Khasta Kachori

Kachori is one dish I have always loved. Specially the Kachori we used to get in the VT subway near the station. Any of you who havent visited mumbai in the recent 5-6 years must not being knowing about this place. This is our newly formed Khau Gali ( food corner)... a treat and great place for all the crores of travellers. The VT station (now know as CST terminus ) underground subway has been converted into a food n shopping corner. When we used to pass that way from our college to the station to catch our train, it was very rare for us to not eat anything in the underground food corner... we used to atleast have an icecream.. Those old memories. It has been years I havent eaten kachori.When I saw the recipe in one of Manjula's aunties videos in you tube. I was thrilled and wanted to try it out immidiately.... the result was amazing...just my kachori's crust was a bit thick, and it didnt puff too much, (maybe coz I made the kachoris too small...dunno) check out the snaps.....






You can check out the recipe for the kachori here. http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/08/31/khasta-kachori/

It also has a video of how to make the kachoris. So enjoy making the lovely kachori with Manjula aunty. I have also tried the dhokla method that is their in that site... works fine for me. The site has semolina dhokla. I tried the khaman dhokla using besan and the same method. Turned out too good for me.




Kachori filled with onions taste too good. Thats my hubby's idea. Try it and enjoy!

Some facts about Kachori

Kachori or Kachauri, a farsan or spicy Indian snack of various regions of India, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.

In Rajasthan it is usually a round flattened ball made of fine flour filled with a stuffing of baked mixture of yellow moong dal or Urad Dal the crushed and washed horse beans, besan the crushed and washed gram flour, black pepper, red chili powder, salt and other spices.
In Gujarat, it is usually a round ball made of flour and dough filled with a stuffing of yellow moong dal, black pepper, red chili powder, and ginger paste.
In Uttar Pradesh, it is a flattened ball of spiced potatoes, typically including potatoes and peas, wrapped in white flour, and deep fried.
A variant includes sweet upwas (fast) kachori, made with potato, coconut, and sugar. Kachoris are often served with a chutney, often made from tamarind, mint, or coriander.
Some of the variants popular in North India includes a version similar to the Rajasthan version accompanied with a curry made of potatoes and varied spices or even chana (chole), similar to one served in Chole Bhature.

So many Varieties in Kachori. Next I am gonna try the sweet kachori. any joining me for it?



Serve hot with Ketchup or mint chutney. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Mulligatawny Soup

This is one protein rich and much richer tasting soup.All those Sienfeld fans out there would have surely heard this name in the soup nazi episode. This is a very easy to make soup and so sumptuous and filling that u can have this alone for ur supper maybe accompanied with some nice toasted bread... yummmmm...! did u know?....some facts about this soup? got it from wikipedia....here it goes..

Mulligatawny is a type of Anglo-Indian soup. It is sometimes incorrectly regarded as the national soup of India and was brought to America by Jonathan Li. A literal translation from Tamil is "pepper water" ('Millagu' is pepper and 'Thanni' is water). Despite the name, pepper itself is not a vital ingredient. Rice and noodles are commonly served in the soup; the real dish the Anglo-Indians call "pepper water" is closer to Tamilian rasam (pronounced Russ-um) than mulligatawny.
Variations differ very much. Sometimes, the soup has a turmeric-like yellow color and is garnished with parsley and chicken meat, and is more soupy, which takes on its Anglo-Indian adaptation to be a thick, spicy meat soup.
Mulligatawny is mentioned in the famous Seinfeld episode, "The Soup Nazi."

This soup is normally made with rice and noodles and chicken n meat and what not... but today iam gonna make this soup...with my own recipe, what I figured out could be added in this soup to get the true vegetarian taste and flavour or the Veggies. I had this soup once in an indian restaurant here in Los angeles, and from then on was crazy to try out this recipe. I searched the net throughout for the actual traditional recipe... never got one till date. Fed up of all the wait I finally tried it out "My way" and the result was this lovely soup...just like the one I tasted.I was satisfied with the outcome. Hope u like it too. This is one soup iam sure you all gonna love.... Do check it out!...

P:S: Anyone who came across the traditional "vegetarian Mulligatawny soup recipe" do pass it on to me... or do give me ur advice if u feel i have left some specific ingredient needed for this soup. All comments welcome. Thank you. uh uh uh.... well now, finishing my thank u speech, i would like to now proceed towards the recipe of this delicious healthy n filling soup....This recipe calls for a lot of turmeric compared to the usual amount that we put......u should have the taste of turmeric coming in ur mouth...thats the trick in this soup. If u dont like the taste u may always reduce the amount according to your taste....I promise the soup will yet taste very very tasty.......

