Apple pie

 










Ingredients: For 1 apple pie [Serves 6]
Pillsbury pie crust for 9 inch pan (2 sheets)
Assorted apples - 7 peeled, sliced
Brown Sugar – 1 cup
All purpose flour -2 tbs
Almonds – 1/4 cup crushed (for crunch)
Lemon juice -2 tbsp
Cinnamon ground -1 tsp
Nutmeg ground -1 pinch
Cardamom powder -1/2 tsp
Salt – 1 pinch
Butter  -2 tbsp

 Method:    

• Thaw the frozen pastry sheets to room temperature.    
• Peel and slice apples.    
• In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice.    
• Combine sugar, flour, crushed almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Add apples and toss well to coat evenly.    
• Line the pie pan with one of the thawed pastry sheet.    
• Fill pastry lined pie pan with apple mixture. Add butter on the top.    
• Place second crust on a plain surface and cut into strips.
• Now arrange the strips on the top of pie filling in criss-cross manner. Seal the edges of the crust by hand.    
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.    
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Serving suggestion:
Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream after any meal.

Chana dal-Lauki Stew: Comfort in a a bowl

Ingredients:
For Chana dal Lauki: [6 servings approx.]
Chana dal (Split yellow) – 3/4 cup
Lauki (Bottle guard) – 1

Dry Spices:
Whole garam masala - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Kasoori Methi -1/2 tbsp

Wet Ingredients for tadka:
Onion -1/2 (finely chopped)
Tomatoes -1 cup (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Garlic - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Green chili -1 tsp (finely chopped) [Optional]
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Wash dry chana dal a couple of times. Keep aside.
• Peel and cut Bottle guard (Lauki) in medium size cubes and keep aside.
• Pressure cook it with turmeric powder, salt and 2.5 cups of water for 10 minutes on medium heat.
• Now open the pressure cooker (when all the pressure is released), and add cut bottle guard (lauki) to it.
• Pressure cook the above for 10 more minutes.
• For tadka, heat olive oil in a pan. Add whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Then add chopped onions and sauté it, till turns light golden. Add ginger, garlic and chopped green chilies (optional). Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder in the gravy and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Add the tadka to the cooked chanadal lauki and add 1/2 cup water and simmer it on low heat 4-5 minutes.
• Finally, add kasoori methi and let it simmer for 2 more minutes.

Garnish:
Garnish the Chana dal Lauki with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with halved lemons.
Enjoy with fresh naan, paratha or steamed basmati rice.

Eggless Sponge Cake

 









Ingredients: For eggless sponge cake
Sweetened condensed milk – 1/2can
Self raising flour- 140 gms (5 oz.) or 1.25 cups
Baking powder – 1 tsp (leveled)
Baking soda or soda bi-carb – ½ tsp
Melted butter – 60 ml (2 fl.oz.)
Water – 75ml (2.5fl.oz.)
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 400 degrees (F).
• Grease 8 inches diameter cake pan.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
• Mix the flour mixture, condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla essence, water and beat well.
• Pour the mixture in the greased cake pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees (F) and bake for further 10 minutes or until cake starts leaving the pan from sides and an insert knife in the center of the cake come out clean.

• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool off for few minutes.
• Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake and place a flat plate over the cake pan and turn it over to transfer the cake on to the plate.
• Cool the cake completely before decorating.

Bhutte ke bhajiye [Corn fritters]

Rainy or gloomy weather calls for something hot, something crispy. What will be the better option than Spicy Fritters: Garma garam bhutte ke bhajiye with a cup of tea. Enjoy this easy recipe for corn fritters.

