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I can’t really go without Indian (or Maharashtrian) food for too long. After a week or two, I start craving for the aromatic masalas, roasted cumin, fried mustard seeds, cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coconut…..I can go on and on….guess it’s natural since I am an Indian. Spices are the cornerstone of Indian cooking and it is the perfect blending of spices that gives Indian food its subtly magical flavors, aromas and textures. One such skillfully blended spice mix is the Goda or Kala Masala from Maharashtra, India’s mid-western coastal state.
It is this classic “black” spice mix that gives Marathi food a “magical” flavor. This dark brown, spicy- sweet masala is the base of most of Maharashtrian vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes, just like the popular Indian Garam Masala. What makes the Kala or Goda masala unique is the use of rustic ingredients and the method of individually roasting and grinding an array of spices that are mixed in to make a dark aromatic blend.
Every family has their own version of the recipe and so does mine. While I have access to the creator of my family’s recipe a.k.a. my grandmother, I have never ever ventured into the labor intensive process of making my masala since I get my annual supply from her or my mom. I usually store it in the refrigerator and use it to recreate the flavors of home-cooked food, I had growing up. It’s hard to find this particular spice mix in the grocery stores outside India, however, if you made a trip there you can bring back a packet from any local manufacturer in any city of Maharashtra or go for the most-trusted commercial brand that would be available all over the country. Now, if you want to conquer the world of Marathi cuisine and master the masala-making technique, have a cup of tea with one of my fellow bloggers, Anita and get the low down from her. Her recipe is a close match to my family’s. But if you’re just not up to it and would still like to enjoy the deliciousness of this traditional masala, here are some awesomely lazy and lazier versions that seem to work as well.
Today I’m sharing a couple of typical dishes that are made in Marathi households using the spicemix. Enjoy these authentic flavors or try using the masala as rub on the meat for your next bbq, sprinkle it over chicken or fish before grilling or roasting them or in your next batch of rice for something completely different.
Chincha Gulachi Amti
(Maharashtrian Sweet & Sour Stew of Lentils)
The Kala or Goda masala is a key ingredient in everyday Maharashtrian food, especially in the amti, a very basic lentil stew. This daily dal is delicately spicy and gets it’s characteristic sweet and sour flavor from jaggery (i.e. unrefined /palm sugar) and tamarind. My mom makes different versions of this amti by adding diced baby eggplants, onions or cut drumsticks and they all taste delicious. For me, and a lot of the Marathi folks out there, amti-bhaat (i.e. lentil stew over steamed rice) is the most comforting comfort food in the whole world!
Serves 4
½ cup toor daal
1½ cups water (See ratios and proportions)
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
½ tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1½ tsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala
1 tbsp sugar/jaggery (See Concoctions 101)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
salt, to taste
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Wash and drain the toor daal in a stainless steel pressure cooker vessel. Add the water, turmeric, asofoetida, salt and place it inside the pressure cooker. Cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3-4 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 – 15 mins. Toor daal needs more cooking time as its a little tougher as compared to other daals. When the cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal using the back of the ladle or a whisk to a pulp-like consistency.
Heat oil in a medium pot and add mustard seeds along with turmeric and pinch of asofoetida. When the seeds splutter, pour in the mashed daal and stir gently to combine. Rinse the vessel in which daal was cooked and mashed with water and add this water (up to 2 cups) to the pot to dilute the mixture.
Season with salt, goda/kala masala, red chilli powder, jaggery and tamarind paste. Mix well and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot over steamed rice.
…
Bharli Dodki
(Stuffed Ridge Gourds)
The bharli vangi i.e. stuffed baby eggplants or bhoplyachi bhaji are a few of the popular Maharashtrian curries that have the goda/kala masala as a key ingredient. While I often make the two curries, I like this particular one made by stuffing chunks of ridge gourd (a.k.a Dodka/Toorai/ Turia/ Chinese Okra) with a mixture of crushed roasted peanuts, powdered jaggery, cayenne pepper and of course, the goda /kala masala. Ridge gourd has a subtle flavor and get’s spiced up in this spicy-sweet curry. It goes well with hot rotis or over steamed basmati rice.
Like many Maharashtrian home chefs, my mom uses the gourd to make the curry and then instead of discarding it’s peeled ridges, she uses them to make a lip-smacking chutney along with sesame seeds, dried grated coconut and spices. It’s a wonderful way to make the best out of waste and works great as a condiment on the side.
While I am not a big fan of the chutney made with the tough, dry ridges of the gourd, I simply love its curried form. I often like get Chinese Okra from the Asian stores here, in the US and with my abysmal jar of the masala (thanks to my mom and grand mom who never let it run out!), I recreate the flavors of this rustic curry in my home, far away from home.
 Serves 2
2 medium-sized ridge gourds (Dodki / Chinese Okra), ridges peeled, ends discarded and cut into 2-inch long chunks with slits
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 pinches asofoetida
about 3-4 cups of water
The Stuffing Mix
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1-2 tbsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala (Some Indian stores in the US carry this masala. If you just can’t find it, you can use the regular Garam Masala)
¼ cup crushed jaggery
¼ cup roasted peanut powder (coarsely grounded) (See concoctions101)
salt
 Combine the ingredients for the stuffing and stuff the chunks of the gourd by opening the slit and filling the mix in it.
Heat oil in a deep sauté pan or kadhai with lid (use some kind vessel with a lid). Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of aesofoetida.
When the seeds splutter, add the stuffed gourds and sauté for a min. Add water, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins on medium high heat, stirring once in a while and uncovered for 15-20 mins more, till the water evaporates and results in a thicker curry/gravy.
Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.
After a long eventful break, I’m back with my signature concoctions with a twist of California! Well, sort of…
The boxes have gone out of sight; we cheated at unpacking and I have a ton of stuff in the garage! But the useful things are out which make our new house, a cozy home. Most importantly, the kitchen is back in business and I’m also back to blogging from the other coast of the country. In the upcoming posts, I promise to bring you California-inspired concoctions, as I explore my new neighborhood and my new state!
In the first few weeks as we were settling in, I made some simple but unusual jhatpat subzis for lunch and dinner. When it comes to cooking day-to-day food, I like to play with the ingredients once in a while and make something different, for a change. It certainly adds fun to my cooking and a pizazz to the everyday dishes!
Read on … »
Montclair has been our home for 6 years now. But all good things must come to an end…..so long Montclair!
It was a great run and I will always cherish all the wonderful memories we have made living in Montclair. I still remember us driving into Montclair’s little downtown several years ago while we were exploring towns closer to my new workplace. We were so taken up by the cozy clutter of eclectic restaurants and antique shops, the hilly, windy roads, pretty parks set against dueling Franco and Anglo architecture from when it was smaller villages called Cranetown, Speertown and Watchung.
I have seen Montclair grow in leaps and bounds during the real estate boom but thankfully it hasn’t crashed and burned like some other neighborhoods. Now, more than six years later, it is time for me to move on and away from Montclair! In the last few weeks, I’ve been busy packing up boxes, keeping the pantry lean and refrigerator clean as we prep for our big move. And today, I’m sharing a few recipes that were inspired by my pantry and refrigerator clean up. The strangest bedfellows can make for some signature concoctions!
Read on … »
Who doesn’t like to sit back, relax and have fresh, homemade food make it’s way to you?! I sure do! It usually happens once in a while when mom comes over and takes over the kitchen.
I have to admit; as much as I love cooking, I love it more when I can get mom to make all my favorite things like lip-smacking chutneys, crunchy pohe chivda, spicy hot green chilli pickles that I can relish for a long time after she’s gone back home and not to forget her very own signature concoction. While I make all the dishes she makes, somehow they taste better when mom conducts the orchestra!
Of course, when she’s in my kitchen, I too join her and get a crash course on Maharashtrian cooking and we have our impromptu recipe exchange sessions – some old, some new, and some that are created together on the spur of the moment. Only this time, we had one more chef putting her little nose in our soup!
Now, this last trip, she got the blogger bug from me and created a few recipes that are internet ready!…So, for Mother’s day this year, I am sharing a couple of concoctions that mom whipped up, right here, in my kitchen. Join us as we have fun cooking with my mom!
Read on … »
Life happens! As with all of us, when things get busy and I don’t get enough time to spend in my kitchen to whip up ‘signature’-level concoctions, I tend to stay in my comfort zone and create a few dishes from home that I grew up eating and learnt to make from my mom. This is the food that made me into who I am and how I cook.
