GANESH CHATURTHI

Hi,
Today is the first day of the festivities for GANESH CHATURTHI. And this year the festivities will last for 11 days, which is rather longer than usual. So i got up at 6am and started my preparation for the festival. And i made two fav sweets of Ganesh Ji. I made puran poli and gujia, also known as karanji in mahaeashtra. Today i'm posting only the recipe for puran poli. I'll post the recipe of gujia tomorrow.

Ingredients-
200 gms chana daal
250 gms jaggery
250 gms refined flour
3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
5 tbsp oil
5 tbsp ghee + 4 tbsp ghee.
1/2 tsp cardamom pwd
6 tbsp milk

Method-

* Wash the chana dal and cook till soft. Drain out the extra water .
* Add jaggery to the cooked dal and blend it to a smooth paste.
* Cook the mixture on low heat until the mixture becomes thick.
* Remove from heat and add cardamom pwd. and leave it to cool.
* Mix the flour and sugar. Rub the flour with oil and ghee.
* Add enough cold water and knead into a smooth dough. Keep it in the fridge for 30 min.
* Divide the dal mixture into ping pong sized balls and the dough into slightly smaller balls and roll them out a little.
* Place the gram dal ball in the centre of the rolled flour dough and close it to cover the filling completely.
* Roll out into a chapati and cook on a non-stick tawa till done on both sides, adding a little ghee around.
* Fry till golden brown on both sides.
* Then put 1 tsp of milk on it and let it soak the milk.
* Serve hot to Ganesh Ji. N then have the rest. Enjoy !!!!!!!!

SPICED POTATO SANDWICHES

Ingredients-

2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
1/4 cup green peas, boiled
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped without seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
6-8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
Salt to taste
8 bread slices
1 tbsp butter, for greasing

Method-

* Switch on the sandwich toaster or griller and let it heat.
* In a pan heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds and the curry leaves.
* Add the onion and saute till translucent.
* Add the spices and green chillies and saute.
* Add the potatoes and peas and mix well.
* Season the mixture.
* Add 1/2 cup water and let all the water be absorbed by the mixture.
* Then divide the mixture equally between 4 slices of bread.
* Top them with the other 4 slices.
* Apply little butter on both the sides of the sandwich.
* Toast or grill the sandwiches till crisp and golden brown on the outside.
* Serve with any sauce of your choice.

THE OMNIVORES 100

Hi,

This is a great list of things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred.
I've eaten quite a lot of off the list as i was a chef.
This list is from the http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ blog. You can also put it on your blog. Just- 1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions. 2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten. 3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.


1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile-Alligator?
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam Chowder
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole Insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

BANANA N HONEY(NO ICECREAM MAKER) ICE CREAM

Ingredients-

2 ripe bananas
2 egg yolks
200 ml milk
200 ml cream
1/2 cup honey

Method-

* In a pan boil the milk.
* In a bowl mix the egg yolks and the honey.
* Once the milk is slightly cool, then add it to the egg yolk mixture. make sure you stir the mixture vigourously as you are adding the milk.
* If you are making the anglaise for the first time, then use a double boiler. Or else you can do it directly on the fire.
* When the anglaise reaches a coating consistency, then take it off fire.
* In a bowl mash the bananas to ypur desired smoothness depending on the type of chunks you want in the ice cream or not.
* Add the cream to the mashed bananas and mix well.
* Mix the anglaise to the cream and banana mixture and whisk well.
* Pour the ice cream mixture in a metal dish and put it in the freezer.
* Let it set for 45 min and then take a wooden spoon and mix it vigourously to dislodge all the semi frozen parts from the sides.
* Do this process after every 30 min for three times.
* Then let it set for about 2-3 hrs.
* Now indulge yourself into sinful mouthfuls of divine ice cream. ENJOY !!!!!!!!!

QUICK CHILLI PICKLE

Ingredients-

20 green chillies, chopped finely
Pinch of asoefotida
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
2 tsp mustard oil

Method:
* Heat the oil in a pan.
* Add mustard seeds and asoefotida, let it splutter
* Add green chillies, turmeric pwd and salt.
* Saute for a minute
* Cover and keep for 2 minutes.
* Add lemon juice, mix well .
* Take it off fire and let it cool.
* Store in an air-tight container. And keep it in the fridge. Enjoy !!!!!!!!

