Rice Chakkuli

Chakkuli, Chakli, Chakralu are all the different names for the same snack called murukku. There are varieties of chakkuli meaning many variations in the recipe - some use urad dal, rice, sago, fried gram, wheat flour, besan, etc. All of them have their unique flavor and texture!

My childhood memories go back to the Krishna Janmashtami where my mom used to make these delicious chakkulis. As a kid, the significance of this festival was only about many tindis  I would get to munch on. Excitement would build up when one of our neighbors - tamil pati would hand over her thali for us - view of those delectable dishes makes me drool even now :) - ghee appam, sweet seedai, salt seedai, tengol, nippattu, sweet poha and the list goes on. Believe me, the taste that these dishes have on that particular day is so unique maybe because we get them as prasadam from the lord - a gracious gift!
So here we decided to try one of the series of Gokulashtami tindis and it vanished in no time in our tindi poti family :))!

Ingredients
Rice flour fine - 2 1/2 Cup
Butter softened - 2 tbsp
Pinch of hing
Sesame - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Ajwain - 1 tsp
Kashmiri lal mirch - 1/4 tsp
Roasted gram dal/putani - 1/2 Cup
Salt to taste
Water to knead
Oil for frying

Method

• In a large bowl, place the rice flour, butter, hing, sesame, jeera, ajwain, salt, chilli powder.
• Grind the roasted gram dal into a fine powder.
• Add this powder to the above bowl with other ingredients. Mix well.
• Add water as needed and mix it, knead well to a soft dough. 
• Using a chakli maker, press the dough into a spiral shape onto a butter paper.
• Seal the ends so that they don't separate while deep frying.
• Take one chakkuli at a time and slide it into the hot oil.
• Flip the chakkulis and fry them on medium flame until crispy on both sides.
• Drain them on a kitchen roll to remove excess oil.
• Crispy chakkulis are ready to be served with hot chai or coffee!

Ragi Phulkas

Rotis, Chapatis, Phulkas are all inherent parts of the Indian diet. They are power-packed with energy - a good source of fiber too. It keeps you full for longer and thus can handle your hunger pangs so we prefer rotis over rice. Thus we keep trying variety here - Ragi roti, akki roti, thalipeet, jowar roti, etc.

Ragi roti is a nutritious way of eating Ragi or finger millet if one struggles to swallow the ragi mudde. Ragi is more healthy especially for diabetics as it's gluten-free and rich in Calcium + iron! I can't say it's easy to make - but yes once you get a hang of rolling and carefully lifting the rotis its definitely easy :).

Ingredients
Ragi flour - 1 Cup
Water - 1 Cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1tsp

Method

• Heat water in a thick bottomed vessel. Bring this to boil.
• Next add salt and oil. Mix well.
• Then reduce the heat to low, add the ragi flour and mix well so that no lumps are formed.
• Transfer this onto a thali/plate. Let it cool a bit so that you can handle the dough.
• knead well to form a firm and smooth dough. If required grease your hands with some oil.
• Take a small portion of the dough and roll out using a rolling pin. You can use ragi flour for dusting.
• Roll it gently so that it doesn't stick to the rolling pin nor the board.
• Place this on a heated tava.
• Flip both sides and once you see those small bubbles on the roti, start pressing the roti with a cloth or a spatula. It will puff up like a poori.
• Serve hot with ghee or butter and choice of your subji.

Mexican Madness!

There are times when I feel lazy to make a proper meal and that's the time for quick Quesadillas :)! 

Quesadillas are basically a Mexican dish but somewhere read that long time ago Spanish brought their dairy products into to Mexico and hence the Mexicans turned up a cheesy dish out of it called Quesadillas. Queso in Spanish means cheese and  Queso + tortillas became Quesadillas!

Original Quesadillas are simply grilled tortillas with melted cheese sandwiched in it.
But we prefer whole-grain tortillas along with some veggies + lots of cheese to make it enticing and delicious :). And the speedy meal is ready in less than 10 minutes too!

Ingredients
Whole grain flour tortilla - 10
Butter for brushing the tortillas
Grated cheese of your choice (i use cheddar) - 2 Cups
Sweetcorn kernels - 1 Cup
Green / Red Peppers finely chopped - 1
Onions finely chopped - 1
Green chilies finely chopped - 1
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp 

Paprika - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

• Heat oil in a pan, add chilies, Onions and saute for a few minutes.
• Then add all the other veggies and saute for a minute or two.
• Add salt, paprika, and pepper powder and mix well. Transfer this into a bowl.
• Once this cools, add the Cheese.
• Heat the tava and brush some butter.
• To prepare the quesadilla - spread the veggie mixture on 1 roti and top it with extra cheese (if you want to make it stretchy and cheesy) and cover this with another roti.
• Place this on the hot buttered tava and roast on low flame.
• Flip it over and roast until golden brown.
• Cut it into the desired shape and serve hot with Salsa.

