tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46682722078229058612024-03-13T13:12:07.587-04:00Mayuri And Ma's CookbookDiscover recipes from Ma's kitchen and exotic flavors from Goa, India and the World from my kitchen.Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-78763665005089339602011-12-23T11:20:00.006-05:002011-12-23T11:41:26.937-05:00Diwali 2011<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f6OYCdjou-0/TvSsUuIHF1I/AAAAAAAAAWI/3-GlPkrUIn8/s1600/diwali4"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 230px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689361701255190354" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f6OYCdjou-0/TvSsUuIHF1I/AAAAAAAAAWI/3-GlPkrUIn8/s320/diwali4" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_KTBwHN0K4/TvSsHrBghOI/AAAAAAAAAV8/0Xxz6QB1ng4/s1600/diwali1"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689361477083890914" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_KTBwHN0K4/TvSsHrBghOI/AAAAAAAAAV8/0Xxz6QB1ng4/s320/diwali1" /></a> We celebrated Diwali 2011 is the traditional Goan way. Only thing is it took me 2 months to update the diwali post ;-)</div><br /><div>Prepared 5 kinds of poha, { mainly, <em>batat fauv</em>(potato poha), <em>roosatlye fauv</em> (coconut milk poha with a touch of turmeric leaf which travelled all the way from Goa), <em>doodhatlye fauv</em> (milk poha), <em>kalaylae fauv</em> (simple sweet poha),<em> gavthi fauv</em> (sweet brown rice poha) }, <em>chanyachi usal</em> and <em>sasaav</em>.</div><br /><div>Also sweet<em> shankarpali</em>, <em>thinkat</em> (spicy) <em>shankarpali, cholafali</em>, cornmeal ladoo, wheat flour ladoo and the typical goan <em>moothli</em>(mixture of chana dal, moong, jaggery).<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-23261880329310792762011-06-22T10:02:00.000-04:002011-06-22T10:02:00.987-04:00Kokan Dudhi Bhaaji/ Bottle Gourd Stir Fry(Goan Style).<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1yy-lm3nx1M/TgHzvTuXAlI/AAAAAAAAAV0/xMWSqd_yNH0/s1600/DSC02338.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621041804009210450" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1yy-lm3nx1M/TgHzvTuXAlI/AAAAAAAAAV0/xMWSqd_yNH0/s320/DSC02338.jpg" /></a>Bottle gourd is called <em>Kokan dudhi</em> in Goa. My mom made kheer of it as well as this simple everyday stir fry(goan style) with the addition of chana dal.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><br /><div>3 cups, <em>Kokan dudhi</em>, peeled and chopped,</div><br /><div>3 tbsp chana dal, washed and soaked in 5 tbsp water for 15 minutes,</div><br /><div>1 tsp oil,</div><br /><div>1 tsp mustard seeds,</div><br /><div>1 green chilly , slit,</div><br /><div>1/2 medium onion, chopped,</div><br /><div>2 tbsp grated, coconut,</div><br /><div>1/2 tsp turmeric powder,</div><br /><div>pinch of sugar/jaggery,</div><br /><div>salt to taste,</div><br /><div>3/4 cup water.</div><br /><br /><div><strong>Method</strong></div><br /><ul><br /><li>Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.</li><br /><li>Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add onion, green chilly and the drained, soaked chana dal. </li><br /><li>Next add the dudhi and mix.</li><br /><li>Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.</li><br /><li>Cover with a lid and let cook on medium low heat till the vegetable and dal is cooked to fork tender.</li><br /><li>Turn off the heat and serve.</li></ul><br /><p><strong>Note</strong></p><br /><p>Can substitute any kind of dal for the channa dal.</p>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-24404802663559698352011-03-16T14:44:00.000-04:002011-03-16T14:43:03.350-04:00Neerphanaschi Bhaaji / Breadfruit Side Dish.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rbzP6gn5c7M/TYEBw-D0VZI/AAAAAAAAAVo/0v87Qw8-BP8/s1600/DSC02308.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584746953720485266" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rbzP6gn5c7M/TYEBw-D0VZI/AAAAAAAAAVo/0v87Qw8-BP8/s320/DSC02308.jpg" /></a><em>Neerphanas</em> is a vegetable loved by my whole family. Most households in Goa will have this tree in their backyard. The size of the fruit/vegetable ranges between a grapefruit to a huge honeydew melon. The fruit is plucked when raw and vibrant green on the outside. The outer skin is peeled,the inside core is discarded and just the tender ivory colored inside flesh is used just like for a pineapple.<br /><div><em>Neerphanas </em>or breadfruit is used to make<em> bhaaji</em>/side dish or semolina coated shallow fry or bhaji's/pakodas or added to korma/gravy.</div><div>I get very fresh vibrant green breadfruits here so shallow fried one half and made side dish of the other half with the 'goan trinity' (onion/green chilly/coconut) combination.</div><div>When cooked with a sprinkle of water to make this side dish, the neerphanas gets cooked to a silky buttery texture.</div><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>2 cups <em>neerphanas</em>/breadfruit, peeled, cored and chopped into pieces,</div><div>1 tsp oil,</div><div>1 tsp mustard seeds,</div><div>1/2 medium onion, chopped,</div><div>1 green chilly, chopped into 2 pieces,</div><div>2 tbsp grated coconut,</div><div>1 tsp salt,</div><div>3/4 cup water.</div><br /><div><strong>Method.</strong></div><ul><li>Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. </li><li>Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the onion and green chilly. </li><li>Fry for a few minutes then add the chopped <em>neerphanas</em>, salt and coconut and stir again.</li><li>Add the water, mix and cover with lid and cook on low flame till the vegetable is fork tender and cooked through.</li></ul>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-6062313758432204242011-01-20T09:36:00.005-05:002011-01-20T09:36:13.136-05:00Grandmother's Birthday and KaLyacho Halwo / Sweetened Bananas.<span style="color:#000000;"></span><span style="color:#000000;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TTg9yu2039I/AAAAAAAAAVc/YCKelToiFaM/s1600/Banana%2Bhalwa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564265281396989906" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TTg9yu2039I/AAAAAAAAAVc/YCKelToiFaM/s320/Banana%2Bhalwa.jpg" /></a>Today is my Dear Aayi's <span style="color:#ff0000;">87</span>th Birthday(my maternal grandmother whom we lovingly call Aayi).<br /><br />Wish I could give her a big hug on this special day and wish her a Very Happy Birthday but I had to make do by speaking with her over the phone and wishing her.<br /><br />She is getting frail and weak as the days are going by but without any doubt she is strong at heart, still managing to go for her morning walks. She is a soft spoken lady, very broad minded and modern in her thoughts, always open to new ideas, not the typical old fashioned grandmother at all. I really respect and admire her. After my Ma passed away she has been my pillar of strength and source of inspiration in life. Aayi is an excellent cook and whipped up authentic goan food for us when we were young. Due to her frail health she no longer cooks so often now but no doubt about it that she makes the best mouth watering fish curry ever, all my uncles and aunts n cousins agree with me on this note. Time and again I call her up to refer to some of the authentic goan recipes that were long lost and forgotten.