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by Priyanka posted at 3:01 PM
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Handvo is a gujarati snack/brunch dish. Similar to dhoklas, it is a combination of lentils (such as toor, urad, mung and chana dal) and rice flour with some vegetables added in for nutrition and taste. Traditionally, handvo is usually made with lauki /doodhi (bottlegourd) as the only vegetable thrown into the mix. You can add any other veggies such as zuchini, carrots, cabbage, corn etc, as you like. Simply put, handvo is a savory vegetable and lentil cake. This handvo recipe that i am going to share with you is a special one....it comes from P's aunt Mangala maushi's treasure box. It is also the one recipe that the hubby swears by and refuses to even give any other variations of the same dish a try. The secret ingredient that makes this handvo so different and so aptly named after P's aunt is a teaspoon of garam masala and achaar masala.
Now anyone who follows my blog knows that i love freshly made hot snacks. Handvo falls into that particular category and is a favorite of mine. Plus when i am crunched for time, i usually make this dish since its quick to make (doesnt involve elaborate effort on my part) and makes for the perfect, light lunch box meal. And to top it all, it provides lots of protiens in the form of the different dals that go into the mix. So enjoy it as a morning/ afternoon breakfast dish with a cup of garma-garam chai or for lunch. I am sure you wont be disappointed.
Ingredients
3 cups handvo flour (you can find ready-made flour (not the instant Handvo mix) in Indian stores- I use the Swad brand)
1/2 cup wheat flour
2-1/2 cups curd
3 tbsp green chili-ginger-garlic paste
2 cups grated doodhi/lauki (1/2 of a medium sized lauki)
1 cup grated carrots (you can add the above-mentioned veggies to the mix)
1 heaped tsp garam masala
1-1/2 tsp achaar masala or as per your spice level (i used the store-bought one)
salt to taste
1 tsp sugar (optional)
3 tsp sesame seeds
For Tempering
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds (white or brown)
1/3rd tsp turmeric
1/4th tsp asafoetida
3-5 dried red chilies
1. Mix the curd and the handvo and wheat flours, add water as necessary to make the batter of the consistency of a idli batter.
2. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees and after it cools a little, place the handvo mix in the oven to ferment ovenight.
3. Next day, add the rest of the ingredients except for the sesame seeds and mix well. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. Heat oil for tempering and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they pop, add the sesame seeds, turmeric, asafoetida and red chilies in that particular order.
5. Pour half of this tempering into the fermented mix and set the rest aside.
6. Grease a baking tray with a little oil and pour this batter into it.
7. Pour the rest of the tempering over this mixture and garnish with the sesame seeds.
8. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn the oven temperature down to 250 degrees and bake for 15-20 more minutes till the upper crust turns brownish in colour.
9. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
10. Cut into small squares and serve hot.
P.S.- If you want to make a traditional style handvo- just omit the garam masala and achaar masala
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by Priyanka posted at 3:07 PM
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I love eggplants in any form and cuisine. Thai eggplants are a particular favorite of mine. Which is why this gravy based vegetable dish makes a frequent appearance on our dinner table. This recipe which has been handed down to me by my mom is probably a cross between the marathi and gujarati version of the dish. Served with some hot, ghee-smeared rotis, these eggplants are pure bliss.
What you need for the dish:
Serves 4
12-14 thai eggplants
2-3 tbsp dry coconut flakes/finely shredded powder
1 big clove garlic
2-3 green chilies (or as per your spice level)
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
1-2 tsp jaggery
1/3 tsp chili powder
For tempering
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/3 tsp turmeric
1/4th tsp asafoetida/hing
1. Dice the eggplants into quarter pieces. Keep them soaked in water till you temper.
2. Grind the garlic, green chilies and coconut together in a mortar-pestle or make a paste using a blender. Alternately you can make a paste of just the green chilies and garlic and add that to the tempering and add the coconut at a later stage (step 8) if its in a finely shredded or powdered form.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
4. When they pop, add the turmeric, asafoetida and half of the garlic, green chili coconut paste.
5. Saute for 2 minutes and add the eggplants.
6. Add salt, mix well and let cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add 1 cup water and the remaining chili-garlic paste and cover and let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes and add water as necessary. The dish has to have some water for it to be a gravy based dish.