Veg Manchurian

Our summer holidays used to be with reading books, visiting book stores, borrowing books from a library, or cursive writing (popularly termed as copywriting) and not to forget storytelling. Of course along with all the playtime and cooking experiments etc :).

Now we have transferred that love for books to our kids! And we buy books quite frequently. But when the lockdown came in, we started looking out for other options to get access to the reading material. We were amazed to see the hidden world out there - audiobooks, documentaries, etc. But nothing can beat the thrill of holding a book and reading it none the less still enjoyed the online version.

With this, our older one loves storytelling and the younger one is an ardent listener to her brother. He comes up with all the audio/visual effects and makes it enjoyable. They go on and on whether its a mythological or a fairytale. We felt this comes naturally to a few of them - just let go of yourself and not self-conscious, you can tell a story. I guess that's how our folktales and other traditional stories came up. Especially when you don't have access to books, storytelling becomes a sharing of quality.
Technology is for now but when sharing happens it's for life! "This is the best investment we can make for our kids".

And thus, a time for virtual cuddle ups - introduced my son for story writing on https://radiancestories.blogspot.com/ and he is enjoying penning down the tales in his own words.

Ingredients
For Manchurian balls
Carrot grated - 1
Cabbage shredded - 5 tbsp
Spring Onions chopped - 5 tbsp
Onions finely chopped - 1/2
Ginger garlic grated - 1 tsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Plain flour/Maida - 2 tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Oil for deep frying

For gravy
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ginger grated - 1 inch
Garlic grated - 3 cloves
Green chillies slit - 1
Spring Onion chopped - 4 tbsp
Onion finely chopped - 1/2
Capsicum sliced - 1/2
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1 1/4 Cup

For slurry
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Water - 1/4 cup

Method

• In a large bowl, place the Carrots, Cabbage, Onions, Spring Onions, Ginger, and Garlic.
• Next, add the Salt and Chilli sauce. Mix well.
• Further, add Maida and Corn flour and mix well. Form this into a soft dough.
• Now shape the dough into small balls and deep fry them on medium heat until golden brown in colour.
• Drain them on a kitchen towel and keep it aside.
• In another large wok, heat oil and saute the ginger-garlic, chilies and spring onions.
• Add Onions and stir fry on high flame.
• Next to this add the capsicum and further stir fry.
• Then add the Soya sauce, vinegar, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, pepper powder, and salt. Stir fry making sure all the sauces are combined well.
• To this add the water and boil on medium heat.
• Now, in another small bowl, mix together the cornflour and water to form a smooth paste.
• Add this to the above gravy and continue to boil until the gravy thickens and is glossy.
• Add in the fried veg manchurian balls and remaining spring onions and mix well.
• Veg Manchurian is ready to be served with fried rice!

Crispy Bhindi

Crispy bhindi is a delicious dish made differently from the normal method. 

Bhindi is one of our favourite vegetable and holds most dear position on our cooking :)! We love anything to do with this ladyfinger - gojju, palya, majjige huli, pakoda etc With each variety boasting its flavour it would be unfair to choose one over the other. So we did complete justice to this appetizing dish flavoured with some peanuts and cashews to give a crackling effect! Here's what we did for crispy bhindi...

Ingredients
Bhindi washed, wiped and chopped - 2 Cups
Oil for deep frying
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Garlic pods - 4
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Cashews split - a handful
Curry leaves - a handful or more
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Dry Mango Powder / amchur - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Heat oil in a pan, deep fry all the bhindi on medium flame until crisp. Drain them on a kitchen towel and keep it aside.
• Deep fry the curry leaves, cashews and peanuts separately until they become crisp and slight dark in colour. Drain them on the kitchen towel.
• Heat oil in another pan, add the mustard seeds, dals, Haldi, hing and Garlic pods.
• To this add the fried Bhindis, nuts and the curry leaves.
• Toss it with some salt, chilli powder and amchur powder.
• Mix well and ready to be served as a starter/ snack or even a side dish!

 

Pita Bread

Pita bread is a Meditteranean cuisine.

