Cutlets during the mating season err... Autumn!

The unofficial mating season has begun! The behaviour of my feathered and pawed friends in my backyard tells me that Autumn is just the beginning of Spring!

A squirrel in my backyard thumps his tails fiercely calling out to his ladylove. The tailor bird lets out melodious tweets changing his plumage from dull to bright orange and flirts aggressively with his not-as-pretty mate. Funnily enough it turns out that a study shows that Autumn is the official mating season for sheep! It is also the most festive season of the year. Why? Perhaps a deeper relationship than just coincidence. I believe it is because we rejoice when Nature changes colour giving way to new life.

What is it like in your part of the world? Are you celebrating the scent of dry grass or pine cones? I am. We are gorging on fresh, soft and juicy pears, and biting on not so ripe guavas. Jr.H however wanted something better - crunchy piping hot veggies covered in a crisp crust of bread crumbs. The last part is Jr.P's favourite. I do not make these very often but on the rare occasions I indulge, I like them accompanied with a fair amount of crudites and a good helping of hot peppered tomato soup. The image has remained with me from a long way back when my Mum had some friends over and we served them vegetable cutlets and soup. I end up associating the soup and cutlets with laughter and chats and of course friends, which is my I make this very often when I have people over. It helps when P, Jr.H and Jr.P polish off their plates in no time at all and literally hover around for the next batch to come out of the frying pan. It would be no fun to cook if I did not see the fare being lapped up! I saved two of mine for the picture before I finally dug into them:). Now you know why there is only one cutlet in the picture!

Dish: Vegetable Cutlets
Time taken: 5 minutes to fry and another 30 minutes to prepare the mix from scratch
Yield: About 12 to 15 depending on size

Ingredients:

1 cup - Fresh bread crumbs
(I grind the top and bottom slices whenever I purchase bread and store them in a bottle which I refrigerate and use when needed)
Boiled and peeled potatoes - 4 medium
Ground bread slices - 2 or 1 ground pav bun
1/2 cup - Very finely chopped assorted vegetables containing string beans, carrot, coriander (a tsp.) and a tbsp. of boiled and roughly smashed green peas . It is optional to add beets. I avoid as it results in a deep red colour which I find unpleasant.
1 tbsp. of roughly chopped cashews
1 tbsp. of roughly chopped raisins
1/2 cup water
2 tsps. cornflour
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method:
Grated potatoes while warm into a large mixing bowl. Add the ground bread slices and vegetables. Using a potato masher or pav-bhaji masher bring all the ingredients together mashing them roughly.

Use your hands to form flat cutlets in sizes of your choice. I make them into spheres about 2 inches in diameter and flatten them to half an inch thick discs.

Heat enough oil to a moderately hot temperature to deep fry one or two cutlets at a time. I prefer starting with one at a time.

Make a paste of the cornflour and water. Dip each cutlet first into the solution and then into the bowl containing bread crumbs so that the surface is generously coated. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the potato-vegetable mixture.

Fry one by one till they are done. Serve hot with crudites and tomato soup.

When I have guests I serve crudites as this way one need not indulge on fattening cutlets. Having some of the crudites in between ensures that the mouth stays fresh and the palate satisfied. That way the health conscious lot have their share of fun too by munching on just one cutlet and moving on raw veggies. The dip becomes optional if you have some chat masala on the side. In my case the soup is the dip!

Do your kids eat the whole thing or like my son tear off the crispy crust (sometimes) and leave the insides for you?

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More ideas for Autumn, Winter, Spring and Rains!

Stuffed Mushrooms | Corn And Vegetable Croquettes |
Hara Paneer Tikka | Kothimbir Vadi/Coriander Gramflour squares |
Tandoori Aloo / Grilled Potatoes | Tofu Croquettes with Hummus |
Summer Fruit Tartlets | ........
And more on TONGUE TICKLERS...... recipe index

Kaanda pohe

Kanda poha with kokum kadhi - A Maharashtrian breakfast

This is my all time favourite Maharashtrian breakfast. It is perfect for lazy, late morning weekends when you want to just cook up something quick and settle down on that couch with your favourite comic strip and a mug of coffee.

There was a time when I had very nearly got tired of this delicacy! Our friend, A was stationed at Shrivardhan, a beautiful, verdant, rustic city along the Konkan region of Coastal Maharashtra. The route to Shrivardhan from Thane is quite mesmerising. It is peppered with virgin beaches and the scent of the sea almost calls you out to the beach even before you have settled in! I remember taking walks early in the morning from our place to the beach just to see the sunrise and repeating this simple pleasure during sunset. It is good to know that you can dig your toes into the cool sand and feel it slipping away, smooth and fast as you pick up your feet without encountering oil or clay. While you are there you must also take time to visit the Harihareshwar Temple close by and take a boat trip in the Arabian Sea if you would like to watch leaping dolphins against the setting sun. What we saw were scenes straight out of a picture postcard! While I discovered and enjoyed the taste of 'solkadhi', my non-veggie friends would eat nothing but fresh sea food like prawns, lobsters and fish!

