Tamarind Kadhi

Back today after a soul-satisfying and relaxing mini vacation at mom's. Spent the last four days in utter bliss, eating mom's food. Gave me a glimpse back into how royal my past was. Saee had a gala time playing with her friend as well.

I remember the time when we moved in to the apartment where only mom stays now. Back then we were one of the first occupants of the apartment building, and it was very lonely. Ergo, we were very happy when we realized that some new neighbors were moving into the flat across ours. Kaka (Uncle), as I called him, was an exuberant 60 something when I first met him. Larger than life, and very loving, is how I came to know him over the next couple of years. Patil uncle loved me dearly like I was his own daughter. A much needed father-figure in my life, he showered me with affection while I lived there. I don't remember ever entering my house without calling out to him first. That was the equation we shared. His children are as good as my siblings.

Whenever we needed someone, our relatives would reach us later, but Patil Kaka was always there. Always smiling and ever ready to help. When he passed away, he left a void in my heart that will probably never be filled again. He was like my father.

His granddaughter Preet has imbibed his zest for life. She too is a boisterous little child, completely easy going and extroverted for her age. And for some reason, she has turned into my little Saee's best friend. Our returning home today was devastating for both little kiddos.

During my stay there, I saw Kaki (Auntie) feeding rice and brown kadhi to her granddaughter. I asked her what it was and she promptly gave me the recipe. Never having heard of this kadhi before, I decided to make it now that I was home.

It is ridiculously simple to make. It didn't take me more than five minutes to assemble all the ingredients, and five minutes to cook the kadhi. In taste, it is very similar to the Goan footi kadhi, the recipe for which is also present in my blog.

It tastes so good, I could have it just like that, much like a soup.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp thick tamarind paste
• 3 spring onions, minced
• 1 large green chilli chopped into large pieces
• 1 small bunch of coriander finely chopped
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tbsp jaggery (or more depending on your taste)
• 4 cups water
• salt to taste

Bring together all ingredients except water in a small vessel and mix well with hands. Try and crush the onions and chilli pieces a little with your fingers. Transfer to a wok and add 4 cups of water. Bring the kadhi to a boil. Now lower the heat and simmer for two minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Hubbs has taken camera with him on shoot location. So no pictures today... Sorry :-)

Nevertheless... Happy Cooking!

ILE FLOTTANTE : The Floating Island Dessert

I am in heaven! Who knew eggs could taste like that? Besides, there is something about eggs, vanilla and sugar. They never fail to delight you. Use a different technique and they will yield something different yet entirely exciting for you.

This is one such dessert. It is called the floating island, because of the little meringue floats on the custard sauce. I think it should be named as the Edible Clouds. They are so soft, and fluffy, they just melt on your tongue! And the custard... the heavenly custard, oh! Together, they make a dessert that is so smooth and velvety in texture, it tortures you for pleasure as it slides down into your heart!

It didn't take me long to make it. Thanks to my mom who gifted me the electric egg beater, my work was done in half an hour. Such a perfect recipe in under thirty minutes! This is not the only time I am ever going to make it!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar ( I don't like my desserts irritatingly sweet)
• 1 pinch salt
• a few drops of vanilla essence
• 3 cups milk

Separate the whites from the yolks.

For  the meringues:

Beat the egg whites with salt, a few drops of vanilla essence and 1/4th cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Boil water in a large pan and once it begins to boil, drop blobs of egg whites into the water. (They float like beautiful spotless white clouds). Keep them undisturbed on the boiling water for two minutes. Turn them around gently and keep them for two more minutes. Remove them and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for five minutes. Remove and keep them aside.

For the custard sauce:

Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar till it changes color to light yellow. Boil the milk with the a few drops of vanilla essence. Add the milk in little quantities to the egg yolks while beating the egg yolks continuously. Once all the milk has been added, place the custard sauce over heat and boil while stirring constantly. Boil it until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon.

Chill the sauce. Then pour a ladle of sauce into a bowl, and float a meringue on it. Ta da!

It would have looked better if I had a bit of mint to garnish it. A little green to offset  the yellow and white.

