Ladle, Brush & Spade

Jackfruit Seeds (Bikkanda) Upkari

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 10:35:00 +0000

Well friends, as promised in my earlier post, this is another typical konkani "upkari" which means a dry curry. These seeds are very nutritive and has umpteen health benefits. So don't ever discard them.

First of all, dry the jackfruit seeds and then peel off the white skin as mentioned in my earlier post. Once this is done, you are ready to prepare the curry. I have also added a small piece of yellow cucumber in this curry. You may omit it if you so desire. It tastes wonderful with the addition of yellow cucumber.

Ingredients:

Jackfruit seeds

(dried, halved & peeled) 15 -20

Yellow Cucumber about 1/4th Pc

For tempering:

Oil for tempering 2 tsps

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilies 2- 3

Curry leaves 1 Sprig

Asafetida (Hing) 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

For Garnishing:

Freshly grated coconut 1 tbsp (optional)

Method :

Halve the dried & peeled jackfruit seeds and cut the yellow cucumber into cubes or bite size pieces.
Steam or pressure cook them for about 20 mins till soft but not mushy. Allow it to cool.
Then heat a pan or a vessel on a medium flame. When the vessel is hot enough, add the mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, lower the flame and add the dry red chilies, hing & curry leaves.
Next add the boiled/steamed Yellow Cucumber & Jackfruit seeds into the vessel. Give it a good stir. Sprinkle a little water if necessary so as not to stick at the bottom of the vessel/pan.
Add salt and mix well and allow it to cook for a few minutes for the salt to absorb.
Switch off and garnish with freshly grated coconut.
Its now ready to be served.

Jackfruit seeds (Halved) & Yellow Cucumber (cubed)

Steaming under process

Mustard seeds, hing, red chilies & curry leaves

Jackfruit seeds & Yellow Cucumber steamed

Tempering underway

Steamed vegetables added to the tempering

Freshly grated coconut added

Jackfruit seed (Bikkanda) Upkari ready to be served

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves : 3-4 persons

Note :

You can check the health benefits of Jackfruit seeds here :https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/jackfruit-seeds-dont-discard-those-nutty-kernels-yet-read-the-health-reasons-inside
This simple dish is not only tasty, and easy to prepare but very healthy too.
Check here for my earlier post of Jackfruit seeds (Bikkanda) Koddel

Jackfruit Seed (Bikkanda) Koddel

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 09:53:00 +0000

As promised in my earlier post, I am presenting here the recipe made from Jackfruit seeds or Bikkand as it is known in Konkani language. Since the tempering is done with garlic it is called "Koddel".

It's a simple recipe and is generally prepared by the GSB ( konkani speaking communities). Jackfruit seeds are gassy, hence it is generally combined with "Magge" (Yellow Cucumber) and/or with drumsticks. On the whole this combination makes it very nutritious and tasty too.

Firstly, jackfruit seeds should be washed and dried in the sun for a day or two. Once dried, you can easily peel off the outer white skin. Once this is done, it's ready for cooking. So let's begin.

Ingredients:

Jackfruit seeds - about 15

Yellow Cucumber - 1/4th Pc

Drumstick - 1

Garlic - 5-6 garlic cloves

Oil for tempering - 2 tsps

Salt to taste

To be ground to a paste

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Dry Red Chillies - 2-3

Tamarind - a small marble size

Method:

Wash the Yellow cucumber, Jackfruit seeds & drumstick. Then cut the jackfruit seeds into half, yellow cucumber into bite-size pieces and drumstick into 2 inch pieces.
Then cook the cut vegetables either in water or pressure cook it for about 10 mins till it is cooked well but not mushy.
In the meantime, grind all the ingredients ( grated coconut, red chilles & tamarind) to a smooth paste.
Now, take a vessel, add little water along with the cooked vegetables and keep it on a medium flame. Also add the required salt and allow it to boil for few mins, for the salt to be absorbed.
Lower the flame and add the ground paste and mix it well with a wooden spoon/ladle. Let it boil for a few minutes. Then remove from flame.
Now heat a tempering pan, add oil in it and let the oil warm up
In the meantime, crush the garlic cloves. Once the oil is heated, add the crushed garlic cloves and fry them till they turn brown. Switch off the flame and immediately transfer it to the vessel containing the mixture of cooked vegetables & the ground paste. Cover the lid immediately.
Koddel is now ready to be served.

Dried Jackfruit seeds

Peeled & Cut Jackfruit seeds

Vegetables being cut

Vegetables boiled in pressure cooker

Grated coconut, Red chillies & Tamarind ground to a paste

Ground paste added to the cooked vegetables

Garlic cloves being fried in oil

Fried garlic cloves transferred into the vessel

Preparation Time : 20 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Serves : 3- 4 persons

Note:

The gravy should not be very thick or thin.
If garlic is not your choice, you can totally omit it. Instead you can add a teaspoon of asafetida water OR half a teaspoon of the powder along with coconut oil or any other oil of your choice to the boiled veg and ground paste mix. In which case, this dish will be called Bikkanda Humman.
I have previously posted Cookaa (Chinese Potato) Humman. Jackfruit seed Humman can also be prepared in the same manner

Jackfruit Idli (Ponsa Idli)

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 11:03:00 +0000

It's the jackfruit season! People in general have a love-hate relationship with this ripened fruit as it is very aromatic. It's grown in plenty in the southern part of India. We Amchis (Konkani speaking people) love this "Ponosu" (as it is called in konkani for the ripened jackfruit) and a lot of sweet dishes are prepared from this fruit. One such sweet dish is "Ponsa Idli".

Traditionally this idli is prepared in "Teak Leaf " and is called " Ponsa Muddho". When steamed in teak leaf, the "Muddho" turns reddish in colour. And if "teak leaf " is not available, banana leaf can be used instead. But, as you all know by now, that I always choose the path of least resistance - I just steamed them in our regular idli moulds ! And the end result was good. My spouse will vouch for it. It is best eaten with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter).

I have previously posted about the Jackfruit & its recipes - Jackfruit Payasam (Gharayi), Jackfruit Fritters (Mullik) & Jackfruit Patholi in my blog. You can check it out by clicking on these names.

Jackfruit (Ponsa) Idlis to be eaten with a dollop of ghee

Ingredients:

Jackfruit Plums (deseeded) - about 15
Rice - 1 cup
Powdered jaggery - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Ghee (clarified Butter) - for smearing the idli mould & also to be eaten with idli
Salt to taste

Method :

Soak rice for about an hour. Then drain water completely.
In the meantime, chop the Jack plums and keep them aside.
Grind the chopped jack plums, grated coconut & powdered jaggery to a smooth paste without adding any water. When done, remove it in a bowl.
In the same mixie jar, add the drained rice and grind it to a coarse powder without adding any water.
Add the coarsely powdered rice and salt into the bowl (containing the jackfruit mixture) and mix it thoroughly into a smooth paste without any lumps.
Now grease the idli moulds with ghee.
Heat the idli steamer with water. If you are using pressure cooker, take care to remove the whistle.
Fill the greased idli cups with the prepared batter and steam for 20 mins.
When cooled remove the idlis from the mould with the knife/spoon.
Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on top.

