SUKHA BHEL

Sukha bhel is now a world famous snack, as it is not only tasty but convenient too, for both serving at parties and for carrying along picnic basket.  We all love the street food and bhel is one of the most popular dish from roadside vendors. Even if we are on a diet, we can’t resist the temptation of bhel. It is tasty, appetizing and probably not all that unhealthy. No addition of wet chutneys  keep it more dry and crispy. Because of that it is called as dry bhel or sukha bhel. During summers you can add grated or finely chopped raw mango to this and make it slight sour and tang. If you are not using raw mango then increase lemon juice amount slightly.  Sukha bhel is very easy to make, a simpler version of bhel puri,  healthy as well as we are adding most ingredients raw.   This type  of sukha bhel are usually sold at the railway stations or bus stations or many times you will find the vendors outside the college or commercial office buildings. When you add sweet and tangy tamarind chutney and spicy coriander chutney then it is geela bhel. Because the chutneys are wet meaning geela. Here I have used some papdis for making bhel which you can make at home or can buy them from super market. So make this and satisfy your cravings for a chaat instantly.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Kurmure [spiced murmura]
1 chopped Onions
1 chopped Tomatoes
½ Raw Mango, chopped finely/ grated
½ teaspoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoon chopped Coriander
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoon roasted Peanuts
2-3 tablespoon roasted, spicy Chana Dal
2-3 tablespoon Fried Coconut
2-3 tablespoon Nylon Sev
2 tablespoon medium thick and spicy Sev
4-5 pieces Papdis [which we use for papdi chaat] [optional]
Regular Salt as needed
¼ teaspoon Black Salt
1 tablespoon Sweet Tamarind Chutney [optional]
1 tablespoon Spicy Green Chutney [optional]
½ teaspoon Chaat Masala Powder [optional]
¼ teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder [optional]

METHOD:
STEP 1 – Take a big bowl, add murmur and all dry ingredients in it. Break the papdis in small pieces and add.  Roughly mix the mixture.
STEP 2 – Now add roasted spicy peanuts, fried coconut and spicy chana in to it.

STEP 3 – Then add chopped onion, tomato, chopped raw mango, chopped coriander, finely chopped green chillies, salt and mix it well.

STEP 4 – Squeeze the fresh lemon juice and toss everything together till well combined.

STEP 5 – Remove it to a serving plate and enjoy it.

 NOTES: * To keep the bhel dry, I skipped addition of chutneys.

                    * If want to make geela bhel, add 1 tablespoon sweet tamarind chutney and 1 tablespoon spicy green chutney in step no. 2  and give a nice mix. Toss everything together until well combined.

SOLKADHI

 Sol kadhi is a popular drink in the entire Goa- Konkan coastal belt. It can be consumed completely on its own or can be served with the main course. Sol kadhi is an interesting drink that combines the sweetness of coconut milk with sourness of kokum. For added taste and flavour curry leaves, garlic and dry red chillies is added to impart spiciness. This makes sol kadhi a complete meal in itself that fulfils almost every taste that is prescribed by Ayurveda and which must be included in our every meal- sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and salty. It serves as a coolant and aids in digestion and is typically consumed after a spicy fish curry.  It is anti-inflammatory and is a great remedy for acidity. It is most famous digestive drink in Malvani cuisine. I have tasted it first at one of my Goan friend now settled in Mumbai. I loved it and want to make it at home.  After few days my daughter’s friend brought me a pack of kokum from Alibagh. I am so excited to try this kokum kadhi and this is my how I started making sol kadhi at home. It turned out super delicious and my hubby is also very happy after tasting it. Sol kadhi is my favourite drink now and although I can devour it in any season. But it is especially refreshing during these mercury-soaring summer days. Give this sol kadhi recipe a try at home, if you haven’t tasted before. Post your suggestions in the comment box below.  

