Burnt Garlic Butter Rice and Roasted vegetables with Boiled Corn on the cob

 

While the whole world goes crazy over roasted corn spiced with salt , red chilli powder and lemon juice, during the monsoons, I quietly boil mine and enjoy it steaming hot.
With a blob of butter.
And maybe some freshly cracked black pepper straight from the mill.
That's what my heart yearns for in the monsoons.
And that's what makes my heart sing.

I fell in love with this extraordinarily flavourful yet simple way of enjoying sweet corn on my first ever trip to Lonavla, a hill station near Pune.
I was a student then and was a part of this boisterous group of young students, from all over the country, much excited at the thought of a trip by a local train into the hills in the rains.
Monsoons turn Pune and its adjoining hilly places into something that dreams or travel brochure pictures are made of.
And the cold weather that comes with it is a bonus.
Soft rain, light drizzles, fog, clouds against the insanely fresh green sprawling landscape and the numerous thin waterfalls that dot the hills .... it seems as if the world has sprung into fresh life.
Every single blade of grass turns green. Every leaf on the trees shines.
Nature turns crazily beautiful.
Dreamy.
Romantic.
And you can enjoy this weather in every way ... be it going out on picnics or snuggling in at home with a hot cuppa soup, ginger tea or coffee .... monsoons in Pune is sure to make you fall in love with life. 

And it was in this beautiful weather that I got to fall in love with the boiled corn on the cob.
As I was saying, I was with my friends in Lonavla , having a whale of a time laughing and joking, getting drenched in the light rain , walking the hilly roads as the clouds would pass by, drenching us with fresh droplets.
And in one of those walks, shivering in the windy cold, we stopped for some hot tea.
And near the small tea stall, there was this lady, with a blue plastic covering her from the rain ... in vain ... selling steaming hot boiled peanuts and sweet corn on the cob.
We hungrily bought some of each and that one bite into the sweet, juicy corn with some butter melting all around it and the steam burning my mouth, took me to another world altogether.
Standing  there in the rain with slush all around me,
oblivious to everything ... the people, the noise, the rush,
I closed my eyes and turned my face up to the cold rain and savoured the burst of flavours in my mouth.

And ever since, come monsoons, my grocery list always has sweet corn in it.

We have been eating a lot of steamed or roasted food recently due to the weather.
Barring the few bhajas with khichuri that is. 😃
And today this was for lunch , as it turned dark again outside ... after a brief spell of brightness.

My go to recipe is to cut up fresh vegetables, toss them with a good glug of olive oil, sprinkle some salt, chilli flakes, freshly crushed black pepper and sometimes crush in some Italian dry herbs too ... and bake at 150 degrees till the vegetables are done.

I had some leftover rice and decided to make something spicy to go with the light vegetables.
So made this burnt garlic butter rice.
Heated some butter ( never too hot ) in a heavy pan and 
added a good amount of chopped garlic.
When they started to turn brown, threw in a pinch of chilli flakes
and a couple of chopped green chillies.
Then added the rice, salt, a pinch of sugar and tossed everything together on high heat.
Done!

 Here is a closer look.

You can pair the roasted vegetables with toasted bread and soup too ... our usual dinner.
Or with boiled macaroni or noodles.
Or just roll them up in a roti or paratha and add some sauces of your choice to make a quick roll.
Any way ... this is one healthy yet very filling plate.

Enjoy !!
And stay healthy this monsoon.

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!!

Chickpeas Fried Rice / Chole Pulao - a spicy plateful to warm your heart when it is pouring outside

No, I did not speak all too soon.
The weather has indeed taken a turn and for the good too.
While the temperatures have continued to dip, the breeze has been steady and is only growing stronger.
I had a bout of sneezing and sniffling yesterday, a result of my carelessness ... I had the window open, the fan on and the ac on too ... yeah, kill me for that ... one of these days, and was punished accordingly.
And promptly too.
The whole of yesterday was spent at trying to sneeze with the lowest possible noise ... yet the more the day wore on, the more the volume increased.
Not to mention my groans.
Cold and flu make me cranky. And if there is someone, anyone, in the vicinity, I become very restless.
Tried to lie down and watch the telly but to no good. The choicest of idiotic movies were on. Listening to music was another pain ... my sneezes would not allow me to listen in peace.
Spent a whole miserable morning before I gulped an antihistamine.
That took care of me and I was in dreamland for the rest of the afternoon and the better part of the evening.
B made a hot dinner of Aloo baingan ki sabzi   , with a little gravy to help my sore throat, along with  plain parathas.
And then I slept again.

