My Kook Book

Corn on Cob

2009-10-27T20:58:00.013+05:30

One of my favourite appetizers. I learnt this recipe while staying in Scotland. R had made this for me as an winter evening snack. Fell in love with it the same way I had with R :). This one has been in my drafts for a really long time...didn't have an image...so the day I found a boiled corn lying in my fridge recently, I rushed to make this tasty snack.

Ingredients

2 Boiled corn cobs
Rock salt or senda namak
1 tsp of chilli powder
2 tsp of butter
1 slice of lime

Method:

In a small bowl mix the chilli powder and rock salt.
Take the slice of lime and dip it on the above mixture.
Rub the lime coated with mixture on the corn.
The corn cob should be well coated with the lime juice and the mixture.
Place a 1 tsp of butter and rub the lime again thoroughly.
Serve as an appetizer. Works great in winter months when the appetites are raging high.

Enjoy the quick snack...

Happy Diwali

2009-10-23T21:35:00.004+05:30

Wishing everyone a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year.

2009-10-11T13:59:00.000+05:30

My dear fellow blogger friend Sangi, has shared the following award with me.

Thanks Sangi for sharing this sweet award with me. We have a fun meme that I need to share with 6 of my favourite bloggers. The fun meme should be answered with only one word.

The following is my meme:

Where is ur cell phone: desk

Ur hair: black

ur mother: Shalini

Ur father: Nityanand

Ur fav food: Salads

Ur dream last night: Funny

Ur fav drink: Milk

Ur dream: Cartoonish

Wat room u r in: Bedroom

Ur hobby: Cooking

Ur fear: Loss

Where do u want to be in 6 yrs: Settled

Where were u last night: Home

Where did u grow up: Mumbai

Last thing u did: Cooking

Ur t.v: Off

Ur pets: None

Ur friends: Different

Ur life: Funny

Ur mood: Thoughtless

Missing some one: Mom

Vehicle: Tata Indica

Something u r not wearing: Bindi

Ur fav store: Crossword

Ur fav colour: Lavender

When was the last time u laughed: Hour-ago

Last time u cried: Yesterday (after the laughter therapy I had with my friend's daughter)

Ur best friend: Husband

One place i go over and over: Temples

One person who emails me regularly: Consultants

Fav place to eat: Urban Tadkas

I would like to share this award with Divya Kudua, Supriya, Shwetha, Curry Leaf, Deesha, and Madhuram.

Dasera Celebrations at Home

2009-10-09T21:04:00.008+05:30

I know I am kind of late posting this one...but still wanted to share the simple food that I cooked on the Dasera day and my hubs bubs loved it and complimented with a nice burp...heehee...

Dasera Lunch at my abode

The following was the menu:

Tomato Raita
Bataatyachi Bhaji
Amrakhand
Jeera Dal
Rice

Bataatyachi Bhaaji was something that my friend Varsha had made when we went to their abode for the Satyanarayan Pooja. I luved the taste and instantly asked for the recipe. She said it is very simple "Boil the potatoes. Don't make them mushy. Peel and slices the cubes. In a pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves. Then add the crushed garlic and finely chopped green chillies. Mix well and add the potatoes. Add salt and some sugar. Cook for 5 minutes till the potatoes soak the oil."

Jeera Dal was a tadka of jeera, curry leaves, and asafoetida on the cooked dal and garnished with coriander.

Amrakhand was was brought from the store but loved the taste. The plate was filled with Rice and tomato raita.

Lemon Rice

2009-10-08T21:44:00.013+05:30

Rice is one grain that most of the people cannot live without. At my houshold, R is a rice lover whereas I can live without with rice for a few days. Chapatis is what I would go for if given an option. Luckily, Indian cuisine has different variations of rice dishes and some of them are quick and easy to make. Here is one of them.

Lemon Rice

For two people:

Ingredients:

1 cup Boiled rice (preferrably Basmati)
1 twig of curry leaves
2-3 green chillies, chopped, depending on the hotness
1 tsp turmeric powder
juice of 1 large-sized lemon
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp of urad dal or chana dal
2 tbsp oil
some salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Method:

In a pan, heat the oil. NOTE: This rice dish requires more amount of oil to get the quirky-lemony flavour.
Add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the curry leaves and the hing. Saute for 2 seconds.
Now add the green chillies and urad/chana dal.
When the dal turns a bit brown, add the turmeric powder.
Now add the boiled rice and mix well.
Sprinkle the salt, sugar, lemon juice, and mix well.
Heat for 4-5 minutes.

Serve hot with pickles, curd, or raitas. We usually take this along while travelling long journeys on trains.

