My Old Coffee Mug and Moong Dal Chilla/Cheela

Moong Dal Chilla

It was time… It was time for me to say good bye…. It was my last day in my hostel… It was the time for the final cleanup of my room and I knew I will be fined by warden if I don’t do it right. Actually, I had more important things in my mind… Everything seemed secondary… The thought of never being able to participate in any of birthday bashes and midnight parties, never having to pay fines for attendance shortage, never having to say ‘sorry’ to the professors for bunking their classes and labs, never feeling upset for not getting good grades, never having to wait for monthly money transfers, never having to do our laundry, never having to drink water-y coffee, never having to eat bullet-proof chapattis kept lurking in between… Life would go on even if Dhaba and Tapri (corner coffee shop) lost one of its loyal customers, I thought as I picked my things to pack. Then my eyes fell on my old coffee mug without a handle!!!

There was it, sitting in one corner… My old coffee cup without a handle! It all began on the day three of us joined the hostel on same day were given same room… The thought of sharing my room with other two never appealed to me and with total strangers didn’t help either. I thought they were nut cases as one would go to bed at 9 in the night and another at 3 in the morning making my 12 to 7 time almost difficult to sleep peacefully. When one finished singing in her dream other would start talking making it one hell of Jugalbandi that I never liked to listen to. I never liked the idea of sharing my things in the beginning but slowly started getting used to it. With time, gradually I began to look beyond my roommates minor flaws and started enjoying their company. Never realised how the time flew and we were no more freshers. I remember one of my roommates returning my coffee mug sans its handle the day she came to say goodbye. Never realised how it went to her and her dupatta was with me.

As I continued to rummage my belongings, I realised the huge amount of unwanted stuffs I had been hoarding during the period of my hostel life. There were definitely many that I wanted to keep with me for the memories attached to them. And the one I was sure to take it with me was that old coffee mug without its handle. The one which was used to drink gallons of coffee over gossips and during exams night out, the same mug used to cook Maggi in hot water, the one which would tag along with me whenever I would raid into my friends room to get my share of home goodies they bought from home!!! That broken coffee mug is a link to my hostel day memories…

It was with my roommates and hostel mates I shared some of wonderful and memorable part of my life. It was because of their cheerful nature which transferred every gloomy, dark hostel days into joyous rainbow. It was because of my friends I was given a chance to taste and appreciate multi-cuisines of diverse Indian states. There was never a dull moment in my hostel life. Every week we would raid into our friend’s rooms as soon as they are back from their visit to home. If it was Khakra and Patra one week, then it would be delicious Gongura pickle other week. If it was Chakkuli and Sev one week, then it would be Rosgulla and Cham Cham next week. The fun part would be when we would visit our close relatives residing in a same place. Our aunts and uncles would make sure that we were fed well during our visits to their home and also sent back lots of goodies to share with our roommates and friends.

One dish I remember sharing with my friends was Chilla/Cheela, a flavoured pancake made using Besan/Gram Flour or lentils like Moong/Mung Dal (Split Green Lentils). Its taste still lingers in my memory and I had sudden cravings for it other day. I came across Ashwini’s recipe of Moong Dal Chilla and I could no longer wait to give it a shot. Thank you Ashwini, this recipe will be regular in our menu from now onwards. With few modifications in the ingredients used (how typical of me ;) here is my version of Moong Dal Chilla/Cheela. Without much delay I am sending this gujarati version of Dosa to my dear friend Srivalli’s Dosa Mela before she books next flight to UK to kick me for not yet sending her my entry ;) Valli, hope you give it a try and your kids and everyone enjoys it as much as we did. And as for that old coffee mug, it came with me when I left my hostel... Somethings are priceless because of the memories they bring back...

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Moong Dal Chilla (Flavoured Split Moong Pancakes)
Prep Time: 10 mins (Excluding soaking time)
Cooking Time: 3-4 mins per Chilla
Makes: 8 small Chillas

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Ingredients:
1 cup Moong Dal (Split Green Gram)
½ cup Sweet Corn, cooked in hot water for 3 mins or canned
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped (Adjust acc to taste)
2-3 Spring Onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
¼ inch Ginger, finely chopped
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Moong Dal Chilla Batter

Method:
For the Batter:

Wash the moong dal thoroughly and soak them over night or for at least 3-4 hours in about 3 cups of water.
Drain the water and reserve it. To this add ginger, garlic, green chillies, hing and salt to taste and grind using reserved water to smooth paste. The batter should be that of pancake consistency.
Pour this batter into a bowl and mix finely chopped spring onion, sweet corn and coriander leaves and mix well.

