Sunday, 13 December 2020

                                                            

                                                                      Raw Mango Rice

A very simple recipe, people usually make this when rice remains for the next day and it needs to be finished.  I like to plan and make it as a fresh dish since all of us enjoy eating it. The rice has two versions, it is made with lime juice and when the mango season comes, raw mangoes are used which give it  tangy yummy taste. The recipe belongs to Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. He is the first person I remember who made cooking a passion and not a duty. He taught us to enjoy cooking and share with each other the methods of cooking. Here goes his recipe.....

Ingredients

1 cup long grain rice, cooked in such a way that the grains are separate 

1/2 cup raw mango grated, can be as per need depending on the sourness

1 tspn of split black gram 

1 tspn of bengal gram dal

10 curry leaves

4 green chillies chopped

2 tspns of sugar

Oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder for tempering

Coriander chopped for garnishing

Method

In a pan take some oil, add mustard seeds, wait till they splutter, add asafoetida, turmeric powder, add both the dals now, let them become golden and crisp. add chillies, curry leaves, now add the raw mango and mix well, you can add salt, sugar and mix again, lastly add the rice and give it a good mix. This needs to be taken off the fire soon since the rice is already cooked. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with coriander and serve. Hot or cold, both ways it tastes great.  



 

Saturday, 12 December 2020

                                                                

                                                                         Gajar  Halwa

A very typically Indian sweet dish which is an all time preparation of mothers in our very own Hindi films. My it be any good ocasion the halwa has to be there. I was tempted to make it today and here goes my version..... 

Ingredients

250 gms of washed, peeled freshly grated winter special carrots

3 cups of milk

1 cup of sugar (as per taste)

3 tbsps of clarified butter

Few strands of saffron

5 cashews, 5 almonds, 8 pistachios (I normally soak them for about half an hour and chop them)

10 raisins

Method

In pan take the clarified butter and add the grated carrots, cook the till soft, add the milk and  the saffron, wait till it loses most of its moisture, add sugar, the dry fruits, raisins,  now cook till it becomes a nice semi moist solid. This can be served topped with more sauteed dry fruits or as is. Hot or cold both taste great. It tastes good with hot hot puris too.


 

Wednesday, 4 November 2020


                                            Cottage Cheese Curry With A Southern Touch

An experi-mental dish again, a very tasty, nutty creamy, spicy curry to go wth rotis and pulao.A must try for paneer lovers, here goes my recipe...

Ingredients

250 gms of paneer/cottage cheese cut into cubes

For roasting and making into a fine powder

1/2 tspn shahi jeera

1 tspn cumin seeds

1 tspn coriander seeds

6 white pepper corns

6 black pepper corns

10 curry leaves

1 inch ginger roughly chopped

8 garlic cloves

1/4 cup dry grated coconut

Roast the above in very little oil, grind and keep ready

Ingredients for curry

2 onions finely chopped

 2 onions thinly juliened

2 tomatoes finely chopped

Juice of half a lime

1 tetra pack of coconut milk

1 tspn kitchen king masala

1 tspn chilli powder

1 tspn kasuri methi

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander for garnishing

Method

 In a pan take some oil, add the finely chopped onions, saute till golden, add the chopped tomatoes, fry well till done, now add the ground masala, mix well, add the juliened onion, fry well, add the tomato puree, lime juice and all the spices, mix well and cook, now add the paneer and saute for about three to four minutes, add coconut milk and mix well,  you can slit a couple of chillies, fry them and add at the end(optional) do not cook for too long else the milk may curdle. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander.


 

Saturday, 31 October 2020

                                                                        

                                                                         Tomato Bhat

A simple, yummy recipe I learnt from a friend by name Prabha who was my neighbour. Many years ago we lost touch since she shifted from there, she will always be my friend wherever she is and this rice always will keep her in my memory. Thanks Prabha and here goes my recipe...

Ingredients

2 cups of long grained rice, I used Basmati

2 large onions finely chopped

3 tomatoes finely chopped

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder as per your taste

 2 tspns of Saar masala or Sambar masala

Juice of half a lime

Oil, mustard seeds, turmeric powder and asafoetida for tempering

In a pressure cooker take oil as per requirement, add mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder, now add the chopped onions, a chopped chilli if you like, saute till golden, add the tomatoes and all the rest of the ingredients, cook till mushy. Now add the rice and mix well, add 4 cups of water, cover and cook to 2 whistles. Transfer to a serving bowl and then serve garnished with chopped coriander.


