One of the quick recipes that my mummy and my Vasanti Mhaav (mummy’s elder sister) had in store was Bataate Kaatla….Kaatla meaning cut pieces of vegetable. (I haven’t heard this recipe from any other GSB person than those two)…….This is also a Ghar Ka Khaana (recipes made at home). The flavour of garlic and ginger with green chilli is vital in this recipe.

This is my entry for the event:
Ode to Potato hosted by Sia at http://www.monsoonspice.com/2008/01/announcing-ode-to-potato.html

Ingredients:

For four persons:

• 2 Potatoes peeled, washed and sliced in individual circles.
• 6-7 cloves of garlic
• a small piece of ginger
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

Method:

1. Thrush the garlic cloves and the piece of ginger with the green chilli and form a coarse paste.
2. In a hot sauce pan, add some oil. When the oil is heated add some mustard seeds.
3. When they sputter add the potato pieces and saute for a while.
4. Now add the thrushed ginger-garlic paste.
5. Cook for a minute. Add the chilli, coriander and turmeric powder and some salt. Saute for a while.
6. You can also add some sabji masala. This one was made without it.
7. When cooked, pour it in a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti. Well I usually have it with curd rice. Yummy !!!!!!!

Note: You can also alter this dish by adding some yogurt when the potatoes are sauted. Cook for a while…and voila Dahi wale aloo is ready….

Hello everyone…..It has been a busy busy time for me and my husband….We have shifted to Mumbai after my 3 years of stay in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, Scotland….I will post some of the photos of this beautiful Gothic city.

Life has been different here in Mumbai. Earlier, going to superstores and buying groceries was one of the important schedules during the weekends. Now, however with the vegetable vendors (and a Reliance Fresh shop) at a walking distance, things are more easier.

Well one of the first vegetable dishes that I made here is Bhindi Ki Sabji. This is more like a Ghar Ka Khaana (recipes that are made once in a week or more at home).

Ingredients

• 100 gms bhindi wash and cut lengthwise
• 1 tomato chopped finely
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 small ginger piece, crushed
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• some cumin seeds
• fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method

1. In a hot pan, add some oil and put some cumin seeds.
2. After they crackle, add the chopped onion. When the onion turns pink, add the crushed garlic and ginger pieces. Saute. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder.
3. Put the tomato pieces and saute for a while.
4. Add some salt. (If you prefer some sweetness in the dish, add some jaggery or sugar)
5. Cook till the Bhindi is tender and coated with the masala (gravy). You can add some water to make the gravy. I did not add water this time.
6. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatis, rotis, or rice.

Wishing you a very Happy, Healthy, and a Prosperous New Year…..

We have shifted to Mumbai….just getting on with my settling down programme…the kitchen is awaiting my return to be glamourized. Hopefully I will be able to post some of my recipes…

I couldn’t stay away from my blog spot…eventhough we are packing up….I had some time to come near the PC (Usually it is believed to be a lot of time as per my husband)…

I made Bhindi ka Raita 2 weeks ago….did not get the right time to post it….(I have some more recipes to share)….hopefully soon….

For 4 people the Ingredients:

• 10 medium sized okra (lady’s finger or bhindi) washed and cut finely
• 1 onion chopped finely
• mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, 2 green chillies (depending on the hotness)
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• Turmeric powder
• fresh coriander leaves
• garam masala (optional)
• black pepper powder
• a cup of yogurt

Method:

1. In a pan, add some oil. When it is heated add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle add a pinch of hing (asafoetida).
2. Add the curry leaves.
3. Now add the chopped onion. Saute for a while. Add the chopped okra.
4. Add the green chillies, salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, some sugar (optional) and some garam masala(optional)
5. Saute again for 2-3 mins till the okra(bhindi) is cooked and crispy.
6. Pour this in a serving bowl. Add the yogurt. Mix well.
7. Garnish it with fresh chopped coriander leaves and black pepper powder.

Lakshmi Poojan

Wishing you a very Happy Diwali…..

My Diyas

I am moving to India….Mumbai….my home-city….will keep posting….:)….seeya in a month’s time…..might have some time to post some more recipes before we move from Edinburgh

Method:

1. In a bowl add the chopped onion, tomato, green chilli.
2. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, garam masala powder.
3. Sprinkle some salt. Mix well. Add the chopped coriander leaves.
4. Now add the besan (gram flour). Mix well.
5. Add some water. The consistency should be like idli batter, a bit thick.
6. In a flat pan, when heated, add some oil and pour two spoons of batter.
7. Flatten the batter as you would for dosa.
8. Cook till the batter is cooked or crisp.
9. Serve with Tomato ketcup or green chutney.

Note: If you like thinner consistency add more water to the batter and roll out the batter like a dosa.

