Paneer Burger

On our last grocery trip, I saw B pick up two fat buns from our local baker. 
"I want a burger", he said. 

"Great! I have just soaked some soya nuggets ... will make some thick patties." 
He kept quiet. And then I noticed a big pack of paneer too. 

He hates hates soya nuggets while I try to sneak it into his food for the protein boost. 😊

"So how to do plan to add the paneer to the burger? Grate?", I keep on. 
"I haven't decided on it, yet". 

Today, he wanted his burgers for lunch. 

"I want a stir fry with lots of onions and garlic, some tomatoes for moisture and small pieces of paneer. 

And I want  Italian flavours. I will add the olives last. " 

So I made this stir fried Paneer with vegetables for the burger. 

Need : 

Thickly sliced onions 
Sliced capsicums 

Paneer cut into small pieces 
Boiled potato cut into small pieces

Chopped garlic
Mixed Italian herbs - Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Celery etc. 

Olive oil

Red chilli flakes 

Salt

Sugar 

How to : 

Heat a little olive oil and add the garlic and the potatoes. 

Add a little salt and fry on high for a while. 

Now add the paneer and the rest of the ingredients. 
Stir fry on high heat till everything comes together. 

Heat the buns on a flat heavy pan .... I kept the base for a longish while so that it crisped up. 

Cut them in half but not all the way. 
Stuff with the filling and serve immediately. 

We are not eating deep fried right now ... so there was no potatoes chips on the side. 

( Guess it is high time I got that air fryer ..... what say? ) 

And also no soft drinks too. 

But B did make some Pomegranate juice for me. 

Lunch was good. A change from our regular meals was welcome since the weather has started to turn really hot these days. 

Take care all. 

Ps: B forgot to add his favourite olives after all. 😉

Idli Upma

At times I get stuck and just don't know what to write in a post.
As a result, inspite of having photos, I don't get around to making one.

And the fact that I had surrendered myself to a lengthy book did not help matters. 

Oh ... but it did help me a lot.
Having spent enough time with myself and in the far away land and times that my book took me to, I am much saner now than what I was in the past fortnight.

I did throw in a little retail therapy too ... which helps immensely I must say 😊

Even though it was just curtains and linens for the house.

Women need to shop once in a while .... even if I am not a big impulsive shopper ... I do agree to this line.

My mind is back to its clockwork decisions ... especially when it comes to hot and fresh  breakfast recipes . 

And I love nothing more than a South indian breakfast .
Especially the Idli .

And my favourite way of eating idlis is the idli upma .

I love it so much that I make idlis in excess and store them in the fridge so that I can make this at least once a week.

I made this on last Thursday but did not post because I was stuck in a rut.

This beautiful, fluffy , mildly tangy thing never fails to lift up my mood.

I often add vegetables too but this time I did not. 

Maybe I will make another post again. 

Need : 

Leftover Idli
Chopped onions 

Chopped green chillies 

Hing 

Curry leaves 
Mustard seeds 
Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder

Sambar masala powder ( optional ) 
Lemon juice - if your idlis are not sour / tangy 

Salt

Sugar

Ghee / Oil 

How to : 

Cut  half of the idlis into little pieces. 
Crumble the rest half into loose grains. 
Heat ghee or oil. 

Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. 

Add a pinch of hing and then the curry leaves.
Then add the onions and the green chillies.

Fry on low heat till the onions are translucent. 

Now add the idli and stir well. 
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and mix well. 

Add the lemon juice and the sambar masala and stir fry till everything comes together. 

Serve hot. 
You may add peanuts or roasted chana dal too. 

Enjoy!

 Hope all of you are doing well.
I will be back with my meal plates later.

Stay well and stay safe ❤️

Sada Aloor Tarkari and Luchi .... a Bengali's favourite breakfast

Winter mornings. 
Hustle and bustle in the dining room.
And in the kitchen at the far end of the verandah. 

House helps all around ... busy with chores. 
Some running to and from the kitchen. 

A full dining table. Everybody talking. 
Kids at their own small one. Freshly washed faces and smelling of sweet cold creams. 

Bundled up in woolens. 

Dadu at the head of the table. 
Nodding to something one of the kakus has just said. 

Jethu and Bapi discussing who will go to the farmlands next. 

Kansar plates being laid on the table by a kakima. 
Jethima  ladling out steaming hot Shada Aloor chorchori onto the plates. 

A help keeps a small bowl of freshly plucked green chillies in the centre of the table. 

And then comes that big jhuri  from the kitchen ... filled with pristine white and super hot Luchis. 
So hot that Jethima  has to blow on her fingers after picking up one and dropping it on a plate everytime. 

Thamma goes around the table pouring fresh notun gur  into small bowls kept beside the plates.

And soon a hush settles in. 

Everybody quietly savours the simple, beautiful food. 

We kids poked holes into the puffed up, hot luchis, letting the steam escape first. 
Then the upper layer would be broken off and stuffed into  mouths, closed eyes savour it melting away. 

While I do make this shada aloor tarkari often, I have never posted it here. 

This time, we are having a very cold winter.
And by a stroke of luck, I got some very good Patali gur as well as jhola gur from a Bengali shop here. 

So decided that this is the perfect time to make a post. 

