Quick and easy to make Indian mango pickle with video instructions. Simple and flavorful!
It's been long that we spoke about Mangoes. They are making their presence felt in the market and it's time to start giving them the attention they deserve.
I am all for enjoying the succulent sweet ripe fruit as is. But I LOVE cooking with the tart raw mango. The tartness of the raw mango is so different from that of lime or tamarind. I just find it fresher, don't you? It may be my love for the fruit talking.
Vegan Maki Sushi Roll made by rolling avocados, cucumber and carrots in sushi rice and Nori sheets.
Remember here, I spoke of Gee going to Malaysia and shopping in super markets? It paid off, a second time!! It is she who bought me the Nori Sheets and the Sushi Rice all the way from a Japanese store in KL. (You can buy them in Gourmet stores in Bangalore or buy them online).
Well, she looves sushi. And this time she got to eat them sitting at home in her pajamas without worrying if they are really vegetarian. Win-win! I always knew of sushi as a raw fish dish. But the first time I heard of a vegan one was when I was in California and my friend wanted to make me try some. I did not get the chance to try there, but I did try it the first chance I got once I was back in Bangalore and the love affair has continued since. Every single time I see a vegan sushi on the menu, I order it. This was my first time making it at home, but it definitely won't be the last.
Making sushi is really not that difficult, if you have the correct variety of rice. A lot of recipes online say you can use quinoa or brown rice or some other variety of rice. While I'm sure you can work with them if you are a pro at sushi making. For an amateur, sushi rice works best. This rice is very different from the other varieties of rice in my pantry. It is sticky, yet the grains hold their shape. Any Indian rice when cooked to become sticky, will turn mushy and become paste like. And that is definitely a no-no for sushi making. You want to be able to identify the grains, yet have them stick to each other. I was scared when I rolled my first roll, but the rice made it impossible for me to mess it up. So say what you may, according to me it is the rice that is the hero of the sushi. Making the rice is simple, you cook it as per instructions on the packet. Then spread it out in a large bowl or plate and mix in the vinegar, sugar and salt while smashing the rice a little. Adjust the vinegar, sugar and salt to your taste.
Once your rice is ready, you can fill your rolls up with basically anything. Keep it fresh and simple. I filled my rolls with avocado, cucumber and carrots. And for a few, I threw in some sauteed mushrooms as well. The flavor of a sushi comes majorly from the rice and the nori sheets. Nori sheets give the sushi a mild fishy umami flavor.
Note: Sushi is usually rolled with a bamboo mat, but the technique is achievable with a kitchen towel and a plastic wrap. Watch the video for more details!
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Vegan Maki Sushi Roll made by rolling avocados, cucumber and carrots in sushi rice and Nori sheets. Recipe Type:Appetizer Cuisine:Japanese Prep Time:30 minutes Cook time:20 minutes Yield:Serves 3-4. Makes 27-30 individual rolls.
Ingredients:
3 Nori Sheets 1 cup uncooked Sushi Rice 2 cups Water 2 Tbsp Vinegar 1.5 tsp Sugar or Jaggery 0.5 tsp Salt 0.5 Avocado 1 Cucumber 1 Carrot Wasabi paste to serve Soy sauce to serve
Method:
Making the Sushi Rice:
1. Wash and cook the rice as per instructions on the packet. I rinsed the rice once and pressure cooked it with 2 cups of water for 10 minutes on low-medium heat. 2. Once the rice is cooked, remove it into a large steel or wooden bowl or plate. Heat the vinegar in a small pan, add the sugar and salt. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. 3. Add the vinegar to the rice and with a wooden spoon, mix it well. The rice should be sticky, yet retain the grain structure. Allow it to cool.
Making the Avocado Cucumber Carrot Maki Sushi Roll:
4. Slice the avocado and julienne the cucumber and carrot. 5. Take a kitchen towel and spread a plastic sheet on it. I used a clean plastic packet in which I had purchased rice. I cut it into a rectangle and laid it on top of the kitchen towel. 6. Place the nori sheet, shiny side down on the plastic sheet. 7. Take 1/3rd of the rice and place it on the nori sheet. Wet your hands and spread the rice until it covers the nori sheet. Layer it as evenly as you can. It doesn't have to be perfectly even, the rolling later will ensure it spreads evenly. 8. On one edge, place 1/3rd of the cucumber, carrot and avocado. 9. Gently roll the nori sheet until the vegetables are covered. Use the kitchen towel now to compress the vegetables. 10. Continue rolling until the full nori sheet is rolled up. 11. Using the kitchen towel, compress the roll. Turn and compress again. 12. With a sharp wet knife slice the roll into individual maki rolls. Wet the knife between each slice. Do not apply pressure while slicing, make gentle to and fro motions. The roll should be sliced in 2-3 knife movements. 13. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste.
