Kaarela ni Daal

A simple daal paired with bitter gourd, that I learnt from my MIL.

Kaarela Ni Daal

Bitter gourd Daal

Ingredients

1/2 cup toor daal, rinsed

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp asafoetida

1 bitter gourd, scraped, cut into circles , remove seeds

1 tsp coriander-cumin seed powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp jaggery

1 small tomato chopped or 1 tsp tamarind paste or 2 dried raw mango pieces

salt to taste

Tempering

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Suggested accompaniment

Plain rice & Ghee

Method

1. Rinse Daal. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, bittergourd pieces and 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Set aside.

2. Heat oil. Saute all the ingredients for 1 minute.

3. Pour cooked daal, 1 cup water & all the remaining ingredients.

4. Bring to boil. Lower the gas and simmer till daal gets little thicker.

5. Serve with rice along with a few drops of ghee/clarified butter.

Note -

1. Instead of coriander-cumin seed powder, Gujarati garam masala can also be used.

Wheatgrass Lemonade

My husband got two sachets of wheatgrass powder from Whole Foods. He announced that he's going to consume everything healthy from now on. So after trying those small sachets, he would go ahead and get a humongous container and drink wheatgrass on a daily basis. This was in January and those poor sachets were still in the fridge. They were to get expire in July so I picked them up and stirred a lemonade. The only concern was the powder does not get dissolved properly so you have to keep stirring even while drinking.

Wheatgrass Lemonade
Ingredients
2 sachets wheatgrass powder
1 or 2 lemons, freshly squeezed
1" ginger, grated and squeezed to get the juice
Agave nectar (per taste)
A generous pinch of chaat masala
3 - 4 cups water

Method
1. Stir everything together.
2. Chill and serve.

Note -
1. I used agave nectar as a sweetener. Sugar can also be used.
2. For the really fresh wheatgrass juice & growing wheatgrass at home, follow this.

Masala Bhenda - Malvani Okra Curry

Around the month of Shravan/monsoon, a different variety of okra appears in the markets of Mumbai. They are long and a lighter shade than the usual okra. Though they look big, they still are very fresh and tasty. My grandmothers used that variety of okra to make masala bhenda and bhenda sagalay. Here, I have used the usual okra.



Masala Bhenda
Malvani Okra Curry
Ingredients
1 lb fresh okra, remove both ends, slit & left whole
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp jaggery
1 tsp tamarind pulp


Tempering
2 tsp oil
2 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Roast & Grind
2 tsp oil
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
9 black peppercorn
3 cloves
5-7 byadgi chilies
1/2" piece of cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 - 1 cup coconut
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 small onion - approx. 1/2 cup sliced

Suggested Accompaniment
Rice Bhakri
or chapati
or plain rice


Method
1. Trim okra on both ends. Make a slit while leaving each okra whole. If okra is too big you can make two pieces and make a slit. Set aside.
2. Roast all the spices one after the other and set aside. Roast coconut. As it gets brown, add turmeric powder & poppy seeds. Roast for 1 minute. Set aside. Roast sliced onion till brown but not burnt.
3. Grind all the above roasted ingredients adding little water and tamarind pulp. Make sure you make a fine paste.
4. Heat oil in a saucepan. Saute chopped onion and turmeric powder. Add okra and 2 tbsp water. Cover with a lid. Let it cook till okra is soft.
5. Now add the ground masala paste with 1 cup water, salt & jaggery. Bring to boil.
6. Let it simmer for 7 minutes.


Note -
1. The gravy should be neither too dry nor too watery.
2. This gravy should be on the mild side with sweetish taste with jaggery.

Pangi/Panki

My visit to Indian stores or oriental stores often results in some forgotten delicacies. Like the other day, I found these beautiful banana leaves at our oriental stores. They were in the frozen section. I bought them immediately. Two wonderful recipes came to my mind: Paangi and Patra ni Machchi.

We call this banana leaves wrapped rice flat bread as "Pangi" - paa-na-gi - in Marathi or "Panki" - paa-na-ki - in Gujarati. The banana leaves give a wonderful flavor and also a nice design on this humble bhakri.

