Khandvi - vegetarian Gujarati snack

Being a pukka bengali and a strict non-vegetarian for the most of my life, I was pretty ignorant about the vegetarian delicacies till I met Vikash, my husband, a pukka marwari and a strict vegetarian. His fondness for the dish led me to learn the recipe for Khandvi . Khandvi a close sister of Dhokla, the other Gujju snack which has made a place for itself in the vegetarian starters list.

The advantage of living in a building where each tenant is from a different state is that someone will always know how to make a traditional Gujarati dish. Luckily, I did not have to look much, as my next door neighbor turned out to be the Khandvi expert !! Let’s start !!

What do you need?

For a plate of Khandvi, as shown in the picture, you need – 1/2 cup besan, 1/2 cup curd, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste, 1/4 teaspoon green chili paste,  1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 pinches of sugar and salt to taste and a pinch of hing (asafoetida).

For the garnish you need fresh coriander leaves chopped ( atleast 1/4 cup) and a couple of tablespoons of grated coconut.

For the tadka you need 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 4-5 curry leaves, 2-3 green chilies slit lengthwise.

How to make the rolls?

Take the besan and curd in a bowl.

Add ginger and chili paste, hing, salt and sugar and turmeric powder.

Add water and mix it thoroughly so that no lumps are present. Do not worry if you do not see the Khandvi color in the mix now. You will get the color when you cook it.

If you are lazy then just mix it thoroughly and strain it as we did. It removes all the lumps. But, it also removes the green chili. So, adjust by adding 1/8 teaspoon chili powder if you can handle the spice.

Take a non-stick pan and pour the strained batter into it. Put it on the low heat on the medium sized burner on your gas-stove. Keep stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

As it gets cooked the yellow color becomes stronger and the batter gets a glaze.

Now how long it takes to cook? Well, that really depends on the quality of besan you are using. The besan in Kuwait is not the best quality. So, it took us 22-23 minutes to reach the desired consistency. You have to start checking after 15 minutes. Take a spoon of the mix and spread it behind the back of a steel plate as shown in the picture and try to roll it up. If it rolls, then you are done, if not, well scrape it up, put it back and keep stirring.

Once you are done turn the gas off and spread the mix immediately at the back of a steel plate. The steel plates should be ready and unlike what I thought you do not have to oil them.

The trick of this whole thing is in spreading the batter thin and quick. Once it cools down (like 2 minutes after turning the gas off) , it becomes hard and cannot be spread any further. For this amount of batter you will need two big or 3 medium sized plates for spreading. You can also spread it on your clean counter top. After spreading you cut it into strips.

Roll up each strip and place them on your serving plate.

Finish rolling all the strips. The rolls look really pretty!!!

Where is the oil?

Till now we have not used a single drop of oil/ghee in the whole recipe. Once the rolls are arranged on the dish you sprinkle some grated coconut and chopped coriander onto it.

Heat the oil in a ladle. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and split green chilies. Once the mustard starts spluttering you take a spoon and spoon out the tadka on the rolls. Else, just pour the tadka uniformly over the rolls. Your Khandvi is ready to be served !!!

Life tadka twist

For stuffed Khandvi just sprinkle the coconut and corainder on the spread batter and roll it up. You can also apply a layer of thick coriander and mint chutney/coriander and coconut chutney before rolling it up. The chutney should be thick and not runny else the rolls will become soggy.

 

March 21st, 2013 | Tags: , , | Category: Food | Leave a comment

Finger food – finger licking good !!

Inviting people for breakfast always makes me worried, since you just have a few hours in the morning to prepare your spread and then clean the house and then dress up too !!! So, I had to think of some quick and easy dishes when I called all the ladies in my building over for a breakfast get together. These can be served and munched on anytime and anywhere.

Salty, crunchy biscuits form the perfect base for this finger food. I used Monaco biscuits and topped them with finely chopped onion and bell peppers (green, red and yellow) mixed with cream cheese. Add a dash of salt and pepper for seasoning. Spoon it on top of the biscuits and add a pitted and sliced black olive on top. Try the non-vegetarian version of this by mixing chopped veggies and cream cheese with smoked salmon or tuna. The biscuit turns soggy if kept for too long. So, prepare the topping and keep, but spoon it on at the last moment.

Middle eastern lettuce wrap

For this just mash up some falafel and mix it with hummus, add a dash of parsley. Spoon it on  the iceberg lettuce leaves.

You can serve it open or just roll it up and serve it. Instead of the falafel, hummus filling you can also use vegetable stir fry or a spoon on it a bit of homemade noodles. The options are limitless and the lettuce makes a healthier base compared to any bread or biscuit.

Good old kheera- tamatar (cucumber-tomato) sandwich

Eternally delicious and known to all. Butter the bread. Spread tomato ketchup on one side and green coriander chutney to the other. Add a slice of cucumber and tomato. Season with salt and pepper and serve. There are countless versions of the green chutney, but the one I used needed a bunch of fresh coriander leaves, a teaspoon of ginger and 1/4 teaspoon green chilli paste, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and salt blended together to form a paste. You can have your version of the chutney and add mint, garlic or whatever else takes your fancy.

