Chuck Diet and enjoy Pune Vada Pav

Vada Pav the India or more specifically Maharashtrian variation of burger is the ubiquitous snack found almost every where in Pune. I discovered today that local auto driver’s (Pawar’s) wife makes the most amazing vadas of all I had in Pune and Mumbai. When I stopped by her tiny stall opposite building Kumar Prerna in Aundh she offered me vada. It was hard to resist, especially since she took it out piping hot from oil.

The vada is a potato mash patty coated with chick pea flour, then deep-fried. There is more to a vada as told to be by my Maharashtrian domestic help and she vehemently disagrees to the vada taught on the net. She tells me ginger, garlic and green chilies are to be made into a paste. No water should be added. Heat oil in a wok and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, asafoetida and ginger garlic chilli paste. Fry on low flame for a minute or two. To this add mashed potato and salt to taste. Keep turning till the spices are evenly mixed to this mixture and cook for a few more minutes. Add one whole lemon juice to give the mixture its ultimate zing.  

To make the batter use chick pea flour (besan), seasoned with salt and turmeric. Add a pinch of baking soda but remember just a pinch to make the batter fluffier. To make the vadas, shape little balls of the potato mixture using your palm, flatten it out and coat with batter and deep-fry in hot vegetable oil.  

Deep fried green chillies are the most essential accompaniments of vada pav. The green chillies are deep fried and doused with generous helping of salt and sometimes a dash of lemon juice.  

Chuck your dieting, split open a pav, tuck in the vada, bite into a green chilly and experience unadulterated delight.

Roasted aubergine mixed with scrambled egg

The dish sounds fancy, doesn’t it? My husband said “can you make baigan ka bharta more interesting?” I thought that to start of with, it should have a different name. The word bharta as found out from http://indianfood.about.com refers to dishes in which the ingredients are roughly mashed either before or after the dish is prepared and baigan of course is aubergine.

I roasted a medium sized aubergine on a gas burner directly at low flame. Before putting on flame I remember my mother’s advice and made a small incision on the top of the aubergine and peeped inside to check for worms. I also made other small incisions on the body of the aubergine so that the heat gets inside. I kept turning it by holding part of its stem till all the skin of the aubergine is charred black and the inner flesh looks tender.

Now that it is roasted to my satisfaction I keep it aside and allow it to cool. Next, I heat 4 table spoon of oil in a wok and add ½ tea spoon of cumin seeds to it. I then add I coarsely diced (length wise) onion. When the onion becomes translucent I throw in 1 large tomato chopped into small pieces and stir. I cover with a plate and let the tomatoes become tender. 

I quickly peel off and discard the charred skin of the aubergine and mash it with my hands. I take the lid off and put in the mashed aubergine and turn in the tomatoes and onions.

Next in another fry pan, I scramble two eggs. Now I add the scrambled eggs into the mashed aubergine mix. Add salt to taste and 1 chopped green chilly and season generously with chopped coriander. I place the side dish in front of my husband along with 2 rotis  and ask “is this interesting?” He silently tastes it and gestures his appreciation. What more can a wife want?

Aunty's special Pantua

I vividly remember pujo holidays spent in small town Sambalpur in Orissa as a kid which happens to be my maternal home. As part of tradition, friends, neighbours and relatives thronged my mama bari (maternal home) to convey Bijoya greetings to my dadu (grand father) and other family members. This one is borrowed from by boro mami (aunty) who is veteran cook. But desserts are her forte. All through the puja mayhem she would relentlessly make assorted sweets and other snacks to be served to a never ending stream of guests. One such super hit sweet dish was pantua. Reminiscing about those happy days when I and my cousins would steal pantuas from mami’s kitchen, I called up my aunt and asked for the recipe. She was way too happy to share. This one is to boromami.

As a warning it is good to know that the entire process of pantua making and cleaning up the kitchen takes at least 1 hr to 1 hr 15 mins. So it is important to be patient at every stage of making pantua.Sorry I have no photographs to share but believe me, I did make them and they really turned out well. Thanks to mami's guidance over the phone.

