Recipe: KADAI VEGETABLE

Kadai Vegetable

Kadai Vegetable is a favourite of mine when I order food at restaurants. They are made best at the many Shetty restaurants in town. This dish is basically a mix of vegetables in a thick gravy with a few pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) thrown in. I decided to make my own version at home and believe me, it turned out to be finger-licking delicious. It can be served with rotis, naans or pooris. 

INGREDIENTS

Cauliflower – 150-200 gm (cut into flowerets)
French Beans – 50 gm (cut into ½” pieces)
Carrot – 1 (cut into ½” pieces)
Peas – 1 handful
Capsicum – 1 large (cut into squares)
Haldi powder (Turmeric powder) – ¼ tsp
Mirchi powder (Red Chilly powder) – 1 pinch
Garam Masala Powder (Mixed spices powder) – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar – ½ tsp
Cream – 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tsp
Oil – 3 tbsp
Jeera – ½ tsp
Paneer – 100 gm (cut into small cubes or the way you like it)

For masala

Onion – 2 large (chopped)
Green chillies – 3 
Ginger – ½” piece
Garlic – 4-6 (peeled)
Tej Patta (Bay leaf) – 1
Kadi Patta (Curry leaves) – 5-6 leaves
Coriander seeds – ½ tsp
Jeera (Cumin seeds) – ½ tsp

For gravy

Tomato – 2 medium (chopped)
Cashew nuts – 4 (soaked in water for half an hour)

METHOD

1. Cook the cauliflower, beans, carrot and peas with half a glass of water, a pinch of salt and a pinch of haldi powder. 
2. Take a kadai (saucepan) and keep it on the gas on a low flame. Add the oil and once hot, shallow fry the chopped paneer and remove when golden brown. Keep it in a serving bowl. 
3. Now let the jeera crackle in the remaining oil. Then add the cut capsicum and shallow fry.
4. Add all masala ingredients in a mixer and grind to a smooth paste. Add a bit of water only if required as you grind the masala.
5. Once the capsicum is fried, add the masala to it and stir fry.
6. Add tomato and soaked cashew nuts to the mixer and grind into a smooth paste.
7. Add salt, sugar, haldi powder, mirchi powder and garam masala powder to the cooking mixture. Stir well and allow it to cook for a couple of more minutes.
8. Now add the tomato gravy to the kadai and mix thoroughly before adding salt and sugar.
9. When it begins to boil, add the rest of the boiled vegetables along with the water they were cooked in. (There shouldn’t be too much water. Only half a cup as mentioned above. If there is more, some of it needs to be drained away or the kadai vegetable will become too soggy).
10. Allow the mixture to cook for 2-3 minutes before adding beaten cream and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and switch off the gas.
11. Pour the cooked vegetables in gravy into the serving bowl contained stir fried paneer cubes. Mix well before serving hot with rotis, pooris or naans as you choose.

I promise you that the Kadai Vegetable tastes as delicious as any hotel recipe that you have tasted. Apart from the cutting of veggies, the dish is quite simple to make. 

*The above quantity is enough to serve two large portions. 

Recipe: THATTAI

While I love fried snacks, I am not very good at making them. I keep learning recipes, try them and when the result is not too successful, I just lose interest. It was a lucky day for me when my sister Jayashree who had come here to Mumbai, went to meet her friend Vinaya living in the same city. Vinaya had made melt-in-the-mouth ‘thattais’ and had send a box full along with Jayu for us to taste. I fell in love with them and Jayu called her to get the recipe. So, it is thanks to Jayu and Vinaya that this recipe got tried and tested at my home and is being put up on my blog.


INGREDIENTS

Idli Rice – 1 cup (soaked for about 4 hours or longer)
Chutney Dal – ½ cup 
Urad Dal – ¼ cup 
Channa Dal – 2 tsp
Black Til – 1 tsp
Green Chillies – 3-4 
Curry leaves – 10 (torn to small pieces)
Asafoetida powder – 1 large pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying



METHOD

1. Soak channa dal and black til together in a cup of water.
2. Roast Urad dal till golden brown and allow it to cool down.
3. Grind Chutney Dal & Urad dal together to a smooth powder.
4. Wet grind the soaked rice along with green chillies and salt to a smooth paste – at least as smooth as possible.
5. Pour the ground rice paste in a vessel and add the dal powder to it. Add curry leaves; asafoetida and the soaked channa dal and black til. Mix well to make a tight dough. Make balls of the dough, the size of small lemons. 
6. Heat oil in a saucepan and keep the flame on medium once the oil it hot.
7. Flatten the dough balls into small thattais and fry them till golden brown. 

You can store the thattais in an air-tight container and they remain fresh for at least a week. They taste simply yummy, I promise you. They also make for a healthy snack with so many dals and black til too. 

