Sabudana Khichdi /Sago Khichdi

When ever I think of  white transparent pearls called Sago or Sabudana in India, it takes me to my childhood memories .

My parents were working and there was no one at home to pick us after school, so rickshaw fellow used to drop us at our door step.Then we will go to neighbors house to collect our keys handded over to them by our parents and neighbor aunt will ask do you want to eat some thing? But as good kids we would say no, knowing in our heart n mind that our mom would have left something for us in kitchen, so that our small tummies are not hungry and we can wait for mom to come back from work and prepare some hot and yummy food for us. So this short brunch of our's used to have either sweet dalia, sabudana kheer, or fruits.

Over the years, as I was growing for some unknown reasons I stopped liking dalia and sabudana kheer. Also, I had never tasted dalia upma or sabudana khichdi until my destiny took me to Maharashtra where during my short stay we used to get sabudana khidchi or vada on every Thursday in our office cafeteria. From then on wards I started liking this salty version of Sabudana and learned how to prepare it at home.  You can have this khichdi as a breakfast item or as an evening snack. Some people eat it during Vrat/Upvas.

Here is the simple and easy recipe of Sabudana khichdi.

Ingredients:

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cup sabudana/ sago
2 chopped green chilies
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander
3 tsp roasted and crushed ground nuts.
3-4 tsp oil
few curry leaves(optional)
1 parboiled chopped potato (optional)
Salt to taste

Step by Step guide to prepare Sabudana Khichdi:

• Wash sabudana and soak it in water for 4-5 hours. 
• Drain excess water if you want each and every sabudana pearl separate.
• Dry roast groundnuts until they turn brown and keep it aside,
• Heat oil in a pan , add cumin seeds, roasted peanuts and cook for 1 minute.
• Add  chopped potatoes, green chilies and  stir for another 3-4 minutes.
• Add sabudana, salt and give it a quick toss with rest of the ingredients.
• Cover it with a lid and cook on low medium heat for another 3-4 mins.
• Sabudana white pearl will start changing into transparent pearl ... and this tells khichdi is ready :)
• Add lemon juice and give it a quick stir.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and sabudana khichdi is ready to serve.

Notes:

• To know sabudana is ready to cook or not  press it with your fingertip and it will not disintegrate.easily.
• You can use groundnuts skin after roasting or you can remove it by pressing it between kitchen towel using your hands or rolling pin.
• Adding potato is optional but it gives nice taste.
• Some people garish using grated coconut along with coriander leaves and that taste good as well.

Methi Matar Malai

Methi Matar Malai is one dish that my younger sis wants to order every time we go to any North Indian restaurant. I remember, I had never heard about this dish untill I moved to Bangalore. We had this dish first time Tandoor@M.G. road. While di-secting recipe ingredients, I was able to make out that this recipe is creme based but still I was missing one special flavor.

So, yesterday I had fresh methi in fridge, but I was not interested in cooking Aaloo Methi, ya..ya I know aaloo is the commonly used vegetable, whenever some kind of pairing is required by another vegetable, like aaloo gobhi, aaloo matar, aaloo gajar, aaloo methi etc...aaloo is ready to jump in any dish happily .. :) while going through my other options in fridge, I found fresh matar/green peas and fresh malai waiting for me. :)  At that time I decided lets try Tinny's favourite Methi Matar Malai. 

I searched few recipes and finally settled on two recipes, one from Dassana and other one from Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. I prepared this dish after taking best inputs from both sites and result was awsome, I was able to get Tandoor flavor, which made me happy :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cup chopped methi/ fenugreek leaves
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 large onion
• 1 green chilli
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp dry mango powder
• 3-4 cloves garlic chopped 
• 1/2 inch ginger chopped
• 1/2 cup cashewnuts.
• 1 cup fresh creme/ malai
• 3 tsp oil
• Salt to taste

Step by Step guide to prepare Methi Matar Malai.

• Clean and wash Methi/ fenugreek leaves.
• Boil  green peas in a separate pan until they become soft.
• Grind onion,green chilli, cumin seeds and cashewnuts with 2-3 tsp water in a mixer and keep it aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan and add grounded paste and cook for 7-8 minutes until raw smell of onion goes off.
• Add methi/ fenugreek leaves and 1/4 cup of water. 
• Add salt, dry mango powder.
• Cook for another 10 minutes on low-medium heat.
• Add boiled green peas and mix well . 
• Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add cinnamon powder, malai or fresh creme and mix well. Cook it for another 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat
• Methi matar malai is ready to serve.
• You can have it with phulka/chapati or basmati rice.

