Bajre ki roti and Baingan bharta .... another rustic meal for winter

After two days of a sudden sandstorm, we are seeing a dip in the temperatures again. Pune is back to it's gloriously cold weather with gorgeous sunny days and chilling nights.
I am indulging in more of North Indian food as this is the time to enjoy hot, rustic food or our completely desi food that gives warmth to the body as well as is healthy  too.

Bajre ki roti or rotla is a family favourite and combined with some gur or jaggery, is the perfect Rajasthani  staple.

I have been growing some garlic for a while now and have got a bountiful of garlic greens right now. So decided to make the hara lahsun ki chutney  made with garlic greens.
I had come across this very interestingly during our trip to Almora. 

If you remember my story about how we visited the Surya temple amidst a hailstorm, then let me tell you how, during our climb through the steep mountain, amidst small local houses, we came across two little children selling pears from their backyard.

I chatted with them and they gave us some garlic flavoured salt along with the pears.
When asked  how to make it, they called out for their mother who explained it to us. 

They called it lahsun noon or hara noon or something like that ... I don't exactly remember.

So, this cold winter afternoon saw on our lunch plate ....
Bajre ki roti  / bajra rotla
Baingan ka bharta 
Hara lahsun ki chutney
Patali gur  / Date palm jaggery ..... my haul this winter

For the bajra roti, I use the boiling method and it is much more easier to roll the rotis. 
I have been eating millets for some time now since I have stopped eating wheat flour. And must say that I have benefitted much from this change. 
Millets are full of nutrition as well as fibre. Not to mention very filling too. 

Here is another look of my favourite desi food for winter. 

Stay safe all! 

 

Dal Baati Churma Thali or Rajasthani Thali ...... a full meal of delectable vegetarian food

I have been getting a lot of requests to post full meal plans on the blog. 
While I do post my daily meals regularly on Instagram as well as on my FaceBook page, I have not been regular in posting here because of the lack of time. 
To post here, I will need to be armed with complete details of the food. 
How, when, why, and then the full recipe. 
Which makes it easier for me to ignore. 

But the guilt overwhelms. 

I started off with the blog first, after all. 
So no matter how difficult it might be, I will try to post my full meal plates henceforth. 

Starting off with the much loved, glamorous Dal, Baati Churma thali that I cooked for B on his birthday last month. 
I make dal baati meals regularly at home ..... it is a huge relief getting a break from rolling out and cooking rotis. 
I just make the dough and set them in the oven to cook. 
Saves loads of time. 

On my plate here is - 

Gatte ki shukhi sabzi 

Cook the Gatte by following the recipe here. 

Cut them up into medium pieces. 
Temper ghee with jeera, hing and add the gatta pieces. 
Toss with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, amchur powder and salt, till all the spices coat the gattas well and everything comes together. 

Chatpata Kaddu / Spicy Pumpkin sabzi : 

This is a family favourite.
Fresh sweet pumpkin pieces cooked with dry spices to make it spicy and tangy.
You will find the recipe here. 

Aloo bhindi ki sabzi : 

Temper oil ( I use ghee ) with jeera + hing + ajwain and add sliced potatoes. 

Stir fry on high, add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and salt. 

Add cut okra pieces and cover and  cook till everything is done. 

Add some dhania powder, mix well. 

Gulab Jamun : 

You will find the recipe here. 

Jeera Rice : 

Heat ghee in a heavy kadahi. 
Add a big dose of jeera ... more than you would add to a sabzi .... and black cardamom. 
Add sliced onions and fry them on low heat till almost brown. 
Add washed and soaked rice, salt and fry for around 5 minutes. 
Add water, cover and cook till the rice is just done. 

Churma : 

You will find the recipe here. 

Makke ka Dhokla :  

You will find the recipe here.  

Another look. 

 How to serve Dal baat : 

Pour the dal into a serving bowl. 
Break a couple of baatis on it. 
Top with a dollop of ghee. 

Enjoy!! 

 

Kala Chana / Pindi chole with Missi Roti - rustic food to welcome winter with

 

It is funny the way this meal ended up being made.
The cold, damp weather got the better of me and I spent the morning just lounging and surfing the tv.
Moving through channels on YouTube, I ended up watching way too many videos on villages and their local food.
Starting from Uttarakhand, to Rajasthan and  Punjab.... I watched people rustling up beautiful, rustic and delicious food in minutes. With whatever local things were available.

By the time it was noon, I knew I could not eat anything other than some hot, freshly made food.
So giving up my plan for using up leftovers,
I quickly kneaded makke ka atta/ corn meal with lots of garlic chives , from my little garden,
and freshly pounded ginger garlic and green chillies.

Made thick rotis and applied my fragrant, homemade ghee on them while still very hot.

.

The boiled kala chana / black chickpeas was tempered with chopped onions ,  green chillies and tomatoes.
I used half whole ones and the other half crushed.
Set it to boil and absorb the flavours while I made the rotis.
I did not add any masala other than chopped coriander leaves.
Tasted awesome.

Some sliced juicy onions and a big green chilli completed our meal. 
Impulsive cooking does give great results. 😊

This is a hurried post. 
Will try to put in some writing in the next one. 
Till then ..... 

Enjoy!!

Ps: Are you following me on Instagram? 
There are a lot of recipes and photos and news that I share almost daily there. 
S do follow to stay updated with recent happenings in my kitchen and in life. 😊

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!!

