tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744313969285424732024-03-05T20:56:44.507-05:00Delicious VegetarianAmrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-66594893545558303732012-05-21T18:55:00.000-04:002012-05-21T19:01:06.111-04:00Broccoli Naan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Weekend is the time I like to cook elaborate meals. A few months back, I was at an Indian restaurant for a lunch buffet where they served broccoli naan. I am not a big fan of this vegetable and never really enjoyed eating it - be it baked or boiled - the flavor is a little too strong for my taste. Naturally, I was a little skeptical as to how the naan would taste. But I was in for a pleasant surprise. It was really amazing and it didn't taste at all like broccoli. It was a good revelation for me as it gave me a way to eat broccoli - sneak it in parathas or naans. After all you cannot give a miss to eating something that is so packed with nutrients. </div>
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Broccoli naan has been on my to do list of recipes ever since I had it at the Indian buffet. Making this naan is just like making any regular naan. The only addition is stuffing the broccoli. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Broccoli Naan</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60-bLBrJWklTQCmBSwK0r4sXorTMWWgqoJYZFzUVgBQqq4-fCcADjbF_M3rJtGmKRuFgG2_eMenvQ_2CtCgdx7L3__xY2qZm2_YRuaAtKsS8TXKztmS4XzRKEZu774Zb7RDPZDzjfunqu/s1600/BroccoliNaan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60-bLBrJWklTQCmBSwK0r4sXorTMWWgqoJYZFzUVgBQqq4-fCcADjbF_M3rJtGmKRuFgG2_eMenvQ_2CtCgdx7L3__xY2qZm2_YRuaAtKsS8TXKztmS4XzRKEZu774Zb7RDPZDzjfunqu/s400/BroccoliNaan.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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<i><b>(Makes 6 palm sized naans)</b></i></div>
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1.5 cups APF (I used equal amounts of APF and whole wheat flour)</div>
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1 tsp instant/rapid rise yeast</div>
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1/2 tbsp sugar</div>
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1 tbsp lukewarm water</div>
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1/4 cup yogurt (at room temperature)</div>
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2 tbsp melted butter/oil</div>
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Salt to taste</div>
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1/2 cup shredded broccoli </div>
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Water/Milk to knead the dough</div>
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<b>Recipe: </b></div>
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Making the naan is a simple 3 step process - </div>
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1. Make the dough </div>
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2. Make the stuffing </div>
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3. Stuff and roll the dough out, and bake the naans</div>
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Start by preparing the dough. The dough needs to be rested for at least half an hour (more is always better). Since we are using instant yeast, the dough rises pretty quickly and you can make naans with as little as 30 minutes of resting time. </div>
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<b>1. The Dough:</b></div>
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<li>In a bowl, mix sugar and yeast together and pour lukewarm water over the mix. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. </li>
<li>In another bowl, take flour and add salt to taste. Mix well and pour the yeast mixture over along with yogurt and melted butter/oil. </li>
<li>Mix all of the ingredients and add water/milk as required to form a loose, sticky dough. </li>
<li>Oil the dough, cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least half an hour. </li>
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<b>2. The Broccoli Stuffing: </b></div>
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To use broccoli as stuffing, it needs to be finely chopped, or shredded in a food processor. I find it easy the food processor way. All you need to do is clean the broccoli, put the florets in the food processor and pulse it a couple of times. </div>
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I used just the shredded broccoli without even the added salt, but you can spice the broccoli up and use a spicy stuffing if you like. I prefer mine the simple way. </div>
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<b>3. Making the Naans:</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yL1zuyThf0s/T7p7EN13eUI/AAAAAAAAEhE/0K8dX-cpmWA/s1600/Naan_steps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yL1zuyThf0s/T7p7EN13eUI/AAAAAAAAEhE/0K8dX-cpmWA/s400/Naan_steps.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li>Now that the dough has been resting for some time, divide it into 6 equal balls. </li>
<li>Dip the ball in flour and spread it out with your fingers or simply roll it out to about 3" diameter.</li>
<li>Put 1-1.5 tbsp of shredded broccoli in the center, and gather all sides around the stuffing to form a ball.</li>
<li>Dust this ball with some flour and press it between your palms. At this point, you can choose to either roll it out or stretch it from all sides to form a triangular/oval naan. It should be about a quarter inch thick. </li>
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Before baking, sprinke some dry flour onto a baking sheet/pan and then lay the naans over it. Bake the naans in a preheated 500 F oven for 10-15 minutes or until done. Apply butter on top and serve hot with your favorite curry.<br />
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The naans turned out really soft and stayed soft even the next day. </div>
</div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-49097985235152305662012-03-28T16:13:00.003-04:002012-04-04T09:32:09.064-04:00No Ferment Dosa<div style="text-align: left;">Even though Idli, Dosa, Uttappam are popular breakfast items, A and I can have them at any meal. I love these foods and make them at least three to four times a month. Of the meals that we eat on weekends, usually one comprises of idlis or dosas. I SO love these foods that even the thought of it makes me hungry sometimes. The only problem is that it takes a whole day just to get the batter ready. But thanks to cousin M, now I can at least make dosas in very little time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The reasons I love this quick dosa recipe are - it is very simple, and the dosas are very close to regular dosas in taste (especially when dunked in sambar). The recipe calls for soaking the rice and lentils for a few hours and grinding them to a smooth paste, just like any other dosa recipe. But batter can be prepared with as little as 4 hours of soaking the ingredients and dosas can be made as soon as the batter is ready.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff6666;">Rice and Mixed Lentils Dosa</span></b></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA_EhrU1fKAq-bU3jFFwdL2_JDI6MTDX5_d2SaUanapUkSAgNwL8tTCQkCAbi-b0B33zFLd9qNOj6mW2q2ALSuaG3uwWz0jLwCFXuNa8UzpJY70sGH70PMwYRq47j9ZlQ5OTyER60N4_q/s1600/Mixed+Dal+Dosa.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA_EhrU1fKAq-bU3jFFwdL2_JDI6MTDX5_d2SaUanapUkSAgNwL8tTCQkCAbi-b0B33zFLd9qNOj6mW2q2ALSuaG3uwWz0jLwCFXuNa8UzpJY70sGH70PMwYRq47j9ZlQ5OTyER60N4_q/s400/Mixed+Dal+Dosa.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724245520964646626" border="0" /></a><div><br /></div><div><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div><div>1/8 cup whole urad dal/split urad dal</div><div>1/8 cup toor dal</div><div>1/8 cup masoor dal</div><div>1/8 cup chana dal</div><div>1/8 cup moong dal</div><div>1/4 cup white rice</div><div>1/4 + 1/8 cup brown rice</div><div>1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)</div><div>Salt to taste</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ikpNIi8Y-Ko/T3NvZBWA8OI/AAAAAAAAEgc/-MomlnFHjIo/s400/Mixed%2BDal%2BDosa1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725042026966216930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px; " border="0" /></span></div><div><b>1. </b>To make the batter, soak rice and lentils separately for 4 hours or more. You can use all types of dals (lentils) that you have on hand. The amount of rice used in this recipe is same as the total amount of all the lentils together. So <b>if you have a cup of mixed lentils, use a cup of rice</b>. I generally use whatever lentils I have on hand. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>2. </b>Once soaked, grind the rice and lentils (together or separately as you prefer) to a smooth paste. Add salt to taste. I have seen that many people add little bit of baking soda or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eno_%28drug%29">ENO</a> to the instant batters/mixes as it gives the batter some lightness. I normally don't add these to the batter, but you can use it if you want. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. </b>Now that the batter is ready, heat a griddle and pour a ladleful of batter in the center. Spread the batter from the center of the pan towards its edge in a circular motion. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>4.</b> Drizzle a few drops of oil along the side as dosa cooks. Once the batter on top starts looking dry, flip the dosa and let the other side cook. Add little more oil if required. </div><div><br /></div><div>Serve hot with <a href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2010/02/masala-dosa-uttappa.html"><i>sambar</i></a> and <a href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2010/02/masala-dosa-uttappa.html"><i>potato masala</i></a>.</div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-84039916942107224762012-02-19T18:46:00.003-05:002012-02-20T09:59:01.149-05:00Onion-Spinach Pakodas<div style="text-align: left;">This season winter hit us a little too late. We practically did not have any snow and honestly it felt good to have warmer weather... no shoveling the snow or clearing the windshield. But somewhere deep inside, I was looking forward to at least a little bit of snow. So yesterday when I read about a winter storm with a few inches of snow accumulation, I got all excited. I absolutely love watching the snow and was thrilled with the weather we had today. </div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jH8sK6Xhkzw/T0GFoooiCiI/AAAAAAAAEfg/cwY4MYcA_70/s400/snow.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710992735631182370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div>It had been snowing since this morning, and by afternoon it was just beautiful. The backyard and the leafless trees were all covered in a white blanket. A and I spent a lazy afternoon watching a movie followed by a hot cup of tea and some crispy pakodas. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#009900;">Onion-Spinach Pakoda</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQB1Jx-2zJO9V8JY9ezZ7c41awzf7fGck0y9u3KD4VKTIu-1qk7c3RHuJWZz5Voe2ush6pRaas7AsQdGEDL0AI5Rc5cTX8H7pWAxBjb879S49JrPVjmvHmMqNPkkFBXxGWROl-z5-VO6p/s400/Onion-Spinach+Pakoda.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710992638245508834" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I forgot to freeze leftover spinach puree from last week and it needed to be used at the earliest. So I just thought of using it along with onions to make pakodas. You need the following to make these pakodas -</div><div><br /></div><div>1/2 medium onion (thinly sliced)</div><div>1/4 cup spinach puree</div><div>1/2 cup chickpea flour (more or less as needed in order to make a thick batter)</div><div>1/2 tsp red chilli powder (more or less as per your heat preference)</div><div>1/4 tsp coriander powder</div><div>1/4 tsp cumin powder</div><div>1/4 tsp carom seeds</div><div>1/8 tsp turmeric powder</div><div>1/8 tsp baking soda (optional)</div><div>Salt to taste</div><div>Oil for frying</div><div><br /></div><div>1. In a bowl, take thinly sliced onion and add all the spices along with salt. Rub the spices on onion and let rest for at least 15-20 minutes. This will release the juices and onions will soften.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Add spinach puree and chickpea flour, and make a thick batter. </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Add baking soda to the batter and mix well. </div><div><br /></div><div>4. Drop a spoonful of batter in oil and deep/shallow fry on a medium heat until golden brown. </div><div><br /></div><div>Serve hot with the condiment of your choice(tomato ketchup/date-tamarind chutney/green chutney).</div></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-3688366448499642622012-01-14T21:59:00.002-05:002012-01-14T22:51:26.855-05:00Prepping for Sankranti - Gul PoliToday I want to share with you my very first experience of making <span style="font-style: italic;">Gul Poli</span> (Jaggery Flatbread). Over all these years, I have been making <span style="font-style: italic;">Tilgul</span> every <span style="font-style: italic;">Makar Sankranti</span>. Apart from <span style="font-style: italic;">Tilgul</span>, a very popular dish made on occasion of Sankranti in Maharashtra is <span style="font-style: italic;">Gul Poli.</span> I had been holding myself back from making it just because I always thought it to be something very difficult and time consuming. Unlike many other festive dishes, I had never actually seen the process of making these. So, in spite of knowing the recipe I never made it. This year I was determined to try these as my husband and I absolutely love this dish.