Tag Archives: spicy

Chatpata chana

January 31, 2011 – 5:44 pm

I was traveling from Mumbai to Pune. While the driver took a break for filling the fuel my tummy started demanding it’s own fuel. Going around various stalls I laid my eyes on this wonderful snack item which I do not know how I forgot for years together. I love this ! It’s a fantastic, tasty and chatapata snack which can be prepared in couple of minutes (ofcourse you got to have the chana boiled hehe) which can bring your taste buds back to action.

This is a little spicy, tangy and a yummy salad snack. I came back and the first thing next day I did was get this dish ready. I don’t remember how much I had missed this, but now I will be preparing it quite often. I dedicate this recipe entirely to the chana walla who flooded me with memories and got them back to life.

So enjoy….till next time keep stirring keep cooking !

Ingredients –

Black gram / kale harbhare / kala chana – 1 ½ cups
Tomato (finely chopped) – ½ cup
Potato (medium sized and boiled) – 1
Onion (small size and finely chopped) – ¼ cup
Salt – to taste
Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Chaat masala – 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice – 2 teaspoons
Coriander (finely chopped) – 1 teaspoon

Procedure –

Soak the black gram in water over night. In a pressure cooker boil it with adequate water for 4-5 whistles. Let it cool.
Peel the potato and cut it into small cubes.
Once the chana is cooled drain the water and add the chopped tomato, onion, red chili powder, chat masala, salt and lemon juice to it.
Mix well. Sprinkle coriander and serve.

Tips –

Do not discard the boiled water from the chana. It could be used while cooking.
You can add finely chopped cucumber as well.

Tags black gram, chatpata chana, foodlyrics, indian cuisine, kala chana, kale harbhare, salad, snacks, sour, spicy, tangy, tasty | Permalink | Comments (19)

Veggies & sabggies

Masala Tondali

January 27, 2011 – 6:47 pm

Hello everyone !!

It’s been a truly long time that I have posted and even visited your blogs. Thanks for being so understanding

for all this time. It’s been a grilling 7 months. I have been completely tied up with my German levels. Not that am not happy about it, the only sad part was that I couldn’t dedicate much time to the blog. But now that I am BACK I will be regularly updating the blog and replying to you as well. I have decided that even when I will be tied up with my job I will give a certian time to posting the replying blogs for sure. It’s a family I can’t afford to miss anymore

So, now that we have a post it cannot be without a recipe. I had prepared and kept the post nearly ready for somedays and here it is. Masala Tondali. Tondali is known as Ivy Gourd,Tendli. It has a pecicular taste and a wonderful ingredient in preparations like Masale bhaat. This Veggie can be either simply fried or made with a gravy. This one is with the gravy. It’s a little on the spcier side for sure. The preparation is very much maharashtrain style.

So do have a go at it. Have with hot chappatis or rice

Enjoy.

Ingredients –

Ivy gourd/Tondali/ Tendli (thin and small sized) – 10-15
Freshly desiccated coconut – ½ cup
Sesame seeds – 2 tablespoons
Oil – 2 teaspoons
Goda Masala – 2 teaspoons
Jaggery (crushed) – 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds- ½ teaspoon
Asafoetida – ½ teapsoon
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Red chili powder – 1 ½ teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Coriander springs – few springs finely chopped

Procedure –

Thoroughly wash and slice the sides of the tondali. Cook them for 3 whistles in a pressure cooker. Let it cool
Dry roast coconut and sesame seeds and after cooling ground them together.
In a kadhai heat oil. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder.
Now add the grounded coconut and sesame mixture and add water according to the gravy consistency.
Add the boiled tondali, goda masala, jaggery, salt, red chili powder.
Let it cook for 5-7 minutes.
Sprinkle the coriander springs or some desiccated coconut and serve hot with chapattis.

Tips –

Instead of jaggery you could use 2 tablepsoons of sugar.
People who do not like sweet, could avoid adding sugar or jaggery.

Tags bhaji, Goda Masala, gravy, indian cuisine, ivy gourd, Maharashtrian recipe, spicy, tendli, tondali | Permalink | Comments (14)

Breakfast & snacks

Bread Upma

March 22, 2010 – 8:34 pm

It’s one of my favorite breakfasts and snacks. I love bread, and this is a lovely dish. Not very spicy and with the mix of some tasty ingredients it does taste nice. You call it bread uppit, bread uppama, bread ka shira…it doesn’t matter. This is also my choice for lunch or dinner when am really bored and I want a change. And it surely works !!

So have a go at it and am sure you will (if not yet) become a fan of this yummy dish.

Sending this to the JFI- Breakfast event hosted by Suma and thanks to Indira for starting this Jihva event and the CFK- Filling breakfast event hosted by Bhagyashri of Taste buds originally started by Sharmi of Neivedyam.

