June 11, 2008

PUNJABI CHHOLE ALOO, BHATURE, GAJAR KA HALWA

Happy Father's day to all the daddies out there, enjoy your Sunday!:))

Okay my dear people,

I have finally run out of ideas what to cook and post here! :P
This is my (1-2) 3rd Chole-Bhature dish I have posted so far at FH with different recipes each time. But this time around, it's really authentic Punjabi style Chhole Aloo, Bhature and Gaajar ka Halwa. Why do I say so confidently? Because all these recipes are from Punjab da puttar (son of Punjab) "Jiggs Kalra" and from his book "Classic Cooking of Punjab"!!
If not authentic enough for ya, write to him and don't blame me, although I confess I did not use 1/2 cup Desi ghee as he recommends!! ;D
We loved the thali, some tasty homely grub these are! YUM!!

Few backyard updates:
Well..here is red barn I was talking about before, all painted and ready get stuffed with my things.It looks pretty now! I have updated my new plants since last month and with some new plants too. With 98+F temp, most plants are thriving, I see some Grape and Plum Tomatoes already, yielded huge bunches of red chards and Radishes and few delicate ones like Methi leaves burnt down completely even though we water them every other day.
Get humorous when it gets too hot for comfort!
Last weekend, it was in excess of 100F temp here. My son checks the internet and says "Mom, we are way better, Maambaay has 106F today!". That's how he calls Mumbai/Bombay and somehow he thinks India IS Mumbai, may be the influence of Bollywood item numbers he watches sometimes on B4U! :O ......I say "Tushy, we are not from Mumbai, check Bangalore weather" and he says "Ba..ga..What?!" YUP! That's the beauty of raising Indo-American kids (Americans by birth with Indian heritage), constant entertainment for us Indyan (thank you Sunny Deol for that new word, what would we do without you?!:P) parents! Hahaha!
Sadly;
our beautiful Lake is drying already, hope the dreaded drought stays away for a while atleast. Weather is strange these days, there is huge flood in the Mid West, brush fire in California burning down everything and extreme heat, Tornadoes in the South, snow..yes... snow in some parts of US of A, all at same time! Sigh.....

Let's not get depressed now, shall we? Enjoy Punjabi thali! De Taali!!:D
I have changed the proportions slightly. I don't really need 11/2 lb of Chhole Aloo or need to use 1/2 cup Desi ghee as the recipe says in the dish and added powdered masala than whole masala (Bouquet Garni) in the gravy since it gives more flavor than just dunking the spices. Other than these changes, spices and method of making these are the same as the book. Enjoy!:)



Bhature:

These Bhatures go to "Roti Mela" and to host Srivalli from "cooking for all 4 seasons", who is hosting Roti mela
Here is one more from me Sri, enjoy !:)
Makes about 10-12, depending on how big you want the Bhatura. Usually in the restaurants, they make about 15" wide round puffed like balloon Bhaturas like you see here.


You need:
2 cups plain four/Maida,
1/4 cup Fine textured Semolina/Sooji/Rava,
1/4 tsp Baking soda,
1/2 tsp Baking powder,
2 tbsp Yogurt,
1 tsp fine sugar,
1 tbsp Ghee,
enough salt.
Enough oil to deep fry.
How to make them:
1. Mix flour, Semolina, salt, sugar, baking podwer, baking soda, make a well in the middle.
2. Add yogurt, ghee, and about 1 cup or enough water to mix to a firm dough,not soft, and knead well.
3. Cover and keep it aside for an hour. Divide into 10 or 12 round balls.
4. While oil is heating at 375F, roll out each one to 1/8" thick about 6" or bigger circles.Cover.
5. When oil is hot, deep fry until puffy like this and drain on paper.These Bhaturas do not retain much oil and puffs and stays inflated for a while because of the Semolina.

Serve right away with Chhole, salad and Gajar Halwa. You can reheat in the Microwave if you would like to serve them later.

Chhole Aloo:

Chole is commonly known as Chickpeas or Garbanzo. In Punjab, Chhole is also a delicious dish made of Chickpea with Aloo/Potato, a delicious combo with beans.

You need:
2 cups of Chick peas, soaked and cooked in 3 cups of water with a bit of Baking soda and Bouquet Garni bundle or use 15oz canned Chickpeas as I did,
2 Red potatoes, I peeled, cubed and cooked or deep fry these as the book says,
2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee, (or use 1/4-1/2 cup desi ghee if you are brave!)
2 Bay leaves,
1 tsp Cumin seeds,
2 small onions, grated or ground coarsely,
1 tbsp Garlic paste,
1 1/2 cups Tomato sauce,
The Bouquet Garni/Spices:
Bouquet Garni is, you are supposed to tie these in a cloth, put it inside the pan and boil with with Chick peas and water until it cooks and take it out to discard.
Instead, I ground all these to a paste and added to the masala to the pan fry in oil lightly.
2 Black Cardamoms/Moti Elaichi,
1" cinnamon stick/Dalchini,
1 tbsp roasted and crushed Coriander seeds,
2 Green chillies,
2 tbsp Ginger paste,
1 tsp Deghi Mirch pd/Paprika,
2 tbsp Cilantro.
Garnish:
Thinly sliced Ginger/Julienned,
Slit 2-4 green chillies, stuff with 1/2 tsp Amchur/Mango pd,1 tsp Garam masala.
(In a separate pan, shallow fry ginger slices in oil until crisp, take them out. Fry stuffed green chillies for a minute until bright green. Take out and cool.)
1/2 tsp crushed Kasoori Methi/Dry Fenugreek leaves.
1 tsp Amchur/dry Mango powder,
salt, Lemon juice.
To make Chhole Aloo:
1. Heat ghee and oil. Add bay leaves, cumin seeds, then Onion anf fry until light brown. Add green chilies, bhunno/fry for a minute.
2. Add garlic paste, saute. Add in Paprika/Deghi mirch pd, until masala leaves the sides of the pan.
3. Now add the Bouquet Garni paste, my style if you are not using in the chole cooking water, to the pan and fry lightly and add all chickpeas with it's water or 2 cups water or more, tomato sauce, simmer for 20mins or you see the pil on top of the gravy.
4. Now add cooked or fried Potato cubes, mix gently. Adjust the seasoning.Take of the heat.
5. Finally, sprinkle garam masala, Amchoor pd, lemon juice if needed, dry fenugreek or Kasoori Methi and mix well.
Before serving, garnish Chhole with shallow fries ginger, stuffed green chillies, Cilantro and serve with Bhature and Gajar Halwa!

