Roasted Pohe Chivda

Here is a another recipe for our all time favorite snack: Chivda. This time I am sharing a recipe for Chivda made with pre-roasted pohe. This is available in Indian stores. It has no seasoning or spices in it and is only roasted. I often purchase this for munching as is but I also love to make Chivda with it. The end product is very crunchy and highly addictive.

Easy Masala Peanuts | Spiced Peanuts | Microwave Recipe

Its that time of the year when Sunday nights are game nights. I have been following the games for several years now and always feel that excitement on Sunday afternoon when the match is about the start. With butterflies in my stomach, especially when my team is on the roster, I feel no mood or inclination to enter the kitchen. Game days inevitably call for quick and easy food that can be prepared in advance and enjoyed at leisure:)

Masala Moongphali | Batter Fried Peanuts

Who does not like deep fried peanuts? Add a coating of savory, spicy batter to the recipe and they make for the tastiest snack time treat you can ask for! I love to make these during the holidays, when winter sets in, its snowy, rainy, and cold. This holiday season try these Batter Fried Peanuts alongside your favorite honey roasted almonds or maple roasted pecans. Enjoy them with family and friends when you get together to watch Frosty or play you favorite board game:)

Vrat ka Khana | Fasting Foods: Sabudana Thalipeeth | Sago Flatbread

Its been sometime since I updated my collection of recipes prepared during the fasts. And since we are no more than a few months away from the Navratris, I was really keen to get a whole new batch of recipes out to my friends and readers.

Hara Dhania Moongphali ki Chatni | Cilantro Peanut Chutney

I hardly need to say this but I love peanut chutneys. I am always experimenting newer ways of making delicious chutneys by incorporating peanuts. Last week it was frightfully hot around here and we were enjoying only cool meals every evening. The day I made my Creamy Cucumber Curd Rice recipe, I also made this simple yet yummy chutney to go with it. Perfect combo - they simply tastes superb together.

Beans Moongphali ki Bhaji | Green Beans Curry with Peanuts

Green beans are a staple in my home! I purchase organic green beans at a local store and now that we are in spring we are getting wonderfully tender beans. I usually make green beans in one of the many ways my Mum cooks them. But I do experiment with them a lot and you will see a good number of green bean recipes on this blog.

Moongphali ki Chatni | Peanut Chutney

Not all chutneys are made equal and peanut chutneys hold a special place the Indian kitchen. To begin with there are just so many ways of preparing them. Then there are the many textures, the flavours, the combinations, the dry chutneys which can stay pretty much forever if refrigerated properly and the wet versions that disappear before the meal is over!! I could just go on.

Parsi Style Aloo Curry | Potatoes in a Rich Creamy Gravy

Many years ago, my Mum purchased the Parsi food classic Jamva Chaloji by Katy Dalal. She absolutely loved the book and recommended it to me many times. I never really got the opportunity to buy it and when I wanted to, I found it unavailable. Last year however, I was lucky enough to find a copy of it at a Landmark store in Mumbai.

Kamut Chivda | Crispy Spiced Puffed Kamut

I always like to prepare some sort of Chivda around the festival season. Usually it is the Poha version | Beaten Rice Chivda. Last year I made Jowar Chivda | Crunchy Puffed Millet Snack. This year I had a bag of Puffed Kamut in the pantry just crying to be used!! So Kamut Chivda it is! This a the perfect low calorie snack for tingling tastebuds. Its great for festival snacking but also on game night or movie night!! Try it, you will be hooked.

Makkai ka Wada | Corn Vada | Sweet Corn Fritters

Its corn season out here and despite the heat, the markets are loaded with delicious fresh sweet corn. We get the very tasty tri-colour corn and I love to buy it to make all kinds of treats. Last week I got a batch of corn ears to make corn vadas. There are many recipes for corn vadas and they often involve grinding dals. I was not keen to make something quite as heavy so went for a lighter version of this deep fried treat!

Gajar Koshimbir Ver 2.0 | Carrot Yogurt Salad

Today I want to share another go to recipe of mine. Carrots are great for salads and and I always keep a fresh pack handy at home. I buy organic carrots for salads. They are really tender and sweet and juicy and bursting with flavour!! Last week when I made my Hara Masala Makai Pulao | Spicy Green Corn Rice, I made this delicious yogurt based salad to accompany it. Did I mention its the simplest thing in the world to put together, you'll never be left wondering what to add to the table should someone unexpectedly drop by!!

Jowar Chivda | Crunchy Puffed Millet Snack

Every year around Diwali, my kitchen is a whirlwind of activity. I love making delicious sweets and savouries that we enjoy over the festive month! This year I had planned to try my hand at some sweets I have never attempted at home and share them with you. But time has been moving swiftly and things are so busy for me suddenly that I barely step into the kitchen to make a meal.

Masala Tamatar Bhaat | Spicy Tomato Rice

Whenever I want to make tomato rice, I hunt around for the tangy yet sweet pink tomato!! Piled high at green grocers in the big vegetable markets of New Delhi, these tomatoes were firm yet wonderfully juicy. No winter salad would be complete without them. Tomato purees and tomato paste was not widely available in those days and my Mum and Grandma made do with the fresh version for all those wonderful winter recipes.

