Maseladar Baingan (Spicy Eggplant Curry)

Eggplant is perhaps the most used vegetable in our house. So I try to make various combinations and permutations so that we do not get bored of it. That is why when i saw this recipe in the Sunday edition of TOI, I added it to my To-Do list.

It turned out to be very nice and spicy. Goes great with rotis!!! Read on for the very easy recipe:

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• Sliced brinjal/eggplant ( 4 cups )
• Finely chopped onion ( 2 medium )
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp
• Chili powder - 1/3 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Amchur - 1/4 tsp ( But I used 1/2 tsp anardana powder instead )
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• salt to taste

For the paste -

• Peanuts - 2 tbsp
• Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/3 tsp
• Green chillis - 2-3 nos
• Coriander leaves - 1/3 cup

Preparation - Make a fine paste out of the ingredients listed under 'For the paste'.

Cooking - Add 1 tbsp oil to a wok. Add and fry the eggplant slices for 4-5 minutes. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.

Add chopped onions and allow to turn translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes away.

Add all the powdered spices. Fry for 1 min.

Add the masala paste along with salt and fry for 3-4 mins.

Add the beaten curd along with the eggplant slices. Fry for 2-3 mins on medium flame.

Add 1 1/2 cup water slowly. Cover with lid and allow to cook for 6-7 mins.

Remove from wok. Add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mix well.

Serve hot with rotis.

Note - The original recipe made use of the raw eggplant pieces but I choose to stir fry them as it tastes different ( I like it better this way).

Raisin and Saffron Muffins

Its quite hot these days and on top of it, my oven has been acting up. But I still had the persistence to bake another batch of muffins. Had to rotate the tray quite a few times to avoid getting those dreaded burn spots but still could not manage to get them to brown evenly on top. The yummy taste and fluffy texture saved it for me and my son really liked it. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• All purpose flour ( 1 cup)
• butter ( 1/2 cup )
• sugar ( 1/2 cup, powdered )
• egg ( 1 no)
• chopped raisins ( 1/3 cup )
• milk ( 1/4 cup )
• baking powder ( 1/2 level tsp )
• saffron ( 1/5 tsp)
• cardamom powder (1 pinch)

Preparation - Heat the milk. Add the saffron strands to it and allow to soak for 20 mins.

Take the butter  in a mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and beat well for 5 mins or till the mixture turns a few shades lighter.

Break egg into a separate bowl and beat well such that stiff peaks can be formed.
Stir gently into the butter-sugar mix. Add the saffron milk also.( do not panic if you find a slight curdling at this stage )
Mix the flour and baking powder together. Use a sieve to gently sift it into the batter in small batches. Mix gently till no lumps remain. Stir in the raisins keeping aside a few to sprinkle on top.

Grease a non-stick muffin tray. Pour into the molds till 2/3 full. Sprinkle chopped raisins on top.

Cooking - Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Put the tray inside and turn down heat to 160 degrees after 5 minutes. Bake for another 10 mins.

Insert a toothpick at the center of muffin and check if it comes out clean. Else bake for another 2-3 mins.

Remove from oven and keep on a cooling rack. Overturn the tray to remove the muffins while still warm (easy to come out).

Serve immediately or store in a airtight container for 2-3 days.

Note - Roll the raisins in a little all-purpose flour before sprinkling on top. This prevents them from sinking into the muffins.

Neer Mor / Spiced Buttermilk / Masala Chaas (Detox Monday Recipe)

(A Big Sorry for being late by a whole day!!!!)

Surprised. How can buttermilk be classified as detox food ???? It is just another dairy product.

But that's the magic of this humdrum ingredient (Don't they say the most common/easy solutions are often the most overlooked ones) . Even though it is derived from milk, it is strong cleansing properties. Much revered in Ayurveda, buttermilk has more of lactic acid than milk and hence it is loaded with gastrointestinal benefits. With the digestion process improving, the excretion or throwing out of toxins from the body is increased. A glass of buttermilk with 1-2 teaspoons of coriander juice serves as a very good detox drink.