8. When the eggplants appear tender and cooked, add the chili powder, garam masala, jaggery and the coconut.
9. Cook for 5 minutes, and serve garnished with coriander.
Here's a step-wise pictorial
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by Priyanka posted at 11:54 AM
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I always associate soups with comfort.........there is nothing that a hot bowl of soup cant cure or so me thinketh. Sometime back i had tried the canned version of the roasted red pepper/tomato soup- it wasnt bad, nor was it extraordinary. But by tweaking it a little bit, it can be made more than just palatable. All you need to do is to temper it with oil, cumin seeds, curry leaves and garnish with lots of cilantro.
Here's how you can make one from scratch-
Serves 2
1/2 can roasted red peppers (canned) or 2 small red peppers
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp thyme fresh or dry
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Coming to the roasted red pepper and tomato soup- you can either use the canned roasted peppers and tomatoes or roast them at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes in the oven by drizzling some olive oil over it. This is a rough approximate, since oven temperatures vary, so keep checking till the outer skin is charred. Let cool and peel off the skin.
1. Heat olive oil in a soup pan, add the bay leaves and then the onions and garlic.
2. Saute till the onions turn transluscent and then add the peeled roasted red peppers and tomatoes. Add thyme and oregano and let cook till 10 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 to 1 cup water depending on the consistency of soup that you like.
4. Add the seasoning.
5. Let cook for 5-10 more minutes and then put it through the blender till you get a smooth consistency.
6. Serve hot or garnished with a dollop of sour cream.
Variations: Try different herbs like basil, and rosemary or just try a plain version of either just the peppers or the tomato soup.
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by Priyanka posted at 3:29 PM
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Although we have moved out of Florida, i thought i would just list some of the worthwhile restaurants you could eat at when visiting Florida. Most of the restaurants listed here serve both vegetarian and non-veg meals.
Let me start with my ex-hometown- Ft. Lauderdale- located half an hour north of Miami, its famously known as the Venice of USA. Yes, if you happen to visit South Beach, its pretty much within driving distance and cheaper too.
Things to do in Ft. laud-
1.) Hang out at the Ft. Lauderdale Beach
2.) Take the 2 hour cruise down the river- its one of the best (better than the Miami riverfront cruise)- checkout the palatial homes on the riverfront
3.) Hang out on Las Olas Blvd- The only happening place downtown- its pretty charming
4.)Go shopping at one of the largest Outlet malls in Florida- The Sawgrass Mills Mall
5.) And of course eat
Ft. Lauderdale:
Listed by cuisine
Indian: Woodlands Restaurant- Nothing over the top (food is average- however, do try their gobhi manchurian and paneer makhani- its lipsmackingly delicious) - the only decent indian restaurant (vegetarian) in Ft. Lauderdale
http://www.woodlandsusa.com/
Thai: Chada Thai- A pretty good Thai restaurant- the menu is not very elaborate- you will find the same Thai dishes as other restaurants. Their Thai green curry is one of the best.
http://chada-thai.com/ChadaThai/
Others are Thai-Thai (http://www.south-florida-thai-restaurant.com/) and Thai Spice (http://www.thaispicefla.com/)
Asian: P F Chang- One of my all time favorites- they can serve any meat version by substituting for vegetarians. Wild East Asian Bistro (located downtown on Las Olas Blvd- http://www.lasolasboulevard.com/new/dining2.htm) is another good place you could try out.
Italian: Mancini's (located downtown on Las Olas Blvd- http://www.lasolasboulevard.com/new/dining2.htm) is pretty famous.
Maggiano's - the chain is located pretty far off in Boca Raton. As is California Pizza Kitchen (CPK)
Mexican: La Bamba- one of the best restaurants for Mexican food- their margaritas are to die for.
http://labamba123.com/index.htm
Chipotle, South of the Border and Moe's are a couple of chains that you can eat at- pretty standard fare.
