Luscious Lichi

What's in a name : Litchi is also spelled as Lichi and also as Lychee, though the pronounciation of all is the same ( Li-(t -silent) - chi ). Well, what's in a name or a spelling , when all that matters is this luscious, juicy, watery, super sweet tasting fruit!! Though a native to China, it is now cultivated in many parts of the world. I have had lichi drinks made with canned lichi juice back in Mumbai, but they never tasted so great. Guess the aroma fades away druing the canning process and the taste is extra-sweet for my buds. I never really saw lichis at the fruit stalls so much in Mumbai, as i see here in Delhi. In summers, the fruit stalls here are loaded with them and i am always tempted to buy them. They are irresistible. A great source of Vitamin C and minerals, Lichi's are cholestrol free and low in sodium content. I found out in wikipedia that Bihar produces almost 74 % of Lichi production in India. Makes for a livelihood for a lot of people there.

I am anyways not a canned/tinned drinker. I make sure that hubby dearest also consumes as much less soda as possible ( though he is a fan of Mirinda ). So i try to make some juices/drinks at home with fresh fruits always. One such drink i made was the Lichi Lemonade. A very simple drink, and makes for a perfect summer drink ! Refreshing, cool, juicy, and made right in your kitchen!!! Presenting the star-drink of summers : Luscious Litchi

Ingredients:

Lichis - 20

Lemon - 1 ( Adjust if you want less tangy or more )

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Water - as required ( Chilled )

Ice cubes - as required ( optional )

Black salt - just to taste

Recipe:

Remove the skin of the lichis and take out the pulp. Remove the seeds.

Make a puree of the lichi pulp and sugar ( you can also add powdered sugar directly ) in a blender.

Add the lemon juice of 1 lemon, and mix it well.

Remove from the blender and mix water as required. Add a little black salt. 

Pour in glass and garnish with lichi or fresh mint leaves.

You can add in some chopped litchi pieces to the lemonade.

It's best to serve this immediately, however if you want to store and serve later, store the lichi pulp with sugar in refrigerator and add in lemon juice at the time of serving.

Enjoy sipping this one cool drink :)

Happy Cooking :)

Maggi of the Millennium!!!

You must be wondering this girl has gone crazy that she is posting a recipe of maggi. But a friend once had told me that if a recipe is given to 2 people, and they cook that dish in exactly the way it's written on paper, both the dishes would still taste different. Guess we all have our individualistic unique ways and every hand adds in a different taste. Just like when i make Maggi and when my hubby does, it tastes completely different, and i must agree that the one hubby makes is far better :) ( Far better is a small word, in fact it tastes super delicious !!! ). I don't know if the saying is true that "Men are better chefs/cooks" ( I would love to hear from you, what u think about this !!! ), but hubby definitely is a Maggi-Master :)

I have named this dish "Maggi of the millennium", for the very fact that hubby dearest loves to add this "Millennium" word to anything and everything, and it's like a joke at our home to get us in splits :) So, "Dog of the millennium" ( for every dog i pet-sit ), "Bayko ( wife ) of the millennium" ( to lift my mood up ), or "dish of the millennium" ( for everything i cook ) are some of the common phrases at our home :)) So here's Maggi of the millennium from "Husband of the millennium" !!!! :)

I feel Maggi is completely a boy's dish ! Guess all boys/men know how to cook it, to keep up the hunger in the early bachelor days. My memory of Maggi is one when i had gone for a trek in Ladakh. I had done a 10 day Zanskar river trek where we had to walk on the frozen river for almost 5-6 hours a day! It was one memorable trip of my life and the adventures were some thrilling ones! At times, where the snow was melted, we had to climb up the mountain and then back down till the point we see the frozen snow again to walk on ! Then we had to pitch in tents and the human-porters would cook us a nice meal. Sometimes we would start early morning and then take a break for breakfast and our favourite was maggi ! Having hot steaming maggi with tomato ketchup served in an aluminium plate surrounded by snow-kept mountains and the sound of river flowing... Bliss is the word :) Here's a collage of some pics from my trip and i found a perfect pic ( one of the porters is cooking Maggi!!! ) :))

Well, coming back to the recipe, hubby made Maggi often during his bachelor days of staying away from home for work, and he kept experimenting with it and still does. So sometimes there is addition of peas, sometimes capsicum, sometimes both or sometimes adding different masalas. Here's a recipe that we commonly prepare :

Ingredients:

Maggi ( I love the Atta noodles, but hubby doesn't... so he makes with the normal masala maggi packets ) - 2

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Green peas - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 chopped

Tomato - 1 chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp 

Green chillies - 2 chopped ( adjust according to taste )

Recipe:

Heat oil in a kadhai. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add in chopped green chillies.