Gajar Halwa:
Quintessential Punjabi dessert, Gaajar Halwa or Carrot pudding, is ever popular in North India. Grated Carrots slowly simmered in milk, sauteed in ghee and garnished with nuts and raisins, you can't beat the taste, served warm or cold.

You need:
3 cups Grated Carrots,
2 cups Milk,
1/2 cup sugar or as much as you like,
3 tbsp Ghee/clarified butter,
1 tsp Green Cardamom powder,
Saute Almonds in little butter until golden and raisins until plump:
10-15 Almonds, blanched and peeled or 2-3 tbsp,Slivered Almonds.
2-3 tbsp Raisins, dark or golden.
Garnish:
2 tbsp Khoya/condensed milk to solid,if you have it.
How to make it:
1. Boil milk in a large enough non-stick pan. Turn down the heat to medium and add carrots, cook stirring constantly until most milk has evaporated.
2. Add enough sugar to your taste, mix well and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated.
3. Now add ghee and fry the carrots for 2 minutes.Take the pan off the heat.
4. Add sauteed Almond s and Raisins, sprinkle Khoya on top before serving in individual cups.

Easy peasy Gajar Halwa: Add all the ingredients given above except nuts, Raisins and Khoya in a bowl and Microwave it on high first and then at 50% power once it starts thickening, often checking and stirring until until most of the liquid is gone and then add garnishing to serve!:)

**********************************************************************************************************
Not enough time to read last week, still reading the same book!

No movies for me either. I had planned to take kids to Kung Fu Panda, but they have made plans to go to that movie with their friends on the last day of school ie today after school is over in the afternoon.

Dishes I tried:


Karaikudi Sambhar from Latha N's blog.
Parotta from Maheswari's blog.
Chana ghassi from Seema's blog.
Uppu-Huli dose from Ramya's blog.
Varuthu Araitha Kootu from Lakshmi N's blog.
Vaighanache Upkari with Thambale Pudi from Ranji's blog.
Thank you Sunshinemom, Sailaja, Sashree, EC, JZ, Sireesha, Seema , Suma Rajesh for your various awards. Hugs to all of you!:)
Jamie of "Flavor Pantry" with her friend Beth's help, has created a beautiful "Inspiration award." She is kind enough to pass on this award to me.
Thank you Jamie. I am honored that you think my blog is inspiring you and others as well, makes it all worthwhile!:)
Sireesha, Madhu Ram, Siri, Shubha R and Sailaja awarded me this lovely award again, thank you too friends!:)
As per the award recipient requirements (you can read about them here), I have to share 4 things which inspires me and pass on this award to 4 bloggers whose blog I enjoy reading and inspire me as well.

Here are four of which inspire me:
1. Ocean waves, which are forever young and soothing, always represents new and never old.
2. Happy, shiny people; who spread cheer around and deal with life's hardships with positivity.
3. My kids; who smile ear to ear and show all their 28 teeth (yeah, 17yrs old had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled out and 13yrs old doesn't have his wisdom teeth come out yet, so it's still 28 out of 32 for them!:D), whenever they see my dishes, specially desserts!
4. Foodie Blogger community; inspite of having family demands and full time jobs, most of you still manage to tell stories, make dishes, make time to say hello to us and share your lives with us almost everyday, you all inspire me indeed!:))

And the "Inspiration award" goes to......

Here are the 4 bloggers who really inspire me by their lively posts, traditional and non-traditional dishes which makes me nostalgic sometimes and the way they share part of their lives with us. Thanks to all you gals, keep it up:
1. Sunita of "Sunita's World",
2. Latha N of "The YUM blog",
3. shn of "Mishmash"
4. Shilpa of "Aayis Recipes".

I must mention; one more fabulous blogger who inspire me, Viji of "VCuisine". Her blog is private, so I can't link but I am proud to give this "Inspiration award" to her. Thanks just for being you Viji, you are a great soul and a friend!:))

Thank you to each and every blogger friends, I am proud to be one of you. Have a wonderful week ahead!:))

126 comments:

Raaga said...

Now I know who to blame... I've been craving this chole bhature for some 3-4 days now and think about it everyday :-)

Finla said...

Well Ahsa i love the red barn, if i was living next to you i would have smuggled few bottles from my place to your barn and we could have had cocktails in the summer evening :-)))
Like the herb pot too. Whis i had one. You know in my place i tell only plant which lives is a cactus nothing else survive.
Hi hi so tushar is like shyama, if she sees a spider or a worm she screems!!!!!!
Love the punjabi thali too.

Purnima said...

Asha, the chhole, bhaturey look truly delicious!! The GKH wow...looks very inviting!! The 'frm otherblogs' r fab!! LOL@ recipes getting over!! :D

Prajusha said...

