tamarindtoamchur

Kamote leaves in Coconut curry

Kamote leaves are the sweet potato leaves commonly used in Filipino and other asian cooking. I was unaware of these leave until one day we wanted to experiment and the leaves has such great amounts of goodness. You could make it with any asian flavoured curry paste and it will taste good. I added whatever was available in hand and served it with lentil rice.

Need-

Kamote Tops – 1 bunch
Ginger – 2 inch
garlic – 1 pod
Soy sauce – 1 tsp
Coconut cream – 4 tbsp dissolved in water
Salt
Sugar= 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Lemon rind – 1 tsp
Leeks – chopped 1 tbsp
Peanuts – roasted handful

Process –

Clean the leaves and keep aside.
Saute finely chopped garlic and ginger. Add the washed leaves and sauté. Now add soy sauce , pepper , sugar and leeks. When mixed add the coconut cream and lemon rind. bring to a boil and turn off the heat.
Top with roasted peanuts and serve with rice

Ragda Pattis

Fast Food

Ragda Pattis is a popular street food of Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is a very simple dish and does not consume a lot of time. It is big hit at parties or anytime of the day. Ragda is a simple curry made of white peas with extremely few spices but tastes so good. You will find a similar version in the north called aalu tiki chaat or aloo tikki with chole . Ragda pattis comprises of 5 main components of tikki or patty , ragda, green and sweet chutney , sev and raw onions.

Need –

For Patties
- Potato – 5 – boiled and peeled
- Chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Corn flour – 1 tbsp
- Salt
- Jeera – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
For Ragda –
- 2 cups of soaked white peas
- 5 cups of water
- Turmeric – 1 tsp
- Hing – 2 pinch
- Chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Sweet chutney – 2 tsp
- Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp
- Salt
Green chutney
Tamarind chutney
Chopped onions
Sev -(nylon sev preferred)
Chat masala
Coriander leaves
Fried peanuts – optional
Curd – optional

Process –

For the Ragda , pressure cook the overnight soaked white peas with water , salt and hing till it is mushy. When done check consistency to be closer to batter consistency. Add rest of the things , mix and keep aside
For the patty – Mash the potatoes well without lumps. Add salt, cornflour , salt , jeera and turmeric powder and mix well. Make palm size patty and shallow fry in a pan. Traditionally it is cooked/ fried in a huge shallow iron pan .
Now in a plate or bowl , place the patty , add the ragda on top of it.
Top it with 2 tsp of each chutney. Add onions , sev , coriander leaves, chat masala. Top with peanuts and curd if preferred.

Urulai Roast

StirFry

Ask any South Indian what is their favourite vegetable to eat with Sambar/Rasam or Curd rice – they will unanimously say potato fry. There are so many ways to make this potato fry yet somehow every version tastes like heaven. So you could say this is one of the million ways made using small potatoes.

Need –

Baby potatoes – 1 kg
Oil – 4 tbsp
Curry leaves – handful – chopped
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Jeera – 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilli – 4
Sesame seeds – 1-2 tsp
Salt
Hing

Process –

Boil and peel the potatoes.
In a pan dry roast all spices and grind them coarsely. Or simply replace with Idli molagai podi
In the same pan , take 2 tbsp oil , add potatoes and roast for 5 minutes. Add the ground spice mix , salt and hing , mix and leave it alone for 5-7 minutes. The spices will amalgamate and the potatoes will roast well. Toss and roast the other side
Ideally use a iron pan for excellent results.
Taste best with anything and everything !!!!

Morning Glory Stir-fry

StirFry

Husband and I were discussing to try the locally available green and hence we bought some. One of them is morning glory or known as water spinach. It has a very different flavour from the regular spinach and maintains a nutty flavour after being cooked. It is so fabulous that it will be a regular in my diet going forward.

Need –

Morning Glory – 1 bunch
Onion – 1 small – sliced
Green /red chilli – 1 – chopped
Ginger – 1 inch – chopped
Garlic – 1 – chopped
Soy Sauce – 1-2 tsp
Vinegar – 1 tsp
Salt, pepper , sugar – to taste
Peanuts – handful- roasted

Process –

Pluck the leaves with the tender stems and separate both. Wash and keep aside
In a pan take little oil and sauté Onion , ginger garlic. Add chilli , the leaves and stems. Saute for 2 minutes. Now add the sauce , vinegar , salt , sugar and pepper. Give a good mix and add roasted peanuts while serving.
Serve as a side or just have it happily as a stir fry salad. It tastes yum.

