Kks

HaPpy DiWALi......To AlL :D ( In AdVanCe )

2009-10-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

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Thanda-Thanda...Cool-Cool .........Cucumber Raita..The fasting version And Cucumber Curd Rice.

2009-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard someone saying..'he is cool as cucumber', naturaly that was not for me ( kyuki..gabbar ko gussa bahot aata hai :D).
Neway..here comes the recipe for one of my favorite raitas...ask me I can have it with parath,roti, rice, bread..almost anything. And now as hubby dear is on nine days fast (Navratri), I like to treat him with healthy, tasty yet new treats so this raita I prepare in fast's-food version is a side dish with almost every meal I am preparing for him :D

Easy and tasty..here come..thanda thanda ..cool cool.. cucumber raita:-

INGREDIENT:-

1 cup Grated cucumber (without seeds)
2 cups curd/yogurt
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp freshly chopped corainder
1 finely chopped green chili
few curry leaves (optional)
salt to taste
METHOD:-
In a bowl mix curd, grated cucumber (dont drain out its water), red chili pwd, chopped chili, chopped corainder and salt to taste.
For tempering:- heat oil in a pan ( we call it tadka pot), once heated add mustard seeds and let them splutter.Once they start spluttering add mustard, tip in curry leaves. now add this tadka to the cucumber mixture, cover the bowl for a minute or two and now mix it well.
cucumber raita is ready :D.
FOR THE FAST ONE:
For making the raita while you are fasting just replace mustard seeds and normal salt with cumin seeds and rock salt.
FOR CUCUMBER CURD RICE:
Just mix this raita with rice , leave it for 10-15 minutes and you have yummy cucumber curd rice.

Bribing Ganesh Ji with Quick and Tasty Rava Laddus

2009-09-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

I was craving something sweet from a long time, may be because I was having this cold and whenever I had cold and cough...i always crave for sweets.

And with the occasion of Ganesh chaturthi I even had reason to pacify my craving and not bothering for any excuse that I generally had to give to ‘A’ for having sweets in fever ( cos this time it was Prasad/ prasadam..hehehe).
So just bribing Ganesh Ji with Quick tasty Laddus ..yeah for making me healthy n fit soon ..and few more reasons :D…which I will disclose soon :D.
For the recipe I called my mommy…just an excuse for asking recipe for laddu actually I was missing her :D.
The real recipe is coming from dear Shilpa of Aayi's recipe.
Quick and tasty :D..

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Rava/ Semolina
1 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Ghee
¾ cup water
5-10 cashew nuts (chopped )
10-15 Raisins
¼ tsp Cardamom powder

METHOD:

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a kadai and fry the raisins and cashews until they turn golden brown and the raisins plump up. Keep them aside a bowl.
In the same pan add the remaining ghee, rava and roast on low heat until it gives out a nice aroma ( for around 10-12 minutes).
In another pan take water and sugar and let them boil for a while, once the water turn into nice syrup ( as the sugar is completely dissolved) add roasted rava, cardamom powder and nuts and stir continuously. Now take this pan out of burner and let it sit for another 10-15 minutes ( and the mixture is still warm).
Apply ghee in hands and make small laddus out of it ( if the mixture is still runny, don’t panic ..just heat it for few more minutes and you are done), let the laddus cool for 10-15 minutes before consuming or storing :D.
Store in an airtight container. Since it contains sugar syrup it is best to consume it within 4 to 5 days.

Soft Dal Parathas With Leftover Dal..Hmmm Wholesome Goodness

2009-08-31T02:20:00.000-07:00

I truly believe that any Indian food is comfort food. With all the ingredients, time and commitment that goes into its preparation, eating Indian food totally relaxes my nerves.
I always had this weakness with food and no other food can satisfy my craving ,i even read somewhere it is a disease and i can happily accept ....i had this disease. Cos during my Exams i just crave for food, whenever there is seminar or presentation i just crave for a samosa or kachori or just a plate of bhel will work for me ( anything i can have and feel stuffed).
leaving my mental sicknesses here lemme discuss my all time weakness ..Indian Food :D.
On average, almost every Indian meal consists of rice, rotis, dal and a vegetable and with same menu you are always left with some leftover dal or sabzi (curried

vegetable). Here a recipe that makes such a tasty paratha out of that ..believe me even you will be proud of your culinary skill ( is this too much?..okay read you will love it).

INGREDIENTS:

leftover dal

1 1/2 cups of wheat flour

1/4 cup of gram flour (optional)

some freshly chopped coriander

water to knead (if required)

salt to taste

METHOD:

Put both flour in a big bowl ( big salad tossing bowls will work... just try it is much easier to knead dough in a bowl than a plate/thali).

add salt and chopped coriander, mix well. Now add dal in the flour mixture and make a soft dough. Divide the dough in equal balls and roll out thin parathas.
heat a griddle and cook this paratha as a normal paratha ( ok..accepted ..not feeling well and thus this shortcut in writting).

