Apr 28, 2015

Nachani Ladoo

I was having lunch with a colleague and she told me about the various flours that are used in traditional Maharashtrian cooking. Ragi or nachani flour is apparently very high in calcium, and iron, and I was tempted to try out this simple recipe as soon as I heard about it. I loved it, but next time, I think I will go easy on the sesame seeds- it might just taste better without it.

1 cups ragi flour
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup peanuts
¼ cup coconut
1/4 cup jaggery
2 tbsp ghee

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the flour till you get a nice aroma of ragi. Set this aside to cool.
Dry roast peanuts, cool, remove the skin.
Dry roast sesame seeds, cool.
In a blender, powder together peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut.
Add the jaggery, and powder it well.
Add the flour and ghee, and mix well in the blender till the oil oozes from the mix.
Make balls while the mix is still warm. If needed add melted warm ghee and make balls.

Roasted Moong Dal

With the summer holidays going on, the kids have been eating far more junk food than I would like them to. In a bit to give them something marginally healthier, I decided to make some roasted moong dal. It was not as tasty as the Haldiram ones that they devour by the packet, but given the fact that I control the ingredients, that was a small price to pay.
The only problem is that most of it disappeared with my morning tea, and I have to make up a new batch for the kids.

1 cup moong dal
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the moong dal for an hour. Drain, and dry it between two sheets of tissue to remove most of the water.
Spread on a microwaveable tray, and microwave for 1 minute
Break the moong pieces apart, coat palms with oil, and smear it over the moong dal.
Add haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
Microwave for 1 minutes, mix. Microwave for 1 minute.
Keep testing, to ensure that it doesn't burn. Different microwaves work differently, but I got crispy moong dal in about 1+2 minutes.

Apr 27, 2015

Makhana Palak Curry

Makhana was an ingredient I associate with my childhood. We often had makhana curry when I was a child in Jharkhand, but the ingredient completely disappeared from my life soon after. It reappeared only after we shifted to our current house, and one of the things I am apprehensive about regarding our impending move to Hyderabad is that I might not get makhana any more.
I picked up a packet the other day, and impatient to use it, decided to make palak paneer with makhana instead of paneer. It was a huge hit, because both the kids loved squishing the fox nuts before chewing them. Definitely an ingredient I am going to use more of in the next few weeks.


1 cup makhana/ fox nuts
1 bunch spinach chopped fine
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped fine
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp rai
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil


Method:Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Once they stop spluttering, add onions, and saute till transparent.
Add ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and the spices, and cook till mushy.
Meanwhile, blanch the spinach leaves for 2-3 minutes, and keep aside.
Add water and greens. Bring to boil, add salt, cover, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
While the gravy is simmering, dry roast the makhana till they start browning. Add to the gravy, mix well, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with rotis.

Apr 26, 2015

Chicken curry with a hint of coriander

It is only recently that I found that where the traditional Punjabi/ North Indian gravy uses ginger-garlic paste, the Maharastrian version uses ginger-garlic-green chilli- coriander paste. Almost everything else is the same, but this takes the flavour to a different dimension. With the hubby home for the weekend, I had to make chicken curry rice at least once, but this time I made it the Maharashtrian way, and it was a huge hit. Most of it got consumed before I could click a picture, so the picture will have to wait for another day.


1 kg curry cut chicken

For marinade:
3 tbsp curds
1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli- coriander paste*
1 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

For gravy:
3 small onions, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli- coriander paste
2 tomatoes, chopped fine
4 tsp dhania powder
2 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
Wash and clean the chicken. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
Take onion and tomatoes in a blender and grind to a fine paste
Heat the oil, lower the flame, add the onion-tomato paste and the g-g-gc-c paste, and cook on a low flame till the raw smell goes, and the masala starts leaving the sides of the kadhai.
Add the marinated chicken, mix well, cover and cook. The chicken will release water, so keep stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the vessels- add water, if required. The chicken will be nice and tender in about 20 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or rotis.


* Grind equal quantities of ginger and garlic, with green chillis to taste and double the quantity of coriander leaves and stalks. It can be stored for 2 weeks, and makes a great addition to any gravy. 