Ingredients;
For Corn fritters [Approx. 4 servings]
Corn kernels [Bhutte] -2 cups (frozen or fresh)
Gram flour [Besan] – 2 tbsp
Green chilies -2
Cilantro -1/2 cup (leaves only)

Dry spices:
Cumin seeds [Jira] – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder-1 tsp
Salt as per taste

For Garnish:
Chaat masala -2 tsp
Freshly squeezed Lemon juice -1 tbsp

Method:

• Thaw frozen corn kernels in microwave for 2 minutes. For fresh corn, carefully cut the kernels using sharp knife.
• In the food processer, add corn kernels and green chilies and pulse 4 times till it becomes coarse mixture. Keep aside.
• In a large bowl, add processed corn mixture, besan, cilantro and all dry spices. Mix well. Do not add water or it will make the batter runny.
• Heat cooking oil in a frying pan. Drop fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Garnish:
Sprinkle chaat masala on the fritters and also add some lemon juice. Serve immediately. Enjoy with green chutney and a cup of hot tea.

Note: You can also make chaat of these fritters, just add green chutney, tamarind chutney, finely chopped sweet onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, nylon sev and some chaat masala. Viola! Chaat is ready.

Vegetable Dalia [Broken wheat pilaf]

This is a very healthy and nutritious recipe for the breakfast or for lunch. Broken wheat or Dalia has high ratio of calcium, vitamins, iron and other essential nutrients which are critical to the growth and health of the body. Broken wheat is a great source of daily fiber. It becomes even healthier, when we add all the vegetables we have. It makes it more flavorful and yummy.

Ingredients:
For Vegetable Dalia [2 servings]

Dalia (Cracked wheat) – 1 cup
Sweet onion – ½ cup (sliced)
Green peas - ¼ cup (fresh or frozen)
Green beans – ¼ cup (fresh or frozen)
Tomato – ¼ cup diced
Carrots – ¼ cup diced
Cauliflower -1/2 cup (cut into small florets)
Jeera (Cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Green chili – 1 tsp minced [OPTIONAL]
Ghee [Clarified butter] -1/2 tbsp
Cooking oil – 1tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

• In a pan, dry roast Dalia with ½ tbsp of Ghee or butter till it becomes golden. Keep aside.
• In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Add sliced onions to it. Sauté till it becomes translucent.
• Now add peas, beans, cauliflower, tomatoes and carrots to it. Sauté for 1 minute.
• Add all the dry spices to it. Mix well. Add roasted Dalia to the vegetables in the pressure cooker.
• Add 2.5 cups of water to it. Pressure cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
• Vegetable Dalia is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestion:
Serve hot Dalia with fresh yogurt and masaledaar achaar [spicy pickle].

Hariyali Bhel Puri[Mumbai style street food/ Chaat]

Bhel puri or Bhel is a very common Western Indian Street food. This bhel is named Hariyali bhel as it calls for more Green Mint-cilantro chutney than the sweet tamarind chutney. Also it has abundant fresh cilantro for great flavor.

Ingredients:
For Hariyali bhel puri [6 servings]

Dry Ingredients:
Puffed rice – 2 cups
Papdi – ½ cup crushed [home made or store bought]
Ratlami sev – ½ cup
Namkeen mixture – ½ cup
Nylon sev – ½ cup

Wet Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes – 2 cups chopped
Sweet Onions -1 cup finely chopped
Tomatoes -  1cup finely chopped
Cucumber - 1cup finely chopped
Cilantro -1/2 cup finely chopped
Raw mango – ¼ cup finely chopped [if available]
Green Chutney – 3/4 cup
Sweet tamarind chutney -1/4 cup

Spices:
Chaat Masala* – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:
Green Chutney : Pls. follow the link for Green chutney recipe.
http://shvetasrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/03/mint-cilantro-chutney-green-chutney.html
Tamarind chutney : Pls. follow the link for Tamarind chutney recipe.
Papdi : Pls. follow the link for papdi recipe.
http://shvetasrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/03/namkeen-papdi-for-papdi-chaat.html


For preparing Hariyali bhel puri:

• In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Mix well.
• Now add all the wet ingredients and spices. Mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and Nylon sev.
• Serve immediately or it will get soggy.

Enjoy this quick recipe as your evening snack.

*Chaat Masala, Nylon sev, Ratlami sev, Papdi and Namkeem mixture is easily available at all Indian grocery stores.

Makki di roti / Sarson da saag (Corn flat bread with Mustard leaves gravy)

Winter is right around the corner. With the cold climate, comes the warm menu. Makki di roti and Sarson da saag is one of the most famous north Indian [Punjabi] meal. Here I’m sharing the recipe for Sarson ka saag and Makki ki roti.

