Welcome-2010, Err in FEB! Dhoddak-(Pan-IdliFry) , Candied Awala

Belated wishes of all that has passed n all that is to come!!!!!

HAPPY 2010 and a HALA FEBRUARY! Already into Feb, yeah..thats common knowledge..am here after a long blogocomma, 10 months to be precise.

Idli is the most common thing on breakfast table, all of us at times have looked for variation with our already bored kids as in making mini idlis, or stuffed ones etc.

Here is one variation which I loved the most as a kid. My children too are fond of it. It has been called DHO-DD-ak, in Konkani, the only difference between idli fry and dhoddak is , batter is directly poured in a small kadhai, no steaming involved and its bigger than an idli, maybe around two and half idlis in one, is quite filling as well!

The process is as follows :

Recipe for IDLI batter is from here.

Dhoddak / PAN-Idli Fry

Ingredients :

Idli batter as needed ( 2 cups will serve 4)

The below is for each Dhoddak:

1 Tbspn Coconut Oil (opt, u may choose vegetable oil)

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp jeera seeds

Method for Dhoddak :

Heat the kadhi. Add 3/4 Tbspn the oil, splutter rai and crackle jeera, on low flame, pour a ladle (approx 1/4 C to less than 1/2 C) batter, cover with lid and allow to cook. Around two minutes later, check for surface, should be cooked partially, without traces of raw batter. Drizzle the remaining oil, flip and cook uncovered for around 1-2 mins.

Serve HOT with the seasoning facing top. Accompany the dish with normal coconut chutney.

** The above pic is for my kids lunch, they don't like to bite into rai-jeera, so its skipped and served alongside honey. Size approx 3.5" in diameter. I have given those cuts so that it cools and tiny hands can have bite size pieces! :D ENJOY!!

The other good yummy is made from Gooseberries, known as 'Awala' is a sweet after food treat.

Sundried Meetha Awala / Candied Awala

Ingredients :

500 gms gooseberries

250 gms sugar

1/8th tsp pepper powder

1/8th tsp kala namak/black salt (normal wd do)

Method :

Wash the gooseberries, add double water in a vessel and pressure cook them upto only one whistle. Allow to cool, discard water in which it was boiled , they segment easily. De-seed them

and in a 1 kg capacity glass bottle, which has been sterilized and dried, layer them with sugar.

One layer of awala segments, one layer sugar. Once all the awala and sugar is used up close the lid tight and sundry in strong sun for upto 7 days. Pick the pieces from the bottle and lay them on a non-reactive plate, or a plate/tray lined with an aluminum foil. Let it dry on this for few hours on the counter sprinkle the pepper powder, kala namak and store this in an airtight container refrigerated. Eat after meals or simply :) Bet you can't resist!

More posts to come up...hope I get a good kick out of this first post of 2010!! Have a great week!!

Magical Leaves- Dishes: Patholi & Pathrado HBJ

"Being raised in a Konkani family and married into a Keralite one, has its own culinary advantages!" 

- Purnima :D 

Some times readers should take quotes from us too! :) Deeba, hope u don't mind silly me!

Coming to this post title...my home has been a bhandaar of Konkani delicacies..food getting all the limelight every single day! The dishes I am sharing today involve the use of leaves, first dish is a sweet dish made using Turmeric Leaves the other one using Paatra or Colocasia Leaves.

'Patholi' is a sweet dish and has been blogged so beautifully by my fellow Konkani bloggers, but the gist of it is, a layer of ground rice+coconut, followed with a layer of 'Chuna' ie. wet grated coconut+jaggery mixture in center, steamed for ten minutes, after which the leaf is discarded and the steamed delicacy is devoured with a dollop of home made 'Toop' or clarified butter! Oh I love this heavenly sweet...yes..over any cakes too! :)  Flavors registered at childhood seldom leave the brains! :) Vee, thanks a lot !

Recipe Source : VEE @ Past Present and Me...The Patholi Pictorial ... HERE

Before steaming

Ready to eat! Wt dollop of Ghee -INDULGE!

