healthy snack Pudlas, pudas, chilas is basically several names for a very healthy simple snack. Very popular in most gujarati families as a quick snack. Its so similar to the dosas of the south but without the sambhar and vegetable or to the french crepe but full of spices. I prefer to use the non stick tawa to avoid any messy, sticky pudlas etc. Serve them hot as cold ones don’t taste that great. Serve with pickles, chutneys or if my cousins from Harrow were coming down all they would need is a huge bottle of Heinz ketchup. Kids love pudlas. Mine use to have them with ketchup and I could easily sneak in the fenugreek or spinach without them knowing. What is the green…
-
Continue ReadingElephant ears? Colocasia leaves, colocasia esculenta, arbi, arvi, taro and elephant ears are just a few names of this tropical edible plant. The leaves and tubers are used in various parts of the world. I have grown up eating the wonderful leaves steamed. Yes believe it or not but these leaves taste wonderful once cooked in the typical gujarati style. We know it as paan bhajia, but it goes by the name arbi or arvi in India. My all time favourite, these plants grow easily so we had loads of them growing in our garden. Had to have many leaves, considering the size of the family. However, now I have to buy them as I cannot grow them in my…
-
Continue Readingstreet food I remember my mum and Nunu would make ragda pattis using dry peas or vatana. In India most street food sellers and in most fast food restaurants, the ragda is made from white chickpeas. I prefer the one made from peas and I like the home version as its not extremely spicy. I hate eating very chilli food. It only helps to clear out my tear glands, get a runny rose and clear the sinuses but am left with a burning tongue and dead taste buds. I would prefer to taste the other spices.I made ragda patties after a long time. Its a dish you don’t really want to make for just 2, you want to share it with more. I invited Ajay’s…
-
Continue ReadingGaram, garam nashto! Kachoris are an indian snack. In Rajasthan it is filled with green gram lentils and spices and is usually round and flattish. The kachoris that a lot of gujaratis make, are filled with green gram lentils, fresh peas, fresh pigeon peas or a combination of either. They are round much like a ball. The filling is put in a flour pastry and then fried. The kachoris I make is with a filling I learnt from Nunu but instead of round kachoris, I prefer making them into the crescent shape the way my mum use to. The advantage with the crescent shape is that no lumps of dough is left on top. For the round kachoris, one has to try and remove extra…
-
Continue ReadingRECIPE: 3 ESSENTIAL CHUTNEYS 3 Essential Chutneys that are common for the Indian Cuisine are the green, date tamarind and garlic chutneys. These 3 chutneys are an essential part of any chaat recipe. Also these chutneys and hot fresh snacks go hand in hand. Often enough chutneys come to the rescue to prepare a lip smacking sandwich or wrap. Chutneys have the unique quality of converting a bland boring dish into a flavourful one. WHAT IS A CHUTNEY? Chutney is a dipping sauce, a condiment. Where Indian Cuisine Chutney is concerned, it is quite different from the chutneys from those prepared by the Western World. As a matter of fact, Chutney originates from the Indian Cuisine. During the British Rule, Great Britain was introduced to…
-
Continue ReadingWhat is Muhogo Na Bhajia/ Cassava Fritters? Muhogo Na Bhajia/ Cassava Fritters is a fried snack made from boiled cassava, grated cassava and soaked tapioca pearls. Usually prepared on Ekadashi Fasting days, it is gluten free and vegan. Enjoy these bhajias or fritters as tea time snack, as an appetizer or as a part of a main meal. Muhogo is the Kiswahili word for Cassava, Yuca or Tapioca. Bhajia is a popular snack from the Indian Sub Continent. Also known as bhajji, bhaji, bhajiya is a spicy fried fritter usually enjoyed as a snack on its own with chutney or served as a part of a main meal. One is bhajia, several are bhajias. Make them with flours, vegetables, meat, fish and different grains. Best…
-
Continue Readinggreen with envy? Not at all! Another secret way to get kids to eat spinach (palak) and cauliflower is to disguise it into a paratha. On its own, many kids don’t like spinach. That is why there are so many ways to add the spinach to the kids favourite dishes without them really making a fuss about it. These parathas are stuffed with paneer and cauliflower and most kids love paneer (cottage cheese). For this recipe I prefer to buy the ready made paneer as its not too soft. Home made one tends to be too soft for this recipe. PALAK PANEER PARATHAS Makes 6 parathas For the dough : 2 cups wheat flour (atta) ½ tsp salt 2 tbsps oil ¾ cup spinach…
-
Continue ReadingEVENT : BLOGGING MARATHON #88 THEME : REDO OLD POSTS -WEEK 4 DAY 2 Updated 25/05/2018 While I mainly wanted to update the photos only for this post, I must bring to your attention that I tried using soda bicarbonate instead of Eno as many followers complained that its not readily available in places they live. However, the brown specks kept on appearing. Finally found the solution, do not add turmeric powder if you’re using soda bicarbonate. A bit of chemistry lesson here. Turmeric contains curcumin. This chemical turns red when it reacts with bases and yellow when it reacts with acids. Soda bicarbonate or baking soda is a base. So when curcumin when it comes in contact with soda bicarbonate it turns red, thus the…
-
Continue ReadingIdli Sambar Idli Sambar is a fluffy soft, melt in the mouth fermented and steamed breakfast, served with a delicious, piping hot lentil stew and topped with fresh coconut chutney. Not only is idli sambar a healthy breakfast, but also the fermentation process increases the bioavailability of proteins, and enriches the idli with vitamin B. Low in fat, sometimes its served with a dollop of ghee which is beneficial for healthy joints. What is Idli? Idli or Idly is a popular South Indian savory steamed cake which is usually made from rice and black lentils(urad dal). The batter is allowed to ferment overnight without yeast or other raising agents. Next day its steamed in a idli stand or in small bowls. A popular breakfast dish, its…
-
Continue Readinghealthy and nutritious Upma is a south indian dish usually served as breakfast. Its made from semolina. Non south Indians serve upma anytime, be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack. I usually make it either for brunch, as a snack or as a light meal. I prefer to use the coarse semolina as the fine one makes it into one gooey mass. In south India special semolina is available for upma. Its coarse and light brown in colour. Most places serve upma with just a few vegetables that you can actually count or none at all. I prefer to add more vegetables and for a bit of sour taste I add sour yogurt. Very healthy and a satisfying dish. updated 19/02/2016…
