GopalKaala | Thayir Aval

GopalKaala is one of the many offerings made to Lord Sri Krishna for Krishna Janmashtami .
A very yummy prasad made using Aval/Poha/ Pressed Rice, thick yogurt/ dahi , fresh corriander, chillies and a mild tempering of mustard . Some people even add a few pieces of finely chopped fresh cucumber.
This recipe is basically a "Oil Free & No Cook" recipe as we use the gas only for preparing the tempering with a few mustard seeds. This preparation can be used to satiate the mid morning hunger pangs or a light dinner too if we are not in a mood for an elaborate cooking.

Preparation Time : 10 min
Cooking Time : Nil
Serves : 2
Complexity : Simple

Sabudana Chivda - Vrat ka chiwda (Upwas Special)

Sabudana Chivda is a famous Maharashtrian snack prepared using Sago Pearls / Jawwarsi  .
A snack prepared primarily during the days of fast like Navratri , Ekadashi , Shivratri and the likes.

Faraali Pattice  and Sabudana Vada are other popular snacks which are also a Vrat Special Menu

 Special fasting snacks also known as faraali naastha  use Rock Salt / Shendha Namak and Green chillies  . Most of the families donot use the regular table salt .

If preparing sabudana chiwda on normal days we can use regular table salt and also red chilly powder for extra spiceness.

We use Nylon Sabudana for this chivda which is different from the usual Sabudana that is used for preparing Sabudana Vada / Sabudana Khichdi.  

• Nylon sabudana appears translucent and is hard in texture ,making it perfect for deep frying.
• Nylon sabudana is parboiled or par cooked in steaming water while the regular sabudana is sun dried or roasted and the pearls are smaller in size .
• Nylon sabudana turns opaque and increases in size on frying. 

Nylon Sabudana

Preparation Time : 5 mins

Cooking Time : 20-25 mins

Complexity : Medium

Ingredients
100gms nylon sabudana
handful of groundnuts
2-3 green chillies (finely chopped)
handful of curry leaves
rock salt / table salt as needed
1 tsp powdered sugar
oil for deep frying

Method

Heat oil in a kadai ,and carefully drop a handful of sabudana into the hot oil . The pearls will tend to splutter and burst as it begins to fry , so close the frying pan with a lid and leave a gap for steam to escape.
As the spluttering stops, you can see that the pearls have swollen up well and appear crispy like popcorns. Drain and keep it in a wide bowl.

Fry the groundnuts until crisp followed by the curry leaves and green chillies . Mix it with the fried sabudana . Add required amount of salt and sugar and toss it well. Store in an airtight container and use a dry spoon for serving.

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Wheat Halwa | Godhumai Halwa ( आटे का हलवा) - Instant halwa

The moment we hear the name Godhumai Halwa/ Wheat halwa , we can visualise a nice glossy spoonful with dripping ghee that will slide down our throat giving us a sense off eternal bliss and happiness :)

Traditionally , this halwa is made by soaking whole wheat grains for about 6-7 hours and then grinding and extracting the wheat milk, which is further cooked in ghee and sugar mixture with continuous stirring until it gets to the halwa consistency. Trust me the end result is worth all the effort and labour involved in preparing it.

Now a days in this fast paced lifestyle ,not many have the patience to make it the traditional way and resort to buying it from the shops .
Today, I shall tell you how to make this halwa at home with whole wheat flour and achieve the same taste without much exertion and strain.

Preparation Time : 5 mins
Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Serves : 2

Ingredients

1 cup/whole wheat flour

1-1.5 cups sugar
4 cups boiling water
3-4 cardamom pods
3/4 - 1 cup ghee

Method

• Powder the sugar and cardamom powder in a blender and keep aside
• In a deep pan, heat 1/4 cup ghee and roast the whole wheat flour until it turns brown and you can feel a good aroma of roasted wheat flour.
• Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasted wheat flour and stir quickly to prevent lumps.
• Add the powdered sugar and keep stirring by adding ghee little by little .
• After 5-6 mins the entire mixture will look glossy and ghee will start oozing from the sides and the mixture will leave the sides of the pan. This is the perfect consistency .

Notes:

• You can also use more ghee if you want the dripping effect as available in stores, I dint use much and restricted to using less than 3/4 cup.
• Continuous stirring is the key to get a seamless ,glossy and lump free texture.
• The water has to be boiling when pouring else, the wheat flour will form lumps.
• The halwa can be poured on a greased tray and cut into squares also like how we do for barfis.
• preferable to use a non stick vessel as it will help in cleaning later.

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Aloo Matar Tikki | Potato Peas Patty

Potatoes are versatile and can be used anywhere and everywhere . Most of the fast food items or Indian Chaats / Street food are potato based . Today I am going to share another popular Indian Snack, Aloo Mutter Tikki. Tikkis are nothing but patty or cutlets which are shallow fried on a griddle and served with some tamarind dates sauce or corriander chilly dip.

Makes for a very good  starter at any party or dinner / lunch get togethers .You could make the tikkis well ahead of time and freeze them and just before serving , thaw them for about 5-10 mins and then shallow fry to serve them hot. This way you can save a lot of time
The same tikki can be used as base to make Ragada Pattice or Aloo tikki chaat.

