MAHEKS KITCHEN

Typical Daily food...

2012-01-19T01:37:00.000-08:00

This is very typical plate that you will find whenever there is fish on the menu

On the plate there is

surmai or king fish fry

dal or ambat varan

matki usal

methi bhaji

DAHI WADA

2012-01-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

CURD is one versatile dish which can be used for so many dishes it is high in proteins and hence a must for all of us.. Dahi wada is an item which is commonly made in many homes and one of my favorites .. It can be served as a side dish and also as a evening tea item...

I love to have the wadas which are the lentil or dal deep fried dumplings with loads and loads of curds so in my plate you will find it with more amount of curds than the dumplings...

Here is the recipe DAHI VADA

INGREDIENTS

For the wadas:

2 cups udad dal soaked for about 7-8 hours
salt to taste

For the Dahi:

Take 2 cups of dahi or curds and churn a little till all lumps are broken don’t overdo it.
Add sandwich masala or chat masala which contains black salt, cumin, salt etc
you can add 1 tbsp ginger-chili paste (this is optional)

Coriander finely chopped for garnishing
Chilli powder for garnishing.

METHOD

Grind the udad dal to a fine and thick paste, do not add too much water.
Add salt to it
Deep fry the wadas i.e. dip your finger in a bowl of water and pick up the batter and drop in the hot oil very carefully alternatively you can dip a big spoon in water and then pick up a little batter and drop it in the hot oil…
After they are fried just put them in a bowl of warm water and let them stay there till they are served.
Mix all the ingredients of the dahi or the yoghurt together.
While serving, remove the wada from the warm water and squeeze it lightly.
Take a bowl arrange the dahi wadas in it and then the spiced yoghurt is poured over it.
Garnish it with coriander, chilli powder and sandwich masala

SPICY FISH CURRY

2012-01-18T00:08:00.000-08:00

When fish curry is made at home , we have a specific combination or ingredients which go into the coconut gravy for a particular fish.. you cannot make the prawn curry ingredient for the king fish curry or the vice versa...

So when you see that I have made a curry, know that its specifically made for that particular fish so the curries are fish oriented .. sometimes the same gravy can be used for one another type of fish but that's all no more...

Today I am giving you the recipe of a favorite of mine and that's the hot and spicy mackerel fish curry... I love to have it with rice (that's normal in a goan household) but I love it with roti too.. It should be had hot i.e off the stove with nice basmati rice ...you can have a goan papad with it too as an accomplishment...or a side...

INGREDIENTS

1 cup freshly grated coconut

3 bedgi chilies which give a red ( i.e. orange with haldi ) colour to the curry and spicy

One inch ginger piece

Haldi powder ½ tsp

A small ball tamarind and salt to taste.

A berry called “teffal” is added at the end to give the required specific flavor to the dish. (I think it’s from the schezwan pepper family)

Mackerels are washed , cleaned and cut into convenient pieces.

METHOD:
In a pan add about ½ cup of water and cook one green chili and a small piece of ginger which is lightly crushed

Grind together coconut, red chilies, turmeric powder, tamarind and ginger.
Put it in a pan and dilute it with water till the required consistency.
Add salt, crushed teffal fruit and cook till mixture boils.
Add the mackerel pieces and cook till the fish is cooked, which takes about 5 mins.
you can adjust the taste by adding a little tamarind juice if it’s too hot .

I hope you enjoy the curry . Teffal is a very important ingredient in this dish for the flavour it gives which is quite strong so I recommend if you try it for the first time you can leave it out (it tastes great even without it..) ..secondly you might find it very commonly so its better to try this dish without it...

MODAK.....

2011-11-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR ALL...

AS TODAY IS 11.11.11 A DATE WHICH WILL COME ONLY ONCE IN ONE'S LIFE TIME.

ITS ALSO SPECIAL FOR ME AS ITS MY MOMS BIRTHDAY TODAY AND I WILL BE GOING OVER TO HER PLACE FOR LUNCH AND DINNER YEY!!!!

The above Indian sweet which is called as MODAK is made with a wheat flour covering and filled with coconut sweetened with jaggery with a dash of cardamom powder and ghee..
This was made by my mother some time back and on the occasion of her birthday I wish to share these photos with you...

HOMEMADE INDIAN SWEETS.....

2011-11-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

TODAY IS A DATE WHICH COMES ONCE IN 100 YRS AND HENCE WILL BE EXPERIENCED BY US ONLY ONCE IN OUR LIFE TIME...TODAY IS 11.11.11...

TO CELEBRATE THIS DAY LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF THE HOMEMADE SWEETS THAT ARE MADE IN AN INDIAN HOUSEHOLD.

UKADICHE MODAK OR DUMPLINGS MADE WITH COCONUT-JAGGERY STUFFING AND COVERED WITH STEAMED RICE FLOUR COVER.

NACHNI OR RAGI PUDDING

AMRAS PURI-- AMRAS(sweetened mango puree) and puri is puffed up deep fried wholewheat roti.

DAHI WADA--DEEP FRIED UDAD DAL VADAS WITH SWEETENED CURDS POURED OVER IT...

SWEET LADOOS MADE WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A NICE DAY AND WONDERFUL YEARS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!

LUNCH BOXES DONE...

2011-10-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

Here I am putting up pictures of some of the lunch boxes that I made for my son .

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

I am doing this so that those moms ,who like me are always in a dilemma as to what to make for her child's lunch has some tips and ideas...

I normally pack 2 lunch boxes one which is wholesome for the longer break and one which is lighter to prepare and to eat for the short break...

chocolate brownies I make from scratch and is a great option for the shorter break as I make them with whole wheat flour and no butter but with oil and so consider them more nutritious than the normal counterpart.

DHOKLA
Dhokla is normally made for the first short break , I make this out of a ready to make packet because I feel its easier on my time and the final product is just yummy....soft and silky smooth..

JAM AND PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH WITH VEGETABLE ROLL OR WRAP

In the above picture you will see both the tiffin boxes for the day one is a PBJ sandwich and the other is any dry vegetable rolled in a wheat flour roti for the convenience of eating it like a finger food...HERE I DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ONE OF THE LUNCH BOXES SO CAN CONCENTRATE ON MAKING A NICE AND HEALTHY VEGE FOR THE WRAPS...

ONION UTTAPPAM WITH SOUTHINDIAN RED POWDERED CHUTNEY

I feel contented when I make variety of dosas or uttappams for his lunch box as according to me they make a complete meal with the required carbs and protein combination.

NUTRITIOUS SIMPLE DISH****

2011-09-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

This is one dish that is nutritionally complete according to me...This is a dish that can be very easily prepared in the shortest possible time and also is a very healthy dish for young and old alike.

I prepare this for my dear little niece who is just one and half years old whenever she comes visiting and I am rest assured that it will be consumed with delight..
It is normally cooked for toddlers who have jsut started therir solid food as it can be made into a semi solid consistency by adding more water by cooking, which is easy for the babies without teeth to swallow. Its cooked in a pressure cooker so you can add all the possible vegetables with it to make it nutritious and wholesome.Some of the vegetables that you can add and taste good with rice and dal are are carrots , peas,bottle gourd,potato,etc..
This versatile preparation is called as "KHICHDI"
I remember my great grandmother who was around 90 when I have memories of her would have this for her meals almost thrice a week hence we know that its good for the aged who have lsot their teeth and do not have much digestive power to eat heavy and rich food, who prefer such preparations as it fills them up without being an overload on their digestive system.
We normally eat Khichdi with a bowl of curd and salad which makes the meal complete with all the nutrient as the rice gives the carbs, vegetables give the vitamins and minerals , the dal and curds provide the proteins..
As it is such a complete meal , its an important item provided in schools for kids as a mid-morning meal for those who are underprivileged .

INGREDIENTS AND METHOD:
wash and soak together 1 cup rice and 1/2 cup moong dal
Take a pan add one tbsp oil when hot add mustard seeds, hing,jeera,2 red chillies and curry leaves temper
add the chopped vegetables of your choice
stir and then add soaked rice and moong dal
Add salt and a little jaggery (marble size)
Add 3 cups water if cooking outside in a pan add 21/2 cups water if cooking in a pressure cooker.
Add 1 tsp lemon juice
cook till done or for 3 cooker whistles..
serve hot garnished with finely chopped coriander and freshly grated coconut
You can pour a spoon full of pure clarified butter on ghee over it while serving.

RAINY RAINY DAY****

2011-09-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

I love rains....I love the feel and the sound of drops of water falling ...I love the wind and the cool breeze that moves around the house what bliss!!!!

Here are some snapshots of the morning when it was pouring outside and for me such morning should be accompanied by a hot cup of tea and a nice book

PALAK CHANA-DAL****

2011-07-18T01:22:00.000-07:00

Here I have a great vegetable for you which is full of nutrition and easy pizzy to prepare .. Lovely... I love cooking such vegetables which are loaded with goodness and which require minimum efforts to make for those who are not in India this will be easier to prepare with the quality of spinach that is available..

Here in India we have to very careful while cleaning any green vegetables and have to check each leaf for worms or dirt but when you do it its a great vegetable

PALAK- spinach leaves you can read about the benefits of spinach here

CHANA-DAL split chick peas--- i.e. split Chickpeas without seed-coat. Chana dal is produced by removing the outer layer of Kala chana (black chickpeas) and then splitting the kernel. Although machines can do this, it can be done at home by soaking the whole chickpeas and removing the loose skins by placing the chickpeas between two towels and rubbing with a rolling pin.(info from Wikipedia)

Chana-dal is supposed to have a low glycemic Index and hence good for people with diabetics

I cook this in my mini pressure cooker, which is a boon ( I do most of my daily vegetable preparations in a cooker ) and It takes less than 15 mins to have the dish piping hot on the table YAY!!! Instant gratification.

