Potato Bhaji

You know, there are some growing up memories that just never fade away and the happiest ones are invariably around the dinner table. Our family had a few ground rules - did I ever mention that my parents are professors? (No wonder we had rules!:P) Rules need not always be bad and are not always meant to be broken. There are some rules that shape your habits and looking back you would never regret having followed them. Our rules were simple -

1. Always have every meal together - be it breakfast, lunch or dinner! We still follow it.
2. Never skip a meal. Mamma says,' if you skip a meal it is I who go hungry not you', so I make sure she never goes hungry:)
3. No TV while eating! Gosh, I wish I could follow that one. That is one rule we had to coax Pappa into relenting at times when our favorite TV programs were running.
4. It was always the same meal for everyone, no specials! You like it, eat it or eat whatever you like that is on the table but special food for one individual was hardly ever made. Mamma alternated between everyone's favorite.

Small things in life but ones which shapes certain routines in your life.  Sometimes the most important decisions in life are taken around dinner table and the most precious moments are created there. Food is not just about living - food is love - food is sharing happiness - food brings family together! One of my favorite food in my school days were chapatti and potato bhaji. We called it the yellow potato curry:) This has always been my go to recipe for lazy evenings. It is quick - pairs well with chapati and poori and it can well beat the bhaji served at restaurants. 

Ingredients

1. Potato - 2 large chopped into cubes
2. Onion - 1 medium sliced
3. Green Chilli - 2-3 slit ( increase or decrease as per your spice quotient)
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
7. Oil - 1 tbsp
8. Water
9. Salt to taste

Method

• Cook the potato along with onion, green chilli, turmeric powder, water and salt. You may use a pressure cooker with water just enough to cover the potatoes and let it cook up to two whistles. Alternatively, use a cooking pot but add more water and let it cook covered.
• Once the potato is cooked. Mash it using a laddle until the potato is coarsely mashed and the gravy thickens. In case you have excess water, run on high flame for a while to get rid of the excess water.
• In a separate pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add curry leaves to this.
• Add the tempering to your gravy and keep it covered until served. There you are - potato bhaji is all ready!

Crispy Sweet Corn

I keep saying that every dish has a story behind it and Shibin says every photograph should tell a story. So we definitely have a 'Once upon a time' in this dish and a 'happily ever after' too.

Most of us have heard of Barbeque Nation and have atleast been there once to satiate our barbeque cravings.What you probably did not know was this restaurant chain is owned by Indore based Sayyaji Hotel. I was fortunate enough to spend two days here and that is where my love affair with crispy fried sweet corn started. I have tried making this snack couple of times - but never achieved success till about two weeks back. This definitely does not meet BBQ Nation standards but still we loved it this way.

Last week, we had a family over for dinner and we spent most of the time playing carroms. The need for a quick snack at the carroms table was what reminded me of this recipe. It turned out crispy as I wanted it to and that led me to making it again the very next day for the blog. That is when Shibin suggested that we make it a snack for our evening trip to the beach and photograph it there. For him, this seemed an ideal picnic snack and where better than a trip to the beach. We had some fun time creating those cones too - super fun to see Shibin trying to create cones and ending up with huge ones that would hold almost  a 1 kg of the kernels:P Some childish crafting at work:) Blogging is fun!

Here is the recipe -

Ingredients

1. Sweet Corn kernels - 1 cup
2. All Purpose Flour - 3 tbsp
3. Corn Flour - 3 tbsp
4. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Onion - 1 finely sliced
6. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped
7. Water - 2 tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil

Method

• Mix together all purpose flour, corn flour, chilli powder and salt.
• In a bowl, use your hands to mix together the dry ingredients with the sweet corn kernels.
• Sprinkle 2 tbsp water on this and give a firm mix so that the batter holds on to the kernels.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and test by dropping one kernel into it. It has to crackle and rise to the top.
• Keep the flame on medium throughout and once the oil is ready, drop a handful of kernel into it. Let it fry and rise to the top.
• Drain excess oil on tissue paper.
• Transfer to a bowl, add chopped onions and coriander leaves. Sprinkle a little chilli powder and give it a good toss.
• An easy snack for those lazy evenings.

You may also note - 

• Fry as soon as you make the mix, do not let it rest for too long as it tends to get a little soggy and will end up holding kernels as a bunch and not as individual ones.

