April 4, 2020

Veg Pond Cake Recipe

Pond Cake

How To Make Veg Pond Cake:

For veg pond cake you require butter, sugar, all purpose flour, curd, flax seeds powder, baking powder and baking soda.
Take all purpose flour (maida), sugar and butter in equal proportion i.e 180 grams each for this recipe.
As this is veg cake so we will be using curd in this recipe. We will also use flax seeds powder in this recipe.
First take sugar and butter and start whisking till the mixture becomes light and creamy . Also the colour changes to white.
Now add maida ( all purpose flour) to it and mix.
Add 160 grams curd, 2 teaspoon flax seeds powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
Mix everything by cut and fold method. Don’t over mix else it will give you a bread like texture instead of cake.
Pour the cake mixture into greased cake tin.
Tap it twice or thrice and put it in pre heated oven.
Bake pond cake at 170 degree celsius for 40 to 45 minutes.
Pond Cake is ready to be served.

Soft and Yummy Pond Cake

Credits – Chef Ranveer Brar

March 28, 2020

Parwal Bharwa Recipe

Bharwa Parwal

How To Make Bharwa Parwal:

Scrub the skin of parwal with knife and keep aside.
Wash the scrubbed parwal. Split into 2 long halves.
Now heat 2-3 tablespoon oil in a kadhai or pan.
Add parwals into oil and allow it to cook by covering the lid and stirring in between every 5 minutes till it changes colour and is 90% cooked.
By the time parwals are getting cooked, wash and cut 1 onion into big pieces. Peel 5 garlic pods.
Grind onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds together into paste and keep aside.
Once parwals are 90 % cooked from both the sides add onion garlic paste to it. Stir and cook till onion garlic paste is cooked and turns brown in colour.
Now add dry spices 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon read chilly powder to it.
Add salt and mix everything.
Put some oil and cook till everything gets cooked.
Bharwa parwal is ready to be served. It goes well with dal rice.

Parwal Masala

March 28, 2020

Atte Ka Singhara

Atte Ka Singhara

If you go to Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkand you will find singharas instead of samosas. Singharas are small in size compared to samosas. Stuffing is made with potatoes only but the masala varies from place to place. Singharas are little light in color compared to samosas.
In Bengal you will find singharas with non veg stuffing also. You will find mutton singharas and fish stuffed singharas.
This is the perfect tea time snack it you can enjoy it whenever you fill.
Maida (all purpose flour) is used to make singharas but I am using atta (wheat flour) in below recipe. You can use maida also but serve it when it is hot.

For Stuffing

Boil 4 large size potatoes.
Peel the boiled potatoes.
Cut the boiled potatoes into pieces and keep aside.
Now for whole spices, take 1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds, 1/4 tablespoon fenugreek seeds, 1/4 tablespoon nigella seeds, 1/4 tablespoon carom seeds, 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds and 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds in a plate and keep aside.
Similarly for powdered masala, take 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 11/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon read chilly powder and 1 teaspoon garam masala in a bowl. Mix all powdered masala and keep aside.
Heat 3 tablespoon oil in a pan. Once hot put 2-3 tablespoon peanuts. Fry from both the sides and remove and keep aside.
Once you have removed peanuts, add the whole spices which you have kept in plate.
Now add boiled potato pieces to it and stir once.
Add powdered masala(dhaniya, mirch, haldi, garam masala) and mix.
Add salt and 2-3 tablespoon more oil. Mix everything and keep it as it is for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add peanuts and mix.
Switch off the flame stuffing masala is ready.

For Dough

Take wheat flour(gehu atta).
Add some salt, 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds and some ghee or oil for making it khasta.
Rub the flour with your hand.
Add required amount of chilled water to knead a dough properly for singharas.
Don’t over work on the dough. We need stiff dough for crispy singharas. Smooth dough will not give you crispy singharas.
Divide the dough into medium size balls.
Take balls one by one and roll it to oval shapes.
Divide it into 2 equal parts.
Take one one part and hold it like a cone.
Add potato mixture to it. Slightly press the mixture and stuff in more potato mixture.
Seal the opposite end to give a perfect singhara like shape.
Repeat the process till you shape all the singharas.

For Frying

Heat oil in kadhai for frying sigharas.
Singharas should be fried on low heat else it will not turn khasta and will turn blisters, which is not sign of good singharas.
On high flame singharas will cook from outside but remain raw from inside so you need patience to fry singharas or samosas.

