Sabudana Wada-Real Deal--Deep Fried Sago Fritters!!!!

 Hello sweeties, as you all know there are a few of my favorite things, one is deep fried treats and another is my Bhatukli(Traditional Indian kitchen set).

Although this is not the one I grew up playing, this is close to what I had sans the stand. My mom gifted the utensils to munchkin since he loves to help cook, prep veggies, clean after the job. The stand to display was a recent purchase. You cannot beat the cuteness of such treats.

Coming back to the recipe of the day, its sabudana wadas. They are good if your are fasting or feasting. I and my boys love sabudana wadas anytime of the day or night. It has been cold and rainy April in NJ last couple of days. Such weather calls for something spicy and something fried.

You will need;
1 Cup Soaked Sago/Sabudana--Soak the sago in water for 10 mins and drain all water out and keep covered for good 5-6 hours.
1 small boiled potato mashed

2 tbspn roasted peanut powder
1 tbspn Cayenne powder 
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn Cumin seeds
1 tbspn Chopped Cilantro
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste.
Water if needed to knead into  a pliable dough 

2 cups oil for frying

In a bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Use little water if needed to bind it into a ball. Make small balls and flatten them into discs. Keep aside after all such discs are ready.

In a wok, heat the oil, smoke it once and reduce heat to medium. Deep fry each disc till its golden brown. Enjoy these hot wadas with yogurt chutney and a spicy peanut crush.

Homemade butter--Almost homemade

Hello Dearies!!!! I am in the phase with trying old classics which were a part of my growing up back home. Homemade White Butter pr loni was a everyday thing. Store brought butter was a thing of the new fads, the homemaker was actually looked down in her skills if she brought butter from the store.

Flash forward to new age where everything was OK as who has the time in the world, and I am so busy took over age old traditions and cultures changed.

Making butter and whipping cream gave me some peace as there was more joy than effort in the process. I cranked my stand mixer and made it work for me, enjoying the end results. I emptied a quart of Heavy whipping cream in the mixer bowl and let it whip on high for 7-9 mins, till the butter solids started leaving water. 

At this point I added 5 tbspn Ice water and let the whipper go for anr 2 mins. I emptied the solid in my trusted paneer maker as in the collage, squeezed out the milk(which is like buttermilk and can be used in your cooking/kneading or baking).

And just like that my almost homemade butter was done!!!!!

Date Choc Almond Fudge/Modak

Hello Sweeties!! Ganpati bappa has come and gone and I am still not able to get back to my routine. Although I dont bring the bappa home, I do make different kinds of prasad for my kids. 

This year was no different, I tried making this date chocolate modak. I am member of many food groups and I keep admiring the talent people have. Recently, I came across a badam barfi recipe from my friend Shilpa Bhide. She is my main source for this recipe, which I tweaked to suit my kids liking.

You will need;

1 Cup Almond Paste
*Soak 1Cup almond sin water overnight, peel and gring in a blender with some water/milk
1/3 cup Ghee
3/4 cup sugar
8-10 dates paste
1tbspn dark choc powder

Heat a pan on medium heat, melt ghee and add the almond paste dates and sugar and let it cook, stir continuously till it forms a ball. Take off the gas and cool and lastly add dark chocolate powder and knead into a soft dough. Shape modak in moulds. and enjoy.

Minty Cauliflower

Hello Sweeties!! July is BBQ month. The basic quest for all vegetarian food lovers is what's there for us in the BBQ feast!!!!! There is Indian cottage cheese/paneer, roasted veggies corn on the cobs. So to add one more interesting item to your grand BBQ menu,. my sister has this Minty cauliflowers for you.

They can be made on the grill. in the oven or on the stove top. They will surely make you love your cauliflower and  push the good old greasy French fries to the side. 

You will need;
1 whole cauliflower tore into florets, wash and drain

Enough oil to lightly coat the florets

Sea Salt to taste

Mint paste

** Make a fine mint paste with mint,cilantro, cumin, garlic and green chilies

Coat the florets with some grape-seed oil, sprinkle salt and cook in a wok on high heat. The florets cook fast so it should take about 5-7 mins. stir continuously to avoid burning Alternatively you can also roast in a pre-heated oven at 400Degress, till the florets start browning.

