sweetness …

brightness…

silence….

sweetness gives brightness

and that is blissful silence..

happy diwali and hearty thanks to radha cookery ….

thank U friend

~Poet VairaBarathi~

Jalebis are crispy, fried sweets that are like thin flutes filled with syrup inside. Many Bollywood movies have devoted a few scenes in the praise of this food item. This is one of my two favorite sweets besides Mysore Pak. Jalebis are best enjoyed when they are hot off the stove. As a child, whenever I used to complain of stomach pain, my grandmother used to buy me a few jalebis from the neighboring sweet stall. So I frequently used to fake stomach aches and for some reason my grandmother used to indulge me. Now I understand that she knew that I one day I would get married and leave the house. So she used to pamper me as much as she could. Today if I feel like eating jalebis, I’ve to make it by myself. We don’t have any sweet stalls here in San Antonio. No regrets as grandmother taught me how to make them. My grandmother is no more, but every time I see jalebis, I feel a little emotional and secretly wipe a tear off my eyes. Diwali was one time my grandmother used to sit in the center of the huge covered outdoor porch and spread a shop. Nothing was for sale, but she made these huge batches of snacks for all friends and relatives. She used to single handedly make murukkus, jalebis, athirisam, mysore pak, jamoon, mixture, cashew burfi, and so many more sweets and snacks. I would steal her coconut burfis, hide myself behind the Sapota tree and relish eating it while it was still warm. I have some really fond memories of Diwali with my grandmother and my father.

Fermentation time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
About 40 small jalebis or about 24 large ones

Ingredients:

For Jalebi Batter

• All-Purpose Flour or Maida – 1 cup
• Besan or chick peas flour – 2 tsp (corn flour can be substituted, 2 tsp)
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Yogurt – 1 Tbsp
• Luke warm Water – 3/4 cup
• Yeast, 1 tsp soaked in 3 Tbsp warm water + 1 tsp sugar (The water should look foamy after 5 minutes, then the yeast mixture is ready)
• Red or Yellow food coloring (optional) 4 drops

Making Syrup:

• Water – 1 cup
• Sugar – 1 Cup
• Saffron – 1 tsp, crushed between fingers
• Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
• Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp (preferred)
• Or Rose Water, 1 tsp

For frying:

A heavy bottomed deep vessel.

Oil, ghee, or a mixture of both. About 2 inches of depth is required.

Slotted spoon

Method:

Readying the batter:

In a large mixing bowl, add All-purpose Flour or maida and besan and mix well.

To the dry powders, add oil, yogurt, and water, mix very well. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the foamy yeast water and mix well again.

Put a warm and wet (not dripping and soaking) towel to cover the bowl, and place in the microwave or oven to retain the heat.

Do not switch on the oven or microwave.

Let the batter ferment for an hour.

If the batter over ferments, it’ll be too gooey and making jalebis may be tough. If the weather is very warm, then check the batter in 30 minutes.

If the batter has risen and has holes in it, it’s ready.

Mix the batter well and add it to a ketchup/mustard bottle or a ziplock bag with a tiny hole in the bottom.

Syrup and Frying:

The syrup should be hot, so it’s wise to start on the syrup while the batter is almost ready.

In a thick bottomed deep vessel, add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, saffron and cook on medium heat till all the sugar has melted.

Keep stirring often, the syrup should be ready in just a few minutes.

Reduce the flame to mild, add the elaichi powder and lemon juice.

Lemon juice will prevent the sugar syrup from turning into hard crystals.

During the middle of the syrup making process, Heat another thick bottomed vessel.

Add oil, ghee, or a mixture of oil and ghee and set it on medium heat.

Now your syrup is ready, and oil should be really hot, not smoking (adjust heat of oil for frying, when you add a drop of jalebi batter, it should float up and start browning immediately) should be ready.

Turn off the heat of the Syrup, but let the vessel remain on the stove itself.

If you feel the syrup is thickening, turn on the stove and set it on low flame.

Have tongs or a slotted spoon ready.

Set a large plate ready into which you’ll be dunking the fried jalebis into.

Have another slotted spoon ready for frying the jalebis.

Some people add the fried jalebis to the syrup and let it sit there for a long time.

Many prefer to keep the jalebis in the syrup for about a minute or two and remove it immediately.

Choice is yours. I usually keep mine in the syrup for approximately two minutes.

I like making medium sized jalebis (about 3 inches in diameter).

Making these jalebis is tiring. Better to do it with a friend or hubby.

No phones, nothing to distract.

Couple of wet towels and some paper towels to clean the syrup and batter drippings would be great.

Take the jalebi batter and squeeze the bottle or the ziplock bag and make circles in the hot oil.

When you finish off the circling, make sure the tip is not loose. Let the thin end connect with another part of the jalebi.

Flip only once, that too very gently.

Use tongs, I feel slotted spoon works best.

Remove the jalebi, shake off the excess oil, (very carefully) and dunk the jalebi into the sugar syrup.

Let it sit there for some time, remove with tongs or slotted spoon, and gently move it into a plate.

Try to shake off the excess syrup before setting it on the plate.

The best way to eat jalebi according to my hubby is to dunk a really hot off the stove jalebi into a bowl of cold kheer and eat it immediately!

“Mary has invited us to spend the day at their place, right in the heart of the hill country on their beautiful 3 acres,” said my husband. The boys got all excited. All they wanted to do was get into the thick woods and start their wild adventures. I did not mind, Texas hill country is so scenic and beautiful. The fresh air would do us all so much good, I thought. Then hubby dear told me that there are snakes, thousands of rattle snakes, several of which look like little worms. Mary’s backyard may have a lot of them he said. Now I got worried, seriously worried. Who can control two active boys? All they want to do is go play in the woods. And Mary had a huge lab called Molly, a chocolate one. Dog, woods, just what the boys need! My husband was thrilled. He wanted to explore the woods too. He was actually excited about seeing all those rattle snakes. What’s a mom to do? Nobody seemed to notice the worried crease on my face or my nonstop nagging. They wanted to go and decision was made.

I wore my green shirt and my favorite pair of ear rings. We packed some Biriyani and raita as we had decided to do a pot luck lunch. Apparently Mary and her husband Pat had never eaten any Indian food! They were excited to try some. I was surprised to know that they had never eaten Indian food at all. I was glad that we could give them that opportunity, their ‘first!’ We set out driving to their home that beautiful Sunday. The weather was just beautiful. We went up and down the hills, the boys and I were screaming every time we had to head down the hill. We screamed just for the fun of it, and hubby would jerk the van a little bit for thrills. The scenery was beautiful. We saw deer, horses, cows, and goats along the farms. The deer were free to roam, and they looked so gorgeous. The baby deer were just too cute, I simply wanted to hold one.

We found large tubs of water in front of the beautiful Texas homes along the Hill Country. It was for the deer as they rested under the shade of the oak and cedar trees in summer. We almost got to Mary’s home but it took a little while to figure out which one was theirs. The homes in the area were new and looked so beautiful! The large gates to Mary’s house  were open and we drove right in hoping that was the house indeed.  We saw Mary come out to greet us. Her husband Pat joined her soon as were still getting out of the van. We greeted each other warmly and exchanged hugs. Their beautiful dog Molly came out to welcome us; she was very shy. It was obvious that she was quite the pampered dog! After some pleasant talk, we walked into an extremely clean and well organized home. Pat served us coffee in large mugs and we all settled down. The guys started talking about sports and hunting. We ladies started talking about, you guessed it: our husbands and how insane they are!  The kids were treated to popsicles on the hot day; they were given the whole box of pops! My children were so delighted and enjoyed themselves in these ‘nice people’s home with the big dog.’

Later on, we ventured out and explored their front and back yards, stuck our heads into the well, thought the septic tank was a barbecue pit, and compost bin as the septic tank! That’s what happens if you live in the city forever and then head into the country. Mary and her husband were used to these assumptions and they patiently answered all our questions. The boys ran about, like 3 acres was such little space. Molly ran behind them but could not keep up. Then the boys took turns swinging on the hammock. The yard was so tidy; my grandma would have been so proud to see such a clean place! To my relief, there were no rattle snakes anywhere. We were all wearing shoes and thick jeans, yet the yard was cleared and there were none of the little slithery crawlies to be seen. Even though the weather was hot, the pleasant wind kept us cool. After hanging out for a good deal of time, we went back into the house.

We shared our meal, it was so wonderful! Mary had made some absolutely creative dishes for the very first time, and we were amazed at how good it tasted. They enjoyed the Biriyani, kofta curry, and raita we took for them. After lunch, we enjoyed some key lime pie made by Mary. The pie was seriously delicious! I went in for a second helping, considering that I had just finished a rather large meal. We sat down, relaxed, and spoke for hours together as the boys chilled off. Molly was exhausted and laying on the floor. After a while, we checked out Mary’s stitching skills. It was very impressive. We had not realized how time had flown by at all. We had to drag ourselves out of their house; Mary and Pat did not want to let us go either.

They showed us a cactus growing on a tree top as we were preparing to leave. It was so unusual. My hubby took pictures of it. We checked out a few more bushes, all organic rosemary and oregano growing wildly as weeds. Then with a heavy heart we said our good byes. Our parting hugs were a little tighter. We got in the van and drove off. We headed towards more scenic hills and decided to get off and spend a few moments enjoying the cool weather and admire the setting sun. My children enjoyed themselves a lot. The older one was busy running and trying to explore the thick woods. The little one was interested in different types of wild flowers and insects darting about. I stood there admiring the scenery. I had lost my hair band and the wind and the setting sun got into my hair. I looked like a big mess with my hair all over my face!

My husband was busy clicking pictures of the children. I had no clue he was taking my pictures too. He never likes to let me know that he is clicking away. He wants me to be myself and not conscious. He takes so much time to click a pic that I get annoyed and then go back to doing whatever is on hand. That’s how he gets all these amazing shots of the children and me. After all the exploration, picture taking, and some solid adventure later we returned home. We were exhausted. Our dog Bobby was very happy to see us.   We lazed around, watched a kid’s movie, and ate a nice hot meal of left overs from the previous night. Hubby enjoyed a chilled beer after the boys went to bed. I curled up on the bed with a poetry book. Soon hubby joined me and we spent a pleasant evening together.

I was very impressed when I visited the book’s site and read the reviews from connoisseurs and accomplished gourmets. Right from Emmy Award winning Top Chef Host Padma Lakshmi, to TV show host, celebrity author Martin Yan, to Indian chef Atul Kochar, India’s Heart throb chef Sanjeev Kapoor, movie star Akshay Kumar have all heaped praises on this book. So you may be wondering then what on earth it is that I am left to say. I do have a quite a bit to say in fact. I purchased the book from Barnes and Noble and leafed through it from cover to cover several times. I delved into the book, went through the details, picked a few recipes, made those dishes, blogged about it, went back and forth on the phone with Hari, and then finally took my time to pen my thoughts about this book.

Hari Nayak’s home town is Udupi, a small coastal town situated in Karnataka, India. He is the youngest of the three siblings. His sister is a doctor and brother is an engineer. Hari defied the odds by wanting to become a chef. His love for food started from his childhood as he keenly observed his ‘ajji’ or grandmother make delicious and fresh meals from scratch every day. He talks with passion about the fresh seafood that was available year round because of the ocean nearby. His book is a strong reflection of the very open and caring childhood he has been blessed with. We can find interesting stories of his fond memories of the monsoon rains or ‘stealing’ mangoes from neighbor’s backyard for those yummy pickles! Hari Nayak currently lives in New Jersey.

Experience the book here

I am fully aware that readers could accuse me of writing a biased review of “My Indian Kitchen” as the author Hari Nayak is a very good friend of mine. They need to know that I am also his worst or best critic. It is not a book review but a scientific round robin trial conducted by using the power of blogging. So many bloggers have tried these out based on my pick, tried it out and came with their free and independent opinion. I felt compelled to pen my thoughts after purchasing his book and then trying out several of his recipes which can be found on my blog. I would say that I’m putting on paper the views of a number of bloggers and their critical acclaim while I review Hari’s book. I enjoy reading his short stories followed by recipes that remind me of my own grandmother and the foods that I used to eat at home, an aunt’s place, or at the street vendors dotting the busy intersections of the city. The first time I opened the book, I fell in love with the pictures. There are over 200 very beautiful and appetizing pictures. I spent a lot of time just admiring them.

After getting over those amazing designs and pictorial display, I went back to look for recipes that I really wanted to try. I was curious to see if Hari had just written about food found in most of Americanized Indian restaurants all over the US or if he had something to share from his own family’s kitchen. I found a good mixture of both types of menus. In most Indian restaurants one can find Chicken Tikka , Channa , Rajmah Masala, Veg Jhalfrezi, Kadhai Paneer, Mango and Pistachio Kulfi, Samosas, Saffron Chicken Biryani, and the breads. The recipes are simple but that does not mean that they compromise on the taste. I have had some friends try the ‘restaurant’ style foods and have tasted it, the results were just delicious. These friends are people who have never made Indian food at home, ever. So the results were fabulous.