Now that you know where to search when looking for a quick detox, making some buttermilk is quite easy. Just add a cup of yogurt with 3 cups of water in your blender and buzz away for a few minutes. Voila....homemade buttermilk is ready. Most Indian homes use a hand churner for making buttermilk. It is a long steel/wooden rod with circular blades at the bottom. But a blender will do as well. (In fact we can make it using our hands too but it takes long time)

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -


2 glass buttermilk
1/2 tsp finely chopped coriander
1/4 tsp finely chopped curry leaves
1/5 of grated ginger
1/4 tsp finely chopped green chilli
a pinch of pepper powder
a pinch of roasted cumin powder
salt to taste


Preparation - Take all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.

Pop it into the fridge for 1/2 hour. Remove and mix once again.

Pour into glasses and served chilled.

Note - This can also be consumed by all those who are fasting for Shri Ram Navami .

Panakam/Panagam (Ram Navami Special)

Panakam is special jaggery drink prepared in Andhra and Tamil Nadu on the occasion of Ram Navami. An interesting blend of spices is used in it and that is what gives it such a unique flavor. And it is quite easy to make when you have all the ingredients in your kitchen/pantry. It is prepared a few hours before serving and tastes best when chilled.

Read on for the super easy and very healthy recipe:

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 glass water (200 ml)
• 2 tsp powdered jaggery
• a pinch of soonth/saunth/dry ginger powder
• a pinch of pepper powder
• a pinch of cardamom powder
• a dash of lemon (this is optional and is not used traditionally)
• a few basil leaves (optional)

Preparation - Dissolve the jaggery in the water with constant stirring. Strain to remove any impurities.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir a little.

Serve chilled.

Note - Panakam along with Vadapappu (a mix of soaked yellow moong with coconut, raw mango, lime juice, salt and chilli powder) is the traditional offering on Ram Navami.

Brown Rice Pulao

Its 'World Health Day' today on the 7th of April. Time to get a clear perspective on our health and eating habits. So let us all take a pledge on this day to eat right and eat healthy.

Nothing more apt than a brown rice dish enriched with lots of vegetables and packed with soya protein for lunch/dinner on this day. I had this packet of brown rice lying around for sometime and I was reluctant to use it. When I finally prepare the pulao, it tasted better than what I imagined. Just give it a try if you haven't and you will not regret it!!

Read on for the easy recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 1/2 cup mixed vegetables ( carrots, cauliflower, green peas, french beans, potaoes, onions )
• a handful of soya chunks
• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp ghee (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/5 tsp garam masala
• a bit of star anise
• strand of mace
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 pinch turmeric
• 1/3 tsp chilli powder
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the soya chunks in boiling water for 15-20 mins. Squeeze out the water and wash 2-3 times in fresh water.

Soak the brown rice separately in warm water for 1 hour.

Cooking - Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add all the vegetables and soya chunks. Fry on medium high flame for 5-6 mins. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil into the same cooker. Add the cumin seeds and whole spices (except nutmeg). Fry for 10-12 seconds.

Add the washed and drained brown rice. Fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add 2 1/4 cups boiling water to the cooker. Add the fried vegetables, soya chunks, chilli powder, coriander, garam masala, salt and turmeric. Mix well.

Drizzle the ghee and nutmeg powder on over the contents of the cooker. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles or till done.

Allow steam to escape before opening lid.

Serve hot with some cooling raita and onion slices.

Kesar Kulfi

Summer holidays were synonymous with Kulfi's and kathi-icecream (as we referred to popsicles in those days). The 'ting-ting' of the Kulfi-wallah's bell as it entered our lane sent our salivary glands on an overdrive and we went scurrying to the gates. The earthiness of those matki's and the leaves on which he served to kulfi remains etched in my mind till date. But he did not stock any fancy flavors in those days. One could only taste cardamom scented thickened milk in those heavenly kulfis. These days one can easily find 10-15 flavors at most Kulfi stalls but I still lust after those plain ones. How much ever I try to replicate its magic, I am unable to do so. And that's why I keep trying out various other flavors. Maybe I will make it a point to try and find some on my next visit to home.