Pyaz ki sabzi

 

Another week gone in a wink.
Not much done though.
Most of the time has been spent on winding up unfinished projects. Like completing painting the balcony swing, finally sewing up the sweater I had been making for B, finishing off the border for my shawl/throw and, of course, cooking and clicking photos.
( I know, I know I am being a little repetitive here. But I am finally done with these projects ... humming in my mind as I went through them that never, ever am I going to put my fingers in so many pies I cannot deal within 3 months. Honest. )

Cooking I have been doing a lot.
Our eating out has been cut down drastically and we are turning more and more to home cooked, light meals.
I make a combination of sabzis on different days .... some from Rajasthan and some from Bengal or Odisha. Cuts the monotony as well as ensures we have our quota of vegetables as well.
I do turn to Rajma or Chole or the very favourite Ghugni at times .... they are a refreshing change from boring vegetables.

This Tuesday, when got our weekly load of fresh vegetables, we found some unusually fresh onions and bought more than we actually needed. B had mentioned his family favourite Onion ki sabzi and I made sure that I picked up a lot that were the same in size.

The first time I had eaten this sabzi was when B's aunt and uncle came visiting us years back.
We were just married; trying to set up a home. I did not know much cooking or how to buy groceries. Depended on Maggi a lot.
It was late evening and we were about to sit down with our bowls of boiled Maggi when the bell rang. Kaka and Kaki stood in front of our door. Just like that ... all of a sudden.

Kaki, like all Rajasthani ladies, did a survery of the kitchen first and wanted to send Kaka to buy vegetables immediately. But since it was late, she finally decided to make do with whatever was in my pantry.
Which was next to nothing, of course. Barring a few onions and some milk in the fridge. And a bowlful of rice ... which obviously she did not care for much.

So off went Kaka to the nearby kirana store and got a big packet of ghee. And atta.
And Kaki made this sabzi and some hot rotis to go with.

I almost had a heart attack at the quantity of ghee that she needed to cook this. But was sensible enough to hold my tongue. Later whenever I have made this sabzi, I have made it with plain cooking oil but added a little ghee for the flavour ... it is needed.
Do remember that the spice in this is necessary to complement the sweetness of the onions.

So here is the very simple recipe for this rustic Rajsthani favourite.


Need :

Onions - 6 to 8 , preferably of the same size
Dhaniya powder - 1 tbsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Haldi powder - 1 tsp
Mirchi powder - 1 tsp
Amchur powder -  a little less than 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - a little
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

How to :


Peel the onions and cut both ends.
Make slits only halfway into them.

Mix the masalas + salt together with a little oil and water.
Stuff the onions carefully .... try not to break them.

In a heavy kadahi or flat pan, heat the oil and ghee.

Place the onions in it and pour the rest of the marinade masala.
Cover and cook for around 10 minutes.

Remove cover and turn the onions once.

Sprinkle garam masala and check for salt.

Cover and simmer for around five minutes more. 

 Serve hot with rotis.

I had made some Bajre ka rotla .... thick rotis made from Bajra (Millet) flour and slow cooked on an earthen  tawa.
And this was our very rustic Rajasthani lunch on a dark, gloomy, cold and windy day.

Enjoy!!!

Roti ke Laddoo

I woke up three days back with a sore throat. And sneezed once. Fear gripped me. Spent some time thinking.
"I think I have got the swine flu" ... I said aloud. No reply from the only other person in the house. I went about with my chores.

Around noon I sneezed ... again.
"I really think I've got the swine flu". The hubby did what he does best ... minding his own bussiness.

I looked around. Every other thing in the house had a look of sympathy on it.

Spent the whole day wondering ... trying to gauge the extent of my 'illness'. It was around late evening when I sneezed again. Three times in one day!! Oh no, no ...

Started to wallow in self pity. "I know I am ill ... but who cares?" " I know I have the swine flu ... I wish I was at home ... at least somebody would know what to do" ... etc. etc.

The husband decided to do something. Asked me to get ready.

"But where are we going?"
"To the hospi".
"Why???!!!"
"Well ... you are ill ... and we need to do something about it."
"But ....".
"Now, no buts ... get ready".
"But, it is evening!"
"So? ... all the hospitals work 24/7".
"But ... ".
"Let's pack some clothes too ... they may want to keep you in isolation".
"What?!!! But don't we need to get the tests done first?"
"Well ... they'll see to everything".
"I don't think my throat hurts thaaaat bad".
"But you are sneezing?"
"No ... nah ... I haven't sneezed since noon".
"Good. It is late anyway ... let's decide tomorrow".

I haven't sneezed since. I think I don't have the swine flu after all.





For those of you wondering about my sensibility, lemme tell you am not foolish. The current state of the city is real bad with the swine flu still very much in action. Every single day there is a report on at least one death here.
Any sane person would be scared.
Now to this simple and easy to make sweet ... the Roti ke Laddoo is a great way to use leftover rotis. Quick to make, it is very tasty. And is a hit with kids.

My mom-in-law makes this for the kids at home. She breaks the roti into small pieces ... but that way too much of ghee is needed to help bind the laddoos. My way spreads the moisture equally and so needs less ghee ... just for the flavour.


Need : Leftover rotis, ghee/ clarified butter, choti elaichi / green cardamom, sugar to taste, dry fruits like cashew, almonds, raisins,etc.

How to : Mix everything together and run through a mixer.

Take out the soggy mix and shape into laddoos.

Done! :-)