Baked bhakarwadi

Bhakarwadi is a delicious savoury Maharashtrian snack, that has the perfect balance of sweet, spice and all things nice. Simply put, they are the Indianized form of crispy spring rolls, filled with a sweet and spicy mixture of tamarind, coconut, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Back in India, the brand “Chitale Bandhu” is famous for these.

I’m not much of a snacks person, but Bhakarwadi has always been an exception. Funnily enough, I always thought that they are complicated to make, and cannot be prepared at home. Then the other day I came across a recipe on Pinterest showing a step-by-step recipe on how to make them. Curiously scanning through it, I realised that Bhakarwadi’s are not as hard as I earlier assumed.

With last weekend being a long one (due to Hari Raya Haji), I finally got time to test this recipe, and hey it was so so good! I won’t say it was a replica of Chitale Bandhu (partly because I baked them instead of deep frying and partly also because I did not have poppy seeds to include, which is one of the key ingredient otherwise), but it was 95% close enough. And it was so delicious, I ate it all up before I realised that I didn’t keep any to share with my friends. Oh well, that just gives me an opportunity to make it again!

[Partly adapted from: Spusht]

Ingredients:

Dough:

• Plain flour: 1/2 cup
• Cornstarch: 1 tbsp
• Baking soda: A pinch
• Salt: 1/4 tsp
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Water: As required, to knead the dough

Filling:

• Thin nylon sev: 1/2 cup
• Desiccated coconut: 2 tbsp
• White sesame seeds: 2 tsp
• Fennel seeds: 1 tsp, powdered
• Cumin powder: 1 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Garam masala: 1/4 tsp
• Green chili paste: 1 tsp
• Ginger paste: 1 tsp
• Fresh cilantro: 2 tbsp, chopped
• Tamarind sauce: 2 tbsp
• Salt: To taste

Method:

Prepare the dough:

• Combine all ingredients except water and mix well
• Add water by a tablespoon and mix well at each interval, till you make a firm dough
• Cover the dough while you proceed to prepare the stuffing

Prepare the filling:

• Combine all the dry ingredients for stuffing and mix well
• Add the pastes and the tamarind sauce and mix well, till the mixture comes together. Note that the stuffing should neither be very moist nor too dry, so adjust the quantity of tamarind chutney for the stuffing to bind together
• Taste the filling and adjust salt and spices as needed

Prepare the bhakarwadis:

• Divide the dough and stuffing into two parts
• Roll out each dough into a thin round large circle, and evenly spread the stuffing over each
• Press the stuffing over the rolled out dough lightly with your palms or rolling pin so it forms a thin layer
• Fold 1/2 inch of left + right edges of each roti over the stuffing and roll each roti tightly into a cylinder
• Cover these rolled doughs with a moist cloth and keep aside 15-20 minutes
• In the meanwhile preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius
• Cut the rolled dough into 1 inch pieces
• Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and lightly grease it with oil
• Arrange all cut pieces of bhakarwadi on the tray and lightly brush them with oil
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes (or till they turn golden brown all over), flipping the sides after a 10 minute interval
• Allow the bhakarwadis to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days

Note: If you want to go the traditional route, deep fry the cut pieces of uncooked bhakarwadi over medium-low flame till they crispy and golden brown.

 

Kaju-pista rolls

Another popular sweet in India, kaju-pista rolls (cashew-pistachio fudge rolls) are found in every sweet shop and widely consumed during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali.

Ingredients:

• Cashews: 1½ cups
• Pistachios: 1½ cups
• Condensed milk: 1 cup
• Ghee: 2 tbsp
• Powdered sugar: 3/4 cup
• Rose water: 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

Method:

Prepare cashew dough:

• Grind cashews in a dry mixer for 1 minute at a stretch, into fine powder (if you stop in between, the cashews will secrete its oil, making the overall consistency sticky)
• Melt ghee in a pan over medium flame
• Add condensed milk and stir continuously for about 30 seconds
• Add cashew nut powder and give it a good mix
• Cook the mixture over low heat, and keep stirring until the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and begins to form into a soft dough (this should talk about 5-7 minutes)
• Once mixture comes together, switch off the flame and keep aside for the mixture to cool
• Once the mixture is cooled enough to be handled, knead it well to make smooth dough, with greased hands
• Cover the dough and keep aside

Prepare pistachio dough:

• Grind the pistachios in a mixer to a fine powder
• Transfer the powder into a large bowl and add powdered sugar
• Add rose water and mix well, forming a dough (add a few drops of water to help with the binding, if needed)

Make the rolls:

• Place parchment paper on the counter
• Divide cashew and pistachio doughs into two and four portions respectively
• Roll the cashew dough into thin, circular layer
• Cut the layer in half
• Shape one of the pistachio portions into a log and place it over the half cashew layer
• Roll the cashew sheet over the pistachio log and pinch the sides and edges, sealing it well
• Cut the roll into 2 inch pieces
• Repeat process with rest of the dough
• Decorate the rolls with saffron or silver warq
• You can store the rolls in the refrigerator for up to a week

Ukadiche modak

I love the second half of the year because that’s when all Indian festivals start in full swing. Of the gazillion festivities that we celebrate, Ganesh Chaturthi is probably my favourite most (the second being Diwali).

