Author Archives: For The Love of Ghee

Dhaar with Vegetables – (Lentil and Vegetable Curry)

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My Mums Recipe

As a child and well into the years after I got married, I absorbed as much as I could from my maternal grandmother regarding her cooking and recipes.  I  would gaze at her for hours, mesmerized by the effortless way she made ingredients come together.  She would make barfee – a sweet Indian confection similar to fudge, with a balanced sweetness complimented by the creaminess of the ghee – that held it together.  It was never overly sweet.  Her rotis were the best I’ve had and, as a matter of fact, many folk lucky enough to be in her realm would vouch for that too.  A hot ghee smeared roti, perfectly toasted on top to reveal a crispy layer against the pillowy softness of the bottom layer, begged to be eaten with her homemade mango jam.

 

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Dhaar with String Beans and Potatoes

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Ghee Goor and Roti – Crumbled Roti Sweetened with Jaggery

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Ghee, goor and roti is my go-to comfort food.  I’ve turned to it on countless occasions to pacify my emotional well being.  This is such an endearing sweet meal and is close to my heart.  It gently screams to me of family, togetherness, good friends and most importantly being loved.  And with Valentines Day around the corner, Ghee, goor and roti makes the perfect dish to be shared amongst the people you care most about.

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Ghee, goor and roti was my all time favorite as a little child and still is… and I’m sure will remain so, for as long as I can chew.  Wait a minute – Continue reading →

Spicy Cilantro Turkey Sliders – Turkey Chapli Kebaab

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I’m already drooling thinking about making these again for the Super Bowl.  They are healthy, full of flavor and a party favorite.  I first came up with this recipe last year for a Super Bowl party, and have made them many times since.  They were definitely a hit and are a must have for your party too.

During my earlier years in the United States after I was married, living in New Jersey, our really close friends would host a Super bowl party every year.  One year the girls had the bright idea of playing tag football with the boys before the big game.  Well, Continue reading →

African Banana Puri – Banana Dumpling

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My Grandmother’s Recipe

If you’re craving something not too sweet and delicious with your coffee or tea (chaa), this is the recipe for you.  I won’t beat around the bush, but I struggled a little thinking of the best way to describe this to you.  The puri is not, by all means, meant to be soft and fluffy like a beignet or doughnut.  It is rather solid, moist and crunchy all at once.  I ate these puris countless of times during my childhood.  If I had to put a finger on it, I would say the banana puri  to me is the equivalent of a doughnut to some, that is if we were talking about childhood nostalgic foods.

If you’re lucky enough, when you’re frying the puri’s they puff up into these balloon like disks, creating a hollow center.  I love peeling away this layer and eating it first before polishing off the rest of the banana puri.

Making the dough is a lot of fun and easy.  Although I do love mushing up the bananas, grabbing handfuls of the earthy dough to make the puris is always a treat, they feel grainy, moist and sticky.  Reminding me of making mud pies in the rain…

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Chana Chat-Patti – Tangy Chickpea or Garbanzo Bean Appetizer

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With the Super Bowl coming around in less than a month I have that perfect finger food for your party that will score a touch down or two.  It’s my Chana Chat-Patti!  Round of applause please…. Okay jokes apart, this appetizer is quickly becoming a favorite amongst my friends and family.  And I bet they’ll be fans indefinitely if they know how fast it is to make.

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“Mum! Where’s my chana?”.  And like a dutiful mum, wink, wink, I whip up the Chana Chaat in a jiffy. This is one of my very few, I might add, Super Mum moments.  Well… besides making a dive to catch a one year old jumping off the dining table by the edge of their diaper with only my pinky.  I could go on but before I continue, I’d like to clarify something before I totally confuse you.  The Chana my kids ask for is the Chana Chaat.  They eat it with hot steamy rice dolloped with ghee.  It’s such a comforting meal and tastes absolutely delicious.

However, I do use it as a component for the appetizer in the picture above.  I call it Chana Chat-Patti because of the tang, the crunch and the spice.  Perfect for an afternoon snack with a hot cup of Chaa.  Or with Super Bowl coming around it makes for the perfect finger food. Continue reading →