Rasiya Muthiya

                 Rasiya Muthiya is a traditional Gujrati recipe. The Muthiyas are basically rice dumplings and Rasiya means with gravy. So Rasiya Muthiya can be literally translated to rice dumplings with gravy. They gravy here is usually yogurt based and typically spicy.

                 If you have leftover rice, then this simple and quick dish is one of the best to use them. You can add green chilies, ginger or cilantro to it as well. But since I made it for a Jain festival, where green vegetables are avoided, I didn't use any of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled Rice
• 3 tbsp Whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp Chickpea flour (Besan)
• 2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 4 tsp Red Chili powder
• 2 tbsp Yogurt
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Oil
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 cup Buttermilk (yogurt+water mix)
• 1 cup water

Instructions:

For the Muthiyas:

• Take a big mixing bowl, add the rice, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt and mix it well

• Now add the whole wheat flour and the chickpea flour and mix well.

• Then add the yogurt and make it in a dough. Make sure you don't add any water to the dough.
• If the dough is too hard, add more yogurt, whereas if the dough is too tough, add some more wheat flour and chickpea flour.

• Make small oval shape muthiyas and keep them aside

For the Gravy:

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the Asafoetida and cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add about 1/2 a cup water to it.

• When the water starts to simmer a little, add a couple of muthiyas to it and stir it lightly
• After that add the buttermilk and the remaining water and mix it well.
• Now add the salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder and mix it well.
• Once this mixture starts boiling, add the muthiyas one by one.

• Now let it cook on medium heat till the muthiyas are soft and cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
• If the gravy is less or it dries up, add a little water. Once the muthiyas are cooked, take it off the heat.
• Serve it hot and enjoy.

Diwali Festivities

               As many of you might be aware, last week was Diwali, the festival of Lights. Diwali, also known as Deepavali spiritually signifies the victory of good over evil. It is usually celebrated over 5 days. Each day has a special significance.

               First day is the Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas. The third day is the main day, Diwali. For some parts in India, mainly western India, the fourth day marks the beginning of their new year. The festivities end with Bhai Beej dedicated to the sister-brother bond.

               So, wish you all a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year too. Hope you all had a great celebration too. In the spirit of the festival, plus my husband's birthday, we had a fun filled weekend which included a special Diwali dinner on Friday evening with a group of friends. The menu for the evening was:

Main Course/ Entrees:

• Masala Cups
• Jeera Paratha
• Shaam Savera
• Corn Capsicum Curry
• Peas Pulao
• Dal Fry

               No meal can be completed without a good dessert, so how can I miss the yummy dessert that we had.

• Chocolate Pani Puri

               Saturday was reserved for his birthday. I made a special plan for him, took him out for Sunset Sailing under the beautiful Golden Gate bridge followed by an amazing dinner.

               Sunday was another Diwali lunch with another group of friends, but this time it was a potluck. The theme for the potluck was regional specialties, so we had a nice variety of food. Some of the items from the huge menu, whose recipes I will be posting in the near future, were:

• Peas Kachori
• Undhiyu - A special curry recipe from Gujarat
• Baked Pakodas
• Sev Khaman - Another Gujarati recipe
• Dal Dhokli
• Tamarind Rice - A Southern Indian Specialty
• Puran Poli - Specialty of Maharashtra, western part of India
• Bajri(Millet) Bread - A specialty from North Gujarat and Rajasthan
• Choorma Ladu - A sweet dish

              Do let us know how your celebrations were. Also, how do you generally plan parties and do you have any tips on managing and executing the plan successfully?

Eggplant Parmigiana

                     Eggplant Parmigiana is one of my husband's favorite Italian dishes. He always wants to order it, especially at Olive Garden, but since we usually share the entrees and I don't like eggplants, he can't order it most of the time. So I made a plan to make it for him.
                   The Eggplant Parmigiana that you get in restaurants are extremely greasy and cheesy and so I decided to try to instead bake it without oil and minimal cheese. Also, traditional Eggplant Parmigiana recipes use egg yolks to stick the bread crumbs to the eggplants, but since we don't eat eggs, I used rice flour paste instead.
                  So, here is a healthier version of the Olive garden styled Eggplant Parmigiana. Hope you all like it.

