Digestive burfi !

Being an ayurvedic physician i always rely on my kitchen pharmacy for minor health issues.Last week my friend Neelam dutta had shared the authentic goan recipe of making Alyachi kapa (Ginger burfi).That recipe inspired me to make my innovative digestive burfi by using spices from kitchen.The taste and the aroma of this burfi is really yummy.It can also be the best home remedy for nausea(specially during travel),bad breath,bloating etc.This recipe can be perfect as Mouth freshner (Mukhawas) or After meal snack to promote digestion.

          Ingredients

• 1 cup Ginger pulp 
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 10 green cardamoms
• 1 tsp Ghee(clarified butter)
• Water(as per requirement)

          

          Method of preparation

• Apply some ghee on the plate. Spread it evenly and grease the plate for making barfi.
• In a frying pan dry roast the coriander seeds,cumin seeds and fennel seeds for 1-2 minute and keep it aside.
• In a mixie make powder of cardamom and other roasted spices.Keep aside.
• Clean the ginger and remove it's outer skin.Make the ginger paste.While grinding add just 1-2 tsp water if required.
• In the pan take the sugar and add 3-4 tsp of water and mix it nicely.Keep the flame to low medium.
• Let the sugar dissolve to form syrup consistency.
• Next to the syrup add the ginger paste and spice powder and keep on mixing on low medium flame.
• Mix well and cook till the mixture absorb the sugar syrup and reached the desired consistency that after cooling it will become solid.
• Turn off the heat and spread the mixture on greased plate,let the mixture to cool down it takes around 10 minutes.
• In the meantime spread it nicely using rolling pin(greased with some ghee).
• Before the burfi mixture completely cools down put cuts of your desired size.
• Once the burfi completely cools down,remove from plate and store in the airtight container.
• Enjoy your digestive burfi !

          Happy cooking !

Trick to make 1 Minute Mint Lemonade

                                                                               

Everyone likes a glass of  fresh lemonade specially in the scorching summer.If you love quenching your thirst with an ice-cold glass of lemonade but aren't a fan of artificial aerated drinks,then this trick is for you.Next time whenever you crave for lemonade get an instant sip by using pre-made,frozen mint lemonade cubes to create your favorite drink.This recipe isn't just easy to make,it's perfect for any number of servings, from single to several,or even a pitcher,if necessary.You can prepare this cubes in freezer when you are expecting guests at home.Using this trick and your imagination you can make drink of your choice.I have added mint in my recipe to make it more refreshing.I am damn sure you will love this time saving hack.

          Ingredients (serves 4-5 glasses)

• 1/2 cup Lemon juice
• 1/3 rd cup Sugar
• 2 cup of Water 
• 8-10 Mint leaves(chopped)
• Salt(as per taste)

          Method of preparation

• In a medium size bowl mix all the ingredients and stir it nicely till the sugar dissolves properly.
• Transfer this mixture into ice-cube tray slowly so that all the cubes are filled evenly.
• Allow this lemon concentrate to freeze overnight in the freezer.
• To remove the cubes,insert a small kitchen knife along side each cube to gain hold,then gently pop out the cubes.
• In a glass add 1-2 cubes and add some water.
• Enjoy your drink !

          Note

• Amount of sugar will vary as per personal taste.
• You can also replace sugar with honey if you like.
• You can also add some grated ginger as per your choice

       
          Happy summer !

Grilled Vegetable Subji

                                                                                

When sometimes you are bored with normal routine recipe you end up inventing the new delicious recipe from your trial and errors in the kitchen.This recipe is the perfect example of it.Normally in india we prepare subji by giving tempering with oil or ghee and then cook veggies in it and also put some seasoning to enhance the taste.In this recipe i have used the different method in which i have grillled all the veggies first in the oven and then i have done tempering and added seasoning.Believe me friends the grilled veggies give divine crunchy taste to the dish.This dish is also healthy as it requires very little oil.This dish can be served with roti or paratha or dal rice as per your choice.

          Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• Onion (1 medium size chopped into cubes)
• Tomato (1 medium size chopped into cubes)
• Potato ( 1 medium size blanched potato chopped into cubes)
• French beans (5-6 chopped into 1"pieces)
• Mushrooms (3-4 chopped into cubes)
• Carrot (1 medium size chopped into cubes)
• Cauliflower( 3-4 florets cut into medium size pieces)
• Capsicum(1 medium size chopped into cubes)
• Brocolli ( 3-4 florets cut into medium size pieces)
• Ginger garlic paste (1 tablespoon)
• Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)
• Green peas (2 tablespoon)
• Cumin powder(1/2 tsp)
• Coriander powder (1/2 tsp)
• Chilli powder(1/2 tsp)
• Garam masala powder (1/2tsp)
• Curry leaves(5-6)
• Asafoetida(1/2 tsp)
• Cumin seeds(1/2 tsp)
• Mustard seeds(1/2 tsp)
• Salt(as per taste)
• Sugar(1/4 tsp)
• Oil (2-3 tablespoons)
• Grated coconut (2 tablespoons)
• Coriander leaves(For garnishing)

          
          Method of preparation

• Preheat the oven at 180-200 degrees celcius 
• Blanch the potato and keep it aside.
• Clean and chop all the veggies as gives in the ingredients list. Apply some salt to all the veggies.
• In the oven safe tray apply some oil and then arrange the chopped veggies nicely.
• Keep the tray in the oven for grilling for 20- 25 minutes.while the vegges are grilled in the oven,keep on turning the veggies every 10 minutes so that they are grilled on all sides.
• After the veggies are grilled their color,aroma and size will change.
• Remove them from oven and keep aside for a while and allow them to cool.
• In a wok take some oil and give tempering with asafoetida,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,curry leaves.
• Next to the wok add grilled onion and tomatoes and saute for a while.
• Then add ginger garlic paste and saute again.
• Now add all the remaining veggies and mix well.Also add green peas.
• Add turmeric powder,chilli powder,garam masala powder,cumin powder,coriander powder,grated coconut to the wok and mix thoroughly.
• At this stage add little water to the mixture.
• As we had already sprinkled salt on the veggies while grilling add little more salt at this stage as per your taste.Also sprinkle some sugar.
• Cook this subji covered for 4-5 minutes.Switch off the gas and garnish with coriander leaves
• Serve hot with dal rice or paratha.

          Note

• I have selected all the veggies as per my choice you can make the variations in veggies as per your choice.
• I have used grated coconut in my recipe but it's completely optional.
• You can also replace ghee in place of oil as per your choice.

          Happy cooking !

Poached egg curry/ Egg drop curry

                                                                               

Two years back we were invited by my husband's boss for dinner.His wife(native from andhra) is a great cook so along with other dishes she had prepared the delicious andhra style poached egg curry(egg drop curry).As i am always inquisitive about new recipes i had asked her the basic process of making this curry.She had used tomato base to make the curry.Here in this recipe, i have made the same egg drop curry with  coconut base giving it goan touch.This curry tastes super yummy when served with roti,bread or rice.It's a perfect dish for party or potluck.

This curry doesn’t require boiled eggs, so you don’t need to worry about boiling the eggs first and then wait for them to cool down a bit before peeling the shells.
For this curry, the raw eggs are directly dropped into the gravy instead of adding boiled eggs.Thus, this reduces the cooking time. So a tasty curry can be served under 30 minutes.The eggs are cooked in spicy gravy, so they absorb all the spices and curry tastes much more flavorful than regular boiled egg curry.This curry is the best to cook at times when you have unexpected guests and you don’t have much time to prepare food, but you still want to impress them with something really exotic then this curry comes to the rescue.

          Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 6 eggs
• 2 medium size onions (chopped)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 3-4 tablespoons oil 
• 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
• 1 bayleaf
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon piece
• salt (as per taste)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• Few coriander leaves chopped(to garnish)

          Method of preparation 

• In a frying pan take some oil (around 2 tablespoons)and fry 1 medium size chopped onion till it becomes translucent.
• Next in the same pan add grated coconut and shallow fry it nicely until coconut turns light brown and aromatic.
• Switch off the gas and let it cool down.
• After some time take this fried onion and coconut mixture and put in a blender,also add 1 tsp garam masala,1 tsp chilli powder and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder.Grind altogether to make fine paste and keep aside.
• In the same frying pan take some oil,into that add 1/2 tsp of jeera,small peice of cinnamon and 1 bayleaf and saute it for a while.
• Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
• Take the flat bottom pan and add 1 medium size chopped onion and fry nicely till golden brown.
• Then add chopped tomato and fry till raw mell dissapears.Add little water if required.
• Then add the coconut gravy to the pan,also add salt and sugar and mix well and cook nicely for 3-4 minutes till it starts boiling.
• Reduce the flame to medium low and slowly crack the egg one by one and put in gravy keeping some gap between two eggs.
• Cover and cook on low medium flame for 8-10 minutes.
• Do not stir in between.After 10 minutes eggs will be cooked nicely then flip on the other side using spoon.
• Cook for couple of minutes more.Stir gently if required.
• Switch off the gas and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with Roti/Pav/Rice.

          
          Note

• Instead of chopped tomato you can also use tomato puree.
• Dont stir the curry once the eggs are added.
• You can use the same recipe and add boiled eggs instead of adding the raw eggs directly into the curry.

          Happy cooking !

Tomato salsa

         
I love this salsa,because its simple to make,yet delicious to taste !This salsa goes perfect with tortilla chips,crackers or even our papad! They can also be used as topping for burrito or in sandwichs also.Salsa refers to a Mexican style sauce with tomato as its main ingredient.The tomatoes added can be fresh or cooked.When salsa is made with fresh tomatoes, it is known as raw salsa or Mexican fresh sauce.

This may not be an authentic Mexican salsa recipe because,I have my own tweaks in this recipe.These days salsa is available in jars in supermarkets with spice levels ranging from mild to hot.Store bought salsa has so many scary preservatives and tons of sugar.Hence i prefer to make fresh homemade salsa rather than buying from store as you can make your healthy blend.It tastes better too! Try it and i am sure you will love it.

         Ingredients

• 3 medium size blanched tomatoes(finely chopped)
• 1 medium size Onion(finely chopped)
• 1 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon roasted Cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves(chopped)
• 2-3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1-2 tsp Lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt (as per taste)
• 1-2 tsp Sugar

          (Serves 3-4)

          
          Method of preparation

• To begin making the Salsa Recipe,first blanch the tomatoes and remove the skin. Blanching tomatoes are important, as it partially cooks the tomatoes and also gives a good taste to the salsa. 
• Once the tomatoes are blanched,chop them nicely.During this step i don't remove seeds of tomato but if you want you can do so.
• In a mixing bowl take the chopped tomatoes and then add one by one chopped onion,chopped green chilli,cumin powder,red chilli powder,salt,sugar,tomato ketchup,olive oil,lemon juice,chopped coriander leaves and mix nicely.
• Check the salt and spice levels and adjust to suit your taste.
• Salsa is now ready to be served along with tortillas chips.

          Note

• If you don't have time to blanch tomatoes then you can directly use the chopped raw tomatoes.
• You can increase or decrease the quantity of green chilli as per your taste.
• Before adding onion into the mixture you can store this salsa in an airtight container in fridge for couple of days. Add onion before serving.

          Happy cooking !

Corn dhokla cupcakes

                                                                             

I had prepared this dish for an goan foodmania competition last year.I had seen this recipe in Tarla dalal madam's website,but i have made few changes in the proportion of ingredients as per my need.The main innovation in my recipe is i have tried making these dhoklas in cupcakes.

