ADRAKWALI CHAI | GINGER TEA

This weather calls for more than one cup of Tea… Haina ? My second favourite next to Masala Chai is this ‘Adrakwali’ Chai ( Ginger Infused Tea).This Tea gives me that perfect kick & fills me up with energy !! Been sipping copious amounts of tea this Monsoon !! ( with Very little to No Sugar) 🤗 {The leaves that you can see in the picture above are the Ginger leaves from my Garden 🌿🌿🌿 }

How do you like your Chai ???

INDIAN–STYLE ROASTED CORN ON THE COB | BHUTTA

Come Monsoon, the markets and streets in India are flooded with Corn vendors and you are sure to spot umpteen Bhutta Carts lined up on every corners of the street, happily roasting the corn on the Angeethi/ Brazier and smothering generous amounts of spice mix dipped in a lemon wedge over the Corn Cob. The goodness of char grilled smoky corn is unmatched for. This Grilled Corn on the Cob is the essence of Indian Monsoon; it’s just sheer happiness to dig in your teeth into the roasted corn cob in the rainy weather. Dont you think so ? There are many ways of spicing up the bhutta but the most common and loved combination is Salt and Lemon. I personally love slathering butter or ghee and rubbing it with a lemon wedge dipped in red chilli powder+ Chaat masala + a pinch of salt Mix. I also love rubbing the corn with Ghee and Methkoot / Menthe Hittu (Roasted Fenugreek + spices Powder), Not many might like it, but I love it.

These street style corn on the cob are to die for, these are the oldest summer crops that are savoured during monsoon!   Its very nutritious, has good amounts of Vitamin C, Potassium and is a rich source of fiber and anti-oxidants. The best and legit reason to consume corn during monsoon is that they are either roasted or steamed so its very easy on stomach and one need not worry much about catching any infection, hence making it a healthy treat. The other day I roasted my corn on the cobs on an angeethi, it was super fun to roast over it and relish it instantly. Heres how I roasted Bhutta on the angeethi..

How to Grill a Bhutta /Corn on the Cob on Angeethi at Home?

• Clean the Angeethi thoroughly, also clean the corn by dehusking, and remove all the strings.
• Now take some charcoal and place it on the iron plate that comes along with the angeethi, take the plate and put it on the gas top, heat untill all the charcoal catches fire, once you see them all burning and Lit, take off the gas top and place that iron plate using tongs, on the top of that angeethi.
• Take the clean and dehusked corn, slather some ghee or butter and place it over the hot coal.
• Keep roasting until all the sides are evenly grilled and charred. Add a tsp of ghee to create smoke and keep fanning in between to keep the coals burning.
• Once the bhutta is grilled evenly, spice it up with seasonings of your choice with a dash of lime Juice.

PUFFED WHEAT BHEL

Craving for that spicy, sweet and tangy Bhel?   Well , now you can indulge in with my Bhel  recipe with a more Healthier ingredient ! I tossed up this Bhel recipe by replacing Puffed Rice / Churmuri / Murmura with ‘Puffed Wheat’ which is way much healthier and crunchier than the regular puffed rice. Puffed Wheat or ‘Godhi Puri’ as known in our local dialect are made by heating Wheat Kernels under high pressure, temperature or extrusion using steam, though the method of manufacture may widely vary (courtesy:Wikipedia).

Puffed Wheat is an excellent snack for diabetics, as it has low saturated fats, sodium and cholesterol with higher dietary fibre content. Puffed grains are extensively used in the west, they are consumed as breakfast cereals, and are also used in salads, it has only recently gained popularity in India ,just around 4-5 years ago. Puffed Rice which is a main ingredient in street food snacks such as bhel, churmuri, mandakki could now be easily substituted with Puffed Wheat Or you could simply roast them up with salt and turmeric, it makes for a great snack in itself to munch on. Also most importantly, I do not feel bloated after eating puffed wheat which is absolutely great, But with puffed rice it’s not the same. Read further to note down this easy-peasy Puffed Wheat Bhel Recipe.

