A Chef's Melody

Ingredients For idli 2 cups sona masoori rice 1 cup urad gota 1/8 tsp methi seeds 3/4 cup thick poha For Sambhar 1 cup toovar dal soaked for an hour in 3 cups of water 1 red onion finely chopped/7-8 pearl onions 2 medium tomatoes veggies of your choice: I used french beans,carrots,pumpkin cubed 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp chilli powder 2 tbsp sambhar powder ,recipe here salt 1 tsp oil a small ball of jaggery fistful cilantro finely chopped For tempering : 1 tbsp oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds pinch of hing 10 curry leaves 1 red chili slit 1/4 tsp methi seeds 1 1/2 cups chilled water(optional-helps if you are using a blender to make the batter) Method For idlis Wash and soak rice,urad gota,and methi seeds together in 6 cups of water for 6-7 hrs or overnight. Wash the poha well and add them to the soaked rice, dal mixture 30 mins before grinding. Grind the ingredients in batches with en...

What you will need Filling: 3/4 cup Moong dal,grind to a coarse powder 1 tsp fennel seeds,crushed 4 tbsp besan 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder 2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp ginger powder( can be replaced with fresh ginger) 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional) salt 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp oil 3 tbsp water For the outer cover 2 cup all purpose flour 3/4 cup hot water 1 tbsp ajwain /carom seeds salt 4 tbsp warm ghee Oil for deep frying What you need to do In a bowl,take the all purpose flour,ajwain,salt,and ghee.Rub all the ingredients together until you have a bread crumbs like texture. Add the hot water and make a soft dough with no cracks.Set aside for 30 mins. Heat oil in a pan and add the moong dal powder and roast until it is light golden.Now add the besan and sesame seeds and roast until aromatic,about 2 mins. Add the chili powder,fennel powder,ginger powder,coriander-cumin powder, sugar, salt, water, and lemon juice.Combine...

Kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. But this is far from all kidney beans have to offer. Kidney beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Just one cup of cooked kidney beans supplies 177.0% of the daily value for molybdenum. Sulfites are a type of preservative commonly added to prepared foods like delicatessen salads and salad bars. Persons who are sensitive to sulfites in these foods may experience rapid heartbeat, headache or disorientation if sulfites are...

Ingredients For sprout sabzi 1 cup Matki (or moth beans) sprouts 1 large onion 3 large garlic cloves crushed 2 tbsp peanuts soaked for atleast 4 hrs 1 medium potato,boiled and cubed 1 large tomato 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp oil salt according to taste 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro For the hot curry(also called Kat) List 1 1/4 cup grated dry coconut 2" cinnamon stick 3 cloves 4 pepper corns 1 1/4 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 6-7 dry hot red chilis List 2 1 medium onion 4 garlic cloves 1 1/2 inch ginger 2 large tomatoes 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate lime size jaggery salt 4 tbsp oil 1 tbsp cilantro Additional Ingredients while serving 2 cups farsan 1/2 cup fried poha chivda(optional) 1 medium onion chopped finely 1 lemon cilantro for garnishing 6-8 pav Method Pressure cook the sprouted matki  and...

I had half pineapple sitting in my fridge for couple of days and I wanted to use in up before my fridge cleaning schedule.I couldn't think of any recipe to add it to except  navratan korma and pineapple sheera .So I made both this week and it was the first time I made a pineapple sheera and my son loved it. Ingredients !/2 cup fresh pineapple chopped into small cubes 1/2 cup sooji 1 tbsp ghee 1/4 cup sugar (you can add more according to your taste) 1/2 tsp cardamon powder nuts and raisins according your liking Few strands of saffron 1 cup water 1 tbsp warm milk Method Boil the pineapple pieces in 1 cup water until they are soft. In a pan, add ghee roast the nuts and raisins.Keep aside. In the same pan, add sooji and roast until light golden brown, Remove the tender pineapple pieces from the boiling water and add the water to the sooji .Stir well. Sooji will absorb water and thicken.Mash half of the boiled pineapple pieces.Now add su...

Vermicelli kheer or vermicelli pudding is also called seviya kheer in (north India) and payasam in (south India). It is a very simple to make, healthy dessert. It can be made using low fat milk. This yummy dessert is great for festival cooking and today on account of rang panchami I decided to make this. Ingredients 1 cup thin  vermicelli 4 cups milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup water 1/2 tsp cardamon powder 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder few strands of saffron nuts and raisin according to your liking. 1 tsp ghee Method In a pan,add a tsp ghee roast the nuts and raisin keep aside. Now add the broken vermicelli and roast until light golden brown.Keep stiring so that they don't get burned. Pour a cup of water and let the vermicelli cook until they are just soft. Add the milk,sugar,cardamon powder,nuts,raisins and cook it for 7-8 min. Alternatively you can just boil the milk with sugar,cardamon,nuts and raisin till it reduces to 3/4 th of the ...

