Chivda

Festivals and marriage feasts seem incomplete without this spicy accompaniment. Chivda is the part of many Indian cuisines including Rajasthani, Marathi, Gujarati etc. They all make different varieties of Chivda using different recipes and ingredients each having its unique, tempting taste. Apart from being popular because of its spiciness, this snack is nutritious too. As it is made from parched rice or pohe which is a rich source of Iron and also its not too oily and is easy to digest.

The positive side of making this savoury is that it doesn't require meticulous preparations and can be ready in few minutes. This dish can be as simple as you keep it and can be as rich as u make it, by adding all the different dry fruits including cashew nuts, almonds, raisins etc.

I made chivda on this Diwali along with many other delicacies (whose recipes will follow in the coming posts) and both of us, me and my husband VG loved it so much that it was over just in 2 days.

Ingredients :

• Pohe/ parched rice : 1 cup
• Curry Leaves : 15-20
• Corriander Leaves : A handful
• Green Chillies : 2-3 (chopped)
• Red Chillis : 5-7
• Peanuts : 1/4 cup
• Almonds & Cashew nuts : 10-12
• Raisins : 10-15
• Salt to taste
• Sugar : 2-3 tsp
• Haldi : 2 tsp
• Oil for frying

Method :

1. Take oil in a wok for frying and fry all the ingredients including curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, red chillies, peanuts, almonds and cashew nuts one by one and place them on kitchen tissue, so that extra oil gets soaked.


2. In the end fry Pohas, they will puff immediately.


3. Drain them on kitchen towel as well.


4. Now in a pan take all the fried ingredients along with raisins salt, sugar, and turmeric powder and mix them properly.


5. When cooled store in an air tight container.
   

This Recipe is also my entry for Rice Mela at Srivalli's Cooking 4 all Seasons .

Kadam Bhog

Kadam bhog is the delicacy which not only symbolizes the beginning of Hindu New Year but also celebrates the arrival of all new winter crops. This dish also known as Kadam Bhat or Annakut is the Rajasthani dish which is made on the day, just after Diwali. Popularly known as Ram Ram Ka din, on this day people make offerings of vegetables, lentils and rice in the temples all day and in the evening Kadam bhog is made using them and is distributed to everybody as prasad or bhog, as the name signifies. Even in houses this is the only food, which is made on that day. Taste of this recipe is undefinable and making this dish just after diwali seems logical too. As after having all the heavy and oily dishes all through the festive season, kadam bhog is a good relaxation for our tummys :)

Serves : 2

Ingredients :

• Rice : 3/4 cup
• Mong Dal : 1/4-1/2 cup
• Ghee : 2-3 tsp
• Cumin seeds : 1tsp
• Bay Leaves : 2-3
• Cinnamon Stick : 2"
• Cloves : 3-4
• Pepper corns : 3-4
• Carom Seeds(Ajwain) : 1tsp
• Asafoetida : a pinch
• Salt : To Taste
• Red Chilli Pd : 1- 11/2 tsp
• Turmeric Pd : 1tsp
• Corriander Pd : 1-2 tsp
• Grated Ginger
• Radish : 1/4 cup (cut into small cubes)
• Carrot : 1/4 cup (cut into small cubes)
• Pumpkin : 1/4 cup (cut into small cubes)
• Bottle Gourd (Lauki) : 1/4 cup (cut into small cubes)
• Tomato : 1 Chopped
• Spinach : 1 cup (chopped)
• Peas : 1/4 cup
• Green Chillies : 1-2 (chopped)
• Fresh coriander leaves : A handful (chopped)
• Lemon Juice

Method:

1. Soak Rice and dal for 15-20 mins.
2. Now in pressure cooker add ghee and when its warm add asafoetida, cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, pepper corns, cloves, carom seeds, ginger and green chillies.
3. Then add all the chopped vegetables and stir it well.
4. Now add red chilli pd, coriander pd, turmeric pd and salt and stir well.
5. Add 4 katories water and let it steam till 2-3 whistles.
6. When pressure cooker cools down add lemon juice and stir well.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve piping hot.

