Raw Papaya Chutney

I read about surrogate advertising today in the newspapers, and how it is used by tobacco companies to sell their products. A tobacco product called 'Gutkha' is marketed under the name of the innocuous sounding 'Pan Masala'. Pan masala, till the 1970s didn't carry any hint of tobacco. Till then, it showed only moderate scale of success. In the 1980s tobacco was introduced into the original mixture and since then the product sales grew by leaps and bounds.

The tobacco product is advertised as Pan Masala, so as to circumvent the law which put a ban on advertising of tobacco products. But the tobacco companies are nobody's fool. All their target audience know what their ad is all about. Children as young as seven are falling prey to the tobacco menace. Maximum cases of oral cancer in India are due to consumption of tobacco products. Among these 'Gutkha' is the biggest culprit.

I remember when I was doing my internship, I once had a patient, a boy about 11 years old. He came with a problem stating that he couldn't open his mouth fully. My initial thought was that he probably fell somewhere and has got some sort of trismus (or spasm of jaw muscles which causes  limitation in mouth opening). Imagine my horror, when I realized that the boy had a condition called oral submucous fibrosis. Put plainly, it means that the elasticity of his cheeks was completely lost, and the muscles in his cheek had gone rigid, like bone! The condition is irreversible. Do you know what caused it? You guessed right... Gutkha! The boy was  having gutkha since he was 7 years old, as many as four to five times a day!  I don't know where he is right now, or even if he is alive... But I pray to God that other children as young as him do not get lured by these tobacco companies.

While there are some anti-tobacco drives going on in the country, I doubt if they are doing much to prevent the misfortune like that of my patient. Now I have heard that the government has made it mandatory from 1st of December 2011 for the tobacco companies to put graphic pictures of oral cancer patients on their packs so as to deter the customer from buying them. I don't know how much this will be effective, but I sure do hope it works.

To the recipe, I am sorry I don't have a picture today. I was being a lazy bum, and I thought that I might as well eat first and then click. But by the time I finished eating the chutney was all but gone, with a little bit remaining for my hubby (who is late... as usual!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw papaya peeled and grated
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp raisins
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp tamarind extract
• salt to taste
• 1/4th cup water

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the fenugreek seeds, and the fennel seeds. Once they begin to color a bit, add the cumin seeds. Add the chillies and saute for a minute. Now add the grated raw papaya, and saute for 4 minutes. Now add the turmeric powder, salt, sugar, honey, raisins and tamarind extract. Add the water and bring the chutney to a boil. Stir on high heat till the water almost evaporates. Remove in a serving tray and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Serve chilled.

Happy Cooking!

Gatte ki Kadhi

The curry was delicious. I have been wanting to make it since a long time, and now that I made it, I couldn't have enough of it. The best part was that the buttermilk was pleasantly sour. It just added to the overall taste of the curry.

Ingredients

For the gatte 

• 2 cups gram flour (besan)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp oil
• water
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

For the Kadhi

• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 tbsp gram flour
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 4 green chillies chopped
• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste 

Begin by making the gatte. Mix all the ingredients for making the gatte except water. Add water little by little till you get a firm dough. Knead the dough well. Let it rest for ten minutes. Now divide the dough into four portions and roll each one out with the palms of your hand on your work table, till you get thick ropes of the dough. Each rope should be around  1 cm in diameter. Now boil 3 cups of water with 1 tsp salt in a saucepan, and slide in the ropes. Cook them till their color changes, and they become somewhat brittle. Drain the water completely and allow the ropes to cool. Now cut them into one inch pieces. Heat the oil in a wok and deep fry the pieces till they become light and golden in color. Drain them on kitchen towels and keep them aside.

Mix two tablespoons of gram flour in the buttermilk. Add one cup of water. Whisk well to prevent lumps of gram flour. Now heat the oil in a wok, add the cumin, ginger, asafoetida, chillies, and curry leaves. Now pour the buttermilk mixture, add salt, turmeric and two teaspoons of sugar and bring to a boil.

Add the gatte to the above curry and serve hot!

Happy Cooking!

Futti Kadhi

Don't ask me why I made two kadhis on the same day. I have been craving this Goan delight for a long time, and besides it is so darn easy to make! It can be served as an appetizer before the meal or as a digestive after the meal. Either way, it tastes awesome. Personal recommendation to try it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 8 pieces of dried kokum
• 3 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• salt and sugar to taste

Boil the water and add kokum to it. Turn of the heat  and add the rest of the ingredients and stir it well. Cool it completely before serving! That's it!

Happy Cooking!

Potato Rosti for Fasting

Two days ago, I saw this recipe on a food channel. The chef made it look so easy, I said zippety-doo-daa! I can make this with a few alterations for Monday Upwas.

With a great confidence, I woke up today to make potato rosti the upwas way. Not only did I not get the shredded potato look, the rosti kept falling apart! I guess that must be in part because the potatoes were overcooked and I grated them too fine. But the taste was good. I would definitely try making it again on a good day.

Psst... I went to Vasai yesterday, and at my humble demand my mother brought me some great 'Chicken Bhujing' the Vasai-Virar specialty. I was craving this preparation for a long time now, and since yesterday I feel soul satisfied. She had also made some mango custard with cream for dessert. My dietician had advised me to stay off mangoes, but come on man! This is the only time we get mangoes! It's not as if I am going to eat them everyday for the whole year! So please... I cut myself a break yesterday and gorged on the superb meal that my mom cooked for me. A big hug and a big thank you to Mom!


