Category: Snack

Categories
Appetizer Healthy foods Indian Maharashtrian Side dish Snack Vegan Vegetarian

Kairchi Daal

Gudhi padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra, India as a new year. Across India the same day is celebrated by different names but the spirit is the same. We look at nature, and you can see that spring is in the air and this day is the celebration of the new beginnings. Bengali celebrate ‘poila boishokh’ , Keralite celebrate Vishu and so much more.  Not just in India but even Zoroastrians celebrate ‘Nowrouz’ which marks the first day of the spring. On this day they have a platter newly sprouting wheat is always on the table along with other things. 

I feel you feel like celebrating if you just look around. Where I live, there are beautiful blossoms everywhere, when I go for a walk, I see beautiful wildflowers, mustard fields with yellow flower and just a sense of rejuvenation. 

We went for a beautiful hike in a state park and saw so many beautiful wild flowers, it was just breathtaking. 

I picked a few of these and decided to make a Gudhi using those. 

In India, especially in Maharashtra we celebrate Navratri which starts on Gudhi Padwa. Often there are Haldi Kunku which is a gathering for women, an informal social gathering. The celebration is for a goddess and I remember very fondly my Aai coming up with amazing ideas for decorations. One year we had recreated a famous garden from southern india, another year was a beautiful swing made with flowers and plants. As a kid I loved helping Aai with this event.

This is also the season when you start seeing Green mangoes on the tree in India. So naturally traditionally two dishes using the green mango are always made for this haldi kunku, Aam Panhe, a drink made with cooked green mango & jaggery and the second is this , Kairichi Daal.

I love both of these things very much. Today when I picked up the green mango to make this, it turned out not very sour but the kiwis I picked up from the farmers market were so sour, so voila, a new dish is born. I added some Kiwi and the results were quite delicious.

It a super easy recipe, hope you guys like it. If you have any such traditions, I would love to know about them. 🙂

I have also written the recipe in Marathi, hope thats useful to some.

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Kiwi Green Mango Lentil Salad

This is a typical dish made during the spring while the mangoes are still green and tart. Soaked lentils add a perfect crunch to this salad

Ingredients

साहित्य

  • 2 Cups Chana Daal
  • 1/2 Cup Peeled and grated Green Mango
  • 2 Kiwi Peeled and chopped
  • 3-4 Green Chili paste
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Freshly grated coconut
  • 1-2 Tbsp Chopped mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro

For tempering

  • 3 Tbsp Oil
  • 1 Tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 Tsp Asafetida
  • 3 Dry red chilies
  • 1 Sprig Curry leaves

Instructions

Method

  1. Soak the lentils for 4-5 hours at the least 

  2. Drain and crush them in mortar pestle, make sure you don’t make a fine paste

  3. Mix sugar, salt, coconut, mint, cilantro in the crushed lentils. Once its completely mixed, add the kiwi and green mango. 

  4. Heat oil in a pan. Check if its hot by adding a couple of mustard seeds, if they splutter add the rest of the ingredients and saute for 30 secs. Make sure it does not burn 

  5. Add this tempering to the lentil mixture. The salad is now ready 

  6. Serve at room temperature

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Kiwi Green Mango Lentil Salad

This is a typical dish made during the spring while the mangoes are still green and tart. Soaked lentils add a perfect crunch to this salad

Ingredients

साहित्य

  • 2 Cups Chana Daal
  • 1/2 Cup Peeled and grated Green Mango
  • 2 Kiwi Peeled and chopped
  • 3-4 Green Chili paste
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Freshly grated coconut
  • 1-2 Tbsp Chopped mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro

For tempering

  • 3 Tbsp Oil
  • 1 Tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 Tsp Asafetida
  • 3 Dry red chilies
  • 1 Sprig Curry leaves

Instructions

Method

  1. Soak the lentils for 4-5 hours at the least 

  2. Drain and crush them in mortar pestle, make sure you don’t make a fine paste

  3. Mix sugar, salt, coconut, mint, cilantro in the crushed lentils. Once its completely mixed, add the kiwi and green mango. 

