Tomato Pachadi

This is one of my favorite pachadi's, Tomato pachadi. I love the way it looks, those red tomatoes popping out of the rosy curd. Sometimes when i have to cook for one I just make this pachadi and have it with rice for a quick and easy meal. One can also make this just as an additional dish for the dinner table. This is my granny's recipe. I remember granny making this pachadi for me whenever i was not in a mood to eat what was cooked that day and i would have it with rice and fish fry by its side...yummy!!!

Ingredients

3 Tomatoes (medium size)

1 cup Yogurt
1 tsp Mustard seeds
3-4 Small onions (pearl onions)
1 Dry red chili
few Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Chili powder
Oil
Salt
Pinch of hing (Optional)

Method

• Wash and quater the tomatoes and slice the small onions
• Heat oil in a sauce pan and add mustard seeds
• When it starts to splutter add the onions, dried red chili and curry leaves
• Add a pinch of hing (if using) and then add the quartered tomatoes, red chili powder and stir
• When the tomato become soft and you see oil separating, switch off the stove
• Add the yogurt and salt to it and mix
• If the gravy is too thick you can add little water .....and there you have it friends, Tomato pachadi!!!

Thepla - Methi Paratha

Methi paratha is a versatile dish which can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack or even dinner.It tastes good as it is, however it tastes better with dahi(yoghurt) or chundho(sweet mango achar). These parathas are good for 3 days if kept outside, but won't last till then :). Methi leaves are available easily during winter and i hope you enjoy this dish too!!!

Ingredients
one small bunch of Methi leaves(mine came up to 1cup packed)
2 1/2 cup Wheat Flour (you can use bajra flour or can do 50/50)
2 tbsp Besan (Gram flour)
1 1/2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Til
1 tsbsp Ajwain
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Chili powder
1/3 tsp Turmeric
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 inch Ginger
3 large Garlic cloves
3 green chili
handful of Cilantro
Salt to taste

Method

• Clean ,wash and chop methi leaves
• Make a paste of ginger,garlic,green chili and cilantro leaves
• Add the ginger paste,methi leaves, oil, til, ajwain, cumin seeds, chili powder, turmeric, yogurt to a mix of wheat flour and besan and knead to form a dough
• Or you can put all the above ingredients into the food processor and knead a dough that would be easy too
• If the dough is runny or too sticky add flour as needed or if its dry add yogurt or water
  
  
• Make lemon size ball and then roll it as you do for chapatti, but not too thin.
  

  

• Place the paratha on a heated tava, after couple of minutes when you see it puffing turn it and apply 1/2 tsp of oil on it and turn them again and apply oil on the other side too pressing the paratha with the back of a spoon

Light Snack - Onion Poha

Poha!!! hmm... this brings back the memories of my good ol' school days. I still remember, forgetting my tiffin box deliberatly so that i could have a chance to eat poha from our school canteen. It was my fav, topped with sev and murmurra. The softness of poha, crunchiness of sev and murmurra, tanginess of lime and sweetness of sugar, all these diverse flavors come together and you have a snack that's simply irresistable.

To this dish i have added grated carrot and lemon zest. The zest adds extra zing while the strands of carrot make it little more colorful!

Ingredients

2 cups poha
1 medium onion
2 green chilies
2 tbsp grated carrot
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/3 tsp chili powd
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp mustard
half lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
few curry leaves
salt to taste

Garnish
Handful of cilantro
Thin Sev & Murmura (Puffed rice)
(you could also use bhelpuri sev which is combo of both)

Method

• In a colander Wash poha silghtly with water 2-3 times.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, when it splutters add green chili, curry leaves and onions and saute till the onions are translucent
• Add turmeric,chili powder,sugar and salt to poha, mixing gently and seperating it with fingers so that they dont stick
• Add poha, grated carrot , lemon zest, lemon juice, lower the heat and cook with the lid on for 6-8 min. In between stir, so that it does not stick to bottom of the pan.
• Serve garnishing it with some sev and murmura and cilantro leaves….Tadaaa!!!! there you have it friends.

Irresistible-Pav Bhaji

Pav-Bhaji is a traditional fare which is enjoyed by one and all. Back home on weekend evenings one could see the streets lined up with pav-bhaji stalls and people relishing this lip-smackin' dish. The aroma of the butter and masala over the hot griddle , vendors shouting out loud to attract people, loud blaring horns of the passing vehicles and the chaos in and around the place lends a whole new meaning to the dining out experience.

