Chimmili ( Sesame Laddu )

Chimmili is a laddu made with roasted sesame seeds and jaggery. It is usually made on Nagula Chavithi as an offering to the Snake God . Today, I performed this puja and made Chimmili and Chalimidi as naivedyam.
There are various ways to make this sweet, I shall mention a couple of them.


Ingredients:

• Sesame Seeds - 1 cup
• Grated Jaggery - 3/4 th cup or to taste
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Directions:

• Dry roast sesame seeds for a few seconds till they turn slightly golden. Remove and let it cool.
• Grind the sesame seeds for just a couple of pulses. Do not powder them. Just 1 or 2 pulses so that they are slightly crushed. You can avoid this and use them as whole as well.
• Grate jaggery finely.
• Mix sesame seeds and grated jaggery, add little ghee and make small balls.

Another Method:

• In a pan, add jaggery and 1/4th cup of water and make a thick syrup.
• Add roasted sesame seeds to the syrup and mix well.
• Let it cool and then make small balls.

Variation:

• As I mentioned earlier, it can be made in various ways. It can also be made by grinding the sesame seeds into powder.
• You can add cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup.
• You can add small dry coconut pieces to the jaggery syrup.

Dondakaya Vepudu ( Tindora Fry )

Dondakaya , also known as Tindora or Kundru or Ivy Guard sauted with few spices goes very well with rice and dal or sambar.
This vegetable is green on outside and white on inside with small seeds. However, the overripe tindora is red on inside. Discard such ones, they are hard to cook and spoils the entire curry.

Ingredients:

• Tindora -  1/2 lb
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
• Chana Dal -1/4 tsp
• Cashew Nuts - 6-8
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Salt -to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric - 1/8 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
• Koora Podi - 1 tsp ( optional ) ( Click on it for the recipe )
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions:

• Nip the tip and tail ends of washed and cleaned tindoras.
• Slit each tindora into half lengthwise , and again slit each half into 2 pieces ,lengthwise. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add urad dal and chana dal and saute till they turn reddish.
• Add Cashew nuts, curry leaves, asafoetida and saute till cashew nuts turn reddish.
• Add tindora, salt, turmeric. Give it a good toss.
• Cook covered on medium, stirring several times in between.
• Cook till all the moisture is evaporated and tindora gets crispy. Add red chili powder and koora podi ( optional ). Mix well.
• Cook for a couple of minutes uncovered.
• Turn off the heat and serve with rice and dal or rasam or samabar.

Namak Pare

I had earlier blogged the recipe of shakkarpare, now this is the recipe of namak pare , which is the salty version of sweet shakkarpare.
Very easy to make, this is one of my favourite snacks to munch on. I had made this on this diwali. You can see in the picture, a hint of other sweets and savories I made this Diwali along with Namak Pare.

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
• Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup
• Carom Seeds ( Ajwain ) - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Water - as required for kneading
• Oil - for deep frying

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients and add water little by little and knead it into a pliable dough. The consistency should be little more stiffer than how we make for roti.
• Rest the dough covered for an hour.
• Heat the oil for deep frying.
• Divide the dough into 7-8 equal portions and roll them out slightly thicker than a roti.
• Pork thoughout with the help of a fork, so that they don't swell while frying. { Be gentle, don't show your frustration on it ;)  }
• With the help of a pizza cutter, cut it into strips.
• Cut through diagonally to form small diamond shapes.
• When the oil is hot, drop them and fry on medium heat. Keep stirring ocassionally.
• Cook till they turn golden and remove on the paper towel.
• Repeat with other portions of the dough.
• Store in air tight container and enjoy your snack along with chai ( tea ).