  4. Heat oil in a pan. Check if its hot by adding a couple of mustard seeds, if they splutter add the rest of the ingredients and saute for 30 secs. Make sure it does not burn 

  5. Add this tempering to the lentil mixture. The salad is now ready 

  6. Serve at room temperature

Categories
Appetizer Bengali British European Protein Snack Vietnamese

East-er Eggs – Indian scotch eggs

You know how some ideas just keep brewing in your head but it takes forever for it to happen, but when it happens its even better than what you had imagined. Today’s recipe is one of those recipes.

It has two may be three recipes. They are different and yet complimentary and there is one thing that ties them together. I get excited and happy when that common thread works just so wonderfully.

Part One – London & Kolkata

I visited Kolkata with the family and absolutely loved the Bengali cuisine, especially the snacks and the sweets. The sweets made with fresh chenna that melt in your mouth are to die for. We were there when the most prized ‘Nolen Gur’ was in season and the sweet shops were showcasing various things made using this liquid gold, I fell in love with this Gud. The softest Rosogulla and sandesh made using this Gud were my favorite.

There are many snacks that are popular in Bengal. Different types of kachoris, Jhal Moori which is a snack made with puffed rice and the famous ‘chaap’ to name a few. The word ‘chaap’ possibly comes the english word Chop, but this one has no meat in it and instead is made from different vegetables, especially beets which gives it the classic red color. Its served with chutney like most Indian snacks.

I started making these chaap ever since then and everyone loves them.

I love traveling, within the country, internationally, alone, with a group, I just love to travel and more often than not, food is a critical component of my itinerary. So even when I was on a business trip to London, I made sure I visited the grocery store and local market and tried some of the specialities. One of the things I ate for the first time was Scotch Eggs. An egg wrapped up in minced meat and fried, then cut open and served with some mustard, its a popular pub food. I love eggs in any form so I had obviously liked these.

Today I decided to borrow on these two ideas for a a recipe I had in mind.

Beet Scotch Eggs

I took the beet mixture from the Bengali chaap, wrapped it around very soft boiled egg and deep fried it.. result.. delicious !!!!

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Bangla Scotch Eggs with Kasundi

This recipe is inspired from two dishes I tasted and loved. 

Ingredients

  • 4 Beets Boiled and grated
  • 1 Potato Boiled and mashed
  • 1 Onion Finely chopped
  • 1/2 Tsp Garlic Paste
  • 1/2 Tsp Ginger Paste
  • 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
  • 3/4 Tsp Roasted Jeera Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Red Chili powder
  • 1 Green chili Finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 Eggs

For coating

  • 1/3 Cup Maida/ All purpose flour
  • 1/3 Cup Water
  • 3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs

For Frying

  • Oil

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and saute till soft

  2. Don’t let them caramelize 

  3. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for a few secs

  4. Add the grated beet and saute till its almost dry 

  5. Now add cooked potato thats very well mashed

  6. Mix and saute well till the mixture is dry 

  7. Add salt, a pinch of sugar, garam masala, cumin powder and red chili powder

  8. Mix well 

  9. Add green chilies and turn the heat off 

  10. Set the mixture aside to cool 

Cooking the eggs

  1. Boil water in a sauce pan

  2. Once the water comes to a boil, slowly add all the eggs in the pot

  3. Cook for 4-5 mins with a rolling boil

  4. Drain the eggs  and run  under  cold water 

  5. Peel the eggs and set aside 

Batter for Frying

  1. Make slurry with the all purpose flour and water. The slury should be thin but thick enough the coat the egg. 

  2. Take the breadcrumbs in a bowl and season with some salt

Heat some oil in a deep pan on medium heat

Frying the eggs

  1. Take one eggs and fourth of the beet mixture. 

  2. Cover the egg completely with the beet mixture, making sure the coating is even and no gaps. Press the coating tightly, this ensures that the coating will not fall off while frying 

