May 05, 2010

Matar with Amritsari Aloo Kulcha Chaat, Soft Poha Idlis with restaurant style Sambhar

Happy Mother's day to all moms, enjoy your day on Sunday!
Just a quick note to all of you if you are wondering why you didn't see me in your blogs or see any new post in my blog for the last few months.
I had trouble opening my "edit posts" since 5th of March, had lost most of my 4 years worth of comments (which are back now) and had trouble commenting in other blogs as well right after I got own domain!
(http://www.foodieshope.org) It was a blogger problem which affected many of us, so I took a break while they fixed it at their own pace.
Anyway, unusually HOT Summary dry weather here in NC with highest pollen count ever this year in the air has made my Spring allergy worse and my allergy woes continue until June like every year, so I may not be blog surfing much, may be limit 1-1/2 hour a day. Not much fun staring at the PC, blogging with itchy, watery eyes, sniffling and sneezing all the time, is it?
I did listen to CD books novels a lot during the break and enjoyed the school Spring break with kids, so no regrets. Now I am back with an old post which was ready to go last march but could edit only last week. Some of the events I was going to send these dishes are most probably over now but I loved both of these dishes.

Matar with Amritsari Aloo Kulcha Chaat:

You all know how much I love Chaats but I have never heard this Chaat combo of Matar-Kulcha before, shame on me! As soon as I saw this Chaat at Raaga of "The singing Chef"'s post on "Matar Kulcha", I ran to the kitchen to soak the dried white/Yellow Greenpeas and next day it was on the table along with some hot Potato stuffed Amritsari Kulchas. Raaga says this chaat combo is "the famous street food of Delhi: Matar Kulcha." Thanks Raaga, it was the most aromatic, flavorful and easiest Matar chaat I have ever tasted!

Matar/Greenpeas:
I used dried White Greenpeas to make this Matar Chaat. It has amazing taste and so simple to make. We loved it. You can serve this with toasted slices of Bread or stuffed inside the Burger buns as well, makes perfect weekend Brunch too.

To make Matar:
1. Soak 1 cup dried white/yellow Greenpeas overnight, drain all the water and pressure cook them with 1 tsp salt, and with 1 cup water for very short time ie turn off the heat after 1 whistle. You must not over cook Greenpeas, just until they are cooked, still hold the shape and not get mushy.
2. As soon as you get the lid open, mix all the ingredients shown below to the hot cooked Greenpeas, mix well to serve!

Get these ready to mix with Peas:
Chop 1 small onion finely, 2 green chillies minced, enough salt to taste, 1 tsp Punjabi Garam Masala, 1 tsp Chaat masala, 1/2" grated Ginger, 1/8 tsp Black salt, 1 small chopped Tomato and 2 tbsp chopped Cilantro.
I didn't have the fresh Tomato to add, so I heated up 1/4 cup Tomato sauce with 1 tsp sugar in the microwave for 2 mins or until the raw smell goes, cooled it and added to the cooked Peas. Hence the reddish color of the dish, not needed if you have fresh Tomato.
To Serve:
Sprinkle with chopped sweet Videlia onion, chopped Cilantro on top, a slice of lemon and Kulcha on the side.

Grilled Amritsari Aloo Kulcha:

Authentic Amritsari aloo Kulche are supposed to have two layers of dough stuffed with Potato mixture and then cooked or baked. I didn't make 2 kinds of dough as shown here in this wonderful Kulcha video which I am sure makes them thick and flaky. I just took the easy way making them with just one kind of dough. They taste great served hot off the tava.
I used foil to place the rolled out Kulchas and grilled two Kulchas at a time to save time. You can also heat your oven to maximum temp and bake these as well or you can cook them on the stove top with some oil and then brush spicy herbed butter on top. They taste best right out of the oven. Once you mix and knead the dough, do not let it rest more than 1 to 2 hours. They get flaky if you grill them after an hour of resting but Kulchas get flat and bit harder if you let the dough rests longer than 2 hours.

For Amritsari Aloo Kulcha, you need:
Sift or mix 2 cups plain flour, Maida or Bread flour, 1 tsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Sugar first and then add 2-3 tbsp Oil, 3 tbsp Yogurt, enough warm Milk or water to make a soft but not sticky dough. Divide to 6-8 portions, cover and let it rest for an hour before rolling and grilling/baking the Kulchas.