   

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 Aamsul / Kokum

2 Cups + 1 Cup Water

1 Cup Thick Coconut

Salt as needed

1 tablespoon Sugar

For tempering:

1 tablespoon Oil

Pinch of Asafoetida

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

5-6 Garlic Cloves, roughly crushed

2 Dry Red Chillies

1 sprig Curry Leaves

1 tablespoon Coriander Leaves, chopped

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Rinse kokum / Malabar Tamarind/ Amsul with water. Then soak them in a bowl with 1 cup water for 25-30 minutes.

STEP 2 – After 30 minutes, crush kokum petals with hands and squeeze completely in the water itself.

STEP 3 – Now keep a strainer over a bowl,

pour the kokum mixture and strain it.

STEP 4 – Press it and extract all the flavors from kokum.

STEP 5 – Then add more 2 cups water and 1 cup coconut milk and mix well.

STEP 6 – Add sugar and salt and

  mix until well combined and sugar get dissolved completely.

Add chopped coriander and mix well.

STEP 7 – For tempering, take oil in small tempering pan and heat it.

STEP 8 – After heating oil, crackle cumin and mustard seeds, add a pinch of asafoetida.

STEP 9 – Then add roughly crushed garlic, dry red chillies and curry leaves, mix well and cook for 30 seconds.

STEP 10 – Pour this tempering in the kokum mixture and give a nice mix.

STEP 11 – Mix and sol kadhi/ kokum kadhi is ready to serve.

You can serve sol kadhi straight away or you can refrigerate it for 1-2 hours and then serve chilled.

NOTES: *Here I used readymade coconut milk by Dabur Hommade, but you can extract your own at home. The procedure for this is given in my earlier post of solkadi on my blog.

  

MANGO LASSI

Mangoes…!!! The King of Fruits has many followers world over. Yeeeeaaahhh, they are delicious and more than half of Indians are passionate with them. Mango lassi are my very favourite drink to order at restaurants and likely one of my favourite beverage of all time. Punjabis and Maharashtrians love mangoes and have mango-based recipes in almost every course of the meal, right from the Aam ka Achaar made with raw mangoes to delicious, cool mango lassi, aam ras, mango shrikhand with juicy ripe ones. With the mango season upon us, now is the perfect time to enjoy mango lassi.  

This refreshing mango lassi recipe uses only few ingredients only. Cardamom gives the lassi a hint of spice and is ready just in 5 minutes. I love the creamy combination of sweet mangoes and tangy yogurt. The mango pulp imparts a rich golden colour as well as an irresistible aroma and flavour to this drink. You can make this drink even if mangoes are bot in season with frozen pulp. Enjoy making Mango Lassi recipe with detailed step-by-step photos and video below.

📌📌Watch the full video recipe here📌📌

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Mango Puree

2 Cup Yogurt/ Curd

1 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Sugar / Honey

¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder

Few Ice Cubes

8-10 Pistachios, finely chopped

8-10 Almonds, finely slivered

2 tablespoon mango pieces [diced into very small pieces], for garnish

Few Mint Leaves, for garnishing [optional]

METHOD:

STEP 1 – In a mixing bowl or a wide mouth pitcher, add yogurt, mango puree, sugar, milk, ice cubes and cardamom powder.

STEP 2 – With a hand blender, mix it well until well combined.

STEP 3 – Taste if the sweetness is less and add more if needed. Adjust according to your taste. Pour in individual serving glasses.

STEP 4 – Garnish with chopped pistachios, slivered almonds and mint leaves. Ready to serve.

Serve cold to enjoy this creamy and healthy mango drink.

NOTES: * If you like strong mango flavour, you can add more mango puree.

              *If you are using canned mango pulp, then adjust the sugar because some canned pulp contains added sugar. So adjust accordingly.

             *If you are using chilled milk, mango pulp and yogurt then skip adding ice cubes. 

             *If do not have ice cubes, you can refrigerate ready lassi in refrigerator until ready to serve.

