Puri ragda chaat.

Pani puri puris are   left over.Ragda is  left over.Sev is left over.My friend suggested, that I make ragda puri chaat or puri ragda chaat.

Ingredients :  25-30 small pani puri puris....these can be puffed ones or flat ones or crumbled ones, 1 cup ragda ,1 cup sev ( any type thin, or thick etc. or 1 cup mixed farsan or even dal moth, as per choice) ,juice of half lemon  ( or as per taste ) ,1-2 green chillies finely chopped ( or as per taste ) ,1 cup onion finely chopped, 1 cup fresh dhania cleaned & chopped.

Method : Crumble the puris roughly with hands.Take a plate & spread some crumbled puris on plate.Now pour some spoons of ragda on to the crumbled pooris.

Mix chopped onions,chillies & dhania.Spread this mix on the ragda .Now decorate with sev.Sprinkle lemon juice on top.Mix & eat.

It was simply tangy & so yummy !

All amounts of ingredients are simply approximate.If puris can less,it is ok.Add more ragda .Add more onions ,if that is what you like.Add more hara dhania if freshness is desired more.Add more green chillies if tongue can tolerate it.Add more lemon juice if more sourness is needed.Add more sev or any farsan or even dal moth if that is what you like.

Come to thaink of it,even churmura can be added.So many permutations & combinations !

There are no rules.It is as per wish.

Coconut free Veg Kurma

I made veg kurma with coconut earlier.I wanted to try out a recipe sans coconut.Hence, this recipe.

Ingredients :

For sabzi : 3/4- 1 cup cauliflower florets,1/4 cup beans stringed & chopped into 1/2 " pieces, 1/4 cup carrot peeled & chopped into 1/2 " pieces,1/4 cup capsicum roughly chopped,1/4 cup green peas,2 tsp oil,1/4 tsp haldi,1/2 tsp cumin,1 /2 tsp garam masala powder,salt to taste.

For gravy : 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped,1 onion roughly chopped,1/2 carrot peeled & roughly chopped( optional ) , 2-3 green chillies, 1/2 ' ginger finely chopped,1 tbsp dalia or daria dal or roasted chana dal & 4 cashews,1 -2 tbsp dahi( optional ) , 1/2 tsp flaxseed meal ( optional )

Method : Cauliflower is supposedly ,the vegetable that is loaded with pesticides.So ,I have started boiling the florets in water, to which a pinch of salt & turmeric has been added.After one boil,the florets can be used for cooking.Keep aside the  boiled florets .

Pressure cook beans,carrots & peas .Pressure cook tomatoes & onion as well.Keep aside.

Powder dalia & cashews.Add finely chopped green chillies & ginger.Add pressure cooked tomatoes,onions & just half a carrot ( optional ) which as been pressure cooked to the dalia cashew mixture.Blend all together in mixer.Keep aside.

In a pan or kadhai take oil.Heat it.Add cumin.When they splutter,add chopped capsicum.Add haldi.Mix.Add cauliflower florets.Add salt.Let it cook for five minutes.Add salt.Mix nicely.Add pressure cooked veggie pieces...beans,carrots & peas.Mix nicely.Now add the gravy that is tomato onion dalia cashew mix to the kadahi.Mix nicely.If it is too thick,add water.Add garam masala powder .Bring it to a boil.Put off gas.Serve with chapatis and or rice.

The gravy turns out pretty thick.The gravy has a creamy texture perhaps due to cashews.Though I used 3 green chillies,it was not spicy at all.Those who want more spicier versions can add more chillies and ginger or any spice which they prefer.

Another method : Take oil in a kadhai.Heat it up.Add cumin seeds.Let the cumin seeds splutter.Add onion, green chillies & ginger to mixer & make a coarse paste.Put this coarse paste in kadhai.Shallow fry this paste till raw smell of onions disappears.Make a coarse paste of tomatoes & carrots & add it to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Cook till raw smell of tomatoes disappears. Add salt. Add chopped potatoes,capsicum , partially boiled florets ,carrots , beans & peas. Mix .Add haldi.Mix again.Let it cook.

Powder dalia & cashews in mixer & add to the kadhai.Mix with all vegetables.Add half a teaspoon of flaxseed meal ( optional ) as it is good fat.Mix nicely. Add 1 tbsp of yoghurt ( optional ) to the kadhai & mix. Add garam masala powder. Now transfer the contents of kadhai into a small vessel which can fit into the pressure cooker.Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water.Mix nicely.

Pressure cook for 2 whistles.Slow cook in pressure cooker for 10 minutes.Put off gas.Let cooker cool.Remove lid.Veg kurma can be served as a side dish for chapatis and even as an accompaniment for rice.

Vegan Pineapple upside down cake

I had made Pineapple cake earlier.This time ,I wanted to make batter using apple cider vinegar.I searched for such a recipe.I stumbled upon this apple cake recipe.I replaced apple with pineapple & lemon juice with apple cider vinegar .

Ingredients : 1 cup  atta ( whole wheat flour  ) , 1/4 cup maida,3/4  cup jaggery  sugar ( Patanjali brand )  ,1 tsp baking soda, 2 tbsp oil,1 tbsp apple cider vinegar,4 round pineapple slices ( the kind available for 10 -20 Rupees in plastic pouches throughout Mumbai now, in season ) pinch of salt, warm water .

Ingredients for sprinkling on pineapple pieces : 2 tbsp brown sugar ,1/2 tsp cinnamon powder.

Method : Preheat oven  @ 180 deg centigrade.

Take a baking dish.Line it with butter paper.On that,arrange pineapple slices by cutting them or as it is.I lined just one layer.One more layer can be lined ,if you so wish.I added remaining tit bits of pineapple into the cake batter.I added remaining sugar cinnamon mix to batter.

Mix all dry ingredients that is atta,miada, baking soda & salt.Mix nicely with fork or whisk many times over.Keep aside.

Mix all wet ingredients that is apple cider vinegar & oil.Add 1/2 cup-1 cup warm ( optional ) water  water.Mix nicely.Add jaggery sugar to this wet mix. This is because, jaggery sugar has lumps & mixing this jaggery sugar in wet ingredients helps dissolve big lumps into small ones & finely dissolves lumps completely.

Make a well in the dry ingredient mix & pour the wet mix into it.Mix both dry & wet ingredients nicely so that no lumps remain.Add remaining pineapple tit bits to batter.Mix nicely again.Pour this batter on the pineappple slices lining the bottom of the baking dish.Bake @ 180 deg.centigrade for 50 minutes.

Put off the oven after 45-50 minutes.Then bake in microwave mode for 4-5 minutes so that no part of cake will remain unbaked. After 10-15 minutes,open the oven & take out the baking dish with gloved hands as baking dish will be hot.

Place baking dish out to cool for 20 minutes.Put the baking dish upside down on a plate.The cake will fall on it.Remove the butter paper from the cake .Let the cake cool for some more time.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

My cake was crumbly.It had started falling apart after I had turned it upside down .Maybe because,I did not allow it to cool much at any stage.Or maybe ,because ,I baked it for a longer time.Maybe ,I should bake it for 45 minutes & see.

The texture was nice.It had a nice dark brown crust on top & pineapple lining at bottom as seen in the picture..The cake was just sweet enough.If more sweetness is needed,sprinkle powdered sugar on top before serving or add more sugar to batter. Jaggery sugar is less sweet compared to white sugar.That makes all the difference in the sweetness.