A Quick Red Masala Puffed Rice.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Each person comes in your life with a purpose! Some come to get their work done, and very few people come and serve without much expectation. I am always blessed to have people from second category. And I am grateful about it. You all might be surprised about this! Today's post or recipe is from a person like that who served us for 14 years with so much love, affection and care. I am talking about an old lady who stayed with mom when mom became alone after my father's death. She wanted someone to be with her as I was living in UAE and my brother was in Maharashtra. Then this lady Neelamma entered our life. She was from a good family, and had lost her husband during the same period.  She never wanted to be a burden on her sons. She was looking for a house where she will be safe and can earn money by taking care of the house. God listened the prayer from both and the wish was fulfilled. We used to call her "Ajjiri". when she came to our house she was around 50 years old. And she served us till she was 64. But! her tobacco chewing habit turned her into a cancer patient and she passed away just two years back. 

WE all really miss you ajjiri. Especially my younger daughter. Ajjiri loved her more than her own kids. It was in her hand that Phalguni was brought up. As she was under treatment, we could not meet her regularly in her last days. Though mom and me visited her but we were scared to take Phalguni. When doctor told she does not have more days, we took phalguni to meet her and I will never forget the way she loved her, hugged her and blessed her. And very third day she left this life. My daughter always miss her and cry a lot now also.

Now, coming to the recipe, 

This was Ajjiri's favorite snack which tasted heaven. I tried many times to make the way she did, but always failed. Whenever we used to feel hungry in the evenings, we used to tell her, ajjiri please make kemp churmuri(red kurmura). Now also my family tells me to make ajjiri churmuri, the name is changed now.  

I know it's a very simple dish, but could not stop sharing this recipe with you all as I felt I should show my gratitude to her. 

I took this recipe(sounds silly, to write down in a diary to save so easy one) over the phone from Abu Dhabi, when I wanted to make it. Though after returning to India, I learnt directly from her, but could never make many dishes the way she prepared. She was whole in charge of the kitchen. Many years I entered kitchen only during lunch time and dinner time and enjoy all the food. 

Ingredients :

Crispy Puffed rice(kurmura) - 3 cups  per head

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped  

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, cleaned and finely chopped

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp+1tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Granulated sugar - 1 tsp

Lime juice - 1 tsp(optional, but tastes good)

Salt to taste.

Method: 

Take all the ingredients excep puffed rice in a long vessel or even a wide big plate(Ajjiri always used Paraath, a very wide plate with sides.)

Mix well and add puffed rice. Puffed rice should be crispy. 

Mix well again with your hands or spatula. Ajjiri used her hands and I always felt her hand added more taste and love to the dish.

Serve it immediately topped with sev, some more onion and tomato(Again this is optional) 

This is part of July Week 1, Cooking from Cookbook Challenge Group.

Keep Smiling, 

Hubli style GIRMITT (masala puffed rice)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
 Hi All,
Perfect weather for perfect dish of Hubli. Actually, this dish is perfect for any weather, any time. Some recipes hold a long story and history. Some recipes tell the whole tale about that particular place.
Hey, I really don't know the history of this dish and how it is connected with my Hubli-dharwad city. But we Hubli-dharwadians love this always.
Let me introduce my favourite snack -GIRMITT. (MASALA ONION PUFFED RICE).

If you enter our Hubli city, every corner you will get GIRMITT shops in the evenings.
According to my survey, I have three places where you get the best girmitt. First place goes to the "Hiremath's", whose shop is at Durgad Bail, the second place is near Unkal, the third is the shop at Manjunath Nagar, Gokul road.
The girmitt prepared near Manjunath Nagar  has the raw tomato chutney in it and tastes totally different from other.
Today, I am sharing the tamarind gravy recipe.
Let's start  making this yummy GIRMITT.

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:
Fresh and crispy PUFFED RICE(kurmura, churumari which is our North Karnataka word) - 3 cups per serve, cleaned.
Powdered sugar- 1tbsp
Powdered roasted gram dal(puthani pudi)- 2 tbsp
Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped
Ripe red Tomato -1 medium, deseeded and finely cubed
Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, finely chopped,
Sev(mixture) -1 tbsp, optional, I do not add as I feel it spoils the main taste.
Three long green chillies - pricked with a fork and shallow fried with dash of oil and salted.

