Food Fiesta

Sabudana kheer

2015-04-11T08:43:00.001-07:00

This Navratri I discovered this dish which many love to have during the fasting period. Initially I was surprised to know that any such kheer does exist,but once I tried making it,I knew from now this will be in my favourite list. I generally prefer making sabudana Wada,but kheer is something new and innovative way to look out for. This kheer is very rich in texture and something different from the regular rice kheer pudding we all make.

Ingredients

1. Sabudana(sago) - 1/3cup(standard measurement)

2. Full cream milk - 1 litre

3. Green cardamom - 2 nos

4. Chopped nuts for garnishing

5. Sugar - 1/4 cup(standard measurement, add more if you like sweeter,I prefer mild sweet)

Method

Soak sabudanas in water for 3-4 hrs,just enough to soak,don't add excess water else it will get soggy. Boil milk,simmer till it reaches half the volume. Now add sago,green cardamom(torn) and simmer in low flame for 8-10 mins,till the sago is soft but firm giving a rich texture. Add sugar,simmer till it dissolves. Serve cold or in room temperature and garnish with chopped nuts.

Spicy fusion eggs

2015-04-11T08:15:00.001-07:00

Weekends are the days when I feel equally lazy and still want to have the best food of the week. Cricket has taken up quite a lot of time,earlier the World Cup and now the ongoing IPL. Somehow I feel watching in the stadium must be so much fun,specially when you see so many of your friends end up seeing a match in the stadium itself. This year I badly want to see one from the stadium,cheering and absorbing the euphoria around. Let's c!

Coming to the dish,I just blended some different taste in one dish to experiment and the result was lip smacking. It's easy and fast to make giving me more time to enjoy being with family 😀

Ingredients

1. Hard boiled egg - 4 nos

2. Onion - 1 medium size chopped

3. Ginger - 1 inch finely chopped

4. Garlic - 3 thick pods finely chopped

5. Tomato - 1 medium size chopped

6. Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp(I used the ready available Dabur homemade paste)

7. Sambhar powder - 1 tsp

8. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

9. Mustard oil - 3tsp approx

10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

11. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

12. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

13. Cumin powder - 1 tsp

15. Salt to taste

Method

Half the boiled eggs and keep aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry onion,ginger,garlic,till oil separates. Now add tomato and fry till oil starts separating. Mix in turmeric powder,red chilly powder,cumin powder,coriander powder,fry for few secs and add little water. Now layer the eggs,with cut side facing down,simmer,cover and cook for 2mins. Dissolve tamarind pulp in small amount of water and add to the egg curry,mix well. Now add sambhar powder,garam masala powder,salt and cook in low flame for few seconds. Serve hot with chapati or paranthas.

Simple okra(bhindi) fry

2015-03-19T04:08:00.001-07:00

Spring is coming late in our region,but I guess we all are loving and enjoying the extended lovely cold weather. Visiting the vegetable markets is so much fun during this season that I never miss a chance to go for some green shopping. This week when I was there in the market filling my bag with the endless options of vegetable and fruits,I found a small heap of okra displayed for sale. The first glance of it made me realise that summer is now not too far and the cold weather will be gone very soon,but Mr S loves eating bhindi so much that the mere sight of it made me smile. So in a way it was a yippee moment for him when he noticed that I was staring at the heap of bhindi,hehehe.

To welcome bhindi in our palette this season I thought of making this simple but very tasty dish out of it.

Ingredients

1. Bhindi - 250 gms

2. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

3. Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

4. Amchur powder - 2 tsp

5. Rice flour - 4tsp

6. Salt to taste

7. Mustard oil for frying

Method

Wash the bhindis and pat dry. Remove the edges and slit lengthwise. In a mixing bowl place bhindis, except oil,add all the ingredients,mix well and keep aside for 15 mins. Heat oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the bhindis till done. Serve hot with chapatis or paranthas.

Kache gosht ki dum biryani

2015-02-23T21:21:00.001-08:00

Sunday's are the only day when Mr S can have his food comfortably,weekdays are always in a hurry with the phone ringing quite often. I like to take that extra effort on this day whenever we are at home and have not gone out. Although this recipe has many ingredients but is not complicated as I always prefer making things as simple as possible.

Ingredients

For marination of mutton

1. Mutton raan - 500gms(try to get tender and fresh mutton,they cook softer and better)

2. Curd - 150gms

3. Onion - 1big size

4. Ginger - 1 inch

5. Garlic -6 pods(thick ones)

7. Star anise - 1 no

8. Mace - 1 no

9. Green cardamom - 4 nos

10. Cinnamon - 1 inch

11.cloves -4 nos

12. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

13. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

14. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

15. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

16. Black pepper- 10 nos

17. Big cardamom - 1 no

18. Mustard oil - 2 tbsp

19. Tomato - 1 big

Dry roast star anise,mace,green cardamom,cinnamon,cloves,cumin seeds,coriander seeds,black pepper till they start releasing aroma. Cool and make a paste of the roasted spices along with tomato,onion,ginger,garlic,big cardamom. In a mixing bowl place mutton,add the paste,curd,turmeric powder,red chilly powder, oil and mix well. Marinate the mutton overnight or at least 6 hrs.