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gul Poli</span> is a flatbread that is made by stuffing a mixture of jaggery, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds inside a dough. For me, the actual process of stuffing, rolling and cooking did not take very long, but the preparations took quite some time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gul Poli</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-syJAz_P9EEQ/Tw4yScOkXGI/AAAAAAAAEcs/c3Dyec-H6Iw/s1600/Gul%2BPoli.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 339px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-syJAz_P9EEQ/Tw4yScOkXGI/AAAAAAAAEcs/c3Dyec-H6Iw/s400/Gul%2BPoli.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696545871066586210" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">(made 11 flatbreads of 6-7 inch diameter)<br /></div><br />To make Gul Poli, you need the following ingredients -<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">For Dough:</span><br />1 cup whole wheat flour<br />1/2 cup all purpose flour<br />2 tbsp besan (chick pea flour)<br />3 tbsp hot oil<br />1/2 cup milk<br />A pinch of salt<br /><br style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">For Stuffing:</span><br />1 cup jaggery (grated)<br />1/4 cup sesame seeds<br />1/4 cup poppy seed powder<br />1/4 cup besan (chick pea flour)<br />1-1.5 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)<br />1/4 tsp cardamom powder<br /><br />Before you make the stuffing, make the dough. The dough needs to rest before you roll it out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Making the dough:</span><br /><br />1. First sift all flours and add a pinch of salt.<br /><br />2. Heat oil in a pan. The oil should be very hot.<br /><br />3. Add oil to the flour mixture and incorporate well with the flour. To make sure that oil is well incorporated in flour, take a fistful of flour and rub it with your fingers. Continue this process until the oil is well mixed. To make sure, take a small quantity of flour and squeeze it in your palm. If the flour holds together, you can start making the dough. If not, add some more hot oil.<br /><br />4. Now make the dough by adding milk to the flour mixture. The dough should be medium soft.<br /><br />5. Once the dough is formed, knead it well. Apply some oil and cover it. Let the dough rest for a couple of hours (I let mine rest for 2 hours).<br /><br style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Making the stuffing:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">1. In a pan, heat about a tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter) and cook besan on it on low heat until golden brown. It took me about 5-7 minutes.<br /><br />2. Dry roast sesame seeds, let them cool completely and then grind to a powder.<br /><br />3. Mix cooled besan, jaggery, sesame seed powder, poppy seed powder and cardamom powder until well blended. This takes quite an effort, so I mixed them in a food processor. All you need to do is pulse all of these ingredients together. Once well mixed, the stuffing looks like this -<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gWT0sXEcqhY/Tw4yXLDpHoI/AAAAAAAAEc4/h5FVXpfqCx8/s1600/Gul%2BPoli%2Bstuffing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gWT0sXEcqhY/Tw4yXLDpHoI/AAAAAAAAEc4/h5FVXpfqCx8/s400/Gul%2BPoli%2Bstuffing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696545952356703874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Making the Flatbreads:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iQ2HVV5Sk4k/Tw4ydYHa9cI/AAAAAAAAEdE/xWNvf9tiAwc/s1600/Step%2Bby%2Bstep%2BGul%2BPoli.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iQ2HVV5Sk4k/Tw4ydYHa9cI/AAAAAAAAEdE/xWNvf9tiAwc/s400/Step%2Bby%2Bstep%2BGul%2BPoli.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696546058941429186" border="0" /></a><br />1. Take a small ball of dough and roll it out about 3-4 inches in diameter (I divided my dough into 10 equal sized balls before I started).<br /><br />2. Take some stuffing and put it in the center of rolled out dough (I used 1/8 cup measure to have the same amount of stuffing for each flatbread. Since there is nothing binding the stuffing, it is in a loose form. So, I packed the measuring cup with stuffing and it was easier to stuff that way).<br /><br />3. Now gather all edges of the rolled dough around the stuffing (like you would do for a paratha) and remove the excess dough.<br /><br />4. Dip the stuffed ball of dough in flour and start rolling it out (I rolled mine about 6-7 inches in diameter, and about 1/8" inch thick).<br /><br />5. Cook on a medium heat until brown spots appear. Apply ghee on both sides as you cook.<br /><br />6. Let cool completely before you store. These stay good at room temperature at least for a week, and even longer if refrigerated.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">polis</span> turned out just wonderful and barely survived a day. Now, I am looking forward to making another batch in a day or two.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div></div></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-3476754539998467682012-01-07T19:29:00.005-05:002012-03-07T10:54:31.481-05:00Jamaican Coconut Toto<div style="text-align: left;">Hello there... We are already a week into the new year, but better late than never... so let me first wish all of you a very happy 2012!</div><br />Though I would like to blog more than I normally do, I have been very irregular at blogging. So naturally among many of my new year resolutions I have decided not to ignore my poor little blog, and I hope I live up to this resolution.<br /><br />I read and watch a lot of food related stuff, and keep bookmarking the recipes I think I would definitely try. Now I honestly think that my bookmark is kinda of a mess. Let's see if that changes soon.<br /><br />One such recipe is <span style="font-style: italic;">'<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jamaican Coconut Toto'</span> </span>which I have been wanting to try for over a year. My cousin had tried this recipe and had sent me a link. Finally I made it! Luckily, I had all the ingredients on hand, so when DH was out with friends the entire evening yesterday, I spent the time cooking and baking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Jamaican Coconut Toto</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6GLiV9Y85Xk/Twjbc9_GkRI/AAAAAAAAEbM/5vpNQUv_4wg/s1600/coconut%2Btoto%2B3.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 217px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6GLiV9Y85Xk/Twjbc9_GkRI/AAAAAAAAEbM/5vpNQUv_4wg/s400/coconut%2Btoto%2B3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695043019532046610" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(from </span><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFoAwnyEbIY">this Sanjeev Kapoor</a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> Recipe)</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span>I made a few changes to the original recipe -<br /><ul><li>Used sweetened coconut flakes instead of fresh coconut.</li><li>Used 3/4 cup of sugar instead of 1 cup, since I used sweetened coconut.<br /></li><li>Used coconut extract instead of vanilla extract.</li><li>Used cardamom instead of cinnamon (since I absolutely detest cinnamon flavor in sweets).<br /></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDa6yVTp57E3wHUqgMh91AjWtla4VLfjWkDchx33mZP-7rKaLQ9K6uKbmlPd7G3E-S8QnFOE_WOtPDAzMlqN9Pwld9fjm7045Z3bOiGvIVQADcOizo0JSlFINZlC4bYbM7gpzUz-Dn0P9M/s400/coconut+toto+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695111059148652706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 334px; " border="0" /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">To make coconut toto, I used -</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>1 cup sweetened coconut flakes</li><li>1/4 cup unsalted butter</li><li>3/4 cup sugar</li><li>2 large eggs</li><li>1/2 tsp coconut extract<br /></li><li>3/4 cup all purpose flour</li><li>1 tsp baking powder</li><li>1/2 tsp cardamom powder</li><li>1/4 tsp nutmeg powder</li><li>1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />1.</span> Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat until the mixture becomes light.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. </span>Add coconut extract.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> Sift together - APF, baking powder, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder, and add it to the batter; mix well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span>Fold in coconut flakes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> Lastly, add condensed milk and mix until well incorporated.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6.</span> Transfer the mixture into a greased loaf tin and top off it with some coconut.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7.</span> Bake at 325F for 50-60 minutes (I have had an experience with baking coconut in the past. The last time I tried baking a cake with coconut, it started browing too quickly at the suggested temperature and looked over browned by the time it was done. So this time I reduced the oven temperature, and let it cook longer).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8.</span> Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Cut into slices and serve.<br /><br />The outcome is a delicious, nutty cake. However, I would like to mention a couple of things here. My cake was moist from inside, but I felt that the edges were a bit chewy. I don't know whether to attribute it to my modifications to the recipe (using coconut flakes instead of freshly grated coconut, which could have caused lack of moisture or baking at lower temperature for a longer time), or the use of condensed milk. I have never used condensed milk in baking, so I am really not sure if it makes your baked goodies slightly chewy. But, in spite of this the browned edges were the yummiest part of the toto!<br /><br /></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-82036671326743210292011-08-10T10:19:00.001-04:002011-08-10T16:12:53.706-04:00Another B&W WednesdaySusan of '<a href="http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Well Seasoned Cook</span></a>' has started a culinary photo event called '<a href="http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2011/07/black-and-white-wednesday-new-culinary.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Black and White Wednesday</span></a>'. The event is in its fifth week now, and people have been sending some beautiful clicks in B&W. Here is another random cellphone click from me. The photo was taken one early morning as the tea was brewing.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">A Corner in My Kitchen</span>
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvpS1RLmxxI/TkE1E8uHfGI/AAAAAAAAEUg/44ucIQJJU2E/s1600/2011-07-23_08-48-31_273.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvpS1RLmxxI/TkE1E8uHfGI/AAAAAAAAEUg/44ucIQJJU2E/s400/2011-07-23_08-48-31_273.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638846567579876450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(Click on the image for larger view)
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<br />Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-21002204610379913652011-08-08T15:18:00.003-04:002011-08-08T17:05:49.964-04:00Peach RelishTwo day back, I happened to cut a peach that was under ripe. It was pretty tart and there was no way we could have eaten it by itself. I was thinking of ways to use it up and decided to make a peach relish similar to <span style="font-style: italic;">Methamba.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Methamba</span> is a type of relish that was often made at my house during mango season. It is a relish made of raw mangoes and fenugreek seeds. The word <span style="font-style: italic;">Methamba</span> is a combination of two words - <span style="font-style: italic;">methi</span> (fenugreek seeds), and <span style="font-style: italic;">aamba</span> (mango). It's a sweet and sour concoction mostly served as a condiment with rice, chapatis and the like. I followed mom's recipe of methamba and used peach instead of raw mango.
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<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Peach Relish</span></span>
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySITMKNgYwpyRrZ_8wWjrNQnPOnNOsjVo7_0ukNbxltJKnFiRSI20gC8Y08K5cJhLPVZAxlS00IqWL8_CknB7Skn3ULhPpfhtDUZqUNdW6g2B65AkhKi0nLeHyKQTnluhCssXpamh-FkN/s1600/Peach+Relish.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 332px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySITMKNgYwpyRrZ_8wWjrNQnPOnNOsjVo7_0ukNbxltJKnFiRSI20gC8Y08K5cJhLPVZAxlS00IqWL8_CknB7Skn3ULhPpfhtDUZqUNdW6g2B65AkhKi0nLeHyKQTnluhCssXpamh-FkN/s400/Peach+Relish.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638566609944270594" border="0" /></a>
<br />To make <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peach Relish </span>you would need -
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<br />1 cup peaches (medium diced - make sure the peaches are unripe)
<br />1.5 tsp oil
<br />1/4 tsp mustard seeds
<br />1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
<br />1/2 tsp asafetida powder
<br />A pinch of turmeric
<br />3-4 dried red chillies (broken into pieces)
<br />1 tbsp jaggery
<br />Salt to taste
<br />Water as needed
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> In a saucepan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. As soon as mustard seeds stop popping, add asafetida, fenugreek seeds, turmeric and red chillies (I accidentally added mustard seeds twice...oops! and that's why you see so much mustard seeds in the pic above).
