Moong (Green Gram) Childa

Childas are just so awesome. Be it of any pulse or flour, I simply enjoy having it.

Let us start cooking!!!
Ingredients:
Whole Green Gram (Moong): 1 cup (washed and soaked overnight)
Water: 2-3 tbsp (or as required)
Cheese: 2-3 cubes - grated (Optional)
Green Chillies: 2-3
Ginger: 1 inch piece
Salt as per taste
Ghee for making childas
Chaat Masala: to sprinkle on the childas

Method:
1. Grind together moong, ginger, salt and green chillies using very little water.

2. Make a thick batter.
3. Apply ghee on tawa and heat it. (This needs to be done at least half hour before making the childas)
4. Heat tawa. Take a spoonful of batter and spread it evenly on the tawa, making a thin round childa.
5. Smear ghee on the sides of the childa.

6. Let it cook on low-medium flame for 6-7 minutes.
7. Spread cheese and chaat masala on one side of childa. Fold it in half. Let it cook from both the sides for another 1-2 minutes.
8. Serve it hot with chutneys, ketchup etc.
Tips:
1. You can use split green gram also.
See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Zucchini Pizza

There are many health benefits of Zucchini. If made like a pizza it is finger-licking.
This is the first time I made Zucchini pizza. It is very quick to make and I was very amazed by its taste. Please do try making this. I am sure those who don’t like eating zucchini would also love this pizza.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Zucchini: 1 (trimmed from sides)
Olive oil: 1 tbsp (to brush the Zucchini)
Red chilly flakes: 1 tsp
Mozzarella Cheese: 2 cubes (around 50 gms)
Pizza Sauce: 3-4 tbsp (You can find the pizza sauce recipe here.)

For the toppings:
Capsicum (red, green, yellow): ¼ cup (thinly sliced)
Onion: 1 medium (thinly sliced)
Tomato: 1 medium (thinly sliced)

Method:
1. Cut the zucchini into 4 pieces lengthwise. (Or depending upon the thickness of the zucchini).

2. Mix olive oil and red chilly flakes and apply it on the zucchini pieces on both the sides.
3. Spread pizza sauce evenly.

4. Put the toppings and grate mozzarella cheese over it.

5. Preheat the oven on 180 degree C.
6. Bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes or till the cheese is completely melted and turned a little brown.

7. Serve hot.

Tips:
1. If you are running short of time to make the pizza sauce then you can use the bottled pizza sauce or mix tomato ketchup with chilly powder, oregano, garlic powder and use it.
2. One can increase or decrease the baking time depending upon how they want the pizza to be – tender/crisp.
3. Toppings can be replaced as per one’s choice.

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

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Rabdi

Happy Vijaya Dashmi everyone. Some sweet had to be made today and so why not Rabdi. Aha!!! Delicious as always. Rabdi is a bit time consuming to make but I must say “worth the time”.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Full Cream Milk: 1 Litre
Sugar: 2 ½ tbsp
Cardamom Powder: 1 tsp
Saffron: 6-8 strands

Method:
1. Take a heavy bottomed pan and boil milk in it.

2. Once the boil comes turn the flame to low.
3. When you see enough of cream/malai has come on top of milk then with the help of spoon take it to the side of the pan and stick it.

4. Continue this process until you are left with one-third milk.

5. At this stage, let the milk boil until it becomes one-fourth of the original.
6. Add sugar, cardamom powder and saffron.
7. Mix well.

8. Switch of the burner and let it cool.
9. Once it cools down, take a sharp edged spoon and scrape the sides of the pan and gently mix the malai in milk.

10. Serve it chilled, warm or hot.

Tips:
1. Always take full cream milk. It will give a nice thick rabdi.
2. Always keep the flame on low.
3. You can even add dry fruits like almond, pistachios.
4. Always take heavy bottomed pan otherwise the milk may get burned up at the base.
5. A wide vessel is preferred as it is easier to stick the cream to the sides.
6. Occasionally stir the milk so that it does not get burnt from the bottom.
7. The approximate time required to make rabdi is around 1 hr and 15 minutes.

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

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Masoor Pulav

Thinking of making a different kind of pulav? Well, here is the solution. Yummy and very nutritious ‘Masoor Pulav’.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 1 cup (washed and soaked for 2-3 hours)
Whole Red Lentil (Masoor): ½ cup (washed and soaked for 2-3 hours)
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds: ½ tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Red chilly powder: ¾ tsp
Cloves: 2-3
Black peppercorns: 3-4
Bay leaf: 1
Cardamom: 1
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Almond: 3-4 (fried)
Cashews: 3-4 (fried)
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Take a pan. Add 2 cups of water to it. Let it boil. Add the soaked rice to it along with cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and salt.
2. Let it cook till al dente. Remove extra water from it.

3. In a pressure cooker cook masoor for 3-4 whistles, one on high and the remaining on low flames.
4. In another pan, heat ghee. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Now add cumin seeds. Fry them for a few seconds. Add red chilly powder, salt and then masoor. Cook for few minutes.
5. In another pan spread one layer of rice, then masoor and then again rice. Cover it and let it cook for another 4-5 minutes.

6. Garnish with almond and cashews and serve hot.

Tips:
1. Make sure you do not overcook the rice.

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

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Sooji Lauki (Semolina - Bottle Gourd) Appam

The appam maker has changed my life to a great extent. I keep on trying many things with it. Bottle gourd appam is one among them. Very simple, healthy and tasty to make.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Semolina (Sooji): 1 cup
Curd: ½ cup
Water: ¼ cup
Groundnut Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Curry leaves: 5-6
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Bottle Gourd: 1 cup (Grated)
Sesame seeds: 2-3 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Mix together sooji, curd, bottle gourd and salt.
2. In a small pan heat oil.
3. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. After that add cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the curry leaves and then red chilly powder.
5. Pour this tadka into the sooji batter.