Instead, I have bordered the picture with green. Looks just as delectable I think!

Happy Cooking!

Braised Cucumbers

I am so obsessed with Julie and Julia. I have recorded the movie on my Tata Sky and I keep watching re-runs. It is one way of keeping myself inspired to continue doing what I have been doing for so many days now.

Having watched the movie so many times, I am amazed as to how I let the words 'Braised Cucumber' remain unheard. I did hear it today, and I had cucumbers, and butter, and so I made it. I didn't have the mint. Maybe it would change the taste of the recipe. I made it with coriander instead.

They do taste different. And they are quick to make. Though, I must admit, I am not a big fan of this one. It looks kind of cute though.

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers 
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (or mint if you have it)
• 1/4th tsp pepper

Peel the cucumbers. Cut them into quarters. Remove the seeds. Chop into small pieces.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the cucumber pieces. Cover and cook on medium heat for five minutes.

Open the cover, add salt, lemon juice, coriander and pepper. Toss around for a minute.

Serve hot!

Happy Cooking!

Alu Vadi - Colocasia leaf rolls

This is the season of Alu vadis. Shravan, Ganesh Chaturthi and alu vadis are almost synonymous for me. Speaking of Ganesh Chaturthi, I am excited as usual, but in a fix as to what should  the decoration be for my favorite God's arrival?

Please guys, if you have any ideas do let me know!

Here you go.

Ingredients

• 3 colocasia leaves (alu) in varying sizes from large, medium and small
• 4 cups gram flour
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp roasted fennel (saunf) powder
• 3 tbsp coriander powder
• 3 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4th tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp thick tamarind paste
• 1/2 cup sugar
• salt to taste
• oil for frying

Wash the colocasia leaves and remove the thick veins with the help of a thin sharp knife. Dry them and keep them aside.

Mix all the other ingredients except oil for the batter with little water. The batter should be like a thick paste (about the consistency of toothpaste).

Place the largest leave vein side up (light green color on top). Spread the batter thickly and evenly onto the leaf.

Place the medium sized leaf on top of the first leave in an upside down manner. The vein-side should be facing you. But the pointed end of the second leaf should rest between the fork of the first leaf. Spread the batter thickly and evenly onto the second leaf.

Now place the smallest leaf on top of the second leaf, vein-side up. The pointed end of the third leaf should rest between the fork of the second leaf. Spread the batter thickly on to the third leaf.

Fold the right side of the leaves so that the outermost edge meets the centre of the leaves. Fold the left edge inwards in the same manner. Spread batter thickly on top of the folds.

Now fold the top part of the leaves and bring them to the center. Fold the lower edge of the leaves to  meet in the center as well. Spread batter thickly onto these new folds.

Now roll up the folded leaves like a dinner roll. (Or like a swiss roll).

Wrap it up tightly in cling film. I know that most people will not be comfortable with the idea of steaming alu vadi while it is wrapped in cling film. Trust me, the cling film does not melt or stick to the leaves. It does not impart any odor or taste to the roll. Just holds it together.

Steam the wrapped roll in a steamer for 35 to 45 minutes. Once they are steamed, remove the cling film and cut the roll into individual slices (much like the swiss roll).

Some like to eat these vadis just like that... steamed. Others like to deep fry it till they are crispy and crunchy. You can choose whichever way is more comfortable. Either way, they are extremely tasty.

Serve hot.

Dal Palak

I love this dal. I love spinach, and I love the way spinach and yellow lentils come together to create a creamy and dreamy concoction that is so great to eat with rotis as well as rice.


The spring onions and garlic puree give an amazing texture and layers of flavor to the curry. The tomatoes serve to complement an otherwise complete recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch spinach washed and finely chopped
• 1 cup yellow lentils (moong dal without skins)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10 to 12 curry leaves
• 3 dried whole red chillies
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic or garlic paste
• 3 spring onions chopped (with the greens)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• salt to taste

Wash the lentils and pressure cook them till they are soft. Keep them aside to cool. Wash and chop the spinach and spring onions.

