Dudhatle Fov

Dudhatle Fov is a Goan sweet dish, which is prepared specially for Janmashtami celebration and Diwali. 'Dudh' means milk and 'fov' refers to flattened rice or poha. This dish is made from red poha (organic), which is a local variety. Poha are cooked in milk, sweetened with sugar and flavoured with cardamom. It can be served warm or chilled.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Red poha - 1 1/4 cup
2. Milk - 500 ml
3. Water - 1/2 cup
4. Sugar - 3/4 cup
5. Green cardamom (powdered) - 2 to 3
6. Salt - a pinch

Procedure:

• Wash and drain poha. Keep aside for 10 min. Sprinkle salt over it.
• Boil milk and keep aside.
• In a thick bottomed pan, take water and 1/2 cup of milk. Bring it to boil.
• Add poha to it.
• Once it starts bubbling, add milk and cook for 5 min. Stir occasionally. Flame should be low to medium. (If you want to add cashew nuts, then add at this stage)
• Add sugar and simmer for further 5 min. Stir occasionally.
• Let it rest for at least half an hour.
• Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Tip:

• You need to let it rest for some time after cooking, so as to get the proper consistency. If you find it thin, you may add more poha. If it turns thick, then little milk can be added later.
• Cashew nuts can be added optionally.

Veg Cheese Club Sandwich

Veg Club sandwich refers to layered sandwich having 2 to 3 layers. It is a popular Pune or Bombay street food and also served in restaurants, but nothing difficult to make at home.

This can be prepared in different ways, by using fillings of your choice. As long as toasting or grilling is concerned, you can either toast the slices and then assemble or first assemble everything and then toast  or grill it. You can use vegetables of your choice like tomato, cucumber, onion, boiled potato, boiled beetroot, lettuce as per the availability. Then you need a coleslaw salad (cabbage, carrot, capsicum with mayonnaise dressing). Additional fillings you can use like chilla (tomato omelette) or grilled paneer. Cheese can be used as per one's requirement. 

When it comes to sandwiches, I remember my post graduation days in Pune. I did not like to have the food provided by the 'dabbawala' and excessive use of oil would cause acidity problem, so I loved eating three things : 1) 2 or 4 fruit dish (platter serving 2 or four types of fruits - self sufficient) 2) Kachhi dabeli and 3) Sandwich - it used to be without coconut based chutney.

These sandwiches can be served for breakfast with hot cup of coffee or for evening snacks with a glass of cold coffee.

I will share the recipe of very simple veg cheese club sandwich, with coconut based chutney and coleslaw salad. Here goes the recipe.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

For Veg Cheese Club Sandwich:

1. Jumbo bread slices - 9
2. Sandwich chutney - 4 to 5 tbsp
3. Cheese slices - 3
4. Processed cheese (grated) - as per your requirement
5. Cheese spread - as per your requirement
6. Butter - as per your requirement
7. Tomato ketchup - 6 tsp
8. Pepper powder - 1/3 tsp approx
9. Salt - 1/3 tsp approx
10. Tomato (sliced) - 2 medium or 12 slices
11. Cucumber (sliced) - 1 medium
12. Onion (sliced) - 2 medium
13. Coleslaw salad 

For Coleslaw Salad:

1. Cabbage (shredded) - 1 cup
2. Carrot (grated) - 1 small
3. Capsicum (finely diced) - 1 small or just a half
4. Mayonnaise (eggless) - 1/2 cup (I have used funfoods - small pack is also available)
5. Sugar - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt - 1/4 tsp
7. Pepper powder - 1/8 sp

Procedure:

For Coleslaw Salad:

• Take a mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients.
• Divide the salad into 3 portions and keep aside.

For Veg Cheese Club Sandwich:

• Apply cheese spread over 1 slice.
• Now, spread 1 to 1 1/4 tbsp chutney over it. Keep it on a plate.
• Place 4 slices of tomato (in a single layer)  over it.
• Place cucumber slices, sprinkle little salt.
• Place onion slices and sprinkle little salt and pepper.
• Place cheese slice over the vegetables. (In case grilled paneer is used, then use it here instead of cheese slice)
• Place second slice of bread.
• Apply 2 tsp of ketchup.
• Now, spread coleslaw salad and place the third slice. (If you are using chilla, it will form an additional layer after this)
• Now, apply some butter over the third slice.
• Either repeat the procedure for remaining sandwiches or prepare them parallely.
• Heat a frying pan (tava).
• Spread some butter over it and place the sandwiches, toast them on low flame for a min. (Buttered side should be on top)
• Turn them gently and toast on the other side. (Alternately, you may grill them)
• Cut them diagonally.
• Garnish with grated cheese.
• Serve immediately with or without ketchup accompanied by coffee. (Potato wafers or french fries would also serve as a good accompaniment)

