Green Coconut Chutney

Throughout the coastal belt of India, coconut is used in everyday cooking. Coconut is also allowed during fasting days, hence it finds its way into Phalahari or Farali cooking on special days like Janmashtami, Navratri, Sankashti, Ekadashi and menus for the fasting Mondays in Shravan.
This chutney is devoid of garlic and yet is tasty and creamy.

1 cup of freshly grated coconut, 2 green chillies , 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander, rock salt or common table salt. Grind to a smooth paste.
Other variations : you can add 2 tbsp chopped raw mango when available . It makes the chutney amazingly tangy. You can heat a tbsp oil and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Thin down the chutney to a thick curry consistency and add the tempering.

This chutney goes well with Batata Vada, Vada Pav, Idli, Dosa, Uttapam, Upma , Dhokla, Patra/ Allu Vadi

Green Coriander Chutney

Most Indian snacks are served with a chutney or dip. This can be spicy, rich, tangy or sweet and sour. A chutney compliments hot and spicy snacks, while it adds flavour to cold snacks like bhel puri and chaats. Chutneys can turn every day rotis and parathas into yummy exotic frankies. These are easy to make and always gather compliments.

The basic green coriander chutney :

1 cup chopped green coriander, 1 small onion, 1 tsp tamarind paste, 1 or 2 green chillies ( according to taste) , 2 pods of garlic, 1/4 inch ginger, a generousd pinch of rock salt and roasted cumin powder.
grind together coriander, chillies, garlic , ginger , onion and tamarind. Add rock salt and cumin powder. Check for salt and add normal salt as required.

Garlic Onion Chilli Chutney

Garlic, Onion, Chilli, three superstars.Makes any meal special. This chutney can be used to flavour with western as well as Indian dishes.Smooth and easy to get along with. Not too spicy, but definately yummy.

2 dry red chillies, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 small onion, salt to taste.

Grind to a smooth paste.Store.

Sweet Dates Chutney

Think of Mumbai street food and besides Vada Pav you think of Bhel Puri . The chutneys are the ones that lend the bhel its tanginess. The sweet dates chutney is a must in any Mumbai chaat. Along with the green coriander chutney and the garlic chutney, any snack is a super hit.

15 dates- deseeded, 2 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 tbsp jaggery, 1/4 tsp rock salt.

Grind together all the ingredients till smooth and viscous.Strain and store.Keeps for a week when refrigerated. Can be served with hot spicy snacks like samosa, pakodas, vada pav etc and chaats.

Garlic Chutney

What is life without a little spice? This one though takes the cake in sheer spice and heat.Yet its one that you cannot have enough of. The ingredients can be controlled and manipulated to achieve a comfortable pungency level. Make it once and you will want to have it in your refrigerator at all times. This one goes well with all kind of Indian meals, Snacks, Burgers, Sandwiches, Rotis, Parathas, Bhakris,Khichadi and a worthy companion to the Vada Pav!

12 red dry chillies ( if you are not used to too much spice, use Kashmiri chillies- deseeded), 1 entire pod of garlic-peeled, a handful of roasted peanuts, tsp jaggery, 2 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 cup grated dry coconut ( gari), salt to taste.

Clockwise from top:Red chillies, garlic, tamarind paste, grated coconut, peanuts, jaggery,

Roast and crush separately, dry coconut and peanuts ( crush it finely , unless you like the chutney to be chunky). Grind together red chillies, garlic, salt, tamarind and jaggery.Mix this thick mass with the crushed coconut and peanuts. Store. This will keep well in the refrigerator for a month, though I cannot guarantee it will last that long :)

Manngane

Saraswat cooking is light except for the liberal use of coconuts.Most Saraswats are found in the coastal belt of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.Due to the abundance of coconuts , they have based their cuisine on coconuts. Coconut grated, dessicated , ground or the milk extracted from grated coconut.The richness it adds to gravies and the delicate flavour, is unmatched. Most of their sweets are coconut based. The delicate steamed Patolio, Modaks,Steamed Rice Semiyan in coconut milk, Sweet Potato Kheer and Manngane or Madgane.This is a rare sweet , but nutritious light and very different. The next time you want a dessert that is talked about try this.

1 cup Chana dal/ Bengal gram/ split chick peas ,1 cup grated jaggery,1/4 cup fresh coconut sliced and chopped into small pieces, 1 1/2 cups grated coconu,1 pinch cardamom powder,2 tbsps cashewnut pieces, 1 tbsp raisins, a pinch of salt

 Soak the chana dal in 2 cups of water for an hour, drain .Heat a tbsp of ghee,fry the channa dal, coconut pieces and raisins. Keep the cashews and  raisins aside, add 1/4 cup water to the fried chana dal and cover and cook the dal till soft but whole.Soak the grated coconut in 1 cup warm water.Grind it and squeeze the milk of the coconut.To the cooked dal and coconut pieces , add the jaggery and fried cashews. Keep on medium heat for 2-3 mins or so. Add the coconut milk and then the salt ,cardamom powder and raisins.Serve hot or cold.

