Papaya Chicken

After my last post, I was quite busy with some works, house shifting & medical issues. I am not sure when I shall be able to post regularly, again. Anyway, here is a quick post on the chicken dish I prepared last weekend. It is tasty & requires very less oil.

Ingredients:

Raw Papaya - 1

Chicken - 500 gm

Onion - 1, medium, chopped

Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped

Chilly - 2, chopped

Refined Oil - 2 tbsp

Garam Masala- a small pinch

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Onion seeds - 1/4 tsp

Water - 3 cups (depends upon the amount of gravy you want)

Recipe:

1. Half the papaya, take out the seeds & peel off the skin. Chop the papayas in small cubes & wash.

2. Heat oil in a kadai, add the onion seeds. When the seeds start to spatter, add chopped garlic, onion & chilly.

3. After frying on low heat for 2-3 mins, add chopped papayas. Add turmeric powder, salt & sugar. Saute for 3-5 mins on medium heat.

4. Add the chicken pieces. Mix everything properly & cover the kadai. Cook for 6-7 mins on medium heat.

5. Add water & cover, cook on low heat until the chicken is done & only a little amount of water remains. It may take 10-15 mins.

6. Add garam masala powder, mix & cook for 1-2 mins again. Serve hot with puri. We had this with the green luchi. 

Banana Flower stir fry with Coconut (Mochar ghonto Narkel diye)

The holidays are over & I am back with different recipes which I tasted during my vacation. My ma, boro-mashi have prepared many tasty Bengali foods for me & now I am trying them one by one. So here is a recipe which I found in Chakdah, at Boro-mashi's home, Mochar Ghonto Narkel diye (Banana fritters stir fry with Coconut). I loved that & asked her recipe. So here it is!

Ingredients:

Banana Flower 1

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Bay leaves 2

Cumin 1 tsp

Ginger paste 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tea spoon

Garam Masala powder 1 tsp

Grated coconut 1/2 cup

Oil 3 tbs

Salt and sugar to taste

Method:

1. Once the florets have been cleaned, chop them into small size. Boil this with little salt till almost cooked. Remove water and keep florets aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and bay leaves, and once the seeds start to splutter, add the boiled mocha. Add turmeric powder and salt, cover the pan with a lid, and allow it to cook for 10 minutes on a slow flame; gently cook it by tossing and turning it several times.

3. Add ginger & cumin paste and mix them well. Also add a spoon of sugar to taste.

4. Add the grated coconut when all the ingredients are soft and the water has dried out.

5. Finally, add the garam masala mix & this is ready to serve.

Tips:

When peeling the mocha, apply some cooking oil/mustard oil to your hands to prevent the sticky juices of the mocha from staining your hands.

Chicken Khichdi

The festive season was never like this for me. For the first time, I am so busy, that I am not able to visit my own blog. This year, I started my Laxmi puja, all alone in the new city. But I really enjoyed doing all the works which my Ma does at home, during the Pujas. Now I am busy with packing because I am going home after so many months. So here is the recipe of my favorite old dish & may be I will start posting the new ones soon.

Ingredients:

Rice - 100gm \ 1 large cup, uncooked

Red Lentil or Musur daal- 50gm, no need to fry

Chicken - 1 cup, chopped or shreded

onion - 1, small, chopped

Garlic - 4-4 cloves, halved

Ginger paste - 1tbsp

chilly - 1, halved

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Fenugreek sedds - 1tsp

Onion seeds - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/3 tsp

Oil to fry

Salt to taste

Sugar

Water (do not worry about quantity)

Method:

1. Wash & soak, both rice & daal, together or separately.

2. Heat oil in a cooker. Add onion, cumin & fenugreek seeds. When the seeds start to splatter, add garlic, followed by onions. Saute for 1-2min. Add the ginger pastes. Add chicken pieces. Cook for 3mins.

3. Add rice & daal. Add salt, sugar, chilly flakes & turmeric powder. Saute for 5 more mins.

4. Add 4cups of water. Cover and cook on high flame & wait for the cooker to whistle 4-5 times. Turn off the heat & let it set for 10-15 mins.

