Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Sonti Tea (Tea with Dried Ginger or Chukku)

“Not feeling hungry today?
I will make a cup of sonti tea for the appetite.”

“Ate too much food at the party?
Would you want me to prepare sonti kashayam for better digestion?”

“Food was not good yesterday at the restaurant. My stomach is upset
Have a cup of sonti tea to calm the over working stomach.”

“I am tired and feeling little bit nauseous after the long day of shopping.
You sit there and rest. I will bring a hot cup of sonti coffee for you.”

“My head is hurting with this cold and cough.
There, there, have this cup of hot sonti tea. By tomorrow, you will be like a daisy.”

Sonti Powder and Sonti
Sonti Powder, Dried Ginger (Sonti), and Fresh Ginger

For everything and anything, sonti is the treatment at my home. Sonti tea, Sonti coffee and Sonti kashayam are prescribed to cure and to relieve almost all types small ailments from stomach upsets to cold and cough. Most of the time, they work fine.

Sonti, the dried form of ginger root is equally given importance along with fresh ginger in Ayurveda for its healing properties. Though sonti looks mild and all dried out, it has all the fresh ginger potency and some. When added in small doses, the strong sonti flavor and aroma makes the food energizing and interesting. At our home, if you go back to one generation before us, they’ would start and end their day with a cup of sonti drink. For small ailments, whether one believes in capsules pushed on by multimillion dollar ad blitzes or in ancient medicine, what matters is the trust that the stuff we would put in our bodies could comfort and relieve the symptoms. For us, the magic cure-all potion still hasn’t lost its magic.

Recipe :

From just a pinch to a tablespoon of sonti powder is added to a cup of tea. The amount varies on individual preference and tolerance. We like to add a teaspoon of sonti powder to a cup. Not too much, not too little, you would definitely notice the sonti taste.

To powder sonti, take sonti pieces in a mortar and pound them to smooth powder. We usually prepare powder for one month’s worth and store it in a tight lid box.

To prepare sonti tea and coffee: start the coffee/tea preparation like you normally do. And at the end, add the sonti powder. Simmer or heat few seconds. Pour to a cup and enjoy the tea enriched with sonti powder.

Sonti Tea with Puri and Potato Curry


Sonti is available at Indian grocery shops.
Sonti Recipes: Sonti Coffee, Sonti Kashayam and Chukkuvellam

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Revisiting Old Recipes,Tea (Wednesday January 16, 2008 at 11:00 pm- permalink)
Comments (20)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Chestnuts

Chestnuts

Chestnuts, with a plus shaped cut, Chestnuts, Prepped for Roasting

Roasting Chestnuts in an Iron Skillet on Stovetop (Almost done)

Shelling the Roasted Chestnuts

Chestnuts
Roasted Chestnuts (kuri) ~ Satisfying Sweet Snack to Warm up on Cold Winter Days

How to roast chestnuts on stove-top:
Method in detail
Holiday Treats ~ Roasted Chestnuts

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Chestnuts (Marrons),Revisiting Old Recipes (Thursday December 13, 2007 at 2:05 pm- permalink)
Comments (15)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Layered Pizza with Chapatis

Layered Pizza with chapatis
Crispy, Layered Pizza with Chapatis

When it’s this easy to make flavorful, delicious pizza at home, I can only imagine restaurants suffer. Why? This homemade crisp pizza tastes as good or better as any thin crust pizza I have ever had in a restaurant.

I started with few leftover chapatis of yesterday. I added the tomato chutney layer and topped with red beans and cheese. Baked in an oven for few minutes, the outcome was a scrumptious looking, saliva inducing meal. An impressively, easy way to satiate the pizza cravings without doing the back-breaking pizza labor.

