Chennapoda Pitha (Cheese cake )

Pandemic !!!! It has always been a word in the dictionary for so many years till Covid-19 came into existence. No one would have ever imagined that we have to face such a situation in our lifetime. Stay home and stay safe is the new Mantra of the year 2020 :) During the normal times ,the usual routine was to cook breakfast and lunch in the morning. Then off to work, school and college. In the evenings cook dinner which was usually not a very grand affair on the weekdays. Now with the new mantra of 2020, the lady of the house has to cook a minimum 3 proper meals which includes a breakfast, a proper lunch and a proper dinner. With the children around 24/7 a nice snack item also has to be made in the evenings.... One can therefore imagine the plight of the lady of the house who has to do everything from office work to cleaning to mopping to cleaning utensils etc. and then cooking in the summers when the temperature is very high during the mid-day. It is absolutely a hell lot of work for a lady :( It is absolutely necessary that all the members of the house help her with the daily chores ! One evening, when I had just done with my chores, my family wanted to have something sweet for dessert.... I was like totally upset, angry and disgusted with the idea to make something special for dessert. I kept on reading a book on Mughals of India . Then all of a sudden an idea stuck to me, I can make Chenapoda Pitha ......Yeah !!!;) I had made cottage cheese (paneer) at home in the morning... Half of my job was already done. I felt really happy that now its going to be an easy task ....:) So here goes the recipe - Ingredients - Paneer/Cottage Cheese - 300 gm Cottage cheese water - 2 to 3 tablespoon Suji/Semolina - 3 tea spoons Sugar - 4 table spoons (you can add more or less according to your taste ) Elaichi powder/Cardamom - 1tea spoon Cashews and Raisins - Handful Ghee (Clarified butter) - To grease the baking dish Method- In a clean bowl, take the cottage cheese, sugar, semolina, elaichi powder and the dry fruits. Mix well till everything is incorporated well. While mixing, you need to add 2-3tablespoon of the cheese water. In this way the paneer will be moist and soft. Now grease a baking dish with ghee and set the oven to 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Pre-heat the baking dish and then pour the paneer mixture evenly. Bake it for 20 min or till the upper layer is golden in colour. Let it cool down completely to the room temperature. Then de-mould the Cheenapoda Pitha from the baking dish. Cut it into small pieces.. Now time to relish the super delicious cheesecake from Odisha the land of Temples. You can have it at room temperature or you can slightly refrigerate it for sometime and then enjoy it .... Stay home and stay safe and stay blessed ! Reply Forward ReplyForward

Ghuguni Chaat

GHUGUNI CHAAT

It’s been a long three years since I wrote my last blog. Now that my children are all grown up particularly my elder one, I thought it is the right time to go to my blog again! My elder one is now in 12th grade and the younger one, in grade 5....

Last year my family and I shifted to a new housing-society after living in the old society for nearly 8  years. We shifted in October and then all of us fell ill by turn, perhaps due to our inability to adjust in the new environment. With this severe handicap, we had to set up the new house; send both the children to schools, make the new house congenial for the elder boy so that his study wasn’t disturbed and he was in good shape to attend to various school tests as well. 
You all can understand my plight!!! Anyways, now everything is fine. Touchwood guys 

It is a very quiet and beautiful housing society and everyone is very friendly, enthusiastic and sportive. Last Saturday there was a Cricket match in our society where my husband and both my boys participated and I had put up a chaat-stall. This particular chaat is a hot favourite of people in my state,Odisha, and my neighbouring state, West Bengal.

It was a wonderful event and all liked my Chaat immensely. This prompted me to write about it. So here goes the recipe -

Ingredients-

White peas -1cup

Potato 🥔-1 medium

Tomatoes -2 medium

Onion -One large

Oil-One table-spoon

Spices -

Salt -To taste

Turmeric powder-one tea-spoon

Chilli powder-To taste

Guguni masala - Dhania /Jeera /red chillies

(Two table-spoon Jeera , one table- spoon Dhania , Eight red-chillis. Dry roast all the three spices in a frying pan in low flame. It shouldn’t burn. Take it out in a big plate, let it cool down; then grind into a coarse powder)
Ginger -A small piece

Method -Soak the white peas in water overnight. Pressure-cook the white peas in water without adding any salt or any masala till it’s done. (If you add salt/masala while boiling, the peas will break and will not retain its shape.)

