My MAMA'S Recipes

Kulfi

2023-07-06T03:38:00.000-07:00

Kulfi is a frozen dairy dessert of the Indian subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian ice cream".

Kulfi

For 12 Kulfis

100 grams Milk Powder or 50 grams Khoya( dried whole milk solids

1liter milk
1/2 cup sugar
10 almonds
5 pistachios
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method-

Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan add milk powder( or Khoya) and reduce to approximately half the volume.
Add sugar, crushed cardamom powder, almond and pistachio.
Cool it thoroughly
Pour in ice-cream lollipop containers , secure lid and freeze

Enjoy!

Thank you

2016-06-15T13:27:00.002-07:00

To all the readers of my blog-
I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your love and support with this blog.
You will be happy to know that to honor and cherish these recipes and my mother's memories , i have started a website - www.thefoursenses.com.
I will be posting new and exciting recipes on this website.

It is my aim that my mother's recipes are cherished and enjoyed by people all over the world.
So spread the word and spread the joy that cooking for our family brings us.

Cheers!
Garima

Poem

2012-11-06T14:49:00.002-08:00

Hope my readers have been doing well and are benefitting from the recipes posted on this blog. After all, that is something which would have made mum the happiest .
I know i have not made much updates to this blog recently.
Today's post is not a recipe, but a poem. Recently, I came across this book called " Proof of Heaven."
It is a beautiful book and I related with a poem in that which i want to dedicate to my mother today.
I miss you mummy and love you very much.

when tomorrow starts without me
And I'm not there to see;
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me.
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today;
While thinking of the many things
We didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me
As much as I love you;
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too.
But when tomorrow starts without me
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name
And took me by the hand.
She said my place was ready
In heaven far above;
And that I'd have to leave behind,
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye;
For all my life, I'd always thought
I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much yet to do;
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad;
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday
Just even for awhile,
I'd say goodbye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized
That this could never be;
For emptiness and memories
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things
I might miss come tomorrow;
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates
I felt so much at home;
When God looked down and smiled at me
From His great golden throne.
He said, "This is eternity
And all I've promised you;
Today your life on earth is past,
But here it all starts anew."
"I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last;
And since each day's the same day,
There's no longing for the past."
"But you have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true;
Though at times you did do things,
You knew you shouldn't do."
"But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free;
So won't you take my hand
And share my life with me?"
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here in your heart.

Drums of Heaven- Appetizer- Serves 6

2012-02-22T15:26:00.000-08:00

I am posting this recipe as a dedication to two people today. One of them is a close friend whose husband is lactose intolerant and thus she asked me if i had any chicken recipes which did not have milk in them. Secondly, this is also for my sister who is celebrating her birthday today and is very fond of chicken ( Mum sometimes would doubt if she would even wait for chicken to be cooked before she had to consume it!!!).

I have been meaning to try this recipe out for the longest time, but never got to it, because i could not find the right chicken wing piece for it. Then i recently discovered that this particular piece is sold in meat shops under the name of chicken drumettes or chicken lollipops.

A very tasty appetizer. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Chicken Wings- 24

Garlic- 4 to 6 cloves

Spring Onion greens- 2

Red Chilli Paste- 2 tsps

Soya Sauce- 1 tsp

Vinegar- 1 tsp

White pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Refined Flour- 3/4 cup

Cornstarch- 3/4 cup

Eggs- 2

Oil- 6 tbsps+ to deep fry

Method:

Clean, wash , cut wingtips, remove thin bone and pull the flesh to one end of the thick bone. For convenience, i brought mine from a grocery store ( they are sold under the name of chicken drumettes or chicken lollipops).
Peel and grind garlic to a fine paste. Wash, trim and thinly slice spring onion greens.
Mix garlic paste, one teaspoon of red chilli paste, sliced spring onion greens, soya sauce, vinegar, white pepper powder and salt. Marinate the chicken wings in this mixture and leave aside for two hours, preferably in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile mix refined flour, cornstarch, eggs , salt, oil, remaining red chilli paste with some water, if required. Whisk thoroughly to make a thick batter of pouring consistency. Rest the batter for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Heat sufficient oil in a wok, dip the marinated wings in the batter and deep fry for three to four minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently or until crisp and golden brown.
Remove , drain onto an absorbent kitchen towel and serve hot with Sichuan sauce.