 

Thursday, 8 October 2020

                                                          

                                                          Prawn Rice With Coconut Milk

An easy rice preparation which would be a treat for prawn lovers like my son Nidhi who taught me this preparation, the hit of the pepper and the awesome nutty flavour of the coconut milk which makes the rice moist and soft, will be very satiating on the palette. The recipe is here for you....

Ingredients

300 gms of prawns, shelled, deveined, marinated in salt, turmeric powder and 2 tspns of garam masala

2 cups of basmati rice soaked for about half an hour

2 tspns ghee

2 bay leaves

1 tspn of whole pepper corns

2 cups of  coconut milk

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander for garnishing

Method

Take deep pan, add the ghee, add the bay leaves and the peppercorns, once they release an aroma add the prawns, salt and stir a bit, then add the rice, 2 cups of water and 2 cups of coconut milk. Mix well, leave it to cook covered till done. Once done garnish with chopped coriander and serve.



 

Saturday, 3 October 2020


Dal Vada With Coconut Chutney

Dal Vada the quintessential snack which any South Indian would swear by!! I love the crunchy from outside, tasty, spicy and soft from inside vada, would have it at anytime of the day. Specially great with a cup of strong filter coffee. My recipe goes here for you...

Ingredients

1 cup chana (Bengal gram) dal soaked for about four hours

An inch of grated ginger

2 onions chopped fine

3 green chillies

10 curry laves chopped fine

Some freshly pounded black pepper corns

Fresh chopped coriander

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method

Drain the soaked dal and take it in a mixi jar, add the ginger, coriander, green chillies, and grind it to a coarse mix. Add a bit of water if needed, transfer to a mixing bowl and mix the chopped onions, curry leaves, coriander, salt, the pepper corn. Make equal sized balls and press between palms to flatten them. heat oil in a pan and fry the vadas on medium heat so they get done from inside but do not burn from outside. Fry to a crisp golden brown colour, spread them on a tissue for absorbing any extra oil. Enjoy them with coconut chutney or any sauce of your choice. 




 

Wednesday, 30 September 2020

                                              

                                                                   Honey Cheese Toast

A favourite dessert which we had at a mall in Bangkok, Thailand!! What a dish, the warm crisp toast, the honey and the combination of the salty cheese and the chilled ice cream!! mmm,  so tasty and so palatable that, so long after the trip none of us have forgotten it. The heavy rain, the walk through the rain and then this yummy treat.  A must try... my daughter Ashwini made it and passed on the recipe to me, here goes my version of it.

Ingredients

Brioche bread, you need to cut it into thick slices

Vanilla ice cream

Honey

Butter

Cheese, I used kraft cheese (grated)

Method

On a skillet keep the bread slice and toast it to a crisp golden colour with butter on it, transfer to a plate, first drizzle honey as per your taste, keep a scoop of ice cream, then again drizzle some honey, now grate cheese on it, as much as you want and have it warm to get the best taste.



Sunday, 20 September 2020

             

                                                                      Sweet Sour Okra

A dish that is very much popular in North Karnataka, it is called Gojju in Kannada and Kayras in Marathi. Sweet, sour, spicy and tasty to go with either rice or chapatis. My recipe....

Ingredients

250 gms of okra washed, wiped and chopped into medium sized pieces

1/4 cup of powder made of roasted peanuts

1/4 cup powder made of roasted sesame seeds

2 tbsp of tamarind pulp

2 tspns of jaggery powder

1 tbsp of saar masala or sambar masala

1 tspn of chilli powder

Salt to taste

Coriander for garnishing

Method

First in a kadhai take some oil, make a tempering of mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder, add the chopped okra and cook till almost done, now add the powders, the tamarind and the jaggery. Add water enough to mix all the ingredients well, a little to a curry consistency. Bring this to a boil on slow flame. Once done add more water if needed or adjust as you would like to have, whether with rice or roti. Transfer to a serving bowl once done, garnish with some fresh coriander and savour it.

 

Saturday, 19 September 2020



  Mushroom Gravy With Cream Cheese And Thousand Island Sauce

This is an experi-mental dish which was so amazingly delicious that I would recommend as a must try. Awesome with phulkas and rotis. Here goes my recipe.....

