Dahi Wadas with a small twist!

I continue my quest of finding recipes or making up some with protein as the main focus or even means of making BLAH! tasting stuff YUMMY!

I prowl around blogs (and end up drooling at all the super recipes completely forgetting the quest!) pick up bits and pieces of recipes, sigh when I find a particular recipe SO tempting yet FAR from my 'must -try' list as of now.. remind myself... just a bit more.... a bit more time, then you go right back to the sinful and satisfying carbs ( in moderation whispers the Husband in my ear) POP goes my delectable dream of biting into these and digging my fork into a slice of heaven or even making a hearty meal of Good Ol' Rice!

M sniggers behind me as I type this and says.. "interesting ... how you go from desserts to main course on your wish list and not a mention of protein in there!"

I arch an eyebrow and coolly say.." as it happens, I have a recipe in mind...loaded with protein... and I was just going to make and blog about it.. and when u eat it, I'd like to serve it to you with a generous helping of your words.. compliments of the chef"...Now having said that, I HAD to work on a recipe! This recipe ( which Nupur of One Hot Stove has also tried and liked!) has been on my list for a very long time and the more I thought of it, the craving just kept growing!

I also had a packet of Ruchi Soy Chunks lying (unopened) in the pantry.. now these, I find particularly boring ( not as nauseating as Tofu though) and plain ugly and so the unopened box lay there awaiting nirvana. Well, today's your lucky day I mumbled.
So I carefully measured out:
1 Cup Urid Daal
1/2 tsp methi / Fenugreek seeds
Soak these in Water for at least 4 hrs.

Prepare the yougurt (dahi) sauce. To a bowl of plain yogurt (use any yogurt you have, regular, no fat) add water to thin it out a bit, salt to taste, crushed ginger and green chili paste and sugar (depends on how sweet you like it) and finely chop cilantro for garnishing. Keep this refrigerated. Shook out approximately 20-25 Soy chunks and cooked them as per directions on the box ( with a pinch of salt) drained and squeezed out excess water and let them sit.

Grind Together the soaked Urid Daal + Fenugreek seeds along with the moist Soy chunks to a smooth batter and adding salt. Heat the appey pan and add a few drops of oil. Gently spoon the batter and let it cook to a golden brown , flip and cook thoroughly on the other side. Once done, remove on to a tissue ( not that there is any extra oil on it, but it's a habit with me now)

Soak these wada in the yougurt sauce. It is entirely optional if you want to dunk the wada in water to soften them and then (after squeezing out the water) adding them to the yougurt. I did not go thru all that. Soaking them in the yogurt sauce was, in my humble opinion, enough. Given a bit more time, the wadas soaked up the flavor from the yogurt and became very soft. garnish with a dash of black pepper powder, a sprinkling of red chilli powder (optional) and the chopped cilantro. Enjoy! * Notes:

• The yogurt sauce was not very thick keeping in mind that the wadas were not pre-soaked, I kept it on a 'flowing but thick' side
  
• To one batch of the wadas I also added a pinch of baking soda, to make them crisp. In the end (after adding them to the yogurt) there was no noticeable difference. but if you just want to eat a couple wadas as they are, tastes better.
  
• This is just one of my whims, but I stir the batter in one direction only and gently.

Verdict: Not the perfect dahi wada, but overall VERY satisfying and so much healthier ! I am sure I cannot get over my dislike for Soy chunks, but this is a great way to disguise them and enjoy them too! Specially since I am rather partial to dahi wadas and also given to snacking, a habit, I'm afraid I will never get over.

I also realise, no matter what, I must be careful of what I eat, M is right (sigh, he almost always is, where my eating habits are concerned) I am a slave to carbs and shy away from protein. And though I cook good food, I MUST consciously consume more protein and go slow on carbs. And so my quest will continue!

Stuffing away old phobias!! A bitter awakening! and a MeMe!!

For as long as I have known, I have kept a *safe* distance from THE Bitter Gourd! I always wondered HOW people ever liked and ate it! My eyes would bugger out if they said they *loved* it and it was their favorite!

