Aam ki khatai

This recipe you will find only in the Purvanchal region. A simple way to give your dal that extra taste during the summers when one doesn’t like consuming much of spices. I prefer having something light and healthy which gives your digestive system some ease.

Though this recipe is getting lost, with people preferring more instant stuff.

What is khatai?

Khatai means something that tastes tangy or khatta.

How is it made?

Made using raw dry mango.

Any preferred season to make them?

Yes, khatai is made during summers as the sun is at its peak and drying the raw mango gets easy and quick.

So, let’s get the recipe

#purvanchaltadka #foodblogger #aamkikhatai

Aam ki Khatai

Ingredients

• 1 kg raw mangoes cut into squares
• 200 grams of coriander/dhaniya seeds
• 150 grams of fennel/ saunf seeds
• 1/2 cup jeera/ cumin
• 250 grams garlic chopped
• 4 tablespoon fenugreek/Methi seeds
• 5 to 6 tablespoons Haldi / turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup red Chilli powder
• 2 tablespoon hing/ asafoetida
• 2 tablespoon yellow mustard seed (optional)
• 1/2 cup achar masala (optional)
• 1/2 kg mustard oil or more as needed
• 1/2 cup salt or as per taste

Method

• First, wash and peel the mango piece and sundry them till its hard for 1 week or so
• After the mangoes have dried completely store them in an airtight container before making the khatai
• Take a kadhai dry roast the spices separately.
• Like saunf, fenugreek, coriander and jeera seeds and grind to powder
• Take a grinding jar Add the garlic with some oil and grind to a paste( oil is used for quick grinding)
• Take a large vessel to add the grinded garlic paste and the spices
• With Haldi, red Chilli powder and hing
• If you are using yellow mustard seed and achar masala add them as well
• Grind the mustard seed before adding
• Now add in salt and oil
• Now add the dry mangoes and coat the masala well, using your hand
• If you find the masala to be dry pour some more oil
• Mix well and store in an airtight container
• Use it after a week
• Store at room temperature stays good for years if kept in an airtight container or else refrigerate it.

How to use khatai?

Use them in your dals and khichadi.

Banarasi recipe

Sabudana roti/ Topiaco flour flat bread recipe

by Sadhana Mishra March 18, 2023

Chutney

Tomato chutney recipe

by Sadhana Mishra March 10, 2023

dips

Olive oil Dip recipe

by Sadhana Mishra February 28, 2023

Baked recipes

Pão de queijo/ Tapioco bread/sabudana bread recipe

by Sadhana Mishra February 24, 2023

Gulkand recipe/Rose Jam

Do you love eating paan, or have you ever tried one if not then I would suggest you to try. This is best for digestion, ayurveda recommends this for digestion and cooling effect on body.

Mostly all Indians love eating paan, some love it with beetel nuts while many, like me love sweet (meetha) paan.

Gulkand is the main ingredient used in paan, that is the flavour enhancer with some sugar coated fennel seeds, some mint balls. Making gulkand is super easy, which is going to blow your mind up, after checking out the recipe.

My garden is filled with rose plant, so thought of making some gulkand and preserving it.

Rose petals should be fresh and no dark spots have to be on them.

Gulkand

What is Gulkand?

Rose petals crushed with sugar is called gulkand.

So let’s get the recipe here

#purvanchaltadka #foodblogger #gulkandrecipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bowl roses or 20 to 30 red roses
• 1 cup sugar

Method:

• Pluck the petals of roses
• Wash and pat dry the petals
• Take grinding jar and grind the petals or you can even cut them fine
• Remove it in small bowl
• In the same bowl take sugar
• Measurements should be same of crushed rose petals and sugar
• Now grind the sugar along crushed rose petals
• Make a paste
• Store it in a air tight container
• Keep it in the sun for 2 weeks
• After 2 weeks sundrying keep it in the refrigerator
• Remember the more aged gulkand, the more best it is in taste.
• You can use it fresh also, but I would suggest to use it after 2 months.
• Hope you liked this recipe
• Until then keep exploring…….

Beetroot powder recipe

Have you ever tried making beet powder?? Now one would wonder why will I do that…. agreed with you, but if you are someone who wants to try out new things, then you will love doing this recipe, that’s the reason you are here right! Love playing Holi… but hesitant with the market colours…use these and your skin is completely safe, without the fear of dealing with infection.

Beetroot Powder

So beet powder is made from beetroot by sundrying them.

Skip using food colour and start healthy with this red colour.

Making them is quite simple, only ingredient needed is beetroot.

Uses of beetroot powder

• Use them in cakes, while making red velvet
• Get the lovely colour in your Pav bhaji link herePav-Bhaji
• Sprinkle on potato chips or wafers link herePotato chips/how to make potato chips
• We Indians love playing Holi…. use this colour instead of the chemical one’s.

