Meg's Delicious Adventures

Must visit restaurants serving seafood in Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 04 May 2015 09:11:00 +0000

Mumbai…the city that takes me into an eternal nostalgia...rushing crowds, local train announcements, shopping hot bargain trends and of course that fresh seafood straight from the local fish market. After spending 20 years of my life in Mumbai, I find myself comparing it with every city that I visit or stay in. And let me tell you all other cities have failed for that matter. It is said that a child carries with herself forever, the memories of the land she grew up in.

Mumbai

What is so amazing about Mumbai, is its love for food and the way the people are game for every cuisine on the earth, especially if it is seafood cuisine. The city offers a range of the best coastal fare from across various regions. This coastal land never ceases to be on the top of my list for its freshest and a wide range of seafood menu.

So, my friends after compiling a list of Bangalore eateries, here I am with a list of must visit seafood restaurants in Mumbai.

Trishna -
Trishna is one of the most popular places for seafood in Mumbai. Located at Kala Ghoda, Fort, the place seems constantly flooded with locals and tourists. The seafood menu here is a mix of Manglorean, Hyderabadi and Punjabi favorites. Some of their most loved dishes are butter pepper garlic king crab, the prawns koliwada, butter garlic squids, tandoori fish and surmai tava.

Gajalee -
Gajalee is another popular spot for seafood lovers. Although there are many branches of this restaurant in Mumbai, the oldest one in Vile Parle is still the best. The place specializes in Malvani food. The must tries here are Bombay duck fry, clam koshimbir, crab green chilly sauce, stuffed bangda, tandoori crab and their famous solkadi to wash it all down.

Mahesh Lunch Home -
Another seafood lover’s heaven is Mahesh Lunch Home. They have outlets in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Dubai, the original one at the junction of Cowasji Patel Street and Pherozeshah Mehta Road being the most popular joint. The prawn gassi and tandoori pomfret, clams sukka, squid koliwada, dakshin fried crab, fish Balti and crabs in butter-pepper- garlic are the popular dishes here.

Highway Gomantak -
This is a place with a history of 20 years and as the name suggests, serves Goan seafood specialities. It is to go place when you are craving a home cooked seafood thali (meal). Along with the different thalis like The Surmai curry thali, pomfret green thali, bangda curry thali, kolambi suke thali, tisrya masala thali, kurlya (crab) masala thali, other popular items are pomfret green masala, kolambi curry, bombil fry and mori (shark) masala.

Konkan Café -
Konkan Café is a fine dine seafood restaurant at the Vivanta by Taj with a wonderful ambience of a cozy seaside bungalow on Malabar coast. Curdee mango (prawns), Mangalorean fish curry, pomfret recheado, and meen polichattu are a must try at this place.

So friends, if you are a live-to-eat-seafood person and living in or visiting Mumbai, don’t forget to add these places to your to-do list.

Explore Bangalore and its local cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 12:42:00 +0000

Few years back, when I moved to Bangalore, my knowledge of south Indian food was limited to Dosas, Idlis and filter coffee. After a few months of settling down, me and hubby started exploring the city. I firmly believe that one hasn't explored a city until one eats the local cuisine. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do and when in Bangalore, eat as the Bangloreans eat' has been my mantra since then.

As I explored the city more, I realized how much more of the variety the city had to offer. Right from the street side Darshinis and Tiffin centers to the classy fine dining restaurants, the city never stops amazing one. Now if you are used to paying 250 bucks for a Dosa, you will be surprised how some of the traditional places here serve food at a very low price. One can't fail but notice how their focus is on the taste and the quality of food and not on the decor or marketing tactics. With places serving Biryani at 8 o'clock in the morning to hot wholesome meals served on banana leaf, the city holds in a lot of surprises.

Well, my foodie friends here I have tried to compile a list of 4 of my best local places to eat in Bangalore. Of course these are my personal favorites so far and I am sure I will discover many more in the future.

1. MTR - Mavalli Tiffin Rooms

MTR aka Mavalli Tiffin Rooms

The list cannot begin without the mention of MTR. MTR is famous for it's crispy dosas, khara bhat, idlis etc. Yes, there are a lot of places that serve dosa in the city. But anyone who's had Dosas at MTR will agree with me that those dosas are nowhere close to the ones from MTR. There are many branches of this restaurant in the city; but the original one in Lalbagh still stands out for it's quality and popularity. Hot crispy dosas with a generous amount of ghee on the side, khara bhat and steaming hot bisibele bhat are some of my favorites here.

2. Kamat

Kamat's North Karnataka meal

Kamat serves a home style North Karnataka wholesome meal on a banana leaf. Being a Maharshtrian, the taste of the food at this place is very close to the Maharashtrian cuisine.
What more can you ask when you get a scallion, a few sprigs of fenugreek leaves, roasted papad, tomato cucumber raita, lentil cucumber pachhadi, 3 varieties of curries and chutneys and hot jowar rotis straight from the kitchen with a glass of spiced buttermilk. Now, if that's not enough, all of these keep coming to your plate, oops! I mean leaf, until you cry 'NO! STOP, I am full.' This one's my favorite place to go to especially when I am missing my mom. And of course a great place for those with a big appetite!

3. Shivaji Military Hotel

Shivaji Military Hotel

Shivaji Military hotel is a small humble food joint with hardly any seating area, a small food menu, yet a clean open kitchen where you can peek through while you are waiting for your order. The place can get flooded during lunch time and you can see people from all walks of life. The specialties here are chicken legs, donne biryani, lamb chops and dry mutton.There are many more places that serve the famous donne biryani in Bangalore, but this one's my favorite....and if you are guessing that being a Marathi girl, I might be biased here because of it's name...well, I can't deny that either.

4. Koshy's

Unique sugar dispenser at Koshy's

This is Bangalore's iconic restaurant and hangout with an old world charm. Even though it is not a place that serves the local cuisine, it has and still is a favorite among the locals. Be it Spanish omelet and Koshy's special coffee for breakfast or Appam mutton stew, fish and chips or pork chops for lunch, the place never fails you.

Grab those yummy bites and relive your love for fried food!

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 16:36:00 +0000

If you’ve always been conscious about those oils and calorie intakes, this product will surely make you jump with joy! Yes, the amazing oil-free Electric Fryer should be your first priority. While we talk about healthy eating many factors come in consideration such as, sugar and oil content, added preservatives, additives, etc. However, the cookware also plays a vital role amongst all these. Choosing a right cookware which is certified and a well known brand promises you safe, healthy, faster and smarter way of cooking.

Ever thought of going for the specific oil-free cookware? Well, the new highly advanced revolutionary electric fryer helps absorb all the oil and lets you enjoy fat and calorie –free food. These electric fryers are capable of retaining the original and natural flavor of the food without destroying the nutrition at the same time, which is the added advantage. Its easy usage and durability lets you cook a variety of delicacies within minutes.

Kenstar Electric Fryer

Advantages:

Lets you indulge in healthy cooking and preparing a huge variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes within minutes
Easy and user –friendly with no cooking hassles
Highly advanced cooking technology and superior quality cookware body
Cooks food at moderate temperatures and keeps the natural taste intact
With the electric fryer you get to enjoy, Oil-free and less saturated healthy food
The most healthy, hi-tech and advanced range of cookware designed for a healthy lifestyle
Light-weight and portable, able to carry anywhere while you travel
Lets you relish all types of foods, be it deep fried or shallow fried!
Saves money and electricity while you cook. It is also easy to wash and is dishwasher-friendly
Safety comes first- It lets you cook safely without getting over heated

If you consider buying these electric fryers, go for some of the well-known brands which offer you great service and are trustworthy reliable products. You don’t have to think twice and there is no risk with the exclusive brands. To choose a right cookware is also a bigger necessity these days as more and more health issues are occurring due to incorrect eating habits, wrong diet and maximum intake of oily foodstuffs. However, when it comes to faster cooking options, these cookware work as wonders, be it your salads, chips, snacks or even starters you get to do it all within a couple of minutes. This totally helps in saving huge amount of time involved in cooking food. Breakfasts happen to be the most important meal of the day, but cooking that delicious breakfast within a matter of time becomes truly troublesome isn’t it? Electric fryers here come for your rescue!