  3. Dip this beet covered egg in the slurry, ensure it oats the whole surface

  4. Roll it in the breadcrumbs 

  5. Fry the egg in the oil on medium heat till its crisp all around

  6. Let it cool and then cut it in half carefully. Since the egg is half boiled, the yolk would be soft and spreadable

  7. Serve with pickled onions and Kashundi 

Part two- California, Bengal

I love eggs and I love to eat them in any form, wait did I already say that? Anyway so I love making sandwiches as the weather gets warmer and one of my favorite is Banh Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich. Crusty white roll with even crunchier pickled vegetables, its a treat. I feel that pickles of all kind can perk up even a boring meal. Although now pickles are made in every part of the world, it is said that the process of pickling might have started in 2400 B.C in Mohenjo Daro. No matter who started making it, it sure is a favorite of many unless you are in a pickle ( get it 🙂 , sometimes I surprise myself with my play on words, hehe !)

So I wanted to pickle my eggs to make egg sandwich and then I got inspiration from the ‘Pennsylvania Dutch’ who add beets to their pickling process and I did just that. But I wanted to make it a little different and drew on my Indian spice box and one of favorite spice mix, Panch Phoran. Panch Phoran translates to Five Spices, it comes from Bengal, east India. Typically it has fenugreek, Cumin, Mustard seeds, Nigella seeds and Fennel. I love it because even though its simple, it delivers amazing flavor to any dish you add, daal, meat, fish or even pickle 🙂

These pickled eggs provide the much needed acidity to the fried Beet Scotch eggs.

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Panch Phoran pickled eggs

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp Panch Phoran recipe on the blog
  • 1 1/2 Cup Red Wine Vingar
  • 4 Tbsp Thinly sliced shallot or red onions
  • 2 Beets Sliced or qurtered
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Salt
  • 4 Eggs Soft Boiled
  • 1 sprig Mint to serve
  • 1 Tbsp Kasundi to serve

Instructions

  1. Mix salt & sugar in the red wine vinegar and stir till dissolved 

  2. Gently pound the panch phoran and add to the vinegar

  3. Take a glass jar and add the eggs, sliced shallot and beets to it

  4. Pour over the vinegar mixture

  5. Close the lid and let it sit in the fridge for 2-3 days 

  6. When ready to serve, cut the eggs in half carefully

  7. Chop the pickled onions and beets finely

  8. Top the egg with the chopped onions and beets 

  9. Garnish with mint and kasundi 

Recipe Notes

 

Panch Phoran : Here is a simple recipe for your reference 

Don’t keep the eggs for longer than 3 days, you will not have a beautiful demarkation of red/pink and white

To soft boil the eggs, add eggs to boiling water and cook for 5 mins. Drain and run under cold water and peel 

You can also make deviled eggs with this. 

 

 

Categories
bread Indian Maharashtrian Snack Vegetarian

Mumbai Pav

The first thing I do when I land in Mumbai the first thing I do is have a cup of cutting chai, you know I am super crazy about Chai, I probably have 4-5 cups everyday.

The second thing I do is have Vada Pav. I have fond memories of traveling in the train and eating Vada Pav, served with spicy sautéd green chili and garlic chutney. I have a recipe for Vada Pav

Vada Pav is a popular street food in Mumbai, in fact Mumbai has amazing street food in general. Pav Bhaji, Pani Poori, Vada Pav, Tawa pulav, Ragda Pattice, Kutchi Dabeli, the list just goes on and on. When you talk about food like Kutchi Dabeli, Vada Pav, Pav Bhaji, you quickly realize that Paav/Bread is a critical element for these.

Kutchi Dabeli

In Mumbai this bread is called Laadi Paav. Laadi is the tiled floor, when you see the sheets of this bread, you understand why it gets that name.

The bread came to India with the Portuguese, as I was reading more about this it seems like this Laadi Paav is similar to the Portuguese bread, Papo Secos. When I visited my sister in Miami, I tasted a Cuban bread, Pan De Agua and it was very smilar to the Ladi Paav.

My family is crazy about Pav Bhaji and Kutchi Dabeli, I end up making these at least twice a month if not more. In California I tried using Burger buns, dinner rolls, Kaiser rolls, but nothing tasted like the Paav I was used to eating growing up in India. So I talked to many people, read books, watched videos and came up with a recipe that works perfect for my family, I feel it comes closest to the Paav I have eaten.