Ingredients for rice

1. Basmati rice - 2 cups(standard measurement)

2. Green cardamom - 2 nos

3. Cinnamon - 1 inch

4. Cloves - 2 nos

Boil water along with the spices and add rice,salt to taste.Cook till they are three fourth done. Drain and keep aside.

Some more ingredients

1. Onion - 1 big size julienned

2. Desi ghee - 3 tbsp

3. Beetroot grated - 4 tsp

4. Atta dough for sealing the lid

Method and assembling

In a heavy bottomed vessel,add ghee and fry the onion till they are dark brown in colour. Meanwhile mix salt to the marinated mutton,keeping in mind that salt has also been added to the rice. Place a roti Tawa on flame and heat it. Once the onion is browned take the vessel of the flame and layer it with the mutton along with the entire marination.now top it with rice and spread evenly. Spread the grated beetroot over the rice as it will give some wonderful colour to it. Apply the atta dough on the outer circle of the lid and press it firmly on the vessel tsp prepare it for the dum. Make sure that no steam escapes and the lid is properly sealed. Now put this vessel on the Tawa which is already on flame,lower the flame to low and cook for at least 1.25 hrs(1 hour 25 mins) . Serve hot with raita or mirchi ka salan.

Note - finely chopped pudina can also be added along with beetroot for more flavour.

Making roti in a rotimaker

2015-02-13T00:04:00.001-08:00

I was gifted a rotimaker almost two years back,and I hardly used it as I was not able to make roti in it properly. I was also amongst many of us who thought that making roti in it can never be fruitful. Since this winter it was very cold for a long period,dolling our roti in the traditional way was getting difficult for me as often my finger use to go numb while preparing dough manually and then dolling out chapatis the traditional way. It was then that the thought of preparing chapati in a rotimaker and kneading dough in the food processor cropped up. Now I have almost excelled in it and thought of sharing my tips and tricks with so many people like me who always dread of making chapatis.

A key note which I suggest one should always keep in mind is,use exact measurement, always. It helps and will always give good result.

Ingredient

1. Atta - 1cup

2. Water- 2/3cup( 70%of atta)

3. Oil -1/2 tsp

4. Salt -1/4 tsp( or as per taste)

Note - I doubled the amount of all to make 12 rotis,amount being perfect for my food processor.

Method

I use my Philips food processor,in it I first added atta,salt,oil and pulsed for 10 secs. Now I added water and I pulsed for 30 secs. Voila dough is done in a flat 40secs time. Divide into 12 balls and keep it covered so they don't dry,preferably with a wet cloth or tissue paper.

Now heat the roti maker till the red indicator turns off,it means it's completely heated for use.

Now flatten a ball of the dough little bit and press, I press the rotimaker twice to get the proper shape and size. Flip sides and continue do so 6-7times ,keeping each side for 10-20secs till you see brown bubbles starts forming. Lower the upper flap and lovely roti will slip out automatically.

While packing for lunch boxes,rub small amount of ghee else they tend to stick to each other.

Couscous veg pancake

2014-11-01T23:21:00.001-07:00

Sundays are always meant to laze around and I am no different either. This is also a day where I like to cook different and more variant of dishes, as you can eat them at your own ease and time with no rushing for time and work. Since I am a late riser and love to sleep more in the mornings,I prefer to keep breakfast easy,fast,simple and something different on Sundays. This is a simple,complete nutrition packed breakfast and can be a good stuff in the tiffin boxes for kids. I am seriously now planning to buy a DSLR camera as I feel it's definitely required for good food pictures. Anyways the taste and the nutrition is much better than the picture posted of the dish.

Ingredients

1. Couscous - 1 cup

2. Semolina - 1/2 cup

3. Maida - 1/2 cup

4. Chopped Spinach - 1/2 cup

5. Chopped carrot- 1/3 cup

6. Eno fruit salt - 1 sachet

7. Salt to taste

For the tempering

1. Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

2. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

3. Curry leaves - 12

4. Red whole chilly - 1 no

Method

Mix couscous,semolina,flour with some water to make a thick batter. Let it rest for 15 mins. In the meanwhile you can chop the veggies. Add some more water as the mixture will thicken,cos the couscous and semolina will swell up. Make the tempering in some oil and add to the mixture,mix with a an egg whisker. Now add eno fruit salt,salt and the veggies. Heat small amount of oil in a non stick pan,take 1 ladle of the mixture and spread with the help of a spoon. Once the pancake gets almost cooked,it should be golden brown in colour,flip and cook from other side too. To check if it has cooked properly insert a fork,it should come out clean. The flour makes it crispy outside,whereas the semolina and couscous keeps it soft inside. Serve hot with sauce or any chutney.

Kashmiri style red chicken curry

2014-11-01T22:45:00.001-07:00

Winter is making it's way slowly in Noida. This is no doubt the best time for the people here,who have braved the blazing heat for so many months. Even if we are at home or offices the blaring sound of AC,coolers and fans are never friendly for the ears and mind. For me sipping tea in the evening is now a much more enjoyable moment as the flavour of the tea maximises when their is a slight chill in the air. Few days back I was surfing TV channels while enjoying my evening cuppa and happened to see "Madhu Jaffery " cooking show. It was showing some mutton recipe cooked in a traditionally Kashmiri way,which the chef was describing as her mother's own recipe. I liked the way she was explaining the cooking method and talking about Kashmiri food. Although in the entire episode the use of a special Kashmiri spice mix powder was shown,but the ingredients were never given out. So I made this recipe my way but following the basic technique which was shown by the woman.