Goad Bhakri

Goad Bhakri is a Goan homemade breakfast. It is a flat bread - wheat flour, jaggery and coconut are the ingredients. It has a thickness like uttapam. It is topped up with pure ghee. It is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml
Makes: 2 to 3

Ingredients:

1. Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cup
2. Scrapped coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Jaggery (powdered) - 1/2 cup
4. Water - 1 1/4 cup and a bowl for dipping fingers
5. Ghee - for frying
6. Salt to taste - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp approx

Procedure:

• Take a mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients except ghee. Rest it for 10 min.
• Divide the dough into 2 to 3 balls of equal size.
• Heat a skillet and grease it with a teaspoon of ghee. 
• Take a bowl of water and dip your fingers in it. Now, take one ball of dough and place it on the skillet and press it gently giving it round shape. Make use of water for pressing it conveniently. Don't make it thin, it has a thickness.
• Pour ghee around the edges and fry it on medium flame.
• Turn over and again pour ghee around the edges, fry.
• Serve hot.

Tip:

• A pinch of cardamom powder may also be added while making dough.
• You may also prepare a savoury variant by excluding jaggery and using green chillies and coriander leaves.

Soya Chunks Xacuti

Xacuti is a Goan spicy dish. It is a coconut and onion based curry with varied spices. The curry paste can be used for non-veg dishes too. I use it mainly for mushrooms, soya chunks and cauliflower.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml

Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients:

For Soya Chunks Xacuti:

1. Soya chunks - 3 cups or 100 gm approx
2. Onion (chopped) - 1 large
3. Tomato (chopped) - 1 medium
4. Marinade
5. Xacuti paste
6. Refined oil - 11/2 tbsp
7. Coriander leaves - for garnishing
8. Salt to taste
9. Sugar - 1/4 tsp

For the Marinade:

1. Green chilly - 1
2. Coriander leaves - handful
3. Garlic - 8 cloves
4. Ginger - 1/2" piece
5. Yogurt - 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Salt - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp approx

For making Xacuti paste:

1. Coconut (scrapped) - 1 1/2 cup
2. Onion (sliced) - 1 medium
3. Cloves - 4
4. Star anise (seeds removed) - 4 to 5 petals
5. Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
6. Peppercorns - 6 to 8
7. Green/ black cardamom - 8 to 10 seeds
8. Nutmeg - a tiny piece
9. Mace - 2 thin petals
10. Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
11. Poppy seeds - 1/3 tsp
12. Cumin seeds - a pinch
13. Coriander seeds - 3/4 tsp
14. Kashmiri mirchi - 1
15. Byadgi mirchi / any other red chilly - as per your requirement
16. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
17. Tamarind - marble sized ball
18. Oil (preferably coconut oil) - 2 to 3 tbsp

Procedure:

For the Marinade:

1. Grind green chilly, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic to a fine paste without water or by adding a spoonful of water. 
2. Combine it with yogurt, turmeric powder and salt.

For making Xacuti paste:

• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Fry spices numbering 3 to 12 till they give out aroma, take them out. In the same oil fry red chillies and at last coriander seeds. Take them out.
• In the same oil fry onion till golden brown, add coconut and stir fry till coconut turns slightly brown (flame should me low to medium).
• Grind all the ingredients including tamarind and turmeric powder to a fine paste by adding 1 cup water.

For making Soya Chunks Xacuti:

• Boil 550 to 600 ml water in pan. Add 1 heaped tsp salt and soya chunks. Soak them for 10 to 15 min. Drain and transfer in normal water, let them cool. Squeeze them to drain excess water. (This process is called treating the soya chunks)
• Combine the marinade with soya chunks and rest it for 30 to 45 min.
• Heat refined oil in a thick bottomed pan and stir fry onion.
• Add tomatoes and saute.
• Add soya chunks and stir fry for 2 to 3 min. Keep it on low flame for another 2 to 3 min, stir fry occasionally.
• Add xacuti paste, 1 to 1 1/4 tsp salt approx, sugar and water (2 cups approx). Stir well.
• Simmer for 5 min.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with pav, bread, dosa or rice.