Ingredients:

• 1 big Eggplant
• 1 cup Bread Crumbs
• 1 tsp Black Pepper powder
• 1 tsp Basil leaves
• 1 tsp Parsley leaves
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• 1 cup Marinara Sauce
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp Rice flour
• 1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Optional)

Instructions:

• Take the bread crumbs in the bowl. Add salt, pepper, basil leaves, parsley leaves and lemon pepper and mix it well. Keep it aside.

• Slice the eggplant into slices, of about 1/2 inch width.
• Sprinkle some salt and pepper on both sides of eggplant and place them on the baking tray.

• Roast the eggplants in pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes at 400 F. 
• In the mean time, dissolve the rice flour in 1/2 cup water and make it like thin paste.
• Place the rice flour paste and bread crumbs mix next to each other.

• Once the eggplants are well done, remove them from oven.
• Soak the roasted eggplants in the rice flour paste to wet them nicely and then dip them in the bread crumbs mix. 

• Make sure the eggplants are coated properly on both sides.
• Continue the same process for all the eggplants and again place them on the baking tray

• Cover the tray with the foil and bake again for 20 minutes at 400F.
• Once it is done, spread about 1-2 spoons of marinara sauce on each slice. You may use as much sauce as you want, but excess sauce may make it a bit soggy.
• Sprinkle some cheese on top of it.

• And bake uncovered for another 2-3 minutes, till the cheese is nicely melted
• Serve hot and enjoy.

Roasted Chivda

             Who doesn't like snacks! The only problem associated with loving snacks is the calories that come with it. Most Indian snacks are deep-fried which make them very unhealthy. But here is a healthy twist on a popular Indian snack for you to indulge guilt-free - Roasted Poha Chivda.

              I used a different kind of Poha, which are very similar to puffed rice in looks. They are little thicker and puffier than our regular poha and are much easier to roast. Just a little oil and in 6-8 minutes you will have nice crispy poha.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Puffed Flattened Rice (Poha) 
• 1/2 cup Cashews
• 1/2 cup Peanuts
• 1/2 cup Daria (Roasted Chana Dal)
• 3-4 Chilies
• 1 tbsp Red Chili powder
• 1 cup thick Sev (Crunchy Chickpea Noodles)
• 8-10 Curry Leaves (optional)
• 2 tsp Dried Mango powder
• 2 tsp Rock Salt 
• 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Oil

Instructions: 

• Heat little oil in a pan. 

• Add the cashews and fry them for couple of minutes. Remove them from oil and place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Repeat the same process for peanuts and Chana dal.

• In the remaining oil, add the curry leaves and green chilies.
• Then add the cumin seeds and sesame seeds.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add the poha to the pan.
• Roast it on medium flame for about 6-8 minutes or till the Poha is crisp, stirring continuously
• Take it from the flame, add red chili powder, rock salt, mango powder and salt and mix it well.

• Then add the thick Sev. I used a mix of tomato, mint and plain Sev. Mix the chivda well and let it cool.

• Once it is completely cooled, store in an air tight container.
• Enjoy your guilt-free delicious snack!

Sooji (Semolina) Halva

          I am not a big fan of sweets, unlike my husband. I only like a couple of traditional Indian sweets and occasionally, I get a craving for them. Sooji or Semolina Halva is one of them. It is usually made during festivals or religious functions and I absolutely love it when my mom makes it.
        Today was one of those days when I was craving it. And despite having never made it before, I gave it a try. The end result was not as good as what my mom makes, but was decent enough for me. And for my husband, my food critic, he liked it.
       Halva is a sweet/dessert popular across Asia and Europe. There are various varieties of it differing slightly in the cooking method, though the basic ingredients are more or less similar with some variations. Here is my take on the Semolina Halva.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Semolina (Suji/Rava)
• 2 cup Milk
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 1 tsp Cardamom (Elaichi) powder
• 1/4 cup Almond Slivers 
• 7-8 Saffron threads

Instructions:

•  Heat the clarified butter (Ghee) in a pan.
• Add the semolina to it and roast till it is light brown/ Make sure you are cooking on medium heat. Cooking on high heat may burn it

• Now add the sugar and saffron and mix it well.
• Then slowly add the milk and stir it continuously, till the sugar melts and it attains a semi-liquid Halva like consistency. About 3-4 minutes

• At this point add the cardamom powder. It is optional but I like the flavor
• Mix it well and remove from heat.