Ingredients:
For Sarson ka saag: [4 servings]
Sarson ka saag [Mustard leaves] – 4 cups (fresh or frozen)
Palak [Spinach] – 2 cups (fresh or frozen)
Turnip – 1 chopped
Onion -1 cup finely chopped
Tomato-1 cup finely chopped
Fresh Garlic -1/2 tbsp minced
Fresh Ginger -1/2 tbsp minced
Green chilies- 1 tsp finely chopped
Cilantro -1/4 cup finely chopped
Cornmeal – 2 tbsp
Butter or Pure Ghee - 2 tbsp

Dry Spices:
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds -1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Wash spinach and mustard leaves thoroughly in cold water. Boil the washed spinach, mustard leaves and chopped turnip using very little water or pressures cook it. Gently blend the above vegetables with hand blender and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp butter or pure ghee. Add cumin and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add asafoetida powder. Then add chopped onions and sauté it, till it turns translucent and light golden. Add chopped green chilies, garlic and ginger to it. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes to the pan and let it sit for further 5 minutes.
• Finally add pureed mustard-spinach-turnip to the above masala and mix well. Now add 1 cup water and cornmeal for thicker consistency and mix well. Boil it for 5 minutes.
• Also add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
• Mix it all together and sauté it for 8-10 minutes. Garnish with butter or ghee.
• Serve hot with fresh makki di roti.
  

Makki di roti [Corn flat bread]

Ingredients:
For Makki di roti: [4 servings]
Makki ka atta [Cornmeal] - 2 cups
Whole wheat flour – ½ cup [OPTIONAL]
Warm water to make dough
Salt – as per taste
Ghee/butter – 2 tbsp to shallow fry

Method:

• Prepare dough using cornmeal, whole wheat flour, warm water and some salt. Knead well to make smooth and soft dough.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls.
• Lightly flour a rolling surface and with the help of rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle. The roti should be little thick. Or you can roll the dough between two plastic sheets for easy transfer. [Authentically makki di roti should be made using your palms not the rolling pins. But it needs some practice.]
• Heat a griddle or tawa. Place the roti on it and let it cook for one side on moderate heat.
• Turn the roti and spread a little ghee or butter on the top surface. Let both the sides cook evenly till it becomes golden. Serve hot, topped with some butter or pure ghee.

Great News: My recipe is also included in a French Site’s database:
en. petitchef.com

Diwali Special: Besan Ladoo

HAPPY DIWALI! 

Besan Ladoo
Festivities are in the air. Besan Ladoo is one of the most popular sweet in India. It needs few ingredients and is very simple to make. Enjoy these homemade ladoos this Diwali.

Ingredients:

For Besan Ladoo (20 pieces approx.)

Ladu besan (gram flour) flour – 2.5 cups
Ghee – 1.5 cup
Powdered sugar – 1.5 cup
Cardamom powder – 2 tsp
Almonds – ½ cup
Cashews – ½ cup

Method:

• Crush almonds and cashews in the food processor and keep aside.
• In a heavy bottom pan heat ghee. Now add besan and mix well.
• Keep stirring the mixture for approx. 20 minutes till the mixture turns golden and gives roasted aroma.
• Pour the mixture in a thali. Now add cardamom powder, almonds, cashews and powdered sugar. Mix evenly.
• Let it cool a bit and then start making lemon size balls (Ladoos) of the above mixture.
• Garnish with halved cashews and enjoy.

