Mango Saffron Ladoo (with Almond flour and coconut)

Happy Diwali 2020 to all!! What a tumultuous year this has been so far. Life as we know it has changed forever. Diwali was definitely not the same without family and friends this year. Hoping and praying for a vaccine and cure to this deadly and devastating disease: Covid-19 that had descended upon our planet!

Luckily there are a few traditions that we can still carry out in these dire circumstances. One of them being Diwali faral on Narka Chaturdashi day. This year tried out something novel to add to my traditional Diwali faral platter.

Ta da.... presenting Mango Saffron ladoo with Almond flour and coconut. 

So here is the recipe:

Ingredients: Mango pulp - 1 Cup, Coconut (dry shredded) - 1 cup + some for rolling, Almond flour (it is nothing but finely crushed Almonds - available in local Ralph's baking section) - 1/2 cup, Milk powder - 14th cup, Condensed milk - one 14 oz can, Cardamon (crushed to powder) - 1.5 tsp, Saffron - 3/4th tsp (heat 2 tbsp milk in a small microwave safe bowl for 30 secs and add saffron to it) , ghee - 3 tsp

Method: Heat a pan and lightly roast coconut and almond flour till very light brown on medium low flame (take care not to burn). Keep aside in a plate. Take another pan and pour mango pulp and stir and reduce it till it thickens (the watery texture should reduce). You can complete this step in microwave too (just cover and cook for 2-3 minutes at a time till watery texture reduces. Keep aside. Take another pan and add ghee to it. Once it melts, add thickened mango pulp, browned coconut and almond flour and milk powder. Stir and mix everything for a minute. Add condensed milk and keep stirring till the mixture thickens about - 7-8 minutes. Add saffron dissolved in milk and keep stirring on medium heat. To test, take some mixture and cool it on a spoon and try to roll it in a ball. If it forms a ball, the ladoo is done. Add cardamom powder, stir and let it cool. Once it has sufficiently cooled down to handle, start rolling into balls. Roll each ball in shredded coconut so that it does not become sticky. You can also add bit of shredded coconut to adjust ladoo consistency at this point if needed. Enjoy once all ladoos are rolled into balls!! Refrigerate them after they are cool. They will stay fresh for up to a week refrigerated. 

Really healthy and tasty :) They were also not overly sweet which is the way I like them.

Hopefully your family will also enjoy this novel ladoo as much as mine!! Can't wait for you all to try it.

And last but not the least, here is our traditional Marathi faral that is typically eaten for breakfast on Narka Chaturdashi Day.

Till my next post, take care everyone!! #staysafe

Tempered Tortilla (Phodnicha Tortilla)

It was nearly weekend and time to clean out the refrigerator. Found a bunch of Tortillas lying in there. I did not want to make quesadillas or enchiladas so decided to try out an Indian twist. Tempered it Indian style and turned it into something similar to Maharashtrian 'Phodnichi Poli'. Phodnicha Tortilla or Tempered Tortilla!! Turned out to be really good. You can eat this for breakfast, snack or as a light one dish meal too.

Sharing the recipe here:

Ingredients: Tortillas - 4, Onion - 1 medium chopped, Oil - 2 tbsp, tempering: mustard seeds-  1 tsp, cumin seeds - 1 tsp, asofoetida - 1/2 tsp, Turmeric powder - 1 tsp, red chilly powder - 1 tsp (per taste), curry leaves - 4-5, green chilly - 1-2 slit, salt to taste, sugar 1-2 tsp, lemon juice - few drops, cilantro - chopped - 3-4 tsp.

Method:  Roughly tear the tortillas and grind them to coarse in a mixer. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When they start popping add asofoetida, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, curry leaves, slit green chillies and chopped onion. Saute, cover and cook for 3-4 mins till onions are soft. Then add the coarse tortilla mixture and saute and cover for 3-4 mins. Add salt, sugar and lemon juice and saute for 1 minute and cover and cook for additional 2 minutes. Add cilantro and saute and serve warm.

It tastes exactly like phodnichi poli. Was really delicious and got my family's seal of approval!! Now this has become my go to recipe for finishing extra tortillas. 