Ever thought of relishing food which is totally oil-free? Well, we always tend to doubt the taste factor involved in healthy foodstuffs especially if it has been tagged as ‘Oil-Free’ but these new range of modern electric fryers let you enjoy your food in the healthier way!

Crab Curry (Chimbori Kalvan)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 14:13:00 +0000

My earliest memory of crab curry takes me back to when I was around 6 or 7 years. Mom had just returned back from the fish market on a Sunday as usual and a couple of crabs had managed to hop out of the shopping bag. It puts a smile across my face when I remember how one of them had crawled and tried to hide under the bed and the other one just followed it. Me and my sister wouldn't stop laughing and chasing them along with my mom, trying to catch hold of the poor creatures. Oh, those little joys of childhood!

Making a crab curry is a laborious task, apart from the fun chasing part of it. But, after all the chasing, cracking, chopping, grinding, stirring, the outcome is a flavorful memory that strikes right chords on all your sensory organs at the same time. Unlike other fish curries, Crab curry gets it aromatic flavour from the famous CKP talala masala, which literally means the fried spices / masala. The fried mixture of sliced onions, coconut and a few spices becomes the curry's core seasoning base.

Crab Curry

Crab Curry (Chimbori Kalvan) - Recipe
6 medium sized crabs
1-2 teaspoons turmeric powder
3-4 teaspoons red chilli powder (modify as per your taste)
1-2 teaspoons tamarind paste
1 small onion chopped
Salt
Oil

For green masala:
3 green chillies
10-12 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger piece
handful of coriander leaves

For Talala masala:
3 medium sized onions thinly sliced
1 cup fresh grated coconut(can be substituted with the dry coconut, as is used traditionally)
3cloves
5-6 whole black pepper
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons of Coriander seeds
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds (saunf)
1 teaspoon of Poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 dry red chilly

For tadka (tempering):
pinch of asafoetida powder (hing)
1 clove
1/4 inch cinnamon
2-3 bay leaves broken into half
2-3 garlic cloves

Wash and clean the crabs thoroughly, as these tend to pack in some mud with them.
Break the small legs and claws and keep the legs aside.
Break the body into half and clean the crab from within.
Grind the green masala ingredients (ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves) into a smooth paste.
Marinate the crab body and claws with salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and green masala paste and keep aside at least for an hour.
Meanwhile, fry the sliced onions with a teaspoon of oil on a pan until golden brown. Keep aside
Similarly, fry the grated coconut until golden brown and keep aside.
Next, lightly fry all the spices (clove, cinnamon, black pepper, dry red chilli, coriander, fennel and poppy seeds) until fragrant.
Cool these ingredients (onion, coconut and spices) and grind them into a fine paste. This is the 'Talala (Fried) Masala'.
Grind the small legs of crab along with some water and sieve this juice at least twice.
Now starts the final process.
Heat oil and add the tempering ingredients.
Add 1 small chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
Add the marinated crab and saute' for 5-6 minutes.
Then put the fine paste of Talala Masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the sieved juice of crab legs to the pan. Do not skip this step as this is the real secret ingredient of the crab curry. This juice is what enhances the taste of curry and makes it more robust.
Add water and let the crabs cook.
The crabs turn vibrant red when cooked.
Add the tamarind paste, salt and water if required. Let it boil.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and enjoy the succulent crab curry with rice or chapati.

Spiced Apple Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 16:52:00 +0000

"An Apple a Day keeps the doctor away". Most of us have heard this as a kid, from parents or a teacher or anyone trying to cultivate a healthy eating habit into us.
But who says you gotta eat those boring slices of an apple day after day and gulp them down to keep you healthy. Well, you can dice them up, spice them up, blend them up in a smoothie and call it a breakfast or a post workout health drink or even serve it to your kid as an after school snack. This nutritious Spiced Apple Smoothie is loaded with apples, yogurt, almonds and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves to warm up your winters.

Spiced Apple Smoothie

Spiced Apple Smoothie - Recipe
2 Apples, peeled and deseeded
2 cups Yogurt
2 Almonds soaked overnight
3-4 tablespoons of Sugar. Substitute this with honey to make it healthier.
A small pinch each of ground Cinnamon powder, ground cloves, nutmeg powder and dry ginger powder (Soonth) or a very small piece of fresh ginger.

Blend the apples, almonds, yogurt, sugar and the spices together. Adjust the sugar and spice as per your requirement. Tone down the spices if you are making this for kids.
Add a bit of water, if you prefer a lighter consistency to your smoothies.

And there you are with a quick pick me up breakfast smoothie or a healthy after school snack for your kids.

Watermelon Granita

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:34:00 +0000

Summer is on for most parts of India now. Every street side in my city is busy with watermelon vendors.
Don't you love watermelons? I mean, just looking at that luscious red slice of this humble fruit, sitting on a heap of dark green watermelons at a street side vendor, just makes me feel cooler in this scorching heat.

Watermelon Granita

A piece of red juicy hydrating sweetness of the watermelon in the mouth is the best way to beat the heat.
But not the only one. Every summer season, when my kid gets bored of eating the watermelon, I make this Watermelon Granita. And of course it can be one of the best ways to finish off those last few slices of watermelon on the verge of getting overripe in the refrigerator.

Just 3 ingredients - blend, stir, freeze, and voila - you have a sweet icy fruity treat that everyone will love.

Watermelon Granita

Watermelon Granita - Recipe
Watermelon - 2 cups pieces of deseeded watermelon
Sugar - 1/4 cup (Substitute this with 2 tablespoons of honey for a healthier version)
Lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon

1. Place the watermelon pieces in the blender and blend well until smooth.
2. Add sugar and lemon juice and blend well. You might have to adjust the quantity of sugar and lemon juice depending on how sweet or ripe the watermelon is.

The granita mixture is ready to go in the refrigerator

3. Pour this mixture in a metal pan or a glass baking dish and freeze. Cover the dish / pan in order to avoid any smells getting absorbed into the mixture.
4. After an hour, the surface and the edges will start to freeze. Remove the dish/pan from the freezer and scrape the edges and the top layer lightly. Stir to incorporate the crystals and return the pan/dish to the freezer.
5. Repeat this process after every hour until the mixture starts looking like shaved ice.

Watermelon Granita - ready to be served

6. It might take 4-5 hours, before you scoop up a perfect Granita in your dessert cups or bowls.
It can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. So if you are serving it to your guests at a dinner party, you might as well make it the previous day.

Watermelon Granita

Kande Pohe

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:18:00 +0000

Ask a Maharashtrian, what he/she wants for breakfast and you will hear 'Kande Pohe'. It is made with beaten / flattened rice stir fried with curry leaves, green chillies, few spices and onions, hence the name - 'Kande' which means onions and 'pohe' which means beaten rice. Be it a quick snack for surprise guests or a weekend leisure breakfast - 'Kande Pohe' is the word. Well, in fact sometimes me and my hubby love to have this for a lazy sunday brunch along with a cup of tea and we are off to venture out.
Along with the basic ingredients, you can add green peas, potato slices, peanuts etc.

