Aatte ke Laddoo

I have never been fond of laddoos and thus never ever tried to learn how to make them from Amma or Nani. The only time I would eat a laddoo was if it was given as prasad at the temple or a pooja at home. However, my hubby loves laddoos and thus I decided to learn how to make them especially for him. Plus they are very auspicious and thus they are made at almost all UP poojas and celebrations. N being a true UP ki bahu, now I make laddoos for most of the poojas :-). For Ganesh Chaturthi I share with you the recipe for ‘Aatte ke laddoo’

Aatte ke laddoo

Ingredients

2 cups – Whole wheat flour

1 cup – Brown sugar

¾ cup – Desi ghee (clarified butter)

12 nos finely chopped – Cashew nuts

5 nos peeled and powdered – Green cardamom

Method

1. Heat heavy bottom pan and add ghee
2. When the ghee melts completely add flour and sauté well till they are completely mixed together and are a little crumbly
3. Add the sugar and mix well till mixture turns light brown
4. Remove from the flame and add the chopped cashew nuts and mix well
5. Cool for 5 minutes and then add the green cardamom powder
6. Now take a small amount of the dough and roll into a round shape (pressing every so lightly in order to get the perfect shape)
7. Set on plate and you can add a piece of cashew nut as decoration and serve

TIPS:

1. You can substitute ghee with Splenda / sugar free / white sugar/ coconut sugar
2. If you want you can use half ghee and half oil for the laddoos. However the smell of ghee makes them more enticing and thus I use ghee J
3. You can choose to add chopped pista (pistachios), chopped badam (almonds) instead of chopped cashew nuts or in addition to cashew nuts

 

 

 

Charge patrons for water and offer tasteless food seems to be the motto at AlMacs Buffet

Niagara Falls is almost always on the must see list for every tourist to US and Canada. It is one of the most majestic sights to behold in the world and standing next to it makes one realize the sheer force of Mother Nature.

Thanks to living in Buffalo we are close to the falls and thus end up making a trip 3-4 times a year to check out the falls with our out of town guests who want to visit the world famous Niagara falls :-). Even though the US side is pretty, I personally feel the Canadian Horseshoe falls (part of the complete Niagara Falls) is prettier and thus few weekends back hubby dear and I decided to explore that side and become tourists for a day in our own backyard :-).

As with all touristy tours one needs to find a place to eat and after checking out the usual restaurants, pubs we zeroed in on ‘AlMacs Buffet’. Their restaurant was well located and they offered outdoor patio and indoor restaurant dining. As we had reached the restaurant around 1.20pm the server informed us that the buffet would be closing soon. She seated us at the table and then after leaving our stuff we hit the buffet. As it was a complete breakfast buffet there were various breakfast items like French toast, waffles, toast, muffins, omelets, bacon, potato dishes etc and 2 Greek dishes (loukoumades – donuts ,rizogalo – rice pudding). The spread looked delicious and we were eager to try the 2 new Greek dishes as they looked interesting, so we loaded our plates and sat down at our table. As soon as we had settled in the stewardess approached our table and asked if we wanted anything to drink and when we said we were good and just water would be fine her response took hubby and me by surprise. She said the management doesn’t allow the servers to serve any water to any of their patrons. She said we could order coffee/tea/soda/juice or bottled water but there was no FREE water for any guests as was against management policy.

As we had already started eating we couldn’t get up and leave and thus ended up ordering soda. That interaction created a bad impression in our minds regarding the restaurant. Then it continued to go downhill thanks to the food. The French toast was super dry and tough as were the waffles. The omelets were rubbery (I guess thanks to being under a heat lamp for hours). The 2 Greek dishes (rizogalo and loukoumades) were the saving grace as were very yummy but the rest of the buffet was disappointing.

My husband and I finished our meal and were in for another shock when we received the check. The buffet was advertised as $6.99 which was true (thank GOD), however the soda cost us $4.00 each. We realized that the management had figured a way to gouge its patrons by way of not giving water and making sure they bought their over priced drinks (bottled water/soda/juice/coffee)

The experience at AlMacs Buffet was one which I will not forget as I have never ever come across a restaurant that doesn’t offer water to its patrons. Even 5 star hotels, white tablecloth restaurants etc offer water for FREE to its patrons. And yet AlMacs Buffet seems to have decided that their strategy of not offering water will help them earn more money and thus be more profitable.