Kofta Curry

Koftya clearly comes to us from the Middle East. It is basically a variety of ground meat, mixed with spices and grilled or fried, served as an dry appetizer or side dish or cooked in a rich gravy. In India the vegeratians adapted this to form the popular Kofta Curry , made with bottle gourd ( Lauki) or potatoes, paneer, raw bananas or other tubers.These koftas are made from grated vegetables, mixed with spices and flour ( mostly chick pea flour) , stuffed with rich dried nuts and fruits like raisins, apricots, sultanas and fried. These are then cooked in a tomato based gravy and garnished with cream.

1 cup grated bottle gourd ( lauki) , 100 gms paneer, 1 tbsp flour, salt to taste,1 tsp each chopped ginger ,garlic, coriander . 1 tbsp chopped mixed nuts, ¼ tsp red chilli powder.

add the salt to the grated bottle gourd and leave for 10 mins. Squeeze it till all the water is drained out.To this add giner, garlic, coriander leaves, nuts, red chilli powder, salt to taste and flour. Mix well.Crumble the paneer and add to the mixture. Mix well and roll into 8 even sized balls.

Gravy:

2 tbsp oil, 2 onions boiled, pureed and cooked till light brown.2 tbsp tomato puree, ¼ cup thick yoghurt, 8-10 cashews ground into paste , with milk,2 green cardamoms crushed, 1 tsp each red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, coarinder pwoder, garam masala powder, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 cup water, salt to taste. Cheese for garnish.

Heat oil, add onion paste , add ginger garlic paste, when oil separates add tomato puree , add in red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin and corriander powders,cook till oil separates, add yoghurt and cook on slow flame for 2 mins.Add cashew paste and cook till mixture thicken. Add water and salt to taste, add garam masala and cook till gravy bubbles.

Meanwhile fry the kofta balls in hot oil , once the balls are light brown , reduce heat and fry till golden brown. Drain and add to the boiling gravy. reduce heat and cook till the koftas sink into the gravy. Garnish with green coriander leaves and grated cheese or cream. Serve hot with rotis, poories, parathas , naan or kulchas.

To make a jain( free from onions and garlic)  version of the above, skip out the ginger-garlic in the koftas and the onion paste and ginger garlic paste from the gravy. Instead increase the quantity of cashews and yoghurt. You can susbstitute the lauki for raw bananas , but never potatoes or other tubers.Paneer can be used either with a combination of lauki or raw bananas or on its own. In that case double the quantity of flour.

Shahi Paneer

Paneer is a favourite product upward of Maharashtra, south west part of India. While Paneer originates from the frontiers of the North and Central India, have their pown special preeparations.Also paneer as Chhena , is used in the eastern states as a basis for many delectable sweets.Paneer can be enjoyed on its own , with a sprinkling of chaat masala, or just salt and pepper, or as a main ingredient in main dishes in an all Indian meal.It can be used as a counterpart for meat dishes to be served to vegetarian guests and as a chunky cubes, skewered and grilled as Tikkas.

250 gms paneer, cut into large cubes, 1 tbsp ghee, 8-10 cashews ground into a paste with milk, ½ cup thick yoghurt, 2 crushed green cardamoms, paste of 2 green chillies , ½ cup of cream, ¼ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp white pepper,1 tsp corainder powder, coriander leaves to garnish.
Heat ghee, add in cumin seeds till they brown, add green chilli paste and fry till light brown, add crushed cardamoms and coriander powder, reduce flame and add in yoghurt, cook on slow flame for 2-3 mins. Add cashew paste and mix well. Cook till mixture thickens. Add salt to taste and pepper powder. Add paneer and ¼ cup water and cook on slow flame till paneer is well coated and gravy slightly reduced . reserve 2 tbsp cream for garnishing and add the balance cream. cook for a minute. Garnish with green coriander and the reserved cream and serve hot. This can be served as a side dish with Pulaos , Biryani, or a main dish with roti, paratha, pooris, naan, kulchas.

Egg Curry

Eggs are today considered a vegetarian food.Atleast it is in the grey area in between vegetarian and non vegetarian.The firsat item to be tried for the newly crossed over non vegetarian, a kind of testing the waters. Once you've enjoyed an egg curry, there is no turning back. You are on your way to the pleasures of non vegetarian culinary delights.
An easy recipe for a meal for two, you will end up impressing the non indian with this main dish, without any sweat.o happy cooking, happy eating and happy impressing.

