UGALI

 

 

 

UGALI

 

2 cups corn meal

2 1/4 cups water

Boil the water in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the corn meal in the hot water , reduce heat keep on medium heat while continually mixing with mwiko ( wooden spoon)  so no lump forms , stir continuously and mash any lump that forms. Be  careful as it will spit out once it starts to bubble.  make sure it does not stick at the bottom keep stirring  until its stiff and done. Takes about 8 to 10 minutes to cook.  Ugali goes well with maharake ( kidney beans ) or  mchicha ( spinach)

CHUTA MOONG

CHUTA MOONG

1 cup moong

3/4 cup water

1 tea sp salt1/2 tea sp turmeric powder

2/4 tea sp chili powder

hand full cilantro.

Waghar

2 tab sp oil

1/2 tea sp mustard seeds

pinch asafoetida

Sock moong 4 to 5 hrs wash and drain the water.

In the non stick pot heat the oil add mustard seeds and asafetida, let the seeds crackle add the moong add salt turmeric powder chili powder mix well add water cover with lid till the moong are cooked. Add lemon juice and silantro.

RAI MARCHA

Athela Rai na marcha

20 to 25 green chillie

4 tab sp rai na kurya
1/3 asafetida
3 tab sp salt
2 tab sp oil
1 tea sp vinegar
3 tea sp lemon juice

Wash and dry the green chillies.  Using a sharp knife, slit the chillie lengthways to creat a pocket (do not slit it completely apart).

MIx the split mustard seeds, salt, lemon juice, vingar, asafetida, oil. Now fill this  mixture into the chillies (in the pockets created earlier) .  Place the chillies in a clean  tight fitting lid  jar.  These will be ready to eat in a few hours and if kept in the fridge, they can lasts for months.

 

 

 

 

Bateta wada

 

 

 

The other day we had a bhajia party at home.  Now this is something we do quite often. Garma garam bhajia all different kinds, deep fried masaledar bhajia served with beer or chai (on rainy days).  There are maru na bhajia, akha bateta na bhajia, onion bhajia, methi gotta, mix bhajia, marcha na bhajia, vati dal na bhajia all served with green  red and coconut chutneys.

 

These piping hot morsels are really very moreish and I defy most people to resist them..if you have a gujju palette, you may as well give up your diet when get the fragrant aroma of the bhajias being deep fried.

In our house bhajias are normally made on a Sunday when friends gather in the jikoni.  My son Akash and I usually take over the frying whilst Manu is our  chutney and salsa expert.  Ask anyone who has ever dined with us about the kachumbari that Manu makes and you will probably see them drool.  So I thought I would share with you a couple of my bhajia recipes.. now grab yourself  the ingredients listed and you are good to go but not before you have a few baridis in the fridge….(for those of you who are not familiar with Swahili, baridi means “cold” and also a term used frequently for “cold beer”.

I know I always forget to mention this, but if you are trying any recipe from the Jikoni, to let us know the results…or better still, post a pic of your dish

 

                                                                                                                                 BATETA WADA

4 potatoes  ( boiled and mashed )

1/4 tea spoon ginger paste

2 tea spoon chili paste

1 tea spoon salt

1 tea spoon sugar

1/2 tea spoon citric powder

1/2 tea spoon garam masalo

1/2 bunch finely chopped cilantro

In a large bowl mix mashed  potatoes and all the above ingredient ,divide the mixture in to equal portions .Make round balls and keep on the side.

Oil for deep frying

For the batter

1 cup gram flour

1 table spoon oil

pinch turmeric powder

1/4 tea spoon salt

Mix the flour ,turmeric powder  and salt .Add little water at a time and whisk into smooth batter ,keep on the side. When ready to fry add hot oil and pinch of soda bicarbonate or pinch of Eno.

Heat the oli  ,deep potato ball in the batter and deep fry till golden brown.