Red Beans, Onion, Garlic, Chilli, Tomato, Cheese and Chapati
Red Beans (Adzuki, Chori), Chutney Ingredients, Chapatis and Cheese ~ Ingredients for Chapati Bake

Recipe:

1. Pressure cook: One cup red beans (soaked in water overnight beforehand) to tender or use the canned red beans.

2. Prepare chutney: In a skillet, add oil and cook coarsely chopped one onion, two tomatoes, three cloves of garlic and four chillies to brown. Cool, then add salt and blend to coarse puree.

3. Take fresh or leftover chapatis, about 4 to 6. Cut each chapati to 4 wedge-shaped pieces of equal size.

4. Slice to thin strips or grate cheese. I used Monterey Jack cheese in this recipe – About half cup.

Before Meal Time:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In an iron skillet or in an ovenproof dish:
First, place the chapati pieces, then on top, add and spread tomato chutney to a thin layer. Sprinkle some red beans, cheese and cilantro. Continue until the last chapati, ending with a layer of the chutney, beans and cheese on top. Place the skillet in the oven and bake at 400°F for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese melts and chapatis start to brown. Remove, slice and serve.

The whole combination of baked chapatis, spicy tomato chutney, red beans and cheese came out very well and tasted real good.

Slice of Red Bean Pizza
A Slice of Layered Pizza

This recipe was first published on Mahanandi, on September 19th, 2005.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes (Wednesday July 25, 2007 at 9:05 pm- permalink)
Comments (17)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Roasted Red Capsicum Chutney

Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Of all different colored bell peppers (capsicums), I like the red ones. Red bell peppers are matured green bell peppers and when bell pepper ages, not only the color but the flavor also changes. They become sweet, which is a surprise. Usually maturing into red signals the more fierce kind of flavor in vegetables, but here they mellow.

This favorite chutney of mine is prepared by roasting red bell peppers, onion and dried red chillies and by blending them including peanuts, jaggery and tamarind juice. The result is one of the flavorful and easiest Bharath-inspired chutneys you will ever try. Tastes superb with all the breakfast items, like idly, dosa, upma and also with rice, chapati or as a spread and dip for snack items.

Red Bell Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Dried Red Chillies, Roasted Peanuts, Tamarind and Jaggery - Ingredients for Red Bell Pepper Chutney
Red Bell Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Dried Red Chillies, Roasted Peanuts, Tamarind and Jaggery

Recipe:

Cut to big chunks:
2 big red bell peppers
1 medium sized onion
6-8 dried red chillies
1 garlic clove

Saute:
Heat about 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a skillet.
Add and Saute the cut vegetables and dried red chillies on high heat. The vegetables should be very well browned and soft. Remove them from heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile Soak and Roast:
Small Lime sized tamarind in half-cup of warm water for about 10 minutes. Or microwave for 30 seconds – This is to soften the tamarind, so it can blend well.
Roast half-cup of peanuts till golden and remove skins. Store-bought un-salted, roasted peanuts are fine too.

Blend, in a blender or in a mortar using a pestle:
All the roasted vegetables
Tamarind, along with the water it soaked in.
Half cup of roasted peanuts
½ tablespoon of powdered jaggery
¼ tsp of salt or to taste
Grind them together to coarse puree, without adding any extra water.

Remove to a cup and serve with your favorite breakfast/lunch/supper items.

Red Bell Pepper Chutney and Besan Dosas
Besan Dosa and Red Bell Pepper Chutney


This recipe was first published on Mahanandi on June 20th, 2006.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes (Tuesday July 17, 2007 at 9:10 pm- permalink)
Comments (28)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Savory Treats ~ Ponganalu

In our homes, whenever relatives from other regions of Andhra or from other states visit us for holidays, out comes the “ponganala Pennam”(ponganala skillet). Round, golden colored ponganalu, hot off from the skillet, always elicits oohh… aahh… from our relatives and from their weird offspring (are there any other kind?:) ). Because they are unique to our region, preparing them is our showoff kind of thing to out of staters who were related to us by marriages etc.