The main technique used here is slow cooking,basically the masala is being roasted for a very long time and it's this prolonged cooking which gives the recipe it's distinctive flavour. The recipe was originally made with mutton but I made it with chicken as it was available in my fridge that time.

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 300 gms

2. Onion - 1 big size chopped

3. Ginger - 2 inch chopped

4. Garlic - 6 thick cloves chopped

5. Cumin powder - 1 tsp

6. Coriander powder - 1 tsp

7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

8. Curd - 3 tbsp

9. Tomato - 2 medium size chopped

10. Salt to taste

11. Mustard oil - 4 tbsp

12. Kasuri methi - 3 tsp

13. Garam masala powder - 1tsp

14. Coriander - 3 tsp chopped

15. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

16. Kashmiri red chilly powder - 2 tsp

Method

Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder,cumin powder ,coriander powder,1 tbsp mustard oil,garam masala powder and keep aside. In a wok heat the remaining oil and add onion,fry in low flame till they turn pink in colour, now add ginger garlic and fry,after some time add tomatoes and fry till they start leaving oil. Now here all the magic starts,add small amount of water and keep frying on low flame till oil separates. Repeat this procedure several times till the masala turns into dark red colour and almost turns into a paste.every time the masala starts releasing oil add small of water and fry again till oil separates. This needs quite a lot of patience and little skill too as you may have to increase the flame while adding water and again lower it down while frying. After almost 35 mins or when the masala has changed into a darker colour,add 1 tbsp curd along with Kashmiri red chilly powder and fry till oil separates,repeat till you have used the entire curd. Now add the marinated chicken,salt and slow cook,covering it and stirring occasionally till the chicken is cooked through. If required add very small amount of water. Now crush kasuri methi in your palms and add to the chicken. Stir fry for 1 more minute. Add chopped coriander giving a final stir and serve hot with roti/naan/paranthas or even rice.

Mishti doi

2014-09-13T03:57:00.001-07:00

Mishti doi is a famous bengali dessert and one such dish which we Bongs can go on and on eating. After having a sumptuous meal, mishti doi and sondesh is the best dessert to finish our meal. Although it's mostly made during special occasions,but I simply love to make and eat whenever I feel of having it. Once I started preparing theses bengali sweets at home,I don't have that much of craving to have them in my visit to Calcutta.

It is simple to make with very few ingredients. I like to make it the traditional way as I feel that they taste best made this way. Mishti doi should be set in an earthen pot preferably a new one everytime,as the new pot releases the fresh earthern smell to the doi. Whenever I do get hold of these pots I make in them else I set in a ceramic bowl.

Ingredients

1. Full cream milk - 1 litre

2. Sugar - 6 tbsp

3. Green Cardamom - 4 nos

4. Curd - 100gms

Method

Boil the milk and simmer till it reduces to 400ml approx. in a separate pot caramelise sugar till brown in colour. Be careful the sugar should not burn,now add the simmered milk to this pot and let it boil. Peel and add cardamoms and boil till the sugar dissolves completely. Let it cool till room temperature and mix the curd into the milk. Whisk with an egg beater till the curd mixes well with the milk. Now allow it to set overnight in an earthern pot/ ceramic bowl . Serve cold or chilled.

Note - I prefer less sweetness but I find the taste very nice as compared to the shop bought ones which are too sweet for my palette.In case you prefer it sweeter increase the quantity of sugar.

Chicken Biryani with beetroot raita

2014-09-12T07:41:00.001-07:00

Durga puja is round the corner and I am already going berserked with preparations. What to do and what not to is the question. I simply love my country with so many festivals and celebrations to enjoy. We actually don't need a reason to be happy. Just celebrating the festivals or being a part of it makes life so full of happiness. With so many pandals being constructed in the city, it feels nice to experience the festivity already. The excitement of the arrival of Durga puja is limitless,but more the days come near,the fear of passing it soon for the year also arises. Anyways,now is the time for super feasting and here goes my first recipe of this festival.

As usual this is again an easy to make and fast recipe. I did not make a dum biryani but a simple one with full of flavours in a large pan. Although the ingredient list is elaborate but once you read the recipe,you will find how easy it is to make.

So for this weekend do give this quick recipe a try and treat your loved ones.

Ingredients

1. Rice - 150 gms

2. Eggs - 3 nos( boiled)

3. Potato- 3 medium size

4. Onion - 3 medium size

5. Ginger - 2 inch

6. Garlic - 10 cloves

7. Black pepper corns - 12-14 seeds

8. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

9. Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

10. Mace - 1 flower

11. Cinnamon - 2 inch

12. Green Cardamom - 4 nos

13. Cloves - 6 nos

14. Tomato - 3 medium size

15. Kasuri methi - 2 tbsp

16. Desi ghee - 2 tsp

17. Whisked curd - 100 gms

18. Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp

19. Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

20. Salt to taste

21. Mustard/refined oil - 3 tbsp

22. Chicken - 400gms

Method

Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins. Marinate the chicken with salt,turmeric powder and 1 tsp mustard oil for 30 mins.

Boil the potatoes till they are 3/4 cooked and cut into half.I pressure cooked them for 1 whistle.

Make small cuts in the boiled eggs and marinate them and potato with little salt and turmeric powder.

