All posts by Ashwita

Ashwita is a Reiki master and past life therapist. She loves traveling, photography, writing, painting and cooking! She made her first cookies at 12 and fell in love with baking, a love that is still strong. Desserts are her specialty, although she can cook dishes from around a dozen cuisines.
All Posts, Breakfast, Mains

Appam

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Almost every Keralite away from home craves appams and puttu. And why not? Who can deny the charm of this magical dish, especially when combined with an exciting stew or kadala curry?

2 cups Rice (for 8 no.s)
½ cup Coconut water
5 tsp Sugar
A pinch of Baking soda
½ cup Grated coconut
Water
A pinch of Salt
Sesame oil for cooking

Method

  • Soak rice for about 4 hours.
  • Add 2 tsp sugar to the coconut water and keep for about 10 hrs to allow fermentation.
  • Grind the soaked rice
  • Take one heaped tsp of this mix, add 5 tsp water and cook it on slow fire till it thickens. Let it cool.
  • Grind this and the soaked rice with coconut and the fermented coconut water to a very smooth paste. Keep aside for 12 hrs.
  • Add a pinch of baking soda, salt and rest of the sugar, and make a somewhat thick batter by adding enough water.
  • Heat an iron karahi, smear evenly with oil, add a ladleful of the batter, swirl to spread into a circle and cover with a lid.
  • Cook on a low flame until it comes off easily.
  • Serve with kadala (black channa) curry or vegetable stew.

Variation: Immediately after spreading the batter, break an egg into the center of the appam. Cover and cook on a low flame until the egg reaches the desired consistency.

Note: Another way of making appams is by using yeast. Instead of coconut water, soak a quarter teaspoon dry yeast in a half cup of lukewarm water for 10 min. Then mix it in along with sugar and ground rice and let sit for about 4-5 hours. Continue as mentioned.

All Posts, Sides

Simple Kadala Curry (Black Chickpea Curry)

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Kadala curry served over idiappam
Kadala curry served over idiappam

Having grown up in a family with North-Indian as well as South-Indian influence, I always associated Kerala food with simple, easy to digest food. It was only recently when I visited some Mallu friends that I realised that Kerala food can also be very, very sharp and loaded with spices. To me, this was the way Kerala made kadala curry. Now I know that there is a much more complicated version similar to the Punjabi chole that is served with appams in many a Mallu household. Having grown up with this version, I’d say I’m biased. To me, nothing beats this simple, soothing kadala curry and the bliss it brings when paired with a soft appam. Enjoy.

Serves 4
Time taken: 25 min (Overnight Soaking Required)

Ingredients:
2 cups black gram (kadala/ black channa)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1″ piece of ginger
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
2 sprigs Curry leaves
½ cup coconut milk (optional)

Method:

  • Soak the black gram overnight and pressure-cook for 10 minutes with salt and enough water. (If you like your kadala soft you may add a pinch of baking soda before cooking)
  • Take 2 tbsp of the cooked black gram, mash lightly and put it back into the curry.
  • Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard.
  • When the mustard begins to splutter, add the onion, garlic, ginger and curry leaves and stir on medium flame until soft.
  • Add the spices and stir well.
  • Add the cooked black gram and coconut milk.
  • Serve.

Goes well with: Appams and Puttu

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Discussion: Microwave for Cooking

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If you’re looking for a post talking about scientific opinions on the effects of microwaves on food, then you’re in the wrong place. But then, common sense will tell you that science does not know everything, especially with regards to health. And a little bit of research will tell you that scientific studies can be rigged. And they are, frequently.

So who do we trust then? Ourselves. Not a very easy thing for those who rely on their five senses, but if you’re in touch with the deeper aspects of yourself, then it is much easier. I can sense energies. A friend who can see auras (the energy field present around people and things) recently contacted me regarding the effect of microwaves on food, and this is the discussion we had.

R: Hi Ashwita,

I recently had a debate with my manager on microwave oven. I was surprised when she was able to dig up so many valid research including one from WHO (http://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/info_microwaves/en/)  that microwaves preserves the nutrients of the food just as much as normal cooking.
Water is the only thing effected by microwaves – water is polarized, causing water molecules to vibrate and produce heat which cooks the rest of the food. The vitamins, minerals and the rest of the food particles remain unharmed.
I was actually quite shocked because I have heard from many sources that microwaved food is bad. So, this led me to wonder where does these sources get their info? Is there some unknown research on this that is not in public domain?
What are your thoughts on this?
Ashwita: 