And I would think... " It does not even look appealing! All spiky!" And who wants to eat bitter stuff? What's the point? It also was not a part of my Mother's cooking, no one would touch it, so she did not force it upon us ( oh she made the usual remarks about us being fuss pots and how one must experience all 'rasas' usually ending with ice cream and bhelpuri being the only food we considered worthy of our notice...)
My first experience of tasting karela was actually at a 'varsha-shraddh' and I couldn't really discard it, but the horrid bitterness travelled down my throat and gagged me and I never forgot the ordeal and swore NEVER to go within miles of 'that' thing again.
I had heard of its benefits but stubbornly refused to apply them in any way to my life. In case any of you want a hasty re cap of how 'good' it is ...read on (source : http://www.herbalcureindia.com/)

Karela fruits have long been used in India as a popular home remedy for
diabetes mellitus.
Latin Name:Momordica charantia Linn.
English Name / Common Name:Bitter Gourd / Bitter melon
Sanskrit / Indian Names: Karavella, Karela
Karela contains Gurmarin, a polypeptide considered to be similar to bovine insulin, which has been shown in experimental studies to achieve a positive sugar regulating effect by suppressing the neural response to sweet taste stimuli. Karela fruit is regularly used in the Indian diet and is known as a folk remedy for diabetes mellitus. Bitter melon is rich in iron and has twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, twice the potassium of bananas, and contains vitamins C and B 1 to 3, phosphorus and good dietary fiber. It is believed to be good for the liver and has been proven by western scientists to contain insulin, act as an anti-tumor agent, and inhibit HIV-1 infection. At least 32 active constituents have been identified in bitter
melon so far, including beta-sitosterol-d-glucoside, citrulline, GABA, lutein,
lycopene and zeaxanthin. Nutritional analysis reveals that bitter melon is also
rich in potassium, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C.
Benefits of Karela / Bitter Melon
Bitter Melon is useful in treating Diabetes.
Bitter Melon reduces sugar levels in blood and urine
Bitter Melon helps achieve positive sugar regulating effect by suppressing the neural
response to sweet taste stimuli.
Bitter Melon has shown significant antilipolytic and lipogenic activity.
Bitter Melon is a good blood purifier
Bitter Melon treats worm infestations
Bitter Melon stimulates pancreas and liver and helps in good absorption of food
Bitter Melon is useful as an emetic, purgative, as an anthelmentic, in piles, and jaundice

End of gyan!! Back to getting over the old phobia .. my friends here did not seem averse to eating karela and smiled palyfully at my intense dislike and were amused no end when I shuddered at the thought of making and eating the bitter gourd! They stressed that their way of making it, I would not even realise I was eating karela! Thanks, but ummm.. I'll pass!
Slowly , even blogosphere was getting saturated with the dreaded melon! There was no running away from it! This was the first one that really appealed to me and I was determined to try it out, not for my sake, but for M. He likes it!
Then one day I was chatting with my friend S (my Heroine!) who said she was making stuffed karela for dinner... and for M's sake I asked her to mail me the recipe. She was surprised no doubt at my unusual request, but did not say anything at that point of time ( why discourage something like this?)
That evening I proudly told M that I was going to make karela chips and stuffed karela for him, he was delighted ( and under the obvious misconception that I was also going to eat it !). However at the Indian Store, the bitter melons did not really look that fresh and I ended up with just 2 from the lot that looked better than the rest. Though a bit disappointed M suggested I make the stuffed version first and so I dug up the recipe once again ( it was sent over 2 weeks or so ago and was in my mail box).

In Heroine's words:
3 or 4 small tender Bitter Gourds / karela
1 dry Red chilli (optional)
1 Bay leaf (optional)
1 Finely chopped Onion
1 chopped Green chilli or according to taste
1 small Tomato chopped
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp each coriander pwd and cumin pwd
1 tbsp Besan / Gram flour
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Garam masala pwd
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Few sprigs Cilantro finely minced

First scrape the surface of the bitter gourds/karelas...make a slit length wise....don't cut it into half....remove the pulp and seeds from inside...keep aside. Then boil the karelas in water with 1 tsp salt...cook till it becomes tender.Keep aside. Heat oil in a kadhai....add cumin seeds....one dry red chilly whole...and one bay leaf....when the seeds crackle...add green chilli and chopped onion...when the onion becomes transparent...add ginger garlic paste and the masalas and besan and turmeric pwd...cook for a while then add the tomatoes....when they are cooked add the pulp and seeds of the karela...fry for sometime...add salt....then add 1/2 cup water...cover and cook for sometime on low flame. When the water is completely dried...add garam masala and coriander leaves....remove from heat...and let it cool! when the mixture is cool enough....fill into the split karelas....make a paste of 1 tbsp besan...a little salt and water....roll the karela in it and shallow fry them....when its crisp remove and serve hot with roti !

