Aaswaad -All Things YUM

Paneer & Coconut bread roll

2013-06-16T17:35:00.001+10:00

I am back to writing after a long long time, so i thought of starting with a short and simple recipe.I will try to discipline myself to come and write at least 1 recipe a week. Lets see how far I go.
This is a tea time snack which I made the other day.I had some shredded coconut and paneer pieces in the fridge and was wondering what to make out of them.So mixed a few ingredients and tried this new dish and it turned out to be an amazing snack dish.

Ingredients

Bread slices- 4

Paneer grated around ½ cup

Fresh coconut grated or you can use frozen -2 tbsp

Onion finely chopped-2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste-1/4tsp

Coriander chopped -2 tbsp

Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp or as per taste

Chaat masala as per taste (optional)

Tomato ketchup – 1tbsp

Chilli sauce-1/4 tsp

Salt

Oil for frying

Method

1. Mix all ingredients except bread and oil in a bowl.

2. Taste the mixture and adjust the taste.

3. Take 1 bread slice and slice off the edges using a knife.

4. Now soak you hand in a bowl of water and place the wet hands on the bread slice so that it becomes little wet.

5.Place 1-2 tsp of the paneer feeling in the centre of the bread slice and then roll the slice to form a cylindrical shape.

6. Repeat for other slices.

7. Now heat oil in a pan, fry the bread rolls till golden brown.

8. Serve hot with green chutney or ketchup.

Spring Masala Dosa

2012-08-17T10:18:00.001+10:00

Blogging after a long long time.Starting with an all time favorite of my brother.This is one dish which he will always order whenever we visit ShivSagar restaurant in Mumbai.It is just because of him that I have got hooked onto this dish. This dish is a take on the authentic Masala Dosa. Along with the potato Bhaji you add a few other vegetables and a spicy sauce.

I miss eating these dishes here in Australia so the best way to enjoy the dishes is making them myself so here goes the recipe.

For the Dosa-

1 1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup urad dal

few methi seeds (optional)

Salt

For the filling-

Potatoes - 3-4 boiled and roughly mashed

onion- 2 medium finely chopped

Green Capsicum- 1 finely chopped

Cabbage- 1/2 cup finely chopped

Carrot- 1/2 cup grated

spring onion- 1/4 cup finely chopped

Shredded coconut-1/2 cup

coriander leaves chopped -1/2 cup

green chillies- 2 roughly chopped

curry leaves- 3-4

cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

oil

Red chilli sauce- 1/4 cup

Tomato ketchup-1/4 cup

Method-

To make the dosa

1. Soak the rice , urad dal and methi seeds seperately in water for 6 hours or overnight.

2.Grind together and add salt and mix water accordingly.

To make the filling-

1. In a kadhai/vessel add oil, when it becomes hot add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chillies.

2. Saute for a minute and add half of the chopped onions.Cook till the onions become translucent.

3. Now add the mashed potatoes, turmeric powder and salt and mix well.Remove from gas and keep aside.

4. In a bowl mix the following green capsicum, cabbage, carrot, spring-onions, coconut, remaining half of the chopped onions and some salt. Mix well.
5. In a small bowl mix the chilli sauce and tomato ketchup and adjust taste accordingly.

Assembly-
1. Heat a pan or tavaa with little ghee or oil.
2. Spread the dosa mix on the pan .
3. Once the dosa has cooked on one side spread a spoonful of the sauce mixture. Now place a 2 table spoons of the potato filling and spread is across the dosa.
4. Finally add the vegetable mix on one side. Spread little oil or ghee and fold the dosa.
5. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

P.S
1. Adjust the sauce that you spread as per your liking.
2.If you like the crunchy feel of the vegetables then add more of the vegetable mix.

Seekh Kebab/Lamb Mince kebab

2012-05-14T17:32:00.001+10:00

Winter has just about starting here down under,so in this cold weather felt like eating some nice hot and little spicy kebabs.So 2 weeks back when there was nice sunshine on a Sunday afternoon, hubby dear jumped on the idea of making kebabs.I had some lamb mince at home so decided to give it a go.
This is an Indian version of Kebab where I have used Bengal gram dal or Chana dal for binding the mixture together.

Ingredients
Lamb mince- 250gm
Chana Dal- 1/4 cup soaked in water for 30 minutes
Onion - 1 medium cut into 4 pieces
Green chillies-1 optional
Ginger garlic paste- 1 big tablespoon
Red chilli powder- 1/4 tsp (adjust as per choice)
Garam Masala-1/4 tsp
Cumin-Coriander powder-1/4 tsp
Amchoor or mango powder- a pinch (optional)
Mint leaves- 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves-1/2 cup
Lemon juice- 1tsp
Oil for grilling
Onion sliced for serving

Method-
1. Drain the water from the soaked chana dal.
2.Place Chana dal, onion, Corinader leaves, mint leaves in a chopper and roughly chop.
3.Add this mixture to the lamb mince and add all other ingredients excel Oil.
4.Add salt and mix all together.
5.Take skewers soak them in cold water for 10-20 mins to avoid burning when put on barbeque.
6.Apply little oil to your hand and wrap the lamb mince around the skewer till you get the desired shape.

7.Prepare as many skewers with the lamb mince.Keep these skewers in fridge for 30 minutes so that they become nice and firm and do not stick of fall off when cooking.

8.Turn on the barbeque and spray some oil and once the bbq becomes hot place the skewers on the bbq.If you do not have bbq you can place it on a grilling pan and cook on stove top.Remember to put some oil and the skewers need to fit in the pan else the mince will not cook.
9.Cook for around 20-25 minutes depending on the temperature of your bbq.Once they start turnig brown lower the temperature or gas and let it cook on slow heat.

10.To find out if the kebabs are cooked I just removed one of the skewers and tasted the kebab's a bit once you sure remove from bbq and serve hot with onion slices, salad leaves and mint chutney,
I served it on a Paratha , you can use Pita bread if you like.

