(I am so happy now that all the packing, moving, unpacking is all done; internet is setup at the new place and I am finally back in the blogging and the cooking world! I know I missed a lot of excellent posts but I am going to try to catch up with everything that has been happening in the next week or two!)
Can you imagine what would happen if suddenly all of your secrets were out in the open? No, not the real big secrets just some small little things that we all would rather keep to ourselves. This is exactly what happened to Emma from 'Can you keep a secret?' book by Sophie Kinsell. This was my first read of Simran's book-club. This month's pick was a chik-flic about Emma who happens to blurt out all of her everyday secrets to a complete stranger on a turbulent air-plane ride only to discover that the stranger is none other than the big boss of the firm she works at! One thing leads to another and suddenly all her secrets are out in the open... are secrets ever 'secrets'? Thats the question we all get to ponder as we trace through Emma's hilarious encounters around her secrets and her boss.
Can you imagine what would happen if suddenly all of your secrets were out in the open? No, not the real big secrets just some small little things that we all would rather keep to ourselves. This is exactly what happened to Emma from 'Can you keep a secret?' book by Sophie Kinsell. This was my first read of Simran's book-club. This month's pick was a chik-flic about Emma who happens to blurt out all of her everyday secrets to a complete stranger on a turbulent air-plane ride only to discover that the stranger is none other than the big boss of the firm she works at! One thing leads to another and suddenly all her secrets are out in the open... are secrets ever 'secrets'? Thats the question we all get to ponder as we trace through Emma's hilarious encounters around her secrets and her boss.
This is a delightful light romantic comedy, reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones' Diary. Lucky for me the bookclub couldn't have picked a better book this month because I read this book during some of the most dis-heartening days of the last few month and through the despair around me I was able to manage a late-night smile or two while reading this :)
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Now, as part of the bookclub we have to cook a dish inspired by the book we read. When I think about sharing secrets, the image that comes to my mind is a few of my best girlfriends chatting around in my room upstairs in India nibbling over some delicious snack with a hot cup of chai sharing some of the best kept school secrets! So, in the same theme I am sharing today one of my favorite childhood snacks - Suralichi wadi.
This is a Marathi snack made from chickpea flour and yogurt with a coconut based stuffing inside. I had always shied away from making Suralichi wadi at home because of its reputation of being really finicky and tricky to get right. Through a chance Googling I hit upon this Nupur's recipe and as the source was so reliable I thought of giving it a try and the copycat theme sure worked here perfectly because the dish was an instant hit! I think I found a winner recipe here for a snack that I always shied away from making at home, thanks Nupur!
Recipe: I am jotting down a quick photo post here. For the complete recipe and some extremely useful tips, check out the original post from One Hot Stove.
Prepare a stuffing of frozen, thawed grated coconut, chopped coriander, chili flakes and salt. Set aside.
Mix 1/2C chickpea flour (besan) with 1C + 1/4C buttermilk (diluted yogurt), pinch of turmeric and salt.
Microwave in 20sec bursts for a couple of mins until done (mixture rolls easily)
Spread batter on a flat stainless steel dish. Add some stuffing like so:
Let cool completely. Cut into smaller stripes. Roll each stripe to make a wadi.
Enjoy either as is or with some tadka of oil and mustard seeds!
Recipe: I am jotting down a quick photo post here. For the complete recipe and some extremely useful tips, check out the original post from One Hot Stove.
Prepare a stuffing of frozen, thawed grated coconut, chopped coriander, chili flakes and salt. Set aside.
Mix 1/2C chickpea flour (besan) with 1C + 1/4C buttermilk (diluted yogurt), pinch of turmeric and salt.
Microwave in 20sec bursts for a couple of mins until done (mixture rolls easily)
Spread batter on a flat stainless steel dish. Add some stuffing like so:
Let cool completely. Cut into smaller stripes. Roll each stripe to make a wadi.
I am sending this to One Hot Stove's blog-bites #2 copycat edition.
Comments
so how do you find your new place :)
Shama, thanks and welcome to my blog! I am so glad you liked the posts and these wadis. Hope to see you back soon.
Nupur, thanks so much for this recipe.. it was an instant hit! New kitchen is working out wonderfully.. more counter space definitely helps and its overlooking small yard which is a major plus for me.. overall, no complaints :)
Lyndsey, thanks! The book was good.. very light read chik-flikish but I enjoyed it.
