Pani Puri

Oooh! Yum! Just thinking about it makes me drool. Looks like I am going to drool all over my laptop. Shoot!

Pani puri is my favourite-est food eva! I can have it any time of the day, 'n' number of times without getting bored. Hell, I even argued with my husband about how it is healthy and not junk food. There's white peas which are complete proteins, there's mint and coriander which means green leafy vegetables. There are chillies which account for Vitamin C. There is tamarind, dates and jaggery which are all rich sources of iron. I have become a believer. Pani puri is healthy food. It helps my bowels move. Fact!!

Anyways jumping to the recipe.

What you will need

• Semolina Puris

Semolina Puris

• White peas (one cup) soaked for eight hours

White peas

• Potatoes about 2 medium sized 
• Turmeric powder about 1/2 tsp
• Dates about 1 cup
• Tamarind about 1 small lemon sized ball
• Jaggery about 1 cup grated 

jaggery

• 1 litre water
• Mint 1 bunch
• Coriander 1 bunch
• Green chillies about 5 small
• Ginger about 1 inch piece
• Tamarind paste about 1/4th cup
• Roasted cumin powder about 3 tsp
• Rock Salt as per taste

Rock salt

• Khaara boondi (optional)

Khaara Boondi

How to proceed

• Boil the white peas with water enough to cover the peas, in a pressure cooker. Let the whistle of the pressure cooker release steam once. Then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for ten minutes. 
• Boil the potatoes and peel them
• Mash the potatoes, add the cooked peas and turmeric and adjust the salt. Keep aside
• Cook the dates and tamarind together along with the jaggery in one cup of water. Remove the seeds (both date and tamarind) and blend the mixture in a food processor till it becomes smooth and free of lumps. This is your sweet and tangy chutney. Keep this aside too.
• Finally grind together the mint, coriander, cumin powder, tamarind paste, ginger and green chillies. Add this paste to one litre of water. Add rock salt to taste.
• Chill this above liquid (pani) in the refrigerator. 
• Optional, when serving you can add khara boondi to the pani.

How to serve

Ha! Indians needn't be told how to serve pani puri. They grow up watching their neighbourhood panipuriwala do it for them. 

But for everyone else... Here's a video.

Fill it, dunk it, then dump it! As easy as that!

Happy Cooking!!!

Indian Freelance Writers: How To Make a Million in Your First Year As A Freelance Writer

Indian Freelance Writers: How To Make a Million in Your First Year As A Freelance Writer

Homemade Lollipops - Sugar Candy without thermometer

I am planning a princess themed party for my daughter, and while doing research for party ideas, I came across this idea. It was fun, and it was easy. But the first time I made it, it didn't turn out quite right. I didn't have the candy thermometer, so I could not record the actual temperature. Making candy needs accurate temperature readings, I am told. But when I searched again, I found what is called the 'cold water test'. This time, I did it properly, and the lollipops have turned out fantastic.

Imagine the possibilities! You can use so many different flavours, and use a combination of colours to make something like a rainbow lollipop.

But for starters, and to be on the safe side, I made a strawberry flavoured lollipop in rose pink colour. It looks good, to me it even tastes good. But I am wondering how Saee will receive it. She has been gone on a vacation for seven days, and I am missing her like crazy!

What you will need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4th tsp flavouring
• a few drops of FDA approved food colour
• lollipop moulds (or tin foil)
• lollipop sticks (or toothpicks)
• a little oil for greasing
• a bowl of cold water

In a saucepan, take the sugar, water and corn syrup and place it on heat. Do not stir too much. Let it come to a boil and allow it to boil for about five minutes. Keep a bowl of cold water handy.

Meanwhile, grease the lollipop with a little oil. Do not use too much oil, you do not want oil flavored lollies. Place each stick in each mould. (Incase you do not have moulds, lay a tin foil flat on your working surface, and grease it with a little oil. Place lollipop sticks or toothpicks about 2 inches apart.)

