Rotla

Ingredients

1 cup Bajri Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
2 tbps Oil
Water

Method

Mix both flours together
Mix in the oil until thoroughly combined
Add lukewarm water and knead into a soft dough. Keep kneading for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough is very smooth
Roll it on a rolling board using a little whole wheat flour
Place it on a hot tava
Cook it for a minute on a high flame, turn the rotla and cook the other side for one more minute on a high flame or till brown spots appears.
Again turn it and cook it on an open high flame till the rotla puffs up
Spread a little butter ontop once the rotla is done.

Kathiyawadi Kichdi

Ingredients

1 cup shortgrain rice
3/4 cup split moong dhal with husk
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons salt.
1 dollop of butter or ghee
Method

Mix rice and dhal together in a steel container
Add water until its approx half a finger above the rice and dhal
Mix in the turmeric, salt and ghee/butter

Place container in the pressure cooker and let it cook for 2 whistles.

Serve hot with cold chaas

Ringan (Baingan) Bharthu

Ingredients:

- 1 large eggplant

- two medium tomatoes chopped in small cubes

- loosely chopped cilantro

- 1/2 cup green onions (scallions)

- 1 tbs grated ginger

- 1.5 tbs grated garlic

- 1 tsp whole jeera (cumin seeds)

- 1 tsp ground jeera (cumin seeds) powder

- salt to taste

- 1 tbs finely minced green chillies (add more if you like it spicy)

- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds powder

- 1 tsp turmeric powder

Tameta Sev Shak

Ingredients:

Serving size 6

5 medium sized tomatoes

1 cube of the spicy paste (garlic, ginger, chili)

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp cumin and coriander powder

1 tbsp oil to cook

1 cup of sev- or you can add “fresh” sev

Salt

1-2 cups of water

Corn starch (if necessary)

13th Meeting

Our Kathiyawadi (a region in western India) exchange was surprisingly one of the best ones. I really wasn’t sure how this exchange was going to turn out. I left the last one thinking, “okay, let’s see how this goes (insert eye roll)!” This was as true to the theme as we have ever been before. Everything from the food to costumes (yes costumes!) was on point. I arrived to be greeted by two of the girls dressed in their very best garb – very reminiscent of what the women wear in the kathiyawadi region. Our hostess, Parul, even got in the spirit and was dressed as a more modern Kathiyawadi woman; where as Jalpa and Vaishali were fully in costume. Hetal and I were a minority and really felt out of place in our plain western clothes. Nishal couldn’t make it because she had gone out the night before and partied too much. Weak sauce. Parul even went the extra step and decorated her house with kathiyawadi theme. There were printed table clothes and wall hanging. She even whipped out steel thalis, bowls, and cups.  I really was impressed with everything. We even enjoyed genuine food. Just when I start to doubt the ability to do certain things, we all go and surprise each other, but mostly ourselves with how much we can accomplish when we put our mind to it. We all had made things we have never tried before. Hetal made the dessert from scratch which usually is very intimidating. Jalpa and I made the veggie dishes which we had never tried before. And Vaishali had made a different type of Khicadi (a rice and lentil risotto like food item) and Rotala (millet flatbread). Parul served us papad, papdi, and chaas. We joked that Jalpa, Vaishali, and Parul should do garba in the backyard and I am almost positive they would have if they had another couple of glasses of wine and if we  had encouraged them a little more. We ended the exchange with a nice cup of cold chai made by our hostess.

 Next up… July picnic. We’re back to picnic foods!

Naan Pizza

Chicken or Paneer Tikka Masala
Naan
Mozzarella Cheese
Habanera cheese
Onion
Cilantro for garnish

Direction for the Chicken or Paneer Tikka masala found here. Just substitute the paneer for chicken in the recipe. And instead of grilled you can cook it in a pan/pot.

Masala Pasta

1 box of pasta

1 package of sausage (I usually use Turkey but this time did Veggie)

2 tablespoon garam masala

2 tablespoon of spicy paste

1 table spoon of oil

½ teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of mustard seeds

1 onion

1 bell pepper – green and red

1 tablespoon of corn starch

Turmeric

Salt and pepper