Asha,
Wht a coincidence..:)
carrot halwa looks yummmy..
yest we had chole bhatura for bf. so will post the recipe soon:)

Laavanya said...

What an awesome meal that is.. my mouth is watering now! Love the colour of Chole.

Priya said...

Sigh!!! I just had my cereal and u ave varities. When is the blog mela coming Asha? As I said before, I have my tent ready to be ther:)

ChrisB said...

Asha I cannot believe you are running out of ideas!

You do seem to be having very diverse weather across the states at the moment, but then so are we and our country is minute compared to yours!

ranji said...

yummm... chole bhature is so delicious asha..nothing can go wrong here....one classic combo:)..gajar ka halwa gives a perfect finish to this whole meal ...
hahhaha i can imagine the amount of entertaionment u and ur hubby must be getting:))..
congrats on all ur awards...u r an inspiration to many of us..
thanks for trying my dish..have a gr8 day ..:)

Unknown said...

Wow, again with a fab meal.The chole curry sounds too great and I was honestly drooling to see the bright color of the curry.

sunita said...

Asha, that is one tempting thali...can never get tired of chole- bhatures.

The weather here has been sunny since Monday(reaching high by tomorrows of 25-26 deg C) but today is much cooler, and is supposed to come down by 10 degrees...that's the fickle English weather for you...here, morning does not show the day :-P

And yes, thanks a lot for passing on the award...coming from you, it does mean a great deal :-)

ranji said...

the red barn looks beautiful asha!!!..nice cozy place to sit and chat with ur friends and even play some board or card games:))

FH said...

LOL! Raaga, you are like me in so many ways. I think of something all the time if I get the cravings too! Do it girl, it's chole tiiime!!

F, I am with you girl, will bring crunchy Pakodas to with cocktails!:D
Herb pot is growing very well, it's hot, got to put it in the shade a bit.
Yeah, Tushy is a big sissy!:P

Purnima, I am cooking so much from other blogs, am not cooking any of mine!!:)
Dilemma! Dilemma!!:D

WOW!! Prajusha, we think alike girl!:)
You have Chole Bhatura too, can't wait to see, always good to see new recipes.

FH said...

Chhole tastes really authentic Laavanya, love the way he cooks it although I don't think Punjabi folks do "Bouquet Garni" French style or may be they do! He also calls it Potli! Try it!:)

Hahaha! Priya, I ate a piece of bread for breakfast, so I am with you there girl. Will let you know about blog mela, will reserve a space for ya!;D

:) Chris, happens sometime when my brain is melting in this heat and cooking yummy food from other blogs so much doesn't help me to be creative either!:D
Weather is terrible, it's not good at all. I saw a whole vacation home sliding in to the raging river y'day on TV in Wisconsin and we are burning up here!

Thank YOU Ranji, Eggplant and podwer was delicious, versatile masala that one is!:)
Yes, Tushar is very funny, good kid!:D

I am glad Pearl. Jiggs Kalra is great culinary expert, got many awards in India and US too. I am trying few more of his recipes when I come back Summer break.
Enjoy, gravy for Chhole is great!:)

TBC said...

How can YOU run out of ideas, dear Asha? :D

It has been extremely hot here too the last few days but it rained yesterday, so that brought down the temperatures a bit.

Your barn is so cute!

Mishmash ! said...

Asha, first of all I am flattered as it is coming from you :) Indeed, You re the one who inspire many of us...with your enthusiasm, frequent posts with multi dishes and your passion and originality in cooking!!Thank you so much :)

Btw, how is your curry leaf plant coming along..? I am kind of leaning towards that :)

Shn
Will reply soon :)

Mishmash ! said...

wonder if my comment reached u !

bha said...

the bhaturey look just out of a food magazine...perfect....now I am craving for them

FH said...

Sunita, you are one of the few I can share kids' stories and understand exactly how you feel when you talk about your's. Award or no award, it feels good to know you. Enjoy!:)
Weather is crazy here, scary too sometimes!

Ranji, Barn is cute alright but it's too hot in Summer and too cold in Winter there + there is no electricity in there!:D
Fall and Spring would be to sit and have a glass of Wine!:)

tbc, I am serious girl!!:P
Wish we get rain here, haven't seen that in a week now, lawn is burned yellow too. Sigh...it's not even Summer yet!

shn, every time I read your posts, it's like I am in Kerala although I have never been there ever, you are inspirational to me.Enjoy the award.
Curry leaves plant is growing VERY slowly inside the house. It's too hot outside, am afraid it will die if I keep it on the deck. As it gets little taller, I will update there.
Have fun and take care!:)

kamala said...

Love the Chhole Ashaji.Barn is too cute..Wish i could be inside.Harish too checks weather all the time once in half an hr and for India too.Till my kids have 2 days to go at school..Have a nice weekend.We are planning to go to Dasavatharam new movie releasing on Friday.

Shilpa said...

Ohh I am honored Asha. Thank you so much for the award :).

I can't believe you are not finding recipes to blog. Bring on your Ajji's recipes and I am sure there are thousands of them :). Love the Punjabi thali. Love the red barn and I feel J about your veggie patch :(. We have a small patio and I have no idea about gardening. Last year I planted one tomato and 1 pepper in small pots. But as I kept on watering them, the mud(or whatever it is called here) became hard and hard like rock. The other problem was the water kept on dripping to our neighbor's patio(we live in 2nd flr). I was so irritated. Finally the plants died :(

Pearlin said...

Believe it or not I have channa soaking for making chole :))
As usualyummy spread.

