Rice Kozhukattai

Ingredients
Coarse rice powder- 1 cup
Oil - 4tsp
Mustard - 1tsp
Urad dhal split - 2tsp
Channa dhal - 2tsp
Curry leaves - little
Hing - pinch
Peppercorns - 10nos
Jeera - 2tsp
Dry Red chilli - 3nos
Coconut - little
Salt - to taste

Method
For making rice powder (Ravi's mom makes the most awesome rice powder so I have it ready-made!)Soak rice and wash thoroughly. Then remove water and keep in microwave for 2min or fry in dry kadai for few minutes, till the rice is dry. Then dry grind it. Seive it and remove the fine powder.

1. Heat kadai, add oil, then mustard, urad dhal, channa dhal, hing, jeera, pepper powder, dry red chilli, once they are fried add 3cups of water and salt to taste. Once the water starts to boil add the coarse rice. Mix till all the water is absorbed. Finally add coconut, curry leaves and mix thoroughly. Allow it to cool.

2. Shape the rice into round balls and keep it in idli cooker for 20min. If the kozhakattai breaks after shapping, that means there is not enough water, so add little hot water and shape it.

3. Serve hot with Idli podi or coconut chutney.

Mumbai Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets (about 3-4 cups)
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tbsp oil
1 green bell pepper, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder or red chili paste
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
salt to taste
2-3 cups tomato puree and fresh tomato
1/2 cup peas (I used frozen)...optional
1 tbsp Mother's receipe pav-bhaji masala (or more to taste)
1 tbsp butter
Method:
1. Boil the cauliflower and potatoes till tender and set aside. I usually do this in a pressure cooker.
2. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and saute the pepper. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute some more.
3. Add turmeric powder, chili powder to taste and salt to taste. Saute for a few seconds.
4. Add tomato puree, fresh tomato, peas, boiled potatoes and cauliflower, pav-bhaji masala and butter.
5. Keep sauteeing and mashing it together till it is a smooth mixture, adding water as required (you can use a potato masher to help you along). Be aware that the mixture can spurt up as it boils, so keep a lid on it while you are not actively stirring it. Simmer for 20-25 minutes to really get the flavors to meld together.
You have to keep tasting and adjusting salt, masala and tomato till you like the balance between the tomato-ey tang and the heat of the masala.

Serve with:
1. More pats of butter
2. Finely sliced/ chopped onions, minced cilantro and wedges of lemon.
3. The genuine pav-bhaji is served with real Bombay laadi pav...slabs of bread, so named because the rolls are sold as entire slabs and you break the rolls off as required. This bread is so yeasty and terrific!

Variations:
1. Fry the bread in some butter first. For an even spicier result, make masala pav...melt some butter in a skillet. Sprinkle pav bhaji masala in it, then fry the bread in this spicy butter until sizzling and golden.

2. You can add frozen mixed vegetables to increase the veggie content of the pav bhaji. I think beans and carrots would work well.
3. You can also add garam masala to it at the end.


I hope you enjoy this taste of Bombay ! I served it to friends at a chai session and the feedback was good :) !!! It turns out looking like the original pav bhaji.

Black Olive Tepenade

We fell in love with black olive tepenade on the cruise and ever since have wanted to understand how to make it ourselves.
Here goes ....

INGREDIENTS
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup pitted black olives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons capers (I did not add them)

DIRECTIONS
Place the garlic cloves into a blender or food processor; pulse to mince. Add the olives, (capers) parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil Blend until everything is finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I served this with warm ciabatta bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.