Aam Ras | Aapus Aamras | How to make Aamras at home

Aam (Mango) ; Ras (Juice /Pulp) is the extract of the ripe mango fruit consumed in the western states of India like Maharashtra,Gujarat ,Rajasthan.

Aamras is a very typical and traditional dessert of the Indian Subcontinent and a summer season special.

 Traditionally the pulp would be extracted by softening the ripe mango and squeezing the fruit with hands.But now a days the juice is extracted using blenders to make the process hassle free and mess free.

In Karnataka ,aam ras is known as Seekarne ,Rasayana or Maavina Hannu Sihikarne . In place of milk, some people add coconut milk which makes it vegan friendly. 

I prefer Mango mastani while hubby loves Mango Lassi .So whenever I make ras at home , hubby gets his share of mango lassi while I reserve some to make mango mastani for me 

Alphonso / Aapus variety of the mango is generally used,but any sweet ripe mango can be used. Apart from Aapus,I have tried making aam ras using Raspuri  ,Badami and Mallika varieties which are very popular in  south India. 

Aam ras and Puri is a very favorite combo relished by most people in summer.  If you have spent a few years of your life in Bombay, Gujarat you can feel and experience the unconditional love for Aam ras puri that people have in this season.  

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : Nil
Makes about 2-3 servings.

Ingredients

3-4 Fresh ripe mangoes  (preferably Alphonso / any ripe variety)
Sugar as needed
2-3 strands of saffron
1/4 cup milk or coconut milk (optional)

Before making aamras make sure the mangoes are ripe and  sweet and not tart .Even one tart mango can change the taste of the aamras and hence ruin the total experience. 

Method

• Wash and peel the skin of the mangoes and cut them into cubes.
• Add the mango pieces,saffron,milk and blend into a smooth puree in a blender.
• If you feel the juice needs a little more sweet,add in the sugar and blend again or you can add some powdered sugar as well.
• Traditionally some dried ginger powder is sprinkled over the aam ras just before serving. This helps in easy digestion and also prevents bloating or gas .
• Serve chilled or with hot hot puris or fulkas .

Serving suggestions : 

Almond slivers can be added just before serving.

Freshly powdered cardamom can also be added for extra flavor .

To know how to make soft and tasty fulka ,click this link below

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Mumbai Style Veg Toast Sandwich

Living in Mumbai,one can experience a lot of street food items.Believe me its a treat to our taste buds.How much ever people crib about hygiene and cleanliness,people simply forget all of that when at a Pani Puri Stall or any Chat Stall and just get immersed in enjoying the chat. Not to forget ,that there are stalls that sell chat items made using Mineral Water  !!! Yes ,Yes ,you read it right..Mineral Water :-)
The traditional Dosas have been  adjusted to fit into the taste of the North Indians with varieties like Pav Bhaji Dosa,Veg Chopsuey Dosa,Schezuan Dosa etc etc.Such is the spirit of Mumbai and its Ever growing Food Lovers.
Now coming to the blog post..Sandwich...ahh!! the name itself makes me  drool.Again,its not just one variety.Go to a Sandwich Stall and you see a menu with atleast 10 different varieties..Club Sandwich,Grill Sandwich,Samosa Sandwich,Aloo Tikki Sandwich ,Plain veg sandwich,Toast Sandwich et al.
Even with so many varieties,the toast sandwich has been an evergreen hit among people of all age
groups.The specialty is that the sandwich is toasted using a hand toaster slowly over the charcoal which helps in slow cooking of the veggies inside and infuses a smoky flavor which is simply amazing.Here ,I have used the electric sandwich toaster,which gives a very close taste to what the hand toaster would give. There are various brands that manufacture the hand sandwich toaster,available in India.
Nostalgia !! Nostalgia !! Nostalgia !! I can go on and on about Mumbai and its street food ...
How much I miss .....
Now off to the recipe..

Preparation Time : 30 mins
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Makes about 3 sandwiches

Mumbai Style Veg Sandwich

Veggie Fried Rice

After my hands on making Hakka Noodles, I went ahead to make Fried Rice which was a long due.
Doesn't sound good to blow my own trumpet,but I have to say it,..it did turn out well and compliments were given by my hubby saying "The Flavor is really good" . :-)
Indeed a big feather on my cap. To go with the fried rice,I made Chilli Baby Corn - semi dry gravy.

Preparation Time :10 mins
Cooking Time : 30-45 mins
Serves : 2-3

Moong Dal Pakodas / Yellow Split Lentil Fritters

Who would not like to treat the taste buds with a palate of crispy,hot snacks and a piping cup of tea?Well,this is an apt snack for tea time,weekend parties or any get together.
Try this very famous street food of Mumbai aka Bombay which is served very very hot from the frying pan to the plate . This is a go to snack for many office goers on their return home as it is filling and tasty .

Requires some 3-4 hrs of preparation time and about 15 mins for grinding and frying you have the best snack with you to please your tummy :-)

Cripsy from the out and soft from inside,serve with tomato sauce or Mint Corriander chutney.

Preparation Time : 3-4 hrs (minimum 1hr soaking is needed)
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Makes about 24-30 pakodas / bhajias/ fritters

Neer Mor / Neer Majjige (Spiced Butter Milk) - Ramanavmi Prasad

Traditionally buttermilk is the residue that is left after churning out the butter/cream from yogurt.
Buttermilk / Mor / Chaas is a favorite summer cooler in most parts of Indian sub continent.

