SRILANKAN RECIPES|Mutton curry|Dhal/Dal curry|Cabbage Mallung|Pani Pol|

 

परित्राणायसाधूनांविनाशायचदुष्कृताम्|

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थायसम्भवामियुगेयुगे|| 8||

Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām

dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Meaning: For the protection of the good/pious, to annihilate the wicked and for the establishment of dharma (righteousness), I (the Lord) am born from age to age.

“One should lift only such weight as will not exhaust one beyond a limit. One should eat only such food as will easily digest.Who will engage himself in such action as will get him neither dharma nor reputation nor lasting fame and which will only result in physical exhaustion?” - Jatayu to Ravana

 

Heartfelt thanks to the directors/producers of the epic Indian T.V. serial Ramayana and Mahabharata and likewise for reminding our wonder-full ,legendary mythological/factual stories and the gems of wisdom hidden in that which when understood and remembered can act as a perfect moral guide to live a peaceful and content life.

The above mentioned stanza/shloka/quote are from one of the famous Hindu mythology,Ramayana .

Ramayana and Mahabhartha are the two main Indian epics of Hinduism that has shaped Indians' culture,beliefs,values and the right way of life since ages.

Ramayana is an ancient epic that represents the life and adventures Of Lord Shri Rama,the seventh incarnation/avatar of Lord Vishnu,his beloved wife,Sita/Siya ,the incarnation of MahaLakshmi and one of his brother,Lakshmana,the incarnation of Sheshnaag,the king of all nagas ,who is believed to hold all the planets of the universe on its hood,the divine serpent upon whom Lord Vishnu rests in Kshirasagara, which is the ocean of milk and prabhu Ram's loyal companion Lord Hanuman /the Monkey God ,who is in fact according to the Shiva Puran, is the 11th Rudra avatar of Lord Shiva ,a divine team who took birth in human/Ape form towards the conquest against evil ,establishing and laying guidelines towards dharma/the righteousness and a virtuous life on planet Earth.

Thanks to the sage Valmiki ji for composing this ethereal saga of Ramayana during Treta Yuga in the Sanskrit language, which consists of 24,000 verses divided into seven Kandas (books), detailing Rama’s journey from his birth,to his celestial wedding to his divine counterpart Sita,to his 14 years of long exile at the request of his own father for the sake of the righteousness over his personal royal comfort,the long war to defeat the demon king Ravana who kidnapped his pious wife sita to his coronation as the king of Ayodhya , the birth of divine twin sons,luv and Kusha and Maa Sita leaving her beloved family by merging with the Mother Earth and heartbroken dharmaraj ,Shri Ram still establishing Ram Raajaya marked by peace, prosperity, harmony ,truth and justice, setting an ideal example for an ideal governance and societal upliftment. 

The “Ramayana” not only chronicles a captivating unforgettable story but also imparts the ultimate moral ,humane and ethical lessons, making it a timeless moral guide for the welfare of the humanity.

Kuber, the God of wealth, had constructed the golden Lanka for himself but was overthrown by his half demon brother, Ravana which is popularly known as the SriLanka today.

According to Ramayana, during Prabhu Shri Rama’s ,Maa Sita’s and Lakshmana’s 14 year exile in the forrest ,the divine mother /the divine counterpart of the Lord Shri Rama, was abducted and was held captive on the island of Lanka (now known as the Sri Lanka) by the the multi-headed rakshasa/demon king Ravana in a pushpaka vimana.

With the help of vanara sena/an army of monkeys and other animals,Lord Shri Rama,Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman built a bridge famously called the Rama Setu bridge over the sea to rescue Maa Sita from the confinement of the demonic king Ravana after a ferocious long battle.

Rama Bridge is also known as Adam's Bridge. As per some sources, the Islamists who came as traders to Sri Lanka believed that the Adam (the first human on Earth) crossed the bridge from Sri Lanka (Sri Pada Mountain (Adam’s Peak)) to India after he was expelled from the Garden of Eden or Garden of God/the Biblical Paradise.The Cane and Able of biblical stories are believed to be buried on one of these islets (Pratt, 1892).

 This ancient monumental bridge is basically a chain of natural limestone shoals, connecting Rameswaram Island (also known as Pamban Island) in Tamil Nadu and Mannar Island in Sri Lanka.As per some sources,it is believed that the bridge was walkable until the 15th century. According to the Ramanathaswamy Temple records, the bridge was above sea level until a cyclone destroyed it in 1480.

A NASA satellite image revealed a chain of limestone shoals exactly like the Rama Setu bridge that can still be seen between India and Sri Lanka. This Adam’s/rama Setu bridge has since been a subject of scientific and archaeological interest, with studies/research exploring its origins and significance.

DID YOU KNOW these facts about Ramayana? (Courtesy:Google search)

• Ravana was the most influential king of the prosperous Sri Lanka.

