.....From My Palate

Bhawana

Bharwan Karela

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Bitter Gourd or karela with all the medicinal qualities, is one vegetable that does not get due love and regard from people. Aaj maine karela banaya hai, but I’m not hungry that’s the answer it gets every time. Even I used to have this bitter relationship with this vegetable but now I’ve started liking it, cooking it and sharing it. M (not the junior) loves karelas, so this is must have vegetable in my home.
This is my Mom’s Recipe (what’s new) and I like this Khatta (aam and amchoor) spicy and crunchy swad of this vegetable. And best of all this sabji stays good at least for a week in refrigerator (its like a pickle and store it with used oil) and if going out its good for two days.

Ingredients

  • Karela – 6 Small Karelas(Peeled off upper layer) (Bitter Gourd)
  • Onions – 3 medium (Finally chopped)
  • Kaccha Aam – Half (grated) (keri, Raw Mango)
  • Green Chilli – 2 (Finely chopped)
  • Salt as per taste
  • Coriander Powder – 2 tbsp
  • Red Chili powder – 1 tsp
  • Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
  • Mango Powder – 2 tsp
  • Garam Masala – 1 tsp
  • Fennel seeds Powder – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

Method

Slit peeled karelas lengthwise and make space for stuffing by removing seeds from inside. Now sprinkle salt all over them(inside and outside). Keep them aside for at least an hour to drain out all bitter juice from them.

For stuffing – Take oil in a pan and saute onion til light brown in color. Add grated R-Mango and all masalas. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Let it cool down.
(Squeeze out bitter juice from karelas) Stuff the onion masala in to the karelas. (I don’t thread them but if you are not comfortable you can tie them with the thread)

Shallow fry karelas in a flat-bottom pan. Remember changing their sides time to time when they become little darker in color. Once they cooked blot excess oil in paper towel and serve with roti, puri or parantha.

I know this is not one of the most loved recipe but I will like to send it to event- SWC Meals on Wheels hosted by Lakshmi from Taste of Mysore.

Thank U Lakshmi.

Holi Hai!!!!

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Its already Late so without any further delay, I’m posting my recipes for Dear Purva’s event – “Holi Hai !!”

Thank U Purva for hosting this colorful event. Looking forward for colorful round-up.


GUJIYA

For Filling

Ingredients

  • 1 tin Evaporated Milk
  • 1/4 cup Sooji (Semolina )
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Coconut, grated
  • 2 tbsp Almonds, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Cashew Nuts, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Raisins
  • ¼ tsp Green Cardamom Powder

Method

  • Roast sooji on medium flame till it changes color.
  • Mix in all the other ingredients for the filling.
  • Cook on medium / slow flame, stirring occasionally, till the mixture is dry.

For Dough

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Maida (All-Purpose Flour)
  • 4 tbsp Oil
  • Oil for frying
  • Water

Method

  • Rub oil into maida. Add water and make into stiff dough.
  • Knead the dough till pliable. Keep aside covered for 10-15 minutes.
  • Knead dough once again. Divide the dough in to small balls.
  • Roll each ball into a flat round like a thin puri.
  • Place one tbsp of the filling. Fold over and shape into gujiya sealing the edges with little water.
  • Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

TIP-To seal, you can use gujiya mould or press with ends of a fork or simply twist with hand.


CHIVDA

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Thin Poha
  • Roasted – Peanuts, Almonds, Cashew nuts, Coconut slices, Pinenuts
  • Raisins (all nuts- to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
  • Few Curry Leaves
  • 1/2 tsp Haldi (Turmeric Powder)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • Amchoor Pd/salt/Kala Namak (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • Oil to fry
  • Red chili/green chilies – to taste

Method

  • Fry poha in a hot oil (It will puff as soon as you put it in a oil). Be careful as it splutter lot of oil.
  • Keep it aside to cool down.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. when it start to crackle add curry leaves, turmeric pd, chilies.
  • Add all the nuts, sugar, salt, amchoor pd and kalanamak.
  • Add fried poha and mix it well.
  • When poha is all even colored taste it and add what ever is needed.
  • Crispy Crunchy snack is ready.

This recipe goes to Event- Lets go nuts with almonds hosted by Tasty Treats <
Thank you.

My Holi 2009

Jab We Met….