2 eggs,2 onions chopped, 2 tomatoes chopped, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp each of turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste,salt to taste , green coriander to garnish

Heat oil. Put in chopped green chilli. Add in onion and cook on a slow flame till light brown. add in ginger garlic paste and cook till oil separates. Add in tomatoes and cook till soft and pulpy. Mix together the powdered spices : turmeric, red chillin powder, cumin powder, coriander powder. Add to the tomato paste and salt to taste.Further cook till oil separates.

Meanwhile boil 4 eggs till hard boiled.Beat the balance 2 eggs.Once the masala paste is cooked, add in the hard boiled eggs, add 1 cup water. Check salt.Once the gravy starts boiling, add in the beaten eggs . Do not stir. Let simmer for 2 mins, then gently break up the egg layer till it cooks and gravy separates. Add in green coriander leaves and garam masala. Can be served with roti, rice or bread.

Rajma

Rarely will a Punjabi household be found , where Rajma, or kidney beans, is not cooked and enjoyed. It is a favourite in regions in and around the frontier regions and the hills of the north. Rajma  as it is eaten in India is mostly served as a curry with steamed rice.Rajma Chawal is considered a comfort food , so here is the simple and basic Rajma recipes for all you homesick punjabi kudis and mundas.

1 cup rajma beans to be soaked overnight
Drained , soaked rajma beans, 2 onions chopped, 2 tomatoes chopped, 4 cloves, 2 green cardamoms pounded, 2 bay leaves, 2 X 2” pieces of cinnamon, 4 red chillies whole, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp each of turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste,salt to taste , green coriander and 1 tbsp fresh cream .
Heat oil. Add in bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, red chillies. Add in onion and cook on a slow flame till translucent. Increase heat and sauté till light brown. add in ginger garlic paste and cook till oil separates. Add in tomatoes and cook till soft and pulpy. Mix together the powdered spices : turmeric, red chillin powder, cumin powder, coriander powder. Add to the tomato paste and salt to taste.Further cook till oil separates.Add in the soaked rajma beans and 1 1/2 cups water and cook under pressure for about 6 whistles. Cool and uncover. Check for doneness. If cooked , sprinkle garam masala powder and chopped coriander. Mix in about a tablespoon of fresh cream and serve hot with rotis, parathas, pooris.

Kobichi Bhaji - Cabbage Chana Dal vegetable

Cabbage is amongst my favourite vegetables.I love it in salads, snacks, pakodas, parathas, a semi cooked vegetable called sambharo ( gujarati style) and in vegetables like an Upkari ( konkani style: see my earlier post). I like combining it with potatoes, peas, capsicum, channa dal or sometimes as a vegetable kheema. I can eat cabbage anyday.

This one is a simple everyday preparation with least amount of oil or spices.
2 cups shredded cabbage,
2 green chillies- slit,
6 curry leaves,
2 tsp oil, 
1/4 cup channa dal soaked, ( optional)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds,
1/4 tsp turmeric,
1/2 tsp coriander powder,
chopped green coriander to garnish.
Fresh dessicated coconut to garnish

Heat oil , add mustard, chillies, curry leaves.Add dal and roast till pink.add 1/4 cup water , cover and cook till dal is almost cooked.dry out the water is any and add the cabbage. Mix well , add turmeric, coriander powder, and salt. cook for 2 mins . The cabbage should be just done and not too limp. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh coconut and serve with rotis.

French Toast Sweet

1 egg, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp cream, 2 slices bread

Beat together eggs, honey, cream. Soak Bread in it till mixture is absorbed.

In a pan put in 1 tsp butter, heat and carefully place the bread slices in it. Cover and cook on low flame for 2 mins. increase the heat and shallow fry till light brown. Turn and cook the other side similarly.

Serve topped with fresh cream and a blob of chocolate sauce.

Happy Kids, Happy Mommy. Have a Great Day.

Roadside Omlette

This omlette was amongst the few things my dad could cook. But bit was a treat for us kids. The flourish with which he mixed the eggs, chopped the bread and assembled it, looked almost magical.The final omlette served with his widest and warmest smile was a  feast like no other A simple and delightful breakfast option. It takes as much time as a simple omlette and yet feels special. You can get as creative as you like , adding cheese, mushrooms, chopped mixed vegetables, pasta, bits of chicken, ham, salami, sausage, sauces etc. Here is the basic recipe though.