MOTICHOOR PARFAIT

Desserts are overwhelming for me, I can never got bored of making them because my elder daughter and my husband are big fan of desserts. When it comes to some innovations with desserts I never look back. Just like I have this post for you today and this again a dessert, actually it is a east meets to west dessert recipe today. The base ingredient used for this recipe is our Indian and the name given is western. When I see something being served in jars or glasses I get tempted and feel like making them right away. And the same thing exactly happened few days back. As soon as I found the recipe and luckily have boondi/ moticoor ladoos at home, there was no looking back. Motichoor ladoo and whipping cream is all you need to make this delectable parfait. Served in a pretty glasses, this fusion dessert has a layer of crushed motichoor ladoos at the bottom, followed by a layer of chopped nutsand whipping cream and again followed the same layering and topped with some motichoor ladoo crumbs and nuts. You can make different versions by using gulab jamun-rabdi/ boondi-rabdi, etc. It doesn't get easier than this. Fancy desserts are getting popular as each day passes by, motichoor ladoos in a modern avatar and impress your friends and family. Don't forget to share your feedbacks or suggestions in the comment box below.

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 Motichoor Ladoo

1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

2 tablespoon chopped Almonds and Pistachios

METHOD:

STEP 1 - Crumble the ladoos and keep them aside.

STEP 2 - In a mixing bowl, take whipping cream

and whisk it on medium speed for 5-6 minutes.

Don't overdo, whisk it till soft peaks.

STEP 3 - Fill in the piping bag.

STEP 4 - Now take serving glasses, make a layer of motichoor crumbs, sprinkle some chopped nuts 

and then pipe a swirl of cream on the top.

STEP 5 - Then again repeat the same layering.

STEP 6 - Finally, garnish with some chopped nuts and crumbled ladoo. Chill it in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

Remove from fridge and serve chilled.

ROSE LASSI

Rose lassi is a cooling and refreshing summer drink, traditionally a Punjabi drink but has gained popularity throughout India. This recipe is nothing but lassi flavoured with rose syrup. Rose lassi is flavourful and healthy and anytime refreshment drink. It is sweet and rich drink and perfect to quench out thirst for this hot summer. This famous Punjabi drink is perfect to serve with lunch or even to have as a snack by itself because it is quite filling. Rose lassi is a creamy affair of rose syrup and yogurt. This drink is soothing and acts as a great coolant during anytime of the year. Reason being both yogurt and rose are great coolants and I just love the light pink colour of this drink and I think it is favourite of any girl. Today we have a heavy breakfast and skipped lunch. Had homemade yogurt, rose syrup so thought of making this lassi. Use any good brand of rose syrup for this recipe or you could search a recipe of fresh rose syrup using fresh rose petals and dried rose petals. India has a variety of lassi to offer. They are generally served in earthen wares or tall glasses. Rose lassi, mango lassi and dryfruit lassi are few version of lassi which are my favourite. So let’s start making rose lassi.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cup Fresh Curd/ Yogurt

½ Cup Chilled Milk

2-3 tablespoon Rose Syrup

Sugar as needed

Few Ice Cubes

Dried Rose Petals for garnishing

Chopped Nuts for garnishing

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Combine curd, milk, rose syrup, sugar, ice cubes in a mixer blender.

STEP 2 – Blend until smooth and creamy. Instead you could use a churner to make lassi.

STEP 3 – Pour lassi in tall serving glasses or earthen glasses.

STEP 4 – Garnish with chopped nuts and dried rose petals and serve chilled.

Serve chilled lassi on a hot summer day and enjoy. 

KOLHAPURI KAT VADA

Kat vada is an authentic Kolhapuri recipe made with a mix of two dishes, vada and spicy curry / kat. It is super spicy and has a ton  of texture and every bite is full of flavour. There are a few different versions of making this, depending on the region. Here I made a spicy tomato based stew with moth sprouts and topped it with Indian Croutons. Kat vada is a very popular street food / breakfast from Maharashtra. Kat vada is a spicy and oil broth and has a crispy topping, served with fresh sweet buns/ pav. When you combine taste with health in Maharastra, you get an amazing dish that is known as Kat Vada. One can never go wrong in chossing Kat Vada/ Missal Pav as a breakfast/ lunch/ evening snack or dinner. My family is a big fan of this dish right from the day we tasted it first. To all the spicy food lovers out there vada is a recipe that is a must try. Do try this recipe and you will definitely like it. Do not forget to share your feedbacks and suggestions below in the comment box.