Test the candy by dropping a small amount in the cold water. If it forms a blob at the base without forming a thread, it is still not done. Continue to boil for a minute or two and check again.

The drop should form a thread while going down in the water. This thread should crack when you break it in two. It should not bend and crack, just crack.

That is how you know your candy is done. Add the flavouring and colouring and mix it well. You have to be fast at this stage. Let the mixture sit a while, so that the bubbles settle. Once the larger bubbles have settled, pour out the mixture directly into the moulds or over the tin foil. 

It should take about ten minutes to set. Do not keep it in the refrigerator. Once set, remove carefully from the moulds, cover each with a plastic pouch and store in an airtight container. 

Your lollipops are ready!

Happy cooking!

Sabudana Papdi

Face it. I love my papads and pickles. There doesn't seem to be a way in the near future that I may lose my weight. But I am too loathe to give up my fried and oily delicacies. I usually need something deep fried even on days I fast. These papdis are for those days.

What you will need

• 2 cups sabudana (sago)
• 3 cups water
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• salt to taste

Soak sabudana with water enough to cover upto 1 inch above the level. Let them soak for about two hours.

Now drain that water and add about 3 cups of water to it and bring it to a boil. Add cumin seeds and salt. Cook the mixture till the sago turns translucent and the mixture thickens a bit.

Soread out thick plastic sheets on a bed sheet. Pour a ladleful of mixture at a time and spread it into an even circle. Make such small portions till the mixture is completely used up.

Now set it under direct sunlight to dry.  This may take about 2 to 3 days. 

Store in an airtight container.

When serving, deep fry them in groundnut oil. When they turn crisp, they are good to go.

Happy cooking!

Khichiya Papad

I love eating at roadside dhabas. In particular, I love eating at this dhaba called Kathiyawad ne Angane, which falls en route Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, just a couple of meters after the Bhayandar bridge. The best thing about this place is their simplicity. No frills, no decorations, just lovely delicious food. Their bajra no rotlo is to die for. Amply slathered with ghee, this rotlo is soft, and tastes great with their sev kanda tameta nu shaak, or lasaniya bateta. They serve you freshly made maakhan with sugar as their dessert and no Kutchchi meal is complete without a bottle of chilled buttermilk.

I had this papad here for the first time, and I have yet to get over the taste. It is crisp, but the crispiness can't be measured with the yardstick of crispiness of regular papads. This one has crunch, and a mild taste. A taste that tingles on your tongue, and delights your teeth. I was craving these for a while. Now that it is the peak of summer here in India, and by that virtue, time for pickles and papads and the likes, I decided to try and see if I could make them.

I found a good recipe on youtube by Bhavana.  I tried following the same step by step.

Here's what I did.

What you'll need

• 1 and 1/2 cups rice flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 3 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ajwain seeds
• 3 tsp green chilli paste
• 2 tsp papad khaar (you can find it at your local grocery store)
• salt to taste

Boil the water and to it, add all the ingredients except the rice flour. Add salt a little less than you would normally use. You can taste the dough later to determine if you need more. I think you should keep the salt a wee bit on the low side, because as the papad dries, it becomes saltier. 

Once the water boils, take it off the heat, and pour it slowly into the rice flour and mix it. Knead the dough a bit, and then shape into medium sized balls. Flatten them a bit with the palms of your hand and  make a hole in the center. You can use a bit of cold water on your palms if the dough gets too sticky.

Steam the dough balls in a steamer for about 30 minutes. Remove them from the steamer while they are hot and knead them with the help of a steel glass.

Now using a little oil on your palms, make small balls out of the dough and roll them thin with a rolling pin. Be very gentle, you don't want the papads to tear. But make them as thin as possible.

Place them on a plastic sheet and keep the plastic sheet under direct sunlight so that the papads dry completely. This make take about 2 to 3 days. Make sure that the papads are completely dry.

You can store these papads in an airtight container for about a year.

Whenever you want to eat them, just remove as many as you want, and deep fry them in oil and serve!

Happy cooking!

