March 25, 2009

Chana Masala, Luchis with a twist or two, MW Poha Chivda, Korean Hoddeok for dessert!

Happy Ugadi to all of you! :)
Spring is officially here, bright, long Sunny days are back at last for keeps, thank goodness! Makes you smile after enduring quite a long snowy cold Winter, doesn't it? Husband mowed the lawn last week, fertilized it while I went shopping for Spring cloths etc. No more heavy Winter jackets for us, got to have some colorful, light, new stuff to show off some untanned (untanned is good for Indians, btw! :D) skin, eh?
It rained for a while last week, so grass has turned bright green too. Great time of the year just look out and enjoy the beautiful nature!

Here are few dishes for you this week. Before you ask... No, I didn't make all these in one day just to post here (I do cook thali meals in one day if it's for RCI event or for a festival) but cook them over a week for my family and keep them in the draft to post here once a week on Wednesdays!

Chana masala with Luchi:
Here is a wonderful tasty combo of Chana (brown colored Chickpeas) Masala which are full of protein and fiber along with a Indian quick bread called Luchis which are from the states of Bengal and Odissa in India, these are somewhat similar to Native American "Fry bread". Cream colored plain Luchis are usually made without any leavening like you see below in the photo but I did add baking soda, baking powder and spices to the dough this time to get a different texture and color to the Luchis.

Brown Chickpeas/Chana Masala:
Brown Chana are similar to Chickpeas but smaller beans, brown or reddish in color, mostly available in Indian stores. You can replace these Chanas with canned creamy Chickpeas with the same recipe, which gives a different taste than the brown Chanas. This dish tastes better the next day. I cook and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days sometimes, tastes wonderful!

You need:
1 1/2 cup dry brown Chana, 1/4 Tsp turmeric, salt, Paprika for color.
Paste:
2 onion, chopped and sauteed in a tbsp oil, grind it with 3 garlic, 1 1/2" chopped ginger.
Liquid:
1/2 cup Tomato sauce, (canned is fine too) mixed with 1 tsp Besan or Chickpea flour for thickening the sauce.
Spices:
1 tbsp Coriander seeds powder, 1 tsp Cumin powder, 1 tsp Garam masla, 1/2 tsp or more chilli pd,
1/2 tsp Dry Mango pd or Pomegranate seeds powder, (you can replace both of these tangy powders with 1 tbsp Lemon juice, add it at the end of cooking),
1 tsp store bought Chana masala powder if you have it, always optional).
Garnish:
Cilantro, 1 tbsp butter, fresh onion cut into rings, few Tomato slices to serve.

Here is how I made Chana masala:
1. Soak 1 1/2 cups of dry brown Chana in water overnight and drain the water the next day. Add 3 cups of fresh water to it along with 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp Paprika and pressure cook until soft but not fully mashed. Add 1 tsp salt, keep aside. Save about a cup of water out in a separate bowl.
2. In a pan, add a tbsp oil, saute 2 onion chopped until slightly golden. Add this to a blender along with 3 garlic, 1 1/2" fresh chopped ginger until smooth thickish paste with little water but not too much.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil, add ground onion paste and fry for 2 mins. Add Tomato sauce+Besan, stir fry for 5 mins until thick and leaves the sides of the pan. Now, add all the spice powders, salt and cooked Chana with it's water.
4. Simmer for 10 mins until sauce is thick, adjust the spices and add reserved chana water if needed to thin the sauce. Add 1/2 tbsp of butter, cilantro and mix well.
5. Serve garnished with cilantro, onion rings, tomato pieces and with Luchis or Parathas.
Luchis with baking pd, turmeric and paprika:
Luchis with a twist or two. Usually Luchis are made just with plain flour, salt and a bit of oil added to the dough and deep fried, usually they go flat after a while. I made plain Luchis and also made a few puffy, colorful ones with 1/2 tsp baking pd, pinch of baking soda, turmeric and paprika added to my Luchi dough. They puff up well with some leavening in them and stay puffed for longer time, they are colorful too! Why not have some fun with good old regular Luchis, huh?! Oh no, Bengalis are going to kill me now! :D

To make these:
Makes about 16-18 Luchis enough for 4-6 people, cut the recipe in to half if you don't need that many Luchis. I made few Luchis just with Turmeric and few with Paprika just fir fun, kids loved them!
1. Mix and knead 2 cups of plain flour, pinch of Baking soda, 1/2 tsp Baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp Paprika, 1 tbsp oil and enough warm milk to a firm pliable dough. Dough must not be soft and sticky. Cover and let it rest for 20mins.
2. Divide this dough into equal Golf ball sized portions, about 16 or so. Heat enough oil to deep fry at 375F or until hot.
3. Roll out these balls to 4" circles about 1/8" thickness, slide gently in to the oil and press the top with the ladle. When they puff, flip and cook the other side and drain on paper towel. Enjoy them when they are still hot, eventually they do flatten as they cool down.