Preparing ponganalu, it’s all in the skillet . Right kind of skillet delivers or breaks a ‘ponganam’. Nothing can beat an old world style, well seasoned iron skillet. They are the best and the place where you can buy is of course India. I’ve seen some non-stick skillets here in US in some Indian shops lately. They are also fine, if you don’t mind the non-stick coating.

Recipe:
For 3 to 4 batches of Ponganalu

Ponganala batter:
1 cup rice
½ cup urad dal

Soak rice and urad dal in water for about 6 hours. Drain (reserve the water) and grind them into smooth batter adding just enough water (add the drained water that was kept aside). The consistency of the batter must be thick, like idli batter or like condensed milk (commercial kind). Take the batter into a big vessel, cover and let it sit overnight in a warm area for fermentation.
(Sour and dayold dosa batter is perfect to prepare ponganalu.)

Ingredients to prepare ponganalu
Rice-Urad Dal Batter and Ingredients ~ to Prepare Ponganalu

Seasoning (Add to the overnight fermented batter):
1 big red onion or 6 shallots – finely chopped
(Because we mix them in the batter raw, avoid yellow onion for its smell & awful rawtaste)
4 green chillies – finely chopped
Few springs of cilantro – finely chopped
A fistful of chana dal (soaked overnight)
1 teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of turmeric and salt
Add all these ingredients to the batter and mix thoroughly.
Also prepare peanut or coconut chutney.

Cooking: Place the ponganala skillet on medium heat. Add few drops of peanut oil into each impression. With a spoon or with a piece of paper towel, rub oil around, to season the skillet. When the skillet is hot and ready, proceed like this, following the images.


Pour a ladleful of batter into each impression.


Once all impressions are filled, cover the skillet with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes undisturbed.


Remove the lid; The batter will be set by now. Gently lift the ponganalu with a “ponganala lifter” or with a spoon. If properly cooked, they should come out easily without sticking to the skillet. If not, cook them for few more minutes.


Turn each one to opposite side to cook.


Cook them another 5 minutes on medium heat undisturbed. Gently lift them from out of the skillet. When properly cooked they should come out easily without sticking to the skillet. If not, cook for few more minutes and remove all to a plate. Season the skillet with oil, and repeat the steps again to cook another batch. Medium heat is the key.(Cooking them on high heat in a hurry or on too low heat won’t work- usually the outcome will be messy, sticky ponganalu instead of golden rounds.)


Ponganalu with peanut chutney – Breakfast worth getting up early for.


This recipe was originally published on March 20th, 2006 on Mahanandi.

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Ponganalu ~ Sweet and Savory
Ponganalu - Sweet Treats Ponganalu with Spinach and Sara Pappu

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes (Tuesday July 3, 2007 at 9:28 pm- permalink)
Comments (13)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Recipe List

This is the list of recipes that I blogged from March 26th 2005 to April 30th 2007 on Mahanandi. I hope you enjoy browsing the list while I am on a mini summer break. See you again on Saturday June 23rd. Take care!

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Browsing, buying and prepping the ingredients. Planning and preparing the recipes and meals. Plating and photographing the end result. Putting it all into words and photo plus recipe editing. Publishing and people interacting. 2 years, 260 recipes and 2000 food photographs.
My hobby and my passion. My work in a list form:

Breakfast:

Upma:
Buttermilk Upma
Couscous Upma
Cracked Wheat Upma
Hominy Grits Upma
Oatmeal Upma
Puffed Rice Upma (Borugula/Murmura Buggani)
Ragi Mudda (Ragi Sankati)
Rice Ravva Upma (The Arisiupma Trilogy) ~ By Janani
Tomato Bath

Idly/Dosa/Utappam/Pancake and Some:
Besan Dosa (Besan ka Cheela, Puda or Socca)
Idly
Masala Idly
Masala Dosa
Pesarattu
Pesarattu with Sprouted Moong Dal
Ragi Dosa (Ragi Utappam)
Wheat Flour Dosa (Goduma Dosa)
Ponganalu
Ponganalu with Spinach and Sara Pappu(Chironji)