 After the florets get cook reduce heat, add the mint paste till all florets get evenly coated. Minty Cauliflower is ready to be served.

Egg-less Mango Ice cream

Dear Sweeties!!! June is celebration time. Mangoes are found to be in season, so desserts and sweets with mangoes are  a staple around this time. Mango cream and mango cake is a favorite with Mr. Ash and kids. I overestimated the riping time and brought a overload of mangoes that happened to ripen at the same time. We love mangoes, but it were one too many for us to finish, so I put my ice cream maker bowls to good use and made some low sugar goodness.

You will need;

2 Cups heavy Whipping Cream

3/4th Cup Conf Sugar

1tsp corn starch

2 Mangoes cut into small pieces

 

Take the cream, add corn starch and sugar and whip in the stand mixer till soft peaks form. The base is ready. Add the mango pieces and run the whipping blade for another 2 minutes and mix well.

Remove the mixture in a frozen ice cream maker bowl. Cover the bowls with some cling film/plastic wrap and set in the freezer for 2-3 hours. 

The soft serve is ready after a couple of hours in freezer. If you want harder ice-cream, freeze overnight or minimum of 6-8 hours. Welcome the goodness of ice-cream with no eggs and no preservatives.

Sabudana Wada Waffle--Sago Shingada/Waterchestntu Wade/Nuggets Waffles

Hello sweeties!!!! If you have ever tasted Sabudana Wada, a Maharashtrian snack, you will know and agree with me how tempting this deep fried treat can be. But Sabudana or sago or Tapioca is Starch, I am not getting into any debates here how it is made or if it is really vegetarian, but one thing for sure is that it is so so yummy.

 Sabudana Wada is 100% diet buster and stay away from the aroma if you ever ever happen to be closer, as then it is a war to stay away. But if you like me who likes to hog, stare and stalk expert food makers and join all food groups on social networking, your family will be as happy as mine where eating good is considered. The next big thing in low fat eating is Waffle maker and Danish pan.

I am using my waffle maker to make this, but feel free to make it in a danish maker also. I have tried it many time,s but waffle maker wins this battle in my home.

You will need;
2 Cups Soaked Sago--Soak the sago in water for 10 mins and drain all water out and keep covered for good 5-6 hours.
Approx 1 cup Water-chestnut flour-Singada Atta
The proportion will depend on how soggy the sago is, if its less you will require less flour
2 small boiled potato
2 tbspn roasted peanut powder
1 tbspn Cayenne powder 
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn Cumin seeds
1 tbspn Chopped Cilantro
1 tsp sugar

1 tbspn Lime Juice
Salt to taste.
Water if needed to knead into  a pliable dough 

In a bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Use little water if needed to bind it into a ball. heat the waffle maker and spray it with a non stick spray or use oil whichever you prefer. Close and let it cook. I have a electric waffle maker like a sandwich maker which indicates when the waffle is ready.Enjoy as is or with yougurt/ketchup or traditional coconut chutney.

Easy peasy Rava Ladoo

Hello Sweeties!!!! Shravan has started and with it has started the number of festivities that it brings with it. This is a very auspicious month in the Hindu calendar as it brings with it a  fair number of festivals starting with Nag Panchami, Rakhi/narali pournima and janmashtami. Mondays and Fridays in this month are special for fasting and so on.

On the auspicious day of Rakhi I made these rava ladoos.  I had to make something fast and with coconut. Rava Ladoos are usually made with the sugar syrup; one string pak as we call it in Marathi. Its extremely tricky to get the syrup right and am yet to master it, so I kind of don't trend that path now. This recipe is the easy way out in making the rava ladoo and is equally tasty.

Makes 18-19 medium ladoos
Time Taken- 30 mins
You will need;
1 Cups Fine Rava/Sooji/Semolina
1 Cup Fresh shredded Coconut
3/4th  cup Sugar
1/2 cup Milk
 1/2 Cup Ghee
1/2 Cup Raisins
 1tsp Elaichi/ Green Cardamom powder

In a pan, heat the ghee and add the Sooji/Rava. Roast well till the sooji turn pinkish in color. Then add in the fresh coconut.. and roast for 5 more mins. Mix Sugar with sooji mixture, Add milk and elaichi powder, raisins and let cool for about 20 mins. When the mixture cools, grease your palms with some ghee and  roll into ladoos. These were gone in less time it took me to make them.