How do you process this

Buy some fresh beetroot, cut them into slices or sticks

Spread them on a dry cloth or sheet

Sun-dry them for a week or till Crispy

Grind to a fine powder

Store in an air tight container

Stays good for 3 months without refrigerating , if you stay in a dry place. Otherwise refrigerate it.

Don’t use wet spoon, keep it airtight this will be good for days.

Easy way to peel off Garlic

Peeling garlic is really a tedious job to do if you don’t know the trick. In my house garlic is consumed in every food cooked, except for Navratris.

So, peeling garlic is a big headache for me. Especially when the garlic is newly harvested, their skin don’t peel off fast.

When you think of storing garlic in bulk this tip will work wonders. Without the pain in your thumb.

So let’s get started.

How to peel Garlic quickly…

1. Take a bowl full of water at room temperature.
2. Soak the garlic pods in the water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes cut the tip of the garlic with knife, rest of the skin comes out easily.
4. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
5. Use when required.
6. Life is much easier by this tip.
7. If you like the post do comment.

Note

If you are staying in a cold weather, use hot water for soaking the garlic.

How to clean Copper vessels

“Wherever you are is the the entry point.”

-Kabir

Copper glass /jar

Not very long ago, if you have ever visited to your ancestral home with your granny’s and great grandma along. Somewhere in the corner of the house there was this small pot which used to be filled with water and kept.

As a child I would wonder, why our granny is still using these old fashioned utensils, whereas now we have so many filters and fancy bottle in the market. Don’t they feel like upgrading things?? The child in me wondering… I read somewhere change is the way of life and look at them 🤔…….my granny looking at me and saying ye Healthy h tere language meh (it’s healthy in your language)

Suddenly in our society being connected to once culture and tradition was considered old fashioned and orthodox, we started emulating others. One should take pride in his/her culture.

Now, people are going back to their grandma for culture, tradition and food, every tradition has a logical reason behind it and it’s been proven scientifically as well.

Copper pot

Our body contains 70% water. In olden days our ancestors use to purify water in copper vessels, which we in today’s world are looking forward to and our ancestors have nailed it…. Right!!

• Rub pitambari on the vessel and keep for 10 minutes and wash(pitambari is available in every Indian store used for cleaning silver vessels)
• Rub baking soda and vinegar on the vessel by making a paste out of it
• Rub lemon and salt

Use and benefits of Copper vessels

• Copper vessels are used for cooking
• Many Indian temples still use copper vessels to cook Mahaprasad
• Water is stored in them overnight
• It boosts immunity
• Helps digestion

Scientifically proven

• When water is stored in copper vessels it goes through natural purification and this kills bacteria, fungi, algae.
• By storing overnight you get completely purified water, which is the need of the hour with such a huge amount of pollution around.
• Major disease occur from impure water.
• So what are you thinking off get up and get all your granny’s copper vessels 😁back or just buy them.
• Be safe and healthy
• Hope you liked this blog.
• Until then keep exploring…….

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Wheat flour fryums/gehun ki kurdai

Fryums are any cereal based pellets that are deep-fried the one I am sharing today is a popular maharashtrian papad made out of whole wheat.This recipe is not easy as it needs a lot of muscle power in mixing the dough.Your hard work is paid off when you fry them and have with tea or your lunch..Summers are the time when some places don’t receive many vegetable in market,so have these fryums with your dal chawal.

My mother in law once had sent these to my mother and she just loved it…so whenever I am in Mumbai I make it a point to take them along.

FRYUMS

Ingredients

1 kg wheat (gehu)

Salt as per taste

Method

Soak the wheat in water for 5 days

And keep changing the water every day

Not less than 5 days as it takes time for the wheat skin to become soft

This is how the wheat will look after soaking 5 days

Now grind them into a paste (not fine )

Grind it with water

The next step will be of straining the pulp from the skin

Once it has been strained keep it for another 1 day to ferment

Cover it with cloth

The tricky process now,boil water with salt in huge pan (1/4 of the pan)

Once the water starts boiling start pouring the wheat pulp slowly by continuously mixing, till there are no lumps remaining and the dough is thick

While it’s still hot start filling the sev maker and give them shape on plastic sheet

Once the sheet is full with kurdai sun dry them for 2 to 3 days

When they have dried completely you can deep fry them.

Your gehu ki kurdai is ready, have with tea

While the wheat is soaked it gives a very foul smell,don’t worry once sun-dried and later fried this smell vanishes

Kathal aur Aam ka achar/jackfruit n mango pickle

Did you know…pickles help our digestive system and are not harmful for our health if eating in right quantity, It really amazes me how our ancestors knew the way of preserving pickles without any chemical used.They made it natural n healthy and passed it on the next generation, pickles were made without any preservatives n would last for years with the same taste n quality .this achar or pickle is the one made in purvanchal region ,as jackfruit is in abundance in summers.Summers are the time for any pickle to be made.