* changes I made: I did not add the pulp and seeds to the stuffing. The bitter gourds I got had real HARD seeds ( are they supposed to be that way?) and also the fact that I was rather nervous about the bitterness.. so all in all, I chucked them away. Also did not add water and cook the stuffing, eliminated that step as the tomato I used was very juicy and the whole stuffing looked good to me the way it was. Verdict: This recipe is THE one for me! And the 'me' is not a typo! As I was making the stuffing I was convinced that it is a HIT! I went ahead and spooned a bit onto a slice of bread and tasted it ( ahem...the stuffing had to cool down before I stuffed it.. ) ooooooooh!! Goooood!

Where I goofed: the part where one rolls the stuffed karela in a thin besan batter and shallow fry it, the batter I made was too thin and so did not 'stick' to the vegetable. But as confirmed from heroine, it was not a big deal and certainly not meant to be coated like a bhajiya! just to ensure that the filling did not spill out.. that I managed well!

M loved it! his obvious enjoyment at this unusual treat was heart warming! He really enjoyed it! his boyish delight and swaying his body with every bite and his compliments made my evening!! And what he said was true.. there was no trace of bitterness in the gourd! Encouraged by this I tasted it and liked it too! Yes, this was not 'that' taste! My dislike ( or dread) for karela dissolved with every bite and now I am convinced that IF I make it in this way, I am going to like it as much as M! Thank you S, for this wonderful recipe!!

And now for the MeMe!! Shubha Of Chutki bhar Pyar Tagged me .. It's been a while since I did a Meme and I'm glad I got this opportunity! Thanx Shubha!!

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?

Charlie Wilson's War

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING??

The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle - Hugh Lofting

3) FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?

Saanp Seedi!!!

4) FAVOURITE MAGAZINE? Aah! this varies!

I used to read Femina and all that in inda ( never subscribed, just from the library) and now I just leaf thru the colorful magazines when waiting to check out at the stores (all those gossipy mags with all the dumb celebrities hounded from their layers and their fab clothes and the even fab scandals!!)

5) FAVOURITE SMELLS?

The wet earth after rains! So soothing !

Perfume :Davidoff's 'Cool Water' !

Good Food!

6) FAVOURITE SOUNDS?

My Dad chuckling! Contagious!

My Husband tramping up the stairs, coming home from work.

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?

Being underestimated

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?

Huh? *blink, blink* Honey wake up, you are late Again!! Subha ho gayi Mamu!!

9) FAVOURITE FASTFOOD PLACE?

USA:

Hardly an option for a Vegetarian.. Pizza hut, Domino's, In n Out, Subway

India :NOW we're talking!

Pav Baji: Achija's (Ghatkopar-Mumbai) Number one !

Manis' ( Ruia College) for The yummiest south Indian snacks EVER!

DP's (Ruia College again) for Masala Pav

Kailash Parbat ( Churchgate) for AWESOME chaat!

The corner Vada Pav wala in Tilak Nagar-Chembur, also in the Kirti College area, Jubo vada pav in Thane (near rthe station) Tip - top for chaats

And a corner in Sindhi colony-Thane (E) where one gets LIP-SMACKING paani puri from the L.L.B Paani puri wala!

Frankie at Shivaji Park!

There is a Dosa Wala in Khar- Mumbai ( for those who know it, near film star Rakhee's bunglow) if he is still there, for the sheer variety of tasty Dosas he made (like a dosa mela there!)

10) FUTURE CHILDS NAME?

Something uncomplicated and short! To be announced!

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—'IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY '..

I would be just the way I am now, careless with it!

12) DO U DRIVE FAST?

I used to! Young blood and all that!

13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?