I believe we all are a product of the environment we were raised in – it shapes us in so many different ways anddefines our personalities. The food we eat growing up is an integral part of that environment and nourishes both, our body and our mind, molding us into who we are and how we fit into the world today. I have lived away from home for several years, gone through lifestyle changes, adapted to different cultures, acquired new tastes and even became a Mom along the way, but this is what I often crave and most naturally cook; this is me!
Join me in my comfort cooking zone and enjoy the simplicity of these elegant, home-style Indian dishes.
Read on … »
Here in America, green mango is popular with Thai food. Most Thai restaurants have either a salad or curry with green mango on their menus. While Indian restaurants tend to shy away from green mangoes, Indian food has a rich repertoire of green mango delicacies.
We Indians love to snack on kairees (or kayree) - the green, unripe or raw mango – sliced and dipped in spicy hot salt (salt mixed with red chilli powder or cayenne pepper). Green mango is also used in many Indian dishes like chutneys, murabbas (preserves), daals (lentil stews), raitas (salads), even bhel or chats (snacks) an, of course, a variety of kairee achaars (green mango pickles). Depending on the region, there are a variety of Indian recipes that have the green mango as a star ingredient.
In Maharashtra (a state in Western India), where I come from, kairee is extensively used in cooking, especially during the mango season. To name a few, some of the most popular Maharashtrian kairee preparations range from juices to pickles and much more in between: kairee che panha, kairee chi chatni, kairee chi daal, kairee cha moramba, kairee che loncha and many more. Growing up, I remember my mom making almost all of these items every summer. We had two tall mango trees in our backyard that would yield atleast a couple hundred mangoes every mango season. Unfortunately, they were not the prestigious Alphonso mangoes; these would ripe into a very tart not-so-tasty fruit. So the fruit usually was plucked earlier, when it was still very green and not allowed to ripe. It was used in homecooking or distributed among relatives and friends and even used as secondary payment to the person hired to do the plucking job!
I try to make one or two of these kairee preparations in the summer, when I can lay my hands on them in the Indian grocery stores.
 Green Mangoes at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin NJ …So join me as I explore the green side of mango!
Kairee Panha
(Green Mango Cooler)
To beat the summer heat, Indian cuisine has a wide variety of refreshing and nutritious beverages. Green mangoes are rich in potassium and iron and are used as a base for panha - a delicious cooler made from green mangoes and flavored with cardamom and saffron. Kairee panha is the Maharashtrian alternative to lemonade during the mango season. It is a little sweet, a little sour and very pleasant drink with a subtle hint of spices.
There are two different methods of making the panha. One is by grating the raw green mangoes and pressing them hard to squeeze the juices out (back then, my mom’s kitchen wasn’t equipped with a juicer) and the other one is by cooking the green mangoes and puréeing the cooked flesh under the skin. Both the recipes call for sugar or jaggery, but the former method requires more sweetener, since the juice from the raw mango can be extremely sour. I personally prefer the latter method, simply because the pressure cooker and the food processor do most of the work and it is low in sugar. This drink done my way, has a beautiful golden yellow color and looks tempting! Go ahead, take a sip!
Makes 6 tall (12 oz.) glasses or 12 small (8 oz.) glasses
The Concentrate
2 large or 3 medium green mangoes
water, for cooking
1 cup jaggery or sugar
½ tsp salt
10-12 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and grinded
5-6 saffron strands
To prepare the concentrate, place the green mangoes in a pressure cooker and add water to immerse them completely in it. Bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle 3 times and then turn the heat off. Alternatively, place the green mangoes in a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Continue boiling over medium heat for 15-20 mins, till the skin of the manoes wrinkles and turns from bright green to moss green. Turn the heat off and try holding the mangoes, one by one, with a pair of tongs and try to give it a little squeeze. If it is still tough, it needs to cook for more time.
After the mangoes have cooled down, peel the skin off and squeeze the flesh out as much as possible, discarding the seed.
Purée the mangoes into pulp in a blender or food processor and transfer it into a saucepan. Add jaggery or sugar to the mango pulp along with the salt, ground cardamom seeds and saffron strands. Simmer for another 10-15 mins till the jaggery dissolves, stirring occassionally.
Remove from heat, cool completely and refrigerate the concentrate in an air tight container.
When ready to serve, add ¼ cup of the concentrate to a tall glass and top it up with ice cold water. Add ice cubes if you like and serve. Add more concentrate if necessary
…
Kairee Loncha
(Green Mango Pickle)
Pickles are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Be it North, South, East or West, any regional Indian cuisine has some kind of pickle served on the side with lunch and dinner, and sometimes even breakfast!
During hot summer months, Indian homecooks spend a lot of their time outdoors, feverishly preparing sun-dried foodstuff like papads, potato kees and pickling a variety of fruits and vegetables. The most popular among the fruit pickles is the green mango pickle and there are numerous different ways to pickle it. The Indian summer helps kill the bacteria, thus prolonging the shelf life of these pickles. In fact it gets so hot that you can get pickled just sitting in your car  .
Today I am sharing a simple traditional pickle recipe that my mom and my grandmom would make every summer with homegrown green mangoes. Unlike the store-bought variety, this one has crunchy, tart green mango chunks marinated in spicy, sweet oil.
Try it and I bet you’ll find yourself licking your fingers!
Makes about 1 cup of pickle
2 medium or 1 large green mango, seeded and diced
salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
¼ cup oil, canola, sunflower, corn or vegetable
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp asafoetida (see Concoctions 101)
In a bowl, combine diced green mangoes, salt, sugar and red chilli powder.
In a small frying pan, warm oil over medium high heat and add turmeric, mustard seeds and adofoetida. When the seeds start to sputter, remove from heat and pour the hot tempered oil over the mango in the bowl.
Toss gently and transfer in an air tight container. Store it at room temperature in a cool, dry place or refrigerate for 48 hours (2 days) before serving so that the mango marinates in the spicy-sweet oil.
Serve chilled or at room temperature along side of parathas, roti-subzis, rice or snacks like poha and upma. (I even like it as a sandwich spread  )
When it comes to soups, sky is the limit. Whether created using the season’s best ingredients or making the most of your pantry staples, soups can be an elegant first course or a hearty meal in itself. From delicate broths to thick stews, they can be luxurious, festive, nourishing and comforting.
The beauty of soups also lies in the fact that they are really easy to make and can be prepared in no time, especially after a full day at work. With vegetable or chicken stock as the base along with some vegetables and a fresh herbs from the refrigerator and few items from the pantry, these one pot concoctions are one of the most economical meals. You could always make more quantities and refrigerate the left over or freeze it for lunch or dinner for some other day.
I have a new found love for making soups these days and have been working on a few soup-making techniques over the past few weeks. I wasn’t much into making soups at home until recently, when I made this rich creamy soup for dinner on a cold winter night. That kicked off the “soup season” in my kitchen and these days, be it lunch or dinner, soups are totally on!
Join me in my kitchen as I celebrate the “simmering success” of a pot of soup!
In my post today, I am covering some popular soup recipes that are available in cans at the supermarket or are usually on the menu of cafés, restaurants or delis. I am putting my own spin on these classics – Chicken Noodle Pasta Soup, Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice and Beef Barley & Mushroom.
All these soups are quite similar in nature. Most of the recipes call for chicken stock along with a few vegetables, some chicken, whole grains or pasta and fresh herbs or condiments from your pantry. You can make vegetarian versions of all of these soups by replacing chicken stock with vegetarian stock and taking chicken out of the equation.
I start my soups by sautéing garlic in olive oil along with some onions and carrots to enhance the flavor of the stock and then add the rest of the ingredients to create a thick, rich stew like soup. I don’t particulary care for celery, so you will not find it in any of my recipes but feel free to add it if you like it. In the recipes below, I have replaced celery with sweet green peas that I always have handy in my freezer. Also, an essential ingredient in a soup is a well-flavored stock. Someday, I’ll try to make my own, but in the meantime my preference is Pacific Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth.
These soups are really very easy! Try it for yourself and you will never ever go back to the can or the packet. I wish I had tried my hand at it earlier.
Chicken Pasta Soup
I am not very fond of the old-fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup. I think it’s too bland and mushy and makes me feel all the more down, when I am already sick. I would rather have my comforting khichadi than a bowl of that soup! But my husband and daughter love it. So this one’s for them….
