One Day At A Time!

Chutney, an Indian condiment is well known all over. And the South Indian Coconut Chutney needs no introduction. As I have mentioned earlier, we love Idlis and Dosas for breakfast. Just like the variety of idlis and dosas, my Mom used to make a variety of coconut chutneys. If you are looking for something new and different, try these Konkani variations of chutneys and make your everyday breakfast more tasty. Ingredients: Shredded or Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1 cup Phutane/Split Dalia/Roasted Chickpeas - 1 tbsp (optional) Tamarind/Chincham/Chinch/Imli Paste - 1/2 tsp Green Chillies/Tarani Mirsang - 4 Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp  Curry Leaves/Kadipata/Karbeo - a sprig Mustard Seeds/Sasam - 1/2 tsp Dry Red Chillies - 2 Oil preferably Coconut oil Salt How to prepare South Indian Coconut Chutney: Wash curry leaves and green chilies. Pat them dry. Make slits in the green chillies with a knife. Roast the green chillies with few drops of o...

When you eat at an Indian restaurant, which appetizers do you order? Masala Papad , Samosa or Pakoras? Which is your favorite? Mine are these Potato Pakoras, but we generally skip the starter part and straight away order the entree. But, once in a while, eating something fried is okay, I guess. And, when it comes to home cooked meals, simple Dal Rice, Aam ka Achar and these fritters are my comfort food.

When we talk of healthy food, leafy greens top the list. Among all, spinach or palak is the most nutritive and is easily available. At least once a week, these healthy leaves are cooked in my kitchen, either in the form of Palak Parathas, Chana Palak  or the good old Palak Paneer or today's Aloo Palak. Potatoes, which are mostly loved by all, make a tasty addition to these greens. Ingredients: Spinach/Palak Leaves - about 6 cups Potatoes - 2 big Onion - 1 medium Canned Tomato Paste - 1/2 cup Green Chillies - 4 Ginger/Adrak - an inch piece Garlic - 3 big cloves Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp Kabab Masala or any other spice mix - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp Kasuri Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 2 tsp Salt Oil How to cook Indian Aloo Palak Masala: Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.  In a mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp oil, salt to taste, kabab m...

Bhakri is a well known flatbread of Maharashtra, made either of Jowar (Jwari) flour or Rice flour. I like using a combination of both, which makes the bread soft and nutritious. Plus, this bread is oil free. In Karnataka, this rice flatbread is called as Akki Roti and jowar/sorghum flatbread as Jolada Roti .

Lately, I have been cooking lots of protein rich beans and dals. Two dal based new recipes were on my mind - Rajasthani Dal Baati and Gujarati Dal Dhokli . My experiment of baking Baati with less oil was a complete failure. But this Dal Dhokli, also known as Chakolya or Varan Phal in Marathi was a hit. Chakolya is a desi version of whole wheat pasta in a lentil/dal sauce. For the sauce or Amti, instead of the regular Toor Dal, I used Panchmel Dal . Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup Cayenne Pepper/Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Toor Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 2 tbsp Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 2 tbsp Masoor Dal/Split Red Lentils - 2 tbsp Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram - 2 tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 2 tbsp Tomato - 1 medium Tamarind/Imli/Chinch - 1 tsp Ginger - 1 inch piece Green Chilies - 3 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Dry Fenugreek Leaves/Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera See...

Baked Veggie Bean Burgers made of loads of vegetables and protein rich kidney beans.  Since its baked and not deep fried, this vegetarian or vegan burger turns out to be a low calorie, low carb heart healthy burger.

Bakarwadi are crispy, savory spring rolls from the state of Maharashtra. Growing up in Mumbai, this used to be one of our evening snacks. Sometimes store bought, sometimes homemade. Though time consuming, my Aai used to make these rolls for us. Once again, here I am sharing one of my Mom's recipes from my US kitchen. You can try this crunchy munchy snack for Diwali as well. Ingredients: All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1 cup Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour/Besan - 1/4 cup Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves/Kothimbir - about 3/4 cup Shev - 2 tsp Desiccated (Dry) Coconut/Sukka Khobra - 2 tsp Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp Poppy Seeds/Khuskhus - 1 tsp Fennel Seeds/Badishep/Saunf - 1 tsp Ginger/Ala/Adrak - 1 tsp Green Chilies - 1 tsp Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil for deep frying How to prepare Bakarwadi: Prepa...