<br /><br />I see my Ma in Aayi(she is my mom's mother) and I cherish the few moments that I get to talk to her over the phone from across the world.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Happy Birthday Aayi !! </span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Today's halwa is for my Dear Aayi.</span><br /><br />One gets many varieties of bananas in India. In Goa we get a special variety of bananas called <em>mandoli kaLyi</em>, the taste is very sweet and aromatic. They are mostly eaten ripe or cooked into a halwa.<br />Now, this is not a typical mushed up dry halwa loaded with sugar as the name suggests but rather delicate banana slices floating in lots of mildly sweetened cardamom flavored sugar syrup and ready in a jiffy.<br />Ma made this very often as we liked to have it for breakfast along with bread or chappati.<br />Here I have used plantains as they are almost similar in taste.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />3 plantains, almost ripe and yellow, firm to touch,<br />1 cup sugar,<br />3 cups water,<br />2 tsp ghee/clarified butter,<br />1 tsp elaichi/cardamom powder.<br /><br /><strong>Method.</strong><br /><ul><li>Peel and slice the plantains into 1/2 cm thick slices.</li><li>Heat a pan on medium heat and add the ghee.</li><li>Add the sliced plantains to the pan and stir very gently a couple of times(1-2 minutes) taking care not to break the banana slices.</li><li>Add water and sugar and cardamom powder and let it come to a boil.</li><li>Once the bananas change color, switch the heat off and take the pan off the heat to stop the bananas from cooking further and turning to a mush.</li><li>Serve warm or cold with bread, chappati or puri.</li></ul><strong>Note.</strong><br />This is best eaten freshly prepared or at the most on the same day as reheating the halwa will make the bananas mushy.<br />Best eaten with a <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2010/03/avocado-bread-rolls-avocado-laadi-pav.html">bread/pav </a>to soak up the banana flavoured juices.<br />Adjust the quantity of sugar as to your liking but the halwa should not be extra sweet but just lightly sweet with the dominant banana flavour.Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-32274380378773734002010-12-09T09:38:00.001-05:002010-12-09T09:38:00.665-05:00Bhenyachi Bhaaji / Okra cooked in Goan style.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TQDl5Ud9glI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/NJG_ByDHzns/s1600/Okra.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 312px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548687513830130258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TQDl5Ud9glI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/NJG_ByDHzns/s320/Okra.jpg" /></a><em></em><br />Okra/bhindi is called as <em>bhenyae</em> in Goan konkani. I love okra a lot in any form so it always makes an appearance in my kitchen at least once every 15 days. And fortunately my husband and both kids love it too. They specially like it cooked in this simple manner.<br /><em>Bhenyachi bhaaji</em> is a very simple dish prepared with the <strong>Goan trinity</strong> of "onion, coconut and green chilly" and of course the okra itself. The flavouring imparted to the vegetable comes from the humble onion and coconut with a touch of spice from the green chilly and a tangy punch from the kokum.<br />Again, this is a fat free recipe as there is no use of any oil. My Mom used oil sparingly in her cooking.<br />This is one of the many ways my Mom prepared okra.<br />Also this is the way <em>bhenyaae</em> /okra is prepared in most households in Goa.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients.</strong><br />3 cups chopped okra/bhindi/bhenyae,<br />1 medium onion, chopped,<br />2 green chillies, slit,<br />2 tbsp grated coconut,<br />8 pieces of kokum/sola,<br />salt to taste,<br />pinch of sugar.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Method</strong>.<br /><ul><li>Put all the ingredients in a pan along with a few tsps of water and cook on medium to medium low heat with lid half covered till the okra is cooked.(covering the pan completely makes the okra slimly)</li><li>Stir the ingredients in the pan not with a spoon but just shake the pan and toss the ingredients inside the pan, that way the cooked okras will not break.</li></ul><strong>Note</strong><br />Adding kokum stops the okra from getting slimy when cooked.<br />Also the kokum adds a unique tangy flavour to the okra.<br />You can add tomato if you do not have kokum but the flavour will be slightly different.Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-68234270519001420982010-09-09T14:04:00.002-04:002010-09-10T14:02:44.393-04:00Baked Cheese Crackers<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TDVhLWfb9VI/AAAAAAAAAUs/6zjyYhwB99w/s1600/crackers.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 210px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491402168292078930" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TDVhLWfb9VI/AAAAAAAAAUs/6zjyYhwB99w/s320/crackers.jpg" /></a>Cheese crackers are an all time favorite not only with kids but grown ups too.<br /><br /><div>I make these very often for my kids as these crackers are very cheesy and crispy with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. You cannot stop with popping just one in your mouth.......they are very addictive.<br /><br /></div><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour,</div><div>1/2 cup butter, room temperature,</div><div>1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese,</div><div>1/2 tsp salt,</div><div>1 tsp sugar,</div><div>1 tsp paprika,</div><div>1 tsp baking powder,</div><div>few sprinkles of water to make dough.</div><br /><div><strong>Method</strong>.</div><ul><li>Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and make a soft dough. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.</li><li>Preheat oven to 325 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.</li><li>Roll the dough to 1/2 cm thickness and then score to get shapes or can use spritz cookie press to get the rippled effect crackers or can use the star plate of the <em>chakli maker</em> to get star shaped crackers.</li><li>Put on the tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, do not allow to burn.</li><li>The crackers will just turn mildly golden brown.</li><li>Cool and store in an air-tight container.</li></ul><br /><div><strong>Note</strong>.</div><div>Add any chopped herbs or any other spices like cumin seeds or black pepper to make fancy grown up version.