Gobi/Cauliflower cooked in chilli sauce

2012-03-26T12:27:00.000+11:00

Ingredients

For making cauliflower fritters or Bhajiya

1. Cauliflower florets -250 gm (3/4th boiled)

2.Red Chilli sauce- 1 tsp

3.Soy Sauce- 1/2 tsp

4.Tomato ketchup-1tsp

5.Salt

6.Rice flour- 1/2 tbsp

7.Maida/All purpose flower-2 tbsp

8.Cornflour- 2 tbsp

9. Oil for frying

For making sauce

1.Onion 1 small finely chopped

2.Green Capsicum 1 small finely chopped

3.Spring onion chopped

4.Garlic cloves 6 finely chopped

5.Green chillies 1 thinly sliced (optional)

6. Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp

7. Soy Sauce- 1 tbsp

8. Red chilli sauce or chilli garlic sauce - 2 tbsp

9.Brown sugar a pinch

10.Black pepper powder pinch

11.Salt

12.Cornflour 1 tbsp (mix with cold water and make a paste)

Method-

1. To make cauliflower fritters mix all ingredients till no.5 (salt) in a bowl along with the parboiled cauliflower pieces.

2.In a seperate bowl mix the corn-flour,rice flour and maida along with some salt.Add 1/2 tsp each of chilli sauce and soy sauce to this mixture.Add water and mix well till you get batter thick enough to coat the cauliflower.

3.Place a wok on the gas and add oil, when oil becomes take the marinated cauliflower florets, dip them in the batter prepared above and deep fry till done.Since the cauliflower is parboiled fry it only for some time. Let it drain on a tissue paper.

4. To make sauce add 3 tbsp oil in a wok, when hot add chopped garlic , saute for a minute on a high flame.When garlic turns brown add chopped onions and saute for 2 mins.

5.Add the chopped capsicum and mix well saute for just 2-3 minutes on high flame.Now add the green chillies if using, soy sauce,chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, brown sugar and salt and mix well.

6.Taste the sauce to check on spicyness and adjust according to taste.

7.Now add the 2 tsp corn flour mixture to this sauce and mix well till the sauce becomes of semi thick consistency.Now add the fries cauliflower fritters and mix well to coat the cauliflower with sauce.Add chopped spring onion and remove from gas.

Masala Idly

2011-11-24T16:51:00.001+11:00

Last weekend I had made Idly for breakfast and like always I was left with some extra idly but no chutney.Not wanting to make chutney again , I was just wondering what to make out of the leftover Idly & tried this dish.Not sure if such a dish actually exists, I called it Masala idly as I cooked the idly with some onions and tomatoes like a sabzi.The dish turned out well and now I need not worry about the leftover Idly again.

Ingredients
Leftover/fresh idly -6 nos
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Tomatoes-1 medium chopped
Green chillies- 1/2 small finely chopped (optional depending on how spicy you like)
3-4 curry leaves
Sambhar powder 1/2 tsp(I used the ready made store bought)
Red chillipowder-1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Oil- 2 tbsp
chopped coriander for garnishing
salt
Lime juice 1/2 tsp

Method
1. Heat a frying pan, add 1/4tsp oil , put the idlys and cook for 2 minutes on each side.This will make the idly a bit firm.Remove and cut in small pieces.
2.In a vessel heat 2 tbsp oil, when hot add mustard seeds , when the seeds splutter, add curry leaves and green chilies (if using)
3.Now add chopped onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or till onions are just cooked.Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the mixture becomes mushy and oil seperates.
4.Now add Sambhar masala powder, red chilli powder & turmeric powder and mix well.
5.Finally add the idly pieces, salt, lime juice and mix well, if it looks too dry the sprinkle a little water and cover with a lid and cook for 5-6minutes on a low flame.
6.Remove from gas,add chopped coriander and serve hot.

Quick and easy Rabdi/Milk-Bread pudding

2011-11-04T09:51:00.002+11:00

This Diwali I decided to try some new sweet dish as usually I make either kheer, sheera or gulab jamun. I started searching the internet for different types of Indian sweet dishes. Finally I decided to make 'Rabdi' as it requires very few ingredients and most of the ingredients are always available in the house. Rabdi is a sweet dish or dessert made from thickened milk and bread slices.There were quiet a few recipes available for making the Rabdi.I used a combination of ingredients from different sites and the end result was very nice so sharing the recipe with all of you.
Ingredients:
3 cups milk (Use whole milk as it will taste better)
1/2 cup condensed milk (milkmaid )
1/4 cup sugar (adjust according to desired sweetness)
3 bread slices
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
chopped pistachios & almonds around 2-3 big tbsp
rose water a drop
few saffron strands

Method
1.Remove the crusts of the bread slices and discard.Cut the bread in very small bit size pieces.Keep aside.
2.Bring the milk to boil in a heavy bottomed pan, when the milk is just about to boil add the condensed milk and half of the sugar and bring it to a boil.(At this stage you can taste the mixture and then accordingly add the remaining sugar)
3.Add the remaining sugar,the bread pieces, rose water, cardamom powder & cook on a medium flame, while stirring continuously (approx.5 minutes).
4. Reduce the flame and let it simmer for 20-25 mins till the volume reduces to half.Now add some of the chopped pistachios and almonds and remove from the stove. Add the saffron and mix well.
3.Let the mixture cool down to room temperature and then refrigerate for 3-4 hrs or till you get the desired thickness.Serve chilled

Cauliflower Bhajiyas/Fritters

2011-10-27T12:12:00.000+11:00

This is one of the most easy dishes you can make for quick tea time snack.Most of us will always have some left over cauliflower, so instead of wondering what dish to make of the leftover cauliflower making fritters is an easy and tasty option.

Ingredients

Cauliflower -1/2 cut in florets bite sized

Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp (adjust according to taste)

Cumin-Coriander powder -1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Ajwain seeds-1/4 tsp (optional)

Chickpea flour- 4 big tbsp

Rice four- 2 big tbsp

Salt

Oil for frying

Method-

1. Cut the cauliflower into bite sized florets.Boil some water on the gas and add cauliflower.Cook for 2-3 minutes or till half done.Do not overcook the cauliflower.

2.Drain the water and marinate the cauliflower with salt, little red chilli powder, half of the cumin coriander powder,and half the turmeric powder.Mix well

3. In another bow add chick pea flour and rice flour.To this add salt the remaining spices like chilli powder, cumin coriander powder, ajwain seeds & turmeric powder.

4.Pour water and make batter of semi thick consistency.

