Guava Kheer

Here's an absolute winner of a recipe..Very simple to make and tastes awesome !
All you need to have is really ripe pink guavas. The only catch is you cant really tell if the guava is pink on the inside or not, you just have to trust your fruit vendor with this !



This is one more of Ma's favourite desserts when we have people over !

What you need -
3-4 large ripe pink guavas
1/4 tin condensed milk
upto 1/2 cup milk

What you do with it -
Peel the skin off the guavas, not too thick, we just want a thin layer removed here
Scoop out the portion with the seeds
Cut out the pink portion that has no seeds, into tiny pieces and keep aside
Add the portion with the seeds with the skin that was peeled off. Add a little water to cover it and then cook for 10 mins in a pressure pan prefereably
Cool it and then sieve out the seeds. Keep the pulp aside
Add the condensed milk to the pulp and mix well
If its too thick or too sweet, add as much milk as needed to get the right consistency and sweetness
Add the chopped pieces and mix well
Refrigerate for an hour at least before serving

Curd Poha / Dhaiya Phovu for Janmastami

Yesterday was Janmastami / Gokulashtami - a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. Since Krishna is believed to be born at midnight, this puja is generally done at midnight.



Since my childhood, I remember helping my grandfather set up the cradle for Lord Krishna and placing the baby Krishna idol into the cradle, do the puja and then we would all go give a cradle a tug. As kids, my brother and I would dress up as Krishna and Radha and go to the local Krishna temple and see all the boys, break the dahi handi. This is a fun event where the boys make a tall pyramid and a little boy, dressed like Krishna climbs right up and breaks the pot with curd inside it.



In the Tamil customs, patterns of tiny feet are drawn, reaching into the puja area, indicating that Krishna is entering the house
The food made on this occasion varies across regions. In the Konkani tradition, we make ladoos, panchukdayi, panchamrit and dhaiya phovu or curd poha
In Gujarat, a prasad called panjiri is given for Janmastami.

We did a combination of all these customs, bought the panjiri, drew the tiny feet of Krishna and made dhaiya phovu...



Curds poha (Recipe Source - Rasachandrika)

What you need -
1 cup beaten rice / poha
1 cup curds
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
1 tsp sugar
2-3 green chillies
1 small piece ginger
salt to taste
a few curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp ghee

What you do with it -
Wash the beaten rice and squeeze out the water
Grind the coconut, green chillies and ginger to a coarse paste
Add the salt, sugar and curds and mix well and add to the beaten rice
Prepare a seasoning with ghee, mustard seeds and curry leaves and add to the beaten rice
Once the beaten rice soaks it all up, make into little balls

Spiced Spinach Rotis

We were in Bangalore for a few days to attend the wedding of my not-so-little-anymore cousin. She's the one I remember holding as a little baby, I know it makes me feel terribly old, but it was wonderful to see her getting married...It was a beautiful wedding and a great time to meet up with family..
Its always terrible getting back to the grind here and these last few days its just been my son and me. Cooking just the basic food for the two of us made it worse...
To slightly spice up the regular roti-sabji, I made these spiced green rotis.



This is a great idea to add a little colour to an everyday meal, with some healthy spinach added to it...

What you need -
2 cups wheat flour
1/2 tsp ajwain /carom seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oil

To grind
1 cup cleaned and chopped spinach
1/2 cup of cleaned coriander leaves
small piece of ginger
2-3 cloves of garlic
1-2 green chillies
1 tsp saunf / fennel seeds
1 tsp dhania / coriander seed powder
2 tsp roasted jeera / cumin powder

What you do with it -
Grind all the ingredients mentioned under 'To grind' to a smooth paste
In a big bowl, add the wheat flour, ajwain, salt and oil
Add the ground paste to the flour and knead well, adding as much water as needed to make a smooth dough
Divide the dough into 10-12 even-sized balls
Roll out on a floured surface
Heat a griddle / tava and cook the rotis on both sides till the brown a little
You can use a little oil while cooking it or just skip it - works well both ways
Serve hot with some pickle and curds or any side dish you like

Ripe Jackfruit Idlis / Phansa Patoli

My mom made these when we were in Bangalore and my son relished them. He now calls my mom the 'best jackfruit idli maker'..
I cant remember when I had this last, I get a taste of all the dishes I had during my childhood, now, thanks to my son !



Jackfruits are easily available in Bangalore and you have roadside vendors cleaning and cutting them - its a huge effort to cut the jackfruit - its sticky and messy

Havent seen them in Gujarat though, there are many people who have never had it..It does have a distinct smell and taste, but I love it !

This is generally steamed in turmeric / banana leaves, but Ma made them like idlis in the idli steamer

What you need -

2 cups ripe jackfruit sections deseeded
1/2 cup grated coconut
3 tbsp grated jaggery
1 cup sooji / rava
a pinch of salt

What you do with it -

Cut the jackfruit sections into pieces
Grind it along with the coconut to a smooth paste
Add the jaggery and salt
Mix well and then add the sooji
The consistency should be like that of idli batter
Grease the idli moulds and place in the steamer
Fill up the idli moulds and steam for 10-15 mins
If you are using turmeric or banana leaves, spread a portion of the batter on the leaf and then close it. Place the folded side down and steam for 10-15 mins
Add a little ghee on the ready idlis / patolis and enjoy !