Jackfruit Plums deseeded

Rice soaked in water

Jackfruit plums being cut into pieces

Jackfruit plums, grated coconut & jaggery added in mixie jar

The above mixture ground to a fine paste

Rice ground coarsely

Rice powder & salt added to the above mixture

Mixed into a smooth paste without lumps

Ready for steaming

Idlis steamed and ready to be removed

Jackfruit Idlis ready to be served

Preparation time : 20 mins

Soaking time : 1 Hour
Cooking time : 20 mins

Makes : 16 Idlis

Note:

While grinding do not add water at any stage. The batter will be watery and the idlis will not turn out well.
The quantity of powdered jaggery can be adjusted according to the sweetness you desire and also the sweetness of the jackfruit plums.
Any type of rice can be used. I have used Idly rice.
Do not discard the Jack fruit seeds (Bikkand in Konkani) as it can be used in various curries. Will share some recipes of Bikkand in the coming days.

Oats Veg Bhakri

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 09:26:00 +0000

Hello Friends, Its been quite a while ( to be precise almost 6 years ) since I have published any post on my blog. I might say that a lot of water has flown under the bridge. My grand-daughter just completed six years now and in the meantime, we have also changed our residence. So, overall it was quite hectic these last few years; but seeing my grand daughter growing up gave me and my spouse enough joy and believe me she is quite a handful!

Well, I am now trying to get back to blogging {I hope I have not forgotten how to go about it :) }. I have now to get in touch with all my blogger friends, and hope to revive their contacts too. Looking forward to your comments and reply like the good old days.

Frankly speaking, what gave me this sudden impetus to restart my blog is that I participated (having got the info from my husband's nephew) in a recipe contest organised by youthofGSB (Gowd Saraswat Brahmin community to which I belong) and they have published all the recipes in the book named Gowd Saraswat Recipe contest book in a pdf format. I think that's enough of my blabbering.

As you all know that we are all looking for a healthy breakfast to start our day. I was in a mood to start something new and hence started searching on the net for some oats preparation. After a lot of search, I came across Oats Bhakri. I made some changes to suit the texture & palate. Bhakri is generally spread thickly. You can also refer to my earlier recipe of Red Pumpkin Bhakri

Oats Veg Bhakri served with a dollop of white home made butter

Ingredients:

Oats (Instant) - 1 cup

Semolina (regular) - 1/2 cup

Curds - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 1 or 2 chopped

Water - approx 1 cup

Corriander leaves - a small bunch chopped

Grated carrot - 2 tbsps

Capsicum (chopped) - 2 tbsps

Tomato (chopped) - 1 medium

Onion (chopped) - 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Method:

In a bowl, mix oats, semolina and salt.
Add curds & mix again.
Next add water to dilute it slightly.
Now add all the chopped vegetables, green chilies and coriander leaves and give it a good mix.
At this stage, add water and mix again without any lumps. The batter should not be very dilute or thick. Let it sit for for about 10 mins.
In the meantime, heat a griddle or tawa . Smear oil
When the pan is hot enough, lower the heat and spread a ladle of the prepared batter not thinly.
Dribble oil all around the bhakri and keep the flame on medium.
Now flip the bhakri and fry on the other side too.
Continue in the same manner with the remaining batter.
Tastes good with white home made butter.

Preparation Time: 15-20mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Makes : 8 Bhakris of size approx 5-6inches

Ingredients

Oats, Semolina & Salt placed in a bowl

Curds added to the above mixture

Chopped vegetables added to the above mixture

Batter is mixed thoroughly so that no lumps are formed

Bhakri has been spread thickly on the hot griddle

Bhakri has been flipped over

All set & ready to serve

Note:

Chop the vegetables as finely as possible.
Oats can also be powdered though not much change in the texture of the bhakri.
Do not spread the batter thinly.
Serve with any chutney of your choice if you do not have white butter.
Bhakris have to be eaten hot.

Welcoming the new arrival in the family

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 06:50:00 +0000

Hello friends - I am back but with a different topic. Its five months since my blog was in cold storage. No, I am not hibernating! In fact I have never been so busy in my life. My cooking has taken a back seat for the moment and all my other interests like sewing, knitting, quilting which were lying dormant for several years are now taking centre stage and all this is because we have now become grandparents to a cute little princess. Now everything centres around the little one. She keeps us all on our toes the whole day and night long but her one little smile is all that is needed for our tiredness to vanish. All said and done, I am not complaining. I am just loving it!

Whenever time permitted, I managed to do some small baby quilts, a quilt cover, a comforter and also knitted some sweaters and booties and bonnets etc..

A few of them which I am displaying here :

Sweaters, bonnets and booties

Cap and shoes

The patchwork quilt with satin base

This quilt and the one above were made from the leftover wool

Small quilts made from left over cotton cloth

A tiny set of bedsheet with pillow cover

Another set of bedsheet and a matching pillow cover

This Bedsheet (normal single bed adult size) with motifs was made
by my late mother

Cotton comforter

Comforter made with batting inside

A blanket cover

Blanket cover - one side printed cotton cloth and the other side I
attached a motif (made by my late mother) on a plain cotton cloth
with an opening on one side.

My joy knew no bounds when I was told by my daughter that my grand daughter slept for 7 hours without waking up at night ( she would wake up almost every hour otherwise) when she used the comforter ( the blue one I made above) for the first time.

I am experiencing the joys of being a grandma. Currently I am making some bibs - small drool bibs as well some large ones (apron bibs).

Mango Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 09:46:00 +0000

It's the mango season! And I got two home-grown raw mangoes from my friend's backyard (no, I did not steal them !). She distributed it to all her friends as they were in abundance. I made Aam Panna of the large one and decided to make mango rice of the other one. I had never tired it before but I was told that the method of preparation is the same as that of lemon rice. So without much ado, I embarked on this new dish. I cooked rice well in advance and since I also had a stock of roasted peanuts, it halved the cooking time. It tasted good but a bit tangy. You can adjust the quantity of the raw mango as per your taste.