Korean coconut-Molasses stuffed Hoddeok:
These are amazingly similar to what we call Kayi Holige (Coconut-Jaggary filled Obbattu) in Karnataka but with a slightly different ingredients and yeast dough. I followed the recipe in "My Korean kitchen" blog with her traditional Korean recipe for sweet pancakes. Instead of adding just brown sugar and nuts, I added sweetened coconut, Walnuts and few tsps of dark Molasses to give a bit to the Hoddeoks. Tasted so good, thanks for posting the recipe, Sue! :)

Here is how I made them:
I followed the recipes as it is for the covering with yeast but you can skip the yeast and add just 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the dough for a quicker version. I mixed 1 cup of sweetened coconut, 2 tbsp Walnuts and 2-3 tsps of dark Molasses and filled the pastry and roasted on the tava with little oil just like you do for Parathas. For detailed and step by step pics, refer to her post.

Microwaved Poha/Avalakki Chivda:

Who doesn't love to eat handful of these crunchy and spicy Chivda for evening snacks along with a cup of hot coffee? Usually, my mother sautes the regular thick Poha or Avalakki in some oil until they are whitish and puffed instead of deep frying them and then mixes with all the other ingredients as a seasoning. I chose to Microwave the thin Poha because it's easy to make them puffy and added the other ingredients to the mixture. Click on Annapurna's Chivda recipe for details of how to make this Chivda.

Here is how to Microwave the Chivda!
1. Take 1 or 2 cups of papery thin Poha, spread on wide shallow plate. Drizzle few tbsps of oil and mix well to coat all the Poha, sprinkle some sat and turmeric and mix again.
2. Place 1/2 cup each time on a microwavable plate, spread thinly in single layer and Microwave on high/100% for 2 mins at a time. keep checking if they are frying evenly. When done, spread it on paper towel to cool it down. Repeat this with rest of the Poha.
3. When Poha is done, add 1 tbsp oil in smaller bowl, Microwave it for 5 mins until very hot and add mustard, dry red chilles, curry leaves, peanuts, Cashews, yellow roasted chana/Dalia etc and keep Microwaving until they are slightly golden.(Look at the ingredients in her post, seasoning is usually done on the stove top and then mixed with crisp Poha, I am using Microwave this time)
4. Mix Poha and seasoning, adjust chill pd and salt. When cooled, store this crispy Chivda in a air tight box or glass container. That's it for this week, enjoy! :)

Logos of all events, their hosts and links to their posts. My thanks to all the event hosts for taking time, enjoy my entries too! :)


Chana Masala, goes to Laurie of "Meditterranean cooking in Alaska" who is guest hosting "MLLA-9th helping" this event and this even t is started by Susan of "The well seasoned cook".

Luchis,
go to Bread Baking Day#18-Quick breads, which is being guest hosted by Mansi of "Fun and Food" and this event started by Zorra.

Korean Hoddeok, goes to PJ of "Seduce your tastebuds" who is guest hosting this month's "A.W.E.D.-Korean cuisine" and this event's creator is DK.

Microwaved Poha Chivda, goes to Priya of "easy N tasty recipes" who is guest hosting "MEC-Savory snacks" and this event's creator is Srivalli.

Poha Chivda, also goes to Ashwini of "Spicy Cuisine", who is guest hosting "MBP-Snacks and Savories", an event started by Coffee. Recipe for Chivda is adapted from Annapurna of "My name says it all" blog post, but made it in the Microwave with thin Poha for easy dry frying with little oil.

***************************************************************************************************************************************
Tried and tasted from other blogs, thanks to all of you:

Vellarikka Kichadi/raita, from Divya Kudua.
Spicy Appe, from Paru.

Vellarikkai Puli Pachadi, from Aparna.
(Used Zucchinis, tasted great)
Turkey curry, from Viki. (added Eggs instead of Turkey to the same gravy, could use the leftover Turkey after Thanksgiving this Nov with the same sauce!)

Book I am reading now:

"Rose water and Soda bread" by Marsha Mehran.

Remember this "Pomegranate soup" book by the same author about 2 Iranians sisters who escape from Iran during the time of revolution to Ireland and my post with Iranian recipes which are in that book? This is her second book. Not as interesting as the first book but it's continuation of what happened to the sisters in Ireland, how they cope which is great if you have read the first book. Good "time pass" book to read with some more recipes I might try later!

Movies:
"Elegy":
This movie is based on Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Roth’s novel "The Dying Animal". It's about a relationship between an old accomplished Professor and a young beautiful Cuban student, which starts as purely sexual and ends up taking over both their lives after 8yrs with tragic but supposedly a great love story. Played by Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, good film to watch if you have time, great acting and "R" rated of course.
Twilight:
Watched only because it's available for $1 at Red Box movies! Otherwise it's not really my kind of movie, what with all the ashen faced Vampires and blood sucking teenage love story!! Even my kids think this movie is weird although the movie and the Twilight books are very popular among most teenagers! ;D
Twilight is not bad for watching once though. I prefer to watch this young love story rather than watching a 65yr old wrinkly nasty Professor sleeping around with his collegues and young students any day like that Elegy movie, no matter what great "love" he has for one of his students!