To brush on top of Kulcha:
4 tbsp melted Butter or oil or mixed, 3 tbsp chopped Cilantro, 1 tsp Garlic chopped or Garlic powder, 1/4 tsp Salt and 1/4 tsp chilli powder or Chilli flakes. Keep aside in a bowl.

Make stuffed Aloo Kulchas:
Take each dough, roll 4" circle, place a ball of aloo masala (recipe below), cover with dough and roll out again gently to about 5-6" circle, keep it thicker than Parathas. Place each Kulcha (I grilled 2 at a time) on a foil and brush with spicy herbed butter or oil mixture on top.

To grill or Bake Kulchas:
Start the grill 5-7 mins before grilling so the oven heats up to the maximum. Keep a cookie sheet or Pizza stone under the grill to heat it up.
Tip: Keep the grille rack about 10" below the grill heating elements, not too close to the top. Kulchas are thick, they need some time to cook and puff up. Keeping the Kulchas right under the heating elements burn the top before they cook properly inside.

Now; slide the foil with Kulchas on the hot cookie/baking sheet under the grill for 5 to 6 mins and watch carefully so they don't get burnt. Flip the Kulchas if needed to grill the other side too, but not necessary if the cookie sheet or Pizza stone is hot before you put the Kulchas or cook on the Tava on the stove top, much easier.

To Bake: These were baked at highest oven temperature which is 550F in my oven for 6-7 mins on a baking sheet, can use Pizza stone too.
Serve Kulchas hot with Matar and Lemon slices.

Aloo masala exposed inside the crispy, flaky, hot Kulcha!!

Aloo/Potato Masala:
2-3 large red Potatoes, boiled. peeled and mashed to smooth mass without lumps.

To make Aloo masala:
Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, a small Onion, chopped, 1-2 minced Green chilly, cook until soft. Add 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp each Cumin and Coriander seeds pd, 1 tsp Amchoor/Mango powder or tangy Chaat masala, 2 tbsp minced Fresh coriander leaves, salt, mashed Potatoes, mix well and cool the masala. Divide the masala to 6-8 portions and stuff inside each Kulcha.

One more crispy Aloo Kulcha look:

Over and out!! :))
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Everybody's favorite soft Poha Idlis-"Hotel' Sambhar combo!
I always on the look out for new recipes of tasty Sambhars or Rasams and how to make softest Idlis. Well...most Indians know how to make Idlis but for me it was always a tricky thing to steam perfectly soft Idlis, depends on the proportions of the ingredients and perfect fermenting. Since I had lot of time last few week, thanks to blogspot people and my blogging troubles, I was going thru' my old cookbooks. I found this recipe for softest Idlis in an old yellowing Prestige Pressure cooker cookbook which came with my first pressure cooker I had bought in 1986 few days after my wedding! Since then this book has traveled to 2 countries, has been an NRI over 22yrs along with me! Hahaha! Lot of memories attached to this old book as it has my mother's handwriting in it to guide me thru' cooking when I was a novice cook just starting my "real" life as a young bride! :))

Softest Poha Idlis with restaurant style "Hotel" Sambhar:
I immediately wanted to try the Poha Idli recipe but soaked only one cup of rice just to try out the recipe first. They came out wonderfully soft and very tasty, these proportions worked for me at last. Since we add Poha/Avalakki/Flattened rice, (I used thick kind of Poha) they are little sticky when taking out of the Idli mould but if you use non-stick Idli stand or spray some no-stick oil before you add the batter, they will be fine.

Soft Poha Idlis:
1. Soak 1 cup any long grain rice or Ponni rice or Idli rice, 1/4 cup thick textured Poha/Avalakki overnight with just enough to cover the rice and thick Poha. Wash twice and soak 1/4 cup Urad dal, 1 tsp Methi seeds/Fenugreek seeds separately overnight as well.
If you use thin Poha/flaatened rice, you can just soak it in the morning for 5 mins in hot water and drain all the water to grind with rice.
2. Next day, drain the most of water from Urad dal/Methi seeds, grind to a smooth thick paste adding just enough water. Take it out in a big bowl.
3. Add drained rice and poha to the same mixie bowl, add just enough water to grind these coarsely like Rava/Semolina and take it out into the Urad dal paste and mix both well. Batter should be thick, pourable consistency, not thin. Sprinkle 2 tsp sea salt on top.
4. Cover and let it ferment in a warm place for atleast 12-18hrs or until it looks fluffy. Don't let ferment too much.
5. Spray some no-stick oil on the Idli mould and pour batter 3/4 full and steam for 13-15mins. Let them cool a bit and take them out of the moulds.

