Dabak Vadi

Some recipes are so nice, the moment you see them, you want to try them out. This was one of them. 

5 tbsp besan

3 cups sour buttermilk 

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

A pinch of hing

1 tbdp crushed garlic 

1 green chilli

1/4 cup water

1 tsp oil

1 sprig curry leaves

Salt to taste 

Method:

Make a thick almost dough like batter by mixing besan, salt, 1/4 tsp haldi and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. 

Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, green chilli, garlic and hing and sauté for a minute. 

Add red chilli powder and haldi powder. Add buttermilk and salt. Mix well, bring to a boil. 

Using a slotted spoon, put a blob of besan batter on it and rub over it with the other hand, so that the batter falls into the boiling butter milk in the form of boondis. Keep repeating this process till all the batter is finished.

Keep stirring the buttermilk alongwith the dabak wadis till it thickens. 

Serve hot with rotis. 

Dahi pulki

When you have both garlic and mint in the same dish, why would you even think of hesitating before making it? Specially when it is an easy peasy recipe, that also packs the nutritional punch of curds and besan? This is a Marwari recipe I fell in love with and it entirely lived upto its promise.

2 cups curds

5 tbsp besan

1 large onion, chopped fine

Green chillies to taste

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp dried mint leaves, crushed

Salt and red chilli powder to taste

3 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

Our the curds into a large bowl. Season with red chilli powder and salt. Add crushed mint leaves and garlic paste and mix well. Add water and mix till you get a smooth consistency. 

Mix onions, green chillies and besan with salt and red chill powder. Add water and mix to get a medium thick batter. 

Heat oil in a saucepan, and drop in single teaspoons of batter in batches. When one side of the phulki is done turn it over to brown the other side. Drop in the curd mix while still hot. 

After all the batter is exhausted, add cumin seeds to the oil, and when it stops spluttering, pour over the dahi phulki

It can be had as an accompaniment, or as a snack. 

Beet soup

I wanted to have a soup for lunch, and a quick audit of the fridge threw up only two slightly sad looking beets. Necessity is the mother of invention, and this awesome soup resulted.

2 beetroots

1/2 cup curds

1 tsp garlic paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Cream cheese for garnish

Method:

Roughly chop the beetroots and steam them for 10 minutes. 

Blend beetroots, curds and garlic paste till you get a smooth consistency. Add water to get the desired thickness. 

Bring the blend to boil, with salt and pepper

Sprinkle with cream cheese or feta cheese before serving. 

Savoury canapés with microgreens garnish

Having decided I was going to have microgreens for lunch, the rest of the meal sort of created itself. Savoury crackers, with 

For crackers:

1 cup maida

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste3 tbsp grated cheese

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees

Sift together the flour, salt and pepper. 

Add oil, and knead well till you get a firm dough

Roll onto a greased baking sheet, and make indentations with a sharp knife

Bake for 12-15 minutes. 

Take out of oven and let it cool on a wire rack. 

For the hung curd:

1 cup yogurt

1 tsp garlic paste

4-6 olives chopped fine

Salt to taste

Method:

Tie the curds in a muslin cloth, and hang it up so the whey escapes. Squeeze out the remaining whey. 

Add garlic paste and salt and mix really well till you get a smooth consistency. 

Add chopped olives and mix well*

For serving:

Scoop/ pipe the hung curd on the crackers, garnish with microgreens and serve. 

*- if you are having the dip without microgreens, you can experiment with the flavours- I kept it simple

Kadhi, without pakode

Kadhi is one of my go-to recipes- almost impossible to go wrong with, and something that everyone likes. Today, however, I did not feel like making pakodas, so experimented a bit with the seasoning, to come up with something that we liked almost as much as the original.

For kadhi:

1 cup curds
1 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp besan

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp jeera seeds

A pinch of hing

1 medium onion sliced long

3 sprigs mint


Method:
Mix all the ingredients under kadhi into the curds and keep aside for 5 minutes

Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai, and splutter the mustard seeds. Add jeera seeds and sliced onions and sauté till onions are well browned. Add the hing and mint leaves. 

