Chivada

Another wonderful snack during diwali time...


Ingredients
1 1/2 kg Thin Rice Flakes
2-3 tbsp groundnuts
3 tbsp roasted chick peas
2 chillies (cut in pieces) (if you want spicy then add accordingly)
3 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp dry coconut either shredded or cut into thin slices
Salt according to taste
Oil 3-4 tbsp or as needed
3 tsp asafoetida (hing)
3-4 tsp Turmeric
2 tbsp curry leaves
Method
1. In a vessel add oil and make it hot. Add mustard seeds, once they splutter add groundnuts and roasted chickpeas. Fry them for 2-3 minutes. Once they change colour add curry leaves and sliced coconut.
2. Fry it for a while, then add hing and turmeric and salt. Then add the rice flakes slowly slowly.
Keep the gas flame on medium low and keep stirring the mixture.
3. Keep stirring it till the rice flakes become crispy. Do not make the gas flame too big otherwise the rice flakes will become crispy very fast but will not stay crispy for a long time. If the flame is low then it will take time for the rice flakes to become crispy but it will remain crispy for a very long time.
4. Once done remove from fire and let it cool. Then store in a airtight container.

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Shankarpale

One of the wonderful timepass snacks made specially at the time of Diwali. Very easy to prepare .......

Ingredients

1 cup Clarified Butter (ghee)

1 cup Milk

1 1/4 cup Sugar

All purpose flour as needed (maida)

A pinch salt

2 tsp Cardamom powder

Oil for frying

Method

1. Mix ghee, milk and sugar in a heavy bottom vessel and put it on fire. Keep stirring continuously.

2. Boil it slightly, keep stirring so that the sugar melts.

3. Remove from fire and pour in a flat plate for cooling.

4. When it is warm add salt and cardamom powder to it and mix.

5. Then slowly add the flour to the mixture and make a nice soft dough. Cover and leave the dough for half an hour.

6. In a heavy bottom vessel pour oil and keep it on fire. Take a little portion of the dough and roll it a bit thick. Then cut it in diamond or square shape with the help of a knife or a cutter. You can use cookie cutters for different shapes.

7. Fry these in hot oil on a medium flame. Fry the shankarpale on medium low flame till golden brown. Remove on a kitchen towel and then store in a air tight container.

Its a wonderful snack for kids and also for adults with tea or just for time pass.

Tip: For the above measurement I had used around 4 1/2 cup of maida, and sugar 1 1/4 cup. If you like more sweet then may add little more sugar. The above measurement makes around 1kg of shankarpale.

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Shev

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OF YOU!!!!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Oil

1/4 cup Water

Salt as per taste

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp Carom seed powder (ajawain)

10 tbsp Chickpea flour (Besan)

1 1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Oil for frying

Method

1. Mix oil, water, salt, turmeric, carom seed powder, chilli powder nicely.

2. Once these ingredients are mixed nicely then add chick pea flour slowly slowly till a nice dough is formed. The dough should not be too hard or too soft.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai and then put in the shev making machine and drop shev in a circular motion directly in the hot oil.

4. Fry for a min or two and once done take out and drain on a kicthen towel.

Tip: Apply a little oil to the shev making machine before putting the dough for the first time.

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Peanut Cookies

Wonderful cookies with a taste of peanuts...

Ingredients
3/4 cup All purpose flour (maida)
1/2 cup Peanut butter
2 tbsp roasted peanuts (roughly crushed)
1/4 tsp soda bi carb
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
3/4 cup brown sugar (can use plain sugar also)
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup desicated coconut
1 tsp lemon rind
Method
1. Take the flour, soda and sieve in a vessel.
2. Then add peanut butter, crushed peanuts, cinnamon powder, lemon rind, desicated coconut and mix.
3. Add honey and lemon rind, sugar and rolled oats. Mix well and knead it with as much water needed.
4. Put in aluminium foil and keep in refridgerator for half an hour.
5. Take it out from fridge and then make lemon size balls from it, and press it a little.
6. Preheat oven at 180 degrees celcius for 10 min.
7. Place the cookies tray in the oven and bake for about 10 min.
8. Keep checking. If the cooking are not done keep for some time more.
9. Remove from oven and keep on wire rack for cooling. Once cool store in airtight container.

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Kurmura Laddoo

Its holiday season and kids always want some snack. My daughter loves sweet and always asks for chocolate. Its really difficult to say no everytime so I prepared these laddoos....




Ingredients

1 cup Jaggery

1/2 cup water

150gms of Kurmura (puffed rice/murmura)

2tsp cardamom powder

Method

1. Grate or make small pieces of jaggery and take in a heavy bottom vessel. Add water in it and then let it boil.

2. Boil it for around 5-10 min and then when the syrup starts to become thick then take a little water in a dish and put a drop of the syrup in it. Leave for 2 seconds and then check if it forms a balls at once then the syrup is done.