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi Readers :) Festivals are the busiest times for everyone, especially working women and busy Moms. Hope today's Microwave recipe of Coconut Burfi saves you some time. Ingredients: Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 2 cups Sugar - 3 tbsp Milk - 1/4 cup Ghee (Clarified Butter) or Coconut Oil - 2 tsp Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 1 pod (seeds only) Cashews/Kaju - 1 tsp (small pieces) How to cook Coconut Burfi in a Microwave: Fry cashews in 1/2 tsp ghee/clarified butter until they turn slightly brown. You can use any other nuts of your choice or skip nuts entirely.  Vegans can use coconut oil instead of ghee and coconut milk can be used as an alternative for dairy milk. Grease a flat plate or tray with ghee or coconut oil. Crush the cardamom seeds to a fine powder in a mortar pestle. Wipe a microwave safe big bowl dry. Add remaining ghee and grease the bowl well. Add coconut and mix well with a spoon. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and micro...

Jackfruit or Phanas (as said in Konkani), both raw and ripe, is commonly used in Konkani coconut curries, steamed idlis etc. Even jackfruit seeds are relished. These sweet Jackfruit fritters, called as Phonsa Mulik  are similar to French Beignets or doughnuts, but are perfect for vegans and vegetarians. Ingredients: Jackfruit/Phanas - 8 pieces Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - about 1/2 cup Semolina/Rava - 3 tbsp Jaggery/Gud/Gul - 2 tbsp Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 1 pod (seeds only) Oil How to prepare Konkani Phonsa Moolik/Mulka: Crush cardamom seeds in a mortar pestle to a fine powder. Fresh jackfruit is the best any day. But I used a 565 gm tin of canned jackfruit, which had about 8 pieces. Drain all the liquid. Place the jackfruit pieces in a strainer for 15 - 20 minutes, so that most moisture is lost. Grind grated coconut to a coarse dry paste. I used frozen shredded coconut and a mini food processor. Water was not needed. Add very little water, if req...

Batate Song and Batate Wagh are the most popular Konkani potato delicacies.  Both traditional curries are extremely spicy. But I use mild Byadagi variety of red chillies for a medium spiced Saung. For Konkani food lovers, here is a Mangalore style Batata Saung. Ingredients : Boiled Potatoes/Batate - 2 big Onion - 1 medium Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - about 1 cup Dry Red Chilies (Byadagi variety) - 5 Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 1 tbsp Tamarind/Chinch/Chincham - 1 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to cook Konkani Batate Saung: Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add coriander seeds and dry red chilies. Sauté at low heat until coriander seeds slightly darken and turn aromatic. Red chilies will turn crisp too. Grind roasted coriander seeds, red chilies, tamarind and coconut to a fine or slightly coarse paste. Finely chop onion. Peel the boiled potatoes. Dice potatoes into bite size pieces or just crumble them with your hands. I used a white onion and Russet potatoes. He...

A hearty vegetarian soup with lots of vegetables, beans and pasta. An authentic Italian Minestrone soup is cooked with wine, but we loved the soup even though I didn't use wine. Ingredients: Dry Red Kidney Beans - 1/3 cup Pasta Shells - 1/3 cup Onion - 1 medium Tomatoes - 2 medium Zucchini - 1 medium Green Beans - about 1/2 cup Yard Long Beans - about 1/2 cup Carrots - about 1/2 cup Celery - 2 sticks Spinach - about 1/2 cup Garlic - 2 big cloves Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning - 1 tsp Dry Parsley - 1 tsp Oregano - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp Olive Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to cook Italian Vegetable Minestrone Soup: Soak kidney beans overnight. You can use any other beans like black beans, chickpeas/kabuli chana. Canned beans would also be great for this soup. Wash the soaked beans and cook until beans turn soft. Do not overcook them. Medium chop onion, carrots, celery, zucchini and tomatoes. Cut beans int...

