Strawberry Raita

There is a glut of strawberries in Bombay, so one has to keep thinking of innovative ways of using up those squishy squashy pieces. This is a conventional raita, using strawberries instead of pineapples.

1/2 cup strawberries
500 ml curds
Salt to taste

Keep aside 3 or 4 strawberries, and blend the rest with 2 or 3 tablespoons curds, till smooth.
Beat the rest of the curds (after adding salt to taste) with a fork till smooth.
Add the blend to the curds, and mix well.
Chop the strawberries kept aside into tiny pieces and add to the raita.

Ullagaddi Khara Chutney (Onion-garlic chutney)

This recipe is one that my mother's friend shared with her. It is apparently a Lingayat specialty. I was asked to halve quantities, but since it involved garlic, I didn't and I happily polished it all off.

Medium sized Onions   -   4

Medium Sized garlic   -       2 {Whole]

Red chillies   -   8-10

Tamarind juice -   To taste

Jaggery   -   To taste

Salt   -   To taste

Curry leaves   - 8-10

Mustard seeds -   for seasoning

Methi seeds – optional

Method

Make a seasoning of mustard  seeds.  

When mustard seeds splutter add roughly cut onion. and garlic.  

 Toss for a while then add  red chillies, curry leaves, methi seeds [optional].  

Saute till onion  turns transparent.   Take off the fire.

When cold add, tamarind paste, jaggery and salt  Grind.  

Store in a container. ready for serving.

A spicy chutney.and used sparingly as an accompanyment  with other vegetable dishes.  

It can be eaten with any roti [jawar, bajra or rice] and bread.   Has a shelf life of 3-4 weeks

Soya Fried Rice

It is during the holidays that feeding my kids becomes such a challenge. While on normal school days, I can do the best I can and justify not doing more, there are no such excuses available when they are home for the holidays. Which is why I have to improvise to ensure they get a reasonably balanced diet.
Soya Fried Rice is one of the recipes I keep falling back on- not only does it have proteins, it uses up leftover rice which I always have too much of.

1/2 cup soya nuggets
1 onion
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt, pepper, oregano to taste
1 cup leftover riceButter

Method
Cook the nuggets as per the directions on the packet. Drain and keep aside.
Heat some butter in a pan, and saute the onions till they turn transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomato puree and fry till for 1-2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste
Add the cooked rice, and mix well.

Methi kaali dal

Given the fact that we have dal almost everyday, one gets tired of the same old dals, and keeps experimenting. This was one such experiment, which didn't go down too well with the family.

1 measure saboot urad dal soaked for 4-6 hours
1/2 bunch methi leaves
1 onion chopped fine
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp jeera powder
2 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp kasuri methi
2 tbsp cream
Salt to taste
cooking oil

Method
Cook the soaked dal in a pressure cooker (without salt) till soft
In a kadhai, fry the onions till transparent.
Add the methi leaves (de-stemmed and chopped) and fry till the raw smell goes.
Add ginger-garlic paste and the masalas and keep cooking on a low flame till the masala seperates from the side of the kadhai.
Pour in the dal, add water to attain the desired consistency, and cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes.
Crush the kasoori methi, add the cream, stir well, and serve.

Peru ki subji

When I found a thelawala selling guavas outside the kids' school, I was transported back to my own school years. Of sitting on guava trees, of eating ripe guavas, of looking down on all guavas that didn't have a centre as pink as the ones in our garden. On an impulse, I bought a dozen guavas, and then had to look for a recipe to use up some of them!
This is adapted from a Tarla Dalal recipe.

3 ripe guavas (peru) , unpeeled , cut into cubes
1 small capsicum , cubed
1 tomato , cubed
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 1/2 tsp dhania-jeera powder
3/4 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp amchur powder
3/4 tsp sugar
2 tsp oil
salt to taste

Method
Cut the guava pieces from the edges and cut them into cubes. Keep aside.
Blend the middle portion of the guavas in a mixer to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds and fry until they begin to crackle.
Add the asafoetida, turmeric powder, guava paste, guavas, tomatos and capsicum and cook for 1 minute.
Add the coriander-cumin seed powder, red chilli powder, amchur, sugar, salt and 2 to 3 tbsp of water and cook for a while.

Gatte ke kadhi

For the gatte
1 cup besan
haldi powder
soda
salt
chilli powder
ajwain
1 tsp oil

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

For tadka
rai
jeera
hing
curry leaves


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.

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

Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai, and do the tadka. Reduce the flame, add the dahi mixture and water if required. Mix well, and bring to a boil.

Drop the gatte into the kadhi, and give it one boil before serving

Gatte ki subji

This is something I made up by combining two of my favourite recipes- Moong pakodi ki subji and Gatte ki kadhi.

For the gatte
1 cup besan
haldi powder
soda
salt
chilli powder
ajwain
1 tsp 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.


For the Gravy
Heat 1 tsp oil in kadhai. Put a pinch of hing, dhania powder, red chilli powder and haldi powder. When the raw smell goes, add water. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the flame, add the gatte, and bring to boil.
Best with rotis.