One Day At A Time

A simple breakfast recipe.  An instant Konkani pancake recipe made of rice flour. Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1 cup leveled Grated/Shredded Coconut - 3/4 cup Finely chopped Onions - 3/4 cup Green chillies - 8 Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup Finely chopped Ginger - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera seeds - 1 tsp Water - 1 cup Salt Oil Method: 1. Finely chop onions, green chillies, ginger and cilantro. 2. Mix rice flour, chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, cilantro, cumin, grated coconut and salt.  Add about 1 cup water and mix all the ingredients well.  Use Coconut water if available. 3. Heat a pan/tawa. Spread a handful of the above mixture evenly as thin as possible using hands.  While spreading lowering the heat helps. 4. Drizzle little oil on top and at the sides.  Flip it after a minute or so and roast both sides till golden brown. 5. Rice Thaalipith is ready to serve.

Growing up in Mumbai, Gavar used to be one of the vegetables readily available. In Konkani, we call it as Chitmitki . My Mom used to cook either a Konkani Upkari with coconut or a Maharashtrian Bhaji with peanuts. My favorite has always been this peanut curry. Ingredients: Cluster Beans/Gavar/Chitmitki (fresh or frozen) - 350 gms Peanuts/Groundnuts - 1/2 cup Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Garam Masala or any spice mix - 1/4 tsp (optional) Aamchur or Tamarind Paste - 1/4 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Oil How to cook Gavarchi Bhaji: Dry roast the peanuts until they turn slightly dark and aromatic. After cooling, grind the peanuts to a coarse powder. I use the peanut skin, as the skin provides nutrients too.Medium chop the washed cluster beans. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok and add mustard seeds, asafetida. When mustard seeds pop, add cluster beans...

Besan or Chickpea Flour or Gram Flour is an excellent substitute of eggs for vegans and vegetarians.  This is an egg free omlette recipe with a variety of veggies.  You can use carrots, tomatoes too. Ingredients: Besan/Gram flour/Chickpea flour - 1 cup Rice flour - 1/4 cup (optional) Cabbage - about 300 gms Onion - 1 big Green chillies - 8 Coriander/Cilantro leaves - 1/3 cup Salt Oil Method: 1. Finely chop onion, cabbage, green chillies and cilantro.   2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped veggies, chickpea flour, rice flour and salt.  Add about 1 cup water and mix all the ingredients well.  Add more water if required.  Consistency is like whisked omlette or dosa batter.  Mix well to remove lumps if any. 3. Heat a pan and add about 1/2 tsp oil.  Pour a ladle full of the batter and spread it evenly.  Add little more oil and roast both sides till golden brown. 4. Serve Besan Omlette with tomato ketchup or coriander ch...

A savoury baked vegetable snack with the crispness of pastry sheets.  Ingredients: Pastry Sheets Potato - 1 medium Onions - 1 medium Chopped Carrots - 1/2 cup Chopped French Beans - 1/2 cup Green Peas - 1/2 cup Corn - 1/2 cup Collard Greens or any other leafy vegetable - 1/2 cup Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - 1/2 cup Green Chillies - 4 Garlic - 3 big cloves Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Chat Masala or Aamchur - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala or any spice mix - 1/4 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Thaw the frozen pastry sheets as per the instructions.    2. Finely chop onions, garlic, green chillies, collard greens, cilantro.  Chop carrots, French beans, potato into small cubes.  You can use any other veggies like cauliflower, cabbage, spinach etc. 3.  Heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add cumin seeds, finely chopped garlic, green chillies and saute for a minute.  Now add onions and saute till on...

Semolina/Rava coated crisp Salmon Fry tastes good with steamed rice and Kokam Kadhi . Ingredients: Salmon - 1 pound Cayenne Pepper/Red chilli powder - 3 tbsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp Semolina/Rava/Sooji - about 3/4 cup Peanut/Groundnut Oil Salt Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add cayenne pepper, turmeric, tamarind and salt.  Add about 1 - 2 tbsp water and mix well to form a thick paste. 2. Add washed salmon pieces in the paste, coat them well and keep them aside for about 45 minutes. 3. Take semolina in a plate.  Coat the marinated salmon pieces in semolina. 4. Shallow fry the salmon pieces, about 3 - 5 minutes each side drizzling little oil. 