Saute for 30 seconds and add in the onions. Fry for about 1-2 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes. Add all the dry masalas along with the maggi-masala.

Do not make this a paste ( as we cook for curries or sabzis ). The tomatoes don't have to turn soggy/mushy or soft. Just saute for about a minute and immediately add the green peas.

After about 1-2 minutes, add the maggi ( break into small pieces), and dry roast it with the masala for about 3-4 minutes. Make sure to stir in regularly.

Now add about 3 cups of water. If you like the maggi like a soup, add more water.

Check for salt and add if needed.

Boil on high flame and then simmer till maggi gets cooked. Remove from stove top and serve hot. Sprinkle some pepper.

Note : You can add chopped corriander leaves, or oregano or basil for added taste. You can even make it more indianised by adding sev or bhujia on top. 

You can replace or add veggies of your choice.

In the pictures here, he hasn't added green peas as we didn't have them handy. But normally, he cooks with green peas, hence i have mentioned it in the recipe.

Maggi of the Millennium is ready :)) ( and well it does take more than 2 minutes ))Do you all remember this - "Mummy badi gazab ki Bhook lagi...Maggi chahiye mujhe abhi" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kCuSu7Wzb0

Happy Cooking !!:)

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Mango Kulfi

Summer Treats : My earliest memories of kulfi are, when i used to visit my cousins in Badlapur ( a city in Thane district of Maharashtra) during summer vacations, and there used to come a kulfiwala shouting "Kulfiiiii" ( He had a peculiar accent and it took time to understand that he is saying the word kulfi, the pronounciation was always smudged, hehe ). We used to wait for this kulfiwala, who used to come in afternoons. A typical kulfiwala used to wear white loose pajamas and white shirt with a white Gandhi cap. His kit used to consist of a pot surrounded by a cane basket covered with a wet red cloth which he used to carry on his head. The pot had some ice cubes and salt and aluminium kulfi moulds in it. He used to easily take out the kulfi from the mould by rubbing the sides of the mould, and insert a stick and give to all the kids surrounding him and waiting for their share. And the best part!!! We only used to get it for 50 paise!!! Though getting a 50 paise during that time was a task for us. So we always had to catch hold of our elder brother ( who used to get pocket money that time ) to treat us with the kulfi :) Those were fun days!!! And my sister just told me , that though there are very few kulfiwalas left now, we still get it...the price having being increased to INR 10/- considering the inflation in mind. This kulfi was our summer treat along with Pepsi-colas, Golas, and Limlets and poppins :) Ahhhh those old days!!! Nostalgia...

Picture taken from the Google Images :

A Kulfiwala

Well, Kulfiwalas are replaced with ice cream corners now. And we get modern day kulfi's well-packaged, with different flavours, and MRP's written on them. Yes, there are a few places where kulfi is still made the traditional way and they have that authentic taste. One that i remember back home in thane is Sri Ram Ice-cream which sells amazing pot kulfi.There is also the famous  Roller Ice cream , the one i had in Delhi at the National Street food festival and how can we forget the Tillewali kulfi . 

Kulfi is basically a frozen Indian dessert made with full cream milk. The thickening of milk is an important factor while making kulfi. A lot of people make kulfi these days with condensed milk or even milk powder to save on the time and energy of reducing the milk. But i have made this kulfi the traditional way, by reducing full cream milk to 1/3rd. Add any fruits or dry fruits or fruit pulp of your choice to make it more exciting :) The process is very simple, the time consuming factor is only the milk-reducing process. So here's how i made Mango kulfi :

Ingredients:

Full cream milk - 1 litre

Mangoes - 2

Sugar - 1/2 cup ( adjust according to taste )

Cardamom seeds - 5

Pistachios - 8-10

Almonds - 8-10

( You can add any fruits or dry fruits of your choice, and choose the amount according to taste )

Recipe:

Boil milk and reduce the milk till 1/3rd. Stir from the very bottom after every 5 minutes or so, so that the milk doesn't stick to bottom. This process takes about an hour or 1 n half hours. The milk will thicken, and change colour too. 

