Sooji aur Lauki ki Idli

Sooji aur Lauki ki Idli step by step instructions:

Idlis are wonderful to be had as breakfast, snacks, lunch or dinner. Idlis made from sooji (rawa) are very quick to make and tasty to eat. I added lauki (bottle gourd/doodhi) to make it healthier.

Do try this recipe and share your feedback!

Check out my rice idli and sambar recipes.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Sooji (rawa/semolina): 2 cups (350 gms)
Curd: 1 cup (200 gms)
Lauki (doodhi/bottle gourd): 7 inch piece (230 gms, peeled and grated)
Water: 1 ¾ cups
Eno: 1 tbsp (for 13 idlis)
Salt as per taste
For tadka:
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: ½ tsp.
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp.
Urad dal: 1 tsp.
Red chili powder: ½ tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Curry leaves: 3-4
Asafetida: a small piece (equal to the grain of urad dal)

Method:
1. In a bowl mix together sooji and curd.

2. Add grated lauki and water. Mix well.

3. In a small pan heat oil. Add asafetida and mustard seeds and let the seeds crackle.
4. Add cumin seeds and urad dal and fry for a few seconds.

5. Add curry leaves, red chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Mix well.

6. Immediately pour this mixture over the batter prepared. Mix well.

7. Keep the batter aside for at least 1-2 hours.
8. Heat an idli steamer.
9. Grease the idli moulds.
10. Take half the batter and add eno to it. Mix well. You will see that the batter has become frothy and fluffy.

11. Pour the batter into the greased idli molds.

12. Keep the molds in the steamer and let cook for 10-12 minutes or until the idlis are done.

13. Serve hot with chutneys, sambhar, etc.
14. Yummy and healthy “Sooji aur Lauki ki Idli” is ready!

Tips:
1. Always add eno to the batter when you are ready to cook it. Don’t keep the eno batter uncooked. The effect of eno goes off if the batter is left as such for some time and the idlis won’t be fluffy and soft.
2. Ginger can also be added as per one’s taste.
3. Be careful while adding water as lauki tends to release water.

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

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Paneer Methi Kofta in White Gravy

Paneer Methi Kofta in White Gravy step by step instructions:

Paneer (cottage cheese) with methi (fenugreek leaves) is a wonderful combination. And the white gravy gives an awesome taste to the kofta. The white gravy is made from cashews, onion, and curd. It is a very simple yet delicious veggie and can be prepared quickly.
It is a party attraction veggie which will surely win loads of praises.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
For the Kofta
Cottage cheese (Paneer): ¾ cup (165 gms, crumbled)
Fenugreek leaves (Methi): ½ cup (60 gms, finely chopped and blanched)
Asafoetida: a pinch
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Red chili powder: ¼ tsp.
Dried mango powder (Amchoor): ½ tsp.
Sugar: ½ tsp.
Salt as per taste
For the gravy:
Onion: 1 medium (sliced)
Cashew nuts (Kaju): 6-7
Ghee: 1 tbsp.
Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp.
Dried Red chili: 1
Water: ¼ cup
Milk: ¼ cup
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp. (finely chopped)

Method:
For the kofta:
1. Mix together all the ingredients under “for the kofta”. Mix well and make small balls.

2. Heat an appam pan and put some oil. Keep the koftas inside it and let cook covered. Flip after some time and cook the other side.

3. Take out the koftas on a plate.

For the gravy:
1. Heat ghee in a pan.
2. Roast cashew nuts. Add onions and fry until translucent. Switch off the flame.

3. Let the mixture cool. Then grind into a smooth paste with the help of 1-2 tbsp of water.

4. Dry roast coriander seeds and red chili.

5. Crush them in a mortar pestle.

6. Heat a kadai. Add the onion cashew nuts paste. Cook for about a minute.

7. Add curd and stir continuously until a boil comes.

8. Now add the crushed coriander seeds and red chili powder, and salt. Mix well.

9. Add water and milk. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
10.Add the koftas in the gravy, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately with roti, paratha, etc.

11. Yummy “Paneer Methi Kofta in White Gravy” is ready!

Tips:
1. Add the koftas to the gravy just before serving otherwise the koftas will turn up very soggy.
2. The thickness of the gravy can be adjusted as per one’s choice.

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

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Amla sherbet syrup - Indian Gooseberry Juice Syrup

Amla sherbet syrup step by step instructions:

Amla or Indian gooseberry is available in abundance during winters and its health benefits are known to everyone. It has a high Vitamin-C content present in it.
There are many things which can be made from amla which can be stored throughout the year. Among those are juices, pickles etc.
Today I will be showing you how to make concentrated amla juice which can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-6 months easily.
The ratio of amla juice to sugar is 1:2. I find this perfect. If you want you can increase the sugar. Don’t decrease it otherwise it will taste very sour.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Indian Gooseberry (Amla): 1 kg
Lemon juice: 1 cup
Ginger: 30 gms (washed and peeled)
Sugar: 8 cups (~ 1 kg)
Water: 4 cups

Method:
1. Wash the amla and clean them with a dry cloth. The amla should be wiped nicely.

2. De-seed the amla.

3. In a juicer grinder, take out the juice of the cut amla pieces and ginger. Keep aside the juice.

4. We will get 600 ml of juice from 1 kg of amla.

5. In a pan take water and sugar.

6. Let it boil until it becomes white and frothy. This point converts the sugar into bura or tagar. After this stage the sugar starts to caramelize. So we need to be very careful and keep observing the syrup. This procedure will take around 13-15 minutes. Switch off the flame. This bura will again liquefy as soon as we add the amla juice to it.

7. Immediately add the amla juice and lemon juice to the bura. You will see that when we add the juice to bura, the bura and amla juice mix very well and we get nice thick liquid syrup.

8. Let the mixture cool.
9. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

10. Healthy and super yummy “Amla Sherbet Syrup” is ready!
11. To prepare the sherbet, pour 2 tbsp of amla syrup in a glass and add 300 ml of water. Add cumin seeds powder, black pepper powder, salt, and rock salt. Mix well. Healthy and cool "Amla Sherbet" is ready for a hot afternoon.

Tips:
1. The main point to remember here is to switch off the flame at the correct time when the sugar converts into bura. If you cook more, sugar will caramelize and the sherbet will get that flavor too. If you like the caramelized flavor then you can certainly cook the chasni more.
2. The quantity of ginger can be increased or decreased as per one’s choice.

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

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