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice	2 cups
Raw mango (grated)	3/4^th cup
Oil	2 tbsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Udad (split black gram) dal	1 tsp
Roasted Peanuts	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	1/4^th tsp
Green Chilies (chopped)	1 or 2
Ginger (finely chopped)	1 inch piece
Freshly grated coconut	2 tbsps
Freshly chopped coriander leaves	For garnish
Salt	As per taste

Method:

Wash, peel and grate the raw mango. Measure 3/4^th cup and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and udad dal.
When the mustard seeds starts spluttering, lower the heat and add the curry leaves and the roasted peanuts.
Next add turmeric powder, chopped green chilies and chopped ginger. Saute it for a while.
Then add grated raw mango. Give it a stir and let it cook for a few minutes.
Now add grated coconut. Mix well.
Finally add the cooked rice and salt. Mix well and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with fried papads.

Main ingredients

Mustard and Udad dal in a pan of hot oil

Peanuts and curry leaves added to the tempering

Turmeric, chilies and ginger added

Addition of grated raw mango

Freshly grated coconut also added

Finally cooked rice added

Mango rice ready to be served

Mango Rice served with fried Pappads

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time : 10 mins

Serves : 2

Note:

Rice should be prepared well in advance and cooled thoroughly before preparing this dish to get the best result. Alternatively, you can also use leftover rice.
You can substitute, cashew-nuts for peanuts.

Amaryllis

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 09:28:00 +0000

Last month when we returned home from our exceptionally long vacation, I was slightly upset on seeing the plight of my plants. This time especially, it was so bad, that I lost three plants.

This particular plant Amaryllis, (a type of lily) had all its leaves turned yellow. I didn't know whether it would survive. I was at my wits end. I trimmed all the yellow leaves, put some fresh soil and lightly watered it and after 15-20 days, lo behold! fresh green leaves started appearing and one fine day (after a month to be precise), I was quite excited to see a flower stalk coming out of the soil. From this single flower stalk, four buds will emerge and two of them will flower simultaneously followed by the other two in a matter of few days. This spectacular floral display is worth waiting for and a sight for sore eyes ! I was so relieved on seeing it come back to life that I decided to write about it and post those lovely display of floral colours before they disappear from my balcony.

To be frank, this plant is quite hardy, hence it has survived so many years in my balcony. It doesn't require much care but it does need sunlight (not direct) and regular watering, well-drained soil and once a month I add some bio-compost which I get from the nearby nursery. Ofcourse, regular pruning will greatly help in keeping the plant healthy. I grew this from a bulb which my spouse got from his factory some years back.

A single flower stalk

This flower stalk on opening will reveal four flower buds

As you can see, two of the buds have bloomed and displayed their spectacular beauty

Aren't they gorgeous ?

All the four buds have bloomed - a spectacular display of vibrant colour and floral beauty

This picture was from my previous collection wherein two flower stalks of buds had sprung up.

From my earlier collection

This too is from my earlier collection

To know more about these beauties, you can check the following sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaryllis

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/growing-and-caring-for-amaryllis/

Coconut-Milk Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:00:00 +0000

At the onset, let me wish you all a Happy Ugadi / Gudi Padva

I am pleased to inform you all that recently I attended yet another cookery demonstration conducted by Nestle promoting their “Maggie” products. In all, four different items were prepared namely : Oats noodles, noodle cutlets, cookies, and noodle bhel-puri. All the items that were made were delicious and lip-smacking. We all were given to taste a small portion of each of the dishes that were prepared. With Ugadi round the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to prepare these delicious cookies and share this easy recipe with you all. It requires no eggs, no raising agent, no milk, no vanilla essence and no cardamom powder and yet tastes wonderful ! Sounds incredible ? Try it and see it for yourself.

I must admit here that I used the electric beater to beat the butter and sugar (it appears the excess beating was unnecessary ) with the result the cookies spread out a little horizontally which should not have happened. In any case the texture and the taste has not altered. It turned out nice and crispy. I intend to try this out again by rectifying this mistake and also by incorporating ragi flour and some dry fruits to make it more nutritious.

Ingredients:

Maida (refined flour)	150 gms
Powdered Sugar	100 gms
Butter (salted)	150 gms
Coconut-Milk powder	100 gms

Method :

Grease a baking tray and keep aside. Pre-heat the oven at 180° C.
Beat lightly butter and sugar so that no lumps are formed.
In the same bowl, add coconut-milk powder and maida and mix well to form a soft dough.
Form small balls from this dough and lightly press on the top with a fork and place them on the greased baking tray.
Place the baking tray in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or till done.
Allow it to cool and store them in an air-tight container.

Ingredients

Butter and sugar beaten lightly

Dough ready

All set to bake

Baking under process

Just out of the oven

Coconut milk cookies ready to be devoured

Preparation time : 10 mins

Baking time : 20 mins

Makes : approx 20 cookies (depending upon the size)

Note:

Since, I used unsalted butter, I added a pinch of salt to it.
Beat butter and sugar lightly so that they are mixed well without any lumps.

Palak Raita

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 09:52:00 +0000

Most of us Indians are familiar with the word “raita” but to my surprise, I recently found out that “palak raita” as such is new to some of them. Hence I thought of sharing this side-dish with you all. This is not only easy to prepare but also tastes good with any rice dishes such as pulao, biryani, fried rice or even puliogare to name a few. It's also a good accompaniment to any rotis, phulkas or parathas.

If interested, you can check my other palak (spinach) dishes - Palak Patradau and Dill and Spinach Curry.

Ingredients:

Palak (Spinach)	A small bunch
Curd (thick)	1 cup
Salt	As per taste
For Tempering:
Oil	1-2 tsps
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Cummin seeds	1 tsp
Fenugreek (methi) seeds	1 tsp
Dry red chilly	1-2

Method:

Pick and wash the fresh palak (spinach). Roughly chop them into chunks. If using steamer, steam them for about 12 mins or if cooking in water, ( use very little water as it leaves its own water) cook till they are wilted.
In the meantime, beat or whisk the curds well and keep it aside.
When the steamed (or boiled) spinach has cooled down, pour the beaten curds over it.
Then add salt and prepare the tempering - Heat oil in the tempering pan and add all the ingredients mentioned under it. When it stops spluttering, switch off the flame and pour the contents on to the spinach and curd mix.
Mix well and it is ready to be served.

Main ingredients

Spinach chopped

Chopped spinach in steamer

Just removed from the steamer

Curd beaten and kept aside

Beaten curd poured over the steamed spinach

Tempering under process

Tempering added to the above mix

Palak Raita ready to be served

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking time : 15 mins

Seves : 2-3 persons

Note:

I used one red chilly for tempering. You can use more as per your taste.
Curd used should not be sour.
Ideal side-dish during the summers.
It tastes good when served chilled.

Punar Prathishtha of Venkatramana Temple, Katapady

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:40:00 +0000

Last week we returned from our long vacation at our village in Katapady, Udupi district where we attended the “Punarpratishta of Lord Venkaramana” followed by Rathothsav festival or “Teru” as it is called in Konkani language. “Punarprathista” means re-installing the deity in the renovated temple.

