Daily Archives: August 4, 2014

Patra

Preparation Time : 35 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 -20 minutes

Serving: 5 members

Description

Patra . An authentic Gujarati snack that I first ate in chennai at residency towers 3 years back on celebrating our wedding anniversary . ( I have mentioned the word “OUR ” wedding anniversary as my hubby’s brother nawaz and first cousin Yousuf also got married on the same date as our’s – me and hubby ) un – expected we all happened to be in chennai together and all cousins in chennai had a grand buffet feast for lunch in residency towers . Patra was served in the chat counter and i just could not stop eating it . I didn’t know the name but guessed , it is a Gujarati dish as it was sweet , sour , hot and made with chick pea flour . ( Who else would tickle your taste buds with all these flavours in one dish ) I had taken note of this recipe from a blog , only then did I know this dish is called patra . Originally they use collaslavia leaves but I have substituted it with huge spinach leaves . Was at moms place last week and my grand finale of finishing my holiday always has to end with a shopping at nilgiri’s store in r.s Puram in Coimbatore . Every time I am there , I am surprised with new ingredients , fruits and veggies there . This time I went more than mad actually while shopping as I ended up picking every thing in the store ( think as I was fasting …. Wanted every thing there ) my daughter was like what is wrong with you mom ???? I just could not resist my surprise seeing really huge spinach leaves there . I just grabbed 3 bunches and immediately patra sparked in my mind . Made it today and feel so revealed that hubby liked it and another snack added to my know lists of not deep fried goodies .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Spinach large Leaves	6
Besan / Gram flour	2 cups
Asafoetida	1/4 teaspoon
Ginger green chilli paste	1 teaspoon or to taste
Red chilli powder	1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder	1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder	1/2 teaspoon
Grated jaggery	2 tablespoon
Tamarind pulp	3 tablespoon
Baking powder	1/4 teaspoon
Oil	1 tablespoon+ little to grease the foil paper
Salt	to taste
Water	required to make a thick batter

For Tempering

Ingredints	Quantity
White sesame seeds	1 tablespoons
Mustard seeds	1 Teaspoon
Asafoetida	a pinch
Oil	1 teaspoon
Water	3 tablespoons

To Garnish

Ingredients	Quantity
Grated coconut	little
Coriander leaves	chopped

Method

Wash the spinach leaves and wipe them with a kitchen towel.remove the thick stems.
In a large bowl mix the ingredients mentioned in the ingredients list on top, to make a smooth and thick batter of spreading consistency except for the spinach leaves .
Place the leaf reverse side up and spread the batter evenly. Place another spinach leaf on top of this and repeat the procedure. Usually 3 leaves are perfect for one roll.
Now roll the leaves carefully to make a thick roll.
Place it in a greased foil wrap and close the edges.
Put water in a steamer and place the roll to steam for 10 minutes, turning the side after 5 minutes. ( your iddli steamer will work perfect for steaming )
Remove the steamed roll and let it cool.remove the foil paper and Cut it into slices with the help of a wet knife .
In a flat-bottomed pan fry the tempering ingredients . add 3 tablespoons water and bring to boil . toss the slices carefully and wait for the moister to get into the patras .
Place them on the serving platter and garnish with grated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves.serve as it is ( i served it with out a dip , tasted yum ) or with green chutney and sweet chutney

Note

You could add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder as I found my rolls a bit dark coloured . Turmeric powder added will result in a brighter looking patra .
You can use blanched large cabbage leaves also instead of spinach leaves .
Non – vegetarians can add cooked chicken or meat to the batter and follow the same recipe .

Broccoli crapes with green spinach sauce

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

Broccoli crapes with green spinach sauce . The crapes , filling and the sauce are a regular at home but not had together as one dish . By putting these regular’s together with a knock out spin in the sauce by adding spinach puree to it . The dish was taken to another level with mouth watering heights . Some times a single ingredient change can feel like a total make over . I gave this dish a first try for hubby’s new vegetarian avatar recently . He approved the dish by eating 3/4 of what was made . He keeps telling every one that , he is a white rat in my cooking experiment laboratory . All my new tries are first tested and approved by him and then I decide the rest . I made this dish again when the kids were home and they loved it . Tweaking the tried and true is exciting too :-))

Ingredients for crapes

Ingredients	Quantity
Flour / maida	1 cup
Water	1 3/4 cup ( more or less to get a thin loose consistency batter )
Salt	to taste

