by Priyanka posted at 10:24 PM
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 Kopra pak
 Naral wadi/Coconut fudgeYou would say potato- "potahto"- whats the difference? Thats what P said to me when i told him what i was cooking. But my dear friends, there is..... for coconut burfi is made using milk while kopra pak is made using sugar syrup, i.e. sans milk. And what prompted me to make these delicious Indian sweets?
Well, if you have read my previous posts you would know that these sweets are P's favorites and he swears by them. Since the past couple of days i have been cooking mostly for blog events. As a result, P who loves a simple, everyday fare of dal, chawal, roti, sabzi had an overdose of my trysts with cooking. To make it upto P, i made his favorite dishes- the coconut burfi is the first one. I experimented with dessicated coconut instead of fresh grated coconut for the first time. For the most part, the coconut burfi and kopra pak turned out pretty awesome except for some technical difficulties. I will talk about it a little later on in the post.....
Now, onto the recipe.... Coconut burfi Makes 8-9
1/2 cup dessicated unsweetened coconut (you can also use fresh coconut) 2/3 cup 2% milk (you can use whole milk or condensed milk too) 1/3 tsp cardamom powder 4 tbsp sugar (you can add more or less depending on your taste) 3 coarsely crushed almonds a few strands saffron(mixed in 2 tsp of hot milk) 1/2 tsp ghee
1. Heat the ghee and add the dessicated coconut. Saute/Mix it well for 2 minutes (dont let it turn brown).
2. Add the milk, cardamom powder, almonds, saffron and sugar and let the concotion boil, stirring it once in a while till it thickens and becomes dry and firm (of a fudge consistency) but still soft.
3. Pour into a plate already greased with a little ghee and with a flat spoon roll/pat out evenly in the plate. Cut it into diamond shaped pieces and let it cool. Do not remove from the plate.
4. After its completely cooled, put it in the refrigerator so that it sets in firmly and doesnt break.
5.Remove after 5-6 hours and relish....
 Kopra pak(I made these from this recipe i found on the internet- that claimed that the recipe source was the "Dakshin Vegetarian recipes" by Chandra Padmanabhan- Hence i decided to give it a try - the only change being use of dessicated coconut instead of fresh grated one)
Makes 13-14 pieces
Ingredients1 cup dessicated unsweetened coconut (you can also use fresh coconut) 3/4th cup sugar (i reduced the sugar by 1/4th cup, yet found the kopra pak to be very sweet and i do have a sweet tooth- if you prefer less sweet you could lessen it to your liking) 1 cup water 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 3-4 sliced almonds a few strands of saffron crushed with some sugar (the sugar helps crush the saffron- do it in a mortar and pestle) 1. Heat the water and sugar till it becomes thick and of a syrupy consistency. 2. Add in the cardomom, saffron, almonds and coconut and mix well. Cook it for another 5 minutes. 3. While its still pourable, transfer it to a plate greased with little ghee and pat it evenly. 4. While its still hot, cut into diamond shaped pieces but do not remove from plate. Allow to cool and set.  OK, now onto the difficulties that i faced while making these sweets- The coconut fudge didnt set in firmly as it should have. Some of the pieces kept breaking off. I dont know the reason for that. Any help or suggestions would be helpful.
The Kopra Pak turned out to be a little too sweet for my taste- I thought that P who doesnt have a sweet tooth would not eat them at all and i would have to finish them off. However, P couldnt stop licking his fingers when i gave him some to sample. He finished off half the plate of kopra pak right then- just goes to show how much P loves Naral wadi/Kopra Pak. Next time if i make it again, i would either reduce the sugar by another 1/4th cup or increase the coconut by another half cup and keep the rest of the ingredients the same.
