebrate, when you are planning to make this dish.

Recipe :

To Make the kofta:

Mix together evenly

*1 Medium-sized Potato, boiled and mashed
*2 tbsp Paneer, mashed/grated
*2 tbsp Khoya, grated
OR
2 tbsp Whole Milk Powder
OR
2 tbsp Baked Ricotta Cheese
*1 tbsp Heavy Cream/ Malai
*8-10 Brown Raisins, chopped
*5-6 Cashewnuts, chopped
*2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped
*1/8 tsp Garam Masala Powder
*Salt to taste

Shape into golf-size balls and deep-fry in hot

Peanut Oil

Add a tbsp or two of ghee to the oil used for deep frying. It adds a little something-something to the koftas. This is quick deep-frying in hot oil because there is nothing to cook here. All you are looking for is a crisp exterior. Alternatively, you can bake them in the oven or pan-fry them in oil. In my opinion, pan-frying often results in more oil-soaking than the actual deep-frying. I deep-fry them. This is the Sinful Malai Kofta, you know.

I have, on occasions, made the kofta upto a day in advance in without any issues. It’s always good when you are entertaining with this dish.

To make the gravy:

Blend to a paste

*2 medium onions,chopped
*3 garlic pods
*1″ ginger
*2 tsp powdered poppy seeds, dry-roasted

Fry this paste, on high flame, constantly stirring in

*3 tbsp of Peanut oil

with

*1 dry bay leaf

till the oil separates. The poppy seeds may result in some sticking at the bottom of the pan and hence constant stirring and attention is needed for this part. Once the oil separates, add

*3 large tomatoes,pureed
OR
6 tbsp of Tomato Puree + 6 tbsp Water

Stir and add,

*1 tsp red-chilli powder
*1/2 tsp garam masala powder
*1/2 tsp dhania(corainder) powder
*1/2 tsp cumin powder

Cook for 5 mins on a medium low flame till the tomatoes and the spices are cooked through. Meanwhile, ground into a fine paste

*1/2 tsp sugar
*1 1/2 tbsp Heavy Cream
*3-4 Cashewnuts, soaked in water for about 10 mins

To the cooking gravy, add the Cream-Cashewnut paste. Bring to a boil and remove from flame. When ready to serve, warm up the gravy,add the koftas, top with cilantro/dhaniya and serve immediately. Never heat the gravy with the koftas in it. This will cause the koftas to disintegrate. Serve with rice cooked with whole spices and Naan. Do not make any after-meals plans unless they are to have a nice siesta.

Butter Matar

For me, peas are always on the grocery list, right after tomatoes, onion and potatoes. At any given time, I have at least 2 packets in the freezer. However, while trying to come up with a menu, it is the last thing that comes to mind. It is constantly neglected and, as is true for all things that are as taken for granted as the peas are, their presence is sorely missed in its absence. Making the heart grow fonder and all that. When I say neglected, I don’t mean that it is just left freezing in the icebox, not at all. It makes it’s appearance in all sorts of dishes. A dash here, a dash there, a whole lot elsewhere. However, it is more of “I think some peas would be good in that” than “I want to eat peas tonight” thing. And it is quite unfair.

Unfair because fresh tender peas, with its sweetness, is an amazing star in its own right. It doesn’t take much to coax it to come into its own. A dollop of butter helps, but then what wouldn’t taste good with some butter in/on it?

Which is why I say, second to potatoes, the most under-valued vegetable has to be peas (Matar/Watana/Watano). Think about it. When was the last time your inventory didn’t have the requisite packet of frozen peas in them or when was the last time you used that packet? Can’t really have been that long, if you cook Indian on a regular basis. And yet, quite like the potato, it is never given it’s due. Of course, the potato stopped getting any sympathy from me the day it decided to forge an alliance with a certain someone whose name rhymes with Aloo. Don’t get me wrong. In these times of brand development and media-franchising, I understand potato’s need for some PR-giri. “Jab tak rahega samose mein aloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Laloo” is the wrong way to get it, though. The right way would be to hire Amitabh Bachchan as your Brand ambassador. If I were the Peas’ PR, I would have Amitabh Bachchan saying,
“Matar mein hai dum, kyunki calories in mein hai kam!”.

Pssst, hot news today, Maya Pips Mulayam.

Meanwhile, back to the erstwhile peas, enjoy with soft rotis or Dal-Chaawal while I sit back and congratulate myself for not falling to the obvious Butter-Mutter-Matar wordplay trap.
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Grind, using a blender or a mortar/pestle adding water as needed

Garlic, 2 cloves
Ginger, 1″ piece
Green Chillies, 4-5
Cilantro/Coriander leaves, from 4-5 sprigs

In a skillet/kadhai, heat

Butter, 1 tbsp

Add,

Jeera/Cumin Seeds, 4-5

When they change color, add

Garlic-Ginger-Green-chillies-cilantro paste from above
Peas, 1 cup defrosted, if using frozen or cooked till soft, if using fresh
Salt to taste, keeping in mind salt from the butter

Mix and cook on a low flame till it all comes together, and peas turn fragrant with the paste about 3-4 minutes. Finish with

1 tbsp butter

Yum!

Rava-Coconut Barfi

Some of the readers of this blog just pointed out to me that I have made the biggest goof-up a food blogger can make. Post a pic and not type out the recipe. Yes, I did that. Not only did I do that, I also did it 6 months ago without realizing that the recipe and the post was never updated. I own up to it because other than deleting the post, I really have no other way to deny it. I cannot delete the post because [sigh], it is part of the Jihva-Diwali round up. I am trapped and only because I have no other excuse or a simpler way to write it off, I admit to the transgression, apologize profusely and type out the recipe. Thanks for the polite requests and defer brickbats, if any, to another post ‘cos Anoushka’s listening. Can you find her?

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Roast

1 cup rawa

on a low flame, stirring constantly, till it changes color to a faint pink. Like everything else,it chooses to go from the light pink to burnt brown in that second that you turn to your kid to tell him for the umpteenth time why he can’t have juice before dinner. As soon as it changes color add

1 tbsp Ghee

and mix. My mom does this when she makes rawa laddoos and it seems to fluff up the rawa. I do it because I am a good girl and I do everything my mom tells me to do and because I like quirky things like that.
You need to be quick here. Add the ghee and think about my quirkiness and you will end up with burnt rawa.Add the ghee, mix, raise heat and add

1 cup shredded coconut (fresh is good and recommended, dessicated can be substituted)
1 cup Milk

Let it come to a boil and keep stirring till the rawa absorbs the milk. If you don’t keep stirring, the rawa settles down on the bottom and lumps up. Not good.Add

1/2 to 1 cup Sugar

Equal amounts of rawa:sugar is recommended. Depends on how sweet you want it to be. For me it depends upon how I feel that day. If a pair of pants I really liked at the store didn’t fit that day, I go low. If not, all the way.You know it by now, stir, stir, stir, until the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pot. At this point, it helps to know that this is better done in an non-stick type of pot which prevents things from sticking. It starts leaving the side and forms into one big ball. A more knowledgeable person would tell you that this is the soft ball stage of melting sugar, but since I am not that person, I will refrain. Immediately pour it on to a cookie sheet/ tray or the serving plate that didn’t fall on to your head. Spread it evenly across, top with

chopped pistachios

Why pistachios? Because I like them and it looks pretty, thats why.

Cut it into small squares or diamonds or rhombuses. If you use fresh coconut,they tend to be on the softer than the average burfi and taste more juicy.

Enjoy.

They are coming…

US to get first shipment of Indian mangoes. Question is , Can I afford them?

Will you feed this to your Newborn?

Scientists have created an anti-obesity formula for infants. The highlights are by me.

…aims to supplement baby milk with a hormone that suppresses hunger.Animal studies suggest early exposure to the hormone leptin can programme the brain to prevent over-eating throughout life.It may even determine whether someone is fat or thin before birth.Feeding the hormone to pregnant rats seems to have a life-long impact on their offspring. Animals born of leptin-treated mothers remain lean, despite being fed a fat-laden diet. In contrast those whose mothers were untreated gain weight and develop diabetes

Prof. Cawthorne, who did the research,

“The supplemented milks are simply adding back something that was originally present,” he told Chemistry & Industry magazine, which reported on the research today. “Breast milk contains leptin and formula feeds don’t.”Previous studies looking at the ability of leptin to reduce hunger in human volunteers have proved disappointing. Prof Cawthorne believes this is because they involved adults, rather than infants. Leptin was only likely to leave its stamp on the malleable brains of babies.”You would only take this for a short time, very early in life,” said Prof Cawthorne.

Cawthorne, about the formula

Prof Cawthorne told the Press Association the infant formula work was in the “very early stages”.”It’s something we’re in the process of looking at,” he said. “There’s potential there because we know that breast-fed offspring have less of a tendency towards obesity in adult life.”I’m not in the least suggesting that it will cure world wide obesity, but it’s something that could make a difference.”There are always safety concerns, and whenever you do anything there tend to be unexpected events. But one could argue that giving formula feeds to babies that are different from breast milk might itself be changing their programming.”

From BBC

Steve O’Rahilly

The notion that leptin in baby milk will prevent human obesity is currently in the realms of wildly optimistic science fiction.

Dr Nick Finer,

And would the first trials be in newly born children?”

Whatever happened to teaching the kids to eat right? Never again am I going to crib about the 20 minutes I have to spend to feed my kids that apple, orange or banana instead of the cupcake that will be wolfed down in 20 seconds.

It is Joanna Moorehead at Guardian Unlimited who asks the right question.

why are we[British] spending money on trying to develop an inferior substitute, rather than putting more resources into encouraging mothers to breastfeed?

Oven-Baked Chicken Curry

Yes, I called it a curry and refuse to call it anything else. A generic mix of spices for the general region of the Indian subcontinent all cooked together genericly goes by the name of curry in the western world. So when I cook something that satisfies that definition, in my western kitchen, I will call it a curry. [Defiant]. Besides, my blog, my rant. So there.

My love affair with the chicken began some 7 years ago. Before that I absolutely refused to eat it. Don’t ask me why.I have no idea. The thing with ingredients that make an entry into your life after your food habits have formed is,it takes quite a lot of thinking to decide how it will be cooked. It doesn’t come naturally to me. See, I look at beet greens, which I have never cooked with before and red amaranth comes to me. I look at zucchini and ridgegourd comes to mind. I look at a chicken and all I see is a mass of pink muscle. I have to go through my recipe book to decide which way I want to prepare it. This frustration with chicken is largely due to the fact that I have never really been successful in making a simple chicken curry. [ shutting my ears among the echoes of *gasp*, *and you are a food blogger?* ]

It’s true. Dinner with friends, potlucks and there it is. The ubiquitous ’simple’ chicken curry,right there, mocking me. Each time, I go to the creator of this bane of my culinary existance and I try to stir the conversation ever so diplomatically to how it is made. I start with complimenting the dish and then finish with “you know there is something so very different from all the normal chicken curries in this. Koi special ingredient ?” Somewhere in between those two praticed lines, I get my answer.

“Arre, nothing yaar! Hot oil, jeera, khadha masala, pyaz,tamatar, haldi, mirchi, dhaniya-jeera, garam masala, chicken, namak. Fir pani daala, aur 2 seethi nikali. Bas..“.

I am not going to bother translating that because it doesn’t help. Do you hear me?? IT DOESN’T HELP! I put all sorts of masala in the pressure-cooker with the chicken and it still tastes like something the local Indian restaurant serves at the buffet. A pseudo-Indian americanised curry that even non-indians have trouble eating. At this point, I am doing the mental version of pulling my hair out. But the lady in question is not done yet because the clincher comes in.

“Sabke Haath ka bhi farak hota hai. That’s why it tastes different”.

I will translate this. This essentially means “My hands turn simple, everyday ingredients into magic. You, on the other hand[no pun intended] are a nincompoop!”. Aaaaargh!!

So, to take the smirk off her face,I go home and try it out. Nothing. Nada. Bland, insipid mess. It is the chicken, I tell you. These chicken have too much water in them. Besides,there is no smirk, is there? She just wants to get away from this non-chicken curry-making cook as far as possible. “Doesn’t know how to make chicken curry? Don’t know what kind of food the kids are being raised on? Bechare ”

As I burn in this hell of chicken-curry-failures, once in a while, something works. Only it is not add-some-of-this-some-of-that-and-pressure-cook-to-2-whistles kind of thing, it is somewhere in between. I chalk it all up to this game God plays so that I don’t give up completely on my simple-chicken-curry hope.Bhagwan, how you test me? Bachche ko rulaoege kya?”.

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This is the curry I make for the weekday dinner guests. It is a no mess, no fuss kind of thing, 10 minutes of prep and cooks in the oven keeping the stove top free.

Make a paste using a blender or mortar-pestle the following

*3 green chillies/Thai peppers
*4 cloves Garlic
*1 inch piece Ginger

Mix together to make a marinade,

*1 cup dahi/curd/yogurt
*1 tsp Red Chilli Powder or 1/2 tsp red Chilli Flakes
*1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
*the paste made above
*1 tsp Garam Masala
* 1/4 tsp Saunf/Fennel seeds Powder
* 1/8 tsp Star Anise powder (Available in Korean Stores)
*Salt to taste

Add to the marinade

1 lb bone-in chicken thighs, chopped into bite-size cubes

Mix well.Set aside for as long as you can. I normally do this in the morning and cook it for dinner. When ready to cook,add

1/2 Red Onion. sliced
3 tbsp peanut oil

to the chicken mix.Pour everything in a baking dish. Into the oven it goes at 350 deg. Put it, Shut it, forget it for the next 40 minutes. Finish with a tadka/chaunk.

Heat

1 tsp Ghee

Add

1 Badi Elaichi/Black Cardamom
3 cloves
1″ Cinnamon

Pour over the chicken, sprinkle some coriander leaves/cilantro and serve. Goes well with Jeera Rice and Crispy Papad on the side.

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Completely irrelevant to the recipe : I cannot help but mention the carnage at Virginia Tech.It was appalling, what happened. It has been even more appalling, watching the media coverage. Monday evening, a whole lot of emphasis on the killer being Asian. Tuesday evening, a big attempt to blame the VT administration for not seeing into the future and predicting this might happen. Wednesday, repeated playings of the killers videos. It’s been amazing to see virginians stand strongly by their alma-matar. Rare is the person who spoke against the university on camera or off. Several people cancelled interviews with the media in protest against the emphasis on the killer and not on the killed. Thursday evening saw a marked difference in media coverage with the focus more on those killed, the loss and grief of their near and dear ones. The hokie spirit is everywhere I go, especially today being decreed a National Day of Mourning in memory of those killed.

Tambdi Bhajji- My Red Greens!

I am ambivalent about beets. Some things I just love, some things-not so much. Walk into a grocery store, there are some things I pick up the moment I see them. Then there are some that I give a wide berth to, even though the good marketing people of the store have placed it right in front of the door so that a customer cannot go in without checking them out. With beets, I am somewhere in between. I look at the beets and keep staring at them wondering. Should I or Shouldn’t I? After the third scorching look from the lady who seems to be waiting to buy the beets, I move ahead to buy the rest of the things I definitely want. “When was the last time I ate them? I think it was the time I made Beet Halwa. Maybe I should pick some carrots and make Gajar ka Halwa. Which reminds me I need to pick up a good bollywood movie. With a lots of song and dance. What is it with those movies that do not have songs anymore? How is someone like Salman Khan supposed to survive without songs that he could dance to as if he was crushing mushrooms under his feet? Speaking of which, I need to get some Mushrooms. Where are they? Oh, there they are, right besides the beets. Oh Beets, hmmm, Should I or shouldn’t I?” A quick look back ascertains the lady actually wanted to buy the leeks below the beets. “I definitely do not need leeks this week. But, the Bok Choy looks good. Maybe a chinese stir-fry this weekend. When was the last time I cooked Chinese? …”

Last week, I actually went ahead and bought them, not because of the roots themselves, but for the lush greens that were attached to them. They were beautiful and this time I didn’t have to think before I picked them up. I had an idea how I was going to cook them. My mom made this koddel using Red Amaranth leaves which we call Tambdi Bhajji effectively Red Greens. My brother, then a toddler, fell in love with this koddel, most probably attracted to it by its color. Somewhere down the line, the leaves that were available in the market lost their ability to generate the bright red that my brother loved and my mom, endowed with the wisdom that parents have, to make sure kids do not stop eating stuff that are actually healthy, started adding beets to it. Result,bright red curry and brother still loves it. I do not get the Red Amaranth leaves in my neck of the woods. So I substitute them with the beet greens and add chopped beets to it. Red, Red Koddel that my son was very excited about and gulped down without a fuss. The apple(or is it the beet ) doesn’t fall far from the tree, it seems.

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Cook (I pressure cook them, can be cooked in a partially covered 2 quart pot on the stove top)

*1 medium sized Beet,peeled, chopped into bite-sized cubes
*corresponding Beet Stalks, chopped into about 2 inches pieces
*One Bunch Beet Greens,washed, drained and chopped
*Salt, to taste

If not pressure cooking, then partially cook the beets and stalks before adding the greens and the salt in.
Meanwhile, grind into a smooth paste

*1/2 cup unsweetened, fresh grated coconut
*4-5 Dried Red Chillies, roasted in a little bit of oil, till it plumps up
*Tamarind, size of a marble or 1/4 tsp Tamarind Concentrate
*Water, as required

Smooth Paste would be till it is a homogenous mixture and the grated coconut does not feel grated anymore.
Once the Beets and the Greens have cooked through-the beets should disintegrate when pressed-, lower the flame to medium-low and add the

*Coconut+Chillies+Tamarind Paste

Let it come to a boil and cook till the coconut foam on top subsides about 5 minutes.
Finish with a garlic phanna (tadka) .

Heat on a low flame

*1 tsp Coconut Oil
*3-4 Garlic Cloves, crushed with their skins on

Heat the garlic and oil together and cook till the skins on the garlic turn golden. Add to the koddel and immediately cover. Mix in before serving.

Serve with Rice, cooked Plain and a Upkari, maybe chilled buttermilk on the side.
Looks like a good ‘red’ entry to JFI-Greens. Also, I nickname it ‘Laal Bhajji’ and send it across to A to Z of Indian Vegetables-Letter ‘L’.
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Note : The leaves of the Red Amaranth available in India are completely red and not striped as seen in the site linked to above. I remember my mom complaining that they are just not that red anymore and can only guess that maybe a variety between the striped and the red one came into the market.

Aloo Matar

It’s been a year of massive changes. I remember sitting with my 6 week old daughter on my lap, my then 19 month old running around wondering ‘who is that new creature in mom’s lap’ and devising ways of getting rid of the distraction including telling my mom she can take her to India with her. I remember feeling completely overwhelmed, drowning in the sea of diapers and colored poop. Much as I love my kids, I knew I needed an outlet, something that would take me beyond baby talk, Barneys and Elmo’s. Blogging came to mind. I do not remember the first time I read a blog but I remember being fascinated by it. As soon as thought of it, I did it. I completely enjoyed the 30 minutes or so I spent each day coming up with content for my blog and catching up with other blogs. Those 30 minutes refreshed my mind, putting me in better frame of mind and renewing my patience threshold.