"Hotel" Sambhar with Pearl Onions:
This recipe for "hotel" Sambhar comes from the same author of "Daskshin Bhog" which I had mentioned in my last post. Restaurants are called "hotels" and hotels are called "lodgings" in India, so this Sambhar which tastes just like the one served in restaurants is called "Hotel" Sambhar in this cookbook. It does taste like that, loved it, hope you try it too.

1. Cook 1/2 cup Tuar dal in a pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups of water, 2 slit green chillies, 1/4 tsp Turmeric. Keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil, saute 2 cups Pearl Onions until reddish and then add 2 chopped Tomatoes or 1/4 cup canned Tomato sauce. saute for a while until soft. Add 1 cup of Tamarind juice or 1/2 tsp Tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup of water, salt and boil until Pearl onions are cooked.
3. Add ground masala powder, simmer. Add cooked Tuar dal, cilantro, 2 tsp ghee to it, adjust the salt and chilli pd and the thickness of the Sambhar as well. Simmer again, take the pot off the heat. Season the Sambhar.
Season: Heat 2 tsp oil, add 1tsp Mustard seeds, 1-2 red chillies and few curry leaves, 1/4 tsp Hing and add to the Sambhar.
Roast these and powder:
2 tbsp Coriander seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 2 tsp Poppy seeds, 1 tsp Peppercorns, 2 tsp Channa dal, 2-3 dry red chillies.
**********************************

Movies I watched in March and April:
"The Hurt Locker" which I have reviewed in my old post has won the Oscar for the best movie of the year, with a first woman director Kathryn Bigelow in Oscar history as well! She took that Oscar from James Cameron's (her ex-husband) "Avatar" which everybody thought will win the Oscar, great achievement for her indeed!
Both of these movies were Oscar nominated for this year. Mo'nique who plays Precious's mom in the movie won the "best actress" Oscar award.

"Precious" and "Up in the air", loved both of them.
Both movies are based on the books "Push" by Sapphire and "Up in the air" by Walter Kirn. Books are more interesting to read than watching the movies, but both are great movies. Please click on the links for the reviews of the movies and books.

Also watched "the Blind Side", "Julie and Julia"
on DVD, loved both.

Also watched DVDs of Michael Moore's "Sicko" and "Capitalism: A love story". Amazing and shocking political documentaries, specially "sicko" about health care in this country compared to other countries. A must watch if you are interested to know what went on in the past and what's happening behind the doors these days which affects our lives directly today!!

That's all for this week, enjoy the weather while I stay indoors safely! :D
Hopefully I can post without any glitch from now on, fingers crossed.

99 comments:

Sailaja said...

Congratulations on the new domain, Asha. So good to see you back.:)

Raaga said...

YAAAAAAAYYYYYY!

Finally, the post is up. Missed you and your posts.

Your kulcha looks yummy and I have to try the poha idlis :)

Hugs!

Manasi said...

Finally!!! :)
Congratulations on getting ur domain!
I have been meaning to try kulchas for the longest time , just lazy abt getting bkng powder... :(

Poha idli... my mouth is watering!
Of all the movies u lised, I have seen Julie & Julia, loved it!

Rajee Mani said...

Glad to see you back Asha. Congrats on the new space :) As usual lovely posts and everything looks so perfect.

suvi said...

Great to see you back! Been missing seeing you around.

Love the kulchas, gotta try them soon.

Ash said...

Hello!!!!! Good u r back now & Congrats on your OWN space.... It is always a nice feeling to own something GOOD..... I really missed your kind words..... along with your tempting & well executed preps..... WOW! that kulcha is so awesomely delicious!!!! And the idlis are indeed very soft.... Hugs )))) & Love....

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

AJ said...

Have been wondering what had happened - glad to know that things are sorted now!! I made kulchas too!! The sambar looks yummy!!