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by Priyanka posted at 9:39 PM
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I had grand plans of making umpteen dishes with chillies this month. After all, thats not such a high end goal in an Indian household where chillies dominate any form of cooking. However, towards the end of the month, I didnt know if i could make it to the JFI: Chillies event this month. The reason is, i have been caught up with a lot of things lately, specifically apartment hunting. As a result, i had totally forgotten about the event till i peeped into the refrigerator this evening after a long day and came up with three veggies sitting there since the past week when i went grocery shopping: Papdi, Tondli and Baby aubergines/eggplants. Since i was running short on time- it was a no-brainer which veggie i could make till i suddenly remembered the JFI event and a recipe that i had flipped through in one (Chef's Vegetarian favorites from Taj) of the sole two cookbooks that i own. This Baingan Mirchi Ka Salan goes to Nandita of Saffron Trail, who's guest hosting this month's Jihva For Ingredients: Chillies, a food event originally started by Indira of Mahanandi. So what ingredients did i use for this recipe? Whole green chiles, Whole red dried chilies and red chili powder. OK.... thats not all but those are the main ingredients for this recipe along with some others. Here goes the recipe : Serves 4 Ingredients 16 small baby eggplants 2 small green peppers, julienned 12 small green chilies/ big green chilies (adjust according to your spice level) 2 tsp tamarind paste salt to taste 1/3rd tsp fenugreek seeds 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1-1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/3 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp garam masala 1 cup youghurt To be ground into paste 1-1/2 tsp sesame 4 tsp cashews 2 tsp peanuts 1/3 tsp whole black pepper For tempering 8 whole dried red chillies 1/3 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 cup dessicated coconut 2 tsp oil Updated- 07/31/07- Just wanted to let you guys know that despite so many chilies, the dish turned out just a little spicy- thats because i fried the green chilies and the whole dried red chilies didnt add that much of the pizzazz as regular green chilies do:)- You can vary the quantity though according to your spice level. However since this recipe is from the Chefs at The TAJ, you can expect it to be mildly spicy in order to cater to the international clientel. 1. Slit the aubergines into four halves (do not completely slice them) and the green chillies vertically (if you dont like it too spicy, apply salt into the vertically slit chilies- that will reduce the heat) and fry them (both the aubergines and green chilies). Keep aside. 2. Roast the sesame seeds, cashews, peanuts and pepper and then grind them into a fine powder. 3. Heat oil and add the fenugreek seeds. When they turn slightly brown, add the ginger garlic past eand saute for 5 minutes. 4. Add the red chili powder, turmeric, cumin-coriander and garam masala and yoghurt and cook well till the oil separates from the rest. Add the ground paste and saute for 5 minutes. 5. Add 1-1/2 cup of water and let it cook for another 15 minutes till the gravy thickens slightly. 6. Add in the aubergines, the green peppers and tamarind paste and let cook till another 15 minutes. Add the green chilies and cook for another 5 minutes. 7. Heat 2 tsp of oil, add the mustard seeds and when they crackle add the dried red chilies and the coconut. Pour over the aubergine-green chili mixture and serve hot with rotis or rice.  P.S.- I did try making another Chili Dish- "Dahi Mirchis" - alas i failed. I was hoping that living in the sunshine state of Florida, i could avail of some sunshine to dry my mirchis- but during the hurricane season when its pouring cats and dogs in florida, wishing for that little spot of sunshine while living in an apartment surrounded by palm trees is like wishing for....... you get the idea.
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by Priyanka posted at 3:48 PM
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That has to be the biggest oxymoron you have ever heard. Yesterday was Mothi Ekadashi- mostly all Maharashtrians fast on this day (or atleast my parents religiously do so). That however doesnt include us- we wholeheartedly believe in yes, feasting while fasting. Now you might but ask- duh!!! what does that mean? Well, if you have never had sabudanyachi khichdi (sago khichdi), sabudana vada (sago vadas), upasache thalipeeth (indian flat bread made with upvas flour), upasachi batatyachi bhaji (crispy potato vegetable), varayache bhaat (also known as samo/moraiyo khichdi), danyachi amti (peanut curry), ratalyache/batatyache kees (spicy stir-fried grated sweet potato/yam) , ratalyacha god fodi (sweet potato/yam chips), rajgirya cha sheera (sheera made from amaranth seeds).....(ok, are you drooling now?).........the list goes on.....then you have really missed out on some really sumptous food and a simple way to put on some weight:). These delicasies are prepared specially on days when you fast and we used to hoard on these food preparations as kids- still do. So when my mom called me up two days ago to remind me that it was Ekadashi (least i forget to fast), i decided to go all out and make this one yummilicious fare
Warning: All these dishes are highly calorific in the nutritional sense. Calorie-consious people should forego reading any further...
Still with me...ok, here we go- I made Seven dishes- Upasache thalipeeth, Upasachi batatyachi bhaji, Sabudanyachi khichdi, Sabudana vada, Cucumber-yoghurt raita, Ratalyacha kees and Ratalyacha god fodi. The recipes follow .....
Upasache thalipeeth
1-1/2 cup upasachi bhajni (a special flour made specially for fasts-updated 07/28/07 confirmed by my mom-majorly made from sabudana and moraiyo flour and then lesser proprotions of rajgira and water chestnut flour)
1 potato (grated)
4 green chilies chopped
1/2 tsp red chili powder (adjust according to your spice level)
2 tbsp roasted peanut powder (optional- roast the peanuts, remove the skin and grind them to a semi-fine powder)
2 tsp coriander finely chopped
salt to taste
1/3 tsp sugar
1. With little water (you wont need much), mix all the above ingredients and make a firm dough out of it as depicted here (the entire process of making the thalipeeth is same from here on- the only difference being this variation of the thalipeeth can be had on days when you fast).
2. Wet your palms with some oil or water and on a plastic sheet, start patting the small balls of dough into a round and even flat shape. Make a couple of holes in it so that it will help cook the thalipeeth better.
3. Heat a pan and grease it with some oil. Place the thalipeeth in the pan and apply some more oil to the holes and on the sides and cook it on both sides till you see brown spots.
