28 States 28 Plates in 28 Days

Last month, August 2020, I celebrated as Independence Month. So I took a challenge on my own, it was #28states28days and #28states28plates.

I cooked a full meal plate from each state, alphabetically, from 1st to 28th August. It was fun to cook so many different recipes. Although my family got tired of eating such huge arrangements, everyday. 

I will start writing about each state plate from tomorrow. I will keep updating the links here

1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Assam 
4. Bihar 
5. Chhattisgarh 
6. Goa 
7. Gujarat 
8. Haryana 
9. Himachal Pradesh 
10. Jharkhand 
11. Karnataka 
12. Kerala 
13. Madhya Pradesh 
14. Maharashtra 
15. Manipur 
16. Meghalaya 
17. Mizoram 
18. Nagaland 
19. Odisha 
20. Punjab 
21. Rajasthan 
22. Sikkim 
23. Tamil Nadu 
24. Telangana 
25. Tripura 
26. Uttarakhand
27. Uttar Pradesh
28. West Bengal

This challenge has taught me a lot about different states culture and food. There is similarities in every states food history.

I have kept here vegetarian eecipes only, so that any person with any food choices, can prepare them. I have kept simple dishes, as there was time constraint because I was cooking before leaving for my office in the morning; also I did not buy ingredients as per recipes, I cooked as per the ingredients available to me .

I had fun. Hope you have fun reading the recipes and a few stories. Do share your feedbacks and encouraging words.

Change of life and a new herby recipe

The aloo paratha crossed halfway to my mouth, when he screamed.... Aaaaangeeeeeeeeee..... 1year ago, in this situation, nothing could have distracted me from that aloo paratha; but now (sigh!), paratha went back to the plate and I started running towards the car holding him in one hand and umbrella in another (forgot to mention it started raining at the time he started crying). Finally he was calm after an ample time of feeding.

Yeah that was my son, who was screaming as soon as I started eating paratha. He will say ( or make a clear sound similar to) Aange which means I am hungry; we, the new parents understood this word once he was 3weeks old.

After having a baby, life has become upside down, in a good way.  We have put a PAUSE in so many things, a few things specially for the new mother. Weekends movie-marathon, planning sudden trips, eating anything, wearing any dress, sleeping whenever I want and there are many more. See, there is a big PAUSE now for all these, pause for a few months only. This "a few months" may be 6 months, 12months or 36months, completely depends on individual parents. There was a time, I used to require 8hours of sound sleep in a dark room. But now my body has evolved to cope up with 4hours of sleep (that too not continuous!) with light on.  If I get 2hours of continuous sleep within 4AM to 7AM, I am fully fresh and capable of doing all the household works. Parks of being a Mother! Even I am writing this post, during that good-night-sleep-break.

The thing is life changes and in the beginning of any new journey we will struggle to adjust with the change. But the struggle is worth it! The smile of that small face and the touch of those little fingers make all my efforts priceless.

Today's recipe is also something I tried for the first time.

It is a herb which is good for lactating mothers (Fathers, please don't complain, you know how your better-half is struggling, so don't be upset if they get more attention). These are Dill leaves. It is widely available in Bangalore but has a pungent smell. One of my neighbor, in our apartment, Priyanka, a very jolly and caring person, told my mother about this. Her mother-in-law is also very sweet and caring. She not only prepared the shaak for me but also sent me a bunch of those leafy vegetables. I liked the dish. So thought to prepare it in our bengali way. I have used a mixture of whole spices which are good for a lactating mother and helps to make the smell of the vegetable less.

What you will need:

• Dill leaves : a bunch
• Tilauri 1 small cup; tilauris are sun-dried lentil dumplings, which are available in bihar and Jharkhand. My friend Juhi, whenever she goes home, brings for me. I am in love of these tiny dumplings. You can fry and have with rice.
• Potato 1 big
• Onion 1 big
• Chilly 1 or as per your taste
• Garlic 4/5 cloves, chopped.
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• Mixture of spices, 1 teaspoon each: Cumin seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Mustard seeds

Before I explain the recipe, one fun fact about these herb: One tablespoon of dill seed contains more calcium than a cup of milk. So, you see, if you don't like to drink or can't drink Milk, there is a herby substitute.