Keep aside the boiled peas. Put oil in a Kadhai (deep bottom pan), add  onion, sauté till it changes its colour into light brown. Add the ginger paste, sauté till the raw smell goes, add the chopped tomatoes. sauté nicely, till done. Add salt to taste,turmeric powder and chilli powder. Mix well, add to the masala one cup of water so that the masala does not burn. Add the boiled peas and mix well. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.Add the boiled diced potatoes and mix well. Let it simmer for five minutes with a lid cover on the Kadhai. Add the ghugunimasala and mix well.

Serve it as a chaat item in the evenings. Take a plate, pour the ghuguni, add chaat-masala, ghuguni masala, dhania chutney and Dahi . Enjoy!!

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Pepper Gobhi

Cauliflower ( phul gobhi ) has been a very popular vegetable in Indian household. It is eminently suitable for multiple applications and may go not only as a sought after companion dish for Rice /Roti/ Paratha ; it can be a very suitable ingredient  in the making  of not only Pulao but Pakoda as well.. It has always been a favourite of my father in every season. When I was a child, I used to see vegetables like Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrots, Capsicum in the kitchen only in winter. Now the seasonality of these vegetables is a thing of the past. One gets them now off the shelf throughout the year. One however, misses the old flavour of these vegetables. The aroma that pervaded the kitchen even an hour after cauliflower had been light fried lingers in the memory even now.
The other day I accompanied my husband to the nearby weekly vegetable market where I was told vegetables would be displayed on the ground under the sky. Yes, I saw plenty of fresh vegetables with the vendors, most of whom were women. It was a great experience for my younger son (7) who had accompanied us while the elder one (13) stayed back to study at home. My husband bought a good quantity of a variety of vegetables to stock the Refrigerator to its capacity so that he is off the neighbourhood grocer for a couple of days. We got a few cauliflowers too. One day,  I thought of cooking the cauliflower differently. Even both the children liked it.

Hope you would find it interesting    Here is the way to go:


Ingredients-

1. Cauliflower(phul gobhi) : one-- medium
( boil the florets in water with haldi (turmeric)powder and salt  for sometime till the florets are half done ) ...
2.  Onion –One small  (sliced )
3. Tomato –One medium (chopped)
4. Oil-One teaspoon
5. Hing (Asefotida )-  A pinch
6. Capsicum-  Small one (chopped)
6. Salt -To taste
7. Haldi (turmeric) powder – Half teaspoon
8. Pepper powder -To taste
9. Mustard seed -1/4 teaspoon


Method -
Heat oil in a pan ,add mustard seeds , let them  splitter . Add a pinch of hing and the onion , fry till its brown ,add chopped tomatoes , fry till done . Add cauliflower florets. ....
Add salt to taste, pepper powder, chopped capsicums and mix well . Cover the lid for two minutes or till the capsicums are tender.  .Add pepper powder and mix well .Serve hot with paratha ,roti or steam rice with dal ....Enjoy this simple but delicious phul gobhi dish  as a  special side dish ....

CHICKEN CUTLETS

With two growing children, the chef in me makes sure that I try new items every week for snacks .
This time, I tried my hand with chicken keema ( minced chicken ). It was very new to me when I tried this recipe.
I was skeptical , would the cutlets break while frying? If this happens, what would I offer to both the hungry children returning home after a good deal of running and playing? 😞
I heated the oil in a pan for deep frying and slowly let a freshly made cutlet and slide into the hot oil .. And a few more. ...I waited for a few seconds to check if the cutlets are intact or fragmented into pieces.,I was lucky; they came out fine 😃😃😃😃
I thanked my stars ,and fried a few more pieces , and then I heard the calling bell .😃
I was all set and served my children with their favorite mayonnaise and mint sauce which I had prepared the previous night .😇




