Tuesday 20 July 2021

Sambhar....non traditional way !

 Sambhar....different recipe.

This is a simple way of making a Sambhar, I was making dal but as I started and found ingredients in fridge the recipe took a different turn. Try it, you will love it.
Ingredients
Masoor Dal - 1 cup/ vaati
Drumstick - 2 nos (peel,cut in 1inch pc)
Onions - 1med size (sliced not chopped)
White onion 1 (petals) optional.
Tomato 2 nos (puree)
Ginger garlic paste -1tspn
Diced carrot / beans if available.
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
Red Chilly powder - 1tspn
Sambhar powder (MDH or everest) - 1 tblspn
Peppercorns - 4pc
Dalchini small pc
Methi seeds - 1/4tspn
Jeera - 1/4tspn
Whole red chilly 1 pc
Curry leaves - 8pc
Oil for frying
Ghee for tadka (tempering)
Water
Salt as per taste.
Method:
Soak, wash masoor Dal, add turmeric/ peppercorn/dalchini and cook in cooker (4 whistles).
Mash and keep aside.
Heat oil, add sliced onions & saute till light brown, add ginger garlic paste and stir for a minute. Add chilly powder and mix properly. Add veg & white onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree and cook well till thick. Add mashed masoor Dal, water as per desired consistency and mix well, simmer for 2 minutes. Add Sambhar masala, salt and bring to boil.
Heat ghee (1 tblspn) add jeera, curry leaves, methi seeds & whole red chilly. Let it crackle, then temper the Sambhar and cover it for few seconds.
Your Sambhar is ready to serve. 
Eat with ghee rice or plain steamed rice (no basmati please)
Happy cooking & eating !

Sunday 18 July 2021

Food Cravings in Rains

 Food Cravings in Rains

It's raining, it's pouring and as usual Mumbai is marooned, we are doomed to face water n power outages. It's normal.

There is one more normal that happens to us in monsoons, in cloudy weather......craving for food & that too chatpata !

The brain sends quick signals of pakodas, batatwada, hot harbhara chana chaat (streetside), bhutta and garam chai. For the 'anytime kuch bhi chalega" types it is pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, hot meduwada, hot brownie.

Here are Two quick fix snacks -

Masala potato sticks: boil n mash potatoes, add ajwain (oregano), finely chopped chillies, salt. Mix and for binding add little cornflour. Make a dough, roll it thick (fries thickness), cut into strips and deep fry. Eat with tomato mayo or mustard mayo or just tomato ketchup.

(Eggitarian) Fun Eggs - hard boil eggs, cut into half, remove yolk. Mash the yolk, add finely chopped onion, chilly or chilly flakes, oregano, salt. Mix well with a spoonful of mayo. Dip the cut egg halves in beaten egg, roll in breadcrumbs and deep fry. Fiil the halves with yolk mixture, grate cheese on top. Then just EAT !

More easier: beat egg, add chopped onion- chilli, grated cheese, take breadslice dip it in mixture and shallow fry. Ready to eat in 15min.

Of course Easiest is Bun Maska and tea.