An all time favorite snack - Potato Chips, but cooked in a microwave.  Less oily and not deep fried. Ingredients: Potato (Russet) - 1 big Salt Oil How to cook Crisp Potato Chips in a Microwave: In a big bowl, add about 1/2 tsp salt and mix well. Wash the potato well. No need to peel the skin. Thinly slice the potato using a knife or a mandolin slicer.  Add the slices to the salty water.  Set it aside for 15 - 20 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the slices in water 2 - 3 times, so that the water turns clear. Place the slices on a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry. Grease a microwave safe plate with cooking spray or oil. Arrange the slices on the plate. Grease the slices with cooking spray or brush each slice with oil. Sprinkle little salt and microwave for 2 minutes. Along with salt, you can sprinkle any other seasoning of your choice. Flip the slices and microwave for another 2 minutes or until potato slices turn slightly brown and crisp. Some slices ...

Our morning breakfasts are commonly idlis and dosas - Cucumber Dosa , Oats Masala Dosa , Paan Pole , Dudhe (Pumpkin) Idli and so on. A nutritious breakfast including various types of grains and vegetables, is a good way to start your day. Today's Ragi and Urad Dal dosa is also one of those. My Mother-in-law's South Kanara Dosa Recipe. These gluten free crisp crepes with a curry are perfect for lunch or dinner as well.  Our family favorite is Ragi Masala Dosa , with a simple Coconut Chutney and Potato Bhaji . Ingredients: Ragi/Nachni/Finger Millet Flour - 1/2 cup Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1/4 cup Salt Oil How to prepare Ragi Dosa: Soak urad dal in water for 2 - 3 hours. Drain the water and wash the soaked dal well.  Grind urad dal to a fine, smooth paste adding water. In a bowl, add ground urad dal and add ragi flour little at a time. Stir well until ragi flour is mixed well. Add little water if required. Batter consistency is same as any crepe ...

Upkari is a Konkani recipe of stir fry veggies like Green Beans , Ridge Gourd , Pumpkin  with a coconut flavor and a couple of spices. Tendli Bibbe Upkari is unique as it is made of raw tender cashew nuts called as Bibbe in Konkani and Ole Kaju in Marathi, available only during monsoon season. This stir fry when made solely with cashews is called as Bibbe Upkari . Nowadays, I prepare this by soaking dry unroasted Cashews and it tastes awesome too. This no onion garlic delicacy is especially made on festive occasions. Ingredients: Ivy Gourd/Tendle/Tindora - about 400 gm Cashews/Kajubi/Kaju - about 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - about 1/2 cup Dry Red Chillies - 2 Curry Leaves/Karbeo/Kadipata - a sprig (optional) Mustard Seeds/Saasam - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Green Chillies - 2 (optional) Jaggery/Gud/Gul - about 1/2 tsp Salt Oil   How to cook Tendli Bibbe Upkari: Soak dry cashews for 5 - 6 hours. Raw, unroasted cashews would be the bes...

Mexican Cuisine has some similarities to Indian food in terms of spice.  You all have read my previous posts of Quesadillas and Tacos . I love to try Mexican recipes with a few twists of my own. There are some who don't like raw onions in their food. For them, here is my take on the classic Avocado Guacamole with tangy mango. This turned out to be a great hit with both kids and grown ups. Ingredients: Avocados - 2 Raw Mango - 2 tbsp Olives - 1 tbsp Pickled Jalapenos - 1 tbsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Salt Oil How to prepare Guacamole:   Dice the avocados in halves. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Dice the flesh into small pieces or mash it. In a mixing bowl, add finely chopped mango, olives, jalapenos, lime juice and salt. Add avocados and mix all the ingredients well. Garnish with cilantro leaves. No hard and fast rule about the proportion of ingredients. Add more or less to suit your taste. Serve Guaca...