Black Forest Cake - Serves 8-12

2012-01-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

My mum always said " Begin something new, with something sweet." When i think of sweet, all i can think of is baked goods....cakes!!! Yup, cakes. We all have entered a new year in our lives and let's enjoy it with this Black Forest Cake. Little did i know that the name of this cake originates from a place in Germany called Black Forest, until i visited it and every other corner i would see a sign of black forest cake. Because of the fresh icing ( not butter)that goes into this cake, it is my favorite,not to forget the " C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E." Wishing all my readers a Happy New Year 2012. Whether it was just another day for you, or the beginning of a whole new year, hope you enjoy it to the fullest!

Ingredients:

2 Devil food cake layers- made out of one box

Boiling water- 1 cup

Cool water- 1/4 cup

Baker's Melted Chocolate- 1 square

Chopped cherries- 1/3 cup

Cool whip- 3 cups

Cherry Jello- 1

Sour cream- 2/3 cup

Icing sugar or powdered sugar- 2/3 cup

Method:

Make jello by mixing 1 cup boiling water and then adding 1/4 cup cool water on it.
Bake 2 layers of cake out of 1 packet of mix.
With a large fork, pierce the cake at 1/2 " interval.Pour half of the jello over each cake layer.
Pop it in refrigerator for 3 hours.
Mix sour cream and powdered sugar with a whisk. Fold in 3 cups of cool whip topping into the frosting.
Unmould the two cakes by dipping them in hot water for 10 seconds and the taking it out on a serving plate.
Put 1 cup of frosting mixture over one layer of cake and 1/3 cup chopped cherries.
Cover with the second layer of cake by carefully placing it on top.
Frost tops and sides by spreading the remaining frosting mixture.
Garnish with one square of melted chocolate and some full cherries.

TIP: Use a flat spatula to level out the frosting mixture. Dip the tip of spatula in a bowl of warm water repeatedly as you level the frosting.

Mum's Style Mac n Cheese- Serves 4

2011-12-08T08:23:00.001-08:00

If there is one dish that can make siblings fight for who gets the crusty part of it, this is it!!!

The method of spreading cheese in the form of a layer on this dish and then baking it, helps in forming a layer of crusty cheese, which is incredibly tasty to anyone who has a love for cheese.

I have tried making this dish with mozzarella cheese as well , but the flavor is more authentic when Amul cheese is used, which can be found readily in Indian stores. Mac n cheese remains a favorite for many a people even when they are no longer kids and this indeed is a very different yet easy of making it. Try it out!

Ingredients:

Elbow Macronni- 250 gms
Salt- to taste
Water- to boil pasta
Amul's pasteurized, processed cheddar cheese shredded to form a layer on top of the macaroni- half a tin

Ingredients- Cheese Sauce

1/2 pint milk

1 big spoon margarine or butter

1 big spoon refined flour ( maida)

2 tbsp cheese grated- Amul

Salt and white pepper- to taste

Mustard powder- a pinch

Method- Cheese sauce

Melt butter or margarine in a pan. Add flour. Stir it well.
Add 1/2 pint milk in intervals of 4. So, add the milk slowly to the flour and not all in once.
Keep on stirring all the time.
Make pouring consistency and bring it to a boiling point.
Stir for another 1-11/2 minutes.
Remove from fire and add 3/4 of the cheese to it.
Season with salt , pepper and mustard powder.

Method: Macaroni

Boil pasta according to directions on the packet until it is al dente.
Drain pasta. Mix with cheese sauce and place in an oven proof dish.
Sprinkle with cheese to form a layer on top of the macronni.
Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese starts turning golden brown.

Kheer- Serves 8

2011-12-04T21:43:00.001-08:00

Kheer is a sweetened Indian rice pudding. There are many a different ways to make kheer. Some people like to cook it on slow fire ( for a long period of time). The use of pressure cookers reduces the time taken to make this dish drastically. The aim is to evaporate the milk and make it off a thicker consistency ( pudding like). You could reduce the amount of milkmaid if you prefer it less sweet.

