Jamun Juice / Kala Khatta - Mumbai's popular street drink

For the love of Bombay's street food ! One of the fondest memories I had as a child was eating vada pav, rainbow gola, pani puri , lassi and the list goes on. Jamun Kala Khatta is a popular syrup flavor for ice golas, esp in chowpatty.

 

Kala khatta is a tangy, sweet sherbet / syrup made with Jamun / Indian black plum. It can be either poured over crushed ice on stick ( gola ) or served as a drink.

 

 

 

Yield : 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 15 Jamun / Indian plum
• 2 Tablespoons of granulated white sugar
• Juice of half lemon
• 1/4 Teaspoon Kala Namak / black salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper powder
• Ice cubes to serve

Directions

1.Wash/ rinse Jamun under running tap water
2. In a small sauce pan, add jamun, sugar along with just enough water to immerse the jamuns. Bring it to rolling boil and simmer for 5 minutes until jamuns are soft

 

3. Let them cool completely
4. Using the back of a spoon gently mash the boiled jamuns and remove the seeds. Discard seeds

5. In a blender , add jamuns along with the syurp and blend it until it is smooth
6. You can either strain this jamun juice through a sieve or serve it as such. I like it thick without straining.
7. Now add lemon juice, kala namak, cumin powder, pepper powder and give it a nice stir
8. Pour the kala khatta juice in serving glasses and serve once

Mango Madness Smoothie

Delicious and refreshing way to drink your mangoes. Mango, Orange breakfast smoothie with a hint of paprika and cumin powder. Wake up to this incredibly delicious fruity drink with no added sugar.

 

 

 

Ingredients 

• 1 Ripe Organic Mango ( I used locally available mango variety called senthuram )
• 150 ml Orange Juice ( I used Tropicana 100 % Orange Juice, you can use freshly squeezed orange juice )
• a pinch of paprika or cayenne powder
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of cumin powder ( optional. Trust me on this, mango with cumin tastes delicious)
• Honey for sweetness ( I did not add honey since my mango was sweet enough. If required, you can add honey or Stevia for sweetness )

Directions 

1. Wash mango. Peel remove skin and cut the mango into large chunks.
2. Add the mango chunks to the blender. Add orange juice. Blend it until it is smooth. At this stage , you can add little water if you find the smoothie too thick
3. Add salt, paprika , cumin powder and blend it once
4. Add ice cubes in serving glasses. Pour the prepared smoothie and serve immediately

Vanilla Cupcakes with Nutella Swirl

I bookmarked this recipe for vanilla cupcakes by 'Subhashini Ramsingh' of Fond Bites as part of Bake along series. Though I haven't got opportunity to bake along with them, its been on my baking list for quite sometime. Glad I tried this recipe today. These cupcakes are so light, fluffy , moist and had no cracks on the top. With Nutella swirl on the top, they are delicious on their own without any frosting or icing - Just plain and naked. However , you can top it with Ganache or whipped chocolate frosting.

This Vanilla cupcakes recipe really is what it claims to be ''The Best vanilla cupcakes ever''. Thank you Subhashini Ramsingh for a fool proof and well written recipe.

Yield : 15 cupcakes

Recipe Source : http://www.fondbites.com/bake-along-30-best-vanilla-cupcakes-ever/


Ingredients

2 Cups of All purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons of Baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 and 1/4 Cups of  Caster Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs at Room temperature
1 Cup Milk ( I used full cream milk ) at room temperature
Nutella as required to make swirls

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160 C. Grease and line a muffin pan with cup cake liners

2.  In a mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside

3. In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter and using a hand mixer beat the butter for a minute on low speed.

4. Add sugar and using a spoon combine sugar and butter. Then using hand mixer cream butter and sugar together for a minute on low speed

5. Then increase the speed to high and beat the mixture for 3 more minutes until the mixture turns pale and fluffy and light

6. Then add one egg at a time , beat well for a minute after adding each egg

7. Stir in vanilla extract and beat once

8. Now add flour mixture (prepared at step number 2 ) in 3 additions alternating with milk in 2 additions. i.e 1/3 portion of flour mixture - 1/2 cup milk - 1/3 portion of flour mixture - 1/2 cup milk - 1/3 portion of flour mixture, and beat just until it is combined in the butter. Do not over mix.