Chutney Cheese Sandwich

Every vacation has three phases - 

• The waiting phase - You have planned your vacation, arrangements have been made, you are on a shopping spree, you are texting your relatives and friends on your upcoming vacation plans, you are clearing your fridge and finally packing your bags. To add on - I do an additional cleaning of the house because I love to see the house clean and neat on my return! This is an exciting phase and the feeling that you have something bright to look forward to makes even the most daunting task enjoyable.
• The actual vacation - this is the fun part. Your waiting is over and here it is finally - the execution of all that you planned. Meeting family, friends and relatives - lots of nostalgic moments, being pampered by family until the day it is time to pack your bags and return.
• The vacation hangover - the most annoying phase that comes after your vacation. The feeling of emptiness, a vague sense of nothing to look forward to, a weariness to get back to track, a derisive resolution to lose the holiday weight , yada - yada! Here even the most simple task seems a truckload.

It is phase three for me now - vacation hangover mode. While I was happy to enter into a clean and neat house - the happiness did not last long. I am bemused on how a house closed for 2 weeks can gather so much of dust!!

It has been 24 hours since my return to Dubai and I have only entered kitchen to make a coffee for myself this morning! I have 2 unpacked suitcases in front of me as I write this ( removed only the food items to be refrigerated - can't lose that, Can I ?), a dirty balcony to clean up, nothing to eat for lunch except thoughts on what I should cook and a whole lot of laziness that stops me from getting up from this couch and doing something!

So while I figure out how to get over the vacation hangover phase - Why don't you guys take a look at the new recipe made and clicked during the waiting phase while clearing the refrigerator!!

Ingredients

(makes 4 sandwiches)

1. Mint Leaves/ Pudina - a fistful
2. Coconut - 1/2 cup freshly grated
3. Ginger - 1/2 tsp chopped
4. Salt to taste
5. White Bread/ Sandwich bread - 8 slices
6. Cheese slices - 4

Method

• Pulse together the mint leaves, coconut and ginger along with salt. Add 2-3 tablespoon of water to attain the consistency required for easily spreading it on the bread slice.
• Slather about a tablespoon of chutney on the bread and top it with the cheese. Seal it off by placing another bread slice on top.
• Toast the sandwich on your tawa or a sandwich maker. Serve this hot!

Check out other sandwich recipe on the blog.

Coriander Chutney

There is nothing like a hearty breakfast!

I would not say that breakfast is the best meal of the day for me - I am always partial towards dinner. Yet having a good breakfast keeps you going for most part of the day.  As a part of my first job in India, we were part of the HR panel for Campus recruitment of freshers. This demanded of us to travel to different cities and were often put up in hotels approved by the company. No compromise on safety and security! Goes without saying that we had the luxury of staying in a couple of prominent 5 star hotels - royal bedrooms and hearty meals. Breakfast is complementary in these hotels and we would definitely not miss that! It was always a combo of Indian and English - from idli, vada, sambar to the croissants, muffins and sausages - name it and you had it there.  So even now when I hear of breakfast buffets I jump at the idea. The widespread buffet is such a visual treat and leaves you with a happy tummy.

So over to my recipe today. Since I have talked about breakfast - my recipe also has got something to do with breakfast. Coriander chutney is our bowl of happiness with idli or dosa. Do try it and enjoy!

Ingredients

1. Coconut - 1 cup grated
2. Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup chopped including stems
3. Green Chilly - 1 or 2 depending on the spice quotient
4. Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
5. Salt to taste
6. Water - 1/2 cup
7. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
9. Oil

Method

• Pulse together the coconut, coriander leaves, green chilly, ginger and salt. Add the water to attain the desired consistency.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add urad dal and once the color begins to change lightly add the chutney. Add more water if required and switch off the flame when it heats up. Do not let it boil.
• A great breakfast companion with idli, dosa or vada.

You may also note - 

• You could also add curry leaves and red chilies for tempering
• The fresher the coriander and grated coconut the better the flavor

Kala Chana Sundal/ Black Chickpea Sundal

Often happiness comes in small packets and learning to live in these small packets makes the complex system called life all the more meaningful. Not that I live to dot as per the philosophy I just quoted above but I do try and do want to. The same is applies to food as well - its not just elaborate buffet meals that satisfy your souls, it could be quick fixes like the recipe for today that brightens the soul. I do not mean to dampen the spirits - I know buffets can be more than soul satisfying for the foodie in us but a serene evening in the company of simple food can just do as well when hunger pangs are not too ardent.

Another beginners recipe - Kala Chana Sundal with minimum ingredients and that can be snack in itself or a side dish. Hoping on to the recipe.