We love the falafels and hummus combo + fresh Salad with Pita pockets. They are so compact and easy to hold/ carry - makes a perfect protein-filled lunchbox meal!
It's a very straight forward recipe and comes out best when homemade :). Watching them puff on the tava or in the Oven is a culinary magic at its best :):)! Here's what we did to get those fluffy pockets....

Ingredients
Warm water - 1 Cup
Active dry yeast - 1/2 tsp
All-purpose flour - 2 Cups
Whole wheat flour - 3/4 Cup
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 Tbsp
Olive Oil - 2 tsp

Method

• Firstly, take the water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Mix well and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast gets activated.
• In another large bowl, add the flours, Salt, Olive Oil. Mix well.
• To this add the yeast water and mix well until a shaggy dough is formed.
• Transfer this on a clean work surface. Sprinkle some flour on the surface and knead the dough until smooth for about 6-8 minutes.
• Next coat the mixing bowl with a thin layer of Olive Oil, set the dough in the bowl and turn it until its coated with the Oil.
• Cover this with a clean cloth or a plastic wrap and keep it aside for 1-2 hours or until the dough has risen double the size.
• Gently deflate the dough and transfer it on a floured surface.
• Divide the dough into equal size balls and gently flatten each ball into a thick disk.
• Sprinkle some more flour on the disks and cover and keep aside.
• Using a rolling pin, roll the disks into 6-inch circles with about a 1/4 inch thickness.
• Sprinkle the flour as needed.
• Let this final shaped dough rest for 2-30 minutes or until slightly risen.
• Heat the skillet on medium-high heat.  
• Drizzle a bit of Oil on the skillet, place the rolled out Pita on the skillet and bake for about 30 seconds until you see some bubbles. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side.
• Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast on the other side. The pita should start to puff up by now. (You can press the surface gently to puff up the Pita).
• Keep the cooked Pitas covered with a clean dishcloth while you do the remaining Pitas.
• Soft homemade Pita is ready!

Pitas are best when eaten immediately after cooking. Even if you get Pitas that don't puff, you can tear them into pieces and use them for dipping in hummus

Pineapple Salad

Pineapple Salad is a perfect way to enjoy the summer fruits. It's easy to make and simply delicious!

The sweetness of the Pineapple is balanced out with some pungent garlic + fiery chillies along with Soy Sauce as the dressing. Trust me every time I make this for any get-togethers, we come back every second for this - yes, it's an eye-catcher :)! It's so colourful, the bright yellow of Pineapple and dark green toppings of Coriander leaves draw all your attention to the salad bowl :)).

It's a great dish to choose when you have less time, yet want something tasty to go with your main course! Be it for just your family, a potluck or a BBQ/ parties this dish will surely be a super hit!

Ingredients
Pineapple - 1 chopped into small chunks
Soya Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Garlic grated - 4 cloves
Sugar - 1 tsp
Green chillies finely chopped - 2
Roasted Peanuts deskinned and coarsely crushed - 1/2 Cup
Coriander leaves finely chopped for garnishing - handful (you can garnish with any greens you like - mint, Spring Onion greens)

Method

• Place the pineapple chunks in a large bowl.
• In another small bowl, add the Soya sauce, garlic, chillies, sugar. Mix well and keep it aside.
• Dry roast the peanuts on a Tava.
• Wait for it to cool, then rub the peanuts to deskin them.
• Coarsely crush the peanuts in a grinder.
• Now, add the dressing i.e soya mixture to the Pineapple and mix well.
• Add the Peanuts and greens just before serving.
• Mix well and the crunchy salad is ready to be served!

Shenga Holige

Shenga holige is a north Karnataka dish. Shenga means Peanuts, so its Peanut holige.

We are a family of great liking for sweet-tasting foods. We have been almost following the restrictive lifestyle strictly but failed to social distance from pet pooja :-p.
So we had this ellu bella remaining from Sankranti and got bored of munching them. I thought of a plan to keep my little one occupied and also get over with the mixture. She was happy to separate the peanuts, jaggery and sesame from the mix and made shenga holige with this!

We declare that shenga holige is a healthy dessert free from any extra Oil and full of good cholesterol + Vit and minerals :). So pamper yourself with this irresistible Shenga holige rather than a handful of plain peanuts :))!!!!! Here we go.....

Makes - 
Ingredients

Peanuts roasted - 2 Cups
Sesame roasted - 1/2 Cup
Jaggery - 2 Cups
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Plain flour - 2 Cups
Chiroti Rave / fine semolina - 1/4 Cup
Salt - pinch
Hot Oil - 1 tsp
Water for mixing

Method
For the kanaka (dough)

• In a large bowl, add the Plain flour, Chiroti rave, Salt, Oil, and mix well.
• To this add the Water little by little and mix well to form a dough.
• Let it rest for 3-4 hours.