Rathna of Asvadha sent me these 5 reusable beautiful colorful bags last week as a gift for winning the "MEO-Delish" platter. Thanks Rathna, I love them and Trisha kept one for herself in her car too! :)
Have a great weekend. Enjoy the colorful Spring! :)

A note:
We found that some of our fellow blogger's photos have been copied, trimmed, re-posted and even sent them for various events by few bloggers last week. Please don't Google and just take the photos to post it in your blogs without linking, knowingly or unknowingly, whether you are a new blogger or a veteran blogger! If you can find a photo in the web, it comes from somewhere, right? LINK IT!!
We all work hard to take these photos, take time to type in the recipes or articles to post them in our blogs. It's disrespectful and unethical to just copy it and post as your own to say the least. Always ask for permission, specially
if you would like to have our photos. Respect if we say "No" to that request. When you want to use our recipes or cook from us, say a word "thanks" and always link to the original author if you post it. Easy, no?
Unless we send our photos to you for your events or for some other reason voluntarily, you must not copy photos to post it anywhere. It hurts and saddens us personally to see our pics somewhere else which you haven't worked hard for but we have literally created these photos in our homes and kitchens!! Please be respectful and let's all enjoy blogging without being mean to each other, shall we?
Have fun blogging, make blog friends to enjoy, it's not really that hard!! :)

154 comments:

Kolors of life said...

Hi Asha,

Nice to see your posts every wednesdays..
Can you please post some Ugadi special dishes for this Ugadi which is on Friday..especially Ugadi pachadi(pickle)

Thanks,
Anu

sra said...

Now you have me wanting to watch Elegy. I've just started watching a DVD series called West Wing, still trying to understand how things work in the White House. Those bags are pretty.

Raks said...

Channa masala color is awesome,mouthwatering! Luchis all the tree looks nice! Nice entries to the event:)

jayasree said...

Chana masala looks delish. It must be the paprika that gave the color. The brown chana is always there in my pantry. Shall try ur version. Even i am going to post MW mixture similar the chivda recipe. Liked the korean version of our obattu. I might go for a quicker version with baking powder.

What hpnd to ur copied post of Sivarathri thali. Was it removed?

Finla said...

I am sure going to make those black channa. They do looks so deiicous and Habs and shyama love channa ( hi hi one of the first legume i introduced to them)
Luchis i have neve rmade them, will try that too, like the idea of affing baking powder.
I have no idea why some ppl copy the pics, are they not ahsamed to copy other peoples hard work.
And u made chicade at hom, for me they are always from the shops bought packets.
Thankyou for the help yesterday.

FH said...

Anu, I don't celebrate Ugadi, just Diwali and Shivaratri. I will let you know if other bloggers post Pachadi for you! :)

Haha! sra,Elegy is erotic, lot of boobies to see, have fun! ;D
Yeah, White House is a circus, enjoy that too.

Thanks Raks! :)

Jaya, his blog is not active, he copied and posted mine and disappeared! My post is still there unfortunately.

You are welcome F, that's what friends are for girl. Hugs. Enjoy the Chana! :)

Anonymous said...

that chana has one lovely color!! yes we bong love our luchis:-) yeah we don't use any leavening.. just madia & salt & oil! new twist. love the colors..

the korean dessert looked kind a like puranpolis but thicker..

that photo copying think was pretty sick.

Deepthi Shankar said...

I loved those luchis. they look fab so do those hoddeok, from where on earth do you find these unique dishes? I always wait for those unique dishes from you

Rajitha said...

i read luchis and i hurried over to see em and you did not dissapoint me :D...and not fair that u are outta winter jackets!!..here i am dying to get off them to buy cool spring jackets....

Vani said...

Lucchi, chhole combo is wonderful! Haven't tried the chana masala with brown peas before. It's usually the giveaway usli on traditional functions :)
The dessrt looks great too! Gotta try something Korean for AWED. I love these events - gives an opp to try new things, alva?

UjjU said...

Chivda looks yummy! Wotz cookin for Ugadi?

Anonymous said...

Luchis look gorgeous! poha chivda looks great too..thx for sharing the recipe :)

AnuSriram said...

Lovely! As always.. these dishes looks delicious! Love that korean hoddeok.

Anonymous said...

How do you get the black channa to cook till they are soft? I pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles they still end up somewhat hard, not as soft as I like them to be...

Trupti said...

Chana masala looks delicious Asha.. lovely color. Hoddeok looks like korean version of our puran poli. Everything looks perfect & mouthwatering Asha

Laavanya said...

I love brown channa Asha... have never made the usual channa masala with it though.. usually make it as kadala curry, theeyal or as a kuzhambu. The luchi definitel sounds like something I'd like.. they look so white and must be quite chewy too. Who would've thought there was a korean dish like our poli/obbattu? Neat. Loved the MW version of Poha Chivda - bookmarking to try.

You are right.. the longer days really make a difference to my mood.. i'm happier and it feels like i have more time in the evenings.

Recipeswap said...

Asha I was looking to make something korean and I never thought of dessert........yes the recipe is so similar to obbatu.
Luchis look so good too and todays weather makes me crave some hot luchis and the channa.
I almost forgot chivda looks nice and crispy.

Divya Kudua said...

Hmm..the week of the day is here..Wednesday..yipee!!;-).Brown channa looks fab..I prefer brown than white coz white becomes gigantic after cooking and I always have to mash them before serving..;-).I make it in a similar manner,without besan.Planning to make your paneer-chole-makhni in MW soon;-).Have heard of Luchis,you have given them a nice twist by making it colorful,I'm sure Bengalis won't mind;-).Poha and chivda look delicious too,I'm tempted to try out the chivda.

