Achari Kaddu

We generally prepare pumpkin ‘khatta-meetha’ (sweet and sour). But my husband is not a great fan of it. But other preparations of kaddu like masala kaddu, kaddu palak, kaddu mooli etc he loves. All of them taste nice.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Yellow pumpkin: 200 gm (washed and cut into small chunks)
Mustard oil: 2 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Rai ki dal: 1 tsp
Methidana powder: ½ tsp
Ajwain (carom seeds) powder: ½ tsp
Fennel seeds powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp (washed and finely chopped)
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a kadai. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter.
2. Now add methidana powder, cumin seeds, rai ki dal, ajwain powder, saunf powder. Sauté for few seconds.
3. Add pumpkin and mix well.
4. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder. Mix well.

5. Cover it and let it cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. If the pumpkin is sticking to the base then add few drops of water.

7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapattis, paranthas etc.

Tips:
1. If the skin of pumpkin is removed the veggie will become a little mushy.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Plum and Date Phirni

Neither I had made nor tasted phirni in my lifetime, but had heard of this name many times by many of my friends and cousins. So being a food enthusiast I collected recipes from them and thought of making it someday. And today I finally implemented the same.
I included dates and plums which simply enhanced the basic taste of it.
My hubby too liked it a lot but he told me that more sugar could be added.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Rice: ¼ cup
Full Cream Milk: ½ Liter
Cardamoms: 6-7 peeled and powdered
Saffron strands: 7-8 dissolved in little milk and crushed well
Plums: 8-9 (skin and seed removed) roughly chopped
Dates: 5-6 (seed removed) roughly chopped
Sugar: ¼ cup (I took less than ¼ cup. I think this amount will make it sufficient sweet)
Water: 2 tbsp

Method:
1. Soak rice for 1-2 hours.
2. Boil milk in a pan. Take some hot milk in a grinder and grind the rice with it.

3. Pour this rice mixture into milk and let it boil for 10-12 minutes.
4. Add saffron milk and half the cardamom powder.

5. In another pan take sugar and add water.
6. As soon as the sugar dissolves add the chopped plums and dates to it.

7. Let it boil for 8-10 minutes.
8. Add the remaining cardamom to it.
9. Now let both the mixtures cool off completely.
10. Keep some plum date mixture for garnishing and pour the remaining into the rice-milk mixture.

11. Refrigerate for an hour.
12. Garnish with the remaining plum date mixture and serve chilled.

Tips:
1. When you add ground rice to the milk, remember to stir continuously otherwise lumps may form.
2. You can increase or decrease the fruit quantity as per your taste.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Bhel Puri

I think it must be a favorite dish for many of you. Of course, I am always included in this list. Even when I am full I don’t mind eating some bhel. It always gives me a wow feeling. Tasty as always!! It is just a combination of puffed rice, sev, papdi and chutneys.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Puffed rice: 2 cups
Sev: ½ cup
Onions: 1 finely chopped
Tomato: 1 finely chopped
Green Chutney: 1 tbsp
Tamarind and date Chutney: 1 tbsp
Garlic Chutney: 1 tsp
Potato: 1 boiled and chopped
Papadi: 10 crushed
Salt as per taste
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp finely chopped
Pomegranate pearls: 2 tbsp (Optional)

Method:
1. Toast the puffed rice in a kadai till crisp. I usually add some oil, turmeric powder and salt for toasting it.

