Fasting and feasting- Bhagar (spicy Barnyard millet) and Danyachi (Groundnut) Amti

Bhagar and Danyachi amti is a typical Maharashtrian feast made during religious fasts.This spicy dish is a great gluten free meal option even on non-fasting days

Back to School with Egg Bhurji Stuffed Pita Pockets

Egg Bhurji stuffed Pita pockets is a great for the kids lunch box or for a lazy weekend brunch or very handy as a meal/snack ‘on-the-go’. You can even involve the kids to make their own lunch/snack.

Forbidden treat-Kavuni Arisi Payasam (Black Rice pudding)

Kavuni Arisi Payasam or Black Rice Pudding is a specialty of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. This gorgeous deep violet hued sweet, is a prominent preparation of most festive fares of the Chettiars.

Rajasthani Papad Mangodi ki Kadhi for Regional Indian Home cooking

Happy New Year to all the readers of My Foodcourt!

After all the festive binge eating, it is time now to get back to simple hearty meals. My friend Garima has a recipe for a comforting Rajastahni Papad Mangodi ki Kadhi, perfect for the nippy weather.

I met Garima when she was staying in Nasik. I was thrilled to discover another food blogger from Nasik! But by the time we actually met, sadly it was time for her to move to Bombay. We met just for a couple of hours and we connected instantly. I felt like we have known each other forever! She has some fabulous Rajasthani recipes on her blog Café Garima and I have bookmarked many of them.

Here’s Garima with her authentic Rajasthani  Papad Mangodi ki Kadhi for my series on Regional Indian Home cooking.

Hello! I am Garima and blog at Café Garima. I am delighted to be doing a regional guest post for Madhuli at her lovely blog ‘My Foodcourt’. A great admirer of Madhuli’s gorgeous pictures and unusual recipes, I am fortunate enough to have met her and cherish the beautiful couple of hours we spent together.

It is indeed, a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me over Madhuli!

I present a traditional recipe from Rajasthan, Papad Mangodi ki Kadhi. I have fond childhood memories of Ma extracting butter from malai (cream) collected over a fortnight from atop the milk.  Kadhi was then made from the buttermilk, which was left behind after having extracted the butter. It is a tradition I have carried on in my household.

Kadhi made from fresh buttermilk has a lovely earthy flavour. Moong dal nuggets or mangodis are added to the buttermilk curry as it cooks and roasted papads/poppadums are added at the end. A tempering of asafoetida and mustard seeds completes this very Rajasthani delight, very apt for a winter afternoon.  Here is how I make it.

Papd Mangodi Kadhi Recipe
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
For the Kadhi
3 cups of  buttermilk/ 1 cup of curd  + 2 cups of water, beaten till smooth
2 Tbsp besan/gram flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp haldi/ turmeric powder
¼ cup mangodi
2-3 papads

For the tempering
1 Tbsp ghee
4-5 curry leaves
1 tsp rai/mustard seeds
¼ tsp jeera/cumin seeds
½ tsp red chilli powder

Method

Before you begin making the Kadhi, ensure that the buttermilk is at room temperature.

In a heavy bottomed vessel/kadhai add the salt and turmeric to the buttermilk  and mix well, ensuring there are no lumps. Bring this mixture to a boil stirring continuously. Once the mixture has reached a rolling boil, reduce the heat and cook covered for 25 minutes. Keep adding water in case the mixture gets too thick. About 20 minutes into the cooking time, add the mangodi and half a cup of water. Cook till mangodi is done. Take off the flame. Break the roasted papads into large pieces and add to the kadhi.
To temper, heat ghee and add asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin to it. Once the mustard begins to crackle, take off the heat and add curry leaves and red chilli powder. Spread over the Kadhi. Serve hot over rice or will chapatti.

Dulche de leche & Apple Satori

A can of Homemade Dulche de leche lurking in the fridge got me thinking about this Satori.

Satori is a Maharashtrian sweet flat bread, usually stuffed with Rava and Khoya/Mawa .The stuffed bread is then cooked on a griddle ,drizzled with homemade ghee.