Okay, I know it isn't Valentine's Day yet, but I'm sure you
have already started planning something special for your special someone.
Right?
A lot of people shrug away Valentine's day thinking it is
only for those newly crazily in love who can't keep their hands of each other
types.
But with 10 years of relationship under my belt, I can tell you it does matter even for those
who have quietly slipped away into a routine. And maybe more than the newfound
lovers.
When Raj and I started out, we had so much to talk to each
other about, we did special things for each other, we strived to remember each other
likes and dislikes. Roses were given, chocolates too. Gifts and cards and
plushy toys. Now 10 years later, the conversation usually revolves around what
happened in the day or what is happening around the world. We already know so
much about each other, nothing is new. In a strange way that is comforting, but
there is a lack of surprise. We don't strive to remember the likes and
dislikes, because it is now etched away in the subconscious mind. Gifts have
less whimsy and more practicality. A lot of people call it the boring married
life, I too sometimes. But there is comfort in this "boredom", in
knowing there is someone who cares for you. Someone who will be there for you
when you need it.
But comfort tends to make one complacent and we miss out
appreciating each other as often as we probably should. Hence, days like
Valentine's day are required along with anniversaries and birthdays, just to
celebrate the love you have for each other.
So, I made this Persian Love Cake, a while ago just to celebrate love. I thought it
was perfect to share right around this time. It is a delicious cake made with
almond flour and flavored with middle eastern flavors like cardamom and rose.
This is then topped with citrus syrup and nuts. You can use nuts like
pistachios or almonds. Hazelnuts or cashews may be delicious too. I also added saffron to the
citrus syrup to give a more orange hue.
This cake is one of the simplest I have ever made. No
whipping, no creaming. Just mix all the dry ingredients with the wet
ingredients. Allow it to rest. Then bake it. Prepare the syrup while the cake
bakes. Brush brush brush and top with nuts. It is a simple yet flavorful cake.
My family loved it, and I hope yours does too.
I substituted half the almonds with semolina considering the cost of almonds. To get a richer and gluten-free cake, just use almonds.
You can serve this cake with whipped cream or Greek yogurt
or your favorite vanilla ice cream. Or just plain, like I did.
P.S. Not all our gifts are practical. The man got me this little fella from Thailand cause I always wanted a tiger cub!! Isn't he adorable?
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Persian love cake is an eggless rose and cardamom flavored cake made with almond flour and semolina. Brushed with orange syrup and topped with chopped nuts. Persian love cake is an eggless rose and cardamom flavored cake made with almond flour and semolina. Brushed with orange syrup and topped with chopped nuts.
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
0.75 cup Yogurt (thick Curd)
4 Tbsp Oil
3 Tbsp Rose Water
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
0.75 cups Fine semolina (Chiroti Rava)
0.5 cups Whole Almonds or 0.75 cups Almond Flour
0.75 cup Powdered Sugar
0.25 tsp Baking Soda
0.75 tsp Baking Powder
0.75 tsp Baking Powder
1-2 Tbsp granulated Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Water
Few Saffron strands
Oil to grease the cake tin
Flour to dust the cake tin
Chopped pistachios for decoration
Dried rose petals for decoration
Method:
In a large bowl, whisk oil, yogurt and rose water until combined.
Add in the cardamom powder, semolina and powdered almonds.
Add 3-4 Tbsp of the powdered sugar and mix well until combined. Add more sugar if required.
Mix well. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celcius.
Add the baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
Spray the cake tin with oil or rub oil in it using paper towel or your fingers.
Dust it with flour.
Pour in the cake batter and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Remove from the tin after 2-3 minutes and keep aside to cool.
Juice the orange.
Add sugar and 1-2 Tbsp water to a pan on stove and cook until the sugar dissolves.
Add the orange juice and saffron.
Boil for 3-5 minutes until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Brush the cake with the syrup.
Decorate with chopped pistachios or almonds and serve.
The Sun dried Potato Chips are the BEST, seriously guys!!!
Who doesn't love potato chips? I'm sure even the Victoria Secrets models who are eternally on a diet wouldn't mind sneaking one in, once in a while. There are so many varieties of potato chips or crisps or whatever else you might want to call them, but I assure you, this is the best. Cause of course, you will make them yourself. And tell me if I'm wrong, but anything homemade tastes so much better than the preservative loaded air filled packet stuff.