Till my next post, take care everyone!! #staysafe

Aloo Paratha (Spiced Potato filling stuffed flatbread)

Aloo paratha is a classic Punjabi dish that needs no introduction. It is an Indian flatbread with spiced potato stuffing inside it. It tastes heavenly. One bite and you will be hooked forever. Even though it is a traditional Punjabi dish, it is made in almost all regions in India. Who doesn't love potatoes, right??!! You can follow this recipe and try it out for yourself:

Ingredients: For the dough: 2 cups wheat flour, 1 tsp maida flour (to give elasticity to the dough), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. For Stuffing: Potatoes - 4-5 boiled and mashed, turmeric powder - 1 tsp, chilli powder - 1 tsp, coriander powder - 1 tsp, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and cilantro crushed - 2 tsp (optional), 1/2 tsp dried mango powder, salt to taste.

Method: Mix all the ingredients for the dough and set it aside for at least 2-3 hours. For the filling: Boil and mash 4-5 potatoes. Mix all the stuffing ingredients and make small balls and set aside. Take the dough and make small balls (slightly bigger than the stuffing balls) and set aside. Roll one dough ball to disc shape and fill in the stuffing ball. Seal the stuffing inside the dough dip it in loose wheat flour and roll the paratha. After that fry it on hot tava and add ghee or olive oil or butter as per your preference while roasting. Make sure to roast on medium flame so that the paratha does not burn.

Enjoy with raita, ketchup, pickle, chutney or any condiment of your choice. In this picture, I have served it with boondi raita and ginger-orange chutney.

Till my next post, take care everyone!!

Banana Walnut Bread

It was almost the end of the week and 2 ripe bananas were staring at me. If I didn't do something, they would definitely end up in trash by Monday. Thanks to this recipe, after a couple of hours, they wound up in a delicious Banana Walnut bread :))

Actually, I got this recipe from a recipe book borrowed from our local library. Unfortunately, I forgot to copy down the title/author :(       

Anyhow here is the recipe:

Ingredients needed: 2 cups All purpose/Wheat flour ( I used wheat flour), 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 small bananas - mashed, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp - baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4th tsp - salt, handful of chopped Walnuts.

Method: Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Butter/spray with non stick spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Mix together butter and sugar with hand mixer, add eggs and mashed banana.and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix. Fold in the chopped Walnuts at the end.

Pour the batter in the greased pan and bake for 50-55 mins (time will vary depending on your oven and type of baking dish). Bake for additional 15-20 mins at 325 deg F if not done.

Cool for 15-20 mins, cut into slices and enjoy this nutty and delicious bread for breakfast, snack, teatime or just anytime :)))

Holiday season is here........ Wishing everyone Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2018!!! 🎅🎄🎆

Till my next post, take care everyone!! 

Dhapate (Maharashtrian Wholegrain Multi-flour Flatbread or paratha - Healthy and spicy)

'Dhapate' is a typical Marathi word. It literally means 'beating'. Dhapate are typically made not by the traditional rolling method but by gently patting (beating) the dough into a flat roti shape - hence the name :) They are made by mixing various whole grain flours and that's what makes them super healthy - full of fiber and tasty. Dhapate are somewhat like Thalipeeth except thinner like paratha. They taste awesome and are easy to make.

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour - 1 cup, Jowar flour - 1/2 cup, Bajra flour - 1/2 cup, Besan (Chickpea flour) - 1/4 cup, Onion - 1 medium finely chopped, Green chillies - 1-2, Cumin seeds/ powder - 1 tsp, Ajwain/(Owa)/ Caraway seeds - 1/2 tsp, Garlic - 6-8 pods crushed, Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (optional), Cilantro - 3-4 tbsp finely chopped, Sesame seeds/flax seeds - 2-3 tsp, oil - 2-3 tsp tsp knead,  Salt - as per taste.


Method: Coarsely grind green chilies and garlic in a mixer. Chop the onion finely or coarsely grind in mixer too. Combine flours, onion, coarsely ground green chili/ garlic, cumin seeds or powder, red chili powder (optional), cilantro and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 2-3 tsp oil and just enough water to mix and knead the flour into a soft dough. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Divide the dough into equal size pieces. Take a plastic sheet and gently pat the dough pieces into discs. Put some sesame seeds or flax seeds on top and gently pat them down into the Dhapata.  Gently remove the dhapata from plastic sheet and transfer and cook them on hot griddle/ tawa. Make sure to thoroughly cook by adding a few drops of oil on both sides till light golden in color.

