Apps Cooking Cottage

The Snow Man !!!

The humble idli returns this time as a snow man. Everything on the plate is edible.

The hat is made from a chocolate idli batter with dark cocoa from and jaggery.

The snow on plate is hand shredded idli.
The eyes are made from dark chocolate chips. The scarf,using red bell pepper , carrot for nose and hands using dark chocolate idli. The flowers, butterflies,
stars are regular sugar sprinkles.

I had a lot of fun planning this cute snowman and plating it. Good few hours of work went into everything.

Baby A was super excited to see the Snow Man. The chocolate Idli was a hit even with adults and this will now be a regular feature at home for friends and family.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

Monday Meal

On my plate
🌱 Moog dal rice khichadi
🌱 French beans stir fry
🌱 Garlic Coocnut dry chutney
🌱 Boiled Egg

Many asked me off late about baby A’s food preferences. The truth is I don’t cook separately for her since she turned 18 months ol. She eats main meals from the family pot. I take care of our spice levels by adding a spicy chutney or a side dish , but majorly everything is same on her plate as ours. These days she even tries a bit of spicy chutney , pickle or the side dish.

Also I also have three rules when it comes to our meals.

1. No meals with any entertainment devices on

2. Meals to be always at the table and sitting down.

3. No meals eaten alone . Either me or hubby or both ensure we eat with her.

How much to eat is her choice and when she isn’t hungry or full she says so now . I don’t force her to eat. I keep sharing with her about the nutrients in food and how it helps her.

I do have to someone’s gently divert her from her activities if I know she is super hungry but isn’t ready to eat since the activity is more interesting but these days I do see positive changes about recognizing hunger signs.

Also I involve her in daily cooking . This helps me in ensuring she can connect with her meals positively.

I feel the earlier the baby starts eating same food as others in family and with them the easier it is for them to nurture healthy food habits , acceptance to varied types of cuisines, textures and tastes.

What do you do or your parents did to ensure healthy food habits?

Tasty Tuesday

I prepared this mix and match meal for us. It wasn't in the planned menu but sometimes it's nice to break the plans.

I tried setting curd in oven using store brought dahi. It set well but I forgot to place it in the fridge. Result was sour curds which had to be used immediately. I had just a small amount of bhajani flour left at home. I mixed match both the ingredients and prepared a lip smacking kadhi pakora. The bhajani pakora were an instant hit and will be prepared intermittently for kadhi now on.

The chawali usal is a bit dark since it has a spoon of black beans added to it by my little chef. We are learning about dal and legume names these days. This mix was a result of game I was playing with her for separating chawali and black beans. Such fun !!!

Poli is the regular ghadichi poli (layered roti) while rice is my favorite variety Ambemohor.

Meals aren't complete with lemon juice and also onions though they aren't in this photo.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

Diwali has been a quiet one this year.

Travel, moving to a new country, sickness, setting up things from scratch and adjusting to the weather change was how we spent the days leading up to the festival.

I got up early on Sunday morning to start preparing फराळ ( Diwali Sweets and Savories) using whatever I had managed to stock up in my pantry.

As always, the first ones to be prepared were Besan Laddoo. I don't have a grinder yet, so had to prepare cardamom powder using my rolling pin and chapati maker. Quiet proud of how fine the fragrant powder is.

Bhajani Chakali made it to the menu this year along with a small batch of Kadboli shaped in pearl drops and thick Shev.

Each year, I end the oil frying session by preparing a crunchy spicy thin Pohe Chivada. I add generous amounts of different nuts and raisins.

The last one to make it to Diwali Platter this year were Fresh coconut Rawa Laddoos.

As with the tradition at my maternal home, I am sharing faraal with everyone who we are meeting up with this week.

Love and Light to everyone and hugs to those who are celebrating the festival away from home.

Till Next Time , Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

#फराळ #दिवाळी

It has been few weeks of new words, broken sentences and nursery rhymes being sung by the little one.
I was specially delighted when she just started saying Happy Birthday this week.Yep it was birthday week at home. Baby A turned a year older ☺️.

Idli and Sabudana Khichadi were special pickups of the day by her. Cheese triangles from , Strawberries and Banana are absolute must part of our snack list. She recently loved the sweet lime pickle from . It went well with both the meal items and upped the taste quotient.

Even though I had planned to bake a cake for her I dropped the idea and instead chose to spend more quality time together.

Nothing fancy, a simple family meal it was this year.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

I love to observe changes in nature and understand the science behind it.