Matki chi Usal/Moth bean curry

Hello Sweeties!!! Last week was all about cakes and cookies, so briging my sweet tooth and crazy carving in check, I am concentrating on healthy and soul food this week.

It does happen, you slip, give in the craving and then try making things work out by eating right.


**Sprouting beans; Soak a cup of dried beans in hot water for 5-6 hours, Rinse the beans and discard the water it was soaked in, either tie these soaked beans in a cloth or keep in a air tight box in a warm place for 8-10 hours for sprouting. 

 

You will need; 

1 cup sprouted Matki/Moth Beans
**Boiled with 2 cups water in a pot for 8-10 mins.
1 inch ginger grated

2 cloves garlic mashed 

1/2 cup dry roasted coconut

2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera

1 clove

3-4 peppercorns

1 tspn Usal Masala-(Substitute with 1/2 tspn Garam masala + 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper) 2 tsps Cumin-Coriander powder

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

1 tspn Goda Masala- Optional (** Black Garam Masala commonly used in Marathi speaking homes)

Tempering

1 tbspn oil

1 tspn Jeera/cumin seeds

1 tsp rai/mustard seeds

pinch of hing/asafodita

1 tsp turmeric/haldi

In a grinder powder the dry roasted coconut and the jeera with the clove and some peppercorns. Keep this powder aside.

Heat a wok on medium heat and add oil, add the tempering ingredients, rai/mustard seeds and jeera/cumin seeds, let it sizzle and then add the ginger and garlic, then add the turmeric/haldi and hing. Then add the boiled matki beans with the water in which it was cooked.

 

Then add the coconut powder, usal masala, cumin-coriander powder, salt and cover and cook for 5-7 mins. The usal is ready. Garnish with cilantro if you like.

** The Usal masala, which I have is very spicy, so adjust the heat levels as per your liking. Generally it is wiser to start with less amounts and increase to you liking.

Enjoy this usal with bread or rice or phulka or any Indian roti. If you are like my kids they eat it as a snack too.

Low Fat Chivda-- Poha Papad Chivda

 Hello Sweeties!!! Most moms of teenage kids are searching for some fast and healthy snack ideas. This chivda fits the bill as its a healthy and fast snack; its good for kids and its good for adults watching their weight.

The only oil that is used; is to fry the papads and no other traces of oil can be found. This recipe was very new to me. I had my aunt from India visiting me who made this when I told her, that my Dr had ordered me to cut my weight and watch what I eat. 

This is a keeper recipe even if you are not watching your weight as it is a  life saver when you are always outdoors in the short summers that we get on the east coast.  
 
You will need;
1 lb Thin Rice Flakes
1/2 lb Murmure/Puffed rice
2-3 Urad Papad Fried 
1/2 cup Corn Flakes
Salt Sugar, Coriander and Cumin/Jeera powder and 1 Tspn Amchur or dry mango powder- approx 1/2 tspn each. 2 Tspn Bedekar Chivda Masala- Optional But highly recommended.
  In  a wok, dry roast the rice flakes till they get roasted .. meaning if you crush a few flakes, they should form powder... this is a good sign that they are roasted well..remove these roasted flakes in a tray.. let it cool...
 
In a mixing bowl, crush the fried papad and add the roasted thin flakes  puffed rice, corn flakes,and stir well.... add the salt, sugar, coriander and cumin powder, dry mango powder, chivda masala and stir well....Njoiii this Chivda.

Mugachi Usal/ Sprouted Green Beans Curry

Hello Sweetpeas!!! Thanks a tonn for reading this space and looking out for me when I go missing in action. Many of my friends wanted to learn how to make Usal and include sprouts in their daily diet.

So Radhika if you are listening, This post is for you. I have been making usal in 2-3 ways; but this is the fastest and the simplest way with less spices and oil.