</div><div>These crackers do not expand when baked so when arranging them on the tray no need of spacing them. </div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-31359444071447879842010-09-01T10:30:00.002-04:002010-09-01T10:42:45.528-04:00Doodhi Bhaaji / Pumkin Stir Fry.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S0QF3tDFzgI/AAAAAAAAAOc/SRw9dhq9MqY/s1600-h/DSC01773.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 310px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423466305804422658" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S0QF3tDFzgI/AAAAAAAAAOc/SRw9dhq9MqY/s320/DSC01773.jpg" /></a>Pumpkin takes the top spot on my list of favorite vegetables, I like it in any form, any day. This is one of the ways Ma prepared doodhi bhaaji, in its most simplest form with the 'Goan Trinity' of onion, green chilly and coconut. Goan <em>tirphal</em> also called sichuan pepper is used for this dish and this pepper gives the humble pumpkin a unique flavor, kicks it up a notch and takes it to a totally different level.<br /><br /><div><strong>Ingredients.</strong></div><div>4 cups chopped pumpkin(yellow or butternut),</div><div>1/2 onion, chopped,</div><div>1-2 green chillies chopped,</div><div>3 tbsp grated coconut,</div><div>10<em> tirphal </em>pieces/sichuan pepper (optional),</div><div>salt to taste,</div><div>few tsp of water.</div><br /><div><strong>Method.</strong></div><ul><li>Wash and rinse the <em>tirphal, </em>discard the black seed inside it, it is not edible.</li><li>Crush the the pepper slightly but <strong>do not powder</strong> it.</li><li>Mix all ingredients in a pan, cover and cook on low flame till the pumpkin is tender.<br /><strong></strong></li></ul><p><strong>Note.</strong></p><p>Discard the <em>tirphal</em> when serving the vegetable, the pepper is not edible.</p><p>As with most of the other vegetable dishes, Ma never used oil to cook this dish too.</p><div>The <em>tirphal</em> imparts a distinct flavor to the humble pumpkin.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-29719913923498289842010-07-30T10:24:00.002-04:002010-09-28T11:49:42.805-04:00Dangar / Seafood(clams/oysters/shrimp) Cutlets<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TKIOjJzFkYI/AAAAAAAAAVA/a1W2Kc2MWNA/s1600/20100516+397.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 241px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521992090198053250" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TKIOjJzFkYI/AAAAAAAAAVA/a1W2Kc2MWNA/s320/20100516+397.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TC-eyjv6osI/AAAAAAAAAUc/E7fWeNcRmEg/s1600/dangar.JPG"></a><em></em><br />Last few weeks have been very hectic as we were busy packing and moving from west coast to east coast of Canada to a new city. Just settling down in our new home here in Toronto.<br /><br />Today I am posting a recipe for seafood cutlets called as <em>Dangar</em> in konkani.<br /><em>Dangar</em> is nothing but a simple seafood cutlet mainly using shell fish like clams(<em>tisryo/khube</em>) or oysters(<em>kaalva</em>) or shrimp.<br /><br />I make these oyster dangar quite often specially when I have guests over for dinner.<br />I get huuuuuuuuuge oysters(palm size) here in Canada or I just chop them into small pieces and then use them.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />1 cup chopped oysters,<br />1/2 onion chopped fine,<br />1 medium sized tomato , chopped fine,<br />1-2 green chillies, chopped fine,<br />6-7 tbsp chickpea flour/besan<br />4 tbsp rava,<br />2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves,<br />2 tbsp grated coconut,<br />salt to taste,<br />1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi powder,<br />1/2 tsp garam masala.<br />oil for shallow frying.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Method.</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><br /><li>Mix all the ingredients except the oil.</li><br /><li>Heat a skillet on medium high heat and drizzle a tea spoon of oil, not too much.</li><br /><li>Pour 2 tbsp of batter and spread slightly to make a small pancake like round shape.</li><br /><li>Fill the skillet with these cutlets (according to how many you can fit on the pan).</li><br /><li>Drizzle a couple of teas spoons of oil around the cutlets.</li><br /><li>After 4 minutes use a spatula to flip the cutlet on the other side. </li><br /><li>Cook for 2 minutes, then take off heat.</li><br /><li>Dangar ready to be dunked in ketchup or to accompany a typical Goan meal of rice, dal/fish curry.</li></ul><br /><p><strong>Note</strong>.</p><br /><p>Adjust the besan and rava to get the desired consistency. Omit rava for a gluten free version.</p><br /><p>Add more green chillies for a fiery version.</p>Once the ingredients are mixed together, prepare and fry the cutlets immediately or else the whole mixture turns into a pulp as the tomatoes and onions release water.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-5555733576470327322010-07-06T12:30:00.004-04:002010-07-08T15:29:44.372-04:00Besan Badam Ladoo / Chickpea Flour Almond Sweetballs.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TDKQjTngX-I/AAAAAAAAAUk/YlI2_OU2sd8/s1600/ladoo1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 217px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490609831953850338" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TDKQjTngX-I/AAAAAAAAAUk/YlI2_OU2sd8/s320/ladoo1.jpg" /></a>We Indians prepare an array of sweets and circular ladoos make it to the top list. There are soooooooo many varieties of ladoos one can prepare. The basic method of preparation is pretty simple -- heat ghee-roast flour(any)-take off heat-add sugar/cardamom powder/chopped nuts-mix-cool slightly and then rolls into 1-2 inch diameter balls..........voila, ladoos all ready to be devoured.<br />Besan Ladoo is a favorite in my house, my hubby n kids love it but I cannot say the same for myself though. I am more of a rava coconut, motichoor, wheatflour ladoos kind of a person, I prefer these ladoos over besan ones any day :-)<br />But I do make besan ladoos very often to satisfy my family's love for these yellow golden sweet morsels.<br />My kids are very fussy when it comes to eating nuts in ladoos, so to get them to eat the healthy nuts I thought why not disguise the nut in a powder form and add to the ladoo.<br />The verdict is..........my kids ate the ladoos without a fuss or complain about nuts and the almond powder did not overpower the besan flavor of the final product.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />2 cups besan/chickpea flour,<br />1/2 cup ghee,<br />1 and 3/4 cup fine sugar(adjust sugar according to taste),<br />1/2 cup ground almond/<em>badam</em> powder,<br />1 tsp cardamom powder/<em>elaichi</em> powder,<br />1/4 tsp grated nutmeg/<em>jaiphal</em> powder,<br />pinch cinnamon powder/<em>tikhi</em> powder.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Method</strong>.