Apr 25, 2015

Chicken in peanut sauce

The hubby was home for the weekend after nearly a month, and the only way we know how to celebrate is by cooking something good. So I pulled out a recipe that I had liked a couple of weeks back, and adapted it slightly to suit our taste. I could have tripped on the peanut sauce- it was that good. Going to make it again soon.

1 kg curry cut chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice

For the marinade:
4 tbsp roasted peanuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 inch ginger
2 green chillies
8  pods garlic
1 tsp haldi powder
2 tbsp jaggery*
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp coriander stalks
Salt to taste.
Method:
Blend all the ingredients listed under marinade into a fine paste. Add water if required.
Marinate the chicken pcs and keep in the fridge a few hours or overnight.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add the mixture.
Cook on medium heat stirring off and on.
Keep covered for a while.
Sprinkle lemon juice, and serve with rotis.
*- the recipe called for honey, but I substituted with jaggary.

Apr 23, 2015

Cheesy Simple Eggplant Casserole

I wanted to make my  mother's chessy eggplant casserole, but wanted something slightly lighter as a concession to the heat. I replaced the tomato paste with sliced tomatoes, and it got polished off in no time at all.

1 egg plant, sliced into thin circles

2 tbsp besan
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil for shallow frying

2 tomatoes diced
3 tbsp grated cheese

Method:
Coat the eggplant slices with salt, keep aside for a few minutes, and squeeze out the juice.
Cover with a mixture of besan, red chilli powder, and shallow fry on a low flame till done.
Place a layer of eggplant slices on a baking tray. Place a layer to tomato slices over the eggplant, and drizzle with olive oil and cheese. Keep layering till all the eggplant slices are used up, and finish with a thick layer of cheese.
Bake for 5 minutes, till the cheese is well melted.

Chocolate cake in a jiffy

A friend had brought a super moist cake to office the other day, and I had more than my fair share of it. Since I am always in the quest for eggless recipes, I asked for the recipe and was stunned when she gave it.
This then is my secret recipe for an eggless cake in a jiffy. Now to teach the kids to make it themselves. 



1 packet Oreo biscuits
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:
Grind the Oreo biscuits inutile till well powdered. 
Add milk and baking powder, and mix well. 
Pour into cupcake liners and bake at 180 degrees for 12 minutes.


Apr 22, 2015

Aam Panna, with jaggary

My mother used to make Aam Panna when I was a child, and I have strong views on what it should taste like and do not like deviating from my norm. But when I saw a recipe for a version which used jaggary instead of sugar, I wanted to try it out. The mix of spices gives it medicinal properties too, but me being me, I will only have it if it tastes good, and it does.


1 raw mango
1/3 cup jaggery
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp saunf/ fennel seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain/ carom seeds
1 green cardamons
Rock salt to taste

Method:
Peel the green mango, slice it into pieces. Cover with water, and boil for 10 minutes till soft.
Meanwhile, dry roast jeera, saunf, ajwain till well roasted, but not burnt. Dry grind and keep aside.
Powder the cardamons and keep aside.
Blend the cooked mango pieces (with the water), and jaggery till well mixed.
Add rock salt and powdered spices.
Store.

To serve, add 1 part of squash to 4 parts water, mix well and serve. You can also use soda instead of water.


Aambatti

Another dish I first tasted in office and liked enough to ask for the recipe. Full of proteins and packed with taste, it is a winner of a dish.

1/3 cup channa dal, soaked for 3 hours
1 green mango
1 green chillie
1 tsp jeera seeds
Salt to taste 

Method:
Soak the dal overnight, or atleast for a few hours. 
Grind coarsely and keep aside
Grate the raw mango and keep aside
Mix mango, pulses, salt and jeera powder. 
Serve with roti or as a stand alone snack 

Apr 21, 2015

Carrot-raw mango salad

Strange things happen to me in summer- for one my appetite turns a few cart-wheels before settling at a place where I crave raw, semi-cooked and cold meals. Naturally, therefore, instead of a normal carrot curry, it was this grated carrot salad that I needed for dinner.

200 gms carrots
1 medium raw mango
3 tbsp peanuts
1 tsp oil1 tsp mustard seeds
Salt to taste

Method:
Grate the carrots and keep aside.
Grate the raw mango and keep aside.
Mix the raw mango and carrots well. Add salt to taste and mix well again. Put in the fridge and let it settle for about half an hour.
Heat the oil, add mustard seeds and wait till it stops spluttering.
Add peanuts and lightly fry.
Pour over the carrot- raw mango mixture, and mix well.
Goes well with roti and dal.