Yesterday, I was sharing with my family why and how deciduous trees start changing colors. The impact of reduction of sunlight and it's effect on lowering chlorophyll pigment content in leaves. How apart from Chlorophyll other pigments like Anthocyanins and Carotenoids are already present in the leaves and now start showing the red and yellow hues. How nature protects itself from natural changes to survive and thrive.

I am finding it a bit hard to sleep during night these days. Major part of it is the transition we are in currently. During one such wake up spell, I thought of these leaves which I collected with my family on a stroll.

The leaves are advising me to adapt to changes life has once again thrown at us and to do so beautifully and elegantly as they do. Nature is a good teacher.

One day at a time once again.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

मोद देणारा मोदक ☺️

Cause its Sankashti Chaturthi today.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

   
   

Idli with a twist !!!

I asked on my story few days back as to what I was cooking with the batter. Everyone got the Idli / Dosa part right but the ingredient wasn't Ragi.

This colorful purple colored Idli has been prepared using Chak - Hao rice which was sourced from . This is a Manipuri rice which is also called popularly as black rice or forbidden rice. The rice looks black but when cooked is dark purple colored. Normally kheer is prepared using it but this time decided to go for savory dish instead.

My Aai always places a half cashew in the idli batter before steaming. I love the cashew flavor in the Idlis and hence you can also spot them in the picture.

The sambar with its vibrant red color is prepared using sambar masala gifted by . The spicy pudina podi has travelled all the way from Chennai courtesy .

The proportion for this idli is 1 cup Chak - Hao Rice, 1 cup plain rice, 1 tbsp methi seeds, 1 cup urad dal and 1 cup moong dal. I soaked everything for 8 hours, then grinded without extra water and allowed the batter to ferment over 12 hours.

I love it when colors can be incorporated in food without using artificial ones.
Don't you too.
Try these idlis and don't forget to tag .

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

Ukadiche Modak and Karanji as prasad for Bappa along with semi festive meal to celebrate Anant Chaturdashi today.

In morning , me and Baby A went on a stroll to collect flowers for Pooja. Later we also performed the pooja and aarti together.

It's lovely to see her learning things so beautifully.

Since last 5 days she has been showing me the empty space where the society Ganpati Murti Sthapana was done. She takes few flowers daily and goes to the spot chanting जय बाप्पा . This is the toughest part of the Ganpati festival. Even though I know Bappa resides in our pooja ghar the entire year, these 10 days are special.

गणपति बाप्पा मोरया,
पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या.
गणपति गेले गावाला,
चैन पडेना आम्हाला.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

नैवेद्यं समर्पयामि 🙏🏻

Since my childhood, there is one God I have grown to adore, respect, love and share my life with over the years. He is Ganpati.

Maybe the roots laid in my birth itself , since my birthday lies close to Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Am an year wiser, matured and definitely have developed higher levels of patience and depleted energy levels in the last one year.
I didn't celebrate my birthday this year.
It has been hectic since 2 weeks with viral infections at home and never ending chores.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to perform Ganesh Chaturthi Pooja this year. I don't know where I get this energy from, but somehow I managed not just to take care of Baby A and hubby but also prepare a decent prasad meal and 11 Ukadiche modaks and 1 Ukadichi Karanji for Bappa.
Is it my faith in the higher power, or the positivity everywhere , the just do it attitude or a combination of all three, I don't know. Whenever I have a big dilemma or a bad situation in life, Vignaharta truly helps in his own way.

Today, even though I had absolutely no energy, Baby A motivated me . She got some flowers from the balcony and told me to take her down to collect more flowers . She accompanied me patiently till I completed the Pooja and Aarti. Then with a warm hug she requested to eat the small modak immediately after the pooja, that I had prepared for her specially.

My meticulous planning helped me cook up a simple yet delicious meal for the family. Over the years, I have professionally catered for Ganpati and Gauri festive meals and this experience helps a lot when testing situations arrive.

All in all, the hectic week is going to continue. Hopefully I get to eat my birthday cake soon and have a belated celebration.

On the naivedya menu today for our Ganpati Bappa

💚 11 Ukadiche Modak and 1 Karanji
💚 Plain Rice
💚 Goda masala Aamti
💚 Tomato coconut saar
💚 Coconut coriander chutney
💚 Batata Bhaaji
💚 Puri

How is your Ganesh Chaturthi coming along?

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

 

Yesterday, decided to prepare a trial batch of ukadiche modaks using a different sweetener this time. More on it in an upcoming reel.

As much as preparing ukadiche modak is an art, it is equally about science.