Need : 

Potatoes, preferably the new ones  - cut into cubes 

Nigella seeds / Kalo jeere 

Green chillies 

Oil / Ghee to cook 

Salt 

How to : 

Heat oil or ghee. 

Add the nigella seeds and green chillies. 

Add the potatoes and add water immediately. 

Add salt, cover and cook till they are fully done. 

Serve hot with luchis. 

Another look. 

Stay safe. Stay warm. 
Enjoy winter with good food. 
Stay happy. 

 

Homemade Chicken roll for breakfast

Hello! Hello! 
Wish you a very happy new year 2022! 
I know it is a little late but January is still on and so I guess is valid. 😊
With so many posts waiting to see the light of the day here, I was wondering which one to start the year with. 
And then zeroed in on this Chicken roll or chicken kathi kabab or whatever you may choose to call it. 

The first time I bit into a chicken roll was when I was very young. A new restaurant had opened in our little town and Ma took me there for my first experience of a chicken roll. 

I remember the crisp paratha, rolled, with bits of dark coloured meat and white slices of onions peeping at the end. One bite and I fell in love with the flavours.

The paratha was sweetish, the pieces of meat had a flavour of garlic and there came some ketchup in the following bites. The crunch of the onions brought everything together. 

My next rendezvous with the chicken roll was when I was visiting my mamabari and one of the elder cousin dadas took us to a street side shop. He was studying engineering then and we young ones looked up to him as he had seen more cities than us and had so much to say. 
He taught us how to tear the wrapping paper from the roll as ate it, while expertly guiding us across the road, yapping all importantly all the while. 
I don't remember much about that particular roll. 

Then I came to Pune and was introduced to the very famous Kapila's kathi kebab on Dhole Patil road. 

As students, we would go there in the evening, get one roll each and sit on the steps of a bank adjacent to it and chat the evening away. 
I have eaten a lot many rolls henceforth in life, but nothing comes close to Kapila's kathi kebab. Ever. 
And in all these years, their masala and taste hasn't changed even an iota. 

I still go for one once in a while .... and go back in years and get flooded with memories from all those years back. 

Now I make rolls at home.
The last time I made some chicken meat balls a few days back. If you have seen my stories on insta, you will know. I baked them in the oven and it was way quicker and easier than pan frying them. 

 I have given up deep frying them ages ago. These turn out beautifully juicy inside and crisp outside.
I make a big batch and freeze them for later use.
They are so versatile and can be added to a variety of dishes. 

I also love to munch on them as snacks too. 😊

Today I treated myself to a chicken roll for breakfast . Made some soft squarish parathas that I have grown up seeing Ma make .... a result of her growing up in Delhi. 

Reheated some kabobs in the oven and crushed them lightly on the porotas .

Stir fried some onions and green chillies on the tawa as the rollwala from the street would do.

A sprinkle of dry masala spices, some drops chilli sauce and our chicken kathi roll / kathi kebab  was good to go.

With the beautiful weather outside, with the clouds hanging low on the hills beyond and a light spray of rain, I loved this little treat to myself, relaxing with my current read .... yes, I read while eating 😄

 Here's wishing you all a wonderful new year again. 
Stay safe. Stay healthy. 
And may this year bring you all the happiness and freedom that have been kept away from us by the dreadful pandemic. 
Much love 💝 

Multigrain Parathas with vegetables .... a fulfilling and wholesome winter breakfast

Winter is such a beautiful season. 

Sporting, giving and forgiving.

You can cook and eat to your heart's content. 

There is a bountiful of fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers.

The fields overflow with crops , ready to be harvested.

The granaries soon fill with the fresh new rice, new date palm jaggery and wheat and corn .... every part of the country has its own kind of crops. 

The tilted sun turns soft and has the right warmth for the making of boris / wadis. And some winter pickles. Mostly with fresh winter vegetables. And some fruits like the amla / amloki and the ber / kul. 

Kitchens start humming with active elderly ladies of the house busy churning out sweetmeats / pithe / pithas.
Afternoon siestas are replaced with groups sitting out in the soft sunlight and chatting, while the hands would be busy knitting or peeling sweet, fresh green peas.
And endless rounds of the very spicy adrakwali chai / ada chaa / ginger tea. 

All these beautiful thoughts and memories played in my mind as I prepared today's breakfast.

Winter grains, winter vegetables, soya granules, homemade punjabi garam masala, lots of garlic and green chillies went into this delicious paratha sitting on my plate.
Slathered with my homemade ghee and tawa fried till crisp. 

The flours that I used are whole wheat, corn and millet. 
The vegetables are cabbage, green peas and leftover boiled rajma. 
I also added some turmeric powder. 

Kneaded with very little water. 
Rolled out thickish parathas and tawa fried them with ghee till golden brown on both sides. 

In the absence of some fresh white butter, I topped it with a chunk of my favourite Amul butter. 

A full meal by itself.

Time saver.

Highly nutritious.

And loaded with the warmth of my memories from my home and all the beautiful places that I have visited in winter. 

Do you love winter too?

What is your favourite winter dish? 

This pairs very well with any pickle or curd on the side. 

Also with all kinds of chutneys. 

I enjoyed them with my Bengali Tomato chaatni while B opted for my Garlic chutney. 

What would you like to enjoy this with?