Woke up early to a dark, cloudy sky and rain.
That quiet, silent but non stop drizzle that Pune is so loved for.
Looked out and saw the droplets dripping down the leaves and the railings of my balcony.
Snuggled back into the razai again.
But sleep eluded and thoughts turned to breakfast.
And what would a good Bong have for breakfast on a beautiful, rainy morning?
Luchi!, of course.
So while B took his morning call, I quickly  set the shaada aloor chorchori on one burner and kneaded the maida.
Soon we were sitting at the table, looking out of the windows and watching the trees sway, enjoying our breakfast of luchi torkari.
I did post a photo of my plate on the blog's page on facebook.
There is a video too, on my personal page.
Someday I will do a post on how to make that perfect phulko luchi, for sure.

But today, while I am still drowsy ... thanks to Avil, I thought I will give my weekly grocery shopping a miss and just watch the clouds.
And make this post.

I had made this Chana pulao just last week. It was a hurried day and I had some leftover rice as well as boiled chickpeas in the fridge.
Decided to throw in them together and come up with a one pot meal.
A plain raita and some salad on the side and a quick lunch was ready within 15 minutes.

Here is the recipe.

Need :

Chickpeas - big cup, 1 pressure cooked with a little salt
Rice - 1 big cup, cooked
Onions - 2, medium, chopped
Garlic - 6, chopped
Green chillies - chopped
Turmeric / Haldi powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Dry mango / Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp (you can skip it if you are vegan)
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

How to :

Heat oil in a kadahi / wok.

Add the chopped garlic and fry till they turn light brown.

Add the onions and fry till they turn pink.

Now add the green chillies + the boiled and drained chickpeas (make sure you do not add any water ), haldi powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder, amchur powder, salt and sugar.

Mix everything well and fry for a while.

Now add the rice and adjust salt.

Add a little more garam masala ( or a pinch of biryani masala will also work fine. I used the Punjabi garam masala that I got from Amritsar ) and mix well.

Add ghee and lemon juice, give a good mix and cover.

Let it stand for around 2 minutes before you switch off heat.

Serve hot with raita and salad on the side.

The raita is just fresh home made curd beaten well with a pinch of black salt and sprinkled with roasted jeera/cumin powder + red chilli powder.

This turns out to be a wonderful one pot meal, especially if you have dryish leftover rice.
Mine was slightly mushy as my rice was a little well cooked.
No change in the flavours though.
And personally I feel well cooked rice soaks up flavours better than just done rice, especially for pulaos like this .... won't work with a biryani though.


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!!

Egg fried rice

On the weekend, B and I were at one of our favourite places to grab a bite ... the Yogi Tree at Koregaon park. This place has been our go to when we need a good meal or a light breakfast.
Or spend a quiet evening, chatting over a cuppa.

Earlier, this place used to be very quiet and serene. People, mostly the ones from abroad, sit around with something to eat or drink and with a paper or a book. Away from the noisy main road, the mornings are especially beautiful here ... with the  morning sun streaming in through the few casurinas that dot the courtyard.

Of late, as more and more people came to know about this, it is not as serene anymore. People come in droves, shout and laugh and talk loudly, yell at the servers and demand numerous changes to their menus, etc. etc.
It is because of this noisy crowd that we have almost stopped going there in the mornings. But when in need of a quick homely dinner, we do go down and take a table inside. The fluffy hot rotis, the beautiful dal and very light on spices sabzi satisfies us hugely. And lulls us to a quiet peace .... makes us ready to face another mad week the next day.

This weekend, as we sat waiting for our lunch to arrive, I noticed a group of young men in a table outside. There must have been around 8 or 9 of them .... all well dressed in casuals except two who were in formals. Chatting and laughing a lot.
A couple more joined them later and there was a lot of handshakes, hugs and back slapping and laughing. They arranged chairs and adjusted their seating.