The recipe goes like:

1. Chop the leaves along with the tender stems, discard the matured ones. 
2. Peel and cut the onion and potato in small cubes. 
3. Heat oil in a non-sticky pan. Fry the tilauris.  Keep these aside.
4. Now add a little oil in the pan again, if required and heat it in medium flame. Add the mix whole spices. Once the seeds starts to crackle, turn the flame low, add the chopped garlic, once it starts to become brown, add chopped onions. Stir fry till it changes color.
5. Add the potatoes. Fry it for 3-4 min.
6. Add the chopped herb. Add tilauri. Sprinkle salt followed by turmeric powder. Mix everything carefully. Cover.
7. Keep stirring. The leaves will leave water, which will make the potatoes soft. Another 5mins and you can see the green color will become darker. Once the water is dried, potatoes are soft, check the taste of the leaves. If the raw taste is gone and it is a little sticky, your shaak is ready. 
8. Enjoy with rice and daal.

For all the lactating mothers, enjoy this period and do a favor to yourself, don't compare your health and lifestyle with others. Enjoy each moment and don't regret for the things you are unable to do now. Within blink of eyes, babies will be grown ups and will be in high schools. Then college and then job, finally they will get out of your house and will get settled somewhere else, with their other half. That's life, keeps on changing.

Hope you enjoyed the recipe as well as the post. See ya!

Birthday of a foodie and Broccoli recipes

Happy birthday to you.....Happy birthday to you...Happy birthday happy birthday... Happy birthday to you...birthday song for the birthday week; me , mother-in-law and brother-in-law Banjit, cut our birthday cakes, had tasty foods and enjoyed the gifts.

Our birthdays are always special for us, but how much are we crazy for the day? Just answer this simple questions: Do you start counting days one month prior to your day? Do you wish yourself at midnight by making birthday card? Does all your close people get annoyed with your birthday countdown? If your answer is YES, give me a high five. I am crazy for my birthday and credit goes to my Dhaligaon mama (Dhaligaon is the place where he used to work).

My birthday is in july, which used to be summer vacation (it used to be heavy rainy season) time during student life, which means I used to celebrate at home without worrying about classes and homeworks. But there was never a fancy cake on my birthday because: 1st- during my childhood, there was no cake shop in my hometown; 2nd- my Dhaligaon mami used to bake for me. Their house was 1.5hr journey from our place. Mama and mami used to bring cake for me till my high school, every year. Once, it was raining very badly; my ma told, I would bake a cake for you, your mama wouldn't be able to come in this weather. I was waiting near the window, I told, mama would come with my cake. Within 10 mins, I saw, mama and mami coming, in his scooter, wearing raincoats. When they entered our house, they were fully drenched. But I was jumping because my birthday cake arrived on time. That was the love from my mama and mami. Every birthday, while cutting cake, I will fondly remember mama. He kept promise to a small kid in that harsh weather and the kid learned the value of trust. He made me realize, how special my birthday was. And I fell in love with my birthday celebrations. Love you Mama.

This year also I made a big deal about my birthday. I am glad that my hubby darling made the day special. Surprise gifts started coming from the (birthday-energy-annoyed) hubby, one week before my birthday.

Birthday card from my 3months old baby 

Gifts from hubby

My baby also behaved those two days: 2nd July (mother-in-law birthday) and 3rd July (mine), so I was able to cook. Foods of 2nd July were simple, as my mom-in-law liked.

Foods

    

Cake & gift

We had in lunch: bhaat, potol bhaja, paneer broccoli, broccoli bhaji, mishti kumror chhakka, daal (plain rice, fried pointed gourd, paneer with broccoli, broccoli stir fry, pumpkin stur fry, daal).

3rd july was my day and I don't know to have a simple birthday food(guilty!).

Cake and lunch

Dinner and baloons

As you can see, there was plenty of food. Lunch was: bhaat, potol posto, palak pata bhaja, pasta chingri mach diye, chaal kumro aar mishti kumro bhaja, macher dim bhaja, daal (plain rice, pointed gourd with poppy seeds, spinach fry, prawn fettuccine, fried ash gourd and pumpkin, fish egg fry, daal).
We had pancakes in the evening.
Dinner: Veg fried rice, chhole, paratha, fish, rasmalai.


So the my birthday was spent well, with two cakes, loads of gifts and lots of food. That's the birthday of a foodie.