Heat the oil in a wok and add the mustard seeds. Once they start crackling, add the cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Now add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds. Add the spring onions and saute for two minutes. Add the spinach and saute for three minutes till the spinach goes soft.

Add the tomatoes and cook well for two more minutes. Add the cooked lentils, 2 cups water, turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder. Mix well and bring the curry to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes.

Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Falafel

There are some who ask me how I find the time to do all these things. Then there are those who say that they should learn time management. I myself, have not a single clue how or why am I able to do a lot more than others (if that truly is the case). I don't think much about it honestly çause I grew up with a superwoman in my house, my mother. The amount of work she fit in her day... is an unimaginable humongous task for me.

As for the falafels, they really are quick and easy to make. No fancy preparation. Just a little thinking ahead of time. If you want to make them for breakfast, soak the chickpeas overnight, the night before. That's it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight
• 1 bunch coriander
• 1 green chilli
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate
• salt to taste
• oil for frying

Pressure cook the chickpeas for fifteen minutes or till they are completely soft. Allow the cooked chickpeas to cool.

Blend the chickpeas to a thick paste with coriander, cumin powder, green chilli powder, and salt. Add very little water if required. The paste has to be very thick.

Remove the paste in a container. Add the plain flour and soda bicarbonate.

Heat oil in a wok. Make sure the oil is atleast two inches deep. Shape the falafels with the help of two spoons dipped in oil. Slide the shaped falafel on one spoon into the oil, with the help of the second spoon.

Fry till they are dark golden brown on both sides. Remove them from the oil and drain them on kitchen towels.

Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Happy Cooking!

Corn and Potato Stew

This recipe is my own. And while I can't vouch for all, indeed many, of my recipes, this one can safely be called a good one by fluke! Having searched high and low for good recipes without onion and garlic, and found none, I was left to my own devices to come up with a concoction that incorporated all or some  of the vegetables that I am harboring in my refrigerator.

The corn is a gift from my mother, who didn't have use for them since she was going to Udipi for a couple of days of well-deserved vacation. The potatoes are no gift, but a safe bet to have in your kitchen. When everything else fails you, the humble potato comes to your rescue. The pumpkin, I just had a tiny bit left over from yesterday. It wasn't going to find any other use, so in the stew it went.

I did rue the lack of capsicum, as it would have brought out the flavors well. But not one to worry for long, I used ground pepper instead.

Here goes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet corn kernels
• 1 large potato boiled and peeled
• 1/2 cup peeled and chopped pumpkin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup double cream
• salt and ground pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a wok. Add the cinnamon and cloves and wait till the cloves pop. Now add the corn, chopped potato and pumpkin pieces. Saute on high heat for three minutes.

Now add two cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add the salt and pepper and turn down the heat. Cover the wok and simmer for ten minutes. Remove the cover and add heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.

Serve hot with bread.

(If you like it hotter, you can add a couple of shots of tobasco sauce to make it water your eyes along with your mouth!)

Happy Cooking!

Chocolate Eclairs

Finally for some reason, I can see that my blogger is working today. I am posting two new recipes with pictures as a celebration.

The first one is a French recipe called Chocolate Eclairs. Nope they are not the same as the Cadbury's eclairs that you get at your local store, these are much more warm, soft and delicious. They are a little tricky to make I guess but there are innumerable videos on YouTube and Videojug. I  took my recipe from Rachel Allen's Bake! on TLC.

Saee loved it!

Ingredients

For the  Choux (Pronounced as 'Shoe') pastry

• 25 g butter
• 50 ml water
• 35 g flour
• 1 egg
• a pinch of salt

For the Chocolate topping

• 25 g dark chocolate
• 25 g white chocolate

Chop the butter into tiny pieces. In a saucepan pour the chilled water. To it, add the finely chopped pieces of butter. Bring the water to a boil slowly. (The reason we should chop the butter is that we need to take the water accurately, and can't afford for the water to evaporate while the butter melts.)

Once the butter has melted, and the water has just come to a boil, remove the pan from heat. Add the flour to the water-butter mixture and mix it well till it becomes a uniform furry mass.

