CHATNI

CHATNI

For our annual Diwali dinner at our home this year Manu helped make the salads and the chutneys.  Manu is an expert with salads and salsas and very rarely does he follow any particular recipe. In fact most of our guests will gladly recall enjoying Manu’s salads and sauces a long time after they have visited us. He just looks in the fridge, picks whatever salad veg he can find and create something delicious.  We were fortunate enough this year to have some Tulsi (holly Basil) leaves (brought over by my daughter in law Komal’s mom all the way from LA).

Well obviously Manu saw these in the fridge and set about planning the chutney.  What a refreshing sauce he made, it went down really well with the farsan and everyone was asking for the recipe so here it is.

 

 

 

2 sticks celery

hand full cilantros

1 tomato

hand full tulsi leaves

2 /3 green chilies

2 garlic cloves

lemon juice

salt

 

Combine all the above ingredients and blend into a smooth paste.

 

 

 

Enjoy!!

AKILI NI MALI / AKAL KAND

AKILI NI MALI

      

 

This post is a bit late but I thought I’d share it nonetheless as it is one that brought about a lot of giggles.  In one of my moments of craziness, I decided to combine the several mithais that I had in the refrigerator and turn into a new kind of mithai bar.   When I mentioned this to my niece Minu she burst out laughing and asking if I am making a mithai oondhiyu, She laughed out for several minutes telling me that only I can dare to think of a creation like this.  My friend Bhavna Thakrar  also was amazed and wondered where I got this idea from.  Bhavna and I discussed what to call this bar so I said “akili ni mali” or smart brain; but Bhavna suggested I call it akalkand; Akal meaning sense or wisdom in Gujarati and kand; derived from the use of gulkand in this recipe. Gulkand is a kind of rose petal preserve that is very aromatic and often used in Indian sweets and ice-creams or in paan.

Well, next time you have a few mithais lying around and you want to use them up and create something utterly delicious, then here’s your go to recipe.  Enjoy #mithainuoondhiyu #akilinimali #akalkand

2 cups crumble mithai mix

1 cup milk powder

1 cup thin vermicelli

1 cup sweet condensed milk

1 cup gulkand

2 tablespoons ghee

           

In a wide skillet warm ghee and add vermicelli, sauté until little cream color.Add all the remaining ingredients  and mix  well, turn the heat off.Pour the mixture over a greased tray  and let it set for about 30  minutes.Cut out the diamond shapes .

Enjoy Akili ni mali!

 

 

backed egg plant

BACKED EGG PLANT

The simplest recipes are often the very best. These crunchy backed savory snack  coated in simple masala is a hit in our house hold. Once you start snacking, you will never stop.

 

2  egg plants

1/4 teaspoon garlic paste

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1/2 cup  grated mozzarella chees

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chili souce

hand full cilantro finely chopped

 

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F .

 

 

Wash  the egg plants, slice them diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices.  In a bowl place the egg plant slices, oil, bread crumbs, salt, black pepper, chili sauce,  lemon juice and garlic paste. Toss until the egg plants are well coated. Place in a single layer on the backing tray. Sprinkle  little chili flakes, chees and cilantros  and back until browned and crisp. Serve hot.

 

 

Masale daar bateta shak

 

POTATO SHAK

 

This yummy masala daar potato shak is sure to be the talk of your party. Ohhhh it’s sooooo good.

 

 

10 baby potatoes ( boiled and peeled)

        

 

 

Tampering

2 table spoons ghee

3 cardmom

3 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 tea spoon coriander seeds

1 tea spoon cumin seeds

1 red dried chili

1/2 tea spoon   black pepper

2 bay leaves

 

5 /6 cashew nuts (paste)

1 tea spoon kasuri methi

1 big onion

3 tomatoes

1 tea  spoon garlic paste

1/2 tea spoon ginger paste

1 1/2 tea spoon salt

3/4 green  chilies.

 

 

Heat ghee in a sauce pan add all the   above ingredients, when it crackles add  chopped onion’s  sauté little add ginger paste, garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, green chilies chopped, and salt. sauté all  until tender. Turn the heat off and let it cool little. Blend all the masala into thick paste. Pour the paste in a sauce pan  add little water to get consistency, add the boiled potatoes ,kasuri  methi and cashew paste mix well let it cook for about 5 minutes. Serve with paratha or naan.

 

Ok