5.In a pan heat some oil, when oil become hot dip the cauliflower in the batter and then place in oil, and fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or till you get a golden brown color.

Serve hot for tomato ketchup or chilli sauce

Chicken curry with Apricots

2011-10-17T15:46:00.000+11:00

A few weeks back I came across this wonderful Chicken recipe in a magazine.The recipe was a mix of Indian curry sauce and Mediterranean dried Apricots. It is a very easy to prepare dish and it requires no marination. Initially I was a bit apprehensive about trying the dish, as the very thought of adding dry fruits to a curry sauce was little daunting, but since I was in a mood of trying something new I gave it a shot and it turned out very nice.It has a little tangy & sweet taste to it and it went very well with steamed rice.So here is the recipe.

Ingredients

12 dried Apricots

1/2 Kg Chicken pieces leg and thigh pieces preferred

1 tablespoon ghee

2 onions finely chopped

3 large tomatoes chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

3 garlic cloves crushed

2 green chillies seeded and finely chopped (adjust according to taste)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder

black pepper

4 cardamom pods crushed

Oil for cooking

Method-

1.Soak the dried apricots in hot water (about 250ml)for 1 hour

2.Clean the chicken and rub salt and black pepper.Melt the ghee in a saucepan, add the chicken in batches and cook over high heat for 5-6 minutes or until browned.Remove from the pan.

3.Add some oil to the same pan if required ,add cumin seeds and then put the chopped onions and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until soft and golden.

4.Add the grated ginger,garlic, green chillies and cook, stirring for 2minutes.Stir in chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder and cook for a further 1 minute.

5.Now add the chopped tomatoes and crushed cardamom pods,return the chicken to the pan.Chop the apricots into bit size pieces and transfer the liquid and apricots to the pan and mix well.

6.Simmer,covered, for 35 minutes or until chicken is tender and the tomatoes are cooked and mashed.

7.Remove the chicken and keep on a plate.Bring the curry sauce to the boil and boil rapidly,uncovered,for 5 minutes till it has thickened a little,Return the chicken back in the pan and remove from gas.

Serve with white steamed rice.

Quick and Easy Vegetable Pulao

2011-09-28T16:32:00.001+10:00

'Vegetable Pulao or Pilaf' as some people call it is a rice dish mixed with different vegetables and cooked in spices. I find this dish the best way to eat my quota of vegetables. But preparing Pulao the authentic way can be a very daunting task as it involvesaa lot of preparation.So the other day when deciding on what meal to cook I thought of making this quick and easy Pulao with whatever vegetables I had lying in my fridge.I added some coconut milk in the end to make it little moist and to add extra flavor.You can skip this part if you do not have coconut milk handy.It turned out very nice, so for all those people looking for a quick meal to cook after a days hard work sharing the recipe.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice – 2 cup (you can also use leftover rice or precook it in the morning and keep aside)

Chopped onions 1

Tomato paste 1 tbsp

Green peas boiled-1/2 cup (you can use the frozen ones)

Carrot chopped-1/4 cup ( pre-boil and keep)

Any other vegetable you have handy like frozen corn, green beans, cauliflower

Ginger garlic paste- 1tsp

Ready made Biryani masala powder – 1tsp (you can use any brand like MDH, Shan Biryani Masala that is available in Indian grocery stores, in case you do not have any Biryani Masala then add red chilli powder, cumin coriander powder and turmeric powder or any other curry powder you have handy)

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Chopped coriander

Lime juice 1 tsp

Coconut milk 2 tbsp (optional)

Salt

Oil- 3 tbsp

Method-

1.Cook rice in rice cooker and keep aside.

2. In a deep-bottomed vessel add around 2 to 3 tbsp oil, when the oil becomes hot add the cumin seeds, when they start to splatter add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute till the raw smell goes away.

3. Now add the chopped onions and sauté till the onions turn transparent. This should take about 4-5 minutes on medium flame.

4. Add the green peas, chopped carrots and any other vegetable and sauté for a minute.

5.Now add the tomato paste and the Biryani masala powder and mix well.

6.Finally add the cooked rice,salt, half of the lime juice and 2 tbsp coconut milk and mix well.Add only enough coconut milk to make it moist and to add some flavor. Cover with a lid and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

7.Remove from gas and garnish with chopped coriander and more limejuice if required.

Serve hot with Yogurt, Salad mix and Papadum .

"Kande Pohe"- Spicy Flattened Rice

2011-09-08T09:00:00.000+10:00

"Pohe"or "Poha" as some people may call it, is the most loved and eaten breakfast or snack in any Maharashtrian house. At my mummy's place we used to have Pohe every sunday morning for breakfast .If for some reason my mom could not make it, my brother & me used to make a face.Even today if you go on a Sunday morning to my parents house chances are you will be eating pohe for .I also try to make it on weekends but sometimes if I cannot make it, then I make it on a weekday. Having had pohe religiously for so many years it was but natural I developed a liking for it &this was the first dish that I learnt from my mother. Other than the usual ingredients like onions and potatoes my mom used to add green peas and trust me it tastes wonderful.So here is my mothers recipe for pohe.
Ingredients
Pohe/Pohe - 2 cups (You need to use the thick poha , if you use the thin one the dish will become mushy)
Onions finely chopped - 1 big
Potatoes thinly chopped- 1/2
Green peas boiled- 1/4 cup
Green chillies- long slit 1- 2 (use this depending on you liking for hotness)
ginger very finely chopped- 1 inch
curry leaves- 6-8
Cumin seeds- 1tsp
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
Asafoetida/Hing- a pinch
shredded coconut for garnishing - 1/4th cup
Chopped coriander -for garnishing
Lime juice- 1/2 lime'
Turmeric-1/4th tsp
Salt
pinch of sugar
Oil- 4tsps

Method-
1. Heat around 3 to 4 big tsps of oil in a pan.Use oil generously otherwise the pohe will become dry.
2.When the oil becomes hot lower the flame & add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and hing.When they crackle add the chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.Cover with a lid immediately for a minute. This will retain the flavor and smell of the curry leaves.Make sure not to burn it.
3. Remove lid and add chopped potatoes and onions and saute for a minute.Place back the lid back and pour some water on the lid and let the potatoes and onions cook on steam.
4.When the potatoes and onions are almost cooked (this will take around 10-15mins depending on your potatoes) add the boiled green peas and lower the flame to minimum.
5.Now take the poha and put in a colander/straining vessel and pour some water, strain the water immediately and repeat the process 2-3 times till the poha become soft. Remember to strain all the water from the poha by pressing it between you palm.This is a very tricky step as if you leave the poha in water for long it can turn all mushy.I messed it up the first time but overtime I have got it correct.
6.Now place this soft poha on a dish.Add some salt and the turmeric.
7.Add this poha to the cooked onion-potato mixture in the pan.Add a pinch of sugar and the lime juice Mix well.Taste a little and adjust salt and lime juice accordingly.Again cover with lid and cook for 3-5 minutes.
8.Remove from the gas add some of the shredded coconut and coriander and mix well.Serve hot and garnish again with coriander and sev if you like.