• Ravana was a 10 headed demonic king of Lanka who was a Brahmin by birth,the eldest son of sage Vishrava and demon princess,Kaikasi and was a learned scholar/pandit even acknowledged by the Divine .
• Ravana's initial name was Dahanana (Ten headed) who later got his name Ravana(which means the one who roars loud ) for being a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva .Ravana wrote the famous Shiva tandav stotram .It is believed that he supposedly installed a huge Shivalinga in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh and hence both Ravana and Lord Shiva are worshipped by the fishermen community there. Ravana temples are not only in Srilanka but also worshipped in places like Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh ,a Jain temple at Alvar in Rajasthan.
• Ravana and his brother Kumbhkaran were actually Jaya and Vijaya, the gatekeepers of Vaikunta ,the heavenly abode of Lord Vishnu and MahaLakshmi.
• Ravana was a great Ayurvedic physician and an expert in astrology/astronomy.
• Like the famous Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Ashtavakra Gita, Udhhava Gita, and Guru Gita - there is another Gita called Ravana Gita (the song of Ravana). In it, Ravana teaches many sermons/life lessons/politics to Lakshmana on his deathbed at the request of Lord Shri Rama.
• Ravana was a great musician, who designed his own string instrument called Ravana Veena and Raagas.
• Gayatri Mantra ,a sacred vedic hymn dedicated to the divine sun ,and Divine Mother,Gayathri/Saraswati ,is formed from the first letter that comes after every 1000 verses of Ramayana.
• Maa Sita took the ferocious form of MahaKali during the long unending dreadful battle between Lord Rama and Ravana when Lord Rama fell unconscious to defeat the unstoppable demonic king Ravana.

Well,for me when I see an Indian squirrel and an American squirrel I feel the difference that Ramayana was indeed true as the white stripes on an Indian squirrel’s body are believed to be given by Lord Rama for helping him during the construction of the Rama Setu bridge.

मच्चित्तः सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात्तरिष्यसि।

अथ चेत्त्वमहङ्कारान्न श्रोष्यसि विनङ्क्ष्यसि॥

mac-cittaḥ sarvadurgāṇi matprasādāttariṣyasi

atha cettvamahaṅkārānna śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi

Meaning :If you become conscious of the divine, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by divine’s grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing the divine’s call, you will be lost.

I second that ! Well,the reason why I am writing about Ramayana and the known and the unknown facts are because today I am gonna share with you all a few of my favourite SriLankan recipes.So,when I think of Srilanka,it kinda makes me happy because this country especially reminds me of the legendary Ramayana. 

And what I love the most about the Ramayana and other divine true stories are how divine takes birth in different forms for the welfare of his devotees and most importantly the pain and suffering they go through in this human birth even though they are Divine in disguise and they could easily skip all these hardships.

So,when people ask me why are horrible people living well while innocents are suffering the most ,I tell them even it was not easy for any divine on Earth .Even divine had to sacrifice a lot for everyone’s well-being.All these mythological stories and our holy books states that eventually karma balances everything out in this birth or later but for sure whether they are human or the Divine.No one can skip that !However,the true faith on the Divine ,pure intentions and the prayers for the right reason does help a lot to ease all the troubles .

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानंनात्मानमवसादयेत्|

आत्मैवह्यात्मनोबन्धुरात्मैवरिपुरात्मन: || 5||

Uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet

ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

Meaning:One is alone responsible for his own degradation or rise because a person’s best friend or his worst enemy is none other than his own self.Nobody can traverse the path of God-realization for us. Saints and Gurus show us the way, but we have to travel it ourselves. Lord Shree Krishna says that we must use the intellect to control the mind towards positive direction and elevate our self.

That first shloka mentioned above the blogpost reminds me of my lovely childhood days desperately waiting for the epic Mahabhartha serial aired every sunday.

India reminds me of every God/Divine but SriLanka reminds exclusively of all the sacrifices made by my Lord Shree Rama ,the agni parikshas of sacred Maa Siya ,Lakshmana ,the definition of true devotion towards divine by bala Brahmachari(celibate by birth) Lord Hanuman ji,the brotherhood between all brothers and Shree Rama and their 14years of exile in a forrest away from their royal kingdom and life.

Being the doter of the divine mother,it hurts to imagine all the pain , sufferings and sacrifices a pure royal divine feminine had to go through as Maa Siya with not a happy ending ...It is an inspiration as well !

Reminds me of my father’s advice a day before my wedding that a woman must have the tolerance level of the Mother Earth (Bhumiyollam shama vennam sthree aayal).Sounded like a movie-dialogue back then but now it makes sense..

Point noted ! However,I don’t have any more tolerance level to share with you all my popular Srilankan recipes at my home:

Ayubowan/Hello all...😄💓

Srilankan Dhal/Dal curry 

Srilankan style dal/dhal curry is a lentil curry made with coconut paste and a few spices.Usually they prefer to use the red lentil/masoor dal to make this lentil curry Srilankan style.I hardly use this lentil curry for cooking so it was really good to learn to prepare this red lentil curry Srilankan style .It tastes just like an Indian Dal curry like a mix of North Indian and a South Indian style.Just like in Malayalam,Srilankan call this lentil curry the parippu curry.Like Indians use curry leaves ,Srilankans use Pandan leaves for cooking.I really liked the taste of this red lentil dhal curry Srilankan style.

How to make Srilankan style Dhal/Daal curry 

Srilankan Dhal curry|Srilankan Parippu curry

Ingredients

To Pressure cook:

Red Lentil/Masoor dal - 1 cup

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Red chili powder 1 Tsp

Onions sliced 1/2 

Green chillies chopped 2-3 Nos.