For the hoorna (filling)

• Grind Peanuts, Sesame, and Jaggery to a powder.
• Place this mixture in a bowl. To this add the Cardamom powder and mix well.
• Add a bit of hot water to the above mixture and mix well to form a dough. (Add the hot water at this stage only if required else just mix the powder and form a dough).

To make the holige

• Take a small portion of the dough, flatten it a bit.
• Take a handful of hoorna and stuff it in the flattened dough.
• Pull the dough from the edges and cover it over the hoorna and make sure you seal it well.
• Dust this in some flour and roll it gently into thin circle.
• Place this on a hot tava and cook on both sides on low flame.
• This doesnt need any Oil on the top as the nuts and sesame Oil is sufficient for cooking it.
• Serve hot with ghee!

Indulgence at its best :)!!!!!!

Curd Paratha/Dahi ke Paratha

Finding your inner peace......When our mind is pure then the joy follows like a shadow that never leaves us. We are so busy with our daily routine, sometimes we tend to miss out on basic acts like being kind, affectionate, gratitude etc.

I think lockdown has taught us a good lesson - nature has its own way of dealing with things and we must honour it. 

We learnt to live every moment as if there was no tomorrow. Many of us get trapped with the past and future - always cribbing about things or planning well ahead.....

Best is to focus on the present - else we will miss out on most of our life. Thankful to be awake every morning - just plan the day, live each day and cherish every moment! 

I hope this will lead us to a meaningful life :)!

So today we knock up another dish here....Curd Paratha and mooli Raita.

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 2 Cups

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies finely chopped - 2

Ginger grated - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves finely chopped - handful

Pudina or mint leaves finely chopped - handful

Pinch of Hing

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Yogurt - 3/4 Cup

Method

• In a large bowl, add all the ingredients other than Yogurt and mix well.
• Next, add the Yogurt little by little and mix well to form a soft but firm dough. Add Water only if needed. Let this rest for at least 10 min.
• Take a small portion of the dough, dust some flour and roll it into thin squares or circles.
• Place this on the hot skillet. Flip once and apply some Oil on both sides.
• Press and cook well on both sides.
• Serve hot with any Raita and Pickle of your choice!

Moolangi Raita / Mooli Raita

Ingredients 

Moolangi grated - 2

Yogurt / Curds - 4 Cups

Greens of the Spring Onions for garnishing - handful

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Kadlebele / Chana dal - 1 tsp

Uddinabele / Urad dal - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Green chillies split - 1

 Method

• Place the Mooli in a bowl.
• To this add the Salt.
• Make the tempering, by heating Oil in a small pan, add mustard, both dals, Cumin seeds, Hing, and Chillies. Let this cool.
• Then add the tempering to the Mooli. 
• To this add Yogurt and mix well.
• Garnish with greens and serve chillied.

 

Happy Cooking!!!!

Paneer Paratha

Gaming is such an addiction - be it a 12yr or a 6yr old, both can play the same video game. Yes, believe it or not, they both are going crazy with the shooting...

Video games these days are so advanced that, they look so natural and very close to as though a person playing on the screen.

My son always argues that it improves one's motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and logical thinking. We also have a few traditional games and board games which have made it to the screens.

But whatever said and done the effect of sitting together and playing in group is by far better than just playing against a machine or even a person behind the same. The latter doesn't need any s/w or h/w upgrade or even any body aches and pains too.....

I think board games let us bond well and can become a routine soon while screens can just be a filler here and there.
We enjoy the range from traditional games to the latest board game over this holiday season - alguli mane, chowka bhara, Uno, Game of Life, Scrabble, Monopoly, etc

Overall it is a good time to bond with your friends and family!

Ingredients
Makes - 6
For the stuffing

Grated Paneer - 2 Cups
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Green chillies finely chopped - 1
Ginger grated - 1 tsp
Ajwain - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Spring Onions finely chopped - 6

Paratha dough
Multigrain atta or whole wheat flour - 1 Cup
Salt to taste
Water as required for kneading
Wheat flour for dusting
Oil for roasting

Method
For Panner stuffing

• In a large bowl, mix together the Paneer, ginger, all the masalas, Salt, Ajwain and Spring Onions.
• Keep this aside.

Dough Recipe

• In a large bowl, add the flour, Salt and Water.
• To this add water little by little and mix well to make a dough.
• Knead this well and cover and rest it for 20 minutes.