Jamie said...

Asha, Lovely post! I hope that when you mentioned you are inspired by the waves that it means you live near the coast! How wonderful!

J said...

I've come across so many versions of chhole and finally stuck to the style my husband likes the most. I make this for our Friday brunch sometimes. SOme people actually make a potli of whole spices and use powdered masala also. And gajar ka halwa is awesome with red carrots. All winter I make it fresh with all the red carrots I can lay my hands on!

FH said...

Bha, next best thing to do is to make them. I know it's too hot and humid to deep fry but can't resist the combo!:D

Haha! Kamala,What's with the guys and the weather! I think they just want to be online all the time, weather is an excuse!:D
Enjoy the movie, sounds like good movie. I don't get to watch any movies here but I do have Shankarabharanam which I love!:)
Two more days of school, atleast it's almost over, going anywhere for vacation?

Shilpa, you absolutely deserve that award, always a pleasure to see your post, almost a Indian trip every time.Enjoy, and thanks for posting all those traditional dishes!:)
Buy Miracle grow potting soil, which is full nutiresnts, I have many pots too, since I don't have a vrey large veggie patch. Water only when the top is dry, specially for Tomatoes. They drink so much, tomatoes split! Miracle grow pellets are fed once in 3 months, it really helps.
There are transparent plastic plates available to put them under the pots, so when you water them, it will stay in in those plates, will not drip anywhere. Try one or two pots this Summer, not hard at all to grow. Ask me if you any q's!:)

Uma said...

what a thali! Each and everything looks so mouth-watering Asha! Congrats on all the awards! No wonder you got so many awards, you're such a nice friend.

Just peeked into your barn and garden! Awesome. Barn looks like a great place to relax. Nice idea to add carpet in the barn.

FH said...

YAY! Purl, can't wait to see your version too, always happy to have new recipes of Chloe!:))

Jamie, we are near the lake, 2 mins away from home and Ocean is nearby too, always a pleasure to visit there which we do often!:))
We would love to live next to the Ocean in beach house, but right now it's not not practical, may be one day!

J, I have to try your's too, will check it out.I bookmark so many and then forget where they are!:D
French Bouquet Garni and Indian potli, cool! Who learnt from whom? You know, I might try potli method next time, gives the chole water a good flavor I think.!:)

Cham said...

You are like an "Aakshyapatiram" for me. Whenever i come over ur place u just fill my tummy and eyes :) Wonderful crop of radish , the weather is totally bizare nowadays :) Hope the kids are enjoying :)
The punjab dish is delicious and the sweet no word to express ....

delhibelle said...

That platter of chhole bhature makes me wanna go home now..waaaahhh:(

Mythreyee said...

Just want to gulp the carrot halwa that you made. What a lovely dish with a beautiful color. Sure, as you say, nothing can beat this taste. I had this batura and aloo chole in my friends house a couple of months back. I have been wanting to do this for a while. Now I got the recipe. Will give it a shot soon. Thanks. Looks so tempting.

Suganya said...

So what if its the nth time you post a chole recipe. I say every one of them is as good as the next. We never get tired of chole, do we? :) You running out of ideas, now thats something I cannot believe.

@the_whisk_affair said...

beautiful pictures, asha. my heat skipped a beat when i saw that batura pic!!! OMG, such a beautiful pic, it has some kind of a peaceful feeling attached with it ;-)

ashaji, u've been tagged for a meme. come over and check it out!!

Recipeswap said...

Wow Asha you make the simplest dish look so beautiful.I want Chole Bhature right now.

FH said...

Thank you Uma, I am lucky to have all of you who care so much!:)
Without carpet, we might get splinters after few yrs there, so covered it up.It's soft to walk in now.

Haha! Cham thank you. I do my best,sometimes I bake non-stop and sometimes I go for these kinds, either way it's all good!:)
Kids are staying inside most of time, it's dangerous weather now, went to movie with friends today since it's the last day of school!:)

LOL!! Sorry JZ! I will buy you a ticket right away girl! :D
Hugs to you. I know, these darn yummy homely food makes me want to go home too! MTR Masala dosa, take me home!:)

Myth, this chhole is really has authentic taste, great recipe, thanks to Jiggs Kalra. Try it. I didn't use 1/2 cup of ghee though, bit scary!:))

Pravs said...

chole-bhature and gajar ka halwa...what nice dishes and must have been so yummy meal for you and your family. Loved reading the part how your son says mumbai and blore :D Congrats on the award.
Thanks for trying brinjal mooru kootan and for the feedback.

FH said...

:D
Suganya, believe me! I depended on Mr.Jiggs to come up with something this week here, can't think of any as I have posted too many multiple dishes in one so far!
Yup! Chole recipes are always welcome, anytime!:)

JZ, yup. Those Bhaturas are so cushy, we can sleep on it if they are big enough!:D
Will visit you right away, I have stopped doing MeMes last year!:)

Neema, go ahead and grab some girl!:)
I wish I could snatch your akki rotti and Ennegayi off your blog!HeHe!

FH said...

Thank YOU Pravs, Kootan is yummy, will have it for dinner today along with my red chard stir-fry and plain rice!:)
Yeah, these kids can't twist their tongues like we do, gets pretty funny sometimes! :D

ServesYouRight said...

I love your stories about the children. Too funny :-) Thank you for sharing :-)

smita

Hetal said...

All the recipes look yummy..congrats for the awards.

FH said...

Smita, joys and tears of having children girl! Thanks for having the patience to read it all! ;D

Thank you Hetal!Hope you try this version, I know there are hundreds of Chloe recipes out there!:)

Mallika said...