Veg Kothe : An Indo-Chinese delight

Veg Kothe is a new Indo-Chinese appetizer/snack dish. I personally savored Veg Kothe at a wedding reception in India recently. I, then, went to the chef to know the details of this tangy spicy delight. The chef was kind enough to give me the detailed recipe, with all the ingredients and method, the very next day. The recipe is accurate, as I tried making Veg Kothe in my kitchen few times and each time it comes out perfect. So for this recipe the credit goes to;

Mr. Bansilalji Chaudhary
Master Chef, Hotel Rhythm Palace
Ratlam (MP) India

Ingredients:
For Veg Kothe: [6 servings approx.]
Cauliflower (Gobhi) - 1 cup very small pieces
Mushroom - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Green bell pepper - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Cabbage - 1/2cup finely chopped
Onions - 2 cups finely chopped
Ginger - 1.5 tbsp finely chopped
Garlic - 1.5 tbsp finely chopped
Green spring onions - 1 bunch chopped
Fresh green chilies - 2 minced
Fresh cilantro -2 tbsp fine chopped (for garnish)
Maida (All purpose flour) - 1 cup
Baking powder- 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup -2 tbsp
Honey - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed
Black pepper - 1 tsp freshly ground
Orange food color - 1 pinch
Cooking oil for frying
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Cut cauliflower, cabbage, green bell pepper, mushrooms accordingly. Keep aside.
• In a bowl, add maida, salt, baking powder, all the above chopped vegetables and 1 cup chopped onions. Now add water to make a thick batter. Mix well.
• In a pan heat cooking oil to fry. Make fritters of this batter, deep fry till they turn light golden. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
• In another pan heat 2 tbsp cooking oil. Add remaining chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Sauté till it turns golden brown. Now add tomato ketchup, honey,  salt, lemon juice, freshly grounded black pepper powder and orange food color. Mix well and it’s ready to serve.

Garnish:
Garnish Veg Kothe with freshly chopped green spring onions and chopped cilantro. Enjoy as an appetizer or anytime snack.

Chocolate covered Strawberries

Celebrating Health

Good news for all health conscious people. I’ll be celebrating health for a month by posting healthy, low calorie, low sugar recipes. It will give you a kick start to get in shape for the summer. It will also energize your more for outdoor activities. I’ll also try to provide you the nutritional facts about the ingredients.

Hope you enjoy eating healthy, living happy.
I am starting the series with the simplest, mouth watering fruit dessert recipe.

A chocolate lover’s delight!

Nutritional facts: 

Strawberries : One cup (144 g) of strawberries contains approximately 45 calories (188 kJ) and is an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_strawberry

Chocolate :Chocolate is often spoken of as being good for the heart, in more ways than one. Not only does it have a chemical said to mimic being in love, but studies indicate that chocolate can improve blood vessel responsiveness (important for the prevention of heart disease), blood pressure, and cholesterol. Other studies have shown it has potential for improving glucose tolerance, which is important to those of us who are using low-carb diets to minimize blood glucose spikes.

Ingredients: [For 12 pieces]
Low Sugar or Sugar free chocolate : 12 oz [ I prefer 12 oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate]
Fresh Strawberries      : 1 lbs
Parchment paper
Toothpicks

Method:

• Wash and dry thoroughly all the strawberries. Do not remove the green leaves form the strawberries.
• Insert toothpick in each strawberry. Keep them aside.
• In a double boiler [place a pot with some water on the heat and now place another pot on it with the chocolate], melt the semi sweet chocolate. Water in the pot below should not touch the pot sitting above it. Stir it till it becomes smooth and shiny.
• Dip the strawberries more than half way in the melted chocolate by holding them with toothpicks. Double dip to coat evenly. Let the excess chocolate drip in the pot.
• Now arrange all the strawberries on the parchment paper. Refrigerate them for 4-6 hours.

Enjoy these chocolate covered strawberries after your meals.

Pongal [Southern Indian Rice Meal]

  

Pongal [Southern Indian Rice Meal]

Ingredients:[For approx 4 servings]

Rice - 2 cups

Moong dal - 1 cup
Jeera - 2 tsp

Cashews(broken) - 1/2cup

Whole dry red chillies - 6

Whole peppercorns - 10-12

Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves

Garlic - 4 cloves

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Urad dal -1 tsp

Hing [Asafoetida powder] - 2 pinch

Butter - 2 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method

• Soak rice and moong dal  in water for an hour.
• Cook rice and dal with salt, turmeric powder and butter/ghee in a heavy bottom pot in 3 cups of water.
• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp butter.Add Jeera, chana dal, urad dal, hing powder, minced garlic, a few peppercorns and cashews. When it splatters, add curry leaves and dry red chillies.
• Add this prepared seasoning to the cooked rice mixture.