I was not very interested in making any of the restaurant style food. I just wanted to cook only those dishes which intrigued me or made me very curious. Some of them that I tried are Bengali Potates with spices, Split pea fritters, Panch Phoran, Avocado and Roasted Cumin Raita : Makhanphal aur Bhuna Jeera Ratia, Cauliflower with Ginger and Cumin: Adraki Gobhi, and Black-Eyed Peas Rice: Lobhiya Pulao. If you are aware of my style of cooking, I prefer it to be very simple and quick. As a busy mother, a student, a realtor, a blogger, and not to mention being the wife of a really cool guy, I don’t have the luxury of spending hours in the kitchen. Most of the meals I checked in the book were under fifteen minutes. The ingredients are something that can be found in a regular store, though a trip to an Indian grocery store may make it worthwhile. The recipes are nutritionally sound and sensible. It is a reflection of what my grandmother used to cook. I was very happy to note that there were a lot of recipes, probably over 110 in the book and I had not even heard of many of them. The Smoky Fire-Roasted Eggplant, Bengal Potatoes with Spices, Goan-style Squid, Stir-Fried Tellichery Mussels, Mangalore Fish Curry, Black-Eyed Peas Pulao, and Coconut Shrimp Biryani attracted me the most. I asked Hari for meat substitutes and he did give me some options. That will be another part of my adventure, recreating his meat dishes with vegetarian substitutes.

The book is divided into Nine Clever sections. The first section is about Indian spice mixes and it features ‘Indian Grilling and Roasting Rub’ which used to be sold in gourmet stores like Williams Sonoma. This is Hari Nayak’s special spice mix and he never revealed the secret recipe until now. I have purchased this blend of spice from his website and used it to grill Tofu, and we loved it. I’m just so happy to see the ‘secret recipe’ here in this book. I made the Indian Five Spice Mix as I was intrigued by it. Hari recommends using one tablespoon of Fenugreek Seeds. If you are familiar with Fenugreek, then you know that it adds bitterness to any dish even when a little extra is used. A half tablespoon does the job beautifully. I did not realize that and made the coarse powder exactly as listed in the recipe. Nothing disastrous happened and all was well, but that may be because my Fenugreek seeds may have ‘lost’ their power sitting there idly in the pantry for ages! As a vegetarian, I’m very happy with variety of dishes listed in the book.

The real test was cooking the food from his book. The ingredients list was simple, the prep and cooking time was very reasonable, and there were pictures to let me know how my food was supposed to look after I cooked it. Everything was made from scratch, and fortunately every single dish turned out perfectly. The food reminded me of flavors I had forgotten from my childhood. It reminded me of food that I had eaten at local restaurants in Bangalore, or from aunt Vimala’s kitchen, or at somebody’s wedding. The experience of making and tasting the food was really fabulous and took me down memory lane where I tried to place the taste with my childhood experience. I am glad that I have so many more exciting and original recipes to try. I’m looking forward to exploring this book. On page 12, there is a section about “Planning your Indian meal.” I found that to be very helpful in prepping for parties or plan my meals in general when I just go blank wondering what else to cook now. The section on pairing wines with Indian food turned out to be a big help for me. I have successfully served some good Indian meals with some of the recommended wines and received complements for it.

I wish someone gifted me this book as a part of my wedding presents. It would have helped me a lot when I was a novice cook.The simple cooking techniques took me a quite some time to understand and master. I highly recommend going through this section even if you are an expert cook. It just helps to pick up some neat tips and tricks. The pictures as usual are very helpful. If you are new to Indian cooking, then the section on tools required will be of immense help. One of the most important sections in the book is about ‘Indian Ingredients’ and how to store them. The information in these pages is very comprehensive and having these ingredients on hand means incredibly delicious Indian meals, fast.

There are a few ‘modern’ dishes featured in this book that are very interesting. Pistachio Biscotti, Shrimp Bruschetta, Spicy Lamb Burgers, Chai Crème Brulée are not traditional Indian fare. But as an Indian living in the US, I really appreciate such dishes. I have not tried them yet (with vegetarian substitutes), but I’m definitely curious. And as my previous experiments all turned out to be highly successful, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy these dishes very well too. Using local produce available in the US like Avocados and Broccoli is really delightful. I loved the Avocado Raita, and am waiting to try the Broccoli soup with Walnuts. Another feature of this book that I appreciate and value is meticulous measurements. I’m guilty of not providing proper measurements on my own blog, but when it comes to me cooking from a book, I’m particular about these things. I know, kick me!

Buy this book right now in India. Ships for free

Hari Nayak has come up with a highly simple, practical and sensible Indian cook book. The food was not oily and it did not require me to use any ‘processed’ foods. I have a lot of options and varieties to choose from and make incredible meals quickly.
Every single recipe that I tried in this book passed the taste test of my Hubby and my children who are not that easily pleased when it comes to food tasting. I am happy that I bought this book. This book is perfect for anybody wanting to make some ‘real’ home made Indian food. It’d be the perfect gift for novices and new brides that so want to impress their families.

The book has been very beautifully illustrated. They are hard bound and filled with glossy pages, beautiful pictures, and are just perfect to be set on the coffee table. They’d be perfect gifts for Diwali or Christmas, probably it’s a great idea to order them right away. “My Indian Kitchen” is a practical and useful book for everyday Indian cooking. The author suggests which dish goes very well with what and hence takes out most of the guess work. With a little advanced preparation, a variety of meals can be served for weeks to come without ever getting repetitive or boring. The flavor of one dish is totally different from the flavor of the others thus enticing the taste buds. The book truly is what is says, preparing delicious Indian meals without fear or fuss. Would I recommend you to buy this book? Absolutely YES, its worth all the time and investment! Your meals will be Quick, Easy, and seriously flavorful! So get ready to sit back and enjoy the complements. Nobody ever has to know source!

Book Give Away:

Hari Nayak, author of “My Indian Kitchen” has agreed to give away a signed copy to the lucky winner. The copy will be shipped to the winner anywhere in the world.  Please follow these simple  rules to qualify:

1) Become Hari Nayak’s friend on Face Book here:

https://www.facebook.com/hari.nayak

2) Like Hari Nayak’s Page here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hari-Nayak/105619702804385

3) Join Hari on Twitter here:

http://twitter.com/#!/chefhari and finally,

4) Write in your own words why you should win a copy of Chef Hari’s “My Indian Kitchen.” We will pick one winner and ship a signed copy of the book .

Happy Cooking!!!

I like to spice up this curry with generous amounts of green chilies. I have used black-eyed peas quite a bit, but never thought of using it in a rice dish. After making this dish I was very happy to have found another creative way of using these nutrition filled beans. Hari recommends that the beans be soaked, but the frozen peas work just as well too. I wanted to make sure that my pictures do justice to Hari’s wonderful recipe but I run low on patience as all I want to do is gobble up the food than take pictures of it. It’s really tough to be a food blogger, the food is simply too inviting!

I purchased Hari Nayak’s cook book from Barnes and Noble and have been cooking a lot from it. I have made a lot more of his dishes but did not blog about it. The food was really too good for me to wait and take pictures. Hari has been very generous in letting me share some of his recipes from his latest cook book with my readers. This book is ideal for busy people. I called up Hari and told him how valuable this book would have been to me as a newly married bride. I would have handled the kitchen with more confidence if I just had this in my hands at that time. I have enjoyed every single recipe I have made from this precious book. The wine pairings are great. My husband loves it when I serve the dish with the right kind of wine. He loves to sip and savor the wine along with his meal.

Lobhiya Pulao from Hari Nayak’s “My Indian Kitchen.”

Prep time: 20 minutes plus 5 hours for soaking beans and 40 minutes for rice

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 cup (150 g) black-eyed peas (lobhiya)
• 1¼ cups (260 g) basmati rice
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 onions (about ¾ lb/350 g), thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• One 1-in (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper
• 1 tomato (about 1/3 lb/150 g), chopped
• 1 teaspoon
• 4 cups (1 liter) water
• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or oil
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 4 whole cloves

One 1-in (2.5-cm) cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon Home-Style Garam Masala

1. Soak the beans in cold water for at least 5 hours or overnight.

2. Soak the rice for 30 to 40 minutes. Carefully pour out the soaking water and wash the rice in several changes of water, until the water runs clear. Leave it to drain in a fine-meshed strainer for about 15 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. When hot, add the sliced onions and fry until brown and crisp, stirring frequently. Remove them with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible, and spread them out on a paper towel to drain. Set aside for garnish.

4. To the same pan that you fried the onions, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds over medium heat. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper and tomato and cook until the oil separates from the masala, about 1 minute. Add the drained beans, salt, and water and cook, covered, until the beans are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside. Do not drain the water.

5. In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee or oil over medium heat. Add the cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon stick and cook for a few seconds. Add the drained rice and sauté for about 1 minute, stirring gently so as not to break the rice grains.

6. Add the beans and their cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Add the Home-Style Garam Masala and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, until the water is evaporated and the rice is cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir once and garnish with the fried onions.

The combination of this delicate curry with the Black Eyed Pea Rice and Creamy Avocado Raita was just the perfect lunch for me! I enjoyed my meal thoroughly. The curry is very simple to make and needs very few ingredients. It has beneficial ingredients like turmeric, cumin, and ginger which my grandmother would highly recommend.

The curry was very quick to make. I had the option of making it dry as Hari Nayak suggests in his book, or go ahead and make it in gravy. I have made both version of it and like them equally. My husband prefers the dry curry better.

Adraki Gobi from Chef hari Nayak’s book “My Indian Kitchen.”

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

• 5 tablespoons oil
• 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 large onion (about ½ lb/250 g), minced
• 2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 cup (250 ml) water
• 1 small tomato (about 3 oz/85 g), chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lbs/2 kg), cut into florets (stem discarded or reserved for other use)
• 2 teaspoons Home-Style Garam Masala (page xx)
• One 2-in (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin and fennel. Cook, stirring until the seeds begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Add the onion; cook stirring for about 1 minute until slightly brown. Add the Ginger-Garlic Paste, turmeric, Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper, coriander, ½ cup (125 ml) of the water, the tomato and salt. Sauté for another minute until the fat leaves the masala. This technique is called Bhunao.

2. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ½ cup (125 ml) of water. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the Home-Style Garam Masala, ginger and corianader leaves and cook until the masala is dry, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

Avocado is a nutrition packed fruit and I always keep looking for ways to incorporate it into my everyday menu. This Raita is very creamy and delicious and a great way to eat up the fruit. I don’t remember seeing or eating avocados in India. I distinctly remember eating it in my friend’s place in Mysore, Karnataka. I need to get in touch with her and make sure that it was indeed the avocado that I had eaten as a ninth grader when I was at her place. Though Hari asks for the cumin to be dry roasted, I add a drop of ghee for a more fragrant raita. I loved the combination of ghee and spiced up yogurt.

Avocado and Roasted Cumin Raita from Hari Nayak’s “My Indian Kitchen.”

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

• 2 large ripe avocados (about 1 lb/500 g total)
• 2½ cups (610 g) plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, toasted and ground
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1. Hold one of the avocadoes gently with one hand and with a large, sharp knife in the other hand, cut the avocado lengthwise around the pit. Open the two halves to expose the pit. Scoop out the pit with a spoon. Then scoop out the avocado flesh from the skin and chop it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) dice. Repeat with the other avocado.

2. Place the yogurt in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in the avocado, lime juice, half the ground cumin and black pepper and salt. Add the fresh coriander leaves and mix well.

Serve cold sprinkled with the remaining ground spices and salt.

When I opened Hari Nayak’s Book My Indian Kitchen, I saw the recipe of this very powder that had given me a nightmare a couple of years back. Who could ever forget such a taste? Out of curiosity I decided to make some powder and see if I liked it. Boy was I happy! I was extremely delighted to have discovered this lovely spice mix and keep it ready in my kitchen. I now use it very frequently with a lot of dishes; it’s versatile and tastes divine. If I had only known this a couple of years back!! I made Hari’s Bengali Potatoes and we loved it very much. I have blogged about it here.

Panch means Five. Phoran means Spice. This is a five spice blend. In Bengali cooking, Panch Phoran is tempered in hot oil to flavor it and this tempering is added to dals or vegetables. The panch phoran spices are dry roasted briefly and ground coarsely and then used in making pickles, chutneys, simple vegetable and chicken dishes. Hari Nayak recommends the powdered version for several of his recipes in his book “My Indian Kitchen.”

Panch Phoran recipe from Hari Nayak’s “My Indian Kitchen.”

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Makes about 1 cup (125 g)

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds or celery seeds

If you plan to use this spice mixture in its ground form, dry roast the whole spices over medium heat in a small, nonstick skillet, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 1½ minutes. Remove the spices from the skillet and set aside to cool completely. Finely or coarsely grind the whole spices in an electric coffee grinder and store in an airtight jar. Note: Some recipe call for a coarsely ground blend. Remember to check the recipe you’re planning to make to see if this is the case before grinding the spices.

Methi or Fenugreek tends to get a little bitter. So use ½ tablespoon instead of a full tablespoon. Experiment with a full tablespoon and see how you like it. I made the spice mixture exactly as described above and the taste was wonderful. There was absolutely no bitterness at all.