Eggless Chocolate Cake

2009-10-04T13:02:00.023+05:30

Think you have had enough of cooking the traditional Indian desserts! Do you yearn for some fun with baking? Here is a simple recipe for a scrumptious Chocolate cake without adding eggs.

Source: OTG recipe book

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

Refined Flour (Maida) 75 gm
Baking powder 1-1/2 tsp
Cocoa powder 1 tbsp
Soda Bicarbonate 1/2 tsp
Drinking Chocolate powder 1 tbsp (optional)
Water 110 ml
Vanilla Essence 1-2 drops
Condensed Milk 3/4 tin
Butter 75 gm

For the cream coating:

1 tbsp cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar (icing sugar)
Vanilla Essence 1 drop

NOTE: tsp is teaspoon and tbsp is tablespoon. All the ingredients mentioned above are available in a grocery store.

TIP: For a cake to bake well, it is advisable to adhere to the measurement provided in a recipe.

Method:

Grease an 18-cm square tin (mould) with some butter and dust it with some flour. Keep aside.
Dry ingredients: Sieve together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, drinking chocolate, and soda-bi-carbonate thrice and keep aside.
TIP: Use a sieve to ensure there are no lumps formed by the dry ingredients. You can place a newspaper page to sieve the dry ingredients.
Wet ingredients Mixture 1: Mix water and the vanilla essence and keep aside.
Wet ingredients Mixture 2: In a glass bowl, mix the condensed milk and the butter and then beat this mixture continuously in one direction.
Add 1 tbsp of the sieved flour mixture into the bowl containing the beaten butter mixture. At the same time add 1 tsp water mixture into the beaten mixture. Mix well. Continue doing the same until the sieved mixture finishes.
Slowly pour (Fold) the cake batter into the greased and dusted tin. You can also place the tin on a tray.
Bake at 180 degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes.
NOTE: If you are using an Oven Toaster Grill (OTG), it is advisable to preheat the oven at 200 degree Celsius for 10 minutes. However if you are using a Micro-oven, the temperature settings may differ.
TIP: You can insert a toothpick to check if the cake is baked properly. If the toothpick comes out clean without any crumbs, the cake is baked perfectly.
Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

While the cake cools, add the cream and icing sugar in a small bowl and beat well in one direction. When the cake cools, apply this mixture using a spoon/food brush. The cake should be coated well with the mixture.

Enjoy this as a dessert. Also proves to be a delectable accompaniment with a cup of hot coffee! I also came across some more eggless Chocolate cake recipes. Visit the following links:

My Second Award

2009-10-01T14:21:00.007+05:30

Thanks my dear blogger friend Sangeeta Subhash (from http://kothiyavunu.blogspot.com/ ) for sharing the Kreative Blogger award. This award is well cherished both on my space and my heart. Thanks a million, billion, and trillion...Sangeeta has a wonderful blog that I visit very often.

Cheesy Bread with Tomato Salsa

2009-09-27T12:46:00.025+05:30

Bruschetta is an Italian bread delicacy made with French or Italian baguette slices and topped with tomato, onion, pesto, and cheese (optional). Okay, to tell the truth, I was longing this delicacy for an ages. I could have just barged into a restaurant that served this delicacy, but something or the other came up and I missed doing this bon appetite task.

On an eventful Sunday afternoon, I terribly started missing this bread delicacy (note after I had my lunch). The feeling was worse, palpitations,hunger pangs, halucinations of the Bruschetta near me...okay couldn't take it more...had to do something....and to add to it R was nowwhere close to going out for dinner. He also was not in a mood to even venture out of house. So i just sufficed myself with the White bread slices, Cheese slices, and topped it with onion, tomato, garlic mixture. Here is the substitute for an Italian Bruschetta. I named it the Cheesy Bread with Tomato Salsa where the ingredients have completely changed and I had to make up with what I had (A true Mumbaite...aye!).

Here is the recipe for 4 slices:

Cheesy Bread With Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

4 White bread pieces
4 Cheese slices
1 medium-sized onion
1 medium-sized tomato
1 tsp of garlic crushed
some freshly chopped coriander
1/4 tsp dry oregano
some salt

Cheesy Bread with Tomato Salsa

Method:

For the topping:

In a bowl, add the onions, tomatoes, and garlic.
Add some olive oil (optional).
Add the coriander, oregano, salt, and mix well.
Keep this mixture aside for 5-10 minutes.

For the Bread:

Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degree Celcius.
On the baking tray, lay the breads.
Lay the cheese slices on the breads and then top it with the topping mixture.
Grill the bread slices for 5-7 minutes. I used my OTG at 180 degree C.

Serve warm with chutnies or ketchup...