*Don’t fry thattais in very hot oil as they turn limp after a few hours. They don’t remain crisp if you do it in a rush. 
**Chutney dal is different from Channa dal.

More recipes you will find useful this festive season

Click Here to find out how to make Karanji...

Click Here to learn how to make Sweet Appam...

Click Here to learn how to make Thengaai Boli (Puran Poli Tamil Nadu style)...

Click Here to find out how to make Gajar Halwa...

Click Here to learn how to make Rava Ladoo...

Click Here to find out how to make Ribbon Pakoda...

Click Here to learn how to make Godhumai Halwa (Wheat Halwa)...

Recipe: ALOO PANEER KOFTA IN TOMATO / PALAK GRAVY

Aloo Paneer Kofta

I was keen to make Paneer Kofta for Diwali. I have never made this before and so I browsed the net and checked out a few recipes. Armed with this knowledge, I set out to make Aloo Paneer Kofta in both tomato and palak gravies. They both turned out to be delicious.

ALOO PANEER KOFTA

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes – ½ kg
French Beans – 100 gm (chopped fine)
Carrots – 2 (chopped fine)
Paneer – 150 gm (grated)
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Mirchi Powder – ½ tsp
Dhania Powder – ½ tsp
Jeera Powder – ½ tsp
Kotmir – 2 tbsp (chopped)
Corn flour – 100-150 gm
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

METHOD

1. Boil the potatoes. Peel the skin and mash them in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the chopped beans and carrots to boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes before draining the water completely. Add these also to the bowl.
3. Add grated paneer and the many powders along with salt and kotmir.
4. Sprinkle the corn flour over this and mix well into a thick dough. Add flour as per requirement.
5. Shape them into round balls or ovals as you please.
6. Deep fry in medium hot oil till golden brown in colour.
7. Remove and keep them aside.

The Aloo Paneer Kofta is ready. They taste yummy by themselves - but more so with the gravies.

Aloo Paneer Kofta in Palak Gravy

TOMATO & PALAK GRAVIES 

I am giving the two recipes together as the basic masala is the same – the only difference being tomato and spinach themselves.

INGREDIENTS

Onion – 6 (large; chopped)
Tomato – 4 (large; cut into pieces)
Palak – 2 bunches (chopped roughly)
Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
Dhania Powder – ½ tsp
Jeera Powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Mirchi Powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera – 1 tsp
Kotmir – 1 tsp (chopped; only for tomato gravy)
Salt to taste
Oil – 3 tbsp
Fresh cream – 5-6 tbsp

Masala

Cashewnuts – 8 (soaked for 15 minutes)
Garlic – 6-8 cloves
Green Chillies – 8 (less if you don’t like spicy)
Ginger – 2” piece

Aloo Paneer Kofta in Tomato Gravy

METHOD

1. Boil the palak in salted water for 3-4 minutes before draining the water completely.
2. Grind the masala ingredients to a smooth paste.
3. Take a kadai and heat oil in it before adding jeera.
4. Once that crackles, add chopped onions.
5. As it begins to turn colour, add the ground masala.
6. Keep stirring as you add the masala powders and salt.
7. Cook for 3-4 minutes and switch off the gas.
8. Remove half of this cooked mixture into another kadai and leave the balance in the same kadai.
9. Add cooked palak to one kadai and chopped tomatoes to the other.
10. Add a cup of water each and cook both the gravies with the lids on for 6-8 minutes.
11. Switch off gas and grind both the gravies into a coarse consistency with a hand blender.
12. Check for salt and cook them for 2 more minutes each.

For serving Aloo Paneer Kofta in Palak Gravy

Place 2 Aloo Paneer Kofta on a plate and pour a few spoons of palak gravy on them. Add some dollops of fresh cream on it and serve hot with puris or rotis.

For serving Aloo Paneer Kofta in Tomato Gravy

Place 2 Aloo Paneer Kofta on a plate and four a few spoons of tomato gravy on them. Add some dollops of fresh cream and sprinkle chopped kotmir on it and serve.

Both of them taste absolutely yummy, I promise!

Recipe: PINDI CHOLE

Pindi Chole

I have tasted this version of chole at a few restaurants and I liked the one at Cream Centre best. Asking a couple of friends and using my imagination, I arrived at the following recipe. It was yummy, to say the least.

