Bhukhhad

Wow ElsieD I had no clue that I needed to get the seeds out. And then the tip about keeping the oven door ajar to let the moisture escape!! You certainly know a bunch that I can learn. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻Thank you so much

Hello fellow dehydrators Here is my second pathetic experiment. Using the last of the juicy tomatoes I tried to ‘dehydrate’ them in the oven. Here is a picture. the recommended 175F that I saw in some recipes seemed to do nothing for me. So I yanked up the heat to 200F and after two hrs to 250F. It dried them somewhat. Then I had to go out so I took them out of the oven and covered them with some cheesecloth overnight. The next morning I put them back at 250F. Succeeded in burning some 😱 but then I gave up and rescued what I could. They tasted amazing. But were still a but squishy. Anyway all I had on them was some salt and some vinaigrette. Dont know why? I just felt like it and there was no oil in the jar so I substituted 😝 I have now stored them in a jar in the fridge and waiting to make a baked eggs and ovendried tomato dish. Will add a photo when I do. Wish me luck Bhukhhad

Dear ElsieD, The recipe I saw in my relatives homes, was not layered. It was essentially keeping the mango puree (yes puree. I should have mentioned that my reference to mango juice was just the entire pulp from one mango, with the seed removed and all the juice squeezed out. That would make it a puree, not "juice" as in what we would drink in a glass). So the method was just to dry the mango puree in sunshine every day all day, and bring it indoors at night, so that insects would not fall into it. And the tray would be covered with muslin during the day so that dust and particles would not settle into it. Fruit leather sounds right. Though I don't know how that is made here. But go ahead and try it for yourself in the dehydrator. It is a method for preserving fruit longer. And you might enjoy AAM PAPAD in the result! How great is that.

Thank you thank you thank you. I was busy with Ganesh Chaturthy and Navratri and did not check back. You answered BOTH my questions. For this I am indeed grateful. Now I will plan to impress my TAMILIAN friends with the properly plated sadhya and make lemon pickle. In Gujarat where I am from, we almost would not have ginger with lemon in the pickle. But this is very tasty I know, I have tried it. SO I will follow your recipe too.

Dear ElsieD, What a lovely topic. May I write about it, even if I don't have a dehydrator? I dehydrate though. But in the oven. I must share my experience. I have to look up photos from my computer and will add them later. This is a recipe for AAM PAPAD One year I had bought mangoes in their season and ripened them diligently in the pantry. Mangoes (Haden or Kent are the favorites in our home) are expensive, but they are the KING & QUEEN of fruit for us. So have them we must! At the same time, we received two more boxes as gifts from some friends who went to Los Angeles and brought back those from the Indian stores there. Far less expensive than the Bay Area San Francisco. So those were the best gifts in the season!. Well, we had too many. I remembered the Aam Papad from Bombay and my childhood. So I decided to experiment. AAM PAPAD Mango Juice Sugar to taste A pinch of salt A pinch of cayenne pepper powder Spread in a ceramic or glass baking tray. The mango juice may not be more than 1/4 inch in height on the baking tray. Bake in a 300F oven and keep watching every hour. I did not have any idea how long it would take. And I would stop baking if I had to stop watching. Then the baking tray would be cooled and transferred to the fridge overnight. I know it was a pretty stupid thing to do. But in India, aam papad are made by drying under the sun. And they are brought indoors every night. I just wanted the mango pulp to not spoil. It did keep drying though even in the fridge. Well the result of my experiment at the end of three days of trying was still a moist leather, but it did roll like a leather. Just not a very good leather. If I had a dehydrator, I may have made aam papad!! I found a royalty Free photo on the internet. I don't know if it is allowed to be posted here or not. So I am not posting it. Please look for AAM PAPAD. There were many photos there. Totally yummy though. I need a dehydrator. Let's see when I get one. Thought I would share my experiment. Bhukkhad which means always hungry.