9. Spoon the batter in the prepared liners upto 2/3 rds full in each cup. Add a teaspoon of nutella over the cupcakes and using a toothpick make swirls.

10. Bake at 160 C for 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

11. Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack

12. Serve plain or top it with chocolate Ganache or whipped chocolate frosting

Roasted Curry chickpeas

Chickpeas tossed in curry powder with a hint of red chilli powder, garlic powder and oven roasted until crispy. Healthy snack with awesome curry flavor.

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 Cup cooked chickpeas / canned chickpeas
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons of organic curry powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1/2 Teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika
• salt to taste

Directions

1. If you are using chickpeas from the can, drain water completely and rinse them under tap water and pat dry using paper towel

2. In a mixing bowl, add oil, garlic powder, curry powder, red chilli powder and chilli flakes, salt

3. Toss chickpeas in the oil spice mixture

4. Add the spice coated chickpeas in a greased baking tray and bake at 200 C for 25 minutes until they are crispy. Toss / move around chickpeas once or twice in between.

5. Cool completely and serve as a snack

 

Pan fried Mushroom and Chickpeas

A delicious and flavor packed side that is so easy and quick to make and it tastes so good. Very little effort to make but so much flavor and taste. Button mushrooms and cooked chickpeas are sautéed in herbed garlic butter. Best served with flavored basmati rice / fried rice.

 

 

Ingredients

• 200 Grams Button mushrooms
• 1/2 Cups boiled / cooked chickpeas
• 1 Tablespoons salted butter
• 1 Tablespoon EVOO
• 3 Garlic cloves crushed and then chopped finely
• 1/2 Teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1/2 Teaspoon mixed dried herbs ( I used dried thyme, rosemary and oregano)
• 1/2 Teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Clean mushrooms using a damp cloth and remove dirt. Slice them thinly and set aside
2. In a pan, heat butter and olive oil
3. When the butter starts to melt, add garlic and fry on medium flame until they turn light golden

 

 

4. Then add red chilli flakes and fry for 10 seconds

5. Add dried herbs and give it a nice stir
6. Add sliced mushrooms and sprinkle a big pinch of salt

7. Increase the flame to high and let the mushrooms cook for 2 minutes
8. Then toss the mushrooms / flip sides and cook until the water from the mushrooms evaporates / dries and mushrooms turn crispy and golden
9. Add in cooked chickpeas and mix
10. Finally stir in chopped cilantro leaves, lemon zest and give it a gentle stir
11. Serve once as a side
 

Mother Sauce for Indian Korma

Mother Sauce / Curry Base Gravy is a basic sauce that is the starting point for making various curry or gravy. This mother sauce is for making spicy Indian Korma to pair with roti / naan.

 

This mother sauce can be made ahead and freeze it in zip lock bags in small portions. For preparing a delicious Indian style korma, pick one of these base sauce pouches from the freezer and add vegetables or chicken to it.

 

 

 

 

For making vegetable korma : you can add potatoes, carrots, green beans to the base korma sauce and cook until the vegetables are soft.

 

For making Chicken / Mutton Korma : You can add chicken thighs or pressure cooked mutton to the base korma sauce.

 

Handy to have in the freezer to make quick delicious Korma on a busy day.

To Dry Roast and Grind

4 Tablespoon Fresh coconut slices

4 Garlic Cloves

1 inch Fresh Ginger piece

1/2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds

1/2 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds

2 Cloves

1 Green Cardamom

1/2 Inch Cinnamon stick

8 Cashew nuts

4 dry red chillies ( adjust according to your taste)

For the Sauce

3 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 Bay leaves
1 Large red onion chopped finely
2 Large ripe tomatoes quartered
1 Teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a baking tray , add roughly chopped onions, tomatoes and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Sprinkle a big pinch of salt

2. Preheat the oven to 210 C / 425 F. Place the baking tray with onions and tomatoes in the oven and roast until they have a nice char and golden. It took about 15 to 18 minutes. Toss them in between so that they get roasted evenly on all sides
 