4. Remove and serve with some home-made butter or curd.
Upasachi batatyachi bhaji There are two ways of making this (you either boil the potatoes or cook them while actually preparing the recipe), but i have always loved this potato dish on the crunchy-crispier side so i dont boil my potatoes. Serves 2 Ingredients 2 medium potates (diced) salt to taste 1/3 tsp red chili powder 1 tbsp coriander-chopped For tempering: 1 tsp cumin seeds
3 green chilies -chopped 5-7 curry leaves 2 tbsp ghee 1. Heat ghee in a wok and add cumin seeds to it. When they splutter, add the green chilies and curry leaves, saute for 2 minutes and add the diced potatoes. 2. Add salt and cook till they are completely done and also a little brown on the sides (you have to keep stirring them once in a while to prevent sticking to the pan or add some more ghee). 3. Add the chili powder, mix well and let cook for another 5 minutes. 4. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with varayache bhaat or just as a side-dish.  OK i am not posting the recipe for Sabudana khichdi since i have posted it earlier here. Sabudana vada Makes 8 vadas Ingredients 1 cup sabudana 3 medium potatoes (boiled) 4 green chilies 1/2 tsp red chili powder (adjust more or less according to your spice level) salt to taste 1/3 tsp sugar 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped) 4 curry leaves coarsely crushed 2 tbsp roasted peanut powder 1. Soak the sabudana a day ahead or atleast 5-6 hours prior to making the vadas. When its puffed and each sago grain is dry, soft and separate, you know that its ready to be devoured. 2. Mash the potatoes and mix them with the sabudana, add in the rest of the ingredients and pat them out into small patties. 3. Deep fry them and serve hot with curd or cucumber raita.  Cucumber-youghurt raita Ingredients 1 cucumber (grated) 3 tbs yoghurt salt to taste 1 tsp roasted peanut powder 1 green chilli -diced 1 tbsp coriander 1/3 tsp sugar 1. Mix all the ingredients and serve chilled with the vadas. P.S.- I will be posting the rest of the recipes tomorrow or day after whenever i have a chance... till then enjoy...
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by Priyanka posted at 11:34 PM
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After all the the drooling, ooohing and aaahing that i did yesterday after visiting Asha and Archana's blogs, i wanted something sweet to appease my taste buds- Icecream was out because of two reasons- 1.) i dont have an icecream maker 2.) eating "it" involves lots of calories and fat. So i went for the next best option- a substitue which i could make at home, was not too sweet and which didnt involve putting on a lot of weight. I made Mango phirni for dessert yesterday. I had been craving for some kheer since the past week but was out of vermicelli- phirni was the next best and closest option. The inspiration for the Mango phirni came from Asha's Pineapple phirni- would have made it but didnt have any pineapple left after i made the tropical compote.... I have followed Asha's directions to a T (simple, quick and easy to make) and i must say it was just out of the world amazing. P is my taster and my best critic. Moreover he doesnt have a sweet tooth- Before adding the mangoes, i made him taste the phirni. Me : So how does it taste? Him: Hmmm.... its good...tastes like kheer (translated in his language its pretty O.K.- it was awesome- but for P nothing except coconut burfi/fudge tastes heavenly) After adding the mangoes Me: Ok, here's another spoonful Him: Wow.... this is yumm.... did you add mangoes? Me: Yes i did!!! So what do you need for the phirni? Serves 2 Ingredients2 cups 2% milk 3 tbs sugar 3 tbs rice flour (if you dont have any flour you can just grind the rice) a pinch of cardamom powder 4-5 strands of saffron 1 ripe mango (diced) 1. Heat 1-1/2 cups of milk and add the sugar and cardamom powder to it. 2. In a bowl take the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, add the rice flour and mix properly to make a smooth paste. Add it to the milk being heated. 3. Mix the saffron in 2 tbsp of hot milk and add it to the boiling concoction. (i used saffron instead of yellow color) 4. At this point you can add some mango juice/pieces to it. 5. When the mixture thickens and starts to boil, remove from the stove, add half of the mango pieces and let it simmer till it achieves a thick phirni like consistency. 6. Remove from stove, let it cool dor another 20-25 minutes, add the rest of the mango pieces. 7. When it has completely cooled, put it in the fridge. 8. Serve chilled garnished with some almonds and pistachios if you like. 
The phirni tastes even better on the second day.