Here is today's recipe for two of the birthday foods, fried ash gourd, spinach and pumpkin, veg fried rice and broccoli stir fry. For the recipes of rest of the foods, I will update soon. OK, not soon, because I am struggling with my baby daily, to make habit of sleeping at night; so during day tome, I need to play, dance and talk with him, so that he doesn't fall asleep.

FRIED ASH GOURD, SPINACH & PUMPKIN:

Ash gourd and Pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cleaned, cut in long and thin strips ( you can cut in shape as per image).

Spinach leaves, whole, washed and soaked in water.

For the batter:

Rice flour

Turmeric powder

Kashmiri Chilli powder

Salt

Water as per thickness requirements

Oil

Mix all the ingredients for the batter. If you don't have rice flour, you can uae gram flour or all purpose flour. But rice flour add the crunchiness in the fries, also it is healthier than other two types of flour.

Kashmiri chilli adds a vibrant red color in the yellow batter ( which we get after adding turmeric powder). It is very mild spicy.

The batter should not be too much thick; you should be able to coat the pieces of the vegetables, but there should not be thick layer on it.

Once batter is ready, heat oil in a heavy and deep bottomed kadai. Once it is completely heated, dip the pieces of vegetables inbthe batter and deep fry in oil. Keep the flame medium. Once the color of the fries become light red in both sides, take it out and enjoy eating crunchy fries.

Ash gourd & Pumpkin fry

Spinach fry

BROCCOLI STIR FRY

Broccoli 200gm, cut the broccoli florets in 2 pieces, dont make it much small; soak in boiled water for a few minutes.

Potato 1big or 2medium, cut in strips of size as per broccoli; 

Onion 1medium, thin sliced

Chilly 2 or more as per your taste

Salt, oil, onion seeds and turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Keep flame low. Add onion and chilly. Once onion turns light red, add broccoli and potato. Saute. Add salt and turmeric powder. Saute properly. Cover the pan. Keep on checking and keep stirring after 3/4 min. Once broccoli and potato becomes tender, you can increase the heat once vegetables turn brownish, you can transfer the content into a bowl. Enjoy with roti or rice.

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Biriyani Rice 2 cups (washed and soaked in water for 15mins, mixed with 2teaspoon refined oil and salt). This will help to make the rice non-sticky.

Broccoli 200gm, cut the broccoli florets in 2 pieces, dont make it much small;

2 Carrots, thin sliced

15/16 French beans, cut the beans into 1inch pieces.

Peas 1 cup

Green chilly 2

Coriander leaves, chopped, handful for garnishing.

Ghee 2 tbspoon

Onion 1 big, peeled, chopped in small square shapes.

3 tbspoon barbecue seasoning

Ghee 2 tbspoon

Cook the soaked rice in a pressure cooker. You will need 3 cups of water to cook rice. Put the flame in high, one whistle and immediately turn off the heat. Let the gas pass and open the lid. Sread the rice in plate. You need to make it completely cool, otherwise while making the layers for biriyani, rice will become soggy.

Soak the vegetables in hot water for 5minutes. Now in a thick bottomed kadai, heat oil. Add chopped onions chilly. Saute. Once onion turns brown, add the vegetables and salt. Cover and Stir fry in between until the vegetables become soft. Add cooked rice, seasoning and salt if required. Increase heat and saute a few sec. Add ghee. Mix rice and vegetables carefully and slowly, without breaking the rice. Have the fried rice with veg curry or chicken curry.

That's all for today. Typing this post from last 3days. Finally finished in a hurry, otherwise it might not get posted tonight. See ya all. Good night. Hope you like the recipes and the post as well.