Water as needed 

For tempering:

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/4 Tsp

Dry red chillies 1-2 Nos.

Garlic,chopped - 3-4 Nos.

Onion chopped - handful

Green chillies chopped 1-2 Nos.

Pandan leaves a few

Curry leaves a few

Tomato chopped ,small - 1 No.

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 2-4 Tbsp

Coconut milk 1/2 cup

The preparation method of making Srilankan dhal at home :

1. Rinse the dal under water,drain it and transfer it into a pressure cooker with all the ingredients mentioned under "to pressure cook".
2. Pressure cook it for two whistles or until cooked.Keeping the flame high first and then low.
3. Once cooked,turn off the cooking gas , allow the pressure to release .
4. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan,splutter mustard seeds,lower the flame and add all ingredients mentioned under "for tempering" one by one and keep on sautéing them until they turn soft.
5. Then add this tempering into the cooked dal and mix well.
6. Add more water if you wish and salt to taste.
7. Let it come to boil.Lower the flame and let it simmer a few minutes and finally add the coconut milk to it and mix well.
8. Let it simmer for a while until it thickens up to your preferred consistency.
9. Then turn off the cooking gas.
10. That's it the Srilankan style Dhal curry/Dal curry SriLankan style is ready to eat .
11. Serve hot with boiled rice and other preferred side dishes.

Srilankan Mutton Curry 

Mutton curry Srilankan style is a spicy creamy curry made with mutton/lamb pieces.This Mutton curry tastes just like Indian style mutton curry.The addition of pandan leaves,lemongrass , cinnamon spice and the curry powder makes the goat curry of Srilanka extra special.

How I prepared Srilankan style Mutton curry 

Srilankan Style Mutton Curry recipe

Ingredients

To Marinate

Mutton 2 Lb/1 Kilo

Coriander powder -3-4 Tbsps

Red chili powder 2-3 Tbsps

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Fennel powder 1-2 Tsp

Curry powder - 1-2 Tsp

Pepper powder - 2 Tsps

For making the Mutton/goat curry

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cloves 2-3 Nos.

Cardamom -2 Nos.

Dry coconut pieces (optional)

Bay leaves as needed

Pandan leaves a few

Curry leaves a few

Lemongrass a few (I didn't add here)

Onion,large,sliced - 1 No.

Green chillies sliced 2-3 Nos.

Ginger garlic paste 1 Tbsp

(1 inch ginger and 4 garlic in paste)

Salt to taste

Oil 5-6 Tbsps

Tomatoes chopped 1 No.

Coconut milk 1 cup 

Water as needed

How to make Mutton curry Srilankan style

1. First wash the mutton pieces well and drain it and marinate with everything mentioned above and keep it aside for 30 minutes approx.
2. Then transfer everything into a pressure cooker and pressure cook with water 1-2 inch covering everything for first whistle on high flame and 3-4 whistles on lower flame or until cooked but not over-cooked.
3. Then turn off the cooking gas and let the air pressure release to open the lid .
4. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.Lower the flame and add everything mentioned above for making the goat curry.Keep on saueting it without burning anything.
5. When the onions turn translucent,add the chopped tomato pieces and mix well,cover it with a lid until they turn soft.Then remove the lid.
6. Now carefully transfer all the cooked goat pieces into this and mix well.Add water if necessary.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Let it come to full boil,the simmer until the curry thickens up.
9. Finally add the coconut milk to it and mix well.
10. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
11. Turn off the cooking gas .
12. That's it traditional style Srilankan Mutton curry is ready to serve.
13. Serve it hot with cooked rice and other side dishes or with any breads like roti,paratha or naan.
14. Idiripate fi meaning enjoy in sinhalese/Srilankan language

Srilankan Cabbage Mallum/Mallung 

M-A-Llum /Mallung is a shredded/grated vegetable dish made with coconut and a few simple ingredients found in most of the home.The most popular ones are the cabbage one called the Srilankan Cabbage Mallum/Mallung.

In Kerala we make similar cabbage recipe but I was surprised that Srilankan mallum recipe uses cinnamon as well.

Srilankan Cabbage Mallum/Mallung recipe

Ingredients

Cabbage ,shredded/grated 1-2 cups

Onions sliced 1-2 cups/handful

Green chillies,chopped 2-3 Nos.

Garlic chopped 2-3 Nos.

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Pandan leaves handful

Curry leaves a few (optional)

Coconut grated 1 cup

Red chili flakes as needed

Salt to taste

For tempering :

Coconut oil or any cooking oil 2 Tbsps

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/2 Tsp (optional)

Cumin seeds 1/2 Tsp (optional)

Dry Red chili 2-3 Nos

Cinnamon stick 1 Inch

How to prepare Cabbage Mallum/Mallung Srilankan style

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.On low flame add the fenugreek seeds,cumin seeds followed by the cinnamon stick,dry red chili,onion,green chillies,garlic and pandan leaves.
2. Saute everything well until the onion turns soft.
3. Add the cabbage ,turmeric powder and mix well and cover with a lid for 1 minute just to fasten the cooking method to soften the cabbage leaves but don't keep it for too long or it will become too mushy .
4. Remove the lid and keep on saueting it until all water evaporates.
5. Finally add the coconut , red chili flakes and salt to taste.Mix well.
6. Make sure no water is left.
7. That's it Srilankan style cabbage Mallum/Mallung is ready to serve.
8. Mallum goes well with cooked rice and other curries.