Pangi or Panki - (makes 5)

Banana leaves wrapped flat bread

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

salt to taste

water as needed

Method

1. Heat a griddle/tawa or pan.

2. Mix rice flour and salt. Knead to a dough using water as needed. The dough should not be too thick. Make 5 balls.

3. Take one banana leaf. Using wet hand, flatten one ball of rice dough to make bhakri or roti.

4. Lift the entire banana leaf carefully and place on the preheated tawa. Cover with another banana leaf. On top, cover with a lid.

5. Let it cook on medium flame for about 2-3 minutes or till the banana leaf underneath appears roasted/burnt.

6. Flip the banana leaves parcel using a tong and cook on the other side.

7. Serve immediately.

Note -

1. I found banana leaves in the frozen section of our oriental stores.

Nature's Chaat - Cucumber and Fruit

Well, I just came up with this silly name called "Nature's Chaat" because I don't know what to call it. But it was a part of Mumbai Street Food. Frankly, I secretly worried for these vendors how will they compete against the ubiquitous panipuriwallas and bhelpuriwallas.

In the scortching summer months, I used to see the cart of cucumber wallas. He was not the usual vegetable seller but just cucumber seller where he would peel and slice the cucumbers and sprinkle them with salt and chili powder. I have tried his way of eating cucumber many times at home. Just sprinkle little salt and chili powder. That's it. Delicious.

And then there were fruit chaat walas. They were more popular than the cucumberwallas for sure. Generally, they would have the seasonal fruits like watermelons, papayas, pineapples, bananas, chickoos, sweet limes sprinkled generously with chaat masala. Simple & delicious.

Then there were a few vendors who would sell sugarcane pieces (not the famous sugarcane juice/ganne ka juice/usacha rus) but small roundels of peeled sugar canes, boiled peanuts, Amlas, shingadas (fresh water chestnuts). There was also a cart of fresh khajoor and kharik. I do not know which one was which, but one used to be red and the other yellow. or I wonder if they were same but different colors? Oh, and there used to be a lady selling "Ponk" which was fresh green grains of sorghum (I think, it's called Hurda in Marathi). She would sprinkle some chili powder and salt and was available only during certain months. It used to be yum!

Cucumber Chaat

Ingredients

1 - 2 cucumbers, peeled, cut into sticks

A generous sprinkle of salt

A generous sprinkle of mild chili powder

Method

1. Sprinkle and eat!!!

Fruit Chaat

Ingredients

Few watermelon pieces

Few papaya pieces

Few pineapple pieces

Few chickoo pieces

Few banana pieces

or any seasonal fruit of your choice like I've added cherries here

A generous sprinkle of chaat masala

Method

1. Sprinkle & eat again!!!:-D

This post is my contribution to Aqua Daze's RCI - Mumbai Street Food.
RCI event is started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.

Orzo Pohe

When I first saw Orzo pasta in the supermarket, I remembered Pohe. I thought - what if...?

Now, if you love your pohe, I must warn you that, the texture is entirely different. Pohe has that distinct rough texture which we miss while eating this smooth orzo pohe. By no means, it replaces the memories, flavor and taste of the real pohe. But when & if you are in the land where you don't get pohe, it's OK to try once in a while.

Orzo Pohe
Ingredients
2/3 cup orzo
1/3 cup frozen mixed vegetables
salt to taste
4 cups water

1 key lime, squeezed
A pinch of sugar

Tempering
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 onion, chopped
1 sprig curry leaf, torn
2 green chilies, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled & chopped

Method
1. Add orzo and water in a big saucepan. Add frozen veggies and salt to taste. Bring to a rapid boil. Lower the gas and let it cook till orzo is cooked. Or follow the cooking directions on the packet of orzo. Drain & keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a wide saucepan or wok. Add all the seeds. As they splutter, add onion, curry leaves & green chilies. Saute for about 5 minutes till onion is soft. Now, add potato pieces. Add 1 tbsp water. Cover and let it cook till potato is soft.

3. Now add cooked orzo. Stir well. Check for salt. Add a pinch of sugar and freshly squeezed lime juice.

4. I like to sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper before serving.

5. Serve with some protein on sides.

Note -
1. You can garnish with some chopped cilantro/coriander leaves.
2. You can sprinkle some spicy sev on top!

