Categories
Bihari Drinks & Coolers Fat Free fibre Gluten-free Low GI Protein Vegan Vegetarian Whole Grains

Sattu Ka Sharbat & Banaras

Growing up in Maharashtra, India I had not heard much about this ingredient. My mom used to ask us to eat ‘Saatu’ but it did not quite register as a special thing.

Fast forward many years and I remember my first visit to Varanasi, I fell in love with this place. I know people talk about the dirt and filth but all I could see was the peaceful ghats, a tremendous sense of devotion, and one becoming aware of one’s mortality and of course the food.

Every corner you turned there was some amazing delicacy to be devoured. We feasted on Jalebis, Kachoris, Lassis and so much more. I don’t know if its the water, air or the fact that many of these places have been there for generations, but each thing tasted amazing. I don’t remember having bad food in that town.

A lot of the food eaten was Satvik, which means there was no onion and garlic in the recipe, honestly I did not miss it.

I am a Chai addict and I must say some of the best chai I have had was in Varanasi, I think its the milk thats pure and fresh which makes all the difference. I loved roaming through the lanes and exploring because I feel ‘Banaras happens in the gallis’

I just loved how chilled out people were here, taking there own time to read a news paper, chat with a friend over a plate of kachori or even get a haircut, everything had a sense of calm. I went on a boat ride every morning that I was there, just the sound of water and the oars, some bells in the background and bliss.

Ghats have a lot going on, different ghats decorated in different styles. If you just observe, you get to learn a lot.



I will never get tired of this city, its fascinating on many levels. I feel that even meditating here was very powerful and peaceful.

On our way to the airport we stopped for a cup of chai, I mean everyone knows what kind of chai you get inside the airport 🙂 . On the same stall this man was making litti chokha, and man that was some delicious preparation. He was roasting them on open fire and the best part was that the litti was stuffed with some tasty mixture called Sattu.

That was my introduction to this magical ingredient called ‘Sattu’. This is powder of sorts made with roasted whole chana in most part, however there are some variations that add barley as well as Jowar/sorghum to it. Its commonly seen in the Northern India, mainly Bihar & UP as well as Pakistan and Nepal. Simple sounding however a true superfood, Sattu can be used in multiple applications. Often times savory and sweet drinks are made using Sattu, and in Bihar you would get to taste delicious sattu stuffed litti or even parantha. I must tell you that parantha turns out amazing. I will share the recipe some day soon.

Not only does it taste good and easy to make but its a power house of health benefits. Super high in protein, fibre, gluten-free, vegan and perfect for the summer and it cools down the body.

So when I came back from Varanasi and was talking about it my driver was very happy. He is from Varanasi and an ardent Sattu follower. When he heard that I liked it, he brought two homemade sattu flours for me along with a recipe for the sattu savory drink. I made it and loved it.

I make an effort to make traditional recipes and follow whats good for you in that season, if you like that idea then try out this recipe. Its super easy

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Sattu ka namkeen sharbat

Cooling  

Naturally gluten- free & vegan 

Low GI

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cold water
  • 2 tablespoon gram sattu
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice like to taste
  • 1/4 T Spoon Sendha Namak
  • 1/2 tsp spoonful of cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp finely chopped mint
  • 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 3 tbsp peeled and grated Green Mango optional
  • 1/4 Tsp finely chopped green chillies optional
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Mix the sattu with a little bit of water, enure there are no lumps left

  2. Mix the rest of the ingredients along with the remaining water & stir

  3. Serve chilled 

Recipe Notes

You can also make a sweet version, mix a little bit of honey or Gud with water and sattu powder

Categories
dessert French

A Pair of Swans

I met my husband on Dec 31st, got engaged on Jan 14th and we got married in April, between this time we met each other only a couple of times but we talked a lot on the phone. The phone bill ( which my dear parents had to pay) was a clear indication of how much we talked.

Our wedding took place in this town but my parents also hosted a reception in my town. Our family has lived there for four generations and knows so many people who enjoyed being a part of my special day. It was very nice to share our happy day with everyone.