3. Cool down completely
 

4. Add roasted onions in a food processor and grind it to fine paste. Set aside in a bowl
 

5. Add roasted tomatoes in a food processor and grind it to paste /puree. Set aside in a separate bowl
 

6. In a pan/ tawa, dry roast ( without adding oil) the ingredients listed under ' To Dry Roast and Grind'  for a minute. Then add them to a food processor and grind it to fine paste by adding 1/4 cup of water. Set aside
 

7. In a pan / wok, heat the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add bay leaves. Fry for 30 seconds

8. Then add ground onion paste and sprinkle a pinch of salt and fry on low flame for 10 minutes until oil starts leaving from the mixture and it turns light brown
 

9.  Add pureed tomato and fry until all water evaporates and oil starts to leave from the mixture
 

10. Now add the coconut paste ( dry roasted and ground ) and fry nicely until all water from the paste evaporates and oil starts to leave from the mixture
 

11. Once all the water evaporates, add 1/4 cup more water and cook the gravy further until there is no water in the gravy and oil starts floating from the mixture
 

12. Add Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder and add 2 tablespoon of water and cook until oil starts floating
 

13. Switch off the flame. Mother sauce for Indian Style korma is ready. Cool completely. At this stage, you can freeze the base sauce. Divide the sauce in 3 zip lock pouches and freeze until further use. . Each portion of the base sauce will be sufficient to make 2 servings of the korma.
 

14. To Make Korma from the mother sauce : Thaw the sauce from the freezer for 20 minutes
 

15. Add the base sauce to a sauce pan. Add vegetables like potato, carrots, green beans to the base sauce and add 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Season with salt and cook until the vegetables are cooked through and soft
 

16. To make Chicken korma : In a pan , heat 1 Tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add diced chicken breast pieces / thighs and fry on high flame until the chicken has a nice golden crust. Then add the base korma sauce along with 1 and 1/2 cups of water and salt. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and soft

17. Serve korma with roti or naan or bread of your choice

 

Coconut Cashew Rice with crunchy green Beans

Coconut cashew rice with crispy stir fried green beans is an easy to make and quick vegetarian meal. Coconut rice is packed with aromatic coconut flavor, crunchy cashew nuts, peanuts and little bit of spice from dry red chillies. Crispy stir fried beans is one of the easiest side to make. Green beans are quickly blanched in microwave and then combined with crispy shallots , sprinkled with paprika and slow cooked in a pan until they are crunchy.

 

 

 

For the Crispy Green Beans Stir Fry

• 1 Cup Green Beans cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 Teaspoon urad dal
• 1 Dry red chilli broken
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or red onion
• 1/4 Teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Chop green beans into 1/2 inch pieces lengthwise. Add the green beans in a microwave safe bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of regular tap water , a pinch of salt and toss. Microwave on high for 2 minutes and 30 seconds or for 3 minute. If there is water in the beans, drain it and set aside
2. In a pan / kadai, heat oil. When the oil is hot, add urad dal and fry until they are light golden.
3. Then add broken red chillies and fry for 20 seconds
4. Add shallots and fry on low flame until they are crispy and golden
5. Then add previously microwaved green beans and sprinkle paprika, turmeric powder, salt and ground pepper
6. Give it a nice stir. Let the green beans cook on it own on lowest heat setting for 10 minutes. Toss / stir intermittently

7. Once they are crispy and have a nice crunch , switch off the flame and serve hot with coconut cashew rice

 

For the Coconut Cashew Rice

• 1 Cup Cooked Rice / Steamed rice
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/4 Teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon urad dal
• 1 Tablespoon peanuts
• 6 Cashew nuts
• 1 broken dry red chilli
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 1/4 Cup fresh grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut ( add more or less according to your taste )
• a big pinch of hing / asafoetida

Directions

1. In a pan / wok, heat coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and let them splutter
2. Then add urad dal and fry until light golden
3. Add peanuts and cashew nuts and fry for 30 seconds until they are golden
4. Add curry leaves and dry red chillies and fry for 20 seconds until curry leaves are crispy
5. Add hing and give it a nice stir
6. Add grated coconut and stir in

7. Season with salt and add the cooked rice to the pan
8. Mix the coconut cashew mixture with the cooked rice and give it a nice stir to combine

9. Serve hot with crispy green beans