**Sprouting beans;
Soak a cup of dried beans in hot water for 5-6 hours, Rinse the beans and discard the water it was soaked in, either tie these soaked beans in a cloth or keep in a air tight box in a warm place for 8-10 hours for sprouting. Sprouted beans will look like the below picture.

You will need; 

1 cup sprouted Greeen Beans/ Moog/ Mung
**Boiled with 2 cups water in a pot for 8-10 mins.
1 inch ginger grated
2 cloves garlic mashed

1 tspn Usal Masala-(Substitute with 1/2 tspn Garam masala +1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper)
2 tsps Cumin-Coriander powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
1 tspn Goda Masala- Optional
(** Black Garam Masala commonly used in Marathi speaking homes)

Tempering

1 tbspn oil
1 tspn Jeera/cumin seeds

1 tsp rai/mustard seeds

pinch of hing/asafodita

1 tsp turmeric/haldi

Heat a wok on medium heat and add oil, add the tempering ingredients, rai/mustard seeds and jeera/cumin seeds, let it sizzle and then add the ginger and garlic, then add the turmeric/haldi and hing. Then add the boiled mung beans with the water in which it was cooked.Then add the usal masala, cumin-coriander powder, salt and cover and cook for 5-7 mins. The usal is ready. Garnish with cilantro if you like.

** The Usal masala, which I have is very spicy, so adjust the heat levels as per your liking. Generally it is wiser to start with less amounts and increase to you liking.

Enjoy this usal with bread or rice or phulka or any Indian roti. If you are like my kids they eat it as a snack too.

Doodhi Halwa-BottleGourd Halwa

Hello Sweeties!!!! Sorry for being MIA, but life at time takes over and you just go with its flow. To make up for that, I bring to you some sweetness and some health from my kitchen to yours. 

Make this Doodhi halwa to please some sweet craving without missing on the health. Except the vegetable, there is nothing that can be termed healthy, but who cares, as long its something sweet and something tasty.

You will need;
1 Small Bottle Gourd/Doodhi- Skin peeled and grated
Approx 2.5 cups
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbspn Ghee/clarified Butter
1.5 cups sugar
1 Tspn elaichi/Cardamom powder
Nuts to garnish

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the ghee, add the grated doodhi, cream and let cook over medium/low heat. Stir in between, keep cooking for 10-15 mins, taking care that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. 

After it gets cooked, the cream should have evaporated by now; add the sugar and the elaichi powder and let cook again till the sugar dissolves and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. The halwa is done, garnish with nuts. I completely forgot about it, but no issues, the halwa was tasty without any. 

Desserts like gajar and doodhi halwa are marriages made in heaven when served with hot halwa and cold vanilla ice cream. Do try this combo and update me via comments or FB.

Phodnichi Bread and Poli/Poli ani bread cha Khuskara/Tadka Roti-bread/

Hello Sweeties!!!! Ever Faced a situation when you have leftovers that no one wants to eat in its original form. I usually don't have any roti's as leftovers, but this was one such day, that I had few roti's and no subji.

This recipe is made in most maharshtrians homes. My mom made it often to send as school snack or on Sunday mornings. This was an easy way to finish leftover roti's or bread at times. We all loved it so much that at times, she even made fresh roti's to make this khuskara or phodnichi poli.

You will need;  
2 Cups Leftover Phulka/Roti/ Crumbs
1/2 Cup bread-- crumbed (Do not use bread crumbs)
** powdered using a food processor or use your hands to crumb.
 1/2 cup Roasted Peanut powder
1 Small Onion-Diced  
1/2 big Tomato-Diced
Salt and Sugar to taste  
Cilantro to garnish

Tempering;  
1 tbspn Oil 1 tspn Ghee/Clarified Butter
1 heaped tspn jeera/cumin seeds
1 tspn Mustard seeds
2 small chillies- chopped
5-6 Curry leaves
1/2 Tsp Hing/Aesofodita
1 tspn Haldi/Turmeric
1 tspn Red Chilli Powder

In a wok, take the oil and ghee and add rest of the items from the tempering list. Let it sizzle. Then add the onion and tomato,  and fry till oil separates the sides. 

