Dhania Puri and Spicy Potato Vegetable ~ Baby Shower for Sapana

Life is meant to be cherished, embraced and enjoyed!  

Who demonstrates the philosophy better than a baby?

Who can resist the wobbly bundle of joy that makes all the household dance?

In fact you are happy that you are dancing to the small bundles tunes. Who cries and cries but coos and smiles the moment his needs are satisfied?

Wondering whets wrong with me?  My friend Sapana is having a baby and this is a virtual baby shower that we at Blogging Marathon group have organised for her.

Enjoy the party and feast on the delicious Dhania Puri and Spicy Potato Bhaji that I have made for the party from Sapana's space!! They were a part of my daughters tiffin .

Have a great time Sapana and share lots and lots of pics of the baby!

Dhania Puri

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup wheat flour
• 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala (I did not use)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tblspn oil
• Water as needed
•  Oil for frying

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, as it started popping add grated ginger and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add chopped chillies and onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Now add all spices and salt, mix well.
• Add chopped coriander leaves, cook or 5 minutes and set aside.
• Take wheat flour in a bowl, add coriander masala and knead to a smooth dough by adding   water as needed.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Make 8 small round balls from the dough.
• Apply some oil on chakla belan and roll one ball into the size of Puri.
• Heat oil in a kadhai/wok, slide one Puri at a time carefully and fry from both sides you should get slight brown specks on the puri and you are done.
•  Repeat with remaining balls.
• Serve hot with Spicy potato vegetable.

Ever on look out to reduce time spent in the kitchen? Or you have guests and you need a dish urgently? Then this one is for you!

A simple and delicious potatoes vegetable to enjoy with your lunch or dinner! Potatoes…so it has to taste awesome and it can be put together effortless!!

Sapna has used baby potatoes I used regular ones.

Spicy Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes
• 1 tsp kasuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchur(dry mango powder )
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tblspn oil

Method:

• Pressure cook the potatoes till cooked well.
• Peel and prick and cut in pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadhai/wok add cumin seeds and kasuri methi.
• As cumin seed crackle, add potatoes and let the cook on both side till a little golden in colour. Flip the potatoes gently to avoid breaking.
• Now add all spices powder and salt, mix gently to evenly coat the spices.
• You can add oil If potatoes start sticking to the pan. (I did not).
• Cook for 4-5 minutes, remove from heat and serve hot with Paratha or chapatti.
• I served it with Dhania/ coriander Puri.

This is a part of the Baby Shower that we at Blogging Marathon are having for Sapana !

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Neerphanas aa chi Bhaji/ Green or Raw Breadfruit Vegetable

We were on out whatsup talking about Breadfruit. Some of my friends wanted to know the difference between a breadfruit and jackfruit.

Breadfruit looks like this.

Bread Fruit Courtesy:Google

 Somewhat different form a jackfruit isn’t it? A jackfruit looks like this.

Jack Fruit Courtesy :http://raingold.com.my/site/jackfruit

 But unlike a jackfruit a breadfruit is used raw at least in Goa its use raw or green as the Americans say. I understand that bread fruit is  used ripe too in the Caribbean. Bread fruits are common in Kerala, South Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, and Goa. Apparently is used to make sambar etc in the south.

Now in Goa you will find these breadfruit trees aplenty, they will ripen and fall down but once they come to the market they are so very expensive. This season they touched Rs.250/- a piece! The rate varies according to the size and the freshness of the neerphanas as it is known locally.

In Goa the breadfruit or neerphanas is used to make Kappa’s, a shallow fried slice that is relished, in tonak or to make a dry vegetable called Neerphans bhaji!

This bhaji is not much appreciated by my kids so I make it when I have no other vegetable or when I have too much of neerphanas! Too much happens when we are gifted the neerphanas or when hubby cannot resist them and comes home with 2 or 3 of them!

Anyway as  I  said  we were discussing the making of this vegetable with PJ then I decided to make it anyway since I needed to feed my blog baby! :D

Kadugu Cauliflower~Union Territory Pondicherry

Kadugu  Cauliflower~Union Territory Pondicherry

The union territory of Pondicherry cuisine is also a reflection of a perfect blend of different cultures and customs. Do you know they have 4 official languages Tamil, Telgu, Malayalam and French! Wow I was thinking that only Goa has two official languages!!