💕Pani Pol💕

Pani Pol is a Srilankan style sweetened crepe recipe .Kithul jaggery or sugar are used with grated coconut and made in an all purpose flour batter.

My mother makes a similar crepe recipe but without adding any egg into it and I always wanted to post a recipe of that and I am glad that this recipe is perfect for now.

Pani pol recipe|Srilankan sweet Pancakes

Ingredients

Jaggery/sugar ,grated/chopped 1 cup

Coconut,shredded/grated 1 cup

Cardamom powder 1 Tsp

Nutmeg powder 1 tsp(optional)

salt a pinch

All purpose flour 1 cup

Egg 1 No.

Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp

water/milk/coconut milk as needed

Oil/butter/ghee to grease

How to make Pani Pol 

1. Heat a pan and let it become warm enough to add the grated jaggery .Keep on sautéing it until the jaggery melts .Keep an eye or it will burn up.
2. Once it completely melts,add all the spice powders and the grated coconut and mix well.
3. Keep on stirring until all the jaggery is coated well and no liquid remains.
4. Then turn of the cooking gas and allow it cool off.Keep it aside.
5. Now take a wide bowl and beat an egg well.
6. Add the all purpose flour to it and water/milk/coconut milk little by little and keep on stirring/beating making sure no lumps are formed .The batter's consistency should be thick and of pouring consistency.
7. Keep this batter aside for 10 minutes.
8. Then mix well once again.
9. Heat a pan ,apply little oil/ghee/butter.
10. Put a drop of batter onto the pan if it sizzles and forms a shape,then pour a long ladle full of batter onto the pan and spread from the center like a dosa.
11. When the top will change the color on low flame,flip to cook the other side .
12. Don't cook too much.
13. Then transfer them onto another plate.Repeat.Crepes are ready.
14. Then place some fillings onto the center of the crepe and either roll it or shape it like a burrito as shown in the video.Repeat.
15. That's it Pani Pol recipe is ready to eat.

So,those are my few Srilankan recipes for now.For a Malayali and a Tamilian,Srilankan foods will suit their taste buds for sure.Hope you will also give it a try.

I always wanted to try Srilankan foods but more than that and more than India like I mentioned above ,for me Srilanka reminds me of Shri Rama,Maa Sita,Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman and Ravana .Jai ho!

 

By the way,did you know ,exactly as mentioned in Wikipedia , "The flag of Sri Lanka is called the Sinha Flag or Lion Flag.The lion and the maroon background represent the Sinhalese race, while the saffron border and four bo leaves represent the concepts of meththa, karuṇā, muditā and upecka respectively. The stripes represent the country's two largest minority ethnicities, with the orange stripe representing the Tamils inhabitants—namely the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka—and the teal stripe representing the Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims of Sri Lanka). The golden yellow border is a catch-all representing the various minority communities of the country. I love that concept !

DISCLAIMER/For the record,I am a non-stop learner .So, I am sharing all these info and it is certainly not to belittle,poke,preach ,impose my beliefs on anyone or instill any kind of uncomfortabilities to anyone . Purely for informational and entertainment purpose only.No offense to any one !

I love all these shlokas from Bhagwad Geeta and Ramayana .........

अपिचेत्सुदुराचारोभजतेमामनन्यभाक्|

साधुरेवसमन्तव्य: सम्यग्व्यवसितोहिस: || 30||

Meaning:Even a confirmed sinner in this material world, worships the Divine, with unwavering faith and devotion, will be considered righteous, because, he has decided to reform himself.

All praise and gratitude to my divine !

Till we meet again

Take good care of yourself (SERIOUSLY)

Rest in Next

 Love and light ,

Puran Poli recipe|Batata Vada recipe|Vada Pav recipe|Dhuska Recipe|Paan Kulfi recipe

Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan

Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Kahin building kahin traame, kahin motor kahin mill

Milta hai yahan sab kuchh ik milta nahin dil...

(Bole toh,jhakkaas...Thought provoking lines from one of the famous old Hindi movie C.I.D)

Well,ye dil wil pyaar vyaar Apun kya janoon re,jaanoo toh bass itna ki food ko apna manoo re...

Food can be nutritious and less disastrous when compared to anything less .That's why I am a huge foodie. I can totally count on foods and I became a passionate food blogger to jot down my edible journey here.

I am so glad that we have so many countries,states,towns etc as we have the golden opportunity in this world to try varieties of food in this human birth.As they say,"Variety is indeed the spice of life ! "

Being a food blogger and vlogger is helping me to explore at least all the recipes around the world .It is like an edible travel to different parts of the world for free .

Today,I am gonna share a few of my favourite Mumbai recipes that represents the Mumbai's culinary soul .

My memories connected to Mumbai is a little sour and a little sweet.Still,I love Mumbai ! 

Mumbai earlier popularly known as Bombay is known as the commercial capital of India and has famously gained the tag line ,"The city that never sleeps" and "The city of dreams" .The name Mumbai is derived from the famous deity of the Mumbaikars called "The Mumba Devi/aai (meaning mother in the local language) " and is an amalgamation of seven islands.