2. Now in a bowl combine all the ingredients and toss gently till all the ingredients are properly mixed.

3. Garnish with some more sev and chopped coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

Tips:
1. The proportion of chutneys can be increased/decreased as per you taste.
2. The sev used for making bhel is called as nylon sev.
3. Serve immediately the prepared bhel otherwise it will turn soggy.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Papadi

Papadi is one among the essential components for variety of foods like bhel puri, papadi chat, sev puri etc. It is very crisp and can be had as such only with some jeeravan or some other masala.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Maida (plain flour): 1 cup
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Ajwain (Carom) seeds: 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Warm Water: less than ¼ cup
Oil for frying

Method:
1. Take plain flour in a big bowl.
2. Make a well and add ghee, salt and carom seeds.
3. Then add step by step little water to make stiff dough.
4. Cover it and keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
5. Now knead it again and make very small balls.
6. Roll each ball thin into 3-4 cm diameter.
7. Prick with fork to avoid puffing.
8. Heat oil in a kadai and fry the Papadis, on medium flame, until golden in color from both the sides.
9. Drain and cool them.
10. Store in an airtight container for 15-20 days.

Tips:
1. These Papadis can be baked also.
2. Remember to knead the dough stiff.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Garlic (Lehsun) Chutney

Garlic Chutney step by step instructions:

Garlic has a pungent smell but when added to food, it changes the taste incredibly. Garlic chutney can be used in a number of recipes. To enhance the flavor of your dal just add a tsp of this chutney and the dal would be superb tasty!

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Garlic: ½ cup cloves (peeled, 45 gms)
Red chilly powder: 1/2 tbsp
Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp
Black salt as per taste
Roasted cumin seeds: 2 tsp
Coconut: 1 tbsp, grated (Optional)
Water: ¼ cup

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients and blend into a smooth paste using water.
2. Store in freezer and use as and when required.

Tips:
1. It becomes easier to peel the garlic when soaked in hot water.
2. You can use tamarind pulp instead of lemon juice.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Imli (Tamarind) ka Sherbet

It’s a very quick and easy beverage to make.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Tamarind pulp: 2 tbsp
Roasted Cumin Powder: 2 tsp
Black pepper powder: 1 tsp
Black Salt as per taste
Water: 400 ml
Sugar: 6 tbsp

Method:
1. Take tamarind pulp in a vessel.
2. Add water, black salt, cumin powder, black pepper powder and sugar.
3. Stir well until all sugar dissolves.
4. Refrigerate it.
5. Serve chilled.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Gram Flour/Besan Kadhi

Kadhi is prepared in many different ways but for most of them the basic ingredients remain the same except for sindhi curry.
It is very delicious and I usually make it once or twice a week when I get bored of making lentils ;-). It goes off very well with rice or khichdi. The various kinds of pakoras added to the kadhi enhance its flavor even more.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
For the onion pakoras/fritters (This section is optional)
Besan/Gram flour: 1 cup
Water: ½ cup
Onions: 2 medium thinly sliced
Red Chili powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Asafoetida: a pinch
Ajwain/Carom seeds: 1 tsp
Garam Masala: ½ tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil for frying

For the kadhi:
Curd: 2 cups
Besan/gram flour: 4 tbsp
Water: 2 cups
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Cinnamon powder: ¼ tsp
salt to taste

For the tempering:
Ginger Garlic paste: ½ tbsp
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Mustard Seeds: ½ tsp
Methi/fenugreek Powder: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 8-10
Green Chillies: 2 de-seeded and finely chopped
Asafoetida: a pinch
Laung/Clove: 2-3
Whole black pepper: 4
Ghee: 1 ½ tbsp
Salt as per taste

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. At the very beginning we prepar the onion pakoras.
     a. Mix well all the ingredients under onion pakoras except oil.

     b. Leave it for 10-15 minutes.

     c. Now stir it well and either with fingers or spoon you can put the pakoras in oil.
     d. Heat oil in a kadai and fry the pakoras until they are crisp and have changed the color to brown.

     e. Keep them on a paper towel for later use.
2. In a vessel take curd. Beat it well and just warm it.
3. Now add turmeric powder, cinnamon powder and salt. Stir well.
4. Add gram flour and mix it well assuring that no lumps are formed.