Kande Pohe

Kande Pohe - Recipe

Thick Beaten (Flattened) Rice / Jade Pohe - 2 cups

Onions - 1 cup chopped

Green Peas - 1/2 cup (optional)

Potato - 1 medium sized (optional)

Peanuts - 1-2 tablespoons (optional)

Green Chillies - 2-3 chopped

Curry leaves - 5-6

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Sugar - 2-3 teaspoons

Oil - 1-2 tablespoons

Coriander leaves - few sprigs

Lemon - 1

Fresh grated coconut - 1 -2 teaspoons (optional)

Kande Pohe

1. Wash pohe and drain all the water. Keep aside for 10-12 minutes. The pohe must become soft yet firm.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop 1 medium sized onion. If you are using potatoes, peel 1 medium sized one and make small slices. If using green peas, soak 1/2 a cup in hot salted water and then drain.
3. Heat oil in a pan / Kadhai, temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida powder.
4. Add curry leaves, green chillies, turmeric powder and onions and saute' until the onions are lightly browned.
5. Add the optional ingredients like green peas, potatoes, peanuts at this point. Mix well and make sure the potatoes and green peas are cooked well.
6. Add salt and sugar and mix well.
7. Add the pohe / beaten rice and mix well. Cover the pan for 5-7 minutes on a low heat. Keep stirring to make sure that the pohe don't stick to the pan.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, fresh grated coconut and a small slice of lemon.
Enjoy with a cup of tea.

Kande Pohe

Chicken Jalfrezi

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:35:00 +0000

My mom and me are fans of hot and spicy food. Chicken Jalfrezi is one such hot spicy curry that we always love eating at the restaurants. Cooked with green chillies, capsicum, onions and tomatoes, this curry is sure to wake your senses up. It is equally tasty with rice and roti.

Chicken Jalfrezi - Recipe
Chicken - 1/2 Kg. of skinless boneless Chicken
Onions - 3/4 cup chopped and 3/4 cup cubed / sliced
Tomatoes - 1 cup pureed tomatoes and 1 cup thinly sliced
Green Peppers / Capsicum - 1 cup cubed
Green chillies - 4-5 vertically sliced
Ginger garlic paste - 2 teaspoons
Ginger - 2 teaspoons thinly sliced
Turmeric powder - 2 teaspoons
Red Chilli Powder - 2 teaspoons
Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons
Asafoetida powder - pinch
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt
Coriander leaves - for garnish

1. Marinate Chicken pieces with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and salt.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and temper with 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds. Add a pinch of asafoetida powder.
3. Add 3/4 cup of chopped onions and 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and saute' until the onions are slightly browned.
4. Add a cup of pureed tomatoes and saute'.
5. Add a teaspoon each of turmeric and red chilli powder and 2 teaspoons of coriander powder and mix well.
6. Add marinated chicken, mix well and a cup of water. Cover and cook until the chicken is done.
7. In a separate pan / tava, add a tablespoon of oil. Add to this 3/4 cup of cubed / thinly sliced onions, vertically sliced green chillies and 1/2 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste.
8. To the onions, add a cup of cubed green peppers / capsicum, 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric and red chilli powder.
9. When the capsicum is cooked, add a cup of thinly sliced tomatoes and 2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh ginger. Stir fry this on medium heat.
10. Add this mixture to the chicken and mix well. Garnish wtith coriander leaves.

Veggie Pasta (Spaghetti with baby corn, red and green pepper)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:38:00 +0000

Yesterday, I got a panic call from a newly married friend, asking for a simple vegetarian recipe. She has been a non-vegetarian all her life, until she fell in love with a vegan. It's been couple of weeks now, since they said their vows, so it's time for her to impress her in-laws and dear hubby. Before she got married, her every recipe had either fish or chicken or at least an egg in it. And now she is in a dilemma or in her words, 'These veggies scare the hell out of me'. Anyways, so my dear friend, here's a very simple quick Pasta recipe with veggies and homemade Pasta sauce for you to try.
Add or substitute any other veggies you like - Broccoli, Asparagus, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Spinach or Cherry Tomatoes. All these go well with this kind of Pasta sauce and Spaghetti.

Veggie Pasta

Veggie Pasta - Recipe
Spaghetti - 1/4 pound (substitution - Linguine)
Tomatoes - 4 medium sized
Onions - 1 medium sized
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Baby Corn - 1-2 cups (each cut into 3-4 pieces)
Green Pepper - 1 cup (chopped)
Red Pepper - 1 cup (chopped)
(Add any other veggies you like - Broccoli, Spinach, Cherry tomatoes, Asparagus, Zucchini, Mushrooms...)
Dried Oregano - 1 teaspoon
Dried Basil - 1 teaspoon
Parmesan Cheese - 1 tablespoon (grated)
Salt
Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon (I prefer fresh cracked pepper)
Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon

Spaghetti with baby corn, green and red pepper

1. Fill a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add a teaspoon of salt to it.
2. Add the spaghetti. (don't worry, if the spaghetti does not immerse completely, it will go down as it becomes softer) Stir occasionally and cook (uncovered) until tender yet firm.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop an onion, 3-4 garlic cloves and 2 medium sized tomatoes. Make a paste of 2 remaining tomatoes. Chop the veggies - green and red pepper and baby corn or any other veggies, you have in your refrigerator. Keep these veggies chunkier than the tomatoes and onions.
4. Drain the pasta and reserve half a cup of pasta water.
5. Heat half a tablespoon of Olive Oil in a pot. Add chopped garlic and onion and saute' until soft.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and saute' until cooked.
7. Add oregano and basil.
8. Keep this sauce on the side. In the same pot, add half a tablespoon of olive oil and then add all the veggies. Cook all these veggies. Add the pasta water that we had set aside and then add the sauce back to the pot. Stir well.
9. Add the Spaghetti and toss well.
10. Add parmesan cheese, pepper and salt and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes or until all the sauce is soaked in the pasta.

Veggie Pasta

Seer Fish Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:02:00 +0000

The aroma of fish frying in the kitchen marks the beginning of a weekend in my house. But once in a while, I like to make a boring week happy by frying some fish for dinner in the middle of the week. In my husband's words, 'The house smells like a Sunday on a boring Wednesday'.

Seer Fish Fry

Seer Fish Fry - Recipe
Seer Fish - 4 pieces
For marinade:
Garlic- 4-5 cloves
Green chillies - 2
Coriander leaves - handful
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind paste - 1/4 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt
For Coating:
Rice flour - 1/8 cup
Besan (gram flour) - 1/8 cup
Rava (Semolina) - 1/8 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt
Oil for frying.

1. Wash, clean and cut the fish into pieces almost 2 cms thick.
2. Make a paste of garlic cloves, green chillies and corainder leaves.
3. Marinate the fish with salt, lemon juice, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, tamarind and the above paste and set aside for half an hour.
4. Prepare the mixture for the coating by mixing equal quantities of rice flour, gram flour (besan) and semolina (rava). You can skip besan or rice flour, if you want but rava is an essential ingredient here, as it gives the fried fish, it's crispy outer cover.
5. Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt to this mixture and mix well.
6. Heat a pan or tava for the fish to be shallow fried. Add a couple of spoons of oil to the pan.
7. Take the marinated fish piece - 1 at a time and dip it in the flour mixture. Make sure that the fish is coated well from all the sides.
8. Shallow fry the pieces of marinated and coated fish on both sides until they are nice golden brown.
9. Sprinkle a dash of lemon and savor with chapati or rice or Masoor Khichadi.