Ingredients for the gravy :
Onion - 1 big or 2 medium, finely chopped
Curry leaves 10-15(optional), cleaned and chopped
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 TSP
Cumin seeds - 1/2 TSP
Red chilli powder 1 tbsp or more if you want it spicier
Green chilli- 1 finely chopped, (drop this if you like it less spicy)
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder- 2 TSP, don't add less as this alters the taste
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp (if the tamarind is very strong then take l/2 tbsp. Though My tamarind is strong or more tangy, I use full 1tbsp as I like the tangy taste)
Jaggery - 1 tsp powdered
Roasted gram dal powder (Dalia powder)- 1tbsp
Water -1/8 cup

Method:
Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
Add mustard seeds once hot. Allow it to splutter.
Add jeera or cumin seeds and curry leaves.
Now add onions(and green chilli) and saute it.
Cook it till the onion changes to light brown color. Now add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder. Mix well.
Add the tamarind paste and jaggery powder and 1/8 cup of water
Mix well. Cover and cook it on a slow flame till the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan.
Off the heat and keep the gravy to cool.
Gravy should neither be very thick nor watery.
Now everything is ready to serve.
Keep all the ingredients in hand.
Remeber the gravy should not be hot. It makes the girmitt soggy.


JUST before serving,
Take a round deep vessel to mix. It's easy to mix the girmitt well.
I love this process as the sound creates nice music to hear.
Put 2tbsp of gravy in the vessel.
Add 2 cups of puffed rice. Mix it slowly for 10 seconds. Now add 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar, 1/2 tbsp gram dal powder, 1 tbsp onion, 1 tbsp tomato. Mix it fast and quick.
Transfer it to the serving plate and garnish it with another half tbsp of onion, tomato and fresh coriander(and the sev if you want). Top it with fried green chilli and serve it immediately as it becomes soggy if delayed.

Adjust the spice according to your taste.
It tastes best if gravy is fresh. I don't like to make it a day before or even few hours before.
Hope you all will make this and let me know the taste.


Keep smiling,

VEGETABLE MASALA SANDWICH for PPCS (FOOD REMAKE)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

PARTY TIME FOLKS. Copying or imitating is easy and legal :-), I am here with a simplest snack of any time of the day. SANDWICH. I think Sandwich is the only food which has most of the variations of filling. You can fill any thing in between those square slices, have it just like that or toast it, roast it... Tastes awesome.

Today I am here with the healthy sandwich. Its VEGETABLE MASALA SANDWICH   which I have copied from my this month's partner Manjula Kanted of http://www.desifiesta.com/

Though I knew it before but was lazy to try it, Thanks to Manjula and Jagruti for giving me this opportunity to try this yummy sandwich. Its easy for those whose kids don't like vegetables.

The filling is a veg masala which we make for Pav bhaji. Make the bhaji thick and fill it in between white, brown or any bread slices.

We had it toasted in a toaster, my hubby had it plane only with butter,

It was really tasty and filling.

I am a good follower and a real copy cat ;-), followed her recipe exactly to the point. Visit her page for detailed recipe.

Sending to Jagruti's Potluck party 

Keep Smiling,

CRISPY POTATO HEARTS FOR PPCS (FOOD REMAKE)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

How are you dearies? Hope all is well at your end. 

Started my post like a letter :-), This month I got the perfect recipe from our group., February is the month of Love... and I got to make these lovely potato hearts.

A very simple, easy, quick but the yummiest snack for everyone.

I am not giving the details of the recipe here. Please visit Mon's PAGE to get the recipe.

My kids loved this chat and already ordered me to make again this Sunday :-)

Sending this to Jagruti's 

Keep Smiling,

GATHIYA ~ GUJARATI SPECIAL FOR ICC, JANUARY

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

How are you? Seeing me in Indian Cooking Challenge after 6 months. NO excuses, but really missed all the challenges. 

Hope you all are not Katti with me. 

Srivalli"s ideas are always very unique and she chooses the challenges very 

challengingly :-)

This time it is easier one, but again depends on the quantity of the baking soda 

and the time you roast it.

Srivalli has followed her friend Vaishali's recipe. 

And even my experience is same like Valli's. my dough also got stuck though I added water. And it was very hard to press, I had to call my daughter as my hands are not that strong to press. (got some problem)

And even I did not had mould for gathiya, I had this long strip one so thought of using it,

Whats there in shape??? right?

And I added some pepper powder to give a spicy taste, it was really good.

I used only 1/4th of the quantity as I already had a big packet of ready gathiya (ready made).

So, here goes my pictures for the challenge for the month of January 

which is Gujarati Special Gathiya. 

Here is the  original link from Valli's space:

Gathiya ~ Gujarati Special | How to Make Gathiya | Indian Cooking Challenge - January

AN EVENING TREAT TO MY SELF.

Keep Smiling,

Boondi Chiwda

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Festivals!!! Coming in a row... The kitchens are filled with aromatic flavors of sweets, namkeens and many more delicious snacks.

Today I am here with the recipe of Boondi Chiwda. Chiwda is a spicy crispy snack which goes well with a cup of tea, a very hot Bisibele Bath(Spicy Veg. and dal rice) or Upma.