And last but not the least,thanks for trying out my Vellarika kichadi..at last my dish features in your blog;-).One thing,please edit my name from Kadua to Kudua;-).

Pavani said...

Spring is not here in the North East yet. Waiting for those crisp Spring days and fresh spring produce. Nice recipes and I'm going to try your chana masala and microwave chivda recipes. Have a great rest of the week.

Sakshi said...

Chana masala and Luchis...looks heaven to me and to think of it I just had a pompous breakfast and the pic makes me hungry all over..lesson learnt...don't browse food blogs when ur stomach is full..it makes u energetic enough to venture into the kitchen again..
U have a delicious blog here..luchi is something am gonna try in the next 24 hrs and yup I would go for the colored ones..Anything that has a relation to the rainbow makes my son gobble it up :)

Sara said...

Everything looks great, I haven't seen those beans before. I'll have to keep an eye out for them!

sunita said...

I love luchi..that's why don't make them too often ;-)pretty bags.

Hear you on the plagiarising bit :-)

FH said...

Thanks girls, glad you are enjoying my post today! :)

Ujju, not celebrating Ugadi.But may be a cookie for you next week! ;D

sj, I soak the Chana over night and then pressure cook them in the morning. Always get perfectly soft Chanas, try soaking if you are not doing it! :)

Oops! typo, Divya, will correct! Loved the Raita, thanks for that! :)

Sunita, my problem too, eat 3 of those Luchis and then feel guilty! ;P

Shivapriya said...

Everything looks delicious. I make poha similar way except I use oven to bake instead of microwave. Love the channa colour and luchi's looks fluffy and great!!!.

its still in low and mid 50's here.
Happy Ugadi to you and your family!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
How R U? I think U remember me (karnataka recipes) Now I am not active in blog world , new responsibility, does not get much time, some times I blog hop if time permits,
I tried your madras erulli sambhar for idli last weekend, my hubby liked it very much, he says it is just like shanthi sagar sambhar, Thanks for the recipe,
I will make
Luchis for dinner tdy,
Mamatha

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Congrats, Asha. Those bags are so pretty.
I love luchis. MaybeAPF isn't as healthy, though once they're in the oil I don't think rthat matters much! :) But like Sunita says, I like them so much that I make them infrequently.

You made that pachadi. And with zucchini. I must try that. How did you like it?

Why would blogeers do such miserable stuff? Its depressing!

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Me again. I just forgot to mention that I never thought of luchis ad quick bread. That's an idea.

Pallavi said...

Thanks for the note Asha... I totally forgot about that.. I keep telling that to my friends so many times.. Luchis with colors are definitely more fun and attractive :) to the little ones eyes.. Thanks for sharing.. Looks so yummy..

delhibelle said...

Punjabi, Bengali, Maharashtrian and even Korean all in one post! All look Amazing!

FH said...

Thanks SP, you too have fun! :)

Mamatha, new mommy? Take your time, no problem. Great to hear that your hubby liked erulli sambhar, mine does too, great with Idlis or rice!:)

Aparna, I was thinking of baking a quick bread too, the usual and then I thought of these Luchis. With baking pd added, it's a bread and it's quick! Hahaa!
Your Pachadi was fabulous, Zucchini worked well, didn't have cucumber! Very tasty, thanks! :)

You are welcome Pallavi, experience counts! :)

DB, I am a woman of the World! ;D

Sandhya said...

Asha, nice spread. I like brown chanas as well, such robust flavor they have.
Luchis, I thought bengalis simply called puris, luchis!! Are they made with all purpose flour or wheat flour?

Ashwini said...

Amazing posts..Congrats on winning the bags..looks very pretty..

FH said...

S, Luchis are always made with Plain flour, that's why they are Luchis rather than atta mixed Pooris. Luchis are fried very lightly to creamy color without getting that reddish color of pooris and served quickly.They tend get a bit chewy when cold. Try it, little S would love those colorful ones! :)

Vikis Kitchen said...

Happy Ugathi dear.
Channa masala with black channa looks healthy. Nice combo with luchis. poha chivda entirely made with MW surprises me. Korean dessert looks great. Nowadays I m sacrificing desserts for a good summer look ha ha ha. But ur dessert tempts me:) Spring means green and flowers . right. I am also waiting to see the blossoms. Those bags are cute buddy. Trisha has a good taste to use recyclable ones. congrats. Twilight series impress me sometimes, if i feel like having a nap. Nice to know abt the movie Elegy and the book.
Thanks for trying my Turkey curry . I'm speechless. The eggs look delicious in that curry.

Ashwini said...

I wait eagerly every wednesday to see what you have posted..everytime I drop by I find something new..Awesome spread..Everything looks so mouthwatering..Bookmarked the luchi..yumm. Congrats on your award..

Anonymous said...

Asha,this time am so happy that all these dishes I know very well and yes i have tasted..wonderful as always dear...So,the climate is getting live day by day..Chana makes me drool ..perfect for the season

indosungod said...

I have these Haldirams Purani Dilli Ke Choley and the taste is excellent (full of fat ofcourse). Your recipe might be it. Love the color, I prefer the black ones to the white ones. Will let you know once I try it out. Luchi are luscious. Love the bags Asha. Lucky you.