Ingredients

250 gms of mushrooms washed and chopped to medium sized pieces

2 large onions chopped fine

2 large tomatoes chopped fine

8 cloves of garlic and 1 inch of ginger pounded

2 tspns of thousand island sauce

1 tbsp of cream cheese (garlic cilantro)

2 tspns of kashmiri chilli powder

!/2 cup chopped coriander

Salt to taste, use wisely since the sauces have salt in them

Method

First of all in a pan with olive oil saute mushrooms till they are cooked and change colour. Keep aside. In the same pan add some olive oil, saute the onions to a golden brown colour, add the ginger garlic, cook well, add the tomatoes cook till mushy,  add the chilli powder,the sauces mentioned, the coriander and salt to taste, mix well and now add the mushrooms and cook till they get well mixed. Your dish is ready to serve.


 

Saturday, 20 June 2020

                                 
                                                          Bhindi Kurkuri/Crispy Okra

An extremely tasty starter, okra crisp fried to perfection can be a delight on the palette. Made it after my son saw the fresh green bhindi sent to us by Sahyadri Farms. First try was an awesome success. Hope you enjoy making this in your kitchens too. I made it this way....

Ingredinets
1/4 kg okra washed wiped and left spread to dry on a cloth
For marination
1/2 cup chick pea flour
Salt to taste
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn chilli powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn dry mango powder
1 tspn chaat masala
1 tspn garam masala

Oil for frying

Method 
Once dry, chop each okra into four pieces length wise, spread in a large bowl, add all the ingredients given for marination, give them a nice mix and leave this for about 5 to 7 minutes, now keep the oil for frying them, you need to separate and fry the pieces, a long process... yes, but you want to eat tasty food then you need patience!! So, fry them in small batches, keep on a plate with tissue paper, to absorb excess oil, and also, they don't release water and all you efforts go waste. After frying all the ladies finger, you can eat them as they are or with dal rice, rolled in rotis, as you wish.

Pictures of how to chop and marinate.



Wednesday, 17 June 2020

                             
                                                          Bhel, The Bombay Street Food

Bhel is one of the most relished of the Bomay street food varieties. An asli Bambaiyya would surely vouch for the taste and satiating quality of this dish. It is an anytime dish. I learnt this way of making this from my Mother-In-Law. She loved it and all the family loves it. I don't know if I can make like her, the original is gone with her!!  Here goes my recipe...

Ingredients
A pack of lighter variety of the puffed rice(Kurmura)
Sev, I prefer the sev a little thicker than the nylon variety
Onions chopped finely
Tomatoes chopped finely
A coarse paste of  green chillies made in the mixi jar with a bit of salt
Tamarind paste
Boiled and mashed potatoes
Finely chopped coriander

For those who like the sweet chutney
 Grind together 4 dates soaked in water, seeds removed and water drained, 3 tspns of tamarind paste, some cumin powder, salt to taste, two teaspoons of jaggery. Make a little thick pouring consistency.

Method
In a mixing bowl, take the required amount of puffed rice, sev, add the onions, tomatoes, chilli, salt, tamarind paste and a little coriander, add all the ingredients in proportion with the puffed rice or as per your taste. We prefer it without the sweet chutney, but those who like it sweet can add the chutney to according to your taste,give this a good mix with your hands, this way it tastes the best. Now serve in a serving bowl topped with more sev and coriander, as you wish. Enjoy this dish for breakfast, lunch, teatime or dinner. It can be had at all times!!

Sunday, 31 May 2020

                               
                                                            Tamilian Omlette Curry

Came across this Tamilian Omlette curry which is super if you love eggs, the recipe credit goes to 
Chef Zac. Was first introduced to this by my niece Shruti. Loved making it and more so loved eating it. Helped by my son Nidhi, who has more patience than me!! You can make this with chicken or, potatoes. Chicken made for my son and husband, omelette for me. So here I am sharing the recipe with you.....

Ingredients
3 large onions chopped into not very thin long pieces
3 tomatoes chopped in the same way
3 tspns of tamarind pulp
3 tspns of ground garlic, green chillies and ginger
2 cups of coconut milk
1 tspn chilli powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn black pepper powder
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
A few curry leaves
2 green chillies cut into halves
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnishing
Clarified butter as needed

An omelette made of four eggs in the traditional way, I folded it and made it, kept ready for adding later

Method

In a pan take some clarified butter, add the onions cook till they are caramelized, add tomatoes, cook till mushy, keep adding salt bit by bit to help the curry to be moist, add the ginger, garlic, chilli paste, cook till done, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, mix well, add little water to mix it well, now add the coconut milk, salt and the tamarind paste, stir a bit, in another pan make a tempering of clarified butter, mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves, add this to the curry. Now add the omelette cut into pieces as shown in my picture. Tate check the salt and add only if need be. Mix well and your curry is ready. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve hot with roti or steaming hot white rice. 

