Baked Somashe

Festivals are always about food, aren't they? When I know a certain festival is coming up, I plan what I'm going to make. This year, Gowri Tritiya and Ganesh Chaturthi came on the same day. (I doubt I will ever understand the Indian calendar system!) So, while we performed both the pujas in the morning, I decided to make Tritiya food for lunch and Chaturthi food for dinner. (Including dali saar and Patrodo.)

I decided to take it easy and brought the chaklis from a store. I then decided to take it even easier and use readymade wonton wrappers for the somashe. And given how sultry it was, I chose to bake them. They taste almost nothing like the hand rolled, deep fried versions. In fact, these are more like cookies with their caramelized sugary flavour and that crunch. I would definitely make these again.

20-22 Wonton wrappers

For the filling:

1 1/8 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

3/4 cup Coconut, scraped

1/2 cup Cream of Wheat (Rava/Sooji)

1/4 cup Cashews

1 tsp Cardamom powder

2 tbsp Sesame Seeds

Roast the coconut, cream of wheat and sesame seeds individually and keep aside.

Make a sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency with the sugar and water. Add the coconut, sesame and cream of wheat along with the cashews and cardamom powder. Mix well and allow to cool.

Place a wonton wrapper inside a somashi press. Place some filling on one half and dab a little water along the edges. Cover with the other half and close the press and hold it down. Remove the somashi from the press, remove the excess wrapper and seal the edges again with your fingers (just to be doubly sure!). Place on a damp towel and cover. Repeat with the other wrappers.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Place these on a greased baking tray and bake for 7 minutes. Turn each somashi over and bake for another 7 minutes. Your almost "no-sweat" somashe are ready! This post is late for Ganesh Chaturthi, but by the time you get to read this, I would be attending the Visarjan puja at my uncle's place in Matunga. I hope you all had a good Teyi/Chavati.

Panchratni Dal

For the longest time, I cooked with only Toor Dal. At best, I'd make this moong dal preparation. I have tried very often to cook with other dals and I find that mixing them up is the way that works well with me. The flavours are part known and part unknown. So, I know for a fact that I won't be completely repulsed by a new flavour.

This is one such mixed dal. I got the idea from one of Tarla Dalal's books (yet again!), but have modified it and made it many times. It is a great hit at office and at home. I felt the need to impress my parents with some "wow" food. I served this at lunch when they were visiting and they were impressed. The dal isn't too spicy nor too mild. It is one of those dishes that make you say, 'Just perfect!"

1/2 cup Mixed Dals (Moong, Masoor, Urad, Chana and Toor)
1 tsp Cumin
1 Onion, chopped
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Coriander, chopped
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste

For the tempering:

1 tbsp Butter
1 Tomato, chopped

1/2 cup Curd

1/4 tsp Garam Masala

Wash the dals and soak them for about 30 minutes.

In a pressure pan, heat the ghee and add the cumin. When the cumin starts to crackle, add the onion and fry for about 2-3 minutes. Drain the water from the dals and add this to the onion mixture. Fry together for about a minute and add about 2-3 cups of water. Cover and cook for 3 whistles. Open the lid after the pressure has been released and add the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook this mixture until the dal thickens. Mash the dals.

In another pan, melt the butter and add the chopped tomato. When the tomato has cooked a bit, add the curd and the garam masala and cook for a minute or so. Add this to the dal. Garnish with chopped coriander and enjoy the dal with rotis or rice.

I'm sending this to Barbara's event A Taste of Yellow with a hope to help raise awareness for cancer on a global level.

Pumpkin and Mixed Vegetable Soup

Every once in a while, I find that I have to cook for just myself. Either S isn't home for dinner or he's traveling. I don't like to cook up a storm on those days unless I have friends coming over. Soups come to my rescue at such times. I don't believe in there being the "right weather" for soup. There isn't a right weather for rice or rotis, so why single out soups.

I had some chopped yellow pumpkin in the freezer. I decided to make pumpkin soup with that. But I also noticed some mixed vegetables. It was too small a quantity to be used anywhere else, so I decided to add them to the soup.

1 cup Pumpkin, diced

1/2 cup Mixed Vegetables, chopped (Carrots, Beans, Peas)

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 tsp Parsley
1/4 tsp Basil

1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes

1/4 tsp Garlic, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pressure pan and add the onion. Fry till the pieces turn translucent. Add the pumpkin pieces and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the chilli flakes, basil, parsley, and garlic. Add the mixed vegetables along with some salt and a little water. Cover and cook for 2-3 whistles.

When cool, blend the vegetable mixture in a liquidizer with a little milk. Transfer this to a vessel and add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy this soup as it is, or with some toast to make it a complete meal!

Blueberry Cake

Birthdays without cake. To me, it is almost like going through college and not earning a degree at the end of it. There's a certain feeling of incompleteness. There are many people I meet who tell me I should grow up and not worry so much about cake on a birthday. There's no fun in growing up, if it means you have to live without cake, is there?

So, although we returned home after a six hour drive. And although I didn't sleep on the way (and in fact drove along the NH1 for a good bit), and although I had to make dinner after we got home (we were sick of eating out for 3 days), I decided I had to bake a cake before midnight and have S cut it. And he did. (In many ways, it is a good thing I don't have to look at a cookbook for a basic cake anymore!) My regular camera conked out on our trip and I am using this very basic camera now. So, please ignore the bad pictures. (Plus, my hand shook and this camera has no image stabilizer!)

1 cup Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Oil

1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence

1 Egg, beaten

1/2 cup Dried Blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400F (200 C).

