February 10, 2010

Hearty Broccoli with Creamy Parmesan-Pepper sauce, Bhakri-Pithla, Chana Dalia Chaat, Superbowl platter.

Wish you a great Maha Shivaratri celebration on the Feb 12th & a very happy Valentine's Day on Feb 14th to all of you. Enjoy.

I had a very busy week and weekend last week, did not have enough time to read or watch movies like I usually do in a week. Superbowl was very exciting this year, we had a great time on Sunday, eating, rooting for the underdog team New Orleans Saints who proved themselves very well, loved watching them win and cry tears of joy. They deserve it all. So my dear folks, this week I won't be "talking" too much but I will give you quick recipes of what I cooked and more photos for you to enjoy. Have fun.

Hearty bowl of Broccoli topped with creamy Parmesan and Pepper Sauce:
Here is a simple, heart healthy with low fat cream but tasty Broccoli dish topped with creamy sauce to have on the side with a main side or it's yummy to eat as it is for a light lunch or brunch. Looks like a big box of Chocolate and Champagne is waiting for my Valentine...shhh...!!! :)

To make:
1. Put a 10oz bag of frozen Broccoli flowerettes in a bowl with little salt in the microwave, cover and cook for 4-5mins or you can steam the fresh ones too with few tbsps water and salt until soft, should be still whole but do not overcook. Let all the water drain if any left and cool the Broccoli. Add to a serving bowl.
For sauce:
1. Heat a pan, add 1 tbsp Butter, sprinkle 2 tbsp plain flour, stir for a minute until well mixed and raw smell of flour goes, don't let it brown.
2. Add 1 cup fat free cream or Half and half, 1/2 cup low fat milk or 1 1/2 cup of 2% milk will do too. Let it heat gently, add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, Pepper, 1/4 tsp grated Nutmeg, simmer until the sauce becomes little thick.
3. Pour this over Broccoli and serve hot.
Hearty Broccoli with Creamy Parmesan-Pepper sauce goes to Priya's "Hearts for St.Valentine's day" event. Thanks Priya.

A Rustic Maharashtrian Bajra/Bajri Bhakri and Pithla combo:

More heart heart healthy and hearty meal, a Indian farmer's favorite meal, specially around Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and also some other states in India but now they are mine as well. Bajri/Pearl Millet/Sajje flour rotis make a great combo with another Maharashtrian Besan spicy side dish called Pithla (I love Junka with Bhakri too). Bajri has little gluten to bind properly, you can add 1/2 cup Atta/wheat flour if you like to make the rolling easier. Usually, Bhakri dough is mixed with salt and hot water, slapped with open hands on a flat surface to a circle and cooked.

To make Bhakri: (my way)
1. Take 2 cups of Bajri flour, mix some salt and add very hot water to the mix, gently mix with a wooden spoon. Do not add to much water, just enough to bind to a soft dough.
or you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup whole wheat flour to 1 1/2 cups Bajri flour, mix and make dough as above. I made it without adding Atta, but did use oil spray to make it easy on me.
2. On a thick foil or plastic, I spray some no-stick oil and press the dough until I get a circle and cook on Tava. You can see the uneven edges which is quite okay.
Traditionally speaking, take the soft dough, slap it until you get a circle and cook. If you have added the atta flour, it will be easier to roll like Chapatis with a rolling pin.
3. Cook both sides until golden specks appear, no oil is added at all. Best served hot of the Tava.

Spicy Pithla:

Make sure you use fresh Besan/Gramflour/Chickpea flour to make this and make it spicy since Bhakris are pretty bland. Here is my version. Heat up the besan in the microwave for few seconds if it's little old sitting in the pantry for a while but if Besan is fresh, no need to heat it and fresh Besan tastes the best.

To make Pithla:
1. Take 2 cups of water and add 2-3tbsp fresh Besan flour, 1/2 tsp of salt, whisk it to avoid the lumps until smooth and keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil (adding bit of ghee gives it a nice taste), add 1 tsp Mustard seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 1/4 cup finely onion, 2 finely chopped Garlic, 1/2" finely chopped or grated Ginger, 3-4 finely chopped green chilies, 2tbsp finely chopped Cilantro and saute until they are soft.
3. Add 1/4 tsp Turmeric, mix well. Add Besan and water mixture slowly on a low heat, keep stirring and simmering until it starts to thicken. Adjust the salt.
4. When it's thick with still pourable consistency but not very very thick and lumpy and the raw smell of Besan goes away, take off the heat and serve. You can squeeze some Lemon juice on top to taste as well.
My
Bhakri and Pithla combo goes to Pari's delicious sounding "The combo event", can't wait to see the round up Pari, thanks.

