Category: Breakfast

Instant Poha

Instant Poha

With a busy work life schedule, as an adult or as a freshmen at college, you are always looking for recipes that ease the task of having nutritious meals that can be cooked in shorter span of time. These days my focus is in finding ways to make easy meals that my daughter can quickly make in her college dorm in a microwave.  As a parent, I often worry about the quality of food that a college kid has and so to ease that worry, I send her this dry Instant Poha mix made at home, for her to use it as a breakfast, in between meals or when you are just craving for home cooked meals.

This idea also germinated when we were travelling to Italy this summer, and my mother being a pure Jain, would not have much option to eat out there. So carried this mix over there too, but unfortunately I discovered Italy does not have much prevalence of microwave in hotels hence it became difficult to use this there, But later, I also discovered, that I could have used boiling water and got a similar cooking result as when done in microwave,

It seems using this as a meal when traveling in India is prevalent in southern India, as well as there are a lot of vendors selling this mix in Mumbai Railway stations too. Also recently there are a lot of instant  Poha, Upma, and Pongal Mix from Deep foods, MTR foods also available, All these products got me to make an attempt to try  the Instant mix at home, as I can then control the spice level and the ingredients quality, make it a a fraction of cost then what is available in the Indian Grocery stores. It also gave me the flexibility to make it to suit Jain needs, as the Deep Foods/MTR has onion flakes in it.

Having Poha in the morning is a comfort breakfast for many families including ours. With this Instant Poha mix, my mornings have become even more relaxed! For folks who  can access boiling water on gas, there are resources on web which suggest adding the whole measure of water at one time and cover it and let it sit for 15 minutes with a lid on it. For this option, they suggest that the water should be about  half a centimeter higher than the Instant Mix in a bowl. Unfortunately some college dorm rooms do not have the facility of kitchen, hence the experiment  with microwave based approach.

It took some trial and error but  found the right measure of water and time to cook to get the right consistency of texture and softness of Poha flakes. What I personally like about this recipe, that with very minimal supervision, I can cook it, and it frees me more time on a busy morning work day! The final outcome  of Instant Poha is pretty close to gas cooking so do keep this recipe handy for quick meals, vacation meals, college and lunch meals!

 

Print Recipe
 Instant Poha
Instant Poha
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 3 min
Cook Time 3 min
Passive Time 10 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 3 min
Cook Time 3 min
Passive Time 10 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instant Poha
Instructions
Preparing the Instant Poha Mix
  1. In a flat pan, heat the oil. When the oil becomes warm, add cumin seeds and asafetida. As cumin seeds turn light brown, add chopped chillies, curry leaves, turmeric, fennel seeds and stir on low flame for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the poha flakes, salt, citric acid crystals and optional sugar and mix everything on a low flame for two minutes.
  3. Remove from flame and cool completely. Store the Instant Poha Mix in an airtight container or a ziploc bag and it should stay fresh for 3-4 weeks and hence can be pre-made and used later for easy convenient.
Making the Poha from Instant Poha Mix
  1. For 1 measure of Instant Poha Mix, you will need approx 1 measure of water. So I tried with one cup of dry poha mix.
  2. Heat half a cup of water for 1 minute high power in a microwave.
  3. Pour one cup of Instant Poha Mix in a microwavable bowl. Add the warm half cup of water and cover tightly for five minutes.
  4. Heat the remaining half cup of water for a minute, Add half of this warm water(1/4) cup to the Poha and again cover for another 5 minutes. Before adding the second round of water, flufff the rice with a spoon gently.
  5. After five minutes, sprinkle the remaining water , fluff the poha flakes and cook the poha in the microwave for 2 minutes, making sure that the bowl in the microwave is covered with a lid, so that the Poha does not become stiff.
  6. Enjoy the Instant Poha in your college dorm or work kitchen!
Recipe Notes

Tips

If the poha flakes are very thick you will need more water or less water if the poha flakes are very thin,

Add fried peanuts to the mix which will retain its taste over a period of time.

Make sure you clean the poha of any unwanted items , as you will not be able to wash before you prepare the Poha Mix,

Instinct Factor

If making it for next day consumption, one can add boiled peas ,  potatoes, grated carrots to make it more wholesome meal.

Feel Factor

Taste of home for a college kid, a quick lunch meal, and a lazy morning breakfast at home! My husband is happy with this approach as he is always looking for ways to shorten the cooking time of meals! Its a great taste for the time and the ease it provides, so I would definitely use this as a quick meal option.  But for someone who prefer the steam gas cooking, it will fall slightly  short of their expectations, as all flavors will not integrate that well , but you gain some ,you lose some! However the above recipe of Instant Poha is definitely a recipe for when you need to do a cooking without a kitchen or take food when travelling!