Ganesh Chaturthi is an Hindu festival that is celebrated in honour of the beloved elephant-headed god, Ganesha.

This is a very auspicious day for Indians, who celebrate the festival in full swing and pray to the God so that every new activity started is successfully completed sans obstacles. Ganesh Chaturthi generally lasts ten days.

My decorations for this years Ganesh Chaturthi 🙂

Now, ten days is a long time to enjoy the positivity from the atmosphere, and true to any other festivities that we have, Ganesh Chaturthi is also celebrated with lots of sweets and snacks that God likes.

The most popular sweet that is commonly made across all households and sweet shops are ukdiche modaks: a sweet dumpling, filled with fresh coconut and jaggery, with an outer covering of rice flour. The dumplings are then steamed and eaten hot with ghee (clarified butter). 

I tried making modaks for the first time last year; unfortunately at that time, the filling turned out too dry and the outer shell a tad too thick for my liking. This year, having learnt from my previous experience, I accordingly readjusted the measurements for the filling and cover, and I am happy to say, they turned out delicious, and got sold out like hot cakes!

So try it out when you have time to spare: they are no doubt, a God’s gift 🙂

[Partially adapted from: Theveggiefix]

Ideally makes 6 – you can make more or less, depending on the size of your modaks

Ingredients:

Outer shell:

• Rice flour: 1 cup
• Water: 1/2 cup
• Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tsp
• Sugar: 1/2 tsp
• Salt: A pinch

Filling:

• Jaggery: 1/4 cup, grated
• Fresh coconut: 1/2 cup, grated
• Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tsp
• Mixed nuts (almonds, pistachio, cashew): 1 tbsp, powdered
• Cardamom: 1/4 tsp, powdered

Method:

Outer shell:

• Heat water in a pan to a rolling boil.
• Add ghee, sugar and salt, mix till dissolved and turn off the heat.
• Pour in all the rice flour and mix continuously till the dough comes together
• Cover the pan and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes (this will retain extra moisture and make your dough soft)

Filling:

• Melt jaggery and ghee in a non-stick pan
• Add coconut, mix with jaggery and cook the mixture till the moisture evaporates
• Lastly, add in the powdered nuts and cardamom and mix well
• Allow the filling mixture to cool and divide it into six parts

Assembly:

• With greased hands, knead the dough till it is smooth and then equally divide the dough mixture into six parts
• Flatten each portion into a thin disc (the thinner, the better) and place a portion of the filling in the center
• Cover and shape like a modak (alternatively, you can buy a modak mould for the shape to come out more defined)
• Slather the modak skins with ghee and steam them for 10 minutes (or till they are translucent and firm in appearance)
• Serve immediately (with more ghee, if you like)

Pesto tandoori mushrooms

This weekend was full of cooking. Not that I don’t always cook, but I had quite a few tedious recipes planned out in my list for the weekend – ranging from replicating a recipe from Dirt Candy NYC (which by the way took hours because it required starting from the very basics of making stock water; I wonder how restaurants operate so efficiently sometimes), and making sweets in anticipation of Ganesh Chaturthi today (stay tuned for festive recipes during the course of the week).

You know how sometimes when you have been pretty active the whole day, once you finally sit  down to rest, your brain refuses to let go its hyperactive frenzy? That’s exactly what happened on Saturday. It was past midnight and I was idly surfing the net, with my favorite songs crooning in the background. But I was so fidgety, all I could think of was being more active, cooking (more). Finally giving in, I went to the kitchen, and pulled out the first few things that came in my hand from the fridge:

A packet of button mushrooms, yogurt, an assortment of herbs and basil.

Perfect!  With these, I made pesto tandoori mushrooms, with the mushroom caps filled with the marinade. This also satiated my midnight cravings for having something moreish.

Red alert, I devoured them all pretty much as soon as it came out of the oven, with a delicate sprinkling of red chilli powder over it. They were delicious. So so delicious.

Go make it already!

