Christmas was always a great time for us. Mama and Dad always made it a very special and memorable celebration for us. Two weeks before Christmas, Mama would start preparing the “pakwan” (translated loosely means goodies, sweet and savory), that was prepared for festivals.
Christmas Day was an open house for family, friends, and acquaintances. Members of Dad’s regiment would come in a steady stream to wish us a “Happy Christmas.” Hot tea and coffee (with milk and sugar, please), cold drinks, and pakwan would be served nonstop from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
When we were old enough to handle a heavy-laden tray, several of us older siblings would be called on to help in the serving. In India it does not matter what religion you are, you celebrate with your friends in their festivals. Needless to say, with all the many religious festivals, we were celebrating every month!!
Chivda was a favorite with us. When you look at the ingredients below you can understand why. Mama always fixed it at home, as she did not like to get it from the store.
Today, you can buy store-bought packets but I still enjoy the homemade version as I can temper the chili heat to my palate!
Chivda (All in One Savory Snack)
This savory snack is prepared with rice flakes, raisins, cashew nuts, and peanuts, all tossed in spices to make one sensational snack!
Ingredients
- 16 oz salted cocktail peanuts
- 18 oz salted cashew nuts (or add more to your taste)
- 16 oz salted shoestring potatoes (available in most grocery stores)
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 3 cups thick poha (flat beaten rice, available at most Indian grocery stores)
- 2 green chilies (chopped into small bits)
- 15-20 curry patta (Indian curry leaves, available at most Indian grocery stores)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp chili powder (optional, more or less to your taste)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil (if deep frying, you'll about 2-3 cups of oil)
Instructions
- On medium heat, heat a tablespoon of the oil in a deep skillet or wok (at least 12-14" in size).
- Add the chopped green chilies and curry patta. Stir for about 30-40 seconds until the curry patta and green chilies darken. Turn off the heat. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Heat on medium-high and add the raisins. Stir for about 1 minute until the raisins plump out. Do not burn. Turn off the heat, remove the raisins, and drain them on a paper towel.
- In the same skillet, on medium heat, put another tablespoon of oil and add the turmeric. Stir 15 seconds, then add the beaten rice. Let sauté, stirring occasionally, for approximately 10 minutes. The flakes will get a little crunchy, but they do not have to be browned.
- Once the poha is lightly browned, turn off the heat. Now add all the other ingredients. Salt is not needed since there is enough in the other salted ingredients.
- If you want it spicy, you can add some chili powder or chili flakes to suit your taste. Stir carefully so as not to break up the poha. Mix all ingredients well.
- Let cool and store in airtight containers.Great as a tea time snack or if you were getting an attack of the munchies! These do not last long enough in my house to give you shelf time. If I had to guess, I would say at least a month.
Notes
The Old-fashioned Deep-fried Method
The pace is fast and furious, so have all the ingredients ready and the paper towels all ready for draining.
All the above ingredients should be raw.
You will need about 2-3 cups of oil (peanut or canola are best) to half fill the pan or wok you are using, and you will probably have to fry the ingredients in batches.
Be careful not to dump all ingredients at once, as the oil can bubble over. Add a little in at first and then add the rest carefully.
For the shoestring potatoes, scrub and peel the potatoes, then slice them with a julienne blade in a Mandoline slicer. If you don't have one, you will have to do it the old-fashioned way and cut the potato into julienne strips. Place the sticks in a large bowl of iced water for 15 minutes, drain, add fresh water and soak another 15 minutes. (This helps remove any excess starch and give you the crispy fries you need). Drain and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen or paper towels. Deep-fry in batches until golden and leave to drain while you fry the rest of the ingredients.
Wait for the oil to reheat, when hot, add chopped green chilies and curry patta. Brown a little, strain and drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil, about 15-20 seconds.
In the same oil add the raisin, when they get plump, about 10-15 seconds, strain and drain on another paper towel.
Once again, in the same oil, add the peanuts and fry till golden, then the cashew nuts and fry till golden. Place to drain on paper towels.
Now add the turmeric and beaten rice to the hot oil. Fry until the rice flakes are slightly brown at the edges, approximately 1-2 minutes. You may have to do it in two batches, as the flakes should be deep-fried. Add more oil if necessary. Drain all fried ingredients on paper towels, then mix all the ingredients together with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
You can add some red chili powder if you like it more spicy, or also increase the amount of green chilies.
You can, of course, go the baking route ,but I find that more time-consuming.
Keep in airtight containers.