Holi a festival of colors and fun is celebrated in almost every home in India.In a maharashtrian home it is celebrated with a sweet called puranpoli.Puranpoli has a stuffing made up of lentil and jaggery.This yummy sweet can be served with clarified butter/ flavoured milk or with a spicy curry called katachi aamti. Ingredients For dough 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 cup maida pinch of salt warm water 4-5 tbsp oil For stuffing 1 cup chana dal washed and soaked for 4-5 hrs 1 cup jaggery 1/2 tsp cardamon powder 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder Method Using all the ingredients for the dough make a soft non-sticky dough, cover with a wet kitchen towel and keep aside for 30 mins. Pressure cook the chana dal with 1 cup of water for 2 whistles.Drain the water from the dal.Set the water aside.  Pulse the dal for few secs in the blender. In a pan,add the dal and jaggery and cook on low heat until it becomes a thick mixture. Keep stirring to avoid it from sticking to the bottom...

Batatatycha (potato) kacharya is one of the most popular maharashtrian side dish popular among kids.But at my place everyone loves them and why not they are so delicious and I am always short of them even though I make a larger batch.I made it yesterday and I had no time to take a click when I laid them in dish since within seconds they were almost gone. Ingredients 2 medium potatoes washed,peeled and cut in circular disc 0.5 cm thick oil for frying Mix in a bowl: 2 tbsp besan 1 tbsp rice flour 1 tsp sooji 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp chilli powder salt Method Heat a skillet.Spread a tsp oil on it when hot. Coat each of the potato disc with the mixture in the bowl and place them on the skillet. Drizzle a tbsp of oil.Cover and cook till the side on the skillet is golden brown flip and repeat the process on the other side.Complete the remaining batch in the same manner. Serve hot. Note: If you cut the disc less thinner you can shallo...

Last week my son turned 18 months and I had to bake a cake for him.I wanted to try the lemon-yogurt cake and when I googled I found this one from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa At Home.I skipped the 3 large eggs and did a few minor changes in the recipe.The end result was yummy,soft and fluffy cake.You could add berries and nuts of your choice to the batter.As it was my first attempt to bake this cake I baked it just plain. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice pinch of salt Method Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  With a rubber spatula, ...

Lettuce is a temperate annual plant of the daisy family Asteraceae . It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable . In many countries, it is typically eaten cold, raw, in salads, hamburgers, tacos, and in many other dishes. In some places, including China, lettuce is typically eaten cooked and use of the stem is as important as use of the leaf. US is next to China in production of lettuce. Most gardeners and farmers group lettuce into four different types. Romaines (Cos) Romaine (cos) is a tall lettuce with rigid leaves that are tightly packed together. The leaves are dark green, with the inner leaves having less color. Some consider romaine the most flavorful lettuce variety. Crispheads Crisphead lettuce is a very common variety of lettuce to find in your grocery store. Iceberg lettuce is a crisphead lettuce. The leaves are thin, light green, and densely packed together. It is best to grow this lettuce in cooler weather or start with transplants because of prob...

Zunka Bhakri is an important dish from west India cuisine. It is one of the most important Maharashtra cuisine. Zunka bhakri is a part of daily meal in rural Maharashtra. Zunka is the versatile dish from rustic Indian recipes, prepared with besan and many spices with smooth texture.Almost in all old marathi films you can see a wife of a farmer bringing his meal to the farms basically consisting of zunka bhakri , lasun chutney and a red onions. Zunka can be made of onions,green onion,cabbage,snake gourd,green peppers and even with methi .I prefer the one with green onions. Ingredients 1 cup besan /chickpea flour-roast dry until little brown and aromatic. 2 bunches of spring onion /green onion/scallions 5 garlic cloves minced 4 green chilies finely chopped 5-6 curry leaves 1 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp chili powder pinch of hing 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp oil 1 tsp sugar salt 3 tbsp water cilantro for garnishing. Metho...

Dhokla is a Gujarati speciality – a savoury that’s made in almost every Gujju household. Traditionally, Dhokla is made from a fermented batter made of ground urad dal , cream of rice, chickpea flour, salt, spices and baking soda. This batter is steamed in pie-like plates and cut into diamond shapes. Dhokla taste like a spicy and softer version of cornbread. They are commonly served with coriander chutney and garnished with grated coconut and chopped coriander. I make three varieties-one with besan,other with sooji and another with moong dal. Here goes my version of dhokla with Besan. Ingredients For Dhokla : 1 cup chickpea flour/ besan 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 tsp tumeric 1/2 tsp asafoetida 2 tbsp ginger-garlic- green chili paste 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp Eno fruit salt warm water salt For Tadka : 1 tbsp oil 1 tbsp mustard seeds pinch of asafoetida 1 tsp sesame seeds(optional) 5-6 Curry leaves(optional) 1/4 cup water 2 tbsp sugar...

The Vada Pav is considered staple teatime snack in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai , where it has been popularized as street food. Vada Pav is available on hand carts, popularly known as Vada Pav chi gadi . They are seen everywhere in Maharashtra and also served at tea time in many of the state's small eateries and on long distance trains. This Rs. 5 snack is a hit among young and old,rich and poor,villages to cities.In Mumbai -the commom man eats Vada Pav 24/7. He doesn ’t require an occasion to celebrate the city’s staple diet. The World Vada Pav Day is celebrated on 23rd August-it was on this day that a food chain registered the Vada Pav as its main business six years ago and corporatised the chatpata street food. Today in India, Vada Pav is available everywhere. Even in an eatery named after Sachin Tendulkar ,malls and even on crowded streets. The master blaster says the vada pav is an amazing snack. His buddy Vinod Kambli famously presented hi...