All Posts, Desserts

Lemon Bars

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lemon bars

I have been reading and hearing about lemon bars for a long, long time. Just the name would put me off. I couldn’t imagine how such a sour thing could made a nice dessert. Oh, how wrong I was.

The tang balances the sweetness just right, and this melt-in-your-mouth dessert if going to have you pop one after another. Don’t make if you’re on a diet!

Preparation time : 1 hour
Makes about 16 bars

Ingredients:

Crust:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar
½ cup butter, softened

Filling:
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F.

Mix 1 cup flour and confectioner’s sugar together.

Cut in the butter and mix well until the dough resembles a pie dough.

Press the dough into a 5×10 inch baking pan.

Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Beat eggs and sugar together, and fold in the remaining flour, lemon juice and lemon rind.

Pour the mixture over the baked crust and bake another 10-15 min, until the lemon topping has set.

Once cool, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, cut into bars and serve.

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Roasted Cauliflower

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Ingredients

1 medium size cauliflower
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp oil
Salt

To be ground together for green chutney
2 cups chopped coriander or cilantro
½ onion, chopped
½ tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

  • To make the green chutney, grind together coriander leaves, tomato, onion, garlic, salt, sugar, cumin seeds, dried mango powder and lemon juice
  • Keep the cauliflower immersed in salt water for an hour. Take it out, wash under running water and steam it for ten minutes. Set aside to cool.
Steamed cauliflower
Steamed cauliflower
  • Mix together green chutney, yogurt, salt, and ginger garlic paste; apply this over the cauliflower and try to push it in between the florets. Let it sit for an hour or two to marinate.

two

Marinated cauliflower
Marinated cauliflower
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Keep the cauliflower in a dish smeared with oil, and pour some oil over the cauliflower. If you don’t want the cauliflower to dry out much, keep a small dish of water next to it, or you could cover it in foil.
  • Bake for 25 minutes.( You could also bake for 20 minutes and then grill for ten minutes too)

 

All Posts, Mains

Pudina (Mint) Rice

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When we were returning from a friend’s house at Koppal, his wife packed lunch for us as a surprise. When we had it on the way, I was blown off by its flavor and taste. On reaching home, I asked her for its recipe and she obliged.

Mint is one of the oldest and most popular herbs that is grown around the world. It can bring that extra zing and unique flavor to almost any thing you cook. Pudina is packed with antioxidants and phytonurients that can work wonders for your stomach. It relieves  acidity and flatulence. The strong antioxidants present in mint leaves leaves the skin with a natural glow and rehydrate dull and dry skin.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice

Salt

2 ½ cups of water for sona masuri rice (1 cup water if you use Basmati rice)

To grind:

1 cup, lightly packed mint leaves

A small bunch of coriander leaves

½ inch piece of ginger

6,7 garlic flakes

1 green chilli

½ cup grated coconut

To season:

2 tbsps oil

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

3 cloves

1 mace

3 cardamoms

1 small piece cinnamon

To garnish:

1 tbsp cashew nuts roasted in 1 tsp ghee

Method:

  • Soak the rice for 15 minutes.
  • Heat oil in a pressure cooker; add cumin seeds, bay leaf, clove, mace, cardamom, cinnamon, saute for a while.
  • Add the ground masala and roast lightly.
  • Pour water, salt and bring to boil.
  • Add the soaked rice and cook on medium flame for two minutes.
  • Close the cooker and pressure cook for five minutes.
  • Serve hot with cucumber raita.

Pudina rice

All Posts, Breakfast

Ragi Bread with a Twist

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Ragi Bread

I love rye bread, but rye is not something you get easily in India. And anyway, being a fan of eating locally grown foods, I figured that finding a decent substitute was in order.  Enter ragi.

Now, ragi is wonderful. It contains lesser fat and higher fibre than brown rice and wheat. The amount of calcium contained in ragi is around ten times that contained in wheat or rice!

But there was a problem. Good bread needs gluten, and ragi is gluten free, so breads turned out to be dense and heavy, not exactly how I like them. I was at a loss.

The best dishes are usually created by accident. One day, I used ragi huri hittu (popped ragi flour) because I ran out of ragi flour. And what a difference it made!