Ingredients:

Rice- 100 gms
Milk- 1 Litre
Sweetened condensed milk or milkmaid- 1 tin
Chopped nuts/ Cardamom powder- optional

Method:

Wash rice and pressure cook in milk for 10 minutes ( or cook on slow fire till the rice is soft)
Add milkmaid and cook for another 5-7 minutes stirring constantly until the kheer reaches the consistency you like the best.
Remove from fire.
Serve garnished with nuts/ cardamom powder.

French Onion Soup- Serves 4

2011-11-28T22:01:00.001-08:00

With special thanks to my husband's aunt for sharing this recipe with me.

Ingredients:

Chicken broth- low sodium, low fat- 1 can

Red onions medium- 2

Water- amount of liquid equal to half of the chicken broth

Salt and pepper- to taste

Italian bread-4 slices

Swiss cheese- 4 slices

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Cooking wine ( Red)- 2 tbsp

Method:

Remove skin and cut the onions into thin slices. Saute it in olive oil in a pan until dark brown.
Add the broth. Add water. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes and then simmer.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Add wine. Simmer again for 5 minutes.
Butter bread up and then toast in a preheated oven.
Pour hot soup in a soup bowl. Place the toasted bread on the liquid and then place one cheese slice on top of the bread.
Heat the soup bowl in a preheated oven at 400- 450 F for 5-6 minutes. Serve hot.

Home Made Pizza: Green Pepper, Mushrooms & Pepperoni

2011-11-24T22:54:00.001-08:00

I have always enjoyed the process of baking. Making a pizza is double excitement for me because not only do i get to bake , but also eat one of my favorite dishes. Mum would make this with Amul cheese ( found in Indian stores) as well for variation. Avoid adding pepperoni if you want a vegetarian pizza and the taste will still amaze you. Wishing all my readers a Happy Thansgiving. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For pizza dough:

Refined flour- 1/2 lb

Dried yeast- 5 gms or Fresh yeast- 1/2 0z

Sugar- 1 tsp

Warm water- 1/4 pint

Oil- 5 tbsp

Salt- 1 tsp

For Sauce:

Onion- 1

Oil- 1 tbsp

Tomatoes- 15 oz tin

Tomato puree- 2 tbsp

Bay leaf- 1 ( Remove after cooking the sauce)

Salt - 1 tsp

Salt and pepper- to taste

Oregano- 1 tsp

Basil- 1 tsp

For Topping-

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Garlic clove- 1 thinly sliced

Pepperoni slices- 10-15

Green pepper- 1/2 cup

Mushrooms sliced- 1/4 lb

Chopped fresh Oregano- 1 tsp

Salt and pepper- to taste

4 oz mozzarella cheese- grated or sliced

Method: For Sauce:

Chop the onion and cook it in a pan. Cover with a lid so that it is soft.
Add all the other ingredients and simmer ( 30 minutes) very slowly till it is of a thick consistency.

Method: For Topping:

In a skillet on medium , heat oil and garlic. Add mushrooms, pepper, oregano , 1/4 tsp salt,1/4 tsp black pepper.
Cook for 4 minutes and cool.

Method: For Pizza :

In a bowl, take warm water and add yeast and sugar to it. Stir well.
Add the salt and oil in the flour.
Mix it nicely and then add the yeast liquid and knead it into a soft dough.
Prove it and roll it into the desired shape and thickness. Brush the edges with a little water or milk and pour the sauce on top of it.
Arrange with the green pepper, mushroom mixture. Layer pepperoni slices on this and then top with grated cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 500 F for 10 minutes or until done.