<br /><ul><li>Heat ghee in a pan and roast besan on low flame till the raw smell disappears and nice aroma starts developing to the besan, about 25-30 minutes. </li><li>Add the ground almonds during the last 10 minutes and let the whole mixture roast well for 10 minutes. </li><li>Keep stirring during the whole process or else the mixture will burn. (The color of the besan should be a dark yellow and now brown)</li><li>Switch the heat off and add fine sugar, cardamom powder, grated nutmeg and cinnamon powder. </li><li>Mix well and keep aside for about 8-10 minutes.</li><li>When cool enough to handle with bare hands take 2 tbsp of the mixture at a time and press and squeeze and roll into 2 inch diameter balls. </li><li>The above quantity yielded 30 ladoos(medium sized).</li></ul><p><strong>Note</strong>.</p><p>Add some chopped nuts and raisins if desired. I did not add any nuts as I added ground almonds to the mixture. </p><p>Can grind the sugar to fine powder and then add to the ladoo mixture, I prefer a crunch to the ladoo so I added fine sugar that we get here, (the texture of the sugar is like chiroti rava). </p><p>Adjust the sugar according to your taste. I added slightly less sugar as I do not like ladoos too overly sweet. But the usual formula says equal parts flour and sugar. </p>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-77600538241040892532010-06-15T23:20:00.008-04:002010-06-24T14:55:05.903-04:00Tavsali / Goan Style Cucumber Cake<strong></strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TBhAl-HEx3I/AAAAAAAAAUU/LD0IRF1bxU0/s1600/taushali.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 270px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483203567395587954" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TBhAl-HEx3I/AAAAAAAAAUU/LD0IRF1bxU0/s320/taushali.jpg" /></a><em>Tavsali</em> is a healthy, egg less, low fat (or fat free if ghee is omitted) Goan Style Cucumber Cake.<br />I love the beautiful green specks of grated cucumber (skin n all)distributed all over the light brown colored cake.<br />Tavsali is prepared using cucumber/kakdi that are called "<em>taushe</em>" in konkani.<br /><div>I remember my mom had made this cake for me when she had come to the US to help me during my first pregnancy.</div><div>My grandma and mom used to prepare this cake without any oven. A tava or thick bottomed skillet was kept on a stove, then the cake pan was kept over the skillet. Next a lid was kept on the cake pan and the lid was covered with a layer of hot coals. Thus creating an oven kind of condition for the cake to "bake".</div><br /><div>This cake can be prepared in 2 ways either using rava/semolina or using goan rice powder, each gives a different taste and texture to the end result.</div><div>Goan rice is called "<em>ukade tandol</em>" or rosematta rice in US & Canada. The rice is dry roasted then ground to a fine powder and used instead of rava.</div><div>The <em>tavsali </em>made using the <em>ukade tandol</em> powder tastes better then the rava one but still both are equally delicious.</div><br /><div>This is a simple egg less cake not overly sweet with dominant flavours of cucumber, coconut, cumin and peanuts.</div><div>No, it is not a typo, indeed jeera/ cumin seeds are used to make this sweet. In fact many Goan konkani sweets are flavoured with jeera powder like tavsali, <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2009/10/poss-steamed-milk-sweet.html">poss,</a> and some varieties of kheers.<br /><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>2 cups grated cucumber/kakdi,</div><div>1 and 1/2 cups grated jaggery or brown sugar,</div><div>1 and 1/4 cup rava/suji/cream of wheat/semolina,</div><div>1 cup grated coconut,</div><div>2 tsp jeera /cumin seeds (<strong>unroasted </strong>and ground to a fine powder),</div><div>4 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts,</div><div>2 tbsp chopped raisins, </div><div>1/2 tsp cardamom powder/ elaichi,</div><div>2 tbsp sesame seeds,</div><div>pinch of salt.</div><br /><div><strong>Method.</strong></div><ul><li>Roast rava (dry or in 1 tsp butter/ghee) and cool.</li><li>Mix all the rest of the ingredients and pour the batter in a 8 x 8inch baking pan. </li><li>Preheat oven to 350 F and bake the cake in the oven for 30 minutes till cooked through.(prick a toothpick in the cake and check to see if it comes out clean).</li><li>Broil the cake for 5 minutes so that the top also gets a nice golden color.</li><li>Take out of the oven cool, cut and serve.</li></ul><br /><div><strong>Note.</strong></div><div>I sometimes add 2 tbsp oats flour and 2 tbsp flax seed meal to the batter for additional nutrition. </div><div>Usually this cake is prepared the previous night and the flavors allowed to blend well and it is served for breakfast the next day. </div><div>This cake can be refrigerated for up to a week. To serve just reheat in the microwave for a minute or 2 and enjoy warm cucumber cake.</div><div>Add almonds & cashew nuts if desired.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-80834733932223393782010-05-10T12:05:00.001-04:002010-05-10T12:05:00.186-04:00Rajma Tikki / Red Kidney Beans Cutlet<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9ypBq_YlLI/AAAAAAAAAT0/eoa9jcRZAb8/s1600/04042010_Picture+389.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466429893906044082" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9ypBq_YlLI/AAAAAAAAAT0/eoa9jcRZAb8/s320/04042010_Picture+389.jpg" /></a> Rajma tikki is one easy scrumptious snack to make as long as u have some cooked beans on hand. I usually make these for after school snack for my son, specially on cold winter days.<br />Nothing like a protein loaded, warm tikki/cutlet dunked in ketchup or chutney.<br /><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>1 cup cooked rajma,</div><div>2 bread slices,</div><div>1 tbsp ginger, minced,</div><div>1 tbsp garlic, minced,</div><div>1 tsp amchur powder,</div><div>1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi,</div><div>1 tsp garam masala,</div><div>3 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander leaves,</div><div>salt to taste.</div><br /><div><strong>Method.</strong></div><ul><li>In a food processor add bread slices and make bread crumbs, add rajma and pulse a few more times, than add the rest of the ingredients and pulse again.</li><li>Take out in a bowl.</li><li>Make small balls and flatten slightly to make discs or long strips.</li><li>Shallow fry in a hot skillet using little oil on medium heat.</li></ul><br /><p><strong>Note.</strong></p><p>Add minced green chilly for a more spicy tasting cutlet.</p>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-90891865736593821122010-05-09T16:45:00.001-04:002010-07-01T13:01:45.716-04:00Happy Mother's Day !!Happy Mother's day to all mom's out there.<br /><br />I am a mom of two lovely kids, so being a mother myself, now I understand all the things my mother did for me.<br />I am truly grateful and thankful to my mom for everything she did for me n more.