Chana Dalia Chaat to munch:
Well...I am controlling myself from deep frying this Winter...God only knows how hard it is for me people! :D...so adding tangy Amchoor, white or red pepper pd, and Chaat masala to some puffy and crispy dal is the only salvation for me to munch on cold evenings, my dreaded time of 3-4pm. Amchoor/Amchur is dried and powdered green Mangoes available in the stores. It is tangy to taste, good for replacing any dry Tamarind powder or Citric acid in snacks. Here goes my Dalia Chaat (tangy spicy crispy dal snack), Indian streetcart "Chana Jor Garam" style.

To make:
1. Take 1 cup of whole Chana dalia/Chutney dal/ Putani/ Hurigadale, (not split kind), add 1 tbsp oil to coat, put them on a plate and heat it in the Microwave for 2-3 mins or until they are crispy. 2. Put the dalia in a wide mouthed bowl, add 1/4 tsp Turmeric, enough salt and coarse red chilli pd or white pepper pd, 1 tsp cumin seeds powder, 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds powder, 1/2 tsp or more Amchoor pd, 1/2 tsp Garlic powder, 1/2 tsp Chaat masala, pinch of Garam masala, mix well.
3. add more or reduce spices as you need to your taste and let it cool. Store in air tight jar to munch on later. You can reheat in the MW if you find it little soft to make it crispy again.
Chana Dalia Chaat goes to Sunita and Bhagyashri's "Think Spice...Think-Amchoor" event, thanks to both of you.

WHO DAT?! Saints, of course!! YAY!!
Can you tell how happy I am to see New Orleans Saints win the Superbowl 44?!
As usual for every year's Superbowl, we lit up fireplace and baked store bought Taquitos, Tornados, (Baked Mexican snacks with meat and cheese wrapped in crisp flour Tortillas), Buffalo Chicken Wings, made some hot dipping sauce for them (2 tbsp Mayonnaise, 2 tbsp Ranch dressing and 1 tsp SriRacha hot sauce and pinch of salt), Chili cheese-Salsa-Cilantro-Jalapeno topped Doritos, sweet Corn and my special Avocado, sweet peppers and Corn Guacamole to scoop with Tortilla chips, served with soft drinks and cold Beers! It was a great game to watch too by the way! :D

Avocado, sweet peppers and Corn Guacamole:
Scoop 2 Avocados, place the pulp in a bowl. Mash with a fork until you get soft chunks, not too pasty. Add 1 tbsp or more lemon juice, salt, finely chopped 2-3 Jalapenos, 2 Garlic, grated, 1/2 onion, 4 tbsp Cilantro, 3-4 tbsp red and yellow sweet Peppers, 1 small can drained corn, 1/8tsp Mexican Cumin powder and mix everything well. Adjust the spices to yout taste and serve with Tortilla chips. You can sprinkle some hot sauce to mix too. If you are not serving the Guacamole immediately, don't add salt to this before but add salt just before serving.
My
Avacado, sweet Peppers and Corn Guacamole goes to Siri's "Healing Foods-Avacado" event and also to PJ's "no Cook" event as well, thanks Siri and PJ.

Mysore veg and Flower market:
(Click all the pics to enlarge them)
Sandeepa of "Bong mom's cookbook" shared her beautiful childhood memories of going to the local market with her dad in this post with photos and asked us to share our's too.
When I was in India last year, I went to see the Mysore vegetable market as it holds many memories of childhood strolls there with my parents and that little bakery where I used to savory snacks and that little bookstore I used to run to buy story books. It all came back to me when I was there , took these pics and here they are in collage. Flower Garlands, Mysore Mallige Hoovu (Jasmine), colorful glass Bangles, Fruit market, vegetable market, colorful Rangoli powders, Kunkuma(Sindhoor) powder, Coconut water (Elaneeru), Sugarcane juice (Kabbinahalu) and beautiful half-ripe Guavas, Star fruits etc. This relatively clean and great smelling veg and Fruit market in Mysore still as beautiful as ever as I remember visiting it after a gap of 18yrs!

Movie I watched:
After watching Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" and Jackie Chan's hilarious "Drunken Master" recently, I got interested in Martial Art movies. One of the unique and wonderful movies I watched last week was from Thailand, Tony Jaa's "Ong Bak, Ong Bak 2". I LOVED both of them, set in gorgeous Thailand, a very different Martial Art style called Muay Thai than we usually see in Chinese movies. Beautiful movies, watch them if you get the chance.
Here are few samples of the latest movie, Ong Bak 2.

"Amelia"
is another biographical movie directed by Mira Nair, about the story of the first woman Aviation pioneer in US and author Amelia Earhart, whose plane mysteriously disappeared while on her flight over Pacific Ocean in 1937, later declared legally dead in 1939. Amelia is played by Hilary Swank (love her, great actress) and Richard Gere. Great movie to watch, she even stops at Dum Dum airport, Calcutta once flying on the way to Bankok and seen sipping a Chai from a earthen lota/cup in this movie! :)

That's it for this week, have a wonderful celebrations.