Chutneytales said...

Lovely recipes..i love the color or channa masala..looks very yummy :)
The bags are cute!

Anonymous said...

I am at loss of words to describe how i feel after reading your posts.Everything looks so wonderful,spl. the chanamasala is to die for
The bags look cute and hey i did watched b'day pics of ur darling daughter, seems they really enjoyed the day

Cham said...

I never tasted luchis, the chana is perfect combo.
Congrats on winning those lovely bags. The korean pancake is delicous too.
Seeing our hard work copied without a link back, is always heart breaking! I don't know when people will get educated with all those stuffs...

saffronapron.blogspot.com said...

Your posts are filled with energy. Love that and the I love the name luchi. Never heard it before, the recipe is similar to pooris right?Learning alot form your blog:)

Deepa Hari said...

Nice spread Asha....love the luchis...never tried them....channa masala and hoddeok looks great...those bags are kinda cute...enjoy them.

Priya Suresh said...

Channa masala makes me hungry...thanks for preparing MW specially for me..haha...Luchis looks gorgeous..that korean dessert ressembles like our puran polis..Those bags are really cute..One more delicious platter...seems that blog was been removed...thats a lovely post regarding the photo copying Ashakka..

notyet100 said...

chana masala,..looks yum..back in our place we call it ghughni...and enjoy with plain pooris,,..poha chivda looks yum....and ya i ahve tasted obatoo so can imagine how koran hoddeok must hve tatsed,..waitin for ur next post,..ceeu soon..:-)

Srivalli said...

Lovely post Asha...everything is looking so yummy!...

FH said...

Smitha, making is same as Pooris but Luchis are made only with Plain flour, salt and 1 tbsp oil. Try it, they are so good with spicy gravy! :)

Unknown said...

Asha, nemagu Ugadi Shubhashayagalu.
As always dishes are looking delish. Esp liked th korean dish very new and intersting.
Love the patterns on the bags, beautiful.

AJ said...

Hi Asha,
The chana-luchi look super. Chana was on our menu too last night!!

Apu

Vishali said...

Congrats Asha on winning the MEO Delish. Luchis and Korean Hoddeok look delicious and so are the other dishes. Chivda in microwave its a must try :D....

Feels good about Spring nah...:)...u know i even got a hair cut for Spring :D...

Wonderful recipes...thank you for sharing....

And, I wish you and your famiy members a very happy Ugadi !!

sriharivatsan said...

I love the color of Chana masala.. Looks so delicious Asha.. Very attractive too...Like the Luchis too...

Thanks for dropping me and your lovely enquires about my health...Am perfectly fine now..Back on the track...So sweet of you...

First time here i suppose. you have got a lovely space dear...

Reeta Skeeter said...

Hey there :)

as usual am the last one to comment here..

simply love love love luchis...the pic made my mouth water...they've got such an amazing texture..and believe me u i just had dinner and am hungry again!! grr

and we shun copying of pictures/posts etc together!

cheers!
keep writing, reading, clicking and o'course cooking!

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,

I thought you were on a break.anyway good to see your post.should try out luchis or white pooris.used to have this in my friend's house.
Wishing you a very happy Ugadi.

shalini

Pooja said...

yumm so many dishes...all of them are delicious and yummy asha...

Anonymous said...

Am a Bengali .. but am not going to kill you. In fact I love the different kind of luchis you have made .. and thanks for the idea to keep them puffed up for a longer time. :-)
Am horrified that snaps are being altered.

FH said...

Thanks for sparing me Sharmila, always scared to alter traditional dishes! :D
I know! I don't understand why some copy our pics.Is blogging so imp that they have to show off somebody else's hard work as theirs? Very strange behavior.

Archy said...

Hey, i love those brown chana masala, i bet tasted gud with luchis..

Happy ugadi - Happy new year in advance..Waiting for ur next post for Ugadi Spl dishes..

Manju said...

Happy Ugadi to you too!! and Im soo jealous of you, spring is already there and us Seattlites are still wondering what season we are in..its soo cold and rainy!! :(

i just loved the colour of the chana masala!! and those bags are really pretty!

FH said...

I know SC! Some northern states still have cold and so much flooding and all that. May be it will take one more month clear up there. It raining here too but in the South we always need rain, so it's all good! :)

Vaishali said...

Everything looks delicious, Asha, but I am practically aching for that spicy chana masala.

Varsha Vipins said...

oh..sorry am late Ashakka..Having a very bad head ache after I made my post,mebe the result of seeing some 50 posts to check out in my reader..lols..need a break badly..:P
All of these looks so fab,n am having a hard time recollecting all of 'em n picking out apt words to describe..So am just saying that ,I Loved the color n texture of Chana Masala..Luchi's are on my to-try list now..:)
Even I thought Twilight was kinda weird..The team is off for a new flick now..:)
Happy Ugadi n hugs..:)

Namratha said...

Ohh yes, Spring is finally here and boy are we glad too! :) Love the colour of the chole, looks spicy and yummy!

Gayathri said...

great posting

Pavithra Kodical said...

Never heard or tasted luchis.Nice combo.Microwave chivda sounds great.

Happy Ugadi to you and your family Asha akka.I will be celebrating Ugadi twice this year.My parents celebrate in April and In laws in March :) And those bags are cute.