Then add little water( Only if needed) and cook the onion-tomato masala  for about 1 minute, add the salt and sugar, lastly add the roti and bread crumbs and the peanut powder;  stir well, reduce heat to low and cover and let cook for 2-3 mins. Take care that the crumbs do not stick to the pan. Garnish with Cilantro before serving.

I am sending this to Gayatri's WTML event.

Arugula- Spinach Stir Fry

Hello dearies!!!!! I have been asked many times of how I make the leafy greens. Traditional Maharashtrian recipes may confuse you, as such simple veggies are made in different ways in most households. There is not necessary one way to making it.

I usually use coconut and onion with garlic when making these preparations. The pungent ones like Arugula need something sweeter to balance the sourness, so I use onions and fresh coconut, while Fenugreek seeds tons of garlic with some sweetness to balance out the bitterness.

You will need;
1 bag of cleaned Arugula leaves
1 cup spinach leaves
**  you can also use the Arugula salad mix bag we get here in US.
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen coconut
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp Red chili powder
1 Tsp Jaggery crushed
** You can use honey or sugar if jaggery is not on hand
Salt to taste

Tempering
1 tbspn Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin/Jeera seeds
Pinch of hing/Aesofodita
Pinch of turmeric


 The arugula and spinach leaves are already cleaned and washed if using from a bag. If not wash and clean and chop the leaves. 

In a wok, over medium heat, heat the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, let it pop, then add the Jeera seeds, then add the hing and turmeric, add the onion, garlic and let it sweat for 2 minutes till the onion gets transparent.

Then add in the greens and cover and let cook for 5-6 mins. Then add in the coconut, red chili powder and jaggery and salt to taste. Cover and let cook for another 2-3 mins. Remember the greens reduce to half after cooking, so add salt last.

Enjoy this stir fry with some hot phulkas or Pita bread or Bhakri.

Baked Wada Pav- Stuffed Baked Buns- Low Fat Version

Hello Sweeties!!! How did your TG holiday go? I am surely thankful for all my friends and family with whom I could spend each and every day of this holiday. 

Minus the crazy shopping, the holiday spirit was big in Ashland. We  put the tree and did the decorations. Also took the kids to Crayola Crayon factory and came home with bunch of crazy crayons and crafts we did there.

My kids love Wada Pav, the most famous snack of Mumbai. If America runs on Dunkin, Mumbai runs on  wada pav. But the whole mess of frying in closed house where you cannot open the windows and the smell of the frying remains in the house puts me off from making this snack which is loved by all. 

This is a short cut to making wada pav and if not entirely, it does satisfy the craving anytime of the year.

Prep Time; 10 mins to mix the dough
1 hours for the dough to rise
Makes around 30 small Buns

You will need; 

For the dough, 

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups All Purpose flour
1 Tbspn dry High active Yeast
1 Tbspn Sugar and 1/2 cup warm water to bloom the yeast
1 Tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
1 Tsp Garlic powder
2-3 Tbspn Olive Oil and
Salt for taste
water as needed to make the dough 

For stuffing;
2 medium size plantains
2 small potato

pinch of Haldi/Turmeric 1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn coriander powder

1 tbspn chopped cilantro
2-3 crushed cloves of garlic
1/2 inch ginger grated
1 Finely Diced Jalapeno Pepper

Red Dry Garlic- Chili chutney-Optional
salt to taste

Boil the plantains and the potato for 2-3 whistles and then 5 mins on low flame in a pressure cooker. In a bowl, mash the plantain and potato and mix  all the spices, jalapeno, cilantro, ginger and garlic and mix well.

In a bowl, take the dry active yeast, sugar and warm water and mix well. Keep it aside to bloom for 10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy, if the yeast is active. If the yeast is old discard the mixture and get fresh yeast. I always prefer to check the yeast then move on to the dough.

In a mixing bowl, take the flour, add the seasonings, garlic powder, rosemary, basil,  and little oil to start the mixing, as you move along making the dough, add the oil and knead into a soft dough. Cover with the plastic wrap and let it sit in  a warm place.

I preheat the oven to 200 Degree F and then shut it off. Then place the bowl with the dough to rest and rise for a good hour. I have never experienced problems with dough rising.

