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 ❤️

Chicken pepper fry

And just like that, the rains are gone. 
We did not get as much rainfall this year as we would have liked to. 
Especially when we are not going out. 
With the whole world and our lives coming to a a standstill, due to the pandemic raging all around us, all we had was the rains outside to look out at. 
Sitting by the window, or standing in the balcony or lounging in the sofa that I drag half way across the room just for the view ..... all we had was the gentle, quiet Pune rains and fog outside. 

The trees have grown a lot over the years and are now almost at our eye level at the seventh floor. 
Their leaves shiny, healthy, glistening in the rain. 
And swaying to the wind. 
The birds go on with their activities. 
And we go on with life. 
Daily, mundane chores. 
The only welcome break was the rains. 
And that too has gone now. Too soon. 

I don't mind  the sun though. 
The mornings are brighter and clearer now. 
And sunnier. 
There is a chill in the air and the feel of autumn is already in the air. 
Ganpati festival is on. 
Listening to the bhajans and aarti songs all around give an air of sanity. 
As if nothing has changed. 
And all is well with the world. 

I made this beautiful, spicy Chicken pepper fry a few days back for lunch. 
It was quick to make and was the perfect finger food for the dark, rainy days. 
The heat of the black pepper warmed the body as well as the cockles of the heart .... just like Ma  has cooked a warm meal and is feeding me  lovingly.

Need : 

Chicken pieces, on the bone (you may use boneless too ) 
Ginger garlic paste

Soy sauce

Vinegar / Lemon juice

Freshly crushed black pepper 
Chopped onions

Chopped garlic 

Chopped green chillies 

Curry leaves 

Salt - to taste

Sugar - to taste

Cooking oil 

How to : 

Marinate the chicken with vinegar, soy sauce, ginger garlic paste , a little oil and  salt. 
I marinated and froze it. You can keep it for 1 hour. 

Heat oil in a flat pan. 

Let in the chicken pieces one by one. 
Sear them on high heat till the sides turn crisp and brown. 

Lower heat and add the onions, garlic , green chillies and the curry leaves. 
Add salt and the crushed pepper, cover and cook till the chicken is done. 

If you want less spicy, then add the black pepper last, just before removing from heat. 

Serve hot . 

The chicken was crisp on the outside and juicy and soft inside. 
The meat  peeled away smoothly .... I guess the marination did the magic. 

I had made some crisp dosa and so paired with them. 
With some beautiful peanut chutney on the side, this was my lunch on a dark, cold rainy day. 
Will go great with laccha parathas too. 


Stay safe folks. Eat well. Eat healthy. 

Kokum, Coconut and Garlic chutney

Hello there!

Here I am  ….. back after almost an year.
I hope all of you, my readers, are well.
And have not given up on me and my blog.

By now, I am sure, you are well used to my long breaks.
But I keep coming back.
For however long possible .... even if it is for as little time as only a month .... I keep coming back.
And I try my best to be regular.
Thank you all for being with Kitchen e Kichu Khonn and for staying in touch with me on Facebook as well as Instagram.
And on messenger too.

I will not go into the reasons for my taking such a long break.
Instead, I will focus on what I love doing .... write and post a recipe.
It will take me time to get back that much needed flow for smooth writing .... but I will try.
A lot has happened in the last year and now we are at the fag end of it.
I hope it has gone much better for you than it did for me.

But what ever has been, has been.
Life moves on. It will move on.
We cannot give up on life.
We need to get up and get going.
Happily or unhappily … that is in our hands.

I trudged through this year. And not exactly happily.
Two major disappointments in our lives, ruled this year.
And one big health issue for me that resulted in a surgery.

If last year was bad, this year has been worse.
But I am like always on a trampoline. I bounce back.
Or at least try to.
And that is what we should be doing … right? Bounce back.
Because life is like the sea …. it gives back to you whatever you give it.
So better give something good …. eh? 😊

And what better than a blog post on a beautiful chutney.
Chutneys rule as an accompaniment to any Indian meal and helps not only in digestion but also help make any plain meal interesting.
Most chutneys are healthy and are almost always made fresh, at home, along with a snack or meal.

Today's recipe is of a chutney that I had made along with the Rawa Idli that I had posted a few posts back.
I had promised to post the recipe 'soon'.
And am truly sorry for this much delayed 'soon'.
So posting it first and then go on with my other recent recipes.

I had kept this chutney slightly dryish and absolutely loved the texture.
And the best part is it stays well in the refrigerator for more than a week or two, when kept in an airtight glass bottle.
Do not use metal utensils to store it.


Need :

Kokum / Garcinia Indica - the size of a small ball
Garlic - a few cloves
Jeera / Cumin seeds  - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 3 or 4
Chopped fresh coconut - 1 cupful

Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tsp


How to :

In a heavy pan, heat a little oil.

