Banana Split

Winter is official over and the summer has just begun. It means we will need loads of cool treats and more energy will be consumed powering fans, air conditioners and fridges. Some years ago I read about Blackle and their effort to save some energy. Inspired by it I have been using shades of black and charcoal grey for websites I build at work. It is high time my blogs needed a change and if so let the change be green err..black. Yes all three blogs, Anna Parabrahma, Swachchanda and Hridaya Vahini now have a charcoal gray background. Gray is such a beautiful canvas for pictures. You don't spend too much time touching up pics that way.

So here is opening up the blog with a new look and to celebrate it come cool off on a sundae not just any but a Banana split.

It is heavenly to dig into a caramelized banana served with scoops of the trio Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. Recently I picked up a combo of Vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips and Chocolate ice cream with chocolate cookies. On its own each one was yummy. I did have crimson freshness in the strawberries that gave me the trigger to create this very special dessert. Though the ice cream is bought out, putting it all together is an art. The hot bananas make the ice cream into puddles of gooey goodness if one is not quick to serve. So here is an all important step...

Tip: The Platter or bowl you plan to serve the banana split in should be chilled for couple of hours. This will help keep the ice cream scoops in shape for a little longer.

Ingredients

Serves 2

Vanilla ice cream (mine had chocolate chips in it)

Chocolate ice cream (mine had Chocolate cookies in it)

Strawberry ice cream / or do what I did

1 big banana

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 big strawberry

1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation: 

1. The platter was in the freezer chilling.

2. Grind the single big strawberry and sugar to get puree. Keep aside.

3. In a non-stick pan add the butter. Peel and cut Banana length wise. This gives the sundae the name Banana split! Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on it and roast till slightly caramelized.

Now quickly in the platter scoop out the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. What I did was, since I did not have strawberry ice cream, I doled out one more scoop of the vanilla and showered it generously with the strawberry puree. 

Next lay the banana next to the triplet ice cream scoops. The hot caramelized bananas get very aromatic and intensify in flavor due to the cooking. Share the platter with family or a dear one. It tastes better.

Traditionally the banana split is also topped with whipped cream, cherries and nuts. I skipped the cream and nuts as I already had chocolate chips and chocolate cookies in the ice cream itself.

The Banana split is not only a visual treat but tastes divine too. Make it when you have kids around and it will be gone in minutes.

Hope you will make it and also do let me know what you think of this new look. I was able to complete the sculpting earlier than I expected.

In this version

1. The header consists of pictures of food I love, is most searched on this blog and which represents my creativity.

2. New pages for...

• Your's lovingly - my first post and welcome note
• Koli Proverbs and Riddles - has moved from the side bar to a page
• I am committed to- has its own page now, these are organizations I feel proud to be associated with and if even a few of my readers think they can share some time, money or interest it will make me happy.

3. Home page will show only the latest post.

4. Below the main post have included The popular posts. Depending on the freshness I would be showing different period ranges.

5. The side bar will continue to have... 

• The copyright declaration
• The links to my other blogs with the title of the latest post
• Labels- explore the various categories, there is something for everyone.

6. The footer consists of the 

• Blog archive
• Conexions - These are blogs of people I know in flesh and bone.
• I am on Networked blogs - lets connect up bloggers
• I am on petitchef too - don't know why though
• On Trail - are my valued followers of this blog.

Brickbats and flowers both are welcome! Your responses are important to me. Keep visiting!!

Sculpting In Progress...

Hello Readers

I will be doing some sculpting to make this blog neat and tidy. While the process is on the blog will be closed from 27th Jan to 1st Feb. Tentatively I plan to reopen it on 2nd Feb.

Appreciate your patience and support.

Love

Steamed Doodhi Ke Kofte

Adapted from Anitha's Mad tea party

These steamed Doodhi Ke Kofte are so handy. I swear by them when you have visitors. You can a prepare them before hand and freeze. Just toss them into a onion tomato paste when you want to make the dish. This time I was generous and splashed it with cream. I am adding a new label for Kofta, check out my other posts.

Psst. I could fry these up and serve as a cousin of Kothimbir vadi with just Varan Bhaat.

