Churetta Appam

Churette means fold in Malayalam, thus churettappam, this is what we called it at home. It is a dish that we make for breakfast. This is one of those snacks which I prefer to cook when I feel like lazing around and don't want to spend much time in the kitchen!

You can also find a similar kind of dish made in Bengal, named Pati Shapta which I recently came across at Sandeepa's blog.

For this recipe you could make the batter using just Wheat flour or Maida (all purpose flour) or could also do 50-50 or in any ratio I think you got the point. For filling you could add sliced banana or plantain as well , I am not a big fan of banana so left that out. The quantity for filling could be altered and measured as per your need and taste.

Ingredients

For Batter
3/4cup Wheat
1/4 cup Maida (all purpose flour)
Salt

For filling
1 1/2 cup Coconut scraped
1/2 cup Jaggery (you could also use sugar if you want to)
1 sliced Banana (optional)
Cardamom powder (optional)

Method

• For filling mix together all the ingredients from For filling in a bowl
• For the batter mix in the flour and salt with some water to make it like dosa batter

• Heat tava, use little oil if not using nonstick pan and spread a ladle full of batter as you would for dosa

• After a minute or so turn it over and spread the coconut mixture in the center

• Fold it towards the center from both sides

• Take it out on to a plate with seam side down, and there you have it friends... Churettappam!!!

Shaheen's Plantain Pinwheel

Couple of days back I tried Shaheen's Plantain Pinwheel. They were out of this world...it was really tasty. This comment is coming from the person who doesn't like banana or plaintain that much! Will definitely try again...Thanks for sharing this recipe Shaheen.

A Foodie Tribute

My post today is a tribute to the fellow bloggers here. Here are some of the numerous recipes of fellow bloggers that I have attempted and had documentary evidence in the form of snaps! In future I will make it a point to take snaps of all my attempt of recipes of fellow bloggers.

Ashaji's - Foodie's Hope


This was the first time I ever baked Scones. And loved it as it is. Didn't even get time to cool them :) They were all gone in seconds. Is definitely a keeper. Though while baking them i forgot to brush them with milk or cream as it calls for in the recipe that's why may be it didn't had that nice golden color but taste wise mmmm!!!!...will remember next time.Thankyou Ashaji.

Sandeepa's- Bong Mom's CookBook

Breadrolls are one of my many favorite snacks. When I saw Baked beet breadroll posted on Sandeepa's blog...I was dying to make them. Boy! they were out of this world, so good that I didn't want to share it with my hubby. I guess I brushed too much of egg wash on the rolls that's why they turn too dark, tastewise it was perfect, next will take care while brushing egg wash on the rolls. Thankyou Sandeepa.

Archana's - Spicyana


Archana's Fruitcake, was the best thankyou treat for all my guest on Christmas eve. I had made them in mini loaf pan. Everyone loved it. While baking them the whole house was filled with its sweet aroma. Thankyou Archana for such a wonderful recipe.

Trupti's -The Spice Who Loved Me


Last but not the least, Trupti's Ringana-Batata Shaak i.e brinjal potato subzi. This is a subzi which I cook quite often now whenever I have brinjals or eggplant at hand, its a simple and easy recipe which I love...Thankyou Trupti for this Gujarati subzi which I always relish.

Rasmalai - Quick and Easy

Happy Sankranti to all my friends. On the eve of sankrati , neighbors exchange sweets and as per popular saying "Teel gull gya anhi godh godh bola" which in simple translation means "exchange sweets and sweetness in your words "

I wanted to spread the same fervour over by making this simple and easy Rasmalai.. hope you all enjoy it.. and remember be sweet in your words as well!

Ingredients
20 -22 no. Haldiram's canned rasgulla (I used 2 cans)
4 cups Whole Milk (you could also use 2 % fat milk)
14 0z. Condensed milk
A good pinch Cardamom powder

Garnish
Saffron strands
Cashews
Almond
Pistacchio

Method

• Heat up the milk until you see bubbles forming on the rim
• Reduce the heat to medium and keep on stirring till milk is reduced to half
• Add the condensed milk and keep on stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, the color will turn pale.
• At this time milk should coat the back of your spooon and when it does switch of the heat, mix in cardamon and let it cool.
• Take the canned rasgulla's, discard the liquid and squeeze out the liquid from each rasgulla by pressing them between your palms.
• Add these rasgulla's to the milk and store it in refrigerator...its tastes better with time!!!
• While serving garnish them with chopped or powdered nuts and 2-3 saffron strands and there you have it friends....Rasmalai, quick and easy!!!!!!!