Kura, Vepudu, Poriyal, Thoran or Dry Curries:
(Indian Salads With Minimum Saute)

Aloo Methi
Aloo Vepudu (Potato Fry)
Amaranth-Coconut Curry (Thotakura Vepudu)
Amaranth-Green Brinjal Curry (Poluru Vankaya Thotakura)
Banana Pepper Curry
Beans Curry (Indian, French and Lima)
Beetroot Curry
Beetroot, Red Cabbage, Red Beans Curry
Beetroot & Carrots – Steamed
Bitter Gourd Curry (karela)
Bitter Gourd Chips
Boiled Peanuts with Salad Greens ~ Spring Salad Synergy
Brinjal-Ginger Curry
Brinjal (Eggplant) Curry
Brinjal with Besan (Besan Baingan)
Broadbean Curry (Chikkudu Podi Kura)
Brussels Sprouts Curry
Brussels Sprouts~Potato~Green Garbanzos Curry
Cabbage Curry
Capsicum (3 color) Saute
Capsicum Curry
Chayote Curry (Bengaluru Vankaya Kura)
Cluster Beans Curry (Matti kaayalu, Gawar Beans)
Cluster Beans Curry -2 (Matti Kaayalu, Gawar Beans)
Dondakaya Curry (Tindora Fry)
Hot Stuffed Cherry Peppers
Mango Salsa
Okra Curry (Bendi Fry)
Okra in Yogurt Sauce
Plantain (Arati Kaaya) Curry
Plantain Curry with Mustard Paste (Arati Ava Pettina Kura)
Paruppu Usli with Gawar Beans
Paruppu Usli with Green Beans
Red Radish Curry
Red Radish – Potato Curry
Ridge Gourd Curry (Beerakaya Kura)
Ridge Gourd-Dill Curry (Turai-Suwa Curry)
Ridge Gourd-Methi Curry (Beerakaya Menthi kura)
Silk Squash Curry (Neti Beerakaya Kura)
Spinach Curry

Curries With Gravy/Sauce (Kurma/Stew/Pulusu):

Home Classics ~ Scrumptious Subjis
Banana Pepper-Baby Aloo Curry
Bottle Gourd Kurma (Sorakaya-Pappula Pulusu)
Bottle Gourd in Sesame Sauce
Bottle Gourd in Yogurt
Brinjal – Potato Curry
Brinjal – Chickpeas Curry (Baingan Chole)
Brinjal – Stuffed Curry (Gutti Vankaaya Kura)
Brinjal – Stuffed Curry (Nune Vakaya Kura)
Brinjal Babies in Masala Sauce (Gutti Vankaya Kura-2)
Broadbean Curry (Chikkudu Pulusu)
Capsicum in Peanut Sauce
Capsicums – Stuffed
Chayote in Chilli Sauce (Bengaluru Vankaya Kurma)
Drumsticks Curry(Munaga Kaaya)
Kadala Curry (Black Chickpeas in Coconut Milk)
Lima Beans Curry
Mango – Sesame Curry
Masala Turnips(Shalgam)
Methi Chole (Fresh Fenugreek~Chickpeas Curry)
Methi Matar Malai
Nimona (Fresh Peas Curry)
Okra~Split Pea Stew (Afghan Inspired)
Plantain – Moong Bean Curry
Portabellas in Sesame Sauce
Potato Kurma
Potatoes in Tamarind Sauce (Aloo Pulusu)
Potato-Brinjal Curry with Punjabi Wadis
Ridge gourd Kurma (Beerakaya Pulusu)
Sarson da Saag (Mustard Greens, Spinach and Paneer)
Tindoras in Sesame Sauce (Dondakaya-Nuvvula Pulusu)
Zucchini Kurma

