Kuthiraivali Dosai / Barnyard Millet Dosai–Tamil Nadu

Welcome all to my state – Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu – a state of temples, great history, beaches, agriculture and kollywood. You walk around the cities here and all the places will be mostly busy. Tamizh is the language we speak, but there are many dialects, Tamizh from Chennai is different from tamizh from Madurai. Similarly there are many dialects. Similarly food and eating habits also differ from region to region. Idli, Dosa, Sambar, Vada are quite famous throughout the world!!! I had so many choices to do for today, then I chose this very healthy dosai which is not just easy but also healthy and kid friendly. It is so hard as a wife and mom to convince folks to eat short grains and I need to force it and it is so hard to get it approved!! They get the preconceived notion that anything healthy is not tasty… Now when you can camouflage it, that is a win win situation. With that in mind, coming to today’s recipe, it is made with a short grain called Kuthiraivali – known as Barnyard Millet in English. Generally this millet is not very popular like its siblings – kambu, kezhvaragu etc. Try this delicious and healthy one and you will be happy you did.

Vegetable Momos–Sikkim Cuisine

Sikkim is a North Eastern state of India which is located in the Himalayan Mountains. Sikkim is surrounded by Nepal to the west, China's Tibet to the North and East and West Bengal in the South. Sikkim is the second smallest state in India and is the least populated state in the Country. Another interesting fact about Sikkim is that it has 11 official languages. Coming to the Sikkim cuisine, dishes like thupka, chowmein and momos are popular here. From wiki - "Noodle-based dishes such as thukpa, chowmein, thanthuk, fakthu, gyathuk and wonton are common in Sikkim. Momos – steamed dumplings filled with vegetables, buffalo meat or pork and served with soup – are a popular snack.[105] Beer, whiskey, rum and brandy are widely consumed in Sikkim,[106] as is tongba, a millet-based alcoholic beverage which is also popular in Nepal and Darjeeling. Sikkim has the third-highest per capita alcoholism rate amongst all Indian states, behind Punjab and Haryana." Today I have chosen Momos with a vegetarian filling. You could use this same filling for making spring rolls also. These Momos are addictive and you cannot stop with one.. This is definitely a healthy snack which has lots of veggies, very less oil and also this dish is steamed. I served these delicious Momos with Spicy Garlic Tomato Chutney..  I got this recipe from here and made few changes.. This recipe yields 12 momos

 

Bajra Roti–Rajasthan

Welcome to the state of Rajasthan.. Rajasthan, the name means “The land of Kings”Raja means King and Sthan means place / land. It is one of the biggest states in India and covers about 10.4% of the total land area. I visited Rajasthan last year and it was a beautiful place and very photographic . The cuisine of Rajasthan is highly influenced by both the war like lifestyles and the availability of the region. Food that are perfect for travel, will last for several days are so perfect. Also ingredients that would grow with very less water is perfect. Last year we visited Rajasthan for our Anniversary trip and stayed at Taj Lake Palace. The food was awesome and phenomenal. We also enjoyed the street food there!! Another experience was riding on the camel.. One Hell of an experience.. I was so scared to ride on it that I was so much waiting for the ride to be done.. I had a nice opportunity to visit the Taj Palace Kitchen and was so excited.. That was the first professional kitchen I entered.. The Chef there was so kind enough to walk me through it and also gave me his signature recipe book that is used in the restaurant.. I felt so proud. And then came our Formal Dinner. The Head Chef there told the Manager to give us the Chef Table. I did not know what Chef Table is.. But anyway I was thrilled about it.. Evening we were all dressed up formally and went there to the restaurant. Now the Manager was super busy and he forgot to give us the Chef Table and was looking for a general table to seat us. The Head Chef was sweet enough to come out and remind the Manager and we got to sit in the Chef Manager.. To those like me who do not know what a Chef Table is – Chef Table is a seating table from where you can get the best view of the kitchen and the dishes being cooked while you are eating.. So sat in the center there and I enjoyed looking at the kitchen right from my table. The cooks there were sweet enough to keep pointing at the dishes – Maam yeah aapka cook ho raha hai – Madam your dish is getting cooked there now. The Chef also came and took some pictures with us. The food blogger in me was so elevated and clicked many photos of the cooking and of the dishes served.  The Head Chef also asked me to review their food, cooking, way of cooking and the way of serving.. Man I felt like I was in Cloud Nine.. After the dinner, we went back to our room with so many sweet memories. The Chef there said that I spent all my time seeing the kitchen and did not each much!! Lol… I enjoy cooking more than eating!!! Coming to today’s recipe, it is the signature dish - Bajra roti and it is also a very healthy and nutritious roti. This is my choice for the Rajasthan state. I served it with Dum Aloo.

