Just a girl from aamchi Mumbai

Chutney Diaries 5 – Rajasthani spicy Garlic Chutney

I must admit I was worried about my “Chutney Diaries” series as I just could not think of a good chutney recipe to make at all. However my worries were over when my sister in law served me this very spicy and delicious ‘Garlic Chutney” for lunch during my recent holiday.

She is from Rajasthan which is a state known for its elaborate and royal cuisine and my sister in law is a fabulous cook and makes some really exotic food from the state whenever we visit her. And this chutney was no exception.

She told me that it was a specialty of Rajasthan and is usually eaten during winters with “Bajra (Maize) Rotis”. The main ingredient in this recipe is obviously Garlic which is a staple in Indian cuisine. Garlic has medicinal properties and especially in winters when you have cold and flu, a small amount of garlic every day helps in a quick recovery.

The chutney is really spicy and needs to be eaten in moderate quantities with anything you desire. There are also a lot of different ways of using Garlic to make chutneys but this is my sister in laws way and we all love it.

Recipe (cooking time 30 minutes)

3 Bulbs of Garlic (around 6 – 7 cloves per Bulb and we used really big Bulbs so the Cloves were big as well)

3 medium sized Tomatoes pureed (Use fresh Tomatoes only)

1 Onion medium sized (grated with a cheese grater)

5 – 6 dry Red chilies

1 tbsp Green peas

Salt to taste

½ tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Sugar (Optional)

1 ½ tbsp Mustard Oil

1) Soak the Red Chilies in a tbsp of Water and leave it overnight. The next day just grind it to a fine paste. If you are really pressed for time just soak the chilies in Hot water for 15 minutes.

2) Heat oil in a pan till it is smoking. Chop the Garlic into rough pieces and add them in the oil and sauté till slightly Brown but not burnt.

3) Now add the grated Onion and sauté till the Oil starts to separate. Now add the Tomato puree and cook it till it becomes a little thick and any excess water in the Tomato has evaporated.

4) Add the Salt, Turmeric powder, Green Peas, Red Chili paste and Sugar and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. Cool and put in an airtight container and serve as desired.

Tags: Chutney Diaries, Chutneys, Rajasthani Cuisine

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Dips

A dish for a mother’s favorite child – Jackfruit (Kathal) Sabzi mom style

25 Nov

I am sure everyone who has ever had a sibling has accused their parent of playing favorites with the other child.In my case I have always felt and told my mother that she loves my brother more than she loves me, a claim she vehemently denies. I was a terribly naughty and curious child always getting into trouble. But my brother was a very obedient and sweet to the point where nobody could fault him, so ofcourse he had to be the Apple of my mother’s eye.

I always complained that she loves him more and doesn’t love me at all. And she would always tell me that it was not true, which I never believed. My mother would occasionally make our favorite dishes and one of them was “Jack fruit sabzi” or “Kathal” as we commonly call it. I could never get enough of it and I would always emotionally blackmail my mother to make it for me when the fruit was in season.

As we grew older and both my brother and I moved away from home our relationships with our parents changed drastically. But one thing that never changed was the way she made this Sabzi and how it would magically appear in front of me every time I came home. And as I became more mature and forgiving I could see the love that she has always had for both of us, which I in all my silliness never noticed and the fact that I am also her favorite Child.

So this year when I visited India and she made it for me again, I knew I had to blog about it and share this lovely recipe. What I love about this vegetable is its flesh and the seeds. The flesh of the Jack fruit is starchy and fibrous and is a source of dietary fiber but it is a difficult fruit to handle and chop (worst than a Pumpkin). My mother also fries the fruit before she cooks it so it cooks faster and tastes even more delicious. But don’t let the difficultly in chopping it stop you from cooking it. It is by far my most favorite vegetable dish, something I can eat everyday if I can.

Recipe (Cooking time 45 minutes, serves 4 – 5)

1/2 kg Jack fruit without the Green skin

2 medium sized Onions roughly chopped

2 large Tomatoes Pureed of chopped really fine

1/2 inch Ginger

5 cloves of Garlic

1 medium sized Cinnamon stick

2 Cloves

1 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red Chilli powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 cup Vegetable Oil.

Handful of fresh Green Coriander for garnishing

1) Cut the Jack fruit into medium sized pieces. If they are difficult to handle put some oil on your hands to chop them. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and fry the Jack fruit pieces few at a time till they turn Golden on all sides. Remove from the hot oil drain on a paper towel and keep aside.

2) In the same pan (if there is excess oil you can remove it, she usually uses 2 tsp of Oil) add the Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Garlic,Cumin seeds and Coriander seeds. Fry for a minute or 2 and then add the Onions and Green chillies. Fry the Onions till they turn brown. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before blitzing it in a grinder to a smooth paste.