Reduce the flame, add the dahi mixture and water if required. Mix well, and bring to a boil. 

Serve hot with steamed rice. 

Savoury ragi drink

Ragi Ragas is my seemingly endless list of dishes requiring ragi!!!

1/4 cup ragi flour

1/2cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk 

Salt to taste

To temper:

1/2 tsp til oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves

Method:

Heat the water, add some water to the flour to make a paste. Add the paste to the water, and cook with constant stirring till the paste turns shiny. 

Blend buttermilk, ragi paste and salt in a mixer till smooth. 

Heat the oil, and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Pour over the ragi-buttermilk. 

Serve chilled. 

You can replace the cinnamon with cardamom powder. 

Carrot potato raita

The kids were having their regular dal- roti-subji, but I thought it was too hot for subji. So I threw in a few veggies into curds, and had a nice cooling raita instead.

1/2 carrot grated
1/2 potato, boiled and cut into small pieces
1 cup curds, beaten
1/4 tsp roasted and pounded jeera
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Beat the curds with the salt, chilli powder and jeera powder till smooth.
Add the grated carrots and finely chopped potatoes and mix well. Serve as an accompaniment- you can increase the amount of potatoes if you want to eliminate the rotis.

Chaas

Summertime, and our thoughts turn towards coolers. Buttermilk chaas is one of my favourites, and I can gulp it down in any quantity.

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp roasted and coarsely pounded jeera
Rock salt to taste
1/2 cup water

Method:
Roast the jeera, and coarsely pound it. Keep aside, because you are going to use it a lot in summer.
Mix the curds, water, rock salt and jeera in a mixer till well mixed and frothy. Drink immediately.

Youghurt chicken

A very quick dry chicken dish based partially on an old favourite.

1 kg curry cut chicken
1/2 cup curds
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp kasoori methi
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
Drain the water from the curds by hanging it in a muslin cloth for 30 mins
Make a marinade with the curds, ginger- garlic paste, salt, pepper, kasoori methi.
Wash the chicken, make a few slits, and marinate for 1 hour.
Heat the oil, add the marinated chicken, mix it well, cover, and cook on a low flame till done (about 20 minutes).
Serve with rotis or garlic bread.

Dahi chicken

With the cook on leave for the day, I had to make dinner. I was in no mood to do anything complicated, and I definitely did not want to have anything spicy. This lightly spiced dahi chicken fitted the bill perfectly, we all loved it.

1 curry cut chicken

5 tbsp curds

4-inch piece of ginger, minced

2 green chilli peppers,slit lengthwise
2 tbsp dhania powder

2 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

3 large cardamom pods
1 inch cinnamon

3 tbsp ghee
1 brown onion,chopped fine
1/2 tsp kasuri methi

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt to taste

Method:
Marinate the chicken in curds and salt, and leave it for an hour.
Heat ghee. Add onions ginger, green chilli, badi elaichi and cinnamon, and saute till the onion starts browning.

Add kasoori methi and the marinated chicken, and mix well. Add the spices, stir, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock. Mix well, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes till the chicken is well done.

Serve hot.

Muli Bhaji Nu Muthia

I'd picked up a big bunch of radish the other day, and after using half in a stir fry, still have quite a few to use up. Took to the internet, and found this recipe that used radish leaves. I adapted it slightly and came up with something that I really liked.

1/2 cups radish leaves and red radish, chopped

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp rawa

3 tbsp curds

1 tsp haldi powder

2 tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 pinch of hing

2 whole dry red chillies

1 tbsp lemon juice

Dhania patta for garnish (optional)

Method

Combine the radish leaves, wheat flour, rawa, curds, haldi powder, red chilli powder, salt, mix well and knead into a soft dough using water.

Divide the dough into equal portions and roll them into cylindrical shape.

Steam the muthias in a steamer for 15-20 minutes or till done.

Remove from the steamer, cool and cut into thick slices.