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Saute red chillies for a while, and then add diced peaches and water. Add just enough water in order for the peaches to remain submerged as they cook. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes or until peaches are tender.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. </span>Add salt and jaggery, and cook until the concoction cooks down to a medium consistency.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span>Turn the heat off and let relish cool down completely. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
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<br />The relish can last for about a week when stored in fridge.
<br />Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-30884191804248560342011-07-27T08:43:00.005-04:002011-07-27T09:47:40.248-04:00Chutney for Idlis, and B&W WednesdayI love South Indian food since childhood. I grew up eating a lot of idli-dosa-uttappams as Mom would often make them for Sunday breakfasts. I am still big on these dishes and you will often find them on our weekend brunch menu.<br /><br />Back in the late 90s, when I was still in college, I worked at a firm of Chartered Accountants. I had an awesome time working there as almost everyone who worked there was still in college (most of them pursuing their CA certification), and it was just like any other college group. There were a few south Indian ladies working there who would bring me and my friend G some delicious southern dishes for our love for the cuisine. Once they got us dosas with chutney that I had never eaten before. I loved it so much that I asked them for the recipe. I still make it sometimes to go with idlis.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coconut Chutney with Peanuts & Onion</span></span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mhv_rNXdu44/Ti8S0GnR2wI/AAAAAAAAER0/bGeQk1pOSKk/s1600/Chutney.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mhv_rNXdu44/Ti8S0GnR2wI/AAAAAAAAER0/bGeQk1pOSKk/s400/Chutney.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633742345201638146" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">To make this chutney you would need - </span><br />3/4 C shredded coconut<br />1. 5 tbsp raw peanuts<br />1 small onion (roughly chopped)<br />2 cloves of garlic<br />1 tbsp tamarind (soaked for 5-10 mins)<br />5-6 dried red chillies (soaked for 5-10 mins)<br />1 tsp sugar<br />Salt to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For tempering- </span><br />1 tbsp oil<br />1/4 tsp mustard seeds<br />A pinch of asafetida<br />1 tsp urad dal<br />3-4 curry leaves<br />2 dried red chillies<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. </span>Grind together coconut, tamarind, peanuts, garlic, onion and red chillies. Add salt and sugar.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Heat a tablespoon of oil and add mustard seeds, asafetida, urad dal, curry leaves, and red chillies to it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. </span>Pour this tempering over chutney and mix well.<br /><br />Serve with idlis, dosas or uttappams.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">***<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Idlis in the Making!</span></span><br /></div><br />A few days back, I came across a blog event by Susan of '<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/">The Well Seasoned Cook'</a>. She's hosting '<a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2011/07/black-and-white-wednesday-new-culinary.html">Black and White Wednesday</a>'. It's a culinary photo event where people can send any food related photos that are clicked in B&W. I went through the first two roundups and was amazed to see how good those B&W pics looked. I was actually tempted to click a few B&W shots.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgf24NsT9z6y6iAbGTDMp3MjlwG5eTNXuuTYvzga0EJUS3u-XuIS9HIGUsug4srXiSQMZS4BeAikF570v9TK36h_w-fILMUV8Zc9X7iw2cKqadAg0Mu4J2dfZCgONDYMsYvfKvfYETDxP/s1600/2011-07-23_09-04-00_781.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgf24NsT9z6y6iAbGTDMp3MjlwG5eTNXuuTYvzga0EJUS3u-XuIS9HIGUsug4srXiSQMZS4BeAikF570v9TK36h_w-fILMUV8Zc9X7iw2cKqadAg0Mu4J2dfZCgONDYMsYvfKvfYETDxP/s400/2011-07-23_09-04-00_781.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633744141259632770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(Click on the image for larger view)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div>I clicked the photo above on Saturday when I was making Idlis for brunch. I was waiting for first batch to come out and quickly took a shot with my cellphone camera. It turned out pretty good.Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-12405376295186238262011-06-15T18:26:00.006-04:002011-10-04T23:58:21.841-04:00Back to Basics: Essential Powders and Pastes<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Indian cooking is known for its extensive use of spices. There are certain spices that I use often in my cooking. Of these the most important for me are cumin and coriander powder, which find place in my everyday cooking. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span>I have been wanting to write this post for the longest time now. At last, I was able to get a picture (without forgetting) when I made a batch of powders and pastes last weekend. So finally the post is here.<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;"><br />Cumin & Coriander Powder</span><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzWlWvrMPmw/Te0riE1hI3I/AAAAAAAAD1o/5Ic5HcoOElk/s1600/cumin-coriander.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzWlWvrMPmw/Te0riE1hI3I/AAAAAAAAD1o/5Ic5HcoOElk/s400/cumin-coriander.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615192174814634866" border="0" /></a>Nothing can be easier than making these powders. All you need to do is roast the seeds and then grind them. You can roast the seeds in a pan or simply microwave them for about 30 seconds. I prefer to roast mine on a medium heat in a pan. Once roasted, let them cool and then simply grind them. The powders are ready to be used. You can also sieve them if you like.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;">Ginger, Garlic and Green chilli Paste</span><br /></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3etCi3ozgJfM8wJSmO2OyoXHlCKbKALFv8asSGSnPHt5wTpPd4qx_UW2cIDl8mP_SztW8l1l4dsasdcIt3Ne0GKqle_lroOrzZHqIiC0T5WRKWUt6Rjoa2S1EocvcIoVCBr1W7bArKds/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3etCi3ozgJfM8wJSmO2OyoXHlCKbKALFv8asSGSnPHt5wTpPd4qx_UW2cIDl8mP_SztW8l1l4dsasdcIt3Ne0GKqle_lroOrzZHqIiC0T5WRKWUt6Rjoa2S1EocvcIoVCBr1W7bArKds/s400/IMG_1329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615192340818166786" border="0" /></a>The other things that I always have on hand are ginger, garlic and green chilli paste. I usually make these at the beginning of every month and they last for the entire month. Just like the most of us, I too initially used to buy bottled ginger-garlic paste. However, I always preferred the fresh pastes over the store bought ones and have been making these for a long time now. Making these pastes hardly takes any time. Here is how I make them.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ginger Paste: </span>Rough chop the ginger root and grind to a fine paste. You can leave the skin on or peel it off as per your preference. I always grind it with the skin on as it has the most flavor. A cup of chopped ginger yields about 4oz of paste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Garlic Paste:</span> Peel the garlic cloves and grind them to a fine paste. A cup yields about 4oz of paste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Chilli Paste: </span> Cut the chillies into 2-3 big pieces and grind them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Storing the pastes:</span> Since I use these pastes for over a month, I freeze them. However, freezing the pastes leads to formation of ice crystals. To avoid this, I add a lot of salt before freezing them. For a cup (of chopped ginger/garlic/green chillies), I add about 1-1.5 tbsp of salt. I know that's a lot of salt for so little quantity. However, salt prevents formation of ice crystals and you can directly use the pastes right from the freezer without thawing. Just remember that the pastes already have salt in them, so keep that in mind when you add salt to the dish you are cooking.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fGYkjNnLYg/Te0qaFJFzTI/AAAAAAAAD1U/TRkfNw8vZvg/s1600/cumin-coriander%2Bpowder.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a></div></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-84518657617386430372011-03-14T21:26:00.004-04:002011-06-19T09:00:21.793-04:00Panko Crusted Paneer TikkiI have always loved watching food shows and still continue to watch a lot of them. I did notice that a lot of chefs use panko bread crumbs. Since I first heard about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panko">panko</a> bread crumbs a few years ago, I have been wanting to try those. It was some time in last December that I bought panko for the first time. I love the foods that are coated with bread crumbs and fried in some way. I had only heard that panko bread crumbs are crispier than the regular bread crumbs and they sure are.<br /><br />I had a few paneer cubes leftover from earlier batch that were sitting in my freezer for about two weeks (yes I have made paneer quite a few times in the last month since I posted the <a href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2011/02/homemade-paneer-and-paneer-butter.html">recipe</a>). I wanted to use paneer in something other than a curry. So I thought let's make some paneer tikkis for snacking. I already had panko on hand so I decided to use them as well. I used a simple yogurt based marinade for paneer and then rolled paneer cubes in panko.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Paneer Tikki</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VKwVzmMlR-0/TX6TnYHBgLI/AAAAAAAADxs/6CKT_ZoRMm4/s1600/paneer%2Btikki.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VKwVzmMlR-0/TX6TnYHBgLI/AAAAAAAADxs/6CKT_ZoRMm4/s400/paneer%2Btikki.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584062892682084530" border="0" /></a>(serves 2)<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>:<br />8-10 paneer cubes<br />Oil for shallow frying<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />For Marinade: </span><br />1/4 cup yogurt<br />1/2 tsp ginger paste<br />1/2 tsp garlic paste<br />1/2 tsp cumin powder<br />1/2 tsp coriander powder<br />1/2 tsp red chilli powder<br />1/2 tsp garam masala<br />1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro<br />Salt to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. </span>In a bowl, mix together all ingredients for marinade.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. </span>Prick paneer cubes with a fork and coat all sides with marinade. Cover and let them sit in the fridge for 4-6 hours. Make sure to use firm paneer; this will prevent paneer from crumbling when you prick it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDcpAS3TRK0sBg-PtJIiiI6ip5pUY4YCo4LtIxYLnhyphenhyphenzF1tEjOY9rKskgQToiI6jTg5Ep0jQnzt-yqZgVHLzez0XJl0X15w9XMdIwRorqimHyy7BCqUtv2wEpTRlSNHHlrMCXtKEgUriP/s1600/paneer_crust.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDcpAS3TRK0sBg-PtJIiiI6ip5pUY4YCo4LtIxYLnhyphenhyphenzF1tEjOY9rKskgQToiI6jTg5Ep0jQnzt-yqZgVHLzez0XJl0X15w9XMdIwRorqimHyy7BCqUtv2wEpTRlSNHHlrMCXtKEgUriP/s200/paneer_crust.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584077688957029602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. </span>Heat a pan and coat the bottom with oil. Coat paneer with panko bread crumbs from all sides.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />4. </span>Shallow fry all sides. Frying takes a little bit of patience as tikkis must be fried on a low to medium heat. Bread crumbs quickly turn brown if you use high heat and tikki will not cook all the way through.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> Serve hot. Since tikki is marinated in the spice mix, it is tasty by itself. Of course you can serve it with tomato ketchup or any condiment of your choice.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wM9wEwcX154/TX6hloQnpEI/AAAAAAAADyU/jz6CaPbmJx8/s1600/%2527only%2527-original%2Brecipes%255B4%255D.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wM9wEwcX154/TX6hloQnpEI/AAAAAAAADyU/jz6CaPbmJx8/s200/%2527only%2527-original%2Brecipes%255B4%255D.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584078255820350530" border="0" /></a><br />I am sending this recipe to Nivedita of <a href="http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.com/">Nivedita's Kitchen</a> for "<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Only Original Recipes</span>" event. The "<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Only</span>" event was originally started by Pari of <a href="http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/">Foodelicious</a>. To find out more about the event, click <a href="http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/only-event-for-march-and-giveaways.html">here</a>.Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-54137545011726746352011-02-08T18:17:00.012-05:002011-06-19T08:59:32.265-04:00Homemade Paneer and Paneer Butter MasalaIt feels like it's been so long since I last wrote. There is really no reason why I wasn't writing. In fact I had cooked a lot during the last couple months of 2010 and tried quite a few dishes that I had been wanting to make for a long time.<br /><br />There are certain things such as ghee, yogurt, paneer that I would always prefer homemade. There is definitely a great difference in taste as compared to store bought items. Plus you have total control over the quality of ingredients that go in making of these foods and of course freshness of final product. I have been making ghee since a few years now, and have been making yogurt at home since about a year. Paneer is one thing that I have been wanting to make for a really long time. Since A doesn't like paneer, I didn't pursue making it at home. Since about a week or so, thoughts of trying out paneer started creeping in and I knew that I would be making paneer very soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Making Paneer At Home: </span><br />Recipe for paneer is pretty straightforward. All you need is some milk and vinegar or lemon juice. Hundreds of bloggers have posted this recipe in the past. Add to it another few hundred websites that prescribe this method. So I guess this is the best way of making paneer. Detailed posts about paneer making can be found <a href="http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com/2010/05/homemade-paneer.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2005/06/06/delightful-paneer/">here</a>. This is how I made my very first paneer -<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> In a heavy bottom pot, bring 4 cups milk to a boil (I used whole milk) and add 2 tbsp vinegar to it. You can add a little more if required.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> As soon as the vinegar hits the milk, milk will start to curdle. Let it boil for another minute and then turn the heat off. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />3.</span> Strain the contents of pot. Make sure you collect whey as it is nutritious.<br /><br />I did not use a muslin cloth as I don't have one. I simply strained the paneer, kept a dish on top of strained paneer and put a weight on it in order to remove excess water. I also used my food processor to smooth out paneer a bit (I wasn't sure if I should do it, but thankfully it turned out great). I then firmly pressed it in a plastic box and let it sit in the freezer for about an hour before cutting it into cubes.<br /><br />Excluding the time in the freezer, all the time it took me to make paneer was about 30 minutes. The paneer turned out extremely soft. I am sure that I am going to make it often.<br /><br />As it happens to me most of the times, I forgot to take a picture of paneer before I used it in the curry. May be I will add one next time I make it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TVGzdC_wOHI/AAAAAAAADtc/oCa7TQXM0IE/s1600/butter%2Bpaneer.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TVGzdC_wOHI/AAAAAAAADtc/oCa7TQXM0IE/s400/butter%2Bpaneer.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571431525635864690" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(Serves 2)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>12-15 paneer cubes<br />1 medium onion - diced<br />2 Roma tomatoes<br />1/2" fresh ginger<br />2 big cloves of garlic<br />1/2 tsp red chilli powder (more or less as per your heat preference)<br />1/2 tsp cumin powder<br />1/2 tsp coriander powder<br />1/2 tsp garam masala<br />1 tsp kasuri methi<br />2 tbsp alomnd meal (optional)<br />1 tsp sugar (optional)<br />1 tsp oil<br />3 tbsp butter (1 tbsp for frying paneer and 2 tbsp for gravy)<br />1 tbsp heavy cream or half and half (optional)<br />Salt to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> Before you start with gravy, fry paneer cubes in butter and set aside. If you prefer, you can use paneer without frying as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Halve the tomatoes, put them skin side down in a bowl in little bit of water and microwave for about 2 minutes. Remove the skin and set aside.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. </span>In a pan take a teaspoon of oil and add onions, ginger and garlic to it. Saute until onions are tender.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span>Grind onions, ginger and garlic with tomatoes to a smooth paste. I happened to have some almond meal on hand and also added it while grinding for a rich and creamy texture. Alternatively, you can use some cashew paste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> In a pan melt 2 tbsp of butter and add tomato-onion paste. Add salt, red chilli powder, cumin-coriander powder, garam masala and sugar, and saute for 2 minutes. If the gravy is too thick, you can add some water to loosen it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. </span>Add kasuri methi and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add fried paneer and continue to simmer for another minute. Turn the heat off and add a touch of heavy cream if you like.<br /><br />Top it off with some shredded paneer and chopped cilantro (I usually reserve a piece of paneer before frying and grate it directly over the curry). Serve with naan, paratha or steamed rice.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-44235341654316921862010-11-06T09:46:00.015-04:002010-11-16T18:56:03.731-05:00Almond ShortbreadThe Halloween celebrations last weekend have officially marked the beginning of holiday season. I love this last quarter of the year where you have all the celebrations, festive foods and lots of sales (read shopping) to look forward to. Considering the gigantic sweet tooth that I have, I love these sugar high holidays - A reason to eat more sweets and feel a little less guilty about it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Almond Shortbread Cookies<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TNVnvkBSIeI/AAAAAAAADkc/jj8OxsnZS1o/s1600/almond+shortbread+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TNVnvkBSIeI/AAAAAAAADkc/jj8OxsnZS1o/s400/almond+shortbread+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536445383742464482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(From </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/AlmondShortbreadCookies.html">this</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> recipe, Makes 12 wedges)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>I have a bunch of bookmarked recipes and have been wanting to make these shortbread cookies for a while now. This is probably the simplest baking recipe ever. You just cannot go wrong with it. The recipe calls for <span style="font-style: italic;">Almond Meal</span>. This is an expensive ingredient. One pound packet costs about $12. I was very sure that I will not be able to use up so much quantity in a couple months. I was reading the label on the packet and it said <span style="font-style: italic;">"Almond meal is simply the blanched almonds ground..." </span>So I thought why not make my own almond meal? All you need is blanched almonds.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE-iquX04YTCUHKGFR4o3tlfa71nTPj34pC2PdI5wTMJZATcX60MAGlyvy6zidr8IN8JHFSHe1GMhpl34ipLmopHOrCjhmxT-8bpejmPMPUSpTslsWd9K6OvBJn2VbVMdyWnSxnJWa9Fb/s1600/almond+meal.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 394px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE-iquX04YTCUHKGFR4o3tlfa71nTPj34pC2PdI5wTMJZATcX60MAGlyvy6zidr8IN8JHFSHe1GMhpl34ipLmopHOrCjhmxT-8bpejmPMPUSpTslsWd9K6OvBJn2VbVMdyWnSxnJWa9Fb/s400/almond+meal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536445219815641522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Almond Meal)<br /></span></span></div><br />I used 1/2 lb blanched almonds which yielded 3 cups of ground almond. The recipe I followed for shortbread also mentions that adding sugar while grinding almonds helps absorb oils from the nuts.<br />1. Using a coffee grinder or <a href="http://www.bossappliances.com/mixer%20grinder.htm">Indian style mixer-grinder</a> or mixie as many people call it, ground almonds in batches.<br />2. I divided half pound almonds in 4-5 batches. With every batch add a couple pinches of sugar and grind to a medium powder.<br />3. Voila, you almond meal is ready! Store in an air tight container in the fridge.<br /><br /><br />I followed the recipe from Joy of Baking word to word. The only change was instead of rice flour, I used corn flour.<br /><ul><li>In a bowl, beat together 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature) and 1/4 cup sugar. Add 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract.<br /></li><li>In another bowl, mix 3/4 cup APF, 1/4 cup almond meal, 2 tbsp corn starch and 1/8 tsp salt.</li><li>Fold in the dry ingredients in butter-sugar mix. This forms into a soft, buttery and loose dough.<br /></li><li>In an 8" round pan press the dough and score into wedges. Prick the dough with a fork so that it won't puff up. </li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gFQ5Jp6f01FCTAuZbOxdU-jXSBPMh7DAqDk1tn2cF0w6zpV-2IHC3Ri5AL5E4QobcitV0gsks558U5us-Cfckr9ep8w6x0AT9_MUL2Lv0k7TSrMztvUPII_pZJ8okAbFG2GSP5ldEEK0/s1600/almond+shortbread+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gFQ5Jp6f01FCTAuZbOxdU-jXSBPMh7DAqDk1tn2cF0w6zpV-2IHC3Ri5AL5E4QobcitV0gsks558U5us-Cfckr9ep8w6x0AT9_MUL2Lv0k7TSrMztvUPII_pZJ8okAbFG2GSP5ldEEK0/s400/almond+shortbread+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536445318582286466" border="0" /></a><ul><li>Bake in a 300 F oven for about 50 minutes or until golden brown.<br /></li><li>Let cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and cool completely before storing.<br /></li></ul>The shortbread tasted great and we had it with evening tea for three days in a row. The next time I make it, I think I will use a square pan and cut it into sticks instead. I think powdered cashews will taste equally good and plan to use them next time.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TNV27mdB5GI/AAAAAAAADkk/Qc7smo7ncos/s1600/Happy+Diwali.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 368px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TNV27mdB5GI/AAAAAAAADkk/Qc7smo7ncos/s400/Happy+Diwali.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536462083228558434" border="0" /></a>This weekend celebrates <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Diwali</span>, the festival of lights. Wish you all a very <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Happy Diwali</span> and a wonderful year ahead!Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-69178887913909545622010-10-25T18:30:00.009-04:002011-06-06T14:28:26.267-04:00One Pot Vegetable Stew<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I am a big fan of one dish meals. Who wouldn't like it if you could have all the flavors and nutrients in one dish instead of cooking a couple different dishes? These one pot wonders often cook in my kitchen. Though rice tops when it comes to one dish meals, stews and pastas are also the tough contenders when it comes to balanced meals.</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;" href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/">One Hot Stove</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, the host for Blog Bites event is hosting its eighth edition this month, which by the way ends in a few hours. And I am gonna make it just in time :) The theme for this month's </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;" href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/09/iron-chef-bloggers-bb7-round-up-and-on.html">BB8</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> is One Dish Meals, and here is my entry.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegetable Stew</span></span><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TMYBo76TkII/AAAAAAAADjw/7369bgBaPcI/s1600/veg+stew2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 383px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TMYBo76TkII/AAAAAAAADjw/7369bgBaPcI/s400/veg+stew2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532110995059871874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(adapted from </span><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.veggieteenscookbook.com/2009/11/meatless-monday-one-pot-vegetarian-southwestern-stew.html">this</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> recipe)</span><br /></div><br />This is a very simple and versatile stew. All you need is some veggies and spices of your choice. I used onion, potato, carrot, bell pepper, corn, tomato and black eyed peas.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNThUxYridIGufD1e4SNFSf-KaO3LADz6IwNyUl7yVDX6VQrXk4W30Ofty8M2NOudGFz3GWLbwFi3aN6By-uc__e1N4yocbAznCaVaHl266xzGziM_hHfqyqEMNidjd-qqKFtlWb7X7F5/s1600/veg+stew1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNThUxYridIGufD1e4SNFSf-KaO3LADz6IwNyUl7yVDX6VQrXk4W30Ofty8M2NOudGFz3GWLbwFi3aN6By-uc__e1N4yocbAznCaVaHl266xzGziM_hHfqyqEMNidjd-qqKFtlWb7X7F5/s400/veg+stew1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532117494561702610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> In a pot heat 2 tsp oil and add a clove of garlic - grated or minced.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Add 1 small onion diced, and saute until translucent.