Serve these parathas with curd and tomato chutney...ummm..yummy :D

I am sending this as my entry for the events WYF:Breakfast of Simple Indian Food
P.S.: the picture of dal.. is the same dal i used in my parathas, it is panch mili/ratni dal and thus my parathas came out very tasty. Recipe for dal...coming soon :D

Quick And Tasty Mango Chutney

2009-08-28T22:37:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
1 Raw Mango
1 Small Onion
2 Red Chilies
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 Small piece of Ginger
½ Cup of Fresh mint leaves
½ Cup of Coriander leaves
¼ tsp of Black salt
½ tsp of Cumin seeds
1 tsp of sugar
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Put all ingredients in jar of grinder and make a fine paste out of it…yeah..done. Quick and tasty.

Some Reposting And Missing World's Bestest :D Mom

2009-08-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

After waking up today i realized am missing mom a lot. I always heard people saying ‘like mom like daughter’…yeah may be I had got few qualities of my mom, but no way I even come near her persona. She is so calm and so devoted ….’I love you mumma’. She is such a delicate lady but with a strong determination. I remember the days when she cooked the delicious spread of meal for 20-30 people all alone and with her trademark smile. She is such a beautiful lady I always wished to look like her. I always amazed how she managed to look this young at this age. Yeah! I know everybody thinks the same way for their mother. …but my mommy is the bestest mom in the world…hehehehe.

Sob..sob..okay leaving my memories behind and being my mommy's strong daughter :), lemme recall my favorite recipes:-

Fried Moong Dal:

Sweet And Sour Bitter Melon:

Gobi Korma:

Dum Aloo Kashmiri:

I am sending these as my entries for the event 'Side dish for chapathi' started by Viki of Viki Kitchen.

Moong Ka Mogar/ Stir Fried Moong Dal

2009-08-27T02:47:00.000-07:00

Flu..Flu..Flu..okay I accept I am suffering from flu, which flu I dont know ..and even my doctor dont know (yeah..i know you must be thinking 'how a doctor dnt know?'). But this was what they made me think. Now, how come this happend in Singapore, Dear readers believe me..they scared a hell out of me for 4-5 days. I was asked to take bed rest. But is it possible for you to accept, you have some deadly-stupid flu without any reports to prove it?
hufffff......Atleast i was safe ( i know can't be that safe as DH is here with a thin stick to beat me 'hard', as i literally freaked on him a lot of times).
Coming back to the post..here's the recipe of quick and easy 'Moong Ka Mogar' or Stir fried Moong Dal.
This recipe reminds me of that chilling weather when mom used to ask to sit by her side and have this mogar with 'Just out of stove' chapathies ..oouch..hot and crispy chapathies tastes heaven with this mogar :).
I generally made this when..either my pantry is out of vegetables or when i need something quick and filling ( i mean ...dont need a dal or some raita with it).
Quick ,Healthy and Tasty.....

Ingredients:
¾ cup De husked green gram or Dhuli moong dal
1 Tomato
2 Dry red chilies
1 Green chilly
½ tbsp Oil
Pinch of Hing/ Asafetida
¼ tsp Turmeric pwd
½ tsp Coriander pwd
¼ tsp Red chilly pwd
¼ tsp Garam masala pwd
½ tsp Kasuri methi
½ tsp Mustard seeds + Cumin seeds
Few curry leaves
2 tbsp Chopped Green Coriander
water as required
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash dal and soak it in water for 10-15 minutes.Heat the oil in a pan, tip in mustard-cumin seeds and let them splutter. Throw in hing and curry leaves and stir. Now pour drained dal and stir.Stir in all the spices ( including garam-masala) , water and bring to a boil. Stir in finely chopped tomato and kasuri methi. Add seasoning and let it cook for 15 minutes on low flame.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Paratha Or Chapathi, pickle and some chutney ( this time it is mango chutney :D).

P.S: Add dry red chilies with cumin seeds ( for flavor).

P.S.S: For the quick method ..just heat oil in a pan, add all the tempering included cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry chilies. now add dal, all spices mentioned, chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander, 2 cups of water and salt to taste. let them simmer ( covered) for 10-15 min.Mogar is ready to serve.
This quick side dish is quite regular in my kitchen and thus included in my "15 Minutes Tiffin Recipes".

I am sending this as my entry for the events WYF:Breakfast of Simple Indian Food and Food for 7 stages of life - Pregnancy (Zero hour) of Sourashtra Kitchen

P.S.S.S: For Breakfast... cos i cant afford to make different lunch and Breakfast..so what's for lunch ....is for Breakfast . BTW its very healthy breakfast..with protein, carbohydrate and a Filled Stomach.