INGREDEINTS

2 Bunches spinach

1/2 cup chana dal or split chickpea soaked for about an hour

2 medium onions finely chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 tomato finely chopped

3/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp haldi powder or turmeric powder

1/2 tsp dhania-jeera powder (coriander cumin powder)

marble size ball of jaggery

salt to taste

coriander for garnish

METHOD:

Take oil in a pan add garlic let it brown..

Add your onion and stir till soft

Add your tomatoes and stir till the mixture is soft (you can add salt at this point)

Add the powdered spices , jaggery and stir now add the chana dal and cook for 5 mins

Add the chopped spinach, salt and close the lid of the cooker

let it cook for about4-5 whistles

when cooled add the coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis YUM!!!!

MIX-VEGETABLE DISH

2011-07-07T02:44:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my blog you must have read about this dish here which is called as KHATKATE

in Goa , its a mixed vegetable dish which is highly nutritious and pretty to look at...

Its a very elaborate preparation and needs a lot of planning , time to make it as there is lots of chopping and cutting involved...

This dish is made for festive occasions at our house, but nowadays I make it with less ingredients , so that I can make it more often..

The most important vegetable in this dish is the red pumpkin which is a must..... the other ingredients can be added according to the availability in your fridge.

VEGETABLE WITH GOURD*****

2011-07-07T02:26:00.000-07:00

I am sure that there will be many who will just skip this post as " GOURD" is not a vegetable which I have seen anyone relish with passion...

Its a vegetable which is quite tasteless on its own . You have to cook it in such a way that its goodness is enhanced and what you do get a tasty vege..

But one thing you have to remember it cannot be made into a very spicy vegetable its best if eaten with a little spice and minimum oil.

I have to admit that I too never liked to eat this vegetable if given a choice....but it so happened that last year I had a to go through a surgery and so for my recovery, eating this vegetable was the best option for me....

My mom who loves this vegetable and can eat it in large quantities used to make it everyday for me with the miniumum of spices and oil and as I did not eat anything else but this it made me feel good and healthy and that's how I came to appreciate its benefits and now it falls into one of my favorite food categories..

Here I have combined two types of gourds and tried to make it healthier .. Its a great vegetable for kids as well , its the best option as compared to the other rich and oily vegetable that one has...

Although its not a party vegetable its definetly something that one should try to cook once a week at home and make sure that your family eats it

I have used a snake gourd and a bottle gourd in this vegetable. If you are interested you can find the benefits of a snake gourd here and read about a bottle gourd here

RECIPE WITH INGREDIENTS AND METHOD

Chop the gourds (total about 1/2 kg) into medium size cubes or slices according to your preference.

Take a pan , heat it and add about 2 tsp oil , add a tsp of cumin seeds let them splutter add 1/2 tsp of asoefotida, 2 chopped green chillies (chillies can be reduced in case of illness or other health problems) .stir a little and then add a 1/2 tsp of haldi powder

Add pre-soaked chana dal (this is optional ) you can also add small tiny cubes of potato , this combination gives a different taste to the vegetable.

add the chopped gourd , salt and a small marble size ball of jaggery.

add about 1/2 cup water and cook till tender , here you can add a tsp of dhania-jeera powder (this is again optional) and finely garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

MID-MORNING MUNCHING...

2011-07-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

I love my mid-morning round of fresh fruits.. and when I see such a colourful bowl full of fruits it not only makes my tummy happy but so also my mind ..

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE FRUIT?

I love watermelons, papaya, banana and apples in that order...

WHEAT FLOUR BANANA CAKE*****

2011-05-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

This is the cake which I made last week....

I make this cake very very often as its simple , tasty and healthy...


SIMPLE HOMEMADE BANANA CAKE

ING:

11/2 cup whole-wheat flour

¾ cup oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

2 mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cooking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ cup milk

METHOD:

I made this cake in a very simple way
I took the granulated sugar and oil in a bowl

Beat it together till soft
Add the eggs and beat

Add the mashed bananas
Then add the wheat that has been sieved once with the baking powder and baking soda added to it.
Add the milk and the essence

Put the ready cake batter in a greased pan
Bake at 200 c for about ½ hour
You can test for the readiness of the cake with a toothpick inserted through the cake.

This cake is a favorite with kids and we mothers don't feel guilty for giving them something that is loaded with butter or refined flour.. so try it...

WATERMELON

2011-04-18T02:57:00.000-07:00

I love watermelons and my rate of consumption is unbelievable I can eat a whole watermelon in one sitting ,given a chance..

I remember when I was a child I always wanted to have a whole watermelon to eat all by myself , but as times then, one whole watermelon had to be shared by all in the family so i got my piece of the watermelon which I felt was always less

My father knew my fondness of the fruit and would tell me that one day we will bring a watermelon and cut it into half and you and I will have half each ( He loves this fruit as much as me....) . I always dreamt of that day when we both would eat a whole watermelon together...

And that day did come when my father one day when he was returning from work got me a round , plump juicy watermelon of a size which was just right for us both to eat in one sitting.We really enjoyed eating it together with a little sprinkle of salt.I have this incident itched in my memory for ever and every-time I see watermelons I remember that day with my father.

These pictures that you see above are taken last weekend when we went to DAHANU a sleepy town just 2 hours drive from Mumbai. "We "includes my dear father, my mom, my family and our nieces and nephew...

When you drive through the highway this is a common site during hot summer months.. you will find such stalls selling a whole and pieces of watermelon to commuters on the road...

So what do you think would be next , I immediately stopped my car and out I jumped with my father for a slice of the juicy yummy fruit sprinkled with chat-masala and salt...(did not click pictures of the plate served to us, was busy enjoying the fruit).

And as we were leaving the stall , I saw my father going back again inside the stall and choosing a watermelon ( He chose the biggest , and the best of the whole lot and the most expensive I must add...., they were at the end of the stall .He gave it to me with a smile on his lips and pleasure in his eyes....) so I know that he has not forgotten our little time together with this very good looking fruit....

YUMMY VEGE MEAL......

2011-04-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a vegetarian meal which i love to have on my plate , all the components are right I have tried to have a nice balanced meal here with a leafy vege, a pulse and a green vegetable with the regular rice , chapati or roti and Dal or curds..

PAPDI DRY BHAJI AND LAL- MATHACHI BHAJI

LAL-MATHACHI BHAJI AND CHAWLI OR BLACK EYES PEA VEGE

PAPDI (FLAT BEANS )WITH SHRIKHAND..

Normally I cook the lal-math or the red leafty vegetable as a dry dish but here you will find that it has a bit of a gravy and that is because I added finely ground coconut .

INDIA WINS WORLD CUP

2011-04-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

INDIA HAS FINALLY WON THE CRICKET WORLD CUP
WE CONGRATULATE THE INDIAN TEAM... FOR THEIR GREAT EFFORT...

source: television

OUR VERY OWN CAPTAIN M.S.DHONI WITH HIS OTHER TEAM MEMBERS MADE IT POSSIBLE TO LIFT THE CUP...
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR MAKING US PROUD....

DAILY MEAL

2011-03-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

A very simple vege meal consisting of only vegetables .. In my thali you will find...

CAULIFLOWER and POTATO VEGETABLE WITH COCONUT GRAVY

DRY TENDLI ( Indian Ivy gourd) BHAJI OR VEGETABLE you can read about this vege here

BOILED BEET

CHAPATI

whats not in the picture....
RICE IS A IMPORTANT PART OF OUR LUNCH WHICH WAS MADE WITH DAL OR ANY OTHER PREPARATION MADE WITH COCONUT GRAVY BUT AS ITS NORMALLY TAKEN AFTER FINISHING OFF WITH THE CHAPATI OR ROTI ...you wont find it in many of my pictures

you can see the gravy I made for the rice with raw mango in the last picture called as KAIRICHI UDAD METHI...

DRY TENDLI (Indian Ivy gourd ) VEGETABLE

GREAT PHOTOS.....

2011-03-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

These were taken at a farmhouse in Dhapoli ......

DAILY MEAL SHARING....

2011-03-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

When we blog we normally blog about a new dish prepared or something special that we do in our house....

But its not that everyday we make something special , most of the days its simple home cooked meal sometimes with a little twist and sometimes just a traditional meal which your mom makes or something that you are habituated in making...

Whenever someone invites me for lunch or dinner especially when its only me who is going I insist that they make dishes which are cooked at their home on daily basis and not something special . I feel the special dishes are always elaborate and good for parties and special occasions but the home food is what is healthy, tasty and has lots of simplicity and love in it and as its something that you cook regularly it comes out really really tasty.

I always feel that bloggers should come out and share with all of us the food that goes on their plate everyday and which is without any frills " A SIMPLE PLATE OF HOME COOKED MEAL " so pure and heartwarming .

I am planning to share my day to day meals whenever possible as I cook three meals a day and they are all home-cooked and from scratch... please don't expect them to be beautifully laid out but they will be the way we eat everyday at home ...

I would love to hear from you if you agree to what I have written in this post and if you all would love to share my daily meal with me if not in person but virtually.

The above meal was made last week when my mother in law was here to spend a couple of days with us, normally when there is someone over for a meal I have more of fish in my plate , like you see on today's thali or plate I have two fish dishes one dry fish curry (its not dried fish but the gravy is less or dry ) or also called as fish sukha where I have used a small silver fish which we call as "verli" and I also have a fish curry made with surmai or king fish which is eaten with rice...

When I share my daily meal I will not write the recipes but will give them to you on demand.. so please ask for them if you want to try it out....

MENU FOR THE DAY.....

cabbage and green peas

verli sukha

surmai fish curry

rice

chapati

FOOD MADE FOR MY SISTER..