For a day or two we also stayed at a nearby resort. The resort was reasonably priced but the best part was the breakfast and the appetizers. It was an 'off-season' visit and we being the only residents, the resort did not offer much variety. It was kaanda poha for breakfast, for tiffin and for the next morning's breakfast. We did not expect much but when we asked for something different, the men in the kitchen would just not bother saying that the resort was pretty far from town and they simply could not buy so much and stock - such is service at small cities - but we knew we were having everything fresh and homegrown! The kokum kadhi offered as appetizer was so good that we insisted on having it with every meal and so was the food - they had fresh paneer, pulao and made a lip smacking vangyachya bharit to name a few of the delicacies we ate. Solkadhi or kokum kadhi is charateristic of the Konkan region. Just as Tamilian cuisine makes use of tamarind in gravies for added tang, Konkanis and Maharashtrians use kokum in curries. Recently a friend of P, gifted us a bottle of pure kokum extract. Ever since, P very often prepares kokum kadhi or solkadhi. It is an appetizer and a digestive that takes hardly any time. My friend, Anita, informs me that in her region the kadhi is seasoned with mustard seeds and curry leaves and taken with rice. I enjoy it better as an appetizer. Perhaps it is the same with rasam. While we Tambrahms mix it with rice and have it as part of our mains, most of my North Indian friends prefer having rasam out of a bowl, like soup minus croutons!

Today I had both my favourties together for breakfast - one of those days when the mom needs to cook for her own pleasure:D.

The other dish poha - kaanda pohe - is popular all over India and the method of preparation varies with region. The Maharashtrian method is the quickest and is my family's favourite. Poha is made by flattening dehusked rice into thick or thin flakes. It is amongst the early foods introduced to children. These flakes just need to be immersed in a little water/milk/thin curd to make them softer as they swell and then squeezed. You can use them imaginatively as you wish. Drained poha mixed up with grated jaggery and coconut, or with milk and sugar makes an excellent nutritious snack for young children as well as adults. Poha is known as chivda in Hindi and Aval or avil in Tamil.

Recipe for kaanda pohe or kaanda-batata pohe (Flattened/beaten rice flakes)
Serves: 3 persons

Ingredients:
2 level cups - flattened/beaten rice (poha)
1 medium sized potato
2 medium sized onions sliced thin
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 lime to squeeze over the dish just before serving
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp.

Kanda-batata pohe

Seasoning:
2tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds/rai
Curry leaves - 1sprig
1tbsp. chopped cashews or raw podded peanuts

Garnishing:
Chopped coriander leaves and a smattering of fresh grated coconut (2tbsp.)

Method:
Use a wide colander to rinse the poha in running tap water and let drain. After five minutes try squeezing some of the flakes between your index finger and thumb. If it still feels firm repeat rinsing and let drain. The rice flakes will swell absorbing some amount of water and will turn soft to touch but they should not be soggy or retain water. After a few minutes sprinkle turmeric and salt to taste.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise and into wedges. Turn them and chop into thin slices. Wash and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok and splutter the mustard seeds followed by green chillies and curry leaves.

Add the cashews and roast till pink. Add onions and caramalize in low fire. Now add potatoes and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring in between till the potatoes turn crisp and cooked.

Add the drained poha and mix well to distribute the flavours and turmeric uniformly. Cover and cook for a few minutes, about 4-5 before serving.

Serving:
Serve on a plate garnished with chopped coriander and topped with a tsp. of grated coconut. Squeeze a dash of lime for added tang, if you like.

Recipe for solkadhi or kokum kadhi
Makes 2 tall glasses

Sokadhi or Kokum kadhi

Ingredients:
3tbsps. of pure kokum extract OR
Soak 8-10 kokum petals in just a quarter glass of water overnight or for 3-4hours and use the water after removing the petals.
1 packed cup freshly grated coconut
About 1 to 1.5 cups plain water
2 green chillies
2 pods garlic - peeled

Method:
Grind the above together and strain out the liquid completely with a muslin cloth.

This can be had as an appetizer. If you wish to have it with rice, heat a tsp. of oil in a seasoning wok, splutter a tsp. of cumin or mustard seeds followed by a few curry leaves and pour into the strained liquid.

Since this contains coconut milk as well, the liquid SHOULD NOT be heated as it will curdle immediately. The appetizer can be had fresh or chilled. If left for 10 to 15 minutes the drink will split into two layers of coconut milk and water which is natural.

Update late into the night:
Consistency of solkadhi should be that of coconut milk. It should be pale pink in colour. The no. of petals of kokum to be used depends on the variety. Sometimes you get the same sourness using just 3 or 4 petals. The taste should not be too sour, but it should have a hint of sourness. Adjust the amount of extract according to your taste adding little be little of the kokum extract.