I am at the grocery store trying to pick out a cut of beef for a roast. I have fixed various kinds of roast, but I spot a cut called an eye of round roast beef that I have never cooked. I decided to try it using Mama’s recipe for a leg of meat she would fix for Christmas when we were in India. Most feast days were elaborate Indian meals, but for Christmas and Easter, Mama went Western in our house. She would hand-pick the leg of goat or lamb meat and then supervise the cook in preparing it.
The meat was slow-cooked on the stovetop until done. I recall one Christmas, our cook had just finished fixing the roast and brought it to the dining table to rest. A few minutes later, our pet, an Alsatian named Sally, was drawn by the smell of the roast. With her front paws up on the table, she was big and nimble enough to grab the leg of meat and bring it to the floor. Cook heard the crash and came running but was too late. Sally had decided what she would like for dinner! Fortunately, there was enough time to fix a couple of chicken roasts, so dinner was not a disaster.
For a chicken roast, try our Tandoori Chicken Roast.
Christmas Roast
Take the hassle out of holiday cooking and dazzle the palates of your family and guests with this easy, delicious roast!
Ingredients
- 2.7 lbs eye of round roast (or any cut of beef your prefer)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (for rub)
- 1 large black cardamom (optional)
- 1 tbsp cracked pepper
- 1½ tbsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 one-inch cinnamon stick
- 2 Bay leaves
- 8 whole cloves
Instructions
- Mix the oil, cracked pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
- Place the roast in the bowl and rub the roast with the mixture. Let the roast rest in the bowl for half an hour to bring it to room temperature.
- Keep a roasting rack and pan ready. Brush lightly with oil.
- Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 325 degrees F.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on a medium heat using a heavy-bottomed pot or skillet.
- Add the black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cloves. Let sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Now add the roast and sear it on all sides, turning carefully with pair of tongs. Let each side brown nicely for 2-3 minutes. Continue to do this until all the sides are nicely browned—approximately 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Transfer the roast to the baking pan but save the skillet drippings for the gravy.
- Add about 1 cup of beef broth to the baking pan to keep the roast moist and prevent its juices from burning.
- Cover the lightly with foil and bake the roast for 1/2 hour covered.
- Uncover and bake for approximately another hour or less until done to your preference. Our family prefers it well-done.
- Remove from the oven, and cover the roast loosely with foil.
- Let it rest for 30-40 minutes before slicing. This will help the juices inside the roast to redistribute themselves without being lost while cutting.
- Transfer to a serving platter and circle roast with vegetables of your choice.
- I use steamed and lightly sautéed peppered asparagus (or long green beans) and boiled fried potatoes. You could also use steak-fried potatoes.
Notes
This roast can be made on the stovetop in a heavy-bottomed pot on low heat. It does require constant watching.
The particular cut of beef I used is leaner, so it can dry out fast.
To save time, you can also marinate the beef the night before and roast it the next day. Be sure to bring the roast to room temperature half an hour before you fix it.
Serve as a meal with Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy, and your choice of sides.
Leftovers (if there are any!) make delicious beef sandwiches!
Mom would never cook fish in the months with no R in it. So the months of May, June, July, and August were fishless months for us. She maintained that those were the monsoon months, and all the impurities from the land surface were washed by the torrential rain into the rivers, ponds, and lakes. This did not apply to deep sea fish, but since we did not get much of those in the areas we lived, she refused to buy any other fish.
I don’t know if that was true, but I never cooked fish during those months while in India. Now here in the USA, I buy frozen packs of fish from Costco so don’t hesitate to cook fish whenever I want.
Fish can be fixed in several different ways. One of the quick and easy ways to fix fish is Tandoori style. This can be grilled, pan fried, baked, or done in the air fryer. I prefer mine pan fried.
This is a tangy spicy fish dish coated with flavorful tandoori masala.
Tandoori Machi (Tandoori Fish Fry)
A tangy, spicy fish dish coated with flavorful tandoori masala.
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs boneless firm or semi-firm white fish (mahi mahi, cod, haddock, flounder, tilapia)
- 2 Tbsp thick plain "hung" yogurt (see note)
- 1 Tbsp garlic-ginger paste
- ½ tsp chili powder or Kashmiri red chili powder (see note)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil (for frying)
Garnish
- 1 medium yellow or red onion (sliced fine)
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro/green coriander leaves (chopped)
- ½ tsp chaat masala (from an Indian grocery store—optional)
- 1 lime/lemon (cut into wedges or slices)
Instructions
To Prepare
- If you are using frozen fish, be sure to defrost them overnight. Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry. Slice them into thick two-inch slices. If they are thin fillets, leave them whole or cut them in half.
To Marinade
- In a bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, salt, lemon juice, and spice powders, including a tablespoon of cooking oil. Blend well.