Kalakand / Milk Cake / Milk Barfi ( Microwave Method )

Happy Diwali to all of you :)
Kalakand is a delectable Indian sweet. It is made on various festivals. I made it on this Diwali.
There are various ways to make this sweet.
It is Traditionally made of whole milk which is made into chhana, mixed with home made khoya and sugar which easily takes 2-3 hours (stove top method ).
But making with store bought  ricotta cheese and condensed milk in microwave is a shortcut method and can be ready in half an hour. Who doesn't like to save some time afterall, in such a busy lifestyle ;)
So here's the procedure of making kalakand in microwave:

Ingredients:

• Ricotta Cheese – 15 oz tub
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – 14 oz can
• Rose Water – 1/4 tsp
• Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Chopped almonds – 1/2 tbsp
• Chopped Pistachios – 1/2 tbsp

Method:

•  In a microwave safe bowl, mix the Ricotta Cheese and the Condensed Milk well with the help of a whisk so that there are no lumps.
•  Cook uncovered in the microwave for 5 min.
•  Take out and mix well. Clear the edges.
•  Microwave for another 12 minutes, uncovered taking out and stirring every 2 minutes, which means you would be taking out 6 times and stirring.
•  At the end add in the Powdered Cardamom and Rose Syrup and mix well.
• If you are using a square shaped or rectangle shaped dish, then you can let it be in the same dish, however if you used a round dish or bowl, then transfer it to a square dish or a flat plate.
•  Press down and flatten the mixture in square shape.
• Sprinkle chopped pistachios and almonds on top and press them down with the back of the spoon so that they hold on to the kalakand.
•  Let it sit for a couple of hours so that it sets.
•  Cut into squares or rectangles.

Enjoy your festival with this extremely delicious sweet.

Minapa Sunnundalu (Urad Dal Laddu )

Sunnundalu, a traditional Andhra sweet made of urad dal, sugar and ghee. I am making these on the occassion of Diwali.

So, Happy Diwali to all of you :) Have lots of sweets and have loads of fun on this Diwali.

It reminds me of my ammamma ( granny ) , she used to make the best sunnundalu in the world. Yummmm...

I tried to make many times but it never tasted like her's. Well, the ingredients are the same, the proportions are the same , hmmmm wonder what made her laddoos better than mine. Probably, 'Love' was her secret ingredient.

Well , no matter how much we try we can never make half as good as our moms or grandmoms. However, that should not stop us from trying.

So, here is my attempt:


Ingredients:

• Black Gram Lentil ( Urad Dhuli ) - 2 cups
• Grated Jaggery or Sugar - 1 cup ( Adjust to taste )
• Ghee ( Clarified Butter ) - 3/4 cup
• Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp ( optional )

Directions:

• In a wide pan, dry roast urad dal on low heat till golden color. Keep stirring often. Be careful not to burn the dal. Since it is being roasted on low heat, it would take a long time, but it is worth the patience.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• In a grinder, grind urad dal and sugar together to fine powder. If sugar is already powdered you don't need to grind. But it is granules, then you need to grind along.
• If you are using jaggery then, grate it separately and them mix with urad dal powder.
• Add cardamom powder to the mixture of urad dal and sugar/jaggery and mix well till all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• You can avoid cardamom powder , if you are not a fan of elaichi flavor , like me.
• Melt ghee. Bring it to room temperature. Add melted ghee to the mixture slowly as required and keep mixing.
• When you see the mixture has begun to hold together, stop adding ghee. Do not add too much ghee, else it will drip while making the laddus.
• Make lime sized laddus out of the mixture.
• It can be stored in an air tight container for a couple of weeks.

Note: The taste of sunnundalu when made with jaggery is definitely different from that made of sugar, but both are equally good. You should try both and then stick to the one you like.

Enjoy the toothsome sunnundalu !!

Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry

Tofu is extremely nutritious which has many health benefits and is a very good source of protein for the vegetarians.  It is low in fat, calories and cholesterol. Isn't that amazing for people who watch their weight.
Tofu by itself is bland, but if cooked with various other ingredients and flavors , it is a treat to have.
So here is one of the many different ways to make a tofu appetizer.