"Must be meeting after a long time", I thought.
I was watching their bonhomie and thought of my college days and my friends .... almost all of whom are now settled in different cities.

And as I sat there watching them, something struck me odd.
And then I knew what it was!
There was no noise or sound coming from them.
All that laughing and talking would have surely created a cacophony by now .... yet, it was very quiet everywhere.
I did notice that they were moving their hands a lot when talking but all that gesticulating did not strike odd to me until I realised that they could not speak or hear!!
They were talking through their hands!

I watched them, totally mersmerised now. Luckily they were outside in the sun, and hence could not see me gawking rudely at them.
The server came and took their orders. They communicated with a lot of smiles.
Then they went back to chatting again.

And I watched them .... with just a little hint of jealousy.
Nobody could know what they were talking or joking about.
They were so happy in their own world.
And somewhere deep inside me, I secretly wished I could be a part of their quiet, peaceful world.

Today's recipe is quick, stir fried rice that I rustled up one day for lunch. I usually make Chinese dishes for dinner, which is why I cannot click any photos and hence hardly get to make a post on them here.
But since this was for lunch, I quickly clicked a few photos.

There is not much to making this fried rice. I follow Kylie Kwong when it comes to Chinese cuisine.
I love her simple, quick dishes with light and fresh ingredients.
I make this fried the same way she had made once on her show.

She had used just spring onions and eggs but I do throw in lots of vegetables to make this a complete,  one pot meal.  Some left over cooked rice from the fridge, a couple of eggs and some of your favourite vegetables ... and you are good to go.

 Need :

Leftover cooked rice - 1 cup
Eggs - 2
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Chopped garlic - 1 tsp
Chopped vegetables - I used baby corn, red capsicum, onions, green chillies, green peas, etc.
Chilli vinegar - 2 tsp
Fresh ground pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch
Cooking oil - 2 tsp

How to :

Beat the eggs with salt + a little chilli vinegar.

Heat oil.
Add eggs and scramble.
Remove while still soft.

Add chopped garlic + ginger + baby corn+ red capsicum + onions to the oil.
Toss well on high heat.

Add left over rice + salt + a pinch of sugar.
Add the eggs.
Toss well on high heat.

Do not lower heat and keep tossing well.

I add a dash of chilli vinegar and soy too. You may or may not.
Add freshly crushed black pepper.

Sprinkle green chillies and serve hot.

Done!
Quick and easy.

Enjoy!!

Chilke ke pakode / Fritters made from vegetable peels

 "Munh ki baat sune har koi, dil ke dard ko jaane kaun,
Awaazon ke bazaaron mein, khamoshi pehchane kaun .... "

My favourite ghazal singer mourns soulfully as I sit at the window, watching the light rain outside.
The room fills with his deep, heavy voice and spreads a blanket of sighs all over.
The grey from outside seeps in through the large glass windows; doing little to add any brightness.
I wish I had changed the dark, heavy curtains of summer earlier ... I think.
Now I do not feel like. So they too do their bit to add to the sense of grey.

I sit there, snuggled into a warm comforter, a picture of laziness personified, and watch the rain dance on the branches and the leaves of trees.
And the birds too.
Soaked to their skin, a crow and two koyels sit in different branches of the coconut tree, fluffing up and shaking vigorously in an futile attempt to dry themselves.
A bulbul sits atop a heavy branch, right at the top. But not for long.
The rain is too heavy for it to bear.

I sit and soak in the quiet all around.
Of late, I do not feel like talking or writing much. Too much of noise all around.
Too many people talking; too many opinions.
Too much aggression and force to put points forth.
Too loud thoughts. Too few listeners.
Everybody talking at once.
Too tiring; too overbearing.
Too overwhelming.

So I go through the days saying nothing. Or hearing nothing.
I like this quiet in me and am going to savour it for as long as I like it.

I like the dark, rainy days.
There is a sense of soothing severity in them.
They push us to quieten down. And take in the beautiful transition that goes on in nature.
While the soul soothing and all nourishing rain dances outside, the mind is pushed into sitting back and rest.