5. You can adjust the liquid amount of the khichdi according to your taste. Transfer to a serving plate & enjoy.

Mahisasuramardini

Red Lentil (Paste, Fry, Curry)\Musur Daal (Baata, Bora, Jhol)

This is a 3-in-1 post; or you can say a 3-in-1 recipe. With the same ingredients you can get three different dishes at one time: Paste (Baata), Fries (Bora\Pakoda) & Curry (Jhol). The paste is a very popular Assamese side dish, where as I have seen the pakodas in every Bengali house & I have seen these curry mainly in Assamese cuisine. So we can say this is a mixture of two different cuisines. Just try it & let me know your experience.

Ingredients:

Musur Daal\ Red Lentil - 1 cup

Onion - 2, medium, finely chopped

Chilly - 1, finely chopped

Tomato - 1/2, take out seeds & finely chopped

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Onion seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil to fry

1. Soak the Musur Dal\Red lentil 2 hours before cooking.

2. Once it is soaked put it in a food porcesser and process it until you have a "not-so-smooth" paste of musur daal. The paste cant be too runny or too tight. Also I like if the paste is not very smooth.

3. Add the chopped tomato, coriander leaves, green chillies and sliced onion in the daal mixture. Add the salt and whip the whole mixture thoroughly with your hand. Add the onion seeds & mix again.

Note: Just before adding onion seeds, keep aside 4tbsp paste in a bowl & add a little mustard oil (I love the smell of the oil, so I always add 1tbsp oil to get a tasty paste :) ). Use this paste as a side dish. This is a popular Assamese side dish.

4. Heat the oil in a kadai and then pick up the mixture with a spoon and pour in the oil. Fry them evenly on both the sides and serve the red hot fries (bora).

Note: Some time I like to prepare curry of these pakoras\fries. This is also very popular Assamese cuisine. 

To prepare the curry:

Onion - 1, small, sliced

Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped

Ginger - 1/2tsp, paste

Oil - 1tbsp

Cumin Powder - 1/3 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2tsp

Chilly Powder - 1/3tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

1. Heat oil in a pan,add garlic & onion. When onion becomes soft, add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilly powder & salt. (You can add potato pieces-cut into medium cubes.) 

2. Saute for 4-5min in low flame. Add water. (If added potato, cover the pan & cook for 7-8min in low flame, then uncover & cook in high flame for 5mins.) Cook in high flame for 5mins without covering the pan. Curry is ready.

3. Add the Lentil fries or daal pakoras in the curry, cook on low flame for 3-5mins. Add chopped coriander leaves, turn off the heat & serve hot.

Bottle Gourd Chicken\Lau Chicken

In this recipe, I have used the young bottle gourd, as my experimental ingredient with chicken. Since the Lau\Bottle Gourd was very tender, so I used all the parts (skin, flesh & seeds) of the vegetable. Cut the bottle gourd into four parts & take out the seeds. Make paste\thick juice in a blender or juicer. Dry fry the seeds & keep aside.

Hope to get some feedback if you like the recipe :)

Ingredients:

500gm chicken, medium pieces

1 medium, young Bottle Gourd\Lau

1 small onion, sliced

2 large potatoes, each cut into 4 pieces

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tbsp cooking oil

1 green chilly, halved

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt & sugar 

Method:

1. Heat oil, add chopped garlic, chopped onions & saute until the onion becomes soft. Add potato pieces & gourd seeds. Saute for 4-5mins.

2. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilly, sugar & salt. Simmer on low flame.

3. Add the chicken pieces. Saute in medium flame for 2-3mins. Add the Lau\Bottle Gourd paste & mix everything properly. After 5mins, add water. Cook on medium fire until chicken is soft & desired amount of gravy is there.