Serve hot for light lunch or dinner.

Methi ke bharwan tikke

Ingredients: For methi ke tikke [ Approx. 8 pieces]

For Cover:

Whole wheat flour - 1.5 cups

Butter - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1 pinch

For filling:

Fresh Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves) - 1 bunch

Potatoes - 1 medium [OPTIONAL]

Fresh crushed garlic - 1/2 tbsp

Fresh crushed Ginger - ½ tbsp
Olive oil – 1 tbsp

Dry Spices:
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds -1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1/2 tbsp
Amchur powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Salt as per taste

Method: 

• To make dough, in a large bowl add whole wheat flour, butter, salt and some water to make even but little stiff dough. Keep aside.
• To prepare filling, Clean the methi leaves and cut finely. Keep aside. Boil, peel and cut potatoes into small cubes and keep aside. 
• In a pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida powder. When it crackles, add crushed garlic and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add cut methi leaves and boiled potatoes to the pan. Mix well and cover the pan for few minutes.  
• Now add all dry spices (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt). Mix well.Cook it uncovered till the filling becomes dry.
• To make tikke, divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll the balls into 6 inches diameter circles. On each circle, place 2 tbsp of methi filling. Bring all the sides together and make it into tikke.
• On the medium hot griddle, place two tikke at a time. Cook the tikke on both sides till it becomes golden brown.

Enjoy garma garam tikke with green mint chutney on the side.

Celebrating Health: High Protein Bean Salad

This healthy salad can easily replace your lunch. It looks appetizing and tastes great as well.

Nutritional Facts:

Kidney Beans: A cup of cooked kidney beans provides 45.3% of the recommended daily intake for fiber. Kidney beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Just one cup of cooked kidney beans supplies 177.0% of the daily value for molybdenum.

In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.

Source: whfoods.com

Black eyed beans: Like most beans, black-eyed beans are rich in the best sort of fiber - soluble fiber - which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. They are a good source of folate, potassium, copper, phosphorous and manganese. As a high-potassium, low-sodium food they help reduce blood pressure. Not only are they low in fat, but when combined with grains, beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein. Beans also contain protease inhibitors which frustrate the development of cancerous cells.

Source: whfoods.com

Ingredients:

For Bean Salad [6 servings]

Kidney Beans – 3/4 cup (dry)

Black eyed beans – ¾ cup (dry)
Green peas -1/2 cup (dry)

Butter beans -3/4 cup (dry)(optional)

Corn kernels – 1/2 cup (frozen or fresh)

Sweet Onions -1

Cucumber- 1

Tomatoes - 2

Cilantro -1/2 cup

Lime Juice – 2 tbsp fresh

Freshly crushed Garlic – 2 cloves

Extra virgin Olive oil -1 tbsp

Dry Ingredients:

Chaat Masala – 1 tbsp

Black Pepper – 1 tsp

Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp (powdered)

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Method:

• Soak all the beans overnight in the separate bowls.
• Next morning, boil kidney beans and keep aside. Now boil black-eyed beans, butter beans and green peas together. Keep aside.
• For salad dressing, In a bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, crushed garlic and all the dry ingredients. Whisk together for a minute. Dressing is ready, keep aside.
• Thaw frozen corn kernels in microwave for 2 minutes.
• In a covered sauce pan, cook the fresh or thawed corn kernels for 5 minutes. Cool it down.
• Chop sweet onions, tomatoes and cucumber finely. Clean and chop cilantro finely as well.
• In a salad bowl, add boiled kidney beans, black-eyed beans, butter-beans, green peas, cooked corn kernels, chopped sweet onions, cucumber, tomatoes and cilantro.
• Now prepared salad dressing to the salad. Mix salad gently. Serve chilled. Prepared salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Serve fresh with any meal or just as an anytime snack.