The union territory of Pondicherry in the country of India was a French settlement for a long time. The French way of life has left a deep impact on the lifestyle of the people in the union territory of Pondicherry.

The Indo-French of food is an innovation in taste. The influence of the neighbouring areas like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala is also visible. The concoction of the various kinds of cuisines is something to be savoured and relished.

Panch Phoran Tarkari and Hamarcha Rawt~ Indian State Mizoram

Panch Phoran Tarkari ~Indian State Mizoram

Today on Day 19 we are at Mizoram. Mizoram is a beautiful state situated in the North-eastern part of India. Blessed with mesmerizing hills, pleasant valleys, swirling rivers and placid lakes Mizoram has a distinct food culture, some north-eastern, Chinese and north Indian flavours.

 Vegetables though popular non-vegetarian item is a preferred in the meals of the people.

Rice forms the staple food item! Fish, Pork and chicken, Duck meat are non-vegetarian items liked hugely by the Mizos.  Bamboo shoots and local herbs are vital ingredients of this. Oil is used sparingly and the preferred oil is mustard oil. Spices are used sparingly and mostly local herbs and bamboo shoots are used to flavour the dishes. The common spices used are ginger, garlic, onion and chillies. Desserts are usually fresh fruits. Zu or tea is the popular beverage enjoyed by the people. Locally made wines are relished by the natives after dinner. Lubrusca grape wine is popular among the locals.

The food is healthy and the nutritional value is retained as the dishes are mainly cooked by boiling or steaming. Food is usually served on fresh banana leaves.

Mizoram has got many ingenious dishes which give the cuisine a distinct look and feel and a delectable taste. Among the popular items are Bai, Sawchair, Vawksa Rep or Smoked ,Arsa Buhchiar or Chicken with sticky rice is a common dish, Misa Mach Poora is a shrimp delicacy   Panch Phoron Tarkari, Dal with eggs ,Poora Mach and Koat Pitha are also famous dishes of the Mizo cuisine.

I made this delicious Panch Phoran Tarkari twice now. The first time I made it the girls had a party so they were not interested but Apeksha came to my plate and flinched a potato. She loved it and asked me to make it again. Only please do not add the brinjal and pumpkin in it was the request. So I made it again this time without the brinjal and pumpkin…. What is left other than potato so call it potato bhaji is what I was saying to myself.

At dinner the girls came and asked for that awesome bhaji you made with potato. "What have you used in it? It’s awesome." So looks like this Tarkari is staying in our place sans the brinjal and pumpkin. I have written down the exact recipe but I have used only potatoes. Also I have stuck to my rice bran oil the original uses mustard oil.

Yesterday I had said  will share the recipe of Hamarcha Rawt, a chilli condiment. It was great but eat in small quantities. The side effects can be quite powerful.

By the way I made both but forgot to take pictures of the Hamarcha Rwat. It was later that I remembered and took the pics.

Panch Phoran Tarkari

Indian State: Mizoram

Recipe Source:Only Travel Guide

Ingredients:

• 100 Gms. Pumpkin diced 
•  2 Large potatoes diced 
•  1 Large brinjal diced 
•  2 Large dry chillies slit 
•  2 Tbsp oil 
•  ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds 
•  ½ tsp Aniseeds 
•  ½ tsp Mustard seeds 
•  ½ tsp Cumin seeds 
•  2 Bay Leaves 
• 2 Green chillies chopped 
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp cold milk 
• ½ tsp Sugar 
•  Salt to taste 

Method:

• Heat the oil and add all the dry spices 
• Stir-fry the spices, add the cut vegetables and mix well.
•  Add the green chillies, sugar, salt, turmeric and mix thoroughly. 
•  Pour enough water and to cook the vegetables. 
• Simmer till vegetables are tender and the water is absorbed.
• Add milk and bring to a boil. Set aside.
• Serve hot with rice or poori.
• On the side I served Hamarcha Rawt as spicy chilli condiment.

Hamarcha Rawt:

Indian State: Mizoram

Recipe Source:Enjoy Indian Food

To make Hamarcha Rawt use green chillies or red wet chillies. In case they are dry soak them.

• Roast 500 grms of chillies on a tava till they blacken. (I did it directly on the flame).
• Cool this and grind it to a smooth paste with salt.
• Add 2 finely chopped onions and 1 ‘grated ginger.
• This is the original recipe I scaled it down to 4 chillies, 1/2 onion and 1/4 tsp of grated ginger.

