Cheesy sambhar cake

This is an savoury cake, sandwiched between an layer of cheese and an layer of potato, seasoned with sambhar spices.   The taste was heavenly, and for an savoury-lover like me, every bite was mesmerizing.  Hubby, being an sambhar-aholic, thumbs uped this one.

This is, like, one crazy experiment which turned an best shot.   Yes, though, I wanted to bake buns with aloo masala filling, I settled for this one.  One advantage is that you can add any filling you want.  I made two fillings with the yeast-raised dough.  First one was cheese and second was potato.  I could'nt forsake this vegetable as this had its closest proximity with sambhar.  So making an sambhar flavoured potato was an better idea and sandwiching them between cheesy layers got the taste right.  

Punjabi-styled pickle

     Well, this post is most special to me, because this is my first achaar/pickle post.  All thanks to my dear potluck partner, Shoba from Foodmazaa.

With an hot mid-summer,  it is true that we always look upon to chilled beverages, but this pickle, I must say, is an all-weather-dish.  Especially to all savoury-lovers, this is an real treat.  The choice of spice mix is perfect, as it infused the smell of mesmerizing achaar, and to top that, you are making this with vegetables - puts forth an healthy option, isn't it?  

Yes, yes, I know... my time off is exceeding between posts -  nowadays, I am struggling to catch upon my usual routine, with my daughter shifted to another school, that includes odd sets of timings.  I, have hardly tried anything, but, I promise to be back in lane soon, keep in touch, guys :)

Meal maker tikki with makhni sauce

 Going out of vegetable stock?.... Refrigerator under repair?....  nor do you have an surprise guest visit?.... Do not fear, if tiny, chocolate brown soya chunks or meal maker is there, this would be, perhaps, an blessing in disguise :)  Just make sure you stock them up from your nearest supermarket and they may never fail your expectations.... Yes ranging from pulao, curry, noodles this meal makers can be mixmatched in our regular cooking, here is one such sample.... meal maker tikki.  To top them more delecious for Potluck party, I have accompanied them with my version of makhni sauce.  Both were godly and  pleased all...

I have combined meal maker with few of vegetables, but other half of combo is completely left to you.... you can add anything that is stocked up at your home ranging from left-over rice, poha, murmura, crumbled paneer etc

Strawberry Trifle shots

  For my potluck party, this month,  I decided to go for dessert.  What else can I settle for my awesome bloggermates??  :P  Yes, dedicating strawberry trifle shots for an rocking party...

'Trifle' is an dessert made by layering of sponge cake, custard, jelly, fruits and finally whipped cream is used as an garnish here.  I, utilized this humble opportunity to clear my lazy strawberries resting @ refrigerator :P  :P   With an bit of planning, you can, also make them instantly. (Apart from whipped cream, which does not come at handy...)  I made mine at shot glasses and hence the name :)

At home, everybody feasted on them.  The crumbled cake-base went well with with sour jam and sweet custard.  I am planning to make them quite often :P

Bhaja Moong dal - Potluck party, cyber style December 28th 2013

   For this month of potluck party, I was paired with Sutapa.  I was too happy because I am an dal or gravy-aholic lady.  In this blogging world, we can see many bakes, many goodies  or many virtual treats, but when it comes to your home-cooking, making gravies or dal for dinner becomes an wondering part of life because breakfast and lunch preparation gets over my morning itself.  And for me, I simply quiz what to cook up, with my refrigerator and provisions shelf wide open  :D  :D   This potluck party, very clearly compensated my thought :P  

Bhaja moong dal, an bengali dal is an rich and exotic dal.  'Bhaja' means 'fry' and so moong dal was fried with ghee before pressure cooking and tempered with spices and coconut.  When I prepared, I can notice a pleasent aroma and taste, unlike other dal preparations.  So, thanks to Sutapa for introducing such an nice dal to us, I enjoyed them thoroughly with roti. 

Hiruva masala shaak / Green masala curry - POTLUCK PARTY, CYBER STYLE Dec 10

   It's party-time!!! :D  yes, back to potluck party, cyber style hosted by Jagruti mam where several bloggers meet with their party dishes online and share treat virtually  :D.  They, also pair up and prepare the other partner's dish and cherish them as well.  Isn't it interesting??   But, travelling frequently for past two months, I was not able to make up.  This time, I do proudly present the authentic curry preparation, made by my Mother-in-law - Hiruva masala shaak or Green masala curry.