It's a must try healthy recipe for the people who love dhokla,corn and cupcakes! It can be best served for breakfast,tiffin or as evening snack.I know that this simple recipe will win you many praises.Specially kids will love this recipe because of it's attractive shape.

          Ingredients

• For dhokla mixture
• 1 Cup- Sweet corn kernels
• 1 Cup- Rava/sooji
• 1/2 -Cup yogurt/curd
• Salt - as per taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp -Green chilli and ginger paste
• 2 -Teaspoon Fruit salt/Eno
• 2-Teaspoon Lemon juice
• 1- tsp oil(for greasing)
• 1/2 cup Water

          For tempering

• 2 tsp-oil
• 1 tsp- mustard seeds
• 1 tsp- white sesame seeds
• 1/4- tsp hing

          For garnishing

• Finely chopped coriander (handful)
• Grated coconut 1 Tablespoon

          Servings (makes around 6 normal size cupcakes)

          Method of preparation

• Make a smooth paste of corn kernels and tranfer it in the bowl.
• In the same bowl add curd,semolina, salt, ginger green chili,turmeric powder paste and ½ cup of water.
• Then add lemon juice and fruit salt.Once you add fruit salt bubbles will start forming on the surface.
• Grease the cupcake moulds with some oil.
• Gently mix it and transfer the batter into cupcake moulds.
• Place the cupcake moulds with batter in steamer and steam for around 15-20 minutes.
• Once they are done check by pricking toothpick in the cupcakes.
• Once it's cooled unmould dhokla.
• Prepare tempering using hing,mustard seeds,sesame seeds, and oil.Pour it evenly on dhokla cupcakes.
• Garnish with coriander and  grated coconut.
• Serve with green chutney.

          Note

• If you don't like to make dhokla in cupcakes you can make it in thali.

          Happy steaming !

Homemade Blueberry ice cream (Eggless)

                                                                               

                                                                           
Summer is bounty time for fruits;especially fruits like blueberries,mango, jackfruit,raspberries and strawberries are abundantly available in the market.
We both love ice cream specially when it's homemade.I like to make ice creams at home as i think homemade ice creams are more healthy with no artificial  colors or thickening and emulsifying agents added.I have tried making butterscotch,chickoo, vanila and mango ice cream in the past.

Here in this post i present before you super delicious blueberry icecream(eggless). Though blueberries are rich in so many health benefits,still I don't like to eat just the fruit.This is my first attempt of making blueberry ice cream and considering that,the outcome is a huge success. I have used Homemade sweetened condensed milk for making this ice cream, condensed milk adds not only to sweetness but also to the richness of the ice cream. Do try and post your coments.

          Ingredients

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1.5 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

          Method of preparation

• Wash the blueberries and clean them.
• Now take the blueberries and grind them in the blender.
• Strain this juice into a bowl,discarding the skins.
• Into the bowl containing blueberry juice add sugar and lemon juice.
• Now on the medium heat keep on stirring this mixture until it reduces to 3/4th.
• Switch off the gas and let it cool to room temperature.
• In a big bowl take whipping cream and whip it until it becomes light and fluffy.
• Then slowly add the sweetened condensed milk and whip it again for some time.  
• Then lastly add vanilla essence and blueberry sugar syrup that we prepared.
• Whip all the things nicely and the then transfer the mixture to container and cover the container.
• Let it set for minimum 8 hours in the freezer,after 8 hours scoop the ice cream in a bowl and serve chilled.

          Note

• I have used the fresh blueberries but you can use the frozen also.

         Happy cooking !