Ingredients:

• Button mushrooms: 12, washed and stalks removed
• Basil leaves: 4-5 large
• Cilantro: 1/2 cup
• Garlic: 1 clove
• Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
• Greek yogurt: 3 tbsp
• Black salt: A pinch
• Salt: To taste

Method:

• Blitz all ingredients except the mushrooms into a smooth consistency
• The resultant marinade should be a moderately thick paste
• Taste the marinade and adjust flavor as needed (i.e. add more salt/lemon based on preference)
• Add in the mushrooms and mix well to ensure they are uniformly coated
• Cover bowl and keep mushrooms aside for an hour for the flavors to absorb
• In the meanwhile, preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius
• Arrange the mushrooms on a tray lined with parchment paper, such that the cavities within the mushrooms are facing upwards
• Fill these cavities with the marinade leftover
• Bake in the oven for 15 mins at 180 degrees Celsius
• Serve immediately

 

Fresh fig jam

I love it when I have leftover tupperwares to return – it only gives me another opportunity to cook something to fill into the box before returning it back to the rightful owner.

A couple of weeks back a friend had given me a tiffin full of homemade delicious Indian sweets. While I munched on them with guilty pleasure, I mulled over what I can make to refill the box.

I had fresh Turkish figs waiting to be used in my pantry, so it occured to me that a fresh jam would be a good idea. This jam really pulls out the flavours of the fruit with its crunchiness and sweetness. Whats more, it is so delicious when you delicately spread it across a well buttered, crisp toast in the morning! Yum 🙂

[Recipe credit: Marcie, Flavor the moments]

Ingredients:

• Fresh brown Turkish figs: 2 pounds, stemmed and quartered (if you like your jam chunky) or chopped (if you prefer a smoother spread)
• Sugar: 1 cup
• Honey: ½ cup
• Lemon: 1.5, juiced
• Pure vanilla extract: 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat together: figs, sugar, honey, and lemon juice in a sauce pan aover medium-high heat, stirring to combine as the sugar melts
2. Bring the mix to a boil and then reduce the flame to medium
3. Allow it to cook until the mix thickens; this should take about 50 minutes
4. Keep stirring occasionally to ensure that the jam does not stick to the base and get burnt
5. Once the jam thickens to desired consistency, switch off the flame and stir in the vanilla extract
6. Allow the jam to cool completely
7. Once cooled, store the jam an airtight containers in the refrigerator

Mushroom soup

Warm and earthy, this soup is a winner for times when you are too lazy to cook something fancy and would rather have something soothing while relaxing in the confines of your cozy home.

[Adapted from: The veggie fix]

Ingredients:

• Butter: 2 tbsp
• Red onion: 1, medium, chopped
• Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
• Button mushrooms: 12, sliced
• Plain flour: 2 tbsp
• Vegetable broth: 3 cups
• Yoghurt: 2 tbsp
• Salt: To taste
• Black pepper power: To taste

Method:

• Melt butter in a pan and add garlic and onions
• Saute in the garlic and onions till they soften
• Add in the mushrooms and cook
• Add the flour and stir for even coating
• Pour in vegetable broth
• Mix and allow solution to simmer for a few minutes. We need to give adequate time for the mushroom flavour to infuse
• Switch off the flame, add in the yoghurt, salt and pepper
• Serve piping hot with garlic herb toast

Note: You can blend the soup if you want to achieve a velvety smooth consistency that you would get in eateries like Soup Spoon. I prefer having chunks of mushrooms to bite into, since they are so juicy and delicious with toast.

Labneh

Creamy and luscious, this recipe is for keeps, especially if you have an affinity for yoghurt and cheese like I do!

Ingredients:

• Greek yoghurt: 1 tub (500gms)
• Salt: 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
• Garlic: 1 clove, crushed and grated (add one more clove if you prefer)
• Cilantro: 1 tbsp, finely chopped
• Olive oil: To drizzle

Method:

• Mix all ingredients well in a bowl
• Place a strainer in a bowl and line it with a muslin cloth
• Pour the yoghurt mixture into the muslin cloth
• Tie the muslin as tightly as possible, ensuring that the yoghurt is safely held within it without any leakage
• Place it back in the strainer and refrigerate for atleast 12 hours for all the excess water to drain out
• Before serving, put the strained yoghurt into a bowl and gently mix to ensure uniform blend of flavour
• Smoothen the surface, with a slight hollow at the centre
• Garnish by putting cilantro in the centre and lightly drizzling a little olive oil around it
• Serve with pita bread, crudites or crackers

Spinach and labneh soup

Spinach soup can be delicious if made with the right ingredients. Yup, you read it right! It doesn’t need to be a bitterly bland food. Rather, it can be converted into a bowl-licking treat.

I never really liked spinach soup (because I always associated it having it when unwell) until I tried this version of making it.

This recipe always yields a fool-proof delicious result, laden with the goodness of iron and all the other nutrients that a humble bunch of spinach can provide.