Ingredients:

• Extra Firm Tofu - 1 packet
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Green and Red Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup
• Chopped Spring Onions - 1/4 cup
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - to taste
• Soy Sauce - to taste
• Chinese Chili Sauce - to taste
• Stir Fry Sauce ( Any Flavour ) - 2 tbsp
• Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp

Directions:

• Drain water from the tofu.
• Wrap it with a paper towel and let is stand for 5-6 minutes so that all the liquid is soaked up.
• Cut it into bite size cubes.
• Heat oil in a pan, add tofu pieces and stir fry till golden brown on all the sides.
• Push the tofu on one side of the pan , and add garlic paste in the oil and stir it for a few seconds.
• Add chopped vegetables ( bell peppers and spring onions ) and toss them along with tofu.
• Add soy sauce, chili sauce, stir fry sauce, little salt and pepper and sesame seeds. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes till the vegetables are half cooked. Let the veggies remain crunchy. No need to cook till soft.

Variation: 

• You can make the same recipe without any veggies as well. Or You could add more veggies of your choice like onions, broccoli, carrots, snow peas etc .
• You can add plain stir fry tofu to salads or pasta or chinese fried rice or chinese noodles.

Enjoy  !!  :)

Candied Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes cooked with jaggery syrup makes an excellent dish for a quick sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

• Sweet Potato - 1
• Jaggery - 3/4 cup
• Water - 1.5 cups
• Cardamom Powder - a pinch

Directions:

• Clean and peel the potato. Slice them or cube them.
• Boil them in water in a pan till soft. Don't overcook them, else they will turn mushy.
• Drain and keep aside.
• Boil jaggery in water. Let the jaggery dissolve in water. Strain this jaggery water to remove dirt.
• Boil this clean jaggery water , keep stirring . Cook till the jaggery syrup thickens.
• Add the potato chunks and cardamom powder to this thick and sticky syrup and mix well but gently making sure not to mash up the potatoes.
• Cook for a couple of minutes till all the potato pieces are well coated and caramelized with the jaggery syrup. Turn off the heat.
• Serve warm.

Tip : If the potatoes are mashed up accidentally, do not worry , it still tastes great. Or you can eat it with a scoop of ice cream on it.

Besan Puda / Besan Dosa

Besan Puda is a savory pancake made of chickpea flour or besan and few other ingredients.
Perfect for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients:

• Besan - 1 cup
• Sooji ( semolina ) - 2 1/2 tbsp
• Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
• Carom Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1 1/2 cup or as required
• Grated Ginger - 1 tsp
• Finely Chopped Onions - 1/4 cup
• Chopped Cilantro - 3 tbsp
• Chopped Green Chillies - 1 -2
• Salt - to taste
• Oil Spray
• Baking Soda - a pinch

Directions :

• In a mixing bowl, mix besan, suji, rice flour, turmeric, salt, cumin seeds and carom seeds ( ajwain ) .
• Add water and yogurt and mix well with a whisk. Make sure there are no lumps.
• Adjust water to make batter of the consistency of pancake or dosa batter.
• Add in chopped onions, green chillies, cilantro, ginger and give it a good mix.
• Add and mix baking soda just before you start making pudas.
• Heat a skillet, spray oil all over.
• Pour a ladleful of batter on the skillet and spread it thinly like a pancake.
• Let it cook for a couple of minutes till the bottomside turns brown.
• Spray some oil over the puda and flip it over.
• Let it cook till the color changes to golden brown and it turns crispy.
• Serve immediately with any chutney or dip of your choice.

Variation:  You can add some more veggies to it, like grated carrots or chopped spring onions or grated zucchini or chopped spinach or anything you can think of.

Achari Gobhi

Cauliflower cooked in achari masala has a similar flavour to a pickle. Who doesn't like pickle.
The main ingredients to get the flavour of Indian Pickle are Kalonji, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, Mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
Also the secret is cooking it in the mustard oil.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1 ( cut into medium sized florets )
• Kalonji Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp
• Green Chili - 1-2
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish

Directions:

• Heat oil in a wide bottom pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and kalonji. Let them sizzle.
• Add slit green chillies and turmeric powder.
• Add cauliflower florets, salt and chili powder and give it a good mix till all the florets are nicely coated.
• Add very little water, say 2-3 tbsp , and cook covered on slow heat, mixing in between.
• Cook till the cauliflower is tender and the water is all evaporated.
• Add lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Do not overcook, the cauliflower will turn mushy .
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Tip :  You can also add 1 tbsp of pickle paste to the curry for a stronger pickle flavour.