 

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Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast

Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast

Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toasts are recipes from a French  grandmother,  that I chanced upon on my trip to New Orleans last month. We have been making trips across the states, to visit different colleges, and so a few places are some that we have never visited. Like every tourist, I had a few museums in mind , besides visiting the famous French Quarters and a tram ride on Charles Street. New Orleans was earlier a French Colony as well as Spanish colony. And then it was purchased by USA from them in the famous Louisiana purchase, The city has retained its french legacy with the streets in the french quarter still retaining fresh names.

I have always found vegetarian food in french cuisine to be highly delicious, flavorful and healthy  per my experience in Paris. So when I got a chance to try some in the cafe at Contemporary Arts Center, I was eagerly waiting to be pleasantly satisfied and also surprised by its flavors. Rightly so, I found a highly colorful and varied combinations to eat a simple toast!! No wonder the french toast is also so popular. A brief reading on Wiki mentions that the french toast was earlier dipped in milk, cinnamon and butter and that the initial recipe had no eggs, as so commonly done now. This is mentioned in  Apicius a collection of Roman cookery recipes, usually thought to have been compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century AD.

What a treat it was to taste ancestral recipes like the Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast s in a town that is so rich with history and where French, Spanish and American influences merge to make a vibrant impression on the town and its tourists! The garnishes and spread were varied and I hope to explore more of those in future and share the same with everyone, This is a great recipe for a quick healthy colorful fix, or if someone is just watching the calorie intake and yet craves for something delicious!  Below is my first attempt to post a recipe with a  short video in addition to the detailed steps so do have a look:)


Print Recipe
 Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast
A healthy flavorful toast for breakfast or brunch!
Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 min
Cook Time 5 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 min
Cook Time 5 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast
Instructions
  1. Dice the avocados in cubes
  2. Mash the avocados and then add olive oil to it and mix in some more. Add salt to taste.
  3. Toast a thick slice of bread.
  4. Put the avocado spread atop the toast and garnish it with chopped olives, pumpkin seeds and fresh basil leaves
  5. Blend the cottage cheese using a hand blender
  6. Spread the cottage cheese over the toast and garnish with pumpkin seeds, red chili flakes and balsamic vinegar.
  7. Serve immediately and tomato soup goes well with these toasts
Recipe Notes

Tips

Thick slice of bread will give a nice crunch and base for the toast.  When I first tried, I had it on rye bread.

Instinct Factor

When I mashed the avocado, the color became slightly yellow, and was not as green as I saw at the cafe, So thought of adding the extra virgin olive oil and immediately the color became greener and the texture of the spread became smoother too, after all, avocado is used as a butter so worked out well.

Experiment with any toppings such as  arugula, goat cheese, walnuts to name a few!

Feel Factor

The best lunch for a hot afternoon, as both the combinations provide a cooling and soothing effect! I have always been a fan of crunchy stuff and toasts too, so its a perfect bite with a soup on the side. It looks so colorful and inviting and can be fixed in ten minutes! Besides it is so very healthy and light that an extra piece of toast will satisfy that extra bit of craving without much guilt!  The balsamic vinegar gives a nice sweet and tangy taste which matches well with red chili flakes. And fresh basil leaves with olives for an avocado lover is always an added bonus!  Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast is good recipe for college bound kids too, to fix something in a jiffy! Enjoy these toast recipes  from a French home in New Orleans adding refreshing flavors to the vegetarian cuisine.

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Grape Focaccia

Grape Focaccia

Grape Focaccia is a bread from Northwest Italy, where there is a tradition of having dolce focaccia, meaning sweet focaccia, topped with raisins, honey and sugar. Focaccia bread has lots of olive oil, herbs and salt and could be thick or thin. When I  first heard about the word, Focaccia, I was quite intrigued by it. The traditional meaning is “hearth baked flat bread”. The first time I had focaccia bread, in New Zealand it was thick and soft version and had grapes inside it and we fell in love with it. The ingredients in terms of butter, olive, grains in New Zealand are in my opinion the world’s best, because of so little commercialization and population. It’s still very pristine, and our experience of having Focaccia was 18 years ago. Would love to go  there, and eat this bread again in Wellington, hoping that bakery/deli shop still exists! Kind of taking a parallel from a current movie Lion, which runs on  a similar theme, where a lost boy finds his way home in India, all the way from Australia. I would like to do the reverse to find this sandwich place  in Wellington:)

Till then, I will just have to try out my version of the same. And interestingly enough, came across  this recipe in Southern Living, and it immediately caught my attention. Though the size was flat, it had an interesting flavor and taste, with olive oil, salt, rosemary, thyme and lavender herbs and the sweetness of red grapes. Using organic and unbleached bread flour, will make the bread more light and flavorful  The color and size makes it an attractive appetizer, side dish. Having  this on a snowy evening, uplifts you with its sweet aroma and gives you a perfect accompaniment to celebrate the joy the nature provides you everyday!! Providing you this recipe in a new plugin which seems to provide all my needs as an author. Let me know if you like it, by commenting on the contact form!

