Sheera

Sheera is a Maharashtrian dish, usually made for Satyanarayan puja. I only made it coz I was craving something sweet :P Nothing religious there!! :D

Gather:

- 1 1/4 cups of semolina (sooji)
- 1 1/4 cups of sugar
- 1 1/4 cups of ghee
- 1 1/4 cups of milk
- 2 tbsp raisins (soaked in water for 2 hrs)
- 2 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp chopped almonds
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1. First, roast the sooji with ghee, till it begins to give a nice aroma.

2. Then, heath the milk & then lower the flame. And add the sooji & sugar. Key words: mix well.

3. Finally, add the raisins, cashew nuts & almonds, and sprinkle with cardamom powder. Sheera done!!

Dal Makhni

Dal is the staple food of Indian, especially vegetarians. Apparently, DM became popular in India post partition, when many people from Punjab migrated to the north.  As the Punjabi clan migrated across India and internationally, the dish was introduced to locals by Punjabis who opened restaurants.

The traditional preparation of DM involves a series of time-consuming procedures, which can take up to 24hours to complete! DM recipes are reputedly kept a closely guarded secret within Punjabi families, and are passed from generation to generation.

Don't worry, my recipe won't take too long, am not a Punjabi and my recipe is not a secret :D

You'll need:

* 1 cup whole black dal

* 2 tsp chana dal

* 2 tsp rajma

* 1 cup tomato puree

* 1 inch ginger

* 4 cloves of garlic

* 2 red chilies (soaked for 15 min)

* 4 tsp ghee

* 2 tsp coriander powder

* 1/2 tsp garam masala

* 1 tsp butter

* 1/4 cup fresh cream beaten well & mixed with 1/4 cup milk

* Salt to taste

1. Soak the black dal, chana dal & rajma in a pressure cooker for 6 hours.

2. Grind the ginger, garlic & red chilies to a paste.

3. Now, drain out all the water from the black dal, chana dal & rajma, and add 6 cups of water. Then add 1 tbsp ghee, salt, half of the ginger-garlic-red chili paste, and pressure cook.

4. After the 1st whistle, reduce the flame & cook for 45 min. Then remove from flame. And open the lid of the cooker & mash the contents.

5. Now for the tadka. In a tempering karchi, add the tomato puree, remaining of the ginger-garlic-chili paste, garam masala & coriander powder. Then, add this to the dal.

6. Then, add the butter & simmer on low flame for 25 min. Remember to stir & mash the dal occasionally with a ladle against the sides of the cooker.

7. Finally, add the cream-milk mixture, simmer for 20 min & serve piping hot!!

Kashmiri Pulao

Yet another one from the hills, KP is a staple diet for J&K baashinde. Makes for a perfect Sunday lunch buddy, along with gravy & TV :D


You'll need:


- 500 gm basmati rice (Since am a rice freak, I've started using Arise from Saffola. This rice brand is apparently lighter than most regular rices. They have some 3-4 variants. Just pick any) :)
- 2 cups milk (avoid skimmed milk; taste won't be as wonderful) :P
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 cup chopped dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisins & sweetened cherries)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp ghee
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- Rose water
- Salt to taste
- Pinch of saffron


1. Start by gently washing the rice. Keep in mind to rinse it several times, till you see clear water coming out of the container. This basically removes any starch & other residue, else the rice will be sticky while cooking. Once done, soak the rice in clean water for 15 min.


2. Now, heat the ghee in a pan. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, bay leaves & cardamoms. Then, add the soaked rice to it & fry for 2 min.


3. Follow this by adding the cream, milk, sugar, salt & 1/2 a cup of water. Then bring to a boil. Cover it with a lid, bring the flame to a sim level & cook till done.


4. Once cooked, toss in the chopped mixed fruits, and mix it in. Finally, sprinkle few drops of the rose water. Topped by saffron, for a wonderful color.


KP done!!


Tip to Taste: Along with dry fruits, a lot of people also add fresh fruits & vegetables like apples, pomegranates, carrots, beans, peas, corn & even paneer!! I feel it will taste even more yum :D

Aloo Paratha

Purrfect breakfast for a lazy lazy Saturday :)


You'll need:


* 6 medium-sized potatoes, boiled
* 2 finely chopped onions
* 2 finely chopped green chilies
* 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
* 1 tsp amchur powder
* 1 tsp ajwain powder
* 1 tsp grated ginger
* Paste of 4 cloves of garlic
* Pinch of garam masala
* Salt as per taste
* Kneaded dough
* Cooking oil


1. First of, peal the potatoes & mash them. Make sure there are no lumps. No one likes lumps in their parathas :P


2. Now, add all the ingredients, and mix them WELL. The color should be even.


The stuffing is done.