A year from then, here I am. A working mom, three blogs, and a writing stint on Dining Hall, I am suddenly stretched all over the place. Not complaining, though. I am enjoying it all. One year of blogging, 56 posts-a little over a post a week, I am feeling very satisfied. And yes, nowadays, I definitely spend more than 30 minutes blog-hopping. Ah, so many blogs, so little time….

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There is nothing complicated about Aloo Matar. Potatoes and Peas, dry or smothered in gravy, there is a variation in every cuisine in India. Everybody has their own recipe for doing it, they are all equally good. It is very hard to mess this one up. I was running low on groceries on a day we had a few unexpected guests. Aloo Matar is definitely on the menu in such times. However, I wanted to zing it up a bit and added some extra ingredients making it into rich curry. We all enjoyed every last drop of it. I have made a couple times more, with different medleys of vegetables, it is the gravy that makes it super.

Deep-fry/Shallow-fry/Oven Roast

2 Medium sized Potatoes chopped into bitesize cubes

I have tried each of the above methods. Deep fry is quick, good (when is it not) but oily. Shallow fry takes a lot of time and effort. Oven roasting gives it a wonderful taste. Remember to salt it and give a light coating of oil before roasting. Roasting takes time, too but gives a subtle nuance to the taste. Try it.
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Heat

1 tbsp Peanut Oil

in a wok/kadhai/pan on medium-hot flame. Add

½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds.

When they start sputtering, stand back, brace yourself and add

3 tbsp of Basic Onion-Tomato Gravy

And immediately cover the pan. There will a lot of sputtering and spewing. Adding liquids to hot oil will do that. Lowering the flame will slow down the release of the oil/ghee in the paste. You end up having to fry it as you would for onions and tomatoes. So what? Arre, the whole point of the paste is to save you time. You can make fresh gravy using the same recipe linked above. I won’t be impressed, but I Promise, I won’t hold it against you. When the sputtering stops, remove the lid and stir the paste around till the oil comes out. Add

Potatoes, prepared as above,
1 cup frozen peas,
1 cup water,
Salt to taste

Adjust salt, if you have added salt to potatoes while roasting. Mix and bring to a boil. There is nothing to cook here. The potatoes are already cooked, the frozen peas cook in a jiffy. All you want is for everything to get together. Once it boils, remove from flame and add

2 tbsp Ricotta Cheese

You can substitute with cream. The ricotta cheese melts into the gravy giving it a nice sheen and different texture. Try it. Even cottage cheese is good, however, it will add more of a tang that will need accounting for. Mix, place back on a low heat and let the flavors all fuse together.
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Serve with Rotis/Parathas and a salad.

Phodis

There is no dearth of deep-fried goodness in konkani food. There is an seemlingly endless variety of bajjo-s, phodi-s and ambado-s , just to name a few.

This is what I understand is the difference between each.

Bajjo : They are different veggies that are dipped in batter and deep fried. They are best hot off the oil and tend to become oily when cool. They are served as part of a meal or as a snack with some hot coffee. Essentially, Bajjo is konkani-speak for pakoda. Eg : piava(Onion) Bajjo, Goola(Green Brinjal) Bajjo etc.

Ambado : is a mixture of vegetables/herbs and spices, with potato/legumes/besan used as binder. They can also be seasoned mashed vegetables/tubers dipped in a batter and deep fried. Ambado is konkani speak for vada/vade Eg: Batate (Potato) ambado, Biscoot (Seasoned Urad Dal) Ambado etc.

Phodi : They are deep-fried veggies, too. However, there is no batter involved. They are marinated with a dryish paste of (red chillies+hing+salt and rice,soaked in water). The veggies used for phodi’s tend to be vegetables which have a low content of water in them. Root Vegetables like Suran (Indian yam), Sweet Potato etc. work best. Heat levels (as in Scoville) are higher in phodis than your average bajjo.They are sliced very thin and fried on medium heat for quite a bit longer than bajjos, making them crisp and chewy. They are great at room temperature, too. eg: see below . But they really come into their own when made with cross sections of fish like mackeral or pomfret. Yummm…..

Clockwise from top : Karate Phodi, Surana phodi, Kadge Phodi, Ghointa Phodi

This post talks phodi. As explained above, they are marinated with the spicy paste. We call the spicy paste ‘Goolli’ and the whole process of applying the paste to the Vegetables/fish is called “Goolli Lavche” or applying the paste. However, the english translation comes nowhere to describe the importance of its konkani counterpart. Especially, if seafood is involved. It is not that you dunk the paste and the veggies together in a bowl and swish them all around. You take each slice and apply the paste to it and set aside. It takes a lot of time, but such kind of attention to detail results in properly seasoned fish or vegetable that are just amazing. It is all about details.

The phodis are , most often than not, part of the festive meal or a very large meal. Each vegetable that is to be fried has a special shape in which it will cut for the phodi. Traditionally, five types of phodi are made for any festive meal. I could get hold of only four. The one’s I made for Sansar Padwa and their traditional shape are

1. Suran-a Phodi : Indian yam. They are usually cut into 1 mm thick/thin quadrilatrals of about 1″ * 1″. I used the frozen suran availabe in Indian store, and they are available pre-cut into cubes.

2. Kadge Phodi : Raw Jackfruit. 1 1/2 mm thick wedges . The actual width would depend upon the radius of the Jackfruit. Again, my only choice was the canned variety. I cut each piece into two cross-sectionally.

3. Ghoint-a Phodi : Parwal. Each parwal is cut into three or four pieces depending upon its thickness length-wise. My favorite.

4. Karate Phodi : Bitter gourd. They are cut into thin rounds (As thin as you can make them) and fried crisp, almost like chips. It kind of takes the edge away from the bitterness, yet maintaining it’s integrity. Even haters of this vegetable eat thid deep fried version of them.

Certain rules that are followed.

1. Each type of the vegetable should be cut in approximately the same thickness, length and breadth. They all cook at the same time that way.

2. All vegetables except karate (bittergourd, because of the bitterness) can kept in the same bowl once the “goolli” is applied.

3. Irrespective of whether the vegetables have been mixed together or not, when deep-frying fry like vegetables together. Again, different cooking times for different vegetables.

4. Always fry the bittergourd the last as changes the taste of the oil.

5. You know the veggies are crisp enough when the oil around them stops bubbling.

6. All safety rules for deep frying apply.

Recipe for “goolli”:

1 cup un-cooked rice, soaked for about an hour or two.
A fistful of dried red chillies (about 10-12)
1 tsp of hing powder
Salt to taste.

Grind together in a blender, using as little water as possible, to a smooth paste. Absolutely no water used when my mom makes it. But then, she has the magic mixer, too. However, my recent acquisition, the cuisinart coffee grinder, with the detachable grinder, works great for this as well for most chutneys. At $29.99 (at Bed, Bath and Beyond), it is not as hard on the pocket as some other ones.

Apply to the sliced/cut vegetables and keep aside for about an hour. Deep fry. Best served with Rice and Daalitoy.

Psst,Dear Behena, Pudding recipe coming soon….Dheeraj Rakh…

Update : ‘karate’ to be read as Kaa-raa-tey’. Thanks to the ever-vigilant Coffee’s comment below.

Sansar Padwe che parbe Jovan OR The typical festive lunch on Gudi Padwa/yugadi.

In those days, when questioning traditions was the norm for me, I questioned the wisdom of cooking innumerable dishes in the name of the parab (Festival). What was the point, I thought? These days, all the way in the US of A, with the freedom to cook what I want, when I want and nobody to even fault me or object for not going through the trouble of cooking the traditional feast (Well, they would object, but you know, rules of “what they don’t know won’t hurt them”, ignorance is bliss”, etc. apply), I am standing outside of my tiny kitchen, bleary-eyed, wondering why the heck am I up, at an ungodly hour, to cook up traditional parbe jovan (Festival Meal) ? I mean, seriously, why? Even in my half asleep, feet dragging mode, I can smell the beginnings of a post a mile away. What I wouldn’t give for the smell of fresh coffee to go with it…

Ah, but see, nothing is that simple in tradition-land. It never is. You see, on parab-day, you are not even supposed to step into the kitchen without having a bath –well, a shower– but it’s hair wash day, too. Yes, I said outside the kitchen earlier. After,you have purified yourself, you go ahead and give the kitchen the same treatment. What is it I hear you say? Cooking ?? Oh no, you don’t start cooking until you have cleaned the kitchen and then after you have done cooking, you clean it again. Oh yeah!

Ok, the rules are not that strident in every household. Growing up with my Bapama (read the about page, people), they were that strident in my house. She was a stickler for tradition and made sure we followed it strictly. Everything had to be done just the way it is supposed to be done, every rule followed to the T and every ritual performed. I remember times, when we visited mangalore (the heartland of everything Konkani). Our cousins, aunts and uncles would express surprise at how much us bombay-bred-teenage-brats knew about all-things konkani and I would see my Bapama beeming with pride at having brought us up right. And I remember us feeling very warm and fuzzy at having made her proud. That didn’t stop us from complaining about all her strict rules and stickler-ness (is that a word?) for traditions when not in front of everyone else, of course. See, we grew up in a multi-cultural city and the multi-cultural cuisine was what we preferred to the daily dose of Daalitoy/Saar,the Koddels and the Ghashi-s and the upkari-s etc. Nope, we wanted what the neighbors were eating and what was dished out at the restaurants and all of the so-called (in-our-view) cool food. A holiday was the only day Mom would make them for us. Now, if that holiday turned to be a parab, we were in for a Aamchi that transcended all levels of aamchi-ness((Short for Aamchigele, which is what Konkani’s call themselves, loosely means ‘our people’). And then, the no onion-garlic rule. No wonder, my brother would call it Martial Law. He still does. We still do.

So, why am I doing it? Why am I up, this early in the morning and not stepping into the kitchen to get my coffee, but taking a bath and cleaning the kitchen before I get the caffeine dose that would finally wake me up? I don’t know. I.dont.know.

And yet, I go through the steps and make the age old meal that we have had on every Sansar Padwa/Gudi Padwa/Ugadi. Conciously and subconciously, I follow the steps I have seen my mom and bapama take year after year. Steam the idlis and make the chatni for breakfast. Chop the vegetables, apply masala to the veggies for phodis (a cousin of Bhajjiyas), then make the ghashi (legumes in coconut gravy), the madgane (Roasted Chana Daal in Coconut Milk sweetened with jaggery), the upkari (a vegetable stir-fry) , then Daalitoy (the mother daal, no parab meal is complete without this),and then I deep fry the phodis as I make rice on the other burner. In that order. As I think about it, it all makes sense. The things that are to be served hot are made last, so that they remain hot as the food is being served. Even the kitchen-cleaning business makes sense, Why wouldn’t starting in a clean kitchen make sense? There is a method to the madness.

As familiar aromas waft through the suddenly active house, I see the look on my husband’s face. The same look that is echoed on mine. It is the look of comfort, of being home in a strange land, of the childhood gone by and the reluctant adult-hood that has been thrust upon us. Suddenly, I know.

It is not to uphold traditions and to keep our culture alive which was the driving force for my bapama, I think. It is not even visions of her floating down from the heavens to give me an earful for not walking on the footsteps, she went to so much trouble to make sure were there for us. Though, believe me, that is reason enough. Uffff…
I do it, to re-create and re-live those smells and memories of days gone by. I do it to create new memories for Aayush and Anoushka. Creating New ‘Old’ memories. I look at my toddlers wrinkling their nose at the food and I whisper, ‘You will know’…

I knew it!!

I knew it, I knew it!..

Chocolate is good for you. hmph… I knew it all along!

Sample this

He found the Kuna tribe rarely suffer from high blood pressure and have much lower rates of cancer, heart disease and strokes – some of the biggest killers in the developed world – than neighbouring tribes in Panama.

He suggested this is due to their high intake of epicatechin, which they get from drinking up to five cups of cocoa a day.

Of couse, save the celebrations till later. Because,

Unfortunately for chocolate lovers, most of the naturally-occurring epicatechin is removed in the processing of cocoa beans.

and from here

Dr Hollenberg, who is a scientific advisor to several big pharmaceutical companies and has received financial backing for his research from the M&M/Mars Company, believes there is scope for nutritional companies to develop epicatechin supplements, such as chocolate bars.

M&M/Mars Company provided financial backing…

oh, well. I also knew it was too good to be true.

Keeping the dread at bay with Carrot Soup.

Finally, the dreaded february is gone. I was hoping against hope that it would take the dreaded cold and the dreaded parasites with it. It dreadfully didn’t, leaving the whole family to deal with the dreaded flu season for the adults and dreadful strep throats and ear infections for the kids.
With two clingy kids, a loss of apetite – the kind I have never experienced before and looming deadlines in front of us, me and the hubby were dreadfully tried like we have never been tried before. Oh, yes! It has been a dreadful kind of month for us.

Which means, it’s been a soup kind of month for us. Anything and everything got pulped, pureed, pulversied and slow-cooked into a heavenly flavored liquid which can cure all that ails the human body. And, boy it did. Thick, hot, filling broth that took out the parasites one healing spoonful at a time, giving us much needed nutrition during a period of acute appetite loss, comforting us with its soothing vapors and enveloping us in its warmth much like our mom’s pallu. The pallu we wanted to burrow into and the kids were trying hard to find in me (Sorry Dears, the apron will have to do).

Only two good things came out of this. One, the disappearance of the permanently-3-months-pregnant look I sported and second the recipe of the day, Carrot Soup.

The Carrot Soup became one of our mainstays during this period. And not just because s o m e o n e decided to buy carrots at Costco.

Recipe

Melt

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add

1 bay leaf,
1/2 medium onion, chopped

and fry till soft. Add in

5 medium carrots chopped into bite size pieces
1 tbsp ginger, chopped finely

cook for 2 minutes, till coated with the butter. Add

3 cups water,
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Bring to a boil over high heat. Put on the Pressure cooker lid and let it whistle 3 times. Take off the heat and let it cool. When cooled, open the pressure cooker, puree the mixture in a blender till smooth. If you have one of those stick blenders, more power to you. Pour the soup back into the cooker and stir in

1/4 cup milk,
1 tbsp sugar,
Salt to taste

Reheat over medium heat until piping hot. Serve immediately.

Armed with a bowl of piping hot goodness, I go on to play this meme that I was tagged with eons ago, but couldn’t get to. So here goes, the 5 things you don’t know about me and for all I know, you don’t want to know about me. You are going to, anyway.

1. I hate Dill . There are no two-ways about it, no grey areas. Nope, just do not like it. Whether it is the smell or the taste or the way it looks. Hey, look someone decided to chop up some of their hair for dinner today.Thin little strands going through my food completely grosses me out.

2. I grew up, a very picky eater. Made my mom’s life hell with all the likes and dislikes. { I am so sorry. mom. But don’t you worry, Aayush is making sure I pay for it.}. A trip to the west with half of the things, I did like growing up, not available, I have out grown that.

3. I love the Austin Power movies. Don’t you hate me for this. But, I just love the idiotic behaviour and a little bit of psycho-analysis on myself tells me I am probably an idiot , too.

4. I am a voracious reader. I have 400 blogs on my google reader list and at any moment of time, at least 4 books just for myself from the library. I can read anything. Give me a printed(typed) word and I will read it.

5. I am the typical libra woman. Read Linda Goodman and you would know more about me than you want to know

That’s it. With all my secrets poured out, a bowl of soup poured in, I leave you with this Tamatar Story. Bhagwaan ji, aapki creativity ki to daat deni padegi. The various ways you make sure we remember you. Kabhi doodh pi kar, kabhi tamatar ka roop dharan karke!! Jai ho, Jai ho!!

Toast to the Coconut with Tomato Coconut Rice

Coconut has long been maligned as a non-healthy food,”full of saturated fat and a potential risk to the heart. Its bad for your cholestrol levels and other such.” The cuisine that I have been raised on, however,includes coconut in some form or the other in almost 90% of its recipes. And this is my everyday food!!! I take heart (no pun intended), in the fact that no one in my circle of family or friends has showed anymore likelihood of being afflicted by heart disease than ones who have avoided coconuts their whole life. And with that thought, I present to thee another reason to gorge on this magnificent piece of my culinary life, the coconut.

It takes all of 15 minutes to put together and the results are extremely good. The tanginess of the tomatoes is off-set by the sweetness of Coconut Milk, making for a delicious balance of flavors in every spoonful. Be sure to use fresh tomatoes and not the canned ones and definitely not concentrated pastes. It would, just not be the same.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups basmati rice, washed and set aside for 30 mins
5 medium tomatoes,pureed
1 large onion,thinly sliced
1tbsp ginger+ garlic+green chilly paste,
cloves 2-3,
cinnamon stick 1/2″inch,
bay leaf 1 pc.
1 medium carrot,diced,
1/2 cup green peas
2 cups thick coconut milk + 3 cup water,mixed together
coconut oil, 4-5 tbsp

Method
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, ona medium to high flame.Add bay leaf & whole garam masala.Stir for 1 minute.Add onions, fry till pink and add the paste. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle water, if required. Add the tomatoes ,fry on high till the paste leaves oil. Add the veggies except peas. fry for another minute and add the soaked rice. Mix well . Add the milk & water mixture. and let it come to a boil. Add peas and salt. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook on low flame till done (about 10 minutes). Transfer to serving bowl. If you wish to make it fancy or are serving this at a party, top with sliced tomatoes and coriander. Serve with mixed raita.

Basic Onion-Tomato Gravy 101

In those glorious days when I was a full-time mom, I never planned a meal in advance. No,the 24 hour prep cycle for idli’s or most dosa’s doesn’t count. Menu was always decided maybe 30 mins before I went in to cook and almost always had a particular farmaish from the miya-ji.Most of the time the dinner plate reflected my disposition for the day. Tired, just roti-sabzi or dal-rice-pickle , Enthused- a full and I mean a full plate etc. In the transition from being a full-time mom to a full-time working mom, my cooking has lost that spur-of-the-moment magic. I have menu’s planned for the whole week. Thus, I have a grocery list of items I need from the grocery store. So, grocery shopping has lost its sense of discovery, too.

Not to put down on the planned menu thing, it’s actually a boon. I have a definite idea on the way home about what we are having for dinner and not wasting a lot of time in trying to decide what to cook. That time is then well spent with the kids. It ensures a home made meal everyday as opposed to I-am-too-tired-to-think-let-alone-cook,lets-order-some-takeout routine. Since, I prefer to use up all my fresh veggies and fruits within a week, planning a meal and then buying just those fresh ingredients really acheives that goal. Not to mention cutting the grocery bill in half. I mean, seriously, going to the grocery store without a list was eating up a lot into my household budget. That money is now used up much more wisely, like those pair of shoes that I just needed to have last week. , just kidding. But, you know what I mean. So, really, after a couple of months of planned meals, I am really at a phase where I wonder how on earth I managed without it.