Chicken tangdi tawa fry

                                                                             

This dish is made using chicken drumsticks.It can be served as chicken starter dish or side dish in a non-veg thali.Normally in chicken starters i prepare chicken tandoori,different types of chicken kabab etc wherein i marinate them using curd along with different spices and then grill them.
This weekend my husband wanted me to prepare simple chicken starter dish hence i innovated this simple yet delicious recipe.Very few ingredients are used in this dish which are easily avilable in the kitchen.Do try this dish and give your feedback.

          Ingredients 

• 4 Chicken drumsticks 
• Salt (as per taste)
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Oil for frying 
• 2-3 tablespoons semolina/rawa
• Lemon for garnishing (optional)

         (Serves 2)

         Method of preparations

• Take the drumsticks,wash and clean them nicely.
• Make some cuts on the drumsticks using knief.
• Apply salt,turmeric powder and chilli powder thoroughly to the chicken and let it rest for atleast 1 hour.
• After 1 hour take a flat frying pan or tawa then shallow fry this chicken by coating it with semolina.
• Put some oil and let it fry on medium heat.
• Flip it over in between so that all the sides are equally fried.
• After around 10-15 minutes the chicken will become nice and crispy ,you will also get nice aroma from chicken.
• Switch off the flame and serve hot with salad/tomato ketchup.

          
          Note

• If you want this dish to be more spicy you can increase the amount of chilli powder.
• I have not applied lemon for marination but you can do it as per your choice.

         Happy cooking !

Capsicum raita

Capsicum raita

This tasty goan style raita is my innovation.It can be served as the side dish in veg as well as non-veg  meal or can go very well with chapati or fulka.This recipe is no onion no garlic and can be prepared with very few ingredients available in the kitchen.

          
          Ingredients

• 1 medium size capsicum(finely chopped)
• 3-4 tablespoon grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
• asafoetida (2-3 pinch)
• jaggery ( 1-2 tsp as per taste)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• salt(as per taste
• oil (around 2-3 tablespoon)

          (Serves 2-3 )

          
          Method of preparation

• Clean and chop capsicum.
• Apply some salt to it and shallow fry in the frying pan using someoil (on medium flame)
• Keep on stirring in between till it changes color and becomes soft.
• Switch off the gas and let it cool for a while.
• Now in a mixie take grated coconut,turmeric powder,chilli powder,tamarind paste,jaggery,salt and grind to a fine paste.(add little water as per requirement)
• Now before removing this paste from mixie put the fried capsicum in it and grind for just 4-5 seconds to coarsely grind capsicum.
• In a pan take some oil and  give tempering with oil,asafoetida and mustard seeds.
• Then in the same pan add the ground mixture.
• Mix and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Serve hot. 

         Happy cooking !

Aluche appe (Colocasia leaf appe)

                                                      

Aluche appe

I innovated this recipe for "monsoon veggies" competition in goan foodmania group on facebook.While thinking about posting creative and healthy dish made out of monsoon veggies I ended up in making Aluche appe.

I stay in Pune where it’s just impossible to find monsoon veggies other that alu (colocasia).So the only option left was using alu in my innovative recipe. This recipe is very healthy, tasty and can be prepared from easy available ingredients. It can be best option for breakfast, tiffin, and evening snack. I have given here very simple recipe; variations of it can bedone as per personal choice.

                      

      
         Ingredients

• Chopped alu(colocasia) leaves ( 1 cup)
• Rawa (1cup)
• Curd (1cup)
• Ginger garlic chili paste (1and half tablespoon)
• Jeera (1tsp)
• Salt (as per taste)
• Baking soda (½ tsp)
• Oil (for brushing appe pan)

                  

      
        Method of preparation

• Take equal quantity of rawa and curd mix together.
• Then add baking soda to the mixture mix nicely and let it rest for around 3 hours.
• After 3 hours add chopped alu(colocasia) leaves, ginger garlic chili paste, crushed jeera and salt.Mix well.
• Heat the appam pan and apply oil in each of its grooves.
• Now add a spoon full of batter in each groove.
• Cover the pan with lid and cook for around 4-5 minutes
• Flip the appam with help of spoon and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Remove from appam pan and serve hot with green chutney.