Aloo Baingan Lazzatdaar

2009-09-21T12:47:00.013+05:30

I have been adding peanut powder and ajwain (caraway seeds) to most of the dishes that I am preparing. Addition of peanut powder or ajwain is not so common in Kerala cuisines. However, I feel that peanut powder or ajwain gives a different flavour to the curry or a side dish and if you add both in a veggie, the flavour is wonderful and aromatic.

Aloo Baingan Lazzatdaar (Potatoes and Aubergines with Caraway seeds)

For four servings:

Ingredients:

Potatoes medium-sized, peeled and sliced in wedges
Green aubergines (brinjals), sliced in long pieces
1/4 tsp Ajwain (Caraway seeds)
1 tsp peanut powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
some salt and sugar (optional) for taste

Method:

In a deep-bottomed, heat some oil and add the caraway seeds.
When the aroma emits, add the potatoes. Saute for 2 mins.
Now add the aubergines. Mix well.
Add the peanut powder, chilli, turmeric, salt, sugar (optional)
Cook till the vegetables let out the oil and appear a bit roasted.

Aloo Baingan Lazzatdaar (Potatoes and Aubergines with Caraway seeds)

Serve along with rotis or chapatis. A raita also adds to the zing.

Ajja's Batata Wada with Paav - La Indian Burger

2009-09-14T21:34:00.007+05:30

Batata (Potato) wada (Fritter) is a common tea-time snack for a resident of Maharashtra. It has also proved to be a large-scale business opportunity for some of the lucky ones. For example, Shree Krishna Wada at Dadar serves one of the scrumptious Batata Wadas in Mumbai. There are many more that serve great Wadas. Sometimes you may also find the "Galli ka Wada Pav" amazing and delectable.

I guess this Wada has a unique flavour that captures the taste buds that taste it. This Wada is famous all over the Maharashtra and may be beyond that...and the recipe is common to many of us. Here is my Ajja's version (Yep my mom's dad was an amazing cook. He had a small eatery place in Lalbaug, Mumbai, serving people with all-time favourite snacks. The most appealing one was Batata Wada).

Vada/Wada Pav

For four people (Approximately 12 medium-sized wadas)

Ingredients:

For the Potato mixture:

5 large potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed
5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
an inch or more of ginger piece
crushed- 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped (depending on the hotness)
freshly chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tsp of chana dal/urad dal
7-8 curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
some salt

For the batter:

1 small cup of gram flour (besan/chane ka aata)
1 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of common salt or rock salt
1 tsp of asafoetida (hing)
some warm water

Method:

For the potato balls:

Heat a large pan with some oil.
Add some chana dal or urad dal and saute for 10 secs.
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves.
When they sputter, add the asafoetida and then add the garlic, ginger, chillies. Saute for 10 secs.
Now add the mashed potatoes. Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander leaves, and mix well.
When the potatoes absorb the oil, keep aside this mixture in a plate and let it cool for some time.
When the mixture cools, prepare small balls. Mine yielded 14 medium-sized balls.

For the coating:

In a bowl, add the besan, salt, chilli powder, and warm water.
Mix well till you get a paste-like consistency.
If you wish to have the coating to be a bit thicker, add less water.
For a thinner coating, add some more water.

Frying the balls:

Heat a deep-frying pan with the required amount of oil.
When the oil is hot enough, take one ball and dip it in the coating and fry till the color of the ball is golden brown.
Turn and fry the other side. Repeat the same with the other balls.

WARNING: Please ensure that no drop of water falls in the hot oil. The oil can sputter causing burns. Also, be very careful while dropping the coated balls in the oil. The water in the coating can cause some sputter of oil.

Vada/Wada Paav

Enjoy the wadas with green coriander chutney or garlic chutney and a cup of tea/coffee!!!

Paneer Rassedaar - Indian Cottage Cheese in a Spicy Gravy

2009-09-07T19:11:00.003+05:30

PANEERRRRR....thats what my stomach growls when the calcium levels are not satisfied alone with the milk and curd consumption. Well, actually it growls every fortnight and if paneer dishes come as a surprise for me, I just love that feeling!

I Love Paneer! R is not fond of it. So the consumption levels are really low at my abode. However, if there are guests who too love paneer like me, I make it a point that I add this in the menu.

Sometimes, I make a very simple and aromatic Paneer side dish in a gravy form. I add the usual suspects, the onion and the tomato...love these two in a gravy...and i love the mysterious flavour created by these two. Another accompanying ingredient ideal with the usual suspects is the garlic. Wow..is the aroma emitted by these three (if sauted properly).