The image of the chaatambades from Hari’s book just made me crave for them. The San Antonio sun was gleaming down upon us which was a total contrast to Hari’s lovely write up about the monsoon season from his beloved hometown Udupi. I loved the little story he had written above the recipe. The imagery it created in my head was so lovely. Moving on to the recipe, Hari mentions adding either dill or spinach leaves to the chaatambadas. I love these two varieties of greens very much. Fortunately, I had some fresh baby spinach leaves in the fridge. I immediately set about following the recipe. The funny thing about my culinary journey was that I had attempted most types of vadas, but never once had I ever attempt to make my favorite Chaatambadas. This was my first attempt and I was very excited to follow Hari’s recipe. I did make one change and recommend that you do it too. Add a few cloves of garlic, you’ll love it. I’m aware that Udupi Brahmins usually do not add garlic to this vada. My grandmother never did, but my MIL swears that if she would ever willingly eat garlic in any dish, it would be in the Chaatambada only. I love garlic anyways and add it to almost everything that I cook. Hence chaatambada dough was no exception. Hari was surprised that I had never made Chaatambadas before and that this was my first attempt ever! The Chaatambadas turned out to be extremely delicious and crunchy. I made the coconut chutney Hari suggested in the book. I followed his recipe for the chutney but did not add cilantro as my hubby prefers his coconut chutney to be white and not green.

Total Prep time: 90 minutes, which includes soaking of lentils (I soaked the lentils for 2 hours)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

• 2½ cups (425 g) dried chana dal (yellow split peas)
• ½ lb (250 g) fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 red onion (about 1/3 lb/150 g), minced
• 2 fresh green chili peppers, minced
• One 1-in (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 10 fresh or dried curry leaves, minced
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• Oil, for deep-frying

1. Place the chana dal in a large bowl, cover with water, and set aside to soak for at least an hour. Put the soaked dal into a strainer and drain thoroughly. Transfer the dal to a blender and process for 2 to 3 minutes to a coarse paste without adding any water. It is important that some of the dal remains whole to give the fritters a crispy texture.

2. Transfer the coarse dal paste to a mixing bowl and add the chopped spinach, red onion, green chili peppers, ginger, curry leaves, fresh coriander leaves along with salt. Mix thoroughly to make a thick paste.

3. Divide the mixture into golf ball–size portions and gently roll and press each between your palms to form small, round patties. The mixture should yield about 20 patties.

4. Heat 2 inches of oil in a kadhai, small wok or large saucepan over medium heat to 325°F (160°C) on a deep-fry or candy thermometer. To gauge the temperature of the oil without a thermometer, drop a piece of bread about 1-inch (2.5-cm) square into the oil, turning the piece of bread often as the oil heats up. When the oil reaches 325°F (160°C), the bread will begin to brown quickly and turn golden brown all over—like a crouton—in about 40 seconds. Deep-fry the patties in batches for 5 minutes, or until deep golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

My husband was born in Calcutta and he has fond memories of the language and food there. He remembers his neighbors and friends with affection. My MIL makes a variety of Bengali dishes; I’ve tasted several of those but never took the time to experiment in my kitchen. While I was looking through Hari Nayak’s book ‘My Indian Kitchen,’ this particular recipe caught my eye. The title said it all, it was Bengali potatoes. I wanted to make something that reminded my husband of his childhood days in Calcutta or maybe his mother’s Bong (Bengali) cooking. Now I was all excited. That particular day I was insanely busy and I had only 20 minutes to spare. As luck would have it, I had day old boiled potatoes in the fridge! I looked up in the sky, the people that mattered most to me were up there. My dad and grandma seemed to tell me to trust Hari and go ahead with the dish. I called up Hari and his advice was to lessen the methi seeds a little in the Panch Phoran recipe. Not heeding to Chef Hari’s advice I doubled the quantity of methi seeds instead of the suggested half-teaspoon!! I however followed one rule though, to grind the masala powder coarsely. “If you grind it finely,” my chef friend had warned, “the methi seeds will taste bitter and ruin the dish for you, coarse grind dear Radha” he had said. And thankfully, I had coarse ground the masala. The flavor of the ground masala had captivated my senses. I had never smelt anything that divine. It was a new flavor, a completely new taste. Click here for the Panch Phoran recipe.

My husband happened to walk in as I was peeling the cold potatoes. He noticed the smell of the fresh ground Panch Poran. He did not say anything, but made his way into the bathroom for his urgent business. I chopped the bell peppers and that one helpless red tomato that had made its way into my hands of all people in this world. I wanted to call Hari and tell him that this was insanely less amount of bell peppers and tomatoes he wanted me to put in the dish. But I decided to shut my mouth and simply follow the recipe as in the book. But once again my rationality took over and I added more bell pepper and that extra tomato. I tried following the recipe to the tee, but I decided to double the cooking time as whatever Hari had mentioned seemed ridiculous. I ended up over cooking the whole dish. That night I served the dish to my family. They loved it, but my husband did mention that I had over cooked the curry and that he would have appreciated more of the potatoes than all that extra bell pepper and tomatoes I had added so generously!

Lesson learnt! The curry did not last for long, we gobbled it up. My hubby and I had never tasted anything like this and we were very excited to finish up my overcooked dish. We ate it with rice and rotis. It was seriously delicious. Even my overtly picky son ate generous amounts of the Bengali Potatoes. In less than a week, I had to make the same dish again. This time around, I followed the dish exactly as written in the book. The dish was gorgeous; I was done in less than 15 minutes because I had every ingredient ready. The dish represented what I stand for, phat-a-phat food. I was very impressed. My handsome hunk (hubby) was delighted that the dish turned out exactly as he had wished for. Thank You Hari, my dear friend, for this awesome recipe!! I’ve made it a Rayasam family favorite. The only one change we made was to load up this dish with lots of finely chopped green chilies. You can never take the Andhra mirchi out of us as the Kadapa blood thirsts for some serious spice!

I had made this dish for a small get together without the green chilies. The flavorful potatoes did not fail to impress our guests. I am so happy to have a book where I don’t have to think at all. I just have to follow the recipe step by step without arguing and the results are fabulous. There is scope for my own experiments too and I love that. I’m happy that there are pictures for every dish, so now I know how it’s supposed to look like. I’m in love with potatoes all over again!

The following is the excerpt from Hari Nayak’s My Indian Kitchen. Enjoy! Hari asks you to serve the dish with love! That’s cute!

The potato is called the “king of vegetables” in India and in my kitchen it rules. Potato dishes are loved by everyone, and they go with everything. If you love potatoes every which way, you will love this exotically spiced but simple dish. For this recipe I like to use a coarsely ground mixture of the Panch Phoran Spice mixture which gives a texture and a crunch to the dish. If you do not have the time to make this spice blend simply use an equal amount of Garam Masala Day-old boiled potatoes work very well for this dish. Serve this as side dish with Masala Lamb Chops Roast Leg of Lamb or Tandoori Spiced Pork Tenderloin.

Prep time: 15minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves 6

• 3 large potatoes (about 2 lbs/1k g)
  
• 4 tablespoons oil
  
• 1 onion (about 1/3 lb./150 g), cut into ¾-inch (2-cm) dice
  
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch (2-cm) dice (about 1 cup/175 g)
  
• 1 tomato (about 1/3 lb./150 g), diced
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground Panch Phoran Mix
  
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
  

1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool. Peel the potatoes and cut into ¾-inch (2-cm) dice. Set aside

2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they are slightly cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato, salt and the Panch Phoran Mix till they are infused, about a minute. Add the diced potatoes and stir them around for about 1 minute to allow the flavors to blend in. Taste for seasoning adjusting for salt. Cook for another 3 minutes or so to let the potatoes heat through. Add chopped coriander leaves for that beautiful aroma and serve with love.

Curry leaves always remind me of this couple next door who I thought were supremely funny. I was about 10 years old then, and this couple who were our neighbors would pluck out some fresh curry leaves right off their tree and start chewing it first thing in the morning. They reminded me of two cows every time I saw them munching away on those leaves. Of all the delicious things that could be eating early in the morning, this couple chose to eat curry leaves!! I think the lady actually made a paste on her granite mortar, I remember vaguely. My dad used to observe my puzzled look and tell me that if I don’t eat right or end up with diabetes, I’d be doing what that couple were doing. As I was growing up, I realized that Curry leaf paste made with large fresh leaves, about 10 of them early in the morning, on an empty stomach, would actually help control diabetes and also aid significantly in weight loss.

My grandmother made a paste of curry leaves and mint leaves which she gave us when we had an upset stomach. This paste used to taste so terrible, but the relief it gave without any side effects was very good indeed. Grand mother would also dry up curry leaves in the hot sun and with dry lemon zest and soap nuts, she would get the mill guy to make a powder for me to use for my hair. Grand mother also used add dried curry leaves to coconut oil along with Fenugreek seeds and give me an oil massage twice a week. She used to religiously apply it herself to her salt and pepper hair every day. She did have thick hair even in her ripe old age.

Curry leaves are very rich in antioxidants and carotene. My Mother In Law insists that we regularly eat Curry leaves powder for this reason. This powder was my staple as a ‘pathyam food’ (Satvic and healing food) right after delivering my beautiful babies. My Mother In law also highly recommends Neer Moru or spiced butter milk made with plenty of Curry leaves. She even grinds the curry leaves and adds it to the buttermilk to make it nutritious. This particular recipe is very great for digestive problems. It helps the stomach reset itself and eliminates gas problems. I’ve never tried it, but heard that extracting the juice of curry leaves actually relieves heart burn problems. My creative cousin makes a mask with 1/2 tsp curry leaves powder and 1 tbsp Multani Matti (Fuller’s Earth), adds milk cream to it and applies it as a face mask. She substitutes milk cream with neem oil on those days that she has a break out. I’ve tried it before, and in fact must do it again. My face felt cool and good. All is well until this mixture gets in your eye. It’s free break dance henceforth!

A teaspoon each of lime juice, honey, Curry leaf juice in water seems to help relieve nausea symptoms. Chewing curry leaves well , and gargling with water for a couple of minutes before brushing teeth will get rid of really bad breath.

I personally use curry leaves in everyday regular cooking. It’s mostly used as garnish. Curry leaves powder is used regularly as an awesome side along with idli and dosa. A dot of ghee and white rice with papads is a very comforting meal during rainy seasons. Ground curry leaves in spiced butter milk is sitting right now on my kitchen counter as I write this article. It is chill and refreshing, gulp after gulp. Curry leaves are healing and nutritious. Buy some right now and store it in the fridge, or wash them dry them, and toss them in the freezer to last awhile.

Fresh home made desi ghee, there is nothing to beat the aroma or taste of this edible fat! Ayurveda highly recommends the use of ghee in certain dishes to enhance the medicinal qualities of certain herbs and spices. Ghee is believed to be a secret ingredient when it comes to having radiant skin. Consuming a little ghee everyday contributes to healthy skin according to my grandmother who believed deeply in the science of Ayurveda. A mixture of ghee and honey can help heal wounds and can also be great for a facial massage. It leaves the skin feeling rejuvenated. The vitamins in it are very good for the eyes. During exam times my grandmother used to add extra ghee to food for she believed that ghee has properties in it to keep the mind clear. It is commonly known that ghee helps enhance digestion and assimilation of foods in the body. Ghee boosts the immune system as it is rich in certain antioxidants.

Ghee is lactose free and therefore is well tolerated by people who cannot eat butter or cheese. Try your morning toast browned with a dab of ghee in the pan, I’m sure you’ll love it. As ghee is rich in butyric acid which is actually a fatty acid, ghee has anti virulent properties. Ghee lacks hydrogenated oils, which is a plus for health conscious cooks. However; ghee contains a high level of saturated fat and cholesterol, hence it should be used cautiously. Ghee has a high smoke point whereupon its chemical structure does not change. Hence it is good for deep frying. Lesser amount of ghee may be used in the place of oils or butter. The ratio is 1:4, for 1 Tbsp of ghee, 4 Tbsps of oil or butter should be used.

Ghee is alkaline in nature. Butter is slightly acidic in comparison. Ghee is rich in Vitamins A, D, and E. The structure of ghee is so unique that it can easily penetrate cells and cell membranes. Hence herbs and other medicines in Ayurveda are made with pure ghee. Mix a little ghee with vegetables before feeding children, the vitamins in the vegetables will be absorbed more efficiently by the body. Check out my Bisi Bele Bath video where I have used home made ghee to roast some exotic Indian spices to create a very delicious dish.

Ghee is great for health. 2 tsp’s a day is very good for overall health. As it is a fat, it should be used cautiously and in moderation. Ghee has a long shelf life and outlasts butter. It can be stored for up to three months without refrigeration, and up to an year when refrigerated. Ghee is very aromatic and versatile. It can be used in frying, sautéing, and baking. Ghee should be made from Cow butter. Organic butter is very essential to making sure that the ghee is Ayurvedic ghee. Ghee should be made with organic unsalted butter.

My most favorite childhood memory of ghee is that my grandmother applied a dot of it on my belly button before I went to bed. She said that it would nourish my body in the night. I don’t know how true it was, but I loved her little massage and belly tickles she gave me at bed time. I guess I was about 6 years old then. Please beware of ghee available in the market today. Some of them are just not what they claim to be.  Ghee has several valuable health benefits, and when used in the right amounts, will contribute significantly towards a healthy life.