• Garnish with almond slivers and serve hot

Kothimbir Vadi

              Sunday is usually a lazy day for most people. We usually meet up with our friends on Saturday and end up sleeping really late and that, in turn, leads to late Sunday mornings. So we prefer having brunch since we have already passed the breakfast time. Today was a similar day for us and I was thinking to make something today that is quick, tasty and heavy too. I was looking online for some options and I stumbled upon Kothimbir Vadi, a Maharashtrian dish.

             Kothimbir Vadi or Steamed Cilantro-Chickpea snack, is a very popular dish from Maharashtra, a western state of India. There are plenty variants of this snack. Some prefer it deep fried, some like it stir fried, while some like it simply steamed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped Cilantro
• 1.5 cups chickpea flour (Besan)
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Chili paste
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp Soda-BiCarb (Baking Soda)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
• 1 Tbsp Oil

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, add the cilantro and chickpea flour.
• Then, add all the spices, salt, chili powder, turmeric, baking soda and ginger chili paste and mix them well.

• Now, slowly add some water to it to make a batter. The batter should be of thick consistency and not too watery.

• Pour the batter onto a greased pan. Then, using a pressure cooker or a steamer, steam it for 15 minutes or until it is cooked.
• The best way to know if it cooked or not is insert a knife or a toothpick and it should come out clean.
• Once they are cooked, let it cool and cut into small pieces.

• Meanwhile, heat some oil in the pan.
• Add the sesame seeds and mustard seeds, and once they start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and then the cut pieces and mix them well.
• Garnish with coconut and serve it hot.
• Enjoy with your favorite chutney/sauce or simply as is.

Valentine Cake pops

                Happy valentines day, everyone! On that occasion, I was wondering what surprise to give to my husband. He is very fond of desserts, but I have already have made cakes, cookies, chocolate etc in the past. And so, this time I wanted to try something different. I started looking online for other options and I came across the idea of Cake-Pops.
               Its a form of cake styled as a lollipop. These pops are also a great idea to make something fun out of leftover cakes. You can be as creative with the cake pop decoration. Since I made it today as a valentine surprise for him, I kept it a simple decoration with red, pink and purple sprinkles, sugar and hearts. Also, since this was my first time making it, I wanted to keep it simple and not experiment a lot. So, here is how I made it.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cake, baked and cooled (I made Chocolate Espresso Cake)
• 1 cup whipped Frosting (I used vanilla)
• 1 cup white Chocolate melts
• Paper Lollipop sticks
• Candy Sprinkles
• Colored sugar

Instructions:

• I made the chocolate-espresso cake from scratch. You can use any ready cake or even leftover cakes. Make sure the cake is completely cool.

• Now take a cookie sheet or any big dish, line it with waxed paper and keep it aside.
• Take a large bowl. Crumble the cake with your fingers and add to the bowl. 

• Then add the frosting and mix well until the dough forms.

• Now, roll it into firm balls or any desired shape using cookie cutters and place on the cookie sheet. Freeze them for about 15-20 minutes.

• In the meantime, melt the white chocolate according to the package direction. You can either do it in microwave or using a double boiler on the stove.
• If the mixture is too thick, add1/2 tsp of Oil in it and stir it well. The mixture should be smooth

• Now take the cake balls from the freezer. I took 1-2 at a time. 
• Take the lollipop stick, dip in the melted chocolate about 1/2 inch and then insert stick into the cake ball.
• Then dip the balls in the chocolate melt until well coated. Tap on the bowl slightly to remove any excess chocolate. 
• And then decorate with the desired sprinkles or colored sugars.
• Let it set for half an hour at room temperature.

