Almond Meal Sabudana Khichadi in the Instant Pot

Wishing you all a (belated) Happy new year! I've been away so long, it felt almost odd to break the silent streak. This much loved space was neglected because a few months ago, the laptop I was using broke. Really. I mean the screen cracked. It was usable, but it was just too much of a bother, to connect the laptop to the TV, use the tv screen .. argh! I just let it be.

These days, almost everyone is crazy about the Instant Pot ( Electric Pressure Cooker) and those who have one will sing it's praises. To the extent that people who haven't purchased the IP/ EPC scramble when they spot a deal.

And why not? 

The IP /EPC is very useful and versatile. 

It's a pressure cooker on steroids!

And so, I prefer to use my EPC over the manual pressure cooker. I rely on it quite a lot.

I can program it and walk away, knowing everything will be done perfectly. 

The husband need not count the whistles and switch off the stove ( not that he remembers, in any case. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had to use my old manual pressure cooker as I had the IP fermenting idli batter for me, and despite warning him, the cooker whistled away, the water evaporated, the daal inside was burnt to a charcoal black and the smell! oh dear god! ... and all through this, he sat, on the sofa, fiddling with his phone, unaware. I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn't come home in time).

It just does SO much! 

Today, I made Sabudana Khichadi in it. I was talking to my mother and did not feel like slaving over the stove, with one hand stirring and the other clutching the cell phone to my ear. 

I also substituted almond meal for peanut powder. It isn't the same but makes a really good substitute.

Here is a link to my regular stove top sabudana khichadi  with tips and tricks. Over the years, I've had many people tell me that they love khichadi, but are terrified at making it, it always turns out sticky and gluey and ends up in the trash. Do try my tips and trick for every- pearl- separate khichadi,

Here is my Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot (EPC/ IP) version.

Prep :
I usually eyeball the quantity.  But I'll try to be a bit accurate here.

Rinse 2 cups Sabudana pearls under running water. Soak the pearls in water that comes 'just' above the sabudana level. The tops of the sabudana should skim the water.
I usually soak them overnight. This gives me perfectly soaked pearls.

When ready to make khichadi, grind together 2-3 fresh green chilies and 1 heaped teaspoon of Jeera / cumin seeds with a hefty pinch of salt. 

Use about 3/4 cup of almond meal ( I buy this from the store). Mix the almond meal with the sabudana, add some salt to taste and 1 -2 teaspoons of Sugar. Mix it all well.
*Tip: The almond meal quantity can be increased. This will ensure that the sabudana does not become gluey. Look at the sabudana once you add and the almond meal, the pearls should be coated with a thin layer of the powder.

Now, Start your EPC/ IP on Sear / Saute mode.

Add 1 tbsp Oil and top with 2 Tbsp Ghee ( don't skimp, another reason why it turns a gluey mess, too little ghee. And oh! don't skimp the ghee, I add oil first as I find that the oil acts as a layer between the hot pot base and ghee and keeps it from burning.)

As the ghee melts into the oil, add the green chilies and cumin.

Once it sizzles, add the sabudana mixture and mix it all well.

I had a boiled potato on hand, so I just cubed it and tossed it in the mixture. Sprinkle just 1-2 tbsp of water on top and mix.

If you are planning to add raw potato, peel, quarter and make thin triangular slices and add them in after the green chilies. Place any lid that fits over the EPC/ IP top and let them soften and cook. Then add the sabudana.

Cancel the Sear / Saute mode and place the IP lid on. Sealing mode.

Press 'Manual' mode and put it on 1 minute timer.

Once the timer beeps, signalling the end of cooking, release the pressure manually (QPR), VERY CAREFULLY, by turning the 'whistle' knob to 'vent' position.

Once the pin drops and all the pressure subsides, open carefully. With a spatula, gently mix the khichadi together and taste. Add salt / sugar if needed.

Squeeze the juice of half a lime, mix and plate.

Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and fresh shredded coconut (optional)

Notes: 

Ideally, a stove top sabudana khichadi  isn't covered when cooking. Neither do we sprinkle water. IF using the old method, skip this.

I always add sugar, I love the spicy and slightly sweet taste.

If you do not want to use fresh shredded coconut as a garnish, you can add some dry shredded coconut into the hot khichadi once its done and mix it in. 

My cousin sister uses red chilies powder instead of fresh green chilies (they give her a horrid tummy ache), so if you do not want to use fresh chilies, add a scant tsp of Kashmiri red chilies powder or a blend of Kashmiri and a hotter powder ( adjust to suit your spice tolerance). This will change the appearance totally, the khichadi will look an angry red! But my cousin tells me, it tastes good too,

You can safely consume this during fasting /vrat/ upvaas. 

Leftover khichadi reheats well in the microwave, sprinkle some water and heat through for a minute at least.

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Puranpoli and a fight against plagiarism, come join us..

She would stand and roll these to perfection, year after year. She stood alone and I mean, as a person as well as, when making puranpoli. 

Aaji, my dear Aaji. Her small, gentle hands  had surprising strength, she would knead the puranpoli dough, no food processor. It was hard work, making dough for 50-60 puranpolis. 

Every Ganpati, we would go to Aaji's. The night before and help my Mama (maternal uncle) put up the decoration for the next day.

Then late into the night, with a zero watt bulb glowing softly, we would lie down on mattresses on the floor and listen to old film songs, Hindi and sometimes Marathi. we would hum along with Lata Mangeshkar or Kishore Kumar, sometimes Suman Kalyanpur would sing in her melodious voice  and sometimes it was Pt. Bhimsen Joshi who mesmerized us with his classical singing!

The next day, we would wake up very early, get ready and wait at the door, for the priest, "Aaji, aga guruji ale" we would yell, announcing his arrival and rush into the kitchen to see what Aaji was doing and  eat sabudana khichadi, the objective was, keep us out of the way, so Mama and the priest could go ahead with the puja! Once the  puja was underway, Aaji assisted by her daughters and daughter in law would start lunch preparation. The menu was mostly fixed, Varan-bhat, batata bhaji, katachi amti, koshimbir, chutney, ukdiche modak and the star, puranpoli! 

We would watch her  make the dough, we called it chewing gum dough, it was that elastic. We would  wash our hands (naivedyachi ahe puranpoli, mulinno, hath dhuvun ghya, Aaji would warn us, but never restricted us) and touch the dough, pulling it and stretching it and giggling.

We could hardly wait for  lunch. 

Sometimes we  would grumble... the priest would eat before we did and we would watch with fascinated horror at how  they devoured puranpolis and worried if there were any left for us! 

Aaji would just smile gently and reassure us, there were plenty, don't worry.

Perhaps, her perfect puranpolis were the reason why none of her (3) daughters or daughter-in-law ever tried making puranpolis, ever. 

The only person who comes close to her level of expertise or perfection is my Mother in Law. 

When my in laws visited us, I took lessons from her. It is not easy to learn in two lessons, but she is a good teacher and I was a very willing student.

Over the last 3 years I have made puranpolis sparingly, just on M's birthday or  Diwali. It is time consuming.

I had some old pictures I had taken when my in laws were visiting and never got to posting about these.

A week or two ago, I made puranpoli, no reason, I just felt like it.And for the first time, my puranpolis were, great! 

I was so excited!  for one moment, as I stood in my kitchen, I felt like my late Aaji was standing behind me, smiling, proud of me.

I had some old pictures, step wise, detailing the process. 

Here is what you need to make the puranpolis:

For the outer cover:
2 Cups Atta / wheat flour
1/4 cup oil ( yes you need it!)
Water to bind the dough
Pinch of salt

For the puran (filling):

2/3 cup Chana daal
2/3 Cup Jaggery ( I use soft jaggery)
4 Cardamoms, powdered
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg powder (Jaiphal powder)

Prepare the Puran (filling). This can be made ahead of time.
Wash the  Chana Daal in changes of water. Till the water runs clear.

