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Season of mangos is almost over and I so gonna miss this delicious fruit. We mostly buy it from costco as they are always good and fresh. This time I Tanmaya got a different variety of mango, Keitt Mango. The Keitt is round and very fat and is the largest of the Florida mangoes, running from two to three pounds. Its green skin may or may not have a touch of red. Because it has less color and less aroma than the Hayden, Kent, or Tommy Atkins, people often pass it by because they think it's not ripe when it actually is. Although it's not quite as fragrant or sweet as other varieties, the Keitt has a full flavor, tart and lemony, and a smooth, fiber-free flesh. Even though this mango was really delicious but there were too many and I wanted to finish them before they start rotting, so I decided to make amba khatta out of it. Its kind of a chutney but it is cooked. Ingredients: Keitt Mango: 1  Curry Leaves: 1 strand Green Chilli: 2 slit in the middle Sugar: ...

The unripe green papaya can be eaten cooked, usually in curries, salads, and stews. Green papaya is used in Southeast Asian cooking, both raw and cooked.  Papaya fruit is a rich source of nutrients such as provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, B vitamins, lycopene, dietary minerals and dietary fibre.  Back at my mom's place we had a big garden where she used to grow all types of vegetables, Papaya, Banana, Tomato, green chillies and the list go on and on. If you have ever grown a papaya you know its like never ending fruits and there is always so much you can eat. Mostly my Mom would pick them before they are ripe and use them in santula or dalma. Here I am sharing the santula recipe that uses green papaya. Ingredients: Papaya: 1 medium cut in small cubes Potato: 1 small cut into cubes. Cumin seeds: 1tsp Green Chilli: 1-2 cut length wise. Tomato: 1 small cut into cubes. Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Roasted cumin and red cilli Powder: 1 tsp (Look for the recipe...

Raita is a important part of Indian meal, there are so many ways to incorporate raita as a part of your meal. Dahi wali Bidhi is another variation to the same. Ingredients: Bhindi(Okra): 6-8 medium sizes . Dahi: 1cup Water: 1/2cup Curry Leaves: 4-5 Mustard Seeds: 1tsp Oil: 1tsp Oil for deep frying Salt as per taste Sugar: 1 pinch Procedure: Wash and pat dry the bhindi. Cut each into 4-5 pieces. Sprinkle salt on the bhindi and let it sit for 5 mins. In the mean while heat oil for deep frying. Deep fry the bhindi till cooked through. Remove from oil and let the extra oil drain out. In a bowl bite the curd into till its smooth and water, salt as per taste(keep in mind eggplant has salt in it which will infuse into curd after some time) and sugar and mix it. In a pan heat 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds. As they stop cracking add green chili, curry leaves and crushed garlic. Fry till garlic is golden. Add this to the bowl of curd and mix. Add the fried bhindi...

This is a variation of stuffed dum aloo and its speciality is that it is cooked without any onion or garlic. I prepared this dish as a part of my Ganesh Puja special dinner. Ingredients: Baby Potatoes: 1/2 a pound or 2 large potatoes cut into half Paneer: 1/4 cup grated Cashew nuts: 1 tbsp finely chopped Sugar: 1 tsp Curd: 1tbsp Green Chilli: 1 finely chopped Green Chillies: 2 whole Poppy Seeds(posto/khuskhus): 1tbsp Oil : 1tbsp Oil for deep frying Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp (adjust as per taste) Coriander leaves: finely chopped 1 tbsp Coriander leaves: for garnish Slat as per taste. Procedure: Soak the poppy seeds and cashew nuts foe 15 mins and make a fine paste of it. Wash, Peel and scoop the potatoes. Deep fry both the scooped and trimmed part of the potatoes in oil. Once cooked through remove from oil and place then on kitchen roll to remove all the excess oil. Mash up the trimmed potato parts alone with the paneer. Add...

It was Ganesh Puja yesterday and I was taken back to the my childhood days when it used to be a one of my favorite holidays. With Mandaps in every lane, music, incense sticks and smell of fruits and sweets flooding the air, kids running around wearing new cloths, its a scene to see. The 2 best part of the day were no studies and my moms famous meal. Every year my God Parents wold arrange the puja at their place and my Mom would prepare a feast for every body. It would generally have Vegetable pulao, bhog ki dal, tomato khata, Potala Rasa, kheer and salad. The whole family would sit together and the feast would be served in banana leaves freshly cut from our garden.  I wanted to live that moment but its not possible so I just tried to prepare a special meal for Tanmaya with as many items as I could prepare from my Moms menu. But unfortunately I could not find any Potala (pointed guard/parwal) so I prepared Posto Dum Aloo. So the menu was: Vegetable Pulao Posto Dum Aloo Tomat...