 

March 12th, 2013 | Tags: , | Category: Food | Leave a comment

Chocolate pudding

Chocolate recipes are super easy to make and they look super delectable. It looks as if you have put in a lot of effort in making them but it is usually otherwise. This recipe is very easy, super quick and 100% tasty.

Ingredients for making 3-4 servings :- Cornflour- 2 tablespoon, sugar – 4 tablespoons, pinch of salt, milk – 1 cup, marshmallows (optional) – 2 big pieces , semi-sweet milk chocolate – 70 grams. You can use dark chocolate too.

Step 1 : Make a double boiler by taking a big container with hot water and placing the ingredients in another small bowl. Place that bowl inside the big one but the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Take the sugar, salt and cornflour in the bowl. Place it on double boiler.

Add a cup of milk slowly to it. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure that the cornflour does not form lumps.

Step 2 :

Add the marshmallows.

Add the chocolate and mix.

Take the double boiler off the flame when the mixture becomes thick enough to stick on the spatula or back of a spoon.

Step 3 :

Take the serving bowls. Strain the mixture into the bowls and cover it with cling film. Let  it sit in the refrigerator till it sets.

In the meantime lick up the bowl, strainer and anything with the chocolate mixture on it.

 

Once set the pudding can be served with whipped cream, fruits or just like that !

February 28th, 2013 | Tags: , , | Category: Food | Leave a comment

Roman Holiday - 3 day travel itinerary

Italy is one of those countries that reminds me of India. Both are hot and humid, the people are kind and colorful and they are passionate about their food. Both has a splendid past and prides in it. So, when I landed in Rome, it was like home. Collect your luggage and head towards the city.But before everything else you need to get your Roma Pass.

Roma pass – If you want to see the sights and avoid the queues, buy this pass. If you use it wisely, you will land up saving money in the entrance fees, as well as get 3 days of travel free in bus, train and metro. The card costs 30 euros for a validity of 72 hours per person. The entry to the first 2 sites are free and the transportation is free too !! I bought my pass online and collected it at the Roma termini station, since we were arriving early in the morning. There is a counter at the airport and that opens at 8:30 am. It will be a better option to buy it there and get it activated so that you can enjoy a free train ride to the city. For more information on Roma pass click on the link below:

http://www.romapass.it/

Reaching Rome city from the Airport-

The airport is pretty far away from the city and there are 3 ways to reach it. The pricey option is to take a cab. The next best option is to take the train. The Leonardo express takes you right from the airport to the Roma termini station. The train ride costs 14 euros each way and is completely free for Roma pass users. So, there you retrieve 28 euros of the 30 euro pass that you got!!! Depending on the distance of your hotel from the station you can take a bus or a cab or just walk down. The cheapest option, the one we took, since our Roma pass was not activated was to take a Terravision bus for 4 euros per person one way.The counter is in the airport, buses are pretty frequent and the cleanliness inside the bus is like any travel coach in India. The bus takes you to the termini station. You enter the station and walk across to the other side to reach the city bus terminus. Finally, you are in the city that has history in every step.

While making your Rome itinerary keep in mind that Vatican is closed on Sunday and Colosseum, Galleria Borghese on Mondays. The churches are closed from 12/1pm till 3/4 pm. So , plan accordingly.

Day 1 : First 2 free entries of Roma pass

Morning : Drop your bags at the hotel. Grab a light breakfast. Pour a lot of sunscreen on yourself. Take your sunglasses and hat and find your way to the Colosseum. If you have got the pass then you can take a bus or metro for free. We took the metro from termini station and metro station is bang opposite the Colosseum. You come out and there it is, with millions of people queuing in front for a ticket and hundreds of Bangladeshi and Italian hawkers selling all possible tourist trinkets. Flash your Roma pass at the entrance and skip the long ticket queue to enter into the Colosseum. There you retrieve 12 euros of your Roma pass and the cost of not waiting in the queue on a hot and humid day – priceless!! Pay 5 euros and take an audio guide, or take a tour with one of their trained guides or just roam around the Colosseum on your own with Rick Steves audio guide playing on your phone and relive the movie Gladiator.

http://www.ricksteves.com/news/travelnews/0602/rome_downloads.htm

Visit the Forum and Palatine Hill after this. Unless you are a history buff the ruins are not going to take too long. Colosseum, Forum and Palatine hill are all included in one ticket so ALL that together forms the first site of your Roma pass and all are free for you!!!