"" On my blogger friend siri's suggestion Iam sending this soup recipe for the ongoing event, Live STRONG with a taste of Yellow - 2008 hosted by Barbara of http://winosandfoodies.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/post.html ""

Thanks siri for the lovely suggestion. I am in :D



For this recipe you need:

Yellow lentils (toor dal) - 1 1/4 cup
French cut beans - handful
Peas - 1/2 cup
Sweet corn kernel - 1/4 cup
Carrot - 1 finely julianed or grated
Potato - 1/2 medium potato chopped
Ginger - 1" piece finely chopped
Garlic - 1 pod finely chopped
Garam Masala - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Green chillies - 2-3
Salt to taste
Ghee /butter - 1 tsp
Fresh Coriander leaves
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1tsp


Method:
In a small pressure pan or cooker put the dal, vegetables and all the other ingredients in the cooker. Pour in aprox 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water in it and cook in the pressure cooker giving 2 whistles.If ur having a big cooker u can keep the daal and the vegetables in seperate containers and cook. Later u can mix them together in a pan adding all the masalas.I prefer making it in the cooker itself as its much easier.

Once the daal is cooked, off the gas and let the pressure be released.
Now check the consistency of the soup if it is too thick, add 1-2 cups of water as needed and let it boil well. Add a spoon of butter or ghee to the soup and mix well.Garnish with coriander leaves before serving..




Serve hot as a main dish or as an appetiser. Enjoy! Tastes very nice with sourdough bread.

Leftover Magic - Moong daal 1 (Moong Daal masala wada)

Have you ever wondered... "what to do with this extra Pesarattu batter?" Well, I came around that situation yesterday.I made pesarattu on this weekend and as u all pesarattu fans know how heavy it is. It had it for 2 days at lunch...in a row.It difficult to eat more than two... atleast thats how it was with both of us. After all the pesarattu I just slid it inside my fridge and cooly forgot about the batter.Now, yday when i got the batter out of the fridge... i heard my husband cry...saying "not pesarattu again".... hmmm kids and their demands..( my hubby R is no ess than a kid when it comes to fussing).. so i slid it in again and began my mind machine thinking what should I do with this batter.

I had seen that in india when there was very little adai or dosai batter left in the fridge my mom used to make wada or kuzhi panizharam.... with it. So then, I decided I will try the same thing with this pesarattu batter, and it came out very good and tasty. So any of you u have that leftover batter in the fridge...get up and start working. You may also make this wada fresh. All u need to do is soak moong dal for overnight and grind it in a mixer adding salt, few green chillies, jeera and ginger.Your pesarattu batter is ready.




For making this you will need : Iam giving mesurements for 2 cups pesarattu batter.

Pesarattu left over batter - 2 cups
Onions - 1
Gram flour (besan) - 1cup (if the batter is too loose... if its thick just add 1/2 cup.)
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
salt to taste
Ginger - 1" piece finely chopped
Red chilli powder - 1tsp (optional) - I added this to my batter was too bland.
Oil for frying



Method :

Add all the above ingredients except the oil into the batter and mix well. Heat the oil in a big kadhai. Take a big table spoon and drop a sponful of batter in the hot oil. Keep the flame in medium and cook the wadas.This will take some time.Let the wadas cook properly. Keep turning in between. Once the wads are golden in colour remove from the oil on a paper napkin. See that u take it out on a paper napkin as u dont want the wads to be full of oil. The paper napkins will take all the excess oil from the wada.

Now your moong dal masala wada is ready to be served.



Serve it hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney... Enjoy!

Crunchy easy salad

Easy simple and tasty. Thats what I call this salad. It just needs some basic things that we have at home hence can be made anytime and in no time at all.For making this Salad.


You need :

Frozen sweet corn kernels - 2 cups
Onions - 1 finely chopped
Carrot - 1 chopped in small cubes
Capsicum/green bell pepper - 1 cup (finely chopped)
Roasted salted peanuts - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2
Fresh coriander
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder - 1tsp
Lemon juice - 4-5 tsp
Olive oil - 3 tsp (optional)

Method :
In a pan put some oil and roast the corn kernels and the capsicum till they are cooked well.
One in a big bowl take the roasted corn kernels - capsicum and add the peanuts and onions to it and mix well.
In a smaller bowl take the olive oil and add the other ingredients, (except the coriander leaves) to it and mix well. This is the dressing.When ready to serve add the dressing to the corn, mix well and serve in seperate bowls garnishing with coriander leaves.Your salad is ready.