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> Next add half a carrot and 1 small potato and let them cook for a while.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.</span> Add pepper, corn, tomato and cooked beans of your choice along with 3 cups of water or vegetable stock.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> Season with red chilli powder, cumin powder, a teaspoon of sugar (optional) and salt to taste. Feel free to use the spices of your choice. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes on a medium heat.<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNThUxYridIGufD1e4SNFSf-KaO3LADz6IwNyUl7yVDX6VQrXk4W30Ofty8M2NOudGFz3GWLbwFi3aN6By-uc__e1N4yocbAznCaVaHl266xzGziM_hHfqyqEMNidjd-qqKFtlWb7X7F5/s1600/veg+stew1.jpg"><br /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. </span>Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and toasted bread. Alternatively you can toss in some short cut pasta as the stew simmers.<br /><br />With proteins from the beans; carbs, vitamins and fibers from veggies and whole grain bread/pasta, this one pot stew is a complete meal. And now off it goes to BB8!<br /></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-66038082082039971102010-10-20T18:30:00.008-04:002010-10-26T13:14:29.586-04:00Delicious Vegetarian turns One!<span style="font-size:100%;">Delicious Vegetarian turned ONE just a couple days back... YAY. I can't believe it's actually been a year. What started as a getaway from studying for CPA exam has become a fun activity for me (though I always thought I should write a blog, I was more than happy reading and enjoying what others wrote).<br /><br />I'll take this opportunity to say "Thank you Mom" for teaching me the basics of cooking and being an inspiration. Thank you dad for trying my recipes in the times when I could barely call myself a cook. And a BIG thank you to A, my ever supportive husband. Oh by the way, he is also the designated photographer of this blog and often my sous chef too :)<br /><br />I also want to thank all my friends who read my blog and email me their feedback, tips, comments etc etc. AND a thank you to all you readers. So let's celebrate the first birthday of my lil blog with something sweet. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />But before I write any more, let me answer the question in my <a href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2010/08/homemade-puris-for-panipuri.html">earlier post</a>. The answer is PURPLE BASIL</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. It smelled so good. I thought it smelled like a combination of fennel and basil. How I wish I could cook with it. But with A being under the weather, I had no time for a few days and had to give away my basil before we went out of town. Hopefully I will get it again come next summer. </span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gajar (Carrot) Poli</span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/S4r8sO0BOrI/AAAAAAAADT4/sCZR9I35eeg/s1600-h/Gajar+poli.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/S4r8sO0BOrI/AAAAAAAADT4/sCZR9I35eeg/s400/Gajar+poli.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443440936451390130" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(adapted from <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2010/01/14/carrot-poli-gajar-poli/">this</a> recipe)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Ever since I came across the recipe for Gajar Poli on <a href="http://www.aayisrecipes.com/">Aayi's Recipes</a>, I wanted to try it. I followed the recipe with some modifications.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> For the carrot mix, I used a cup each of shredded carrots, milk and sugar. In a pan add a teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter) and saute carrots until slightly tender.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Add milk and cook until the mixture starts to thicken. Add sugar and mix well. The mix will loosen up after adding sugar.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> Cook until the mixture thickens again. Add a teaspoon of cardamom powder and let cool.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span>To make poli, take a small ball of whole wheat dough and slightly roll it out. Stuff it with carrot mix and close all the edges as you would do for a dumpling.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> Roll the stuffed ball and cook both sides on a pan, and serve.<br /><br /></span></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-61235062578499716772010-09-23T11:41:00.002-04:002010-09-30T09:43:36.299-04:00Welcome to My Kitchen!Have you ever heard of a food blog event that doesn't ask you to cook at all? Wait till you read this. This week Nupur of <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/">One Hot Stove</a> is hosting a real fun event which asks the participants to write about their own kitchens, how they organize it and post some snaps of their spaces.<br /><br />The event is just for this week. I was out of town and wasn't sure until today if I would be able to participate. But now that I can, I am so glad. Every cook longs for a great looking, clutter free and well organized kitchen, and I am no exception. I just cannot work in a kitchen that is full of clutter and my biggest necessity is to have everything organized. But apartment living hardly offers you any options. I am not unhappy with my kitchen, I only wish it had more storage space.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqjFnNMCI/AAAAAAAADiM/ns30QCVvhfM/s1600/IMG_1090.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqjFnNMCI/AAAAAAAADiM/ns30QCVvhfM/s400/IMG_1090.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520122919307259938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(Left side of kitchen)<br /><br /></span></div>Mine is a 9x11 rectangular kitchen. On left side are cooking range, 2 counters, sink and a dishwasher. This side has a total of 4 overhead cabinets. 2 small square ones, and a full and a half cabinet. It also has a half cabinet under the first counter. The counter next to the stove is used the most, and drawer under it holds all the cooking tools.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnMiNV8O5IjYgXk_gNhwQxWQLI6sKv2k-oG3eeP9P77VBjk0t_Z3qxg0INFdC_v-CyuX8MWKh5wH8EdtRmHThAUu6MZyIqZW7z35NFyRoiC_kHXc5uJ8GNpJheN-RAAvrEfBLHt6EYKZr/s1600/IMG_1094.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnMiNV8O5IjYgXk_gNhwQxWQLI6sKv2k-oG3eeP9P77VBjk0t_Z3qxg0INFdC_v-CyuX8MWKh5wH8EdtRmHThAUu6MZyIqZW7z35NFyRoiC_kHXc5uJ8GNpJheN-RAAvrEfBLHt6EYKZr/s400/IMG_1094.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520122977962957346" border="0" /></a><br />The next counter has a corner rack for dinner plates, a caddy for forks & spoons, and a dish drainer. This counter is not used very often for prep purposes, and whenever I need it, I simply keep aside the dish drainer. Simple rods, a couple baskets and s-hooks from Ikea really helped organize things.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtzykhrfsI/AAAAAAAADis/xp75FE5GDbE/s1600/Untitled.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 329px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtzykhrfsI/AAAAAAAADis/xp75FE5GDbE/s400/Untitled.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520133080908267202" border="0" /></a>At the very end of left side is a small pantry that houses my groceries. The recycled pasta sauce and Bournvita bottles carry all dals, dried beans, and other items. They have really optimized the use of pantry. I also have some groceries in simple Rubbermaid take along containers just because of the fact that they are stackable.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PAl4-CBfu5c_QZDP1k1yVJL_g-OsSvJrzAtbHQYyba14ogCjOxn0iQjuQiOMgOic1Eq2OmylBo-Ur6cpEfm5Nqr-zItq_nzKgMGsckX6NN5gzMSGVeS1puWKJNapo00E6SJTBAOBFKVm/s1600/IMG_1095.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PAl4-CBfu5c_QZDP1k1yVJL_g-OsSvJrzAtbHQYyba14ogCjOxn0iQjuQiOMgOic1Eq2OmylBo-Ur6cpEfm5Nqr-zItq_nzKgMGsckX6NN5gzMSGVeS1puWKJNapo00E6SJTBAOBFKVm/s400/IMG_1095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520126328284945730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(Pantry)</span></div><br />On the other side of the kitchen is the fridge and next to it is a counter. However, this counter is of no use since microwave takes almost the entire space. It also has a full overhead cabinet that holds extra spices and snacks.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqbj8LL7I/AAAAAAAADh8/zwAW1JZ92Eo/s1600/IMG_1088.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqbj8LL7I/AAAAAAAADh8/zwAW1JZ92Eo/s400/IMG_1088.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520122790009319346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(Right side of kitchen)</span><br /></div><br />Next to this counter is some free space, where I have a bookshelf. Sounds odd... isn't it? I was looking for something which I could use for appliances and other stuff. I have spent a lot of time looking for storage solutions. I looked for baker's racks and kitchen cabinets, but they were too expensive. Then I bought a simple folding table, but had to return it as it was too big for the space. Then I had this thought of using a bookshelf and it worked just perfectly. Thankfully, it doesn't look that odd (or may be I am used to seeing it there).<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqfRMJumI/AAAAAAAADiE/ThFbwMwIEAk/s1600/IMG_1089.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqfRMJumI/AAAAAAAADiE/ThFbwMwIEAk/s400/IMG_1089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520122853695535714" border="0" /></a><br />The drawers under the microwave counter are full of steel bowls, knives, strainers, peelers and some other stuff.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqYBZ-fSI/AAAAAAAADh0/yXH-km-YYz0/s1600/IMG_1082.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TJtqYBZ-fSI/AAAAAAAADh0/yXH-km-YYz0/s400/IMG_1082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520122729199467810" border="0" /></a><br />I am very fond of storage bins as they prevent clutter. On the topmost shelves of overhead cabinets (which are accessible only with the use of a footstool) I have packets of snacks (like parle-G, granola bars), spices and the like put up in plastic baskets. I would hate to dump food packets on the shelves and then rummage through them to find what I need, so I bought these baskets from dollar shop - a simple and cheap solution. So far I am happy with my kitchen. It is totally functional, plus there is nothing more I can do to it even if I want to as there is no more space.<br /><br />If you too want to share your kitchen spaces, join the "<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Kitchen Link Party</span>" <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/09/kitchens-revealed-link-party.html">here</a>.Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-86990792893365604212010-09-11T20:40:00.003-04:002010-09-12T00:52:10.924-04:00Happy Ganesh Chaturthi<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TIxcUsRph6I/AAAAAAAADf8/JEwJBvUQZJo/s1600/modak.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TIxcUsRph6I/AAAAAAAADf8/JEwJBvUQZJo/s400/modak.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515885154174338978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Wish you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi!</span><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TIxbv4DTkJI/AAAAAAAADf0/_wE5F2RkvIU/s1600/modak.jpg"><br /></a>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-76118146386102413072010-08-30T20:34:00.005-04:002010-11-02T14:22:21.134-04:00Homemade Puris for PanipuriMy love for Panipuri is inexplicable. Known by different names such as <span style="font-style: italic;">golgappa</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">phuchka</span>; panipuri is probably the most popular street food in India. Having good puris is the utmost requirement for a good panipuri. I usually use storebought puris, but most of the times they are not so fresh. And that is why I started making my own puris. Of course I don't always make them, as making them is quite a task. But believe me it is so worth it.<br /><br />Puris for Panipuri are made with a semolina dough. The dough is then rolled and deep fried in oil. I have made these a few times now, and all I can say is they are way better than the puris we buy here at India grocery stores.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Puris for Panipuri</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAH6eP7SHLYJh85rR-50vMX72Mqs5PYr9QyjkkbgkULDL7OammDMdn1UB_D5sJBHqg8fo6JjcXGfUEnlNEsZ-5-kB1m_LciLP5AaSw8bojeZZcCNV4R1NmGSDG03JrbcpToAELHs0rP5X/s1600/panipuri+puris.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAH6eP7SHLYJh85rR-50vMX72Mqs5PYr9QyjkkbgkULDL7OammDMdn1UB_D5sJBHqg8fo6JjcXGfUEnlNEsZ-5-kB1m_LciLP5AaSw8bojeZZcCNV4R1NmGSDG03JrbcpToAELHs0rP5X/s400/panipuri+puris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511007628329032530" border="0" /></a>Making the dough is very simple, but what is difficult is rolling it out. To make this dough all you need is semolina, APF, salt and water. Most of the Indian stores carry panipuri flour. If you have that, all you need to do is form a dough. I normally use semolina, but this time I had some leftover panipuri flour from last time, so I used that instead.