Tip:

• If you are serving it for the lunch, then try to prepare it in the morning. If you are serving for the dinner , then try to prepare it in the afternoon. This is to infuse the chunks with the spices. At the time of serving just add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and reheat it.

Arbi Ki Sabzi

Arbi ki sabzi is a dry veg prepared from colocasia roots. This dish is cooked in North Indian style. Boiled and peeled colocasia roots are cooked with stir fried onion, tomato and spices. The dish can be made spicy to suit one's taste buds. it can be served with phulka, chapati, puri or dal - rice combo.

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1. Arbi - 300 to 350 gm
2. Onion (chopped) - 1 large
3. Tomato (chopped) - 1 large
4. Ginger (grated) - 1/4"
5. Garlic (crushed) - 8 cloves
6. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. Amchur - 1/3 tsp (optional)
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander powder - 3/4 to 1 tsp
11. Cumin powder - 3/4 to 1 tsp
12. Garam masala (Everest) - 1/2 tsp
13. Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
14. Kashmiri mirchi powder - 1/2 tsp
15. Tamarind - lemon sized ball
16. Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
17. Ghee - 1 tsp
18. Salt to taste
19. Sugar to taste
20. Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Procedure:

• Keep arbi immersed in water for 10 min, so as to get rid of soil. Now, wash them till you get clean water. Pressure cook them with sufficient water, salt and tamarind ball till 3 to 4 whistles or till done. Let them cool, peel them and cut into bite size pieces.
• Heat ghee in a pan and stir fry arbi pieces, sprinkle amchur and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds.
• Add onion, ginger and garlic. Stir fry till onion turns golden brown.
• Add all the dry spices and stir fry for 10 to 15 seconds.
• Add tomato and stir fry till tomato turns mushy.
• Add salt and sugar.
• Add arbi and stir fry for a min.
• Cover and cook on low flame for 5 min.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with phulka, chapati, puri or with dal - rice combo.

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi is a popular Maharashtrian snack, which is prepared for fast (vrat). It is prepared even in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. It is made by soaking sabudana (sago) made from tapioca roots. Soaked sabudana is stir  fried with cumin seeds, red chillies or green chillies and potato. It can be had for breakfast or as an evening tea time snack.

Preparation time: 3 hrs or Overnight
Cooking time: 10 to 15 min

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Sabudana - 1 Cup
2. Potato - 1 large
3. Roasted peanut powder - 1/2 cup
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Red chillies (broken) - 2
6. Oil / Ghee - 2 tbsp
7. Sugar - 1/2 tsp 
8. Salt - 1 1/4 tsp approx
9. Coriander leaves - for garnishing (optional)

Procedure:

• Take sabudana in a mixing bowl. Wash and drain it. Now, add some water to it (level of water should be equal to the level of sabudana in the bowl). Cover it and rest it for 3 to 4 hrs or overnight for soaking. After soaking it will get doubled.
• Once the sabudana is ready to use; combine sabudana, roasted peanut powder, sugar and 1 tsp salt.
• Wash and peel potato, chop it and rinse it. (Alternately, you may use boiled, peeled and cubed potato.)
• Heat oil or ghee in a kadai.
• Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
• Add broken red chillies and chopped potato, stir fry till potato is done. Sprinkle remaining salt over potato and stir fry.
• Add sabudana and mix well.
• Cover it and let it cook on low flame. Stir occasionally. Once it is done, its will turn translucent. (It may take 7 to 10 min)
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tip:

• There are varieties of sabudana available in the market, regular sabudana should be used.
• Curry leaves may also be added along with chillies.
• Green chillies may be used instead of red chillies.
• Scrapped coconut may also be used for garnishing.
• Lemon juice can be sprinkled to suit one's taste buds.
• It can be served with sweetened yoghurt. 

Gajar Ki Kheer

Carrot pudding with milk and sugar.