2011-02-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

I made this on one of the days that my sister was here in India

There is much more that I cooked this was one of the simple menus for the day.. (she was with me for about a week) ..But being busy cooking and serving I did not take enough photos to share with you ..

But one of the days I did manage to take some photos and so here they are....

I love the colours on the dish they are so sunny and so good that you feel like just diving into the plate... or initially just looking at them...

I made chicken do-pyaza or chicken with lots of onions and gravy which has a little cashew for thickness..

The tandoori chicken that you see in the picture is a restaurant takeaway...

A simple potato bhaji with onions and garlic..and a very very simple dal with the simplest of tempering

Rice(not in the picture ) and chapati...

This is a very quick meal which one can make in half hour .. I had to plan this meal as we had very little time to plan and eat and so I made the simplest things that i could bought something from out and made a yummy full meal in no time ( I love making such meals which combines your effort with a little outside help to create something that is tasty and yummy...}

POTATO RASSA....

2010-12-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

In the above photos you will see a very simple meal which is also a whole meal that can be made in a jiffy
potato , onion vegetable and rice flour roti...

FLOWERS***

2010-11-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

JUST A PHOTO WITHOUT WORDS, SOME PICTURES DO NOT NEED WORDS TO TELL WHAT THEY HAVE TO SO HERE IS A PICTURE CLICKED IN GOA...

STREET FOOD****

2010-11-30T10:43:00.000-08:00

Goa is not known for its STREET FOOD you wont find people selling on the streets , as goan people prefer to eat hot and home-cooked meals and now although goan culture and people are changing and the younger generation is giving eating joints more preference to home made snacks (but let me tell you this its occasional ) you still find very few people selling fresh items on the streets....

When I visited Goa this May I saw a lady standing near the temple , selling finely sliced cucumbers and raw mango on leaves with a generous sprinkling of salt and chilli powder..

COOL AND HEALTHY CUCUMBER SLICES

SLICES OF RAW MANGO

Let me tell you this that I never like this stuff ...the raw mango but i love cucumbers in any form and size and taste , but my hubby just loves them...the raw mango (we are so different you know....)

So, It was my hubby who was the first to hop over to her and buy and eat it...the raw mango with relish.

Then it was me who walked over and relished them ... the finely sliced cucumbers... Haha....

SOME VENDORS IN GOA..****

2010-10-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

I love people and I love to see the way they dress, the way they talk and hence whenever I get an opportunity to visit a place a market is the first place I visit it’s the window to that place, you can know and see the local people there, you can know what they eat, and also know how they talk and communicate with you

I have clicked some pictures in Goa of the vegetable vendors and the flower vendors over a large period of time and here are a few of them for your perusal

some of these ladies were so happy to be clicked that they actually posed for the pictures...

In the picture above you see a grandmother , working at this age for her livelihood when she should have been at home and resting . The efforts of such people usually go unappreciated because of the situation that they fall in and earning becomes a compulsion.
I feel I could do a little bit for her by buying my plate of flowers from her and got her a chilled bottle of coke to quench her thrist in the hot afternoon that she was sitting and doing her job, My little act lit up her face and that's what made my day,and I remember her shy smile till today.
They are very self respecting people and that's all that I could do for her....

Don’t you feel they are so real , no pretense , no makeup just doing their day to day hard work and earning their livelihood , so nice to look and interact with such people…I feel its these people that builds up the character of the place and makes it a place worth visiting... DO YOU AGREE??

KHAJE A FAMOUS GOAN SWEET*****

2010-10-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows that Goa is known for its various Temples and there are a great no of them all beautiful and worth a visit... They have become tourists’ attraction in a course of time and at any time of the day you will witness buses full of tourists thronging these places of worship.
you can read about the temples and see pictures which I had posted in 2006 click here to see some of the famous temples in Goa which I regularly visit

ROAD LEADING TOWARD THE SHANTA-DURGA TEMPLE

VIEW OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE

The best part of these temples is that in spite of being so popular they have not become commercial and you can get time to stand in front of the idols and pray for as long as you want and not be pushed and jostled. They still retain their old world charm and you find the temples although well maintained retaining there old interiors and beauty which makes you feel like visiting them again and again , you can find the peace and quiet which is so difficult to find in a city..

SHOP OUTSIDE NAGESHI TEMPLE SELLING KHAJE (that's what the board says)

Once in a year or probably once more there will be UTSAVS or celebrations, where there is lot fun and religious ceremonies going on and the people from villages come here to spend some time in their family’s place of worship…

You can find simple stalls being put up where they sell sweets, some trinkets are for sale, and some food items like kokum, Coconuts,Alsande (type of bean specially found in Goa ) , tamarind (dried) which are basic for Goan Saraswat cuisine…You can also find some stall selling traditional Goan ware…

Here above you can see packets of khaje are being made and also you can see those orange ladoos which I find a bit hideous and did not try them out.(They are very good for taking pictures though don't they look great in these photos...

Here you will find the orange variety of khaje which just has food colour added to it , I normally purchase the one that you see in the picture below as thats the nature jaggery colour and no additional colour is added.

After all this talk I am coming to the point what this post is intended for KHAJE , this is very famous sweet which is made Goa which you can find almost at all the stalls in these fairs and they are my favorite I just love sweets that use Jaggery (read about it here)

I have never seen this sweet being made at home, nor have I actually seen it being made. I am giving you the ingredients which I am guessing by the taste.

I feel that they are made with besan or chick pea flour which is kneaded with a little hot oil and salt then small sticks are made of it which are deep fried and when hot they are allowed to dip in hot jaggery solution which is heated before the dipping to make a thick jaggery solution by concentrating it to a one thread consistency and either ginger or cardamom powder is added to it..

This is sold once they are cold and solid they are never eaten hot...

I would love to know the exact recipe for this dish. If any of you friend blogger who are from Goa know the recipe please please write it to me so that I can share it with others

THANKS IN ADVANCE.

RANDOM PICTURES TAKEN IN GOA****

2010-10-06T01:03:00.000-07:00

TREES FULL OF SCRUMPTIOUS MANGOES

PICTURE TAKEN OUTSIDE A VILLAGE HOUSE

This is a visual tour or Goa so no words will be used , I am just posting some of the Random snaps that I clicked while in Goa....

SUNSET IN GOA

FLOWERS IN ONES OWN BACKYARD

LAKE-SIDE VIEW

TOP OF A FORT

EGG SUKHA*****

2010-09-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

EGG SUKHA..

I am not writing the ingredients and proportions because they are all optional as the taste of this vegetable does not change with a little more of this or that , for those who cook at home its a simple dish which can be done at a moments notice ( the time taken for boiling the eggs is what counts)

Slice onion thick as seen in the picture, slice tomatoes also in the same manner , boil eggs in a separate pan , you should have hard boiled eggs.

Take a pan add oil, add the sliced onions and stir till they change colour but do not become brown, add finely sliced garlic cloves, stir for some more time add the tomatoes and salt stir and cook covered for sometime till the tomatoes leave a little water or become a bit soft (They don't have to be very soft again it depends on ones taste). Add capsicum (optional) and let them cook for sometime or you can directly add the red chilli powder, haldi powder and dhania-jeera powder add a little garam masala (optional).add curry leaves at this stage to retain the fresh flavour . Then add the eggs and garnish with finely chopped coriander. Dish is ready to be eaten with hot hot rotis or chapatis....

SIMPLE AND EASY THALI.....

2010-09-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was in a real dilemma as to what I should prepare for lunch.

It happens many times after a series of routine meals and planning you just don't feel like cooking and still you have to ... My Hubby does not enjoy eating out much and prefers to eat home food... But I love to eat out as its a respite or you can say a little change from daily grind, which can make one feel rejuvenated and ready for the next week.

The problem was my son was busy the whole day and my hubby was not feeling well enough to drive out and go for lunch so I planned this meal and can be made within an hour... you should try it once...

In the above photograph you can see a EGG- SUKHA made in the keralite style ( I do not know if its a typical keralite preparation but my neighbour who is a keralite makes it in this way and it is liked by my family ,so I made it using her recipe I feel the difference in the Punjabi and this version is the use of curry leaves ).

The second dish is moong dal where i have used the combination of whole moong and moong dal to make a filling and nutritious preparation which is tasty for all ages for kids its a very good dal full of proteins and also light on the tummy...

I will be posting the Egg sukha recipe and the dal recipes in my following posts....I do not have a good picture for the dal and so my dear blogger friends you have to wait till the next time I make this dal at home, click pictures and post the recipe so please please bear with me... I know you all are very very considerate....

GANESH CHATURTI IN PUNE....

2010-09-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

As I had mentioned I was in Pune for Ganesh Chaturti last week end...

Let me take you through a visual tour of the pictures I took at my cousins home where I celebrated Ganeshchaturti with their family...

I love the decoration that is done around the Ganapati Murti or Idol.

you can find lots of modak normally a sweet made with milk which is supposed to be a favorite food of Ganapati Bappa but you will see in the pictures that there are many silver modaks on the side which are normally presented by someone in the family for the Lord.

The food served is so yummy that I just love eating a lot on that day , followed by a long nap in the afternoon its so satisfying to feel full and have a nap that day (for no reason at all......)

food served was

varan bhat (dal rice)

chapati or roti

apple and pomegranate salad in yogurt

boiled potato vegetable

whole moong curry (goan style) not seen (its in the katori on the right)

Most important Ukadiche modak..

cucumber , black vatana bhaji

GANAPATI BAPPA MORYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

THALI TIME.....

2010-09-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

My thali for the day has the following things......

