Bagara Baigan/ Eggplant curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500 gms baingans (brinjal/eggplants)
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
4 tbsp oil
Salt to taste


For Gravy:
 
2 medium sized onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic (optional), chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
2 tbsp raw peanuts
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 tbsp white sesame seeds (til)
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 inch cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
1 bay leaf
½ tsp peppercorns
½ tsp caraway seeds
1-2 black cardamom
1 lemon sized tamarind ball
3-4 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
¼ cup water


Direction:

• Cut the eggplants in cubes and soak them in salted water for about 15-20 minutes.
• Take a wok and roast all the dry stuff including raw peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds,coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick,cloves,bay leaf, peppercorns,caraway seeds and black cardamom.
• When the spices become light brown, add dry coconut.
• Roast the spices again with coconut Ntill it turns brown.
• Once the spice coconut mixture cools down then add this mixture with the rest of the ingredients ginger, garlic, green chillies, 1 tbsp coriander leaves , tamarind and grind it together with some water.
• Now drain the soaked eggplants.Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and saute eggplants in it.
• Add 1sp salt and let it cook on low heat for about 8-10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining oil in different pan add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Now add the masala paste and fry it on medium heat for about 15 mins.
• Add turmeric powder to the paste and fry for another 20 mins till the oil starts to seperates from the surface.
• Add cooked eggplants along with 1¼ cups water.Add more salt if required.
• Mix and simmer for around 8-10 minutes.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti/Rice.

Tahari / Rice Pulav

Yummy ! That's the only word comes in my mind while talking about Tahari.This is my all time favorite recipe. In my family we just love it. Tahari is a very common North Indian food. It is very healthy and easy to make. You can serve it with curd/ Raita / Mint chutney/Pickles

Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:

1¼ cup Basmati Rice
1 medium sized onion sliced
1 large tomato chopped
1 medium sized potato peeled and cut in cubes
1/4 cup green peas
½ tsp. cumin seeds (jeera)

1½ tsp. garlic (lehsan) paste

½ tsp. ginger (adrak) paste
½ tsp. turmeric (haldi) powder
4-5 whole black pepper (kali mirch)
2 cloves (laung)

1 black cardamom (badi ilaichi)

1 stick of cinnamon stick (dalchini)

1 bay leaf

2-3 green chilies

2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
3-4 tbs. oil/ghee

1 bunch Coriander leaves

 

Direction:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seed, bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper, and green chili.
• Add sliced onion and cook on medium flame for about 2 mins until it turns pink. Add ginger garlic paste.
• Now add chopped tomato and leave it until tomato has softened.
• Add coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder and mix them. Keep stirring until oil leaves the bottom of pressure cooker.
• Add potato cubes, green peas and rice with approximately 1½ cups of water. Add salt and cover it.
• Cook it on high heat for about 15 mins. After 1 whistle remove it from heat.
• Let it cool down a little and garnish it with coriander leaves .Ready to serve with Mint Chutney/Raita/ Pickle (Achaar).

Note: If you want you can add nutrilla, beans, carrot and other vegetables. Different type of rice take different time to cook, check your rice and cook accordingly.

 

Bamboo Shoot Vegetable / Killaanchi Bhaji

Original Bamboo shoot

Peeled Bamboo shoot

Chopped

Ready to eat

 
For today's lunch I made this bamboo shoot vegetable as a side dish..never got a chance to make these bamboo shoots. It is very common vegetable used by Chinese in their soups. It is mostly available during Monsoon. I was not sure whether it would come out good .But to my surprise my fussy hubby ate all up. It was really tasty. So today onward this is going to be a recipe in my Menu card. You can also try it for a change.

Number of Servings: 6
 
Ingredients:   
500 gms. bamboo shoots

1 cup green peas

2 tsps.brown cane sugar
1/2 cup shredded raw coconut

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp.turmeric powder

2 tsps.black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp.asafoetida(hing)powder

1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
1/2 tsp Amchoor powder(optional)

Red chilli powder to taste

Salt to taste
Preparation:

Peel away the outer shell as it is very hard. Inner core should be soft enough to pierce with your finger nail. Normally inner core is little bitter and tart too. After peeling, chop bamboo shoot into fine pieces. You can also get canned bamboo shoot in any Chinese market. Before cooking soak them for around 8 hrs. in salted water to remove it's tartness. I generally prefer to soak it overnight.
　