When the dough doubles in size, it is ready to be baked into some yummy rolls. Punch out the air from the dough and divide the dough into 30 equal balls.

Take one ball and roll a circle of about 2 inches in diameter. This is also called roti or poori; and spread  the dry garlic chutney on it( if you like.) This chutney is easily available in most Indian grocery stores. This is optional, but does give the authentic taste like back home.

Make balls of the potato mixture sand stuff the bread roti that you made and close the ends, Do as many buns as you can, I could make about 30 rolls and even bake a small loaf of bread in the dough.

 Arrange leaving space in a tray and let it rise again for another 30-45 minutes. Brush with some butter.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for about 15-20 minutes. enjoy warm with some Broccoli soup. I served it with some Bean soup/Bean Chili (Recipe will be posted soon).

Mango Sheera/ Mango Sooji Halwa/Ambyacha sheera

Hello Sweeties!!! Back to back two posts, I must be shedding my lazy skin. But, it was Donut's Birthday yesterday. Big Digit demands big and new dessert.

 I made the Minion cake and put in the full day at work, I was sort of tired of making anything elaborate. Sheera or Sooji halwa is a staple in Ashland, when we have unannounced guests. This is no fail dish and every one loves it. Make it for prasad as god's offering or snack or dessert, it's  a hit every time.

The world of blogging and internet has made me try different combinations like using pineapple , banana and now mango. Hoping to try many new varieties maybe strawberry, what say, next time for sure.

You will need;

1 and 1/2 cup of sooji/ semolina/ cream of wheat, **I prefer Coarse sooji than fine sooji.

1 cup sugar

3 cups mixture of milk and water or use milk wholly.

6-8 tbspns Ghee-Clarified butter

1 Cup Mango Pulp-- I used canned

1 cup sugar

1 tsp Elaichi or Cardamom Powder

1 tbspn Cashew nuts powdered -Optional

1tbspn Raisins Optional

few Saffron strands-Optional

-In a pan/wok, heat the ghee over medium or low flame and then add the sooji, roast the sooji stirring continuously, till the sooji changes colour and the aroma fills the house. 

Simultaneously boil the milk+water mixture and once boiled, add the milk+water mixture to the roasted sooji and continue stirring...the sooji will be slightly wet, cover for 2-3 minutes, taking care that the sooji is not getting burnt, if needed reduce the time to about 1.5 to 2 minutes. 

After this add in the pulp and  let it get cooked with the roasted sooji, cover with the lid and steam it for anr 2-3 mins. 

Finally add in the sugar  and stir well, the mixture will be wet now, cover and lower the flame to low and cook for 5-7 minutes. 

Then add the saffron, elaichi and the raisins. Serve hot or cold. It's yummy either way.

Whole Wheat Ladoos/ Kanik Ladoo

Hello Sweeties!!!!! Hope you all had  a fabulous Diwali and new year festivities at your end. I made the regular Diwali faral, but as many years as I am making Diwali goodies I try and make one new item, this year was no doubt the Whole Wheat ladoos. They are super easy to make and very healthy if you have growing boys or babies.

You will need;
makes 16-18 medium size ladoos.
 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup plus 2 Tbspn ghee/clarified butter
1.5 cups Sugar-Confectioner or ground sugar
1 tbspn Milk Masala/ Cashews/walnuts/pistas,saffron, nutmeg powder
**1 Tbspn dry Dates powder-- Sourced from India--Optional
approx 3/4th cup raisins
2 Tspn Cardamom Crushed or Elaichi powder

In a wok, heat the ghee, add the wheat flour and roast  on medium heat. Stir continuously taking care than the flour does not stick to the pan and burn. Stir for about 25-30 mins, till the mixture looks frothy and becomes really loose.
 
When the flour changes color add the raisins and the milk masala powder. Switch off the flame and let cool. When the mix is warm enough to dip your finger and bear the heat, add the elaichi powder. Roll the ladoos when they are cold enough to hold shape. These keep well for 10-15 days, although they do not last that long.

 Diwali spread at my end looked like this, whats cooking at your end????

Happy Diwali and let the festivities begin!!!!