GREETINGS FOR MAKAR SANKRANTI

GREETINGS FOR MAKAR SANKRANTI 

Tomorrow, January 14 we celebrate the festival of Makar Sankranti. This article in The Art Of Living describes in great detail the significance of the Makar Sankranti festival.

Traditionally, in this festival we enjoy sweets made with sesame seeds, called "Til" in Hindi,  Every year, I make some of these sweets for family and friends.

I thought I would share these recipes with you in case you wish to make them in your homes.

As they say in Maharashtra, on the festive occasion of Makar Sankranti, " Til Gud Ghya, God God Bhola" which means " Have Til and Gud (Jaggery) and say Sweet Words". The essence of this phrase is for one to enjoy the sweets made with sesame seeds and jaggery and speak sweet words to others." 

We wish you and your families a Happy Makar Sankranti! 

TIL GUD KI CHIKKI

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2021/01/til-gur-ki-chikki.html

This one is special even though we love chikkis of all types. 

TIL KE LADOO

In this delectable guest post, my friend Mallika Nanda shared how she makes a sweet we used to crave for so much- Ladoos made with Til (Sesame seeds).

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2014/01/til-ke-ladoo-guest-post-by-mallika-nanda.html

PEANUT SESAME LADOO 

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2021/04/peanut-sesame-ladoo.html

This ladoo has the taste of both peanuts and sesame seeds making it a delicious addition to the Makar Sankranti platter! 

SPICY SWEET POTATO FRY

 SPICY SWEET POTATO FRY

Sweet Potatoes are known as Shakarkhand in Hindi, Sihi Genasu in Kannada and Kannang in my mother tongue, Konkani. It is well-known that sweet potato has several health benefits. It is an excellent source for Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fibre, potassium and antioxidants. 

As a result, in my house, I make dishes with sweet potatoes from time to time. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with sweet potato, such as;-

• Sweet Potato Masala Fry 
• Sweet Potato Podimas
• Sweet Potato Roast
• Sweet Potato Tikkis

Today's recipe is for a spicy side dish made with sweet potatoes. I have adapted this from Sweet Potato Spicy Curry in Subbu's Kitchen. The addition of the spice powder to the inherent sweetness of the Sweet Potato gives it a great taste. 

We tried this out a few days ago. It tasted great as a side dish with hot steamed rice and rasam. 

Ingredients:-

• Sweet Potato, 500 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste

For the Spice Powder:-

• Bengal Gram (Chana Dal), 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, (Dhania) ,2 tbsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 3
• Cumin Seeds, (Jeera), 1 tsp

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Black Gram Dal (Urad Dal), 1 tbsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly

Cook it in a pressure cooker with adequate water for 1 or 2 whistles taking care to see it does not get overcooked

Once the cooker cools, remove the sweet potatoes and once they are cool enough to handle, peel and cube them. Keep aside

In a kadhai, dry roast the chana dal, coriander seeds, Byadgi red chillies and cumin seeds on medium heat till the dal changes colour. Allow them to cool then transfer them to a small mixer jar

Grind to a smooth powder. Keep aside

In the same kadhai add 1 tbsp of oil and once it gets heated, on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the urad dal and saute till the dal changes colour. Add a few curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.

To this add the cooked sweet potato cubes, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well.

Next add the freshly ground spice powder and mix well 

Cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes 

Ensure that the sweet potatoes are well blended with the spice powder

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Spicy Sweet Potato Fry as a side dish with hot steamed rice, rasam or sambar

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE : KARIGARI BY CHEF HARPAL SINGH SOKHI

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE' KARIGARI BY CHEF HARPAL SINGH SOKHI

As a foodie first and a food blogger next, I have followed with great interest some of the best known Celebrity Chefs in India. One of them who catches the eye and grabs your attention in his videos and television shows is Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. Long after you have seen the video or program you  remember his infectious enthusiasm and high energy. His catch phrase of "Namak Shamak" made him a household name! 

Naturally, I was excited to visit his restaurant in Bengaluru for the first time. The restaurant is called "Karigari". This is located in Yelahanka in the famous Phoenix Mall of Asia on the highway to the International Airport.

I went with my family to lunch there some days ago. Naturally, you need to make a reservation as it can get crowded especially over the weekend. The decor was quite nice and at the entrance is a large size portrait of the Namak Shamak Chef! 

Once we were seated at out table, we spent some time choosing what looked interesting from the well-presented menu.  The pictures of some of the popular dishes made them that much more tempting 

To begin with we looked out for the drinks. Some of us chose Aaam Panna. The mango-based drink here was a blend of sweet and tangy. Cool and enjoyable. 