Apr 18, 2015

Chiwada

When you crave something to have with with afternoon tea, but don't want to stuff yourself with calories in a tetrapack, chiwda to the rescue! The best part is that it can be whipped up in a jiffy- waiting for it to cool down takes longer than anything else.

2 cups poha (pressed rice)
1/3 cups peanuts
2 green chillis, sliced
1 tsp rai/ mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp copra, sliced fine
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt and sugar to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
Dry roast the chivda till it becomes absolutely crisp. Keep aside.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, and wait till it stops spluttering.
Add peanuts, and fry till they start browning. Add sliced copra, green chillis, curry leaves and the haldi and red chill powder.
Saute for 1-2 minutes, than add the roasted chivda.
Mix well. Turn off the flame, Add salt and sugar to taste and mix well.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container (if any is left over).

Gatte ki subji

We were all fed up of the same old dal, roti, subji combination, and to make it worse, there were no vegetables at home. Since I hadn't soaked the kabuli channa, I couldn't make that for dinner, and was at my wits end about what to do. Gatte ki subji to the rescue!
The recipe is a combination of my channa masala and my mother's gatte, and worked very well. The only problem is that the dog loves gatte too, and I know I have to make it in greater quantities in future.

For the gatte:
1 cup besan
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ajwain
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil

For the masala:
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped fine
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Oil
1 tsp rai
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Method:
Mix all the solid ingredients under gatte well, add oil, and knead till you have a smooth dough. 
Roll into a cylinder and cut 1 1/2 inch long pieces.
Bring about 2 glasses water to a boil, drop the gatte pieces, and keep it in the water till they rise to the top. Once they do, take them out, and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil, add onions and saute till transparent. Add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and cook till tomatoes turn mushy. Blend and keep aside.
Heat 1 tsp oil and splutter mustard seeds. Once they stop spluttering, add onion-tomato paste and the spice powders, and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked gatte and sufficient water. Mix well, bring to boil, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve hot with chapattis.

Eggless chocolate cookies

I baked a batch of chocolate cookies today because I was in a mood to do so. Initially, I intended to roll them in sesame seeds, but changed my mind when I couldn't find they. The batch came out really well- crispy on the outside, soft inside.

200 (1 cup) gms maida
100 gms (1 cup) butter
100 gms (1 cup) granulated sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Mix the butter and sugar well, till it appears homogeneous.
Sieve the baking powder, flour and cocoa powder together, and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well so there are no lumps. If the dough does not come together, add upto 2 tbsp milk.
Grease baking tray with oil.
Divide the dough into 16 equal parts. Roll each into a ball, and press lightly.
Arrange on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes*.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container.

* check every minute after 12 minutes, because the temperatures may vary.

Coconut cookies

I baked a batch of coconut cookies today because I was in a mood to do so. They were browned slightly more than they should have, but tasted really good.

200 (1 cup) gms maida
1 cup grated coconut
100 gms (1 cup) butter
100 gms (1 cup) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Mix the butter and sugar well, till it appears homogeneous.
Sieve the baking powder and flour together, and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well so there are no lumps.
Add the coconut and knead to make a dough. If the dough does not come together, add upto 2 tbsp milk.
Grease baking tray with oil.
Divide the dough into 16 equal parts. Roll each into a ball, and press lightly.
Arrange on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes*.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container.

* check every minute after 12 minutes, because the temperatures may vary.

Apr 15, 2015

Green Mango Chutney

The maid decided to take a day off, and I had to think of something I could make for dinner which would not have me cursing the world and her fifth cousin for pushing me into the kitchen in the heat. Dosa and chutney was the obvious choice, but I decided to go a bit creative with the chutney and use raw mangoes for the sour taste. It was quite yummylicious, and I am looking forward to finishing the rest off tonight.

1 green mango
1/2 coconut
3 large pods of garlic
1 green chilli
Salt to taste

Method:
Grate the coconut.
Chop the green mango into small pieces (you could peel and then chop, but I was lazy).
Peel the garlic.
Blend the coconut, green mango, garlic and green chilli, with sufficient water, till you get the desired consistency.
Add salt to taste, mix well, and serve with dosas.