Seer Fish Fry

Pav Bhaji (Bread with mashed veggies)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:43:00 +0000

If you have ever been to Bombay..oops.. Mumbai, especially if you have wandered on the chowpatties or streets with roadside food vendors, you must have noticed a guy with a big masher mashing away something on a huge flat round griddle or Tava. On the same tava he is frying some crisp pav or bread. You got it right my dear foodies, I am talking about Pav bhaji, Mumbai's favorite street side food.
Pav Bhaji literally means 'Bread with vegetables'. A spicy magical concoction of veggies like - potatoes, cauliflower, peas, tomatoes, onions, capsicum - all of them mashed until they lose their individual identity. A Pav (in Marathi for bread) crisp fried with Amul butter is served alongside. Sides and garnishes include slice of lemon or chopped onions or raita or cucumber and onion slices; every vendor has his own style.
But one thing that no one forgets is the blob of butter on top of bhaji...yummm.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji - Recipe
Onions - 1 + 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 cups, finely chopped (substitution : tomato paste)
Capsicum / Green Pepper - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Potatoes - 2-3 medium sized
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 3-4 cloves (substitution : garlic paste - 1 teaspoon)
Red chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
Pav Bhaji Masala - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - handful, chopped
Lemon - 3-4 wedges
Salt - As per taste
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Butter - 4-5 tablespoons
Pav (Substitution : regular sandwich bread)

1. Boil cauliflower, peas and potatoes. Peel the potatoes and mash all these veggies and set aside.
2. Make a paste of the garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and add the above (garlic and red chilli) paste and turmeric powder.
4. Add 1 cup of finely chopped onions and saute' until the onions are soft.
5. Add finely chopped tomatoes and capsicum. Saute' until everything is soft and well cooked.
6. Add rest of the red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala and salt and mix well.
7. Add the mixture of mashed veggies and mix well.
8. Add a cup of water, cover and cook.
9. Mash the bhaji with the potato masher and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
10. Adjust salt and chilli or masala.
11. Slice the pav and butter it on all sides. Fry it on a tava / griddle until lightly browned and crisp on all sides.
12. Take the rest of 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions. Sprinkle a little salt, red chilli powder and salt on these. This masala onion can be served alongside bhaji or as garnish.
13. Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves and 2 teaspoons of amul butter or more ;-).
14. Serve along with a wedge of lemon and the masala onion and the crisp buttered pav.

Thai Chicken Massaman Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:21:00 +0000

Situation - You receive a phone call saying your husband's Uncles and Aunts are visiting for a couple of days. Sometime back, your knowledge base was updated that they love trying out different cuisines, provided the food is spicy. Alright, so here's your chance to impress them.

Solution - To your rescue... comes Thai cuisine....hot and spicy just like we Indians love, yet a distinct flavour, easy to make and hence easy to impress ;-).

But let's play safe...the closest cousin of Indian Chicken curry is the Thai Chicken Massaman Curry. Massaman is just an old word for Muslim, cause that's where the origins of this curry are. This curry is heavy on spices and just like other Thai curries uses coconut milk to tone it down. Chicken can be substituted with beef, mutton, lamb or tofu. Spices like - Red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander seeds, black peppercorns is what makes this curry hot and spicy. Now you will say, 'That is exactly what we use in Indian curries'. But wait, there are some Thai cuisine - specific ingredients like Galangal, Fish sauce, Lemongrass, Cassia leaves and shrimp paste that sets this curry apart from the Indian curries.

Thai Chicken Massaman Curry

Thai Chicken Massaman Curry - Recipe
Chicken - 1/2 Kg. (I used boneless here)
Potato - 1 medium sized, cubed
Onions - 1/2 cup, roughly chopped
Roasted peanuts - handful
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cassia leaves - 2-3 (Substitution : Bay leaves)
Coconut Milk - 1 and 1/2 - 2 cups
Paprika - 1/4 teaspoon
Fish sauce - 1/8 teaspoon (Substitution : soy sauce)
Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
Massaman curry paste - store bought or homemade - see the recipe below.

For Massaman Curry paste: (Or just get a packet of Massaman Curry paste from store)
Dry red chillies - 2-3
Black Peppercorns - 2-3
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2
Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Coriander stalks - 1-2
Lemon grass - 1 stalk
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Shallots - 1 small
Mace - 1 small piece (Hindi : Javitri)
Shrimp paste - 1/4 teaspoon (Can be found in Asian supermarkets)
Dry roast peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, red chillies, cumin seeds, mace and coriander seeds. Ground these spices. Make a paste of these powdered spices, ginger, coriander stalks, garlic, shallots, lemon grass and shrimp paste. This paste can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add Cinnamon and Cassia/ Bay leaves.
2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the Massaman Curry Paste and saute' until fragrant.
3. Add cubed chicken pieces and mix well with the paste. Cover and cook for a minute.
4. Add Coconut milk and Paprika and mix well. Add half a cup of water and cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add onions, potatoes and roasted peanuts. Add fish sauce. Fish sauce is for Thai cuisine, what soy sauce is for Chinese. But you can always substitute it for soy sauce or salt, if you don't find one in the stores.
6. Add sugar and water and let simmer until the oil separates or chicken is cooked.

Serve hot with the fragrant Jasmine rice. (Substitution : Basmati rice)

Matar Paneer (Green Peas with Paneer Curry)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:35:00 +0000

'Hmm, is that cream or is that cashews?', 'That's Kasuri methi, isn't it?', 'I get a hint of a taste of ginger'. These are some of the dialogues that my hubby hears every time we eat out. He calls it 'verbal deconstruction' of recipes. But, I mean, come on, don't we all ladies do it? I am sure each one of us has committed the crime at least once in their lifetime, especially when it comes to our favorite dishes.
I love recreating restaurant style dishes at home, especially those Punjabi style creamy dishes. And this recipe of Matar Paneer was one such inspiration. It has a thick creamy restaurant style gravy with peas and paneer. Sop it up with a roti or chapati or ladle it on some rice, it is equally delicious and easy to prepare exotic gravy.

Matar Paneer (Green Peas with Paneer Curry)

Matar Paneer (Green Peas with Paneer Curry) - Recipe
Green Peas (Matar) - 2 cups
Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 1 packet of 100 grams / 1 and half cups of cubed paneer
Onions - 1 cup chopped
Tomatoes - 1 and half cups chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Clove - 1
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch small stick
Dry red chillies - 2
Kasuri Methi - 1-2 pinches
Cashews - handful
Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon
Fresh Cream - 1/4 cup
Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
Salt and oil

1. Soak green peas in hot water with a pinch of salt for at least half an hour.
2. In a separate small bowl, soak a handful of cashews and poppy seeds in water for an hour and make a paste.
3. Heat a couple of spoons of oil in a pan and fry the cubes of Paneer on a low flame, until lightly browned.
4. Remove the paneer from the pan and keep aside.
5. In the same pan, add some more oil, heat it and temper with clove, cinnamon, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder and the dry red chillies.
6. Add chopped onions and saute' until golden brown. Add Kasuri Methi and ginger garlic paste and saute'. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute' until soft.
7. Here comes a bit of a twist to get that restaurant style creamy gravy...Get this mixture out of the pan and put it in a blender. Let it cool down a little bit and then blend it. To this add the paste of cashews and poppy seeds. You can leave the whole mixture chunky if you want or blend it into a creamy mixture.
8. Now for the final time, use the same pan to heat a couple of spoons of oil. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder to the hot oil. Immediately add the blended mixture, stir and mix well.
9. Drain and add the peas to the pan. Add paneer cubes, salt and mix well. Cover and cook until the peas are soft and paneer has soaked up some flavour.
10. Beat the fresh cream and add it to the gravy. This give nice exotic flavour to this delicious creamy curry. Simmer for a minute and your restaurant style Matar Paneer is ready.
Relish with Roti or Rice.