If you are looking for a place to eat in Niagara Falls, Canada while doing sightseeing, remember to skip AlMacs Buffet. They are located at 5435 Ferry Street, Niagara falls, Ontario. Parking is free and there are lots of parking slots so finding one shouldn’t be a problem (in case you still want to experience bad food and overpriced drinks and no water service).

They receive 1.5 stars in SRM’s book

‘Matar ki Kachori’ A.K.A. ‘Deep fried Indian bread with Pea stuffing’

My darling Appa is a Tamilian who has lived in Delhi for more than half his life. Being in the airline industry he has traveled extensively across the globe which helped him expand his taste to cuisines other than Tamilian. This recipe has been made by my Nani (Bengali, but born and raised in UP) has made religiously every year during winters for my Appa as he loves it so much. I remember my brother and my task would be to shell the peas and the of course taste the masala/kachoris to ensure the balance of masalas to peas was perfect ;-). Over the years this dish has been perfected by Amma, my mami and moi as we all love it and it is a simple dish to make yet fancy enough to serve to company too. The recipe for ‘Matar ki Kachori’ A.K.A. ‘Deep fried Indian bread with Pea stuffing’ is the one passed on from my Nani to Amma to moi and I share it with you all in the hope this becomes one of your family’s favorite dishes.

Matar ki Kachori

Ingredients

2 cups – Whole wheat flour (Atta)

¾ tsp – Salt

4 Tbsp – Oil

Water to make dough

1 Tbsp – Oil

½ tsp – Cumin seeds

¼ tsp – Asafoetida

¾ tsp – Ginger paste

2 cups boiled and mashed – Green peas

¾ tsp – Green chilli paste

1 ¼ tsp – Fennel seed / saunf powder (dry roast fennel seeds and ground to a fine powder)

½ tsp – Coriander powder (dry roast coriander seeds and ground to a fine powder)

¾ tsp – Amchoor powder (Dried mango powder)

Salt to taste

Oil to fry kachoris

Method

1. Place the flour either in a wide mouthed bowl or on the kitchen countertop
2. Mix in the salt and oil and mix into the flour rubbing with hands to make it look kind of crumbly
3. Add water to make dough. Make sure the dough has to be firm not soft.
4. Once done, cover with damp cloth and keep aside to rest
5. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds
6. Once they splutter add the asafetida
7. Add the ginger paste and cook till light brown and then add the green peas paste
8. Add the green chilli paste and mix well
9. Add the fennel powder, cumin seed powder, dried mango powder, salt and mix well
10. Cook on low flame while stirring for 5-7 mins
11. Let the mixture cool completely
12. Uncover the dough and make roundels the size of a golf ball
13. Roll them out to a small roti/chapatti size then take a heaped Tbsp of the green peas mixture and add to the center of the rolled out dough
14. Bring together the edges of the roti/chapatti and form a pouch.
15. Twist the tip and take off the extra dough
16. Press down with heel of your hand onto the pouch of dough and filling and flatten lightly
17. Roll the kachoris a little (making sure to leave it nice and thick around the edges and smoother and flatter in the center area)
18. Heat oil in a wide mouthed deep frying pan
19. Gently slide in the kachoris and fry on medium high flame to ensure both sides are golden in color
20. Remove from pan and place on paper towel to absorb and get rid of excess oil
21. Serve with Aloo Tamatar / Khatta Meetha Kadhu / Raita

TIPS

1. In order to reduce time and use resources wisely, you can roll out the kachoris and keep them on a plate. Make sure to cover them with a damp cloth so that they don’t become tough
2. You can choose to add garam masala and red chilli powder to the filling , however I avoid it so as to be true to the green peas taste
3. Make sure the oil is hot before sliding the kachoris into the pan and don’t crowd the pan as the kachoris need space to float and cook properly

 

 

