Kolhapuri Khichadi

Hello all you lovely people! The weekend is already here and the rainy season too! No, not in Delhi yet, but back home in Mumbai it seems the season has already shown it's glimpses of showers! From all my friend's pictures and messages and status updates, i already felt as if I am in Mumbai! Each of us has a memory with rains - sometimes good, sometimes otherwise! My love affair with the rains has been associated with watching it pouring down sitting by the window! Yes, other than getting drenched in the first rains, i don't like to travel much in the season. The reason : Traffic jams!!! Unless it's an outdoor trip or a trek, i prefer staying home, listening to music, reading, or just lazing around.

Image source : Google

And how can we forget food? Hot cuppas of coffees and teas being made in the kitchen with some fried bhajiyas or poha or warm sabudana khichdi! Uffff...Nothing beats this food in rainy season. I would have mentioned "Maggi" too, but with the recent controversies and news about it, i would rather not add it to the list ( Though, i must say, the damage has already been done as Maggi was a saviour during the stay-alone days :)). I found 2 very nice images from Google which i am sharing. Its true... Rains bring happiness :)

Image source : Google

Coming to the post, i have already posted the recipe of Sabudana Khichdi . The one i am posting here is a different version which is popular in Kolhapur. The only difference is adding extra corriander leaves and coconut and making a paste. Some even make it a little spicier (we are all aware of the kolhapuri spicy masala, so eating spicy is natural to them) by adding more green chillies or addition of red chilli powder. I had tasted this khichdi when i visited Kolhapur in 2010 to the famous Mahalaxmi Temple. And of course, couldn't resist buying some authentic (and cheap) Kolhapuri chappals :

Though the regular Sabudana Khichdi is our comfort food and remains a weekly breakfast dish at my home, this version is a hot-favourite too :)

Ingredients:

Sabudana - 1 cup

Danyacha kut or coarsely ground peanuts - 1/2 cup

Ghee or oil - 2 tbsp

Green chillies - 3

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp

Potatoes - 1 (Peeled and cut into small cubes)

Corriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Grated fresh coconut - 2-3 tbsp

Recipe:

Rinse the sabudana thoroughly in a strainer 2-3 times under cold water. Since sabudana is starch, make sure you don't over rinse it as it will turn soggy. Drain well.

Place the sabudana in a covered bowl for about 8 hours or overnight. Add just a little water to it (Don't soak, or immerse the sabudana in water. This will make the khichdi sticky.) Sabudana should be soft and milky white the next day. They would have expanded. If not, add just a little water and soak for some more time. 

Make a paste of peanuts (if using grounded peanuts or powder, then mix it later along with salt or sugar), coconut, green chillies and corriander leaves. Add this paste along with salt and sugar to the sabudana. Mix well as if the sabudana is marinated with the paste. 

Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Ass cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the potatoes. Saute briefly and cook covered for 4-5 minutes till done. Alternatively, you can also add boiled potato cubes. That will reduce the cooking time.

Now, add the sabudana and mix well. Cook covered for about 10-12 minutes, stirring well to avoid sticking and clumping.

Each pellet should be separate yet cooked. You will know it's done when it turns translucent.

Garnish with corriander leaves. You can also add grated fresh coconut on top for garnishing.

Serve along with curd.

Happy weekend everyone and Happy Cooking :)

Aai's easy Uttapam's

Well, as most of you know by now about our new launch of Tshirts for animal lovers a week ago under the name "The Woofy Tales", the branding is keeping me quite busy! Its all a "two-people show" since it is just a start-up! So, me and hubby have to do the publicity, marketing, track orders, ship them, click pictures, edit and the list goes on.. Managing all this and also our little paw-friends that i board gave me very little time to stand in the kitchen and cook some elaborate dishes! So mostly it would be a quick daal-chawal with the pickles (a whole lot of them i had mentioned in my earlier post, of which i still have to click pictures and blog about) or a simple stir fried sabzi and roti or at times, just a snack item like bhel or some heavy salad! Also, the temperature is rising here day by day , and even if i cook a small meal, I am always drenched in sweat! So that gives me even less motivation to stand in the kitchen for long hours!