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(makes about 12o puris of 1.5" diameter)</span><br />2 cups semolina<br />4-5 tbsp APF (more or less as needed to bind the dough together)<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />Warm water<br />Oil for deep frying<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">( If you use panipuri flour, skip APF)<br /></span><br />1. In a bowl take semolina and salt, and soak it in little bit of water for about a minute. Now add APF and make a dough. Put about a quarter teaspoon of oil and knead until smooth. Make sure that the dough is firm.<br /><br />2. Once dough is formed, let it rest for about 30 minutes.<br /><br />3. To make puris, take some dough and roll it out very thin. Using a small cookie cutter cut it into individual puris.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnans2A7_aXajxzOfnvfn69ahZwPv4XNUUu0Nr_fiF2nnbIJmTM8jOVDGH0jn2HyGBySiB3AlIRun8om4JnXU7yjM1pgAIXvfOX62oUIl-CGN0hIOXe1GZ0uvX1Ukxmm02zGWybtGe0Cl/s1600/Puris.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnans2A7_aXajxzOfnvfn69ahZwPv4XNUUu0Nr_fiF2nnbIJmTM8jOVDGH0jn2HyGBySiB3AlIRun8om4JnXU7yjM1pgAIXvfOX62oUIl-CGN0hIOXe1GZ0uvX1Ukxmm02zGWybtGe0Cl/s400/Puris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511007560792300162" border="0" /></a><br />4. Heat some oil and deep fry these puris on a medium heat until golden brown.<br /><br />5. Let cool completely. Store in an air tight container.<br /><br />Remember that this dough is very elastic and keeps stretching back. That is why it is very important to roll it out very thin. If you fry a thick dough, puris will be soft and not as hard as the ones needed for panipuri. If some of the puris don't puff up, don't worry - you can always use them for <span style="font-style: italic;">Ragda puri</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Shev puri</span>.<br /><br />Before you store your puris, check if there are any soft puris in the batch. Sort them out, spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 180-200(F) degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. Enjoy the fruit of your hard work!<br /><br />You can find the recipe for Panipuri <a href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2009/12/bye-bye-2009-with-panipuri-spdp.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>nd now a little quiz time. Can you guess what this is? I got it from the Farmer's market.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkadl0o5J6MkdnQt1Ld1vX4Y78BqRngOeS5oSzTGn4wgKNe-O-7poiZ8C32SuD21ToOcop5DHADlTih9DbYoOU64_-a9cBx9kHwuxI4icPZCByMlftR8XqMQJQHQwMC5Qbr9pQDjJ16QZN/s1600/photo1.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 355px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkadl0o5J6MkdnQt1Ld1vX4Y78BqRngOeS5oSzTGn4wgKNe-O-7poiZ8C32SuD21ToOcop5DHADlTih9DbYoOU64_-a9cBx9kHwuxI4icPZCByMlftR8XqMQJQHQwMC5Qbr9pQDjJ16QZN/s400/photo1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511007707196859378" border="0" /></a>I will be back with the answer and a recipe for the above in a couple of days. See you then!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-59239360009323189312010-08-29T10:06:00.007-04:002011-06-06T14:29:53.163-04:00A New Twist to Dahi Vada<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I have always loved watching cooking shows. Remember the 90's, when there were just a couple of food shows on Indian television? I never gave a miss to </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/">Sanjeev Kapoor's</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> '</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Khana Khazana</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">'. Later when </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.tarladalal.com/">Tarla Dalal's</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> show started I watched that too. If I found something interesting, I would grab whatever paper I could find and jot down the recipe. Later I started keeping a paper and a pen before the show started. Of course I don't need to tell you that I never tried those recipes :P</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Then came the time when I developed more interest in cooking and decided that I would try the recipes soon enough. And I did a few actually. I have no memories of what they were or how they turned out. While going through my old recipe journal, I found a few recipes that I had jotted down from these cooking shows. And one such recipe is </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">'Low Cal Dahi vada'</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. It is from Tarla Dalal. The funny thing is, years later I found it online and realized how awfully I had written it in my journal :D</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Moong Beans Dahi Vada</span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/THpkWa07s0I/AAAAAAAADek/-buMPh0ZSzM/s1600/Moong+dahi+vada.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/THpkWa07s0I/AAAAAAAADek/-buMPh0ZSzM/s400/Moong+dahi+vada.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510827430362460994" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">(adapted from <a href="http://www.tarladalal.com/Non-Fried-Dahi-Vadas-2845r"><span style="font-weight: bold;">this</span> </a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Tarla Dalal recipe </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">)</span><br /></div></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Traditionally, Dahi Vada (which is a dumpling soaked in yogurt mix) is made with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urad_%28bean%29">urad dal</a> but this one is made with green moong. I had some leftover moong sprouts from the week, and I had been wanting to try this recipe since ages. I used the following to make these Dahi Vadas.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span>For making Vadas you need -</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span>1 cup sprouted green moong beans<br />2 green chillies<br />1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger root<br />1 tbsp chopped cilantro<br />A pinch of baking soda (optional)<br />Salt to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> To make vadas, grind moong and chillies together into a fine paste.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. </span>Add ginger, cilantro, baking soda and salt, and mix well. The batter looks like this -<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9XfDnGBzvWBKfEW3k3zDeiHOIzBNsyJZsv4A4ykTNwd0khx9OrBD8oeMpPJv51ppTznIDySp7gDb_PgB3k3afj-vbP0xlRFPQG7DuHJX-dKRK3PpU2FRdYQedEhMMtR_g0N3zh7jPy3x/s1600/Moong+sprouts+batter.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 392px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9XfDnGBzvWBKfEW3k3zDeiHOIzBNsyJZsv4A4ykTNwd0khx9OrBD8oeMpPJv51ppTznIDySp7gDb_PgB3k3afj-vbP0xlRFPQG7DuHJX-dKRK3PpU2FRdYQedEhMMtR_g0N3zh7jPy3x/s400/Moong+sprouts+batter.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510832669703241474" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">3. Now spray the sandwich toaster with oil and put a spoonful of batter into each of the fou</span>r compartments of the toaster.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/THpprBjYsII/AAAAAAAADe0/vrtIwVSytrk/s1600/batter+in+sandwich+toaster.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/THpprBjYsII/AAAAAAAADe0/vrtIwVSytrk/s400/batter+in+sandwich+toaster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510833281913368706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span>Once the top side starts to look dry, turn the vadas and let them cook for a couple more minutes. Take them out and put them in cold water for about 2-3 minutes.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> Take vadas out of water, squeeze them between your palms and take the excess water out. Now put vadas in yogurt mixture.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To make yogurt mix, you would need -</span><br />1 cup yogurt<br />1/2 cup sour cream (optional)<br />3 tbsp milk<br />1 tbsp sugar<br />1/2 tsp red chilli powder<br />1/2 tsp dry mint leaves (optional)<br />1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger root<br />salt to taste<br /><br />In a deep bowl, mix the above ingredients. Make tempering of <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp asafetida and 4-5 curry leaves</span>. Pour this tempering on the yogurt mixture and mix well. Put vadas in and let soak for about 30 minutes. Keep in the fridge to chill. Serve cold.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-22682248806466630572010-08-26T12:55:00.015-04:002010-08-27T12:11:32.939-04:00Sweet Coconut RiceI am back to blogging after two long months. I was studying the entire summer and am so glad that it is over. So no more studying for me now. The laziness really took over me for a couple weeks after the exam. My poor brain was so tired that I needed to relax for a while.<br /><br />Over the past couple weeks I haven't been cooking anything much besides regular meals. I have spent those weeks watching movies and tv, going out shopping/window shopping, knitting and sleeping. Now I feel fresh and am all set to try those bookmarked recipes.<br /><br />Two days back it was <span style="font-style: italic;">Narali Pournima</span> and I thought I should make coconut rice at least this year. Narali Pournima is a Maharashtrian festival. A dish called '<span style="font-style: italic;">Naralibhaat</span>', which means coconut rice is a special preparation on this day. I remember celebrating even the tiniest festival as a kid. My grandmother used to make all those special dishes associated with each festival. Thinking of those days really makes me nostalgic. My granny made an awesome coconut rice. It's literally been ages since the last time I had it.<br /><br />If you have a sweet tooth like I do, you would definitely love this rice. Another reason I like it is the combination of coconut and jaggery. I totally enjoy all those foods that have the coconut-jaggery combo. This rice is made by adding a mixture of coconut and jaggery to cooked rice.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sweet Coconut Rice</span></span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ugfnQWm2SKJ7pWfYuRyhXvXrsjbBdQXaJiaIRjUqeRoLBn2JIi9ESMVoJSd2rFoaeOLVyO1LSQtTD2yzCsIwpG9ZfhvvMfbShPtN54lHj37Qez9ssmYZUHn8jKnXPLE6_q4QCSrzPoKc/s1600/Coconut+Rice_Sweet.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ugfnQWm2SKJ7pWfYuRyhXvXrsjbBdQXaJiaIRjUqeRoLBn2JIi9ESMVoJSd2rFoaeOLVyO1LSQtTD2yzCsIwpG9ZfhvvMfbShPtN54lHj37Qez9ssmYZUHn8jKnXPLE6_q4QCSrzPoKc/s400/Coconut+Rice_Sweet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509929442771755618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">To make this rice, you would need the following -</span><br />1 cup basmati rice<br />2 cups water<br />1.5 cups jaggery<br />1.5 cups shredded coconut, fresh or frozen (I used fresh)<br />A pinch of saffron threads soaked in a tablespoon of warm milk<br />1.5 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)<br />5-6 pieces of cloves<br />1/4 cup mix of cashews and raisins (optional)<br />1/4 tsp cardamom powder<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> Before you start, wash the rice two to three times and keep it aside for about 30 minutes.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />2.</span> Cook the rice as you would normally do (1cup rice + 2cups water) and pour saffron milk over it. Now gently mix it with a fork. An alternative to making this rice is to saute washed rice on ghee and then cook it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />3. </span>In a pan add about 1-2 tsp of ghee, jaggery and coconut. Let it simmer until coconut and jaggery are mixed well. Make sure that there are no lumps of jaggery. Once cooked, the mixture will look like this -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/THczh4kWocI/AAAAAAAADdw/fNMeHqMzvSk/s1600/Coconut-jaggery+mix.jpg.bmp"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 159px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/THczh4kWocI/AAAAAAAADdw/fNMeHqMzvSk/s400/Coconut-jaggery+mix.jpg.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509929326324654530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />4.</span> In another pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee and add cloves to it. Add cooked rice and saute for about a minute.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />5.</span> Now pour the mixture of jaggery and coconut over rice and gently mix everything together. Add nuts before mixing. Let it cook for another minute or so.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />6. </span>Add cardamom powder if you like. Serve hot or at room temperature.<br /><br />I made this rice in a jiffy and forgot adding nuts to it. That is why you don't see any nuts peeking through the rice.<br /></div></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-19891040420459366322010-06-26T21:31:00.005-04:002010-06-27T01:14:11.834-04:00Kiwis and LimesTwo months back, I was in India. My trip extended by ten days because of flight delays due to Icelandic volcano eruption. On my way to the airport, I was telling mom what all (of course food items) I wanted to take with me to US, but couldn't take for some reasons, and how she must get them when she visits me later this year.