I am told that this temple is about 300 years old. It was unanimously decided by the residents to renovate the temple for various reasons. The renovation work started ten months ago and was reopened on 22^nd January 2015 by Srimad Samyameendra Thirtha, the junior Swamiji of Kashi Mutt with great pomp and celebrations which lasted for five days from 17th Jan to 22nd Jan 2015. Many dignitaries from the Karnataka Government as well as religious heads from nearby places graced the occasion and were awed by the wonderful carvings on wood as well as stone in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The architect 25 years old, happened to be the youngest person to achieve this level of perfection.

We watched the actual ceremony of the “Punar Prathista” on the screen installed outside the temple as only a selected few (one of them was my senior brother-in-law) were chosen to participate in the ceremony.

Here are some of the glimpses of the the renovated “Garbha Gudi” and its peripheri. I regret not having taken our cameras. We took all the photos from our mobile phones. I hope we have done justice to the wonderful sculptures that depicted the “Dashaavtar” the intricate wood carvings and the “Vishnu Sahasnam” engraved on the four walls of the Garba Gudi which is unique to the temple.

Beautifully carved entrance door

The main entrance to the temple

Entrance to the Sanctum Sanctorum

The carved structures on the inside of the dome

Some of the metal carvings inside the dome

Jaya & Vijaya at the entrance

Various carvings in the dome

Wooden carvings at the four corners of the Garba Ghudi walls

Close-up of the wooden carvings

The above 10 stone carvings depicting, Dashavatar (Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narsimha, Vamana, Parshurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha & Kalki) at the front wall of the temple.

The illuminated temple

"Teru" in front of our house "Doddamane" being welcomed with "aarti"

The temple premises lit with hundreds of diyas

Beautifully done Rangoli

Another Rangoli under progress

During this period everyone who attended the function, were served varieties of breakfast items and sumptuous meals on all the days of the festivities. We all had a wonderful time.

Red Capsicum & Tomato Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:24:00 +0000

Let me start by wishing all my friends and fellow bloggers a Very Happy and a Prosperous 2015.

I sincerely hope the New Year will bring glad tidings to you all. I personally don't believe in making any New Year resolutions as they are generally broken. But I thought it might be a good idea to sincerely make an attempt to eat and prepare healthy foods whenever possible. So what better way to start my first post of this year with this hot, nutritious and tasty soup. It's also perfect for the current chilly weather. Me and my spouse thoroughly enjoyed it.

I shall be taking a short break from blogging and hope to continue with it next month.

Ingredients:

Red Capsicum	1
Tomato	2 medium size
Melon seeds	1 tbsp
Garlic (optional)	7-8 pods
Red chilly powder (optional)	1 tsp
Corn flour	1 tbsp
Salt	As per taste
Freshly ground pepper	For garnish

Method :

Wash red capsicum and tomatoes.
Grind melon seeds to a fine paste using little water and keep aside.
Cut tomatoes in large chunks and boil them in a cup of water. When done set aside to cool.
Smear Red capsicum with oil and with the help of a fork roast the capsicum directly on flame. Keep turning the capsicum till the whole capsicum is charred from the outside. Switch off the flame and when cooled, skin the capsicum in a bowl of water. Deseed it and chop it into chunks.
Now grind the cooked tomatoes and the roasted & chopped capsicum along with garlic (if using) to a smooth paste.
In a saucepan, add the ground tomato and capsicum paste, chilly powder and salt. Let it cook on a low flame.
In the meantime, mix the melon seed paste and and corn flour/starch into a bowl and pour the entire contents into the saucepan. Keep stirring it so that no lumps are formed and allow it to boil for a minute or two and then remove from the flame.
Pour the contents in soup bowls. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper on top.
Serve hot.

Preparation time : 15-20 mins

Cooking time : 30 mins

Serves: 3-4 persons

Note:

This is a very healthy and tasty soup.
Melon seeds have a lot of health benefits and Red Peppers/Capsicum are packed with anti-oxidants.
The roasting of Red Pepper takes a little more time than the actual cooking.

Aamti

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 10:46:00 +0000

During our recent trip to Mumbai, we had the opportunity to taste some authentic Maharastrian dishes. Since I grew up in Mumbai, I am quite fond of their cuisine and while there, I also bought their famous “goda masala” from one of the popular masala shops. For those of you who are not familiar with this masala, it is a special blend of spices, very aromatic, dark brown in colour and gives that special taste to the dish when added. Different regions in Maharashtra have their own version of goda masala. And “Aamti” is incomplete without the goda masala. This dish is a regular fare in most Maharashtrian homes. In short, I can say with conviction that what “Dalitoy” is to konkanis, “Aamti” is to maharashtrians.

Well, armed with this masala, I started my search for some Maharashtrian recipes from my collection. I found four varieties but chose “Aamti” as I already had boiled toor dal (the main ingredient in this recipe) in the refrigerator and this halved the cooking time to just 10 mins. When it was finally done, I was very happy with result and so was my spouse. Try it out and see it for yourself.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal / Split Pigeon Pea	1 cup
Kokum or Tamarind pulp	3-4 pcs of kokum / 1-2 tsps of tamarind pulp
Jaggery powder	1 tbsp
Green chilies (slit)	2
Goda Masala	2 tsps
Freshly Grated coconut	2 tbsps
Salt	As per taste
Ingredients for tempering:
Oil	1tbsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Hing/asafoetida	A pinch
Curry leaves	1 sprig
For Garnish:
Coriander leaves (chopped)	2 tbsps

Method:

Wash and cook the toor dal/split pigeon pea in pressure cooker for 12 mins. Then mash the cooked dal well and keep it aside.
If using kokum, soak the pieces in water for about 15 mins.
Heat a saucepan. Add oil and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts spluttering, lower the flame, add hing/asafoetida and curry leaves. Saute it for awhile.
Next add the mashed dal with a little water, slit green chilies, salt, jaggery powder, goda masala, freshly grated coconut, kokum water/tamarind pulp. Mix well.
Finally add more water for desired thickens. Give it a stir and allow it to boil for a few minutes and then switch off the flame.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Serves : 3

Note:

This is generally eaten with rice. Tastes good with rotis/chapattis too.
Goda masala is available in super markets under different brand names.
Aamti can also be prepared from Moong dal (split green gram) or Masoor dal (split lentil) too.

Murud-Janjira Beach & Fort

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 14:12:00 +0000

Hello friends, I am back after a short vacation in Mumbai where we had to attend a close relatives wedding. While there, we took this opportunity to meet our old friends and relatives too. We also thought it would be a good idea to spend some quality time with my brother's and cousin's family away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. After a lot of discussions, we unanimously chose Murud-Janjira for our family get-together.