3. Add cardamom powder and mix. Then add puffed rice and mix everything well.

4. Wet your palms a bit and then make balls of the mixture.

Tip: You can add roasted peanuts in the jaggery syrup to make peanut laddoo. Or even mix peanut and puffed rice in equal quantity (75gms peanuts and 75gms puffed rice) and make peanut puffed rice laddoo.

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Vegetable Samosa

A very spicy and tasty mouthwatering snack. I used to have samosa's and kachori's a lot when I was in India. Here also we do get samosa's nowadays in some restaurants. Even frozen samosas are available nowadays. But the taste or fun of eating samosa that we get back in India in the small road side shops is not there.. But any ways I gave a try to this last weekend.. It came out quite good...

Ingredients

For the pastry

1 cup plain flour (maida)

1 tbsp semolina (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup warm water

For the vegetable

1 cup green peas

2 big potatoes

2 green chillies

1 1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor)

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp oil

salt to taste

Method

For the pastry

1. Mix all the ingredients of the pastry and make a stif dough and keep in a wet muslin cloth for 1/2 an hour.

2. Then make round balls of the dough and roll them into chappatis. Cut the chappati in half and then make the edges wet and stick to make a cone shape.

For the Filling

1. Put oil in a vessel. When it is hot add cumin seeds.

2. When the cumin seeds crackle add peas and fry for 2-3 min. Then add garam masala, coriander powder, green chillies finely chopped and mix.

3. Then add boiled and cubed potatoes and salt and amchoor powder. Check the taste of the vege if you want more spicy then add red chilli powder.

4. Remove from pan and put the filling in a plate to cool.

Final stage

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.

2. In the cones made from the dough put the filling and close the samosa cones nicely.

3. Make all the cones similarly and then deep fry till golden brown.

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Chakli

Again back after a long break... routine was making me really tired and I was desparately waiting for this long weekend... took the weekend to finish off the pending house work... and then prepared Chakli... I mean here everybody calls it murukku... an all time favourite snack......ofcourse i could not make or get the traditional flour which we use in India (Maharashtra) for making Chakli... but bought the readymade Baba's Murukku flour and prepared these chakli's.....

Havent done anything special as the instructions are given on the packet itself... just followed them.... and added a little turmeric and chilli powder to give it a little Maharashtrian taste.... though it doesnt taste like those chakli's... I wanted to do inauguration my new chakli maker :)... So enjoy making and eating these wonderful Chakli.....

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Patrado (Alu vadi/ Pathra/arvi leaf rolls)

Patrado or colocassia leaf multilayered with spices, steamed.

Ingredients

9-10 Colocassia leaves (arbi ke patte)
1 cup Split pigeon pea (toor dal/arhar dal)
1/2 cup Rice
4 tbsp Coconut, scraped
10 Whole dry red chillies, roasted
Lemon sized ball Tamarind
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste
Jaggery (gur) to taste
Method
1. Soak dal and rice for four to six hours. Drain and grind to a coarse paste along with coconut,
whole red chillies, tamarind and asafoetida.
2. Add salt, jaggery and mix well. Leave the batter overnight to ferment.
3. Wash the colocassia leaves (arbi ke patte), remove the stalk and slice off the center stem of the leaves carefully so that the leaves do not tear. Place a leaf on a flat surface and apply a layer of the paste.
4. Place another leaf on top and repeat the procedure until three leaves are used for each roll. Fold the sides of the leaves inwards and roll the leaves together tightly to form a medium sized roll.
5. Tie each roll securely from all sides with a piece of string. Heat sufficient water in a cooker and place the rolls in a shallow vessel. Steam cook them until the patrado is well cooked.
6. Allow the rolls to cool. Remove the strings and cut rolls into thick round slices. Serve drizzled with ghee.
7. They can be served deep-fried too.

My entry for the SWC Karnataka hoted by me....
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Beetroot Tikki an Award & Meme

A mixture of beetroot and potatoes shaped into tikkis and shallow fried with its wonderful colour is a very tasty and mouthwatering tea time snacks on rainy days....

Ingredients

1cup beetroot boiled and mashed

3 medium potatoes boiled and mashed

1tbsp oil + for shallow fry

1 medium onion chopped finely

salt to taste

1/2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan add onion and fry till light golden brown. Add beetroot, salt and fry till moisture evaporates. Add red chilli powder and mix.