Paneer Rassedaar

Four five-six servings

Ingredients:

Fresh Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese), 250 gms, sliced into cubes
2 medium-sized onions, long slices
3 medium-sized tomatoes, deseeded and grinded to form a purree
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
a pinch of Ajwain seeds
1 bay leaf, 2-3 cloves, 1 pod of cardamom
1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala
1 green chilli, chopped (depending on the hotness)
salt, sugar (optional)

Method:

In a pan, heat some oil and add the ajwain seeds.
After two seconds, when they emit a aroma, add the bay leaf, the cloves, and the cardomom. Saute for a while.
Now add the onions. Saute till it turns pink.
Add the tomatoes. Saute for 3-4 minutes, till the mixture lets out the oil.
Now add the green chilli and the Kitchen King masala.
Add the paneer pieces and mix well. Add some water and cook for 5 minutes or till done.
The gravy should let out an aroma.

Paneer Rassedaar

Goes great with rotis, chapats, puris. Lovely accompaniment is the raita with this meal. Enjoy the flavours!!!

Vaangi Bhaath - Mixed Aubergine Rice

2009-09-07T12:11:00.017+05:30

Hey there my sweet freinds...Seems like it has been ages that I have posted anything....After the busy Ganpati Celebration week, this weekend we opted for some calm time with nature. Had a good time but back with cold and body ache...Looks like the rain has its pros and cons. Pros: 24-hour water for the people. Cons: Cold, fever, and lethargy...

I had this Vaangi Bhaat recipe in my drafts for a long time. Today was its day :)...Here is my version of Vaangi Bhaath and that too a quick one..oops Vaangi is the Marathi equivalent for brinjal or aubergine in English.

Vaangi Bhaath

For two people:

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati chaval (Basmati rice), cleaned and washed
2 medium-sized brinjals, cut into long pieces
1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 tablespoon peanut powder
2-3 green chillies, chopped finely (depending on the hotness)
1 stalk of curry leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder, cumin powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Some oil, salt to taste, sugar (optional)

Method:

In a pressure cooker, heat some oil and add mustard seeds.
When they sputter, add a pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After a second, add the onions.
When they turn pink, add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Saute for 2 mins.
Now add the brinjal pieces and mix well.
Add the peanut powder and mix well.
Let this cook for 4-5 minutes till the brinjals appear roasted.
Add the rice and mix well. Add the turmeric and cumin powder.
For 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of water. Add the salt and sugar (optional). Mix well.
Pressure cook for 7-10 minutes or till done.

Vaangi Bhaath

Serve this with raitas and papads. This is an ideal rice dish for a quite evening.

Ganesha Comes to Work...

2009-08-26T21:46:00.012+05:30

Hmm...So Here cometh Lord Ganesha this year who brings all the Prosperity and Good Health to this earth...We had the Ganesha Idol Making contest at my workplace. The response was awesome. Here are some of the snaps.

Thalipeeth

2009-08-19T20:35:00.004+05:30

What should I make as a healthy, edible, and good looking lunch/dinner? Hmm...this question regularly arises in my mind. And if the mood is lazy (which always is during PMS times), a quickie does suffice our (me and my hub's) stomachs.

My Badi Maami (aunt) had once made a scrumptious Thalipeeth. The flavour so simple and delectable, that I always had it in my mind that one day (when I am in the lazy mode) I will make this quick delight. And a lazy June Sunday afternoon turned out to be the day!

Thalipeeth

For two people:

Ingredients:

Thalipeeth Flour 1-1/2 cup (readymade flour)
1 onion, chopped finely
1 green chilli, chopped finely (depending on the hotness)
2 tablespoon curd
some finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
salt
sugar (optional)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except the flour in a big bowl and keep aside for 5 minutes.
When the mixture lets out some water, add the flour slowly and mix it well to form a thick-consistency dough. Add some water if necessary.
You can also use a tsp of ghee to rub through the dough.
Heat a flat pan (I use a nonstick).
Pour some water in a small glass and keep aside. Meanwhile, prepare medium-sized round balls of the Thalipeeth mixture.
Take one ball and using the hands, slowly roll the ball in form of a chapathi, patting slowly.
Pat this rolled-out mixture on the hot pan and cook evenly for 2-3 minutes. Smear a few drops of water from the glass on the mixture and then turn over and roast it until done. Pour a tsp of oil for the cooked mixture to smoothen. TIP: The water avoids the sticking of the aata mixture to the pan.

We had this with Garlic-Coconut Chutney and a glass of buttermilk.

My First Award....Cool...

2009-08-18T21:13:00.009+05:30

My dear friend Sushma from http://authenticfooddelights.blogspot.com/ passed me this Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks Sushma...You are a sweetheart...I know I have been late at posting this one...but better late than never....

