Makhana ki Kheer

Ingredients:

Phool Makhanas- 1 Cup

Milk- 500 ml

Sugar as per taste

Kesar – a few strands (optional)

Dry fruits and raisins (vertically cut almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts)

Ghee – 2 tsp (optional)

Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method:

Boil the milk on medium flame and let it reduce to half or two third the quantity- as desired.  You must keep stirring milk as it should not get burnt. As the milk is boiling, clean the makhanas (remove if there are any black shells- brown spots are fine).  Cut them half.  You can either fry them in a tsp ghee or simply roast them in a microwave or a saucepan.

Once they cool down they will become crisp.  Take half of the makahanas and grind them coarsely in a food processor.  Now add the powdered Makhanas and the whole ones to the milk and stir.  After about ten minutes, add sugar, cardamom powder, dry fruits and kesar.  Let the Kheer cook for another 10-15 minutes then take it off from the heat.

If you wish to- fry the makahanas and dry fruits in a couple of teaspoon ghee and then add them to the boiling milk.

Garnish with some dry fruits and serve chilled or warm as desiredI

Tomato Pickle

Ingredients:

• 1 kg ( 10 medium sized) tomatoes
• 15 dry red chillies
• 5 green chilies (or use more for a spicier version)
• 1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 4 tsp packed tamarind
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) sesame (til) oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/4 tsp asafetida, divinded
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi) (dry roasted for a few seconds and crushed)

  Method:

Wash tomatoes and cut into halves. Remove the eyes of the tomatoes.

Place the tomatoes in a sauce pan and cook covered without any water until the skin starts to peel. Peel off the skin and place in a food processor or blender and grind to a puree. With the help of a soup strainer remove the seeds and keep aside.

In the food processor or blender, place the red chili, green chili, 1/2 tsp salt and tamarind along with this tomato paste and blend again.

In a heavy bottomed wok or kadhai, heat til oil and add mustard seeds. When they pop add 1/2 tsp asafetida or hing, turmeric powder and the ground paste and allow to cook on low heat, stirring in between so that it does not stick to the bottom of the wok or pan.

When the pickle starts leaving oil add the roasted and crushed methi seeds and the remaining asafetida and salt.

Nawabi Biryani

Ingredients:

• 325 gms Basmati Rice
• 1/2 kg. Mutton (cut in pieces)
• 3 Onions (sliced)
• 1/2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 3 small-sized Red Chilies
• 1 piece cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Curd (beaten)
• 3 Green Cardamom
• 5  Pepper
• 5  Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Shahjeera
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup Milk, with saffron
• 1 pinch Coriander/Pudina (chopped)
• Jardalu (5 apricots )
• Dry Fruits
• Ghee, as required.

Method

• Fry the dry fruits & apricots in 2½ tbsp ghee, with a little salt (to taste).
• Now, grind the fried onions and red chilies, to make a fine paste.
• Marinate the mutton pieces with curd, ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, turmeric powder and salt.
• In a pressure cooker, heat ghee, add the marinated mutton and cook till done.
• Heat ghee again in another vessel, add the whole spices, fry for a while and then add the washed rice.
• Add salt and warm water, enough that it comes 1½ inch above the rice. Cook till the rice is done.
• Remove the rice from the pan, spread out to cool and remove the whole spices.
• To assemble, apply ghee to a heavy bottomed vessel, add the cooked mutton and sprinkle some garam masala.
• Cover with a layer of rice, followed by melted ghee and then the saffron milk.
• Lastly, add the fried nuts, cover tightly and keep on dum for 15-20 minutes.
• Mix and serve, hot garnished with chopped coriander & pudina

Shahi Sheer Khurma (traditional dish on Eid Day)

Ingredients:

• 500 ml milk, approx 3 cups full fat organic milk
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 to 1.5 tbsp sugar or as required ( the dates and raisins add a lot of sweetness to the milk, so add sugar accordingly.)
• ½ cup broken seviyan/whole wheat vermicelli
• 7-8 cashews, chopped
• 8-9 almonds, sliced
• 8-9 unsalted pistachios, sliced
• 8-9 dates seedless, chopped
• 4 cardamoms, crushed to a powder in a mortar-pestle.
• 1 tbsp golden raisins
• ½ to 1 tsp rose water.

Method

Heat the milk, sugar, saffron and cardamom powder in a heavy bottomed pan; stir the mixture well until all the sugar dissolves completely.

Add in the roasted vermicelli and simmer the mixture in the milk until the vermicelli is cooked. Once the vermicelli is cooked stir in the dates, pistachios and raisins and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes.

If the sheer korma is too thick, stir in a little water or milk and adjust the sugar levels according to your taste.