I decided to swap the Dulche de leche for khoya. It’s the season of Apples and Apple pies, so some grated apples and spices were added to the filling. I love the McCormick Apple pie spice mix I bought a few years ago. The warm spices mingled well with the Apple and Dulche De leche stuffing. I made a small test batch of about 7-8 Satoris and they were gone in minutes. I think grated pumpkin should also work in place of Apples.

The Dulche de leche I used was very firm since it was sitting in my refrigerator for quite some time. A filling made with a runny or a sauce like consistency of Dulche de Leche may not be a good idea, since it will be difficult to stuff and roll out the Satori.Take care that it is firm enough.

If you would like to try something different this Diwali, here’s my fusion recipe for

Dulche de Leche & Apple Satori

Ingredients

For the cover

¾ cup Maida

¾ cup fine Rava (Semolina)

Small pinch salt

½  tbsp oil

~1/2 cup water (or more if required)

For the filling

2-3 tbsp Ghee

4 tbsp fine Rava/Semolina

2 Apples,peeled cored and grated (I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Red Shimla apple)

3-4 tbsp Homemade Dulche de leche

½ tsp Apple pie spice mix (or you can use Cinnamon, Nutmeg, All Spice powder)

Ghee to cook the Satori

Method

For the dough

Boil water with the oil. Cool .

Mix the Maida, Rava and salt in a bowl.

Gradually add the water till it all just comes together.

Knead into a soft pliable dough.

Cover with a kitchen towel and keep aside for half an hour.

To make the filling

Heat the ghee in a pan.

Add the Rava and roast for 2-3 minutes .

Add the grated apples and mix nicely. Add 1-2 tbsp water and cook covered for 3-4 minutes or till the apples are cooked and water evaporates.

Cool slightly. Add in the Dulche de Leche, mix well.

Refrigerate for half an hour.

Pinch off 7-8 balls from the dough. Flatten the ball into a disc.

Roll out the ball a little. Add a tablespoon and half of the stuffing in the centre.

Bring together the edge and Seal it, like you would for a stuffed paratha.

Dust the work surface with a little flour.

Gently Roll out into a ~4 ½ inch disc, taking care that the filling does not come out. Don’t make them very thin.

Cook on medium heat on a hot griddle on both sides, till light brown spots appear.

Repeat this process to make the rest of the Satoris.

These can be cooled and kept in an airtight container at this stage.

When ready to serve, heat them on the griddle, drizzle homemade ghee liberally on both sides and serve.

 

Fast Food- Orange glazed baby Sweet Potatoes and Plantain

I don’t usually observe any religious fasts. The popular local fasting food-Sabudana does not agree with me much. But I like to explore the traditional fasting recipes, that use alternative grains and vegetables. I like Sweet potatoes and I keep substituting them for potatoes. They are usually available in the market only during these religious fasting days. With all the ongoing festivities and fasts, Sweet Potatoes are abundantly available now.

While growing up, my mom often made these ‘Ratalyache Kaap’ (pan fried Sweet Potatoes with jaggery). I don’t have a sweet tooth and I find them too sweet for my taste….and hence my little twist to the Ratalyache Kaap –Orange glazed kaap. The addition of a  tangy citrusy burst, rock salt and chilli flakes beautifully balance the sweetness. I have been experimenting with green,unripe plantains and hence I tossed in a cooked unripe plantain along with the Sweet Potatoes. Date syrup adds a rich, molasses like taste to the kaap.The pomegranate and pumpkin seeds are added just to give it more freshness and crunch. You can use any other seeds or nuts that are ‘allowed’. I have used baby Sweet Potatoes because they looked cute and they cook quickly. In case you don’t find them, you can use the regular ones and alter the cooking time.

I have realized that the best way to update the blog regularly, is to participate in online food events :).The deadlines provide the necessary push for me to post recipes on time 🙂

The theme this month @TheHub is ‘Sweet Recipes & Fasting Recipes’ that are usually made during these 9 holy days of Navratri. Orange glazed Sweet Potatoes and Plantains is my entry to The KitchenAid India Navratri Challenge for The Hub @ Archana’s Kitchen.