INGREDIENTS

Kabuli Channa – 250 gm (soaked overnight)
Tea decoction – 1 cup (Boil 2 tsp of tea leaves in 2 cups of water until it becomes 1 cup. Filter the decoction and keep aside)
Jeera – 1 tsp
Bayleaf – 2
Turmeric Powder – 1 large pinch
Chilli Powder – ½ tsp
Dhania Powder – ½ tsp
Jeera Powder – ¼ tsp
Garam Masala Powder – ½ tsp
Oil – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Kotmir for garnish

Masala

Onions – 3 (medium; cut into pieces)
Boiled channa – a handful
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Ginger – 1” piece
Green chillies – 3
Tamarind – 4-5 strips (soaked in water)
Jaggery – 3 tbsp

METHOD

1. Pressure cook the soaked channa along with the tea decoction, some more water, ½ tsp of salt and one small pinch of turmeric powder. Allow it to cook for 8 whistles.
2. Grind all the items under masala to a smooth, thick paste.
3. Take a kadai and heat oil in it.
4. Add jeera and bayleaves and allow them to crackle before adding the masala paste.
5. Cook for a while with the lid on, stirring on and off.
6. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder and garam masala powder to the cooking gravy and stir well.
7. Add salt and cook for 4-5 minutes till you see the oil surfacing above the masala.
8. Add the boiled channa to this along with the water it was cooked in.
9. Allow the mixture to cook for 8-10 minutes on a slow fire, stirring occasionally.
10. Allow the chole to reach a thick consistency before switching off the gas.
11. Garnish with kotmir before you serve hot with puris, rotis, baturas or naans.

The Pindi Chole turned out to be as tasty as the one I ate at Cream Centre.

NOTE: The tea extract gives the channa a lovely brown colour. One might ask why use white channa and make it brown. Why not use brown channa instead? Well, brown channa’s flavour is very different and does not suit this dish, that’s why.

Recipe: KARANJI (சோமாசி)

Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Diwali is around the corner and all Indian households must be preparing for the celebration with a variety of sweets and farsan. I bring you the recipe of Karanji, a yummy sweet that I learned to make from my friend Asha. She’s an excellent cook. I just love Karanji and how many ever times I have made it after that it was the best when I made it along with her. Thank you Asha!

Karanji is called சோமாசி (Somaasi) in Tamil. While it looks the same, the taste varies as the filling is different.

INGREDIENTS

For the filling

Grated Coconut – ½ cup
Rava – ½ cup
Powdered Cardamom – 1 tbsp
Powdered Sugar – 2 cups
Almonds – ½ cup
Pistachios – ½ cup
Cashewnuts – ½ cup

For the shell

Maida – 1 cup
Rava – ½ cup
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Salt – 1 pinch

Oil for frying

METHOD

1. Run the almonds, pistachios and cashewnuts in the mixer to make a coarse powder. Alternately, you can chop them into fine pieces.
2. Heat a kadai and roast the rava till golden in colour.
3. Add the coconut to it and turn around for a couple of minutes before switching the gas off.
4. Take the rava-coconut mix and add it to a mixing bowl.
5. Add the sugar powder, cardamom and the dryfruits to it.
6. Mix well and the filling for the Karanji is ready.
7. Take another mixing bowl and add all the four ingredients for the shell.
8. Sift them together before adding some water and making a tight dough.
9. Take the dough in small balls (the size of a lemon) and roll it out in circles.
10. Add a spoon of filling on one half of the rolled out circle.
11. Fold it in the middle and join the edge in a semi-circle.
12. You can fold the edge and shape it with your hand or press a fork and ensure the edge is completely sealed.
13. Get all the karanjis ready before deep frying them till golden brown in colour.

ALTERNATELY….

You can bake your karanjis in an oven at 180 degrees C for about 30 minutes or till they turn golden brown in colour.

I promise that you will have the yummiest Diwali!

Recipe: SWEET APPAM

Yummy golden brown appams

I learned to make sweet appam from both my mother and grandmother. It is not too difficult to make, as in you cannot go wrong while making this sweet. Hence, this is a personal favourite and of course, we all love it at home.

INGREDIENTS

Wheat Flour – 1 cup
Jaggery – ½ cup
Banana – 1
Cardamom – 6 (powdered)

For frying

A mix of oil and ghee in the proportion you choose. I use half of each.

Appams cooking in the appa kaarai

METHOD

1. Add all the four ingredients to a mixer along with some water and mix thoroughly into a dough the same consistency as that for dosas.
2. Take an appa kaarai (a special kadai for cooking appams) and heat it on the gas.
3. Add some oil and ghee and keep the flame on medium.
4. Take a small serving spoon and add the dough to about three-fourths of the appa kuzhi (the small round cups in the kadai).
5. Allow the appams to cook for a couple of minutes before turning them around. Use a long handled spoon and turn them gently, or they may break and create a mess. I use a wooden chopstick and a spoon. By now, your kitchen must be smelling divine.
6. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the other side and remove the golden brown appams, before making the next batch.

Serve hot or cooled with a spoon of white butter. I promise you that your family will love you for the tasty appams. I hear they are also one of Lord Ganpati’s favourites.

NOTE: There is also a non-stick version of Appa Kaarai available in the market.

Recipe: RAGADA PATTIES

Ragada Patties aka Ragada Pattice

I have my friend Pooja to thank for this recipe. She makes excellent Ragada Patties and I am an able student.