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So, to eat light in summers, our meals are small and we top it up with some milkshake or ice cream sundaes or Popsicles. Just like this watermelon Popsicle which remains our favourite. I make this with just 4 ingredients : Watermelon juice, lemon juice, black salt and sugar or honey if needed.

The recipe i am sharing here is one that i have learnt from my mother. She used to make these quick delicious uttapams with the readymade dosa batter. This recipe comes to my rescue when i have to spend less time in the kitchen, such as past few days! This is quite easy to make and the addition of red chilli powder is totally optional. I have made it in 2 ways - one just as my mom made it with onions, tomatoes and red chilli powder and the second one with green chillies, onions, tomatoes and cumin powder! You can even add corriander leaves if you like.

Ingredients:

Readymade dosa batter - As needed. We normally use 1/4 kg  (a small packet that we buy from the store)

Onion - 1 small chopped

Tomato - 1 small chopped

Red chilli powder - according to taste (optional)

Green chilli - 1 chopped finely

Cumin powder - 1 tsp (or as needed)

Oil - 3-4 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Recipe:

Heat a non stick tava. 

Add little water to the dosa batter to make it to desired consistency. The batter should not be too thick nor too thin (like the normal dosa consistency). To make uttapams, it's best to have the batter a little on the thicker side but of pouring consistency. The readymade batter is too thick, hence this step. If your batter is already of pouring consistency, then skip this step.

Add salt to the batter as needed.

Put about 1-2 tsp of oil on the tava. Now, with a laddle ful, spread the batter on the greased hot tava in a circular motion to make the uttapam round in shape.

Reduce the flame and put little oil on the sides of the uttapam. Add about 1-2 tbsp of onions, tomatoes and red chilli powder or green chillies and cumin powder as needed.

When one side is cooked and becomes brown, flip it on the other side carefully and cook the other side as well.

Please note to keep the flame to minimum or else the toppings will burn and become black. It will give a burnt look and flavour.

Remove it in a serving plate and serve along with Naralachi chutney .

This dish is absolutely easy, quick and makes a perfect breakfast recipe or a tiffin recipe too. It is an absolute favourite of my hubby and taste delicious with the coconut chutney (Link mentioned above).

Happy Cooking and wish you all a great weekend ahead :)

Food from waste: Paratha rolls

Well, i am of the opinion to use as much natural things as possible and to make sure the waste happens to minimum. To the extent, that i recycle my kitchen waste for composting (nothing big to brag about, as everyone should do this) and making sure to eat fresh and natural than the processed stuff. I am reading a lot about homesteading these days, and as much as i want to have my own kitchen garden here, i can't! All thanks to the cute 4 legged's i board who keep going to the balcony either to eat the leaves or at times even release their nature call. :P So, now i am trying to develop our fish room balcony into a kitchen garden. Though it's small, i am sure i can at least harvest some basic herbs in it. Just waiting for the weather to get a little better as it rained here today, and the wind chills have increased. So cosying up below my blanket, here i am writing today's post.

Cooking, i believe, is an art learnt by practicing. It's all about sharing, observing and practicing as compared to any other art of craft, drawing or music where people have an innate talent. I can say this, as through my 2 years of cooking journey (yes, if you have read my first few posts, you would have known that i started cooking only after marriage!), i have observed my own growth. The way food tasted when i cooked first and now, has improved tremendously and am sure 5 years down the line, i would have had much more expertise with experience.
Just as our mothers and grannies don't cook with 'measurements', but 'judgments', we too would reach that level with patience and practice. 

This recipe is just an example of how my journey has helped me to think of this innovation. I always used to wonder why we throw away the stems of all the leafy vegetables that we eat - like spinach, methi or even mooli. Is it because they don't taste well? or is it because they are bad for our health? or is it because they don't have any nutritional value? I don't think the reason is any of this, and neither did i find any answers to it in Google except for the fact that they are dirty and they are thick. So what? Wash them thoroughly and make a paste of it! Simple! I tried incorporating it in our diet and here is what was born...

