…किती?

प्रचंड आकाश, अखंड भूमी
हे सळसळणारे पाणी
वाऱ्यासंगे खेळणारी
फुले खिदळणारी
अरे निसर्गा तुझे कौतुक करू तरी किती?

पावसाच्या सरीने जेव्हा
पृथ्वी न्हाऊन येते
हिरवी साडी तिची
सर्वांचीच नजर खिळवून ठेवते.
आभाळही लाजत लाजत, लाल गालांनी,
रात्रीची वाट बघत असते.

चंद्र-ताऱ्यांचा खेळ तर
अजूनच अनोखा.
दररोज चंद्राच्या नखरा नव्या –
कधी रुसून गायब होणे,
तर कधी पृथ्वीलाही बिलगून घेणे.

तळपणारा भास्कर, शीतल चंद्र,
गरजणारी वीज अन सूर वेतातली,
वाऱ्यासंगे वाहणारे हे निर्भेळ गंध,
अरे निसर्गा तुझे आहेत छंद किती? रंग किती?
अरे निसर्गा तुझे कौतुक करू तरी किती? आभार मानू तरी किती?

– तन्मय

Aloo methi

 

Aloo methi

Whenever I see fresh green leafy veggies in the grocery store, I can never turn a blind eye to them.. I have to buy them and use them while they are fresh! Dby I saw fresh methi (fenugreek) for sale in the Indian grocery store and so bought 2 nice fresh bunches.

I usually end up making methi parathas or methi mutter malai when I have fresh methi but this time I decided to make aloo methi. I made it somewhat similar to my aloo palak and was bit worried that it may be too bitter but surprisingly it was not! This is a really simple recipe and low in calories compared to methi mutter malai. I did not even boil the potato before adding it….kinda like the slightly roasted texture of the potato cubes so I cooked it along with the methi leaves.

Here the recipe I used:

2 bunches of methi (fenugreek) leaves plucked out from the stems, washed and chopped

2-3 potatoes cubed into bite size pcs

1 tspn ginger garlic paste

1/2 medium onion chopped finely

2-3 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

oil

salt

sugar

turmeric

1. Heat some oil in a pan. Let cumin seeds crackle and then add the onion and ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 1-2 mins.

2. Add the cubed potatoes, a pinch or two or turmeric, red chili powder. Stir to coat well. Sprinkle little water, cover and let cook for 3-4 mins on medium flame. Keep stirring to ensure potatoes do not stick at the bottom of pan.

3. Add the chopped methi leaves, garam masala and mix well. Cover and cook well for about 8-10 mins until the potatoes are cooked. Keep stirring at intervals.

4. Add salt, pinch of sugar and the subji is ready to serve! So easy!

I served it with home made ghadichi poli, along with some lasanachi chatani and dahi.

Made our friday dinner awesome 🙂

Chole/Chana masala

Chana Masala / Chole

Tanmay and I love beans but hate the flatulence they can cause.. and that itself keeps a check our my bean consumption. Well, good for us !

There was a time 2-3 years ago, when canned beans would always be on the grocery list and were cooked on a regular basis in our student apartments. As students who have lived here, away from home, we are quite familiar with what usually tops the grocery lists of students and is on the menu every week – the same routine of beans (garbanzo, red kidney, etc), rice, daal, pizza, pasta and repeat! When I was done with my MS, I swear I thought I would never eat beans again in my life…but a little break and I am back cooking beans again 🙂

This is a chole recipe I tried yesterday, that comes quite close to restaurant style. The one missing thing is the dark reddish-brown color.  I am still trying to get that perfect. But for now, here’s the tasty recipe..

Serves 4:

1 1/2 cup garbanzo beans soaked in water overnight or  2 1/2 cans of garbanzo beans

1 large onion chopped finely

3 roma tomatoes or 2 big tomatoes chopped finely

2 cloves garlic

ginger same amount as garlic

1 – 2 red chillies

1 small bay leaf

1 inch pc of cinnamon

5-6 peppercorns

1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder

2 tbsp store-bought chana masala which already has amchur powder, if not add separately

3-4 tbsp tomato ketchup (may be substituted with tomato paste)

oil

pinch or two or turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

1. If using soaked garbanzo beans, pressure cook the beans with enough water and salt  (may take 6-7 whistles). Adding salt at this point enhances the flavor of the dish since salt seeps into the beans. This way the flavor of the garbanzos blends with gravy and becomes integral with it rather than standing out separate from the rest of the gravy.

Some people use canned beans as is. However, I like the beans to be softer so I would still pressure cook them for 1-2 whistles. Cooking canned beans before is optional.

2.  Grind together ginger, garlic, red chillies, bay leaf, peppercorns and cinnamon.

3. In a pot, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add chopped onions and fry until translucent. Add tomatoes, ground paste and fry until tomatoes and onions are cooked and the raw smell, if any, goes away.