        
        Happy cooking !

       

     

Masala Tendli talasani

‘Talasani’ are the dishes prepared by shallow frying the vegetables in oil.So water should not be used at any point.Tendli (Ivy gourd) talasani is the konkani dish prepared by stir frying tendli in oil,it is very easy to make and amazingly delicious dish.Me and my aai are big fan of this dish.

The original recipe of this dish is very simple which my mother taught me but I have added some spices in the dish to make it more chatpata (tasty).Hot rice,a simple dal and fried ivy gourd is a complete meal i would cherish anytime.

Talasani tastes best if coconut oil is used as it imparts a very nice flavor to the dish.However coconut oil is not a must and any other cooking oil can be used.The flavor of the tendli,oil and seasonings used takes these tiny gourds to another level.

                                                   

Tendli cut into long pieces and apply salt 

        
        Ingredients

• Ivy gourds/ tendli 2 cups (cut in long pieces)
• Red chili powder (1tsp)
• Turmeric powder (½ tsp)
• Coconut Oil (3-4 tablespoons)
• Chat masala powder (½ tsp)
• Coriander powder (½ tsp)
• Jeera powder (½ tsp)
• Lemon juice (1-2 tsp)
• Salt (as per taste)

        Method of preparation 

• Wash tendli well.Remove both the ends and cut into long  pieces.
• Apply salt(as per taste)and set aside for 10 minutes.
• In a kadhai, heat oil and transfer the tendli into it.
• On the medium flame fry them slowly,uncovered.Stir them in between.
• When they are half done add chili powder,turmeric powder,chat masala powder,jeera powder,coriander powder and mix well.Now fry them for some more time on low medium flame.
• When the tendli(ivy gourd)turns crispy brown and cooked well sprinkle some lemon juice.Mix well.
• Put off the flame.Serve hot with rice and dal.

      Note

• These should be fried on low medium flame.If they are not fried till they become crispy brown they remain tender from inside and do not taste good.
• While selecting the tendli for talasani all the ripe ones should be discarded as it will not taste good.
• If you like to make simple version of this dish the just add salt,chilli powder and turmeric powder to the dish and omit all the other ingredients.

        Happy cooking!

Whole wheat pav (pao)

Whole wheat pav

Pav or bread rolls are very popular in almost all the parts of India mostly because of recipes like pav bhaji,vada pav,bhurji pav,missal pav etc.Pav means a small loaf of bread, this word has been derived from pão a Portuguese word for bread. Portuguese were the first one to bring yeast to india, which produced the doubled bread loaves. 

The art of bread making is a legacy which came to goa by the Portuguese.The Goan pão is a culinary masterpiece.Growing up in the Goa we had no use for the alarm clock.Our early morning wake up call was in the form of typical horn Ponk! Ponk! by poder on his bicycle.It was part of being goan and the the tradition still continues.

I always wanted to bake my own bread but I wanted healthier version of it. I planned to prepare famous goan dish chicken xacuti today which is served with pav. Pav with xacuti is the perfect combination instead of roti or chapati.

Being a doctor by profession I know the unhealthy effects of refined flour so I tried the healthy version of ladi pav using wheat flour. No butter or milk or eggs used in the recipe which makes it even healthier.The pav had a great soft texture and my hubby was also delighted.I made smaller buns instead of bigger ones.Nothing beats a homemade pav in terms of taste, texture and hygiene.