Happy to be baking and celebrating the first snow of the season, with the warm,sweet,  savory flavor of Grape Focaccia!!

Print Recipe
 Grape Focaccia
Grape Focaccia
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Grape Focaccia
Instructions
  1. Warm the water for 20 seconds in the microwave. Add the water and yeast to the bread maker bowl and leave it for 5 minutes. Add bread flour, salt, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 tbsp of herbs to the yeast. Select the bread maker to dough and make the dough. The cycle should last about 1 1/2 hours, during which the dough should rise.
  2. Alternatively, if you don't have a bread maker, mix everything in a blender bowl, and mix using a dough blade , mix on medium high for five minutes. Grease some olive oil in a bowl and put the sticky dough in it, and wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rise to double in size in a warm place( under the oven light) for about an hour or more.
  3. Remove the dough after an hour, and transfer to the baking pan. Grease the baking pan lightly with oil, add another 1/4 cup of olive oil, and punch the dough with knuckles. Mix in about 1/3 quantity of grapes and cover again the dough and leave it to rise for another hour.
  4. After an hour, flatter the dough further to the thickness you would like to have, add the balance grapes on top. Garnish it with sea salt, pepper, balance herbs and remaining 1/4 cup oil.
  5. Pre heat convection oven to 425 degrees and bakes for 30 minutes till the top is golden brown.
  6. Remove from the oven and cool for couple of minutes. Slice into square shapes and serve.
  7. Enjoy your bite of Grape Focaccia!
    Grape Focaccia
Recipe Notes

Tips

Feel free to explore with fresh olives, or raisins or any topping of your choice. Fresh Basil also will give a great flavor in the bread.

Instinct Factor

Normally the focaccia is served in square pieces, but even triangles shapes would look good, and give a pizza feel!

Feel Factor

Warmth, love, happiness and joy from outdoors into the indoors! Love the red color of grapes on top, the orange glow of baking and crispiness of the bottom texture in the Grape Focaccia. The crunch mingled with softness of the inside and the fragrance of the herbs and olive and hint of sea salt! Wow baking bread is so so easy and satisfying and the house also warms up the bread aroma!! Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Eggless White Bread

Eggless White Bread

A loaf of home made eggless white bread can warm so many mornings and so many hearts!  One such loaf was waiting for us, when we came back from an overseas vacation, thanks to a wonderful neighbor of mine, along with some fresh flowers and magazines to read! What a warm welcome from our neighbors for us when we arrived home!  I have experimented with bread in the past, have had some success, but of late had become lazy in making bread. But an opportunity arose for me,  to give the same warm feeling to the neighbors of mine, as they took a vacation. So there came that unloved bread machine from the way back of a cupboard, as I set out to make bread after almost a year and a half!

I decided to use the recipe that my neighbor used, from the Oster Bread Maker book, which is slightly different than what I have in Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker. This recipe for eggless white bread is more closer to the breads from India, as it has milk, and butter and sugar and we have been spoilt by the many warm fragrant loaves that we have had, courtesy the friendly neighbor!!.\

If I were to compare both the breads,  the crust of my bread was more well cooked than the other one, and this was the lightest crust mode in my machine. So I guess the difference is due to the temperature setting in each machine. But as fas the spongy taste and texture, it was the best! The whole house was fragrant with the aroma of warm bread baking, and it was a pure delight to see the rising of the bread touch to the top of the oven!

A few tips to getting good bread, is using lukewarm water, and not letting yeast connect with water!  And using fresh ingredients helps in keeping the loaf light and spongy! Making bread is more scientific than most other items, so ensure that you use proper liquid measuring cup to get the  measurements perfect. Once you get disciplined about this, you will explore all different types of topping and mix-ins, such as cilantro and green chillies, sesame and red pepper, and go creative exploring just one more way to enjoy a warm loaf of bread. You will be thankful that you invested in the bread maker,  even though it uses, that much needed cupboard space!

So break bread, as they say, with the people you care and have loads of interesting conversations over with jellies, spreads and oils of your choice. Eating small bits and pieces of warm eggless white bread with olive oil, flavored with basil and red pepper, is just equivalent to having a five star restaurant experience right in your own kitchen!  And what is more, use the thick slices to make Panini too!

Eggless White Bread

Recipe makes 2 lb loaf

Cooking time 3:03 minutes

Ingredients
  • 4 cups unbleached bread flour

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  • 1 3/8 cup lukewarm water- 1 1/4 cup water plus 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp butter at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 packet Fleischmann’s  active dry yeast
  • 2 tbsp whole milk

Method

  • In a bread maker, pour in water, salt, sugar, butter and whole milk in that order.

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  • Add flour on top.

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  • Make a small dent in the middle, without the hole touching the water.
  • Pour the yeast in the hole, ensuring it does not touch water.