Making of Parathas

• Take a fistful of dough and roll it into a 5-
• inch circle in diameter.
• Place the prepared stuffing in the middle of the circle.
• From the edge pull the dough together to the center and seal the stuffing in the middle.
• Sprinkle some flour and roll it into a Chapati size.
• Heat tava on a medium flame.
• Place the rolled dough on the tava.
• Add some Oil/ghee or butter and press slightly.
• Cook on both sides until well done.
• Finally, hot Parathas are ready to be served with Pickle and Yogurt/Raita!

Lauki Kofta

Lauki Kofta is a North Indian style subji. Koftas are kind of balls that are deep-fried, steamed, baked, or grilled and served in a spicy sauce.

Lauki also known Sorekayi in Kannada and Bottle gourd in English is believed to be the first plant to be grown in the world. This vegetable was used to make vessels to store water.

It has a very neutral flavor and cooks very fast.  When combined with desi spices we can rustle up a list of interesting dishes like koftas, halwa, dal, handvo, raita, etc...............

This veggie also has a lot of health benefits like - it has a lot of water content which helps in reducing the body heat especially during summer months. It is light on the stomach and easy on digestion too. And of course not to forget our weight loss, a healthy heart and regulating diabetes, etc

Having said all the above, we still felt its a very pale/dull vegetable to eat. Though we want to adapt to our regular cooking somehow it never gained its priority. But this exotic recipe struck our senses and left us asking for more - truly scrumptious + Laukilicious ;)!!!!
So go on....why not try one recipe at a time!!!!

Ingredients
Serves - 4

For Koftas
Lauki / Sorekayi - 1
Besan /Kadle hittu - 1/4 Cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For gravy
Oil - 2 tsp
Onions finely chopped - 1
Tomatoes finely chopped - 2
Ginger grated - 1 tsp
Garlic grated - 1 tsp
Cashews - 10 nos

Other ingredients
Oil - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Yogurt - 1/4 Cup
Kasuri methi - 1tsp
Coriander leaves finely chopped for garnishing

Method
Kofta preparation

• Peel and grate the Lauki. To this add some Salt and keep it aside.
• Squeeze well and collect the water in a separate bowl to use later.
• Add the Besan and spices to the grated Lauki.
• Mix well, make small balls and flatten it to make koftas.
• Deep fry this and drain, keep this aside.

Gravy

• Heat Oil in a pan, add Onions, ginger, garlic, and saute for a few minutes.
• Then to this add the tomatoes and mix well until mushy.
• Lastly, add the cashews and mix well.
• Once cooled, grind this into a smooth paste.

Final preparation

• Heat oil in a pan, add Cumin seeds, Bay leaf.
• Then add some hing, turmeric powder, red chili powder.
• Next, add the grounded onion tomato paste and saute.
• To this add Salt, Garam masala, Coriander powder, and mix well.
• Then add the Lauki Water and Yogurt and mix well on low - medium heat.
• Once this comes to boil, lower the flame and add the fried Koftas.
• Then add the Kasuri methi and keep this covered for 3-5 minutes on low flame.
• Lastly, garnish with Coriander leaves and serve hot!

Pair it with Rice / Roti and serve it as a main course at lunch or dinner too!

Thalipeeth

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day....many of us know this. It refuels us after a long snooze and get us moving for the day!

We generally are food buffs and would love to try anything vegetarian ranging from hummus to hayagreeva ;)! These days we have cut down on using refined flours as much and more of fibre diet. This has helped us well in managing our weight and metabolism. Of course tasty dishes are always on our list - here's one such breakfast item called Thalipeeth.

Thalipeeth is a Maharashtrian and Uttara Karnataka dish. It uses various flours + Veggies of your choice. It keeps us full for a long time and hence reduces our hunger pangs for those sinful-bites. So this has become our family's favourite brunch on our day outings too!

Ingredients
Makes - 6

Jowar flour / Jolada hittu - 1 Cup
Besan / kadale hittu - 1/4 Cup
Wheat flour / godi hittu - 1/4 Cup
Bajra - 1/4 Cup
Rice flour / Akki hittu - 1/4 Cup
Ginger garlic grated - 1 tsp
Green chillies finely chopped - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves finely chopped - handful
Onions finely chopped - 1
Cucumber peeled and grated - 1
Carrot peeled and grated - 1
Salt to taste
Oil for roasting

Method

• In a large mixing bowl or a paratha, add all the flours and mix well.
• To this add the ginger, garlic, green chillies, Coriander leaves, Ajwain, Sesame seeds and all the masala powders, mix well.
• Add Salt and further mix it into a dough. Make sure all the ingredients are combined well.
• Now take a small ball from the prepared dough and start patting on the greased tava.
• Make few holes on the patted dough to pour some Oil in them.
• Cook this covered on low-medium heat .
• Smear some additional Oil over the thalipeeth.
• Flip the thalipeeth and further cook covered for few minutes.
• Finally transfer this onto a serving dish with a dollop of butter, Pickle of your choice and plain yogurt.

