AMRITHSARI GOBHI PAKODA !!!!!

AMRITSARI GOBHI PAKODA is one of famous starter from Punjab. It tastes awesome when eaten hot. This recipe is given by my friend SAIGEETHA S. PAI who owns a food blog GEETHS DAWATH. 

INGREDIENTS:-

Cauliflower florets - 2 cups

onions, finely chopped - 2 medium

coriander leaves, finely chopped - 2 tblsp

green chillies, minced - 4

caram seeds/ajwain - a generous pinch

ginger, grated - 1 tblsp

cornflour - 2 tblsp

cornmeal - 2 tblsp

rice flour - 2 tblsp

gram flour - 4 tblsp

turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

salt - to taste

oil - to deep fry

METHOD:-

1. Take a broad mixing bowl & add all the ingredients except oil.

2. Marinate it well by adding few tsp of water to coat the gobhi well.

3. Heat oil & deep fry until crisp.

4. Serve it hot.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

COFFEE LASSI !!!!!

COFFEE LASSI...sounds odd na :P Actually coffee is my fav flavour. One day thought will add instant coffee powder & added to lassi. It tasted good. Coffee lovers must try it once. I know it is simplest recipe but still thought of sharing it.

INGREDIENTS:-                                                               

Thick curds - 1 cup
Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp ( i used BRU)
sugar - 3 tsp

METHOD:-

1. In a mixer jar add curds, instant coffee powder & sugar & blend it well.
2. Your special coffee lassi is ready to serve.

HAPPY COOKING :)))))))

SWEET LASSI USING CONDENSED MILK !!!!!

My son gave me this idea lassi using condensed milk. He said using milkmaid thickens the lassi. So tried it & liked it too.

INGREDIENTS:-

thick curd , chilled- 1 cup
condensed milk - 1/4 cup

METHOD:-

1. In a mixer jar, add curds & condensed milk & run it till you get foam on the top.
2. Pour it in a glass & serve chilled.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

and here's an tip:-

1. You can add chocolate/strawberry syrup while beating for different flavours.
2. Try adding different drinking powders like horlicks, bournvita etc.

BAINGAN KA BHARTHA !!!!!!!!

Baingan Ka bhartha was in my wish list since long time. One day saw bhartha baingan in a grocery store MORE and couldn't stop myself from buying it. Bhartha baingan is slight different from usual baingans. Belive me it tasted awsome with that unique smell. But i felt i made it little dry but still not added water by thinking that unique smell will go. Btw, i adopted this recipe from VEG RECIPES OF INDIA. 

INGREDIENTS:-

Aubergine/egg plant - 1 large
onion, finely chopped - 1/2 cup
tomato, finely chopped - 1 cup
garlic flakes, finely chopped - 5-6 medium
green chilly, chopped - 1
red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
oil - 1.5 tblsp
coriander leaves, chopped - 1tblsp for garnishing
salt - as required

METHOD:-

1. Rinse the baingan/egg plant/ aubergine in water & pat dry it using kitchen napkin. Apply some oil all over & keep it for roasting on an open flame.You can also grill or roast the baingan in oven. But then you won't get smoky flavour of the baingan. Keep the egg plant turning after a 2-3 mins on the flame, so that it's evenly cooked. 
2. Roast the aubergine till it is completely cooked & tender. With a knife check the doneness. The knife should slid easily in aubergines wihout any resistance. 
3. Peel the skin of roasted baingan.
4. Chop the eggplant finely or you can even mash it.
5. In a kadai or pan, heat oil. Then add finely chopped onion & garlic.
6. Saute the onion till they are translucent. Don't make them brown.
7. Add chopped green chillies & saute for a minute.
8. Add in the chopped tomatoes & mix well.
9. Saute the tomatoes till oil gets seperating from the mixture.
10. Now add the red chilly powder, stir  & mix well.
11. Add the chopped/mashed cooked baingan.
12. Stir the baingan very well in the onion-tomato masala mixture.
13. Season with salt. Stir & saute for 4-5 mins more.
14. Finally stir in the coriander leaves with the baingan bhartha or garnish it with them.
15. Serve hot with rotis/rice.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

and here's an tip:-

While buying baingan for bhartha , go for the ones which are light. Heavy brinjal indicates that there are ripe seeds in it & this may spoil the taste of the bhartha.

KAJU MUTTER MASALA !!!!!

Here is another side dish that goes well with rotis/chapathis. I found this recipe from a food group in FB & name s AMGELE RANDAPAKUDA. Must say this is an exotic & creamy side dish & must try one.