Care to share some suggestions? 

Rawa Idli with Coconut Kokum Chutney

 It has been raining heavily every evening or night for the last few days.
The days are hot and stuffy, with humidity building up till it becomes almost difficult to breathe, by late afternoon. And then the clouds start to gather at one end of the sky.
Soon it becomes windy, hastening the yellow leaves to fall off the trees a little more early.
And then comes the downpour.
Reminds me of my homeland Odisha. The weather, I mean.
I do not know this humid Pune.
I miss the dry, cool Pune where we had to wait for a full year to see rain once the monsoons are over.

But I do not mind the rains though. In fact, I love them.
The mornings are differently beautiful these days. I take my cup of Darjeeling and sit on the swing in my little balcony.
My upper lip had got a big cut (from the accident) and swollen twice its normal size ... so the tea immediately scalds the skin.
I wince and try to ignore.
My eyes skim the surface of the cup and through the steam I watch the almost bare trees turn bright and golden as the rising sun falls on them.
The ground is still damp from last night's rain and the heavy smell of wet grass, dry leaves and fog hangs in the air.

The swing moves lightly. My aching body wants to get up. But I sit for a little more time.
Durga puja is over. The beautiful images of the goddess are long immersed in water.
In my mind I see the empty pandals and grounds.
Chairs devoid of people. Bare bamboos standing ... remains of stalls and decorations.
It will be a full year before the celebrations again.

Two little birds swoop down on the bird bath and seeing me, dart away just as quickly.
Two crows come and drink some water. I give them a few pieces of biscuit that they quickly pick up and dunk into the water bowl.
And eat them after they have soaked some water and turned soft.
The crows do not mind me. Neither do the swallows or the pigeons.
The parrots are shy. They sit on the overhead cable wires and screech till I get up and leave them alone.
Only then they come near the water.
I am planning to put up a mirror near the door so that I can see their antics from hiding.

I come in and look up my blog.
This year has not gone as planned; which is why I never plan.
Lesson learnt once more.
So few posts.
So decided to post this beautifully spongy Rawa idli that I had made for breakfast a few weeks back.
I have posted Rawa idli long back, which is the plain one.
This is one far different from that.
Here I have made a tempering and fried the rawa / semolina and added a little masala to make it spicy.
The spice complements the tang of the curd and balances well.

Also, these are very quick to make and perfect for those times when you do not have pre prepared Idli batter at hand and yet have to put up a meal or breakfast.

And here is the recipe.

Need :

Rawa / Suji / Semolina ( the bigger grains) - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium, chopped 
Ginger - a small piece, chopped
Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Hing / Asaefoetida - a pinch
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Curd - 2 cups , make sure it is sour or add some lemon juice
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - a pinch
Water - if needed
Salt - to taste

How to :

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed open pan.

Add the mustard seeds.
When they start to splutter add  the jeera + hing + urad dal + chana dal + onions + ginger.
Stir fry till onions are transparent and loose a little moisture.

Add haldi + red chilli powder + the sooji + salt.
Fry for around two minutes on low flame.
Remove and cool completely.

Remember to not fry for too long.
If the rawa turns dry, it will not bind and hold shape as it will not soak the curd well.

Add the curd with a little water.
Mix well and keep aside.
Mixture should not be very thin.

Steam in a idli mould till done. 

Here is a closer look.

Serve hot with chutney.
You can enjoy it with this Sambar too. 
Or take your pick from my Chutneys to pair with.
I had made this chutney with Coconut and Kokum. So served with it.
I will post the recipe in the next post.

This was our breakfast.

Enjoy!!





 

Idli Sambar Podi ... a hearty South Indian breakfast

 

 From the day I got married till date, every morning the one question that I have to face on waking up is 'what to make for breakfast?'.
Every single day. Well, almost.
Earlier, I did not have to bother. At home ... it was taken care of. And how!
When I was a PG, studying, I did not have to bother. I had no time for breakfast ... barring a few days when I would gulp down a glass of milk and rush.
But after I set up my own home, I decided that I would wallow in the luxury of a fulfilling breakfast everyday.
But that was not to happen ... not for a while.
The man had grown up attending morning school ... hence the term breakfast did not feature anywhere near even his peripheral vision.
So after struggling to introduce and willing him to love this beautiful thing for a good few months, I gave up.
Besides, seeing my plates of French toast or Upma or Parathas being rejected for lack of time to eat, was not a very happy thing to happen in the morning.
 So I gave up.
And happily focused on my favourite eggs and bread routine.

I love steaming hot, preferably spicy and savoury breakfasts. No cold milk or cereals for me.
Later, when B started to work from home, our breakfasts started to get more varied and leaned towards vegetarian versions.
Unless he is having milk and cereals, when I happily fry sausages for myself, it is more of traditional cooking.
And then I struck gold ... read learnt how to make the Idli.
Or Dosa, for that matter.
The trick lies in the batter and it took me a while to master it. And am still learning.
But now, I can make a mean dosa or spongy idlis well, if I may say so.
And my breakfast problem is solved .... largely.

I make a big batch of the batter and store it in the fridge. I
The following days see a varied spread of breakfast .... dosa, soru chakli pithe, saantlano pithe, poda pitha, savoury poda pitha, idlis .... the batter is so versatile.
Paired with a simple curry or a dalma or some chutney or sambar, we get a hearty, full and healthy breakfast that happily sees us through  the day.