I have replaced the slimy egg noodles in the traditional recipe with some healthy whole grain pasta and squeezed in some lemon juice along with lemon slices to give it a refreshing taste. Lastly, I garnished it with some crispy mushrooms introducing a whole new dimension to the flavor of the soup. Now that’s gotto make anyone feel better!
Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced (optional for garnishing)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 bay leaves
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup whole grain pasta (rotini or penne)
4 cups (32 oz. /945 ml /1 qt box) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1-2 cups water (if necessary)
1 lemon, ½ juiced & ½ sliced
4-5 sprigs parsley, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium – high heat and fry the mushrooms till they get brown and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside on a paper towl to soak up excess oil.
In the same pot, sauté garlic and onions along with the bay leaves in the remaining oil (add more if needed) till they become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Stir in the carrots, peas along with the chicken and season with salt, pepper and fresh chopped parsley.
Continue sautéing for 3-4 mins till chicken is cooked half way through and then add the lemon juice and slices. Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and continue boiling uncovered for 10-11 mins till the pasta cooks (See the packet of pasta for cooking duration).
Add water if necessary. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for another 10-15 mins.
Ladle the soup in a bowl, garnish with crispy mushrooms and serve hot with side of bread.
Chicken & Wild Rice
This soup is widely popular as the Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice or Minnesota Wild Rice soup and is usually a thick and creamy soup (Here’s an example by Sher). In my version, I have taken the cream out of the picture and made it into a rich and flavorful stew-like hearty soup. Rosemary is a strong herb and adding it to this soup gives it a wonderful aroma and enhances the taste.
Go ahead, take a sip!
Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
4 cups (32 oz./945 ml/1qt box) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups water
½ cup fast cooking wild rice
2 sprigs of rosemary
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium – high and sauté garlic and onions till they become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Stir in the carrots, peas along with the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Continue sautéing for 3-4 mins till chicken is cooked half way through and pour in the stock and water. Throw in the rosemary sprigs and let them float in the liquid as it comes to a boil. Stir in the rice and cook uncovered until the rice is tender and the liquid is reduced to half, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Ladle the soup in a bowl and serve hot with side of bread.
Barley & Mushroom
Here’s a vegetarian version of another classic Beef Barley & Mushroom soup. I have modified the original soup by using vegetable broth instead of beef broth and striking beef off the ingredient list (since I don’t cook or eat it). Barley is a rich, nutty cereal grain with an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency and pairs perfectly well with the earthy mushrooms. Barley does take a while to cook, but once added to the simmering broth, there is not much effort needed. Serve with some whole grain bread, a robust red wine, or a salad and make yourself a deliciously healthy meal!
 Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
4 cups (32 oz./945 ml/1qt box) vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken or mushroom stock
4 cups water
½ cup pearl barley
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium – high and sauté garlic and onions till they become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Stir in the carrots, peas along with the mushrooms and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
Continue sautéing for 2-3 mins more and pour in the stock and water. Stir in the barley and cook uncovered until the barley is cooked and the liquid is reduced to half, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Ladle in a bowl and serve hot.
Crispy & spicy Fish Fries, hot & tangy Shrimp Curry and cool & refreshing Sol Kadhi are all synonymous with Malvani cuisine. Malvan is a quaint little town located on the southernmost tip of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra, surrounded by the Sahyadri mountain range on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. With its beautiful beaches, historic forts and delicious Malvani cuisine, this place is a very popular tourist attaction.
When I was a little girl, my parents took me to Malvan for a vacation. I have faint memories of the boat ride to the Sindhudurg fort, when I tasted the salty sea water for the very first time , the time I spent on the beach collecting all kinds of sea shells from the sand and ran frantically at the sight of a crab and had nothing but curds and rice for lunch and dinner all week long  .. Yes, this big seafood buff was once totally aversive to seafood! I hated the smell so much that I wouldn’t even go anywhere close to it. But somewhere along the way ( I don’t remember how) I grew on to it and now I love eating and cooking all kinds of fish and seafood. My all time favorite in this category is, without a doubt, the food of Malvan.
Here are some of my favorite Malvani recipes….
Fish Fries
(Malvani Style shallow- fried Fish Fries)
“Fish Fry” in any Indian lauguage means hot and spicy filet of fish with a crispy coating thats is formed by either deep or shallow frying. Malvani style fried fish is slightly different from the Bengali or South Indian style depending on the regional spices and other ingredients used for the coating the fish before frying it.
I always take the shallow-fry route to making fried fish. With my Maharashtrian roots, my recipe reflects the Malvani style. I created this basic recipe with a filet of farm rasied, fresh, never frozen Tilapia. It also works well with any firm, white-fleshed fish, as well as shrimp or scallops. I like to marinate the fish in fresh ginger-garlic-herb marinade and then dredge them in a spicy rice flour-semolina mixture before shallow frying. The resulting crust is always crispy, not too thick and refreshingly spicy.
Bite into one of these spicy & crispy fish fries and I guarantee you will come back for more!
Serves 4
4 filets of firm-fleshed fish like Tilapia, cut into 2-inch long pieces
(usually made with Pomfret or Bangda fish in India)
1 tbsp turmeric powder (use more than half for disinfecting and cleaning the fish filets)
oil, extra virgin olive oil or any other (for shallow frying)
The Marinade
2 -3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
½ inch peice ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 small green chilies, coarsely chopped
1 cup packed (a generous handful) cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon zest from 1 lemon (cut the lemon into wedges for garnish)
¼ cup extra virgin oilve oil
The Crispy Coating
1:1 cup of rice flour: sooji/rava (semolina)
½ tbsp turmeric
½ tbsp red chilli powder (or paprika for less heat)
1 tbsp garam masala or your favorite fish curry masala
Rub turmeric on to both the sides of the tilapia filets, wash, cut into chunks and keep aside.
In a food processor/grinder/blender combine all the ingredients for the marinade and grind it to a coarse-fine consistency paste. Pour it over the fish chunks making sure they are well coated and leave it in the refrigerator for about half an hour. (Marination process is not necessary but recomended)
In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the “crispy coating” in a medium sized plastic container with a tight lid (I use one of these). Snap the lid on and shake the container so that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Preheat a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle a little amount of oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Remove the fish chunks from the refrigerator and dredge each piece in the mixture for “crispy coating” and drop them into the frying pan. Fry the chunks on each side till they turn golden brown, for about 5 -7 mins on medium high.
Add more oil, if necessary or if the fish chuks seem to soak up all the oil in the pan as they fry.
Serve warm with lemon wedges or with lemon juice drizzled on them while they are still hot, so that they absorb the most flavor.
…
Shrimp Curry
(Malvani Shrimp Curry)
There’s no better shrimp curry than “Malvani Shrimp Curry”. A little heat with all the spices, a little sweet with the coconut milk and a little tangy with the kokum - the flavors wonderfully balance in this beautiful brown rustic curry that’s perfect base for some succulent shrimp to float in.
Living in the US, I haven’t found this type of shrimp curry on the menu of any Indian restaurant here, so I devised my own way of making it just the way I remembered it to be served in the Malvani restaurants in Pune. I truly relish this particular curry every time I make it and it goes very well with chapatis or roti or even when served over a bed of steamed rice or pulav.
Try my Shrimp Curry and check off Malvani food on your to-cook list.
Serves 4
¾ lb shrimp (about 30 shrimp, size: 31-40 count), peeled and deveined
2-3 tbsp oil
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1-2 pinches of asofotida/hing
1 tsp garam masala
salt
1 cup (about ¾ of 7oz. can) lite coconut milk
3-4 petals or 1 tbsp liquid extract of kokum
cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing
Ground Masala
2-3 dried red chilies (or use 1 depending on desired level of heat), soaked in hot water
2-3 tbsp oil
2 medium or 1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1½ cup coconut, grated fresh or frozen thawed
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
2-3 peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
Start with the “Ground Masala“. In a pan or kadhai heat oil over medium-high flame and add the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds along with the onion, garlic and coconut. Fry till the mixture gets a light brown color. Cool down and transfer to a food processor/grinder/blender. Add the soaked red chillies and grind to a coarse-fine consistency paste.
In the same pan or kadhai, heat oil over medium high and add turmeric, cumin and asofotida. When the seeds start to splutter, add the “ground masala” and continue frying. Season with garam masala and salt. Stir in the coconut milk along with the kokum extract and simmer for 15-20 mins till oil seperates and the flavors blend in.
