Taza Khana: Sev(Omapodi)

Taza Khana: Sev(Omapodi)

Sev(Omapodi)

My brother loves omapodi. This recipe calls for ajwain(omam), hence the name.

Ingredients:
2 C besan(chick pea flour)
1 C rice flour
3-4 T butter
1 T ajwain
1t asafoetida
1/4 t turmeric powder
salt and chili powder to taste
oil to fry

Method:
1. Sift the flour together. Mix all the dry ingredients along with butter. Add enough water to make a soft dough.
2. Fill the dough in the sev maker, one with full of holes. Press the dough over hot oil. Take care not to burn the sev. Repeat the process for the remaining dough.

Chakli(Mullu Thenguzhal)

Ingredients:
4 C rice flour
1 C mung dal + 1 handful channa dal
1 T sesame seeds
salt to taste
1/2 t asafoetida

4-5 T ghee
oil to fry

Method :
1. Dry roast both dal and grind to smooth powder. Sift to get fine flour.
2. Sift rice flour. Mix both flour together. Add sesame seeds, salt, asafoetida and 1 teaspoon chili powder(optional), and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Take 2 cups of floor mixture in a large bowl. Add 1-1/2 tablespoon ghee. Sprinkle water and make a dough.
5. Fill a portion of it in Chakli maker (use 1 with 'star' hole')
6. Press in to the hot oil and fry until golden brown
7. Repeat the process for the remaining dough and flour mixture.

Note:
Do not make the dough all at once. Make it as and when needed.

Double Layer Maida Cake(Burfi)

As a kid, I used to love maida cake served at weddings. I made double layer sweet this year during navaratri. I made some modifications to the recipe. My brother, who does not eat any sweet, loved it so much that he took home some of it.

Ingredients for white layer:
1 C maida(all purpose flour)
1 C ghee, melted
11/4 C sugar
1/2 C water
1/4 t cardamom powder
2 drops rose essence

Ingredients for chocolate layer:
First 4 ingredients
1 T cocoa powder
2 drops vanilla essence

Method for white layer:
1.Roast maida with ghee till the raw smell leaves. Take care not to burn the flour. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
2. Heat sugar and water in a heavy bottomed vessel. Boil the syrup rapidly.
3. To test the consistency of the syrup: Drop a little syrup in a bowl of water. The syrup should stay without spreading in the water. Take care that it does not form into a soft ball.
4. Remove from stove. Add maida mixture, cardamom, and rose essence to the syrup. Stir briskly till the mixture blends. Add a pinch of baking soda and mix well.
5. Quickly pour on a greased tray. Pat the mixture for even distribution.

Chocolate layer:
1. Fry maida in ghee. Add cocoa and vanilla after removing the mixture from heat. Mix well and set aside.

2. Prepare burfi as mentioned above.
3. Pour it on top of the white burfi while it is still hot. Allow it to set for a minute and cut into pieces.

Note:
Cut the burfi while it is still warm.

Grease the knife before making pieces.

Bhoondi Laddu

Everybody in my family loves laddu. I started making this for Diwali 9 years ago. The first 2 years I did not get it right. The syrup was not right. I finally figured out the mistake : I left the syrup on the stove even after turning it off.

Ingredients:
2 C besan
1 pinch baking soda
3 C sugar
1 C water
1 T roasted cashews, broken
5 clove, fried in ghee
1 t fried raisin
1 t diamond sugar candy(optional)
1/2 t powdered cardamom
saffron
kesar food color

Method:
1. In a large pan melt sugar in water. When the sugar dissolves, continue to heat to form syrup of half string consistency. Remove from stove. Add a little kesar food color and saffron to the syrup.
2. Sift besan and baking soda. Add enough water to make a batter, not too thick or thin. When poured on a sieved spoon(bhoondi ladle) and tapped, bhoondi should be rounded.
3. Heat oil in a broad pan. When the oil is hot, pour a ladle of batter on a bhoondi ladle. Keep the ladle over the oil and tap gently or rub fast with the spoon. Small droplets of batter will fall into the oil. Remove the bhoondi when it is half cooked(should not be crisp), and put in the sugar syrup. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

4. Add cardamom, cashew, diamond sugar candy,raisin, and clove to the sugar, bhoondi mixture. Gently mix everything.
5. Allow it to cool slightly. Grease your hands with little ghee. Take a little bhoondi mixture and make ball; gently tossing in your right hand, while pressing with your left. Place the laddu on a tray. Allow it to set before storing.

Note:
The syrup should be removed from heat immediately after 1/2 string consistency.
The syrup should be warm while putting the bhoondi in it.

Mysorepak

I make mysorepak every year for Diwali. I have seen many recipes, but I use the one that I got from my sister-in-law. She makes the best mysorepak. It is easy to make and my kids love it. My son just had a piece, straight from the tray, still warm and gave it an A.

Ingredients:
1 C besan
1 C melted ghee
2 C sugar
1/2 C water

Method:
1. Sift the besan, and mix it with 3/4 cup ghee and fry over medium heat till the raw smell leaves. Take care not to burn the besan. Set it aside in a bowl.
2. Mix sugar and water in a large pan. Dissolve sugar over medium heat. Heat the sugar to make syrup of one string consistency. When a spoon dipped in the syrup is lifted it should form one string.
3. At this point, add the besan mixture to the syrup, while stirring constantly. When besan is blended with the syrup, continue stirring. Keep adding the remaining ghee little by little.  When the mixture thickens and becomes frothy, pour it on a greased tray.
4. Cut into pieces while it is still warm.