Some others - like my husband, Prem opted for his favourite: Kokam! He joked that it matched the colour of his shirt, but I knew he took it as it is both an appetiser and a digestive apart from being delicious to taste. 

For starters, we had the Pav Bhaji Fondue: an interesting take of Mumbai's famous Pav Bhaji eaten in a fondue style with a rich, spicy and totally yummy gravy.  

The other dishes we had were Dal Palak Methi Tadka, Butter Chicken and Chicken Ghee Roast. 

The Dal Palak Methi Tadka (black dal tempered with spinach and fresh fenugreek) was very flavourful apart from being nutritious. The Butter Chicken was the usual Punjabi style tomato- based, creamy gravy with succulent and boneless chicken.  The Chicken Ghee Roast- a famous dish from our Home State of Karnataka- was awesome. 

Adding to the taste of the dishes were three accompaniments. I especially liked the pickle made with raw papaya. 

There were many varieties of Indian breads to go with these dishes. We decided to enjoy these dishes with Charcoal Cheese House Special Naan. 

For dessert, again we chose different treats. Some chose the traditional Hyderabadi favourite: Shahi Tukda known here as "Tukda-e-Jam" 

Others - including me- chose to have the much recommended Mirchaan Wala Halwa. I was delighted to see the innovative plating for this dessert. As the name suggests, the dessert had a spicy sweet taste which made it one of the hits of the lunch! 

Overall, we had a good time at Karigari. The staff were efficient and courteous. They did not hassle us as we had a leisurely meal. 

I would recommend this restaurant for the quality of their food. The fact that it has the touch of Celebrity Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi makes it that much more special !!  

CHRISTMAS PUDDING: GUEST POST BY BRIDGET WHITE- KUMAR

 

CHRISTMAS PUDDING: GUEST POST BY BRIDGET WHITE- KUMAR 

We are in the festive season with Christmas being around the corner! ! I was delighted when my friend, Bridget, the famous Cookery Book Author and Food Consultant kindly accepted my invitation to contribute a Guest Post for my blog. She is no stranger to this blog having contributed a Guest Post for Chocolate Yule Log Cake some years ago. 

Please do check out her blog Anglo-Indian Recipes and Anglo-Indian Food. She also has an active and popular Facebook Page. 

She has graciously shared her recipe for Christmas Pudding which I present below. 

You can check out her YouTube too.  

Christmas is a mixture of both religious and secular traditions in India and more especially in my hometown Kolar Gold Fields or KGF in the olden days.  It’s a time of celebration, of family and friends, of feasting and socializing. Christmas is a fascinating mix of traditions that combines pre-Christian rituals with modern traditions. Every family has its own customs and traditions while celebrating Christmas. Some of these customs and traditions are universal in nature while others may be a result of inculcating local practices and customs. Christmas is therefore the season for traditions, preserving old ones and creating new ones. One such tradition was making the steamed Christmas Pudding or Plum Pudding every year. 

Each family had their own traditional recipe for making the Christmas Pudding, which was sometimes handed down from generation to generation. The dry fruits and nuts that went into it were chopped finely well in advance and soaked in Rum and were normally made 3 or 4 weeks earlier before Christmas.

For me, Christmas is always associated with the smells, sounds and sights of the season. All of them awaken nostalgia in me for my home town Kolar Gold Fields and I relive the magical memories of Christmas of my childhood -- The smell of the decorated Pine Christmas tree in the sitting room, the enticing aroma of Christmas Cakes and puddings being baked, the Kal Kals and Rose Cookies being fried, the sight of all the Christmas decorations and Buntings everywhere and the soothing sound of Christmas Carols being played and sung in every home are my favourite childhood memories and are all part of the wonder of Christmas.

The Christmas Pudding is invariably made on Stir-up Sunday i.e. the last Sunday before the start of Advent or 4 weeks before Christmas, to give it time to mature. The Pudding is served after dinner on Christmas Day. In the olden days making the Christmas Pudding was a family event where every member of the family would give the Christmas Pudding a stir and make a wish. A coin, a ring or a thimble were sometimes added to the pudding mixture and the person who got it in his/her piece of the pudding on Christmas day was supposed to be lucky. The finger ring would foretell a wedding to the person who got it.

I’m sharing a simple and easy family recipe for a steamed Christmas Pudding that anyone could easily make in a very little while.

Ingredients 

50 grams breadcrumbs (do not use panko crumbs)

50 grams flour

100 grams butter melted 

50 grams sugar (powdered in the mixie)

2 teaspoons Nescafe powder

2 tablespoons of either treacle syrup or caramel syrup or date syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg beaten well

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

100 grams chopped black raisins, black currants, cherries etc.

