Kool Kitchen

Chole Bhature

2011-06-27T23:32:00.004-05:00

CHOLE BHATURE
(Chole Bhature is a popular dish from Punjab. What better way can one find to warm up for the colder months than with some tasty hearty meals for the family)

Ingredients :

For Chole :

1 cup garbanzo beans (kabuli chana) soaked in water overnight,

2 onions , 1 tomato , 4-5 cloves of garlic , 1 inch ginger ,

2 tbspn oil , 2 tspn Everest chole Masala , Salt to taste ,1/2 tspn Amchur powder

1 potato boiled ad peeled ,1.5 tspn red chilly powder 1 tspn tea powder, 3/4^th cup water

For Bhature :

1 cup Maida , ½ cup Sooji , 1 tbspn yogurt , ½ tspn baking baking powder ,

½ tspn sugar , salt to taste , 1 tspn oil.

Oil to fry

Procedure :

For Chole :

Pressure Cook the soaked garbanzo beans . Blend onion , tomato , garlic and ginger in the blender.

Heat oil in a nonstick pan and add the blended onion tomato mixture. Saute well till it looses most of the moisture , turns dark brown. Mash the boiled potato and add it to the pan. Adding boiled potato helps to get a thicker curry.

Add the garbanzo beans , salt to taste , red chilly powder , amchur powder and mix well

Heat 3/4^th cup water and add a teaspoon full of tea powder. Let it come to a boil and strain the water directly into the Chole pan. This step is optional but it help get a dark color to the curry. Add water to adjust the consistency to your liking. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes .Serve hot with a wedge of lemon and onion on the side.

For Bhature :

Mix yogurt and a little water and stir well. Add Sooji and let it soak well for couple hours. Add all purpose flour (Maida) + Salt + Water + Sugar + Oil and knead a dough of the mixture. Let it sit for couple more hours. Make cookie size ball and roll it with a rolling pin. Heat oil in a pan to fry and fry till golden brown. Serve hot with Chole.

Methi Malai Mutter

2011-06-24T07:18:00.004-05:00

METHI MALAI MUTTER

(A delicious and healthy preparation of Fenugreek and green peas in Cashew and cream Curry.)

Ingredients :

1 cup Fenugreek finely chopped and roasted on a tbspn oil ,

½ tspn green chilly + garlic + ginger paste ,

12-15 cashew soaked in water and then blended to a paste ,

1 small onion grated , ½ tspn Garam Masala ,

salt to taste , ½ cup fresh cream , ½ cup blanched green peas.

Procedure :

Take a tablespoon full oil in a hot nonstick pan. Add the grated onion and the ginger + garlic + chili paste and roast well in the heated oil till it turns brownish.

Add the roasted fenugreek , cashew paste and fresh cream. Add salt to taste , Garam Masala and the blanched green peas.Methi Malai Mutter tastes good with Roti ,Nan or bread of your choice.

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

2011-05-18T03:01:00.003-05:00

SWEET CORN CHICKEN SOUP

This recipe originates from exotic oriental China and is now found right from every humble street side Chinese stall to high class star rated restaurants.

SHREDDED CHICKEN :

In Oven : Place Chicken breast in a greased baking sheet . Cover it with an aluminium foil and cook it at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Slice a piece of chicken right in the center to check the doneness.If you notice any pinkness, cook it for another 10 minutes.If not chicken is done.Use a fork to shred the chicken and use it for any recipe.

In microwave : Place the chicken breast in a microwave proof container and add about 1/2 inch water. Cover with a microwave proof lid and cook it for 15 minutes. Turn chicken once half done.Save the chicken stock for later use. Use a fork to shred chicken.

Ingredients :

2 cups chicken stock , 1 cup shredded chicken , salt to taste , 1/2 tspn grated ginger , lemon zest , 1/4th tspn crushed black pepper , 1/2 inch green chilly finely chopped , 1 tspn butter , 1 tbspn corn starch , 3 tbspn steamed corn .

Soy sauce and White vinegar to serve on the side.

Procedure :

Make shredded chicken in the microwave as described above so that you can derive chicken stock.Add butter in a saucepan. Let it bubble a little bit and then add ,Chicken stock , salt to taste , corn starch , steamed corn , lemon zest , lemon juice ,grated ginger , and let it come to a boil . Ensure the consistency of the soup is per your liking. Add shredded chicken and serve hot. Serve soy sauce and vinegar to the side.

Sesame Chicken

2010-09-30T18:53:00.003-05:00

SESAME CHICKEN

A different take on the traditional way of making sesame chicken. Normally made unbreaded this one has a bread crumb coat that makes it crusty and delicious.

Ingredients :

1 chicken breast , 2 tbspn bread crumb , 2 cloves of garlic ,

1/4th tspn dry red chilly flakes , 3 tbspn dark soy sauce ,

1 tspn vinegar , 1 tspn grated ginger , Salt to taste ,

1/4th tspn toasted sesame seeds , 2 stems of spring onions chopped,

1 green chilly finely chopped. 1 tbspn corn starch.

Procedure :

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes . Add Salt to taste , 1 tbspn soy sauce , dry red chilly flakes , mix well , and let marinate for 15-20 minutes. Heat a tbspn full of oil in a nonstick pan Coat the chicken with bread crumb and lay the chicken flat till you see the bottom browning. Cook for about 7-8 minutes turning the chicken from time to time for even cooking and browning. Once cooked set aside on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.

Heat oil in a wok . Add chopped garlic and the white end of the spring onion finely chopped . Saute for a couple minutes . Add the corn starch and stir well. Add soy sauce , vinegar , 1/4th cup water or chicken stock and stir well. Add the grated ginger , green chillies , salt to taste and stir well. Let it come to a boil till the corn starch turns the sauce translucent. Once the sauce is cooked Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Place it in a serving bowl and garnish with roasted sesame and the green of the spring onion.

Chicken Tikka.

2010-09-30T16:23:00.005-05:00

CHICKEN TIKKA

A delicacy in most of South Asia , is usually boneless and made in a clay based oven called "Tandoor". It can be served as a side or some love to relish as an Entree.

Ingredients : (serves 2 as a side)

1 chicken breast , Lemon Wedge and Cilantro / Coriander to garnish

For Marinade : 1 tbspn yogurt , 1/2 tspn grated ginger ,

2 cloves grated garlic , Salt to taste , 2-3 drops red food color ,

1/2 tspn Parampara Tandoori Chicken Masala,

1/2 tspn Everest Chicken Tikka Masala , 1 green chilly finely chopped.

Procedure :

Cut the chicken to bite size pieces and place them on a paper towel so that the excess moisture is absorbed.

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and coat the marinade all over. Cover and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that the chicken absorbs all the flavors.

IN A PAN : Heat a nonstick pan on medium high heat and place the chicken pieces flat on the hot surface . Do not grease the pan at this time. Just cover the pan and let the chicken cook for about 3-4 minutes. This releases all the moisture in the marinade and the steam helps cook the chicken from inside. Remove the lid and turn the heat to high. This will let all the relelased moisture evaporate. Once all the moisture is gone drizzle about 2 tbspn oil all over. This prevents the pieces from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let that side get the char and then turn the tikkas for browning. Serve hot with cilantro on top and lemon wedge on the side with a condiment of your choice.

IN AN OVEN : The other way to cook the tikkas is in the oven. Place them on a skewer in a preheated oven and let cook at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Make sure you turn them from time to time so that they cook evenly.

Choco-Coco Rolls.

2010-09-24T07:37:00.006-05:00

CHOCO-COCO ROLLS

Who doesn't like chocolate ? However there are very few guiltless chocolate recipes that do not give you jitters when you stand on the weighing scale the next time.This one is good for quick bites that we crave for with a cup of coffee , or when we have friends over for poker nights and do not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Ingredients :

1 pack of Marie biscuits , 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips , 4 tbspn butter , 3 tbspn dessicated coconut.

Procedure :

Blend all the Marie biscuits to a fine powder.Place the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave proof bowl and heat it for about 30 secs for the chips to melt. Mix Well. Add the melted chocolate + butter mixture to the powdered marie biscuits. Mix well to form a dough. Split the mixture into two equal parts. Place a parchment paper or a thin plastic sheet on a flat surface. Roll the mixture with a rolling pin , sprinkle dessicated coconut over it.

With the help of the parchment paper / plastic sheet below lift the edge and roll it over the sheet. The material at this time is delicate. Using the sheet below to roll , supports the mixture preventing it from falling apart. Keep rolling until you finally reach the other end. Then wrap the parchment paper to the roll place it in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. This solidifies the butter again and makes cutting the rolls easier. Cut the rolls to 1 inch width and they are ready to serve.

Stuffed Eggplant (Baigan)

2010-09-23T10:25:00.007-05:00

Stuffed Eggplant (Baingan)

Eggplants , mostly subjected to a lot of aversions and dislikes can be made interesting with a delicious and tangy mix of spices stuffed inside them.

Ingredients : (serves 2)

4 baby eggplants (preferably green) , 1 peeled and roughly chopped potato (optional)

1 medium sized onion finely chopped , 1 tspn full red chilly powder ,

1 tspn Garam Masala , Salt to taste , 2 tspn roasted peanut powder ,

1/2 tspn Ginger garlic paste , 1 large tomato finely chopped ,

2 tbspn oil , a pinch of asafoetida , 1/4th tspn turmeric.

Procedure :

For stuffing : Mix 3/4th chopped onion , 3/4th tspn red chilly powder , 3/4th tson Garam Masala , Salt to taste , roasted peanut powder , ginger garlic paste.

Wash and dry the Baingan well. Chop off the stem . Hold the stem side up. Give one cut all the way through the eggplant leaving about 1/2 cm uncut at the bottom. Turn the eggplant 90 degrees and place the stem side down this time giving a similar cut as before. Stuff the stuffing mixture in the crevices . For Curry : Heat oil in a pan. Add hing , turmeric , rest of the chopped onion and tomato , potato. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes . Add red chilly powder , Garam Masala , Salt to taste and remainder of the stuffing mixture and stir well. Gently place the stuffed Baingan in the curry and add 1/4th Cup water. Cover the pan and let it cook for 15 minutes. Stuffed Baingan is ready to serve.

NOTE : You may use the widely available purple eggplants as well. However the green ones hold their shape well even after cooking. You may also stuf Ivy gourd (Tindora/Tondli) instead of Eggplant.

Baked Egg with Vegetable Hash and Spinach Salad.

2010-04-18T14:05:00.005-05:00

BAKED EGG WITH VEGETABLE HASH AND SPINACH SALAD

A healthy and delicious brunch is what one can treat himself with to unwind after a crazy schedule at work. Egg , hash and salad is a classic example of a filling and satisfying hungry souls.

Ingredients : (Serves 4)
For Baked Egg : 5 eggs , 1/2 cup milk , Salt to taste ,black pepper , 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
For Hash : 2 large potatoes , black Pepper , salt to taste , 1/4th cup chopped green onion ,
1/4th cup button mushroom , 2 tbspn olive oil.
For Salad : 2 handfuls of baby spinach , 2 tspn lemon juice , 1 tspn vinegar , 1 tspn honey , 1/2 tspn toasted sesame seeds , pepper , salt to taste , 1 tbspn olive oil ,
Toasted peanuts , croutons , pistachios or any crunch per your choice.

Procedure :
For Baked Egg : Preheat oven at 450 degrees. Grease a 2 inch deep baking sheet with butter. Break 5 eggs in a large bowl . Add the milk , salt pepper and whisk them together to blend all the ingredients well. Mix the Swiss cheese. Pour the liquid into the greased baking sheet and place it uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes. The eggs fluff up and turns golden brown on top indicating that its ready.
For Hash : Peel and grate to large potatoes. Sprinkle and apply salt to the grated potatoes. Place them on a muslin cloth and squeeze out all the water that the potato has released. Heat olive oil in a nonstick flat pan and saute chopped green onion and mushroom for a minute or two. Salt the potatoes again to taste as the salt sprinkled earlier drains away with the water. Add the salted potatoes to the pan and mix well with the mushroom and green onion. Spread the mixture throughout the surface of the pan. Cover and let cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Place a plate on top and flip the hash on the plate. Gently slide the uncooked side back onto the pan so that the other side also caramelizes. Cover and let cook for another 10 minutes. This helps brown both sides of the hash.

For Salad : To make the vinegrate mix honey , olive oil , lemon juice , vinegar , salt to taste and pepper in a small mixing bowl.Place baby spinach in a salad bowl and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds . Add peanuts , pistachios , croutons or crunch of your choice to the spinach . Drizzle the vinegrate over the the spinach. Mix well.

To serve : Cut the baked egg in a quart size piece and the hash as well. Place the baked egg first and the hash on top. Serve salad on the side. A healthy brunch retreat is ready to serve.

Tomatillo Chutney.

2010-04-17T11:14:00.005-05:00

TOMATILLO CHUTNEY

Tomatillos , referred to as green tomato in Mexico, are a staple cuisine in Mexico . Despite the name it is not a variety of tomato, although it is in the same family. The tomatillo fruit is covered by a paper-like husk. The freshness and greenness of the husk are the quality criteria. The tighter the husk holds the fruit better it is.

Ingredients :

5-6 Tomatillos , 4 green chillies , Salt to taste , 1/4th tspn cumin seeds ,

a pinch of turmeric (optional) , 1/2 tspn sugar , 1/4th cup roasted ground peanut ,

1 tbspn peanut or olive oil.

Procedure :

Remove the husk of the tomatillos and give it a quick rinse as the skin under the husk is can be sticky. Chop bite sized pieces of the tomatillos. Raw tomatoes without husk in other countries can be an alternative to tomatillos.

Heat oil in a sauce pan and add cumin. Wait until it splutters then add chopped tomatillos and chopped green chillies , salt to taste. Cover and let cook until the tomaotillo pieces fall apart. Let cool.

Grind the cooked mixture in the blender and add roasted peanut powder . Pulse a couple times to ensure that the peanut powder has blended well in the chutney. The peanut powder helps reduce the tartness from the tomatillos and also helps give the chutney a thicker consistency. You may adjust the quantity of chillies and peanut powder to your liking. The chutney is ready to serve. It can be used for just a simple Chutney sandwich or as a taste enhancer to a burger. The number of dishes you can use it with can be just left to your imagination. Enjoy !!!!

Roasted Chilly Chutney.

2010-03-29T00:19:00.005-05:00

Roasted Chilly Chutney

Sandwich being a favorite snack on the run can loose its novelty. For an unexpected twist in the regular snack try this chutney and I am sure you will never make it the regular way.

Ingredients :

8-10 dry red chillies , 1/2 cup grated coconut , Salt to taste , 1 tspn lemon juice , 2 tbspn diced onion , 1/4th tspn sugar , 100 ml water.

Procedure :
Roast dry red chillies on open fire or on the coil. Make sure that you have your windows open , fans running on full speed and the kitchen exhaust on the highest power. Because when roasting these chillies you are bound to get some serious cough.

After the chillies are roasted , grind the chillies , diced onion , salt , sugar , grated coconut , lemon juice and approx. 100ml water.

Apply the chutney on a slice of bread and use sliced boiled potato and cheese singles to enhance taste. Apply butter to the sandwich and toast it till golden brown. Sandwich is ready to serve.

Cashew in Spinach Curry.

2010-03-26T20:32:00.009-05:00

Cashew in Spinach Curry
Most of the times we fall short of standout options when we try to put together a Menu for entertaining. Those are the times when we can forgive ourselves for not watching the calories. If you are a who cooks to impress , try this one and you are bound to get loaded with compliments for your culinary skills.