I chanced upon Asha's blog while checking out other recipes on Nupur's A-Z of Indian veggies and JFI: Eggplant. Since then i have come to know Asha mainly through her blog - she is a real sweetheart- helpful, kind and creative. All her recipes are pretty detailed with a step wise pictorial. Here's a list of some other recipes that i want to try out from her blog- Appetisers Warm cranberry punch Cold cranberry punch Green punch Apple-cranberry tea punch Kathal kababs and fries (jackfruit) Stuffed Mirchi Maddur vadas (Sooji) Khandvi Greek Spanakopita Olive pepper pinwheels Breakfast Zuchini-carrot-sage pancakes Jackfruit coconut pancakes Mediterranean Savory cake Oatmeal parathas Rosemary Focacia bread Soups French onion soup Thai style lentil coconut peanutty soup Chipotle corn chowder Red lentil dill soup Chutneys/Sauces Apple-carrot chutney Desserts Chocolate fudge Mango cobbler Easy Jalebis Ricotta cheese basundi Strawberry shortcake Umm Ali Mango coconut burfi Main Course Wadi Ambat Yellow capsicum gojju Hyderabadi mirchi ka salan Lemon rice Green Onion gojju Chana dal idlis Tomato Gojju Thai eggplants in red curry paste Hyderabadi bagharey baingan
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by Priyanka posted at 1:08 PM
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 Here's another recipe that i picked up from a Punju roomie of mine, a couple of years back. I was only familiar with the uncooked baingan bharta before she introduced me to this Punjabi variation and since then i have been hooked. Serves 4 Ingredients 2 baingans (American eggplants) 2 tomatoes (finely chopped) 1 big red onion (diced) 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 3 green chilies (diced) 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1/3 tsp turmeric 1/3 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp garam masala 2 tsp oil salt to taste 1. Roast the eggplants till the outer skin is charred and you can see the oil drizzling out and the inside tender, brown and roasted. Let it cool and then peel the outer skin. Mash the eggplant so as to break lumps. 2. Heat oil and add some cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the green chilies and the onions. 3. Saute the onions and when they turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 3-5 minutes. 4. Add the tomatoes and cook till they are completely done and tender. 5. Add the spices and salt, saute and then add the mashed eggplant. 6. Cook for 5-10 minutes and serve garnished with coriander alongside parathas or rotis. This is another one of my entries to RCI: Punjab, hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt.
by Priyanka posted at 12:59 AM
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 This month's Regional Cuisine of India (RCI) event asks us to explore the land of the five rivers- Punjab and come up with some mouthwatering dishes. Now thats not too difficult, right? I had been dying to cook some Punjabi food ever since the sweet and talented Richa of As Dear As Salt announced that she was guest hosting the event, a brainchild of Lakshmi of VeggieCuisine. However, I got caught up with a lot of things and never got around to posting the recipes until today... i know....i am quite the last minute "doer". Without further ado, here go the recipes.... Dal Makhani
The curry/gravy base that i use is from Tarla Dalal's Mutton Curry recipe (Updated 7/26/07- OK, since Archana was kind enough to point this out, i just wanted to clarify-the recipe book that i have- Tarla Dalal's "Pleasures of Vegetarian Cooking" says that this is a standard mutton curry recipe that can be used for any dals. She used this to make masala masoor. Probably it can also be used for meat dishes)
Serves 4
Ingredients 1-1/2 cup whole urad dal (black) 1 medium onion 1 small tomato (finely chopped) 1/2 cup kidney beans (i used the canned ones) 1 tbsp ghee salt to taste
For the paste 2 whole red kashmiri chilies 2 small cloves of garlic 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 inch piece of ginger
1. Add 2 cloves, 1 bayleaf and 1 stick of cinnamon (this is my addition to to the recipe) and pressure cook the urad dal in 3 cups of water for upto 3 whistles. (if you are not using the canned beans, pressure cook them too with the dal) 2. Make a coarse paste of the red chilies, garlic, cumin-coriander (or you can add the cumin-coriander powder)and ginger. 3. Saute the onions in ghee and when they turn translucent, add the paste and saute for 3-5 minutes. 4. Add the dal, salt according to taste and cook for 5 more minutes. 5. Add the chopped tomatoes and kidney beans, cook for 5 more minutes and serve hot, garnished with coriander- with parathas or rice of your choice.
 Paneer KadhaiI usually make Paneer Kadhai with some onions added to it too, but this recipe is from the "Taj's Chef's Vegetarian favorites"- a recipe book that i got while visiting Udaipur and staying at the Taj Lake Palace (According to P, my face was lit up like a kid's who had found the secret stash of candies and i was more happy about having found the book rather than discovering the beauty and ancient history of Udaipur and Taj Lake Palace. In my defense, it is the first recipe book that i have owned and secondly- its from the Chefs at Taj). Getting back to the recipe, I quite liked the taste of the paneer sans the onions. The addition of kasuri methi was just the touch that this dish needed.....