INGREDIENTS

For Patties

Potato – 1 kg (Boiled, peeled and smashed)
Bread – 4 slices
Turmeric Powder – 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Cooking on the skillet

For Ragada

White Dry Peas – ¼ kg (soaked for 4-5 hours)
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Salt to taste

For garnish

Green Chutney
Imli Chutney
Ginger-garlic Chutney
Crunchy Puris (those used for Sev Puri)
Chopped Onions
Chopped Kotmir (Coriander leaves)

METHOD

1. Pressure cook the soaked white peas along with turmeric powder and salt. Keep it on for 8 whistles.
2. Soak the bread slices one by one in water for a few seconds, squeeze the water out completely and add to the mashed potatoes.
3. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix well to make a dough to the consistency of roti dough.
4. Make balls the size of a small orange and flatten it into half-inch thick patties.
5. Heat an iron skillet or non-stick tawa and smear it with oil.
6. Cook the patties on the skillet on both sides, adding a few drops of oil now and then, till they turn a golden brown.
7. Take the cooked white peas in a large vessel, add two glasses of water and boil it on the gas for a few minutes before switching off. This is the ragada.

Place the patties over the bed of ragada and chutneys

How to serve

1. Take a small plate and pour two serving spoons of hot ragada in it.
2. Add two teaspoons of Imli Chutney over it.
3. Top that with one spoon of Green Chutney.
4. Sprinkle a few drops of Ginger-garlic chutney over this.
5. Place two patties on this bed of flavoured ragada.
6. Garnish with one teaspoon of chopped onions, a couple of crushed puris and a few bits of chopped coriander.

Tuck into the most yummilicious Ragada Patties. You will soon become an addict, I promise.

Recipe: PALAK PANEER

Palak Paneer

I have been making Palak Paneer since many years, adding and deleting ingredients but never satisfied with the taste. The last time I made it, I hit upon the perfect recipe. My family members loved it.

Palak Bunch

INGREDIENTS

Palak – 3 bunches (coarsely chopped, I don’t remove the stalks)
Turmeric Powder – 1 pinch
Paneer – 250 gm (cut into cubes or lengths)
Jeera – ½ tsp
Bay Leaf – 1-2
Oil – 5 tbsp
Salt to taste

To grind

Cashew nuts – 6 (soaked in water for ½ an hour)
Onion – 2 (peeled and cut)
Garlic – 4 cloves

Cubed Paneer (cottage cheese)

Ginger – ½” piece
Green Chillies – 3-4

Masala Powders

Dhania Powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera Powder – ¼ tsp
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Mirchi Powder – ¼ tsp
Garam Masala Powder – ¼ tsp

METHOD

1. Boil the palak along with a little salt and turmeric powder. Once cooked, use a hand mixer to coarse grind it. If you are using a regular mixer, wait for it to cool down.
2. Grind the five ingredients listed together into a smooth paste.
3. Take a saucepan, heat the oil and shallow fry the paneer pieces and remove to a bowl.
4. Heat the leftover oil and crackle jeera and the bay leaves in it.
5. Add the ground masala and fry for 3-4 minutes.
6. Now, add the masala powders to the cooking mixture.
7. Mix well and add some salt. Take note that some salt is already added to the palak.
8. Cook for another couple of minutes before adding the palak to this.
9. Mix thoroughly, check for salt and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add the aromatic palak gravy to the shallow fried paneer and there you have the Palak Paneer. Serve hot with rotis, puris or rice as you please. It tastes absolutely delicious.

Recipe: GINGER-GARLIC CHUTNEY

Originally, I learned to make this chutney from my friend Pooja. Later, I added a bit of my own innovation to end up with this final product.

INGREDIENTS

Garlic – 10 cloves
Ginger – 2” piece
Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp (if you like it really spicy, increase this quantity)
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt to taste




METHOD

Add all the ingredients to the mixer and beat into a smooth paste. Add a spoon or two of water only if absolutely necessary. The chutney is quite pungent and should be used sparingly. It can be refrigerated for about 10 days.

Ginger-garlic chutney adds flavour to Pav-Bhaji and Ragada Pattice. It will probably work for a few Chinese recipes too. I am yet to try that. Will keep you posted!

Recipe: Self-invented THALIPEETH

Thalipeeth

It was my friend Nilima who introduced me to Thalipeeth, a typical Maharashtrian snack. We used to go to this joint near our office at Web 18 and have this dish at least once a week. After quitting my job, I never got around to tasting Thalipeeth until Vinny’s dietician introduced it to her.

The original Thalipeeth is deep fried. But I find that too oily and decided to make it using an iron skillet.

I have tried buying the special mixed flour for this one but one small packet costs about Rs. 25 and it will be enough to make just 3-4 pieces. Not the most practical, I thought.