Priya said...

Congrats on your new domain. Love that kulcha and never tried before. Good to see you back Asha.

Divya Kudua said...

So good to see you back!!You were missed!!The kulchas look so good with the potato filling and thanks for reminding me,I had bookmarked Raaga's recipe a while back and totally forgot about it!!Hope to see you blog posts regularly!!

indosungod said...

Feels good to see you back Asha.

Love those stuffed kulchas, trust you to have an eye for these delicacies, the matar is also a must try and so is the Hotel sambhar.

Pravs said...

Happy to see you back with your own space. Poha idli looks soft and well done. Got to try that sometime. Love the kulcha and chaat.

Raks said...

Good to see you back asha! And ur kulchas looking perfect and the matar recipe is very nice,love the poha idly and hotel sambhar too!

Finla said...

I am too chicken to change into own domain :-)
The kulcha looks so so good, loved the pic were you show the filling.
I love idlies H ans S don't eventouch it ( i don't know to mke them also) even when we are in India they don't like, i just love it especially with sambar.
Wanted to see jullie and jullia bur i don't thin H wil like to watch it, so one weekend when he is not home i must watch it.

Gita Jaishankar said...

Nice to see you back Asha...congrats on your own domain :)...awesome dishes too, both the platters look so good...love the idli and sambar, its breakfast time for me and I am getting hungry looking at all those idlis :)

Raaga said...

I forgot to say congrats on the domain!

notyet100 said...

m so glad to cee u back ,and wht apost,,,droolworthy

Shammi said...

Sorry about the hayfever. I get it too (but not yet so far) so I know exactly how awful it is!

Have you read Akashic Books' "Noir" series? I read my first collection, set in Delhi - "Delhi Noir". Good stuff! (Dunno if they're available on Kindle, though).

Also read "Delhi - Adventures in a megacity" by Sam Miller. Good read, even for a definite Delhi-hater like me! :) His writing is kind of like Bill Bryson, in a way, only not as sarcastic humour.

And last but not the least - I so wish I was your neighbour! All that yummy food...

Pavithra Elangovan said...

Congrats on ur new domain.. wonderful recipes..loved the matar and kulcha as well as poha and sambar.. wish i am there to taste all these...

Laavanya said...

Ashaaa good to see u back and hear that ur blogging woes are over. Quite a few friends and their kids are suffering a lot this yr due to allergies - hope u get well soon.
The kulcha looks amazing and that chaat sounds super tasty. I've not added poha to idlis b4 - it does look fluffy. Thankfully I have no trouble getting soft idlis. Will try ur hotel sbhar soon and let u know.

Mayuri said...

Congrats on ur domian !! nice to see u back again!!
I used to visit ur blog every wed to see if u were back and was surprised today to see ur post, good all is well now with ur space.
loved the mulitple dishes as always.

Anonymous said...

Good to see you back and congratulations on the new domain.The chat looks delicious and the idlis spongy.

Shalini

Rachana said...

Congrats on your new home!!!! everything looks so good...I especially loved the kulchas:)

Sneha said...

Congratulations on ur new space, Asha!
Loved the kulcha and the poha idly/sambar
will try soon!

FH said...

Thanks to all of you girls, so nice to be back and feels good to see my edit posts working perfectly too!:D

Finla, same here. My kids don't like Idli and Dosa at all, but when I make it they will have to eat anyway. My son is somewhat okay, but daughter hates both of them! I think it's the smell of fermented batter which puts them off, the very same "aroma" makes every south Indian drool thinking of delicious future Idlis and dosas!!Haha!

Finla said...

Forgot to wish you Happy Mothers day too. And also have fun with Trisha, now you can start baking as there is both of them at home.
S just left for a Mika concert with her friends, so it is going to be a long night, will wait till she comes home after midnight.

Srivalli said...

Good to see you back in action Asha..lovely plate..I am planning on that kulcha..as you know you were missed so much..pls comment on all posts..heheheheh..:))

Anjali Koli said...

Happy Mother's day! Good to see you back Asha.

Soma said...

Happy Mothers Day to you too!! was wondering where u disappeared... well glad that everything is working fine now.

That kulcha looks awesome. bookmarking it. I have never made a aloo kulcha at home, and if I make A will have all of it!