That also reminds me, to let you know that I was invited to contribute recipes at Archana’s Kitchen, which I gladly accepted and you can now find my recipes on Archanas kitchen here

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for Orange glazed baby Sweet Potatoes and Plantain

Serves-2

Ingredients

7-8 baby Sweet potatoes, washed thoroughly and sliced  (Do not peel)

1 large green, unripe plantain

Juice and zest of 1 large orange

2 tbsp Date syrup

½ tsp grated jaggery

Rock salt to taste

¼ tsp Chilli flakes/black pepper powder (optional)

2 tbsp Ghee

Pomegranate seeds and Pumpkin seeds for garnish (or any other seeds/ nuts)

Method

Cook the plantain with the skin in a pressure pan with salted water, for 1 whistle.

Cool and peel the skin and slice.

In a non- stick pan, heat the Ghee

Add the sliced baby Sweet Potatoes

Stir to coat the slices with Ghee.

Cook covered for 2-3 minutes on low flame.

Meanwhile, whisk together the orange juice,zest,Date syrup,jaggery and rock salt.

Add this to the Sweet potatoes and cook uncovered on medium flame, till  the liquid thickens.

After about 3-4 minutes of cooking, add the sliced plantain and mix so that the orange glaze coats all the slices.

Sprinkle the chilli flakes or pepper powder if using.

Serve hot or cold garnished with Pomegranate and Pumpkin seeds

Modur Pulav for Regional Indian Home cooking series#1- a guest post by Anshie of Spice Roots

We are celebrating Nine years of Homestyle cooking at My Foodcourt! I have always been fascinated by the variety of the regional delicacies cooked in Indian homes. When I started blogging, we had a few events like the RCI that showcased regional cooking and which also introduced me to the different delicacies cooked in Indian homes. Instead of hosting an event, I thought of  inviting my blogger friends from all over India and the world to share their classic, homestyle recipes.

I haven’t been fortunate enough to experience much of Kashmiri homestyle cooking, so I thought of kick-starting this series on Regional Indian Home cooking, with the heavenly Kashmiri cuisine. When I thought of picturesque Kashmir and its rich cuisine, I thought of my gorgeous friend, Anshie who blogs at Spice roots -where she writes about made from scratch recipes, immersed in spices and stories in order to help making eating home cooked food a lifestyle. I have been eyeing some of her recipes like Monji Hakh or the Monji Achar and plan to make them soon! Anshie was kind enough to accept my invitation instantly and brings to you a celebratory dish Modur Pulav from her homeland.Thank you Anshie for your lovely post, the fabulous recipe and the gorgeous photos.

Dear Readers, Please welcome  Anshie and I hope you all enjoy discovering India’s culinary diversity through this series on Regional Indian Home cooking.

_________________________________________________________________________

Hi I am Ansh and I blog at Spiceroots. I write about made from scratch recipes, immersed in spices and stories in order to help making eating home cooked food a lifestyle. I hope to inspire a love for spices & home cooking and through my blog I try to stay connected to my roots.

Madhuli invited me over to be a guest at her cozy, beautiful blog space to celebrate Regional Indian Home cooking. She requested that I make a home style Kashmiri dish to introduce to you all. Since she is celebrating completing NINE years of food blogging, I decided to make a special dish from my home – Modur Pulav or the Sweet Pulav.

In Kashmir, Modur Pulav is how a feast begins. It is served as the first dish in any celebratory meal. Infused with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bayleaves, flavored with aromatic saffron; cooked in ghee and sugar and bejeweled with dried fruits and nuts and a heavy dash of peppercorns. The dish looks, feels and tastes celebratory! A little goes a long way, since it is really sweet and  since it’s not a main dish.

I wanted this dish to hit all the right notes and though I have cooked the Modur Pulav a few times, I always thought it didn’t taste like my mom’s. So I looked up Anita’s Blog, A Mad Tea Party and found the missing ingredient from my dish. I was cooking it all along without the dried coconut.  Once I found the missing link, I made it again and voila! So don’t skimp on the dried fruits and nuts. They are essential to the dish.

What better way to celebrate a friend and her accomplishments than share a treasured recipe from the place I celebrate everyday. I am glad to have connected with Madhuli through social media and her blog. Her love for food is showcased through her pictures and recipes. Thank you for having me over to share your space, Madhuli.