'Pathrado' is taken as a snack or side dish of Manglorean Konkani cuisine which is either steamed, shallow fried or curried once steamed! This is TAL-la-Lo, as in fried one. Its again a bunch of leaves..Colocasia or Paatra leaves on which a ground spicy mixture is applied, using 8-10 layers of leaves and the ground paste as a binding and taste enhancing agent, rolled up as in swiss roll, steamed for 20 mins and savoured! Do check Shilpa's pictorial. THANKYOU SHILPA.

Recipe Source : Aayis Recipes , Pathrado ... HERE 

Shallow Fried after steaming and cooling

This post is being dedicated to another close and dear friend of mine, who stuck through thick and thin, throughout college days..Juby..HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUBS! (HBJ--that is what appears in my title! :D) Knowing how you love such regional specialities, here goes a sweet n spicy one in your name!! :) 

How can I end a Birthday post, without a sweet -- Ah.. nostalgic  5th Feb, makes me oops..Us!

EGGLESS BANANA WALNUT MUFFINS from DIVYA here. Thankyou Divu!

May GOD be with you JUBY in every endeavour you undertake, making you SUCCESSFUL, HAPPY, HEALTHY N WEALTHY!! HUGS!

.

A Quickie Breakfast, 3 min Garlic Bread MW Grill, MW Pedha

While thinking of a quick to assemble breakfast, this is the one that races mind. This recipe is from a friend of mine, Kavita. She had told us to try it few years ago, eversince its become a part of our breakfast when we need to come up with something very fast and less time consuming, yet filling. THANKYOU KAVI.

Ingredients :

Knorr Mayo-Chilli (Mayonnaise) (Its contains EGG )

Fresh Lettuce

Bread Slices of your choice (Multigrain, Brown, Normal Toast, Milk Bread etc)

Method :

Trim off the brown edges, spread mayo on each slice, sandwich the cut lettuce leaves in between.

Enjoyyyyyyyy!

(You can add regular veg/non-veg sandwich ingredients too --eg sliced tomatoes, onions, cucumber, boiled eggs/potatoes sliced etc.... all variations can be incorporated as per your taste!)

The second quickie appetiser/breakfast is THE famous GARLIC BREAD. No its not baked bread with garlic, its a French loaf bought from the store, cut diagnolly, then processed. Here goes the recipe from a friend again, Lalitha, who inspired the enthusiasm in cooking beyond what was already known! Thanks Lali.

The GRILL function of MW is used in the making of this dish.

Ingredients :

1 medium french loaf/ baguette

100 gms/1 stick salted butter (Amul) at room temperature

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic(big)

1 tbspn parsely / coriander (finely chopped)

Mozerrella Cheese grated

Method :

Slice the loaf diagnolly, two inches each slice. In a bowl, take the softened (not melted) butter, mix pepper powder, crushed garlic and coriander leaves uniformly. Spread this mixture on both sides of the slice. Arrange it on the grill stand and sprinkle the grated moz. cheese as per your need. (If using salted butter, no need to add salt, if not..please check on salt)

Place the grill stand in MW carefully. Set the grill function and timer to 1 minute. Again set the time to 1 min. Lastly 20-30 secs, keep a close eye on the slices, the moz shd just melt and turn golden on top. DoNOT remove immediately, give some standing time, as the grill is hot and working. Take the grill out carefully after a minute, serve hot with sauce.

Once the time is set, for second round, remember to REDUCE the time, in my case, 2 minutes as the grill is very hot. The subsequent rounds are done faster.

We like to have this home made one as BREAKFAST over appetiser. :D

ENJOY with a dollop of sauce and do not forget to have hot tea/coffee alongside!