Here I may not be able to experience the same however I can definitely enjoy the aroma and taste of pav bhaji.

Ingredients
2 Medium Onion
1 Small potato
1/2 cup Green Pepper cubed
1/2 cup Green peas
1 small carrot
3 Tomatoes
4 Cloves of Garlic
1" Ginger
2 Green chillies
1 tsp Ketchup (optional)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tbs Pav Bhaji Masala
Salt to taste
Half lemon
Small lump of jaggery or pinch of sugar

Garnish

Handful of Cilantro leaves
Lemon
Onion chopped

Method

• Boil the green peas with little salt
• Boil the Potato in a small vessel and mash it along with green peas
• Blanch the tomatoes and chop them
• Chop finely green pepper, carrot and onion
• Finely chop and crush mixture of garlic, ginger and green chillies in a pestle
• Heat oil in a wok and saute' the onions till they are translucent
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, when the aroma of ginger starts coming, add carrot and green pepper and saute till onions are brown
• After couple of minutes add turmeric , coriander, chili powder and Pav Bhaji masala and stir continuously for a minute
• Add blanched tomatoes and saute till the oil separates (You can also add 1tsp of ketchup if you like)
• Add mashed potatoes, green peas, jaggery, salt and mix. After couple of min add 1 cup water (you may add more water if you need extra gravy)
• Simmer on medium flame for 10 min. Then add lemon juice and mix
• Slightly heat the pav on a griddle with some butter
• Serve the hot pav bhaji and top it with chopped onion and cilantro and lemon wedge its side

Note:

For pav you can use white brat bun, which is similar to hot dog bun and cut it into two and slit each side ways.

You can also apply some garlic-chili paste on the bread or pav before heating it on griddle. You can make garlic-chili paste by crushing 3-4 garlic cloves with some salt,2-3 dry red chillies,1 tsp oil, lemon juice,and sugar to taste. This gives the pav extra flavor.

Welcome Everybody

I remember prior to my wedding the only reason to enter the kitchen was to munch on something. I found in my dear hubby a fondness for cooking and a spirit of experimenting. I guessed some of it has brushed on me.

I am regular visitor of this site and seeing the magnificient creations of esteemed fellow bloggers , their love for food has inspired me to start my own food blog.I am still learning and know have a long way to go.

Hereby I present you my first recipe...a birthday cake!!!
I made this cake for my best friend's b'day last week. She loves black forest cake and so do I. This was the first time I attempted to bake a b'day cake and to my surprise it came out great. If i could do.. bet anyone could.

Daavat is on, and everyone is invited!!!

Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by rubbing with butter, sprinkling with flour and tapping out extra. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon then set aside. In small bowl combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat well with hand mixer. Slowly add boiling water and mix. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and fold and stir until smooth. Pour batter into pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool the cake for an hour before removing it from the pan.


Cherry compote
Frozen cherries – 12 oz
Sugar -1/4 cups
Water - 1/4 cups
Cherry liquor/Red wine - 1 tbsp (I used the preservative used for bottled cherries)

Mix sugar and water, boil in a thick bottomed pan, with constant stirring, till the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens. Add cherries and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain cherries on a sieve. Boil the liquid over medium heat until reduced by half.

You will start to see the bubbles getting larger as the concentration of sugar increases. At this point, turn down the temperature so it doesn't boil over or burn.

The syrup and cherries must be cooled before using it. Refrigerate till used.

Whipped cream
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp milk

Beat cream till soft peaks form, sprinkle sugar, add the essence and beat till stiff peak consistency is achieved. Refrigerate till use.

Garnish
Chocolate shavings
Bottled Cherry

Assembling the cake

Slice the top off the cake so its flat and not raised.

Place one layer of cake on a serving plate.

Sprinkle with 4 to 5 tbsp of cherry syrup.

Divide your whipping cream in 3 parts for each layer and some for piping. Spoon one part on to the first cake layer .

Spread the Cherry compote on the whipped cream.

Carefully put the second layer of the cake on top.

Sprinkle 4 tbsp cherry syrup

Top with more whipped cream and spread it evenly on top.

Spread chocolate shavings on the top and sides.

Pipe whipped cream and top with cherries.

Refrigerate till ready to serve.

Note:
After dividing the whipped cream refrigerate the ones to be piped, till ready or else it will be runny by the time you're ready to pipe them.

I refrigerated it for 4 hrs. I made this cherry syrup first and then started with the cake so that you get time to cool your syrup.