<br />Mother's Day is a very emotional day for me coz 4 years ago I lost my Ma (just 2 days before mother's day). An even after 4 years I have still not been able to accept my loss.<br />So every year when Mother's Day is round the corner, I feel very happy seeing the excitement in my kids eyes for their mom(me), but at the same time I feel very sad that my mom is not around for me to show her how much I care about her.<br />Every time my kids surround me and hug me, I just feel that wish I could do one thing and that is to give my mom a nice big hug too..........just to show her how much I love and appreciate her.<br /><br />I miss my mom everyday specially living in a foreign country on the other side of the world away from my homeland. But I miss her the most on Mother's Day.<br />One thing is surely true though that no one can replace a mom's love and affection.<br /><br />So, Ma, wherever you are and if you are seeing me then, I just want to say "<strong><span style="color:#000099;">Thank you for everything</span></strong>"Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-60552725667875286742010-05-08T10:35:00.001-04:002010-07-08T01:38:35.905-04:00Cornmeal Idli(Gluten Free) / Steamed Cornmeal Circles.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9yqZkaUcbI/AAAAAAAAAT8/cOFIY0RipRs/s1600/04042010_Picture+373.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466431403968459186" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9yqZkaUcbI/AAAAAAAAAT8/cOFIY0RipRs/s320/04042010_Picture+373.jpg" /></a>Again these cornmeal idlis were born out of necessity to make quick idlis without using rava/semolina.<br /><div>As <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2010/01/rava-idlisteamed-wheatlets-circles.html">semolina/rava idlis </a>are quick to make but they are made of wheat(my daughter is allergic to wheat), so to eliminate wheat from the recipe I replaced the semolina/rava with fine cornmeal but otherwise just followed the <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2010/01/rava-idlisteamed-wheatlets-circles.html">rava idli recipe.</a> </div><div>There, I created a new quick recipe to cater to my daughters need for gluten free and my crunch for time. </div><div>I liked the beautiful natural yellow hue of these idlis, without any addition of turmeric powder/haldi powder.</div><div>These Idlis can be enjoyed by all and is not limited to just for people with gluten allergy only. </div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-76348819435620033942010-05-06T09:56:00.004-04:002010-05-09T00:32:51.923-04:00Sabudana Vada/Appe (Gluten Free, Fat Free) / Tapioca Puffs.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S-HGe7-sPbI/AAAAAAAAAUM/Q5Me8G0mrfo/s1600/ketsabuvada.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 264px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467869657403506098" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S-HGe7-sPbI/AAAAAAAAAUM/Q5Me8G0mrfo/s320/ketsabuvada.jpg" /></a>In this part of the world, we are still getting our share of snow :-(<br />I wanted to make something hot n crunchy for my son for after school snack, but was not at all inclined towards a deep fried snack.<br /><div>Had just made a batch of boiled potatoes, so what better way to use boiled potatoes for snack other then make tikkis or sabudana vadas, I opted for the latter :-)</div><div></div><div>I made sabudana vada but in an Appe pan/ Aeblevisker pan. They turned out pretty good, crispy on the outside and soft n mushy on the inside.</div><br /><div>My Appe pan is non stick so I made them without a drop of oil, they are totally fat free :-)</div><div>Enjoy these guilt free vadas !! </div><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>3/4 cup sago,(washed and soaked in water enough to cover the sago for 1 hour then drain any water, I used mini sago pearls called as sago seeds, the size of mustard seeds),</div><div>3/4 cup potatoes, boiled and mashed,</div><div>2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts,</div><div>3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves,</div><div>1 green chilly minced,</div><div>2 tsp lemon juice,</div><div>1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera,</div><br /><div><strong>Method.</strong></div><ul><li>Mix all the ingredients.</li><li>Heat Appe pan(pan has many indents/depression similar to muffin pan) on medium heat.</li><li>Make small balls of the dough and put in each indent of the appe pan.</li><li>Let cook for 3 minutes then turn, so that it cooks on the other side.</li><li>The other side will cook quicker, so cook may be 2 minutes on the other side.</li><li>I got 18 Appe Sabudana Vadas from the quantity of ingredients mentioned above.</li><li>Enjoy with whipped sweet yogurt, chutney or ketchup.</li></ul><div><strong>Note.</strong></div>Can add a few drops of oil while cooking.<br /><div>If you prefer a darker shade of browning for the vadas, cook a few minutes more on each side, but take care that they do not burn. I prefer mine just golden brown.</div><div>They were perfect snacks for my kids.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-15554774567829635292010-05-05T09:00:00.003-04:002010-05-05T10:49:19.408-04:00Frozen Ginger Garlic Paste.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S-Boa13waZI/AAAAAAAAAUE/pHlTBfcsllI/s1600/ggpaste.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467484757974608274" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S-Boa13waZI/AAAAAAAAAUE/pHlTBfcsllI/s320/ggpaste.jpg" /></a>I know I freeze a lot of things, but I tend to look for short cuts as much as possible in cooking without compromising the taste, texture and looks of anything, specially with 2 toddlers around me all the time.<br />I use a lot of ginger-garlic paste in my cooking but I do not have the patience to make the paste everyday.<br />I tried making the paste and keeping in the refrigerator, but felt that it smelt weird after a few days and also changed color which was not at all appetizing.<br />So now I make the ginger-garlic paste, put the paste in ice cube trays and freeze them , then just take the cubes and keep them in a zip lock bag and back in the freezer they go.<br />The frozen cubes retain the original color and the flavor too.<br />Any time I need a tbsp of ginger-garlic paste I just take out 1 cube and add to my cooking.<br /><br />I also make ginger-garlic-green chilly paste in the same manner and freeze them as cubes.Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-25539158535431274672010-05-04T09:24:00.004-04:002010-05-04T15:23:24.550-04:00Kalae Kappa/Phodi / Shallow Fried Raw Plantain Slices.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9xmp--vk-I/AAAAAAAAATk/B5aR68iT0mU/s1600/banana+fry.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466356919187772386" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9xmp--vk-I/AAAAAAAAATk/B5aR68iT0mU/s320/banana+fry.jpg" /></a>Shallow fried plantain slices are prepared in the same way as is potato slices and pumpkin slices.