 

Pork Vindaloo (East Indian Style)

Time to revv up again and make up for the time lost. I have been on a long sabbatical postpartum, and it is time I geared up for action on the food blog again. People have begun questioning me whether I have given up cooking. No darlings, I haven't, and to prove it, here is my favorite pork recipe. Thanks to Anup Kale for giving me the inspiration for this recipe.

I love East Indian cuisine. There is something heartwarming in their nature which finds its way into their food. They are not big on vegetarian food. But their chicken is awesome and ever so tender. It swims beautifully in the light gravy, with hints of spices. I love their wadas, and fugyas. Fugyas especially are their specialty. They are like quick fried tiny breads. You can dip one in a gravy of your choice and pop it in your mouth or eat them as they are, the way I prefer.

They also make a mean sorpotel. I have eaten the Goan version of both sorpotel and vindaloo, but it just doesn't come close to the taste of the East Indian variety. I was keen on learning to make sorpotel but I am told that it is an arduous task cleaning the guts, and is better left to the experts.

Yet, vindaloo is not just tasty, but really easy on your person, particularly if you are a tired mommy of two. It is quick to rustle up, and ever so yummy and filling. Anup eats it as it is, and doesn't even need bread for an accompaniment. Anup, thanks for not leaving me any portion of my mommy's vindaloo. It urged me to make my own!

What you will need

•  1 kg pork
• 1 cup peeled garlic
•  7 to 8 red chillies (more or less depending upon which variety you have)
• 3/4th cup vinegar
• 3 tsp East Indian Masala
• Salt

Wash the pork pieces carefully and drain them. Blend everything else into a paste without using water.

Appy this paste to the pork and let it sit for an hour.

Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and place the pork along with the masala and salt in it. Place a deep plate on the vessel to cover it and fill it with water. Cook on medium heat for about an hour or till the meat is tender.

Serve hot with bread or fugyas.

Happy cooking!

Watermelon Koshimbir

What do you do with the peels of the watermelon once you have eaten the luscious red pulp? You throw it away, right? Don't. Next time, try doing this. Grate the green or white pulp of the watermelon and throw away only the dark green skin. Use it to make this yummy koshimbir as a delectable accompaniment to your roz ka khana.

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated green pulp of watermelon
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4th tsp mustard seeds
• 1/8th tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4th tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

Mix all ingredients except oil, mustard and fenugreek seeds, in a bowl. Heat the oil in a kadhai and add fenugreek seeds. Once they change color, add the mustard seeds. You can even add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) if you like.

Mix the tempering into the watermelon mixture. 

Serve with chapatis or paranthas.

Happy Cooking!

Kolhapuri Missal Pav

One of my friends, Prerak Vyas, had asked me to make this recipe, a really really.... really long time ago. Ever since then, making it has always been in the back of my mind, but I never got around to bringing the it to the front. Yesterday though, something happened, and I began craving for it. Then I got enlightened, the only way you ever do anything, is if you are craving for it. That's the recipe for success!

I did make a few changes though. After all, what's the point of posting a recipe, if all you are doing is copying it from another source. First of all,I used moong sprouts and white peas instead of matki (moth beans), and secondly, I added a little sugar in the usal. It offsets the tanginess and spiciness of the missal.

Ingredients

For the usal

• 1/2 cup moong sprouts soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup white peas (safed watana) soaked overnight
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4th tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4th tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt to taste

For the kat (Spicy curry)

• 2 onions chopped lengthwise
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1/4th cup grated fresh coconut
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3-4 peppercorns
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 small stick of cinnamon (about 3 cms)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 4 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3 cups water
• salt to taste 

For serving

• 6 pavs
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• mixed farsan
• Spicy peanuts
• fresh coriander finely chopped

First make the kat. Make a paste of peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf cumin and coriander powder and ginger garlic paste. Heat the oil in a wok and add this paste. Fry well for five minutes. Now add the onions and saute for five more minutes. Add the tomatoes and coconut, red chilli powder and half a cup of water. Saute till oil leaves the mixture, then once again blend it into a smooth paste. Add the remaining water and salt to this paste. Bring it to a boil.