Ingredients-
Chicken minced-  300 gms
Potato -  1  small (boiled )
Cheakpea flour /besan -  4  tablespoons
Kassori methi leaves -    1 tablespoon
Salt -To taste
Chat masala-      1  teaspoon
Green chillies -   1 (chopped)
Ginger and garlic paste-  1  teaspoon
Egg -       2      (beaten for the coating)
Breadcrumbs -    1  Cup or as required

Method -
In a bowl mix all the ingredients well . In a pan add oil and saute the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes ...Let it cool .Then shape them into cutlets into your desired shape and size. Coat the cutlets with the egg wash once and dip them into bread crumbs as soon as possible.  Deep fry them and relish with ketchup or any sauce of your choice.

EGG CUTLET ( ANDAA CHOP)

'Sunday ho ya Monday , roj khao Andey" This was a popular commercial jingle  during our growing age in India.  It means whether it's a Sunday or a Monday, eat eggs every day.......The recipe which I am going to write about for you is all about an egg recipe. That is why the jingle rang. 😊....Somethings do not just fade away from memories....

Egg is a very good source of protein for growing children and sportsmen . This doesn't mean that others don't consume it but then if consumed, it should always be in moderation. My children like having egg almost everyday .It becomes very taxing for me to invent a new dish everyday ! .One day I remembered that when I was a child, my mother used to make egg cutlet for me . ( I really don't understand why this thought came to me so late , maybe because it's a cumbersome process ....hehehe)
Anyways, I  instantly called my mom to tell me the process so that I  could make it that day itself.....As usual my mom was upset with me that I was not jotting  down her instruction in a diary......😄
After listening to her I started with the preparation and in forty minutes, the egg cutlets were ready to be fried  when my sons would return from school.......
Now I come to the ingredients for this tasty recipe...

Eggs - Hard boiled
Breadcrumbs - 1cup
Oil - To shallow fry
Salt -To taste
Haldi  (Turmeric )- A pinch
Chilli powder - To taste
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Potato -3  ( boiled )

Method -
Boil the eggs and keep them aside to cool down. In the meantime boil the potatoes and add salt, haldi powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well and keep it aside.
Now cut the eggs  into halves .Add a pinch of salt and haladi powder over the yolks. Now take the mashed potato and cover the egg evenly. Then do the same procedure with the other eggs too .Keep aside to set for 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, enough simmer the flame , roll the cutlets in the breadcrumbs and shallow fry them .Serve hot with  any chutney or ketchup.
(You can even deep fry the cutlets in oil .)

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BREAKFAST MENU PLANNER

A breakfast planner -

Breakfast is the first meal of the day ! It is always recommended that for people who are interested to lose weight should never stop eating breakfast . In India we have a number of local cuisines. The variety you can choose is so vast that sometimes one gets confused on what to eat and what to leave...:)

• In the northern states  the usual breakfast served is aloo paratha, gobhi paratha with curd and pickle .Another favorite breakfast is puri and aloo curry .Chole Bhatura is also a favorite breakfast .

• In the eastern part of the country,  it is usually Upama with aloo curry .Poda pitha (baked cake from rice  and urad dal ) with mix vegetable curry . Even chuda ( rice flakes ) upma and chutney make a good first meal of the day . Luchi and aloo curry is also a favorite combination as breakfast .

• In western part of the country, people usually have poha ,dhokla .Sagoo vada, sagoo upma.

• In the southern states, the breakfast menu is vast which includes Idili ,sambar and chutney. Vada and sambar ,upma with chutney. Masala dosa ,sambar and chutney , plain dosa ,sambar and chutney .Uttapam  and chutney ....the list is quite long. :)

In addition to the above local cuisines, people also have English breakfast sometimes. It includes bread ,sausages ,pancakes and eggs.