Serve chilled and enjoy! Lovely evening snack or a side to your daily lunch.

Sabudana wada

This one of my favourite dishes.... Being from maharashtra I have grow eating this dish.....Any restaurant in Mumbai will have this in their menu.This wada is eaten for fasts (Vrath) specially by maharashtrians. My mom used to make this often. When the mixture is made for the vada, it emits such a nice and sweet smell that u feel hungry then n there.... hmmm love this dish...:)

What you need :

Saboodana (Indian pearl sago) - 1 cup

Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1tsp

Peanuts - 1/2 cup roasted and crushed coarsely

Potato - 1 boiled,peeled and diced

Green chillies finely chopped - 4 or 5

salt to taste

oil to deep fry

Cornflour (optional) - 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash the sago and drain excess water. Soak it for 2-3 hour.After 1 hr of soaking, sprinkle around half a cup water on it .Keep it aside for 2-3 hours. Loosen the Sago with ur hand to remove the lumps. Now tou can feel the sago, which must have become soft and rubbery to touch.
Now to this Sago add all the other ingredients except oil and mix it well. Now with moist hand, make patties of round shape.Make all the patties and keep it aside for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in a kadhai. Now, deep fry the wadas in hot oil on medium flame. This will take some time, but be patient.Turn it once or twice in between until both sides are cooked well and are golden brown in colour and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper napkins to remove the excess oil. Always remember to do this, so that all the excess oil is sucked in by the paper towel, and the wadas remain crisp to eat.Your wadas are ready.

Serve hot with sweet yoghurt, green chutney or tomato ketchup.

Moong, Peach and Mango Salad

Healthy and tasty is what i can say for this. Very easy to make and packed with nutrition.
to make this salad

You will need :

Moong Dhal (green Gram) Soaked overnight - 1 cup
Onions - 1 small
Tomatos - 2 chopped
Peach - 2
Raw or half ripe Mango - 1 cup
Green chillies finely chopped - 2-3
Fresh coriander chopped finely - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Lemon juice
Chaat powder


Method: Soak the Green gram overnight. Cook it in a microwave safe bowl for 8-10 minutes on high. Alternatively you can cook it in a pressure cook it half done. Dont cook the moong too much orelse it will become mashed.
Now let the moong cool down well. Mix all the chopped veggies and fruits and mix well.Add the chaat powder, salt and lemon juice. garnish with fresh coriander and serve chilled.Your amazing nutrition packed snack is ready...:)


Serve it chilled as an evening snack. Enjoy!!...

Dahi wada

yummmmm the name brings water in my mouth..... You all must be surely knowing what this is, So I am directly gonna jump to the recipe of this Tasty yummy Evening snack called "Dahi wada"......Enjoy!

Ingredients you need :

For the Wada:

Urad dhal (soaked for 4 hrs) - 1 cup

Green Chillies - 2 chopped finely

Green coriander - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

For the Dahi :

Yoghurt or thick buttermilk : 3 -4 cups

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tsp

For Garnishing:

Fresh coriander

Chaat powder

Red Chilli powder

Salt (optional)

Tamarind Chutney

Method:

For the wada, soak the urad dhal for 4 hours. In a blender mix all the ingredients for the wada,except oil and grind into a coarse paste, using very little water. See that the batter is a bit thick. It shouldn't be watery.

Now heat the oil in a big Kadhai and fry the wada batter in small round balls. You can use a tablespoon to drop the balls in the oil. Fry the balls till golden brown in colour. Remove from oil and keep aside.Once the wadas are cool soak them in a big bowl filled with warm salted water.Keep it aside.

Now for the Dahi. In a bit bowl, Mix all the ingredients for the dahi and beat it well.The dahi should be creamy and flowing with no lumps.Once your dahi is ready, drain the water from the wada and put the wadas in the dahi. Dont squeeze the wadas too much... let some water be in them. Now your dahi wada is ready to serve. You can keep then aside for something for the dahi to be soaked in by the wadas. You can keep it in the fridge. It tastes better cold.

When ready to serve, in a serving bowl put 2 wadas in a bowl and garnish with few coriander leaves, sprinkle chaat powder, chilli powder, salt and tamarind chutney and serve cold.

Serve chilled as an evening snack. Enjoy!!