Thanks Kerala for the picture of the sadhya. Can you tell us more about the placement order of dishes on the banana leaf. Also distinguish for us the layout for a regular meal and a special or festival meal? I know such a placement that exists in my Gujarati Thaalis. And have also enjoyed the sadhya or banana leaf meal in my south indian friend’s homes. But I dont know the placement order. How about the fresh lemon pickle recipe please Thank you Bhukhhad

Thank you

Friends at Egullet, I saw some posts on cocktail sugars. I want to mix jaggery with vodka. Has anyone tried it? what does the mix taste like? I am trying to make something closer to port or cognac for a recipe challenge, but not trying to make port or cognac per se. any ideas? Bhukkhad

Thank you for your reply Heidih. Many years ago I had also seen citron candied peels in the market as well as red and green glace cherries. I used to mix everything together and make fruit cake. Over time I actually began to prefer the candied orange peels. But this year there were just none. I am learning to make some the old fashioned way.... at home 🤣🙏🏻

Thank you

Thank you I will check them out

No I have not. Will go there asap

EGullet people, I am not a professional like many of you, and I need your help. This year I wanted to make soaked fruits for proper xmas fruitcake and am looking for citrus peels and cherries that come in red and green colors. On most years, right between Halloween and Thanksgiving I used to see mincemeat jars and citrus peel tubs on the Safeway or Nob Hill isles. This ywar I have been looking for them but nothing. I live in North California and having a hard time finding these. Do any of you hve any advise? Bhukhhad

Hi Sartoric, I am so glad I bumped into this topic. I did not know it existed!! The ‘black tamarind’ pictures here is, you said, smoked tamarind. That I dont think I have heard of at all. There are some references to a ‘fish tamarind’ used in Kerala fish curies like Meen Moilee. Is this it? Or is it in fact Kokum? Wet Kokum is a sour plum variety (mangosteen) and is the color of black plums and very tart. Bhukhhad

Wow Heidih I looked at the Swanson recipe. That is a LOT of turmeric. I would find it bitter at that amount. Generally in India, we use turmeric powder in everything almost, but never this generously. Oh well as long as the person likes it. Bhukkhad

Fruit Tea and Vegetable Tea ............................................... I wonder if anyone on this thread likes Fruit Teas or Vegetable Tea? I like boiling my tea and then straining it with an old fashioned tea strainer, rather than steeping the tea. Strawberry tea: 3 cups water 6 to 8 ripe strawberries 1/4 teaspoon strawberry or cherry jam or preserve. In a pan, boil water and add strawberry slices. Stir as it boils to break up the fruit and let it cook. When the fruit looks soft, turn off the heat. Mix the jam or fruit preserve. You can strain this tea if you want it completely pulp free. Otherwise, I like to even have all the fruit. I have pictures of today’s strawberry tea. I will take better pictures next time so the colors can be seen. When I make vegetable tea, I strain the vegetables. Ginger Tea 3 cups water Big slices of about a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger Honey or splenda 1/8 t spoon ghee (optional) 1/8 t spoon turmeric pwd (optional) Boil water and add the ginger, ghee and turmeric powder. Keep boiling till the water reduces to two cups. Strain with a strainer. Add splenda or honey to taste. Fresh Turmeric tea 3 cups water Big slices of Fresh turmeric about 1/2 inch (a little goes a long way) 4 seeds from a small cardamom pod 1/8 tsp ghee(optional) milk (optional) splenda or honey Boil water and add all the ingredients. Keep reducing till it is less than 2 cups. Strain and add splenda or honey. Ginger tea or Turmeric tea are both excellent night time drinks. Or great for a ticklish throat. Would anyone like to try these? Or more? Bhukkhad

Liuzhou That bacon sarni looks delicious! I was once in Yorkshire UK, where they were eating a hamburger type bun with just bacon rashers and it was called ‘Bacon Butti’! There was also another version called ‘Chip Butti’ with potato chips (fries). heheh Bhukkhad