Cabbage Fry / Poriyal

Ingredients:

• Shredded Cabbage - 2 cups
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Green Or Red Chillies - 2
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal. Let the seeds crackle and dals turn reddish.
• Add curry leaves, chillies, hing and turmeric powder.
• Add cabbage, salt and sprinkle a couple of tbsp of water. Cook covered on a low-med heat.
• Keep stirring often and cook till tender.
• Add coconut , mix well and turn off the heat.

Variation:   Sprinkle little mustard powder on the curry for a completely different flavour altogether.
Sprinkle it just before turning off the heat. Do not cook for long after mustard powder is sprinkled, the curry might turn bitter.

Kandi Podi ( Gun Powder )

Kandi Podi is a classic Andhra recipe made of dry roasted dals and other spices. It gives out a nice aromatic fragrance which fills the entire house and goes extremely well with plain steamed rice with a dollop of ghee . Mmmmmm.... It is as yummy as it sounds and is relished by almost every Andhraite.
It is customary in Andhra Pradesh to eat Kandi Podi with rice as the first item of the meal followed by curry, dals, rasam or sambar and end with curd rice. You must try this if you haven't yet.


Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Chana Dal - 1/2 cup
• Red whole chillies - 7-8 or to taste
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Garlic Cloves - 3-4
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring ( optional )
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• In a heavy bottom pan, dry roast all the ingredients except salt and hing on a very low heat. Keep stirring ocassionally, making sure none of the ingredients burn.
• Roast till the dals turn reddish, red chillies turn crispy and the entire house is filled up with a nice aroma. It takes time as it is roasted on low flame, but be patient, the result will be satisfying, I assure you :)
• At the end, add hing, roast for a minute more and turn off the heat.
• Let it cool down .
• Grind into a slightly coarse powder, neither too fine nor too coarse.
• Add salt and combine.
• Store it in an air tight container.
• Serve with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.

Aloo Simla Mirch Sabzi

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2
• Bell Pepper( Capsicum ) - 2
• Onion - 1 medium
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Let them sizzle.
• Add chopped onions and grated ginger, saute till golden brown.
• Add turmeric powder.
• Add cubed potatos and cubed bell peppers. Mix well. Cook covered. Keep stirring ocassionally.
• After the curry is 3/4th cooked, add garam masala, red chili powder, salt. Mix well and let it cook till done.
• Do not over cook, the potatoes might get mushy. Turn off the heat just when the vegetables are well cooked .

Vegetable Quesadilla

Quesadilla is a mexican dish made with toasted tortillas stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and cheese and other ingredients.
Traditionally, they only have melted cheese inside , however, you can add various vegetables and sauces of your choice to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

• Flour or Corn Tortillas - 2
• Grated Cheese ( any )
• Oil Spray
• Guacamole - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Spring Onions - 3 tbsp
• Chopped Onions - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Tomatoes - 1 tbsp
• Baked Beans - 3 tbsp
• Chopped Bell Pepper - 2 tbsp
• Chopped Jalapenos - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper Powder - to taste
• Taco Seasoning Mix - to taste

Note : You can have veggies of your choice. Other options for filling could be mushrooms, olives,  sweet corn, spinach etc. You can have your own permutations and combinations.
Also, I like my veggies crunchy, so I use them raw. However, you can saute them if you wish so.

Directions :

• In a bowl, combine all the veggies ( spring onions, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapenos and baked beans) and mix well. I prefer all my veggies chopped very finely.
• Add salt, pepper, taco seasoning mix and combine. This is the stuffing for the quesadillas.
• On a skillet, spray little cooking oil and place a tortilla. Let it heat for 10-12 seconds and flip it over.
• Reduce the heat to low-medium, as we want it to turn crispy and golden brown without getting burnt.
• On the surface of the tortilla, spread guacamole, spread the vegetable mix evenly and spread the grated cheese.  ( Click here for the recipe of Guacamole )
• Take another tortilla and place it over and cover it. Spary some oil on the second tortilla and slowly and carefully flip the entire thing over.
• Cook until crispy and golden brown.
• Cut into 4 quarters with pizza cutter and serve with salsa, tortilla chips, guacamole dip or cheese dip.