INGREDIENTS:

For Masala:

2 teaspoon Oil

1 big Onion, chopped

1’ Ginger Piece

6-7 Garlic Cloves

 ¼ Cup Dry Coconut, grated

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds

1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds

1 Black Stone Flower

1’ Cinnamon Stick

1 Star Anise

6-7 Cloves

2 Green Cardamoms

10-12 Black Pepper

1 Tomato, chopped

For Kat:

4 tablespoon Oil

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2 teaspoon Chilli Powder

Salt as needed

4 Cup Water

1 Cup Moth/ sprouted Mataki [optional]

For Vada:

6-7 Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed

1 tablespoon Oil

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

5-6 Curry Leaves

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt as needed

10-12 Garlic Cloves

1’ Ginger

2 tablespoon Coriander Leaves

3-4 Green Chillies

For Cover of Vada:

2 Cups Gram Flour/ Besan Flour

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

Salt as required

Water as needed

Oil For Frying

For Serving:

1 Cup Farsan / Mix Namkeen

1 tablespoon chopped Coriander

1 chopped Onion

Ladi Pav

METHOD:
For Making Masala:

STEP 1 – Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan, add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, coconut, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, stone flower, cinnamon stick, star anise, black and green cardamoms, cloves, black pepper and roast them till coconut turns brown and all spices turns aromatic.

STEP 2 – Add chopped tomato and mix well. Cook for the next 4-5 minutes. Cool down to room temperature.

Transfer the mixture to a mixer pot and blend it to fine paste. If needed add 1-2 tablespoon water while grinding.

For Making Kat:

STEP 1 – Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, let them crackle. Add curry leave, ground masala, asafoetida and sauté well until raw flavour goes away. You have to cook it on low flame.

STEP 2 – Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and mix it well.

STEP 3 – Add soaked moth sprouts and water mix it well.

STEP 4 – We have to make a thin gravy, so add all water accordingly.

Cook for 1-2 boil and kart is ready. Keep it aside.

For Making Vada:

STEP 1 – Boil, peel and mash potatoes and keep aside.

STEP 2 – In a mixer pot, add green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic and make a coarse paste.

STEP 3 – In a pan, heat oil and crackle mustard seeds in it. Add chopped onion and sauté it until raw smell vanishes.  

STEP 4 – Then add curry leaves and freshly ground mixture and roast it well.

STEP 5 – Add turmeric powder and salt and mix it well.

STEP 6 – Now add mashed potatoes and mix well until combined with the mixture.

Cook for 1-2 minute and switch off the flame. Potato mixture for vada is ready.

STEP 7 – Transfer the mixture in a bowl and let it cool down to room temperature.

STEP 8 – Divide thepotato mixture into equal parts. Now take one portion and make shape it to form a round ball.

STEP 9 – Press it little and let them flatten and keep aside. Repeat the same and make all the vadas. Keep them aside.

Make Besan Batter for Cover:

STEP 1 – In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients for making cover and mix it well.

STEP 2 – Add water little by little and whisk it well to make a semi thick batter. Don’t make it too thin or thick.

How to Proceed:

STEP 1 – Heat oil in a wide kadai.

STEP 2 – Dip the vada/ tikki in a besan batter and drop it into hot oil. Add 2-3 vada at one time. Deep fry until golden brown.

STEP 3 – When done from one side, gently flip it and fry from another side.

Remove and keep them on tissue paper to drain excess oil.

How to serve:

STEP 1 – In a serving palte, put potato vada and just press and break it with finger.

STEP 2 – Pour 1-2 ladleful of kat over it.

STEP 3 – Add namkeen farsan, chopped onion, chopped coriander, squeeze lemon juice and serve it with ladi pav and enjoy.

NOTES: *It is not compulsory to add moth sprouts in kat. You can make kat with or without moth sprouts.