Fusili with Pepper Pasta and a trip to Phillipines

Pasta and italian cuisine.... wow the names rings so many bells in my mind and

stomach... hmmm. This one dish with i can relish anytime.Me and my hubby both love pasta a lot. This Pasta that I made today is very very special, coz I made it after like 1 1/2 months. The reason being my hubby who had a over dose of pasta in his office tour and was not willing to eat anymore.

Just lying in my kitchen pantry for 3 months the delicious and glamorous looking tri colour fusilli was realesed today....again to be captured by us.This is a very simple pasta recipe. I dont add any sauce to it, but use sauce as a side to the pasta. The reason behind this is to increase the shelf life of the pasta. I have seen (by earlier experience) that pasta when made with sauce becomes soggy and shapeless.....after sometime....dont feel like eating it again. So here goes the recipe.

You will need :

Fusilli (i used the colorful ones) - 1 packet

Red bell pepper - 1/2 chopped in small strips

Brocolli (chopped or florets) - 1 cup (i used chopped frozen brocolli)

Dried Oregano - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Crushed red pepper (khada sukha mirchi) - 1 1/2 tsp (according to taste)

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

some chopped parsley(optional)

Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Fresh garlic - 4 pods finely chopped

Sun dried tomatoes - 7-8

Method :

Cook the pasta in rapid boiling water until al dante. Add some salt and olive oil to the water.Remember, dont cook the pasta too much.It shouldn't become soggy.Drain the pasta and run cold water over it. Keep the Pasta aside.

Now in a big pan take Olive oil and heat it well. Once the oil is hot add the garlic and saute for a minute. I like to add more of garlic. You may alter the quantity according to your taste.Now add the chopped pepper and Brocolli. Cook well till the vegetables are cooked but yet crisp.Now add in the Pasta, Salt, oregano herb, crushed red pepper and black pepper powder and mix well.saute the pasta well for 10 - 15 minutes. Now add the dried tomatoes, cut in strips to the pasta.mix well. There shouldn't be any water in the pasta and the pasta should be dry with just the oil.Now finally garnish with chopped parsley.Now this pasta is a bit spicy as i like it so. You may reduce the spice in this recipe according to ur taste n choice.Now you can relish this pasta with some maranara or presto sauce on it or as a side.

For the side salad:

Take any vegetables of ur choice...(i took the stir fry vegetables and added corn and mushroom to it.) saute it in olive oil and add black pepper, salt and a 1/2 or 1 tsp of oregano... stri fry it well. Enjoy as a side to the pasta.

Have this lovely pasta along with some maranara sauce or presto sauce and some sauted vegetables in olive oil. You may eat it as it is.. without any side too. Enjoy.

Now about the lovely Phillipines. This month my hubby R got a chance to go to Phillipines on his company project. Just love his job...he gets to roam so many places..lol. Well I see at the better part of his job, that is his tour.I couldnt join him for his trip so sent my camera with him so that he can capture this new and alien place (atleast to me) and show me how it looks. And I was surprised when i saw the pictures. I felt as if its my home land... India. It looks so similar to india. The streets, lovely and gracious people,the climate. R told me so many things about Phillipines that I have planned I am gonna go there whenever I get a chance .For now some lovely pictures from R trip to Phillipines. For more information of Phillipines and its rich culture. check out http://www.tourism.gov.ph/index.asp

Tagaytay, Manila, Phillipines.

Isnt it beautiful? Yeah its a lovely place.. and the snap says it all. So beautiful and so serene.Tagatay is just a 90-minute countryside drive south of Manila takes you to one of the worlds natural wonders, the Taal Volcano, which has been called the smallest active volcano in the world. It sits inside a lake called Taal Lake. What makes Taal Volcano more unique is the fact that the volcano itself has a lake of its own inside its crater which is called the 'Crater Lake.' There was a report in February 1999 that the Volcano was getting restless again, spewing 6 metre high geysers of mud and boiling water. You can swim inside the Crater Lake but it is advised that you don't stay long as the lakes water is a very diluted form of sulphuric acid with high concentration of boron, magnesium, aluminium and sodium in salt form.Lake Taal is drained by the Pansipit River. The first recorded scuba dive inside the crater was made by a team led by Thomas Hargrove in 1986 to a depth of about 20 metres or 60 feet. There is even a tiny island in the Crater Lake which Hargrove's team also explored. Thirty three eruptions have been recorded since 1572 at Taal, mostly on Volcano Island.

The lovely phillipines skyline. Hope to go there soon. So cya in Phillipines.....:)