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  • Select the crust type and loaf size and start to bake in the bread maker.
    • About 25 minutes pre-heat and mix in cycle.
    • About 45 minutes is the knead cycle
    • About 60 minutes is the rise cycle
  • After the rise cycle, remove the kneading blade.
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  • About 90 minutes for bake cycle
  • Remove from the bread maker to cool

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  • Cut slices and pieces per choice

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  • Enjoy with your condiments, jellies, or olive oil and plain warm bread and butter.

Eggless Bread

 

Tips

Use fresh ingredients, watch how you handle yeast and be sure of your measurements!

Instinct Factor

How about trying all recipes in the bread book! But the next step is to see how to substitute yeast with a great alternative! So experiment with baking soda, and I am going to post one with alternative to yeast soon!

Feel Factor

Happy to be baking bread again at home, and plan to continue the momentum! Warm Eggless White Bread is just a pleasure to eat, the texture is soft and crust is light but brown in color and its great to see the bread holes in a bread you made at home! A home made organic bread is way tastier and cheaper than a bread from outside, and the brownie point is the warm fragrant smell in the morning as you come down for your morning tea! With delayed start option, one can always set the time to bake in the night and it is just ready for you, making your morning a very sunny morning every day, specially for people like my father!!

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Masala Puri Spicy Puffed Bread

MASALA PURI SPICY PUFFED BREAD

Masala Puri Spicy Puffed Bread is a recipe from a close family friends, where both the husband wife duo are excellent cooks! It’s always a joy to have a meal at their house. On one of our family outings, my friend had got this, and I immediately took a liking to it. The taste was spicy, texture was soft yet crispy, can be enjoyed hot or cold and with a unique flavour of coconut, ginger, green chillies, red chilli powder and optional garlic

Surprise factor was that it did not have wheat flour but rice flour and all purpose flour powder. Gujarati cuisine also has masala puri but it is made of wheat flour and has the common spices of turmeric and red chilli powder as this one.

You know the saying goes, when the time is right or when you need something, you find the right stuff and bingo! I had misplaced this recipe since past 3-4 years and rediscovered it while deleting old pictures on the computer just last week! And the timing was perfect, as my husband and a friend were planning 5 day long road  trip down south in the USA, where food for vegetarians is kind of a question mark! This version of Masala Puri Spicy Puffed Bread was much appreciated by the guys who nicknamed themselves as “Two Guys and a Truck”! The puris will stay fresh for at least 3-4 days so it is a perfect for long journeys.

Enjoy this spicy, crispy soft coconut flavoured puri that can be great as a breakfast, snack, tea/coffee accompaniment! You will like it for the fact, that so many different tastebuds will be satisfied from just one piece of Masala Puri Spicy Puffed Bread and possibly  you will not miss home cooking that much when on a long journey away from home!

Masala Puri Spicy Puffed Bread

Recipe makes about 30 Puris

Prep TIme 10 min
Cooking Time 20

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of all purpose flour or maida
  • i cup of rice flour
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 11/2 tbsp white til or sesame seeds
  • 5-7 thai green chillies finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 inch ginger minced
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded dry coconut powder
  • 1/4  tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup of water to bind
  • 6 garlic pods minced(optional) See Tips section for Jain version
  • Oil for frying

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Method

  • Mix everything and bind into a medium soft dough using up to 1/2 cup water.

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  • Divide the dough into two parts and roll it into a long cylindrical shape.
  • Further divide each roll into approx 15 pieces each and make small flat rounds.

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  • Using rice flour as dusting, roll each piece of small ball into a flat round, about 4 inch in diameter

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  • Heat oil for deep frying.
  • When the oil smokes, reduce the flame to medium level and insert the rolled puri after upside down.
  • Try to gently press the puri into the oil, to puff it up, in case it does not.

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  • Once the puri puffs up, flip it over and drain after frying it to golden red color.

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  • Serve warm or  store for later use, either by wrapping in foil or container.

Masala Puri Spicy Puffed Bread

 

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Tips

If the puri is rolled too thin, it will not puff and taste crispier. To get it puffed up, high to medium heat is needed as well as the puri needs to be slightly thick.

The puris will stay puffed only if served warm, as they cool, they are likely to collapse but stay soft.

Jain version– instead of garlic and ginger, add an extra tsp of green chillies, 1 tsp of sesame seeds and i tsp of red chilli powder.

Instinct Factor

Had to use my instinct, as the recipe did not call for oil,( just an oversight in the recipe I guess) so I relied  on my measurement of 1 tbsp per cup of  flour  and it worked well. One can also warm the oil  and mix in for more crispier taste.  So trusting your instincts is the first thing to success!

Even if the shape is not perfectly round, and the edges are not smooth, the taste is just delicious, so not to worry about the looks, but be excited about the taste!

