Summer special

This dessert does not require any cooking. It is made with coconut milk and few fruits available during this season.  Yellow banana, ripe mangoes and ripe jack fruit make a great combination for this recipe.
Ingredients:
Grated coconut – 1cup
Yellow banana -1
Jack fruit pieces – few
Ripe mango – 1
Sugar -1tsp
Raisins -few (for garnishing)

Method:
Soak the grated coconut in half cup of warm water for few seconds. Grind it in a blender and strain it. It will yield half cup of coconut milk.
Grind the jack fruit and sugar finely. Add it to the coconut milk. Top it with mango and banana pieces. Garnish with raisins.
Note: Coconut milk can be chilled before adding the jackfruit pulp.

Mixed Thepla

Thepla is a Gujarati snack food. This spicy flat bread is made with whole wheat flour, fenugreek leaves and grated bottle gourd. It is flavoured with carom seeds, asfoetida and chilli powder.  In India, carom seeds or bishop's weed is known as Ajwain and omam.

Ingredients:
Fresh Fenugreek leaves - 2 cup
Whole wheat flour - 6 cup
Grated bottle gourd - 1 cup
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Carom seeds -1 tsp
Asafoetida -1/2 tsp
Salt  and oil -As required

Method:
Combine all the ingredients and knead into soft dough without using water. Rest it for 10 minutes. Knead again using little oil and divide it into equal balls. Roll out the balls into thin flat breads.
Heat a griddle and cook the flat bread on both sides using little oil. Serve with cheese spread or tomato sauce.
  

Kadamba Sambhar

 This is a different sambhar that has vegetables, and two lentils. It goes well with rice and flat bread.


1.    Mixed Vegetable- 100gms
2.    Chick pea - 1/4 cup(soaked overnight)
3.    Split pigeon pea - 1.1/2 cups
4.    Tamarind Pulp – 1cup
5.    Sambhar powder – 3tsps
6.    Turmeric powder – 2tsps
7.    Asafoetida powder - 1/2tsp
8.    Mustard seeds – 1tsp
9.    Sugar – 1tsp
10.    Grated coconut – 4tsps
11.    Chopped coriander leaves – 2tsps
12.    Curry leaves - few
13.    Oil and salt - as required
Method:
Cook the chick pea in a pressure cooker till soft. Cook the split pigeon pea with asafoetida and one teaspoon of turmeric powder. Mash it well and keep it aside.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When it crackles add the grated coconut and fry till brown.
Dilute the tamarind pulp with two cups of water. Add the balance turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Cook the vegetables in it. Then add the cooked chick peas and sambhar powder. Add more water and bring it to pouring consistency. Simmer for few seconds. Garnish with curry leaves, coriander leaves and fried coconut.

Crispy corn balls

This is an easy to make snack, which uses fresh fenugreek leaves and corn.

Ingredients:
Chick pea flour -2cups
Grated fresh corn -1cup
Onion - 1(finely chopped)
Green chillies -3(finely chopped)
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps
Chopped fenugreek leaves -5tsps
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:
Mix everything except the oil. Make stiff dough by adding few spoonful’s of water little by little. Divide equally and make round balls out of it. Deep fry them in batches on medium heat. Serve with tomato sauce.

Note: Fresh corn can also be ground coarsely in a blender.

Spicy spinach potato gravy

This looks bland, but it is very spicy. It goes well with flat bread or steamed rice.

Ingredients:

Spinach - 1 bunch

Potatoes -100gms

Curry powder/garam masala -3tsps

Chopped onions - 2cup

cumin seeds -1tsp

Garlic paste -1tsp

Green chillies -2(finely chopped)

Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps

Salt and oil -As required

Method:

Boil the potatoes with the jacket. Peel and mashed it. Set it aside. Wash and chop the spinach finely. In a frying pan, fry the cumin seeds in little oil. Then add the onions. Fry for few seconds. Next add the garlic paste, green chillies and curry powder.  Sauté for few seconds. Add the chopped spinach, salt and two cups of water. Close and cook till done. Finely, add the mashed potatoes and coriander leaves. Simmer for a while till it reaches the consistency of gravy.

Note: Since sour ingredients like tomatoes, lemon or tamarind are not added, two teaspoons of yoghurt can be added in the end or before serving to reduce its pungency.

Clay pot seller

This is the scene in most parts of India during summer months, when pots are in high demand for storing water. The sellers of such pots are largely women. This painting is a composition of pots, ladies and sparrows. I have given a rustic touch to it by placing everything against a brick wall laced with creepers. Friendly sparrows in the foreground also adds some life to the painting. I have selected bright colours for the ladies attire to give extra clarity to the picture. On the whole it is a realistic rustic painting. The painting is in oil on canvas board.

Lady's finger in yogurt gravy

 
This is like a curd based salads, but at the same it can be used as a side dish or gravy for steamed rice and flat breads. 

Ingredients:

Ingredients:
Lady's finger -100gm
Chick pea flour -1tsp
Beaten curd -3cups
Onion - 1(finely chopped)
Red chilly -1(broken into 2)
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps
Asafoetida -1/4tsp
Chilly flakes -1/2tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Sugar -1tsp
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash and chop the lady's finger. Deep fry it in oil till crisp. Keep it aside.
Add the chick pea flour, chilly flakes, turmeric powder, salt and sugar to the beaten curd. Bring it to pouring consistency by adding some water.

Fry the onion in little oil. When it becomes transparent add the red chilly, coriander leaves and asafoetida powder. Stir for  few seconds. Then add the beaten curd and bring it to a boil. Remove from the flame and add the fried lady's finger.

Mango medley

This is a beautiful dessert for summer when mangoes are available in plenty and you want to create something new. The sweet and slightly sour prepared mango is eaten along with butter scotch ice cream and nuts of your choice.

Ingredients:

Alphonso mangoes – 2

Salt – one pinch

Sugar – 3tbls

Pepper powder – one pinch

Butter scotch ice cream – 2cups (200ml)

Cashew nuts for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Peel and chop the mangoes finely. Place it in a thick bottom pan along with sugar, salt and pepper powder. Heat it over a low flame till all the sugar dissolves and the consistency becomes sticky like jam. Cool and mix two teaspoons of ice cream to it. Serve it with the balance ice cream topped with nuts of your choice.

Note: Alphonso mangoes are known as Hapoos in Marathi

 

Magpie Geese

Another painting in oil on canvas. These are magpie geese in a pond searching for food. They may look still from their reflection on the water, but are active indeed. I liked the black and white birds set against the green and blue background.

Aloo parota

Aloo parota or alu partha is an all-time favourite of my family. It is simple and tasty. It is a flat bread stuffed with  spiced potatoes. Of course the calorie count is slightly on the higher end. Hence, it must be taken during lunch with some basic salad and curd.

 For flat bread:
Whole wheat flour -2cups
Salt -1/2tsp (optional)
Water -1/2 cup
Combine everything and make soft dough out of it. Rest it for 15 minutes.

For the filling:
Mashed boiled potatoes - 1cup
Chopped green chillies – 2tsps
Chopped coriander leaves -1tsp
Ginger paste -1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for toasting

Method:
Mix all the ingredients for filling except oil. Divide equally and make small balls out of it. Keep it aside.
Similarly, divide the dough into equal parts to match the filling. Roll them into smooth balls using both the palm of your hands. Flatten each ball slightly and place the filling. Seal it thoroughly. Using a rolling pin make flat breads out of it. Heat a griddle and toast the flat breads on both the sides using little oil.  Serve with tomato sauce, curd or green chutney.