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.

When the seeds crackle, add the hing and red chillies and saute for 20 seconds.

Add the sliced muthias and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, coriander, mix well and serve hot.

Methi Chicken with a medley of spices

This was another of those recipes that had me at "Hello". One  look at the photograph, and I knew I  had to go through the recipe. One scan of the recipe and I had to bookmark it to make someday.
Strangely, despite the presence of many iffy spices, the recipe was a hit at home, and every last bit of it was polished off.

1 curry cut chicken

Marination:
1 cup hung curd
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 green chill, minced
1/2 tsp javitri (mace powder)

2 tsp oil /butter
4 Cloves
1/2 tsp whole jeera
1 inch piece of cinnamon
salt to taste
1 cup milk /milk plus water
1 tbsp roasted besan
1/2 tbsp Kasoori methi

Method:

Marinate the chicken after cleaning it well. Wrap with clingfilm and keep in refrigerator overnight.

Heat oil and put whole garam masala.

When it stops spluttering, add the marinated chicken with salt and let it cook on medium heat. Stir off and on. 

After 10 to 15 minutes, add milk or milk and water and the roasted besan - cook for another 5 minutes. 

Sprinkle kasoori methi and cook away for another 5 minutes.

Serve with parathas.

Creamy, minty chicken

The hubby and kids wanted chicken, but I was in no mood to make the standard gravy. Hence, I improvised and came up with something that was absolutely yummy.

Curry cut chicken  
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp freshly ground pepper powder
2-3 tbsp dried mint leaves
Salt to taste
1 cup curds
Oil, 2 tbsp
1 sprig mint leaves, crushed

Method:Wash and clean chicken, make small slits, and marinate it with curds, salt and pepper. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil, and on a low flame, heat the ginger-garlic paste. Add the marinated chicken, and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add black pepper powder mix well, cover and cook on a low flame. Stir occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan.
Crush the dry mint with your hands and add it along with milk and some salt in to the pan. Mix well and continue to cook on low for 5-10 minutes.
Turn off the flame, and stir in the fresh mint leaves.
Serve with rotis

Potato curd pakoda

When you have excess oil, one of the easiest things to make is pakodas. Here's a batch of curd based pakoras that I whipped up on an impulse- using curds as the binding agent added a new dimension to the taste.

1 cup besan

1/2 cup curds

1 potato 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

 

Rock salt or chat masala for garnish

Method:

Dice the potatoes and then cut into small pieces. Add salt to the potatoes and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Pour the besan over the potatoes, mix well.

Add the curds gradually till you get a good (but not runny) batter.

Add the spices and mix well.

Heat the oil, test the temperature by dropping a bit of batter in the oil- if it rises up immediately, the oil is ready.

Reduce the flame, drop the batter into the oil using a spoon, and keep turning till done. 

Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Test the temperature before making the next batch.

Sprinkle with chat masala/ rock salt before serving

Pineapple raita

I first had pineapple raita when I was a student in b-school. At time, I couldn't quite decide what to make of it, but over time I've grown to love it's combination of tastes- the sweet of pineapple with it's underlying tart complimenting the sour of curds, and all balanced with the taste of rock salt and red chilli powder. If you ask me to name a dish that is complex to comprehend, but easy to whip up, this might be the first one that springs to mind. It was, therefore, the perfect accompaniment to offer to Krishna on Janmashtami Day.

1 1/2 cups curds
1 cup pineapple chopped
1/2 tsp jeera powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp rock salt (or to taste)

Method:
Whip the curds till smooth. Add the jeera powder, red chilli powder and rock salt and mix well.
Crush a few pieces of pineapple, and add the juice to the mixture (alternately, use a tablespoon of pineapple juice).
Add pineapple pieces, mix well, and serve chilled

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

This recipe is adapted from a classic recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi. It has been Indianised, and uses only the ingredients that are regularly found at home.