‘Aloo Tamatar’ A.K.A ‘Potatoes in Tomato gravy’

My Amma is a Bengali, who was born and brought up in Delhi. Her parents, my Nani and Dadu were born and brought up in Benares and so were their earlier generations. Thus one could say that they are more of UPwallahs than Bengalis. This dish was made as part of the special khana for my first Karvachauth and I was pleasantly surprised that my sis-in-law knew how to make Bengali food. When I asked my hubby how jiji knew how to make the dish, he said it was a traditional UP Baniya dish which was always made as part of ‘Pukka Khana’. It took me a minute to realize that as my mom’s family was from UP, they must have incorporated this dish into their arsenal and as we had it so often we took it for granted that it was a Bengali dish. I often make ‘Aloo Tamatar’ A.K.A ‘Potatoes in Tomato gravy’ especially on our Hindu festivals where I keep a fast as it is yummy to eat with poories when one breaks the fast at night ;-). Hope you all love and enjoy this recipe as much as my family and my hubby’s family and our friends.

Aloo Tamatar

Ingredients

2 Tbsp – Oil

½ tsp – Cumin seeds

1 pinch – Asafoetida

½ inch finely minced – Ginger

1 ½ cups chopped – Tomatoes

Salt to taste

1 tsp – Turmeric powder

1 tsp – Red chilli powder

1 tsp – Coriander powder

½ tsp – Dry roasted cumin seeds powder

1 cup cubed – Potatoes

½ cup – Water

¼ tsp – Sugar

½ tsp – Garam masala powder

Method:

1. Heat oil in a cooker and once hot add cumin seeds
2. Once the cumin seeds splutter add asafetida and then immediately add the ginger
3. Mix well and after 1 minute add tomatoes
4. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dry roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well and cover for 2 mins
5. Add the potatoes and add the water, close the cooker lid and cook on medium flame
6. Once the cooker gives 2 whistles, remove from the flame
7. Once pressure has escaped completely open the cooker, add the sugar , garam masala powder and mix well
8. Smash / mash some pieces of potatoes in the gravy and cover and keep for 5 mins
9. Ladle into serving bowl and garnish with chopped green chillies or chopped cilantro and serve with poories/ kachoris/ tahiri/ chawal / rotis

TIPS

1. You can also make this with boiled potatoes instead of raw potatoes
2. Cooking time for the dish will depend on the potatoes, make sure they are cooked through and are soft when you remove from the flame
3. You can choose to add more water in order to make the gravy more watery. Also, remember that potatoes once smashed / mashed into the gravy will absorb the gravy so you might need to add water (hot water) and boil the gravy before serving the dish. Do check seasoning before serving as adding water would change the balance of flavors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Dahi Vadas’ A.K.A. ‘Lentil dumplings in Yogurt sauce’

Growing up in Delhi, I was lucky enough to be exposed to various chaat items from my teenage years. I remember that this dish was a staple at every wedding and I would not take it at the beginning as wanted to savor the taste at the end of the meal. However, as I was a slow eater by the time I would be done with dinner, it would be time to say our goodbyes and thus I would have to skip having one of my fav chaat dishes 😦 . When I moved to the US unfortunately there weren’t any good Indian restaurants in the area, so I decided to experiment and through trial and error finally managed to make this dish to my satisfaction. I am sharing the recipe for ‘Dahi Vadas’ A.K.A. ‘Lentil dumplings in Yogurt sauce’ and hope you all love it as much as moi :-).

Dahi Vadas

Ingredients

1 cup – Urad dal

1 inch piece finely chopped – Ginger

3 Tbsp chopped – Golden raisins

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

1 ½ cup – Yogurt

½ tsp – Red chilli powder

½ tsp – Bhuna jeera powder (roasted cumin seeds powder)