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

                                                       
                                                               The Classic Hummus

This classic Middle Eastern dip is one of the dishes that I personally enjoy with the extra drizzle of the amazing olive oil. It can be eaten as is or with Pita or even the normal toasted bread makes a good company. Here goes the way I made it.

Ingredients

For blending

2 cups of chick peas soaked overnight and pressure cooked to 2 whistles/according to your cooker, I add a bit of edible soda and salt to it
1/2 cup olive oil
10 cloves of garlic roughly crushed
3 tbsp of tahini (sauce made with white sesame seeds and olive oil)
Juice of one lemon

For the garnishing
A few sprigs of parsley
Olives for garnishing
Olive oil for drizzling

Method
Blend all the above ingredients for blending in a blender, check and add salt if need be, transfer to a serving bowl and smoothen the  surface of the paste with a spatula, drizzle olive oil and garnish with olive pieces and parsley. I could not get hold of it, so not there in my dish!! I like paprika or chilli powder is an option too. Now dip the bread of your choice and enjoy.





Monday, 18 May 2020


                                                    Cottage Cheese In Paella Spice Mix

A dish that I tried as an experiment. This has a very unique taste with the spice powder straight from Spain brought to me by Ashwini, my daughter and is very fine on the palette. Some of my experi-mental trials have come out very well, this is one of them worth sharing. So here goes my recipe......

Ingredients

250 gms of cottage cheese chopped into small cubes
2 green bell peppers chopped fine
2 onions chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
2 tspns of ginger garlic roughly pounded
2 tspns of paella spice mix
1/2 tspn of chilli powder
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
Coriander finely chopped

Method

Take a pan, just toss the cottage cheese in some  olive oil and salt, remove and keep aside, in the same oil add the chopped onion, saute till golden, add the bell pepper, saute till done, add the ginger garlic, let it cook well, add the tomatoes and the salt, spice mix, the chilli powder and cook till it is a mushy gravy, now add the cottage cheese, cook for about five minutes, lastly add the coriander and the coconut milk. Stir to mix well and serve with bread, roti, paratha, the choice is yours. 


Monday, 11 May 2020

                   
                                                          Oat Dry Fruit Honey Cookies

Easy, healthy, nutty cookies for an evening with tea or coffee. They can also be had as an energy giving snack. Made for the first time but was happy with the result so thought of sharing here with all of you.Here goes the way I made them.....

Ingredients
2 cups of plain oats
4 almonds, 4 macadamia nuts, 4 hazel nuts, 4 cashews, 4 almonds all roasted lightly and roughly crushed
6 dates, soft ones roughly chopped
Some dry blue berries soaked for 15 minutes
2 table spoons of roasted peanut powder
Some raisins, black and brown
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of coconut milk

This mixture will give you 10 to 12 cookies.

 Method

Preheat oven for ten minutes on 180 degrees

While your oven gets heated you can take a mixing bowl and mix all the above ingredients except the blueberries, make equal sized balls and flatten each one into cookies, place one blueberry on each cookie. Keep all on a greased tray and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Your cookies are done!!

Saturday, 9 May 2020

               
                                                         Pan Seared Butter Garlic Fish

A tasty fish starter with minimal ingredients. Does not need any accompaniments. The fish used is Rawas or the Indian Salmon. Will taste good with simple dal and steaming hot rice. Here goes my recipe..... 

Ingredients

4 pieces of fish fillets,  well cleaned and marinated with salt, turmeric powder and a dash of lime, let it sit for half an hour

In a mixing bowl take some Amul butter at room temperature, add some crushed garlic and a table spoon spoon full of mixed herbs 

Method
Heat a pan and smear the butter garlic mix on it, keep fish pieces and coat the upper side also with the mixture. Make them golden crisp on both the sides and they are ready to savour. I have avoided salt since there is salt in the butter and also in the marinated fish. 