Now add the sugar and boil till the sugar dissolves.

Now remove from the stove top and let the milk come to room temperature.

Remove the pulp from mangoes and make a smooth paste in the blender. Keep some chopped pieces of the mangoes separately, to add in later ( about 1/4 cup )

Make powder of the cardamom seeds using a mortar and pestle.

Once the milk comes to room temperature, add in the mango pulp and mix well or you can even use a blender.

Add in cardamom powder, chopped pistachios and almonds, mango pieces and mix it all well. 

Pour the mixture into kulfi moulds or whichever mould you want to se the kulfi in. I set it in a large bowl.

Keep it in freezer for 7-8 hours.

Cut the kulfi into pieces an serve along with chopped mango pieces or garnish with some pistachios or almonds.

This summer dessert tastes is unbeatable, and am sure everyone in your home would love it.

Note : If you want to make this recipe quick, then you can boil 1 cup milk with 500 gms khoya, rest of the procedure is same. And if you want to use condensed milk to add thickness to the kulfi, use 3 cups milk and 1 cup condensed milk ( Since you are adding condensed milk, which is already sweet in taste, check before adding sugar and adjust according to taste )

Happy Cooking :)

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Mango Shrikhand

Its the season of mangoes and we can't let it go without making 'Aam-rakhand". Aamrakhand is basically shrikhand with aam ( Mangoes ). Shrikhand is one classic Maharashtrian sweet dish made from strained curd. On some auspicious occasions or during a special function, nothing beats the menu of Shrikhand, Batata bhaaji ( potato sabzi ) and puris. It is also offered as "prasad" ( offering ) to the Lord during pooja or festivals. It is semi-soft and you can literally lick it with your finger, rather than having it with spoon ( i still feel it tastes better this way, hehehe )

Making shrikhand takes some time as the curd has to be hung in a cotton cloth and drained of all the water inside. We also get ready made Chakka ( hung curd ) in market, but finding it here in Delhi is a task. So i preferred setting up the curd overnight with full cream milk and then making the chakka myself at home. Yes it does take some time, but the effort is all worth it... especially since it's my hubby's favourite :)

Shrikhand can be eaten as it is with dry fruits, or addition of mango pulp makes it aamrakhand which is very popular in Maharashtra. You can add any fruit pulp or even chunks of fruit and make shrikhand, the taste just gets better :) In thane, there is a shop which sells fresh fruit shrikhand, and they put pieces of grapes and apples..the taste is so unbelievably flavourful, that you would want a second helping for sure.When i make a visit to Mumbai, next week, i will go to that shop and click a picture for you guys :)

Ingredients :

Curd - 1 n half cup ( I made homemade curd in my regular curd bowl, so it should be about 1 n half cup. 

Mango - 1

Sugar - 1/2 cup ( adjust to taste )

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Pistachios - 5-6

Almonds - 5-6 ( You can also put raisins or cashews or even anjeer if you like )

Cotton cloth/muslin cloth 

Recipe : 

Take out all the curd in the muslin cloth and tie it tightly. Hang the cloth for around 3 hours so that all water drips down. Tie it over the sink or keep some vessel below it, so the water doesn't drip making a mess. If you don't have a place to hang, just put it in a big vessel on the side, tilt it, and cover the vessel with a lid tightly. Squeeze out all the extra water from it after 3 hours.

Remove it in a clean bowl.

Remove all the pulp from the mango and put it in a blender to make a smooth pulp. Add sugar and blend again.

Now add this pulp to the curd. Mix in cardamom powder.

Add in chopped almonds and pistachios. Mix it all well and garnish with some pistachios or almonds when serving in a bowl.

I like the shrikhand/aamrakhand cold. So normally i let it be in the refrigerator for around an hour before eating.  

Note : My Mom's tip : If you find it too thick, add some full cream milk or some cream. It adds to the taste of Shrikhand :)

Now make some hot puris and you are ready to have a scrumptious meal :))

Happy Cooking :)

 

Watermelon Cooler

One Divine Drink : The summers seem never-ending here and temperatures rising day by day. Standing in the kitchen and cooking a meal gets me drenched in sweat. It's like taking a shower all over again. Day by day, i have started replacing solid food for lunch and prefer drinking some fruit juice, Aam panna or some Kokum sharbat. ( Making sure i have a heavy breakfast). Sometimes, just a fruit or fresh salad does the needful. My poor 4 legged angel babies also have to be kept in the AC and the walks have become short with the timings being early morning and late evening :) Summer fruits have started making way in the markets like watermelon, litchis, mangoes, papaya, muskmelon etc. Watermelon is one fruit which i can have any time of the day. Can eat it at breakfast, a juice in the evening instead of coffee or even as a dessert or sometimes, a midnight snack. It fills you up because of the water content and keeps you hydrated. I love to bite on the juice and when it drops down the sides of my mouth when i am trying to have a big bite!!! ( Yes, just like kids ! )It's fun when you become kids while eating food at times... Having the milk moustaches, the chocolate sauce on the cheeks or even some daal or curry spilled on your clothes...