Chop up 2 slices of bread ( any kind is fine) , chop up 1 onion, 1 green chilli, a few leaves of coriander. Beat 2 eggs, add salt and pepper to the eggs.In a pan , pour in 1 tsp oil and spread it evenly.Put in the bread pieces and toast well.Mix the onions, chill and coriander with the eggs.

Pour carefully and evenly over the bread pieces.Cover and cook till the top is firm.Turnover and cook till the bottom is slightly brown.


Turn it over into a plate and serve with salad, french fries or just ketchup.

Its amazingly crispy.

Khau Suey

A delightful one dish meal. Its the various toppings sprinkled on top that makes this fantastic dish a favourite with young and old.
Its simple and easy to make.
2 cups mixed vegetables , or 500 gms boneless chicken
6 dried red chillies, 8 pods of garlic, 2" piece of ginger - grind to a smooth paste
1 large onion chopped fine, 3 tbsp chick pea flour ( besan) roasted lightly, 2 cups coconut milk, 4 tsp cumin powder, 4 tsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp oil.
Heat oil in a pan, saute onions, add the chilli, garlic ginger paste.Once it dries up add cumin and coriander powder.

Sauteing the onions and chilli, garlic, ginger paste

Roasting the chick pea flour

Add vegetables and chick pea flour. Slowly mix in half a cup water. Mix well cover and cook till the vegetables are done and the curry is thick.add salt to taste and coconut milk

Vegetable Curry

For the toppings
finely chopped garlic, ginger fried till light brown and crisp, chopped boiled egg, finely chopped corianger leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, spring onion greens,fried sliced onion, fried potato strips ( salli), lemon juice, coarsely crushed peanuts. Assemble the toppings in small bowls at the table.

Serve a portion of steamed rice or boiled noodles, top it with the curry, sprinkle as many of the toppings as you like. end with lemon juice. Enjoy a truly delicious one dish meal.

The Khau Suey assembled

Individual serving of Khau Suey

Patoli

Nagpanchami is celebrated by Hindus with enthusiasm. The month of Shravan brings much needed respite from the heat and dust. The cooling showers of Shravan come with its special days. Hariyali Teej, Nagpanchami, Raksha Bandhan. Indians associate all happy occasions and festivals with special food. So is the case with Nagpanchami. The saraswats have special sweets called Patoli. They are stuffed rice pancakes  steamed in turmeric leaves.While the pancakes are plain the stuffing within is sweet and deliciousThe turemeric leaves give it a distinct yet exotic fragrance. Next time you are looking for an different dessert, why not try this

2 cups rice flour
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp ghee
5 green turmeric leaves ( available with your green grocer)

Filling
1 1/2  cup grated/ dessicated fresh coconut
3/4 cup grated jaggery
4 green cardamoms crushed

   In a pan , melt the jaggery. add cardamom powder and coconut.cook till well mixed and a little dry.
Heat the water, add salt and ghee.sift the rice flour. As teh water comes to a boil, take off the heat and slowly stir in the rice flour, taking care to mix it well , with no lumps.cover the dough and leave to cool.Similarly cool the filling. Meanwhile wash and wipe the turmeric leaves.Cut each into 2. Smear a little oil on each leaf. Divide the rice dough into 10 balls and the filling into 10 equal portions.Place a ball of dough in the middle of each leaf and pat it so as to form a thin flat pancake. Place the filling on one half of the pancake , taking care to leave a thing edge around the filling, empty. Fold the leaf at the spine so that each pancake is a closed crescent.lightly press the edges. Prepare all the patolis in this way.

Prepare a steamer . Oil the sieve well and place the folded patolis comfortably apart , so as to not squash them. Steam them for 10 mins.
Remove and steam the next batch.
These patolis can be eaten hot or at room temperature. These are best eaten on the same day as the outer layer tends to dry out.

Kalya Vatanyachi Ussal

Black peas or mattar is mostly eaten by maharashtrians and people from the Maharashtra - Goa border, Sawantwadi .Its a small bead like pulse, which when sprouted is delicious cooked in an onion coconut gravy on its own , or combined with vegetables like Ridge gourd,snake gourd,cluster beans.The kala vatana ussal or Amti ( it has a thinner gravy) is a part of a special combo on Diwali breakfast in our home. Phodniche Pohe( The popular Poha), Dadpe Pohe ( an uncooked dish made with the thinner variety of Poha), Dahi Pohe Poha soaked in yoghurt and seasoned), Gul Pohe( Poha with dessicated coconut and jaggery) and Rasatle Pohe ( poha soaked in coconut milk) all this with the Kaka vatana ussal. Another special occasion it made an appearence at is during Ganesh Chaturthi. The day before Ganesh Chaturthi is Hartalika, a day when married women fast for the wellbeing of their husbands.They fast all day and night, usually staying awake all night. The next day the fast is broken after Ganpati idol has been installed and worshipped. Then follows a feast of Kalya Vatanyachi ussal and Ukadiche Modak ( Steamed rice dumplings , stuffed with a coconut- jaggery filling).
Here's the recipe for Kalya vatanyachi Ussal