I have made some posts on idli earlier. But decided to make this one to include the recipe for the Sambar as well as the Podi / dry chutney that I make.


To make the idli : I follow the same recipe for the batter that I have posted in all my earlier posts.
The only difference is that I add a teaspoon of Methi / Fenugreek seeds now.

Soak rice and Urid dal in the ratio of 2:½ along with a teaspoonful of methi seeds, for around 4 hours.
Grind into a paste , add a little salt and keep it covered for around 8 hours.

I usually soak them after lunch, adding a little water at a time and grind it after dinner.
And start using the batter the next morning.
The batter ferments perfectly overnight.
Store it covered well, in the fridge.
Do remember to keep it out and bring it to room temperature before using it again.

Steam the batter (it should be soft and not a very thick paste )  in an idli maker for not more than 20 minutes for plump, spongy idlis.

To make the Podi :

 Dhania / Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Whole dry red chillies - 4 or more, if you like it spicy
Chana / Bengal gram dal - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 2 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp
Whole black peppercorns - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Dry roast the dals on low flame first.
Then dry roast the rest of the ingredients.
Cool and grind into a powder.

Store in an airtight bottle.
I use this Podi on idlis, spread on dosas and mix with plain rice with a little ghee too.

To make the Sambar :

I must make it clear first that since I am a Bengali, I have no idea about the authentic sambar recipe.
I do know there are different kinds of sambar for different meals.
And I do not even know if my version of the sambar will even qualify for a breakfast sambar or as the right companion to the idli.
All I know is this is the way I have always made sambar and love it too.

If  I am making it to eat with rice, I do add vegetables. Will post that version some day.

Soak Urad dal and boil it with some turmeric powder + hing + salt.

Heat oil.
Add mustard seeds + dry red chillies + curry leaves.

When the seeds start to splutter, add chopped onions and fry them till soft.

Now add the boiled dal + tamarind water + red chilli powder + sambar masala ( I use Everest ) + a little water.
Adjust salt.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for a while.

You can enjoy these fluffy idlis with my Tomato Garlic chutney too.
I did ... the next day.

Another look.

Enjoy !!

Tikkis from leftover Upma

Last and the week last to that have been filled with disappointments. Which left me with a lack of enthusiasm to come over and write anything. The morose feeling was so deep settled that I still have not been able to come out of it.
Disappointments are a way of life and I am used to dealing with them.
But people, who otherwise walk about in life with and appear to be warm, friendly and sincere, actually show their ignorance or neglect or whatever it is, it hurts.
When you know them as persons who care and as friends and then find them to be actually cold and selfish.
They will be around when they need a human handkerchief .... someone to dump their woes on.
And then disappear .... giving nary a thought to how you are faring or a simple line of goodwill.
I enquire because I care; I try to stay in touch because I want to; not because I have nothing else to do; not because I am never bogged down by the unfair ways of life.

Which is why I have finally decided to give away a little less of myself away ; henceforth.

Anyway, a couple of weeks back, we went for the movie Padmavati or Padmavat or whatever. Pushing aside the still hanging heavy fracas all around regarding the movie, we went.
Or rather I went; dragging B along.
We were fully aware of the kind of movies the guy makes and so had kept all our logic, better judgements and expectations at home.
I had watched Bajirao Mastani earlier and had actually liked it ( which B attributes to my lack of knowledge regarding the real story ... and which I agree to ) ;
and have actually sat through Devdas the whole length through ( which again B attributes to have nothing to do with the movie but his company ) ... to which I agree too.
And had wondered just how bad can this new one be.

Well , we were not even halfway through the movie and I had already started to plead 'let's leave'.
B grinned and stayed put.
He had actually given me a look when I had said that I wanted to see the movie for the sets and grandeur that its maker is so known for.
Even if I am not one to be so frivolous.
So, that is what I was expected to do ... sit through the movie and all its 'grandeur'.

To top it, the stale samosas and lukewarm cold drink did not help at all.
Inox, Bund Garden Road, Pune, has been our favourite haunt for watching movies. 
But not anymore.
Maintenence is zero , the food is appalling and the screen lighting is way too poor.
The whole movie was such a disappointment just because of that dim lit screen.
And the cherry on the cake was Inox's latest hobby ... cutting scenes.
This is worse during weekdays when a whole movie starts and ends within an hour and a half ... including breaks.
As well as advertisements .... which are innumerable during half time ... so much so that one actually wonders if someone has forgotten to restart the movie.

With a heavy heart I promised never to visit Inox Bund garden, ever again.

The third disappointment came this weekend when we, for lack of doing anything better, decided to drive down the old Pune Mumbai highway for a lunch in one of the dhabas on the roadsides.
Pune's spring is fabulous.
And this weather is to be outdoors .... in the bright sun, cool breeze that has a hint of summer and beautiful evenings that have started to tarry a wee little longer before turning dark.
So off we went.