Yeah yeah, i know, you must be thinking, this is one crazy girl, but honestly, don't we all like it? Coming back to my post, i made this watermelon cooler recently and it tasted "Divine"... a true thirst quencher. Add it to any alcohol and make a cocktail, add any other fruit juice and make a mock-tail out of it or just have it as it is!!! You wouldn't want anything more...

Note : Usually, i don't believe in throwing away the pulp as it has it's own set of fibre and nutrients. So if you are having this drink as it is, don't throw the pulp, but if you are making a cocktail, better strain the juice. 

A glass of this, a book in hand and some nice music... get set to enjoy a beach holiday right at your home :)

Ingredients:

Watermelon - 2 cups chopped pieces

Lemon juice - of 1 medium sized lemon

Sugar - 2 tsp

Black salt - little to taste

Pepper powder - little to taste

Mint leaves - to garnish and/or you can add it crushed to the drink

Ice cubes - as needed

You can even make it without the lemon juice, just adding the mint leaves.

Recipe:

Put watermelon pieces, sugar or lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. 

Add in black salt, pepper and mint leaves.

Top with ice cubes or crushed ice ( crush ice in blender or blend along with watermelon )

Now you can even mix everything together, blend in mixer and take out the juice. 

Garnish with watermelon pieces in the juice or at the side of the glass as shown with a mint leaf.

Now wouldn't you want that right now?

Happy cooking :) ( or should i say, Juicing? )

Homemade Kokum Sarbat

Though there have been showers in Delhi, bringing the temperature from 41 degrees to 30 degrees, that sigh of relief was only for a day! Temperatures rose again, with power cuts and sweat dripping down the bodies being a regular feature. And to beat all that, the desi stuff comes to the rescue. Chaas, Lassi, aam panna ( http://cookininpajamas.blogspot.in/2014/05/kairiche-panhe-aam-panna.html ) and of course the fruit juices. Another favourite drink of mine is the Kokum sarbat. I couldn't find a good kokum sarbat here in Delhi, except the commerical concentrates packed in bottles. In pune, we get kokum sarbat in every nook and corner and it tastes super awesome ( Chitale Bandhu being the most famous ). Whenever we made a visit to Mumbai-Pune, i would bring some. 

The outer cover of this fruit is dried in the sun and we get what is called Aamsul or Aamsool ( in Marathi ), commonly known as Kokum. We use aamsul especially in aamti ( the daal that we make ). It adds a nice sour-tangy flavour. It is blackish-red in colour and is a good substitue for tamarind to add that tanginess to a dish. Apart from it's use in cooking in konkan region of Maharashtra, Gujrat and also south of India, the oil extracted from this fruit is also used for foot massage.

I decided to try making Kokum Sarbat at home, as i had a lot of kokum at hand given by my mother. It is so easy to make, and yessss... tastes much better than the extra-sugar sweet concentrate available in market. The recipe was given to me by my friend Ayushi who also writes a blog (http://ayusuppercrust.blogspot.in/ ). She is one enthusiast in cooking and also makes some amazing artistic gift envelopes and accessories. This concentrate makes for about 6 cups depending on how much concentrate you add. I normally add 1/4th concentrate and 3/4th water.

Ingredients :

Kokum - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

Black salt - to taste

Recipe:

Boil about 1 cup of water and soak the kokum in hot water for 30 minutes.

Add sugar to this and put in mixer and grind to a smooth paste.

Strain this concentrate.

( After straining, what left behind was also a smooth paste. So what i did is added some powdered sugar and water to it. And it tasted great for me. But if u want, you can use this in any sabzi/curry instead of throwing it. )

You can also grind the kokum to a smooth paste and then add powdered sugar to it and mix well, but i guess the earlier method, it blends well.