Ingredients –

Wheat bread packet – 1
Onion – 2 medium sized
Peanuts – ¼ cup
Green chilies (chopped) – 2 -3
Curry leaves – 5-6
Asafoetida – ½ teaspoon
Oil – 4 -5 teaspoons
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Lemon juice – 1 ½ teaspoon
Corinader springs (chopped) – 2 tablespoons

Procedure –

Using your finger tips crumble the bread slices.
Heat oil in a kadhai, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, green chilies, curry leaves and chopped onions.
Add the peanuts after 2 mins of adding chopped onion. Sauté on medium flame till the onion becomes transparent and the peanuts become little brown in color.
Now add the crumbled bread, salt, sugar and lemon juice.
Mix well and cook for next 5 minutes on a medium flame.
Sprinkle chopped coriander and serve hot.

Tip –

You may add tomatoes instead of lemon juice.

Tags Bread, breakfast, foodlyrics, marathi, snacks, spicy, upma | Permalink | Comments (37)

Veggies & sabggies

Dum Aloo

March 13, 2010 – 5:41 pm

I haven’t been active on the blog circuit recently. Been un-well a bit and traveling around out of Pune. Even heat has started taking a bit of toll on me. It really upsets me so much that I loose interest entering the kitchen and preparing something. It’s a little irritating getting up and facing a question “aaj jhevayala kay banavaycha ahe” (what is to be prepared for lunch or dinner today). A little hectic and running around took me down with cold as well. Even could not keep up replying to various blogs (sorry guys).

Finally, I came out of blues, gave my self a kick and started cooking. Eventually I was back to shape. I had some nice small potatoes in my kitchen and what better dish to prepare than Dum Aloo. This is my take on this wonderful recipe.

Hope you all like it a lot.

Ingredients –

Baby Potatoes – 7 – 8
Plain Curd (whisked) – ½ cup
Garam masala – 1 ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder – ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Oil – 2 teaspoons
Onion (minced) – ½ cup
Ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts (grounded) – ¼ cup
Tomato (minced)– ½ cup
Salt – to taste
Oil – to deep fry the potatoes

Procedure –

Boil the baby potatoes for 3 whistles. Once cooled peel and prick the potatoes with a fork or a pin.
Deep fry the potatoes until golden brown in color. Drain out the excess oil with the help of a tissue paper.
In a pan heat 2 teaspoons oil and add minced onion and ginger garlic paste. Sauté until the onion becomes pink in color.
Add the minced tomatoes, garam masala, red chili powder, grounded cashew nuts and turmeric powder and sauté until oil separates.
Now add the whisked curds, salt and along with it add the fried baby potatoes. Add the cumin powder and coriander powder too.
Let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
Serve hot with rotis or parathas.

Tips -

You may add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi for extra taste.
When you fry the baby potatoes they should become very light in weight. If not then it means the potatoes aren’t pricked enough.

Tags dum aloo, foodlyrics, indian cuisine, potato, Punjabi, spicy | Permalink | Comments (43)

Breakfast & snacks

Vada Paav

February 1, 2010 – 11:06 am

Vada Paav …..The Indian Burger. All time favorite snack of all Indians which originates from Maharashtra. Abundantly found in eatries and restaurants in Western India especially in Maharashtra. Its very spicy and tasty and loved by all the ages.

I haven’t come across anybody who says NO :O to this mouth watering snack. Moreover its so easy to carry, you will find people walking, running, traveling and enjoying this at the same time. I can’t stop writing about this dear dear college canteen companion.

I am sure many of you will have fond memories associated with a vada paav and cutting Chai. Would love to hear!!

Vada paav nahi khaya to kya khaya!!!!

Ingredients –

Potatoes (boiled) – 2 large sized
Ginger and garlic paste (freshly grounded) – 2 tablespoons
Green chilies and coriander (grounded together) – 2 tablespoons
Salt – to taste
Paav – 5

For the coating –

Chick pea flour (Besan) – 1 ½ cups
Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Salt – to taste

Oil – to deep fry

Procedure –

Peel and mash the boiled potatoes well. Add in the ginger garlic paste and the chili and coriander paste along with the salt to it and mix well. Refer a.
Divide into equal portions and shape into balls. Keep aside. Refer b.
In a bowl place the chick pea flour. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder. Mix well and using water as required make a coating consistency batter. Refer c.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Dip the potato mixture balls in batter and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown in color. Drain the excess oil.
Stuff the vadas in the paav and serve with lasun chutney and fried mirchi.

Tips –

You may add turmeric to the vada mixture to make it yellow.
Slit the paav horizontally and do not slice them completely.
How to fry the green chilies (mirchi) – Take 2-3 green chilies. Slit them horizontally and not completely. Apply a little bit of salt to it and then fry it in the oil. Be careful as the seeds from the green chilies tend to splutter.