Guacamole

Guacamole is a dip made of ripe avacados, originated in Mexico and is perfect for dipping tortilla chips or nachos or serving with tacos .

Ingredients:

• Ripe Avacados - 2
• Red Onion - 1/2
• Garlic - 1 clove ( optional )
• Jalapeno / Serrano chili - 1
• Chopped cilantro - 2 tbsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Tomato - 1/2

Directions:

• Cut avacados in half , remove the seed and scoop out the avacado and discard the skin. Watch this video I found on youtube on how to cut and scoop out avacado.
• Mash the avacado in a mixing bowl.

• Add minced onion, minced jalapenos, minced garlic and very finely chopped cilantro.
• Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Remove the seeds and pulp of the tomato and chop them very finely. Mix these with the guacamole just before serving.

Variation: Add some sour cream in the guacamole dip for creamy texture

Radish Raita

Radish Raita is a very popular dish in Maharashtrian cuisine. It is called  ' Mulyachi Koshimbir ' in Marathi. I learnt it from a Maharashtrian friend of mine back in India. So let me pass on her recipe to my readers :)

Ingredients :

• Red Radish - 10-12 small
• Yogurt - 1 1/2 cup
• Chopped Cilantro - 2-3 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Green Chillies - 2 or to taste

Directions :

• Wash and grate radish and let it stand for 5 minutes.
• Squeeze the water from the grated radish. Do not throw away the water you squeezed out. Save it. I use that water for making the chapati dough.
• Beat the curd till smooth. Add salt and chopped cilantro. Mix well.
• Add the grated radish to the curd and mix well.
• Heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped green chillies.
• Pour this over the curd and give it a slight mix.
• Serve this with any paratha or chapati.

Variation:   You can make it with white radish ( daikon ) instead of red ones.

Dahi Wada ( Aavadalu )

Dahi wada is a melt-in-mouth appetizer, called aavadalu in telugu. Deep fried wadas are soaked in spiced yogurt and served cold. This is a south Indian dish and is similar to it's north Indian cousin, Dahi Bhalla.  They both are mostly same with few variations. The main difference being the shape. Wada is the one with the hole, Bhallas are round dumplings. There is a slight variation in the curd. The curd of dahi bhalla is slightly sweetened and is seasoned with red chili powder and roasted cumin powder whereas, the curd of dahi wada is seasoned with mustard seeds, urad dal, etc.
Here's the recipe of Dahi Wada.

Ingredients :

For Wada:

• Urad dal ( slit black gram ) - 1 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Black Peppers - 1/2 tsp ( optional )
• Oil - to deep fry

For Dahi:

• Curd - 4 cups
• Green Chillies -4-5
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Fenugreek Seeds - 4-5 seeds
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Red whole chillies - 2
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing
• Boondi - for garnishing

Directions :

For Wada Batter:

• Wash and soak urad dal for about 5-6 hours.
• Grind the dal using the minimum water required for grinding. The consistency should be thick and not runny.
• Add salt to taste and pat and beat the batter with hands in a mixing bowl for aeration. This is important for getting soft wadas. When you put a small amount of batter in a cup of water, it should float. If the aeration is not done well, the batter sinks and sits at the bottom.
• You can add black peppers to the batter, if you like.
• Keep the batter aside while we prepare the curd.

For Dahi:

• Whisk the curd in a bowl. Add salt. Mix well.
• Grind green chillies, ginger and cumin seeds. Add this paste to the curd and mix well.
• Add chopped curry leaves to the curd.
• Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add urad dal, fenugreek seeds and let them turn reddish. Add asafoetida and torn red chillies.
• Pour this tempering over the curd and mix well. Keep aside while we make wadas.