Serves 4
Ingredients 600 gms Paneer (cubed) 600 gms tomatoes (finely chopped) 2 medium-sized capsicums ( diced into big pieces) 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) 3 cloves and 2 inch cinnamon stick-coarsely grounded 5 red kashmiri chilies -coarsely grounded 2 tsp cumin-coriander powder 1 tbsp grated ginger 1/2 tsp garam masala 2 tbsp ghee salt to taste 1. Bring the tomatoes to a boil in one tbsp of ghee till the water dries up and the fat floats up. Keep aside. 2. In a kadai, heat the 1 tbsp ghee and saute the capsicum for 1 minute. 3. Add the coarsely grounded red chilies, cumin-coriander powder, grated ginger and clove- cinnamon powder. Saute for 1 minute and add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, till you can see the fat (ghee) separate from the mixture. 4. Add the paneer and salt, stir and cook it for 5 more minutes. Then add the garam masala. 5. Garnish with coriander and serve hot alongside some parathas or naan. ( i adapted Trupti's recipe for the parathas) 
P.S.- The credit for the pics goes to P. Mark the difference between his pics and the earlier ones taken by me- now didnt i tell you that i was technologically challenged...:)
by Priyanka posted at 6:41 PM
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  This month's WBB challenge, hosted by Madhuli of My Foodcourt to come up with some "lip-smacking recipe that would tempt any and everyone to include these wonder grains in regular breakfast" was a challenge for me too.... I havent yet cultivated the taste for oats and prefer other cereals to it for breakfast. However, after trying out dozens of recipes which used oats, i found three winners.... The first one is Oat- Banana-Blueberry pancakes (Eggless) - the recipe is adapted from this vegan recipe that i found on the internet. The only changes that i made to it was to use 2% reduced fat milk instead of orange juice and use equal proportions of oats and whole wheat.... Makes 3 pancakes Ingredients
1/4 cup oat flour (you can also grind old-fashioned rolled oats if you cant find the flour) 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 tbsp baking powder a pinch of salt 1/3 tbsp sugar 1/3 cup milk 1/2 banana (mashed) 1/2 cup blueberries 1. Mix the first five dry ingredients together. 2. Mash the banana (the banana lends a thick consistency to the pancakes) and mix it withwhole blueberries and milk. 3. Add this mixture to the dry flour mixture, break all the lumps to form a uniform mixture (should be thick like a uttapam batter) and leave aside for 10 minutes. (you can add more milk if you want a thinner mixture) 4. Heat a skillet and when its really hot, add a tsp of oil and spread the pancake batter in a round shape. Flip to the other side when you see it turning golden brown. Cook it over the skillet evenly and serve with butter, maple syrup, blueberry syrup and some fresh fruits.  And the verdict: It was a big hit at our home. P, who doesnt have a sweet tooth and dislikes oats, wanted a second helping. Infact he couldnt figure out that i had added oats to the pancake mix. Tastewise the oats and whole wheat pancakes tasted like the wheat crepes (called "dhirde" in marathi and "pudla" in gujarati ) and were healthy and not too sweet. Needless to say we will be making more of these for breakfast....
 Variations to this recipe: You can substitute any other flour such as cornmeal, all-purpose flour or any other fruits and nuts that you like (strawberry -mash it before you add it to the pancake mix- is a good choice too....)
The second recipe that i tried was Oat Pancakes with Tropical Fruit Compote and has been adapted from this recipe. Again, instead of making multigrain pancakes, i just made oat and whole wheat pancakes, used sugar instead of agave nectar for the compote and excluded the rum....
Makes 5 pancakes
Ingredients 1/4 cup oat flour 1/4 cup whole wheat flour a pinch of salt 1/3 tbsp sugar 1/4 tbsp baking powder 1/3 cup buttermilk
For the compote: 2 cups tropical fruits (i used mango, pineapple, kiwi, banana, guava) 1/3 cup sugar 2 tbsp grated ginger 1/3 tsp cinnamon
1. Mix the first 5 dry ingredients together and then add the buttermilk to it. (add more if you want a thinner mix). Leave aside for 10 minutes. 2. For the compote, mix all the ingredients together and bring the mixture to a boil. Let simmer for 15 -20 minutes till it becomes a thick syrupy consistency. 3. Make pancakes as described in recipe#1. 4. Serve the pancakes drizzled with the compote and some fresh fruit.
  And the result: It was awesome, but we prefer the first recipe to this one. Tips: Dont drizzle too much of the syrup or the pancakes will turn soggy. It might taste better if you avoid any sour fruits (eg. if you cant find a sweet pineapple). You can adjust the sugar according to your taste level while making the compote.....since the fruits lend sweetness to the compote as it is... The third recipe is the simple Apple-Cinnamon-Oatmeal.... this one is a keeper... but i will share this recipe some other time.... The WBB event was originally concieved by Nandita of Saffron Trail.
by Priyanka posted at 10:40 PM
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 Well, if you did not understand the first two words of my post title, they simply stand for Bottle Gourd/ Lauki/Dudhi Parathas in Gujarati. One of the favorite Gujarati dishes which serves pretty well for breakfast/ brunch or snacks are the theplas. These Indian flat breads are made using veggies like bottle gourd or fenugreek (methi), with some spices thrown in for enhancing the flavor.
So what do you need for the theplas?