This kind of chaat is new to me.. looks scrumptious.

Sushma Mallya said...

Welcome back asha, its so nice to see your posts after a long time...and congrats on your own new domain...kulchas looks so delicious, very nicely done and idli does look soft, love the idli-sambhar combo anytime...and happy mothers day to you too

Jaya M said...

Asha,
Congratulations for your own domain..Loved the delicious spread here..Nice to see you posting again.You were really missed here :)..
hugs and smiles

Namitha said...

Hey, great to see you back :-)Congrats on the new domain !Take care and hope you'll survive the pollens :D
As usual everything looks yumm :-)

Cham said...

Congrats on ur new domain! I do have the same allergie problem, I have a red nose (like clown:) after scratching and eyes non stop watering! take care :)
We missed u but u always catch up with a bang! Delicious idlis and sambar!

sra said...

Hey, I didn't realise you'd got your own domain!!!!!!!

The other day, I put too much sambar powder in the dal and then added jaggery to get rid of the heat - and I had hotel sambar!

I watched Up In The Air - I loved the younger girl (Clooney's colleague) and felt sorry for him in the end. I saw Capitalism: A Love Story too, quite enlightening! I have to look out for Sicko.

I'm reading a book called The Girl on The Landing - it caught my fancy but now it looks like it's about to turn tough for the wife in the book - not looking forward to finishing it.

Sumi said...

both the dishes look fantastic...welcome back

Deepthi Shankar said...

good to see yu back. was wondering where you were. congrats in yr new domain. N this comvo is soo yummy had never heard of it before

Pavithra Kodical said...

Congrats on your new domain Asha akka..Nice to see you back..Kulcha looks delicious,never tried making at home..

ruchikacooks said...

Welcome Back!

I love the aloo kulcha and idli sambar..slurp!

Sandhya said...

Asha!! I can't tell you how happy I am see you post, Welcome back! Matar Kulcha is one of my fav chaat food.........and that too when its super spicy!
I will try Poha idlis, I usually never have good luck with idlis!

Unknown said...

Welcome back Ashakka. Evevrything looks so delicious and congrats on the new domain!

ವನಿತಾ / Vanitha said...

Good to see you back Ashakka..Missed ur sweet words:)..Congrats
Luv Kulcha n idli..
I too liked 'the blind side,..and also Do watch 'Food Inc' ..almost like sicko deals abt fact in food Industry..
Take Care dear:)

Dershana said...

hi asha, so good to have you back. beautiful clicks and a wonderful spread as always!

Simplyfood said...

Kulchas look amazing so flaky too.
Try anti histamines for the pollen allergy.

Subhie Arun said...

congrats on ur new domain asha,nice to see u back....as usually its really awesome spread to enjoy!

Priya Suresh said...

Good to see u back Ashakka, even am suffering from allergic problems..Lovely spread and tempting dishes together..kulcha makes me hungry..

Pavani said...

Welcome back Asha.. So good to see your Wednesday post. I've got to try those kulchas & those 'softest' idlis soon.

Sreelu said...

Welcome back Asha and congrats on your new domain. Missed you though :) so glad you are back.

Vikis Kitchen said...

Welcome back Ashakka. Missed u so much. That chat with green peas is very notable for me. Will definitely come handy when longing for a chaat in the evening:) Oh, kulcha making is so easy? I never thought of that recipe at home. You made it wonderfully. Idly and hotel sambar is a evergreen charm for me:) Lovely idlies. Your posts never fail to amaze me:) Best wishes for your health.

Sailaja said...

Congrats on the domain. Yummy kulcha and nice pics

Shionge said...

Hey Asha...Happy Mother's Day to you and I hope your family will pamper you on this special day :D

amna said...

its great to see you back :)

Myvegfare said...

Hi Asha, Missed you very much, Missed your comments in my blog that's the truth, Happy mother's day, and A big hug from me to you glad to see you back!!!Congragulations on your own domain, good that everything is working well, The kulcha and chaat are so tempting, I have never tried poha idlis and love to try that sambhar too!!, My kids love Idlis and Dosas, I have BM it, Today is daughter first exam (GCSE) German speaking I am quite tensed, hoping and fingers crossed that she would do well, you are the first one I am telling this to, I opened my blogger account saw your post, immediately clicked to see what have you been doing!!, I have been suffering from migraine from 4 days, I have to post today for the book club!!, hope I will do it soon, I can't sit on comp for long time!, you take care, and will c u soon.. :)
Hugs!!