2 Tbsp – Sweet tamarind chutney

Method

1. Wash the dal well under running cold water and then soak the dal (make sure the dal has 1inch of water above it) for at least 4 hours.
2. Thereafter, put the dal in a blender and blend to smooth consistency. Try to use as little water as possible to blend the dal into a batter.
3. Put the blended dal in a bowl and stir for 2 minutes and slowly add the ginger and raisins and mix well.
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan / kadhai.
5. Once oil is hot drop a dollop of the batter and cook on medium heat. Make sure not to crowd the pan too much with too many vadas.
6. Flip the vadas to ensure they are cooked to a golden color all over
7. Remove from the oil and drain on a plate/dish and then soak in lukewarm water for 15 minutes
8. Squeeze to drain the water and then place in serving dish
9. Beat yogurt with salt, red chilli powder, bhuna jeera powder and 1 Tbsp of sweet tamarind chutney
10. Pour the yogurt over the vadas and let the vadas soak for in the yogurt for 1-2 hours
11. Place the dish in the refrigerator to cool before serving
12. Take out of refrigerator add additional tamarind chutney to the vadas, sprinkle red chilli powder, bhuna jeera powder and enjoy

TIPS:

1. You can make extra vadas and freeze in Ziploc bags. Take them out and soak in warm water for 1-2 hours before using them to make and serve dahi vadas
2. You can also add chopped walnuts into the batter to make it a bit more crunchy
3. For garnish you can also use chopped mint leaves or chopped cilantro

‘Achari Paneer’ A.K.A ‘Indian Cottage Cheese in Indian Pickling Spices’

Being a combo of Bong and Tamil cultures I was exposed to both these cuisines from my childhood days. However being born in Delhi brought another cuisine into my life which was the Dilli/Punjabi culture where the main ingredient of today’s recipe reigned supreme. I remember going to the market with Amma and buying it fresh from Singh uncle ki dukaan. This delicate item would be floating in a pool of water and Singh uncle would carefully take it out and weigh it and then give it to us in a polythene bag. One of the advantages of being a kid was that Singh uncle always gave me a cube or 2 of this delicacy sprinkled with salt and pepper to enjoy while Amma paid the bill. Every time I make any dish that features this ingredient I am transported to my childhood days. The recipe for ‘Achari Paneer’ A.K.A ‘Indian Cottage Cheese in Indian Pickling Spices’ is something that is part of repertoire as it is an easy recipe and is always a crowd pleaser so I hope you try it and enjoy the dish with family and friends.

Achaari Paneer

Ingredients

2 Tbsp – Oil

1 tsp – Paanch phoran

½ inch finely chopped – Ginger

½ cup finely chopped – Tomatoes

Salt to taste

¾ tsp – Red chilli powder

¾ tsp – Coriander powder

¾ tsp – Turmeric powder

¼ tsp – Bhuna jeera powder (roasted cumin seeds powder)

350 gms cubed – Paneer

5 Tbsp – Yogurt

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and when hot then add the paanch phoran
2. As soon as they crackle a bit add the ginger and mix well and then after 1 minute add the tomatoes.
3. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, bhuna jeera powder and cover the pan and reduce heat to medium
4. Uncover and stir the tomatoes making sure they are soft and mushy
5. Add the paneer and cover and cook on low flame for 5 mins (making sure the paneer don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn)
6. Uncover and add a little bit of water and then cover and cook for 5 mins
7. Remove the cover and add beater yogurt , check for salt and spices and cover and cook on low flame for another 5 minutes
8. Check for seasoning and to ensure paneer is soft and there is slight gravy
9. Remove from flame and serve with naans

TIPS:

1. You can fry the paneer cubes before adding them to the gravy.
2. You can soak the paneer in lukewarm salted warm to make them soft if the paneer is very hard
3. Paanch phoran is available in stores or you can make them at home by combining equal quantities of methi (fenugreek seeds), jeera (cumin seeds),sarson(black mustard seeds), saunf (fennel seeds), kalonji (onion seeds)

Khatta Meetha Karela

As a child when Amma used to make this vegetable my brother and I used to push it around on our plates and perhaps take a bite or two n then pass on the rest to Amma or Appa. However as I grew older I developed a taste for this vegetable and then decided to try to make it on my own. Thus, came a lot of permutations and combinations and of course some failures and finally success. This recipe is a new one that I came up with recently and once I received the approval from my hubby darling I decided to share it with you all. Sharing the recipe for ‘Khatta Meetha Karela’ A.K.A. ‘Sweet n Sour Bitter Gourd’ and hope enjoy it.