Roti Vegetable Noodle

I knew that surfing Internet is going to help me learn a lot & the first time I heard about this recipe, I was so happy about my "cooking-blogging-netSurfing" habit. While going through different blogs, I found the name of this recipe & I found it interesting as I found a perfect solution for my leftover Rotis. Yesterday I tried this new thing with some modifications & addition of new ingredients & the result was - love in first bite. I am sure you will love it too. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients: 

6 no's chapatti / roti (Cut in to thin finger size strips)

1/ 2 Cup onion (Thin Slices)

2 Cups carrots, capsicum, cabbage (cut in to thin strips) or you can take vegetables of your choice

2 Tbsp chopped ginger

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

2 no's green chilies(Finely Chopped)

1 tbsp chilly powder

2 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp chili sauce

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp olive oil / cooking oil 

Fry Moog Dal to garnish

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add sliced onions and green chilies, saute with a pinch of salt for a minute add chopped ginger & garlic, and saute till the raw smell leaves.
2. Then add carrots, capsicum, cabbage, required salt to it and mix well, and saute until vegetables are half cooked.
3. Now add chilly powder, tomato sauce, chili sauce, soy sauce, little salt and stir well, then add the chapati strips to it and toss well ( Keep the flame in high ) add lemon juice and spring onions to it, give a quick stir, and serve hot with the garnishing.
4. Tasty, healthy roti noodles is ready to eat. 

Paneer Khurchan - a Chef Special

This time I opted the recipe from my favorite Chef's book Kadai Cooking, a book must for any cooking-lover. This is a Cottage Cheese or Paneer recipe, went perfect with the plain nun. I & R found our another favorite dish, after having this delicious food in our dinner of two. 

For the record, here is the original recipe I found in Kadai Cooking by Sanjeev Kapoor, a Chef whom I admire a lot & sometime try to follow his cooking.

Ingredients

•Cottage cheese (paneer),cut into thick strips 250 grams

•Oil 2 tablespoons

•Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon

•Garlic paste 2 teaspoons

•Green capsicum, cut into thick strips 2 medium

•Tomato,seeded and thick strips 2 medium

•Onion  thick strips 2 medium

•Tomato puree 3 tablespoons

•Salt to taste

•Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon

•Lemon juice 1 teaspoon

•Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed kadai; add the cumin seeds.
2. When they begin to change colour, add the garlic paste, capsicums, tomatoes and onions and sauté for five or six minutes.
3. Add the paneer, tomato purée, salt and chilli powder. Sauté for a while till the paneer begins to stick to the pan. 
4. Scrape the paneer off the bottom of the pan and sauté for a while longer till the paneer is dark brown and mashed. 
5. Stir in the lemon juice and kasuri methi and serve immediately.

Mushroom Paneer Pulao (my Quick recipe)

To the 8-years Old Friendship! To Yambem & Bunny! Love you Both.

In my last post I have told you about the Chicken Recipe of 31st night. The recipe for the Pulao, which was as good as the Chicken recipe, is here.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice

1 cup button mushrooms

1 cup paneer cubes

1 tbsp. garam masala powder

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

5 tbsps. ghee

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint

2 tbsps. cashewnuts paste

salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Clean and wash the rice. Soak in water for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Heat 2 tbsps. of ghee in a kadai and fry the spices lightly. Add the mushrooms and the paneer cubes along with the garam masala powder.

3. Add cashewnut paste and about a cup of water and salt to taste.

4. Add the drained rice. Fry for sometime. Then pour 4 cups of water and add salt to taste.

Tangy Zucchini-Mushroom

This is a recipe tried long back. As I am busy with something so I am not able to post regularly. Hope to meet my readers (if there's any!) soon.

Beetroot 1
Zucchini 1
Chilly 1
Mushroom 2
Salt
Milk 3tbsp
Onion seeds 1/2tsp
Sambar onion 3
garlic 3 cloves
tangy chilly paste 1/4 tsp (see Tips)

Recipe:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add onion seeds, followed by chopped garlic & onion.

2. After frying for 2mins on medium heat, when onion becomes soft, add the beetroot, zucchini & fry for 2mins. Add the mushrooms. Sauté.

3. Add salt & chilly. Mix properly. Cover & cook for 4mins.

4. Add 2cups water in the tangy chilly paste (see Tips). Add this in the pan. Now cover & cook on low heat untill the beetroot is soft.

5. Now uncover, add milk & cook on medium heat.

6. When the liquid completely dries off, turn off the heat. Serve hot.

Tips:

To make tangy chilly paste:
4 Indian Gooseberry
10-12 Green Chilly
1 tbsp Garlic paste
2 tbsp Ginger paste

Boil the Indian Gooseberry, deseeded. Blend together berry, chilly, ginger & garlic. Add 1 tbsp oil, salt, turmeric powder & mix.