2. Add lemon juice and mix.

3. Add beetroot mixture to potatoes & mix. Cool and chill in the refrigerator for half and hour.

4. Heat oil on a tawa. Grease your hands with a little water and make tikkis from the beetroot mixture. Shallow fry on both sides on the tawa till cooked.

5. Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup.

This is my entry for the sunshinemom event of Food in Colour event

Now the Award... thanks a lot dear Sowmya... I feel honoured with this award...

Now I would like to pass this to Vidya, Neha, Sunshinemom & Purva

Happy blogging friends
And now coming to Meme
Priti has passed me this cute The Booky Meme.

The rules of the tag are as follows:* Pick up the nearest book* Open to page 123* Find the 5th sentence* Post the next three sentences* Tag 5 people and acknowledge the person who tagged you

Ok here it goes.. the nearest book is 'How to Maximize your child's learning ability' and on page 123, 5th Sentence is "Christopher enjoys the role of observer."

1. He is fascinated by the interactions and play of other children.
2. But remains on the sidelines as though unsure of how to join in their games.
3.Christopher's gross motor skills are about average for his age.

And I'm passing it to

Priyanka, Sukanya, Srilekha, Pooja & Rashmi
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Garlic Bread

A wonderful side dish with soup...Ingredients
1 french loaf
butter enough to spread on the loaf
1tsp oregano leaves crushed
1tbsp garlic paste

Method
1. Cut the french into slant slices.
2. Mix butter, oregano and garlic paste together. Spread it evenly on both sides of the slices and toast for 2-3 min in an oven at about 100degree celcius. Or can just roast it on the tawa or hot griddle till crisp.
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Vada Pav

A yummy wonderful and famous mouth watering street food of Mumbai... I still remember my college days... We used to bunk lectures and then go to the canteen for eating vada pav, samosa, kachori etc... Really college days are so nice no tensions... Just enjoy... Now whenever I back to India its for sure that we eat a lot of vada pav's, samosaa kachoris all street food :)... Even during my preganancy when my mom said eat whatever u want now later once baby is born there will be lot of restrictions... I eat a samosa, vada, vada pav, kachori, dabeli, chaat etc every day... :).. We do get these here in Singapore now a days... but the taste.. ofcourse a lot of difference... When I started sending my entries for SWC Maharashtra this was the first recipe i wanted to send... but did not get time to prepare.. now my craving for vada pav increased so much that could not wait any longer... and also the last date for entry was nearing... So this Vada Pav for SWC Maharashtra....

Ingredients

6 large boiled, peeled and mashed
1tbsp garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp green chilli paste
1 tsp turmeric
A pinch asafoetida
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 bunch fresh coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste
8 Pav
1 1/4 cups gram flour (besan)
a pinch soda bicarbonate
2 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp oil Plus to deep fry

Method

1. In bowl mix mashed potatoes, garlic paste, green chilli, lemon juice, salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, asafoetida and coriander.
2. Make 8 equal size balls of this and keep aside.
3. Take gram flour in a bowl, add soda bicarbonate, remaining turmeric powder, half a tsp of red chilli powder and salt. Heat one tbsp oil and add it to the gram flour mixture. Add just sufficient water to make a coating consistency batter. Reset it for fifteen minutes.
4. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai. Dip the potato mixture balls in the batter and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown in colour. Remove and place on an absorbent paper.
5. Slit Pavs horizontally not slicing it completely, and stuff it with the hot vadas. Serve hot with fried green chillies.

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Sabudana Vada & Sabudana Thalipeeth

After a long time.... Was busy with daughter so could not get time to update the blog... anyways this is for the very own SWC-Maharashtra event...

Sabudana Thali peeth

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup sabudana (sago)
4 potatoes
2tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
2tbsp roasted peanut powder
Salt to taste
Ghee to fry
Method
1. Soak the sago for 2-3 hours. Boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
2. Mix all the ingredients and make small balls out of it.
3. Use little water and roll out evenly with a hole in the center.
4. Roast on a hot tawa by applying ghee on both sides.
5. Serve hot with coconut or peanut chutney.

Sabudana Vada

Ingredients
Same as that for Sabudana Thalipeeth.






Method
1. Soak sago for 2-3 hours. Boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
2. Mix all teh ingredients and make small balls out of it.
3. Flatten the balls a little on the palms and deep fry them in oil till crisp and golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve hot with coconut or peanut chutney.

Peanut chutney
In a blender put roasted peanut powder, green chilli, little coconut, yogurt and salt. Blend to a smooth paste and serve.

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Kande Pohe

One more for the SWC-Maharashtra

Ingredients

2 cups thick beaten rice (jade pohe)

1 onion chopped

1 green chilli chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1tbsp oil

2tbsp green peas (optional)

2-3 curry leaves

1tsp turmeric

a pinch asafoetida

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Coriander to garnish

Method

1. Wash the beaten rice under running water nicely and keep it in a strainer.

2. Heat oil in a kadhai and add mustard seeds, once they crackle add cumin seeds followed by green chilli, curry leaves and onion.