Paav is made with simple ingredients like Yeast, Flour, Sugar and water. When I talked to some of the bakeries, I was told that its a poor man’s food so no fancy ingredients like Milk Powder or milk are used.

The trick is in the process and I feel that these three things are important:

  • High hydration dough- The dough should be quite lose, this allows the yeast to create large air pocket while baking.
  • Gluten formation- The dough needs to be kneaded so that strong gluten forms which can stand up to those air pockets while baking.
  • High temperature baking- Baking at high temperature for a shorter time is critical to get that crust.

I feel bread making is just as much an art as science, do even though I have given the exact recipe, I have also made a video which shows all the steps in detail.

Once you master this, you will be able to make them at home with the ingredients of your choice, I use unbleached organic flour and organic butter.

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Ladi Pav

Pav Bhaji, Batata vada or kutchi dabeli, these all dishes are incomplete without a perfect Paav. This easy to make recipe will remind you of the Ladi pav from Mumbai.

Course bread, Snack
Cuisine Indian, Maharashtrian
Keyword Ladi Pav, Paav, pav, pavbhaji, vadapav
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
2 45 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 190 gms Water About 3/4 and a little more
  • 7 Gms Instant Yeast About 2 1/4 Tsp or 1 packet
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 250 gms All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter melted
  • 1 Tsp Salt

Instructions

  1. Heat the water to 100F. I use a thermometer to check because this is critical for the yeast to rise.

  2. Add sugar and yeast and set aside for 5 mins

  3. Add melted butter to the flour and mix. Add salt and mix it a little more. 

  4. By now the Yeast mixture should be frothy, this shows that the yeast is active

  5. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix until it comes together. 

  6. Now take the mixture on the counter and knead for good 10 mins. Don’t be alarmed if the mixture is wet, as you knead you will see that it comes together. 

    Dont be tempted to add more flour. Lose dough is key to a fluffy and soft bread

  7. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise for about 50- 60 mins. The dough should double, so if the temperature is cold, let it rest for 60 mins

  8. After 60 min, take the dough on the counter, deflate and knead for 3-4 mins

  9. Divide in 12 equal pieces. I use a scale. Equal balls ensure that the bread is of same size and also cooks uniformly

  10. Grease and dust with flour a 9×13 pan. I use the Wilton Brownie pan. 

  11. Roll the dough pieces in a tight ball and arrange in the pan. Make sure when you roll, you are making the surface taught, and also the seam side should be down. This ensure that when the dough rises, all air gets nicely trapped, making for a spongy bread

  12. Let the balls rest anywhere from 60-75 min. They should be visibly plump

  13. Heat the oven to 450 F

  14. Bake the bread for 8-10 mins. After 10 mins even if the crust does not look super dark brown, dont be tempted to bake longer

  15. Take the pan out and immediately brush with a little butter

  16. Cool on the baking rack. 

  17. Enjoy the Paav is ready

Recipe Video

Categories
Appetizer Fusion Maharashtrian Snack Vegetarian

Sweet Potato Hasselback Dabeli

I love street food. I feel that is an easy, fast and cheap way to experience the local cuisine. Anytime I travel to a new place, I make sure I visit the local markets and enjoy the street food. In India street food changes from town to town. When you are in Mumbai, you get to enjoy amazing Vada Pav, Pav Bhaji and of course Dabeli.

Dabeli which translates into ‘pressed’ is one of my favorite street foods. It is believed to have originated from the Kutch region of India and also known as Kutchi Double Roti. I still remember eating one of the best dabelis when I visited my cousin in Mulund, Mumbai.

Yashwant Dabeli in Pune

I will write a post and share a recipe for Dabeli soon but today’s dish is all about Hassleback. Hassleback potatoes are a fun way to cook, and dress up an otherwise boring potato. I am not the greatest fan pf potatoes however I love sweet potato.

Sweet potatoes are a great source of complex carb along with many nutrients like Vitamin A, C and B making it a power house. It lends it self well to sweet and savory dishes. Sweet potato gnocchi , to pie to fries and so much more. So I try to incorporate Sweet potatoes in our diet when I can.