Now add the roasted cumin powder, black pepper powder and black salt. Mix it all well.

Now take some concentrate in a glass, and add ice cold water. You can also add crushed ice or ice cubes. 

Kokum sarbat is ready :)) 

 

Note : You see a dark colour of sarbat here, because it depends on the quality of kokum, and also because i let it soak for a longer duration than 30 minutes. Also i don't believe in straining too fine ( i do that with juices too ), as i believe the fibre and nutrients are lost. So you will see the heavier particles of kokum settling at bottom in the glass. But believe me, they taste just as smooth and great.

Happy Cooking :)

Kairiche Lonche : Quick Raw Mango Pickle

Its the age of Instant : With Instant messaging to instant age miracles, we are living in "Instant-era". With food too, there is Instant coffee, instant breakfast mixes, instant cake mixes and the list goes on. With stress hanging over hand, time management becomes a task and we turn to all "quick-things" in our life! As much as i am a lover of "slow-cooking", there are some recipes which are quick-to-make and taste delicious too! One such recipe ( i would go to the extent of saying, classic recipe ) by my mother is the "Jhatpat kairiche lonche". Jhatpat in Marathi means quick. Kairi is raw mango. Lonche is pickle. There are times when you don't have the time and patience to go about making pickle the traditional way. This recipe comes to the rescue and makes for a good accompaniment with paratha or daal-chawal.

This pickle stays for about 15 days if you put in air tight container and store in refrigerator. For the first 1-2 days, you can keep keep it outside at room temperature if it's not too warm. 

Ingredients:

Raw Mangoes - 2

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( because we like it spicy, add 1/2 tsp and then add more if you want more spice )

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery - 2 tbsp crushed or grated or even add small chunks or pieces, they anyways melt in the pickle )

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Salt- to taste 

 Recipe:

Wash the raw mangoes and pat dry.

Chop them into small cubes ( you can even cut them in medium size ).

Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt. Let it marinate for 5 minutes.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add asafoetida and cumin seeds.

Pour the oil on top of the marinated mangoes. Mix it all well. 

After some time, it will start leaving juices. I love this juice. But if you don't like, you can strain it. This juice is a nice mixture of sweetness of jaggery and spiciness of red chilli powder.

It totally tastes "Chataaaak" ( as we call it in Hindi or Marathi meaning flavourful )

Jhatpat pickle is ready :)

Happy Cooking :) 

Linking this recipe to : Only summer food and drinks by Shailaja and Pari's giveaway

 

Paatvadya : Microwave recipe

Besan squares : Paatvadya are basically small vadis ( squares like a patty ) which make a great tea-time snack. I remember my mother giving me these vadis in tiffin for breakfast as kids. They are a much healthy option than to snack in chips or any fried items and well, they taste delicious. The traditional way of cooking paatvadi is on stovetop, but recently i saw a post from my friend Prabha Iyer on her blog ( http://prabhacooks.blogspot.in/2014/06/microwave-khandvi.html ) of making khandvi in microwave. I have made paatvadis the traditional way earlier (i shall upload that recipe too sometime soon when i make them after these finish ), but decided to try the same recipe of khandvi for paatvadis. And believe me, as experimental as it may sound, they have turned out super flavourful with a hint of tanginess ( due to the curd added ).

These vadis can be eaten along with any spicy chutney  or some even make a daal out of it ( Paatvadi-amti as we say in Marathi ). Well, for this time,  as pleasant as they are looking, i would want to eat them as it is. You can add red chilli powder to the paste while putting the mixture in microwave. I was not sure of the spiciness of the chilli paste, hence i didn't add it to the mixture but sprinkled red chilli powder on top. Another important ingredient of Paatvadi is grated dried or fresh coconut. I didn't have it handy, but you can sprinkle it on top if you have it fresh or dry roast it and add to the mixture before putting it in microwave.

Ingredients :

Besan( Gram flour ) - 1 n half cup

Curd - 1 n half cup

Corriander leaves - to sprinkle

Oil - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

red chilli powder - to sprinkle ( if adding to the mixture, add about 1 tsp )

Garlic-green chilli paste- I used about 2 tsp of thecha( http://cookininpajamas.blogspot.in/2014/06/kharda-mirchicha-thecha.html ) that i had.

Asafoetida - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Oil - to grease a plate

Recipe :

Sift Besan and remove all lumps.

Beat the curd, so that no lumps remain. Add about 1 cup of water to it and mix well.