While we had already tried the food at Sunny da dhaba and Toni da dhaba, we hadn't tried Babbi da dhaba.
To be very honest, there isn't much difference between the three ... foodwise.
All of them serve the same, red coloured tandoori chicken.
I have been on the lookout for a good Butter chicken ever since I left home ... where we got the best butter chicken ever in the Punjabi dhabas on the highways.... and have tried umpteen number of places, risking health.
Only to be disappointed, as always.
This time too was not an exception.
The Butter chicken that came was bloody red in colour, with strips of boneless chicken in the overly sweet gravy, that promptly stained my fingers with a colour that refused to go till the next day.
B's dal makhni was full of Rajma and had the strong smell of raw turmeric.
The dry Chole was however good .... just stir fried Pindi Chole with onions and some masalas.
And I loved the crisp tandoori rotis .... made of maida though.

And that was not the end of the story.
Exactly five minutes into our return journey, I could feel that familiar soreness in my throat and the feeling of choking.
The darned food had ajinomoto / monosodium glutamate in it !!
It is usual for small eateries to add ajinomoto to dals and gravies as taste enhancer .... for that special, smoky flavour, these  days.
Most people do not know, or not notice or don't care.
But I do because I am allergic to ajinomoto .... hence no better tester than me.
And since eating in small joints is now a thing of past for us, the ajinomoto thing had completely skipped my mind.

The only saving grace that evening was the evening itself.
As we drove homewards by the beautiful, dark grey hillocks against the setting sun, we talked about the old days when we would hop on our trusty old bike and zoom off towards the highways, with hardly any traffic to deal with on the way, and sit beside the road at any eatery or dhaba and enjoy a good meal of hot rotis and a fragrant, simple dal.
Life sure has changed.
And so has Pune; drastically.

Coming to today's recipe, it is not much of one.
Long back, during the monsoon months, I had made Upma one day, for breakfast.
And had a bulk of leftover.
Asked my blogger friends and got varied recipes out of which I took a little from all and made these tikkis or patties.

My Upma already had onions and grated coconut, so all I did was add some boiled potatoes and used some dal water (from the chana dal / Bengal gram lentils that I had boiled for later use ) to soften it.
Plain water would have diluted the taste; also the water from the boiled dal added to the flavour too.

Threw in some chopped, fresh green chillies and a spoonful of Maharashtrian peanuts chutney for some zing.
Rolled them in breadcrumbs seasoned with chilli flakes and fried them with very few drops of oil in my well seasoned iron tawa / skillet.
Some ketchup and adrakwali chai ( ginger tea ) on the side and we happily welcomed the dark skies and the drizzle that day. 

I had clicked the photos on my phone ... so I know they are not much to write home about.
But do try these crisp on the outside and soft, 'melt in the mouth' inside  tikkis the next time you have some leftover Upma.
I know you will love them.

Make for perfect snacks anytime of the day ... especially during winter and the cool monsoon months.

Cheerio all!!

Egg stuffed sandwich

 Or not.
Technically, I mean.
A proper egg sandwich will have boiled eggs. With or without spices.
Like my Ma makes.
But not me. I make my egg sandwiches with already cooked eggs.
And sometimes I stuff parathas with them too. Complete with whatever I want in them ... vegetables, spices, etc. etc.
And then again, there is the real Dim porota or Egg parathas.

But these sandwiches I make are to bring back those days when I was very new in the kitchen.
We had just moved into our flat after our marraige and the lady staying in the flat in front of us was a half Parsi.
She would make all kinds of good food and share with me.
Most days, we would have breakfast and lunch together. Lunch would be leftovers ... both of us would clean out our fridge.
But breakfasts on some days, we would make together.
Some days she would make the eggs and I would have bread and vice versa.
The tea, some days she would make and on some days I. 
And we would sit out on our big terraces and enjoy the food as well as each other's company.

It was she who made these sandwiches and I fell in love with them.
While she kept the eggs half cooked and with just freshly ground black pepper, I love to add vegetables and green chillies to mine.
And a dash of garam masala for the man.
These sandwiches are extra crisp and golden on the outside and soft inside.
I make them often, reminiscing the old days.
These make great snacks too on a winter evening or on a rainy day.

 Need :

Eggs
Bread
Butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped Vegetables of your choice ( I used green peas, sweet corn and carrots )
Chopped Onion
Chopped Green chillies
Salt

How to :

Heat a little butter in a pan.

Add the onion + chillies. Fry till onions turn translucent.

Add the vegetables, salt and black pepper.

Add the eggs and fry well.

Remove and cool.

Take sandwich bread and apply butter on both sides.

Place them on the sandwich maker and put some of the scrambled egg in it.

Place another bread on it and close.


Toast till golden brown on the top.

Serve hot with ketchup or any dip.

If you do not have a sandwich maker, you can toast it on a flat pan too.
Keep something heavy on the sandwiches and they will easily turn crisp and golden.

Enjoy with your favourite cuppa tea or coffee or even hot chocolate!!

Mooli ka Thepla / Radish flatbreads

It is quiet all around. Except for the birds ... flying and chirping and singing busily. The parrots are going crazy, screeching and playing around in the trees. There is a particularly large group living here and are the noisiest ones around.
It is a delight to watch them everyday and especially when it rains. ( I recently shared a video on Instagram of them bathing in a sudden shower. )
The sun has just come up from behind the little hillock in the east and I can see the brightness all around on the trees and their shining leaves ... but not the sun, not yet, as I am on my balcony in the west.
It is a gorgeous morning and still cold. And breezy too.
The rains are nowhere in sight but there are clouds, lazily passing by ... large puffs of white. An occasional dark one does pass by too, but it is too small to dim the brightness all around.
I take a sip of my Darjeeling tea. The breeze is strong and lulls the swing a little. Good ... since I did not want to move an inch.
Reclining on the swing, my feet to not reach the ground.
So I am grateful for the strong breeze.