                                       

Yeast soaked in water and sugar 

        
        Ingredients ( serves 8-10 pav)

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.5 cup water
• ½ tbsp dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt                                                                                                                                            

  

  Mix all the ingredients and knead the dough 

        Method of preparation

• Warm the water. 
• Dissolve sugar in the water.
• Sprinkle the yeast and stir.
• Keep aside for 10 minutes or till the yeast bubbles up and froths.
• While the proofing is happening, sieve the flour with salt.
• Add the oil to the flour.
• Now add the frothy yeast.
• First mix everything, and then start kneading the dough.
• The dough has to be smooth and light. Grease the dough with oil.
• Keep in a large bowl and cover loosely with kitchen napkin.
• Keep aside for around 2 hours until the dough doubles up.
• If it requires keep aside for some more minutes. Take the dough on a lightly floured surface. This naturally deflates the dough.
• Now make balls from the dough. Shape the balls into circular shape and place these on the greased pan.
• To get the ladi pav, keep some gap between the pav.
• You can also make small buns and let these bake separately without touching each other.
• Cover again loosely with the kitchen napkin and let it rise again for about 30-40 minutes till it fully doubled up.
• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and bake for around 35-40 minutes till you get the pav are all done and baked.                                                       

Round dough balls kept in  greased tray for baking

         Note

• You can also brush the pav with oil or melted butter once they are baked to give them a glaze. 

         

        Happy baking !

                                                                             

Pav ready after baking 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Corn tomato bhurji

I love corn since childhood. In the process of formulating new dishes made using corn I finally invented some of the dishes like Corn tomato bhurji, Corn paratha, Corn cutlets etc. Corn tomato bhurji is one of my personal favorite, easy to make with simple ingredients.It can be perfect side dish with bread. It can also be best option for breakfast, for tiffin or side dish in a veg meal with fulka.

One basic thing I would suggest to make any corn dish tasty is that corn kernels should be tender n not dry. I don’t buy ready made corn kernels(sold in packets) from market whereas I remove corn kernels from the cob on my own.You should use this corn kernels fresh (within 3-4 days) and if you use them after refrigerating for long time then they happen to dry out and loose moisture and taste. 

        Ingredients

• Corn kernels (1 cup)
• Onion chopped (1/2 cup)
• Tomato chopped (1/2 cup)
• Coriander leaves to garnish
• Salt and Sugar (as per taste)
• Turmeric powder (1/4 tsp)
• Chili powder (1/2 tsp)
• Garam masala (½ tsp)
• Green chili chopped (1)
• Oil (1-2 tablespoons)
• Ginger garlic paste (1 -2 tsp)
• Tomato ketchup (2-3 tablespoon) 
• Chaat masala (1/4 tsp) 
• Cumin powder ( 1/2 tsp) 
• Coriander powder (1/2 tsp) 

      Method of preparation

• Grind corn kernels to make thick paste.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and sauté till fragrant.
• Add chopped onions and sauté till translucent. Then add tomato pieces and mix well, let it cook for a while.
• Later on add corn kernel paste and mix well. Add some water if you need. Then add seasoning like turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala, Chaat masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, sugar and mix evenly. Cook for around 3-4 minute.
• Lastly add tomato ketchup mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves n serve hot.

        Happy cooking!

Mini papad samosa

                                                        

Papad samosa is a crispy and crunchy snack that one can enjoy over a cup of hot tea of coffee.Recently I came across one recipe called Papad paneer on the internet,where the outer covering was made with papad and inner stuffing was made with paneer.

Getting inspired from this recipe I thought of making papad samosas with potato n peas stuffing.Believe me it turned out to be super tasty n also easy to make.I served these samosas with mint chutney.

        Ingredients (serves 4)

        Outer covering 

• Papad 4 (normal size)  
• Water (as per requirement) 

                                                           

Potato peas stuffing

        
        For stuffing

• Boiled n mashed potatoes (2 medium sized)
• Green peas (1 tablespoon)
• Onion chopped (1)
• Cumin seeds and mustard seeds (1⁄2 Teaspoon)
• Ginger garlic paste (1 tsp)
• Turmeric powder and chili powder (1/4 tsp each)       
• Salt (as per taste)
• Garam masala (1/4 tsp)
• Asafetida (1/4 tsp)
• Chopped green chili (1)
• Chopped coriander leaves (handful)
• Lemon juice (tsp)
• Sugar (1/2 tsp)
• Oil for frying and Tempering (as per requirement)

                                                                                   

Wet the papad halves using brush dipped in water.

