Laapsi - a traditional Rajasthani dessert

Laapsi - kadhi

Laapsi is a traditional Rajasthani dessert. It can be found on menus across jeemans (a traditional sit-down meal to celebrate an occasion). Laapsi is a triple whammy of sorts as it is easy to cook, is delicious and to top it all, is nutritious too. Kadhi is my favourite accompaniment with laapsi. I like to pit my sweet tastebuds against the savory ones and preside on the debate as I douse them alternatively with the sweetness of laapsi and tanginess of kadhi! The battle generally draws in favour of whatever the cook has done a better job with, but if both are well made, then it's a difficult but an eventual draw.

One day, when I hadn't cooked or even planned anything for dinner, I was rummaging my mind for a quick-fix. Suddenly , I remembered laapsi and went to the kitchen with a spring in my step.

Ingredients:

Broken wheat or daliya : 1 cup

Ghee : Can range from 4 tbsp to 1 tbsp. The more, the tastier!

Water : 4 cups 

Jaggery (or sugar) : A little less than 1 cup. If you lean towards less sweet, go for 3/4th cup. 

Cardamom : 6-8 pods, crushed

Almonds : Sliced, 1 tablespoon

Saffron: a pinch, dissolved in a teaspoon of milk

You can use sugar in place of jaggery but I prefer jaggery as it wins on nutrition and authenticity quotient. I had organic gud (jaggery) from my father's village, so loved it all the more. 

Way to go:

1. Pour ghee in a pressure cooker. Roast daliya on low-medium flame for about 7-10 minutes till it turns golden brown.
2. Add water and broken jaggery. Mix well. 

3.Pressure cook with 3- 4 whistles. Keep on low flame for 2 minutes. 

4.Garnish with diced almonds, cardamom and raisins.

5. Serve piping hot just like that or with hot kadhi. 

I love the dark brown colour!

Easy Starter - Masala Papad

I have always been a fan of easy and tasty dishes. My logic - why slog when you don't have to!

I had invited friends for dinner and was in no mood to make starters after cooking main course and dessert. And then it suddenly occurred to me - masala papad! Whenever someone ordered masala papad in a restaurant, I would wince. Restaurants are made for dishes for which one has to slog. So hara bara kabab or chilli paneer it has to be for me. I got excited with the idea of masala papad and that's what I served. It was colourful, yummy and everyone liked it, especially kids.

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

Base ingredient:

6 Papads - There are many varieties of papads and you can choose according to taste. I had Lijjat - Punjabi Masala which turned out to be nice and spicy for the base. 

• You can cut the papad with scissors into 4 or 6 pieces before roasting. It would be easier to pick and eat, a la a pizza slice.
• You can cut semicircles of papads and then after roasting, immediately turn them  into cones. These cones can then be filled with topping mix.
• You can use disco papad (small, bite-size papads) to begin with. They will be very easy to pick and eat.

Topping ingredients:

1. Tomato - 1

2. Onion - 1

3. Green chillies - 1

4. Coriander - 5-6 stems

5. Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon

6. Chaat masala

7. Salt, chilli powder

Mix all the topping ingredients. Some chaat masala can be sprinkled on top afterwards too.

Way to go:

1. Microwave a papad for 40 seconds. Or you can roast it on gas. Fried papads can also be used but my mantra is easy, remember?

2. Spread the mix on papads, spinkle chopped coriander and chaat masala and serve right away!

Aloo-Gobhi UP style

When I was a kid, I had neighbours who hailed from UP. Their food was simply lip-smacking. I found out later that the secret to their food was tadka and a generous use of oil. They used different tadka for different vegetables unlike our home where Mom seasoned everything with either rai or jeera or a mix of both. When I was getting married, I sat with my neighbor and jotted down a few recipes.

This is a recipe which has won accolades whenever it has turned out to be right:) So much so, that my father-in-law, who is a staunch believer in eating only freshly cooked food, asked if this sabji was left over.

I say 'right', because there are four prerequistes to get this recipe right.

 

One, the pieces of gobhi and aloo should be big. Like really big. 

Second, the pieces should be dry.

Third, no skimping on oil. It's not for the weak-hearted, literally! 