Me, Sandhya and her little boy Hari had been to Edinburgh Botanical Gardens yesterday. The colours of the leaves were so enchanting and beautiful, I found myself in dreamland. I had just one song in my mind going on and on…and that was…..”Pachai Nirame” from the Tamil movie.

You can view this song on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnsGq5v88fY

Here are some of the photos that we took while we were at the Botanical Gardens.

a small waterfall among plants

Here is me and Rajesh wishing all of you a very Happy Dassera….

When we were kids, me and suchi meow hated veggies….salads….We would only go after veggies only if they had masala in it…..but things have changed drastically with our eating habits now (however one thing has remained same…me an evergreen vegetarian…and suchi meow an everready fish and meat eater).

Coming back to salads, When I was reading through Sailaja’s blog, the salads appealed to me. I was thinking of making some salads for the summer. In Edinburgh, this year the summer was playing hide and seek with us….there was hardly any sun…rains rains and more rains. However that made me think why should we let our tummy go off salads.

Lettuce (one of the great components of salads) makes my brain go…..”Lets get you cute leaves”. I have used Romaine, iceberg, round and curly ones. However while making salads, we mostly use iceberg and curly ones. Iceberg is more crunchier and curly a bit leafy.

Crunchy Veggie Salad

When I make salads, I use dried herbs like oregano, rosemary, basil, mint. This is to let a different flavour each time we have salads. Dried herbs go great on salads.

With this salad I used oregano and mint, two opposite tasting herbs. Oregano is a bit like ajwain a bit punjent on tongue whereas mint tastes sweet and refreshing.

For 2 people

Ingredients:

• a piece of Iceberg lettuce chopped in thin strands
• 1 whole cucumber deseeded and diced
• 1 carrot peeled and diced
• 1 tomato deseeded and diced.

My dried herbs collection from Sainsbury’s

For dressing:

• two tablespoons of Yogurt
• dried herbs like oregano , mint
• black pepper powder
• salt

Method:

1. In a bowl add all the cut salad vegetables.
2. In a separate small bowl add two spoons of yogurt, salt, pepper, a pinch of oregano and mint.
3. Mix well and pour this dressing on top of the bowl with salad vegetables.
4. Mix, chill and serve.

Goes great with parathas and sabji…..

My favourite street food from Mumbai…..is Pav Bhaji….Whenever we went out, my ideal choice would evidently be Pav Bhaji. I would promise my best friend Saroj…naa this time I am ordering something else….but after reading through the menu….my choice would be Pav Bhaji….hehee

May be the colour and the aroma makes me go….”I need to have that”. Well I do miss all the street foods from Mumbai….especially Pav Bhaji.

Every month we try to make Pav Bhaji at home. What I have heard from some friends in Mumbai that the street vendors add red food colour to it. I am not sure about that. But when you make Pav Bhaji at home how do you get the red colour without adding artificial colour to it. When Saroj makes Pav Bhaji she adds beetroot to it. This gives a beautiful red colour to the dish. When I make Pav Bhaji I try to add all the reds : Tomatoes, red Pepper, Paav Bhaaji masala.

This time I added beetroot. :)…Thanks Saroj….

For 4 people:

Ingredients:

• 1 Cauliflower cut into florets, some green long beans, 2 carrots peeled and diced, a bowl of green peas. (You can also use the frozen packet. Many superstores sell the frozen vegetables) Boil these.
• 1 beetroot peeled and diced
• 2 red peppers (capsicum) diced (You can also use other coloured peppers)
• 2 Potatoes skin peeled
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 onions chopped finely
• 3 garlic cloves and a piece of ginger, and 2 green chillies. Crush them together.
• Pav Bhaaji masala ( I use the brand called MDH).

For serving:

• 8 pieces of Paav (buns)
• a lemon piece cut into quarters.
• 1 onion chopped finely.
• fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

For Bhaaji:

1. Boil the cauliflower florets, beans carrots and green peas till they become tender.
2. In a separate pan boil the potatoes, red peppers, and beetroot pieces.
3. When they are done, keep the boiled vegetables aside. (don’t drain the water).
4. In a pan, add some oil. When the oil is heated add the chopped onion. When the onion turns pink add the ginger and garlic pieces and chilli pieces. Add the tomato pieces.
5. Saute for a while. Now add the Pav Bhaji Masala. Saute for a minute till the masala coats the onions and tomatoes.
6. Now add the boiled vegetables and mash them to attain the required consistency. Add salt.
7. You can add the drained water if you don’t like the dry bhaji.

For Paav:

Heat a tava (or a nonstick pan). Cut the Pav horizontally. Add some butter in the tava. Roast both sides as you would do with the chapatis.

While serving:

When serving the bhaji, you can enjoy it with chopped onion and chopped coriander. A dash of lemon would bring out the flavour of the street food….:)….Hope you like it.