Turmeric, what a lovely spice! It is a gift from God to mankind for it possesses several healing powers. Being a Hindu, we have used Turmeric in the service of God, and little Turmeric domes represent Lord Ganesh, the Elephant God. Turmeric, the very name reminds me of all the wonderful dishes in which it is used. You will find that I use it extensively in most recipes listed on my blog. As a child whenever I visited my uncle’s house in the beautiful town of Madhugiri, in Karnataka state, India, I would be greeted by a very large front yard freshly swept with cow dung and Turmeric mixture. The dung, which is just the digested leftovers of grass and clovers from the nearby field (gifts from our holy cows!) and peppery smell of Turmeric would mingle to form a yellowish green paste left for drying over the muddy expanse in front of the house. Once this was dry, the ladies of the house and the children would make geometric patterns with white rice flour on the yellowish green carpet! It was much fun. The dung has an immensely cooling effect on our bare feet and turmeric has antibacterial benefits that kept our feet hygienic. It was fun piling up flowers on the lovely Geometric patterns which we called Rangoli. A Rangoli is a symbol of Welcome to weary guests.

http://harryrambles.blogspot.com/2010/01/festivals-of-india-makara-sankranthi.html

Turmeric is used extensively in South Indian cooking. India is in fact one of the largest producers of this spice. I have very fond memories of my relatives and friends cooking with this spice all the time. Whenever I hurt myself, my grand mother would apply a pinch on my wound after washing it with diluted tamarind water. She mostly mixed the turmeric with coconut oil before applying it as she said that scars would not form when this formula was used. During fevers or cold seasons, she would add a pinch of turmeric and black pepper powder to hot milk, sweeten it with honey and make me drink it. I used to love it very much. I now use all these remedies for my own family today. As a beauty product, my grandmother mixed turmeric and neem powders in milk cream and made a paste for me to leave on my skin for a while. She used to apply liberal quantities of castor oil in my hair and leave me basking in the early morning sun for a few minutes before washing it all off with Shikakai (Soap nut) powder. Grandmother always believed that this was the secret to beautiful, thick, long black hair and glowing skin. I follow these beauty regimes as much as possible to this day. Grandmother always thought that this would heal painful skin conditions like psoriasis and excessive dry skin.

Turmeric actually is a wet root, very orange in color. We use this root to make chutneys and pickles. The taste is really incredible. We usually use it as a side in many dishes and snacks. This root may be purchased in Indian grocery stores. Boil the roots until tender (for 45 minutes), dry in shade until brittle, and powder it uniformly for use in future. Or simply drive to an Indian grocery store and buy a lot of turmeric for a great price and use extensively. If you are new to turmeric, please read about it and also consult your doctor. There are no known side effects, and if there are, then please let me know.

Turmeric is in news all the time for the various health benefits it has to offer. The wisdom of our ancestors keep getting proved all the time. Turmeric is a beauty product, a healer, a holy herb, and an antibacterial. It has anti inflammatory properties to it. Turmeric, a must have item in my pantry.

Ingredients for Cholle:

• 2 Cups cooked Cholle or use a can
• 1/4 Packet of Shan Cholle Masala
• 2 Large tomatoes, finely chopped or 1 can of diced tomatoes blended
• 1/2 medium red onion sliced lengthwise, very finely
• Kasoori Methi, 1/2 tsp, crushed between hands (Optional)
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• Filtered Water, as required

Method:

Heat a large Dutch Oven with a lid.

Add oil and once hot, add onions and fry till transparent.

Add tomatoes and cook until the oil starts floating on top.

Add the packet of masala and mix well.

Add 1 cup of Filtered water.

Add sugar.

Taste test and adjust accordingly.

Add the Garbanzo beans and mix well.

Bring flame to very low, put lid on and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Garnish with Kasoori Methi and serve immediately. Goes very well Puri or Bhatura, onions, and Mango pickle.

Note: Shan Masala already has a lot of salt. Furthermore; the canned tomatoes and canned Garbanzo Beans have salt in them. This curry does not require any salt at all. If any, add a pinch of sugar to balance out flavors.

Ingredients for Kizangu:

Medium Sized potatoes, 3 (cook in a pressure cooker with heavily salted water, should taste like sea water)

Onion, medium 1 (chopped lengthwise)

Tomato, finely chopped, 3

Fresh Ginger, 1 inch, finely cubed

Green chilies as required (Optional)

Add 4 Tbsp cold water and mix the following into a paste:

Besan Flour (Chick Pea Flour) 2 Tbsp (Sift)

Salt, as required

Cumin Powder, 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder, 1 tbsp

Red Chili powder, 1/2 tsp

Tempering:

3 Tbsp Oil

Black Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp

urad Dal, 1 tsp

Curry leaves, 10

Broken Red Chili, 2 pieces

1/2 inch piece cinnamon bark

Garnish:

Cilantro, finely chopped, 1 tbsp

Lemon juice or lemon wedge on the side (optional)

Method:

Peel and cube the boiled potatoes.

Heat oil in a large Dutch Oven with a fitting lid.

Add Oil and tempering ingredients.

Once spluttering stops, using a slotted spoon, remove the tempering ingredients to a tray and let cool.

To the remaining oil, add the finely sliced onions and fry well till transparent.

Add ginger and stir for a minute.

Add the potatoes and roast till lightly golden.

Remove the roasted potatoes and onions to a tray and let cool.

Add tomatoes to the Dutch oven and cook until soft.

Add the spice paste, 1 cup of filtered water and bring to a boil.

Stir often.

Return the potatoes and onions to the Oven.

Mix well.

check for salt and adjust seasonings as required.

Add one more cup water, or as required for a medium gravy.

Put the lid on, bring the flame to a low, and let simmer for 10 minutes or until the gravy is thick.

Add the tempering ingredients, cilantro, mix well.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately with piping hot pooris and a pickle of your choice.

My love for onions!

A great side to add oomph to any dish, be it a burrito, roti, rice, snacks, creamy biriyani…..the list is endless.

Chop Thai Red chilies making sure that you get rid of the white pith seeds.

Slice half an onion lengthwise, I prefer red onions.

Have your red Thai peppers or green chilies chopped and ready.

In a small bowl, combine, 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, a pinch of Sea Salt, and a pinch of White pepper.

Add sliced onions and peppers to the bowl and mix well.

Let sit 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Will keep in fridge for only a day. Best when eaten fresh, does not taste very good when stored for longer periods.

Make in small quantities and enjoy!

Puri, Version 1,

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Atta, 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oil / ghee

Method:

• Take the flour, add salt and sugar.
• Add 1 tsp oil / ghee.
• Mix well.
• Add 1/2 cup cold water.
• Knead for 10 minutes.
• Wrap tightly in plastic and let sit for an hour.
• Unwrap, take a small ball of atta in hand.
• It should be the size of a quarter.
• Dab a wee little bit of ghee and roll into a 2.5 inch disc.
• Prepare disks and set them on a tray and make sure they are covered securely the whole while.
• Heat 2 cups oil, and drop the discs very carefully into the oil.
• With a slotted spoon, rotate the disk while fully immersed in the oil.
• It should puff up beautifully.
• Gently flip the puri and cook the other side.
• Drain on a paper towel and serve hot with your favorite curry.

Notes:

Buy Whole wheat flour or Chapathi atta available in Indian grocery stores, it will be perfect.

Always sieve the flour to remove clumps and husks.

We add sugar as it carmalizes and adds a beautiful brown color.

While rolling the discs, using ghee will help to make sure that the dough does not stick to the bottom.

Dusting the disc is a good idea, but when frying it in the oil, the flour will get burnt in the oil ruining it.

Adding cold water makes the kneding process very easy.

I love greens a lot. Spinach has always been on top of the list. I love making my desi version of Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice. When I came across this recipe from here, I just flipped! Thank you very much Priya Mitharwal for this lovely recipe! It’s a keeper forever! I’d never have tried this combination if I’d not stumbled upon your site. Two of my favorite greens together? I had to try it out and I’m so glad that I did. My family did have some worries as they did not want to eat anything that green. But hunger did take over and they emptied their plates out and the best part was they asked for seconds!!. I served this with Pakistani Mango pickle, Simple Boondhi Raitha, and Sharmila Here’s Lahsooni Kadhi! Thank you Sharmila Here, for this almost instant Kadhi!! The combination was too good. I highly recommend that you try this out. I did tweak the original recipes quite a bit. The result was just amazing. I am falling in love all over again,…….with greens

Palak Tulsi Chawal (Sweet Basil and Spinach Rice) Ingredients:

Preparing Rice:

• 1 Cup Basmati Rice
• 1 Cup Thai Red Rice
• 3.5 Cups filtered Water
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Oil
• Large Cinnamon Stick, 1
• Bay leaves, 2
• Star Anise, 1, broken
• Cloves, 3

Method:

Combine both the rices in a bowl and wash well.

Add in an Electric Rice Cooker or Pressure Cooker.

Add the rest of the ingredients, give a quick swirl, and cook till done.

Spread the cooked rice on a large tray and put under the fan until room temperature.

Rice is now ready.

If you do not want to use Red Rice, substitute with Barley or more White Rice.

Preparing the Greens ‘Curry’:

• 1.5 Cups Sweet Basil Leaves
• 1/2 cup spinach

Immerse the leaves separately in a large bowl for 10 minutes.

Remove the floating leaves carefully and rinse in colander.

Discard the water from the bowl, add fresh tap water, add rinsed leaves and repeat process until there is no dirt floating anymore.

Combine the leaves, remove all stems and discard.

Tender parts of stems may be saved.

Use a food processor and chop all the leaves, take care not to make a paste.

• 1 medium Red onion, sliced thinly, lengthwise
• Garlic Pods, 5/6, crush in a mortar with a pestle
• Ginger, minced, 1 inch
• 1 Tbsp Oil

Combine these powders in 3 Tbsp water to make a paste:

• Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp
• Dania or Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, as required
• 1 tsp Sugar

Tempering:

• 2 Tbsp Oil/ ghee
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds

Method:

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven, add onions and fry on high heat until transparent.

Add Ginger and garlic and fry until almost brown or golden.

Add the chopped leaves and reduce the flame to medium heat.

Cook until the leaves have fully wilted and oil starts flowing on the top.

Add the powdered spices and salt combined in water (spice paste).

Mix well and put the lid on.

Reduce the heat to low flame and let cook for 5 minutes.

Let sit for 15 minutes, remove lid, taste test for spices and salt to make adjustments.

Mix required amount of ‘curry’ in the rice and toss well.

Once the rice is ready, complete the tempering process, add to the finished rice, and toss well again.

Serve hot by itself or with Raita and Lahsooni Kadhi. Don’t forget some fresh green chilies and Mango pickle on the side.

Simple Boondhi Raita:

• 1 Cup Plain Yogurt
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• Boondhi, 5 Tbsp

Method:

Add Salt and Sugar to Yogurt and whisk very well until fluffy.

Add to a serving bowl and top with boondhi.

Serve immediately.

Lahsooni Kadhi

• 1 Tbsp Besan Powder
• Salt as Rquired
• Yogurt, 2 Cups
• Water, 2 Cups
• Garlic, 4 pods, crushed
• Red Chilie Powder
• Hing, 5 pinches
• Turmeric, 1 tsp
• Oil 2 Tbsp

Method:

Heat Oil in a non stick pan. The flame should be very low.

Add Hing.

Meanwhile; to the Yogurt, add Besan, Turmeric, Salt (be careful about adding too much as Kadhi will thicken), and Red chili powder, beat well and make sure all the spices are mixed in right.

Add water to the yogurt and mix well.

Add this mixture to the pan and add the crushed garlic pods.

Let sit for about 20 minutes, stir once in a while.

Once the kadhi thickens, turn off and serve immediately.

Goes well with White Rice.

Ingredients:

• Daikon Radish, 1 medium sized cut into circles
• Cooked Toor Dal, 1 cup
• Tomato, finely chopped, 2
• Sambhar Masala, 1 Tbsp
• Turmeric, 1 tsp
• Salt, as required
• Tamarind pulp, 3 Tbsp
• Chopped cilantro for garnish, 3 Tbsp
• Sugar, 1/2 tsp
• Tempering:
• Oil or Ghee, 2 Tbsp
• Black Mustard Seeds, 2 tsp
• Urad Dal, 2 tsp
• Hing, 6 squirts
• Curry leaves, 15

Method:

In a small bowl, add Daikon radish, a dash of salt, 1/2 tsp Turmeric and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Alternately, add this to toor dal in the pressure cooker.

Set large dutch oven with a fitting lid on the stove and set the heat on high.

Add oil and the tempering ingredients.

Once the spluttering of the mustard seeds stops, add curry leaves and swirl for 10 seconds.

Add the cooked daikon circles and stir for 2 minutes.

Add the sambhar powder, turmeric, salt, sugar, tamarind pulp and mix well.

Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.

Add cooked toor dal and boil.