Singhara

March 22, 2020

Fresh Chillies Pickle

Last time when I visited by native place. I came across this chatpata chillies pickle. I quickly learned this recipe from my Maami Mrs Bhavna. It doesn’t take much time and is easy to make. Maami made it in large quantity but you can make it with 250 grams chillies. pickle I am sharing this recipe with you all. Below goes the recipe:

Fresh Chillies Pickle (Mirch Ka Achaar)

Wash and split 250 grams fresh chillies into 2 halves.
Allow it to dry under fan or sun for sometime so that no water (moisture) is left on chillies.
Now till the time chillies are drying to remove moisture, dry roast 2 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera), 2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (methi) and 2 tablespoon carrom seeds (ajwain).
Crush this roasted masala into powder and keep aside.
We also require 4 tablespoon crushed mustard seeds or powder of it.
Now once our chillies are dry enough without having moisture, you can add all roasted masala powder and mustard powder.
Put 2 tablespoon dried mango powder (amchur) or depending on your taste. If you love more sourness add more amchur powder but don’t add too much, increase a spoon or 2 not more than that.
Now put salt to taste. Add mustard oil, mix the chillies and masala together. Oil should be used in proportion such that masala coats the chillies. Chillies should not be dipped in the oil it should just coat the masala.
Green chillies pickle is ready to serve. You can store in air tight container and enjoy it with chapaties or parathas. It can be used from the moment it is ready by mixing chillies and masala together.

Mirch Ka Aachar

March 21, 2020

Sesame Seeds Til Ke Laddu

Til Ke Laddu

Til Ke Laddu Recipe

Til (sesame) seeds are known for several health benefits. It is good for skin, hair and reduces fat also.

There is tradition of preparing til laddu during Makkar Sankrant in India. It is believed cold increases on that day so it is better to have something which will have warmth in our body.

Sesame seeds accumulates heat and energy in our body. So it is used during winter to keep body warm.

Below is recipe for mouth melting delicious sesame seeds laddu –

Dry roast 150 grams sesame seeds till you get nice aroma and cracking popping sound.
Remove roasted sesame seeds and keep aside in plate.

Once it comes to normal temperature transfer it to grinding jar and grind it once to coarse powder. Now add 1 cup of small pieces of jaggery and 4-5 cardamon powder to it and grind everything together till it forms nice mixture.

Check if you are able to shape laddus, if not add 1/4 cup more jaggery and grind again.
Transfer the mixture into a plate. Take small portion of mixture and shape nice til ladoos.
These ladoos will be loved by kids too so try and enjoy with your loved ones.

August 25, 2019

Dhaba Style Paneer

We all know how delicious dhaba dishes are, whether it is dhaba dal or dhaba rajma or dhaba style aloo paratha.

Dhaba Style Paneer is also one of the mouth watering recipe you get in dhabas.

Dhaba Style Paneer Recipe:

Heat 2-3 tablespoon oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and allow it to crack. Add 1 bay leaf.

Add 3 finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown.

Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Saute for minutes till rawness of garlic goes away.

Now add 1 chopped tomato and stir. We will be adding tomato pieces and puree both in this recipe.

Add 3 tomatoes pulp without skin by scrapping it. You can also make puree of 2 tomatoes without skin and add to the onion garlic mixture.

Now add pinch of salt. Stir and cook till the tomatoes are cooked nicely with onion and garlic.

Add dry spices turmeric powder, corrainder powder, red chilly powder and garam masala.

Now lower the flame and add 3 tablespoon curd and keep stirring continuously.

Put some oil. Add 2-3 teaspoon of crumbled paneer. Put salt and mix everything together.

Now add 1 glass of water, paneer cubes and give it a stir.

Let it boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add some fresh finely chopped corrainder leaves. you can also add 1/2 teaspoon roasted and crushed kasuri methi instead of corriander leaves.

Mix everything and allow it to cook for more 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your gravy you want.

Switch off the flame after 5-10 minutes and serve dhabha style paneer with roti it parathas as per your choice. You can always add a piece of butter to hot gravy while serving to make your paneer more delicious.

August 17, 2019

Kaju Pista Rolls Recipe

Kaju Pista Roll

India is known for its sweets rasgulla, ladoo, jalebi, kaju katri and many more. Kaju Pista Rolls are one of it.

Lets take a look at how to make Kaju Pista Rolls:

Grind 100 gms chashew (kaju) and 100 gms pista each separately in batches. Keep aside in a plate separately.

Now we have to prepare chasni for the rolls. First we will be preparing pista roll.

Take 100 gms sugar with 100 ml water and keep it to boil. Keep stirring in between till we get 1 string consistency.

Once we get 1 string consistency, add pista powder to it and switch off the flame.

Keep stirring continously till the batter becomes thick.

Remove the pista batter and put it on thick plastic or silver foil. With help of your hands knead the dough when it is hot enough to handle. Roll the pista dough into roll. Simillarly we have to repeat same process with cashew (kaju) powder.

Take 100 gms with 100 ml water and boil till you get 1 string consistency.

Switch off the flame once you get 1 string consistency. Add kaju powder and keep stirring till it becomes thick.

Take kaju mixture on thick on silver foil or thick plastic. With help of your hands, knead the kaju dough when it is hot enough to handle.

