This month Srivalli chose Gulab Jamun's, it could not have come at a better time, every Diwali we make gulab jamuns. But the challenge was to make the khoya/mawa at home and not to use store bought.

We had three recipes to choose from Gulab(less) Jamun from The Yum Blog, Gulab Jamun from Indo and Gulab Jamun from Alka

I followed the recipe from Indo since it had the procedure to make the khoya/mawa. They were perfect intially I thought they were hard but once we ate them they were perfect and held their shape, I usually just helped the elders make gulab jamuns on diwali and never made them alone, I feel great now that I made them on my own.

I had missed last months challenge, so I made the muruku too for diwali, they were so crunchy and nice, I was out of time so I just popped them into the hot oil and did not shape them. The photos did not come out well, since i will be making them again I will post abt it then, till then u can have a look at the blurred picture.



Thanks girls this was a wonderful challenge.

Pav Bhaji is loved by all at home, but the one problem I face is whenever I plan to make pav bhaji and get the pav, it gets over before the bhaji is made, does not matter how much I buy but DH cant resist them. So now I have learnt to hide them till the bhaji is ready, there were so many occasions we had to have the bhaji with bread or roti. With Pav bhaji the more the butter the tastier it is, so add as much or less butter as you prefer.

Ingredients
1.5 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
3/4 cup chopped vegetables (carrot, beans and peas), cut into very small cubes
1/4 cup chopped capsicum
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 green chili
1 tsp garlic
1.5 table spoon pav bhaji masala (or to taste)
3 tbsp butter
juice of 1 lime (or to taste)
salt to taste
1 packet Pav
lime wedges

Method

1. Steam the vegetables till tender.
   
2. Mash the vegetables a little and mix along with the mashed potatoes. Keep aside.
   
3. Grind the onions, garlic and green chilies to a paste.
   
4. Grind the tomatoes to a paste and keep aside.
   
5. Heat 1 tbsp butter.
   
6. Add the onion paste and cook on medium till the raw smell goes.
   
7. Add the capsicum and mix well.
   
8. Add the Pav Bhaji Masala and cook till oil separates.
   
9. Add the tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.
   
10. Add 1 cup water, salt and the potato mix.
    
11. Mix well and bring to a boil.
    
12. Reduce heat cover and cook on sim for 15 minutes, mixing often. Add more water if needed.
    
13. Toast the pav with butter.
    
14. Garnish the bhaji with more butter.
    
15. Serve the bhaji with toasted pav, onions and lime wedges.
    

I got this simple and delicious recipe from Bhawana. This is easy to make and goes well with any dal, sambhar or rasam. Or just have it plain with phulka/chapati/roti and curds.

Ingredients

4 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 large onion, chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
1 green chili, chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp kitchen king masala (adjust to taste) [Bhawana uses garam masala]
pinch turmeric powder
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
   
2. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
   
3. Add the onions and green chilies once the seeds splutter. Cook on medium till transluscent.
   
4. Add the turmeric powder and Kitchen king masala. Cook till oil seperates.
   
5. Add carrots and salt. Mix.
   
6. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low, or till the carrots are nearly cooked.
   
7. Add 3/4 off the spring onions. Mix well.
   
8. Cook for another 5 minutes.
   
9. Garnish with rest of the spring onions.
   
10. Serve.
    

Seyal Bread - Bread Upma, is the best way to use up old bread, this is also a quick and easy breakfast, its better eaten as soon as it is off the gas, sincethe bread soaks up the gravy and turns soggy really fast, if you are like me then you like it that way, but if you are like my hubby then you like a dry version where the bread holds its shape. He then eats it with tons of ketchup, he cannot eat anything much without ketchup, its like what pickle would be to many of us, he has even eaten rice with ketchup.

Ingredients

8 slices of bread, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 green chili (or to taste)
1/4 inch ginger
2 garlic pods
1/4 cup corriander leaves
2-3 mint leaves (pudina) - Optional
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
few curry leaves
1/4 tsp red chili powder
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp ketchup or maggie chili garlic sauce - Optional
salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Grind the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilies, corriander leaves and mint together.
   
2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds.
   
3. Once they splutter add the curry leaves.
   
4. Add the onion, and cook till they turn transluscent.
   
5. Add the red chili powder, cook for a minute.
   
6. Add the ground tomatoe, cook till oil seperates.
   
7. Add ketchup.
   
8. Add the water, salt and bring to a boil. Simmer till a thick gravy is formed
   
9. Add the bread pieces.
   
10. Mix well.
    
11. Once the bread is heated through, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
    

My husband has this habit off telling me 1 hour before that he is getting a friend for lunch. So this dish was made with the few ingredients I had in the fridge, I did not have enough paneer, nor mushrooms so the combo. the gravy is the usual sindhi style onion tomato gravy, I just added some cashews this time.