Sweet And Sour Bitter Melon / Karela Fry

2009-07-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Ahem … so… I decided to start work on my food blog again. Why? Because I spent the last three months drooling over other food blogs instead of getting
any work done for my own :).
And after... a long holiday, piling pounds and still lazing for longgg I decided to do some work and some workout too :). So, maybe I would like to start series for weight watchers as I am searching such recipes for me :).
But this time I thought to restart my work with my hubby’s and my favorite . I know few people who hate this but know many more who loves it..healthy and even more tasty . Here comes ...tada...‘Sweet and Sour Karela’. Recipe for this tasty karela fry goes like this:

INGREDIENTS:
2 Bittergourd sliced
1 Onion Finely sliced
3-4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
Gooseberry sized Tamarind
1 small piece 1 tbsp of Jaggery / Sugar
1 tsp Chilly powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Corainder powder
Pinch of Asafetida/Hing
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste
METHOD:
Soak the tamarind in 5 tsp of water and strain. Finely slice bittermelon and onlion. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard, cumin seeds, now tip in hing and fenugreek seeds. Reduce the heat and add garlic and stir for a while.

Now add sliced onion and sauté till it turn golden. Stir in sliced bitter melon and let it cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add salt and stir, now tip in all ground spices and stir well.

Now add the tamarind juice, grated jaggery and keep stirring .Now add sliced onion and sauté till it try golden. Stir in sliced bitter melon and let it cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add salt and stir, now tip in all ground spices and stir well. Stir it continuously till the bitter melon become soft and turn golden brown. Once done remove from heat and serve with Roti,Paratha or Rice.

NOTE: Keep tasting it and add tamarind or jaggery/sugar as per your taste.

15 MINUTES- TIFFIN RECIPES :

2009-03-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

Usually morning is a busy-tisy affair … typical Indian morning ..here in Singapore with a cup of tea and online news-paper, but hey, wait a min ..where is “A”? huh!!!! And the reply will be…. Still in the bed...hidding his face under the quilt and giving some lame excuses (was very tired yesterday OR was sleepless last night OR ther’s pain in my back; jus give a min to stretch)…for giving him some more time to sleep (like a kid ...who don’t want to go school), this is a daily morning picture of my sweet lill home.
Just 45 minutes passed...and now...here’s my family’s MACHO man “A”…shouting where are my socks…I can’t find my purse…I don’t want to wear this shirt…this pant ..its not comfy ….where’s my lunch box.. and at last “ I AM GETTING LATE”. In between this I am expected to make a decent lunch (with chappati , curried vegetable to which we call “saag” or “subzi” and something to go with it ) for my kiddo “A” for his office :) . Elaborated cooking is just impossible to meet the deadline so here’s I am starting my series of “15 minutes North Indian style Tiffin recipes”. This is a journey for me ... I am starting here onwards with you.. exploring the recipes which I used to cook but in very elaborated from…but now onwards just quick fix 15 minutes recipes.

Starting from my hubby’s and my grand pa’s hot favorite ….typical Rajasthani Side dish…compliments meal with its mild taste ..not to overpowering like other raitas. Yes..here comes mine favorite too “Pittod ka Raita”,quick and easy to make and a perfect lunch box recipe.

Pittod Ka Raita ( gram flour cake cubes with yogurt)

TAMATAR KI SABZI.... Quick sweet N Sour Tomato Chutney

Masala Mirchi / Stir Fried Green Chilies

TAMATAR KI SABZI.... Quick sweet N Sour Tomato Chutney

2009-03-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Yet another busy morning and just few minutes in hand, suddenly I heard sweet-melodious voice of ‘A’....’"Dear come here ( just spell and you will know how romantic it sounds ;) )...don’t panic... sit here D..at least we shud spend some relaxing tea time together’". I was happy as he want me to relax...still worried as I know if he got late cos of me...I am dead ( but again I always love to have my tea in a ‘relaxed mode’).
Suddenly I changed my meal plans from ‘guttey ka saag’ to ‘tamatar ki sabzi’……huffffff (relaxed!!!!) …… few minutes of chit-chat and I am back in my kitchen..just 10 minutes of chop here-fry there and here you go.

This was my today’s morning scene and now here comes my ‘saviour’ or ‘winner recipe’…TAMATAR KI .....SABZI ( clap-clap).

( PIC:- Fresh Tomatoes..can't resist capturing them in a photo as I cant keep em fresh for long but a photograph can :) )

INGREDIENTS:

3 finely chopped tomatoes

2 chopped green chilies

2 tsp chopped green coriander with stems (coriander stem are more flavorful then leaves)

Few curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds ( i also add some cumin seeds , but thats optional)

½ tsp red chili powder

½ tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp black salt

½ tsp sugar

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat oil in a wok; once smoking hot put in mustard seeds and let them splutter. Now tip in curry leaves, chilies and chopped tomatoes. Stir them for a while, add salt…and if you are in a jiffy...than stir in all ingredients together...let them cook for 3-4 minutes and you are done.