Ragi huri hittu is available in most supermarkets in Bangalore, usually next to the rice flours and the like. It is tremendously nutritious and easy to digest, and is used almost all over Karnataka as baby food – the first solid food introduced to an infant. It is not usually cooked again, so it is possible that there may be a slight nutrition loss as a result of the baking – a loss I’m ok with.

Ok, so here goes.

Time: ~ 3 hours
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 cup ragi huri hittu
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup refined flour
½ cup mixed seeds ( flax, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, sesame, poppy)
1 tbsp active dry yeast or 2 tbsp of fresh yeast
2 cups warm water (just a tad above body temperature)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg (optional)

Method

Proof the yeast. That is, place the yeast, sugar and a little of the water in a bowl and let it sit for about 10 min until frothy.

Now mix the yeast with the flours, salt, oil, seeds (save 2-3 tbsp of the seeds for later) and water, adding slowly to bring it to a dough consistency.

Knead the dough patiently, for about 10-15min. Shape it into a ball, pat the surface with a little oil, cover with a damp towel and set aside for about 45 min to an hour or until more than double in size.

Gently punch down and shape into a loaf. Moisten the top with a little water and pat down the remaining seeds on top of the loaf.

Let it rest another 20 min. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Brush the top with beaten egg if you want a glossy finish (I haven’t used it on the loaf pictured above). You could make a few slits on the top surface as well if you like, but I find that it sometimes makes it harder to slice the bread cleanly.

Bake for about 40-45 min until the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped with the back of a knife. Take it out of the oven and cover with a towel until cool.

Let it cool completely before slicing, although a slice of oven-fresh bread with a dollop of butter has its own charm.

Tip:

Smear some butter on the knife before slicing the bread. I find that it helps slice it thinner.

Variation:

Add chopped basil, red bell pepper, olives, raisins and onion seeds to the flour along with the seeds for a nice Mediterranean flavor.

All Posts, Breakfast

Sabudana Vada

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Makes 20 vadas
Time taken: 20-30min

This snack is very popular in Maharashtra, and one of the most-missed dishes among the ones who leave the state. Luckily, sago is available almost all over the world today, and this dish can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere.

Ingredients

1 cup sago (sabudana)
3 small potatoes
4 Bread slices
Salt
1/3 tsp Chili powder
¼ tsp Garam masala
⅓ tsp Baking soda
Oil for deep-frying
7-8 Mint leaves finely cut

Instructions

  • Soak the sago in water
  • Boil, peel and mash the potatoes
  • Dip the slices of bread in water, squeeze and mash them.
  • Mix all the ingredients into a smooth dough
  • Heat oil in a deep bottom non-stick pan
  • Shape a bit of dough with oiled hands and slide it into hot oil.
  • When putting the next one in, slide it gently so that the two don’t stick.
  • Fry until cooked on both sides
  • Drain and serve hot with tomato ketchup, sweetened yoghurt or with tamarind chutney.
All Posts, Breakfast

Batata Poha

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Serves 4
Time taken: 30-40 min

Ingredients

2 cups thick poha
1 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped small
½ cup roasted peanuts
2 green chilies
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
4 tbsp freshly grated coconut (or dessicated coconut)
¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp asafetida (Hing)
1 tsp oil
Salt
Water

Instructions

  • In a bowl, soak poha in enough water to cover the surface and a few millimeters above.
  • I like my poha soft, so I let it sit for half an hour, or until all the water is soaked. If you like it tougher, then drain out the water and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
  • Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds.
  • When they splutter, add the asafetida, onion, stir and add potatoes.
  • Cook until the potatoes are done.
  • Add groundnuts and stir until they brown.
  • Add the poha, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. Mix well.
  • Serve garnished with coriander leaves and coconut. I also like to top it up with farsaan or namkeen.

Variation: You can skip the potato and add extra onion to make it kanda poha. However, my personal favourite version of this is with lots of vegetables. I frequently add carrots and peas along with the potatoes and love the final result.

I also love to garnish it with pomegranate, raw onion, coriander, grated coconut and namkeen or sev.

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.