Ingredients

• 4 potatoes 
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp cashew nuts, broken
• 1 tbsp raisins 
• salt to taste
• oodles of desi ghee (clarified butter)

Place the potatoes in a pan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil on high heat. Now lower the heat and let the potatoes cook uncovered for ten minutes. (Only ten minutes, not more.)

Let them cool. Once cool, peel the potatoes and grate them. To this add the rest of the ingredients and 1 tsp desi ghee. Mix very carefully so as to not disturb the shreds of potatoes.

Heat a saucepan and pour one teaspoon of ghee on it. Now carefully place the potato mixture on the saucepan in the shape of a pancake. Cook on low heat for ten minutes. Now flip the pancake over and let the other side cook for ten minutes too. Both the sides should turn crispy.

Remove in a plate and cut it into wedges and serve with cold yoghurt. Yumm!!!

Happy Cooking!

Dhaba Daal

Karma is a bitch! Good song. Bhaag D K Bose... Another catchy song. Can't  help humming the songs as I fly by the city on my two wheeled friend. Not to mention, it gives me immense unmeasurable pleasure swearing. The humble helmet makes sure that I am not heard. Nevertheless, once in a while it does you a world of good to let a geyser-like outpouring of swear words. Especially when your voice sounds more like metal rubbing on metal than the sweet melody of a songbird. These songs suit a voice like mine.

My source of irritation today is the common cold. Its common-ness makes it all the more irritable. Some one has it and it is just very common for them to share it with you. What's more... it isn't globbing up. It's more like a leaky faucet that just drips no matter what you plug in there. You have your hanky ready all the time. But you are in the middle of an important discussion with your boss, and there it is. That ever so innocent little droplet trickling down your nostril. Damn!

I have seen that I tend to write infinitely better when I am irritated. Frustration gives you lots of creative thoughts I guess. ;-)

Okay, one more thing. I just finished making a patchwork quilt for my newborn nephew (Disha's son) which I couldn't resist posting here. There are two pictures. It's not mind-blowing, but for a first attempt I think it is a decent job. :-) Note: I have also done some fabric painting.

Here's my recipe for today.

Ingredients

• 1 cup split black gram (urad dal)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 dry red chillies
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp butter
• fresh coriander finely chopped for garnishing (optional)

 Pressure cook the black gram along with turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt till it is soft. Mash it as much as possible.

In a wok, heat oil and add the cumin seeds, red chillies and asafoetida. Throw in the chopped onion and saute for two minutes or till the onions are translucent. To this, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Finally add the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes go tender.

Now pour the mashed black lentils to this and bring the curry to a boil. Now add the butter and allow it to melt completely. Garnish with coriander and serve hot!

Happy Cooking and Happy Doing-Whatever-You-Like!

Jeera Aloo Gobhi

Newsflash! Yours truly has finally joined a gym wherein she is going to sweat her butt into shape again. That destination is a long time to come, but the process has begun (and will hopefully be maintained in the days to come.

God knows how I am going to do it though. Shrikant has no faith in me whatsoever. Zero, zip, zilch. He has given me fifteen days. Maybe, even seven. (Those are the number of days in a month he thinks I'll actually make it to the gym!) I hope to prove him wrong. I don't know if I can, but I'll try.

And with this Project, my kind nutrition consultant has advised me to go off sugars, refined flour, oils, and everything good in life. How does one survive without cheese! But health first, I have to reduce at least fifteen kilos if I am to be anywhere near the respectable end of the normal weight range for my height.

Here's a recipe which I made with almost no oil. Okay, there was a little oil, but really very little indeed. Yet, it tasted awesome.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 potato peeled and chopped into large pieces
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• salt to taste

Heat the oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds. Once they begin changing color add the potatoes and the cauliflower florets. Saute for a minute and add all the other dry spices and salt. Pour a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Now lower the heat, place a lid on the wok, and allow the vegetables to cook in their own steam for about ten minutes.

Poke a spoon into the middle of a floret. If it slices the floret through and through, the cauliflower is cooked and your vegetables are ready to be served hot!

Happy Cooking!

Split green gram and garlic curry

Boy, I am tired. So I am going to just write the recipe for once, and be done with it. :-(

Ingredients

• 1 cup split green gram (moong dal) without the skins
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 3 dry red chillies
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste

Wash and drain the green gram. Add one and half cups of water and pressure cook till the gram goes soft. Mash it with a fork. Add turmeric, one cup water and salt to taste and keep it aside.

Heat a little oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds and garlic. Roast the garlic well till it turns golden brown in color. Break each dry red chilli into two and add to the tempering. Let the chillies change color a little and pour the tempering over the green gram. Stir it well.

Put the pot containing the curry back onto the heat and bring it to a boil. Serve hot with rice.

Happy (Yawn!) Cooking!

Urad dal Curry

My mom-in-law has been advised to stay off yellow lentils. So I have to think of other options everyday. Which is a good thing. It just helps me with my PIC.


This is one hell of a delicious curry. Serve it with rice or chapati or just eat it with a spoon. Either way, you will be in heaven.
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Ingredients

• 1 cup urad dal (split black gram without skins)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 green chillies
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• salt to taste
• freshly chopped coriander to garnish

Pressure cook 1 cup urad dal with 1 cup of water. Grind the green chillies, garlic and ginger together to a fine paste.

