October 19, 2017

Poha Chivda (Diwali Chivda) Recipe

Diwali Poha Chivda

Poha Chivda also called as Diwali Chivda is maharashtrain snack made during Diwali. This snack is made with pressed rice / flatten rice along with peanuts (shingdana), bengal gram (chana dal), coconut slices (nariyal slices), green chillies (hari mirch) and curry leaves. Mostly chivda is made with thin pressed rice.

Snack is crispy, nutty and little spicy. It goes well with a cup of tea. During Diwali chivda is eaten with other snacks chakli, ladoo, karanji and sakkarparas.

How To Make Poha Chivda:

Take 350 gms pressed rice (poha / chivda) and dry roast on low flame.
Remove roasted chivda / poha in a large vessel.
Heat oil and put 100-150 gms peanuts and fry it.
Remove peanuts and keep in same chivda vessel.
Now put 100-150 gms soaked bengal gram (chana dal) in the oil carefully and fry.
Remove fried chana dal and keep in same chivda vessel.
Now put coconut slices (fresh or dried) in oil and fry till golden brown color.
Remove fried coconut slices and keep in vessel.
Now put 1/2 teaspoon asofodita in oil and then add 4-5 green chilli pieces in it. You can adjust the amount of chillies as per your taste. Add 1 or 2 more chillies if you want it very spicy else reduce the amount of chillies.
Now add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 10-15 curry leaves.
Fry chillies and curry leaves.
Remove and keep fried chillies and curry leaves in same poha (pressed rice) vessel.
Switch of the flame.
Put salt and little sugar in chivda (poha) mixture.
Now pour hot left oil in the chivda mixture.
Hold the poha vessel with both your hands and shake it gently such that poha / chivda and other fried ingredients (peanuts, bengal gram, coconut slices, chillies and curry leaves along with oil gets mixed properly.
Let chivda come to room temperature and then you can store in airtight container.

October 19, 2017

Diwali Special – Coconut Barfi (Nariyal Burfi)

Coconut Barfi – Diwali Special

Diwali is festival of sweets and lights. There are varieties of sweets prepared at home or bought from stores ladoos, pedas, barfis, jalebies, gulab jamun, kaju katries and many more. One such sweet which I love is coconut barfi (nariyal burfi).

Nariyal barfi is extremely delicious dessert made from fresh coconut, sugar and milk. This recipe is easy and less ingredients are required.

How To Make Nariyal Ki Barfi:

Take 4 cup fresh scrapped coconut (nariyal) in a pan.
Add 2 cup sugar and mix and keep aside for 1 hr so that sugar dissolves.
Now heat the pan and add 2 tablespoon ghee in it.
Keep stiring the coconut-sugar continously for 5-10 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup milk and keep stiring till the mixture starts becoming dry and sticky.
Add 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder and mix.
Keep stiring till it start becoming thick.
Quickly grease the tray with ghee or oil and spread the coconut (nariyal) barfi mixture on it.
Garnish with pistachios or silver or if you want keep it simple.
Cut it into barfis / burfis with help of knife and keep it in fridge for 1hour more for better result.
Coconut barfi (nariyal ki burfi) is ready.

Nariyal Burfi

October 19, 2017

Besan Ladoo Recipe – Diwali Special

Besan Ladoos

Besan Ladoo is made with gram flour, sugar and ghee along with cardamon powder and dry fruits. Melted ghee in nice aromatic roasted besan (gram flour) along with cardamon powder and nuts gives delicious taste to ladoos.
Besan ladoos are often made in Diwali all over India along with other sweets and snacks.

You can dry roast chana dal and then grind it to powder. It should not be fine powder (little coarse). This form of besan gives nice texture and taste to your laddus / ladoos but if you want you can make ladoos of normal besan which we get easily outside in stores. So whichever besan you prefer you can use for making ladoos.

How To Make Besan Ladoo – Diwali Special:

Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a kadai or pan.
Add 2 cups besan (gram flour) in it and roast it nicely till you get nice color and aroma of besan.
Once besan is properly roasted, switch off the gas and keep besan to cool down slightly.
Once besan is cooled down and slight hot then add 1 cup powdered sugar in it and mix. If you want you can keep sugar powder little coarse. Depends on how you like.
Now add cardamon powder and mix.
Heat 1/2 cup ghee. Add raisins in it and stir for few seconds.
Now add hot ghee with raisins to the roasted besan.
Mix besan and ghee properly and once it slightly cools down take small amount of besan in your hand and shape ladoos.
Shape all laddos and keep aside in a plate.
Once ladoos are cooled down you can also store besan ladoos in air tight container.