1/2 cup paneer, cut in cubes
1 cup muchrooms, quartered
1 capsicum, cut in cubes
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 green chilies
1 inch ginger
3-4 garlic pods
1 tbsp chopped cashews, soaked in milk for 1 hour
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp kissan tandoori masala (optional)
pinch turmeric powder
1-2 cups Milk
salt to taste
fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
   
2. Add the onions and fry them till they turn light brown.
   
3. Then add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies and cook till the oil separates.
   
4. Remove from heat and cool.
   
5. Grind the onion tomato mixture, with the cashews to a smooth paste.
   
6. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
   
7. Add the mushrooms, cook till the water evaporates. Cook on a high flame.
   
8. Reduce the flame to medium high, add the capsicum and fry for another 5 minutes.
   
9. Add the coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Cook for a minute.
   
10. Add the ground masala and cook till the oil separates.
    
11. Add milk, tandoori masala and salt.
    
12. Add the paneer pieces.
    
13. Bring to a boil.
    
14. Garnish with coriander leaves.
    
15. Serve immediately with rotis/parathas.
    

September's Daring Cook was hosted by Debyi of The Healthy Vegan Kitchen! She decided on Indian Dosas from the refresh cookbook by Ruth Tal. It had to be completely vegan, I followed the recipe, made all the parts. But I like my dosas plain with chutney and no fillings. So I just kept them on the side and made some coconut chutney along with it. I loved the Spelt Dosa's, did not expect it to taste this good. I also sprinkled some onions on one, like we do for Onion Uttapam.

Dosa Pancakes
Ingredients
1 cup (120gm/8oz) spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)
½ tsp (2½ gm) salt
½ tsp (2½ gm) baking powder
½ tsp (2½ gm) curry powder
½ cup (125ml/4oz) almond milk (or soy, or rice, etc.)
¾ cup (175ml/6oz) water
cooking spray, if needed
Method

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.
   
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.
   
3. Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 pancakes.
   

Curried Garbanzo Filling
This filling works great as a rice bowl topping or as a wrap too, so don't be afraid to make a full batch.
Ingredients
5 cloves garlic
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced (red, yellow or orange are fine too)
2 medium hot banana chilies, minced
2 TBSP (16gm) cumin, ground
1 TBSP (8gm) oregano
1 TBSP (8gm) sea salt (coarse)
1 TBSP (8gm) turmeric
4 cups (850gm/30oz) cooked or canned chick peas (about 2 cans)
½ cup (125gm/4oz) tomato paste
Method

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium to low heat. Add the garlic, veggies, and spices, cooking until soft, stirring occasionally.
   
2. Mash the chickpeas by hand, or in a food processor. Add the chickpeas and tomato paste to the saucepan, stirring until heated through.
   

Coconut Curry Sauce
This makes a great sauce to just pour over rice as well. This does freeze well, but the texture will be a little different. The flavor is still the same though. My picture of this sauce is one that I had made, had to freeze, then thaw to use. It tastes great, but the texture is a little runnier, not quite as thick as it was before freezing.
Ingredients
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ (2½ gm) tsp cumin, ground
¾ (3¾ gm) tsp sea salt (coarse)
3 TBSP (30gm) curry powder
3 TBSP (30gm) spelt flour (or all-purpose GF flour)
3 cups (750ml/24oz) vegetable broth
2 cups (500ml/24oz) coconut milk
3 large tomatoes, diced
Method

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes, or until soft.
   
2. Add the spices, cooking for 1 minutes more. Add the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
   
3. Gradually stir in the vegetable broth to prevent lumps. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the coconut milk and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.
   
4. Let it simmer for half an hour.
   

I really admire the people who can write what they feel. I have so many things I would like to share but just cant. I was never good at writing down my thoughts, I would dread the essay writing in school, I would have like 5 to 6 sentences and then keep repeating them again and again and a big F in the side. I would always make up in the literature part, I loved Shakespeare and would do well in that so overall I would be ok.

Here I am sitting ok what can I write about Egg Masala, I know there are many things to share but just don't know how to put it to words. I actually do not speak much too, I take really long to get used to a person and by then every one things I am a big snob. I usually keep my thoughts and opinions to myself unless the opposite person is someone close or family. I treasure the few friends I have more than any other materialistic things I have. Sometime I wonder why is it so difficult for people to understand me, or people like me and except people for who they are, God made all off us different if we all were the same wouldn't this world be a boring place to be in. I respect everyone until I know a certain person is really evil and rude and then I just keep my distance, that person may have his/her reasons. Once we stop reacting to that person maybe they will stop.

This the most I have written in the past few months in my blog. I will get to the recipe now which both DH and me love.

Ingredients
4 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 green chilies
1 inch ginger
3-4 garlic pods
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp kissan tandoori masala (optional)
pinch turmeric powder
1-2 cups Milk
salt to taste
fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
   
2. Add the onions and fry them till they turn light brown.
   
3. Then add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies and cook till the oil separates.
   
4. Remove from heat and cool.
   
5. Grind the onion tomato mixture to a smooth paste.
   
6. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
   
7. Fry the coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder.
   
8. Add the ground masala and cook till the oil separates.
   
9. Add milk, tandoori masala and salt.
   
10. Bring to a boil.
    
11. Add the boiled eggs.
    
12. Garnish with coriander leaves.
    
13. Serve immediately with rotis/parathas.