Apr 14, 2015

Meethi chawal

Both the Tamil and the Punjabi New Years fell today, and though I had to go to work, I intended coming home early. I let the cook take an evening off, but then got delayed at office. Not wanting to order out, I make this "meethi chawal" from Himachal. The jaggery I used was very light in colour, so the dish didn't photograph well, but it tasted much nicer than it looked.
I may not make it again (because I like Shakarai Pongal much more than I did this one), but I know I am going to replicate it with poha soon.
1 cup rice
3 tbsp cashew nuts
3 tbsp raisins
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup jaggery
1 stick cinnamon
3 green cardamom
1 tsp saunf
3 tbsp ghee
 
Method:

Soak the rice half an hour, strain the water, add fresh water, and boil till 70% coked. Use a sieve to strain out the starchy water, rinse with cold water and keep aside.
Heat 1 cup water, add fennel seeds, cardamoms and cinnamon, and allow it to come to a boil. Turn off the flame and keep aside for a few minutes for the flavours to seep in. Add grated jaggery, and stir till it mixes completely (heat the water, if required)
Heat the ghee, and saute the dry fruits and the shredded coconut, till slightly browned.
Add the jaggery water, and cooked rice to the dried fruits and mix well. Cover it with a lid and let the rice cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat (if you feel the rice is sticking to the pan, add a little more water)
Garnish with dry fruits and serve

Kosimbir- with green mangoes

Kosimbir was often made at my place, and come summer and I start making it for myself. This is a slight variation on the old favourite, with green mango slices for the sour taste.


1 cup split moong dal
1 cucumber
1/2 green mango
salt to taste

For tempering (optional)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 green chilli
1 sprig curry leaves
a little cooking oil


Method
Soak the split moong dal overnight (or at least for 4 hours)
Cut the cucumber and the mango into tiny pieces and mix well with the dal
Add salt to taste, and mix well
If you like, you can make the tempering and pour it over the kosimbir, or you can avoid it with no change in taste.
Serve chilled, either as a stand alone snack, or with rotis.




Apr 13, 2015

Tambdi Bhaji

Red amaranthus leaves have flooded the market this season, and after moving past the veggies for a couple of weeks, I finally gave in to temptation and bought a big bunch today. A quick search of available recipes gave me the idea for what I could make, and I sort of winged my way after that.
Really loved it, but with mustard oil and garlic, what is not to like?


1 big bunch red amaranth leaves
4 large garlic cloves
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup grated coconut
1 green chilli
1/2 tsp haldi powder
2 tbsp mustard oil
water as required
salt as per taste

Method:
Pluck the amaranth leaves with the tender stems, rinse well, chop finely and keep aside.
Chop the onion, garlic and green chilli.
Heat the oil, add chopped onions, garlic and green chillis and saute till onions become transparent.
Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and stir.
Add the amaranth leaves, stir, add salt and mix well.
Cover with a lid and let the amaranth leaves cook on a low flame. Keep checking at regular intervals to see if the water has dried up- if it has, add some water, and cover again.
After the amaranth leaves are softened and cooked (about 10 minutes), add ⅓ cup grated coconut, stir well, cover, and simmer on a low flame for 2 minutes
Switch off the flame, and evaporate the water, if any is left.
Add salt to taste and mix well. Serve with rotis or with dal-rice

Apr 10, 2015

Aloo tikki with Channa masala

When I was young, aloo tikki with chana was a classic combination which I had almost every time I accompanied my mother to a "party" at her friends' place. Going through the archives, I was surprised to find I haven't yet written about it. So here it is.