A bulbul darts in and sits on the terracotta water bowl. I stay still.
Ever alert, it jumps up and down a little, looks this way and that quickly and jumps into the water.
Splashes around, gives a few quick dips and jumps up on to the rim again, shakes all over to throw away the excess water and is gone. Just like that ... in the blink of an eye.
I finally relax and move to wipe the water droplets on my arm.

It is a gorgeous morning.
I take another sip ... the steam is still coming out of the cup and curls upwards.
I am tempted to go back inside and get my half read book. I have just got my hands on Amish's Sita, finally, and am hooked to it ... just like I am to the rest of his books.
But I don't.
I love my time with myself and nature in the mornings and decide not to let anything else come in between. I can read later.
After all, the rains will start eventually. And I won't get to sit outside this way for sometime.

I will be away, at home.
Where it rains like all hell has broken loose. With thunder and lightening. With huge storm winds.
Where you see the sky turn ominously red, in the nights and know that it is going to pour soon. Pour incessantly; ceaselessly.
Where I will have to go back again and again, at this time of the year, when I rather would not.
When I would rather hide, burrow myself deep somewhere, or get lost somewhere where painful memories cannot reach me.
When I will have to relive those moments of agonising helplessness, relentless yet futile hope and the pain of seeing my father sink slowly into oblivion.
Where I will be reminded and mocked by life about the amount of time that has gone by, without him around me. And I can do nothing about it.
Where I will have to stay in those rooms and see him in every nook and corner of his beloved house.
Where I can see all his things around but not him.
Where my heart will burst with pain every single moment and yet I will be alive, with his memories and his absence.

The rains, that I had loved so much once upon a time, bring only pain to me now.

I have been trying to focus and bring myself to write a post before I leave, but the days are pure mayhem right now. The heart is heavy and yet, there are preparations to be made. I have been cooking in bulk and freezing. Then I need to pack too.
And to cap it all perfectly, we are having guests, relatives we cannot ignore.
So even a minute of a breather is welcome right now, but a far dream.

I will leave you with this thepla that makes for a filling breakfast as well as a dinner too.
I have made this mooli / radish, you can use any vegetable of your choice too.
A thepla is different from a stuffed paratha ... it has the vegetables kneaded in with the flours.
I say flours because I often add different kind of flours ... jowar, makka/maize, rice or a little besan. While the nutritional value does go up, the mutigrain flours add some extra flavours too.

Need :

Whole wheat flour - 8tbsp
Jowar / sorgum flour - 2 tbsp
Makka / maize flour - 1tbsp
Besan / Bengal gram flour - 1 tbsp
( If you do not have these flours, you can make with plain whole wheat flour too. )
Grated mooli / radish - 1½ cups
Ajwain / carrom seeds - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tsp
Amchur / dry mango powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - to fry , 1 tbsp to add to the dough while kneading
Water - to knead dough

How to :

Knead everything together to make a firm, not tough, pliable dough.

Cut out small balls and roll them into round parathas.

Heat a well seasoned tawa and fry them one at a time, smearing a little oil on both side to brown them.

Serve hot with raita and achar / pickle.
The achar in the picture is my home made Amla ka achar.

Enjoy!!
And have a happy monsoon filled with fun and food!

Adai, Sambar, Aloo bhaji and Mirchi ki chutney - a South Indian breakfast on the plate today

I am on a serious mission these days. A mission of doing nothing.
Yes, doing nothing. And that means doing nothing at all.
Call it a strike; call it a rebellion .... call it anything you want to. But that is the truth and the whole truth.
I do not remember exactly when it happened ... but something inside me has snapped. The last I remember is cooking up a storm ... two huge degchis of biryani ... yummy, fragrant, spicy yet non greasy biryani .... one chicken and one paneer ... for guests and ourselves on Sunday.
If you are following me in Instagram or on Facebook, you must have seen the photographs there.

Spent the whole day sweating it out in the kitchen ... and loved every moment of it. Enjoyed through the latter half of the day ... watched the match .... felt totally disappointed at what our team was doling out and left it halfway to go out and have waffles ... and all in all had a good day.
And the very next day, something broke inside me. And I just did not feel like getting up and doing any chores.
At all.
At first I thought it might just be the 'start of another week' blues. But no, it worsened as the days went by and today, we are bang in the middle of the week and I am still not moving.
B is indulging .... we went out for dinner on Monday but at other times he has been cooking.
Let me see how long this goes on.

I think I need a break; a trip. Seriously.
And all those photos of  road trips or overseas trips on fb and insta are not helping too.
Social media has its own pressures ... that I can say.
So when the weather in Pune has turned so unbelievably beautiful and the view and the breeze on my balcony is to happily die for, I ignore it like a moron and long for a drive out into the unknown.