South Indian Dosa or Crepes made of whole mung beans, rice and oats. Mung Bean with its skin on is highly nutritious and provides more fiber. Ingredients: Oats - 1/2 cup Idli Rice or Medium Grain Rice - 1/2 cup Mung Bean/Mung/Moog - 1/4 cup Toor Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 1 tbsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to prepare Oats and Mung Dosa: Soak rice, mung beans, toor dal and methi seeds in water for 5 - 6 hours. Aromatic methi seeds impart a nice golden brown color to the dosas. Wash the soaked rice and lentils well. Grind soaked rice, lentils and oats to a smooth paste. I used Quick Oats. No need to soak oats. Cover and let the batter ferment overnight. You can also add 1/8 tsp baking soda if you like. Add salt to the batter and mix when you are ready to make dosas. Heat a pan and grease the pan with few drops of oil or cooking spray. Do not add too much oil or else the dosas wont be thin. Spread a ladle full of batter evenly as thin as possible. Roast both sides ...

Along with rice and wheat, Jowar or Sorghum is also a staple in some regions of India. Jwari Bhakri or Jolada Roti is a popular flatbread in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Thalipeeth is similar to a pancake and is made of a variety of flours. Ingredients: Jowar/Sorghum/Jwari/Jola Flour - 1 cup Rice Flour - 1/4 cup Green Onions/Scallions/Kandyachi Path - about 1 cup Green Chili Paste - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt  Oil How to cook Marathi Jwari Thaalipeeth: Finely chop green onions, both white and green parts. Finely chop green chilies or use green chili paste. You can use red onions instead of green onions. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except oil. Add water, little at a time and mix to form a soft dough. Divide the dough into 5 round balls. Grease a plastic wrap with oil or cooking spray. Place a dough ball in the center  of the plastic sheet. Using your fingers, spread the dough ball into a round pancake. Heat a...

Kothimbir Wadi is well known to many to us as a Marathi recipe of savory steamed cilantro cakes. Shepu Wadi is a similar appetizer made of fresh Dill leaves or Sabasgi and protein rich gram flour. These have a nutty flavor of sesame seeds and peanuts. Ingredients: Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour/Besan - 1 cup Rice Flour - 1/4 cup Dill/Sabasgi/Shepu - about 3 cups Roasted Peanut/Groundnut Powder - 2 tsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania/Dhane Powder - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Baking Soda - 1/8 tsp Green Chilli Paste - 1 tsp Ginger/Adrak Paste - 1 tsp Molasses or Jaggery or Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to make Shepu Wadi: Finely chop dill leaves with tender stems. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except oil. Mix well and add water little at a time to form a thick batter. You will need around 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup water. Pour this batter in a...

Roti Sabzi is what I most commonly cook for our lunches. My favorites are curries with a variety of mixed vegetables. Kadhai Vegetables is one such colorful medley of different veggies. Ingredients: Green/French Beans/Farasbi - 1/2 cup Carrots/Gajar - 1/2 cup Green Peas/Matar - 1/2 cup Lima Beans (Frozen) - 1/2 cup (optional) Bell Pepper/Capsicum - about 1/2 cup Potato/Aloo - 1 small Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - about 1/4 cup Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Bay Leaf/Tejpata/Tamalpatra - 1 Onion - 1 small Tomato - 1 big Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp Coriander/Dhaniya Powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Garam Masala or any spice mix - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala or Aamchur - 1/2 tsp Dry Red Chilies - 5 Salt Oil How to cook Veg Kadhai: Medium chop green beans, carrots, bell pepper and potato. I used half yellow bell pepper for this recipe. You can use cauliflower, broccoli too. I used about 4 cups of veggies. Finely chop onion...

Undi or Oondi is a popular Konkani breakfast recipe of steamed rice dumplings. This recipe is somewhat similar to Idlis , but takes lesser time and needs no fermentation. I generally prepare Undis for lunch and serve it with a spicy curry or chutney. While I was in Mangalore, I came across its Tulu name - Pundi Gatti . Ingredients: Idli Rava/Cream of Rice/Rice Rava - 1 cup Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/2 cup Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Curry Leaves/Kadipata/Karbeo - a sprig (optional) Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp Oil preferably Coconut Oil Salt How to prepare steamed Undi: Finely chop cilantro leaves and pat the curry leaves dry. Heat about 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, methi seeds and curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutter, add 3 cups water.  Add salt to taste. When water starts boiling, add idli rava gradually and stir simultaneously. Cook it covered at low heat for 2 ...