And last but not the least, the mix of masalas, their soaking time and consistency. 

As this recipe is high on oil, I cook it quite rarely.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 medium

Potatoes - 2 medium

Ginger - 2 inches, finely chopped

Green chillies - 1 medium with medium sharpness

Coriander - Fistful, finely chopped

Masalas:

Coriander powder - 3 tablespoons

Chili powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder- 2 teaspoons

Salt - according to taste

Hing - a pinch

Jeera - 2 teaspoons

Amchoor - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala- 2 pinches

Oil - 3 tablespoons

Mix coriander, chilli, turmeric powder and salt in a cup and add enough water to make a paste. Let the masalas soak for at least 15 minutes. The masala paste should look swollen up and moist.

Way to Go:

1. Break cauliflower into big chunks. Wash them nicely one hour before you want to cook. Put to dry. This is very important for the recipe to work well. (You can run the pieces in air fryer too. It will serve 2 purposes - drying and making them tender.)

2. Cut potatoes in big chunks. Make 4 parts of a medium potato.

3. Check the soaked masala. It should not have dried out. If it's dry, add a little more water.

3. Pour oil in a pressure cooker. Add hing, jeera when the oil is hot enough. Add ginger and green chilies. Sauté for 1 minute.

4. Add the soaked up masala. Fry at a low or medium flame for 3 minutes or so.

5. Add gobhi and aloo pieces. Make sure that they are dry.

6. Mix it well, coating gobhi and aloo pieces well with masala. If at this point you feel that oil is not enough, add a little more and sauté for a couple of more minutes.

7. When everything is well coated, put the lid.

8. Set the gas on low and wait for one whistle. Immediately after one whistle, remove the cooker from heat. Remove extra pressure and open the lid. Be careful to open the lid away from you.The potatoes and gobhi would have become soft now but not mushy. 

9. Add amchoor, garam masala and loads of coriander and mix carefully a couple of times. Do not mix too much or too vigorously, otherwise the pieces will break. If the cauliflower pieces were small and if they had water, the sabzi will turn out to be mushy. Better luck with following instructions next time!

10. Relish with hot chapatis or parathas and bless me!

I've gotten quite a few compliments on this recipe - that too, from UP wallahs, no less! 

Tips:

1. You can wash and leave the gobhi overnight to dry. 

2. Sometimes, the masala is found stuck at the bottom of the cooker. To avoid this, in step 4, fry the masala in a small pan. Add oil in cooker and sauté the potato and cauliflower pieces for a couple of minutes. Then add the masala from top and coat all pieces well. 

Gajar-mooli-gobhi ka achar

Memories!

How food invokes those lovely childhood memories when Mom used to make seasonal delicacies.

Excuse me, but I am about to switch to a poetic mode. Those of you who want to go to the recipe, please skip the following para. Others stay on, at your own peril!

पता चलता था कि सर्दियाँ आ गई हैं - 

जब गाजर, गोभी, मूली का अचार डलता था

और मेथी के लड्डुओं से घर महकता था

काँजी हमारे बग़ल में धूप सेकती थी 

और मूली के पत्तों की सब्ज़ी कड़ाही में शोर करती थी

आँवले और हल्दी के अचार से थाली सजती थी

पिंडखजूर के गरम दूध से शुभ रात्रि होती थी

तिल के लड्डू सितौलिए की गेंद सा मज़ा देते थे

और गनेरियों से हम सबके दाँतों का इम्तिहान लेते थे

गाजर के हलवे को हिलाने में सब तत्पर रहते थे

अखरोटों को दरवाज़े के बीच रख तोड़ते थे

और काजू किश्मिश से जेबें भर लेते थे

पास के खेत में जाकर कभी मटर चुराते थे 

और कभी तमीज़ से ख़रीद भी लाते थे

आटे के हलवे और पापड़ का गरमागरम नाश्ता होता था

मेथी, मूली, बथुए के पराँठों पर ज़ोर रहता था 

कभी गजक, कभी रेवड़ी का लुत्फ़ उठाते थे

और बादाम, केसर के दूध में गोते लगाते थे

जब धूप में बैठकर मूँगफली और सिंघाड़े खाते थे

तब सर्दीली हवाओं से भी जूझ जाते थे! 