When I visited Delhi, I really enjoyed the road side snack of roasted Sweet potato sprinkled with some chaat masala. I love the earthy flavor. In fact winter is the best time to visit Delhi. If you happen to be there, I would highly recommend doing a Food tour of Old Delhi with my friend Anubhav with Delhi Food walks.

Today’s dish is inspired by my travel to Delhi and Mumbai, my love street food. It’s easy to make, its healtheesh and looks impressive. You can play with the many flavors or spices that you might have in our pantry, can not go wrong.

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Sweet Potato Hasselback Dabeli

Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American, fusion, Indian
Keyword dabeli, easy to make, hassleback, kutchi, potato, snacks, sweet potato
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 2
Author Anagha

Ingredients

  • 2 Sweet Potatoes Try and pick long and narrow ones
  • 1 Tsp Kosher Salt

Spice Butter

  • 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Dabeli Masala You can use a market bought or make at home

Garnish

  • 1/2 Cup Pomegranate Arils
  • 1/2 Cup Spiced peanuts I will share my recipe soon
  • 1/3 Cup Fine Sev
  • 4 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 F

    Prepare the potatoes

    • Scrub and wash the potatoes the potatoes
    • Slice the potatoes thin leaving about 1/4 inch at the bottom uncut. You can use two chop sticks or even wooden spoons to guide the knife and prevent it from cutting it all the way through.

    Spiced butter

    • Heat the butter in a sauce pan till just melted. Turn off the heat and add the Dabeli spice mix. 

    Assembly

    • Take a baking sheet or a overproof pan, I like using a cast iron pan
    • Arrange the potatoes on the sheet with the cut side up
    • Brush on half of the  butter mixture, making sure to get in between all the slices. 
    • Bake until tender and crisp, 45- 50 minutes.
    • Take out of the oven, and brush the remaining butter mixture and bake for another 20-25 mins.

    Garnish

    • Place the potatoes in a serving dish. Drizzle the date chutney and mint chutney 
    • Sprinkle some cilantro, pomegranate, Spiced peanuts and the Sev
    Note:  
    I have made a small video of how to cut the potatoes in thin slices without cutting it through. Here it is. 
    Categories
    Breakfast Snack Vegan Vegetarian

    Cardamom Maple Granola

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    I had no clue what granola was until a few years ago. In fact, any time I saw granola in a coffee shop or a bakery, I would think that it must be a oatmeal resin cookie experiment gone bad, or maybe some got the wrong type of oats. But then a few years ago we visited Mendocino.

    IMG_0124

     

    Mendocino is a quaint little town north of San Francisco along the pacific; it has a picturesque shoreline, a cute little downtown with art galleries, and chocolate shops galore. This is one of my favorite places to visit. We usually end up renting a big place with friends and cooking and spending time in the jacuzzi- it’s a lot of fun. Anyway, back to my granola, I had a chance to taste some amazing granola on one of my trips to Mendocino, and I loved it. I could see how easily you can customize it to your taste or preference. I started making granola and played around with different ingredients, tried various recipes as well. But the one I liked the most was from Genius recipes. I use that as a base and make changes as needed.

    I love making it at home as I can control the kind of ingredients used, I use all organic ingredients which is perfect for my family and friends.

    IMG_1159

    I packed this Granola for my kids, and they both came home asking for three times the quantity. It seems like their friends also loved it. I like it because it stores well, you can eat it as a snack, or for breakfast with milk, or add to your parfait, the possibilities are endless. The process is super simple- it’s literally just mixing ingredients and sticking it in the oven, you don’t even have to babysit. I normally make it in the evening and let it cool overnight.

    Today I served this with fresh apricots I picked up in the farmer’s market. Some chopped apricots, blueberries, yogurt with a touch of salt and topped with crunchy granola. Everyone loved it. You can serve the parfait in a clear glass bowl, and it looks so pretty.

    The recipe which inspired me to make this version is from Genius Kitchen. I love the nutty flavor of Olive Oil that compliments the earthy maple. I make many variations of this but our favorites are this one with cardamom and another with star anise, I add some fennel seeds in that along with popper sorghum.