Khatta Meetha Karela

Ingredients

2 Tbsp – Oil

½ tsp – Cumin seeds

A pinch of Asafoetida powder

½ cup chopped – Onions

¾ cup chopped – Tomatoes

1 cup chopped – Karela (Bitter gourd)

1 tsp – Turmeric powder

1 tsp – Coriander powder

½ tsp – Star anise powder

¾ tsp – Dried mango powder (Amchoor)

1 tsp – Sugar

Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in heavy bottomed pan and when hot add cumin seeds.
2. Once cumin seeds turn light brown add asafoetida powder and then immediately add the chopped onions
3. Stir the onions till light brown in color and then add chopped tomatoes
4. Mix well and then add chopped bitter gourd and all the spices and salt (except sugar and amchoor)
5. Mix well and cover and cook on low flame for 10 minutes
6. Uncover , check for tenderness of bitter gourd and then if tender add sugar and amchoor
7. Mix well and cook for another 5-7 minutes to make it dry
8. Remove from flame and enjoy with daal, rotis, chawal

TIPS:

1. You can use lemon juice instead of amchoor in the recipe
2. You can use Splenda instead of sugar in the recipe for the sweetness
3. If you like the bitter gourd to be less bitter, then wash well, scrape the bitter gourd and then cut in half lengthwise and soak in salted water for approx 20 minutes. Drain and use in recipe

 

‘Dhokla’ A.K.A. ‘Steamed Semolina Cakes’

I remember the first time I had this dish was when I was a teenager and I was sure I didn’t like it as found it too sweet and soggy. As Amma started making this dish at home it slowly and steadily grew on me and I developed a taste for it. Once I moved away from home I started missing all the things that Amma used to make and strangely enough this dish was on the list. As it always looked kind of intimidating when Amma made this dish, it took me a while to try making it on my own. However, after a few failed attempts success was mine and then I never looked backJ. Now this recipe is part of my repertoire and I present ‘Dhokla’ A.K.A. ‘Steamed Semolina Cakes’ and hope you all enjoy it as much as moi J

Dhokla

Ingredients

1 cup – Sooji

¼ cup – Yogurt (sour yogurt preferred)

¼ tsp – Turmeric powder

1 inch grated – Ginger

3 nos chopped – Green chillies

Salt to taste

½ tsp – ENO

Oil to grease pan

Water for double boiler

1 sprig – Curry leaves

1tsp – Mustard seeds

2 Tbsp – Grated coconut

1 Tbsp – Lemon juice

1 tsp – Sugar

 

Method

1.Mix sooji, yogurt, grated ginger, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies and salt to form a batter (consistency needs to be thick like cake batter)
2.Oil the pan in which u will steam the Dhokla
3.Put water in a big pan n boil it well.
4. To the sooji mixture add ENO (1 katori sooji – ½ tsp ENO). As soon as u add the ENO mix it into the batter and then put into the greased pan.
5. Place the pan into the cooker/ double boiler and steam on high till steam comes out and then on low flame. Total steam time is 20 mins.
6. Take out the pan and cut the dhokla into pieces.
7. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and then add curry leaves
8. Mix the lemon juice and sugar syrup. Add to the dhokla (on top) while hot n then add the mustard seeds seasoning. You can add the grated coconut on top as well before serving it.
9. Serve hot with green chutney or plain.

TIPS:

1. You can use an idli stand as well instead of a pan to steam the dhoklas
2. You can cut onions and then fry in oil along with mustard seeds, curry leaves. Cut the dhokla into pieces n add to the pan. Mix well and serve for a twist n regular dhokla
3. If you want you can skip the turmeric powder and that would make the Dhokla cream in color

 

Pyaaz Baingan ki Subzi

This recipe is a variation of an eggplant dish I had at my mausi saas’s home in Cleveland and loved so much that I tried recreating it as soon as I got home. After playing around with various spices this blend seemed perfect to me and now am sharing the recipe for ‘Pyaaz Baingan ki Subzi’ A.K.A ‘Crispy Eggplant and Onion’ and hope you all enjoy it as much as me and my family.