3) In the same pan add the Onion paste and cook for a few minutes till the oil starts to separate. Now add the Tomato puree and cook for 5 – 7 minutes before adding the fried Jack fruit pieces.

4) Take 1 cup of water and add the Salt, Red Chilli, Turmeric and Coriander powders, mixing everything well. Add this paste to the pan on top of the Jack fruit. Cover and cook for 10 – 15 minutes till the fruit turns a little mushy.

Serve it hot garnished with freshly chopped green coriander along with fresh chapatis sprinkled with a little Ghee and you will thank me for it

Tags: Indian Vegetarian Food, Jackfruit Curry., Mom's food

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Mains - Vegetarian

2 years of blogging and I finally belong

20 Nov

I started blogging 2 years ago out of a passion to cook and share recipes. A lot of my friends encouraged my shoddy attempt to be a amateur food writer, photographer and a cook. If you ever get the chance to see my earliest recipes you would cringe to see the photographs clicked by me.

I did not and still don’t have a camera, my “I phone” is my trusted aide and I use it click all the pictures. I don’t develop recipes at all. Infact very few recipes on this blog are mine the rest are recipes I have seen on other people’s blog or shared by friends (ofcourse giving them due credit). Some people took my passion seriously, some treated me with kindness that you will shower on an child who wants to do something new and you know may not succeed. And some just plainly ignored me.

There were days when I just wanted to give up and throw the towel in. After all blogging was not giving me anything besides being an outlet. I had a full time job and things to do at home, so my hands were pretty full anyways. But for some reason I did not give up. Once in a while someone would comment on my blog telling me they liked my recipes and some kind soul who would dare to make something from my blog, would message me that they enjoyed it, kept me going.

And then a few months ago I got to chance to be a part of a ‘Eat Drink Blog Australia 2013” conference, where food bloggers from around Australia would get together to share, talk and learn more about blogging. Luckily it was being held in Perth so I did not have go anywhere else. I send in my registration full of nervous anticipation waiting to hear that I was accepted. I had travel plans, which I changed in the hope and everyday I checked my mail.

They say good things come to those who wait and waiting is a game I play really well. I finally got my acceptance mail and then came more waiting for the D day or shall I say D weekend. Every few weeks we would get mails from the organizers sharing the agenda, activities and a million other things that were planned for us. I was impressed the meticulous planning and it made me even more nervous. Especially as I would be meeting these bunch of professional bloggers who clearly knew what they were doing wherein I had no idea on how to even take pictures, forget about writing.

The night before the day we had our conference I lay awake tossing and turning, unable to relax. I wondered what I would wear, what I would say, who I would meet, would I be accepted. I mean till now I had suffered from this identity crisis. I did not know if I was an Indian food blogger who lived in Australia or was I an Australian food blogger who wrote about Indian food. I was sure I was none and I could feel my armpits sweating with nervousness as I walked to the destination.

Once I entered the venue I was shocked to see the number of attendees. There were around 100 people in that room on that hot sunny day with food and drinks stalls to cater to ever hungry demand. I was still nervous and kept frequenting the ladies room to stare in the mirror and make sure I looked presentable. I had worn an Indian outfit to ensure my identity as a Mumbai girl was intact but being in that room with so many amazing people had me shaking in my fancy mojris (Indian ethnic shoes).

Slowly as I started meeting and talking to people my nervousness subsided. Everyone was genuinely friendly and interested in knowing me and talking about my blog. The sessions we had around blogging were informative and completely in context with whole conference, keeping us hooked and engaged. We learned about Coffee making from “Five senses“, had a discussion on growing and eating locally as well as discussions on blogging ethics and legal awareness. Food and goodies were provided by Littlesweet baking, European foods, Jean piearie sanchos. There was a constant flow of good food throughout with the evening ending in a pop up dinner where everyone just got to unwind and chill.

The day could not have ended on a sweeter note and if that was not enough the next day we had the opportunity to take part in a pastry masterclass with chef Emmanuel Mollois for the launch of his new cook book “Patisserie”. He taught us to make the most amazingly delicious Choux pastry filled with a Monte Carlo Cream mousse. And I couldn’t have been more happier.

By the time the second day ended we said our goodbye I felt completely at home in the company of all these people I had just met a day ago who had taken the time to get to know me, talk to me and even follow my blog. When I got into the car to go back home it just hit me that I belonged here, that I was an Australian food blogger. India is my identity, my cultural heritage. But Australia and especially Perth is now my home and there is where I am from.

I also realized that my blog was now 2 years old and I was being accepted as one of the bloggers from down under. Could I have asked for a better birthday present for my blog. I think not. I slept well after going home that night, very content and inspired with all the bright people I was surrounded by during the EDB13 conference.

