Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Green Mango Chutney

Recently our Family friend cum Relative Jyotsna Kaku visited our house with an accompaniment.i.e.,a delicious chutney .It was just superb.As usual I wrote down the recipe and tried it twice.I came to know afterwards that this chutney is a speciality of hers.
This chutney can be taken for long distance train journeys and this goes well with Chappathis and Parathas.
Ingredients
Raw Green Mango/Maangaai/Kairi 1 medium
Dry Coconut/Kopra/Khobra 1 to 1 1/4 cup(grated)
Powdered Jaggery/Vellam/Guelle 2 cups(some use double the qty of grated mango)
Jira powder 1 Tbsp
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Salt To taste
For Seasoning
Oil 2 to 3 Tbsps
Methi seeds/Fenugreek seeds/Venthayam 1 to 2 tsp
Mohri/Mustard seeds/Rai/Kadugu
Hing/Asafoetida/Perungayam
Turmeric/Haldi
Method
Roast the grated dry coconut in a kadai till it turns to reddish brown color and a typical aroma of roasted drycoconut emanates.
Peel the skin of Mango and either cut or grate it.Add roasted dry coconut to mango pieces,salt,powdered jaggery,jira powder and chilli powder.This chutney is quite spicy so may have to add more chilli powder.Grind it in mixer.
Heat a kadai,add oil ,add Methi seeds,let it become deep red and again wait for the aroma of methi seeds ,add mustard seeds,hing,a pinch of haldi and add the seasoning to chutney.crispy methi seeds add to the taste of this chutney.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Cauliflower-Methi Sabji

Cauliflower is one vegetable which can be prepared in many ways and it goes well with chappathis, Rice or can be had alone as a starter.
In this post,I am writing a recipe of a dry sabji which can be packed in lunch boxes.
Ingredients
Cauliflower 1(medium size)
Methi leaves/Fenugreek leaves/Vendaya keerai (chopped) 1 cup
Garlic 6 cloves
Red chilli powder
Oil
Dhaniya Jira Powder 1 tsp
Salt
Mustard seeds
Jira/Cumin seeds
Turmeric/Haldi
Hing/Asafoetida

Method
First cut cauliflower into big florets.Clean it well and let it remain in water with salt and turmeric for sometime so that very small insects can be removed.
Strain the water and either blanch the florets for 5 minutes in boiling water with little salt or cook it in Microwave oven in micro mode for 3 to 4 minutes.
Finely chop the methi leaves.
In a Kadai,Add oil,Mustard seeds,Jira,Crushed Garlic,hing,haldi,add the blanched cauliflower florets,salt,chilli powder,toss them well and add methi leaves and dhaniyajira powder.
Mix them well and cover the kadai with a lid and pour little water over the lid ,keep the flame in sim mode and switch off when methi leaves are cooked well.This sabji with minimum liquid is best suited for lunch boxes.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Ice Cream

Preparing Ice creams at home is a dream for 90% of Housewives.If Icecreams can be prepared which is similar to the ones we get in shops,then the happiness is more than double.
I learnt this recipe from Mrs.Nahar's classes at pune.
Ingredients and method is quite easy for Ice cream.But some Instructions should be followed sincerely for the result to be good.
First I ll give the important Instructions which have to be followed.
1.Use milk which has high fat content and unboiled milk.
2.For boiling milk, use thick based nonstick pan or aluminium vessel,always boil it in high flame.
3.Milk powder should be of a good brand.
4.Before keeping Icecream for setting,remove all the items including ice trays from Freezer and set the freezer Indicator to Maximum.
5.Given proportion of Ingredients should be used perfectly.
6.Add essence ,colour,emulsion etc only after the icecream mixture cools down.Don't add it when it is hot.
7.After Icecream is completely set,Bring the Freezer indicator to normal position.
8.While blending Icecream mixture in a Mixer,air bubbles will be formed,remove all these bubbles with fingers,because these bubbles will lead to crystallization.
9.If possible use the measuring set which I had shown in Choco Tower Slices Recipe.
10.Use only Aluminium containers or plastic containers with lid for setting Icecream in Freezer.
11.If Icecream has to be served to guests ,prepare 2 days before otherwise,because of Electricity Board's Mischief I had to serve Semi Milk shake to our recent guests.
Ingredients
Milk 1 ltr
Butter 1 Tbsp
Cornflour 4 Tsp
Milk powder 1 cup
Stabilizer powder 1/2 Tsp
G.M.S Powder 1/2 Tsp
Ice cream Essence 1/8 Tsp (This is different from the essence like vanilla etc)
Fresh Cream 1/2 cup(100 gms)
Powdered sugar 2 Tbsp
Sugar 1 cup(200 gms) or less
Method


