Rasaswad

One post is not enough. I actually need an entire blog to write about Undhiu. There would be one post for each ingredient..some posts for the papdi sessions...some for the stories shared during the papdi sessions...some for the layering order..some criticizing the "caterer versions"...some about the side dishes...ohh..I could go on and on...Everytime I make this, the people around me are subjected to a million stories...In my mother's household, Undhiu is a religion...Every detail matters...and you never mess with the recipe..ever... Let's see if I can fit all this in a post. If you have eaten Undhiyu at Gujarati weddings or at catered parties..this version is nothing like that oily, mix-all-curry-like substance. The Undhiu my mom makes (and I make) is an art form. It is about appreciating every single element..and yet enjoying the combined taste..but I drift again..it's basically stuffed, fresh winter vegetables, layered in a particular order and cooked slowly. ...

To me, these are like Laddoos, and the name Muthia sounded very strange the first time I had them. For a gujju, Muthias can be made of anything..but they're always savory. Sweet Muthias? The first time I tried them was before I started dating L. They are heavy, so you can only bring so many in your luggage. I must have been a special friend cause he shared some of these mom-made goodies with me. Now, after all these years, I finally ventured to make them myself. And this is because my mom-in-law suggested sending them through someone. I hate asking people to carry stuff in their luggage, so I requested her for the recipe...I was very scared, cause this is one of her specialities...to try to replicate it was a big deal. I'm glad I came pretty darn close. The only thing I could not recreate was the special shape. I have to learn that from her next time. The measurements are completely vague.. but that's how she gave me the recipe..and that's how I made it...but L. loved i...

Edited version. Simpler, but tasty. Inspired by this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXz3Jb3Abys Soak yellow and some green moong daal, toor daal and chana daal for 15-20 mins. Wash, add water, salt, haldi, boil for a bit, remove foam if possible, and then cook on a low to medium flame for 3 whistles. In a small pan, heat ghee (2 tbsp), add jeera, hing, chopped garlic, chopped red onion, fry for a bit, add chopped tomatoes, topped green chillies, red chilli powder and some more turmeric. Once the tomatoes are soft, add chopped cilantro, and boil for a few minutes. Serve with some lime. Mix 11/2 cup of atta, 1/2 cup ladoo flour, salt, about 1/4 tsp baking powder, about 4-6 tbsp ghee. Rub properly till mutthi padtu mon. Use warm water to make a dough just a bit softer than puri. Let it rest for about 20 mins. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Make round baatis, make a cross with the side of your palm and then roll them again. Bake for 20 mins, turn the baati upside down, and bak...

I made this a while ago..but want to make sure that the recipe doesn't vanish away...Follow this recipe to the letter (especially the part about temperatures and 18 instead of 12 cupcakes)...use good quality chocolate and they turn out absolutely decadent!! http://bakingbites.com/2008/02/white-chocolate-cupcakes-with-white-chocolate-cream-cheese-frosting/ White Chocolate Cupcakes 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 large eggs 4-oz white chocolate, chopped 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup plus 1 tbsp milk (low fat is fine) Preheat oven to 325F. Line muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped white chocolate by heating it in 30 second intervals in the microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval and cook only until the chocolate is smooth when stirred. In a large bowl, cream together butter and su...

I had this salad at Cosi..and fell in love. I tried to recreate it at home and came pretty close. dressing: dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, olive oil. Mixed baby greens (or butter lettuce), blue cheese, pistachios, dried cranberries. Yumm...

We were going to see a broadway show after work...so there was no time to grab dinner..Thankfully I planned in advance and we could pack a wonderful meal which we could eat on the train...It was really awsome.. For appetizer, I made little sandwiches made from crackers, good white cheddar and guava paste. Perfect bites and convenient to eat on the go.. Pasta Salad: Dressing: Dijon mustard + red wine vinegar + finely chopped garlic + dried oregano + dried thyme + red chilli flakes + salt + pepper + stream olive oil slowly and keep whisking. To the dressing, add boiled pasta (I used farfalle), canned artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, pimento stuffed green olives, capers, fresh mozerella (I did goat cheese that day). Can also add fresh parsley. Toss everything together. I packed it in two take out containers, along with forks and napkins. I also packed chocolate cookies. (Ina Garten's recipe follows) A note about the cookies: I make a big batch of the batter, and make scoops on a cookie...