Turn off flame, put the lid on and let sit for 15 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice and ghee.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Basmati Rice, 6 cups
• Firm Tofu, drained, cut into bite sized pieces and fried, 1 regular container
• Fresh sweet Basil Leaves, 2 cups loosely packed
• Red Onion, 1/2 of a large one, chopped thinly lengthwise
• Assorted Vegetables, 3 cups
• Eggs, 2 scrambled, Optional
• Dark Soy Sauce, 3 Tbsp
• Vegetarian ‘fish’ sauce, 2 Tbsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Garlic, 6 pods crushed
• Madras Curry Powder (purchased in an Oriental Store), 2 Tbsp
• Shitake mushroom, 1/2 cup
• Sesame or Peanut Oil, 3 tbsp
• Cinnamon Stick, 1
• Fennel Seeds, 1 tsp

Method:

Heat Oil in a large wok. Set heat to high.

Add Fennel seeds and cinnamon stick and swirl for 30 seconds.

Add Onions and fry until translucent.

Add Garlic and mix well until the color of onions and garlic changes to golden brown.

Remove and set aside while still retaining oil in the wok.

Add vegetables and cook quickly until almost done, must maintain crispness.

Add rice and fry for 2 minutes, add a little extra oil for crunchier rice.

Add Madras Curry powder, soy sauce, sugar, mock ‘fish’ sauce, mushrooms, and sugar.

Return the fried onions and garlic to the pan and cook on high heat for 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low.

Taste test fried rice and add salt, chilli flakes, or soy sauce according to your liking.

If using eggs, add now and mix well.

Add fried Tofu, loose basil leaves, mix well, put the lid on and let sit for two minutes.

Turn off flame, garnish with white sesame seeds and fresh basil leaves and serve immediately!

I combined all the healthful and nutritious ingredients to create this extremely tasty meal that appears on my dinner table at least once a week. My husband is mildly allergic to gluten food like wheat. Therefore you’ll find me creating all types of gluten free meals as possible. This is one such meal he absolutely enjoys. The flavors of pineapple chutney enveloping the grilled (in microwave) Tofu sitting on a bed of black sesame encrusted soba noodles is one of the most tasty and nutritious meals ever.

Pineapple chutney Ingredients:

2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed

Red chilli flakes, 2 tsp

Salt, 3 pinches

Red onion, 1/4 from a large onion

or 2 medium sized shallots

Honey, 1 Tbsp

Method:

Combine all ingredients in food processor.

Taste test and adjust accordingly.

Preparing Tofu:

Slice one large steak of Tofu to the size and shape that you like.

Let the tofu sit in a colander in the sink. The excess water in which the tofu was packed will get drained.

This process takes about 20 minutes. You can also place a flat plate on it to hasten the process.

Make sure that the plate is not too heavy to crush the delicate tofu.

Quote the entire steak in 1 Tbsp Soya sauce + 1 Tbsp refined oil.

Microwave it at 15 second intervals, flipping the tofu now and then to ensure even cooking on both sides.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes until the tofu is brown around the edges.

Tofu steak is now ready.

Preparing Soba Noodles:

Soba noodles usually is pre measured.

I used 2 pre measured Soba noodle bunches.

Take a Microwave safe container, a large one.

Add 2 Bay leaves, 2 Cloves, 1 Tbsp Dark Soya Sauce, 1 Tbsp mock ‘fish’ sauce, 1 Tbsp peanut oil and 1 tsp sugar.

Add 2 cups water and 2 cups vegetable broth.

Microwave it on high for 2 minutes. Wait for one minute and repeat the process again until the mixture is boiling hot.

Carefully remove from the microwave and add soba noodles to it.

Put a heavy lid on the container and let sit in a corner for 10 minutes.

Drain the noodles while preserving the broth it just cooked in, it’s nutritious and can be used to make an excellent soup.

Rinse Soba noodles under cool water and drain in a colander.

Toss cooked noodles with a handful of fresh sweet basil leaves (Chopped finely) and 1 Tbsp of toasted black sesame seeds.

Plating the dish:

Spread a thin layer of Red Bell Pepper Chutney making a small red circle in the middle of the plate, 2 inches radius. (optional).

Wrap soba noodles around the fork and place neatly at the center of the plate. Repeat the process about 4 times.

Place Tofu steak on top of the noodles.

Spoon generous amounts of Pineapple chutney.

Garnish with red bell pepper and scallions chopped finely.

Grab your favorite drink and enjoy a guilt free, vegan, and highly nutritious meal 

A little Info:

One half-cup serving of firm tofu contains about 227 mg of calcium or about 22% of the RDA.

Soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat is a good source of calcium.

100 gm of Raw pineapple has 13 mg of calcium easily absorbed by the body.

Black Sesame Seeds are a good source of calcium.

Sending this to MEC-Calcium rich food event by Srivalli and Lakshmi.

Ingredients for The Cool Collard Wrap:

• Red bell Pepper Chutney, as required according to your taste
• Cashew / Almond Nut butter, 1 Tbsp
• Collard Green Leaves, large, 4
• Hass Avocado, 1, scooped and chopped up
• Mozzarella Cheese, 3 large balls, shredded by hand
• Tomato, 2 large, seeded and chopped lengthwise
• Water Cress leaves, handful, washed and chopped finely
• Honey, 1 Tbsp
• Lemon Juice, 1 Tbsp
• Freshly cracked Pepper, as required (optional)
• Sea Salt, as required (optional)
• Red Onion, chopped lengthwise, 1/4 (optional)

Method:

Stuffing:

In a large bowl, combine avocado pieces, chopped tomatoes, mozzarella cheese shreds, chopped water cress leaves, and red onions.

Add honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Mix well to coat evenly.

Preparing the Wrap:

Wash Collard Greens well.

Cut the stalk off, turn the leaf over and with a sharp knife even out the thick stem in the back of the leaf.

Take filtered water in a large tray. Submerge the leaf in the tray and microwave for 4 minutes on 100% power.

Microwaves vary, so please adjust accordingly.

The leaf should look bright green upon cooking. Carefully drain the water and soak for a minute in ice cold water.

Drain ice water, and gently pat the leaf dry taking care not to tear the cooked Collard.

Skip the Microwaving to keep the dish raw.

Remember that Collard Greens are very chewy and cooking in the Microwave softens it up and makes it easy to eat.

Raw Food enthusiasts can heat the food in an oven for upto 110 degrees until the leaf softens.

Carefully spread 1/4^th  Tbsp of Almond Butter lengthwise along the leaf.

Now spoon desired amount of chutney next to the Almond Butter.

Heap the Stuffing covering the almond butter an Chutney.

Fold the leaves from the corners toward the center.

Start at the tip of the leaf and carefully roll until the wrap is formed.

This can be put in the fridge to cool it up even more.

Serve with more chutney and enjoy!

Red bell Pepper Chutney:

• Red Bell pepper, large, 1/2
• Walnuts, 6
• Flax seed powder, 2 Tbsp
• Honey, 2 Tbsp
• Red Chilli Flakes, according to taste
• Salt, as required
• Mayonnaise, 5 Tbsp
• Lemon Juice, 1 Tbsp

Chop the red bell pepper and microwave it for 3 minutes on 100% power.

Once cooled, put the peppers in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients and grind until chutney is formed.

Taste test and adjust accordingly.

These cool wraps make a very filling lunch / dinner / snack.

A great way to bring in summer, Enjoy!

Sending this to MEC-Calcium rich food event by Srivalli and Lakshmi.

Basic are carrots french beans red bell pepper. Garlic and thai pepper paste from my 40 year old pestle. I am using limau perut leaves to give it that unique Malaysian taste. I use tamari sauce which contains no wheat and I believe it is the real thing. Kikoman and the other so-called “soy sauce” are wheat and caramel color with soy as an after thought. Also sauce from Thailand and Indonesia for character and subtle flavors. Soybean kernels are added for protein. Just a teaspoon of salt to the dish. For garnish chopped thai peppers in key lime and soy with a slice of cucumber.

Will put a a picture after I have done cookin’

Waiting for my female ji before cooking so we can have a hot dinner.

About Limau Purut:

Limau purut, the Malay name for Kaffir Lime, or its scientific name Citrus hystrix of the Rutaceae family, is well known for its medicinal properties, not only by the Malays in the old days but also by modern scientific researchers.

Preparation Vegetables

Readying the sauce. Garlic and thai peppers.

The sauces

Frying Tofu

Limau Purut

Marinating peppers. Soybean kernel on the right will be cooked.

The process

Getting there

You have reached your destination

Limau Perut leaves

Aaahhhhh! the thought of Lassi itself takes me way back in the past to my childhood days. The doodhwala (milkman) would bring an almost yellow color milk, yep, you read it right: yellow; it was buffallo milk with full fat. My Grandmother would boil the milk and remove the Malai (butter) and save it up in a little jar which she kept in a cool place. She would then blend equal amounts of buffallo milk (after it cooled completely), full fat, with home made sweet yogurt (Which ferments to yogurt in just 4 hours and no more and tastes sweet without any sugar added). She would put in a little sugar, a pinch of salt and blend the mixture into the world’s best lassi. Finally; she would top it with the malai she had saved earlier and one sip of this lassi was a round about ticket to heaven and back.

Today I find myself standing in front of my Vitamix using 3/4 th parts organic yogurt (home made or store bought, whichever is on hand) and the rest 1/4 parts with Whole milk. I add about 2 cups of ice to the blender and blend the whole mixture with pure cane sugar. Satisfying; not an exact recreation of my grandmother’s painstaking and meticulous creation but still fine on hot summer days. Vitamix frothes it up like crazy and once you get the hang of it, you’ve a tall chilled glass of buttery lassi.

As a new bride a few years back, I met an equally enthusiastic newly married woman who was wildly experimenting away in the kitchen. The two of us had tried Mint Lassi which was blech to me and Yum to her. She also created Elaichi Lassi which was Okay. The best of them was probably Rose Lassi and Pista Lassi. They were surprisingly tasty! We blended actual rose petals, sugar, and milk in the blender, strained the mixture and add it to the basic sweet lassi and blended again. It was really nice. When we tried the same with Rose Water, it was plain OK. For the Pista Lassi, we roasted the pistachio nuts (unsalted), powdered it, mixed some elaichi powder to it and topped our lassis with the mixture. It was really a unique tasting but totally worth it experiment. One of the more memorable lassis that passed the ‘dude test’ where the husbands drank the lassi without much fuss or suspicious glances toward the drink and then back at us alternately for 10 minutes straight was probably Date Lassi where we replaced seedless dates instead of sugar! My friend suggested a Jello Lassi! Thank goodness we did not try that! I’m sure she must have, but never bothered to tell me about her ‘dude test’ result or her own experience.

And that concludes all versions of Sweet Lassi experimented by me in my kitchen; I know as I can see you going ‘tch, tch, poor guy Radha’s husband: the guinea pig.’ Share your stories, recipes with pictures and we can create a Guest Blog for you. Do you have any more sweet Lassi recipes to share? Do so, I’m curious to see what I missed out. Lots of love, Radha!

The way to know if your pineapple is ready is by pulling one of the top leaves. If it comes out without too much fuss then the fruit is ripe and ready. I use the pineapple in this stage for making pineapple fried rice. I love to use the hollow pineapple shell as a lovely dish to present the exotic fried rice. But for a slush, I usually wait till the leaves come off without any effort at all. The smell of the fruit must be overwhelming.

I have made pineapple slush with canned pineapples before. However; after the Vitamix arrived, I’ve absolutely stopped buying canned fruit. When I skin the fruit, the juice already starts flowing. I cut it up into bits, fill the Vitamix with enough ice and dunk the cubed fruit in it. I blend until it’s all slushed up. That’s it! All done! Slush is ready. What?! Now you are rolling your eyes?! D-UH gal, done!

Now if you’re a little naughty, you can add some gin or Vodka to it.

If you’re a little preachy and feeling green, then add some Kala Namak (black salt) and a green chili.

If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, just add oodles of sugar. Try brown sugar or molasses too for a little twist.

Then again when you are in no mood for all of the above, then add a little lemon juice and mint! You’re all set!

This often times also ends up as a fabulous dessert for me with all that sugar.

Wishing you a happy summer! Stay cooolll!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of Okra, wash well and pat dry each one thoroughly in towel

1 large red onion sliced lengthwise or chopped finely based on your preference. Mine are lengthwise.

Oil, ghee, or butter: enough for deep frying

Garnish:

Cumin seeds: 1 Tbsp

Curry leaves, 15

Red Chilli, as required, I used 3

Red Chili Powder, 1 tsp

Turmeric powder, 1tsp

Salt, as required

Kandhi Podi, even Priya variety from store will do, 2 Tbsp

Method:

Chop Okra in circles, it must all be as even in size as possible so it will fry uniformly.

Chop Onions and keep both the veggies ready.

Heat oil on medium flame, and after a couple of minutes raise it to almost high flame.

Adjust heat a little so you know that the okra will not get charred into black coal

Deep fry okra in batches until done.

Let sit in a tray, do not cover for the steam it releases will cook it and make it soggy.

Now fry the onion in batches until done.

You can put it in the same tray in which you put the fried okra.

Preparing the masala:

Take a small plate.

Add cumin and Red Chilis to it.

Take a Tbsp of the very hot oil that you just fried the veggies in and add it to the plate.

You should hear the cumin splutter and change color. The red chili should get scalded.

If needed Just put the red chili in a slotted spoon and dip it briefly in the hot oil.