Unknown said...

I am hooked on seeing the channa masala. Am making it tonight for dinner! And congrats on winning MEO! Cute bags!

Sunshinemom said...

Phew! Phew! Phew! - seetees they, yaar:)! What else can I do? Lovely - the luchis, chivda, Korean polis:)

Lakshmi said...

I want to go home and cook that chana masala :D it is looking delicious Ashakka. MW Chivda is interesting, will give it a try soon.

A_and_N said...

Is it Ugadi, already, AA? And the luchis look SO GOOD! I'm going to try this out to impress my in laws. :D

thanks!

Sanghi said...

Mmm.. Asha, lovely delights..! Excellent write out..! Do send your tomatish dishes posted to my FIL-tomato event by 31st..:)

amna said...

i have never made chana masala with black chickpeas! how come i never thought of that?! :D

Anonymous said...

Asha,
Happy ugadi to u too..
A big congrats for winning those lovely bags.
here also its raining heavily for the past few days..
Chana masala looks yummy and colorful..iam goign to try the MW chivda recipe.
Eagerly waiting for ur Ugadi spl.:)

suvi said...

Oh that chana masala looks yum! Luchis and chanas are such an awesome combo!!

Bhawna said...

Hi Ashaji, TGIW - Thank God It's Wednesday. Ur chana masala Looks too good. Very nice color. I've tried luchis once. Chivda looks delicious. Korean Hoddeok...i'll try it soon.

Bong Mom said...

Yeah I am going to kill you but not for making innovative Luchis but for making me hungry :D
I don't make luchis that often. The chana masala is yumm

Sumy Sunil said...

Asha akka,

Happy Ugadi to you and your family!!! I tried the dum aloo last weekend and it came out very well..This week I'm going to try aval Chivada for my kids....

I always look forward for Wednesdays to see your table of recipes. In fact I've put a schedule request in my outlook ;-)
Hugs, Sumy

Sreelu said...

Asha, as always your recipes make me drool, Chala masala looks so delicious that I wish I could grab it right from the computer. Take care.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha, I read ur blog every now and then and love the recipes and their presentation.Last night I chanced upon the nutty gravied chicken curry frm ur last post and had to make it straight away -and it was scrumptious,we ate it with paranthas,yummmmmmmmm

Raaga said...

Love this... we had chhole puri after ages last sunday.... when our landlady invited us to lunch :)

This korean stuff does look so much like kaiholige.

The flowers here tell me that spring is here, but the weather is screaming SUMMER :)

Jaishree Iyer said...

Love the name luchi. Never heard it before never tasted luchis, poha chivda looks yum.. love the color of Chana masala.. Looks so delicious Asha. I missed few of your posts going through it!Wishing you a very happy Ugadi.

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

beautiful dishes.. i am drooling seeing the channa masala, luchi and korean dessert..

Namrata Kini said...

Happy Ugaadi to u. Good that u are enjoying spring. Here in Mumbai its extremely hot. Never tried Chana Masala with brown chanas. your platter is making me feel hungry.

UjjU said...

Hello Asha, planning to make our Ugadi special this year. Will post all the goodies from today. :) Ugadiya shubhashayagalu to you & your family.

Nandinis food said...

Luchi is lovely! I like channa masala! It's colorful! I learn new things like Korean Hoddoek from you!

Chitra said...

As usual yummy,mouthwatering dishes:)Looks perfect!!

FH said...

Thanks to all of you girls. Enjoy Ugadi and Gudipadva wherever you are! :))

Ujju, naanu simple aagi enadru madona antha iddeeni, special enilla! :)

Beyond Curries said...

Happy Ugadi to you too Asha. We are telugu people and we also celebrate it tomorrow.

I haven't even heard fo Luchis. It looks like batura for me. It's also interesting to know that there is a poli like dish prepared in Korea.

Did you see AI yesterday? Anoop can really sing. I really admire his talent. Indians are used to different kind of music and the voice culture is also different and songs here require totally different skills. That's what I feel at least, but he is doing such a good job. I think children born here will get that by default!

FH said...

Happy Ugadi to you Madhu, we Kannadigas love this Ugadi festival, new year for us too! Telugu and Kannadiga roots are almost the same! :)

Plain Luchis are made of only Maida, if added baking pd like I did (blasphemy!), they do become like Baturas! :D

Mo Town was Anoop's genre, so he sang it very well, I love his soft voice and his humbleness. YUP! An American who look like an Indian, just like Dev Patel as British! :D

Even my kids are so different from us although they are brought by us and your's will be too when he starts school!! I think it's wonderful to have best of both Worlds. I see Anoop's parents, cousins in the audience, such a great smiling bunch. Good luck to him, hope he does well! :)

MR said...

luchis look interesting
nice and fluffy
next time I will add some baking pwd
too.
thanks

Malar Gandhi said...

Asha,

Colorful luchis, great idea. looks fluffy and nice. Poha chivda - I deep fry them, your version sounds healthy and nice. Korean dessert looks exactly like poli/obbattu...great for Ugadhi, right. Worderful clicks, love them all.

Sandhya said...

Asha, I made chana today following your recipe and they came out delicious!! Waiting for little one to come back form school and then I will make Luchis for her :-)
Thank you for sharing your recipes.