Looks tempting, isn't it? We love it so much that now the stems will never see the compost bin, but our tiffin boxes :) Yes, this makes for a great breakfast or tiffin recipe. Now lets get to method :

Ingredients:

Stems of all leafy vegetables like spinach, methi, mooli etc. - i took remains of about 1/2 bundle of each

Whole wheat flour (Atta) - 1 n half cup (Add more or less depending on the puree that you get)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Corriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic-green chilli paste ( Just chop them and make a coarse paste in mortar and pestle of about 5-6 garlic, 1/2 inch ginger and 1-2 green chillies )

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tsp in dough plus to fry

Mayonnaise - as needed

Tomato ketchup - as needed

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Ajwaiin - 1/2 tsp

Recipe:

Chop the stems and wash them thoroughly under running water so that no dirt remains.

Now in a mixer grinder, make a fine paste of these stems. Initially don't add water. Then add little water if needed. If the paste is a little coarse, not a problem.

Now in a mixing bowl, add all the dry spices, the stem-paste, flour, salt, ginger-garlic-chilli paste and 1 tsp oil and knead into a nice dough. Add flour little by little checking the consistency of the dough. The dough shouldn't be too sticky, hence add water accordingly too. Knead a nice soft dough as we make a roti or paratha dough.

The dough looks like this :

Now divide them in equal sized balls and roll out into a paratha.

Heat a tava and fry the paratha, adding oil on both sides and frying till you get nice brown spots on each side.

Now spread some tomato ketchup and mayonnaise on the paratha, and roll it. Now cut it in two halves.

You can also add any filling of your choice or even some leftover sabzi or aloo sabzi, just for a different taste.

Now, isn't that interesting? Food from waste!!! Let me know if you have any such more ideas.

Happy Cooking :)

Sabudana Khichdi

As much as the health experts say to control eating the 5 white things in kitchen - Sugar, Sabudana, Rice, Salt and Maida - we can't keep ourselves away from any of it ;) Rice is one ingredient that we don't make too often as compared to rotis, but both of us love Sabudana. So, this recipe is a fixed once-a-week breakfast menu on our list. Hubby loves it so much, that whenever (i really mean, whenever) i ask what should i make for breakfast, Sabudana Khichdi is his reply! :)

Well, it tastes best when served warm and is a hassle-free recipe, if you have your things ready, especially the peanut powder. We Maharashtrians normally stock the "Danyacha kut" (Roasted Peanut powder) as we call it, and use it in various curries, sabzis or even chutneys. Danyacha kut is basically a coarse powder of peanuts which are dry roasted and skin removed.

The recipe varies from place to place. Some people add crushed roasted peanuts instead of powder, some add red chilli powder instead of green chillies, some add onions instead of potatoes or both, some don't add sugar but only salt. I make it in different ways each time, just to give a different taste. But this one is the way my mom used to make it and it absolutely tastes delicious!!

The key to make a good khichdi is to soak the sabudana in proper quantity of water. It shouldn't be a lot, as we soak our sprouts in, niether too less that the sabudana doesn't remains raw. Also, we normally leave it to soak overnight, so a minimum of 7-8 hours of soak is good.

Ingredients:

Sabudana - 3/4 cup

Green chillies - 2 (chopped finely)

Boiled potato - 1 (chopped)

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Peanut powder (Danyacha kut) - Just enough to marinate the sabudana well, so add little by little and see how much is required

Oil - 2 tbsp + ghee 1 tbsp (This is the way to get a great taste out of the khichdi, you can make it in only oil or only ghee, but we prefer mixing both)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (i added green chilli and red chilli powder both, as we like it little spicy)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Lime juice - on top (optional but gives a nice tangy taste)

Corriander leaves - to garnish (optional)

Recipe:

Wash the sabudana well in cold water 2-3 times and then soak it in water overnight. The water level should be just a little above the sabudana.

Heat oil + ghee in a pan, and add cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add the green chillies and then boiled potato and fry till the potatoes are little golden brown.

Now, marinate the sabudana well with peanut powder, sugar, salt, red chilli powder, and turmeric powder. Add peanut powder little by little, just enough to coat the sabudanas well.