So, while I am not at all ready to let go planning weekly menus, I have started missing out the impromtu-ness of cooking. You know the feeling. It’s raining, lets deep fry something with hot chai or its cold, I want something robust that would fill me up and keep me warm. It was on the day of the later kind that I strayed from the menu and decided to cook up something indian , would fill us up good and warm us from the inside out. It’s a natural instinct for me to think north Indian food when I am in a mood like this. One of the reasons is the fact that it’s the only part of India that officially experiences cold weather in temperatures that we experience in Virginia (No, its really not that cold here as in say canada). So, a lot of there food is actually geared to warming you up. For example, the spices that they use like Cloves, cinnamon etc. or even their extensive use of onion go a long way in achieving that. Also, those creamy, thick gravies. Oh, yum. Now, that I had a general idea what I was craving for, you see the conundrum that I was in, don’t you. How does shopping according to a menu plan lets you adjust to a meal not on the menu? First of all, a well-stocked pantry. Second of all, well use of ingredients in hand. And finally, a well-stocked freezer. Oh, yes. My freezer is a dungeon full of ziploc bags labeled in a script that only I can understand, a mish-mash of frozen veggies and fruits and stuff that I make and freeze for the days like this when deviations happen. I decided to make a aloo-matar. Always, always have potatoes and frozen peas in hand. Also, some frozen homemade basic onion-tomato gravy paste. But, of course, it was not to be the usual aloo-matar. This was to be aloo-matar for the american-desi using ingredients that I had on hand and the desperate craving for a thick, rich, cream-laced gravy.

Freezable Onion-tomato gravy paste

After a long trial and error phase, I have narrowed down to a recipe for the basic gravy paste that works for me enough to blog about it. Just a few things to keep in mind, before you decide to follow this recipe to go the freezing way.

1. There is going to be a change in taste. Do not believe anyone who says there isn’t. This recipe narrows down that change in taste to a level where it is OK for me. Having said that, it is still a work in progress and if I hit upon some other way that minimizes it, I will post it.

2. I freeze this paste in an ice-cube tray and then store the frozen cubes in a ziploc Bag. I label and date it, note the specific ingredients I added to it. While this recipe is the basic gravy paste I use for many North-Indian dishes, some changes here and there turn it into paste used for more specific prepartions like dal makhanis or rajmas. It usually is just a change in the quantities of certain ingredients. But, once frozen, they end up looking the same. So, label includes specific information that would help me differentiate between them.

3. My general rule of thumb when freezing this myself is not let it go for more than 6 weeks. I end up using mine way before that time.

4. The one way I could minimize the change in taste that occured after freezing it was by increasing the amount of fat ( oil and ghee) in it. So, it is a toss-up between convenience and calories. Works for me. I am sure it still falls short on the calories level when compared to ready-made pastes. The recipe could use significantly less fat if it is to be used immediately. However, the final dish won’t require as much oil/Ghee because its already used here.

5. The biggest point to remember is to remove all moisture content from the onion and the tomatoes (Using more Ghee/oil helps there). As far as freezing is concerned, moisture is bad. so, remember to fry them till the oil separates.

6. Cool the masala completely before freezing. The condensed steam from the hot paste in the freezer results in water and icicles. Not good.

On to the recipe,now.

Slice and fry

3 medium-sized Onions

in a pre-heated mixture of

2 tbsp of ghee
2 tbsp of Peanut Oil (any other light flavored oil is good enough)

on medium heat, till the onions soften and wilt and golden spots/bubbles appear on them. Takes some amount of time and needs intermediate attention and stirring. You see the oil disappearing when you first add the onions and then re-appearing at about this stage. Add

6 cloves of Garlic, chopped coarsely
3 inch piece of Ginger, chopped coarsely

Fry for a few minutes, till the garlic and ginger turn golden in color. Keep watching, doesn’t take long. Add

6 plum Tomatoes OR 3 beefsteak Tomatoes, chopped coarsely
3 tbsp Tomato puree OR 1 1/2 tsp Tomato Paste

Again, needs time and attention and frequent stirring. The oil disappears and starts appearing again. Look closely to differentiate between the moisture of the tomatoes and the oil. You might have to fry it a little while longer even after the oil starts separating to completely eliminate moisture. One of the ways to tell there is no more moisture is that the onion starts changing color and getting brown as opposed to golden. In some cases, this is good and we will let it go till it reaches a good brown color (like say chana masala). In this case, we want it to be more golden than brown and hence will stop.

Remove from flame. Cool a little bit before blending it into a paste. Might require a little help in the form of water. Use the least you can and still make a smooth paste.

Heat

1 tbsp Ghee
1 tbsp Peanut Oil

on medium flame. Add

the paste blended as above, would be still warm

Fry till the oil separates, won’t take long. Add

1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi Powder
7-8 tsp Red Chilli /Laal Mirch Powder
5 tsp Coriander /Dhaniya Powder
3 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder

Fry till the oil separates again. Add

1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Mix thoroughly. Cool completely. Clean and dry the ice tray. Pour 2 tbsp on the prepared paste in cube. Freeze. Next day(12-14 hrs later), remove from tray and store in freezable ziploc bags, back into the freezer.

Thought Process

1. I use less onion and more tomato and this recipe reflects that. Just the way my taste buds roll. Very much open to change, though.

2. I use a combination of fresh tomatoes and tomato paste or puree. I prefer the tanginess of the fresh tomatoes that is noticably absent in the puree or paste. However, the puree or paste act as a thickener for the gravy and results in a smoother, thicker gravy.

3. I prefer to fry the sliced onion and chopped tomato and then make a puree of it as opposed to making a paste and then frying in oil. I just find the bhunoing part in the first one is far less than in the second one. By following this method, I fry, make paste and then fry again for a little while. Might seem like a lot of oil, but remember, if you make a paste first before frying, you have to start with double the quantity of oil to begin with. Otherwise, you end up with onion paste that is kind of steamed/braised instead of fried. That’s because it will cook in its own liquid dropping the temperature of the oil and not fry in the hot oil which dries up its liquid almost immediately. It will still be edible, but not conducive to good freezing as it would still have moisture in it. Remember, Moisture bad for freezing. Either way fat content remains the same.

4. Resist the temptation to replace the ghee in the recipe with oil. Ghee lends a lot of flavor to the paste as opposed to just oil. If you are counting your calories, reduce it and replace with oil but try not to completely eliminate it. If you do eliminate it, when preparing the final dish, use a little ghee. But, use ghee somewhere, for crying out loud.

5. If you were using the above recipe to use immediately, you would add salt with the tomatoes to help the tomatoes release their moisture. However, when I plan to freeze it, I avoid adding any salt to it. Salt would be added while making the final dish.

Does this work!!

Sitting at work on friday before new year and of course surfing. Some random serach lead me to this.. It talks about fitting a mason jar into your regular blender for grinding smaller quantities. Have any of you been doing this or tried this ?

Disclaimer : TRY IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!

A Slice of…Indian Life

How do busy Indians get their thrills while going about the daily grind….Click on the Play button to Find out!

Did you notice how the man runs for his life and then pulls his girlfriend up only when he is safe?. Ah…Love!

What’s in a name, you say? ‘For a Rose shall still be a rose …’ and all that. Well, if you are a ‘tam or a mallu’, heck of a lot in a name, according to this guy. Meet the Funny Indian and his take on the travails of Single South Indian Men of conservative upbringing.

Have a Good Weekend, All!

End of week Musings

(This post was first published in my other blog Past, Present and Me)

Rarely has a movie been so readily accepted by me without any reservations as “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” has. I don’t remember a film that sends a message across so eloquently without being sermonous or making you feel guilty. With the laugh-a-minute joke fest and the excellent chemistry between Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, it fools you into believing that you are watching an out and out comedy film. The fact that the movie actually deals with history and its application in the present and the fact that it almost makes you believe its possible just whizzes past you for the couple hours of the movie. You sit there as the protaganist tries to convince people to take the gandhian approach towards solving their problems through his radio show, while in the back of your mind you are going “yeah, like that is going to work”. Yet, you find yourself rooting that the approach works and end up with a jerky smile on your face when it actually does. So, when a man calls in to complain about a neighbor who thinks its ok to spit outside his door every morning, your first instinct is to pick up a fight with a neighbor, if you were in his place. Yet, you find the protaganist asking him to calmly clean up the spit in front of the offender. This goes on for quite a few days, before finally one day, the neighbor doesn’t spit, raises a hand in apology and leaves. The solution so simple yet effective, solves the problem, keeping the man’s dignity and teaching a thing or two in dignity to the offender. For some one like me, who was born in an independent India and sat through history lessons wondering whether the Mahatma would have been as successful in this present day and age, it was an excellent presentation of how it could be applied in today’s life. Considering the popularity of the movie and the buzz that ‘Gandhigiri’ created, it seemed like everybody thought so, too. Apparently, not so.

A vandalisation of a statue, two trains, hundred of other buses burnt and crores of rupees lost down the drain later, we are back to square one and any sembelance of dignity has been shattered. After reading all of that, the next news headline talking about possibilty of more 7/11 type bombings in bombay fails to faze me. While it really sent me into quite a rage when it happened, now I have a different view. See, Mr. Terrorist, don’t bother. While our strive to achieve self-reliance has lagged in certain sectors, when it comes to ruining our country, we can pretty much do it ourselves, thank you very much. Aren’t you proud of what we have achieved post-independence, Baapu?

Now that I have shared my frustration and anger, I am going to do what every body else did, snuggle up to a cup of chai and read why Aishwarya is going to marry a tree.

To Roast a Chicken…

I discovered the joys of roasting a whole chicken as recently as three months ago and I have been doing it left and right since then. You would understand the significance of the statement appropos coming from me, if you knew me better. Meet me. A firm believer in the fact that if it used to move on its own, it needs a lot of help (read, heat and spice) to be made edible. Me, for whom seafood or chicken (the extent of my non-vegetarian existence) equals hot and spicy food. The neurotic eater, who would never touch a dish that does not have at least 50 spices in it. Ok, so maybe that is exaggerating a bit. 49 would do as well. But, you get the point. I did not try alfredo for quite a while after I came west just because it was…ahem… not colorful enough. That’s me.

The only reason I ever tried my hand at it was because it satisfied some primeval urge in me. There is something primal about cooking a whole bird. No use of those fancy knives (until after you have cooked them, that is), no chopping, no bhuno-ing. Just some TLC is all it needs and a hot oven…well, medium hot oven…you know what I mean. But, that urge to go primitive stops at the swanky grocery store. Nope, not gonna see me wring a chicken’s neck and pluck its feathers, no siree. I have to hop in my heated seats, power doors, gas-guzzling much-bigger-than-I-actually-need sports utility vehicle, pick me up some nice, already dead, de-necked, de-feathered and definitely ‘de-cavity’-ed chicken before I can go ‘primitive’. Again, that’s me.

What surprises you is how juicy, the chicken that results, is. I am a firm believer that any kind of meat, poultry or seafood tastes better on the bone. Not that, that stops me from appreciating the quick cooking nature of the boneless ones or using it to the optimium. But, the biggest difference here is the use of the skin,which has all the fat. The fat that keeps the meat moist during the lengthy cooking process. It is the kind of thing that makes you appreciate the meat for its own flavor and taste rather than its blandness that takes well to being smothered in a spicy gravy. Which is why, even someone like me, who can’t imagine a meal without rice or roti or any meat without gravy, can make a whole meal with this. With a little rice on the side, of course. You know by now, that’s just me.

I am not going to go into the details of How to roast a chicken. You can just google it and find hundreds of sites that will tell you how to do it. I am just going to give you some tips to twist it to the Indian palate without turning it into Murgh Musallam

1. First of all, I do not eat the skin of the chicken. There are hardly any Indian dishes that cook chicken with its skin on. Even the famous Tandoori Chicken is not cooked with its skin on. While this may largely be due to the fact that we most often than not broil or stew our chicken which does not bode well for the skin, it also means that much less fat that we are consuming (which we make up for in all that ghee we use for the gravy, but hey, the chicken is healthy). So, I concentrate all my seasonings under the skin.

2. Seasoning, Seasoning, Seasoning. Most sites you see will tell you the season the bird well. But, how well? And how well is seasoned well? How do you know? Well, the measure I use is this. Consider, chopping up the whole bird to make a Chicken curry. Consider how much salt you will put into the curry, in that case. That’s the amount of salt you require to cover every portion of the bird. Season the outer skin, under the skin and inside the cavity, too. Be equally liberal with the Black pepper, too. Try using rock salt as opposed to regular salt. Much more flavor.

3.Consider the flavorings you are going to put. Resist the temptation to put in all your regular spice powders. Concentrate on one or two and use that to the optimum. Consider mixing in the spices with room temperature butter and then slathering the bird with it rather than just sprinkling on the top. Since, I prefer to put my flavorings under the skin, I always mix them with unsalted butter. Separate the skin from the meat using a thin paring knife.Now, this requires a lot of practice and a stomach of steel. But, the end product, my friend, is worth it. I mostly go with some Chilli powder, Cumin and some garam masala. I also like using some dried herbs, thyme, being the all time favorite with chicken. It also goes well with the spices. Massage the flavored butter into the bird all over. If you decide to mix in the salt and pepper with the butter, remember to sprinkle some more salt on the skin and the cavity.

4. Consider using a spice bouquet. I fill the cavity with a whole garlic bulb slit across, an onion-halved,two cinnamon sticks, a bay leaf, two Black cardamoms and some cloves. Sometimes, a lemon halved.

5.Place the chicken on a bed of veggies, especially some root veggies like Potatoes and carrots. The veggies absorb all the flavor from the chicken juices making them delicious. Remember to coat the veggies with a thin layer of oil and salt.

6.I do not bother tieing (trussing) the chicken legs. I have never ended up with burn’t chicken tips, so I haven’t felt the need to.

7. Even though, We don’t eat the skin, I like to bring a golden brown bird to the table. Pre heat the Oven to 450 degrees F. Cook the chicken for 15 mins before lowering the heat to 350 and cooking for another 35 to 40 minutes depending upon the chicken and the oven. I always use a 5-pound chicken and these instructions work perfectly with them.

8.Most sites will tell you to cut into the thigh of the chicken and check the juices that run out. If they are clear, you have a cooked bird. That’s very sound advice. I know the chicken is cooked, when the leg moves freely when wiggled. That is the test that works for me. When in doubt, use a thermometer

9. Let it rest. For at least 15 minutes before you start carving it. Results in a juicier chicken.

10.You can try carving it in a fancy way. I just like doing it in a very basic way. Use a very Sharp Knife. Hold the tip of the chicken leg and let your knife in to the joint between the leg and breast and slice right through. If you are at the correct place, the knife will cut through like butter. If not, wiggle the tip of the knife gently, till you hit the spot. Apply the same logic to the joint between the thigh and the leg. For the breast, I just like to let the knife follow the breast bone and get the whole breast out in one go. Remember to slit through the bone between the two breast first, though. That’s it.

Now, at this point, most cooks will ask you to save the carcass to make chicken stock. I haven’t reached that culinary peak yet nor has my stomach. Which is why I don’t save the carcass. I do save the bits of meat on the back of the chicken and the juices that accumalate in the roasting pan and make my stock using them. Any guesses on what my next post would be??

Helpful Links :

Some great basic tips here
How to Carve a chicken

Pucker up to some Cranberry-Apple Chutney!

Its the season for cranberries. Its one of the main things that I look forward to as thanksgiving approaches and it is also something I buy only during thanksgiving and never before. In any form. No cranberry juice all around the year for me. This is the only time of the year that it seems right. Though, I experimented with cranberries (dried ones in cranberry muffin, juice in a cranberry martini etc), I never went Indian with them. Until this year for thanksgiving, I made some cranberry chutney and I could’nt resist putting in some of this and some of that and a whole lot of jaggery to make it family friendly. I like the tartness but my husband is not so much a fan. I mean, it is a chutney , you know!. The chutney is really good , especially with some hot parathas.

Heat , in a medium size sauce pot

1 tsp of ghee

Add,

1/4 tsp Black mustard seeds

When that sputters add,

2 Cloves
5 Green chillies (slit length-wise or chopped finely)
4-5 Kadipatta (Curry Leaves)
a pinch hing (Asafoetida)
2 Apples , chopped into cubes size of cranberries
1 12 oz bag of Fresh cranberries
Salt to Taste

Mix everything together and cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat. The cranberries pop, the apples melt and results in a wonderful dark pink concoction. If you taste it now, you will get, other than a burnt tongue, a really really tart taste. Its time to sweeten things up.

Add

1 cups of Jaggery
1/4 cup Orange juice

Cook, covered on medium heat till the jaggery melts and remove from flame. Add

1 tsp Red Chilli powder

to finish off a wonderful-tart-yet-sweet-and-with-a-hint-of-heat chutney. This was a part of my neither-here-nor-there-Thanksgiving dinner and we have enough leftovers to have with parathas. My son loves them in his PB & J Sandwich. I get the feeling that his palate is becoming neither-here-nor-there, too. But, of course, I would prefer it to be called “Well-Rounded” Palate!

This is my contribution to Jihva-Jaggery hosted by Kay of Towards a Better Tomorrow and also
to Festive Fair hosted by Anna of Morsel’s and Musings

Making the Weekday Special with Chilli Chicken

Aayush has decided that he likes to bite into things and chew his food rather than having it mashed and gulping it down. Finally! I almost had visions of feeding him mashed food into old age.

“Kha re, deva. Hoddu jatalo!!”.. “Eat it, my lord. Make you a big boy!” .

Amazing how he can set his tooth grinders on when he is eating a chakuli (murruku) or tukdi or even potato chips. But, a roti or rice, god forbid if he would chew through them. After a lot of explaining, showing him how dad (and all ‘big boys’) eat, trying to enforce the rule by refusing to mash his food and finally, breaking down and just praying to god for salvation, the bugger decides to eat like a grown up. So what pushes him to do it ? Not peer pressure, not shame, not wanting to be a ‘big boy’ nor any of my culinary creations. Oh no!! It was the blasted Chick-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets. Not that I have anything against them. Rather them than the ones at MacDonalds, I say. It is the sheer perverse-ness of it that frustrates me. After going through a lot of struggle to avoid getting him on the fast food bandwagon (struggle, not only because of the sheer amount of outlets and Ads , but because we have had to avoid it, too), the one food that drives him to take that next very important step in his development comes straight out of a fast food chain. Ugggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Thats kids for you. So, how does the a two year old with parents trying hard not to expose him to fast food, come across a Chick-Fil-A Chicken nugget? Ah, see , thats a whole other can of worms. Of late, there have been discontent in the family about the food that coming out my kitchen during week days. Discontent that they were just not as exciting as before. Discontent that began erupting with mild comments, mild comments that turned into mutterings when food was served, mutterings that turned into snide comments, and snide comments that finally became loud complaints. When even those didn’t have the desired effect, they decided to hit it where it really hurts! The ego. Oh yes, the hubby coming home with one of the drive-thru specials was becoming a regular feature and signs of a full blown mutiny were apparent. I was not ready to give in, though, and a full blown war was about to start, when Aayush decided, he liked fast food.

