Haven't tried anything significant in the kitchen in the last week.. not been keeping too well.. so here's something from a chit of paper my mom had given me, her all time hit - 'Atte ke ladoo' (So now I can throw away the chit of paper!)
You need:
900 gm wheat flour (preferred - punjabi atta)
500 gms pure ghee
25 gms ilaichis
1 whole jaiphal / nutmeg
Approx 150 gms badam
25 gms khus khus
500 gms powdered sugar
Fry / cook the atta in ghee until brown. (I prefer roasting atta seperately till 3/4th cooked and then frying in ghee. You may need a bit less ghee then..)
Switch off the gas and then add the remaining ingredients (except sugar) and mix well.
When cooled, add powdered sugar and shape into ladoos!
Enjoy
-Naina
P.S. Mom in law's made some yummy besan ke ladoo this week, with less ghee.. need the take the measurements from her and post it!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Bombay Khandvi
Make this amazing snack earlier this week! It turned out just perfect.. Its from a Nita Mehta recipe book I bought last week.. After so many tries, finally managed to make perfect khandvi.. I really love this, and I've even had patra and khandvi for lunch!!
You need:
1/2 cup besan
3/4 cup curds
3/4 cup water
1 pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 green chilli crushed (I used some red chilli powder instead)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp mustard seeds
Some til seeds
Mix the besan, curd and water to a smooth paste. Microwave at 80% power for 4 minutes. I stirred once in between.
Then add the turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, chillies and salt and microwave on full power for 3 minutes or untill thick. 3 minutes was just perfect for me.
Then, spread very quickly on a greased plastic sheet.. or easier... on a slightly greased steel dinner plate. I use a flat wooden spoon to spread it. It's got to be spread before it starts cooling, else it'll set in the cooking vessel.
You may need 2-3 plates to spread the whole mixture. Let it cool and set. Should take 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small microwavable bowl, heat oil for 2 minutes. Add musturd seeds and heat for 2 minutes. Then add the asafoetida and til seeds and heat for another minute or so until done.
Once the spread mixture is cool, make slices of 1 inch thickness, and fold and roll.. (for a novice.. its like folding normal tissue paper into a toilet roll kind of shape!!)
The tempering can be put on the mixture before rolling or after making the rolls too.. The rolls can be garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut. (I didn't do that though..)
It was perfect.. hubby's expression said it all!
-Naina
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Quick Raitha
What if you see unexpected guests?You are going to serve them Rotis Sabsi,Dal Rice?Is tahta ll?
Here is what you can do additionally.
Incase you have a packet of kurkure/twisters/namkeens etc.Here is what you can do.
Ingredients
Curd
Jeera Powder
Amchur powder
Salt
Sugar
Red chilly Powder
Break the dahi and add all the ingredients.Mix well.
Just before Serving,add the kurkure/chips and serve as raitha.Believe me people loved it!!
Bon Appétit
Ash
Here is what you can do additionally.
Incase you have a packet of kurkure/twisters/namkeens etc.Here is what you can do.
Ingredients
Curd
Jeera Powder
Amchur powder
Salt
Sugar
Red chilly Powder
Break the dahi and add all the ingredients.Mix well.
Just before Serving,add the kurkure/chips and serve as raitha.Believe me people loved it!!
Bon Appétit
Ash
Paneer Gravy
Very Simple dish and was highly appreciated by all today:))True Punjabi flavour made me say haay rabba after having this
Ingredients
Paneer Sliced
Chopped onion
Tomatoe Puree
Ginger garlic Paste
Ajwain
Jeera
Red chilly paste
Garam Msala
Salt
Milk+ cream
Fry onions in oil till golden brown.Add Ginger garlic Paste,Ajawain,Jeera,chily powder and garm masala.Cook for sometime and then blend in blender.
Once blended put it in the pan again and add tomato Puree,salt,Milk Cream
Add paneer and cook for sometime
Serve hot with Parathas or chapatis.
Chef's Tip:You can also add Badishep(Saunf)Powder while frying onions for additional flavour
Bon Appétit
Ash
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Garlicy Baked Fries
Tried Purple foodie's Garlicy Baked Fries yesterday for dinner, paired it up with Khichdi and soup.. It came out nice, tasty and crispy, and disappeared very fast! Hubby loved it too :)
I preheated my microwave convection to 210 degree C. That's the max temperature it can enter!