Once the urad dal is cooked, mash it with a fork or a spoon. Heat oil in a wok and add the mustard seeds. Once they start to crackle add the asafoetida and the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste. Fry the paste well for 1 minute. (Beware, this makes you cough and sputter a lot!)

Now pour the mashed lentils and add one more cup of water. Add turmeric and salt to taste. Stir vigorously and bring the curry to a boil. Garnish with fresh finely chopped coriander and serve hot!

Happy Cooking!

Ivy Gourd (tendli) and Cashewnuts

Have been so busy the last couple of days! I have been feeling so guilty about not posting regularly. My apologies. I have been preoccupied with some other things which led to a gross neglect of my blog.

Anyways, coming back to the blog, here is a Goan recipe for Indian Ivy Gourd or Tendli or Tondli as it is called popularly in India. When you think about making the Ivy gourd for dinner there are not many options. This is a nice option, which is slightly spicy with  a sweet undertone. Try it, you may like it.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped Ivy Gourd (Tendli)
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts
• 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp dry mango powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp sugar

Wash and chop the ivy gourd into fine slices.Grind the coconut, green chillies and dry mango powder together to a paste. Don't make too fine a paste though.

Heat oil and add mustard, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Now add the chopped gourd, cashew nuts, salt and turmeric and saute on high heat for 2 minutes. Add a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the wok with a lid and simmer for ten minutes or until the gourd is completely cooked. Now add the ground coconut paste and cook again for about five minutes more.

Finally add a dash of sugar and mix it well into the preparation. Serve hot with chapati!

Happy Cooking!

Sunshine Breakfast

You will know why I am calling it my sunshine breakfast when you see the image. Pancakes, scrambled eggs and mixed fruit juice. Perfect way to begin your day, don't you think. I think it is entirely comfort food.

I need comforting right now, too. My daughter and my ma-in-law have gone to Pune for two days *sobs. I couldn't go because of my new job. Not that I particularly wanted to, but I am going to miss my little daughter for two days. I hope she doesn't trouble her grandma too much.

Ma in law likes eggs, but not made in this manner. She wants them spicy. I prefer my eggs to be as uncluttered as possible. I do not like throwing a whole spice garden into my eggs. They taste best simple. Like most things in life.

For the pancakes

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk

For the scrambled eggs

• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• a dash of mixed herbs (optional) 

For the pancakes

Sieve the flour with the baking powder and keep it aside. Separate the yolks from the whites and beat each separately (just like for the sponge cake) I know that you needn't beat them separately when made traditionally. But I do like my pancakes to be as soft and spongy as sponge cakes.

Beat the yolks with a tsp of sugar and keep them aside. Wash all the whipping instruments and dry them completely (thanks Jayu for the tip!) and beat the whites separately with the remaining sugar till stiff. With a rubber spatula, fold in the yolks, the flour, the butter and the milk. Gently stir it all up.

Heat a griddle and add butter. Now spoon out a little batter on it and fry on both sides till it is slightly brown on each side.

For the scrambled eggs

Break the eggs into a bowl. Add the butter and the milk and whip well. Add salt, pepper and mixed herbs and beat some more. Heat a saucepan. Add butter into the saucepan. When it melts completely, pour in the egg mixture. Wait for some time till the lowest layer has set a little. Now push away one side of the eggs from the edge towards the center and let the liquid egg run into the empty space created. Keep doing this till all the liquid egg mixture has been used up. Scramble a little with a spatula and turn off the heat. You don't want your scrambled eggs to go completely hard.

Serve the pancakes with your favorite syrup and the scrambled eggs. Pour a glassful of juice. Your sunshine breakfast is ready!

Happy Cooking! 

Jowar Bhakri and Mirchi Lasun Thecha

I have to, have to, have to thank my dental assistant Mrs. Kalpana Koduskar for giving me great tips about how to make a great bhakri.

I have been trying to make a good fluffy bhakri unsuccessfully for many months. But with the tips I got from her, I finally got it right. It isn't as though my bhakri was perfect, but it puffed up! Imagine my ecstasy!

I made 'assal gaavraan jevan'. Jowar bhakri, mirchi lasun thecha, baingan ka bharta and raw onion. And for dessert? Jaggery with ghee!

It was an awesome meal, and I am sure most of you would enjoy it too.

Ingredients

• 5 cups jowar flour (makes about 8 bhakris)
• 1 tsp salt
• water for making the dough

For the Mirchi Lasun thecha

• 7 to 8 dry red chillies
• 10 to 12 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp dry mango powder
• 2 tbsp jaggery (this is my own little touch and it tastes great!)
• salt to taste

First make the thecha and keep it in the refrigerator. It is as simple as assembling all the ingredients, and blending them to a chutney in a blender. Remove it and refrigerate it. But beware! This chutney is mind-numbingly hot!

Now make the hot bhakris. The best way to eat a bhakri is right off the stove.  Warm about 2 cups of water. It should feel slightly hot to the touch. Add salt to the jowar flour and mix it well. Now add the warm water a little at a time and incorporate it well into the dough. Knead a soft dough. You have to knead it well for a long time with the heel of your hand to make sure that the dough becomes soft and pliable.