This tomato sabzi or chutney if you call, goes well with about anything; my mom make it with aaloo paratha,methi paratha, matar paratha , kachoris hmmm ..yum-yum and I love this with rice and sometimes with bread as a spread ;). When i was young..oops I ammmm still young!!! okay when i was kid whenevr mom's pantry was out of tomato ketup she used to make this chutney and serve us as Indian Version of tomato ketup ;) and we loved that.

This is my entry for 'Fall In Love (FIL)- Tomato' hosted by Sangi of Sanghi's Food Delight. and i will include it in my 15 minute tiffin recipes :).

Sanghi has asked to dedicate this to any person and give the reason behind the dedication...So...I dedicate this to my Husband Avakash :) as he is one who creates situations that forces me to make this recipe again and again :)..and as it is known to all “Practice makes a man perfect”(this time made a woman perfect), now I mastered in making this chutney to its sheer perfection and my perfection’s benchmark is my Mom :).

Besan Kachori / Bhargav Kachori

2009-03-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

Ever since i found Purva's Blog i wanted to try recipes from it..but lazy me :(, but it was holi and when i saw this Kachori recipe on her blog ( which my mom call as batane ki kachori..yum-yum ) i was determined to try it..still want to finish it up soon so used my best friend M's mom's 'Bhargav Kachori' Stuffing (atleast this is what M used to call it) . I still miss the time when her mom..a very loving lady, serve this kachori to us..hmmm small-lite ( yeah..i am saying lite..her kachoris were always lite and tasty) that just melt in mouth.hmmm mouthwatering ;).
Ingredients:

For Dough:
2 Cup of All purpose Flour
1 Tsp of Kalonji / Nigella Seeds
1tbsp Oil
water to knead the dough
Salt to taste

For Stuffing:
1 cup gram flour/ besan
3 tsp oil
1 tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of asafetida /hing
¼ tsp garam masala (optional)
½ tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp Dry mango/ amchur powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chopped green coriander
2-3 tsp water
Salt to taste

Frying:
Oil for frying

Method:

Dough:
Take flour in a bowl; sprinkle salt, kalonji and mix well. Now add oil and mix. Add water to the flour and knead bit stiff dough, after kneading apply some oil over it to keep the dough soft or just cover with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside.
Stuffing:
Heat oil in a pan , tip in asafetida and stir. Tip in cumin and fennel seeds.. and sauté for a while (30 sec).
Now add gram flour and keep stirring till the raw aroma disappears , now add red chili powder and coriander powder and stir well ..now add garam masala , amchur powder , chopped coriander and salt and stir for a while ( I know you must be thinking like I am adding all at a time..but I generally dnt measure the ingredients and just put them “ andaaze se” and not in a particular sequence like..red chili will go first and than coriander; cooking is an art..not rocket science.. :) ..so no particular measurement formula for me).
Once the coriander become dry ..sprinkle some water to let the flour become smooth and not very dry..keep aside to cool down.

How To Stuff:-
Make lime size balls from the dough.Roll one ball by a rolling pin to a size of about 3 inch diameter roti. Place some masala at the center of the roti. Dampen the edge of the roti allround with water and hold at 4-5 points at its rim, bringing close at the center. Press the points tightly and give a twist so that the masala is sealed inside. Press this ball with your palm gently and just slightly roll to press and seal them properly. Follow this procedure for all the balls.
For Frying:
heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat. When oil starts smoking, add 3-4 kachories Deep fry the kachories and fry on medium heat until golden brown.

This can be served hot with tamarind chutney and curd or even be kept for few days ( believe me it tastes better the next day :) ) .
This is my entry for:
1. lakshmi's Taste Of Mysore for the event 'Meals on Wheels'.
2.Purva's Daawat for the event Holi Hai!!!
3. MBP:Snacks &Savouries event hosted by Ashwini of Ashwini-Spicycuisine.

4. Picnic Eats by Trupti of 'Recipe center', Started by Ramki of One Page Cookbooks.

5. MLLA9, started by Susan of 'The Well-Seasoned Cook'; now hosted by Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.

Switch OFF..... ( A Step Towards Saving Your Earth)

2009-03-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

'VOTE EARTH'

YOUR LIGHT SWITCH

IS YOUR VOTE

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF is urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights.

In 2009, India joins Earth Hour for the first time. New Delhi and Mumbai are among 825 cities across 80 countries and territories that have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009. This number is growing everyday.

Noted film actor and icon Mr Aamir Khan will be leading the campaign in India. Many companies such as HP, HSBC and Wipro are also supporting the campaign. WWF-India Secretary General and CEO Ravi Singh says: “Earth Hour is a step in the world's efforts to combat the threat of Climate Change and it holds tremendous potential to influence sound policy and people's participation on the issue. Earth Hour is an unprecedented communication initiative to make people understand what they must”.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet.