The reception was open doors on a beautiful lawn and the stage was set such that we were overlooking a pool. The pool was full of jasmine and filled the air with amazing fragrance, there was also rose petals everywhere. The back drop against which we stood, had a pair of beautiful Swans, my parents thought those swans represented us, together, ready to fly into our world.

I came to the USA a week after I was married and that separation from my family was not very easy, I missed them very much. There was no internet at home and phone calls were expensive. I remember calling them once a week for 10 mins, it costed $1.25/ min to call India at that time. My dad loves to write letters and we love getting letters from him. In fact, we have an arrangement amongst us siblings about who gets the next letter. Each time Dad writes a letter, one kid gets the original and the rest get a photocopy. At that time, since I was the only one away from home, I always got the originals.

I used to wait everyday anxiously for two people, my husband who would come home at 6, and the postman who would bring letters from India.

My Baba like many other men, does not express his feelings very openly, but his letters exude love, advice, encouragement. In the first letter that Baba wrote, he expressed how he felt when I left India and came to the US. The whole family had come to see me off and Baba was of course there. His words, ” when you said good- bye to us and turned around, you two looked like the pair of swans ready to fly away from the nest’. I have read that letter at least 100 times, and I still cry every time I read it.

My husband made sure to everything possible to make that the transition was easy for me. I love him for that amongst many other things.

When I came to this country, I did not know much about different cuisines other than Indian, and my husband is the one who introduced me to different cuisines. One of the first fancy restaurants we went to was a french restaurant. I still remember eating many firsts like Escargot, Souffle and Profiteroles. I remember the pretty pair of Swans that we had for dessert. Each day is special with him but some are just etched in your memory and that dinner is one of them.

In Roman mythology Swans are sacred to Venus, they say Swans indicate eternal love. We fell in love after we got married and these swans indicate just that, our love for each other.

So swans have a very special meaning for me, the man who gave me life and the man who is my life.

Today’s post specially for our anniversary – it is all about love and I wanted to recreate that dessert from the french restaurant today.

This is a very versatile recipe, today I have shaped them like swans however you can make eclairs, cream puffs and even savory gougres with cheese. I have made these with coffee cream and that tastes amazing

Pate Choux Swans with orange blossom rose

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A Pair of Swans

Its a pate a choux pastry shaped like swans and filled with aromatic rose orange blossom cream 

Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword choux pastry, pate a choux
Servings 8

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup  milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 Tsp of salt
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 4 eggs

For the filling:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp Rose water or orange blossom water
  • 1 tbsp dried rose petals for decoration

Instructions

Method:

  1. Take a sauce pan. Heat milk, sugar, salt and butter till the butter is melted. While the mixture is heating, get the food processor ready and the eggs cracked in a bowl/cup. 

  2. While the mixture is heating, get the food processor ready and the eggs cracked in a bowl/cup. 

  3. As soon as the butter is completely melted, add flour all at once and cook on low flame for about 2 mins. When the mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, take it off the heat.

  4. Transfer the hot mixture to the food processor and start it on a low speed. Add one egg at a time to the hot mixture and keep processing till a nice homogenous mixture. The dough will be sticky but don’t worry.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 F
  6. Fit a pastry bag with a large star tip.
  7. Fill the mixture in a pastry bag.

  8. Take a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  

  9. Make a tear drop, if you get pointy tips, with wet finger you can just gently tap it down.

  10. Draw swan neck with a small round tip 

  11. Now bake these in the oven for 30 mins. Once the baking is done, let them sit in the hot oven for another 7-10 mins. Take them out and let them cool. The swan necks would need much less time to bake so keep an eye 

For the filling

  1. Mix sugar, orange blossom water and whipping cream  and whip till you get a nice and firm cream. Keep it in a separate bowl.

Assembly

  1. Take the cooled pastry , you can cut a slit .Slice them horizontally and then cut the top in half.

  2. Fill the pastry with the flavored whipped cream 

  3. Attach the swan necks to the puff 

  4. Sprinkle some rose petal so they stick to the cream, and serve

Recipe Notes

If you want to serve these as cream puffs, you can make an opening at the bottom of the pastry and fill the cream with a round tip

You can pipe these and freeze them and thaw and bake when ready

Pate a choux pastry
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
Citrus dessert Fusion

Blood Orange Fennel Upside Down cake

I love Farmers market. Every few months you get totally different produce, and I am always excited and wait for the change. It’s almost like the fruits and vegetables give you a hint of the season to come. For example, when you start seeing Persimmons and fresh peas in the market, you know its fall where as beautiful summer corn tells you were are in peak summer. Picking up the produce at its peak, bring it home and cook something fun with it, I just love the whole process.