<br /><br />With all those heavy-hearted goodbyes and the most annoying immigration procedures, I was finally at the gate, waiting for boarding to start. And suddenly comes the news that my flight has been canceled. Ughh... At first I was really very mad...you tell me who wouldn't. Mom was very happy that she got ten bonus days to spend with me, and so was I :p<br /><br />In those ten days I bought all those food items that I had forgotten about...adjusting the weight of my bags, taking off items that I thought were okay not to carry etc etc. One of these days my cousin K and I were in a grocery store to buy stuff in my new list. As we were checking out, I noticed a <u><a href="http://indianfood.about.com/od/drinkrecipes/r/panha.htm">Panha</a></u> (which is a raw mango drink) concentrate. I so wanted to buy it, but it was available only in one kilogram cans, and no way I could have fit it in my luggage. I will make it this summer if I get good raw mangoes. I really miss having all these awesome concentrates which are used to make <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharbat">Sarbats</a></u>; especially now that the temperatures are soaring up.<br /><br />When I was visiting my brother in Mumbai, my SIL made us a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carissa_lanceolata"><u>Karvanda</u></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> Sarbat</span> from the concentrate they had just bought from their Konkan trip. It was extremely refreshing and tasty...beautiful pale pink color ,a little sweet and a little sour. A & I adore lemonade made from fresh limes and have lot of it every summer. With my busy schedule these days, I was planning to make some concentrate so that we can have lemonade instantly. Suddenly I remembered the Karvanda sarbat and thought what if I make a kiwi lemonade instead. I thought probably kiwis would give a similar taste as they too are sweet and sour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Kiwi Lemonade<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX-B0INirYHC93SkCcF-22pTWsXqLkHbE6d2DQ4HyehcJju0QYIf26uDf1oCoGHitQn0U-mFMRag9A_O4SlyRx3B0cN8uipE98GUzsRP3cVsypRvDfNuWWdmdRIZ8BfuSPA-A4IpbXRJC/s1600/kiwi+lemonade.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 362px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX-B0INirYHC93SkCcF-22pTWsXqLkHbE6d2DQ4HyehcJju0QYIf26uDf1oCoGHitQn0U-mFMRag9A_O4SlyRx3B0cN8uipE98GUzsRP3cVsypRvDfNuWWdmdRIZ8BfuSPA-A4IpbXRJC/s400/kiwi+lemonade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487237484426969026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(Kiwi Lemonade Concentrate - Makes about 15 cups of Lemonade)<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">I was looking for Kiwi Lemonade recipes and found a lot of identical recipes, but they were not close to what I was looking for. I wanted to make a lemonade that tastes more like <span style="font-style: italic;">Sarbat</span>. Mom gave me a recipe once for Lime sarbat concentrate, and I decided to make some modifications to incorporate kiwis into it. Here is how to make this concentrate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> In a pot mix 2 cups of sugar with 2 cups of water to make simple syrup. Once the sugar dissolves completely, let it boil for a minute, and then turn the heat off.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Peel 5 Kiwi fruits, cut them into big chunks and puree them. This will be about a cup.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> Strain and mix kiwi pulp with half a cup of fresh lime juice, and add this to sugar syrup.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.</span> Let cool and store in an airtight jar in the fridge. This can be used in the next 5-6 days.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> To make lemonade mix 2 tablespoons of concentrate with a cup of water. Add a pinch or two of salt and stir well. Serve very cold.<br /><br />I used a colander to strain kiwis and that is why the seeds are also in the concentrate. If you don't want the seeds in your lemonade, strain in a regular strainer. The lemonade gets a nice pale green color because of kiwis and is very refreshing.<br /></div></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-34671175245600683212010-06-20T22:24:00.006-04:002011-06-06T14:30:19.319-04:00Green Tomato ChutenyI have been looking for green tomatoes all these years. Ours being a small town, the Farmer's market here is a tiny one. I was never able to get green tomatoes here.<br /><br />Two months back I bought a membership to a farm co-operative located in some town nearby, which recently opened their store here. With one membership, you can buy a total of 120 pounds of organic veggies without paying a single penny over what you have paid for membership. Isn't that amazing? And yes the membership is dirt cheap. I am so happy this summer as I am getting fresh and luscious veggies. I go there every Saturday morning and get my week's stock of vegetables.<br /><br />On my yesterday's trip I was very happy to see green tomatoes at the store and got a few of them. To my disbelief, some of them already started changing color by the time I was home. I was out for a long time and it was the crazy heat that was responsible for it. Thankfully it did spare a couple for my chutney. Huh...<br /><br />I was planning to make this green tomato chutney for a while now. I always loved chutneys, especially the tangy ones. Mom used to make this chutney quite often and of course I follow her recipe.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Green Tomato Chutney</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TB7IVktdSAI/AAAAAAAADY8/KaEVArmXVew/s1600/green+tomato+chutney.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TB7IVktdSAI/AAAAAAAADY8/KaEVArmXVew/s400/green+tomato+chutney.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485041669140989954" border="0" /></a><br />1. Cut 4 green tomatoes in big chunks and saute on a teaspoon of oil for a minute. I used 4 small tomatoes.<br />2. Lightly toast a teaspoon of sesame seeds, grind them to a coarse powder and set aside.<br />3. Grind together 4-5 green chillies, 1/2 tsp grated ginger and tomatoes into a paste.<br />4. Add a teaspoon of sugar, ground sesame seeds and salt, and pulse it a couple times.<br />5. Make tempering of 1 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp asafetida and a pinch of turmeric. Pour this tempering on the ground mixture and mix well.<br /><br />Add some cilantro if you like. Serve it as a side with rice or chapati, or slather on bread slices to make sandwiches.Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-26747436406825075682010-06-11T19:47:00.008-04:002012-04-18T09:30:06.712-04:00Zucchini Flapjacks...Desi styleWeekend is here and fridge looks deserted as it looks every weekend. There is a lone zucchini lying in the crisper and nothing else. It's been in the fridge for a week and I still haven't used it. Huh... A is out for his cricket practice and I am too bored to go out and shop (though it takes just 5 minutes of walking to go to the grocery store). I was thinking of what to cook for dinner with this single zucchini and it just clicked.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TBGrbwh5MVI/AAAAAAAADYA/RKeE3SgFdCA/s1600/Zucchini+flapjack.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TBGrbwh5MVI/AAAAAAAADYA/RKeE3SgFdCA/s400/Zucchini+flapjack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481350714858484050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(serves 2)</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> In a bowl mix 2 cups grated zucchini, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup each of rice flour and gram flour and about a quarter cup of chopped onion.<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Add a teaspoon each of red chilli powder, white sesame seeds (lightly toasted), and carom seeds. To toast the sesame seeds, simply microwave them for 30 seconds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> Also add 1/8 tsp turmeric powder, a pinch of asafetida, and salt to taste.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.</span> Mix all the above ingredients well by adding water as needed, to form a soft dough. You need about a quarter cup of water.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> Coat the bottom of a pan with very little oil and put a small ball of dough in the center. Spread the dough by pressing it with your fingers until it is about quarter inch thick.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6.</span> Put the lid on and let it cook until you hear a sizzle. Now take the lid off and flip it to let the other side cook. Add some oil if needed. Don't put the lid on when the other side cooks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. </span>Serve hot with the condiment of your choice.<br /></div>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-14896845481254002722010-06-02T18:15:00.002-04:002011-06-06T14:32:32.638-04:00Mixed Fruit SandwichI must confess... ever since I read the theme for <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/05/bb4-whats-lurking-in-kitchen.html">Blog Bites#4</a> hosted at <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/">One Hot Stove</a>, I have been thinking of using the long waiting ingredients in my kitchen. In fact I loved this concept so much that I now plan on looking for such lurkers once every month.<br /><br />Here is a list of current lurkers in my kitchen. This is the same list from my <a href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2010/05/banana-bread-for-chocolate-lovers.html">previous post</a>. The only difference is that I have striked out the items that I used or that I finally started using as a part of this challenge.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> <s>APF</s> ( I have this for the longest time since I started using whole wheat flour as much as I could in baking). I still have a little more APF left.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> <s>Chana dal which I don't use very often and which has not been used in almost 3 months</s><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> <s>1 packet of cake mix</s> - Totally forgot about it and it had expired a couple months back, so had to trash it- So what if it cost me just a dollar? Felt very bad for wasting it<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.</span> <s>Baking cocoa</s><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> <s>In the fridge door- Red chilli sauce, Soy sauce</s><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6.</span> <s>Soyabean flour</s>: I have started using this daily with whole wheat flour for making <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chapatis</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7.</span> Found in my freezer- <s>half a packet of methi leaves, drumsticks, pineapple chunks, leftover tomatoes from can, paneer</s> ( I didn't even know it was there - just a few small cubes - but without even thinking about it, I trashed it - well if you don't know of something that you have you better not use it... right?) and of course frozen bananas-<s>4 of them</s> 1 left<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8.</span> <s>3 carrots, half a cabbage, spinach packet</s><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9.</span> <s>6</s> 4 Eggs which expire in a couple days<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10.</span> <s>About 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks</s><br /><br />Wow... I am impressed :) that's a way better use of ingredients. I don't think I would have used them so quickly otherwise.<br /><br />Well there is one more thing that I forgot to add to this list and that is strawberry jam... just about a tablespoon of it way down at the bottom of the bottle. And yes it expires in next 2 days... and I actually mean 2 days. I normally would have thought of having a regular bread butter jam sandwich for breakfast or would have trashed the bottle after realizing that it had expired and probably not felt bad for trashing it thinking it was just a tablespoon of jam after all. But wait...not at present, and that is because presently, I am going through '<span style="font-style: italic;">Find ways to use lurkers</span>' phase. So I had to use that last tablespoon.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Mixed fruit Sandwich</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAZxzlG3wSI/AAAAAAAADXY/81phK8xwuSc/s1600/MFS1.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAZxzlG3wSI/AAAAAAAADXY/81phK8xwuSc/s400/MFS1.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478191127690985762" border="0" /></a><br /></div>I was browsing <a href="http://veggieplatter.blogspot.com/">Suma's blog</a> and read <a href="http://veggieplatter.blogspot.com/2010/05/eggless-orange-flavored-berry-pancakes.html">this post</a> where she mentions her family's favorite Banana sandwich. After reading it I thought wow... a Banana sandwich! I have never had a fruit sandwich before. Her sandwich (and that leftover jam in the bottle) actually compelled me to try this mixed fruit sandwich. I thought what if I try using different fruits and nuts instead of just Banana, and that is how I came up with this <span style="font-style: italic;">Mixed Fruit Sandwich</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. </span>Toast and butter bread slices.