Heat a griddle. You can't roll a bhakri with a rolling pin. Dust a little wheat flour on your hands and make a ball of the jowar flour. Slap it in between both your hands till you get a nice flat round bhakri. Now place it on the griddle and apply a little water on the exposed surface of the bhakri. Wait till the water gets absorbed. Now flip the bhakri over and roast it till it gets browned. (The surface to which water was applied should get browned).

Now pick up the bhakri and place it directly in the flame. Roast it well on both sides till the bhakri puffs up. Serve hot with a drizzle of ghee on its top and with a dollop of the thecha.

Happy Cooking!

Kothimbir Vadi

This will be my seventy-second post! I can't believe that in the last two and half months, I have made a different recipe everyday! Not a day has gone by when I didn't make something new.

I remember the time I was a numbed novice in the kitchen. My mother and my mother-in-law, both are excellent cooks, and by their standard I was nowhere. The only things I could make when I got married were tea and Maggie! I have come a long way since that time four and half years ago.

Back in those days, I would hate going to the kitchen. I felt like such a loser! Everything was out of control, and I hate losing control of situations. It would take me ten whole minutes to chop an onion and I am not exaggerating. I couldn't handle clinic and cooking both. So my mother-in-law would make one meal and I would make the other (lunch or dinner) but never both.

Looking at myself today, I can't help but feel good about myself. Today I can juggle cooking both the times, taking care of my daughter, juggling a job, being a writer, and cooking something new each day! I had never thought that it would be possible, but I actually look forward to cooking now, as I am equally intrigued with what I am going to make each day and how it will turn out.

Not all my recipes were successful. I must admit, there were some that were completely disastrous and I had to make something else in a haste so that I didn't have to post the disaster. But all in all the journey so far has been exciting.

My recipe for today is something I have wanted to make for a long time. It is a simple Maharashtrian recipe that I had heard a lot about. Finally I made it today, and the taste was absolutely fantastic. It has just the right hint of crispiness and softness. Crunchy, sour, spicy and sweet all at the same time, with the maximum flavor from the coriander. Do try this recipe if you haven't already and tell me if you liked it too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2-3 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil
• water

Mix all the above ingredients and add water slowly till you get a thick lump-free batter. Pour water in a steamer and place it over heat.

Grease a steamer bowl with a little oil and pour the batter in it. Place in the steamer and steam for ten to fifteen minutes till a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cut the vadis into small cubes and shallow fry them till they are golden brown and crisp on all sides. Serve hot, hot, hot with ketchup or mint chutney. I did prefer to eat them as they were without any ketchup.

Happy cooking!

Nachos with Spicy Tomato Dip

Swapping sob stories with my assistants in clinic today, I realized how better off I am with respect to my husband and my in-laws. Truly, I am blessed. The stories that they share with me, sometimes sad, sometimes poignant and sometimes downright hilarious! But what truly touched me is their ability to smile and laugh inspite of all the wrong that has happened to them. Is it because of their pain-bearing capacity, or because of their ignorance? It struck me as odd  that they should think that husbands hitting or slapping their wives is 'Normal'! What's even worse, they think that if a husband beats his wife, then she must have definitely done something to deserve it!

I did my bit to make sure that they understand that deserving or otherwise, no husband has authority to beat his wife. It did make me realize one thing though. All my so-called grievances and complaints towards my husband are without any merit whatsoever. My husband is infinitely better than all these wife-bashers.

Armed with this altered perspective about the goodness encompassing my life, I decided to make something nice and entirely different today. I have always wanted to make nachos. Today was the day I decided to make it.

Pretty soon, I am going to make Marie Biscuit No-Bake Cake. Needless  to say, I'll post it when I make it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup corn meal (Makki ka atta)
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 9 to 10 pods garlic minced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 6 to 7 slices of jalapeno 
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp tobasco sauce
• 2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• salt to taste
• grated cheese (optional)

For the tortilla chips, mix the corn and plain flours with baking powder and salt. Now add water slowly and knead well to form a soft dough. Divide the dough into ten equal portions. Roll out each portion thinly with a rolling pin and cut with a knife into desired shapes.

Heat oil in a deep wok, and deep fry the tortilla chips till they are nice and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen towels.

For the spicy tomato dip, mix all the remaining ingredients except the cheese, and refrigerate. Garnish with grated cheese and serve chilled with the corn chips.

Great as a starter, or snacks!

Happy Cooking!

Muga Gathi

Again, another typical Goan preparation. Easy to make and great to taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sprouted green gram (moong)
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• 2 red chillies
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 2 tsp jaggery
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 3 to 4 curry leaves

Soak the sprouted green gram in warm water for 1 to 2 hours. All the skins will come afloat and can be easily removed. (I skipped this step as saving the skins is good for digestion.)

Pressure cook the green gram with one cup water, 2 red chillies and salt to taste. Cook only till the whistle blows once. Do not overcook or you will have a paste instead of individual grains.

Dry roast the coriander seeds till they become light brown in color. In a mixer, blend together the coconut, coriander seeds, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, salt and jaggery. Make a fine paste of the above. Mix it with the cooked green gram.

Heat the oil in a wok. Once it becomes piping hot, add the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour the green gram curry over the tempering and bring the curry to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot with rice or chapati.

Happy Cooking.

