vinaya - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Sol Kadhi Recipe

Posted on May 5, 2018 by vinaya

Sol Kadhi is a digestive made from Kokum/Garcinia Indica extract. A coolant and a delicious drink, the seasoning to the Kadhi depends on individual preference. Some prefer to season it with hing/asafoetida and some like it with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves. I like mine with crushed garlic and green chillies and garnished with coriander leaves. It can be served as an appetizer or along with a meal.

Ingredients :

1/2 of a large coconut
3 tbsps Kokum agal/extract
2 green chillies
5 garlic cloves
Salt
Coriander leaves

Method :

Grind the coconut to a fine paste with water. Extract the coconut milk. Strain and keep aside the first extract. Add half a glass of water again to the residue and grind. Strain again and add the first and second extract together. Crush the green chillies, garlic and salt and after straining it, tip it into the coconut milk. Add the Kokum agal , salt and chopped coriander leaves. Serve chilled.

Batata vada/Aloo/Potato Bonda Recipe

Posted on May 4, 2018May 5, 2018 by vinaya

Batata Vada or Aloo Bonda is a famous Mumbai street food, but today it is popular all over India. Served either with a spicy garlic chutney, or with a mint and coriander one, it can be relished on it’s own as it has all the spices added to it.

Ingredients :

6 potatoes
8 green chillies
2 inch piece of ginger
7 garlic cloves
Coriander leaves
3 tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard
2 sprigs curry leaves
Juice of half a lemon
Salt
1 heaped cup Besan/ Bengal Gram flour/Chickpea flour
3 tbsps rice flour
1/2 tsp Haldi/turmeric powder
A pinch of soda bi carb.
1/2 tsp Asafoetida /Hing
Oil for frying

Method :

Pressure cook the potatoes. Deskin them and mash them roughly. Make a coarse paste of the ginger garlic and green chillies. Heat 3 tbsps oil. Add a spoon of mustard and after it splutters add the curry leaves. Drop in the ginger, garlic, green chilly paste and sauté for a minute. Drop in 1/4 tsp of haldi and immediately add the mashed potatoes. Add salt. Mix thoroughly and heat well. Add the chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice to it. Mix and keep aside to cool. When cool make balls out of the potato mixture. Keep aside. Take the Besan, rice flour, 1/4 tsp haldi, soda bi carb, asafoetida and salt in a bowl. Add enough water to make a batter which is thick enough to coat the potato balls. The batter should not be runny. Keep aside for ten minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Drop the potato balls in the batter, coat them well and then gently slide them into the hot oil three at a time. Deep fry to a rich golden yellow. Serve with chutney or ketchup.

Aamras Poori Recipe

Posted on May 2, 2018 by vinaya

Aamras Poori is yet another delicacy in Western India. Sweetened Mango pulp is enjoyed with Poori. Any ocassion is incomplete without serving Poori Aamras during the Mango season. The recipe of Aamras/Mango Puree as well as that of Poori can be found in this website.

Aamras /Mango Puree Recipe

Poori Recipe

Aamras /Mango Puree Recipe

Posted on May 1, 2018 by vinaya

Aamras or Mango Puree is a favourite with Indians. The best Aamras is from the Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango. Fragrant and sweet, it is a class apart! Here Mango is deskinned, chopped and run through a sieve to get thick pulp. Powdered sugar is added as per requirement. A mix of two varieties of mangoes is also preferred by some. Aamras is enjoyed with Poori or used in milkshakes and smoothies.

Ingredients :

12 Alphonso Mangoes
Sugar as per taste

Method :

Deskin the mangoes. Chop them and place them in a sieve. Keep rubbing them with your fingers or with the back of a spoon. The smooth pulp runs through the sieve. Collect it in a vessel and add required amount of powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate.

Note: Never use the mixer or blender to puree the mangoes. The heat of the gadget ruins the taste of the mango puree.

Jackfruit and Semolina Fritters Recipe

Posted on May 1, 2018May 1, 2018 by vinaya

The aroma of ripe Jackfruit fried in ghee is simply tantalizing!! Posting sweet jackfruit fritters today which are crunchy on the outside but have a soft melt in the mouth inside!!! They can be had as a dessert or served as a tea time snack too.