Ingredients :

The right rice or combination should be used . It shouldn't be newly harvested as the water content reduces on ageing.
It should have more of amylopectin as that gives the ukad better stickiness, preferably a short grain sticky variety.
Rice shouldn't be grinded directly but washed lightly to retain it's starch, air-dried and then fine grinded at a flour mill and not in a mixer grinder. This ensures a soft and smooth texture of ukad. One can use a combination of different rice varieties too provided the balance is maintained in the proportions.

Coconut should have good amount of water. More water ensures the coconut flesh is young and sweeter.
It should be scraped and not grated or grinded. Scraping ensures the texture is soft, coconut milk sweetness is well retained and the final filling needs less jaggery.

The jaggery used shouldn't be chemical one as it can make the filling hard and dry like a chikki.

Process:

The rice flour has to be put only once the water starts boiling since the process is entirely heat dependent. Rice starch molecules can break apart, causing the structure of the grain to become soft, mushy and sticky only due to this heat. The ukad should not be completely steamed but just covered once mixed and rested since the moulding cannot be done if it's cooked completely .

The coconut filling should neither be too wet nor too dry in consistency. Too wet and the juices seep out of the cooked modaks while too dry can break the cover while moulding and also be hard on the palette.

Use of condiments like nutmeg and cardamom should be done once the mixture is cooled as they can turn the taste bitter if added when mixture is hot.

Only when the science aspect is followed properly, does art perform well.

What do you say? Agree with me , don't you ☺️

The reel for an offbeat sweetener to prepare the filling coming up soon.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

I didn't have Italian Pasta for the first 25 years of my life. I knew about Indian handrolled pastas but when it came to Italian ones, I was a novice.

When I travelled to US, my best friend luckily was also at the same location as me . One day she brought home a penne pasta pack. She asked me to cook the pasta while she prepared the sauce . I by mistake cooked it in pressure cooker. The outcome was disastrous. But we didn't throw it away and had it over a hearty laugh. Then I forgot all about it.

Around 2009, I ate Pasta in basil pesto at a friend's place and thought of preparing it for all. That was the first time I properly read about Italian pasta, it's varieties, the sauces and the meats.

Over the years, my friends have tasted quite a few versions of my pastas. I love preparing different vegetable based sauces, trying out new shapes and stuffings. Few years back, hubby gifted me a Pasta making machine and since then I have also prepared fresh pasta sheets at home as time permits.

Over the years, Pasta and friends have been a constant combination in life. If there are friends over, one dish of pasta will be prepared always.

To celebrate Friendship Day today, prepared one of favorite pasta shapes, Spaghetti. Sauce is Aarrabiata . Added boiled eggs for proteins. I topped it with some chilly powder and added chopped coriander to give a desi touch.

How did you celebrate friendship day today?

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

Nagpanchami - First festival in Shravan

This year, I prepared our traditional Dinda (दिंड) prasad. But I wanted to try something different too. I had already prepared steamed kadabu last year. Hence decided to try another shape this year. Presenting Chandrakala shaped dinda . I will be serving it with saffron milk, homemade ghee and katachi amti.

Dinda is chana dal puran stuffed in whole-wheat flour and steamed.

In last year post, I spoke about the importance of snakes in a farmers life. Hence, to celebrate this relationship snakes are worshipped on this day.

Sharing some trivia about this day.

Names of 9 types of serpents are worshipped :
Anant, Vasuki, Shesh, Padmanabh, Kambal, Shankhapal, Dhrutarashtra, Takshak and Kaliya .

This pooja is done by women for the well being of their brother too.

On this day, in Maharashtra, women apply mehendi on hands, get together in groups and swing on big swings. Women also play झिम्मा फुगड़ी and sing songs in the praise of snakes.
Imagine how happy one becomes physically and emotionally through these festivals.

Generally steamed food is consumed and fasting is done since digestion is lower in monsoon.

Do try the chandrakala shape and don't forget to tag me in the post. Hope you all tried to do a simple pooja today and fasted like I did.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps
#श्रावण #नागपंचमी
#मराठीसंस्कृती #मराठीमाणूस #मराठीसंस्कृती #मीमराठी

Shravani Somvaar - Shivamuth ( #शिवामुठ)

Today is the first Monday of Shravan month. Newly wed women in Maharashtra go to temples and worship Lord Shiva on this day for the first 5 years. They fast till evening.

On the first Monday Rice (तांदूळ) , second sesame seeds (तीळ), third green moong (हिरवे मुग), fourth Barley (जव) and if there is a fifth Monday Sattu (सातु) are offered to Lord Shiva in the form of Abhishek. This is called Shivamuth as the quantity taken is size of fist i.e Muth (मुठ). All these food components are perfect for monsoon season. They are nutritious , easy to digest and help to build a good immune system. How beautifully these super foods have been woven in the rituals !!!

