Mirchi ka Salan

Not as spicy as it may sound. :). This recipe requires sufficient amount of oil, so you may want to restrict it to special occasions only.

Though making it in lesser amount of oil is possible, but be ready to compromise a little on the taste, since cooking thick paste of coconut, peanuts and sesame seeds does require oil. Another important thing is to follow the ratio of the ingredients as per the recipe as it is very very important. I have learnt it the hard way ;).

A great accompaniment for Biryani!

You need:

Bhavnagri Mirchi/ non spicy chillies/ Jalapenos

Peanuts – 100 grams

Dry grated coconut- 100 grams

Sesame seeds- 25 grams

Fenugreek seeds/Methi – ½ tsp

Fennel seeds/ Saunf – 1 tsp

Nigella seeds/ Kalaunji – ½ tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeera – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – 15 approx

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp

Tamarind – 75 grams

Green chilli paste – 1 tsp

Onion – 3 no medium size (thinly sliced)

Cumin powder – 1tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¾ tsp

Red chili powder – ½ tsp

Garam Masala – 2 pinch

1) Heat 4-5 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry onions till they turn slightly dark brown. Make sure you dont burn them as they will turn bitter otherwise. Keep it aside

2) Dry roast Peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds. Add the sesame seeds a little later as they roast faster than the other two. Now make a fine paste in a blender by adding some water.

3) In the same pan shallow fry the chilies (make a small slit on the chilies, like you do to make a pocket for filling, so that they dont burst in hot oil when you fry them) till they get ¾ cooked and switch off the heat.

4) In another pan heat 2-3 tbsp of oil and add methi, jeera, saunf, mustard and nigella seeds. Once they crackle, add curry leaves and quickly add the ginger garlic paste.

5) Once the ginger garlic paste starts giving a nice aroma, add green chili paste, fry it a little and then add the tamarind paste. Fry this for a minute.

6) Add the browned onions, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and red chili powder. Stir all this well.

7) Now add the peanut, coconot and sesame seed paste. Stir fry till the mixture in the pan becomes dry and leaves oil from the sides. This indicates that the masala is cooked well.

8) Add water as per the consistency you want and bring to a boil. Add chilies and cook till done.

9) Now add 2 pinches of garam masala and stir. Mirchi ka salan is ready to eat!

Banana-Walnut Muffin

Some recipes can be so easy, you want to refuse to believe they could be so tasty! This is a quick, fool proof recipe, if you follow the measurements and the steps diligently. Have used just one large banana, since I wanted to make only a few muffins to go with the evening tea. And having just baked muffins each time has its own charm.

You can use different fruits to make variety, like blueberries, mango, peach etc. Just add the chopped fruits instead of banana in this recipe.

You need:

Dry Batch:

Flour – ½ Cup

Salt – Pinch (skip if using salted butter)

Baking Powder – 1/3 tsp

Baking Soda – 1/3

Wet Batch:

Butter – 40 grams

Banana – 1 Large (or use 1.5 medium)

Sugar – ¼ Cup

Egg – 1

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp (use fine quality and avoid using essence, it does make a huge difference)

Chopped Walnuts – ¼ Cups or as per your choice

1) Preheat oven to 375° F

2) Melt butter, and add mashed banana (don't make a complete paste, use a fork to mash). Now add sugar, vanilla extract. Break an egg in this mixture and give it a nice whisk, and mix all the ingredients uniformly.

3) Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and give it a stir with a whisk or a fork. Make sure all the ingredients are mixed uniformly.

4) Add all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix it well.

5) Grease muffin tray and fill the muffin mix up to ¾ of each cup. If you are using the small muffin cups, bake for 13 min and for large 18 min (check since different ovens take different time). Insert a tooth-pick or a skewer and if comes out clean, muffins are done.

Dalma memory lane

I have loved and craved for Dalma since , let me remember... yes.. probably since I was old enough to metabolize semi-solid food. Oriyas probably have this before they start having milk powder!

Lets see the starting line-up: The usual suspect "panch phutan" (This is what makes Oriya cuisine 5-star!) this time comes flavored with roasted jeera (cumin) and the oh-so-wonderful smell of ghee (clarified butter). It's the way I like my food - full of flavor, aroma to die for, yet balanced with nutrition and light on the stomach. (There are, of course, those times of sheer abandon when nothing can beat a deep fried pakoda - but hey, kids may be watching this blog!)

