Mysore Pak

With the festive season fast approaching my thoughts move on to Mysore pak. I had watched my mum make this sweet once, but, since my interest in cooking was so- so I did not much bother to follow it. Once, after marriage, my friend’s mother demonstrated this tricky piece of sweet, and my interest was kindled.

I must really thank my Mother-in-law for supporting my efforts in making this sweet, for the first time my friends comment was that my barfi has become very nice, soft(in marathi it is khush khushit) I was disappointed. But Kaku, my MIL, made sure I made it again and applauded my efforts. This time it was a real Mysore pak.

What you need for this is as below:

1 cup besan
1 ½ sugar
1 cup water
3 cups oil
A little ghee say 1-2 tblspn.

Method:

Fry besan in a little ghee till it gives a fragrance on low flame.
Put the oil to heat on low flame.
Mix sugar and water and boil till you get one string consistency, one string consistency is when you hold a drop of the syrup between your thumb and index finger and pull them apart you should get a string of sugar.
Add the fried besan into the sugar syrup and now, very gently add the hot oil with a ladle stirring the syrup.
On adding the hot oil your besan and syrup froths, don’t worry that’s normal
Add a ladle of hot oil, stir continue till all the oil is used up.
Keep stirring the besan and syrup mixture and all the ghee will start seeping out.
Pour in a metal sieve and all your oil will drain out.
Cool a little and cut out the pieces.
The oil collected down can be used to soak Shankar paali atta.

Bhendi Bhaji

We have bhendi almost every week as my kids love it. But we all got bored of the same bhendi fry so I tried this recipe which my neighbor Navelkar Ajji suggested. It was really good.
Ingredients:
¼ kg.Bhendi
1 tblsp urid daal
½ tblsp methi seeds
½ coconut
½ tsp red chillies (as per taste)
3 pepper corns (as per taste)
A lemon sized ball of tamarind
2-3 tblsp jaggery
½ tsp asafoetida
½ tsp haldi
Method:
Ajji’s recipe said:
1. Fry the urid daal and methi individually
2. Add bhendi cut lengthwise and add salt. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
3. Grind coconut, pepper, haldi, red chilli powder jaggery and tamarind.
4. The bhendi went into ½ tsp oil stir fried for about a minute. Add the ground mixture
5. Cook on low flame till the bhendi is done.
6. Tastes best with rice.

LIME TEA

There are times when I want something hot, but nothing heavy, no tea thank you, I turn to lime tea. It’s simple, fast and easily adaptable. I use

1 cup water
5-6 springs of mint/pudina
Sugar as per taste
1/8 inch Ginger (optional)

4-5 grains of tea
1 lemon

Boil water with the sugar, ginger and tea.
Add the mint leaves and leave covered for 10 minutes.
Squeeze the lime.
Strain in your glass.


You could chill it also, I have tried making ice cubes out of this tea it is very messy. Maybe you should have an ice tray for tea cubes only. If you have the patience try making thin slices of the lime and freezing in the cube.

Neer Phanas Kapa

After marriage, my husband & I started this practice of shopping for vegetables, together. One day a shopkeeper told my hubby dear to take “neer phanas” or bread fruit, his exact words were,” kappa karu laya patrao’ sarkhe viswan lagtale”, translated from Konkani it is “get kappa made they will taste like kingfish”. I was skeptical, but they really taste like kingfish/viswan/surmai.

So this is your “neer phanas” or bread fruit.

Apply a little oil to your hands and cut “neer phanas” or bread fruit in four pieces lengthwise. Remove the skin and the central core, now make 3-4 pieces again lengthwise, the pieces should be about ½ inch thick.

(You can store this cut “neer phanas” or bread fruit in a container for 3-4 days.)


Now, sprinkle the “neer phanas” or bread fruit with salt, red chilli powder, turmeric and toss the “neer phanas” or bread fruit. Let it rest for about an hour or so.


Now take some idli rava and roll your pieces of “neer phanas” or bread fruit in the rava till they are well coated. Arrange on a nonstick frying pan. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of oil cover and cook over low flame till they are golden. Turn them over and fry again. If the kappas are too dry sprinkle some water and cover immediately and cook. This is your end product. Enjoy!!

P.S. In place or idli rava you can use ordinary Bombay rava, rice flour or bread crumbs.