A delicious Vegan Burger with potatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves.  Ingredients:   Boiled Potatoes - 2 big Fenugreek/Methi leaves - 1 cup Coriander/Cilantro leaves - 1/2 cup Carrots - 2 French/Green Beans - 1/2 cup Yellow Corn Meal - 3/4 cup Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper - 2 tbsp Mushrooms - 350 gms Garlic - 5 big cloves Black Pepper Powder Salt Oil Method: 1. Heat 2 - 3 tbsp oil in a skillet and add sliced mushrooms, finely chopped garlic.  When mushrooms start turning brown, add salt and black pepper.  Saute for a minute and keep them aside. 2. Saute french beans with little oil till soft.  Add little salt and save them for later. 3. In a mixing bowl, mash or grate the boiled potatoes.   Add finely chopped fenugreek and cilantro leaves.  Add grated carrot , sauted beans, corn meal (or bread crumbs or semolina), garam masala, cayenne pepper and ...

Bhutta is an Indian way of eating Corn/Maize/Makai on the Cob.  I find hot Bhutta perfect for rainy season and is ready within 5 minutes. Ingredients: Corn Cob - 2 Salt - 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder/Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp Lemon Slice Method: 1. Roast the cob on the stove top on medium flame.  The pop sound indicates the corn kernels getting cooked.  Roast it till it gets slightly black on the outside and juicy on the inside. 2. Mix salt and chilli powder.  Dip the lemon slice in salt, chilli powder and apply it in the hot corn cob. 

Chaimui is a Konkani dessert made from curdled milk.  In summer, milk gets spoilt easily.  You can make this dessert with such curdled milk.  If you dont like using spoilt milk, you can use lemon juice and a dessert like Kalakand is ready.  Cooking time is 5 - 10 minutes, much lesser than Kalakand. My Dear Aai's easy recipe -:) Ingredients: Milk - 500 ml Lemon juice - 1 tsp Sugar - about 2 tsp Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 1 pod Pistachios or any nuts - 4 (optional) Method: 1. Heat milk in a heavy bottomed vessel.  After milk starts boiling, turn off the gas and add lemon juice.  Milk will start curdling.  (In case of spoilt milk, follow the method from step 2 as lemon juice is not required to curdle milk.) 2. Once the chenna settles, sieve/strain through a strainer.  Use a spoon to press out excess water.  Discard the liquid. 3. Add the chenna in a heavy bottomed vessel and cook for 2 minutes.  Add sugar, grou...

Instant Noodles are always a saviour when I want something quick.  But I discard the seasoning mix in case it contains MSG .  MSG is also known as Sodium Glutamate.  Instead I use my favourite spices and it tastes equally good.  You can use Chicken Masala, Meat Masala, Garam Masala, Cajun Spice Mix  as substitutes for Biryani Masala. Ingredients: Noodles - about 160 gms Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp Biryani Masala - 1/4 tsp Onion - 1 small Carrot - 1 small Corn Kernels - 1/4 cup Green Peas - 1/4 cup Salt Oil Method: 1. Heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok and add sliced onion.  Saute for about 2 minutes and add sliced carrot, corn and peas. 2. Saute till vegetables are half done or as you like. 3. Add about 2 cups water, cayenne pepper, chat masala, biryani masala and salt.  Stir all the powders well and add the noodles. 4. Cook till the noodles absorb water and turn soft.  Add more water if req...

Acorn Squash is similar to Pumpkin/Lal Bhopla/Kadoo in taste. Few months back I had blogged about Duddhe Upkari or Lal Bhopla Bhaji . This recipe is similar to that, but with acorn squash and minus coconut. Ingredients: Acorn Squash - 2 cups Green chilies - 8 Curry Leaves - a sprig Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to cook Acorn Squash Bhaji: Peel the squash skin and discard the seeds. Cut it into bite sized pieces. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok and add mustard seeds, asafetida and curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutter, add squash pieces and lengthwise slit green chilies. Cook it covered. When squash gets cooked and soft, add salt and jaggery. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and Stir fry Squash is ready.