I made this for Thanksgiving. Recipe from Peppridge Farm. Was quite a crowd pleaser. Ingredients 1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed 1 egg 1 tablespoon water 1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese OR Monterey Jack cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 green onion, chopped (about 2 tablespoons) 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1 package (about 10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained Directions Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Stir the Muenster cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Brush the pastry sheet with the egg mixture. Top with the cheese mixture and spinach. Starting with a short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut into 20 (1/2-inch) slices. Place the slices, cut-side down, onto baking sheets. Brush the slices with the egg mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden b...

Really Yummy...Improvise as you go..and enjoy!! Heat oil in a wok, add chopped garlic, Sliced onions, ginger-garlic paste, green onions, green peppers, red chilli paste (like you get in chinese restaurants), thai red curry paste, Soy Sauce, chopped veggies (red peppers, baby corn, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, carrots), chopped cilantro, greens of the green onion, juice of green lime and salt. Stir fry everything well, and add cooked rice. Mix well and serve with half fried egg (optional).

Very Simple preparation..but a good change from the usual..goes well with north indian dishes... Whole Wheat Flour + Besan (about 3:2 ratio). Add Salt, Haldi, Red Chilli powder, Dhania zeera powder, hing, Amchur, Kasuri Methi, Fresh shopped cilantro, Kalonji, Ajwain, oil and knead a soft dough with water. Make rotis like you would make regula fulkas (or Bajra roti).

This one is from Vah re vah. Follow it to the letter - curry leaves and all. The only change I did was I added some baby corms to the leftover batter, fried them and added along with the paneer. Also added some mushrooms. It was really good.. Ingredients Directions pinch pinch ajinomoto 1 tsp chilli garlic sauce 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1 1/2 tbsp Corn flour 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 7 number curry leaves 1 number egg 1 tsp garlic chopped 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 4 number green chillies 1 tsp lime juice 1 tbsp maida for fying oil 1/2 cup onion 1 lbs paneer 1 cup red bell pepper as per taste salt 1 tsp soya sauce as needed water 1 cup yellow bell pepper Cut paneer into cubes. Take a dish add salt,ginger garlic, water,egg and mix well and pour on the cubes mix well and add maida. Take oil to fry add the mixed paneer into it and fry in very slow flame. Take a pan add oil cumin,garlic,ginger garlic paste,chopped green chill,onion,coriander powder,lit...

Posted from epicurious Rave reviews..L was tired of the Chocolate cakes and fruit cakes..so wanted something new..I omitted the cinnamon, and cranberry compote. Did whipped cream instead of the Meringue. Pastel de Tres Leches Epicurious | 2002 © Michael Lomonaco, 2002 Pastel de tres leches is a traditional Nicaraguan Celebration Cake usually reserved for the holiday season. In this recipe we preserve the traditional presentation, and add some typical American holiday flavors. The cake is composed of four components: Sponge Cake, Rum Milk Syrup, Meringue, and Cranberry Compote. Yield: Makes one 10x3-inch cake ingredients Sponge Cake 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 4 eggs, separated 1 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk Rum Milk Syrup 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.) 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.) 1 can heavy cream (use empty can from condensed milk - 1 1/4 cups) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons dark spiced rum (Meyers or Capt...

Malai Kofta is by far my most favorite Mughlai dish. This one is almost similar to the recipe I've been making for years from Bawarchi.com (Saroj Kering). I usually don't need to refer to it anymore, but writing it down in case I lose it. I've also made a few minor changes. For the kofta: Boil potatoes, peel and mash. Add Grated Paneer, salt, chopped green chillies, chopped cilantro (optional). Mix well. Fill with chopped cashews and raising. Make oblong shaped koftas. Make a paste of Maida, salt and water. Dip the koftas in the paste and deep fry till light golden brown. For the sauce: Dry roast a few cloves, a stick of cinnamon and a few cardamoms. Grind into a coarse powder. Grind cashews. Boil onions till soft. Make a paste along with the cashews. Heat Ghee. Add the spice mix, let fry for just a couple of seconds and add the cashew and onion paste. Add ginger garlic paste (not too much). Add salt, white pepper powder, sugar, milk, grated Khoya, and fresh cream. Mix ever...