Noodles with Lamb- Serves 4

2011-11-23T22:01:00.001-08:00

This is a very flavorful dish. The process of stir frying the lamb or beef, coating it with soya sauce and finally serving on a bed of noodles makes it an all time favorite.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Noodles- 5 1/2 oz / 150 gms
Canola oil- 2 tbsp
Thinly sliced lamb or beef- 1 lb/ 450 gms
Garlic Cloves- 2 crushed
Leeks- 2 sliced
Soya Sauce- 3 tbsp
Water- 1 cup
Red chilli powder- 1/4 tsp ( increase if you like spicy)

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the directions on the packet. Drain the noodles and reserve until required.
Heat oil in a preheated wok or skillet, swirling the oil around until it is really hot.
Add the lamb pieces and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add red chill powder.
Add crushed garlic and sliced leeks to the wok and stir fry for another additional 2 minutes.
Stir in soya sauce, water and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently until meat is cooked through.
Transfer lamb and noodles to a serving plate and serve.

Alu ki Sabzi

2011-11-22T20:57:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

Potatoes- 1/2 kg- boiled and cut into small cubes

Chana dal- 1 tsp

Urad dal- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- 8-10 leaves

Green chillies- 2 finely chopped

Onion- 2 sliced thinly

Salt- to taste

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder- to taste

Asafoetida- a pinch

Oil- 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.

When heated add mustard seeds, asafoetda, green chillies, chana and urad dal and salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

Add potatoes and sprinkle 1/4 cup of water on it and mix it well.

If desired you can add tomato puree ( 2 tbsp) or 1-2 chopped tomatoes.

Dum Aloo

2011-11-21T22:50:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes- 15-20- 250 gms
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 tsp
Lemon juice- to sprinkle

For Masala

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Cloves-5
Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Red chilli whole- 3
Small cardamom- 3
Black peppercorn- 10-12

Method:

Grind all the above ingredients of masala coarsely in a mixer.
In a pan heat oil. Saute potatoes in it.
Add salt and cover till tender.
Add the masala and cook for five minutes on low heat.
Sprinkle lemon juice and serve.

Tandoori Chicken- Serves 4

2011-11-20T22:08:00.001-08:00

Tandoori Chicken is a favorite dish for many a people ( even those who are originally not from India ).

The process of marinating this chicken with a variety of spices gives it this unique flavor and taste that appeals a mass audience. I prefer using leg quarters for this recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Chicken with bones and without skin - 750 gms

Onion- 1

Garlic cloves- 6-7

Ginger- 1" piece

Yogurt- 4 big spoons

Vinegar- 1 big spoon

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Kashmiri mIRCH- 2 TSP

Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder- 1 tsp

Salt- 1 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Butter - to baste

Orange color- a few drops - optional

Method:

Grind ginger, garlic and onion.
Beat yogurt and to it add the juice of onion, garlic and ginger.
Add lemon juice, vinegar and all the above ingredients except butter.
Marinate the chicken in this mixture for 3-4 hours in a cool place .
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Place the chicken in the oven on the wire rack ( place a tray underneath to collect the drippings )
Grill for 15 minutes. Brush pieces with butter. Turn and grill for another 10-15 minutes till the chicken is dry and well cooked.
Serve hot with onion and lemon rings.

Besan ki Kadi- Serves 4

2011-11-19T16:56:00.001-08:00

It is unfair of me to be writing a blog for my mum's recipes and not including this dish - Besan ki Kadi. The reason being this was one of my mum's all time favorite. I remember asking her to write this recipe for me and as i type it out today, i see a small footnote at the end of her handwritten recipe which says-

" Oh! Yummy."

"Besan ki kadi " is a dish which is made primarily of besan - Gram flour. It is given the name Kadi because it is something which is made on simmer ( very low heat ). So, gram flour is cooked in the form of a buttermilk at low heat for almost an hour to give this dish its taste. Also,pakoras are dipped in this gram flour gravy. Pakoras are created by taking one or two ingredients such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach,cauliflower and dipping them in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them.

Ingredients:

For Kadi :

Gram flour- 1/4 cup for kadi

Sour Yogurt- 250- 300 gms- 1 big cup

Water- 1 litre

Salt- to taste

Red chilli powder- to taste

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

For Tadka:

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- 8- 10 leaves

Dried red chilli whole- 2

Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp

Dried coriander seeds- 1 tsp

Asafoetida- 1 big pinch

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Oil- 2 tbsp

For Pakora:

Gram flour- 3/4 cup

Onion- chopped - 1/2

Green pepper - chopped- 1/2

Fresh Coriander leaves- 10 sticks- leaves - washed and chopped.