Yesterday, I decided to make my own when I came upon a shop in Matunga that sold different types of atta. I got five types of atta, added wheat flour to them and made some delicious Thalipeeth at home last night for dinner. My children just loved it while Venkat was not too enamoured.

INGREDIENTS

1. Bajri Flour – 3 tbsp
2. Nachini Flour – 3 tbsp
3. Makkai Flour – 3 tbsp
4. Soya Bean Flour – 3 tbsp
5. Jowari Flour – 3 tbsp
6. Wheat Flour – 3 tbsp
7. Grated Carrot – 1 cup
8. Grated Cabbage – 1 cup
9. Chopped Onion – 1 cup
10. Chopped Coriander Leaves – 2 tbsp
11. Dhania Powder – ½ tsp
12. Jeera Powder – ½ tsp
13. Mirchi Powder – ¼ tsp
14. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
15. Amchur Powder – ½ tsp
16. Garam Masala Powder – ¼ tsp
17. Salt
18. Oil – 1 small cup
19. Garlic – 3 cloves
20. Curry Leaves – 8-10
21. Green Chillies – 2

METHOD

1. Coarse grind garlic, curry leaves and green chillies in a mixer.
2. Add all ingredients from 1 to 17 in a mixing bowl. Add the coarse ground lasoon paste to it.
3. Add 2 tsp oil to it.
4. Mix well to the consistency of roti dough.
5. You will most probably not require to add water. If you find the dough too stiff, sprinkle some water and mix. Avoid otherwise.
6. Make the dough into balls the size of an orange.
7. Take a thick sheet of plastic and spread it on the kitchen platform. Applying some oil to the plastic, gently flatten a ball of dough to a round shape with your hand. Make it as thin as possible.
8. Heat an iron skillet on the gas, keep the flame to medium. Smear the tawa with oil before placing the Thalipeeth to cook on it. Add a few drops of oil.
9. Cook for a couple of minutes before turning to the other side. Add a few more drops of oil and cook till the Thalipeeth turns a golden brown.
10. Serve hot with Green Chutney, Sweetened Dahi or Srikhand.

It tastes absolutely yummy. Getting so many ingredients together is the difficult part. Once you have them at hand, making Thalipeeth is child’s play.

Recipe: BEANS-TUVAR DAL SABZI

Beans-Tuvar Dal Sabzi

While French Beans are very healthy and packed with nutrients, they can taste quite boring. In Tamil Nadu, we make it along with grated coconut and it goes well with sambar rice or rasam rice. But to have it with rotis, it usually needs to be used along with other vegetables to be tasty. A few days back, I just wondered how to make beans interesting when Bhagavan gave me this idea. Believe me, it worked very well, it was easy to cook and very delicious.

INGREDIENTS

French Beans – 250 gm (stringed and chopped fine)
Onion – 1 large (chopped fine)
Tomato – 1 medium (chopped fine)
Tuvar Dal – a handful (soaked for ten minutes)
Rai – 1 tsp
Jeera – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1 pinch
Mirchi Powder – ¼ tsp
Dhaniya Powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera Powder – ¼ tsp
Garam Masala Powder – ¼ tsp
Kotmir – 1 tbsp (chopped)
Oil – 2 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Boil water in a vessel and add the beans, soaked tuvar dal, salt and turmeric powder and allow it to cook for about five minutes.
2. Switch the gas off and drain the water completely.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan and allow the rai to crackle in it. Then add the jeera before adding the chopped onions.
4. Keep the flame on medium and stir the onions till they are golden brown. Now add the tomatoes and stir for a couple of minutes.
5. Add all the masala powders and salt. Mix well.
6. Finally, add the beans and tuvar dal and continue to cook on medium flame with a lid over the saucepan.
7. Stir from time to time and cook this mix for about 7-8 minutes or till the water completely evaporates.

Garnish with kotmir and serve hot with rotis or puris. It tastes simply yummy!

Recipe: DAHI VADA (North Indian style)

Dahi Vada

While I have eaten Dahi Vada a number of times, I have never made it before. Thayir Vadai in South Indian style is what I know how to make and have done a number of times. Venkat said that he would like to have Dahi Vada - the North Indian way, a few days ago and that’s when I decided to give it a try on Independence Day as it was a holiday for everyone. It was quite yummy and not too difficult to make.