Feel Factor

A great find from a friend at the perfect time, a quick recipe for some tea time moments with near and dear ones. Enjoy some sweet, spicy conversations with a hot cuppa of tea and Masala Puri Spicy Puffed Bread that has unique flavour of rice, coconut, sesame, green chillies and ginger!

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Thalipeeth Multigrain Flatbread

Thalipeeth Multigrain Flatbread is a traditional Indian flatbread that is grilled crispy on a griddle and served with homemade butter,  pickles and yogurt. My first exposure to Thalipeeth was in a very famous vegetarian restaurant in Mumbai, called Swati Snacks. They served this with accompanying gravy dish called Pitla, which is similar to Gatte ki sabji of Marwari cuisine or Dhokli nu shaak in Gujarati cuisine.

After leaving India, the luxury of eating some great Indian local food is very much gone. And whenever one visits India, it always feels you are short on time, and not able to go all the places you want to visit! So with a sudden urge and nostalgia to eat one of the favourite meals in Swati Snacks from its highly varied, filling and consistent tasty meals,  I decided to try the instant mix available in the Indian Grocery Store.

The Bhajani or the flour of Thalipeeth, contains roasted and coarsely ground flours from Sorghum, Pear Millet, Bengal Gram, Wheat, Rice and Black Grams. Roasted coriander seeds are also added to the mix while grinding. So when one opens the packet, you get a rich aroma of  coriander seeds. In India Thalipeeth flour or Thalipeeth Bhajani is easily available specially in Maharashtra. For overseas readers, I found an authentic cooking blog focussing on Maharashtrian cuisine, which talks about authentic recipes from Maharashtra and Thalipeeth flour break up. Next time, I will have the Thalipeeth Multigrain Flatbread with Gatte ki Subzi to revisit my experience of eating this the first time at Swati Snacks!!

This instant version is quick, highly nutritious as it is uses many grains,  and one can flavour it with some extra vegetables like shredded cabbage, carrots etc,. Hence for me it is the super power of the many grains in this recipe that motivates me to say Go Thalipeeth Multigrain Flatbread, and not Go Panthers or Go Broncos!!

Recipe makes 4 pieces

TIme to Cook 15 min

Time to Prepare : 7 min

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Thalipeeth Mix Flour (K-Pra Brand)

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  • 1/2 cup chopped cabbage
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 3-4 green chopped green chillies(optional)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions ( optional)
  • 1/2 tbsp yogurt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Oil to grease
Method
  • Mix everything except oil and taste for salt and spice levels.

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  • Bind into a medium stiff dough with very little water and cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.

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  • Make 4 equal parts.
  • Roll into a round shape, with slight thickness like in a bhakhri feel. while using a little dusting flour to roll.Punch some holes into the rolled thalipeeth, so that it cooks better. Alternatively one can roll this with hand on a plastic sheet, make holes, which is the traditional way of doing it. I am also learning as I research more  on the recipe!

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  • Heat a griddle, and put the rolled thalipeeth to cook, by flipping it over, so that side you punched holes is the first to get cooked.

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  • Put the flame on medium and drop some oil on the sides.
  • Using a rolled up paper towel, or muslin cloth, put pressure from the top and cook like a bhakri.

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  • When golden brown, flip it over and cook the other side.
  • Serve warm with a drop of butter, pickles, yogurt. It tastes good with these three accompaniments, but the way I really like it is the way I originally had it, and this is with Gatte Ki Subzi. As the spicy yogurt gravy of Gatte ki Subzi goes well with this crispy Thalipeeth and also makes the meal complete.

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Tips

The dough will feel dry when rolling so using dusting flour, and the edges will break, which is normal.

If you like spicy, go ahead and add the green chillies. In some other recipes, I have also seen  additions of 2 tbsp sesame seeds and 1/2 cup of ground peanuts. So if you feel like it making more rich, you have some options!

Instinct Factor

Crispy cooking requires medium slow cooking and patience, so give time while cooking on the griddle and the result will be worth it. If the rolled thalipeeth is difficult to remove from the rolling board, use a flat spatula with sharp edge  to help you flip it over from the rolling board to the griddle.

Also as many grains are involved, it is better to cook medium, so that all grains blend well and give a nice aroma.

Feel Factor

Crispy multi grain flat bread that is spicy and extremely nutritious and the fun part, made from instant mix and  that makes it truly  an under half an hour recipe! Now this can be easily added to weekend brunches to have something warm on a chilly day or otherwise. The accompaniment of butter is great and I did feel as if I was half way to India, after eating this! In Thalipeeth, incidentally peeth means flour, so I guess a plate full of flour is the literal translation of Thalipeeth.  The reason I like this recipe is also as all the flours are pre-mixed and hence avoids stocking of various different flours to arrive at the basic Thalipeeth mix flour!

