Wishing you a Very Blessed Mahalaya

Happy Republic Day!

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients: 

2 cups Flour - Whole Wheat
1 lb. Potato
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
2 tsp. Ginger  (chopped)
2 tsp. Spice Mix for Chaat
4 tsp. Green Chillies (finely chopped)
½ cup Coriander Leaves (chopped)
½ cup  Vegetable Oil or Ghee (which ever you prefer)
Salt to taste

Method

Knead flour, adding as much water as necessary, into a soft dough and leave it for 20 minutes(optional). 

Boil potato, peel and grate(mash). 

Mix together potatoes, cumin seeds, chat masala, ginger,green chili, coriander leaves and salt. Divide it into 8-10 equal portions. 

Divide the dough into 8-10 equal portions and make balls. 

Take a ball of dough and make bowl shape by pressing it. Place potato mixture on it and cover it up into a stuffed ball by folding it. (Seal the edges completely so that the potato stuffing does not come out) 

Flatten these balls, sprinkle a little flour and roll them with a rolling pin to approximately 6-7 inch diameter. 

Heat a tava and place the paratha over it, when done on one side turn on the other side and apply oil on both sides. Cook further for a few second untill paratha turn golden on both sides. 

Homemade Wonderful Bread

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 

1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 

1 tablespoon white sugar 

4 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup dry potato flakes 

1/4 cup dry milk powder 

2 teaspoons salt 

1/4 cup white sugar 

2 tablespoons margarine 

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together the yeast, 1/4 cup warm water and sugar. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. 

Add ingredients in the order suggested by your manufacturer, including the yeast mixture. Select the basic and light crust setting. 

Dal Makhani: Punjabi Dal Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Whole Black Beans
• 1/4 cup Red Kidney Beans
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 tsp chopped ginger-garlic or ginger-garlic paste
• 1 0r 2 chopped green chilly
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• salt
• 2 tbsp white butter
• water

Method:

1: Soak the both the lentils overnight if you are making this in the morning. If you are making dal makhani in the evening, then soak the lentils in the morning.

2: In a pressure cooker, add all the ingredients including the lentils and white butter. Add enough water. Pressure cook for some 10-11 whistles. Open and check if the lentils are cooked. You should be able to mash the both the lentils with spoon if they are cooked. If they are not cooked thoroughly, then pressure cook for 2-3 whistles more. Add water if required.

3: Now again open the cooker and let the dal makhani simmer in the cooker itself without the lid for 10-15 minutes. If you wish to add cream, you can add cream now and let the dal makhani simmer for 5 or 10 minutes more. Garnish with coriander-cilantro leaves.

4: Serve hot with hot rotis, naan, or jeera rice.

DRUNKEN PRAWNS

Ingredients:

Brandy: - 60 ml

Salt and pepper to taste

Basil: - few leaves

Prawns (deshelled and de-veined): - 20nos (medium)

Pine nuts: -50 gms

Olive oil: -60ml

Salad leaves: - 1 bunch

Lemon juice: - 1 no

Garlic: - 1 clove

Red Pepper: - 1no

Yellow Pepper: - 1 no

Method:

Wash and soak the salad leaves in chilled water. Refrigerate.

Marinate the prawns in brandy, salt, peper and lemon juice. Keep aside.

In a mortar and pestle, put the basil leaves, 1 garlic clove, pine nuts and a little olive oil and work to a rough paste by adding more olive oil if required.

In a hot pan, pour some olive oil. When smoking, add the prawns, stir-fry and  add the prepared paste, reduce flame, adjust seasoning. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

Cut the red and yellow pepper into fine dices.

Arrange salad leaves on a plate. Dish out the prawns in the center.

Blend olive oil with the juices of the pan. Add lemon juice and salt.

Sprinkle pepper dices on the sides and pour olive oil emulsion sauce.

Serve.

CHATPATA POTATO BALLS

Ingredients:

For the covering—

1kg potato,

4slices of bread

salt to taste

oil for frying

For the filling—

300g shelled green peas,

3carrots, 

2potatoes

2onions, sliced

2tbsp ginger-garlic paste

salt to taste

oil

For the garnishing—

2tsp amchur powder

2tsp chilli powder

2tsp salt

Method:

Boil, peel and mash the potatoes. Soak bread  slices for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the water. mash the bread slicesand the mashed potatoes together, along with salt to taste. Knead to a soft dough.

For the filling—Peel the potatoes, dice potatoes, carrots finely. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 1 minute. Add potatoes, carrots, gren peas and salt to taste. Cover and cook.

MY FIRST CHICKEN RECIPE

 Ingredients :-

     500 gm chicken.

     140 gm ghee.

     400 gm onion.

     400 gm drained yogurt/curd.

     2 tsp red chilli powder.

     2 tsp salt.

     1 tsp kala jeera.

     40 gm ginger.

     20 gm garlic.

     15 gm sukha dhania.

     6 green cardamoms.

     ½ tsp garam masala.

Method:

1. Heat the oil to smoking point and put half of the onions finely cut till golden brown in colour. Remove onion, heat ghee and fry chicken pieces few at a time till brown on both sides. 

2. Then heat ghee again remove from flame, put 1 tsp of red chilli powder, remaining grated onion, fried chicken, and drained yoghurt. Fry for sometimes, add salt, grained ginger, coriander seeds, 5 tsp of liquid drained from yoghart cover and cook till tender.

3. Grind garlic and a paste with 3tsp water. Fry the meat on slow fire and add little garlic paste at a time, till the whole of it is finished. Add 4 tsp water / drained curd water, fried onions, cardamoms. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Serve sprinkled with garam masala, ground roasted Cummins seeds and finely cut coriander leaves.

FAKIR KI KHICHDI

Khichri is commonly considered to be a comfort food ~~Khichdi is commonly served with papads, beguni (deep fried eggplants in a besan batter), ghee (clarified butter), achar (oil based pickle), and yogurt.

FAKIR KI KHICHDI

Ingredients:

¼ cup basmati rice

¼ cup moong dal(soaked in water for 8-10 hours)

2 small onion, sliced finely

2 green chilies, sliced finely

½  cup mushrooms, in pieces,

½ cup potato, in pieces

½ cup cauliflower, in pieces

½ cup carrots, in pieces

20-25 palak leaves

3-4 tbsp ghee

½ tsp haldi

½ tsp dhania powder,

½ tsp jeera powder,

1 tsp chilli powder

salt to taste

Method:

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, fry onion till golden brown and add the green chillies. Add carrot, potato and fry for sometime. Then add jeera powder, dhania powder, haldi, chilli powder. Fry

Add moong dal, and fry for sometime again.

When nearly cooked, add water and then add palak, mushrooms and gobi.

When it starts boiling add rice and salt.

Pressure cook, till 2 whistles, serve hot.