- Place your sliced fish into the bowl and gently rub the paste all over the fish pieces until nicely coated. (I use food-handling plastic gloves to keep the fish smell off my hands!).
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for at least 20-30 minutes.
To Cook
- Remove the fish from the refrigerator.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a high-rimmed skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Remove each piece of fish from the bowl, ensuring it is nicely coated with the marinade.
- Place in the hot oil one at a time. Do not overcrowd. You can fix it in batches.
- Save any remaining leftover marinade and add the onions to them. There should be very little marinade but enough for a light coating. You can even use them without the marinade.
- Fry the fish on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden.
- Place the fried fish on a paper towel to drain.
- Add the sliced marinated onions to the hot pan. There should be enough oil to lightly sauté the onions until they are translucent. Drain on a paper towel.
- Serve fish on a platter.
- Sprinkle some chaat masala over the fish (optional).
- Garnish with the sautéed onions. You can also use raw onions or garnish with lemon slices and cilantro. Any chutney will pair well with it.
- Serve with naan or any kind of flat bread. It goes well with a rice pilaf.
Notes
1. Kashmiri red chili powder is milder than red chili powder and imparts a deeper red color. A bit more heat than paprika but milder than cayenne.
2. You can use plain Greek yogurt or regular plain full fat yogurt that is strained to get rid of any whey. This is called hung yogurt and prevents the rest of the masala from becoming too runny.
3. Depending on the type and thickness of the fish you are using, the internal temperature of the fish should vary between 135 to 145 degrees F. Just make sure the center doesn't remain raw.
4. You can bake the fish in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or place it in the Air Fryer for 8-10 minutes.
5. You can also fix fish tacos with them.
Indians, especially those from the northern plains of Punjab, love their white butter and ghee. It is generally fixed at home. The process involves churning fresh cream gathered over several days. The churning separates the water content, and pure butter is extracted. Some of this is melted down to obtain ghee.
I loved to churn the butter the old-fashioned way before the mechanical churners and blenders came along. All you needed was a clay pot (matki) or a metal pot for a churn and a wooden churner (mathni/ madhani). The churner stick was a round stick about a foot long, and at the end was a round-pronged wooden disc.
Fresh raw milk delivered by the milkman (doodhwala) was boiled, and the cream was gathered for several days. It was thick cream, and though refrigerated, you had to be careful it did not turn rancid before you churned it. A little curd would be added to the cream the night before to curdle it.
The cream would be poured into the churning pot and half-filled with cold or iced water. Then, placing your palms on opposite sides of the churner stick, you would maintain a steady sliding, back-and-forth motion to churn the soured cream.
Some pots came with a lid to prevent the liquid from splashing, but you could always cover a portion of the top with a dishcloth to prevent that from happening. It took a while, and you needed strong arms and patience to do it, but after a while, the cream would get thicker and thicker.
The fascinating part for me was to see the little blobs of butter start to separate from the whey and clump together. A few ice cubes added would help separate the whey further. When the butter was separated, you reached into the pot to skim the butter out with your fingers and poured it into a strainer or cheesecloth to drain the excess liquid.
A quick rinse with cold water and then gently squeeze the butter blob between your palms to remove more liquid before placing it in a dish. Your homemade white butter was ready for use. If my mother-in-law were around, she would ensure I rubbed the residual butter on my fingers over my palms and arms. She called it a home beauty treatment! Of course, I washed it off before I started smelling rancid!!
This unsalted homemade white butter, or safed makhan, tastes so good on fresh rotis, parathas, and bread. It is also made into pure ghee.
Milk bought in containers at the grocery stores is pasteurized and homogenized, so you do not get that thick layer of cream you get from boiling and cooling raw milk. I use whipping cream to fix white butter even though it has a lighter texture than the ones I made back home with the clotted cream I got from boiling the fresh raw milk. I have also melted this to fix ghee, but it takes longer to melt down, so I prefer unsalted butter.
Safed Makhan (White Butter)
A delicious, unsalted homemade white butter that tastes so good on fresh rotis, parathas, bread, and more!
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Pour the cream into a chilled deep bowl.
- Whip the cream on low speed for about 3 minutes until it thickens.
- Now, beat it on medium speed for another 8 minutes until it clumps together and forms butter.
- Pour into a dish, preferably with a lid.
- Tilt the dish and drain any residual whey. You get very little.
- Keep refrigerated.
Notes
The butter should last about ten days in the refrigerator if pasteurized. Do a smell test to make sure it has not turned rancid! When I fix the butter from a heavy whipping cream, I melt it into ghee after 4-5 days to keep it safe.