Immediately add Curry Leaves and swirl. Add a little hot oil if needed.

Now add Kandhi Podi, Salt, Red Chili Powder, and Turmeric to the plate and mix well.

Wait a minute until it all cools.

Take the mixture in the plate and sprinkle it over the fried veggies.

I usually use my hands to make sure that the salt and spices have been evenly distributed.

If you’re worried about the heat scalding you, which is highly possible, use salad tongs.

Put it in a pretty bowl and serve immediately with rice.

Tip: When the oil is hot and ready, the food that is fried in it absorbs less oil.

Use a splatter screen to avoid flying food pieces from the hot oil.

A tall cool glass of pure watermelon juice with no frills, except some ice and maybe some melon balls to munch on now and then should freshen up a tired girl.

Recipe? Take a really ripe watermelon and cut it open. Scoop the insides into a strainer and using a big ladle crush the fruit. Make sure you’ve a large vessel under the strainer to collect the juice . Add some ice and serve. With a spoon or melon baller scoop some of the fruit and keep aside before dunking the rest of the fruit in the strainer. Add the balls as shown in the picture for some texture in the juice. Add ice and you’re ready for a cool sip. One can also add some lemon juice for a tangy taste. Mint leaves add more freshness. For me? I just love it as is without any of the ‘extras’ except maybe for some ice. Enjoy your summer!

Ingredients:

• Iceberg or Romaine lettuce, shredded, 2 cups
• Baby carrots peeled or cut, 10
• 1/2 cucumber, skinned and quartered, discard the seeds if you don’t like it,
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped lengthwise
• Green chillies, halved and deseeded (optional), as required
• 1 Tomato, halved, deseeded, and cut lengthwise

Method:

Put all ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing and toss.

Serve immediately, can be stored in a tight container for a day.

Oil free Dressing:

• 3 Tbsp Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp Lemon juice
• Salt, 3 pinches (optional)
• Pepper, 1 tsp

Mix well.

Alu Gobi

Salad :lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and spicy red onions in a peppery citrus dressing. For this salad and dressing recipe.

Jicama sliced and soaked for two hours in freshly squeezed lemon juice and red chili powder. Add salt if you wish.

Multi Grain Roti, click here.

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Ingredients for Alu Gobi:

• Potatoes, 2 large Idaho, cut into bite sized pieces
• Cauliflower, 1 medium
• Tomato, 2, finely chopped
• One large Onion, chopped fine or length wise
• Plain Yogurt, 3 Tbsp (beat with a fork)
• Ginger Garlic paste, 1 tbsp
• Green Chilies, Optional
• Dania-Jeera powder, 1 Tbsp
• Garam Masala (optional, 1/2 tbsp)
• Turmeric Powder, 2 tsp
• Salt, as required
• Oil or Ghee, I used 4 Tbsp, but you can use as little as 1/2 tsp
• Shahi Zeera or regular cumin seeds, 1 tsp
• Bay Leaf, 2 small
• Cilantro and crushed red chilli flakes to garnish.

Method:

Make sure you have all your ingredients ready.

All your veggies should be chopped and ready to go.

Lightly grease a baking pan, add the florets first and broil it in the oven for a few minutes until brown. Carefully turn the florets and let brown the other side. Transfer to a large tray and let cool.

Repeat the above procedure with potatoes until browned on all sides. Take care not to burn, a golden brown color would be ideal.

I set my oven on 350 degrees and it takes about 6–7 minutes to brown on one side, and about 3–4 minutes on the other side. My oven was preheated prior to broiling.

Heat a large thick bottomed vessel. Medium heat

Add oil and cumin seeds. Stir for a few seconds.

Add Bay leaves and give a quick swirl. Set your stove on high heat.

Add onions and fry until transparent.

Add ginger and garlic and green chilli (if using), fry until onions begin to brown.

Add chopped tomatoes, mix well and put the lid on.

Low the flame and let the ‘stuff’ cook up. Give a swirl now and then.

After about 10 minutes, open the lid, add salt and spices. Stir well.

Add florets and potatoes and make sure you coat them well with the gravy.

Add two cups of water. If you prefer more gravy, then add one more cup of water. If you wish you can put the lid on and simmer away until done.

If you’re impatient like me, then move the contents into an electric pressure cooker or regular cooker and finish off the cooking process.

In electric pressure cooker, I set it for one minute on low flame.

In regular pressure cooker, cook without whistle for 10 minutes on high heat. I’m assuming you know how to use the regular pressure cooker here and therefore not giving the details.

Once you can open the lid of the cooker, retrieve about 1 cup of gravy, mix the beaten yogurt well into it, pour it back in the cooker and stir the contents well but super carefully. Add cilantro and chilli flakes, give a gentle stir and put the lid on. Let sit in the heat for 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Be very careful not to break the florets. Check for salt and spices, make adjustments if necessary and serve immediately with Jeera Chawal, roti, and a simple salad. I love to bite into mango pickle during my meal. Polish off with Lassi.

Tip: I always add a pinch of sugar or honey along with spices. I feel that somehow it all gets into a perfect balance.

Indo-Chinese Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• Preparing the Rice:
• White Basmathi Rice, 1/2 cup
• Brown Basmathi Rice, 1 Cup
• Wild Rice (which is actually grass), 1/2 cup
• Filtered Water, 3.5 Cups
• 1 tsp Oil
• Pinch salt
• Lemon Juice, 1 tsp

Method:

Mix all the rices together.

Wash and drain.

Add filtered water, salt, and lemon juice.

Cook it in a rice cooker or pressure cooker.

Spread cooked rice on a wide tray and let sit under a fan until it reaches room temperature.

Alternately, use left over rice that was kept overnight in the fridge.

Preparing the Fried Rice: Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Butter + 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
• Fennel Seed or Saunf, 1 tsp
• Bay Leaves, 2 small
• Cinnamon stick, 1 large
• Red Onion, chopped lengthwise
• Ginger Garlic paste, 1 Tbsp
• Baby carrots, about 20 chopped
• Peas, 1 cup
• Broccoli, about 10 or 15 small florets
• Baby corn, few
• Dark Soy Sauce, 3 Tbsp
• Vegetarian mock ‘Oyster’ Sauce, 1 tbs (optional)
• Rice vinegar, 1 tbsp (optional)
• Chili Sauce, as required
• Sugar, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, if required or substitute with soy sauce.
• 1 tsp each, garam masala and turmeric powder
• Fried Tofu, as required
• Egg (optional), 2 scrambled ahead of time
• For Garnish: Toasted white sesame seeds, cilantro and Spring onion, finely chopped, 2 Tbsp.

Method:

Heat Oil in a wok or large pan.

Add butter and oils.

Add Bay leaves, cinnamon stick and Fennel Seeds.

Add onion and fry till transparent.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.

Add the remainder vegetables and cook on high until crunchy and cooked.

Add Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, and Vinegar and coat all the vegetables.

Add Sugar, mix well. Check for salt.

Be careful while adding chilli sauce, add as much as you require for your taste buds.

Add Turmeric and Garam Masala powders and mix well.

Add Tofu and egg (if using) and coat well with the sauces.

Turn off stove, and let cool.

Mix with cooked rice and garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and finely chopped cilantro.

Serve immediately.

Tip: Mix turmeric and garam masala in a small bowl and make paste with 1 tbsp water. This way the masala will not burn.

To play with the flavors a little bit, add Dark Soy sauce and mock oyster sauce before adding the onions. Let it almost evaporate leaving a caramelized glaze behind. Tastes awesome this way too.

Add white pepper and mix wel before serving, the taste will slighly different. Will make your dish spicy.

Upma has always been that quick dish that was reserved for emergency moments when we needed something to eat really fast. It was also made for elaborate breakfasts by my ammamma. She would get up early in the morning, pick fresh vegetables from her kitchen garden that she so loved, and take her own sweet time to make this as flavorful as possible. It would be impossible for me to sleep as the fragrance emanated from the kitchen. Hunger pangs used to hit me and  I’d stumble to the bathroom with half opened eyes to brush my teeth and make it to the kitchen. I’d sit on the brightly painted wooden plank called palaka while my grand mother used to serve me this piping hot kharabath with oodles of vegetables and sides. The Quick Sambar or pachi pulusu, coconut chutney, and ginger chutney alongwith homemade mango pickles on the side would be awesome. Ammamma would generally serve mung sprout salad and badam milk. Sometimes there would be left over idlis fried in ghee, especially for me. After this pleasant feast, I’d be fully awake and then run off for my math tuition. I’d be back in an hour, shower, pray with ammamma and search in the kitchen for a little snack. She always hid a little snack like soan papdi for me in a small container. But I had to do a little searching to find it though. I’m delighted to share this fabulous recipe with you.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Coarse Fried Upma Rawa

3 Cups packed Frozen or fresh vegetables (potato, beans, carrots, spinach, clelery, peas, sweet potato, rhubab, etc : you have to decide what veggies you like to add in this dish by some experimentation, some veggies may simply ruin the flavor of the dish)

Toor Dal Powder or Curry Leaves Powder, 3 heaped Tbsp

Tomato, 2 small, coarsely chopped

Green Chilies, according to taste

Ginger, 1 inch piece, cubed

Dry Fry 10 black peppercorns and 1 tsp Cumin seeds, wrap in aluminium foil, and beat to a coarse powder with a stone or hammer.

Salt, as required

Turmeric, 2 tsp

Curry leaves, 15

Filtered water or home made vegetable broth, 5 cups + 1 cup

Tempering:

1 Tbsp Black Mustard Seeds

1 Tbsp Urad Dal

1 Tbsp Channa Dal

Sesame Oil / Ghee, 2 Tbsp

Method:

Even if the packet says that the Upma Rawa is already fried, I recommend that you refry it (dry) on low flame until it lightly changes color and immediately remove it to a cool plate. Set aside.

In a thick bottomed pan with a fitting lid, add oil or ghee and heat it on medium flame.

Add Tempering ingredients and wait for the mustard seeds to stop spluttering.

Add curry leaves, ginger, and finely chopped green chilies and fry. Make sure you have the lid ready to protect you from flying or spluttering food.

Add Vegetables and fry until half cooked. Keep stirring.

Add tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.

Add salt., turmeric, curry leaves powder/ toor dal powder, cumin pepper powder and mix well.

Add the broth or water, 5 cups and bring to boil.

Add fried rawa and keep stirring until all water is absorbed.

Switch off heat, add one cup water and close the lid. Let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Check for salt, garnish with cilantro leaves (optional). You can also garnish with cashews roasted in ghee. a Serve immediately.

Ingredients:

Frozen Vegetables, assorted (Carrots, peas, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, etc.) 4 heaped cups

Long Grain Brown Rice, 3 Cups

Seitan, 1 pack chopped coarsely (optional)

Onion, one chopped lengthwise

Cashew Paste (Soak 10 raw/roasted cashews in hot water for 10 minutes and grind to a coarse paste)

Tomato, 2 large chopped coarsely, or one can diced tomatoes

Juice of one lime

Oil, 1 tbsp

Whole Garam Masala (Fennel Seeds, 1/2 tsp, Elaichi Pods 4, Bay Leaf 2, Cinnamon Stick 1 big, Cloves 3, Star Anise 1/2, etc- your choice, use very little)

Store bought Biriyani Masala, 1.5 Tbsp

Turmeric, 1/2 tbsp

Ginger Garlic Green Chile paste, 1.5 Tbsp

or

Ginger Garlic powder, 1/2 tbsp each and Red chili flakes as required

Salt, as required

Sugar, a pinch

Filtered water or broth, 4.5 cups (experiment with different broths, I personally like Mushrrom broth or the home made vegetable broth)

Fresh mint, 2 tbsp chopped coarsely or mint powder, 1/2 tsp

Cilantro, chopped, 2 tbsp

Kasoori Methi, 1 Tbsp

For Garnishing:

Fried Onion Optional

Nuts Toasted in Ghee

Bread, torn and fried in ghee

Boiled eggs

Method:

Heat a large pan on low flame and add oil.

Add whole Garam Masala and fry gently until the fragrant aroma is released.

To this, add onions and fry until transparent. Now add ginger, garlic, green chili, paste or powders and fry a little.

Add frozen veggies and fry for 2 minutes on medium flame.

Add tomatoes and fry until the oil starts floating on top.

Add Turmeric powder, Salt, Sugar, Biriyani Masala, cashew paste and mix well and let cook for a minute.

Put the lid on and turn off flame.

To the pressure cooker, add washed long grain rice.

Add 4.5 cups of water or broth, your choice.

Squeeze the juice on one lime and mix well.

Add the cooked mixture and mix very well.

Put on the lid and cook on low for 2 minutes.

In a regular pressure cooker, cook medium flame for two whistles and immediatly remove from flame.

Wait till the pressure is released naturally before opening.

To the cooked biriyani, add mint, cilantro, and kasoori methi, mix well and put on the lid.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Transfer to a pretty serving bowl and garnish with your favorite toppings.

Serve immediately with a Biriyani Gravy or Mirchi Ka Salan, a simple salad, ulli surka, chips or papads, and a simple raita.

This Biriyani will keep well in the frdige (tightly covered) for upto 5 days. Sprinkle with a little water and microwave until piping hot. The gravy will keep that long in the fridge too, but not the rest of the items. You’ll have to make them fresh while you’re reheating the biriyani and gravy.