To make Chilla:

Heat dosa pan/griddle and pour ladleful of batter in the centre. With the help of back of a ladle spread the batter in circle to make thick pancakes (about 4-5 inch in diameter). Make sure that chilla is not too thick or thin.
Drizzle little oil along the edge of the pancake. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Flip it and cook it on the other side till it gets brown patches on surface on a medium heat. Once it’s nicely browned on both the sides serve it hot with any Chutneys of your choice and enjoy.

Moong Dal Chilla with Dry Garlic-Coconut Chutney

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Note:

Use green peas as Ashwini had used in her recipe in place of sweet corn.
Mix in different vegetables like carrot, cabbage, tomatoes, spinach or other greens of your choice to make it more nutritious.

Other Dosa Recipes posted in Monsoon Spice are

• Masala Dosa
• Sajjige Rotti
• Uppu-Menasu Dosa
• Watermelon Rind Dosa
• Navaratna Dosa
• Veg Uttappa
• Onion Uttappa
• Tomato Omlette
  

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Corn-y Affair: Sweet Corn Sundal

Sweet Corn Sundal

The sky is ablaze with glorious colours- fiery red, searing orange yet the outer edge of the blazing sky had begun to cool with the indigo of the night. The golden globe of sun was slowly descending in the backdrop of red-orange water and one could see all the colours of rainbow reflecting off the sea as the sun and water becomes one. You see the birds heading back to their nest and hear the roaring sound of tides hitting the shore. A light, cool breeze sweeps across, wiping all the stress and worries. You take a deep breath inhaling the smell of sea, sand and Bhutta….

Yes, ‘Bhutta’ or ‘Makkaai’ in Hindi is the roasted corn on cob. When the first rain indicated the onset of Monsoons in India, I would eagerly look forward for delicious treat. The sight of corn vendor or Bhuttawalah with his wooden cart stocked high with fresh corn and a small coal stove would make my taste buds tingle and eyes twinkle. Parked on road side, beaches, cricket play grounds, school/collage gates, this corner, that corner, every nook and corner would become the center of frenzied activity as the Bhuttawalah’s lured the passers-by with the delicious roasted aroma of Bhutta being roasted on open charcoal stove. The smell of the fresh roasted corns is so enticing that people are drawn to the cart to pick and choose the Bhutta.

The process of eating these Bhutta may sound very simple and straight forward but to actually experience the real taste of Bhutta the process starts right from selecting the right corn; the one which is neither too hard nor too tender. The hard ones with yellow colours give your teeth a tough time to chew and the tender one with creamy colour leaves you unsatisfied and wanting for more. The trick to get the right one is to open the husks and poke few of the kernels by digging your sharp nails to see how fresh and right the corn is.

Once the right corn is selected, the Bhuttawalah puts the corn on iron coal stove and keeps turning the corn to roast it evenly. Within few minutes of perfect technique of roasting as he fans the coal to keep them astir, you have your aromatic, roasted corn on the cob ready. The best is yet to come… that is the zesty end to the Bhutta story. With freshly cut piece of lime dipped into a mixture of hot red chilli powder and salt, the Bhuttawalah artfully massages the length of cob, leaving trails of hot, sweet and sour flavour all over the kernels. If you are like someone like me who likes to test her spice scale then you are in for treat. With another coat of fiery green chilli chutney deftly applied on them you will be testing your spice scale to its limit. Can’t handle too much of spice? No worries. Bhuttawalah is too happy to apply silky butter which will melt at the very touch of hot Bhutta. As the butter dissolves chilli, lime, salt and chilli chutney creating perfect harmony of flavours, the pleasure of biting into Bhutta and savouring the taste is something which one needs to experience to understand.

Bhuttawalah roasting Bhutta on Charcoal
Photo Courtesy: Arun Shanbhag (Thanks Arun:)

“....pray what more can a reasonable man desire, in peaceful times, in ordinary noons, than a sufficient number of ears of green sweet-corn boiled, with the addition of salt?”

-Henry David Thoreau, 'Walden'

I do agree with you Mr. Thoreau. With non-stop rain pouring without any break, all I could think of is biting into sweet, spicy, tangy and hot Bhutta. It being Sunday evening and all the supermarkets closed I had to settle for canned Sweet Corn!!! I chose to make Sundal which is usually made using Black or White Chickpeas/Kabuli Channa and is given as Prasadam in most of South Indian Temples. Cooked black/white channa is tempered with mustard and urad dal and garnished with fresh coconut flakes is my favourite Prasadam in Temple which always makes me wanting for more. To this basic recipe of Sundal I used canned sweet corns which quite surprisingly tasted great. This crisp sweet corn is sautéed lightly with crunchy onion and sweet tomatoes with a touch of green chilli and a splash of lime juice to give it a zest. It was a quick and great snack to munch on while we watched rain dancing around us. I am sending this to lovely Mansi of Fun and Food who is hosting fun event Game Night Party as its a perfect dish to prepare within ten mins and enjoy with your friends.