My Travel,My Clicks: 'Malvan'A Jewel in the Konkan!!!

2011-08-25T09:38:00.000+10:00

My Travel,My Clicks: 'Malvan'A Jewel in the Konkan!!!: For all those not familiar with Indian subcontinent, let me introduce you to the Konkan region.It is a rugged section of the western coastli...

My Travel,My Clicks: My Clicks

2011-08-25T08:42:00.000+10:00

My Travel,My Clicks: My Clicks: Sharing a few of my favorite shots.All these shots were taken by me just like that on the spur of the moment.Did some work on the shots usi...

Bread Roll

2011-08-24T11:41:00.001+10:00

A quick tea time snack is always welcome.The other day when wondering what to make for evening snacks, I suddenly remembered my school days.Whenever we went for school picnics my mother used to always make either Puri Bhaji or Pohe and I never liked them, instead I used to always prefer my friends tiffin, most of the time she used to bring bread-roll.Bread roll is nothing but slices of bread stuffed with potatoes and then fried crispy. Luckily I had some bread slices at home and so decided to make the bread rolls.

Ingredients
Bread slices 4
2 medium potatoes boiled and roughly mashed
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 green chilly finely chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp cumin-coriander powder
pinch of Amchur/dry mango powder
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt
bowl of water
oil for frying

Method
1. Roughly mash the potatoes and add all ingredients from Onions to lemon juice.Add salt and mix well and keep aside.
2.Now take one slice of bread and remove the hard edges with a knife.Take a bowl of water and dip the bread slice in water till it just soaks and remove immediately.Remember not to soak in water for long just dip for 1sec and remove.
3.Press the slice gently between your palms to squeeze out all the water.
4.Now place 1tsp potato stuffing at the center of the bread slice and then fold the four edges of the bread slice and mold as per desired shape.I made a cylinder type shape you can also make round shapes.Prepare all bread rolls in a similar way.
5.In the meanwhile pour oil in kadhai or deep bottomed vessel for frying.When oil becomes hot release the bread rolls 1 to 2 pieces at time in the oil and fry till golden brown.
6.Remove and drain on tissue paper and then serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney

You can also prepare the bread rolls beforehand and keep the in fridge for a day or two and fry them as and when you want.

Chicken & Vegetables in Creamy Mustard Sauce

2011-08-17T10:44:00.003+10:00

A few weeks back we had some guests for dinner.I knew that they are not used to eating spicy food so I had to come up with some dish with no spice in it. Preparing an Indian dish with no spice is difficult, so I ventured into the world of western cooking.After going through a lot of cook books I came up with a dish which is a combination of 2 main dishes baked chicken and sauteed Vegetables.I used vegetables and chicken together and prepared sort of a one pot meal.It has some cream and cheese in it so those on diet can use little portions of cheese and cream.

Ingredients-

Chicken Thigh fillets- 8 pieces

1 onion - Sliced

1 Tomato- Sliced

6-8 Button mushrooms- Sliced lengthwise

10-12 Green beans/French beans- Cut lengthwise

250gm Baby Spinach-Roughly Chopped

Chicken /Vegetable stock- 1 cup

2-3 cloves garlic - finely chopped

1tsp garlic paste

2-3 tbsps Honey

Worcestershire Sauce- 2 tsps

1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder

3 tbsp- Butter

Cooking Cream -200ml

2 tbsps Wholegrain Mustard paste

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

Olive oil

Method-

1. Place chicken pieces in a bowl and add 1tsp garlic paste, 1/4tsp black pepper powder, 1tsp honey,

2tsps Worcestershire sauce, 1tsp butter,4tsps olive-oil &salt mix well and marinate for 2 hrs.

2. Roughly chop all vegetables lengthwise. In a frying pan add 2tsps olive oil when hot add ½tsp chopped garlic & saute for 1 min. Now add onions and saute till raw smell goes away. Add the tomatoes, mushroom and green beans & ½ cup of the stock, mix well and cook for 5 minutes or till half done.

3. Now add 2tbsps wholegrain mustard sauce and cooking cream and mix well.

4.Add a pinch of nutmeg powder, black pepper powder & finally add the chopped spinach and let it simmer for 2 minutes and remove from gas.(Add salt if required as the stock already has salt)

5.Add around 3-4 tbsp of olive oil to the frying pan when hot add the marinated chicken pieces and fry for 5-6 minutes till 3/4th done.Remove and keep aside.

6.Now brush some olive oil to a baking tray. Place the fried chicken pieces along with all the juices in the tray. Add the sautéed vegetables to tray along with the sauce. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of the stock, shredded cheese and season with black pepper powder and nutmeg powder.

7. Bake in the oven at 200deg C for 25-30 mins.Let it sit for 10mins before serving.

You can serve this with Salad .I served it with white jasmine rice and it tasted very nice.