RECIPE

Preparation Time: 30 minutes ( 1 hour if in case you need to prepare  date and tamarind chutney + Mint coriander Chutney)

To put together: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

• Puffed Wheat – 2 Cups
• Onion- 1 large , finely chopped
• Tomatoes- 2 medium ,finely chopped
• Date and Tamarind Chutney/ Sweet Chutney- 1 Tbsp (I kept it ready a day before, as it gets so easy when you decide to make any Chaat at home,My Pretty bottle is store – bought which reads as Date & Tamarind Chutney  but  what I filled in it is Purely Home-made).
• Mint and Coriander Chutney/ Green Chutney  – 1 Tbsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Chaat Masala- 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Finely Chopped Coriander leaves
• Khara Boondi/ Crispy & Spicy fried tiny Gram flour balls
• Fine Nylon Sev / Crisp Gram Flour Noodles- 2-3 tbsp ( As much as you like)

Method:

• In a big mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients except for the puffed wheat and Sev, add puffed wheat only when you are ready to eat them immediately , other wise they’ll turn soggy!
• Just before serving , add in  puffed wheat, mix everything nicely , transfer it to a serving plate/bowl, garnish with Chopped coriander leaves, Sev & Boondi.

Notes :

• You may even squeeze in a bit of lime juice over the bhel if you like your bhel tangier, and you may also adjust the quantity of sweet ( date & tamarind chutney )and green chutney as per you liking.

 

 

 

 

Fragrances of Nostalgia

Has it ever happened to you that a particular smell or aroma transported you back to your childhood days ? Sweet and beautiful times ! I have a very distinct and special memory from my childhood when it comes to my favourite fragrance-

Every holiday spent at my maternal grandmother’s home in Bangalore was so special.That early morning aroma of freshly brewed filter coffee, that dainty and beautiful smelling mogra/ mallige huvu/jasmine flower’s Garland purchased everyday from the flower vendor for The Puja, its aroma lingered in the house for the entire day, ( many find it heady ,but I love it ) ,Those evening walks in the bylanes with my thatha ( grandfather) and ohh yes a quick pit stop at the bakery for some honey cakes & benne biscuits  ( butter biscuits) of course 😊 & also that beautiful aroma at the coffee Roasting & Grinding shop we passed by. I have taken it all within me, I associate myself with these smells, they transport me to a happy space. They have made a lasting impression on my whole being . Even today – Just A Whiff , a warm and beautiful memories are rekindled !!

My Sunday morning began by reminiscing those beautiful childhood days of Coffee & Jasmine ☕️🌿🍃

What’s your unique smell of childhood that you relate to ?? Comment down below ! ! Would be happy to know 😊

STEAMED VEG MOMOS | DIM SUMS | DUMPLINGS

I have already penned down recipes for my Monsoon Carnival Series and this one definitely had to make the cut. It was never experimented in my kitchen before, so I had to do it and here comes, first of the Lot – Steamed Veg Momos. Momos are also known by various names such as Dim sums, Dumplings, Pot stickers etc, call it by any name, my love for them is uncontested for! They are quite similar to Chinese Baozi or Japanese Gyoza . These cutesy, delicious and healthy Momos are native to Tibet and Nepal and with time have become quite popular as a street food snack all over the country today. You are sure to find ‘Momo wale Bhaiyya’ around the corners of the streets of your city 😊. Apparently the word ‘Momo’ means ‘Steamed Bread’ in Chinese. These are made using refined flour, vegetables or meat are used as fillings, then they are given a desired shaped and are steamed to perfection, also they are served with a spicy dipping sauce or momo chutney. Health conscious folks can also make use of whole wheat flour instead of using refined flour/all purpose flour.

This is such a fun food to make; you can play around with everything. There are endless possibilities with the fillings and shapes. Momos has got assortment of fillings ranging from vegetarian to non-vegetarian filling. I will of course talk about the vegetarian version! Veggies like cabbage, onions, capsicum, carrots, french beans; spring onion greens, mushrooms etc could be used. These liddle liddle dumplings are perfect for cold rainy days. Just Imagine…. Piping hot steamed momos served with spicy chutney….. Pure Bliss!! Though momos are fun to make, they are time consuming, you need to do them patiently, shaping the momos can get a tad bit difficult in first attempt but practise can make you perfect! I could manage shaping them as I am used to shaping its sweeter counterpart and distant cousin called ‘Modak’ (A Maharashtrian Sweet made with a filling of fresh coconut and jaggery), so y’all spare some time if you decide to make Momos. I made these simple veg steamed momos and they turned out to be downright delicious, I am sure you’d want to know the recipe 😊 Read further!