INGREDIENTS:-

tomatoes - 3 big
onion, chopped - 2
capsicum, chopped - 1
cauliflower, made into small florets - 1 cup
jeera/cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
oil/butter - 2 tblsp
ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
green chilly - 2
coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
red chilly powder - 2 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
kitchen king masala powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
milk - 1/2 cup
fresh cream - 2 tblsp
cashewnut pieces, fried - few (optional)

METHOD:-

1. First put tomatoes in pressure cooker & take 4 whistles . Cool it & make puree of it.
2. In a pan, add butter/oil & add ginger-garlic paste & fry for a minute.
3. Add chopped onion & fry till light brown.
4. Add chopped capsicum & fry for few mins.
5. Now add coriander pow+jeera pow+garam masala pow+kitchen king masala pow+turmeric pow+slit green chillies & fry for 2 mins.
6. Now add tomato puree& fry till oil discharges.
7. Add paraboiled green peas & cauliflower & milk & soaked cahsewnut paste. Add water if necessory.
8. Lastly add fresh cream & fried cashew nut pieces & mix well & take a boil.
9. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves & serve hot.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

MALAI METHI MUTTER 2 !!!!!!

My today's recipe is MALAI METHI MUTTER. It's a Punjabi side dish that goes well with rotis/parotas/plain rice/jeera rice. I adopted this recipe from my favourite food blog VEG RECIPES OF INDIA. It was sooo yummy, so strongly recommand to try this recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:-

Main ingredients:-

fresh fenugreek leaves(methi leaves), chopped - 2 cups
fresh/frozen green peas, boiled - 1 cup
fresh cream/malai - 1 cup
ghee/oil - 2 tbsp
water - 1/4 or 1/2 cup
sugar - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste

Ingredients for the paste:-

onion, chopped - 1 medium
cumin seeds - 1tsp
garlic cloves, chopped - 3-4
ginger, chopped - 1inch
green chillies, chopped - 1 or 2
cashew nuts - 1/2 cup

METHOD:-

1: you will need 2 cups fresh methi/fenugreek leaves. pluck the leaves from the stem, wash the leaves in running water well to remove the mud impurities. drain and then chop the leaves finely.
2. take all the ingredients for the paste in a grinder or blender – namely 1 chopped medium sized onion, 1 inch chopped ginger, 3-4 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin and 1-2 chopped green chilies & 1/2 cup cashew nuts. ( everytime when ginger & garlic mentioned in the recipe, what i do is i use readymade ginger-garlic paste+fresh peeled garlic).
3. prepare a smooth paste without any water. add very little water if required.
4. heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil in a pan or kadai and then add the paste to it.
5  fry the paste in ghee till it become aromatic. you don’t have to brown the paste. stir in between to ensure that the paste does not stick to the pan. if it does stick then add some water.
6. add the chopped fenugreek/methi and (¼ or ½ cup) water to the paste.(here, what i did is i made course paste of fenu greek leaves & added. In this way, we can reduce cooking time).
7. mix it well. simmer for some more minutes.
8. now add 1 cup boiled matar/peas and add 1 cup fresh cream/malai.
9. simmer for a some more minutes and lastly add some sugar as required and salt.
10. serve hot. 

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

LOBIA MASALA !!!!!

Lobia Masala is a black eyed peas curry. It is a Punjabi gravy which goes well with rotis. Another ideal side dish for lunch box. Here i skipped adding ginger at the end, but you can add if you like that flavour. I adopted this recipe from SPICE UP THE CURRY.

INGREDIENTS

For pressure cooking:

• Lobia (black eyed beans or chawli or cowpeas) - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Black cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 2
• Green chili - 1, slit

For gravy:

• Ghee (Clarified butter) or oil - 1 tablespoon
• Dried red chili - 1, broken, seeds and stems removed
• Ginger paste or freshly grated ginger - 1 ½ teaspoons
• Garlic paste or freshly grated garlic - 1 ½ teaspoons
• Tomatoes - 2 medium or 1 ¼ cups chopped
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
• Red chili powder - 1 ½ teaspoons
• Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
• Butter - 1 tablespoon
• Garam masala - ½ to 1 teaspoon
• kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 teaspoon, lightly crushed
• Heavy cream - 2 tablespoons
• Ginger - 1 teaspoon, julienned (i skipped this)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash black eyed peas or lobia under running cold water till water runs clear.
2. Soak them in enough water for 1 hour.
3. After soaking time discard the water. Take lobia in a pressure cooker, add black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves and slit green chili. Also add 2 cups of water. Cover with lid, put the weight on. Turn the heat on high.
4. Pressure cook it for 1 whistle on high and then lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Then turn off the stove. Let the pressure go down by itself. Then open the lid. It should be soft and not mushy.
5. Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add dried red chili. Saute for a minute.
6. Then add grated ginger and garlic (or paste). Saute for 30 seconds.
7. Add chopped tomatoes and salt.
8. Saute till tomatoes get soft.
9. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
10. Mix well and cook for a minute.
11. Then add cooked lobia with its water.
12. Stir well.
13. Bring to a simmer.
14. Simmer it for 7-8 minutes or till the gravy thickens.
15. Now add butter.
16. Stir well so it gets melted.
17. Then add garam masala and kasoori methi.(i fried kasoori methi  in little ghee & added it in the end)
18. Mix well.
19. Now add heavy cream.
20. Stir well and simmer for a minute only. Turn off the stove.
21. Add julienned ginger.(i skipped this) Cover the pan with lid.
22. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then open the lid. Lobia masala is ready to serve.
23. Remove it to a serving bowl and garnish with more ginger. It is optional though.