Mumbai is a place where the stars,slums/homeless ,thugs and locals co-exist and cohabit unanimously and happily battling their own ups and downs.The local attractions,finger licking foods ,cultural festivals,streets bustling with people ,skyscrapers,job opportunities,non-stop transportation facilities and people with big heart to say the least , makes the crowded Mumbai one of the most well-liked place in India.

I visited Mumbai to meet our friend and for consulting doctors for some health issues .From taxi drivers to auto drivers to street hawkers to doctors and locals,all were very friendly towards us.Memorable hotel stays,delicious foods ,beautiful places to visit especially the dargah / mosque for the first time,street-mall shopping made my stay in Mumbai cherishable forever .

The health issues and complications I was facing was little disappointing but the content yet hopeful people living in slums and homeless people on streets were like a Divine's way of reminding me just like my mother would always say,count your blessings and be grateful to almighty for what you have.Compare to people who are less fortunate than us then you will realize how blessed and lucky you are .And that's what made me adore Mumbai the most ! 

So,here I am gonna share a few of my favourite popular staple dishes of Mumbaikars that I ate in Mumbai and are loved worldwide.

By the by,DISCLAIMER: Reader/Veiwer discretion is advised as these names of recipes made me giggle and laugh and I couldn't resist myself from noting all these recipes in my blog and sharing with all foodies out there with a harmless laugh(provided you get my humor).NO OFFENSE TO ANYONE !!! ...Guess what all recipes nowadays are having double meanings .Bheedu...Tension nahi lene ka ...Kisi ka waat nahi lagane ka..samjhey kya ?

Toh ho jaaye shuru ..ek kalti lene ka aur ye recipes try karne ka.....

Here's to my popular Marathi recipes :

Puran Poli

Puran Poli  is one of the most sought after dish of Maharashtra . As per Wikipedia,Puran Poli is a sweetened flatbread   a.k.a. vedmi (વેડમી)in Gujarati, bobbatlu or baksham or oliga in Telugu, Andhra Pradesh , holige (ಹೋಳಿಗೆ) (mainly in North Karnataka) in Kannada and obbattu (ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು) ( in South Karnataka), payasaboli or simply boli (ബോളി) in Malayalam and Tamil ,bhakshalu or pole or polae in Telugu, Telangana and ubbatti or simply poli in Konkani.

The stuffing makes the difference in each of the sweetened flatbread recipes made in all these places mentioned above.In Marathi,the local language of Mumbai ,Puran is called the stuffing and Poli is called the outer covering of the flatbread.

Puran Poli is one of the most famous dish prepared by Maharashtrians during festivals and celebration.Puran Poli recipe is made with a stuffing of crushed lentils with some special spices and filled inside a flatbread made out of all-purpose flour and/or wheat flour .Puran Poli is very flexible to prepare at home and can be made in various creative ways .

For me Puran Poli is a greasy affair !

The first time I made this Puran poli recipe was for my doter when she was a toddler as I found this recipe to be very healthy .As simple as this Puran Poli recipe looks,it is not that easy to make.It can be complicated to prepare puran poli at home if it is not followed step by step as mentioned below.

This is how I make Puran Poli recipe at home 

Puran Poli recipe

Ingredients

To pressure cook

Bengal Gram Dal/Chana Dal - 1 cup

Water as needed - 3 cups approx

Turmeric powder 1/4th Tsp

Salt a pinch or two

Jaggery,chopped or powder 1- 1 1/2 cups 

Cardamom powder 1 Tsp

Fennel seeds/powder - 1 Tsp

To make Poli

All Purpose flour/Maida 1 Cup

Whole Wheat flour 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Butter (optional) 1 Tbsp