I used to... when I was little.

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?

Absolutely Cool! Majestic!

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?

(pardon the pink!)

A cream colored Fiat ( Premier Padmini), My Basanti!!

16) FAVOURITE DRINK?

Water!

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD :

Read to my heart's content ( not that I do not now, but there are chores...)

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI? :

Yes, Kinda..... short stems ..

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?

Black-Brown with burgundy highlights!

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?

India : Good Ol' Bombay & New Bombay

Banglore : short stay (3 months)

Kolkatta ( 3 weeks)

Currently in Los Angeles county , CA

21) FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Tennis

22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

Apart from being an enthusiastic cook, have you guys seen the wonderful Henna/ Mehendi designs on her blog? Very intricate and beautiful!

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?

Nothing except the bosxspring, but back home I'd stuff loads undere the mattress, old pictures, letters , wrist watch (which I forgot for almost a year!), money, hair-bands and clips, an old sim card, pens, pencils and markers, hanky, paper clippings, keys.......

24) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??

Yes! If my parents have no objection!

25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?

Both! have the capacity to sit up late and get up reasonably early!

26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?

Eggs STINK!

27) FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?

Anywhere with a book!

28) FAVORITE PIE?

Haven't tasted many, but I liked Pumpkin when I had a small slice.

29) FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?

Butterscotch , Fresh Strawberry, Mango, Sitaphal, Roasted Almond

30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?

C'mon! let's see who is the fastest of 'em all!! If they would like to play along, I'd like to tag:

Shilpa of Aayi's Recipes
Nupur of One Hot Stove
Musical of Musical's Kitchen

Mysore Sambar

This is another recipe I tried from 'Dakshin'. It does not look ezzackly like the picture in the book.. but it sure packs in a punch!

I had never really considered trying out any 'different' versions of sambar, to me sambar is the one you make with MTR Sambar masala and for some time now, I make my own Sambar powder at home. Leafing thru 'Dakshin' , the sheer variety boggled my mind, I didn't even know SO many sambars existed! (Ah, blogging! so much to learn! )

What was different about this sambar (to me) was that it did not taste like the 'typical' sambar ! So those who try this recipe, be prepared for something different, but yes, an explosion of flavor!
This is one thing however, you do not want to combine with idli or dosa, that, is for sure! Tastes great with rice and some ghee drizzled on it (the ghee is again a personal preference)

The recipes in Dakshin, to me, are slightly lengthy in procedure and I like to take a few shortcuts, wherever possible! For example, the recipe calls for boiling the daal in a saucepan till cooked, me, I prefer using my pressure cooker to save time and fuel. Cooking the vegetables in the microwave is faster as well!

3/4 cup Toor Daal
3 cups Water
1 cup Beans chopped
1 Potato peeled and chopped
2 tbsp Green Peas
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

PASTE
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1/2 fresh coconut grated
1 tsp. Brown Mustard seeds
1 tbsp uncooked long grain Rice
6 red Chillies
a little water

TEMPERING
2 tsp oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds & Cumin seeds EACH
1 Red Chilli halved
Few curry leaves

Wash the daal in 2-3 changes of water and cook.

Place all the ingredients under PASTE in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. I ground them in my spice grinder and then added water to make a paste. Set aside

Chop the beans and potato in 1 inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, with the peas , add water to just cover the vegetables and cook till tender. Add the daal, turmeric and salt and the ground paste . Simmer gently until well blended
Heat 2 tsp oil , add the mustard seeds, add the cumin seeds, halved red chilli, Curry leaves. When the mustard seeds sputter add this to the sambar. Stir thoroughly. Serve hot with rice.

Protein Patties- Necessity, the Mother of Invention!!

About three weeks ago I underwent some blood tests and the results were... well, unflattering. No, no, I'm not about to hand in my dinner pail or anything like that! Just that the results put a TOTAL dampner on everything and to put it kindly, I wasn't doing things right... not eating right.
Not eating right with all the GOOD food I cook! Huh! but the black and white did not change, not a bit.. so I decided to go about setting things right. Eat right.