Sunday, 3 May 2020

               
                                                           Dahi Aloo/Potatoes In Yogurt

Potatoes in yogurt is a dish which was on y mind for a very long time, this was a day when I decided to make it. Loved it and would like to share it with you all.

Ingredients
200 gms baby potatoes pressure cooked and peeled
2 cups of thick yogurt
2 onions finely chopped
3 chillies slit
6 garlic cloves pounded
Some juliennes of ginger
Chilli powder as per taste
Juice of half a lime
1 small spn of turmeric powder
1 tspn of coriander powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn of ginger powder
Mustard oil for making the dish

Method
In a pan take some mustard oil, saute the potatoes after poking them with a fork, add some salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and wait till they become little fried and keep ready. In the same oil you can add the ginger juliennes, garlic, fry till golden, add the onions, wait for them to become golden too, now add the rest of the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and the ginger powder, mix well and add the potatoes, give it a quick mix, now add the yogurt and salt as per taste. Mix well let it cook for a bit and take it off the gas else the yogurt can curdle. Now  add the lime juice and mix well, garnish with coriander freshly chopped. I have garnished it with some home grown mustard cress, the plant you can see in the background. Enjoy with rice or rotis.



Friday, 24 April 2020

                         
                                                                 Chicken Ghee Roast

A very famous South Indian flavourful, spicy chicken dish which can be enjoyed with appams, neer dosa or steaming hot white rice. It has its origin from Kundapur, a small town in Mangalore, Karntaka. This has indeed become popular all over India, best one I had to date in Mumbai was the mushroom ghee roast with Malabar Paratha  at Bombay Vintage. There goes the recipe.....

Ingredients
1/2 kg boneless chicken cleaned and chopped into bite sized pieces, marinated overnight in 1 tablespoon of yogurt, a small spoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 a lime squeezed, 1 tspn chilli powder, salt as per taste.

For making the paste
6 red chillies roasted and kept first, keep aside
1 medium sized ball of soaked tamarind
10 cloves of garlic
1 tspn of coriander seeds
1 tspn of cumin seeds
1 tspn of black pepper corn
1/4 tspn of fenugreek seeds

Dry roast all the above except the chillies since they are already done and the tamarind and garlic,  Now take a mixi jar add the tamarind and the garlic cloves, all the roasted spices, add little water and make a smooth paste.

Curry leaves for garnishing
3 table spoons of ghee

Method

In a pan take the ghee, heat it and add the chicken, let it saute for a while on medium flame, add the ground paste and the salt, mix well and cook till the chicken is done and the paste leaves the sides of the pan. Garnish with fresh curry leaves. You can make it also with mushrooms or paneer. Serve hot with neer dosa, hot rice or malabar paratha. Below is the picture of the paneer ghee roast.



Thursday, 23 April 2020

                 
                                                         Finger Millet/Ragi/Nachni Idli

Idli, sambar and chutney is one of the most loved South Indian dishes. Tangy tasty spicy sambar and the nutty chutney goes well with steaming hot, melt in the mouth soft idlis. Udupi, a small town in Karnataka, happens to be where this originates from. I have made a little change in the idli batter which is making it more tasty, healthy and satiating. Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients

1 cup of split black gram lentil and a handful of beaten rice (the thick variety) soaked for about 5/6 hours 
1 cup of finger millet soaked for 5/6 hours
3 cups of idli rava, this makes the idlis a little grainy and airy which is why I prefer this to rice

Method

Once soaked grind the lentil and the beaten rice with little water to a thick paste and transfer to a bowl, take a  large bowl so there is place for the batter to rise,, grind the millet too with very little water and add to the bowl, in another bowl take the idli rava, wash and drain the water and keep both the bowls covered for fermenting overnight.

Next morning mix the batter with the idli rava, adjust the water, add a small spoon of edible soda, salt as per taste and steam the idlis in the idli maker. While making I sprinkle little black pepper powder on the idlis, this gives it a nice aroma and taste. Relish the idlis with coconut chutney and sambar loaded with vegetables.

Wednesday, 22 April 2020

                                                                         
                                                      Mumbai Street Food Pav Bhaji

Pav is the bread you can see in the picture and Bhaji is the vegetable eaten with it. The mix of potatoes, cauliflower, green peppers, green peas and some aromatics makes this, one of the quintessential dishes for anyone living in Mumbai. Best one till date for me is and always will be, is the Sardar Pav Bhaji in Town at Tardeo, with loads of butter and loads of spice. Next best one could easily be the one we have at Classic Fast Food, with cheese at Matunga. Here goes the way i make it....

