Chettinad Vegetable Biryani - ( Indian Cooking Challenge )

This month for the Indian Cooking Challenge   an event started by  Srivalli  we are making a very popular vegetable biryani from Chettinad . Chettinad cuisine is very spicy and yummy . The biryani is very delicious and has lovely flavour.

Ingredients :


2/3.....................bay leaves
2 " ....................cinnamon
3 .......................cardamoms
4 ......................cloves
1.....................star anise
2 tbsp..............ghee
2 cups .....................mix vegetables( carrots, peas, beans , cauliflower )
2 cups ....................rice
3 ............................onion ( chopped )
2 ..........................tomatoes ( chopped )
2 tbsp................. chilly garlic ginger paste
1 tsp......................chilly powder
1 tsp........................turmerice powder
1 tsp......................coriander powder
3 tbsp ...................pudina leaves ( chopped)
3 tbsp..................coriander leaves ( chopped )
2 tbsp....................cashewnuts
2 tbsp...................ghee
salt
3 1/2 cups ...............water

Method : 

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 1/2 an hour.

In a cooker add 2 tbsp ghee and fry cashewnuts till golden and keep aside.

Add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and star anise and saute for 1 minute.

Add onions and saute till golden and then add ginger garlic chilly paste and again saute.

Add chopped mint and coriander leaves  and chopped vegetables.

Stir for 5 minutes and then add tomatoes, all powders and mix well.

Strain out all the water from rice and add rice to the cooker.

Stir well add salt and add 3 1/2 cups water.

Cover with a lid and cook for ten minutes .

Now add 2 tbsp ghee and sprinkle cashewnuts .

Again cover the lid and now pressure cook till 3 to 4 whistles .

Mix well and serve with pickle, curd and raita.

Sajja Booleru - Sweet Bajra Poori

This month our indian-cooking-challenge  date an event by Srivalli coincided with Pongal or  Makarsankranti as it is known in Maharashtra .

This sweet which we have made also completely relates with the festival . Usually on Pongal or Makarsankranti sweets which have liberal use of sesame seeds are made and these pooris have a nutty flavour due to the added sesame seeds .

Sajja Booleru a traditional Andhra sweet which is made with bajra flour , jaggery and sesame and is very simple to make and delicious to taste.

Ingredients :


1/4 kg ....................Bajra flour
100 gm .................jaggery
2 tbsp.....................fresh grated coconut
2 tbsp.....................sesame ( til seeds )
1/2 tsp....................cardamom powder
water for mixing
oil for deep frying




Method:


Add 1/2 cup water in a vessel and melt jaggery in it.

Dry roast sesame seeds till they give nutty aroma.

Now mix everything and knead a soft dough.

If needed add more water.

Heat oil in kadhai for deep frying.

Now take a greased plastic sheet and place a small lemon sized ball of dough on it.





Press with your fingers into a small round disc shape.

Deep fry these discs ( pooris ) .

Cool them completely and store in air tight jar.

Badam Ka Halwa - For ICC

I am back doing challenges after a long gap and the first recipe which I am going to do this month is Badam Ka Halwa for  ICC ( Indian Cooking Challenge )  by Srivalli . In this we members make a traditional Indian recipe and post it on every 15th of the month.

Rajasthan is better known for its spicy n vibrant dishes but the sweet dishes from this state too are very famous . I have already made few rajasthani sweets like Gond ke laddoo , Ghevar , Mawa Kachori  in the past. So this time when I came to know that for ICC we were supposed to make this Badam ka Halwa I was happy.

   Cold in Rajasthan being very severe this halwa is usually consumed in winters and that too only few teaspoonfuls because Badam ( almonds ) as you all know are heaty. I came to know about this halwa a few years back through one of my rajasthani friends and since then I make this halwa in winters and we eat 1 tsp of this halwa for breakfast during winters.

This is a very easy n healthy recipe .You can make this in more quantity and store it in fridge for almost a month.

Ingredients :


1/2 cup .....................Almonds ( soaked in warm water )
5 tbsp......................ghee ( preferably home made )
4 tbsp......................sugar
1/ tsp.......................crushed cardamon seeds
4 tbsp......................milk powder.
1/2 cup..................warm water


Method :


Soak the almonds in warm water for 1 hour .