<br /><div>These shallow fried slices are crunchy on the outside and moist n juicy on the inside, just perfect to devour with simple rice and dal.</div><div>Peel the green skin of the plantain, but do not take all the skin off, leave some on.( You can see a layer of the peel on the slices in the picture). Slice into 3/4 cm thick circles.</div><div>The rest of the ingredients and method is same as for <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2009/10/batatachi-kappa-fried-potato-slices.html">shallow fried potato slices</a>.</div><div>These require sprinkling of water just like potato slices to cook them all the way through.</div><div></div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-58682851038509140902010-05-03T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-08T01:39:09.494-04:00Cornmeal Dhokla(Gluten Free) / Steamed Cornmeal Squares.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9ylWmlnAPI/AAAAAAAAATs/vSlEezMfsWg/s1600/cornmeal+dhokla.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 193px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 166px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466425855454937330" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9ylWmlnAPI/AAAAAAAAATs/vSlEezMfsWg/s320/cornmeal+dhokla.jpg" /></a>As my daughter is allergic to wheat I have learnt to adapt many recipes and make them gluten free without changing the taste n texture of the dishes.<br />I make this cornmeal dhokla quite often instead of rava dhokla. It has the same texture as rava dhokla only it is gluten free.<br />Allergic to wheat or not, this cornmeal dhokla is liked by all.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Just replace cornmeal for semolina and use the rest of the same ingredients and same procedure to prepare as <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2009/10/instant-rava-dhoklasteamed-semolina.html">rava dhokla.</a></div><div>Sometimes I add grated carrot/cucumber / zucchini or green peas / corn thus giving it a slight twist.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-61453432410053949892010-05-02T10:45:00.005-04:002010-05-02T16:29:58.155-04:00Doodhi Kappa/Phodi / Shallow Fried Pumkin slices.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9u1BNBvFWI/AAAAAAAAATc/vqVgMi6d6zw/s1600/pumkin.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 212px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466161605025666402" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9u1BNBvFWI/AAAAAAAAATc/vqVgMi6d6zw/s320/pumkin.jpg" /></a><br />In Goa Monday is a vegetarian day, and a vegetarian meal is prepared, which is usually made up of rice, dal, a vegetable and shallow fried <em>phodis </em>made of any vegetable like potato, pumpkin(doodhi), raw plantain banana, eggplant(vaangi), bread fruit(neer phanas), elephant yam(suran), taro root(Maadi),bittermelon(kaarle) to name a few.<br /><br /><em>Doodhi</em> / Pumpkin is one of my favourite vegetable( actually I like all vegetables, so all veges come in my fav category :) ). Shallow fried pumpkin slices is an all time favourite in our house after the ultimate shallow <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2009/10/batatachi-kappa-fried-potato-slices.html">fried potato slices.<br /></a><br />The ingredients and method to prepare this is the same as <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2009/10/batatachi-kappa-fried-potato-slices.html">Batatachi Phodi /</a> <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2009/10/batatachi-kappa-fried-potato-slices.html">Fried Potato Slices</a> just substitute pumpkin for potatoes.<br />Another thing to note is that pumpkin cooks quicker than potatoes so these slices will be done faster than potato slices.<br />Any vegetable can be shallow fried in a similar manner.Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-91547415462261449122010-05-01T09:55:00.000-04:002010-05-04T18:54:33.209-04:00Simple Bok Choy Bhaaji / Stir Fry.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9sCVG6Ln9I/AAAAAAAAATM/WLRYoh4fEgY/s1600/bokchoy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 315px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465965134399381458" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9sCVG6Ln9I/AAAAAAAAATM/WLRYoh4fEgY/s320/bokchoy.jpg" /></a>I like any leafy vegetable, I buy any fresh greens that I can lay my hands on in a Chinese store and cook it just as Ma cooked any greens.<br /><br />I walk in my mother's footsteps for this matter, she used to cook any kind of vegetables she could lay her hands on too.<br /><br />Most of the leafy greens I cook is in a similar manner as Ma did with the <strong>"Goan trinity"</strong> of onion, green chilly and grated coconut. Adding any dal to it is optional , but it definitely enhances the taste and stretches the prepared dish a bit.<br /><br />Another thing to note about simple goan vegetable stir fry is that there is absolutely no use of oil ( at least in my house). So basically it is fat free dish, now doesn't that sound good !!!!<br /><br />This bok choy stir fry is prepared in the same way as the <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2010/04/ghosali-bhaaji-ridgegourd-stir-fry.html"><em>ghosali bhaaji</em> / ridge gourd stir fry</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />2 tbsp chana dal, washed and soaked in 2 tbsp water for 15 minutes(optional ),<br />4-5 cups chopped, bok choy,<br />1/2 onion, chopped,<br />1-2 green chilly, chopped,<br />3 tbsp grated coconut,<br />salt to taste,<br />pinch of sugar.<br /><br /><strong>Method</strong>.<br /><ul><li>Put all the ingredients in a pan.</li><li>Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat till the vegetable and the dal is tender. </li><li>Add some extra water if the water dries up and the vegetable n dal is not cooked.<br /></li></ul><strong></strong><strong>Note</strong><br />Can use either chana dal or moong dal or omit it totally.Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-22062825674185898462010-04-30T22:05:00.002-04:002010-05-04T18:54:33.211-04:00Sakhar Bhaat / Sweetened Rice<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9sG8NE3bxI/AAAAAAAAATU/VJaXsM3Ckh0/s1600/srice.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 270px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465970204116217618" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9sG8NE3bxI/AAAAAAAAATU/VJaXsM3Ckh0/s320/srice.jpg" /></a>Sakhar Bhaat is one of the easiest n simplest sweet to make.<br /><div>Cloves is the prominent spice n flavouring agent in this Goan sweet.</div><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>1/2 cup rice, washed and drained for 20 minutes,</div><div>1 tsp ghee,</div><div>1 tsp raisins,</div><div>2 tsp chopped cashew nuts,</div><div>1 tsp powdered cardamom,</div><div>5 cloves,</div><div>pinch of nutmeg,</div><div>pinch of saffron soaked in a tsp of milk or some orange color,</div><div>3/4 cup sugar,</div><div>2 and 3/4 cup water.