Now add this to the pan and fry well till the sabudana gets cooked. It should take about 4-5 minutes. Make sure to keep stirring, so it doesn't get sticky or stick to the pan.

I normally cook uncovered, that way it doesn't become sticky. 

You will know when it's cooked when it starts changing colour. Also taste for salt and add more if required.

Serve hot and garnish with corriander leaves if you want and put some lemon juice on top.

Isn't it absolutely tempting?

Happy Cooking!!! :)

Appe from Readymade Idli Batter

Appe as it is called in Maharashtrian or Konkani language, this is a popular breakfast recipe is South India known as Paddu. They are made of various ingredients - Sometimes with rice, sometimes adding Poha, and at times only with lentils (majorly Urad daal). 

These days, we get readymade Dosa/Idli batter in the market. I have sourced one amazing south indian guy who makes this fresh and sells it near to our home. So, one packet of this in fridge and i can make varied breakfast of idli, dosa, uttapas and at times Appe. My aunt gifted me this special "Appe Tava" that is required to make these. It is a non-stick tava, so naturally makes for a healthy breakfast with less oil. You can make it with no oil too, but i prefer brushing a little oil, just to get a nice brown colour and also to make sure the batter doesn't stick to the tava (as the batter varies from place to place).

Ingredients:

Idli batter - as required 

French beans - a few (chopped finely)

Onions - Half for about 1/4 kg batter (chopped finely)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Water - little

Corriander leaves - 1/2 cup chopped

Oil - to brush the tava

You can also add pepper for a different taste and replace/add vegetables of your choice like cauliflower, carrots or even peas.

Recipe:

In the appe tava, brush little oil and place it on the stove.

Mix turmeric powder, salt, beans, onions, corriander leaves with the dosa batter and add little water if the batter is too thick. Don't make it too thin like a dosa batter. It should just have the consistency to pour easily.

Once the tava is hot, put small amounts in each mould (about a spoonful), cover the tava with a lid and let it steam-cook till the outer sides become brown. 

Now turn over the appe's, so the other side is cooked. This time don't cover the tava.

Serve hot along with coconut chutney or tastes great with any chutney :)

Happy Cooking!!! :)

Peanut butter squares

It's always my worry on a weekday night, of what different breakfast to pack in tiffin for hubby the next morning. I guess each of the ladies with kids or working husbands would have this worry before going off to bed. Not only different, but something that can be made quick and is easy, yet, healthy and tasty. Now to get all these adjectives in one recipe is really a task. There are times when i make the ever-green poha, Upma , Bread poha or Sabudana Khichdi. And at times when i am extremely sleepy or bred, i would even pack away a simple bread-butter toast or a cheese and tomato sandwich. But there are times, when i have time at hand, and i am all excited to make something new. So, those are the times, i make recipes such as today's post.

Peanut squares are basically peanut butter sandwiches with a twist. You can just apply the peanut butter on bread and eat it like that, (I love it this way!!!), or toast the bread and apply the peanut butter or make it this way. I also added mayonnaise in a few bread pieces to make it interesting and believe me, this makes for an awesome breakfast recipe. A little sweet but absolutely delicious!!!

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 4

Peanut butter - to apply on the bread (as per needed or by choice) - Can be replaced with Mayonnaise.

Egg - 1

Cream (I used Amul fresh cream, but you can use homemade cream or even skip this) - 1 tbsp

Milk - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Butter - 1-2 tbsp to toast the bread

Note: If you don't want a sweeter taste, skip the sugar and add salt. Or add little of both for a neutral taste.

Recipe:

Apply peanut butter on the bread slices. I have kept the sides of the bread, so it gives a crispy feel after toasting. But you can cut the sides, if you don't like them.

In a bowl, break the egg and whisk it. Now add milk, cream, and sugar (or salt) and whisk it all well.

In a pan, heat butter.

Keep one slice of bread on top of the other and dip in in the egg mixture and immediately put it on the heated pan. Let it toast till brown and crispy. Now flip it to the other side and toast till brown.

Remove it and cut the bread into squares.

Have it with a warm cuppa milk or chai. Some great winter mornings are like this: 

Happy Cooking!! :)