So the next time a flash of green catches your eye at the grocers, go ahead and get the spinach for this soup-erlicious treat.

[Partially adapted from: Veg recipes of India]

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Spinach: 2 cups, washed and chopped
• Red onion: ¼ cup, chopped
• Tomato: 1/2 small, chopped
• Garlic: 1 clove, crushed and minced
• Gram flour: 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder: ¼ tsp
• Bay leaf: 1, small
• Water: 2 cups
• Olive oil: 1 tbsp
• Labneh (or greek yoghurt): 1/8 cup
• Black pepper powder: 1 tbsp (adjust as per taste preference)
• Salt: To taste

Method:

1. Heat oil on medium-low flame, add the bay leaf and let the spice infuse with the oil for a few seconds
2. Add garlic and sauté till it is light brown and fragrant. Ensure that it does not burn
3. Add onions and tomatoes and cook till they soften
4. Toss in the chopped spinach and stir to evenly distribute it with garlic and onion
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Add gram flour and mix well for even distribution
7. Stir in 2 cups of water, give a quick mix and bring the mixture to boil
8. Once it starts boiling, reduce flame and simmer for 3-4 minutes for the flavours to strengthen further
9. Add cumin powder and mix
10. Switch off flame and let the mixture cool to a reasonable heat
11. Remove the bay leaf, and add the labneh (or greek yoghurt)
12. Blitz the mixture into a satin smooth liquid
13. Adjust the seasoning as needed
14. Reheat the solution for an additional 2-3 minute and serve piping hot with some good crusty rustic bread

Note: You can add some water after blending the mixture if the solution is too thick

Lebanese style potatoes (Batata harra)

Batata harra are so simple to make, and get eaten up even quicker. With each bite full of tongue tingling spices, these moreish morsels are bound to be a party pleaser !

[Adapted from: Omar, Lands & Flavors]

Ingredients:

Potatoes:

• Potatoes: 5, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Olive oil: 1.5 tbsp
• Salt: 1/2 tsp

Seasoning:

• Olive oil: 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper: 1/2 tsp, freshly ground

Garnish:

• Salt: To taste
• Cilantro: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Lemon juice: 2 tbsp (or as per taste preference)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Toss potatoes in a bowl with the olive oil and salt to coat the pieces evenly
3. Scatter the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are all in one layer and evenly spaced
4. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until they turn golden brown and crisp (you don’t need to turn or flip the potatoes while it is in the oven)
5. When the potatoes are done, leave them on the baking sheet, turn over the potato pieces so that the other side browns as well and set them aside
6. Prepare the seasoning by heating the olive oil in a pan over medium heat
7. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and black pepper to the oil and give a quick stir for the spices to blend. Take care that they do not burn
8. Add the potatoes to the pan and toss well for the pieces to get uniformly coated with the seasoning
9. Switch off flame, sprinkle on the extra salt (if needed), add chopped cilantro and toss again to combine
10. Remove the potatoes into a serving bowl
11. Serve immediately (they taste best when hot and fresh) with a squeeze of lemon for that added zing!

Mediterranean chickpea & quinoa salad with spinach pesto

This salad is laden with protein, green goodness and is so rich in flavor.

What makes it so special is the incredibly delicious spinach pesto – so good that you will definitely want to use it for other dishes as well!

[Adapted from: Monique, Ambitious kitchen]

Serves 2 as a meal / 3 as a side salad

Ingredients:

Pesto:

• Organic spinach leaves: 1.5 cups, washed
• Basil leaves: 3 large leaves
• Lemon juice: From 1/2 large lemon
• Olive oil: 1 tbsp
• Parmesan cheese: 1/2 tbsp, grated
• Garlic cloves: 2, peeled
• Water: 1-2 tbsp, to thin pesto
• Salt: To taste
• Freshly ground pepper: To taste

Salad:

• Quinoa: 1/8 cup raw, cooked in salt water as per package instructions
• Chickpeas: 1 can, rinsed and drained
• Cherry tomatoes: 1/2 cup, halved
• Red onion: 1/8 cup, diced
• Kalamata olives: 1/8 cup, pitted
• Feta cheese: 1/8 cup, crumbled

Method:

1. Blitz all ingredients for pesto until smooth
2. Add another tablespoon of water if necessary and adjust salt and pepper as required
3. Toss quinoa in 1 tbsp pesto and keep aside
4. Marinate tomatoes in 1 tbsp pesto and keep aside
5. Heat chickpeas in a pan and add 2 tbsp pesto. Toss to evenly coat
6. Combine quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, diced onion, and olives to a large bowl
7. Add in remaining pesto and toss to uniformly coat
8. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top and serve