The Boondi is prepared with gram flour. Here I have used the ready made packet of boondi. Haldiram's product is available at all the major shops. I used the local product.

I will try to give the home made recipe of Boondi  here soon.

Now, coming to the recipe,

Ingredients :

      Boondi - 250 gm(unsalted)

1. 1.Oil - 1/4 cup
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
4. Fresh Curry leaves - few
5. Pea nuts - 1/4 cup
6. Garlic - 10 to 12 big cloves, cleaned
7. Dalia - 1/4 cup
8. Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp(optional)
9. Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp(optional)
10. Dry coconut (thin shavings) - 2 tbsp
11. Red dry chilly - 6 to 8
12. Salt to taste
13. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
14. Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
15. Sugar - 1 tbsp

Keep all the ingredients ready in one place.

TAKE CARE TO ADD THE  INGREDIENTS ONE BY ONE AS I HAVE GIVEN.

Heat oil in a wide and thick bottomed kadai.

Add the mustard seeds, when splutter, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and pea nuts. Fry till the pea nuts are little golden.

Keep on adding other ingredients  till red chilly powder, slowly, keeping on stirring all the time. Once every thing is fried properly, remove from the heat. Add the sugar after few minutes. Allow it to cool.

Add the boondi and mix well. 

Store in a airtight jar.

It can be stored for a week or 10 days.

Keep Smiling,

A Quick Egg Cutlet

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Being a mother of two growing kids and a person who never likes to waste the food,  I am always in search of reusing the leftover food. Here is another recipe from leftover boiled potato. Whenever I boil potato for something, I have a habit of boiling one or two extra potatoes. Potatoes always come in handy for any quick preparation. prepare a salad with it, turn it  into jeera aloo, pakodas, mix with some vegetable to make it gravy.. 

The other day, when I prepared aloo paratha, I had kept one big boiled potato in the fridge. And afternoon, I told my daughter to bring eggs from nearby shop to make egg kurma for the night. She brought the eggs with one  broken..

I did not wanted to waste it, I transferred it into a bowl and thought of making an omelet. Then I saw my potato in the fridge, thought of adding it to the omelet. I mashed the potato and added in to the egg and went on adding few more things and finally came out with this nice cutlets..... Roll down for the recipe ..

Ingredients:

Boiled Potato - 1 big

Egg - 1
Green chilly - 1 finely chopped(less if for kids)
or 
dry red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Dhania powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil- 1tsp
Fresh coriander - 1/8 cup, finely chopped
Oats - 1 cup


Oil to shallow fry

Method :

• Beat the egg. 
• Add the mashed potatoes and add all other ingredients EXCEPT OATS and oil to fry.
• Mix well, adjust the seasoning, 
• Heat tawa, Till it becomes real hot,
• Take a big spoon of ready mix, give a pressed,round shape, roll it into oats to cover the cutlets on all the sides.
• Make all the cutlets ready and keep.
• Spread the oil, keep 2 to 3 cutlets on tawa and fry on all the sides. Repeat with other cutlets.
• 
  
• Serve HOT with sauce.

Its perfect healthy snack for kids. But try to serve it hot as it it tastes like rubber once its cold.

Keep Smiling,

Dill leaves Vada(ಸಬ್ಬಸಿಗೆ ವಡೆ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Winter is saying bye... but, some snacks are always welcome, in any season, at any time, with something or nothing. As a side dish in full meals or just as a whole snack with a cup of tea in the evening.

And this snack comes under the same category.  This  is prepared using dill leaves and is a deep fried snack.

The dill leaves gives unique taste. This is again my mom's favorite. She will be waiting for me to say yes to make this( I am very strict daughter, who never allows her to eat oily things).

There is a person who has small moving cart like vehicle, I am seeing him from many years making these in the evening. And always there is a huge rush for this. I too used to eat from his shop when I was in college, Now a days, these hygienic things in my mind won't allow me to eat roadside stuff!!! (very funny)

A very common deep fried snack and I have seen many friends have posted the recipe. That was the reason I was delaying to post it even though I clicked this many months ago. May be the procedure and the ingredients are different.

Here is my way:

Ingredients :

Dill leaves :- 1 small bunch

Chana - 1/2 cup

Green chilly - 3 to 4

Curry leaves few

Salt to taste

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Rice flour - 1 to 2 tbsp

Oil to fry

Method :

• Clean the dill leaves. Wash and chop finely
• Soak the Chana for 2 hours.
• Drain the water and grind it to very coarse paste with green chilly and cumin seeds. 
• Add the dill leaves, rice flour and salt to it. Mix well. Add water if needed to make very thick paste. It should not be watery. Just enough water to combine the ingredients.
• Heat oil in a kadai. When hot, take a small portion in your palm, give a flat round shape and put into oil to fry.
• Fry in batches. Fry till golden brown.
• Enjoy it the way want..