The sweltering heat has become just another excuse to indulge in this sweet delight. That's what I told myself while preparing this over last weekend. It really does not take much time if we use condensed milk and some ready-made khoya. The taste is better than when using cornflour and fresh cream. The khoya does add a lot of texture to it and makes it authentic. The nuts add to the bite and the sweet notes of cardamom, saffron and rose delight one's senses.

Read on for my recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins


Ingredients -

1/2 liter milk (I used pre-boiled milk. If you have to boil the milk, add another 9-10 minutes to the preparation time.)
5 tbsp condensed milk ( I used sweetened one )
75 gms khoya
4 tsp sugar
2 pinch cardamom
2-3 drops rose essence
a pinch of saffron strands
1 tsp cornflour (optional)
12-14 almonds (blanched and skinned)

Preparation - Buzz the almonds in a food processor for 2-3 seconds to get small pieces. Do not overdo as we don't want a paste.

Dissolve the cornflour in about 3 tbsp of cold milk and keep aside.

Cooking - Bring the milk to a boil. Stir in the sugar.

Once sugar has dissolved, add the condensed milk and khoya.

Cook with continuous stirring till khoya has completely dissolved into the milk. By this time milk would have thickened as needs to be stirred as it catches on the bottom quite easily.

If you find that it is not sufficiently thick, add the cornflour slurry (or paste). Stir for 3-4 minutes till it thickens.

Remove from flame and add the almonds, rose essence, cardamom powder and kesar. Mix and allow to cool down to room temperature.

Pour into Kulfi molds and put in the Freezer. Allow to solidify for 6-7 hours before serving.

For serving, dip the kulfi molds in water, remove and rub between the palms. Put upside down on a plate and tap gently to ease out the kulfi.

Cut into pieces and serve garnished with saffron strands/rose petals.

Note - Soak the kulfi molds in water before pouring in the mix. This allows the kulfis to come out easily.

Illishi Maccha Jholo (Masala Dia)

A special recipe for this weekend.................

Hilsa or Ilishi is also referred to as the Indian Shad. Its streamlined body with a golden sheen make it quite a beauty . Much celebrated in Odisha, West Bengal and Assam, the best ones are caught from the Padma river in Bangladesh. It is quite rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and hence good for maintaining heart health.

As it is quite expensive these days, it is considered at par with mutton and hence made only on special occasions or when guests are coming over. It is among those recipes that have been missing from my blog for so long simply because I have overlooked them. (I wish I could spout some gyan about how they are becoming extinct due to rampant fishing and hence I am doing my bit to save them...but that would be a lie.)

Preparation time - 20 mins

Ingredients  -

Hilsa/Indian Shad - 4 pieces
Onion - 1 large
Garlic - 8-9 flakes
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch
green cardamom - 2-3 nos
cinnamon - 1 1/2 inch
cloves - 4-5 nos
bay leaf - 1 no
tomato - 1 no, medium sized
potato - 1 no, medium sized
1 tsp chilli powder
1/3 tsp meat masala (optional)
salt to taste
turmeric
5 tsp Saffola Rice Bran oil

Preparation - Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric for 10 minutes.

Chop the onion into small pieces. Make a coarse paste out of the ginger and garlic.

Chop tomato into small pieces.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in non-stick wok. Add the fish and fry on both sides till cooked through. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the same wok. Add all the whole spices and fry till fragrant.

Add onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till the paste starts turning a light red/deep pink.

Add the tomatoes along with red chilli powder, meat masala, 1/3 tsp turmeric and a little salt. Cook covered till tomatoes turn mushy.

Add the potatoes and fry for 3 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups hot water and bring to boil. Add the fish and adjust salt. Cook covered till potatoes are done.

Serve hot with white rice.