6. Mix well.
7. The batter should be of medium consistency.
8. Keep it aside for 1-2 hours.
9. Heat appam maker.
10. Put few drops of oil into it and then add sesame seeds. Let the seeds splutter.

11. Take a small batch of batter into another bowl and add ½ tsp of fruit salt or eno.
12. Mix well. With the help of a spoon pour little into each cavity of appam maker.
13. Keep the flame low- medium.
14. Cover with lid and let the appams cook.

15. After 5-7 minutes open the lid and invert the appams (they must have turned golden brown) and then again let them cook covered for 5-6 minutes.

16. Take them out on a plate and similarly cook another batch.
17. Enjoy them hot with chutneys, ketchup or just like that.

Tips:
1. Apart from bottle gourd you can add any vegetable of your choice.
2. Depending upon the choice of vegetables the water quantity has to be adjusted.

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

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Green Chutney Pulav

Chutneys are a great accompaniment to paranthas, sandwiches etc. What about making pulav from that chutney. The taste is amazing. Try it at least once.

Let us start cooking!!!
Ingredients:
Rice: 1 cup (washed and soaked in water for at least ½ hour)
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Clove (laung): 1-2
Black peppercorns (kali mirch): 2-3
Cardamom (elaichi): 1
Cinnamon (Dalchini): 2 cm long
Bay leaf (tez patta): 1 leaf
Green chutney: 2 tbsp
Water: 2 cups
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a kadai. Add asafetida and cumin seeds. Roast for a few seconds.
2. Add clove, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf. Roast for a few seconds.
3. Add chutney. Be careful. It splutters.

4. Mix well and add salt.
5. Add rice. Mix well.
6. Now add water and bring it to a boil.

7. Put the flame on low and let the rice simmer. Keep the kadai covered partially.

8. It will take about 15 minutes for the rice to cook.
9. Serve hot with curd.

Tips:
1. As the chutney contains masala so just be careful while adding more masala to the rice.
2. Garlic and onions can be added.

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

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Bhutte ka Jajaria

Jajaria is a liquid mithai. We generally prepare two types of jajaria, one from corn and the other from hara chana. Both are amazing. These are made during winters so any function’s menu in that season would certainly contain this sweet.
It tastes better when hot or warm.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Corn: 1 (prefer the Indian corn)
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Mawa (khoya or reduced milk): ¼ cup
Sugar: a little less than ¾ cup
Water: 2 ¼ cups
Cardamom powder (Elaichi): 2 tsp
Nutmeg (Jaiphal): a piece equivalent to one chana dal (powdered)
Mace (Javitri): 2 cm long (powdered)

Method:
1. Grate the corn. (I've used the corn cobs)

2. Now grind the grated corn in grinder.

3. Sieve it.

4. You will be left with pure corn pulp with no skin.

5. Now take a non stick pan and heat ghee in it.
6. Start roasting the sieved corn on low flame.

7. After some time (probably after 20 minutes) you will notice that the pulp has started to come together. You’ve reached the mid path.

8. Continue roasting it.
9. After some time there would be a grainy mixture.

10. Roast it till you observe a perfect grainy mixture, completely dried up.

11. Switch off the flame.
12. Let it cool.
13. You can store this mixture in an air tight container in the freezer for about 1-2 months and use it to make jajaria at any time.
14. To make jajaria, mix sugar and water in a heavy bottomed vessel.
15. Let one boil come. Add the corn mixture and mawa to it.
16. Add elaichi powder, jaiphal and javitri powder.
17. Let it boil once.
18. Garnish with almond slivers and serve hot.

Tips:
1. The roasting time in case of American corn increases as it is more watery as compared to Indian corn.
2. If you have corn cobs then directly grind them without using water. (As I have done above)

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

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Baked vegetables in bottle gourd sauce

I generally prepare capsicum sauce for my tacos, and one day suddenly this idea hit me that why not replace capsicum with any other vegetable and make sauce out of it. As I am a great fan of bottle gourd soup, I thought of making sauce out of it. I was quite happy with the results, so now thinking to try with other veggies also, and will post the recipes soon.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
For the vegetables
Mixed vegetables: 1 cup (peas, carrot, French beans, baby corn, spinach etc. probably any veggie of your choice)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Chilli flakes: 1 tsp
Mixed herbs: 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
For the sauce
Bottle gourd: 5-6 inches long (skin removed and cut into small pieces)
Butter: 1 tbsp
Whole wheat flour: 1 tbsp
Milk: ¾ cup
Water: 1 cup
Black pepper powder: 2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Cheese: 50 gms

Method:
1. Heat water in a pan. Add bottle gourd to it. Boil till the veggie becomes soft.
2. Let it cool and grind it in a grinder.
3. Heat butter in another pan. Add flour. Stir well.

4. Now add milk and bottle gourd puree. Mix well.

5. Add salt and black pepper powder.
6. Simmer till the sauce becomes a bit thick.

7. Now in another pan take oil. Sauté the veggies. Add salt, chilli flakes and mixed herbs. Mix well.

8. In a greased baking dish spread the veggies and sauce mixture.

9. Grate cheese on top.

10. Bake in a pre-heated oven till the cheese browns up. This will take approximately 12-13 minutes.
11. Serve hot.

Tips:
1. You can even boil the bottle gourd in pressure cooker.

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

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