Besan Laddu

October 15, 2017

Shahi Bhindi Recipe (Dahi Bhindi)

Dahi Bhindi

Ladies Finger (Okra) also known as Bhindi in Hindi is well known for its health benefits. Apart from health benefits people love bhindies because of its taste. It also takes less time to cook bhindies compared to many other vegetables. Bhindies are cooked in different styles. They are fried, made curry of it, bhindi pakodas are also made, bhindi dry masala and many others. Today’s recipe is of shahi bhindi. Below mentioned is the recipe of shahi bhindi.

How To Make Shahi Bhindi:

Wash 400 gms ladies finger.
Cut and remove the unwanted part.
Cut ladies finger into slits and keep aside.
Now add pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon chat masala and mix.
Heat 2 tablespoon oil in pan.
Put ladies finger (okra) in it and fry till bhindies are cooked and dark in color.
By the time slice 1 medium size onion and chop 1 small tomato.
Remove bhindies (ladies finger) and keep aside in plate.
If required add more 1 tablespoon oil.
Put pinch of asofodita and stir.
Now put sliced onion and fry till translucent.
Once onion is translucent add 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste and stir.
Let the rawness of ginger-garlic go away.
Add 1 teaspoon green chilly paste and stir again.
Now put 3 tablespoon gram flour (besan) and cook for few minutes till rawness of besan goes away.
Now add chopped tomato and cook till tomato turns soft.
Put little water 1/2 cup and mix continously to avoid besan lumps.
Put 1 tablespoon cashewnuts paste and mix.
Now put 1/2 cup curd (dahi) and again keep stiring to avoid lumps.
Put turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder and 1/2 teaspoon garam masala. Stir continously.
Add more 1/2 cup water and put bhindies (okras) to the gravy.
Put salt as per taste. Put little less salt as cream which we are going to put in gravy has little salt in it.
Put 4 tablespoon cream and mix.
At last put 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi and stir.
Let shahi dahi bhindi curry cook for more 5 minutes.
Switch of the flame shahi dahi bhindi is ready to be served.
Serve it with chapaties, parathas or rice.

Shahi Bhindi

October 14, 2017

Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer Butter Masala

Butter Paneer Masala is dish which is mostly ordered in restaurants or dhabas.

In this dish cottage cheese (paneer) cubes are cooked in onion tomato gravy along with dry and whole spices for the flavors.

Then cream is added to the gravy to make it more rich and creamy. Then it is garnished with fresh cilantro leaves along with butter.

How To Make Butter Paneer Masala:

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan and put 8 red ripe chopped tomatoes in it.
Put 1/2 teaspoon sugar and let tomatoes cook till it becomes soft and mashable.
Once tomatoes turn soft switch off the flame and let it cool down to room temperature.
By the time chop 3 medium size onions.
Heat 11/2 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil.
Put 3-4 cloves, 3 cardamon and 1 cinnamon stick.
Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds.
Once cumin starts cracking add chopped onions and fry till golden brown.
Now our tomatoes might haved cooled down grind it to puree.
Onions might have turned soft add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste and fry till raw smell of ginger-garlic paste goes out.
Now add tomato puree to it and stir.
Let tomato puree cook fully till it becomes thick.
Now add dry spices 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon red chilly powder and mix.
If required add little oil and fry till masala is cooked properly along with tomato and onion.
Now add little water and salt as per taste.
Put paneer cubes to the gravy and stir.
Put chopped 4-5 green chilly slits or pieces.
Put 1/2 cup cream and mix.
Put 1 teaspoon roasted and crushed kasuri methi and stir.
Put some fresh chopped coriander leaves and stir.
Let it cook for more 5-7 minutes.
Paneer Butter Masala is ready to be served.
Garnish Butter Paneer Masala with some crean, butter and coriander leaves.
Butter Paneer Masala can be served with tandoori roties, naans, parathas, kulcha, chapaties and more.

Butter Paneer Masala With Parathas

October 14, 2017

Chatpata Chana Tikki Chat

Chatpata Chana Chat is very tasty recipe specially if you are chat lover.