Serve with Spicy Garlic/Peanut chutney. Enjoy this unique Maharashtrian delicacy!! 

Till my next post everyone, take care!!

Oats and Vegetable Sanja (Savory Oats with mixed Vegetables)

Hello everyone, I am back after a long time. Busy with summer activities, kids and work!!

'Sanja' - is traditionally made from semolina (cream of wheat) in Maharashtra. It is loved by everyone in our family. This recipe is a twist on traditional since I made it out of Oats today to make it healthier. This was our quick fix lunch today. It turned out to be really yummy and got a thumbs up from the kids too :)

Ingredients: 1 cup - Quick cooking oats, 1 medium onion chopped, mixed veg (any ones that you like - 1/2 cup),  tempering: 3-4 tsp Oil,  1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4th tsp asofoetida, few curry leaves, 1-2 green chillies, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp Sambar masala (optional), Salt to taste.

Method: Roast the quick cooking oats in a pan till they turn very light golden in color. Heat oil in the pan and add  mustard seeds and let them crackle, then add asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies, turmeric powder, chilli powder. Add chopped onion and cook for 2-3 mins till the onion is soft. Then add the mixed vegetables, and cover and cook for additional 2-3 mins till the vegetables are soft. Add sambar masala (this adds an interesting flavor) and stir and add the roasted oats and salt and 1 &1/2 cups water. Cover and cook it on medium low heat for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy Oats and Vegetable Sanja (Savory Oats and Vegetables) with yogurt or pickle!! 

Till my next post, take care everyone.

Pesarattu (Lentils dosa) with Tomato Onion Chutney

This dish brings back nostalgic memories of breakfast in Hyderabad when we used to visit our grandparents for summer vacation. It is a very filling and popular traditional Andhra dish.

I make it with a slightly different twist to the traditional recipe. I mix various dals (lentils) to pack a punch of protein and put a mix of brown and wild rice (1:1 ratio) to make it healthier and diabetes friendly.

Ingredients for Pesarattu Dosa:
Yellow Moong dal - 1 cup, Green Moong Dal - 1/4 cup, Chana dal - 1/4 th cup, Urad dal - 1/4 cup, Brown rice - 1/2 cup, Wild rice - 1/2 cup, Ginger - 1/2 tsp, Garlic - 5-6 pcs, Curry leaves - 8-10, Green chillies - 2-3 (depending on your taste), cilantro - 3-4 tbsp, cumin - 1 tsp, salt to taste, oil for making the pesarattu dosa. Onions - chopped, green chillies - chopped, cilantro chopped - for garnish.

Procedure to make Pesarattu dosa:
Soak all the lentils and rice (preferably overnight, or at least fpt 6 hrs), Finely grind the mixture along with the other ingredients like ginger, garlic, green chillies, cilantro, cumin and salt in a mixer. There is no need to ferment this mixture unlike traditional dosa. Heat a pan, add few drops of oil, put a big ladle of batter and spread it evenly. Cover and cook for 2 mins till it is brownish on the bottom, add a layer of onions and some chopped green chillies (optional) on top, flip and cook for a minute. Pesarattu is ready for stuffing (see stuffing recipe below).

Upma stuffing for Pesarattu dosa:

Ingredients for Upma: 
1 cup rava (preferably fine semolina, sooji, cream of wheat), Water -  2 cups, Urad dal - 1 tsp, Chana Dal - 1 tsp, Tempering - 1tsp spoon mustard seeds, Asofoetida - 1/2 tsp, green chillies (as per desired spice level), ginger - grated 1/2 tsp,  5-6 curry leaves, oil - 3 tsp. I do not add onions to the upma I use for stuffing. I like to keep it simple.

Procedure for making Upma stuffing:
Dry roast the upma rava for 5-6 minutes till light brown and keep it aside. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Now add asofoetida, urad dal, chana dal, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for 1/2 minute and add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Then  add the upma rava slowly and stir continuously to avoid lumps.Cover and cook for 3-4 mins. It should be nice and soft Cook for 2-3 additional minutes and set aside. Use this to stuff the above pesarattu dosa.

Serve with Tomato Onion Chutney.