Makes 12-14 theplas
Ingredients
1-1/2 cup grated dudhi/bottle gourd
2 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 tbsp yoghurt/3 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
To be ground into paste5 green chilies 2 inch piece of ginger  1. Add 1-2 tsp of oil to the flour and mix well. 2. Mix the wheat flour, salt, sugar, turmeric and chili powder and again mix the flour well (add the dry ingredients before you add the rest or the spices wont be mixed uniformly). 3. Add the youghurt/lemon juice (yoghurt is preferred), ginger-green chili paste and grated dudhi and with a little water (you probably wont need much since the aforementioned ingredients will provide the wetness) knead into a soft but firm dough (like you would for a wheat paratha). Grease some oil onto the dough and leave it covered for 30 minutes. 4. Make small balls out of the kneaded dough, apply some wheat flour to it and roll it out as you would a paratha. 5. Gently place it onto a heated skillet/tava lightly greased with some oil and cook it till you see brown spots on one side. Flip it over to the other side, apply some more oil and remove when you see brown spots on the other side too. 6. Serve with pickle, chutney or youghurt. Traditionally theplas are served with golkeri (sweet mango pickle) or chundo (sweet and tangy mango pickle).  My first Meme!!! Time to reveal some tidbits or to be specific, 7 of them, since i have been tagged by the lovely Tee. And here it goes:
1. I love the first snow of the season(and the first one only people- after that it gets a little frustrating, trudging through the snow to school everyday or being caught up in the snow storm)- when its all snow white and soft. I love making angels in the snow and having snow fights. But those days are gone since i moved from New York to Florida a year ago.
2. I hate Maths and Physics. Boy!!! Was my father glad (although it meant that i had to stay in a hostel away from home)when i chose pharmacy instead of engineering- i stood second in the university but barely managed to pass mathematics. OK... i do know 2+2 = .....er...4?
3. I am P's second wife. P is religiously devoted to his first wife of 5 years.... his beloved Laptop. How can a mere girl come between a man and his dear laptop? Naturewise and professionally, P and i are poles apart (he's a software techie and i am technologically challenged!!! duh). I say East and he says West, but we somehow manage to chug along fine. Now, who was it that said "Opposites Attract"?
4. I love the spring season, the fall colours, animals and birds..... i dream of having a garden of my own and a cute little dog too...
5. I love to read (prefer fiction to non-fiction), crochet(havent had the time to catch up on both lately)and watch cartoons (some favorites are Tom and Jerry, Ducktales).
6. My best friend is my younger sis (its always been just the two of us) with whom i share each and everything. She is just a year younger to me, rebelious, mischievous and smart and naturewise, again- a total antithesis to me. I miss..... no not her.... but rather the fights that we used to have ....
7. I am scared of lizards and dentists.... in no particular order.
And now i in turn tag Raaga, Dhana, Sia, and Sukanya. Play along if you have the time and inclination..... If you have already been tagged please ignore.
by Priyanka posted at 5:20 PM
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 I had almost given up on participating in the AFAM event this month. Its because i dont like watermelon- period. And thats putting it mildly. But then Nupur of OneHotStove left me a comment on one of my posts. And what she said struck a cord in me - It just takes one delicious recipe to turn a veggie-hater into a veggie lover. Thus i started on a journey of discovery in search of a recipe that would make me love watermelon. I kept browsing through different recipes on the internet, trying them out, tweaking them a little to suit my taste until i had the ultimate recipe. I started out trying one recipe from the National Watermelon Oraganisation called Watermelon Smoothie (in my opinion, it tasted like watermelon lassi) when it occured to me that lemon juice, some Indian herbs and spices would blend in smoothly with the watermelon while still retaining its taste. And thus was discovered a very refreshing drink. This recipe is very healthy since it doesnt require either salt or sugar. This drink can be served as an appetiser or beverage before or after meal or simply as a cooler.  Serves 2 (Makes 2 cups) Ingredients2 cups watermelon 1 lime 1 inch piece ginger 6-7 mint leaves 1/2 tsp cumin powder Jaljeera powder to taste (optional) 1. Finely chop the ginger and mint leaves and put them through a blender with the watermelon chunks. 2. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime into the watermelon juice, add cumin and jaljeera powder. 3. Garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled. This will be my entry to AFAM: Watermelon at Jai and Bee's of Jugalbandhi P.S.- Yes and now i do like watermelon. I would be willing to give any watermelon recipe a try from now on. Its as good a start as any. Now, wouldnt you agree?
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by Priyanka posted at 3:25 PM
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This dish, so simple yet delicious has always presented a challenge to me. The reason: My aai makes such awesome Fadani Khichdi (Khichdi made of cracked wheat, lentils and vegetables)- yeah- thats what its called in gujarati- that i have never been able to replicate it. It never comes out the same as my mom. Since I was kind of afraid of botching it up, I kept thinking about other options with "W". But my heart and my palate were reluctant to try or taste anything else. So finally, i called up my mom, took down the recipe verbatim, donned the apron and gave it another try.