People from 825 cities across 80 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour on Saturday, March 28, 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time.

I WILL SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS TO SAVE OUR EARTH....WILL YOU???????

DAHI BADA / VADA - LENTIL DUMPLINGS IN CURD

2009-03-16T02:21:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Urad dal
1/4 Cup Moong dal
1 tsp charoli or chirongi ( english name not available)
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
400 gms or 3 cups of thick curd (yogurt)
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
2 tsp Roasted cumin(jeera)powder
1 tsp Red chili powder or to taste
4 tbp Sweet Tamarind Chutney or as much you like

METHOD:
Clean, wash and soak the daal in water for overnight,( under refrigerator for thick batter and prevent flowy consistency). In the morning , drain out excess water and grind to make a thick batter, tip in salt and charoli; beat till fluffy. Now heat oil in a large frying pan. Add spoonfuls of dal batter in oil or just pour the batter through your hands ( my mom use the medu vada maker and believe me..those vada's puff up so well under water...following my mom's saying ' ekhas khaa ani tithe paha" :)..i know i dnt know marathi well and thus dnt know how to pronounce it )....coming to vadas, once dropped.. fry until turned golden brown. Remove excess oil. Drop the hot badas in water bowl and leave for about 10-20 minutes.
Mean while take 2 cups of curd, put some water to dilute it and keep aside. Take each vada out from water, squeeze and put in the diluted curd..leave for another 5 minutes ( this will help diluted curd to penetrate the vadas).

FOR GARNISHING ( the finishing touch) :
take few vadas in a plate, pour the thick -bitten curd over them, Sprinkle with roasted cumin powder , tamarind chutney and chopped coriander leaves. Dahi vada/bada is ready to serve ( add more sweet tamarind chutney if you like) .

Lip smacking dahi vadas are ready to eat and in no time...they will just dissolve in your mouth and will just burst the flavors in your mouth and in your senses , “just no teeth exercise is required” :) and they are always a hit in my potluck parties.

This Dahi-Vada recipe i got from Sailaja of Sailu's Kitchen and made few changes depending on the memories on how mom used to prepare dahi Vada, for original recipe from Sailja click Here.

This is my entry for:

1. MLLA9, started by Susan of 'The Well-Seasoned Cook'; now hosted by Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.

2.Purva's Daawat for the event Holi Hai!!!

3. MBP:Snacks &Savouries event hosted by Ashwini of Ashwini-Spicycuisine.
4. Picnic Eats by Trupti of 'Recipe center', Started by Ramki of One Page Cookbooks.

My Entries To the Magnificent Click Contest - 2009

2009-03-15T01:54:00.000-07:00

Here are my entries which i am sending to participate in Magnificent Click Contest - 2009 by Gayathri of Just Urs.

1. My Fried Rice:

2. My Stir Fried Green Chilies:

3. My Sindi Curry:

4. My Dum Aloo Kashmiri:

I dont know how tempting they look , but i am still drooling watching the pics ;); hmmmmm..yummy.. ( especially stir fried chilies and dum aloo).

HAPPY HOLI!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-09T23:23:00.001-07:00

JYOTI AUNTY'S ...SINDI CURRY

2009-02-12T03:18:00.001-08:00

Singapore, Singapore...Singapore...this was what my hubby dear “A” was humming from last few months.

In this chaotic-messy situation of relocating from the place you love (and the emotional breakdown ...cos of several diffrent reasons...like leaving your friends and for the foodie like me..the food), I got no time to write...actually just read some great blogs...great recipes just to satisfy my foodie Soul and Guess what...... cooked the same-ol-food.

Nothing new...as now I moved... to Singapore, struggling with utensils that I got in my serviced apartment to cook( oh I miss my kitchen.. neways I will be shifting to my apartment soon, so will have it there ).

Ohh !!! I miss Bangalore … my friends…food. Ah!! Just miss the crisp dosa...yum-yum and my “Idli diet” which I can start anytime in my life. And believe me, I even lost weight from that.

Hey I even tried that GM diet plan…god, it’s like 7 days of full torture, and I don’t know how people really follow that.

Leaving my war with my weight apart, here’s my favorite quick to cook and yummiest …Sindi Curry and its healthy too as it has whole lot of veggies in it, this dish I generally cook...when I am hungry and have no energy to cook. It is usually served with plain rice, but I even enjoy it with chapatti or just have a bowl or two of this curry as a soup. I got this recipe of Sindi curry from one of my aunt.