Celebrating Health: Lettuce Salad Cups

These adorable cups will grab your attention instantly and increase your appetite. They can be filled with any of your favorite fresh vegetables or fruits.

Ingredients:

For Lettuce salad cups [4 servings]

Green Lettuce head – 1
English cucumber – 1
Sweet Onions -1
Tomatoes- 1
Cilantro – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Lime Juice – 1 tbsp fresh

Dry Ingredients:
Chaat Masala – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper – 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp (powdered)
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Peel and chop cucumbers in small cubes. Keep aside. .
• Chop sweet onions and tomatoes finely. Clean and chop cilantro finely as well.
• In a salad bowl, add chopped sweet onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and cilantroix gently.
• Now add lime juice, chaat masala, freshly grounded black pepper, roasted cumin seed powder, sugar and salt. Mix the salad again.
• Separate the lettuce leaves gently. Take each lettuce and cut them in 3 inch diameter circular discs. Prepare 4 lettuce discs.
• In a paper cup, line the lettuce leaf and fill it with the prepared salad mix. Repeat the process for the remaining 3 cups.
• Arrange all the four salad cups in a serving plate.

Serve fresh with any meal or just as an anytime snack.

Raj Kachori

Kachori is one of the most common western Indian snacks. It is great on its own with tea/coffee and even tastes better as assembled chaat. It lasts for a couple of weeks if stored properly in air tight container, so it is a great anytime snack.

Ingredients:

For Raj Kachori [Approx 15 pieces]

For cover:

All purpose flour [Maida] – 2 cups
Melted butter or ghee – 2 tbsp
Water (enough to make firm dough)
Cooking oil to fry
Salt as per taste

For Filling:

Moong dal [Yellow split] – 1.5 cups
Saunf [Fennel seeds] – 1 tsp
Ajwain [Carom seeds] – 1 tsp
Jira [Cumin seeds] – 1 tsp
Hing [Asafoetida powder] – 2 pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Amchur powder – ½ tbsp
Garam masala powder -1 tsp
Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

To make filling:

• Soak moong dal for at least 4 hours.
• Steam moong dal till its half done. Keep aside to cool. In the food processer, coarsely ground the moong dal.
• In a pan, heat cooking oil. Add cumin seeds. When it starts splattering, add hing and steamed moong dal. Also add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, amchur powder and ajwain. Mix well.
• Cook till the filling is all dry. Keep aside to cool.

To make Kachoris:

• Combine all purpose flour, butter or ghee and salt. Mix evenly. Now add little by little water to make flaky dough.
• Knead well to make it firm dough.
• Keep the dough aside for 5-10 minutes.
• Take small ball size dough. Roll it into small circles. Place 1 tbsp of prepared filling in the centre and bring the edges together. Make an even ball; flatten it a bit by pressing your thumb in the center gently.
• Heat cooking oil for frying the kachoris. Oil should be medium hot.
• Deep fry kachoris very slowly till it is crisp and golden on both the sides.
• Drain it on paper towel and let it cool down. Store it in an air tight container.

Note: Kachoris can have different fillings such as peas, mawa filling as dessert etc.

Serving Suggestions:

Assemble Raj kachori as chaat. Place 2 kachoris on a serving plate. Garnish it with sweet tamarind-date chutney, green chutney and spiced yogurt. Also add chopped red onion, namkeen sev and chopped cilantro.

Raj kachori is ready to be served.

Lahsuni Aloo: Garlic Potatoes

Potato is the most consumed vegetable. It can be prepared in so many different ways. This recipe is simple but super delicious.

Ingredients:

For Lahsuni Aloo [4 servings]

Potatoes - 3 medium
Fresh crushed Garlic -2 tbsp
Fresh crushed Ginger - ½ tbsp
Green chili – 1 (cut into 4 pieces-lengthwise)
Cilantro -1 tbsp(finely chopped for garnish)
Olive oil – for shallow frying potatoes

Dry Spices:
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds -1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Kitchen king masala – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Peel and cut potatoes lengthwise into thick wedges and keep aside.
• In a pan, add some cooking oil, shallow fry the potatoes. Fry till potatoes are mostly done and turn crispy golden from outside. Drain and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida powder. When it crackles, add crushed garlic and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add shallow fried potatoes to the pan. Mix well and cover the pan 2 minutes.
• Now add all dry spices (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt). Mix carefully without breaking potatoes. Sauté till the potatoes are golden and fully done. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy hot with fresh roti or paratha.