Finally add the shrimp and cook for 5-6 mins, till the shrimp turn pink and is perfectly cooked. (*If you don’t plan to serve this dish right away, don’t add the shrimp to the curry. When ready to serve, bring the curry upto a boil and add the shrimp while continuing to simmer for 5-6 mins)
Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander. Serve hot with chapati or tawa roti or over a bed of rice.
…
Sol Kadhi
(Cold Coconut Milk Soup)
Sol Kadhi is a cool refreshing soup from the Malvan/Konkan region that is now gaining popularity throughout India. Made with coconut milk as the base and spiked with kokum, herbs and spices, it is also referred to as an energizing drink and a great coolant, especially in the hot summer months.
Whenever I went to any Malvani restaurants in my hometown Pune - Mahesh Lunch Home or Nisarg, I would order more than a glass of sol kadhi to keep me going, before, during or even after the meal. It’s a perfect “pick me up” drink that sets you in the mood for some Malvani food and also works great during or after the meal to douse the flames if the hot & spicy food gets out of hand!
I am very passionate about my favorite drink; here’s how I make the kadhi for my “soul”….
Serves 4
1 can (about 1½ cups) lite coconut milk
water, equal to the quantity of coconut milk (I usually empty the coconut milk can and fill it with water to get the exact measurement)
1 medium garlic clove, smashed
½ inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
3-4 cilantro sprigs (I use the leaves and stems)
1 small green chilli (optional)
a pinch of hing (asofotida)
salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp kokum extract (Refer to Concoctions 101 for making your own kokum extract)
Combine all the ingredients in the blender and mix thoroughly. Serve chilled in a glass as an appetizing drink or in a bowl as a cold refershing soup.
I miss those days when we went out on dates all the time 
Dinners at datesy restaurants, cocktail nights at upscale lounges, crazy clubbing and bar hopping, romantic weekend getaways; we did it all! We went out a lot before we had the baby. Life’s changed now and we spend a lot of time at home, with our little girl. Going out on dates is certainly a bit of a challenge now, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a date nights anymore. When the baby’s off to bed, it’s a date night at home!
Here’s a simple but stunning menu that sets the mood right!
A Wine Just-for-Two
Moscato D’Oro from the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley CA, is a fresh, floral and beautifully balanced white wine with a crisp, clean finish and a bit of spritz. Lightly sweet and refreshing as a tropical breeze, lush with honeysuckle aromas and sweet-citrusy flavors, this wine is great for sipping after dinner as a dessert wine or for casual drinking in any season.
With its seductive fruity-floral character and perfect serving for two, this wine is a perfect way to start or end your date night!
Go over to A Meal without Wine for more wine tasting notes.
Grilled Shrimp with Pasta in Alfredo Sauce
There’s something special about shrimp! My date night dinner was indeed a special one and there had to be shrimp on the menu.
I didn’t want to order take-out or spend too much time in the kitchen making dinner. So, to keep it quick and simple yet elegant, I decided to grill some garlic-herb marinated shrimp and serve them along side of pasta tossed in a quick alfredo sauce and crispy garlic toasts. The shrimp absorb all the flavors of the garlic and herbs and are wonderfully succulent when grilled to perfection. The crunchy garlic toasts and the creamy alfredo pasta add a neutral flavor and a different combination of textures. They are a great accompaniment, but certainly don’t steal the show away from the shrimp!
This main dish has three different components, but trust me – it’ll all come together in no time. Be sure to read and understand the steps below thoroughly, if you decide to give it a shot. If you gather the ingredients and stick to my method, you should be done with all the three components within 30 mins (40 tops!). This is kitchen multi-tasking at its best!
Serves 2
Garlic -Herb Shrimp
10-12 large shrimp (size: 31-40 count), peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsbp (about 1/2 spring) rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp (about 1 sprig) oregano leaves, finely chopped
½ lemon, zested and juiced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
wooden/bamboo skewers (optional for easy grilling)
Pasta
½ lb pasta (rotini, penne, bowtie, etc)
water
salt
Alfredo Sauce
1 cup light (or heavy) cream
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted light (or regular) butter, softened (I used Smart Balance)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Parmesan cheese)
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Garlic Toasts
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-6 (1-inch thick) slices French baguette
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
Combine the garlic and herbs along with the lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the olive oil. Mix well and let the shrimp marinate in this mixture for about a half hour till you prepare the toasts, pasta and alfredo sauce.
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F for making the garlic toasts.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Till the water comes to a boil, cut the baguette into 1 inch slices and peel garlic. Arrange the bread on an aluminium foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the bread slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set them aside.
Add a generous quantity of salt to the boling water and throw in the pasta. Cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 10 mins.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Heat the cream over low-medium heat in a deep sauté pan. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the saute pan, gently toss it to coat in the alfredo. Continue simmering on very low heat.
While the alfredo sauce thickens, preheat the grill pan to medium-high. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and skewer 5 per stick and place the shrimp on the grill pan. Grill on each side until they turn pink, about 4-5 mins, basting with the remaining marinade as they cook.
As soon as you place the shrimp on the grill pan, pop the baking sheet with the bread slices into the oven. You will then be free to turn the shrimp and gently toss the pasta again while the bread bakes for about 5-6 mins and becomes crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and immediately rub the garlic cloves over the hot toasts.
Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl. Top with more grated cheese and chopped parsley. Season with more freshly ground black pepper.
Plate the shrimp skewers, pasta and a couple of toasts together and serve warm.
Vanilla Custard with Raspberry Coulis
A date night dinner should end on a romantic note, right? Here’s a perfect dessert that marries the two individuals that were destined to be together- a creamy vanilla custard and ravishing red raspberries.
It’s a simple vanilla custard made by baking milk and eggs together, just like a traditional flan! I love the flan, but I wanted to get creative with the topping (or should I say “bottom”) and make something else instead of the usual caramel. Mmmm, how about a light raspberry sauce?!
Raspberries give this dessert a sexy twist! The deep red raspberry sauce forms a pool of “love” in which the custard sits and soaks. The soft ‘n’silky custard melts in your mouth followed by the raspberries that explode as you bite them leaving a sweet-tart lingering taste behind.
Try my lovely dessert and feel the “love” on your date night!
Makes about 4 ramekins
Vanilla Custard
¼ cup sugar (or more to suit your taste)
1 cup whole/reduced fat or low fat milk
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
Light Raspberry Sauce
a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tbsp water
½ tsp sugar (or more to suit your taste)
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In the meantime, add the vanilla extract to the milk in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside.
While the milk cools, whisk together the eggs and the sugar in a bowl till the sugar seems to have dissolved completely. Then add about half of the hot milk into the egg-sugar mixture and continue to whisk. Finally whisk the remaining hot milk into the egg mixture.
Pour the milk-eggs-sugar mixture into ramekins and arrange in a hot water bath. Bake in the center of the oven until dry and set in the center, 60 to 65 minutes.
Remove from the water bath and let cool. Tightly cover each ramekin with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
Just before serving make the raspberry sauce. In a small pan or saucepan, dissolve the sugar in water, then add raspberries. Simmer for about 3 min then stop the heat and let the raspberries cool down in the syrup.
Top it with the raspberries sauce and some fresh raspberries. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Every other Chrismas holiday, we go to India. This year we enjoyed Nia’s first Christmas here, in America.
This has been a snowy winter overall and there was a snow storm a couple of days before the holiday, making it a perfect white Christmas for us. And when Nia was done playing outside in the snow, she was more than happy to help daddy decorate the “Kissmas Tee“.
While they were busy having fun, I was planning the dinner menu. My idea of a holiday dinner was something special but at the same time something stress free; something that could be made ahead of time so that I get to relax and enjoy it but definitely something traditional and something memorable.
Here’s a recap of our holiday dinner…..
The Menu
Red Wine – Norton Reserva Malbec 2003
Norton Reserva Malbec 2003 is a smooth, medium-bodied red wine. Slightly fruity and earthy in nature, this rustic wine from Argentina is great for pairing with meat and stands up to the spicy Indian cuisine.
Herb Marinated Lamb Chops
I prepared the lamb chops using my own ‘signature‘ recipe presented earlier in one of my posts. They served to be an elegant first course and were a great accompaniment with the velvety, red Malbec.