The trio of ghee, roasted cumin and panch phutan gets an added dimension with fresh ginger used in the tempering (tadka in hindi) process. All this flavors a prdemoniantly tuberous/fibrous mixture of vegetables (potato, sweet potato, raw banana, raw papaya, pumpkin, eggplant and tomato) and daal (toor / arhar). Not all types of vegetables go well here - the mantra is to stay close to the tuberous and fibrous formula. I have seen variations that include radish, exclude tomato, include slices onions! - So go on - try your own improvisation.

Just a warning - Common veggies that just dont go with dalma are okra, beans, cabbage and cauliflower. I have never tried carrots either.

You need:
1 cup toor/arhar daal

Bite-size chunks of:
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup raw papaya
1 mid-sized potato
1 cup eggplat
1 large tomato
..and
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 bay leaf
Few peppercorns

For tempering
1 tsp ghee
1 tbsp ginger
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Couple of dried red chilis
1 tsp panch phutan

For garnish
1 tsp roasted and ground cumin

and Salt to taste!

Start by soaking the daal for 40-45 mins. I usually soak it well, since I like my dalma gooey! In the meantime, chop all your veggies, ginger and roast the cumin and grind it (if you have a spice grinder, this can be real quick! I usually roast my cumin once in a while and store them away in the spice box).

Put the lentils, veggies, ginger with bay leaf in the pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and cook on medium heat for around 15-20 mins (or 2-3 whistles)

For tempering, heat the ghee in a pan and add the asafoetida, panch phutan, red chilis, ginger. Once they start crackling, add them into your pressure cooker to the veggie mix

Garnish with roasted ground cumin.

Eat with steamed rice, or plain rotis! I like to squeeze lime and add ghee into my rice when I have dalma. If you do the same, that makes two of us!! Remember - the only thing better than getting to eat dalma, is to be able to make it yourself, so you can have the flavors of your childhood - in your home, anywhere you are!

Go on, get nostalgic!

Sijha Tarkari

 This one is a very popular Oriya dish - sometimes also called "Santula" or "Pani Santula". A classic vegetable stew, flavored with the quintessential panch phutan (or panch phoran), which is so characteristic of Oriya cuisine. It's healthy, hot and quick - completely hassle free and unpretentious.

From a "deliciousness" quotient, this one is like fine wine. Tastes better with age (your age, of course). I remember as kids we used to go after all the sweet pithas, or the tasty chicken/mutton mom used to make, and sort of ignored this gem of a dish, but as we grew we got more and more interested in it.

These days, Anu and I have it whenever we feel the need to cleanse, if we have had too much masala, or outside food. We have it like a soup with bread, whereas some folks take it like a side dish with rice, and some with soft rotis. Enough said, let's get on with it!

You need:

For the soup
1 egg plant
1 potato
1 piece of drumstick
1 carrot
1 raw banana
1 tomato
1 onion
1 indian zuchini (or any kind of squash)
6-8 beans

For the tadka
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp panch phutan
2 chopped green chillis
1 tsp oil

Salt as per taste
1 tsp Turmeric powder

The method is very simple. You got to boil all the veggies with salt and turmeric and add the panch phutan tadka into it. So if you are a pro, you know what to do! I will still write down the detailed steps, assuming you are a rookie ( By the way, I just thought of this one: What would you call a rookie cook - A "cookie" ?! ;) ).

So as I said, next steps are for rookies - all about how to chop the vegetables into proportionate pieces, so they boil uniformly, how muchc water to add - blah blah

1. Chop the eggplant, potato, zuchini and raw banan into bite sized chunks.
2. Chop the carrots a into comparatively smaller pieces, so they boil uniformly alongwith the other veggies.
3. Cut the drumstick into 4 pieces (1 inch is a good size !)
4. Cut the beans into small 1/2 inch size pieces
5. Peel the onion and chop into cubes
6. Make 4 pieces of the tomato

Put all the chopped veggies into a pressure cooker, add turmeric and salt. Add water based on your style of eating. If you want it as a side dish, add minimum water. For a watery soup, be a little more generous with water. Simple, isn't it. Now, put it on pressure. Wait for 3-4 whistles (or 15 mins on medium heat) and switch off the burner.

Once the pressure eases off, prepare the tadka with crushed garlic, panch phutan, slit green chillis, and add to the veggies in the pressure cooker.

Serve hot and slurrp slurrp this real quick!!

Adios for now!

Chicken Egg Roll (Spicy chicken cubes wrapped in flat indian bread)

When I think of chicken egg roll, I think of a lazy Sunday brunch, rainy afternoons, fun evenings playing cards or late night movies or impromptu long drives with no specific destination and so many other occasions. While each city in India has its own twist to the chicken egg roll, this recipe of mine is perhaps little of everything put together. And to be honest, each time I make mine, there is always some variation depending on what I want to eat.