Comments 21 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Chutney Diaries 4 – The very tangy raw Mango Chutney

8 Nov

Summers are not my favorite part of the year. The crazy hot summer sun makes me angry and really grumpy. Especially in Perth where the temperatures can soar up to 50 degrees sometimes, I just don’t look forward to the summers.

But one thing that I do love about summers is the fact that we get mangoes for a few months. I think for every Indian mango has to be the most loved fruit. We make pickles, chutneys, smoothies, desserts and even curries out of it and the list is never ending.

So when I saw some raw mangoes in the local super market I knew I had then to make some chutney. And chutney I made, it was tangy, delicious and really easy.

If you know how to bottle chutneys you can bottle this beauty and use it for some time. The Chutney goes really well as a relish for sandwiches, especially grilled Chicken. Hope you will try and make use of the Mangoes so readily available in Perth at the moment and make this Chutney for your family.

Recipe ( makes 1 cup, cooking time 20 minutes)

2 medium sized raw mangoes
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp Panch Phoran (Panch phoran is a Bengali 5 spice mix readily available in all Indian shops)
1 tsp Sugar and Salt as per taste
3 whole dry red chillies
1 tsp turmeric powder

1) Wash and remove the skin and the seed of the Mango and cut into small pieces.

2) Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan till it is hot. Add the Panch phoran, once the seeds splutter add the dry red chillies.

3) Add the chopped mangoes and cook on a medium flame. The mango will go all pulpy and mushy.

4) Add the salt, turmeric powder and sugar mixing well. Cook till the mango has completely mushed up. As the Mango I used was very tangy I had to add a little extra Sugar to balance the flavors, so please adjust the seasoning as per your taste.

Cool and put it in the fridge in an air tight container.

Tags: Chutney, Dip, Relish

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Dips

Celebrating Bhai Dooj with my brother’s favorite dish – Aloo Bhindi

5 Nov

According to the Hindu calendar today is the auspicious day of “Bhai Dhooj”. Bhai in Hindi means brother and in India we celebrate two different days in the whole year which are special for brothers and sisters. One is “Raksha Bandhan” where the sister ties a thread on her brother’s wrist and he promises to look after her and protect her.

And the second which is today is “Bhai Dooj”. On this day sisters show their love by putting an auspicious vermilion mark on the forehead of their brothers and perform a pooja of him by showing him the light of the holy flame as a mark of love and protection from evil forces. There are a lot of legends associated with this day.

One of them being Yamaraj, the Lord of Death and the Custodian of Hell, visits his sister Yami, who puts the auspicious mark on his forehead and prays for his well being. So it’s held that anyone who receives a tilak from his sister on this day would never be hurled into hell.

Since I am so far away I have not had a chance to celebrate this day with my brother for many years. So typically I would pray for him on this day, call him and make something special thinking of him. And there is nothing more then “Aloo Bhindi” that my brother loves the most. Bhindi or Lady Fingers/Okra as is it is typically called is his favorite and he can eat tons of it, non stop, everyday, several times a day. He has been known to pick up the utensil that it is cooked in and just demolish the whole thing in one go.

Okra when cooked releases a sticky, gelatinous-like substance which can be a bit iffy and puts off a lot of people. But when cooked well can be crispy and really delicious. And to get the crispiness is to cook it is on high heat standing guard making sure it doesn’t burn. It cooks really quickly so you don’t have to spend hours doing it. Again like most Indian recipes it can be cooked in a 100 different ways but this is the way my brother loves to eat it and as it is his special day I am making it the way he loves.

Here is wishing all the brothers and sisters around the world a “Happy Bhai Dhooj”.

Here is my mother’s recipe (cooking time 20 minutes, serves 4 – 6 but if it is my brother it will only serve 1)

500 gms fresh or frozen Okra

2 large Potatoes

1 large White Onion

Salt to taste

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Red Chilli powder

1 tsp Dry Mango powder

2 Garlic cloves thinly sliced

1/2 tsp Hing or Asafoetida powder

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1) Wash and completely pat dry the Okra and cut them into bite sized chunks and keep them aside. Cut the Potatoes into the same size and keep aside.

2) Heat the Oil in a thick bottomed pan and the add the Cumin seeds and Asafoetida. Once the seeds start the splutter add the Potatoes and fry them on a medium flame.

3) Once the Potatoes have turned slightly Golden add the cut Okra and increase the flame a little bit more and start mixing. You have to keep an hawk eye here and make sure you keep stirring the Okra so it doesn’t burn. This will help the Okra will stay crispy.

4) After 7 – 10 minutes when the Okra becomes a little soft add the thinly sliced Onions, Garlic and all the masalas and cook for another 5 – 7 minutes. We do not want the Onions and the Okra to be mushy, there has to be a bite to the dish.

Once cooked server hot with chapatis.

Tip: Do not be tempted to leave the kitchen when cooking the Okra, I usually stand and keep stirring it every minutes so it stays firm and doesn’t burn.