This award comes with the following rules:

You must thank the person who has given you the award. - Done
Copy the logo and place it on your blog.- Done
Link to the person who has nominated you for the award. - Done
Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting. - Phewww...Is that a must....
Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers. - Happily....:)
Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate. - More than ever...
Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated...This will take some time...:)...okay kidding...doing it right way

7 Things about me that people find interesting...(Below are the comical strips of my life)

My smirky smile....please imagine Garfield...the character I resemble the most..
I can raise my left brow continously and make people laugh...
The way I have friendly arguments with my husband (yep they come back with darts on the dartboard)...
If people give me a chance, I can go on talking about cartoons, movies, and food.
My own way with children...I am the best babysitter in the whole world...(This service comes at a very high price...some comics and good food can be included)
Love perfumes....and currently, I have two perfumes, Nina Ricci and Samantha Brown...
Hopefully, my way of writing...love to write...

So here is me passing the baton to the following people whose blogs I find are creatively done:

Madhavi at http://vegetarianmedley.blogspot.com/
Priti at http://indiankhanna.blogspot.com/
Lena at http://cookingwithlena.blogspot.com/
Lubna at http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/
Chaitra at http://aathidhyam.blogspot.com/
Miri at http://peppermill-miri.blogspot.com/
This one is a special one...thats my sweet friend anu's blog...filled with mesmerizing words and creative verbage...Anu at http://ann3004.blogspot.com/

I wanted to add more people...but....(and I have started with the friendly argument with my hubs...that I need the PC for a few more minutes...but the darts keep on flying at me....It is good night now....

Deep slumber moments...zzzzzzzzzzz...Good Night...Sweet Dreams...)

Bharwaan Aloo with Sprouts Filling

2009-07-26T19:14:00.012+05:30

Last weekend we had a pot-luck party. Four couples and 2 kids. The menu was as follows:

Bharwaan Aloo
Chicken Tikka
Dosa - Chutney
Khaman Dhokla
Chicken Biryani
Dal fry
Rice
Dahi Wada

Additionally, I bought an OTG two weeks ago, so grilling and baking here I come...... The first entrant in the OTG was Bharwaan Aloo. The bharwaan consisted of matki (moong-like sprout) and a grinded masala with boiled potatoes as the shells.

Bharwaan Aloo with Sprouts Filling

For 8 people.

Ingredients:

5 medium-sized potatoes, boiled. Slice into halves and then scoop the middle portion of the potatoes to form a bowl-like shape. Keep aside the scooped potato mixture.
matki (moong-like sprout) 1 cup. You can alternatively use green moong daal in sprouted form.
For the grinded masala: 3 tbsp peanut powder, 3 tbsp grinded coconut, 1 inch cinnanon stick, 3-4 cloves, 5-6 garlic cloves, 5-6 black pepper pods. Fry these without oil in a pan till you get an aroma. This may take you 2-5 mins. Grind the cooled masala without water.
1 medium-sized onion.
1/2 tsp kitchen-king masala.
1/2 turmeric powder.
salt, sugar.

Method:

In a pan, add some oil and heat it.
Now add some cumin seeds and when they sputter, add the kept-aside potato mixture. Mix well.
After 2-3 minutes, add the sprouts and mix well. Add some salt and sugar.
Add the grated masala, kitchen king masala, turmeric powder and mix well. (keep aside some grated masala for coating the potato shells for later)
Let this mixture gain a slightly fried consistentcy.
When done, keep this aside for some time till it cools.

Grilling the Barwaan Aloo:

Fill the above mixture in the potato shells.
Coat the potatoes with some of the above kept-aside grated masala. Keep aside for 15 minutes till the coating turns dry.
In a greased tray, lay the bharwaan aloos and brush some oil on it.
Grill it for 25 minutes for 200 degree Celcius.

I have a Bajaj 30-Litre OTG. I first preheated the OTG for 10 minutes under 200 degree Celcius and then grilled the aloos for 25 minutes till they turned crisp.

NOTE: The setting can vary according to your OTG or Microoven.

When done, serve the Bharwaans with mint chutney or tomato sauce. This is an ideal starter for light meals.

TGIF Pudding

2009-07-18T11:05:00.019+05:30

Been busy and busier with all the 200% energy that I am contributing to my personal and professional life. During the christmas celebrations in 2008, my manager had brought this amazing and finger-licking pudding. The taste was so tempting that I yearned for another bite. I couldn't resist but to my dismay, in no time, the dish was clean with no remains of the delectable pudding.

Hmm...okay what did I do? I asked for the recipe. Here is the recipe that my Manager forwarded me. She also named it aptly as "TGIF pudding". TGIF is Thank God Its Friday.

TGIF Pudding

NOTE: The recipe was sent to me by my Manager. The text is exactly what it was in her mail.