 

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Bajri Vada Millet Fenugreek Patties

Bajri Vada Millet Fenugreek Patties is going to be our fuel in this wintry storm coating the Eastern Seaboard. With our area expecting about 18 inches of snow and power outages very likely, I resorted to the traditional Gujarati snack that can stay fresh for 4/5 days. The texture is soft yet firm, it contains pearl millet, which the is right grain for the sub zero temperatures, as it provides warmth to your body and the Bajri Vada Millet Fenugreek Patties have extra flavour and iron from Fenugreek leaves, green chillies and sesame seeds. Its a nice mix of spices, its fried and can be eaten warm or cold. While fresh from the oil, the texture is crispy and after it cools down it is soft.

This was often the reservoir meal for Jain families going on long trip, as it stays fresh and it has yogurt/cultured cream. With grains, fenugreek and yogurt, it almost becomes a complete meal too!

A perfect snow day/tea time/ rainy day/ recipe that is spicy, tasty and nutritious. Bajri Vada Millet Fenugreek Patties is truly one of the ancient gems of Gujarati Cuisine that goes well with  spicy chutney or ketchup.

Enjoy the nature’s white blanket while relishing this spicy Bajri Vada with a hot cup of tea/coffee!!

Recipe makes 24 pieces of Bajri vada

TIme to Cook :25 min

Prep Time : 10 min

Ingredients
  • 1 cup bajri or millet flour
  • 1/2 cup wheat flour
  • 1 cup methi fenugreek leaves
  • 8 tsp creme fraiche or equal amount of thick yogurtIMG_5715
  • 2 tsp ghee unmelted
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp chopped green chillies
  • 2 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup water
  • a pinch of asafoetida
  • salt to taste
  • oil for frying
Method
  • Wash the fenugreek leaves in water and chop them finely.IMG_5714
  • Mix all the ingredients and using up to 1/2 cup water, make a medium soft dough.

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  • Make 24 smaller round balls from the dough.

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  • Using the palm of your hand, flatten the round balls into approx 2 1/2 inches diameter, leaving the edges on the thicker side.

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  • Put the oil to heat in a slow medium flame.
  • After about 5 minutes of heating, add the flattened dough, by flipping it over and fry on a slow medium flame.

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  • Remove from oil, when golden brown in color

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  • Drain and cool and store in an airtight container

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Tips

  • Taste the mixture before binding into the dough for sugar, spice and salt levels.
  • Traditionally my mother used the burnt fat portion that remains after making ghee from butter.  If you are brave enough to make ghee, then that is the way to go!! That taste has a special richness and taste that does not come from yogurt or even the cultured cream. We call this fat in Gujarati as Kitu.
  • If using yogurt, then water needed to bind will be less than 1/2 cup.
  • Fenugreek is optional, but I prefer the taste with it.

Instinct Factor

  • The dough should not be too firm and not too soft.
  • If the dough gets sticky rub some ghee or oil on your palms.

Feel Factor

Spicy, yummy, filling and fried!! Do not need anything more other than a hot cup of tea to enjoy a cold winter day !! Its soft to eat and nutritious too and a favourite of mine, that I have a friend who often drops me a box of these, whenever she gets her stock of it! I like the  warm yellow brown color, shape, the sesame seeds, and green chillies spice and also that it has some sweet, spicy, sour  taste with a dense but soft texture to it! Bite one of the Bajri Vada Millet Fenugreek Patties and you will want more, I can assure you!!

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Instant Rava Dosa Rice Semolina Crepe

Back from India after a summer vacation, and it always feels good to be in India, even if it is raining cats and dogs! Monsoon is a season I thoroughly enjoy, so visiting when it is raining is a good vacation, when the plan is just to enjoy and not have an agenda of things to do on your trip.  Today being the 69th Independence Day of India, and feeling patriotic, decided to cook up something for breakfast that is quick yet allows to satisfy the creative you!!  So here am I trying my hand at drawing a map of India from memory,  using rava dosa batter and having fun with it. The childlike joy of  just having fun is good for your soul!

Rava Dosa is an absolute favorite of mine and am pretty picky about the way it is cooked, and hence had to have the recipe perfected to my satisfaction. And the melted Amul butter on the top is just too tempting to resist.  Rava Dosa is one quick item, that could be breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime snack, and the preparation of it is under 10 minutes and you can satisfy a hungry stomach in under 15 minutes.

The way this Dosa is prepared, is that the dough is pretty watery, and hence the easiest way to pour the batter on the griddle is through your fingertips, and this whole process is pretty soothing to an artist and its fun to see the holes form in between the batter!!