Corn, Peas and Potato Sandwich

There is nothing great about making a sandwich. Or, that is what I used to think. Until I had a taste of my friend Sucheta's sandwich. Sucheta is a great cook (albeit vegetarian) and makes wonderful recipes on Sundays for her family. I was lucky to be a part of few of those and taste her awesome sandwiches. Not to mention, my kid loved the sandwiches. What a great way to get some veggies into her tummy!

This morning, I made  sandwiches with corn, peas, cottage cheese and potatoes. Also, I always use brown bread instead of white bread unless absolutely necessary. Switching to brown bread means switching to health.

The best part is, Saee gave me a thumbs up! I got my reward already :-)

Ingredients

• 10 slices of brown bread
• 2 medium potatoes boiled and peeled
• 1/2 cup peas, boiled
• 1/2 cup corn, boiled
• 1/2 cup grated cottage cheese (I make mine at home)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 to 2 tsp barbeque sauce
• 1 tsp mixed dry herbs
• 2 tsp olive oil
• butter
• salt to taste

Heat a little olive oil in a wok. Stir in the chopped onion and saute till the onion becomes translucent. Add the corn and the peas and toss around a little bit. Now add the mashed boiled potatoes and give it a good stir in the wok. Lower from the heat.

Now add the grated cottage cheese, turmeric, red chilli powder, mixed herbs, dark soy sauce and barbeque sauce. Add a little salt to taste. Mix it up well with hands.

Now butter both sides of the bread, and spread a little of the above mixture on one slice. Place the other slice above the spread and toast the sandwich till it browns on both sides.

Cut into triangles and serve with green chutney or tomato ketchup. A healthy breakfast is ready!

Happy Cooking!

Papad Parantha

The simplest breakfast ever! I remember seeing the recipe once on a cookery show on TV. This parantha is a specialty of a paranthawala in Delhi where he concocts all sorts of recipes for his paranthas and they are a huge hit. Of course, he makes this recipe with dollops of ghee which I very thoughtfully omitted. You may use the ghee if you like.

Ingredients

• 6 papads
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil for kneading the flour
• 1/2 cup oil for frying the papads and then for the paranthas

I generally use papads which have different spices in them already, so you needn't season it anymore. Deep fry the papads and drain them on kitchen towels. Crush them into fine pieces.

Take the flour in a large dish. Make a well in the center and add the salt and 2 tbsp oil. Mix it well till it resembles bread crumbs. Now add the water slowly and knead well to form a firm dough.

Take a portion of the dough and make a ball from it. Make a deep depression in the center using thumbs and index fingers of both hands. Spoon out a portion of the papad mixture into the depression and seal the edges of the dough shut. Dip it in dry flour and roll out using a rolling pin. You can't make this parantha too thin as it has a tendency to tear.

Now heat a griddle and spoon out a tsp of oil on it. Place the parantha on the griddle and fry well on both sides till it becomes nice golden brown colored. Serve hot with chutney, ketchup or pickle!

Happy Cooking!

Bottle Gourd Yakhni

This is a Kashmiri no fuss preparation that is absolutely creamy and yummy to taste. Of course, yours truly did what she always does, and modified the recipe a bit to suit the Maharashtrian-Goan palate a little better, but I don't suppose that the changes were really monumental. Just itsy-bitsy alterations.


The first change that I did was that instead of deep frying the bottle gourd roundels, I roasted them with a little spray of oil. Yours truly is watching her weight, and believe me, there is a lot to watch! Not to mention, the mere presence of a little extra oil is sure to send both the eyebrows and the cholesterol of my ma-in-law (and my BMI) to shoot up.


I don't think that it made much of a difference  to the taste. The bottle gourd still tasted yummy, which is to say a lot about the bottle gourd. The humble gourd might be an epitome of goodness in the vegetable world, but honestly speaking, there is no taste inherent to the gourd itself. Yet, somehow, in this preparation, it actually tastes quite nice.


Other than that, there was a little dry ginger powder to be added to the recipe, which I didn't have. Ergo, I didn't add. Ergo, it made some difference which I couldn't tell.


Ergo... Oops, I mean Here You Go.


Ingredients

    * 1 small bottle gourd
    * 2 tsp oil
    * 3-4 cloves
    * 1 tsp cumin seeds
    * 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    * 1 tsp red chilli powder
    * 1 tsp fennel powder
    * 1/2 tsp coriander powder
    * 1/2 tsp garam masala
    * 1 cup yoghurt, beaten
    * 2 tbsp gram flour
    * a pinch of asafoetida
    * salt to taste

Peel the skins of the bottle gourd and cut it into roundels. You can then core each roundel to get something like a bottle gourd doughnut. Save the cored pieces. (There is no reason to discard them.)


Now heat a griddle and spray a little cooking oil on its surface. Place the roundels on the griddle and cook well till they are evenly browned on both sides. Brown the cored pieces as well. Set aside to cool. (Those who are XX calorie conscious may even drain the already-too-little-oil-containing gourd pieces on kitchen towels. I skipped the bit... very very conveniently indeed!)


In a wok, heat 2 tsp of oil and toss in the cumin seeds and cloves. Now add the roasted roundels, the dry spices except for the garam masala, salt and half a cup of water. Bring it to a boil and then cover and simmer till the roundels go completely tender. This may take a while.