"Kiran kiran alsaata sooraj, palak palak khulti needein,
Dheeme dheeme bikhar raha hai, zarra zarra jaane kaun ... "

Unnh huh.
No bikharna.
I am trying to get a grip on myself.
Pick up my cup of tea that is fast getting cold and take a sip.
And turn to my blog.

I often make these pakodas, especially when I am making the Chorchori or any other mixed vegetable curry. Using different kinds of vegetables allows me to have all kinds of peels and this is a good way to use them.
Just make sure the vegetables are fresh.

Need :

 Vegetable peels -
I used potato, ridge gourd (turai), pumpkin and pointed gourd (parwal / potol ), around 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium
Green chillies - 2 or more
Besan - 4 tbsp
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Haldi powder - 1 pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - a little pinch
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped
A little water
Salt - to taste
Oil for deep frying

How to :

Wash the vegetables well.
Peel them with a knife ... keeping the skin slightly thicker than usual.
Soak them in salt water for a while.

Slice them into thin, long pieces.

Slice the onions.

Mix everything, except the oil, together with a little water to make a thick paste.

Heat enough oil in a deep, heavy kadahi.

Scoop out small balls and let into the oil carefully.

Fry on low heat till golden brown.

Drain and remove. Keep on paper napkins to drain extra oil.

 Serve hot with ketchup, any chutney or kasundi.
And of course, a cup of very hot drink.

Perfect for these rainy days when the heart longs for something hot, spicy and deep fried goodies.

"Aankhon se aansooon ka marasim purane hai,
Mehmaan yeh ghar mein aaye toh chubhta nahi dhuaan .... " Yes.
Tears will be treated as guests in our lives.
Will be welcomed with warm hearts.


Stay well friends.

Phodni cha Bhaat / Stir fried left over rice

A few months back, February to be precise, my blog post "Savoury Poda Pithe" was selected as one of the top twelve food blog posts in India by Baggout.
I was happy. But was hesitant to go all out and shout from the roof tops. And promptly forgot all about it.
The days rolled on. I had guests.
I had the in laws visiting.
I had guests.
I went home on a short vacation.
I had guests.
And so on.
And suddenly remembered yesterday.
Went back to check if they still had my post with them or have given up and decided that somebody else cooks better.
Nah ... the post was right there.
Checked the mail and saw there was an offer and a choice of adding a badge to the blog too.
No forcing down the throat; unlike other sites.
So I decided I will put it up.
And so there is this badge proudly displayed.
While my readers and friends have always been happy to try out my recipes and given positive feedback, this little acknowledgement was welcome.
This is the first time, out side of the blogging world, that someone has taken note of Kitchen e Kichu Khonn.
And that made me happy.

 I have been posting way too many non vegetarian dishes of late. I wonder why. Since it is the vegetarian food that is cooked almost everyday in my house. Non vegetarian is rare.
No; wait. Not rare actually. Not any more.
But since it is mostly fish that I cook for my lunch, I guess I have been clicking to many photos in my enthusiasm to share them on Fb.
While the more varied vegetable dishes go unnoticed.
Another reason might be that B has his lunch earlier than me. So after I am done with the veggie stuff, I shift them to the dining table and get to work on the non vegetarian things.
By the time I am done, B has had his lunch and I am left with only the fish / poultry to click, if at all I have the energy left by then.

Hence decided to post a pure vegetarian recipe today.
Hunted around in my folders and came to this Phodni cha bhaat that I had cooked on a lazy day for lunch.
I was introduced to this as a Maharashtrian speciality but later came to know that Bengalis make it too. Only they call it Bhaja bhaat.
I don't know much since I never ate this back at home during my childhood.

Exactly three snaps, that too with the phone.
But I really want to share this wonderful, quick fix meal or snack with left over rice.
With the minimum of ingredients and the shortest of time, you have a beautifully flavoured, slightly spicy, tempered rice.

Need :

Cooked rice (left over rice kept in the fridge works best) - 2 cups
Rai / Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - ½ tsp
Onion - 1, chopped
Fresh green chillies - 1, chopped
Curry leaves - 1 small sprig
Peanuts - 2 tbsp (optional)
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to :

Bring the rice out of the refrigerator and keep it in room temperature while you make the preparations.