2 cups of black peas, sprouted.
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp rai
1 onion, diced
5-6 fresh curry leaves
Onion-Coconut Masala paste or 2 tsp garam masala & 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder mixed with 1/4th cup water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp tamarind paste
2 tsp jaggery ( gud)
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil
Method:
 Heat oil and saute the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and onions. Add the sprouts, turmeric, masala paste and salt and saute for a couple of minutes.Add the tamarind and jaggery. Add 5-6 cups of water (or enough to make a curry of your desired consistency) and bring the curry to a boil.Cook under pressure for 6 whistles .Taste and adjust the seasoning for the balance of salt, sweet and sour flavors.Garnish with dessicated coconut and green coriander leaves.

Macaroni in saffron sauce.

Lazy Sundays always bring out the frugal chef in me. No fuss food, but fancy looking is what I crave for. I have kids who are thankfully gifted with mixing up a good meal, so instructing them is easy. Big boy Boo loves subtle flavours and food that's easy on the eye. This one made by Mandira for Sunday dinner.

2 cups boiled macaroni ( al dente)
1/2 cup smoked boneless chicken
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup milk
1 heaped tbsp flour
1 generous pinch saffron, lightly heated and crushed
1 generous pinch nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
salt to taste

Blend the flour in milk, stirring slowly to ensure no lumps are formed.Heat butter, pour the milk into the butter, again stirring continuously till the sauce thickens and bubbles.Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and saffron. Add macaroni. Voila! Yummy, creamy and exotic. Enjoy.

Red Thai Curry

Coming from Goa and with a strong leaning towards coconut enhanced food, thai food is a clear favourite. The smooth fragrant curry with steamed Basmati rice is quick easy and very festive. The Green variation is less spicy buts just as fragrant. The kaffir leaves can be substituted with thickly sliced lemon peel( make sure you take it out before serving though). Thai curry pastes are now readily available, but if you want to go the whole hog , Look below the recipe for the basic pastes' recipe.

Here is a quick recipe for Red Thai Curry
500 gms boneless chicken pieces ,250 ml thick coconut milk ( packaged ) you can use the coconut powder, follow the steps given on the box to yeild 250 ml of the coconut milk,2 tablespoons oil,1 onion—finely chopped,2 tbsp Thai red curry paste ,2 cloves garlic—finely chopped,1 red pepper (capsicum)cut into medium sized squares,1 yellow pepper cut into medium sized squares,2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour) mixed to a paste with 2 tablespoons water ( optional),4 kaffir leaves or thickly peeled zest of 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 large fresh basil leaves, salt to taste.

Heat the oil, saute the onions till soft but not coloured.Add in the lemon zest/ kaffir leaves, chicken and thai curry paste.Cover and cook for about 5 mins.Take 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and mix it with 1/2 cup water. Add this to the chicken and further cook till its tender. Add in the peppers and the remaining coconut milk.Carefully lift out the kaffir leaves or lemon zest . ( if using lemon juice instead, add it in now). If you prefer it to be thicker , add the cornstarch and water paste and stir till the curry bubbles.Garnish with basil leaves and serve with steamed basmati rice.

Basic Red curry paste:
2 small onions sliced
1 " piece galangal or ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp chilli powder ( use kashmiri chilli powder for a milder taste)
1 tbsp cumin (jeera)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp dried shrimp
1-2 fresh red chillies

Grind to a smooth paste. can be stored in the freezer for upto a month.

Kadhi

A Light and refreshing curry option is the kadhi.There is the Gujarati kadhi, light,slightly sweet and tangy, the Sindhi kadhi with vegetables, The Maharshtrian/ Konkani kadhi , without turmeric, the punjabi kadhi with onions and more chick pea flour, the UP kadhi with more powdered spices.

Here is the basic recipe for kadhi

1 bowl of thick yoghurt, 2 tbsp besan (chick pea flour), 4-5 curry leaves, 1 tsp grated ginger, 4 small red chillies, 1/4 tsp each mustard seeds, methi ( fenugreek) seeds, cumin and turmeric, 4 cloves, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, a pinch of Asafoetida, Salt to taste, 2 tbsp ghee.