Pizzas: The only ones i like are CPK and Pizza Fusion (its an organic chain of pizza eat-outs- one of the BEST pizzas you will ever eat- although its pretty expensive)
Cafes: Panera- pretty standard and another of my favorites, and Noodles and Panini located on Las Olas Blvd
Desserts: And of course you have Cheesecake factory and Coldstone creamery to indulge your sweet tooth right on Las Olas:)
The best thing to do would be to take a walk on Las Olas and check out the restaurants there- you have a mix of bars, lounges (Mango is pretty famous), cafes and restaurants- french, american, italian, mediterranean (Cafe Blu is good) and bakeries. Eat your heart out people.
If you are in Miami, you can
1. Hang out at South Beach all day long- we loved it
2. Walk down Lincoln mall road- adjacent to the beach for your shopping and dining needs (http://lincolnroadmall.com/). Guru is a pretty famous Indian restaurant in the South Beach area- pretty close to the beach. Another place to try out would be Sheba for Ethiopian cuisine- check out my earlier review
3. Take the Miami Riverfront Cruise
4. Hit the pubs and bars- one of the best nightlife hangouts
5. If you have kids, you could go to the Miami Zoo or Aquariam. There are a couple of musuems and gardens you could check out too.
6. Visit the Everglades and Key West (the southern most point of the US)
Will blog about Tampa and Orlando in the next post
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by Priyanka posted at 6:21 PM
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Hello everyone !!! I am back.......after a long hiatus. Promise to take no more breaks, atleast not such long ones anymore. A couple of reasons were responsible for my disappearance from the blogosphere- the primary being that i had to take my board exams for my pharmacist licensure and the second one being our move from sunny old Florida (although it wasnt all that sunny) to Raleigh, North Carolina. And although wintery cold is now a distant thought, here's something that i made during the early winter months to keep you warm, stuffed and happy.
White Bean and Spinach Soup
Serves 6
5 cups vegetable stock (you can use Swanson or alternately prepare one at home)
1 can canelleni or navy beans (or any white beans)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 carrot chopped into small pieces
1 cup chopped spinach
1 small roma tomato chopped
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
2 clove garlic chopped
1 tsp grated lemon peel
2 tsp lemon/lime juice
2 thyme stalks
salt and pepper to taste
1. To prepare vegetable stock at home, combine 6 cups water, add 2 stalks celery, 2 stalks leek (white part only), 1 small onion chopped, 1 thyme stalk, bay leaf and 2 cloves and boil for 30 min at medium heat. Filter the stalk water and use it for the soup.
2. Heat olive oil in a soup pot, add the garlic and onions and saute till golden brown.
3. Add the stock (prepared at home or store bought), carrots, tomato, beans, bay leaves, cloves and thyme and let boil for 20 to 30 min.
4. Add the spinach finally, the lemon peel and let boil for 10 more minutes.
5. Finally add the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.
Italian salad
Serves 6 (as a side dish)
3 cups italian lettuce mix
1/2 cup diced kalamata olives
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tsp feta cheese
1/2 cup rasberry viniagrette
1. Mix all the ingredients in the salad bowl and chill for 20-30 min.
Spinach and Cheese Lasagna
1 packet oven ready lasagna noodles
2 12-oz cans fire roasted tomatoes (plain would work fine too)
12-15 basil leaves
1 big red onion- chopped
2 cloves garlic- chopped
12 oz grated italian cheese mix (a combination or mozarella and ricotta would also do)
3 cups aldente boiled spinach leaves
1. Heat some olive oil, add chopped garlic and basil leaves for a minute and add the chopped onion and saute till golden brown.
2. Next add the canned fire roasted tomatoes and let cook for 15 minutes.
3. Put this tomato basil mix thru the blender till you get a fine sauce.
4. Separately dunk the spinach leaves in boiling water for 1 minute and remove and strain to drain all water.
5. Layer the bottom of the lasagna pan with some of the tomato basil sauce till its evenly spread all over. Place the oven ready lasagna noodles over the sauce, and evenly distribute some more sauce over it.
6. Now spread the spinach leaves and liberally sprinkle cheese over it.
7. Next add some more sauce and place lasagna noodles over it as mentioned before.
8. Repeat the process as described in steps 5 and 6.
9. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 40-60 minutes (or as per your oven temperature setting) till the cheese is a slightly golden brown.
10. Serve hot.
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