5. Now add water and stir well.

6. In a pan, heat oil, add asafetida, mustard seeds, whole black pepper and cloves. Let them crackle.
7. Now add cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add fenugreek powder.
8. Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till the raw smell of the garlic and ginger goes off.
9. Pour the gram flour and curd mixture into this pan.
10. Stir it continuously until the kadhi starts boiling otherwise the curd you will notice small clots of curd in the kadhi.
11. Let it simmer for 10-12 minutes.
12. Now add the fried pakoras to the hot kadhi and keep it covered for a few minutes.

13. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapati/roti.

Tips:
1. Add water after mixing the curd and gram flour otherwise it would be difficult to remove the lumps.
2. Always take a bigger vessel to make kadhi otherwise it may spill off.
3. The consistency of water can be increased/decreased a bit depending upon the thickness you want for your kadhi.
4. Make sure your curd is sour otherwise the kadhi will not become sour. As an alternative drizzle few drops of lime juice.
5. Instead of onion pakoras you can make plain gram flour pakoras, cabbage pakoras, bottle gourd pakoras. Each pakora tastes fabulous.
6. Again, as an alternative you can add boondi to the kadhi. Yet another recipe ….yay!!!
7. Even a kadhi without pakoras will taste good.
8. You can use red chilly powder also for the tempering of kadhi.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Besan (Gram Flour) Boondi

These crispy small balls look so cute and can used in a number of recipes like boondi raita, boondi ke ladoo, boondi kadhi etc.
Making boondi was a difficult task for me. I still remember the first time I made it. It was a tailed one and not round balls ;-). But this time I was very satisfied with the results. Just follow these simple instructions and your boondi will be first time right.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Gram flour (Besan): 1 cup
Water: 3/4 cup
Oil: ½ tbsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Rice flour: 1 tbsp (Optional)

Method:
1. In a bowl take besan. Add water slowly while stirring the mixture so that no lumps remain.

2. Add rice flour, oil and turmeric powder. Stir well.

3. Now stir this batter very nicely for 5-6 minutes.
4. Keep it covered for ½ an hour.
5. Take oil in a kadai and let it heat. Till then stir the mixture well.
6. Now take a perforated spoon and keep it above the kadai. Take a spoonful of besan mixture and pour on this perforated spoon. The balls will drop down into the kadai.

7. Let them fry on a medium flame.
8. Take them out when they have become light brown in color.

9. Similarly do for the remaining besan mixture.
10. Boondi is ready.

Tips:
1. Initially add little water to besan as it helps in removing the lumps.
2. Stir the mixture well which helps in making the boondi crisp.
3. If we add salt to besan mixture the boondi tends to soak up extra oil.
4. The oil should be on medium heat always. (neither too hot nor too cold).
5. If your boondi has a tail like structure then it means the besan mixture is thick. Add little water and check.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Lauki (Bottle gourd) ke kofte in tomato gravy

It’s a very yummylicious recipe to be served with hot chapatis or paranthas.
One day I offered my maid a bowl of the veggie. She liked it very much and asked for the recipe. After a week she told me that it is such a simple and tasty recipe that she made it almost every day for dinner the past week because her children loved the recipe very much. (Well now I haven’t asked her if she makes it or not ;-)).
I told this thing to my husband. He told me that, very good, you’ve brought a change, even though small one, in someone’s life. I was so happy to hear that. :)

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:

For lauki kofta
Lauki/Doodhi (Bottle Gourd): ½ cup peeled and grated
Ginger: 1/2 tsp grated
Besan (Gram flour): 4 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Carom seeds: ½ tsp powdered/crushed
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp powdered/crushed
Asafetida: a pinch
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste

For the tomato gravy
Tomatoes: 2 medium finely chopped
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped
Ginger: 1 tsp grated
Oil: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 4-5
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Black peppercorns: 2 crushed
Laung/cloves: 1 crushed
Curd: 1 tbsp (Optional)
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Combine lauki, ginger, besan (gram flour), turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, carom seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, coriander leaves, and salt in a bowl.