Chole tikki: An utimate Chaat

Chole Tikki: An ultimate Chaat
Chole tikki is one of the most common mouth-watering street foods. It is a kind of Chaat [Spicy and tangy snack] which is flavorful and filling at the same time.

Ingredients:
For the Aloo tikki: [Approx 8 tikkies]
 

Potatoes –3 medium [boiled and peeled]
Bread – 2 slice [cut the brown sides and use the white part only]
Green chilies –2 finely chopped
Cilantro – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Roasted Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Black pepper –1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil for shallow frying

For Chole:
Kabuli Chana or Chole [Garbanzo beans]dry – 1.5 cup
Tea bags- 2
Dry Ingredients for gravy:
Whole garam masala – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Chana Masala -1.5 tbsp

Wet Ingredients for gravy:

Onion -3/4 (pureed or finely chopped)
Tomato puree -1 cups
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Green chili -1 tsp (finely chopped) [Optional]
Olive oil – 2 tbspn
Salt as per taste

Method: to make Aloo Tikki

• In a bowl, take boiled and peeled potatoes. Add bread, green chilies, cilantro, cumin powder, black pepper and salt. Mix very well and form a smooth dough if it. 
• Make 8 equal portions of the dough. Take each portion in your palm make a tennis ball sized ball. Now flatten it to make tikki. Tikkies can be round or oval shaped. Smooth out the edges of the tikkies and keep aside. [Apply little oil on your palms to avoid tikkies sticking on your hand].
• Heat griddle or pan, add 1 tbsp oil and fry the tikkies golden brown on both the sides. Keep the heat medium high. Drain them on kitchen towel and keep aside.

Method: to make Chole

• Wash dry Kabuli Chana or Chole a couple of times and soak them overnight in water.
• Add soaked chole, turmeric powder, salt and 4 cups of water and tea bags in the pressure cooker. Pressure cook it for 30 minutes on medium heat.
• For gravy, heat olive oil in a pan. Add whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Then add pureed onions and sauté it, till turns light golden. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped green chilies (optional). Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add tomato puree, red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder in the gravy and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Discard the tea bags from the boiled chole. Add the gravy to the boiled chole and add a cup of water and simmer it on low heat for 10 minutes.
• Finally, add chana masala and let it simmer for 2 more minutes.
• Chole is ready to serve.

Garnish  and serving suggestions:
Place 2-3 Aloo tikkies on a serving plate. Pour 1-2 ladles full of Chole. Garnish it with sweet tamarind-date chutney, green chutney and spiced yogurt. Also add chopped red onion, namkeen sev and chopped cilantro.

Yummy Tikki-Chole is ready to eat.

Navratri Special: Singhara paratha with Aloo subzi [Potato curry]

Singhara Paratha with Aloo subzi [Potato curry] 

During fasting, one can only eat certain things. Singhara flour is one of those. Here I'm sharing with you my mom's recipe for making parathas from singhara flour [singhara atta] and simple aloo subzi.

Ingredients:

For making Singhara parathas:

Singhara flour - 1 cup
Potatoes -1 cup [boiled, peeled and mashed]
Green chilies- 1 finely chopped
Cooking oil for shallow frying

Salt as per taste

For making Aloo subzi [potato curry]:

Potatoes - 2 medium (boiled and peeled)
Tomatoes - 1 small (chopped)
Green chilies - 1 (finely chopped)
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fresh cilantro - 2 tbsp chopped
Cooking oil - 1tbsp
salt as per taste

Method:

For making singhara paratha:

• In a large bowl, add singhara flour, boiled and mashed potatoes, green chilies, salt. Mix well. Add little water as needed to knead it into a smooth dough. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 6 even parts. Make balls of each part nad very carefully roll them flat into parathas. If it is difficult to roll, try using parchment paper. Place the dough ball  between two sheets of parchment paper and gently roll. Later peel the parchment paper from both sides and shallow fry it on the griddle or frying pan using very little oil on both sides.
• Fry parathas till they trun golden brown on both sides. Parathas are ready to serve.