And the way I put the seasoning is to sprinkle the seasonings on the griddle and then cover it with the batter. That way the seasonings are well grilled, and do not soften the exterior of the dosa. And top it with Amul butter greasing which gives it a golden warmth to the dosa that I just admire and also makes it more crispier too. WIth the upcoming Jain Paryushan, this can be an easy item to add to the list of Paryushan friendly recipes, when one omits, green chillies, coriander and shallots.  Increased whole black peppercorns and also adding some grounded peppercorn, makes it spicy enough. Interestingly, black peppercorn is the original ingredient used for spice, before green chillies travelled to India.

The texture of Instant Rava Dosa Rice Semolina Crepe is crispy, the feel is like a spicy salty crepe, and you can have it plan with chutney, pickle  or have it stuffed it vegetables. So try this recipe for a quick breakfast, snack or lazy meal item and have fun with it, as I enjoyed it thoroughly!!

Recipe makes 12-15  Rava Dosas

Prep Time : 10 min

Cooking Time 5 min per  Rava Dosa

Ingredients
  • 1 cup semolina rava
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup  all purpose (maida)  flour
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin ( jeera) seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black ground pepper
  • pinch of asofoetida
  • 11 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 2 tsp diced ginger(optional)
  • 1 cup finely chopped  pink onions (shallots)
  • oil to grease
  • butter to make it crispy (optional)
  • salt to taste
Method
  • Mix semolina, rice flour, all purpose flour, salt, pepper and asofoetida  in a prep bowl.

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  • Add 5 cups of water and mix thoroughly so no lumps  are left.

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  • Heat a dosa tava or round thick pan griddle on medium high flame.
  • Dot with oil or some butter.
  • Sprinkle the garnishes of your choices on the pan first- cumin seeds, peppercorns, ginger, chillies, coriander and shallots.
  • Stir the mix and using your fingers, drop the batter on to the garinshes on the pan, letting the the mix slide through your fingers on to the griddle.

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  • Go in a circular pattern while dropping the batter. This will create holes and gaps as seen in a rava dosa made in a resturant.
  • Grease the Dosa crepe on the edges with oil/butter on the top, Using a flat spatula, cut the butter from the slab and roll it over the Dosa Crepe
  • Cook on a medium a high flame.
  • Dot some oil/butter on the edges of the Instant Rava Dosa crepe.
  • As the edges start changing color to golden brown and some portion in the center also changes color, release the dosa from the sides and flip if over.
  • Cook some more on this side for a minute or so, and flip it over and  roll the dos roll the dosa crepe.IMG_4051

 

  • Serve hot with chutney, sambhar, yogurt, or potato filling, or pickle

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Tips

Cook  Instant Rava Dosa Rice Semolina Crepe on a well heated griddle with thick bottom on medium to high flame.

Nirlep Brand Non Stick Tavas for Dosas are best in my opinion. Alternatively the thick two burner griddles that are available at 20$ or so also work well.

If you run out of Rava or Sooji , just plain rice flour with 1/4 tbsp all purpose flour and 3 cups of water will also do.

Instinct Factor

Wait for the edges to turn golden brown  to flip it to the other side to cook.

Get creative like making different shapes of pancake making! If you get inspired to make India’s map or anything with set sides, do remember that the image that you create should be flipped to a mirror image, as when you turn the cooked side over, it will get you a mirror image of what you dropped as a batter!! Fun Spatial exercise for the brain.

Feel Factor

For the picky rava dosa eaters, make it crispy or soft, adjust the spice levels, and get the color of dosa just right to your liking. And the best thing is, you made it!! I like it plain, crispy and well cooked with all the  different garnishes triggering all different tastebuds. And my salute to India with GO INDIA with this Instant Rava Dosa Rice Semolina Crepe !!

 

 

 

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Vermicelli Upma Noodles with Vegetables

Vermicelli Upma Noodles with Vegetables is a southern Indian cuisine. This Upma can also be made with Barilla Cut Spaghetti which is also of similar size and thinness.  Vermicelli Noodles, are commonly known as” Sevaiya,  Sevia, Semiya Seviyan” in India.   Seviyan Kheer, is a popular dessert  made out of  Vermicelli Noodles. The world of Pasta is a fascinating world for me, and I was excited to find an interesting comparison of the various pasta based on their thickness , courtesy Wikipedia, and a visually appealing comparison is displayed below:

640px-Pasta_2006_1

 

Vermicelli Upma Noodles with Vegetables ia a healthy sumptuous, spicy and colorful and popular breakfast dish that is low fat, pasta based and very quick to make too! Easy,lemony, colorful, with in between crunch of nuts, vegetables, makes it a nice addition to everyday breakfast or quick meal option. This recipe is primarily shared also for the current generation of pasta loving kids, who also found a liking to this version of Vermicelli Noodles! And for the Upma lovers, it is another version of Upma- the traditional Southern Indian Breakfast!

