Holi special Recipes

*****होली हैं *****

1. PuraNpoLi
2. Gujarati Puran PoLi
3. Ubbati (Manglore style Puran Poli)
2. Katachi Aamti
3. Thandai
4. Thandai Masala
5. Saffron Thandai Kulfi




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Tea infused Marbled Eggs - For Chinese New Year

 

Gudiya has several friends with Chinese heritage. So we knew way in advance that Chinese New Year was on the way. A friend also shared her delicacy - Steamed dumpling wrapped in Bamboo leaves yesterday(I have shared the picture on Twitter).

Gudiya wanted to make something special to chime in the Chinese New Year. We thought of making Marbled eggs. I took my friend's guidance and thought it can easily be done. Personally, I don't care for eggs but I love that intricate web-like pattern that gets formed on the eggs. I wanted to try it.

I didn't have any special Chinese tea at home, so I used just the regular tea that I had at home (Ahem, Wagh Bakri Chai!)

Tea Infused Marbled Eggs
Ingredients
4 eggs
Water as needed

To infuse the water
1 tbsp. Black Tea Powder
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 knob of ginger
6 black pepper corn
1/2 tsp Chinese All Spice

Method
1. Bring eggs to boil. Switch gas to low and simmer for 15 minutes to get hard-boiled eggs. Switch the gas off. Cover and let it cool down completely.

2. Take one egg out at a time. Thump it delicately on a chopping board so that all the shells look cracked. DO NOT PEEL THE SHELL.

3. Repeat step 2 for all the remaining eggs.

3. Discard water in which the eggs were boil. Take fresh water, enough to submerge the eggs completely. Do not add eggs yet. Add tea powder, soy sauce, ginger, peppercorn and Chinese All Spice. Bring to boil.

4. Now, drop the eggs carefully. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Switch off the gas. Cover and let it stand for 4-6 hours. Make sure that the eggs are submerged uniformly.

6. Take one egg out, and start peeling off the shell.

7. Look at that beautiful pattern on egg and also on the shell.

8. You can slice the eggs, or serve it whole - sprinkle some salt and pepper if you like.

Note -
1. You can add or omit the spices (peppercorn, all spice, ginger) per your preference. But Black Tea and Soy sauce are needed for infusion.
2. Since I didn't have any fancy Chinese Tea at home, I used "Wagh Bakri" Chai. :-D


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Sankrant Special Recipes

तिळगुळ घ्या आणि गोड गोड बोला

Some Makar Sankranti Special Recipes -
1. Microwave Tilache Ladoo
2. Tilwali Bhakri
3. Bhogichi Bhaji
4. Gul Poli
5. Bhugga
6. Goad Khichdi with bananas (coming soon)






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Thanksgiving special American Desi Recipes

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday of November in the United States. This festival celebrates harvest while paying tribute to the family and heritage. This is the festival to reflect upon the many blessings in our life and give thanks. Most commonly featured fruit/vegetables/meat are Green beans, Cranberry, Pumpkin, Pecans, Butternut Squash, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Black Beans, Corn & turkey.

 

This is my attempt to use these American harvest vegetables and create dishes with a desi twist while paying homage to my own Indian roots.

Cranberries

Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Methamba
Cranberry Tea Bread

Zucchini Cranberry Handvo


Black Beans

Thanksgiving Pohe

Black Bean -Corn Salad
Black Beans Flatbread
Black Beans Burrito
Black Beans Stew
Black Beans-Corn Salad
Thanksgiving Pohe
Fiesta Bowl


Butternut Squash/Pumpkin

Butternut Squash Soup with an Indian twist

Butternut Squash Masala

Butternut Squash Stew

Butternut Quinoa

Pumpkin - chocolate chip Bread

Bhoplyache Gharge/Pumpkin Puris

Pumpkin Thepla

Kola na halwa/Pumpkin Pudding

Bhoplyacha Rassa/Pumpkin Curry
Mumri/Pumpkin Bhakri from Goa

Bhoplyache Bharit/Salad

Pumpkin Ericherry

Sukun nu Shaak/Pumpkin Black Eyed Peas Curry

Kashiphal Bhart/Pumpkin Salad

Pumpkin Peanuts Bhaaji

 

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Knot Rolls

Sweet Potato Mergol/Pudding

 

Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes with Indian Spices

Purple Potatoes Poriyal

Batatya Gojju/Salad
Baked Potato
Hasselback Potatoes


Corn

Blue corn Makke di Roti/Bhakri
Oven roasted Sweet Corn
Sweet Corn Chicken Soup
Makai nu Shaak
Chanki
Makyachi Usal
Boiled Corn
Roasted Sweet Corn Chaat
Corn on Cob Curry


Green Beans

Green Beans Thoran

Green Beans Salad/Koshimbeer

Green Beans Upkari

Pondicherry Green Beans
Farasbichee Bhaji
Alu Beans Bhaji from Orissa
Farsabi-Matkichi Bhaaji from Maharashtra


Turkey

Turkey Kheema Mutter

 

 

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Happy New Year - Vikram Samvat 2071

Image Courtesy - 1234Greetings.com

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Happy Diwali

Image Courtesy - 123Diwali.com

 

Happy Diwali!!

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Diwali Special Recipes

Faraalache Taat From my home to yours -

From the top left corner: Pohyancha Kachcha Chiwda, Shev, Kadboli, Anarasa, Shankarpale, Chakli, Karanji (in the center)

Chiwda

1. Paatal Pohyancha Chiwda
2. Cornflakes cha Chiwda
3. Sangli che Bhadang
4. Rice Crispies cha Chiwda
5. Kamut cha Chiwda
6. Millet cha Chiwda
7. Mamra
8. Lasniya Mamra

Chakli

1. Chakkuli
2. BhajNichi Chakli
3. Chakri
4. Karwari Chakli

Ladoo

1. Raghavdas Ladoo
2. Besan Ladoo
3. Moong Flour Ladoo
4. Laadva
5. Rava Besan Ladoo

Shankarpale/Shakkarpara

1. Baked Shankarpale
2. Godache Shankarpale
3. Tikhat Shankarpale
4. Khare Shankarpale/Namakpara
5. Methi Paara

Barfi/Vadi/Paak

1. Badam Katli
2. Magaj
3. Mohanthal
4. Khajoor Paak
5. Amrut Paank
6. Kaju Katli
7. Badami Halwa

 Other Spicy Delicacies

1. Shev
2. Mathiya
3. Khari Puri
4. Muth na Khakra
5. Suvali
6. Kadboli

Other Sweet Delicacies

1. Kaju Puri
2. Karanji/Ghugra
3. Chirote
4. Anarsay

Diwali Special Desserts

1. Kansaar
2. Diwali Ice Cream

शुभ दीपावली!

(Happy Diwali!)

सर्वेत्र सुखिनः सन्तु!

(Let everyone be blessed!)

Coconut Modak

One of the simplest ways to make Modak or Laddoos is using Milkmaid. So for all those home cooks like me, who are pressed for time, and still want to make Naivedya for Ganapati Bappa, I am sharing today's recipe of Coconut Modak.

This recipe is derived from the coconut ladoo recipe in the Milkmaid recipe Booklet.

 

 

Coconut Modaks - Makes 21 big or 30 small Modaks
Indian Coconut Truffles
Ingredients
1 tin Milkmaid or Any sweetened condensed milk (14 oz. can)
2 cups unsweetened, desiccated/dry coconut
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Garnish
9 green cardamoms, peeled, powdered
Few threads of  saffron
1 very small piece of nutmeg, grated

Method
1. Pour sweetened condensed milk in a nonstick kadhai.

2. Switch gas to low.
3. Pour a cup of coconut. Stir well.

4. Add another cup of coconut and ricotta cheese.

5. The mixture still has a lot of moisture at this stage.

5. Keep stirring on a medium heat till mixture thickens.

6. Add crushed cardamom, nutmeg and saffron. Keep stirring till all the moisture is evaporated.

7. Let it cool completely.
8. Grease modak moulds. Make modaks. Or using greased palms, roll into uniformly shaped ladoos.

Note -
1. Use charoli, almond slivers or pistachios slivers for garnish - if you like.
2. Above proportion gave me 21 small modaks and 9 small laddoos.

गणपती  बाप्पा मोरया 

Ganapati Bappa, Kensigton Market Area, Toronto, Canada

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Ganesh Chaturthi special recipes

This post is my collection of some of the Ganesh Chaturthi special recipes that I have blogged so far or I may blog in near future.