Restaurant Popular:
Aloo Chole (Potatoes & Chickpeas)
Aloo Dum (Potatoes in Cashew Sauce)
Aloo Gobhi (Potato & Cauliflower)
Chana Masala (Chole)
Palak Paneer
Paneer Jalfrezi (Kadai Paneer)
Paneer Naanini

egg :

Egg Kurma

Dazzling Dals: Dal~Rasam~Sambar

Dal (Pappu):
Amaranth Dal (Thotakura Pappu)
Brinjal Dal (Vankaya Pappu)
Fenugreek Dal (Menthi kura Pappu)
Gongura Pappu (Ambadi Dal)
Khatti Dal ~ Hyderabad Style
Lemon Cucumber Dal (Budamkaya/Dosakaya Pappu)
Mango Dal (Maamidi Kaya Pappu)
Ridgegourd Dal (Beerakaya Pappu)
Spinach Dal (Palakura Pappu)
Spinach – Garlic Dal
Spinach Mango Dal (Palakura Pullakura)
Spinach-Split Pea Dal
Tomato Dal (Tomato Pappu)
Tindora Dal (Dondakaya Pappu)

Moongdal Aamti with Kokum and Goda Masala
Moongdal with Ridgegourd (Beerakaya/Turai Pesara Pappu)

Rasam (Charu~Pappucharu):
Bhakshala Rasam (Puran Poli/Holige Rasam)
Pappuchaaru with Bendakaya (Bendi/okra)
Moong Dal Rasam (Pesara Chaaru)
Plain Toordal Rasam (Chappidi Pappuchaaru)
Tomato Rasam
Taro Root Rasam (Chaama Dumpala Chaaru)

Pachhi Pulusu (Cold, No-Boil Rasams):
Peanut Pachhi Pulusu (Peanut Cold Rasam)

Sambar:
Okra Sambar (Bendakaya Sambar)
Pacha Sambar: Sambar with Fresh Green Spices
Shallot Sambar (Ulli, Baby Onions Sambar)
White Radish Sambar (Mullangi Sambar)

Rice and Grains:

Festival Rice:
Chitrannam(Lemon Rice)
Mango Pulihora
Mango-Coconut Pulihora (Mamidi Kobbarannam)
Yogurt Rice with Mangoes (Mamidi Pandu Perugannam)

Pulagam ~ Sankranthi Tradition
Pongal (Pongali) ~ Classic Centuries-Old Recipe
Vegetable Pongal ~ A Pleasing Meal

Pulao (Masala Annam, Pilaf, Fried Rice):
Methi~Nariyal Pulao (Fresh Fenugreek-Coconut Pulao)
Mint Fried Rice (Pudina Pulao)
Red Radish Pulao
Tomato~Basmati Pulao

Otherthan White ~ Rice and Grains from India:
Rosematta Rice (Kerala Red Rice)
Millet Rice (Korrannam or Korra Buvva)

Rice Noodles:
Paneer Pad Thai with Bok Choy
Rice Noodles and Tofu in Fiery Peanut Sauce

Chapati/Naans/Parathas/Roti:

Avocado Chapati
Punjabi Naan
Sorghum Roti (Jonna Rotte, Jowar Roti)

Chutneys/Pickles/Spicy powders:

Chutney/Pacchadi (using Rolu/Ural/Mortar & Pestle):
Brinjal~Jaggery Chutney (Vankaya-Bellam Chutney)
Coconut Chutney – Raw
Gongura Chutney (Ambadi, Sour Greens Chutney)
Onion Chutney
Ridgegourd (Beerakaya) Chutney

Chutney/Pacchadi (using mixer/blender/food processor):
Coconut Chuteny (Kobbari Pacchadi)
Coriander~Pappula Chutney
Coriander – Tomato Chutney
Methi Chutney (Fenugreek, Menthi Chutney)
Peanut Chutney (Palli, Buddala Pacchadi)
Peanut~Jaggery Chutney (Tiyya Buddala Pacchadi)
Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Pickles (Uragaya):
Amla Pickle (Usirikaya)
Crunchy Cucumber
Sweet Lemon Pickle (Mitha Nimboo Chutney)
Lime Pickle