Eliminating Seitan will make this dish Gluten free. I add seitan only for a new texture to the regular biriyani. I’m not too sure how seitan is made and if it is even good for health. I just add it occassionally for that surprise element and chewy factor.

Ingredients:

1 Can diced or whole tomatoes

2 cups Frozen Peas

1/4 of medium sized onion

Whole Garam Masala: 1/2 Star Anise, 3 cloves, 1 Bay leaf, 1 tsp Cumin, 2 Elaichi Pods, 1/2 inch stick Cinnamon

Ginger/garlic paste, 2 tsp

or

Ginger powder, Garlic powder: 1/2 tsp each

Assorted nuts (if using salted version, then adjust the salt in your curry accordingly), 1/2 cup, coarsely chopped

Salt, as required

Sugar, 1 tsp

Green chilies or Red chili flakes, as required

Store bought Paneer, 1 pack (Microwave immersed in water for one minute or until soft and spongy)

Cumin/Coriander (Dania-Jeera) Powder or Garam Masala, 1 Tbsp

Turmeric, 1/2 Tbsp

Cilantro, 2 tbsp

Kasoori Methi, 1/2 tsp

Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

In a food processor, make a coarse paste of onion and tomatoes. Set aside.

Heat a pan on low flame, add oil and whole Garam Masala spices.

Once color of spices change and aroma starts emanating, add the ground paste and fry for two minutes on medium heat.

Add Ginger / Garlic paste or powders and fry for a minute.

Add Frozen peas and cook until the oil starts floating on top.

Add Turmeric, Masala powders, Salt, and Sugar. Mix well and low the flame.

Put the lid on and let cook for two minutes.

Remove the lid, give a good mix.

Now add the nut mixture and stir well.

Add the panner alongwith the water it cooked in and mix well.

Finally add Kasoori Methi and Cilantro and mix well.

Put the lid on and let cook on low for 5 mintues.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately with Hot rotis or Jeera Rice.

Red Pumpkin

Mong Dal

A few minutes in the kitchen, and this dish is done. The taste is amazing. I make this dal along with rasam for all those unexpected guests or anytime after a hectic shopping schedule. There are days where we have been out the whole day and eaten lunch outside. When it comes to dinner my family usually starts protesting as they want to eat home made food. My husband is very sensitive to processed foods or even freshly made food from restaurants. I’m not sure if it’s the oil or spices. He’s very sensitive to MSG.

Moong Dal

Cut pumpkin

I make the plain dal without any pumpkin, but if it’s there, then this dal is my husband’s most favorite. I love the sweetness of the pumpkin, and Ji (my husband) loves to bite into green chilies. The sweetness and the hotness contrast is very amazing. This dal goes great with any rice, preferably white rice and papads or chips. The dal is phenomenal with roti or store bought tortillas. When I make it a bit thinner, it’s a very filling soup all by itself. When I’m making it into a soup, I make sure I add a little quick cooking barley to make a truly wholesome and complete meal. The Soup by itself is a wonderful hot lunch to pack for oneself. Toss in some bread, a tall glass of fresh Fruit juice, and a salad and you have yourself a small feast!

Ingredients:

• Red Pumpkin, 2 packed cups
• Moong Dal, 1 cup
• Green Chile, as required
• Salt, as required
• Sugar, 1 tsp (optional)
• Curry Leaves, optional, 15
• Cilantro, optional, 3 Tbsp finely chopped
• Jeera Powder (Optinal), 1 tsp

Tempering:

• Grapeseed Oil or Ghee: 1 Tbsp
• 1 Tbsp Black Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tsp, Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Urad Dal
• Red Chili, 2

Method:

Pressure cook Pumpkin and Moong Dal on High for 3 Whistles.

Do not force open pressure cooker, the pressure should release naturally.

Heat a thick bottomed pan.

Add Oil and complete tempering process.

Once spluttering stops, add Curry leaves and Green Chilies.

Add Boiled dal-pumpkin mixture.

Add salt, sugar, and cilantro.

Mix well and add Jeera powder or cumin powder. Stir again.

Turn off the flame and put the lid on.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Can be kept in fridge, but tastes best when consumed immediately.

Adding a few cloves of fresh garlic to the tempering adds a subtle fragrance to it.

Dum Hyderabadi Biriyani must always be accompanied by atleast one of the three gravies: Mirchi Ka Salan, Baingan Ka Salan, or Cut Tomato. I love all three, but my heart is with Mirchi Ka Salan. We make this gravy using spicy long green chilies or with capsicum. Living here in the US, I’m really happy to find Jalapenos and Poblano peppers. I also like to use Anaheim peppers. Recently, my family has been enjoying stuffed Mirchis in their Salan. I have stuffed a few poblano peppers with masala aloo and added to the gravy. The taste is phenomenal. Be it in my home with my grandmother, or with my Mother In Law, they do not eat such spicy dishes and have never made them at home. They stick to more simpler food. I used to eat this in either friends’ homes or in a restaurant when we went out for family dinners. At that time, my grandma or my MIL would taste a little bit of this and enjoy it.

My husband and I decided to try making these types of dishes occassionally as we enjoy it very much. This curry keeps well in the fridge for wo days. It goes great with Biriyani, Zeera Chawal, parathas, and more recently we are enjoying it with Tawa Biriyani! The dish is extremely aromatic and as I remove the skin of the peppers, the heat scale is pretty low. Keep in mind that if you feel that the chilli is too spicy, drink lassi, plain buttermilk, or plain milk. Drinking water will aggravate the pain in your mouth. The spice in the chilies is in the skin, the white pith inside, and the seeds.

You can remove the skin of the peppers either by frying the peppers in oil or you can broil it in the oven on a very high temperature for 10 minutes, cool it, and then peel the skin off. Cool the peppers in a paper bag or a plastic bag. The steaming effect will make the skin to easily slide off the peppers. Make a slit on one side of the pepper and remove the pith and seeds from inside. I’ve tried to list the ingredients in the order in which it is used in the dish. You have to spend some time readying the ingredients. Do not proceed to make this dish without having all the ingredients ready. Prepare the peppers first and store them in a container. It will be used at the end of the cooking process. If you choose to keep the skin, remember that the skin will peel in the gravy and float like little clear plastic sheets. It’s edible but annoying.

If you want to put a paneer stuffing or aloo stuffing, do it and keep your peppers ready to go into the gravy. Skinning and prepping the peppers is very time consuming. Be ready to devote a long time in the kitchen if this is your first time. Let’s get to the recipe:

Ingredients:

Poblano Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Anaheim Peppers, or Bell Peppers, as required

(I’ve used two Stuffed Poblanos and 4 Jalapenos)

Gravy:

Large Red onion, chopped coarsely and blended into a fine paste

or

Fried store bought onion, 1 cup when packed tightly(make a coarse powder by running it in the food processor)

Oil, 3 Tbsp

Tempering:

Black Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp

Cumin, 1 tsp

Onion Seeds or Kalonji, 1 tsp

Cloves, 3

Star Anise, 1/4 piece

Cinnamon bark, 1/4 inch piece

Curry Leaves, 15

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Ginger Garlic Paste, 2 Tbsp (store bought or 4 cloves fresh garlic and 1 inch ginger pounded or blended to paste)

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Masala Powder:

There are three ingredients in this: peanuts, coconut, and sesame seeds. These have to be individually dry roasted, it only takes a few seconds on very low heat.

The ratio of peanuts and dry coconut should be equal.

The ratio of sesame should be exactly 1/4 of the peanut or coconut ratio

1:1:1/4

Once more, repeating:

Roasted Peanuts, or Plain peanuts, 4 Tbsp–even if it is roasted, dry roast it by itself once more and let cool, no peanut skins

Coconut, unsalted and dessicated, I prefer dry, 4 Tbsp, dry roast till lighty changes color and immediately let cool

Sesame Seeds, White, 1 Tbsp, dry roast and cool

Once cooled, powder the masalas together or better yet, blend to a very fine paste

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Tamarind Pulp (Must) 3 Tbsp

Turmeric Powder, 3 tsp

Garam Masala, 1 Tbsp

Filterd water and salt, as required

Method:

Heat a very heavy bottomed deep dish with a heavy lid.

Add oil.

Add all the tempering inredients.

Once spluttering is about to stop, add curry leaves.

Add Ginger garlic paste and mix well.

If using store bought fried onions, run it once in the food processor to make a crumled mixture.

Add this to the spluttering oil.

If you are using raw onion paste, add it now.

Mix well. Add a tsp of salt.

Let the raw onion get fried and lose its raw taste.

Add the sesame groundnut and coconut paste or powder.

Mix well and cook for a minute.

The water should evaporate and you should have a thick mass in the pan, with oil floating on top.

Add tamarind pulp to this. Cook further until oil once more oozes on the top.

Add some filtered water to the mixture and make a gavy of your liking. I make a little thinner sauce as it thickens once the cooking is complete.

Add remaining salt after a taste test.

Add turmeric powder and garam masala powder.

Once the gravy begins to boil, add the peppers, low the flame, and put a thick lid on the pot.

Let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn off the flame and let sit for 30 mintues with the lid on.

You can garnish with cilantro if you wish.

Serve with Roti, biriyani, raita and a tall glass of Sweet or Mango Lassi.

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Potato Stuffing:

1 boiled potato skinned, mashed. Add salt and garam masala to it and the stuffing is ready.

Paneer Stuffing:

Crumble paneer, add salt, finely chopped green chiliesm and mix it with a little Cream cheese(plain). Paneer mixture is ready

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Serve Mirchi Ka Slan with Jicama, lime, dusted with red chili powderSpicy green chilies and pickled onions

Aloo Paratha

Paneer Paratha

Thali

My plate of some excellent Hyderabadi cuisine for the ultimate dinner!

Red Bell pepper, Beans, Celery, Carrots





Skinned Bell Pepper, Chopped Vegetables, Chopped Cabbage





Yummy Vietnamese Rice Noodles      I had purchased some noodles in a Vietnamese grocery store. It looked a lot like sevai, but was really thick and felt like wires. I was not sure what to do with it. I followed the package instructions and soaked the noodles for a few hours. I chopped a lot of veggies and was delighted at how the noodles had become soft. I used very simple ingredients readily available in my pantry and proceeded with the dish. My family loved it a lot and I was happy to see all the veggies vanish into their bellies. I liked this dish very much as it was simple to make but tasted awesome. It’s a keeper. This was a great lunch to send for my children. Their friends also liked it very much. Now my children take this once a week. This noodle dish goes very well with toasted sesame crackers and a bottle of chilled green tea. My children prefer lemonade  (Storebought) for convinience. My husband sid he enjoyed lunch and he particularly liked the fact that I had deliberatly added some ginger matchsticks to his green tea. A desi touch to a Vietnamese product.   Ingredients:  Thin Rice Noodles, 1 pack Vegetables of your choice (I used about three cups) Eggs (optional: scrambled) Carrots, celery, Red Bell Pepper (roasted and peeled the skin), Cabbage, and peas. Soy Sauce, 2 Tbsp White Pepper, 1 tsp Peanut Butter, 2 Tbsp Ginger Powder, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Salt as required Toasted Sesame Oil (optional) or an oil of your choice, 3 Tbsp or less  One Pack of noodles and vegetables yielded me approximately 10 cups of the cooked product.  Garnish: Finely chopped scallions, roasted peanuts, Lime Wedge, and Freshly chopped cilantro.  Method:  Soak Nooles in cold filtered water for 2 hours. Chop all the vegetables and keep them ready. In a large wok, heat oil and add the vegetables. Fry well until almost cooked. Add Soy sauce, white pepper, peanut butter, ginger and garlic powders and mix well. Taste the mixture before adding salt as soy sauce is already salty. If using eggs, toss it in now. Drain soaked noodles and discard the water. Toss in the wok and give it a good mix. Garnish with cilantro, scallions and a green lime wedge. Can also garnish with roasted peauts. Serve immediately.  Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days. Great to make ahead and pack for lunch. Tip: Chop the soaked noodles into bite sized pieces so it’s easy to dunk the fork into.

 



Ingredients:

Toor Dal, 200 gm or 1 cup

red chile, 50 gm or 1/4 cup

Curry Leaves, 15

Channa dal, 100 gm or 1/2 cup

Hing, 5 pinches

salt, as required

Method:

Add Salt and Hing to a mixing bowl and mix well.

Dry fry each ingredient (Toor dal, red chile, curry leaves, and Channa dal) separately until color changes, let cool and powder.

Mix with salt and hing and powder again to mix well.

This powder is a lifesaver as it comes in handy as a yummy side for various dishes, idli and dosa in particular.

A few drops of ghee, a tsp or more of this powder mixd in hot white rice is truly divine.

There have been a few instances where I just dashed home for a quick lunch, hastily threw some rice to cook in the microwave, and still managed to have a hearty meal with this powder, some pickles, and plain yogurt.

This versatile powder is tasty to the max.

Did I mention that it makes a unique salad topper? You can find my MIL’s version on the blog too, she makes it differently than Vidya’s version. Needless to say, I love both the versions very much.