Papdi nu shaak **************** Today’s post is about baby lima beans also known as papdi or val papdi. The english name is Hyacinth Beans and the variety that is native to India is called Lablab Beans. Papdi can be eaten with its pods if the pods are immature and very soft. Otherwise once the legumes inside mature, the pods must be shelled. Papdi beans come in about three varieties at around spring in India. And various recipes using the fresh beans and pods are generally prevalent at this time. Later, these beans are available all year round as dried beans. When I first came to the US, I was really delighted to find the frozen green shelled lablab or papdi beans in the regular supermarket. They were called Lima Beans! These beans have a strong fragrance in and of themselves. If you dislike that fragrance, then all the recipes for this bean are not for you. But I happen to really love that fragrance. So these beans feature a lot in our home. Ingredients 1lb packet Frozen baby lima beans or fresh papdi beans (rinsed and drained) 2-4 cloves of fresh garlic 3 spicy green chilies (or to taste) 2 Tbspn sesame seeds 1 Tbspn fresh grated coconut (optional) 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 t turmeric powder 1/4 t hing or asafoetida 1/8 t carom seeds or ajwain seeds salt to taste lemon juice to taste 2 T peanut oil Method Crush the green chilies and garlic in a mortar and pestle and set aside. In a pinch you can add ginger garlic paste instead, but I don’t. In a pressure cooker add oil. Do not start the heat yet! Add carom seeds. Add Lima beans, and turmeric, asafoetida, salt and sesame seeds. Add 1/2 cup water and stir well. Close the pressure cooker and turn on the heat. Allow the mix to cook for one or two whistles on high heat and reduce the heat to low. Let one whistle blow and turn off the heat. Let the pressure exit on its own. When you open the cooker, all the beans should be thoroughly cooked but not mashed. If they are mashed then you have added too much water, or your pressure cooker is too strong so reduce the number of whistles the next time. If it becomes too mashed, it will become more like dal but it will be just as tasty. The trick is to have the beans cooked but still whole. A bit of water left over is necessary because the beans will shrivel if too dry. Add fresh coconut, lemon juice and gently warm till the oil separates from the beans and they glisten. Garnish with chopped cilantro. You can serve this by itself with some crunchy sev. Or you can serve it as a side dish along with chapati and salad. Chhas or thinned (with water) and churned plain yogurt is a great accompaniment and makes it a full protein. 🙏🏻 Bhukkhad

Its funny how the same plants are chosen to be grown in places, and the same ones grow as invasive crops in others. One would think that if the soil conditions were great for growing that plant, it would be native to that area. In India we grow a gherkin variety that we call Tindora or Tondli. Its english name is Ivy Gourd. In Hawaii it is considered an invasive plant. If I could get it to grow in a pot, or in the yard, I would eat it every day. But it does not grow from seed, and you cannot bring a vine into the state. So we are left wishing..... Thank goodness for the produce market that can bring us supplies Just musing 🙏🏻 Bhukkhad

Thank you KennethT Your comment made me realize something that I have not clarified, however it is something I regularly do. And that is, my family and I really Enjoy any of these dishes at any time, not just for breakfast. The only thing that one has to be careful about is balancing out the dish if it is going to be the meal. While it is breakfast, one assumes that it will be ok to have a bowl of poha or an omelette and that is it. But if it is a meal, then just doubling up on the quantity would not be right. And although I do change the balance, I never mentioned it specifically. So if I were to make kanda poha my lunch, I would still stick with the same quantity I had for breakfast and additionally have a bowl of soup, daal or rasam if that is left over. Or I’d add a green salad to my plate and at least try to be good before I scoop up the next ladle full of more poha 🤣 Who knew it would come to this..... but its been ever so tasteful while reaching here!!😝 🙏🏻 Bhukkhad ( This name means ‘ever hungry’)

Indian Masala Omelette ......................................... Ok another post for everyone (being on this forum, I am certain all of you know these recipes already. But I get some sort of a happy feeling posting these pictures and writing up these recipes.) Ingredients 2 eggs Half a medium red onion chopped as you like. Two or three spicy green chilies diced Some fresh Cilantro with stems A pinch of turmeric powder Some black salt (kala namak) or pink black salt (the kind that tastes of brine) Peanut oil to fry. Method Mix all the ingredients with a whisk On medium to low heat, place a skillet and add a small teaspoon of oil Pour all of the omelette mix and swirl to make the size you want. Let it sit as it cooks the underside well. Flip and cook the remaining side. Serve with Indian ketchup or Sriracha sauce Add fruit like a banana, or small guava, sliced. Serve with masala chai. Enjoy your meal or big breakfast. Bhukkhad

