Manga Thokku / Grated Mango Pickle - South Indian Style

Pickles are an inseparable part of Indian cuisine. This simple mango pickle is made in different ways in each region and cuisine of India. And is a great combo with dosas, chapattis, bread or can even be mixed with steamed rice to dish up a lip smacking pickle rice.

Home made pickles have their unique taste, a freshness to it that a store bought bottle can never replicate and needless to say, they don't have artificial preservatives or vinegar load. With simple steps, it is super easy to make this pickle at home.

During a recent trip to Bombay, a friend sent me some raw mangoes from his farm. These were not the best mangoes to make thokku, but they tasted perfect all the same. The best mangoes to use to make thokku are the raw, big, fleshy ones.

You Need:

• Almost 4 cups of washed, peeled and grated raw green mangoes
• 100 ml sesame oil
• 1.5 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds / methi seeds
• 25 whole red chillies
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• Less 1 tsp asofoetida / hing powder
• 3.5 tsp salt approx
• 1/2 tsp sugar / jaggery

Steps:

• Dry roast the methi seeds on low heat till fragrant and slightly brown. Turn off the heat and add the whole red chillies and stir till they are crisp. Allow them to cool and then grind them to a fine powder.

• Heat the oil in a thick bottom pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
• Then add the grated mangoes, hing and turmeric. Stir around well. Turn the heat to low.
• Add salt and allow the mangoes to soften.
• Add the ground powder and the red chili powder and stir well. Then add in the sugar and continue to stir.

• Check salt and adjust if required. Let it cook for a while till the oil separates.

• Allow it to cool well. Store the  manga thokku in air tight, clean and dry bottles.

 

Notes:

• Use within a month.
• You can use store bought chili powder instead of powdering whole red chilies.
• Always use a dry spoon for the pickle.
• Refrigerate for a longer shelf life.

Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

There are very few people who would be able to resist a chocolate cupcake if they were to see one in front of them. This is an anytime indulgence for both children and adults.

The kids had a sudden demand for chocolate cup cakes. I was ready to make them, but I did not want to spend too much time on it. I remembered this recipe from joyofbaking.com. It is a simple one bowl cake that I had made many times earlier. Soft, moist and delicious, the cake is just perfect. I halved the recipe and had absolutely beautiful 24 mini cupcakes that my children and family loved in less than 35 minutes.

You Need:

• 3/4 cup flour
• Less 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Heaped 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 big pinch salt
• 40 gms unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp chopped nuts - cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios
• 24 dark chocolate buttons - my son's contribution to the recipe

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180degrees C.
• Line the cup cake tray or grease it well.
• Sieve all the dry ingredients separately.
• Add the wet ingredients along with the nuts to the dry ingredients and mix together till well blended.
• Evenly fill the batter into the cups. Add one chocolate button on the top of the batter in each cup.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes. Mine got done in 17 minutes. Check with a toothpick at the centre of the cupcake, if it comes out clean, they are done.

 

• After 5 minutes place the cupcakes on a rack to cool.
• These stay fresh for 3-4 days if kept in an air tight container at room temperature. If you want to store the cupcakes for longer periods, refrigerate them. Slightly warm them in the microwave before you serve them.

 

Notes:

• The quantity of sugar as per the original  recipe would have been half cup. I used less than half and the sweetness was perfect for us.
• Warm the cake and serve with vanilla ice cream as a dessert.
• You can also frost these cupcakes with chocolate ganache or butter cream.

Instant Oats Dosa

Necessity is definitely the mother of invention. There has been half a tin of Quaker Instant Oats lying  in my pantry for the last few months. I hate the taste of oats. Totally totally hate it. Would not even eat it if it was the only meal available, I would drink water and survive instead.

I came across this recipe, made a few changes and breakfast was ready in minimal time.

You need:

• 3/4 cup oats
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• 3 tbsp onions, finely chopped
• 2 heaped tbsps corriander leaves, chopped
• 1 green chillie finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
• Approx 2.5 cups water
• Salt

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients and make a batter. It should be a little more runny than the dosa batter.

• Heat a non stick tawa on a medium hot flame.
• When it is hot, pour a ladleful of the batter in the centre and swirl it around.
• Add less than a quarter teaspoon of oil and allow it to brown.

• Flip it around and let the other side cook too.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or pickle.

Notes:

• You can add grated carrots to the batter to make it more nutritious.

Quick Bread Pizza

There are few meals that my son will eat in 20-30 mins flat. For the rest, I spend 20-30 minutes reminding him to eat !!!

Pizza is usually a planned affair at home. I make the base from scratch and we all enjoy yummy thin crust pizzas. But for those instances when I have to make an impromptu pizza, I rely on the faithful loaf of bread.

You need:

• 8 slices of bread
• 1 medium onion, small diced
• 1 small capsicum - diced
• 1/4 cup corn
• Few olives sliced
• Few jalapeños chopped fine
• Less 1/4 cup pasta / pizza sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce / ketchup
• 1 tbsp Ching's Secret chili sauce
• Butter
• Grated Cheese

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200degrees C. In a bowl, mix the tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and the pasta / pizza sauce together.
• Spread out the slices of bread. Butter them slightly. Then evenly distribute the sauce mixture on all the slices.
• Evenly spread out all the vegetables on top.
• Top up with the grated cheese.
• Place on a baking tray and bake for about 8-10 minutes till the cheese melts and the bread has browned from the sides.
• Cut into triangles. Serve hot with ketchup.