Add the jeera, dhania, garlic and the whole red chillies.
Fry on low heat till the garlic turns reddish and releases an aroma.

Add the chopped coconut, Urad dal, Chana dal and fry till the coconut is well fried.

Remove and cool.

Now add the Kokum ( you may use tamarind in lesser quantity too ),
salt and sugar.

Grind in a mixie to a coarse damp powder.
The idea is to get a little of everything in a bite …. the crunch of coconut and the dals, the burst of tang of a very small piece of kokum, the spice of the red chilli ….. get the idea?

You may add water, if needed, but only very little.
This is supposed to be a dry chutney.

You may skip the Kokum and make it too.

Store in an airtight glass bottle in the fridge.

Enjoy with Dosas, Idlis , Upma or with plain rice too.


Take care all!!

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 !!

Narkel Doi Jhinge / Ridge gourd cooked with curd and coconut milk

 Winter sure is in love with us this year. Just a day after I mentioned how hot the days already are, the weather took a turn and it was cold again.
I lived in denial for a couple of days, refusing to wear anything warm, especially in the mornings, but gave up soon. The mornings are all misty and cold, the evenings are chilly and the nights ... boy! are the nights cold!
I do not like cold weather and so reluctantly pulled out my comforters again ... all washed and prepped  to be packed away for the year .... and also the blankets.
And now I am shuffling around in my warm slippers.
So much for the warm weather.

 The long weekend passed by in a blur.
After catching the Republic day parade on the telly ... a ritual I never miss unless there is an emergency ... , we set off to paint the town red, after a lunch of leftovers.
All I had in mind for the three days was shopping .... for myself, for B and for the house.
Pune is all out enjoying winter and the weather ... there are lots of exhibitions, flea markets and sales on.
So shopping I did.
Refurbished my kitchen shelves with modular boxes ... something I have been planning to for a longish while.
Am very happy the way kitchen shelves look now. No more space wasting with round bottles.
And my glass bottles are now free for my spices.

Just before the weekend started, I cooked this light, flavourful curry after seeing it on thegutlessfoodie's post on Instagram.
I am a fan of her food, photography and recipes.
And along with a lot of other recipes that I intend to try out, this particular curry had caught my eyes long back.
All that I was waiting for was some good ridge gourd / turai.
And as soon as B got some when shopping for vegetables, I immediately made this curry.
I followed Natasha's recipe fully except for the coconut part ... I did not have coconut at home but there was a pack of coconut cream in the fridge.
I used that.

This is such a beautifully light and flavorsome curry that you will love to have on any season.
But I think this has 'summer' written all over it.
Do give it a try and let me know.
Not a big fan of the ridge gourd / jhinge / turai, I am a convert now, after tasting this curry.

Need :

Turai / Ridge gourd / Jhinge - 2, medium, chopped
Thick curd - 1 tea cup
Coconut cream - 6 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Green chillies - 2 big
Curry leaves - 5 to 6
Whole dry red chillies - 1, broken
Roasted jeera/cumin powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp or a little less
Salt - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Water - enough to cook in

How to :

Make a paste with the curd + green chillies + roasted cumin powder.

Heat oil.

Add the mustard seeds + cumin seeds + curry leaves + dry red chillies.

Add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the chopped turai / ridge gourd + turmeric + salt.

Add a little water, cover and cook till done.

Switch off gas, remove cover and let in the paste + coconut cream .... stirring constantly .... or it will curdle.

Serve hot.
This goes best with steaming hot rice but you try it with other things too.

While had it with roti and other sides, I had made my quick Chicken Pulao with some leftover chicken curry that I had ( you will find it in my Instagram stories. )
And it went very well with it ... almost like a cooling raita ... the perfect complement to the spicy pulao.



Enjoy!!

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!!

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.

Tomato and Garlic chutney ... a spicy, tangy and peppy dip

 Life is a mad rush right now. I had thought I could fit in two more posts this month easily but that is not to happen I guess. A hectic weekend and now a Monday that has passed by like a gust on a winter evening.
I know, I know I sound repetitive. But that is how it is .... almost every week.
Anyway .... with Durga Puja just around the corner and the rains playing spoilsport, my mind is not at all in the right place these days.
It has rained steadily for the last fortnight or more and the days and nights are extremely foggy, damp and cold.
I keep looking out for the slightest break in the clouds and a glimpse of sunlight ... no matter how thin.
But no such luck.

I am praying really hard that we get sunny days by Mahalaya.
Fingers crossed.

I do not have much to write tonight.
No, actually I do have but am real pressed for time. With loads  of things to do, I have added two more knitting projects to my daily schedule. And the only time I get to work on them is at night.

