Ruchii

Hello everyone,

 I will be going out of town for few days, so taking short break from blogging. See you all next week.

Happy blogging 🙂 .

For this Month’s RCI-Cuisine of Bihar  hosted by Sangeeta of Ghar ka Khana,I decided to make simple and authentic Bhirai Bhunjia(Dry crispy curry) using aloo, for which we need a mixture of 5 spice called Panchforan/Panchapurna. This is the first time I used this spice  and really liked the crunch of it with aloo. Read about Bhunjia here.

I followed the recipe of Mohita Prasad from Bawarchi.com.

Here is how I made Aalu Bhunjia

3 Potatoes – Thinly sliced and skin removed 

Turmeric powder, red chilli powder, corriender- cumin powder 1 tsp of each.

For Panchaforan/5 spice

1.  Saunf/Fennel Seeds
2.  Sarson/Mustard seeds
3. Methi/Fenugreek seeds
4. Ajwain/Carom seeds
5. Mangraila/Nigella seeds/Onion seeds  ( 1tsp of each mixed together)

•  Heat oil in a pan  add about 2 tsb of panchforan/5 spice mix and add potatoes and fry untill crisp on outside. Takes about 5- 7 minutes on med- high heat. 
• Add all the spice powders, salt mix well . This is how I made Aalu Bhunjia.

   Along with Bhunjia I made channadal curry and mooli methi paratha .

For ChannaDal curry-Cook 1/2 cup of channa dal till soft. Chop onion ,tomatoes and green chilles and do the tempering  with oil and mustard seeds. Saute veggies and add to cooked channa dal. Adjust salt to taste.

For Mooli-Methi Paratha– 2 cups of Whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of grated white raddish/mooli and 2 tbsp of dried fenugreek leaves/ methi leaves. Mix everthing together with little salt and chilli power with enough water to make to stiff dough.  Make parathas.

We enjoyed our rustic Bhirai meal.

I use ginger in all my curries. Recently I started using Brussel sprouts to make stir fry, and with combination of ginger it tates very good.  So for this months Think Spice-Ginger I am sending this as my entry to Sunita’s World.

Ingredints

• Brussel sprouts –  10 small
• Ginger- 2″ peice
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp
• Channa dal- urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1tsp
• Curry leaves- few
• Crushed red pepper- few tsb

1. Finely slice brussel sprouts and ginger.
2. Heat oil , when hot add mustared seeds, curry leaves, channa- urad dal and ginger.
3. Then add brussel sprouts and 2 tbsp of water cover and cook its soft. Adjust Salt to taste.
4. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Enjoy with rice and dal. Simple and healthy curry.

Chinese flavoured noodles is one of my favorite type. Late night for dinner I prepared it and clicked it with my handy Canon Powershot SD 300 for the ‘Click‘ event hosted by Bee of Jugalbandi.

This is how make my noodles

• I use whole wheat noodles.
• Thinly slice onion, carrot and add a handful of peas.
• For sauce 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 2 tbsp of hot-sweet chillisauce and few tbsb of sesame oil.
• Some toasted sesame seeds for garnish.

1. Boil water and cook noodles for 20 min or so.
2. Saute veggies in sesame oil, then add sauces. Add water to thin it a bit.
3. When noodles are cooked add to the sauce and mix well. Adjust salt and spice.
4.  Garnish with fresh greens and seasame seeds.

Enjoy!

Festivals for me is getting together with family and friends, eating good food and having good times. Here I miss family and friends but make some sweets and snacks on  special occasions.

Jamun is the one sweet everyone loves in my family so made it with MTR instant mix and for something savoury crunch made chakali with bit differnt recipe then usual. I got the recipe from my cousin, who got it from her friend , this chakali is made with Wheat flour and cooked moongdal with some spices added to it. I liked it very much, its crunchy and buttery to taste, but without the butter.

My entry for Vee‘s JFI-Festival edition.

Recipe is very simple.