Yes, I am a moron after all, I guess.
Like, I have not done anything all this morning except to wallow in morbidity and letting Jagjit singh croon and pull me all the more down into the dark.
Like I have not made a single post here since the last one. And neither am I clicking any photos too. Just the ones that are offhandedly clicked on my iphone and posted on insta.
I'm giving in to social media, finally.

So, pulled myself up and without moving an inch from my settled position in my den and post this beautiful plateful of breakfast before it languishes any more in my 'to post' folder.

I often soak rice + dal and make a batter and store it. And never have to worry about breakfast most days of the week.
Sometimes I up the amount of the dal or soak mixed dals for a protein rich yet light meal.
While this kind of breakfast is very common in my house ... check out the Chakuli pitha or the soru chakli pithe and others, I have not done a post just for the lack of time needed to click proper photographs.
I do post photos on my page on facebook though ... and now on instagram too.
If you follow me there, you are more updated with my cooking, I would say.

To make this light yet very filling breakfast, all the prep work you need is to keep the batter ready. And maybe have some boiled potatoes in the fridge too.
This aloo ki bhaji is usually made for the masala dosa, but it goes perfectly well with the Adai too ... so do try to pair them.
I make it slightly on the sweeter side ... the kind that the Udipi restaurants serve with puris too as puri bhaji.

Adai sambar chutney

How to make the Potato bhaji for masala dosa :

Need :


Boiled potatoes - 2 medium, lightly smashed
Onion - 1 medium, chopped roughly
Haldi / Turmeric powder - a pinch
Fresh green chillies - 2, chopped
Curry leaves - a sprig will do
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Water - a little
Urid dal - 1 tsp


How to :


Heat the oil in a small wok.


Add the mustard seeds.
As soon as they splutter, add the dal and fry a little.
Now add the onions and green chillies and fry till the onions turn translucent.

Add the curry leaves and the boiled potato.

Add the haldi + salt + sugar.

Mix well. Raise heat and add a little water ... just so everything comes together.

Keep stirring till it dries up.

Remove and keep aside.


How to make the Mirchi ki chutney :

Need :

Ripe chillies - (not the dry, red ones) 6
Garlic - 2 cloves
Jeera - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to :

Run everything in the mixer to make a coarse paste.

You can also try my other chutneys too.

How to make the Adai :

 Need :


Red Masoor dal - 1 cup
Yellow moong dal - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1 cup
Rice - 3 cups
Water to grind
Salt - to taste

How to :

Soak everything for 4 to 5 hours.

Grind in a mixie and let the batter stand overnight.

Use a little at a time and refrigerate the rest. I keep mine for almost a week.

Heat a seasoned tawa or a non stick griddle.

Apply a little oil and on high heat pour a ladleful of the batter.
Spread quickly and lower heat.

Don't try to make it too thin.
Cover and let one side cook well.

Remove cover and flip and let the other side cook .
Apply a little oil if needed.
Do not cover.

The slightly thick Adai is good to soak in the sambar.

How to make the Sambar :

You can follow the recipe for Sambar here ... or here.
Will make a new post on it later.

I will be back with a better post and better writing, hopefully soon.

Till then ... enjoy!!

Dimer Porota or Dim Parota or Anda Paratha or Egg stuffed flatbreads

 

So, the man comes back from sub zero temperatures with a chest full of congestion and a suitcase full of laundry. And my days started and ended with chores and all the more chores. Not to mention tending to a sick man who turns into a five year old when it comes to illnesses.

Making soups, light food, especially those that would slide down easily a painful throat, ... like the sabudana ki kheer, khichuri, vegetarian pishpash, etc. was all that I cooked.
Thankfully, Pune's cool weather helped ... it had suddenly turned very cold for a few days ... the temperature dipped as low as 10 degrees at night .... and the dryness helped in healing the respiratory infection quickly enough.

But I lost my mojo to blog. Even though I had some pictures ready to post, I did not feel like writing. Not only did I have anything fruitful in my mind, but also the very effort to sit down and make a post was too much for me.
I would be drained by the end of the day and somehow faced the evening only because I looked forward to a little low light, some good ghazals and my knitting, that gave me company through the evenings ... before I stepped into the kitchen to make dinner.
I have started a new book too ... only it is taking time to finish as I cannot read as fast as I used to earlier ... blame it on my weak hands and shoulders and also my housework.

Thankfully, B is already on the mend and I can go back to my routine and life.
So I may be able to start posting regularly now ... fingers and toes crossed.

I had made this Dim parota one of the mornings, when B was away, for myself.
This is one filling breakfast that sustains you through half the day easily. Back home, Ma would make this for me when she did not have anything else at hand .... namely on vegetarian days.
Now, I often make it when we are going out in the weekends and it keeps us full till lunch.
Very quick to make, it is one of my favourite breakfasts.
And dinner too ... when there is nothing in the fridge or when I am too lazy to cook.
All you need is some ready atta and some eggs.

Do not confuse this with the Moghlai porota ... that is entirely different.

I love the Dim parota with ketchup and sometimes add a little kasundi to the ketchup too.
But tell you what ... if you have good quality green chillies ... the kind that hits you with a bang! and shakes the living daylights out of you, then you need no ketchup, no kasundi  .... or for that matter nothing at all.