For Wada:

• Keep a bowl of water ready. We shall dip the wadas or garelu in water for about 1-2 minutes after deep frying. This will make the wadas soft.
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
• Wet your fingers and take a portion of batter and make a hole in the center and drop it into the hot oil.
• The wadas will float on the surface of oil after a couple of seconds of dropping in the oil.
• Make around 2-3 wadas at a time. Do not over crowd the pan.
• Turn the wadas to the other side after a minute, and fry till golden brown.
• Remove from heat and drop then into the bowl of water for a couple of minutes , then remove them on a serving bowl.
• Pour the spiced dahi over the wadas into the serving bowl and let it soak for around 30 minutes to 1 hour before you serve. The wadas will absorb the spiced curd and will become soft and melts in mouth.
• Just before serving , garnish with chopped cilantro and boondi.

Variation:

• The wadas soaked in sambar is yet another delicacy, called Sambar Wada. When I make sambar wada, I prefer to make sambar without any veggies, just onions and tomatoes.
• They can also be soaked in rasam and are called Rasam Wada.

Enjoy !!!

Click here for the recipe of  Dahi Bhalla. 

Long Shelf Life of Green Chillies

To extend the life of green chillies :

• Remove the stem of the chillies and then store them in a zip lock cover, if you want to store them as a whole.
• Or, make chillie paste, add some salt and store it in air tight box.

If you know of any other tip, please mention in the comment section.

Sarson Ka Saag

Sarson ka saag is an authentic Punjabi dish traditionally paired with Makki ki roti ( Corn Bread ).


Ingredients:

• Mustard Greens - 1 bunch
• Spinach - 1 bunch
• Fenugreek Leaves - 1/4 bunch ( optional )
• Green Chillies - 2
• Grated Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Juliennes - a few
• Minced garlic - 1 tbsp
• Grated Onion - 1 medium
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp
• Maize Flour - 1 tbsp ( optional )
• Ghee / Butter - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• Wash and clean mustard leaves. Separate the leaves from the stems. Use the top half of the stems if they are tender. Discard otherwise.
• Wash and clean spinach leaves. Spinach stems are usually tender, so they can be used.
• Similarly, separate fenugreek leaves from stems. Fenugreek leaves are optional.
• Chop all the leaves finely and cook them with 1 cup of water . Add ginger, garlic and green chillies into the pan while boiling the leaves. Cover and cook for around 10-12 minutes. Let it cool.
• Grind it into a coarse paste. Do not grind it into a smooth paste.
• In a separate pan, heat ghee or butter , add grated onions and saute till reddish brown. Add garam masala.
• Add ground greens, and give it a good mix.
• In a small bowl, take maize flour and add 2 tsp of water and make it into a paste. Add this paste into the greens. Mix well. This step will give thickness to the gravy. However, I have made even without it and it turned out good. The onion mix makes the gravy thick. So you can avoid it, if you do not have maize flour.
• Add salt. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Garnish with ginger juliennes and a dollop of butter.
• Serve hot with makki di roti. It tastes good even with simple chapati or naan.

Variation :  You can add paneer cubes to the curry to make Saag Paneer.

Enjoy !!!

Chickpea Guggilu ( Sundal )

Chickpea Guggilu or Sundal is nothing but tempered chickpeas with some spices and coconut. It usually is made during navratri as an offer to goddess ( Naivedyam ) in South India. It is a very healthy snack , loaded with protein. Kids love it because it is very simple dish and not spicy.

Ingredients :

• Chickpeas ( Kabuli Chana / Garbanzo Beans ) - 1 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Green or Red whole Chili - 1-2
• Asafoetida ( Hing ) - 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Coconut powder / Fresh Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp or to taste

Directions:

• Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook till done. Alternatively, you can use the canned garbanzo beans , washed and drained for a quicker method.
• Heat oil in a wide pan for shallow frying.
• Sputter mustard seeds. Add urad dal and fry till they turn reddish brown.
• Add curry leaves, chillies, hing and saute for a few seconds.
• Add the cooked chickpeas, and slightly roast it , say for 2-3 minutes. Add salt.
• Turn off the heat and  add fresh grated coconut or coconut powder and give it a good mix.