Modur Pulav Recipe:

Equipment – A Medium size pot with a tight fitting lid

Ingredients

2 c basmati rice

6 c water

1/3c Ghee

4 green cardamoms

½ Stick of cinnamon

4 cloves

½ C almonds

1/4 C sliced dried coconut

½ C raisins

4- 6 sliced dates

2 tej patta ( Indian bay leaf)

1 tsp peppercorns

2 C sugar

a big pinch of saffron

a pinch of sugar

3/4 C warm milk

Instructions

Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside for a few minutes.

While the rice is resting, bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a 5- 6 Qt pot.

Meanwhile, grind the saffron with the pinch of sugar and then add it to the warm milk.

Add in the rice into the boiling water and cook it to al dente (about 5 – 7 minutes)  like you would for a biryani.

Drain and keep the rice aside.

Heat the ghee and add in the cloves,  peppercorns, cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon. Saute for a bit and then add in the nuts , dates and raisins. Add in the sugar and then add in the milk with the saffron. Cook until the sugar dissolves and you have a milky sugar syrup.

Using the same 6 qt pot as before, add the rice back into it. Now add the sugar syrup and nut mix into the rice. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low heat for 45 min to an hour. Alternately you can bake it in the oven at 350*F for 20 – 25 minutes.

Spicy Crepe Packets

These Crepe Packets have been on my mind for quite some time. I had seen crepe packets with a fish filling (I think) on a food show on TV some time back. I forgot to note down the recipe and also forgot where I saw it, but the idea kept hovering in my head.

There is an ever hungry lad in my house who, sometimes, needs to be fed every hour! The little lady on the other hand is very very choosy. Finding a balance between their diverse tastes and wants is quite a challenge. One rainy afternoon (yesterday actually 🙂 ) when the kids had a holiday, they pestered me to make something ‘nice & tasty’ and so the crepe packets were made! I am happy to report that these Spicy Crepe Packets got a thumbs up from both of them and both of them thought they were ‘nice & tasty’.

Since I did not remember the recipe I saw, I used a basic crepe recipe. Mushrooms & Corn are loved by the kids in any form. So they went into the filling. The veggies were flavoured with a Cajun spice mix and fresh Oregano from our garden. But as you will see from the recipe, pretty much any seasoning or masala mix or for that matter any filling of your choice should be ok. The lad had the Crepe packets with Sriracha Sauce while the little lady preferred it with Tomato sauce. I thought they were good on their own too.

The crepe packets were accompanied by a glass of Hot Chocolate (made with a Homemade Hot chocolate mix) and the awesome weather !

Participating in food events provides the much needed motivation for me to blog regularly or I just keep posting photographs on My Foodcourt’s  FB page or Twitter or Instagram ( If you are not already following me, please do so now 🙂 Thank you)

These Spicy Crepe Packets is my second entry to the Monsoon Snack Recipe Challenge @ The Hub hosted by Archana’s Kitchen

Thanks Archana, the Hub is providing the much needed blogging motivation for me 🙂

Here’s the recipe for Spicy Crepe Packets

Makes ~ 8-9 Crepe packets

Ingredients

For the crepes

½  cup Plain Flour/Maida

¼  Cup Whole wheat Flour

¼ Cup Oat Flour (Ground Instant Oats)

1 Tbsp melted butter or Ghee

2 eggs

½ tsp salt

½ cup milk

~ ¾ cup  water (more or less to get a thin consistency batter)

Pinch of baking powder (optional)

For the filling

1 packet button Mushrooms cleaned, stems removed and finely chopped (~ 1 cup chopped mushrooms)

¼ cup Sweet Corn Kernels

1 Onion finely chopped

1 small Bell pepper finely chopped (Red/Yellow or both)

2 Cloves Garlic

2 tsp Cajun Spice mix (I used Spice Supreme)

½ tsp Chilli Flakes

Salt to taste

Grated Cheese as required

Few Fresh or dried Oregano leaves

2 tsp Oil

½ egg for brushing and sealing the crepe packets

3-4 tbsp Ghee or butter for frying the packets

Method

For the filling

Heat Oil in a pan.

Add the Garlic and onion and sauté for few minutes.