CHOLE

FRENCH BEANS AND PEAS VEGETABLE

PALAK DAL

CHAPATI OR ROTI

RICE (not in the picture)
I would love all the bloggers who read this blog comment on how they felt the combination was and if they had suggestions regarding what more or less could be made to make the thali complete or whether this is good enough...
I want you to send your suggestions or comments which will be of help to other homemakers too who want to feed their family healthy nutritious meals , when we all come together as a family and help others I feel the family meals will be really something we will be proud of .. and hence I share my meals with you so please comment and tell me what you made for your dinner or lunch today..

PICWICK BISCUIT.....

2010-09-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Childhood normally is filled with so many things that seem very ordinary then but become quite a special once we grow, think back on them and associate them with a person or an event....

I have a wonderful memory associated with this above PICWICK BISCUIT which is still available in the Indian market .

This biscuit which is a wafer cream biscuit and its quite yummy to taste , It is a biscuit loved my brother and sister along with me...

My father normally got a small pack for us which was devoured up hastily as soon as it was opened.

My fathers older brother who was a bachelor visited us very often and treated us very affectionately . He loved to give us things that we all truly loved but was not very easily available to us...

These biscuits were quite expensive compared to the other biscuits but I appreciate that my father always got us a packet every month , we always got our share but still longed for more (you know how kids are, never

satisfied with what they like and have).

One day came my dear uncle on his regular visits and heard us talk about how much we love this biscuit and discussing among ourselves about who likes which cream flavor the best . (we were all under the age of 10),

On a ploy of going on a walk he took us along with him to our grocery shop , there he purchased for us each the Picwick biscuit packet of our choice and that too the largest packet available in India (FAVORITE BISCUIT WITH A CREAM FILLING OF CHOICE) what more could a child's young heart ask for...

I still remember the pleasure I felt when I held the biscuit packet close to my heart ( I remember catching it very tenderly afraid that a little hard grip or hold might crush those delicate biscuit to bits).

I still remember the three of us sitting on our bed and munching on those beauties, storing away the leftovers in a proper airtight jar provided by my mom (these biscuits tend to absorb the moisture in the air and become soft and loose their taste). I can feel the longing of wanting to come home to eat those biscuits once again sitting with my siblings and laughing at each others jokes.

I will always remember my Uncle for giving us that little pleasure on that evening and my memories of him become more touching and warm.

Can any other material thing provide you with such pleasure which is so innocent and so pure and which as adults we loose out on ?? . We try to search for pleasure in wrong things and things that are complicated. So why not be a child again and experience pleasure in simple things of life , things that don't need much money just that little soft heart beating ....

FOOD FOR THE DAY...

2010-09-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

I spent a lovely weekend at Pune a place which is about 3 hours drive from the place I live (Mumbai).

Its Ganesh chaturti now , its a Hindu festival , for details you can read here.

I have my aunt staying in Pune whose new House I havent visited and so we felt that this was the best time for us to visit her and also enjoy the festivities of that place.

This food thali was what I cooked the day before I left for Pune, I wanted it to be simple as I did not have much time as lots of things had to be done and things had to be packed.

Mumbai being a big metro city everything that we need to cook a certain type of meal is always available which is not so in Pune. So my aunt had her list of things that she would like to get and so I had a lot of shopping to be done and so...this above meal

white vatana tonak or wet curry vegetable

varan or toovar dal

chapati, rice , curds etc....

I will make a separate post for the recipes as and when I get the time...

THALI

2010-09-09T02:37:00.000-07:00

I have managed to click a lot of my day to day food thalis over the last couple of weeks and I would love to share them with you.

When I read blogs I always like to know more about what people have on their plates for their regular meals , For me regular everyday meals are not something that are rich in taste or something that are good to look at (although both the things are necessary to make our plate a bit appetizing), But its the love with which a homemaker makes a complete meal for her family taking into account the nutritional value of the food is what is of utmost importance.

I am a homemaker and I cook 3 fresh meals everyday at home, and I know the efforts I put into planning the daily meal so as to balance the nutrition in each meal.So that there are the necessary components in every meal ( I know that its not always possible to have absolutely great and healthy meal when you plan a menu. as things which have a lot of oil are a bit tastier than the ones which are bland) . So I make such a dish probably once a fortnight or sometimes even a month , if I can slyly stretch it that much shhhhh......

The above thali which you see is made for lunch , I have a wholesome thali for lunch for dinner I plan something that is filling but not in the thali form it can be something like dosa, paratha, or sandwiches. I am planning to share at least 4 thalis of that week with you ( I would not mind clicking pictures everyday but it so happens that many a times something is left for the last minute touch-up and enters my hubby from his work, to eat his hot afternoon meal, which he does not much appreciate waiting for , so in the rush bushhh of getting everything hot on his plate before he lands at the table after his quick wash I forget to get the camera out and click the photos and sometimes it so happens that i do click the photos but they are not appealing enough for you to look at sooo...

But I promise to be more regular BUT BUT... I WANT ALL THOSE READING THE POST TO PROMISE ME ONE THING .... PLEASE DO COMMENT , I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW YOUR REACTION... AND TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE READ MY POST .. ONLY WHEN I GET PROMISES OF COMMENTING WILL I POST (just joking... but please do comment folks..)

SORRY!!!!

I did not even mention the items on this thali .

Roasted corn salad (my favorite)

Beetroot pachadi

Tomato sar

gourd bhaji or vegetable with onions and tomato

rice and chapati.

LOOKING AT THE PHOTOS I SEE THAT THE THALI IS QUITE COLORFUL DO YOU ALL AGREE????

PHOOTI KADI....

2010-09-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is one appetizer loved by people in Goa and I think each home has their own version of making it...

I call it a appetizer because that what people normally do drink it before their meal starts it helps to digest the heavy meals that's going to follow (that's what i think).

I love to have it with my rice and after the first part i.e either Dal or fish curry I love to end my meal by having this with rice and i love the after tangy taste that it leaves in your mouth, you feel nice and fresh.

Very simple to make

soak kokum a sour fruit found in Goa which is dried to make sol kadi (made with coconut milk) or this kokum kadi or also as a souring agent for some fish dishes.

soak about 7-8 kokums in water for about 1 hour or till the sour taste percolates into the water, add 1/2 sp asoefotida, 2 finely chopped green chillies, 2 tsp sugar for a glass of water,salt to taste and finely chopped coriander for garnish.

MORE BEACH PHOTOS FOR YOU.......

2010-08-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am sure those who love the sea will enjoy this photos for sure , I would love to know how many of you love being near sea.

GOAN BEACHES.......

2010-08-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Goa has a wonderful coastline , you will find tourist flocking Goan beaches the whole year round.

I will like to share with you some photos which have been taken over a period of time , Hope you enjoy them as much as I do..

THE ABOVE PHOTO IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?

TWILIGHT VIEW

EARLY MORNING BEACH SIDE

BEACH IN THE EVENING

GREAT LOOKING SEA

please excuse the wrong date as, when clicked pictures the setting was all wrong , but i did not delete the pictures as I felt they were so beautiful do you agree?

I request all those who read this blog to please put a comment so that i know that you have read my post , It keeps one going and happy that b loggers are reading the things that i put up for them.

GLIMPSES OF GOA

2010-08-26T03:28:00.000-07:00

I love to visit Goa , Not only because it my native place but because I feel its very tranquil and relaxing. After staying in Mumbai and Mumbai being such a crowded place makes me feel at peace with myself even when i see the structures and homes here. Mumbai being a metropolis you will find tall buildings and lots of construction around but Goa has maintained its natural beauty...

Here are some of the pictures my brother took when he was traveling to Goa and back a while ago.

SIMPLE DAL

2010-07-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

I love making dal and its mainly toovar dal in our house but last week i decided that i must try a different type of dal and so i mixed together a little of masoor and moong dal to make this dal which is very very simple food which can me made with 15mins in a pressure cooker and its very healthy , easy to digest...

Masoor and moong dal do not have their own taste and so you have to put ingredients to make them more tasty

I will write the dal as a whole because its very simple and you can make it just like that with the additions that you want.

METHOD

Wash and soak 1/2 cup of masoor dal and 3/4 cup of moong dal (soaking is optional you can do it as soon as you wash it)

Take a pressure cooker and add a little oil for the tempering

add 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds let them splutter than add the hing or asoefotida and the finely chopped garlic

let it become flavorful don't brown it. add chopped red chillies and then add the dals.

put a little(1tsp) lemon juice, a little coriander-cumin powder and a small marble size ball of jaggery

salt to taste and put the pressure on .

let it cook for 2 whistles .

once cooled open the cooker and add finely chopped coriander leaves (I did not add as mine were over)

Eat this Dal nice and hot with a bowl full of rice.

EGGY MASALA TOAST......

2010-06-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who is a pure vegetarian girl, they never even cook an egg in their home i.e. her mom in law has never ever touched an egg.

But funny as it is her son once tasted an egg masala toast quite accidentally from his friends tiffin box and he was hooked , He just loved the taste of the egg preparation and he insisted that his mother learn it and make it for him, and as no mother would be able to

Ignore her child’s plea, she did learn to make it for her son and makes it regularly only for him as all the other members are pure veg…..

She is a very dear friend of mine and hence this dish is very special for me ….

METHOD

1. Take a shallow dish and beat in two eggs till light and fluffy, add salt, chilli powder or finely chopped green chilies), haldi powder and finely chopped coriander to the mixture.

2. There is one extra ingredient which I add and that’s cheese, my son loves cheese and loves to have it wherever possible and so in goes my cheese too.

3. Dip the slices of bread cut into the required shape into the above mixture , do not leave the slices in the mixture or it will soak up the whole mixture and then break , so dip it for just long enough for it to soak up the egg mixture.

4. Take a hot griddle and add a little butter to it. Place the slices on the hot griddle and let them roast till nice and brown.