Ingredients : (serves 2)

1 large bunch spinach , 4 cloves of garlic , 1/4th tspn cumin powder,

3 tbspn oil , 1 tspn pure ghee(clarified butter) ,

Salt to taste , 1/4th tspn garam masala, 3/4 tspn red chilly powder ,

1/4th tspn black pepper , 1 tbspn kasoori methi ,1/2 cup diced onion ,

1 diced tomato , pinch of turmeric , 1/4th cup cashews, 1 inch ginger

Procedure :

Heat 1 tbspn oil in a pan and add a pinch of turmeric , chopped garlic , onion , and tomato , garam masala , black pepper , 1/2 tspn red chilly powder , salt to taste , cumin powder. Cover and let cook. Once the onion and tomatoes are cooked add roughly chopped spinach till it wilts down. Do not overcook as spinach tends to loose color. Let the mixture cool and then blend it to make a puree. Place the pureed vegetables back in the pan. Dry roast kasoori methi and crush it to a fine powder rubbing it between your palms.

Heat ghee in a separate pan and roast the cashew till golden brown. Fish out the cashews and save the ghee for later use. Add roasted cashew to the spinach curry and mix well.

Just before you serve : Give ginger a julienne cut (matchstick cut) as shown in the picture. Heat 2 tbspn oil and fry the ginger till it looses moisture and turn golden brown , add 1/4 tspn red chilly powder and pour the tadka over the curry when ready to serve.

Sweet and Sour Raw Mango Sauce ( मेथाम्बा)

2010-03-21T10:30:00.008-05:00

Sweet and Sour Raw Mango Sauce (मेथाम्बा)

In the world of tasty condiments a healthy variety of options are available at hand all the time. Rather than trying store bought condiments , home made ones more satisfying. This sauce / pickle traditionally called " मेथाम्बा " in Marathi ,can be an accompaniment with Paratha , Khichdi or regular Indian / Non Indian Meal. Finger-lickers and nose-chasers are assured to go crazy after trying this.

Ingredients :

2 raw mangoes , 1 cup jaggery , 1 pinch Methi powder , 1 tbspn roasted sesame seeds ,

Salt to taste , 2 tspn red chilly powder , a pinch of asafoetida , pinch of turmeric , 1 tbspn oil , pinch of mustard seeds (राई / मोहरी )

Procedure :

Cut raw mango into chunky pieces and remove the core. Pressure cook the mangoes and separate the pulp from the skin. Mash the pulp well . Heat a tbspn oil in a pan with a pinch of mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter , add asafoetida , turmeric , mango pulp , red chilly powder , salt , jaggery and Methi powder . Stir well and let cook till the jaggery melts. Keep stirring till it gets to a jam-like consistency. Let it cool down to room temperature ,then add the roasted sesame seeds. You can store it in an airtight container for about 8 -10 days at room temperature . For storage beyond that refrigeration is recommended. Enjoy the tangy taste of Raw Mango all round the year.

Pumpkin Cinnamon cake.

2009-11-21T13:21:00.007-06:00

PUMPKIN CINNAMON CAKE

Who wouldn't want to enjoy the festive treats with the holiday season round the corner. If you are in search of recipes to incorporate veggies in a picky eater's diet this is a sweet way to sneak in pumpkin. A hint of cinnamon helps to cover up the typical pumpkin taste.

Ingredients :

1 cup all purpose flour , 2 cup sugar , 3/4th tspn cinnamon ,

3/4th cup store bought pumpkin puree , 1/2 tspn baking soda ,

1 tspn baking powder , 1 tspn vanilla extract ,

1/4th tspn salt , 1/4th cup pecan halves ,

4 eggs , 1 stick of unsalted butter .

Procedure :

Pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees.

Grind 2 cups sugar to fine powder . Sift the all purpose flour , sugar , salt , baking soda , baking powder and cinnamon together 3 times. This helps to remove all the lumps and makes the cake light and fluffy. Whip 4 eggs and add vanilla extract , room temperature unsalted butter and the pumpkin pulp. Mix well. Fold in the wet ingredients with the dry ones part by part. Once the batter is smooth add the pecan halves

Grease the baking pan with butter and dust a little flour over it. This prevents the cake from sticking to the baking pan. Pour in the batter and spread it evenly ensuring no air bubbles remain. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the toothpick comes clean.

Let the cake get to room temperature and turn it over on to the serving platter. Dust in some powdered sugar over the top of the cake . Slice it into pieces and the cake is ready to serve.

Chakali.

2009-10-14T22:20:00.004-05:00

CHAKALI

Diwali snacks seem to be incomplete unless Chakali is made and served . Making this crisp snack is time consuming and tideous and crowds can finish it in seconds making all the eforts well worth it.Traditionally roasted grains are ground into flour to make chakali. However if the means to grind grains are not available , here is a workaround recipe by which you dont miss to make and eat you favorite snack.

Ingredients :

1 cup rice flour , 1 cup wheat flour (Atta) , 1 cup bajri flour ,

Salt to taste , 1/4th tspn ajwain , 1 tbspn white sesame seeds (til) ,

4 tbpn butter , 1/2 tspn red chilly powder , 2 pinch asafoetida ,

1/4th tspn turmeric , 1/2 cup hot water , Oil to deep fry.

Procedure :

Roast the measured rice , wheat and bajri flour on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes. This removes the raw taste and finishes the missed step of roasting the grains before grinding. Let it get to the room temperature. Melt the butter and add it to the flour mixture. This helps to make them crisp. Add salt , red chilly powder , turmeric , asafoetida , ajwain , sesame seeds. Mix well. Add hot water just enough for the batter to get together. Do not add too much water to the flour.

Fill the material to the chakali making machine and make the chakalis in the traditional swirl pattern on a plastic sheet. Carefully lift the chakali and deep fry them till they turn brown in color. Place them on the cooling rack so that excess oil drips down. Let cool chakali is ready to eat. Store them in an airtight container only after they get to the room temperature.

Rava Besan Laddu.

2009-10-14T21:55:00.005-05:00

RAVA BESAN LADDU

With all the festivities all over during Diwali everyone enjoys a variety of sweets. Laddu being the favorite of all can be made with a wide range of ingredients. Just like a Rava laddu and besan laddu a combination of both ingredients brings out a different flavor and taste all together.

Ingredients :

1.5 cups Rava (Sooji), 3/4 cup Besan (chickpea flour) ,

1 cup water , 2 cup sugar , 1/2 tspn cardomon powder , pinch of salt ,

2 tspn raisins. 3 tbspn ghee.

Procedure :

Heat a tbspn ghee in a nonstick pan and roast measured sooji in it for about 15 mins. Alongside use the other 2 tbspn ghee to roast the measured besan. Saute it well on medium high heat for about 15 mins. Your nose knows when the besan is sauteed well. Add a pinch of salt and the roasted besan to the sooji and continue to saute on low heat till you get the sugar syrup ready.

Heat the water and sugar till the water comes to a boil and melts the sugar. Remember that this syrup is 1 string. Once the syrup is ready turn off the flame add the cardamon powder. Then add the syrup to the Rava besan mixture and incorporate the syrup well . Keep stirring it on medium heat till the time you feel that the syrup has soakes well into the rava. Let the mixture be moist to some extent . Let the mixture get back to room temperature. This gives time for the Rava to absorb the moisture and it get to the consistency which helps to make laddus. Add raisins and mix well. If you find the batter bit loose , place it on medium heat to help loose extra moisture. Let it get to the room temperature again before you make laddus.

Aloo Mutter.

2009-09-25T09:50:00.007-05:00

ALOO MUTTER.

Aloo Mutter is an all time North Indian favorite all over India. Here is a quick and delicious way to make Aloo Mutter.

Ingredients :

2 potatoes boiled and peeled , 1/2 cup blanched green peas ,

1 tomato , 1/2 cup chopped onion ,

2 tbspn chopped cilantro , 1/2 tspn sabji Masala ,

1/4 tspn red chilly powder , carrots chopped in bite size pieces 1/4th cup (optional),

Salt to taste , 1/4th tspn sugar , 1 tbspn oil , 1/2 tbspn

1/4 tspn turmeric , 2 pinch asafoetida , 1/4th tspn mustard seeds .

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan with mustard seeds (Mohri) . Let them splutter and then add asafoetida , turmeric and onion + tomatoes + green peas +carrots . Saute them for a minute or two , so that the raw flavor goes away. Sprinkle handful of water and let most of it evaporate. This helps to cook the peas all the way through. Add the chopped potatoes + salt to taste + sabji Masala + red chilly powder + sugar and mix well.

Dal Vada.

2009-09-12T17:33:00.002-05:00

DAL VADA

Dal Vada is a popular evening snack and a great accompaniment to Tea , especially on a Rainy day. Dal Vada (Lentil fritters) can be made with Masoor Dal , Moong Dal , Chana Dal or all Dals mixed together. Heres the recipe of Chana Dal Vada .

Ingredients :

1 cup Chana Dal , Salt to taste , 8-10 green chilly ,

1/2 tspn cumin powder , 2 cloves of garlic (optional) ,

1/4th tspn turmeric , 2 pinch asafoetida , 10-12 curry leaves,

1/4th cup chopped Cilantro. Oil to deep fry.

Procedure :
Soak Chana Dal for minimum 8 hrs. Drain all the water and grind the Dal. Grind 3/4th Dal very fine and the rest should be kept coarsely ground. Add salt to taste , cumin powder , turmeric , asafoetida , chopped cilantro , curry leaves.

Heat oil in a pan to deep fry . Make the Vada Round in shape and make a hole in the center . This cooks it all the way through and make it crisp. Serve it with Green chutney.

Lemon Cookies.

2009-09-09T10:02:00.003-05:00

LEMON COOKIES

Cookies are an all time favorite of all age groups. What more can one ask for when cookies have the refreshing lemon flavor.

Ingredients :-

3 cups all purpose flour , 1.5 cup sugar ,

6 ounces room temperature unsalted butter ,

dash of salt , 1/4th cup lemon juice ,

1/2 tspn baking soda , 1 large egg.

Procedure :-

Beat one large egg . Measure and sift the dry ingredients (flour , sugar , salt , baking soda). Save some sugar to sprinkle on top of the cookie. Add egg and butter and mix well . Do not over mix . Use a spatula to mix the wet ingredients. Form the dough into 2 rolls about 2 inches wide and 7 inches long. Place the dough in a plastic wrap for about 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 375°.Unwrap the cookie dough and cut into slices about 1/4 th inch thick. Sprinkle slices lightly with remaining sugar and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 12 -15 minutes depending on how soft or crisp you like. Cool the cookies on a rack and store in an airtight container.Makes about 5 to 6 dozen cookies.

Egg Sandwich

2009-07-14T17:41:00.003-05:00

EGG SANDWICH

Egg Sandwich is popular accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee in most Coffee houses. Making it is indeed a kids play. In fact kids can really help making these sandwiches.

Ingredients :

2 hard boiled eggs , 2 tbspn butter ,

2 small cloves of garlic finely grated , Ketchup ,

Bread slices .

Salt and pepper to taste.

Procedure :

Mix the grated garlic and butter and set aside.Remove the edges of the bread.

Finely cut the hard boiled egg. Add salt and pepper to taste

Apply the butter on one slice , ketchup on the other , Spread the boiled egg on one slice and cover the top with the other slice. Sandwiches are ready to serve with a cup of coffee. Enjoy.

Strawberry Milkshake

2009-07-14T09:25:00.003-05:00

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE

Who doesn't like to grab a fresh luscious fruit like strawberry on a hot sunny day. There are hardly any sweet snacks which are not available in strawberry flavor. Candies , Cookies , Cakes , cupcakes , smoothies , pie , jam , muffin ......... and the list goes on. Here's a refreshing beverage Strawberry milkshake.

Ingredients : (serves 2)

6 strawberries , 2 cups milk , 4 tbspn sugar ,

10-12 ice cubes.

Procedure :

Cut the stem of the strawberries and slice of 2 wedges of strawberry for garnishing. Place 2 empty glasses in the deep freezer.

Blend together the milk , strawberries and sugar. If your blender has the ice crusher feature , Add the ice cubes and turn on the blender for about 10 seconds. This will crush the ice and keep small pieces intact.

Use the glasses in the freezer to serve and place the strawberry wedges on the edge of the glass.

Baked Jalapeno poppers

2009-07-14T08:57:00.004-05:00

BAKED JALAPENO POPPERS

Jalapeno Poppers is most likely considered to be an Americanized version of the classic Mexican dish. The combined taste spicy jalapeno and and the mild flavored filling makes it delectable.

Ingredients :

4 Jalapenos , 2 tbspn cream cheese , salt and pepper to taste , 1/4th tspn garlic powder.

For breading : 1 egg , 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

Procedure :

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees.

Split the Jalapenos lengthwise into two. Deseed the jalapenos to reduce the heat (Keeping the seeds tends to make them spicy. You may keep the seeds if it suits your palate).

Mix the cream cheese + garlic powder + salt and pepper together to make the filling. Evenly fill in this mixture into the deseeded jalapenos.

Whip one egg to coat the jalapenos. This helps the breading to hold onto the jalapenos. (Those who prefer excluding egg out of their diet may use a mixture of All Purpose flour + water).

Dip the jalapenos in the egg and then roll it in the bread crumbs. Dip it again in the egg and then in the bread crumbs. This ensures a thick cover on the jalapenos. Place the breaded jalapenos on a baking sheet and bake it for 25 minutes at 200 degrees.

Serve it with the condiment of your choice.

Ragda Patties.

2009-06-09T13:58:00.005-05:00

RAGDA PATTIES

Ragda patties is a popular Indian fast food or snack every Mumbaiite can fall for. It is a member of the "Chaat" family and needs no introduction.

Ingredients :

For Ragda : 1 cup white peas soaked overnight , 2 tbspn oil ,

1/4th cup finely chopped onion , 1/4 tspn cumin , Salt to taste , Red chilly powder , sabzi Masala

For Patties : 2 cup boiled mashed potatoes , Salt to taste , Green Chillies + 2 pinch Cumin Powder . 1/4th tspn garlic powder ground together

Other : Sweet n sour tamarind + dates chutney , spicy green chutney , finely chopped onion , cilantro , Chat Masala

Procedure :

For Ragda : Soak white peas overnight. Pressure cook them till they cook well but don't fall apart. Heat oil in a Pan and add cumin followed by finely chopped onion. Saute the onion for couple of minutes , then add the the cooked white peas + red chilly powder + sabji masala + salt to taste . Mix a tbspn full of mashed potato in the Ragda. This gives body to the curry and keeps it from being flowy and watery.

For Patties : Grind green chillies + cumin powder + garlic powder in a blender. Mix the ground mixture to mashed potatoes , add salt to taste and make patties. Coat them with a thin layer of Sooji / Rava and shallow fry them on a medium high heat.

To Serve : Place patties in a plate and ragda on top. Drizzle the sweet and spicy chutneys and garnish it with finely chopped onion , cilantro , chat Masala . Ragda Patties is ready to serve.

Dabeli.

2009-06-08T20:02:00.007-05:00

Dabeli

If Vada Pav can drive crowds crazy in Bombay , Hot dogs and burger fans are all around the world , then Dabeli can be a strong contender in the race for snacks On-The-Go. Dabeli , I assume , originated from Gujarat and has not only made a marked there but is also famous in Mumbai.