Steamed and cubed

Sakkare Pongal

This year I decide that the celebration of Pongal/ Sankrant at my home would be in full South Indian fervor. I was not cutting coconut and jaggery into bits, so my Sankrant was the most breezy one. No tearful making of Tilgul ladoos this year. God knows for how many years I have avoided that on the pretext of non availability of Chikki cha gul! I don't get sticky jaggery here like we get in Mumbai during Sankrant. My Tilgul ladoos have always failed me. My Dad refuses to call me a sugran just because I fail in the crunchy Tilgul ladoo test year on year. Sometimes the ladoo don't bind. Other times they are too hard or chewy. Never the excellent khat khaTit.

Then celebrating the South Indian way is the best way to escape this stigma that my Dad bestows on me. All I do is pressure cook Dal and rice together and make two types of mush. Both turn out delicious specialties and I even get a pat on my back from My two elderly neighbor aunties, never mind if Dad is not impressed. He is atleast satisfied after the meal.

Well though making pongal is really easy peasy, may be putting down this recipe may help someone. So here you go...

Ingredients

1 cup basmati / sona masuri rice

1/2 cup moong dal (yellow split)

3/4 cup crystal sugar / Kal sakkare/ Khadi sakhar

6-7 cloves

1 tablespoon ghee

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

10 roundels of dried figs or handful raisins

15 Almonds sliced

1 teaspoon of ghee for glaze

Wash Dal and rice thoroughly. Pressure cook it with thrice the amount of water. Allow 4 whistles. Let it cool.

Open the lid. In a large pot add ghee and heat. On melting add the cloves. Cut the fig roundels into bits. Fry them in the ghee follow in with the sliced almonds and crystal sugar. Add turmeric for color. Now transfer the cooked dal and rice mix. Add some water to make it possible to mash the pongal with the back of the ladle. It should be creamy yet should allow itself to be scooped up. Once all the sugar dissolves remove from heat. Add a teaspoon of ghee and mix. This imparts the aroma associated with satvic food that is the mark of a festival.

Enjoy it warm as we celebrate the end of winter.

Once again here is my lovely Thali that got me a pat on my back :D from my neighbor aunties.

Khara Pongal Like Adyar Ananda Bhavan

Some time ago my colleague, Seema had invited us for her daughter's birthday party. The catering was sourced from Adyar Ananda Bhavan, popularly called A2B. I had never had their fresh snacks especially the Tamil flavors. I had tried the sweets during Diwali time and did not find them exceptional, my taste buds being pampered by Kailash, Jhama's and American Dryfruits from childhood in Mumbai. Yes I am a snob when it comes to sweets may be. So when Ravi, Anitha's husband recommended that I try the Khara pongal seeing it was not on my plate. I had to try as the recommendation came from a foodie. Also I had not picked it as it looked more like upma than the Karnataka Pongal that I know.

old pic

I did take a scoop which got served like a ball on the plate and was supposed to be enjoyed with sambhar. One morsel and I loved it! The aroma of pure ghee, cumin and asafoetida were awesome. Instantly all my colleagues started teasing me about when I would try it out at home.

It took a while but when I had to make pongal yesterday to celebrate Sankrat I made this lovely Khara pongal just like Adyar Ananda Bhavan. Wonderfully fragrant and starchy satisfaction it did give.

Ingredients

1/2 cup moong dal (yellow split)

1 cup basmati/ sona masuri rice or rice rava

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

10-15 pepper corns

1 tablespoon ghee

salt to taste

In a pressure cooker wash the dal first. Then add the rice and wash thoroughly. Once washed add 2-3 glasses of water and cook for 4 whistles. Put off heat and let it cool. 

After the pressure cooker is opened. Prepare the tadka. Heat ghee till smoking point add the cumin and fry till brown and aroma permeates the atmosphere be careful not to char. Add the pepper corns and asafoetida. Now add the tadka to the cooked dal and rice mix. Mash with the back of the ladle till you get a rava like consistency. To achieve this add little water or more ghee. The pongal should resemble upma and allow to be scooped and served in a mudde or ball.

Serve this hot pongal with sambhar, I made Vangi/ Badnekai Sambhar to go with it. Even if pongal means baby food to most just try this one it is a very satisfying meal.