I took 3 potatoes and cut them into wedges. Then took 6-8 garlic cloves and 1 tsp of black pepper and ground them. Cooked this ground stuff in 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and added the potatoes and salt to taste. Covered and cooked for 3-5 mins. Then arranged it all on the borosil glass wide vessel that I have. Baked (on convection) for 10 minutes. Then turned all the pieces and it for 10-15 mins till nicely brown and crisp!
It sure was yumm.. The 3 potatoes seemed too less...Hubby could've eaten them all..
-Naina
I preheated my microwave convection to 210 degree C. That's the max temperature it can enter!
I took 3 potatoes and cut them into wedges. Then took 6-8 garlic cloves and 1 tsp of black pepper and ground them. Cooked this ground stuff in 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and added the potatoes and salt to taste. Covered and cooked for 3-5 mins. Then arranged it all on the borosil glass wide vessel that I have. Baked (on convection) for 10 minutes. Then turned all the pieces and it for 10-15 mins till nicely brown and crisp!
It sure was yumm.. The 3 potatoes seemed too less...Hubby could've eaten them all..
-Naina
Friday, October 30, 2009
A great day in the kitchen!
Well..had a great time today.. Made perfect (well.. almost..) Gulab Jamuns from scratch.. for the Indian Cooking Challenge..
Mom in law made some awesome pav bhaji too.. loaded with butter here :) And believe me, she doesn't need to use pav bhaji masala, her own masalas are enough
Gulab Jamuns turned out the authentic Sindhi ones that I love (since I was born a Sindhi..)
Followed Alka's recipe, which goes thus..
"For sugar syrup:
Ingredients:
Sugar - 500 gms (This can be reduced as per taste)
Water - 1 & 1/2 cup (bit more or less)
Cardamom - 2-3
One spoon of milk (optional)
Few threads of saffron (optional)
2-3 drops of rosewater (optional but highly recommended)
Method:
Mix about 500 gms of white sugar in one and half cup water and keep it for boiling.
Add a spoonful of milk to remove the impurities (impurities if any, will form a scum on surface)
Add 2-3 green cardamoms also in syrup for strong flavor, and a tad of saffron strings (optional)
Boil until you get just a tad sticky syrup. Gulab Jamun syrup is not very dense nor too dilute as in Rasgulla
Strain the syrup, add rosewater when syrup is slightly cooled.
Always remember two things while using rose water, do not add it while syrup is bubbling hot or on fire, and be particular about the quantity mentioned in every recipe, since even few drops of excess rosewater could lend a bitter taste to the final product.
For Gulab Jamun:
Ingredients:
Unsweetened Maawa* - 250 gms
All purpose flour - 1 & 1/2 - 2 tsp
Cornflour - 1 tsp
Green cardamom - 1-2 crushed
Oil for shallow frying
* (khoya-the condensed milk thickened till it turns into moist dough, preferably made from cow’s milk, also known as Hariyali mawa)
Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a wide mixing bowl until soft textured dough is obtained (keep mixing until it is really soft)
Make very small sized balls (bit larger than pebbles) as they swell up after frying and soaking in syrup
Make sure that the surface of dough balls is really smooth without any cracks. In case the cracks refuse to go away, slightly wet your palms with water and roll the flour till absolutely smooth.
Now take little oil for frying in preferably flat bottomed pan, and heat the oil. But gulab jamuns are to be fried on LOW FLAME or else the surface will be browned while the core will remain uncooked. Some prefer to place an unsalted pistachio in the center of every gulab jamun while making balls, that way the core of gulab jamun is not left uncooked .
Fry one or 2 gulab jamuns at a time and always remember to STIR THE OIL with slotted spoon AND NOT TO TOUCH GULABJAMUNS, which means keep swirling the oil without tossing or turning gulab jamun.
Fry till light brown in colour, remove on tissue paper and repeat the procedure with rest of dough.
Now soak these in COOL syrup for few hours. They will surely swell up
These can be stored in the same syrup till consumed
If there are cracks in the balls before frying it will burst open while frying, in that case adding a bit of cornflour will surely help
You can enjoy it hot or cold ,either way it is delicious"
My experience:
First thing.. mom in law was there to guide me on intuitive things.. cos I rely a lot on her experience!
I took less than 1/2 the quantity
Sugar syrup - Took 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and boiled it. Didn't need to add milk to clean the syrup. Added cardamom powder, and the flavor's so good, that I've not yet added rose water.. may be I'll add it later..