Anyways, back to the egg roll, its the sweetness of the fluffy paratha (the indian flat bread used to make this wrap) and egg that balances the spicy chicken filling. With not much preparation time needed, this food is pure comfort.

For the chicken masala filling:

Boneless chicken - 300 grams (skinned & cut into 1.5 inch cubes)

Yogurt / Curd – 1 cup

Tandoori chicken masala - 2 tbsp

Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp

Salt

Mustard oil - 2 tsp

Onions – 1 medium size cut in cubes

Ginger and garlic paste – 2 tsp

coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)

For the paratha/ wrap:

All purpose flour (maida) - 1 ½ cup

Baking soda – 1/4 tsp (make sure you don't put too much as paratha will become too crispy)

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Eggs

Oil for making parathas/ wrap

Other fillings for the wrap:

Fine chopped onions (add a 2 tsp of vinegar and some salt to remove pungent taste)

Green chili sauce

Chopped tomatoes

1) Make chicken filling : Marinate the chicken with salt, mustard oil, tandoori chicken masala, nutmeg powder, whipped thick yogurt and chopped coriander leaves (for at least 30 minutes). In a non-stick pan add some oil, add ginger garlic paste, fry a little and add onion cubes. Once they turn translucent, add the chicken cubes (take them out from the marinade). Fry till a little brown and add the tomatoes. Cook till the chicken is cooked and the masala is almost dried up. Keep aside.

2) Make the paratha: Take flour in a deep bowl, add salt, baking soda, 2 tsp of oil and knead to form a soft dough. Make slightly thick round parathas (Indian flat bread shallow fried in oil) with this dough. The paratha should be a little bigger than the usual size. On a pan/ griddle, add oil and one whisked egg. Immediately put the paratha on top. Once cooked remove the heat. There is no need to turn the paratha to cook the other side as it was already cooked earlier.

3) Assemble the wrap: Put the chicken filling along the diameter of the paratha. Add the chopped onion, green chili sauce and some chopped tomatoes. You can also add tomato sauce as per your taste. Eat hot!

*Vegetarian version would be to replace chicken with paneer (cottage cheese) and egg with cheddar/ mozzarella cheese (don't cook like egg, just add on top of the paneer)

** You can use frozen parathas as well. The best option according to me is the Malaysian parathas you get at most Indian stores, since its thick and flaky!

*** You can add 2 eggs to make double egg chicken roll - I am adding this as a remark since it is quite popular with this name, in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.

****Add cheese if you love cheese

Shrikhand

Shrikhand is an Indian sweet dish traditionally made with yogurt, sugar, cardamom, and saffron.In Gujarat and Maharastra it is also eaten as a side-dish with poori (deep fried indian flat bread). Though there are quite a few flavor variations available these days (eg; Mango, Pista, Banana) but plain simple elaichi/ cardamom continues to be my favorite. I make mine with low fat yogurt which is not bad at all, considering how much more shrikhand you can eat consuming the same number of calories.

Don't let the preparation time of 6-7 hours scare you one bit because all other steps are fairly simple and fast, trust me! And patience, worth the wait! ;)

You need:

Low lat yogurt - 3 cups (should not be sour)

Sugar - 3/4 cups (you can vary based on your taste)

Elaichi/Cardamom - 1/2 tsp of finely ground cardamom

Saffron - a few strands

Milk - 1Tbsp (to dissolve the saffron)

Pistachios - Slivers

Almond - Slivers

1) Take the yogurt in a bowl. Whisk it well till you get a creamy texture.

2) Whisk in sugar, cardamom and saffron soaked in warm milk.

3) Now add pistachios, almonds and mix well. (retain a few pistachios to garnish)

4) Refrigerate till ready to serve. Garnish with pistachio and almond slivers before serving.

*You can also add fruit puree to get different kinds of flavored shrikhand.

How to make thick/ strained yogurt:

Squeeze out all the water from yogurt using a muslin cloth. Now tightly wrap yogurt in muslin cloth. Place it on a strainer and refrigerate for 7-8 hours. Make sure you keep a bowl beneath the strainer to collect all the water that drains out. Keep it refrigerated till you are ready to make the shrikhand, as the yogurt should not turn sour.

Veg Hakka Noodles

Making the restaurant style Hakka noodles is a fairly simple task. Follow the basic rule - Cook on high flame and be quick. Like most chinese recipes, the preparation time is way longer than the actual cooking time.