    You can use anything you like, its like a blank canvas.

    Print
    Cardamom Maple Granola

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup  raw pumpkin seeds
    • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut chips
    • 1 cup  raw pecans,  coarsely chopped
    • 1/2 cup Chopped cashews
    • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
    • 1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1/2cup packed light-brown sugar
    • 1pinch coarse salt, to taste
    • 1 tsp Cardamom powder

    Instructions

    1. Heat the oven to 300F
    2. Mix oil, brown sugar, maple syrup in a steel bowl
    3. Mix all the nuts, coconut and oats in a separate container
    4. Add the nut mixture to the oil and sugar mixture.
    5. Mix well
    6. Add salt and stir once
    7. Take a cookie sheet and line with a parchment paper
    8. Spread the mixture evenly on the sheet
      9. Bake
    9. Bake for 45 mins
    10. Stir every 10-15 mins
    11. After 45 mins take it out of the oven and stir in the cardamom powder
    12. Let it cool on the sheet for an hour
    13. Store it in a airtight container
      14. Serve
    14. You can serve this with milk for breakfast
    15. You can make parfait with yogurt, some fresh fruit and this granola
    16. You can eat it as a snack
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    https://thesaffrontouch.com/2018/07/06/cardamom-maple-granola/

     

    Categories
    Breakfast Indian Maharashtrian Snack Vegetarian

    Dahi Sabudana- tapioca pearls with spiced yogurt

    Spring/summer  is here. The rain gods have been kind and hence all the mountains around where I live are still green.  Near my home there is a barn and they bring out their sheep for grazing at this time, with the rolling hills, and the sheep,  it feels like Swiss countryside.
    In India, we celebrate Holi. During holi a effigy of a demoness is burnt in fire. This demoness symbolizes all the mean thoughts, all the resentments that one might be carrying, you burn it all in the fire of Holi.  This is the time when we celebrate New Year according to the lunar calendar. Interestingly around the same time Parsi’s and Iranis’s also celebrate Navrouz, which translates to ‘New Day’. In short its all about starting afresh, leaving all the baggages that you might be carrying and focus on the future.

    In India we have Navratri ( which translates to ‘9 nights’) twice a year. Interestingly they both fall when the season changes from hot to cold and cold to hot. One is in spring time and one in fall. During this time you fast, you don’t eat meat, regular vegetables, no cereals. I think it is very much needed, it gets your body time to adjust and also get ready for the new season. Its like a cleanse, where you eat light foods, people also try not to eat garlic & onion.


    Each region in India has its own rules of what to eat and what not to eat during these nine months, some eat spinach, some eat tomatoes, others don’t. A few things like tapioca, water chestnut, sweet potatoes, cucumber are eaten across the country.

    I come from Maharashtra where Sabudana Khichadi is very popular. I recently did an Insta story on it. Whenever I ask my kids what they want special for breakfast, the answer is Sabudana Khichadi . My husband can eat bowls of it. I normally end up making enough so I have leftovers as he likes to eat it the next day again.

    Everyone knows Sabudana Khicadi but might not know this recipe. My mom makes it so well, my sister can eat bowls of it for days and not get tired. I like it more than Khichadi because it feels kind of cooling and I love yogurt 🙂

    Dahi Sabudana

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups tapioca pearls ( you can get them in any indian grocery store)
    • 3-4 green chilies ( I use the thai chilies that are super spicy)
    • 1 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
    • 1/3 cup roasted peanut powder
    • 1 cup buttermilk (if you can not get buttermilk, you can churn 1/2 yogurt with 3/4 cup water)
    • 1 cup
    • salt to taste
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

    Method

    • Dry roast sabudana/tapioca
    • After it is cooled down, soak in some water for about 30 mins
    • Pound the cumin seeds and chilies to make a coarse paste. I prefer using mortar pestle but you can also use a chopper
    • After 30 mins, drain all the water and soak in buttermilk for at least 4-5 hours.
    • Now add yogurt ( preferably whole milk), roasted peanut powder, chili-cumin mixture and salt n sugar to taste.
    • Garnish with cilantro

    Note:

    • You can also cook the sabudana in water until it is translucent ( instead of roasting and soaking in buttermilk).
    • Mix it with yogurt, roasted peanut powder, salt, sugar and the chili cumin mixture. You can also  add tadka of ghee jeera mirchi if desired
    • Garnish with cilantro
    Categories
    Breakfast French Kids favorite Snack Vegetarian

    Leek, Potato & Goat cheese Galette with Pistachio Crust

    Last few days have been very challenging, I consider myself a very strong person but it is amazing how vulnerable one gets when they are emotionally invested. I know it will be alright eventually but right now it hurts.  I really needed to do something that takes my attention away. So I have started lifting weights and  decided to try at least one new  recipe every week.

    I love love brunches. You can try different things than your usual lunch and you are not rushed to have everything ready. Perfect for lazy mornings and occasions like Mother’s day. On the occasion of Mother’s day, I am sharing this recipe that can be a perfect addition to your brunch table. You can make the prep ahead of time and then comes together in less than 15 mins.

    I love nuts, and especially pistachios. I am in love with combination of  green, pink colors you see in these raw nuts. I recently made a nice torte with pistachio crust and it was a major hit at my work.  Todays recipe uses the nuts in the crust, giving it a unique toasty flavor and crunch.


    I had seen this recipe on Bon Appetit and have been wanting to make it. I have grown fond of goat cheese recently and loved the contrast of the tangy, creamy goat cheese against the caramelized leeks and sweetness of honey.

    Goat Cheese & Leek Galette with pistachio crustPistachio Galette

     

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • ½ cup shelled pistachios
    • 2½ cups unbleached flour
    •  1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

    _MG_3035

    Toppings

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • 1 large leek, halved lengthwise, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
    • ¼ cup  heavy cream
    • 4 ounces goat cheese
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    •  2/3 Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
    • 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill, plus more for serving
    • 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
    •  1 large egg, beaten to blend Honey (for drizzling)
    • Crushed szechuan peppercorns
    • Flaky sea salt (optional; for serving)_MG_3039

    Method

     Dough

    • Pulse pistachios in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add flour, kosher salt, and sugar and pulse until combined.
    • Add butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms.
    • With motor running, slowly add ½ cup ice water and process until dough comes together.
    • Transfer dough to a work surface, form into a ball, and flatten to a disc.
    • Wrap dough in parchment and chill 30 minutes.
    Dough
    crust

    Topping

    • Preheat oven to 400º. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low; cook leek, stirring occasionally and being careful not to brown, until just softened, about 5 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, mix cream, goat cheese, and garlic in a medium bowl until smooth. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
    • Transfer dough to a work surface and divide into 4 pieces.
    • Working with one piece at a time, roll out to an 8″ round.

    Layer it up

    • Using an offset spatula, spread one-quarter of the goat cheese mixture on dough, leaving a 1″ border.
    • Top with 1 Tbsp. dill and a thin layer of potato slices. Drizzle with oil and season with kosher salt.
    • Top with one-quarter of the leeks. Fold edges over, overlapping slightly.
    • Carefully transfer galette to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
    • Brush crusts with egg wash. Bake galettes until crusts are golden brown and potatoes are soft, 30–40 minutes. If you want to make a vegetarian version, you can skip the egg and instead use some water mixed milk to brush the edges.

    Cut slice

    Original Recipe:

    http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/goat-cheese-leek-and-potato-galette-with-pistachio-crust#recipe-ingredients

    Categories
    Healthy foods Kids favorite Snack

    Strawberry fruit roll up with a kiss of spice

    There is something special about the fruits in season. Although you get strawberries pretty much throughout the year in the supermarket, the ones you get in the Farmers market right in middle of june are just out of this world. Super sweet, juicy and red to the core, they are perfect to make many dishes. I always make Strawberry preserve and of course strawberry ice-cream & milkshake. I also dehydrate the strawberries for a later use.

    Roll up 3

    Yesterday when I went to market I got a large flat of berries, when I got home I realized that they had to be eaten today. Since that was practically impossible, I decided to try something fun, decided to make a fruit leather with half of the berries.