Fadani khichdi is very nutritious and the ultimate comfort food. Here's what you need for the recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup cracked wheat/ fada (you can find this at any Indian store)
1/2 cup split green moong dal
1-1/2 cup chopped veggies of your choice (carrots, peas, cauliflower, potatoes)
1 small onion diced
1 tsp garam masala
1/3 tsp chili powder
salt to taste
To be ground into a paste
4 green chilies
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/3 tsp turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
A closer look at how the cracked wheat looks like:
1. Wash and soak the cracked wheat and moong dal for 1/2 an hour before cooking.
2. Heat oil in a cooker, add the mustard seeds and when they crackle, add the ingredients for tempering. 3. Add the cracked wheat and saute it for 5-7 minutes till it turns golden brown and then add all the veggies and the onion and saute it till 5-10 minutes. 4. Add the ground paste, garam masala and salt. 5. Add 1 cup of water and let it cook for another 10 minutes. 6. Add the moong dal and 3-1/2 more cups of water (the cracked wheat swells a lot, so you need lots of water) and cook it for 3 whistles. The consistency should be semi-solid (simply put it will be a "lachko" or "sarsarit" khichdi). At this point turn off the gas and let it cool for 15 minutes. This is what a semi-solid khichdi should look like.
7. Serve hot garnished with coriander and a dollop of ghee or with any raita or yoghurt.
 After i tasted the first morsel, i started jumping with joy- my fadani khichdi had turned out quite like my mom's. I served my khichdi with mattha.
I am sending this Khichdi over to Nupur of OneHotStove for the A-Z of Indian Vegetables.
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by Priyanka posted at 2:20 PM
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Tomatoes in a pickle??? Yes, this South Indian hot fiery pickle is my way of preserving tomatoes and my contribution to this month's Monthly Blog Patrolling (MBP) event: Preserve It hosted by Coffee of the Spice Cafe. While browsing through Nupur's Q for Quick Carrot Pickle, i came across this recipe by Saffron of Saffron Hut. It sounded interesting, since i had never heard of or tasted tomato pickle before. But what really compelled me to give it a try was the vibrant red color of the pickle. The best thing about it is that it neednt be cooked in the sun and lasts for a year in the refrigerator according to Saffron. Its ready to be relished as soon as you are done preparing it. The con: you need oil to preserve it. Here's the recipe: 2 lbs tomatoes 8 green chilies 3 cloves garlic (optional) 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust according to your taste) salt to taste 1/4th cup oil For tempering1 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp asafoetida 5-6 curry leaves  1. Wash and deseed the tomatoes (to remove extra water). Process them in a blender with the green chilies and garlic. 2. Heat about 3-4 tsp of oil in a cooking pan and add the mustard seeds to it. When they crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and the tomato puree. Add salt and turmeric and on a LOW FLAME, keep cooking till the mixture releases oil and turns into the consistency of a jam.
3. Remove from the stove, allow to cool a little and mix in the chili powder. Transfer it to a sterilised jar. Heat the remaining oil and pour it over the pickle to preserve it for a longer time.
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by Priyanka posted at 1:40 PM
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Finally, no studying or exams for me for one whole month. You know how precious it is. Its summer holidays for me and so i have ample time on my hands these days while working in the computer lab- Time to browse through mouthwatering recipes that make me hungrier by the minute. And this time i have decided to serve a South Indian side dish- the Cabbage pachadi- inspired from Nupur's recipe. The word pachadi has different connotations in Southern India. For example, in Andhra Pradesh, pachchadi- yes, with an emphasis on "ch" means chutneys or pickles (a spicier version) which can be preserved for several months. They are generally fried and made using tamarind sauce.In Kerala and Tamilnadu, pachadi stands for raita wherein the veggies are not fried and the base is yoghurt. So cabbage pachadi is nothing else but a salad with a base of yoghurt or tamarind sauce, and tempered with dals and spices. Nupur's pachadi is a Tamil version of the recipe. The only variation that i made to Nupur's recipe was to exclude the milk and the mint (i didnt have any in my pantry). Makes 4 cups Ingredients
2 cups finely chopped cabbage (the cabbage is actually supposed to be shredded, but i made a short job of it) 1 cup yoghurt salt to taste sugar to taste (optional) For tempering 2-3 tsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp whole black urad dal 1/2 tsp chana dal 5-6 curry leaves 2 chopped green chilies 1 dried red chili 1. Mix the yoghurt, chopped cabbage, salt and sugar. 2. For tempering, heat oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they start crackling, add the chana dal and urad dal, green and red chilies and curry leaves and pour this mixture onto the cabbage-yoghurt mix. Mix well, garnish with cilantro and serve with rotis.
I served it with gujarati dal, cabbage sabzi and hot rotis.