Grind the almonds along with the skin to a smooth but dry paste.

In a non stick pan add ghee and stir fry this paste till light golden in colour.

Now slowly add warm water and sugar ,

Lower the heat and cover the pan with lid.

Let the mixture cook till u get thick porridge like consistency.

Now add milk powder and crushed cardamoms .

Mix well till ghee seperates.

Your halwa is ready to be served .

Manapparai Murukku - For ICC

Murukku or rather Chakali as it is known in Maharashtra is a very popular fried snack made for Diwali. In South  they are called murukku and many different varieties of murrukus are found here.

Today for indian-cooking-challenge ( ICC )  Srivalli suggested that we try out these crunchy and addictive manapparai murukkus a very famous n popular snack from Tamil Nadu .

 As I have always used store bought ready made murukku flour , it was a new experience roastign urad dal and then sieving it to get smooth flour . though a bit time consuming it was very satisfying experience. Satisfying because the resulting murukkus were so delicious n crunchy that I really doubt whether I would have achieved same result had I bought store bought flour for muukkus.

Now without any further delay let me tell you the exact recipe for this yummy snack.

Ingredients :

1 cup...........................rice flour
1/4 cup........................urad dal
1/4 tsp each................hing, ajwain, cumin seeds
1 tsp...........................ghee
2 tsp...........................oil
salt
oil for deep frying
water about 1/2 cup or little more




Method :

Dry roast urad dal and grind to really smooth paste.

Also dry roast rice flour.

Add all spices , ghee , oil and salt to the flours.

Knead a soft yet firm dough with just enough water.

Press murukkus in hot oil with the murukku press and deep fry till golden in colour.

Fry on a low to medium flame till the murukkus are crisp.

Lift them with a perforated spoon to drain out all the oil.

Cool n store in an air tight container.

Amritsari Kulcha - Punjabi Special

Any food lover will completely agree that India has a mindblowing variety of breads ( rotis). Parathas, Kulchas, Naan, Roomali roti, Kerela Parotta , Rajasthani Bati and the list goes on and on . Indian breads are very nutririous and can be easily converted to full meal . Today's post Amritsari Kulcha stuffed with aloo is one such dish. These stuffed kulchas are very filling and can just be had with dahi ( curds ) and achar ( pickle) or you can serve them with any side dish of your choice.

This month  Srivalli had suggested Amritsari Kulchas for our indian-cooking-challenge ( ICC ) and I was more than happy to make these lovely kulchas. I had already missed last few challenges and desparately wanted to make these kulchas.

Serve these hot kulchas with a dollop of butter and have a very satisfying meal.

Ingredients :



For the dough :

4 cups .............................wheat flour
1/2 cup............................curds
2 tsp..............................sugar
1 tsp................................baking powder
1 pinch ..........................baking soda
1/2 cup...........................milk
1 tbsp..............................ghee
salt

For the filling :

5 to 6 .............................boiled potatoes ( peeled and mashed)
2 tbsp.............................ginger chilly paste
1 tbsp.............................amchoor ( dry mango powder )
1 tbsp............................dhana jeera powder
1 tbsp...........................black sesame
1/ cup..........................chopped fresh coriander
salt
oil


Method :


Knead a smooth but firm dough with all ingredients given in dough with just enough milk.

Keep it aside covered with wet muslin cloth for atleast 1 hour.

In the mean while mash the boiled potatoes and add chopped coriander and ginger chilly paste .

Also add amchoor and dhana jeera powder and salt to taste.

Mix very well till everything is well combined.

Now make big lemon sized balls of the dough and make equal balls of the filling.

Roll the dough to the size of puri and keep the filling inside.






Cover with dough from all sides and roll it.

Sprinkle some black sesame on it and continue to roll a kulcha of 6 to 8 '' diameter.

Cook on a how tawa by smearing ghee  on both sides.







Serve with any side dish  of your choice or with some pickle and curd.