Ingredients : (Makes 4)

1 cup boiled mashed potato , Salt to taste ,

1/2 tspn red chilly powder , 2 tbspn Dabeli Masala (store bought) , Oil ,

1/2 tspn cumin , 4 Pav (You may use burger buns too) ,

Sweet n sour tamarind and dates chutney , green spicy chutney ,

Fine Sev , 2 tbspn roasted peeled peanuts , Cilantro to garnish ,

finely chopped onion , Butter to roast Dabeli

Optional pomegranate , grapes cut in halves.

Procedure :
Heat a tbspn oil in a pan and add cumin . After a little spluttering add mashed potato followed by salt to taste , dabeli masala , red chilly powder and couple tbspn water and mix well. Take it of the heat and let cool. Water is added to make of the consistency of peanut butter so that it easily spreads on the buns.

The order of assembly of the Dabeli is as follows :

1. Spread little tamarind chutney and green chutney on the bottom half of the Pav.

2. Then a thin layer of the potato masala .

3. Again drizzle little sweet and spicy chutneys.

4. Sprinkle roasted peanuts and pomegranate or grapes.

5. Repeat step 2.

6. Finely chopped onions and cilantro. Place the top half of the Pav to ensure the mixture stays in place.

Once the assembly is done. You just have to butter the top and bottom surface of the Pav and place it on a Tava on a medium high heat just until it crisps up. The open edges of the Pav are dipped in fine Sev just before you serve.

To Make Dabeli Masala at home :

Ingredients : 1 red chilly , 1 teaspoon coriander (dhania) seeds , 1/2" (12 mm.) stick cinnamon , 2 cloves , 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) ,1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (badishop)
Procedure : Roast all the ingredients in a pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Grind to a fine powder in a blender. Use as required.

Piyush.

2009-06-07T09:43:00.004-05:00

PIYUSH

Have you ever thought of making a cool summer drink out of your dessert. Here's a quick idea to quench your thirst with an exotic drink. Wonder why it is called Piyush. Piyush means 'Drink of the gods'. You will realize it really is, after you try it once.

Ingredients : (Serves 2)

3 tbspn shrikhand , 2 tbspn Yogurt / Curd ,

2 tspn sugar , 2 pinch salt , 1 cup chilled water.

1/2 tspn Everest Milk Masala

Procedure :

Blend shrikhand , yogurt , sugar , salt and water in a blender and pour it into the glasses . Sprinkle Everest Milk Masala on top and place it in the refrigerator till its time to serve.

If you are not using Milk Masala : You may want to add powdered cardamon and crushed cashews and almonds to add to the richness. Enjoy !!

Chirote (चिरोटे)

2009-05-29T07:36:00.005-05:00

CHIROTE (चिरोटे )

Chirote is a sweet flaky pastry made in a glaze or confectioners sugar. Traditionally chirote is an important part of almost all Maharashtrian wedding. They are prepared during Diwali to mark the festival. I bet no one can eat just one.

Ingredients :

For dough : 3/4th cup All purpose flour (Maida) , 3/4th cup Sooji ,

2 pinch salt , 1/2 cup room temperature milk ,

Food color : Green and red.

2 tbspn ghee , 1 tbspn arrowroot or corn starch.

Oil to fry.

For sugar glaze : 1 cup sugar , 3/4th cup water , 1/4th tspn cardamom powder

For dry Chirote : 1 cup Powdered sugar , 1/4th tspn cardamom powder.

Procedure :

Mix all purpose flour , salt , milk sooji and knead a dough. Divide the dough in 3 equal parts. Mix green food color in 1 part , red in the other and let the third part of the dough be white. Roll out all three parts separately to equal sized rounds.

Mix the ghee and arrowroot/corn starch ensuring no lumps exist.Lay the red part of the rolled out dough on a flat surface. Apply very little ghee mixture throughout the red surface evenly on one side. Stack the white rolled dough over the red one. Apply the ghee mixture on the white surface and then stack the third green rolled dough over the white and apply the mixture again.

Start folding about 1.5 inches dough from two sides across as shown in the picture. Fold the close end away from you and the far end towards you alternatively till both sides meet and stack on one other.

Fold the close end away from you and the far end towards you alternatively till both sides meet and stack on one other.

Use a knife to cut the long roll of dough into 1/2 inch pieces as shown in the picture.

Place the dough cut side down and roll out the dough pieces to small rounds. Heat oil in a frying pan just enough to fry one chirota at a time. Fry the rolled chirota . Notice the colored swirls blossom like a flower . Place it on a cooling rack.

For glazed chirota make a sugar syrup and add cardamom powder. Place the fried Chirota in the syrup and slather the syrup all over the chirota . Place it in a serving plate.

For dry chirota drop the fried chirota in the powdered sugar + cardamom powder mixture. Sprinkle the powdered sugar in all the nooks and crannies of the Chirota. Dust away the excess sugar and the chirotas are ready to serve.

Enjoy any one of the two methods to sweeten the chirota according to your convenience and taste.

Salad Rolls.

2009-05-14T09:11:00.007-05:00

SALAD ROLLS

Do you feel appetizers are loaded with calories and restrict your imagination to fried finger food ??? Salad is a healthy appetizer that can not only be served before a larger meal, but can also be a side dish, or a main course. Check out a fun way of serving salad. The only cutlery you need is a serving plate and your fingers to pick and lick.

Ingredients :

1.5 cup shredded iceberg lettuce , 1/2 tspn freshly ground black pepper ,

2 tbspn Mayonnaise , pinch of garlic powder or minced garlic ,

Salt to taste , 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese ,

Rice paper (preferably square shaped available in most Asian Stores)

Procedure :

1. Mix the garlic powder / Minced garlic with Mayonnaise.

2. Take a large bowl half filled with hot water. Hold two corners of the rice paper and dip it into the water. Remember that the rice paper sticks to itself so you need to dip the paper the same way you would dip clothes into a bucket of water and drain the water droplets off. The heat of the water is enough to cook the rice paper. For your reference the rice paper is shown in the picture above before dipping.

3. Lay the rice paper on a flat surface like a chopping board with on corner pointing at you. Lay a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce diagonally across topped with Mayonnaise , black pepper per your taste , salt and cheddar cheese as shown in the picture.

4. Start rolling the tip of the paper away from you. Once you tightly hold the salad in place tuck the two loose ends on either side in the roll. As the paper sticks to itself you do not need anything to glue it up. Make sure you roll it tightly so that it doesn't fall apart when cut.

5. Each roll can be cut into equal parts. It tastes better when cold . So place them in a refrigerator till it is time to serve.

Variation : You may exclude cheddar cheese if you are watching your calorie intake. You may also drizzle a salad dressing of your choice. Make sure you do not add too much of it as it may become watery and the liquid might run out of the rolls when cut.

A welcome drink and salad rolls as an appetizer will definitely fetch a lot of compliments. An interesting appetizer also raises the bar of expectation for the other courses of meal. So make sure you meet the mark.

Potato stuffed Bati with Dal.

2009-05-07T10:36:00.005-05:00

POTATO STUFFED BATI WITH DAL

Dal Bati is the most popular item in Rajasthani cuisine. Lentil soup with baked whole wheat flaky round bread very tasty and healthy indeed. Although traditional Bati is a baked dumpling of wheat flour , this recipe offers a variation by stuffing the Bati with mashed potatoes seasoned with spices and herbs. Dal Bati brings in an Indian twist to your weekend Barbeque parties.

Ingredients : serves 4

Dal : 1/2 cup Dal (urad , masoor , chana , tuvar in equal quantities)

1/4 tspn cumin , 1/4 tspn Asafoetida ,1/4th tspn turmeric , Salt to taste ,

1 tbpsn ginger + garlic + green chillies paste , Garam Masala.

Bati : 1.5 cup wheat flour , Salt to taste , 3 tbspn butter .

For Stuffing : 1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes , Salt to taste , cilantro (coriander) ,

1/4 tspn cumin powder , red chilly powder , cilantro.

Procedure :

Dal : Pressure cook the Dal mixture. Heat oil in a pan , add cumin , asafoetida , turmeric followed by the ginger+garlic+green chillies paste. Saute for 10 seconds and add the cooked Dal and about 1/2 cup water . Add Garam Masala . Let it simmer for about 10 minutes .

Bati : For the stuffing mix all the ingredients mentioned above and make Laddu size balls.

For the covering knead a hard dough with butter , wheat flour , salt to taste and water as required.

To make the Bati take a small ball of dough , roll it to make sufficient surface for the potato stuffing to get covered and seal the Bati with the open ends. Preheat the oven @ 375 degrees and place the batis on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes or till they turn brown on the surface. The batis are dipped in pure ghee so that they absorb most of the ghee . However with the daily health regimes , if you are not comfortable dipping the bati in ghee, you may drizzle little bit over the hot baked bati and serve with Dal on side.

Nachni (Ragi) Laddu.

2009-05-07T09:30:00.004-05:00

NACHNI (RAGI) LADDU.

Ragi can be without doubt titled as a WONDER GRAIN due to the nutritious richness that it offers. While ragi is an ideal first food after an infant reaches at least 6 months of age , it can be incorporated in adult meals in many ways. Bhakri (Maharashtrian Bread) , Biscuits , porridge , Dosa , Laddu are some ways in which you may increase consumption for a healthy living.

Ingredients : (Makes 8-10 Laddu)

1 cup Ragi Flour , 1/2 cup melted ghee ,

1/2 tspn cardamon powder , 3 tbspn milk/cream,

1 cup powdered sugar.

Procedure :
Heat the ghee in a nonstick pan and add the Ragi flour to the pan. Roast the flour for 10-15 minutes on medium high heat. Keep stirring from time to time to roast the flour evenly. Add the milk/cream and quickly stir. The milk will not cook the flour but will just leave required amount of moisture to make laddu. Turn off the heat and let cool. Mix the powdered sugar and cardamon powder. When making laddus if you feel that the mixture is too dry , moisten your palms with Ghee . Do not use milk as more milk you use lesser would be the shelf life.

Variation : To add to the nutritious value you may add powdered dryfruits like cashews , almonds to the flour. However cashews /almonds release natural oils over a period of time which may considerably reduce the shelf life. You may have to refrigerate them for storage for longer periods.

Sanja (सांजा).

2009-04-09T22:57:00.002-05:00

SANJA (सांजा )
There are times when we feel a little under the weather.It's hard to eat when you're sick, but we know it's best to force something down. Some might feel relieved with a bowl of hot soup while some might want to eat Khichdi. Of course it not advisable to call it a night with empty stomach. Check out this throat soothing , easy to digest recipe that my Mum gave me when i was sick.

Ingredients : (Serves 1)
1/2 Cup Semolina (Sooji) , 1 tbspn oil , 1 tspn Mustard seeds (राई) ,
2 pinch asafoetida , 5-7 curry leaves , 1/4th tspn turmeric , Salt to taste ,
1/4th tspn sugar , 1/2 tspn lemon juice , 1।5 cup Hot water ,

2 tbspn finely chopped onion , 1/4 tspn red chilly powder ,

cilantro to garnish , 1/2 tspn ghee.

Procedure :
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds (राई). Let it splutter , then add asafoetida + turmeric + curry leaves followed by semolina. Roast for about 7-10 minutes on medium high heat. Add red chilly powder + sugar + salt + onion . Add hot preferably boiling water and quickly stir to avoid formation of lumps. Reduce heat to low and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes. This will help retain the steam within the pan. Then uncover the pan and add lemon juice and cilantro. Serve it hot in a bowl and drop a dollop of desi ghee on top.

The asafoetida , curry leaves , turmeric have medicinal properties that sooth the throat . The ghee on top adds to the flavor also helps to mellow down the strong flavor of asafoetida.
You will enjoy this dish even when you are hail and hearty. You may want to reduce the amount of water in equal proportion to the Sooji then. That means if you use 1 cup sooji use 1 cup water.

Jalebi.

2009-04-04T23:00:00.005-05:00

JALEBI

Jalebi is a syrupy sweet that is shaped like a slightly large, chaotic pretzel and is traditionally prepared in India and Pakistan. Well-made jalebi has a tart element with a sweet taste.

Ingredients :
2 cup All purpose flour (Maida) , 1tbspn rice flour , 1 tbspn besan
1/4 tspn salt, 1/8th tspn baking powder , 1/8th tspn yeast
2 tspn oil (warm) , 2 tbspn yogurt , yellow color
3/4th cup room temperature milk overnight @ room temperature.

For Sugar Syrup : Salt , cardamon powder , lemon juice, sugar, water .....

Procedure :
Mix the ingredients well. Add milk to the ingredients little at a time to form a paste that can be piped with the sauce bottle. Set aside for 4 hrs at room temperature. Stir after 4 hrs and let it sit for another 2 hrs.

Heat the water + sugar +lemon juice + yellow color + cardamon powder to make a one string syrup.

After the rest period mix the batter well and fill it in a sauce bottle with a spout on top. Start piping the jalebis in the oil in a circular motion. Ensure that the oil is not too hot. It needs to be just enough hot so that the jalebis float to the surface when piped . Evenly fry both sides. Some like light brown jalebis while some prefer the fresh-crisp-yellow colored jalebis. Fry the jalebis to the color you like. Drain the oil and drop the jalebis to the warm sugar syrup for about 2-3 minutes . Yummy jalebis are ready to serve.

Pineapple Sponge Cake.

2009-03-21T18:40:00.006-05:00

PINEAPPLE SPONGE CAKE

A sponge cake is a simplest forms of cake with minimal ingredients. Its mild and refreshing flavor make it a good accompaniment with Tea/Coffee.

Ingredients :

4 Eggs , 1 cup all purpose flour , 1 cup sugar ,

1.5 tspn pineapple essence , 1 stick unsalted butter ,

1 tspn baking powder , 1/2 tspn baking soda.

Procedure :

Blend the measured sugar to form a fine powder.

Sieve the dry ingredients (all purpose flour + powdered sugar + baking soda + baking powder). It needs to be sifted thrice. It removes the lumps in the dry ingredients and helps make the cake light and fluffy.

Break 4 eggs and separate the egg whites and yolk. Make sure that the egg white does not have even the minute of the yolk. Use a blender to whip the egg white till the egg whites turn stiff and hold body. It turns into a white foam like substance. Beat the egg yolks separately and add pineapple essence to it.Now gradually incorporate the dry ingredients to the wet ones in a circular motion. Also add the room temperature butter and mix well.

Grease the baking sheet with butter and dust some flour evenly. Pour the cake batter into the baking sheet and place it into a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Insert a toothpick into the cake after 20 minutes. If it comes clean the cake is ready. If the batter sticks to the tooth pick it needs to be baked for some more time. The cake is ready. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Paneer Tikka

2009-03-13T10:05:00.006-05:00

PANEER TIKKA

Paneer tikka is a vegetarian version of chicken tikka, paneer placed on skewers and roasted. Firm tofu has a similar texture and consistency so it can be used in place of paneer as a non-dairy substitute.

Ingredients :

8-10 cube-like pieces of firm Paneer , Salt to taste ,

1 tbspn yogurt/curd , 1/2 green chilly finely chopped ,

1/2 tspn ginger garlic paste , 1/2 tspn red chilly powder ,

Salt to taste , 1 tbspn oil , 3/4th tspn Everest Garam Masala,

Coriander or cilantro to garnish.