MOTHER'S CHICKEN PICKLE

Ingredients-

1 kg chicken, with or without bone
1 1/2 cup mustard oil oil
100g salt
4 tbsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp turmeric pwd
4 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 inch cinnamon stick
8 cloves
Juice of 10 lemons


Method-

* Wash the chicken and cut into 1 1/2" pieces.
* Heat 1 cup oil in a pan and fry the chicken peices till brown on all sides.
* Remove the chicken and keep aside.
* In the same oil, add the whole spices and splutter them.
* Then add the ginger and garlic paste.
* Add the turmeric and chilli pwd and mix well.
* Now add the chicken to this mixture.
* Add salt and mix well.
* Now add the lemon juice and check seasoning.
* Take it off fire and let it cool.
* Store in a air-tight glass jar.
* Heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil till smoking and pour it over the pickle.
* The pickle is ready to eat the next day.
* Can be stored in the fridge.
NOTE-- My mother used chicken with bones as it adds that extra flavour to the pickle.

MUSHROOM, CORN AND CHEESE RICE

Ingredients-

1 cup rice
1 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes

Method-

* In a pan, heat oil and saute the onion, garlic and chilli flakes.
* When they are translucent, add the mushrooms.
* Cook the mushrooms till all liquid has evaporated.
* Add the corn and cook for 5 min.
* Add the rice and saute till mixed well.
* Add 2 cups water and salt and let it come to a boil.
* Cover and cook on slow flame for about 10-15 min or till very little liquid is left.
* Add the cheese and cover till all liquid is absorbed.
* Can be garnished with freshly chopped coriander. Serve immediately and ENJOY!!!!!!

CARROT PRESERVE

Ingredients-

200 gms carrot
100 gms sugar
50 ml water
1/4 tspsaffron
2 green cardamom

Method-

* Peel and cut the carrots into dices.
* In a pan make a sugar syrup, with water and sugar, of one thread consistency.
* Now place the carrots in the syrup and boil till they are cooked and the syrup is thick.
* Take it off the fire and add the saffron and crushed cardamom.
* Cool and pour in an airtight container.
ENJOY !!!!!!

EASY PEASY CHOCOLATE FUDGE.

After trying all sorts of recipes, from the net as well as from books, this is the recipe that i've modified according to my taste and it is guaranteed to please you all. You can use any kind of nuts that u want. I've used cashew as i dont like walnuts.

INGREDIENTS-

3½ cups (packed) icing sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence
110 gms butter (margarine is possible, but butter works better)
1 cup cashewnuts, toasted and chopped


Method-

* In a microwave safe bowl, mix sugar, cocoa and salt.
* In a mug, melt butter in microwave and pour over sugar mixture.
* Add the milka dn vanilla and blend thoroughly.
* Microwave on high for two minutes. Bottom of the bowl should feel warm.
* Stir vigorously until smooth. Around 5 min, dont beat. Stir in cashewnuts.
* Pour into a steel baking dish lined with double thickness of waxed paper.
* Chill in refrigerator till it is set hard.
* Cut into desired shapes. ENJOY !!!!

SPICY RED MASALA CHICKEN

Ingredients-

For the red masala-
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 cloves
6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
5 whole dried red chillies
1/2 cup coconut, grated
1 large stick cinnamon
250 gms chicken, boneless thighs, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
5-8 curry leaves
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnish

Method-

* In a pan, dry roast the cloves,cumin, peppercorns, chillies and cinnamon.
* Add the garlic and coconut and cook on dry heat for some more time.
* Add about 3 tbsp water and make a fine paste.
* In a pan, heat oil and add the curry leaves.
* Add the onion and saute till almost golden brown.
* Add the tomatoes and cook till done.
* Add the turmeric pwd and mix well. Cook for 2 min.
* Add the chicken and saute for some time till it changes colour.
* Then add the red spice mix and mix well.
* Add about 1 cup water and cook till chicken is tender.
* Season wit salt and garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with rice.