Bajil (Mangalorean poha)

I have fond memories of Bajil, because it is not only a delicious snack but it reminds me of my mom fondly making it for us during tea-time. These days for tea-time is not even an elaborate affair for me. Tea-time is equal to stuffing into mouth anything edible I have in the pantry, while  struggling with my daughter to finish off her milk and cooking dinner. With husband commuting to New York city for work, we get to have relaxed breakfast or tea only during weekends.

Coming back to bajil, it is a quintessential Mangalorean snack. I grew up in Mumbai but my parents being from Mangalore, I grew up on authentic Mangalorean food. So any Mangalorean food draws the strings of my heart as well as tummy. Bajil is made from thin poha (beaten rice flakes) and the flavors used in it, give it a spicy, sweet and tangy taste.... a combination for success of any dish. It is a median between poha and chivda because it is chewy, neither very soft nor crispy. Why don't I start with the recipe, so that if you get a chance to try it, you can feel it for yourself.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups thin poha
• 3-4 dried red chillies
• 1 tbsp coriander and cumin seeds crushed in a blender/ food processor
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp urad dal
• 2 tbsp peanuts
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup fresh/ frozen shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp jaggery (this is as per taste)
• 1/2 tbsp oil

Directions:

• In a deep pan, take oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add urad dal, chana dal and peanuts. Add red chillies and curry leaves. When the dals start changing color and the peanuts are fried well, add chopped onion.
• When onions become soft, add jaggery and let it melt, mixing well.
• Add poha, crushed cumin and coriander seeds, turmeric powder and shredded coconut. Mix well.
• The poha will absorb the moisture from coconut and onions, and your bajil is ready.
• You can add around 3/4 cup of soaked and cooked garbanzo beans or black grams to bajil and make it more nutritious. This is called as kadle bajil in mangalore.

Savory Whole Wheat Cookies

I wanted to make something for my 2 and half year old to nibble on. She has a preference for savory hard snacks. She likes all those fried Indian snacks like sev, chakli, etc. It is quick to whip up something fried but I wanted her to have some nutrition as well, while snacking. I found a recipe for yogurt almond flat bread cookies on the blog "mix to match" by Anudivya and modified it to suit my family's taste. The hint of carom and cumin seeds that I added takes it to another level and gives it a farsi puri, which is a fried gujarati snack, kind of taste. Maybe that is the reason why my daughter likes it as she is half gujarati from her dad's side:)

These cookies have almonds, yogurt and whole wheat, and very little fat, so it is a tasty guilt free snack.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt (low fat is good)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp carom seeds
• 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F
• Let butter come to room temperature and mix this softened butter with yogurt. Keep aside.
• In a large bowl sift together whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, salt, baking soda, cumin seeds, carom seeds and crushed black pepper.
• Add yogurt mixture and almond meal and knead into a dough. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shape.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Cool the cookies and they will firm up. If you like your cookies crisp and feel they are not crisp enough, you can put it in the oven again for 10 minutes at 260 degree F after they have cooled.
• Enjoy