Now make the usal. 

 Boil the moong and peas separately. Heat oil, add the mustard seeds, hing, onions and fry till the onions brown. Now add the sprouts, turmeric powder, chilli powder, tamarind paste, salt and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil.

To serve, take a ladle of usal in a bowl, add the kat according to how spicy you like it, add the farsan, and top it off with onions, tomatoes and coriander.

Serve hot with pav or bread.

Happy cooking!

Jhatpat Pasta

I was tired of eating the regular chapati and bhaji, and didn't know what to eat that could be made in a jiffy. So I whipped up this recipe. It's not real Italian in the sense that it doesn't have a name like Alfredo, or Carbonara, or Arrabiata. It does however, have taste. Oodles of it. The best part? I made it in ten minutes flat!

Ingredients

• 100g uncooked spaghetti

• 4 tbsp tomato ketchup (forgive me Lord, for I have sinned!)
• 1/4th tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8th tsp garam masala
• black olives

• a couple of sun-dried tomatoes
• OR veggies of your choice
• 3  cheese slices (or shredded cheese)
• coupla cloves o' garlic
• coupla sausages (chicken or pork, whichever u like)

Cook the  spaghetti according to manufacturer's instructions. Drain and keep aside. This takes about 8 minutes (the cooking I mean, not the draining!)

Fry the sausages and garlic. Chop the sausages.

Add the tomato ketchup to the spaghetti, all the spices, all the veggies, sausages and cheese.

Run in the microwave for a minute.

Yummy spaghetti ready in a jiffy!

Happy Cooking!

Spicy Potato Soup

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman and was intrigued. I have made many soups before, but making a soup out of the humble potato just never crossed my mind. I decided to try it, but made a few changes of my own. I didn't use the bacon, because my husband doesn't like it.

You can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 2 spring onions chopped
• 1 sprig of parsley finely chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour (maida)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 litre chicken stock (I made mine out of maggi soup cube)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a soup pot, and add olive oil to prevent the butter from burning. Add the garlic and saute till it turns brown, but don't burn it. You can save some for garnishing.

Add onions and saute till soft. Add the remaining veggies, salt and pepper and saute for five minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Let the veggies go soft.

Now mix the flour and milk and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, and drain out all the veggies. Remove half the vegetables and blend them to a paste. Put the vegetables and the puree back into the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Garnish with cream, shredded cheese or burnt garlic.

Serve hot.

Happy Cooking!

Dabeli

Ever since my mother made this yummy recipe, I had been dying to try making it too. The creaminess of the potatoes is complemented well by the crunchiness of the peanuts and nylon sev. The tamarind paste adds a tang to the zesty red chilli powder and pomegranate adds a wonderful dash of colour with juicy sweetness. The humble dabeli can be made fairly quickly, which is perfect for people who are short on time but want to make and eat something really textured and layered.

Reduce the red chilli powder quantity and you have a recipe that becomes an instant hit with the kids too.

Ingredients
6 pavs (or buns)
3 medium sized potatoes
1 tbsp oil
Butter
2 medium onions finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped, for garnish
1 medium tomato finely chopped
2 tsp Kutcchi Dabeli masala
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp tamarind paste (or lemon juice)
2 tbsp sugar
Masala peanuts
Pomegranate seeds
Salt to taste
Nylon sev
Finely chopped coriander, to garnish


Wash the potatoes and boil till they become really soft. You should be able to mash them easily into a thick paste without lumps.

Heat the oil in a pan, and add a little butter. Add the chopped onions and fry till they turn soft and golden brown. Now add the dabeli masala, and fry for one more minute. Add the tomatoes and saute them till they become very soft and mushy. Mash them as much as possible. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, sugar, and tamarind paste and mix well. Finally add the mashed potatoes and mix it all together.

The dabeli filling is now ready.