Instant Mango Pickle With Jaggery & Mustard

This tangy instant raw mango pickle was what we had to make for February's challenge for indian-cooking-challenge ( ICC ) an event by Srivalli. This mouth watering pickle was suggested by varada .

Nowadays the markets are flooded with variety of raw mangoes and this the perfect month to make achars or pickles for the coming year. But these pickles do take some time to marinate and hence can't be consumed immediately. But the recipe I am posting today is of instant  hot and sweet jaggery mango pickle which can be made in small quantities and can be had immediately.

Ingredients : 

1/4 kg ...........................raw mango ( kairi )
1 n 1/2 cup....................jaggery
2 tbsp............................mustard seeds
2 tbsp..........................chilli powder
1/2 tsp..........................fenugreek seeds ( methi )
2 to 3 tbsp....................salt


For Tempering the Pickle :

1/2 cup ...................oil
1 tbsp.....................mustard seeds
1 tsp.......................asefoetida ( hing powder)



Method :


Wash the raw mangoes thoroughly and wipe them dry.

Peel the skin and cut them in cubes.

In little oil stir fry the cubed mangoes till they are half cooked.

Now prepare the tempering by heating oil in a small pan.

For tempering add 1 tbsp  mustard seeds when the oil is hot and let them crackle.

Now add methi seeds.

Switch off the gas and let the oil cool down a bit.

Now add hing powder and let the oil cool down completely.

Adding hing in hot oil burns out asefoetida and doesn't give out its proper flavor.

In a grinder grind jaggery , mustard seeds, chilli powder , methi and salt.

Mix this well in cubed mango pieces and pour the cooled oil over it.

The pickle is ready to eat .

Gaathiya - A Gujrati Farsan ( For ICC )

For  indian-cooking-challenge this month  Srivalli  suggested Gaathiya a very famous Gujarati Farsan a recipe which she got from one of her blogger friends Vaishali  .

As Gathiya was in my to do list since long I was very happy . I had tried making it earlier but never succeeded. Off course I never knew the secret of dry roasting the soda at that time. I think this is a very essential step and you just shouldn't skip this because the result was these soft crunchy melt in the mouth gathiyas.

 Also as I did not have a mould press for gathiya so used our normal chakali press to drop the gathiyas in hot oil . But it did not make any much difference . I just deep fried the long strips and then broke them into pieces. Nevertheless resulting snack was yummy.

Ingredients :

250 gm .......................gram flour ( besan )
1/23 tsp.......................ajwain ( owa )
1 tsp..........................cooking soda
50 gm ......................oil
salt
oil for deep frying




Method :

In a pan dry roast cooking soda for 2  to 3 mintues or till it is almost charred.

Let it cool down completely.

Now add maida, salt and ajwain and mix well .

Add 50 gm oil to it and mix well.

Gradually knead a dough adding water little at a time.

Dough should be semi soft and of the consistency of sev .

Just like a mold press for chakali or sev  we get mold press for gathiya .

Use that and press drop gathias in hot oil and deep fry till done.

In case gathia press in not available you can also use the chakli press which I have used.

Enjoy  these melt in the mouth gathiyas with a hot cup of tea.

Uttanki - A failed experiment & Paniyarams

The saying goes " Behind every successful man there is a woman " . In same way I would like to add that behind every successful dish there are few unsuccessful expreriments.  This dish was one of them , which   tests your patience and teaches you to be more careful the next time.  I tried this sweet twice and stopped because making rice flour mentioned in the recipe was time consuming and the sweet was very oily . But I am determined to give it one more try and hope to become successful in it.

Since I have become a member of   ICC  ( indian-cooking-challenge )  every month I am learning new and unique dishes from the corners of our India and am getting amazed to see the vast variety that we have .

 For this month's challenge Srivalli   chose yet another awesome traditional sweet for us to try out. This time it was  Sweet Rice Crepes from the state of Andhra called  Utanki . What an unusual name and mind you the method of preparation is equally  unique.

 Firstly I had never heard of this sweet and so eagerly wanted to try it out. Though one thing which seemed quite complicated was making rice flour at home.