Murud-Janjira is the local name for the fort which is situated on the island off the coastal village of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. It is a fishing village and is about 150 kms drive from Mumbai. Once we reach Murud town, we need to take a sail boat from Rajapuri jetty to reach the island fort. The fort is spread across 22 acres and has many cannons. One of the cannons weigh about 12 tons and the unique feature of these cannons is that they do not get heated even though they are exposed to the sunlight throughout the day. We were quite baked in the hot sun (temp around 35 degrees centigrade) but these cannons were very cold to the touch inspite of the heat !

The entrance to the fort is not visible from outside unless and until you are very close it. It also has a few secret escape routes.

We drove from Mumbai to the resort and we stayed at Golden Swan Beach Resort at Murud-Janjira. It is a nice place with cottages and is situated right on the beach itself. The sunset view is quite breathtaking. The beach is very clean and quite picturesque. At the other end of the beach, water sports are conducted. We took the horse-driven carriage along the beach and back as we had to rush back to the sunset point.

The next morning, after a sumptuous breakfast, we headed for the fort. Following are some of the pictures of the beach, fort and the resort.

This is the sight that greeted us as soon as we entered the beach from the resort

A Close-up of the sea-gulls that were there in hundreds

View of the Fort from the beach

Spectacular view of the sunset taken from the Idgah (sunset point)

View of the Fort from the road

Yet another view of the Fort from the road

View of the fort from the jetty

The Big Cannon weighing about 12 tons as was told to us by our guide

The inside of the fort

The Inside of the Fort

One of the escape routes

We were told that once upon a time this was sweet water pond. But now, it has turned green with slime and algae

The sculpture at the entrance of the wall of the fort

Golden Swan Beach Resort - where we stayed

Couldn't help clicking these beauties where they were happily swimming and waddling around the premises

We all had a wonderful time together and wished we had one more day to laze around and enjoy some water sports. Maybe next time....

To know more about the history of the ancient Murud-Janjira Fort, see the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murud-Janjira
http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/MTDC/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/Forts/Forts.aspx?strpage=Murud_JanjiraForts.html

Mint Pulao

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 09:11:00 +0000

Mint Pulao needs no introduction. It is an aromatic dish and easy to prepare too. I had half a bunch of mint which I needed to use before it started losing its freshness. This time I prepared it with a slight variation and hence did not get the green colour that is generally associated with this pulao. But the taste was not compromised.

It so happened that my friend and her spouse paid us a surprise visit while I just finished preparing the pulao. They had a taste of this served with Rajma masala. I was pleased to know that they thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

Rice	1 cup
Mint leaves	1 cup
Curds	1 cup
Water	2 cups
Ginger	1 inch pc.
Green chilies	1-2 or as per taste
Salt	As per taste
Seasoning ingredients
Oil	1 tbsp
Tejpatta	1
Cloves	2-3
Cinnamon	1 inch pc
Star Anise	1
Cardamom (green)	1 or 2
Black (big) Cardamom	1

Method:

Wash the rice and soak it for about an hour.
In the meantime, roughly chop green chilies, ginger and mint leaves.
Whip the curds well and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Add to it all the ingredients mentioned under “seasoning ingredients”.
Keeping the flame low, add chopped ginger, green chilies and chopped mint leaves. Saute it for a while till the mint leaves wilt.
Add the whipped curds. Mix well.
Finally, add water and salt. Stir well and increase the flame. Allow it to boil. Then lower the flame and cover it with a lid. Let it cook for about 15-20 mins or till done. Remove from flame.
Serve hot.

Preparation : 15 mins

Cooking Time : 20 mins

Serves : 2-3 persons

Note:

I used Sona Masoori Rice. You can use Basmati or any rice of your choice.
Instead of chopping ginger, green chilies and mint leaves, you can grind these three ingredients to a fine paste and use it in the recipe.
Left over rice can also be used to prepare this pulao.

Bajre Ki Cheela

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:45:00 +0000

Hello friends, Diwali kept me quite busy before, during and even after the festival and with the result, blogging took a back seat. All said and done, we had a wonderful time. I hope you all had a nice Diwali too.

After all the sweets and savoury items that we devoured, I thought its time to eat healthy stuff and one such item that I came across is the Bajre Ki Cheela. I had jotted down this recipe from a TV cookery show. It seemed easy and healthy so tried it for the evening snack. I am glad to say it turned out quite well. And according to my opinion, it tastes best with a dollop of white home-made butter.

Bajra also known as Pearl millet is loaded with nutrients and has enormous health benefits.

Ingredients:

Bajra flour	1 cup
Salt	As per taste
Coconut gratings	1 tbsp
Green chilies (chopped)	1
Coriander leaves (chopped)	1 tbsp
Curds	3 Tbsps
Oil	For shallow frying

Method:

In a bowl add bajra flour, salt, coconut gratings, green chilies and chopped coriander leaves.
Mix well
Finally add curds and blend in to form a thick batter.
Take a ladle full of the prepared batter and spread it thickly on a heated skillet/ non-stick pan like a dosa - frying on either sides with a little oil on the edges of the dosa.
Remove and serve hot.

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 3-4mins for each cheela

Makes : 5-6 cheelas depending upon the size

Note:

The batter does not spread thinly so do not even try it. Once the pan/skillet is heated, keep the flame low.
Make small dosas the size of Rawa (semolina) Bhakri or a pancake.
If your skillet or griddle is large, you can easily make three or four at a time.
For more info on Bajra or Pearl millet health benefits, see here :http://recipeclout.india-server.com/pearl-millet.html

Tofu Sandwich Spread

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 06:09:00 +0000

Off late I have started using Tofu instead of Paneer for the simple reason – its a healthier option. Sometime back I had watched Sanjeev Kapoor prepare this Tofu recipe on his cookery show which I had hurriedly scribbled in my dairy for later use.

The day finally arrived for me to prepare this Sandwich spread. I had some left over Tofu (after preparing Tofu Bhurji on the previous day) so thought I will try his recipe. But soon realized that I do not have the two ingredients mentioned in it namely; sun-dried tomatoes and pickled onions. So I substituted these items with tomato sauce and ginger and proceeded with his recipe.

I am happy to say that it turned out really good. It so happened that the next day, I had some close relatives who dropped by and since they are foodies, I asked them to sample it and give their opinion. I was pleased to see that they too enjoyed it.

You too can try your own version of this healthy and tasty spread instead of using the fat laden butter for sandwiches !