Ingredients

½ Kg Milk

Juice of 1 lemon

Milk powder

Refined Flour (maida)

5 table spoon clarified butter

½ litre sun flower oil

21/2 cups sugar

3 cups water

¼ cup milk

½ table spoon sodium bicarbonate

Method:

Boil milk. As the milk starts to boil put in the lemon juice. The milk will curdle. Keep stirring the milk and let it curdle completely. Strain through a muslin cloth or a strainer. Do not make the cottage cheese (paneer) formed too dry. Now put the cottage cheese in a cup and make approximate eye estimation. Take the cheese out and measure approximately equal quantity of milk powder. Next measure equal quantity of refined flour. Keep the cottage cheese, flour and milk powder in separate bowls. To the refined flour add the sodium bicarbonate and mix properly with a fork. Now knead the cheese till it is soft. Next heat clarified butter and add to the flour and mix properly with hand. Take all three ingredients and knead. Add milk and knead again till you get the final dough which can be easily shaped like a ball. Make equal size small round balls. You can make around 25 small balls. Remember pantuas bloat up when put into sugar syrup and hence you should not make the balls too big.

You need to use two gas burners together. On the left burner boil water in a deep wok with a wide mouth and add the sugar. Let it boil at low flame till a uniform sugar syrup forms and starts bubbling. Alongside on the right burner heat oil in a deep wok or karai till it just starts to smoke. Lower flame and let in a few balls that you made earlier. Make sure not to over crowd. Keep rolling the oil in the karai so that the balls are evenly fried. Make them golden brown. Take them out and put them immediately into to sugar syrup. You will see that the balls sink down. Batch wise put in all the balls. Boil for 5 more minutes and let it cool. Do not cover with a lid till cold. In an hours time you will see the balls are all bloated with the sugar syrup inside and your pantuas are ready.

No ordinary chives omelet

For those who have been religiously following my blog knows my new penchant for chives. A simple omelet  become an incredible experience in itself through the use of chives, cheese, green chilies and salt. 

I did not have time for breakfast today. My penalty for getting up late today. With by baby happily playing in play school my stomach craved for food.  I decided on an omelet, toast and tea. The mildly oniony flavor of chives together with some cheese paired excellently with bread toast. I used amul cheese slices (those we use for sandwiches) but I am told that chives goes great with cheddar cheese as well.  

I cracked 1 egg to which I added 1/4 tablespoons salt, 1 green chilly and 4 tablespoons of dried chives. How I wish I had some fresh ones. Next I whisked thoroughly. On a flat fry pan, I added 2 table spoon oil and when the pan was hot I poured in the egg mixture. Then I randomly added 10 small pieces of amul cheese torn with hand on top of the egg mixture. I let the egg cook over slow flame and feel happy at the visual effect of the cheese half melting. When the egg begins to set, I gently put a flat spatula under the edge and fold it.

I turn my mobile off and head to the open terrace to enjoy my omelet in 15 minutes of me time. Did I miss my husband now? YES.

One crazy morning- Spring onions and egg noodles

It is beginning of another crazy day. My domestic help has decided a day off without notice as usual and I have to prepare breakfast along with getting my baby ready for her play school. Drama unfolds. Isha is up and crying. I put the geyser on and put her on her potty seat. She wails louder. I run down to the kitchen and put two cups of water to boil and take out a small packet of noodles. 

 These are specially imported from Kolkata and I love this variety. They are regular noodles only very thin. Two packets will suffice for one person for breakfast when cooked with veggies. But for my toddler half a packet is enough. By now the water has boiled and I add the packet of noodle into it after breaking it up. This way it is easier for my baby to eat. Put in a spoon full of oil and some salt and keep a steel spoon in it so that the water does not boil over and run upstairs to rescue wailing Isha from her potty seat. I peep in to see no potty output which means that an extra diaper needs to be packed for school. Every minute counts now. I run into the bathroom and let the warm water fill the bucket. I finish brushing Isha’s teeth and bathe her in exactly two minutes. I take a second to catch my breath. Fish Isha out of the bathroom and get her dressed in another minute. I take out some toys for Isha to play and run down and check that the noodles.

They are just rightly boiled. I strain out the water. Now I put the wok on flame and four in 4 table spoon of oil. No time for me to beat an egg and so the egg is just broken directly into the non stick wok. I pour in little milk and then just scramble the egg directly. Put in ½ a tea spoon of salt. Now I reduce the flame of the gas burner.