• 1 cup- Moongdal
• 2 cups- wheat flour
• Cumin/jeera- 1tbsp
• Ajwain/carom/ om seeds- 1/2tbsb
• Chilli powder- 1 tbsp or more
•  Salt – as per taste
• Peanut/groundnut oil for deep frying.

*Can add some sesame seeds too.

1. Pressure cook moong dal by adding enough water to make it smooth and keep wheat flour in the pressure cooker without adding any water. Just steam it. (I kept it for 2 whistles or 10 mins after putting the weight).
2. Once the pressure is gone allow it to cool for 5 mins or so then mix cooked moongdal, steamed wheat flour, salt, chilli powder, cumin and carom seeds and knead to smooth and soft dough. (If too stiff add little water).
3. Then with help of chakli moulds press to desired shapes, I made few coils  by pressing on sheet of wax paper. Or one can directly press into hot oil.(I made few batches of coils and few batches directly pic below ).
4. Keep Vessel on medium heat once hot enough put 2-3 coils at a time and fry for few minutes(less than 2 minuteson medium heat).It doesn’t take to long for it to get crisp so watch it.
5. It turns from soft dough to bit hard texture that when you want to take chaklis out and drain on paper.
6. Enjoy it when its warm and when completely cooled, store it in air tight container.

*Since wheat flour is usedcolour changes pretely quickly once it hits the hot oil. And does not absorb much oil.

Thanks Roopa(my cousin) and her friend for this buttery crunchy chakali. This is a keeper.

Have  a nice weekend !

May the festival of lights brings you all Health and Happiness. Deepavali Wishes to everyone.

Weekends at my kitchen is a typical south indian breakfast or brunch. This weekend it was Idly and red pearl onion/sanna erulli sambar. This is one of my favorite combination to eat with idlies.

Recipe for Sambar

• Pearl onions- 1 cup
• Potatoes- 2 medium
• Toordal- 1/2 cup (cooked till soft)

For grining into paste

• Red onion -1 small
• Tomato – 1 small
• Sambar powder- 2 tbsp( can substitite with curry powder)
• Coconut- 2 tbsp
• Tamarind paste/ water- 2 tbsb
• Cinnamon – cloves- 2 each
• Spice powder– 1 tbsp (optional)

Making Sambar:

1. Pressure cook toordal till soft and mash and keep aside.
2. In mean time peel skin of onion, potato and cook untill soft. 10- 15 mins will be good.
3. Grind the above ingredints.
4. In a vessel add cooked  and mashed dal, grind paste enough water to make it thin and cook untill the raw smell is gone. Then add onion and poatotoes. Cook for 5 more mins.
5. Do the  seasoning with oil, mustard and hing.
6. Enjoy !

* Can use pressure cooker to cook veggies, have to be careful to not make it mushy.

After many trail and error from  last 6 years living in Alsaka, I have figured out  the recipe for idly which really works for me, its paraboiled rice(I use uncle ben’s brand) wich make idlies soft and gives very nice texture like adding rava. And   have changed my blender to indian mixie(Preethi chef-pro), this really worked well for me, gives me the right consistancy.

Here is my recipe for Idly.

• Par boiled rice- 2 cups
• Urad dal- 1 cup
• Poha/ Avalakki- 1/2 cup ( makes idly soft and gives bright colour)
• Fenugreek/ methi/ menthya seeds- 2 tbsp

1. Soak rice, poha and methi seeds in one bowl and urad dal in seperate bowl for atleast 8 hours.
2. First gring urad dal to smooth and fluffy consistancy adding enough water.
3. Then grind rice,poha mixture to meduim consistancy adding enough water. Using parboiled rice gives little texture like rava, so it won’t be very smooth.
4. Then mix with urad mixture, add little salt mix well , cover and keep in warm place. ( I keep inside microven,this is the warment place I have for frementing :)).
5. Let it ferment for 8 more hours.
6. Add oil to idly moulds and steam cook for 10- 15 mins. Let it cool a bit and serve with sambar.

Enjoy !