Now dry roast ingredient no 7 to no 13. In a blender add ginger,garlic,tomato with roasted spices and grind to a fine paste. Julienne the onions and keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan( I prefer non-stick to use less oil),fry the potatoes and eggs.Drain,take out and keep aside.In the same oil add onions and fry till dark brown. Take out 1/3 rd of the onion to use as garnish. Now with the remaining onion in the pan,add the spice paste and fry till oil starts separating. Add the chicken and stir fry for 5 mins approx. now add the curd and cook covered stirring occasionally till the chicken is half cooked. Crush kasuri methi with ur palms and add to chicken and stir.Now mix in the rice,water,potatoes,adjust salt and cook covered till the rice is done. Add desi ghee,give a final stir and serve hot. Garnish with the reserved onion fry,fried eggs and serve with chilled beetroot raita.

Note - You can sprinkle some lemon juice too while serving.

Beetroot raita

1. Whisked curd - 100gms

2. Freshly grated beetroot - 2 tbsp

3. Salt to taste

4. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

5. Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Mix all the above ingredients and serve chilled with hot chicken biryani

Cheesy cream pasta

2014-07-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

Cheesy cream pasta sounds too much high on calories,but then sometimes it's fine to relish something like this too. There are some days which do not comes along as you have planned,but then everytime it cannot be so. To uplift my mood,made this vry easy to make pasta. I like this type of pasta as they taste so mild but still has that richness and creamy texture. I have been gorging on some really spicy food for the last few days and thought of cooking something special for Sunday which is simple to taste.

Ingredients

1. Boiled pasta - 2 cups

2. Green capsicum - 1/2 cup(thinly sliced)

3. Carrots - 1/2 cup( thinly sliced)

4. Mushroom - 1/2 cup( thinly sliced)

5. Cheese - 1/2 cup(shredded)

6. Fresh cream - 1/3 cup(whipped)

7. Garlic - 5 cloved( chopped)

8. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

9. Dry oregano - 1 tsp

10. Salt to taste

11. Olive oil - 1 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a non-stick fry pan,add garlic and fry till brown in colour. Lower the flame and add carrots.stir fry for 2- 3 mins. Add capsicum,fry for another 2 mins,now add mushroom and further fry for 2 -3 mins. Next add pasta,cheese,cream,salt,mix and cook for 2 mins. Switch off the flame and add oregano,black pepper powder and mix well. Garnish with some more shredded cheese and serve hot.

Saoji mutton made in an easy way

2014-07-26T00:04:00.001-07:00

It's still not raining as it should be for the monsoon here in Noida. After experiencing the immense heat of the cruel summer season,the mind has been longing for a fantastic monsoon. Mother Nature has it's own way and one has to enjoy whatever it has to offers. Although it's not hot but not very pleasant here. So after a long time Mr Hubby wanted to have a Saoji mutton dish for his dinner. I asked," is it the only thing you are craving? He said " an entire meat spread out,comprising of saoji mutton,meat balls curry,mutton kaleji and paya". I thought why not making everything together and have a nice feast,just for the fun of it,no occassion or reasons required.

So I ended up making saoji mutton,mutton kaleji,meat balls curry,round pumpkin moong dal and almond mango dessert. I will share all the recipes in the coming posts. Actually these dishes are so spicy and hot,I added the dal and dessert in the menu to sooth the taste buds and also to make kids in the family be comfortable.

Although it is an elaborate and lengthy methid of cooking,I shortened the procedure by using a pressure cooker which I often do,along with combining some steps.

Ingredients

1. Mutton - 500gms

2. Onion - 3 medium size sliced

3. Garlic - 6 cloves

4. Ginger - 2 inch

5. Shah jeera - 1 tbsp

6. Black pepper corns - 10

7. Cloves - 4

8. Green cardamom - 4

9. Cinnamon - 1 inch

10.black cardamom - 2

11. Whole dry red chillies - 4 ( de seed to reduce heat)

12. Khuskhus/poppy seeds - 1 tbsp

13. Almonds - 10

14. Refined oil - 5 tbsp

15. Salt to taste

16. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

17. Red Kashmiri chilly powder - 2 tbsp( for colour,optional)

I did not get dagad phool / stone flower and have also added turmeric powder and Kashmiri chilly powder to get the bright red colour without the excessive heat of adding too many chillies.

Also I have used almonds instead of dry coconut due to unavailability in my nearby shop.

Method

In a pressure cooker,fry sliced onion till pink in colour. Drain and keep aside. In the same oil,add all the spices from number 5 to number 12 and stir fry till they start releasing aroma. Drain and keep aside. I know khuskhus will be difficult to take out completely,so no problem if some of it stays in the oil. In the same oil add mutton pieces and stir fry in low flame for 7-8 mins. In the meanwhile blend onion fry,ginger,garlic,fried spices,almond with some water. After frying the mutton add this spice paste into the mutton. Add turmeric powder,red Kashmiri chilly powder and stir fry in low flame for 15-20 mins stirring ocaassionally,cooking keeping it covered. Now add salt,water 1 cup and pressure cook till done. Serve hot.

Mocha torkari - banana flower sabzi

2014-07-14T04:48:00.001-07:00

There are some recipes which we can never be found in any restaurants or eating joints. Then there are some recipes which are dying out mainly due to unavailability of the raw materials or being v tedious to make. This mocha recipe is also one amongst them which we hardly get to see or taste anywhere.