Eggless Gnocchi

Fast Food

If we talk about Italian food Pasta ranks 1st for me. If it’s pesto or gnocchi you won me there. You do not find gnocchi on the menu in most of the Italian Restaurants and if you do find they do a poor job. Gnocchi is the easiest pasta and these dumpling were made of flour and breadcrumbs before adding flour and eggs it is said. After 4 long years I remade gnocchi and absolutely loved it since all this while I was lost in the readymade pasta packets.

Need –

Starchy Potatoes – 2
Flour – 1 cup
Salt
Bruschetta spice mix – 1 tbsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Olive oil- 1 tsp
Garlic – 1 pod crushed (optional)
Sage leaves – few
Pepper – 1 tsp
Salt

Process –

Boil the potatoes or bake till soft.
Grate the potatoes or use a potato ricer if you have one. Do not mash because you may end up with big lumps.
Mix flour , salt , and the spice mix. Do not knead it just gently fold everything together.
Now cut the dough into 3/4 parts and roll it long little thin snake and cut into small pieces. Dust with flour.
You could shape them if you own a gnocchi board to use the backside of the fork and roll it to form ridges. If you find it difficult just use the fork to press gently to get the impression.
Bring a big pot of water to boil with salt. slowly drop these dumplings and wait for a minute or two till they float. Spoon them out and remove the excess water.
In a pan heat the butter and olive oil. When the butter gets a brown shade add the garlic and sage. Let the sage get crispy . Now add the gnocchi and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes till caramelised and toss to brown the other side too. Add salt , pepper and toss to serve.

Indori Poha

Snack

Poha is a favourite breakfast in the West of India. It is made with flattened rice flakes and sautéed with spices and onion and served with hot tea or jalebi. There are two varieties of Poha that is available. Maharashtrian poha is different from Indori Poha. The spices added are different in Indori than Maharshtrian. It needs a special masala called ‘jeeravan’. The major difference is it is served with Jalebi a classic combo. This time I did not make jalebi, so maybe when I make jalebi I should make poha as well !

Need –

To make Jeeravan masala

-1 tsp – coriander seeds , jeera

-1/2 tsp – fennel seeds, ajwain , dry ginger , amchur , nutmeg

-1 inch cinnamon stick , 4 cloves , 1 bay leaf , 4 dry chilli , salt

Thick flat poha – 2 cups
Oil – 2 tbsp
Peanuts – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 6
Potatoes – peeled and cubed
Green chilli – 2 chopped
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Jeeravan masala – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice
Onion – 1 chopped
Salt
Sev – handful
Coriander – handful

Process –

Dry roast all spices mentioned in jeeravan masala and grind it when cool. Wash the poha in a colander and keep aside. too much water will make it mushy.
In a pan , heat oil , add mustard seeds , peanuts , curry leaves and chilli.
Now add potatoes and sauté till soft . Now add turmeric , sugar , jeeravan masala , poha , salt and toss.
Top with chopped onion , sev and coriander.
Serve with Jalebi

Sourdough discard Roti

Roti / Flatbread

I have also joined the Sourdough baking marathon after waiting for 3 months and giving in right after the lockdown is getting lifted partially. Though there are so many recipes out there with sourdough crackers and pretzels etc. how can you not try it in Indian cuisine given that the starter is wheat flour 😛 But it resulted in a light sour and extremely soft chapatis that stayed soft till lunch the next day !! And let me tell you “perfect round roti” is overrated. As long as it is cooked it can be eaten.

Need-

2 cups – Aata (Wheat flour)
1-2 tbsp – sourdough discard (non fed)
Water 1/2 a cup .

Process –

Mix the aata and discard. Now knead well by adding water slowly or sprinkling every time you add water. Kneed it into a soft pliable dough. Rest it for 15 minutes.
Now heat a iron flat pan or nonstick , make small balls out of the dough.
Dust each roll and flatten using a rolling pin. Keep dusting with flour till you have rolled it out thin.
Remove excess fouls if any and place on the pan. Wait till you see small bubbles appear on the side facing the pan, now turn and cook the other side. It will puff nicely . Avoid flipping continuously as this will make it hard. The key is to turn it only once.
Add oil or ghee on both sides and serve.

