"Tawa Bhindi" or Pan fried Okra/Lady's Finger

"Tawa Bhindi" or Pan fried Okra or Lady's Finger is one of the easiest side-dishes to make that goes well with roti or chapatis.
And if you love Bhindi you could use it as a stuffing for sandwiches too.
This is one quick dish to make especially after a long and tiring day at work.
And Okra or Lady's Finger is one of the vegetables which cooks very quickly.
Also it has a lot of health benefits. Its very low in calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. This makes it an excellent food source for someone who is trying to watch their weight.
Its also high in fibre, antioxidants and minerals.

So for those who are always eating lunch outside in office canteens or restaurants, its good to include this vegetable as a part of your dinner atleast 2-3 days a week.

During the time I was working in an office,  (I cannot say just working cause being a full time mom and home maker I have even more work now then before...), I used to always look out for simple dishes that use minimum ingredients and also cook very quickly. 

And during that time one of my neighbor who is a Rajasthani lady, taught me this quick and easy Tawa Bhindi. I am not really sure if this is the Rajasthani style, but whatever it is, it tastes yum and easy to make too!

Since then I make it regularly at home and we all love it!

Mutton Shami Kabab

Shami kebab literally means Syrian kebab (Sham) in Arabic
Shami kebab or shami tikka is a popular Indian, Pakistani and Persian style of kebab, that is composed of small patty minced mutton, ground chickpeas and spices.
I make these at home quite often, as it is easy to make and tasty too...!

Butter Chilly Calamari or Squid

Butter Chilly Calamari or Squid, is a quick and easy to make starter/Entre'e, which is served in most food joints in Goa, starting from the small shacks on the beach to the biggest and the best of restaurants.
Our visit to Goa is not complete until I have gorged on a few plates of on some lovely deep fried fresh calamari in the sea side beach shacks.
Deep fried Calamari and Butter Chilly Calamari are my personal favorites.

Gulab Jamun

"Gulab Jamun" is a popular dessert in countries of the Indian Subcontinent such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. It is made of a dough consisting mainly of milk solids. Traditionally, khoya, an Indian milk product is rolled into a ball together with some flour and then deep fried, It is then put into a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom seeds and rosewater, kewra or saffron. The term gulab jamun comes from Persian, gulab, "rose water" referring to the rosewater-scented syrup, and Hindustani jamun, a South Asian fruit with a similar size and shape.
These days, gulab jamun powder is also commercially available, so the dessert can be prepared easily.
However we love the traditional Gulab Jamun made using Khoya, and today being my lil one's 10th bday I have made these, as she loves them..!!

Pathrode or Stuffed n Steamed Colocasia rolls or "Pathrado" in Konkani

"Pathrode" is a very popular Mangalorean Delicacy made using Colocasia leaves also known as "Arbi ke patte" in Hindi.
Its called as "Pathrado" in Konkani and "Pathrode" in Kannada and Tulu.
This side-dish is prepared for most festivals during the monsoon season between June to Sept since its during this season that the leaves grow in plenty.
But you can also grow them in your backyard or balcony.
Its made by most of the native communities of that region, all with their own variations to the stuffing.
I have made my Mom's Konkani version where the stuffing or masala is a a ground paste of green gram or moong, grated coconut, dry red chillies and tamarind or bimbul a sour fruit that grows in coastal karnataka.
The other variations use toor dal etc but I somehow love this version the best!
Trying making them at home, they are really easy to make.

I know its not so easy to find colocasia leaves, but the solution is simple, grow them in your own garden or balcony.

In India and parts of Asia it is known as "Colocasia" and is a food crop.
But in other parts of the world like USA, Canada and Australia it is also known as "Elephant Ear" as is an ornamental plant.
Do buy the bulbs and plant them at home, you will be able to make these new dishes very easily.
Make sure to use enough tamarind in your dish to get rid of the itchiness.

Sichuan Pepper seasoned flat beans and bread fruit curry or "Avro ani Jeev Kadgi theppal Ghashi" in Konkani

"Avro ani Jeev Kadgi theppala ghashi" is nothing but Flat beans and Bread fruit curry which is seasoned using a unique spice called "Theppal". This spice is used to season dishes on festive days , just like the way Asafoetida and mustard seeds/curry leaves are are used, since these are considered as 'Sathvik" in the Hindu religion. These spices are used instead of onions and garlic on these auspicious and holy days.
"Theppal" is a spice which until recently I always thought was unique to Coastal Karnataka and Goa.
Its only very recently that I came to know that "Theppal" is nothing but "Sichuan pepper" that is used in Chinese cuisine and sometimes Japanese cuisine too.
However the Konkanis used it a bit differently.
They use it to season curries.
Breadfruit is low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium and very high in Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber and Potassium. The nutritional value of breadfruit helps you to maintain optimum health. Breadfruit has been considered as a nutritionally beneficial fruit.
Flat beans are low in fat and offer an excellent source of protein.
Sichuan pepper is not only tasty, but is also reported to have a number of health benefits and is sometimes used as a blood purifier and digestive aid.Here is a side-dish which is made using "Flat beans" and "Bread fruit" and then seasoned with Sichuan pepper.

"Aloo Dahi Papdi Chaat" - An Indian Street food

"Aloo Dahi Papdi Chaat" is one of my favorite Chaats or Indian Street food, which I make regularly at home.
My most favorite chaat is ofcourse "Pani Puri".
However due to reasons of hygiene, I have almost stopped eating chaat on the streets especially after I have become a Mother.
I not only make the chutneys at home but also make the "Puris" or "Papdis" at home itself.
Half a cup of semolina will make around 40-50 puris or papdis and this is sufficient for me and my daughter for 2-4 rounds of chaat.
Another reason for making "Papdi" or "Puri" at home, is that they are crispier and stay crispy fresh in an airtight container for more than a week.
Also the shop sold puris are so big that my lil one could barely put the whole puri/papdi in her mouth in one shot...
all these reasons were enough to continue making puris and papdis at home.
However the earliest memories of making "Puri" for chaat is of my granny during my college days while we lived in Hassan.
We loved chaat and there was no good place in Hassan to eat chaat, so my granny found out this recipe of making Puris through some cookery books and a few attempts.
My brother an I would try to help her in rolling the puris and make a mess of the kitchen, but that was really good fun..
And we would make hundred+ puris.... on a sunday afternoon and gobble them all up in no time..
The work of cleaning up the kitchen would be on my sweet Mom...
But those childhood memories are so amazing that they motivate me to actually spend some time and effort to make puris and papdis at home.
But try making this once at home from scratch, am sure you will make it again and again and stop eating chaat outside.