Some more Maharashtrian delicacies on TONGUE TICKLERS......

Kothimbir Vadi/Coriander Gramflour squares / Thalipeeth / Jhunka or Zunka

Another way with poha - Gojavalakki

Indian Kitchen Basics - Making Gatte - Step by step guide

Making Rajasthani Gatte

The idea to do this struck me while I was re-organizing my kitchen shelves the other day! Not because it is 'the Diwali Season' but because I do it quite often - when I am bored or feeling extra energetic or sometimes when I wonder why I am feeling low and just need to check whether my energy levels are intact!! It is quite an obsession and sometimes a very very interesting one. I love having things in an orderly fashion, so much that even my music folder, recipe folder and picture folder in my hard drive are organized - no duplicate songs or pictures, every movie, every singer has his place and not one lyric or song is allowed to move out of its sanctioned territory. I realized that there is one place that hasn't seen any organization and it is something I am getting quite passionate about - my virtual space! With this series every month I plan to make (please note that it is only a plan!) and blog about an item that is versatile and forms the basic ingredient for more than one dish.

Did I tell you that I am a messy organizer? With that oxymoron letting you know what to expect, I kick off with something not so basic but something that will lend a special touch to your lunch menu. This is a revisited recipe but since it is something that will form a base for more recipes to come I decided to go ahead with the post.

'Gatta' is a Rajasthani delicacy used to make kadhis(yogurt based gravies), subzis (dry or gravied curries), pulao as well as tasty snacks. Today I am showing you the version I love best - the one my Rajasthani neighbour - M Aunty makes. M Aunty is to me what Jeeves is to Bertie Wooster, what Hermione is to Ron and Harry in case you are not a Wodehouse fan! She offers solutions when I bungle up things which I do very often in my kitchen especially when I tread on hitherto untrodden paths! Get the idea? No? Doesn't really matter - scroll on!! What really matters is the recipe after all:)!

The advantages of making gattas:
They freeze well in ziploc bags and stay fresh for at least a month which is by far the longest I have had them in my freezer.
They can be used to make gravies as well as pulao so if you have sudden guests, you know you can dazzle them with your magic wand - just pop into the freezer and create a tantalizing kadhi, subzi or pulao in a matter of minutes (twenty for pulao and ten for the rest, to be precise!).

The dough:
(I actually weighed and measured each item this time. I hope this helps!)
Basic Ingredients:
1 Cup chickpea flour (97g)
Making your own chickpea flour at home:
Roast chanadal/bengalgram uniformly till slightly aromatic and before it turns pink. Remove and cool completely. Grind to a fine powder.
2 Tsp. sunflower oil
2 Tbsp. water
Salt to taste - very little, a pinch of haldi or turmeric powder
Optionally you may add a 1/2 pinch of soda bi-carb. I do not add but I know people in hotel business generally do to get a softer, crunchier version. You can give the gattas various flavours by adding very little of dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) or finely chopped coriander or coarsely powdered roasted jeera. You can increase the spice level with the addition of chilli flakes or powder. I have done all of these at different times.

Making Rajasthani Gatte

Method:
Sieve the chickpea flour into a mixing bowl with chilli powder, turmeric powder and other dry ingredients. Add a tsp. of oil and the water and mix to form a tight dough. It tends to be a sticky affair if made with shop bought besan but since home ground flour is roasted and not as fine the dough turns out better. Today I used shopbought flour as I had some remaining from an emergency situation! Add the remaining tsp. of oil and smoothen into a ball.

Shaping:
Grease your palms and pinch a small knob of dough. Roll into a cylinder just less than a cm. in diameter and long enough to fit easily in the vessel in which you intend to boil them. I formed 12 such ropes about 4 - 5 inches long.

Making Rajasthani Gatte

Boiling:
Heat 1.5 cups of water in a shallow but broad vessel to boiling point. Carefully drop the ropes side by side in the boiling water. They will sink and after about 2minutes, rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain onto a greased plate. You must drain them as soon as they float on the surface of the water as they tend to develop a spotty appearance otherwise. The plate has to be greased as they will stick as they cool. It does not make much difference but I do not like them broken. You may boil them in more water if you find that easier. The reason for using less water is to retain the residue and use it up as stock in soups or gravies. The stock gets a tasty flavour.

Making Rajasthani Gatte

Freezing:
Cool the drained ropes completely and cut them into cm. long cylinders. Store in ziplock bags and use as and when needed after thawing.

Recipes with gatte:
I have so far made only one dish with gatte so far - my friend Bina's Gatte ki subzi. It is very different from the staple method of cooking gattas which is usually used in curd(yogurt) based gravies like kadhi. I am hooked on this one!

Yield: 105g or 1 level cup of gattas.