Ingredients

(Serves - 2)

1. Black Chickpea - 1 cup boiled
2. Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
3. Coconut grated - 3 tbsp heaped
4. Coriander leaves - chopped
5. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
6. Oil
7. Salt to taste

Method

• Soak black chickpeas in water for at least 8 hours/overnight and pressure cook it up to 6 whistles. Drain off excess water and set aside the chickpeas.
• Heat oil in a skillet and add the finely chopped onions. Saute for two minutes until cooked and add the chopped coriander leaves. 
• Add chilly powder and saute till the masala is done. Add the coconut and saute till there is no trace of moisture content. This may take about 3 - 4 minutes on medium flame
• Tip in your chickpeas. Bind it well and cook it covered for a maximum of 5 minutes on low flame.

There you go - Kala Chana Sundal is ready. You could have it as a snack or goes well with rotis as well.

Chickpeas Salad

The climate wasn't exactly friendly this week. Lots of sand and dust up in the air and the temperature soaring higher by the hour. The hot and dry summer is here again!

Getting out onto the streets seemed like a nightmare and we yearned to get back to the house in the evenings.We definitely were in need of something fresh and cold to cheer us up. A refreshing bowl of salad came to our rescue. I am not very fond of salads but I could give this one a pass by any day any time.

I am sure your would love digging in this bowl as well. Every time I boil chickpeas for some gravy, I make sure I keep aside some for the salad too.

My favorite bowl of salad could be yours too. Here you go -

Ingredients 

( serves -2)

1. Chickpeas - 2 cups boiled
2. Capsicum/Green Pepper - 1 medium size chopped
3. Cucumber - 1 skinned and chopped
4. Tomato - 1 finely chopped
5. Coriander leaves - a handful finely chopped
6. Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon
7. Pepper  - 1 tsp coarsely crushed
8. Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method

• Prepare the dressing by mixing together the pepper, salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Set aside.
• In a bowl, bring together the chickpeas, capsicum, cucumber and tomato.
• Chill it for half hour. Add the dressing and combine well before serving.
• Sprinkle corriander leaves for the extra freshness.

It is ideal to add the dressing at the end to prevent the salt in it from oozing out excess water.

Coriander pepper chicken

On our recent trip to Archies library here in Dubai, I came across a cook book written by Madhur Jaffrey. A flip of the pages and I am her instant fan. The simple style of writing and her way of bringing in a personal touch to each of these left a strong impression on me.  It wasn't just her recipes but the intricacies of cooking she detailed in her book that mesmerized me.  From how to perfect your sauces to the tempering of the spices - it is all in there. True Indian cooking still original to her roots - that is Madhur Jaffrey's cooking to you.

Having said this, it is my sincere endeavor to give my recipes a personal touch and keep it simple. Here is my latest venture in the kitchen - a retake on the pepper chicken by bringing in flavors of corriander and spiciness of green chilly.

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 1 kg ( cleaned and cut)
2. Onion - 2 medium
3. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil

For marinade:

1. Pepper  - 2 tbsp coarsely ground
2. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
3. Cardamom - 6
4. Green Chilly - 7 (adjust as per your spice level)
5. Ginger - 1 tbsp
6. Garlic - 1 tbsp
7. Lemon juice - 3 tbsp

Method

• Grind together the coriander leaves, cardamom, green chilly, ginger and garlic to a coarse paste.
• In a bowl, mix together the ground paste, 2 tbsp of pepper powder, lemon juice and salt. Marinate the chicken pieces in this for about 20 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and toss in the chopped onions along with curry leaves. 
• Saute it for around 2 minutes on medium flame. 
• Add 2 tbsp of pepper powder and combine it well. Finally add the marinated chicken pieces. Keep it covered and cook on low flame until done.
• Garnish with fried green chilly for the zing and a dash of lemon juice.

You may also note - 

1. The onions should not be cooked to the extend that it becomes translucent.
2. A final squeeze of lime juice adds to the richness of the flavor.

Bread Kai Pola - Malabar Iftar recipe

It is simply amazing how simple ingredients come together to form a perfect cuisine. This Pola recipe combines egg with bread and plantain to form a delectable snack. It was only recently that I was introduced to Malabar cuisines and I am loving them. I definitely intend to try more of the Malabar flavors.

Quite co-incidentally, during my recent visit to India, my aunt, in order to save overripe plantains from rotting away introduced me to this recipe. I liked the combination and ventured to add bread also into the recipe to make it a wholesome dish.

Here is the recipe - a simple quick win snack.