Whisk together the yoghurt, ginger, chick pea flour, salt and turmeric. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add in methi seeds , mustard, cumin, asafoetida, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves and red chillies. Lower the flame and slowly pour in the youghurt mixture, carefully and slowly stirring till the mixture is evenly hot. Let the mixture cook till it thickens and slowly comes to a boil.Serve garnished with corainder leaves (optional), along with steamed rice.

Cauliflower Tikka Masala - jain

I married into a Vaishnav household, where onions and garlic were not consumed. As a young bride , not only was I not trained in cooking , but I had not encountered such strict dietary restrictions. My Gujarati Jain lineage not withstanding , we used onions and garlic freely at home. As a matter of fact , my dad was more of a Saraswat than a Gujarati Jain. Though at my mothers home, my Ajji ( grandmother) abstained from using onions and garlic on certain special days. Food thus cooked was called Shivrak.I was too young to have noticed this , hence my total apprehension about vaishnav cooking.
I eventually learnt some and experimented some, with various vegetables and gravies, to create some options apart from paneer.

Cauliflower Tikkas, can be served as appetizers and can be cooked in a rich gravy and served as a main entree.

Grilling the tikkas on a non stick girdle

Staring with the ingredients for the basic Tikkas
500 gms fresh , white cauliflower broken into florets.4 tbsp yoghurt, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 pinch orange food colour, 1 tsp mustard oil, salt to taste. 
Onion slices, chat masala and lemon wedges to garnish
Soak the florets in hot salty water.Drain and let dry.Mix together yoghurt, chilli powder, salt, ginger, oil and food colour. Add in the florets and keep aside for an hour, occasionally turning the florets to ensure even coating.Brush a non stick girdle with oil.arrange the florets , tightly packing them in. Cover n cook for 5 mins on a low flame. Turn over the tikkas and cook for 5 mions on the other side.Just before serving, toss them around ojn high heat and serve garnished with onion rings, lemon wedges and a sprinkling of chat masala.

The Tikkas ready to be served as appetizers. A sprinkle of Chat masala gives it a nice tang.

The Gravy:1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin ( jeera), 1/4 cups tomato puree, 2 tbsp cashew paste, 4 tbsp yoghurt, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 2 tbsp cream/ malai . Chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Use the tikkas as cooked above, omitting the garnish and the chat masala. Heat the ghee, add cumin seeds. Add in tomato puree, chilli powder and  coriander powder . Beat the yoghurt and add to the mixture. Cover and cook for 5 mins. Add in the cashew paste and salt to taste. Mix well , add in the tikkas and 1/4 cup water.Adjust salt . Add in the cream just before serving. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Sweet Potato Kheer

The Sweet Potato is the amongst the most ignored root vegetables. While the Potato is a universal favourite and the colacassia bulbs ( Arvi) have its own fans in the North and South, the Yam( Suran), Purple Yam (Kand, Jimikand) and Tapioca make its presence felt in certain parts of South India. Sweet Potato also known as Shakarkandi , Ratalu, Ratale,  is an extremely nutritious tuber. Rich in complex carbohydrates, beta carotene , Vitamin C and manganese it is great source of dietary fibre. A regular intake of Sweet potato is today recomended to increase immunity in the body. 

In Maharashtra, the sweet potato or Ratale is used during fasting days. It is cooked in vegetables, kheer, halwa , puris and even fritters. Here is the recipe for a basic yet nutritious kheer.It is a Phalahaari / Farali dish.

Sweet Potato can be boiled and peeled just like the potato. Pressure cook 2 sweet potatoes. Peel and finely chop to yeild about 2 cups of small pieces.Grate 1/2 a fresh coconut. Soak the grated coconut in 1 1/2  cup hot water , for about 10 mins. Grind the coconut using half of the water it had been soaked in.Strain and keep aside this thick coconut milk. Grind the coconut again using the balance water.This is the thin milk. Add 1/4 cup of grated jaggery ( Gud, molasses) to the thin milk and heat till the jaggery dissolves. Add 2 crushed cardamoms and the chopped sweet potato.Add in the thick coconut milk and take off the stove. Serve warm or chilled .

Roast Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

Chicken
Marinate chicken with salt, pepper, ginger-garlic paste and soy sauce. Leave for a few hours.

Pre heat oven at 180. Put chicken in for 10 mins. Turn over. 10 minutes for the other side. Turn up heat to 200. Rub butter all over the chicken. 10 mins on each side again.
Take it out and let it rest before carving it and serving.

Mushroom sauce

Heat oil in pan. Add garlic and sliced mushrooms. Sautee. Pour a little stock and if stock is not available, just water is fine too. You can pour the residual marinade in too. Let it boil and add salt and pepper. Before serving, put some cornflour to thicken. If you want a creamy sauce, add some cream in it before adding the cornflour. This tastes just as nice even without  the cream.