Thirdly, this yummy MW pedha, which my friend Kavita had first told me about around 2 1/2 years back. Since we made it several times, we got fed up..now its about after 2 years I have made these getting inspired by Usha@VegInspirations - HERE. We had prepared it in the same manner with those two basic ingredients. One has to remember only one point here, DONOT eat it fresh, it tends to be chewy/sticky, keep it refrigerated for upto 2 days(if the room temperature is below 25C, ie. its winter, then keep them in foil/clingwrap/ziplock outside) and then it would taste like shop wala pedha! :D I have used cookie mould to shape them in this picture. Got around 16 pieces.

Ingredients :

200 gms sweetened condensed milk

3/4th Cup fortified milk powder

1 pinch saffron

2 tsp cardamom powder

Method :

In a MW safe bowl (8" diameter, deep by 3 " - the mixture bubbles up and rises double its height), combine the condensed milk n milk powder along with saffron and elaichi powder. On HIGH power, set timer to 1 MIN, give a minute of standing time, mix, keep it back, again set for 1 min...check closely for bubbling . Set timer again to 20 seconds -30 secs, depending on your mw. It should not brown / burn.

Give standing time of 10 mins before taking it out. Cool or semi-cooled, you can easily shape it, further refrigerate/keep wrapped in foil or wrap or ziplock bag for two days, once completely cooled.

USHAS TIP : USE DOODH MASALA...terrific idea.

MEERA's MW Pedha a lovely different version, yet to try HERE.

ENJOY the yummy flavour after 2 days. It won't be sticky or chewy.

Ambyacha Sheera (Mango Sheera)

Sheera ...yum...something which being raised in Mumbai or Maharashtra can not overlook. 'Prasad' in many temples here seems incomplete without this delectable semolina dish, and versatile that it is can be made plain or with dry fruits or  uses up many fruits in combination like A Ripe Banana (For Prasad), Pineapple, Apple or Mango King-Alphonso too..the latter 3 being used for pure pleasure of having dessert! 

When I read at Anupama's Food-N-More blog, here, I was just smitten by the beauty of it depicted by her lens, her mould making it more scrumptious than ever, the directions so clear and was soon into the kitchen to fulfil that craving. This is the umpteenth time thereafter that I have made this using up mango pulp. (Previously had used the fresh pulp of Alphonso!)

Coming to this recipe, I have not used cup, but katori/vaati  as measure.

Ingredients :

1 vaati fine rava/semolina

2 vaati alphonso mango pulp (In this I used the thawed pulp of alphonso)

2 vaati milk (whole milk heated upto boiling temperature)

1 1/2 vaati fine sugar

1/4 vaati tup/ghee

2 tsp elaichi pud/ cardamom pwdr

1 big pinch / half tsp saffron (which I mixed in the hot milk)

Few sliced almonds for garnishing (optional) 

Method :

In a wide bottom kadhai,  melt ghee, add rava to it, roast on low flame constantly stirring till the rava changes color evenly and a beautiful aroma emanates. Alongside, heat the milk on low, once it boils put off the flame.  Once the rava is roasted, milk boiled, start pouring milk in the rava mixture while still stirring in circular motion so that the entire milk blends well with rava, see that no lumps are formed, also remember to take a tall spatula for safety of hands. Cover with lid and let it cook in its steam for around 5 minutes. Uncover and add sugar. Mix well. The sugar will dissolve, cover and let it cook for another few seconds. Put off the flame, add the mango pulp, cardamom powder in quick succession and combine well. Allow to cool. 

In my side of family,  a ghee-greased thaali is taken , the semi-cooled SHEERA is patted on the plate, with aid of flat spatula which again is greased with a bit of ghee so that sheera doesn't stick to it and scored with knife into diamond shape. It is served in this shape when its completely cooled. :D 

KINDLY COLLECT YOUR SHARE! 

(THIS is a special post for MEERA/ ENJOY INDIAN FOOD on COMPLETION OF 500+ YUMMY MEANINGFUL POSTS!! CHEERS MEERA! )

 

.

HAPPY 2009!

WELCOME 2009

(Eggless Chocolate Cake,  Ganache filling, Whipped cream with Alphonso Puree Icing)

(Brownies with Vanilla Scoop) frm here

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

Some Cakes n Sweets to welcome the New Year!