• You can store the cake pops for about a week at room temperature or for about 2 weeks in refrigerator. But I am sure they wont last that long as they are very tempting.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookie

          Hi, I know its been a really long time since my last post, but it has been a real hectic couple of months. I promise to be more regular going further.

          Today I am back with a sweet treat for everyone - Chocolate Shortbread cookies. These cookies are a classic Scottish dessert and get their name from the crumbly texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup All purpose flour (Maida)
• 3/4 cup softened Butter
• 1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 cup melted Chocolate

Instructions:

• Mix the melted butter and sugar in a large bowl.
• Now add the Vanilla extract and beat at medium speed till it is creamy. If you don't have a beater, stir it thoroughly
• Now add the flour slowly and continue mixing it on a low speed
• Mix it till the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a smooth soft dough
• Now divide the mixture in 3 parts, and flatten each part a bit.
• Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for couple of hours
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 375^o F.
• Now, roll out the dough a little more, and cut out the desired cookie shapes. I made the circles
• Arrange them on a cookie sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes or till they turn golden brown.
• Remove from oven, let it stand for 10 minutes.
• Dip the cookies in the melted chocolate and then cool on the wire racks.
• Once they are completely cooled, store them in an air-tight container. Enjoy!!

 

Cabbage Poha

                   Yesterday, we were contemplating what to make for dinner when I realized we did not have much vegetables at home except for some cabbage. We usually prepare Cabbage curry with it, but we were tired of having the same curry so this time we decided to try something else.

           Poha (flattened/beaten Rice) is a famous Indian breakfast/snack dish which is usually had along with Onions or Potatoes, but I thought of trying it out with Cabbage. So here is my take on the classical dish.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups sliced Cabbage
• 1 cup Poha (Flattened Rice)
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 3-4 chopped Cashews
• 3-4 Raisins
• 4-5 Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Green Chili paste
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp roasted Chana Daal (Daliya) i.e Split Chickpea
• 1/2 cup chopped Cilantro
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Wash the poha under running water for a few seconds
• Toss well to drain out excess water and keep it aside
• Heat some oil on a pan, add Asafoetida
• Now add the roasted Daliya and saute it for a minute or so. Then add the mustard seeds
• Once the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves to it
• Then add the green chili paste, cashews and raisins to it
• After about 2 minutes, you will get a nice aroma of roasted nuts. At this point, add the sliced cabbage and mix it well
• Let it cook for 4-5 minutes. Make sure the cabbage is little crunchy i.e. dont cook it for long time
• Now add the salt, sugar and lemon juice and mix it well
• Lastly add the poha and mix it well
• Let it cook for a minute on slow flame
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot

Okra(Bhindi) Masala

             Okra or Bhindi is a popular ingredient in many cuisines across the world including Indian. Okra curry is made in a variety of ways depending on the region you are in, ranging from simple to very difficult. Today, we will see the Gujarati style of making Okra Masala.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Okra (Bhindi)
• 1 cup raw Peanuts
• 1 tbsp Red Chili powder
• 2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp Coriander seeds-Cumin seeds powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• 2 tbsp Oil
• Cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

• Wash the Okra properly and dry them on paper towel
• In the meanwhile, crush the peanuts into fine powder
• Add the salt, turmeric powder, chili powder and coriander-cumin powder

• Mix it properly and keep it aside

• Now chop the Okra as shown below.

• Just cut the Okra vertically in half, and only if they are too long cut them half horizontally
• Now, heat the oil in a pan
• Add the Asafoetida  and Cumin seeds to it
• Once the Cumin seeds start to crackle, add the chopped Okra to it and mix well
• Once they start to soften a little, add the peanut mixture to it and mix well

• Let it cook for another 5 minutes or till the Okra are properly cooked. Make sure that they are soft on bite, but not mushy
• Make sure to stir them intermittently .
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with your choice of Bread 

Tips:

• Don't cover the pan with lid while cooking Okra
• Don't add water as well else it will be become sticky and slimy 
• Before chopping Okra, make sure they are completely dry. Wet ones are very sticky while chopping
• If the curry becomes too slimy, you can add any acidic ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar will help to reduce the sliminess

Jeera (Cumin) Rice

          After the hectic festivities and all the heavy food, it feels good to have something light and simple. Whats more relaxing then having simple Dal-Rice? And instead of simple white rice, I prefer to spice it up with Cumin and Cilantro which makes a big difference to the taste.