And, peace was sketched out between the waring factions (read, the parents) in the interest of the innocent people (read, the kids) whose life was blown apart by the silent war (though I am sure, Aayush doesn’t look at it that way). It was decided that something “exciting” (in terms of food!) will be made mid-week, the day hubby comes home at the same time as me, and that he would help in any way he can, begining with staying out of the kitchen and making sure the kids stay away, too. He was very happy with that suggestion. Poor guy, has no idea the tornado that is going to hit him in the form of two kids who have missed their parents the whole day. *snicker, snicker*

So, the good news is, Aayush likes chicken and that means a quick route to good proteins for him and another reason for us ( S and me) to gorge on chickens and hubby takes care of the kids for one WHOLE evening. Not a bad deal. I began the healing process with some darn good, Indo-Chinese concoction that I guess would be known as fast-food in India, but since I make it at home, is alright .

Cube into bite size pieces

3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

Make a paste of the following and marinate the chicken in it for about an hour.

1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Soya Sauce (Dark or lite, I prefer the dark)
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Cornflour

In a large frying pan, heat up

a couple tbsp of Peanut Oil

Shallow-fry the chicken cubes in the oil. If you have used a large enough pan, you will be able to do this in two rounds. Follow the usual rules. Don’t over crowd the pan, don’t try moving the chicken around for a couple minutes until a shake to the pan has it dancing in the pan. Usually, with chicken pieces this small, you know you are ready to turn them when the side on top if white with small pink center on top. Drain on paper towels when cooked through. Cool. This part you can do ahead of time. I have to warn you though that the family might think they are chicken pakoda and finish them off.

Raise the heat on the remaining oil (there should be about 2 tbsp oil, if there isn’t add more), add

2 whole dried red chillies (optional)
1/2 cup sliced Green Onions
(usually a bunch. only the white part, save the green for garnish)
1 tbsp chopped Garlic
4-5 chillies slit length-wise

Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add

2 tbsp Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Chilli-Garlic Sauce (you get these in most grocery stores)

Add salt, depending on taste. Usually, with that amount of soya sauce, its not necessary. Mix to coat all the chicken with the sauce. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Remove from flame and top with

chopped greens from the green onions
(That sounds very knowledgeable,doesn’t it?)

I served this with dal and rice. But, it works as an excellent finger-food,too.

And All was as should should be and peace reigned the kingdom again. With the mutiny squashed, the queen was joyous. The king was happy with the time he was getting with the kids and the prince and the princess were just happy with the attention. The chicken nuggets got to stay in the outlets where the bad grown ups (us) can go and pig out without the kids knowing about it. Everyone gobbled down on the ‘exciting’ home-made food, and they lived happily ever after

…………………………………………………………….until the next meal.

Thanksgiving with Pumpkin Pie

“Its time we jumped on to the Thanksgiving Bandwagon.”

You know the feeling. The feeling of coming home from work knowing what follows is a looooooooonng weekend and since we don’t celebrate thanksgiving, just lazing around and maybe ctaching a thing or two at the black friday sale, if we feel like getting up. You know the feeling. Just as I was reacqauinting myself to that feeling curled up with a cup of chai, the spouse uttered those words. I fought it , of course pretending not to hear it, hoping the idea would die its natural death, at least for the year. And, thats when he would utter those fateful wordss, the words that would seal my fate for today.

” As a food blogger, you should really be into this..”

Boy, the man knew how to push my buttons , didn’t he?…Next thing , I know I am at the grocery store looking at 20 pound turkeys. Now, spurred on by a challenge, I decided to take on thanksgiving. But, I was not so blind that I would take on a 20 pound bird on such short notice. Since, smaller ones were not available, we decided to get a chicken. I chalked out the following menu for our “neither-here-nor-there” thanksgiving. Thats because We are not that innured to the American palate, to do it the traditional way and I didn’t want to ruin thanks giving by slathering everything in sight with all the masalas in my cupboard. it was to be,

Roast Chicken with Gravy

Roasted Veggies Onion, Carrots and Potatoes

Stuffed Brussel Sprouts

Cranberry Chutney

Pumpkin Pie

No stuffing. Didn’t go there. Maybe next year, when I might grow an appreciation for it. For now, my inexperienced palate just can’t fathom how bread soaked in chicken juices would be good eats.

Early, this morning prepped the bird and started work on the pie. And the pie, considering that its my first attempt, looks good. Very simple, too, if you use canned pureed pumpkin. I used a recipe from the back of a can, with some super suggestions from the lady who was shopping in the same aisle as me. She just looked like the person who would make excellent Pumpkin pies for her family. I asked her, if the recipe on the can would make a good pie. She looked at it, and gave me a list and quantity of spices that I should put in it instead of a pumpkin pie spice mix, which the recipe suggested. I talked to her for the longest time and forgot to ask her name. Dear kind-lady-from-the-grocery-store, not that you would even need to look through food blogs , but if you do, thank you so much for some great tips!!!. And let me tell you, it smells amazing and even the husband(& me), not a great pumpkin fan, is looking forward to diving into it. Right now, a small cavity in the pie stands mute testimony to the fact that we didn’t wait for the meal.

Pumpkin pie ( Recipe Source: Back of a can and the kind-Lady-at-the- grocery-store)

You Need :

1 unbaked 9-inch Deep Dish Pie shell ( I used pillsbury frozen)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

For the filling :

Beat

Two Large Eggs

in a medium bowl. Add

1 can Pureed Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 tsp ground Cloves

Whisk together to make a smooth paste. Make sure the spice is not in a big lump anywhere. Add

1 1/2 cups of half and half

little by little till it all comes together in a smooth paste. Kind-Lady-at-the-grocery-store suggested substituting the 1 can evaporated milk with half and half for a more richer pie. I think she was right.

Pour the mixture into the forzen pie shell. Bake at 425 for 15 mins . Lower the temprature to 350, and bake for about 30-40 mins, depending upon your oven, till knife entered in the center comes out clean. Took the whole 40 mins at 350 for me. Cool before serving. The can says, refrigerating is fine, freezing is not. DO NOT FREEZE.

Making up with Mirchi ka Salan

The first weeks of November saw me go back to the world of 9 to 5 and my son going into deep disillusionment. He had believed that his mommy was going to be there ‘always, always’. Turns out mommy just goes out all day, comes back only in the evening and spends just a couple of hours a day with him. His solution, make for lost time on weekends. So, the last two weekends saw me juggling to do the things that need to be done around the house with a 2 year old attached to the hip, literally. All of this has , of course, taken a toll on the kitchen. It was feeling real neglected.As I entered into the world of planned meals and easy to cook recipes, the past two weeks had seen me sticking with the basic food and really not venturing too far from the roti-dal-sabzi menu. The kitchen was not happy. Yes, disillusionment was just around the corner. Having trouble dealing with one kid who had already decided it was time to force the issue, I decided that making up with my kitchen was the smart thing to do. So, when Aayush, finally trusted me enough to get a shut eye (I guess, he just thought, I would disappear again if he slept), I decided to venture into the world of Hyderabadi food with its much touted Mirchi ka Salan.

Now, I dont claim to be a connosieur of andhra food. In fact, the first time I heard about Mirchi ka Salan was through an Andhra-ite friend of mine. When ‘M’ described it to me, I knew I was going to like it. I mean, fried peppers in a peanut sauce, How can you go wrong!!! It was time to give it a taste. So, armed with a recipe, I forged into the world of Hyderabadi Cuisine.

I went with jalapeno peppers for this dish, though, she had suggested using anaheim. Let me tell you, I should have gone with the Anaheim. Wowee!! Cleared up all our sinuses for sure! Leftovers a couple days later were just too hot for consumption. The next time I would probably remove the innards of the chillis if I decide to stick with jalapeno. Phew!! The gravy is simply fabulous. Not just simply fabulous, but simple and fabulous. My husband suggested putting chicken pieces in the gravy along with the peppers next time. I like the idea and will try it soon, though, ‘M’ thought it was blasphemy to meddle with the perfect Mirchi ka Salan. Sorry, Dear.

For those of you who haven’t tried this dish, I would certainly recommend it. Try it once. Go for the milder peppers before you venture into the more hots ones. The gravy is a keeper for sure!!

Here’s the recipe as I tried it and as ‘M’ makes it.

Ingredients

Deep/Shallow fry

4 Jalapenos/Anaheim Peppers (Deseeded, if you don’t like things too hot

in

Ghee/Peanut or Corn Oil

Keep aside. I removed the outer skin of the jalapenos even though ‘M’ doesn’t. Just a personal preference. Wrap the deep fried Jalapenos in a paper towel till cool enough to handle to completely cover. Then just wipe the skin off. The steam does most of the job that way.

Make the salan paste. Grind to a fine paste

¼ cup Roasted Peanuts
¼ cup Dessicated Coconut
1” Fresh Ginger, chopped
1 tsp Sesame Seeds

Add to the paste

1 tsp Asafoetida

Heat

2-3 tbsp Ghee/Peanut or Corn Oil

Add the salan paste and cook it till the oil leaves the paste. This takes quite a while and you need to keep stirring it as the peanuts have the tendency to stick. Very important to cook it that long to keep the peanuts from tasting raw. Take the time. Juggle the kid to the other hip(Of course, he is up by now). Sing him a song and take a few seconds away to keep stirring it.
Add a few drops of water, if it starts sticking too much. I did this in a cast iron skillet set on medium/medium-low heat, took about 15 minutes and 2 splashes of water.Once the paste starts leaving the oil (you will actually see the layer of oil separate and its quite gratifying), add

½ cup yogurt, whisked smooth
Tumeric/Haldi, a pinch
Salt, to taste

According to ‘M’, thats the proportion. The peanuts,coconut and yogurt go in a 1:1:2 ratio to make the ‘perfect’ salan. The rest can be eye balled. Keep stirring until the oil separated again. A lot quicker this time. Add

2 tbsp Tamarind paste
Water, enough to make it a sauce consistency

Cook for a couple of minutes till the water and tamarind blend with the paste to make a smooth sauce. Add the fried peppers. Bring to a boil and remove from flame. Garnish with

2 tsp coriander leaves, chopped finely

Mirchi ka salan is ready. I served it with hot chapatis and rice, though traditionally, it is served with Hyderabadi Biryani. That, though, is another post.

Diwali Treats..by Soumya Somashekar

Presenting, a whole lot of treats from Soumya Somashekar. And all of them cooked with a new born by her side!!..Gosh, the love for food!!!

CHAKALI

I make chakali flour in advance & sometime i ask my mother to make it in India & send me.
The ratio is 2:1 Rice:Udad dal. My mother soaks them seperately & dries them in shade for 2
to 3 days. Then she roast them & give for grinding in the Mill. It gives a great aroma. I store it in Freezer for a year sometimes & whenever needed take some flour out & make yummy chakalies. You guys can use the rice flour & Udad dal flour you get in the Indial Grocery Store. I have tried it too which comes out really good, But as you know mom-made things tastes yummmmy.

The other ingds are
Hing,
Salt to taste,
Butter for Mohan,
Til(Sesame seeds),
Oil for frying.

Mix salt & hing in a little water.
Mix flour & til together in a bowl then heat butter in kadai & pour it on the chakali flour.
Let it cool & mix the Hing & salt water & make a batter of chappati consistancy.
Now put the batter in the chakali mould & squeeze to make a round shape chakalies on a plastic sheet.
Deep fry in hot oil. Keep the oil on a medium flame. Turn the on the other side & let it cook. Remove on to dry paper towel,
cool it & store in a air tight container.
This chakali is just salted but if anyone wants can add little Red chilli powder & DhaniaJeera powder. It tastes really good.

RIBBON PAKODA

Besan- 2 cups
Rice flour- 1/4 cup

Add other spices according to your taste
Red chilli powder,
DhaniaJeera powder,
hing,
Salt little Ome pudi.
Oil for frying & for Mohan.

Mix all ingds other than oil in a bowl add little by little water & make a batter of chapati’s consistency.
Now put the batter in the mold with Tape/ ribbon pakoda disc & squeez directly in the hot oil. Keep the gas on medium flame… Fry on both sides & drain on a tissue
paper.Cool & store in a airtight container.

MYSORE PAK

Besan- 1 cup
Sugar- 2 cups
Ghee – 3 cups
Some cardmom powder

Instead of using 3 cups of Ghee u can use 2 cups of ghee & 1 cup of cooking oil (not olive oil).
Take sugar in a thick bottom Kadai add little water very little just to wet the sugar. On another stove keep a vessel with ghee to heat it it should be hot enough but don’t burn it.
Now simultaneously keep stirring the sugar syrup it should be thick. Now the sugar syrup will start frothing and start to come off from the sides of the kadai. Slowly pour the ghee into the kadai, while stirring continuously. Add some more ghee & immediately add the besan & stirr
continously, u should do it really fast otherwise the besan will form lumps. Again slowly pour the ghee into the kadai, while stirring continuously.Add more & more ghee till the mixture starts leaving the ghee out, & no more ghee is left in the other vessel. Once it will no more absorb
the ghee, within few minutes, the entire mixture will harden a bit and become thick. Take it off the stove and pour it onto a flat greased plate/vessel (u have to pour it in such a way that the
mixture willfall in the Plate in a layered form the way it was in the kadai)and let it cool for about 15-20 minutes. While it is still hot, draw the lines with a sharp life to make small rectangular shape(b’cas it will be layered in three colours from bottom to top & looks
good if its in rectangular shape). After it is cool, you can take out the pieces and store them in an air-tight container.

Karanji…By Sharmila P

Presenting, Sharmila, whose entry karanji comes complete with step-by-step pictures!!!

Hi folks,

I stumbled upon this great blogging world since a friend of mine, SaffronHut, started her blog. Since then I have been hooked. I read the blogs whenever I can find the time, in between work and kids and other things. I don’t have a blog, well at least not a food blog. I do have a blog for posting pictures and write-ups to my family. Also, with all the Diwali things and usual humdrum of life, I just read about this jihva. Since Vee is doing a post-Diwali round up I thought I’d send my entry even though it is a little late.

For Diwali, traditionally in Mumbai, India we make karangis (which we call Shingdi), nankatai, chivda, chakli and mathlele besan laadoo which is made from powdered dalia. Our (Maharashtrian Pathare Prabhu) karangi’s are a little different from the traditional Marathi Karangi’s. There are 2 kinds of fillings – 1 is made of coconut and sugar, and the other is made of dudhi halwa. And not just that but the karangis are not fried in oil but baked. My mom makes really yummy ones the traditional way where the cover is made out of wheat dough. She makes the dough into large chapati like flat rounds, then applies a thin layer of ghee to it, then another layer of a wheat chapati followed by some more ghee and a 3rd layer. That gives it the crisp flakiness when the karangis are baked in the oven.

Over the years, I have made karangis and nankatai every year for Diwali, though I have changed the recipe to suit our fast paced lives here in the US. So instead of making the cover the way my mom does, I use Pillsbury pie crust. Also, with coconut being notorious for cholesterol, I only make the dudhi halva filling.

Recipe makes 30

1 packet Pillsbury pie crush dough

Dudhi halva

2 medium sized dudhi (opo squash). After grating should be about 3.5 cups or so.

1/2 stick of butter

1.5 cups of sugar.

1 small container of non-fat ricotta cheese.

1 tsp cardamom powder

Skin the dudhis and de-seed them. Grate them in a food processor. Put a little ghee in the bottom of a pressure pan or thick bottomed pan and let it melt. Add the grated dudhis. Toss it around in the ghee. Close the pressure pan and let it cook. (No whistle). Once the dudhi looks like it is cooked, keep the pan open and let the water dry up on high heat. Then add the sugar and some cardamom powder. If you used unsalter butter, add a 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix well and let the sugar melt and get syrupy. Meanwhile put the ricotta cheese in a microwavable bowl. Spread it out so that it is in a thin layer. Microwave on high for 4-5 min. It starts to get a little crumbly. Break the crumbs up and mix it up and repeat till the mixture is dry but not brown. Add that (as the mawa) to the squash mixture and mix well. Once all the water from the sugar syrup gets evaporated, you will have your dudhi halva ready to go. It needs to be a little more on the sweet side to balance off the salty pie crust dough.

I usually make this the night before and then make the Karangi’s in the morning.

To make the karangi’s, unroll the Pillsbury pie crust and re-roll it much tighter than it was.

Now cut the roll into 2cm pieces. 1 roll makes about 15.

Take each piece and place it such that the rolled side is still on the sides. Press it a little bit and roll it out into a small oval puri shaped flat.

Put a spoonful of the halva on 1 side near the center.

Fold over the other end to make a D shaped karangi.

Flute the ends of the karangi to seal them or trim with a pie cutter.

Make all 15 and then bake them in a pre-heated over 375 F middle rack till they are slightly brown (takes about 20-25 minutes per batch).

Penuri..By Anupama Anantharaman

If you have gone through the Diwali round up , you have seen an entry by Anupama Anantharaman, who has been grouped as an Individual participant. She sent in the recipe for penuri, which I am reproducing here in Anupama’s words. Penuri’s are these yummy treats that are flaky and sweet and really tedious to make. Anupama gives away her secrets for making these and they look gorgeous.

In her own words, she doesn’t have a blog yet. So, we can look forward to this amazing cook joining the blogging community sooner if not later. Here’s a glimpse , though, of the kind of food we can expect when she does decide to join in.

Over to Anupama…

Here is the recipe for this months JFI event. The dish is “sweet
penuri.” This one’s a winner. It’s heavenly aroma will fill you with
the Diwali spirit of joy and sharing.

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour/maida
1.5 tbsp ghee (I suggest you use pure, home-made ghee unless you are
absolutely sure that you can buy high-quality, authentic ghee from
outside)
2 tbsp rice flour
3 cups regular sugar for syrup
½ cup powdered sugar
8 cardamoms (Optional)

This recipe will make approx. 45 penuris penuris, each about 2.5
diameter in size. I think this size is perfect because a smaller size
will leave you wanting for a few extra bites and a bigger size will
make you hate yourself for breaking that resolve to watch your calories.
Who says you can’t have best of both worlds?

Procedure

The secret of making crispy and flaky penuri lies in the dough and the
sugar syrup. The dough should be pliable yet stiff and the sugar syrup
should be of 1-thread consistency, no less, no more.