Prepare an 8 inch square cake tin by greasing it and dusting it with flour.

Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a mixing bowl, add the egg, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla essence. Beat well together. Add the flour mixture to this and blend well. Fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife/skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean.

Methi Mangodi

I bought some mangodis for the first time two years ago. The store manager of the supermarket where I picked it up was really nice and he even told me how to cook the stuff. I have not really made the dish he told me about, but I liked the fact that he took the trouble to explain stuff to me. One day, I shall blog about his recipe.

When it comes to trying out new Gujarati or Rajasthani food, I always stick to my favourite. I picked this recipe from Tarla Dalal's Rajasthani Cookbook. I modified it to suit my taste and we had it for lunch with chapatis. Here I am, sharing this wonderful recipe with all of you.

According to Tarla Dalal (www.tarladalal.com): Mangodis are sun-dried grape sized dumplings made from soaked and ground moong dal or sometimes from urad dal. Due to scarcity of vegetables, the ingenious Rajasthanis use different forms of pulses to whip up healthy and tasty meals. Mangodis or moong dal badis are often used to rustle up several tasty and mouth-watering recipes.

1 bunch Fenugreek Leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Mangodi, crushed
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Ginger Paste

1 tsp Chilli Paste
1 tsp Coriander Powder

1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Curd, beaten
1 tsp Sugar
4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste



Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the ginger-green chilli paste and stir for a minute. Add the mangodi and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves and fry for 5 - 7 minutes. Add the coriander powder, milk, curds, sugar, turmeric powder, salt and ½ cup of water and bring to a boil while stirring continuously.


Pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles or until the mangodis are soft and cooked. Serve immediately with rotis.

Mixed Vegetable Ricotta Quiche

A few weeks ago, S and I were running around to make sure we filed our IT returns in time. We left home after a good breakfast and hoped to return by lunch time. That wasn't to happen. When we were done with all our little errands, including our returns, we were famished. We stopped by for a quick bite at the newly opened coffee shop: Mocha. I've been to Mocha in other cities, but I loved the look and feel of this one, just one street away.

I ordered a garden vegetable pie and loved every bite of it. It came doused in some mushroom bechamel sauce. Absolutely divine! I realised that I hadn't baked savoury pies, tarts or quiches in ages. In fact, the last time I baked a vegetable pie was at least 7-8 years ago. Inspired by that garden vegetable pie and this quiche, I decided to make this quiche for lunch today.

1/2 cup Flour

1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour / Atta

1/3 cup Margarine

2-3 tbsp Ice Cold Water

1 tsp Chilli Flakes

1 tsp Basil

1 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Salt

Oil for greasing the tart tin

Grease the tart tin.

Place the flours, salt, chilli flakes, herbs, and margarine in a bowl and mix together till the mixture resembles small peas. Gradually add the water and knead gently till it forms a dough. (Do not knead as you would for chapati/poori dough.) Chill the dough for about 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough and place it in the tart tin. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes. (You may use baking beans to help retain the shape of the tarts. I used some dried lentils and that I use only for this purpose.)

For the filling:

1 Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Mixed Vegetables, chopped and cooked (Carrots, Beans, Potatoes)
1/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Flour
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 tsp Parsley
1/2 tsp Basil
2 tsp Chilli flakes
1/2 tsp Garlic Paste
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 slice Low Fat Cheese (optional)

1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese

1 Egg

1/4 cup Milk

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and fry for a minute. Add the parsley, basil and chilli flakes and fry for another minute. Add the flour and fry without browning the flour. Add the mushrooms and fry for about 30 seconds. (Do not fry the mushrooms for too long as the water in them gets released.) Add the vegetables along with the milk and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring continuously. If adding cheese, add it at this point and stir the sauce well. As the sauce thickens, add the salt and pepper. Cool and blend in the ricotta cheese.

In a bowl, beat the egg and add the milk.

To proceed, fill the semi baked quiche shell with the filling. Pour the egg-milk mixture and return to the oven. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes or until the top is firm and browned. Carefully remove from the tart tin and serve.

I suppose I could have served this with some bechamel sauce, or with a salad, or something like that. But this was so tempting when it came out of the oven that we cut it up and ate it right away!

Eggless Chocolate Almond Cookies

Janmashtami! One of the more important festivals for my family. There seemed to be some confusion with the dates. Apparently, it was to be celebrated on the 13th, but everyone around me at work, was celebrating it on the 14th. Then Amma dropped the bombshell last afternoon. She said some folks were celebrating it next month. So, it didn't seem wrong to celebrate it on the 14th after all.

I didn't have the day off as many people in the city did. I thought a lot about what I wanted to make. Two years ago, I made chocolate chip buns for little Krishna. My philosophy is that had Krishna lived in this day and age, as a child he'd have loved Cadbury's. Along the same line of thought, I decided to make chocolate almond fudge this year. But I changed my mind and decided to bake cookies instead. They turned out absolutely divine and I do hope that Krishna had a bite too. A plate of chocolate almond cokies was my neivedyam this year.

¾ cup(generous) Flour

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

1/8 tsp Cooking Soda

¼ cup Powdered Sugar

1/3 cup (generous) Ghee (Clarified Butter)

1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence

2 tbsp Almonds, slivered

Cream the sugar and the ghee until well blended.

Sift the flour with the soda. Add this to the sugar-ghee mixture. Add the vanilla essence. Make a dough and divide into small balls. Flatten each ball onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 C.

Allow to cool and enjoy.