</div><br /><div><strong>Method</strong>.</div><ul><li>Heat ghee in a pan on medium heat.</li><li>Add the cloves and rice, saute till the rice is nice n toasty.</li><li>Add the raisins and cashew nuts and saute a minute more.</li><li>Add hot water , cover and cook till the rice is cooked/done.</li><li>Add the cardamom, nutmeg, sugar, saffron milk or color and mix well (but very gently or else the grains of rice will break and become a mush).</li></ul><div><strong>Note.</strong></div><div>Let the rice cook fully as the rice does not cook anymore once the sugar is added.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-52118281494434217352010-04-29T23:30:00.001-04:002010-05-04T18:54:33.212-04:00Ghosali Bhaaji / Ridgegourd Stir fry.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9S-uRjgVuI/AAAAAAAAAS0/laBz29lmZMM/s1600/04042010_Picture+306.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 292px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464201950102836962" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9S-uRjgVuI/AAAAAAAAAS0/laBz29lmZMM/s320/04042010_Picture+306.jpg" /></a>Ridge gourd is called " <em>Ghosali</em> " in konkani.<br /><br />This is one of my favourite vegetables. It is a simple preparation with the "<strong>Goan trinity</strong>" of onion, green chilly and coconut. ( Yeah, I thought just as Cajun/Creole cooking has the trinity of onion , pepper and celery in all its dishes, the same way Goan cooking in my family also uses the 3 essential ingredients of onion, green chilly and coconut in everyday dishes, so I thought why not call it the "<strong>Goan trinity</strong>" ) :)<br />Ma cooked most of the vegetables without any oil. There were only selected vegetables for which she used the oil tempering(phodni).<br />No oil is used for this dish so it is practically fat free cooking !!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9S-iDEo46I/AAAAAAAAASs/_HEZU_Lg7wI/s1600/04042010_Picture+300.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 302px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464201740056847266" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9S-iDEo46I/AAAAAAAAASs/_HEZU_Lg7wI/s320/04042010_Picture+300.jpg" /></a> Peeled Ridge gourd (ghosali)<br /><br /><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>2 medium sized ridge gourd(ghosali),</div><div>2 tbsp moong dal,(optional),</div><div>1/2 onion , chopped,</div><div>1 green chilly, chopped,</div><div>2 tbsp grated coconut,</div><div>salt to taste,</div><div>pinch of sugar,</div><div>2 tbsp water.</div><br /><div><strong>Method</strong>.</div><ul><li>Peel the skin of the ridge gourd and chop it.</li><li>Wash moong dal and soak in 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes.</li><li>Put soaked dal along with water in a pan , add the rest of the ingredients.</li><li>Cover and keep the pan on medium low heat.</li><li>Stir after 5 minutes. Cook till the dal n the vegetable is tender.</li></ul><p><strong>Note.</strong></p><p>Can use either moong dal or chana dal.</p><p>Use the ridge gourd peels to make chutney or thepla.</p>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-80518813664234257222010-04-28T10:29:00.002-04:002010-05-04T18:54:33.212-04:00Ruby Red Strawberry Jam.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9c9Wv2LpaI/AAAAAAAAATE/JgVgdq5Frcs/s1600/straw+jam.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 237px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464904133847524770" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9c9Wv2LpaI/AAAAAAAAATE/JgVgdq5Frcs/s320/straw+jam.jpg" /></a>I used Ma's technique to make the <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2009/07/ananas-jam-pineapple-jam.html">pineapple jam</a>. So now as strawberries are in season I thought of making strawberry jam. It turned out awesome. I specially liked the vibrant ruby red color of the jam.<br /><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>1 and 1/2 cup strawberry pulp,</div><div>1 and 1/4 cup sugar,</div><div>2 tbsp lemon juice,</div><div>4 cloves,</div><div>2 pieces cinnamon sticks.</div><br /><div><strong>Method</strong>.</div><ul><li>Put the strawberry pulp in a pan and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.</li><li>Then add the sugar and spices and cook for 15 minutes.</li><li>Finally add the lemon juice and cook 5 minutes more.</li><li>Take the pan off heat and let cool.</li><li>Pour in a glass jar.</li></ul><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Note</strong></div><div>This jam stays fresh at room temperature. The jam will thicken slightly after cooling.</div><div>Can omit the spices but I like the aroma of the spices and I feel it enhances the flavor of the jam.</div><br /><div>Increase or decrease the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of the strawberries.</div><div>Make any fruit jam using the same method and proportion.</div><div>I added 1/4 tsp red chilly powder during the last minute, as I like my jam a little sweet, a little spicy, a little tart, more like murabba taste.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-54923599948994694382010-04-27T11:50:00.001-04:002010-05-04T18:54:33.213-04:00Shrikhand / Sweetened Yogurt.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9cCpikuwGI/AAAAAAAAAS8/Hjb5YsB5s3c/s1600/Shrikhand.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 224px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464839585516142690" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S9cCpikuwGI/AAAAAAAAAS8/Hjb5YsB5s3c/s320/Shrikhand.jpg" /></a>Although Shrikhand is not a typical Goan sweet Ma made Shrikhand very often and it was a regular fare at my parents place.<br />It is a no cook dessert that is ideally eaten with puri. But we used to have it for breakfast with chappati. I know what a nice way it was to start the day with heavenly creamy shrikhand !!<br /><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>2 cups yogurt,</div><div>3/4 cup powdered sugar,</div><div>1/2 tsp powdered cardamom,</div><div>pinch of kesar/saffron soaked in 1 tsp warm milk,</div><div>some chopped nuts(optional).</div><br /><div><strong>Method</strong>.</div><ul><li>Place a strainer in a bowl, line it with a cheesecloth. Put the yogurt in it and keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.</li><li>You should get about 1 cup of hung yogurt.</li><li>Add the sugar, soaked saffron in milk and mix well.</li><li>Sprinkle nuts on top and refrigerate.</li><li>Serve chilled and enjoy with puri or chappati !!</li></ul><br /><div><strong>Note</strong>.</div><div>The more longer you drain the yogurt the more thick and creamy it will become.</div><div>Can add 1 tbsp sour cream to get the same texture and taste as authentic shrikhand.</div><div>Mix some mango pulp in the shrikhand to get Aamrakhand(Mango flavoured shrikhand).</div><div> </div><div><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Event Participation.