Pepper chicken is a popular appetizer and served in loads of restaurants. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - 1 pound Cut into small pieces Onion - 1 large sliced Ginger Garlic Paste - 4 tbsp  Green Chilli - 2-4 slit length wise Tomato - 1 medium chopped Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp  Chilly Powder - 1 tsp Coriander Powder- 1 tsp Fennel Powder- 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder- 1 1/2 tsp adjust as per taste Lemon Juice- 2 tbsp Salt - a per taste Oil- 2 tbsp Procedure: In a bowl, mix all the above ingredients together except oil and mix well. Let the marinate stand for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Separate the chicken pieces from the marinade. Shallow fry the chicken in the heated oil until it is slight brown in color. Remove the chicken from oil.  In the same oil add the remaining marinade. Add extra oil, if needed. Once the onion is completely translucent, add the fried chicken and mix well for a minute or two.  ...

Vegetable patatha is a popular breakfast item and is a great way to include vegetables in your meal. Also it is real yummy. Ingredients: For dough: Maida / All purpose flour – 1/2 cup Atta-1/2 cup Salt – to taste Hot water – As needed Oil – 1 tsp For Filling/Stuffing: Carrot –1 medium cut into small cubes Green Peas: 1/2 cup Cauliflower: few florets finely grated Green Beans: finely chopped 1/2 cup Boiled n Mashed potato – 1 medium (optional) Onion – 1 small finely chopped. Tomato: 1 medium finely chopped Green chilly – 2 – 3 nos(finely chopped) Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tsp Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Garam Masala: 1tsp Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp (adjust as per taste) Coriander leaves: finely chopped 1tsp Cumin Seeds: 1tsp Salt – as needed Water – little to sprinkle. Oil – 1 tbsp Procedure: Knead the dough using salt,hot water and a tsp of oil and set aside. In a pressure cooker boil all the vegetables except onion, tomato and green chilli. Heat a ...

I love the smell of poori being fried in the morning. The truth is its not just morning, its any time of the day. Every time I cook it, or see somebody cooking it , I remember the advertisement for Sundrop where a kid would be summersaulting in a hip of pooris ;) as a kid I used to think wow how lucky that kid must be!!!! I know its weird but, what can I say I am a big time foodie !!!! What I serve with poori you ask, the answer is everything, gobi aloo, dum aloo, chicken, egg bhurji, you name it and I have tried it. But my favorite is poori and aloo pani (aloo curry). Aloo pani is my Mom's recipe. Its very simple and and be prepared in a jiffy. So here I am going to share my love with you :) Ingredients: Poori: Aata (Wheat Flour) – 1cup Luke Warm water: about 1/2 cup use more if required Salt: 1/2tsp oil:1sp Water Refined oil -for deep frying Aloo Pani (Aloo curry): Potato-1 large cubed Tomato-1 large cubed Green Chilli: 2 whole Turmeric pow...

Palak (Spinach) has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. Channa (chickpea) is a great source of protein.  So a recipe that uses both is of course is real healthy. So if you are on a health kick so try this delicious dish, that would add some yumm to your diet. Ingredients: Channa:- 2  cups (Soaked overnight) Jeera/Cumin seeds:- 1/2 Tsp Rai/Mustard Seeds:- 1/2 Tsp Onion:- medium finely chopped Ginger garlic paste:- 1 Tbsp Tomato : 1 large finely chopped Turmeric Powder:- 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder:- 1 Tbsp Garam Masala Powder:- 1 Tsp Channa Masala:- 2 Tbsp Coriander Powder:- 1 Tsp Kasoori Methi powder:- 1 Tsp Baby Spinach:- 2 Cups Coriander Leaves: 2 tbsp finely chopped Green Chilli: 2 finely chopped Salt as per taste Oil:- 2 Tbsp Procedure: Boil the soaked channa with salt. Drain the boiled channa, save the water for later use. In a kadhai heat oil, and add cumin...