Sabudana Vada

Even though I was born in Delhi, we moved to Pune when I was 9. So I basically grew up in Pune and with a taste for Maharashtrian food. Sabudana khichadi was my favorite snack-time meal besides pohe and upma. And when I was in mood for eating something fried, I would love to have Sabudana vada. I still remember, once I was unwell for quite some time and had to be on a diet of boiled vegetables and soup for days together. The first thing that I asked to eat once I was certified fit and fine was Sabudana vada!!

Somehow, I had never tried making the vadas at home before. I made sabudana khichadi a few times. But with the sabudana bought here, it became a gooey mess so much that G refused to eat more than a few spoonfuls of it. I had some leftover sabudana and didn't want to use it for another gooey khichadi. So I decided to made Sabudana vadas out of it.

I used the recipe from Adhi Potoba. So I am not posting it here again. I used only one potato though and added roasted cumin (coarsely ground) instead of plain cumin seeds. and the peanuts were coarsely ground too. Also I used my small non-stick frying pan for frying the vadas 2 at a time coz I was a bit afraid that they might stick! As suggested, I served these with sweetened yogurt. Now, G sure liked this version of sabudana!

MBP - One Pot Wonders : Vegetable Pulav

When I started this blog, I wasn't sure if I would be able to participate in all of the blog events requiring authentic recipes. But one thing I was sure of that I will definitely be able to participate in Monthly Blog Patrol! coz thats basically what I keep doing.. looking at other blogs for great recipes to cook!

April's theme, One Pot Wonders is a great theme. Quite often, when I get home from work, I'm too tired (or lazy!) to make a full meal and cook up a quick pulav or khichadi.

Here is a pulav I tried recently from TongueTicklers. Thanks Sunshinemom for a great recipe!


I didn't use the turmeric. And instead of the pressure cooker, I just used a normal pot. I cooked everything on high without the lid till the water started boiling and then turned off the heat and let it cook covered for 10 minutes. Now I have a hot plate and not gas.. so the plate stays warm for 10 mins and in that time the rice is all cooked nicely each grain separate!

This is my entry for MBP - One Pot Wonders hosted by Pavani this month

I'm looking forward to the roundup to get some more ideas.

Rasgulla, Rasmalai & Tulips!

My hubby (G) loves Rasgullas and has been pretty spoilt having grown up on the K.C. Das Rasgullas in Bangalore which you get in those cute Matkas! In US (as well as here), all we got were the Haldiram canned Rasgullas. They were very dry and no fun. While Bengali recipes were floating around in the food blogosphere for RCI Bengal, I too tried my hands at making Rasgullas.

I used the recipe from Manjula's kitchen. She makes it look so simple in her video that I thought why not. But it ain't that simple! My Rasgulla's didn't quite turn out the way I expected. I followed the recipe to the T (so I am not going to repeat it here). But when I opened the cooker, I saw no balls, the paneer was all scattered out!!! Now there was no way I was gonna let all that effort go to waste.. So I scooped it out with a Tea Strainer, made the balls again and let it cool.. Then put some of the sugar syrup on top of it and put it in the fridge. What I got was a cross between Sandesh and Rasgulla and didn't taste bad! and most of them were gulped down by G in one single day :)

Not a pretty picture.. but still worth putting it here I think!

When I discussed my attempt at Rasgulla making with my mom, she said I should put some Maida in the paneer while making the dough.. I'll probably try that next time.. coz I did feel that the dough was not smooth enough and was little brittle... maybe I didn't rub it for long enough?

Anyways, I made Rasmalais after a few days.. but this time I used a shortcut and just got the Gits Rasmalai packet. I used to make these in US as well.. but some times they used to be hard in the center. So this time I let them boil in the water for 20 mins (double the time given in the recipe on the box). They came out real well! all fluffy and soft. Take a look!


The best Rasmalais I've had? Nah.... That award would go to (no not K.C. Das) but Vik's Chat Bhandar from Berkley!!! Yeah they were the best Rasmalais I've ever had. Sigh, how I miss California :(

But Rotterdam is not bad nowadays! The tulips are flowering and its getting sunnier! yay! here are some pictures I took today.. Thought I would share these even though they have nothing to do with my "culinary" adventures ;)

Aate ke Laddoo

Update: I am submitting this entry for Jhiva for Love which is being hosted by Jigyasa and Pratibha and would like to dedicate it to my mom. I love my mom and of course her cooking - there is nothing better than "mummy ke haat ka khana"! She is the one who inspires me to cook and before I started this blog it was with her that I shared all my culinary adventures - good or bad!


Aate ke laddoo bring back fond memories of my childhood. I can clearly picture my mom roasting the flour in a big kadhai, the home filling up with heavenly aroma and then all of us, my dad included, sitting around in a circle and making the laddoos together. Then comparing the sizes of the laddoos and laughing coz of course mine would be the smallest! This was a regular occurrence several times over the winter coz those laddoos used to get over in a jiffy!

Besides so many other things, I missed the laddoos a lot once I move to the US. Mom used to make and send them to me whenever she found anybody coming over from India to US and of course whenever I visited India, the laddoos were always ready, to eat as well as take. We always relive the laddoo making sessions when we are together, and had one even in summer at my place when my parents visited me.

This winter was the first time I tried my hands at making them on my own. When I ask my mom for the proportions, she never has it coz she makes it "Andaz se". So I had to look up the recipe and I found one at bawarchi which got my mom's approval. I, however, used only the proportions of the ingredients from the recipe and used my mom's way of making it.

So here's my version of the recipe

Ingredients

4 cups wholewheat flour
2 cups powdered sugar or बूरा (sorry don't know the English equivalent)
1 1/2 cups ghee
1 tsp. cardamom powder
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
1 tbsp. chopped cashews
1 tbsp. raisins

Method

1. Melt ghee in a large pan.
2. Add wheat flour, stir continuously, till light brown.
3. Roast flour on very slow flame. Roast it until its dark brown and ghee starts to separate from the flour. This takes a long time and you have to stir frequently to avoid burning.
   
4. Once the flour is dark brown, take the pan off the heat.
5. Add बूरा now. - the advantage of using बूरा is that it does not leave water. while if you are using powdered sugar, you have to wait till the flour is colder else it leaves water.
   
6. Now add the dry fruits and cardamom powder.
   
7. Mix well and shape into laddoos while its still warm. - good time to involve DH here!
   
8. Cool completely before storing in airtight container. Enjoy!

I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the laddoos that they tasted very much like my mom's! DH agreed too. I think I made around 25-30 of them and they were all gone within 2 weeks!

Hello!

I have been a silent visitor in the world of food blogs for a long time. It started with me just browsing and admiring the work of wonderful food bloggers out there. I slowly started trying out some of the recipes and recently I have also started taking pictures of what I make. Of course they don't compare to what I have seen! some of you food bloggers seem like professional photographers!

Well, I have not graduated yet to creating my own recipes.. so what I will post here are my attempt of the recipes already on the net along with my pictures. and I hope to improve both my culinary and photography skills as I go along.

So join me on my adventures! and all you food bloggers, please feel free to give me your feedback! After all its your recipes that I am trying out and I have you to thank for my renewed interest in cooking and photography! :)