Microwaved Besan Laddoos - Frm 

Tee/ Bhaatukli

HAVE A WONDERFUL YEAR AHEAD, MAY ALL YOUR LOVELY WISHES COME TRUE!

(PS : Does anyone have problem with blogger during loading pics or placing them near right text or deleting them?I seem to be having difficulty since past few months. Any solutions, kindly do comment, would be of great help!)

Pav Bhaaji - Bombay Style, Rasmalai

Pav Bhaaji is one special dish which was devoured as a teenager on parties. Birthday parties, especially, were incomplete without the 'Shiv Sagar' Pav Bhaaji served in Borivili West. :D
Commenting behind a seated group, in a bid to procure seats for our group, was another recreation! :)

My mom and mil are thee thee best in making this yummy dish, recreating the magic at home!

This is the very first time I attempted making 'Pav' at home as well.
I yet have to bake Anjali's/Annaparabramha MUMBAI pav recipe.
(the links that I followed are Jugalbandi- here, A Whirl of Aromas -here ) .
From Vini, got a link to breadworld dot com, the recipe is here. Thats what I followed, the glaze I followed Vini's butter glaze tip.

So here is the recipe for Pao / Pav.

PAV/PAO

Ingredients :

2 1/2 cups maida /all-purpose flour 
2 tbspn sugar 
1 tsp salt 
1 sachet Instant Yeast (SAF-brand-11gms)
1/2 cup milk 
1/4 cup water 
2 tbsp soft butter 

soft butter for glazing

Method :
In the bowl with mixer attachment combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Heat the butter, milk, water until warm -temp 120-130F. Attach the hooks for kneading, add the liquid little by little and beat for 2 mintues on a medium speed, keep scraping the sides. (Donot skip the 'beat-4-2-mins' step-I found dough more elastic due to this step. ) Add the remaining flour (1 1/2 C) and knead for 8-10 minutes into soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth, resting time - 10-15 mins.
This would rise after the specified time. Line a sheet with parchment paper, divide the dough into 10 round balls, arrange with little space on the lined sheet, cover again with the damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise. The dough balls should be double in size, if not leave for some more time, instant yeast works fast. I got mine ready in 40 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 400F for 10-12 minutes or till it browns lightly on top. (My setting, 180C/10 mins- then removed and brushed each of these with soft butter.)
Remove from baking sheet and IMMEDIATELY transfer to wire rack for cooling. (Anjali's tip - If you leave it on the baking sheet, the bread will sweat.)




We have lovely Pav here, mine got more tanned! :D But a very good experience and tasted good!

Served it with PAV BHAAJI- my mil's recipe.

Ingredients :

Vegetable Oil
3 medium onions
3 large tomatoes
2 green chillies
1 inch ginger chopped finely
2 large cloves of garlic chopped finely
2 Cups frozen mixed veggies(or 1/2 C peas, 1 big carrot, 100 gms french beans -topped,trimmed and broken to one inch length)
100 gm cauliflower
1 medium capsicum
2 large potatoes
2 tsp soft butter
salt
haldi/turmeric powder
1 tbspn Everest Pav Bhaaji Masala
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
3 tbspn coriander leaves-garnishing
1 tsp butter per person (less or more for garnish/skip)

Method :
Wash and cook the potatoes, carrot, beans, peas,capsicum and cauliflower upto 3 whistles with quarter quantity of water, salt and haldi.
In a kadhai, heat oil, fry the sliced onions till transculent, cool, grind to paste, keep aside.
Add little oil, add chopped tomatoes, stir in between, till mushy and leaves the sides of pan. Cool, grind. Keep aside.
Take a heavy bottom kadhai, heat a tbspn of oil (or less) add the ginger garlic , saute till light brown, add green chilies, add the onion paste, saute for a minute or two, the tomato paste and mix in well. Add the pav bhaaji masala, red chili powder and garam masala and mix well. Allow to simmer. In the meanwhile, take the boiled veggies, drain excess water, they will be in shape, perfectly cooked. Mash them with the back of a spatula and add to the simmering paste, mix well. Let the entire mixture now simmer for around 4 -5 mins on a low flame. Add little soft Amul butter, salted version for that yum taste, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Amul butter roasted Pav. (Apply butter to the sliced pav, roast for around two minutes till it is bit crisp- Indulge n Enjooyyyyyy)