INGREDIENTS

For Vada:

Urad Dal – 250 gm (soaked for 2-3 hours)
Red Chillies – 3
Curry Leaves – 6-8
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Curd – 4-5 cups
Sugar – 3 tbsp

Chutneys:

Green Chutney
Khatta-Meetha Chutney
Chaat Masala

For Garnish:

Kara Boondi – 50 gm
Kotmir – 2 tbsp (chopped)

1. The dough for the vada; 2. Frying vadas; 3. Vadas soaking in curd & water; 4. Vadas in sweet curd

METHOD

1. Drain the water completely from the soaked urad dal.
2. Add the dal, red chillies, salt and curry leaves to the mixer. Adding water little by little, grind the mixture into a smooth and thick dough. You need to be careful while adding water as a watery dough will not make proper vadas.
3. Take a couple of spoons of curd and beat it in a large bowl. Add 3-4 cups of water to it and mix well. This is for soaking the fried vadas to make them soft.
4. Heat the oil in a kadai. Keep the flame on medium once it’s hot. Now wet your hand and shape the dough into small balls the size of lemons and deep fry till golden brown.
5. Remove the vadas from the oil and put them directly in the curd mixed water. Turn them around a couple of times to make sure that they fully wet. You will find that the vadas sink down in a few minutes.
6. Beat the rest of the curd along with the sugar in a large bowl.
7. Add the water-soaked, softened vadas to the sweetened curd. Take spoonfuls of curd and pour over the vadas to ensure that they are fully coated.
8. Refrigerate the Dahi Vadas for about half an hour before serving.

For serving:

Take 3-4 vadas in a serving bowl. Pour some sweetened curd over them. Add a few blobs of Green Chutney over this. The next layer will be a couple of spoons of Khatta-Meetha Chutney. Take a pinch of Chaat Masala and spray over the Dahi Vada. Spread some Kara Boondi over all this and then some chopped kotmir. Now the Dahi Vada is ready to eat. It looked lovely and tastes absolutely delicious, I promise you!

Recipe: KHATTA-MEETHA CHUTNEY

Khatta-Meetha Chutney

Khatta-Meetha Chutney is yet another ingredient that adds flavour to chaat items. It is used in Ragada Pattice, Dahi Vada, Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, etc. I don’t know of any shop that sells this readymade. Then again, it’s quite easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

Tamarind – 1 ball (the size of a gooseberry)
Jaggery (Gur) – 100 gm
Seedless Dates – 6
Salt – ¼ tsp
Mirchi Powder – ¼ tsp

METHOD

1. Soak the tamarind in hot water for about half an hour.
2. Extract the juice twice to have about a large cup of tamarind juice.
3. Heat the tamarind juice, jaggery and dates for 2-3 minutes and switch off the gas.
4. Allow the mixture to cool down before running it in a mixer to make a smooth paste.
5. Add mirchi powder and salt to the mix and stir well.

Delicious Khatta-Meetha Chutney is ready to be used in any of your chaats.

Recipe: KOTMIR-PUDINA CHUTNEY

Kotmir-Pudina Chutney

While I am calling this Kotmir-Pudina Chutney, a whole lot of other ingredients go into it. This super-delicious chutney can be used in sandwiches and chaats.

INGREDIENTS

Kotmir (Coriander leaves) – 1 large bunch (cleaned and cut)
Pudina (Mint leaves) – 10
Roasted peanuts – 1 handful
Onion – 1 (medium, cut into pieces)
Garlic – 6 cloves
Green Chillies – 6-8 (add or minus according to how spicy you want the chutney to be)
Salt – ½ tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Juice from half a lemon

METHOD

Blend all the ingredients to a smooth paste in the mixer. Aromatic and yummy Kotmir chutney is ready. It’s as simple as that!

Recipe: CHAAT MASALA

Chaat Masala

Chaat Masala adds punch to many dishes, especially items like Sev Puri, Ragada Pattice, Dahi Vada and the like. Of course, this is available readymade with many brands. But I prefer the Chaat Masala that I make at home.

INGREDIENTS

Jeera – 50 gm
Pepper – 1 tsp
Black Salt – 50 gm
Salt – ¼ tsp
Mirchi Powder – ½ tsp

METHOD

1. Roast the jeera well till it turns brown.
2. Add the pepper and mix well just a couple of minutes before you turn off the gas.
3. Allow the jeera-pepper mix to cool down.
4. Add jeera, pepper, black salt, salt and mirchi powder together in the mixer and grind to a fine powder.

If you think you might use this quantity over a couple of months, store half of it in an airtight container in the kitchen and the other half in another container that can be kept in your freezer.

You can even make delicious chaas by adding Chaat Masala to it.

Recipe: GUJARATI MASALA

Gujarati Masala

I managed to get the Garam Masala (Punjabi-style) recipe. Later, I could buy the Maharashtrian masala readymade during an exhibition at Bandra Kurla Complex. But the Gujarati masala had been eluding me since many years.

I have a few Gujju friends from whom I tried to learn this one. But they used to get the masala from their hometown in Gujarat and none of them knew how to make it. I suppose it is something like the sambar powder form Tamil Nadu. Most of the people get it directly from their families living in that state and do not have a clue about the ingredients that go in it.

I prefer to make fresh masalas at home as the food tastes much better. Since I have the luxury of time on my hands, life is a lot easier, of course.