Ingredients:

Tofu	100 gms
Hung Yoghurt	1/2 cup
Green chilies	1-2
Tomato sauce	4 tsps
Ginger (chopped)	1 inch piece
Salt	As per taste

Method:

Drain the block of tofu and cut them into quarters. Squeeze out any moisture by pressing it with your hand and then place it in a blender.
Add all the other ingredients (mentioned above) to it and blend it to a fine paste. The paste will resemble Thousand Island dressing.
Remove it into a bowl and your Tofu Sandwich Spread is ready.
Apply this spread instead of butter on the bread slices and have a healthy breakfast.

Preparation time: 15 mins

No cooking required

Note:

I used whole wheat bread and made sandwiches with sliced tomatoes, cucumber and capsicum and sprinkled freshly ground pepper on top.

Airaawat

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 12:55:00 +0000

“Airaawat” is a very tasty chutney and this is not to be confused with the white elephant of Indra !

During the recent Ganesh festival celebrations at our ancestral home in Katapady (Udupi district), as usual, I was going around to see what new dishes the cook is churning out this time. He drew my attention to “Airaawat” which was in the process of completion. This was something new to me but looked simple and good. He rattled off the ingredients and the method. I mentally made a note of it. He also told me that there are different versions to this recipe.

So naturally, after the “pooja” and the “aarti” as we all sat for the sumptuous lunch prasad, I was looking forward to this new item to be served. As soon as it was served, I quickly had a taste of it. I loved it! It was a perfect blend of three tastes – sweet, sour and spicy and the crunchiness of the chopped ingredients (ginger, chilies and coriander leaves) leave a wonderful taste in the mouth. Try it out and see it for yourself.

Ingredients

For grinding
Grated Coconut	1/2 cup
Dry red chilies	3-4
Tamarind	1 lemon (small) size ball
Jaggery powder	About 4-5 tsps
Salt	As per taste
For tempering
Oil	1-2 tsps
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
For Garnishing
Finely chopped coriander leaves	1 small bunch
Finely chopped green chilies	1
Finely chopped fresh ginger	1 inch piece

Method:

First grind all the ingredients mentioned under “for grinding” into a fine paste adding very little water. Transfer it into a bowl.
Next heat a tempering pan and oil and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts spluttering and the curry leaves. Give it stir and pour the contents into the bowl contiaining the ground paste.
Finaly add all the chopped ingredients mentioned under “For Garnish” into the bowl and mix well.
Airaawat is now ready to be served.

Preparation time : 25 mins

Cooking time : about 3-4 mins

Serves : 3-4 persons

Note:

This can be eaten with idli or dosa or even as an accompaniment to rice and daal or curd rice.
During the festival, I had this with "Khotto" (Idli made in jackfruit leaves).
The chopped items for garnish should be mixed just before serving to preserve the crunchiness of ginger, green chilies and coriander leaves.

Grilled Veg Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:22:00 +0000

For me, Sandwiches means, picnics, outings or short travels. During our recent train journey (for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival) I made these grilled sandwiches in a Sandwich toaster and they tasted wonderful. It's a meal by itself.

I am sure everybody will agree with me that there is no comparison to a healthy home-cooked food especially during overnight journeys. I have tried carrying different items for the journey but found that these grilled sandwiches to be most suitable as they are devoid of any mess or spilling as they are sealed from all sides - thus making the journey more comfortable. Even during the long drives on weekends with my daughter and son-in-law, I make it a point to make these sandwiches whenever possible. Everyone loves them as they can be eaten without much paraphernalia of plates, spoons etc.

Ingredients:

Bread slices	8
Butter	As required
For the Stuffing:
Mixed Vegetables chopped	A handful of each vegetable
Onion (chopped)	1 medium
Garlic (chopped)	5-6
Ginger (chopped)	1 inch piece
Tomatoes (chopped)	2 medium
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Chilly powder	3/4 tsp or as desired
Garam masala	1 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped	For garnish
oil	2 tbsp
Salt	As per taste

Method:

For the stuffing:

Steam or cook the chopped mixed vegetables in a steamer or pressure cooker. And keep them aside.
Next heat oil in a pan/wok. Add garlic and ginger. Saute it for a while and then add chopped onions.
When onions turn translucent, add the chopped tomatoes. Saute it for a while till the tomatoes are cooked. Then add turmeric powder, chilly powder and the garam masala. Give it a good stir.
Now add the steamed/cooked mixed vegetables, salt and a little water if necessary and mix it well.
Let it cook for about 5mins on a low heat so that the masalas and salt are absorbed by the vegetables.
Remove from flame and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and keep it aside without covering.

For preparing the grilled sandwiches

Take each bread slice and thinly apply butter on either side of the slice and stack it on one side and keep it ready.
In the meantime, heat the Sandwich toaster and when it almost reaches the desired temperature, open the lid and fill evenly 4 slices of bread with the stuffing and place it on the grilled platform of the sandwich toaster.
On top of each filled slice, place another slice to cover the filling and close the lid of the toaster.
After 1-2 minutes, open the lid.
Your 4 grilled sandwiches are ready to be served with coriander and mint chutney or tomato sauce.

Preparation time : 20 mins

Cooking time : 25 mins

Makes: 8 triangular grilled sandwiches

Note:

I used unsalted butter and whole wheat bread. You may use any butter or bread of your choice. When served hot, it's nice and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
You can prepare any curry of your choice for the stuffing but take care to see that the curry is dry or else your sandwiches will turn soggy.
And applying butter on either side of the bread slice also prevents the sandwiches from getting soggy.
Ideal for picnics, short journeys, lunch box and tea-time snacks.

Cabbage Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 09:22:00 +0000

Everyone would love to start their day with a nice and tasty breakfast and if it's healthy too then all the more welcome. I am always on the lookout for something new to try and what better way to do this is by watching food channels on TV. I got this recipe from the Indian Food Channel and did not hesitate to try it out as I had all the ingredients at hand and moreover, the procedure was also not cumbersome. Besides, it looked very appealing too.

Well, to cut a long story short, it turned out extremely well and the taste was fantastic too. Try it out and see it for yourself.

Ingredients:

Cabbage	150-200 gms
Onion	1 medium
Green chillies	2 or as desired
Ginger	1 inch piece
Coriander leaves	A small bunch
Gram flour	1 cup
Water	3/4 cup or as required
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Chilly powder (optional)	As required
Salt	As per taste
Baking soda /Eno	3/4 level tsp
Oil	For shallow frying

Method:

Put all the first five ingredients (cabbage, onion, green chilies, ginger and coriander leaves) in the food processor and run it for 1-2 mins or till all the ingredients are minced well. ( Alternatively, you can chop them all finely and place them in a bowl.)
Transfer the contents from the food-processor into a bowl.
To this mixture add gram flour, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
Now add water little at a time and mix again taking care to see that no lumps are formed. The batter should be thick and not watery. At this stage, add soda/eno to the batter and gently mix it and keep aside covered for a few minutes.
In the meantime, heat a skillet/griddle/frying pan on a medium flame. Add a little oil and spread it.
Take a spoonful of the batter and prepare pancakes (like dosas but do not spread it thinly) and fry it on both sides with oil.
In this way prepare pancakes using the remaining batter.
Serve hot with ketchup or any chutney of your choice.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time : 15 mins

Makes : 9 pancakes (roughly 4-5 inches each in diameter)

Note:

These pancakes are soft and hence allow them to cook properly on one side before flipping.

