The yummilicious Gatte Ka Pulao, all the way from Rajasthan!! :) Warning for Weight Watchers - This can't be part of your regular diet; read below & you'll know why :P
You'll need:
For the rice -
* 2 cups basmati rice (if you want, you can replace this with a healthier version of rice)
* 6 tbsp ghee ;) (told ya!)
* 1 tsp cumin seeds
* 3 green cardamoms
* 2 black cardamoms
* 2 inch cinnamon stick
* 2 bay leaves
* 6 cloves
* 1/2 tsp asafoetida
* 1 tsp red chili powder
* 2 tsp garam masala powder
* 2 tsp coriander powder
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
* 3 tsp ginger paste
* 1 cup peas
* Salt to taste
For the gattas -
* Salt to taste
* 1/2 tsp red chili powder
* 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
* 1 cup besan
* 2 tbsp yogurt
* Cooking oil to deep fry
* 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
* A pinch of soda bicarb
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
* 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
Let's get started:
1. First of, mix all the ingredients of the gattas with water to make a firm dough (Remember we made gatte ki sabzi?) Then, divide this dough into 6 equal parts & roll each part in a cylindrical shape.
2. After this, stir fry these in 2 cups of boiling water for 15 min. Then drain, and let the gattas cool a bit. Finally, cut into 1" pieces.
3. Now, wash & soak the rice for an hour. Once done, heat the ghee & cumin seeds in a kadhai. When they begin to crackle, throw in the garam masala powder.
4. Now stir fry for a minute & add the asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder & ginger paste & stir fry for 3 min.
5. Iske baad, add the rice, stir fry for a minute, then add the salt & 4 cups of water.
6. Finally, when the water starts boiling, add the gattas & peas, then cover & let fry till all the water is absorbed.
GKP done!! Serve hot, and with love :)
Punjabi style Bhindi Anardana - perfect accompaniment of a winter meal :)
You'll need:
* 2 medium onions
* 1/2 cup cooking oil
* 400 gm ladyfingers
* 2 tbsp anardana powder
* 1 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tbsp coriander powder
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
* 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
* 1/2 tsp red chili powder
* Salt to taste
Here's how:
1. Sabse pehle, wash, wipe & trim the ladyfingers. Then, make a deep slit on one side of each ladyfinger to create a pocket.
2. Now, finely slice the onions.
3. Iske baad, mix the red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, anardana powder, garam masala powder & salt with 4 tbsp cooking oil & make a thick paste. Then, stuff the ladyfingers with this paste.
4. Now, heat the cooking oil & stir fry the onions for 3 min. TrickyPart - GENTLY slide in the ladyfingers & stir fry on a medium flame for 5 min. Keep turning occasionally, of course :)
5. Finally, sprinkle the lemon juice & serve hot with hotter chapatis :)
Merry Christmas! And here's a sweetheart from Orissa - Chhena Jilabi!
You'll need:
* 2 cups chhena (easily available at any halwai)
* 1/2 cup maida
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1 tbsp ghee
* Rosewater
* Cooking oil
Let's get started!
1. Firstly, squeeze out the water from the chhena. Now, mix the maida, baking powder & ghee, and add the chhena to it.
2. Then, mash this by hand & keep aside for half and hour. After this, divide this mixture in 10 parts.
3. Tricky Part - Make 6 cm long rolls out of each part, and make it into jilabis (what fin without the complicated cone!)
4. Now, add 1 cup water to the sugar & boil it to make the sugar syrup aka chaashni. Make sure the chaashni is thin; like thread thin.
5. Then, heat the cooking oil in a kadhai & fry the jilabis over a low flame.
6. Finally, dip the jilabis in the chaashni.
CJs done!! TipToEat - Serve hot jilabis with cold rabdi. Yum!!
Maharashtra's staple breakfast item, and one of my favorites, too ;) Presenting, poha!!
You'll need:
- 2 cups flattened rice (or chuda or poha)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 6 curry leaves (I gave them a skip) :P
- 1 medium, finely chopped onion
- 1 cup of chopped potatoes, carrots, peas & cauliflowers
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves to garnish
1. Start by placing the poha in a sieve & washing it under running water for 2 min. Then drain & keep aside.
2. After this, heat the cooking oil in a pan on a medium flame & add the mustard seeds. Once the spluttering stops, add the chopped onions & fry till they turn soft & translucent.
3. Now, add the vegetables & cook for 3 min, stirring constantly. Then add the poha, turmeric powder & BLEND WELL :P Cook for 1 min, then shut the flame.
4. Finally, pour the lemon juice over the poha, again MIX WELL :P & garnish with coriander leaves.
Poha done. TipToEat - To be served & relished piping hot!
Note: This dish is NOT meant for the calorie-conscious, mostly because it has 6 tbsp of ghee. And a cup of sugar. Bwahahahaha!!
You'll need:
* 1.5 cups soaked moong dal
* 1.5 L milk
* 1 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup well-crumpled khoa (or mawa)
* 1/2 tsp saffron soaked in milk
* 6 powdered cardamoms
* 6 tbsp ghee
* Chopped almonds
And here's how:
1. Sabse pehle, grind the moong dal coarsely. Then, heat the ghee in a dekchi & fry the moong dal till it turns golden.
2. Now, add the milk & cook till it is absorbed. Then, add the khoa & cook on a low flame, STIRRING CONSTANTLY :P till the moong dal & khoa blend together. Once done, remove from flame & keep aside.
3. Iske baad, make a thin sugar syrup & add the saffron & cardamom powder to it. Finally, add the moong dal & stir quickly till it mixes WELL :D Then garnish with the chopped almonds.
MDH done!! TipToEat - Piping hot is when you want to have it ;)
The slightly fancier plain rice ;)
You'll need:
- 1 cup basmati rice (if you are weight conscious but can't resist rice, use Arise from Saffola - a healthier rice option)
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 sliced onion
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts
- 3 peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tbsp ghee
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves
And here's how:
1. Sabse pehle, wash the rice & drench it in water for half an hour.
2. Heat the ghee in a saucepan. Then add the cashew nuts & fry till they turn brown & take them out & keep them aside.
3. Now, to the same ghee, add the onions, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds & peppercorns and fry for a while.
4. Then, add the rice, salt & water, and stir. Now cover it & simmer the flame. Keep cooking till the rice is done.
5. Finally, garnish with the coriander leaves & serve with love!
TipToEat - Jeera Rice goes best with any spicy gravy :)
The yummylicious Khandvi!! Here goes.
You'll need:
* 1/2 cup besan
* 1 cup thin buttermilk
* 3 pinches turmeric powder
* 2 tbsp cooking oil
* Salt to taste
* 1 tsp sesame seeds
* 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
* 1 tbsp scraped coconut
* 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
* 2 pinches asafoetida
* 2 finely chopped green chilies
* 1 stalk curry leaves
* Cumin
1. First of, mix water, besan, salt, buttermilk & turmeric powder to form a batter. Then, heat the cooking oil in a pan & add the batter to it. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. No one wants lumpy khandvi!! :P
2. After 8 min, pour this mixture on a large plate. Spread this out as this as possible with the back of a flat spatula. For better ease, use circular outward movements (remember Dosa?) :)
3. When this cools down, cut it into 2" wide strips. Then, carefully roll each strip. Repeat for the remaining strips. And, sprinkle the scraped coconut & coriander on to these.
4. Then, heat oil in a small pan & add the cumin, mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves & green chilies. Finally, add the sesame seeds & immediately pour this on to the rolls.
Khandvi done!! TipToEat - Serve with garlic or mint chutney. Smack!!