Pavithra, thanks! new house is working out wonderfully.. we have got the basics set up.. rest of the unpacking and furnishing is still going on!
Kanchan, you should definitely try Nupur's recipe if you like suralichya wadya.. it worked really well for me. New house is working great! Still a lot of furnishing to do as half of the house just looks empty right now, but its been fun so far!
My granny always used to tell me that the art of making good vadi is in how thin u are able to spread the batter, and that comes only out of practice,I am sure u must have crossed that hurdle too.
Good to see you back! we call this dish KHANDVI..yours looks awesome! love the pics too..
SathyaSridhar, now that you mention it does look like mango swiss rolls :D
Pari, it has been so much fun setting up the new place and the kitchen specially! this was my first time trying my hand at suralichi wadi so i did roll the batter a bit thick to be on the safe side, i think it will take me years to get real thin ones :D would love to see your recipe also on the blog sometimes!
Treat and Trick, thanks! I am so glad you liked the suralichi wadi and the click.
Kamala, thanks! I am so glad you liked the wadis. they are really easy to make too.
Sushma, thanks! I like the color here too :)
Jagruti, thanks, its so good to be back and away from the packing boxes :D
Glad to know you're settled in and back top routine.
Glad to know you're settled in and back top routine.
Padhu, thanks! I am so glad you liked the dish. Kitchen unpacking is mostly done so atleast can get back to blogging now!
Aparna, thanks! The book was interesting.. it was tough to find inspirations to cook but a snack to share with school friends is what popped into my mind first :)
This suralichi wadi is quite similar to our Khandavi. ain't it? Feel like to grab it now. :D
How's ur new house experience and pls pls post your kitchen pics in FB. :)
P.S: did u find any solid solution for stopping spammers?
Love your "secret" recipe :)
Curry leaf, i agree, foodwise this was a difficult book. I am so glad you liked the stuffing and the dish!
Anushree, thanks! You should definitely try it, its much simpler than what we are used to as the finicky suralichi wadi :)
Simran, thanks, this is a wonderful club, i am enjoying the second book too!
nice rolls and very good looking on photos !! Pierre de Paris
I'm glad that you are settling into your new home! I missed your fabulous food.
TasteOfBeirut, this is a common snack in India.. chickpea flour is rolled and stuffed with different stuffings.. the trick is usually to get the right consistency of the batter of chickpea and diluted yogurt. Glad you liked it!
Sonia, omg, i can almost remember a khandvi recipe on your blog.. must have dreamt of it then :D You are welcome anytime... the house will definitely be fuller :)
Joanne, thanks! The book was a lot of fun, more of a chik-flik but once in a while I do enjoy such very light reads.
This looks scrumptious
cute pic ..lovely recipe..
Namitha, thanks! We have sort of settled -- that is all the basics are unpacked, rest there are still many boxes that we are determinedly not looking at in the garage :D
Sarah, thanks! I am so glad you liked the pic and the recipe.
Cham, thanks! Yes, still lots to do but mostly things are under control now.. phew.. thank God for that!
Glad to know that you are settled in now.
The pics are so inviting ...This looks like khandvi only.
Deepa
Jayasri, welcome to my blog! oh you should definitely post your Maharashtrian recipes, I would love to see them! Yes, you microwave the batter in 20sec bursts for a couple of minutes (keep stirring in between each burst) and then spread on the dish. It gets cooked in the microwave but the buttermilk will make sure the consistency is such that it can be rolled easily.
Sayantani, oh, you should definitely try it, its wonderful and very easy too.. start to finish took only 20mins may be.
Preeti, congrats on the new place! Yes, it takes such a long time to get your kitchen established and back in the working stage again, doesn't it?
Loved your suralichi wadi. my favorite snack.
following you.
I dunno if I am going to get this wadi right at the first time but I surely want to give it a try as yours is very tempting. Beautiful clicks.
You have got a wonderful space .
http://banaraskakhana.blogspot.com/2009/11/khandvi-step-by-step.html
i prefer making it on the stove as i find it makes thinner strips which don't break easily while rolling...also opening the microwave several times to stir seems irritating to me..he he..
your pictures are perfect...