Fluff it well, separate it well and add haldi , red chilli powder , salt and sugar.
Keep aside.

Heat an open faced, heavy bottomed pan well.

Add the oil.

Add the rai, jeera and the curry leaves.

Add the onions and the green chillies and fry till the onions turn pink.

Add the peanuts and fry some more.

Now add the rice.

Gently and lightly stir it well for everything to mix together.

Cover for only around a minute, on low heat.

Remove cover, give a good toss.

Serve hot with curd or raita or pickles and roasted papad.

This is a great way to use up left over rice.
Makes for a very filling snack or even a meal.

Enjoy!!


Other recipes with Left over rice -here.

Mushroom Fried Rice

It was one of those Saturdays when we would set off to find a new place for breakfast early in the morning.
Since the past few days winter has set in well.
Clear skies; crisp, cold air.
And a mild sun in the mornings.
All made for an enthusiastic outing formula.
B and I would scan the internet and decide on a few places, the earlier night.
B would always look for places serving English breakfasts ... for me. And that miffed me the most.
Because he would inevitably forget it is my veggie day.
And before my dear readers pounce on me for being an ingrate, let me clear the air by saying that yes, I very humbly and with utmost gratitude do acknowledge that the gesture is important.
But in the same breath will love to add, it does not always work.

So, the next morning, as we start, the same conversation plays between the two of us.
"Where are we going?", B asks as he turns the car to get on to the main road.
"I thought you had decided last night."
"When?!"
"?!!!! What happened to XYZ? You said they have a good menu."
"Yes. But you can't try the eggs and bacon or anything. It is your veggie day. "

And finally we end up at our favourite cafe on Koregaon Park.
I settle for my favourite cheese paratha and B for their awesome omelette with mushrooms and cheese.
And both of us share an egg free crepe stuffed with apples smothered with a cinnamon and lemon sauce.
And all of that drowned in honey ginger tea.
Bliss!

This act is replayed almost every other week.
Yes, we are not greatly adventurous when it comes to food. Rather, when it comes to food in Pune.
Partly because it is really not easy to find a good place in Pune that offers good food, good ambience and good service ... all together.
So we usually try to stay stuck to the few favourites that we have in the city.
A few of them, over time, have deteriorated in quality. And a few have stayed strong.
We do try new places but are very unforgiving if disappointed the first time.
And get all the more emotional when we see a good place starting to compromise on quality and taste.
More so, to cater to local palate.

With time, we have learnt not to take a good place for granted. Hence the disappointment is much less now.
Like we stoically took the very painful decision of never going back to our favourite South Indian Mess,  place in Rasta Peth, ever again.
Over a long time, we have been noticing a change in the attitude and also the quality of food.  But lived in denial till we got bad food for three times, back to back ... that would span over 3 weekends, back to back.
The batter was artificially fermented ... read - loaded with citric acid to give a feel of that fermented taste.
And the medu vadas had diminished in size and become more expensive than before.
But the last straw was when we were served cold sambar and denied a spoonful of chutney. Even their filter coffee has changed in flavour and strength.
I will attribute all this to the change of management.
Having a favourite place of ours for more than 7 long years, this place is now scratched off by us.

Anyway, I am sure we will find another good, very good South Indian joint in Pune.
Till then, we will enjoy our waffles and omelettes and pancakes for breakfast.

Coming to today's recipe, I was pretty encouraged by my readers' response regarding the kind of photographs I am posting here.
So decided to share this vegetarian Chinese mushroom fried rice that I had rustled up one day for a quick meal. These photographs were taken on my phone ... but I was lucky to have natural light as I had made this for lunch. 

B loved it as is. I made myself a fried egg on the side.

Quick to make and full of protiens, this makes for a tasty, full meal.

Need :

Left over cooked rice
Mushrooms - cleaned and chopped
French beans - chopped
Onions - chopped
Garlic - chopped
Ginger - chopped
Green chillies - chopped 
Soy sauce
Vinegar
Freshly crushed black pepper powder
Salt
Sugar
Cooking oil 

How to :

Heat a heavy kadai.
Add some oil. When it is smoking hot, add the chopped garlic and ginger.
Stir well on high heat.
Quickly add the onions and stir well.