Mitha Ho Jaaye --

I had made Rasmalai from Namratha's blog - recipe here-- just love it every time I make it!

RASMALAI

This sweet and as I mentioned above the 'Birthday Party' treat is a "Special Birthday Wish" Post for a very very dear Food Blogger and friend of mine, MEERA-Enjoy Indian Food!

HAPPPPPPYYYY BIRTTTTHHHHHHDAYYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEERAAAAAAAAA!

HUGS, LUV N GOOD WISHES TO YOU N YOUR LOVELY BLOGS (480+ posts already in EIF and EWF -all healthy and nutritious!) WHICH TURNED ONE!!



.

Baby Corn Manchurian, Veg Rice Chinese, Potato Bhajiyas, Coconut Laddoos

Baby Corn Manchurian (click on it for recipe)

Having picked up a lovely tray of cute little baby corn, got this wonderful recipe -easy and super delicious!! To go with it, made this rice, full of veggies on hand...truly complimented the dish! Made it from an old hand written stir fry recipe, and altered it a bit.



Vegetable Rice - Indo-Chinese style

Ingredients :
4 Cups boiled and cooled rice (any long grained white rice would do)
10 white button mushrooms sliced
4 spring onions, whites -chopped (save greens for garnishing)
1 carrot (cut lengthwise, thin, 2" long - 1/2 cup)
1 capsicum (de-seeded , chopped lengthwise-I used red bell pepper)
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tbspn olive oil (extra virgin)
pinch of pepper powder
2 tbspn tomato ketchup
1 tsp garlic chilli sauce (increase qty for more heat)
1 tbspn soy (mild sweet) sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce (optional)
Salt to taste


Method :
Heat olive oil in a wok/kadhai. Add the garlic, saute it for about a minute. Add the chopped whites (approx 1/4 cup) of spring onion, add carrot, capsicum saute each for a minute or two, brown the mushrooms, add little salt and pepper. (Till this stage its normal stir fried veggies, you can have it hot as it is ...or proceed further )
Add the cooled rice and mix well. Add the sauces and mix well with spatula. Garnish with the spring onion greens. Check salt..some sauces do have salt content in them.

Serve along with Baby Corn Manchurian! Its lipsmacking tasty!!



Snack time!!! The potato bhajias that I have often savoured as kid 'Batatya Bajjo' in Konkani is the way my mother prepares these. ( My only addition is the garam masala!)
We indulged in this after many months! :D

Ingredients :
2 potatoes, washed clean , wiped and sliced a bit thickly than wafers
1/2 Cup besan (gram flour)
salt
1 tsp red chili powder
pinch of haldi
big pinch garam masala powder
1 tsp ajwain
water
Oil to deep fry

Method :
Take besan in a wide-mouth bowl. Add chili powder, haldi, garam masala, ajwain, salt. Add water to it little by little make it lump free and of sauce consistency. DONOT add too much water. If the paste looks watery, add more beasan and make it sauce consistency.
Heat the oil on medium flame, leave a tiny drop of this batter into the oil, if it rises the oil is ready for pakoras/bhajias. Dip the slices one by one in batter, coat them evenly and slide them carefully in the hot oil. Do not over crowd the oil kadhai. Fry in batches. Serve hot with sauce.

Enjoyyyyy with a steaming hot beverage!

Ending without meetha...impossible. I used to love the milkmaid coconut laddoos ad as a kid, also used to finish off these in matter of minutes! Mom had to hide these or chide me for over-indulging! :) These below are made from freshly scraped coconut which I had to finish off.