Salt- 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder- 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala- 1/4 tsp

Baking soda- a pinch ( optional)

Water- 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Oil- to deep fry

Method:

For Kadi:

Mix gram flour with yogurt , water, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder with a big spoon to make it into a buttermilk. Stir it well so that the gram flour does not sit at the bottom of the vessel.
Heat oil, add tadka ingredients and when they begin to splutter, then add the buttermilk and let one boil come.
Reduce the flame to simmer and keep on cooking the kadi at least for 45-50 minutes stirring regularly in between.

For Pakora:

Take 3/4 cup of gram flour in a bowl. To this add chopped onions, coriander leaves, capsicum ( green peppers) chopped .
Add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, soda and mix with water to make a batter.
Deep fry into a desired shape to make pakora. Keep ready separately.
When you want to eat the kadi, heat it and then add pakora and let one boil come and serve very hot with steamed rice.

Double Ka Meeta- Serves 8-10

2011-11-18T16:11:00.001-08:00

So, here i am with my fun friday !! It's my first week of posting a recipe as per my readers request and am pretty excited about it. I have chosen the reader who requested - Double ka Meeta!!

" Double roti" in Hindi means bread and Meeta means sweet. This sweet dish for me is hard to resist as not only is it made of bread , but it also has the consistency of a pudding.The reader who requested it is a friend of sister's from her college days and she remembers it as my sister would make it by following mum's recipe while she was in college.

I want to thank all of you for sending in your polls. We will follow Fun fridays every week from now on. So if there is anything on your mind, that you want a recipe of , please feel free to post the name of the dish in the comments section of my blog ( under this post ) and you might see the recipe you requested, posted next friday.TGIF!!

Ingredients:

Bread slices- 10 , cut into small pieces
Oil- to deep fry
Cream- 4 tbsp - optional
Cashews- 50 gms
Raisins- 50 gms
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 1 cup
Water- 1cup

Method:

Cut bread into small uniform cubes.
Deep fry them till golden brown in color.
Boil sugar and water for 7 minutes. When sugar dissolves,add the fried bread pieces.
When the syrup is absorbed by the bread, then add 1 cup milk and keep on stirring.The aim is to crumble the bread pieces while stirring.
Add cardamom powder, fried cashews and raisins.
You can add the cream at the end if desired.
Serve hot as a pudding.

Dip

2011-11-17T21:49:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

Whipped cream- 250 gms
White vinegar or lemon juice- 1 1/2 tbsp
Sugar- 1/2 tsp
Crushed garlic- 6 cloves
Mustard powder- 1 tsp
Capsicum chlli sauce- 1 tsp
Salt- to taste

Method:
Mix everything together.
Serve with fried fish/ chicken tikka/ potato or dal sticks or spread on a burger bun.

Baked Cream Chicken

2011-11-16T21:54:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

Chicken with legs- 1/2
Potatoes- 3 cubed
Carrots- small cubed
Peas- 250 gms
Beans- 125 gms chopped finely
Cauliflower- 100 gms ( broken into small bits)
Flour- 7 tsp
Cream- 3/4 cup
White vinegar- 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Milk- 1 1/2 - 2 cups
Butter- 3- 4 tbsp
Onions- 2 tsp chopped
Green chillies- 2-3 chopped
Kraft cheese- 2 to 3 slices

Method:

Melt butter in a pan. Add onions, green chillies and flour.
Stir fry. Add milk and cook till little thick.
Remove it from fire and then add boiled or steamed vegetables and boiled chicken pieces ( without bones).
Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and cream. Then put it in a greased pie dish. Sprinkle grated cheese and bake it in a preheated oven over a pan of hot water till cheese is golden brown.

Cheese Bread

2011-11-15T21:50:00.001-08:00

As i write down this recipe today, i am reminded of my mum's never ending passion for cooking and learning new dishes. This was a bread that she learnt in a baking class that she had taken back in the late 70's in U.K. Between managing my sister who was just a toddler back then and a full time job, she took night classes, just to fulfill her desire to learn new dishes.