Here’s an interesting link I found, ‘Microwaves‘ and they link to some studies as well. They’re probably over excited, but the studies are worth looking at probably.
Now, I have not really bothered about studies wrt microwaves. I don’t believe much of what I hear, and only trust the information that ‘feels’ right. I heard that microwaves genetically mutate food. I didn’t really care if that was technically correct. I did feel that food didn’t ‘feel’ right after microwaving. The Masaru Emoto pictures of microwaved water make it look like water has been bombed when microwaved. Healing it fixes it to an extent, so I usually Reiki my food if I know it was microwaved.
Why don’t you try it yourself? Check the aura of a dish before and after microwaving? and tell me what you see!
R: Yes, I have felt it too. Microwaved water just does not feel right. Microwaved food also feel wrong to some extent, I believe its because the water in the food is electrocuted by the electromagnetic field in microwaves.
But I have also feel that water has the ability to heal itself.
My point being if it only effects water like the research say, then it only as bad as any other type of cooking.
A: No, I don’t think it is as bad as any other type of cooking…. cooking sometimes enhances the vibration of food even…. plus, yes water has the ability to heal itself, but that is over a period of time – not in the few seconds that the food is consumed in. If a person with already sick cells (most humans today) consumes food in which the water is already dead, then he has very little restoration capacity, I think.

Check the energy of boiled water, it’s gentler and less ‘dead’ than microwaved water.
PS: It cannot be that only water is heated. How does the plate then become hot?

R: I normally drink a glass of hot water (heated on stove) with honey in the morning. Today, I heated water in microwave to see the difference. Water felt sick, like it lost a part of it. It felt partially dead – exactly like you described. About 1 – 2 hrs after drinking it, I became very thirsty, felt drained of energy, not pleasant at all. 

I read that plants are 90% water. So that means 90% of the food we eat becomes sick when we put it in a microwave. Sure, microwaves preserves  the rest 10% like all the studies say. But I would not want to eat food that is 90% sick. 🙁
Thank for your help Ashwita and It was very nice of you to indulge me on my panic spree. I feel much better after figuring this out. 🙂
A: Yessss AND our bodies are between 70-80% water 🙂 go figure
All Posts, Desserts, Easy Recipes

Simple Fruit Salad

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This is one of my favorite items in summer. Appetites usually drop during hot summers, and it only makes sense to allow the quantities on your plates to fall as well, because the digestive fire is much weaker during the summer.

I have this one either for breakfasts or dinners quite often in summer. It is quite nutritious, with a variety of fruits and nuts. The milk adds protein, and the honey adds magic. The mango and banana are important, especially if mangoes are available. All the other fruits are optional.

Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 ripe mango, chopped
1 big, or 2 small bananas
½ apple, chopped
½ cup grapes
½ cup pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp chopped almonds
2 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
2 tbsp chopped dates or dried figs
2 tbsp honey
½ cup milk or 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Chop the mango, apple and banana.

I like my fruit salad mushy, so at this stage I usually mix mango and banana with milk and squish it up a bit with my fingers. Skip this step if you are using ice cream.

Mix all the fruits and dry fruits along with milk and honey.

Add a dash of cardamom powder for extra zing.

Serve cold.

All Posts, Desserts

Makhane ki Kheer (Foxnut Pudding)

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I had heard about makhane ki kheer, and people spoke of it in such a special way, like it was a delicacy. But when I tried making it by myself, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to eat it. Or I must have done something wrong.

It was over a chat with a Lucknowi friend that she told me what I had done wrong – ‘chop them up!’ she said. If the quality of the makhanas is really good, you can get away with using them whole. Otherwise, roast slightly, chop up into pieces, and you’ll have on your hands a seriously yummy, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth kheer.

Time taken: 20 min
Serves 4

Ingredients

50gm makhanas (foxnuts)
1 liter milk
2 tbsp sugar (I like to use badam milk powder instead)
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp slivered almonds
a pinch of saffron
a pinch of nutmeg powder

Instructions

Bring the milk to a boil, and let it simmer gently, getting thicker. Stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

Meanwhile, heat the ghee and add the makhanas. Roast until crispy.

Chop the makhanas into pieces, or blend coarsely.

Add the makhanas and almonds to the milk once the milk is as thick as you’d like it. Simmer for 5 min.

Add the sugar, saffron and nutmeg powder and take off the heat.

All Posts, Basics of Cooking

Making Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

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I grew up watching my mother make paneer. We never bought it from a shop, that was simply unacceptable. And then you grow up, get a job, get busy… and just toss the colorful packet of paneer into the trolley every time you visit the supermarket. Until that fateful day when you make your own paneer.

Then, you’re back to your roots, because, there is simply no comparison.

And it’s not even like it’s hard to make! When you’re having guests over and want to impress, it is even more of an incentive to make your own paneer. Here it is, step by step.

To make 150gm of paneer, bring a litre of milk to a boil. I like to use full fat milk for this, because the paneer is a lot creamier. Low fat milk will result in slightly more rubbery paneer.

And once it boils, turn off the heat and add lemon juice.

Give it a stir.

And let it sit for a few minutes.

Once it starts looking like above, i.e. once the cheese separates out from the water, and the water looks translucent, pour into a muslin cloth, and drain out the water.

Squeeze, and place under a weight, allowing space to let any excess water drain out. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

And that’s it. Remove from cloth, cut into pieces and use, or eat just like that, because it’s that awesome!