2. If the mixture is tight then add some water and stir it nicely.

3. Keep a spoonful of this mixture aside for adding to the gravy.

4. Heat oil in a kadai. Take a spoonful mixture of kofta and add it to oil. Add as many as there is space in the kadai. Then fry the koftas on medium slow flame till golden brown in color.

5. Drain and keep aside for later use.
6. In a pan heat oil.
7. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let it splutter.

8. Then add cumin seeds, black peppercorns, clove and curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds.
9. Add ginger and fry till the raw smell has gone off.
10. Add onions and fry till translucent.

11. Add tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt.

12. Stir well and fry till the oil is separated from the tomatoes.

13. Now add the spoonful of lauki mixture with 2 ½ cups of water. Give it a nice stir.

14. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes.
15. Now add curd and stir.
16. Add the koftas, simmer for 2-3 minutes.

17. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. If you want the koftas to be soft then add a little more water to the lauki batter.
2. The consistency of the gravy can be adjusted as per your need.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Aloo Patta Gobhi ki sabji (Potato and cabbage dry vegetable)

While the smell of cabbage is not that good but its recipes are healthy and tasty. Always wash the cabbage in warm water which helps in reducing the smell to some extent.
Cabbage with potato is one among my most favorite routine vegetable. It can be prepared in a number of ways. And believe me, each of them is delicious.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Cabbage: 2 cups shredded and washed with warm water
Potato: 1 large chopped into small chunks
Oil: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard Seeds: ¼ tsp
Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Garlic-Ginger Paste: 1 tsp (Optional)
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped (Optional)
Red Chilly Powder: ½ tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp
Curry Leaves: 5-6
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add curry leaves, asafetida and cumin seeds. Fry for a few seconds.
3. Now add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell has gone off.
4. Fry the onions till translucent.

5. Add cabbage and potatoes, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
6. Cover it with a plate and let it cook 12-15 minutes stirring occasionally in between.
7. If you feel that the veggies are sticking to the kadai then add a tbsp of water. Mix well and let it cook covered.

8. Check if the vegetable is done or not by pressing the potato. If it gets mashed easily then sabji is done.
9. Add a few drops of lemon juice and stir well.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti.

Tips:
1. As an addition you can add tomatoes also to add a flavor to your recipe.
2. Always keep the flame on low.
3. Use minimum water otherwise the vegetable will turn soggy.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Bottle Gourd/Lauki/Doodhi in curd gravy

From the past few months I just got bored of eating the plain cooked bottle gourd/lauki. Even though that too tasted yummy but for a change of taste I added curd to it and wow .… there was a drastic change to the taste. I hope you guys will too enjoy this recipe.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Lauki/ Doodhi/ Bottle Gourd: 250 gms chopped into pieces
Oil: ½ tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Garlic-Ginger paste: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder: ¾ tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste
Water: 1 tbsp
Curd: ½ cup
Curry leaves: 4-5
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. When the spluttering stops add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Roast for a few seconds.

2. Now add ginger-garlic paste and roast it till the raw smell of those goes off.
3. Add chilly powder and instantly pour water so as not to burn the powder.
4. Now add the remaining spices: coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.

5. Add the lauki pieces and close the lid of cooker.

6. Take one whistle on high and two on low. Turn off the gas. Remove the pressure instantly as it helps retain the green color of the vegetable.
7. Open the lid and stir it well.
8. Now add the whisked curd, stir well and let it simmer for 2 minutes stirring constantly.