1. In a mixing bowl, mix 2 cups of plain flour and 1.5 table spoons
ghee thoroughly well with your palm and fingers. This will take about 3
minutes. Knead a stiff dough by adding about 3/4 cup water. You will be
tempted to add more water because it gets quite tough to knead this
into a stiff dough. Resist this temptation and you will be glad you did.
Knead the dough well for about 7-8 minutes, at the end of which, it
willfeel smooth and pliable.

2. In a sauce pan, mix 3 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water. Boil it
on medium-high heat to get 1 thread consistency. For me, this took
about 12 minutes. Remove the sauce pan from stove.

3. Pull a golf-ball size ball from the dough, roll it into a thin
puri of about 5 inch diameter. Spread ghee on top of the puri. Then
sprinkle some rice flour on the puri (about 1/8th of tea spoon). Make a
second 5 inch diameter puri and put it on top of the first puri. Spreak
ghee and sprinkle rice flour. Now make a third puri of about 4 inch
diameter and put it on top of the second puri. Spread ghee on top. Now
roll all the three puris tightly and make ½ inch divisions. You should
get about 8 of these. Take each division and keep the side with curved
lines facing you, on top. Press the piece with your palm and then roll
into a puri of about 4 inch diameter. Repeat this for all pieces. Fry
few puris at a time. Once done, dry them on a paper towel for about 3
minutes and then immerse these puris in the sugar syrup until the next
round of puris is ready. Arrange the puris on a flat plate.

4. Repeat the 3rd step for the rest of the dough.

5. Once all puris are done, sprinkle some powdered sugar on each of
the puris. If you like, you can sprinkle powdered cardamoms as well.

Variation:
Instead of dipping the fried penuris in the sugar syrup, you can
sprinkle 1 tea spoon sugar on both sides of the puris and arrange them
on a platter.

Peanut Baje

Last night, after I made these, I had no energy to do a write-up, let alone just type the recipe. So, remeding it today.

Of all the countless variety of dishes and cuisines that India has, if there is a single type of dish that can qualify as trail mix, this is it. All those wonderful nuts, coated in batter and deep fried to perfection. Normally, I would make these with cashews. But, I couldn’t find whole cashews at the Indian store. I think everybody is stocking up for the festive season and I really didn’t want to make another trip to the regular grocery store. So, I made do with peanuts. Where Cashews would make it more royal and festive, don’t underestimate these glorious peanuts.

‘Baje’ is Konkani-speak for Pakoda.

My son loves these and hence, I used less chilli powder. Don’t be afraid to ante up on the heat, the peanuts can stand upto it.

1 cup Peanuts, shelled and peeled.

For the Batter
1/4 cup Besan/Chickpea Flour
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/8 tsp Hing/asafetida
Salt to taste abt 1 tsp

For Deep-Frying
Peanut/Corn Oil

When I say Peanuts, shelled and peeled, I don’t necessarily mean do it yourself. I buy the ones that are already so. Wash them in a colander and let the water drain out. Meanwhile, mix all the batter ingredients and make a thick paste using water. Add the peanuts, they will be wet and thats ok. Just not dripping water. Mix everything together, making sure all of the peanuts are completely covered. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Deep-fry in Peanut Oil a handful at a time. Cool and enjoy. I am told , it will last a couple of weeks stored in an air-tight container. Mine never last that long, so I can’t promise.

Chalta Hai…Diwali Hai

Finally, My kids decided to sleep at the same time, giving me some time to cook up those diwali goodies that I wanted to make. I went for the simple ones first, the ones that I had made before and hence did not require much thinking. By thinking, I mean Improvising when things go wrong. Hey, its the thought that counts. Besides, I don’t think I have ever met a combination of ghee and sugar that I haven’t liked. In fact, I love eating ghee mixed with sugar or should I say Sugar mixed with ghee.Yummmmm…As for the dreaded “C” word,Chalta Hai…Diwali Hai!!

So first, I went for besan Ladoos. My husband loves Besan ladoos. They are right up in his list of fave things right after Cars, Cricket and Crab. Those are his “C” words. Then, its besan ladoos. Before you all go pitying us, we are talking about material things here. The “F” word is on the top of the list. Family, people? What did you think the “F” word was?

So, anyway here is a fool proof recipe for Besan ladoos. I just follow it blindly. this recipe makes about 30 Ladoos.

3 cups besan/Chickpea flour
1 1/2 cups Ghee
3 cups powdered sugar
2 green Cardmoms pods, peeled and powdered

Sieve the besan to get rid of any lumps.

Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat. Yes, all one and half cups of it. Don’t think, just do it. Don’t use oil. Don’t use the Store bought ghee. Try fresh home made ghee. I made a fesh batch of ghee in the morning. Do it. Go the extra mile. Chalta hai…Diwali Hai. Its worth it.

Add the besan, and keep stirring and stirring and stirring and stirring. It will kind of seize into a tight ball first, making it a bit tough to stir. But after a few minutes, it will actually become the consistency of “pakoda batter” making the stirring simpler. So, keep stirring and stirring and stirring. Until the besan goes from sunny yellow color to a burnt orange. The color ‘burnt orange’ not ‘burnt’ besan. Oh, No!!
Kind of like going from sunny yellow of the summer to the oranges of autumn, isnt it?. How symbolic!!! Yes, I am going nuts. Chalta hai…Diwali Hai

Just keep stirring it and dont even think about looking away for a second. The second you look away, will be the time it will decide to change color. And it can go from deliciously roasted to yucky toasted in a jiffy. The best way to know its done, is the amazing nutty smell that starts permiating through your home. My friend once told me how her mom would just shout out from the kitchen “does it smell like ladoos, yet?” to know if they were done. When the besan is done, believe me, you will know and those zombies sitting in front of your television will know, too.

Take it off the heat, and let it cool completely. It will be a little liquidy(If thats a word, you know what i mean).Thats ok, thats the way it should be. While it cools, pound regular sugar into powder in your blender. Don’t go for the powdered sugar in the market. They have cornstarch in them, which has its place, but not in besan ladoos.

When completely cool, add the sugar, cardamom powder and raisins and chopped almonds/ cashews(If using) and mix till incorporated. Shape into golf ball size rounds. Yummy besan ladoos are ready.

With the besan ladoos done and the kids still down, I decided to go for another staple at our home during diwali. They are called “tukdi” and they are crisp, savoury and a perfect antithesis to the sweet ladoos. Very simple ingredients, but can be quite a chore because they have to cut into diamond shapes and then deep fried. But, I cannot imagine diwali without these.

First we make the dough

3 cups regular atta/ wheat flour
1 tbsp Chilli powder
1/4 tsp Hing/asafetida
salt to taste (abt 1/2 tbsp)
1 tbsp Ghee
Water, enough to make a malliable dough

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a wide bowl. Heat up the ghee and add it to the bowl. Take a fork and mix the ghee with the flour. The flour will change color. Mix thoroughly, with a fork at first and then fingers after the ghee has cooled enough, until all of the flour has changed color. Then, add water, little by little, until the dough is soft enough to roll out but still tougher than a regular roti dough. Let it rest for 10 mins.

Heat oil in a kadhai. The kadhai should hold the oil at least 2 inches deep. Take balls of dough and roll them out like you would a roti. Don’t use flour to prevent it from sticking, use some of the hot oil from the kadhai.Cut into diamond shapes. I use a pizza cutter to do the job.

Deep fry in hot oil. Keep the oil at smoking point.The pieces will hit the bottom and rise up immediately. Turn them over. And after the other side cooks up, remove onto dry paper towels. Keep doing that until you have used up all of the dough. Store the cooled tukdis in an airtight container.

And thus, finally, I have at least 2 diwali goodies cooked up. My Mother makes five and I think it is kind of a tradition to cook up five. Well, I am not even half way there. But, hey, at least I have made a start. Between the roasted besan and Deep frying, at least the house smells like diwali. So what, if it is 2 in the morning and I hear Anoushka up and demanding her mommy. Chalta hai…Diwali hai

Kadgi Sukke…Raw Jackfruit Curry

So sorry Guys! I uploaded the photos thinking I will type in the post soon and poof, the modem conks out. Just had the “modem guy” come in and straighten things out. And, So the post comes in.

Raw jackfruit is a quintessential konkani ingredient. It is used as a star of the recipe like in this dish or as a subtle ingredient in a beans curry dish. Either way, it is found in every konkani kitchen. However, in my part of the world, the fresh ones are not available. I make do with the canned ones. I use the ones that preserved in water and salt only. No artificial preservatives. My rule of thumb for any canned veggies. The good thing about using them canned is you don’t have to struggle with cutting an actual raw jackfruit which is full off a sticky sap that no ordinary soap can get rid off. Plus, they are cooked half way through which makes it a snap to make dishes like these ones. Just rinse them REALLY good.

1 10 oz can of raw jackfruit, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp Brown sugar or 1/2 golf ball size Piece of jaggery
Salt to taste

To be ground together, with water as required, into a coarse paste

3/4 cup Shredded coconut
2-3 Red Chillies, roasted in a little bit of oil
1/2 tsp Tamarind Paste
1 tsp Coriander Seeds, roasted in a little oil (maybe with the chillies)

Seasoning/Tadka

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
6-7 Curry Leaves
2 tbsp Good Quality Coconut Oil

Cook the Jackfruit in a cup of water, covered, till cooked through. A good indicator is, if it is mashed when pressed by the ladle, its cooked. Doesn’t take more than 3-4 minutes. Add the ground paste, Jaggery, salt to taste. Mix and cook till any liquid present is boiled away. In a seasoning pan, heat the oil, add mustard seeds. When they get crackling, add the curry leaves. Step away from the pan as they are going to sputter. When the sputtering stops, add it to the curry and immediately cover it. Mix the seasoning in before serving. Serve with rice and dal or with rotis. Enjoy.

Cauliflower Upkari (Cauliflower cooked with mustard seeds and whole chillies)

When you are eating something as spicy and in-your-face (or should I say in-your-tongue) as Avre Bendi, the side dish has to be suitably subtle. Else, you risk having too many flavors, to enjoy any one of them. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Enter the upkari, the great konkani stir-fry.

This is just vegetables tempered with mustard seeds and dried red chillies cooked in a little water till done. Salt, of course and garnished with coconut gratings. If you have been following this blog, then you know by now that no konkani dish is finished without the addition of coconut gratings. After all, it is a coastal cuisine. Sugar or jaggery is added depending upon how bland or bitter the vegetable used is. However, with cauliflower, none is needed.

So on to the upkari….

1 cauliflower chopped into florets

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 dried whole chillies or a pinch of chilli flakes

salt

1 tbsp Coconut Gratings

Heat up oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. After they sputter, add the chillies/flakes and the cauliflower florets. Add salt, a little water. Cover and cook till the florets soften and water dries out.

Very simple and very delicious. Just a few things to be careful about. Add very little water since cauliflower cooks very fast and releases water during cooking. Don't overcook the vegetables. Just soften them enough and they are good to go. They go wonderfully with any spicy curry. In konkani cuisine, they are usually made to go with curry using beans or legumes and there, you have a complete meal….

Gatte ki Sabzi

I am so late for the JFI-Flour event, its ridiculous. But, as a fellow blogger just told me (I was late for her event,too), Life Interferes…I couldn’t just not post, so I am posting a recipe that was meant for that event, but could’nt make it in time.

Gatte ki sabzi is an rajasthani dish that I used to have at my friends place when in college. I don’t remember any meal at her home that did not have this dish. This a totally desert dish, as in Rajasthan–Desert of India. There are no vegetables used, just besan dumplings(Gatte) that are used in its place, simmered in a curd sauce. Its tasted just amazing. I had tried a lot to replicate the flavors, but did not succeed until I found these two forums that gave a detailed description of how it should be made. Namely; eGullet and Another Subcontinent.

Though this dish is not the first name that comes to mind, whenever I am thinking of what to cook; Its right at the top of the I-want-something-different-today list. So without much ado, I present “Gatte ki Sabzi”…

For the Gatte

1 cup Besan/Chickpea Flour
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Dhaniya Powder/Coriander
a pinch Hing/Asafetida
a pinch Haldi/turmeric
salt to taste

Mix everything together and form a tough dough using

1 tbsp Buttermilk at a time

Shouldn’t need more than 2 tbsp.

Knead for minute and roll it into a 1″ thick rope. Like so

Besan Rope before boiling

Take

3 cups water

in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil. Put the coiled Dough rope into the boiling water carefully. Putting it in boiling water is important or else it will stick to the bottom of the Pot. Continue boiling till the rope rises to the top. Drain reserving a cup of the water. Cool.

Dough rope after boiling

Cut across the rope to form 1/2″ circles. I sliced at an angle. (I have been watching too much Food Network).

Sliced Gattes

Heat

3 tbsp Vegetable Oil/Peanut Oil/Canola Oil

in a wide pan. Add the Gattes in a single layer and brown on both sides.

Pan-fried Gattes

Gattes are Ready.

Gravy

In a bowl, add

1 cup curds
1 tsp Red chilli Powder
1 tsp Dhaniya Powder/Coriander
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Amchur Powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Besan
1 cup of the reserved water from boiling the gattes

Mix thoroughly. Strain, if the besan forms lumps.

Heat in a wide pan, preferably the same pan you fried the gattes in,

2 tsbp Vegetable/Canola/Peanut Oil (Remaining from the frying)

Add, one after the other,

1/4 tsp Rai/Black Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
4-5 Curry Leaves
a pinch Hing/Asafetida
2 tbsp tomato paste

Fry till the mixture leaves oil. Add the curd mixture and the gattes and bring to a boil. Lower flame and simmer till the gravy thickens to desired consistency. Thicker, if serving with rotis/chapatis; thinner if serving with rice.

Recipe source :
eGullet has a nice step-by-step recipe with photos.
Sangeeta from Another Subcontinent gives detailed explanation to prepare this dish.

Of ‘Maa ka Pyar’ and Gaajar ka Halwa ( And Beetroot, too)

Two brothers; One a cop, the other on the wrong side of the law. Both brought up in poverty by their hard-working widowed Mother.

The cop tries to convince the other brother to surrender to the law while the gangster tries to convince the cop to join the other side.

Says the gangster to the cop : “Aaj mere paas gaadi hai, Bangla hai, Rupya hai. Tumhare paas kya hai?”
( Today, I have Cars and Bungalows and Money. What do you have?)

Says the Cop to the gangster (Drumroll, Please) : “Mere paas Maa hain aur maa ke haath ka bana gajar ka halwa hai”.
( I have Mother on my side and the Carrot pudding she makes)

For the uniniated, this is the scene from the movie “Deewar” which defines Bollywood, the hindi-language film industry of India. Of course, the carrot pudding part was my addition. The cop doesn’t say that in the actual movie. But hey, he just might have. See, the movie ends with the gangster dying, in the arms of his mother, reminiscing about her gajjar ka halwa (If i remember right. Or was it some other movie where Amitabh dies in the end?). See, every Hindi film protaganist talks about the love for his mother and her “gajjar ka halwa”. At least they did in the 70’s and the 80’s. Almost all movies, introduce the mothers character with her son walking into her kitchen with demands for that delicacy. I had always wondered why gajar ka halwa? Why not anything else? Now, I have a theory.

See, carrots are really cheap in India. So even the more poorer homes can afford to grate some carrots, add some sugar and make this dish. Secondly, most mothers probably thought,” Ok If this is what it takes for them to eat something healthy, then why not?. Eat on, bete(Son)”.Of course, its more healthier counterpart, Beetroot halwa, doesn’t really work. Because, you see, it just looks too healthy. All that fabulous color and you know that, that thing is good for you. How can something that healthy be your favorite food?. Besides, Can you imagine someone saying ,”Maa, tumhare shakunder ke halwe ki yaad aayi”. So, gaajar ka halwa, it was?

Do you agree? Or have you got any other theories? Lemme know…

Don’t discount the beetroot halwa, though. Its amazing served warm with a scoop of ice cold vanilla Icecream on top. Hmmmmmm……Hmmmmmm…Good!!!

For now, heres the recipe

2 cups grated Carrots/Beetroots, Whichever you choose to make.
4 cups Whole Milk
2 cups Sugar
A pinch green cardamom powder
1 tbsp Ghee
Chopped nuts of your choice

I cheat on the sugar part sometime. Add less of the sugar. But, 1:2:1 ratio of Carrots:Milk:Sugar is the ratio my Mom uses for all her veggie Halwas.

Put the carrots and the milk in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer and stir and simmer and stir and simmer and stir and simmer. Until the milk dries up. Basically, you are making khoya (Milk dried into its solids), but its gonna have all the delicious carrot/beetroot flavor in it. This takes about an hour. Once done, add the sugar, cardamom powder and keep stiring and cooking, till the sugar melts and reaches softball stage. Basically, the halwa starts spewing like a volcano spitting lava. Do I have to remind you to watch your hands while you are stirring this? Once it reaches this stage, add the ghee, stir once and take it off the flame. Serve warm. Stays good in the fridge for about a week, but mine never lasts that long.

This is my entry to Revathi’s FMR-Comfort Foods and ARF/ 5-a-day Tuesday at Sweetnicks

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Mango Lassi/Milk Shake

How can a chilling Mango-Yogurt concoction be wrong for you? It is not. Easy to make and definitely much better with fresh Mango Pulp rather than the canned ones, this is easily one of the more popular Indian Beverages. Substitute the yogurt with Milk for Milk Shake!!!…

1 Cup Mango Puree
2 Cups Yogurt
1/2 Cup Milk
Sugar to Taste

Blend everything in a blender along with some Icecubes…

Sunday Brunch..Chole Batura

Of all the american things that I have adopted in my day-to-day life, the one thing that I have accepted with open arms is the “Sunday Brunch” Tradition. What an excellent excuse for sleeping late into mid-morning. Wake up, make lunch that is neither here nor there and call it “Brunch”. One of the things that has become quite common,at my home, for brunch is Chole Batura, the quintessential Punjabi Dish. Chole would be curried Garbonzos while Baturas are deep fried breads made with regular flour and yogurt.

My friend, who is a punj (Of course!), once told me that traditionally,chole-batura is an breakfast item served along with sweet lassi. Can you imagine that? “I would probably skip lunch and Dinner with that kind of breakfast!!!!…”, I told her. Of course, this was me in my college days, when chatting up friends over the phone and buying new clothes seemed to fill me up pretty good. Where as, today, I eat this same combination for brunch and end up feeling hungry at 4 pm. I blame it all squarely on the huge hormone fluctuations during pregnancies.Forget the fact that I delivered over 6 months ago and my obstretician told me 2 days ago that all is normal in Vee-land. Well, Doc, you wouldn’t say that if you saw the amount of food I can still gobble up. And what about those pair of jeans that look at me forlornly, whenever I open my closet?