Grilled veggies
Heat oil in wok. Add garlic and let it burn a bit. Toss the veggies (brocolli, carrots, peppers, beans etc) in for a few minutes.

To serve
Cut a piece of the chicken that you like. Arrange the grilled veggies and home style fries. Pour the mushroom sauce. Enjoy :)

Cooked and Posted by : Mandira Mehra

Methi Mattar Malai - jain

Following quite a few requests for recipes without onions and garlic, my first Jain/ Vaishnav offering.Even though it says malai, I have kept the fattening ingredient to the minimum, by adding in milk and yoghurt.


1 cup finely chopped methi, 1 cup green peas,2 tbsp ghee,  1/4 cup tghick yoghurt, 1 tbsp cashew paste, 1/2 cup milk, 1 bay leafe, 1" piece of cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms crushed, 1/2 tsp white pepper powder, 2 tbsp cream/ clotted cream/ malai, salt to taste.

Heat the ghee, add bay leaf and cinnamon. Add methi , mix well , cover and cook on a slow flame for 5 mins. Add in the peas and cook for another 5 mins. Add milk , pepper and cardamom and cook on high heat till the milk starts evaporating and peas are almost done.reduce the flame, add yoghurt and cashew paste. stir constantly till well mixed.Add salt . Just before serving add the malai/ cream. Best served with crisp rotis or parathas.

Omlette Curry

Looking for quick cheats to pep up a boring dinner? An omlette, a chopped onion and tomato puree does the trick.

4 eggs, beaten. Add in half a chopped onion, green chillies, salt and pepper. Make an omlette, cook well on both sides.Cool , chop into squares.Heat 1 tbsp oil, fry 1 chopped onion, add red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt to taste. Add 2 tbsp tomato puree and 1/4 cup water. cook on high till some liquid dries out. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
VOILA!

Rice Kheer

Rice Kheer is the first solid food fed to a child in India.Around 6 months of age is when a child would start eating solids.There would be a rite-of-passage , Annaprashan or Ushtavan. The rice kheer was the first solid a baby was intriduced to and usually remains a favourite right into adulthood even though their palates have been corrupted by all kinds of junk foods . The home made rice kheer is a surefire way to lift up anyones spirit.

Its easy to make and can be made with cooked rice or from scratch. I prefer to let you in on the shortcut and the shorter cut.

Short: 1 cup cooked rice, 1 litre milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 cardamoms crushed, raisins, chopped nuts.Boil the milk , add sugar. As the sugar dissolves, add the cardamoms, raisins and rice. Cook on a slow flame till the milk reduces to half. Keep scraping off the creamy deposits on the edges of the pan and put it back into the milk.Garnish with nuts and serve hot or cold.

Shorter: 1 cup cooked rice, 1 litre milk, 1/4 cup sugar,1 cup sweetened evaporated / condensed milk, 2 cardamoms crushed, raisins, chopped nuts.Boil the milk , add sugar. As the sugar dissolves, add the cardamoms, raisins and rice. Cook on a slow flame for 5 minutes. Add the evaporated milk bring to a boil. Cook further for 5 mins .Keep scraping off the creamy deposits on the edges of the pan and put it back into the milk.Garnish with nuts and serve hot or cold.

Upkari

Upkari is a simple non fussy vegetable side dish found at every konkani meal. Its easy to make and goes well with plain rice daal , or even fish curry.As kids we visited Goa very often.When I say 'very often' I mean at any and almost every vacation. Infact even on a long weekend , mum would grab us and make a dash to Goa, her native place. Between loong morning swims on the beach and splashing around in the stream in the afternoons, there would be a meal of fish curry rice and sol kadhi ( kokum kadhi). After that would be a loong snooze for mum ( back into the water for us ). While we Mumbai kids were used to rotis, mum hated the very thought of them, specially the gujju in my dad insisted on tiny phulkas and she'd have to make a heap of them. Sorry , but i digress. Now every place we were invited to for lunch/ dinner in Goa, a constant was the upkari. And most often than not it was the alsande ( chawli/ yard long beans) upkari. I came to completely hate the sight of it. The funny part was neither guests nor hosts ate it, or so my child sense figured. After marriage though , I craved for the same ..... Well i finally managed to start cooking it. Upkari is made with a variety of green beans and even gourds. This one uses french beans.

1/4 kg Beans , 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp oil, a pinch of sugar, 2 green chillies slit, 4-5 curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, a pinch of turmeric, salt to taste, 2 tbsp dessicated/ grated fresh coconut.

Wash and wipe the beans dry. Cut off the two ends, slice thickly. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies. Add the beans, salt, sugar and turmeric, sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook on a slow flame. Take off the heat, add coconut and serve with hot Rotis.