Pyaaz Baingan ki Subzi

Ingredients

4 nos cut into ½ inch cubes – Chinese eggplant

1 medium sized roughly chopped – Onion

1 ½ tbsp – Oil

½ tsp – Kalonji (black onion seed)

1 tsp – Turmeric powder

1 tsp – Caribbean spice mix

1 tsp – Anardana powder (pomegranate seed powder)

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan
2. Once oil is hot add kalonji (black onion seeds)
3. Add the onions and fry till translucent
4. Add the eggplant and then add salt, turmeric powder, Caribbean spice powder
5. Mix well and lower the flame and cover with a tight fitting lid
6. Open the lid after 7 minutes and add anardana powder (pomegranate seed powder) and mix once more but with a gentle hand.
7. Recover and cook for 5 – 7 minutes until the eggplant is cooked and soft
8. Uncover, check for salt and cook on high flame for 1-2 minutes to get the eggplant pieces crispy.
9. Remove from flame and dish into serving bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro or green chillies

TIPS

1. If you don’t have Caribbean spice mix then mix together allspice, ginger powder, garlic powder, cinnamon powder, black pepper, red pepper in equal proportions and use as homemade Caribbean spice mix
2. You can also use mustard oil instead of canola oil as gives a more pungent flavor
3. This is a quick and easy recipe, perfect for a week night as taken approx 20-25 minutes from start to finish to prepare this dish.

 

 

‘Elo Jhelo’ A.K.A ‘Sweetness with a Twist’

As we get ready to celebrate Rakhi (Rakshabandhan), I am reminded of one of the mishtis my Nani and Amma would make for this occasion. I loved it and ever since I moved to North America hadn’t had it or made it as felt it was too lengthy a process. Yet, this time around something made me want to have this mishti which in turn had me on the phone calling India to get the recipe. I am not sure if my creation can be compared to Amma n Nani’s, however I was quite pleased with it and thus sharing the recipe of ‘Elo Jhelo’ A.K.A ‘Sweetness with a Twist’

Elo Jhelo

Ingredients

2 cups – Flour

3 tbsp – Desi ghee

½ cup – Milk

¼ tsp – Salt

Oil to fry

For the sugar syrup

2 cups – Sugar

4 nos – Green cardamom

Method

1. In a large bowl mix together the flour and salt
2. Add the desi ghee to the flour
3. Mix these ingredients well to form a crumbly dough
4. Then slowly keep adding the milk to the dough and kneading it to make a dough which is a hard dough
5. Dampen a piece of cloth and cover the dough and let it rest for 30 mins
6. Make the sugar syrup for the Elo Jhelo by taking the 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water
7. When the sugar dissolves completely in the water, check to ensure that the sugar syrup is of 2 string consistency (take a spoonful of the sugar syrup and let it cool for a minute. Then dip your thumb and fore finger into the sugar syrup. When you try to open the thumb and fore finger there should be a line of 2 strings between them)
8. Once ready add ground green cardamom powder and let the sugar syrup cool for a bit while you prepare all the Elo Jhelo
9. Mix the dough once more and then make small roundels of the dough.
10. Roll out these roundels into a circular roti
11. Make insertions / cuts / lines using a sharp knife on this roti (while leaving around ½ cm on both edges of circle)
12. Now start folding the roti making sure the lines overlap each other and keep pressing the ends as you keep rolling the roti
13. Make all the rotis and make into Elo Jhelo shape and keep aside
14. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and then once hot add batches of Elo Jhelo the oil
15. Take them out when they turn golden in color and add to the sugar syrup
16. Let the Elo Jhelo sit immersed in the sugar syrup for 1-2 mins
17. Remove and arrange on serving platter

TIPS:

1. In order to ensure the salt and flour mix together properly you can choose to pass them through a sieve which will ensure the salt is distributed thoroughly
2. Melt the ghee a little before adding it to the flour so that there are no lumps
3. You can choose to add silver wark/foil to the Elo Jhelo once ready to give it a more festive look