Well asked, Pastrygirl, Well asked! This is a good question. with a long answer: 1. A papad is a thin dried lentil uncooked roti (if you will), that is then fried or roasted before serving. 2. Different parts of India, use different ingredients to make Papad. 3. In Gujarat, they are made from urad dal flour and spices only. 4. In Punjab they are made with mung dal flour and are rolled thicker than the ones from Gujarat. 5. In Southern India, they are made with Rice flour plus Urad Dal Flour. And they are not handrolled, they are machine pressed and of a small size. These are called Papadams. For Papad Poha we ONLY use papads from Gujarat. 👍🏻 Bhukkhad

Oh Heidih, These days I have actually stopped asking for Hindu Vegetarian meals on international flights. They always serve heavily spiced and often undercooked chhole, terrible sabjis of ridiculous combinations like brussels sprouts and chana daal with odd tadka spices. And to round these off, they serve paratha that is as thick as cardboard! Never!!!! Now Papad Poha is a snack. One would have a small bowl with tea or coffee. It is not a meal, not even like bhel. Bhel is also a snack, but one can easily have a dinner bhel. But you would not typically have a dinner papad poha. However, if you wanted to serve a heavy snack which included Papad Poha, then I might make a plate of the following: a. Papad Poha, khaman dokla and jalebi b. Papad Poha, mini samosa, shakkarpara c. Papad poha, peas kachori, burfi or similar combinations along with masala chai or south indian filter coffee. I hope that answers your question. If not, please do ask again. So nice to know someone was reading. How did the curried wasabi bread go? Bhukkhad

Hello all, well I almost forgot I started this homely topic last year and left it incomplete. So I am going to add some of the recipes for which I do have pictures Today I have a crunchy snack for any time, breakfast, or teatime. It’s called: PAPAD POHA. Around the time you are almost done with your box of flattened rice flakes and its time to replenish your stock, you use up the last amounts. At the same time you can use up the few papad that may be left in the papad container, to make place for a new stock. Ingredients: Thin unroasted poha any amount A few unfried papads (not papadam)any amount Oil to fry papad red chili powder hot turmeric (pinch) salt to taste 1. Dry roast the poha flakes on medium heat and set aside when crisp. Do not let them brown or burn. 2. Fry the papads in oil and set aside. 3. When both are cool, crumble the papad and add them to the crispy poha 4. in the same utensil used to roast the poha, add a teaspoon of oil and mix the poha and papad along with the red chili powder and turmeric. Add salt very cautiously because papad already has plenty. In gujarat it is customary to add some sugar to this papad poha. But not in maharashtra or indore or rajasthan where this is made as well. I typically dont add red chili powder or flakes. Enjoy! Bhukkhad

Dear Gorkreg I am so sorry I never saw your question. I wish my response could have been more timely. So what did you do that day? I hope you used the greens you had found. Perhaps you did. And? What did the saag taste like? I too find that you don’t always get all the greens or even spices for that matter, that were used traditionally. So I try to ‘mix-match’ as you will. Recently, I did make sarson ka sag, so I can post some of my pictures too. This is a picture of the mustard greens I grew in a pot. Will you be surprised if I told you how? I just planted some of the Indian black mustard seeds from my spicebox around end of Nov, and they grew! In January I had a crop of mustard greens. I plucked the smaller leaves for salad and then in a sunny week, suddenly the flowers came on. So I attempted to use the flowers and the leaves for saag! It worked! My recipe for saag includes mustard leaves, small mustard flowers, hardly any stems. Plus spinach leaves. Plus finely chopped onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies. Plus salt, dry mango powder, black salt, and ghee. Stirfry all the leaves in a tiny bit of ghee till wilted. Then separately fry onions and other ingredients. Add the wilted greens and puree. Cook on a very low flame for about an hour. Then add the black salt and dry mango powder. Serve with chapati roti or naan and plenty of ghee. Not a diet recipe in any way. I’m sure your recipe turned out superb as well. Bhukkhad