Procedure :

Whip the yogurt well to remove any lumps. Add salt + red chilly powder + green chilly finely chopped + ginger garlic paste + Garam Masala and mix well . Add paneer cubes and coat the marinade well over the cubes. Let it sit for minimum 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees . Place the marinated paneer cubes on a baking sheet and in the oven for about 3-5 minutes. The yogurt coated over the paneer looses moisture. Drizzle some oil over the cubes . This prevents the tikka from becoming dry and sticking to the baking sheet . Let it roast for another 3-4 minutes .

To make these tikkas in a pan. Place the cubes on medium low heat in a nonstick pan. Cover the pan with a lid. The yogurt gives away water. Remove the lid and crank up the heat to high. Drizzle oil over the cubes and roast for 2-3 minutes.In both cooking processes Paneer might get hard and chewy if it is overcooked.

Serve with a wedge of lemon and garnish with Cilantro / Coriander.

Aloo Methi (आलू मेथी)

2009-03-10T09:39:00.003-05:00

Aloo Methi ( आलू मेथी )

Aloo methi , as the name suggests is made of potatoes and methi (fenugreek). Methi / Fenugreek is used in variety of food like Methi Malai mutter , Methi Paratha , Methi Pulao etc. Aloo Methi can be served with butter paratha or as a side with Jeera Rice.

Ingredients : (Serves 4 )

1 cup Methi / Fenugreek finely chopped ,

1/2 cup onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped,

Salt to taste , 1/4th tspn mustard seeds , 1/4th tspn cumin ,

a pinch of asafoetida , 1/4th tspn turmeric , Salt to taste ,

1/2 tspn sugar , 1/2 tspn red chilly powder ,

2 medium sized boiled & peeled potatoes, 2 tbspn oil.

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan , Add cumin and mustard seeds. Let them splutter , then add asafoetida ,turmeric , garlic and onion . Saute till the onion gives away the moisture. Then add finely chopped Methi /Fenugreek. Roast the fenugreek on medium high heat till it looses all the moisture and becomes crisp. In this process it looses the fresh green color. However you need to choose taste over the visual appearance this time. Add salt , red chilly powder , sugar and mix well .Chop the boiled & peeled potatoes in bite size pieces and incorporate it with the roasted fenugreek. The fenugreek then coats the potato. You may now turn down the heat to medium low for about 5 minutes. You may serve Aloo Methi with a wedge of lemon and squeeze it over as per your taste buds.

Wheat Flour Sheera ( कणकेचा शीरा )

2009-02-25T08:33:00.008-06:00

WHEAT FLOUR SHEERA ( कणकेचा शीरा)

Sheera is a traditional Maharashtrian sweet, usually served as ‘Prasad’ for Satyanarayan puja. Although sheera is known to be made of Semolina (Sooji/Rava) you may try this variation. Both have a unique differentiating taste. Its difficult to say which is better because both are delicious.

Ingredients : (serves 4)

1 cup wheat flour , 3 tbspn Ghee ( Clarified butter) ,

1 cup Sugar , a pinch of salt , 1/2 tspn cardamon powder ,

3/4th cup water , 3/4th cup milk. 10-12 cashews

Procedure :

Heat ghee in a nonstick pan till it melts. Add the cashews till they change color and fish them out. Add the wheat flour to the same pan which still has ghee. Roast on medium heat for about 15 minutes or till the wheat flour turns golden brown. Make sure you stir at regular intervals to avoid browning in patches. It has to be evenly roasted through out. After about 15 minutes the aroma of the roasted flour will indicate that its ready.

Heat oil + water together to a boil and add it to the roasted flour. Stir quickly to avoid formation of lumps. Immediately add sugar and a pinch of salt and stir well . The sugar releases moisture and eases stirring. It now gets a dough like consistency. Add the cardamon powder and roasted cashews. Sheera is ready to serve.

Soya granules and Green Peas Cutlets.

2009-02-23T09:35:00.007-06:00

SOYA GRANULES AND GREEN PEAS CUTLETS

Soya Granules are made from soya beans and are hundred percent vegetarian. It is rich in protein for complete nutrition. It can be effectively used as a meat substitute for vegetarians. Soya reduce heart problems , cholesterol level , helps weight control ,and is a good diabetic food.

These cutlets can be made in Minimal oil thus pleases health conscious eaters.

Ingredients : (Serves 4)

1 cup soya granules , 1 cup boiled mashed potato ,

Salt to taste , 1/4 Cup steamed green peas ,

3/4 tspn red chilly powder , 1 tspn ginger garlic paste ,

Cilantro , 3/4 tspn Garam Masala.

Oil to shallow fry .

Procedure :

Boil 1 cup soya granules in 2 cup water + 1/2 tspn Salt for 8-10 minutes. Let cool and squeeze out all the water from the granules.

Blend the Garam Masala , Cilantro , red chilly powder , ginger garlic paste in a blender. Mix it with mashed potatoes , soya granules, steamed green peas. Add salt to taste . Remember you have already added salt to the granules while cooking. If the mixture still has excess moisture or is sticky , use rice flour to reduce moisture. Make patties with the mixture , coat with sooji (semolina) and shallow fry till golden brown. Serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

Baingan ka Bharta. (बैंगन का भर्ता)

2009-02-23T06:57:00.013-06:00

BAINGAN KA BHARTA (बैंगन का भर्ता)

Eggplant or brinjal is a commonly used vegetable in cooking. Baingan ka bharta is a North Indian Vegetarian dish . Bharta can be served as a side or also as curry with Roti , Naan , Bhakri and/or Rice)

Ingredients :

1 big Eggplant , 1/2 cup each of finely chopped onions and tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped , 3 tbspn oil , Salt to taste ,

1 tspn red chilly powder , 1/4th tspn turmeric , a pinch of Asafoetida,

1/2 tspn mustard seeds , 1/2 tspn Garam Masala ,

Cilantro / coriander to garnish.

Procedure :

Wash the eggplant thoroughly and wipe it dry . Apply oil on the skin of the eggplant . Prick about 4 to five times with the tip of a knife on each side of the surface. This makes a path for the steam to escape out at the time of roasting the eggplant .

You may directly place the eggplant at this time over high heat on the gas stove . If you have an electric coil cook top do not place it on the coil. That may make things messy . Instead you may place the eggplant on a baking sheet and roast it for about 30 minutes on 375 degrees. It may take less or more time to roast the eggplant. After roasting it needs to be soft and mushy . The skin of the eggplant should have flakes or wrinkles so that you can peel of the skin easily.

Mash the peeled eggplant with the tip of spatula or even the edge of a spoon.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and after they splutter, add asafoetida , turmeric , Garlic , onion and tomatoes . Cook well for about 7-8 minutes. Then add the the mashed eggplant followed by red chilly powder , salt to taste , Garam Masala. Cook well for another 5-6 minutes to reduce the excess moisture. Garnish with cilantro. Bharta tastes best if served with piece of lemon juice squeezed on top and Raw onion.

Aloo Palak (आलू पालक)

2009-02-08T14:58:00.008-06:00

ALOO PALAK (आलू पालक)

( Aloo Palak is a nutritious Punjabi recipe.Palak Aloo is usually served with naan , chapati, and makki di roti or Jeera Rice. )

Ingredients :

2 cup Spinach , 1/4th cup finely chopped onions ,

2 cloves garlic finely chopped , 1/2 tspn crushed black pepper ,

2 tbspn oil. , 1/2 tspn Garam masala powder , 1/2 tspn red chilly powder ,

Salt to taste . 12-14 pieces long sliced potato.Oil to fry potatoes

Procedure :

Blanch the spinach for about 4-5 minutes and blend to form a fine paste.

Deep fry the potato pieces till they are well cooked.

Heat oil in a pan . Saute onion and garlic till golden brown . Add the spinach puree , pepper , salt to taste , red chilly powder , Garam Masala and mix well . Add the fried potatoes. Turn off the heat.Do not overcook the spinach as it tends to loose its fresh color and turns dark.

Replace the potato with Paneer to make Palak Paneer.

Chocolate chip cookies.

2009-02-07T21:57:00.006-06:00

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(Children, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, virtually everybody! No wonder why it is so popular. Chocolate is a symbol of love.Valentines day (14th Feb) is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes , roses , diamonds and chocolate . A gift of chocolate is a familiar courtship ritual.)

Ingredients :

2 large eggs , 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter ,

3/4th cup tightly packed brown sugar ,

3/4 cup regular sugar , 1 tspn salt ,

1 tspn Vanilla extract , 1.5 cup semi sweet chocolate chips,

2 + 1/4 th cup all purpose flour , 3/4 tspn baking soda .

Procedure :

Melt butter in a microwave or over medium heat and get it back to room temperature. Whip 2 large eggs with a whisk . Add vanilla extract and butter to it and mix well.

Sift all purpose flour to remove lumps if any . Add baking soda + salt + sugar + brown sugar and mix well. Add the dry ingredients in small portions . Combine the dry and wet ingredients with a spatula. Make sure you do not over mix. Add the chocolate chips and mix them with the cookie dough.

Preheat oven at 375 degrees and grease the baking sheet with butter and a thin layer of all purpose flour. Drop the cookie dough on the baking sheet. Space at least 2 inch apart from each other as the cookies expand almost twice the size due to the baking soda. Bake until golden brown , for about 12-14 minutes depends on how chewy or crisp cookies you like .The cookies will be soft in the center and will harden as they cool. Use a spatula to move the cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool and the cookies are ready to eat. If you are using the same baking sheet for several batches , make sure that the sheet gets to room temperature between batches.

Twirl pasta in tomato sauce.

2009-02-02T11:08:00.003-06:00

TWIRL PASTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

Pasta provides Smart Nutrition. Paired with tomato sauce and olive oil , pasta is at the center of the healthy Mediterranean diet.

Ingredients :

1 cup twirl pasta , 3/4 cup finely choipped tomatoes ,

1/2 cup long strands of chopped onion , 4 cloves of garlic ,

3 tbspn extra virgin olive oil (evoo), Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn red chilly flakes ,

1/4 tspn oregano , 1/4 tspn dry parsley , 1/4 tspn dried crushed thyme .

(You may use fresh herbs if available).

1/2 tspn hot sauce , 1/4 cup spring onion.

1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

Procedure :

Drop the twirl pasta in boiling water and season it with salt . Let cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Once the pasta is cooked Drain the excess water and drizzle EVOO , so that the pasta doesn't stick to each other.

Heat EVOO in a pan , Add finely chopped garlic , followed by onion and tomatoes. Cover the pan till the tomatoes cook well . Add salt to taste , red chilly flakes , parsley , oregano , thyme and salt to season the sauce. Add a little pasta water if need be. Add the chedar cheese and heat till it melts to make a thick sauce. Add the cooked twirl pasta and mix well with the sauce. In the end garnish with spring onion. Pasta is ready to serve.

Spicy Peas Pulao.

2009-02-02T10:15:00.007-06:00

SPICY PEAS PULAO

Pulao is the name given to rice cooked in a particular way. It involves toasting the rice first and then cooking it with a variety of vegetables or meat in a blend of spices. Peas pulao is normally very simple with minimal spices , rice and green peas. This however is a different recipe than the traditional way to make the Pulao.

Ingredients :

1/2 cup green peas , 1/2 cup Basmati Rice ,

2 tbspn oil , 1 pinch asafoetida , 1/4 tspn Mustard seeds ,

1/4th tspn cumin ,1/4th tspn turmeric , Salt to taste , 1/4 tspn sugar ,

3/4th Tspn red chilly powder , 3/4th tspn Garam Masala

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan . Add cumin and mustard seed. After they splutter add asafoetida and turmeric followed by green peas . Stir well for about a minute. After the initial sizzle of green peas goes away add rice and toast them on medium low heat for about 3-4 minutes. Add Garam Masala , Red chilly powder , salt to taste , sugar and toast the rice for another minute . A well roasted mixture of rice and veggies helps to cut down on the cooking time . Add water as required and cover the pan for the rice to cook. You may at this moment use the microwave to proceed further cooking . Do not add excess water . This method results in an exceptionally fluffy rice with the grains separated, and not sticky.

You may serve this pulao with Tomato shorba or Dal soup.

Vegetable Korma.

2009-02-02T09:12:00.005-06:00

VEGETABLE KORMA

The korma (sometimes spelt kormaa, qorma, khorma, or kurma) is a mild, pale, creamy, curry dish originating in South Asia and can be made with yogurt, cream, nut and seed pastes or coconut milk. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian kormas exist.

Ingredients : (serves 2)

1/2 cup florets of cauliflower , 1/4th cup sliced carrot ,

1/4 th cup coarsely chopped capsicum , 1/4th cup green peas ,

1/4th cup green beans ,1/4th cup diced potatoes ,

1/4 th cup roughly chopped tomatoes.

(You may use Paneer cubes and baby corn or any other veggies of your choice)

1 cup onions + tomatoes , 3 cloves of garlic , 1 inch ginger ,

1/2 tspn red chilly powder , 3/4th tspn Garam Masala , Salt to taste ,

1/4th cup heavy cream ,

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan. Saute garlic , onion and tomatoes for gravy till they cook. Add garam masala , red chilly powder and salt to taste and blend it into a smooth paste.

Heat about a teaspoon full of oil in a pan. Add the gravy to the pan and keep stirring all the while till the gravy releases the oil on the sides. Then add the chopped veggies and water as needed. Cover the pan and let cook for about 15 minutes. Make sure you do not overcook the veggies. Keep checking till they are cooked just right . You may cook it in the microwave for about 10 minutes with 'Cook Vegetable ' option.

Vegetable korma is ready to serve. You may serve it with lemon so that it can be squeezed over as per individual taste buds.

Vegetable Kung Pao

2009-01-18T21:50:00.006-06:00

VEGETABLE KUNG PAO.

Kung Pao is a classic dish in Szechuan cuisine. Although chicken is traditionally used, seafood items such as shrimp or scallops, or other meats such as beef or pork, are sometimes used in place of the chicken (although typically only a single meat or seafood is used). It can also be prepared with tofu instead of meat. Vegetarians may exclude meat out of the recipe , as it is , in this recipe.

Ingredients :

2 tbspn Oil , 1/2 tspn finely chopped garlic , 1/2 tbspn finely chopped ginger ,

2 cups coarsely chopped vegetables ( like onion , carrot , green beans ,

corn niblets , zucchini , tofu , broccoli , cauliflower , mushroom , spring onions ) ,

Salt to taste , 2 tspn corn starch , 1/2 tspn crushed black pepper, roasted peanuts.

Sauce Concoction : 1 cup water , 1 tspn red chilly flakes , 2 tspn sugar , 3 tspn white vinegar , 4 tspn soy sauce .

Procedure :

Mix all the ingredients for sauce concoction.

Heat Oil in on high heat , add ginger garlic till they change color. Then add onion and stir well . Add the mix of the coarsely chopped veggies. Do not turn down the heat so that they get a little charred where the veggies touch the bottom of the hot wok. Make sure you stir at regular intervals. Do not overcook . It helps maintain the crunch in the veggies. After about 5 minutes stirring on high heat sprinkle about 2 tspn corn starch and add the concoction to the veggies.

The corn starch sprinkled on the veggies acts as a thickening agent for the concoction. The sauce then coats the veggies and brings the shine and the taste. Sprinkle roasted peanuts and spring onions on top.
Vegetable Kung Pao can be served as an entree or a side with Rice or Noodles.