Shubh Makar Sankrat! and Pongal!

This year was completely South Indian style celebration at home.

clockwise : Tilgul, Haldi Kunku, Dahale pud, Khadi sakhar, Sugarcane, Vangi Sambhar, Sakkare pongal, Khara pongal and Bananas

Paneer Tomato Insalata Indian Ooh!

ET's Insalata Caprese gets adapted to  Paneer Tomato Insalata Indian Ooh!

I saw this salad on ET's and it was the first time I succumbed instantly. The comments on that post are proof. I took this long to post as this picture is not good and no where near the visuals of a fresh Paneer and Tomato on a plate sprinkled with dried Rosemary and sea salt. It looked terribly delicious when I made it. 

Later I was attending a work related Summit at the elegant ITC Royal Gardenia when I got to taste the real Insalata Caprese and I identified this salad with the name, my friends were highly impressed as the card just said tomato salad. 

Now that I am educated about the real one let me tell you the nuances. 

1. Paneer though I used Malai is lite where as the Mozarella in the Caprese lingers on the tongue making you feel gooey rich. Love it both ways.

2. Rosemary in the dry form is intense in flavor so the right amount of sprinkles makes it a success. Fresh Basil marries tomato so really well like they are made for each other.

3. I used sea salt, must try ET's Himalayan Pink which she recommends.

4. The drizzle of olive oil makes it really delightfully glazed.

Thumbs up for this one ET!

Bel Phal and Nectar

Bel phal is called Wood apple in English. Many times as a child I have seen my mother use certain fruits that  she associated with her childhood and she enjoyed them in different forms. I never ventured near some of them. Bel phal is one such fruit. It is the first time 2-3 weeks ago I saw wood apple in the supermarket and picked it up for experiments. I knew I could make a chutney or a drink. Chutney would go waste if it smelt strong I thought so the safest was a drink. We can always dilute drinks right!

Now after bringing it home the fruit lay in the tray for weeks. I was seeing it every day and was very sure I would have to throw it out. However this one is a tough nut, literally and metaphorically. It has a hard woody shell. It does not go bad so easily. I used a pestle to break it open just like a coconut. The pulp was ripe brown and very aromatic with a very faint fruity sourness. This fruit is know to be a cure for all ailments of the digestive system.

I went to my bookshelf and referred to "Annapoorna" by Mangala Barve. It gave a recipe that I knew I would atleast like if not love. Enumerating it here for you.

Ingredients

1 bel phal / wood apple

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

2-3 cardamoms powdered

1/2 teaspoon pepper powder

Juice of 1 lime

More water to make the drink

After breaking the fruit with a spoon scoop out the pulp. In a steel box put the pulp and add sugar. Mix it a bit add a cup of water. Close the box and put it in the fridge. The sugar will dissolve over a couple of hours and will make the fibrous pulp easy to extract. The fibrous pulp has a lot of seeds embedded in it. To remove the seeds the pulp has to be strained through a mesh. 

Pour the pulp in a juice strainer and press it down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Tap the strainer a bit to remove all the pulp. Spice up the drink with powdered cardamom seeds and pepper powder. Add the   lime juice to impart a freshness. Now this pulp can be refrigerated and used when needed. 

To serve in a glass take thick pulp and top up with chilled water. Adjust the consistency of the drink as you like. I wanted to consume all of it so made just three glasses of the juice. It was very thick hence you can call it Bel Nectar!

Tomato Rasam in a jiffy

I woke up late today and after all the vacuuming, went for a bath and then Satyanarayan Uncle knocked the door. It was after a long time that Satyanarayan Uncle visited us today when I was at home. Normally he visits Dad when I am at work. He has been a sweet friend to my Dad ever since we came to this side of Blr. We talked for couple of hours with him and suddenly realized it is 2 o'clock. He had to go home for lunch and so did we have to still cook ours. I could rustle up just Tomato rasam and rice in 20 mins with papad on the side, I told Dad.

I washed the rice in the small cooker and added enough water for the rice to cook well just slightly soft to be mash-able with rasam. The rice should be able to absorb rasam for the true taste. Rasam and rice is soupy slurpy and full of cheer always.