        
        Method of preparation

• In a pan take a teaspoon of oil n give tempering with asafetida, cumin, mustard seeds. Saute for a while then one by one add green chili, onion and ginger garlic paste.
• Once the color of onion turns golden then add green peas and saute for 2-3 minutes more .Later on add turmeric powder, chili powder,garam masala, lemon juice, salt, sugar and coriander leaves. Mix well .Let it cool for some time. Stuffing is ready.
• Now take the papad and cut each into half. Wet each papad half to soften using a brush .
• Then fold into a cone, like for samosa, and put stuffing into cone and seal the edges by dampening with a little water and pressing it.
• Heat the oil,once oil is hot enough for frying ,drop the samosas into the hot oil and gently fry until the papads puff and become white. Drain excess oil using tissue paper.
• Serve immediately with green mint chutney or tomato ketchup.                                                                                                                                                  

Roll the wet papad to make cone

Fill the stuffing in the cone and join the ends.

       
        Note

• The stuffing in the samosa and even the outer covering i.e papad taste can vary according to personal choice. 
• For making bigger size samosas bigger size papad can be used.

       

        Happy Cooking !

Karatyache raite (Bittergourd curd raita)

                                                   

Bitter gourd curd raita with tempering

This dish was formulated by me as my husband loves bitter gourd as well as curd very much. I thought of combining both his favorite ingredients in a dish which I named as bitter gourd curd raita. I also prepare bitter gourd raita in coconut gravy (I will post it soon).Although Bitter Gourd is the bitterest vegetable; it can taste the best if prepared in the right way.Bitter gourd is also called as "karela" in hindi and "karate" in konkani.

Although its bitter taste might turn some people away from it, in-fact, it really can sweeten your health through virtue of its disease preventing and health promoting qualities. Some of the most well-known benefits of bitter gourd are its ability to help manage diabetes, prevent and reduce symptoms of cancer, reduce the effects of hemorrhoids, improve respiratory health,improve skin health, and boost the immune system. It is also proven that bitter melon has anti inflammatory, anti fungal, antibiotic, anti-allergenic, antiviral, anti parasitic and expectorant qualities.

Bitter gourd curd raita is for the karela lover. Those who like karela will love this and those who don’t eat karela will start loving karela after eating this recipe. This is an easy way to overcome the reluctance to eat Bitter Gourd!  This raita can be best served as side dish for vegetarian as well as non vegetarian meal.

Bitter gourd cut into pieces 

Ground bitter gourd 

                            

      Ingredients

• Bitter gourd (one)
• Curd (1 cup)
• Salt (as per taste)
• Sugar (around 1-2 tsp)
• Chili powder
• Curry leaves (5-6)
• Cumin seeds (¼   tsp)
• Mustard seeds (¼ tsp)
• Asafetida (3-4 pinches)
• Oil (1-2 tsp)

                                                                                 

Curd with  seasoning

                                                                               

Mix curd and fried bitter gourd

      Method of preparation

• Clean the outer covering and seeds from bitter gourd and make small pieces.
• Apply salt to this and keep it aside for half an hour. When it becomes watery, squeeze by hand and remove all water.
• Transfer these pieces into mixer and grind them for a while to make smaller pieces and not paste.
• Take some oil in a pan and shallow fry these ground pieces with some oil till it becomes crispy on medium flame.
• Take curd in a bowl and add salt, sugar, chili powder and mix properly.
• Now add crispy fried bitter gourd and mix well.
• Lastly give tempering with some oil, asafoetida, mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
• Mix well and ready to serve.

                                                                                                                                                               Happy Cooking!