Palaeng Xaakor Khar

A traditional meal in Assam begins with a khar, a class of dishes named after the main ingredient, and ends with a tenga, a sour dish. These two dishes characterize a traditional meal in Assam.

The khar is a signature class of preparations made with a key ingredient, also called khar. The traditional ingredient is made by filtering water through the ashes of a banana tree, which is then called kola khar (The name derived from the locale term of Banana, "Kol" or "Kola"). A traditional meal invariably begins with a khar dish, made of raw papaya, pulses or any other main ingredient. Xôkôta: It is a severely bitter type of preparation. It is prepared with dry jute leaf, urad bean and khar. 

However, the combination of Khar (alkaline) and Tenga (acidic) is not recommended.

This time I prepared the "khar" for the first time. It went very well. I found the recipe from my friends mother. Here is the recipe which I followed. Hope you try & like it :)

Ingredients:

3 cups spinach washed ,chopped and drained

3 tbsp kola khar

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp mustard oil

3tbsp of red lentils

1/2 cup water approx

salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Wash ,soak lentil for 1/2 hour.

2. Heat oil and add garlic.

3. Stir-fry and add lentils

4. Add the spinach and stir well.

5. Add the kola khar and salt.

6. Add a little water and simmer it till the gravy is thick.

7. Garnish with some mustard oil and chili

8. Serve with hot boiled rice.

Daal with Eggplant

These days are really going fast & I hardly find time to post my recipes. There are so may things I want to share. Now just waiting for February, hope to get some free time then.

Here is one of my favorite dish - Begun diye Muger Daal (Sona moong daal with Eggplant). I first had this in my Boromami's house. My Boromami, Geeta Sengupta, a housemaker, a very good cook, always tries to prepare the same daily food in a different tasty way. I miss her food, here is one for her.

Ingredients:
1 Eggplant
1/2 cup sona moong daal
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1 tbspn oil
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn grated ginger
1 bay leaf
1/2 tspn ghee

2 cups of water
Salt to taste

sugar

Recipe:
1. Cut eggplant into medium pieces. Heat oil in a kadai & shallow fry the eggplant pieces.

2. Pressure cook the daal with 2 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder until done. Wait for 10 minutes for the pressure to release.

3. Heat the oil in the pan, add cumin seeds and allow to pop-up.

4. Add the ginger and bay leaf, stir for a minute.

5. Add the ghee and pour the daal over it & cook on high heat. If required you can add more water. When bubble starts to appear, add the fried eggplants. Add sugar & salt (if salt is required). Cook on low heat for 5-7 mins.

Banana Flower stir fry with Coconut (Mochar ghonto Narkel diye)

The holidays are over & I am back with different recipes which I tasted during my vacation. My ma, boro-mashi have prepared many tasty Bengali foods for me & now I am trying them one by one. So here is a recipe which I found in Chakdah, at Boro-mashi's home, Mochar Ghonto Narkel diye (Banana fritters stir fry with Coconut). I loved that & asked her recipe. So here it is!

Ingredients:

Banana Flower 1

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Bay leaves 2

Cumin 1 tsp

Ginger paste 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tea spoon

Garam Masala powder 1 tsp

Grated coconut 1/2 cup

Oil 3 tbs

Salt and sugar to taste

Method:

1. Once the florets have been cleaned, chop them into small size. Boil this with little salt till almost cooked. Remove water and keep florets aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and bay leaves, and once the seeds start to splutter, add the boiled mocha. Add turmeric powder and salt, cover the pan with a lid, and allow it to cook for 10 minutes on a slow flame; gently cook it by tossing and turning it several times.

3. Add ginger & cumin paste and mix them well. Also add a spoon of sugar to taste.

4. Add the grated coconut when all the ingredients are soft and the water has dried out.

5. Finally, add the garam masala mix & this is ready to serve.

Tips:

When peeling the mocha, apply some cooking oil/mustard oil to your hands to prevent the sticky juices of the mocha from staining your hands.

Red Lentil (Paste, Fry, Curry)\Musur Daal (Baata, Bora, Jhol)

This is a 3-in-1 post; or you can say a 3-in-1 recipe. With the same ingredients you can get three different dishes at one time: Paste (Baata), Fries (Bora\Pakoda) & Curry (Jhol). The paste is a very popular Assamese side dish, where as I have seen the pakodas in every Bengali house & I have seen these curry mainly in Assamese cuisine. So we can say this is a mixture of two different cuisines. Just try it & let me know your experience.