There are few fruits/ vegetables which make their appearance in the market for a very short time. Apricots, Green peas and Blood orange to name a few. So when I get my hands on them, for those few weeks it’s all about making recipes where that produce is the star.

For the last few weeks its has been the blood orange.

Jump to Recipe

Blood orange, true to its name is vibrant ruby red from inside and has a unique flavor. Originally from Sicily and now available in other parts of the world, its a beautiful citrus. In Sicily it was considered a food for Royalty, because of its jewel like interior. I like its almost floral taste and love making Marmalade, and even curd. It also lends itself well to savory dishes or salad dressings.

Check out some of more Blood Orange recipes here: Blood Orange Olive Oil Madeleine, Blood Orange-Meyer lemon tart

When I was reading more about flavor profiles and pairing, it was interesting to read that it pairs well with spices like Cardamom, Fennel ( of course Orange and Fennel is a classic combination) along with nuts like almonds. So in today’s recipe I have played with these flavors and I must say the result was amazing.

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Blood Orange Upside Down cake

Incredibly flavorful cake that showcases these vibrant blood oranges that get paired beautifully with fennel. 

Keyword blood orange, cake, citrus
Servings 10
Author Anagha

Ingredients

Topping

  • 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 32 Gms Brown Sugar about 1/3 cup
  • 32 Gms Sugar about 1/3 cup
  • 2 Tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 Blood Oranges
  • 1 Tsp Fennel Seeds

Dry Ingredients

  • 65 Gms Corn Meal (fine)
  • 70 Gms Almond flour
  • 60 Gms APF about 1/2 cup
  • 8 gms Baking Powder about 1 1/2 Tsp
  • 2 gms Sea salt about 1/2 tsp
  • 1 Tsp Orange Zest

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
  • 200 gms Granulated Sugar about 1 Cup
  • 4 Eggs, at room temperature I used plain whole milk
  • 1/3 Cup Yogurt
  • 1/2 Tsp Star Anise Powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F

  2. Grease a 9 inch cake pan

  3. In a small sauce pan, melt the 3 Tbsp butter. Add brown sugar, white sugar  and heat till the sugar melts. Mix the lemon juice and pour the mixture in the greased pan

  4. Sprinkle some fennel seeds into the pan

  5. Using mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the blood oranges( and  orange and kumquat if using)

  6. Arrange the slices in the pan on top of the butter sugar mixture. Try to cover the entire base, I used small kumquats in those spaces

Making the batter

  1. Mix the corn meal, almond meal, flour, baking powder, salt, ground star anise and orange zest. Give it a quick whisk.

  2. In a bowl cream the remaining butter & white sugar till pale in color

  3. Add one egg at a time to the creamed butter-sugar and continue to whisk. 

  4. Once all the eggs are added, add the yogurt and give it a stir

  5. Gently fold in the dry flour mixture 

  6. Pour the batter over the blood orange slices 

  7. Bake for 40-50 mins until the tooth pick inserted comes out clean

  8. Let the cake rest for 10 min. After 10 mins, turn it on a serving plate. Wait for a few minutes to tap on the bottom of the pan to release the cake.

  9. Serve with freshly whipped cream

Recipe Notes

  1. I have tried to give measurements in cups and spoons but to get accurate results, I would highly recommend using the weighing scale
  2. Make sure you arrange the orange slices very close to each and overlapping a bit, when they bake they shrink

Notes:

The inspiration for the recipe comes from NYT, Bon Appetit and Season by Nik Sharma

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
    India Travelogue

    Jodhpur- the blue royal city of Rajasthan Part 1

    I am visiting India, my husband and I decided to spend a weekend in Jodhpur. It was an awesome trip. Since this was our third trip to Jodhpur, we decided to focus on our favorite things. Meherangarh fort and food were on the agenda.