Add the corn and cook covered for 4-5 minutes

Add the mushrooms and cook on high flame till the water evaporates (2-3 minutes).

Add the bell peppers and cook 1-2 minutes more.

Add the spice mix, salt, chilli flakes and oregano leaves.

Mix well and keep aside.

For the crepes

Sift the flours, salt and baking powder together.

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or by hand .The consistency of the batter should be thin. Add more water if required. Sieve to remove any lumps.

Keep the batter aside for ½ hr to 45 mins.

Heat a nonstick pan.

Pour a ladleful of batter and swirl the pan immediately to spread the batter evenly. (I used a 6” non stick pan)

Cook for 30-40 seconds or brown spots just appear on the bottom

Take it out the crepe and place it on a flat surface.

Repeat the procedure for more crepes

To make the crepe packets

Place a crepe, cooked side up on a flat surface.

Place about 1 tbsp filling in the centre. Grate some cheese over it.

Fold 1 side of the crepe over the filling and brush with egg.

Fold the other side and brush again with egg.

Fold the ends to make a packet and press slightly to seal.

Brush with egg on the folded side as well as the other side.

Heat 1 tbsp butter or ghee in the same non stick pan and place the crepe packets, folded side down .

Fry on both sides till brown.

Repeat for other packets.

Serve Hot immediately with Sauce or Chutney of choice.

A Plum post!

The thing that I like most about summers is the bounty of colorful fruits that it offers. Not just mangoes but Jamuns, Litchis,peaches apricots, cherries, plums we have been savoring them all! The lad is a fresh fruit lover and loves snacking on them. The little lady of our house on the other hand is a mango addict but refuses to eat any other fruit. The only way to feed her fruits other than mangoes and bananas is to sneak them in shakes or smoothies.

The gorgeous weather (yes finally it’s raining here!) has increased the frequency of the kids’ hunger pangs. That also means my mind is constantly thinking of recipes to satiate the ever hungry kids with ‘different’ yet wholesome food. (I wonder how my mother managed when we were growing up?)

Litchis went into salads and Granitas when it was warmer. Peaches/apricots in crisps and parfaits.

Plums  were a bit tricky to sneak in -since the boy loves tart fruits but no sweets for him. The daughter wont eat tart fruits but loved her sweets.

I had some leftover coconut milk from a Thai curry made earlier. On a whim I decided to make Sol Kadhi sans the Sol-The kokum. So you can call this ‘Plum Kadhi’ instead. The end result was as appetizing as the quintessential Maharashtrian favourite Sol Kadhi (have blogged about it here earlier).

Plum Kadhi recipe

Makes ~ 4 cups

Ingredients

1  1/2  cups Coconut milk

~ 2  1/2 cups water

2 Plums pitted and chopped

¼ tsp green chilli paste

¼ tsp garlic paste

Black Salt to taste

Cumin powder and coriander or mint leaves for garnishing

Method

Blend all the ingredients except cumin and coriander/mint leaves together.

Chill and Garnish with cumin powder/coriander/mint leaves.

 

To satisfy the little on I made Plum Karanji-handpies. I chose to bake instead of deep fry the local favourite sweet Karanji with a Plum twist. A  layered cover (also called as Satha/Sathyachya karanjya in Marathi) wherein I substituted half the quantity of  all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and filled it with a sweet and sour plum filling. The end result was a stunning (specially when cut), crisp karanji with an unsual  sweet -sour  taste- almost a cross between a karanji and a hand pie and hence they are Plum Karanji-handpies !

Plum Karanji recipe

Makes ~ 6 Karanjis

Ingredients

For the cover

¾ cup All purpose flour

¾ cup Whole wheat flour

3 tsp fine semolina

4 tbsp ghee melted

2 tsp icing sugar

Pinch of salt

~ ½ cup milk or enough to knead a tight dough

 For the filling

7-8 Crisp plums, pitted and chopped

3 tbsp scrapped fresh coconut

2 tbsp crushed/powdered cashewnuts

¼ tsp clove powder

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

~ 6 tbsp powdered jaggery (or to taste)

 For layering

4 tsp ghee

2 tsp Cornflour

Cinnamon sugar for dusting (optional)

Method:

For the filling:

In a pan add the plum, coconut and jaggery. Cook on a low flame  till the liquid evaporates (~ 4-5 minutes)

Add the cashewnut powder and the spices.