Ingredients:

Musur Daal\ Red Lentil - 1 cup

Onion - 2, medium, finely chopped

Chilly - 1, finely chopped

Tomato - 1/2, take out seeds & finely chopped

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Onion seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil to fry

1. Soak the Musur Dal\Red lentil 2 hours before cooking.

2. Once it is soaked put it in a food porcesser and process it until you have a "not-so-smooth" paste of musur daal. The paste cant be too runny or too tight. Also I like if the paste is not very smooth.

3. Add the chopped tomato, coriander leaves, green chillies and sliced onion in the daal mixture. Add the salt and whip the whole mixture thoroughly with your hand. Add the onion seeds & mix again.

Note: Just before adding onion seeds, keep aside 4tbsp paste in a bowl & add a little mustard oil (I love the smell of the oil, so I always add 1tbsp oil to get a tasty paste :) ). Use this paste as a side dish. This is a popular Assamese side dish.

4. Heat the oil in a kadai and then pick up the mixture with a spoon and pour in the oil. Fry them evenly on both the sides and serve the red hot fries (bora).

Note: Some time I like to prepare curry of these pakoras\fries. This is also very popular Assamese cuisine. 

To prepare the curry:

Onion - 1, small, sliced

Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped

Ginger - 1/2tsp, paste

Oil - 1tbsp

Cumin Powder - 1/3 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2tsp

Chilly Powder - 1/3tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

1. Heat oil in a pan,add garlic & onion. When onion becomes soft, add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilly powder & salt. (You can add potato pieces-cut into medium cubes.) 

2. Saute for 4-5min in low flame. Add water. (If added potato, cover the pan & cook for 7-8min in low flame, then uncover & cook in high flame for 5mins.) Cook in high flame for 5mins without covering the pan. Curry is ready.

3. Add the Lentil fries or daal pakoras in the curry, cook on low flame for 3-5mins. Add chopped coriander leaves, turn off the heat & serve hot.

Stuffed Teasel Gourd Fry\Pur Bhora Kankrol

Here, in our local market, sometimes, I can not find my favorite vegetables. My one of the favorite vegetable is Kankrol or Teasel Gourd. Teasel Gourd is very popular vegetable in our North-East region, widely available during the monsoon season. This time, when monsoon started to leave, we found some Kankrol in our local market, very high price! But we could not resist to buy these & in dinner I prepared the best recipe my Ma used to cook at home. 

My ma, prepares this recipe, whenever these are available in market. I love this stuffed things. In my 1 year Bangalore life, this was the first time I prepared these fries. These are reminding me, how I used to stand near my Ma when she used to prepare these... 

Here is my Ma's recipe. 

Ingredients:

Kankrol\  - 4 (1 Kankrol will give 2 stuffed fries) 

Poppy seed - 2tbsp 

Mustard seeds - 1tbsp

Onion - 1, medium

Green chili - 2-3

Garlic - 1-2 cloves, chopped

All-purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard oil 

Sugar & Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut off the tail of the Kankrol, peel and cut them into equal halves, lengthwise. Blanch the Kankrol for about 3-4 minutes and drain the water. (Note: you need make the pieces little soft; In our area water is not so good, so I had to use cooker to make them tender.)

2. With a small spoon, gently scoop the insides of the Kankrol out, without damaging the outer shell, giving a boat like shape to it. Retain the insides for the stuffing.

3. In a grinder, add poppy & musterd seeds, half of the onion, chillies. Make a fine paste. 

4. Heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai. Add the chopped garlic & remaining onion (chopped). Saute until onion is soft. Add the Kankrol insides. Fry for 2mins. Add the paste. Add salt & saute. Cook untill there is no water. The final output will be a little fried paste. 

5. Make a thick batter with all purpose flour, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well to avoid lumps. 

6. Take required amount of stuffing & fill the hollow insides of the kankrol boats.

7. Dip each stuffed Kankrol in the batter and shallow fry in hot mustard oil. You can use refined oil if you don’t have\like mustard oil. (but I like the musterd oil taste!)