Even cornflakes is considered to be a great option these days . Oats ,porridge too are taking a place in the  breakfast table these days . Easy availability ,user friendliness and easy to make options are helping these items making way to the Indian homes these days .

In a family , the lady of the house is always in dilemma over what she would make for breakfast , then lunch and then dinner. If there are children, even snacks needs to be prepared . All these involve a lot of cooking ! If you plan a little ahead, this herculean task can be a cake-walk , I assure you .

I am leaving two days, ie the weekends for you and your family to decide .....Some may like to eat out , some may like to order food from outside......☺ My suggested menu for the other five days are as follows: 

Monday  -

Idili sambar and chutney (From the Deccan )

• Ingredients for idili-

Rice-2cups

Urad dal-1cup

Methi seeds-1/2tspn

Salt-To taste

Oil-To apply on the idli cases

Method-

Soak rice and urad dal separately with enough water for 7-8 hrs. Grind them and mix together to form a batter. Leave it in room temperature for fermentation overnight. On the next day, add salt to taste and grease the idili cases with oil. Pour the batter on to the cases and steam them for 15 minutes or till done. Serve hot with chutney and sambar. Enjoy!

• Ingredients for Sambar-

Toor dal or arhar dal (boiled with salt and haldi powder)-  1cup

Vegetables( brinjal, bhindi, radish)-  1/2cup

Onion-1 chopped

Garlic-2 pods (chopped)

Curry leaves- A few

Asafoetida-  A pinch

Oil- 1 tbspn

Tomato-1large (chopped)

Mustard seeds-1tspn

Sambar powder-1tbspn

Water-1cup

Method-   Heat oil in a pan. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute for a minute, add garlic and onion and then saute for a minute or so. Then add vegetables. Saute for 2-3 minutes or till the vegetables are done. Add the boiled toor dal, mix well. Add sambar powder and a cup water. Close the lid and let it simmer. Let Sambar have  the right consistency. Garnish with dhaniya patta and serve hot.

• Ingredients for chutney-

Coconut-1cup(grated)

Fried gram dal-1/2cup

Garlic pods-2(chopped)

Green chilli-2

Water-1/2cup

For tampering

Oil-1tspn

Mustard seeds-1tspn

Salt-To taste

Method-  Grind together fried channa dal, coconut with 1/2 cup water. Tamper it with oil  & mustard seed. Add salt to taste. Enjoy with Idli.

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Tuesday  -

Moongdal chilla with chutney -

Ingredients -
Moongdal (yellow) -1cup
Hing (asefotida )-A pinch
Garlic pods-4
Salt - To taste
Oil- As required 
Water -To make the chilla batter


Method-

Soak moongdal in water for one hour. Grind it to a paste with very less water, garlic pods, two green chillies and a pinch of hing . Add salt to taste  and mix well  . The batter should have the right consistency  and should not be watery . However, it should be of pouring consistency . Heat a frying pan , take a ladle of batter and spread on the pan. Don't make the chilla very thin . It should be of medium thickness. Take oil in a teaspoon and spread it around the side of the chilla. Turn the chilla .  After it is done , remove it on to a plate. Serve hot with chutney and relish !!

Wednesday -

Vegetable upma-

Ingredients -

Sujji ( Rawa)-1 cup

Mix vegetables -1/2 cup

Onion-1 small chopped

Oil or ghee -1 tbspoon

Mustard seed -1 tspn

Curry leaves -6-7 leaves

Urad dal-1 tspn

Salt-To taste

Method-

Heat a kadhai . Simmer the flame , add sujii and fry till golden brown. Keep aside . Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves. Sauté for a minute. Add onion , sauté till brown . Add vegetables , add salt to taste. Sauté till the vegetables are done. Add 2.5 cups of water . Let it boil . Add fried suji and mix well. Garnish with dhaniya pata (coriander leaves ). Serve  hot with any chutney of your choice.