Eggless Flauones (Cypriot Savoury Easter Cheese Pies)

Flauones are savory cheese baked pies which are so tempting and irresistible. It is quite addictive and you cannot stop with one. This is choice for this month’s We Knead to Bake that Aparna has chosen from here. The original recipe has quite a lot of eggs and it was challenge to make them egg free. The filling is equally addictive, so it is better to keep them aside and you will finish the stuffing even before making the flaoune. This recipe makes 8 pies. Two Mediterranean flavor powders (Mastic, Mahleb)  are used in this recipe traditionally, but I have omitted it as I could not lay my hands on it. .  From Aparna’s Blog – “Flaounes are savoury cheese pies baked for Greek Orthodox Easter, traditionally made on Good Friday, and are part of the fast-breaking meal after Lent when meat and cheese are not eaten. The cheese that is traditionally used in these pies is called “Flaounes” cheese which is cheese that is produced locally by Cypriot shepherds, and very difficult to find outside the country. Flaounes cheese can be substituted with a combination of Cheddar or similar hard cheeses and a softer, milder one like Halloumi. The cheese filling tends to be salty so choose one cheese which is quite salty. Some of the cheeses suggested as substitutes for Flaounes cheese are Cypriot/ Greek cheeses like Kefalotyri, Kefalogravier or Kaskavali. Other cheeses include Halloumi, English Cheddar, Italian cheeses likeParmesan, Romanelo or Pressato (mild), Pecorino (salty) or French Cantal cheese. “ This is a very delicious snack which is so tempting and kid friendly. My little one helped me make the filling. Yes that is her little hand mixing it for me..

Makki Di Roti / Corn Tortillas - Punjab

Coming to the beautiful state of Punjab. Punjab’s name is derived from “Panch / Punj” means five and “ab” means water. A land of 5 rivers. From wiki – “Punjab is one of the most fertile regions on earth. The region is ideal for wheat-growing. Rice, sugar cane, fruits and vegetables are also grown. Indian Punjab is called the "Granary of India" or "India's bread-basket". It produces 10.26% of India's cotton, 19.5% of India's wheat, and 11% of India's rice. The Fazilka and Ferozpur Districts are the largest producers of wheat and rice in the state. In worldwide terms, Indian Punjab produces 2% of the world's cotton, 2% of its wheat and 1% of its rice. People in the area of Lahore and Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and dairy products which is well known in the area for the quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as sarson da saag and makki di roti. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi specialty. The largest cultivated crop is wheat. Other important crops are rice, cotton, sugarcane, pearl millet, maize, barley and fruit. The infrastructure of Punjab has been rated the best in India. ”….

Kadala Kuzhambu–Chickpeas Gravy - Pondicherry

Come and travel with me to the beautiful coastal territory of Pondicherry. It is an Union Territory consisting of four unconnected districts of Pondicherry, Karaikkal, Yanam and Mahe. The city of Puducherry is divided into two sections – The French quarter and the Indian quarter. From Wiki – “Many streets retain French names, and French-style villas are a common sight. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and with large doors and grills. These French and Indian style houses are preserved from destruction by an organisation named INTACH. The French language can still be seen and heard in Puducherry.” From mapsofindia – “The French and the Indo style have given birth to an innovative taste that is simply marvelous. The influence of the neighboring areas like Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala is also visible. The concoction of the various kinds of cuisines is something to be savored and relished” Coming to today’s recipe it is a kuzhambu made with garbanzo beans. You could also used peanuts instead of garbanzo beans.. You will not need to soak the groundnuts overnight. Just pressure cook it and use it. Kuzhambu and sambar varieties are part of our daily food. There are many varieties and variations. Each of them very comforting and lip smacking.. Eat them with rice and you can call it a meal.. A delicious kuzhambu which is tangy and lip smacking.. I got this recipe from here and loved it..

Lachedar Paneer - Orissa

Orissa or Odisha is in the Eastern part of India. It is quite famous for the Puri Jagannath Temple.. The kitchen of Puri Jagannath temple was one of the largest in the world with about 700 chefs working with 750 wood burning clays.. Wow that kitchen would be a treasure to watch. Around 10000 people are fed each day and the very popular Rasagulla and Khiri is from this state. The spices and flavors in Oriya Cuisine are very subtle and mild compared to the other Indian states. Only 6% of the Oriya population are vegetarian and I did quite a search to find this very delicious Paneer dish. I got this recipe from here and made very few changes. . This is a dry curry and goes very well with roti, naan or pulao. We loved it simplicity and flavor.. This dish has a creamy taste from the cashew paste and tastes very flavorful from all the spices added.

Pumpkin Oambal - Nagaland

Come and travel with me to the far North Eastern India to the state of Nagaland. Nagaland is the smallest state in India and is the 16th state established. Agriculture is very rich and the important economic activity here. Principal crops include rice, corn, millet, pulses, oilseeds, potatoes and sugarcane. Nagaland is called the”Falcon capital of the World”. From Wiki – “The Nagas were originally referred to as Naka in Burmese language, which means 'people with pierced noses. Christianity is the predominant religion in this state. Nagaland is also the only “Baptist state in the World””. Another unique information to Nagaland is that there are about 20 languages that are used here. The cuisine of Nagaland, fondly called the Naga cuisine is predominant in meats and fish and they are smoked, fermented or dried. Now coming to today’s recipe, it is a delicious finger licking chutney.. The original recipe had bay leaf and lemon. I omitted them due to our taste and preference. I got this recipe from here and did make a few changes..