Coconut Laddoos

Ingredients :
1 cup scraped coconut
5 tbspn sweetened condensed milk
Elaichi / cardamom powder -a big pinch
Saffron a tiny pinch
yellow color two drops
1/2 tsp ghee

Method :
Heat a heavy bottom kadhai, add the coconut and condensed milk and keep stirring on a medium flame for 10 minutes or till the mixture comes together. Add the saffron, elaichi powder and color and mix it enough to combine uniformly.
After it cools a bit, say in 5 minutes, apply ghee to fingers and palms, roll into balls.
Garnish with your choice of dry fruits. I didn't, but yet these were tasty and yes...nothing goes wrong with coconut and condensed milk ! :D

Heavenly Bites the taste lingering for a loooooooooong time ....

--Missed Crusts! ~Rajma, Kofta , Eggless Cookies and Jamuns

MOZ PUFFS

15 mins bake time@180C, rolled out the frozen n thawed pastry sheets , cut into squares filled with shred mozerella cheese, pepper and fresh coriander leaves and baked.

I 'Clicked' but I missed the date!!! Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! How C(rusty) my brains are!
Those are one of the puffs I tried with shred moz and pepper for filling for kids. They gobbled on it! Well with the amazing crisp taste and kid-friendly filling, its surprising if they wouldn't! :D
Sorry Bee -- on missing out !

RAJMA MASALA.

A yummy Rajma-masala made with simple recipe from Chef Sanjay Thumma - Vahrehvah.com.. which went on well with chapatis/rotis.


The next dish is also from the same Chef, MALAI KOFTA ...was very tasty indeed!

Step 1 : All boiled veggies to be rolled into balls - dipped in cornflour and deepfried.

Step 2 : Make gravy and add these to them.

Step 3 : HOOOGGGGGGGGG! :D
You truly can't stop, these are soooo tasteful!

** I used Moz shred cheese instead of paneer.




Thanks Mr. Sanjay Thumma, your techiques are surely bringing in better reviews from the better half n kids!









Few cookies which went wrong in shape but great to taste...if you can guess with a glance at them:


Eggless Walnut Cookies and Thumbprint (???) Jam Cookies with them!
I wish to rename mine as PAW print cookies! :D No one in the blog world must have goofed up on this lovely cookie, I let the butter go too soft and got this shape as a consequence!
Nevertheless, they tasted gooodddddddd!
The jam I used was from IKEA food, Blueberry extra jam. Recipe from our sweet Mansi - here.
Thanks Mansi@ Fun-n-Food!!

GULAB JAMUNS - WITH MILK POWDER

This one comes from Kamala @ Moms Recipes here, unique thing is I made GJ first time with milk powder instead of a mix! Thanks Kamala -these tasted too good, plus addition of rose water gives a lovely scent of 'GULAB' to jamuns!
The first time I made Gits GJ was way back in my 8th std, the insides being raw! :D This must be the only thing besides chapati making that I tried my hands at during my teenage.. I envy u Meera for trying out chicken! :D

HAPPY NAVARATRI TO ALL OF YOU --am missing my Mumbai Dandias!!!!!!!!

Ambe-Avnaasa Saasam, PA Juice, Raw Mango Pickle, Fruit Basket , Ladoos -I HATE!!

'Saasam' is a term in Konkani for Mustard seeds or Rai. The dish is a curried side dish- its very popular in marriages , made of fresh fruits, in a way curried fruit salad! The main ingredient here is mango and pineapple ( ambe, avnaas respectively in Konkani) many add black grapes and green grapes as well to make it look more colorful and the curry has some saasam in it.
Am not too sure whether Saasam name has been derived from Rai or in other Konkani dialect it means 'mixture' !

My Amma prepares it this way, there are many variations to it as well.