Notes:

• Skip the jalapeños while making for kids.
• You can use whole meal or the regular white bread. I used the regular one as my son does not like whole meal bread.
• You can also use baby corn, zucchini, mushrooms or pineapples as toppings.
• It is fun to get the kids to make their own pizzas. They love to add their own toppings and that way you can be sure they will eat their veggies.
• Cut into tiny triangles or squares and you have the perfect starter ready for your parties.

Sambhar Powder

One of the reasons why I enjoy cooking is the aroma of spices. The aromas wafting around the home are heady.

I try to make most of my freshly ground spices at home like cumin/jeera powder, coriander/dhaniya powder and various other condiments that are a part of South Indian cuisine.

Sambhar is an important part of our cuisine. I tried the ready to cook powder initially and somehow it never matched up to what mom made. Since the first time I made the powder at home, I swore never to buy the it from the stores.

You need:

• 3 cups coriander / dhaniya seeds
• 1 cup split gram dal / channa dal
• 1 cup split black dal / urad dal
• 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds / methi seeds
• 1/4 heaped tsp pepper corns
• 5 whole red chilies
• Few sprigs of curry leaves

Steps:

• In a deep pan, dry roast the first three ingredients on a low flame, one by one, till fragrant and slightly brown. Keep stirring continuously to avoid it getting burnt.
• Spread them out on a large plate or tray to cool.
• Roast the methi seeds and peppercorns till the methi changes colour.
• Turn off the heat and then roast the curry leaves and red chilies on the pan. Keep stirring continuously till the curry leaves become crisp.

• Once cooled, grind to a fine powder.
• Store it in an airtight container to retain freshness.
• Use as required to make delicious sambhar.

And that is my daughter in the red, she wanted to pose with the sambhar powder :)

Notes:

• Always use a dry spoon.
• Keep the container tightly closed when not in use.
• Using a tsp or two of the powder while making potato or brinjal roast makes it more flavorful.
• Use as curry powder to flavour noodles.
• Please adjust the quantities of pepper corns and red chilies depending on how spicy you like your sambhar.

Shahi Paneer

One morning, my extremely fussy son comes and tells me: Amma, I had Paneer at school. It was spicy but I ate it all up. Can you make that today.

Bells started ringing in my head. My son liked something!!! I asked him to describe what he had eaten and I put together this recipe for lunch. 

He liked it, my day was made :)

You Need:

• 300 gms Paneer
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 tomatoes puréed and strained
• 1 green chili
• 1" ginger chopped
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup cashed nuts soaked in warm water
• 1 small green cardamom
• 1 big brown cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves
• 5 peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder / jeera powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder / dhaniya powder
• 1/4 tsp kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cream
• 3-4 tbsp Clarified butter / Ghee or Oil
• Chopped coriander for garnishing

Steps:

• Keep the paneer soaked in hot boiling water till you need to use it.

• In a pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee/oil and add the green cardamom.
• Then add the onions, ginger, garlic and green chili. Sauté till it starts browning.

• When it cools, grind it to a paste with the cashew nuts.
• In the same pan heat the remaining ghee/oil, and add the remaining whole spices.
• Then add the onion paste, the tomato purée and the tomato paste.

• Stir well. Add water as required for desired consistency.
• Mix in the remaining spices and salt.
• Add the cream. Drain the paneer and stir it in. Allow it to come to one boil. Check salt and seasonings and adjust as per taste.

• Garnish with chopped corriander and cream and serve hot with rice or rotis.

Notes:

• For a low fat version, substitute the cream with milk. Add water accordingly if you will be adding milk.
• Soaking the paneer in hot boiling water keeps it soft.

Things to do before I die !!!

They say life begins at 40. But mine began a few years before 40 all over again.

Somewhere, when I had my children, I felt a part of me came to a stand still. All that kept moving was the mother. The Aruna had stopped still. As my children started getting older, I started feeling the need to get some of my life back.

I took my first trip out with my girl friends in 2011. It was such a liberating experience. It also set a trend for me. I decided to do it ever year and have been able to follow it up last year too. For 2013 too, my trips are already planned.

I finally started to blog this year and it has been so satisfying.

I picked up my paint brush and colours again. With the help of a wonderful lady I have been able to start one painting. I am so looking forward to completing it and seeing it framed up on my living room wall.... a proud display of a new emerging me.

This is my current list ( in random order ) of all that I wish to accomplish in my lifetime. I hope that this list keep getting ticked off and also grows at the same time.

• Travel Europe
• Make one painting each for all my loved ones
• Learn to swim
• Learn the salsa
• Do one trek
• Visit Ladakh
• Run a marathon
• Bungee jump - get over my fear of heights
• Visit New Zealand - Just for 'The Lord of the Rings'
• Get myself a job - to teach my children that I can do more than cook and keep home :)
• Learn more about Photography
• Get myself a tattoo
• Stand atop the Burj Khalifa - this one is with you, My Santa Claus :)
• Write a story
• Show my children the 'Incredible India'
• Make one perfectly frosted cake
• Visit NE India
• Learn to sew
• Make a Quilt
• Open my restaurant
• Go on a road trip
• Have an exhibition of my art work
• Sell my art work
• Make one trip to Vaishno Devi - with you, JS, my soul sister :)
• Eat butta at Marine Drive, with you my once lost friend, but shall never ever loose you again :)

Do you also have a wish list ? Make one, its never too late :) It can give your life a whole new meaning and direction.

So much to do, so little time - as a dear friend of mine says :)