To serve, slit a pav horizontally, and scoop some filling into it. Top it with sev, onions, peanuts and pomegranate seeds. Heat a little butter in a frying pan, and place the pav on it. Roast it on both sides for half a minute, and serve garnished with coriander.

Happy Cooking!

Soya Keema

Alrightie... this post comes after a long, really long time. No excuses, I was just lazy enough to not try new things and post them here. The pregnancy and delivery should not be blamed.

Last night, I was craving my mom's chicken keema. She makes it so positively yummy! I decided to make the same with soya keema, to see if the recipe works. It did. It tasted good, not as great as my mom's but close enough.

Ingredients

• Soya keema (minced soya)
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 cloves
• 4 pepper corns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 badi elaichi
• 4 small elaichi
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 sachet of maggi magic masala (optional)
• salt to taste

Prepare the soya keema according to instructions of the manufacturer. Drain and keep it aside.

Heat the oil and add the cloves and pepper corns. Once they have roasted, remove them. Now add the badi elaichi, small elaichi, and bay leaf. When they are roasted, add the ginger garlic paste and chopped onions.

Fry for three to four minutes on a medium flame. Now add all the dry spices, tomatoes and salt. Add half a cup of water and bring the curry to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and allow to simmer for five more minutes.

Serve hot with chapati, or paranthas.

Happy Cooking!

Kismur - Goan dried prawns salad

This is one Goan speciality that my husband can have everyday. Dried fish is not something everyone can stomach. The smell especially. What to fish eaters is an aroma of ambrosia, to non fish-eaters can be a vomit inducing stink. (I know people who feel that way about regular fish too)

It is really simple and quick to make. One of those recipes that upon touching your taste buds, take your mind on a flight to the delightful, salty, windy seashores of Goa. Watching a sunset at the beach, sipping on a chilled beer, and eating kismur with a spoon! Such are the delights of a simple life :-)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried prawns, cleaned (you must remove the heads of the dried prawns)
• 1 large onion, preferably red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large cup fresh grated coconut
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4th tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil.

Heat the oil and add the prawns. Roast them till your whole house smells like the seashore. Let them brown evenly and allow them to cool.

Add the onion, coconut, dry spices, salt and tamarind paste and mix well using your hands. Crush the prawns with your fingers as much as possible.

Serve cold as a starter or as an accompaniment to fish curry and rice.

Happy Cooking!

Lasun (Garlic) Dry Chutney

My husband has been pestering me to make this chutney for a while now. Although freely available in the market, he wanted home-made chutney. I have been putting off making this chutney only because I really don't like the process of grating the dry coconut. It's a daunting and really slow task.

Today I finally made it, and he is one happy bloke. Thanks to Sahana for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 half dry coconut (sukka khobra)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (I always prefer the unpolished variety)
• 5 dry red chillies (or more if you like it hot)
• 15 to 20 smallish pods of garlic
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for the lovely red color)
• salt to taste

Dry roast the dry coconut, sesame seeds and red chillies separately. Keep stirring to avoid burning.

Heat the oil and add the garlic and roast till the pods turn slightly brown.

Dry grind them along with Kashmiri red chilli powder and salt. 

Serve with a little oil, as an accompaniment to paranthas, or jowar or bajra bhakri.

Happy Cooking!

Spinach and Garlic Raita

These days I am always tired. I yearn for recipes that I can make in a jiffy, and are yet tasty and mouthwatering. This is one recipe I made last night which was made in practically ten minutes from the start to finish and was wiped off the wok by my hubby.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch spinach leaves
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 7 to 8 small garlic cloves
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 cup yoghurt (dahi)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp chat masala powder

Wash and de-stem the spinach leaves. Chop them into fine shreds and keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a wok, and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds begin changing color, throw in the garlic pods. Allow the garlic to turn brown and then add the spinach, coriander powder, and salt. Saute on high heat for two to three minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow the spinach mixture to cool down. Now add the yoghurt. Add chat masala to the raita.