Masala Pav- Shortcut to Pav Bhaji

2011-07-25T10:54:00.000+10:00

Like many of you reading the title and unfamiliar with this dish, I was equally surprised when my brother ordered this dish from our local "Udipi" restaurant in Dadar. This was about 5 years ago. When the dish came it looked so messed up with the Pav stuffed with Bhaji and covered with Bhaji from all sides.My first reaction was better to have ordered Pav Bhaji why order something so messy.But my brother was hell bent on me trying this dish and one piece in the mouth and I became a fan of this dish.The taste is almost similar to Pav Bhaji as it uses the same Pav Bhaji masala, but this dish is quick to prepare and unlike the Pav bhaji which has lots of vegetables like potato, cauliflower, peas, carrot, capsicum etc the Bhaji in this dish has only Capsicum and onions.The difference between a Pav Bhaji and Masala pav is that in Pav Bhaji the bhaji and pav are served as separate dishes whereas in Masala Pav the Bhaji is sandwiched in-between the pav and the pav is soaked in the Bhaji.It is a quick snack one can make anytime .The flavor of the dish like the pav bhaji is enhanced by use of butter. But since we all know butter can be unhealthy if used in large quantities I used oil for most of the steps and used butter only in the last part during garnishing.So use butter as per your liking.

Ingredients
Small Pav - 2 (Small soft round buns or dinner rolls serve the purpose)
Onions 3 medium finely chopped
Green Capsicum - 2 finely chopped
Tomatoes 2 medium finely chopped
Tomato paste 1 tbsp
ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp (adjust as per hotness preferred)
Cumin coriander powder 1/4 tsp
Everest Pav Bhaji Masala 2 tsp
Lemon juice of 1/2 lemon
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Butter
Oil -3 tbsp
Coriander chopped for garnishing
Sev for garnishing (Optional)

Method-
1. Heat oil in a pan , when hot add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste and saute well till raw smell goes away.
2. Now add chopped onion, capsicum and cook on medium gas till capsicum is almost cooked.
3. Now add tomatoes, tomato paste mix well and cook till the mixture become mushy.
4. Now add pav bhaji masala,cumin coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt and 1/2 tsp lemon juice and mix well.Cover and cook for 2-4 mins till all the favors mix together.Add 1 tsp of butter and remove from gas.(Add little water if the bhaji become too dry)
5. Now take a frying pan and put some butter on it (I used little oil) .Take the pav slit from the center and place it on the frying pan. Cook on both sides till the pav become soft.Cook all pavs in similar way.
6. For serving place one slice of pav on the dish and add some bhaji mixture on it.Add little butter and place the other slice of bread on top.Pour the remaining Bhaji on the top so that it covers the entire pav.
7.Pour little butter and garnish with coriander, sev and lime juice (if required).

Brisbane & Goldcoast

2011-07-18T09:40:00.002+10:00

Last week we had been to Brisbane and Gold Coast for few days. Since moving to Australia in Dec 2010 this has been our first vacation.P had a seminar to attend in Brisbane and I went along with him , thought it would be welcome break for both of us from the cold winter weather of Geelong. P had been busy with seminar but we still managed to do some sightseeing on the last day in Brisbane.

From what I had read about Brisbane I knew it was a big city and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of residential high rise buildings we saw.It immediately reminded us of our stay in Singapore. It was almost like being in Singapore with similar tropical trees and big buildings with nice swimming pools and all. The weather had been nice and warm during the day but come evening it used to get cooler. Anyway we made the most of our stay in Brisbane,visited the Brisbane CBD on Friday evening before heading to Gold coast on Saturday morning.

Gold coast is a mere 1 hr drive from Brisbane so we rented a car and drove down to Gold coast.The moment you enter Gold coast you are taken by the festive holiday atmosphere of the place.You can see palm tree lined streets with tall buildings on one side and the beach on the other side, holiday goers walking down the streets. enjoying the nice warm weather, eating their hearts content and lazing around the beach. Atleast this is what we did.In all it was good break for us from the daily routine.

Other than the sun soaked beaches the next most popular thing in Gold coast are the theme parks.With many theme parks to choose from we decided to visit two of them, as we had just one more day to go. We visited the Sea world and the Movieworld, both were equally good and we got chance to look at some of famous 'Warner Brother' character's like Batman ,the joker.In all it was fun filled 2 days at the Goldcoast and since we liked it so much we are very much looking to visiting it again.

"Dum Aloo"-Small baby potatoes in a creamy Almond-Cashew paste

2011-07-01T16:15:00.003+10:00

Being an avid NonVeg eater I was not aware of a lot of vegetarian dishes which were served in Indian restaurants,as whenever we went to restaurants we used order either Chicken or mutton and if by chance we ever ordered any veg dish it used to be a Paneer dish.I remember when going through the menu in the veg section the name "Dum Aloo" used to there and I used to wonder who would want to go to a restaurant and order a potato dish. So I had never tasted Dum aloo till a few years back when I happened to have this dish at a party.I liked the dish instantaneously but still never made any effort to make it or even order it at restaurants.So last week when I happened to see some small baby potatoes at our local grocery store "Coles" I remembered this dish and thought about making it over the weekend.Luckily I had some cream in the fridge so I could add it to the dish to give a rich creamy flavor. But incase u don't have cream or looking for a healthier substitute u can use milk instead. So here is the recipe

Ingredients
8 baby potatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 mid-size onion finely chopped
1 tbsp yogurt (plain, not sour)
1/2 tsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tbsps almond-cashewnut paste - soak the nuts in warm water, and blend to a paste
1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp Shan tandoori masala (in case u dnt have this u can use any tandoori masala)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp dhania –jeera powder (dry cumin -coriander powder)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1 bay leaf
2 cloves

1inch cinnamon stick
salt and lemon juice - to taste
2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup cream (u can use milk incase u want healthier option)

1 tbsp raisins
fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Method

1.Boil the potatoes in a pressure-cooker or on stove top ,taking care not to over-cook them. Boil it till just tender. Peel of the skin and using a fork prick some holes.
2.Take 1 tbsp yogurt in a bowl, to this add 1/2 of the ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp shaan tandoori masala. ¼ th of the almond cashew paste ,pinch of turmeric powder and pinch of salt. Mix it well to form a smooth blend.

3.Now rub this paste to the boiled potatoes till well coated and keep aside.
4.Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the bay leaf ,fennel seeds,cinnamon stick and cloves and saute for a minute, then add the chopped onion and saute till light-brown.

5.Add ginger-garlic paste & saute for 2 mins till the raw smell goes away.

6.Now add the tomato paste and sauté for 3-4 mins or till oil starts leaving the sides.