I love bread and thus anything which goes with process of making bread, like baking it, ( the aroma makes you want to eat it while it is still in the oven)is something which I thoroughly enjoy.

Ingredients:

Plain flour- 200 gms

Salt- 1 tsp

Sugar- 1 tsp

Margarine melted- 4 tbsp

Yeast- 10 gms

Warm milk- 150 ml

Cheddar cheese- 50 gms

Oil- to grease baking dish

Method:

Make the dough by mixing all of the above ingredients.
Keep it aside till the yeast makes the quantity of the mixture double. This process is called proofing.
Cut it into 24 pieces.
Grease the tin in which you are going to bake the bread very well. Knead the 24 pieces again into a small ball shapes and then line the balls in a greased tin, keeping 8 in each row.
Sprinkle grated cheese . Again place the 8 rolls.
Finish off by sprinkling another layer of cheese. So, you will have 3 layers with 8 rolls each.
Bake for 30-40 minutes at 425 F.

Sensational Steak- Makes 1 steak

2011-11-14T20:32:00.001-08:00

One of things which my husband makes the best in the kitchen is non veg dishes. So today he decided to make me some of his very special steak by following a recipe that is his own creation. A simple to follow recipe with a few ingredients.

Special instructions.....Make and serve with love!!

Ingredients :

Beef Ribeye or T- Bone Steak- 1
Soya sauce- 1/4 cup
Garlic Paste or crushed garlic cloves-1 tbsp
Brown sugar- 1 tbsp
Ground mustard powder- 1/2 tsp
Onions ( chopped into fine pieces)-1 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1/4 tsp
Wine-1/2 cup
Oil- 2 tbsp

Method:

Mix all of the above ingredients except steak in a shallow bowl.
Marinate steak in this mixture for one hour. Flip it over after half an hour has passed, so that both sides get marinated well.
Pan fry or grill till done.

Bhindi Masala- Okra- Serves 4

2011-11-13T20:42:00.001-08:00

Okra ( bhindi) to me is a vegetable that has an acquired taste. I never used to enjoy bhindi until probably the end of teens.

Whenever i make it, I always am reminded of how much mum would stress about washing the bhindi thoroughly and then wiping each and every one of them individually to make them taste right. Another important thing is the use of a flat spatula for tossing and turning the bhindi while cooking it versus using a spoon.

Bhindi is one of the recipes which mum has made and shared with many a people and they till date remember her for providing them with an awesome way of making it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Okra ( Bhindi )- 500 gms

Onions- 2 big

Red chilli powder- 1 tbsp

Cumin powder 1 tbsp

Corainder powder- 2 tbsps

Turmeric powder- 2 tbsps

Dry mango powder- 2 tbsps

Salt- to taste

Oil- 2 tbsps

Method:

Wash and wipe the bhindi . Remove the head and tail and slit and keep aside.
Peel, wash and slice onions thinly.
Mix the coriander powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder, turmeric powder and salt in a bowl.
Stuff the ladyfingers with this masala and keep the leftover masala separately.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add sliced onions and cook for half a minute. Then add the stuffed ladyfingers and mix. Cook covered on low heat for five minutes stirring occasionally.
Add rest of the dry masala when the ladyfingers are almost cooked.
Cover and cook till done. Serve hot.

French Cheese- Serves 4

2011-11-12T23:27:00.001-08:00

This is my favorite paneer dish. I like it because of its uniqueness both in taste and the method of preparation.Many a people may confuse this dish with Shahi or butter paneer, but it not the same. Adding lemon to this, gives it that special tangy taste that i enjoy. A tip to make any paneer dish tasty as mum would say is to follow two simple pointers.

One make sure you dip the paneer in a bowl of hot water for 2-3 minutes before you cut out the slices. This makes the paneer softer.

The second is always to add the paneer pieces right before you are about to serve the dish and thus avoid the reheating process.

As part of one of the last dinners mum made for me by request, this dish was one of them and thus it is and always will be special to me...