Now throw in the vegetables and keep stirring.
Add a pinch of salt .... just a pinch.
On high heat keep stirring till the mushrooms lose all moisture.

Lower heat and add the rice, the soy sauce, a dash of vinegar and sugar.
Add salt.

Mix well on low heat.

When thoroughly mixed, raise heat and add the pepper powder.

Give a few more tosses and serve immediately. 

Done!
Enjoy it as a quick lunch on a weekday or as a dinner on a lazy weekend night.
Perfect for a winter meal.

Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and a Merry Christmas!
I have soaked my batch of dry fruits in rum and my kitchen , right now, is smelling like ... well ... a food blogger's kitchen.
I'll be baking today this beautiful, favourite cake for the family .... the Rum cake with fruit and nuts.
Do let me know of your creations for this Christmas.

Cheerio all!!

Rice Croquettes / Rice Tikkis .... with leftover Rice

  

 I have always believed in the importance of a good photograph to depict a recipe. And in the process, always try to cook a dish I want to blog about during the day, rush against time ... read the sunlight on my table ... to click photos in natural light and finally end up completely exhausted by late afternoon.
Not to mention the number of dishes or experiments I miss out posting on. Just because I experiment and create best in the evenings.
And good dishes like anything Chinese, soups, etc. are all made for dinner.

But now, I am seriously reconsidering this decision of mine.
While I will not put up undecipherable,  dull, boring pictures and try my best to portray a recipe as it has come out, I will not wait only for the day when I will be able to cook something good and click it in proper light.
I will try to click decent photos during the night too, in low light, bad light, whatever comes my way.
And experiment with photographs too ... as I do with my cooking.

Which is why I need a good lamp. I'm on the lookout but still haven't come across a good one.
Till then, I will use my phone and see what the reaction of my readers are ... if at all they care to leave a line. If not for anything just for a feedback or encouragement ... please do leave a line regarding your preferences ... photographs in natural light or photographs like the ones in this post ... clicked with my phone.
Much thanks.

It so happened that I had a good amount of left over rice in the fridge .... again.
That is not a problem ... I could always use it the next day with my fish curry. But it was a cloudy evening and I was craving something hot and quick to make. And kept eyeing that bowlful of left over rice. I was not in a mood to exactly sit down and think up something exotic ... so I did what I do best.
Give a shout out on FB.

Friends pooled in with suggestions.
There were so many that I started wishing I had more rice than that bowlful.
Anyway .... most suggestions veered towards Phodni chi bhaat or Bhaat bhaja ... where you just chop up onions and chillies and fry the rice with them and some masalas.
A wonderful dish ... but no ... I make it too often.
Also I needed a snack recipe ... not a main dish.

I had made a snack with left over rice earlier too ...  remember the steamed Rice balls? .... but wanted something different that evening.

Which was when Anjali of the beautiful Annapabrahma gave me the link to her recipe of Rice croquettes on the blog.
And I knew it was exactly what I wanted.

I tweaked the recipe a little and made two different batches of two different flavours.
One was with garam masala and can be called the Tikki. To the other I added mixed Italian herbs and called them croquettes.
Whatever the names .... the result was awesome!

The  croquettes / tikkis were so good that I had decided right then that I would make a post on these ... even if it were just for my own self.
Which is why I am posting the photographs clicked on my phone camera that evening.

I am sure you will love the recipe ... even if you don't like the photographs.

 Need :

Left over rice - preferably kept in the fridge for at least a day

For the Tikkis -
 Red chilli powder
Garam masala powder
Chopped onions
Chopped green chillies
Lemon juice
Chopped Coriander leaves 
Salt to taste

For the Croquettes - 
Mixed Italian herbs
Red chilli flakes
Chopped onions
Salt to taste
Lemon juice
Corn flour
A pinch of sugar

How to : 

Take the ingredients in two separate bowls and add the rice to them

Mash well.

Shape them, using dry rice flour to dust them ... helps them to hold shape.

I shaped the tikkis with Indian spices round.
And the croquettes oblong.

Deep fry the croquettes.

Pan fry the tikkis.