 How it turned out?- The crunchiness of the salad is the best part about it. You can savor the flavors of the cumin, chana and urad dal, curry leaves and chillies individually and collectively as a part of the pachadi. A closer look at the gujarati dal that i made.  Subsitutes: You can make variations by substituting the cabbage for tomato, cucumber, mango, pineapple, carrot or squash. I always love reading Nupur's blogs. She beautifully and linguistically showcases recipes in such a manner that compel you to keep reading on and on and on....Another thing about Nupur's blog is that many of her recipes are an everyday, simple fare- easy and quick to make yet very delicious. Here's a list of the recipes that i want to try out from Nupur's recipe index. I wish i could have added many others, but being a pseudo-eggetarian (yes i like my eggs only in cakes), i will have to pass over till i find a substitute. Appetisers/Snacks
Hariyali tikki
Falafel
Kothimbir vadi
Ginger-Lemon rasam
Farazbi patties
Vietnamese summer rolls
Gharghe (pumpkin puris)
Kesar pista nankhatai (biscuits)
Chocolate cookies (eggless)
Breakfast/Brunch
Radish paratha
Cucumber pancakes
Korean pancakes
Jhatpat Appey
Salad/ Chutney
Beet Raita
Salsa verde
Tahini sauce
Onion chutney
Main course
Valache Bhirde (Vegetable lentil dish)
Moong Dal Ghaasi (Curry)
Jackfruit bhaji
Persian Lime Green Bean pulao/ Lubia pulao
Dalimbay bhaat
Mujadarah (middle eastern rice dish)
Pav bhaji (sans the onions)
Spicy Thai Linguine
Bisibele bhaat
Ridge gourd curry
Desserts
Anjeer Akhroad kulfi (walnut-fig kulfi)
Rosy apple tarts
Imperial cocktail
In addition Nupur runs a weekly food event series showcasing A-Z of Indian Vegetables which can be found here. Recently Nupur also hosted the Regional Cuisine of India (RCI):Maharashtrian Cuisine and these are the links to the round-up of Maharashtrian recipes
http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2007/06/rci-maharashtra-round-up-part-i.html
http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2007/06/rci-maharashtra-round-up-part-i.html
http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2007/07/rci-maharashtra-round-up-part-iii.html
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by Priyanka posted at 1:57 PM
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After a week long break, i am back with some really tasty dishes. While browsing through Sharmi's blog Neivedyam today, i came across two recipes- Mango Pulihara (Mango rice with spices) and Aam ras mamidi charu (Mango rasam) which she made for Ugadi feast (Ugadi is celebrated as New year in Andhra Pradesh). And i immediately decided to try these recipes out since i already had 2 raw mangoes lying in my refrigerator. That being said, i have followed Sharmi's recipes to a T since i know little about Andhra cuisine. Here go the recipes for both the dishes.
Mango Pulihara
Serves 4 Ingredients 1 cup grated raw mango 2 cups cooked rice salt to taste For tempering 2 tsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp black whole urad dal 1/2 tsp chana dal 1/3 tsp turmeric 8-10 curry leaves 2 tsp peanuts 2 tsp cashews 2 tsp raisins 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 1 tbs finely chopped green chillies
1. Heat oil in a cooking pan. Add the mustard, urad dal, chana dal and peanuts and saute them till they turn golden brown. 2. Now add the turmeric, ginger, green chilies, cashews, raisins and curry leaves and saute them for 3-4 minutes. 3. Add the grated unripe mango and mix in finely. 4. Add the cooked rice and salt amd mix well. Let cook for 5-10 minutes. 5. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with the mango rasam or eat it plain.
Mango Rasam 
Serves 4 Ingredients 1 raw mango seed 3 cups water salt to taste 1/3 tsp turmeric 1 tsp rasam powder For tempering 1 tbs ghee 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp cumin seeds a pinch of asafoetida 5-7 curry leaves
1. In a pan, heat the 3 cups of water with the raw mango seed (As per Sharmi's recipe, i used the left over seed from the pulihara). Add salt, turmeric and rasam powder to it and let it boil till the mango seed looks cooked. 2. Now temper it with the mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves. 3. Garnish with corainder and serve hot. And the verdict: It was simply awesome. I dont have words to describe how tasty these two dishes were, especially the mango pulihara.
I am always wonderstruck by the creativity of fellow bloggers. Just reading these blogs, learning new things daily, sharing stuff brightens up my day. I look forward to the food events and new recipes, small tips and a better way of making a dish. From now on i will be posting and categorising recipes from fellow bloggers that i want to try out on my blog. Instead of bookmarking recipes from other bloggers, i have decided to just list them down here so that i have all recipes in one place whenever i want to go back and refer them. I will constantly keep updating them too. Here's a list of some other recipes that i am dying to try out from Sharmi's blog. Sharmi's posts are informative and the dishes very creative and well-presented. Sharmi recently guest-hosted A Fruit A Month (AFAM): Orange and i am dying to try out these recipes too. Appetisers
Breakfast/ Snacks
Chutneys
Main Course
Desserts
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