Note:
You could store this rasmalai's in a air tight container for a week.

Fish Curry - Kerala Style

I was born in "Gods own country" in the calm and serene settings around the backwaters of rural kerala and have been fortunate to savor the delicacies of kerala cuisine where coconut is one of the key ingredients.

There are multiple ways of preparing fish curry in kerala and this is one of them. Fish curry with coconut is a simple and tasty dish which can be prepared in a jiffy without compromising your taste buds. Fish curry is served with rice and I have made an accompaniment of beans thoran.

This is my entry for this months JFI hosted by Ashwini.

Ingredients

For grinding
1 cup Coconut shredded
5-6 small Onions
3 dried Red chili
1/2 inch Ginger
1/2 tsp Corriander powder
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
few springs of Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Little water

For tempering
Oil
1/3 tsp mustard seeds
2 small Onions
2 whole Dried red chilies
few springs of Curry leaves

1 medium size Tilapia (you could use any fish of your choice! )
2 small Tomatoes
half raw Mango
3-4 Black kokum

Method

• Soak kokum in a little warm water.
• Grind all the itmes listed under "for grinding" section
• Heat oil in kadai add mustard seeds as they splutter add the remaining items listed under "for tempering" section
• Reduce the heat to medium and to it add the ground paste with little water
• Add quartered tomatoes, cut mango pieces and kokum with its water. Check the seasoning and adjust it accordingly
• When the gravy start to boil simmer and add fish to it
• Cover and cook till the fish are done ....and there you have it friends fish curry with coconut, kerala style!!!!

Healthy Bhel Puri

(Happy Birthday Dhan)

Today is my younger sister’s birthday and to celebrate this occasion I wanted to make something that she likes the most.

Since she is miles and miles away I cannot offer this to her at least I can post this snack here for her to savor!

Back home during our childhood, I and my sister frequently used to visit a roadside stall name Masi’s bhelpuri , which still sells the same bhelpuri to this day! Since my sister loved this very much I have attempted to recreate the magic that the stall’s bhelpuri offered…

The specialty of this particular stall’s recipe was that it included fruits,grated beet on top thus making it nutritious and chatpata.. On weekend’s one had to wait for at least an hour to lay your hands on the lovely snack. There was no parking near by and the roads used to get crowded. The stall became so popular that motorists started avoiding the street during weekend evening hours.

The ingredients have no fixed measurement, I just eyeballed them. You could use as much or as little you want. But still to give you a fair idea, I am measuring some of them.

Ingredients

3 cups Bhel puri mix ( It’s a mix of thin sev and murmura)
¼ cup Onion chopped
¼ cup Tomato chopped
½ cup Apples chopped (yes apples…this is the healthy part )
3-4 Grapes cut in halves
¼ cup Pomegranate
Beet root grated (yep!!! to garnish)
2 tbsp Ketchup
1 to 2 tsp Sweet tamarind chutney (alternatively you could use Trupti’s apple butter chutney)

1 tsp Green chutney
1 to 2 tspYoghurt
Cilantro leaves

Method

• Take a little more then half of your bhel puri mix and add ketchup,sweet tamarind chutney,green chutney, yoghurt ,onion,tomatoes,apple,grapes,pomegranate and mix
• Add the above mix into your serving bowl and add the remaining bhel puri mix
• Garnish it with cilantro and grated beet root….and there you have it friends…..Bhel Puri!!!
  
  

Note: You could also add chaat masala while garnishing.

Chole Masala aka Kabuli Channa Curry

If you guys are craving for some dhaba style chole then you have come to the right place. Chole is a popular punjabi delicacy. Call it chole, kabuli channa or chickpeas ... whatever you may call, this is one lip smacking dish which is enjoyed by everyone. You can have this along with bhature, roti, naan, puri, rice or even bread! Usually chole is accompanied with bhature and if you would like to have an easier way out to make bhature...go south , its tortilla to the rescue. Just have to fry those medium size babies in oil and there you have it.... instant bhature...and they taste good.

