Makar Sakranti -Bhaja Moong Dal Khichudi

Happy Makar Sankranti to everyone. From Kites covered sky to all about food today, this festival has truly shown me the diversity of my country. In far West it’s all about Kite flying, Khichdi, Til (sesame seeds), In East its Bihu and in Bengali’s its Pithe Parab. With winter slowing down from here onwards and spring just around the corner, all over India this day is celebrated in different forms. Few of the days when more than Twinkle toes, Daddy dear actually waits for Lunch , Dinner and the Patishapta. Kept it a bit simple today with Bhaja Moong Dal Khichudi, Banda godbhi Tarkari, Tomato chutney Khejur diye, and pudina chutney with Macher Jhol. Oh yes also made some til laddu, Rajasthan in me has to have its share.

Preparation time – 10 min
Cooking time – 25 min

Ingredients–

Rice – Basmati 1 cup
Yellow moong dal – 1 cup
Bay leaves- 4
cloves-2
cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon stick- 1/2 ‘
Green Cardamom – 2
Whole Black Pepper – 6
Sugar- pinch
Salt – as per taste
Turmeric paste – 1/2 tbsp
whole kashmiri red chilli- 1
Green chilli- 2 slitted
cumin powder
Garam Masala
Mustard oil- 1/4 cup
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Water – 3 cup
Veg – 1 cup cauliflower big pieces
1/4 cup Green Peas
1/4 cup- Carrot peeled and chopped
1/4 cup- green beans – chopped
2 Potatoes- peeled and halved
tomato – 1 small chopped
Ginger grated/ chopped finely – 1 tbsp

Method –
Dry roast yellow moong dal till it turns slight brown and starts leaving aroma. Keep it aside. In a pressure cooker add mustard oil, sauté cauliflower till golden brown, take them out, keep aside. In the same hot oil, add bay leaves, cumin seeds, cardamom, clove, whole black pepper, cinnamon stick, sugar and whole kashmiri red chilli. Let them crackle, add ginger, sauté for a min. Add the vegetables, sauté them for 2 min, add turmeric paste, sauté, add tomato, add little salt for tomatoes, add cumin powder , sauté for 1 min. Now add moon dal and rice, mix, add water. Stir, add salt, mix. On the top add slitted green chilli, garam masala powder and 1 tsp of ghee. Close the lid and let it cook till 4 whistles. Allow the steam to be released, open the lid, add the cauliflower, close the lid and let the steam form in cooker. turn off the flame and let the steam release on its own. Serve with your choice of side dishes. Enjoy

Macher Jhol, Khichudi, Pudina Chutney, Tomato chutney and Banda Gobhi

Patishapta and Til Laddu

Tahiri with Bathua Raita

Like every Season Winters come with their own beauty. Winter comfort food is one amongst them. Also when the temperature simply refuses to come back to human being normal (Please read trying to come out of blanket normal) such lazy one pot meals is the only cooking that should be considered normal. Rice, potato, veggies all together is an instant hit with Twinkle toes and her Daddy. I’ve also prepared Bathua Raita as an condiment ,considering this cold weather ,Plain curd sounded too plain.
To many of us reading this post, Tahiri is nostalgia, comfort food, the usual sight of Hot Tahiri and fresh home set curd, lunch spread out in bright sunlight, Bliss. Sunlight in winters is one Major missing factor for me. Fog and hazy weather is a permanent feature in NCR region. In Rajasthan after 10 am the sun shines so bright that the actual comfort of winter and Sunlight come into play. But yes down goes the Sun and temp drops rapidly. I still remember my husband trying his best to drape a 10kg Rajai during his first visit to my home in winter season, and now he’s totally used to heavy rajai’s and heavy blankets.
News of weather disturbance across the globe has been making headlines. Stay safe everyone and enjoy the winters.

Preparation Time Tahiri – 5 min
Preparation Time Raita- 10 min

Cooking time Tahiri – 10 min
Cooking time Raita– 5 min

Ingredients –

Tahiri –
Rice – Basmati (Mogra), if you want pulav effect use full grain Basmati – 1 cup . Soak for 10 min if using full grain
Water – 2 cups
Vegetables –
Potato- 1/2 cup peeled and diced
Cauliflower- 1/2 cup- diced
Green Peas- 1/4 cup
Carrot – peeled, diced small – 1/4 cup
Beans – diced 1/4 cup

Onion- 1/2 cup chopped
Ginger – grated- 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf- 4
Kashmiri Red chilli whole – 1
Cloves- 2
Tomato – 1 small diced
Asofetida – pinch
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – As per taste
Salt – As per taste
Oil- 1 tbsp
Garam masala- 1 tsp