The green chilies that I used were quite pungent and hence I omitted the red chilly powder. You can use it and adjust according to your preference.

These pancakes taste fine even without any chutney/ketchup.

Ideal for breakfast.

Elaneer Payasam

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 11:38:00 +0000

“Elaneer” means tender coconut in the kannada language.
I tasted this payasam a few months ago at a well-known restaurant in Bangalore. It tasted absolutely divine. The taste still lingers in my mouth! Eversince I tasted this, I wanted to prepare this at home but somehow it never materialized. They say that there is time for everything and when the time comes it just happens !

Well, the time finally came and after going through a lot of recipes, I prepared this with some variations – I did not have condensed milk and I was not very keen on buying one. Instead, I boiled half a cup of milk with 3tsps of sugar and reduced it to half the quantity and used this. The payasam tasted just the way I wanted it to be – heavenly ! And, you will have to take my word for it. Try it out and see it for yourself.

While buying tender coconut, ask the vendor to select one with water and some pulp i.e. “ganji” (in kannada), and “malai” (in hindi). The pulp should not be very thick.

Ingredients:

Tender coconut water	About 1 cup
Tender coconut pulp	1/4^th cup
Condensed milk	1-2 tbsps or as per taste
Thick coconut milk	1/4^th cup
Cardamom powder	About 1 tsp
Cashew nuts (coarsely powdered)	For garnish (optional)

Method:

Pour out the tender coconut water into a glass.
Remove the pulp and keep aside a small quantity and the rest grind to a paste.
Now chop the small quantity of the pulp that is kept aside. This is to be added later to the payasam.
Mix the ground paste and the coconut water into a bowl.
Add the condensed milk, coconut milk and the cardamom powder. Mix well and keep it in the refrigerator for an hour or so. The payasam is now ready to be served.

Serving Suggestion:
While serving, first place some pieces of the chopped pulp in the bowls.
Then pour the payasam in the bowls and garnish it with coarsely powdered cashews.
Serve chilled.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins . No cooking required if using condensed milk

Serves: 3-4 persons

Note:

You can omit garnishing altogether Or use a combination of cashews, almonds and pistachios Or any one of these nuts. The choice is yours. I have used only cashews.
The payasam should be slightly watery and not thick.
Grind the pulp for just a few seconds.

Makai ki Roti

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 15:53:00 +0000

Makai Ki Roti is a traditional dish from Punjab (India) and normally served with Sarson Ka Saag. The rotis are generally made by hand without the use of the rolling pin. I am not very good at this technique. I have done this before and ended up with shapes resembling that of the map of India and various other countries !

Hence, in this recipe, I have added a bit of wheat flour to the maize flour to make it pliable and easier to handle. I managed to roll them out nicely though the dough needs to be handled with care as it will break at the edges while rolling it out into rotis.
All said and done, it turned out well – tastewise and appearance wise too. I also had the approval of my spouse. We had a few rotis for lunch today and I am planning to prepare this again for breakfast tomorrow from the leftover dough.

Ingredients:

Maize flour	1 cup
Whole wheat flour	1/4^th cup
Ajwain (carom) seeds	1 tsp
Jeera (cumin) seeds	1 tsp
Haldi (turmeric) powder	1/4^th tsp
Salt	1 tsp OR as per taste
Soda or Eno	1/2 tsp
Curds	1/4^th cup
Water	1/4^th cup OR as required

Method:

Crush ajwain and jeera seeds together and keep it aside.
In a bowl, add maize flour, whole wheat flour, crushed ajwain and jeera seeds mixture, turmeric powder, salt, soda/eno and curds. Mix it well.
Next add water little at a time and knead it into a soft pliable dough. Keep it covered for about 20 mins.
After 20 minutes, make medium size balls. Dust each ball with maize flour and roll it into moderately thick rotis with the help of a rolling pin.
Then heat a griddle/tawa and place the rolled out roti on it. After a few seconds, flip it on other side and fry it on the other side too. Keep the griddle on a low flame. Do not add oil or ghee while frying.
When light brown spots appear on both the surface, remove and place it on a plate.
In this way, prepare all the rotis.
Serve hot with a dollop of home-made white butter or with a bowl of curds.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Makes : 10 rotis of about 6 inches in diameter

Note:

This is ideal for breakfast and can also be served during lunch.
It tastes excellent with a dollop of home-made butter. But weight-watchers can also relish this with curds.
These rotis are a slight twist to the original Makai ki Roti.

Mango Ice-cubes and Ice-Candies

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Last week, it was raining mangoes in my house. It so happened that my spouse bought some Alfonso and Mallika (local) mangoes. And a day later, one of my friends visited me in passing and brought some Baiganpally (produce of Hyderabad) mangoes. Then, my spouse's friend who dropped by brought with him some mangoes saying that they are Mallika mangoes which were grown in their backyard. And lastly my neighbour, who was vacationing in Madurai, brought some mangoes, from Trivandrum. So you see, I had a variety of mangoes to eat and I am not complaining! I love mangoes (though I am partial towards Alphonso) and all these are extremely sweet and pulpy ones. So, I believe, when God gives you mangoes, make mango ice-cubes and candies!

To make mango ice-cubes, I used the ice-cube tray and for the ice-candy, I used the kulfi mould and ice-cream sticks (wooden).

Mango Lassi, Mango Salsa and Fruit Mattoo are some of the other recipes that you can make during the mango season. I have already posted them in my blog.

Ingredients:

Mangoes	2
Milk (optional)	1 small cup
Sugar (optional)	As per taste

Method:

Wash and peel the mangoes. Then roughly cut them into chunks.
Put the chunks in a blender and blend them until smooth.
If you are using milk, add them along with the mango pieces and blend them until smooth.
Keep an ice-cube tray, kulfi moulds and the ice-cream sticks ready.
Now gently pour the prepared mango puree into the ice-cube tray and the kulfi moulds. In the kulfi moulds insert the ice-cream sticks in the centre.
Freeze the tray and the moulds until solid. This may take about 3-4 hours or keep it overnight.
To unmould the cubes and the candies, run hot water around the outside (of the tray and the mould) for a very brief moment. The cubes and the candies will slide out smoothly.