Though I managed making the rice flour batter , frying part was equally hard. The batter though formed threads were not forming a firm crepe shape in oil and kept sticking to the sides of the kadhai and I ended up with something which you can see in the clicks. The clicks are from my second attempt . The experiment also was very messy as the oil kept on splattering on the kitchen platform when I was trying to make the strings fall from my fingers.

So finally added some Semolina and Oats and made sweet paniyarams which got over very quickly.

But I have to mentions that whatever the shape,  when the sweet cooled down it was crispy though oily n sticky but tasted amazing.

 Thanks Srivalli for introducing us to such unique and traditional dishe. Though I couldn't successfully make it , it was a very different experience and loved trying it out.

Original Recipe  from Divya

Ingredients :

2 n 1/2 cup.......................rice
1 n 1/2 cup..............................sugar
1 cup or little more .........milk
Oil for deep frying

Method : 


For homemade rice flour, soak the rice overnight.

Drain out the water and grind it to make a very fine powder.

Seive the ground flour to get a very smooth powder.

Again grind and seive , repeat this 2 times to get very fine powder.

In a bowl add flour, sugar and milk and mix well.

Keep aside for 2 to 3 hours or till sugar dissolved completely.

Grind this mixture again in a grinder for making a smooth uniform paste.

If  the batter is too thick add little milk.

To check the right consistency of the batter dip your hand in the batter.

When you take out your hand the batter should flow in thin strings from your fingers.

Now the batter is ready.

Heat oil for frying .

Now take the batter vessel near the kadhai and dip your hand in the batter.

Rotate your hand round and round above the kadhai so that the thin strings fall in round shape.

Do this 3 to 4 times till a round crepe  like shape is formed in the oil.

Fry it on both sides till golden in colour.

But what I got was a sticky mass which did not become hard and the batter kept spreading in  oil.

So finally decided to use the batter in making sweet paniyarams.

Finally added a fistful of rawa and 1 cup oats and made paniyarams.

Chatti Pathiri ( Kerela Sweet Lasagna for ICC )

Chatti Pathiri is a Kerelian sweet . Its a lot like italian lasagna and this dish is made both sweet and savory way.

 Actually till the time  Srivalli  chose this yummy authentic dish for our november month's challenge for  ICC  ( indian-cooking-challenge ) I was completely unaware that such a dish exists. But this is a very delicious dish which is very easy to make and is rich and sinful with dry fruits and milkmaid . 

The addition of black sesame seeds and poppy seeds gives it a traditional touch and all in all this was a total winner . 

I will definitely make it again and again , the only change will be I will make the pathiris with pancake batter and not the rotis . Because I feel the pancakes will make the dish more soft and juicy. 

Thanks Srivalli for introducing us to this beautiful recipe. 

Original source : sliceofmylyfe


Ingredients  for Pathiri :

1 cup .....................maida ( I used half maida and half wheat flour)
1 tbsp....................oil
1/3 cup.................warm water ( to knead into dough)
pinch of salt



Method :

Mix all the above ingredients and knead into a soft but firm dough.

Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

Now make 7 to 8 equal balls of the dough and roll thin chapatis.

Heat a tawa and lightly cook the chapatis on both the sides.

Your pathiris are ready, keep them aside.



Ingredients for filling :

1 tbsp..............ghee
2 tbsp................black sesame seeds
2 tbsp................poppy seeds
4 tbsp................freshly grated coconut
4 tbsp................almonds ( chopped)
4 tbsp................cashews ( chopped)
4 tbsp...............raisins
1 cup................sweetened condensed milk
1 cup ................coconut milk
1 tbsp...............sugar powder

Method :

Heat ghee in a pan and roast dryfruits till light golden in colour.

Add black sesame seeds and poppy seeds and slightly stir them for 2 minutes.

Add coconut and saute till it gives out nice aroma.

Remove in a bowl and add the condensed milk.

In a separate plate mix coconut milk and powdered sugar and keep ready.



How To Assemble :

Take a baking dish approximately of the size of pathiri  you have rolled.

Smear the base of baking dish with ghee and keep one pathiri on it.

Apply a spoonful of filling on the pathiri .

Now take another pathiri  and dip it in the coconut milk sugar mixture .

Let the pathiri  get nicely coated with the milk mixture.