During  that time, add the gram flour and the pinch of asafoetida to the whipped yoghurt and mix it well so that no lumps remain. Once the gourd pieces have become tender, pour in the yoghurt mixture and give the whole darn thing a good little stir. Bring it to a boil again and last, but in no way the least, add the garam masala. Mix it all up and serve hot with rotis or chapatis.

Happy Cooking!

Spicy Spinach Soup

A great way to start your day with a whole lot of nutrients power packed in this striking green delicacy.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch spinach washed and chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 pepper corns
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• salt to taste
• grated cheese (optional)

Heat the butter in a wok and add  the onions and garlic and saute till the onions turn translucent. Now add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook till the spinach reduces in volume.

Blend the mixture from the wok to a fine puree. Now in the same wok, heat the olive oil and add the bay leaf and pepper corns. Saute for a minute and add the puree. Add all the dry spices to the puree and salt to taste. Taste a bit and adjust seasoning as per your wish.

Sprinkle grated cheese on top and serve!

Happy Cooking!

Rice Kheer

The last three days have been insane. Now that I have a new job, I have had to juggle a lot of chores everyday and go to work, which leaves me bone tired in the night, and inexcusably, lazy to write my blog. I profusely apologize for that.

But that does not mean that I haven't been making new recipes. Just that I haven't been writing them on my blog that's all. I will post all three recipes for the last three days today, right here, right now.

The first is rice kheer. It is simple to make and delicious. Combine it with a poori and you have a sure shot winner on your table.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 4 cups milk
• 1/4th cup clarified butter or ghee
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 2 tbsp broken cashew nuts
• 2 tbsp raisins

Wash the rice and drain it.

Heat the clarified butter or ghee in a wok.  Add the drained rice to it, and fry till the rice becomes light to feel and slightly pinkish brown in color. Keep it aside to cool. Meanwhile bring the milk to a boil.

Once the rice has cooled, put it in blender and blend it till you get a grainy consistency. Do not add water. You do not want to make a rice paste. Just finer grains of rice.

As the milk boils, add the rice and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer it for around 15 minutes. Press a grain of rice in between the thumb and index finger to see if the rice has become soft.

Once the rice has become completely soft, add the sugar, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, cashew nuts and raisins and boil for five more minutes.

You can either serve it hot, or cold like a pudding, whichever way suits your taste.

Happy Cooking!

(pics will be posted in the evening)

Raw Jackfruit Curry

Yeah, I know. What's with fruits and me making curries out of them. Trust me, it isn't intentional. Just incidental that's all. We spotted a wonderful raw jackfruit and my husband asked me if I would make a Goan curry out of it. What option did I have but to say yes!

And yet, surprise! Surprise! Today the curry has been made by my mother in law. And what a curry it was? Finger licking good! It felt as though I was eating the tenderest chicken ever. Yes, it does taste a bit like chicken. That's what we told Saee it was, when she wouldn't try it at first. One bite and she was hooked on it too!

Here's the recipe

Ingredients

• 500 g raw jackfruit
• 2 medium sized onions chopped
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 7 to 8 garlic pods
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

While cleaning a raw jackfruit, make sure that your hands are well greased with oil. Otherwise it can lead to itchiness. Everything except the skin of the jackfruit and the skin of its seed, is edible and should be used in the curry. Chop it up nice and good once the skins have been removed.

Now blend together  all the ingredients except oil and mustard seeds to form a smooth paste. Heat the oil in a wok and add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add the ground paste. Fry it up nice and good till it exudes a wonderful aroma. Stir in the chopped jackfruit and saute for 10 to 15 minutes till the jackfruit pieces are tender.

Pour half a cup of water into the curry and bring it to a boil. Your jackfruit curry is ready to be served!

Happy Goan Cooking!

Raw Mango Cooler - Kairiche Panhe

Nothing beats the heat in this awful summer like the typically Maharashtrian raw mango cooler or 'Kairiche Panhe' as it is called in Marathi.  I found some excellent big raw mangoes and jumped at the opportunity to make this really simple drink.

Ingredients

• 3 large raw mangoes
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp mace powder
• a few strands of saffron (optional)

Pressure cook the raw mangoes for about five to ten minutes. Once the mangoes have cooled down, peel them and carefully remove all the pulp from the seed and the peels. Make sure that no part of the skin is incorporated in the pulp.

Now add the sugar, the cardamom powder, mace powder and saffron with a little water and blend it to a smooth puree. The puree should be thick.

Refrigerate the puree. Whenever you need a cool drink, just pour 1/4th glass of this puree and top it up with cold water and ice and serve!

The internet is very slow today so can't upload the image. Will upload tomorrow as soon as I have better network speed.

Until then..

Happy cooking!

Butterbeans Sundal

The last time I ate butter beans was fifteen years ago, I hadn't liked it. This time though, I found them infinitely better. Once again, I found this recipe in my book of recipes by Anjum Anand. Truly, she is the Nigella Lawson of India.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3/4th tsp mustard seeds
• 6 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp split black gram
• 3 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1 green chilli chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp green mango grated (optional)
• salt, to taste
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 1 cup butterbeans, washed and soaked overnight and then cooked in a pressure cooker
• 1 tsp lemon or lime juice or to taste
• 2 tbsp grated coconut

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle and then add the curry leaves and black gram. Cook till the lentils color a little. Add the onion and chilli and cook till they turn soft and translucent.