In a microwave safe bowl, add this curd mixture, besan , asafoetida, turmeric powder and salt. Mix it all well.

Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture well twice after every 1 n half minute.

After 5 minutes, remove from microwave, and add about 1/2-1 cup of water and mix it well and make a smooth paste.

Microwave again on high for 5 minutes.

Grease a plate with oil. You can sprinkle some corriander leaves and grated/shredded coconut if you have. Now put the mixture in the plate and with a spatula or a flat spoon, spread it evenly.

Let it cool and cut them in squares.

Heat about 2 tbsp oil and add 1 tbsp mustard seeds. When they splutter, add this tempering on top of the cut-squares. Sprinkle some corriander leaves on top. Since i didn't add chilli powder to the mixture, i sprinkled some on top.

Yummy easy snack is ready :)

Happy Cooking :)

Kharda : Mirchicha Thecha

I haven't posted a lot lately as i had some crazy-busy weeks. Honestly, i had not cooked anything special to write about, apart from the regular sabzi-roti or daal-chawal. One for the fact, that i was too busy to cook anything special, yes... the 4 legged canine angels ( from my pet sitting appointments ) were keeping me busy. Since it's a vacation time, a lot of people going on holidays, my hands and my home was full. And believe me, nothing gets better than spending time with these cute bundles of joy. The walks, the play, the treat times everything keeps you on toes, but it's all worth it.
Here's a recent pic of mine, just to show you all how happy i have been.

But yes, i missed my kitchen and i missed my blog. It always was on the back of my mind to write something, but another reason took it's toll. Laziness!!! Yes, it's so super hot in Delhi that it really gets tough to stand long in the kitchen and cook something special. Managing the temperature for cooking becomes a difficult task, with everything going in the refrigerator every now and then. The fruits and vegetables rot, the chocolates melt, the cooked food becomes stale soon, and i hate to waste food. As the temperature rose to 44 degrees, all i wanted to do was drink water/fluids/juices/aam panna ( http://cookininpajamas.blogspot.in/2014/05/kairiche-panhe-aam-panna.html )
rather than eat. A light diet seems just enough than a whole cooked meal.

Now that i have some free time for couple of days with just one dog, i decided to get right in the kitchen and get going. Kharda is one of the Maharashtrian chutneys that you can enjoy alongside a daal-chawal or a paratha or traditionally we eat it with Bhaakri ( jowar/bajre ki roti ). Just yesterday i had made Vaangyacha Bharit ( Baingan Bharta ) and rotis and had it with Kharda. Also known as Thecha or Hirvya Mirchicha Thecha, this basically has two main ingredients of green chillies and garlic. 
You can even make it in bulk, store in refrigerator and add to any daal or sabzi , just to give a dish that "zing" of taste. Easy to make, it gets ready within minutes and for those who love things spicy, this is definitely worth a try.

Kharda is again a regional dish. Some make it roasting chillies in oil, some dry roast it, some add peanut powder, some make it without. Adding corriander leaves is optional too. It all depends on personal taste. I make all versions every now and then. This one is with peanut powder and corriander leaves.

Ingredients :

Green chillies - Around 30-35 
Garlic - 8-10 ( This time i had a different variety of garlic which had big chunks, if you have the normal variety take about 15 pieces )
Cumin seeds ( jeera ) - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Corriander leaves - a few
Lemon juice - 1 tsp ( adjust to taste )
Black salt - to taste ( You can also use normal salt, but black salt adds to the taste)

Recipe :

Wash the green chillies, pat them dry and cut both the ends.

In a kadhai, put 1 tsp oil and fry the green chillies till they start getting brown spots. Frying chillies is a really tough task and the vapours get inside your nose and eyes, resulting in coughing, sneezing and running nose. So make sure to switch on your exhaust fan while doing this or keep the window/door of the kitchen open to let the vapour out.

Add the cumin seeds and fry for half a minute.

Now add the garlic and fry for about 5 minutes till the garlic gets properly sauteed and starts browning.

Let it cool and transfer it into a mixer jar. Throw in some corriander leaves, black salt and lime juice. mix it all well and grind to a coarse paste ( not too smooth and do not add water ).

Traditionally, the mixture is well grinned in a mortar and pestle. But since i don't have one here, i grind it in a mixer.

Now, would you like this "Death by chillies" ? ( Name derived from the famous sauce by Blair : Pure Death and After Death )

Happy Cooking :)