My aunt to whom we lovingly call as " Jyoti Aunty", is an amazing lady with so much love and affection; whenever I visit her...she always prepare a yummy meal including this Sindi Curry and yum-yum Masala Doda., yes you read it right "Doda"..as they call it. Hey, have you ever tried that “Sindi Doda” i.e. Rice flour Chapati with lot of veggies in it, with mango pickle and sindi style “aaloo ki sabzi”...heaven!!!. I really love sindhi cuisine, that's different that ...my mom may say that ..tell any cuisine you don't like? :)

Wasting no more time, here’s the recipe of “Jyothi Aunty’s…. Sindi Curry”.

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 baby ladyfinger/ okra, cut them in halves

1 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes and boiled until tender

5-6 chopped flat Indian beans or long beans (commonly called 'guavar' or ‘barbaati’ in Hindi)

2 cups white pumpkin, cubed (Indian gourd) (optional)

1 medium carrots, peeled and chopped in chunks

2-3 medium bringal/eggplant chopped in chunks

1 cup cauliflower floret

5-6 small chilies, finely chopped ( increase or decrease the amount..depending on how hot you want the curry..as for me..it is 5-6 :) )

1 medium size radish chopped in chunks

1 teaspoons turmeric powder

1 teaspoons red chili powder

4 tablespoons oil (yeah, too much of oil...But needed to roast gram flour and then cook veggies, Indian traditional recipe u see!!J)

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi Dana)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 inches fresh ginger finely chopped

35 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn (divided)

5 teaspoons gram flour/ besan

2 tablespoons asafetida powder

1ltr water (more or less depending on the thickness of curry you want)

salt ( as per your taste)

2 cups tamarind pulp/ kokum pulp/ Amchur

5 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves, for garnishing

METHOD:

Boil the potatoes in plenty of water until half done, drain and keep aside. Deep fry lady fingers/ okra so that it won’t become soggy when cooked in curry. In the meantime, heat oil in a pot, add mustard and cumin seeds and allow it to crackle; now add fenugreek seeds and asafetidaand stirr for few seconds. Tip in curry leaves let it splutter, now add green chilies and ginger , Mix well and stir-fry until the raw smell of ginger is gone.

Then add gram flour and stir-fry it for 20 minutes, mixing it continuously, on low flame, until the aroma of cooked besan starts filling your kitchen..believe me it smells delicious. Now stir in water, turmeric powder and red chili powder (if you like you can add coriander powder too).

Add tomatoes, and all veggies you like ( I generally put all the veggies I have that time in my refrigerator.. like peas, drum sticks, french beans,capsicumetc) and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Now tip in parboiled potatoes and deep fried okra( I generally put the okra at the last moment, but my aunts version have okra while adding other veggies), add salt to taste.

In the meantime, soak about 3 inches of tamarind in 1 cup of hot water and squeeze out the pulp from the tamarind as nicely as you can. Measure out 1 cup of this pulp. First add half cup and let it cook for around 1-2 minutes …( * "keep tasting"..this is the mantra..keep tasting and just add what you feel is lacking behind..i believe this is the secret behind every good cook that he/she leaves no stone unturned to bring the dish to its authentic taste*). I usually add 2 tsp of sugar in it, as my hubby ‘A’ like it sweet and sour..so again it all depends on your taste buds.

Now add remaining pulp of tamarind if you like bit more sour curry ( like me). You can also add amchur powder or kokum water to the curry instead of tamarind. My Jyoti Aunt’s version has kokum in it...but again depends on availability. And let it cook for another 10-15 minutes.

You can add fresh green coriander while curry is simmering (which I generally do...i love the taste of coriander…usually I finely chop the tender coriander stems and add while cooking the curries ...Which I believe are more flavorfully then leaves)

Remove from flame, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with cooked plain rice... a complete meal in itself and a veggie delight!

Hindi / English Glossary For All Food Ingredients ......

2008-12-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

Just double click on the content to see them in larger view.

Seeds that are not mentioned here are used frequently in indian cooking like :
Ajwain (HINDI) = (ENGLISH) carom, oregano.

Fried Rice

2008-11-19T22:05:00.001-08:00

This fried rice I usually prepare for myself or sometimes for my hubby A; easy-yummy dish prepared from leftover rice. This recipe I had derived from what my mom used to prepare for me and my lill bro P, when we used to return from our school…hmmm yummy.
Takes just few minutes and tastes awesome when served with chilled thick curd/yogurt. Yeah... may be sounds bit unusual but this piping hot fried rice tastes really good with chilled curd…. Just give it a try and you will know ….why??