Serve: 3 to 4
Ingredients:

1. Carrots (peeled and grated) - 2 medium
2. Milk (hot) - 1/2 ltr.
3. Sugar - 3.5 tbsp
4. Vanilla custard powder - 1 tbsp
5. Cashew nuts (chopped) - 1.5 tbsp
6. Almonds/raisins - as per your requirement
7. Pistachios for garnishing
8. Vanilla essence - 3 to 4 drops
9. Cardamon powder - a pinch
10. Ghee - 1.5 tsp

Procedure:

• Heat ghee in a pan and add carrots, stir fry for 5 min.
• Add milk and bring it to boil.
• Simmer for 5 min, stir occasionally.
• Add sugar, cashew nuts/ almonds/raisins and custard powder dissolved in little water or milk.
• Simmer for 2 min, keep stirring.
• Take it off the fire.
• Add vanilla essence and cardamom powder, stir.
• Garnish with pistachios.
• Serve warm or chilled.

Mango and Cake Pudding

Mango and Cake Pudding is a dessert made from fresh mangoes and leftover vanilla sponge cake. It is a baked dish. Here goes the recipe for the same.

Serves: 4 

Ingredients: 

1. Mangoes - 3
2. Vanilla sponge cake (leftover) - 200 gm
3. Milk - 300 to 350 ml
4. Vanilla custard powder - 1 heaped tbsp
5. Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
6. Sugar - 3 tbsp
7. Butter - 6 tsp

Procedure:

• Wash mangoes. Peel one mango and make pulp. Dice remaining 2 mangoes and keep aside.
• Combine custard powder with 50 ml milk and keep aside. Boil remaining milk. Add custard powder mixture and sugar to the boiling milk. Stir continuously till it thickens. Put off the flame. Add 4 tsp butter to it. Let it cool slightly. Add vanilla essence to it. Keep aside.
• Cut the cake into cubes.
• Grease the baking dish with reaming butter and place half of the cake cubes. Pour half the custard over it. Press it gently with the back side of the spoon. Pour mango pulp over it. Place remaining cake cubes and diced mangoes. Pour remaining custard. Let it rest for 10 to 15 min.
• Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade for 10 min.
• Place the baking dish at the centre shelf and bake it at 180 degrees centigrade for 50 min.
• Let it stand for sometime.
• Serve hot / at room temperature / cold. 

Mango Icecream

During mango season, mango ice cream can be enjoyed with fresh mangoes. Here goes the recipe for making easy to make mango ice cream.

Serves: 4
Ingredients: 

1. Mango pulp (fresh or canned) - 200 ml
2. Whipping cream - 200 ml
3. Milk powder - 20 gm
4. Sugar - 4 tbsp or as per your requirement.
5. Vanilla essence - 4 to 5 drops
6. Mango cubes - for garnishing

Procedure:

• Refrigerate the whipping cream for 6 to 8 hrs.
• Pre cool the mixing bowl.
• Combine mango pulp and sugar, keep aside. If you are using canned pulp, then lesser sugar will be required and even the sweetness of mangoes would matter before deciding the quantity of sugar.
• Whip the cream with an electric whipper at high speed. You may need to whip it for 10 min.
• When almost whipped, add milk powder and whip further.
• Add vanilla essence and mango pulp. Whip till it combines well.
• Transfer it into an air tight container.
• Freeze for at least 6 hrs.
• Garnish with mango cubes.
• Serve immediately.

Sev Puri Dahi Puri (SPDP)

Sev Puri is a popular Indian street food, but Sev Puri Dahi Puri (SPDP) is a popular chaat in Pune. Sev puri filled with sweetness of dates & tamarind chutney and coolness of mint & chilled yogurt. Best for serving as an evening snack.

Measurement: 1 Cup =180 ml

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1. Puris - 24
2. Potatoes (boiled, peeled and cubed) - 2 medium
3. Onion (chopped)- 1 medium (optional)
4. Yogurt (whisked) - 2 cups approx
5. Sugar - 2 tbsp or as per your requirement 
6. Dates and tamarind chutney - 1 cup
7. Green chutney or dhaniya pudina chutney - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
8. Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp
9. Black salt - 1/4 tsp
10. Salt - 1/4 tsp
11. Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
12. Sev - 1/2 cup
13. Coriander leaves (chopped) - for garnishing

Procedure:

• Combine yogurt and sugar in a mixing bowl, keep aside.
• In another mixing bowl, combine potatoes, chilly powder, salt and black salt.
• Gently break the puris at the centre.
• Place the puris on serving plate.
• Place some potato mixture into the puris.
• Add onion, dates and tamarind chutney and green chutney.
• Pour yogurt over it.
• Sprinkle roasted cumin powder and sev. 
• Drizzle little chutney on top.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve immediately.