Next, I run to the fridge and find the spring onions. Wash them and randomly chop some into tiny pieces. This goes into the wok as well and stir them. Spring onions cook fast.

Within a minute I toss in the strained noodles. Add salt to taste, two table spoon of tomato sauce. Stir quickly. I check it’s taste. Delicious! My husband tells me that I should stop praising myself and I am working at it. Plop it goes into Isha’s meal box. I call an auto and quickly put on Isha’s shoes. Now she is ready for school and I have time to catch my breath.

 

Mushroom Chicken in tomato and oyster sauce

Yesterday I got a call from my husband in office asking me what was there for dinner. When he heard what was on the menu, I heard a deep sigh. I looked at the clock and saw that there was time to quickly make a chicken dish. Since there was just one breast piece remaining in the fridge I decided to use some fresh button mushrooms.

Diced mushrooms

Diced mushrooms closer view

Next I thawed the chicken in a microwave. No time to marinate as I was racing against time. In between I was constantly wiping my hands dry to take photographs. The thawed chick breast piece was then transferred into a pressure cooker to which I added a cup of water and a tablespoon of salt. I set it to boil and took it down after 3 whistles. I put the deep wok on the flame and added 6 tablespoon of oil. While I let it cool it the lid of the cooker opens, I ferociously chopped in two onions and threw it into the wok. In joined the diced mushrooms. I took one tomato and 4 garlic pods and made a puree in a grinder and added the puree into the wok. Kept stirring till the oil stated leaving the sides. Took out the paste in a bowl. Added 4 tablespoon of oil in the wok and let it heat. By now the pressure has been released from the cooker.Shredded the chicken in with my hands and tossed it into the wok and stirred fried it for some time.

Added in the tomato, garlic and chopped onion paste with the mushrooms and mixed it properly. Now I put in some oyster sauce (roughly two table spoon) and tomato sauce same amount. Mixed properly with the chicken pieces and added salt to taste. Put in half a tea spoon of vinegar and the result was awesome mushroom chicken in oyster and tomato sauce.

Mushroom chicken ready

The same as above from a different angle

Chive Pasta

My two year old is going to a play-school and I feel constantly apprehensive. But the good thing is she seems to enjoy the time away from me and the food I prepare for her to take as a mini meal. On all days I see her meal box empty. Parents of other toddlers ask for my recipes which mean two things. That my kid is sharing and that other kids also love what I cook. Heady feeling for anyone.

Today I cooked pasta for her and she loved it. There is a new store which opened near my house and I am so excited with my new chive bottle buy yesterday that today’s pasta has to be named chive pasta despite all the other essential ingredients that went into it. A quick research on chives and how it is different from scallions revealed the following. “Long, skinny, green-topped onions that have white bottoms are scallions (green onions). Chives, on the other hand, are typically considered an herb since the plant stays pretty tiny yet has a strong, pungent flavor” http://www.ask.com/questions-about/Difference-between-Chives-and-Scallions. Fresh chives surely will be adding better flavor than my dried variety and can be used to make lovely chive pesto for pasta. Chives I read is rich in vitamin A and C.

Bottle full of chive

Opened and ready to be used

I boiled ½ a litre of water. To this I added a spoon full of oil and a table spoon of salt. To the boiling water I added 1 cup of pasta and allowed it to boil for 9 mins. I try to make all her foods as nutritious as I can and hence boiled some whole wheat ad semolina pasta. One needs to check whether the pasta is boiled right. The simplest way is to take out one piece of pasta and eat it to know. It was and so I strained the water out.

Boiled Pasta, just right!!!

This meal needed to be prepared real quickly. With a child at the door ready to leave for school I have little time to assemble ingredients. So instead of chopping I grated in a carrot. Next I chopped some mushrooms simultaneously heating oil in a deep wok. Threw in the carrots and finely chopped mushrooms and stirred for two minutes. Covered the wok with a lid and kept the flame low for another minute. 

Now, is the time to add the pasta, salt to taste and some chives. My baby loves tomato sauce. So I added 3 table spoon of tomato sauce. Tossed some more and chive pasta ready. The unique flavor to the pasta I attribute to the ingredient of the day-CHIVES. With my present obsession with chives I promise more recipes.