Anu said...

Hey Asha....very happy to c u again...i was waiting for your lovely recipe's. Kulcha is really tempting..and will definitely try it once..


Hugs,
Anu

Swapna said...

Happy mothers day to you too Asha! Kulcha looks awesome...I never tried kulcha with potato filling..

Congrats on the new domain!!!

Hamaree Rasoi said...

Congrats on your new domain. I can understand what you went through.....as I had faced problem similar to your's. I was unable to open my own comment box...
the potato filled kulchas look awesome. And adding poha to idlis is totally new to me, looks perfect.
Get well soon dear.

Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi

Nandinis food said...

Welcome back! Happy Mom's Day! This post's dishes are all my now-favorites!

Finla said...

Hey Ashe here is a link i think this started when you were on a break. You can add your blog there too. http://bloggerschamber.blogspot.com/

Have fun with Trish from today onwards, she will be glad to have delicous home made goodies.

Unknown said...

All kulcha looks tasty and yum!

Namitha said...

Forgot something..Happy Mother's day to you too :-)I too watched Hurt locker, up in the air and Jilie& Julia :-) Up in the air didn't come up to my expectations but loved both others ;-)

FH said...

Thanks Finla, I will! :)

Have a wonderful Mother's day my friends, enjoy.

Unknown said...

Good to see you back Asha missed your post a lot. Happy mothers day to you too.. and love the Matar and aloo recipe and kulcha,idlis looks so soft and yummmm

Meera said...

Asha,
am so happy to see you back in action. Congratulations on your own domain. That's awesome!

Didn't know about matar kulcha. I better soak some peas now!:-)
Poha idli and restaurant sambhar look great. can't wait to try everything.

Happy Mother's day!!

krystyna said...

I missed you Asha and your beautiful writings and dishes;
and I was little scared about you, what happened ...
Thanks you are well ...
I'm sorry about your spring allergy.

You are mom so
Happy Mother's Day to you!

btw
Do you have mom, how old is she?
My mom is 81.

Aps Kitchen said...

Kulcha luks super yum as well as mmatar amritsari... :) nd congrats!!!!

Pari Vasisht said...

Hi Asha, congrats on the new domain. The matari and kulcha are the staple food here and now I am not too fond of eating it like the initial days.
The poha idli sounds interesting. I have seen Up in the air, Julie and Julia. Felt very sad for George Clooney and very happy for his Sis and BIL.Wish I had a brother like him who could finance a world tour for me.Grins!

Anonymous said...

yayyyy.. I kept checking ur blog hoping to see a post from u:-) I am gonna sambar tomorrow:-)

babymom

jayasree said...

Hello Ashakka, good to know things are back to normal with blogging. Wish it doesn't get messed up again.

Kulchas looks super delicious and I liked the soft poha idlis.

I am yet to start blogging after the break.
Take care Akka.

FH said...

Thanks babymom, good to be back too. Enjoy Mother's day! :)

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Good to see you back here, posting again. Great to hear the comments are all back. Some of mine still aren't, though they tell me it will be in a month. Let's see.

Those kulcha look fantastic and have BMed them to make.

WatchedThe Blind Side and Julie & Julia. too. Loved the first movie and enjoyed the 2nd one though Meryl Streep was the star there! :)

FH said...

Aparna, comments will be back in time, don't worry. It took almost 8 weeks for mine to restore again. But they will be back 100%.
Have a wonderful weekend, see you Monday!:))

EC said...

Congrats on the new domain...good to see you back in action..both the dishes look yumm as usual and tempting too

Red Chillies said...

Dear Asha, so good to see you back. Congratulations on the new domain.
I am yet to try the poha idlis, though I add some poha while grinding regular idli.

Happy Mother's day to you. Hugs

sayantani said...

though the problem of blogger is very scary but at the end of it you have got your new domain. congrats on that Asha.
never heard of Aloo kulcha chaat but that looks outstanding. now that it has poured here a lot that makes the best time to savout this. love the sambhar too.