Direction:

• Drain bamboo shoots from salted water and pressure cook it for 10-15 mins with a little water.
• Heat oil in a wok on medium flame. Add black mustard seeds.
• As it pops add split green chillis, asafoetida powder , garam masala ,amchoor powder and turmeric powder.
• After few seconds add fresh green peas with half cup of water. Mix well and add red chilli powder and salt to taste.
• Cover and cook for about 5 mins.
• Add cooked bamboo shoots and mix well. Cover and let it cook completley.
• Add sugar and shredded raw coconut and stir.
• Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes more.
• Remove from flame and serve hot with Roti as a side dish. 

Note : You can also use split chick peas instead of green peas. But soak it in warm water for about half an hour just before cooking. You can also add mushroom and beans in it.

 

Hey Everyone !

I am back after such a long time. Hope you all missed my recipes. Oh ! yeah I forgot to tell you all, that I have a two year old son and he is quite naughty. He keeps me busy all the time.
 
Anyways lets keep some extra time for cooking as I am back with lots of mouthwatering recipes..

See you soon. 

Khandvi

Khandvi is basically a Gujarati dish. It’s very delicious and healthy too.

Ingredients


1 cup (100gm) Gram flour (Besan)
1 cup curd
2 cup Water
A pinch of Turmeric powder
½ tsp Ginger paste
½ tsp Salt as per taste
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Black mustard seed
1-2 Green chili as per taste
Finely chopped Coriander
1 tbsp grated Fresh Coconut

Method:

• Stir the curd. Add gram flour and mix it thoroughly.
• In the batter mix water, salt, turmeric powder and ginger paste.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and add the batter in it. Keep it stirring for about 5 mins until the mixture will get thick.
• Now lower the flame and keep stirring for another 2-3 mins.
• Now spread this batter on a big plate with the help of a bowl as in Dosa .
• After it has cooled, cut it into strips as you like. I usually keep the strip 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
• Now take each strip and roll it. Roll all the strips and put them in the plate.
• Heat oil in a small frying pan and put black mustard seed in the oil. As it starts popping up, add green chili and curry leave to it and let them fry.
• Now oil is ready. Pour it on each roll with the help of spoon.
• Now garnish it with coriander and coconut (optional) and serve hot with coriander chutney or sauce.

Pav Bhaji

This dish is especially visible in the great city of Mumbai- Maharashtra. Pav Bhaji is a wholesome dish which can work as a substitute for a full meal. When I am not in a mood to cook a complete meal for my family, pav bhaji in one of the dishes which comes to my mind. This is really an innovation that arose out of the necessity of providing a nice hot meal in a hurry and one that tickles the taste buds. A spicy blend of vegetables in tomato gravy served with pav that is cooked with butter.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For Pav

8 pavs/buns (white bread in square)
5 tbs butter

For Bhaji

1 ½ cups boiled and mashed potatoes

1 cauliflower

½ cup green peas
2 carrots

1 medium sized onion

1 capsicum
3 medium sized tomatoes
½ tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
1 ½ tbsp pav bhaji masala

½ tsp black salt

½ tsp lemon juice


Method:

• Finely chop cauliflower, carrots, onion, capsicum and tomatoes.
• Boil chopped cauliflower, carrot and peas till they are soft.
• Drain out the excess water.
• Heat the butter in a wok; add the onion and capsicum and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry till the onion softens.
• Add the tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, black salt ,pav bhaji masala, and salt and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the boiled vegetables, potatoes and lemon juice and squash thoroughly, adding some water if required.
• On the other hand slice each pav into 2 horizontally.
• Apply a little butter to each side.
• Heat a large skillet and cook the pav on both sides till the pieces are lightly browned.
• Sprinkle grated cheese and chopped coriander leaves over bhaaji and serve hot with pav.

Bread Masala Toast

Today I made this Toast for our breakfast as my husband is bored of normal toasts. Just for a change I prepared it for him and he liked it. Lets cook it and enjoy the pleasure of having a different item in our recipe.

Ingredients:

4 Eggs
6 Breads
¼ tsp Garam masala powder
¼ tsp Ginger paste
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
2 cloves Garlic
2 medium sized Onion
1 tbsp chopped Green Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
3 tbsp Oil

Direction:
 

• Peel Onion and Garlic and make a paste by using grinder or shredder.
• Take eggs in a big bowl and beat it well.
• Add ginger paste, onion garlic paste, chopped coriander leaves, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt. Mix well.
• Heat Oil in a skillet, dip the bread slices in the mixture (make sure that all bread is covered by mixture) and place it on skillet.
• Toast the Bread on both sides and remove from heat.
• Toast is ready to serve.

Happy New Year !