3. Once the onion turns translucent add turmeric and asafoetida. Stir and add the beaten rice.

4. Add salt, lemon juice, green peas and mix well.

5. Keep it covered for 2-3 minutes. Then again mix well and serve hot with pickle or just have it like that.

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Khaste Kachori

Ingredients

For dough
2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted ghee

For filling

1/2 cup yellow moong dal (soaked for 4 hrs)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp Dry mango powder (amchoor)

2 tbsp gram flour (besan)

3 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

oil for deep frying

Method

For Dough

1. Combine all ingredients of the dough and knead into a firm dough using very little water. Knead atleast for 5-7 minutes.

2. Divide dough in 12 parts and keep covered in a muslin cloth.

For filling

1. Heat oil. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.

2. When they crackle add moongdal and fry.

3. add green chilli paste, salt, chilli powder, garam masala, amchur, gram flour, salt and stir for 5-7 min.

4. Cool and divide in 12 parts.

5. Roll out each portion of the dough and place mixture in it.

6. Close it and roll or spread with hand to shape it in kachori. Deep fry till golden brown and serve with tamarind chutney.

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Vegetable Burger

Ingredients

4 potatoes (boiled and peeled)

3 slices white bread

3 green chillies finely chopped

3 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped

3 tbsp oil/ ghee for shallow frying

salt as per taste

10 burger buns

few salad leaves

Butter enough to spread on the buns

1 tomato cut into rings, 10 slices of cheese,

tomato ketchup

Method

1. Take the boiled potatoes and mash them until they for paste (Don't add water)

2. Soak all the bread slices in water and then squeeze them to remove all the excess water.

3. mix the squeezed bread with the mashed potatoes.

4. Add green chillies, coriander, salt. (Add boiled green peas if wanted)

5. Take a medium chunk of that mix and roll it into small balls and then flatten them to give them a shape of the burger. ( Apply ghee or ooil to your palms for smooth rolling, else the batter might stick to the palms.)

6. Heat oil and add 2-3 patties and fry them till crisp golden.

7. Cut the buns in half and butter them. Warm these buns on a hot pan. On one side of the bun put a salad leaf followed by cheese slice then spread a little tomato ketchup.

8. Put a patty on it and then a tomato slice and cover with the other half of the buttered bun. Serve hot.

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Gajar Poli (Carrot Pancake)

My contri to the Sweet Series event of TOI
Also for the Eat healthy fibre rich event
Also the roti mela
Ingredients

1 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup grated jaggery
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp ghee
1 cup wheat flour
water as needed





Method

1. Mix water in the flour and make a dough. Keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the grated carrot to it. When the carrot become a little soft add the jaggery to it and cook until it starts leaving the edges.
3. Remove from fire and add cardamom and nutmeg powder. Mix well.
4. Let it cool. Make small ball of the dough and the carrot filling.
5. Fill the carrot mixture in the dough balls and roll it with the help of little flour.
6. Heat tawa and cook the pancake on both sides drizzling a little ghee from the sides.
7. Serve hot or cold.

Note: These pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for a week also.

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Khakra

For the SWC-Gujarat-Round
Ingredients

2 cups whole whet flour (atta)
1 cup kasoori methi
2 tbsp red chilli powder
4 tbsp ajwain
6 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste





Method


1. Mix all the ingredients and make a bit hard dough using enough water.
2. Let the dough rest for half an hour.
3. Make 15-16 balls from the dough and roll out patties from it as thin as possible.
4. Place it in a tortilla maker and close its lid. ( you can use a tawa or a griddle instead of the tortila maker).
5. Keep it till it turns crispy.
6. Serve it with any chutney. (Garlic or seasame chutney tastes wonderful).
7. Store these khakras in an air tight container.



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Red Pumpkin & Spinach Parathas

For the WBB-Express Breakfast event of toi

This recipie is specially for the Roti mela event
Ingredients

Red Pumpkin (peeled and grated) 2 cups
Spinach (roughly chopped) 1 cup
Wheat Flour 4 cups
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Asafoetida 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.
Oil





1. Roughly chop the spinach and fry it with 1/2 tsp oil for 2 minutes. Remove from fire and take it in a bowl. Peel the red pumpkin and grate it. Mix all the ingredients and make a dough. Use water as required.








2. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Make balls of the dough and roll them thick and roast them with little oil on the roti tava. Serve hot with tomato ketchup/ chutney/ pickle. Good for breakfast.

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