Turn off the heat and serve hot or cold as a dessert for the festival of Id or a party with friends.

Paneer Tikka (Using Oven) Recipe

Ingredients:


250 gms Paneer (cottage cheese), cut into 1/3 inch thick and 1½ inch long squares
1 large Green Capsicum, cut into 1½-inch squares
2 medium Tomatoes, deseeded and cut into 1½-inch squares
1 medium Onion, cut into 1½-inch chunks
1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
3/4 cup Hung Curd
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala
1½ tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste
For Garnishing
1 Lemon, cut into wedges
1 medium Onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced Cabbage

Method:

Tie fresh curd in muslin cloth and hang it or place curd on sieve and put inside refrigerator for an hour to remove excess water. This is known as hung curd or chakka dahi.
Take hung curd in a big bowl, add ginger-garlic paste and mix well.
Add black pepper powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala and salt; mix well and prepare a marinade.
Add capsicum, tomato, onion and paneer cubes in prepared marinade and mix gently until all vegetables and paneer are coated with marinade. Rest it for at least an hour. If possible, marinate them for 2-3 hours by placing them in refrigerator for deep and even flavor.
Preheat the oven at 200 degree C. If you are using metal skewers, then grease them. If you are using wooden skewers, then soak them in cold water for 20 minutes (this process will prevent them from burning while grilling).
Skew marinated capsicum, onion, paneer and tomato (one piece of each in given order) on skewer. You can change the order but keep paneer in the center. Repeat the same order and skew them on skewers until all vegetables and paneer are used.
Brush them with little amount of oil and place on a rack or ovenproof plate in oven. Cook for around 7-8 minutes in preheated oven, turn them around, brush with oil and again cook for 5-7 minutes or until edges of paneer start to turn brown.
Remove skewers from oven and transfer to a plate.
Sprinkle chaat masala and garnish with sliced onion, sliced cabbage and lemon wedges.
Serve grilled paneer tikka with spicy and tangy mint chutney.

Avakaya ( Andhra Mango Pickle)

Ingredients:

1. Raw Green Mangoes - 6 Cups
2. Mustard Seeds Powder - 1 Cup
3. Salt - 1 Cup
4. Red Chilli Powder -1 Cup
5. Turmeric Powder- 1 tbsp
6. Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tbsp
7. Garlic Pods - 1/2 Cup
8. Sesame Oil - 2 Cups

Method:

1. Wash and wipe well mangoes, cut into 1" wedges (you need to use a sharp knife to do this job, normally we get it cut from vendor. 
~You have to make sure the mangoes are completely dry if not pickle will get spoil soon. Normally we lay the mango pieces in a clean dry cloth until it required.
~ We also keep the mangoes inner shell intact for a longer shelf life (this we do for most of the pickles) and it also helps mango from becoming soggy and soft
2. Dry roast fenugreek seeds until light brown and grind to fine powder, grind mustard seeds to fine powder. Clean garlic pods and remove skin.
3. Heat oil (don't boil) and allow it to cool completely.
3. Take a large bowl and mix together red chilli powder, turmeric powder, mustard seeds powder, fenugreek seeds powder, fenugreek seeds and salt.
4. Add mango pieces and mix well to coat mango pieces well with the masala.

5. Add garlic pods and 1 1/2 cup of oil and mix well again. 
6. Transfer pickle along with all masala to sterilize bottle or jar and add remaining 1/2 cup oil on top.
7. Cover the jar or bottle with a muslin cloth (cheese cloth) or close with lid and keep under sun light for 2-3 days.
~ Normally we keep the pickle jar under sun light in morning and take out before sun set.
8. After third day mix pickle with the clean dry spoon, oil should float on top of mango pieces if not add more oil, cover and store pickle.

Gongura Pachadi

Ingredients:

• big bunch of fresh gongura / red sorrel (wash and separate leaves from the stalks and leave them out to dry)
• 10 whole dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp methi / fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp minapppapu (black gram / urad dal)
• 1 tbsp senaga pappu (bengal gram / channa dal)
• 11/2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsps oil
• salt to taste.

Tempering:

• 4 tbsp oil (pickle made with red chilies needs more oil than green chilies)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 whole dry red chillies
• 1 stalk of curry leaves

Method:

• Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a heavy bottom vessel. Add the leaves and sauté them until soft. Remove and let it cool.
• In the same vessel add 1 tbsp oil and add methi seeds and fry till light brown. Add coriander seeds, urad dal(black gram), channa dal (bengal gram lentil) and dry red chilies and fry stirring constantly till light brown. Remove them into a bowl and let them cool.
• In a grinder, add methi, coriander seeds, urad dal, channa dal, dry red chilies, cumin, garlic, salt and grind them. Add the fried gongura leaves and grind very coarsely.
• Heat 4 tbsps of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the whole dry red chilies, crushed garlic, cumin, curry leaves and fry until garlic is slightly brown. Remove the tempering from fire; Let it cool before adding it to the ground gongura pachadi. (When storing any pickles for more than few days, always let the tempering cool to room temperature before adding it to the ground paste, since adding hot oil to the ground paste releases some more moisture and spoils the pachadi)
• Add the tempering to the ground paste along with the oil.