Pata chalta tha ki sardiya aa gayi hain:
Jab gajar, gobhi, mooli ka achar dalta tha, 
Aur methi ke laddoo se ghar mahakta tha

Kanji hamare bagal me dhoop sekti thi

aur mooli ke patto ki sabzi kadahi me shor karti thi

Amle aur haldi ke achar se thaali sajti thi

Pindkhajoor ke garam doodh se shubh ratri hoti thi

Til ke laddoo sitoliye ki gend sa maza dete the

Aur ganeriyo se ek doosre ke daanto ka imtihaan lete the

Gajar ke halwe ko hilane me sab tatpar rahte the

Akhrot ko darwaje ke beech rakh todte the

Aur kaju, kishmish se jebe bhar lete the

Paas ke khet me jaakar kabhi matar churate the

Aur kabhi tameez se khareed bhi laate the

Aate ke halwe aur papad ka garmagaram nashta hota tha

Aur methi, mooli,  bathue ke paratho pe zor rahta tha

Kabhi gajak, kabhi rewadi ka lutf uthate the

Aur kesar, elaichi ke doodh me gote lagate the

Jab dhoop me baith kar moongfali aur singhade khate the

Tab sardili hawao se bhi joojh jaate the!

This achar was made in winters. Fresh, simple and healthy, it would add a zing to every meal. The spicy mustard was a perfect ammunition against the ambush of winter chill. Come to think of it, this achaar can be easily named as a carrot, radish salad with mustard and lemon dressing. Sounds fancy, eh?

Here we go:

Ingredients:

Carrots: 3

Radish: 1

Cauliflower: half

Rai / Mustard: 1.5 tablespoons

Saunf/ Fennel seeds: 1 tablespoon

Salt: to taste

Lemon juice: 2 mid-sized lemons

Way to go:

1. Scrape radish and carrots. Separate out cauliflower florets. Wash all vegetables well and let them dry thoroughly, say 4-5 hours.
2. Squeeze lemon juice  Grind rai.
4. Take a clean, dry glass jar. Add all the ingredients and shake them in the jar. Put the jar in sunlight for 2-3 days. It will become soft and soak in all the flavours by then. (It's a different matter that by the 3rd day you might not have much to put in the sun! We used to be very impatient and eat it everyday, whatever the level of readiness.)
5. Finish the achaar within a week or 10 days. Never take it out with a wet or moist spoon.

Sabudana khichdi / Sago khichdi

As kids, we looked forward to days when Mom and aunts would fast. It would mean a treat for us too as differeent delicacies were made. The star attraction for me would be the sabudana khichdi. Who would mind fasting if one could feast on things like these!
I don't fast as often as my Mom did so I had to find other reasons to make this khichdi. I didn't have to hunt too much. Everyone at home loves this dish and so when we are bored of regular roti-sabzi routine, I go for this. Maharashtrians make it for breakfast and Indoris are certified devotees of this dish.

Here is how to go about it.  

Serves: 2 or 2.5                                    

Ingredients:
Sabudana : 300 gms
Potatoes: 2 medium, cubed finely
Roasted, skinned peanuts : a handful or 2 handfuls, ground roughly
Green chillies: 2-3, chopped
Coriander: a generous handful
Lemon: 1 medium
Jeera: 2 teaspoons
Normal salt or sendha namak: according to taste
Sugar: 1 teaspoon
Black pepper: a couple of pinches
Oil or ghee: 4 tablespoons
Optional : Fresh pomegranate seeds

Way to go:
1. Wash sabudana and soak for 5-6 hours. The pearly whites should be underwater when you soak.
2. Heat oil or ghee and add jeera. Add potatoes.
3. Crush peanuts slightly. When potatoes are almost done, add chillies and peanuts.
4. Put soaked sabudana, rock salt and pepper powder and sugar. Mix well taking care that the pearls don't get crushed. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes on low flame.
5. Sprinkle a little water if it looks dry.  Cover and cook again for a couple of minutes. The end result should be a moist but not sticky khichdi.
6. Garnish with coriander and pomegranate seeds. Add lime juice and mix well. Serve piping hot.
7. Some people also garnish it with grated coconut or potato sev falahari mix. I like the original taste so much that I don't want to mask it with sev.

