Nightcap to aid digestion

There are those days when you know you have over indulged on rich and spicy food too close to bedtime. You know your stomach is not going to thank you for it the next day, but you really don't have much choice after the deed has been done. Or do you? This drink speeds up digestion, and makes you feel slightly better. Most effective after a meal, you can even have it first thing in the morning to start your da with a dose of healthy.

1/2 tsp ajwain seeds

1 tsp saunf seeds

1 1/2 cups water

Method:

Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the flame, add the ajwain and saunf seeds, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, till the water is reduced to 1 cup. 

Turn off the flame, and let it seep for an additional 10 minutes. Have warm. 

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.

Saunf-ajwain wali Chicken

Kashmiri cuisine uses a unique combination of mustard oil, saunf and ajwain, which I found slightly intriguing. How can three very strong flavours coexist in the same dish? It could either be a complete disaster, or mindblowingly good- and since people have been cooking it for ages, it is more likely to be the latter!

And hence, this dish that I cooked purely by instinct. I tasted a bit of the gravy, and it was indeed good.

1 curry cut chicken, washed and cleaned
1/3 cups curds
1/2 tsp red chill powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp mustard oil
2 medium onions, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp ajwain, lightly crushed
1/2 tsp saunf, lightly crushed

Method:
Marinate chicken in haldi, red chilli powder, salt and curds for about 1 hour
Heat the mustard oil, sauté the chopped onions till they start to turn transparent.
Add ginger paste and lightly crushed saunf and ajwain, and sauté till the onions start browning.
Grind the mixture to paste. Add to the marinated chicken and mix well (do not add water at this stage)
Bring to a boil, reduce the flame, cover and allow it to cook in its own steam for 30-35 minutes (stirring occasionally) till the chicken is well cooked.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Mooli Bhujiya

Sometime in the '80s, seduced by the advertising might of the manufacturers of sunflower oil, my mother banished all the "unhealthy" oils from her kitchen. The only oils I ever really cooked with were the so called "heart friendly" ones, and though they got the job done, I realised what I was actually missing only after I bought my first bottle of mustard oil a couple of months back. North Indian subjis have taken on a whole new flavour now, and I am loving it.

Which is why, when I saw this recipe for Mooli Bhujiya, I knew I had to try it out immediately. And I loved it- the family less so, but I'll teach them to appreciate it soon enough.

Radish (Mooli) with leaves intact- 2

Green Chilies - 1
Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp
Carom seeds (Ajwain) - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida-1/4 tsp
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
Salt-1 tsp
Chili powder-1 tsp
Mango powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp 

Method
Wash the radish and the leaves. Chop the leaves into small pieces, and the root into discs.

Heat mustard oil in a pan and add carom seeds, as soon as it start crackling add asafoetida and chopped green chilies.stir for few seconds (don't overcook ajwain /carom seeds else it will taste bitter)
Now add the chopped vegetables, mix and saute for a minute.
Add salt and all the spices, mix well. Cover the vegetables and let it cook in its own steam till done.

Serve hot with chapati.

Ajwain patte ke pakode

This plant is a weed, and the dish was invented out of necessity- what else do you do with so many leaves?

About a dozen ajwain leaves
3 tbsp besan
salt, red chilli powder, zeera powder- as per taste
buttermilk - by approximation
oil

Mix besan, salt, zeera powder and red chilli powder. Add buttermilk and mix to make a thickish batter.
Heat oil in a shallow pan on medium heat. Dip the leaves in batter so one side is coated. Place leaves (batter side down) in the oil. When browned, turn the fire off, and turn all the leaves around, and let them cook on the residual heat for about 30 seconds. Drain on paper towels.
The buttermilk adds flavour, so you can eat this without accompanyments.