Whaddya eat for protein? They asked me...
Well, lentils, beans.. sometimes..
And??? they urged me on.. And WOT? I retorted!
They shook their heads, gravely, clicked their tongue half a dozen times and looked mournfully at me. I knew it, right then I knew it! I saw it coming...
No fish? No.
Eh.. chicken? Oh no!
Err, I take it , you eat eggs? Well, if you conceal them in cakes ( see,I do eat eggs)
Well, you are OFF cakes! (both parties frown) Then I do NOT eat eggs.
Well, looks like your only option is Tofu.
Oh, I don't eat Tofu either.......... now they frown and goggle their eyes at me in disbelief.... but.. I can try.
They smile, bleakly, but they see a ray of sunshine! That settles it , TOFU ,TOFU and more TOFU.
Now I know how people who are sentenced to a life sentence feel like.
And so I embraced Tofu. I snuck into Albertsons and snuck out with a packet of Extra Firm Tofu, snuck home and bunged it on the dining table and stared at it, long and hard. Like that really helped! Hah!

For some time after that I made scrambles tried replacing tofu for paneer kind of recipes, but nothing was appealing. I would eat the food half heartedly, chew it and chew it and chew it.. well, they say you need to chew a morsel 32 times to digest it fully.. Well people, I broke that record!My eyes lost their twinkle, I played with my food, looked wistfully at M's dinner and eyed him with envy as he plowed into 'his food' with relish and shot me a look of pity. I dangled a bit of tofu between my thumb and finger shook it a few times hoping for god-knows-what!

The only upside was I lost weight in these 3- 4 weeks!

But one cannot even rejoice in the upside when tofu stares at you, insolently, at every meal. I had to find my way out! If I had to live with Tofu, then I HAD TO make it edible for me.

And with M rubbing it in with his remarks... that was the last straw ! I was thumbing thru a cook book silently drooling over all the lovely, edible food when he sneaks behind me, peers over my shoulder and asks" whatcha lookin' at?".. " Food" I answered testily... He sniggers and... and .. " Tofu par guzara kar rahi hai, yeh sab chod" ( you are living off tofu, forget all these) .

I'd be mad as a wet hen, if a wave of self pity had not consumed me! Poor me !

That did not last long, he foodie in me emerged, stronger, I had an .. after having consumed some frozen variety of soy patties (and found them blah!) I thought why not tofu+ something patties? Problem was, I fond myself clueless .. plus what? Nothing tastes good with tofu ( I know, I know, one track mind) and then I had it! beans!! Garbanzo! I like those.

Just to be on the safe side I toured blogosphere, I saw these and these .. so I was sure I would not go wrong!

So here I am with a recipe that I liked and enjoyed!

Makes approx: 4 big size patties.

You need:

1 cup cooked Garbanzo Beans ( Canned beans are fine, quicker!)

3/4 cup Tofu ( I used extra firm)

2 tbsp. Finely chopped Onion

1 Green chili

Fistful of Cilantro leaves (roughly 2 tbsp. minced cilantro)

1 inch Ginger

2 med. Garlic cloves

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Juice of 1/2 lime

1tsp Shaan Tikki- Kebab Masala

Rinse the garbanzo beans ( if using canned) or, soak dry beans overnight and pressure cook. Squeeze out the water from the Tofu .

I used my chopper to grind the ginger, garlic, cilantro and cumin. To that I simply added the beans and tofu and whizzed it again. Easy-peasy.

To the mix, add salt, lime juice and tikki masala (or any other spice you want eg: garam masala). Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30- 45 mins.Shape into patties and shallow fry with a little oil on a skillet till brown on both sides.

To assemble: place the patty between a burger bun with the usual fixins' or like me make it light.. lightly toast a slice (or 2 , I kept it an open face sandwich) of whole wheat bread, apply a cilantro chutney (optional), a slice of cheese, top with the patty.

Other garnishing :lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber slices. Serve with Ketchup, chips, fries.

Verdict: YUMMY! No taste of Tofu!

None of the spices/ flavors over power the other ! Filling and tasty and a definite keeper!!

Mr. Smartypants agrees!

Points to note: I made a patty as soon as I made the mix, but it did not 'hold' together, broke in half when I turned it on the skillet, but was better after the stint in the cooler. I might play around with the garbanzo-tofu proportion a bit more to see if that changes the equation.