3. For the parathas, roll out the dough, and put 1 serving spoon of the stuffing in each, ball.


4. Now, with the help of dry atta, roll out each ball, like a chapati.


5. Finally, cook it on a tava with the oil.
Note: I like my parathas crispy, so I add a little more oil, and I leave it on the tava a tad longer :D


Voila! AP done. Serve hot with white butter, lassi & love!!

Dal Dhokli

Hello again from Guzu land!! :P


After the successful Dal Parathas, am back with one more dal dish - Dal Dhokli!! I first had DD when I went to Rajdhani for dinner one night, and fell in love with it. It just...melts...in your mouth. So, sharing the recipe of this delectable baby with you :)


Don't get bogged down by the long list of ingredients - trust me, it is worth the effort!!


You'll need:


* 250 gm tuvar dal
* 200 gm flour
* 3 green chilies
* 50 gm groundnuts
* 25 gm cashew nuts
* 1 tbsp turmeric powder
* 1 tbsp mustard seeds
* 4 cloves
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 2 tomatoes (pulp)
* 1 tbsp tamarind
* 100 gm brown sugar
* 1 tbsp garam masala
* 5 tbsp cooking oil
* 2 tbsp red chili powder
* 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
* 4 tbsp ghee
* Salt
* Heeng
* Cloves
* Curry leaves


1. Take the flour, and add salt, 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder, heeng & 1 tbsp red chili powder. Mix them well, add 2 tbsp oil & knead it for roti-like consistency.


2. Now, wash the tuvar dal, and pressure cook it for 3 whistles. Let it cool and then remove.


3. Then, heat 3 tbsp oil & the ghee in a pot, followed by cloves, cinnamon sticks & mustard seeds. When this begins to crackle, add the curry leaves, green chilies & asfoetida. Then pour the tuvar dal.


4. Now, add the tamarind, brown sugar, cashew nuts, ground nuts, garam masala, 1 tbsp red chili powder, water & mix well.


5. Then, add the tomato pulps, 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder, salt & 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.


6. After this, roll out big rotis from the dough, cut them into diamond-shaped pieces & add to the dal. Boil for 10 min & remove from flame.


DD done. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves, and serve warm, with love :)

Caramel Custard

One of my abso-fav desserts, from the <3 of Goa :) And, contrary to popular belief, rather simple to make. Let's get going!!


Gather:


- 1/2 liter milk
- 100 gm sugar
- 150 gm sugar for caramelizing
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence


1. Start with caramelizing the 150 gm of sugar in a pan, then keep aside.


2. Now, take the milk, 100 gm sugar, eggs & vanilla essence, and beat.


3. Finally, pour the caramelized sugar in a mould, followed by the milk-sugar-eggs-vanilla essence mixture.


4. Steam this till ready.


Tip: The best way to enjoy CC is to store it in a fridge once it has cooled, and enjoy it thanda from the fridge!! :D

Bhatura

Yes I know the recipe of chole should also be here. But am too lazy for that right now :P


Anyway, you'll need:


* 2 cups maida
* 1 cup curd
* 1 sachet yeast
* 1 tsp ajwain seeds
* 2 tbsp cooking oil
* Salt to taste


1. First, soak the yeast in warm water for 10 min. Then, take the maida, curd, ajwain & oil, and mix thoroughly.


2. Now add the yeast to it, and knead the dough. If need be, you can also add a little water. Once done, set aside for 5 hours.


3. Finally, roll out the dough like puris, and fry in hot cooking oil.
Note: But make sure the thickness of the bhatura is more than that of a puri.


4. Drain out each bhatura on a plate of tissues, and serve hot with chole!! (whose recipe is not featured here - yet) :P

Khichdi

Khichdi. Khichri. Khichdee. Khichadi. Khichuri. Khichari. Kitcheree. Kitchree. Khicri. (derived from Sanskrit word khicca - meaning a dish of rice & pulses) Phew!!


Apparently, khichdi was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish Kedgeree? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kedgeree) 


And no, this isn't the sick child's food :| Not till you've tried my Bihari version :D


For the khichdi, gather:


- 200 gm basmati rice
- 100 gm masoor dal
- 100 gm moong dal
- 1/4 cup peas
- 5 flowerettes of cauliflower
- 4 tbsp desi ghee (there goes my weight loss regime) :| not like there was one in the first place :P
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste


For the tadka, gather:


- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 dried red chilies
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp jeera
- Whole garam masala (2 green cardamoms - peeled & mashed, 4 cloves, 1 black cardamom - peeled & mashed, 1 inch cinnamon stick)
- Powdered masala (1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp jeera powder, 1 tsp dhaniya powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder)


Let's begin!!