Keep it aside till it cools down to room temperature. Meanwhile beat the egg. Add it in small quantities to the flour mixture, till you get a batter of just dropping consistency, which is satiny and sheeny to look at. You may not need the whole egg. Keep the remaining for glaze.

Preheat your oven to 120 degrees. Line the baking tray with butter paper. Fill the batter in an icing bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Squeeze out thick tubes of the batter on to the butter paper, which are about 2 inches long each.

Place them in the oven at 120 degrees for about 10 minutes. Then notch up the temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes.

Remove them from the oven and cool them.

Meanwhile chop the white and dark chocolate and place them in the microwave for two minutes only. With a rubber spatula, mix the molten chocolate gently, so as to avoid incorporating bubbles into the chocolate.

Spoon out the chocolate onto the choux pastry and put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill.

Serve cold!

Happy Cooking!

Narli Bhat - Sweetened Coconut Rice

This is not a recipe for me. It is a memory from my childhood. It represents for me a lot of things. Narli Poornima for one, and a warm dessert for another. This recipe is made best by my mother. She is a really talented cook. I did make it yesterday and I did not fare too badly. It came pretty close to tasting the way my mother makes it.

I love this recipe for its simplicity. It doesn't take a lot of efforts or any fancy ingredients. Just your basic stuff will do.

Ingredients

• 2 cups long grain rice
• 2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
• 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp condensed milk (mom doesn't add this, but I added it for its richness)
• 2 cups water
• Dry fruits (raisins, cashews, almonds etc. if you have them)
• a pinch of saffron (if you have it)

Wash and soak the rice for two hours. Drain the rice and keep it aside. 

Heat the ghee in a non-stick wok. Add the drained rice to this and saute for two minutes. Add two cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook for about ten minutes till the rice grains are soft but still separate. 

Add the sugar, coconut and the remaining ingredients and stir well but carefully, till the moisture is soaked up.

Serve warm.

Happy Cooking!

Malai Kulfi

Agreed, it is not the season for kulfi, at least for kids. But my kid was insisting on having ice-cream and I thought that making homemade kulfi would be much better. I had the kulfi moulds since about two years. Somehow though, I never got around to making kulfis. This time though I had about two litres of milk left over, and decided that I would make malai kulfi for the benefit of both my daughter, and Project Indian Cooking.

I did not use any short cuts. I did not use condensed milk. I used whole milk and spent three hours trying to reduce its volume. My kid had already fallen asleep by that time, and I was feeling sleepy too. I slept at 2 a.m. finally after pouring the milk into the moulds. But trust me, the result was darned well worth all the effort that went into making this.

You can use the short cut method, there are plenty of those available on the internet. But this, was the real thing. You should make it too, and you will remember your favorite kulfi wala, like my husband remembered this kulfi-wala from Indore, and mom and me reminisced about our favorite ShreeRam Kulfi wala from Vasai.

Ingredients

• 2 litres whole milk (fatter the better)
• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp sliced pistachios
• 1 tbsp sliced blanced almonds (optional)
• 7 kulfi moulds with sticks

Take a wide wok with heavy bottom for this. Pour about 3 tablespoons of water into the wok. This prevents the milk from sticking to the bottom and prevents it from burning. (I do not know the rationale behind this, but this works even in your regular milk boiling utensil too. It just prevents milk from forming that icky fatty layer at the bottom which is so difficult to clean. A tip I thankfully received from my sister-in-law Shivani Rege)

Now pour all the milk into the pan and place it on the heat. Bring the milk to a boil. Keeping the heat to a medium, keep boiling the milk, stirring continuously, till it reduces to about half its original volume. (This will be about a litre.) Now add the sugar, cardamom, pistachios and almonds and boil further till it reduces to half again (about half a litre remains in the wok)

Turn off the heat and cool the milk to room temperature first. Pour the milk into kulfi moulds and insert the sticks (Or individual bowls if you don't have the moulds) and put them in the freezer to chill them overnight. 