Bombay Bhel

Fast Food

It is said Bombay is not a a city but an emotion. Bombay is know for it amazing street food and bhel is one such. You will always find a vendor in every area of residence or of work. The speed at which they mix it in a paper cone is amaze that even Masterchef cannot match such skills. Though you will find various on this bhel like Jhalmuri in Calcutta but this Bombay bhel is legit. You get either sukha bhel (Dry bhel) or Gila Bhel (Wet). The latter is dunked in the chutney.

Need –

Rice puffs – 2 cups
Roasted Makhna(lotus seeds) – 1 cup
Boiled potato – 2 cubed
Onion – 1 chopped
Tomato – 1 chopped
Green chilli – 1 chopped (optional)
Sonth/Date chutney
Green/Hari chutney
Peanuts – 2 tbsp roasted
Sev – 2 handful
Roasted jeera powder- 1 tsp
Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Chat Masala + Amchut – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves – handful
Raw mango – 2 tbsp – chopped (if available)

Process

Mix everything and top with extra sev and coriander leaves.
Serve with papdi if you have.
For such bhel miss th chutney and add lemon juice instead and toss.

Chai Kulfi

Dessert

India is a land known for its sweet. You could say – “Give us milk we will give you a dessert a million ways”. Kulfi is the traditional Indian ice cream sans eggs. It is denser than Ice cream and made with whole milk by reducing it to thicken it and set it earthen pots. It was traditionally flavoured with Malai(cream) , elaichi (cardamom) or Saffron. If you are an Indian you will have fond memories of relishing it irrespective of the weather and running to buy it from the vendor who calls out to you from his cycle by ringing a bell.

This was made on R’s birthday combining two of his favourites chai and kulfi. Chai is tea brewed with milk so it doesn’t need suffix of “tea-latte” .

Need –

2 cups -whole milk
1 tbsp – sugar
1 pinch saffron
2 tbsp – Milk powder
2 cup -milk
1 cup -water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp – Tea leaves
1/2 tsp tea masala or (3 cardamom pods , 1inch ginger , 2 cloves , 1 inch cinnamon)
1/2 can – condensed milk
2 tbsp fresh cream

Process-

Make rabdi by reducing 2 cups milks to 1 cup by simmering. While simmering the milk will release the sugars in it and give it a pink tinge. Now add the sugar and saffron and cook further for 5-10 minutes. Keep aside to cool
To make chai , in a pan take 1 cup water, sugar and tea leaves and add the spices. Boil it till the leaves imparts a beautiful colour. Now add the milk, bring to a boil. Strain and keep aside to cool.
Now milk the tea , rabdi , condensed milk and fresh cream and mix well. You could use a whisk.
Pour in popsicle mould or into disposable small plastic cups. This helped me give a beautiful design to the kulfi. Freeze for 6 hours or till set and serve.
I served it with some melted dark chocolate mixed with cream and bourbon.
You could use the ice cream sticks to stick in the middle of the cup after pouring the mix in the moulds.

Homemade Pizza

Fast Food

It was R’s birthday and I wanted to do something special for dinner. What better than his favourite pizza my way 😛 This was my first try at making the base at home and Oh Boy it did turn out so well. I still need to work on my flattening techniques but it turned out well for the first try.

Need –

For Dough -( 2 cups flour, 3/4 – 1 cup room temperature water , 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast , 1 tsp sugar , 1 tsp salt , 1tbsp Oil)
Semolina – 2 tbsp
Marinara Sause ( 1 onion chopped + 4 tomatoes crushed + 2 garlic cloves + 1 tsp red chillies flakes + 1 tbsp mixed herbs + salt + Olive oil)
Onion – 1 sliced
Olives – 10
Capsicum – 1 – sliced
Baby corn or American corn
Mix of Salt + pepper -1 tbsp
Cheese- (Mozzarella or Block cheese)

Process –

For the dough mix everything in a stand mix with dough hook or using a spatula by hand. Add water slowly. If it becomes sticky then add little flour. Avoid adding salt on top of yeast as it will kill the bacteria. Apply oil to the dough and rest it for 1-2 hours by covering using cling wrap or kitchen towel.
If you are in a hurry you can skip resting.
After resting divide the dough into 2 without kneading again.
If you are talented use your hands to flatten it like a pizza base. If you are like me, use a rolling pin to flatten a bit and then use hands to spread it. poke few holes using a fork.
Spread the semolina and place the base. Apply the marinara sauce.
Add the vegetables and sprinkle salt+ pepper. Add the cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for 10-12 minutes or in the pizza mode if you have .
You may skip the yeast , the pizza will still turn out well.