FRIED CHIVDA

Fried poha chivda

Fried Chivda is a fried snack made from a special kind of flattened rice. This is a rich Maharashtrian snack prepared during Diwali or can also be prepared as an afternoon snack. It is also prepared in other states with slight recipe changes. It is made from flattened rice - there are 2 versions to this, the earlier one (chivda/chevdo) which I had shown on the blog was the sauteed version. This one is a richer version as it involves frying all the ingredients. 

There are a couple varieties of flattened rice available in the market - thick, thin and a special variety just used for frying  - we need that special one (ask the grocer). If you use other kinds, chivda might come out oily which won't taste good. 

One more thing you will need is a round variety of frying utensil with tiny holes which will hold the poha perfectly while frying.

Ingredients :-

4 cups special thick flattened rice (used for frying)

Handful each of chana dalia , golden/black raisins, raw peanuts, cashew halves (optional)

Broken chilies, dalia, curry leaves and raisins

3 long green chilies, broken into pieces

8-10 curry leaves

Salt to taste

1 1/2 tsp red chili pwd. or to taste

1/8 tsp cumin-coriander pwd.

1/4 tsp sugar

Oil for frying

Round stainless steel frying utensil / spider with tiny holes

Frying utensil

Process :-

1.  Turn on the oil on medium heat. Keep everything ready as you will need to fry them in batches according to  their frying time. Also keep a large mixing bowl ready.

2.  Here you will put the fryer inside the oil and drop a handful or two of poha, use a spoon to turn making sure all the poha are fried. It will take around 1-2 mins, make sure all the oil is drained before you dump the fried poha in the mixing bowl. Fry them in batches, poha will puff up when they are fried.

Fried poha and peanuts

3.  Next fry dalia, rasins, peanuts and cashews separtely dumping them over the poha in turns. Raisins will turn plump when you fry them. Keep in mind that raisins, cashews and dalia get fried pretty quickly, you want to keep an eye on them.

Fried dalia, peanuts, curry leaves, chilies and raisins

4.  Next are green chilies and curry leaves. Be very careful as green chilies might splutter when frying, you want to stay away from the stove top. Curry leaves need less frying time, get everything ready in the mixing bowl.

5.  Mix salt, red chili pwd., cumin-coriander pwd. and sugar in a bowl. Season the chivda with this spice mix, be very gentle while mixing taking care not to break the fried poha/curry leaves. Let it cool completely and serve. 

6.  Store chivda in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. It stays fresh on shelf for 10-15 days depending on the weather conditions.        

Spicy Chivda

FRESH MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Bruschetta

This is one of my all time favorite Italian appetizers. Easy to prepare, delicious with an array of colors - this is a dish to behold !! You will find numerous recipes of bruschetta but this one with fresh mozzarella cheese is like a party in your mouth !! So let's look at the ingredients and get started :

Ingredients :-

1 loaf ciabatta bread

6 cloves garlic

2 large hot house tomatoes

1 cup fresh basil + little more for garnish

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1 pack (7-8 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds

salt to taste

couple turns of fresh ground black pepper

Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and garlic

Process :-

1.  Add tomatoes, garlic, a cup of basil and EVOO to the chopper/food processor. Let it work till it forms a nice chunky sauce. Season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Your kitchen will be filled with the fresh aroma of basil !

Fresh chunky sauce

2.  Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice the loaf diagonally with  1- 1 1/2 inch thick slices, arrange neatly on the baking pan. Drizzle with generous amount of olive oil and bake in the oven for 3 mins. 

3.  Cut the top off the garlic and rub it over the hot slices working quickly but carefully.

4.  Arrange 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese over the hot bread and put them back in the oven for up to a minute till the cheese starts to melt.

Cheese ready to go in the oven

5.  Add a spoonful of the chunky sauce over the cheese, garnish with fresh basil and serve the colorful bruschetta slices !! Bon appétit !!

Colorful Bruschetta !!

DUDHI MUTHIA / BOTTLE GOURD MUTHIYA

Dudhi / Bottle Gourd Muthiya

Muthiya is a popular and healthy tea time snack from Gujarat - which lies in western part of India. The name origins from "muthi" means "fist" in Gujarati and while making this snack you need to hold the dough in the palm of your hand and press it making a fist. Now muthiya can be prepared not only with bottle gourd / dudhi / lauki but with methi (fenugreek leaves), cabbage, cooked rice, spinach / palak etc. I have tried all these versions and taste equally good. The reason behind dudhi muthiya is as you know dudhi is a low calorie vegetable and highly nutritious but I have seen generally people don't like to eat dudhi in form of a curry and when made in this form, it tastes amazing hence dudhi muthiya ! They come out softer than other muthiya because dudhi has a lot of water content, also as I told you this is the best way to feed dudhi to your children and BIG children who don't like dudhi :) So let's look at the recipe. 