Come summer, we can find stalls along the streets serving cool buttermilk  churned out from huge earthen pots to the weary travelers during the scorching summer months.

Neer Mor (Neer - water ; Mor - Buttermilk) is the South Indian version of  savory butter milk. During summer even temples serve Neer Mor as prasadam to the devotees after the daily veneration and pooja rituals at the temple.

In South India the flavor of curry leaves and ginger will be predominant in the buttermilk while in North India ,roasted cumin powder ,black salt, chat masala etc are used for flavoring the buttermilk.

 In North India  Masala chaas  and Pudina Chaas are the favorite versions of savory buttermilk..Sweetened version of buttermilk is called Lassi and it is slightly dense and creamier than the chaas /mor.

Neer Mor is offered as a Prasadam /Neivedhiyam along with Panakam ,Kosamri (Vada Paruppu) on Rama Navami- Birth of Lord Sri Rama.

(write up and photos updated on April 8th 2022)

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time: Nil
Serves : 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup thick curd / non flavored yogurt
1 tsp grated ginger
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
4-5 curry leaves finely chopped
corriander/cilantro leaves chopped
pinch of asafoetida

4 cups water
salt to taste

Method

• Add the ginger,  green chillies and curry leaves in a blender jar and give it a  quick pulse in your blender to a form a paste.
• In a big pitcher or wide mixing bowl whisk the yogurt along with the green chilli paste, salt and asafoetida till they mix well.
• Slowly add the water and using a manual whisk or hand blender, blend it until frothy.
• Garnish with fresh corriander and serve chilled.

Note:

• In case,you donot have a hand blender,beat the curd well along with other ingredients except water using a spoon until creamy.
• Slowly add the water and stir well until all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Mustard seeds,seasoned in oil can also be added to the buttermilk for added flavor and taste.

You can also try the Omavalli Neer Mor . This is very flavorful and has a unique taste from the ajwain leaves also known as Dodpattre or Karpooravalli . 

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Rajma Masala / Red Kidney Bean Curry

Rajma (Hindi ) / Red Kidney Bean (English) ,though not a native of Indian bean variety,has gained popularity in North Indian Cuisine and is an inevitable part of any North Indian feast.
This bean was brought to the Indian sub continent from Central Mexico and Guatemala.
Some of the best grown rajma is from Jammu,India. They are small in shape and deep red in color with a slightly sweet taste.

Rajma  is a hard bean and takes time to cook,hence needs to be soaked for more than 10-12 hrs.

The gravy/curry is made using whole Indian spices and is a perfect accompaniment with steaming hot rice or rotis.

Rajma Chawal is a delicacy and heart throb of most North Indians. Any special occasion or event won't be celebrated without Rajma Chawal .Rajma Chawal has the same emotional connect with a North Indian especially Punjabis just the way Curd Rice had an emotional connect with a South Indian.

Nutrition Facts
100 grams of boiled Rajma beans contain 140 calories. 5.7 grams of protein, 5.9 grams of fat and nearly 17.8 grams of carbohydrate

Why do we have to soak the beans? 

• Soaking of beans for min 8 hrs or overnight ensures that the complex sugars present in them are broken down and it makes it easy to digest .
• Soaking also ensures quick cooking and less time and fuel spent in kitchen. 
• Before cooking, discard the soaked water , rinse it once again in fresh water and the beans are ready to be cooked.  
• If the beans are soaked overnight, we don't have to use cooking soda to make it soft. 
• Cooking for 7 to 8 whistles in a pressure cooker does the job well.

Rajma lovers like our family,am sure these recipes will be loved by you

Mexican Bean Rice

Bean Corn Quesedillas

Rajma pulao 

Vegan Rajma Masala (no Onion No garlic)

Rajma Sundal/Rajma Warm Salad

This rajma masala is a recipe close to my heart and also a super hit with family and friends . This post has seen the light of the day after 12 years and have updated with some decent pictures and information about cooking rajma and links to my favorite recipes. 

Preparation Time : 12-24 hrs
Cooking Time : 40 mins
Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

150 gms rajma / red kidney beans
2-3 medium sized tomatoes
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp garlic paste
2-3 bay leaves / tej patta
stick of cinnamon /dalchini
2-3 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
pinch of turmeric
corriander/cilantro for garnish

Method

• Wash and soak the rajma overnight or for 24 hrs or atleast 12 hrs.
• Rinse the rajma well again and in a pressure cooker,add the rajma,bay leaf,cinnamon stick ,pinch of salt and about 2-3 cups of water.
• Pressure cook for about 3-4 whistles or until soft .Drain the water and keep the cooked rajma aside.
• Make a puree out of the tomatoes and keep ready.
• In a skillet/kadai,heat a little oil,crackle the cumin seeds and saute the whole spices (bay leaf,cinnamon and cloves).
• Add the onions and saute until light pink.
• Add the ginger,garlic paste and saute till the raw flavor is lost and finally add the tomato puree.
• Put in the chilli powder,dhania powder,tumeric and about 1 cup of water(the rajma cooked water can be used) and cook well until the water reduces and a gravy is formed.
• Add in the cooked rajma and cook covered for about 7-8 mins .
• Adjust the spices at this stage if you feel spice level /salt is needed.
• Garnish with corriander and serve hot with rice or rotis.

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