King of street food

"PAV BAHJI" is iconic street food and one of my favorite too. Its a spicy veggie recipe serve with Indian bread commonly know as pav. It’s one of the best ways to feed your kids with plenty of veggies and bread. Try out its recipe.

Ingredients:-

• Potatoes 2 medium size

• Tomatoes 2 medium size

• Onions 3 medium size

• Ginger 1 inch piece

• Garlic 8-10 cloves

• Cauliflower 1/4 small (appx 100gms)
• Carrot 1 

• Green capsicum 1/2 medium size

• Green peas shelled 1/4 cup

• Fresh coriander leaves 1/4 cup

• Lemons 1

• Oil 3 tablespoons

• Salt to taste

• Turmeric powder
• Kashmiri red chilli powder

• Pav bhaji masala 1 & 1/2 tablespoons

• Butter 3-4 tablespoons

• Pav 

Method:-

For Pav

Take flat nonstick tava, add butter to it. Once butter starts melting put sliced pav on it and fry for a minute or a half. 

For the bhaji

Step 1

Boil potato, carrot, green peas, cauliflower in a pressure cooker ( till 2 whistle).

 
Step 2

Heat the 2 tbsp butter and  1 tbsp oil in a kadhai or nonstick pan then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it for a minute.

Step 3

Add the finely chopped onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes till it become translucent.

Step 4Add the capsicum and sauté for 1 more minute. Then add finely chopped tomatoes and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 5

Now its time for seasoning so add salt to taste, 1 & 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala, 1/2 tbsp chilli powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes.

Step 6

Mash all the boiled vegetables and add it to gravy. Then add water and mix it well with the help of a masher. Allow to cook for another 2-3 min.

Step 7Finally add finely chopped coriander and  lemon juice (1 lemon) mix well. Garnish it with onion and coriander leaves  and enjoy delicious bhaji with buttered pav.

Try it and share your comments with me.

Mango Delight

Hello everyone, 
Its a month of May and summer time too. Whatelse can be the best option to beat heat other than Mango. It is one of the most popular fruit in the world. Due to its unique flavor, fragrance and taste it is called king of fruits. It also contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that assure your optimum health. So, lets prepare easy and quick homemade sweet from mango. Kalakand is very well know sweet and today will share recipe of "Mango Kalakand".

Ingredients :

• Mango Pulp  1 1/2 cup

• Condensed milk  1 cup
•  Paneer  200 gms 

• Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4 tsp

• Ghee 1 tbsp 

• Chopped almond, cashew nuts

Method :

Step 1 :-

In a non stick pan heat 1 1/2 cup of fresh mango ( preferred alphanso) pulp for 4-5 minutes, till it starts reducing.

Step 2:-

Add crumbled paneer (preferred homemade paneer but ready made can be used) and condense milk to it. Cook untill the water content is reduced and  starts leaving sides of the pan (approximately it will take 10 min).

Step 3:-

Then add cardamom powder, chopped cashew nuts and  mix it well.

Step 4:-

Take a plate and grease it with ghee. Take out the mixture on the plate and spread it evenly to form approximate half inch log. Garnish it with almond. Allow it to cool down completely and cut it into desired shape.

Enjoy it with your near and dear ones. 

Holi Special Instant Jalebi

Holi is a festival of love, colour and happiness. In my country every festival is incomplete without sweets. So lets celebrate this holi with very famous and mouth watering sweet named "Jalebi". It is very simple and instant recipe.

Ingredients:-

• All purpose flour (maida) 1 cup
• Yogurt 3 tbsp
• Ghee
• Sugar 
• Baking Podwer 1 tsp
• Sugar 2 cups
• Water 2-3 cups
• Saffron (kesar) 
• orange colour (optional)

Method:-

Step 1

Take 1 cup of all purpose flour (maida) in a mixing  bowl. Add 3 tbsp of yogurt, 1 tsp of baking powder, 3-4 drops of orange colour to it. With sufficient amount water (approx 1/2 cup) form smooth and pouring consistency batter. Give it a rest for 10 min.

Step 2

Meanwhile we will prepare sugar syrup. For that take a non stick pan add equal amount of sugar and water (each 2 cups). Allow it to boil on high flame till sugar dissolved (stir occasionally ) and syrup reaches one strand consistency. Lastly add few strands of saffron.

Step 3

Heat sufficient ghee (approx 1 cup) in a flat nonstick pan on medium flame. 

Step 4

Take a jalebi maker jar and pour the batter into it. To deep fry on a low flame, squeeze round spirals into the hot ghee. Flip it over gently with spatula till it became golden and crisp.