Serve hot.
Here is a closer look.

We enjoyed them with some Kasundi and ketchup on the side.
I had some coriander leaves chutney ... the tikkis went great with it.
We ... and our evening cuppa, were a happy lot that cold, cloudy evening.

Enjoy!!!

I have finally managed to write the next of the continuing posts on our trip to Amritsar.
Do drop in.

Lemon Rice

"Keep a look out for a Tiffany on your side of the highway when I say to."
We were getting ready for our day trip to Srirangapattana when B mentioned this.
I did a double take. "Tiffany?!"
"Yes. It seems they serve the best Maddur vadas."
Maddur vada? I had never heard of Maddur vada .... but gulp down the line.
It would not be fun to see that "But you are a food blogger!!!" look right at the begining of our trip.
The only Tifanny I had known about till then was for the high and mighty and their love for beautiful, glittery things.
So I kept looking out, missing the lovely scenes speeding by.
Travelling on the Karnataka highways is a joy. But I tried to concentrate.
As we approached and just crossed Maddur, I did notice two names that sped by me ... A.K.Tiffany and S.K.Tiffany.
After a second of hesitation I mentioned them.
"There was a Tiffany?! Why didn't you say so ... we should have stopped!."
"But ..."
"What?"
"They are just two run down sheds on thin metal supports that have already started to lean towards one another. Are you sure they are the real Tiffany?"
"Hmm ... what were they selling?"
"I don't know ... but they looked like tea shops."
"Ok ... there will be more ... then we can stop and check them out."

We did not see anymore of them till Srirangapattana.
On our way back, on the other side of the highway, we did see a few more. But they looked so run down and were bang in the midst of garbage and flies, that we did not dare to go over.
The man looked a little crestfallen and went on to describe what beautiful things Maddur vadas are.
"They are very crisp on the outside but soft inside. And they have soft pieces of onions in them. The whole vada is dotted with small,  crisp round things.
You have to break a hot vada and wait for it to cool and then have a bite of the wonderfully crispy piece."

I listen quietly, trying my best to make a picture of the darned thing.
The description went on but the voice started to sound morose.
"But when did you ever get to taste a Maddur vada?"
"Why? In Pune! You have eaten it too."
Double double take. But again a quiet double double take.

Just as I was giving up hope, there loomed in front of us a big building with the word Tiffany written boldly on it. We parked the car and went in.
It looked like regular idli/dosa joint to me except people were standing around small round tables and having coffee and vadas.
With a look of triumph, B orders two plates of vadas and coffee.
And then starts another round of event.

The moment a boy puts two steel plates in front of us that held  two dark brown coloured vadas that looked like overbaked biscuits, doused with chutney, the look on B's face changed.
"This is not Maddur vada!!!!!"
"No?!"
"No. Wait. Maybe they did not understand."
He walks over to the counter and tells the boy that he wants Maddur vada.
The boy nods and says yes .... Maddur vada.
B says no ... Maddur vada.
The boy nods again ... yes, Maddur vada.
Both do not understand each others' language ... so a lot of gesticulating and nodding goes on.
B points to the huge baskets on the stands behind the boy and says "Maddur vada. Hot."
The boy says " Aa, Maddur vada. Hot aa."
B says " Bring hot."
Boy says "Aa, hot aa. Illaa." All the while with a smile on his face.

After what seems ages to me, and seeing this wasn't going anywhere ... and more afraid that I must burst out laughing any moment now, I coaxed B to give up and at least try what they have served.
After all everybody else were eating it. It must be good.
"No no no ... I must have the real thing."
"Ok then ... we'll get it somewhere for sure."
I did try the vadas ... I had asked for them sans the chutney. They were crisp ... no, a little hard I thought.
I did see onions bits in them ... but they too were over fried and had turned too dark.
And they were cold. I too would have liked them a little fresh and hot.

B was so miffed that he actually did not let me take a picture of the place for my travel blog.