Tomato Onion Chutney:

Ingredients for Chutney:
Onion - 1 chopped, Tomato - 2 medium chopped, Urad dal - 1 tbsp, Chana Dal - 1 tbsp, Cilantro - 3-4 tbsp, Green chillies - 3-4, Ginger - 1 tsp, Garlic - 4-5 pods, Dry shredded coconut - 2 tsp (optional), oil - 2 tsp, salt to taste. Tempering - 1 tsp spoon mustard seeds, Asofoetida - 1/2 tsp, turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp, red ciilli powder - 1/2 tsp,  5-6 curry leaves, oil - 2 tsp.

Procedure for Chutney:
Dry roast urad dal, chana dal and shredded coconut (each separately) till light browna and put aside. Put 2 tsp oil in a pan and roast onions till brown. Add ginger, garlic, cilantro, green chillies and saute for 3-4 mins, then add tomatoes and saute for 5-6 mins till everything is cooked. Add the previously roasted dals and coconut. Cool and grind in a mixer. Add the tempering (For tempering: Heat the pan and add oil. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Now add asofoetida, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and curry leaves.) Mix and serve with Pesarattu.

Here is another version without Upma filling........... we ate this with coconut/peanut chutney.

Enjoy this protein packed delicacy for breakfast, lunch or dinner :), Till my next post, take care everyone!

Spicy Indian Masala Omlette

This is a quick, easy and nutritious recipe for a hearty Sunday breakfast. Our family favorite. The green chillies, onion and cilantro add an Indian touch to the traditional western omelette. I also omit green chillies when I make them for kids so that they can enjoy the Indian flavors of the recipe without the spice. I am not sure how many people remember the catchy tv commercial that used to air in our childhood - Sunday ho ya Monday, roj khaye ande :) Nostalgic memories..... 

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4, Onion - 1 chopped, Cilantro - chopped, green chillies - 2-3 chopped (as per desired level of spiciness), black pepper - 1 tsp, salt to taste, Milk - 1/4th cup.

Procedure: 

Break eggs into a bowl and whisk. Add salt and black pepper and milk and whisk till everything is mixed properly. Add onions and cilantro and chopped green chillies. Heat pan and add a few drops of oil and pour the egg mixture in it. Cover and cook for 3-4 mins on medium heat. Flip and cover and cook the other side for 2-3 mins.

Delicious Spicy Indian Masala Omelette is ready. Serve with toasted whole wheat bread and ketchup.

Till my next post, take care everyone.

Nutella Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

My kids love pancakes and they also love nutella so I decided to surprise them and combined their two favorites to make a great breakfast treat for them :) Needless to say that I had two happy campers that day.......

Ingredients for Nutella Pancakes: 1 cup 100% Whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon sugar (adjust according to taste), 1 &1/2 cups milk approx (adjust according to need), 1 tsp Vanilla essence, 2 tsp oil, 1 egg, 1 tbsp butter, 4 tbsps Nutella (soften for abt 5-8 secs in a microwave).

Procedure: Take a bowl and mix together the wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add the egg, oil, vanilla essence, Nutella, milk and butter. Mix till smooth preferably with a hand mixer. Take care that the batter is not too runny. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat and grease it lightly. Pour the batter onto the pan, using about 1/4 cup for each pancake. 

Cook on both sides and serve hot with blueberry syrup (see recipe below) or any other syrup of your choice. I had some blueberry's left over from the previous week so I used them to make the syrup.

Blueberry Syrup: Combine 1 cup blueberry's, 1/2 cup sugar (adjust according to taste) and 1 cup water in a saucepan and cook till the berry's are soft and the mixture is thick (about 5-10 mins). Add1/4 tsp vanilla essence, 1/4th tsp nutmeg powder, 1/4th tsp cinnamon powder and stir. Serve with pancakes!

Tip: For people who do not eat eggs, you can omit them and add 3 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp baking soda instead.

Sending this off to:

Spotlight - Healthy Breakfast Ideas and Healthy Diet - Breakfast - guest hosted by Roshni's Kitchen started by Priya's Versatile Recipes.

Healthy Bread Dosa

There is some happy news in the blogosphere.....one of our blogger friends Nithya of 4thsensecooking  is getting married this November. So her blogging friends decided to host a virtual bridal shower for her - by cooking dishes from her own blog. She is a very talented photographer, so do check out her blog for some awesome clicks. I am making Bread Dosa recipe from her blog today. Its really simple to make and yet very tasty. I added some yoghurt and rava/semolina to give it a little interesting taste and texture. 