And now a word of Thanks!

Bee- Jai I basically adapted from your kidney bean burger recipe! thanks a TON! Those burgers are next on my list!!

Nupur's recipe for chavli curry was heaven sent! I used to HATE the typical way in which chavli was made at home and NEVER touched it, but now I love it!!

Another soup I kept a safe distance from was spinach, till I tried the recipe from Adhi Potoba. I liked it!

And finally, a non-blogger, but a personal friend, B, I call her Busy B! She was the one who urged me to go on and blog about this recipe. Thank U Sweety! This one is for you!!!

Ode to Potato with Til Aloo

So Sia has us blogging about the Potato! What could be easier? Don't we all love this tuber?

The best that happens in an emergency, no vegetable at hand, guests drop in... make a potato bhaji in a jiffy.... or if you just want to increase the volume to accommodate one more guest!

Err... vegetable side dish too salty, add potato!!

Wake up groggy in the morning to put together the husband's lunch box in a haste...

It's raining outside so you are craving for that aloo bhajji and garam chai .

If you are in India and returning from work, tired and irritated and hungry, what better than a vada-pav or a dabeli roti ?

Quick lunch? Pav-bahji ho jaye?

Fasting? Potato chips!

Burger and fries! (I mean Indian burger, potato patty!!)

Aloo ke parathe makkhan pa ke!

Sev-batata puri anyone? Ragda Patties?

So are you guys nodding reading all this? nod-nod..

Anyone remember playing 'bhaatukli' as kids? a gang of girls coming together to make lunch? Each bringing one food item... the vegetable would be potato (99.9% of the times)..nod-nod!!!


When I first came to the USA a couple of years ago we had no car to zip out and buy groceries as required, so the first thing I loaded up was potatoes, if nothing, this would come to my rescue anytime. It was the first time in my life that I also came across so many varieties of potato! White, red, Idaho, purple (?) potatoes.. Grabbing one bag of potatoes which looked like the Indian Potato we walked out confused.. purple??? potato??? Jet lag wore off a couple of days ago!! Purple?? Potato??

Then there was a time, before I started blogging, that I would visit websites, blogs (not knowing the difference between the two.. still don't as a matter of fact.. dhuh!!) and drool at recipes and take print outs like crazy and carefully file them for later. It was possibly then that I printed out the recipe...

That later happened in this post almost after 2 years ( I should be ashamed, 'cep that I am not..)

I honestly have no idea where I got the recipe from, so if it is from one of the blogs do let me know, I can link it. I am keeping the recipe as it is so as the original webmaster/ blogger can alert me.

To me puri-bahji is a classic combo and one that does not fail! so I was in the mood for deep fried food and a side which was not time and energy consuming, so flipping thru that carefully maintained file, I chanced upon the recipe that hit the mark!

You need:

4-5 medium size potatoes

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp beige sesame seeds

1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds ( optional)

1/4 tsp ginger paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

lemon juice

1-2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into wedges or large cubes and boil them in salted water until tender (they cook faster this way so keep an eye).Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter add cumin and sesame seeds. Add ginger paste, turmeric and red chilli powder and saute for a few minutes (on low heat or the seeds will turn bitter).Add potatoes and season to taste. Stir until they are well coated with spices. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve hot.

Simple and tasty (and not time consuming!!) this was a very satisfying meal. Add to the side a bit of pickle and it tastes even better!

Other Potato / that have potato as a necessary ingredient recipes I have blogged :

Pav Bhaji
Dabeli Roti
Batata Vada
Sabudana Vada
Aloo Tikki Chat
Sabudana Thalipeeth
Potato Dosa
Alu Ki Rasdar Subzi
Alu Paratha
Hara Bhara Kebab

Thank U Sia, for hosting this event and making me go back and look at the recipes I have blogged ! Can hardly wait for the round up to see what other super bloggers churn out!!

That's it for now folks!!!

Found it!! I mean she found me!!! Errr... what do I mean? Remember, I said I did not know the source of my recipe... well, I found it.. I mean she found me!! it is fom our own Ashwini!! Thank you Ashwini for letting me know!

Arusuvai!!