1 large purple baigan
1 tbsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For the sauce:
1 cup curds
2 tbsp olive oil
2-4 pods garlic, crushed
Salt to taste

For garnish:
Mint leaves
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Method:
Dice the eggplant into 1/2 cm thick slices. Pat with garam masala powder and salt and let the flavours absorb for 10 minutes.
Heat a tawa, and shallow fry the eggplant slices. Keep aside
Meanwhile, whip the curds with the olive oil, crushed garlic and salt.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a serving dish, pour the buttermilk sauce over it, garnish with pomegranate seeds and mint and serve.

Curd dip, with spring onions

The simplest dip to make is also one of the most effective ones. There are very many variations to this, but this is my favourite.

1 cup curds

1 spring onion

1/3 tsp paprika powder

Salt to taste

Method:

Place the curds in a muslin cloth and hang it up for a couple of hours till the water drains out (you can reserve the water to drink, or use while making rotis)

Chop the spring onion (including the leaves) into small pieces

Beat the hung curd with a fork, add spring onions, paprika powder and salt and mix well

Serve with chips, cucumber slices, parathas or over crackers/ toast

Palak paneer, with yoghurt

Palak paneer is a dish I make often, because almost everyone in the family loves it. But today, I wasn't in a mood to make it the conventional way, and so innovated with spices and cooking style. And it came up trumps- not only did it look very different, it tasted lighter than usual, and disappeared as soon as it was placed on the table!

250 gms paneer

1 bunch spinach, cleaned well

2 small onions chopped

4-6 pods garlic

1/2 inch piece ginger

1/2 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp saunf

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

3 tbsp curds

Salt to taste

Cooking oil

Method:

Heat the oil, temper with jeera and saunf, and when they stop spluttering, add onions, garlic and ginger, and saute till the onions turn transparent.

Meanwhile, boil 1 cup water, and blanch the spinach for about 15 minutes.

Grind the onions to paste, and keep aside

Grind the spinach till smooth, and keep aside.

Beat the curds and salt till smooth.

Mix the spinach puree, onion paste and curds. Return to the fire, adding water if required. Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add paneer pieces (reserving a few to grate on top as garnish), bring to boil, before turning off the flame.

Garnish with grated paneer, and serve hot with rotis.

Plum raita

One of those experiments that worked really well, and which I definitely plan to attempt more often, because it is just so easy to whip up. I had it with a dosas, and it went really well with it. Will also go well with stuffed parathas and dal roti.

2 cup curds
2 tbsp plum chutney
1 plum
Mint leaves for garnish

Method:
Whisk the curds with a fork till smooth.
Add the plum chutney, and mix well
De-seed the plum and cut into eighths. Add to the curd mixture and mix well
Garnish with mint leaves before serving.

Baby potatoes in green gravy

The only time I boil raw onions is when I am making bise bele bhaat. I love the special flavour it imparts, and was curious to try out a new recipe where the onions were boiled before being ground. However, I was hesitant to try it out with chicken, so adapted the recipe for baby potatoes instead. The flavour was similar to that of a coconut based gravy, and it made for a very pleasant change. Definitely a recipe I am trying out again

250 gms baby potatoes
1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 medium onion, chopped roughly
green chillies to taste (recipe called for 3, I used 1)
1/2 bunch coriander leaves
2 bay leaves
1 badi elaichi
1 stick cinnamon
4 cloves
1/2 tsp jeera
1/3 cup curds, beaten till smooth
Salt to taste
1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
Pressure cook the baby potatoes for 15 minutes, peel and keep aside.
Boil the onions, then grind to paste
Grind coriander and green chillies to a paste
Heat the oil, saute the boiled potatoes on low heat till they start browning. Keep aside. (this can be skipped, if you want to save on oil). Prick each potato with a fork, two or three times.
Add some more oil, temper with jeera. Once the jeera stops spluttering, add the whole spices and fry till it releases the fragrance.
Add onion paste, curds and salt and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the baby potatoes, and the green paste, and cook for a further 2 minutes till done, adding water, if required to get the desired consistency.
Test for salt, and serve hot with rotis.