8. Keep the stuffing-side up in the oil and first fry the “base” for about 1-2 minutes on low-medium heat. 

9. I took a spoon and started dripping the hot oil over the top of the Kankrol, just to keep everything intact. With a slotted spoon, turn the Kankrol halves to the stuffing-side down. Fry again for 1-2 minutes on low heat.

10. The Kankrols should look crusty and golden fried at the end of their cooking time. Its important the frying is done in a wok on low-medium heat so the insides are cooked. If the oil cools down, adjust accordingly.

Eggplant Mixture

The spinach khichdi does not need any side dish, but to increase the expectation level of my "already-highly-expected" friend, I prepared this. He called me from his office (could not wait to finish tiffin!) & said something (he was so happy that I barely understood his words, a good sign!). So I though to post this recipe too. It is very common in my home, my mother prepares it the best. I tried & it was good, reminded me of my mother's cooking (sigh!).

Ingredients:

(for 2)

Eggplant - 1, small

Potato - 2, medium - half boiled

Capsicum - 1, small

Onion - 1, medium-chopped

Garlic - 4-5flakes, chopped

Ginger paste - 1tsp

Onion seeds - 1tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2tsp

Soya sauce - 1tsp (optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves - 1/2cup, chopped

Chilly - 1, small, cut & take out the seeds

Salt & Sugar to taste

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes. Cut into medium cubes all the vegetables (don't forget to take out the white portions & seeds of capsicum). Wash & keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add onion seeds & as they start to splatter add the chopped garlic, followed by onions. Cook in low heat.

3. After 1-2mins add the potato & capsicum cubes. Add salt, sugar, coriander & turmeric powders. Toss a little. Cover the pan & cook for 3mins. Keep checking.

4. When the potato & capsicum pieces are 99% done, add the eggplant cubes. Now mix the vegetables properly. Check the salt, you may add if you need. Cover & cook for 3mins. Uncover & again mix the vegetables properly. After 2mins, add soya sauce (optional) & the coriander leaves & cook for 2mins again.

5. You may have this with my Spinach-Khichdi, just like me :)

Spinach Khichdi

Again!! I am suffering from spinach fever, haa haa! Preparing tiffin everyday seems very challenging, when you have someone whose expectations are high (I have to confess, I am responsible for that high-expectation, sigh!). So this rice recipe fulfilled all his expectations & I was satisfied too!

This leafy vegetable, spinach, is easily available in our nearby local market & it has a huge role in most of my successful "experimental"-recipes. This one is a full meal itself. But if you want, you can prepare my Eggplant recipe & enjoy them both.

One more request I have, please join my blog & give me some feedback, if you like my blog. Your comments are valuable.

Ingredients:

Rice - 100gm \ 1 large cup, uncooked

Sona Mung daal- 50gm, no need to fry

Spinach paste (thick paste)- 1-1/2 cups
Coconut - 1/2 cup, cut into small cubes

onion - 1, small, chopped

capsicum - 1, small, finely chopped

Ginger paste - 1tbsp

chilly - 1

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds - 1tsp

Fenugreek sedds - 1tsp

Bay leaf - 2

oil to fry

salt to taste

sugar

water (do not worry about quantity)

Method:

1. Wash & soak, both rice & daal, together or separately.

2. Heat oil in a cooker. Add bay leaves, cumin & fenugreek seeds. When the seeds start to splatter, add onions. Saute for 1-2min. Add capsicum & coconut pieces, saute for 2mins again. Now add the spinach & ginger pastes. Cook for 3mins.

3. Add rice & daal. Add salt, sugar, chilly flakes & turmeric powder. Saute for 5 more mins.

4. Add 4cups of water. Cover and cook on high flame & wait for the cooker to whistle 4-5 times. Turn off the heat & let it set for 10-15 mins.

5. Transfer to a serving plate & enjoy.

Linking to:  Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam

Apple Pies

After preparing Sfiha, I was very much satisfied with my no-oven baking thing. So this time when I had some extra apples in my room, I thought to prepare a sweet Sfiha. But since my friends wanted to taste something more soft than Sfiha, so I tried something different without knowing about the outcome. But anyway, the new pies (not sure about the name) were sweet & no-oil (only 1tbsp), surprisingly tasty.

So friends, I want you to try this one & let me know how does it go. No need to mention that these are healthy for kids too. 