Method for crapes

Mix all the above ingredients together except for barilla brand basilico pasta sauce or tomato sauce to get a thin flowing consistency batter .
Pour into thin crapes on a non – stick pan and cook for 2 minutes covered . Remove and set aside . ( I used my appam non – stick kadai )

Ingredients for broccoli filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Broccoli flower lets	1 cup chopped
Onion	1 big chopped
Green chillies	to taste chopped
Cheese	4 tablespoons grated + 3 tablespoons to garnish
Salt	to taste
Garlic	2 flakes crushed
Oil	1 tablespoon

Method for broccoli filling

Put the broccoli flower lets into salted water . Remove from heat and set aside with lid closed for 5 minutes .
Drain . Heat butter , fry onions and garlic for 1/2 a minute .
Top with green chillies and drained broccoli flower lets . Sauté for 3-4 minutes . Season with salt . Taste and adjust .
Cool and add 4 tablespoon grated cheese and mix well . Set aside .

Ingredients for spinach sauce

Ingredients	Quantity
Boiled spinach puree	2 cups
Milk	2cups
Flour / maida	2 tablespoons
Butter	2 tablespoons
Salt + pepper + chilli flakes	to taste

Method for spinach sauce

Mix milk and spinach purée together and set aside .
Heat butter in a non – stick pan , add flour and saute for 1/2 a minute in low flame , stirring continuously .
Add milk and spinach puree mixture little by little and go on stirring until the sauce becomes thick making sure no lumps are formed .
Season with salt , pepper and chilli flakes to taste . Set aside .

How to proceed

Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of barilla brand basilico pasta sauce or tomato sauce all over one side of the crape .
Fill the crape with 1 tablespoon of broccoli mixture and roll the crapes tightly . Do the same to all the crapes and broccoli filling .
Arrange the broccoli filled crapes on a greased baking dish and pour the spinach sauce over .
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese on top and bake in a preheated hot oven at 200 degree Celsius for 18 to 20 minutes . Serve hot .

Note

In case you have extra sauce left over . Can serve it along with the crapes , so that any one wanting more sauce can have it .
Can substitute broccoli with cauliflower or mixed vegetable filling . Non vegetarians can use any form of meat filling .
Spinach can be substituted with 3 green / red or yellow capsicums for the sauce . Don’t boil the capsicums instead just blend them with milk to get a smooth runny paste .

Pav bhaji

Preparation Time : 35 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Pav bhaji . A street food favourite to all . A mouth watering dish that has the goodness of all the vegetables together . The best part , children don’t get to know that the bhaji is made with veggies . The butter high lights the dish even more . Umm .. If there’s one thing we can say with utmost confidence , its that every thing tastes better with a smear of melted butter . The butter is more generous that a smear pav bhaji brings back memories of my brother darvesh a lot . He used to take me and my kids nearly every day to a chat shop in Coimbatore out side the old nilgiris in R.S puram . The joy of being with your sibling around is beyond value . Good old days ….. Miss you bro ….. Love you tons and tons . Oops got carried away !!! This recipe is trala Dallas , I have tried loads of recipes to make pav bhaji and finally stuck to hers as it was the best . Simple to follow and high in taste .

Ingredients for the pav

Ingredients	Quantity
pavs	8
butter	4 tablespoons ,
pav bhaji masala	1 teaspoon ( optional but adds a lot of taste )

Ingredients for the bhaji

Ingredients	Quantity
potatoes, boiled and mashed	1 1/2 cups
cauliflower	1 cup (finely chopped)
green peas	1/2 cup
carrots	1/2 cup (finely chopped)
onion	1 cup (finely chopped)
capsicum	1/2 cup (finely chopped)
chopped tomatoes	2 1/2 cups
turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
chilli powder	1/2 teaspoon
pav bhaji masala	1 1/2 tablespoon
black salt	1/2 teaspoon
butter	4 tablespoons

Method for the bhaji

Boil the cauliflower, peas and carrots till they are soft. Drain out the excess water.
Heat the butter in a large pan, add the onion and capsicum and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the prepared chilli-garlic paste and sauté till the onion softens.
Add the tomatoes and simmer till the oil separates.
Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, black salt and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the boiled vegetables and potatoes and mash thoroughly using a potato masher, adding ½ cup of water if required.

Method for the pav

Slice each pav into 2 horizontally. Apply a little butter to each side and sprinkle with a little pav bhaji masala, if desired.
Heat a large tava and cook the pav on both sides till the pieces are lightly browned.