Water+milk mixture as needed

Ghee as needed

salt to taste

Oil as needed

How to make homemade Puran Poli recipe

1. For preparing the Puran poli filling : Soak the lentils in water for about 1 -2 hour approx until they become tad soft to touch and the size increases .This is one of the most crucial stage for making the filling properly as this lentil takes time to cook properly or get softened up.
2. Then wash the soaked lentils,drain the water and transfer everything mentioned under "To pressure cook" into a pressure cooker with 1-2 inch of  water covering everything.
3. Wait for the first whistle on high flame.Then reduce the flame and wait for 3-4 whistles on medium flame.
4. Put off the cooking gas.Wait for the air pressure to release by itself and then gently remove the whistle and open the lid of the cooker carefully.
5. There will be little water left.Wait if it is too hot or either drain the water and mash everything into a soft lentil paste or transfer everything onto a pan .
6. Add little ghee on a pan and add the spices one by one and saute it and then add the jaggery and the mashed lentils or the lentils as it is with water into the pan.
7. Saute everything until the jaggery melts and the water dries up.
8. Then when everything accumulates to the center,turn off the cooking gas .
9. Allow it to cool off a bit.
10. Then mash everything into a smooth paste using a potato masher or in a mixer grinder.It is very necessary to make it a very smooth paste ,otherwise it will be difficult to make the Puran Poli properly as the filling may leak out and /or will be bumpy and torn and in an improper shape.
11. You should be able to make balls out of the filling then the stuffing is of the correct consistency.
12. Transfer all these filling into another container and keep it covered.
13. I personally put these stuffing in to the fridge .It helps in making the stuffing more pliable and in proper consistency.
14. Meanwhile,to make the Poli ,the dough,add the flour into a wide container or a wide bowl,turmeric powder,butter,little salt and mix well.
15. Luke warm the mixture of milk and water a bit and add the liquid into the dough little by little and start to knead little by little so that you don't add too much water and then it will be very difficult to make the dough properly.Lukewarm water+milk mixture helps in making the dough soft.
16. Knead it into a semi-soft dough,cover it with a damp cloth or a plastic wrap or with a tight lid or the dough will dry up and it will ruin the shape and texture of the poli .
17. Keep it aside for an hour.I keep it in the fridge .
18. After an hour ,smear hands or add a teaspoon of ghee and knead once again into a soft dough.
19. Heat a pan/tawa.Keep the flame low but ready for making poli.
20. Smear little oil on to the rolling disc and the rolling pin .This helps me to avoid using the flour powder for dusting and making the Puran Poli aptly .
21. Make small golf sized ball out of the dough and roll it using the rolling pin into a small puri shape like a mini tortilla and then make a small ball out of the sweet stuffing and place it in the center.Then as shown in the video ,try to cover it from all sides of the dough ball like a potli or dumpling .
22. Then roll the ball using the rolling pin gently without using any flour which will give the perfect texture for the right puran poli or if you find it difficult to roll it ,smear it with some dusting flour on the side to roll it into a roti shape/tortilla shape.
23. Try your best to keep the stuffing not leaking out a lot.The edges should be thinner too.The more greasy is the rolling pin or rolling disc and the dough ball ,more easier it is to roll it into a roti or tortilla shape properly and it adds to the taste.
24. Spray oil or smear little ghee onto the pan.Transfer the puran poli onto the pan and let it cook down a bit on low flame.When the bubbles appear on the top,smear more ghee or butter or oil and flip to cook the other side well.
25. When both sides are lightly brown,transfer the Puran Poli onto the plate.
26. Repeat the same with all other dough balls.
27. That's it Puran Poli is ready to eat.
28. Enjoy it as it is or with the famous Amti or more ghee.

NOTES:

• You can also use toor dal/Pigeon peas which can be cooked directly without soaking but it cooks fast comparatively to the chana dal.
• The addition of fennel seeds or powder makes it taste amazing.You can also add 1/2 tsp of ginger powder and nutmeg powder for a different taste.
• The all-purpose flour makes the Puran Poli more tasty in texture than simply using the whole wheat flour.Hence I have used both.
• After making the filling,insert a spoon into the mixture if it stands up right, then we have reached the right consistency and make balls to make sure if it holds the shape .
• For the perfect texture of Puran Poli add ghee/butter/oil from time to time as required as mentioned above.The grease helps in rolling properly ,keeping the filling inside and making it soft and delish to eat.
• You can simply use the warm water to make the dough soft ,I added little bit of milk into the water to make the dough more softer and yummy.
• Its very necessary to make the stuffing as soft as possible making sure all the lentils are well-cooked and soft to eat or it will pop out while rolling and would burn while cooking the roti.

That's it Puran Poli is ready to serve !Puran Poli is a healthy and a filling recipe .Good for toddlers to all ages as it can be made healthy with innovative ideas.

Batata Vada |Alu Vada|Alu Bonda

Batata Vada a.k.a Alu Vada /Alu Bonda/Potato Bonda is one of the most comfort food available 24/7 especially in the state of Maharashtra .This potato chickpea fritter  is a quite popular street food in Mumbai as it is the most delicious snack equally liked by the locals to the celebrities.Hence August 23rd is celebrated as the world Vada Pav day in Mumbai.

Alu Bonda is made with chickpea flour batter and a spicy potato filling.Alu means Potato and Bonda means snack.Though these batata vada looks extra tasty when it is sold by a Tapri/street hawker,these vada pav recipe can be easily prepared at home without any special ingredients.

This Batata vada is best served with the signature green chutney and the garlic chutney and I am so surprised like how this garlic chutney is made with the leftover fried chickpea batter in the pan after frying the bondas .What a great way of reusing the choora/leftover fried chickpea batter into something palatable  -great idea to make such a chutney. Otherwise I used to to throw all those fried chickpea batter away.

As mentioned in the timeosIndia.com article , once the famous cricketer Mr.Vinod Kambli presented 35 vada pavs to the Master blaster ,the iconic Mr.Sachin Tendulkar when he broke Mr.Sunil Gavaskar's 34-century test record in March 2006.Haila !

Ye baat hai,to chalo apun dikhathi hai how I make quick and easy Alu Bonda recipe at home

Batata Vada|Alu Vada|Alu Bonda|Vada Pav

Ingredients

For making the chickpea batter

Chickpea flour/Besan - 2 cups

Rice flour 1 Tbsp (optional to make it crispy,I didn't add )

Turmeric powder 1-2 Tsp

Red chili powder 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Baking powder 1 Tsp

Water as required 

To grind the paste for bonda

Green chillies - 2-4 Nos.

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 Tsps

Cilantro leaves,a few

Cumin seeds 1 Tsp

Coriander seeds 1 Tsp

For making the filling

Potato,medium size - 4-5 Nos.