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cooked rice
1 small onion, sliced
½ cup of groundnuts (optional/ but I love there crunchiness when fried in oil)
1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
1-2 dry red chilly (optional...but gives a nice pungent flavor whenever added)
Few Curry leaves (depends on availability)
2 tsp oil
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp sugar (can add more...depends on how much you like)
1 tsp of lemon juice or ½ tsp of amchur powder
½ tsp mustard seeds
1-2 tsp finely chopped Fresh green coriander (again subject to availability)
And salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat oil in a pan, once smoking hot tip in mustard seeds and let them crackle , now add groundnuts and stir them for 1-2 minutes under low flame ( check whether they have become bit crunchy..if you like them crunchy then you can even take them out and keep aside while frying other ingredients and add them at last while serving).
Now tip in curry leaves and green chilies, stir for a while and add sliced onions stir then for 2-3 minutes. Once they became translucent add turmeric powder and half of the green coriander leaves and keep stirring. Now add cooked rice and let it stir for another minute. Tip in lemon juice/ amchur powder, and stir well add salt and sugar to taste , stir for another2-3 minutes , add remaining coriander as garnish.
Remove from the flames and Njoy piping hot rice with chilled curd ( not too sweet, nor too sour).

Masala Mirchi / Stir Fried Green Chilies

2008-10-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
100 gm fresh green chilies ( cut them into two)
1 tsp broken/ powdered mustard seeds
½ tsp aniseeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp amchur powder / dried mango powder (optional)
Or ½ tsp lemon juice (optional)
A pinch of asafetida / hing
1tbsp mustard oil

METHOD:
Heat oil in a sauce pan. Once the oil is hot, tip in hing / asafetida, now add cumin seeds and aniseeds and let it cook for few sec , now add broken mustard seeds ( rai kid al)and stir well for 4-5 secs. Now add green chilies and sauté for 1-2 min.
Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and stir it well.Now add salt and cover the pan and let the chilies cook for 2-3 min.
Add amchur powder and let it cook for another min.
Fried chilies is ready to serve ( as a side dish). If kept in a air tight container in refrigerator …this can be used for a week.

I prepare it when I am travelling and as I belongs to this Chili fan club ( i dont know any such club exist or not..but if it is than i will also apply for its membership ; ) ) i definitely prepare it once a month for me.
Hey you know I have this best combo of…Ajwain ki puri, Hing waale aalo ( simple fried potatoes fried with asafetida). Pittod ka raita and this fried chili. Yum..yum..!!

Pittod Ka Raita ( gram flour cake cubes with yogurt)

2008-10-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
PITTOD:
½ cup gram flour
1 cup water
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chopped fresh green coriander
1 green chilly finly chopped
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
RAITA:
2 Cups of curd
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
Few curry leaves (optional)
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp sugar (optional)
Salt to taste
METHOD:
Mix all pittod ingredients (except oil and mustard seeds) in a bowl; make it of a thin batter consistency. Heat oil in a pan, tip in mustard seeds and let them crackle for a while. Now add the flour batter and stir continuously. Check that the batter is not sticking to the base. Stir it for about 5-6 minutes or till it thicken in consistency. Grease a plate with some oil and pour the thick batter on it. So that it forms a uniform layer.

Keep it aside and let it sit for another 5- 10 minutes.
When completely set...cut them into small squares. These squares are known as “Pittod”, which can be prepared and kept in refrigerator for a day before.

Now beat the curd, adding salt sugar, cumin powder. Heat oil in a pan (or tadka pot), tip in mustard seeds and let them crackle for a while than tip in the curry leaves stir for a while. Add this “tadka“ to the curd. Mix well, now add the pittod cubes in it, and mix gently. Pittod raita is ready to serve.This raita goes very well with misi roti ,moong dal poori, stuffed parathas and almost all stir fried vegetables that are served with chapati.

Dum Aloo Kashmiri

2008-10-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

250 grams of baby potatoes
3-4 onions
7-8 garlic cloves
Small piece of ginger (an inch)
2 large tomatoes
2 tbsp of poppy seeds
8-10 kaju or cashew nuts
2 tbsp fresh curd
Freshly ground garam masala
½ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
½ tsp of sugar
3 tbsp of oil (please be generous with oil as this gravy need oil for perfect taste)
Salt according to taste

METHOD:

Curry paste: grate 2 onions and ground garlic and ginger and 2 onions adding some cumin seeds. Now add grated onion to this mixture (this is basic curry paste used in different gravies).
Fresh Garam Masala: freshly ground power of 3-4 black cardamom, 5-6 cloves, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 6-7 pepper corns.

Peel potatoes and make some insertions using fork, mean while boil water in a saucepan and add some salt to it. Add peeled potatoes and let it cook for 10-15 minutes (till potatoes become soft).

Soak poppy seed and kajus for 1 hr in warm water and make fine paste by grinding them together (without water, if needed add milk instead of water).

Heat oil in a wok, add freshly ground garam masala and stir well for 2-3 sec. now tip in curry paste and stir it. Cook the curry paste (with regular stirring) till we can smell the aroma of the curry paste and it starts leaving the corners of the wok (we can see oil coming out of the paste).