How to proceed

Serve the hot bhaji on 4 individual plates and top with the onion and coriander.
Serve with the hot pav and lemon wedges.

Ingredients for Pavbhaji masala powder

Ingredients	Quantity
Coriander seeds	2 tablespoon
Cumin seeds	1 tablespoon
Dry red chillies	4
Turmeric powder	1/2 tablespoon
Dry raw mango powder	1 tablespoon
Cardamom	2 pods (seeds removed)
Cloves	6
Cinnamon	1 inch piece
Star anise	2
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Dry ginger	2 inch piece
Garam masala powder	1 tablespoon
Asafoetida	1/4 teaspoon

Method

Heat a flat pan on medium heat. Gently roast the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, the dry red chillies, cloves and cinnamon till they turn slightly darker and begin to release their aroma. Remove from fire immediately and cool.
Grind all the ingredients – including the garam masala powder – together in a dry coffee grinder, till a fine powder is formed. Store in an air-tight container for upto 4 weeks.

Note : This home made pav bhaji masala powder adds more taste but no harm in trying the ready made one’s also .

Methi roti

Preparation Time : 1 Hour 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 1/2 minutes for each roti

Serving : 4 members

Description

Methi chapathi . A vegetarian delight which is healthy and delicious . These green coloured chapathis are full of nutritional boost that will make them a staple at home . I did start making these chapathis at home very recently . As methi leaves were not available at my place all these years . I used to source them from my moms place most of the time before . when I was newly married and just started to cook along with my mother – in – law , I had got a bunch of methi leaves from home . all excited about cooking a new dish at in – laws place , I geared up to prepare methi chicken . Finished cooking and it tasted good .I was just so very curiously waiting for every ones verdict in the lunch table . Every one ate the chicken but the methi leaves were just put away into the waste plate . Was wondering what went wrong ??? When I ate , gosh the methi leaves were so rough and fibrous . Called mom to find out what went wrong , repeated the entire recipe as to how I prepared the dish . Every thing I did was right except for the cleaning the methi leaves which was done in a wrong way . We have to separate the leaves alone from the stem . I chopped the stem and leaves together as we do for other greens . What a fool , I was ……. Oops , even till date I do make such silly flaws in the kitchen :-)))) regardless of your devotion to food and experience in the kitchen , even the simplest thing might turn reverse at times .which helps you as a solution to sharpen your kitchen skills and fancy a challenge .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Wheat flour	2 cups
Fresh methi ( fenugreek ) leaves	1 bunch ( 1 cup )
Small onions	5
Ginger	1/4 inch piece
Garlic	1 flake ,
Coriander leaves	1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	a pinch
Cumin powder	1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli	1
Garam masala	a big pinch
Curd	1 tablespoon
Oil	1 tablespoon
Water	little if required
Salt	to taste
Sugar	1 teaspoon
Butter or ghee	to garnish

Method

Remove the fenugreek leaves alone . Wash and soak the fenugreek leaves in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar added to a big bowl of water . Set aside for 1/2 an hour .
Blitz small onion , ginger , garlic , green chilli , coriander leaves and drained fenugreek leaves in a food processor just to crush them to a coarse mixture .
Add all the ingredients to the crushed mixture . Mix well . Add water if needed to get a smooth dough . Set aside for 1/2 an hour .
Roll into equal lemon size balls . Dust wheat flour and roll each ball to a round shaped chapathi .
Heat a tawa . Place the rolled chapathi over and cook undisturbed for 30 seconds . Turn over and do the same .
Turn over once more and cook until the chapathi is cooked through and you find small brown spots appear all around the chapathi .
Top with a dot of butter or just spread with a spoon dipped into ghee all over the chapathi on one side .
Serve hot with any gravy of your choice .

South Indian style baby corn stir fry

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

South Indian style baby corn stir fry . This dish is adhitya bhels recipe from NDTV GOOD TIMES . I loved the innovative concept of how he used this vegetable in a typical South Indian style . The South Indian twist makes it more interesting . i have made a few changes from his recipe to match my comfort zone as I do always . As you start to chew this dish you feel a combination of new flavors burst in your mouth but as you tend to swallow it feels like its just like how mummy makes it . Any thing deep fried is irresistible to me ( actually any form of FOOD is irresistible to me now a days ) . Wonder why all that tastes good is a taboo for us to be consumed . The pain and mental stress we female non – stop foodies have to go through is un imaginable . 24 hours a day your mind is stuck with food being around you in the kitchen , on the table , in your mind , on your telly , in the laptop , in your social networks , in the food related groups on the net , in your dreams …. The list can just go on and on . Finally all you get to do is treat yourself with every thing through your eyes , smell through your nose , but nothing much should be done through your mouth . At times when you think come on once in a while its ok , go ahead and treat yourself … you do dive in and hog . just as you finish , you instantly feel your soul being pumped with guilt and your heart getting heavier . so the joy of soul full food is there in you only till you finish eating . I pity all my fellow folks who ever are going through this as I am . But ultimately , one cannot think well , love well , sleep well , if one has not dined well !!!!!