In High flame,Boil the milk and stir till it completely boils.Take some milk out of it and keep aside and let it cool.
Mix Milk powder and Corn flour with the milk taken from 1 ltr Boiled milk and make a paste out of it without any lumps.
Add sugar and this paste in the milk in the main vessel .
Boil this mixture well and switch off the gas.
Stir the mixture often so that Malai or cream is not formed on milk surface.
Let the mixture cool down completely.
Mix,GMS powder and stabilizer powder in 2 tbsp of cold milk well and add to this cold mixture.
Never add GMS and stabilizer in Boiling Milk.
Add Icecream Essence,This gives the typical flavour of Icecream.
Now add the respective flavour or essence/emulsion in which Icecream has to be made.
Now Vanilla essence is added.
Beat this Mixture in Mixer well.Remove the bubbles.
Pour the mixture in Containers with lid and set it in freezer.
After some time ,when Icecream is set,Remove it from Freezer keep it out for some time,and again beat it in Mixer well.
Keep it in the Freezer for second setting.
Again,after some time,Take it out from freezer and keep aside.
Mix the Fresh cream and powdered sugar well.
If possible beat this cream mixture in a vessel kept over the Tray of ice cubes.(optional)
Now add this fresh cream to Icecream Mixture and again beat it in Mixer for third time.Take care to remove the bubbles after beating in Mixer.
(Now add dry fruits etc and mix well.)
Keep the mixture inside the Freezer for third setting.
After few hours ,Ice cream is ready to serve.

For Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

Add Vaniila essence.- 1 to 2 Tsp


For Nutty Vanilla Ice Cream
Roast required amount of Almonds,Walnuts,Cashew Nuts in a Microwave oven for 1 or 2 minutes separately and finely chop them and add these nuts to the mixture after beating it in Mixer for third time and before Third setting in Freezer.


For Chocolate Icecream
Instead of Vanilla Essence ,Mix 2 tsp cocoa powder+1/2 tsp instant coffee powder+1 to 2 tsps of Chocolate Essence before first beating in mixer.
Add choco chips after beating third time in mixer and before third setting in Freezer.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Tomato soup

I am posting this recipe exclusively for my cousin Krishna Prasad.
Normally in Maharashtrian households we prepare a variant of Tomato soup "Tomato saar" which is quite simple without any thickeners like cornflour.This saar goes well with pulavs and khichdis.
But here I am giving a recipe which is like the soups they serve in restaurants.As any other recipe this soup can also be prepared in many ways.
Ingredients
Red Tomatoes (big) 4
milk 1 cup
Onion (small) 1
Corn flour 1 tbsp
Butter 1 tbsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper powder to taste
Grated cheese for garnishing(for kids)
Bread croutons for garnishing
fresh cream 2 tbsps

Method
Cut Tomatoes and onion and little water,pressure cook it with 1 whistle and blend it in a mixer well,filter and remove seeds and skin.

In a kadai,Add butter,and cornflour and stir it well ,add milk and again stir well so that mixture doesn't contain any lumps.when it gets cooked a little ,add the tomato puree , sugar, salt, fresh cream,pepper powder and continuously stir ,check for the soup consistency and switch the gas off.Garnish with grated cheese and bread croutons.Serve Hot.
Tip: Instead of frying bread croutons,can roast 1/2 inch square pieces of bread in microwave oven in microwave mode for 1 or 2 minutes.The colour may not be exactly same as fried ones but can escape with little calories.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Choco Tower Slices

This is one of the easiest recipe to prepare during summer that too when relatives and their kids visit our house.Kids just love these slices.(Me too! but restrain myself due to fear of weight gain :-)) .I learnt this Recipe when I attended classes for Icecreams,Cakes,Icing,Puddings etc in Pune from Mrs.Nahar. I have posted detailed photos to avoid confusion,because in some recipes visuals are better than explanation.You have to prepare two mixtures.See the ingredients.
Ingredients
Marie biscuits 28
For Dipping
Boiled and cooled Milk 1/4 cup
Cocoa Powder 1 Tbsp
Sugar 1 Tbsp
For applying
Icing Sugar 1/2 cup
plain butter 1/4 cup
Milk powder 1/4 cup
Cocoa powder 1 Tbsp
Method
Normally I use measuring cups and spoons as shown below in Cakes,Icecreams and puddings because they have markings(1 cup,1/2 cup etc) on them specifying their size and thus confusion is minimised.(These are easily available in markets.)

First prepare mixture for dipping in a separate bowl by adding milk,cocoa powder and sugar and mix it well.

Next prepare the mixture for applying in a separate medium sized bowl by mixing Icing sugar(can use powdered sugar also),Butter,Milk powder and cocoa powder.


It takes 5 minutes to mix it well.mix without lumps and form a paste.(I transferred it to a smaller bowl after mixing it.)

Dip the Marie biscuit in the dip mixture as shown below.


Place the dipped Marie biscuit in another small plate, and further dip the marie biscuits one by one and place them one above the other to form a tower.

Can make a tower of 14 biscuits,because given measure of paste can be applied for 2 such towers(14 biscuits each).
In the photo shown below the tower contains 10 biscuits.
Now apply the paste liberally over the biscuit tower to completely cover it with a spatula or use your fingers if you feel convenient.Ignore the mess now,can clean up afterwards.


Use a flat spoon to flatten the surface by moving from bottom to top of the tower and make the surface even.
If possible use a kitchen comb to give it a serrated look.


Freeze it for 1 hour.
After 1 hour,take it and place the knife on top of the tower and cut it vertically.