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This month we celebrated 5Th year anniversary of Jab We Met…. yeah! we met 5 years back as strangers over a cup of Cappuccino. That’s what we ordered and spent some time talking and knowing each other. Coincidentally he was wearing shirt of my favourite color, and being fan of “Dil To Pagal Hai” I thought its a sign from above (ya! those days) and that color is everywhere in our home now.
We met as Strangers, Started as a Couple and now “Three” is a company.
On our Fifth Anniversary of Jab We Met I made Cappuccino (Tried ya, at home without Machine) just to relive our first meeting all over again.
I tried it for the first time ( we both are Tea Lovers – Adrak Ki Chai) and it comes out fairly good. But today I want to share much delayed recipe for-
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
For Caramel
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 6 pineapple rings/slices
  • 6 maraschino cherries ( I used 11)
For Cake
  • 2 cup All Purpose Flour/Maida
  • 2tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 1 c Sugar (or less up to your taste)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1tsp Vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup Milk
Method
  • For Caramel–
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan.
  • Add brown sugar and mix it very well.
  • When sugar starts caramelizing, pour it in to a greased cake pan.
  • Arrange pineapple and cherries according to the shape of the pan.
  • For Cake-
  • Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Sift flour, baking pd and salt.
  • Separate the yolk and white of eggs.
  • Beat yolk with Butter and Sugar until light and lemony yellow.
  • Add dry ingredients and vanilla essence.
  • Add milk mix it well.
  • Beat egg whites until stiff then fold into the egg yolk mixture.
  • Pour it on arranged pineapple and cherries.
  • Bake in preheated oven at 350F for up to 35 to 45 minutes.
  • Let the cake cool down for 10 min, and then raise the curtain by turning it upside down.
  • Cake is ready to serve.

Egg Curry With Curried Rice

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I decided to make Egg curry for my husband one evening. Egg curry means left-overs for me. Somehow I’m not able to develop taste for this curry. While I was making it I realised amount of curry is too much for 3 eggs. Then and there I decided to make Curried Rice.
EGG CURRY
Ingredients
  • 5 Boiled Eggs
  • 1 Chopped Onion
  • 3-4 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 inch piece of ginger
  • 1 green chili (u can add more if want spicy)
  • 1/4 cup Tomato Puree
  • 3 tbsp  yogurt
  • Masala- Turmeric, coriander, roasted jeera pd, chili pd, garam masala, salt
Method
  • Fry Boiled eggs in hot oil until light brown in color. Keep them aside to cool.
  • Grind onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies in to a smooth paste.
  • Heat oil, add onion-garlic paste and fry till golden brown.
  • Add all the masalas fry for sometime and add tomato puree in it.
  • Fry till you can see oil on the edges.
  • Add yogurt mixed in a cup of water (if making curried rice later add 2 cups of water 🙂 ) and boil on a medium flame. (stir in between if necessary)
  • Cut the eggs in to halves (vertically) and add them in to gravy.
  • Simmer it for 5 minutes or until it reached to the thickness of your choice.
  • Garnish egg curry with garam masala and coriander leaves.
  • Serve hot with paratha, roti, naan or rice.
Tip- After mixing yogurt if u see little chunks of it in the gravy or if the gravy is not smooth, Blend it in the blender before adding eggs.

 

CURRIED RICE

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Few cloves and whole black pepper
  • Left over curry
  • 1 cup Rice (soaked in water )
  • 2 cups Water
  • Garnishing of your choice

Method

    • Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cloves and peppers.
    • Add curry and fry it for few seconds.
    • Now add rice and mix it well. Add water and salt (if needed) cover and cook till done.

  • Serve hot with Egg Curry or Curry of your choice.

This recipe is going for Think Spice..Think Pepper.. event hosted by Dear Divya from Dil se..

Thank You Divya, Thank You Sunita-Sunita’s World

Happy Holi

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Holi is a festival of 3 “F” – Fun, Family and Food. Yes…”Food” that brings festivity on holi with colorful and scented gulal. Mom used to make Sorry, mom u still make so many food items on Holi. Name a few like Gujiya, Mathri, Meethe and Nankeen Shakarpare, Imli ka paani, Dahi Wade. Gosh! all that work for us (me and my brother) coz we were so excited for all the good food weeks before on Holi. I love u Mom for all the hard work you did and you’re still doing to make each and every day special for us. I still remember making gujiya with my mother. (Thank U Mom for insisting me to help u, now when I’m married and have my own family,  I know how to make the day special for my family. These are the few things I made on Holi.


Holi is incomplete without Gujiya. I also made Sev, Chivda and Banana Bread for my son. (Its not customary its just for his love for Bananas.) While I was making gujiya I was thinking all about home, we all (my dadi, bhabhi, mom and myself ) used to make gujiya’s together. It was more fun than work. Here (in US), I have to do everything by myself all alone. Its OK, then I wonder, if my son with his all American taste (cupcakes, muffins, croissant, donuts…..) is going to like it or not. Lets see if not this year, probably next year. With thinking and hoping I finished my work and with all love and hope I gave very first gujiya to my son. He took a bite and return to his unfinished work of messing up whole room. And I returned to my work of cleaning and sorting things in the kitchen. All of a sudden my son came and hold me, I asked what happened and his one word made my day. He said “MORE”

Like a very proud mother I gave him one more gujiya and felt so satisfied that all my hard work is paid. I was feeling like a super Mom (blushing blushing) and can relate myself to my mom. Mom I have started understanding you more better.

Well today just my story, recipes very soon….

As Cool As Cucumber…….