Tips:
The most tricky part of this khichdi for me was to soak it correctly. There have been times when sabudana was not properly soaked and khichdi turned out to be chewy. To avoid this, soak sabudana in adequate water - sabudana should be just submerged. After a couple of hours, turn the pearls and sprinkle more water if it has dried up.

Pindkhajoor ka doodh/ Date flavored milk

This is one of those delicacies from childhood, which bring back a cavalcade of memories. 'Pindkhajoor ka doodh' is a very, very, very simple recipe. (Have I emphasised the simple part enough?) Literally a child's play. On top of it, the taste is so heavenly, you can't thank your stars enough to have discovered such a dessert!

Mummy used to make this on cold, wintry, Rajasthani nights. Dinner would be over, me and Bhaiyya would have finished our homework and would be getting ready for bed when Mummy would bring in this steaming delight. We would tuck ourselves in a thick rajai and relish the creamy, brownish, sweet milk and scoop up tender dates. Soon enough, the bowl would be smacked clean....did I mention that the last sip was the best? Nectar of nectars is the only word I can come up with to describe the taste of the last sip. Winters were brrrrrrrrr.... but such a treat made them worthwhile. Thanks, Mom for making our winter memories warm and sweet with those bowlfuls of 'pindkhajoor ka doodh'. 

Here's the recipe:

Serves : 2 greedy people or 3 not-so-greedy ones:

Ingredients: 

Milk: 3/4 litres
Dates : 5-6
Sugar: 1 tablespoon or according to taste


Way to go:

1. Wash dates thoroughly. Pat them dry. Discard stones and slice the flesh vertically.
2. Put milk on boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add dates and let the mix simmer on low flame for 20-25 minutes.
3. Add sugar.
4. Transfer in a bowl. Take along a spoon. Get inside a rajai and gorge on it!

Tips:

1. It is a totally flexible recipe. You can add more or less dates. If you want thicker consistency of milk, take more milk and simmer for longer.
2. If you are happy with natural sweetness of dates, discard sugar altogether. I love it with sugar though.
3. After putting a spoonful in your mouth, close your eyes. Instant nirvana!

If you try this recipe and like it, please leave a comment.

Kachche kele ke kofte/ Raw banana balls

Raw bananas are packed with dietary fibre and are rich in manganese and potassium. I like to incorporate them in my cooking and this is one nice snack which caters to my sinful side. I also like recipes which replace the omnipresent potato from snacks. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against potatoes - I just love them, but change is good, right? 

Served with a green chutney, these koftas are a delight and I was doubly happy when my 2 year old gobbled them up. Trust me, that's a huge compliment :)

Ingredients:

Raw bananas - 2 big ones

Mint leaves - a fistful 

Coriander leaves - a few

Green chillies -  2-3 or more according to taste, finely chopped 

Salt and black salt - according to taste

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Jeera powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds-1 tsp

Dry mango powder (amchur) or amla powder - 2 tsp. ( I try using amla powder as it is healthier than amchur)

Oil for frying

Way to go:

1. Cut bananas into half. Pressure cook in a little water. Make sure that they don't get overcooked or mushy. But don't undercook them either. I figured out that 2 whistles in a pressure cooker would be optimal. 

2. Let them cool. Peel. 

3. Mash them well with hand or a masher. Add all the spices. 

                                        

4. Mix well and make round balls. Put them in the fridge or freezer for a while. 

5. Heat oil. Test the temperature by dropping a little lump of this mix. If it dances in oil, it's ready.

6. Fry all the koftas till they are crispy and golden brown. Don't forget to put them on brown paper or paper napkin to absorb some of the oil. Serve hot with ketchup or a green chutney. 

I got this lovely spoon from my Mom. She got a set for herself but as it happens with Mom's stuff, you can just grab things you like!"A pinch of patience" isn't enough for me - I want oodles of it when cooking!

Tips:

1. If you feel that the mix has become too mushy or if koftas break during frying, add gram flour and mix it nicely again.

2. Keeping koftas in fridge before frying helps making them firm and easier to fry. 

3. You can also shape this mix as patties/cutlets and shallow fry in a pan.