BADAM KATLI / ALMOND BURFI / ALMOND FUDGE

This is a traditional Indian sweet made with powdered almonds and sugar, flavoured with cardamom powder and saffron or rose water. Katli can also be made with almond paste after blanching and removing the skins. I have chosen the simpler option of almond powder as it is easily available in Brazil. This is the most preferred sweet during festivals as it has just few ingredients and not too difficult to make. Similarly you can make with cashewnuts too, which is kaju katli.

Ingredients:
Almond powder ..... 2 cups
Sugar .................... 1 cup
Water ................... 1 cup
Cardamom powder .. 1/4 tsp
Rose water ............ 1 tbsp
Ghee . clarified butter ... 1+1 tsps.
Milk ....................... 1 tbsp
Silver warq ... to garnish

Method:

1. In a pan take the sugar and add one cup water.

2. Bring to a boil. When it starts boiling well add one tbsp of milk to remove the impurities of sugar. You will see the dirt / froth collecting on top. Just remove it with a spoon.

3. When it comes to 2 string consistency and reduced to half, add the cardamom powder, almond powder and the rose water.

4. Keep stirring to avoid lumps.

5. Continue to stir until the mixture becomes thick and starts to leave the sides. You can spoon in a little ghee at this level.

6. When the mixture thickens into a lump switch off the gas and allow it to cool.

7.Remove it in flat vessel or a plate. Now you will find the consistency is thicker and you can knead it to give a smooth texture.

8. Take a sheet of butter paper and grease it with ghee.

9. Place the lump on the paper and roll with a greased rolling pin to the desired thickness.

10. Garnish with silver warq sheets.  Cut it into diamond shaped pieces using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.

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SAOJI / SAAVJI CHICKEN

Saoji or Saavji chicken is a very spicy preparation from Maharashtra. This comes from Nagpur region where there is a large Saoji community and their cuisine is supposed to be very traditional and spicy.Majority of the savji people are non vegetarian and hence preparation of variety of meat dishes is very common in the community.
The spicy, meaty delicacies are made out of chicken, mutton, goat and even fish, cooked with hot chilli pepper, poppy seeds, cardamom and coconut, in a sauce thickened by sorghum flour. . Small family style restaurants called Savjikhanavali or Saoji Hotel / Bhojanalaya, found in large numbers in places like Hubli, Bangalore, Belgaum in Karnataka, Nagpur and Solapur in Maharashtra.

Ingredients:
Chicken ... 500 gms or as needed (preferably with the bones)
Onion .... 1 large
Ginger .... 1 inch piece (grated)
Garlic .... 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder .. 1/2 tsp
Salt ................ to taste
Oil ............... 5-6 tbsps
Cumin seeds .. 1 tsp
Coriander leaves ... for garnishing.

For Saoji Masala :
Black pepper corns ... few
Cloves .................. 3-4
Dagad phool ........ 1 tsp
Shahi jeera / kummel seeds .. 1 tsp
Cumin seeds .................. 1 tsps
Fennel seeds / saunf ....... 1 tsp
Nutmeg ................ 1/8 tsp
Bay leaves ................... 2
Black cardamom ........ 1
Cinnamon stick ........... 1 inch piece
Green cardamoms ...... 4-5
Mace ......................... 1
Dry red chillies .......... 4-5 (use more if you like spicy)
Poppy seeds / khuskhus .... 1 tbsp
Dry dessicated coconut .... 2 tbsps
Jowar ka ata / sorgum flour .... 1 tbsp
(this quantity of masala can be used for 1 kilo of meat/chicken)

Method:

1.  Dry roast the spices, poppy seeds, dessicated coconut and the sorghum flour separately on medium / low flame.

2. Grind them and set aside.

3. In a pan heat oil and add one tsp of cumin seeds.When they give out aroma, add the sliced onion and fry until light pink.







4. Tip in the ginger garlic and simmer.

5. Now add the turmeric powder aand salt.

6. Add the chicken pieces.

7. Saute for few minutes.

8. Now add sufficient water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer to cook.

9. When the chicken is half done, add the Saoji masala 2 tbsps or as per your preference and stir well. Add more water if required and simmer until the chicken is done. Add coriander leaves and serve.






This sorghum flour gives a nice thick texture to the gravy.
This chicken tastes good with plain rice or bhakri.


Note: This masala can be made in large quantity and stored in an air tight container. The amount you add to the curry is as per your preference because it is quite spicy.

Recipe adapted from - HERE 

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PAKORA CHAAT / PAKODI CHAAT

I had some leftover pakoras from the party. Usually I make a sabzi / curry  with them. Today I tried out chaat for a change. Any kind of chaat is always a treat.