Keep it on top of the first pathiri.

Repeat this procedure till all the pathiris are over.

Drizzle any filling and coconut mixture if left on top and sprinkle some nuts if desired.

Bake this in an oven for 15 to 20 minutes or till the crust is golden in color.

Serve warm .





also sending this post to :

foodabulous-fest-celebrate-november

only-event -diwali treats  @ nivedhanams   30 nov 

cooking with seeds - wheat  @ priyas-virundhu  30 nov

Raj Kachori ( For Indian Cooking Challenge)

Raj Kachori is a very popular Rajasthani Chaat food. In Mumbai I usually have it at Tiwari's Juhu . Its one of the most delcious chaat item I have had . This month Srivalli challenged all the members of  Indian-Cooking-Challenge with this Raj Kachori and thus I got an opportunity to try out my favorite chaat at home. This was the yummiest treat I have made so far.

This Raj Kachori is actually a big Puri filled with pulses and chutneys and finally topped with curds and sev. This crunchy snack was a super hit and was very filling . Actually no one can have more than one as it is almost like a healthy and filling meal. But still we all let ourselves go for the second helping.

Though the making of this dish was very time consuming it is worth all the efforts as when the final dish comes in front of you, its just irresistible . This dish needs lot of advance planning like making the dahi wadas, soaking and sprouting the moong and finally boiling them, then making of papdi, boiling potatoes , making chutneys etc. So plan the dish well in advance.

For Kachoris  :

1 cup ...................maida
2 tbsp..................rawa ( semolina)
2 pinch ...............baking soda
1/4 tsp................salt
2 tbsp.................oil

Method :

Mix every thing well.

Knead a firm dough with just enough water and keep aside for half an hour.

Make balls and roll into a big size puri.

Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry till they puff up.

Fry on low heat till crisp and remove and cool.

For the Papdis :

2 tbsp...............besan
2 tbsp...............maida
1/2 tbsp............oil
1/4 tsp..............jeera
salt

Method :

Mix all the things and knead a semi soft dough.

Roll out small puries ( the size of sev puri).

Prick them with a fork ( to ensure that they don't puff up while frying).

Deep fry in oil till crisp and keep aside to cool.

For the Dahiwadas :

1/2 cup .................urad dal
2 cups...................thick curds
2 tbsp...................sugar

Method :

Wash and soak the urad dal for 4 to 5 hours.

Whip the curd and sugar till smooth and chill.

Grind it in the mixer with as little water as possible.

Heat oil and drop small wada in it and deep fry.

Soak the wadas in water for 10 minutes.

Now squeeze out the water and dip them in whipped curd and chill till further use.

Other Fillings :

2 ....................potatoes ( boiled , peeled and cubed)
1 cup.............moong ( sprouted and half boiled)
1 cup............khara boondi

Chutneys :

3 to 4  cups...............thick curd ( sweetened , whipped and  chilled )
1 cup........................tamarind dates chutney  ( see the recipe here )
1 cup.......................green chutney ( see the recipe here )

To sprinkle :

Cumin - coriander powder
Kala Namak
Chilly powder
Pepper Powder
Sev ( the yellow variety used in bhel puri)
Pomegranate seeds ( optional)
Chopped coriander leaves (oprional)

How to Assemble the Kachori :

Tap on the top of the kachori so that it opens up and slowly widen the opening.

Now one by one add 2 to 3 small dahiwadas, 2 papdis crumbled, potatoes, boondi and moong.

Now add a tbsp each of tamarind and green chutney.

Finally fill the puri with whipped curd.

Now sprinkle the masalas and powders as per your liking.

Finally sprinkle some sev., pomegranate seeds and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve immedietely.

Kordoi - Sweet and Savory ( Assamesse Snacks For ICC)

This is my second month in  ICC - Indian Cooking Challenge  and once again I get to prepare a very rare and authentic dish. - Kordois .

 Last month we had make Hyderabadi sweet Meethay-Ghoday  and this month it is an Assamesse dish which is prepared in both sweet and savory variety. The original recipe was taken from a very nice blog by sunita  and she has many such unique assamesse as well as baked dishes.