RECIPE

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Cooking Time: 1 Hour

Serves: Makes about 15 Momos

 

Ingredients: 

• Refined Flour/ Maida – 1/2 Cup
• Whole Wheat Flour/ Gehu Ka Atta – 1/2 Cup
• Oil – ½ tsp
• Pinch of salt
• Water for kneading the dough

For the Filling:

• (Very finely )Chopped Cabbage + Chopped Carrots + Chopped Capsicum + Chopped Spring Onions – 1 ½ Cup
• Garlic Pods – 4-5
• Chopped Ginger – 1 Inch
• Soy Sauce – 2 tsp
• Black Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
• Spring Onion Greens ( Reserve it later for Garnish )
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Salt

Method:

• In a big mixing bowl, add in refined flour, whole wheat flour, oil and salt, mix it.
• Add water little at a time and knead to form a firm dough. Cover it and keep aside for about 30 minutes. 

          Filling

• Finely chop all the veggies mentioned in the Ingredients ( for the filling ) list above.
• Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan, add in garlic and ginger sauté for few seconds, add onions and sauté.
• Add rest of the veggies and sauté on a medium to high flame for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add Soy Sauce, black pepper powder and salt, slow down the flame and stir fry for 2 more minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add chopped spring onion greens , give it a good mix.
• Let the mixture cool completely.

          How to Pleat Momos:

• Take the dough, roll it nicely, divide them into equal parts, slice them making a 5-6 inch logs and make balls out of those slices and keep them covered with a moist cloth.
• Now take a dough ball , roll it using a rolling pin on a lighly dusted platform/board making about 2-3 inch diameter, with thin edges and thick at the centre.
• Place a spoonful of vegetables filling in the centre, apply little water with your fingers on the circumference of the rolled dough, lift one side of the edge and start pleating it with your desired shape, evenly, join the pleats in the centre towards the end, make the rest of the momos in the similar manner.
• I do not have a proper steamer vessel, hence used an Idli vessel , which always comes to my rescue for steaming food.
• So take the Idli Vessel, add water in the bottom and heat on a high flame for 5 minutes, meanwhile, grease the mould plates with some oil, place the momos on the mould plate and put the mould plate into the vessel .
• Steam the momos for about 6-8 minutes till they become transparent, once they are done, just touch and check if it feels sticky on your fingers, if it does then steam for few more minutes. Do not overcook as the momos ( the outer cover) will get chewy.
• Piping Hot Steamed Veg Momos are ready, Garnish with spring onion greens, serve hot along with Spicy Schezwan Chutney and Veg Mayonnaise.

 

Notes:

• You may use any vegetables of your choice for the filling.
• I have used refined flour and wheat flour 50:50 proportion You may make momos using refined flour or maida entirely.
• You may also steam the momos in an electric cooker, steamer pan, idli vessel or pressure cooker.
• The cooking time or steaming time for momos may vary depending upon the thickness of momos/ dough’s cover.

 

 

 

MOSARU ANNA | CURD RICE | DAHI BHAAT

Wanna end your meal with a chilled plate of Mosaru Anna or Curd Rice? Yes Please!! This is the last recipe for my Spring- Summer Series and what a perfect and desi way to end it with this creamy and balmy Mosaru Anna I say! Mosaru Anna is an absolute favourite in every Kannadigas’ and south Indian homes. Every meal somehow feels incomplete if I don’t have a spoonful or two of Mosaru anna. Its so refreshing and soothing. Mosaru means ‘Curd’ in Kannada which is a homemade unsweetened set yogurt and Anna means ‘Rice’. As infants we were fed this mushy and cold rice to keep our bellies calm and filled up. I also vividly remember eating curd rice after coming back home from school everyday. Mosaru anna is usually eaten cold, I like it so, and I even love the way it tastes at room temperature too. I love my Mosaru anna with all sorts of variations – like a simple plain Mosaru anna, Mosaru anna with Kene Mosaru – The full fat cream (that forms a layer over the boiled milk is taken off and stored in a separate container in our households which in turn is used to make buttermilk and butter) , Mosaru Anna with chopped fruits like grapes and Pomegranates, Mosaru anna tempered with ghee , cashews  raisins and curry leaves, etc. Wanna know how I whipped my Curd Rice? Read on to note down my recipe.