4. Add coriander- cumin powder and chana masala. Fry for 1-2 mins.

5. Add cooked garbanzo beans, turmeric and water just enough to make the gravy consistency of your choice.

6. Add tomato ketchup, coriander,and cook the curry for 10-15 mins on medium heat.

Garnish with thinly sliced onions, cilantro and pc of lemon on the side.

I served it hot with the naan instead of bhatura (remember, “no frying until absolutely necessary” policy?)

A settler of Catan

Settler's of Catan

V and K, ever since you have introduced me to the Settlers of Catan, I have been addicted to it like never before! And to make things even more exciting (/worse?), these Catan guys even have a free online version of the game – that I have been playing relentlessly. I just realized that I’ve played it about 30 times so far with each game lasting for an avg of 30 mins! With this much acquired experience, I figure it’s definitely something to blog about !

Well, so the game is about building settlements and expanding your empire and becoming the first one to gain 10 victory points…blah blah…I know this description does not do justice to the game because there’s just so much more to it! The exciting part is that there is not one strategy to win the game..you got multiple options to get the victory points. And most of the times, the game is so close!

When I was in IC, IC junta (esp YRK)  indulged in this game and now I know why! This is truly addictive – regardless of you winning or not. And since every time the board changes, you always have to figure out your first play which may turn out to be the most imp thing in the entire game.

Needless to say, I have already ordered the board game which is now on its way to my house..and will be here by the weekend.

My dear fellow Settler’s of Catan, I call upon thee.. let’s get together and have a game night where we play SoC all night! 🙂

And yeah, its 1 am and I am blogging now because, yes, you guessed it, I just finished my Catan game 🙂

The winner!

 

Good night!

P.S: Also there are many other Catan games which I would like to try. Hopefully soon..

Banana walnut muffins

Banana Walnut muffins

The gorgeous 12 muffins

Fish curry – Malwani style

Fish curry

Yesterday, I had a huge craving for fish. I scanned my pantry to find out that I had everything needed to make a curry and I was so happy! I made the malwani style fish curry using the Malwani Masala that a dear friend A, got for me specially from India…thanks, A!  A, I promise to treat you with this and more, when you visit me…hopefully at least that will entice you to! 😉 Till then enjoy the pic 😉

Recipe:

4 fish fillets

1/2 large onion finely chopped

1 roma tomato finely chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 pc of ginger cut equal to size of garlic cloves

2 tsp malwani masala

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 red chili powder

1 tsp coriander-cumin powder

4 pcs of kokum soaked in water for about 30 mins

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

8-10 curry leaves

cilantro and slit green chili for garnishing

salt

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1. Soak kokum in warm water and let it sit for ~ 30 mins.

2. Wash and cut fish fillets into medium size pcs, sprinkle some turmeric, chili powder and set aside.

3. Coarsely grind the ginger and garlic. Set aside.

4. In a pan, heat some oil. Crackle some mustard seeds, add curry leaves and onions. Fry until the raw smell of the onions goes away.

5. Add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and fry until oil starts leaving the mixture.

6. Crush the kokum to extract juice. In a bowl, add this juice (straining the kokum), malwani masala, coriander-cumin powder and chili powder. Make a paste.

7. Add this paste to pan and simmer for a minute. Add fish and cover. Cook for 15 mins or until the fish are done. If the curry looks dry, add some water.

8. When the fish is cooked, add salt. Garnish with cilantro and green chili and serve.

Green beans with potato

I never thought I would be posting a recipe with green beans, but well here it is! I usually like all the veggies but somehow I never liked green beans. I kept trying different recipes and wishing I would like this green, attractive, low calorie vegetable but sadly none of them made me go for a second helping. This one actually did and hence I decided to share it with you all – in case there is someone like me trying to fit in the huge bean-loving clique 🙂

Here’s the recipe:

~1 lb fresh green beans cut into medium size pcs

1 big potato / 2 medium potatoes – cubed

1 large clove of garlic

5-6 black peppercorns

Ginger cut into same size as that of the garlic glove

1-2 dry red chillies

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1-2 pinches of asafoetida

turmeric

1 – 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala

Oil

1. Crush the ginger, garlic, black peppercorns and red chillies coarsely using a mortar and a pestel (if you have one) or with grinder. Set aside.

2. Heat some oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add asafoetida, turmeric, the coarsely ground mixture and fry for few seconds.

3. Add potatoes and french beans and stir to coat the veggies with oil and masala evenly. Add some water, cover it and let it cook for ~10-15 mins.

4. Keep checking that the subji does not loose all the water and stick to the pan. It will be good to maintain some water in the pan to avoid burning.