Recently, I was reading this really old article on Reddit about what surprised non Americans when they visited the USA, I was definitely surprised with the vastness of the country and the enormous food portions. But something that definitely got me crazy was the size of the Potato Chips packets. I think they are as tall as toddlers. Why are they so big? Are they meant to be family packs? If yes, how large is this family? Don't people get bored of the flavor after going through quarter of the packet? Or is it meant to last a month? I did not get that at all. I went a little nuts over the number of flavors though, you get every flavor under the sun.
Back to the Sun, that's really the focal point today. Did I tell you how the Sun cheated us this year?We had the shortest summer ever, just ONE month. Just April. Summer came and went in the blink of an eye. Summer gets replaced by Monsoons in this part of the world and then everyday is just a dull cloudy day dotted with spells of rain. Usually, I'm a big fan of the rains, I simply love how everything turns bright green, and that fragrance when the rain hits the earth is simply divine. And rains, means deep fried deliciousness and loads of hot cups of chai. But this year I was a little disappointed. I had so many things planned for Summer, and I could barely scramble them in, in a month. But what I did manage to do , was sun dry some potatoes.
You may have only heard of sun dried tomatoes, but believe me sun dried potatoes are even better!! And people have been doing it for ages, just not me though. This was my first and definitely not my last attempt. Potatoes barely take 3-4 days to dry and the drying makes them intense and all the more potatoey (if that were a word).
So...
STEP 1 - Wash, peel, and slice the potatoes.
STEP 2 - Soak the slices in salted boiling water until they are just about done.
STEP 3 - Lay them out on a cloth to dry in the sun.
STEP 4 - Deep fry them and toss them in salt and chilli powder.
Step 4 can be done months later. The chips can be stored for 3-4 months easily if stored in a clean dry air tight container. The good thing here is, you can decide how much to fry, you don't need to fry the entire batch at once and worry about them going soft, however, I assure you, that is not a problem, coz like all potato chips, these are irresistible.
Some tips to make sure your potato sun drying turns out to be the best...
1) Do not slice the potatoes very thin like you would for regular chips. These need to be around 2mm.
2) As you slice the chips, put them in water so they don't darken due to oxidization.
3) The chips are soaked in boiling water until they are just about done. If you take them out too quickly, the chips will darken while drying. If you leave them in there too long, they will be completely cooked. So you need to drain them out in 5-8 minutes. Squeeze a chip in between your thumb and index finger and the chip should give when you apply a little pressure. If it does not, it still needs to be cooked, if it gives too soon, it is overcooked.
4) Dry on a cloth, not a tray or plate or paper. The chips will stick to whatever you have placed under it, and removing them from a tray or paper can be difficult. Preferably, use a white cloth or a light colored one as you don't want color running onto the chips.
5) If the chips turn black on the edges or in small spots, you can still use them, just make sure these are the ones you fry first.
6) If you don't have enough sun, place them in the shade, they will dry there as well, but will take much longer.
And last, you can flavor these chips with whatever flavor you like - curry, mint, oregano etc. Just do it immediately after frying while the chips are still hot so the flavor sticks to them. Or you can just salt them and enjoy the potato flavor to its maximum.
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
3-4 medium sized Potatoes Salt to taste Red Chilli powder to taste Water as required Oil for deep frying
Method:
Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes to about 2mm thickness and immerse in water to prevent them from browning. Boil water in a large pot, add salt. Once it comes to a rolling boil, lower heat and add the potato slices to it. Boil for 2-3 minutes then turn off the heat. Let the potato slices soak for 5-8 minutes. Squeeze a slice between your thumb and index finger and it should give slightly after you apply a little pressure. If it does not, allow it to soak longer. If it gives too quickly, it has overcooked, remove from water immediately. Drain the potato chips and lay them out on a white cloth in the sun. Cover with a light muslin cloth to prevent dust from settling on to the chips. You can dry them in shade as well. Leave it in the sun for 3-4 days or until completely dried. Store in a clean dry air tight container. It can be stored for 3-4 months. When you want to eat the chips, deep fry them and toss with salt and chilli powder immediately.
Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style Honey Cake is made by soaking an orange sponge cake with honey syrup and then topping it with a jam-coconut frosting
Flashback to April 2002, 15 years and 1 month ago, I was in Bangalore with my dad, all set to answer the Common Entrance Test (CET) that would give me a chance to study Engineering in Karnataka. Because I took so long to decide that I want to answer CET, all the hotels we knew of were full. My aunt came to our rescue and arranged for us to stay at her sister's place. Her family was extremely hospitable, so before we left, we asked them what their favorite sweet was so we could it buy it for them as a gift. Their response was - Honey Cake, a complete novelty to me.