So have been sitting up late into nights and knitting, like there is no tomorrow.
And am loving it ... this change in my routine of going to sleep at ten in the night.

 Kind of takes me back to my long gone days when I was just a girl and loved to stay up late into the nights to read or to embroider or knit. I loved the quiet of the nights and the lovely breeze blowing in from our garden .... especially in the summers.

My little doggie would be fast asleep near my feet. And I would be so engrossed that I would have no idea how late it was.
Until Ma came and gave me a final warning to wind up and go to sleep.
Only then I would keep my things aside and go to my bedroom, the sleepy little one at my feet.
As I would climb in and lie down, I could hear her settle down under my bed with a sigh ... which I guess would be of relief.

There ... I am digressing.
Let me now quickly give you the recipe of this super quick Tomato and garlic chutney that I make and store very often.
Packs the punch of garlic and the tartness of the tomatoes.
Needs very less ingredients and is extremely good as a side or a dip.

I love garlic and have used a lot in this chutney. You can go easy on it if you are not much of a fan ... but let me tell you it is the garlic that makes this chutney so lovable.

Need :

Tomatoes - 6, big sized, chopped
Garlic - around 15 or 20 cloves
Onions - 1 medium, roughly chopped
Fresh green  chillies - around 4
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch 

How  to :

Heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a kadahi or wok.

Fry the onions till translucent.

Cool and grind in a mixie along with the garlic + green chilli + tomatoes.

In an open pan pour this mix and let it boil till the rawness goes away and it starts to thicken.

Add salt + sugar + a little red chilli powder and stir well.

In an other kadahi, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Add the mustard seeds and once they start to splutter, add the curry leaves.

Pour this tempering on the tomato mix and let it boil till the chutney thickens well.

Remove from heat and cool.

Store in an air tight glass bottle in the fridge.

This is great on the side with  handvo, idlis or vadas of any kind or any kind of parathas.
A spoonful on  hot rice is absolutely heavenly.
Spread it on a dosa or an uttapam and you won't need anything else for a meal.
And yes, I do spread it on bread too.


Enjoy!!

Vani's Gawarfali ki sabzi with besan and moongfali

The best thing I have experienced in my life as a blogger is learning all about food.
Traditions based on food, foods based on traditions.
Fusion food. Experimental food.
Regional food.  Home food.
Street food. High end restaurant food.

But that comes second.
The first, best thing is getting to know so many people from all over the world.
Meeting on our blogs, sharing recipes and thoughts, and quickly turning into friends, we have stayed together in our journey of food blogging, which for me has been eight, long years.

Knowing, sharing, cooking together at different ends of the earth at different time zones, ... has been really fun.
Picking up tips, sharing little things ... both about food as well as life ... it has been a beautiful journey so far.
I have learnt a lot about food and recipes just due to these blogger friends. 
There are some non food bloggers too, who are wonderful writers. And I go back to their blogs and writings just because I love to read them so much.
All these friends, I hold very dear to my heart.

Today, I was reminiscing about these past so many years of my blogging life, as my blog completes eight years very soon.
So many ups and downs. Too many interruptions in making posts.
My life has undergone huge changes and faced numerous upheavals.
I have fallen too many times as I have gotten up too.
And all this while, these friends have been with me.

I had started this blog just a day after my Bapi's b'day. So I do not know if I will be able to make a post on this day or celebrate Kitchen e Kichu Khonn this time.
Too many memories. Too much pain in the heart ... still.

So I am taking this time to thank all of you who have been with me always, making feel loved and taking the time to share your thoughts here with me.

And a special thanks to all of you who have trusted my recipes, tried them and have let me know. 
I would not have been able to keep Kichu Khonn running without your love and support.
Thank you!

I had posted a recipe on the Gawarfali or Guarfali or cluster beans long back. When I shared the post on FB, naturally all of us got to discussing and started sharing how each one made it.
Vani, of the wonderful Mysoorean, had mentioned that she made it with besan.
I asked for the recipe.
And the wonderful person that she is, she promptly sent it to me.

This was three years back.

I have made this recipe numerous times ever since.
B loves it. And as for me ... I am a convert now.
While I still am not a fan of the Guar or Gawar, I do eat it when it is made this way.
And the reason I have not been able to make a post so far is mainly because I do not get the time to click a photo .... B raids the karahi even before I get to serve it.

But this time I cooked it during the day ( I usually make this for dinner ) and did not let out a peep.
Hastily arranged the plate and clicked a few photos.

In case you are wondering about what the gawar or cluster beans look like, there is a photograph in this post. 