Spicy Powders(Podulu):
Idly kaaram Podi
Red Chilli-Garlic Powder
Spicy Dalia Powder (Pappula Podi)

Snacks For a Rainy Day ~ Deep Fried & Oven Baked:

Deep Fried in Peanut Oil
Bajji/Pakora
Stuffed Green Chilli Bajji (Mirchi Bajji)
Mirchi Bajji ~ Hyderabad Style
Egg Bhajji

Blackeye Beans Fritters (alasanda vada)
Little Golden Parcels (Samosas with a Twist)
Murukulu
Plantain Chips

Oven Baked:
Egg Puffs Prepared with Parathas (Puffy P Egg)
Green Chickpea Kababs (Hare Chane Ki Seekh)
Oven-Roasted Red Potatoes
Microwave Potato Chips
Stuffed Baby Portabellas
Taro Root Chips (Chaama Dumpa/Arvi) ~ Oven Baked

Traditional Sun~Dried Snacks of India
(Vadiyam, Papadam, Appadam etc):

Majjiga Mirapa (Sundried Yogurt Chillies, Dahi Mirchi)

Traditional Indian Sweets:

Festival Sweets:
Bellam Paramannam (Jaggery Rice) ~ Sankranthi Sweet
Bhakshalu (Bobbatlu, Puran Poli, Holige) ~ Ugadi/Dasara Sweet
Chana Dal Payasam (Sanagapappu Payasamu)
Kudumulu ~ Vinayaka Chavathi Sweet
Moong Bean Payasam (Pesarapappu Payasam)
Paramannam (Sweet Rice)
Sabudana Payasam (Saggubiyyam Kheer)
Sesame Spheres (Nuvvula Mudda, Til Laddu) ~ Nagula Chavathi Sweet
Sweet Pongal (Tiyya Bellam Pongali) ~ Sankranthi Sweet

Mithai:

Banana Halwa (Nenthra Pazham Haluva) – By Kerala Girl
Besan-Coconut Burfi (The 7-cup Magic)
Borugula Laddu (Murmura Laddu, Rice Crispies)
Cashew Sweet (Kaju Tikki / Jeedipappu Paakam)
Cashew-Walnut Laddu (Jeedipappu-Akhrot Burfi)
Coconut Burfi (Kobbari Lauzu)
Gulab Jamuns with Sweet Potato
Jaggery~Coconut Puffs
Jaggery~Tamarind~Cumin Candy
Mango – Strawberry Popsicles
Mysore Pak
Pala Kova (Doodh Peda)
Pumpkin Halwa with Almonds
Ripe Plantain Sweet (Pazham Puzhungiyathu)
Sunnundalu (Urad Dal Laddu)
Walnut Burfi (Akhrot Laddu)

Refreshing Drinks/Ice:

Masala Chai
Pomegranate Sherbet (Anar/Danimma Sherbet)
Ragi Malt
Sonti Coffee and Sonti Tea (Dried Ginger Coffee and Tea)
Sonti Kashayam (Dried Ginger Ale)
Watermelon Granita with Cherries

How to Prepare? Some Basics:

Ganji Flavored with Curry Leaves
Ginger, Garlic, Coriander Paste (Allam Vellulli Kottimera Mudda)
Homemade Coconut Milk (Kobbari Paalu)
Homemade Ghee (Neyyi)
Homemade Neem-Clove Tooth Powder
Homemade Paneer
Homemade Yogurt (Perugu, Curd)
Jaggery (Bellam, Gur)
Popu or Tadka (Tiragamata) ~ The Technique

Yogi Diet (Food of Fasting Days):

Guggullu – Alasanda (Black Eye Beans)
Guggullu – Fresh Peas
Guggullu – Pesalu (Moong Beans)
Guggullu – Sanagalu (Chickpeas)