My Notes:

• Boil green peas before hand, otherwise they will not get cooked properly .
• Cinnamon enhances flavor with cashewnuts.

This is a creme based recipe so it's not at all spicy, but not completely sweet as well. Hope you like it.

Gajar ka Achar / Instant Carrot Pickle

This is the first time I prepared any kind of pickle. Over this weekend my MIL and I prepared gajar ka achar and I have to admit that within two days half of the bottle is over J.

When I was young my mom and elder sister use to make this achar during winter’s. I think gajar ka achar or mixed vegetable achar is prepared in almost all the Punjabi families throughout the country during winter’s. This is so quick and simple that you can eat it once you fill the jar with it.J

Ingredients:

4 Carrots

1 Green Chilli

1 Ginger

1/2 tsp Ajwain/caroom seeds

1/2 tsp methi dana

1tsp chilli or as per taste

2 pinch of hing / asofideta (optional)

2tsp Yellow/black mustard seeds

1/2tsp turmeric powder

Salt as per taste

1/2 cup mustard or olive oil

1tsp lemon juice (optional)

 Steps to prepare Gajar ka Achar:

• Wash carrot, green chilli, Ginger and make them dry using kitchen towel to make sure there is no trace of water.
• Cut washed carrot, green chilli and ginger length wise.
• Grind Mustard seeds coarsely and keep it aside.
• In one bowl add, mustard seeds, ajwain, methi dana, hing, salt, red chilli, turmeric and oil.
• Note: if you are using mustard oil then heat it until it comes light yellow in colour or strong smell goes off. Let it cool for some time and then add to the mix.
• Store in an air tight container and you can use it immediately or within 15 -20 days.

Note: 

• If you are using mustard oil then heat it until it comes light yellow in color or strong smell goes off. Let it cool for some time and then add to the dried pickle masala's.
• I used yellow mustard seeds,but you can use black one as well.
• If you are keeping this pickle for 15-20 days, then please keep it in sun for some time and mix well every day if you can.
• If you like cauliflower pickle then you can it to the same mix. It tastes too good.

Keep Rocking and Happy Cooking.

Gur Wali Patti....

Winter season is something that I miss a lot since I have moved to Bangalore.

When ever my sister over the phone mention's that they are enjoying moongfali, til wali gajak, gur wali patti, garam doodh while sitting in rajai with angeethi in the room to normalize inside room temperature..... I just  feel like catching next flight to north India so that I can enjoy this weather and be with them .....

 Winter season is coming to an end and I do not know when I'll be going to north India in 2013.....missing you all ....

Ok, Let me stop begin emotional and share my first attempt to preapre Gur wali patti for Lohri 2013. ( til mooli ... din wade te raat choti)


Ingredients for Gur wali patti:

1 cup grated gur /jaggrey
2 tsp water
oil to grease a plate/ surface
1 cup roasted moonfali/groundnuts
few chopped cashews


Steps to cook Gur wali Patti:

• Roast moonfali in a pan until they become little brown and crunchy.
• Take one non stick pan and add 2 tsp water and grated Gur. and cook on medium low heat.
• Cook melted gur for another 5-10 mins until  it starts turning red/dark brown in colour.
• Now to test whether gur is ready for patti or not, pour one drop of gur in a cup of water and try making a small ball out of it. when you bite this ball it should be crunchy.
• At this point add roasted moonfali, cashews and keep on stirring.
• Apply oil on one plate. or flat surface.
• Pour gur and moonfali mixture on plate and try to give it some shape using ladle while it's hot. It's necessary to give it some shape now otherwise it is difficult to give it shape when it's cold.
• let it cool for some time and then you can break it into pieces and store in an air tight container.

This was my first attempt to prepare some kind of patti and I am  kind of satisfy with the outcome. Still I am finding that something is missing in this as this is not what I get in market... I'll continue my search and trials until happiness comes to me :)

I am sending this post to My Legume Love Affair - 56. Susan,the well seasoned cook started this event and has been running it for years. This month Lisa takes over, congratulations and all the best :) Check out the archives to get new ideas for using legumes.

Happy cooking!