For channa masala
250 gms kabuli chana
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped fine
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Oil
1 tsp rai
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Method:
Soak the kabuli chana overnight, or at least for 6 hours. Cook in a pressure cooker, till done (about 20 minutes on low flame after the first whistle)
Heat 1 tbsp oil, add onions and saute till transparent. Add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and cook till tomatoes turn mushy. Blend and keep aside.
Heat 1 tsp oil and splutter mustard seeds. Once they stop spluttering, add onion-tomato paste and the spice powders, and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked kabuli chana and sufficient water. Mix well, bring to boil, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped onions and green chutney, and serve hot with aloo tikkis

For aloo tikkis
4 large potatoes
1 tbsp besan
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1 small onion, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash the potatoes, cut into eighths and pressure cook till soft (about 10 minutes after the first whistle). Peel, mash and keep aside.
Mix the mashed potatoes with finely chopped onions and green chilli. Add salt, red chilli powder and jeera powder, and mix well.
Heat a tawa, and spread a thin film of oil. Take lemon sized balls of potato mix, flatten, and shallow fry on a low flame till browned. Flip and fry the other side till brown.
Add additional oil/ butter, if required.
Serve hot with chana masala.

Green chutney:
1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves
1/2 large lemon
Rock Salt to taste

Method:
Blend the mint leaves and coriander leaves till smooth. Add rock salt, and squeeze the lemon and mix well.

Apr 9, 2015

Red Coconut Chutney

Very often, when we eat out, we end up getting a "red" coconut chutney with our dosas and idlis. I always liked it (and had more of it than the regular chutney), but never thought to make it myself. Then, I tasted it in the office canteen, and liked it so much, I got the recipe and tried it out myself. The kids and I all loved it, and even though it is a little tougher than the regular one, I know I will be making it too.

1/2 coconut, grated
1/2 large onion, chopped
4-6 pods garlic, sliced lengthwise
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 red chilli
Salt to taste
1 tsp cooking oil

For tempering
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
A pinch of hing
1 tsp cooking oil

Method:
Heat the oil. Add garlic and onions, and saute till transparent. Add chopped tomatoes, and saute till it turns mushy.
Grind coconut, garlic-onion-tomato mix, red chilli and salt to your desired consistency.
Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering add hing and curry leaves and toss around. Pour over the chutney and mix well.
Serve with piping hot dosas or idlis.

Apr 6, 2015

Sesame Cookies

"When are you making cookies?", asked Thing One. When I thought back, I realised it was nearly a month since I had last made cookies, and set about rectifying the lapse. Since there weren't too many ingredients at home, I picked a recipe which used only those ingredients that I did have. The result is very different.


2 cups maida
3/4 cups sugar, powdered
2 tbsp rice flour
3/4 cups oil
1/4 cups milk
3/4 cups sesame seeds
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt

Method:
Sieve the maida, baking powder, powdered sugar, salt and rice flour together till well mixed.
Add the oil, mix well, till you get a consistency of bread crumbs.
Add milk and knead to a soft dough- it should not crumble if you roll it out. Add a few drops of milk if needed. If the mixture is too wet/ sticky add a little more flour.Roll it into a log and wrap with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll into balls, and flatten into discs.
Bake in a pre heated oven at180 degrees for 10-12  minutes/ side start to brown. Keep checking after 10 minutes, and keep some water in the lower tray to ensure the cookies do not get too dry.
Cool and serve in an airtight container.

Apr 5, 2015

Sepu stir fry- a.k.a. Eggless Scrambled Eggs, a.k.a. Thrown together

It was one of those days when there were no vegetables in the house, and I had left it till too late to cook. Normally, I would have ordered takeaway, but since we decided to restrict ourselves to home cooked food except once a week, I didn't have that option. So I threw together various things we had, and came up with something that actually tasted delicious!


1/2 bunch dil weeds/ sepu
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 green chilli
1 tsp jeera
1/3 cup besan
1/2 tsp dhania powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp mustard oil

Method:
Heat the mustard oil and temper with jeera seeds.
Meanwhile, mix the besan with the malasa, add the chopped dil weeds, onions and green chilli, and make a thick paste by adding a bit of water.
When the jeera stops spluttering, gradually add the batter one teaspoon at a time, with constant mixing.
Reduce the flame, and keep stirring it to ensure that the batter is well cooked and slightly browned.
Serve with rotis. 

Apr 4, 2015

Modified Kosimbir

I always loved my mother's Kosimbir, which she learnt to make from her mother. The lightest, tastiest, healthiest snack/ salad possible is how I always thought of it. Till I had cabbage kosimbir a couple of weeks back, and realised even that perfection could be made better. This started out as a carrot kosimbir, but ended up as something entirely different. Nobody's complaining!