    Berries in summer

    Whenever we talk about Fruit leather, I think of the summers in India. I fondly remember my mom making fruit leather with jackfruit and mango pulp. She would make the pulp and pour in the steel plates. Those plates would go out on the terrace and in the 90-110 F , the fruit leather would be ready in a day or two. Many times before my mom could bring the dried fruit leather inside, we would already picked a few pieces, it was just too hard to resist.

    Today I decided to make the fruit leather but as many other dishes I decided to add a little spice to it. One of the favorite things I recall from summers growing up is the ‘Kokum’ drink. Kokum is a fruit, very tart in taste, very pretty color and had amazing medicinal properties. It is known to aid in weight loss and also has a cooling effect on the body.

    roll up 1

    When my Mom makes a sherbet/drink with Kokum, she always add a pinch of roasted cumin and some rock salt.  The Kokum color is a pretty pink, just like the strawberries so I decided to bring in those flavors in my fruit leather.

    IMG_0230

    Ingredients

    1 lb of ripe strawberries

    1-2 tbsp of sugar

    1/2 tsp lime juice

    1/4 tsp rock salt/black salt

    1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

      
     

    Method

    Grind the strawberries in a blender, add sugar & lime juice and grind again. Now stir in all the dry ingredients.

    If you have dehydrator you can use that or just go with good old sun dried method.

    IMG_0231

    Depending on the method you are using and the thickness of the leather, it will be ready in 6-24 hours.

    Now lay the dried leather on a parchment paper. Cut in strips 2-3 inch wide and roll it up. Your Strawberry fruit leather is ready to enjoy.

    Roll up 2

     

     

    Categories
    Indian Maharashtrian Pickles & Chutneys Snack

    Garlic chutney

    Whenever you eat Vada Pav, this chutney is absolutely essential. It is very simple recipe made with a few ingredients but adds a necessary kick to the Vada Pav. It is almost like a dry rub in the texture and needs to be consumed pretty quickly since it has raw uncooked garlic.

    IMG_1450-0

     

    Ingredients:

    IMG_1455-0

    1/2 cup dry coconut, slightly roasted
    1/2 cup roasted peanuts
    2-3 cloves of garlic
    2 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder

    1 tbsp deghi mirch powder

    1 tsp Kanda lasoon masala( I sometimes use Kolhapuri masala)

    Method:

    Chop the garlic in the food processor. Add all the rest of the ingredients together while pulsing the food processor. A lot of people do not add peanuts and make it just with coconut, I feel like the taste of peanuts. Also, Kanda lasoon masala is a very typical Maharashtrian spice mix, the Kolhapuri masala I make come close so sometimes I use that.

    Also, it is the Kashmiri red chili powder that gives it that tempting red color, so I mix Deghi for spice and Kashmiri for color.

     

    Enjoy with Vada Pav!

     

     

    Categories
    Indian Snack

    Spiced puffed lotus seeds…chatpate mahane

    Making healthy and nutritional snacks without compromising the taste is always challenging to me. This recipe fits the bill very well.
    Makhane are popped ‘lotus seeds’, considered to have many medicinal properries as per the ancient Chinese medicine science. It is loaded with potassium, calcium and iron, it is a great alternative for popcorn.
    The aroma of the tiny yet divine ghee or coconut oil in this recipe is very tempting and smoked paprika for sure adds a nice flavor.

    Spiced lotus seeds

    IMG_2810

    It is a very simple recipe, slowly dry roasting is the key to get a lot of crunch without a lot of fat

    Recipe-
    2 cups makhane( popped lotus seeds)
    1/2 tsp ghee( clarified butter) or coconut oil

    Spices-
    1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
    1/4 tsp Turmeric (leave it out if making for Vrat)
    3/4 tsp Chaat masala( it is a mixture of rock salt, cumin powder, pink salt & some black pepper..all ground to a fine powder)
    1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
    1/4 tsp Amchoor( dried mango powder)

    Dry roast the makhane on low flame till they start getting crisp. Add the ghee( or coconut oil) and coat the makhane well. Add all the spices and toss well.
    IMG_2811
    For those who are curious, here is the nutritional information for the dry puffed lotus seeds.
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