Ingredients:

Tomato- 1/2 kg

Onion Sliced- 1

Salt and White pepper -to taste

Lemon Squeezed - 3/4

Sugar- 1/2 tsp

Cream- 3-4 tbsp

Paneer- 400 gms

Butter- 100 gms

Method:

In one spoon of butter, fry onion till translucent.
Chop tomatoes and grind in the mixer with the onions and sieve through a chalni to make tomato puree.
Now in a pan, take remaining butter , salt , pepper, sugar, lemon juice and cook for 3-4 minutes.
When you want to serve , add cream and paneer and cover and cook for a minute and serve hot.

Fun Fridays !!!

2011-11-11T22:16:00.001-08:00

Just today i was thinking that we all have different emotions when we think of fridays....but a common and agreed upon emotion should be " Happiness."

I would like to make all my readers fridays fun. For the same, i am going to be introducing a poll system on each Friday. I would ask if you all could send me the name of a dish that you would like to see a recipe of on my blog. It could be anything..an appetizer, dessert, rice dish...whatever you can think of. I would choose one among all the dishes that my readers post and if it is a part of my mum's recipes treasure box, you will see it in the following Friday's blog post. We will repeat this poll each Friday, so you could request a new dish ( or the same one) every friday.

To send your poll, i ask that you please reply to this post in the comment section on my blog only. That ways, I will be able to access all the polls at one place.

Also, another small request, I ask that you send in your entries latest by Tuesday of the following week, so that I have enough time to be able to post it by Friday...

Let's start making our friday's fun together!!!

Bhalle- Serves 8

2011-11-10T22:05:00.001-08:00

Ingredients :
Urad dhuli dal - 3/4 cup
Moong dhuli dal-1/4 cup
Ginger-1" piece
Green chillies-2
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Fresh corainder leaves- 2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste

Method:

Soak dals together for 2-3 hours.
Then grind with ginger and green chillies in a mixer. When you take out of the mixer, beat it vigourously with the hand.
It should float in a cup of water when a little amount of the mixture is taken in the hand and dropped in it.
In this add cumin seeds, coriander leaves , coriander powder, salt to taste and mix.
Put water on hand and make it into the shape of a bhalla.
Deep fry on medium flame. When done ( golden brown in color(, remove and soak in water for a few minutes.
Squeeze when cold and then put it in the yogurt .

Besan Poora- Serves 2

2011-11-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Besan ( Gram flour)- 1 1/2 cups
Onion- 1 finely chopped
Fresh coriander leaves- 15 -20 sticks - washed and finely chopped
Salt- 1 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Caraway seeds- 1/2 tsp
Anardana powder- 1/2 tsp- 1 tsp
Water- 1 cup
Oil- to shallow fry poora

Method:

Take the gram flour in a bowl and mix the water into it and stir well with a big spoon to make a paste.
To this add finely chopped onion and coriander leaves.
Also, add the salt and the rest of the ingredients and stir to make a very thin batter.
Heat oil in a shallow pan and pour the mixture in the shape of a pancake / crepe. Cook on both sides until done.

Dal Sticks- Appetizer

2011-11-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

Appetizers were probably my mum's favorite among food categories. She used to explore unique combinations until the desired results of something extremely flavorful was achieved. These dal sticks also are one among her experiments. It is an appetizer that is rare and whenever i have served this to my guests, i always get a review that its a very different yet tasty one. Not many people have explored the idea of using dal in this way....but recalling what my dad told me today and i quote

"As you know she used to make even a simplest dish with passion, decorate it to make it interesting and above all serve with love for one and all." And that is exactly how i would love for all of my readers to follow my mum's recipes too.......Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Moong dal washed- 100 gms
Ginger- 1" piece
Green Chillies- 2
Garlic cloves- 4-6
Chopped fresh coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Asafoetida- 1 pinch
Water- 350 ml
Salt- to taste
Oil- to deep fry

Method:

Soak dal for 2 hours.
Grind it with 50 ml of water , ginger, garlic, green chillies and then add the remaining water to it.
Take 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, ground dal , salt and chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Stir constantly on high flame till the mixture thickens.
Grease a square dish and pour the mixture into it.
Press it and spread it evenly.
Cool it completely. Now cut it into sticks 1/2" * 3" and deep fry till done.