Traditionally, the daal is cooked n stove top with plenty of water (which is later used in making 'katachi amti') But I use my pressure cooker to save time and energy.
Place the chana daal  (with double amount of water)and pressure cook it for 3 whistles.
After the pressure subsides, transfer the daal to a non-stick pan, add the jaggery and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
While the filling is still semi solid, use an immersion blender and blend the puran to a smooth pasty consistency.
Alternately or traditionally, the puran is cooked and run thru a food mill to get a smooth, lumpfree filling. If you have a food mill (also called puran yantra), you can use it later, to mill the filling.

You need to cook the filling till it is dry, have patience, it takes a while. The filling has to come together into a stiff ball. Place a spoon ( with a long handle)  directly into the puran, if the spoon stands straight, as you inserted it, the puran is ready. if the spoon slides sideways, keep cooking and drying it out.
Cool and add the powdered cardamom and nutmeg powder, mix and keep aside.

In a large mixing bowl, place the flour and make sprinkle the salt and stir to incorporate it in, make a well in the center. slowly add half the oil and mix, add water very carefully and mix into a smooth and soft dough.
You need to be careful with the liquids and add them carefully and gradually to make a smooth and pliable dough. Once done, cover and let it rest for a while. After about 10 minutes, sprinkle some water and a tsp of oil over the dough and knead it in. Repeat after another 10-15 mins and cover and let the dough rest. If you pull out a bit of the dough, it should be soft and elastic.
Once you are ready to make the puranpolis, Keep everything handy, the dough, the filling and heat the skillet on medium high.
Traditionally, rice flour is used for dusting. You can use regular wheat flour too.

Pinch off a small ball of dough and  flatten it in your palm, make a well and stuff a good portion of the filling in it. Look at the picture above (R2, C1), it has to be a generous amount of filling, you don't want doughy puranpolis, they have to be sweet!

Slowly pull the edges over and seal to form a ball. Pinch off the excess dough and pat it into a... patty .

Dust with flour (rice flour or atta) and roll out. Be gentle, use pressure evenly but do not press hard on the patty.
The rice flour will help the patty slide about in a way that makes it easy to roll it out.

Roll the poli thin and gently lift and lay on the hot skillet. Let it cook and brown , keep an eye but do not flip, this will cause it to break in the middle and all the filling will spill out.

Turn and cook on the other side, fold in half and remove from the skillet and place it on a tissue.
Repeat with the rest of the filling and dough.

When serving, smear a generous amount of toop / ghee. Do NOT skip the toop/ghee part, it helps with digesting the puran/ filling of chana daal. ( No ghee= tooting, mind it! ;) )

Puranpoli can also be served with ghee smeared inside ( mandatory) and some milk with a bit of kesar/ saffron infused to give it an extra oomph! for dipping the poli in.

*NOTES
- Some people make these with 100% All Purpose Flour
- You can mix 50% APF and 50% Atta, if you wish. I always prefer  100 wheat flour.
-Do not skimp on the oil. You will make these once in  while, go all the way :)
- These store well and freeze well.
-If you wish to freeze  the puranpolis, layer the polis ( I cook them and then freeze) between sheets of waxed paper and store in a freezer safe ziplock or container.
- Do NOT omit the ghee.
























Now picture this, I slaved in my kitchen, hours at a time to make a 'special something' for my family. I rush to take pictures in failing light and a hungry family waiting.
I fuss with angles, and click my tongue in exasperation. Settle for less than fab pictures and  run to the table to sit down for my meal.
Later, on a full tummy and resembling and feeling like a python after a full meal, I waddle off to clean up and then after all the work is done, my son tucked up for the night, I sit down to write a post.
It takes time, energy and effort to put it all down on the  blog. It is love and labor.
It cuts like a knife when someone copies the recipe and the pictures and passes them off as their 'own recipe'. It happens all the time. It's sad, heartbreaking even.
It happened recently to Anjali.
It happened to me too, on a Face book page,' chavdaar ani chatakdaar' where this was picture stolen.
Complaints, arguments, frustration over how brazen some people are to thieve, like it comes naturally to them.
Raise your hands if you are against such people.