Taste bhi Health bhi :)

 

Dabeli

Dabeli is a famous Gujarathi street food. I was told by one of my friends that 'Dabeli' in gujarathi means pressed and here as the Potato mixture is pressed / stuffed in the Pav and toasted on the tava, thats how the dish got its name.
Our town centre shopping would never end without visiting this small cafe at the corner on the main road - yes 'Aumkar'. It was a gujarathi outlet and we loved all the dishes there - Poha, sabudana vada, bombay sandwich, dabeli, vada pav etc. There were times even when we carried packed thali lunches for our day trips :):). It was the best combo hot & spicy food with cold weather!

So here's the very easy and a quick dish which can be carried as on the go lunch/snack too!

Ingredients
Makes about 6 servings

For the stuffing

Oil/Butter - 2 tsp
Onion finely chopped - 1
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 Cup
Potatoes boiled and mashed - 2
Salt to taste
Tamarind chutney - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves chopped

For Garnishing
Onion finely chopped - 2 tbsp
Masala peanuts - maybe about a handful
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Pomegranate seeds - handful

For layering
Pav / Bun - 6
Garlic chutney - 6 tsp
Onion finely chopped - 1/4 cup
Butter for toasting
Sev - 1 Cup

Method 

• Firstly, in a large pan, add butter or Oil and saute Onions till they are golden brown.
• Then add chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and chaat masala.
• Saute on low flame for a minute.
• Then add a Cup of Water. Add the mashed Potatoes and mix well.
• To this add Salt and water if required.
• Mix well and mash the Potatoes using a masher.
• Now add the Tamarind chutney.
• Lastly add the Coriander leaves and mix well.
• Transfer this to a plate or a tray and start layering.
• Top the mixture with Onions, masala peanuts, coriander leaves and Pomegranate seeds.

     To make the Dabeli

• Firstly cut the pav/bun  without breaking into apart.
• Next add the Garlic chutney on one side and tamarind chutney on the other side.
• Then place some chopped Onions and a spoonful of Dabeli stuffing.
• Then toast on both sides with some butter on a hot tava.
• Lastly roll the dabeli over Sev covering the edges.
• Finally serve with some green chutney, Meetha chutney and fried chillies!!

Happy snacking!

Cut Mirchi Bajji

Cut Mirchi Bajji is a popular street snack in Andhra. The chillies vary from region to region - some use thin and spicy ones while the others use a bit thick and medium spice ones.
Our Hyderabad days reminds me of this yummy snack - Taj tristar served this snack at its best!! So here we enjoyed the pleasure of staying at home while adding this to our lockdown series :))!

Ingredients

Long Chillies/Banana Peppers - 5
Oil for deep frying
For the batter
Besan - 2 Cups
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric -1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
For the filling
Tamarind paste thick - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/4 tsp
Hurgadle/Putani powdered - 2 to 3tbsp
Salt to taste
For garnishing
Onions finely chopped - 1
Coriander leaves finely chopped - handful
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Chaat masala - 1 tsp

Method

• Firstly in a large bowl - mix Besan, Soda, Ajwain, Turmeric, Oil and Salt into a thick batter. Keep this aside.
• In another bowl - add Tamarind paste, Chilli powder, Ajwain, Putani and Salt. Mix well into a thick paste.
• Now take the Green Chillies, slit it and remove all the seeds. This will reduce the spice level of the Chillies i guess.
• Fill the Chillies with the prepared Tamarind and putani mixture.

• Dip these prepared Chillies in the Besan batter and deep fry until slightly golden in colour.
• Drain this on a kitchen towel and let them cool.

• Cut these fried Chillies into inch pieces and deep fry them again until crispy.
• Drain this on a kitchen towel.
• Arrange these fried cut mirchi on plate and top it with Onions, Coriander leaves, some roasted Peanuts, Chaat masala and a dash of Lemon!!

Ready to attack as a starter!!!!