131 comments:

Finla said...

I didn't even know tha tthe spice event was still going on. I thought it was stopped.
I love that chana chat. But i might be the only one who eats it when i make them at home, which is not good as then i eat the whole lot. Hans has been going on asking me to make brocoli as it is aged ago i made them. My excuse it is too heavy with cheese sauce and he remarks to me your baking is more unhealthy than that innocent cheese sauce :-)
Enjoy the valentine day.
Firday Hans grandmother is getting 98 yrs , so we will be going there in the morining. And saturday it is the celebration in a restraunt.
From this weekend it is one week carnival holiday for Hans and Shyama.

Lavanya Raj said...

Broccoli with cheese is best combi. I must try Chana dalia chaat.

Have a Great Weekend!!

Priya Suresh said...

Lovely broccoli with creamy sauce Asha Akka, prefect entry for the event...cant take my eyes from chana dalia chaat, feel like munching them rite now...

Such a healthy bhakri with pithla, lipsmacking dish...tempting avocado dish..

Pari Vasisht said...

Ashaji, that's so sweet of you to send my favorite preparation to my event. I have been wanting to make bhakri since a few days but ended up making roti..But now I am so tempted to have it now!!
The broccoli looks perfect and love eating the chana watching TV. And yes I am equally excited about the round up. I hope I do a decent job...

Nandinis food said...

Wooooo! Oho! Cute heart-shaped bowl full of broccoli yummies filled with love ! Bajra and Pithla is the combo I've never tried! Chana Dalia is very invitingly mmmmmm...!

chef and her kitchen said...

Pithla is almost like our bombai chutney in thicker version...all the dishes look yumm yuumm

FH said...

Finla, Hans is right, cheese sauce is better than cake and cookies. You can use lower fat cream, not bad at all. I am trying hard not fry and bake cakes etc, hope I can succeed until atleast Spring! :D

Lavi, steamed Broccoli and cheese is yum, heart healthy too.

Glad I could send you one for your event Priya, I wasn't planning to bake cake at all for V day! :))

Pari, love the rustic combo myself, so filling and healthy as well. Enjoy.

Nandini, chana dalia snack is saving me from deep fried snack attacks this Winter! Hahaha!!

Prathiba, it's probably the same thing, we just call it Bombay chutney in K'taka! :))

Divya Kudua said...

There you are with an array of dishes..would try the baked broccoli as we both love it[lol @ Finla's comment].The bhakri is very similar to what we make.I somehow do not fancy Pitla,had it at an aunt's place and I just didn't like it.Hand me that bowl of Channa chat..anytime of the day:)

Wish you a Happy Shivrathri and Valentine's day!!

Hayley said...

ohhhhhh, lots of yummy dishes...love broccoli, never tried your way so soon..love the bajri rotla..one of my favorite and chana....very healthy great snack for me and kids...wow...

Happy Shivratri and VD...

Rachana said...

That cute hearty brocolli looks really good and loved the creamy parmesan pepper sauce you used:)

I have never had Pithla, but it sure looks good! And Bhakri for us is bajre ki roti, which is quite an art in itself to make those roti's with hand...I never get that right:)

Chana dalia chaat is a delicious Snack! And the best part is that its not fried:)

Guacamole looks delicious too:)

I havent seen the movie Amelia...planning to buy the dvd, beacuse the story sounds really interesting! I am missing Calcutta, and after reading that last line...I really feel like going back home...

Have a great week!

suvi said...

difficult to make a choice in this lovely array asha....what a yummy spread.

But I am partial to the pithla bhakri, i absolutely love that combo.

Pavithra Elangovan said...

Everything looks mouthwatering and chaat making me drool.....

indosungod said...

Those markets are a delight Asha. Those roasted chana dalias are a delight for sure. Got to make some for watching movies.

ruchikacooks said...

Lovely spread ashaka. Crunchy munch chat looks so good. The rotis too. The fireplace looks cozy with all the goodies.

I thought your spread today will be as big as Kim if saints won ;)

Happy Shivarathiti and V's day to you too. I have been making couple of your suggestions at home. The daikon gojju was superb. With dahlia and coconut it was almost like a coconut chutney but the tempering with garlic is the classy part. N was gulping down dosas with it faster than ever. The sweet is a surprise for you know which day :D

FH said...

Divya, Besan must be fresh and sometimes toasted lightly for Pithla to be tasty, otherwise it does taste awful. I made it once with old Besan flour, had to throw the whole thing!:D

Thanks J, enjoy. Too many festivals and too much eating going on these days! Hahaha!!

Rachana, Amelia Earhart is a great role model for all women. Her books are even better to read.

Thanks Aqua and Pavithra, traditional dishes are always so yum! :))

Indo, Mysore market hasn't changed at all over the years, it's still beautiful.