Afternoon : Grab a bite at one of the nearby shops for your lunch and take a bus to the Villa Borghese. Please make a reservation for the visit IN ADVANCE. I made mine on the telephone.They will give you an alphanumeric reservation number which you have to note down and present at the counter. The entry fee here is 9 euros (more if there is any exhibition going on, exhibitions are frequent) and this is the second free entrance for the Roma pass. So, even if you miss making your money on the Leonardo express you retrieve it here on the entry fees in Day 1, plus you get all your bus and metro travel for 3 days at just 9 euros!!! Villa Borghese has a beautiful garden surrounding it. Spend some time in the garden, deposit your bags (be in advance as this takes time), buy an audio guide for 5 euros and go through your tour of the most amazing Bernini sculptures and Caravaggio canvases. Galleria Borghese phone number :- +39-0632810. They have 2 hour slots and admit 360 people in each slot. Afternoon slots are 1-3 pm, 3-5 pm and 5-7 pm.

Galleria Borghese Garden

Evening : End your day with Pantheon and Trevi fountain. Pantheon has free entry so listen to your audio guide downloaded from Rick Steves. There are a lot of upscale restaurants around Pantheon and famous gelato places.The most famous gelato places being Giolitti and San Crispino. Both are a short walk from Pantheon. So locate them on google map and head there for a gelato break, try both and decide your favorite. Head to Trevi fountain, drop a coin in it and sit there for a moment and observe the fellow tourists clicking photos and dropping coins. Click a photo there, call it a day and head back to your hotel for tomorrow will be an early day.

Trevi Fountain

Day 2 : The Vatican Day

Things to remember :

1. Dress conservatively. They have a dress code and it is followed. Shoulders should be covered, knees should be covered, no shorts and no tanks.

2. Do not carry a big backpack or anything like it. Carry a small sidebag or a small purse. Else, they will ask you to deposit the backpack/bag and it will be a big hassle to come back for it.

3. Carry some food and drink. You can have your breakfast in the queue unless it is included in your stay. Be there before 8:30am.

Leave early for the Vatican. Your Roma pass will not work here and you will have to stand in a very long queue. The Vatican museum opens at 9 am, all days except sunday and the ticket price is 16 euros. Be there before 8:30 am and stand in the queue. You will be harassed by a lot of guided tour operatives into skipping the queue and take a guided tour if you want. We stood in queue and entered by 10 am.You can avoid all this hassle by booking your tickets online. Tickets can be purchased 60 days before your visit at the link below.

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do

Take your time in the museum. Once you reach the Sistine Chapel and are done with it do not exit by the gate from which everyone is exiting. Take a short cut to St. Peter’s basilica. St. Peter’s basilica has free admission so you need not buy any further tickets. Stand facing the altar at sistine chapel, at the very end at to your left there will be another door which has a entry restricted sign, exit through that. You will see that the guided tour ones are exiting from there. So, follow one of the tours and exit.If you have any luggage deposited then you cannot take the shortcut.Go back, collect your luggage, walk to St. Peter’s square and queue up. By taking the shortcut you will come to a courtyard where a lot of people are queuing up for climbing up the Vatican’s dome for the view of Rome. Do it if it’s in your list, else, walk towards the St. Peter’s Basilica sign. Finish the basilica with Rick Steves audio guide and exit into St. Peter’s square.

St. Peter’s Square

It took us 4-5 hours to do the Vatican and it will upset with your lunch. Carry some snack items to munch on till you get time for lunch. This you can do while in the queue or in the patch of green inside Vatican museum. Do not start munching inside a church/chapel.

Head towards the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. Opening hours :Fri-Wed 10am-12:30pm and 4-7pm; Thurs 10am-12:30pm. Entrance is free and if you are short of time then head towards the Contarelli Chapel to view the Caravaggio’s.You need to carry some change. There is a box beside the chapel and you have to put change there for the lights to lit up for you to see the paintings. End your day with a gelato at the Pantheon and stroll to the Spanish steps. Post dinner head towards the Colosseum. You have to see the Colosseum at night when all the lights are lit.

Carvaggio at San Luigi dei Francesi

Day 3 : Tour of the churches

There are more than 900 churches in Rome and unless you want to visit all of them. Shortlist the ones you want to visit. I wanted to do 4 churches and that would have been a rush as all of them close for lunch and open late and I also had a flight to catch. So, decided to do 2 – San Giovanni Laterano and the San Clemente. Start with San Clemente which is close to the Colosseum. The church has layers of archaeological excavations underneath it.The entry fee is 5 euros and the Roma pass does not help there. Next is San Giovanni Laterano. The church has a beautiful golden ceiling and huge statues of apostles along the nave.Walk across the church to see the Scala sancta or the holy steps on which Jesus tread during his Passion.

Church of San Giovanni Laterano

Head towards the airport or spend your Roman evening just lazing around. My best spot in Rome was in front of the Pantheon, with a gelato in hand, my husband by my side and the Italian musicians of the restaurants in front playing some melodious romantic tune. My final goodbye to Rome was a 6 scoop gelato dinner at Giolitti!! For all the Kuwait residents Giolitti is in Grand Avenues now !! A slice of Rome at home !!

February 23rd, 2013 | Category: Food | 2 comments
 
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