Roasted ingredients

Luckily for me, a Gujarati family have moved into the flat across mine and the daughter-in-law Pratiksha was only too ready to help me with this recipe. She gave me the names of the ingredients a few days ago. As I began to get the ingredients together, I realised that she had not given me the proportion. I did not want to disturb her in the morning as she has a school-going son. So, I just prayed and put stuff together. The result was a super-delicious Gujarati Masala that tasted heavenly when added to the cauliflower-peas sabzi that I made today.

INGREDIENTS

Red chillies – 10
Green chillies – 10 (broken into 2-3 pieces each)
Bay Leaves (Tej Patta) – 6 (broken into pieces)
Curry Leaves – a handful
Black Pepper – 2 tbsp
Jeera – 2 tbsp
Cloves – 15
Cinnamon – 1” piece

Cauliflower-Peas Sabzi

METHOD

Take a kadai and dry roast the ingredients one by one. Please ensure that the green chillies are broken into pieces. If you drop full green chillies on to a hot saucepan, the chances are high that the chillies might burst in your face.

Cool the ingredients before grinding them dry into a coarse powder. The Gujarati Masala should be stored in an airtight container in the freezer as it might not survive if kept outside at room temperature.

You can add about 2 tsp for about a kilo of sabzi. Use more or less depending on how spicy you want the sabzi to be.

The Gujarati Masala has a superb aroma!

Recipe: VEG-CHEESE PIZZA

Pizza Wedge

I prefer the Indianised version of pizzas to what Domino’s has to offer. While these are available in the restaurants nearby, it’s way more fun to make them at home. I don’t have an oven and so managed to make them on a Tawa. They turned out delicious.

INGREDIENTS

Readymade Pizza Base – 4
Capsicum – 2 (cut in rings)
Onion – 1 (cut in lengths)
Cheese – grated (4 tbsp per pizza)

For sauce

Tomatoes – 8 (large) (chopped)
Onions – 2 (chopped)
Carom Seeds – ¼ tsp
Green Chillies – 4
Garlic – 8-10
Salt to taste
Olive Oil – 2 tsp
American Corn – 1 packet
Fun Foods Pizza Topping – 2 tbsp

METHOD

1. Boil the corn in a bowl of water along with salt. Drain the water completely once cooked.
2. Grind green chillies and garlic into a coarse paste.
3. Heat oil – you can use regular cooking oil if you don’t have olive oil – on a medium flame. Add the carom seeds and then the chilli-garlic paste.
4. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding chopped onions.
5. Once onions turn golden brown add tomatoes and salt. Cook well.
6. Mash the sauce well before adding the boiled corn and Fun Foods Pizza Topping.
7. Cook for two more minutes before switching off.

8. Spread the sauce liberally over the readymade pizza base.
9. The next layer with be the capsicum rings.
10. Spread the onions over the capsicum.
11. Top it with grated cheese.
12. Heat a tawa – an iron skillet is preferred as the pizza can be slow-cooked to perfection on this – and cook the pizza on it. Keep it covered and check it from time to time. It should be cooked till the cheese begins to melt. The gas should be kept on a very low flame or the pizza will get burnt.

Cut into wedges and serve hot. The yummy pizza can be had with ketchup or just by itself, the way I prefer it.

Recipe: BATATA VADA

Batata Vada

Vada Pav is a hot favourite in Mumbai, especially during the rains. While it can be purchased at every naka in the city, one can’t beat homemade Batata Vada. I learned to make this from my sister-in-law’s husband. It’s quite easy to make and very delicious too.

INGREDIENTS

Potato Mixture

Potato – 1kg
Rai – 1 tsp
Channa Dal – 1 tbsp
Urad Dal – 1 tbsp
Garlic – 10-12 (chopped fine)
Green Chillies – 6-8 (chopped fine)
Curry Leaves – 10 (chopped fine)
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Potato Balls ready to go into the batter

Oil for deep frying

For Batter

Besan – 250 gm (2 cups)
Turmeric Powder – 1 large pinch
Chilli Powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 2 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Cook the potatoes in pressure cooker for 4 whistles.
2. Mix the batter with the ingredients mentioned along with water to form a smooth paste to the consistency of Dosa batter. I add oil instead of soda as the latter is not healthy at all. It will give the same crispness to the vada.
3. Peel the potatoes and smash well using a pav-bhaji masher.
4. Take a saucepan and heat 2 tsp oil in it. Add the rai and allow it to crackle before adding the channa dal and urad dal.
5. Fry till golden brown before adding the chopped garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till the garlic turns brown before switching off the gas.
6. Add turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
7. Now add the mashed potatoes and coriander leaves. Mix well with hand. Check for salt.
8. Mould the potato mixture into balls.
9. Heat oil in a kadai for frying.
10. Dip the potato balls into the besan batter and deep fry till golden brown.

The yummiest homemade Batata Vadas are ready. You can serve them with pavs and lasoon chutney.