Thank you.

Lets all come together to try and stop this outright thievery. Preeti is doing just that and invites us all to join in. She also has a giveaway, the 'assal Marathi' cook book 'Ruchira', a book that many mothers and daughters have relied on.

I am participating and I hope you will too. Spread the word for the fight against plagiarism.

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Spicy Sweet Squash (Meetha Kaddu)

This post has been languishing in my drafts for months, like many others. Today is one of those days when I am blissfully unaware of anything. Little S is napping and I am listening to Begum Parveen Sultana happy to have this  hour to myself. I skip from one beautiful, soulful singer to another and a sort of peace descends over me. 

These peaceful moments are very rare these days and I try to grab every moment I can. Just like in cooking, my son's choice of food dominates. There are days when  all we eat is varan-bhaat and call it a night and others when we gobble grilled cheese sandwiches and watch cartoons and enjoy ourselves. 

I like pumpkin/ squash a lot and try and make it when possible. It adapts itself wonderfully well to any seasoning, sweetish or spicy and is a treat to eat it in any avatar. Roll it in a fulka or enjoy with a dish of sabudana khichadi on days you fast. Or simply try it this method I have shown below. either way you have a tasty vegetable dish on your table.

1/2 lb. Red pumpkin ( I used Butternut Squash)
2 Tbs. Oil
Pinch Asafetida
1/2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
2 Tsp Ginger, chopped
1 tsp. Green Chiles
1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chile powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Mango/  Amchur powder
1 Tbsp. Jaggery grated/ powdered
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped


Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin/ squash into 3/4 inch cubes
Cut the peel into 1 inch pieces
Heat Oil in a pan and add asafetida, fenugreek seeds and saute until golden brown (dark brown will result ina bitter taste)
Add ginger, green chilies, turmeric, red chili powder and cut peel and cook for 1 minute. Add the cubed pumpkin and mix.
Add salt to taste and 1/2 cup water. Cook covered on high heat, stirring occasionally until the water evaporates.
Uncover, add mango powder and jaggery, cook for a minute
Add cilantro, mix well
Serve hot with pooris/ roti.

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Payasam and Nupur's Indian Vegetarian 100

Couple of weeks ago I celebrated my son's 11th. month birthday and as is oft repeated, time sure flies! From a soft and 'pliable' helpless new born, he is now an active toddler, walking everywhere in a typical baby gait, flinging food everywhere, pointing to things and making demands, sometimes showering me with sloppy-sloppy kisses! What more can I ask for!!!!

And so to celebrate my little man I made Payasam. He had just a tiny spoonful of it ( we are going VERY slow on introducing sugar and salt in his diet) he enjoyed it and kept pointing and asking for more.

Payasam needs no introduction, it is a sweet preparation that comes together without too much effort and everyone (my guess) makes it! In my home, 'shevaya chi kheer' was made more often and payasam to me was strictly 'madrasi' (No, back then, I did not know how Tamil cuisine was different from that of Andhra Pradesh or Kerala) and I would gladly accept an invitation to a 'madrasi' wedding knowing that the yummy food would surely have payasam on the menu.

This is a simple and easy to make dessert , can be made ahead of time and served chilled or warm.

You need:

Source : Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan

12 cups Milk

1/4 cup Rice ( long grained, I used Basmati)

1/2 cup sugar

6-8 Cardamoms, crushed

1 tsp Saffron

1/2 cup milk (extra)

Wash rice thoroughly. Place the milk and rice in a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously.

Keep stirring and simmer until the milk reduces to half its original quantity.

Add sugar and crushed cardamoms

Dissolve the saffron in 1/2 cup warm milk and add it to the payasam.

Sir thoroughly.

