Rasaswad

L. has the habit of leaving a small portion of something nice to eat for later. That means We were left with packets of dry snacks containing a handful of each (Moong Dal, Mini bhakarwadi, and home made poha chivda). I was making green peas samosa to use up the samosa wrappers (Did I tell you I use Goya Empanadas Wrappers, cut into half as samosa wrappers..work great) and some green peas. And in a moment of epiphany, these unbelievably tasty samosas were born. I boiled and mashes some green peas. Added a teaspoon of ghee and sauted them. Added salt, chat masala, Hing and tiny bit of chilli powder. Then, I added some mint chutney (which had, mint, coriander, green chillies, cumin, lime, etc). And then added a handful each of the dry snacks. Mixed everything up, filled the samosas and fried them. Chatpata samosas on a snow day. I didn't even need ketchup with these..they were so good. Next time, I make some chat samosas, I'm going to look around in our snack corner. A few weeks a...

L. Loves Pancakes. Here are two recipes that work for my reference. One is with buttermilk (works fantastic, but has a lot more butter) and the other one is with regular milk. Both are are from Food Network. Buttermilk pancakes: Ingredients * 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour * 1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk * 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons for cooking * 2 large eggs * 2 tablespoons granulated sugar * 1 teaspoon kosher salt * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1 teaspoon baking powder * Blueberry Maple Syrup, recipe follows Directions In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except 2 tablespoons butter until evenly combined and moistened thoroughly (some small lumps will remain). Set mixture aside to rest while griddle heats or cover and store in the refrigerator to rest up to 12 hours before using. (If batter rests, stir briefly before using.) Heat a large seasoned cast iron skillet, frying pan, or griddle over medium heat. To check that the pan...

It's time to move again..and to clean up the freezer. I had quite a bit of frozen coconut to use up, and so I decided to make Koprapak. I usually make it with condensed milk, but this time I needed a dry version that will travel and stay well. So, I asked mom for her recipe..it came out well, except at one point it stuck on the bottom, giving it slight color (mom's is nice and white)..and it was a tad too sweet..and I first thought it was because my tolerance for sweetness in Indian sweets has gone down..but then I kept thinking about it, and then realized...the sugar in the US is finer, hence if we measure it by volume, you get more of it. Next time, I will reduce the sugar slightly...too bad it messes up the nice 3-4-5 measurement! It's really simple - 3 parts milk, 4 parts sugar and 5 parts coconut. Mix together (leave aside half part sugar) and heat slowly till it leaves the sides of the pan and most of the liquid evaporates. Add cardamom and saffron. Add the remaining ...

I baked a cake (well, she's in India..but we wanted to celebrate anyways). I tried this different kind of cake. I wouldn't call it a complete success. I didn't get as much volume as I should have and I burnt the brown butter the first time around (I was lost in thoughts..really)..so had to throw it away and start over...but overall it was delicious...the cake did rise, and encompass pear and chocolate like the recipe says...just that I felt that I still need a lot more experience with eggs-flour-sugar... Link to the SmittenKitchen Blog Al Di La’s Torta di Pere [Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Cake] Courtesy of Al Di La Restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn (Notes from the blogger) Aside from the chocolate chunks, the bits of pear and the browned butter (like I you need to hear anything else before you take off in the direction of the kitchen) one of the coolest things about baking this cake is the eggs, that are beaten far beyond “combined” or “fluffy” but until they have the v...

This Makar Sankrant was all about tradition - well actually only food traditions..There were no kites..there was no Haldi Kumkum...but there was food... My MIL makes carrot halwa every year..so I did. My mom sometimes makes Khichdo, so I did (actually a couple days later), and I grew up with Tilgul..so I made some of those too... Here are the quick recipes: Carrot Halwa: Peel and grate carrots. Heat some ghee and saute them. Add whole milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream and keep stirring. Add sugar and keep stirring till the mixture thickens. Add cardamom, nutmeg, fried cashew, etc. Tilgul: The important thing to remember here is: one part "stuff" (Til, Dalia, peanuts, etc) and half part gud. Roast one cup Til on a low flame, till nice and nutty. Roast a quarter cup each of Dalia and peanuts and break coarsely. Add some fresh cardamom powder to this dry mixture. Heat 3/4 cup gud on a low flame and sprinkle some water. When the syrup is ready (drop a ball in cold water, and ...

I always find menu planning more challenging than actual recipes. These days there are millions of recipes online and you can find one for practically everything. But there is not enough material out there that talks about planning the perfect menu. It's so cool when everything goes well together and the meal works out perfectly. I think the reason menu planning is so challenging is that it is not static (well..even recipes should not be static and should change based on seasons, availability of fresh ingredients and the taste and preferences of people you're cooking for..but you can get away by following a good recipe closely). Menus are inherently dynamic. So much depends on the occasion, and the number of people and events that are to follow or precede the meal, etc. But like good recipes, good menu planning guidelines are wonderful. And every once in a while, you stumble upon the perfect menu...and the perfect setup. This New Year's Eve dinner was like that. Here's ...

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. ...