FH said...

YAY! S, add some turmeric or Beet juice to Luchi, I bet she would love it to see the colors. Chana tastes even better tomorrow if you have any left over today. Enjoy, hugs to you!:)

LifenSpice said...

Again a nice spread! am at loss of words:)
the chana masala and luchis look simply mouthwatering.

Happy Ugadi to you!

Mojo said...

I know better than to visit here on an empty stomach, and yet I seem to do it every week! I'm going to have to figure out a better schedule! All of these look marvelous!

Manasi said...

Hi!!! Luchis and chana masala! Ages since I went in for the deep fried heaven!
I loved that Korean pancake.. will bookmark to try!

Cilantro said...

Lovely color of the Channa... I try to post every week and I manage to post just one. I amazed by the number of recipes you post. Hope to catch up with your speed.

veggie belly said...

luchis are new to me, they look delicious. ill be sure to try!

Madhavi said...

Aaahhh chana masala looks yummmmmm, everything looks awesome and mouth-drooling, greatttttt post!!!

KonkaniBlogger said...

Yummy dishes, especially love the channa masala and the MW chivda. Looks great, ought to try these both. Congrats on your win and the cute little bags Asha! Wishing you too a very happy Ugadi!

Keshi said...

MWAH Asha Im bak, to read abt all ur lovely recipes and to bask in the glory of my loved-ones in Blogville! :)

Keshi.

Vibaas said...

Hi Asha, Happy Ugadi to you!

What a spread! am drooling here!! . The korean hoddeok sure does look like poli :)Never knew what a luchi was and that looks tempting now :D

Premyscakes said...

that channa looks lovely. very innovative.

Sia said...

Ashakka, just took quick glance at ur amazing spreads! will come and read it later.

wishing u and ur loved ones a very happy Ugadi :)

Mandira said...

Happy Ugadi to you and your family! I want some of that chana masala... beautiful color!

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

A very happy Ugadi to you and family, Asha.

Usha said...

Loved the chana masala and the luchis ! I have yet to try luchis, this sounds like a great recipe to start with :-)
Those bags looks so cute and will definitely be very useful !

I hear you on the photo stealth going on, I just found out that some new blogger stole one of my pictures and when I requested her to stop she replies saying she got the picture from google......:-(

Archana said...

Wow Asha, the luchis look lovely and the coloured ones, even better..the chana has a lovely colour too..you make such creative changes to some dishes and they turn out so well :)
Your posts make a real nice read..

Daily Meals said...

Hi Asha! Like the chivda...Will try it soon...I too make poories with plain flour for my daughter but I didn't know that they are called Luchis...

Cham said...

Wishing u and ur loved one a Happy Ugadi and great weekend :)

Meera said...

Lovely spread. I will make chana and chivda too. bookmarked.
Happy Ugadi!!

Indian Khana said...

Yummy array again...the chana masala looks so gud...never got tht colour ;)....and so the luchis

Deepa Hari said...

Hi Asha,

Wish u and your family a very Happy Ugadi.

Anonymous said...

happy ugadi to u sis
luchis are beautiful esp turmeric ones
planning to make em
have a great weekend

Sharmi said...

Hey Asha, so many delicious dishes for ugadi!! Wish you and your family a very happy and prosperous
Ugadi!!

Unknown said...

Happy Ugadi to you too Asha! the spread looks beautiful, as usual!

Dhanya Ganesh said...

Hi Asha,
Thank you for stopping by my blog and for the lovely comment. You have a pretty cool blog. Luv the chana masala,it looks colorful and delicious. Will keep visiting.

Linda said...

Yummy kala chana masala Asha! I made regular c.m. with lots of green pepper last night -- it was a bit watery even after a little mashing and I should have thought to use besan to thicken that. Love besan and peppers! Luchis look so good but I'm trying to take off extra winter 'coat', no fried bread for me :( Maybe that microwave poha though! m was watching Twilight the other day -- too spooky for me :) Enjoy the spring weather!

Rathna said...

Hi Asha, I'm happy and glad that you liked the bags. I love the prints on them:-) Awesome recipes. Luchis is something new to me. Will give it a try very soon. Hugs to you too dear :-D

Nandini Vishwanath said...

I heard about blizzards in NC. I hope everything is ok, AA!

- Nandini

Siri said...

Wishing you a very Happy Ugadi Ashaji. all the dishes look so appetizing :) I just started reading 'A Thousand Acres' by Jane Smiley and its quite engaging. I am on a waiting list for 'Twilight' book and my number is around 620. Ppl are going still going crazy about it, will read it when I really have nothing else to do. the reusable bags look so pretty and colorful.

Have a fun weekend ahead.

Cheers,
Siri

Sahaja said...

Wow....those look deliciously delicious!!
Happy Uagdi to u too :)
Thanks for stopping by my blog :D looking forward to ur stunning recipe!

Jaya M said...

Asha,
haapy Ugadi to you and your family too and the platter looks so delicious ..Bags are cute too ..
hugs and smiles

Suparna said...