We Bengalis love our Mocha or banana flower but it is rarely found here in Noida. So whenever I do find it in my nearby vegetable market,I immediately pick one for that delicious recipe to be cooked as soon as possible. Cleaning mocha is quite a task but obviously worth the effort.

Ingredients

1. Mocha/banana flower - 1 medium size

2. Potato - 3 medium size diced

3. Ginger - 2 inch

4. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

5. Whole red chilly. - 2 nos

6. Nigella seeds - 1 tsp

7.fresh cream - 3 tbsp

8. Milk - 100ml

9. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

10. Salt to taste

11. Desi ghee - 2 tbsp

Method

Pressure cook the cleaned mocha for 2 whistles. Once cool drain and squeeze out the moisture,keep aside. Heat ghee in a kadai,add nigella seeds,red chillies( break and add), once they start releasing their aroma add potato,salt and turmeric powder,cover and cook in low flame,stirring occassionally till the potatoes are almost cooked. In the meanwhile make a rough paste of ginger and cumin seeds. I prefer doing it on my sil-batta but you can make it in a blender too. Add this to the potato,mix mocha,milk and cover and cook further till the potatoes are cooked through. Whisk the cream and add to the sabzi,mix well and switch off the flame. Serve hot with rice.

Note - you can also add grated coconut to enhance the taste.

Mango melon icecream drizzled with roohafza

2014-06-13T05:50:00.001-07:00

I know I have been missing from action since long,so I am back with a soothing icecream to enjoy in this blistering summer. It is made purely of simple fruits and dairy,but the texture and taste can easily beat the ones we buy. To be partial can say,it tastes better :-D I prefer a less sweet taste,so in case you may need add more sugar if required.

Ingredients

1. Full cream milk - 1 litre

2. Melon purée - 1/2 cup(simply blend cut fruit in a blender)

3. Mango purée - 1/2 cup(simply blend cut fruit in a blender)

4. Sugar - 4 tbsp( increase for more sweetness)

5. Milk powder - 1 cup

6. Corn starch - 2 tbsp( dissolve it in 1/4 cup warm milk)

7. Green food colour - few drops(optional)

8. Orange food colour - few drops (optional)

9. Roohafza for decoration

Method

Boil the milk and simmer till it's reduced to 1/4 of its volume. Add milk powder and stir with a whisker or fork,so that they don't form lumps. Now to it add corn starch mix,sugar and simmer till it gets dissolved and slightly thick. Cool till it gets to room temperature. Divide the liquid into 2 portions,to one add melon purée and green colour,to another portion add mango purée and orange food colour. Now freeze them separately in the freezer for 6 to 7 hrs.take them out for 15 mins and blend them in the blender. This procedure endures that the ice cream gets soft and a smooth texture. Repeat once more after 3-4 hrs if required. While serving layer each flavour on one another and drizzle some roohafza.

Orange rind khoya besan barfi

2014-03-20T22:55:00.001-07:00

This holi I made gujhiya and this barfi for sweets. Hope you all had a lovely holi. Although I love colours, but generally I don't prefer playing much,only to avoid undue advantage people generally try to make in the name of the festival. So to be safe I prefer playing holi only with family members.

With lot of oranges in stock I thought of preparing this barfi with orange rind,the crux being is to prepare a sweet which is not available in the market. In a way, you treasure such recipes which belongs only to you and enjoy seeing the smiling faces of your family after eating them. To prepare this sweet I had purchased khoya from the market this time and did not make it at home. Generally ready made khoya is full with milk powder,corn starch or maida,but sometimes going easy is good also. I used besan to reduce the milk powder taste from the khoya and it really turned out well.

Ingredients

1. Khoya - 200gms

2. Besan - 100gms

3. Desi ghee - 4 tbsp

4. Green Cardamom - 2 nos

5. Sugar( fine granules) - 1/4 cup( add more if you want sweeter)

6. Orange rind - 2 tsp(simply grate the orange colour skin of an orange)

7. Orange food colour as required

Method

Crumble the khoya as much as possible. Actually I grated them to get a fine texture.

Heat desi ghee in a wok,add besan and stir fry in low heat till besan starts changing colour.

It leads to Lots of exercise for the hand muscles :-)

Now add khoya,sugar,mix well and keep stirring till the mixture gets little dry. Initially khoya will release it's fat and will be a little greasy. Will take 8 to 10 mins.Peel and add cardamom,orange rind,food colour and mix well for another minute. Grease a plate with ghee and spread the mixture on it. Press the mixture with a spatula on the plate. Cool and cut into desired shape and enjoy.

Zucchini spinach salad with green chilly pickle

2014-03-14T08:43:00.001-07:00

The display of new crockeries continues,heeheee. Actually recently I had posted the green chilly recipe where I mentioned that it may be used in salads to give that extra kick. So thought of doing a salad and post it here. Salads are simple,nutritious and easy to make.

Ingredients

1. Zucchini - 1 cup(diced)

2. Cucumber - 1 cup(diced)

3. Spinach - 1/2 cup( blanched and chopped)

4. Carrot - 1/2 cup(roughly chopped)

5. Tomato - 1 no big ( diced )

6. Roasted salted peanuts to garnish

7. Salt to taste

8. Garlic fry - 2 tsp

9. Green chilly pickle for seasoning ( I had posted the recipe recently)

Method

Just mix all the veggies in a salad bowl,add salt,green chilly pickle,garlic gry,mix and garnish with peanuts.