Avial Recipe

Ingredients:

The Veggies:

• 1 cup chopped pumpkin/kaddu
• 1 cup chopped yam/suran
• 1 cup chopped colocasia/arbi
• 1 cup chopped raw plantain
• ½ cup chopped ash gourd/petha
• ½ cup chopped tendli/gherkins
• ½ cup chopped snake beans/chawli
• ½ cup chopped cluster beans/gavar
• 2 stalks of curry leaves/kadi patta

The Coconut Masala:

• 1 and ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies/hari mirch
• 1 tsp cumin/jeera

Tempering Ingredients:

• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai
• 2-3 dry red chilies or kashmiri red chilies

Other Ingredients:

• 1 cup beaten curd/yogurt
• 1 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 3 cups water
• salt

Method:

Preparing the veggies:

1. Chop all the veggies. Cook the veggies and curry leaves in water in a covered pan. Also add salt to the water.

Preparing the ground coconut masala:

1. Grind the coconut, green chilies and cumin with little water to a coarse paste.

Continuing with the veggies:

1. When the veggies are half cooked, add turmeric powder and mix the mixture well.
2. After a minute, add the ground coconut paste.
3. Mix well.
4. Simmer the veggies till they are fully cooked.
5. Once they are fully cooked, add the beaten curd.
6. Stir and simmer for a minute. Close the fire.

Preparing the Tempering:

1. In another pan, heat coconut oil.
2. Add the mustard seeds and broken red chilies
3. Let them and sizzle. When the crackling sound is over, pour the tempering into the avial.
4. Cover with a lid for 5 minutes and then stir.
5. Serve the avial with rice and sambar.

SWEETCORN CURRY

INGREDIENTS:

1.  tbsp sunflower oil
2. 1 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1 onion, finely chopped
4. 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
5. 15 g fresh ginger, finely chopped
6. 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
7. 500 g canned chopped tomatoes
8. 750g fresh sweetcorns, kernels, removed from cob
9. 1 tsp chilli powder
10. 1 tsp ground turmic
11. 1 tsp ground coriander
12. 1 tsp garam masala
13. 100 ml single cream
14. 3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and allow to crackle for 20 seconds, followed by the onions, garlic, ginger and chopped chillis. Sauté until the onion softens, then add the peanuts and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. 

2. Pour in the tomatoes, sweetcorn and dried spices, add a pinch of salt and stir well. Pop the lid on and leave to simmer on a medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. To finish, stir in the cream and coriander and leave for 10 minutes on heat. Serve with chapatti or naan bread. 

Gobhi Musallam

Ingredients:

• 1 Cauliflower 4 tsp oil 
•  1 tsp Jeera 
•  1-2 bay leaves 
• 2 Onions 
• 3 Tomatoes 
• 2 tbsp Ginger & garlic paste 
• 2 tsp Cream 
• Salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder,  Coriander powder.
•  Coriander leaves for garnish.

Method:

• Clean and boil the Cauliflower (whole) in a pot. The cauliflower should be 3/4 th cooked at this point.
• In a deep vessel, heat oil, add jeera and bay leaves. 
• As the jeera starts browning, add sliced onions and fry until they are golden brown, then add tomatoes and all dry masalas. 
• Cook until oil comes on top of the masala. 
• Transfer out the cooked paste and put steamed Cauliflower in this vessel. Cover the top of the cauliflower with the masala paste your prepared. Ensure that the cauliflower is well coated with it.
• Cover and simmer for few minutes until Cauliflower is well cooked.
• Serve it on a flat plate, garnished with chopped corriander leaves and cream.