HAPPY COOKING :)))))))

ALOO PALAK !!!!!!

Another easy side dish for chapathi & ideal dish for lunch box. I always tried palak paneer for son's lunch box. This time i wanted to try some easily available vegetable with palak. So, when thought about it , aloo palak came to mind. & once again I got this recipe from my favourite blog "VEG. RECIPES OF INDIA".

 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 1 bunch palak/spinach
• 3 medium sized potatoes/aloo
• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
• 3 garlic + ½ inch ginger - crushed or made into a paste in a mortar-pestle
• 1 or 2 green chilies
• 3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 small indian bay leaf
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• ¼ or ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 1.5 tbsp besan/gram flour or makai ka atta/maize flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee or butter
• ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi/dry methi leaves (optional)
• salt as required
• a few ginger julienne for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. boil the potatoes or aloos in a pressure cooker or steamer till the are completely cooked.
2. peel and quarter or dice them. keep aside covered.
3. boil 2 to 3 cups water with some salt.
4. switch off the fire and immediately add the palak or spinach.
5. blanch them in the water for 4-5 minutes.
6. drain and immediately place the palak in cold water for 3-4 minutes.
7. drain again and along with green chilies, make a smooth puree in a grinder or blender.
8. heat oil or ghee or butter in a pan or kadai/wok.
9. fry the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon till they become aromatic.
10. add the chopped onion and fry till light brown.
11. now add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw aroma goes away.
12. add the tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
13. the oil should start releasing from the mixture.
14. now add the turmeric powder and asafoetida and stir for 5-10 seconds.
15. add the palak puree. stir well.
16. add the besan or gram flour. stir with a wired whisk so that the besan dissolves and there are no lumps.
17. alternatively, you can also dissolve the besan in 3-4 tbsp water and make a smooth paste.
18. then add this paste to the palak mixture. stir and add 1 cup water. season with salt.
19. simmer the palak gravy till the palak gets completely cooked.
20. the gravy or sauce will slightly thicken.
21. you can adjust the consistency by adding more or less water.add the aloos and simmer for 2-3 minutes more.
22. sprinkle the garam masala powder & crushed kasuri methi leaves. stir and cook for a minute.
23. serve aloo palak hot with some rotis, chapatis or parathas.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

ALU-CAPSICUM CURRY !!!!!!!

Alu-capsicum masala...one more side dish for rotis...yes yes...prepared it for my son's lunch box as capsicum is his favourite veggie. Tastes yumm ! We get both alu & capsicum easily anywhere, so we can prepare it any time, any where. It's a north indian gravy for rotis. I adopted this recipe from FOODVIVA.COM...In original recipe, curry is little dry...but i made it gravy.

INGREDIENTS:-

potatoes, medium - 2 (boiled, cubed & cubed)
capsicum, medium - 3 (cubed)
onion, medium - 2 (finely chopped)
tomato, medium - 1
cashew nuts - 2 tblsp
ginger - 1/2 tsp (grated)
garlic - 3-4 cloves
coriander seeds - 1 tsp
jeera seeds - 1/4 tsp
garam masala pow - 1/2 tsp
turmeric pow - 1/2 tsp
red chilly pow - 1 tsp
cooking oil - 2tblsp
sugar - 1tsp (i skipped this)
water - 1/4 cup (i used more)
salt to taste
coriander leaves, chopped - 1tblsp for garnishing

METHOD:-

1. Take tomato+coriander seeds+cumin seeds+ginger+garlic cloves in a mixer jar to prepare puree.
2. Take a kadai, heat 1tblsp oil & add cubed capsicum, sprinkle salt over it & saute it for 3-4 mins. Transfer to a plate & keep aside.
3. Add remaing 1 & 1/2 tblsp of oil in same kadai & saute chopped onion until it turns light brown. Add red chilly pow+turmeric pow+garam masala pow & mix well.
4. Add puree (prepared in 1st step)+salt+sugar(i skipped this) & 1/4 cup of water. Cook on low to medium heat until oil gets seperate from it. (it will take 5-6 mins)
5. Add boiled & cubed potatoes + cooked capsicum, stir & mix well.
6. Add 1/4 cup water & let mixture cook over medium flame.
7. Cook for 3-4 mins & turn off the stove & transfer gravy to a serving dish.
8. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

HAPPY COOKING :)))))))

and here's an tip:-

1. Add 2 chopped green chillies while making puree to make garvy spicy.
2. Add 1 tsp of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) to give curry Punjabi touch.