There’s a myth going around about pickles ie.they are unhealthy, mind you any thing in excess is harmful for our body.

In fact pickles should be included in our daily diet for its health benefits. Our ancestors weren’t fools to put their blood n sweat in something that is harmful for the next generation

Many call pickle as side dish,I don’t agree with this ,such a huge combination of spices and flavour how can it be side dish….nope

They give life to any thali,food.This is my husband’s favourite achar and the first one on the blog..lets see the recipe

Pickle

Ingredients

1 Kg jackfruit chopped

1 kg raw mango chopped

200 gm salt or as per taste

600 gm mustard oil

50 gm fennel powder

50 gm yellow sarso(mustard)

2 tablespoon turmeric powder

4 to 5 tablespoon red chilli powder

50 gm kalonji seeds(onion seed)

2 tablespoon hing(asafoetida)

250 gm achar ka masala(I have used Rambandhu achar masala)this is much spicy than other achar masalas

METHOD

I have got chopped jackfruit and mango from the market ,so its hassle free for me but if you are chopping at home do apply oil in your hands and the knife for smooth cutting

First step that you will do is to steam the jackfruit ,take your pressure cooker wash the jackfruit and cook with little water without taking the whistle of the cooker,just steam for 2 to 3 minutes

Drain the water and spread the jackfruit on any sheet or cloth and sundry it for 5 hours,there should not be any moisture in the jackfruit

once its done,in a big bowl take both raw mango and steamed kathal apply turmeric and salt and keep for 1 day in the sun,use only glass or ceramic ware

Preparing the masala

Take a pan,dry roast the fennel seed and set aside for cooling

in the same pan dry roast the kalonji seeds and keep aside

Now in a mixer jar grind fennel seeds and yellow mustard coarsely

Take big pan add the sun-dried mango and jackfruit with fennel and yellow mustard powder

Add turmeric,red chilli powder,achar masala powder,kalonji seeds and hing give it a nice mix

Pour in the mustard oil with salt as per taste

Remember the achar should be dipped in oil completely till the top or else it may get spoiled very soon

after mixing in the spices do keep it covered in the sunlight for 5 to 6 days

After sundrying your kathal ka achar is ready to eat

Potato chips/how to make potato chips

A home-made potato chips is what my kids crave for and the perfect time to make them is summer,as the sun is at its best.For storing these the whole year ,they definitely have to be perfectly sun-dried. A simple procedure to make these chip’s and store

Ingredients

5 kg potatoes (large ones, quantity depends on you)

Chip’s slicer

Salt

Water

Method

Firstly peel and wash the potatoes nicely and keep in cold water

Now,take slicer and slice out the potatoes, keep it in water so that they don’t turn black

Once you are done with slicing

Heat water in a huge pan with salt

Once it starts boiling take those sliced potato in small quantity and boil for a minute or till the potatoes are semi cooked(wait till one or two boils)

Strain from the water and keep aside

Boil all the potatoes in same manner

Now spread on plastic sheet or cloth and sun dry them

For 2 days

On the 3rd day take bunch of chip’s and deep fry them,if it splutter like there’s water in the pan,that means chip’s have to be dried for 1 day more

Store them in air tight container

They last for 1 to 2 years with the same taste

Preserving green peas(matar)

Belonging to a dry region (Vidharbha) Nagpur we don’t get green peas all seasons,like other cities,being everyone’s favourite I had to keep buying the frozen one from the stores which are not healthy as they added colour and harmful chemicals to it,so why buy them when it can be preserved with out much hard work.This method I have been using for 5 years now,and it has been successfully done.

Buying a good quality green peas is also important as they affect the taste.so while buying do keep in mind to buy the green ones not yellowish,which are not sweet in taste.

GREEN PEAS

Now this is how the green peas should be.Shell and wash the green peas.Before starting with the process keep in mind to freeze cold water and store(ice-cold)

Procedure

In a huge pan boil water,once it starts boiling add the green peas into it,boil the green peas for 2 minutes  (remember dont over cook it,,2 minutes means 2 minutes only)

While the green peas is boiling get the ice-cold water out of the freezer pour it into another pan in which the green peas don’t over crowd.

Strain the green peas from the boiling water and directly put them in ice-cold water for another 2 minutes.By adding the green peas in ice-cold water the cooking process stops and the colour is also retained,once the water is drained pack them in a zip lock bag and freeze them in the freezer.Enjoy it the whole year.