    We stayed at Pratap Niwas, a small hotel on the outskirts of the city. Its a new building but they have used the materials from the old forts and Havelis and beautifully recreated the look.

    The property has a beautiful courtyard where you can sit and enjoy your dinner along with a live entertainment every evening. The rooms were adequately equipped and quite spacious.

    Beautiful Jharoka
    Courtyard
    Live music

    The first thing on the agenda was Meheran Garh, this is my favorite forts across all of Rajasthan. Its grandeur and sheer presence is unmatchable. Built by  Rao Jodha in 1459, this fort is glorious. The name Mehran Garh, comes from the word Mehr, which means ‘the sun’ in Rajsthani launguage. This royal family consider themselves the descendants of the Lord Surya. Its location, 400 feet above the surrounding plains makes it stand out and make it look unsurmountable.   IMG_3914I have visited Meherangarh twice yet I was still just as excited to visit the third time. I waited while my husband went to get the tickets and audio guide. IMG_3917We entered the Jaipol, bought our tickets and took an elevator to the next stop on our tour. This place provides a beautiful and expansive view of the Jodhour. You can see the Blue room tops which give this city its name, the Blue City. Its said that the Blue houses are Brahmin houses and this Royal family was in-charge of protecting them.IMG_3920IMG_3916 This is where you could see the ramparts and canons, ready to fire at the enemy which is probably this fort was never under siege. IMG_3925We continued our tour of various elaborately decorated and preserved rooms of the fort. Some are made with various mirrors and colored glass. Royal Darbar room with the throne which takes you back to the courtroom of the Royal family. IMG_3959

    IMG_3950
    Ranga mahal
    Jhanki Mahal which has stone screens called Zaroka, this allowed the Royal women to stay in their veils and yet watch all the activity happening in the courtyard. You also see a collection of baby cradles in this room. IMG_3970Beautiful Moti MahalIMG_3973 Moti Mahal You step into a courtyard from Moti Mahal IMG_3974 Courtyard is one of my favorites, you get to experience the open air along with privacy. sdr In the courtyard[/caption] You need many hours to appreciate all that this place showcases, courthouses, sintricate carvings and expansive courtyards, elaborate balconies, arched galleries and so much more. You go back in time as you walk through different rooms and can almost hear the sounds of the trumpets and the anklets worn by the Royal women, and see Old weapons, Jewelry, fabrics from the gone era. digWe completed our trip and were super hungry, we headed to the main town for our next destination, my favorite thing to do, food tour. Jodhpur is known for many yummy delicacies and I wanted to explore all those joints.When you talk about Rajasthani women, the first that comes to mind is beautiful clothes and jewelry. You get to see beautiful, vibrant colors and traditional dyeing techniques like Bandhani, Shibori still being used.dav Fabric dyeing

    We saw these women working on the roadside on our way to Clock Tower market.

    Hope you enjoyed reading this travel diary, come back to read Part 2 which is all about the incredible food we enjoyed.

    Categories
    Cookies dessert Not sure

    Mokonut cookies

    I don’t bake cookies much through out the year but around the holidays I try to make different cookies, try new recipes, and give some as gifts.

    My family loves chocolate and especially dark chocolate, in fact we don’t buy any chocolate that’s less than 60% cocoa. I love ginger in all forms- in my tea, in chutney, ginger beer and candied ginger.

    So what can be better than a cookie that has bittersweet chocolate and candied ginger.. everyone is happy.

     

    This year I did not make many since I am traveling during the holidays, but when I got the latest Global Baking issue of Saveur Magazine, I knew I had to try a couple of recipes.

    I loved the Swedish buns recipe so I made these St Lucia Buns inspired by that article. Those turned out amazing. I have a quick video on that, do check it out.

    For these chocolate ginger cookies, you need candied Ginger, you can always buy it but I feel that it is so easy to make it at home that I always prefer that. If anyone wants a recipe for candied ginger, let me know and I would be happy to share.

    I ended up making Buddha’s hand candies as well. If you have not tried using Buddha’s hand, you must, it’s just incredible. I love how it looks and smells, and you can use it like a room freshener.