Ambe Avnaasa Saasam -->>

Ingredients :
1/2 cup chopped mangoes (ripe, alphonso)
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple pieces
3/4 th cup coconut (fresh / dessicated)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds toasted
Tamarind (half-a-marble sized)
Hing a tiny pinch
2 tsp jaggery
3-4 red chillies (more if u prefer spicy)
Salt

Tadka : 1 tsp - Coconut oil, 1 tsp - rai, 2-3 sprigs - curry leaves


Method :





Place the chopped fresh fruits (mango , pineapple) in a big serving bowl. Grind to fine paste - coconut, chillies, tamarind, jaggery, toasted rai, hing with water enough to give it porridge consistency, add salt to taste , add water to obtain sauce consistency, pour over fruits. Mix well.
Heat oil in a small pan, crackle the rai, add the curry leaves, pour atop the curried mango-pineapple mix. Cover and allow the flavours to gel.
Have it as a side dish or just like a dessert .

Update : 15th June 2008:

This goes to Sig's @ Live to Eat -Tamarind Event!
(Tks Sig, its got a eeny weeny bit of tamarind though!)

Summer --- beat it with Fresh Pineapple Juice

In a blender, blend one cup cubed fresh pineapple pieces, add a pinch of black salt, a pinch of pepper, a pinch of cardamom powder, two tsp sugar (the pineapple was on sweeter side) a dash of lemon juice, add two cups of cold water, blend, strain, serve!! INDULGE!

Kairi Pickle-Cooked Version -- This appeals to all those who have tastebuds which drizzle saliva at the mention of sour-sweet-spice! I am one of this troop!! :D
The below measure yields a bowl full of pickle, has to be consumed in a week's time.
Adjust jaggery, chili powder and salt as per your personal preference.



Ingredients :
2 grated kairi/raw mangoes
6-7 tbspn crumpled jaggery
1/2 tsp rai
1/2 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
1/4 tsp methi seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Black salt
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Oil -cooking oil/vegetable oil

Method :
Cook down the kairi with jaggery, once all the liquid has evaporated, mix in the black salt and red chili powder. Take 1/2 tsp oil in small tadka pan, heat the oil, crackle rai, add saunf and methi seeds. Pour this tempering over the kairi-jaggery mixture. Mix well, add the elaichi powder.
Have this with chapatis and Droooooooooooooooolllllllll !


Last week I prepared the following from blogs -- they were :


Meera, a dear blogger and friend to me , posted longggggggggg back a yummy
Lemon Yoghurt Cake, which finally saw light of the day in my kitchen --

Meera, this cake was too yummy thanks for sharing and describing it so well, got over same day!
Also her lovely dish Masoor Tikhale, a family recipe, is now a weekly addition with the lovely aromas of day to day ingredients put together, a dish polished off in one meal with no leftovers!!
Thanks yet again dear!!


Mansi of Fun and Food, posted a gorgeous finger food, Vegetable Bread Baskets which called for shaping the slices (fresh bread will need to be flattened a bit with rolling pin prior to baking to avoid crumpling) of bread n baking them, (170C for 12-15 mins until toasted) which appealed to me a great deal..so thought why not try, but I tweaked the filling recipe to suit my pantry...turned these basket shaped toasts to fruit basket with just chopped cherries and mangoes, seasoned with little chat masala, base of basket was a tsp of Gulkhand (jam can be used-get as creative as you can) with this fresh fruit filling topped with mozzarella cheese shreds, baked 170C for 7 mins until the topping just melts, these were finished off as evening snack on a weekend!

Fruit Basket - Bread n Fruits --






Try these to satisfy yourself of a crispy-fruity combo! Thanks Mansi!!!


Trupti of Recipe Center made these lovely Sabudana Ladoos and ever since it stayed at the back of my mind, trying to find some time to make these...and while making realised that it didn't take time at all!! They were so delicious I gobbled off many of the 14 ladoos and my kiddos n hub followed suit!
(Two notes - 1. The sabudana needs to be fried until brown. 2. Sabudana powder has to be sieved.)