Anyway, all that frustration didn’t stop me from enjoying Chole-Bature with Mango Lassi on my patio today. Good Combination. Highly recommended.

To Make Baturas

Make a dough using

2 cups regular flour
1/4 cup Yogurt
1 small potato, boiled and mashed
2 tbsp ghee/oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt to taste

Add warm water or flour, as required. Knead into a soft pliable dough. Keep aside for about an hour.

When ready to make, roll out golf ball sized dough balls into about 2 mm thick rounds and deep fry as described in the recipe for Mangalore Bun.

To make Chole,

Pressure cook or boil until tender using about 3 cups water

1 cup Chickpeas/Garbanzos soaked overnight

with

1 Black Cardamon/Badi Elaichi
1 Bay Leaf.

Meanwhile, heat up

3 tbsp Corn Oil/Vegetable Oil/Peanut Oil

in wide pan.

Add

2 medium Onions, sliced thinly

Cook on high heat stirring frequently till the onion browns. Add

1 medium Tomato,chopped finely

Continue cooking on high heat stirring frequently till the tomatoes break down and the mixture starts leaving oil. Transfer to a food processor and blend into a paste. Transfer back to the Pan.You can make the paste first and then brown it. But I prefer to do it this way. Don’t ask me why. I am weird that way. Ok, I will tell you. Its just that I think this process browns the onion faster.

Add

1 tsp Red chilli Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder

Stir and cook for a minute. Add

cooked Chickpeas/Garbanzos along with the water.
1/4 tsp Anardana Powder
1/4 tsp Amchur Powder
Salt to taste

Add more water, if necessary or decant some from the beans before adding, if it is more. Bring to a boil. Smash some of the beans by pressing them against the sides of the pan with the ladle. This helps thicken the sauce. Cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes on medium to low heat to allow all the flavors to meld together. Remove from flame. Finish by adding,

1 tsp roasted Jeera/Cumin powder.

To Make tamarind Chutney
Soak

1/4 cup Tamarind
1/2 cup Dates

in

1/2 cup water

for about an 2-3 hours.

Blend into a smooth paste adding

1/4 tsp roasted cumin/jeera powder(optional)
a pinch of salt

To serve

Serve 2 ladlefuls of chole topped with 1 tbsp of Tamarind Chutney and 1 tsp finely chopped onion in a bowl per person with 2 baturas and a glass of chilled Mango Lassi.

Shorvedar Sabzi..Mixed veggies.

I picked this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking. It is very rare that I try out a recipe without tweaking it, But this one sounded good just as it was and it has remained so after several tries. Of  course, I vary on the veggies, that I choose to make this dish with, every time. But, the gravy remains the same. Today, I made it with the same veggies that Madhur presented in her book. Make it watery enough to eat with rice or thicken it enough to go with rotis. Its very versatile and can go from being an impressive side dish in an elaborate dinner to the main dish in your everyday meal. The best part, no bhunoing involved.

Chop

1 Medium Sized potato into cubes

1/4 Medium Sized Cauliflower into bite-sized florets

1 Carrot into 0.5 cm thick rounds

Take

3 tbsp Vegetable/Corn/Peanut Oil

in a Kadhai/Pan. Fry Potatoes first and then the cauliflower till golden brown. You can skip this step and directly cook them with the gravy.

In the remaining oil, add

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

When they start sputtering, add

1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds

1/4 tsp Kalongi/Nigella seeds

Stir for a minute. Add

1tsp Red Chilli Powder

1tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder

1/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder

1tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder

Stir and immediately add

2 tbsp Tomato paste

1 medium sized Tomato, chopped

1/4 cup Peas, fresh or frozen

Chopped Carrots

Salt and Pepper to taste

Stir, Cover and cook till the tomatoes blend together with the paste to form a gravy and the veggies cook. About 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and the cauliflower. Stir together and cook for another minute. Remove from flame. Serve with rotis.

Stuffed Tomatoes in Makhani Gravy

I love making this dish for entertaining because it seems very exotic for such a simple recipe.I am breaking down the ingredients as per the steps of the recipe for simplicity’s sake. Otherwise, just the list of ingredients seem so daunting that you are discouraged from trying it. I hope I am successful in presenting the recipe as simply as it is to make.

For the stuffing, mix the following in a bowl. Add or Remove to taste. I mean, the sky’s the limit. Since I planned to serve these in a gravy, I went for simple flavors.

1 Medium sized potato, mashed

2 tbsps paneer/Firm Tofu, mashed

2 tbsps Bread Crumbs, toasted

2 Green Chillies , Finely chopped

Salt, Pepper to taste

Prep 4 firm Tomatoes by dipping them in boiling water for a minute. Remove and peel. The peel just slides off. Cut open the tops and scoop out the insides. A melon baller works great here. Completely fill the cavity with the above stuffing. Again, I did this because I planned to serve them as a main course with gravy. If I wanted to serve them as starter, I would halve them, remove the seeds and bake them in the oven with the stuffing.

Makhani Gravy…

Pressure cook the following to 1 whistle or boil in water till soft. Blend into a paste.

1 tomato, peeled and chopped

4-5 almonds, soaked and peeled

1 clove Garlic

1 green chilli

Heat

1 tbsp of butter

in a skillet. When melted, add the following

Tomato+almond paste

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

1 Bay leaf

Salt, Sugar, Pepper to taste.

Cook for a minute, stirring constantly and add

1 cup water

2 tbsp heavy Cream

Stuffed Tomatoes

Cover and cook for 3 mins. Finish with

Fresh Chopped coriander.

Sanna Mudde/Khotto/Idli..Rice and Lentil Cakes.

This is a quintessential konkani treat. They are basically rice+dal ground coarsely with coconut+chillies+tamarind that are steamed like an Idli. But unlike an Idli, they are very savoury and can be had as a snack or as a side dish with rice and dal for lunch or maybe instead of a lunch. They can be quite filling. This is one of my favorite konkani dish after pathrado, of course. Which is why when Sailu announced dal as  the ingredient for jihva, I knew I was going to send this one in.

You know, there is such a thing as ‘too much of a good thing’. Same comes to mind with the ingredient for this time’s jihva. With such a wide variety to choose from, I was completely at sea as to which dish is special enough to be included. My instinct in such situations is always to go for the most simple thing. Now, you know, why I avoid shopping in supermarkets. I almost went with daali thoi which is a konkani plain tadka dal. Then, I remembered this dish and decided to go with this one.

Since the announcement of the ingredient, I have been noticing, that there is rarely a day when I don’t use dal in some form or the other. If I am not cooking it or rolling it into a dosa or grinding it into a paste as a stuffing, I am using it as a tadka. A pregnant friend of mine tested positive for gestational diabetes and has been asked to lay off lentils in any form. I have a more clear idea of how much tough it must be for her to come up with something that doesn’t need dals in some form or other. I mean, most of our cooked leafy veggies(which she is allowed to eat in abundance) tend to be thickened to be thickened with besan. poor Girl!!!…

Anyway, mudde are basically steamed cakes. They are khotte if they are steamed in jackfruit leaves(4 jackfruit leaves stitched together to form a container) which makes them very aromatic and a something, something that makes them special. Check out this versatile dish.

1 cup toor dal

3/4 cup rice

1/2 cup coconut

a handful of roasted red chillies (the dish should be really Hot)

a lump of tamarind (marble size) or 1/2 tsp of tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Asafoetida/Hing or 1/2 an onion finely chopped

1/2 cup cabbage finely chopped (optional)

Wash and Soak Rice+Toor dal in water overnight.

Grind together coconut+Chillies+tamarind into a fine paste using little water.

Decant water and add the rice+toor dal mixture into the blender and let it rip for a few minutes. The rice and toor dal mixture has to be ground coarsely and not too finely. Kind of like the way, rice is ground for Idli’s.  Add water only as much as needed.There might be some whole toor dal left which is not a problem. They taste better. Just make sure, that not all the toor dal is left whole, thats all. Remove to a vessel, add hing or onion whichever you opt to use and the shredded cabbage. I used onion only today. Salt to taste. Mix together and steam like you would an Idli. That really is the only option I have.

Serve with a tsp of coconut oil on top.

Avre Bendi (Navy Beans in a Coconut, Chilly and Tamarind curry)

Avre = Navy Beans

Bendi = a spicy coconut, chilly and tamarind concoction.

and thus, Avre Bendi.

The beauty about so many of konkani curries are the fact that they use just these 3 ingredients, but just by varying the quantity of each or grounding it coarsely or finely, they change the taste and the texture of the curry. The second thing I love about these curries is that there is not much of sauteing or bhunoing involved. You cook the beans in the pressure cooking for upto 3 whistles and while that is happening you grind up the coconut, chillies and tamarind. Add the paste to the cooked beans with salt and bring to boil. Season. Thats it. I mean, all of this doesn’t take more than 10 mins. On the days that I make an authentic konkani meal, I finish all of the cooking– a curry, rice and a side dish in 20 minutes. Using all four burners at the same time, of course. Heck, I could give Rachel Ray a run for her money.

Beans are the biggest source of protein in many predominantly vegetarian cuisine. While, konkani cuisine is famous for its seafood preparations, it is not part of the everyday food. Except, by choice, that is. So, mostly,the daily food is rice, beans and a vegetable together with buttermilk. A complete meal. As I said before, the curries are defined by the quantities used and the texture into which it is ground. In the case of bendi, less of the coconut, more of the chillies and tamarind and ground into a fine paste. Bendi’s are seasoned with garlic. 

The recipe…

1 cup navy beans soaked over night and cooked till soft

1/4 cup grated coconut

8-10 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp tamarind paste / marble sized piece of tamarind , if using actual pods

3-4 garlic cloves

salt

oil for seasoning and roasting chillies

Roast the chillies in a little bit of oil on a low flame. You know they are roasted when they loose the wrinkly look and puff up. Cool them a little bit and then grind them up with coconut and tamarind into a fine paste. This takes some work , if you are using american blenders. Heat up the cooked beans till they start boiling, add the paste , salt and mix. The broth will start foaming and then settle down. The paste is cooked when all of the foam has died down. Remove from flame. Heat up oil and garlic together in a small pan. Never put garlic in hot oil. Always put it in the oil and then heat up the oil. This way the garlic cooks just enough and doesnt burn. Also, the oil gets infused with the garlic juices better. Add this tempering to the bendi and immediately cover up the pot. Mix the seasoning in before serving.

Today,I had these with boiled rice (parboiled rice in the US is just not the same). I used the ones I have from India. Most people in Mangalore still eat this rice as their daily rice. The younger generation, however, seem to prefer white rice. As for people like me, born and brought up in Bombay,white rice is daily rice and eating boiled rice is something that ups the exotic quotient.

Dosa…A Love Story.

He beckons me as I sit sipping my morning coffee watching the world go by from the kitchen window. I try to ignore him but his pristine whiteness calls out to me.

"You know you want me",he says. I stubbornly keep looking out the window.

"I have moved on", I say. "I don't want you as much anymore".

"That's a lie. You wish, I was with you right now, sharing the coffee with you".

"No. I told you, I have moved on. There is a whole new world out there. Its simple,its easy and they dont need as much time as you demand of me."

"Yes, But you always come back to me.You can't stand the quick and easy types for more than a day". I say nothing. It was the truth. I just crave for him.

"You miss me…"

"Alright, alright,you are right, ok. I do miss you. I can't resist you." I blurt out.

"In that case,you know what you have to do." he says.

I nod. There is no point fighting it. It is always like this. I try to ignore it, to get out of the commitment. But, I always give in.

I get up, measure out 1 cup of urad dal, wash it till the water runs clear. Almost on automation, I measure out 2 cups of rice and do the same. I mix both , soak them in water and keep it aside. I don't want to look at it. I don't want to think about him. What is this hold he has over me? Why is it so difficult to let go? Maybe because he's been there ever since I can remember. How do you let go of so many years of togetherness?

I go about my day as if nothing had happened, as if I hadn't given in to my carnal cravings once more. I smiled, I nodded, I laughed as if it was all another day. But, I am thinking about him all the time. Its useless fighting it and I give in. I stop trying to ignore that he isn't on my mind. And it's like a weight off my shoulders. I can't wait to go home.

Late evening, I go to him. He is ready, so am I. I drain the water and put him in the blender. "I have to invest in a dry grinder soon", I say to myself. "It's just not fair to him". I add a little bit of water, and let the blender go at him.I want him to get as fine as he can be. It whirs and grinds as all the while I am humming to myself. Round and round he goes, hugging the blenders contours, thoroughly enjoying himself. But, soon he heats up even though he is not as fine as I would like him to be. I shut off the blender and let him cool off. I start the blender again and this time after a little while, he is all ground up and fine. I touch him, Oh, he is smooth. I giggle like a little girl and pour him into a large glass bowl.

I look at him. "Nurture me", he whispers. "Take good care of me."

That's when the doubts start hitting me. What if I didn't do it right? What if I didn't soak him long enough? What if he is still not ground enough? I shake my mind to throw those doubts away. I have committed myself to this. Might as well see it through. I open up my oven making sure it is not hot and put him in. I keep the light on, just to be sure. I carry on with the rest of the evening resisting the urge to go peek. Just before retiring for the day, I go to him and take a peek.

He seems to wink at me."I will be fine", he says.

I believe him and go to sleep. I wake up in the morning itching to see if he's ok. But I'm scared. I start on the sambhar as I try to find the courage to look at him. Wash the dal, put in chopped potatoes, onions, tomatoes, sambhar pwd , salt and let the pressure cooker do its job. Did I take good care of him? I throw in the grated coconut, a piece of ginger, salt and green chillies in a blender and try to let the doubts drown in the noise of it. No such luck. "Nurture me", he had said. Did I do it or did I let him down? I season the chutney and the sambhar with mustard seeds and curry leaves. I keep a pot of water on the burner to make some authentic coffee. There is nothing else to do but to take a look at him now. Slowly, I open the oven and sneak a look. Oh…he is fine. All light and puffed up and all proud of me. "You did good". I am glad.

I heat up a griddle and bring it to smoking point. I take a wet tissue and wipe the hot griddle with it. Now, it is ready for him. I take a ladleful and pour it on the griddle. It makes a sizzling hot sound and its like something takes over me. I just go with the flow and start spreading him out on the griddle into concentric circles until there is no more to spread. I drizzle a little oil over him and let cook. After a while, I turn him over and let the other side cook up. From the corner of my eye, I see my family rush in, all excited, no doubt from the sizzling sound and the aromas now wafting around the house. I barely notice as I am in a zone.I keep churning them out, one after another, until I hear a loud burp. *I hope it's my son*.

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He beckons me as I sit sipping my morning coffee watching the world go by from the kitchen window. I look at my dosa, take a bite and close my eyes.

I am home.

Kesar Sandesh..Lessons Learnt…

Folks, this is probably my last post before I leave for India. It's a 3 month vacation and I am really not sure how much I can post before I come back. I do have a collection of recipes, that I experimented with past few months and hadn't gotten around to posting. As and when time permits, I will try to post them. However, no promises!!! In the meantime, I leave you with another treat for the sweet tooth. Bangla Special..shondesh!!!

The whole trick to this mithai, or for that matter any bangla mithai, is the chenna/paneer. Whats the difference between chenna and paneer?..From what I understand, the curds from the milk is the chenna and when its drained completely dry, its paneer. But, I might be wrong. Anyone who knows better, may please feel free to correct me. I would really like to know. I really should be packing for my trip and not writing a post. Which is why, I am going to explain the whole process in pictures.

For the chenna, curdle the milk first.

6 cups whole milk

2 cups dahi, beaten till smooth

You know the process. Bring milk to a boil. Remove from flame and stir in the dahi ,a little at a time, till the curds separate. If you need more dahi, add more. It should look like below.

Using dahi instead of citric acid/vinegar results in softer curds. Also, the curds won't have the sour taste of the acid/vinegar, which is really important for a mithai. Be careful that you don't burn the milk and please don't scrape the bottom while you stir the milk. The brown bits you see in the photo above result from the same mistake. I had a tough time removing that, once the chenna was formed. Lesson Number 1 learnt….

Next,strain it in a muslin cloth. Once all the whey has drained, pull together all four corners of the cloth and twist it. Keep twisting till the chenna forms a ball of sorts. The twisting will also remove any additional whey left in the curd. Tie the cloth with the chenna ball to the tap in your sink, or generally, any place where the chenna can be suspended at a height. Tying it to the tap just means that I don't have to clean up any remaining whey, that is draining away. Like so.

Yep, the brown spots still there. You don't have to hang it for long, just till the whey stops being a steady drip. Remove the chenna from the bag. This is what you will end up with.

 

Yeah, yeah, I know. the brown spots. Chenna is ready. Now, we can move on to making the sandesh.

Recipe

1 1/4 cups chenna

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Now, take the chenna in a wide bowl. Add the sugar to it and start kneading it. Knead till very, very, very smooth. It took me 5 minutes for this amount of chenna (That is, after I painstakingly removed all the brown spots). But the time is so dependent on kneading style. All I can say is that, the chenna loses its grainy texture and becomes a soft, smooth dough. When you form a ball with it, it will not have any cracks.

Before Kneading

After Kneading

Add flavorings. I added cardamom and saffron(nuke 1 tbsp of milk , add saffron and then add it to the chenna) You can add rose essence and a drop of pink color, which is the classic way of making sandesh.You can call that rose sandesh.

Cook on a very low flame in a kadhai stirring continuously with a flat wooden spoon. Remove the kadhai from the flame at regular intervals so as not to overheat the sandesh. If it does over heat, it will become grainy and recurdle. Not good. And, no, that was not lesson number 2. The sandesh is ready when it leaves the sides of the kadhai and is neither too dry nor too moist. This doesn't take long, as you have already kneaded it. Just about 2-3 minutes. Some recipes that I researched on the internet, did not cook the chenna after kneading it. So you can completely skip this step. But, I like the flavor, after it is sauteed, better. So, I did.

It should have the consistency of very soft dough. The sandesh should be used immediately for making various shapes and garnishes. This, my friends, is lesson number 2. I didn't shape it immediately and hence, did not get smooth, uncracked balls. Here's where the 'asbestos hands' thingy comes handy. But, it tasted just as good. So, other then being a visual atrocity, no harm done. Well, lesson learnt. There is always a next time….

Anyway, top with chopped almonds or pistachios and chill. Ready to eat in a hour.