Preparation Time : 30 mins
Cooking Time : 10-15 mins
Complexity : Easy
Serves : 2-3

Crispy Corn

This I am sure is a very favorite recipe for all those who have dined at Barbeque Nation outlets in India . Along with the yummy and lavish spread of grilled food menu , this crispy corn is something that I always look up to munching on at barbeque nation.
It is very easy and quick to make at home, with just a few regular ingredients available in our pantry.
Only care to be taken is to be careful while frying the corn as it tends to splutter and burst when put in hot oil.

Preparation Time : 5 mins
Cooking time : 10-15 mins
Complexity : Medium

Base gravy for curries - no onion & garlic

The moment we think of paneer butter masala ,mattar paneer ,malai kofta ,Vegetable makhanwala etc , we can immediately visualise a lovely bright orangish  gravy with the perfect blend of spices and a hint of ginger garlic paste sautéed in tomatoes and onion .

What if I tell you , the same texture and taste can be achieved when you prepare without onion and garlic ?? Cannot believe your eyes ... worry not , I shall present to you the recipe for a basic gravy that you can prepare and modify it into any classic North Indian gravy .

Preparation time : 15 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins
Serves :2-3
Complexity :simple

Hayagreeva Maddi | Hayagreeva - Udupi Mutt Prasadam

Hayagreeva Maddi or Hayagreeva as this sweet is popularly called was offered to Lord Hayagreeva(an Incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu with a horse face) by a very devout devotee daily at the Udupi Mutt.

Hayagreeva maddi or Hayagriva mandi is a traditional offering made especially on Hayagreeva Jayanti . A very easy and a delectable sweet made using Channa dhall / bengal gram and jaggery with some ghee,dry fruits and fresh coconut .

 There is a myth that the Lord in the form of a white Horse would come and partake this Prasadam / Offering . Even to this day, this sweet is offered to the Lord as prasadam daily .

Who is Lord Hayagreeva ?

 Lord Hayagriva  /Hayagreeva is an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu with a horse face. Lord vishnu took this avatar to retrieve the vedas that were stolen by the Asuras / Demons . Haygreeva avatar is a lesser known avatar of lord Mahavishnu and is worshipped for being bestowed upon with good knowledge and intelligence.  Children are taught to pray to Lord Hayagreeva before commencing Education /schooling .

The day on which Lord Vishnu incarnated as Hayagreeva ,it is celebrated as Hayagreeva Jayanti and it is on this day that the Brahmins change their holy sacred thread (poonal) and this festival is known as Avani Avittam . 

Preparation Time : 45 mins
Cooking Time : 20-25 mins
Complexity : easy

Recipe credit - from chef Venkatesh Bhatt on a cooking show 

Ingredients

1 cup channa dhall / bengal gram
3/4 cup or 1 cup jaggery grated
2-3 tablespoon of ghee
1 tablespoon fresh grated coconut
pinch of cardamom / elaichi powder
handful of cashews and raisins

Method

• Wash the bengal gram well and soak it for about 10-15 mins and pressure cook until it becomes soft with a pinch of haldi .
• Mash the dhall coarsely using back of a ladle or a masher. Do not mash it too fine,let there be a few pieces of the dhall to get the bite when you eat the sweet.
• In a wide pan, melt the jaggery with a little water and let it come to a rolling boil. In case of impurities, filter the jaggery syrup using a sieve.
• Add the mashed dhall and coconut gratings to the jaggery syrup and mix it well with 2-3 teaspoons of ghee. 
• Cook the mixture on medium flame by stirring occasionally to prevent burning until it thickens and appears glossy . Turn off the stove.
• Add the cardamom powder, 1 tablespoon ghee along with roasted cashews and raisins and mix well.
• Garnish with some fresh grated coconut and offer it to the lord and enjoy the Prasad.

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Faraali Pattice - Vrat ka khana

Faraali pattice is a very popular Gujarati snack ,specially made for fasting / Vrat . The main ingredient is potato and this is stuffed with a tasty mixture of peanuts, cashews , raisins and fresh grated coconut.

Not necessarily, this has to be made only while you fast, it can be made as a starter to welcome your guests for a party or tea time snack  for a kitty party with your friends and because of the favorite veggie Potato, this surely will be a kid's delight always and will vanish away in no time.

If making this for vrat, make sure to use Shendha Namak / Rock Salt and ArrowRoot powder as binding agent .
On regular days one can use table salt and cornflour/maida for binding.

Preparation Time : 40-45 mins
Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Serves : Makes about 8 pattice
Complexity : Medium High

Potato Crispies | Crisp Golden Fingers

This is the name I have given for this recipe, you can call it potato fingers, golden crisp potatoes or whatever you like.
I had tasted this in a house warming ceremony of our friend and fell in love with this ever since. I tried to replicate the taste and texture at home and slightly tweaked the recipe to suit our family palate. These crispies can be served as a tea time snack or as a starter for parties and even goes well with Bisi Bele Baath or regular Rasam rice or any kind off variety rice .

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Complexity : Medium
Serves : 2-3