Matar Paneer (Green Peas with Paneer Curry)

Mango Lassi (Indian Mango Smoothie)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:57:00 +0000

A tall glass full of cool creamy sweet drink garnished with a generous amount of pistachios, so thick and full of 'malai' (cream) that you might need a spoon to eat it, rather than drink it.
Well, that's my memory of Lassi I had at a street side vendor in Delhi, some 5 years back. Ever since I have been on a hunt for similar lassi in various other cities, but in vain. Some lack the creaminess, some lack the right amount of sweetness, and some others the generosity of the quantity and pistachios. Nonetheless, we always have our own kitchen. So summer or not, having a nice creamy lassi loaded with pistachios and cream, at home is always a treat.

Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi - Recipe
Yogurt - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Fresh Cream - 1/2 cup
Mango pulp - 1 and 1/2 cups (or 1 cup of chopped mangoes)
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Pistachios - 1-2 teaspoons chopped
Saffron - a pinch of crushed saffron

1. Blend Yogurt, Milk, Cream, Mango Pulp, Sugar and Cardamom powder all together in a blender.
2. Garnish with crushed saffron and pistachios.
3. Chill and serve.

Event Participations:

1. Spicing your life's 'Kids Delight Potluck'

Rajma / Red Kidney Beans Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 05:34:00 +0000

Wow, I can't believe, it's been a month I haven't blogged. Now that I am back, I can almost hear my heart singing in joy. I know, I know, that's just an exaggeration of a happy heart, a foodie soul and the effect of a hectic and insanely busy month.
Someone truly said, when you go away from something you like, that's when you realize how much you love that thing. That's exactly what happened, the past whole month I have realized how much I love blogging and I mean all aspects of it, the writing, cooking, photography, my blogger friends, their comments, events, the awards and the list goes on and on.
Alright, so here I am with a simple, hearty Punjabi style Rajma / Red Kidney Beans curry. After a long long time, I went for grocery shopping yesterday and I guess I might have gone a little overboard. I almost made that guy at the checkout counter cry, and I don't even want to think about those furious looks of people behind me. So, anyways, I bought these wonderful nutritious dried red kidney beans to make the famous North Indian Rajma Chawal. This Rajma curry along with some rice aka Rajma Chawal made a fulfilling and a comforting meal at the end of a long insane month.

Rajma / Red Kidney Beans Curry

Rajma Curry - Recipe
Rajma or red kidney beans (dried) - 1 cup

Rajma Beans (Dry and Boiled)

Onions - 1 cup chopped
Tomatoes - 1 cup chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon (Homemade or store bought)
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Kasuri Methi - couple of pinches
Clove - 1
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Bay leaves - 1-2
Garam masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - couple of pinches
Salt
Oil

1. Soak red kidney beans for almost 7-8 hours or overnight.
2. Cook Rajma in pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and a pinch of asafoetida for 3-4 whistles. Don't throw any leftover water or the rajma stock. The same can be added to the curry later.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add a clove, a 1/2 inch small stick of cinnamon and a couple of bay leaves.
4. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida powder.
5. Add chopped onions and saute' until golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes and saute' until soft.
6. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder and garam masala powder. Crush some kasuri methi in your palm and add that too.
7. Saute' and add the boiled red kidney beans. Mix well.
8. Add salt, 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice and the leftover rajma stock. Also, add a cup of water. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
9. Garnish with some more kasuri methi and coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice or roti, if you prefer.

Chicken Curry (CKP style Chicken Rassa)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I had received around 2-3 requests for a chicken curry recipe since last month, some through emails and some personal. So I made this traditional CKP style Chicken Curry right away and believe me, I had been meaning to post it since a long time. But I was absolutely not happy with that picture and taking another better picture would have required some more patience and hunger control, which I had lost after making this elaborate recipe. 'Cause believe me, though the recipe seems a little time consuming, the aroma and the taste of this traditional style CKP Chicken Rassa is phenomenal and certainly pays for all those efforts.

Chicken Curry (CKP style Chicken Rassa)

Chicken Curry - Recipe
Chicken - 1/2 Kg.
Onions - 2 medium
Tomato - 1
Ginger - small 1/4 inch piece
Garlic - 5-6 cloves
Green chillies - 2
Coriander leaves - few sprigs
Yogurt - 1-2 teaspoons
Coconut - 1 - 2 tablespoons (grated or scraped)
Cloves - 1-2
Cinnamon - small 1/4 inch piece
Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
Caraway seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Dry red chillies - 2
Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Black Pepper (whole) - 3-4
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1-2 teaspoons
Salt and Oil
For Tempering:
Clove - 1
Cinnamon - small 1/4 inch piece
Bay leaves - 1-2
Asafoetida powder - 1-2 pinches

1. Make a paste of ginger, garlic, green chillies and a handful of coriander leaves.
2. Marinate chicken pieces with this paste along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, some salt and yogurt. Keep aside for at least an hour.
3. Slice one onion and finely chop the second one. Finely chop the tomatoes.
4. Add a teaspoon of oil to a pan or a Tawa. Add the sliced onions and saute' on a low flame until the onion turns golden brown.
5. Remove the onion from pan and keep aside. Add the scraped/grated coconut to the pan and roast on low flame until light brown. Remove and make a paste of this onion and coconut with the help of water.
6. On the same pan, add the spices - Cloves, cinnamon, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper and dry red chillies. Dry roast these spices on a low flame until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Grind them into powder when cool.
7. Heat oil in a pan. Temper with Clove, cinnamon, bay leaves and asafoetida powder.
8. Add the chopped onion and saute'. Then, add finely chopped tomatoes and saute'.
9. Add the dry roasted spice powder. You can add all of it or half of it and then adjust the spice level later.
10. Add marinated chicken. Mix everything well and cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
11. Add the coconut - onion paste, salt and a cup of water. Cover and cook the chicken. Adjust the red chilli powder, spices and salt.
12. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati, roti or rice.

Chicken Curry (CKP style Chicken Rassa)

Some variations:
1. Add coconut milk instead of scraped coconut.
2. You can use the same recipe for boneless chicken

Matar Usal (Green Peas Curry)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 04:05:00 +0000

The other day, I was going through this wonderful website called 'WHFoods.org', that lists all the health foods in the world and was pleasantly surprised to find green peas there. The website says, that the peas have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. They have Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and a good amount of Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Manganese.

Matar Usal (Peas Curry)

Alright, so that gives me a good reason to make this simple, quick traditional Maharashtrian style 'Matar Usal' (Peas curry). The recipe version that I have mentioned here is the simplest, quickest way to end a long day. Of course, there is an eleborate recipe for the same, where you can make a paste of green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and scraped or grated coconut. You can add a few more temperings like clove, cinnamon and curry leaves. Or can even add some more masalas like Maharashtrian goda masala or garam masala. But, if you want to make peas curry in a jiffy, go for this one.