You need:

Hakka noodles - Boil in lots of boiling water (should be al dente/semi cooked/ firm)

Onion- 1/2 medium size ( fine slices)

Carrot - 1 no. (juliennes)

Cabbage - 1 cup (finely chopped)

Capsicum - 1/2 medium size (juliennes)

Thick soy sauce - 1 Tbsp (vary as per taste)

Ground black pepper - 1 tsp

Vinegar - 2 Tbsp

Spring onion - Just the green ends to garnish

1) Heat oil in a wide wok.

2) Add onions. Stir for 30 sec. Now add carrots, cabbage. Stir for another 30 sec. Now add capsicum, noodles, soya sauce, salt pepper, vinegar. Quickly stir and add add green ends of spring onions. Hakka noodles are ready!

* Add the noodles in hot boiling water and remove when still 3/4 done. Immediately rinse in cold water to stop cooking any further. Keep it in a colander. Just before adding it the wok, run it under cold water again and squeeze any excess water. This will separate the strands well.

** Keep all your ingredients handy and always cook on high flame to get best results. Else the noodles will become soggy.

Chili Chicken - Indo- Chinese style ;)

Don't think this dish requires any introduction! :)

You need:

Boneless chicken - 250 grams ( cut into 1/2 inch thick strips)

Corn starch - 1Tbsp

Black pepper

Egg- 1 no.

Thick soy sauce - 2 Tbsp approx.

Garlic - 2 tsp (fine chopped)

Green Chili - 3-4 (slit and de-seeded)

Onion - 1/2 medium size (square chunks)

Capsicum - 1/2 (square chunks)

Red chili-garlic sauce - 1 tsp

Vinegar - 2 Tbsp

Sugar - 1 pinch

1) Marinate the chicken with corn starch, salt, pepper, egg, soy sauce for 30 min. Deep fry on high. Remove when the chicken takes light brown color. Keep it aside. Important thing is to not cook the chicken completely while frying as we will cook it again with the sauce later.

2) Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic, followed by green chili and onion. Stir it for 20- 30 sec and add then capsicum. Stir again and add dark soy sauce, chili- garlic sauce and a little water to make it moist. Quickly add the chicken, corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsp of water, salt and vinegar. Add a pinch of sugar and give it a quick stir.

3) Remove from heat once you get the desired consistency and garnish with chopped green ends of spring onions.

* Using chicken thigh piece is recommended in this dish since thigh pieces remain tender/ succulent even after frying or cooking.

** Add more water in the end to make chili chicken with gravy

*** Always cook on high flame to get restaurant taste and texture.

Aloo Posto (Potatoes in aromatic poppy seed paste)

A very simple and quick recipe for posto/ poppy lovers. Poppy has a nice nutty, aromatic and delicate flavor that typically compliments well with anything that has a delicate flavor too, for example, potatoes, fish, chicken, zucchini, etc.

You need:

Potatoes - 3 nos. (Peeled and cut into cubes)

Nigella seeds - 3/4 tsp

Green chili - 2-3 (slit lengthwise)

Poppy seed paste - 2 Tbsp

Turmeric

Salt

Fresh green coriander/ cilantro to garnish

Oil

1) Heat oil in a pan and add nigella seeds.

2) Once you get the aroma add the green chili, followed by turmeric and salt. Once a little brown, add a 2 tbsp of water, cover and cook till almost done. ( You can also used pre-boiled potatoes, but make sure they are not so soft that they break when you stir)

3) Add the poppy seed paste and cook for some more time. Add water based on the consistency you like. Garnish with coriander leaves/ cilantro.

*tastes nice with parathas/ puris. (Indian flat bread - shallow fried or deep fried)

Mutta Roast (Spicy egg curry - Kerala style)

This is an attempt to make the Mutta Roast (Egg roast/ Egg curry) we used to eat in Coconut Grove (Bangalore). To be honest, I haven't been able to recreate the same magic but this has been fairly close.

It tastes best with kerala paratha (good substitute is the frozen Malaysian parathas you get in Indian stores).

You need:

Boiled eggs - 4 (soft boiled and cut into half)

Onion - 2 medium size (cut into half and then thinly slice)

Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 Tbsp

Green chili - 6-7 (slit and deseeded)

Shredded coconut - 4-5 Tbsp

Cumin powder - 1tsp

Coriander powder - 1Tbsp

Red chili powder - 1tsp

Tomato - 1/2 medium size (finely shopped)

Curry leaves - 10-12 No.

Tamarind paste - As per taste

Mustard seeds

Asafoetida- 1/4 tsp

Oil

Salt

1) Heat oil in a pan. Crackle mustard seeds. Add asafoetida followed by curry leaves, green chilies, ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.