Methi na gota / Methi recipe

The Corona Virus lockdown has turned many of us into Master chefs :)! I really can't make out if its the extra time on hands or we got more organised with no helpers around :-p.
The whole thing has got us munching something or the other throughout the day.
So here's one deep fried snack ( its fine to indulge as we are doing so many household chores and burning fat anyways :)) for this week called Methi na gota - its a gujarathi dish something similar to pakodas.
Having lived in Harrow for 10+ years we liked most of the gujarathi dishes like Kamman dhokla, khandvi, Muthiya, Tepla etc. We miss having the authentic ones here at a stones throw away - so we said lets try this dish and enjoy :)! Here's the instructions I followed.

Ingredients
Makes about 10-12 pieces

Water - 1/2 Cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 1 finely chopped
Ginger grated - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds crushed - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing -1/4 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Methi finely chopped - 1 cup
Coriander leaves chopped - 3 tbsp
Fine rava - 2 tbsp
Besan - 1 Cup
Oil for deep frying

Method

• Firstly in a large bowl, add Water, Oil, Sugar, Chillies and ginger paste.
• To this add the coriander seeds, ajwain, pepper powder, turmeric, chilli powder and hing, mix well.
• Next to this mixture, add lemon juice, salt and baking soda.
• Using a whisk mix well making sure all the spices are combined well.
• Now add the methi leaves and coriander leaves, mix well.
• Then add the Rava and Besan. Whisk and mix together to form a thick batter. Make sure there are no lumps.
• Now drop the batter into hot Oil forming small balls.
• Stir occasionally to make sure the pakodas are cooked completely. Fry until golden and crisp. 
• Drain off on the kitchen towel and enjoy methi na gota with green chutney!

Have a good day!

Karibevu Chutney pudi

Mother's Recipes are the best ones as the name says it all! We all love my mom's masala powders especially sarina pudi (Rasam Powder) and chutney pudi. She has some magical hand. She waves and makes some flavoursome recipes.

She makes variety of chutney pudis like normal bele chutney pudi which is tasty and has proteins too, peanut chutney pudi - good for heart and weight loss, flaxseed chutney pudi - loaded with Omega fatty acids and other Vitamins and last but not the least the simple yet yummy Karibevu chutney pudi - helps in reducing hair loss, aids in digestion and have heard that helps in weight loss too! Yes it does remove toxins from our body and maybe thats the reason the new moms are given this with rice and ghee at the beginning of every meal.

With the lockdown now and the eating marathon we are having at home - all my pudis got over. My little one is an ardent lover of her ajji's chutney pudi - she has it with her rice, dose, idli, bread toast - just digs in her tiny finger in the chutneypudi + ghee mixture and licks it till the last bite :). This forced me to get the recipe from my mom and try it out today. And Voila!!! It turned out delicious!!

Ingredients
Curry Leaves - 2 Cups (approx) washed and dried
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Chana dal / Kadlebele - 1/4 Cup
Urad dal / Uddinabele - 2 Tbsp
Coriander seeds / kotambri beeje - 1 Tbsp
Tamarind / hunasehannu - small piece
Dried red chillies - 4 (i use byadgi variety)
Desiccated coconut/ onakobbari - 2 Tbsp
Jeera - 2 Tbsp
Asafoetida / hing - pinch
Salt to taste

Method

• Firstly, in a large pan dry roast the curry leaves on low flame until they turn crunchy. keep this aside.
• In the same pan, heat the Oil and to this add both the dals and coriander seeds. Roast until dal turns golden. Keep this aside too.
• Next to the same pan , add the tamarind, red chillies, jeera and coconut. Roast it until the coconut turns golden. keep aside.
• Now first blend the dal mixture. 
• To this add the coconut mixture and blend together to a fine powder without adding any water.
• Lastly add the Curry leaves, Salt and Hing and further blend to a fine powder.
• Once cooled, store this in an air tight container and enjoy as a healthy accompaniment upto a month.

Happy Cooking!

Tangala Pettige

Life without the gadgets isn't imaginable these days. Had this lockdown came 15 or 20 yrs back we all would have gone mad. Thanks to our gizmos like iPhones, dishwashers, Television, washing machines, mixie, ac, fans, refrigerator etc. While we are getting comfortable with this new routine of our's, we really can't say which gadget is our favourite - as such. I wonder how largely dependant we are on these machines. Hats off to those who don't have access to all of these and still enjoy life - lots to learn from them I guess - Patience, caring for plants and their folks, creativity, be it rangoli or best out of waste, folktales, etc...

Lesson learnt - I woke up,
                         I have clothes to wear
                         I have running water
                         I have food to eat
                         Life is good
                         I am thankful!