LOL! R, I think she already is that big, good for her. Hope she will get a ring soon! :)
Glad he enjoyed it, tastes better with Mudde.

Gita Jaishankar said...

I love the heart-shaped dishes..they look so cute....I think I have to get them before Valentine's :) Wonderful dishes, I especially love the chana dhal and superbowl platter...you guys must have had so much fun! We missed it this year, becos of bad road conditions, last year it was fantastic, I even prepared some non-veg starters for my friends :)

Usha said...

Everything looks yum, especially loved the pithla bakhri and the m/w spicy dalia chaat !

Loved the super bowl game this sunday we were glued to it especially the second half !

Sushma Mallya said...

Creamy broccoli looks fantastic in that heart bowl,nice recipe too ...and bhakri is my fav which mom used to make for me, havent tried it out myself still..All of them looks really yum...and beautiful clicks too

Mayuri said...

Everytime I come to ur blog, I am awed by the array of dishes u put up :)
I loved the broccoli in the heart shaped bowl. so cute, I love broccoli anytime.
Chana chat lookes good and tempting!!!!!

FH said...

Gita, cooking for Superbowl is more fun than watching the game sometime!! But this year I really watching Saints win! :))

Usha, us too! It was a great game and felt like it went so quickly.

Sushma, making the rotis traditional way needs some skill, hard for me too but manage somehow.They are tasty.

Thanks Mayuri. Yeah, time to get a heart shaped one, there are so many everywhere at this time! :)

Anonymous said...

Chana dalia chaat is so easy.Going to try it right away.

shalini

Parita said...

Everything seems to be so mouth watering and yummmy..especially i loved the broccoli dish, fantastic ashaji!

sra said...

Lovely vibrant market pix, Asha! Just today someone was mentioning Ong Bak and I had to act knowledgeable (say uh-huh and nothing more) - at least I got the spelling right!

I've sent some market pix to Sandeepa.

Siri said...

The broccoli dish looks soo cheesy & yummy Ashaji & so are the others. Thanks for sending it HF: Avocado!

Siri

FH said...

Hi Shalini, good to see you! :)

Thanks Parita, try the chaat, it's yummy.

sra, I chanced upon this Ong Bak 2 dvd, really enjoyed it, beautiful settings and Thai martial art movie. Hope you get to see it there. Love to see your market pics.

You are welcome Siri, enjoy the event.

SE said...

wow..so many recipes...my favorite among this would obvious be jhunka and bhakri...my goodness i miss them so much here..bhakri used to be out daily breakfast item !!!

Thanks for sharing !!

Ashwini said...

broccoli and cheese nice combo...

Latha Narasimhan said...

Cooking for events! Heart shaped bowl is looking cute!We do get fresh brocoli here.
I hope you have'nt fainted!:D Hoping to start blogging very soon! :)

Cham said...

Oh I would love the cheesy gooey broco and to munch some chana! Hehe sounds u had a great evening on the big game day!
Colorful pic of Mysore Market!

Kannada Cuisine said...

Broccoli makes me drool :) Got to still keep away from it for a while

Unknown said...

Like the rustic bajra rotti..chaat is something new to me.. looks delicious. Happy week ahead...

notyet100 said...

i guess i gonna try bakhri soon looks interestin,..:-)ummmm maybe tomorrow itself thnks for the recipe,chana chat looks delicious..;-)

Sayantani Mahapatra Mudi said...

love that chana dalia munchies. feel like grabbing that bowl right now. love that heart shaped box...must be great surprise for your valentine.

FH said...

Thanks Ashwini, SE, Cham, Smitha, Madhu, N and A, hope you try some of theses! :))

Latha, nice to see you after a looooong time!
No, not cooking particularly for events yet but if they fit what I am posting, then I will gladly send them. Trying not cook so much and eat leftover for 3 days like I used to do before! ;D
Will look forward to see your posts again.

Vikis Kitchen said...

Great way to celebrate the game and Sunday together. Love your fire place very much. Broccoli with that home made sauce looks very romantic:) Great for Valentine's day. Thanks for the parmesan sauce...will definitely try. Happy Shivrathri dear. Is it celebrated today? In TN they say it comes on March 14...don't know correctly. Anyway God will accept the hearty prayers. Channa chat seems a great idea to avoid fried snacks. I am always crazy for fried snacks. Should try your way to control the craving.Amelia will always remain in our hearts. Happy Valentines day dear.

FH said...

Thanks Viki, hope you try Broccoli and cheese, really good. I Googled the date and Indian sites say that Shivaratri 2010 is on Feb 12th!!!! I have no clue, thought I would greet anyway just in case! :D
I will check it again just to be sure.

FH said...

Babli, thank you for appreciation. So sorry girl. I saw and read your comment and instead of publishing it, I accidentally pressed the reject button. I apologize!