Ingredients

1. Eggs - 5 no.s
2. Plantain - 4 medium size
3. Bread - 6 slices
4. Sugar - 2 tbsp
5. Milk - 1/4 cup
6. Salt - 1 pinch
7. Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Ghee - 2 - 3 tbsp
9. Cashewnuts - 2 tbsp chopped
10. Raisins - 2 tbsp

Method

Cut the plantain into cubes and shallow fry them in ghee until the yellow color of the plantain begins to turn brown. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins in the same ghee and keep aside.

Chop the bread into small squares. I used brown bread as the healthier option, you could substitute with white bread as well.

Break open the eggs and beat it well along with the milk, salt, sugar and cinnamon powder.

Add the fried plantains and the bread squares into the beaten eggs.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet and grease it with ghee. Pour in the mixture to the pan, top it with raisins and cashew and heat on low flame covered for 5 minutes. 

Pre-heat the oven for ten minutes at 180 degree centigrade and transfer the skillet to the oven at the same temperature.

Bake it uncovered until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Remove it from the oven and keep it covered with a aluminium foil for ten minutes before slicing and serving it.

You may also note - 

1. The riper the plantains you use, the better the taste
2. You could try a combination of fried and fresh plantains for better flavors
3. Once you add the bread squares, transfer to skillet immediately in order to prevent the bread from absorbing the entire mixture.

Spicy Egg Fry

In the hustle bustle of modern life, people find it difficult to cook up elaborate recipes. We look out of quick wins that soothe our taste buds after a stressful day. A couple of my bachelor friends requested for recipes that are quick and easy to whip up. So both the needs combined together, we decided to come up with some easy beginners recipes - that are soul satisfying in both the ways.

Here is a recipe with hard boiled egg that takes you a maximum of 5 minutes to make if you have boiled eggs with you. It is a spicy kick to the normal boiled eggs.

Ingredients

1. Egg - 2 no.s
2. Oil - 1 tbsp
3. Chilly powder - 2 tsp
4. Salt to taste

Method

Take 2 eggs in a saucepan with water just enough to cover the eggs and bring it to a boil. Simmer on medium flame for ten minutes and switch off the flame. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of tap water and let it cool. Peel the egg under running tap water - makes it easier for the shells to come off. Using a knife create slits on the egg so that the flavors can seep in.

Pour oil into a pan. Once the oil is warm, add a tsp of chilly powder. Just when the color starts to darken, add the eggs. Keep tossing the eggs in the oil, so that the entire egg is coated. Add sufficient salt and fry this for another 2-3 minutes on medium flame continuously tossing it.

Transfer this to a plate and devour it either as a snack in itself or along with bread of your choice.

You could drop the same eggs into a curry if you choose to make one or even add fried onions along with the eggs for an extra zing.

Peanut Butter Sandwich with fried banana and honey

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

fa la la la la, la la la la

Tis the season to be jolly,

fa la la la la, la la la la

Christmas is here and so is the holiday season. While we  prep up our lunch and dinner menus, lets not forget the breakfast! Quick and simple recipe which the young and the old will love alike - peanut butter sandwich with honey and fried banana.

This time round we made the sandwich with homemade peanut butter!That is quick and easy too, if you have not yet tried.

Before I move onto the recipe, let me remind you to make the festive season fun filled and all the more christmasy, do not forget to watch some Christmas movies. We have already begun ours with The Holiday and Polar Express! Just so Perfect!

So here is the recipe - 

Ingredients

1. Bread slices - 3
2. Banana  - 1
3. Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
4. Butter - 5 tbsp
5. Peanut butter
6. Honey

Method

Heat a pan and add butter to this. Once the butter melts, place the banana that has been sliced lengthwise onto the pan. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over this. Turn over the slices when it begins to change color. Once done, place it aside.

Slather peanut butter generously onto a toasted bread slice. Then layer the slice with the fried bananas. Pour a spoonful of honey over the slices. Repeat the same on another slice of bread and place it over the first one. Finally, place the last slice on the top, cut it diagonally and serve with a hot cup of coffee.

Water-'lemon' Mint Cooler

It is scorching summer in Dubai and everyone is out to find ways to escape the heat. From being holed up at homes and offices to cooler recipes to bring down the heat.

Watermelon is probably the best summer fruit. I remember the times when my mom used to serve us freshly cut watermelon when we were back from our evening games or when our father was back from his badminton games. Watermelon was the delicacy at our summer coaching camps as well.

I was on the lookout for a new cooler recipe when my cousin suggested this combination which she constantly uses to beat the Delhi heat.