How To Make Chatpata Chana Tikki Chat:

Soak 1 cup kabuli chana overnight or for 5-6 hrs.
Wash, boil or pressure cook chanas with 1 large potato.
Dry roast 3 cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon coriander seeds for 1-2 minutes and let it come to room temperature.
By the time mixture is getting cooled dry roast 1/4 cup chivda / poha (pressed rice).
Once it cools down grind it to fine powder.
Now take boiled chanas in a bowl.
Peel and add boiled potato in it.
Mash 3/4 cup chana and potato together. Keep 1/4 cup boiled chanas for ragda.
Add 3-4 chopped green chillies and half grinded masala. Keep half grinded masala for ragda.
Put salt as per taste, 1/2 teaspoon amchur powder, 3/4 to 1 teaspoon chole masala and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder.
Put some roasted chevda for crunch.
Mix everything nicely such that you can make tikkies.
Divide the mixute to equal portions and make round balls of it.
Now slightly press and make tikkies and keep aside.
Heat a pan or tava.
Put 2 tablespoon ghee on it and once ghee starts melting place tikkies on it.
Rost tikkies from both the sides till crisp.
Remove and keep tikkies aside.
Crispy chatpata chana tikkies are ready to be served.

Kabuli Chana Tikkies

Place tikkies in serving tray or plate.
Put little curd on each tikkies.
Then top tikkies with green coriander mint chutney.
On top of it put tamarind chutney on each tikkies to make it chatpata and interesting.
Put roasted chivda / poha (pressed rice) on each tikkies.
Now if you want you can serve tikkies like this. I am making chat of it.

Chatpata Tikkies With Chutney And Yogurt

For chat we will first make simple ragda of left 1/4 th cup boiled kabuli chanas.
Just add some water approx 1/4 th cup and boil it. Mash chanas slightly. Add remaining grinded masala to it with little salt. Just boil it for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
Now our tikkies are already there on serving plate with chutnies and curd, put some chopped onions on tikkies.
Then put chopped green chillies.
Add roasted chivda ( pressed rice) on top of it for crunch.
Now put green chutney (dhaniya pudina chutney).
Put tamarind chutney and on top of it curd.
Put some tomato sauce and 1/2 teaspoon chat masala.
Chatpata chana chat is ready to be served.

Chatpata Chana Chat

October 7, 2017

Vegetable Biryani

How To Make Veg Biryani:

Chop carrots, french beans, pumpkin and potatoes. Wash and keep aside.
Slice 2 medium onions for barista and chop 1 more medium size onion for biryani.
Chop small bunch of coriander leaves and pudina leaves.
Now heat oil in pan. Put sliced onions and fry it till crisp and golden brown.
By the time prepare the marinade for paneer. Take 150 gms curd.
Add 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, 1/2 tablespoon mint leaves, 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi and mix.
Now heat 5 tablespoon mustard oil and add to the marinade and mix.
Now put paneer cubes and mix.
Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.
Our onions might have turn brown remove and keep aside.
Heat oil put vegetables and steam it or cook it by covering lid for 5-10 minutes with little salt.
By the time wash rice nicely to remove extra starch and with water keep rice for cooking on other side.
Once vegetables are cooked remove and keep it aside.
Take a vessel used for biryani. Put oil and allow it to heat.
Once oil gets heated add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds.
As soon as cumin seeds starts cracking add whole spices ( 1 bayleaf, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 cardamon, 1 cinamon stick)
Add finely chopped onion and stir.
Lower the flame and let onion cook.
Check onions might have turn translucent.
Put the flame to medium and add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste.
Cook till raw smell of ginger-garlic goes out.
Now add chopped tomato and cook till it turns soft.
Check our rice might have cooked to 80 %.
Drain water out and keep rice aside.

Veg Biryani Recipe

Put turmeric powder, coriander powder, biryani masala and salt to the biryani gravy.
Cook for 1 minute and add vegetables.
Put little water and mix. Lower the flame.
Now our vegetables gravy is at bottom add rice as the second layer.
Then put some barista, some mint leaves and 1 tablespoon ghee in 3 rd layer.
Again add marinaded paneer to 4 th layer and rice on top of it to 5 th layer.
Top with coriander, mint leaves and barista ( fried onion) on 6 the layer.
You can add little saffron milk for good color and flavor. Saffron is not available with me right now so skipping this step.
Cover the biryani with lid and place one heavy vessel on it.
Put the flame on high for 5 minutes and then cook biryani for more 10-15 minutes on low flame.
After 10-15 minutes switch off the flame veg biryani is ready to be served. Serve it with salad and raita.

How To Make Vegetable Biryani

October 1, 2017

Cabbage Pakoda (Pakora) Recipe

Cabbage Pakodas

Cabbage pakoras (Cabage Fritters) are good alternative for people those who don’t eat onion garlic pakodas or bhajiyas.
Cabbage pakodas can be made with onion and garlic also but people those who can’t eat onion bhajiya and use cabbage as substitute of onion.
Pakoda is also called as bhajiya. There are varieties of bhajiyas aloo bhajiya, kanda bhajiya, gobi (cabbage) bhajiya, baingan bhajiya, leafy vegetables bhajoya and many more.