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 or 3 tablespoons milk as required 

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together then add all the other ingredients and mix well

Grease a suitable bowl, that would fit in your steamer, with butter or oil then transfer the pudding mixture to it. Cover with foil.

Now place a perforated steamer plate or stand in a steamer or suitable pot.

Add one cup of water

Place the bowl with the pudding batter on the stand 

Cook on medium to Low heat for 45 minutes to one hour. 

Open and check if the pudding is cooked by inserting a toothpick. 

Remove the bowl from the Steamer and let it cool. 

Once cool, run a knife around the edge and turn over on a plate. 

Your steamed Christmas Pudding is ready. 

If desired, make a few small holes and pour a few tablespoons of rum over it

You could make the pudding in advance and leave it in the fridge. Just before serving microwave for a minute or two and serve warm

MALAIKA ARORA'S VIRAL PANEER THECHA

 MALAIKA ARORA'S VIRAL PANEER THECHA 

 Being so fond of paneer ( Indian cottage cheese) in my home, I frequently make dishes using this ingredient.  Not surprisingly, you will find in my blog,  many (46 actually) recipes for dishes made with paneer such as:-

• Shahi Paneer
• Paneer Khurchan
• Paneer Paratha
• Paneer Korma

Recently I happened to see an episode of Curly Tales featuring Malaika Arora, the celebrity actress, model, and former VJ. Here she talks about her Paneer Thecha with Kamiya Jani. As you may know, this recipe took the internet by storm. In his Celebrity Recipe Edition YouTube video  Chef Nehal Karkera shows us how to make this dish. I have adapted today's recipe from this, changing some of the measurements to suit our taste. 

I must say it was delicious. No wonder her original recipe became viral! 

Confession: Although Malaika says the thecha should be made using the traditional mortar and pestle for pounding the ingredients, I have used my faithful Panasonic mixer- grinder. I find using this on PULSE MODE gives you a coarse paste which still retains its chunky texture. 

To add more excitement to our meal, I paired the Paneer Thecha - which is usually served as a starter- with Fiery Jalapeno and Sichuan Peppercorn, distinct signature sauces from the famous restaurant chain: Foo Asian Tapas.

The combination was truly awesome! 

Ingredients: -

• Paneer, (Indian Cottage Cheese) , 200 gms
• Green Chillies, 5
• Garlic Cloves, 10
• Peanuts, (deskinned), 1/4 cup
• Juice, from 1/2 a lemon
• Fresh Coriander, Leaves, a bunch with stems 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2-3 tsp for pan frying 

Method:-

Cut the paneer into even sized cubes and keep aside

In a pan, dry roast the green chillies, garlic cloves, and peanuts on medium heat for a few minutes till they become aromatic

Transfer to a mixer jar

Add coriander leaves with their stems, salt to taste and lime juice

Grind on PULSE mode 

Add very little water

Grind till you get a coarse paste with a chunky texture - this is your thecha.

Coat each of the paneer cubes with the thecha. Coat them as evenly as you can. Allow them to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Heat 2 to 3 tsp of oil in a pan, spread the oil evenly

Add the coated paneer cubes and pan fry on medium heat till they become golden on the outside

Flip and pan fry the other side. Remove to a serving plate.

Serve this with a dip or chutney of your choice. 

To add more excitement to our meal, I paired the Paneer Thecha - which is usually served as a starter- with Fiery Jalapeno and Sichuan Peppercorn, distinct signature sauces from the famous restaurant chain: Foo Asian Tapas.

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE- ITC WINDSOR

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE- ITC WINDSOR

The imposing ITC Windsor with it colonial style architecture has been a landmark in Bengaluru ever since it was inaugurated back in 1982 as the ITC Windsor Manor. Over the decades it has maintained its reputation for being an excellent luxury hotel.

Earlier this week we celebrated Prem's birthday. Over the years, we have been going out to lunch to celebrate his special day. This time around, we decided to break with tradition and do something different. We decided to stay at home and yet enjoy the delicious offerings from ITC Windsor. We did this by using their much spoken off Gourmet Couch Food Delivery service. This is one of the perquisites we enjoy by virtue of being members of Club ITC  We earn Green Points through our spends on rooms or dining and can utilise these points at any of the 145 + hotels, award winning restaurants and wellness retreats. 

Having studied the menus with so many different options, we made the first decision! We opted for the Table For Two service instead of going a la carte. The Table For Two comes in 4 combinations of food . We selected one of the non-vegetarian variants.

As usual the food was well packed with detailed instructions in the Gourmet Couch Heating Manual on how different items should be re-heated- if required. 