7.Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania –jeera powder and mix well

8.Now add the tomato ketchup and milk/cream and mix well and let it simmer on medium flame for 5mins till everything blends well to form a smooth texture.

9.Finally add the marinated potatoes and the remaining almond cashew paste and salt and mix well. Keep in mind not to break the potatoes when mixing so do this gently

10.Cover with a lid & let it cook on low flame for 5-8 mins till the curry becomes semi thick consistency, add water if it becomes very thick. Once done garnish with raisins and coriander leaves.You can serve this with chappati or rice.

Eggplant Parmigiana with Pasta

2011-06-14T16:09:00.000+10:00

Growing up in India,the only international food that i ever had was the Indo-Chinese food.With the onset of cable TV in India came a lot of international channels which aired a lot of US TV serials.It was when watching these serials did I come to know of food items like pizza, burger, pasta.But that was the closest I got to these foods and it is in the last 5-7 years that these food items have entered into the Indian market. I remember eating Italian food in India 5-6 years ago in restaurants like sizzler or oven fresh which specialized in Western food. The dishes that I had at these restaurants were macaroni or spaghetti pasta in tomato or cheese sauce.When I moved to US I was introduced to whole new Italian cuisine.It was on one such trip to the Italian restaurant "Olive Garden" when I first tasted the Eggplant Parmigiana and I instantly fell in love with this dish. I never thought that anything made of eggplant can taste so yummy.So few weeks back I made this dish at home and it was all worth the effort.As per articles and food blogs on the net, traditionally the eggplant is fried in olive oil and then assembled and baked with tomato pasta sauce, but instead of frying i tried the healthy option and grilled the eggplant in the oven and then assembled it and baked it again.So here is the recipe

Ingredients:
Eggplant 1 large
2 eggs
4 big tsp dried Oregano powder (u can use the one available in bottles in supermarkets)
Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Bread crumbs 1/2 cup
Olive oil 1/4th cup
Pasta Sauce 1 whole bottle ( Divide into 4-5 portions)
Spaghetti pasta
Fresh Basil leaves 5-6
1/4 cup Sliced mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt
Method-
1. Slice the eggplant into 1cm thick round slices (about 6 slices )and sprinkle salt on each side and keep aside.
2. Drain off any water, rinse and pat dry.
3. Take the eggs in a round vessel and beat well.In a flat plate spread the bread crumbs and dry oregano powder.
4. Dip each eggplant slice first in the egg mixture and then coat with oregano powder and finally with breadcrumbs.(The eggs will help the breadcrumbs and oregano to stick to the eggplant)
5.Brush a baking tray with olive oil and place the coated eggplants on the tray and grill at 200deg C for 25 mins or till eggplants are done.
6.In the meanwhile cook the pasta as per instructions on the packet drain and place in vessel . To this add 1 tsp olive oil , 2-3 basil leaves, salt(if not added when cooking the pasta), 1/2 tsp black pepper powder and 1/2 of the pasta sauce.Mix well.
7.Take a Baking dish and brush it with some olive oil. Spread the bottom with 1/2 cup of pasta sauce.Top with the eggplant slices. Top eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the basil leave.
8. Now layer this with 1/2 cup of pasta sauce and the cooked pasta. Finally layer with remaining basil leaves and Parmesan cheese and olive oil . Bake for another 20mins or till the cheese melts.
Serve hot with garlic bread.
Note- Divide the pasta sauce as per your requirement before you start layering so you have enough sauce till the last layer.The pasta sauce is needed to moisten the eggplant and the pasta.

A taste of Asia-Thai Red curry, Thai Style Cucumber Salad & Steamed Rice

2011-06-03T10:10:00.000+10:00

My experience with Thai Food started during our stay in Singapore.With loads of Thai restaurants and Thai Food stalls to try I used to eat my heart out. It was during this time that I developed my taste and liking for Thai food. After reading a few recipes and food blogs on the internet, I realized that making Thai food is really easy and quick. In Singapore the supermarkets had a variety of ready made Thai pastes available.You just needed to add vegetables, meat and coconut milk and it was ready to eat. When we moved to Australia I did not have lot of choices in readymade Thai curry paste (I needed to buy one without shrimp paste and fish sauce), but still managed to find some.But as luck would have it, a few weeks back I was watching a food show by Jamie Oliver and he showed how to make Thai Red curry pasted at home.It was an easy recipe and I decided to try it.Along with that he also showed a very nice Thai style Cucumber salad.I tried both these recipes and it tasted very nice.So here I am sharing this recipe of Thai Red curry and Cucumber Salad.

Thai Red Curry:
Ingredients for the paste
Garlic 2 cloves
Ginger 1" piece (If you are able to get Galangal better)
Lemon grass 1 stick chopped (This is an important ingredient)
Tomato paste 1 big tablespoon
Roasted red pepper - 6 pieces (I used the one you get in Cans)
Coriander a bunch
Red chillies - 2 (adjust according to your spice level)
Kaffir Lime leaves 6 (This is an important ingredient)
Soy Sauce 1 tsp
Veg Oyster Sauce 1 tsp
Oil
Mix all the above ingredients in a food processor and make a paste.You can also store this paste in the fridge for upto 15days.

Ingredients Thai Red curry
Chicken pieces 250gm - Marinate chicken with some of the paste and keep aside (for those making veg version skip this)
Carrots diced 1/2 cup
Eggplant dice 4-5 pieces
Onion diced 1/2 cup
(You can add any veg like Broccoli, snow peas)
Coconut milk 1 can
Red curry paste 2 tbsp
Oil (Sesame oil if available)
Garlic chopped 1/2 tsp
Coriander for garnishing

Method
1. In a wok heat some oil , when hot add chopped garlic and saute for a minute. Add the eggplant , carrot , onions and marinated chicken and saute till half cooked.This should take around 3-4 mins.
2. Now add the Red curry paste and mix well. Sprinkle some water and cook .
3. Now add the coconut milk and let it cook on medium heat till veges and chicken is done.
4. Add salt mix well and garnish with coriander.
It may not be the most authentic Thai curry but I still liked it

Thai style Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
Cucumber 1
Lime juice 2 tbsp
Seasme oil 1 tbsp
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Oyster Sauce 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste 1/2 tsp
Coriander chopped a bunch
Red chillies deseeded and finely chopped 1
Peanut crushed 1 tbsp
Salt
Method-
1. For dressing - In a bowl mix all the ingredient from Lime Juice to Gingergarlic paste and keep aside.
2.Now take the cucumber peel of the skin .Now keep peeling the cucumber till you reach the center part.You will get thin shaved cucumber pieces.Assemble this in a bowl.
3. Now add salt, chopped coriander, the dressing, some of the crushed peanuts.Mix well.Garnish with crushed peanuts and red chillies and serve.
Prepare the Salad fresh and serve otherwise it can get soggy. You can keep the dressing prepared and mix only when serving.
I served the Thai curry with steamed Jasmine rice and a side of Cucumber Salad.