Thursday-

Puri and sabjee( From the Himalayan belt )

Ingredients-

For the dough-

Atta /Wheat flour-2 cups

Asafoetida or hing- A pinch

Salt- To taste

Dhaniya and jeera powder -1tea spoon

Turmeric or haladi powder- A pinch

Water- To knead the dough

For the sabjee or curry -

Mix veg-1 cup (potato, peas, cauliflower )

Oil-1 tablespoon

Onion-1 small (chopped)

Tomato- 1small ( chopped)

Corriander and cumin powder-1 tea spoon

Garam masala -1 tea spoon

Salt-To taste

Method-

Knead the dough for the puri mixing all the ingredients stated above. The dough shouldnot be soft . Keep aside to rest for an hour.

In the meanwhile heat oil in a pan , add onion. Saute for a minute ,add chopped tomatoes and let it cook till the tomatoes are done. Add the vegetables and mix well. Cover the lid and let the vegetables cook on slow flame till the vegetables are done. add salt, haldi powder, dhaniya and jeera powder and mix well. Add a cup of water and let the vegetables cook on low flame for two minutes . When you get the gravy according to your requirement ,switch off the gas . Serve it hot with puri.

After the sabjee (curry ) is prepared , keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan .Take small ball size dough and roll them with a help of a rolling pin into small puris. Fry the puri and keep aside on a tissue paper so that excess oil is absorbed.

P.S - Some people may like to have just aloo sabjee with puri. For that you need to prepare the sabjee the way I have indicated  except  that  cauliflower and peas may not be used. We need to  use potato only. 

Friday-

Vegetable Poha- ( A delicacy from the western ghats )-

Ingredients :-

Chudwa(Poha)-1cup

Mustard seed-1/2tsp

Curry leaves-few

Salt-To taste

Onion-1small

Green chillies-2

Hing(Asafoetida)-A pinch

Haldi powder-A pinch

Peanuts -A handful

Bengal gram-1/4tsp

Mixed vegetables -1 cup (Potato, beans,peas ,cauliflower)

Oil-2tbsp

Cilantro/Coriander leaves-To garnish

Method:

1. Wash the chudwa in water and keep aside for five minutes so that all water is drained out.This will make the poha dry and not soggy.
2. Then take a kadhai ,add oil,then pinch of hing .To that add the peanuts and bengal gram and the green chillies. Fry them till they turn their colour and get roasted.
3. To that add the onions and curry leaves. Fry, till done .To that add mixed vegetable s and saute till the vegetables are done.
4. Then add the chudwa and add salt, haldi powder and mix well.
5. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with coriander chutney.

GRILLED FISH

With all of us poised for Digital India, we in deed are moving ahead and have come a long way. Our daily life is getting more and more associated with technology driven tools and today we are more dependent on machines and equipment. We are today less agile and our physical postures are much simpler. We hardly sit on floor; nor do we use our hands in a grinding stone. This is affecting our body shape and weight. I saw a cartoon showing how people are growing around the waist and equipment becoming sleeker and thinner. :)

Jokes apart, we need a bit of planning for an ideal weight and shape of our body. We need a bit of more will power too. Not only we Indians, it seems mankind as a whole are confronted with this issue of shape and weight.  I have therefore been trying to bring out  simple and  non- oily recipes for you all. These are not only tasty and easy to make ,but as I have said earlier, facilitate our journey towards our goal to remain fit .

Coming to my recipe, this is a fish recipe,but the non-fish lovers and the vegetarians can make this recipe with vegetables/ lean meat as well.

Ingredients -

Fish -8 pieces (I have taken here Rohu fish )

Ginger /garlic paste-2 teaspoon

Salt -To taste 

Haldi powder- 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder-To taste

Green chillies -2 (sliced)

Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon

Pudina leaves- A few (For garnishing)

Onion-1(sliced)

Oil- 2 teaspoon 

Method-

Marinate the fish pieces, green chillies and onion with the given masala and keep aside. After 2 hours, heat a grill pan .Add 2 teaspoon of oil , add the marinated fish pieces, green chillies and onion . Simmer the stove .Let it cook on both sides till done. Garnish with pudina leaves.Serve hot as a starter or with rice and dal . Enjoy !!