Jeeren Kothmire Udak / Cumin and Coriander Tea

Jeeren kothmire udak is a must in our house during summer season. Jeeren means cumin and kothmir means coriander. I have been having this beverage since childhood. Coriander and cumin have the properties of reducing body heat, so acts as a natural summer coolant. 

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1. Jeeren Kothmire pittho (cumin and coriander powder) - 4 to 5tsp
2. Water - 500 ml
3. Sugar - as per your requirement (optional)

Procedure:

• Boil water in a pan.
• Add cumin and coriander powder.
• Add sugar and simmer for 2 to 3 min.
• Cover it with a lid and let it rest for sometime.
• Strain it.
• Serve hot or at room temperature or chilled.

Tip:

For making cumin and coriander powder:

• Coriander seeds - 1 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 cup

Dry roast these seeds for 10 seconds on low flame. Let them cool. Grind to a fine powder. Store it in a jar and use as and when required. You may also add 1/4 cup fennel seeds to it.

Milk may also be added to this beverage while serving just how you add for tea.

Watermelon Juice

Watermelon juice is one of the best fresh fruit juices to beat the heat in summer. It is very much useful for weight loss programme, as it is high in water contents. The juice may be prepared by adding sugar and water or just by avoiding both these ingredients, as it is sweet by itself.

Serves: 3
Ingredients:

1. Watermelon - 1 half of a medium sized watermelon
2. Sugar - 2 to 3 tsp or as per your requirement 
3. Water - 50 to 60 ml
4. Black salt - 1/3 tsp
5. Ice cubes - 6

Procedure:

• Cut the watermelon into 5 to 6 slices. Discard the peel, deseed the flesh and cut into small pieces.
• Combine all the ingredients into juicer jar and blend well.
• Strain and pour into glasses.
• Add more ice cubes if you wish.
• Serve chilled.

Jackfruit Ice Cream

Ice cream is a frozen dessert enjoyed by most of the people. In the jackfruit season, I do have this ice cream from Natural's. This time I thought of making it and enjoying at home. Here goes the recipe for the same .

Serves: 4
Ingredients: 

1. Jackfruit kernels (deseeded) - 12 to 15
2. Whipping cream - 200 ml
3. Milk powder - 20 gm
4. Sugar - 4 tbsp or as per your requirement.
5. Vanilla essence - 4 to 5 drops

Procedure:

• Refrigerate the whipping cream for 6 to 8 hrs.
• Pre cool the mixing bowl.
• Chop jackfruit kernels, blend with sugar. Let the pulp remain slightly coarse.
• Whip the cream with an electric whipper at high speed. You may need to whip it for 10 min.
• When almost whipped, add milk powder and whip further.
• Add vanilla essence and jackfruit-sugar mixture. Whip till it combines well.
• Transfer it into an air tight container.
• Freeze for at least 6 hrs.
• Garnish with jackfruit pieces (optional).
• Serve immediately.

Grape Juice

Fresh juice made from black grapes is not just refreshing, but has lots of health benefits. Grapes are said to be good for brain function, cardiac health, kidney, digestion, reducing risk of cancer etc. Grapes keep one hydrated, and hence very much useful  to beat the heat in summer. 

Whenever I buy grapes, I see white powdery substance on their surface. It is not necessarily pesticide, but some kind of fungus. I keep them immersed in warm salted water for sometime and only then consume them. 

Here goes the recipe for refreshing grape juice.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Black grapes - 400 to 500 gm
2. Sugar - 2 tsp or as per your requirement
3. Cold water - 100 ml 
4. Lime juice - 1 tsp
5. Black salt / salt - 1/4 t sp (optional)
6. Lemon slices - for garnishing
7. Ice cubes - 6 to 8 (optional)

Procedure:

• Wash grapes and loosen them, from the bunch. Keep them immersed in warm water for 15 to 20 min and rinse them once. 
• Blend grapes and sugar with 100 ml water. 
• Strain it with the help of a strainer, press it with the help of a spoon. Discard the residue.
• Add black salt and lime juice, stir well.
• Pour it into glasses.
• Add ice cubes and garnish with lemon slice.
• Serve chilled.

Thecha

Thecha is a popular Maharashtrian side often served with pithla bhakri. It is also called kharda. It is basically a coarse chilly garlic chutney. It can be prepared by using various ingredients, but green chillies, garlic and salt are the main ingredients. Traditionally, it is prepared using mortar and pestle. One can use a dry grinder too for its preparation. While picking up the chillies, care should be taken that they are not extra pungent. It should not even be eaten in an enormous quantity, as pungent food is not good for health. It can be mixed with yogurt too while serving and that is a better way of having it.

