One Day At A Time

Uttappa or Uttappam is a South Indian gluten free savory pancake made of lentils and rice. Like an Italian pizza, it can be topped with multiple veggies - onions, tomatoes, green chilies, cilantro. Onions and carrots are my favorite toppings for this delicious pancake. Nowadays, cheese is also added as a topping. Ingredients: Idli Rice or Medium Grain Rice - 1 cup Urad dal/Split Black Gram - 1/3 cup Methi/Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves Green Chilies (optional) Onions Carrots Salt Oil How to cook South Indian Uttappam: Soak rice and urad dal separately for 4 - 5 hours. Soak Methi seeds with rice. Wash rice and urad dal. Grind urad dal to a very fine paste and rice slightly coarse, like semolina. Mix ground rice, ground urad dal, salt and ferment it overnight. The batter consistency is thinner than idli batter.  The batter will rise almost to its double after fermentation. Finely chop onions, green chilies, cilantro and c...

Kokam ( Garcinia indica ) is a round dark coloured sour fruit which looks similar to a plum.  Its dry skin is used for making Sol Kadhi .  Dry Kokum skin, called as Aamsol or Sol or Birindasol is also used as a substitute for tamarind in coconut curries.  I am not sure about its English name Purple Mangosteen.

Aloo Methi is the most loved combo in my family.  This recipe is a mix of my previous posts - Aloo Paratha and Methi Thepla .  Ingredients: Methi/Fenugreek Leaves - a bunch Green Chillies - 4 Wheat Flour - 1 cup Besan/Gram Flour - about 1/4 cup Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Sesame/Til - 1 tsp Curd/Yogurt - 1 tbsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Potatoes - 2 big Coriander/Cilantro leaves Green Chillies - 5 Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. Mix chopped fenugreek leaves, crushed green chillies, wheat flour, gram flour, turmeric, sesame, salt, sugar and curd well in a mixing bowl.   2. Knead all the above into a soft dough.  If required, add more wheat flour.  Use 1 tbsp oil and knead well to avoid stickiness of the dough.  Keep the dough covered for 20 - 30 minutes. 3. Boil and peel the potatoes.  Finely chop cilantro leaves and green ...

Easy and quick snack made of parched rice or Poha and requires no cooking at all. This Konkani recipe of Godda Phovu  is made of thin Poha also known as flattened rice or beaten rice or parched rice. Konkani phovu recipes are both sweet and savory. Savory Poha recipes are similar to Maharashtrian Dadpe Pohe . Today I am sharing a simple sweet recipe which needs only 5 ingredients. And with thawed frozen coconut, I need less than 15 minutes for this sweet treat. This recipe can also be made by preparing a sugar syrup, but I always go with the easiest one.

A Konkani coconut curry with whole Mung sprouts. Ingredients: Mung Bean/Whole Green Gram - 1/2 cup Grated Coconut - about 1 cup Thin Coconut Slices - about 1/4 cup Green Chillies - 2 Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 1 tbsp Dry Red Chillies - 4 (Byadagi Variety) Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Tamarind/Chinch - small piece Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Soak Mung Beans for 5 - 6 hours.  Drain the water and keep it covered overnight to get sprouts.  Alternately, you can tie the soaked mung in a cloth and keep it overnight.  2. Wash the sprouts.  Cook the sprouts and coconut slices in about 2 cups water till soft. 3. Wash the curry leaves and pat them dry.  Slit the green chillies lengthwise.  4. Roast the coriander seeds and red chillies with little oil, till the coriander seeds slightly darken. 5. Grind grated coconut, roasted coriander seeds...

Every Konkani delicacy has coconut and today's recipe is no exception. Upkari is a mild stir fry of vegetables with fresh coconut. Ingredients: French Beans/Farasbi - 300 gms Green Chilies or Dry Red Chilies - 5 Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - a pinch (optional) Grated Coconut - about 3 tbsp Jaggery/Gud/Gul - about 1 tsp Oil preferably Coconut oil Salt  How to cook Beans Upkari: Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok, add mustard seeds and asafetida. After mustard seeds pop, add chopped beans. Sauté for a minute and lengthwise slit green chilies.  Stir and cook it covered at low flame for 5 - 10 minutes. Keep stirring after every 2 minutes. You can add water if you like. When beans turn soft, add salt, jaggery, grated coconut and turmeric. I generally use frozen shredded coconut. Cook for 5 more minutes and its ready to serve with dal rice or chapati.