Time Taken: 30 min
Makes 300 gm paneer

Ingredients

2 liters milk (preferably full fat)
¼ cup lemon juice

Method

  1. Bring the milk to a boil.
  2. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat and pour the lemon juice. Stir.
  3. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until the paneer separates out.
  4. Line a colander with muslin cloth, and pour the split milk into it.
  5. Drain out the water and twist the cloth to hold the paneer in.
    Place a heavy object on it, leaving space for any extra water to drain out.
  6. Let it sit 15-30 min, peel off the cloth and use as required.
  7. If you want your paneer melt-in-your-mouth soft, drop the pieces into boiling water for a few minutes before adding to curries.

Note: The water that you drain out can be poured to plants if you have any.

All Posts, Mains, Sides

Thai Peanut Curry

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Thai Peanut Curry

I’m sure this sort of dish exists already, but this one is something I just whipped up on a whim. I love peanut butter, and I felt like adding it to the curry. And voila, what a yummy dish it turned out to be. Just like the Thai red curry, this is a super quick dish as well.

Time Taken: 20 min
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup sliced halved zucchini
½ cup sliced halved carrots
1 cup broccoli florets
½ cup halved baby corn
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
½ cup water chestnuts (optional)
a handful of kafir lime, lemongrass & Thai basil leaves (optional)

1 can (14 oz/ 400 gm) or 2 cups coconut milk
2-3 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp chopped galangal (substitute: ginger)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp sesame oil
Salt to taste, a pinch of sugar

Method

Heat the oil and sauté the galangal/ginger and garlic for a minute.

Add the vegetables in the order of time required for cooking. So that means the carrots go in first, the baby corn and zucchini after a couple of minutes, then broccoli and water chestnuts, and lastly mushrooms and leaves. Cover and cook until nearly done, 3-5 minutes.

Mix the peanut butter, ¼ cup coconut milk, Thai curry paste and add it to the vegetables.

Add the rest of the coconut milk, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, take off the heat and serve.

All Posts, Salads

Chana Chaat/ Chickpea Salad

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chana chaat

Well, this isn’t exactly the chana chaat you get on the streets of Lucknow. This has a lot more things. It is just wonderful eaten cold on hot summer days. Don’t overdose though, because chickpeas are a tad hard to digest and the digestion is a bit weak in summers.

Time taken: 30 min
Serves 4

Ingredients

½ cup chana or chickpeas
1 large potato
1 small cucumber
1 tomato
½ green mango (optional)
½ cup coriander leaves
1 green chili
1 tsp chaat masala (or jeera pd + hing + anardana pd + kala namak)
2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Method

Soak the chickpeas overnight and then pressure cook along with the potatoes until done, about 10 min. (Skip this step if you’re using canned chickpeas)

While the chickpeas are cooking, chop the cucumber, tomato, mango (if using), chili and coriander.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, carefully release the pressure and open the cooker. Peel and chop the potatoes.

Toss everything together, chill and serve!

All Posts, Salads

Pomegranate-Corn Salad

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pome salad

One of the best parts of Kannada cuisine is the abundance of salads. I ate this one for the first time at a wedding. Typically, a wedding feast would comprise at least 2 salads, 3 if I’m lucky. Unfortunately I’ve almost never seen the servers bring the salads for a second round, so I make sure I get all I want the first time they serve.

So anyway, this one stole my heart. The sweet and salt combination is just lovely and goes well if you are eating something sour for mains, like mango chitranna, for instance.

Time taken: 5 min
Serves 2-4

Ingredients

½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup sweet corn, steamed
2 tbsp grated coconut
½ tsp lemon juice
1 small sprig curry leaves
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coconut or sunflower oil
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste

Method

Mix the pomegranate, sweet corn, coconut and lemon juice.

Add a pinch of sugar and salt to taste.

Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Pour on top of the salad.

Toss and serve.

All Posts, Mains, Sides

Kerala Vegetable/ Egg Stew

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vegetable stew
Egg and vegetable stew with idiappam (string hoppers)

Stew is one of the most soothing, calming dishes I know of. Pairing it with a rice based item like idiappam or appam takes it to another level altogether, although it is also fine with chappatis.

It is wonderful on those days when you’ve eaten something too heavy or spicy and want something to help the body come back to balance. It is soothing, but filling at the same time.

Time taken: 20 min
Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 big potato, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets
½ cup peas
½ cup sweet corn (optional)
4 eggs, hardboiled (optional)
1 500 ml can coconut milk
2 tsp chopped ginger
1-2 green chilies, chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Method

Heat coconut oil in a wok, and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the ginger, chilies and the curry leaves.

Add the potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, baby corn and peas.

Add salt, mix, then cover and cook. Stir occasionally and add a little water if it starts to stick to the bottom.

Check to see if the potatoes are cooked – they should be easy to poke through with a knife. Once they are done, add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Cut the eggs into pieces and add to the curry.

Take off the heat and adjust the salt if necessary.

Serve hot.