Ingredients:

1. Medium or mild spicy green chillies - 20
2. Garlic - 25 to 30 cloves
3. Peanuts (roasted and peeled) - 2 tbsp (a pinch)
4. Cumin seeds - a pinch 
5. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (optional)
6. Oil - 1 tbsp
7. Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Rinse the chillies and discard both the ends, cut into 2 to 3 pieces.
• Heat oil in a skillet and green chillies. Stir fry for 5 to 10 seconds. Keep them covered on low flame for 2 to 3 min.
• Combine all the ingredients and crush them with help of mortar and pestle or by using a dry grinder.
• Serve with pithla - jowar bhakri combo.

Pithla

Pithla Bhakri is a famous combo from Maharashtra, it is even accompanied by thecha. Pithla is a curry prepared from besan (chickpea flour). It is very easy and simple to make. Normally, onion is stir fried and water is added to it, then besan paste is to be added. Parchure aunty had told me another style, to add dry flour instead of paste and that makes it more tasty and gives a nice texture. You may use some more ingredients like red chilly powder, garlic and curry leaves, which I have not used in my recipe and kept it very simple. It is normally served with jowar bhakri, but one can also serve it with roti or chapati. Sometimes even served with rice.

Here goes the recipe:

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Besan (chickpea flour)- 1/2 cup approx
2. Onion (chopped) - 1 medium
3. Green chillies (clit or chopped) - 2 to 3 or as per your requirement
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1/3 tsp
6. Cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp
7. Crushed cumin seeds or cumin powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
8. Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
9. Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1 to 2 tsp 
10. Water - 2 to 2 1/2 cups
11. Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
• Add cumin seeds, let them crackle.
• Add onion and stir fry till onion turns golden brown.
• Add green chillies, cumin powder and turmeric powder. (If you want to use garlic and curry leaves, then add at this stage.)
• Add besan and mix well.
• Add water and salt. Stir well. Simmer. (adjust the quantity of water depending upon the desired consistency)
• When it starts bubbling, stir continuously till it thickens and raw smell goes away.
• Add coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with jowar bhakri.

Tip:

• You may follow a slightly different procedure. Combine besan with half the quantity of water and keep aside. After adding green chillies, cumin powder and turmeric powder, add remaining water. When it comes to boil, add besan paste, salt and stir well. 
• If you want to prepare it without onion, then use asafoetida, ginger, potato and tomato. Exclude cumin seeds.
• Drumsticks are also used in pithla sometimes. 

Florentine Pasta Bake

Pasta  is a staple food of Italy and Florence is a region in Italy, so Florentine refers to the style of cooking from this region. Florentine dishes require spinach as one of the main ingredients.

In Florentine pasta bake, stir fried spinach is combined with white sauce. You may use bechamel sauce or mornay sauce, I have used a plain white sauce. Cooked pasta is then combined with this sauce. This mixture is then spread into a baking dish; topped up with 2 to 3 types of cheese, bread crumbs and then baked.

Here goes the recipe.

Measurement: 1 cup = 180 ml

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Penne / chifferi pasta or elbow macaroni - 1 cup
2. Spinach leaves (washed and chopped) - 2 cups
3. Onion (chopped) - 1 small 
4. Garlic  (chopped) - 4 to 5 cloves
5. Mixed herbs - 1 tsp
6. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Processed cheese (grated) - 1 to 2 cubes
8. Ricotta / cottage cheese (paneer) - 1/3 cup grated
9. Mozzarella cheese (grated) - as per your requirement
10. Bread crumbs - 1 tbsp
11. Olive oil / refined oil -  2 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. White sauce

For the White Sauce:

• Maida - 1 heaped tbsp
• Milk - 250 ml
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• White / Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt

Procedure:

• Prepare white sauce and keep aside.
• Cook pasta as per packet instructions and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add onion and garlic. Stir fry till onion turns translucent. 
• Add spinach and stir fry for 2 to 3 min.
• Sprinkle little salt.
• Add mixed herbs and pepper powder. 
• Add white sauce and stir well.
• Add pasta to it and mix well. 
• Cook for 1 to 2 min.
• Check the taste for salt.
• Grease the baking dish with butter or oil and transfer pasta to it.
• Spread ricotta or cottage cheese over it. 
• Spread precessed cheese.
• Now, spread mozzarella cheese.
• Finally, sprinkle bread crumbs.
• Bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 20 to 30 min or till cheese turns golden brown. Let it stand for 2 min.
• Serve hot.