Place it in a glass bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Serve chilled as an accompaniment to paranthas, or rice based recipes.

Happy Cooking!

Katachi Amti

This is generally made from the leftover puran (filling of the puran poli). I love its taste so much, that for years, mom has been saving some puran for the amti right from the beginning.

The taste is simply explosive. The sweetness of the puran, and the sour spiciness of the rest of the masala (which isn't much). The tempering of curry leaves and mustard seeds in ghee just adds to the overall flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup puran
• 2 tbsp coconut freshly grated
• 4 green chillies
• 1 small lemon sized ball of tamarind
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/4th tsp mustard seeds
• 6 to 7 curry leaves
• 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
• salt to taste

Grind the coconut, tamarind and chillies together. Mis them with the puran and add a little water (add the water drained from the chana dal while making puran as it gives extra taste)

Add salt, and bring the curry to a boil. Now heat the ghee and add mustard seeds. Once they begin spluttering, add curry leaves and one large pinch of hing.

 Mix well and serve hot!

Happy cooking!

Puran Poli

Come Holi, and it is time for Puran Poli! It is also a time for thandaai mixed with bhaang. That is definitely not on my agenda right now. Foodie I am, but  a junkie I am not.

I remember the last time my husband had bhaang. I was seven months pregnant, and it was the day before my 'Goad Bharaai'. As can be expected, I was very worried about him and my brother having bhang and making not just fools of themselves, but also putting their lives in danger (they were on a two-wheeler). But men will be men. Out of curiosity or simple case of over-confidence, they went ahead and had the bhaang. I don't know why they thought, that we wouldn't come to know. They reached home safe, thank God, but not before making a pitstop at a general store, and asking the poor shopkeeper to get them this and that, and half his shop, and then realizing that they had but 5 bucks in their pocket! Haha!

My husband spend the entire day laughing, even when I was furious. He laughed and laughed, till his eyes were ready to pop out of his head. I decided (and so did he, eventually, when the effect wore off) that we are staying away from bhaang forever.

But nothing can keep us away from Puran Poli! And katachi amti the way my mom makes it. So here comes the recipe of Puran Poli and the katachi amti follows in the next post.

Ingredients

• 1 cup channa dal
• 1 cup jaggery
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 cups maida or plain flour
• one pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4th tsp turmeric powder (for that beautiful yellow color)

Pressure cook channa dal with ample of water. Allow it to cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Let it sit, till the cooker cools down. Then open the pressure cooker, and check the dal. It should be squishy between your thumb and forefinger. If it isn't, put it back in the pressure cooker for a whistle or two more.

Once it has cooked sufficiently, drain all the water from the cooked dal. But do not discard the water. Save it for the amti.

Break the jaggery into small pieces, and put them in a kadhai. Add the drained channa dal. Cook over high flame. The jaggery will first melt and the mixture will once again become watery. Keep stirring till the mixture dries up. Allow the mixture to cool down. Put the channa dal mixture in a puran maker, and grind it into a fine paste. You may do this in a blender if you don't have the puran maker, but remember to not use any water, and the resulting mixture will still be pretty grainy.

Make a soft dough with the maida, water, salt and oil. Add a little turmeric powder if you like the yellow color, but it is entirely optional.

Keep the dough immersed in oil. (This is my mother's tip, it keeps the puran poli soft) Remove a portion of the dough and make a deep receptacle in it with your thumbs (read my modak recipe for the method) and place a small lemon sized ball of puran mixture in it. Seal the edges of the dough shut by pinching them together at the top.

Apply a little dry flour, and roll it into a thin chapati. Be careful, the puran tends to come out a little. If it does, do not hesitate to do a little patchwork, who's to know? Perfection takes both time and practice.

Roast it on a griddle (tawa) with a little ghee if you like. Serve hot with katachi amti.

Happy cooking!

Rajali Banana Bhaaji - Bananas in coconut gravy

Ever since I remember, I have loved this recipe. It is a typical GSB recipe, but I didn't find a mention of it anywhere on the net. All I could find was Rajali banana halwa.

