Til Chikki - Sesame Seeds Fudge

Happy Makar Sankranti everyone.
I think today most of us must have prepared many sweets from til. And, I prepared chikki :). It is very simple and fast to make. Sharing my sweet little recipe.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Til (Sesame seeds): 1 cup
Sugar: 1 cup
Pistachio: 10-12 (thinly sliced)
Almonds: 15-16 (thinly sliced)
Green Cardamom: 4-5 (powdered)
Saffron strands: 7-8
Ghee (Clarified butter): 2-3 tbsp

Method:
1. Be ready with all the ingredients.

2. Grease a plate or any board on which you will spread the chikki; with ghee.
3. Take a heavy bottomed kadai.

4. Dry roast the sesame seeds for some time or until they become a bit bigger in size.
5. Take them out in a plate.

6. Now add ghee to the kadai and heat it.
7. Add sugar.

8. Continuously stir the sugar until it melts.

yayy, sugar finally melted ;-)

9. As soon as the sugar melts switch off the flame and add til, pistachios, almonds, saffron strands and cardamom powder.
(Blurred click :-( )

10. Mix well.
11. Put the mixture on the greased board.
12. With the help of greased rolling pin, flatten the mixture thin or of any thickness you like. (Could not click pics as I was in a hurry ;-) ).
13. Make cut marks when it is hot only.
(Made heart shapes with cookie cutter).

14. When it gets cooled completely take out the pieces.
15. Enjoy crispy til ckikki.

16. You can store this in an air-tight container for 1 month.

Tips:
1. Be careful not to over roast the til otherwise it will become bitter.
2. The quantity of dry fruits can be adjusted as per your taste.
3. You can add or remove dry fruits of your choice.
4. I have used white sesame seeds. Other variants can also be used and cooked in the same way.
5. Make sure you grease the board and rolling pin properly.
6. You have to be very fast in rolling the chikkis since it cools very quickly and then you will be left with very thick chikkis.

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

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Aloo Ka Childa/Cheela

When you want to eat something ‘chatpata’ and ‘fatafat’ then make this childa (cheela – I am always confused with the name; there are so many of it; cheela, childa, and at my home we call it pulla ;-)). It is very simple to make with very less ingredients. It can be had during fasting also.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Potatoes: 2 medium (grated)
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp (chopped)
Sesame seeds: 2 tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Dried mango powder: ½ tsp
Roasted cumin seeds powder: 1 tsp
Chaat masala: ½ tsp
Oil for cooking
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Take all the ingredients except oil in a bowl and mix well.

2. Apply oil on a tawa and heat it.
3. When it is heated, lower the flame. Take the potato mixture and spread evenly on the tawa with the help of your hands.
4. Try to spread it thinly and fast otherwise your fingers will feel the heat from the tawa.

5. Pour ½ tbsp of oil on the sides of the childa and let it cook for 8-10 minutes on low flame.
6. With the help of khurpi flip the childa. If it has not been cooked properly it will not flip properly. In that case, let it cook for few minutes more.

7. Now let the childa cook from the other side also. Again add a few drops of oil on the sides.

8. When done serve it hot and crisp with ketchup etc.

Tips:
1. Use the mixture immediately. Always make small batches of mixture and then cook.
2. Depending upon your taste some ingredients can be added or removed.

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

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Haldi, Gajar aur Amla ki sabji (Raw turmeric, carrot and Indian gooseberry)

Today the veggie shopkeeper had brought raw turmeric and I could not resist buying it. When I reached home, I immediately made a veggie out of carrot, Indian gooseberry and of course turmeric (gajar, amla and haldi). It absolutely tastes like pickle and can be best had with rotis, paranthas, mathri etc.

While peeling the turmeric the fingers turn yellow but that’s ok, the color will go in 2-3 handwash :P.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Raw Turmeric: 4-5 pieces (washed, peeled and cut into small chunks)
Indian Gooseberry: 2 (washed, de-seeded and cut into small chunks)
Carrot: 1 big (washed, peeled and cut into small chunks)
Mustard Oil: 2 tbsp
Asafetida: 2 pinches
Mustard seeds: 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 2 tbsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Fennel seeds (saunf): 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi): 1 tsp (crushed)
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Steam together amla, gajar and haldi.

2. In a kadai heat oil.
3. Add asafetida and mustard seeds.
4. Let the seeds splutter.
5. Add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Fry for a few seconds.
6. Add fenugreek seeds and red chilly powder. Give a quick stir and add the steamed veggies.
7. Now add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

8 Cook for 1-2 minutes.
9. Your sabji cum achaar is ready.

Tips:
1. Do not use water at all.
2. You can store this in fridge for up to a week.