Recipe Serves 3 People

Prep Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients [shopeat_button]
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles (Pre Roasted Noodles – Bambino Brand- Local Indian Grocery Store)
  • 3/4 cup chopped carrots
  • 3/4 cup peas
  • 2 tsp finely  chopped green chilies
  • 1 tsp diced ginger
  • 1 tbsp peanuts
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 4-5 currey leaves
  • 1/2 tsp urad dal seeds (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp chana dal(optional)
  • 6-7 cashews broken cashews(optional)
  • 2 cups water
  • salt to taste
  • few drops of lemon
  • 1 tbsp coriander for garnish

Method

  • Put oil to heat.
  • Add mustard seeds, and additional chana and urad dal seeds, after the mustard seeds crackle.
  • Add green chillies, ginger and saute for a min.
  • Add peanuts, cashews nuts(optional) at this stage and let them brown.
  • Add turmeric(optional)
  • Add carrots and peas and saute for 2 min.IMG_2450
  • Add 2 cups of water and salt and let it simmer without a lid for 7-8 min, till water quantity reduces to half.

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  • Lower the flame and stir in the vermicelli sevaiya noodles.

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  • After a min add a few drops of lemon, cover and let it simmer for 7 min.
  • Garnish with coriander and serve.IMG_2456

 Tips

If using the Cut Spaghetti, roast the pasta in one tbsp of oil, for 3-4 min.

Broccoli florets will also taste good with peas, as an alternative, and will cook fast enough, and be a good replacement for carrots.

To give a totally southern Indian cuisine flavour, add all optional items along with a diced onion added before the vegetables.

Instinct Factor

A tbsp of oil will help declump the noodles, in the event that vermicelli noodles get sticky.

Feel Factor

Vermicelli Upma Noodles with Vegetables is a healthy, quick, easy, colorful noodles and vegetables with a spicy, tangy flavour and a great breakfast, brunch or quick munch recipe for all pasta lovers!

 

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Halwa Scoops Warm Jaggery Pudding

A new take on the traditional halwa-A little more brown, a little like an ice cream- a little bit of spice and loads of sweetness!! This is a little thicker version of the traditional flour jaggery halwa to give it a more decorative fancy look and taste. After all, they say  you win half the battle  in the way a dish is  presented!! Made out of jaggery, ghee clarified butter, flour and some cardamom, this is an extremely quick and easy recipe for a warm pudding on a chilly day, or when you are low on iron or just you feel like celebrating. Typically this will also be accompanied by salty snack and at my house it is also a celebratory breakfast, lunch or dessert item. Its something an Indian will be happy to have any part of the day!!

Halwa scoops warm jaggery pudding  is the simplest and common form of halwa across the nation of India and has a huge appeal for a wide generation  of people.

Today’s is a celebratory dessert, as I would like to acknowledge a very good family friend, who also is the owner of Laxmi Palace, Richmond, VA, my favorite store for purchasing quality and fresh Indian spices and vegetables and lentils in Richmond. I have found Laxmi Palace staff highly helpful and knowledgeable in procuring spices and products difficult to find as well as their excellent assistance in sourcing speciality food items from NJ. Please visit their fb page https://www.facebook.com/LaxmiPalace for further information. And my gratitude to its staff for helping me locate pumpkin seeds for the recipe of Meethe Chawal.

Enjoy this delicious new “scoop ” on the traditional halwa and its warm fuzzy feeling at a drop of a hat!!

Recipe makes for 3 scoops of Halwa

Cooking time 10 min

Preparation time 5 min

Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup ghee clarified butter
  • 1/3 cup  sliced jaggery
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 4-5 cardamom whole or 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
  • strainer
Method
  • In a deep pan put water and jaggery to boil.
  • In another pan put the ghee to melt.
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  • When the ghee melts roast the flour in it for 4-5 min till its rust brown in color- low -medium flame.
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  • Keep stirring while roasting so that it does not burn. Once done, remove from flame.
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  • Once the water jaggery mix reduces to 2/3 of its quantity using a strainer, strain the liquid into the other pan with roasted flour.
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  • Put it back on slow flame and stir for 2-3 min so that excess water evaporates and the pudding halwa thickens.
  • IMG_1210
  • Remove from flame and add cardaomom powder, and shells of cardamom for decorations.
  • Scoop immediatdly with an ice cream scoop and serve it in a deep bowl.
  • IMG_1212

Tips

This can be done easily on two separate burner simultaneously to reduce cooking time.

Instinct Factor

Roasting of the flour will determine the color of the halwa, so you can variate to your choice.  If you like it caramel colored,  remove a 1-2 minutes earlier .

Adjust the sweetness by variating the jaggery amount.

Feel Factor

A dessert for all ages and all situations!! Whether you are celebrating showing love, need some comfort, feeling low and down, the warm fuzzy feeling of this halwa scoop warm jaggery pudding cannot be beaten. Chocolate colored, with a hint of caramel touch, infused with cardamom and not to mention the roasted flour aroma in ghee, makes everything just feel and appear brighter to one’s taste and mind buds!!
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