    I’m trying to make quick videos of the recipes I make, so I have posted the one I made for these cookies.

    Print

    Chocolate Ginger cookies

    Fudgey center, dark chocolate, subtle heat from the candied ginger and the touch of salt flakes make for a decadent grown-up cookie. Perfect for the holiday parties or as a part of your dessert platter

    Course cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine American, French
    Keyword baking, chocolate, cookies, dark chocolate, Ginger
    Prep Time 3 hours 20 minutes
    Cook Time 12 minutes
    Total Time 3 hours 32 minutes
    Servings 12
    Author Anagha

    Ingredients

    • 1 1⁄2 cups All purpose flour
    • 1 tsp Unsweetened cocoa
    • 1 tsp Baking Powder
    • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
    • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
    • 1/3 cup Coconut oil
    • 1/3 cup Sugar
    • 1/4 cup Light brown sugar
    • 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
    • 1 large egg
    • 4 Oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
    • 3 Oz Candied Ginger
    • Flaky sea salt(like Maldon) for sprinkling

    Instructions

    1. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.

    2. In the bowl of a stand mixer  with the paddle attachment, cream butter, coconut oil, both sugars, and salt. 

      Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, it typically takes 1-2 mins

       Add the egg, and mix until combined.

      On low speed, add the flour mixture, and mix to incorporate. Mix in the chocolate and ginger until just combined.

    3. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press and shape to form a 1-inch-thick rectangle, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

    4. For baking :

      Preeheat the oven to 375°F

      Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. 

      Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on top. Slice into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and transfer to the prepared sheets, leaving at least 1 inch between each. 

      Sprinkle with sea salt.

    5. Bake until the edges have crisped slightly, 10–12 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

    6. Dont be tempted to bake longer, trust me this time is enough 

    Note:

    The first time I made a batch of these cookies I followed the exact recipe, but the second time I substituted the coconut oil with equal amounts of unsalted butter. Also, I added a pinch of dried ground ginger to the dry ingredients. Try this variation for flakier cookies!

    Categories
    Belgian bread Breakfast Brunch dessert

    Real Belgian waffles

    I love a good breakfast. When my family goes on vacation, I always look for hotels which have a breakfast buffet. You start your day right when you feed your soul and tummy with good food at the beginning of the day.I love a good breakfast. When my family goes on vacation, I always look for hotels which have a breakfast buffet. You start your day right when you feed your soul and tummy with good food at the beginning of the day.

    I love this quote from Winnie the Pooh;

    “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

    “What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

    “I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.

    Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.” 

    See doesn’t it make complete sense?

    I love Indian breakfast foods, like Pohe, Parantha, and Appe. And eggs are always classic breakfast candidates, I love them even for dinner. In fact, I do ‘breakfast for dinner’ more often than I probably should. Eggs Benedict are perfect when you are in a mood to indulge, and ‘Huevos rancheros’ when you want something spicy. I love good scrambled eggs, made the French way. A video on those will be coming soon!

    When I am in a mood to make something special, waffles are always on the breakfast or brunch table. I love making different types of waffles: savory, plain or something so decadent that you can have it for dessert. Today’s recipe was introduced to me by my son, Mihir. He is not only a foodie, but my best critic and a great cook as well. He makes some mean pork and fish.

    He ate these waffles at Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco and loved them. So obviously, as soon as he was back home, we started chatting about it and next thing we knew, we were planning brunch for the weekend.

    What we might picture as Belgian waffles are very popular in the United States; typically, a waffle that is much thicker than the standard American waffle but made with the regular pancake batter. In the process of making these waffles, I learned that the true Belgian waffles are in fact more like a brioche dough, enriched and risen with yeast.

    Look how gorgeous the dough looks with all that amazing yeast at work.

    The yeasty dough and the pearl sugar is what make this recipe special.

    So what is Pearl Sugar.

    I did not about this until came across this recipe. I even found an article that shed a little more light on this. When I wanted to make this recipe, I searched on Amazon and found this. Sometimes its also called Nib Sugar.

    If you don’t find pearl sugar, you can take the sugar cubes we get for coffee/tea, and crush them a rolling pin.