White Pumkin Stew(kootu)

In south Indian food, kootu(கூட்டு) is a low fat food, which can be made with many vegetables in different ways. Kootu can be eaten with rice or flat bread(roti).

Ingredients:

1 C white pumpkin, peeled, de seeded, and cubed

1 T peanuts

1 t channa dal

1/2 t sambar powder

1/4 C cooked toor dal

For masala:

1t channa dal

1/2 t coriander seeds

3 red chili

1 pinch asafoetida

1 t fresh grated coconut(optional)

Method

1. Pressure cook the first 4 ingredients with little salt and water, for 3 whistles.

2. Meanwhile, in a little oil, fry the ingredients, powder and keep aside.

3. Take the cooked pumpkin in a saucepan, add cooked dal and heat for 2 minutes. 

4. stir in the masala powder and heat for 2 minutes. Season mustard, urad and curry leaves in 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil. Serve with rice or roti.

Roasted vegetable Panini

I love my panini grill. I make a lot of sandwiches for lunch. It is creative and kids love the variety. For this sandwich I used roasted red pepper and portobello mushroom.

4 square ciabatta bread
1 large red pepper
4 large porotbello mushroom
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
horseradish
mayonniase
hot sauce(optional)

Method:
1. Cut the red pepper from top, and remove seeds. Flatten the pepper with the heel of your palm.
2. Clean the mushroom with wet paper towel, remove the stem and make 3 slits on the top.

3. On a plate, mix 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil(EVOO), 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ground pepper, and crushed red pepper(optional).
4. Coat vegetables with the oil mixture, and place them on a broiler pan, top side up. Broil till the peppers are blackened. Remove from pan. Place the pepper in a plastic bag while still hot and seal. When the pepper is cooled, peel the skin and cut pepper into strips.
5. Mix mayonnaise and horseradish in  a bowl. Spread the bottom slice with the mayo.

6. Layer the bottom with pepper, Cheese and mushroom, in that order. Place the top and grill it in the panini. Enjoy with spring mix salad.

7 Cup Sweet

With Diwali fast approaching, I am trying out various sweet recipes. This is easy to make and kids will love it. There are 7 cups of ingredients in this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 C besan
1 C ghee
1 C grated coconut
1 C milk
3 C sugar
1/2 t cardamom powder

Method:
1. Melt ghee in a thick bottom pan. Fry besan on low flame till the raw smell leaves. Take care not to burn the besan.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and keep stirring. Continue cooking till all the liquid evaporates and the mixture does not stick to the bottom. Add cardamom and mix. Pour the mixture on a greased pan. Cut into pieces while it is still warm.

 

Bhagara Baingan

I have not been able to blog for almost 2 weeks due to Navaratri. But I am back.  I  found very tender Indian eggplants in the Indian store last week. As soon as I saw them, I decided to make this dish. Bhagara Baingan is a popular dish from Andhra Pradesh. Typically, this recipe does not call for tomatoes. But I had this at a friend's party, and she had used tomatoes. I decided to use it too.

Ingredients:

15 small purple eggplants
1 onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 Cup tamarind extract, extracted from a gooseberry size tamarind
1/2  teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste
2 Tablespoon oil
curry leaves
1 teaspoon each mustard, channa dal, urad dal for tempering

For Stuffing:

1 1/2  teaspoon sesame seeds
1  teaspoon poppy seeds
2  Tablespoon roasted peanuts
1  inch cinnamon stick
2  clove
2  clove garlic
1/2  inch ginger, chopped
2  teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2  teaspoon cumin seeds
5  Dried red chili
1  Tablespoon grated coconut


Method:

1. Wash eggplant, and make four slits from the rounded end, with enough opening to stuff masala. Leave the stem intact.

 

                                                       

2. Dry roast sesame and poppy seeds separately. Roast the remaining ingredients with little oil.  Powder them in a blender with a little salt. Set aside.

                        

3. Heat oil in a broad pan on medium heat. Add the ingredients for seasoning.

                                                         

4. Add onion and cook till translucent. 5-7 minutes. 

                                                           

5.  Add chopped tomato and cook for a few minutes. Add turmeric powder. Cook for 5 minutes, until mushy.

                                          

6. In the meantime, stuff the eggplant with a teaspoon of masala.

                                          

7.  Place the eggplants in the pan in a single layer over onion tomato mixture. Pour half of the  tamarind extract over it. Cook for 4 minutes. 

                                                          

8. Gently turn the eggplants and cook for 4 minutes.

                                                           
9. Pour the remaining tamarind extract. Add a little water. Stir in the remaining masala, and salt. Cover with a lid. Lower the heat. Cook for a few minutes. 

                                                              

10. Gently turn the eggplants occasionally. Add water if necessary. Cook until oil separates, and eggplants are cooked. 20 minutes.

                                                              

11. Check the eggplant. Remove from heat and serve with jeera rice or roti. I served it with parotta, layered wheat flat bread.

                                                        

Notes:

1. Adding salt to the masala enhances the taste of eggplant.

2. The eggplant must be soft when cooked, and retain the shape.