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Bread/Burger/Pizza/Pasta

Bread:
Cornbread – Skillet Style with Okra Topping
Cornbread – Upside-Down with Cranberries
Cornmeal – Cabbage Muffins
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Sesame Buns

Burger(Cutlet):
Aloo Tikki Burgers
Lentil-Almond Burgers

Pizza:
Egg Pizza (Paratha+Frittata)
Pizza with Red Beans and Tomato Chutney
Steelers Pizza

Pasta (Noodles):
Lasagna Rolls – Indian Way
Melon Seed Pasta with Veggies
Pasta in Basil-Spinach-Cashew Sauce
Pasta in Cherry Tomato Sauce
Pasta in Red Bell Pepper Sauce
Penne Marinara with Fresh Goat Cheese

Sugary Desserts – Cakes, Cookies, Jams, Pies and Tarts:

Banana-Walnut Cake
Carrot Cake
Date Cake (Kharjuram Cake) with Honey and Walnuts
Chocolate-Chilli-Pecan Mini Cakes
Mango – Strawberry Scones

Burger and Fries – The Sweet Kind
Chestnut-Almond Cookies
Dark Chocolate Covered Sweet Sesame Spheres
Ebleskivers (Sweet Ponganalu) with Mango Sauce
Ma’amoul (Dates and Pistachios Filled Cookies)
Walnut-Coconut Caramel Toffee

Cranberry Jam
Cranberry~Clove Marmalade
Mango Jam

Cherry Clafouti
Peach Pie – Lattice Topped
Fruit Tart
Mini Custard Tarts

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New Traditions:

Holiday Treats ~ Roasted Chestnuts
Oatmeal with Old~Fashioned Oats
Soymilk – Homemade
Soymilk Skins (Yuba) – Yuba Wrapped Potato Curry Rounds and Soymilk Halwa
Wild Rice

Bhakti~Bhukti (Divine and Dine Series about Temple Traditions):

Sri Venkateswara Temple ~ Pittsburgh, PA, US
Vrindaban and Krishna Prasadam ~ Wheeling, West Virginia, US

Cookbook Reviews and Interviews:

Cooking at Home With Pedatha ~ Review, Interview and a Recipe
Tandoor: The Great Indian Barbeque ~ Review, Poem and a Recipe
Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts ~ Review and Recipe By Veena Parrikar

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Joy in Effort ~ Personal and Team

Thumbnail Gallery of Mahanandi’s Recipes
101 Indian Sweets – Photo Gallery

Jihva For Ingredients ~ Mango
Jihva For Ingredients ~ Greens
Independence Day Food Parade ~ August 15th, 2006

Dining Hall
Food Blog Desam
Mahanandi’s Food Blog List

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Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes,Zen (Personal) (Tuesday June 12, 2007 at 9:31 am- permalink)
Comments (25)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Bloggers and Beans

Bloggers do give the aura of Eveready bunnies, don’t they? The high pace they maintain and the energy they radiate, you would think their voice will be there forever. But blog death does happen. I have seen plenty of bloggers, just walking away from it all – some due to emotional drain and some for personal reasons. Last weekend for the first time, a blogger that I have been following from the beginning passed away. The loss was more palpable because it happened all of a sudden without a chance to say final goodbyes.

This has made me think, “what is our responsibility towards a favorite blogger?” There are millions of voices out there, but we have chosen to follow only few. We follow them I feel not because of great insights they offer but because they correspond to knowledge that we already have. When the things they write make sense, they become part of our lives. I start to care about the well being of that person behind the blog. I’m aware that it’s never going to be returned affection, still I contribute when they ask for money and comment when I feel they need support.

What about you? I am sure you must have a list of daily blog reads. Do you care about the blogger behind the blog?