Arahar dal with raw papita

2014-03-11T03:44:00.001-07:00

In my native place in MP,we had this beautiful papita tree which yielded very good variety of papita. It produced so much,that we used to distribute them to our neighbours as well as give away to our maids. This dal recipe were made with freshly harvested papita.Such experiences are no more possible now,when staying in a metro city means living in flats. Sigh!!

Anyways,whenever I visit my parents or even my in-laws, I try making this recipe by first plucking a papaya from tree. This recipe mainly belongs to my Mom,who eats only this recipe of dal,hahaha,she is a fussy eater :-)

Ingredient

1. Arhar dal - 1 cup(100gms approx)

2. Raw papaya - 500gms (diced)

3. Tomato - 1 no medium

4. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp

5. Salt to taste

Boil the dal in a pressure cooker with all the above ingredients until done.

For tempering

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

2. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

3. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

4. Whole dry red chilly - 3 nos

5. Asafoetida (heeng) - 1/2 tsp( depending upon the sharpness,I used Ramdev hing)

6. Garlic chopped - 2 tsp

7. Desi ghee -1 tsp(add more if desired,but lesser the better for calorie conscious)

8. Garlic grass for garnishing(optional,can use coriander leaves instead)

9. Refined oil - 2 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a wok,add garlic and fry till golden brown,then add mustard seeds,coriander seeds,cumin seeds,fry till they start changing colour.tear the red chilly and add along with asafoetida into the oil. Pour in the dal and boil for few seconds . Switch off the flame add ghee and stir. Garnish with garlic grass/coriander leaves and serve hot.

Healthy mutton curry with zucchini and coconut milk

2014-03-10T23:18:00.001-07:00

The beginning of mall culture in India not only gave us variety in fashion,electronics,eatery departments but for persons like me,a new place to shop endlessly for my kitchen. Whenever I visit mall,I end up buying something for my kitchen,even a small container or crockery,anything. Result is over the years,my kitchen is full of colour with many handy and useful items. Whenever my Mom or Mom-in-law visit my house,they say that it looks like a small kitchenware shop in itself.heehee. No wonder I really enjoy spending time there,although I can still accommodate many more items :-)

Now hubby dearest is also showing interest in shopping for my kitchen. Recently we had gone to bigbazar,to my utter surprise I saw my hubby carrying some beautiful and bright coloured bowls and matching serving spoons,while I was engrossed in grocery section. When I queried about the crockery,he said "I thought you would have loved it so for your kitchen". I wanted to jump in joy,but managed with a broad grin. Lol

So here is this simple recipe,in my new bowl,vegetarian readers you may substitute with paneer/mushroom/soya chunks,Will taste heavenly and is fast to cook.

Method

1. Boneless mutton pieces - 250 gms

2. Zucchini - 250 gms( chopped)

3. Spring onions - 200 gms (chopped)

4. Ginger grated - 1tsp

5. Garlic grated - 2tsp

6. Green chillies - 3 nos(finely chopped)

7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

8. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

10. Salt to taste

11. Mustard oil - 2 tsp

12. Tomatoes - 2 no medium size chopped

13. Coconut milk - 200 ml ( I had used dabur homemade tetra pack can)

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker,add cumin seeds,coriander seeds,allow to splutter. Now add grated ginger,garlic,chilly and fry till they start change colour. Now add the mutton pieces and fry for few mins in low flame. Add salt and turmeric powder along with 1 cup of water and close the lid,cooking on high flame. After the first whistle,lower the flame and cook for at least 25 mins till the mutton is cooked. Once the steam dissipates open the pressure cooker lid and place the cooker back on flame. Add zucchini and allow to cook on medium flame for 3 min approx. now add tomato and half of the spring onion,cook in medium flame for 1 mins approx. If it becomes too dry add some water. Now add coconut milk and cook for 1 more minute. Garnish with remaining spring onion and serve piping hot with steamed rice.

Instant green chilli pickle

2014-03-10T03:39:00.001-07:00

The chillies which I used here are the big ones,which do not have much heat. Somehow I have found that few may be hot so I prefer desseeding them before using for pickle. This way,even children can also enjoy this spicy treat sometimes. Generally we use it as an extra addition in our plate for a spicy tang,but these type of pickles can also be used in a bland vegetable to add the extra zing. It can also be used as a seasoning in salads to give a spicy burst of flavours in a boring salad.

Ingredients

1. Broad and big green chillies-250 gms

2. Mustard oil - 125ml approx

3. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

4. Dry mango powder (amchur) - 2 tbsp

5. Fennel seeds - 2 tbsp

6. Mustard seeds - 2 tbsp

7. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsp

8. Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

9. Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

10. Salt to taste

Method

Dry roast,fennel seeds,fenugreek seeds,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,coriander seeds and make a coarse powder of it. Deseed the chillies and cut in big chunks. Heat mustard oil till smoking point and switch off the flame. Wait for a minute or two till the oil has slightly cooled down,add green chillies to it. Since the chillies are added in the warm oil,it gets cooked slightly but not completely. Once the chillies and oil has come to room temperature add the spice mixture,turmeric,salt,amchur powder. Give a nice mix and store in a dry glass container. It can be consumed soon after,but I prefer to start using,from the next day. Stays good for 15 to 20 days in room temperature. Actually,although I don't like pickle much,but I finish it off by then, :-D

Chocolate fudge - no baking required

2014-03-08T20:38:00.001-08:00

I made this quick fudge,with only 3 ingredients and no baking. Just assembling the ingredients and set it,a cheat dessert for a lazy Sunday lol. With chocolate flavour it is equally loved by children and adults.