How To Make Cabbage Pakoda / Bhajiya:

Chop one small cabbage, wash and keep aside.
In a bowl take 1/4 cup all purpose flour (maida), 3/4 cup gram flour.
Instead of maida you can also use rice flour.
Now add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 3-4 green chillies and 2 dry red chilly pieces. You can break chillies from hand and it to the mixture.
Put chopped cabbage and salt to taste.
Now put little water and with the help of your hand and finger mix it such that you can shape pakodas / pakoras. If is thin then add more gram flour (besan). If batter is too dry and more water is required add little water no too much so that you get thick batter to shape good pakoras.
Heat oil in kadhai or pan for frying pakodas / pakoras.
On low flame with help of your hand or spoon shape pakodas in kadhai or pan.
You will notice after sometime color of pakodas will slightly change and pakoras will be cooked from one side. It’s time to turn (flip) the pakodas to other side.
Put the flame to medium and let pakodas fry till crispier from both the sides.
If your flame is high your pakodas will be fried from outside but might be raw from inside. So better to fry pakoras on low to medium flame.
Repeat the process and fry pakodas in batches.
Once you are done with all pakoras. Serve it hot with chutney or without chutney also it tastes good.
So do try it and enjoy cabbage pakodas.

September 29, 2017

Double Ka Meetha Recipe

Double Ka Meetha

Double Ka Meetha is Hyderabadi dessert. This dessert is made with bread slices, sugar syrup and rabdi as main ingredients.
Bread slices are either deep fried, baked or shallow fried in ghee and then soaked in sugar syrup for 2 minutes. After soaking in sugar syrup fried bread slices are kept aside in plate and then rabdi or rabri is poured on top of it. Double Ka Meetha is garnished with dry fruits.
How To Make Double Ka Meetha:

We need rabdi / rabri for this dish so you can buy it from outside. It’s easily available outside in milk shops else if you want to make it at home check out my rabri recipe.
Take 5-6 bread slices and cut it into round shape with the help of cookie cutter. You can shape it to square, triangle whichever shape you want.
Heat a pan. Put some ghee for shallow frying bread slices. Flame should not be too high else bread slices might burn. Put the flame to low or medium so that bread is fried evenly from all the sides.
Fry all round bread slices till it turns crispier and gets light golden brown color from both the sides. Remove it and keep aside in a plate.
Now make sugar syrup by dissolving 1/4 cup sugar into1/2 cup water and boiling it for 5-7 minutes till sugar syrup turns sticky.
It’s time to soak our crispy fried bread slices one by one into sugar syrup (chasni) for 2 minutes.
Remove bread slices from sugar syrup and arrange it in a plate.
We have our rabdi (rabri) ready. Pour rabdi on all bread slices and garnish with roasted dry fruits.
Double Ka Meetha is ready to be served.
People who prefer less sugar or less sweetness in dessert can skip the step of making sugar syrup and soaking bread slices in syrup (chasni). You can directly put rabdi on fried bread slices and garnish with some dry fruits. As rabdi already has sugar in it so our dessert will be sweet.

How To Make Double Ka Meetha

September 28, 2017

Kalakand (Milk Cake) Recipe

Kalakand

Kalakand is made of milk. First milk is boiled and then with help of vinegar or lemon juice milk is converted into chena. Many Indian sweets like rasgulla, rasmalai, siddesh, etc are made with chena and interesting part is all sweets made with chena has a different taste. Slight changes in recipes all together brings a different unique taste. Isn’t it interesting?

Kalakand tastes extremely delicious and it is easy to make this sweet so let’s look at the recipe below:

Boil 1 litre milk in a vessel. Once milk starts boiling, squeeze 1/2 or 1 lemon in it.
As soon as lemon juice enters the milk it starts curdling. Keep stirring for a while.
Now leave little water in it and drain rest of the water out from milk.
Again put it on gas and keep stirring till the water evaporates. Add sugar for the sweetness and keep mixing continously.
You will notice the chena’s color has changed and got a different texture and it has become thick.
Lower the flame of gas.
It’s time to quickly grease a plate with little ghee and pour the kalakand mixture on the plate.
Flatten it with the back of spoon slightly and keep it to cool down.
Once it kalakand cools down. You can refrigerate it for 2-3 hours.
These milk cakes are extremely delicious. So try at home and enjoy with your loved ones.

Milk Cake – Indian Dessert