mayurisjikoni

Millet is not just for birds    Millet, an ancient grain is the least popular of all the other ancient grains in spite of having so many nutritional benefits. Millet is not actually a grain but its a grass seed. In ancient times millet was more widely used then rice in Asia and Africa. Slowly this ancient grain got replaced by other grains. Millet actually does not require that much water and can be grown in semi arid areas too. No wonder places like semi arid Rajasthan have bajra rotla as a part of their staple diet.  Why you should include millet in your diet: Its gluten free It is alkaline Digests easily Helps lower the effects of Diabetes 2 Its rich in magnesium and potassium, both which help to keep your heart healthy Its high in fiber therefore good for your digestive system reduces bad cholesterol high fiber content prevents onset of breast cancer prevents premature ageing. It has amino acids methionine and lysine both which help to build collagen Helps you to rela...

Guest No.9        My guest this week is my sister in law Arti. She is my hubby's sister and the youngest.Yes we have two Arti's in the family... my brother's wife and my hubby's sister. When I got married, Arti was very thin.I thought that if somebody huffed and puffed and blew her away, she would probably fly away.  Her friends became my friends as I didn't know anyone in Mombasa(except for my aunt's family). At social gatherings she would make sure that I was not left alone. We didn't spend that many years together as after my marriage she went off to UK to complete her beautician course. She came back and that's when her training in the kitchen began under my mother in law. At breakfast time Nunu would explain to her how the dish she was supposed to cook is prepared. I too would have my ears open.               When I had my twins, she was a great help to me. My daughter Nami would cry in the evenings and the only perso...

healthy gujarati snack I simply love all gujarati snacks. Whenever my grandfather brought loads of doodhi (lauki) from his friend's farm or some grew in our garden, my mum would make either handvo or muthias. Muthias taste lovely with a  cup of hot spicy tea or milk. I love dunking  muthias in milk. The reason I love making muthias is because number one they are healthy as I add a lot of vegetables to it and secondly I can prepare them way ahead and just heat them up again before eating. We usually make muthias as a light dinner option. The proportions of different flours used varies from recipe to recipe and so does the amount of vegetables. I find this recipe works best for me. Its an ideal tiffin meal, carry it for lunches and picnics. Yes picnics. If mum didn't carry handvo to the drive in cinema it would be either muthias or dhebras . Yes, such a typical gujju feast, but who is complaining.  There are to types of muthias, one steamed and the other fried. The fried o...

Travel food Bajri dhebras (millet parathas) is a common snack for Gujaratis. Train, car, plane, bullock cart or ship, however one travelled, bajri dhebras were carried to have on the way. I remember my mum packing a pile of the dhebras for our train journey to Mombasa. We would take them along for picnics and sometimes instead of handvo had dhebras while watching a movie at the drive- in cinema. The very first time I made bajri dhebras was when I was around 14. My mum had gone to Kericho for a wedding and my grandmother insisted that she wanted to have some dhebras for dinner. I did try and convince her that she could wait till my mum got back but she was pretty adamant. 'I will teach you how to make them', she insisted. So under her watchful eye and guidance, I made horrible dhebras. They were shapeless, broken and a few got stuck on the tawa. Basically granny dear walked away with thick, thin, raw, overdone dhebras and I was left to clear the mess I had created in the kitche...

a sure winner Once again the hot season has begun with a vengeance. It has become extremely hot and humid in Mombasa. At the same the traffic jam towards Miritini is causing havoc where small businesses are concerned. Every time I go to my favourite green grocer shop, the owner complains about vegetables and fruits not reaching Mombasa on time because of the traffic. Till all these problems somehow get sorted, I have to get very innovative in the kitchen, cooking up the humble potato in numerous ways. Thankfully the small bunches of not so bitter fenugreek are grown locally. So here is an easy but delicious recipe of bateta methi shaak ( potato fenugreek vegetable). Serve it with hot rotis. METHI BATETA NU SHAAK (POTATO FENUGREEK VEGETABLE) 4 servings 5 medium potatoes (about 3 cups of  tiny cubed potatoes) 2 cups finely chopped fresh fenugreek (methi) 3 tbsp oil ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi) 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai) Pinch of asafoetida (hing) ½ tsp ginger paste ½ tsp chilli paste...

Hot hot gotas Gotas are bhajias made from chickpea flour. Its a very easy, quick snack and served as farsan in a gujarati thali. I remember every time my sister and I would go to visit our relatives in the villages in Gujarat, we would  be served gota along with kadhi, rice, vegetables, puri and a sweet dish. I am not a huge fan of the gotas made from cabbage but I love the dakor na gota. People say that the best gotas are from Dakor, home of Ranchodji, next to my grandfather's village Umreth. I have tasted Dakor na gota and they are very spicy but are great with extra sweet tea. Nowadays ready mix packets of Dakor na gota are available in the stores and supermarkets. Just add a bit of  water and you are good to go. When my dad came down to Mombasa, I made Dakor na gotas (recipe from Tarla Dalal but with a few changes) from scratch and I was pretty pleased with the result. Not even one gota was left. Best served hot with a chutney of your choice. DAKOR NA GOTA Serves 4 1 cup c...

Happy Father's day    My dad loves any indian farsan or snack, be it samosas, kachoris, bateta vada, arvi pan bhajia etc. In that respect, I am like him as I love these fresh snacks anytime to chevdo, gathia etc. His all time favourite is vatidar bhajia. A visit to Mombasa is not complete if you have not had the famous vatidar bhajia. Made from split cowpeas and split green grams or split chickpea lentils, every coffee shop, fast food restaurant will serve these famous bhajias. In the evenings, women sit at corners or near their home preparing these hot snacks for hungry passersby. During our visit to Mombasa, a visit to the Cosy Tearoom was a must for my dad to have a cup of tea and vatidar bhajias. I remember they use to serve them in these white saucers with the coconut chutney. My dad can make a meal out of these bhajias. Vatidar bhajia and he wouldn't need anything else. updated 1/10/2015  If you are ever in Mombasa, you must try vatidar bhajias. They are available i...