    When the sugary goodness melts and caramelizes, its just divine. I love serving it with just freshly whipped cream and sometime some fresh fruit compote.

    IMG_9614

    I know its a dish that you need to plan ahead, but trust me its really worth all that planning and effort.

    So give it a try and let me know how you liked it

    [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:5]

    I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen who had heavily tweaked from the excellent Gaufre de Liège Recette Blog and the copious notes of Not Martha.

    Categories
    dessert Indian Maharashtrian Main Dish Rice Vegetarian

    Narali Bhaat

    Narali Bhaat

    If you notice coconut is used extensively in Maharashtrian cooking, especially in the costal  cooking. Same three ingredients, fresh coconut, Jaggery and rice are used to create a variety of desserts.

    Modak

    You take the rice flour, fresh coconut and jaggery, with a little bit of steam you turn it into this delicious dumpling, Modak. Modak are made specially for Ganesh festival as those are Bappa’s favorite.

    Patole

    You take the rice flour, make pancake with it. Stuff it with a earthy mixture of fresh Coconut, jaggery and some aromatic spices like cardamom and poppy seeds, That turns into patole. The same are also found in Kerala

    Sandane

    Soak the rice, grind it coarsely, makes some jaggery and coconut, steamed the whole make sure to make something like a pudding which can be enjoyed with sweetened coconut milk, it’s called Sandane. Sometime you can also add jackfruit pulp, I love that variation a lot

    Ghavan Ghatale

    A pancake is made with rice flour and eaten with coconut milk sweetened with jaggery

    As you can see that traditional recipes use ingredients that are local, which is why I love cooking these recipes and sharing with everyone.

    Today’s recipe is no different, it uses these very simple basic ingredients and turns into this comforting delicious dessert.

    Rakshabandhan/ Narali Poornima

    The fisherman community does not fish during the monsoon months. They treat the sea as their God and let it rest for those four months. Its on this day that they restart the fishing. They sing songs, dress up and offer coconut as an offering to the sea.

    On this full moon the fisherman community celebrates with praying to the ocean God and offer him a special treat of this rice. Since the rice is heavily flavored with coconut, it’s called Narali bhat and the full moon is called Narali(naral=coconut) Poornima( poornima=full moon 🌝)

    Narali Purnima

    This is also the day when most of the Indians celebrate ‘Rakhi Poornima’. The word is based on the word, ‘ Raksha’, which means protection. It is believed that the sister ties this colorful thread, Rakhi on her brothers wrist as a thank you for protecting her. The brother makes a promise to take care of her.

    Now a days it’s a celebration of sibling’s love and I absolutely adore that. We are three sisters and the youngest brother, and on this day we remind each other of the love we share and promise to be there for each other.

    This year we could not be together for celebrating this festival but I at least tried to celebrate with this special bhaat and shared it virtually with them.

    Here is the recipe!

    Print

    Narali Bhaat

    A sweet rice dish with coconut and jaggery, flavored with saffron.
    Course Dessert, Main Course
    Cuisine Indian, Maharashtrian
    Keyword easy to make, gluten-free, vegetarian
    Author Anagha

    Ingredients

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Basmati Rice
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 pinch of salt
    • 4 Cloves
    • 4 Green Cardamom
    • 4 tbsp Clarified Butter/ Ghee
    • 8-10 Cashew split in halves
    • 1 Tbsp Saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp milk
    • 1 cup Freshly grated coconut
    • 3/4- 1 cup Jaggery

    Instructions

    1. Soak the rice for 15-20 mins in cold water. Drain and set aside

    2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottom pan

    3. Fry the cashews and set aside

    4. Add cloves and cardamom and saute for a min

    5. Add drained rice and saute for another min

    6. Add the boiling water to the rice and stir

    7. Add a pinch of salt, bring it to a boil and cover

    8. Let the rice cook till all the water is absorbed.

    9. Once the rice is cooked, spread it on a plate to cool

    10. Mix coconut and jaggery and cook till the jaggery melts and the mixture comes together

    11. Add the cooked rice and mix with very gently

    12. Cover and let it steam for 5-7 mins

    13. Add the remaining ghee and saffron milk and mix well

    14. Add the fried cashews and serve

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