Serve warm or chilled.

And now we move on to Nupur's Indian Vegetarian 100 list

Your challenge, should you take up this meme is to:

• Copy the entire list, along with these instructions, into your blog post
• Bold the foods that you have tried
• Strike out the foods you would never try
• Tell us your score in the comments :)
• If you wish to, make your own list or add to this one

Nupur's Indian Vegetarian 100

1. Ripe mangoes
2. Curd rice
3. Chaat
4. Phulka
5. Puran poli
6. Boiled peanuts
7. Samosa
8. Stuffed baby eggplants The masala/ stuffing I will eat, NOT the eggplant
9. Aviyal
10. Stuffed paratha
11. Masala chai
12. Tirphal
13. Murukku
14. Curry leaves
15. Banana chips fried in coconut oil
16. Jaggery
17. Vada pav
18. Tender coconut water
19. Paneer
20. Madras filter coffee
21. Boondi laddoo
22. Boondi raita
23. Navratan korma
24. Kokum
25. Masala peanuts
26. A home-cooked Indian vegetarian meal
27. Sugarcane juice
28. Sabudana/sago in any form
29. Horsegram
30. Maggi noodles
31. Podi with rice and ghee
32. Roomali roti
33. Bitter gourd
34. Nylon sev
35. Vegetable biryani
36. Thali at a restaurant
37. Plantain flower
38. Undhiyu
39. Nimbu pani
40. Papad
41. Kotthu parotta (minus egg, I will try!)
42. Panch phoran
43. Drumsticks
44. Indian "French toast"
45. Sarson ka saag
46. Bhakri
47. Pav bhaji
48. Sitaphal
49. Glucose biscuits
50. Sprouts
51. Chole-bhature
52. Amla
53. Tomato "omelet"
54. A wedding feast
55. Grilled corn on the cob with lemon juice, salt and chilli powder
56. Cadbury's fruit and nut chocolate
57. Sai bhaji
58. Solkadi
59. Indian-Chinese meal
60. Jalebi
61. Black forest cake
62. Bharwa bhindi
63. Kashmiri saffron
64. Misal
65. Ripe jackfruit
66. Idli-chutney
67. 'Tadgola'
68. Bhut jolokia
69. Baby mango pickle
70. Meal off a banana leaf
71. Falooda
72. Moong khichdi
73. Bebinca
74. Daal baati
75. Methi greens
76. Basundi
77. Gunpowder
78. Appam-stew
79. Sweet lemon pickle
80. Ridge gourd
81. Bisi bele bhath
82. Coconut burfi
83. Caramel custard
84. Thecha
85. Rasam
86. Baingan bharta
87. Mysore pak
88. Punjabi wadi
89. Chhunda
90. Dal makhani
91. Paper dosa
92. Gongura
93. Hand-churned butter
94. Pakoda
95. Curd chillies
96. Mustard oil
97. Fresh cashews
98. Tomato pickle
99. Rajma-chawal
100. Chaas

My Score 91%

I am not sure about Triphal ( there is something similar in Ayurveda and I may be confusing it with the one mentioned above) and I am pretty sure I have tasted Sai Bhaji, but as of today do not recollect the taste and so I shall leave it for a 'must try'.

So what is your score?

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Simple Pleasures :Lal Bhoplyachi Rassa Bhaaji

Hope you all had a Rocking Diwali!! So???? Did you all gorge on goodies? Deep fried, soul satisfying, crunchy-munchy stuff?? I know I did ! This year I teamed up with a couple of my friends and we made our lot of goodies together. This made it easier for me, we could keep a watch on the children and have a good time cooking, laughing and gossiping too.


But now, simple food is on my list.. I haven't really cooked a vast deal and somehow a kind of inertia has gripped me, I open my drafts folder, type a sentence and log out. Maybe it is because I am totally tied up with Little S and have little time for myself, specially since the husband works away from home and is here only for the weekend.
A simple Sambar- Rice with a side of this vegetable or something similar is on the menu when M comes home and a quick sandwich and I am done when I am on my own!