Matar Usal (Peas Curry)

Matar Usal (Peas Curry) - Recipe
Peas - 2 cups (Fresh or frozen)
Onions - 1 cup chopped
Tomatoes - 1 cup chopped
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 - 2 teaspoons
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tablespoon
Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches
Salt and oil

Ingredients for Matar Usal / Peas curry

1. Heat oil in a pan / kadhai. Temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida powder.
2. Add chopped onions and saute' on medium heat.
3. Add chopped tomatoes, when the onions are soft and light brown.

Saute' onions and tomatoes

4. Add turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder and ginger garlic paste and saute'.
5. Add peas and half a cup of water. Cover and cook. Add some more water if necessary.

Add peas and saute'

6. When the peas are almost cooked, add coconut milk, salt and water if necessary.

Serve hot with chapati, puri or rice. And what's better way to finish up that bread in the pantry, than to relish it with this curry.

Matar Usal (Peas Curry)

Some variations:
The Recipe for Matar Usal / Peas curry that I have mentioned here is a very mild and simple one. It can be made spicy as well. Some more additions or changes that can be made are as follows:
1. Temper with a clove and a small piece of cinnamon.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of Maharashtrian Goda Masala / Garam Masala
3. Add half a cup of Coconut paste, instead of coconut milk.
4. Add a paste of green chillies, ginger, garlic and coriander leaves, instead of ginger garlic paste.

Matar Usal (Peas Curry)

Thalipith Flour(Bhajani)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:17:00 +0000

Here's a Recipe for Thalipith Flour (Bhajani) for Thalipith (Multigrain pancake) as promised.

Traditional Method:
Thalipith Flour (Bhajani) - Recipe
Rice - 1 cup
Jowar (Sorghum)- 1 cup
Bajra (Pearl Millet) - 1 cup
Wheat - 1/4 cup
Urad dal (black lentil) - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 cup

1. Roast each ingredient separately on a low flame till it gets fragrant.
2. When cool, grind this in a flour mill and store in an airtight container.

Modern day alternative:
Flour mills are not easily accessible these days. And if you are in a big city or outside India, then 'Forget-about-it'. So this is the alternative method you can go for.

Rice flour - 1 cup
Jowar (sorghum) flour - 1 cup
Bajra (millet) flour - 1 cup
Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Besan (Chickpea / gram) flour - 1/2 cup
Urad (black lentil) flour - 1/2 cup (I have rarely seen this in the grocery stores, in that case you can skip this.)
Coriander powder - 1/2 cup
Cumin powder - 1/2 cup

1. Mix all the flours and powders well.
2. Store them in a airtight container (don't refrigerate) and you can use the flour as and when required.

Spring Onion Thalipith (Multigrain pancake with green onions)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:09:00 +0000

Thalipith is Maharashtra's answer to healthy multigrain pancake. Various grains and spices are roasted and then ground to make multigrain flour, called as 'Bhajani' in marathi. This flour can be stored for a year, after which it starts losing it's potency. When making thalipith, all you do is mix required amount of this flour with salt, some spices, or green chillies, onions and coriander leaves and prepare the dough with the help of water. This is the most traditional way to prepare thalipith but it can easily be experimented with boiled cauliflower, cabbage or chopped spring onions like I did this time. A very special technique is used when making thalipith. Palm and fingers are used to flatten the dough and then fried on pan. But if it sounds tricky, using a rolling pin never hurt.

Thalipith with homemade melting butter (or 'loni' as we call it in Marathi) on the top is a treat to all the senses. Alternatively, one can relish it with ghee, yogurt, chutney or pickle. It makes a rustic dinner or even a fulfilling tasty breakfast.

Spring Onion Thalipith (Multigrain pancake with green onions)

Spring Onion Thalipith - Recipe

Thalipith Flour (Bhajani) - 2 cups (Storebought or homemade)

**If you stay in Maharashtra, you can easily find this flour in any food store. For those outside the state, I will post a recipe to make this flour soon.

Jowar flour - 1 cup (The reason I add jowar flour is to make the dough more pliable and thus easy to pat down the thalipith)

Spring onions / green onions / scallions - 2 cups chopped

Turmeric powder - 2 teaspoons

Red chilli powder - 1 tablespoon

Coriander - Cumin powder - 1 tablespoon

Salt - as per taste

Oil

Ingredients for Spring Onion Thalipith (Multigrain pancake with green onions)

1. Mix Thalipith flour, jowar flour, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Coriander and cumin powder and chopped spring onions in a large bowl.

2. Bind these ingredients into dough (just like parathas) with the help of water.

Dough for Thalipith

3. Take a plastic ziploc bag or any clean plastic bag and grease one side of it with oil. Grease your hands with oil, take a handful of the dough and roll it into a ball.

4. Put this ball on the plastic bag and with the help of greased palm and fingers, pat it to make a nice round thalipith. Keep in mind that thalipith is much thicker than rotis or parathas, else they become hard like papads.

Pat down thalipith with palm and fingers

5. Put some oil on griddle or tava or pan and carefully put the thalipith on the pan. Spoon a little oil on the top of the thalipith and on the sides.

Thalipith on hot Tava

6. Cover the pan / tava with a lid, so that the thalipith cooks evenly and keeps the smoke in the house to minimum. This step is optional. If you prefer cooking without lid, that's fine too. My fear of making the smoke alarm angry, makes me do this.

Thalipith on hot Tava

7. Cook the other side of thalipith in the same way until both the sides get golden brown.

Spring Onion Thalipith (Multigrain pancake with green onions)

Serve thalipith with homemade butter (or storebought) or ghee, yogurt or pickle and enjoy this lipsmacking rustic treat.

Some Variations:

1. Add green chillies and coriander leaves of you want.

2. Add onions as well along with it.

3. Add ajwain (carom seeds) to the dough.

Spring Onion Thalipith (Multigrain pancake with green onions)

Chikoo Nutella Milkshake (Sapota / Sapodilla Nutella Milkshake)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Chikoo also known as Sapota or Sapodilla, is a very common brown colored sweet fruit found in India, Asia, Mexico etc. It is a tropical fruit with black seeds in the center.
I am and have always been a chikoo lover. But sadly my kid hates them. Being born and brought up in US until now, today was the first time she saw chikoo. Her first reaction began with, 'Mama, why are you giving me a potato to eat'. When I peeled and began to cut one, she screamed at the sight of it's black seeds (like most of the girls do at the sight of a cockroach). Yep, you guessed it, that's what she thought and said, 'Mama, there's a cockroach inside this fruit'. That gave us a reason to have a good laugh and then hubby had to take her out of the kitchen, so that I could blend these yummy chikoos in her milkshake. I added nutella to this shake to make it look like a chocolate milk and to enhance the flavor of the shake. The flavor combination of chikoos and nutella was simply divine and fulfilling. And just one more way to use that leftover nutella in your refrigerator.

Chikoo Nutella Milkshake (Sapota / Sapodilla Nutella Milkshake)

Chikoo Nutella Milkshake (Sapota / Sapodilla Nutella Milkshake) - Recipe
Milk - 1 glass (preferably cold / chilled)
Chikoos - 3
Nutella - 1 tablespoon
Sugar - 1 tablespoon (Adjust this as per your taste)
Cocoa Powder - for Garnishing (optional)

Ingredients for Chikoo Nutella Milkshake

1. Blend chikoos, nutella and sugar in a blender.
2. Add in some milk to it and blend well.
3. Serve chilled with some dusted cocoa powder on the top.

Chikoo Nutella Milkshake (Sapota / Sapodilla Nutella Milkshake)

Some Variations:
1. Add almonds, pistachios or any other nuts.
2. Add couple of pinches of cocoa Powder to the shake.
3. Adding peanut butter can give it a whole new dimension.