5. Serve hot with tomato ketchup

EASY AND SIMPLE EGG MASALA TOAST

GOAN BEACH****

2010-06-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

I have always shared with you the pictures clicked by my son and me as we are the ones who love to click pictures, but my dear hubby is not bad at clicking pictures too Yayyyyy.....

So here are some fabulous pictures clicked by him on the beach when he went there alone, so that he could take some uninterrupted (can you guess who causes the interruptions hummm.....) pictures to his hearts contend ...

They have come out really awesome so "thumps up" to him...

FISHERMEN WITH THEIR NET READY TO PULL IT OUT FOR SOME FRESH FISH

MORNING COLORS OF THE BEACH

GREEN GREEN MOSS

I LOVE THIS PICTURE SO WELL TAKEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE SHELL OPENING

VADA STALL***

2010-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

OHhh..... I love the look of this stall so simple and yet so pleasing , after living in a city with big shops, malls and dazzling food joints it was so refreshing for me to see a simple eating place where people from the village come to have a little snack or bite with their morning cup of tea

For simple village folk eating out is not very common, its like a treat or its only out of necessity that one ventures out to have a bite of something which is not normally prepared on a regular basic in a goan home.

Goans are true meal eaters i.e a good scrumptious and filling meal is what a goan craves for ...

Nevertheless you will find such places in villages where there will be a couple of tables put in and you will find friends (mostly men..) sitting enjoying a cup of tea with vada, pav or bhajiya (fritters) you will also find a pulse curry (not in the picture) which can be had with pav or bread...

How i love the look of that vintage glass cupboard which holds the goodies to be eaten with a hot cup of tea

yummy!!!!

fresh bread just out of the oven here in the tray (doesn't look hygienic , but thats village life), but one bite and you wont look at the blue basket Hahha....fresh and fragrant bread....Hummmm.....

BATATA VADA OR POTATO FRITTERS

Attention ladies who love vintage stuff check out this fabulous cupboard and look at the wooden border isn't it great???

SALT PAN****

2010-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

My hubby's uncle who I mentioned in my earlier post has a salt pan where natural salt is produced during the summer months .

As we were staying with our uncle, our first morning in Goa always starts with a walk to his salt pan and enjoying the view around the place.

This is such an unique experience for people who stay in metropolitan cities where life is more of a concrete jungle then anything else ,we crave for the peace and quite that nature provides us and the beauty which is in abundance all around us to see, observe and soak up.

Here i share with you the pictures I clicked on that beautiful morning walk around the salt pan, I have taken these for all my blogger friends who read my blog so regularly so please dont forget to comment , It will be great to hear from all of you.....

We finished our walk with a refreshing drink of fresh coconut water from coconuts taken right off the tree ...

Here you can see one of our uncles helper going up the tree to get a coconut for us....

A rustic village path...

UNCLE'S GARDEN ****

2010-05-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

For most the days that we stayed in Goa we spent most of our time at my hubbys favorite uncles house, This house is more than 150 yrs old and was built by my hubby's great great grandfather.

Sorry that did not click pictures of this fabulous house ,Its been well maintained and taken care of my hubby's uncle who stays there.But, i promise i will be taking lot of pictures of the interior of the house which will be very interesting for bloggers who stay out of India and havent seen the village type of life.

OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE WITH A LITTLE PORCH

Although here my hubby's uncle has renovated the house with the latest facilities.

here is a glimpse of the house with a little patch of the garden

FLOWERS IN GOA****

2010-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

People staying in Goa are fortunate to have a garden or an extra space where they can grow plants , I saw these lovely flowers wherever I went and they were so pleasing to the eye .

I want to share some of the pictures i clicked of flowers grown at our relatives places (we went to more than 10 in 8 days)

Aren't they so pretty?

BACK FROM GOA****

2010-05-17T02:17:00.000-07:00

BACK FROM A WEEK LONG VACATION TO GOA
I was in Goa the whole of last week and had a fabulous time there, lot of tasty and yummy food , time to relax and to catch up with relatives who we meet probably once a year.
I have taken lots and lots of photographs to share with you and to show you my native place through my eyes....
The posts that will follow will have more of visual beauty and less of words , i hope you enjoy my efforts..

.
...GOA THROUGH MY EYES...AND MY CAMERA LENS

THALI****

2010-05-03T02:35:00.000-07:00

I love sharing my daily food photos with you , i think my regular readers know this well , you will see my other food plates or thali as we call it , if you read my other food blog too.
It would be great if my fellow bloggers would share what goes on their plate too it would be fabulous a peek into one's home without actually being there, wonderful!!!!
The menu of the day was
bottle gourd and chana dal vegetable
french beans dry vegetable
papad with freshly grated coconut which was then crushed together
ambat varan or tuvar dal with lemon
chapati and rice...not in the picture
If any of my friends who read this blog want to know a recipe please write to me on the comment section and i will put it up for you...

This is a pure vegetarian thali.

CURD NACHANI DOSA......

2010-04-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

THIS IS THE MOST SIMPLE, DELICIOUS , HEALTHY AND INSTANT DOSA THAT ONE CAN MAKE . ITS GOOD FOR ANY SIZE OR SHAPE, AGE AND WEIGHT {HEhe....}

I am not joking its really fabulous , very easy to make I would love to have your feed back once you make it at home .

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup nachani or ragi atta or flour

1/2 cup curds diluted with a little water to make it dilute (you can use sour buttermilk too)

Curds used should not be very sweet they should have a hint of sourness to them.

1/2 cup rava or semolina

mix together and keep it for about 2 hours to ferment...

(here if you are in a hurry you can make the dosas instantly they will become a little harder than when you soak it for 2 hours).

Here's one tip if you feel lazy to make the chutney just add chopped onions,coriander leaves , jeera, and green chillies finely chopped or in a paste form to the batter before you make the dosas...

so dosas are ready to be eaten , you can keep this batter in the fridge and eat when time permits (within 2 days)

EXAM TIME....

2010-03-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

My sons exams are still going on , only 2 most difficult papers yet to go with a big gap of 9 days between the papers.
Yesterday when i was passing by my sons study table i stopped in my tracks when i saw the colours that had formed on his Physics book.

I have taken the above picture because I was fascinated by the colours of the pens which were lying on my son’s physics text book...

I love colours and like to see how they brighten up a photo, the photo of a lone book with a single pen would have been very boring to look at but the pens ( I do not have any idea why they where lined on the book by my son , do I see some artistic quality in my son hummm...) change the mood and the picture so much...

Since i have started blogging i have changed my way of looking at things i love to see bright things around me i like to combine colours which suit each other and fall in the same spectrum

FULL THALI....

2010-03-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

It so happens that sometimes I just get into the mood of cooking and then recipes just go on popping in my mind and makes me do more than what is required .
My sons exams are going on , and hence I have lots of time to do nothing but cooking as any other activity which has some sound in it disturbs by darling son (hmmm...) what should a mom do? She cannot watch TV, cannot listen to songs, and cannot talk too much on the telephone. Our house is quite small and any of the above activities are sure to disturb a person during his crucial study hours. So the next best thing I could do was to cook, cook and cook and make my son and me happy or at least remain sane and not get bothered about the things I cannot do…
So here is the food thali which I made on one of the weekdays when my son had a gap between 2 papers where he could sit and relish this great vegetarian fare…

BUTTERMILK KADHI WITH COCONUT

FRIED PAPAD KISMUR

BEET RAITA

There is an art in planning an Indian meal , we should know some dishes which are quick to whip up tasty and good to look at too on a thali , one should try to have many colours on a thali and try not to make two dishes with the same colour so that it looks appealing and appetizing.

STIR-FRIED POTATO VEGETABLE (french fry style cuts)

Planning a thali is an art which you get to know with experience so go on practicing and making great food , combine one difficult and special dish with 2 simple and quick dishes you can always put up a good spread and make yourself and your guests happy .

EGG OMELETTE CURRY....

2010-03-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

This was the simple last sunday lunch , my son loves to have his egg curry with an omelette and not with boiled or any other form of egg .I make my egg curry in a typical goan masala style .

INGREDIENTS

slice 2 onions finely

chopp two onions fine

chop one tomato fine

1 cup fresh grated coconut.

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp haldi powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder or as per taste

a little i.e small ball of tamarind

METHOD

Take a kadai and fry the sliced onions till brown

put in the grated coconut and fry till they turn brown too...

Take another pan , put oil and fry the chopped onions till they become translucent , add the tomatoes and fry till they leave oil at the sides.

Add red chili powder,haldi powder and garam masala powder fry for sometime

Grind the fried coconut and onion mix with the ball of tamarind..

add it to the above onion tomato mixture...

add a little to get a gravy like consistency

At this stage you should add the boiled eggs or the egg omelette.

garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

serve hot with chapati or bread

In the above picture i have served it with multi grain bread.

COOK BOOKS ...

2010-01-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

I have been reading a variety of books ..

My favarite being cook books and self help books...

Here are some of the cook books that i am reading right now...

I will be trying some new recipes , although i dont much enjoy cooking without oil as i feel that eating a little bit of oil makes it more tasty;.... but offcourse you should have control on the amount of oil that you use you cannot say that a dish will not be tasty if a certain amount of oil is not used , one should always keep a control over the quantity of oil used in a dish. I will be making the dishes but not with ZERO oil but a little oil...

I love rice dishes but in our goan meal pulao is almost not there . People do make pulao but they are adopted from other cuisines . A Goan meal has lots of plain rice and fish curry so there are no short cuts.

Actually i love all types of rice preparations with vegetables, prawns and chicken and would love to eat it everyday, but my hubby being a staunch goan food lovers prefers the plain rice with goan gravies...