         Last Month, I gave the recipe for Dal Fry. So here is a recipe for the Jeera (Cumin) - Cilantro Rice to accompany the Dal (Lentil) Curry.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Basmati Rice
• 2 tbsp Butter or Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 2 tbsp Jeera (Cumin) Seeds
• 1/4 cup finely Chopped Cilantro
• 2-3 Cloves
• 1-2 small pieces of Cinnamon
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Soak the Basmati rice for 20 minutes
• Drain and then boil the the rice till it is done.
• Heat the butter/ghee in a pan, add Asafoetida
• Once the butter is heated, add the cloves, cinnamon and cumin seeds
• Once the cumin starts to splutter, add the cooked rice.
• Now add the salt and mix it well
• Add the cilantro and serve it hot with any vegetable curry or lentil curry.

Mawa Pedas

           Sweets are an integral part of all the festivals and occasions. We are getting close to the Hindu festival of Diwali, when most Hindu households prepare a bunch of sweets and snacks. Last recipe, Chakri, was my favorite Diwali snack, and here is my favorite sweet, Pedas - small, sweet, delicious patties made with Khoa.

Khoa/Mawa is made by heating milk in an open pan until it thickens. In this recipe, I have used ready made Khoa. But it can be easily made at home too.

Ingredients:

• 12 Oz Mawa/Khoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoa)
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Cardamom Powder
• Sliced Pistachios for Garnishing

Instructions:

• Grate the Khoa with a fine steel grater. Preferably don't use an iron grater.

• Put the grated Khoa in a nonstick pan.
• Stir continuously on a medium flame.
• When the mixture thickens and forms like a dough, take it off the heat.
• Add sugar and cardamom powder and mix well

• Now, take a small part of the mixture, form a ball and press it lightly into patty rounds
• Press a pistachio on the peda for garnishing
• Repeat it for the remaining mixture

• Allow them to cool, then store it in an airtight container

Unlike most sweets, Pedas are utterly simple to make, and not too unhealthy. You should really try making some of them at home. I am sure you will like them.

Chakri

      As Diwali - the festival of Lights - is approaching, most Indians would be busy preparing sweets. But no festival can be completed without savory snacks to go well with all the sweets. Chakri - a spicy spiral snack - is made with rice flour and is a perfect snack with tea/coffee or on its own.

      Making flour spirals for chakri is fun with the Sev maker. So here is a quick recipe for everyone to try and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Rice Flour
• 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
• 2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 tbsp Green Chilli Paste
• 2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• Salt to taste
• Plain Yogurt as needed
• Sev maker with star nozzle for making Chakri
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions:

• Sieve the rice flour. 
• Add sesame seeds, cumin seeds, green chilli paste, turmeric powder, ghee and salt to the flour
• I generally like it spicy, but the green chillies can be added as per the spiciness desired
• Mix well

• Add yogurt as needed for kneading the dough. The dough should be of medium consistency.
• Knead the dough properly till it is smooth

• Now take a Chakri maker/sev maker with the star nozzle, shown below.

• Add some dough to the maker 

• Make small spiral chakris on a wax paper or plate. I generally make it on plastic board

• Heat oil in a pan on medium flame for deep frying
• Once the oil is heated properly, take the chakri from the board carefully and drop it in the oil. For safety, I use a spatula to lift the chakri and then use that to slid the chakri in the oil
• Add as many chakris in the oil that will fit without overlapping
• Once the chakri turns light golden brownish, flip them over and fry the other side
• As soon as both the sides are done, remove them from oil and place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil

• Cool them completely and then store them in an airtight container