When it comes to beans, they do matter a lot in cooking. The three beans (Indian, French and Lima) curry has become a regular at my kitchen over the past year. Whenever firm fresh green beans are available, I make this curry following the recipe below.

Green Beans, Shelled Indian Beans, Baby Lima Beans
Green Beans, Shelled Indian Beans, Baby Lima Beans

Recipe:

Fresh Green beans – cut to half-inch length pieces, about 2 cups
Shelled Indian broad beans – ½ cup
Baby lima beans – ½ cup
Onion – 1, finely chopped
Green chillies- 4 to 6 and coconut powder – a tablespoon – made into smooth paste
Turmeric – ½ teaspoon
Salt to taste
For tadka or tiragamata:
1 tsp of peanut oil
1 tsp of mustard seeds, cumin, minced garlic and few curry leaves

Heat peanut oil in a kadai or a wide pan. Add and toast the tadka ingredients. Add and stir-fry the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the green beans, Indian beans and Lima beans. Cook, covered for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Beans will soften within 5 minutes by cooking in their own moisture, sort of steam cooking. At this stage, stir in green chilli-coconut paste, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook on medium heat for another 5-10 minutes stirring in between. Serve hot with chapatis or with rice and dal.

3-bean curry with chapatis
3-bean (Indian, French and Lima) curry with chapatis

Shelled Indian Beans (Papdi Lilva or Chikkudu Vittanalu) – at frozen section, Indian grocery shops.
Baby lima beans – at frozen section, American grocery shops.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes (Wednesday June 6, 2007 at 10:00 pm- permalink)
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The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Strawberry~Mango Scones

(Revisiting the Mahanandi’s Recipes on Fridays):

Strawberries

Strawberry mango scones are crisp outside. Crumbly and soft inside. What makes them stand out is the flavor combination of sweet and tart in the same bite. This dessert is delicious, attractive and easy to prepare. Don’t fear the fancy title, scones are nothing but freeform style baked cakes.

Recipe:

All purpose flour : 2 cups
Sugar : 4 tablespoons
Salt : ½ teaspoon
Baking powder : 2 teaspoons
Baking soda : ¼ teaspoon
Cold and solid butter : 3 tablespoons, finely chopped
Wet Ingredients
Firm and fresh Strawberries : 1 cup, chopped
Dried mango : ¼ cup finely sliced
Yogurt : ½ to 1 cup of fresh yogurt
Lemon glaze
Lime juice – ¼ cup and sugar- 2 tablespoons. Bring them to a boil in a small saucepan and let the juice thicken a bit – lemon glaze is ready. (Prepare this while baking the scones.)

In a mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder and soda. Stir in sugar and salt. Add and mix the finely chopped butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

To this flour mixture, add strawberries and dried mango pieces. Add the yogurt gradually and mix to form tight, sticky dough. Gently knead the dough for 2 minutes, take care not to break and bleed the strawberries.

Turn the dough out onto a floured or parchment covered baking sheet and press out into a big round with a thickness of half to one inch. (This is the messy and sticky part. Apply oil or ghee to the rolling pin or use flour to prevent dough from sticking. )

Preheat the oven to 425 F. When the oven is ready, place the baking sheet and bake. The dough will puff up and increase in volume. Bake until golden brown, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and drizzle the lemon glaze on top. Let it cool a bit. Slice to 6 to 8 triangle pieces. Serve warm and enjoy.

Ready for baking - Strawberry Mango Scones
Dough ready for baking

Strawberry and Mango Scones with Lemon Glaze
Golden and Glazed

Strawberry- Mango Scone with Lemon Glaze
Berry Good Treat ~ Strawberry Mango Scones

Notes:
Recipe first blogged on Mahanandi on June 1st 2006.
Recipe Adapted from Foodblog – “Delicious!Delicious!”
Dried mango Source: Indian grocery shops.
Flour Choice: King Arthur’s All Purpose Flour

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes (Friday May 11, 2007 at 8:26 pm- permalink)
Comments (16)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org