Friday, January 29, 2010

Cabbage chi Vadi

I was talking with my grandmom a few days back. She was telling me that she made cabbage vadis today. Ohhh!!! How much I miss her delicious and flavourful food. Had not eaten these vadis in years. All the spices with the chickpea flour gives a whole different taste to the cabbage. Infact adds a lot more flavour to it. I had some leftover cabbage in the refrigerator. This suddenly striked me and I decided to give it a try. They were awesome. We loved it. I was snacking on it the whole day. I bet you can't eat just one. Here is what you need -
Ingredients -
1) 1 cup cabbage shredded
2) 5-6 tbsp Besan/Chickpea flour
3) 1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder
4) 1 tsp red chilli powder
5) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
6) 1 tsp sesame seeds
7) A bunch of freshly chopped cilantro
8) 1 tsp Oil
9) Salt to taste
10) Besan/Chickpea flour as much required
Method -
1) Mix the shredded cabbage with all the powders, besan, salt and oil with just a few spoons of water. Add the besan as much required to hold the cabbage and form a soft dough.
2) Now grease a plate or a container with oil and keep the dough over it. Steam this in the pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes just like idlis. Let the pressure cool down.
3) Remove and cut the dough into small pieces and shallow fry each piece.
You can serve it with ketchup, chutney or just eat it like that.
Enjoy!!!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Happy Makar Sankranti!!! Tilgul Ghya GoaD GoaD Bola...

Wishing you all a Happy Makar Sankranti!!!

Makar Sankranti is the most auspicious day for the Hindus and is celebrated all over the country. Every hindu religion has a different name for it. It is called as Uttarayan in Gujrat and Rajasthan, Lohri in Nothern India, Pongal in Southern India and Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra. It is the only Hindu festival that falls on the same day every year, the 14th of January.

In Maharashtra, on this day people exchange multi coloured tilguls made from til(sesame) and til laddoos made from til and jaggery. Gul polis are also made on this day. While exchanging tilguls as a token of goodwill people greet each other by saying "Tilgul Ghya goaD goaD Bola" meaning accept these tilguls and speak sweet words. The whole idea behind this is to forget the past hostilities and ill feelings and be good friends.

This is a special day especially for women when married women are invited for a get-together called "Haldi Kunku" and are given gifts. Typically women wear black sarees on this day.

I made til ladoos today. Here is what you need -
Ingredients -
1) 1 cup jaggery
2) 3/4 cup sesame seeds
3) 3 tbsp grated dry coconut
4) 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
5) 2 tbsp ghee
Method -
1) Dry roast the sesame seeds and give a quick pulse in the mixer. Keep aside.
2) To it add the coconut powder and peanuts.
3) Take crushed jaggery in the mixer and grind it giving 3-4 pulses.
4) Add all the other ingredients in the mixer and give it a mix till it is mixed alltogether.
5) Remove and make small laddoos.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Corn Relish - Corn Kofta Curry

You would love these koftas if you like corn. They taste quite different but we loved them. The curry can be the usual one with all the spices sauteing with the onions and tomatoes. Here is what you need -
For the Koftas -
Ingredients -
1) 2 cups corn kernels
2) 5-6 bread slices
3) 5-6 garlic cloves
4) 1 inch ginger
5) 4-5 green chillies
6) 1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
7) a handful of cilantro chopped
8) 1 tbsp lime juice
9) Salt to taste
10)Oil for deep frying
Method -
1) Boil the corn kernels and let them cool. Then mash it or just give it a quick pulse in the mixer.
2) Grind the ginger-garlic and green chillies to a fine paste and add it to the corn.
3) Dip the bread slices in water and squeeze them. Mash them and add it to the corn.
4) Heat oil in a kadhai and fry these koftas until golden brown.
Be careful while frying as the corn tends to splutter.


For the Curry -
Ingredients -
1) 1 onion finely chopped
2) 2 tomatoes finely chopped
3) 1/2 cup frozen shredded coconut
4) 1 tbsp garam masala
5) 1-1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
6) 3-4 tsp poppy seeds
7) 4-5 garlic cloves
8) 1 inch ginger
9) Oil
10)Salt to taste
11)Finely chopped cilantro for garnishing
Method -
1) Heat oil in a skillet and add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
2) Add onions and saute for sometime.
3) Grind the ginger, garlic and poppy seeds to a fine paste.
4) Add tomatoes and saute till they become mushy.
5) Now add red chilli powder, garam masala and the grinded paste and saute for a couple more minutes.
6) Add the shredded coconut and fry till the oil leaves the sides. Add little water if needed so that the masala powders do not burn.
7) Add water and salt and let it boil for few minutes.
8) Add the koftas while serving.
9) Garnish it with cilantro.


Serve hot with chapatis. I served it with chapatis and boondi raita.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing Everyone a Very Happy and Prosperous New 2010!!!
May this New Year brings you lots of Happiness, Love, Joy...
Good Health....Great Friends....
Good Luck....& Great Things!!!
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating!!!