Chicken Lollipop/Fried Chicken drumletts/Drum of Heaven

2011-05-25T10:33:00.003+10:00

"Chicken Lollipop" or fried Chicken Drumletts is a very popular dish served as a starter in Indian Chinese restaurants in India.In some restaurants for some reason it is also called as " Drums of heaven" .When we went to any Chinese restaurants in India it was one of the must have starters . Nowdays it is even served at parties as finger food and its popularity is just growing.
The Chicken drumletts are marinated using a mix of Indian and Chinese sauces it is then coated in a spicy red batter and then deep fried.It is served with a spicy schezwan sauce.A few weeks back I had made these batter fried chicken drumletts at home.I used some ingredients which i saw in a few recipes online.It turned out to be very tasty and hubby has asked me to make it often.For this i used the chicken drumletts that is the smaller version on drumsticks.Drumsticks can be too big and thick so better to use drumletts or wingletts
Ingredients-
Marinate-
Chicken Drumletts- 8 pieces
Garlic pods -15pieces
Ginger- 2 inch
Chilli sauce- 1 tbsp
Soy sauce 1/2 tbsp
Tomato sauce - 1tbsp
Black pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt
Red food color
For Batter
Cornstarch/Cornflour- 4 tbsp
All purpose flour/Maida- 2 tbsp
Oil for frying

Method-
1. Clean the chicken and rub some salt and black pepper and keep aside.
2. Make paste of garlic and ginger. Keep 1/4 th aside and use remaining for marination
3. In a mixing bowl take the chicken and add ginger garlic paste, Red chilli sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup and red color and mix well.Coat the chicken in this marinate and keep it aside for 3 hrs minimum.
4. When ready to fry make the batter.In a bowl mix cornflour, Maida , red color and the remaining ginger garlic paste.Add little salt and red color.Add water to have semi thick consistency.
5. In a frying pan take oil . Take the marinated chicken and dip in the batter to coat and fry in hot oil.
6. Fry for around 3-5 mins on medium heat or till chicken is done.Remove and drain on tissue paper.
Take some aluminum foil and wrap it around the leg part.Serve hot with sauce.

Olive Fried Rice

2011-05-16T10:07:00.003+10:00

I am a fan of Chinese and Thai food, especially Fried Rice and Noodles.In India I used to order fried rice at our local Chinese restaurant "Stomach" in Bandra.I remember ordering it at least once in a fortnight .Most of the times I ordered chicken fried rice but sometimes i used to order the spicy scezhwan fried rice.When we were in Singapore getting Chicken fried rice was difficult, as non veg dishes used to contain sea food to which I was allergic. But once we when were at a Thai Restaurant "Thai Express" I happened to see a dish on their menu by name the Olive Fried Rice. On inquiring with the waiter I was told it does not contain any sea food, so I ordered one for myself and it turned out to be very tasty.It looks blackish in color as Black olives are used but has a very distinct flavor of olives.Last week I had made Olive fried rice at home and along with it I also made Chicken Lollipop and Veg Stirfry. For the Fried rice I got bottled Black olives from an Asian grocery store.It has some liquid which can be used for adding flavor to the rice. Its a very easy recipe and change from the normal fried rice.
Ingredients
Black Olives - 10 to 15 nos roughly chopped also use the liquid of the bottled olives
Thai Jasmine rice -1.5 cup
Spring onion chopped -1/2 cup
Onion 1 small chopped
Carrots finely chopped-2 tbsp
Cabbage chopped -2 tbsp
Brocolli- small pieces cut (optional)
Garlic finely chopped-2 tbsp
Ginger-finely chopped 1/2 tsp
Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
VegetarianOyster sauce -1/2 tsp
Chilli sauce -1 tsp
black pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Sesame Oil (or normal cooking oil)
Salt

Method-1. Prepare rice and keep it aside.
2. In a wok heat oil and when hot add garlic and ginger and saute till you get nice smell of garlic.Add the onion and saute on high heat for a 2 mins.
3. Now add carrots, broccoli, cabbage and saute for a 2-3 mins till vegetables are 3/4th done.
4.Now add the chopped olive (keep some aside for garnishing in the end) and mix well.
5.Finally add the cooked rice, the dark liquid of the olives, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chilli sauce and black pepper and mix thoroughly.Taste for salt and add if needed.
6.Finally garnish with spring onion and olives and serve hot

Grilled Egg sandwich

2011-05-05T09:20:00.000+10:00

" Eggs" is one of the most commonly prepared dish for breakfast.There are so many ways in which you can serve the egg .This is one recipe which I learned from my mom.When we were small my mom used to make this sandwhich for us when we used to be come back from school.It tastes very good and it is very filling and a change from the usual style of cooking eggs. She used to make egg bhurji that is scrambled egg with onions, tomatoes and use this bhurji as stuffing for sandwhich.Last week I made this for breakfast and my husband loved it a lot.
For making 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Eggs- 3
bread slices - 8 for making 4 sandwhiches
1 onion medium finely chopped
1 small tomato chopped
1/2 green chilli finely chopped (adjust this as per the hotness of the chilli)
1 garlic clove finely chopped
coriander bunch finely chopped
red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
tumeric powder 1/4 tsp
black pepper powder a pinch
chilli sauce 1/2 tsp (optional)
tomato ketchup as required
oil 2 tbsp
butter

Method-
1. In a frying pan add oil , when oil becomes hot add the chopped garlic, chillies and saute for a min.When you get nice aroma of fried garlic add chopped onions and cook till the become soft.
2. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 mins.Now add red chilli powder and turmeric powder
and mix well.
3. Break all 3 egg in a bowl add salt and pepper to it and pour it on the onion tomato mixture, mix it well and let it cook.
4.Once the egg is done add little tomato sauce around 1 tsp and chilli sauce (optional) and chopped coriander.Mix well and remove from gas.Egg bhurji is ready.Taste for salt and add accordingly if needed.
To make sandwhich-
1. Take 2 slices of bread and spread butter on them.Pour little tomato sauce if you like .Now place the egg bhurji on one slice of the bread and place the other slice on this .Prepare all sandwhiches.Put little butter on the outer side of the bread slice so that it is nicely toasted.
2. Put little butter in the sandwhich maker and place the sandwhich and cook till golden brown.Serve hot when done.
The butter which needs to be put on the bread and sandwhich maker is not more than a pinch.We just need it for little flavor.