 

As the name suggests, green masala curry is  very hot (Caution to spice-tolerant guys!), they differ from Nilgiri/green coloured curry because it is not the  (green) colour that matters here.  Hiruva masala shaak has many green chillies (8-10), sauted and pureed, this masala is added to regular curry-base, unlike other curries where  pureeing mint/coriander leaves is done to attain characteristic green colour.   

Chocolate modak - Potluck party, cyber style September 28

   As the name goes by, this can also form one of your kid's favourite snack.  The special filling (Made by adding cocoa powder & choco chips to coconut-jaggery combo) is what makes the chocolate modak even more droolicious and with each bite, we can feel the chocolate flavour oscillating around our head!! :) :)  This modak is tooo tempting for a single try!!!!

I had to make this modak because of this month's pairing in potluck party, guest-hosted by nivedham's food blog and owned by Jagruti mam.  This chocolate modak is from Poornima's blog.  She has an excellant blog with delecious dishes, do go through her blog for the original version of chocolate modak.

Malai panneer tikka - Potluck party, cyber style

    Am back from Chennai from an function, and I was equally excited about my dish at party!  I soon recalled that I hadn't tried any starters, so here I am with Malai panneer tikka.  'Malai' means any dish cooked with milk cream and also adds on cashewnut paste.  In North India many dishes are prepared using this term, Malai kofta,  Matar malai, Rasmalai,  Malai peda etc.  Here, in an similar way paneer tikkas are prepared.

Tomato chutney - Potluck party, cyber style

    When I first looked into my partner's(Sutapa Ghosh) dish, I was happier  thinking that making chutney would be easier. Alas, this tomato chutney cooked in bengali style is not  an easy one.  The important ingredient required was ammsattva or mango leather which I had hardly heard off.  At this time, Sutapa Ghosh of sutapasindian blog suggested other names of ammsattva.  In Andhra pradesh, these ammsattva or mango leather is called as Mamidi Tandra or mango jelly.

      According to wiki, they are fruit leather, mixed with concentrated sugar solution, sometimes also an chemical called potassium metabisulphite and is poured over bamboo mats.  The texture of prepared mamidi tandra is unique because it is  made by consequent layering (only after before added layer dries away) over a period of month.  Over ripe thotapuri mangoes are specially used for this purpose.

Chokolya - Indian pasta

 The thought of making chokolya struck my mind when I was pondering over my first main dish for  poluck party.  This chokolya used to be dinnertime options at my childhood days.  This doesn't need any side-dish since it is soupy!  Wheat flour is kneaded  and rolled to individual circles.  Each circle is cut into various diamond shapes and cooked over onion-tomato base.  At my in-law's residence, she used to make rice flour dough, which is torn and shaped into  tiny roundels before adding to gravy base.

A popular variant called 'kolyass ka chokolya' where mutton chunks are added into usual preparation is known.  Also vegetarian version using finely chopped palak/other spinach forms are also seen.  The authentic chokolya is an very spicy one, tempered like biryani style.  (However, here I added lesser spices because I wanted my kid to consume) And because of its spicyness, coconut paste/powder is added in the end in order to cool the body.  

Coco-carrot milkshake

      A sudden travel due to my father-in-law's upcoming bypass surgery rattled my world.  He was a regular walker and on top of that, an authentic vegetarian too!  Only God knows why such healthy body has to face an terrible operation!  Though  people casually say to each other, 'Come on, bypass surgery has nowadays become an common option, many do so', the pain you feel when your dear ones had to face is very infinite.  But, all thanks to Almighty, surgery went fine and he has shifted to ICU.  Will get back to my place soon after he discharges from hospital.  These times, I really feel to stick to chennai, most importantly to my family.  But, neverthless, shama had to work at hydi and varsha must school somewhere there.  She is really enjoying herself at her grandma's residance.  Playing with (cousin)brother, picking and dropping him to school, sleeping with uncle & aunty she really has an nice time here.

   And yes, coming back to our blog, you all know am an member of Potluck party, cyber style.  For july month's challenge, I was paired with Jagruti mam.  I had to redo the yummy milkshake she made.  But very sorry that I was not able to make up to the time.  So here it is coco-carrot milkshake from my part.

Hot & Sour Corn balls

   Not long before, I watched hot and sour mutton balls cooked on a TV show.  I wanted to make them too!  Using mutton at my home is like once in a month, so I just skipped the idea of making them with mutton, instead came up with this vegetarian idea.

This dish came out very delecious and went great with roti/dosa/all sorts of bread, do try and let me know.