SolKadhi (सोलकढी)

2009-01-14T08:38:00.004-06:00

SOLKADHI (सोलकढी)

The main ingredient "Kokum" , has medicinal use as a digestive tonic .The outer cover of the fruit is dried in the Sun to get Aamsul or Kokam/Kokum. It is used as a slightly sour spice in recipes from Maharashtra , that yields peculiar taste and dark red colour. It is a preferred substitute for tamarind in curries and other dishes from Konkan.

Ingredients :

8-10 Kokum / Aamsul , Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn sugar ,

2 green chillies chopped , 1/4 tspn cumin , 2 tbspn oil ,

2 pinches asafoetida , Finely chopped cilantro (coriander) ,

2 cups coconut milk.

Procedure :

Soak the kokum in 1/2 cup hot water for about 15-20 mins so that it gives away the color and flavor to the water. You may heat the soaked kokum in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes for quick results. Remove the kokum from the water. You may strain the extract to remove the bits and pieces left behind. Mix this extract in coconut milk. Add salt to taste , sugar and chopped cilantro. You may also add water at this point to get a soup like consistency.

Heat oil in a pan , add cumin . After the cumin starts spluttering , add asafoetida (hing) and chopped green chillies . Mix this tadka with the kokum + coconut milk mixture and heat it on medium low heat till it gets lukewarm. It can be served at room temperature too. Unlike other soups , Solkadhi is to be served lukewarm or at room temperature . You may serve it before meals , with meals and due to its digestive properties it helps reduce the food hangover after heavy meals. Enjoy !!!!

Tomato Shorba.

2009-01-11T21:49:00.003-06:00

TOMATO SHORBA

Shorba is the Indian name for soup and is a North Indian dish. It can be made using ingredients like chicken , spinach , Dal (Lentils) etc.It can be served with Papad before or after appetizers.

Ingredients :

4 diced Tomatoes , 1/4th Cup diced onion , 1/2 inch green chilly ,

Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn sugar , Water , Butter , 1 tbspn butter , 2 tspn lemon juice.

Cilantro to garnish

Procedure :

Cook diced tomatoes , onions and green chilly in a pressure cooker or microwave. Blend well in a mixer. Heat butter in a pan add cumin . Let it splutter. Add the blended tomato + Onion mixture and water enough to eliminate the sour taste of the tomato. Add sugar and salt to taste. Let boil for about 5 minutes. Ad about 2 tspn lemon juice. Turn of the heat. Shorba is ready to serve. Garnish with cilantro.

Note : You add water enough to eliminate the sour taste of tomato and then add lemon juice so that you get the refreshing sour taste of the lemon. This helps you to get the color of tomato and refreshing aroma from the lemon.

Besan Laddu.

2009-01-09T19:30:00.004-06:00

BESAN LADDU (बेसनाचा लाडू )

Besan laddu is a very easy sweet to make and is popular throughout India, especially at festivals and celebrations, especially Diwali. Enjoy the sumptuous besan laddoos with friends and relatives

Ingredients : (Approx. 20 Laddus)

1 cup besan (chickpea flour) , 3/4 cup Ghee ( Clarified butter)

2 tbspn milk , 1.25 cup powdered sugar , 1/2 tspn cardamon powder.

Procedure :

Heat ghee in a nonstick and add the besan to it. Stir well for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Keep an eye on the pan all the while so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. After 15 minutes it changes color . Then add 2 tbspn milk. Quickly stir the mixture as it has lost all the moisture and adding milk/cream adds moisture. It fluffs up and if not stirred continuously , it might get charred.

Turn down the heat and keep stirring for another 5 minutes. Your nose knows that its done. Turn off the heat now and let get to room temperature. Add the powdered sugar and cardamon powder. Mix well with hands and make laddus. You may add raisins at this stage if you like.

Ravioli.

2009-01-09T08:44:00.007-06:00

RAVIOLI

Ravioli is a type of filled pasta composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough. This entree' takes a lot of time and efforts but the taste pays off well. It is quite filling and just a pair of ravioli can fill one hungry soul.

Ingredients :

For dough

1 cup all Purpose flour , Salt to taste , Oil

For Puree filling

2 cup blanched spinach , Salt to taste , Cheddar cheese ( Any quick melting pasta cheese) , Salt , Pepper , 1 clove of garlic , 1/2 tspn all purpose flour

For Sauce

Finely chopped onions 1/2 Cup , Finely chopped tomatoes 1.5 Cup , 1 Tbspn Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or any other oil , Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn Crushed Black pepper

Procedure :

Dough

Knead a dough with flour , water , salt , oil . Keep it covered till other ingredients are ready.

Puree Filling

Blend the blanched spinach in minimal water so as to make a thick puree. Heat oil in a pan , Add 1/2 tspn all purpose flour and saute till it looses it raw flavor. Add the puree , Salt , crushed black pepper , cheese and let it simmer till it gets a paste like consistency .

Turn off the heat and let cool till the spinach paste reaches room temperature. Roll out small balls of the dough previously made in pairs. Place one on a flat surface . Carefully place one tbspn spinach paste on top.

Cover it with another rolled out ball of dough . Press the loose ends carefully . Use a fork to press down the end. This ensures that the ends are locked in. This is a Ravioli.

Boil water in a Pasta Pot with a tablespoon full of oil . Drop the ravioli(s) in the pot and let it cook on high heat for about 8-10 minutes.

Sauce :

To make the sauce , heat oil in a pan and saute finely chopped onion and tomatoes till they cook well. Add salt and crushed black pepper . Add 1/4th cup water and let boil.

Turn off the heat.

To serve Ravioli : Place the ravioli in a baking pan . Slather the Sauce on top. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese . Top it all with Mushroom (optional).

Bake them at 350 degree for about 10 minutes. Ravioli is ready to serve.

Variation : The filling may be meat-based (either red or poultry), fish-based, or cheese-based. Ravioli can be rectangular, triangular, half-moon or circular in shape. Other traditional Italian filings may include a puree made of potatoes, mushrooms, pumpkin or artichokes.

Spaghetti in Peanut Sauce.

2009-01-05T18:53:00.004-06:00

SPAGHETTI IN PEANUT SAUCE
Peanut sauce is used in Indonesian , Malaysian, Thai and Chinese cuisine. This sweet and sour sauce brings in a different taste more close to Pad Thai Noodles.

Ingredients :

1/4th Cup chopped onion , 4-5 cloves garlic , 1 tspn red chilly powder,

Salt to taste , 2 tbspn Vinegar , 1 Tbspn Sugar ,

Peanut Butter (Smooth or Chunky)

Procedure :

Blend the onion Garlic and red chilly powder together for a minute or two , to form a fine paste.

Heat the mixture on medium low heat in a sauce pan. Let it simmer for some time. Add the vinegar , Salt to taste , sugar , and a generous tablespoon full of peanut butter. You may use smooth or chunky peanut butter. Add little water as needed. Let simmer on medium low heat for about 12-15 minutes. Taste to check if the sauce has the right combined taste of vinegar and sugar. The peanut sauce is ready to serve as a dip or to be stirred in with spaghetti.

Boil the spaghetti for about 4-5 minutes in water and salt to taste. Drizzle some oil over the spaghetti after you get them out of water to avoid them sticking to each other.

Heat oil in a pan and saute coarsely chopped onions and sliced button mushrooms. Once cooked Add the spaghetti and pour over the peanut sauce . Mix well . Add some coarsely chopped spring onion. Top it up with some roasted peanuts before you serve.

Ghavan (घावन)

2009-01-05T18:02:00.004-06:00

GHAVAN (घावन)

Ghavan is a riceflour pancake made in buttermilk is a breakfast delicacy in the coastal parts of Maharashtra .The freshness of the ingredients keeps you going throughout the day. The taste mingles and makes you want to eat more.)

Ingredients :

1 Cup Rice Flour , Salt to taste , 4-5 cloves of garlic ,

Cilantro , 1/2 Cup buttermilk , 1 green chilly , 1 tspn Oil.

Oil to shallow fry.

Procedure :

Mix Salt , oil and rice flour together. Whip curd / Yogurt to leave no lumps add water if you need , so that it looks like buttermilk. Mix it with the flour. Add finely chopped garlic , chillies and corainder to the mixture with right amount of water to make a Dosa-like bater.

Spread the bater on a hot flat pan . Drizzle some oil for greasing. Cook from both sides till golden brown. Serve it hot with Sweet and Sour Lemon Pickle.

The sour taste of the yogurt , the garlicy aroma , the freshness of green chillies combine together to make a wonderful startup meal.

Veggie Roll.

2009-01-02T10:43:00.005-06:00

VEGGIE ROLL

This is an appetizer which is special as it does not only pleases your taste buds but also looks interesting. This is a simple recipe with ingredients available at home.What you need is just

IMAG-E-NATION

Ingredients :

2 cups mashed potatoes , Salt to taste ,

1/2 tspn red chilly powder , fresh spinach

2 cloves garlic , 1/4 tspn Everest Garam Masala.

2 Cups Wheat Flour .

Procedure :

Knead a dough of the wheat flour with salt to taste and make Rotis as would normally do. Roll the Rotis bigger in size.

Grind Garam Masala, Red Chilly powder , Garlic in a blender and mix it with the Mashed potatoes . Add salt to taste.

Lay down the Roti on a flat surface. Evenly spread the mashed potato mixture. Cover the mashed potato layer with a bed of fresh spinach as shown in the picture.

Start rolling the Roti holding the spinach in its place from one till reaches the end . The potatoes may not help to hold the loose end of the roll. Place the loose end below and cut the roll into pieces (approx. 1/2 inch wide) . Prick a tooth pick to hold the loose end of each roll.

Shallow fry these rolls till golden brown. Sprinkle Pani Puri Masala on top. It adds to the aroma. Serve it with Mint /Pudina Chutney

Variation : You may use tortillas to replace Rotis and any kind of minced meat instead of potatoes.

Vegetable Stir Fry.

2008-12-21T14:53:00.004-06:00

VEGETABLE STIR FRY.

Veggie Lovers treat themselves by incorporating as many vegetables as they can in a meal . What better way can one have to accomplish this desire. A stir fry your own way can be a mix of all veggies you like and are available. )

Ingredients : (Serves 4)

1 cup coarsely chopped Capsicum , 1/2 cup grated Cottage Cheese (paneer) ,

1/4th Cup Green peas , 1/4th Cup onion , 1 tomato ,

Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn red chilly powder , 1/4 tspn sugar ,

1/2 tbspn Everest Garam Masala ,1/4th tspn cumin 2 tbspn oil .

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan add cumin till it splutters . Then add onion , green peas , capsicum , tomatoes and other veggies of your choice. Cover for a minute or two on medium high heat . Add grated paneer salt to taste , Garam Masala , Red chilly powder , sugar .

Turn off the heat ad the stir fry is ready to serve. If you like a little gravy . You may add water in small quantity. Do not overcook the vegetables as they tend to loose color. Cooking it just right also ensure the crunch in the bite. Enjoy !!!!!

Note : You may add other veggies like baby corn , carrots , Cauliflower etc.

You may add paneer cubes. However strands of grated paneer look good in the dish.

Spinach Pasta.

2008-12-21T13:16:00.004-06:00

SPINACH PASTA.

(Out of the hundreds of different types of Pasta , its upto your imagination and taste buds to serve a hearty delicious Italian meal. You cannot miss the chance to use the variety of ingredients to make a sauce of your choice and pleas crowds.)

Ingredients :

1 cup spinach , 2 tbspn extra virgin olive oil - EVOO ( or butter , or vegetable oil) ,

1 tbspn finely chopped garlic , 1/4th Cup finely chopped onion ,

1/4th cup Corn nibblets ,

Salt to taste , Black pepper , 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese , red chilly flakes,

1.5 cup pasta .

Procedure :

Heat approx 3/4th Gallon water in a big pot. Drop the pasta in the water . This is the only time you get to season the pasta . Add salt to taste. Adding oil to the pasta may not let the seasoning do its work. Its important to stir the pasta for the first few minutes as it looses the starch and tend to stick to eachother if not stirred. You may use pasta of your choice. Another option is to use an assortment of pasta to add interest (twirls , penne , fetuccini , shell etc.) Let the pasta boil till it turns white in color for approximately 15 minutes.

Blanch the spinach in hot water . Grind it well to make fine puree. Remember you will not get the fresh green color if spinach is overheated.

Heat EVOO in a pan and saute garlic and onion and corn nibblets till they loose its raw taste. Add the spinach puree , salt to taste and cheese . Heat it on a low flame just till the cheese melts.

Its now time marry the pasta with the sauce. Mix well and turn off the heat. Garnish the pasta with grated parmsan cheese and chilly flakes. Serve it hot with a cob of boiled corn or baked vegetables.

Stuffed Jalapenos.

2008-12-15T23:05:00.011-06:00

STUFFED JALAPENOS

Ingredients :

Jalapenos 6-8 , 3/4th cup chickpea powder (Besan) , 1/4th cup Peanut Powder ,

Chilly powder , Salt to taste , 2 pinch turmeric , 1 pinch asafoetida , 3 tbspn oil

1/4 tspn fennel seeds , 1/2 tspn sugar .

Oil to shallow fry.

Procedure :

Cut the jalapenos lengthwise on one side and deseed the jalapenos to make room for stuffing. This will also help to reduce the heat from them.

Mix besan , salt , chilly powder , peanut powder , fennel seeds (optional) , sugar , turmeric , asafoetida . Drizzle regular cooking oil over the mixture and mix it well so that the oil holds the mixture. Use of water makes the filling sticky . Oil helps to bind the mixture together better.

Stuff the jalapenos with the mixture and make sure you have a tight filling. Use a double boiler or preassure cook the jalapenos for about 10 minutes . These can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks .

Shallow fry these before you serve and due to its long shelf life they can be served as a side as and when needed.

NOTE : This Maharashtrian side is made with a particular type of green chillies . Jalapenos are a good substitute for this recipe. You may use any type of not too spicy green chillies , reasonable in size per availability.

Carrot Dessert (गाजर हल्वा)

2008-12-15T22:10:00.004-06:00

CARROT DESSERT (गाजर हल्वा)
(This is another favorite dessert served by filmy mothers . A simple recipe and liked by many.A way in which carrots can be incorporated in the meals. )

Ingredients :

8 -10 grated carrots , 1 tbspn pure ghee , 10-12 cashews cut into pieces ,

1/4th cup heavy cream , 1/4 tspn cardomon powder,

3 cup sugar , a pinch of salt.

Procedure :

Cook the grated carrot in a preassure cooker . You may cook it in a microwave for about 15 minutes . Heat pure ghee in a pan and get the cashews toasted till golden brown. Fish out the cashews out off the ghee and add the cooked carrot to the pan. Add sugar , heavy cream , salt . The mixture will loose water and will be flowy after you miix all the ingredients. Cook on medium high heat so that the excess moisture evaporates as they share flavor and taste. Once you get close to the right consistancy add cardomon powder and let cool. (Do not leave a lot of moisture and do not make it too dry.) Mix the cashew pieces with it and Halva is ready to serve.

Veg. Manchurian.

2008-12-09T08:08:00.006-06:00

VEG. MANCHURIAN

( Veg. Dumpling cooked in Indo-Chinese style. Indian Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes . Veg Manchurian is a good accompaniment with Szechuan Rice / Noodles , Fried Rice , Garlic Noodle and other Indo-chinese cuisine. If made in Dry gravy it can be served as a starter.)

Ingredients :

For the Dumpling :

1 cup finely chopped Cabbage , 2 tbspn finely chopped capsicum ,

1.5 tbspn Corn Starch, Salt to taste , Oil to fry.