Spinach Carrot Dal (Spinach and Carrots in Mixed Lentils)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:31:00 +0000

I became a Mom a few years back and the way I looked at food and cooking completely changed, especially when my kid started eating solids. Since then I have found myself sneaking in veggies, fruits, nuts and all the nutritious stuff in everything she eats. Dal or Lentil curry is one such easy dish to hide the vegetables in. This Spinach Carrot Dal helps me add carrots, spinach and tomatoes without anyone realising. Moreover I have used 4 kinds of lentils here, that raises the nutrition quotient of this dish further more. It also serves a nutritious comfort food when served hot with rice.

Spinach Carrot Dal (Spinach and Carrots in Mixed Lentils)

Spinach Carrot Dal (Spinach and Carrots in Mixed Lentils) - Recipe

Mixed Lentils - 1 and half cups (I used Toor dal, Moong dal, Masoor dal and Chana dal)

Mixed Lentils for Spinach Carrot Dal

Carrots - 1 cup peeled and grated

Spinach - 1 cup finely chopped

Tomatoes - 1/2 cup finely chopped

Veggies for Spinach Carrot Dal

Ginger - 1/4 inch piece, grated

Turmeric powder - 1/2 - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Cloves - 1

Cinnamon - 1/4 inch

Jaggery - 2 teaspoons

Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches

Salt

Oil

Ghee

1. Wash all the mixed lentils and keep aside

2. Heat oil / ghee in a pan. Temper with a pinch of asafoetida powder.

3. Add all the veggies (grated carrots, chopped spinach, chopped tomatoes) and grated ginger to the oil and saute'.

4. Add the mixed lentils and turmeric powder and saute'. Add 3 cups of water.

5. Cook this mixture in a pressure cooker or pan for 3-4 whistles or 15 minutes.

6. Mash the lentil and veggies mixture.

7. Heat oil / ghee in a pan or a kadhai, add cloves and cinnamon.

8. Temper with dry red chillies, cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida powder.

9. Add the mashed lentil and veggies mixture, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, jaggery and a cup or 2 of water. Let the Dal boil.

10. When dal is done, add couple of teaspoons of hot ghee on top. This enhances the flavor.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Some variations:

1. You can add chopped onion or grated garlic or garam masala.

2. Take any combination of lentils you want. Udid dal can be another interesting addition.

3. Add any other veggies you like - methi, red chard, squash, cabbage, peas etc.

Spinach Carrot Dal (Spinach and Carrots in Mixed Lentils)

Methi Malai Paneer (Creamy Fenugreek leaves with cottage cheese)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 05:34:00 +0000

Methi Malai Matar (Creamy Fenugreek leaves with Peas) is one of the favorites in my house. It serves as a wonderful treat to the palates, whenever we are bored of eating the curries with red chilli powder and all the regular spices. This time I had all the ingredients for the dish but was running out of peas, so decided to substitute it with paneer (cottage cheese). And voila`, it was rather a double treat. The creaminess of the paneer plus the creaminess of this curry works wonders. But don't be deceived by its white creamy look. The green chillies, ginger and all the other spices gives enough heat and spice to it, to make this Methi Malai Paneer flavorful.

Methi Malai Paneer (Creamy Fenugreek leaves with Cottage Cheese)

Methi Malai Paneer (Creamy Fenugreek leaves with cottage cheese) - Recipe
Methi (Fenugreek leaves) - 1 bunch / 2 cups
Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 1 packet of 100 grams / 1 and half cups
Fresh Cream - 1 cup
Yogurt - 1 tablespoon
Onion - 1 large
Cashews - handful
Poppy seeds (Khuskhus) - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 2 teaspoons
Green chillies - 4-5
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Cloves - 2-3
Cardamom - 1 (deseeded)
Ghee / Oil - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
Salt

Ingredients for Methi Malai Paneer

1. Blanch methi (fenugreek) leaves in hot salted water for 10 mins. Then drain them well and chop them finely.
2. Meanwhile soak cashews and poppy seeds in half a cup of water.
3. Chop onions roughly. Make a paste of onions, soaked cashews, poppy seeds, green chillies, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, sugar and yogurt. You can use the same water to make the paste that was used to soak the poppy seeds and cashews. The paste must be very smooth and creamy.
4. Chop Paneer into small cubes. Heat oil in a pan and lightly shallow fry these cubes and keep aside.
5. In the same pan, add some more oil and temper with asafoetida powder.
6. Add the paste and saute' on a medium flame until the raw smell of the onion vanishes. (Approximately 7-10 minutes)
7. Add the chopped methi leaves and paneer cubes, mix well and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Since the methi leaves were blanched earlier, it doesn't take too long to cook.
8. Add salt and the cream and mix well. Let it boil for couple of minutes.

Methi Malai Paneer (Creamy Fengreek leaves with cottage cheese)

Serve hot with roti or rice. Jeera rice or ghee rice goes very well this creamy flavorful curry.

Some variations:
1. You can add peas and paneer both for more flavorful curry.
2. Reduce the quantity of cream, if you want to make it a healthy one.
3. Substitute methi with spinach leaves or paneer with tofu.

Methi Malai Paneer (Creamy Fenugreek leaves with Cottage Cheese)

Beetroot Pachadi (Beetroot Salad)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:46:00 +0000

The word 'Pachadi' has different meanings and recipes depending on which State of India you are in or referring to. In Maharashtra, it generally means a salad made out of Cabbage or Carrots or Beetroots. The ingredient, doesn't matter whether it is beetroots or anything else, it is first grated, mixed with lemon, salt and sugar and then tempered with ghee, mustard seeds and curry leaves. The ghee boosts the flavor, but if you don't have ghee in your pantry, butter can be used instead. Apart from being healthy, this dish hardly takes 10 -15 minutes to prepare.

Beetroot Pachadi (Beetroot Salad)

Beetroot Pachadi (Beetroot Salad) - Recipe
Beetroots - 2 medium sized
Lemon - 1/4 slice
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 8-10 leaves
Coriander leaves - handful
Salt - As per your taste
Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
Ghee (Clarified butter) - 1-2 teaspoons

Beetroot Pachadi (Beetroot Salad) Ingredients

1. Peel and grate the beetroots. Chop coriander leaves.
2. Mix grated beets, chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice of 1/4 slice of a lemon, salt and sugar in a bowl.
3. Heat ghee in a tadka /small pan, temper with mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start crackling, add asafoetida powder and curry leaves.
4. Remove the pan from heat and pour this hot ghee tempering on the beetroot mixture and mix well.
Serve this healthy pachadi / salad as a side with Parathas/ Curries / Spicy rice pilaf. It tastes amazing with this Masoor Pulao / Pilaf.

Some variations:
1. You can add crushed peanuts for crunch.
2. Add a tablespoon of grated coconut to the mixture for added flavor.
3. Add 1 chopped green chilly if you want some heat.

Beetroot Pachadi (Beetroot Salad)

Kolhapuri Misal (Spicy Moth beans Chaat)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:25:00 +0000

Misal is a famous moth beans chaat from Maharashtra. But it has 2 versions - one from Pune called 'Puneri Misal' and another from Kolhapur called 'Kolhapuri Misal'. In both kinds, the main part of the dish is the moth beans curry. Puneri Misal is a milder version and uses 'Pohe' or 'chivda' as one of the elements of the chaat. Kolhapuri Misal, on the other hand, is a spicier version that uses 'kat' (pronounciation similar to cut) that is a spicy curry kind element, along with 'farsaan' that is a spicy Indian mixture or Internationally recognised as Bombay mixture. The 'Kat' (spicy curry) is used to adjust the spiciness of the dish. It is usually served on the side so that each person can help himself with the level of spice he / she enjoys. Both kinds of chaat are enjoyed with bread.