</span></strong></div><div><span style="color:#000000;">This is my entry to <a href="http://indranid.blogspot.com/2010/04/announcing-another-spotlight-event.html">Indrani's Summer Foods And Drinks Event.</a></span></div><div>And <a href="http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2010/04/celebrating-three-years-blogging-with.html">Srivalli's Thanda Mela</a>.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-21866316932911972702010-04-23T10:50:00.003-04:002010-04-23T15:25:21.904-04:00Gluten Free, Egg Free Fluffy Pancakes.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S84iINqLLpI/AAAAAAAAASU/vQWN8UGT5WE/s1600/gfpan.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 202px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462340922547842706" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S84iINqLLpI/AAAAAAAAASU/vQWN8UGT5WE/s320/gfpan.jpg" /></a><br />What do you do when one child has wheat allergy and the other child is demanding to eat pancakes.....well, u go and buy gluten free pancake mix from the store(which is pretty expensive and require the use of eggs or egg replacer) or else you come up with a gluten free, egg free pancake mix at home.<br />My daughter gets her wheat allergies on and off so I came up with this pancake recipe. These are egg less pancakes too as for some time she was allergic to eggs too.<br />Usually gluten free pancakes require the use of guar gum or xanthum gum, but in this recipe I have not used any of those ingredients and yet not compromised on the taste or texture of the pancakes.<br />These pancakes have the same texture, look and taste as the regular pancakes. My both kids(6 and almost 3 years old) nor my hubby could tell the difference in the pancakes. They devoured them as regular pancakes :)<br />Thus I accomplished my mission of satisfying my sons demand for pancakes and also my daughters need of eating gluten free, egg free pancakes :)<br />The ingredients list is long but it is worth a try.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />4 tbsp rice flour,<br />2 tbsp moong flour,<br />2 tbsp urad flour,<br />2 tbsp cornmeal,<br />1/4 tsp baking powder,<br />1/4 tsp baking soda,<br />1/4 tsp cinnamon powder,<br />1 tbsp sugar,<br />2 tbsp yogurt,<br />water or milk to make the batter.<br /><br /><strong>Method</strong>.<br /><ul><li>Mix all the ingredients.</li><li>Heat a pan on medium heat. </li><li>Pour 1/4 of the batter in the pan and let bubbles appear on the batter.</li><li>Flip the pancake and let it cook on the other side for a minute.</li><li>Repeat process till you finish the batter.</li><li>Enjoy with maple syrup or fruit syrup.</li></ul><br /><p><strong>Note</strong></p><p>This quantity of batter yielded 4 medium sized pancakes. Can double the recipe.</p><p>Or else you can mix the dry ingredients in a big batch and store like I do and when you want to make pancakes just take the required quantity of the dry mix, add the wet ingredients and the batter is ready in a jiffy. </p><p>I used milk to make this batter. </p><p>Can use butter milk instead of milk to get buttermilk pancakes.</p><p>I use the same batter to make <a href="http://mayuriandmascookbook.blogspot.com/2010/04/pancake-puffs.html">pancake puffs </a>with success.</p>Can add one or more of the following to the batter for a variation - banana, blueberries, chopped strawberries, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts,chopped almonds, raisins, etc.Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668272207822905861.post-47111510944796337432010-04-21T13:04:00.005-04:002010-09-28T11:51:31.568-04:00Crunchy Banana Chips<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TKIO9vsMdsI/AAAAAAAAAVI/V-_URNBcRSk/s1600/20100516+395.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 210px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521992547046291138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/TKIO9vsMdsI/AAAAAAAAAVI/V-_URNBcRSk/s320/20100516+395.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YBRQFCj5vwE/S80bmA4jAdI/AAAAAAAAASE/-axpsyD6Y3U/s1600/chips.jpg"></a></div><br /><div>I have never in my life made banana chips at home but surely eaten a cartload or should I say truck load of them :)<br /></div><br /><div>Today I thought of making them at home. Had a plantain banana that I purchased from the grocery store a couple of days ago.</div><br /><div>The chips came out pretty good and they were very easy to make. I had never made them at home with the fear of sprinkling water in hot oil. But today I overcame that fear !!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My son (who loves banana chips) tasted these chips(actually finished all the chips making many rounds in the kitchen and grabbing some chips on the way each time) and said they get 5 star(his grading goes from 1-5), and that next time I need to buy more bananas and make lots more chips :) so that he can take them for snack time in school. When my kiddo says that I should pack certain food next time for his school lunch or snack I know that it has met his approval. My 6 year old son is quite a foodie, guess he gets it from his mom ;) </div><br /><div>Here goes the recipe.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><br /><div>1 plantain banana(raw),</div><br /><div>1/2 cup water,</div><br /><div>1/4 tsp turmeric powder,</div><br /><div>salt to taste,</div><br /><div>oil for deep frying(preferably coconut oil).</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Method</strong>.</div><br /><ul><br /><li>Peel the banana, wash and soak in water for about 1/2 hour.</li><br /><li>Mix water, salt, turmeric powder and keep aside.</li><br /><li>Heat oil. Drain the bananas and wipe dry with paper towel.</li><br /><li>Slice the bananas into thin slices (using a mandoline) directly in the hot oil. Or else you can use a knife and make thin slices on a chopping board and then slide them into the hot oil.</li><br /><li>When they are 3/4 cooked, sprinkle a tsp of the water solution on the bananas in the oil.</li><br /><li>Hold a splatter screen over the oil after you sprinkle a tsp of the water solution.</li><br /><li>BE VERY CAREFUL !!</li><br /><li>The oil splutters in all directions.</li><br /><li>Take off the screen and mix the chips.</li><br /><li>Drain the chips onto a paper towel to absorb the access oil.</li><br /><li>Proceed with the rest of the banana to make the chips.</li><br /><li>There you go yummy crunchy banana chips ready to munch on !!</li></ul><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Note</strong></div><br /><div>Season the chips with red chilly powder,crushed peppercorn or any other masala blend for a variation after draining from the oil. I preferred them plain with salt only.</div><br /><div>Frying the chips in coconut oil gives it the authentic taste. </div><br /><div>Next time I will soak the raw bananas in water mixed with turmeric powder to get a more darker shade of yellow colored chips.</div>Mayurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441946196204167151noreply@blogger.com4