When I went over to her space to comment on these, I was pleasantly surprised to find her tag me. Its a simple tag, hence I took it up...




10 Things I hate( not ate!!) MeMe
1. Superficial attitude.
2. Double standards.
3. Inhuman Nature - Be it for Elders, Peers or for Animals
4. Vulgarity
5. Blood shed/Wars
6. Corruption
7. Anger- Its Destructive
8. Ego- Its even more destructive
9. Alcohol Tobacco etc n way they r Glamorised
10. Infidelity- Hate activities meant 4 animals followed by some mortals!


Passing this on, rather tagging my dear fellow bloggers with no compulsion to take up -- do it only if time permits! :D :D

Meera - EIF

Maya - AAK

Priyanka - Asankhana

Deeba - PAB


And if you are wondering how many sweets have I posted, its over a period of one week..but today is special...how .....read below --


A VERY VERY HAPPY *35TH* ANNIVERSARY TO MY AMMA-AANNA (MOM-DAD)!!!




.

Tahiri Pulao, Mozarella Cheese Parathas, Puran Poli, Dates Cake! (Phew!!)

That PHEW was for typing out title!! I prepare dishes from other bloggers which truly suit my taste, my pantry and my tiny tots! These were prepared over a weeks time, not at one go!!



Meera of Enjoy Indian Food, dared to make it in Microwave, I couldn't! So my good old stove top did make a nice fare of it!
All at home loved this simple yet flavourful pulao from UP --

VEGETABLE TAHIRI

Meers thanks so much for sharing this!!

Musical's Kitchen is truly a parantha freak! Just like I have a tendency to turn all food into a dosa she turns all into tasteful paranthas! The above one is from her idea of using cheese, where I used mozarella, sprinkled a little bit of dried coriander leaves, chaat masala, pepper powder a pinch into the cheese, dumped it into a parantha, family loved it! THANKS MK!
Also the tip of boiling a potato in MW is a huge success!! Scrub a potato, clean it completely, dump in MW on high power for 4 mins n voila, we have a lovely boiled potato! Can u beat it???? Thanks a ton dear MK! Hv u ladies tried it out, its swell of a time saver!!
My elder one is allergic to milk n milk product so her parantha had goat cheese and jaatar!

CLICK! The awesome couple on the block- oops! BLOG! :D JB!
Bee posted a beautiful post on making of Puran Poli, didn't need much for me to get going..
This was heavenly to taste when hot and poured on with ghee (yes..its scoop of ghee- no less)
which beautifully melted down the edges and made it much more flavorful!!

Thanks B!




















My dear little girl, SHILPA who introduced me through her 'Pacchi's' Global Hit/Contagious recipe, Eggless-Butterfree Dates Cake, which I tried umpteenth times and hit with success, which my family cleans off before it cools!!!!
This time round, it was for 2nd bday of a tiny tot, for whom I used buttercream icing and garnished with M&M's so the overall looks department matched the taste too!
Shilpa , can I ever thank you enough for being around!!!!! HUGS to you!


Lastly two Kuwait-famous Mid-eastern dishes, store brought, though just to share how they look!

1. Haish Kuboos

Haish is the term to define this beautiful blend of spinach and other greens with mix of pulses like kabooli chana, white beans and also whole lentil like whole masoor cooked with split lentil, is bland and flavoured with browned onions, dash of lime and fresh pepper this is one dish which is nutritious and outlandish at taste!!

Kuboos is whole wheat flour flatbreads passed through tandoor, similar to those we call Tandoori Roti..its very tasty when hot!
Kids finish off one on our way back home!! :)




2. Falafel Mushakkel


Falafel here is deep fried in olive oil and tastes good for breakfast or even as a snack its filling! I used to call it Kuwaiti Vada! (as in Mumbai's Vadapav)









Pita bread is split and the center is stuffed with two falafels, some baked/grilled veggies, french fries and few sauces and gets its name as Mushakkel!

This serves as a good meal as its filling!!






Have a Happy Holi and enjoy your holidays!!

.