While serving, remove the moulds from the freezer for about 5 minutes, and then put a gentle but firm tug on the stick. The kulfi will emerge from the mould, stuck to the stick.

Become a child again while you enjoy this delightful Indian ice-cream!

Happy Cooking!

Cheese Stuffed Tandoori Potatoes with Couscous Salad

I found this recipe on bbc good food. So I guess I should post a link back to the original recipe.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11206/baked-ricottastuffed-tandoori-potatoes

It turned out quite fantastic really. The only change I made was the salad. I made it healthier and more filling by adding couscous to it.

Couscous is what we call dalia in Hindi or saanja in Marathi. It is very nutritious and a healthier option for the diet conscious as it is full of fiber which makes it very filling too.

This is my recipe for the couscous salad.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup couscous
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 large cucumber peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup corn, boiled
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 bunch coriander finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Steam the couscous in a steamer for twenty minutes. Press a grain in between your thumb and forefinger to see if it has become soft. Remove it onto a plate and let it cool for a few minutes.

To this add the tomatoes, cucumber, corn, coriander, and lemon juice. Season it with salt and pepper as per your taste.

Serve with the tandoori potatoes as a beautiful multicolored, healthy and soul satisfying meal.

Happy Cooking!

Spinach and Mushroom Cups

Thinking about these cups has made me hungry all over again. Couldn't paste the pictures here, but my friends on FB have already seen them.

Taste-wise they were the perfect blend of crunchiness from the short-crust pastry, creaminess from the spinach white sauce, meatiness from the mushrooms, and the spiciness from the jalapenos... It was almost perfect!

I have been dying to share the recipe. So here it is.

Ingredients

For the short crust pastry

• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tbsp chilled butter
• 1 pinch salt
• chilled water as needed

For the Spinach sauce

• 1 small bunch spinach
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 small bunch parsley
• salt and lemon juice to taste

For the spinach white sauce

• 1 tsp of the above sauce
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp plain flour
• 1/2 cup thick cream
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

For the filling

• 2 tbsp chopped jalapenos
• 1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms (soaked in warm water for 1/2 an hour)
• grated cheese as required (I used Parmesan, but you can use any cheese as per your taste)

First make the short crust pastry. Take the plain flour in a wide bowl and add the salt to it. Put in chopped pieces of chilled butter. Rub the butter in the plain flour with your fingertips, till the flour resembles bread crumbs. Now add chilled water in small quantities till you get a nice and firm dough. Cover the dough in cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.

Meanwhile, make the sauces ready. For the yummilicious dark-green spinach sauce, first blanch the spinach. Boil hot water in a pot, and place the spinach in it for 30 seconds only. After 30 seconds, transfer the spinach to cold water. Leave it there for the next two minutes. Now blend the spinach with all the other ingredients for the green sauce to a puree. 

Make the white sauce. Heat the butter in a wok. While it is melting, add the plain flour and stir it well. Add cream in small portions, stirring continuously to avoid the formation of lumps. Finally add the milk, salt and pepper. If you think that the sauce has become too thick, adding a little water makes it of dropping consistency. Add one tsp of the spinach sauce to it to give it a lovely light green color.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out into a thin sheet. Cut small circles from it, larger than the diameter of the tart tin you are going to place it in. Grease the tart tin with a little butter or oil and line the pastry in it. Poke a few holes in the pastry so as to let air escape.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Centigrade for about ten to fifteen minutes till the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Remove from the oven and let cool for ten minutes. Now put a small layer of mushrooms into the pastry cup. Top that layer with a thin layer of grated cheese. Next put a layer of jalapenos. Once again layer with cheese. Finally pour a layer of the spinach white sauce and then top it off with the spinach sauce. You can make delightful patterns with the spinach sauce as it looks fantastic on the backdrop of a light green sauce. Makes for a great presentation.

Bake once more in the oven for ten minutes and serve hot!

Happy Cooking!

Eggless Vanilla Muffins

This recipe was given to me by my friend Sahana. Thanks Sahana, and a big big bear hug to you! Lou you for the recipe!