For the Gravy :

1 tbspn oil , finely chopped Garlic and ginger 1 tspn each,

1/4th cup finely chopped onion , 2 tbspn finely chopped capsicum ,

2 tbspn finely chopped spring onion, 1/4th tspn finely choped green chillies

1 Cup water , Salt to taste , 2 tspn Soy Sauce , 3/4th tspn vinegar

1 tbspn Corn Starch.

Procedure :

Mix finely chopped cabbage , capsicum , salt and corn starch together and rub it well with hands so that the moisture from the veggies dampens the corn starch enought to bind them all together . Make small size dumplings and deepfry till they are dark in color. Fry them on medium heat so that they cook well in the center.

Heat oil in a wok . Cook garlic , onion , capsicum for about 2 mins. Add water , salt , ginger , green chillies and let it boil for about 3-5 minutes . (You may use Vegetable stock instead of water). This helps to extract the flavors from the ingredients. Add corn starch dissolved in little water , vinegar and spring onions . Garnish with Cilantro and spring onion.

Veg Manchurian is ready to serve.

Variation : To make Chicken Manchurian , marinade bite size chicken pieces in egg , salt , 2 pinch chilly powder and ginger garlic paste (for about 45 minutes). Deep fry them on medium heat. Follow the same procedure to make the gravy.

Szechuan Rice (with Homemade Sauce).

2008-12-03T16:00:00.010-06:00

SZECHUAN SAUCE.

(Szechuan cuisine is famous for bold flavors, particularly the spiciness resulting from liberal use of chilies . This condiment can be used for stir fry , with rice/nooodles , as a dip and in many other ways.)

Ingredients :

20 Dry red chillies , 6 cloves of garlic ,

1 inch ginger finely chopped , 2 tbspn finely chopped onion ,

1 green chilly , salt to taste , 1 tbspn white vinegar ,

2 tbspn sugar , 1/4 tspn all purpose flour.

Procedure :

Soak dry red chillies for minimum 8 hours.

Grind he chillies with ginger , garlic and green chilly to form fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan cook the onion on medium heat. Add the all purpose flour and stir well till the flour looses its raw flavor. Flour is used as a thickening agent in this sauce. Then add red chilly paste , salt , sugar let it come to a boil. (You may add water to get required consistency). Add white vinegar. The sauce is ready to use or to be frozen for future use.

SZECHUAN RICE.

Heat oil in a pan and add coarsely chopped veggies as you may like (e.g carrot , green beans , cabbage , green peas) . Once the veggies are half cooked add well cooked rice and stir well. (Cooking the veggies half way through gets the crunch to the dish which many enjoy) . Add the szechuan sauce , salt to taste , a tspn vinegar. Cover the pan so that rice can absorb all the flavors. Rice is ready to serve hot.

Variation : You may use noodles instead of rice. You may also add chicken or shrimps.

Hara - Bhara Kabab

2008-11-16T12:11:00.003-06:00

Hara - Bhara Kabab

(A tasty alternative for those who love kababs but are vegetarian . Hara Bhara kabab gets its name and green colour from the healthy spinach in it.)

Ingredients :

2 cup mashed potato , 1/4th Cup Spinach Puree ,

1/4th tspn ginger garlic paste , Salt to taste, 1 tbspn green chilly paste , 2 pinch cumin powder

2 tbspn rice flour , 3 tbspn bajra flour (can be substituted with additional 2 tbspn rice flour)

8 - 10 cashews cut into pieces

1/2 tspn Pani Puri Masala (Optional)

Procedure :

Use minimal water when making the spinach puree so that the potatoes remain as dry as they can . Add mashed potatoes rice flour , bajra flour , salt , ginger garlic paste, green chilly paste , Cashews , cumin powder and mix well . Rice flour helps to absorb the moisture from the spinach puree and sticky texture of potatoes. Bajra flour gives it a smoky taste and can be substituted with additional rice flour.

Make Kabab shapes of the batter. Roll them into rice flour for a thin coat. Deep fry them in oil heated on hight tempreture.

Kababs can be sprinkled with Pani Puri masala. This is optional. It gives a Tangy taste to the Kabab.

They are ready to serve hot with any condiment like green chutney , Imli Chutney or any cheese dip.

Idli.

2008-11-16T10:42:00.007-06:00

IDLI

(Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack , idlis are usually served with chutney , sambar , or other accompaniments. Mixtures of crushed dry spices such as milagai pudi are the preferred condiment for idlis eaten on the go.)

Ingredients :

3 measures Rice , 1 measure Urad dal ,

Salt to taste.

Procedure :

Soak Rice and Dal seperately for minimum 8 hrs.

Blend the Rice and Dal to form fine batter . Remember thicker the batter better the idli would be. Add minimal amount of water . Just enough for the grinder to make fine paste. Once ground place a big piece of onion in the pot that holds the bater. This helps the fermentation process.

Set the batter aside undisturbed to ferment for minimum 8 hours. Keep it in a warm place.

Grease the Idli stand with Oil. Fill each slot with the batter. Do not fill it to the rim because Idli tends to rise and fluff up during the process of cooking. Once filled place the Idli stand in a big utensil to steam cook for 20 mins on high flame. After 20 mins sprinkle room tempreture water on the edges of the idli. This prevents the Idli from sticking to the edges during the cooling process. After a minute or two use a spoon to scoop out the idli. Serve it hot with Chutney Sambar or milaga pudi.

Variation : To serve it as a starter or a side dish you may follow the same process however use the mini-Idli stand to steam cook them. After the Idli is ready you may make a Tadka and spread it over the Idli. The ingredients of Tadka are Oil ,1/4 tspn mustard seeds , 2 pinches Hing , 8-10 Curry Leaves , 1/4th tspn salt. Adding salt to the Tadka gives a very different flavor to the Idli . Try it once.

IDLIFRY

Leftover Idlis can be deep fried. Sprinkle Chat Masala over it. You may also sprinkle Parmesan cheese.It can be served as an evening snack

Lemon Rasam./ Dal Soup

2008-11-13T11:41:00.010-06:00

Lemon Rasam / Dal Soup

( You must be thinking "Whats so special about this ordinary looking Dal?"The flavors of fresh ingredients in this recipe are extraordinary and refreshing. If served with Rice its "Lemon Rasam" whereas , due to its souplike consistancy it can be named and served as "Dal Soup" too.)

Ingredients :

1 Cup cooked Toor Dal , 2 cups water , 1/4 tspn Cumin ,

Salt to taste , 2 tbspn fresh lime juice ,

1/4 tspn pepper powder , 1/2 tspn finely chopped ginger ,

2 tbspn ghee.

Procedure :

Blend Cooked Toor Dal in a Blender. This helps to remove all traces of Dal and looks like paste. Add water per measurement , salt to taste , ginger. Do not blend the dal after adding ginger so that you can enjoy the flavor of ginger. Heat pure Ghee in pan and add cumin till it splutters and then add the dal. Let boil for approximately 10 mins. Make sure that the consistancy of the Dal is souplike. After 10 mins add pepper powder and lemon juice and cover the pa with a lid. Turn off the flame. Let it stay covered for a minute or two. The soup / Rasam is ready to serve .

Variation : No variations recommended for this dish as its flavor make it special. Do not substitute Ghee with oil or exclude pepper, ginger or lemon.

Paneer Bhurji (पनीर भुर्जी)

2008-11-02T19:42:00.004-06:00

Paneer Bhurji (पनीर भुर्जी)

( "Do not cry over spoilt milk" - Yeah you read it right... Paneer (Cottage cheese) is nothing but curdled milk. Paneer is a source of protein for those who adhere to vegetarian. If you feel that you are missing something when others enjoy Egg Bhurji , try this one.)

Ingredients : (Serves 4)

2 cup grated Paneer , 1/2 cup finely chopped onion ,

3-4 grated cloves of garlic , Salt to taste , 3 green chillies finely chopped,

1 tbspn oil , 1 tomato , 1/4 tspn Cumin

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan . Add cumin followed by garlic , onions and tomato. Mix well and let cook.

If you are using store pack paneer , you need to grate it as it is in the form of a slab.

Add Grated Panner , finely chopped green chillies , Salt to taste . Stir well , Garnish with cilantro. Paneer Bhurji is ready to serve.

Procedure to make paneer :

To prepare paneer, food acid (usually lemon juice, vinegar, or yogurt) is added to hot milk to separate the curds. The curds are then drained in a muslin cloth and excess water is pressed out.

Sweet Potato delight. (रताल्याचा कीस)

2008-11-02T19:17:00.010-06:00

Sweet Potato delight (रताल्याचा कीस)
(A dish good to serve on side , in the lunch box , and good for fast. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates , protein , vitamins A and C, iron , and calcium , the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value.)

Ingredients : (Serves two)

1 cup grated Sweet Potato , 1 cup grated regular potato ,

3 chillies cut into 1 inch pieces , 1/2 tspn कमीं

1 tbsn oil , Salt to taste , 1/4 tspn sugar।

Chopped Cilantro ( coriander ) to garnish.

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan । Add cumin and let it sputter .Drop green chilly in the pan . After a few seconds add the grated potato and Sweet potato to the pan. Make sure that you peel before you grate the potaotes. Cover the pan and let cook for about 10 mins. Add salt and sugar . Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

It tastes good even when at room tempreture. It good for pack lunch for kids and nutritious too.

Variation : You may use pure ghee for the tadka instead of using oil.

Sabudana Vada (साबूदाना वडा)

2008-10-24T10:06:00.007-05:00

Sabudana Vada (साबूदाना वडा)

(Food for fast is fast food. Sabudana (sago) vada is popular as an afternoon snack, as an accompaniment to hot masala chai . Sabudana vada, as well as sabudana khichdi , is even prepared during festivals.)

Ingredients :

1.5 Cup Soaked Sabudana , 1 Cup mashed potato ,

4-5 Green chillies , Coriander , 1/2 tspn roasted cumin , Salt to taste , 1/4 tspn sugar.

Procedure :

Soak Sabudana for minimum 5-6 hrs. Please note that the amount of water should be minimal (Just enough to soak). Grind Green chillies , roasted Cumin , coriander in a blender. Mix the mashed potatoes , sabudana and the chilly cumin mixture . Make sure that the size of the vada is not too big. This will ensure that the heat reaches to the center and doesn't keep it soggy.

Deep fry on medium heat.

Sabudana Vada tastes good with Green coconut chutney and/or curd.

Karanji (करंजी)

2008-10-24T08:38:00.007-05:00

KARANJI (करंजी)

(Karanji , a sweet snack made during Diwali is very delicious.)

Ingredients :

For the dough :

1 cup All purpose flour , 1 tbspn Sooji (Rava) , Salt to taste , 1 tbspn oil , water

For the stuffing :

1 cup Dry Coconut , 1 cup powdered Sugar ,

a hint of salt (very little , even less than a pinch) ,

1/4 tspn cardomon powder

Oil to fry.

Procedure :

Knead a dough with all purpose , Sooji , Salt , oil and water and set aside covered for sometime.

Roast grated dry coconut till it gets golden brown and let it cool. Mix powdered sugar per measurement or as per your tastes . Add cardomon powder and the stuffing is ready.

To make Karanji : Roll out a puri of the dough and place it on a flat surface. Keep the stuffing on one half of the Puri and press the end of the other half over it. Make sure the stuffing is tight and there is no room for air. When you cut make sure that there is sufficient space left so that the Karanji doesnt break open while frying. Use a moist cloth to keep the karanji till you make others.

Deep fry on medium heat till it gets golden brown . Karanji is ready to serve.

Variation : You may make the stuffing with regular coconut . Roast grated coconut over medium heat . Add a teaspoon ghee and equal amount of sugar . Keep roasting till sugar melts. Let cool and add cardomon powder. Karanji with this filling has less shelf life.

Savory Shankarpale (खारे शंकरपाले)

2008-10-22T15:56:00.007-05:00

Savory Shankarpale (खारे शंकरपाले )

(Shankarpale , a snack made for Diwali is normally sweet . To add variety to this dish you can also make it savory. You can make it any time of the year and serve it as Titbits for surprise visitors .)

Ingredients :

All Purpose flour 3 cups . Salt to taste , 1.5 tspn red chilly powder,

1 tspn Ajwain , oil

Procedure :

Knead a dough with all purpose flour , salt , red chilly powder , Ajwain and oil. Make sure that the dough is not too loose. Make a Potato Size Ball and roll it to form a big medium thin Roti. Cut the roti to form diamond shape pieces. Heat oil in a pan and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove the Shankarpale on a tissue to drain excess oil. Do not cover them till they get to room tempreture. Once they get to room tempreture keep in in an airtight container.

Tips : You may use a pizza cutter to make the diamond shaped shankarpale.

Kofta Curry.

2008-10-22T13:02:00.005-05:00

KOFTA CURRY

Ingredients :

Basic Brown Gravy : For recipe refer

http://koolkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/04/basic-brown-gravy.html

1 tbspn Kasoori Methi.

2 Cup Mashed Potato ,

1/4 Cup grated dry coconut (खोबरा) , 5-6 Cashews

Salt to taste , Red chilly powder , 1 tbspn Rice flour ,

Oil to fry.

Procedure :

Dry Roast cashew pieces in a pan . Then roast grated coconut . Add chilly powder and salt to taste. Mix well.

Take a mashed potato and stuff the coconut + chashew Mixture to form balls (kofta). DO NOT ADD SALT OR ANY SEASONING TO THE POTATO AS IT GETS MOIST AND FALLS APART WHEN DEEP FRIED. Roll the kofta in rice flour to form a thin coating . Deep fry the kofta on medium heat.

Roast Kasoori Methi so that it becomes crisp. Crush it to fine powder with hands and add it to the basic brown gravy. Then place the Kofta in a bowl. Pour the gravy over it and garnish it with Cilantro / Coriander. Kofta Curry is ready to serve.

Variation : You may use Grated Paneer , soya granules for filling.

Aloo Chaat (आलू चाट)

2008-10-22T12:25:00.003-05:00

ALOO CHAAT (आलू चाट)

(Heres a favorite of all Chaat lovers. No one can wait too long to eat Aloo Chaat. So lets not waste time describing it.)

Ingredients :

2 Cup Mashed Potatoes , Salt to taste, 3 tbspn Sooji , Oil for shallow frying.

1.5 cup Yogurt / Curd , Sugar 2 tbspn ,

Imli Chutney , Red Chilly powder , Cumin powder , Chat Masala ,

Sev , Finely chopped , Coriander

Procedure :

Mix Mashed Potatoes and salt to taste . Make small tikki (patty) , coat it with Sooji and Shallow fry till golden brown.

Mix Yogurt / Curd and Sugar and salt to taste .

Place the Aloo Tikki in a plate and pour yogurt over it. Sprinkle red chilly powder , chaat Masala , cumin powder . Drizzle Imli Chutney and garnish with cilantro / Coriander and sev.

Aloo Chat is ready to serve.

Stuffed Sweet Puri (सांजोर्या)

2008-10-22T12:04:00.008-05:00

STUFFED SWEET PURI (सांजोर्या)

(A mother's recipe is a child's delight. This one comes from my mother. These Puris have longer shelf life . Just like fine wine , they get better with each passing day.)