There are many types of rasam. This one is the quickest of all and is utterly bursting with flavors. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients

2 cups fine chopped ripe juicy tomatoes

1 green chili split

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 handful fine chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon ghee

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1 heaped teaspoon rasam powder

salt to taste

1 small piece of jaggery as per taste

To begin heat the ghee in a small vessel. Splutter the mustard and cumin seeds. Sprinkle the asafoetida. When aromatic add the curry leaves. Follow in with green chili, tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Mix the rasam powder and increase heat. On high heat let every thing bubble and tomatoes crumble into a nice paste. Add salt and jaggery and top up with 0.5 litre of water. Let is boil vigorously. Switch of the gas when you find the liquid thickening a bit. The consistency is thin with chunky tomatoes floating in it along with the herbs.

Serve steaming hot with rice from a just opened pressure cooker for truely enjoying a hot meal. I served with a roasted papad and a banana for dessert. It seemed so complete.

Choco Peanut Butter Frosting for Dry Fruit Cake

Everyone is baking cakes, cookies and muffins. There is merriment everywhere whether they are celebrating Christmas or no. My blog was quite as I din't do any of it. Then today I found this in the drafts. No this was not to celebrate Christmas but to celebrate the cravings of a mother to be.

I made a basic dry fruit cake like here excluding the chocolate layer: Polka Dots Cake For The BC Fighters 

The Frosting is something new. I don't like rich frosted cakes. So most times I make cakes with fruit puree frosting or serve with compote. Since this one was for a special treat I decided to make a Choco Peanut butter frosting. 

Ingredients.

1 cup of pure peanut butter (Navadarshanam)

1/2 cup powder sugar

1/4 cup milk or cream

1/2 cup Cadbury's Cocoa powder

In a bowl add all ingredients and whisk till sugar dissolves. It is a lip smacking frosting. Pour it over a completely cooled cake.

I carried the frosting in a bottle and then dressed the cake just before cutting. The smile on the expectant mother's face was very rewarding.

A Christmas Cheer for Everyone!!

Tonight, on the Christmas Eve,

Something makes me believe,                                                            

You get more, the more you give,

Happiness… So let's re-live,

Our moments… As we move on,

To step in a new horizon,

Let’s open our hearts,

To take a chance to re-start,

To share the love on our parts,

Just kick start and learn the art,

Don't expect…Just be there,

Show you care for your loved ones,

Show you're there, when they need...

Rise above caste and creed,

Rise above lust and greed,

And all that you disagreed,

Bring it on, be the light,

Make everything be alright,

So tonight, celebrate, Feel the joy, levitate,

As we wait… for the man,

With the white beard,

Riding sleigh pulled by reindeers,

He’ll be here… Three cheers!

So tonight, on the Christmas Eve,

What will you get, what will you give?

- By Nikhil Wange (musician+ more)

The Jilebi Experiment

I used this recipe. I wanted to use what ever ingredients I had in the pantry for this experiment. I was not at all confident that Jilebi could be made so easily.

Though they turned out very crisp and was flat as the circles sat at the bottom of the frying pan, I still feel confident that I will improve my skills the next time.

Paneer Masala Sub Sandwich

 

Protein Packed Lunch

Last few weeks there was a conference to attend and some roaming around to be done between offices. Which meant I was eating out a lot. I did not have the slightest inclination to make lunch and carry along with me. On one such day I thought this Paneer Masala sub sandwich will be a quick thing to make and delicious treat for lunch. Packing it like a pro in a cling film added some glamor to this simply tasty sandwich, not that it needed it.

What I did was

Ingredients

2 sub breads
50 gms of paneer sliced into chunky strips
2 onions chopped rough
2 tomatoes quartered
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kitchen king masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste

Heat oil and crackle the mustard and cumin to fragrant stage. Fry the onion till pink. Turn on high heat and add the tomatoes. Fry till they meld in. Add the spice powder and salt, give a stir. Last add the paneer strips. Cook for 2-3 mins and put off  the heat. Cover and let all the flavors unify.