Tamatar-Moongphali Chatni | Tomato-Peanut Chutney: Version 2.0

This is another recipe for Tomato Chutney that I have been experimenting with last week. This time I used raw peanuts and dropped the jaggery. The result was a sharper and more tangy taste. Note that as the peanuts in this chutney are raw, the cooking time is longer. This results in a more flavourful chutney as the peanuts absorb the spice and tomato juice better.

More Peanut Chutney Recipes @ Annarasa:
Moongphali ki Chatni | Peanut Chutney
Tamatar Moongphali Pachadi | Tomato Peanut Chutney Ver. 1.0

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 green chilies, chopped fine
8 kari patta (curry leaves)
1/4 tsp rai (mustard seeds)
1/4 tsp zeera (cumin seeds)
1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
2 tsp lal mirch (chili powder)
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
1 cup raw peanuts, ground
3 tbsp oil

Delicious Dal Dhokli

Chilly temperatures always call for especially delicious treats and comfort foods. And last week, while it was snowing like no tomorrow, I decided to treat us to some hearty Dal Dhokli. While Dal Dhokli is basically a Gujarati dish, similar dishes are made in Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh too. The seasoning in the various versions differs, and I will blog other version @ Annarasa too!! Dal Dhokli was particularly popular in Mumbai where I spent part of my childhood.

Tamatar Moongphali Pachidi | Tomato Peanut Chutney: Version 1.0

Few days back I made rava idli at home. It was a real treat. My desi mixer-grinder stopped working a few months back and I have not been able to make any of our favourites including idli, dosa, uttapa, chutney since. Having sworn off buying another blender until I find something that is truly heavy duty and will fulfill the needs of a desi kitchen, I am stuck with pursuing recipes that require at the most a dry grinder!! Finding one to do replace the conked machine is no easy task. Any one with any suggestion, do leave a note in the comments section - I will truly appreciate any input in this matter :)

Vrat ka Khana | Fasting Foods: Sabudana Vada | Sago Fritters

Just about three years ago, when I began this blog, one of my posts was about Sabudana Khichiri. Extremely popular during fasts, this savoury made with sago pearls is as delicious as it is addictive. Sago is also used to make other delicious savouries during fasts including thalipeeth (pancakes) and vadas (fritters). Sweet kheer with sago pearls (milk based pudding) is prepared with sugar or gur (jaggery) as a Bhog (food offering to the Gods).

Daring Cooks July 2010: Home Made Peanut Butter and Satay Dipping Sauce

The Daring Cooks challenge for July is Nut Butters!! We could choose from any type of nut including peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or macadamias. The instructions were simple - puree the nuts into a paste or butter. Then use the fresh homemade nut butter in a savoury recipe.

Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

We've just got past the first few days of spring and already we are feeling the difference in the weather. Its a tad warmer, the snow has almost entirely disappeared and green shoots of grass pushing their tiny heads out of the barren ground!

Warmer weather definitely encourages a change in the menu and I am really enjoying making fresh and light salads now-a-days!! Here's one with cucumber and peanuts! The beauty of this salad recipe is that its very easy to put together, can be added as a side dish to a meal, and serves as a wonderful and tasty starter too :)

Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled & diced
2 green chilies, minced
1/2 tsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
2 tbsp fresh coconut, shredded
1/4 cup peanuts, roasted & crushed
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Salt, to taste
Pinch of sugar

Method:

1. Mix the cucumber, chilies, ginger, coconut, and cilantro. all the ingredients together. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Blend salt and sugar into the yogurt. Add to the cucumber mix and coat the cucumber well.
3. Add the peanuts.
4. Mix and serve immediately with a meal.

This salad goes well with parathas, bhaji, or dal. But I often dish it up separately as a starter with roasted papads (poppadums) or as a dip with crunchy corn tortillas. This refreshing recipe goes to Neha @ Easy & Tasty recipes who is hosting AFAM Cucumber this month.

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2009. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Gajar Koshambir Ver 1.0 | Carrot-Peanut Salad

Apart from their nutritive value, carrots are a crunchy, tasty, and deliciously sweet vegetable. Carrots are ideal for snacking, desserts, bhajis, and salads. The wonderful thing about carrots is that they take on flavour very well. Gajar Koshambir or Indian-style Carrot Salad is a great salad to add to an afternoon meal. Its fresh citrusy flavour is superb in adding balance to any curry, vegetable, and even rice. Here's how I make Gajar Koshambir.


More Raw Carrot Recipes @ Annarasa:
Gajar Koshambir Ver 2.0 | Carrot Yogurt Salad
Gajar March No Sambharo | Fresh Carrot Green Chile Pickle
Gajar Adrak Chatni | Carrot & Ginger Chutney

Ingredients:
3 large carrots
3 tbsp peanuts, roasted
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cilantro, chopped fine
1 green chilli, chopped fine
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp sugar

Method:

1. Grate the carrots and place in a mixing bowl.
2. Crush the peanuts coarsely. Mix in the peanuts with the salt, sugar, cilantro, and green chilli.
3. Squeeze the lemon into this mix. Blend well.
4. Pour into a serving bowl. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

This recipe goes to The Cooker who is hosting JFI: Carrots this month. JFI,the brainchild of Indira of Mahanandi blog. It also goes out to Mansi of Fun & Food Cafe who is hosting a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipe Carnival.

Vegan Recipe, Dairy Free Recipe

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2013. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.