As to the name of this cooler, my husband suggested it and I found it quite unique too:)

There you are - The Water-'lemon' Mint Cooler:

Ingredients

1. Watermelon - 2 cups de-seeded and diced
2. Cucumber - 1 cup diced
3. Lemon - 1 small size
4. Mint Leaves - 2 sprigs
5. Sugar - 2 tsp
6. Salt - 1/2 tsp
7. Ice cubes

Method

Add the diced watermelon, cucumber and mint leaves into a juicer and blend it.

Stir in the sugar, salt and add lemon juice.

Pour into two glasses and serve with ice cubes and garnish of mint.

You may also note - 

• Increase or decrease the sugar and salt quantity as per your choice.
• Remember to serve it fresh.
• Alternatively, you can just crush all the ingredients together using a fork or spoon instead of using a blender.

Onion Chicken

Did I not tel you that every dish has a story to tell.  This one connects my mother and my husband:)

It's my mothers quick recipe that she packs when either me or my sister travel. She happened to cook this once, when my husband was home. He just loved it  and could not believe it was so simple to make.  He named the dish " Onion Chicken" and I retained the name in this blog. Time and again he has asked me to replicate the recipe and I have failed time and again. He " claims" - Ria your dish is good but definitely not like your mother's. Well, today I had my mother send me the recipe and tried it out in my kitchen. Yet I could not match her dish. After all your mothers recipe is always special. Nevertheless we loved the chicken and had a hearty meal.

This is a very easy recipe ideal for working women who want to put together something for dinner after a long day at work. So, here goes - 

Ingredients

Chicken - 800 gms
Onion - 3 big - cubed
Kashmiri Chilly powder - 6 tsp ( gives more color and not as spicy)
Soya Sauce - 5 tsp
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves
Spring Onion (optional)
Salt
Oil

Preparation

1. Marinate the cut and cleaned chicken in 4 tsp chilly powder, 3 tsp soya sauce, salt and lime juice for about an hour.
2. Transfer the marinated chicken into a pan and cook it covered on low flame until tender. No water or oil needs to be added as water from the chicken oozes out and the chicken gets cooked.
3.  In another pan heat the oil and toss in the onions. Saute it for around 3 minutes and add in salt, remaining chilly powder and soya sauce.
4. Add the cooked chicken and coat it well with the sauce and cook it uncovered for another 4 minutes.
5. Garnish it with coriander leaves, spring onions and may be rings of onion too. Serve it hot with rotis.

Onion Chicken as I prefer to call it -  is ready. A really simple dish with minimum ingredients and quite fast too. 

PS: you can ignore the marination for an hour part if you are in a hurry, still retains the flavors.

Fish/Meen Thoran

I wanted my first ever recipe on this blog to be really special. I spent almost two weeks wondering what it could possibly be. I came up with a big zero and that is when I made this fish thoran. It was a quick decision. I had few slices of fish left in the refrigerator and definitely did not want to fry it. That is when I remembered a dish my mother used to make. Without a minutes delay I messaged her and the next minute I had my recipe and in the next 45 minutes my dish was ready :)

So I guess no dish can be more perfect than this to start off. A recipe from my mothers kitchen and  a dish my husband devoured.
Thoran is a Keralite dish that is generally eaten with steamed rice and usually made from vegetables. Here is my attempt at creating a seafood version of the traditional thoran which is medium spicy and trust me quite crunchy too.

Ingredients

Fish  - 3 whole medium sized Mackerel( Use the fish of your choice - but I found Mackerel to be really tasty when steamed)
Onion - 2 medium sized finely chopped
Coconut - 5 tbsp heaped (grated)
Ginger - 2 tsp finely chopped ( you would not enjoy biting into big ginger chunks)
Green Chilly - 1 tsp finely chopped
Curry leaf - 1 whole sprig
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil

Preparation

1. Marinate the mackerel in salt and turmeric powder and steam it till cooked. Alternatively you may also boil the fish in little water and make sure the entire water is dehydrated.
2. Once cooked, separate the fish from the bones. Ignore the very small delicate bones. Just mash the fish with your hands and keep this aside. ( Need not use a mixer for this)
3. In a Kadai, heat 2 tsp oil and throw in the finely chopped ginger and green chilly. Stir it for a minute and toss in the finely chopped onion. Stir till cooked.
4. Add the chilly powder and stir for a minute before you add in the cooked fish. Mix well and sprinkle the grated coconut. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Keep it on low flame for another five minutes. Adjust salt as per your taste.
5. Garnish - In a pan add little oil, toss in the curry leaves and once it splutters mix it with the dish. Your fish thoran is now ready to be served for lunch.

This is a very simple and quick recipe. Hope you do attempt making this and love the taste of it just like I did.