Rajali bananas are a specialty of Vasai. These long bananas are yellow when raw, and black spots appear on their skin when they are ripe. The ripe bananas are used for this recipe, as against raw bananas which are commonly used in gravies. Although the bananas used here are ripe, do not substitute the Rajali bananas with the regular green-skinned variety. They won't hold their form and the mass will be reduced to a gooey mess.

The ingredients are such that you can easily have this recipe for a vrat or a fasting day too. The taste is an amalgamation of flavors, sweetness of the bananas and coconut, combined with the sourness of tamarind and hot spiciness of the chillies. The cumin seeds add a spicy quotient to this lovely recipe.

I am also posting a picture of Rajali bananas, so you can identify them when you see one.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe Rajali bananas
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• half small lemon sized ball of tamarind (imli)
• 4 to 5 green chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds for tempering

Peel the bananas, and chop them into one inch sized pieces. Make a slit on one side of each piece.

Blend the coconut, tamarind, green chillies and 1 tsp cumin seeds to a thick mixture with little water, salt and sugar. Fill this mixture into the slit on the sides of the banana pieces.

Heat the ghee in a wok and add one tsp cumin seeds.  Now add the stuffed pieces of bananas into the ghee and the remaining coconut mixture. Toss quickly for one minute on high heat. Lower the heat and cover the wok with a lid. Allow the bananas to cook for 5 minutes on simmering heat, stirring frequently.

Serve hot with chapati (or by itself if being made for a fast)

Happy Cooking!

Mirchi Thecha

How I have been longing for a paata varvanta! Finally today I have what I have wanted for a really really long time. I know, it seems a little odd, that in the age of fast mixies and food processors, I am regressing into an era where masalas were ground on a stone. But having made this thecha on the stone, believe me, the difference is huge!

It does take longer to make it, and it definitely leaves you with hands burning for hours afterwards, and I sure do know why the mixies and food processors became such a rage, but the taste! Only a true foodie will know what I mean. I am more than willing to go that extra mile to make sure that my family gets only the best that I can offer. Even if it means I can't rub my eyes for some time.

Ingredients

• 7 to 8 green chillies (or more or less depending upon how hot you like it)
• 10 to 12 garlic pods
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp rock salt

Wash the green chillies and keep the stalks. Roast the green chillies directly on a flame till black spots appear evenly on the skins. Remove the stalks and keep them aside.

Roast the garlic pods directly on the flame. This you can do by pricking the garlic pods with a fork and holding the fork over the flame. Let brown spots appear on the pods, then remove them aside.

Wash the coriander thoroughly. Grind them all together along with a little rock salt. Don't use too much water or the taste gets literally... watered down ;-)

The best result is by using the grinding stone. I ate two full jowar rotis with only the thecha! I can't stop gushing, but it was really worth it.

Happy Cooking!

Banana appe

Appés are small round fritters that are deep fried in a special tawa. This tawa has small depressions in it in which you can fry individual appés, this is what gives it their characteristic shape. I bought the appé tawa which I was coveting since a long time, just never got around to actually buying it. Finally the day I made it, they were all gone in just a couple of minutes.

Not just are they lusciously soft, but they carry that distinctly different sweetness of jaggery and banana. They taste best when eaten hot.

If you don't have the appé tawa, do not fret. Just deep fry it in the regular manner, just like you would do for bhajiyas.

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup maida
• 1 banana
• 3/4th cup grated jaggery
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• oil for frying.

 Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in sufficient quantity of water for two hours. After two hours drain the water completely.

Grind the rice with banana, jaggery and cardamom powder. Use very little water, but grind it as fine as possible.

To the ground mixture, add the maida and mix well. Pour a little oil in each well of the appé tawa. Spoon out the mixture into each well. Fill up only 3/4th of the well. (If you are using a regular wok, you don't have to worry about this. Just spoon out a portion into the oil)

Fry on both sides till golden brown.

Serve hot!

Happy Cooking!