For making Aloo subzi:

• In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add cumin seeds and green chilies to it.
• Saute for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and cook it for 5 minutes till tomatoes get little soft.
• Add red chili powder. Mix well. Now add 1 cup water to it. Bring it to a boil.
• Add boiled, peeled and chopped potatoes and salt. Also add 1/2 tsp sugar to neutralize the sour taste from tomatoes [optional].
• Cook for 5 more minutes and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Enjoy garma garam parathas with aloo subzi.

More falahari recipes on this blog:
Sabuhana vada

Singhada aloo vada

Sabudana Khichadi

Holi Special: Namkeen Karele [Savory snack]

Namkeen Karele [Savory snack]

This attractive treat tastes as good as it looks. It is flaky, crunchy and super delicious. I bet not only kids, grown-ups get tempted to grab some of them. I have learned this recipe from my mother-in-law few years back. Since then, I try making them during festivities.

Ingredients:
For 50 pieces approx.
All purpose flour (maida) - 1.5 cups
Whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Ajwain – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Water (enough to make firm dough)
Cooking oil to fry

Method:

• Combine all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds, vegetable oil and salt.
  
• Mix together well and add water very slowly to make dough. Knead well to make it a little firm dough (puri kind).
  
• Keep the dough aside for 10-15 minutes.
  
• Take a small ball out of this dough and roll a small puri.
  
• Cut it vertically, but take care not to cut all the way. Do not separate the cuttings.
  
• Slowly roll the slit puri and gently twist both the sides to give it a karela shape.
  
• Repeat the above process to make all the karelas.
  
• Fry them carefully in medium hot oil.

Serve them any time with tea of coffee.

Holi Special: Gulab Jamun

होली और रंग पंचमी के शुभ अवसर पर,
होली के रंग, मिठाइयों के संग।

Gulab Jamun 

Gulab Jamun is my favorite dessert since my childhood. My mom makes the yummiest gulab jamuns of all. On almost all the occasions, in India, she makes them from scratch.But here in US, since I don’t get mava as we get in India, so with my mom’s suggestion, I tried these Gulab Jamuns from the Chitale gulab jamun mix (from Pune). They turned out pretty good.
Chitale gulab jamun mix is now available is most of the Indian grocery stores in Bay Area.

Ingredients: For Gulab Jamun (50 pieces)

Chitale Gulab Jamun mix- 1 pkt [400 gms]
Sugar – 6 cups
Cardamon powder [Elachi powder] – 2 tsp
Saffron strands [Kesar] – ¼ tsp
Goldan raisins [kismis] – 1/2 cup
Water – 240 ml [ 1.5 cups]
Water – 6 cups [for syrup]

Method:

• In a bowl, gradually add little by little, 1.5 cups of water to the mix. Mix well.  
• Gently knead the mixture to make it an even dough.  
• In another large vessel, take 6 cups of water and add 6 cups of sugar. Also add saffron and cardamom powder to it. Bring it to a boil. Mix it well and boil again.  
• Take the dough and divide it into small 50 parts. Take golden raisin and put one raisin in the center of each portion. Roll each portion into a smooth ball. Make all the balls and keep aside.  
• In a pan, heat cooking oil for frying the gulab jamuns. Deep fry the gulab jamuns on medium high heat. It should take approx 7-8 minutes to become golden brown. If it happens before that, oil is too hot and jamuns won’t be able to cook all the way through. If it takes more time than 7-8 minutes, the oil is not hot enough.  
• Drain all the fried gulab jamuns on a kitchen towel. Let it sit for 4-5 minutes and then add all jamuns to the sugar syrup. Let them completely soak for couple of hours.  
• Gulab jamuns are ready to eat.  

Serving Suggestions:

Enjoy Gulab jamums hot or chilled. I prefer them hot with chilled vanilla ice-cream on the side.