Raita –

Bathua / Lamb’s Quarter leaves- 250 gm leaves separated
Curd – 400gm
Green chilli chopped and deseeded – 1 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Roasted cumin seed powder- 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
Black Salt – 1 tsp

Method –

Tahiri

Chop all vegetables, wash. Wash and drain rice. In pressure cooker, heat oil, temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, Whole red chilli, cloves and asafetida. Add onions, sauté till golden, add all vegetables, sauté, add ginger and sauté for 1 min, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder. Sauté for 1 min, add chopped tomatoes, salt, sauté till tomatoes are soft. Add rice, and 1 green chilli ,add water and sprinkle garam masala on top. Close the lid and keep on med flame till 1 whistle. Lower the flame and let it cook for 5-7 min. Allow the steam to be released, open the lid, fluff the rice up a bit although do not expect it to be fluffy like Pulao.

Raita – Wash leaves, add to pressure cooker, cover with water. Cook till 3 whistles. Let it cool, blend to smooth puree. In a bowl add curd, whisk, add all spices, mix add the puree to curd. Heat ghee in tadka pan, temper with cumin seeds , once tempered remove from flame, add chopped green chilli , and pour on the raita. Stir, serve with Tahiri and enjoy

Lettuce and Cherry tomatoes salad with Italian Dressing

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year.
Name of the blog- Sweet Jaw, boasts about all things sweet and the first post of 2023 is Salad, even I can’t stop laughing. Well, look it from a different angle, maybe I’m just trying to gear up with all things light for all desserts year along.

Jokes apart, Twinkle toes has recently started taking shine to few things that are NOT chocolate which also includes Salad. So when Daddy is travelling let’s start with Salad to warm her up to the less sweet and slightly crunchy side of food. Many of us jot down the recipes and simply forget , this one is such where I’ve forgotten the source with only the writers name written.
The minimum temperature has been happily sitting in single digit for quite some time. Staying indoors and doing absolutely nothing is the current favorite of everyone up here in North. So enjoy this very less work salad in crispy winter.

Preparation Time – 5 min
Cooking time – NA

Ingredients

2 heads- Lettuce leaves
1 cup – Cherry Tomatoes
2 Tbsp- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp- Vinegar / Lemon juice
1 small garlic – minced
1/2 tsp – Italian Seasoning – ( Basil+ Thyme+ Rosemary+ Oregano+ Sage)
1/2 tsp – Chilli Flakes
1/2 Tsp – Honey
1/2 cup- Bell Peppers
Rock salt – As per taste
Black Pepper – As per taste

Method – Mix the seasoning together in a glass jar or simply in an empty long jam jar. Add all the ingredients, give a jar a good shake till all is mixed. Chop the lettuce, tomatoes and bell pepper. Lay them out in salad bowl, pour the dressing and mix. Enjoy.

Banana and Orange Loaf with Walnuts

Yoga class

Odissi Dance class

Cherry has been going regularly now to her Odissi dance classes and few days back her friends dragged her to the yoga classes too. I was worried how would she cope. Just 7 years old, and sits barely for 1.5hours at home and she’s off to play, then dance class, back for homework, then yoga class. Phew. Children can actually pull off any task given to them because they haven’t known the threshold of Impossible yet. Twinkle toes is till very choosy about the menu of her school lunch box, so new variety is next to “NO”. During one dance class her friend mentioned I like banana cake, and that stuck in my darlings mind. Last week was a bit difficult on her health and she’d been lying lazily on bed in afternoon when out of nowhere she ordered Mumma tomorrow lunch box “Brown bread with Nutella”. Well order is an Order and me being lazy mom cannot wake up at 4 am to make fresh Banana Bread. Hence late evening bake came to rescue. Orange juice, walnuts and dried figs were added to the batter, baked, turned into French toast in morning with her “I only want Nutella” spread and her school lunch box is packed “Phew”. In the afternoon when I picked her up I kept on waiting for any complaint but nothing came. Finally I asked after reaching home “Did you like the new banana bread French toast”. She came and hugged with a big grin on her face❤️

Preparation Time – 10 min
Cooking time – 60 min

Ingredients –

1 1/2 cup Sugar
3 Tbsp – Olive oil/ Sunflower oil
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup Orange juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnut
1/2 cup chopped dried fig

Method –

Pre Heat oven at 230 °C.Grease and line loaf tin. Whisk sugar and oil, add egg gradually, whisking till fluffy. Mash the bananas, add the mashed banana and orange juice to the butter batter. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with banana batter, fold in walnuts and figs. Pour in the tin, bake for 10 min at 230, lower the temp to 190°C for 30 min so as to avoid quick browning of the top surface. Bake for total 50-55 min, check with toothpick if done. Let it cool in tin for 10 min, serve warm