 Once again it makes us realize how vast our country is with so many cultures and traditions and off course innumerable and unimaginable delicacies. Thanks Srivalli  for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this lovely group where we get to prepare such rare Indian dishes.

Sweet as well as savory Kordoi is a dish made with very basic ingredients and so you don't need any special preparation . For savory kordoi  you can omit spinach  if you don't have it and go for just coriander leaves and onions or even just onions. The taste remains almost same. We loved the savory version so much that I made it two more times since that was the demand from my family.

Ingredients for Sweet Kordoi :

1 cup ................wheat flour
1/2 tsp................Kalonji
1 tbsp................oil
1 cup.................sugar
1/2 cup..............water
1/2 tsp................cardamom powder
oil for deep frying

Method :

Mix the flour , jeera and oil well with fingers.
Make a stiff dough with very little warm water and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
In the mean while make a sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water till very sticky.
Add cardamom powder to the syrup and keep it ready.
Now make small balls of the dough about 12 to 14 and roll thin puris.
Give long cuts to the puris without tearing it and keeping the puri intact.
Now roll the puri and press the ends.
Bend the roll a little in the middle.
Refer to the picture on how to give cuts and roll.

Deep fry these kordois in hot oil and immerse them in warm sugar syrup for 5 mintues.
Then take them out and let the syrup dry on them.
These sweet crispy kordois taste just yumm and you can go on eating them non - stop.




Ingredients for Savory Kordoi :

1 cup.................wheat flour
1 small ...............onion very finely chopped
2 tbsp..............spinach leaves very finely chopped
1 tbsp..............coriander leaves very finely chopped
1 tsp................chilly powder
1/2 tsp.............kalonji
1 tbsp..............oil
1/2 tsp..............salt
oil for deep frying

Method :

Mix all the ingredients except oil for frying well with your fingers.
Knead a very stiff dough with very little water as the dough tends to become soft due to onions.
Immediately roll out small puris and proceed in the same way as for the sweet version.
Deep fry them till crisp and golden in hot oil.

Meethay Ghoday ( For ICC )

This is the first time that I am participating in  Indian-Cooking-Challenge ( ICC)  started by Srivalli . This is a lovely challenge wherein members every month get to make  an authentic traditional Indian dish. 

I felt very lucky to participate in this event not only because since long I wanted to be member of this lovely group but also that this month the recipe we had to make was from Hyderabad which is known as the food lover's paradise. More over the recipe - we had to make this month was called Meethay Ghoday . It was suggested by Mirielle  and she has shared the recipe posted by Mona of zaiqa .

It seems that her recipe is the only recipe on the net for this sweet dish so you can imagine the rareness of this dish.

I too tried searching the net for more information on this sweet and it seems that this is truely a very very traditional dish.Naturally  I had never ever heard this name in my life and was very very eager to try it out .

The dish is very simple and the main interesting part is making ghoday ( flowers ) which is little time consuming but was fun to make. The dish turned out to be amazingly delicious and was relished by every one in my family. 

Thanks Mirielle and Srivalli  for suggesting such unique and lovely dish .

Ingredients :

1 cup...................Maida
1 tbsp.................ghee
3/4 cup...............sugar
1 cup .................milk
1/2 cup...............water
1 tbsp.................raisins
1 tbsp................almonds
pinch of salt


Method :

Knead a firm dough with maida, salt , ghee and little water.

Cover it with dampen cloth and keep aside for half an hour.

Now make thin rotis out of this dough and cut squares.


Shape this square in flowers as shown in the picture.

Keep them aside for half an hour and deep fry them in oil till golden in colour.

Now in a pan boil water and milk and add sugar.

When the milk boils add the fried ghodays ( flowers) and cook for 10 to 15 minutes .

Let the mixture thicken and coats the flower.

The flowers too will beocme soft .

Remove from the gas and take it in a bowl.

Sprinkle raisins and almond pieces fried in ghee over it and serve at room temperature.

Even chilled ghodays taste good.





Also linking this traditional dish to :

 south-indian-kitchen-series  @ nivedhanams

foodabulous-fest @ nivedhanams 

spotlight-event - Rakshabandhan at riappyayan 

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