This has become one of my signature dishes. Goes perfectly well with a sweet or saucy vegetable on a regular "indian" menu. This is one recipe that does not use tomatoes, for a change. People almost always fall in love with this one. It's also very quick and easy, so I love it. Make big florets of cauliflower. Dice potatoes into big chunks. Slice onions. In a big pan, heat up oil. Add cumin seeds, add the onion, and the ginger-garlic paste. Fry till onions are a bit soft. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, generous amount of amchur, a pinch of garam masala, a generous pinch of chole masala (this is the secret ingredient in this aloo ghobi), a small handful of kasuri methi, some dried mint (another secret ingredient that does wonders). Stir fry all the spices for a few seconds. Add the potatoes, and then the ghobi (Sometimes, I have trouble getting the potatoes to cook). Add salt, and mix everything and keep sauteing. Try not to use any water. If you ...

I made this over the weekend, and I couldn't think of anything to make it better. So, here's the recipe. (I used some fancy artisan tricolor Farfelle for this, but regular pasta should work just fine). Pasta: Boil the pasta in plenty of water and salt till just done and drain. Dressing: one big clove of garlic, finely chopped, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, a pinch of dried oregano, dried thyme, finely chopped fresh parsley, salt, pepper, red chilli flakes. Mix everything and whisk in extra virgin olive oil. Add: finely chopped roasted bell pepper, pieces of artichoke hearts, green olives stuffed with pimentoes, capers, chopped sun dried tomatoes (in oil), cubes of fresh mozzarella. Toss everything together, chill and serve (make sure you add the cheese after the salad has cooled down, since you don't want to melt it). Goes well with a nice piece of bread. It's very rare that L. compliments my cooking, but this one, he just kept saying how much he loved it. That reall...

Khajoor Mithai (like Prashant corner's): Grind (preferably) Majdool dates in the food processor to a coarse paste. Chop Almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts into fairly big pieces (one almond into 2-3 pieces only). Roast them slightly on a low flame or in the oven. Head some ghee in the kadai and fry the date paste in it, for a short while. Add the nuts, and set in a greased plate. Chakli (Bombay mummy's recipe): Take rice flour, add a small amount of Besan, some sesame seeds, salt, red chilli powder and roasted cumin powder to it. Mix well. Now add softened butter (almost muthi padtu mon). Add yoghurt and water and knead a soft dough. Make chakli's with the mold on plastic sheets and fry in hot oil on a low flame. All this treat making business is taking a toll. I'm going to finish up with a few kaju katli tonight and then call it a day. There's so much more to be done...!! Rangoli, Mehendi, Diyas..

The first Diwali after the wedding is a very significant event in an Indian woman's life. It's when she learns the traditions of her in-laws family, and starts a few of her own. It's when she sets the tone for the celebrations of all the future Diwali's in her family. Even though I am slightly busy these days, I'm really excited! Of course, so much of it is about food..Here are some recipes for my future reference. Thor (Bombay Mummy's Recipe): Take coarse whole wheat flour (laadu no lot). Add some sesame seeds and white poppy seeds. Add enough ghee to make "muthi padtu mon". knead a semi soft dough with whole milk. Let it rest, so that some of the milk is absorbed. Now, knead the dough, divide it into small balls and roll out small and thick puris. Prick them with a fork and fry them in pure ghee on a low flame. In another pot, prepare very thick sugar syrup (soft ball consistency). Add cardamom powder, nutmeg and saffron. Dip the fried puris in the s...

So like most other blogs, I almost abandoned this one, and now attempting to revive it. It is really more out of necessity. I'm married now, and cooking has now taken on a whole new meaning in my life. It's not just fun..it's also about getting two square meals on the table every single day. It's going good so far, but there are days when I really run out of ideas and recipes. I hope this blog comes to my rescue on those days. So, I made gobhi paratha the other day, and I was feeling good..so I came up with a few spices to add which made it really yummy. Here's the recipe (sorry, no time to write separate ingredient lists and detailed instructions. I think I'll have to make do with this new format) Chop Ghobi really fine (almost mince). Heat oil. Add cumin seeds, hing, ginger garlic paste and finely diced onions. Saute till onions become soft. add Coriander-cumin powder, finely diced green chillies, a pinch of garam masala and amchur. Add the Gobhi and saute. In...