DK said...

Missed u Asha - have been meaning to write to you - have quite a lot of updates since we last chatted.

I cannot for the life of me stop salivating at those idlis! I just had lunch and came and sat down in front of the comp! Can u imagine what a glutton I have turned into? I will be making this coming week. I also have ur punjabi eggs stuff open in my browser from yday - so if u r chking ur stats and see someone on ur site for like 2 days - U know its me :) :)

Have to try that egg recipe for my better half - he loves the one he gets in his fav restaurant and yours looked the closest to that (I dont eat eggs like that so will make for him spc and shock him!;))

U take care of the allergies - I am have slight head cold too and I can see it getting worse! And oh yes - congrats on the new Domain! YAY!

FH said...

Hi DK, thanks for trying the egg curry girl, my kids love it too. Yeah! Finally blogs are working after so long! :D

Today is the hottest day here and very high pollen count as well, not a fun day for me. But there are expecting a colder weather for weekend, should be little better for me. Have a fun weekend, see you on Monday!:))

Preety said...

its nice to see you back with all those wonderful recipes..and congrats for new domain

Latha said...

Glad to see your post Asha! Congrats on your new domain and all the dishes look yummy and delicious.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Yasmeen said...

Scrumptious kulcha and idlis.New domain looks great.Congrats! :D

Malar Gandhi said...

Happy Mother's Day, dear. Missed your recipes plus comments. Hope all set now. Congrats with new domain name. Kulcha looks wonderful. The idlies and sambhar looks very tempting to me:)

Sum Raj said...

hey how r u there?..amristsari aloo kulcha looks heavenly..and regarding idlies y do v need to soad poha's overnight?..because it just gets mushy soon its gets wet in water itself..

accidental diva said...

ashakka..glad you are back:)
...the kulcha looks divine!!

FH said...

Suma, As for Poha in Idli, I just add Poha with rice to soak with little less water than usual, it's like adding more flattened rice to the batter anyway.
But if you are using thin Poha I Have only thick ones) you could also just wash the thin Poha in hot water until soft few minutes before too. Doesn't make any difference if we are grinding everything in the end anyway.Hope you try! :)

Indian Khana said...

Gud to see you back...and yah u got ur domain...tht's cool..Congrats...I love the kulcha...looks mouthwatery

Shri said...

Those kulchas and the whole spread look fantastic, Asha!I loved Julie and Julia and the Blind Side.

Shama Nagarajan said...

Nice to see u back here again..happy mother's day/....yummy delicious delights

FH said...

Thanks for your welcome friends, it's great to be back blogging as well. Enjoy the Spring weather and all the blogs!:)

DRY GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY said...

Hi Asha,

Good to see your kulchas and please on the plate to me!!!!

FH said...

Thanks DG, enjoy. Hope you try Kulcha! :))

shriya said...

Congrats on your new domain. Love the kulchas, all time fav. I am craving for it now.

Madhavi said...

Glad to see you back :)) Congratulatons on your new domain. Love this kuchal, yummmmmmm!!!

FH said...

Hi Shriya and Madhavi, thanks girls. Have a great day!:)

Anh said...

Welcome back! :)

vidhas said...

Congrats on the new domain ashakka. Lovley platte of foods.Never tried kulchas at home.

FoodLovers said...

Congrats on new domain Asha ..good to see u back

lissie said...

Good to see you back, Asha :) Congrats on your new domain!

nice clicks of kulcha and matar, and idlis look so perfect!

Finla said...

Hey Asha Made the hotel sambar and it was supe delicous, we all loved it,I am sure this recipe is going to be the new sambar recipe in m kitchen for comming 10 yrs that is howlong i was making my other recipe :-)

FH said...

Finla, glad you liked it. We love this Sambhar with Idlis or Urad Vadas if you make it little thinner gravy. Enjoy! :)

Sailaja Damodaran said...

Adding poppy seeds in sambar is very new to me....must give a try.

Dewi said...

Asha, I just came back from "happy cook" site, she mention about your sambar. I must make this, thanks for sharing the recipe.

FH said...

Sailaja, adding poppy seeds to coconut masala is very traditional in and around Mysore, do try.

Elra, this Sambhar tastes excellent with toasted slices of hard crust bread, give it a try!:)