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

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Gaajar Mooli Matar (Carrot radish and peas)

What a lovely combination!!! Carrots + Radish + Peas. Ahaaa!!!!
I love winters. You get so many options of fresh veggies in the market; and the problem which many ladies suffer ‘aaj khaane main kya banau’ is minimized. I think every day you can cook a different veggie.

So we will cook this super rich though simple to cook, healthy and tasty recipe today.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Carrot: 1 nos (small size); peeled and chopped into small chunks
Radish: 1 nos (small size); peeled and chopped into small chunks
Peas: ½ cup

Tomatoes: 1 nos; finely chopped (medium sized)
Fresh Cream: 2 tbsp
Ghee: ½ tbsp
Asafetida: 1 pinch
Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Roasted cumin seeds powder: ¼ tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Take carrots, radish and peas in a bowl. Add 1-2 tbsp of water and microwave for 5 minutes or till the veggies get just cooked.

2. Take ghee in a pan and heat it.
3. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let the seeds crackle.
4. Add cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.
5. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft and ghee separates from it.
6. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder and salt. Mix well.

7. Add the veggies to it and mix.

8. Meanwhile take cream in a bowl and stir well.

9. Add this cream to the veggies and cook for another minute.

10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis, paranthas, etc.

Tips:
1. I used microwave for cooking the veggies. You can steam it also.
2. Do not overcook the veggies; the crunchiness will go off otherwise.
3. The quantity of fresh cream can be increased or decreased as per your taste.

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

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Sooji Handvo

Sooji or rava handvo takes less time to get prepared but it is as tasty as “Mixed Dal Handvo” which is a little time consuming to prepare.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients: (Makes 4 handvo)
Semolina (Sooji): 2 cups
Curd: 1 cup
Water: 1 ¼ cup
Groundnut Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Curry leaves: 5-6
Green Chilly: 1 (de-seeded and finely chopped)
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Bottle Gourd: 1 cup (Grated)
Sesame seeds: 2 tsp (for each batch of handvo)
Sugar: ½ tbsp (Optional)
Ginger: 1 tsp (grated)
Eno: ¾ tsp (for each batch of handvo)
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 green chillies and fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the curry leaves and then red chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder.
5. Pour this tadka into the sooji batter. Cover it for few minutes. After that add sugar and ginger paste and mix well.

6. The batter should be of medium consistency.
7. Keep it aside for minimum 15-20 minutes.
8. Heat a heavy bottomed kadai.
9. Add 1 tbsp oil into it and then add sesame seeds. Let the seeds splutter.

10. Take a small batch of batter into another bowl and add ½ tsp of fruit salt or eno.

11. Mix well. Pour this batter into the kadai.

12. Keep the flame low- medium.
13. Cover with lid and let the handvo cook.
14. After 8-10 minutes open the lid and invert the handvo (it must have turned golden brown) and then again let it cook covered for another 8-9 minutes.

15. Take it out on a plate and similarly cook other batches.
16. Enjoy it 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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Potato Bowls

Hello everyone, back with a very tasty and healthy breakfast recipe. Potato Bowls. Wow such and appealing name ;-)
From a few days I’m again on a cooking spree and hence just keep thinking of new ideas, and today’s new idea was this.
Do make it and share your thoughts over it.

Let us start cooking!!!
Ingredients:
Potatoes: 4 (medium, boiled or baked)
Onion: 1 medium (finely chopped)
Tomato: 1 medium (de-seeded and finely chopped)
Capsicum: 1 small (finely chopped)
Green Chilly: 1 (de-seeded and finely chopped)
Coriander Leaves: 2 tbsp
Processed Cheese: 1 cube grated
Tomato ketchup: ¾ tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Cool the potatoes and cut ¼ portions from the top.

2. Scoop out the potato from centre leaving a thin/thick (depending upon your choice) wall of the potato. Potato bowls are ready.

3. Apply ketchup on the inside walls of the potato bowls.

4. Mix together onion, capsicum, tomato, green chillies, coriander leaves, one-fourth of the grated cheese and salt.

5. Fill in the above mixture into the bowls.

6. Top the potato bowls with the remaining cheese.

7. Pre-heat the oven for 10 minutes on 180 deg C. (I used the convection mode of microwave).
8. Put the potato bowls in a greased dish and bake it for around 23-25 minutes on 180 deg C.
9. Take it out and enjoy the bowls in a dish ;-).

Tips:
1. You can bake, boil or steam the potatoes without removing the skin.
2. The baking time can be increased more if you want bowls to be crispier outside.
3. Thin walls of bowl will give you more space to fill them up.
4. Use the scooped potatoes in paranthas, sabji etc.

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

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