Thats it, Friends. Have fun while I am gone and don't do anything I wouldn't do …

Mango Pie…For JFI-Mango

When you have experienced the best, anything less is simply not acceptable. When you have grown up eating some of the best mangoes in the world, you just can't adjust to any other. That's the problem every Indian has in the US. We have been bred on the famous Alphonso Mangoes all our life and suddenly, we find ourselves in a place where we, for the life of us, can't find it. We will make all the other adjustments, you see. We will replace our full-fat buffalo milk, that we grew up on, with 2%. We will melt unsalted butter and pretend that it is asli desi ghee. Heck, we will even pretend that tofu is a vegetable. Eventually, we will get used to all of that and stop craving for the original. One thing we will never be able to replace or stop missing is the indian mango. Oh, you can go to the indian store now and pick up good mangoes. They are really good, especially when you compare it to the atrocities that we get at local grocery stores. But they are not the real thing. So, how do you know if its the real thing? Well, for one, if you have eaten mangoes and don't see what the big deal is, you have not eaten the real thing. One bite of a real alphonso mango or aapoos aamba as it is called in Bombay, you will know why it is called the king of fruits. The thought that our kids would grow up not knowing its taste was simply untolerable. Of course, things are changing. All things remaining the same, we might have the real thing in US markets next season. Fingers Crossed and all that.

There are about 1500 varieties of mango that are grown and harvested in India. Though I can't say I have tasted all of them or can list all of them, I will list the more popular ones. Ratnagiri Alphonso, Raspuri, Totapuri, Neelam, Kesar, Suvarnarekha, Choosa, Dasheri and Langra.

Mangoes are very important in hindu culture. Mango leaves are associated with prosperity and happiness. The residence of every Hindu famliy is decorated with festoons of mango leaves called as thorans. Mango leaves are also associated with purification.  Hanging fresh mango leaves outside the front door during Gudi padwa, Pongal, Uggadi, Dassera, Diwali is considered a blessing to the house and supposed to usher in prosperity and fortune. During weddings, clusters of mango leaves are also placed atop a silver or brass vessel filled with water which is then sprinkled on the couple to promote *ahem*… fertility. After all, an average mango tree will bear fruit for upto 40 years averaging upto 100 fruits per season. Talk about procreation.No pooja is complete without mango leaves. The pooja kalash(a clay/copper pot filled with water, topped with mango leaves and a coconut) uses the mango leaves to represent abundance and hospitality. Being such a prized fruit, the mango motif is used in indian textiles, paintings and jewellery as an everlasting symbol of desire and plenty.

Mangoes…Just saying it brings so many memories.

I have always associated mangoes with summer vacations. School's out and suddenly, everything's about mangoes. Summer vacations coincided with the mango season. There would be a boxes of mangoes in the house, in various stages of ripening. The ripe ones , you eat. The overripe one got converted into various mango flavored eats. There's Mango lassi, Mango Shakes, Mango Ice creams, Aamras, Mango Burfi etc. etc. The ones that weren’t ripe yet, would be kept in a corner on a pile of dry hay( to help with the ripening process). Then, there were the raw mangoes that would be pickled, or turned into chutneys or concentrated into drinks. I remember snacking on finely chopped raw mango seasoned with chilli powder and salt. Simply marvellous. And, of course, eating the fruit as is. Peel the skin, bite into the juicy flesh with all that juice dripping down your arm as you eat. There was also the aftermath of stains that would be left behind. See, Mangoes tend to be juicy and contain so much pigment, they will permanently stain your clothes. Yep, there were always a few clothes every year that would go the mango way and have to be bleached a mango orange/Yellow. Ahhhh..memories.

Back to the present and today’s Recipe

When Indira of Mahanandi announced Mangoes as the ingredient for Jihva, a lot of options raced through my mind. There is the aambe saasam which is ripe mangoes and grapes in a coconut-mustard seed gravy, usually served at konkani weddings. There is aambe upkari mango curry made with a particular variety of ripe mangoes which is not available here. There is the raw mango chutney. However, due to an almost empty pantry thanks to a trip to india in 4 days, I had to settle for this recipe for Mango Pie. This is a no-bake pie, very easy to put together and light on the stomach. I got this recipe from a good friend of mine who is a vegetarian and doesn't eat eggs. I have tweaked the original recipe to increase the exotic quotient a bit since then and even tried once to add eggs and actually bake the pie. I have settled on this no-bake version as this was voted the family favorite.

Recipe

For the 9 inch Pie Crust

6 tbsp Butter

26 Graham Crackers

1/4 cup sugar

Melt the butter in the microwave. Pulverise the graham crackers in a food processor until finely crushed. Add the butter and the sugar and process till it mixes together.If you don't have a food processor, put the graham crackers into a ziploc bag and roll the rolling pin over them until finely crushed. Remove to a bowl. Add the butter and sugar and stir till it all blends together. Take a 9 inch pie plate and press the mixture into the bottom and the sides. Use the cup measure to press it into an even layer. Bake the pie crust in a 350 degrees F Oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.

Alternatively, you can use a ready made pre-baked 9 inch graham cracker pie crusts available at most grocery stores. I confess to doing so whenever I am short of time.

For the filling

3 Mangoes Peeled, Deseeded and blended into smooth pulp

1 pkt Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 cup Milk

2 tbsp Honey

1 sachet unflavored Gelatin

Whip the Heavy Cream till it forms peaks. You can use the ready made frozen whipped cream. Find the one that is not sweetened. Whisk the cream cheese till smooth. Add the mango pulp and mix well. I use canned mango pulp when I don't get fresh ones in the market. However, the fresh ones just taste better. Boil the milk on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add the honey and the gelatin and stir till the gelatin melts. This will take some time, about 2-3 minutes.Add this to the cream cheese and mango mixture and stir till everything gets incorporated.  Fold the whipped cream into the mixture gently.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate for about 6 hours. Top with freshly chopped Mangoes or cherries.

This is my entry for JFI-Mango Event.

 

Pathrado…Stuffed Greens

Stuffed Greens  ha… Forgive Me, but I could'nt think of any other description. You know what these are. Patra in gujarati, alu wadi in Marathi and pathrado in konkani. Well, that just about ends my vocabulary regarding these.

So, how do you go about stuffing greens? By layering them, of course. Layer them and then roll them like you would a Swiss roll and voila….stuffed greens.

Before we move on to making these, let me clarify. These are traditionally made with colocasia leaves. However, these are not available in my part of the world. I made do without them for quite a while and then a little thing called "pregnancy-craving" kicked in. I just had to have them. On an inspired and desperate shopping expedition, I visited my local grocery store and came out with the greens with the biggest leaves. My find, Collard Greens. I made these with them and they tasted really good. And after binging on fries and pizza in the name of pregnancy-cravings, I felt really healthy after having them. After the whole pregnancy thing passed me by, I made these with collard greens again. Just to make sure, it was not the pregnancy playing tricks on me. And yep, they tasted just as good. And at 99 cents per pound, they are more affordable than the actual taro leaves that I get from my occasional trip to NJ. I have continued making these with collard greens, just as I have today.

I made the traditional konkani stuffing/paste, that is applied on the leaves, as follows,

2 cups Whole Green Moong,soaked overnight

1/2 cup Coconut Gratings

a fistful of Roasted Dry Red Chillies

1/2 tsp tamarind

1/2 tsp Asafoetida

salt

Yes, you read right. A fistful of chillies. You would'nt believe how much bland a bunch of greens and green moong Dal could be. You could substitute the red chillies with fresh green chillies, again a fistful. You could substitute the 2 cups of green moong Dal with 1 cup rice + 1 cup green moong Dal or  just 2 cups rice. Grind the coconut gratings, chillies and tamarind together coarsely using very little water. Add the other ingredients and grind together into a fine paste. Use water very sparingly. Taste it. It should taste more saltier and more spicier than you like. That's when it would be perfect when rolled together with the leaves.

So, lets roll. oh, I kill myself with my humor. Sorry. Back to business. I use one bunch of leaves for one roll, about 10 leaves. First prep the leaves. Clean the leaves as you would any greens and then wipe each one dry. Cut the thick veins on the leaves, by folding them and cutting them off. Like so.

The trick to a perfectly rolled pathrado is to not get all the thick veins on top of each other. That makes the rolling that much more difficult. So you alternate it. Start with one leaf. Apply a thin layer of the paste on it. And oh, you always apply the paste on the side that is lighter in color. That's the side that the paste can adhere to. The other side rolls off the water, remember. Now, layer 2 more leaves on that first leaf, as below.

Apply the paste. You have got a good base now. Keep layering the rest of the leaves taking care to see that you have equal layers on all side and that you are not putting the veins right on top of each other. Keep doing it till you have used all the leaves. Now, roll it up like you would a burrito. Fold the sides in first, then the bottom. Apply paste on each part that is does not have it yet. Then keep rolling, tucking the sides in with every roll till you reach the end and end up with a Swiss roll of sorts. Tuck some paste in from the sides after you finish rolling.

Cut them carefully, preferably with a bread knife without pressing the roll. Let the knife do the cutting. Cut them into 4 pieces and steam them till it smells like pathrado. If you don't know what its supposed to smell like, just steam it for about 12-15 mins. Don't open the steamer yet. Let it stay as is for another 10 mins. 

There is another way to cook it. Heat a 12 inch cast iron pan.(Yes, a cast iron pan. A non-stick pan would do in its absence, I guess). Heat Oil, add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add a pinch of asafoetida pwd. Place each cross section of the roll on the hot oil. You should hear a searing sound. That's the sound of good things. You want to sear a side of it like you would a piece of meat. Place all four pieces in the pan, pour water (about 1/2 cup) from around the pieces into the pan. Avoid putting the water over the rolls. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 mins. Remove from flame and keep covered for another 10 mins.

Slice into thin slices, about 1/2" thick, before serving. We serve them with a few drops of coconut oil poured on it and the piece with the seared side is the prize cut in our home. Delicious.

Phanna Poha … Seasoned Flattened Rice

One of negatives of trying all these new recipes and new ingredients is that you put on the backburner some of the things you grew up eating. I spend so much time and energy trying to simplify those intricate dishes that I forget the ones that are already simple and easy and oh so comforting. I decided to reprise one of these recipes that I grew up eating. Its called phana poha in konkani, meaning seasoned poha. Such a simple dish and so few ingredients and just good eats. They don't overwhelm your taste buds. You are not waiting for your taste buds to break into a song or go "bam" into your mouth. You don't have to brace for the explosion of flavors in your mouth. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just that, some days, you don't want all of those things. Somedays, you just want to lay back, have a morsel of food that comforts you, lulls you to a place long left behind like your childhood. Somedays, you just want to give your tastebuds some rest. Thats when I go back down memory lane and dig up dishes like these.

There are lots of ways to do this, but my family loves it this way and this is the way I do it.

So here goes,

2 cups poha -thin variety

1 cup coconut gratings

5 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp ghee

some mustard seeds and curry leaves

2 dried red chillies

A pinch of salt

Place a single layer of newspaper in the microwave. I always use the  newspaper, but I guess wax paper should be fine. Spread the poha on it in a thin, single layer. Turn off the "turn table setting" on your microwave. Microwave on 1 minute interval till the poha crisps up. They are crisped up when it crumbles or at least breaks when you  lightly press one between your thumb and forefinger. Cool completely.

Heat up a tbsp of ghee, add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add curry leaves and the dried red chillies. Pour it on the poha and mix well, coating the poha with the seasoned ghee.

Mix coconut gratings, sugar and salt. Just before serving, add this coconut mixture to the poha. Enjoy.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Add green chillies, dalia, peanuts etc. to the seasonings. Add chopped onion and coriander to the toppings. Shilpa of Aayi's Recipes has blogged a very nice way of doing it. But, today my goal was simplicity and this served my purposes just fine.

Naivedya…Malai Modak

 

Both my kids were born on Tuesdays. Now, in the US , they say that the tuesday kid is full of grace.The old and the wise (read that as the elders in our family) say that tuesday kids are stubborn and bull-headed. I dont know about the first but my son is definitely showing signs of the later. But, now that I think about it, he does have a certain grace about his stubborness. There is a 'certain grace' with which he will plop on the floor and throw his legs about when he wants something he is not supposed to have and there is a 'certain grace' with which his voice reaches tempos, that most opera singers can only dream about, within a nanosecond of something going against his wishes or if he is at his pediatricians'. Oh yes, my little dude does have 'grace'. I wonder ,though, why his pediatrician can't see it. . My daughter is too young (2 months as I type this) to show signs of this. However, she observes everything that her brother does very intently, so that can't be far behind.

The point, you ask. In hindu mythology, tuesday is the day of Shri Ganesha. Yes, the elephant-headed god Himself. I have always had a special affinity towards this deity. You can't be part of Bombay and not feel so. Ganeshotsav is always a big part of Bombay. This festival celebrates the diety's birthday and it is done with great pomp and splendour. To have both my kids born on His day has only made it that much more special for me. Every Month, the fourth day of the second fortnight(Krishnapaksha) is considered Sankasthi chaturthi. Thats the day after the new moon. They (again, the old and wise) say that fasting on this day gets rid of all the sankat (hardships, troubles) coming your way. Fasting includes not eating regular food, eating only satvik foods till the moon rise. Pray to Shri Ganesha, pay homage to the moon, offer naivedya to both and only then eat regular food. Satvik food is pure and fresh vegetarian food that is prepared without the influence of onion and garlic, and with very little spices. The category is further shortened when your regular grains and cereals are also supposed to be avoided. So no rice or wheat. Basically, you are supposed to avoid food that generates too much heat in your body.  Naivedya is an offering to God (Niveda is sanskrit for offering hence Naivedya items).

I observe a fast on this day.

Don't ask me why. I am not gullible enough to believe that fasting for a day, every month would really make life all smooth and full of rose-tints. I do it, however, because it gives me a feeling of control with regards to something that I actually do not have any control over. It makes me feel that I am doing something to protect my family. Its all a part of being a parent, all part of trying to make life perfect for the kids. Deep within you, you know there is no such thing as a perfect world, you know that they are going to have to overcome their own share of hardships to make a good life for themselves, you know there are going to be pitfalls before they reach the peak of success and more importantly, you know that there is not a darn thing you can do about it except tend to their bruises and wounds. Thats where the prayers come in. Its funny how being a parent humbles you.

You would think that depriving youself of food for a whole day would be tough, but its not. There is an entire different set of recipes that are just so filling and delicious that you almost forget that you are fasting. Almost. There is an equally delicious set of recipes that are used as naivedya. Since I do this every month, I am now starting a series of monthly posts recording foods I prepare for fasts and naivedya.

So,  join me for delicious food , snippets on hindu mythology and a prayer.

I made Malai Modak as naivedya today. Modak is a steamed dumpling stuffed with coconut and jaggery and is supposedly Shri Ganesha's favorite. I decided to make these non-stuffed modaks the way I make malai pedas, just shaped like modaks. I make these with ricotta cheese. If you are one of those purists who consider that blasphemy, you are most welcome to make khoya in the time honored way of heating up a gallon of milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and then reducing it on low flame constantly stirring it. In about 3 to 4 hours, you should have khoya. Me, I have a pact with God. The only allowance I make, seeing that this is naivedya, is that I buy organic ricotta cheese with no preservatives.

The recipe…

16oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

3-4 Strands Saffron

1/2 cup Sugar

2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)

 

Heat the ricotta cheese in a wide mouthed pan on medium heat for 6-7 mins. Stir quite frequently. The cheese would first melt and then regain its texture. Add the cream, saffron and cardamom powder and keep stirring all together till all the liquid dries up. Crush the saffron strands between your fingers before adding them, this way they will bring in more color and taste. Keep cooking till the mixture regains the texture of ricotta cheese, about 10-12 mins. Add the sugar and cook on high flame till the mixture forms a ball. Remove from flame, add the ghee and mix well. Allow to cool a little and shape into modaks or pedas.

To shape into modaks, take 1 tbsp of mixture and make a smooth ball. Now, using the all your fingers pull a little bit of a mixture ,elongating it. Press the other side of the ball on the counter or the plate. To shape into pedas, take a tsp of the mixture, shape into a ball and flatten it a little between your palms.

This recipe will make 21 modaks/pedas, exactly the number for the naivedya.

Buns…Deep-Fried Banana-Flour Bread

Buns!!!…You mean the hamburger buns?

NO.

You mean the buns that we used to get in India…maska bun?

NO.

You mean those sweet breads that we used to get at the local baker in India?

NO.

These are Mangalore Buns.They are a sort of a spongy poori made of maida kneaded with mashed bananas ..kinda sweet from the banana and kind of a mild kick from the black pepper.

In case you are wondering,that is not a typo error. I really mean Mangalore.Mangalore is small town in Karnataka and yes, it is a completely different entity than Bangalore.As far as I am concerned,this city is the center of all things Konkani.There might be many to disagree with me. But hey, my blog, my rant. S and I stayed in Mangalore for a couple of months immediately after we were married.Though I mentally prepared myself for the change it would be for a city-bred-Mumbai-snob that I was (and still am to some extent),I just wasnt prepared for the culture shock that I was in for. Mind you, growing up with my Bapama (Paternal Grandma), I knew all the traditions, rituals etc.that is Konkani. It wasn't the traditions or the small town, it was just the sheer number of amchigeles(as we like to call ourselves,loosely means "our people") around.In the vast diversity of mumbai, I had never been in such close quarters with amchis that were not my relatives. Its a feeling I couldn't shake as I left the city to head towards the new world, so to speak. But, I digress.

These buns are generally a breakfast item in Mangalore, but my bapama used to make them as an evening snack, too. Its a great way to use up an overripe banana. In fact,my mother-in-law keeps aside a banana to let overripe so that she can make these.

Now that you know what they are and whence they cometh from (I am into Shakespeare these days),you might as well know how to make them.

Mangalore Buns…

Maida or Regular flour 2 cups

1 overripe Banana

1/2 buttermilk or (yogurt + water beaten together)

3 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp Baking soda

salt

Oil + ghee for deep frying

Peel the banana and mash them with a fork in a large vessel.Add the buttermilk. If you are using yogurt, beat it and dilute with enough water to make 1/2 a cup.Add in the sugar,salt, pepper and baking soda. Mix together. Add the flour and keep forking it till it all comes together and forms a dough. You might have to add more flour or water depending upon the consistency of the buttermilk you are using. If its thick, may require extra water or if its too watery, may require more flour. Knead for a minute or so (isn't that great?). Apply a tbsp of oil all over the dough,cover and keep in a cool place (I keep it in my non-hot oven) for at least 4 hours.

Heat oil, add 2 tbsp of ghee to it. You don't want to fry this in just oil, they wont taste as good.Shape ball sized dough pieces into round shapes about 3-4 inches in diameter and a little thicker than a poori.Use extra flour to help roll them. Sprinkle some on the counter and rub some on the rolling pin. Use sparingly or you will be left with a gross black sediment in your oil rendering it un-reusable.Been there , done that.You might also want to roll and fry one at a time instead of roll all pooris and then deep fry. This being a maida dough, you will be left with a 2 inch diameter thick rolled poori. Not good.