Shilpa asked me if I was interested in participating in the Arusuvai Friendship chain which has gained momentum in the USA. I jumped at the chance! Thank You SO MUCH Shilpa!

The Arusuvai Friendship chain was started by Latha Mami and in her own words:

“is about sending along a surprise ingredient as a gift to your friends for them
to prepare something tasty with it, share the recipe, and pass on other surprise
ingredients to more people. Arusuvai means six tastes (aru=six, suvai=taste) in
Tamizh and is used to refer for Tasty preparation with six tastes - inippu/
thithippu (sweet), orappu/ karam (hot), kassappu (bitter) , pulippu (sour),
uppu(salt), tuvarpu (tastes that one gets in raw leaves).”

Lazy, is what I can be labeled when it comes to opening the mail box.. I mean how exciting is it to view a stack of bills and other junk? But when Shilpa was going to mail me the surprise ingredient, I was thrilled and did not think twice about opening the mailbox!In due course the package arrived with its mystery ingredient. In all eagerness, I tore off the cover and pulled out the contents! The moment I opened the ziplock bag I knew I had received a WONDERFUL ingredient! The aroma of the 'mystery powder' was all over the house and was so tempting.. I wanted to try it then and there! But wait!! there was more!! a slab of Lindt chocolate and Tomato Pickle and a very sweet greeting card!! In a haste I took this picture ( and the only one I did' coz M was in a rush to eat the chocolate).. well I am no less than the husband! I opened the Tomato pickle and shamelessly dipped my finger in it and licked! those who went, "eeewwww" reading that.. let me tell you folks.. THAT is the way to enjoy pickles!! Uuummmmm!! So tasty!!!
Back to the powder.. I made M take some hearty sniffs at it and he concluded it was Goda Masala.. I too swayed to that conclusion.. but a little whisper kept on in my right ear.. it must be something Konkani!! And it was!! It was PohaPowder !! I was all for making Kalayile Pohvu , but had no fresh coconut on hand ( and I really am not a fan of frozen coconut, it - for some reason.. or maybe something I do here: forms a yucky oily , slimy layer on thawing) and so that had to wait.
And then I had a brain wave ( yeah! yeah! not being modest..) I decided to make Chivda out of it!
I have this weakness to end all weaknesses, for chivda. I can have it for any meal. Don't cringe here, but I love mixing my chivda with a generous dollop of plain yougurt and eating it! Oh YUMMMM!
To elaborate more on the brainwave part (lest you guys stick out your tongues at me!) was, I thought of me Dad.. who is also a chivda aficionado and though rather particular (or as I call, peculiar- he does not believe in eating anything but two meals : that's why peculiar ! imagine no munching!! ) about his food habits likes to have a bit of chiva with his evening tea.
So it came about that i made a big batch of this chivda and sent off a portion of it to my father, who I am sure enjoyed it!
For the chivda:
2 cups Thin Poha
3-4 tbsp Oil
1 heaped tsp Mustard seeds
1 heaped tsp Cumin seeds
1 heaped tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp Raw Peanuts
2 tbsp Dalia
2 tbsp Dry coconut pieces
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 Dry Red chilies broken into pieces
15 or so Curry leaves
2 tbsp Sugar
Salt to taste (just be careful when adding salt, even a little goes a long way)
2 tbsp Poha Powder

Heat a kadhai and add about 2 fistfuls of poha and on a low flame, dry roast them till they are crunchy. Do this for the entire lot. A faster way to do it is to zap them in a microwave for one minute ( toss after 30 secs for even roasting) or line a baking tray with foil or parchment paper, preheat the oven to a 350 deg. F. and roast the entire batch of poha for about 10 mins ( that is an approx time)
Remove poha and set aside. Heat oil in the kadhai, add raw peanuts, dalia, mustard seeds and cumin. The peanuts and dalia should be well browned and crunchy. Add the sesame, dry red chilli, coconut and curry leaves. Sauté until the curry leaves are crunchy. Use a medium flame and ensure that none of the ingredients gets burnt ( or even a dark brown, which will make them bitter). Add the poha and mix thoroughly.
Add the Poha Powder , sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly and switch off the heat.
When the chivda is cool, transfer to an airtight box.
Enjoy with ur cup of tea or coffee or just about any time you feel like munching.