I added some chopped coriander leaves too.
Just the well chopped onions + green chillies + coriander leaves is all that is needed.
The dough was whole wheat atta + a little maida (6:4).

This Dimer paratha needs just a few drops of white cooking oil to crisp it up. And that will be possible only when you have a well seasoned tawa or a non stick tawa.
I use my good old well seasoned cast iron tawa.

Need :

Atta + Maida - ratio 6:4 , kneaded with a little salt+cooking oil
Chopped onion
Chopped green chillies
Chopped coriander leaves
A little freshly crushed black pepper
Eggs
Salt - to taste
White cooking oil

How to :

Make small balls of the kneaded dough and roll out a roti.

Mix the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, to the eggs and beat well.

Heat a tawa and place a roti.

Turn it over after half a minute.

Now pour in a little egg mixture and fold the roti from both sides ... like in the picture.

Place a cover and cook on low heat for a minute.

Remove cover, flip it over and apply a little oil.

Press with a spatula and fry it on high heat, till golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot.
Makes for a great evening snack too.
This is a great way to use leftover rotis too. You can either fold them with the egg mixture as above, or layer one roti with the mixture and then lay another roti on the top. Cover and cook for a while and then add oil to fry.

I love to add some chopped sausages or ready chicken or mutton kheema to the mixture too and pair it with some soup, for a more filling meal that is perfect for hearty dinner.

Enjoy!!

Vegetable Uttapam

 

 Hello! Hello!!
Wish you a very happy new year 2017!!
Hope you had fun on the last day of the past year and rang in the new one with a bang.

We did too ... in our own quiet way. On the evening of the 31st, we went to our favourite cafe ... Flourworks ... for a cuppa.
B had his usual black one and I went for my favourite coffee l'orange. This is dark too but has orange peels soaked in and a dash of cocoa. It is my all time favourite here.
Of course, we had something to munch on. B took grilled sandwiches and I asked for the chicken stir fried with garlic and Italian herbs much like the one I make at home.
What was beautiful was the evening.
The sun was about to call it a day but there was still a warmth in its last rays. The cafe had a warm ambience too ... all wooden and decked up to greet the enthusiasts who would start coming in when the night starts.
All this helped in fighting the chill in the light breeze ... that made the yellow leaves shower down on the tables and those sitting outdoors.

We sat and reflected on the past year and its happenings.
I, as usual, am a little apprehensive about what the new year would bring for me.
All I pray is that we have good health and stay well.

The past few days have been complete mayhem for us. A friend was visiting with his family and we were totally caught up with them.
While they do have relatives here, which made the tug of war even tougher, they banked on us to take them around. So there I was, managing the home front as well as planning their visits all around the city.
I had to keep in mind the various demands .... temples for the elderly, malls for the teens, toy stores for the kids and of course, shopping in the old city by the ladies.
The days went by in a whiff.

We had the last two days of the year to ourselves and hence, spent them quietly. For dinner, we went to this small, unassuming little place called Gavran Kolhapuri to have a light meal of Pithla and crisp, hot bajra and jowar bhakris. There was a spicy thecha too.
Both of us enjoyed the early dinner while the city geared up for the display of loud music, garish dresses and a splurge on food and drinks. And came back to a peaceful home and the telly.
We did watch the fireworks from our balcony at midnight as well as the burning of Old man 2016.
And then, it was all over. All too soon.
And the next day was just another day.
Routine.

I made a breakfast of a spicy, vegetable sambar ( I really must put up the recipe one of these days ) and some thick, soft kaal dosas sprinkle with milagai podi ... on the first day of the new year.
I had also made a couple of Patishaptas with the same batter ... my first pithe of the season.
Here is quick look ... a phone photo that I shot to share with my facebook page readers.

And then remembered that I have these pictures of the vegetable uttapam that I had made one these mornings.
And decided to make a quick post.

 I had grated in some carrots and added a handful of fresh green peas too.
I love green peas and if it is winter, I add them to almost anything that I am making. You can add beets, coriander leaves or curry leaves ... or anything that fancies you.
Just make sure that it cooks fast as the uttapam takes very less time to cook.

Need :

Idli batter - the recipe is here
Grated vegetables - I used carrots
Fresh green peas
Onion - chopped
Green chillies - chopped
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped
Oil - to smear pan
Salt - to taste

How to :

Mix in salt and a spoonful of oil to the batter.
Add a little water to make it of pouring consistency.

Heat a well seasoned flat tawa or griddle.

Smear a little oil on it.

Pour in a ladleful of batter and spread thickly.
Sprinkle the top of the uttapam with grated vegetables, peas and coriander leaves.

Cover and cook till the base turns crisp and golden brown.

Remove cover and flip it over.

Cook without cover for a round 5 minutes.

Serve hot with chutney.

 Here is a closer look at the spongy, soft inside.

I paired it with my Garlic Tomato chutney. And a cup of ginger tea.
Perfect winter breakfast!

Since I make this very often, here is another photograph that I found. This one has no vegetables in it ... just chopped onions + chopped red and green chillies + curry leaves + coriander leaves.

It is more like the Saantlano (tempered) pithe.

C'ya all around.
Wish you all a wonderful year ahead.


Here are a few ways that I make Idlis.

Here are a few other Breakfast ideas.