A few days later, after going through a lot of blogs I found out what the Maddur vada is.
What it is made of and how. 
And realised what we had been served was the real Maddur vada after all. But nowhere did it match B's description.
So one weekend afternoon I quietly made all the preparations for the Maddur vada, planning to surprise B with crisp, hot vadas with tea in the evening.
After I proudly presented a hot vada, I stepped back to see his face.
He looked at it, sniffed at it, took a bite and said "Mmmmm .... tasty!"
"What is this?"
Double take.
"Maddur vada."
"But this isn't the Maddur vada!!!!!!"

Sigh!

I have here today a simple lemon rice that I usually make when I have left over rice in bulk .. i.e. enough for a meal.
I am not sure if this is the way South Indians make it but I have seen Ma make it this way always.
 I sometimes add a pinch of hing to the tempering.
In winters I add fresh green peas ... my favourite ... too.

Need :

Cooked rice
(updated: leftover rice kept in the fridge for a day or two works better)
Urad dal
Peanuts
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds
Lemon juice
Salt
Red chillies - whole
Turmeric powder
Cooking oil

How to :

Heat oil in a kadahi / wok.
Add a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
When they start to splutter, add the whole red chillies, curry leaves and a tablespoon of urad dal.
Add the peanuts and fry for sometime.

 Then add the rice, salt and the turmeric powder.

Add salt and the lemon juice and mix well.

Serve hot.
I love to have some fresh curd on the side along with this.
Enjoy!!

Steamed Rice Balls

 

 B had just stepped out of the door and waiting for the lift when the new neighbors came out.
"Hi!"
"Hi". Oh no ... he thought.
"We have just moved in and heard you are back. So good for us."
"Yeah."
"You are very busy, na? We hear you going out and coming back all day ..."
"Yeah .. a little."
"Where is your wife? Would love to meet her."
"She is in ... yes ... maybe sometime."
"You love music a lot, na?! We hear music playing almost always ... especially at nights. We love music too. Why don't you both come over for tea this weekend?"
"Well ... I'll let you know ... thanks."
With that B rushed into the lift and left.
"Bilkul baat karna nahi chaahtey, hai na?" ... he heard the lady mention as the lift went down.

That was sometime back.
We did meet after all.
They turned out to be a nice and happy Punjabi couple ... new in Pune.
We did find out they love music ... albeit a little different from us.
Now we meet often and spend time together and have started to get to know each other.

They now know the kind of music we like.
And that I love to cook. And knit. And read.
That we are quiet people ... which gives them a motive to drag us and meet with all their friends and relatives.
That we love traveling and have just returned from a year long stay outside the state.

What they do not know ... still ... is the reason behind the music playing deep into the nights all the past few months.
B used to play my favourite songs over and over again, night after night, for more than 2 months ... while I sobbed on in pain ... both of us waiting for the pain killers and sedatives to work and bring sleep and some respite to my pain wracked body.

Now that I can sit for a while and type a little too, I'll start posting again.
I have a whole lot of photographs and recipes in the drafts, so I will not have to wait to be able to start cooking to make a post.
Yes, no cooking now. And no photographing too. Again. :-(

I know a lot of water has flown down the river since I posted last.
But fikar not.
Here comes another very different and very simple recipe from me.

I'd seen this kind of a dish on some South Indian's blog ... can't remember. And saw that this is very common in South Inmdian homes. Only ... they make it with rice flour.
I have used left over rice.
A good way to use left over rice ... not exactly a dish but a great snack.
Filling as well as light.

We loved it. Try it. Am sure you'd too.

 Need :

Left over cooked rice - 1 cupful
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - a small piece
Curry leaves - a few
Whole red chillies - 2
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Cooking oil / Ghee - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
A bowlful of water to steam

How to :

Grind the rice + ginger + green chillies + salt + lemon juice together in a mixie to make a paste.

Shape very small balls from the paste. Use a little water to wet your hands.
Do remember to keep them real small.

Steam the balls in a steamer or the way I did ... like so.
Do use a cover.

Heat a little oil / ghee in a pan. Add the mustard seeds + red chillies + curry leaves.
Add the rice balls and give a good toss.

 Serve hot as a snack.
They go very well with the Tomato Onion chutney or the Coconut chutney or even this Peanut chutney.
Enjoy!!

Diwali came and went. I was quiet as I was at the sasural ... couldn't wish you all.
Hope you had a beautiful Diwali. :-)