Kadai Paneer

Ingredients

1 kg. Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
2 Green Capsicum Chopped
2 ½ tsp Ginger garlic paste
2 tsp Coriander seed powder
8 Red chilies
3 tsp. Kasuri Methi
4 Chopped green chilies
5 Chopped tomatoes
8 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1 bunch of chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Direction:

• Cut the Paneer into medium sized cubes.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger garlic paste and cook over a low flame for some time.
• As it popping sound starts coming, add capsicum, chilly powder and the coriander powder; and stir fry for a few minutes.
• Add green chilies along with the diced tomatoes and cook till the oil begins to separate from the mixture.
• Now add kasuri methi and salt and cook for some time.
• At last add the Paneer pieces to it and let it cook for few mins.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
• It can easily go with Roti/ Naan /Paratha

Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:

400 gm paneer/Cottage cheese
2 Bay leaves
4 to 5 green cardamoms
7 to 8 cloves
7 to 8 pepper corn
1 medium sized capsicum
1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste

1 cup Fresh Cream

2 cup Tomato Puree (use 4 to 5 tomatoes for making puree)

3-4 tbsp Butter

2 tsp Fenugreek leaves (dried kasuri methi)

2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder

2-3 Green ChilliesSalt to taste
1 tbsp Sugar/honey

Method:

• Cut Paneer (Cheese) into small cubes/triangles.
• Heat butter in a pan, As it melts add Bay leaves,Green cardamoms, cloves, Pepper corn , Capsicum , Ginger/garlic paste, Kasuri methi and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add tomato Puree, salt to taste and stir for about 2 mins.
• Add red chilli powder, garam masala powder and sugar and cook it for around 5 to 10 mins.
• Add the paneer pieces and cook for a minute.
• Add the cream and and cook further for 2-3 minutes.
• Garnished with coriander leaves and serve hot with Indian Roti or Rice.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

½ kg Palak (Spinach)

100gms Paneer

2 Onions grated
2 tomatoes for tomato puree
¼ tsp Ginger, Garlic paste

5-6 tbsp oil/Ghee

1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp Dhania Powder

1 tsp Garam masala
¼ tsp amchoor powder

Red chili powder to taste
1 tsp Butter/Cheese thread

Salt To Taste

Direction:

• Clean and wash palak (spinach) nicely.
• Boil the spinach in 1 cup water and when it is done squash it with the help of blender.
• Heat oil in a wok. Add ginger-garlic paste, cumin seeds and stir.
• As popping sound starts coming add grated onions and fry till golden brown.
• Add tomato puree and stir for about 1 min.
• Add all spices including amchoor powder and stir till it separates from oil.
• Now add the spinach (palak) puree and little water if needed and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Chop paneer into cubes. Add Paneer pieces to the gravy and cook until done.
• Palak paneer is ready. Before serving add 1 tsp butter and serve hot with Indian roti or rice.

      Note: Paneer can be fried to golden brown in a separate pan or can be used as it is.

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer is a type of homemade cottage cheese made from cow's milk. It is made by adding lemon juice to the boiling milk which detaches the cheese in the milk from the whey. Then the cheese is drained and weighed down to remove the entire water.

Ingredients:

250 gram paneer
1 Capsicum
2 Small Onion
1 medium Tomato
½ cup green peas
1 tbsp Oil1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 2 Green Chillies¼ tsp Turmeric Powder ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder1 tsp Ginger-Garlic PasteSalt to taste
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves

Direction:
 

• Grate the paneer by hand and keep aside. Finely chop all the vegetables (Capsicum, Onion, and Tomato).
• Heat oil in a non stick pan, add chillies, cumin seeds, and ginger garlic paste.
• As popping sound starts coming, add chopped onions and cook till golden brown.
• Add tomatoes and fry till they are soft and pulpy.
• Add garam masala powder, turmeric powder, chat masala powder, salt and little water .Mix well.
• Add capsicum and green peas and cook on low flame for about 5 minutes.
  Add grated paneer and stir till the paneer mingle into the masala.
• Cook it for approx. 5 min and turn off the gas.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Fruit Custard

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Custard powder
2 cup Milk
2 tbsp Sugar (to be added to milk)
½ Apple
1 Banana
1 tbsp Pomegranate seeds
2 to 3 pieces of Pineapple
2 to 3 Strawberries
4 to 5 Grapes (black seedless)
4 to 5 Grapes (green seedless)
Cherries and pomegranate seeds to garnish

 Method:

• Peel apple, banana and pineapple and chop them into small pieces.
• Boil milk in a pan. Add sugar and stir it. You can add more sugar if you want to make it sweeter.
• Meanwhile take the custard powder in a bowl and dilute it by adding a little milk (2 tbsp) to it. Whisk till it dissolves entirely.
• Turn off the gas and add custard liquid to the milk and keep stirring till it becomes thick.
• Heat it up over a low flame and add fruits into it.
• Refrigerate the contents for about 2-3 hours.
• Garnish it with cherry and pomegranate seeds and serve chilled.

