Khamang Chiwda

Fried Chicken

Batatyachi bhaji

This is comfort food at its best. Batatyachi bhaji just takes me back on a monday morning when my Mom is making hot fulka's smeared with ghee and the ladle is busy cooking this veggie for my lunch box. This was a personal favourite for all of us. It goes so well with Dosa, as a stuffing for sandwich, the leftovers could also be used for aloo paratha or batawada for the adventurous cooks.

Ingredients

3-4 medium sized potatoes boiled & chopped

A bunch of coriander sprigs

1 onion chopped fine

Turmeric 1 tbsp

Green chillies 2 finel chopped

Amchur Powder (Mango powder) 1 tbsp or Lime juice 2 tbsp

3 tbsp Vegetable oil

Few curry leaves

1 tsp Mustard seeds

Salt as per taste

Recipe

Add the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to see them dance as they crackle.

Fry the onions till they turn soft brown and add the curry leaves, turmeric powder, green chillies and cook it for 1-2 minutes.

Add boiled & chopped potatoes, mix well and add the mango powder/lime juice.

Cover and let it cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with hot phulka's

Happy Cooking!


Kadai Chicken

Chicken Tandoori

The chicken is so tender and delicious it simply melts in your mouth. I am not a big fan of spicy food so the measurements for spices should be altered according to you taste.This makes a perfect dish with friends and laughs to share with!

Ingredients -
1 kg chicken legs and breast
3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
red chilly powder (as per taste)
2 tbsp garam masala
Salt per taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup Yoghurt plain
Butter to coat the chicken

Mix the spices, paste, youghurt and juice and rub it on to the chicken evenly.
Make the horizontal incisions on the chicken so the paste get absorbed by the meat.
Put the chicken in a bowl covered with cling film and marinate it for atleast 3 hours.
Coat the marinated chicken with butter and transfer the contents on to a baking tray.
Add this to the preheated oven 200 degrees C for 30 minutes after which the chicken acquires this lovely color and juices run clear without any pink flesh in it.
Garnish with coriander and lemon rings.

Happy Cooking!

Vaalache Bhirde

This recipe is from my favourite blogger One Hot Stove, who  has a wonderful way with words and definately with food. I imagine her kitchen to always smell of mouth watering food, storage filled with goodies and garden lush green with herbs, vegetables and magic bean plant.

The recipe for Vaalache Bhirde is so clearly given and easy to follow it just makes one squeak in pleasure!

The only cumbersome part was the wait for Vaal to sprout.

Sprouting the vaal

I soaked about 2 cups of Vaal in water for about 18 hours and then tied them in a damp cheese cloth for 2 days. I kept sprinkling some water on the bag so the cloth was moist all throughout to help the sprouting.

The tiny sprouts shoot right from the cloth and you can heave a sigh of relief :)

You will have to peel the cover of these Vaal seeds, which comes off fairly easily. I did enjoy doing that one evening while being perched in front of my telly. Make sure to throw away the discolored ones.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp of tamarind soaked in warm water for 10-15 min

Half cup of oil

2 Onions chopped in chunks

2 Garlic cloves crushed/chopped

2 Green chillies

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Pinch of asafoetida

5-6 curry leaves

1tsp Tumeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander and cumin powder

1 tsp of jaggery

1 cup dessicated/frozen coconut

Recipe

Extract the juice from the tamarind and throw away the rest

Make a coconut paste as follows

Fry 1 large onion cut in large chunks until slightly browned. Add garlicand coconut alongwith green . Stir around until coconut is fragrant, then blend to a fine paste using a little water as required. 

 In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Temper the oil with mustard seeds, tsp cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves. Add 1 small onion, minced finely and fry it for a few seconds. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt to taste.
Add the peeled sprouts and stir well. Add 1/2 cup water, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are just tender.
Add the coconut paste, tamarind extract and of jaggery. The tamarind and jaggery take out the bitter taste fromt he sprouts. Add some water if the curry looks too thick, i liked mine a bit thick. Simmer the curry for 10 minutes. Taste for the balance of flavors and add a little more tamarind/jaggery/salt if required.
Garnish with minced cilantro.

Happy Cooking!

 

Bruuuuussschetta

This is a wonderful, scrumptious Italian dish. These simple to make tomato topped toasts are a lovely way to get the taste buds tingling. My brother says 'If there was food in heaven this would sure be one of them' :)

Serves 4

1 small oval shaped loaf of white bread (ciabatta or bloomer)

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp chopped basil

4 large ripe tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

8 stoned black olives

55 gms mozzarella cheese sliced

salt and pepper

Dressing

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp clear honey

1. Pre heat the grill and cut the loaf of bread diagonally to give thick pieces. Toast the pieces under hot grill for 2-3 min until golden.
2. Beat garlic, butter and basil together in a bowl and spread onto each half.
3. Blanch the tomatoes and peel the skin the away. Chop the flesh of tomato and mix with puree and olives. Divide the mixture between the slices of bread.
4. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the thick slices of bread. Arrange the cheese on top and season with salt and pepper.
5. Return them to the grill for 1-2 min or until the cheese melts.

Happy Cooking!