The other day I picked up a neatly cut and cored piece of Butternut Squash and came home with the intention of making one of my childhood fvourites.
Of course, back home this is made with pumpkin, but the pumpkins here are not my cuppa, I doubt if I will ever be able to chop them, so , b'nut squash is my choice.
usually made during fasting (upvaas) days, this mild vegetable is a great accompaniment to sabudana khichadi or Vari rice, but I also like it with a phulka or plain daal-rice.

I make this so often that I use andaaz, so the measures are guesstimates.

You need:

~ 2 cups of Butternut squash (peeled, cored & cubed)

1 Thai chile

1/2 tsp Cumin / Jeera seeds

2 tbs. Oil / ghee

1/2 cup powdered peanuts or Peanut butter to save time ( I used creamy peanut butter)

1 tsp Tamarind concentrate or Soak a walnut size ball of tamarind in warm water and extract the pulp.

1 lump Jaggery

Salt to taste

Cilantro to garnish

Water

Heat oil or ghee in a wok, add the cumin seeds. After they sizzle, add the chile.

Add the cubed butternut squash. Mix well, Add about 1/2 cup or less of water , cover and cook till tender ( should not be mushy).

Once the squash is tender, add in some more water ( this depends on the thickness of the gravy you want) , add the tamarind and jaggery, salt and the peanut powder /butter.

Let the whole thing come to a boil. Switch off the heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice, phulka, vari rice or sabudana khichadi.

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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!

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Upvasache Sabudana Thailpeeth

This is a slight variation to the ever popular Sabudana khichadi. I learnt this one from my Naani (Grandmother), she would often make this for my Mama's (Uncle) lunch box.

Summer vacation always meant going to my Grandma's. All cousins would be there... those glorious, sunshine filled days (the same sunshine which now makes me shrink into shades where I can find them... makes me smear my face with sunblock- which makes me feel sticky and cross, even if it the non-oily types! and gives me headaches!)playing endless games, thinking up new ways to bother other kids, occasionally bully them.. break all rules laid down by my Uncle (who had to be strict with us and*had to* punish us EVERY evening) devour meals cooked by Grandma and at night, dim the lights in the living room and watch T.V (black and white in those days).. aaah those were the days!

On one evening however, to his (my uncle's) ever lasting amazement, we behaved! So the usual *stand in the corner facing the wall* for me & my girl cousin and plonking my boy cousins on top of an old iron almirah with folded hands and lips tight shut, was waived!

On that peaceful evening, my Grandma decided to usher me and my cousin into the kitchen and give us a bit of instruction, which of course is useful now, but the main intention , I maintain to this day was, to keep us from mischief and thereby incurring the wrath of my uncle and the resulting punishment. That saved us, because in a few minutes, we heard something break with a resounding clash followed by the customary angry snort and then *plonk*...*plonk*..... *Silence*, which is often termed as a long pregnant silence.

Shaking her head in resignation and sighing at the unavoidable, Grandma started teaching us (which was a bit difficult, given the fact that we were giggling and sneaking out in between to look at the boys ,wink at them and put out our tongues at them, knowing fully well that they could not retaliate!! Oh YES!! we found it rather amusing at that age!! )

So all I gathered at that age... and reinforced later was..

2 cups Soaked Sabudana / Sago

2 large Boiled Potatoes

1 tsp of Cumin and Green chilly paste

Salt to taste

1/4 cup roasted Peanut powder

Sugar

3-4 tbsp Chopped cilantro

Ghee to shallow fry

Mash the potato .

Mix all the above listed ingredients, except ghee

On a thick plastic bag/ sheet, place a tennis ball size ball of the mixture and pat it into a round roti shape. make a few holes in the thalipeeth.

Heat a non -stick skillet/ fry pan

Gently transfer the thalipeeth on to it. Put ghee in the holes and around the thalipeeth

Cook on both sides to a nice golden colour

Serve with Yogurt / coconut chutney of your choice.