2009-12-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

VISUAL TOUR OF PANAJI MARKET

ROOT VEGETABLES

HOG PLUMS AND RAW BANANAS

COCONUTS

OKRA AND CUCUMBER

BLACK AND WHITE AND CO LOURED PAINTINGS BY MARIO MIRANDA (a famous artist from Goa)

LIMBU SODA......

2009-12-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

LIMBU SODA is one major attraction for us when we visit temples in Goa , especially for my son.

Its usually summer when we visit so the temperatures are high and you need to have something to drink and there is nothing as refreshing as a cool cool glass of LIMBU SODA that's lemon juice with soda, lots of sugar and a pinch of salt.

Its the best re-hydrating drink that one can have , and here the soda that they serve are unique they are called as marble soda , you will find a marble on the top which is pushed inside the bottle every time you want to open the bottle. Unfortunately i could not get a picture of an unopened one so i got the photos of the bottles on display.

DRY FISH MARKET AT MADGAON GOA........

2009-11-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

DRY FISH MARKET OF GOA
My family loves dry fish especially dry prawns . They are of immense use when you have this craving for eating fish and don't have the time to go out to the fish market .
you will always find dry fish piled up in my freezer for the rainy day , and this is where i buy it from ,
come with me and enjoy this tour of MADGAON DRY FISH MARKET....

DRY MAKERAL

DRY BOMBAY DUCK (bombay duck in goa)

TINY DRY PRAWNS CALLED AS GALMO IN GOA

DRY PRAWNS

PACKETS OF DRY FISH YUMMYYYY.......

I normally buy only prawns and mackeral from the market as that's all that is eaten at home but there is a large variety available which people really relish...

MY LONG AWAITED GOAN TRIP....

2009-11-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

LONG DISTANCE VIEW OF THE MADGAON MARKET

I love Goa , and i am not saying this because i am a Goan but because its really a beautiful place , compared to Mumbai where i stay i feel its much more quite and peaceful. Off course Mumbai has its advantages which makes a person stay here and earn ones living...
I had not visited Goa for the last three years and that's a pretty long time.. I was looking forward to this trip which i took in the first week of November .
Let me take you to the spots that i love to visit and are a must visit for me every time i visit *whew*...
The main intention of my visit was the temples which i never miss and must always visit..
and the second place is the market may it be big or a small one , this time i visited two of the largest markets in Goa one in Madgaon and the other in Panaji ,
You will find the pictures of MAPUSA Friday market here.
and you will find the pictures of the temples here.
HERE IS THE VISUAL TOUR OF MADGAON MARKET WHICH I VISITED..

FRESH AND JUICY PINEAPPLES

OKRA AND LEMON

LEAFY VEGETABLES

HOME MADE VINEGAR AND COCONUT OIL BOTTLES

HOG-PLUMS

TIRPHAL-small flavouring fruit
You can read about it here in this blog

A VARIETY OF SWEET POTATO

GOAN BEAUTY......

2009-09-22T02:42:00.000-07:00

I dont have to write or say anything the pictures have a voice of their own.......

AAYIS FOOD

2009-09-22T02:12:00.001-07:00

A little more of my mom's food...
My sister had come down from the US last month so my mother planned one evening where she would make some very traditional fare and which could be enjoyed by all of us.

THE TABLE WITH THE GOODIES.

so, a day convenient for all of us was chosen ,here in the pictures you will see a typical home cooked meal that my mother made for all of us ... Here you will see there is no presentation, no frills or show . I took the picture just as it was on the table and did not even shift or move anything for improving the look of the picture.

DALIMBI USAL

I just wanted all my friends to see how it at home when food is served with love and affection .
In the earlier days as i said in my last post ,it was the quality and quantity that mattered and the rest was sorted out on its own...

MASOORCHE TONAK AND BATATYACHE BHAJI

KADI , RICE , CHAPATI.

The menu was :

dalimbi usal
batatyachi bhaji (potato vege)
boondi raita
masoor masala or as we say in goa "masurche tonak"
sol kadi or kadi made with coconut milk
chapati
rice
and the only thing that was bought from out was the chicken biryani (for my brotherinlaw)
There was fried fish and fish curry which is not in the picture they were on the gas stove being heated while i took the pictures.
but once everything was served i had no patience to wait and click some more photographs my mind was only on the yummy food ....

PURANACHE MODAK.......

2009-09-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

My earlier post shows you how i made UKADICHE MODAK this year for Ganesh chaturti.

In the pictures below , are the modaks which my mother and normally all Goan homemakers prepare for Ganesh chaturti, these are the " ट्रडिशनल फ़ूड " made in Goa .

The above modaks are very very tasty and very filling too , one would be enough to fill you up .
You will see that the modaks are not perfectly shaped as that was not something that was given too much importance as was the taste. I can assure you that the taste would be perfect every time they are made.
lots of attention is given to the presentation in our generation , which was not so with the earlier generation, People concentrated on the quality , the quantity and the sharing and caring .

Food was always in large quantities , as the family was usually very large , the produce was from the backyard and many hands to help.
I have never made these modaks (i don't know why) i usually like to visit my mothers house and eat them the way she makes them.
here is the recipe for you..... (The ingredients are offcourse not backyard produce but something you will have to visit your grocer and buy)

INGREDIENTS

COVER

knead wheat flour atta just the way you would for your roti , only add a little warm oil to it before you start kneading.

STUFFING

250g chana dal
250g jaggery or gul
2 tsp cardamom powder or as per taste.
a little ghee for the glaze

METHOD

1. soak chana Dal for 2-3 hours
2. cook chana Dal after a single rinse (it takes about 45 mins ) in enough water
3.When cooked the chana Dal should great crushed when pressed between your fingers but it
should not dissolve into the water
4. drain out the remaining water and take the cooked dal in another kadai
5. add the 250g jaggery grated fine.
6 you will find that the jaggery melts and makes the Dal more watery
7.let it cook together (takes about 30 mins or a little more) for the mixture to be dry
8. add cardamom powder
9. roll your dough into a small round like a puri or small roti
10. stuff the filling and take the edges together to make a point on top(this need a little practice)
11. Deep fry in oil
12. eat hot or cold.

UKADICHE MODAK (STEAMED MODAKS)

2009-09-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

These little babies are my favorite....
I love the way they look and also the way they taste....
These are Ganapati's favorite food , which used to be made once a year, only on ganesh chaturti day . But now i make them more often as they are liked and enjoyed by almost everyone...
Those seen here were made on the 23rd of August which was the ganesh chaturti day and i made lots and lots of them to be devoured and shared with all those who like to eat them.

Ingredients
STUFFING.
2 cups grated coconut
1 cup grated jaggery you can use more to suit your taste
1 tsp finely ground cardamom powder
you can add these according to preference golden raisins,finely chopped cashewnuts or almonds.
a little ghee to moisten the mixture while cooking.
COVER
For one cup basmati rice flour
one cup water
a pinch of salt and a spoon full of ghee.
METHOD:
Below you will see the sweet in a green leaf next to the modak's , those are called Patolyo in Goa here the stuffing is the same as the modaks for the recipe read here. The only difference is the way in which the covering is made although the ingredients are the same.
so let me tell you how the covering for the modak is made.
take a vessel with one cup of water boil
when it starts boiling add a spoon of salt and ghee
stir and let it come together , stir it for some more time and cover for about 2 mins
Take care to see that it does not stick to the bottom ( so its always better to cook this in a alumimium kadai or a non-stick kadai)
Take this mixture into a plate and cook a little
put ghee on your hands and knead it like a dough.
make small balls out of the dough and roll into small rounds
you have to catch this puris in your palms (left hand-for the right handed)and fill it with the stuffing and then take the ends together and make it into a point on top..(with your right hand )**smiles....*
It makes me smile because of the way i have explained, i know it is very difficult for a novice to understand this when they havent actually seen it being made, its easy for me to explain as i can see it in front of my eyes... dont worry look at the picture and try to make the shape and dont worry atall even if it is not perfect as it will definetly taste perfect ** thumbsup....***
After you complete this part you have to steam it in a steamer for about 10-12 mins .
eat it as it is or cut them in the center and drizzle a spoon full of warm pure homemade ghee ...
**yumm.....***.

CARROT SALAD......

2009-08-01T11:12:00.001-07:00

This is according to me the most fascinating looking salad so simple to make and so very healthy for young and old alike.
I usually make this salad when i have something spicy on the menu like a goan chicken curry or some spicy vegetable preparation.
Here is the simple recipe the proportions are according to each persons liking
chop carrots finely or in a chopper.
take boiled kabuli chana or chickpeas take 1/4 the amount of carrots taken.
green chillies chopped, mustard seeds, jeera seeds, asoefotida,curryleaves (for tempering)
coriander leaves for garnish.
a little grated coconut for garnish.a little lemon juice too.
Take a kadai,add a little oil or ghee
add the ingredients for tempering
Then add the chopped carrots and the chickpeas.
add salt, sugar and a little lemon juice..
garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves.

BANANA-CHOCOLATE MUFFINS........

2009-04-14T03:36:00.001-07:00

HAVE I SAID THIS BEFORE??????
OFFCOURSE!!!!!!! I have,
I love baking and get immense satisfaction in baking something ,especially something new.