Ingredients:

6 Marie biscuits
2 tsp Nescafe/Bru
1 packet China Grass
½ litre milk
1 tin condensed milk ( Milkmaid) (optional)

Method:

Boil a cup of water and add the coffee powder to make black coffee. Let it cool a bit.
Now dip the biscuits in the coffee and arrange at the bottom of the dish (steel/glass… nything will do). Pour the remaining coffee over the biscuits.
Boil the milk. Turn down the flame and add the China grass powder, stirring constantly. If you are adding condensed milk, you can mix that also into the milk now.
Turn off the flame.
Pour the milk mixture over the biscuit mixture.
After it cools, chill in the fridge for about 3 hours.

Start eating!

I tried it at my end on Monday. Here is the outcome.

Black eyed beans and Capsicum with Sweet Gestures

2009-06-06T12:33:00.039+05:30

I was riding in the office bus. The bus took a turn towards the office road. Suddenly, the driver halted because there was a car in front our company bus. As honking is his favourite past time, he began the usual noise. We could hear two-three loud honks. For some reason my eyes shifted towards the car in front of our bus. A white gentleman alighted from the car and to my amazement waved a sorry to the bus driver. I could see this sorry was directly from his heart. Well, I felt overwhelmed by that sight.

Living in crowded cities where we do not have time to say sorry for some of the wrong things that we commit, this sight is very rare. This was a very sweet gesture made by that gentleman and it has been captured by my natural lens and is stored in my memories now. I came home and narrated the whole incident to my husband who smiled and didn't say a word (He always smiles when I narrate stories that overwhelm me and then just keeps quite....think this is an action performed to lessen my excitement :)....

Black eyed beans and Capsicum with Sweet Gestures

That night I made this first-timer. My MIL had boiled some black eyed beans and I was left only with a capsicum as it was my no onion-no garlic day....The recipe that clicked in my mind is as follows.

For four people:

Ingredients:

1 cup black eyed beans
boiled2 capsicums chopped finely
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida or hing
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder (I use MDH Kashmiri mirch powder)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp Kitchen King masala (I use MDH)
2 tablespoon curd or yogurt
salt, sugar according to taste

Black eyed beans and Capsicum with Sweet Gestures

Method:

In a pan heat some oil.
Add cumin seeds.
When they crackle add the hing, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and chilli powder
Add the capsicum pieces and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add the boiled black eyed beans, kitchen king masala, and mix well.
After a minute, add the yogurt and mix well.
Add some water.
Let this mixture cook for 5 minutes with a closed lid.
When the gravy lets out the oil, the preparation is ready to be served.

Serve with chopped coriander. Goes great with rotis and puris.

Paneer Hariyali - Indian Cottage Cheese in Green Gravy

2009-05-21T12:54:00.029+05:30

Wish I could say "Lovely weather ehhh!!". The weather is good but scorching hot and I have been whining past couple of weeks ...It is hot and humid, and rains would prove to be of some relief.

One dairy product also happens to help me sooth myself. Milk is definitely the one, but I think Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) happens to stray your mind away from the weather details and in a way soothe you to that level of peace and quite, away from restlessness created by the climate. This recipe was in my drafts and shouting post me post me....

Paneer Hariyali

For pour portions:

Ingredients:

250 g Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese, fresh and soaked in water for 5 minutes, squeeze the excess water, cut in thin square pieces and keep aside.
2 medium-sized Onions, blanched and form a paste.
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp green chilli paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp amchur/dry mango powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 tablespoon of yogurt
some salt
some sugar (optional)
some fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Paneer Hariyali

Method:

In a non-stick pan, heat some oil and add the cumin seeds.
When they crackle, add the onion paste.
After a minute add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Saute for 3-4 minutes or till the masala turns dark.
Add the paneer pieces. Now add the green chilli paste, coriander powder, turmeric, and amchur powder. Mix well.
Add the salt, sugar, and the yogurt. Mix and cook for 5-7 minutes or till the oil is let out by the mixture.
Sprinkle some kasuri methi leaves and mix well. This provides a nice aroma and taste to the preparation.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

When done, serve in dish wih coriander leaves as garnish. This goes very good with rotis, chapatis, raitas.

My preparation turned out to be a bit dry. I think the paneer pieces outnumbered the gravy and soaked it all up..guess they were thirsty too....who wouldn't with a nice hot sunny day here...

P.S. The amchur and kasuri methi provide a unique taste to this. You can also add pomegrante seeds powder for an added flavour.

Kakdi Aur Beet Ka Salad with Notebook moments

2009-05-20T20:58:00.016+05:30

I am feeling better and the mumps is hopefully getting tired of me and searching for it's next victim. I need to be very careful when I am with people as I am returning to work on Friday. So no hugging, handshakes or any other kind of physical contacts :) No sharing of food, water, and even pen.