Honey Cake is a Bangalore special. It is not something you will get in the gourmet high end bakeries, it is something that is available in the humble Iyengar Bakeries that dot the old city. A simple orange sponge that is soaked in a sweet honey syrup, topped with a jam coconut frosting is what this sweet treat is all about.
I had completely forgotten about this beauty until I went to the bakery randomly to buy some bread and saw them bring out a tray full of fresh honey cake. I had to have it!!! Unfortunately, the cake wasn't eggless and that prevented us from enjoying it then and there. So the food blogger was given the task of making the cake at home so all could enjoy it. I'm happy to say I did not disappoint. The cake was very similar to that memory of 2002. The only little tip I have is let that cake soak for a few hours. The syrup needs to soak up the entire cake and not just the bottom. Eating it immediately (like we impatient bunch did), will not let the honey permeate through the cake. If you cannot resist the cake (like us, again), just keep a bowl of syrup nearby and just drizzle it over the sides of the piece of cake while you eat.
Soooo, let's break down the Honey Cake:
ORANGE SPONGE CAKE - The base of the whole cake, well, is the cake. This orange sponge was sooo delicious that I could eat it just like that over a cup of tea. In fact, I will, very soon, just when I feel I've denied myself of sufficient number of calories to bake a cake again. Until then, I just live with the memory of this yummy orange sponge. This sponge is so simple to make, you could have a kid do it. No creaming butter until your arm aches. Just 6 simple ingredients, hand whisked until combined. I used freshly squeezed Orange Juice in my cake, 2 not so juicy oranges gave me half a cup of OJ. Use more to get a more pronounced Orange flavor. I know I will. If you dislike oranges, however, just skip it and use water in place of it.
HONEY SYRUP - This syrup isn't like your regular syrups. It is not boiled until you get a certain thread consistency. Just mix honey in warm water and your syrup is ready. Tastes purely of honey.
JAM COCONUT FROSTING - Use whichever jam you want. The cake you get in bakeries seem to use mixed fruit, so I used mixed fruit. But I know I would love a mango jam to go with this cake. Heat together the jam and desiccated coconut (dry) along with a little water or honey syrup to make the frosting. The consistency should be slightly loose so it is easy to spread. You can buy desiccated coconut from the supermarket or you can just grate dry coconut using a fine grater to make your own. Top the frosted cake with more of this desiccated coconut to make it more coconut-y.
I have a Video Recipe for you too:
Video Recipe
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
1.5 cup all purpose Flour (Maida) 1 cup + 2 Tbsp sweetened Condensed Milk 0.5 cup fresh Orange Juice 0.5 cup Oil 1 tsp Baking Powder 0.5 tsp Baking Soda
For the Honey Syrup:
0.5 cup Water 3 Tbsp Honey
For the Jam Coconut Frosting:
2 Tbsp mixed fruit Jam 1.5 Tbsp Water or Honey Syrup 3 Tbsp dry desiccated Coconut
Others
3 Tbsp dry desiccated Coconut
Method:
To make the Orange Sponge Cake:
Add baking powder and bakind soda to the flour and mix well. Add orange juice, oil and sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined and smooth. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Grease a cake mould or baking tin and dust it with flour until coated. Remove the excess flour by upturning the tin. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, the cake is done, else, let is bake a little longer.
To make the Honey Syrup:
Mix the honey in warm water and keep aside.
To make the Jam-Coconut Frosting:
Heat the jam in a pan and add the desiccated coconut. Loosen the jam-coconut mixture by adding a little water or honey syrup. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. The frosting should be smooth without any lumps of jam in it.
To assemble the Honey Cake:
Remove from heat and keep aside. Prick the cake with a toothpick or a fork to create holes. Pour half to 3/4th of the syrup onto the cake and allow it to soak. You can keep the cake aside at this point for 30-60 minutes and then pour the remaining syrup on the cake. Spread the jam-coconut frosting on the cake. Top with more dry desiccated coconut and chill until ready to serve.
Pani Puri recipe with step by step Video instructions. The KING of Indian Street food - Pani Puri or Golgappa or Puchka. Crispy fried dough balls stuffed with a potato pea mash, sweet tamarind chutney and a chilled spicy coriander-mint water.
What kind of a place would the world be if there was no street food? Boring???