Kay said...

Asha, I'm so happy to see the Chana Dalia Chaat recipe. :D You have no idea! I lived on Adayar anada bhavan pepper channa (which is the same dhalia flavored with pepper) only I had no idea that it could be replicated at home! and it is this simple!! :) Thank you very much!

Yes, I have tons of that dry roasted channa at home. :D

I'm going to request that movie 'Amelia' from the library! I love bhakri as well.. I made it with quinoa flour yesterday and it was sooo good! :)

FH said...

Kay, so glad I didn't reject your comment too, so stupid of me to do that with Babli's!
You can use split dalia too, it doesn't matter and also adjust the chilli pd or red chilli pd to your taste, other than that, it's a breeze to do this in the MW! :)

Latha said...

Broccoli is my little one's favorite. I,m so happy for the Saint's too. I would love to be in that market. All of your dishes look Yummy. Happy valentines day!

FH said...

Latha, wasn't that a great game this year? We loved it and so happy for Saints! :)

Bong Mom said...

Asha

We are snowed in today. Since I am home, I had no comp time at all. Thanks for the lovely post. I so love the Mysore pics. Will include in a final write up with some more that Sra sent

Sreelu said...

Yes Who Dat nation won, yay. Super happy for NO. My kids love Brees and had his name all over their jersey ,it always fun when undergod wins. lovely recipes as always, made spicy channa few days agon on my blog as well

Nehal said...

Your Chana Dalia Chaat looks yummi!! I liked the idea of microwaving the dal to make it crispy.

Sumi said...

great post as usual, enjoyed reading it as much as I loved the dishes in it.I wonder how you manage to keep track of the events going on out there...
Mee too trying hard to avoid the deep frying urge..lets see how long I can do it.

Padmajha said...

Had I know that you are having such a delicious spread at home I would have got myself invited...Too late now...:).I love too pithla and thanks for sending the avacado entry for the event..

Lakshmi said...

Broccoli with cheese looks heavenly! and bajra bhakri is tempting Ashakka. I have a packet of sajje hittu at home will use it up soon. Chana chaat slurrp..parcel it to me :) :)
I kind of get recharged if I visit Mysore market. Litter doesn't matter..all matters is fresh fruits and veggies :D

Nandita said...

Hi Asha - back here after a long time :) Glad to see you blogging with full steam :D I just got back after several long breaks!
I know what you mean by the chai time hunger pangs - did you mean that the chole chana to be microwaved raw or soaked? Wont it be too hard by microwaving raw? Would love to try this out.
Happy Val Day to you too!
Nandita

Pravs said...

I will love that parmesan pepper sauce on broccoli..must have been so yummy, right :) Way to go Saints !! So happy for new orleans saints !! Delicious food and in front of the fire place looks so romantic. Happy valentines day in advance to you :)

Meera said...

What a feast! feel like having pithla bhakri right now. those mysore market pictures are really gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.

Sonia said...

Hi Asha. First time here. Whoa! What a great blog you have! You seems v.very senior in all bloggers. :) I'm new-bie in blogging world. A lods of recipes to catch here. :)
Happy Shivratri and Happy Valentine Day to you in advance! :)

Kusum said...

Great series! The pithla reminds me of junka which is popular in North Karnataka. I will post it some time!

shahana said...

I liked your borocolli n cheese combination.Will give a try soon.

Radhika said...

Hi Asha, I just came across your blog and you have such a nice space here! Btw I am in NC too, where are you?

Margie said...

Hi Asha
I too was very happy the Saints won!
I love broccoli and will be making your wonderful recipe!
Everything looks so good!
I'm always amazed at your beautiful display of pictures!
Just amazing!

Late getting here as I had a very busy day and now it's bed time, turning in early tonight!

Have a wonderful weekend Asha and thanks for the wonderful post!

Margie:)

Red Chillies said...

We watched the superbowl too and it was just awesome.
I was looking for some good Pitla bhakri recipe. glad i found yours.
We are bracing for some snow here tomorrow and I am hoping that I ahve no commute here.

Ramya said...

i loved the broccoli with cheese and bhakri. i tried it but couldn't get properly it always break but tastes really good.love it.
Have a nice valentine's weekend.i am looking forward to it too eagerly.

jayasree said...

Yummy array of dishes as usual. The plate of chana chaat looks very inviting.

I don't like the pithla/bombay chutney as we call it. I think I should try roasting the besan as you said.

Roma said...

delicious looking chaat. I liked the heart for V Day's too.

FH said...

Thanks to all of you girls. It was a great game this year, loved it. Have a great V day weekend and enjoy! :))

Sandeepa, can't wait to see sra's pics too! :)

Nandita, you don't have to soak the chana at all. Spread on a plate single layer, use 1 minute on high at a time in the MW so you don't burn them. They get soft at first and then as they cool, they get crisp. Be careful not to use too many minutes, easy to burn them. Experiment! :)

shankari said...