Now add tomato puree and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Now tip in poppy seed paste and stir well, cook this for 1 min and then add curd, fenugreek leaves/ kasuri methi and red chili powder in it. Stir this paste for 1-2 min and add potatoes with salt and sugar and cook for few more minutes. If seems very dry, add some milk and cook for another 5-10 sec and Dum aloo Kashmiri is ready to serve with ajwain ki puri.

Moong Ki Dal Ki Puri

2008-10-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

MOONG DAL OR SPLIT GREEN GRAM’S PURI

INGREDEINTS:

1 and ½ cups of split green gram
3 cups of whole wheat flour
5-6 cloves of garlic
Small piece of ginger (about an inch)
1 chopped green chili
¼ tsp of cumin seeds
½ tsp of Aniseeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
A pinch of hing or asafetida
Some chopped coriander and green curry leaves.
1 tbsp oil
Salt according to taste
And oil for frying

METHOD:

Soak split green gram in warm water for 30-40 minutes. Wash the dal and drain complete water. Add garlic, ginger, green chili and aniseed and hing to the dal grind in a grinder for a thick paste. Take flour in large bowl; add turmeric, red chili powder, salt, oil, the dal batter and chopped coriander and curry leaves in it. Knead this in soft dough. Cover, let rest at least 1/2 hour, and knead again briefly before rolling out.
Divide into small balls about golf-ball size, and roll out into 6" rounds on an oiled board. Heat oil in a wok or a saucepan and fry the puri one at a time, holding them under the oil on the first side until they puff. Turn and fry till light brown, drain extra oil.
Serve hot n crisp puris with "pittod ka raita" and "aam ki launji".

Ajwain Ki Puri

2008-10-21T00:11:00.000-07:00

AJWAIN KI PURI

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of whole wheat flour
1-2 cups of Luke warm water (use as much you need) to knead the dough
½ tsp of ajwain or carom seeds (also known as bishop’s weed)
¼ tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp oil (used for kneading)
½ tsp salt
And oil for frying

METHOD:

Put all ingredients i.e. wheat flour carom seeds, salt, turmeric and oil in a bowl and mix well. Now add water
Slowly add about warm water, just enough to form a firm dough, and knead till smooth. Cover, let rest at least 1/2 hour, and knead again briefly. If resting more than 1 hour, punch and knead dough again before rolling out.
Divide into small balls about golf-ball size, and roll out into 6" rounds on an oiled board. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan. Add a little salt to the oil to keep it from smoking. Fry the puri one at a time, holding them under the oil on the first side until they puff. Turn and fry till light brown, drain extra oil.
Serve hot n crisp puris.

Karva Chauth

2008-10-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

Phew! Was realy a busy week… thought to update all my recipes but don’t get enough time for it.
So here’s presenting sonal parsai’s Karva Chauth special (I know it is belated, but the recipes here are what I prepared on this karva chauth).
Karva Chauth is a fast undertaken by married Hindu women who offer prayers seeking the welfare, prosperity, well-being, and longevity of their husbands. God, I was just dying from thirst on that day, but my hubby -dears smiling face kept me alive the whole day J.
So the menu for the karva chauth was:

Two types of puri i.e. ajwain or carom seed puri and the moong ki dal or split green gram puri

Dum aloo Kashmiri (my version)

Aam ki or raw mango launji

Pittod ki raita (my hubby’s favorite)

Masala mirichi or stir fried green chili

And kesari phirni or saffron phirni (rice pudding)

Gobi Kurma

2008-10-14T02:44:00.000-07:00

Hi there!! This my first post for this blog. The recipe I am sharing is one of my favorite preparations by my mom. BTW we used to call it “Gobi korma” instead of kurma. I just love to have it with curd and chapatti or rice.
So here is my version of ‘Gobi korma’, will be bit spicy (according to my taste bud), you can make few changes according to yours.

GOBI KURMA

INGREDIENTS:
3 cup grated cauliflower (water drained out)
½ cup grated onion
1 onion finely chopped
2 tsp fresh garlic-ginger paste
1 cup tomato puree
Whole garam masala ( 3 black cardamom , 4-5 cloves, 8-10 pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon combined and freshly ground)
½ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp oil for frying (please use oil generously in this recipe)
1 lemon and coriander for garnish
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat oil in a wide pan, once oil is piping hot add garam masala diluted in some water (yes try this.. I will bring out all flavors of the masala). Stir and cook for 5-10 sec, by the time you will start getting aroma of masala’s added. Now add ginger and garlic paste sauté for a while now add grated onion and stir till it start leaving the oil. Now add tomato puree (remember we have not added salt in this) and stir well, once it start leaving the corners of the pan add dry masala and stir for a while. Add grated cauliflower, and add salt to taste and mix well. Cover it n let it cook for 5-10 minutes. Stir it well in between.
Once it gets completely cooked add some lemon juice and add chopped coriander for garnish (this vegetable can kept in refrigerator for two days and taste even better).