Recipes
(नैवेद्य)

Ukadiche Modak

Mango Modak

TaLlele Modak
Khavyache Modak/Mawa Modak
Panchkaday
Khirapat
Shirvalya/Shevya Rosu
Saat Kappi Ghavan
Laadva

Mulik

PaatoLi
Satyanarayanacha Shira
Bhugga

Ganesh Chaturthi Meals
(नैवेद्याचे  ताट )

Cheppi Kheer

Rushipanchmi chi bhaaji

Khuta

Varan-Bhaat-Toop-Limboo
Batatyachi Suki Bhaji
Ambat Batat
Shevyachi Kheer
Puri
Moggan Ghasshi
Chanyan Ghasshi
Olya Vatanyachi Usal
Khamang Kakdi
Panchamrut
Masalay Bhaat


Spicy Prasad
(तिखट प्रसाद )

Kaalya Undo/Dahi Pohe

Danyachi UsaL

 

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Berrylicious Trifle Pudding

Gudiya wanted to bake a sheet cake for the American Independence Day. I didn't want anything too sweet to remain in the refrigerator. Too much sugar in sight only prompts everyone to eat more sugar. So I wanted to go light. I suggested this berrylicious pudding. Gudiya was thrilled to know that she can assemble the whole thing without any help from me.

Berrylicious Trifle Pudding
Ingredients
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
1 Angel Food Cake (loaf or half tube cake)
1 tub CoolWhip

Method
1. In a big container or bowl, arrange in all the ingredients in layers.
2. Garnish with remaining CoolWhip and berries on top.
3. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Serve chilled.

Note -
1. Any fruit of your choice can be used.



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Mixed Daal Appe

I recently came to know from my aunt that these appes are made especially on the Varadlakshmi vrat day on a specific Shravan Friday. So I decided to make them.

Mixed Daal Appe - Count 40
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup urad daal
1/2 cup chana daal

salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 green chilies, minced (optional)
1/2" ginger, peeled & grated or minced
3 sprigs curry leaves, torn

Oil for frying

Method
1. Soak both daals after rinsing for 6 hours.
2. Drain and grind to a paste using minimal water.
3. Add salt and cover. Set aside for 6 hours.
4. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except oil
5. Heat appe paatra/kayili. Add oil as needed.
6. Pour a spoonful of batter in all the cavities of the pan. Cover.
7. Cook on a medium low flame for about 5 minutes. Drizzle oil as needed.
8. Flip and cook again without covering with the lid.
9. Serve with chutney of your choice.

Note -
1. Fry/roast appe patiently. If high flame is used for cooking, the outer layer will be burnt and the batter will still be raw inside. Use low/medium flame for cooking.

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Hot Cross Buns

Gudiya learned to play recorder last year. It was the part of her school curriculum. So after coming home, she started teaching my mom - who was visiting us and me. Although we enjoy music tremendously, we have not played any musical instrument so far. But our teacher didn't give up on us.

I am happy to report that my mom and I passed the very first step and earned the coveted yellow belt from Gudiya. Now, all three generations can play B-A-G, B-A-G, G-G-G-G, A-A-A-A, B-A-G which, by the way is Hot Cross Buns tune.

To celebrate, I baked - you guessed it - Hot Cross Buns! I went to my favorite recipe site - Cooking Light and tried to lighten the recipe a bit. Please excuse the quality of the pictures below, I had to maneuver using the basic camera due to a camera mishap few days ago. The recipe is as-is from the cooking light and due credit is given to the creator and the website.

 

 

Hot Cross Buns

Rolls:

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried currants

1/4 cup warm orange juice (120° to 130°) $

Click to see savings

19 ounces all-purpose flour (about 4 1/4 cups), divided

4.5 ounces whole-grain pastry flour (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon grated orange rind $

Click to see savings

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg

1 package quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 cup warm fat-free milk (120° to 130°) $