Chicken Biryani
(Layered Basmati Rice dish with Chicken and Vegetables)
Biryani is a definite party pleaser! Biryani for Indians is like Lasagna for Italians and is usually on the menu for special occassions. This rich and elaborate preparation is made by layering partially cooked basmati rice and vegetables/lamb/chicken/fish in a sauce that is flavored with exotic spices and . The vessel is then covered and sealed on with dough and everything is cooked together on a low flame for a long time.
I love biryanis – veggie, chicken, mutton, shrimp, all of them! I have made several attempts in the past to make biryani the traditional way using dum cooking method (process of slowly cooking partially cooked food in a tightly sealed vessel for a long time) but have failed time and again Sometimes the rice and/or meat would be undercooked and then there were some other times when the bottom layer would stick to the bottom of the pot and get badly charred. That would permeate the whole dish with an unpleasing burnt -like taste and smell. Undeterred in my will, I have now figured it all out, by sheer trial and error. The skinny on this is, to fully cook all the different layers seperately (in a single pot!) and assemble them together (in the same pot).
So making my chicken biryani for the holiday dinner was a perfect idea. I took me a little over an hour in the morning of Christmas Eve and all I had to do was to pop it in the oven and finish off just before dinner. That way, by dinner time, the biryani had been sitting for a few hours and all the different flavors mixed and mingled well with each other.
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. Follow this easy recipe and see for yourself how to deconstruct and reconstruct the biryani into a one-pot delicious concoction!
Serves 4
1 lb chicken legs and thighs (this will be about 2 leg-thigh joint pieces that u will find in a packet at wholefoods)
The Marinade
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp Everest Chicken Masala (or garam masala)
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
salt
The Rice
3 cups of basmati rice, wash 2-3 times and soak for about 1/2 hour and drain the water
4.5 cups of water (proportion for this is 1:1.5 rice:water and not 1:2 as usual)
salt
1 tsp oil
1-2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1-2 green cardamoms (elaichi), whole
1-2 cinnamon sticks
The Garnish
1/2 cup oil (canola, corn or vegetable)
1 medium onion, sliced
handful of cashews and raisins
1/4 cup milk
1 pinch saffron strands
ghee (clarified butter)
handful cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 bolied eggs, halved (optional)
The Gravy
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup canned tomato sauce (= 1 small 8 oz. can of sauce…NOT PASTE)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
1 inch ginger, grated (or 1 tbsp ginger paste)
(*I prefer to use the readymade pastes for the marinade and fresh ginger/garlic for the gravy/curry)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin (jeera)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt
1 tbsp Everest Biryani Masala (or garam masala + 1-2 cloves, 1-2 cinnamon sticks,1-2 bayleaves, 4-5 peppercorns)
3-4 baby potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, quartered
handful fresh cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
Seperate the chicken legs and cut the thighs into smaller pieces. Make slits on them and mix them with all the ingredients for marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or atleast for 6-8 hours.
Warm milk and soak saffron in it. With a spoon, try to crush the saffron in the milk to give the milk a beautiful yellow color.
Combine all the ingredients for rice and cook the rice seperately in pressure cooker/stove top/microwave or rice cooker.
In the meantime heat the oil in a big non-stick pot (preferably with steel handles. Ultimately you have to put this pot inside the oven) and fry sliced onions for garnishing till brown. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Similarly, fry cashews till light brown and set aside. Lightly fry raisins in the same oil, for a min or so and set aside. Then fry raw potatoes till they get a light brown coating and set aside.
In the same hot oil, add onions, cumin, ginger and garlic and fry till onion is light brown. Add tomato sauce, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, chopped cilantro and biryani masala. Mix well and saute till oil seperates out of the gravy. Add 1/4 cup water and continue cooking till oil seperates again.
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Add the fried potatoes and chicken, along with all the marinade, mix well, cover and cook till chicken is almost cooked, but not completely. Stir occassionally. If there’s a lot of liquid in the gravy, cook on medium high till the gravy is reduced.
Layer the rice over the cooking chicken. Sprinkle saffron milk and some ghee over the rice. Top it with brown onions, cilantro, cashews and raisins.
Cover with aluminium foil and finish cooking in the oven for 25-30 mins.
*If you are preparing biryani ahead of time, complete this last step of cooking it in the oven just before serving.
Mix gently and serve hot with the side of cool raita.
Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Raita
(Yogurt-based Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad)
Raita was born to be had with biryani ! This combination, made with cucumber, tomatoes, onions in yogurt, has a super cooling effect after a bite of the hot and spicy biryani. All the veggies are diced and combined with beaten yogurt and tossed with green chillies and cilantro. It is then seasoned with salt and a pinch of sugar. The sugar masks any sourness in the yogurt and the green chillies add a little zing.
Creamy and crunchy, chicken biryani is best enjoyed with this refreshing raita!
Serves 4
1 large or 2 small (Kirby or pickling) cucumbers, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups beaten yogurt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Toss together diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and yogurt. Add green chillies and fresh cilantro, season with salt and sugar and serve chilled.
*Have some carrots in your refrigerator? Go ahead and add shredded carrots to the raita!
Cake Pudding
(Cake Pudding with Instant Coffee and Walnuts)
Desserts usually get sidelined when I am cooking an elaborate meal. This time, however, I decided to take on the home stretch – my very own cake pudding.
This is a no-stress, no-bake cake pudding that can be whipped up in a matter of few minutes! It is my mom’s ‘signature’ recipe. All she does is pours cold coffee (instant coffee in cold milk) over crumbled cake and garnishes it with walnuts and heavy cream. After sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, the cake soaks up all the coffee and turns into a soft, fluffy, creamy, bitter-sweet pudding. I have added my own twist to my mom’s original recipe by introducing chocolate and alcohol into the mix.
Simple and easy, this rustic pudding is my all time favorite homemade dessert!
Serves 4
The Cake
2 store-bought or home-made plain pound cakes (or any other sponge or vanilla flavored cake).
If you are in the mood of baking , make your favorite vanilla/sponge/pound cake or even a box of your favorite plain cake mix. Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes before proceeding.
Pudding Filling
3 cups cold milk (your choice of whole/reduced/low fat/fat free)
6 tbsp instant coffee powder, like Nescafe
½ cup dark rum (Bacardi/ Old Monk)
1-1½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy/light whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate like Ghirardelli Espresso Escape
Break the cakes into small pieces/crumbs by hand into a large bowl.
Add a little water to the instant coffee and mix it to form a thick paste. Add the paste to the cold milk along with the splash of dark rum and mix well making sure there are no coffee lumps in the milk. Pour the mixture over the cake crumbs into the large bowl. Add chopped walnuts and mix gently so that the cake is evenly moistened with the coffee-milk mixture and the walnuts are evenly spread throughout the mixture.
Lay the moist coffee-cake mixture into a deep glass dish or triffle glass bowl.
In another bowl, beat the cream with a hand mixer or electric whisk. When it starts to thicken, add the vanilla extract and sugar and continue to beat until firm, about 5 mins on high speed setting. Spread the whipped cream on top of the cake.
With a vegetable peeler, peel the chocolate bar to create chocolate shavings. Decorate the pudding with a generous layer of chocolate shavings on top.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
“It’s the end of Fall ” That’s what my darling hubby has been saying since the beginning of Fall! He gets very sad when it’s time to say goodbye to Summer. But I, on the other hand, just love Fall. I love the smell of the cool, crisp air and the changing color of the leaves; I love to wear my warm sweaters, flaunt my beautiful pashminas and take out the cozy blankets that have been packed away; I love the Indian and American festivals that season brings along with it and last but not the least, I love the seasons eatings – the apple ciders and the pumpkin spice!
This year, Diwali came and went just in time for Halloween and the festive treats went on all week long! Honestly, I am not much into Halloween’s trick-or-treats but I’m definitely into the lots and lot’sa bright, orange pumpkins that Halloween brings along with it! (Here’s an interesting article on Halloween & Pumpkins)
Here’s a couple of my pumpkin concoctions…..
Pumpkins are a popular vegetable in the US and you see them everywhere, especially in Fall, which is the biggest pumpkin harvest season. Pumpkins are used in sweet or savory dishes and around this time of the year, you will find millions of recipes featuring pumpkins on Foodnetwork and in a lot of restaurants as well. Pumpkins are one of my favorite vegetables (or fruit?!) and till I moved to the US, I knew only a few ways to fix them. So when they are in season, I make it a point bring them home and make a couple of my favorite recipes. One way I make pumpkins is Bhoplyachi Bhaji (Pumpkin Curry) and the other way is Bhoplyache Bharit (Pumpkin Raita or Salad).