Masala Dosa

Tomorrow, some friends are coming over my place and for them I want to cook rather special dish. i.e., Masala Dosa. Though it is not that special for us as we eat it often but for guests certainly it would be unusual.

Ingredients:

For Dosa crust:

3 cups rice

1 cup urad dal

1 cup curd

½ tsp soda bicarbonate/ 1 packet Eno

Salt to taste

For Stuffing:

5 medium sized potatoes

2 medium sized onion (sliced)

1 tbsp green peas

½ tsp mustard seed
1 tsp chana daal

2-3 green chili sliced vertically

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 bunch of Coriander leaves

2 tsp oil

Salt to taste

 

Direction:

 

Masala stuff:

• Boil potatoes and peel it.
• Heat oil in a pan and add green chilli, chana daal, mustard seed in it. Wait till popping sound comes from it and add onions in it.
• Cook onion on medium till golden brown.
• Add peas,salt, turmeric powder and other spices (as per your taste) and stir for about 3 minutes.
• Put in potatoes and mix well.
• Add chopped coriander leaves and stuff is ready to place in.

Dosa crust:

 

• Wash rice and urad dal one by one and soak them for about 4 to 6 hrs or overnight.
• Grind dal and rice separately to a paste but be careful that in case of rice paste would be a little rough.
• Mix them together in a deep pan. Add soda bi-carb/Eno and salt and mix well.
• Sprinkle a little water if required to make batter. Make sure the batter should be rather thick.
• Cover and keep aside in a warm place for about 7 to 10 hours, untouched.
• Add curd and mix well.
• Heat pan on a medium flame and put oil with the help of cotton or tissue paper.
• Pour the batter on pan with the help of bowl in circular motion to make it skinny.
• Flip the side and add previously prepared stuff inside Dosa and turn round.
• Serve hot with Sambhar and Coconut Chutney.

Sprouted Chickpeas Salad

I remember back in school days my parents would always say that ‘Sprouted Black chick peas/Moong’ would be great for your memory. It was logically proven to make you smarter, or do better on exams as it is full of vitamins, proteins, amino acid, minerals which are key nutrients for us. And that always kind of stuck with me.Health is the major concern for everyone and for a healthy and toned body one should have balanced food. I always have it in different forms. One of them is in the form of salad. I hope you would enjoy it.

Ingredients:

1 cup Sprouted Black Chickpeas /Moong
1 Onion chopped
1 Tomato sliced
1 Cucumber chopped
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
1 green chilli finely sliced
Finely chopped coriander leaves
¼ tsp Black pepper powder
Salt to taste
Direction:

 

• Take chickpeas in a bowl, wash with water and soak for around 5-6 hours.
• Take out all water, take a handkerchief and place them in it. Pepper some water and hang it overnight in a tepid environment to let them germinate.
• Once sprouts are ready take it in bowl and rinse it thoroughly.
• Put in chopped tomato, onion and cucumber and mix it uniformly.
• Add green chilli, lemon juice, black paper powder, olive oil and salt, flip and mix again.
• Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve.

Malpua

It has been long since I blogged. Lately I came across a new recipe i.e, 'Malpua'. Malpua is a very popular sweet to make on the Hindu festvals Holi and Diwali.
It is a fritter or pancake served as a dessert or a snack in the Indian subcontinent.
There are several variations, using ingredients. The batter for malpuas in some areas also encompasses fruits.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp plain four
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp Grated Coconut (gari)
Finely sliced Cashew nut and Almond
¼ tsp Cardamom powder
Fresh cream sweetened
Rose water
Oil or Ghee to fry
Direction:

• Take Plain flour in a bowl, mix sugar, milk and rose water for smooth batter.
• Left the batter to rest for a around 1 hr.
• After 1 hr add cardamom powder, grated coconut, cashew nut and almond. Stir well.
• Heat oil in a flat bottomed pan.
• Pour the mixture in the pan to form a fizzy pancake which should be crisp around the
  edges.
• Use kitchen tissue to drain out all the oil.
• Serve hot