The Poha Powder adds a punch to the chivda and leaves you wanting more!! I have some of the powder remaining and am now looking at using it in some other way, may be in a curry!

I am extending the Arusuvai Frienship Chain and am delighted to have Trupti and Mythreyee join the growing group! Your Mystery Ingredient is on its way!! Thank You for accepting my hand of friendship!

Bisi Bele Hulli Anna for Meeta's Monthly Mingle.

I am a one dish dinners person, there is no denying that.. there are times that I go the whole roti-subzi, daal- rice deal, but one dish meals are perfect for weekdays. Tired and beat, just put together a few things and that's it.. not just lessens cooking time, more importantly cleaning up time!

When Meeta announced MM- One dish Meals, I knew just what I wanted to make. This dish makes its appearance very often on our dinner table.. but with variations every time! Nevertheless, I felt that the Monthly Mingle deserves special attention and decided to go all the way with a long and involved recipe. Relying on Chandra Padmanabhan's Dakshin, I tried out a 'new' type of Bisi Bele Hulli Anna.

South Indian cuisine is distinguished by its liberal use of Rice and not to forget coconut! But coconut is not a very popular item with M, he dislikes it and just about tolerates it in a typical dish!

This meal has everything, rice, daal, vegetables.. as I said, everything for a power packed meal. the best part is, it tastes better the next day (and with the mentioned quantities, it will feed a good 6 people!) So if you try this method, be prepared for leftovers or halve the quantity.

You need:

1 cup Toor Daal
1 cup Basmati Rice
4 1/2 cups Water

1 lime size piece of Tamarind pulp
2 cups Hot Water
½ cup chopped shallots
1 Bell pepper finely chopped
1 small eggplant finely chopped
2 tbsp Green peas (optional)
1 Potato diced
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
6 Tbsp Ghee
Cilantro to garnish

For the Paste:
4 tsp Oil
3 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 inch Cinnamon stick
3 tsp Chana Daal
1 ½ tsp Poppy seeds
4 cloves
½ tsp Methi / Fenugreek seeds
½ Coconut grated (or ½ cup flaked coconut)
1 tsp Asafetida powder
Little water

Dry Masala:
3 tbsp Fried Gram daal / Dalia
1 ½ tsp Poppy seeds
3 tsp uncooked Rice
2 -3 tbsp fresh / flaked coconut

For Tempering:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp each Chana Daal & Urid Daal
1 Red Chilli
Few curry leaves

Rinse rice and toor daal and cover with 4 ½ cups water and set it to cook (stove top method). ( I used a shortcut, I pressure cooked the rice and daal) do not drain any excess water if using stove top method.
For the paste: Heat oil in a heavy frying pan, add red chillies, coriander seeds, cinnamon, chana daal, poppy seeds, cloves, fenugreek seeds, coconut and asafetida. Sauté for 2-3 mins. Place in blender , add little water and make a fine paste (or place all the dry ingredients in a spice grinder and grind to a powder)
For the Masala: In a heavy saucepan, dry roast the dalia, poppy seeds, rice, coconut for about 5 mins or till fragrant. Cool and make a powder.
Soak the tamarind in the hot water for 15 mins, squeeze out all the pulp and discard solids. Set aside
Tempering: In a heavy sauce pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin, chana and urid daal, red chilli and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds sputter, add the chopped shallots, sauté for 2-3 mins. Add the bell pepper, eggplant potatoes and peas (if using). Sauté until the vegetables are partially cooked. Add tamarind juice, turmeric and salt to taste. Cook till vegetables are tender. Add the paste and cook for a few mins. Gradually add the rice and daal mixture, ensure that there are no lumps formed. Simmer on low heat. Add the ghee, cook till thoroughly blended.
Lastly add the dry masala. Remove from the stove top.
Garnish with cilantro, serve hot with fried papad as an accompaniment.

This procedure is long drawn out, and therefore aptly a one-dish meal!!! However the end result is very satisfying.

P.S: there have been times I have skipped all these steps and also totally changed what BBB means.. I have added rice to normal sambar and cooked it for a quick ,no-fuss version of BBB!! MTR band has a mix that also is very yum. and not to mention quick!