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!!!

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.

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.

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!!!

Good Bye 2009 with Chinese Fried Rice and Hot & Sour Cabbage

I had never tried Chinese cooking yet. This was my first attempt using Vinegar and Soysauce. I realised its so easy and quick. Just stir fry the veggies a bit, do not ovecook them, mix in the sauces and its ready. We bid 2009 a farewell with some Chinese food. I made some Hot and Sour Cabbage and Fried Rice.


Hot and Sour Cabbage -
Ingredients -
1) 1 cup thinly shredded cabbage lengthwise
2) 1/2 cup carrots shredded lengthwise
3) 1 capsicum chopped vertically
4) 3-4 green chillies chopped
5) 3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
6) 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
7) 2 tsp Vinegar
8) 3 tbsp cornflour dissolved in water
9) Salt and Black Pepper to taste
10)2 sprigs of Spring Onion chopped finely
11)Oil
Method -
1) Heat oil in a non stick skillet and add the carrots. Stir fry them on high flame.
2) Add the cabbage, capsicum and green chillies. Mix well and keep stirring them. Cook the veggies on high flame and for a very short time so that they the veggies does not loose the nutrients in them.
3) Add salt and black pepper and stir. Turn off the flame.
4) Now, heat another non-stick pan and add the tomato sauce, say sauce and the cornflour mixture and give it a quick stir. Turn off the flame. It will thicken and form a paste. Add this to the veggies and mix well.
My veggies are a little overcooked. It was a bit mushy but tasted great.


Chinese Fried Rice -
Ingredients -
1) 2 cups cooked rice
2) 1 small onion chopped finely
3) 1 cup Carrots + Green Beans finely chopped
4) 2 tbsp soy sauce
5) Salt to taste
6) Oil
Method -
1) Heat oil in a wide skillet and saute the onions till translucent.
2) Add the veggies and stir fry them for 2 minutes on a high flame. Do not overcook them.
3) Add rice, salt and soy sauce to it. Mix well. Turn off the flame.
4) Garnish it with the spring Onions.
Serve hot with Hot & Sour Cabbage.
Enjoy!!!

I am glad, I have posted 15 new recipes and stood up to my resolution of posting 1 new recipe everyday. Although i could not post everyday but i did complete the 15 recipes countdown. Now, its another New Year and ofcourse there would be new resolutions.
WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is a North Indian dish served mostly in Indian restaurants. It is made up of whole urad dal and kidney beans so it is rich in proteins. Now, this is a simpler and a healthier version of Dal Makhani using less oil. I am sure you all would love it. Here is what you need -
Ingredients -
1) 1 cup whole urad dal
2) 2 tbsp kidney beans
3) 4-5 Green chillies
4) 1 medium onion finely chopped
5) 1 tomato finely chopped
6) 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
7) 1 tbsp Cumin-Coriander powder
8) 1 tsp Garam Masala
9) 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
10)Red Chilli powder to taste
11)2 tbsp Yogurt well beaten
12)1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
13)Oil
14)Salt to taste
15)Cilantro chopped for garnishing
Method -
1) Soak the dals overnight in about 3 cups of water.
2) To the dals add, onions, garam masala, green chillies, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder and salt. Pressure cook the dals until 3-4 whistles. Turn off the flame and let the pressure release on its own.
3) Open the cooker and stir the dals. Check whether they are porperly cooked. Now, put it one low flame and bring it to a boil.
4) Add the yogurt and mix well. Allow it to cook of low flame.
5) In a small skillet heat 1 tbsp oil and add the cumin seeds.
6) Once they crackle add the tomatoes and saute them a little. Do not overcook them.
7) Mix them in the dal.
8) Garnish it with cilantro and serve hot.
Serve with hot chapatis or rice. Enjoy!!

Methiche Mutke

Methiche Mutke can be a nice tea time snack. Its very easy and quick to make with very few ingredients. Here is what you need -
Ingredients -
1) 2 cups methi(Fenugreek) washed and chopped finely
2) 3 cups Coarse Wheat Flour
3) 1 tbspn garlic-green chillies paste
4) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5) 1 tbsp sesame seeds
6) Salt to taste
7) 2-3 tbspn Oil
8) 2 tsp water
Method -
1) Mix all the ingredients together and knead them to form a dough with very less water.
2) Apply little oil on your palms and make small mutkes with the dough. Roll a small amount of dough in your palm and then make it flat like a pattice oval shaped. Repeat with the remaining dough.
3) Heat little oil in a pan and shallow them from both the sides.
4) Serve hot.
You can also bake them. The first time I made these, I had baked them in the oven and they were perfect. By shallow frying it, it needs to be cooked a little more from the inside. These were a little half cooked. Also, you need a little more oil than it is needed for baking.
Bake them at around 200 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes from both the sides.