I have said this before too, I love baking but do not like the ingredients which are required for a good bake, especially the butter and plain flour, I always feel that you eat something which won’t be of much benefit to you but will just fill you up with some unwanted calories.
I know that for a good soft cake or a muffin, plain flour is very essential, but I wanted to make my banana chocolate muffins without the plain flour, and as I was not answerable to anyone but to myself, and because it would be eaten only by us at home I knew I could take a risk and make it I had tried a wheat flour cake before and it was a success.
I decided to go ahead and try these new muffins which I have made completely with my own measurements and ideas.
Let me tell you these muffins are wonderful and healthy , you find them a little chewy when they get cold , as wheat flour is not like plain flour and the texture and components are different from one and other.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wheat flour
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil.
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 very ripe banana you can put 2 if they are tiny.
1 tsp vanilla essence
Broken cashew nuts for decoration (optional)
I put some pieces of milk chocolate on top too.
¼ cup milk if you find it too dry

METHOD

Simple simple method,

Mix together the wet ingredients in a blender or mixer in the following

Order

Oil---sugar ---- mix

Eggs –banana --mix

Sift together wheat flour, baking powder, baking salt, cocoa powder Add it to the above mixture – mix (all mixing to be done in the blender)

Add salt and milk if the mixture is too dry.

Pour the mixture in greased muffin cups, decorate.

Bake

Very important!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eat them as soon as they come out of the oven.

YUMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

FUN WITH MANGO.......

2009-04-14T03:33:00.001-07:00

One more thing that you will find very regularly in my house during this season And that’s a mango milk shake or a mango smoothie, my son loves to have a mango in this form more than anything else, so I usually make him a glass when he comes back from his classes I try to do some variations each time and I feel that they are as tasty every single time. Here are the variations that I have tried and loved, 1. MANGO, MILK CHURN TOGETHER 2. MANGO, MILK, VANILLA ICECREAM CHURNED TOGETHER. 3. MANGO, YOGURT CHURNED TOGETHER. 4. MANGO, VANILLA ICECREAM SERVED WITH FRESH PIECES OF MANGO.

I would love if my blogger friends, who have read this post would give me some more suggestions as to what one can make with this wonderful fruit called MANGO

MANGO SEASON IS HERE......

2009-04-14T00:03:00.001-07:00

MANGO is a fruit which is much awaited the whole year round....

WATI FULL OF THICK MANGO AMRAS (PUREE)

I haven’t met anyone as yet who says that he does not like mangoes , and so as soon as you see mangoes in the market you want to be the one to get the first ones (sigh*****) they are so expensive that each piece you have seems that you are eating a precious morsel.

WHEAT FLOUR PURIS
To tell you frankly I don’t go crazy over a mango, off course!!! I like eating a mango but it’s a "like".
I did not say love, but my family and especially my hubby loves mangoes and loves to see a pile of these waiting to be devoured. He loves to go to shop for the best fruit of the season (he is not the type who normally goes out to the market to buy fruits or vegetables; I am the one who is in charge of this job.)

AMRAS PURI
Our mango season starts with amras or mango juice actually a puree which is made by churning the flesh with a little sugar, a little milk and elaichi powder.
This is the most preferred sweet in most of the houses in Maharashtra. During the mango season, you will find mango shrikand too, which is a very also a very popular sweet (it is easily available and can be made at home too; I will be blogging about this in the future). I have never made shrikand at home I have the store bought one.
One more thing that you will find very regularly in my house during this season
And that’s a mango milk shake or a mango smoothie, my son loves to have a mango in this form more than anything else, so I usually make him a glass when he comes back from his classes I try to do some variations each time and I feel that they are as tasty every single time.
Here are the variations that I have tried and loved,
1. MANGO, MILK CHURN TOGETHER
2. MANGO, MILK, VANILLA ICECREAM CHURNED TOGETHER.
3. MANGO, YOGURT CHURNED TOGETHER.
4. MANGO, VANILLA ICECREAM SERVED WITH FRESH PIECES OF MANGO.

I would love if my blogger friends, who have read this post would give me some more suggestions as to what one can make with this wonderful fruit called MANGO

A PROPER MEAL FOR GUESTS*****

2009-02-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

It’s been a very very very long time since that I have written a post, but its not that I won’t be writing anymore or that I will be so infrequent like the way I have been, Its only that I have not been in the same frame of mind that I was before.
Whenever I do something I need to be in the right frame of mind for that, and that may be anything as little as going for a walk or to the market.
When I write I want it to come from my heart and not write for the sake of writing, and so I did not do much posting but I did click photos occasionally and so I have some good photos and posts pending, hope you like them.

ROASTED CORN SALAD

In Goa, my native place food is given a lot of importance in one’s life and guests are considered god, hospitality is at its highest I have seen in Goa. Whenever I have someone visiting me from Goa I usually make a meal which looks like the one that you see here.

FRIED PRAWNS
The meal comprises of One dry vegetable, one wet vegetable, salad, chapatti, rice, fish curry, sol kadi (not in the picture) and fried fish. So fish plays a very very important part of a Goan meal and that does not mean make a fried fish and feel happy nope!!!! There will be at least three dishes which will have fish in it. Fish fried and fish curry is almost compulsory.

TEESRYO SUKHE(DRY CLAMS)

Guess what are the items made by me, I don’t think it will be very difficult

CABBAGE PEA ONION DRY VEGETABLE

FISH CURRY

SHALLOW FRIED SURMAI OR KINGFISH
HERE IS THE RECIPE FOR TEESRYO SUKHE....

http://goanche.blogspot.com/2006/06/dry-clams-masala.html

TEESRYACHE SUKHE or dry clam masala

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups clams or teesryo3 medium onions finely choppedLots of chopped coriander11/2 cups of grated coconutRed chili powder to tasteTurmeric powder1tsp dhania powder1 tsp garam masala powderSalt to tasteTamarind pulp or kokum depending on tasteThe whole preparation should be hot and sour

METHOD:

Very very simple to make..Just mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly with your handsIn a pan take a tbsp of oil in Goa we take coconut oil as it gives a nice flavorAnd put the mix in pour water till the whole mix is just about immersed you can put less water too if you want it very very dry.Cook on low heat for about 15 mins till the water evaporatesIts ready to eat. ENJOY!!!!NOW ,HERE IS THE RECIPE OF “TOI” -------

VERY VERY SIMPLE VEG MEAL....

2008-10-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

This was a very simple meal that i had yesterday, sometimes its good to have such simple and less elaborate meals it not only helps your system but also helps us think of food in a new light .

NEERPHANAS(type of Jackfruit) PHODI

SPICY VEGETABLE PULAO

BOONDI RAITA

What is your idea of a detoxing and a simple meal , pls share it with me and all our friends who would love to get great ideas in making a simple but nutritious thali (plate) of food.

IDOLS I VISITED THIS YEAR.....

2008-09-08T02:41:00.001-07:00

I try to visit minimum of 5 ganapati idols on Ganesh chaturti day and i did the same this year too
I did not click photographs of some of them ,forgot to carry my camera, but let me show you the 3 which i have managed to click.

GANAPATY IN MY SOCIETY...

GANAPATY IN ANOTHER SOCIETY....

GANAPATI AT MY FRIENDS PLACE....
I visited one more ganapati at a friends place which is the one i have posted in my earlier post.

GANESH MURTI....

2008-09-08T02:27:00.001-07:00

There is lots of enthusiasm when you bring a Ganapaty home , the below photos are taken at a friends place who loves making different arrangements for the Ganapaty Murti,
This time he chose the cave theme as the ganapati Murti (Idol) that you see here has a lion by its side.

GANAPATY SITTING ON A LION (you can see one eye of the lion on the right)

HERE YOU CAN SEE THE SILVER ARTICLES THAT ARE DISPLAYED HERE

(CAN YOU SEE THE BUNCH OF BANANAS IN SILVER, A MOUNTAIN OF SILVER MODAKS,A SILVER HIBISCUS FLOWER AND ALSO A COCONUT MADE OF SILVER.

THE REAL KHAVA MODAK

LOVELY LIGHTS BESIDE THE CAVE

GANESH CHATURTI DAY....

2008-09-08T02:19:00.001-07:00

Food on ganesh chaturti day is almost the same every year with a little change here and there but the food is very filling and after eating this type of meal you have to nap for the minimum of 2 hours (which i always do) .
what do you make for ganesh chaturti?

PRAWN MASALA.....

2008-08-02T01:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves prawns, I have yet to meet someone who does not like prawns, as for me I love them in any form and size, so when I purchase prawns from the fish market I usually store them in smaller individual portions. This makes it easier to remove a packet each, and make the dish of my choice (off course, I make my portions keeping the various dishes that I would like to make in mind. As my fish curry does not need too many prawns which a prawn pulao needs prawns in a much larger quantity)

I had my sister in laws kids for lunch and I wanted to make something different which I had not done earlier and which would be quite chatpata i.e. hot and sour.
So here is my prawn dish…

INGREDIENTS

1 cup medium sized prawns
2 medium sized onions blanched and pureed
2 small tomatoes finely chopped
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder for colour
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp garam masala.
½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
Finely chopped coriander for garnish
Salt to taste.

METHOD

Take oil in a pan
Stir fry onions till light brown, add ginger garlic paste and stir
Add the pureed tomatoes and stir till oil separates
Add all the masala’s and stir
Add the prawns, add a little water and let it cook till the prawns are cooked, which takes about 3 mins.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve with hot rotis or steaming hot rice

I AM BACK......

2008-06-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hi
Friends....
I am back after enjoying a long vacation...Thanks to all my friends who sent me mails to know about my well being as i have not been posting for a long time , but now i will be very very soon.

waiting to share and to be a part the wonderful blogging world....
waiting to hear from you all there, who really care....

SMILE A LOT.......

BEET ROOT BHAJI....

2008-03-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

All these years I have been cooking beetroot in a particular way i.e. In soups or as a Yogurt raita, but the other day I tried it the south Indian way, Down south beetroot, carrots are cooked just the way we cook our normal simple vegetables with tempering, In Goa we usually make salads of carrots and beetroot (they are kept raw and uncooked).