You can make it for a third time Asha and it would be delightful to see here. What a fab Punjabi feast!! You know I learnt how to make Kali dal from a Jiggs Kalra colum in the Calcutta Daily Telegraph and life was never the same again... enjoy the hot summer babe - it's turning cold n miserable here again...

Archy said...

Nice Punjabi thali Asha!!
Looks so yummy !! Feel like having them right now !!

U have a nice managed vegetable garden !!

I wud be ur neigbour!!
I wud have got nice recipes to taste and veggy too :) !!

FH said...

Mallika, you are so right! I was going thru' his cookbook y'day and he has a wonderful collection of authentic recipes. I must try more like Pakodi dal, sounds good!:)
Cold again there! Aargh!! Well, it's unbelievably hot here, people are flooding the emergency room, and to top it Tomatoes are infected with Salmonella now! Isn't that great start for a Summer!;P
Enjoy your weekend, hugs!:)

FH said...

Archy, I was in your blog a second ago, glad to see you here. Thank you, I do my best!
Yeah, around August, I get loads and loads of Tomatoes to give you, nothing else!:D

deepsat said...

these never go old asha, they are always so yumm!!! :-))

Keep hearing of the heat wave out there!! Everywhere the weather is tossing around!!

Take care

;-))

Archy said...

Wow, Tomamtoes.. thank you :) !!

I'm fine dear !!
Nothing like dat :) !!
Tommorow i vil be posting new recipe :D !!

Rajitha said...

asha...you make such delicious food...that chole bhature is giving me some serious craving. i am bookmarking this page to come and see adn drool when the cravings hit...yep...no eating for me..just dreaming :)

Sreelu said...

Asha, love the choley and Bhatura wish I could eat a piece of it right now.

So whats special for fathers day

TheCooker said...

You run out of idea....is that even possible? C'mon.
I had planned to make puris tomorrow (end of school year feast) but now I'm thinking bhaturas.

Red Chillies said...

Asha, you must be kidding and it is not even April 1st! You say, you don't know what to cook and post? 'Maambay is a funny word', but I understand what you mean by Anglo-Indian kids, it is funny and it is kind of sad in one way.

Love your chole, batura and best of all Gajar halwa!

KonkaniBlogger said...

Asha, went and looked at all your Chhole recipes, they all look great, You have to tell me now which is the best of them all :)..Halwa looks too good and so all the diff dishes from other blogs. Your plants are looking great..I had put in some seeds, but either they all died or some are not grwoing at all beyond tht sprouting stage :(. I have used Miracle grow soil and had them in small pots. Don't knw wht I did wrong. Sob sob..

Prema Sundar said...

love the look of chole Asha...Thats one nice looking barn too.this week the weather in Nj went to 100 degrees but felt like 104... I had to go out in the afternoon and inside the car it was soooooooooooo hot and felt as though i was in a burning oven.

Pooja V said...

Chhole is my favourite punjabi dish. Btw i recently learnt very authetic punjabi bhature from a friend. will post it soon. Yours look delectable...yum!

Rachel said...

You running out of ideas..that is surprising..

Love the look of the fluffy bhaturas..and the chole looks way too tempting...

Padmaja said...

Asha!!! amazing thali!! those bhatures look so light n yummy!! I would love to have that thali anytime!!!

jayasree said...

Liked the Punjabi feast. All perfect. Each time u post the same dish, ur presentation makes it different, Ashakka. Loved reading about ur kids.
You indeed inspire all of us. Congrats on the truly deserving award.

Sailaja said...

Asha,

Chole bhature looks awesome. Your pictures are too good.
Thanks for accepting the award and linking my blog in your blog.

Srivalli said...

Asha..thats one fab thali you have there..wish I made these too!..anyway send me those bhature for the Mela!..will check on your plants now!...:)..take care..I know you must be enjoying with the kids getting off school now!...

bird's eye view said...

Hi Asha,

Good to see you back to blogging. Chholey Bhaturey is my husband's favourite dish so I always make it for him every birthday. We do a different version called Pindi Chholey, which is exactly like the chholey you get at Bengali Market in Delhi - it's up on my blog somewhere. Now I'm waiting for cooler weather here so we can enjoy CB again.

Keshi said...

oii soni kudi aap kaisi hai? :):)

*HUGZ*

Keshi.

SMN said...

Ashakka i love chole bature never prepared at home though. nice spread.. and congrats on the awras which u truely desrve..

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

You always serve up such a varied spread that it's hard to believe you're running out of ideas.
Your barn looks lovely But I'm overwhelmed by your garden, Asha.
So you're an excellent cook and a veritable green fingers, too.

Gattina Cheung said...

Asha, you always inspire me *hug*
Thanks for the authenic Chhole Aloo (and remind me about Father's Day... I am just bad in remembering date)!
Abnormal weather everywhere... worrying me a lot... we had a bad drought in this region as well.

FH said...

Satish, that's true. Some dishes are classic, never get old and always crave for more!:)
Weather makes me scared these days. We keep hearing all the global warming etc., don't know what's in store for us.
Enjoy your weekend, whatever happens happens, right? :)

Archy, that's good. Lot people are getting sick these days. Glad to hear that you are just taking it easy. Will see you tomorrow!:)

Rajitha, good luck with your diet, it is a hard job for us dieting to lose wt. Atleast you are willing to do it. No, stay away from coming back here!;D
Next week, I will give you a great Summer light lunch, watch out!:)

Hi Sreelu, I want some too, I made this last week!;D
I am planning to make his favorite Pulao with a salad, he doesn't like sweets!Kids bought him a Barnes and Noble's gift card since he LOVES his coffee!:))

TC, nobody believes me!! AH...!!!:D
Make Bhaturas! Bit of Yogurt gives it a nice tang, enjoy!:)

indosungod said...