When I was working in Pune, I have seen construction workers make bhakri. While I was supposed to supervise construction work, I would stand there watching them make it and one day the lady offered it to me..I sat there with them and savored the meal- fun times

Sujatha said...

Chana chat sounds perfect for a superbowl platter! Cheesy Broccoli sounds yummy too.. will give it a try pretty soon as I love broccolis.. Happy V day to you Asha!

Sandhya said...

So many dishes in one post :-) but my favorite pick would be the chana chat, you can tell I am a Delhi girl!

Namitha said...

Love the broccoli cheese combo.Peral millet rotis and pithla sounds awesome too. Will try this chaat sometimes soon...Have a great week end !!!

Srivalli said...

Broccoli looks so good..as always beautiful pictures..I enjoyed the market pictures Asha..

FH said...

Shankari, making those rotis is a skill which is not achieved that easy, They puff up when they are made correctly, not mine!!:D

Thanks Sujatha, Sandhya, Gulmohar and Sri, enjoy the weekend and have fun! :)

Manasi said...

I am still learning to love Brocolli.. bet it tastes gr8 with cheese!
Bhakri.. oh how I long to eat one ( i can make these but they are not so soft, think I hve old jowar atta)
Chana chat is gr8 when u have the munchies!!!

FH said...

Haha!Mansai, it's like American kids saying "Broccoli! EWW!!" :D
Yeah, cheese makes everything tastes better, hard to eat Broccoli without anything though! :)

Ramya Vijaykumar said...

Happy shivratri and valentines day!!! Pithla was tempting, had made chana dalia on superbowl day... Oh tell me I had a slight doubt that the colts will win but then Brees did a great job, oh pls dont curse me... I always wanted the Saints to win, the interception that the Saints made was a blow I agree, that was what bought Peyton down otherwise he makes the opponent feel that its his game all the way... Loved the superbowl platter wished I was there watching the match muching your delicacies!!! ;)

Ash said...

WOW!!! what a collection u have posted!!!!!! Every single thing is mind blowing... loved the crunchy munchies.... loved the market.... The bhakri-pithla looks so yummy & tempting..... WOW!!!!

Ash...
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

Rajee Mani said...

Great post Asha. Wonder how you find time to post so much :-)

FH said...

Ramya, true! EVERYBODY believed that Colts will win because of Payton who is really good at what he does but I think everybody was also rooting for Saints because of Katrina and what they have gone thru'. We vacationed in New Orleans so we love the people, so we were definitely biased! :)
It was a great game though, ended well.

Ash, thanks girl. I collect my dishes and post once a week instead of one a day, easy for me to relax and enjoy visiting you all rest of the week that way! :D

FH said...

Thanks Rajee. I have to cook for my family everyday anyway.I just take photos and post them here once a week, as easy as that! :)

Anonymous said...

Wow....everything looks yummy Asha :) I love pithla but didn know how to make it. Will give ur version a try. Like the chana snack too.

Vrinda said...

Pitla is very new to me ,valentine heart looks awesome..wanna try ur channa chaat.looks mouthwatering

Anh said...

Yum yum! Especially the depp-fried dish! :)

Raaga said...

As soon I get back to Gurgaon, I'm going to try the broccoli recipe!

Nirupama Sriram said...

Brocolli dish is very tempting. Will try it soon.

Pitla / Pitle / Junka goes very well with Bhakri as well as Chapathi. Try it with hot plain rice and a teaspoon of Ghee..it tastes great!

Sunitha said...

Lovely.. so many recipe.. yours sure is a repertoire of some good stuff. Like your Movies I watched section too. Getting to know you better and how cool is that baking tortilla and lighting the fire for superbowl. All of this sounds pretty cool and I am figuring you are indeed a cheerful personality. :) Have a nice weekend Asha

ruchikacooks said...

Who says weather is good here. I take it all back, we are having freezing cold and it is snowing in Dallas :(

I make Pongal and freeze it when I travel, but wish amma was here!

FoodLovers said...

Happy Shivrathri Asha ...
as usual u come with great mouthwatering dishes love chana ...
heart shaped one is really cute ...

Spice said...

Nice post....U reminded me that I have to use up my bajri flour....never made pithla....& chana masala chaat want to grab it right now & eat...as for brocalli we all love it here but surprisingly I never made it the most popular way that is with cheese...wish u also a great Maha Shivratri & Happy V day...

Uj said...

Wish you too a very happy valentines day and wishes for the maha shivrathri. Loved the chocolate box. I have some broccoli lying in the fridge if i get hold of some of that cheese will try it. I have never tried pithla but i do add besan in some of my dishes. Will try the combo next time.
Can I get a bowl of those spicy chana chaat??