I'd made mawa from 1 lt milk reduced by 2 tea cups, day before yesterday.. (can't make mawa and gulab jamuns in one go, cos of routine office and house work.)
Took that mawa from the fridge, added 1.5 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp maida and kneaded it till it got soft and smooth. Added some cardamom powder to this dough. Then rolled it into small 'pebble' size balls - they just didn't crack at all
Then deep fried it in ghee in a kadhai, stirring continuously. Well, Alka says not to touch the gulab jams, but I kept stirring them all the time!! Cooked 4-5 at a time, at a very low flame till nice and brown and soaked in the sugar syrup.. and ready to eat in 1/2 an hour.
I guess, they are just a little bit hard right now (still may be to soak more syrup overnight), but the moment I microwaved them for 10 secs, they got real spongy and yummy..
So far, one of the easiest (like a breeze) and best cooking experience.. Thanks ICC!!
-Naina
Mom in law made some awesome pav bhaji too.. loaded with butter here :) And believe me, she doesn't need to use pav bhaji masala, her own masalas are enough
Gulab Jamuns turned out the authentic Sindhi ones that I love (since I was born a Sindhi..)
Followed Alka's recipe, which goes thus..
"For sugar syrup:
Ingredients:
Sugar - 500 gms (This can be reduced as per taste)
Water - 1 & 1/2 cup (bit more or less)
Cardamom - 2-3
One spoon of milk (optional)
Few threads of saffron (optional)
2-3 drops of rosewater (optional but highly recommended)
Method:
Mix about 500 gms of white sugar in one and half cup water and keep it for boiling.
Add a spoonful of milk to remove the impurities (impurities if any, will form a scum on surface)
Add 2-3 green cardamoms also in syrup for strong flavor, and a tad of saffron strings (optional)
Boil until you get just a tad sticky syrup. Gulab Jamun syrup is not very dense nor too dilute as in Rasgulla
Strain the syrup, add rosewater when syrup is slightly cooled.
Always remember two things while using rose water, do not add it while syrup is bubbling hot or on fire, and be particular about the quantity mentioned in every recipe, since even few drops of excess rosewater could lend a bitter taste to the final product.
For Gulab Jamun:
Ingredients:
Unsweetened Maawa* - 250 gms
All purpose flour - 1 & 1/2 - 2 tsp
Cornflour - 1 tsp
Green cardamom - 1-2 crushed
Oil for shallow frying
* (khoya-the condensed milk thickened till it turns into moist dough, preferably made from cow’s milk, also known as Hariyali mawa)
Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a wide mixing bowl until soft textured dough is obtained (keep mixing until it is really soft)
Make very small sized balls (bit larger than pebbles) as they swell up after frying and soaking in syrup
Make sure that the surface of dough balls is really smooth without any cracks. In case the cracks refuse to go away, slightly wet your palms with water and roll the flour till absolutely smooth.
Now take little oil for frying in preferably flat bottomed pan, and heat the oil. But gulab jamuns are to be fried on LOW FLAME or else the surface will be browned while the core will remain uncooked. Some prefer to place an unsalted pistachio in the center of every gulab jamun while making balls, that way the core of gulab jamun is not left uncooked .
Fry one or 2 gulab jamuns at a time and always remember to STIR THE OIL with slotted spoon AND NOT TO TOUCH GULABJAMUNS, which means keep swirling the oil without tossing or turning gulab jamun.
Fry till light brown in colour, remove on tissue paper and repeat the procedure with rest of dough.
Now soak these in COOL syrup for few hours. They will surely swell up
These can be stored in the same syrup till consumed
If there are cracks in the balls before frying it will burst open while frying, in that case adding a bit of cornflour will surely help
You can enjoy it hot or cold ,either way it is delicious"
My experience:
First thing.. mom in law was there to guide me on intuitive things.. cos I rely a lot on her experience!
I took less than 1/2 the quantity
Sugar syrup - Took 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and boiled it. Didn't need to add milk to clean the syrup. Added cardamom powder, and the flavor's so good, that I've not yet added rose water.. may be I'll add it later..
I'd made mawa from 1 lt milk reduced by 2 tea cups, day before yesterday.. (can't make mawa and gulab jamuns in one go, cos of routine office and house work.)