This will go to Nupur for the 'U' of the A-Z of Indian Vegs. and also RCI-Maharashtra , which she will hosting this month. Pin It

Ratalyacha Kees

In continuance to my last post on RCI Maharashtra, where I mentioned about 'ratlyacha kees', which is another 'fasting' food that is made in the Maharashtrian homes. Variety is the spice of life.. wonder who coined that term, might have been a Maharashtrian ....

See why we love fasting? The sheer variety of food!

Along with the Sabudana Khichadi, one also takes a bit of 'kees' on the side. What do we mean by kees? In simple terms. One cleans the Ratala (sweet potato / yam, as it is called here) and grates it, thereby giving the arms a good bit of exercise. This is then seasoned and cooked with simple spices (no onion-garlic please!) to a wonderful dish!

Here's how you make it

1 big Yam ( I got one that was the size of a normal coconut!!)

1/2 cup of roasted peanuts, powdered

1 Serrano chilly

2-3 tbsp. Ghee

1 tsp. Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Sugar (more , if u like a sweetish taste)

Salt to taste

Cilantro to Garnish

Wash the yam clean, dry it and grate it. Finely chop the chilly or, grind the chilly and the cumin seeds together.

Heat Ghee in a wok/ kadhai. Add the chilly-cumin Add the grated yam. Cover and cook till soft.

Add the ground peanut powder, salt sugar, mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for another 3-4 mins.

Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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Sabudana Khichadi

As we move on to S of the A-Z of Indian Vegetables at One Hot Stove and RCI (Regional Cuisines of India) hosted by Nupur ,we travel to Maharashtra....

Maharashtra.. Mahan Rashtra!! The land of saints..

The land of Raje Shivaji....

The Land of great Artists
Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki
Pt. Bhimsen Joshi
The Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar
Kishori Amonkar

PuLa The Marathi P.G.Wodehouse!!
And the land of Ganesh Utav!

The Marathi LAVNI!





AND.. (the part we have been waiting for!!!!) the land of GOOD FOOD... naaah, make it GREAT FOOD!!
Like all states, Maharashtra also has a lot of reasons to fast (upvas), sankasti, ekadashi, angarki and ofcourse Monday for Shankar Bhagwan, Tuesday for Ganpati... so on... for the rest of the week.. I have often wondered what is the objective of fasting..... pleasing the Gods? exercising self-control? Internal cleansing? or just another reason to cook some yummy food?
Take for instance,the first reason, pleasing the Gods... how can one please 33 crore Gods by fasting for 1 day?
Self-control? Can staying away from food for 1 day prove that one is in total control?
Internal cleansing, otherwise also known as langhan (loosely...avoiding food, consume only liquids) .. right!! and for the remaining days EAT..EAT..EAT!!
So, cook yummy food.. bingo! that is the explanation!! Take for instance..
"Tomorrow is ekadashi, are you fasting?"
" Are you making sabudana khichadi?"
"Yes"
"YES! "
This was a standard dialogue when I was small... fasting meant only one thing, Sabudana khichadi! This is an all time fav!! Commonly termed as 'fast' (not as in fast food) but,upvas food, this snack is welcome on non-fast days too.
My mother used to make this many a times for my lunch box (I was one of those finicky kids, who always wanted variety in my lunch box)

Sabudana or Sago, looks like small homeopathy pills... and while u describe homeopathy pills u say 'sabudana size pills' !