Bhoplyachi Bhaji
(Pumpkin Curry)
This is a very simple and easy way to make pumpkins. It’s a one pot concoction – fill it, shut it, forget it (only for a little bit!). Cubed pumpkin is added to a spicy and sweet curried broth and simmered till it gets soft and mushy. The sweetness in the broth is due to jaggery or sugar and the spicy kick is due to the “Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala“. Crushed roasted peanuts gives this curry a little crunch and cilantro adds a fresh flavor and a beautiful contrast green color. Be it roti or steaming basmati rice, this hot’n'sweet curry is a great accompaniment!
Serves 2
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 pinches aesofoetida
3-4 cups (3-4 handfuls) pumpkin cubes, 1″x1″ (This will be about 1 lb of pumpkin. To cut the pumpkin, run the knife along the outer, hard skin. Cut only the orange part into cubes and discard the outer skin and the inner seeds)
salt, to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1-2 tsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala (Some Indian stores in the US carry this masala. If you just can’t find it, you can use the regular Garam Masala)
1 tbsp jaggery powder or 1-2 cubes jaggery cubes(If you use Garam Masala, please use 1 tsp sugar instead)
2-3 tbsp roasted peanut powder (coarsely grounded) (See concoctions101)
1/4 cup, grated coconut, fresh or frozen thawed
1-1½ cup water
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Heat oil in a frying pan or kadhai with lid (use some kind vessel with a lid). Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of aesofoetida.
When the seeds splutter, add the pumpkin cubes and sauté for a min. Add the coconut, the peanut and jaggery powders and season with salt, goda/kala masala and red chilli powder. Add water, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins on medium low heat, stirring once in a while, till the pumpkin is well cooked.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.
Check out similar recipes of Pumpkin Curry on A Cook @ Heart, Evolving Tastes, Anna Parabrahma, OneHotStove & Mad Tea Party
Bhoplyache Bharit
(Pumpkin Raita/Salad)
Pumpkin is quite an unusual ingredient for making a raita, but I am sure every Maharashtrian has had this raita atleast once in their lifetime! Its quite a popular side dish on the Maharashtrian menu and it ranks high on the nutrition charts.
Soft, mushy cubes of pumpkin are added to the cool yogurt and then garnished with a hot tempered oil that is seasoned with cumin seeds and asofoetida. Adding a few pieces of chillies gives this raita a spicy kick and garnishing with cilantro gives it a fresh green flavor. Try this sweet and creamy raita, I am sure it will be your favorite pumpkin concoction as well!
Serves 2
2 cups (2 handfuls) pumpkin cubes, 1″x1″ (This will be about 1/2 lb of pumpkin. To cut the pumpkin, run the knife along the outer, hard skin. Cut only the orange part into cubes and discard the outer skin and the inner seeds)
water, for cooking
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1-2 pinches aesofoetida
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1 cup yogurt (any kind)
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Add the pumpkin cubes to a pot of boiling water and cook till they are soft and mushy. Alternatively, cook them in the pressure cooker.
Once cooled, drain the water from the cooked pumpkin and set aside. Cooked pumpkin refrigerates very well for 3-4 days.
Add yogurt, salt and sugar to the mixing bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a small frying pan or kadhai. Add cumin seeds along with a pinch of aesofoetida and pieces of green chillies. When the seeds and chillies splutter, turn the heat off and pour the hot tempered oil over the yogurt in the mixing bowl. Combine all the ingredients well and add the pumpkin cubes. Mix gently so that all the pumpkin gets evernly coated with the yogurt but its okay if a few of the pumpkins get mashed up; it adds to the thick, creamy texture of the raita.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve on the side of rotis with subzi or khichadi or pulav or even parathas.
Check out Vaishali’s website Happy Burp for her variation of this recipe and a cute pumpkin story that I had heard in my childhood!
Everyday Maharashtrian food is simple, quick, healthy and very flavorful. Poli or chapati (wheat bread), bhaji (vegetable), koshimbir (salad), bhaat (rice) and amti or varan (legumes/lentil stews) is pretty much on the daily menu in every home. Primarily vegetarian, with lots of fresh ingredients, minimum usage of oil, mild or sometimes no spices added and with very few seasonings, Maharashtrian food is high in nutrition value and brings out the true flavors of the of the ingredients used.
But this everyday food doesn’t always have to be humble and modest, right? So I thought of dressing this ordinary food up a little and giving it a new look and feel! I preserved the same high nutrition value and retained the true flavors of the food using some new techniques and making some cosmetic changes.
Take a sneak peek inside my makeover studio! Read on…..
Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir
(Carrot-Cucumber Salad/Raita)
Growing up, we have always had kakdichi koshimbir (cucumber salad/raita) in some form or the other at least once a week. My mom made it several different ways: with yogurt or with lemon juice, may be with some peanut powder or sometimes with some other veggie like carrot, tomato, onion, etc. My favorite used to be the citrusy and crunchy one with lemon juice and peanut powder. This was the first candidate for my “Extreme Makeover” challenge!
The usual way of making this refreshing koshimbir is to dice or shredded the cucumbers and the carrots but I shaved the two into thin long strips and they got a glamorous new look! The light green cucumber and the deep orange carrot ribbons beautifully compliment each other in color, texture and flavor. The lemon juice adds a citrusy zing, the peanut powder gives it a little crunch and thinly sliced green chillies make it a hot and yummy 
Without further ado, presenting the all-new Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir……
Serves 2
 2 pickling cucumbers
(I wouldn’t recommend the large slicing cucumbers for this salad)
2 carrots
1 small green chilli, micro sliced
3-4 cilantro sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 tbsp, roasted peanut powder
salt
1 pinch sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
Peel the cucumber skin and then continue peeling it on all sides till you reach the seeded part. Discard the seeded part or snack on it with a little salt and pepper. Similarly, peel the carrot skin and continute peeling it into thin shavings till you reach the core part and cannot feel further. (Peeler with a lateral blade might be easier than the one with a longitudinal blade)
In a bowl, combine the cucumber and carrot shavings with the green chilli slices, cilantro, peanut powder, salt, sugar and drizzle the lemon juice on it. Mix well and serve refreshingly chilled.
Flower-Batata Bhaji
(Cauliflower & Potato Roast / Subzi)
This was another regular on our table back home that was a winner especially amongst us kids. Cauliflower and potato are a classic combination for making a stir-fry kinda bhaji or subzi. When preparing this concoction stove top in a frying pan or kadhai with bare minimum spices and seasoning, the potato finishes cooking a bit faster than the cauliflower. So while the potato gets a little mushy, the cauliflower is just al dente. This makes it a great stir fried accompaniment for the poli or chapati.
How did I give this unpretentious and delicious recipe a brand new makeover? Instead of stir frying the two vegetables, I roasted them. I tossed the two with raw tadka (made without heating the oil) and then left them alone in the hot oven for sometime. Roasting the cauliflower at high temperatures makes it sweeter and even more crunchier and roasting the potatoes at high heat makes them crisp on outside and tender on the inside. The golden brown color on the surface of the vegetables due to roasting jazzed up the overall look.
With its appealing new look and an appetizing new flavor, this madeover bhaji is a winner of all time!
Serves 2
1/2 large cauliflower, broken into medium sized florets (about 3 cups)
3 small red potatoes, cut up into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp oil (EVOO, canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 – 1 tsp red chilli powder (for desired level of heat and spice)
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Preheat oven to 425 deg F (220 deg C).
Whisk together the oil, turmeric, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add the cauliflower florets and the potato cubes and toss well so that they are evenly coated with the oil mixture.
Place the tossed vegetables in a aluminium foil lined baking dish (makes it easy to clean!) and roast in the pre-heated oven until lightly golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Varan
(Split Pigeon Peas /Toor Daal)
Varan Bhaat is particularly very near and dear to a Maharashtrian. So is it for me!
Varan is Toor Daal in it’s simplest form. (Read PuSiVa‘s post on it). Typically, varan is made by pressure cooking toor daal with a pinch of turmeric and hing(asafoetida). When cooked, the daal mashed up and mixed well to a pulp-like consistency, seasoned with salt and a tiny bit of sugar or even jaggery (that’s typical Maharashtrian cooking!) and is simmered over the stove. When ready it is ladled over steaming grainy rice, topped with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter) and sprinkled with some lemon juice.