Sun, Sea and Topshe at Talsari

At the fish market

Fishy fishy

The sun and the Talsari Sea Beach

Durga Puja (Festival of Bengalis) is celebrated with much aplomb in Kolkata. However, the over crowded streets and stores made me yearn for some quiet. Keen to escape the pre puja hustle bustle all around I hit upon Talsari as a place to escape with my parents and Isha (my twenty two months) toddler. Internet search on the place revealed little. This I thought was significant as it meant that the place was not popular amongst tourists. I was right. We were the only guest in the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation’s Panthasala at Talasari (very close to West Begal and Orissa border in India) during the peak tourist season (we reached on 29^th September). Going by train to Digha by Duronto and taking a cab to Talsari which is 8 kms away is the fastest and least arduous way of reaching Talsari which is around 200 Kms away from Kolkata.

Gently swaying Casurina trees

After a short morning walk the next day, I realized that there is not much to do here except eat, sleep and take walks. What more can a tired mother of a two year old want? Idyllic vacation. Little off the beach, there is a local whole sale market selling fresh fish. The best part for all fish lovers is that one can get both fresh water and sea fishes here. My father excitedly bought fresh topshe. Topshe is a sweet water fish. It has a central bone and not many bones. The flesh is tender and cooks very easily. Topshe maach bhaja ie, fried Topshe is a traditional Bengali way of preparing this fish. This we got fried golden brown in a batter of garbanzo flour in mustard oil. Few meals can compare with rice and lentil cooked together (Khichuri) accompanied by fresh fried fish.

My mother believes that this fish should be fried with few ingredients to retain it's distinctive flavor. Hence she avoids marination with ginger and garlic. This is her tried and tested way of preparing it and I can vouch it is simply delicious. However, this is different from Sutapa Ray's more elaborate topshe bhaja.

Topshe fry, yummy!!!

Ingredients

6 cleaned topshe fish

½ tablespoon Turmeric powder

lemon  juice from ½ a lemon

Chickpea flour batter – 6 table spoons dissolved in water without such that there is no lumps

4 table spoon of chopped coriander

1 green chilli chopped finely

Salt to taste

Method

Rub the fishes with turmeric and salt. Squeeze in half a lime and put in the coriander and green chilli and then keep them aside for an hour to marinate.

 

Now prepare the chickpea flour batter in water. Add ½ teaspoon salt in it. (Note that the batter should not be watery).

Heat oil in a wok or karai. When the oil is smoking, dip the fishes in the batter, coat evenly and fry to a golden brown on both sides.

This tasted delicious with khichuri.

Cooking as I understand

Cooking as I understand

My mother had once told me that a well cooked dish has its genesis in the thought for preparing it. Next follows choosing and picking the right fresh ingredients. Chopping and sizing correctly the vegetables, meat or fish is an important part of the cooking process. Then some dishes might require patiently waiting while some of the ingredients are marinating, soaked or dried. This is followed by cooking the dish with careful precision and storing the food in the right container or utensil. Finally comes the part of serving the food correctly and with the right accompaniments. “There is one more thing - love. Love for food and love for those you invite to your table.”- Keith Floyd. This might make cooking look like an elaborate step by step process, but in contradiction sometimes there is no set sequencing to a great meal. Mothers and grandmothers around the world continue to magically whip up delicious food in very little time. Sometimes in places and people with minimal resources cooked food continues to be sumptuous despite lack of fancy or fresh ingredients.

The blog and what it conveys

I look upon this blog as a space to dabble with three hobbies of mine-food, photography and painting (in no particular order). The blog follows no theme. It is different solely because it does not try to be different. It is purely a platform to experiment and enjoy myself. I am very open to suggestions. Criticisms makes me feel low so please turn them into comments.

Food: This blog has tried and te(a)sted recipes from around the world but predominantly India.

                                   

Photographs: The photos you see are those taken by either me or my husband of food that I have cooked at home and he has approved as good enough to be shared.

Paintings: The paintings used are my expressions using water color, ink and charcoal medium and painstakingly scanned by Anjan. While the photographs are directly related to the recipes shared, the paintings are randomly used from what I have painted. No. I have not particularly painted for this blog. Yes. I have carefully cropped and styled my paintings.