I know Mother Nature is pretty upset I guess :(
Those baturas are pure heaven in a plate and with the Chhole it is a blissful match. Kiddies having fun and keeping mom busy?
DD is
staying home with grandmom-my mom is visiting, says she is going to enjoy reading, painting and genrally lazing around. School breaks for the summer today.

FH said...

RC, beliiieve meee!!:D
No, not Anglo-Indian(half Indian,half British by birth)!
Indo-American kids ie American(by birth) kids with Indian heritage. I know it's confusing to us parents, but kids know and love America, proud to be Americans, no doubt about that. we, parents who grew up in India, struggle with which country we love more sometimes, but not them. They absolutely know who they are!:)
Enjoy Gajar Halwa and the weekend!

Maya, first is my fave because it's very easy to make and tasty.This recipe is very authentic Punjabi, yummy,2nd one is from Pakistan, has a tang of Pom seeds! You are asking me which child I love more! hahaha!
Some seeds are not healthy, I sow many at a time, few come up. Depends on weather too, sow some again. Soil sounds good, very small pot restricts the growth of a plant unless it's Methi, Mint etc which is fine in small pots. Tomatoes and chillies need bigger ones!:)

Prema, same here! I had to pick up Trisha from school, she took her sweet time coming out and even with AC on, felt like it's a oven and had a headache by the we came home! It's terrible. Be safe there!:)

Pooja, can't wait to see that Bhatura, always love a different version, post soooon!:)))

Thanks Rachel. Bhaturas so yummy to eat. Wish I had a huge Kadai ti make as big as they make in the restaurants!:))

FH said...

Hi Padmaja, compared to your Buffet this is nothing girl! How lucky are your guests?!:))

Thanks Jaya. These are all taste different too even though ingredients we use are similar. It's amazing how Indians cook, makes you happy!:))

Sailaja, thanks for thinking of me, always appreciate it!:)

Hi bev, I was back long time ago girl, almost ready to go for Summer break now! :D
Yes, it's too hot to fry. I always fry outside on the deck but now I probably get a heat stroke if I do! I have made Pindi chole too but didn't post here.I will get your's now!:)

FH said...

Haha! Keshi, your hidden Punjabi blood is coming out girl! ;D
I am good, how are you? Will see later. Hugs to you, always good to see you happy!:)

Thank you Sushma!:)
I am just getting ready to steam some Moong idlis, it has a beautiful color! Can't wait to dig in!:))

Aparna, it is true! I am running out of ideas, now I have to go and bake something! ;D
Arvind prepares the soil etc.,around Spring, then I sow, plant, water and fertilize. Mine is a easy job than his!:)

Gattina, your blog just makes happy, no doubt about that, always a feast for eyes and soul! Hugs to you, thanks for being a friend.
Father's day is on the 15th, this Sunday. Enjoy, make something special for hubby on behalf your kids. I am sure you will!:)

Indo, DD is lucky! Enjoy your mum. My kids don't want to go to any camps, lazy bums!
Yeah! reading, playing Video games would be the focus i guess.I am making them strip the wall paper in their bathroom, that should keep them busy!:D
Enjoy and have fun this Sunday, Father's day!!:)

Beyond Curries said...

The Bhatures looks so delicious and tempting Asha. I don't make puris or anything deep fried because my husband is very health conscious and moreover I'm also putting on weight.

If God gave me a wish, I would ask that I can eat all I want and should not gain weight. I really mean it. Earning money etc, is very easy, when compared to losing weight and maintaining it.

Asha I have also passed on the Inspiration award to you. I see that you have already received it, but you really inspire me, so I have given it.

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Loved ur dishes asha :). Gardens looks super

Anonymous said...

lovely spread.....now i am sorely craving gajar ka halwa.....i think i will try my hand at it this weekend....

EC said...

Hahahah...many a times I too have faced such situations...Anyway, anything u make looks delicious

FH said...

Sri, I will send it in, I keep forgetting about Roti Mela!:D
Kids are home now, will put them to work every day for 2 hrs stripping the wall papers. I have a appointment tomorrow, after that just waiting for the vacation!:))

Sum Raj said...

yeppe..balle balle..punjabi channa baturee along with gajar ka halwa looks perfect for dinner along with scoop of butterscoth icecream on top of halwa....woo la la ....feel like coming to ur beautiful palace and enjoy my stay over there....u rock..

FH said...

Madhu, I agree 100% about wt, it gets harder as we get older! I keep deep frying once or twice a month too, but sometimes temptation takes over!:D
Eating too much bread is bad too for us! Ah..!! :D
Thank you, I will right over there!:)

Thank you Mala, comfort food for the soul, not so comfort for our body! Hahaha!

A, you can do Gajar Halwa in the Microwave if you want it faster, just be careful not to burn. Enjoy!:))

Thank God I have company EC!!! Nobody believed me so far!:D

Suma,my palace looks big but it's small for us what with 2 teenagers and all girl!:D
Ice Cream on Gajar Halwa sounds yum. I have seen Halwa stuffed in Puff pastry too, must try!:)

Swati Raman Garg said...

please it doesnt suit you when you say ur recipes got over.... love ur bhatures.. they look so divine... and gajar ka hlawa in summers...waaah

Meera said...

Loved your platter. & red barn too.
Loved ur veggie patch too.

FH said...