Making sabudana khichadi (for first timers) is probably not that easy. My best friend (who is a Delhiite) loves this dish and when in B school, once tried her,then, inexperienced hand at it... well to make a long story short... ended up with a gummy mess which firmly and stubbornly stuck to the wok and the ladle. The trick is to get the sabudana non-sticky and non-soggy!
So here's my sure fire recipe for getting a slap up sabudana khichadi



1 cup sabudana/ sago
1/2 cup Ground , roasted peanut powder (I make mine fine, but u can choose to keep it a bit rough)
1 Med Potato , sliced thinly
1-2 Green chillies (+/- to taste)
1 tsp Cumin / jeera seeds
3-4 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste
Sugar
Cilantro to garnish
Grated Fresh coconut to garnish


Do the prep.
Wash the sabudana 2-3 times.
Add water to soak and soften , keep the level just about 1-2 cms above the sabudana level. Cover and keep, soak sabudana for at least 6-8 hours. I normally soak it overnight.

Add the ground peanut powder to the soft sabudana, add salt and sugar and mix well
Chop the green chillies or (this is what I do) Grind together the cumin and chillies
Heat about 2 tbsp ghee in a kadhai / wok.
Add the green chillies and cumin .Add thinly sliced potato, add this after you have added the chilly-cumin mix and cook till tender
Add the sabudana mix.
Cover and cook for 5 + mins
After you remove the cover, you will notice that the colour and texture of the sabudana has changed. it is now looking a bit transparent
Now DO NOT cover to cook, this will make it sticky
Drizzle another 2 tbsp of ghee around the kadhai/ wok.
Check for salt and sugar
Mix well and cook for another 5-7 mins.
Garnish with coconut and cilantro and serve hot
Khichadi can also be served with a dollop of yogurt.

The sugar is optional , but I just love that slightly sweetish taste that the khichadi acquires along with the spicy taste, so I am more than a little generous with the sugar!

Khichadi can be served , garnished with cilantro and a dash of lemon juice. however, some also prefer it with a coconut-cilantro chutney or plain yogurt.

Another side dish, served with khichadi is 'Ratala Kees' (post coming up soon)

This is one of my entries for the RCI event.. I have planned some more, hope i can make all those!!! See you all soon .. Have a lovely weekend!!

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Sabudana Wada (and Mango smoothie)

What tastes good on a winter afternoon? (Ok, so it is not 'so ' cold here)... but late afternoons can turn real cosy if you have a plate of hot sabudana wadas and friends to share them with!

Typically eaten when fasting, this snack is otherwise also widely popular.But then, most deep fried snacks are! Practically everything tastes good when deep fried! It's just the calories that one thinks of ... later (or atleast in my case)!!!

Lately, I and my friends have formed this habit of ganging up at one apartment and spending time .. talking... gossiping, exchanging views about our whimsical partners!.. it starts with one topic and goes in all possible directions till one common topic, snacks , unites us again.
Now, my dear friend S, mentioned one afternoon how much she liked Sabudana Wada... and ofcourse I wanted to make some for her... this snack being my fav too. So yesterday afternoon I made wadas... This one is for you, S!!

Once again I have approximates... 'nazar ka andaaz'.... no fixed measurements... I made around 15 wadas (patty sized)

Sabudana / Sago soaked overnight^*(water level about 1 centimeter above the sago)
Powdered roasted Peanuts
1 Large Boiled Potato
Salt to taste
Sugar (about 1 1/2 spn.)
1/2 spn. Jeera / Cumin seeds
2-3 finely chopped green chilies ( more or less to your taste)
Chopped cilantro
Oil for deep frying
Yogurt

*soaking the sago overnight ensures that it is completely soft and also not sticky. other option is to soak it for a good 5 + hrs.

Mash the boiled potato. Mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT the yogurt.
Make a homogenous mixture and form medium sized patties.
Heat oil in a kadhai. Deep fry the wadas till golden brown on a Med- High flame, this makes them very crisp. Drain on tissue before serving.
Beat the yogurt lightly, add a couple of pinches of salt and sugar, mix well. sprinkle a pinch of cumin powder on top and serve with sabudana wadas.



I made Mango Smoothie to go with the Wadas.... I had a can of mango pulp handy)

For 1 glass :
1/4 glass Mango pulp (or 1 mango diced if you have the fruit)
Milk
2 spoons PlainYogurt
Sugar (optional)

Blend all the above and serve chilled.

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