Dudhi / Bottle Gourd

Ingredients :-

3 cups dudhi / bottle gourd grated

5 large cloves garlic

1 inch piece of ginger

8 small green chilies (or acc. to taste)

2 tbsp plain yogurt

1/2 tsp white sesame seeds 

Salt to taste

1 1/2 cup fine whole wheat flour

1 cup coarse whole wheat flour / rava (cream of wheat)

handful of coriander chopped (for garnish)

For tempering :

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp white sesame seeds

a pinch of asafoetida

1/8 tsp turmeric pwd.

Process :-

1.  Crush ginger, garlic and green chilies together to form a fine paste.

2.  In a large bowl mix all of the above ingredients leaving out the "tempering" part. You can add half of the coriander to the mixture also if you like and leave the rest for garnish.

3.  For this preparation we will need a steamer on medium heat with a plate inside it. Oil the plate so muthiya doesn't stick to it. If you don't have a steamer, take a big pot, a small flat bottom strainer / vessel and find a plate which fits inside it. You can fill the pot less than halfway with water. Then put the strainer/vessel upside down and place the oiled plate on it. Our motto is to steam muthiya such that water doesn't touch the plate. 

4.  Now take the mixture in the palm of your hands and form it like a fist, arrange one by one into the plate.

Muthiya - ready to steam

5.  Let it steam for 35-40 mins.  Best way to find out is insert a knife into the muthiya, if it comes out almost clean, muthiya are done or else steam for 5 more mins.

6.  There are 2 ways of eating muthiya - one way is steaming hot with a drizzle of oil on it. Other is with tempering. 

7.  For tempering, let the muthiya cool completely and cut them into bite sized pieces. Put a large pan on medium heat, add oil - after about 30-40 secs. add mustard seeds. They will splutter (here you will want to stay away from the pan - you can cover the pan if you want), then add asafoetida, turmeric pwd. and sesame seeds (here you definitely want to cover the pan else you will end up cleaning your messy stove top, don't worry it's not that bad :)). Now add muthiya and saute for 4-5 mins. Garnish with coriander and serve hot. It is a great tea time snack but works for dinner as well. Muthiya can be accompanied with hot ginger tea or sweet milk !! 

ROASTED WHITE ASPARAGUS

Golden crisp asparagus

I think the best way to introduce asparagus into your kitchen is by roasting it - the reason being it has a nice toasty crunch to it. I have tried roasting both - green and white asparagus and they both came out perfect ! There are some minute differences between these 2 varieties. My observation is green asparagus is thinner and more tender than the white one, that way it takes little less time for roasting. Taste wise, white asparagus has a slighter mellow taste than the green one. 

But my suggestion is to try both of them - white asparagus is not common and is considered a delicacy in some European countries. There is a very peculiar method of growing the white asparagus - what I read was it is covered with plastic bags or dirt to prevent direct sun's rays, which block the formation of chlorophyll thus preventing the asparagus from turning green.

This is a very easy recipe using common ingredients available in daily household. You will need the following ingredients :-

1 pound white asparagus
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper 
1/8 tsp dried parsley (optional)

Process :-

1.  Preheat oven to 400 F.

2.  Break off tough ends of asparagus - peel them if they are thick. Wash and rinse carefully leaving no dirt/sand on it.

Asparagus ready to go in the oven

3.  Place the asparagus on a baking sheet - drizzle olive oil, salt, black pepper and parsley (if desired), toss and coat them evenly. Arrange neatly in a single layer and roast  for 25 mins. till crisp from outside but tender from the inside.

Note :-  If using green asparagus, roast for about 15-20 mins. keeping a watchful eye.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS (serves 2-3)

Stuffed Mushroom

My family loves mushrooms in general. About 4-5 years back, I had this appetizer at an Italian restaurant, that's how I fell in love with it. During the same time I used to watch a TV show "Everyday Italian" - it was a great show, I saw the recipe there - made some changes and tried it. It tasted awesome like the one which came out of a restaurant (I know I shouldn't brag but it was superb :)) There are many different versions of stuffed mushrooms out there. You can fill them with numerous possible ingredients, I myself have tried making 2-3 kinds of stuffing and they all taste good. Today I am going to show you the simplest version of stuffed mushrooms and this one happens to be my family's favorite !  So sit back, relax and enjoy the world of Italian cooking !!

Ingredients :-

8 large white mushrooms 
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian blend cheese
2 cloves garlic, grated 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
1/4 tsp dried parsley
Handful of  fresh basil, chopped 
Salt to taste
Couple turns of black pepper

Process :-

1.  Wash and rinse the white mushrooms thoroughly making sure no dirt is left. Remove the stems very carefully not breaking the mushrooms. You will see that a cavity is formed.

Cavity is formed

2.  Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix all the above ingredients except the mushrooms in a bowl.

Stuffing is ready

3.  Grease the baking dish with oil (we don't want our mushrooms to stick to it). 

4.  Fill the mushrooms with generous amount of stuffing till a mound is created. Drizzle olive oil over each mushroom. 

Mushrooms ready to go in the oven

5.  Place the mushrooms cavity side up on the baking dish and bake them for 25 mins. till they are tender and golden on top. Serve and enjoy !!