The other day I saw this movie and was crying like a baby. Hmm...now you must be wondering which movie did I watch. If you want to cry like a baby by watching some wonderful romantic gestures and moments, I would be happy to suggest that you watch the movie - The Notebook.

Luckily two weeks ago, I had asked my dear friend Anu to copy some movies in a DVD and loan it to me. The DVDs acted like a saviour in the evenings (The TV rulez in the evening with all the Malayalam serials and shows capturing the old eyelids).

The Notebook is a wonderfully captured movie, romantic, restless, creates flutters in your heart, and at the end of the movie you will surely feel all the love in your heart for your loved one...When the movie ended, my handkerchief was wet wet wet....

This post has been lying in my drafts for a while. This salad makes an entry in our stomachs when sandwiches are served the day before. The beetroot and cucumber are left out crying in the fridge.

Kakdi Aur Beet Ka Salad - Cucumber Beetroot Salad

For two portions:

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized cucumber, peeled and chopped in square pieces
1 medium-sized boiled beetroot, peeled and chopped finely
1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely
1/2 tsp of dried oregano
some fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely
salt

Method:

In a salad bowl, add the cucumber, beet, and onion pieces.
Add the oregano and sprinkle salt accordingly.
Toss well using two forks.
Now add the coriander leaves and mix well.

A crunchy delight with papads, pickles, and a good meal.

Sweetcorn - Tomato Koshimbir

2009-05-18T13:01:00.056+05:30

I was very excited when I read through Mahima's space. She is hosting the 15-minute cooking event. However, it slipped my mind and suddenly today I realized ...I should send one of my quickies here. But the thing is I have not been well and I am suffering from kiddies sickness named aptly by my colleague. Hmmmm....yep ...I am having mumps...and having a terrible time keeping myself busy. The swelling is making my face look like the famous musician-cum-golden-man Bhappi Lahiri. I have been feeling like an untouchable. Also when I join work I will still be an untouchable for some days because hey Mumps is contagious!!! It is a virus that affects parotid glands and makes you look a football ...How long does it take to get cured....heehee...wish I knew the answer...well it is keeping me company since some days now...hope it is sick of me and goes away quickly. I am tired of eating bananas, smoothies, and kanji (rice starch). I have been hallucinating of all the good food I want to taste. To make it worse, one of the channels that I saw today (Travel and Living) was displaying Chew a program based on culinary delights...They showed Italian, Mexican, and Lebanese food. Cheese, breads, hummous....phewwww....and I am still halucinating about it...you can picturize me as Jerry thinking about cheese.

Here is one of the good food that I had two weeks ago.

Sweetcorn Tomato Koshimbir

For two people:

NOTE: This koshimbir/salad takes less than 15 minutes and includes cutting the tomatoes. But, the time taken to boil the sweetcorn can vary. As I had a small cup of sweetcorn, it took 10 minutes to boil it.

Ingredients:

1 small cup sweetcorn, boiled
1 tomato, chopped finely
1 small green chilly, chopped finely
1 tablespoon of grated dry coconut
some curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida/hing
some fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely

Method:

In a bowl, add the boiled sweetcorn and tomatoes.
Sprinkle some salt and add the grated coconut.
Mix well. Add the green chillies and mix well with a spoon.
In a small pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When they crackle add the asafoetida. Switch off the gas in 10 seconds as the asafoetida melts in oil.
Pour this tempering in the bowl with corn and tomatoes. Mix well.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

This proves a good accompainment for chapatis and sabjis.

Sweetcorn Tomato Koshimbir

This is my entry for Mahima's 15-minute cooking event.

Kelyache Shikran - Tried and Tested

2009-05-16T12:37:00.003+05:30

Milk....Juices.....Smoothies....Yogurts....Ice creams.....the yummy treats that are palateable in summer time. I was going through this blog called "Adhi Potoba"...this blog is amazing with simple and quick recipes...

I tried the banana dessert called "Shikran". This is a Maharashtrian dessert usually an ideal accompainment to the bhaath-amti-poli-bhaji menu. For the recipe, visit
http://potoba.blogspot.com/2007/09/shikran-banana-dessert.html

Kelyache Shikran - Tried and Tested

Enjoy the simple treat....

