Bhojan Bites

 Mix old fashioned oats+ honey + sugar + chopped almonds + chopped walnuts + cranberries + sea salt+ vanilla extract + coconut oil or any other vegetable oil. Transfer the contents to baking tray  bake at 350 F till it turns golden. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning. Cool and store in air tight box. Enjoy with yogurt. 

Ingredients Ricotta cheese - 16 oz Milk powder - 3/4 cup Sugar - 3/4 cup Pistachios for garnishing Saffron strings - 4-5 Ghee - 1 tbsp Method cook 16 oz ricotta cheese with 1 tbsp ghee till most of the water evaporates. Add 3/4 cup milk powder, kesar strings and sugar to taste and cook again till the mixture becomes doughy. Add ground cardamom power if u wish. Cool and make balls. Garnish with pistachios and refrigerate.

Ingredients  Quinoa -rice - 1.5 cups, soaked and washed several times Mixed veggie - 1.25 cups  Chopped onions - 1 small Diced potatoes - 1 medium  Water Salt - to taste Biryani masala - store bought , 2 tsp  Method  Prepare quinoa with 2 cups of water. Pressure cook on high till one whistle and open the lid once the pressure settles Heat oil in cast iron pan and add cumin seeds. Once it begins to crackle, add diced onions and saute followed by potatoes and mixed veggies. Add salt and fry veggies on medium flame.  Add biryani masala and mix well. Add cooked quinoa to the  veggie mix and stir well to mix the spices.  Serve warm with raita/dip !

I recently bought lodge cast iron skillet and cant stop raving about it. The food cooks quickly and evenly without getting scorched. The vegetables are crispier and perfectly roasted.    Ingredients  Mustard oil - 2-3 tbsp Eggplant - 1.5 cups, diced small Potatoes - 1 cup, diced small Panchphoran Spices Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)- 1/2 tsp Nigella seeds (kalonji) - 1 tsp Fennel seeds - 1 tsp Salt - to taste Red chili powder - to taste Turmeric - 1/2 tsp Mango powder (khatai / amchoor) - 3/4 tsp Method  Heat oil in cast iron pan till its smoking hot. Reduce the flame and add all the spices under panchphoran. Once the spices start to crackle, add chopped eggplant and potato and cook on medium heat. Add salt and turmeric and continue to cook on medium to high heat. Cover the pan in between to hasten the cooking process. Add red chili powder and mango powder according to taste. Stir the veg...

Ingredients  Semolina - 1 cup Yogurt - 1 cup Salt - to taste Turmeric - 1 tsp Ginger - i.5 inch, grated Oil - 2 tbsp Eno - 1 tsp or more Water - 1/4-1/2 cup Seasoning Oil-2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1. tsp White sesame seeds - 1 tsp Coconut - 1 tsp Asafoetida (heeng) - 2 dashes Green slit chillies - 2-3  Curry leaves  - 6-7 Sugar - 1.5 tbsp Water - 1/2 cup Lemon juice Method: Mix semolina, yogurt, salt, turmeric, ginger, oil. Adjust consistency by adding water. Keep the mixture aside for 10 minutes. Grease the pan with generous amount of oil  Add eno to the mixture and mix the content gently. Pour the batter into the greased bowl and cook in microwave for 4 minutes. I cook it covered.  Insert the toothpick and see if it comes out clean. Let it rest in the microwave for 5 minutes  Prepare tadka: heat oil, add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, heeng, green chillies, green peper  and let it cook for 1 minute. Next Add water and sugar mixture. Boil the contents f...

Ingredients  Cabbage - 1 medium head, chopped Green peas - 1/2 cup Ginger - 1-2 inch, grated Green pepper - 1, chopped Corriander powder - 1 tbsp Turmeric - 1 tsp Salt to taste Mustard seeds - 1.5 tsp Garam masla - 1 tsp Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Vegetable oil - 2-3 tbsp Method Heat oil, add mustard seeds and once it starts to splatter, add chopped ginger and green pepper.  Add chopped cabbage and stir fry on medium heat for 10 minutes.  Next add peas and cook further for 2-3 minutes Add salt, turmeric, coriander powder and cook on medium to high heat till the water released after adding salt dries out. Add garam masala and cook on low heat for vegetables to absorb the flavors. Turn off the stove and fresh lemon juice  Serve with roti and spicy daal !

I was recently introduced to Amti daal, a special Maharashtrian sweet and tangy daal. It has a very distinct flavor added by Goda masala. Goda masala is a special mix of flavor spices particularly sesame seeds, dry coconut, mace and many more. I was lucky enough to receive homemade goda masala from a friend. I am going to treasure my masala till I find my own recipe :)   Ingredients Daal Toor (arhar) daal - 1/2 cup water - 2 cups turmeric - 1 tsp salt - to taste Seasoning Mustard seeds - 1tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Asafoetida - few dashes Red chillie - 1-2 Chopped onion - 1/2 cup Chopped tomato - 1/2 cup Curry leaves - 4-5 Corriander powder - 1 tsp Goda masala - 1 tsp Ghee - 2 tbsp Tamarind - 1 tsp Jaggery powder - 1 tsp or more as er taste Cilantro, chopped - 2 tbsp Method  Pressure cook contents under daal on high for 4-5 whistles. Prepare tadka by by cooking ingredients under seasoning. Add coriander masala and and Goda masala in the end to tadk...