Ingredients :

12 segments of Jackfruit
2 tbsps grated coconut
Semolina/Rava
Jaggery
Cardamom powder
Ghee/clarified butter
Salt

Method :

Remove the seeds from the Jackfruit. Grind the Jackfruit along with the coconut to a smooth paste. Add a pinch of salt and as much jaggery as per your preference. Tip in semolina a little at a time, so that you can bind it together. Add Cardamom powder as per requirement. Keep aside for ten minutes. The semolina absorbs the moisture. The batter should be slightly more stiff than dropping consistency. If you find the batter still a little too soft, add more semolina and set aside for another ten minutes. Heat ghee in a pan. Drop in tiny portions of the batter into the hot ghee and fry on a medium flame to a deep golden brown.

Rice Kheer Recipe

Posted on April 30, 2018 by vinaya

Rice Kheer is a popular dessert prepared all over India. Known by different names like Kheer, Doodhpak or Paal Paysam, it is thick, creamy and utterly delicious. Fragrant Basmathi rice is the best choice for making kheer.

Ingredients :

1 litre milk
100 gms Basmathi rice
16 tsps sugar
1 large pinch kesar/saffron
1 tsp Cardamom powder

A few cashewnuts and kishmish roasted in ghee to a golden brown.

Method:
Wash and soak the Basmathi rice for about fifteen minutes. Add the sugar to the milk and bring it to a boil in the pressure cooker. Allow it to boil upto five whistles. After the pressure has been released add the rice and cook upto three whistles. Add the kesar, roasted cashewnuts and raisins. Boil for a couple of minutes and then add the Cardamom powder. Switch off. Cover and keep aside for about 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. By cooking in the pressure cooker, the milk takes on a pleasant pinkish hue.

Microwave Cake Vanilla Flavour Recipe

Posted on April 30, 2018June 26, 2020 by vinaya

Baking cakes has never been my forte, the main handicap being my aversion to eggs. I did try a couple of eggless bakes, but they did not appeal to me. This time I tried my hand at a simple Vanilla flavoured cake by Pillsbury which was more to my satisfaction. Since it is a pre mix, I just followed the instructions on the pack. The only addition I made was dusting it with desiccated coconut to make it look appealing.

Sago Pearl/Sabudana Kheer Recipe

Posted on April 29, 2018 by vinaya

A variety of dishes can be made from Sago pearls/Sabudana. It is known for its cooling properties and also given to convalescents as it is light on the stomach. A kanji or porridge is fed to infants during the hot summers. Posting a kheer today.

Ingredients :

1 litre milk
100 gms Sago pearls/sabudana
12 tsps sugar
1 large pinch kesar/saffron
1 tsp Cardamom powder
A few cashewnuts and kishmish roasted in ghee to a golden brown.

Method :

Boil the milk and add the washed and drained Sago pearls to it. Keep boiling on a gentle flame till they are cooked. Add the sugar, kesar, roasted cashewnuts and raisins. Boil for a couple of minutes and then add the Cardamom powder. Switch off. Cover and keep aside for about 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Serve hot or chilled.

Thali Meal – 2

Posted on April 29, 2018 by vinaya

A traditional Konkani Thali of Rice, Dalithoy, Peas and Potato Stir fry, Potato Papad, Baby Eggplant Sagllein, Salted limes, Rice Kheer, Mango and Buttermilk.

The recipes to all can be found on this website.

Baby Eggplant Sagllein Recipe

Posted on April 29, 2018 by vinaya

This baby Eggplant Sagllein is a Konkani delicacy. Tiny Eggplant / Brinjal is stuffed with coconut Masala and finely chopped raw onions and then sautéed in a seasoning of coconut oil and mustard. Goes well with Rice, Roti or even with Bread.

Ingredients :

250 gms small variety Brinjal
1/2 of a small coconut
1 large onion
2 tbsps coriander seeds
25 seeds of methi/Fenugreek
15 roasted Byadgi chillies
1tbsp tamarind paste
Salt
3 tbsps Coconut oil
1 tsp mustard

Method :

Wash the Brinjal. Remove the stem and slit them into four keeping the base intact. Chop the onion fine. Roast the coriander seeds and methi in a tsp of oil till they turn golden brown. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind and the roasted coriander and methi seeds to a coarse paste. Drop in the chopped onions and salt in the coarsely ground paste and mix thoroughly. Stuff this masala into the brinjals . Keep aside. Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add a spoon of mustard. After it splutters switch off the gas and place all the stuffed brinjals in the seasoning. Tip in the remaining masala. Add a large glass of water and allow to boil. Transfer into the microwave and cook till done. Alternatively you can cook it on a gentle flame in the pan itself.