Apple Pudding

The Navratri (nine nights) festival which is a sign of the arrival of autumn is celebrated in different ways all over India. This festival is celebrated from the first to ninth date of Ashwin Shukla Paksha of the Hindu calendar. The Navaratri festival or ‘nine day festival’ becomes ‘ten day festival’ with the addition of the last day, Vijayadashami which is its culmination.
During all these nine days, the nine forms of Goddess Durga i.e. female divinity are worshipped.
In North India, Navratri is celebrated with much enthusiasm by fasting on all nine days, worshipping the Mother Goddess in her different forms and watching the annual Ramlila performances under the post-monsoon skies full of twinkling stars.
In Western India, mainly in Gujarat, Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba and Dandiya-Raas dance.
In south India, people set up steps and place idols on them. This is known as “Golu”.
In East India particularly in the state of West Bengal, the last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form, where they are celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Elegantly crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her killing the demon Mahisasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.

Ingredient:

4 cup Milk
4 apples, peeled and grated
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp sliced Pistachios

Direction :

• Take milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to boil till it reduced to half of its original amount.
• Put in sugar and stir until it dissolves.
• Add grated apples and bring it to boil.
• Add cardamom powder and stir.
• Garnish with sliced almonds and pistachios.
• Turn off the heat and serve hot or cold..!

Balushahi (Indian Glazed Doughnut)

It is an interesting thing to eat out, but I believe it loses its appeal if you do it more frequently.It’s best to get a different meal from time to time, and that we should cook at home more often. In connection with this, let’s try a new recipe. Balushahi is a traditional dessert of northern Indian and Nepali Cuisine, akin to a glazed doughnut. Only difference is that it has a depression in the middle (not hole) unlike glazed doughnut. You can easily discover this recipe in any North Indian wedding ceremony. Why delay! Let’s try this mouth watering recipe at home.

Ingredient:

For Doughnuts

2 cups all-purpose flour (Maida)
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cardamom powder
½ cup ghee
½ cup yogurt (dahi)

For Syrup

1 ½ cup sugar
1 cups Water

For Garnishing

1 tbsp Crushed Pistachio nuts

Direction:

• Boil water in a deep pan. Add sugar and cook till a two thread consistency. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
• Meanwhile take all-purpose flour in a bowl and mix baking soda and cardamom powder in it.
• Add 1 tbsp yogurt at a time and knead well to form very stiff dough and set aside for about 10-20 minutes.
• Divide dough into 10 to 15 balls of about 1 to 1½" size.
• Flatten each ball between your palms into a disk and depress the center slightly.
• Keep in mind it is just a deep depressions not a hole.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and deep-fry the disks until golden brown; remove and drain on a paper towels or tissue paper.
• Dunk the doughnuts in the syrup with the help of tongs and make sure all disks soak up into it.
• Sprinkle crushed pistachios over the doughnuts.
• At the time of serving, pour some extra syrup over the top to make a shiny surface.

 Note: If you want to save your time you can use any brand 'Biscuit Dough' available in Grocery stores for making Doughnuts.

Shahi Toast/Tukde (Bread Pudding)

Today is my dad’s Birth day. In view of the fact that I am far away from him, I have planned to celebrate it in my way. He is long-suffering from diabetic consequently he can not have anything sugary. However there is a practice maintain by my family (that I also follow at my home) that in any major occasion a dessert is a mandatory part of the menu. No matter that person is there with you or not, we cook rather different and enjoy the event with great ardor. Just to bring a change in our life we go out to a sushi restaurant or do something unusual. Today I am going to make Shahi Toast (Shahi tukde) and I am certain that my hubby would become fond of it.

Ingredients:

4 bread slices
5 tbsp sugar
50 gm condensed milk
50 gm khoya ( Optional)
1 cup milk
½ tsp cardamom powder
Few threads of saffron
½ tsp Rose water
1 tbsp Ghee to fry

For Garnishing

Almond and Pistachio

Direction:

• Take away the crust of bread slices and slice diagonally.
• Heat oil/ghee in a deep pan and fry the slices until golden brown. Keep aside on a tissue paper to eradicate excess oil.
• In the mean time boil milk and add sugar to it.
• Boil to get a thick consistency and add condensed milk, cardamom powder, khoya, a few drops of rose water and saffron strand to it.
• Boil on low flame to a very thick consistency. Once it is done, refrigerate it.
• To serve, arrange two fried bread slices on plate, and pour 2 tbsp refrigerated mixture on top. Sprinkle nuts and silver leaves.

Fruitkhand

Other variations of Shrikhand can be made with pieces of apple, cheeku, pineapple ,cherry,strawberry or other fruits.