Dosas are always welcome in my family.. and crispy dosas top the list. Ingredients: Rice - 3 cups Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 1 cup Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas - 1 cup Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 cup Curd/Yogurt - 5 tbsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Soak rice and dals separately for 4 - 5 hours.  Add methi seeds with rice for soaking.  Wash the soaked dals and rice well. 2. Grind the dals and curd to a very fine paste.  Add more curd if required.  Grind rice slightly coarse, like Rava/Semolina. 3. Mix ground dals and ground rice, add salt and ferment it overnight. 4. Heat a pan and pour a ladle full of batter and spread it very thin.  Drizzle oil and roast both sides.  Serve crispy Dal dosa with chutney.

Mumbai is well known for its street food - Pav Bhaji , Vada Pav ,  Samosa , Pani Poori and the list goes on. Of all these mouthwatering spicy delicacies, I miss Mumbai Pani Puri the most. Till date, I haven't found any Indian restaurant here serving good Pani Poori. Here is my homemade recipe for all Pani Poori lovers.  In Delhi, it is popularly known as Gol Gappe and in Bengal as Puchka .

A popular street food of Mumbai, now loved all over India. Word to word translation would be bread and vegetables. But it is much more than that.  Here is my recipe of spicy tasty Pav Bhaji, made healthier with leafy vegetables. Ingredients: Potato - 1 big Onion - 1 big Tomatoes - 2 small Capsicum/Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup Green Peas - 1/2 cup Carrots - 1/2 cup Green/Leafy Vegetables - 1/2 cup Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala - 1 tbsp Butter - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Cheese - optional Pav/Buns/Dinner Rolls or Sliced Bread Salt How to cook Mumbai Pav Bhaji: Finely chop onions, tomatoes and cilantro. Medium chop carrots and capsicum. Boil the potato in enough water.  Cook green peas, carrots, capsicum and green leafy vegetables with 1/2 cup water. Cook the veggies covered. Save the water used for cooki...

This is a dosa/crepe well known as  Pesarattu in Andhra Pradesh.   A crisp dosa made of whole Mung Bean and rice. Ingredients: Mung/Whole Green Gram - 1 cup Medium Grain Rice or Idli Rice - 1 cup Salt Oil How to cook Andhra Pesarattu Dosa: 1. Wash rice and mung with water and soak them together for 5 - 6 hours. 2. Grind soaked rice and mung into a fine paste.  Batter consistency is same as masala dosa.  Add salt and ferment it overnight. 3. Heat a pan and spread a ladle full of batter into a thin circular dosa.  Drizzle little oil and roast both sides till crisp.  Serve hot Mung Pesrattu with Coconut Chutney and/or Potato Bhaji .

During festivals, auspicious days, I try to follow my Mom's customs to cook food with no onion garlic. One of my Mom's recipes I love is this stir fry Pumpkin or Lal Bhopla or Kadoo ... with lots of chillies and jaggery. In Konkani, we call this Lal Bhopla Bhaji as Duddhe Upkari. Ingredients: Pumpkin/Kadoo/Lal Bhopla - 250 gms Curry Leaves/Kadipata/Karbeo - a sprig Green Chilies - 5 Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Mustard Seeds/Sasam - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar - about 1 tsp Oil preferably Coconut Oil How to cook Lal Bhoplyachi Bhaji: Peel the pumpkin skin and cut it into bite size pieces. Wash the curry leaves, green chilies and pat them dry. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida. After mustard seeds pop, add pumpkin, turmeric and lengthwise slit green chilies. Stir and cook it ...

HAPPY GUDI PADWA!  HAPPY UGADI!   May this New Year fulfill all your wishes.  Here is a traditional Konkani Kheer Madgane.   Generally this is made soaking rice.  I used rice flour instead.  Traditionally, coconut milk is used for this payasam.  But dairy milk makes it equally yummy. Ingredients: Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram - 1 1/2 tbsp Coconut Slices - about 1 tbsp Rice Flour - 1 tbsp heaped Milk - 3 cups  Cashews/Kaju - 5 Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods (seeds only) Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 3 tbsp Method: 1. In a thick bottomed vessel add 1 cup water, chana dal and coconut slices.   Cook till chana dal turns soft.  Add more water if required. 2. Meanwhile, mix rice flour with 1/2 cup milk in a bowl.  Mix well to avoid lumps. 3. After chana dal gets cooked, add milk.  To this add the rice flour mixed with milk.  Keep stirring. 4. Add jaggery, ground cardamom, cashew pie...