Ingredients
A
3 potatoes peeled
1 whole cauliflower, made into big florets
1 cup of green peas
Pressure cook all these to 2 whistles, mash roughly by hand and keep ready
B
1 green bell pepper chopped fine
3 onions finely chopped
3 tomatoes pureed
10 cloves of garlic pureed with 1 small tomato
2 tspns of chilli powder
2 tspns of Badshah pav bhaji masala
Salt to taste
Amul butter for making the vegetable and to smear on the pavs

To use while serving
Some lime wedges, onion finely chopped, coriander for garnishing

Method 
In a pan  take 3 table spoons of Amul butter, add the chopped onion from A,  add the bell pepper and saute well, add the garlic tomato puree, saute well, now goes the tomato puree to be sauteed till it gets well cooked. Now add the salt, masala and the chilli powder. Mix well, add the mashed vegetables. Cook well and add water if required. Some people like it a bit flowy with the veggies totally mashed. We like a bite of the vegetables. Once the bhaji is well cooked,  garnish with onions, coriander and a squeeze of lime, serve it with the buttered pavs, made crisp in a pan, I like cheese so the extra topping you can see in my picture!! 

Wednesday, 8 April 2020

               
                                                               Potato And Lima Beans

Inspired by a post in Ghar Ka Khana, uploaded by Aditi. S. Ray, this vegetable is made adding five varieties of vegetables. The name is  Nariyal Teekha Panchmel. I liked it so much that I did not want to wait to bring all five vegetables!! Made it with only potatoes and the beans. Thanks to dear Aditi for adding a new dish to my kitchen. Enjoyed eating it with mix flour flat bread. Here is the way I made it, following  the recipe by Aditi).

Ingredients
3 large potatoes peeled, chopped into medium sized cubes
200 gms lima beans deveined, cut into long pieces
3 green chillies slit
1 tspn of chilli powder
1/2 tspn of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 cup scraped or roughly ground coconut

Method

In a pan take some mustard oil, add the potatoes and beans, when almost done add chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, coconut, stir well till the coconut gets well cooked, add little water cover and cook for a bit, add freshly chopped coriander(traditionally turmeric leaves are roughly torn and added in the recipe) and cook for a while. Lastly before removing it from the fire add a teaspoon of raw mustard oil. This is normally eaten with steaming hot rice. I made rotis and it tasted great. 

Thursday, 2 April 2020

                       
                                                             Roasted Aubergine Dip

The roasted aubergine  dip is made of the big seedless variety of aubergines. tastes best roasted on the gas. can be made in the Otg too. Mine is inspired by the middle eastern dip which is nutty and creamy with the tahini, they eat this with their breads. I made finger millet flat bread to go with mine. It is called bhakri in Marathi, the aubergine dish is called bhareet. My recipe is as below....

Ingredients

2 aubergines roasted on the gas with a little oil smeared on them
2 onions finely chopped
6 garlic cloves crushed
1 tomato chopped fine
1/2 cup dry roasted sesame powder
1 tspn of chilli powder
Juice of half a lime
Fresh coriander for garnishing

Method

First step would be to remove the pulp of the roasted aubergines after they cool down in bowl and roughly mash it,. In a pan take some olive oil and add the chopped onion. Saute till well done, now add the garlic, stir for a while. Add the tomatoes, cook till done, add the mashed aubergine, lime juice, cook for a bit, add salt, chilli powder, the sesame powder and mix well, add some more olive oil, mix well and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with bhakri or pita bread.If you are fond of olive oil, you can drizzle more on top while serving. 


Wednesday, 1 April 2020


                                                            Pithla With A Little Twist

Pithla is a curry made of chick pea flour and some spices, which is typically from Maharashtra / North Karnataka dish. A very easy  quick fix comfort dish which goes well with rice and bhakri. Made with chick pea flour (besan). Made in different ways, semi solid, with lumps of the chick pea flour or a little flowy which can be eaten with rice in place of dal, with a dash of fresh clarified butter. 