1. Roast the moong dal in a dry kadhai for 5 min on a medium flame. Once done, wash this & the masoor dal. Then wash the rice and keep aside.


2. In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp ghee & add the jeera. When this begins to sputter, add the ginger-garlic paste & whole garam masala. Saute this for a minute & add the powdered masala.


3. Now, add the peas & cauliflower, and saute for 2 min on a low flame. Then, add the dals & rice to the cooker. Followed by water, salt, sugar and the remaining of the ghee.


4. Then, close the lid of the cooker & bring to full pressure on high flame. When you hear the 1st whistle, reduce to flame to medium and cook for 4 min.


Khichdi done. Please serve with the 4 Yaars of Khichdi - curd, papad, ghee & pickle!! :D

Hara Bhara Kabab

Yet another dish from Andhra, HBK makes the perfect accompaniment of cocktails :D And P.S. am not about to post recipes of cocktails here; this is a wholesome, family blog. Eh, who am I kidding; will try and post some here some time :P


Anyway, you'll need:


* 1/2 cup spinach leaves
* 1/2 cup fenugreek (methi) leaves
* 1/2 cup chickpea (kabuli chana) flour
* 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
* 2 tsp green chilies, finely chopped
* 1/2 tsp chili powder
* 2 tbsp ghee
* 1.5 tsp salt


Let's get started.


1. First of, wash and blanch the spinach & methi. If you have a colander, leave it in this to drain. Else, any other bowl will also do.


2. Now, squeeze out the excess liquid & grind the greens to a paste. Then, mix this with the chickpea flour, green chilies, ginger & chili powder. Let this be for 15 min.


3. You can now start shaping this mixture in whatever structure you like - balls :P or squared or even triangles!! But just make sure that whatever shape you give it, you flatten it out a bit.


4. Now for the frying. To a non-stick frying pan, add a thin layer of the ghee, and fry the kababs on a high flame. Turn them over regularly, till both sides begin to turn brown.


HBK done!! Enjoy them hot, with barbecue sauce and few cocktails, and a few friends :)

Sandesh

Dessert recipe after ages...say hello to the Bong mush - Sandesh!! :D


Did you know in Bangladesh, Sandesh (aka Shondesh) is often termed as Pranahara? (literally meaning something/someone who steals your heart). Obvious si baat hai :) Taste hai hi itna awesome!!


Not only this, Sandesh has other yum variants like:
- Parijat
- Rose
- Cream
- Dilkhush
- Abar Khabo
- Chocolate Talsansh
- Makha
Note: I don't know the references of any of these (except rose, cream & chocolate), so don't ask & embarrass me :P


Anyway, let's gather the following first:


- 150 gm paneer
- 1/2 cup grated khoya
- 6 tbsp sugar/jaggery or gur
Note: You can use either sugar or gur. And if you ask me, gur sandesh melts into your mouth quicker than the sugar one ;)
- 8 almonds, shredded lengthwise
- 6 cardamoms, crushed
- 7 strands of saffron/kesar


Note: The above-mentioned ingredients will make 8 pieces. If you want to make more, double the quantity of each ingredient.


1. Sabse pehle, blend the paneer, khoya & sugar/gur, till they become smooth. You can do this either in a blender, or use the back of a katori to mash the mixture.


2. Then, mix the cardamoms to this, and make sure that the layer is 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate till this sets in.


3. Finally, decorate with almonds & kesar, cut into squares or diamonds or balls :P or any other shape you fancy, and then serve!!

Aloo Tamatar

Hey hey hey yet another potato dish!! :P But this one, believe you me, passes for soul food. With rice, of course :D


Gather:


* 250gm potatoes, pealed & chopped
* 50gm chopped onions
* 100gm chopped tomatoes
* 2cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
* 5 cloves of garlic
* 1tsp red chili powder
* 1/2tsp turmeric powder
* 1/2tsp garam masala powder
* 1/2tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
* 1tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
* 1tbsp chopped coriander leaves
* 1/4 tea cup ghee


Here's how:


1. Heat a kadhai on a moderate flame. Then, pour the ghee into it & let it heat.


2. Now, add the methi & jeera to this. Once it begins to sputter, add the garlic & ginger.


3. Stir fry this till they ginger & garlic begin to turn brown. Now, add the onions to this, and fry till it becomes tender.


4. Now, add the tomatoes, red chili powder & turmeric powder, and fry till the tomatoes turn soft.


5. The, add a cup of water, the potatoes & garam masala, and cook for 10 min.


6. Finally, add 2 more cups of water, followed by salt, and then cook for another 10 min.


7. Once done, remove from flame, sprinkle the coriander leaves, and belt with steamed rice!!