Going to the temple, collecting flowers meant quality time spent in nature and tranquility which gave one positive vibes. By fasting the digestive system got rejuvenated. Offering others even a fistful quantity of food gave happiness. 

While offering Shivamuth , girls prayed that the new family accepts her and she gets loved by all her family members. She prays for the well being of her new family. 

In old days, a young girl shifted to her husband's home post marriage. Suddenly she was at a new place, amongst people who didn't know anything about her nor did she knew anything about them. New place, new expectations, responsibilities left her feeling lonely and overwhelmed. In such times, the new family also had the responsibility to ensure the girl stayed happy and grew as a person in her new home.

Going out together with other women, spending time in nature, fasting, giving back to society, eating nutritious food are vital for the physical and emotional well being of a person. These traditions ensured these simple steps were included in life.

These days, I often hear that people do not have time to follow these traditions or think they are old fashioned. I would say, if we plan well ahead and involve our family then these well thought through traditions which have strong scientific background can be easily followed. 

Let me know if you too agree with me.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,

Love and Luc,

Apps

Teach Them Young. 

As a new parent, I learn a new thing about baby A on a weekly basis.
Since last few weeks she has been showing interest to use spoon and
cups of different types independently. Hence, twice a day I do activities with her which involve them. One of them has to be related to cooking because I firmly believe it's a basic life skill. 

This week I had scheduled one activity of preparing tea together. I was pleasantly surprised when this little person showed me on her own, how to strain tea and wiped the kitchen platform till it was spotless. 

She loves toasts, so she requested to eat one once the tea was ready. With a lot of FuFu she enjoyed it slowly ensuring even the one piece which sank in the cup was given to her and not eaten by her Aai . As always I reheated the tea and had it after half an hour once she was convinced that I too deserved some warm tea 🤣.

I have learnt that doing such activities has slowly increased not just her grasping skills but also her know how of real world and confidence.

These activities are sustainable too as they don't require fancy toys, screen time or travel to some outside location. 

Please note, the warm items have been kept at a good distance from her and I have been a watchful hawk while this video was shot. 

Put the sound on cause you are in for some super cute moments.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps
 
 

Vangi Pohe.

People who hail from the banks of Krishna river know how famous the brinjals grown there are , the ones used to prepare भरली वांगी. कृष्णा काठची वांगी we call them at home. It is said that these local brinjals are so mind blowing tasty that you just roast, mash and eat them with a pinch of salt.

My aai prepares brinjal recipes but the taste of same dish when she cooked it at my ajji's house near river Krishna used to be much flavorful from the ones we had in Mumbai. I learnt the importance of local produce, flavors and the role of water and soil thanks to these कृष्णा काठची वांगी.

Vangi pohe is a dish I learnt when a friend got it in college for us. I loved it a lot.

Later I heard that Prakash , the famous breakfast joint in Mumbai sell vangi pohe on Sundays. I haven't eaten them there but I would surely try when I visit.

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients :
2 cups thick pohe (I used red pohe)
6 - 8 baby brinjals without stripes or 1 slender bharta brinjal with less seeds.
1 cup chopped onion 
Sprig of curry leaves
1/4 cup raw peanuts
2 tsp grated ginger
3 spicy green chilly chopped
1.5 tbsp goda masala
2 tbsp tamarind date chutney
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp hing
2 tsp turmeric
1 cup chopped coriander
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
Lemon juice
Fresh Grated Coconut

Instructions :

Soak the pohe for 10 minutes. If using red pohe add a bit of water and soak for nice 20 to 25 minutes. They plump up real nice.

In a kadhai, heat oil, add peanuts, mustard seeds, hing, turmeric, curry leaves, chillies and ginger.

Add chopped onion, goda masala and sautee till translucent.

Add chopped brinjal and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Once cooked soft add 2 tbsp tamarind date chutney.

Add the soaked pohe and mix well. Steam for 10 minutes with closed lid. 

Garnish with chopped coriander, coconut , and lemon juice. 

I add some extra tamarind date chutney too for that oomph.

Do try the recipe and don't forget to tag me.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps

Mix and match plate

✅ Egg and Cheese - Any time
✅ Spicy Chole - Cause rains !!!
✅ Soft Spongy Idli - Toddler loves them
✅ Dahi Peanut chutney - diary and Nuts fans

Sometimes not planning meals also results in good combinations.

What's your favorite mix match plate.

Till Next Time, Bon Appetite,
Love and Luc,
Apps