Sheera & Sanjori

The simple but delectable Sheera is known by many names .Sheera , in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Sooji Halwa in the North, Sanja in Goa, North Kanara, Rawa Kesari in the South.It is widely used as prasad ( a offering to gods during any religious ritual, later distributed amongst all present).While for prasad, there is a specific recipe and is mostly cooked by the priest himself, as a snack it is less rich and uses ghee and sugar sparingly.

Here goes the recipe for a sweet snack.
1 cup sooji/ semolina/rawa
2 tbsp ghee 
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk ( optional)
1/2 cup hot water ( if milk is not used , use 1 cup water)
1 cardamon crushed
a few strands of saffron ( optional)
raisins
coarsely powdered or sliced cashews, almonds, pistachios

Pick and sift the sooji. Heat ghee, add sooji. On a slow flame roast till slightly pink, taking care to not let the sooji brown ( though in north india a brown sooji is preferred, in the west people appreciate an off white colour). add cardamoms and raisins. While the sooji is roasting heat the water and milk , mixed together. Carefully , slowly pour the mix ( or only water as preferred) into the sooji.Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or till the water has almost evaporated. Add sugar and saffron ,stir, cover and cook till the sooji is dry and separated. If it still looks lumpy , cook uncovered till the liquid dries out completely.

Add crushed/ sliced nuts and serve.It is traditionally filled into a small bowl, pressed in and turned out into a plate , to resemble a mound.many families serve it with a spicy pickle, though it is best eaten on its own.

Sanjori: The answer to north indian stuffed parathas is the delicate sanjori. made with a stuffing of Sheera ( without the raisins and nuts). For Sanjori , make Sheera as above, except use 1 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup. For the outer layer : 3/4 cup maida, 1/4 cup wholewheat flour, 4 tbsp oil ,a pinch of salt, water for kneading the dough. Sift together the two flours and add in salt, oil and mix well till the oil is well disributed into the flour. Add a little water at a time and knead it into a soft pliable dough.Cover and keep aside for 30 mins.

Break the dough into 8 even sized balles. take 8 balls of the sheera , a size slightly smaller than the dough. Roll out the dough just a bit to be able to cover the sheera ball. spread a few drops of oil on the dough circle.Place the sheera ball in the centre of the dough. cover the sheera  smoothly and seal the dough like a small pouch. Sprinkle flour on a flat cool surface and roll out applying a little pressure. First roll in one direction , turn the dough 90 degrees and roll again, that way you end up rolling all sides. Make sure to maintain the same thickness all around. Heat a girdle , lower the flame and turn out the rolled out dough onto it.Roast till light brown spots appear, turn and roast the other side.

Serve hot with a little ghee smeared on top. I tried to get a bit creative with the roti and hence the fluted edges :)

Kiss of Fire

A nice, tall, cool drink with spicy bite.

2 tbsp Strawberry preserve, 4 tbsp orange juice, 1 tbsp sugar syrup, 1 tsp ginger juice, juice of half a lemon, water, ice.

Add 2 tbsp water to the strawberry preserve to loosen it. If it has whole strawberries, you could put it into a ice tray cube and freeze it.Mix together lemon and ginger juice ( it will make the ginger juice pinkish). In a tall glass put in the strawberry syrup , top it with orange juice , then ginger-lemon juice. Add the sugar syrup and gently add the chilled water. If you have the strawberry frozen in the ice tray, add it for a dramatic touch. Top with ice and serve with a long stirrer.

Batate Song

A spicy side dish with Daali Thoy . This potato dish is a favourite with the konkani people. Its spicy gravy and colour can add a zing to any bland meal.
3 big potaoes, boiled and cubed, 1 big onion chopped, 4 red chillies ( if you cannot handle the heat , use kashmiri chillies, which gives a red colour but are not spicy), 1/4th cup grated fresh coconut, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp tamarind pulp, salt to taste.

Grind together coconut, coriander seeds, tamarind and salt, to a fine paste. Heat oil fry the onions till soft....do not brown.add the potato cubes and saute for a minute. Add the paste and 1/4th cup water. Cover and cook for another couple of minutes. The gravy is not supposed to be too liquid, just semi thick. I like mine a little dry.
Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice and dal.

Here is another version of the Song , as my friend Madhvi Pai pointed out . The rest of the recipe remains the same except you use bedgi chillies instead of kashmiri chillies and omit the coconut. What you get is yummy spicy batate song.

This was sent to me by a very indulgent aunt, Pushpa Aatya. That and Farasbi Upkari with takka kadhi was today's Lunch. Now for some susegad :)