For the White Sauce:

• Boil milk and keep it aside
• Melt butter in a thick bottomed pan.
• Add maida to it and stir fry till it gives out aroma.
• Let it cool.
• Add boiled milk to it.
• Whisk it and bring it to boil by stirring continuously.
• Add pepper powder and salt, stir well.

Mishti Doi

Mishti doi is a popular Bengali dessert. It is prepared by combining evaporated milk with caramelised sugar and sample yogurt. It may be flavoured with cardamom. Traditionally, served in earthen pots. Earthen pot adds a special flavour to it, but glassware may also be used.

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1. Whole milk - 500 ml
2. Sugar - 4 tbsp or as per your requirement
3. Plain yogurt - 4 to 5 tsp
4. Water - 1 tbsp
5. Pistachios - for garnishing

Procedure:

• Boil milk in a thick bottomed pan or kadai. Once it comes to boil, simmer and stir occasionally. Let it simmer for at least 15 to 18 min.
• After 15 min, start preparing the caramel. Prepare the caramel in a thick bottomed pan by mixing sugar and water. Flame should be low to medium. Put of the flame, when it turns brown.
• Add the caramel to the milk. Add it slowly, as the milk will suddenly start bubbling or you may add milk to the pan in which caramel is prepared. Simmer for another 5 min, but stir continuously.
• Let it cool slightly. 
• Add whisked yogurt, when the milk turns lukewarm and stir well.
• Pour it into an earthen pot or small pots or any other container.
• Keep it in a warm place and let it ferment overnight. (You may place the pot in a preheated oven and bake just for 5 min and leave it there overnight.)
• Garnish with pistachios.
• Refrigerate it for a few hrs.
• Serve chilled.

Idli Fry

Idli is a popular south Indian snack. Idli fry is a very simple snack prepared from leftover idlis. It can be served with tomato ketchup or any chutney. It is suitable as an evening tea time snack. Whenever you make idlis for breakfast, you make prepare this snack in the evening or refrigerate the idlis and make it next evening. 

Serves: 2
Ingredients:

1. Leftover idlis - 5 to 6
2. Oil - for deep frying

Procedure:

• Cut idlis into 3 to 4 finger size pieces or cut into cubes.
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
• Drop 4 to 5 pieces at a time or depending upon the size of your frying pan and quantity of idlis, decide the number. Turn them occasionally. Deep fry till golden brown on medium to high flame.
• Serve hot with ketchup or any coconut chutney of your choice.

Oatmeal Cookies

I always try to keep myself away from baking affair, but I can't resist anymore. I baked something after ages. Thought of making use of the oats, which were lying unused and the tasty cookies were out from my oven. Actually, I baked two batches of these cookies. One with maida and the other with wheat flour, both taste equally good. Here goes the recipe.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml
Makes: 12

Ingredients:

1. Oats - 1 cup 
2. Maida - 1 1/4 cup OR  Wheat flour - 1 cup
3. Butter - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (for greasing)
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup
5. Almonds (chopped or crushed) - 30 (20 +10)
6. Milk - 3 to 4 tsp
7. Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
8. Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp approx
10. Salt - a pinch

Procedure:

• Combine maida or wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda. Sieve it and keep aside.
• Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, beat it well.
• Add salt and vanilla essence, mix well.
• Add flour and mix it with the help of a spoon.
• Add oats and milk. Now, knead it with your hands.
• Add 20 chopped almonds and knead again.
• Divide the dough into 12 balls of equal size.
• Grease the baking tray with butter.
• Flatten the dough ball by holding it between the palms. After  flattening it slightly, gently press few almonds pieces on one side (from the remaining 10 almonds) and flatten it again. It should be 3 mm thick.
• Place the cookie on the baking tray.
• Repeat the procedure for remain balls. Leave a gap of 1" in between cookies.
• Preheat the oven at 170 degrees C. It should be in top and bottom heating mode.
• Place the baking tray at the centre shelf of your oven.
• Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 min or till they turn golden brown and give out a nice aroma.
• Take them out and transfer to the wired rack for cooling.
• Enjoy with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.