2) Add onions, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and fry till golden brown in color. Now add the shredded coconut and fry for another minute

3) Now add coriander powder. Let it toast a little and then add the tomato. Cover and cook till masala has no raw smell. (do not overcook as we want the masala to have a nice texture, and not be too mushy- thats why we have not added any water).

4) Once the masala is cooked add tamarind paste. Fry on high flame to desired consistency.

5) Add eggs and garnish with coriander leaves

Aloo Rasa/ Potato in tomato based curry (Station wali subzi)

This recipe goes a long way back into my childhood. My memories of this tangy, juicy, and spicy potato-tomato gravy have strong association with railway stations. As a child, I remember traveling with my parents in train during summer vacations. I used to look forward to two important things, whenever the train stopped at any big junction/ station. First one being comic books and second was the potato curry which was served with maida pooris/ loochi (deep fried indian flat bread made from all purpose flour). Even now, I refer to it as 'station-wali-subzi' . 


Everytime I return home after an extended stay away from mom, I ask her what she plans to make for us. And one of the things that she won't  miss for anything would be the 'station wali subzi'. So for me, there couldn't be anything more comforting! :)

You need:

Potato - 3-4

Onion - 1 Medium size (finely chopped)

Ginger - 1 inch (finely chopped)

Garlic - 3-4 cloves (finely chopped)

Tomato - 1 medium size (finely chopped)

Red chili powder- 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp

Garam masala- 1tsp

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch  ( adjust based on the variety of cinnamon  you have)

Bay leaf- 2

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green cardamom - 4-5

Coriander leaves/ Cilantro - Lots

Oil (I prefer mustard oil but any other veg oil will also do)

1) Boil Potatoes

2) In a pressure cooker heat oil. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods.

3) Add ginger, garlic. Once you get their aroma add the onions. Add salt and turmeric and fry till they become translucent/ leave oil on the side.

4) Add coriander powder, red chili powder and fry for 1-2 min.

5) Add tomatoes and fry till they become a little mushy. At this stage add garam masala and fry well.

6) Roughly mash the boiled potatoes so that you have some big chunks and some smaller. Close the lid and give pressure till one whistle (on medium heat)

7) Add loads of green coriander leaves/ Cilanro when the gravy is hot (as soon as you open the lid)

Kundru in poppy seed

You need:

Kundru/ Tindora - 300 grams

Oil

Cumin powder - 1tsp

Coriander powder - 1tsp

Red chili powder - 1tsp

Dry mango powder (aam choor) - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Nigella seeds/ Kalonji/ Onion seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chili - 2-3

Poppy seed paste - 3 Tbsp

Salt

1) Slit the Kundru or Tindora vertically in 4 long slices in such a way that one end stays intact and holds the 4 cut slices (like the stem of a flower).

2) In a bowl toss kundru with little oil, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, dry mango powder (aam choor), little turmeric and salt.

3) Heat oil in a pan and temper the oil with nigella seeds/ kalonji/ onion seeds and dry red chili.

4) Add the kundru and stir so that the all the spices get coated. Saute them on high flame for 3-4 min(skin looks a little crispy and looks light brownish in color). Turn heat to medium high, cover and cook till 3/4 done.

5) Add poppy seed paste and mix well. Add a little water if required and cook till the kundru is cooked and the water has dried up. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

*Soak poppy seeds in water for 15-20 min. Blend in a spice grinder for a nice smooth paste.

**You can use poppy seed powder too, but it doesn't taste as good.

Mango Dal

As a child i was never a big dal fan and my mom says that feeding me dal was a big challenge. However over a period of time, I have starting loving this protein rich healthy dish :) The tangy taste of this preparation goes really well with the sweetness of steamed rice.

You need:

Toor dal - 1 Cup

Raw mango - 1 No. or as per your taste(peeled & cut length wise-1 inch thick)

Green Chili - 1-2

Fresh coconut- 4-5 Tbsp

Red chili powder - As per your taste

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

A sprig of curry leaves

Whole dry red chilies - 2-3

Ginger - 1 inch piece cut into juliennes

Salt as per taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Oil

1) Cook toor dal with a pinch of turmeric & pressure cook until soft, yet retaining their shape.

2) In a blender, coarsely grind coconut and green chili.

3) Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, crackle 1/2 tsp mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, red chillies, coconut + green chili mix and fry for a min. Now add the mango slices & cook until soft (but make sure the mango slices retain their shape).

3) To this, add cooked dal, add enough water to get the right consistency. Adjust salt & sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil.

4) Heat 1 tsp of oil, crackle the remaining 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, add a few curry leaves, ginger juliennes. Switch off the heat, add red chili powder and immediately add it to the dal. Garnish with cilantro/ hara dhaniya.