P.S. Other vegetables can also be added like Brinjals, cauliflower, Sweet Potato etc. Adding Radish leaves will add a lot more taste to this recipe and potatoes should be avoided as they don't blend well with the actual taste of this dish and alters it greatly.

Kadam bhog is my entry for Rice Mela at Srivalli's Cooking 4 all Seasons

Khaman Dhokle

Gujarati food is almost incomplete without Khaman Dhoklas. This, easy to make snack can be savoured anytime either in breakfast or during evening tea. I have always liked these and they also happen to be VG's favourite. Khaman dhoklas are very quick to make and can be ready in just 15-20 min.

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

• Besan/ gram flour : 175 gm
• Oil : 2Tblsp
• Salt : To taste
• Sugar : 1 tsp
• Eating Soda or Eno : 1/2 -1 tsp

For Tempering:

• Oil : 2Tblsp
• Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
• Asafoetida : A pinch
• Curry Leaves : 12-15
• Lemon juice : Half lemon
• Sugar : 1-2 tsp
• Green Chillies : 3-4 (slit into half)
• Corriander leaves
• Freshly grated coconut
• Sesame Seeds
  

Method:

1. Mix besan and around 200 ml water in a pan and add oil, sugar and salt. Blend very gently with minimum stirring until the batter is smooth.
2. Put some water to boil in the steamer.
3. Just before pouring the batter in the baking tray add soda or eno and mix very gently.
4. Pour the bater in the tray and put it to steam for about 15 min (first 5 min on high flame then on low flame for another 5 min and lastly for 5 min again on high flame).
5. Meanwhile take oil in a pan and when its hot add asafoetida and mustard seeds, when they splutter add green chillies and curry leaves.
6. Then add this tempering to water, lemon juice and sugar mixture (This mixture will give a sweet sour taste to your dhoklas and will add the soft juiciness).
7. Now pour this mixture onto prepared dhoklas and sprinkle corriander leaves, sesame seeds and grated coconut.
8. Cut the dhoklas into small square pieces and serve hot with ketchup and corriander chutney.

Chilli Paneer

Chinese food cooked with Indian spices has its own delicious taste. I can relish chinese any time. Since the time we moved to London i really missed tasty chinese dishes available almost everywhere in Mumbai, whether its a restaurant or a roadside tapri. As here in London firstly there are very few Indian restaurants which serve Chinese food, and those which do, their taste dosent even match with the mouthwatering taste of mumbaiya chinese. We even took the risk of tasting authentic Chinese food here, from a chinese restaurant, but that was a real disaster and we ended up paying for the dishes which we didnt even tasted, as the smell itself was so repelling, atleast for us. So at last i thought of giving it a try myself. V really loved my first attempt of Chinese cooking and even the guests who came for dinner that nite to our house couldnt stop praising it. So here it goes like this.....

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

• Paneer Cubes : 150 gms


• Capsicum : 1 (diced into thin strips)


• Onion : 1 (diced into thin strips)


• Tomato : 1 (cut lenghtwise) (optional)


• Spring onions : 1/2 cup


• Ginger : 1" (grated)


• Garlic : 3-4 cloves (finely chopped)


• Green Chillies : 3-4 cut into half (optional)


• Corriander Leaves : for garnishing


• Cornflour : 4-5 tsp


• Oil : for frying


• Soya sauce : 1 Tbsp


• Red Chilli Sauce : 1 Tbsp


• Tomato Ketchup : 1-2 Tbsp


• Salt : to taste

Method:

1. Coat paneer cubes in cornflour and deep fry them till they are golden brown.



2. Take oil in a pan or kadai and add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Let it fry for 10-15 sec.



3. Now add onion and saute them till they are golden brown.



4. Add spring onion and capsicum and stir fry them till they are done (capsicum should have little crispness, it will add to the taste).