Took that mawa from the fridge, added 1.5 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp maida and kneaded it till it got soft and smooth. Added some cardamom powder to this dough. Then rolled it into small 'pebble' size balls - they just didn't crack at all
Then deep fried it in ghee in a kadhai, stirring continuously. Well, Alka says not to touch the gulab jams, but I kept stirring them all the time!! Cooked 4-5 at a time, at a very low flame till nice and brown and soaked in the sugar syrup.. and ready to eat in 1/2 an hour.
I guess, they are just a little bit hard right now (still may be to soak more syrup overnight), but the moment I microwaved them for 10 secs, they got real spongy and yummy..
So far, one of the easiest (like a breeze) and best cooking experience.. Thanks ICC!!
-Naina
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Some cookbooks and fish curry - Crossed a century too
This blog has finished 100 posts.. without me realising it !! :) Yippee
...Back to my post..
There's this book exhibition going around near my place in my Mumbai suburb.. I surely enjoy so many books... Read '2 States' by Chetan Bhagat in 1/2 a day.. (rather night) pre Diwali.. now, Monica's got for me 'The Secret'.. and I purchased 3 cook books today!!!
I'm quite used to reading Nita Mehta's recipes, cos I had (mom still has) plenty of the small cook books of hers before my marriage, and have experimented a lots of paneer and other stuff on my brother.. Bottom line.. I like the way she explains in the books. One is on microwave recipes (everyone at home wanted this one..), and the other on cakes.. I wanted something Indian to refer to..
The 3rd book is 'Cakes & Bakes 500' by Martha Day.. seems like a lovely bible on baking.. :) Makes me really happy..
So, got back home a bit late, and mom in law was preparing for fish.. our usual one.. Just the fish breed changes, the gravy's the same, and the tastes of different breeds differ like east and west..
(sorry.. pic's not too presentable.. but the fish was mostly head pieces.. not attractive to take pics of! Will post a pic of the next make sometime later)
You need..
1/4 of a whole dry coconut (sukha khopra) - roasted to black, chopped and ground.. u can refer here..
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1 small onion
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 tsp sunday masala - this is prepared by my mil, and a similar thing is available in some local masala shops.. but no hygiene there...else you can take a mixture of garam masala powder and red chilli powder
Grind all these ingredients with enough water to get a fine paste.. like this
Heat lots of oil (say 3 tbsp) in a kadhai. Add methi (fenugreek) seeds, and when they are brown, add the masala and cook till oil seperates.. Add some water and cook if needed. Then add the cleaned fish pieces,let the masala coat it, add enough water to make a nice gravy.. we make it a thin gravy type. Add salt and cook for 5-10 mins. Finally add some kokam pieces and garnish with chopped coriander.. Yummy..
-Naina
...Back to my post..
There's this book exhibition going around near my place in my Mumbai suburb.. I surely enjoy so many books... Read '2 States' by Chetan Bhagat in 1/2 a day.. (rather night) pre Diwali.. now, Monica's got for me 'The Secret'.. and I purchased 3 cook books today!!!
I'm quite used to reading Nita Mehta's recipes, cos I had (mom still has) plenty of the small cook books of hers before my marriage, and have experimented a lots of paneer and other stuff on my brother.. Bottom line.. I like the way she explains in the books. One is on microwave recipes (everyone at home wanted this one..), and the other on cakes.. I wanted something Indian to refer to..
The 3rd book is 'Cakes & Bakes 500' by Martha Day.. seems like a lovely bible on baking.. :) Makes me really happy..
So, got back home a bit late, and mom in law was preparing for fish.. our usual one.. Just the fish breed changes, the gravy's the same, and the tastes of different breeds differ like east and west..
(sorry.. pic's not too presentable.. but the fish was mostly head pieces.. not attractive to take pics of! Will post a pic of the next make sometime later)
You need..
1/4 of a whole dry coconut (sukha khopra) - roasted to black, chopped and ground.. u can refer here..
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1 small onion
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 tsp sunday masala - this is prepared by my mil, and a similar thing is available in some local masala shops.. but no hygiene there...else you can take a mixture of garam masala powder and red chilli powder
Grind all these ingredients with enough water to get a fine paste.. like this
Heat lots of oil (say 3 tbsp) in a kadhai. Add methi (fenugreek) seeds, and when they are brown, add the masala and cook till oil seperates.. Add some water and cook if needed. Then add the cleaned fish pieces,let the masala coat it, add enough water to make a nice gravy.. we make it a thin gravy type. Add salt and cook for 5-10 mins. Finally add some kokam pieces and garnish with chopped coriander.. Yummy..
-Naina
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