Two Guesses...Come On... Tell me...

This is a gift from a dear friend Gurunath Kulkarni. Anyone knows what it is called? It hails from the deserts, pun intended!

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Guess what this is? Has anyone brought home something so garish just because it cost less than a sober color. It does not go with anything else at home, our's is an almost ethnic home!

Batate Song

Why is this called a song? Is it a gana or is it pretending (Marathi : song). None. It is a very rustic flavor, appeals to the heart. It compliments a very simple meal like Khichadi. My tray was divine with this trio of Batate Song, Khichadi and Shevayi Kheer.

Ashwini has been away very long but her blog is still an inspiration. Her pictures are so alluring. This Batate song had first attracted me in her post, A 'song' for JFI Chillies.

Then recently it made an appearance again on   Aayi's recipes Potato in coconut curry(Batate Song)

On one Sunday this became our meal.

This goes to One hot stove's Blog Bites 9: The Holiday Buffet 

Ingredients

2-3 Boiled potatoes

1 onion diced fine

2 teaspoon oil
salt to taste

The masala

3-4 red Byadgi chilies

1 marble sized ball of tamarind

1-2 tablespoon fresh grated coconut

Dry roasted chilies and coconut till nutty in the wok. Then ground the chilies, tamarind and coconut with a little water into a paste.

Then fried the onions till pinkish and slightly caramelizing. Add the boiled potatoes at this point. I skinned and cubed them. Salt the dish. Cover and cook for 5 mins. Then add the masala and cook for another 5-7 mins. It is ready to serve. 

When using bolied potatoes make sure you use well cooked ones. Since we use tamarind in the masala paste the potato cubes shrink and become tight. Cooking them further after adding the tamarind paste is not possible. Goes well with a maincourse that is bland and makes even a simple khichadi enjoyable with Batate Song for company.

Shevayi Kheer

Shevayi Kheer, Khichadi 

and something something (I plan to send as an event entry...)

Shevayi Kheer, we love it but in our joint family we rarely made it for Naivedya, don't know why? While we lived in Tata Colony in Chembur one of Mothe Baba's colleagues always sent over a large glass bowl of Sheer Kurma on the occassion of Id. It is the samething you will agree but may be richer. Some how only Mothe Baba ate it none of us ever tasted it. As kids we were pretty finicky about our food if we were not introduced to it at home first. I think most times we would make Sweet Shevayi for Holi as is tradition in Colaba, will talk about it some time later.

I think it is only me who started making Shevayi kheer in the family. BTW in my family we never were kheer lovers. I can't say that now as I am in Payasam country. There is a payasam for every occassion here  in the  south. Here is where my love for Shevayi kheer blossomed I must say. Sapna my young SIL seems to think I love it a lot so she makes it without fail when I visit home. Yes this week I was in Mumbai and she made it yet again. Well I am now bored of it and promise not to make it anytime soon. Before going home I had made it for Dad on Dasara day. I wanted it to have a creamy consistency and color. I achived the consistency well but when I tried using jaggery to give it the extra special color the milk split :P :(

So there was Shevayi kheer the next sunday too just to assure myself that I am capable of making a lipsmaking kheer. Don't believe me then go try it, here is the recipe. Oh there are many on the net but won't you try mine?

Ingredients

1/2 cup Roasted Shev

1 litre milk

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ghee

4-5 cardamoms

handful cashew nuts

handful golden raisins

First in a large heavy bottom vessel fry the dry fruits in ghee. Remove and keep aside.

Roast the shev in the same ghee till it is darker shade than the bought out. Don't char it though. Now add the milk and let the shevayi cook till soft. Keep stirring and keep a watch on the milk to avoid spill over. Pick up the shevayi on the spoon and press a few strands with your fingers to ensure they are completely cooked. The milk would have thickened quite a bit. Boil further till it coats the back of the spoon inserted in it. It should be lucious. Now add the sugar and let it dissolve. Keep stirring to avoid lumping at the bottom. 

Finally add the dryfruits and pounded cardamom seeds, mix well. Serve in a colorful bowl to add a festive cheer to it as this is a white dessert Slurp it up in unison with friends and family, and celebrate the season.

DivaLichya Happy Walya Shubhechya !!!

(These lamps are painted by Sujal, my nephew)

Shimla Mirch Patal Bhaaji

A lunch of Shimla Mirchi Patal Bhaaji, Poli, Phanas Ambode, Karlyachya Kachrya

I was quite bored with the coconut masalas and curd based gravies. It was one of those days you wonder what will make you like the food you cook. Especially when you have to cook small quantities. Our everyday food is really simple with no accompaniments like you see here of Phanas Ambode or Karlyachya Kachrya. It is always just plain chapati bhaaji or Dal rice, both together decorates our plates only on the weekend. Most times when I cook a full meal it is for both times morning and evening. It is such a pain cooking for 2 people who eat like 1.5 people on an average day!

This bhaaji is one we can actually make in a quantity one needs with just 1 or two Shimla Mirch and a Potato. 

Ingredients

2 Shimla Mirch/ Capsicum

2 boiled potatoes

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon red chili powder

0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

0.5 teaspoon amchur powder

salt to taste.

pinch of sugar

Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add the capsicum and fry for two mins. In the mini grinder jar add sesame seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and give it a whiz just to crush them but not too fine. Add this masala to the bhaaji. Fry to make it aromatic. Add the red chili powder and turmeric.

Now add the boiled potatoes. Crush with the back of the spoon. Add water to it and let the bhaaji simmer for 10 mins. Once it all comes together and the bhaaji looks thick add the amchur powder and  salt. Balance the tang with a pinch of sugar.

This bhaaji goes best with any type of rotis.