Ingredients

1. Milkmaid condensed milk - 1/2 tin

2. Hide n seek chocolate buiscuit - 12 to 14

3. Cocoa powder - 25 gms

4. Edible coloured beads for decoration

Method

I had bought the standard size hide n seek buiscuit,which contains 16 buiscuits in them,but while in process I guess I gulped down 3 or 4 of them.hahaha. Anyways just coarse ground the buiscuits in a mixer and place it in a big bowl. To it Add milkmaid and cocoa powder and give a good mix. Take a muffin mould tray,grease with butter or vegetable oil. Sprinkle edible coloured beads into each mould,now fill all the mould with the prepared mixture.once done tap the tray,three four times,don't do with the spoon as it may disturb the beads underneath,so just tap the tray. Refridgerate for a minimum 1 hr and enjoy :-)

Sunday brunch-stir fried Hakka noodles with eggs and paneer

2014-02-11T02:19:00.001-08:00

Sundays in winters have an excuse to sleep more and lazying in the Bed for long. Well Delhi/NCR people should cherish this season before the deadly summer settles in. Eating,sleeping,exercising all is enjoyable right now,although not in the same order.heehee. Most Sundays I end up eating late breakfast,lunch and thus skipping dinner mostly. This dish is easy to make but yields super results bringing a smile in everyone's face. It canbeprepared in a jiffy,thereby giving me more time to be lazy ;-)

Ingredients

1. Hakka noodles - 1 pkt(boil as per instructions in the pkt)

2. Shredded cabbage - 1 cup

3. Thinly sliced carrot - 1 cup

4. Thinly sliced capsicum - 1 cup

5. Dark soya sauce - 1 tbsp

6. Green chilli sauce - 1 tbsp

7. Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp ( can be more liberal heehee)

8. Chopped garlic - 3 tsp

9. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

10. Salt to taste

11. Olive oil - 3 tbsp

Method

In a wok,heat olive oil and stir fry the garlic till golden brown,add all the veggies and stir fry on high flame for 2 mins approx. mix in the sauces,salt,pepper,noodles and stir fry on high flame.

Rub few paneer strips with ginger garlic paste,pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Pan fry on high flame from both sides till golden brown.

Serve hot with some boiled eggs.

Vegetable juice

2014-01-12T21:49:00.001-08:00

I am never fond of juices and soups. Seeing their health benefits,I just manage to gulp them down. Lately,I have been reading that fruit juice should be taken occasionally as they tend to up your sugar levels,but vegetable juice you can have in umpteen amount. Leading dieticians have been recommending more of vegetable juices intake regularly. Anyways this beetroot and carrot juice is my hubby's recipe. Although he knows nothing of cooking,but managed to watch the ingredients being mixed being when getting his juice prepared in the juice centres. I have added some more ingredients to add flavour to combat with the chilly winter in our area.

Ingredients

1. Carrot - 3 nos

2. Beetroot - 1 no

3. Ginger - 2 inch

4. Raw turmeric - 2 inch

5. Mint leaves - 1 small bunch

6. Coriander - 1 small bunch

7. Anwla - 3 nos

8. Black pepper corn - 10 to 12

9. Cloves - 4 to 5

10. Rock salt to taste

11. Lemon - 1 no

Make a juice out of all this ingredients,for reference I am uploading pics of the ingredients as well.

Makki da roti with sarson ka saag

2014-01-08T23:04:00.001-08:00

In this chilly winter,makki da roti with sarson ka saag tastes heavenly. Local vegetable markets are full with fresh sarson saag and I really feel tempted to cook this whenever I visit market for vegetable shopping. Although I had used palak with sarson saag but it tastes best when bathua saag is also added. Actually bathua having medicinal value is highly used,in my native place in MP I observed that locals used to consume a lot of bathua saag. Anyways since I did not get good quality of bathua I made with combining palak and sarson saag in equal quantities. Needless to say it tastes as good. I have made some changes too,to suit my taste,but nonetheless the outcome is equally superb. Generally makki ka roti is being served with butter/ghee but I prefer vegetable oil to curb calories. So here is my version of the dish.

Sarson ka saag

Ingredients

1. Sarson saag - 500gms

2. Spinach(palak) - 350gms

3. Onion - 1 medium

4. Garlic - 1tsp(finely chopped)

5. Ginger - 1 tsp(finely chopped)

6. Amchur powder - 1 tsp

7. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

8. Makki ka atta- 2 tbsp

9. Cumin powder - 1tsp

10. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

11. Salt to taste

12. Mustard oil - 3 tsp

13. Fresh cream for garnishing

14. Green chilly - 2 no chopped

Method

Pluck the leaves of sarson and palak saag,wash well and pressure cook by adding very small amount of water for 2 whistles. Once pressure of the cooker releases,transfer them in a colander for all the extra water to drain out. Once cool,make a paste in a blender and keep aside.