Water as needed

Oil 1-2 Tbsps

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 Tsp

Asafoetida a pinch

Curry leaves a few

Cilantro leaves a few

Lemon juice

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

For making Green chutney

Cilantro leaves handful

Mint leaves 2-3 Nos

Green chillies 2-3 Nos.

Ginger-garlic paste 1/2 Tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 Tsp

Dry coconut as needed 

Peanut 1 Tbsp

Yogurt/Curd 1 Tbsp

Salt to taste

Water as needed

For making the garlic chutney

Leftover choora/chickpea fried leftover pieces handful

Dry Red chillies 1-2 Nos

Garlic ,medium size- 2-3 Nos

Peanut 1 tsp

Dry coconut 1-2 Nos

Tamarind marble sized

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Whole Green chillies as needed for garnishing

Pav/mini buns/Dinner Rolls as needed

Butter

How to make Alu Bonda recipe at home street style

1. First make a THICK batter using all the ingredients mentioned under the "for making the batter" above.Make sure the batter is lumpfree and smooth not runny and thick for coating.Keep it aside for a few minutes.I keep the bonda batter in the fridge to fasten the process to make the batter thick and of right coating consistency.
2. Pressure cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker with enough water covering them for 2-3 whistles until cooked.Do not over-cook the potatoes for longer or it will become too soft .
3. Turn off the cooking gas.Once it is safe to remove the whistle,open the lid and remove just the cooked potatoes and transfer into a bowl.
4. Remove the skins and mash the potato using hand or a potato masher and keep them aside.Make it as soft as possible.
5. Meanwhile grind all ingredients mentioned above under the green chutney to make the green chutney for the vada pav.Keep it aside.
6. Now to make the potato stuffing ,start by grinding all ingredients mentioned above to make the paste for bonda .
7. Heat a pan with oil and splutter mustard seeds.
8. Lower the flame,add the cumin seeds,curry leaves,cilantro leaves,asafoetida and the above prepared ground paste and saute well.
9. Then add the mashed potato mixture ,turmeric powder and salt to taste.
10. Keep the flame low.
11. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.Keep the flame low.
12. Continue with the bonda mixture in step 9 and mix everything well for a minute or two until all liquid evaporates.
13. Add lemon juice and mix well.I omitted this time.
14. The vada/bonda filling is ready.Keep it aside in a different bowl to cool it off a bit .
15. I usually keep this Bonda stuffing in my the fridge just to make sure it becomes more flavorful and thick enough to shape the bonda properly.
16. Then I keep the batter and the bonda filling outside for a few minutes before deep frying.
17. Whip the batter once again .
18. Pour little batter into the deep frying oil to ensure if the oil is indeed ready for deep frying.If the batter springs to the top then the oil is ready or wait for the batter to sprung to the top.The right consistency of oil for deep frying is very necessary to make the right texture of the bonda.If the oil is ready,lower the flame.
19. Then make small balls out of the bonda mixture and  dip each balls into the batter and cover it as much as possible.If needed use a spoon to do so.The thick yet coating consistency batter will make the perfect Alu Bonda.
20. Shake off the extra batter and then put the batter covered bonda into the oil for frying.
21. Fry every Bonda one by one without over crowding the pan.
22. Make sure all sides are cooked and turns golden brown and crispy.
23. Remove all the Vada/Bonda one by one and place them all onto the paper towel to drain any excess oil.
24. There will be many leftover choora/fried chickpea batter left in the oil after deep frying the Batata vada or put some batter into the oil and remove the lightly fried batter,it doesn't have to be crispy .
25. Then make the garlic chutney for the Batata vada by first frying the garlic and red chillies in this oil lightly and then grind with all other ingredients mentioned under "for making the red chutney".This chutney will look coarse in texture while the green chutney will be slightly runny.
26. Fry a few whole green chillies and keep them aside.
27. That's it Batata Vada/Alu Vada/Alu Bonda/Vada Pav are ready to serve.
28. Serve the Mumbai style Batata Vada with the green and the red chutney/garlic chutney.
29. Bite the fried green chillies in between .
30. Tasty!!
31. Turn this batata vada into a vada pav by smearing little butter , green chutney and red chutney on the pav/dinner rolls/buns and place a Batata Vada in between .
32. Place the fried green chilli in between.Throw in a few cilantro leaves,lemon juice and onion slices as needed to make it a sandwich .
33. Enjoy the adorable Alu Bonda!!

The good thing about Batata Vada is that you can turn a snack into a meal like a sandwich by stuffing the vada or bonda into buns or dinner rolls.Then Alu Bonda is so filling and enough !

Reminds me of my 4th Std. friend in school/a Malayali batchmate named Aapsara who loved this bonda like crazy.Now I know why !

That's how you can taste Mumbai by sheerly enjoying Alu Bonda ! Amazing indeed !

I've also made other famous Mumbai hit recipes long time ago like

Sabudana Khichdi recipe

Modak recipe

Falooda recipe

Last but not the least,like they say,"All is well,that ends well !" a twist to the theme ,like a light to the end of the tunnel ,concluding the blogpost with one of my famous recipe from Jharkhand ,Dhuska.

Dhuska

Dhuska is a well-known deep fried snack eaten all over the Jharkhand,North India.Well,I was raised in Bihar which is known as Jharkhand now.So,this is one of the famous delicacy of Jharkhandi cuisine.