Ingredients
1 cup Chole
4or5 dried Amla (dried nellika or gooseberry)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 large red Onion
3 ripe Tomatoes (blanched or canned ones)
1 1/2 tsp Ginger
1 1/2 tsp Garlic
1 big Green chili (or 2 small)
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Corriander powder
1/3+1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Chole masala
1 tsp Tomato ketchup (secret ingredient :))
Salt to taste
few Cilantro leaves
1 tbsp Oil

Method

• Soak chole in water overnight or to cook the same day soak them in warm water for atleast 5-6hrs
• Pressure cook chole with 1/3 tsp turmeric,dried amla,sufficient water and salt upto 3 whistle, open after 10 mintues when all the pressure is released
• Drain the chole, reserve the liquid and don't forget to remove the amla
• Chop up onion, blanch the tomatoes(heat sufficient water in a saucepan with tomato and let it come to a boil,switchoff the stove and let it cook in the water for 6-8min) or you could also use canned whole tomatoes and chop them
• Finely chop ginger, garlic and green chili or crush them all together into a paste in a pestal
• Heat oil in a deep saucepan and add cumin seeds
• When the cumin seeds change color add chopped onion to it and saute till they are brown
• Add the Ginger-garlic paste to it and saute for couple of minutes
• Add all the dry powders to it and saute for a minute and then add the chopped blanched tomatoes and salt
• Saute the tomatoes till they are soft and mushed up, add the secret ingredient ketchup and mix
• Add the chole to the mixture and mix gently so that chole are properly coated in the mixture
• Add the reserved water depending on the gravy you need, check and adjust the seasoning
• Simmer the stove and cook covered for 5-6 minutes and garnish it with cilantro leaves
• Serve it with bhature, puri or chapatti with sliced onion and lemon wedge by the side and there you have it friends.....Chole Masala!!!

Puran Poli

Puran poli-a delicacy prepared on any festive occasion in Maharashtra. Its one of the favorite dishes of my family. My little one loves it a lot so I used to buy the readymade frozen puranpoli for her and this is the first time I attempted to make one on my own. Turns out that it is really simple and easy to make and realize that fresh homemade ones are better than the readymade frozen ones. My job became easlier when I got this recipe from my MIL.... I know many of you must be good at this but since it was my first time and the poli turned out good, so thought of sharing this with you all, my friends.

I am posting this for this month's JFI hosted by Kay and this is the first time I am taking part in the event.

Ingredients
1 cup Channa dal or Tuver dal
1 cup Jaggery
1 tsp Cardamom powder
½ tsp Nutmeg powder
2 cups Wheat flour
1- 1/2 tsp Oil
1 cup Water
Salt to taste
Ghee

Method

• Knead a smooth dough similar to one for making chappati, using wheat flour, oil, salt, and sufficient water, keep aside
• Pressure cook Channa dal with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt upto 3 whistles
• If you have water in excess pour them out and keep it aside
• Now add jaggery to this dal and stir continuously on low flame
• Add cardamom and pinch of nutmeg to the mixture and continue stirring
• If the mixture becomes too stiff you could add reserve water to it or if its runny continue stirring it. The mixture should be like a loose dough which could be spreadable.

(Channa dal mixture)

• Take a lime size dough and roll it as you would for chappati but medium thickness and then spread the dal mixture on the chappati.

(Spread dal mixture on rolled out dough)

• Now roll out another lime size dough into a chappati and place this rolled dough on the previously rolled dough and seal the edges with water.

(place the second rolled out dough on the earlier spreaded mixture)

• Once again rollout the rolled dough gently so that they adhere to each other and are sealed properly
• Place the puranpoli on a heated tava, after a few minutes when you see it puffing turn it and after a minute on the other side start pressing the puran poli with the back of a spoon turning them, it will puff up. This make the puran poli soft
• Place it a plate and spread ghee on both the side......and there you have it friends Puran poli!!!!
  
  

Note:

You could have puran poli just like that or with any curry. I like it with Rajma and I use the reserved water from the cooked dal to cook rajma.

Alternatively you could also make them by rolling the dough in small circle as in puri then adding the tbsp of dal mixture in the center making a bundle and rolling them again using a little flour.