Need :

Gawar or Guar or Guvar / Cluster beans - 250 gms, washed and chopped
Roasted and crushed peanuts - 3 tbsp
Besan or Gram flour - 1 tbsp
Hing or Asafoetida - a pinch
Haldi  or Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mirchi or Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Jeera or Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Dhaniya or coriander powder - 1 tbsp 
Jeera or Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
Saunf or Fennel seeds -  ¼ tsp
Gur or Jaggery - 1 tsp ( I use the granules )
Lemon - half
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped
Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste

 How to make it :

Boil the chopped guar in water until soft.
I add a little salt to the water.
Vani suggests nuking it in the microwave with water for about 5-6 minutes.

 Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan.
Add the saunf + hing + haldi + jeera.

Add the  besan and fry on low heat until the raw smell goes.

Add the gawar.

Add jeera powder + dhaniya powder + red chilli powder + crushed peanuts + salt .

Add the jaggery.
Give a good mix.

If it is too dry add a few tsps of water.
The besan must coat the guvar and should not be too dry.

Finally sprinkle the jiuce of the lemon and add the chopped coriander leaves. 

The saunf takes the dish to another level altogether.
My only change in the original recipe is the addition of the crushed peanuts.
I had made it the last time the in laws were here.

Thank you Vani for sharing this wonderful recipe, that has quickly turned into a family favourite.

This goes great with soft, hot rotis.
enjoy!!

Lauki with Kala Chana or Chola ar narkel diye Lau or a Sundal

It isn't often that I hurry to make a post on something that I have cooked the same day or the day before. Since I post what I cook for that day's lunch or dinner, I try to click photos quickly, before we finish off the food. Or, in my case, natural daylight disappears.
I then let the photos rest in a folder, waiting for me to get some time out, edit and make a post.
Which is not happening regularly these days. I mean, not the cooking part, but the clicking part.

But this particular dish turned out to be so beautiful that I could not resist posting this almost immediately ... ignoring all the other recipes sitting in my folder.

The days have turned very hot all of a sudden, and it is not even the end of March. The temperature soared to 39 degrees and stayed there for the last two days ... thumbing its nose at us.
We, on our part, went through the rituals of the day huffing and puffing. Pune's dry climate, when combined with heat, can be deadly.
Too much of dehydration, lethargy. The skin starts to dry and burn, even if you are indoors.

And cooking on such days, and eating, seems like punishment.
While my cooking is always on the lighter side, I am at my wits end to make it even more lighter.

These days I soak a lot of things and keep them handy. Like brown chickpeas, kabuli chana, green moong dal, rajma, etc.
All I need is to soak them overnight and store them in the fridge.
Sometimes I let them sprout a little too.
And just munch on them when hungry. Or throw in a couple of other things like cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. and make a salad.
The rajma I keep boiled. Makes for a great salad too.

It was one such day when I stood in the kitchen that seemed like an oven at 10 in the morning.
And wondered what to make for lunch.
B had been asking for sambar chawal for a while now. Looked into the freezer  and found some frozen toor dal ( boiled).
And my menu was set.
Grabbed a bunch of vegetables and threw everything together to make a sambar ( I intend to make a post on that too ... some day ).

And then spied half a lauki or bottle gourd in the corner of the vegetable tray in the fridge. Since the Bengali in me cannot have just dal chawal and has to have something on the side ... always, I grabbed the lauki, brought out some soaked and boiled kala chana and tossed them together to make a light side dish.
The tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves and some grated coconut ( yes, I grate and freeze coconut too ) gave it a South Indian flavour.
Went perfect with my sambar and rice.

The best thing that makes it light and a perfect summer dish is the fact that this is cooked with no oil.
And very little oil is used just for the tempering. Easy on the tummy in these hot days of summer.
Here is how I made it.

Ingredients for Chola ar Narkel diye Lau :

Lau / Bottle Gourd / Lauki - 2 cups, chopped into small pieces
Kala chana / Black Chickpeas / Kalo Chola - 1 cup, soaked and boiled with a little salt
Grated coconut -  ½ cup
Whole Red Chillies - 2, broken
Mustard seeds or Shorshe dana - 1 tsp
Fresh curry leaves - 7 to 8
Cooking oil - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to cook :

Grind the coconut into a rough paste ( you can use it as is too, but grinding brings out the flavours and the sweetness ).

In a heavy kadahi put in the chopped lauki + boiled chana + coconut + haldi + salt and enough water to cook the lauki.
Cover and cook till the lauki is done.

In another kadahi, heat oil.

Add curry leaves + mustard seeds + whole red chillies.

Add the cooked lauki and simmer till desired consistency.

Check for salt.
Add a pinch sugar too.

Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Remove cover and serve hot or cool.

This was our lunch plate. Light and easy.
I had fried some sabudana papadams too.

C'ya all around, folks!

Don't let summer get hold of you.
Drink lots of cooling fluids and stay cool and calm.

And do check out my coolers for summer here.