Pineapple Rasam

Ripe pineapple added to spicy rasam brings out the excellent flavours of sweet and tangy rasam.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal ( Red Gram Dal ) - 1/2 cup
• Tomato - 1
• Pineapple Puree - 1/4 cup
• Pineapple Chunks or cubes - 4-5
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Rasam Powder - 1 tsp
• Jaggery - 1 inch cube Or Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 4 cups
• Chopped Cilantro - 1 tbsp

For Tempering:

• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida ( Hing ) - a pinch
• Red Whole chillies - 1 or 2
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Directions :

• Cook dal , mash it up with a whisk , keep aside.
• In a pot, add water, dal, chopped tomato, pineapple cubes, turmeric powder, jaggery and rasam powder and bring it to boil.  Cook till pineapple cubes are soft and tender.
• Add pineapple puree, salt and cook for another 5 minutes.
• For tempering, heat ghee in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Then add torn red chillies, hing, curry leaves. Pour it over the rasam and mix well.
• Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is the most popular dessert in the countries of Indian Subcontinent and is a part of most of the festivals and weddings and other functions. Oh who doesn't love gulab jamuns. I am sure Gulab Jamun has innumerable fans. These milky balls soaked in rose scented sugar syrup makes an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G dessert.


Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour ( Maida ) - 1 cup
• Khoya ( Mawa ) - 1 1/2 cups
• Baking Soda - 2-3 pinches
• Oil / Ghee - for deep frying

For Syrup:

• Water - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 1/2 cups
• Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Saffron - a few strands
• Rose Water - 3-4 drops
• Lemon Juice - 2 drops

Directions :

For Syrup :

• Take water in a pan and mix sugar in it. Heat it on medium , till all the sugar dissolves and it reaches one thread consistency.
• Add cardamom powder, rose water, saffron and lemon drops and mix it. Lemon drops is to avoid the sugar from solidifying.
• Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it be. We need the syrup to be warm when we drop the jamuns in them.

For Jamuns :

• In a mixing bowl, add maida, khoya and baking soda and knead gently.
• Add little by little water ( may be 1 tsp at a time ) to form a smooth pliable dough.
• Make smooth balls out of the dough of the size smaller than a ping pong ball. They will rise after they are soaked in the syrup, hence keep that in mind while making the balls and keep them small.
• Grease your palms with ghee, while making balls, that would make them smooth with no cracks. Also roll them very gently, do not apply too much pressure.
• Heat the oil for deep frying on medium heat. Test for the right temperature. Drop a pinch of the dough into the oil. It should reach the bottom of the pan and come up in 4-5 seconds sizzling. It should neither pop up immediately nor should it sit at the bottom for long.
• If the oil is smoking hot, it will brown the jamuns fast, but will be uncooked from within. So make sure the oil is at the right temperature.
• Drop 4-5 jamuns at a time in the oil depending on the size of your pan. Do not over crowd them. That would bring the temperature of oil down.
• Fry the jamuns over low-medium heat till golden brown. You don't really need to turn the jamuns. These jamuns have the tendency to turn themselves floating in the oil. You might just want to rotate the oil once. The jamuns float in the direction of oil.
• Once they are golden brown uniformly, remove them from oil and drop them in the warm sugar syrup.
• Fry the remaining jamuns and soak all of them in the syrup for atleast 2 hours. I know it looks very tempting and you want to pop it in your mouth right away, but No cheating , Be patient. Let the jamuns absorb the sweet syrup before you eat this heavenly dessert.
• You will notice the size of the jamuns is almost doubled after sitting in the syrup for 2 hours.
• Gulab Jamuns can be store in room temperature for about 4-5 days or in fridge for longer period.

Serve them warm, or at room temperature or cold.

Enjoy !!!!!! :)


Note : Do not put too much baking soda. Jamuns will ger disintegrated in the oil while deep frying.

Tip : Sometimes it so happens that the jamuns are turned out to be hard. Microwave them for 8 -10 sec just before serving, that will make the gulab jamuns softer.