I grated the uncooked beetroot with my new grater which gave it a matchstick look (I love the matchstick look it look so perfect, compared to the normal grater which is used to grate carrots , and it also gives some density to the shredded portion of beetroot)

(SORRY ABOUT THE PHOTOS WHICH ARE NOT VERY CLEAR)

Here is the METHOD.

Take oil in a pan; add a little ghee and a little oil (adding oil prevents the ghee from burning) add ½ tsp of mustard seeds and ½ tsp udad dal, when they splutter add ½ tsp asafetida , 2 green chilies and curry leaves

Add the shredded or grated beet root,salt to taste, you can add a tsp of lemon juice which is optional , stir, do not add water. cover and cook this the beetroot is partially cooked the beet should remain half cooked and have some crunchiness to add to the taste of the dish.

garnish with freshly grated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves

you can add yogurt too if you wish ( i don't)

KHICHDI.....

2008-02-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

For many, KHICHDI is comfort food. I wont say its comfort food for me ,for me its quick food something that I make when I am busy, just come home from a hectic shopping trip, or when I just don’t feel like cooking my everyday elaborate food of rice,dal,vegetable,salad and chapatti.

I learnt the art of making Khichdi from my mother who loves this food item and is always on her list of “to be made things” when she is alone with no one else to eat at home. She loves to have it with a dollop of ghee and a cup full of curd, but I have my Khichdi with papad.

Easy to put together and digest as well, it is also a commonly fed food to very young kids, so as to incorporate rice and dal at one go. Usually kids are given plain Khichdi sans the spices and chili.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Rice
½ cup moong dal (yellow)
Here you can vary the proportion of moong dal; some prefer to have more moong dal too.
I added vegetable to increase the nutritional value, which may not be always added.
I added one carrot grated and a few French beans..
1tbsp cumin-coriander powder.
1 tsp turmeric powder.
1 tsp sugar
1tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander and grated coconut for garnish

Tempering.

Oil
Mustard seeds,
Cumin seeds,
1 tsp asafetida
2 green chilies chopped
Curry leaves.

METHOD

Wash and keep the rice and moong dal mixture separately
In a kadai take oil and add the ingredients for tempering one at a time
Then add the vegetables and stir fry.
Add the rest of the ingredients and the rice and moong dal mixture
Add 31/2 cups water, water should be more than double the quantity of rice and moong dal together.
The final consistence should not be dry but a bit sticky.
Cook on medium flame for about 20 mins keeping an eye to see that it does not stick to the bottom.
Serve hot with ghee, papad or curds.

HAPPY EATING!!!!!!!!!

MY KITCHEN CUPBOARD....

2008-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

A LITTLE PEEK INTO MY KITCHEN CABINET WHERE I STOCK MY STEEL DABBAS

I LOVE TO COLLECT DABBAS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES (and not all are used )

but whenever i see a dabba of a unusual shape i buy it and love to see all of them stalked in a neat pile.
If you notice you will see that except the 2 big ones on the lower shelf there is not a single dabba that is similar to the other, as i buy only one at a time (the larger ones where gifted by my mom to me)
These are not all that i have there are many more which are not shown in the picture.

Thanks for sharing a little bit of my life by reading this post....

DIWALI GOAN ISTYLE....

2008-01-10T02:01:00.001-08:00

We stay in Mumbai but celebrate Diwali in a very traditional way as it is celebrated in Goa,
The first day of Diwali is very important for a goan , The lady of the house gets up early and after a bath prepares 5 different poha dishes each tasting different from the other.
An usal and ambada sasav is also prepared to accompany the poha.

BATATA POHA

DUDHATALE (MILK POHA)

BUTTERMILK OR CURD POHA

WHITE VATANA USAL

AMBADYACHE SASAV

POHA ARRANGED ON OUR DINING TABLE

ROSATLE POHA OR COCONUT MILK POHA

KALAYLLE POHA (POHA MIXED BY HAND NOT COOKED WITH JAGGERY ,GRATED COCONUT AND GREEN CHILLIES)

poha are prepared by my mother in law , she loves to prepare all these herself and that too as early as possible , it gives her great pleasure to serve them well before all the other members of the family and up and ready for the diwali celebration and the ' OVALANI'

SABUDANA WADA....

2008-01-10T01:47:00.000-08:00

HI!!!! FRIENDS , I AM BACK .... I AM STILL QUITE BUSY , BUT WILL TRY TO PUT IN A RECIPE OR TWO AS AND WHEN I GET TIME... DID YOU MISS ME??? WILL BE GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL WHO REGULARLY READ MY BLOG

SABUDANA WADA, I am sure all Maharashtrian must be making this sometime time or the other especially during fasting days.

It’s my son’s favorite and usually a breakfast or snack item on his birthday.

INGREDIENTS

2 potatoes boiled and mashed
1 cup sago or sabudana soaked in just enough water to soak it.
¼ cup roasted and coarsely ground peanut powder
2 green chilies finely chopped
Finely chopped coriander
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp roasted and coarsely ground jeera or cumin powder (you can add whole jeera)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

METHOD

Very easy to prepare!!!!!
Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients together.
Shape into round balls as shown in the picture.
Or you can flatten them
deep fry in hot oil.
Eat with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

HI FRIENDS....

2007-11-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

It's been long since I have posted something new...
I have been very busy being a support and help to my son who is studying for his exams.
I have lots to write and lots to blog about and will be doing it in a few days time...
I would love to hear from all my friends who do come and visit my blogs and find that I am not writing something new..
Please leave a line; it makes me feel good....
I have clicked a lot of pictures and let me give you a sneak preview of things to come…. Hehe…

PROMFRET HUGHE....

2007-10-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

My hubs says " THIS PHOTOGRAPH LOOKS LIKE A CROCODILE , SWIMMING IN MARSHY WATERS"
This comment .... for a dish which i so lovingly prepared for him and only him.."sniff--sniff"
But then thats okkkk.... as the finished product was fabulous , so the taste is what counts right...
He was full of appreciation too..." yeyyy "and ate two chapatis extra ...

So this is as we call it "papaletche hughe paplet meaning promfret"

papletche hughe is actually a promfret dry dish or sukhe which i make a little watery than required as my hubs likes to have it with chapatis or rotis...

INGREDIENTS

11/2 cup fresh grated coconut
1 cm ginger finely shredded
1 medium onion finely shredded.
1 tsp haldi powder
11/2 tsp chili powder
Marble size tamarind
Pieces of promfret (that’s the only fish done in this manner)
Salt to taste
Coconut oil
Coriander finely chopped for garnish.

METHOD

Take a pan and use a little coconut oil fry the finely chopped onion and finely chopped ginger (only half of the full amount), don’t make them brown
They should just turn colour and become translucent.
Grind together coconut, haldi, chilli, tamarind. And half of the ginger.
Don’t make the above paste too watery it should be thick as shown in the picture.
Pour the ground mixture into the translucent onions.
Let it boil, then gently slide the fish pieces into the mixture and let them cook
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
HUGHE IS READY TO EAT….

FRENCH TOAST....

2007-10-21T11:34:00.001-07:00

My son and hubs wanted to have something eggy yesterday morning and they asked me to make a scrumptious French toast with a forewarning that I should make it just the way it should be made i.e. use all the ingredients in the right proportions.
You all will wonder why is it necessary to give such a warning, let me tell you why
I am a bit conscious about the ingredients that I use i.e. I am not very generous in my use of ingredients which tend to have lots of calories or empty calories , the ingredient in this recipe is the large amount of sugar required . I am not very comfortable making sweet dishes as I am not comfortable using large amount of sugar and also the amount of butter used for frying the fried toasts.

So I did make the French toast exactly the way it should be made- (according to me)
I added a little vanilla essence too.
I am sure each of you has a French toast recipe, and I would love to know how you make it.
I use the ingredients by the taste and add method i.e. 1 cup milk for 3 eggs sugar as per taste, butter for frying.

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR RECIPES AND THE VARIATIONS IF YOU KNOW OF ANY
I WILL POST THEM IN ADDITION TO MINE.

This is what some of my friends say…………..
I do the same thing too. I rarely add things like butter, ghee, sugars etc in the amounts they are supposed to be added & then I complain that the taste is just not the same!My French toast is pretty much the same as yours; sometimes I add finely sliced onion, green chilies and some cilantro……..tbc

I usually add salt and pepper instead of sugar. Sometimes I add cinnamon powder instead of slat and pepper. Should try u're way. It looks delicious …… LATHA

I too am very stingy with oil/butter in my dishes. Hence most turn out dry... but I still go the less oil way for French toast: I add turmeric powder along with vanilla essence. Basically it gives it a more golden color and reduces the smell of the egg in the toast... Rest remains the same... also add a little salt. This is how my mom makes it… ASHU

I make French toast but my recipe is 2 eggs 2 tbsp milk salt and pepper.4-6 slices bread butter for cooking. Combine together egg, milk salt and pepper and dip bread in. Heat pan and melt a little butter then cook bread till golden then turn and cook second side.
forgot to say, Usually serve with banana, lightly cooked in the pan, and maple syrup but I find that a bit sweet so just use a hint of syrup…..JEAN FROM NEWZEALAND

I make mine with finely chopped onions, salt n pepper n makes it on a non-stick...So cut out on a lot of oil...Your sweet one looks nice...Like the browning! SUGARCRAFT

GANESH CHATURTI DAY THALI....

2007-10-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is a long pending post...
I had posted about ganesh chaturti day some days back. Writing about the food i had on that day just slipped my mind.
so here are some of the photos that i clicked

KAKDI KOSHAMBIR

MOONGACHY GATHI

PAPAD KOSHAMBIR AND MANGO PICKLE

(THALI OF THE DAY)UKADECHE MODAK