Now if you are eating right away slice through the middle and toast the sub breads. Fill them up will the Paneer masala. Take a bite or if its for lunch then pack it like I did in a cling film, twist the ends like a sweet so there is no leaking of the masala. Pack it in a carry bag with some tissue paper. You will need to wipe your mouth after the lipsmacking, won't you?

Kacha KeLa ANi KeLphul

I have never cooked or tasted Oriya food, don't know how different it is from the Maharashtrian but this curry is inspired from here.

In Mumbai, in meat eating homes it is a tradition to bring home fresh Ladi-pav and Brun from the nearby bakery to celebrate a sunday with chicken / mutton curry. When we were still not a completely vegetarian family, 1/4 century ago, when Mom made the rare chicken curry in the afternoons it would be accompanied with rice roti and rice but in the evening, she would check with everyone naram pao or kadak pao? Then she'd total up and order me and my brother out sending us to the Irani Bakery. We would carry a big cloth bag for it and remind the guys at the bakery counter not to wrap the paos in paper. This kept them soft and sweat free.

Today's curry reminded me of those days. Now you will ask I should have gone down and bought some pao. The paos here are not authetic as in Mumbai but rather sweetish soft buns just shaped like pao. Next time I make this curry I am going to bake my own.

This curry is a worth the place of a sunday special. The tender vegetables are flavored robustly with the garlic, ginger and garam masala. The splash of lime make it finger licking fresh.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup segments of KeLphul / banana flower

1-2 cups Raw Banana, peeled and cubed

2 tomatoes chopped fine

2 small onions chopped fine

1 green chili

1/2 teaspoon Kanda Lasun Masala(Buy it here)or garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon garlic crushed

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoon oil

salt to taste.

2 teaspoon lime juice

First clean the KeLphul. Open the calyx and separate the flowers. Remove the stigma as seen in the above picture. Wash and pat dry.

Heat oil. Fry the cumin seeds till fragrant. Add the bay leaf. Now add the fine chopped onions. Fry till reddish. Add the tomatoes and green chili. Follow in with all the spices, turmeric, Kanda lasun chatni, crushed ginger and garam masala. Fry on high heat till oil is released. Now add the raw banana cubes. Mash the banana flowers in the mortar and pestle so as to tenderize it but do not make a paste. It should be coarse. Add the mashed flowers to the gravy and stir well on high. Now add about a glass and a little more of water. Cover and cook till raw banana is cooked and soft. The gravy would have thickened a bit. Salt it and stir. Let it cook for another 5 mins and put off the heat. Cover and let it cool for 10-15 mins. Lastly add the lime juice and give it a stir. 

We enjoyed this curry with rotli but next time it will be pao! The vegetarians will like it for the heartiness. Just warning you meat eaters that this is not a Vashat curry at all, yet delicious all the way!

P.S: Thank God I did not make a Thoran with it!

Khaja And Its Many Avatars

When I was a kid the only hotels rather eateries in Thal were Vilas's and that opposite the Marathi primary school. Nathuram, my grand aunt's brother doted over me and Neelam, we called him "Natya Baba". While our parents hated that he took us there to give us a treat, we actually enjoyed it. I had never tasted Khaja in Mumbai, so for me it had a special reference as a village sweet and vacations there.

This sweet was never ever tried at our home and I thought it must be a big deal to make it. Thanks to the blogging world we are preserving our heritage and rediscovering our sweet making skills as a society. Thank you generous Rak's for the Badusha tutorial. You inspired me to make it. Just the statement that "My mom makes very often,if some relatives visit us or if we were visiting them,then she will make this in a jiffy" got me going.

What is interesting is how this same recipe is used to make a sweet with different name in different states in India is interesting and each one shapes them uniquely. 

The Khaja is round doughnut like slightly smaller than a medu vada. It has a hole in the center and the sugar syrup coating is crystalline white. Here I have used the same sugar syrup for all the types though. Khaja is popular in the northern and central region of India.

The Tosha is oblong in shape and I learnt about it when we started frequenting Jhama's the Shindhi sweet specialists in Chembur.