Step 5

Remove and soak in lukewarm sugar syrup for 30 to 40 sec. Take them out of syrup and enjoy hot, crispy Jalebi.

To try it at home and share your views and experience.

Pink Paratha

Word "Pink" has become a revolution after bollywood movie named "Pink". So lets bring some revolution in our diet too by including "Pink Paratha". This recipe is very rich in various vitamins and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B1, B2, B6 etc. As it a wholesome food you can incorporate this recipe either in your breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:-

For Dough

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

For stuffing

• 1 beetroot grated
• 1 carrot grated
• 2 tbsp chopped green bell pepper
• 50 gms Paneer
• salt to taste
• black pepper powder
• whole spices-: 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf
• oregano
• 1 tbsp oil

Method

1. Dough:-  

• For that we will take 1 cup of whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp oil and salt to taste. Add required water to knead semi stiff dough and allow to rest for 10 to 15 min.

2.  Stuffing:-

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non stick pan. Add whole spices ( 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf) and saute it till start releasing its aroma.
• Now add to it 1 (medium size) grated beetroot and carrot. Saute it for a min, then add 2 tbsp finely chopped green bell pepper (capsicum) and crumble 50 gms panner.
• For seasoning we will add 1 tsp black pepper powder, 1 tsp oregano and salt to taste.
• Mix it well and switch off the flame and allow it to cool down at room temperature.

3. Paratha:-

• Now to make paratha we will take one portion of  dough. Then roll it into a circle ( small thick roti approximate 3 to 4 inch diameter.
• Put 1 to 2 tbsp of stuffing on it and bring all the sides of roti in the center to seal it.
• With the help of smoe wheat flour roll it into a stuff paratha (roti).
• Heat a non stick tava and cook the paratha on both the side using oil/ ghee until you observe golden brown spots on it.

Enjoy yummy and nutritious Pink Paratha with curd / boondi raita / vegetable raita.

Instant Recipe

We all love instant food because it saves our time and labour too. And because of which ready-made instant food packets are in great demand. But home cooked food is much better, healthier and nutritious as compare to packets one. That's the basic idea behind this recipe. The name of recipe is "Suji Dhokla". You just need 5 min for preparation and it take 5 min to cook. So isn't it quick recipe. And who doesn't like quick recipes?

Ingredients

Semolina (Suji)
Curd
Milk
Oil
Cooking soda
Coriander leaves
Green chilles
Water
Salt
Cumin seeds
Achar masala

Method:-

Step 1

Take 1 and 1/2 cup of suji in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of each curd and milk , 1/2 cup of coriander leaves, finely chopped green chilies (approx 2) and salt as per taste to it.

Step 2

Mix well all the ingredients to make poring consistency batter and for that you need to add water as required. Once the mixture is ready just add 1/4 tsp of cooking soda and again mix it properly.

Step 3

Next we will steam the Suji dhokla. Take a steamer and put it on a high flame after adding some water into it. Meanwhile grease the plate with oil, then add prepared batter and keep it into the steamer. Once it is done sprinkle cummin seeds on the surface and close the lid. After 5 min give it a check with the help of knife (if dhokla does not stick to the knife then it is ready).

Step 4

Take out the plate from the steamer and immediately apply oil to the surface of the dhokla so it does not become dry when you eat them.  Sprinkle ready achar masala on it and  cut them into diamond shape. Suji dhokla is ready to eat and enjoy it with some delicious green chutney or may be with tea.

Try it at our home and share your comments.

Diwali Celebrations!!!

Its October and we are heading towards the biggest festival of ours 'Diwali'. It is one of my favorite festival full of lights,happiness, joy and most importantly sweets.  People clean and decorate their homes or offices and worship goddess Laxshmi for wealth prosperity. The tradition of preparing different kind of snacks and sweet is still continuing. Today i will share some of my personal favorite sweets Malpuaa and Rabri or Rabadi. It is a deadly combination of hot Malpua and cold Rabadi.

Basically Rabri or rabadi is a north Indian delicacy and  it is served as a dessert. Rabadi is thicken sweetened milk having layers of malai or cream. It can serve either hot or chilled. Also you can serve it with malpua, jalebi, gulab jamun and many more other sweets. Lets have a look at its recipe.

1. Rabri or Rabadi

Ingredients:

• Milk
• Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed cardamom
• 2 teaspoon sliced almonds
• 2 teaspoon sliced pistachios
• Saffron or kesar 
• Ghee

Method 

Step 1

Take a kadai (preferred nonstick one) and grease it properly with ghee so when you boil milk, it wont stick at the bottom. Then pour 1 ltr of milk in it and allow it to boil on medium high flame.