In my house, the plate never stays full. I should hide few for me before I call others to have it.

Sending this to 

Radhika's event

Announcing My First Event ~ Deep Fried Snacks

Keep Smiling,

Thin poha(avalakki) masala(ಹಚ್ಚಿದ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am in Pune for my and my kid's vacation. They both are enjoying their summer camp. I am also enjoying my getting up late in the morning chatting with my sis-in-law, shopping and other things.

I am very sorry I am not able to post regularly. The main reason for this is, my brother's computer is  under repair and I have to wait for him to come home to use is personal laptop. But I will try maximum to use it and post the recipes when ever I get chance.

Coming to the recipe,

Poha, beaten rice, flattened rice, avalakki, call by any name!! A great help for unexpected guests or for quick food for a hungry stomach. Can make many dishes with this!! There is thick poha also which is used either soaked in water or fried in oil.

Even the thin poha is used in many ways. Today, I am giving you one recipe, and hopefully will try to give other recipes also.

This was my father's favorite. He was the first to come home from office. And he loved to keep this ready for us!!!

And, this is a common evening snack in North Karnataka. In Dharawad, there is a canteen from many years named "L.E.A. CANTEEN" which is mainly famous for this poha which we call in Kannada "Hacchida Avalakki". The way he prepares this is really so good, and difficult to get the same taste in the house!!!

What we need for this is,'

Flattened rice or thin poha - 200gm

Onion - 1 big, cubed

Green chilly - 2 to 3, cleaned and finely chopped

Curry leaves -few

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Pea nuts - 2 tbsp(Optional)

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - pinch

Sugar - 1tsp

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Fresh coconut - 3 tbsp, grated

Fresh coriander - handfull, chopped                                

Heat oil in a kadai, Add mustard seeds. When these splutter, add cumin seeds and pea nuts. Let the nuts fry for 30 seconds. Go on adding, curry leaves, green chilly, onion. Fry till the onion changes its color. Add salt and turmeric. Off the heat. Now add lime juice and sugar. Allow it to cool.

Take the cleaned poha and mix it with the ready onion masala. Add fresh grated coconut and fresh coriander.

Enjoy it in the evening with hot cup of tea.

Keep Smiling,

Masala stuffed Brinjal Fritters (ಮಸಾಲೆ ಬದನೆ ಕಾಯಿ ಭಜಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Brinjal fritter is prepared in many ways. It depends on your taste, your time and the occasion. Each region has its own way to prepare this bhaji. I am trying to do it the way it is prepared in Gadag District in Karnataka. When my mother was still working she got transferred to Gadag for 2 years. Every day she used travel from Dharwad to Gadag by 3 types of transportation. First, early in the morning I used to drop her to bus stand. From there she will travel in bus till Hubli, From Hubli to Gadag in train and from Gadag station to her office in mini cab!!! While coming back from the office, she used to  have this bhaji which is a famous street food. I never had this as I never got chance to have it when ever I traveled to Gadag. So I have taken mom's instructions and took her help to make it with little changes, as I felt the taste will be better if I do the changes.

Going to the recipe,

Brinjal - 4, medium, purple

Oil to fry the fritters

Wash, cut brinjal into very thick round pieces(3 pieces in one brinjal)

Again slit the brinjal in to two  pieces, keeping one end intact. Put them in salt water and keep aside.

For batter,

Gram flour - 1/ cup

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

salt - very little only for the cover, as we are going to add again in stuffing

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp crushed

Ajwain - 1/4 tsp crushed

Haldi - pinch

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Mix all in a bowl and keep aside.

For stuffed masala,

Green chilly - 4

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander - handful

Salt to taste

Curry leaves few

Mix everything in a blender and make into a paste.

Take the brinjal out in a plate. Drain the water. Stuff the green masala in to it as shown in the photo. 

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Dip the stuffed brinjal in to a batter and fry them in a oil. Remove from oil and keep it on a tissue paper to remove any excess oil.

But, when I tasted these, I felt the stuffed masala is still raw, So I fried the green masala and then stuffed it. This also tastes good. 

So the choice is yours!!!

Sending this to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen's event Vegetable Marathon:Event Announcement

Keep smiling,

Can any one guess what is it?

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Can any one guess what it looks like(I think it is easy to guess!!), But what dish is this???

It is Alu pakoda(Potato fritter), which my mother prepared today evening. And when I took one pakoda to check the taste, this one came in my hand!! 

Recipe for pakoda in few days!

Keep smiling,