Stuffed golden mushrooms !

MEXICAN RICE AND BEANS

I am back again with quite a simple but filling recipe of rice and beans. I think it's a good way to end your weekend with a warm and hearty bowl of rice & sweet-tangy beans - a perfect comfort food !

Heart warming rice and beans

Ingredients (for sweet & tangy beans) :-

3/4 cup of pinto/black/red beans
1 medium red onion, chopped fine
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp honey
salt to taste
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp red chili powder or according to taste
2 tsp tomato ketchup

Process :-

1.  Soak beans overnight.  Add salt and pressure cook with

4-5 whistles till they turn soft. If using stove top, add salt       and cook for about 30-40 mins. till soft.

I have used pinto beans

2.  Heat olive oil in a deep pan, add onion and let it saute for 3-4 mins. till translucent. Now add garlic and saute for a     minute or so.

3.  Add beans and rest of the ingredients, mix properly. Add   salt if required (we have already added salt while               cooking the beans). The beans will taste sweet and tangy,     garnish with cilantro if you wish.

Sweet & Tangy beans

Ingredients (for mexican rice) :-


1 cup brown rice, washed and soaked for 30 mins, then drained
2 cups water
1 garlic clove
1 small tomato
1 small onion
2 jalapenos
1 1/2 tbsp oil
2-3 squirts of lemon juice
salt
handful of cilantro, chopped

Process :-


1.  Grind garlic, tomato, onion and jalapenos into a fine paste.

2.  Note that brown rice takes more time to cook than white rice.

3.  Heat oil in a pressure cooker on medium heat, add rice and fry it for 3-4 mins stirring continuously.

Mexican rice

4.  Add the blended paste, stir for a minute then add salt and water. Stir it for one more  time, close the lid and pressure cook with 4-5 whistles till the rice is soft and fluffy.

If using a pan instead of a cooker, cook for 20-25 mins. till rice is soft and tender.

5.  Add lemon juice and garnish with coriander.


Process for rice and beans :-

1.  In addition to the above two, you will need a generous dollop of sour cream, mexican blend cheese, hot sauce - to spice things up, 1 grilled Jalapeno pepper (optional) and tortilla chips for the crunch (optional)

Sour cream and grilled Jalapeno

2.  Place a nice helping of beans on the serving plate/bowl. Add sweet tangy beans as much as you like. Garnish it with a dollop of sour cream , grilled Jalapeno pepper slices for the spice. Jazz it up with nice amount of low fat cheese and crush some tortilla chips on the top for crunch. Relax and enjoy your warm bowl of rice and beans with your favorite movie !!   ¡buen provecho!

Mexican rice and beans

THAI RED CURRY (feeds 4-5 approx.)

Thai red curry with thai rice 

Ingredients :-


1 medium stalk of broccolli, cut into florets
1 medium sized zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes  
5-6 white mushrooms, cut into one-sixths
1 medium sized green bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 medium sized Japanese eggplant, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
10 oz. packet of boiled mixed vegetables (bracken, bamboo shoots, enoki mushroom,    nameko mushroom, wood ear) (you can buy them separate if you want)
3-4 sprigs of Thai basil (for garnish)
1 cup bean sprouts
1 package firm tofu, sliced into 1-inch cubes (For frying, firm tofu works well)
4 oz. can  of red curry paste (you can buy it from any asian supermarket)
1 can (400 ml)  coconut milk 
3-4 tbsp oil
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt (to taste)

Procedure :-

1. Pat dry the tofu on a paper towel. This step is necessary because tofu is always preserved in liquid and when you put that tofu in hot oil, oil drops will coming flying off on your face. 

Thai red curry

2. Stir fry tofu in batches on medium heat turning on all sides until it is brownish everywhere. If you need more oil, add 1 more tbsp. oil for the new batch of tofu.


3. Now take it out on a paper towel to remove excess oil if any. Now to the hot oil, add eggplants, stir them for 2-3 mins, then add zucchini and stir for 2  mins,  now add brocolli and mushrooms and stir for 2-3 mins. At last add the sprouts.


4. Remove the liquid from the packet of boiled vegetables using a sieve. Once the above veggies are half cooked, add the packet of boiled vegetables. 


5. Now add the  red curry paste to the coconut milk and mix it nicely to form a smooth paste. Add it to the above veggies, add salt according to taste (there is salt present in the red curry paste, read ingredients) and let it simmer for 2-3 mins. Red curry paste is already hot but you can add red pepper flakes for more heat. Now add the fried tofu and mix everything properly. Tear off some basil with your hands and garnish the curry.


Variations :-  You can add summer squash and french beans. Also you can substitute shitake mushrooms for white mushrooms.


This curry tastes good with THAI RICE. You can get thai rice in any grocery store. Cooking instructions are given on it or else you can follow these.


1 cup rice washed with cold water
2 cups water


In a microwaveable bowl, add water to the rice and let it cook for 15-20 mins. Fluff them with a fork after 10 mins.