Make round shape of kaju dough. Place pista roll inside and carefully roll the kaju dough into roll.

Cut slices of rolls. Kaju Pista Roll is ready to be served.

August 11, 2019

Kolar Bora (Ripe Banana Fritters)

Kolar Bora

Kolar bora is one of the popular Bengali dish. It is mostly prepared during durga puja. Kolar is for banana and boras is for vada or pakora (fritters).

How To Make Kolar Bora:

In a vessel, take 3 ripe bananas and mash it.

Put 3-4 tablespoon rice flour and 3-4 tablespoon wheat flour.

Put pinch of salt and 3-4 tablespoon sugar in it. Banana is already sweet so we should not add too much sugar.

Put fenel seeds (saunf) in it along with dry coconut pieces.

Mash and mix everything together.

Your batter should not be too watery. It should have consistency like pakoras batter.

Add some more wheat flour if you feel batter is too watery.

Heat oil for frying kolar bora. When oil is hot enough, with help of your hand or spoon take some quantity of batter and shaper boras in oil.

Fry all boras from both the sides till color changes to reddish brown. Switch off the flame.

Kolar boras are ready to be served.

August 4, 2019

Baked Aachari Aloo

Baked Achari Aloo

Baked Achari Aloo is perfect for starter. This hot potato starter has crisp achari flavour from outside and tasty flavour inside.

How To Make Baked Achari Aloo:

Boil 4 medium size potatoes, peel, mash and keep aside.

Now heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add pinch of cumin seeds (jeera), pinch of mustard seeds (black rai), pinch of black onion seeds ( kalonji).

Once seeds start cracking, add 1 chopped onion.

Add 5-6 chopped garlic pods and 1 chopped green chillies if you prefer. I am not adding chillies here.

Once onion turns translucent and garlic also cooks and changes color, add mashed potatoes in it. Mix everything. Add few tablespoon oil if required.

Now add salt and mix the mixture again. Stir and cook for more 2-3 minutes.

Switch off the flame and keep the mixture aside in plate. We have to shape tikkies of these potatoes mixture.

Now we have to prepare achari marinade for Baked Achari Aloo by the time aloo mixture is getting cool a bit.

We require curd for the marinade. Also we will be adding some roasted spices to enhance the flavour.

Take curd in a bowl. Add 2-3 teaspoon roasted masala powder( roasted cumin, black pepper and corriander powder) to the curd.

Add pinch of roasted carrom seeds (ajwain) fennel seeds (saunf) and some black salt to the curd marinade. Mix.

Now add 2 tablespoon pickle masala and mix everything together. Our marinade is ready. I am using mango pickle here. You can use any other pickle flavour here in this recipe.

Grease baking tray with oil for baking achari aloo.

Dip aloo tikkies one by one in achari marinade and place it on the tray keeping some distance.

If you have extra marinade you can just put on tikkies with help of spoon.

Bake achari aloo in preheated oven for 30 minutes at 180°C.

Serve baked achari all hot as a starter.

July 21, 2019

Gatte Ki Sabzi

Gatte Ki Sabzi is very popular traditonal recipe of Rajasthan. This cuisine is well known for its taste all over India.

Let’s take a look at Gatte Ki Sabzi recipe:

We have to prepare gattas for the curry which is made of gram flour i.e besan.
So take one bowl of besan in a vessel.
Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera), 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf), 1/2 teaspoon crushed corrainder seeds (dhaniya), 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder and 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder.
Put some salt, 2 tablespoon curd and oil. Mix everything and knead a dough. Add little more curd if required instead of water to knead a dough.
Now roll and make cylinder of besan dough.
Divide into 2 or 3 cylinders.
Now we have to boil besan cylinders in boiling water.
Boil water in a vessel and add gram flour cylinders to boil.
As soon as you notice besan cylinders floating on boing water it’s indication that it is cooked. You might take 6-10 minutes or less than that to cook besan gatta in boiling water.
Switch off the flame and drain the gatta cylinders and keep aside in plate.
Now with the help of knife cut besan cylinders into small pieces which is called gatta.
Now next step is to fry these gattas in oil.
Heat oil for frying gattas and fry gattas from all the sides and keep aside. Switch off the flame.
For sauce take one bowl curd. Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder and garam masala and whisk well.
Now heat a pan or kadhai. Put 2 tablespoon oil.
Once oil turns hot add cumin seeds. Then add crushed corrainder seeds, pinch of fennel seeds, asofodita, curry leaves, 1 bay leaf and chopped green chillies. Stir.
Now add whisked curd to the kadhai and stir continously to avoid lumps.
Add some water to it. Add besan gattas to the curry and mix.
Put salt as per taste and mix. Allow it to boil and cook for 10-15 minutes so that the gattas absorb the sauce and curry thickens.
Add some ghee to the gatta curry, mix and serve. Gatte Ki Sabzi is ready to be served.