Quick and easy Pumpkin sabzi/Bhoplyachi Bhaji

2011-04-27T10:05:00.001+10:00

This is one more recipe which I learnt from my mother in law. I had never had this vegetable before and had no idea what to expect, but it turned out to be very nice and tasty.Pumpkin has a sweet taste to it, so it is one of those vegetable which is on the sweeter side, but still very tasty and yummy.Also it is a very quick and easy recipe with not many ingredients and also the pumpkin cooks pretty fast.

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin peel off the skin, remove seed and chop into medium sized squares

Green chillies slit - 2 (or as per choice)

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida a pinch

Olive oil 2 tsps (You can use sunflower oil also)

Coconut shredded 1-2 tsps

Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp

Amchoor powder little less than a pinch

Coriander for garnishing

Method-

1. Take some oil in a pan and heat on medium gas, when hot add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and hing,Saute for a minute and add green chillies and red chilli powder.

2. Saute for 3-4 secs and add the chopped pumpkin and mix well.Add a pinch of amchoor powder.

3. Now add very little water, about 2 tsp, we just want to make the pumkins moist.Cover with little with water on it and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.

4. Check in between, once the pumpkin becomes soft add salt, coriander and coconut. Remove from stove and serve hot with chapatti.

Note- if you feel the red chilli powder will make it too spicy then do not add as we have already added green chillies before.

Easter-Anzac day weekend....So now comes winter

2011-04-27T09:46:00.001+10:00

The Easter weekend was a long weekend here,from Friday to Wednesday.Easter holidays were followed by the Anzac Day holiday hence the long weekend.Anzac day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. With this being the last long weekend before winter starts we decided to make the most of it.We went for a lot of long drives in and around melbourne and the weather was just perfect.We were able to visit "Dandenong ranges national Park" just east of melbourne and see the fall colors.

Next we went to the " Great Ocean Road" it is one of the most beautiful scenic drives along the ocean in the world.There are lots of places along this road where you can stop and enjoy the vastness and the different colors of the ocean.But the best were the "12 Apostles",these are huge limestone rock formations in the ocean and they really form a panoramic view.It was one really breathtaking experience and as someone said it is like heaven on earth.

Bharli Vaangi/Stuffed Eggplant

2011-04-20T10:01:00.002+10:00

Eggplant is one vegetable that I really like.There are various ways of cooking Eggplant or Baingan as we call it in Hindi.There is the mashed way of it more popularly known as Baingan Ka bhartha, or the simple Eggplant and potato curry or the traditional Bharli Vaangi style.I like Bharli vaangi most but it requires a lot of preparation. For starters you need the small baby eggplants.We do not get them here in any supermarkets.But a few weeks ago we had gone to the famous Victoria market in Melbourne. It is a huge open air market which has everything from meat to vegetables and fruits.When walking through the fruit and vegetable market I saw one lady selling the baby eggplants and the next moment I was at her stall buying a few.Her's was the only shop selling baby eggplants and I know that whenever I visit the Victoria market I have go and first buy the eggplants less they are all sold out. So after coming home having bought the baby eggplants I knew I had to prepare the stuffed eggplant.Here is my recipe of Bharli Vaangi.

Ingredients

4-6 Baby eggplants

Shredded coconut 2 big tbsp

2 small onion finely chopped

Peanuts 2 tbsp

1.5 tbsp sesame seeds

1.5 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 inch ginger chopped
5 garlic cloves chopped

5- 6 dry red chili (adjust as per choice)
4 cloves

4 black peppercorns
1 to 1.5 inch cinnamon

2 cardamom

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

5-6 curry leaves

chilly powder

turmeric powder

Tamarind 1 inch ball

jaggery

salt

oil

chopped coriander

Method-

1.In a frying pan heat 2 tsp of oil.When hot add the mustard seeds, when the seeds start to splatter add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and 1/2 of the chopped onion and saute till onion become soft.

2.After the onions become soft add sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and red chillies and saute till you get a nice aromatic fragrance.

3. Finally add the shredded coconut and peanuts and saute till coconut turns brownish.You need to saute on a low flame to avoid burning.Remove from heat and let it cool.

4.Till the above mixture cools take the eggplants and cut the eggplants lengthwise. Make Two slits lengthwise perpendicular to each other in which you can put the stuffing.

5. In a vessel heat around 2-3 tbsp oil and put the slit eggplant and fry till 1/2 done.This should take around 3-5 mins or till eggplant start to turn brown.Remove and keep aside.

6. Now take the above stuffing mixture and add around 1/4th of the tamarind you can adjust this based on your liking of tangy flavor, 1/2 the chopped coriander and some salt .Grind this in a mixer with very little water if needed.The stuffing should be of semi-thick consistency not a coarse mixture.

7. Fill the eggplants with half of this stuffing and keep the other half aside for adding as gravy mixture.

8. Now in the same vessel used for frying eggplant add oil if needed or use same oil.When oil becomes hot add curry leaves and then remaining half of the chopped onion and saute till it becomes brown.

9.When onions become brown add the stuffed eggplants.Now add the chilli powder and turmeric powder.Pour the remaining mixture kept aside for gravy on the eggplants and add some water. Let the eggplants cook on medium heat till done.

10. When done add salt (keep in mind we had added salt to the stuffing so add salt if needed) and chopped coriander.

Serve hot with chapattis or rice.