5. Then add tomatoes and cook till they are done.



6. Now add salt, soya sauce, ketchup and chilli sauce.



7. In the end add fried paneer cubes and mix it well and let it cook for few minutes.



8. Garnish with Corriander leaves.

Serve piping hot either as a starter or with plain or fried rice.

Rajma

Rajma or red kidney beans were never in my fav food list. My parents used to force me to eat this curry whenever it was made which was quite often in my mom's house because of the two very important reasons, firstly it was my dad's favourite and it still is and second and the most obvious reason was that it is very nutritious, very rich in protein. Though inspite of all the pressures i never really liked it then, but with time i think my taste buds have developed a liking for these and now i am a true fan of these beans.

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

Rajma or Red Kidney beans : 1/4 Cup (soaked overnite)
Onion : 1-2, finely chopped
Tomatoes : 2-3 pureed
Garlic cloves : 3-4 finely chopped
Grated Ginger
Green Chillies : 3 finely chopped
Lemon Juice
Corriander Leaves for garnishing
Ghee : 2 Tblsp
Hing : a pinch
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Cloves : 3-4
Bay leaves
Cinnamon Stick : 1"
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp
Corriander Powder : 2-3 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Garam masala : 1 tsp


Method:

1. Pressure cook soaked Red kidney beans till they are soft, I may take about 6-7 whistles.


2. Put Ghee in a pan or kadai and add hing, cumin seeds, cloves, Bay leaves, cinnamon stick, chopped garlic, grated ginger and green chillies and let it cook for few seconds.


3. Then add chopped onion and let it cook till it golden brown and then add pureed tomatoes and all the remaining spices except garam masala and cook it till gravy is fully done and leaves oil on sides.


4. Now add Rajma along with the water in which it was cooked (amount of water depends on the consistency of gravy required ).


5. Add lemon juice and garam masala and let it cook on medium flame for around 5-10 min.


6. Garnish it with corriander leaves and serve hot with either chappaties or rice.

P.S. You can also add a tsp of Kitchen King masala to enhance the taste and aroma of the dish. Rajma has gas producing enzymes, the trick to beating these, is to change the soaking water every few hours before cooking.

Churme ke Laddu

My mouth starts watering by just thinking of these delicious laddus. They have been my all time favourite since childhood. My love for sweets is indefinable, so much so that my mother used to tease me that we will marry you to a halwai (the person who makes and sell sweets), when you grow up and instead of getting irritated i simply used to love the idea. But the time has gone and now i am married to a software engineer and the only way i can relish these sweets is by making them myself ;) So here is the recipe of my favourite "LADDUS". This is basically a Rajasthani dish and is mostly served along with Daal Batti but there is no reason why we cant make these without the other two. And so here it goes like this....

Ingredients:

• Wheat Flour : 4cups
• Sugar : 2 cups
• Ghee : around 3-4 cups
• Turmeric powder : 1tsp
• Dry Fruits (cashew nuts & Almonds (coarsely chopped) and musk melon seeds)
• Cardamom Pods : 7-8

Method:

1. Take wheat flour in a wide woke or thali and add turmeic powder to it.
2. Now warm 1/2 - 1 cup ghee and add it to the flour and mix it properly by rubbing it between your palms and knead it to a dough using luke warm water.
3. Make Rots (thick chapaties) out of the dough (will make around 5-6 chappaties depending on the thickness of it).
4. Let them cool and then crush them into small pieces first using your hands and then grind them into the coarse powder using the grinder.
5. Seave out the bigger particles if any.
6. Now add sugar, cardamom powder, dry fruits and around 2 cups of luke warm ghee to the grinded powder, mix it properly and make medium sized laddus out of that.

Makes around 12-15 medium sized laddus.

Hello Everyone!!!!

At last today is the day when i am really starting to blog. I created this blog some time back but was not able to post anything as of now, but now i am really looking forward to it......