Deep fry on medium heat. As soon as you put the dough in oil,keep poking at it with the slotted spoon and pressing it into the oil till it puffs up. At this point, I would like to say that the oil is HOT, be careful and please don't sue me if you meet with an accident. You deep fry at your own risk!! . Now that you have read the disclaimer, we can move ahead. Once it puffs up, turn over and let the other side fry up. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. They are not going to be as crispy as a poori would be , they are not supposed to be.When you bite into them, they are going to be crispy and spongy all at the same time.If they are,you have just made a perfect Mangalore Bun!!!.

Pasta Fusion…Elbow Macaroni in a Eggplant-Spinach sauce.

Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. This Recipe came out of the dire necessity to empty my pantry. Going to India for a couple of months , you see.(Yay for me!!!).

Opened the pantry,have some elbow macaroni but no cheese, so cant go for the Mac n' Cheese.Peek into the freezer, do have some Parmesan cheese and frozen spinach that have to be consumed . Peek into the refrigerator, some tomatoes and eggplant that have to used pretty soon or else have to be dumped. Decided to put everything into one dish and see what comes up. And, Lo and behold, a pasta dish that can easily become a staple in our everyday food. But only if I can remember what I put into it.Which is why , I am typing as I eat my pasta fusion.Pardon any sauce splatters and typo errors….

Lets see,

Heated some oil in a pan,threw in onion and garlic, sauteed till soft. Hmmm..opened the spice cabinet (yes , I have a cabinet full of spices.Whole spices, powdered spices, ready-made spice mixes, homemade spice mixes, dried herbs..the whole lot. will do a post on them some time),some red chilli powder, some goda masala,some fennel seeds. Stir.Added veggies, tomato puree.  In goes Italian Seasoning,salt, pepper and the pasta. Topped with Parmesan. Ah..good .I remember everything. Now, to quantify the ingredients and write a proper recipe.

Pasta Fusion….

1 cup elbow macaroni (or any pasta you prefer)

1/2 cup frozen spinach defrosted (or 8-10 spinach leaves, chopped)

1/2 cup chopped eggplant

1 medium tomato chopped

1 medium onion chopped

4 tbsp tomato puree

2 cloves garlic chopped finely

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp goda masala (or garam masala or any other spice mix you prefer)

1/8 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

salt, pepper to taste

Boil water.After it comes to a boil, add salt (make the water as salty as sea water) and pasta. Meanwhile,heat oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and cook till translucent.Add red chilli powder, goda masala and fennel seeds.saute for a minute.Add tomatoes, eggplant and spinach. Add a little of the water in which the pasta is cooking and cook till the eggplant is cooked through and the spinach has wilted. Drain the pasta, reserve the water. Add the pasta,Italian seasoning, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Mix till it all blends together and check for salt. If the salt seems less, add the water reserved from boiling the pasta. I do this for 2 reasons. First, we have already added a little of the salty water for cooking the veggies + tomato puree has salt to some extent and Parmesan cheese is salty. Second, it just seems a waste to put all that salt in the water and throw it away. If the salt seems more, add more tomato puree or boil some more pasta and put it in. I don't like my pasta drowning in tomato sauce, that's why i used just 4 tbsp of tomato puree. You can use more depending on taste.

Ta..da…delicious pasta is ready.

Methi Matar Malai (Fenugreek leaves and Peas in a Cream Gravy)

I am restructuring the blog so some old posts are resurfacing as new ones. Please bear with me.

Methi Matar Malai…

I love the combination of methi(fenugreek leaves) and matar(Peas). The bitterness of the methi is beautifully complemented by the sweetness of the matar. I am a sucker for any recipe that includes both the ingredients and I have found that it is loved by everyone else too.

The Malai is of course Cream which makes this dish wonderfully rich. Ground up cashewnuts and a dollop of butter doesnt hurt too.

I make this dish with kasuri methi which gives it a wonderful aroma. The recipe below is with kasuri methi. If you plan on using fresh methi leaves, double the methi and sugar quantity. Also, add a pinch of kasuri methi for that aroma.

So , Here you go.

Kasuri Methi Leaves 1/2 cup
Matar 1/2 cup

Onion 1 medium size
Garlic 2 pods
Ginger 1" piece
Green Chillies 2 or 3

Yogurt 2 tbsp

Cashewnuts, soaked in water and ground to a paste.
Cream 2 tbsp
Butter 1 tbsp
Salt and Pepper , Sugar,Garam Masala to taste

Grind together onion, garlic, ginger and green chillies in a blender. Heat oil in a pan. Add the onion paste and saute for minute. Remove from flame, add yogurt. Put on the flame again and saute till the water from the yogurt dries out.Add Kasuri Methi, Matar, Salt, Pepper, Sugar and a cup of water. Cover and cook till the matar has cooked through. Add Cashewnut Paste, Garam Masala, Butter and bring to a boil. Remove from flame and stir in Cream. Serve with hot piping rotis.

Sungat Phana Upkari(Prawn Pickle)

Sungat Phana Upkari (Prawn Pickle)

I love this dish. Sungat is Konkani for prawns or shrimps or anything else you want to call them. A rose by any other name ……

This is made with small shrimps, the ones that require an eternity to be cleaned. I remember bapama , mom and sometimes dad sitting and patiently doing the necessary.I use the salad shrimp for this dish and I use the deshelled and de-veined variety. So its a breeze.

Onion 2 medium size chopped finely.
Shrimp About 2 cups.

Roasted Whole Red Chillies 15-18 (told ya , it is HOT!!)
Tamarind Paste 1 tsp
Oil, Salt.

Grind the roasted whole chillies and tamarind paste into a fine paste.Cook onion in a little oil. After softened, add red chillies+tamarind paste, shrimp and salt. Cover and cook till the seafood is cooked through. Remove from flame and top with a tsp of raw coconut oil.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm……

Mom, Prawns and Rice

Mom's Prawn Pulao.

Try it once and it will become a staple in special days cooking!!! Thats all I am going to say about this wonderful dish.

Rice 3 cups (washed and dried)
Prawns 25-30
Water 6 cups

Pudina Leaves a fistful
Coriander Leaves a fistful
Green Chillies 4-6
Jeera 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds 1 tbsp
Grated Coconut 1/4 cup
Cinnamon 1' piece
Cloves 7-8
Badi Elaichi 1
Black Peppercorns 7-8
Bay Leaf 1

Onion 3 medium size finely chopped
Tomatoes 2 medium size finely chopped
Red Chilly pwd 1 tsp (optional)
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste

Roast grated coconut, jeera, coriander seeds, half the cloves, cinnamon and black peppercorns. Brown 1 finely chopped onion. Blend together into a fine paste with fresh coriander and mint leaves. Keep aside.

Heat oil. Add bay leaf, badi elaichi,remaining cloves, cinnamon, black peppers. When they start sputtering , add remaining onions and saute for a couple of mins. When translucent, add red chilly pwd, turmeric ,tomatoes, rice and saute till the rice becomes opaque. Add the paste made earlier, prawns and water. Bring to a boil. Add salt and cover. Cook on a medium low flame till all the water evaporates.
Garnish with fresh coriander and mint leaves.

Alambe Buthi(Mushrooms in a semi-dry coconut gravy)

I disliked mushrooms. There,I said it. But as you can see, its past tense.

Growing up, we didn't eat much mushrooms at home. See, in the days of yore, what was cooked at home was what was growing in the back yards. Mushrooms , though not cultivated , would grow on their own and were cooked whenever it made an appearance.It was ,subsequently , discovered that all mushrooms were not edible . In fact, quite a lot of them were downright poisonous.My grandmother, who grew up in this era, never trusted a mushroom that she herself had not harvested. And since she moved to Bombay upon marriage….(You get the gist of it.). My tryst with mushrooms in restaurants just left me with the feeling of eating rubber. So, it was on my tried-but-not-liked list.

Then , of course, I got married. Marriage brings forth lots of changes, its said. That certainly was the case with me and mushrooms.A couple of weeks after marriage, we were on a train journey to our native place (mangalore) to seek the blessings of our kuldevta. My mother-in-law had packed food for all of us to get us through the 20 hr train ride. It was to be chapatis and Alambe Buthi (Alambe is konkani for Mushroom and buthi is the semi-dry gravy). Now, I didn't like mushrooms and it was my firm opinion that konkani dishes taste good only with rice. I don't know what it was, the acquiescence of newly-found bahu-dom or the fact that the other choice was to eat Indian Railways food, I quietly ate the whole thing that was served to me. And voila, instant mushroom convert.

I learnt quite a few things that day , about new relationships, change, marriage and food. It is the food part that is more appropriate for this blog and that is what I am going to talk about. It became quite apparent to me that any new ingredient,when cooked like the food that you grew up with , went over much well than when cooked in some other method, however popular. Its a trick I have used with much of the veggies that are found here in the US that are not inherent to India. I am happy to report that all such experiments have been successes, some less than more, but successes nonetheless. Wow, too many ss's in that last sentence. try saying that 10 times in a row.

Anyway,have introduced my family to new veggies in such manner and once we have all become accustomed to its taste, moved on to its more popular versions. And , of course, being the mushroom convert that I am thanks to my dear mother-in-law, my refrigerator always has at least one of the varieties of mushroom in it at any given time. I cook mushrooms a lot of ways, but this has to be the first recipe that I share with you. So here goes. I cook these using the white mushrooms that are found in all grocery stores here.

Alambe Buthi …

1 cup mushrooms ,quartered

1 onion, finely chopped

Ginger 1' piece finely chopped

1 cup fresh grated coconut

8 roasted dry red chillies

1/2 tsp tamarind paste

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp coconut oil

salt to taste.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Cook the mushrooms with onion and ginger till the water dries out. While it is cooking , grind together grated coconut, chillies, tamarind and coriander seeds coarsely in a blender. Add water only if required . Once the water from the mushrooms has dried out, add the ground masala and salt. Stir and cook till it all blends together and any water that has been added to the masala dries up. Remove from flame and pour the other tbsp of raw oil over the cooked mushrooms.Serve with chapatis or as a side dish with rice and dal.

Chicken 65 or 66 or whatever…

I am always looking for recipes that serve as good finger food at dinner parties. The kind of dinner parties I host are mostly impromptu ones .Ones that  do not leave me with much time for menu planning and shopping, much less going through long winded ingredient lists.Thats why, recipes that use few ingredients and stuff that are almost always part of my pantry, rate high on my list of preferred dishes. Also important, is not just how easy it is to make but also how easy it is to remember . Last minute entertainment does not allow for constant double checking of a recipe.

 It is rarely that one comes across something that satisfies all the above criteria. But when one does, you etch it into your brain.This is an amazing dish that requires just 5 ingredients (well 6 if you count the salt) , no 8 hour marination jhanjat and is a jiff to make. Its called Chicken 65.

Why 65 you say? Apparently , it was number 65 on some trucker's dhaba's Menu list in madras.  That also explains why this recipe uses Sambhar Powder instead of the usual Garam Masala. Sambhar Masala and Chicken…..huh…never tried that before.I found it in the depths of eGullet Forums. The fact that this was a chicken dish was what attracted me to it in the first place. (Dear S loves chicken!!). Given the small ingredient list, and the fact that it does not drown the chicken in all the spices that one can think of,I couldn't get it out of my mind. This weekend ,I decided to give it a try. Alas, No chicken at home.

ME : You know , I forgot to get some stuff when I went out grocery shopping yesterday

S:    hmmmmph….So Whats New?

ME : I was hoping you would go out and get some of it.

S:   <irritated>Can't you make something else?

Me : I actually wanted to try out this fab chicken recipe that I got, you know, chicken 65.

S:    <salivating>Chicken 65???..Cant you skip that ingredient and still make it.

Me : <coughing>Its the chicken that I'm missing.

S : <muttering on the way to his car>You really should make a list. Your Inventory Management sucks!

Ten Minutes later………..

Armed with all the ingredients, I started putting it together.

Start with a cup of Yogurt.The recipe calls for hung thick yogurt. I didn't have the patience to do it, so just put in regular yogurt. In goes 2 tbsp of Sambhar Powder,2 tbsp Chili Powder, 2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste and salt.  Put in cubed skinless boneless chicken and Mix well. Keep aside for an hour. Just enough time to bathe the kids and make some veggie pulao for lunch…..

An hour later………

The marinade has become watery…must be why the recipe suggested hung thick yogurt. Note to Self :  Next time Use Hung Thick Yogurt!! ) .Decanted the top watery portion of the marinade.Next, the recipe suggests heat 1/2 cup oil. Started with half the quantity.Heat the oil in a wok ,throw in chicken, marinade and all. Cook on high flame stirring every now and then.The marinade first becomes watery , and then starts cooking,giving out the most delicious aromas. S starts making rounds to the kitchen.

"Is it ready yet?"

"No Dear, 10 more mins".

10 mins later…..

The Yogurt mixture has cooked into a very aromatic dry sauce that is coating the chicken but not completely dry as to classify as finger food. At this point, I, of course, had to add my own touch to it and decided to add onion rings to the mixture. Keep cooking and stirring till it all dries out. At this point, the yogurt mixture has evaporated completely and become one entity with the chicken and the onions are nicely caramelised with the yogurt coating. Remove from Flame and empty into serving bowl. Add a tadka(seasoning) of black mustard seeds and curry leaves. Garnished with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

"Can I try some?"

"Sure, I am gonna take a look at what the kids are upto in the meantime"

"ok"

2 mins later…..

"I saved a couple of pieces for you"

"But I made them for lunch"

"Hey, You were the one that said it was finger food"

"But……"

"Finger food is always eaten before the main meal"

"But….."

"So, What were the kids upto?"

Note to Self : Next time try it with Paneer or better yet Tofu..

The actual recipe….

500 gms boneless chicken cut into thick shreds(Approx 1 cm by 2 cm) 
Marinade :

1 cup hung thick yogurt(dahi),

2 tbsps sambar powder,

2 tbsps red chilli powder,

2 tbsps ginger garlic paste

and salt to taste.
Marinate Chicken for an hour.

Heat 1/2 cup of oil.Stir fry Chicken till the yogurt mixture dries up. remove from flame. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small pan. Add 1/2 tsp Black mustard seeds. After they start popping, add curry leaves. Pour over cooked chicken.Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Mum’s the word…Hearty Tomato Soup

You know Mom's cooking the best. You can live anywhere in the world, learn all sorts of cooking techniques and cuisines. You can be a professional cook , for god's sake. But at the end of it all, you want to come home and have Mom cook you that wonderful stuff and transport you to those golden days. There are those days when I really miss Mom's food (I miss mom, period). Of course, there are those days when you just miss somebody else cooking for you, but thats another post . It is on the days of the first variety , that I end up making either or both of the following recipes . 

Mom makes a mean Tomato soup that has spoiled our taste buds to the extent that we never like any other tomato soup. It is such a simple recipe , the secret lies in fresh juicy tomatoes and only tomatoes. She doesnt add any other veggies or spice and there in lies the taste. On those chilly winter nights , I often make this soup served with grilled cheese sandwiches and reminisce about the past.

Very simple. Pressure cook about a kilo (about 2 pounds) of ripe juicy tomatoes. Crush in the blender and sieve in a fine siever to remove seeds and skin.
Pour into a pot and bring to a boil .Skim the white stuff that gathers on top. Add salt, sugar, pepper to taste. Mix 1 tbsp butter(room temperature) with 1 tbsp cornflour(Use a fork, its simpler) and add to the soup. Bring to a boil once more stirring continously. Remove from flame and add 1/2 cup milk. (I add about 4 tbsp cream). Delicious soup is ready.

Drop in a few homemade croutons, a dollop of butter and it is ready to be consumed!!

Thanks, MOM!

Batata Song (Potato with Red Chillies and Tamarind)

Konkani Curries are mostly a blend of fresh grated Coconut,roasted Red chillies and Tamarind. However, there are those side dishes that skip the coconut part and concentrate just on Red Chillies and Tamarind, hmmmmmmmmmmm…my favorite kind . The heat from the chillies is toned down by the sourness of the tamarind. A little bit of roasted coriander seeds to cool down the palate is added ,however that is strictly optional. 

Traditionally, Coconut Oil is used in konkani cooking. But , You have to use the good variety. (Kind of like extra virgin olive oil). If you cant find the good one ( aka…one that doesnt smell of rancid coconuts), you might as well use any other oil. The red chillies are roasted in a little bit of coconut oil. Normally, in any konkani kitchen, you will find a week longs supply of whole red chillies roasted and kept aside as there is nary a konkani dish that doesnt use it. Any other spice that requires roasting is done as and when required. As for the tamarind, I use the bottled variety.

The recipe below is my bapama's recipes. Hence, I dont have any specific measurements.
Everthing is just eyeballed. However, I have tried to give approximate quantities.
Here are a couple of dishes. Consider yourself warned, you are entering the hot zone.

Batata Song (Potato in a chilli-tamarind gravy)

Before you ask me, let me tell you, I have no idea why this dish is called a song. I dont know if the word song has any other meaning in konkani. All I know is that this simple onion and potato curry zinged with the chilly+tamarind conoctation, makes my taste buds sing.

Onion 2 medium size chopped finely.
Potato 3 medium size boiled and chopped into bite size pieces.

Whole Red Chillies 8-10
Tamarind Paste 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
Oil, Salt.

Roast Red Chillies and coriander seeds in a little bit of oil. Grind together with tamarind paste and little bit of water if required. Cook onion in a little bit of oil. After it has softened, add the ground paste, salt and potatoes. Add enough water to bring it the consistency of a semi-dry curry. Cook till everthing blends together. Batata song is ready.

The same curry can be made with mushrooms instead of potatoes. The ones used traditionally are small button size ones, the ones that I only find canned here. Baby portabellos most resemble the taste of the mushrooms I have had in India. I have also used the normal white mushrooms that you find in grocery stores here,they work out great too.

Methi Matar Paratha(Fenugreek Leaves and Peas Paratha)

I love the combination of methi(fenugreek leaves) and matar(Peas). The bitterness of the methi is beautifully complemented by the sweetness of the matar. I am a sucker for any recipe that includes both the ingredients and I have found that it is loved by everyone else too.

 

Methi Matar Paratha.

I dont have measurements for this recipe. I just eyeball everything. I have , however, tried to give approximate quantities. Use fresh methi Leaves for this one and add a pinch of Kasuri Methi for that aromatic punch. I dont add any masalas in this recipe since I make it for breakfast and I am not a great fan of too much spice early in the morn. Best of Luck!

Matar 1 cup
Dhania Couple of Sprigs
Ginger 1" Piece
Garlic 1 Pod
Green Chillies 3-4

Methi Leaves Washed and Chopped finely.
Oil 3 tbsp
Wheat Flour About 2 cups
Salt, Sugar to taste

Grind Matar, Dhania, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chillies till the blend together. Transfer to a vessel. Add chopped Methi Leaves, Sugar, Salt,Oil and mix together. Knead in the Flour. Use water if required. However, dont add too much as the methi leaves already have a lot of moisture. Roll into parathas and cook both sides on a hot tava. Make parathas immediately.