Mix well and cool completely.

 For the layering mixture:

Whisk the ghee  a few times till it becomes fluffy.

Add cornflour and whisk again.

 For the Cover

In the bowl of the food processor add all the cover ingredients except the milk. Pulse 1-2 times

Add the milk slowly till a firm dough is formed. Knead into a ball.

Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

Halfway through the waiting time heat the oven to 180 deg C.

After half hour, cut the dough into 4 equal parts.

Form a ball of 1 dough piece and roll out into a thin circular disc ~ 6 inch diameter

Keep aside, covered.

Roll out the 2^nd dough ball to a thin circular disc like a chapati.

Spread about a tsp of the ghee cornflour mixture evenly on the rolled out dough.

Cover this with the rolled out chapatti no 1.

Repeat the with the 3^rd and 4^th dough ball. Total you have 4 rolled out chapatti like discs layered with the ghee-cornflour mixture.

Put a tsp of the cornflour-ghee mixture on top of the 4^th layer.

Make a tight roll of the layered chapattis, like a Swiss roll.

Trim both the edges and cut the rest of the roll into 6 pieces approximately 1 inch each.

Cover the other cut pieces till you roll out and fill the first one

With the cut side down roll out each piece into a circle like a poori

Place 1 tsp of the plum filling in the centre of the poori

Cover one side of the poori with the other into a semicircle-karanji shape.

Seal the ends using a fork or a fluted cutter

Place on a greased baking tray and bake till golden in color (~ 15 mins)

Dust with Cinnamon sugar mixture (optional)

Serve hot

 

With just 10 days to go for the first Indian Food Bloggers Meet ,the IFBM FB page is abuzz with all the upcoming excitement.There are several contests for participating bloggers being held as a run-up to the actual meet.

I am sending the ‘Plum Kadhi‘ and the ‘Plum Karanji Handpies‘ to the KitchenAid Plum contest

Tomato Saar

Tomato Saar is a quintessential Maharashtrian preparation, also a ‘must have’ dish for most of our festive fares.

Tomato is paired with coconut and then tempered with a few spices to make a sweet-spicy-tangy ‘soup’ usually as an accompaniment to steamed rice, although it can also be served like a soup on its own.

Every Maharashtrian household has a ‘unique’ recipe for Tomato Saar.  This recipe is my mom’s and I have followed exactly as she makes it. (I am surprised that after all these years I have missed blogging about it here on My Foodcourt!)

In other news, after my earlier rant about the camera, the DSLR is finally home and being played with. I am still discovering the unlimited features, so you will soon see a lot of my ‘discoveries’ with the same either here on the blog or on the FB page here.

Back to my mom’s recipe for Tomato Saar:

(This makes about 13-14 cups of saar)

Ingredients

9-10 medium sized ripe red tomatoes

3/4^th  cup fresh grated coconut

2 ½ tsp grated jaggery (or more according to sweetness desired)

½ tsp red chilli powder (optional)

Salt to taste

For the tempering:

2 tsp Ghee/oil (homemade ghee tastes the best)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumene seeds

1/4 tsp asafetida (a pinch)

1-2 dry red chillies broken into pieces

10-12 curry leaves torn into pieces with hand

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Cook the tomatoes in a pressure pan until soft and they lose their ‘rawness’ (one whistle and then 5 mins on sim)

Meanwhile grind the coconut to a fine paste using little water.

Once the tomatoes are cooked, cool and remove skin and chop off the head.

Grind the tomatoes along with the coconut to a smooth paste. The coconut and tomatoes should blend together.

You can sieve the paste through a mesh at this stage. I like to skip this step and directly use the paste as it is.

Add sufficient water to the paste to bring it to a soupy consistency.

Add the jaggery,salt and chilli powder and bring it to a boil.

In a small pan/kadai, heat the ghee/oil.

Add the mustard seeds.

Add the cumene seeds once the mustard seeds splutter.

Switch off the gas and add the asafetida, curry leaves and the red chillies.

Add this tempering to the saar.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot rice or just as it is like a soup.