RECIPE

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes ( If Cooking with freshly cooked rice, if cooking with leftover rice then 10 minutes)

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

• Cooked Rice – 2 Cups
• Mosaru or Set Curd – 1 Cup ( I used homemade curd ,you may also use the store ones ,Also make sure the yogurt is not sour.)
• Milk – 1 cup
• Full fat Cream ( Malai) – 1 tbsp
• Chopped Green Chillies- 1-2 ( optional )
• Grated Ginger -1 inch
• Pomegranate -1/3 cup
• A handful of cashews
• Finely chopped Coriander leaves – 1-2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For Tempering:

• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds -1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
• Urad Dal – 1 tsp
• Chana Dal – 1 tsp
• A Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
• Curry leaves -1-2 sprig

 

Method:

• Cook the rice until its soft and breaks down to a paste like texture. Let it cool and come down to the room temperature, you may also use leftover rice for this dish.
• In a big mixing bowl, add in the cooked rice, a cup of Curd/Mosaru/Dahi, 1 cup of milk, Malai, pomegranate kernels and salt. Give it a good mix.
• In a small kadai heat a tbsp of ghee, add in cashews and fry till they are golden, take them out and add it to the curd rice.
• Again in the same kadai, heat little ghee, once hot add mustard seeds, let it splutter, add cumin seeds, urad dal and chana dal, once the lentils change their colour add in grated ginger and chopped chillies, curry leaves and a generous pinch of hing. Once done turn off the heat and transfer the tempering to the curd rice bowl.
• Now mix everything together very nicely. Add little milk or curd if you feel the consistency is too thick. Garnish with some pomegranate and chopped coriander leaves , Mosaru anna is ready and yes do not forget to relish it along with mango or lime pickle.

JAVA PLUM SORBET | JAMUN SORBET

Sorbets are frozen dessert made out of fruit purée , sweetened and flavoured with honey, sugar or other syrups ,it’s fat-free , dairy-free unlike the American Sherbets and ice creams. Ice creams are churned and whipped whereas a Sorbet is simply a dense frozen fruit puree .This was a creation purely inspired and adapted from Food blogger Reethika Singh’s blog who goes by the name @cupcakeree on Instagram.I instantly fell in love with this beauty the moment she posted it & I knew for sure that I had to make it ASAP…

Jamun is a tropical fruit native to Indian Subcontinent also known by names such as Java Plum, Jambolan, & Malabar Plum. It has got an excellent nutrients profile, packed with good amounts of fibre, essential oils, calcium,magnesium, sodium, potassium and Vitamin B6. It aids in digestion, is a natural blood purifier,best for Diabetes as it has a low Glycemic Index which does not spike up the blood-sugar levels and are also rich in anti-oxidants.

Well, Jamuns are pretty much ‘In’ season and this recipe came in handy, just look at the pigments! Simply love it. I am just falling short of words to describe its beauty, so  quickly note down the recipe of this delicious frozen treat.

RECIPE

Preparation Time: 30minutes

 

Cooking Time/ Freezing Time :3-4 hours

 

Ingredients:

•Java Plums Or Jamuns – 1/2 kg

•Jaggery Syrup- 2/3 Cup (equal parts of Jaggery+ warm water)

•Black Salt -1/4 tsp

•Lime Juice -1 tsp

Method:

•Scrape out all the pulp out of the jamuns, it will yield around 300 to 350 gms of pulp.

•Now in a high-speed blender , add in the pulp, jaggery syrup, lime juice and black salt and blend it to a very smooth Purée.

•Now add in the pulp into a freezable container and let it freeze or firm up for about 3 to 4 hours to be able to scoop.

•Enjoy this lovely refined sugar-free frozen dessert.