Click to see savings

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten $

Click to see savings

Cooking spray $

Click to see savings

1 tablespoon water

1 large egg white $

Click to see savings

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon 2% reduced-fat milk $

Click to see savings

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. 1. To prepare rolls, combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Drain fruit in a colander over a bowl, reserving fruit and juice.
2. 2. Weigh or lightly spoon 18.5 ounces (about 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour and pastry flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, salt, and next 5 ingredients (through yeast) in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached; mix until combined. Combine reserved orange juice, fat-free milk, honey, butter, and 2 eggs in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. With mixer on, slowly add milk mixture to flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed 7 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Add reserved fruit. Knead 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic; add enough of remaining 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm, dry place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide into 24 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Place rolls in muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.
3. 
4. 3. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. 4. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white; stir with a whisk. Gently brush rolls with egg white mixture. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden, rotating pans once during baking. Remove from pans; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
6. 5. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until warm. Spoon glaze into a zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag; snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag. Pipe a cross on top of each warm roll.
7. 

Sidney Fry, MS, RD, Cooking Light
APRIL 2012

Credits
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/hot-cross-buns-50400000120213/
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Happy New Year!!

नविन वर्षांच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा

Happy New Year

Above "Gudhi" is made by the talented children at "Avhan Palak Sangh". Thanks dear children, for brightening our new year with your creativity and art. May God bless you.




Happy Gudhi Padva - Gudhi Padva is the new year celebrated by Maharashtrians by hoisting "Gudhi" near the house. The same day is celebrated in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as Ugadhi and also by Sindhis as Cheti Chand as mentioned in the above link.

Gudhi is a bamboo stick on which a festive cloth & copper kalasha/pot is kept. It is decorated with flowers - mostly marigolds. The main door is decorated with marigold flowers and mango leaves - Toran. A festive lunch is made to mark the new year. Mostly, my mom makes Shrikhand on this day.

The legend has it that this was the day, Ram returned Ayodhya after His exile of 14 years. So people of Ayodhya celebrated this day by hoisting Gudhis to welcome their beloved prince.

Gool PoLi - Jaggery Flatbread

 

 

 My maushi - maternal aunt - makes excellent gooL poLi - jaggery flatbread. She gave me her precise measurements for making exactly 5 gooL-poLies. This is one of the delicacies that is made on the Makar Sankranti day. This is a vegan Indian sweet.

 

GooL PoLi - (5 count)

गूळ पोळी 

Jaggery Flatbread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp. hot oil

water as needed to knead  stiff dough

 

Stuffing

1 cup grated jaggery

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

2 tbsp. besan/chickpea flour

3-4 green cardamoms, peeled & powdered

1 tbsp. oil

 

Rice flour as needed

 

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dough. Add water carefully to knead a stiff dough ball. Cover and set aside.

2. Grate jaggery. Set aside.

3. Roast chickpea flour on a medium low flame, till it is a shade darker. Make sure it's not burnt.

4. Roast sesame seeds for a minute or so. Take off before it starts spluttering out of the pan!

5. Mix jaggery, chickpea flour/besan, sesame seeds, cardamom powder and oil to make the stuffing. Mix well till there are no lumps of jaggery.

6. Make 10 uniform balls of the wheat flour dough. and 5 uniform parts of the jaggery mixture.

7. Roll two small discs using 2 balls of the dough. Place jaggery mixture on one disc. Place another disc on top and press a little, making sure that jaggery mixture is completely covered.

8. Dredge in the rice flour as needed, and roll into a thin flatbread.

9. Heat tawa/pan. Place the rolled flatbread carefully.

10. Roast on both the sides.

11. Serve warm GooL PoLi.

 

Note -

1. If you desire, you can use a shankarpali cutter to give a zigzag edge around the poli after it is rolled into big disc.

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!& Season's Blessings!

Double Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies

I got this recipe from the packet of Bob's Mill's Muesli.

I used two types of Chocolate Chips for this recipe.

Double Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies
Ingredients
Cream
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

Sift
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

You will also need
1 cup Bob's Mill Muesli
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
1. Sift all purpose flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract.
3. Add egg and mix again.
4. Add dry flour mixture to the wet mixture.
5. Add muesli and both types of chocolate chips.
6. Preheat oven 375F.
7. Drop a spoonful of cookie mixture onto a greased baking tray.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
9. Cool the cookies on the cooling rack.