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. milk

1tbsp refined oil

1/2 cup water

For the filling:

About 1tbsp sugar

1large apple, peeled, halved, and chopped

1tbsp Milk

1/2cup , ripe papaya, chopped 

1 tsp. cinnamon powder or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

For Syrup:

4tbsp sugar

3-4 strands Saffron

1cup Water

1/2cup Apple skin, chopped

Method:

1. Sieve the maida\flour well with salt, sugar, milk and place in a flat dish. Make a bay in the center and put a little of oil for leavening. Add warm water and make a stiff dough.

2. Divide dough into walnut size balls. Roll between hand palms to smooth. Roll out balls with a rolling pin to form 8 cm diameter circles.

3. For the fillings, mix all the ingredients. I used cardamom powder. Keep it aside.

4. Put 2tbsp of the fillings on a flour circle and place another flour clircle over the fillings in such a way that it falls just on the edge of the bottom half. Gently mold the dough around the apple to eliminate any trapped air. Fold the edge of the bottom half up over the edge of the top half and press to seal. Repeat it for other flour circles.

5.Heat the pressure cooker for 5 mins. Grease and dust the baking container with oil & flour. Place the pies in the container and place the tightly closed container in the cooker. Keep the cooker on low flame, without whistle.

6. Bake until golden brown, 25mins to 30mins, turn off the heat & set aside the container. These go well with the hot\cold sugar syrup.

Preparation of Syrup:

In a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear, approximately 3 minutes. Add the saffron & apple skins. Keep it on low heat for 4-5mins.

Linking to:  Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!

Bharwan Karela\Bitter Gourd Stuffed (my style)

Since cooking is an art, so there is always opportunities of experiments. My father is the one who always encouraged me for trying new recipes. It is because of my father that I fell in love with cooking, trying something different every time I enter the kitchen. In return, he used to give me three classes of smile, defining the grades A, B or C.

Here is one, which I prepared yesterday & this was a hit. Going to prepare again in Saturday lunch (then I'll update a good quality picture!). This November, in Deewali, when I'll visit my home, I am going to prepare it for  my father, eagerly waiting to see what class of smile he will have this time :)

Thanks for bearing with my pictures!

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourds\Karele,halved 4

Salt to taste

Oil 1tbsp

For stuffing

All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1, medium, ,chopped

Garlic - 2tbsp, finely chopped

Coriander powder - 1tsp

Cumin powder - 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Capsicum - 1, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Chilly - 2, chopped

Oil - 1tbsp

Method:

1. Scrape the bitter gourds; make a slit on one side and remove the seeds. Keep the seeds for using in stuffing. In pressure cooker, take 2cups of water, add 1tsp salt, add the gourds & cover the cooker. Keep on high flame & wait till 1 whistle. Turn off the heat & let it set for 10-15 mins. Keep the bitter gourds in a plate.

2. To prepare the stuffing, heat 1tbsp oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic, onion, capsicum & the bitter gourd seeds. Suate for 1-2mins. Add the masala powders, salt, chilly. Cover the pan. Cook on low heat for 3-4mins or until the mixture is soft.

3. Mix water with All Purpose Flour/Maida to make a smooth paste.

4. Stuff the masala mixture into each gourd\karela and pour 3tbsp flour paste over the stuffing, so the stuffing does not come out while frying. Heat the 1tbsp oil in a kadai & add the stuffed karele. Cover and cook over low heat for 5-6mins, till the gourds are cooked. Serve hot.

Partially adapted from the recipe here.

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!

Stuffed Sweet Roti

These are Roti filled With Chocolate And Bananas. Anyone with a love for chocolate & sweet taste, is going to fall for it. Do try this recipe as I think you will like it too!

This one can go well with your little ones! For more such recipes, check here.

Ingredients:

2 Roti

40gm Chocolate, chopped

salt

butter

1 Large Banana, sliced

Method:

1. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add butter, spread it all over the pan. Place a roti. Then scatter one side of the roti with a layer of chopped chocolate, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt, and top with another layer of banana slices.

2. Fold the roti in half and then carefully flip over. Continue cooking, pressing down lightly, until its other side is golden brown, crispy, and the chocolate has melted.

3. Keep aside the roti in a paper, and repeat with the remaining ingredients

Linking to:  Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!