Ingredients

2 cups of chick pea flour
Water as required
2 cups of cleaned chopped spinach
1 tspn of ginger powder
1 tspn of garlic crushed
3 green chillies chopped
Juice of half a lime
Salt to taste 
Coriander for garnishing

Method

In a pan take some oil, add mustard seeds, let them splutter then add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Now add the chillies, garlic paste, ginger powder and the chopped spinach. Stir well, once the spinach cooks add 3 cups of water, salt, the lime juice and let the water get a boil, now simmer the flame and add the chick pea flour little by little, stir as you add, once you are done with adding the flour, mix well and let it cook. It may form little lumps of flour but no worries this tastes yum. I personally like it this way. (You can also mix the chick pea flour in a bit of water and mix till there are no lumps and then add it to the boiling water if you want a smooth curry). While stirring you can put the flame off when you get the desired consistency. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chopped coriander, serve hot with clarified butter / ghee.

Tuesday, 31 March 2020

       
                                                Spinach, Fenugreek, Double Beans Curry

Here comes another trial dish made with leafy veggies and double beans. Goes very well with phulkas and chapatis. A semi dry gravy dish.You could also use any other sprouts or boiled eggs to make this. I have used the Goan spice powder straight from Goa, given to me by my sweet friend Rachna. Thanks dear, it tasted awesome!! There goes my recipe....

Ingredients
2 cups of spinach cleaned and chopped fine
2 cups of fenugreek cleaned and chopped fine
200 gms of double beans, fresh ones(pressure cooked to 1 whistle)
2 onions finely chopped 
1 large tomato finely chopped
2 tspns of ginger garlic pounded
1/2 tspn of chilli powder
1 tspn of Goan masala(use carefully since it is quite spicy)
1 tspn of chaat masala
a small spoon of turmeric powder
Salt as per taste
1/2 tetra pack of coconut milk

Method

In a pan take some oil, add the chopped onions, saute for a while, add the turmeric powder, ginger garlic, keep cooking till golden, add the tomatoes, the greens and let them cook well, add all the dry powders, cook for about five minutes, now add the coconut milk and do not cook for too long, else the milk will curdle. The dish is ready to be served. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with phulkas or chapatis.

Thursday, 5 March 2020

         
                                                        Double beans In Green Gravy

Double beans is a bean which we all like at home. They have a unique flavour and make the gravy truly delightful. I have made a green curry with garlic chives and made mandua roti for company. The flour I bought from a local Grocer at Chamba, Uttarakhand. This is a roti which you will find on a regular basis in this hilly region. Now the recipe for the double bean curry...

Ingredients
200 gms of double beans pressure cooked to two whistles
10 strands of garlic chives with the tender garlic
1 inch of ginger chopped
1/2 cup fresh coriander
3 green chillies
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tspn carom seeds(ajwain)
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
1 tomato chopped
1 tspn of sugar
Salt to taste
Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste

For the tempering
 2 tspns oil
1/2 tspn of carom seeds
A small spoon of asafoetida and turmeric powder

Method

In a pan take oil and make the tempering with the ingredients mentioned for tempering, add the ground pate, wait till it leaves the sides of the pan and the raw smell disappears, add the beans, adjust the water as per your taste, cook well and serve with the bread (roti) of your choice.



Saturday, 22 February 2020

                                     
                                                      Palak Raita: Spinach In Yogurt

I have eaten many varieteis of raitas but this one was new for me and delicious as ever, extremely satiating side dish. An Uttarakhand delicacy. I had this in a small ton called Arakot near Kanatal where we stayed. I enjoyed it a lot  with the mandue ki roti, and am sharing the simple raita recipe with you all.

Ingredients

1 bunch spinach cleaned and chopped roughly
2 green chillies chopped
2 tspns clarified butter for tempering
A small spoon of cumin seeds
1 small spn of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Home made fresh yogurt, as required

Method
In a pan heat the clarified butter, add cumin seeds let them splutter, add asafoetida and the chillies, now add the spinach,  salt as needed, cook till the rawness is gone. Transfer into a mixing bowl and keep it ready, juast at meal time mix in the yogurt and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve with roti, bhakri of any kind.

Tuesday, 18 February 2020

                 
                                                                   Baingan Ka Salan

A tasty, tangy brinjal curry, tastes great with Biryani, Paratha and phulkas too. Made with whole brinjals and aromatics. My version of it is here for you.