I think Street Food talks a lot more than Restaurant food. Street food is like the soul of the place. You learn so much more about the culture and people just by looking at the street food being sold. While restaurant food is usually mellowed down and modified to suit the palate of the customers it serves, street food is bold and original. If you haven't eaten street food, you probably haven't tasted the city yet.
India wouldn't be India if it were not for its "Chaat". Chaat refers to a variety of savory sweet tangy food sold on the roadsides from either small stalls or little food carts. And according to me, the most popular Chaat has always been - Pani Puri, also known as Golgappa in the North and Puchka towards the East. Names may vary, but the love for this dish does not. You can find Pani Puri being sold in every nook and corner of any city in India. But each one has their own favorite stall that they are extremely loyal to. Our favorite, is the Bihari guy outside a supermarket in Jayanagar 4th Block. He makes the crispest puri there is. I have never made my own Puris, that is an experiment for some other day. Buying is a lot easier.
Puris are crispy hollow balls made of deep fried dough. These balls are gently tapped with fingers to make a hole on one side. Then comes the stuffing, the stuffing varies according to the region you are in. It can be a potato mash, potato-green pea mash, sprouts, black chana, chickpeas etc. A little bit of this stuffed is stuffed into the puri. Then comes the celebration - the Pani or water. The Pani awakens every teeny weeny taste bud in your mouth. It is sour, it is spicy, it is salty. Made of mint, coriander, tamarind, chillies and spices, it is a flavor bomb. One of the essential ingredients for making the perfect pani is Black Salt or Kala Namak. A funky smelling salt that has its origin in the Himalayas. The pani is stirred before dipping the puri in it to fill up the puri with this wonderful Pani. Now if you want, you can add jaggery or sugar to the Pani to make it slightly sweet, or you can make the Date Tamarind Chutney like it is traditionally done and spoon in a little of it along with the Pani to get a slightly sweet Pani Puri. Keeping the sweet chutney separate from the Pani allows you to adjust the sweetness according to each individual's taste.
Once the puri is filled with the pani, it has to be eaten immediately. Eating a Pani Puri can be tricky if you have never had it. You have to eat the puri in one go. It is like a filled water balloon, you try to cut it in half and all the water will be out and you will be left with a soggy puri.
My love for Pani Puri comes from my Dad. He never missed a chance to eat a plate of pani puri, neither does Raj. When I am shopping for weekly groceries at the super market, he's outside sneaking a plate of pani puri. In this one matter, we are definitely made for each other. We are 2 bottomless holes when it comes to pani puris. We can just keep on going!!
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Pani Puri | Golgappa | Puchka is an Indian Street food or Chaat item in which crispy fried dough balls are stuffed with mashed potatoes, spicy coriander-mint water and a sweet tamarind chutney.
Recipe Type:Snacks Cuisine:Indian Prep Time:8 hours (includes soaking time for peas) Cook time:45 minutes Yield:Makes 100
Author:Anupama
Ingredients:
To make the Pani:
0.75 -1 cup chopped Coriander leaves 0.75 -1 cup chopped Mint leaves 1 litre cold Water Lemon sized piece of Tamarind 2-3 green Chillies 1 tsp Cumin Powder 2 tsp Chaat Masala Black Salt to taste
To make the Potato-Pea Stuffing:
5-6 Potatoes 3/4 cup dried Green Peas 1 tsp Chaat Masala Salt to taste Water as required
1. Soak the dried green peas overnight or for 6-8 hours. 2. Drain and boil them until done. I usually pressure cook them for 2-3 whistles. 3. Boil and peel the potatoes. 4. Mash together the potatoes and the green peas. 5. Add in salt and chaat masala and mix well. Keep it slightly under seasoned as the pani is already salty.
To make the Pani:
6. Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for 15 minutes and squeeze out the liquid. Remove the pulp and keep the tamarind juice aside. 7. Blend together the coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilli with a little water into a smooth puree. 8. Add the puree to 1 litre of water , preferably cold. 9. Add the cumin powder, tamarind juice, black salt and chaat masala to taste.
Chill the green pani in the fridge until serving. Alternately, you can add ice to the pani to serve immediately. 10. Strain the water before serving.
To Assemble the Pani Puri:
11. Gently tap a hole in the puri using your finger. 12. Spoon in the potato stuffing into the puri. 13. Now pour in the date tamarind chutney if you like the pani puri to be slightly sweet. 14. Spoon in the green pani and eat immediately.
and the 
all the way from a Japanese store in KL. (You can buy them in Gourmet stores in Bangalore or buy them 
, sugar and salt while smashing the rice a little. Adjust the vinegar, sugar and salt to your taste.
, 
and 
.