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Sweet Corn Sundal

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Serves: 2

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Ingredients:
2 cups Sweet Corn (We used canned)
1 small Red Onion, finely chopped
1 small Tomato, finely chopped
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
1 dry Red Chilli, halved
1 tsp Oil
Few Curry Leaves (Optional, but recommended)

Sweet Corn Sundal

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, red dry chilli and curry leaves.
When mustard starts to pop and splutter add finely chopped red onion, green chilli and sauté it for 30 seconds.
Now add finely chopped tomato, sweet corn, salt to taste and sauté it for 1-2 mins over medium flame.
Turn off the gas, add lime juice and chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot and enjoy.

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Notes:
Add grated fresh coconut and raw mango to get different flavour.
Replace sweet corn to cooked black or white kabuli channa.
Omit onion when preparing it for Neivedyam.

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Creamy Corn & Tomato Soup

There are sometimes, or should I say many times, when both feel very lazy to cook. We crave for home made food and yet too lazy to budge from a couch. Having food in restaurants or ordering food from take-away was not very appealing to us. So we decided to make soup thinking it will need very little effort from both sides. It just took few minutes to realise that it was not as easy as we thought. You see, in our home we take more time in deciding what to cook than the whole cooking process itself. And this time again was no exception. My much better half wanted to have sweet corn soup and I wanted to have tomato soup. So the end result after heated discussion was this tangy and sweet Creamy Corn and Tomato Soup. If you like simple, no nonsense recipe which requires few ingredients, little cooking time, and very delicious pot of soup, then friends look no further:)

Creamy Corn and Tomato Soup

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Creamy Corn & Tomato Soup
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 2-3

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Ingredients:
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 cube Vegetable Stock Powder
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
2 medium Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 canned Tomato Puree
1 canned Cream of Corn
1 cup Canned/Fresh Corn Kernels
1 tsp Chilli Powder
Salt to taste

Creamy Corn and Tomato Soup

Method:
Heat oil in a large pan and chopped onion and cook until soft.
To this add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till it turns tender.
Now add tomato puree, creamed corn, corn kernels and vegetable stock.
Add half a cup of water, salt and chilli powder to it and mix well.
Cook this on a medium-low heat and bring it to boil.
Serve this hot with dollop of sour cream and crisp bread bites.

Creamy Corn and Tomato Soup

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Here is my contribution to "Kitchen Safety Moments" event hosted by lovely Jyotsna of "Curry Bazaar".
Be careful when pureeing hot soup in the blender or food processor as it can shoot out of the top and scald you (Been there and done that). If possible, cool the soup before pureeing. If you must puree while the soup is hot, do it in small batches. Thin soups may also leak from the processor. The best way to deal with this is to remove the vegetables from the soup with a slotted spoon and process with a spoonful or two of the liquid. Mix the pureed vegetables back into the liquid in the pan.

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Cream of Corn Soup

Other day I was chatting with my lovely cousin who is staying in US. She is a fabulous cook with many healthy and nutritious recipes in her kitty. After we finish with our usual chit-chat, we share some interesting recipes which we have had tried and found quite good:) I was lucky again (as most of the times;) and got this awesome soup recipe from her. When she said she was hooked to this soup I was bit sceptical about it. Thats mainly because the only soup I am really hooked is tomato soup, which I can consume in gallons without complaining. Although I love soups, no other soups have come close to tomato soup. And boy!!! Was I wrong this time. I am quite happy that my soup theory proved wrong:) It was all she mentioned and now like her even I and K are hooked to this delicious hot bowl of soup. So this is a call to all soup lovers out there to give it a shot as I am sure you will love it as much as we do.

Cream of Corn Soup

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Cream of Corn Soup
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time:15-20 mins
Serves: 2-3

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Ingredients:
1 can of Cream of Corn
2 cups of Water/ Vegetable Stock
2 cubes of Vegetable Stock (omit if you are using vegetable stock)
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Corn flour (adjust according to required consistency)
½ cup Carrot, diced into small pieces
½ cup French Beans, chopped
½ cup Cabbage, chopped finely
½ cup Green Peas, cooked or frozen
½ cup Celery, diced (optional)
Salt and Pepper Powder to taste

Cream of Corn Soup

For Garnishing:
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped and kept in vinegar for 1-2 hours
Shredded Cabbage

Cream of Corn Soup

Method:
Pour 2 cups of water into heavy bottomed pan and add veg stock cubes to them.
To this add cream of corn and mix well.
In a mean while, microwave all the vegetables for 2-4 minutes so that they retain their crunchiness.
Add these vegetables to the pan with soya sauce and vinegar.
Take ¼ cup of water and dissolve corn flour in it.
Add this to soup and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed.
Cook in medium flame for another minute and then add salt and pepper according to your taste.
Serve hot garnished with shredded cabbage and chillies in vinegar with any bread or bun.

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