Veg Pasta in White Sauce

First time I had pasta with my lil sis at Pizza Hut. Both of us just loved there mushroom spinach pasta in white sauce.

I have a habit that if I like some thing in food, art, craft, I want to replicate that on my own to see whether I can do that or not.

Same happened with white sauce :). People say it's very easy to prepare white sauce, but I made a couple of mistakes before I got this recipe and it works like magic. I shared it with my sis and friends and they also liked it, so it's error free..

Very innovative special decoration with apple pieces is done by B :).

Ingredients for preparing Veg pasta in white sauce.

• 2 tsp maida  (all purpose flour)
• 2 tsp butter
• 300 ml milk
• 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 clove (laung)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• chopped vegetable, 1 zucchini, 1/2 yellow & red capsicum, 3-4 mushroom
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• salt to taste
• Penne Pasta
• Oregano Powder
• Spring onion for garnishing.

Steps to prepare white sauce:-

• Add bay leaf, onion and clove to milk and gie it one boil.
• Remove bay leaf , onion, clove from boiled milk and keep milk aside.
• Melt butter in a pan on medium low heat 
• Add maida and keep on mixing for 3-5 mins.
• Add boiled milk slowly and keep on stirring to avoid lump formation.
• Keep on stirring until you get desired white sauce consistency and keep it aside.

Steps to prepare veg pasta:-

• Boil Pasta in a pan with 1/2 tsp oil until it gets cooked.
• Run boiled pasta under cold water, so that they do not stick to each other.
• In another pan melt 1tsp butter .
• Saute chopped garlic, onion, mushroom, capsicum, zucchini.
• Add boiled pasta to veggies.
• Add white sauce prepared earlier and mix it well, so that veggies and pasta is nicely covered with white sauce.
• Add Oregano, freshly crushed black pepper, salt as per your taste.
• Garnish with green spring onion and server Hot!

Tomato chutney

I am not a big fan of tomato, but when I had this chutney with dosa I want to have it every time:) It's so yummy and licking good.

My neighbor shared her recipe with me, so all credit goes to her :) Thanks for sharing your cooking secret.

You can have this chutney with dosa, parantha  or with spicy pakora's.

Sorry for bad pic.. used P n S camera and stood in the light way while taking pic ;). Will upload better version soon...

Ingredients for Tomato chutney:

2-3 chopped tomato
1 small chopped onion
1 small green chilli
salt to taste
1-2 tsp oil


For Tampering

1 tsp refined Oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
few curry leaves.

Steps for preparing Tomato Chutney:

• Take oil in a kadhai and fry onion until it becomes soft for 2-3 mins.
• Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, salt and cook for another 5 mins until  tomatoes become soft.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Once it comes to room temperature grind it in mixer.

For Tadka or Tampering:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and let it sputter.
• add curry leaves
• Add grinded chutney
• Tomato chutney is ready to serve

I prepared it few days back and served with Hot Idli's...

Happy Cooking and keep on smiling.:)

Besan Ladoo

Ladooo's are every one's favorite and are most often prepared or purchased sweet in North India during any Puja or festival .

During Diwali I prepared Rasmalai, Bengali Rasgulla and Besan ladoo to make this festival extra special by preparing home made sweets.

Besan Ladoo is one Indian sweets that you can keep for days and enjoy when ever you want to.

Besan Ladoo Recipe.

2 cups gram flour/ Besan

1/2  cup melted desi ghee

3/4 cup powdered sugar

4 tsp chopped almonds, cashew

1/2 tsp cardamon powder

Steps by Step guide to prepare besan ladoo....

• In a kadhai roast besan in desi ghee over low medium heat.
• Roast besan until it becomes golden brown in color.
• Keep on stirring constantly to avoid burning besan.
• You will start getting sweet smell of roasted Besan in your entire house and consider it ready.This will take about 10 to 15 mins.
• Remove from heat and allow it to cool. DO NOT bring it room temp, make sure it is little warm that you can touch.
• Add Sugar powder, cardamon powder, chopped almonds, cashew.
• Now take fist full mixture and make small balls and let them cool.
• To garnish take one besan ladoo and dip it in little desi ghee and then paste one almond on it.
• Besan ladoo is ready to serve.

Note: Do not add extra oil otheriwse ladoo will become flat. Also, store them at room temperature not in Fridge.

Thanks for going through my blog and Happy cooking!

Other Ladoo Recipes:

Khoya Sooji Ladoo