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Cucumber Raita

Are they really cool ??? Well I searched and my research says… It’s true! They says..It’s much cooler inside of a cucumber than outside! So with out any wait take advantage of this fact by eating lots of cooling cucumbers on coming hot summer days. We can do so many things with it. Add cucumber slices to salads, sandwiches (my all time favorite), wraps, cold noodle dishes or pasta salads. But I like my “Desi” recipes like Matra chaat with cucumber, Upma  with cucumber, desi style canapés with corn and cucumber and last but not least my favorite  “CUCUMBER RAITA” .
Ingredients
  • 1  Kheera  (Cucumber)- Grated
  • 2 cups Dahi  (yogurt) (if thick add water)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp  Saunf  Pd  (Fennel Seeds Pd)
  • 1/2 tsp Bhuna Jeera Pd  (roasted cumin seeds pd)
  •  Lal Mirch Pd (R-chilli pd) to taste
  • Chaat masala and chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Method
  • Whisk yogurt with salt until smooth.
  • Add grated cucumber and rest of the ingredients in it.
  • Mix well and chilled until the time you want to serve.
It goes well as a dip and foods like stuffed parantha, pulav or just cucumber raita on hot summer day.
This recipe is well suited for AFAM:Cucumber event hosted by Neha of Tasty Recipes
Thank You Neha and Thank You Maheshwari of Beyond The Usual for starting it.

Trouble Two…

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Stuffed Dal Dhokli

Once they are “two” kids really become choosy, fussy and stubborn about what they want to eat. My son loves to eat rice but I want him to eat chapati also. This one dish is a full meal for him. He is happy and as a mother I’m happy to.
This recipe is for Stuffed Dal Dhokli and I’m really thankful to “coffee” from The Spice Cafe for sharing this wonderful recipe with us. Her recipe with all those fabulous pictures will really push you towards the kitchen. Rush in and Rush out with Stuffed Dal Dhokli.
THANK YOU, COFFEE.
Link for the recipe– Stuffed Dal Dhokli From The Spice Cafe
My version is just the copy of the original recipe (thank u coffee) but little mild (no chillies) up to the taste of my son.
This post also goes for MBP:Kids Food Event hosted by Dear Trupti of Recipe Centre and brain child of Coffee’s MBP Event
Thank U Trupti and Thank U Coffee.

Instant Treat For Kids

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Instant Fruit Pudding

There are times when you want to instantly reward your children with some colorful tasty treat, that your kiddos really deserve. Kids wants something sweet, colorful, and whipped cream..yeah !! This is what I gave to my kiddo when he ate green beans in his lunch without any fuss. Bravo…he earns it.
This colorful bowl requires sesonal fruits or any fruits you have and whipped cream (can use that are available in cans or whipped at home)
Fruits I used were– Mango (cubed), Banana (sliced), Strawberry (sliced) and raspberries.
Really simple, Place first layer of fruit in a bowl (in my case I used Mango) then thin layer of cream, second layer of fruit (IMC-Banana) again thin layer of cream, Third Layer of Fruit (IMC – Strawberry) swirls of w-cream and last fruit I used Raspberries.
Instant Fruit Pudding ready to eat.I really want to mention the help I get from my son by giving me the fruit bowls, repeating fruits name after me and lastly sharing it with our neighbour’s daughter.
Just for u Shonna… Anyday Anytime Anything.

Chocolate Cake For Chocolate Lovers

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Chocolate Cake

If you are looking for a good recipe for a chocolate cake, take my words This is the one.
The cake was real moist, dark and delicious. The only variation I did was 1 cup of sugar instead of 2. And I tried chocolate cherry icing for it.
I cut it in halves and filled one layer with whipped cream with chocolate syrup and sugar. Sprinkle chopped cherries over it, and cover it with the top layer of the cake.
I didn’t use much of cream on the top. I want to save the rich, moist, dark chocolaty taste.
Serve immediately else there are chances you get a empty platter later on……

Simple Sada —Tomato Soup

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Tomato Soup

There is nothing like a steaming hot bowl of tomato soup with croutons (Oh Boy! that is the must thing with tomato soup) on a cool windy night. Wow, Soups makes the winters bearable and pleasurable.

Ingredients

  • 4 Red Tomatoes
  • 2 Carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 Beet Root
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • Ginger
  • 1 boiled potato
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp cream (optional)

Method

  • Cut tomatoes, carrots, onion, beet root and garlic in a big chunks.
  • Pressure cook vegetables with 4 cups of vegetable stock or water salt and bay leaf.
  • Once vegetables are done keep it aside to cool down.
  • Fish out the bay leaf at this point and put everything in a grinder with a boiled potato and sugar.
  • Grind it until smooth.
  • Now give it a boil in a pan stirring constantly (Taste it if acidic add more sugar) Just before serving add cream in it.
  • Serve hot with croutons(as many as u want), Pepper (straight from the grinder) and coriander leaf on top.

Tomato Soup

This recipe is also going for a SWC:Soups event hosted by Neha of TASTY RECIPES

Thank U Neha for hosting such a healthy yummy event.