Garam Masala Tuesdays: Steamed Chicken Momos

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Steamed Chicken MomosSteamed Chicken Momos | The Novice Housewife

Kickstarting the new year with the first Garam Masala Tuesdays post of 2014 and I promise I will TRY to be more regular with it!

I have done a vegetarian version of momos before (and all the people who think meat versions are the only way to go, really need to give the vegetarian version I posted earlier a try). Today I thought I will share a chicken version.

As mentioned in that post, yes I am aware that momos or dumplings or dimsums- whatever you may call them- their origins are not Indian, but they are very much a part of Indian cuisine if you ask for my opinion. And whatever position you take on the origins of this dish, there is no denying that momos have always been popular as a cheap snack food in much of North and Eastern India and very much loved by all.

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Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

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The Novice Housewife Bruschetta

I am not sure why but today I just wished that I received an envelope with a postal stamp on it, the back of which I would tear open to find a hand written letter from someone I care about or someone who cares about me.

Probably the thought of receiving a letter came when I was thinking whether I am too late to write a letter to my brother for rakhi this year. Rakhi or Rakshabandhan is a festival in India which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie a rakhi ( a sacred thread) on their brothers’ wrists and in return the brother vows to protect her. In modern times, the brother is supposed to give a gift in kind or in cash as well, which kind of works out pretty well for the sister :). 

The first year after marriage I remember I sent my brother a letter with a hand made rakhi since I could not find any actual rakhi where I stayed. After that I got lazy and the last two rakhshabandhans I have sent him a rakhi using those online rakhi delivery services, only because they are so convenient and staying abroad I never remember in time to post a letter with a rakhi in it. So instead of a letter, its just a small message on a tiny card (that too typed by the online service, not handwritten) for my brother. In return he gives me a nice gift when I meet him in India, mostly chosen by my sister-in-law.

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GMT: Khandvi and a Video Tutorial

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khandvi-1

Khandvi is a delicious gluten free snack, traditional to the western state of Gujarat. Made from cooking a mixture of gram/chickpea flour and sour yogurt, to which a mustard seed and curry leaves tempering is applied, Khandvi is a healthy snack idea to think about the next time you feel like snacking between meals.

It doesn’t take too much time to make khandvis, but there is a slight learning curve to it. Its fairly easy to make once you get the technique right. And since there is a slight technique to it I thought why not make a video tutorial for making Khandvis.

This is the first time I tried making a video, so it took more time than expected. Was not easy to shoot and cook at the same time, but somehow managed. And I thought that would be the tough part. But downloading, editing and trying to figure everything out just took more time than expected and hence the reason for such a delayed recipe. Promise this time it wasn’t my laziness! 🙂

I had Khandvis for the first time when my cousin’s husband was posted to Manesar, an Industrial town close to New Delhi. On the way to her place was a popular Indian fast food chain, Haldirams, that we would often stop by to grab something to eat. I would end up having just the Khandvis and be happy. From there my love for Khandvis was born.

This time when I went to India, the same person who gave my mom the Cilantro cake recipe (another gluten free snack), gave this recipe as well. And today I am sharing it with you along with the first ever video tutorial on the blog.

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