Some other ways I love to have varan is by putting ghee and dipping bites of poli in it or simply slurping it up as a soup. However I have it, this simple concoction tastes like home to me, anytime! (Here’s how Nupur has her “Waran Bhaat“ )
For the makeover challenge, I put an exciting spin on the classic recipe. I cooked the toor daal as usual and then in the simmering stage, I poured over a little hot chilli – garlic infused oil (i.e. tadka with chilli and garlic). The hot green chillies added a bright color along with a spicy kick and the garlic gave it a wonderful aroma.
With a makeover, the varan got a fabulous new look, but it is still the same old comforting food, at heart!
Serves 2
1/2 cup toor daal
1½ cups water (See ratios and proportions)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 pinch asofoetida (hing)
1 tsp sugar/jaggery
1-2 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1-2 small green chillies
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Wash and drain the toor daal in a stainless steel pressure cooker vessel. Add the water, turmeric, asofoetida, salt and place it inside the pressure cooker. Cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3-4 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 – 15 mins. Toor daal needs more cooking time as its a little tougher as compared to other daals.
When the cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal using the back of the ladle or a whisk to a pulp-like consistency. Transfer it to a medium sized pot, add some water if needed and season it with salt and sugar or jaggery. Simmer for 10 – 15 mins.
While the daal is simmering, heat the oil/ghee in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds along with the green chillies and smashed garlic cloves. When the seeds splutter and the chillies and garlic are slightly fried (just about a min or so), remove from heat and pour over the simmering daal. Stir and continue to simmer.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Sundays are kinda relaxed in my house. Its family time with a peaceful mornings watching cartoons with our little one, followed by a nice brunch, may be a trip to the supermarket or the mall, some errands here and there, a few chores in between and then its time for the Sunday dinner. With dishes like Herb Marinated Lamb Chops, Chicken Pulav with Creamy Carrot Raita and Berries with Choco-Rum Sauce on the menu, we make Sunday a “fun day” indeed!
Herb Marinated Lamb Chops
Lamb chops are my new found love! A few weeks ago, I tried lamb chops for the very first time at Casa Mono, a Spanish Tapas by Mario Batali in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of NYC. The lamb chops were grilled to perfection and when I took the first bite, it just melted in my mouth. This unforgettable experience was an inspiration to this recipe.
I marinate the lamb chops in a citrusy cilantro-mint marinade and sear them in a pan on high heat to lock in the juices and to form a dark brown crust. Then I finish them off by roasting them in the oven for a few minutes along with the remaining marinade. The roasting process cooks the meat and slightly warms up the marinade, which forms a complementary sauce for the chops. The sauce maintains its nice green color and its fresh flavor as it does not get a chance to fully cook and enhances the flavor of the juicy tender lollipops of meat.
Posing like ballet dancers in a beautiful formation, these chops are a little bites of heaven!
Serves 1-2
3 lamb chops (I picked up the pre-packaged New Zealand Lamb Chops at Wholefoods)
For the marinade:
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (pudina), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
salt
fresh ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Generously season the lamb chops with salt and fresh ground pepper and keep aside.
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and mix well pulse it several times. Pour all of the marinade over lamb chops and massage them a little making sure each chop is well coated with the marinade. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
Heat a flat pan or an iron skillet on medium high heat. When the pan is sufficiently hot, shake and remove excess marinade and sear the chops on the pan for about 4 mins on each side, till a dark brown crust is formed. Place them on a baking sheet, pour the remaining marinade over the chops and finish cooking them in the oven for about 5 mins or until they are done to the desired level.
Serve hot.
Chicken Pulav (Pulao/Pilaf)
(Rice with Chicken)
Pulav or Pilaf is a North Indian delicacy and is one of the most popular rice dishes made for everyday meals or for special occassions like parties or even banquets. Indians routinely make this dish with different vegetables like potatoes, peas, green beans or with chicken, mutton (lamb or goat) or even prawns (shrimps). As tasty as Biryani, which is layered rice and meat or vegetable dish, the Pulav, which is simply a seasoned rice dish, is much easier and quicker to make.
In my recipe, I start off by carmelizing onions along with some whole spices and herbs and then sauté the chicken and rice together with the onions to give the characteristic light brown color to this Pulav. I also use chicken stock instead of water which adds incredible flavor to this dish. Simmering on the hot stove, this one pot concoction slowly releases its wonderful aroma in the kitchen that soon permeates throughout the whole house!
Serves 4
2 cups basmati rice, soaked in water for about 1/2 hour (*1 cup of raw rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice)
1/2 lb chicken thighs, skinless, boneless or bone in, cut into small pieces
2 medium red (or yellow) onions, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
3-4 tbsp tbsp good oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp coriander seeds (dhana/dhania)
4-5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
2 cinnamon sticks, about 1 inch each
4-5 cloves
4-5 whole black pepper corn
2 bay leaves
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (pudina), finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped and some additional for garnishing
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
4 cups, purchased chicken stock (you can also use water)
In a thick bottomed large pot with a lid over medium high heat, heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add onion, ginger and garlic along with codiander seeds, green cardamom, cinnamin, cloves, pepper corns and bay leaves. Sauté for about 5 mins till the onions are translucent and light brown in color. Add the garam masala along with the chicken, fresh mint, cilantro and green chillies. Season with salt and cook covered for about 5 more mins stirring occassionally.
Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the above mixture. Mix well and stir fry uncovered for a few more minutes. Add the chicken stock or water and simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed and the chicken and rice are completely cooked. Stir occassionally to make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot too much.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with cool Creamy Carrot Raita
Creamy Carrot Raita
(Carrot – Yogurt Salad)
Raita is a great accompaniment to any hot and spicy Indian dish. Made with or without yogurt (a lot of typical Maharashtrian raitas or koshimbirs are made without yogurt) they have a super cooling and refreshing effect on the palate.
In my version, shredded carrot and beaten yogurt are tossed with green chillies and cilantro and seasoned with salt and a little bit of sugar. The sugar brings out the sweetness of the carrots and masks any sourness in the yogurt. Simple and healthy, my creamy carrot raita pairs perfectly with the piping hot chicken pulav.
Serves 4
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups beaten yogurt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Toss together shredded carrots and yogurt. Add green chillies and fresh cilantro, season with salt and sugar and serve chilled.
Berries with Choco-Rum Sauce
I love berries, all kinds, blue, black, red (raspberries) and pink (strawberries). In summer when the stores have great deals on all types of berries, I go on a shopping spree. You will definitely find some or all of the berries in my refrigerator anytime during the summer months. Usually, I simply have them plain as a snack or serving of fruit after dinner, but sometimes I like to jazz them up.
Ice cold berries are generously drizzled with hot white chocolate-rum sauce. The white color of the chocolate sauce adds a wonderful silky backdrop to the colorful berries and the rum spikes it up. It’s a great way to enjoy the explosion of berries throughout the summer!
Serves 2
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup strawberries
For the sauce:
1/2 cup white chocolate chunks or chips (If you have chocolate bar, just chop it coarsely)
2 tbsp heavy/light cream
1 tbsp white rum
3 dashes pure vanilla extract
Pop the berries in the freezer while you prepare the hot chocolate sauce, to get the ice cold effect for the dessert.
Place a heat proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water below.
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in this bowl and heat just until the chocolate melts, stirring continously, for about 5 – 7 mins.
Remove the berries from the freezer and serve with the hot chocolate -rum sauce drizzled on top.
This summer, as the markets started filling up with all the wonderful veggies, fruits and herbs, I brought home for the very first time a pot (yes! they actually sell the herbs directly in the pots these days, it’s taking “freshness” to the next level, I must say) of leafy, aromatic, vibrant green Basil.
I have seen Giada De Laurentis on TV, going crazy for this one particular herb. She uses it practically in all of her recipes, savory and sweet too! I have had basil in several concoctions before, but never really handled it myself. Talking of basil, what’s the first thing that jumps right at you? For me, it’s the good ol’ pesto! Naturally, that was my first experiment with it.
I followed the renowned chef’s recipe step-by-step.
“
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste.
