Bhindi Aur Paneer Masala a/s Lady Finger and Paneer

Surprised at the heading? Well I have attended a Hindi Karyashala i.e. Hindi Workshop today. And this name just sprang to my mind and since it is apt I decided to let it stay.

I have always loved had bhindi/lady finger  as a kid but Amma was allowed to make them fried only and they had to be cut in circles and fried crisp till they were crisp.

 I make that often but my elder daughter wants me to try different ways of making this veggie. So I do make bhindi/lady finger masala often.

But no matter how I made them I ended up with a sticky lady finger veggie. To solve the problem I used to add rava but I always wondered how Amma made her bhindi/lady finger so crisp without much oil and non sticky at that.

Egg-less Chocolate Cake

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When I saw this egg-less chocolate cake I knew I had to make it. The only question was when. I have made it exactly as Priya has said here. 

Abit contrary to my reputation isn't it? But I did not melt the chocolate pieces. Since I had scraped it with the vegetable peeler it was easy to mix it in the batter. Also since my chocolate was milk chocolate I did not get the rich colour that Priya's cake has. But taste superlative!!Thanks Priya!! 

Sending this to the other Priya and Aipi's bookmarked recipes event.

Bhramkamal

Bhramkamal or Bethlehem Lily this blooms once a year and only in the rains. It is supposed to bloom in the Hindu month of Shravan but apparently no one told our plant so. It bloomed today and we loved it.Have a look at the blooms. They will last only till 12'O clock, midnight and then wither away. The aroma is divine!My whole kitchen is smelling because of the 2 blooms that are facing inside the other three are blooming facing my neighbour!

Kurdai-Che-Bhaji

When I was newly married I was introduced to a new veggie that everyone went gaga about- “Kurdai –che –bhaji”!!

For me it was totally new for I only knew that kurdai is fried and that’s that. I imagined that it will be fried then tossed in onion something like a salad for there were quite a few onions being chopped.

I remember my younger SIL enthusiast question “have you eaten it?” 

Cheesy Potato Nests

The other day my younger daughter came from school and told me she has the recipe for Cheesy Potato Nests and that she wanted to make it. I just said we will make it on Sunday when I have the time to go through her recipe. I thought she will forget all about it. She did not! 

She started telling what we will need on Friday evening it was then I listened to her. Really listened. I am guilty of not listening to her when she tells me things after coming back from school since I have too many things that take priority. I am sorry baby will try and remember what you say also counts!

So she made, my baby Akanksha made Cheesy Potato Nests with her father as I had too many things on my hand. It was her Father’s Day gift which her father helped make!!

So on Sunday we had Cheesy Potato Nests and salad!! Yummy!!

Lemon Grass Tea

The whole of Goa has been lashed by rains, heavy rains and winds yesterday.  I did not go to work and in the afternoon made this delicious tea out of lemon grass /gavti chah that I cut from the pot. Lovely isn’t it?

Just boil with water the stalks, sugar and tea. Add milk. Enjoy!!

Koftas

I had read in Praia’s Easy N Tasty Recipes here that she had used milk powder and used the paniyaram pan for making koftas. Now paniyaram pan is a new word for me so I googled and found that it meant the pan that we use to make what is called in Kannada as gundpangala or appe in Marathi.

I quite liked the idea and Priya is one of the most innovative cooks that I have had the good fortune of meeting. It stuck; I had to try t out.

Stir Fry Chapati

It is heartening to hear from you guys! Believe me the last few months I have really missed blogging and interacting with you all. Even my organising, cooking and presentation suffered everyday!

Bah am I getting sentimental? Not at all like me, so enough of sentimental rambling now getting down to the post that I have been planning for a long, very long time.

We have chapatti morning and evening, you can safely say that it is our staple food. So they are always some lying in the casserole, yes leftover. I generally convert them to phodni chi poli but the girls find ways to avoid eating it.

The other day I read in Tarla Dalal's newsletter about Chapati Masala Noodles I decided to try it and forgot in my morning rush what I had read. The only thing that I remembered was that the chapatti was cut in long strips, which I got hubby dear to make. The rest was a Chinese stir fry which the girls, their grand father and father loved.

I think one day I will make it the way it was intended!! Right now things are okay & I would rather not rock the boat!

Boiled Vegetables

This is my husband's favourite. I love it for it is no hassle at all.
Just toss in any fresh vegetable and steam them.
Here I have used a little butter flavoured with garlic, pepper and kala namak or rock salt along with cauliflower, broccoli, baby corn. peas, french beans  and carrots. The red is red capsicum which I added for a little colour.
You could use any vegetables of your choice.

Ambe che Satt or Mango Jam

Hi All!! I am back after a long long break!!   

I missed you all a lot !!

I know my reading list is miles long but slowly and surely I will read all of them. 

I have always loved mangoes in all shapes, forms and sizes ripe as well as raw!! so in the  last two months I have put on enough weight which I am finding a bit problematic especially when I am to discover that I do not fit in last years rain clothes!!:)

In Rome like Romans be so this time I decided to make "Ambe che Satt" or Mango Jam. A typical Goan preserve of mangoes.

Knowing my family's dislike for sweets I brought only two Mussara mangoes,  these are special kind of mango  available in Goa for jams. I also added one Alphonso as I could not resist it.

Ingredients:

3 mangoes pulp about 500grms

1 1/2 cup (katori) about   180 grms sugar

Method:

1.  Transfer the pulp of the mangoes in a thick bottomed pan. (I used the pressure pan).
2.  On low flame heat the mangoes. Stir constantly. Please be careful as the jam bubbles and splatters. The burns from the process are painful.
3.  When the pulp leaves the sides of the pan and becomes a bit translucent add the sugar and stir.
4.   Heat for about 4-5 minutes and switch off the gas. Let it cool a bit in the pan.
5.   Transfer to a steel container.

I am told that it lasts for about a year in out of the fridge but I am not taking any chances and hence it goes in the fridge.