Swati, you too Brutus! Believe me when I say it girl!;D
I have been cooking so many from other blogs, I just don't want to think of my own anymore! I am getting ready for blog break anyway, taking it easy!:)
Halwa any time here, chilled tastes great too.

Meera, good to see you. Thanks for your yummy package, will search in your blog for recipes. I am all psyche up for new tastes!:))

Recipeswap said...

Asha I just passed on two awards to you plz accept :)

FH said...

Oh, that's nice of you Neema, will be there ASAP!:))

Trupti said...

Hey Asha, your red barn looks lovely. Veggi patch is also looks good. Love your son's 'Maambay' word. Punjabi Thalli looks delicious and as usual nice photos.

Congrats on your awards. Enjoy those awards.

Madhavi said...

Hello Asha di, awesome meal, everything looks mouthdrooling. Love d color of chhole. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyy!!!!!

Sagari said...

delecioussss chole batura ashaji ,
gajar ka halwa looks reallllyyyy yummmmm

Shionge said...

Hey Asha..Happy Father's Day to all your blogpals' Daddys & Hubbies :)

Nice dish to cook for them, I'll cook something simple for my hubby too :D

Unknown said...

Nice coincidence..i made punjabi chicken masala for dinner today with parottas.Chhloe looks so delicious..will try that soon as H loves bhature.Hope you liked parottas.Happy hear about your plants.Wish i had enough space to grow vegies..may be in the future.I too like happy shiny people...:D.

Congrtas on the well derserved awards..

Siri said...

the chole and bhature looks yum yum Ashaji and I have little sumthing on my blog for u. I know u already got it.. but I just couldn't resist myself - NOT to do it..:)

Hugs,
Siri

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha, that was a lovely long post...bollywood and mumbai and all. Enjoyed reading it. I like your ocean waves...:).
It is a great idea how you have mentioned all the recipes you have tried from different blogs. You must be really busy and happy in the kitchen.

Anonymous said...

hello asha,
chole aloo and bhature looks yummy.my bhature always turns out crisp so i have stopped making them.between i did not see ur post on taste of india.

shalini

FH said...

Thank you Trupti. You should hear him speaking Kannada words!! Hahaha!!

Madhavi, stop drooling and make some!HeHe!

Thank you Sagari, just some comfort food, nothing very special!:))

Shi, have a wonderful Sunday and happy father's day to your hubby. Anything served with love will do nicely! Hugs to you, enjoy!:))

FH said...

LOL! Mahesh, you are a happy shiny girl, love ya!:))
You can grow some in pots though, one or two tomato plants. Paratha was excellent tasting, tried to roll as thin as possible, great with chicken too. Happy father's day to your hubby, Bhature will make him happy! ;D

Siri sweetie, thank you very much. I appreciate everything you do for me. Hugs to you. Enjoy your weekend!:))

Pritya, my posts always loooong!:D
I do enjoy cooking and from others too, love the new tastes which I have not tasted before.
Ocean always makes me happy, can just sit and stare at it whole day!:))

Shalini, try this recipe and also my last recipe with bread squeezed in the Bhatura.Bread makes the most tender Bhaturas, you will love it!:)
TOI is not working for many of us, don't know why!
I post here every Wednesday and at Aroma, Monday or Friday or both days if I have too many posts. Just check on these 3 days!:))

Viji said...

We can see n number of times Asha this combination :) Thank you for award and you are so sweet. Viji

Kajal@aapplemint said...

haha for once i'm seeing your blog and its not going to make me miserably hungry ... i just make chole puri yesterday. haha advantages of being in bombay ... and i had gulab jamuns to go with it :)

FH said...

Viji, you are sweet girl, I am proud to give it you.I know you don't need these award to blog yummy posta but just a little appreciation from me. Hugs. Have a fun weekend. I will visit you later today!:))

Poori and Gulab Jamun! Whoa! Kajal, you are having a whale of time there sweetie, enjoy. It must hot there now, huh?
If you hungry now, just walk out of the house in there, you will be spoiled for choices to eat!:D

Srivalli said...

your barn is just tooo good..my daughter was next just now and she wants one built for her!..and not to say abt your plants..they are growing beautifully!

Jaya M said...

lovely spread of Punjabi feast ,I love chole and gajar ka Halvah so much..
hugs and smiles
jaya

Kalai said...

Gorgeous chole bhature, Ashakka! Congrats on the award and thanks for sharing the halwa with us! :) Btw, your garden's produce is awesome!!

Unknown said...

That looks such a nice thali, I love punjabi dishes, especially that gajar ka halwa makes me feel like grabbing it straight away:)

FH said...

Sri, you can easily build a small play house for her if your hubby is good with handy work or get it built. That guy you see there built the whole thing within 6 hrs, with the ready made wood of course!!
We do get ready built play houses here. Trisha never was a girly girl, so we didn't buy any playhouse or dolls!:)

Jaya, great to eat both spread on the same plate, isn't it? Some spicy and some sweet!:)

Hi Kalai. good to see you.
Yes, garden is growing very well in the heat this year.Sun is good for them , not very good for us!:)

Roopa, they should make TV or Laptop screen like that, so we can grab all the food they show on Food Network! Hahaha!
Enjoy, have a wonderful weekend!:)

Bong Mom said...

The weather doesn't dither you Asha, what a wonderful spread. Love those bhatures and chole.
Weather has been real hot here too, but summer arrived late this year

Shubha Ravikoti said...

Wow... that looks awesome...:) amazing photographs... they r mouthwatering... yummmmmy...

Asha... I have something for u in my blog..:)do check it out!

Daily Meals said...

Hi Asha! Bhature and chole aloo look mouth water4r4ing. Carrot halwa looks delicious.