Lucknow Chicken Curry

This curry does not have any coconut but due to roasted sesame and poppy seeds, we feel it has coconut. I have tweaked this recipe from my prestige recipe booklet

Lucknowi Chicken Curry
Inspired by Prestige Recipe Booklet
Ingredients

Marinate
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp ginger - garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup plain yogurt


Roast one after the other and then grind
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
7 garlic cloves
1" cinnamon
4-5 black peppercorns
4 cloves
1 big onion, peeled, sliced --> Approx. 1 cup sliced onion
1 tsp oil* (See Note below)


Tempering
1 tbsp oil
2 bay leaves


Also,
3 medium tomatoes, blanched, peeled & pureed
salt to taste

Garnish
1 tbsp cilantro/coriander leaves

Suggested Accompaniments
Rumali Roti
or
Jeera Rice
or
Tandoori Naan

Method
1. In the pressure cooker handi, heat oil
2. Add bay leaves. As they sizzle, add the masala paste. Saute for 10 minutes.
3. Now add marinated chicken. Saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste, salt, 1/2 cup water.
5. Close the lid of the handi. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
6. Let the pressure drop of its own. Open. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust for salt.
7. Garnish with cilantro.


Note -
1. You do not need any oil* while roasting the spices & seeds. Use 1 tsp oil while roasting sliced onion only.

Credits
Prestige Pressure Pan Recipe Booklet

Street Sandwich

I feel there are two types of "Bombay" sandwiches. One that you buy from the street vendor and the one you get (or used to get) at the movie theatres. I haven't gotten chance to go to the multiplexes so don't know if they too serve it. (I mean Globus is something alien to me, New Talkies was the landmark, and Bandra Talkies brings back some happy memories but Suburbia sounds different. So I don't know if Suburbia and Globus still have what New Talkies and Bandra Talkies used to serve! :-). Though the concept is same, the street vendor used to put many more veggies and the theatre one used to have cucumbers and tomatoes only. Since we used to gorge on the street vendor sandwich right outside my college, I am going to share that recipe with you. So let's start with the most essential part of the sandwich - bread!

When I was growing up in Mumbai, there were quite a few sliced bread brands like Wibs, Bimbo, Britannia. Our sandwichwala always used Britannia. and there were innumerable varieties available at our local Bandra bakeries including wheat bread to which we used to call "brown bread" then. But I used to love "Bimbo" for that cute elephant on top of the wrapper. Later, I was told that their bread bakery at Mahim was closed down during riots. I don't know if they have re-opened it or not. Anyways, in Mumbai, when made Sandwich at home, I used to insist on Bimbo that time. Probably, today I will surely insist on wheat bread as it is healthier. but Bimbo is associated with my childhood.

Alrighty then, here's my version now.

Mumbai Street Sandwich
Ingredients

2 slices or as many as you want white bread (I used wheat bread here!)

1 recipe sandwich chutney

Amul butter

Cucumber slices, peeled & thinly sliced

Tomato slices, thinly sliced

Boiled potato slices, peeled & thinly sliced

Boiled beetroot slices, peeled & thinly sliced

Red onion slices (optional), peeled & thinly sliced

A generous pinch of sandwich masala or chaat amsala

Method

1. Spread Amul butter generously on the slices of bread.

2. Spread sandwich chutney generously on top.

3. Layer cucumber slices, tomato slices, potato slices & STOP!

4. Now, on potatoes, sprinkle sandwich masala or chaat masala.

5. Now continue layering with beetroot and onions - if using.

6. Add another slice on top.

7. Cut the sandwich diagonally to make 4 equilateral triangles or cut into 4 - 6 pieces of squares

8. Drizzle some tomato ketchup on top.

Note -

1. If desired, remove the crusts of the bread before making slices.

2. Instead of sandwich masala or chaat masala, you can also use salt and black pepper powder.

3. There is a masala called sandwich masala available in the shops of Mumbai. I have seen Bombay Magic Sandwich masala at our local Indian stores. But I have not used it.

4. This sandwich can also be made using low cal butter spread of your choice but Amul butter adds the real taste. (utterly, butterly delicious, Amul!)



This post is my contribution to Aqua Daze's RCI - Mumbai Street Food.
RCI event is started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.

Sandwich Chutney

Sandwich Chutney
Ingredients
2 cups cilantro/coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves,
1/2 small onion, chopped
1" ginger, peeled & chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
salt to taste
sugar to taste
1 key lime, squeezed


Method
1. Rinse all the vegetables.
2. Grind together.
3. Refrigerate till ready to use.


Note -
1. If the cilantro stems are fresh, you can use them as well.