Step 2
Once milk comes to boil reduce the flame to low and keep it constant. When the milk starts froth or form a layer of cream or malai on top use spatula to move it towards the side of the kadai.

Step 3
It is a continuous process so keep on simmering the milk and collecting the layers of cream on the sides. Occasionally stir the milk so it wont get burnt and stick to the bottom of kadai.

Step 4
Approximately after 30-40 min milk get reduce to 3/4 and it colour changes from white to light brown. At this stage add 2.5 table spoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder,  sliced almonds, pistacheios and soaked saffron strands ( in water or milk) and stir it well.  Cook for next 20-30 min.

Step 5
Scrape small cream chunks collected on the side of pan into milk (this will make delicious small cream chunks in rabadi). Turn off the flame and allow it to cool down to room temperature naturally and thus our delicious rabadi is ready. If you want to enjoy it chilled then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before serving.

 

2. Malpua

Ingredients:

• Sugar
• Wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed cardamom
• 8-10 pepper corns
• fennel seeds
• Water
• Ghee
• Milk
• 1 teaspoon sliced almonds
• 1 teaspoon sliced pistachios

 Method

Step 1 

Take a bowl and add 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of milk. Dissolve the sugar properly.

Step 2

Take 1 cup of wheat flour in an another bowl and mix it well with 1 tbs of ghee. So, now to form a batter add the mixture of sugar and milk along with 8-10 peppercorns and 1/4 tsp fennel seeds to the flour. Mix it well with the help of whisk and form pouring consistency batter (use water if required). To make a perfect batter whisk the mixture approximately for 7-8 mins. And then allow it to rest for 4-5 hours.

Step3

Take sufficient amount of ghee in a flat nonstick pan and allow it to heat.  Lower the flame when you start frying malpua. With the help of spoon, gently pour the batter in a circular manner into the hot ghee for round malpua. Make 3-4 malpuas at one go depending on the size of the pan.  Flip the malpuas couple of times till it turns golden brown and crisp. Garnish them with pistachios and almond. Relish yummy hot malpuas with chilled rabadi.

Wish you all Happy Diwali and do share your comments. 

GO GREEN

Today i would like to share with you one of my favorite recipe whose main ingredient is spinach (palak). I am a truly spinach lover. It is a very easy recipe and loved by all age group people from kids to oldies. Those who are not so fond of spinach will not deny to try this recipe once.

Spinach is an excellent source of  dietary fiber, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin C magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, protein. So combinations of all these vitamins and minerals make this recipe healthy. As a mother i will be satisfied if my kidoo will have atleast one cup of this recipe. Lets start with it. 

Recipe Name:  PALAK PULAV

Ingredients

1. Spinach puree 1 & 1/2 cup
2. cooked steamed rice (long grain or basmati) 1 bowl
3. onion (fine chopped) 1
4. Green pees 2 table spoon
5. Ghee 2 table spoon
6. whole spices-: 1 inch cinnamon, 5 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 star anise, cumin seeds
7. Kitchen king masala
8. Salt to taste
9. Asafoetida (Hing)
10. For garnishing:- Cashew nuts and curd

Method:-
 

Step 1

Take a non stick pan, add 2 table spoon of ghee  and 1 tea spoon of cumin seeds. Once it start crackling add 1 inch cinnamon, 5 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 star anise and saute it on a medium flame for a min or two till  whole spices releases its aroma.

Step 2

After that add pinch of asafoetida and 1 medium size finely chopped onion and saute till it gets transparent.  Next add 2 table spoon of par boiled green peas and 1&1/2 cup of spinach puree ( To make puree :- wash spinach properly then boiled it for 3 to 5 mins and crush it in a mixer grinder for puree). Then allow to cook for 2-3 mins.

Step 3:-

Here we have used whole spices to there is little work remaining for seasoning. Add salt to taste  and 1 tea spoon of kitchen king masala (readily available in the market). Our gravy is ready.

Step 4:-

At last we add 1 bowl of plain steamed rice (without salt). Mix it gently so that our rice grain should be unbroken and coated well with spinach gravy. Once it is done, turn of the stove and sprinkle kitchen king malasa then immediately cover the pan with lid for 5 mins . This will leave a fabulous flavor in the recipe. Garnish it with curd and cashew nuts. Spinach pulav is ready to serve and enjoy it with raita or plain curd.