Ingredients:

Pakoras ...  8-10
Yogurt ..... 1 cup
Sweet tamarind chutney ... 2-3 tbsps
Mint coriander chutney .... 2-3 tbsps
Chaat masala ............. 1/4 tsp
Bhuna jeera / Roasted cumin powder ... 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder .......... 1/4 tsp ( add as per your liking)
Salt ...... to taste
Sugar .... 1 tsp
Thin sev .... 2-3 tbsps
Coriander leaves ... to garnish.

Method:
1. Spread the pakoras in a plate. If they are big you can break them into bite size pieces.
2. Whisk the yogurt with a little salt and sugar to balance the taste.
3. Pour it over the pakoras.
4. Spoon the mint chutney and tamarind chutney.
5. Sprinkle the chaat masala, bhuna jeera powder, red chilli powder.
6. Garnish with thin sev and coriander leaves.

See the chutney recipes:

Sweet tamarind chutney -  Click HERE

Mint coriander chutney - Click HERE

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CEMITA POBLANA ( Mexican Burger)

Cemita Poblana is a Mexican burger from the city of Puebla. It comes with a variety of fillings, the most popular one is with thin breaded veal fillet (milanesa) or cutlet along with toppings like onion, avocado, lettuce or celery leaves, cheese, and chipotle sauce. If you are avoiding red meats you can use chicken instead.

Ingredients:
Cemita buns ...  2  or as required
Veal fillet or cutlets .. 2  or as needed.
Cheese ............ grated mozarella or white cheese as needed
Tender celery leaves / lettuce
Onion ..... sliced
Avocado .... 1
Bread crumbs ... 1 cup
Eggs .................. 2
Flour ................1 cup
Salt .......... to taste
Oil .......... to fry the veal cutlets.
Potato wafers / chips .. for accompaniment.

Method:
1. Wash the veal fillet. Pat it dry and flatten it with a meat hammer.
2. Beat the eggs adding a little salt. Put the contents in a flat dish.
3. Spoon out the flour and bread crumbs in 2 separate flat plates. If you like you can mix some chillies and spice powders in the flour
4. First coat the fillet with the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and finally coat with the bread crumbs. Repeat the same again to coat the fillet well.
5. Heat oil and deep fry the coated veal fillets. Set aside.
6. Now to assemble the burger, cut the Cemita bun, spread some chipotle sauce.
7. Place the lettuce leaf, then the fried veal milanesa, onion rings, avocado slices and top it with grated cheese and celery leaves. If you like it extra spicy you can also add sliced chillies.
Serve with potato wafers / chips

See the recipe of Mexican Cemita Buns - HERE 

See the recipe of Chipotle Sauce ........... HERE

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APPAM AND VEGETABLE STEW

This is a very popular breakfast dish from Kerala. Traditionally appam batter is fermented with toddy, a local alcohol derived from palm tree. But this is not possible everywhere so a little yeast is used instead. The stew is simple curry made with vegetables like carrot , potato, beans, cauliflower, capsicum, green peas etc .. but it is not necessary to use all these vegetables. You can just make do with what ever is available at home. Coconut milk is the key ingredient in both these dishes.

Appam
Rice ..... 1 cup
 (you can also use half cup of parboiled rice and half cup raw rice)
Coconut .... 3-4 tbsps (grated)
Coconut milk ... 1/2 cup or more
Salt .... as needed
Sugar .... 1 tsp
Yeast .... 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Soak the rice for 4-5 hours.
2. Grind them in a mixie along with the other ingredients. Add a little water to grind into a smooth batter.
3. Remove the batter in a container and set aside for 10 - 12 hours until it ferments. In summer it takes less time but in winters you may have to keep it overnight.
4. Grease the appam kadai and wipe it with a paper tissue.
5. Pour some batter with a ladle and turn the appam kadai to spread the batter on the edges of the pan.
6. The remaining batter settles down in the middle giving a fluffy texture while the edges are thin and crisp.

Vegetable Stew:
Potato ... 1
Carrot .... 1/2
Beans ..... few
Capsicum .. 1
Onion ... 1
Ginger ...  1 tsp grated
Garlic .... 1 tsp (optional)
Green chillies .. 1 -2
Coconut milk ... 100 ml
Cinnamon... 1 piece
Cloves ...... few
Bay leaves .. 1-2
Salt .......... to taste
Turmeric powder .. 1/8 tsp
Curry leaves ... 1 sprig
Oil ..... 2 tbsps (preferably coconut oil)

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices.
2.When they give out an aroma, add the sliced onion and saute until translucent.
3. Add the ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves.
4. Add the diced vegetables and saute.
5. Add one cup water and salt, turmeric powder. Simmer until the vegetables are done.
6. Stir in the coconut milk and boil for half a minute. You can discard the whole spices before serving if you want.

Note: In case you are using fresh home made coconut extract then add the thin milk first to cook the veggies and stir in the thick milk towards the end. I have used the store bought ready to use coconut milk which is thick. So I cooked the veggies with water.

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