Note -
1. Use butter at the room temperature.
2. Above recipe yields about 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

Recipe Credit
Bob's Red Mill Muesli Cookies





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Ricotta Cheese "Mawa" Modak

I have already blogged about the recipe of "Bhugga" using ricotta cheese. I used the same concept and made "khavyache"/Mawa Modak for this Ganesh Chaturthi.

Use full fat/whole milk ricotta cheese for richer flavor.

Ricotta Cheese "Mawa" Modak - (Count 12)
Ricotta Cheese Sweet
Ingredients
1 box whole or part skim ricotta cheese (15 oz)

1/2  - 3/4 cup sugar

Garnish
4-5 Green cardamoms, peeled  & powdered
Few strands of saffron + 1 tbsp warm milk

Method
1. Pour ricotta cheese in a nonstick wok/kadhai.
2. Roast on a medium flame. Keep an eye and keep stirring to avoid any cheese sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. The cheese will bubble first.

4. Keep roasting till moisture is completely evaporated. This stage may take about 45 minutes to 1 hour of roasting time.

5. Now add sugar. This step will add some moisture to the cheese.

6. So keep on roasting for another 10-12 minutes till it gets dryish.

7. Add saffron + milk and cardamom powder. Mix well.
8. Switch off the gas. Let it cool down.
9. Spray a cooking spray on a small Modak mould.
10. Stuff the ricotta mixture inside the mould to get the perfect Modak shape.
11. Repeat step 10 till all the mixture is used. Use spray if necessary.

Note -
1. Above proportion gave me a dozen small Modaks.
2. Adjust sugar per your preference.

Ganapati Bappa Morya!

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Phavva Upkari - Coconut Pohe

This is a simple "pohe" recipe from my grandmother's kitchen. I made it for the Janmashtami celebration this year. I generally make a pohe dish which does not have onion & garlic for this festival. This year I made "Phavva Upkari" & "Bhappa Doi". This recipe tastes the best with abundant use of coconut.

Phavva Upkari
Beaten Rice with Coconut
Ingredients
4 cups thin pohe
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste without adding any water
1 1/2 cup coconut, freshly scraped
1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, roasted
4 byadgi chilies or 2 tsp mild chile powder

1/3 cup jaggery powder

Tempering
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 sprigs of curry leaves, torn

Garnish (optional)
1/2 cup freshly scraped coconut

Method
1. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a wide, heavy bottomed saucepan. Roast thin pohe till they are crisp.
2. Sprinkle salt and mix well.
3. Heat another spoonful of ghee. Add the tempering ingredients. Pour the tempered oil over the pohe. Stir well. Set aside to cool down to room temperature.
4. Meanwhile, roast coriander seeds, cumn seeds and byadgi chilies one after the other.
5. Grind to a fine paste with freshly scraped coconut. Do not add any water.
6. After the paste is fine, add jaggery powder and grind again to make a uniform paste.
7. Add the coconut paste to the roasted pohe mixture. Mix well so the pohe flakes are coated with masala.
8. Add more coconut for garnish - if using.
9. Serve immediately.

Note
1. Use your clean hands for mixing pohe with coconut paste. Using spoon for mixing will not work well.
2. Instead of ghee/clarified butter, coconut oil can also be used.

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Tricolor Popsicles

I decided to pay tribute to the Indian Tricolor by juxtaposing three Indian patriotic colors.

Tricolor Popsicle
Ingredients
1 cup papaya or mango chunks, frozen
1 cup lychees, cut into chunks, frozen
1 cup kiwi, peeled, cut into chunks frozen

1 tsp sugar each, if required
1 tbsp coconut milk to make canned lychees whiter!

Kulfi or Popsicle molds - as needed

Method
1. Blend frozen papaya or mango chunks, adding sugar if required. Place in the Popsicle mold. Freeze for at least 1/2 hour.
2. Rinse blender and blend frozen lychees adding coconut milk and sugar - if required. Place on top of the semi-frozen orange layer. Freeze for 1/2 hour.
3. Rinse the blender and blend kiwi chunks with sugar - if using. Place on top of the white layer. Cover the lids and freeze till set.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Note -
1. I used papaya for this recipe.
2. My lychees were from cans. So I drained them and soak them in water to get rid of the peculiar odor. I then chopped and froze them.
3. If any or all of your fruits are sweet, do not use sugar.

Happy Independence Day, India!

 

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