1 cup split moong dal
1 cucumber
1 carrot
1/2 bunch dil weeds
1/2 lemon
1 tsp chilli flakes
salt to taste


Method
Soak the split moong dal overnight (or at least for 4 hours)
Cut the cucumber into tiny pieces, grate the carrot, and mix both well with the dal
Remove the leaves of the dill weeds, cut fine, and mix.
Add salt to taste, squeeze the lemon on top, and toss well.
Serve chilled, either as a stand alone snack, or with rotis.

Apr 3, 2015

Sepu, Spinach, Carrot Curry

Sometimes you don't want to eat the usual stuff, but are feeling too rebellious to try out a new recipe. Those are the days you throw things together, and hope something good comes out of it. Today's dinner was one such offering, and it is one I know I am going to repeat often.


1 bunch dil chopped fine
1 bunch palak chopped fine
1 medium onion chopped 
1 medium tomato chopped fine
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Oil
1 tsp rai
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/4 cup groundnuts soaked for 1/2 hr
Salt to taste
Cooking oil
Method:
Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Once they stop spluttering, add onions, and saute till transparent.
Add ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and the spices, and cook till mushy.
Meanwhile, blanch the spinach leaves for 2-3 minutes, and keep aside.
Add water, groundnuts and greens. Bring to boil, add salt, cover, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Hot Cross Buns

"Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns.
One a Penny, Two a Penny.
Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns."
On a lazy Sunday a few weeks back, I sought to find the origin of the nursery rhyme, and learnt that there was indeed something called Hot Cross Buns that were traditionally baked on  Good Friday. I decided right then to make it this year, and then promptly forgot all about it. Till two days back when I remembered my resolution, and took stock of my ingredients. My active dry yeast had been lying unused for so long, the bottle was covered in mould. I no longer remembered the provenience of either the baking powder or the baking soda. And the last of the raisins had been consumed by me awhile back.
All of yesterday went in collecting the ingredients, and making the dough, and despite not having a day off today, I baked the Hot Cross Buns.
The icing was an unmitigated disaster, but the Hot Cross Buns are divine!

2 cups milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
4 cups maida/ flour
1/2 cup (additional) Flour
1/2 tsp (heaping) Baking Powder
1/2 tsp (scant) Baking Soda
2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom, nutmeg, allspice (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Glaze1 whole Egg White
Splash Of Milk

Icing1 whole Egg White
Powdered Sugar
Splash Of Milk


Method:Combine milk, oil and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to nearly boiling, then turn off the flame, and let it stand for 30 minutes
Sprinkle yeast over the milk. Add 4 cups of flour and stir to combine. Mixture will be very sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.
Add 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir till combined.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and whatever other spices you want to use.
Lightly flour surface. Press to slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle on about a third of the raisins. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is "plain" again. Repeat the sugar/raisin process, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time until all the raisins are used. (You won't use all the sugar/cinnamon mixture.)
Pinch off ping pong or golf ball-size bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll it into a ball, then turn the edges under themselves slightly. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes...an hour-plus is better.
Preheat to 180 degrees
Mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto each roll.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until tops of buns have turned nice and golden brown.
Remove from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

IcingMix 1 egg white with enough powdered sugar for icing to be very thick. Splash in milk as needed for consistency.
Add icing to a small Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Make icing crosses on each roll, making sure they're completely cooled first.

Apr 1, 2015

Dhirde- Maharashtrian dosa

I had this in office, and really loved the mix of flavours. I was told that the flour had to be freshly ground, so put it out of my mind. Coincidentally, a couple of weeks later, I located a grocer who did grind flour to your proportions, so got the flour made. It was one of the best things I did, because now, I can whip up a tasty meal whenever I want, without the need to plan.

1 kg whole wheat
200 gms channa dal
25 gms methi seeds
25 gms jeera seeds

Method:
Roast the methi seeds, jeera seeds and channa dal till fragrant.
Grind with 1 kg wheat, to get the basic flour for dhirde

To make dhirde:
Mix the flour with- 
- Green chilli paste
- Ginger paste
- Onions, chopped fine
- Curds
and make a runny batter. Add some water if required- the consistency should be similar to that of dosa batter.
Heat the tawa, and spread the batter as you would for a dosa. Sprinkle oil along the edges, and allow to cook on a medium flame. Flip over, and cook the other side.