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Spread jam/ preserve of your choice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> Add whatever fruits and nuts you like and serve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAZx412ql1I/AAAAAAAADXg/Q35LDZTyF3Y/s1600/MFS_2.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAZx412ql1I/AAAAAAAADXg/Q35LDZTyF3Y/s400/MFS_2.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478191218085762898" border="0" /></a>I used whole wheat bread; and banana, apple, dates, and coarsely chopped pistachios & cashews. The sandwich tasted really good with the crunchiness of nuts. There are a couple of things that I would like to share. Add bananas at the end so that they don't turn black and sandwich won't get soggy. The drawback of this sandwich is that unfortunately it can't be made ahead of time. You must immediately eat it to really enjoy the taste. I have no experience with kids, but I am positive that kids would love it.<br /><br />I am sending this to <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/05/bb4-whats-lurking-in-kitchen.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blog Bites# 4</span></a> as my second entry.<br /><br />I am glad that I was able to use the perishable stuff as planned and did not waste it, which doesn't always happen.Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-39129033720946993062010-05-30T10:43:00.009-04:002011-06-06T14:33:16.525-04:00Banana Bread for Chocolate Lovers<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The theme for <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/05/bb4-whats-lurking-in-kitchen.html">this month's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blog Bites</span> event</a> hosted at <span style="font-style: italic;">One Hot Stove</span> calls for using up the food and ingredients in the kitchen that are just waiting to be used. Hmmmm.... interesting! So get ready, it's time for stock taking of the pantry.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Okay, here goes the challenge... in Nupur's own words -<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Look into your kitchen cupboards, your refrigerator and freezer and raise your hand if you see any of the following; And my response to each question follows.</span> <ul><li style="font-style: italic;">Open bottles of jams and preserves that have not been touched for months: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients bought for a specific recipe that you have not used again: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Foods given to you as gifts but that you never get around to using: <span style="font-weight: bold;">No</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Food at the back of the freezer that you can't even get to: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Bottles lined up in the fridge door filled with mysterious sauces: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Leftovers in the fridge waiting to be used up before you forget about them and chuck them out next weekend: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients that you buy because they are nutritious and you feel like you should be eating them, but you can't think of ways to use them, so they sit there, taking up space and mocking you: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Foods that are dangerously close to or just past the expiration date: <span style="font-weight: bold;">No</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Overripe bananas that you are collecting in the freezer: <span style="font-weight: bold;">YES</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Spices that you bought in bulk because the price was right but are now rapidly losing their flavor: <span style="font-weight: bold;">No</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">A bulk package of something that will last you until 2035: <span style="font-weight: bold;">No</span><br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients that you are saving for a "special occasion" that never comes: <span style="font-weight: bold;">No</span><br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Impulse purchases from grocery shopping trips that are sitting around 6 months later and making you feel guilty: </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">No</span><br /></li></ul>Well as you see I said yes to more than half of these questions and realized how much stuff I have that seriously needed my attention. So thanks Nupur for coming up with this great idea.<br /></div></div><br />To start with, I made a list of all those lurkers in my kitchen. Some of these need an immediate action, else they will have to go in the trash and others need to be used because they have not been used in a really long time. So here goes the list -<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> APF ( I have this for the longest time since I started using whole wheat flour as much as I could in baking)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Chana dal which I don't use very often and which has not been used in almost 3 months<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> 1 packet of cake mix - Totally forgot about it and it had expired a couple months back, so had to trash it- So what if it cost me just a dollar? Felt very bad for wasting it<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.</span> Baking cocoa<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span> In the fridge door- Red chilli sauce, Soy sauce<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6.</span> Soyabean flour<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7.</span> Found in my freezer- half a packet of methi leaves, drumsticks, pineapple chunks, leftover tomatoes from can, paneer ( I didn't even know it was there - just a few small cubes - but without even thinking about it, I trashed it - well if you don't know of something that you have you better not use it... right?) and of course frozen bananas-4 of them<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8.</span> 3 carrots, half a cabbage, spinach packet<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9.</span> 6 Eggs which expire in a couple days<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10.</span> About 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks<br /><br />Surprisingly, the list is not as long as I thought it would be. I ended up using almost half of these items in the last two days and have plans for using a few of these in the next two days. I used methi leaves and some of chana dal by making <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2010/05/methi-in-chana-dal-chana-dal-fenugreek.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dal-Methi</span></a>. Pineapple chunks were used as an additional topping on a takeout pizza yesterday.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Double Chocolate Banana Bread</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAEsUIrcWeI/AAAAAAAADXM/P--xSZxusR0/s1600/Chocolate+banana+bread.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAEsUIrcWeI/AAAAAAAADXM/P--xSZxusR0/s400/Chocolate+banana+bread.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476707346297936354" border="0" /></a><br />We had friends over for cards night and I decided to make this double chocolate banana bread from the recipe that I read on <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com/">The Sisters Cafe</a>.</span> I had all the ingredients that the recipe calls for and amazingly a lot of them were in the list above. Probably that was the main reason for making this chocolate banana bread.<br /><br />I followed <a href="http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2009/05/double-chocolate-banana-bread.html">this</a> recipe from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Sisters Cafe</span> with a slight modification. I used butter instead of oil and baking powder in place of baking soda (since I did not have baking soda on hand). I did not use a lot of chocolate chips since I had just about half a cup of them. Everyone loved the <s>cake</s> bread. It was very moist and inspite of having so much chocolate, it still had that banana flavor.<br /><br />This is my entry for <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/05/bb4-whats-lurking-in-kitchen.html">Blog Bites # 4</a> hosted at <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.onehotstove.blogspot.com/">One Hot Stove</a>.</span><br /><br />I plan to use carrots and drumsticks in <a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2010/02/masala-dosa-uttappa.html">Sambar</a> (recipe is in the middle of the post) that I will make today to go with Idlis. The plan with the remaining carrots is to go in <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Manchurian</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>along with cabbage, soy sauce and red chilli sauce. Some more chana dal will be used in <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mixed Dal Appey</span> sometime this month. And predictably enough spinach will be used for making <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2009/12/healthy-spinach-paratha.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Spinach parathas</span></a> in the next 2-3 days. The last frozen banana, which can definitely sit a little longer in the freezer may be used in <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sheera</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>or <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Banana Pancakes</span>.<br /><br />I hope to use all of these as planned and not waste any. I also have one more kitchen cabinet left to check for any hidden packets. Thankfully I am not an impulsive shopper when it comes to groceries, so the chances of finding something mysterious are quite unlikely.<br /></div></div><a href="http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2009/05/double-chocolate-banana-bread.html"> </a>Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674431396928542473.post-35320508622142365722010-05-29T11:10:00.004-04:002011-06-06T14:34:07.896-04:00Methi in Chana Dal (Chana dal & Fenugreek curry)I am back after quite a long break from blogging. About 2 days back I was reading about the <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/p/events.html">Blog Bites (BB)</a> event that is hosted at One Hot Stove, and <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/05/bb4-whats-lurking-in-kitchen.html">this month's theme</a> had me thinking of all those lurkers in my kitchen. Just as I was reading about this blog bites event, the first thing that came to my mind was Chana Dal. This is one dal that I don't use on a regular basis and is sitting ignored in one corner of my pantry. I also have a packet of methi (fenugreek leaves) that is patiently waiting in the freezer. I have been planning to use them for quite a while now, but obviously haven't used them yet.<br /><br />Mom makes this methi dal that I simply adore. It is a such simple recipe, something that I treat as a comfort food. A perfect recipe to use up the ingredients in my kitchen that have long been waiting to be used. However, is not from any other blog, so I can't send it to BB. But coincidentally, I learned of an event hosted at <a href="http://veggieplatter.blogspot.com/">Suma's blog</a>. The theme for the event is <a href="http://veggieplatter.blogspot.com/2010/04/announcing-event-delicious-dals-from.html">Delicious Dals from India</a> and guess what this methi dal perfectly fits the bill :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dal-Methi</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAEq4vDFzbI/AAAAAAAADXE/t23_E7mJpdM/s1600/dal-methi.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EMPg5xfkcvc/TAEq4vDFzbI/AAAAAAAADXE/t23_E7mJpdM/s400/dal-methi.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476705776049704370" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(Serves 4)</span><br />1/2 cup chana dal<br />1 cup methi leaves (chopped)<br />Handful of raw peanuts (soaked for about 30 min)<br />1 tbsp gram flour<br />1/2 tsp cumin powder<br />1 tbsp coconut flakes<br />1 tbsp jaggery (more or less as needed)<br />4-5 dried <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia_indica">kokum</a> pieces<br />2-3 green chillies<br />Salt to taste<br /><a href="http://deliciousvegetarian.blogspot.com/2010/01/back-to-basics-tempering.html">Tempering</a> of 2 tsp oil<br /><br />1. To start with, pressure cook methi, chana dal and peanuts.<br /><br />2. Mash the cooked dal with the back of a ladle and then whisk in the gram flour to the mixture.<br /><br />3. In another pot, make tempering and add to it chopped green chillies, kokum, the above mixture, salt, cumin, coconut flakes and jaggery.<br /><br />4. Add about a cup of water (more if needed) and bring dal to a boil.<br /><br />Serve with steamed rice or chapatis. The dal tastes the best when served hot. Now, I am sending this to off to Suma for the <a href="http://veggieplatter.blogspot.com/2010/04/announcing-event-delicious-dals-from.html">Delicious Dals from India</a> event .Amrutahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02265374419558536012noreply@blogger.com2