It turned out really amazing. I had a lot of inhibitions about eggless cakes. To begin with, I didn't think they rise enough. I used to think that they may not turn soft enough, or delicious enough. I couldn't be more mistaken. These cakes are very soft, if not as soft as the egg containing cakes. They are very very yummy too!

They did not need a lot of preparation either. It took me all of 30 minutes, including the baking time to complete my lovely muffins. The only problem is, they do not last long ;-)

The original recipe contained club soda instead of buttermilk. You can flip to the club soda if you wish.

This recipe makes for 6 muffins.


Ingredients

• 50 g plain flour
• 1/4tsp + a pinch of baking powder
• 1/4tsp + a pinch of baking soda (soda bicarb)
• 100 ml condensed milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 50 ml buttermilk
• a pinch of salt (brings out all the wonderful flavors. Skip it if you are so inclined)

Line the muffin tray with paper cups and keep them aside. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

Sieve the plain flour baking powder and baking soda together. Keep them aside.

Beat all the other ingredients together till well blended. Finally add the sieved plain flour and mix it lightly for ten to fifteen seconds only. (It is OK if some of the flour is in lumps than to overmix. The rising agents in this recipe are the baking powder and baking soda. If you overmix, they fail to raise the cake properly and you may end up with a hard muffin. That is why it is imperative that the last step takes only a few seconds.)

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray. Fill the paper cups about three fourths full with the batter. 

Place the tray in the oven and shut the oven door slowly and carefully. DO NOT slam the oven door shut.

Bake at 180 degrees for fifteen minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and let the muffins cool a little. Remove the muffins from the tray and cool on a wire rack. 

Once they are cooled, you may decorate them with buttercream, whipped cream or leave it plain. (They taste just as good if eaten plain, I can definitely vouch for it!)

Enjoy the cake of your efforts!

Happy Cooking!

Corn Panki

It's been some time since I last posted. I can't get my husband to rectify the error that is occurring on blogger on my home computer, and things have been busy in clinic this last week, so I couldn't get any time to post at all.

I tried to post this from the home computer but I couldn't. As you all could very well see. So here I am, posting this recipe again.

Can't post any pictures but I do have them all and will post them as soon as possible.

Coming to the recipe, this is not a stuffed panki or panolya as we call it. Neither is it sweet, but rather a savory filling way to start your day.

Ingredients

• 2 corn on the cobs
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4th tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4th tsp soda bicarb
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp semolina (rava)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 6 turmeric leaves

Grease the turmeric leaves with a little oil and keep them aside.

Grate the corn on the cob,  and add all the other ingredients except the oil. Mix well and spoon out onto the turmeric leaves.

Fold the turmeric leaves, and place them in a steamer. Steam for about ten minutes.

Heat oil on a skillet, and place the pankis (with the leaves) on it. Fry well till brown spots appear on both sides.

Remove the turmeric leaves and serve hot with green chutney.

Happy Cooking!

Aloo Mutter (without onion and garlic)

This month we are staunch vegetarians. It is the holy month of Shravan and we abstain from not only non-vegetarian food, but also onion and garlic. Truth be told, I like food without onion and garlic for two reasons. First of all, it is no fuss food. There is not a lot of chopping, grinding, blending involved. Secondly, onions and garlic sometimes out-flavor other ingredients in a recipe. When you eat food without onion and garlic, you can better appreciate the flavor of the other ingredients.

This recipe is one I usually make with onion and garlic. This time though, I made it without, and trust me it tasted really good. At least that's what my husband said. (He is such a sweetheart!)

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 1 cup peas shelled and washed
• 3 medium sized tomatoes 
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• salt to taste
• 2 cups water

Make a puree of the tomatoes and keep it aside. 

Heat oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds. Once they begin changing their color, add the curry leaves and tomato puree. Into the tomato puree, goes the turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala. 

Saute well for five to seven minutes till the gravy is dry and oil separates from the tomato paste. Now add the chopped potatoes, peas, salt and 2 cups of water.

Bring the gravy to a boil. Then turn down the heat and simmer covered for ten minutes. 

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with paranthas, or puris.

Happy Cooking!