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Baby corn	500 grams cut into thin long strips
Ginger garlic paste	1/4 teaspoon each
Chilli powder	1 tablespoon
Rice flour	1/2 cup
Lemon	1 /2 lime
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala powder	1/4 teaspoon
Corn flour	1/2 cup
Coconut oil	2 teaspoons
Small onion	6 chopped
Ginger crushed	1/4 teaspoon
Curd	2 tablespoon
Oil	to deep fry
Green chillies	4 , slit into 4
Curry leaves	few
Coriander leaves	1 teaspoon chopped ,
Roasted Peanuts	1 tablespoon crushed

Method

Marinate baby corn with lime juice , ginger garlic paste , turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste for 10 minutes .
Add rice flour and corn flour and mix well , Adding little water to coat both the flours around the baby corn .
Deep fry the baby corn to crisp .Drain and set aside . Heat coconut oil , add mustard seeds . Once they crackle add small onions , slit green chillies , grated ginger and curry leaves .
Saute for a minute in low flame . Add the curd and fry till they curdle . Add the fried baby corn and saute for another two minutes .
Garnish with coriander leaves and crushed roasted peanuts . Serve hot as a starter or a side dish .

Kolhapuri vegetable masala

Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serving : 4 to 5 members

Description

Kolhapuri vegetable masala . Any thing to be cooked in non – vegetarian is a cake walk for me but vegetarian cooking ??????? in recent , hubby prefers vegetarian food . I am put into the pressure of vegetarianism ( cooking and eating ). I know very few vegetarian graves and mostly based with onion and tomato gravy ( Can’t think of managing without these versatile staple veggies { oops tomato is a fruit } ) . This dish is made with kolhapuri masala which is made with dried coconut . Has an entirely different taste . kolhapuri masala recipe was from the net but I have made my quite essential twists and turns to jazz up the dish to suit our pallet at home . The boiled peanuts used gives the dish a dash of romance . Out of the Blue , I managed to create a delicate , alchemical infusion of flavors and textures in a vegetarian gravy . Hurray ….:-)))))

Ingredients for kolhapuri masala

Note : Can be stored in the freezer for few days

Ingredients	Quantity
Dry coconut	1/4 cup , ( copra , coparai thenga )
Dry red chillies	8 or to taste
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
garlic	5 cloves
ginger	1 inch piece
poppy seeds(khus-khus)	1 tablespoon
sesame seeds	1 tablespoon
onions	1 cup chopped
tomatoes	1 1/2 cup chopped , ( I just blitzed the tomatoes in a blender to a coarse pulp )
salt	to taste
Oil	3 tablespoons

Method for kolhapuri masala

Combine all the ingredients given above except for onions, tomatoes, salt and oil .
Grind to a smooth paste using little water. Heat oil and saute onions till brown add tomatoes saute till oil separates.
Add the above paste and salt, saute till oil comes above cool and store.

Ingredients for vegetarian kolhapuri

Ingredients	Quantity
White board beans	1 cup fresh or dried ( I used dried ones that were soaked over night and boiled )
Peanuts	1/2 cup boiled
Potatoes	1 cup cubed and boiled
kolhapuri gravy	according to taste ( above made gravy )
garam masala powder	1/4 teaspoon
Oil	2 tablespoons
Coriander leaves	to garnish
Salt	to taste

Method for Gravy

Heat oil in kadhai or a non stick pan add the kolhapuri gravy masala , garam masala , salt and little water adjusting the consistency of the gravy.
Mix well . Cover with a lid and bring to boil . Add the boiled white board beans , peanuts and potatoes . Mix well .
Simmer the gravy for five minutes letting all the flavours infuse into each other till oil separates .
Check the consistency of the gravy . Taste and adjust . garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with chapathis , pooris , naan or kulchas.