Hi Asha,
Belated Ugadi greetings!
The poha chivda looks damn tempting. must try it sometime.
Hubby wasn't keeping well so no Ugadi celebrations for us :( (bacterial infection in the stomach) he's feeling better now.Neways lovely tried and tasted dishes too! I would surely want to try ur version of chana masala and luchi sometime :)
Gosh this copy thing is madneing..nange blogging hosadu so am a bit shocked to read things like this happening so very often
:(
Lovely bags!Enjoy!
Happy weekend!

Gita Jaishankar said...

Happy Ugadi dear :) All the dishes look great! I loved reading this post :)

Sum Raj said...

Happy belated ugadi to u too..Liked the colour of channa masala..and paprika gives a bright colour? never used...good entry ...

ChrisB said...

I wish I could say that we have Spring. Although we had nice weather last week today we have had several hailstorms and it's turned cold again. Our clocks go forward tonight so maybe that will bring some change for the better.

FH said...

Chris, hope weather gets better soon there. It's raining heavily today here, little gloomy but warm! :)

Lavanya Raj said...

Lovely spread Asha..Channa masala makes me drool...


You have given nice slap for the photo stealer's.

Lakshmi said...

Happy Ugadi to you and your family Ashakka

SJ said...

Ashakka must watch Knowing!

Mona said...

I love chana dishes. in North India we make chana masala for special festivals where they feed seven virgins, along with puris and sooji halwa!

FH said...

Mona, sounds like a great tradition. We feed married women like that on festival days for good luck!:)

Sj, will look for that movie, thanks! :)

Sig said...

Hey Asha, hope you had a great Ugadi... So you recommend Elegy, huh? I wasn't sure if I should watch it or not, now I guess I will.

Margie said...

Asha
I have really missed visiting your blog the past month and so glad to be here again!
You always have the best posts & I love all the recipes & everything else that you share!
Great post, once again!
Thank you so much, dear!

Happy Spring, my friend!

Margie

SJ said...

Your kannada is super cute, unlike my Bangalore corrupted kannda!! Enjoy the movie!

EC said...

I may be the last this time to comment here..I disappered from blogosphere except that my posts were scheduled to appear each day..The chana masala looks yumm and so do the other recipes

Shionge said...

I am so sorry to see that other people are downloading your photo and paste it as their own...I knew a few of mine was 'stolen' too without acknowledging, that's bad.

Even if I wanted to use the photos taken my daughter I asked before posting.

Padmaja said...

Hi Asha Akka..
Hope u had a great ugadi... So glad to be back blogging...Had a few busy months.. but I am sure, i won't go into hibernation again...
Love your beautiful spread of some amazing dishes.....

FH said...

Welcome back Padmaja, glad to see you back. I will be gone on break in 2 month's too, got to rest for a while.Thanks, enjoy the recipes! :)

Lavanya said...

ohhh my god..many recipes..i think you are full enthu...good that you have tried other blogs recipes too :)
i never heard of luchis..looks lovely n yummy asha!!

VIDYA VENKY said...

lovely post..i love channa masala

bee said...

the haddeok looks fantastic, ash. will try it some time. it's still very very cold here and snowed a bit yesterday.

FH said...

Still snowing? Oh dear! Hopefully, Spring weather starts soon everywhere. It's quite warm here, it rained last weekend which we always need.
I added coconut and some dark Molasses to make Hoddeok better, just brown sugar inside didn't sound good to me! :)

Shivali said...

Yummy dishes.Channa masala looks so inviting.

lissie said...

asha, you are doing a good job! wonder how you get time for so mch of cooking, blogging, reading, movies and all the daily stuff! i am a slow coach :(

Anonymous said...

Wow...everything looks so yummy Asha! The chana masala looks fantastic! The Korean dish is also a new thing for me. Loved the way you added your twist to it :)

Rachel said...

Every time I am here I learn something new...

Yasmeen said...

Yummy spread ,the korean dessert sure is new to me.Days are long alright,but still no budding greenery or flowers here:(.

Priya Sriram said...

Hi Asha, Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving your beautiful signature there! :)
I have always appreciated your work and admired the way you take time to encourage fellow-bloggers! Hats off to your wonderful work out here!

Meenal Mehta said...

yummy yummy recipes Asha and thanks a lot for your wishes :)

vidhas said...

All Recipes are awesome Asha. Enjoed reading, I always admire your way of writing. Luchis is new to me. Koren version of upadu is also good.

Anonymous said...

Phewwww.. everthing looks sooooo great.. Difficult for me to decide which one to make.. Thanks for the recipes.. TC

Dibs said...

Mom-in-law is here, and 'luchis' and 'aloo tokari' are her territory! Wonder how she will react to the 'twist' ...(evil grin!)
The chivda looks all crunchy - such things dont last at home and will get devovoured in seconds!!
Happy Ugadi (belated!!)

FH said...

Thanks to all of you girls, be well and enjoy the rest of the week! :)

Dibs, enjoy the family. Your MIL will love my twists! Hahaha!! Have fun! :)

Sumi said...

HI Asha,

I started browsing and blogging after a very long break.Started with your blog yesterday and came across this post, which made me try the long neglected black channa that was lying in my kitchen shelf.I only make sundal using them, but the masala came out really well, and we enjoyed it thoroughly.Will post it in my blog soon.Thanks for the recipe.

FH said...

Hi Sumi, so nice to see you back blogging. Glad you tried this chana masala, enjoy. Will check it out later! :)