Everything about the ITC Hotels is classy. They had thoughtfully added a chocolate truffle cake knowing the occasion. We appreciated this simple yet elegant gesture very much. Needless to say, the cake was delicious and Prem became more 7 than 74 in attacking the cake before we began our meal. 

Before we got down to enjoying the food, the picture below shows what our lunch order looked like! 

* Seekh Gilafi Dum Pukht & Mint Chutney 

* Warqi Paratha

* Dal Bukhara

* Murg Makhani

* Murg Yakhni Pulao & Raita

* Phirni 

From the options given , we had opted for the Warqi Paratha, which was a multi-layered Indian bread baked in clay tandoor with a delicate touch of ajwain (carom seeds). These came superbly packed in heat retaining covers.

For starters, we enjoyed the Seekh Gilafi Dum Pukht: these were minced chicken kebabs which tasted great with the accompanying green Mint Chutney .

The Dal Bukhara -which we had with the Warqi Parathas was made of black lentils, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. The speciality of this dish was that it was allowed to simmer overnight on slow charcoal fire, and was finished with cream and a dollop of butter.

Along with the Murg Yakhni Pulao, we enjoyed the Murgh Makhani  which had tender pieces of chicken flavoured with whole spices and cooked in rich tomato gravy.

The main course was Murgh Yakhni Pulao made with spring chicken  and long grained basmati rice flavoured with aromatic spices. This was served in a ceramic bowl with the characteristic dough that goes into sealing of Dum Pukht dishes in our Indian cuisine. 

The meal was made more enjoyable with the superb garlic-flavoured Raita- a small but important item in the whole meal.  

For dessert, we had Phirni served in earthen moulds. This dish is made with milk and ground basmati rice flavoured with cardamom, and topped with pistachio and almond slivers.

Overall, we loved the food. A shout out to Nihal of the Take Away Dept for his attention to detail and for arranging the swift and efficient packaging and delivery of our Gourmet Couch lunch! 

EGG CURRY

EGG CURRY 

My husband has loved eggs since his childhood. He insists on having some egg dish or the other from time to time. We therefore have eggs for breakfast often and also make curries with boiled eggs. 

This article in Web MD speaks of the numerous health benefits of boiled eggs. 

Egg curries are very versatile dishes. They go well with Indian breads- such as naan, rotis, chapati as well as with hot steamed rice, jeera rice and the like.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for different types of Egg Curries, such as:-

• South Indian Egg Curry 
• Egg Curry/Motte Curry 
• Chettinad Egg Curry 
• Mangalorean Egg Curry 

I have adapted today's recipe from  Egg Curry  by Angela Steffi. Especially when it comes to gravies/curries, one is advised to cook keeping in mind your tolerance for spices. Some like very spicy food, others less so. In this recipe, I suggest you add ingredients to suit your preference for spices.

We tried this out recently and it tasted great with hot rotis! 

Ingredients:-

For Seasoning The Eggs 

• Boiled Eggs, 6
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1/2  tsp
• Pepper Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste 
• Oil, 1 tsp

For  The Curry 

• Cinnamon, 1 " stick 
• Cloves, 2
• Cardamom, 2
• Bay Leaf, 1 
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Medium -sized Onions, 2
• Large-sized Tomato, 1
• Green Chillies, 2 
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder,  1 and 1/2 tsp
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Coriander Leaves, 2 tbsp, for garnish 

Method: 

Finely chop the onions, tomato, and coriander leaves

Slit the green chilli

In a mixer, grind the fresh coconut gratings along with some water and extract the coconut milk. Keep this aside. 

Place the eggs in a pan, add water till they are immersed and boil them for about 10 minutes to get hard boiled eggs. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water, let them cool for about 5 minutes. Then, shell the eggs and keep aside. Next, make slits in the boiled eggs with a knife so that they can better absorb the spice masala. 

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a thick-bottomed kadai, add the chilli powder, pepper powder, and salt. Mix well and place the boiled eggs in the kadhai. Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes till the eggs are blistered/ lightly roasted. Remove and keep aside.

In the same kadhai, heat 2 tbsp of oil, add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf. Saute till they become aromatic. Add the cumin seed and when they sizzle add the finely chopped onions, a little salt and saute till the onions turn golden brown 

To this, add the ginger garlic paste, slit green chillies and the spice powders (turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chilli powder) and mix well. Add a little water to prevent the spice powders from getting burnt.

Now add the finely chopped tomato and cook on medium heat until the tomato becomes soft and mushy  and the tomato-spices get well blended 

Add the freshly extracted coconut milk, mix well and bring to a boil

Now add the seasoned boiled eggs and cook for a couple of minutes on medium heat 

Check for salt and add if required

Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves 

Serve the Egg Curry with chapatis, rotis, or with jeera rice/fried rice.