Source :http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/bhaidooj.htm

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Mains - Vegetarian

The guilt laden Zucchini Pakoras (Fritters) sandwich

30 Oct

We Indians love our Pakoras or Bhajiyas as they are commonly known back home. Pakoras are nothing but different vegetables deep fried in Gramflour and eaten with spicy dips and Chutney’s. It is a famous tea time snack and is very popular in the rainy season with the soft and hot Pakoras melting in your mouth creating a perfect symphony with the beautiful rain.

I am however not a Pakora or a Bhajiya person, I do not like the fact that they are deep fried in so much oil but sometimes I do make exceptions and go the deep fry way. So when I had half a Zucchini lying in my fridge, which was not enough to use anything else out of it, I thought making Pakoras was my best bet.

Now you don’t have to wait for rains or Tea time to enjoy these sinful treats. I actually cut a Turkish Bread in half, lathered it with lots of spicy Peanut and Mint chutney and then stuffed the bread with slices of Onion and the Pakoras. Oh my god, it was a treat. I finished a whole sandwich for dinner and felt terribly guilty after it.

But I guess this is why you eat such things, to enjoy them, to savor them and just relish the taste of the deep fried goodness in between soft bread with the crunchy Onions and tangy Chutney.

Here is the recipe (cooking time for the Pakoras 5 minutes, preparation 20 minutes)

1 Zucchini

3 tbsp Gram flour powder

1 tbsp Semolina

1 tsp Red Chilli powderhttp://en.wordpress.com/post/

1 tsp chat masala or Amchur powder (Dry mango powder)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Vegetable oil to fry (I used around 1 cup of Oil)

1 cup water to make the batter

1) Wash and cut the Zucchini in medium sized pieces.

2) Add the gramflour and semolina in a bowl. Add the Salt, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Chat masala and mix them well.

3) Now start adding the water slowly mixing gently making sure that you don’t have lumps and there is a thick runny batter formed.

4) Add the Zucchini and let it rest in the batter for around 10 minutes.

5) Heat oil in a pan and now add the Zucchini pieces, dipping them in the batter one by one. Make sure that the gas is on a medium flame as the gramflour may burn quickly without the Zucchini being cooked. Don’t add all the Zucchinis at the same time. Do a few at a time ensuring there is enough space to turn them around.

6) Once the Zucchini is browned on both sides remove them from the oil and drain on a kitchen towel before you serve them with some hot chutney or stuff them in between soft slices of Bread. Enjoy !!

Tags: Mumbai Street food, Pakora, Sandwich

Comments 16 Comments
Categories Starters, Street Food

The Chutney diaries Part 3 – Mint & Peanut Chutney

28 Oct

Hello, Hello keeping in line with my promise to create different types of “Chutney’s ” every fortnight, let me introduce you to the very special chutney which is very popular back home in Mumbai. It is almost a staple condiment on our dinning table and something we use like Butter to lather over our sandwiches, use a dip for Nachos and even as a marinade for Chicken drumsticks.

It is very spicy considering I add 3 – 4 green chillies in it and can really tantalize your taste buds. The ingredients are easily available and there is no cooking required, so there is no reason why one cannot make it. If you don’t want to make Indian food to serve with it, that’s fine. Just serve it with a bowl full of French fries or Nachos and you will have a very different dip on your hands.

It is very quick to make and I just cannot have enough of it. Here is the recipe.

Recipe (No cooking required, ready under 10 minutes)

1 cup fresh green Coriander

1/2 cup fresh Mint leaves

3/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts (make sure you use deskinned Peanuts)

Juice of 1 Lemon

2 Garlic cloved

3 -4 Green chillies (you can use only 2 if you don’t like it really hot)

1 small Onion roughly chopped

Salt to taste

1) Wash the Coriander and the mint and put everything (Except the Lemon) in a blender/grinder and blitz a few times till you have a nice paste.

2) Make sure there are no Peanut bits.

3) Add juice of half a Lemon and taste, if the chutney is too spicy add the remaining Lemon juice.

4) Chill and serve with anything you want to as a Condiment.

Tip: I love to marinade Chicken drumsticks with this Chutney and grill them. Tastes absolutely delicious.

Tags: Chutney, Chutney Diaries, Dips, Indian Dips

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Dips

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Just a girl from aamchi Mumbai

Chutney Diaries 5 – Rajasthani spicy Garlic Chutney

A dish for a mother’s favorite child – Jackfruit (Kathal) Sabzi mom style

2 years of blogging and I finally belong

Chutney Diaries 4 – The very tangy raw Mango Chutney

Celebrating Bhai Dooj with my brother’s favorite dish – Aloo Bhindi

The guilt laden Zucchini Pakoras (Fritters) sandwich

The Chutney diaries Part 3 – Mint & Peanut Chutney

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