Ingredients: Whole Wheat Bread - 4-5 slices, 3/4th cup all purpose flour, 1/4th cup semolina/rava, 1 tbsp yoghurt, 1 tsp red chilli powder, salt to taste. 

Method: Break the bread into pieces and soak them in a cup of water for 2-3 mins. Then grind all above the ingredients in the mixer along with the bread. The consistency should be that of a dosa batter. Heat a pan and put a few drops of oil on it. Then pour a ladle full of batter and cook for about 4-5 mins on each side. Serve with Chutney or Ketchup.

Hope you like the recipe Nithya. Wishing you a very happy married life.........

Whole Wheat Flour Pancakes with Bananas

My kids are absolute fans of pancakes, so its needless to say that I make them very often. Now, how do you make something like pancakes very healthy? - its a great challenge! The traditional pancake recipe calls for all purpose flour which is not very healthy, so use whole wheat flour instead. Add whatever fruits you have on hand and cut down on sugar. Mostly I add bananas or blueberries, but you can add whatever fruit you want. Its a great way to get picky kids to eat fruits. Last but not the least, I serve them with sugar free syrup :))

Ingredients: 1 cup 100% Whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon sugar (adjust according to taste), 1 & 1/2 cups milk approx (adjust according to need), 2 tsp Vanilla essence, 2 tsp oil, 1 egg, 1 tbsp butter, 1 sliced banana.

Procedure: Take a bowl and mix together the wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add the egg, oil, vanilla essence, milk and butter. Mix till smooth preferably with a hand mixer. Now add the chopped bananas. Take care that the batter is not too runny. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat and grease it lightly. Pour the batter onto the pan, using about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook on both sides and serve hot with maple syrup or the sugar free syrup - your choice :)  BTW, Please don't ask me how the sugar free syrup tastes, because personally I never eat pancakes, but my kids don't seem to mind the sugar free version of syrup.

Tip: For people who do not eat eggs, you can omit them and add 3 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp baking soda instead.

I am sending this as an entry for Priya's (Mharo Rajasthan) : CFK - WWF Event originally started by Sharmi. Being busy with the move n'other stuff, I was on break and not posting any recipes, but could never dream of missing my dear friend's event, so here's my entry Priya :))

Methi Banana Paratha

 My mother is a person who does not like to waste things. So whenever we had bananas left over at the end of the week, she used them very creatively by making these parathas!! 
To make them, mash 1 banana very finely, add 1/2 cup of finely chopped methi leaves, 1 tsp sugar (optional), a pinch of salt, 1 tsp oil and 1 heaped cup of whole wheat flour. Start kneading it all together. Normally you will not need any water, the moisture from the bananas is enough to form the dough, but if you do need additional moisture, add very little water/milk to make the dough. Let it rest for 10-15 mins. After that heat a flat pan/tava and roll out the parathas and cook them on both sides. Put a bit of ghee (preferred)/oil when each side and cook for an additional minute.  They taste best with homemade ghee!! 
BTW, Friends, it looks like I am going to be busy for quite sometime, so will post recipes/visit ur blogs as and when I get time :)) Take care everyone!

 I am sending this as an entry to Spicy Lounge's CoL- LeftoverDelicacies Event.

Lasun ani Methi Cha Dhirda

 The other day my kids were really hungry, and I was tired from a whole day's work of spring cleaning, so I whipped up this Dhirda. [A typical maharashtrian specialty, just like a dosa or pancake]. Its a very quick and filling snack. It can be eaten for breakfast too!

Just mix together 1&1/2 cups wheat flour, 1/2 cup besan, about 2-3 cups water (consistency should be medium like pancake/dosa batter - so adjust water accordingly), 2 tsp chopped garlic, 1 cup chopped methi leaves, 1/4 cup chopped onion (optional), 1 tsp jeera, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder and salt to taste. Keep the batter aside for 10 mins. Heat a pan/tava - ideally a non-stick. Put oil on it and coat the pan. Pour a ladle full of batter on it and spread it in a circle. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins. Then turn over and cook the other side. Make it as crisp/soft as you like. 

It can be enjoyed with a variety of condiments like ketchup/yoghurt/pickle/chutney!

I am sending this recipe as an entry for JIHVA - Breakfast. This event was originally started by Indira of Mahanandi.