Linkong to Fabulous Friday Feast at Pavani's

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Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 39 Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Boiled Cauliflower for BM #24

First let me wish you all

A Very Happy Republic Day!!

For the Blogging Marathon #24 I am blogging Weaning foods. The first weaning food that Akanksha was fed was boiled cauliflower!

I know this is quite unconventional. In fact I had the ire of lot of my Elders’ in the family they had wanted the traditional payasam to be fed, but I was adamant. You see my elder daughter was fed the traditional foods but no veggies then getting her to eat veggies was an uphill task that was running in 7 long years after a lot of threatening, cajoling, crying etc.  I did not want the same process repeated all over again. Thankfully the hubby and the paediatrician were there to support me.

Among veggies carrots and beets were favourites with Akanksha.

Coming down to boiled veggies there  is no recipe as such.

·      Just boil the vegetable washed, cleaned and in case of veggies like carrots scraped in the cooker for 2-3 whistles. Generally I soak them in salted water and turmeric.

·      It’s easier to mash the veggies with the back of a spoon.  Just before you feed the baby mash it again with your fingertips.

·      You can blend it too but the idea is to introduce some texture in the food.

The only precaution that you have to take is to check if the baby is allergic to any foods. So introduce only one new food to the baby and repeat it for a week.

Next week change the veggie or foods. Like this week its cauliflower next its carrots, then beets. The fourth week a combo of all 3. In the fifth week keep veggies as one meal and introduce something new like Dalia. How I wish I knew about oats then I would have fed the little one with different things made of oats. Gradually reduce her dependence on milk only diet to more and more varied diet.

One more feature was that Akanksha was never a patient baby, at least where food was concerned.  For her first birthday after slicing the cake I fed her a little cake and was still on the dais holding the slice in my hand looking out for Hubby’s Aunt  thinking she may want to feed Akanksha too. Well baby took matters out of our hands much to everyone’s amusement she took the slice and stuffed it in her mouth!! 

She never was spoon fed just bowl fed if that may be an expression. The bowl had to be at her mouth not the spoon as long as I fed her.

As Akanksha grew older and she was introduced to bread sticks any dal, mild rasam, amti, sambhar was given to her with the bread stick, rice anything she fed herself. There was a mess; in fact she had 2-3 bed sheets per day on which she sat to eat. Feeding her was never an option she had to do it herself. The paediatrician encouraged me in this.

“She will play when she has fed herself, she told me,” let her do it. She has to learn the texture of different food, the different tastes, let her make it interesting for herself. You unlearn having to feed her and your judgement that she has not had enough, she will not sit quietly if she has not had enough.”

 And I am grateful to her because of this I had no stress that my baby was not eating in fact she was a bouncy, baby always smiling and very healthy. Touch wood she rarely falls sick  even now.

By and by she started using me as her chewing machine anything she could not chew like nuts, went in my mouth and was given a instruction which was “HMMm!” I had to chew and after she had judged I had chewed enough she hooked her finger in my mouth transferred it to her mouth. Am I grossing you out? Well she did it and I used to get mad at her.  But when I watched on Discovery I think the baby gorillas or was it the chimp, anyway one of the great apes doing the same I just stopped getting so grossed out. Cannot argue with her papa’s genes can you?

With this I bring an end to my sermon on weaning your baby. This is what I have followed you may or may not agree with my methods but I hope this will make it less stressful to you both!
Bon Appetit'!

In this BM #24 I have in the linked
As Kids Delight
1. Chocolate filled Canapes
2. Ragi Cupcakes
3.Trifle Pudding

As Weaning Foods
1. Dalai
2. Lapsi 
3. Boiled veggies namely Cauliflower

Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#24

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like myFacebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too! 

Kurma

Kurma this veggie bring back nostalgic memories of my stay at my maternal uncle place every summer.

 Mami an excellent cook used to make kurma and chapatti or puri for breakfast on Sundays. The veggie she made was so delicious that we used to fight for it in the afternoon for lunch also.

After my marriage I was used to remember the veggie often but did not know how to make it. Too timid to ring Mami up and ask her for the recipe (we were a joint family then) I never did make it. Now this time I asked her how it is made and Mami true to her word not only gave me the recipe but also made it for me to eat. It was not the same. I missed all my cousins and the fights we had to eat the veggie. Another childhood memory goes in the treasure chest!!