Recipe: GREEN THAI CURRY WITH VEGGIES

Green Thai Curry with Veggies (no artificial colour added)

I have fallen in love with the taste of Green Thai Curry over the past few years. A couple of weeks ago, Viggy got the recipe from a friend and that’s when I made the dish at home for the first time. It had turned out well but it was not the best. Later, when I spoke to my sister Lakshmi, she explained to me that I should use thick coconut milk and should not boil it for very long. So, the second time I made Thai Curry on the eve of Vini’s birthday, it turned out just perfect.

INGREDIENTS

French Beans – 100 gm (Stringed and cut into 1” pieces)
Carrots – 150 gm (Peeled and cut into 1” pieces)
Broccoli – 150 gm (Cut into 1” pieces)
Red Pepper – 1 (Cut into medium-sized pieces)
Yellow Pepper – 1 (Cut into medium-sized pieces)
Zucchini – 1 (small) (Cut into medium-sized pieces)
Paneer – 100 gm (Cut into 1” pieces)
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coconut Milk – 3 cups (of thick consistency)

Masala

Readymade Green Thai Curry Paste – 50 gm
Garlic – 10-12 cloves
Ginger – 2” piece

METHOD

1. Extract thick coconut milk as mentioned in the note below and keep aside.
2. Grind the three items under ‘Masala’ with a couple of spoons of water. This should be a smooth paste.
3. Take half the masala and marinate the paneer pieces in it and keep aside for 10 minutes.
4. Boil water in a vessel. Add salt and beans to it. Cook for 3-4 minutes before adding the carrots. Cook for 1 minute and switch off gas. Add the zucchini, mix with a ladle and immediately drain the water completely.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan and shallow fry the marinated paneer. Turn it for a couple of minutes before adding the red and yellow peppers. Add the other half of the masala.
6. Toss for 2-3 minutes before adding the boiled veggies – beans, carrots, broccoli & zucchini.
7. Mix well and add a bit of salt. The readymade Thai Curry paste already has salt in it. So do not add too much.
8. Switch off gas after 2 minutes.
9. You can add the coconut milk and cook on a medium flame for just 2-3 minutes or till the mixture begins to simmer just before serving.

Green Thai Curry with Veggies tastes absolutely delicious with Steamed Rice. Believe me, it was finger-licking good!

Note: Coconut milk is readily available in cans. You can use this. I preferred to make fresh coconut milk at home. For 3 cups of coconut milk, I ground 2 grated coconuts with 3 cups of water and strained the milk. DO NOT add water a second time round to extract thin milk. This is not suitable for making Thai Curry. The leftover coconut can be stored in the freezer and used for garnish in South Indian Curries or for making gravies for Kootu. 

Before adding the coconut milk! Doesn't it look yummy?

Recipe: VEG MANCHURIAN GRAVY

Hakka Noodles with Veg Manchurian Gravy

Venkat saw an ad in the paper. Knorr has come up with Manchurian Gravy. The picture was very attractive and he was keen that I try it at home. Only after I got the packets did I realise that Knorr provides the gravy while the Manchurians need to be prepared from scratch. I have never made this before and the recipe on the packet was a great help.

The dough for making Manchurian Balls

INGREDIENTS

For Manchurian Balls

Grated Carrots – 1 cup
Grated Cabbage – 1 cup
Maida – ¼ cup
Corn-flour – ¼ cup
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

The Manchurian is ready to go into the gravy

(I have deviated a bit from the recipe on the packet as I don't advocate maida much. Corn-flour is a great substitute but I was not confident enough to use that fully.)

For Gravy

Knorr Chinese Manchurian – 1 packet
Spring Onions – 1 bunch (chopped along with the greens)
Capsicum – 2 (chopped)
Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 flat tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 2 tsp
Water – 500 ml

The Gravy

METHOD

1. Mix the grated carrots, grated cabbage, corn-flour and maida in a bowl along with salt. This can be kneaded into thick dough (to the consistency of roti dough). There is no need to add water.
2. Make small balls the size of lemons. Deep fry these and keep aside.
3. Take a saucepan and heat 2 tsp oil in it. Keep the flame on medium to high.
4. Once hot, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry.
5. Add the spring onions and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
6. Then add the capsicum and do the same.
7. Take a bowl and mix the contents of the packet of Knorr Chinese Manchurian to half a litre water.
8. Add this mixture to the saucepan and stir well. The flame can be reduced to low at this point.
9. Cook for 2-3 minutes. You may need to add a bit of salt while the Knorr mixture already has some in it.
10. Now add the fried Manchurian balls to this gravy and cook for a minute before switching off the gas.

Thank you Knorr!

Serve the Veg Manchurian Gravy hot with Hakka Noodles or Fried Rice. It’s absolutely delicious. Thank you Knorr for making this so easy! Otherwise, preparing the gravy could be a tedious job.