Ingredients

6 small brinjals, the purple and white ones with thorns on the stalks
2 onions chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh coriander chopped fine
2 tspns of goda masala
2 tspns of chaat masala
2 tspns each of ginger and garlic paste
Salt to taste

Ingredients for grinding into a coarse powder
1/2 cup of peanuts
1 cup of grated dry coconut
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
4 dry red chillies

For tempering 
Some oil, mustard seeds, turmeric powder and some asafoetida

Method

First take the brinjlas, remove the stalks leaving a little of the soft portion unremoved, give each brijal two slits, one each in opposite directions, see to it that they remain intact with the slit, put them in water and leave in the fridge for about an hour. 

In a pan take some oil and make a tempering of mustard seeds, asafoetida and some turmeric powder. Add the brinjals after removing them from  the water. Now add salt, the goda masala and chaat masala, half of thechopped  coriander, sprinkle little water and cook them covered till they are soft. Remove in a bowl and keep ready.

In the meanwhile in another pan you can add the ingredients for grinding, in a little bit of oil, roasting each separately, cooing them and making a coarse powder.

In a kadai take some oil, add the chopped onion, cook till golden, add the ginger garlic paste, cook well, add tomatoes, cook till mushy, now add the cooked brinjals, mix well, add the ground powder, remaining coriander, adjust the water as per your need. You can make a curry semi dry as I havemade or add more water. Salt can be added carefully since chaat masla has some amount of salt. Let it cook till the masala gets well infused in the brinjals. Now it is ready to serve.

Friday, 14 February 2020

                                                                         
                                                             Cutlets Valentine Special

A snack dish which I made for all my loved ones for the Valentine's Day. Red colour stands for love, let there be love and peace among all :)

Ingredients
2 potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 beetroots pressure cooked to one whistle, peeled and grated
1/2 cup semolina (rava)
1/2 cup coriander chopped fine
1/2 cup corn flour (the flour of corn we use for make di roti)
1 tspn of chilli powder
1 tspn kasuri methi crushed in your palms
1 tspn of dry mango powder
Salt as per taste

Method
In a mixing bowl after grating the pressure cooked ingredients spread the semolina and keep for about 1/2 an hour for it to soak well. Now add the rest of the ingredients, mix well. Make heart shaped cutlets, keep them to shallow fry on a pan with a little oil, let them get done crisp on both sides. Serve with mint chutney, sauce or any dip of your choice.

Tuesday, 11 February 2020

                                                                   
                                              Mixed Vegetable With Amul Dairy Creamer

Mixed vegetable is again a trial dish which turned out to be really tasty and I would like to share it with my friends. Here goes my way of making it. The addition of the dairy creamer adds a creamy twist and a lovely taste to the dish.

Ingredients
1 broccoli (florets)
1/2 a chopped cabbage
1/2 cup green peas
2 onions finely chopped
2 tspns of ginger garlic pounded freshly
1 large tomato
1 tspn chilli powder
!/4 tspn of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander chopped
2 tspns full of Amul dairy creamer (the milk powder)

Method
In a pan take some oil add the turmeric powder, add ginger garlic, wait till its rawness disappears. Add the onions, saute till well done, add tomatoes, little coriander, cook till done, add the chilli powder, salt and now add the broccoli, cabbage and the peas. Let these cook in the moisture created by the cooked gravy. Cook covered till all the vegetables get done. Lastly add the dairy creamer, just give it a mix and garnish with fresh coriander. The dish is ready.

Saturday, 8 February 2020

                       
                                           Stuffed Mushrooms In Spinach  Almond Gravy

An experi-mental vegetable dish which turned out to be very palatable! I thought this would be different in taste and texture. Goes well with phulka, chapati and parathas.

Ingredients for the gravy
 Pressure cook these ingredients to 1 whistle with no water added, once cool grind to a paste 
1 bunch of spinach cleaned 
8 almonds
1 large tomato chopped roughly
8 garlic cloves
2 tspns ginger grated
3 green chillies slit (adjust according to your taste)

Garam masala to be added later not while grinding

Mushrooms to be stuffed
3  boiled potatoes, peeled and mashed with salt, dry mango powder, some chilli powder, chopped coriander
8 mushrooms big sized, middle portion scooped out, to be filled with the above mixture and either grilled in an oven with a little oil or you can even pan roast them. Keep them ready to add in the gravy.
Now in a pan take some butter, add a bit of turmeric powder, add the spinach gravy, salt to taste, some garam masala. Let it cook a bit, add the mushrooms carefully to se that the filling does not come out. Just mix gently and let the mushrooms get coated by the gravy, enjoy with the roti of your choice. The picture below of the stuffed mushrooms.