Mango Milk Shake/Smoothie - Summer Treat

2009-05-15T12:52:00.040+05:30

"Oye Summer, Summer Oye....Oh Summer Summer Oye"...is the song that is the current summer theme for the programs on the Disney India Channel...Unfortunately, the shows that I love i.e. Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly are aired during the day time. However, sometimes I do get to see them when I return from work in the evening, but not always. Disney Channel also showcases some of the all-time favourite Disney movies. Some of the movies that I caught hold of on this channel are Tarzan I and II, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., and many others. High School Reunion I and II, Camp Rock and all other teen movies are a regular fare. Ohkay a question: What do the teen shows have in common - Yaaa may be you guessed it right....

Fast Food ...Burgers, Shakes, Icecreams, Sundaes....Food is always in there..

With shakes I remembered that I hadn't enjoyed one for a long time. We had two alphonso mangoes in the fruit basket. My MIL had one and she kept other one for me. I was in two minds whether to make a Milk Shake or eat the pieces. I opted for the first option.

Mango Milk Shake/Smoothie

For one person:

Ingredients:

1 Alphonso Mango/or any other sweet tasting mango, diced with skin removed.
1/2 cup milk, cold.
some ice cubes.
sugar (optional)
a pinch of cardamom powder

Mango Milk Shake/Smoothie

Method:

In a blender, add the mango pieces. Add 1 tbsp milk and blend for 1 minute till the mango pieces form a coarse paste.
Add sugar (optional) and rest of the milk.
Blend the mixture for 2-3 minutes till it forms a smoothie.
Pour the smoothie in a glass and sprinkle the cardamom powder. Mix well.
Serve with ice cubes.

An ideal thirst quencher and stomach filler for summer time.

I am sending this for Priti's Celebrating Festive Food: Summer Treat

Okra with Peanuts - Spicy Bhindi as Dry Side Dish

2009-05-14T19:39:00.021+05:30

I am feeling sick...fever and all the devils that come through in the month of May....I had my share of useful pasttimes yesterday...watched TV, read a book, lay on the bed (half dead because of the drowsiness caused by the medicines) and now today I am a bit better. Please Lord spare some cold wind in Mumbai...It is crisply hot out here and I am feeling the heat more after the cool 3-year-old stint in Edinburgh, Scotland (where the cold wave always flows)....Cold wave really missing yu a lot. I am sorry if I had cursed you in the bad old months of winter...but pluzzzzzzz come to Mumbai....

Here was one Bhindi recipe that I had tried from my colleague's lunch box at work. This has been laying in my drafts for a long time and today is its day...

Okra with Peanuts - Spicy Bhindi as Dry Side Dish

For four people:

Ingredients:

Bhindi/okra, 250 gms, chopped in large round peices.
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1-2 green chillies chopped (depending on the hotness)
Some chopped coriander leaves
2 tablespoon peanut powder
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1 tsp amchur/dry mango powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
salt
sugar (optional)

Okra with Peanuts - Spicy Bhindi as Dry Side Dish

Method:

Heat some oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
When they crackle, lower the gas and add the ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and green chillies.
Saute for 10 seconds.
Now add the bhindi/okra and mix well.
After a minute when the bhindi is coated with the above masalas, add the peanut powder, salt, sugar, and amchur powder.
Mix well and let the bhindi cook for 7 to 10 minutes or till done.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

P.S: To make the dish richer, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of yogurt when the bhindi is cooking and mix well. If the yogurt(dahi) is sour avoid the amchur powder.

Kaddu Ki Theeki Sabji - Red Pumpkin in a Spicy Gravy

2009-05-13T16:35:00.034+05:30

As a child I hated most of the veggies and also the pumpkins. My grandma made every attempt to feed me the pumpkins but I never budged. As a teenager I ventured into the pumpkin eating sphree with my Mallu friends (For some reason I was always surrounded by friends whose families hailed from Kerala). The Onam and Vishu saddhyas always contained the various pumpkins.

Now as a wife to a Mallu, I do undergo a regular fare of the delicacies that contain pumpkins. However, two weeks ago they showed a north-Indian recipe made of red pumpkin on a Marathi Channel. I loved the way they cooked it and it was beautifully cooked.

Kaddu ki Theeki Sabji - Red Pumpkin in a Spicy Gravy

For four people:

Ingredients:

1/2 kg medium-sized red pumpkin or kaddu, diced and washed
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
2 tablespoon peanut powder.
1 tsp coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder
1 tsp Sabji Masala (I use MDH)
1 tsp cumin seeds
some fresh chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

In a hot pan, add some oil and when it heats add the cumin seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 1 minute.
Now add the Kaddu pieces and mix well gently.
After 2-3 minutes, add the peanut powder, turmeric, chilli, and coriander powder. Mix well.
Now add the sabji masala, salt, and mix gently. Add some water and cook the pumpkin with a closed lid.
It may take 5-10 minutes for the pumpkins to pick up the masala flavours.
When done garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chapatis and raita like I did for my Sunday lunch.