Kolhapuri Misal (Spicy Moth beans Chaat)

I had this 'Kolhapuri Misal' at my mom's friend's place, who is from Kolhapur and is a wonderful cook. The recipe might seem a little elaborate or lengthy for some, but the end result is just amazing. I have tried to simplify it in different steps. So if you are up for an authentic Kolhapuri Misal, this is it.

Kolhapuri Misal (Spicy Moth beans Chaat)

Kolhapuri Misal (Spicy Moth beans Chaat) - Recipe

STEP I : Spice Powder:
Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon
Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon
Whole black pepper - 5-6
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch
Cloves - 2-3
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Dry red chillies- 2-3

Ingredients for spice powder for misal

Dry roast all the above ingredients on a low flame. When cool, grind these in a grinder to make the spice powder and keep aside.
This powder can stay in pantry for a week, so this can be made ahead of time.

Spice powder for Misal

STEP II : Coconut-Onion paste:
Onion - 1 medium sliced
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Coconut - 2-3 tablespoons (fresh grated)
Dry red chilli - 1
Oil - 2 teaspoons

Coconut-Onion Paste for Misal

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan / tawa, add sliced onions and fry them until golden brown.
2. Add chopped garlic, ginger, red chilli and grated coconut and fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Make a paste of all these in a blender with the help of water.

STEP III : Spicy Kat (Spicy Curry)
Oil - 2 - 3 teaspoons
Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Kokum - 2 pieces (You can substitute this with tamarind - 1/4 teaspoon)
(For more on Kokum - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia_indica)
Salt
Spice powder made in step 1
Coconut - Onion paste made in step 2

1. Heat oil in a pan and temper with asafoetida powder.
2. Add Turmeric powder, red chilii powder and kokum.
3. Then add almost 3/4 of the spice powder made in step 1 and saute for a minute.
4. Add 3/4 of the coconut - onion paste made in step 2 and saute.

Spicy Kat for Misal in making

5. Add almost 2 - 3 cups of water and salt to taste and let the 'kat' boil. The final consistency of the 'kat' should be soupy.

Spicy 'kat' for Kolhapuri Misal

STEP IV : For Moth beans curry (matki usal):
Sprouted moth beans (matki)- 2 cups

Sprouted moth beans (matki)

Onion - 1 medium chopped
Tomato - 1 medium chopped
Potato - 1 small peeled and chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Kokum - 1 (or Tamarind - 1/4 teaspoon)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 10-12 leaves
Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches
Spice powder made in step 1
Coconut - onion paste made in step 2
Salt and Oil

1. Soak the moth beans for 7-8 hours. Then drain the water and let the moth beans sprout. This can take anytime between 3 and 7 hours depending upon the weather outside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida powder.
3. Add curry leaves, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
4. Add chopped onions and saute until golden brown.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and saute until soft.
6. Add chopped potatoes and saute.

Matki usal for misal in making

7. Add sprouted moth beans (matki) and saute.

Matki usal for misal in making

8. Add the rest of the spice powder and coconut - onion paste, salt, kokum / tamarind and water. Cover and cook.

Matki usal (Moth beans curry) for Misal

To Serve:

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Tomato - 1 finely chopped

Lemon - 1 sliced

Corainder leaves - finely chopped

Farsan (spicy Bombay Mixture)

Kat (Spicy curry) - Made in step 3

Matki usal (Moth beans curry) - Made in step 4

Bread

In a bowl, add matki usal (Moth beans curry), Ladle some Kat (Spicy curry), Add some farsan (Bombay Mixture) on top, sprinkle chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and chopped coriander leaves. Serve some kat, lemon and bread on side. Enjoy..

Kolhapuri Misal (Spicy Moth beans Chaat)

Note : The quantities of all the spices I have stated here make a spicy Misal. So please adjust those quantities according to your taste. You can always make a milder version of any spicy dish. :)

Kolhapuri Misal (Spicy Moth beans Chaat)

Prawn / Shrimp Curry (Kolumbiche Kalvan)

noreply@blogger.com (Meg's Delicious Adventures) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 06:03:00 +0000

Recently some people who don't know me well have asked me, 'Why are you writing a food blog??' with a big question mark on their faces.

Only a foodie understands why one writes about food. We all know that famous saying 'Beauty lies in the eyes of a beholder'. On the similar lines, the way a foodie looks at food is totally different from the way a non-foodie looks at it. For some the food may be just a way to survive and satisfy those hunger pangs whereas 'a foodie cooks with passion, then admires his perfect creation, then savours it along with the loved ones and then shares his wonderful experience with others.' That's exactly why I am writing a food blog.

So coming to today's recipe, this recipe of prawn / shrimp curry is a traditional CKP(a Maharashtrian community) style recipe. Even though there is a biological difference between prawns and shrimps, the same recipe is used for both. When this curry boils, the combined aroma of the shrimps / prawns and all the spices is remarkable. Beware, you might make your (non-vegeterian) neighbours jealous.

Prawn / Shrimp Curry (Kolumbiche Kalvan)

Prawn / Shrimp curry (Kolumbiche kalvan) - Recipe

Prawns / Shrimps - 1/2 kg

Onion - 1 cup chopped

Tomato - 1/2 cup chopped (1 medium sized tomato)

Garlic - 7-8 cloves of garlic

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Green chilli - 2

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon (adjust it according to your taste, I love my prawn curry spicy)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut - 1/2 cup (shredded or chopped)

Tamarind - 1/2 teaspoon of tamarind paste (I use store bought one)

Salt - As per your taste

Asafoetida powder - 1-2 pinches

Coriander leaves - few sprigs for garnishing and the marinade.

1. Make a paste of 2 green chillies, 4 garlic cloves (medium sized), ginger and coriander leaves.

2. Marinate prawns / shrimps with this paste, salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder and 1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp. Set aside for at least an hour so that the shrimps / prawns soak up all the flavour.

Marinated prawns / shrimps

3. Heat oil in a pan and add 3-4 crushed garlic cloves. Brown them on all sides and add 2 pinches of asafoetida powder.

Ingredients for prawn / shrimp curry

4. Add chopped onion and saute'.
5. When the onions are golden brown, add chopped tomatoes and saute'.
6. When the tomatoes are soft, add the marinated shrimps / prawns and saute'. Add a tad bit water, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Meanwhile make a paste of the shredded or chopped coconut with the help of water. Alternatively, you can use coconut milk. But let me add, the taste of coconut milk and coconut paste is totally different. The coconut milk makes the curry creamy and mild, whereas if you are looking for the version you see in the pic, go for coconut paste. It makes curry thick, flavorful and retains the spiciness.

Prawn / Shrimp curry boiling

8. Add this coconut paste to the prawns / shrimps. Add water (around 1/2 cup). Add the rest of the red chilli powder and adjust the salt at this point. Cover and cook on medium heat for around 15 minutes or until the prawns / shrimps are cooked.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti, chapati or rice. It is equally tasty with everything.

Some variations:

1. Add chopped potato or cauliflower after you add chopped tomato. This will help the curry increase in volume if you have a huge crowd to feed. It tastes equally yummy.

2. Skip the coconut paste (or milk) if you want a thicker restaurant style curry.

Prawn / Shrimp Curry (Kolumbiche Kalvan)