Add the ginger, green mango, salt and tomato and cook, for about two to three minutes. Stir frequently. Add the butter beans, lemon juice and coconut and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot or warm as a snack. Alternatively, leave to cool a little and stir in some salad leaves.

Happy Cooking!

Tangy Pumpkin Curry

I am so pressed for time these days. My house help is on leave for three days and I am struggling to find the time and energy for the things I love to do. Yet, I made this tangy pumpkin curry which more than made up for my lack of energy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled and chopped pumpkin
• 1 onion chopped into large pieces (or shallots)
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 large tsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tomato chopped 
• 2 tsp jaggery
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (aniseed)
• salt to taste

Heat oil in a wok and add the onions and garlic. Saute till the garlic gives of a nice roasted aroma and the onions have slightly browned. Now add the pumpkin pieces, red chilli powder, turmeric, and coriander powder and salt and saute covered for 5 minutes.

After five minutes, add the tamarind paste, tomatoes and half a cup of water and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes or till the pumpkin has half cooked.

Now remove the cover and add the jaggery and aniseed to it. Cook for a further 2 minutes and serve hot!

Happy Cooking!!!

Dal Amritsari

Oh, man! You have to taste this curry to believe it. It tastes awesome! It is buttery, gooey with just a hint of mint. It took me some time to make this curry as the lentils take some time to cook. But the effort, I assure you, is well worth it. For after about half an hour of making this curry, it rewards you with a taste that is just right!

Ingredients

• 1 cup split black gram soaked for an hour
• 1 cup bengal gram soaked for an hour
• salt to taste
• 2  tbsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (makkhan)
• 3 tsp clarified butter (ghee)
• 3 green chillies chopped (or more if you like it hot)
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tbsp mint leaves chopped
• 1 tomato chopped

Wash and drain the split black gram and split bengal gram. Take about 5 cups of water in a large open with a big surface area, and add the both the grams to it. Add salt to taste and place it over heat. Keep removing the scum that collects on the surface of the water from time to time.

Add 1 and 1/2 tbsp of ginger and garlic, and all of the unsalted butter to the lentils. Bring it to a boil and keep boiling it till the lentils are soft, and the volume of the water reduces by 3/4th. Go and read a book or watch your favorite movie, because this step takes a long long time.

Now remove it from heat, and mash the lentils till it becomes a puree.

In a separate wok, heat the clarified butter (ghee). Add the onions, chillies, remaining garlic and ginger, and mint leaves and saute for three to four minutes till the onions become slightly brown. Add the chopped tomato and saute till it becomes tender. Now pour the lentil mixture into the wok and once again bring it to a boil.

Serve hot with roti, chapati or steamed rice!

Happy Cooking!

Chocolate Ganache Cake

My friend Naina asked me to post a cake recipe. So here it is.

My attempts at making cake earlier used to be disastrous. There were times when my cake would simply fall flat, or be hard as a rock. If it did turn out okay, I'd find that the sugar wasn't right. I have failed miserably in cake making, far too many times.

Thanks to my friend Sahana, and a video on VideoJug, I was able to successfully make the basic sponge cake. For all those who still don't know how to make the basic sponge cake, here is the video:

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-sponge-cake

However it shows a cake made with 8 eggs. If you do have a large cake tin and a big oven, please go ahead with that recipe. My recipe is made with 4 eggs and half the rest of the ingredients. Here is my recipe.

For the cake.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs 
• 95 g sugar (powdered)
• 42.5 g plain flour
• 22.5 g corn starch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. 
2. Now for the other things. Use all the ingredients at room temperature. Melt the butter beforehand. Keep the eggs out of the refrigerator till they come to room temperature.
3. Sieve the flour, corn starch and baking powder together. Keep them aside.
4. Apply some butter onto the inside of your baking tin. Dust a teaspoon of flour so that it coats the tin evenly in a thin layer.
5. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. 
6. Beat the yolks with an electric beater till they become frothy. Add 2 tbsp of sugar and beat again till they change their color to a very pale yellow. Keep them aside.
7. Wash all your mixer attachments. Any amount of fat on your electric beater will be detrimental to the whipping of the whites. (All your utensils for whipping the egg whites should be squeaky clean.)
8. Now start whipping the egg whites. Add the remaining sugar in small quantities till the entire sugar is used up. Add the vanilla essence. Beat the egg whites till they become stiff enough to not drip or creep even when the container is turned upside down.
9. Now pour the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. Mix it very slowly with a rubber spatula. Mix it very slowly and with feather touch, otherwise the air that was trapped in the egg whites will escape, and your cake will go flat.
10. Now add the remaining ingredients (flour and butter) and once again mix  it very slowly. 
11. Pour the batter into the baking tin and place the tin in the oven.
12. Bake for thirty minutes, or insert a skewer into the center of the cake. If the skewer emerges clean, your cake is done.
13. Place it on a wire rack to cool it down.

Here is the picture for  the cake.

Now for the ganache topping.

Ingredients

• 80 ounces (or 1 large cup) dark chocolate
• 3/4th cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

1. The chocolate should be essentially at room temperature.
2. Chop the chocolate into very tiny pieces and place the pieces in a bowl.
3. Mix the cream and butter in a pan, and place the pan on heat.
4. When the cream and butter mixture comes to boiling point, pour it over the chocolate pieces.
5. Let it rest for a few minutes. 
6. Now begin mixing it very slowly with a spatula so as to NOT trap any air within the mixture.
7. Your chocolate ganache is ready.