M D said...

Hi Asha, I like your website a lot. I am from Mangalore too and your recipes are so traditional. They touch our roots. Everytime I want to post a comment I think twice, because most of your posts are loaded with comments! Wonder if this one would go noticed! Lovely blog and authentic recipes. Thanks a ton!

FH said...

Thanks HC, Vrinda, Anh, Raaga, Nirupama, enjoy the weekend! :)

Nostalgia,life is too short to be grumpy. Even If I am hurting I try to smile and get on with it! :))

R, snow Dallas? Yikes. I think I sent it there for ya! ;D

Thanks FL, Spice and Uj, Chaat is saving me from putting on some more wt this winter! Hahaha!

MD, thanks. I ALWAYS read the comments before I publish it, so don't hesitate. I surely answer if you have any questions and always say hello to you unless I am very busy that day for some reason! :)
Thanks for visiting me, will see you more I hope. Have a great day. Btw, I am from Bangalore and Mysore originally but I have lived in Bantwal for a while, love Mangalore!

Purnima said...

Asha, the broccoli is something on my to make lists..looks great..my 5 yr old takes liking for all greens to my good luck..Cheese is another fave of hers..thanks for all the recipes..I m eying the chaat for myself ;)Happy Mahashivaratri to you as well!

ವನಿತಾ / Vanitha said...

Broccoli- heart bowl lovely, We 3 luv Broccoli..I use it to stir fry..
chana chat nodi baayalli neeru banthu ashakka..:)
Sayyaji Rao road market made me nostalgic..used to go there every weekend, when I was in Mysore (CFTRI) for allmost 6yrs..I luv Mysore more than my hometown (Mlore)..luv the crowd during fetivals..U too have a gud shivaratri and V day..

ruchikacooks said...

Tasty Revenge Huh? Plate for plate, bowl for bowl (???)..Bring out your rolling pin Ye'all..I am waiting
to gobble gobble.

Yes, snow..6". Who says moving south will make you warm? And you are sending snow to me instead of snacks? Sheesh..

FH said...

Purni, great to see you. Yeah, cheese sauce in most kids fave, drown the greens and serve them! :D

Vanitha, true! Mysore is much calmer and different from all the cities. I l love it too, made a day trip there from Bangalore just to visit last year! :)

LOL! Ruchika, I think I will have to fry something soon, I am dying of craving! We don't have any snow here at all! Hahahaha!! Making Shivaratri goodies now, will post just the platter next week.

Bong Mom said...

Asha

Made your Potato Carrot Kurma yesterday. Was much loved though I think using tomato sauce as you said would have made it better than chopped tomatoes that I did.
But we all liked it a lot. Thanks :)

Unknown said...

I love to waite for your post every week for those array of delicious recipes.Perfect combination of broccoli and creamy cheese sauce.. never tried bhakri sounds so interesting hummmmmmm i can finish that bowl of chana chat while watching a old movie yummmmmm and Happy valentines day Asha enjoy the week end......

FH said...

Sandeepa, so glad you tried it! Yes, canned Tomato sauce gives you a better gravy consistency than chopped Tomatoes but doesn't make that much of difference tastewise I think! :)

Thanks Rekha, you too have a great V day on Sunday! :)

Mahek said...

wow!!!
what a post , Thanks Asha,
HAPPY MAHASHIVRATRI AND VALENTINES DAY TO YOU

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

all the recipe are new to me. channa chaat sounds like a low fat snack. yummy.

FH said...

Hi Mahek, good to see you again girl. To you too, enjoy ShivRatri and V day! :)

Thanks Mahimaa. When I can't fry, I will have to do something about the cravings. Chaat is the next best thing! :D

AJ said...

Asha, the pitla looks so very good. I make mine with cabbage and sometime with onion!!

FH said...

Hello A, adding cabbage sounds great, new to me, I will try next time. I love onion in Pithla! :)

Rahin said...

Asha, love the chaat n bhakri, also the mysore market pics

Shivali said...

Loved the brocolli n chat.All the other dishes are also lovely treat to eyes.
Happy Shivratri to u too.

Laavanya said...

I love broccoli tender crisp with just Parmesan salt and pepper. The white sauce mustve made it all the more delish. Haven't tried making pithla or bhakri look yummy.
The channa chaat is perfect I need to find the whole Dalia

Anonymous said...

Chana dalia chaat.. I've never heard of that.. Must try!! You've got a whole khazana of recipes.. wow!!

Anu said...

wow..mouth watering Asha........

Gattina Cheung said...

How clever Asha!!! I love this guilt-free chana dalia!!!

Cynthia said...

Clearly, the place to be last weekend was at your house! I live too far away!

FH said...