Tada another try out from our kitchen for all those Kebab lovers - Hara Bara Kebab! Its made with fresh veggies and leafy Veg. It can be eaten as a starter or a party food. Good way to get fussy eaters their veggies too!

Ingredients

Palak/ Spinach - 1 bunch blanched
Oil - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 1finely chopped
Capsicum - 1 finely chopped
Beans - 3/4 cup chopped
Peas - 3/4 cup fresh or frozen
Potatoes boiled and grated - 2
Paneer crumbled - 3/4 cup
Coriander leaves chopped - 3 tbsp
Corn flour - 1 tbsp
bread crumbs - 2 tbsp
Kashmiri  red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Breadcrumbs - 1 cup for coating
Cashews halved - 8
Oil for deep frying


Method
Heat Oil in a large pan, add chillies. Then add capsicum till all the moisture is gone.
Next add beans and Peas and saute.
Once this mixture cools, grind this in a blender along with blanched Palak.
Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and add the Potatoes, Paneer and coriander leaves.
Further add corn flour and bread crumbs
Add all the spices, salt and mix well.
Grease hands with a bit of Oil and make small patties.
Dip this in the bread crumbs and top it with a cashew.
Now deep fry this on medium heat.
Serve it with chutneys of your choice!

Back with a Mediterranean bang!!

Hi there!!! Welcome back to my blog. Sorry I haven't been so active in the past few YEARS, cos I've had so much stuff on my hands.

With the ongoing pandemic, an enthusiasm sparked in me. Why waste my time in self-quarantine on my phone, and restart documenting my recipes! Here we go.....

So far, self-quarantine sucks -Yeah. Nothing to do, just on screen 24/7. My hubbie's on work calls, all day. The kids are on their screens too - binging on movies, video gaming etc. Suddenly, it hit me. We're all at home, doing nothing, so why not try a new recipe? The thought caught applause from the family instantly. I was browsing on Google for cool, new recipes which could brighten up the day, when Big P and my husband decided and started making this weird kind of bread, with tomatoes and olives.

A lot of effort went into the bread making. Both of them stayed up late at night, mixing and kneading the dough, chopping and snipping the tomatoes, and clicking the oven's buttons, just to get it right. This was a first even for me!

The next morn, I saw my son hard at work, toasting and roasting the freshly cut slices of baked goodness. The aroma was enough to intrigue my inquisitive mind. What a mesmerising smell! I sat down for breakfast, and took a bite from the orange-tinted slice. Lo and behold! This was the best bread I had ever had!! The tomatoes left a salty touch, along with the kick o' the green olives. The crunchy, crispy crust gave a delightful texture to the palate, along with the soft inner part.

As I write this, I am in dire need of another slice of the loaf of GOLD. This recipe makes 1 loaf of bread. Hope you enjoy this new recipe :):):)

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND OLIVE BREAD

   Ingredients Needed

     Salt - 1 Tsp

     Active Dried Yeast - 1.5 Tsp

     Water - 110 ml (You could use more if your dough feels dry)

     Bread Flour - 250g(Plus extra for dusting)

     Sun-dried Tomato - 30g, chopped

     Olives - 50g, Green, pitted, chopped

     Method

•    Mix all of the ingredients together, except the tomatoes and the olives.

TIP: Don't put the yeast in direct contact with the salt. Put the flour in between the salt and the yeast.

• Bring all of the ingredients together, and knead for about 20 minutes. 

TIP: You can use a little extra water while kneading, if your dough feels too dry and crumbly.

•    Grease a big bowl, and leave your dough in it to prove for about 25-30 minutes.
•    Cover the surface of the bowl with a damp cloth or fresh wrap.
•   When the dough has approximately doubled in volume, remove it from the bowl and knock it with the back of the palm of your hand. Also, lightly knead the dough, and add the tomatoes and olives while kneading.

• Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with the cloth or fresh wrap . Repeat the same process after a further 25-30 minutes. 
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC or 356°F/gas mark 4.
• After the second knock-back, leave the dough in a greased baking tin for another 25-30 minutes and until it doubles in size. Cover it with a cloth and leave it in a warm area.
• Brush milk onto the finished dough, and place it in the oven.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until it cooks and turns golden

TIP: To check if your bread is cooked, tap the base of the bread with your fingers - if it sounds hollow, then it's ready!

• Remove from the oven, and keep on a wire rack to cool it . Afterwards, toast with butter and serve. Your delicious sun-dried tomato and olive bread is ready!!

A Mediterranean twist, to brighten up the day :):)!!