9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. Whenever you make any green vegetable in cooker always remove the pressure from cooker after the required cooking, as it tends to retain the green color of the veggie.
2. Do not add much water in lauki because it itself loses some water. But if you find that water is less then add more water after opening the lid and boil it for a few seconds.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Urad Chana Dal

I love eating all the dals and this combination is just no exception. You can always add and remove spices of your choice. I generally do that for a taste change. But the basic recipe remains the same.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
White Urad Dal (Split White Gram): ½ cup Washed and soaked in water for ½ hour
Chana Dal (Split and skinless Bengal gram): ¼ cup Washed and soaked in water for ½ hour
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard Seeds: ¼ tsp
Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Garlic-Ginger Paste: 1 tsp (Optional)
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped (Optional)
Tomatoes: 2 medium finely chopped
Green Chilly: 1 de-seeded and finely chopped
Red Chilly Powder: ½ tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp
Clove: 2 freshly pounded
Black Pepper: 2 freshly pounded
Bay Leaves: 1 leaf
Cinnamon: 1 cm long piece
Curry Leaves: 5-6
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Pressure cook the dals together with salt, turmeric powder and 3 cups of water for 4-5 whistles with one whistle on high and the remaining on low. Let the steam escape by itself.
2. Meanwhile in a kadai heat ghee. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add curry leaves, asafetida, cumin seeds, clove, bay leaf, and black pepper and cinnamon piece. Fry for a few seconds.
4. Now add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell has gone off.
5. Fry the onions till translucent.
6. Add the tomatoes, red chilly powder and coriander powder. Fry till the ghee separates from the tomatoes.
7. Pour the dal into this gravy and let it cook for a few minutes.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Tips:
1. Do not overcook the dals otherwise it will be very mushy.
2. You can directly make the dal in the pressure cooker i.e. do points 2-7 in the cooker and then pour the dals with water into it. Close the lid and let it cook for 4-5 whistles.
3. Instead of clove, black pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon you can use ¼ tsp of garam masala.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Laung/Lavang/Clove Water

Whenever I do upwaas (yes full day without food and one time boiled water) the next day in my parna (when we break the upwaas we call it by this name) I make whole wheat flour sheera/halwa, gond ka pani and laung water.
Clove has numerous health, skin and hair benefits. Drinking clove water on an empty stomach helps in preventing flatulence and gas.
And well it is not necessary that you need to be empty stomach to drink this tasty water. So come on, let’s make this yummy water.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Cloves: 10-12 (soaked overnight)
Water: 1 liter
Rock Sugar (Mishri): 8-10 tbsp

Method:
1. Put all the cloves on the sil bataa (grinding stone). With the help of the stone grind the cloves in smooth paste by adding little water.
2. Take a vessel and put this paste into that. Add water.
3. Mix rock sugar well into it.
4. The water is ready.

Tips:
1. If the cloves are not soaked properly then you won’t be able to grind them properly.
2. You can increase/decrease the quantity of rock sugar.
3. If you don’t have rock sugar you can use normal sugar also.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Upma

For that small urges of hunger, this healthy upma is a perfect dish. Made quickly and is irresistible.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Sooji: 1 cup
Curd: ¼ cup
Curry leaves: 8-10
Green Chillies: 2 de-seeded and finely chopped
Urad dal: 1 tsp
Peanuts: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Tomato: 1 large finely chopped (Optional)
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped (Optional)
Capsicum: 1 small finely chopped (Optional)
Water: 2 cups
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. In a kadhai take ghee. When it becomes hot add asafetida and mustard seeds. When the crackling sound stops add cumin seeds, urad dal, peanuts, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for half a minute.

2. Fry the onions and capsicum for a minute.
3. Now add the semolina. Roast it for about 5-7 minutes or till you start smelling a fragrance of sooji.

4. Now add the tomatoes and stir for a few seconds. Add salt. Then add water and stir properly so as to form no lumps.
5. Add curd also.
6. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes while stirring so as it does not stick to the vessel.
7. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. If you don’t want to use curd then replace it with 1/2 tbsp lemon juice.
2. If you love plain upma then do not add the optional veggies.
3. Make sure you have roasted the sooji well.
4. You can increase or decrease the quantity of water used. I generally prefer adding extra water.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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