Thanks Rahin, Ankita, Patricia, MKS, Gattina and Cynthia, enjoy and have a great V day tomorrow! :)

Laavanya, you can use split Dalia too, whole looks more attractive that's all.

Padhu Sankar said...

Channa dalia chaat is tempting me!
Happy Valentine's Day .Do drop by
http://padhuskitchen.blogspot.com/

FH said...

Thanks Padhu, enjoy V day, see you later! :)

Preety said...

Happy valentines Day

FH said...

To you too Preety, have fun. See you tomorrow! :)

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Love bhakris, hot off the tava witha blob of unsalted home-made butter! :)

Pitla means something else entirely to us. This one's new to me.

Hope you had a great weekend, Asha.

FH said...

Hi Aparna, hope you had a nice weekend too, see you later! :)

Trishna said...

wowwwwwwwwww..yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I was thinking of creamed brocolli today..and ur recipe is just what I need.
Pithla is my ultimate comfort food..:D I am wondering what can I combine with ragi bhakri?
And the Avocado dip..yummmmmmmm..I am going to try it..

FH said...

Thanks Trishna. I usually serve Ragi Bhakri with Jalapeno chutney or garlic chutney topped with some ghee, love that combo. Enjoy! :))

ruchikacooks said...

Very Good Morning Ashka. How was the weekend? We watched some movies and stayed at home. Then dear Hubby (hope you read the latest cozy post) decided to go wash the car just before lunch....and came back with flowers and a cake for me..so all in all good one.

I got some rava idlis and BBBath in my drafts, after seeing your's Im thinking if I should post it..Mere fear of flying pans from NC. :)

FH said...

Hi R, Saturday we went to see our daughter at UNC and had lunch with her.Came back with Indian grocery and 2 DVDs. Sunday, he got me Roses and I got him Chocolate and Champagne, then watched "3 Idiots", yet to see "Paa"!! Movie was great, had a nice weekend!

Post BBB and Rava Idlis, why not? :)

Myvegfare said...

Hearty broccoli with creamy parmesan- pepper sauce--- I MUST TRY,
Bhakri-pithla, mm.., love it
chana Dalia chat.., I understand your feelings, as I too am like that!!, try to control my feelings, miss it, now and then when we go to Asian shop buy it!!, just now made kachoris, tried my best not to eat more than two!!, I am bowled over all the superbowl series from your blog!!, I can definitely try the cheese things for my kids soon..

FH said...

Jaya, I never stopped myself from frying before in my life but this year I am really trying hard, atleast not to fry until Spring! :D

Mallika said...

My baby LOVES broccoli so I'm definitely trying that recipe. Sounds like it's been hectic on your end... but fun dear Asha!I loved your photos of the Mysore market - saw them on Sandeepa's blog. Hope you're having some rest this week...

Shri said...

Everytime I come to your blog, I am wowed by the wonderful spread you have!Each dish is so mouthwatering...Chana Dalia Chaat will be a sure hit with me!

Malar Gandhi said...

I like that chan chaat so much, thanks for the recipe...perfect for this snowey weather... never tried that millet, sounds healthy. Hope you had great maha shivarathri and valentines day...enjoy:)

Dalicia said...

hi asha, i love watching martial arts movies :) welcome back!!!!!

Bergamot said...

Lovely and healthy options for valentines day.

ruchikacooks said...

3 idiots is Hilarious.Esp the Chamatkar part. Paa is good for the first half, second is somewhat sentimental just like cheeni kum.

Anisheetu said...

channa chaat looks great...
I didnt know that u are from Belgaum.. my parents are from there and we used to go every school holidays there to visit our grand parents.... Bhakri pithla really made me remember those days when our grandmother used to make bhakri and my grandfather used to make pithla using milk... yummy... so today evening i will make bhat pithla.....

Rekha said...

plan to make pithla for lunch now, can't wait to see how it tastes. beautiful collection of mysore market pics.

FH said...

Mallika, 4 birthdays in 2 months is not easy to cope with! :D

Thanks Shri, Malar and Dalicia.
D, Ong Bak is excellent, hope you watch that! :)

Thanks B, Ruchika,(yet to watch Paa) Anisheetu and Rekha. Love the Bhakri myself, just make sure flour is fresh. Otherwise it tastes pretty awful, like bitter taste.

Raks said...

My kid have started liking broccoli recently and this recipe wud be a perfect one for him! And pithla is something new to me! I am always there for chaats!

Sharmila said...

Pithla and bhakri are one of my fav quick dinners ... that plateful looks so tempting Asha! :-)
Would love to try that chana dal chaat.

FH said...

Thanks Raks and Sharmila, Pithla and Bhakri are satisfying combo, love it!:)

lissie said...

loved the bowl and the broccoli...:)
channa chat is my favorite tea time snack...looks yummy!

amna said...

the broccoli sauce looks yum! i love that veg and use it in practically all ways i can!