5. Test if the beans and potatoes are cooked and add salt and garam masala. Mix evenly and cook for a minute or two.

The subji is ready!

Green beans with potato

Ragada Patties

Ragada Patties

Ragada Patties is a typical street side food in India and as is the case with almost every street food in India, is a popular fast food item. I made this for lunch today while V and K were over and I believe it was the proteins and carbs that gave us that energy boost to play the Settler’s of Catan again for 2 1/2 hrs! 😀

Here’s the recipe:

4 big potatoes or 8 medium sized potatoes

1 finely chopped onion

1 1/2 chopped roma tomatoes

chopped cilantro

a pinch or two of turmeric

~ 1/2 tbsp garam masala

~ 1/2 tbsp dabeli masala

1/2  tbsp mustard seeds

2 cups white peas, soaked and pressure cooked (will yield ~ 4 cups after cooking)

tamarind chutney

mint chutney

sev

chaat masala

1. Pressure cook the white peas and keep aside.

2. Boil, peel and mash the potatoes. Add onion, cilantro, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala and salt. Combine togther well and make small balls. Flatten to make patties. If the mixture is very sticky, you may add some bread crumbs.

2. Shallow fry in oil until browned on each side.

3. In a pan, heat oil and crack some mustard seeds. Add the white peas, dabeli masala, salt and turmeric. Cook for ~ 5 mins while stirring. Mash up the peas if they are not already.

4. Serve the patties with hot ragada and top with all onion, tomato, cilantro, chutneys, sev and sprinkle some chaat masala.

Your dish is ready to serve.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer

There isn’t better way to start a weekend than having good friends over, having good food and games and a good time! After a long hibernation period dedicated for exam prep, we were finally hosting our friends V and K this weekend! I was excited to have them over and in K’s words was “having dreams about how (well) I could feed them” 😉 so decided to go with the all time favorite paneer dish. This is not as popular a dish as other paneer dishes, but all 4 of us love spinach, so was ideal for making.  Although it requires a few more steps of sauteing, grinding and sauteing again, it seemed like it was done in no time when I cooked it while chatting with all.

Here’s how I made it:

This recipe serves 4.

You will need:

2 bunches of palak (spinach)

1 green chili

1/2 medium onion sliced finely

1-2 tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp kitchen king masala

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 garlic clove

1/2 inch piece of ginger

1 14 oz (400 g) block of paneer cut into cubes

1 tbsp half n half (optional)

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ghee

1. In a pan, heat some oil and add onions, spinach, ginger, garlic and green chili. Saute for ~ 3-4 mins until the spinach is wilted. Turn heat off and allow mixture to cool.

2. Puree this mixture in a blender. Add 1/4 cup water if it seems too thick.

3. In same pan, heat some oil and add tomato paste. Cook on low heat and fry until the oil starts leaving the paste. Take care not to burn the paste.

4. Add the spinach puree and garam and kitchen king masala.  Cook on medium flame for about 2 mins.

5. Add the cubed paneer and salt.

6. In another pan, heat ghee and crack some cumin seeds when hot. Add this to the spinach mixture and cook for 2 mins.

Serve over jeera rice or with warm Tandoori roti/ naan.

*If you would like to retain the fresh green color on the palak paneer (without adding food color) try not to overcook the spinach.

Veg Au Gratin or Baked vegetables

Vegetable Au gratin (Baked vegetable)

Au Gratin is a french dish which can be made with potatoes, vegetables or seafood. It has a white sauce base and is baked with layer of cheese browned to form a crust. Vegetable au gratin is very easy to make.

Yesterday, after an exhausting board game day (yay!) with our pals V and K, I decided to make it  for dinner as a side dish to go with Blackened tilapia with mango salsa (recipe to be posted soon). It was very well received and so here’s the post.

You will need:

~3 cups of frozen mix veggies

1/2 cup of green beans

~ 1 cup chopped pineapple

2 – 2.5 cup shredded mozarella cheese (depending on how cheesy you like!)

For white sauce:

5- 6 tbsp cornstarch (while some recipes use maida i.e all purpose flour, I prefer to use cornstarch)

2 1/2 cup 2% milk

1/4 + 1/2 cup water

black pepper powder

salt to taste

sugar to taste

1. Thaw the frozen veggies.

2. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water. Make sure there are no clumps. Add this to 1/2 cup water and heat on low flame while stirring continuously.

3. Add the milk to this mixture and while stirring heat until the mixture just begins to thicken. Take care that no lumps are formed.

4. Add salt, sugar and pepper to taste. Add veggies, pineapple and mix all together.

5. Pour in a baking dish. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake on 400 F for ~20 mins and broil for ~2 mins until the cheese on the top just is brown and crusty.

This dish goes very well with some wine ! 🙂

Vegetable Au gratin