”
The result was an intensely aromatic and very flavorful chutney-like concoction! I decided to play around with it……
Italian Chutney Sandwich
Yes, that’s what I made first with the pesto, which looked and felt just like our very own desi coriander-coconut chutney. Smothered with generous amounts of pesto and stuffed with grilled chicken and crunchy grilled vegetables, this hearty sandwich is now a lunchtime favorite!
Serves 2
4 individual ciabatta/olive rolls or 1 large loaf of ciabatta
basil pesto
2 portobello mushrooms
1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle salt & pepper over the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. One after another, grill the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms until they are tender and grill marks appear. Cool completely.
Slice the ciabatta bread in half and spread both sides with pesto. On the bottom slice, stack the grilled veggies and chicken breast pieces. Sprinkle some more fresh ground black pepper and place the top half of the ciabatta.
Alternatively, you can use any of your other favorite vegies, fresh mozeralla cheese slices, prosciutto slices, etc. and have your sandwich your way. Don’t forget the key ingredient, Pesto!
Primavera Pizza
In summer, the vegetables are definitely more flavorful than the rest of the year. With all the fresh vegetables that are suddenly available, you see a lot of “primavera” around you in restaurants, cafes, etc. Pasta Primavera is the most common dish made by tossing all the vegetables with pasta. But another dish that is equally popular is the Primavera Pizza. Smothered with the pesto as a base sauce, loaded with summer veggies, topped with oooey gooey cheese and a little meat factor (the hubby has to have it in every meal!), every slice is a triangle of paradise!
Serves 2
15oz. store-bought whole wheat pizza dough
basil pesto
1 portobello mushrooms
1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
2 jarred roasted red peppers
2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup (1/2 packet) Sargento Reduced Fat Mozeralla shredded cheese
Grill the chicken and vegetables as in the above recipe and cut into thin, long slices.
Preheat oven to 425 deg F.
Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thick and transfer it to a pizza or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the pesto, top it with the chicken, onion and green pepper on one half of the pizza and roeasted vegetables on the other half and finally sprinkle the cheese.
 
Bake on the bottom rack for about 18 – 20 minutes till the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
Take it out of the oven and season with black pepper. Cut it into slices and serve hot with some ice cold beer.
*Recommended Heineken Premium Light beer
Pesto, Pasta & Peas
Pasta dinners are the quickest and the easiest and pesto makes a perfect no-cooking sauce. I toss hot cooked fetuccini in the pesto and throw in some green peas. The peas look like little beads entagled in the fetuccini ribbons, drenched in the pesto sauce. This elegant pasta dish is not only a treat for your eyes but also for your tastebuds!
Serves 2
1/2 pound (i.e. 1/2 packet) of fetuccini ( or other types like rotini, bow ties, fusilli etc that allow the pesto to get in and coat well)
1/4 cup frozen green peas, defrosted
3-4 tbsp basil pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to add to the pasta later, if needed.
In a mixing bowl, add the hot pasta and the peas to the pesto and toss well to coat evenly. Add the required quantity of reserved liquid for desired moisture level. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve warm with garlic bread or on a side of vegetables, meat or fish.
Summer Vegetables Au Pistou
So, what else did I do with the pesto, still holding it’s wholesome goodness and sitting in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks? Eureka! I had some zucchini, and red pepper also hanging in the refrigerator along with the pesto. I just sautéed the vegetables in the pesto and look what I got?!
Serves 2
1 zucchini, cut into quarter slices
1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2-3 tbsp basil pesto
salt
freshly ground black pepper
In a small frying pan or skillet on medium heat, warm the pesto and add the vegetables. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and season with some salt and pepper. Serve hot as a side dish with pasta, meats or fish or make an elegant bruschetta topping!
You may add other vegetables like asparagus, green beans, summer squash or yellow onions. Chicken tenderloins or shrimps would definitely kick it up a notch!
After a long, hard day or on a cold winter night (and those times when I am stuffy and sniffy), all I crave for is some warm, comforting khichadi. I have fond memories from my childhood, when mom used to cook this simple and easy one pot concoction of rice & moong daal. Traditionally it is paired with kadhi (warm, spicy buttermilk) but I usually take the shortcut and have it with cool mattha (Maharashtrian version of salty lassi or spiced up buttermilk). The hot and spicy roasted chilli-garlic thecha (Maharashtrian version of chilli garlic chutney) on the side definitely kicks it up a notch!
This, for me, is the most comforting, comfort food.
Garlicky Khichadi
(Rice and Lentil with Garlic)
Khichadi is a popular dish throughout India. Some like it mild, some like it spicy; sometimes its soft & mushy and other times its perfectly cooked, fluffy & distinctly grainy (this is how I like it). Nutritious and easy on the stomach, it is a staple meal for a lot of Indians. I add my personal touch and turn this simple concoction into a very elegant one by using fresh garlic.
The general rule of thumb is 2:1 proportions of rice:daal. I use 1:1 to take some of the weight off the starchy rice carbs and add more of the healthy daal protein.
Serves 2
1 cup basmati or any white rice like jasmine, sona masoori, surti kolam (or up health factor by using brown basmati rice!)
1 cup split moong daal with skin (any other variety works well too)
1-2 tbsp good oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch asofotida
1-2 dry red chillies
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp, garam masala
salt, to taste
3&1/2 cups water
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
Wash and drain the rice and daal together and keep aside.
In a pressure cooker/pan or a medium pot with lid, heat the oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the pinch of asofotida, dry red chillies and chopped garlic. When the seeds splutter and the garlic is slightly browned, add the the rice and daal. Then add garam masala and salt and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Add water, cover with the lid and cook for 15-20 mins until the rice and daal mixture has absorbed all the moisture and is dry and fluffy. Alternately, if using a pressure cooker/pan, cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 mins.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Mattha
(Spiced Buttermilk)
Mattha or spiced buttermilk is a cool and savory drink. Growing up, I remember my mom churning the butter every week and we would get to enjoy the fresh home made buttermilk. With a little hint of spices and fresh herbs, this refreshing drink is very healthy and aids in digestion. As you can imagine, it has a very soothing and relaxing effect. Sit back, relax and enjoy every sip of this cool concoction!
For the mattha, you could either use the ready buttermilk available in the grocery stores or mix water and yogurt, 1:1 proportion and then add the spices and herbs.
Serves 2
2 cups buttermilk or 1 cup yogurt (whole, reduced, low or non fat) mixed with 1 cup of water (if using low or non fat, increase the qty. of yogurt and decrease qty. of water to suit your taste)
1/2 cm piece of ginger, minced
1 small green chilli (optional)
2-3 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
1-2 pinches cumin (jeera) powder
1-2 pinches coriander (dhania) powder
And my secret ingredient,
black salt, to taste
Alternatively, you can use
1/2 tsp MDH Chunky Chaat Masala instead of cumin, coriander and black salt.
Add all the ingredients to the yogurt-water mixture or the ready buttermilk and stir well.
Serve chilled.
Thecha
(Ground Roasted Chilli-Garlic)
The heat from red chilli and the spice from garam masala in the khichadi are not quite enough for me. I need to spice it up more, with the thecha. Green chillies and garlic are roasted and ground together to form a coarse paste. The smoky flavor from the roasting adds to the heat of the chillies and the aroma of the garlic. Cool it down with a little bit of yogurt and you won’t be able to resist this fiery-icy concoction.
 
Now, traditionally, the chillies and garlic are roasted on a flat pan with some oil. I have taken the oil out of the equation. And also I don’t want to use too many utensils (who’s gonna wash them??) Your kitchen tongs can do the job and all they need is a rinse later on.
Serves 2
3-4 small green chillies (Very hot! Use less chillies for desired level of heat/spiciness) (See Concoctions 101)
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup yogurt (any kind)
3-4 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1 pinch sugar (this adds the Maharashtrian touch)
With a pair of kitchen tongs, roast the chillies and garlic cloves by holding them directly on the stove flame till they turn dark brown-black in color. If you don’t have a gas stove, you can roast them on a frying pan/flat iron skillet. You may use a few drops of oil, but if you don’t, they will roast just fine.
Coarsely pound the two using a pestle and a mortar (as shown above). Add the rest of the ingredients and combine with the pestle. Alternatively, you can use a mini food processor and it will deliver the same product. Just remember to pulse and not run it continuously.
This can be a great side item to spice up any meal. As I do, it can be had with khichadi or any other rice concoction and goes very well with parathas too.
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