‘Kos kos pe badle paani, chaar kos pe vaani‘, it’s an old Bhojpuri/Bihari local language saying meaning whether we are at our home town or thousands of miles away, there is something about our mother tongue and the languages we were born around that it never loses its appeal.

Well,this is also one of my way of thanking the place I was raised in, to introduce me to all the delicious North Indian recipes which I can't get enough of . My edible memoir !

When I was little I thought this dish was some kind of different variation of a puri recipe .Recently I came across this recipe when I was trying out to prepare all these above North Indian recipes at home .

Not to mention ,the name (meaning D-hus(Partner)-Ka) made me smile with love and taste, lip smacking !

Toh chalo hamre gharma,dikhathey hai hum kaise banathey hai Dhuska...

So,this is how I make Dhuska recipe 

Dhuska recipe

Ingredients

Rice (I used Sona Masoori) 1 cup

Bengal Gram/Chana Dal  1/2 cup

Black lentil/Urad Dal 1/4th Cup

Water1/2 cup or as needed

For grinding paste

Green Chillies 2-3 Nos.

Ginger 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Asafoetida a Pinch

Carom seeds/Ajwain - 1/4th Tsp

Peppercorns/ Powder 1/4th Tsp

Oil for deep frying

How to make Dhuska at home

1. Soak rice and all lentils in sufficient water for 3-4 hours.
2. Then wash them all ,drain the water out.
3. Grind everything with water enough to make it a thick batter of pouring consistency something like the idli batter.
4. Keep it aside for 1-4 hrs for fermentation depending upon the room temperature.Warmer the temperature,keep the batter aside for an hour ,otherwise keep the batter for 1-4 hours .
5. To speed up the cooking process, add the baking soda or eno a teaspoon and mix well,then fermentation process can be avoided.If using Eno use it immediately .
6. Then grind everything else mentioned above to make a paste and add it to the batter or even can be grinded with the batter.The former is preferred.
7. Mix into the batter and whip well.
8. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.Add a pinch of batter when it springs to the top make dhuska.
9. Then pour a ladle full of batter into the oil .The top of the dhuska will swell ,then flip it back to fry all sides on medium-high flame.
10. Fry until it looks crispy yet soft and donot fry for long or it will become stiff.
11. Repeat without over crowding the pan for frying.
12. Remove all Dhuska one by one onto the paper towel for draining extra oil.
13. Enjoy it as soon as possible for the best taste or store them in a casserole.
14. Enjoy it as it is or with pickle or any curry
15. That's it Dhuska is ready !

Least and the last ,I realized something sweet is missing in these recipes.So,having a sweet tooth,I made a quick and easy Paan Kulfi .Paan a.k.a. Betel nuts in English wrapped in a betel leaves with lots of dry fruits etc is one of the famous natural mouth freshner in India .Some people get so addicted to Paan that they don't even care if it spoiled their teeth or health.It makes me lol when I see people eating betel/paan and a red liquid oozing out as if there mouth is filled with blood.

I love those sweet paans .So,I bought these Paan masala long time ago because I always wanted to make Paan ice cream at home .So,here I am with a Paan Kulfi with a few simple ingredients easily available at home .This kulfi is not for people who can't stand sweet ,it is that creamy and like a cold candy or a cold melting mouth freshner .

Paan Kulfi

Ingredients

Whole Milk 4 cups

Sugar 1/4th cup

Cardamom seeds

Paan (Betel) masala to taste

Ice cream moulds

How to make Paan Kulfi at home

1. Heat milk in a preferably non-stick pan.
2. Powder cardamom seeds and the pan masala into fine powder.
3. When milk comes to boil,add the ground powder and stir well.
4. Reduce the flame and let it simmer down and become half the quantity of milk.
5. Keep stirring in between.
6. The milk will become thick and creamy.
7. Turn off the cooking gas and let it cool down.
8. Then either drain the liquid mixture or pour directly the liquid mixture into the ice cream moulds.
9. Refrigerate the ice cream moulds for 8-12 hours or until set.
10. Then remove the ice cream mould and keep it aside for a few seconds.Keep an eye.
11. Then try to remove the set ice cream from the mould.If it doesn't come out easily,run it under the water a bit and check.
12. Donot keep out for long or the ice cream will melt fast.
13. That's it quick and easy paan (Betel) kulfi is ready to serve.
14. Enjoy it cold .

So,these were a few North Indian recipes I was experimenting recently ,the secret behind my increasing waist and more .So how can I stop myself from jotting down all these voluptuous recipes in my blog .Pls feel free to put your evil eye on my weight gain only :D

I agree with Giada De Laurentiis - "Food brings people together on many different levels. It's nourishment of the soul and body; it's truly love." 

Like Pat Conroy said ,“A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal.”

So,I hope all foodies out there would give all my recipes a try and enjoy a good meal my way .

Food and life are not perfect ...Like every food every life matters (especially without any harm) ..All educated people will agree with me right ? -#AaajKaPravachanFreeHaiNoFees :P

Achcha toh ham kalti marthey hai meaning good bye/Adios/Alvida/Ciao/Namaste for now

Hey,phir milenge chalthey chalthey

Rest bheja(brain) fry in next !

See you all soon till then stay safe and take extra care (SERIOUSLY) !

LOVE and LIGHT !

My God/Divine is bright !