Cut biscuit tower vertically into slices with atleast 1/2 to 1 cm width each.

Cut the whole tower into slices and serve to the kids.Slices will vanish in a trice. :-)


Thursday, April 9, 2009

Dal Fry

In this post,I am writing a recipe which is quite famous and highly sought one in restaurants.Dal Fry can be prepared in many ways.My method is based on the recipe of our family friend Mrs.Sharma who taught me this dish when we were in Ahmedabad.Many use Udad Dal also in Dal Fry but I don't prefer it because of its slimy consistency.
Ingredients
Tur Dal 1 cup
Mung Dal /Payatham paruppu 1/4 cup
ChannaDal/Kadalai paruppu 1/4 cup
Onions 2 Big
Tomatoes 4 Big
Garlic 10 cloves
Ginger 1 1/2 inch piece
Green Chillies 2
Whole Red Chillies 3
Garam Masala powder 1 tbsp
Dhaniya powder 1 tsp
Jira powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder to taste
Turmeric/Haldi
Jira 1 tsp
Oil
Curry leaves
Coriander
Salt to taste
Lemon (optional)

Method
Add little turmeric and water to all 3 Dals mixed together and pressure cook for 3 or 4 whistles till channa dal gets cooked well.
Chop Onions and Tomatoes into small pieces.
Finely chop garlic and Ginger(Don't make it to paste).
Slit Green chillies to long pieces.
In a Kadai,Heat Oil,add Jira,Green chillies,chopped garlic and ginger,Red Chillies,Curry leaves and Turmeric.
Immediately add chopped onions and saute well till golden ,add chilli powder,toss well and add Tomatoes,little water,Salt and let it get cooked well.
Now add Garam masala powder,Dhaniya powder,Jira powder and mix well.
Slightly mash the boiled Dal and add it in Kadai.Add little water to get the required consistency.
Simmer and cook well for 5 to 10 minutes.
If more sour taste is needed add lemon while serving.Garnish it with Coriander.Serve Hot.


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Sev Tomato Sabji

This sabji is a typical gujarati sabji which is very easy to prepare but tastes very nice,I learnt this recipe when we were in Ahmedabad.My son was in Sr.Kg and in the evenings he used to attend Skating classes.I had to drop him and pick up from the class.To avoid this pain,I started waiting outside the skating arena .There I befriended many parents.One such parent was Mrs.Patel(I ve forgotten her First Name).We used to exchange some recipes.One such recipe is Sev Tomato Sabji.As any other regional dishes ,this sabji also can be prepared in 'n' number of ways.This is one of the 'n' methods.:-)

Ingredients
Tomatoes 500 gms
Thick Sev/Shev 200 gms(similar to omapodi/karasev)
Garlic 6 to 8 cloves(crushed)
Oil 2 tbsps
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cummin seeds/Jira 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder 2 tsp
Red chilli powder to taste
Jaggery 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder
Dhaniya powder 1 tsp
Jira powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
Chop the tomatoes into pieces.(not very small).
Heat Oil in Kadai.Add Mustard seeds,Cummin seeds,Crushed garlic cloves,Turmeric,Chilli powder,Tomatoes,salt,little water and cook.
After tomatoes are half cooked ,add jaggery,Garam masala powder,Dhaniya and jira powder.
After tomatoes are cooked,add sev and simmer the flame and cook for 3 or 4 minutes and switch off the gas.Some prefer to add sev on the sabji while serving.It depends on the preference. Garnish with coriander leaves.Serve hot.


Sunday, April 5, 2009

Paneer Corn Masala

After salads and soups in my previous posts,In this post ,I would like to write on a main course side dish.(Sabji/Bhaji) which can be had along with Chappatis.Please note that here I have not used baby corn,I have used corn coblets.
Ingredients
Corn Coblets-2 cups
Paneer cubes- 150gms
Milk-1/4 to 1/2 cup
Onion -2
Tomatoes-2
Garlic cloves-6
Ginger 1 inch piece
Cashews-4 or5
Dhaniya powder-1 tbsp
Jira powder 1/2 tbsp
Red chilli powder to taste
Garam Masala 1 to 2 tbsps
Cumins/Jira seeds
Haldi/Turmeric
Milk cream -2 or 3 tbsps
salt to taste.
Oil
2 or 3 whole red chillies for seasoning during garnishing(optional)
Coriander leaves.
Method
Add milk and little salt to corn coblets ,Pressure cook it upto 2 whistles.
Grind 1 onion, 1 tomato,garlic cloves, ginger and cashews into a paste.
Chop remaining 1 onion and 1 tomato into small pieces.
Add Oil in kadai,add some jira ,haldi,and finely chopped onions,toss the onion well till golden brown,then add red chilli powder,chopped tomatoes,and the ground paste,add little water and let it cook well and become homogeneous mixture.now add salt,paneer cubes,garam masala powder and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the boiled corn coblets,add little water if needed.Now add dhaniya powder,jira powder and cook well.
Finally add milk cream and mix it well and switch off the gas .Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
For seasoning during garnishing(optional)
In a small kadai,add oil,little jira and whole red chillies.
Serve Hot.