Badusha was on the menu of most Thali meals in Blr at work and I'd wonder what it was. One fine day I did try it and exclaimed that it is Khaja of course from my childhood. Badusha is a little more pretty than the Khaja or Tosha when it is made with the frill like we do for the Karanji. The simpler or hurried Badusha is just a ball pressed like a peda with a small crater in the center.

By any name it is a sweet with mild sugar notes, laced with ghee layers. The crunchiness enscones the flaky yet soft insides. The clove tucked in it imparts a nice spice fragrance.

Ingredients

1.5 cups Maida/All purpose flour

1/4 cup Ghee

1/8 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

1.5 teaspoon Curd

1/2 teaspoon Eno /fruit salt
(OR any leavening agent like 2 pinches soda bicarb or 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.)

1/4 cup Water

Oil for deep frying

For Syrup:

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 Water

1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder

a squeeze of Lemon Juice

In a big bowl measure out the all purpose flour. Add the sugar and leavening agent, ghee and oil. Rub in the fat into the flour to get a crumble. Add the curd. Mix. Lastly add the water and knead the dough into a smooth ball. Keep aside till you get the syrup ready.

In a saucepan add sugar and water and boil till you get one string consistency syrup. Squeeze some lime to prevent crystallization of sugar. Finally put off the heat and mix in the ground cardamom powder.

Divide the dough into about a dozen balls. Flatten the ball into a disc and pinch the edges thiner between your thumb and first finger. Give it a nice frill like you do for a Karanji. Dress it up by inserting a clove in the center. Keep aside.

For the Tosha roll the ball into an oblong between your palms. Flatten the end by tapping on the counter.


The Khaja is the simplest flatten the dough ball and with you thumb make a hole in the middle.


If you just flatten into disc and create a slight depression in the center like a little crater it is a design for a simple Badusha.


Now take enough oil and heat on medium. Fry all the shapes on medium till golden and flaky. You will know its flaky as it will pop a crease on the surface.


Lastly dip it in the sugar syrup to glaze it. Remove one by one on a serving plate. Let it cool into a crunchy sweet and flaky delight inside.

I loved making this recipe and it lives up to the promise of cooking it up in a jiffy give it a try, you must!

Badusha goes to Blog Bites 9: The Holiday Buffet hosted by Nupur

Mogri nu Shaak

I would attribute my families love for trying new vegetables to our neighborhood Bora Bazaar in Fort, Mumbai as much as to our neighbors, the Rajputs.

Mogri was introduced to us by Kaki, on one of those days when the fresh vegetables were brought in Kavads by the Vasaikars. This was 25yrs ago. It is a rarity to see those scenes now in the midst of Mumbai. My Mom came home with a huge mound of beans. She was so excited and told us that they were not tender Farasbi/ French beans but Radish pods! Radish Pods we gasped! Had anyone seen Radish pods! 

I felt the same excitement and it was the same scene flash forward 25 yrs, in Total Mall, Blr. Me and Seema had lunch there and were shopping for green groceries. We spotted this really tender mound of beans. Both of us fascinated by its freshness and tenderness. On reading the name plate which said "Mungori" I almost exclaimed to her that these were indeed Mogri in Gujarati!

I picked carefully a 1/4 kg and stocked it up for a weekend meal. This recipe I am sharing here is my own though I did research for it on the net and found these two.

Mogri @Healthy Indian Recipes 

Moongre ki subzi @ A Mad Tea Party

I decided to do it my own way. Taking a clue from Anitha I decided to make it less oogra. I like new flavors but not strong ones. I was playing safe as I had no memory of the taste from the past.

So here is my intuitive twist. I just read that old comment on that post and may be Anita might find this twist a way to lure that anti oogra camp and actually win them over. 

Ingredients

1/4 kg Mogri

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 small potato

1 tablespoon roasted peanut powder

2 teaspoons grated dry coconut

1/2 teaspoon Kanda Lasun Masala(Buy it here)

handful of chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon oil

Heat oil in the wok. Add cumin and mustard seeds. Just as they crackle add the broken and  washed Mogri. The pungency of the Mogri will hit your nose. Then grate the small potato into nice shreds to compliment the beans and add to the wok. Add the Kanda Lasun chatni, turmeric powder. Cover and cook for a while. Sprinkle the salt and cover. Let it cook in the juices. The color of the beans gets denser on cooking. Once half done add the peanut powder and grate the dry coconut over it, about 2 teaspoons. Stir and mix. Let the Shaak cook for another 5 mins till the potato is cooked. Now mix in the cilantro. Switch of the heat. 