Ingredients :

1 Cup All Purpose Flour ,1 tbspn Rava Sooji , Salt , 1 tbspn oil

For stuffing :

1 Cup Sooji / Rava , 1 cup Jaggery ,

1/4 tspn nutmeg powder , a pinch of cardomon powder

Procedure :

Roast Sooji well and let cool. Heat jaggery in the microwave or over the flame just so that it melts. Do not overheat. Mix the roasted jaggery , sooji , nutmeg powder and cardomon powder after turning off the flame. Keep the mixture in the refrigerator overnight so that the sooji absorbs moisture and flavor from the other ingredients.

After 8-10 hrs refrigeration get the stuffing to room tempreture.

Knead a dough of the All purpose flour , Rava , Salt and oil.

Make a small ball of the dough , roll it half way , place the stuffing in the center and join all ends to form a ball. Roll this ball again to make a Puri.

Heat oil in a pan to fry these till golden brown. Let cool and the Stuffed Sweet Puris are ready to serve.

Sevaiyya Kheer (शेवईया खीर)

2008-10-22T11:43:00.004-05:00

SEVAIYYA KHEER (शेवईया खीर)

( This desert is a favourite of all - kids , youngsters , adults , oldies and filmy characters too. A filmy mother cannot serve a meal without saying " मैंने अपने हाथों से तुम्हारे पसंद की खीर बनाई है ।" Here is the recipe.)

Ingredients : (Serves 5 people)

3/4 cup Vermicilli (शेवईया) , 1 teaspoon ghee ,

4 cup milk , 1.5 cup sugar

8-10 Cashews split into halves and then cut into 2.

Flakes of 4-5 Almonds , pinch of saffron , 2 pinch cardomon powder .

Procedure :

Heat Ghee in a pan and roast the cashew till it turns brown. Add vermicilli to the pan and roast till it gets golden brown. Add milk , sugar , almond flakes let it boil till vermicilli cooks well.

Meanwhile heat the saffron just for few seconds so that it becomes crisp and falls apart when crushed. Mix the saffron in a tablespoon milk so that it gives away the flavor. Add saffron and cardomon to the kheer. It tastes better cold. Refrigerate the kheer and its ready to serve.

Variation : You may use sooji / rava to substitue vermicilli. It takes less time to cook.

You may add Everest Milk Masala to substitute for almonds and saffron. It enhances taste and saves efforts.

Methi Pulao ( मेथी पुलाव)

2008-10-08T10:33:00.003-05:00

METHI PULAO (मेथी पुलाव)
(Leafy Vegetable like fenugreek (Methi) is a common dislike among kids and adults too. Incorporating such vegetables in the typical way of Paratha is a known tactic. This is a type of rice which can be served just with Achar or Mild (not too spicy) Dal. Try it once.)

Ingredients :
2 green chillies , 2 cloves of garlic , 1 tspn roasted Cumin blended together in a mixer.
Finely chopped Fenugreek ½ Cup , Salt to taste , ½ tbsp oil , ½ tbspn butter , ½ tspn sugar
1 bowl full of cooked rice.

Procedure :
Heat oil + butter in a pan add mixture of garlic , cumin , chillies and roast well. Add fenugreek and keep mixing well. Fenugreek will shrink in size and release flavor. Add rice and salt to taste with little sugar. Stir well. Rice is ready to serve.

Bhindi Masala ( भिंडी मसाला ).

2008-10-08T09:51:00.002-05:00

BHINDI MASALA (भिंडी मसाला).

( A simple way to make Okra (Bhindi Masala). Bhindi is made in a typically way in every household. The idea of Adding Masala(Onion/ Tomato) may seem to be strange at first however you will feel the difference once tasted.)

Ingredients:
Approx 20 Bhindi cut into 1 inch pieces,
Oil, Mustard seeds, Cumin, Asafetida, Turmeric , 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 big onion vertically chopped, 1 Tomato coarsely chopped,
1 tspn red chilly powder, Salt to taste, 1 pinch Garam Masala, ¼ tspn sugar.

Procedure :
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin, asafetida, turmeric, garlic, onion. Sauté till onion looses its raw flavor. Add Bhindi and stir well till bhindi gets half cooked. Add coarsely chopped tomato. Let cook . Add salt, red chilly powder , Garam Masala , Sugar. Stir well. Bhindi Masala is ready to serve.

Frankie

2008-05-13T15:28:00.000-05:00

FRANKIE

(A Wrap filled with variety of Veg - Non Veg stuffing is a crowd pleaser at all times. It may be served for snack parties. You may enjoy the Frankie per your tastes buds . Heres a chat version of the Frankie.)

Ingredients :
For the wrap: 1 cup All Purpose Flour , 2 pinches Ajwain , Salt to taste , Oil.

For the stuffing : 2 medium size boiled potatoes , Salt to taste , 1/4th tbspn red chilly powder , 1/4th tspn Chat Masala , 1/4th tspn Garam Masala , 1/4th tspn Cumin powder , Salt to taste , 1/2 tbspn Lemon juice.

1 Onion , Chat Masala ,1 egg , Butter.

Procedure :

Knead the dough with All purpose flour , salt , ajwain and Oil. Set it aside till you make the filling.

Heat oil in a pan. Add Cumin Powder and finely chopped boiled potatoes . Also add other seasonings as listed for stuffing. Mix well and mash the potatoes with spoon . Do not mash them too much because you will enjoy chunnks of potaotes i between. Let the filling cool down toroom tempreture.

Cut onion into long strips and heat them with a tspn oil just so that you can get the raw flavour outof the onion but still have the crunch. Do not completely cook them. Add a pinch of salt.

You may now roll the dough to form a roti. Roast it completely on one side and keep it half done on the other.Place the half roasted side of the roti on a flat surface and evenly spread the potato filling across the wrap. Top it with the onions. You may add slices of tomatoes if you like. Sprinkle little bit of Chat Masala and then fold the frankie to wrap the filling.

Break an egg and apply it to hold the two free ends of the frankie. Place it on the Tawa and brush both sides of the frankie with egg and butter. Roast till its Nice and crisp. Ready to serve hot with any sauce you like.

Variation : You may use spinach , Boiled Egg , Soya chunks , Minced Meat fillings per your mood. You may also add soya sauce , chinese sauce , or cheese to enjoy more variety.

Basic Brown Gravy.

2008-04-29T09:35:00.001-05:00

BASIC BROWN GRAVY
(About the gravy : This gravy is very versatile as it has a simple savory taste . You may add Kofta , Paneer , Corn niblets + Capsicum , Chunks of boiled egg , any form of meat and enjoy the variety. It may last for more than a week however it is advisable to use it within a week.)

Ingredients :
3 tbspn Oil , 1 cup coarsely chopped onion , 1 tomato , ½ tbspn All Purpose flour (Maida)
¾ tbspn Garam Masala , 1 tspn red chilly powder (or per your taste preferences)
¼ tspn turmeric , 2 pinch asafoetida (Hing) , Salt to taste ,

4-5 cashews , 1 tbspn heavy cream (optional)

Coilantro (Coriander) to garnish.

Procedure :
Heat Oil in a pan . Add Hing and turmeric followed by Onion. Let the onion cook then add All Purpose flour so as to remove the raw flavor. Then add chopped tomato and let cook. Once cooked let it cool and move the ingredients to the grinder. Add Garam Masala , Salt , Red chilly powder and blend to form a fine paste. You may add cashews and heavy cream to the grinder to enhance the richness.

Heat a dash of oil in the same pan again and add the gravy to the pan. Let it come to a boil so that all flavors mix well. The gravy is ready.

You may now add the cooked vegetables / meat / Kofta to the gravy.

Garnish it with Cilantro.

Raw mango drink (पन्ह)

2008-04-09T11:46:00.002-05:00

Raw Mango Drink (पन्ह)
(About Panha : With the advent of summer , what better way can one think of to quench the thirst after a hot sunny day ??? Panha is a refreshing summer drink , the pulp of which can be stored in the fridge and can be served anytime of the day. There are different ways of making Panha. Check out the simplest of all.)

Ingredients :
2 Raw Mangoes , Sugar , ½ tspn Salt , ½ tspn Cardamom Powder.
Procedure :
Cut the raw mango with the green cover on. Pressure cook the pieces and when they cool down you can easily separate the pulp from the green. Grind the pulp , Sugar , Cardamom , Salt to form a fine paste. The quantity of sugar id deliberately not mentioned. The amount of sugar needed varies depending on “how sour is the Mango ?”

The pulp is ready . You may mix this pulp with appropriate amount of water. The sour taste of the Mango and sweetness of sugar should be obvious.

Variation : Panha can also be made with jaggery. However this being a summer drink sugar is more appropriate . Jaggery contains a lot of heat which is obviously not wanted during summers.

Bruschetta.

2008-04-09T11:19:00.005-05:00

BRUSCHETTA.

(About Bruschetta : This is a food that consists of toasted/grilled bread topped with a variety of sauces. The sauce can be refrigerated in glass containers for several days . Can be served for evening snacks or as starters)

Ingredients : (Serves 3)

2 Tomatoes , Salt to taste , 2 pinches Crushed Pepper , 2 Garlic cloves ,
1/4th Cup Chopped Onion , ½ th tspn Dried Oregano , A pinch of Ajwain , 1 tbspn Oil ,
½ tspn red chilly powder , ½ tspn sugar ,1/2 tspn All purpose flour .
6 slices of bread , ½ Cup mozarella cheese , ½ cup steamed corn niblets.

Procedure :
Boil Tomatoes in water to cook. Blend them in a Mixer to make a puree.

Heat Oil in a pan . Add finely chopped Garlic and onion. Cook well. Add all purpose flour to the pan and stir it well . (This acts as a thickening agent and by mixing it to hot oil we remove the raw flavour out of the flour) . Add Tomato Puree , salt , oregano , Ajwain , sugar , chilly powder . Let it come to a boil. The sauce is ready. Let the sauce cool down before you spread it on the bread.

Remove the edges of the bread . Toast the bread slices on both sides . You may do it on a Tawa. It becomes more crisp if you toast it in the oven (375 degree Approx 3 mins each side).

Spread the tomato sauce on one side of the toast . Top it with a layer of mozarella cheese and spread some corn niblets over the cheese. Bake it in the oven for another 5-7 mins (till the chees on top melts) . You may garnish it with dried oregano and red chilly flakes.

Bruschetta is ready to serve. Tastes best when served hot.

Variations : Advisable variations in sauce may include spinach sauce. You may use white bread or wheat bread as a base.

Moong Dosa.

2008-03-30T14:04:00.003-05:00

MOONG DOSA

(About Moong Dosa : Moong is known to be rich in protein .So vegetarians prefer incorporating Moong in their diet. Moong Dosa is a very unheard dish . However the crunch and the flavor to this dish add to the variety of Dosas.)

Ingredients :
½ cup Whole Moong , ½ Cup Sooji (Rava) Salt to taste , Oil.

Procedure :
Soak Moong overnight (Minimum 8 Hrs). Blend it in a Mixer to form fine paste. Add Rava and salt to the bater. Mix well and set it aside in a warm place to ferment for approximately 8 hrs. Do not move or stir the mixture and let it rise durin those 8 hrs.

Heat a nonstick Tava and Make dosas with the bater.

Tastes best with Green Chutney.

Medu Vada/ Vada Sambar/ Dahi Vada

2008-03-28T16:25:00.004-05:00

MEDU VADA

Ingredients : (Serves four)
1 cup Urad Dal , Salt to taste , Black pepper powder
Oil to fry.

Procedure :
Soak 1 cup Urad Dal overnight (Minimum 8 hrs). Grind it in a mixer to form fine paste.
Add salt to taste and 1 pinch of crushed black pepper .

Heat oil to fry . Drop big lumps of the urad dal paste with a tablespoon. Fry till golden brown.

Medu Vada is ready to serve. Tastes best with Green Chutney.

Vada Sambar

If served with Sambar , can be called Vada Sambar. Refer Masala Dosa Recipe for procedure to make Sambar.

DAHI VADA
Left over Vadas can be used to make Dahi Vada .

Procedure :
Take Cold water in a Bowl . Add ¼ tspn Asafoetida (Hing) to the water. Soak the leftover Vadas into the water. Let the water percolate through the Vada for approx 30 mins. Drain the water out of the Vada and place them on a serving plate.

Blend ½ cup Yogurt (Curd) well to remove lumps , Add a tbspn sugar , Salt to taste and 2 tbspn water. Mix well.

To serve : Place the Vada on plate with the Yogurt on top . Sprinkle red chilly powder , cumin over the top. You may also drizzle some Tamarind Chutney to enhance the taste.

Vatli Dal.

2008-03-28T13:02:00.001-05:00

VATLI DAL

(About Vatli Dal : It is a Maharashtrian delicacy normally made during Ganpati Visarjan as a Prasad . It tastes very Chatpata and is very easy to make. It can be made for evening snacks.)

Ingredients : (Serves four)
1 cup Chana Dal , Salt to taste , ½ tspn Cumin , ¼ tspn mustard seeds ,
1 tspn lemon juice , ½ tspn red chilly powder ,1/4 cup Oil , ¼ tspn turmeric
2 pinch Asafoetida (Hing)

Procedure :
Soak Chana Dal overnight (Minimum 8 hrs) . Blend it in a mixer to form fine paste.

Heat Oil in a nonstick pan . (Note that this dish needs more quantity of oil as compared to any other dish else it become dry). Add cumin , mustard seeds , Asafoetida , turmeric to make the Tadka. Then add dal paste and stir . Then place a lid on the pan and let cook on medium heat. Make sure that you stir often so as to keep the bottom of the pan clean. Remove lumps if any when you stir. Add Red chilly powder and Lime juice . Keep cooking till the water content is reduces. ( It should be like Upma).

Vatli Dal is ready to serve . You may garnish it with Grated Coconut and finely chopped Cilantro. Traditionally it is served with Panha ( Raw Mango juice).

Puran Poli. (For Holi)

2008-03-24T10:46:00.001-05:00

PURAN POLI

Ingredients :
For Puran : 1 cup chana Dal (split Chickpea) , 1 cup grated jaggery , 1/4th tspn nutmeg powder , pinch of salt
(chana dal and jaggery 1:1 proportion)

For Dough : 1 cup Wheat flour , salt to taste , water, 2 tbspn oil.

Procedure :

Cook the chana dal (split chickpea) in a pressure cooker. Mix the Chana Dal and Jaggery together and heat it in a nonstick pan. The jaggery melts and mixes well . Keep mixing well till it turns into a thick mixture so that you can form a ball after it cools down. (Remember that the mixture becomes more dry after cooling down. So do not make it too dry) . Add a pinch of salt and nutmeg powder . Mix well .

You may blend the mixture in a food processor to break the Dal. You may also use the traditional Puran Yantra if you have one.

If you do not have either of those , blend the Dal before you mix with jaggery in a mixer and then cook with jaggery.

Make the wheat flour dough . Make sure you add 2 tbspn oil and mix the dough well. This dough is more loose as compared to the normal roti dough.

Make a small cup of the dough and fill in Puran to form a stuffed ball. Roll out the ball and make the Roti on Medium heat. Puran Poli is ready to serve.

Tastes best with Ghee or Coconut Milk.

Chivda (For Diwali).

2008-03-14T11:17:00.004-05:00

Chivda
About Chivda : This is a traditional way of making Chivda . Chivda is a dry Indian snack which can be served with tea. It is normally made during Diwali however it can be made all round the year. It can be stored for several days . It is also good to carry and munch on during weekend outings.