Radish stuffed Indian wheat bread.  Probably, popularity wise, ranks second after Aloo Parathas.

Batate Talasaan  with coconut and green chillies is one of my favorite potato recipes, especially when my Mom cooks it.  Today's recipe is a similar potato stir fry which in Marathi is called as Batatyachya Kachrya, shared by a dear friend Kavita. Ingredients: Potatoes - 4 medium Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder/Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to cook Batate Kachrya: Peel the potato skin and dice the potatoes to thin slices.  To avoid potatoes turning dark, put the slices in water.  I used Russet potatoes. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, asafoetida. After mustard seeds pop, add potato slices and saute till golden brown or till cooked.  Add Cayenne pepper, salt, turmeric and mix well.  You can add a pinch of garam masala as well. Saute for 5 more min and its ready to serve with puri or chapati.

In Maharashtrian Cuisine, Gharge or Lal Bhoplyachi Puri is a well known recipe. Sometimes, when pumpkin/kadoo/lal bhopla is not available, I use Butternut squash or Acorn Squash. This Pumpkin fried bread is great as a snack or as an appetizer.

Parathas are an integral part of North Indian breakfast.  I had liked its name in Harman's Blog "Stuffed Pitas".  Aloo Paratha is the most popular.  Here is my simple version.  Instead of cumin, you can use Ajwain/Carom seeds/Owa.

Happy Woman's Day!    Ingredients: Basmati Rice - 1 cup Button Mushrooms - 250 gms Onion - 1 medium Garlic - 4 cloves Cashews - 8 Cilantro/Coriander leaves - few sprigs  Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Biryani Masala - 1/4 tsp (optional) Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. Wash rice 3 - 4 times with water.  Cook rice with 1 1/2 cups water and little salt.  Save it for later.  You can use leftover rice as well. 2. Meanwhile, wash the mushrooms well and pat them dry.  Alternately, you can clean the mushrooms by wiping with a wet cloth. Slice the mushrooms.  Medium chop the onions, finely chop garlic and cilantro. 3. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok.  Add cumin seeds and garlic.  Saute for a minute and add chopped onions.  When onions turn soft, add sliced mushrooms and turmeric. 4. Mushrooms will start turning watery.  Saute till m...

When we like something at a restaurant or at a friend's party, we usually end up trying it in our kitchen. This is one of the recipes which we tasted at our place of worship  Shri LakshmiNarayan Mahamaya Devasthan (Temple) in Ankola, Karnataka. Since then my Mom started making this as a side dish with our meals.

Easy and tasty Vegan Mushroom Sandwiches.  You can use any of your favourite spice mixes like garam masala, pav bhaji masala, kabab masala instead of cajun seasoning. Ingredients: Bread Slices Button Mushrooms - 250 gms Onion - 1 medium Bell Pepper/Capsicum - 1 medium Garlic - 2 big cloves Cilantro/Coriander leaves - few sprigs Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder/Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp Cajun Seasoning or any other spice mix - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil How to prepare Mushroom Sandwich: 1. Julinenne slice onions and green bell pepper.  Wipe the mushrooms with a paper towel and dice them into medium slices.  Finely chop garlic and cilantro.  2. In a baking tray add onions, green pepper, mushrooms, garlic, black pepper powder, cayenne pepper, salt and cajun seasoning.  Drizzle 2 tsp olive oil and toss them well.  Spread it evenly on the tray. 3. Preheat the oven at 350 deg. F and bake the veggies for about 15 minu...

I am a great fan of both Bottle Gourd and Ash Gourd desserts.  Luckily, I found Bottle Gourd at the Indian Store.  Here is the recipe for Dudhi Halwa.  For garnishing, you can even use pistachios or green grapes. Ingredients: Grated Bottle Gourd/Dudhi - about 2 cups  Ghee/Clarified butter - 1 tbsp Milk - about 1 cup Cardamom - 2 pods Cashews - 4 Almonds - 4 Sugar - 6 tsp Method: 1. Soak almonds in water  for about 15 min so that the skin comes off easily. 2. Peel the bottle gourd skin, remove the seeds and grate it.  While grating, bottle gourd leaves some water.  3. In a kadhai/ wok add grated bottle gourd with its water and about 1 tbsp ghee.  Mix well and cook it covered.   4. When bottle gourd gets cooked or turns transparent, add milk and ground cardamom. 5. When milk starts boiling, add cashew and almond pieces.  Keep stirring. 6. Add sugar when milk is reduced in quantit...