Meanwhile roll out thin rotlis and puff them up to perfection on the open flame. Serve hot with Mogri nu Shaak. I bet you are going to love it for its fresh flavors. What does it taste like? The texture is like mature spring onions, sharp taste yet masked a lot by the spicing and potato. The potato shreds go so well with the broken pods. My proportions are light but if you prefer more spice then up the amount of Kanda lasun chatni, we don't have a stomach for it.

This weekend I am experimenting with new ingredients and I am excited about sharing here, keep a watch. Happy weekend!

Nellikayi Chitranna

Nellikayi Chitranna a wellness shot for the season

Amlaki/ Amla/ Avala/ Nellikayi/ Indian Gooseberry  is that potent fruit that is revered in Ayurved, that can be used for general wellness and also to cure many health problems. Incase you already know go ahead and try this recipe. If you don't loose your ignorance here.

source: http://www.tropicalfruitandveg.co.uk

I hate to go to the doctors and for small ailments I never do take treatment. Allopathy for me is a need only for acute illnesses and overnight cures. For chronic ailments my choice is Homeopathy and for wellness it is our own Ayurved and all allied sciences and therapies. I owe no loyalty to any single pathy. I choose the one most needed depending on the ailment, symptom and timeline I want it cured.

I am fortunate that I know my body pretty well and have been fortunate that my response to my body is careful and quick and have not gone to a doctor in years for treatment except for a recent full body check up. Also I do not trust doctors easily. In Blr I don't have a doctor at all, I have been here long enough and have been able to maintain my health purely on my observation of the reactions of my body and curing the  symptoms myself with a little knowledge of homeopathy that I have. 

Nellikayi Chitranna is a recipe for wellness especially for the winters. My way of making this special rice with Amla is using it raw. Raw is always better though Amla retains its goodness on cooking and preservations too. In Mumbai we either ate raw Amla or as supari or sometimes as a sherbet. Its only after coming to Blr I learnt you could include it in your cooking. So instead of popping pills for fever, cold and stuff that accompanies the cold season I have started making it a habit to make Nellikayi Chitranna once a week at our home. 

Ingredients

0.5 cup grated Amla

1 teaspoon urad dal

0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds

few curry leaves

1 teaspoon mashed ginger

2 green chilies or more

handful of cilantro

1 table spoon oil

1 cup raw rice

0.25 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ghee

salt to taste

First in a pressure cooker put the rice and wash it well. Now add the turmeric powder, salt and ghee, top up with 2.5 cups water . Close the lid and cook for 2 whistles. Let is cool. Pour out the rice into a big bowl and fluff it up with a fork. 

Then prepare the ogarane/ phodni/ tadka. In a tadka bowl heat the oil, fry the urad dal till golden, splutter the mustard seeds, add the curry leaves, green chili and ginger, finally add the grated gooseberry. Stir once and immediately pour this over the rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Mix well with a fork.

Serve it immediately or enjoy it later. It still tastes amazing. This raw grated Amla imparts it flavor, slightly bitter  at the tip of the tongue but a delayed sweet flavor in the back of your mouth is what the rice is all about. Enjoy and stay healthy with Nellikayi Chitranna or Gooseberry Fluffy rice if translated!

Rajasthani Gajak

Khaugiri you are right it is Rajasthani Gajak! Yay!! 

Rajasthani Gajak is not your chikki. It is as thin as paper and only a single layer of sesame seed embedded in the crystalized candied sugar! It is the elite class of Indian candy flavoured with cardamom powder and thin slices of nuts like almond and pista bejewelling it. Wonderful treat for the winter from the desert of Rajasthan and can be placed on an elevated place among desserts.

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Ramya and Manasi  you are spot on, it is an ipod dock with a FM radio! 


You guessed it right!! Congrats to Khaugiri, Ramya and Manasi !!!


Thank you everyone for playing along.

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.