Yes, you can add garlic flakes for a different flavor.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal, 100 gm,  or  1/2 cup

Cumin seeds, 20 gm, or 1tsp

Black Pepper, 25 gm, or a little over a tsp

Turmeric, 2 pinches

Hing, 2 pinches

Curry leaves, Your choice, I stick with 5

Method:

Heat a small but heavy pan with no lid. You may use a little ghee if needed.

Fry all the ingredients one by one until it changes color.

Let cool.

Blend them all to a fine or coarse powder. I like mine a little coarse as I love it whenI bite little bits of black pepper or cumin seed.

Will keep for a month, so make just enough and use promptly.

Ingredients:

Red Chile 1/2 KG, 1 pound

Coriander Seeds 1/2 KG, 1 pound

Channa Dal, 200 gm, 1 cup

Fenugreek, 25 gm, 1/2 tbsp

Cumin 100 gm, 1/2 cup

Method:

Take a very heavy bottomed pan, no need for a lid.

Dry fry each ingredient until almost red and let cool in a big tray.

Combine all the cool ingredients and make a coarse or fine powder.

My MIL makes her Sambar powder very coarse while Vidya makes it very smooth.

Vidya thinks that adding a small bark of cinnamon and 4 cloves along with Dhania while frying add way more flavor to the sambar.

My MIl does not like any cinnamon or cloves in hers, but I simply love that flavor very much. So it’s pretty much your choice.

Ingredients:

Fenugreek Seeds, 1 tbsp

Cumin, 3/4 tbsp

Channa Dal 1 tbsp

Godhi (Whole Wheat), 1/2 tbsp Substitute with rice flour, 1/2

Urad dal, 1 tbsp

Toor dal, 1 tbsp

Fry individually without any oil and powder.

Making Gojju:

Tempering

Black mustard Seeds, tsp

Hing, 2 pinches

Red chile, 2 broken

Other Ingredients:

Tamarind pulp, 2 tsp 

Jaggery, small marble size

Method:

In a mixing bowl, add Gojju powder (1 tbsp) and 5 cups of Water.

To this add required amount of salt, tamarind pulp (2 tsp), jaggery and mix well.

Pour the contents into a heavy dutch oven and bring to a boil.

Once it thickens, put lid on and turn off flame. Let the pot sit on the hot stove for 15 minutes.

Add the tempering and serve immediately.

Always add a dot of ghee for amazing flavor when you serve.

Ingredients:

1 Whole Cauli flower,

Medium sized potatoes, 3

Olive oil, 2 tbsp

Onion, medium sized, 1, finely chopped

Fresh Ginger, 1/2inch

Tomatoes, medium sized, 2, finely chopped

Turmeric, 1/2 tsp

Red chili Powder (Degghi Mirch from MDH), 1 tsp

Salt, as required

Dania Powder, Coarse, Homemade, 1 tbsp

Method:

Cut Cauliflower and potatoes into medium sized pieces.

Heat a heavy pan and first throughly brown the florets. Remove and set aside.

Next, brown the potatoes throughly. Remove and set aside.

Make a fine paste of onion,ginger, and tomato.

Add the blended paste into the pan and start cooking.

Add Turmeric, salt, Red Chile powder and home made Dania powder.

Mix very well and once the paste is fully cooked, that is when the oil starts floating on top, add the fried vegetables.

Add finley chopped cilantro for garnish.

Mix well.

Do not put lid on.

 Let cook for 5 minutes and turn off the flame.

Option 1: If in a hurry; chop Cauliflower very fine, but not in the food processor.

In a hot pan, add oil,  ginger flakes, red chili powder, store bought Dania powder, turmeric powder, salt and to this add the florets.

This does not need onions and tomatoes.

Do not put the lid on, cooks very fast.  Add microwaved Frozen peas.

Add Frozen panner pieces, defrosted in the microwave if needed for Shahi taste.

Anu recommends adding fresh paneer and lots of cilantro for the Shahi taste.

Ingredients:

Grated Cucumber, 1 cup

Blend:

Grated coconut, 1 cup

Green chili, 5

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Rice flour, 1.5 cups

Salt, as required

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Oil, 1 tsp for each rotti

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 Method:
To the rice flour, add ground paste, salt, grated cucumber and little water as required to make a stiff dough.

On a wax paper, roll out a golf sized ball of dough, using a little oil to help roll out or if you like it to do it Vidya’s way, then just spread it out with your fingers.

On a hot griddle, heat the rotti uniformly on both sides using a little oil.

Usually, this dish is eaten by itself.

But Erragadda Kaaram (recipe on the blog) sounds super delish to me.

In most homes cucumber is substituted with finely chopped onions which is then called Eerooli rotti.

Ingredients:

Maida/ All Purpose Flour, 1 cup

Ghee, 1 tbsp

Water, as required

Salt, pinch

Make a dough with the above like a stiff chapthi dough.

Filling:

Powdered Sugar, 1/2 cup

Unsalted Cashew Powder, 1/2 Cup

Elaichi Powder, 1 tsp

Mix all above together very well.

Garnish:

Powdered Sugar

Method:

Roll out one very thin roti.

Top with sugar-cashew filling.

Top with one more thin roti on top and seal the edges with little cold water.

Roll the whole roti and cut into 1 inch pieces.

Deep fry and garnish with powdered sugar.

Serve hot or at room temparature.

Lasts for 10 days in a tight container in your pantry.

If you put it in the fridge, it becomes rock hard.

Ingredients:

Beerekai (Ridgegourd),  1pound, chopped in large in inch pieces

Green chilies, 2 or 3

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

Cilantro, 3 tbsp,

1 inch gresh ginger, crushed

Tempering:

1 Tbsp Oil

1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

Method:

Grind Green Chile, Onion, Cilantro, and Fresh ginger to a fine paste add very little water if required.

Perform tempering in a heavy bottomed vessel with a fitting lid.

Add large chopped Ridgegourd until soft, need not cook completely.

Add the ground paste at this point and cook until the vegetable is fully cooked.

Adding garlic will totally change the flavor and does not suit my MIL’s palette.

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1 cup of dates and 1 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup cranberries, cherries, or craisins / raisins

1 cup water

Boil 1 cup water in a pan and add the dried fruits. Once the fruits are soft, turn off the flame and cool. Blend to a coarse paste in the food processor.

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In a bowl, take 1.5 tbsp of lemon zest, and 1.5 tbsp of orange zest if you have some.

Mix it with 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice and let sit for a few minutes.

Add this mixture to the food processor with the fruits.

If using readymade colored fruit tidbits, then skip the above steps.

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In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of coarsely toasted and ground ‘nut ‘powder. You can pick any of your fave nuts. I usually use cashews + Almonds + Walnuts.

You must have one cup of this ground up nuts.

To the nuts, add processed mixture and mix well.

Add Store bought tidibits if not using zest, mix well.

Add 3 tbsp of sugar and mix.

Add Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp or Cinnamon Powder 1/2 tsp and mix.

Add three tbsp Chocolate powder, if it’s sweet, then adjust sugar accordingly. I love to use Bournvita.

Grease your hands and make balls of this mixture and dip into dried coconut.

Sweetened Dried coconut is best for this.

Once I added Red Chile POwder, 1/2 tsp, and hubby loved. The kids and I didn’t like it much though.

Eat warm or chill before serving.

Take your favorite fruits,  cut them into lovely looking slices, about three to four cups, and bake them in the oven for 30 minutes until soft. Check your oven settings, about 350 degrees should soften it. Add a couple of bay leaves before you bake.

In a small bowl, mix:

3 Tbsp Raw Honey

Vanilla essence or Elaichi powder or Cinnamon powder, 1 tsp

2 Tbsp hot water to melt honey

Pinch of Sea Salt

A teaspoon of lemon juice or Orange juice.

First mix honey and hot water. To this add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

In a large bowl, add a little fruit, add a little of the mixture, mix well and repeat until all fruit is mixed well.

Chances are that your fruit may lose its shape.

Adjust sweetness accordingly

Alternately, you can soak fruits in the syrup, leave it in the fridge and eat it crisy. Or you can simply put the soaked fruit and bake it nice and warm.

This way, your fruit will not lose its shape.

To keep this dish raw, mix Agave Nectar with filtered water, and eat the dish crisp.

You can also heat this to a 104 degrees and eat it warm.

Even my picky hubby loves this for dessert on cold nights huddled cozily between the children, puppy, and his Gharwali (wife).

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soaked Raw Cashew Nuts

3 Brazil Nuts, soak alongwith Cashews

1 Ripe banana

4 or 5 plump dates, or

15 large dark colored Raisins

1 peeled apple, or keep the skin on

Optional: Strawberries, Nut Butters, Water, Coconut milk or Cow Milk if you don’t want it raw.

Method:

Soaked nuts will blend better.

Blend all ingredients of your choice from above in a blender for up to a minute.

Serve chilled in a tall glass.

I sometimes add a scoop of Vanilla ice cream when I need this to be a special treat.

I personally love eating this with a hot muffin in the morning to have a filling breakfast.

My hubby loves it as I pack it for him, handy to polish off in his car as he drives to work.

This is his favorite drink and his goodbye hug is a little more tighter as he rushes off to his office

To keep it completely raw, I think this would be totally awesome with tender coconut meat topping.

Ingredients:

Besan, 1 Cup

Filtered Water, one cup or according to necessity

Salt, as required

Tempering:

Ginger, grated, 1/2 tsp

Cumin, 1/2 tsp

Freshly Grated pepper, 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves, chopped, 5

Cilantro , chopped, 1 tbsp

Finely sliced green chilies, as required, optional

Method:

Seive the Besan.

Add Salt, mix well.

Add Water, taste test and set aside.

In a pan, heat oil, add cumin, turn off flame and add the rest of the ingredients and toss.

Add this to the batter and mix well.

Heat a pan, when hot enough, pour 1/3 cup of batter toward the center of the pan.

Whirl the pan to spread the batter evenly.

Add oil along the sides of the dosa for a crisp dosa.

Once golden, flip and cook for some more time.

Serve immediately with pachadi or curry.

You can add potato or onion stuffing if desired,

Coming back to this relish/pickle, whatever you want to call it, I made this by accident. The lemon zest in my hands meant for a sophisticated “Western” dish  I was trying to prepare fell into the Mango pieces meant for a heavily South Indian “Maanga Thokku.” I got upset as I did not have any more zest for that super dish I had planned to make, and was also furious at having ruined my lovely thokku. Still pretty much upset, I threw in some fresh green chilies and grated ginger, (meant for a curry) into the mango pieces. Later in the day after I had cooled off, I added some tempering to this and served it with Yogurt rice for dinner. It was heavenly. So this way, an accidental pickle made it’s way into the Rayasam cookbook.

As for my super sophisticated dish? I made it exactly as described in the book, as perfectly as possible. It turned out good, but not great. However; we polished off this Exotic super dish with the help of some Accidental Pickle

Ingredients:

1 Raw or Unripe Mango (Wash, towel dry, cut, discard seed and pith, chop into tiny pieces)

Lemon Zest, 1 tsp

Ginger Root, freshly Grated, 1 Tbsp

Green Chilies, 3, slit lengthwise

Sea Salt, 3 tsp

Garlic (optional), 2 pods or more crushed

Jicama (optional), julienned, 5 tbsp

Red Chile powder, 1 tsp (optional)

Orange Zest instead of Lemon Zest can be substituted

Tempering:

Oil, 1 tsp

Black Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp

Curry Leaves, 5

Turmeric, 1/4 tsp

Jaggery, small marble size

Method:

In a large bowl, toss in chopped Mango pieces.

Add Red Chile powder, Salt and toss.

Add Ginger root and green chiles, toss. Check flavours and adjust taste.

Add Zest, Jicama and toss.

Complete tempering and add Jaggery to the hot oil and melt.

Add immediately to the Mango Mixture.

Mix well, wrap tightly with plastic and let sit in a corner for an hour.

Serve with sandwich, tiffin items, Corn chips or enjoy a little as is.

To Keep this as Raw Food, simply add Sesame oil to the relish instead of tempering. Add the curry leaves and substitute jaggery with Raw Honey. You can skip the sweet part and still have an awesome dish.

This recipe is from Vidya’s Mother In Law. Ugane is a small village in Hassan district, Karnataka, India. Laksmi aunty is the Owner of a betel nut farm there. She is busy directing workers during the day, and takes a break to come home and prepare some wonderful authentic Iyengar dishes. Vidya learnt this rasam dish from her MIL and any time she makes it, people in her house drink it in cups as it is so delicious. I’m going to try it today.

Fry in Ghee:

Cumin Seeds 1 tsp

Whole Black Pepper 3/4 tsp

Urad Dal, 1/2 tsp

Red Chili, 2 long

Blend:

Grated Fresh Coconut, 3 tbsp + The above fried ingredients

Pressure Cook or boil till soft:

Moong Dal 1/4 Cup with a pinch of turmeric, and 1 tsp Ghee

Method:

In a large duch oven with a tight lid, heat it on medium flame.

Add cooked Moong Dal and blended paste.

Mix well and add enough water for a runny mixture, Rasam is a thin and runny dish.

Add Curry leaves and boil for 15 minutes.

No need to add tempering.

Serve hot with White rice and a big slice of lime/lemon.

Can be had as a soup by itself.