Chill your cake first so that the ganache retains its shine. Remove any loose crumbs from the cake. Now apply a thin layer of ganache to the cake (much like the first coat of nail polish). Refridgerate for 5 to 7 minutes till the first layer sets. Now pour the remaining ganache in the center of the cake and spread it slowly with your spatula. Have a little ganache drip down the sides of the cake. Spread everything evenly till it becomes flat. Place the cake in the refrigerator for the ganache to set.

Your Chocolate Ganache cake is ready to be served!

Yo, this is why I started PIC.

Happy Cooking!

Stuffed Green Peppers

Isn't the concept of stuffing wonderful? Stuffing an ingredient with entirely different ingredients, makes for interesting texture, interesting taste and presentation. There is no limit to what you can do, let your imagination run wild thinking what you can stuff. There are recorded recipes for stuffing peppers, aubergines, courgettes, gourds (all the different varieties), cucumbers... you name it and it's there. Fruits have been traditionally used as a stuffing, rather than something to stuff... 'stuff' into! :-) Yet, there are recipes for stuffed fruits too.

In my case, I have stuffed gram flour into peppers. You can also check out my friend Laxmi's site for a wonderful peppers stuffed with chicken recipe on http://watsinmywok.blogspot.com. You will find some gorgeous recipes here as well.

For my basic Indian gram flour stuffed green peppers, here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 large green peppers
• 4 tbsp gram flour
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp dry mango powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil for frying

Roast the gram flour in a wok for 5 minutes till you get the aroma of roasted gram flour. Add the dry spices except mustard seeds, and salt into it and roast for one more minute. Remove from heat and add a little water to obtain a paste like consistency.

Slit the peppers and stuff the paste into the cavity within the peppers.

Heat oil in a wok and add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, place the peppers one by one into the oil. Fry till they are evenly browned on each side. Serve hot!

Don't they look like little newborn puppies? ;-) Although, green colored!

Happy Cooking!

South Indian Chicken Stew

I love stews. I  love the simplicity and vivaciousness of stews. They need no elaborate preparation and are ready in minutes. I read this recipe in one of my cookbooks. I did make a few changes, but you could skip them if you wish.

Ingredients

• 100 gms chicken (boneless or with bones, whichever way you prefer)
• 1 large onion chopped  into large pieces
• a few curry leaves
• 1 large potato chopped into large pieces
• 1 carrot chopped into large pieces
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 4 to 6 pepper corns
• 2 to 3 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 a cube of chicken soup (or 1/2 cup chicken stock)
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• salt to taste

 The coconut oil brings out the characteristic flavor of this recipe. Heat the coconut oil in a wok and throw in the cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns. Saute for half a minute.

Add the onions. Cook them till they are soft, but not till they turn brown. Add the chillies, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, chicken pieces and potatoes. Saute for two minutes, and then cover and cook for a further five minutes.

Remove the cover, and add the carrots and a cup of water. Add the soup cube to the stew and cook well for three to four minutes.

Now add the coconut milk and salt. Bring the stew to a boil. Now turn the heat down and simmer once again for a few minutes.

Serve hot with rice!

Meethi Kadhi with Soya chunks

Come Monday, and we often whip butter from the cream we have accumulated over the fortnight. It is an integral part  of most Indian households.

This is often the reason for making buttermilk based recipes on this day. It is a wonderful feeling, burying your fingers into the soft and snowy-white butter.

I usually make the other variant of this curry. This is the first time I made this curry, and thought that adding soya chunks to it would be something different.

Try it with or without soya. It tastes lovely. I am a fan of Gujarati food, and were I not a non-vegetarian, I would have loved to have Gujarati meals everyday. :-)

Ingredients

• 2 cups sour buttermilk
• 1 cup sour curds
• 3 tbsp gram flour
• 1/2 cup soya chunks
• 3 to 4 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 2 tbsp jaggery
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• salt to taste

For the tempering

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 3 to 4 cloves
• 1 small piece cinnamon

Soak the soya chunks in boiling water for ten minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Whisk the curds with a little water till it is free of lumps. Now add to the buttermilk, along with the gram flour, ginger, curry leaves, salt and jaggery. Whisk the whole mixture well till the gram flour is not lumpy any more.

Place it on heat and bring the curry to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add the soy chunks, turn the heat down and simmer it for five to ten minutes.

In the meanwhile, heat oil in a separate wok and add the cumin seeds. Once they begin to change color, add the cloves, cinnamon and asafoetida and saute for a minute. Pour the tempering into the simmering curry.

Tastes best when served hot with white rice.

Happy Cooking!

Pork Oolarthathu

One of the easiest pork recipes I have ever seen. Call me biased, but I still love the East Indian Pork Vindaloo and Sorpotel than any other pork recipe. This was good, though.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg pork
• 2 cups yoghurt
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 4 to 5 curry leaves
• salt to taste

Marinate the pork with yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, dry spices and salt. Set aside for 4 hours.

After four hours, put the pork and its marinating sauce into a pressure cooker and cook on a slow heat for thirty minutes.

In a separate wok, heat oil and add the asafoetida, onions and curry leaves and saute for two to three minutes. Now put the cooked pork into the wok and saute well for two to four minutes. Bring it to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with bread.

Happy Cooking!