Now heat oil in a pan,fry chopped onion,green chillies,ginger,garlic till oil starts separating. Pour in the saag paste and add salt,coriander powder,cumin powder,amchur powder and stir fry for 5 mins approx in medium flame. Now mix in makki ka atta and stir fry for 3 more mins. Sprinkle garam masala powder ,mix well and serve hot,garnishing with some fresh cream.

Makki ka roti

Make a dough in 3:1 ratio that is makki ka atta and plain flour,by adding some oil,ajwain seeds,little oil and water. Roll out rotis from the dough,applying some oil or ghee/butter while frying. Serve hot and enjoy :-)

Healthy cake

2014-01-01T00:25:00.001-08:00

A very happy new year to all my readers. May you have a healthy and blessed 2014. New year eve parties have become quite popular nowadays. Every housing complex have their own fun parties and celebrations. Yesterday I also saw so many news channels covering live parties from various cities,I liked watching them. We all have definitely progressed with well maintained hair,skin and trendy outfits,but one thing I noticed that fitness is one thing which most of us are lacking. Most of the people in the parties enjoying,I saw were having bulging bellies. Somehow we all should focus on our inner body well being too,along with the exterior maintenance.

This cake I made is healthy,cos I did not use maida which means it's glutin free plus no added sugar. Although I covered a thin layer of icing, to decorate,but you may avoid if you wish.

Ingredients

1. Whole wheat flour(atta)- 1cup

2. Organic honey - 4tbsp

3. Orange rind - 2tsp

4. Orange juice - 1/4 cup

5. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

6. Baking powder - 1 tsp

7. Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

8. Eggs - 3 nos

9. Vegetable oil - 1/3 cup

10. Chocolate vermicelli to decorate

11. Whipped cream to decorate( I simply whipped cream with powdered sugar till it form peaks)

Method

Sift the flour,baking power,baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs,to it add honey,oil and whisk further. Now add vanilla essence,orange juice,orange rind and mix well. Now add the dry ingredients and mix to form a smooth batter. Grease a baking tin and pour the batter to it. Now bake in a preheated oven at 180deg centigrade for 15- 20 mins or till a needle comes out clean when pricked. Let it cool on a rack and cover with the icing. Sprinkle the chocolate vermeicelli and enjoy.

Saunf murgh- Fennel chicken

2013-12-19T22:01:00.001-08:00

After a long laziness,now in full active mode,lol blogging the very next day :-)

This recipe I had made during Durga puja festival this year,needless to say as by now you all know,this is again easy to make with very less oil. The aroma and flavour of saunf/fennel rendered a distinctive flavour to the chicken. While making the fennel paste I used the sil batta which most bengali households do have,but you may also make the paste in the small chutney jar of your mixer with the help of some water.

Ingredients

1. Chicken pieces(preferably with bones) - 500gms

2. Ginger garlic paste - 2tsp

3. Garam masala powder - 1/2tsp

4. Saunf/fennel seeds - 3tsp

5. Tomato - 1 medium size chopped

6. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp

7. Green chilly - 2 no chopped

8. Coriander powder - 1 tsp

9. Cumin powder - 1tsp

10. Mustard oil - 2tbsp

11. Salt to taste

12. Onion - 1 medium size chopped

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add green chilly,1 tsp fennel seeds and allow to splutter. Next add onion,ginger,garlic and tomato. Stir fry till oil starts separating. Now add all the dry spices and stir fry for few secs. Add chicken,salt and stir well. Cover and cook in a low flame till chicken gets cooked completely. Meanwhile make a paste of 2 tsp fennel seeds with the help of water. Once the chicken gets cooked through, add the fennel seed paste and cook for 2 more mins. Garnish with fresh cream and serve hot with chapati,bread or fried rice.

Chocolate coconut laddoo

2013-12-19T01:59:00.001-08:00

Christmas is round the corner and we all are busy baking some thing or the other. I have also started baking since few days and am enjoying the aromas of freshly baked stuff in my house. Recently I discovered to make healthy fruit cakes with whole wheat flour and honey,to substitute maida and sugar. I never knew that cakes can taste so delicious even with the ordinary atta. Will soon share the recipe of them soon.

Today while making chocolate,yes I know, I will make em again and publish the recipe. Back to the point,while making chocolate,a minor mistake happened,which led to this new recipe which is quick and apt for Christmas. While melting white chocolate on a double boiler,I didn't realise that the water was touching my chocolate utensil base,so as soon as I added butter,it started curdling and butter started getting cooked. Immediately I pulled the utensil out and randomly started adding ingredients and voila a new recipe got discovered. Before I again got lazy of writing,I thought of sharing it right away in my blog

Ingredients

1. White chocolate compound -1/2 cup

2. Butter - 1/4 cup

3. Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup

4. Brown sugar - 1/4 cup(powdered)

5. Coconut powder - 1/2 cup approx

Method

On a double boiler melt white chocolate compound along with butter. Once they melt completely remove from flame,now mix in sugar powder,cocoa powder and coconut powder to form a soft dough. Once they cool down a little and you find it comfortable to handle,make laddoos out of them. Now Refridgerate for 30 mins and roll some coconut powder for garnishing. I have simply sprinkled some of it.