Preparation time : 15 – 20 mins

Freezing time : 3-4 hours

Note:

If you smear the kulfi moulds with a drop of oil, the candy will slide more easily.
The mango cubes can be used in any fruit juices OR if you put about 12-16 of these cubes in a glass and allow it to thaw you will get a glass of fresh mango juice.
I have totally omitted sugar as the mangoes were extremely sweet.
You can preserve any fruits (watermelon, musk melon, etc) that are juicy and pulpy in this manner.

"Magge" Pachadi

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 09:05:00 +0000

Friends, I have been quite preoccupied with some social commitments, relatives visits and water problem with the result, my blogging took a back seat. I had almost become a recluse where facebook was concerned and had no time to surf the net.

Anyway, here I am. So, what is “Magge”?

“Magge” is the konkani word for “Yellow Cucumber”. I believe, it is also called as “coloured cucumber”. Down south, especially in Mangalore, Udupi and the coastal regions, this vegetable is available in plenty and stored in the houses for use during the monsoons. It stays fresh even without refrigeration for a longer period than other vegetables.

We Amchis (konkani speaking people) add “magge” in a lot of dishes without peeling the skin. Since pachadi is made without cooking, it needs to be peeled as the skin is slightly tough.

Ingredients:

Magge (yellow cucumber)	1/4^th piece
For Grinding:
Freshly grated coconut	1/2 cup
Green chilly	1 or 2
Salt	As per taste
For tempering:
Oil	1-2 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Method:

Wash the Magge (yellow cucumber) and cut 1/4^th piece of it.
Peel, discard the seeds and grate it (either manually or in a food processor ) and place it in a bowl.
Grind all the grinding ingredients into a paste adding little water (if needed). Add this ground paste to the grated cucumber and mix well.
Heat oil in the tempering pan. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the curry leaves into it. Remove from flame and pour the entire contents on to the mixture of grated cucumber and coconut paste. Mix well.
Serve this pachadi as a side dish.

"Magge" cut into half

Some of the ingredients

Grated "magge"

Grated coconut & green chilly ground to a paste

Ground paste added to grated "magge"

Tempering under process

Magge Pachadi ready to be served

Preparation time : 15 mins

Cooking time : 3-5 mins

Serves : 2

Note:

This pachadi is also a good accompaniment for chapattis/rotis.
This is generally prepared during the summer months as it is very cooling.
This is a cold dish and is very tasty.

Quick "puffed wheat" snack

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Fri, 30 May 2014 09:53:00 +0000

I wonder how many of you are aware of this item called “Puffed wheat”. Believe me, this item was absolutely new to me as well a few weeks ago.

It so happened, that one day, me and my spouse went to Malleshwaram ( a suburb in Bangalore) for some work. On the side walk/footpath, we saw a few vendors selling some items in huge gunny bags and they all had quite a few customers. Well, after our work and on our return, my curiosity got the better of me, and besides, there were fewer customers; I peered into the gunny bag and saw what resembled like the puffed rice but three/four times its size and it had a slight golden tinge to it. On inquiring, I was told that it was “Puffed Wheat”. The vendor lady even suggested as to how this can be used as a snack. I prepared this exactly the way she told me. The garnish part of it is my addition to the recipe which in my opinion, makes it all the more tasty. Try it and see it for yourself. It's healthy, and a tasty tea-time snack that can be prepared in a jiffy.

One point to note is that its slightly salty and hence avoid adding salt while preparing.

Ingrdients

Puffed Wheat	2 cups
For Seasoning:
Oil	1 -2 tsps
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Green chilly (chopped)	1
Asafaetida (hing)	A pinch
For garnish
Coconut gratings	1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves	1 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
Add all the seasoning ingredients. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the puffed wheat. Stir well for about 2 mins keeping the flame low. Remove from flame.
Just before serving, garnish with coconut gratings and chopped coriander leaves.
Serve immediately.

Puffed wheat

Tempering under process

Garnished with freshly grated coconut & chopped coriander leaves

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 mins

Serves : 2-3 persons

Note:

Salt is not required in the recipe.
It can be also be prepared like "bhel" (Sukha bhel or chutney bhel) or “charmure upkari”. Be innovative and add your own masala or eat it as it is. Its nice and crunchy.

Aam Panna

noreply@blogger.com (Shobha Kamath) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 16:19:00 +0000

The summer is here and so also the mango season - they go hand-in-hand. A refreshing drink to help you keep cool this summer.

My spouse brought home a few raw mangoes as well as the ripe ones. This time I decided to try Aam Panna (raw Mango juice) concentrate so that I can preserve it for a few days and serve it when my guests arrive at the weekend. I searched on the net and got this recipe (see below for the link). I made a few changes in the recipe and spiced it up a bit by adding dry ginger powder, black pepper powder and cardamom powder for that extra punch.

I liked the end result and my spouse too gave it a “Thumbs Up” ! You too can make some variations in the spices as per your choice.

Ingredients:

Raw Mangoes	2 Medium
Jaggery Powder	1/2 cup
Water	1 cup
Rock salt (Kala Namak)	1 tsp
Cummin (jeera) powder	1 tsp
Dry ginger powder	1-1/2 tsp
Black Pepper powder	1-1/2 tsp
Mint leaves	10 -12 leaves
Cardamom powder	1 tsp

Method :

Wash and peel the raw mangoes and cut them into chunks.
Cook the mango chunks in a pressure cooker for 15 mins. And when done remove from the cooker and allow it to cool completely.
Combine jaggery powder and water and heat it until jaggery is completely melted and when slightly cooled, filter it and get rid of (if any) impurities. Let this also cool completely.
Next, in a mixie jar, add the cooked and cooled mango pieces, mint leaves, rock salt, cumin powder,dry ginger powder, and black pepper powder and grind this to a puree.
Now mix the cooled melted jaggery with the puree.
Finally add cardamom powder and give it a good stir.
The “Aam Panna” concentrate is now ready.
Store the concentrate in an air-tight sterilised glass bottle and refrigerate it.

To Serve:

In a glass, add about 3 tbsps of this prepared concentrate and mix water as required. Stir and serve chilled garnished with mint leaves.

Raw mangoes

Two raw mangoes- peeled and chopped

Jaggery powder being melted in water

Steamed raw mango pieces

Ingredients

Cardamom powder added to the mixture.

Ready to serve

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Cooling time : about an hour

Makes: About 8 glasses

Note:

Tastes best when served chilled.
You can dilute the concentrate with water as per your requirement.
The concentrate when stored in a refrigerator will last for few days.
I followed the basic recipe from - http://www.tomatoblues.com/2014/04/aam-panna-spiced-raw-mango-juice-recipe.html#sthash.HvG7Otnh.dpuf and also added a few more ingredients to spice it up.