KALVA said...

Wow awesome platter Asha..,my husbands favorite caobo, be it batura, chole and even Gajara Ka Halwa!!!!

Swati said...

I love chole bhature.. really puffy and chole look spicy and yum..My MIL makes some yummy aloo ke bhature..should share this with all of you sometime..they are like those instant ones and turn out to be delicious too..
Gajar ka halwa is an all time fav.. Have a great weekend!!

FH said...

Hi Sandeepa, I know. Weather is little scary. It's unusually hot. Good for the plants though, they are thriving! Have a good weekend, stay cool!:)

Shubha, thank God I could open your blog today. Thank you so much for the award, I just checked, I will add! Hugs :)

Thank you Vijaya. Good to see you. Enjoy the weekend!:)

Your husband has a good taste Kalva, we love ot too!:))

Swati, please do share the recipe of your MIL's Bhatura, always willing to try new ways. Hope you do. Yeah, these are some good combo!:)

FoodieFriend said...

Yummy!
I love punjabi food(and my family too love it!).
Good to see punjabi recipe here....
Happy blogging!

Sig said...

THose are some perfect looking bhaturas.... Have you planned any big party for father's day? Have a great weekend....:)

Keshi said...

hehe Asha :)

And HAPPY FATHERS' DAY to A!

Keshi.

FH said...

Hi FF, thank you buddy. I do have quite a few Punjabi/North Indian in this blog. Enjoy!:))

Hello, Bhaturas were yummy. Pure Punjabi food is really delcious, I should cook more from that book.
Arvind is on call, but y'day we took some tome off and went out to have dinner in advance. It was great.
He is not really that into all the hoopla about this day and that day, but an excuse to spend some time together as family!:))

Did you puke a bit Keshi! ;D
Thank you, I showed him your wish.Got him a gift card to have months wort of coffee and cookies everyday which he loves! Enjoy your weekend. Hugs!:)

Anonymous said...

Everything's gorgeous as always, Asha, especially that chole! And your plants are looking great -- I have some Indian gourds, and eggplant too thanks to my fairy godmother; time will tell what kind they are. Hope your lake stays in place unlike the poor folks in Wisconsin -- I'm thankful to live in an area with more moderate weather.

Last day of school for the kids Tues -- hooray! :)

vandana rajesh said...

yummy chhole. There's an award waiting for you at my blog.

Seena said...

Indian tour? I feel like that, whenever visit you, knowing the food of each state.. :)

Latha Narasimhan said...

Just looking at the bhaturas, my son said this is the recipe I should follow to make bhaturas! :)) Lovely Asha dear! I am making them tomorrow! :))
Congrats for the award! You definitely inspire many and I am one of them!! :))Thanks a ton for passing the award to us!!

Nanditha Prabhu said...

an award for you at my space!

Devi Priya said...

Chole Bhaturey are very inviting..Carrot Halwa looks Yummy! Nice blog and nice pics.

FH said...

Yeah, kids are home Linda. We are planning to strip wall papers in 4 rooms, so kids work on it everyday for 2 hrs after lunch!:D
Plants are growing luxuriously in the heat, it's bad for human though!:)
Trisha got the perm Driving license just came home from there. YAY! We just booked a University commuter's car park too. Phew! Tushar next!:D

Thanks V, I will check it out!:))

RCI is great Seena, I learn a lot too!:))

Latha, enjoy the award, there is no better person than you to give it to, I am proud of you!:))
Adding bread to the Bhatura(2nd post) is even better, soft as a sponge. Enjoy!:)

Thank you NP, will be there too!:))

Anonymous said...

Hii asha...tried out ur carrot halwa..came out fabulous!thx for the recipe..:)

FH said...

Thanks DP, great to see you here. Enjoy and will see you later!:)

You did! That's great Kalpana, glad you liked it. You can add a bit of cream or Khoya too, to make it richer!Authentic Punjabi food rocks!:)

Anonymous said...

Its hard to decide what to drool over more--- choley, batura or the gorgeous barn!!

FH said...

HeHe!! Thank you Sands. I would drool over the pretty barn. Or is it Macho handsome barn? Don't know!:D
Enjoy.

krystyna said...

Hi Asha,
how can you find time for creating such great job? You are very talented. Each your post is very interesting and wonderful. I'm not doing exactly what you write/ I didnt have these ingredients/but I do something similar. You inspire me!
Thank you so much!
Blessing to you and your family!

FH said...

Thank you Krystyna!!:)

Every Sunday, I make something special for the family.That's only day we are all together having lunch at the same time!:))

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

oh wow! chole tumba chennagi kantha ide..... And, glad you tried the uppu-huli dose. hope u liked it!

K.C. said...

Wow, your blog is unbelievable. All the time that you put into explaining these recipes.

What a wonderful cook you are. How happy your family must be!

I was just popping in and what a great surprise it was! Kayce

FH said...

Ramya, I did like it. Huli dose, yum yum with spicy chutney! Thanks for posting the recipe!:))

Hi kc, thank you so much, I appreciate it. Blogging is hard work, I do my best. Enjoy browsing and hope you try some of these dishes!:))

Namratha said...

Oh that platter is sooo inviting Asha, love all these dishes. For a minute while reading the title I thought, is this really Asha's blog...what happened to all the complicated dishes? :D

Zak said...

hello ! im a foodie ! the perfect one ! love cooking ! looking at the pictures here made me full now ! nice blog ! keep it going !

FH said...

Major Brain drain Nams!!;D

Sometimes simple Indian dishes are the best!:)

Thank you Mahatma. I appreciate that. Enjoy browsing and happy blogging to you!:))