Ingredients :

1 pound Thin Poha , 2 cup Churmure , 1/2 cup peanuts ,1/2 cup sliced dry coconut ,

Tadka : Oil ,1 tbspn mustard seeds , 1/2 tspn cumin (jeera) ,1/2 inch pieces of 8-10 green chillies , 12-15 curry leaves , 1/4 tspn Asafoetida , 1/2 tspn turmeric
Salt to taste, 1 tspn sugar .

Procedure :

Roast the Poha well on medium heat till it get hot evenly . You will notice that the Poha changes its shape as it gets evenly roasted . Spread it on a paper sheet to avoid moisture . Add churmure to the roasted poha. You do not need to roast the churmure because they already have the required crunch.

Heat oil in a pan . Fry peanuts till dark brown. Remove the peanut , add the sliced Coconut pieces to the oil and fry till golden brown. Drain the fried items well to remove excess oil .

For tadka : Use the same hot oil . Add mustard seeds . When they begin to splutter add cumin , green chillies , curry leaves , asafoetida , turmeric .

Spread the Tadka evenly over the Poha/ Churmure. Add salt to taste and sugar.
Mix well . Let it cool before you move it to another closed container to retain the crispness.

It can be served with finely chopped onion , lemon juice , grated coconut and sweet tamarind chutney . this adds taste and variety to the serving method.

Rice crispies Chivda.

2008-03-14T10:14:00.006-05:00

RICE CRISPIES CHIVDA
(About Chivda : Chivda is a typical Indian dry snack which can be served with tea . Can be munched on even when you are not hungry .It can be made and stored for several days . It is good to be served to surprise visitors at home. )

Ingredients :

1 pckt plain rice crispies , , 3/4th cup Oil , ½ cup peanuts , 1 tbspn raisins ,1 tbspn cashew ,

1 tbspn mustard seeds , ½ tspn cumin (jeera) , ½ inch pieces of 8 to 1o green chillies ,

12-15 curry leaves , 2 pinch asafoetida (hing) , ½ tspn turmeric powder (haldi) ,

1 tbspn chat masala , salt to taste , ½ tspn sugar.

Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan. Fry peanuts in the oil till they turn dark brown . Remove peanuts and add it to the rice crispies . Fry cashews split into halves till goden brown and add them to the rice crispies. Drop the raisins and remove them immediately out of the hot oil. This is done only to remove the raw taste of raisins . Make sure you drain all the excess oil from the fried ingredients.

Tadka : Use the same heated oil . Add mustard seeds and as they begin to splutter add cumin , green chillies , curry leaves , asafoetida (hing) , turmeric (haldi) . This is traditionally called as “Tadka” in Indian cooking . Thers can be slight variations in the ingredients depending on the dish to be made.

Evenly spread the the Tadka over the rice crispies. Now add chat Masala , Salt , sugar and mix well. Remember that rice crispies already have a salt content. Make sure that you add minimal salt just to adjust the salty taste.

Rice crispy Chivda is ready to serve .

Sheera.

2008-03-14T09:39:00.002-05:00

SHEERA

Ingredients :

½ Cup Sooji (Rava) , ¾ cup sugar ,

1cup mixture of milk and water in 1:1 proportion ,

1 tspn Cashew , 1 tspn Raisins , 2 tbspn Ghee ,

½ tspn cardomon powder , a pinch of salt .

Procedure :

Evenly roast the Sooji in a pan till it changes colour. Set it aside for some time .

Heat ghee in a nonstick pan and add chashews broken into halves . Roast them till golden brown Add the roasted sooji and keep roasting till it gets a darker shade of golden brown .

Meanwhile heat the milk + water mixture till it starts boiling. Add raisins to the mixture so that they cook and fluff-up in size.

Add the liquid mixture to the sooji and mix well till the mixture cooks up evenly . Then add the sugar and salt to the sheera . Mix well till the sugar melts . Add cardomon powder to the sheera for flavour at the end .

Variation : If you are making the sheera for "Prasad" for some religious ritual , you may use only milk to cook the Sheera . You may also add small bite size pieces of banana . It adds to the flavour of Sheera.

Tri-color cake

2008-03-04T16:46:00.002-06:00

TRI COLOR CAKE

INGREDIENTS :

DRY : 1 cup All purpose flour (Maida) ,

1.5 cup sugar (powdered) , 1/2 tspn soda ,

1 tspn baking powder.

WET : 4 Eggs , 1 tspn Vanilla Extract 100 gms unsalted butter .

1 tbspn Tooty fruity

Food colour : Orange and green

PROCEDURE :

Sift all the dry ingredients together. Sift the mixture thrice to remove lumps. Make sure you measure sugar first and then grind it.

Mix eggs , Vanilla essence and butter in the blender.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones in part and keep mixing with hand in the same circular direction (either clockwise or anti) . Add tooty fruity and mix well

Greace the cake pan with butter and sprinkle all purpose flour.

Add Orange color to 1/3 part of the mixture. Evenly layer the orange batter in the baking pan . Add half of the white mixture and evenly layer over the orange batter . Add green color to the remaining bater and layer ot over the white batter in the baking pan.

Bake the cake approximately for 20-25 at 375 degrees or till the knife comes clean if pricked.

Let it cool after baking. Turn the cake on a flat surface.

Tava Pulao.

2008-03-04T10:21:00.000-06:00

TAVA PULAO

Ingredients : (Serves 2)

Boiled Rice , 1 tspn Pav Bhaji Masala , 2 cloves of garlic , 1/2 tspn Cumin (Jeera),

Cauliflower , Bell Pepper (Capsicum) , Carrots , Tomato , Coriander,

2 tbspn butter, 1/2 tspn red chilly powder , Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn lemon juice.

Optional : Raisins (Bedane)

Procedure :

Heat butter in a pan . Add cumin and chopped garlic . Saute till garlic is golden brown . Add the chopped vegetable and cook them on steam for about 8-10 mins. Add Pav Bhaji Masala and rice and lemon juice . You may add 10/12 raisins as a secret ingredient . Mix it well. Garnish with Cilantro (Coriander) before serving.

Tastes best with Cucumber or Boondi Raita.

Samosa.

2008-03-04T09:27:00.000-06:00

SAMOSA

INGREDIENTS :

For the crust :

1/2 Cup All purpose flour (Maida) , 1 tbspn Sooji (Rava) ,

1 tbspn Besan ,1 tbspn Rice flour , 1/2 tspn Ajwain (Ova),

2 tbspn Oil ,Salt to taste .

For the filling :

3 Boiled Potatoes , 1 tbspn Oil , Cumin powder , 1 tbspn Garam Masala ,

1/2 tspn Chilly Powder , Salt to taste , 1/4 Cup green peas ,

1/2 Teaspoon Amchur powder or 1 tbspn Lemon juice.

OIL to fry...

PROCEDURE :

Mix all the ingredients of crust to form a dough. Ajwain adds to the flavour of the crust however is optional. Let it set for minimum 30 mins.

Heat oil in a pan . Add green peas , chopped boiled potatoes , cumin powder , Garam Masala , Amchur powder or lemon juice , salt to taste.

Please refer the diagram for further steps. Fold the straight edge of the roti near the red dot , so that the tips of the arrows meet. This forms a cone in which you can stuff the filling and use the circular edge of the cone as a lid to seal the Samosa. Similarly make all the Samosas .

Heat oil to deep fry the samosas till they turn golden brown. Samosas are ready to serve.

They taste best with Sweet Tamarind Chutney.

Dhokla.

2008-03-03T12:16:00.000-06:00

Dhokla

Ingredients :

1.5 Cup Chana Dal , Salt to taste , ginger paste

1/2 tsp Soda , 1/2 Tspn turmeric powder , 1/2 tbspn lemon juice.

For Tadka :

1 tbspn Oil , pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) , 8-10 Curry Leaves ,

pinch of turmeric powder , 1 tspn Mustard seeds (Mohri) ,

3 tbspn water , 3 tspn sugar.

To garnish : Grated Coconut and Chopped Cilantro (Coriander).

Procedure :

Soak the Chana dal for minimum 8 hrs.

Grind the soaked Chana dal to form a fine paste . Add salt to taste , lemon juice , ginger paste , turmeric and soda.

The bater is now ready to be steamed in a doible boiler for 25 mins over high heat. Remove the dhokla on a flat surface , preferably a plate .

To make the Tadka , heat oil in a pan , add mustard seeds.When the mustard seeds crackle add asafoetida, pinch of turmeric , curry leaves 3 tbspn water and sugar. Evenly spread the Tadka over the dhola. Let it percolate through the pores.

Garnish with coconut and (cilantro) coriander . Cut into even size blocks. Dhokls is ready to serve.

Tastes best with Green and sweet tamarind chutney.

Pudding / Caramel Custard .

2008-02-15T13:22:00.000-06:00

PUDDING / CARAMEL CUSTARD

INGREDIENTS :
1/2 Litre Milk , 4 slices of bread ,
4 Eggs , Sugar , 1 tspn Vanilla Extract .

PROCEDURE :
Take 3 tspn sugar in a round baking pan . Heat the pan in the oven / Over heat to form a dark brown caramel. Move the pan in circular motion to form an even layer of caramel . Let it cool to form a crust .

Mix milk + sugar + eggs + Vanilla extract + bread in a blender. Pour the mixture in the baking pan over the crust . Place the pan in a double boiler. Cover the boiler with a lid or with aluminium foil so that steam doesn't excape out of the boiler. Cook for approximately 25 mins.

Let it cool and then turn the pan over onto a plate . Refrigerate the Pudding / Caramel Custard before you serve .

Masala Dosa.

2008-02-05T13:02:00.004-06:00

Dosa

INGREDIENTS :

1 1/2 Cup Rice , 1 Cup Urad dal ,

Salt to Taste , Oil

(TIP : Rice and Urad dal should be used in the proportion of 1.5 : 1)

PROCEDURE :

Soak Rice and Urad Dal in seperate containers overnight (Approx 12 hrs).

Blend the rice and urad dal seperately to form a mixture to get the right consistency.
(Tip : Do not add to much water while blending). Add salt to taste. Mix well . Place a huge piece of onion (about 1/4 onion) at the bottom of the mixture.

Let the mixture sit for approx 8 hrs in a warm place . Let it rise by itself .

Once the mixture is fluffy enough . Make dosa.

Dosa can be served with Chutney , Sambhar , Masala (Aloo Sabji)

Masala (Sambhar & Aloo Sabji)

Sambhar :

1/2 cup dal , 1 tspn Jaggery , Salt to taste , Chilly powder , Imli paste , Sambhar Masala ,

Coarsely chopped Vegetables ( Onion , Okhra- Bhindi , Tomato) , Curry leaves , Turmeric , Hing ( Asafoetida) , Coriander

Heat some oil in a pan . Add a pinch of Hing , a pinch of Turmeric , 4-5 curry leaves and the chopped vegetable. Cook the vegetable till half done. Add the cooked dal , salt , Sambhar Masala , Chilly powder , Jaggery . Let it boil till the vegetable cook completely . Add some coriander (cilantro) to garnish . Sambhar is ready to serve.

Aloo Sabji :

2 Boiled Potatoes , Salt to taste , Pinch of hing and turmeric , Curry leaves ,1 tspn Urad dal ,

1/2 tspn Sugar , 1/2 tspn lemon juice , Cilantro (Coriander) , Oil , Cumin.

Heat oil in a pan . Add Urad dal , stir till golden brown. Add cumin , curry leaves , hing , turmeric , and potatoes . Mix well . Add salt to taste , lime juice . Use coriander to garnish. Aloo sabji is ready to serve .

Chocolate Brownie.

2008-02-01T15:38:00.001-06:00

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

Ingredients :
Dry :
1 Cup All purpose Flour (Maida) ,
1 Cup powdered sugar ,
1/2 tspn baking soda , 1 tspn baking powder

Wet :
1 tspn Vanilla essence , 3/4 cup chocolate semi sweet ,
4 Eggs , 1 stick unsalted butter (approx 125 gms)
1 tbsp heavy cream.

Procedure :
Mix all the dry ingredients together and sift them thrice to remove all lumps .

Break four eggs and use a blender to whip them . Add the Vanilla essence + heavy cream + butter (room tempreture) to the blender. Mix well.

Melt the chocolate chips . Make sure that no lumps exist .
Add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ones in small portions। Keep mixing them well with hand in one direction circular motion । Also add the melted chocolate to the bater। The bater is ready to bake.

Greace the baking pan with butter and flour . Add the bater to the pan . Hit the base of the pan on the table to make sure that there are no air bubbles.

Set the oven to 375 . Bake for approximately 20 mins . Use a knife tip to check if the cake is completely baked.

Once baked cut the cake into 2 parts horizontally. Spread an even layer on Ganache* on the base of the case. Then place the upper half of the cake and evenly spread the ganache on the top. Smoothen it up. Use coloured cream to decorate or text as required.

Ganache : is a mixture of melted chocolate , heavy cream and butter.

SIZZLING BROWNIE

Heat a piece of brownie in the microwave for about 15 secs . Add a scoop of Vanilla Icecream on top . Drizzle some chocolate sauce to make a delicious dessert .

Kothimbir Vadi.

2008-02-01T14:53:00.000-06:00

KOTHIMBIR VADI

Ingredients :
1 Cup Chana Dal (Soaked for Minimum 8 hrs) ,
3/4 cup Chopped Coriander / Cilantro ,
1/2 tspn ginger garlic paste ,
Salt to taste , 1 tspn green chilly paste , 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 pinch turmeric , 1/2 tspn sesame seeds , 1/4 tspn cumin seeds

Procedure :
Grind the soaked chana dal in the blender to form a fine paste. Use minimal amount of water to grind. Mix the paste + chopped coriander + ginger-garlic paste + baking soda + chilly paste + Salt + turmeric powder + sesame seeds + cumin seeds together. Cook the bater in a double boiler using a flat pan (On high heat for about 25 mins).

Let the vadis cool to room tempreture .Cut the Vadi into blocks of reasonable size .

Deep fry and serve hot and crisp with green/Imli Chutney.

DOUBLE BOILER :

Double boiler is a simple arrangement to cook food. Heat water (approximately 2 cups) in a big vessel ... Add the food content in a smaller utensil Place the small container in the bigger. Cover the bigger one with a lid so that the steam does not escape ...

Its almost similar to the cooking technique in a cooker ... Only difference is that this ones without pressure ...

Gulachi Poli (For Sankranti)

2008-02-01T14:21:00.000-06:00

GULACHI POLI

Ingredients :

For the Filling :

2 cup Grated Jaggery ,

1/2 Cup Roasted - Powdered Poppy seeds (Khus-Khus)

1/2 Cup Roasted - Powdered Sesame Seeds (Til)

1/2 teaspoon Powdered Cardomon (Elaichi)

For the Dough :

1 Cup Wheat Flour , 2 tbsp oil , Water , Salt to taste

Procedure :

Mix the flour water and salt to knead the dough with oil . Cover and let ot set for about an hour.

Mix the Jaggery + powdered poppy seeds + powdered sesame seeds + cardomon . Use your hands to mix to avoid formation of lumps in the filling .

To form Poli :

Take a ball of dough and roll it to form a small roti . Add the filling and use the free ends of the roti to form a ball again . Seal the ball well by pressing the open ends just as we would normally do for a Paratha.Roll it into a roti again . Roast both sides on the Tawa on medium or low heat .

Take care that the filling doesn't spill when turning the Roti upside down .

Serve when the Poli cools down to room tempreture . This poli tastes good with Desi ghee .