If clotted cream is available at your grocery store, you could whip it up into white butter and then melt it down into ghee. 
Dals are an integral part of an Indian meal, and we have a variety of them. With the abundance of dals and the many ways to season them, we could have a different dal every day of the month and not repeat a recipe!
One of my favorites is a small brownish bean, rather like a whole green moong bean, called moth (pronounced moat) or matki. These lentils are highly nutritious and can be prepared in a variety of ways.
This particular recipe uses sprouted moth beans. It makes a great anytime snack or a side dish to a meal. Sprouted beans can also be used in salads.
Moth/Matki Sukha Sabzi (Sauteed Moth Bean)
Moth/matki lentils make a great anytime snack or a side dish to a meal. Sprouted beans can also be used in salads.
Ingredients
- 1 cup moth beans
- 1 medium yellow or red onion (chopped)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
- ⅛ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp amchur powder (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) (for garnish)
Instructions
To Prepare the Dal
- Sort the moth beans clean of any grit.
- Pour into a medium bowl or pot. Wash the moth about 4 times, rubbing the beans gently between your fingers.
- Add 4-5 cups of water. It should be enough to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Leave to soak overnight or for at least 4 hours. Strain the moat and wrap them in a moist muslin/cheesecloth. A clean kitchen cloth will also do.
- Now, put the wrapped beans into the bowl or pot. Sprinkle water over them, cover them, and let them sit for two days. Be sure the cloth is kept moist so that the moth can sprout.
- After two days, they should be sprouted. Not all of them will sprout sometimes, but that is fine. If half are still not sprouted, leave them for another day to continue sprouting.
To Cook
- Lightly rinse the beans and set aside.
- Peel and dice onions reasonably small. About ¾ cup is good.
- Place a medium pan or skillet on medium heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan.
- Add the chopped onion.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes until translucent and the edges start to turn golden.
- Now add all the powdered spices and salt. Sauté for 30 seconds. Don't let the spices burn.
- Add the sprouted moth beans. Stir gently so the beans are coated with the spices.
- Add ¾ cup of warm or hot water.
- Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft but not mushy.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice or amchur powder and gently stir the dal.
- Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the chipped cilantro.
Notes
This dish can be used as a stand alone snack, a roti side dish, or a wrap.
For salad, toss with some chopped onion, tomato, and cucumber.
To use as a chaat (street food): Toss with boiled potatoes and sprinkle some chaat masala over it with a drizzle of sont (sweet and tangy tamarind sauce).
If you have a bean sprouter, you can use that to sprout the moth.
If you have a bean sprouter, you can use that to sprout the moth.
I am standing in my mother-in-law’s kitchen with my hair up in a knot and my kaftan hitched up to my knees. It is summer and the monsoons are in full swing. The humidity makes me hot and sweaty, but I am the sous-chef for the day and dare not leave my post!
Since Mummy is on her own, she does not believe in keeping a cook and prefers to do everything herself, except for a domestic helper for sweeping, swabbing, and general help around the house.
I wash and peel the bottle gourd, cut it up into bite size bits, and then peel and chop the onions. Once the cilantro has been cleaned, we get started.
Lauki Curry (Opo Squash Curry)
A lightly spiced, fragrant, and tangy curry. Lauki can be sautéed, curried, mixed with lentils, and used in soups.
Ingredients
- 1 medium lauki/opo squash
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 1 large tomato (chopped finely)
- 1 small dry red chili (or a fresh green Serrano chili, to taste)
- 2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 3-4 cups water
- 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro (for garnish)
Instructions
- To prep your squash, wash it, and then cut both ends and peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
- Slice the peeled squash in half. You can remove the seeds and any squishy pulp if these seeds are too large (as in older squash).
- Now slice each half lengthwise, then across to form bite-sized cubes.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or stock pot (need a lid).
- Add the red/green chili until it turns dark, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the cumin seeds, let them sizzle, and immediately add the finely diced onion. Do this quickly so that the cumin seeds don't burn.
- Sauté the onions until they are medium brown (5-7 minutes).
- Add the ginger-garlic paste along with the turmeric and chili powder. Stir.
- Now sauté the mixture for about a minute or so, until you feel the ginger-garlic paste sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chopped tomato. Continue to sautée for another 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are well cooked and mushy.
- Add the squash, stir, and sauté for approximately 2 minutes until the squash is nicely coated with the onion-tomato mixture (masala).
- Add the water and salt. Stir, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.
- Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve with boiled white or brown rice, roti, or as a side to a meal.
Notes
Adding more or less water can increase or decrease your gravy.