Mushroom Corn Masala Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 250 gm mushroom
2. 150 gm corn seeds (makka)
3. 1 capsicum (shimla mirch)
4. 3 onion (pyaj)
5. 250 gm tomato (tamatar)
6. 1 piece ginger (adrak)
7. 2 green chilly (hari mirch)
8. 1 tbsp coriander leaves (dhania patti)
9. 1/2 lemon (nimbu)
10. 1 garlic (lahsun)
11. 1 tsp red chilly powder (lal mirch)
12. salt to taste
13. 1/2 cup clarified butter (ghee)

Method

1. Soak corn 3-4 hours and then strain.
2. Boil them and then keep them aside.
3. Cut mushroom into four pieces.
4. Finely chop onions and cut ginger into thin long slices.
5. Cut green chilies into 2 lengthwise.
6. Cut tomato into small pieces and capsicum into cubes.
7. Finely chop coriander.
8. Grind garlic.
9. Heat ghee in a pan and fry onion until it turns pink.
10. Then fry garlic paste.
11. Then add tomatoes and red chilly powder.
12. When it is cooked properly then add mushroom and corn seeds.
13. Add salt and simmer until mushrooms soften.
14. Now add capsicum and  lemon juice and fry for a minute and then remove it from the flame.
15. Garnish with ginger, green chilies and coriander.
16. Serve it hot.

Sarson Ka Saag

Ingredients :

1. Green mustard(sarson) leaves - 500 grams
2. Tomatoes -250 grams
3. Green chillies -2 to 3
4. Ginger - 1 inch long piece
5. Oil - 2 tbsp
6. Heeng(asafoetida) - 1 to 2 pinch
7. Jeera(cumin seeds) - 1/4 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Makka(corn) flour or gram flour - 1 tbsp
10. Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Salt - add to taste ( 3/4tsp)
12. Butter/Ghee- 1 tbsp

Method:

Clean mustard leaves properly and wash them twice with water. Place the leaves in a strainer so that all water is removed from the leaves. Cut the leaves into thick pieces and put them in the cooker, also pour 1 small bowl of water and boil. After 1 whistle goes off, turn off the gas and let all of the pressure escape from the cooker.

Make a fine paste of tomatoes, green chillies and ginger.

Pour oil in a frying pan(kadhai) and heat, put Heeng and Jeera in hot oil. After the two are roasted add turmeric powder and gram flour then fry the two. Now put the tomato paste followed by red chilly powder and fry the spices till oil separates from them(if you want you can also put onion and garlic then fry them along with the spices).

Take out the mustard leaves from the cooker, cool them off and grind in a mixer(do not make it excessively fine). Put 1 glass of water and salt in the spices, mix properly by stirring with a spoon. After curry comes to boil cook it for 5-6 minutes on a low flame. Your Sarson ki Bhaji is ready.

Take out Bhaji in a bowl, put butter or Ghee on top. Serve hot Sarson ka Saag with Makke ki Roti, naan, paratha or chapati.

Khakhra Recipe

Ingredients

1. 500gm Wheat Flour
2. 1 Spoon Ghee
3. Salt as per Taste
4. 1 Spoon Cumin Seeds
5. ½ Spoon Black Pepper Powder

Method

1. Take Wheat Flour and knead with Water.
2. Add some Salt in to it.
3. Now knead flour and make smooth.
4. Make small and equal ball of dough to make Roti.
5. Roll out Roti of each ball; make them as thin as possible.
6. Roast Roti from side evenly.
7. Press with some cloth from TOP while roasting from each side.
8. Roast until Roti becomes crispy and brown in color.
9. Roast each Roti one by one with same system.

Note:

To make Masala Khakhra when you are kneading dough add Cumin Seed and Black Pepper Powder, and repeat other steps.

How to make Bisi Bele Bath

Ingredients :-

Rice - 1cup Toor dal - 1/2 cup Tamarind - small lemon size Onions - 1 small Green chillies - 4 carrot pieces - 1/4 cup Beans - 1/4 cup Green peas - 1/4 cup Capsicum - 1/4 cup Tomato pieces - 1/4 cup Radish - 1/4 cup Drumsticks - 2 Ladies finger - 1/4 cup Cauliflower pieces - 1/8 cup Hing - 1 pinch Salt - to taste Turmeric powder - 1 pinch Oil - 3 tsp For seasoning :- Curry leaves - few Mustard - 1/2 tsp For powder :- Broken cashew nuts - 2 tsp Cardamom - 2 Cinnamon - 1 inch piece Cloves - 3 Coriander seeds - 1 tsp Chana dal - 1tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Dry red chilies - 4 Mustard - 1/4 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp

Method:

Peel Madras onions. Peel and cut vegetables into 1 inch pieces. Wash rice and dal thoroughly. Place it in a container with 21/2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder and chopped vegetables. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the ingredients for powdering until fenugreek turns golden brown in colour. Powder and keep aside. Heat some more oil and fry poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, aniseeds. Powder and keep aside. Soak tamarind in a little water and extract juice. Heat oil, add red and green chillies, mustard and curry leaves. When mustard crackles, add to rice and mix well. Add tamarind juice, salt to taste and mix thoroughly. Heat a little ghee and fry cashew nuts until golden brown in colour. Add to rice along with powdered ingredients and masala powder. Mix well. Remove from fire. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and add some ghee just before serving.