4. Serve with rice, pulao or roti.

Choco Cake in Cooker

The day was special, so does the cake. It always feels good to prepare cake for someone's birthday; what can be better than a home-made cake , which has the touch of loved one's warm-love-care. So I tried this cake, following a recipe found while surfing the Internet. So no credit for the recipe. I just used the cooker in place of oven because of unavailability of oven. So here is a way, when your oven is not working or no electricity.

Try it out!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk (or substitute by putting 1 tbsp white vinegar in a cup then filling the rest up with milk; let stand 5 minutes until thickened)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (or 2 tsp instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water)

Method:

1. In the large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Stir in hot coffee with a rubber spatula. Batter will be very runny.

2. Preheat pressure cooker over medium heat for 5mins. Grease cake tin well using cooking oil. Pour cake mixture in baking tin. First put one empty pot in a pressure cooker and on the to of empty pot put cake tin. Make sure that cake tin doesn't touch the bottom of the cooker.Cover with the lid without putting whistle on.

3. Bake on medium heat for first 5mins. Lower down the heat to low to medium and cook for 30-35mins. After 30 mins leave the cake in hot cooker for 5 more mins. After 5 mins insert a tooth pick in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clear that means cake is done.

4. If some batter sticks to the toothpick then continue to bake cake for 10 more mins. Allow the cake to cool down for 10 mins. After 10mins run the knife around the edges of cake tin. Place one dish on the top of cake tin and flip this over. The cake should come out without sticking to the bottom of cake tin. Allow it to cool down on cooling rack before putting icing on cake.

5. Serve just as it is or with dollop of cream or ice cream!

Tips:

1. If you are using thick bottom pressure cooker, in that case bake the cake over medium high heat only.

2. Cooking time may vary depending on thickness of pressure cooker, temperature settings of stove.

Happy Baking!!

Stuffed Teasel Gourd Fry\Pur Bhora Kankrol

Here, in our local market, sometimes, I can not find my favorite vegetables. My one of the favorite vegetable is Kankrol or Teasel Gourd. Teasel Gourd is very popular vegetable in our North-East region, widely available during the monsoon season. This time, when monsoon started to leave, we found some Kankrol in our local market, very high price! But we could not resist to buy these & in dinner I prepared the best recipe my Ma used to cook at home. 

My ma, prepares this recipe, whenever these are available in market. I love this stuffed things. In my 1 year Bangalore life, this was the first time I prepared these fries. These are reminding me, how I used to stand near my Ma when she used to prepare these... 

Here is my Ma's recipe. 

Ingredients:

Kankrol\  - 4 (1 Kankrol will give 2 stuffed fries) 

Poppy seed - 2tbsp 

Mustard seeds - 1tbsp

Onion - 1, medium

Green chili - 2-3

Garlic - 1-2 cloves, chopped

All-purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard oil 

Sugar & Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut off the tail of the Kankrol, peel and cut them into equal halves, lengthwise. Blanch the Kankrol for about 3-4 minutes and drain the water. (Note: you need make the pieces little soft; In our area water is not so good, so I had to use cooker to make them tender.)

2. With a small spoon, gently scoop the insides of the Kankrol out, without damaging the outer shell, giving a boat like shape to it. Retain the insides for the stuffing.

3. In a grinder, add poppy & musterd seeds, half of the onion, chillies. Make a fine paste. 

4. Heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai. Add the chopped garlic & remaining onion (chopped). Saute until onion is soft. Add the Kankrol insides. Fry for 2mins. Add the paste. Add salt & saute. Cook untill there is no water. The final output will be a little fried paste. 

5. Make a thick batter with all purpose flour, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well to avoid lumps. 

6. Take required amount of stuffing & fill the hollow insides of the kankrol boats.

7. Dip each stuffed Kankrol in the batter and shallow fry in hot mustard oil. You can use refined oil if you don’t have\like mustard oil. (but I like the musterd oil taste!)

8. Keep the stuffing-side up in the oil and first fry the “base” for about 1-2 minutes on low-medium heat. 

9. I took a spoon and started dripping the hot oil over the top of the Kankrol, just to keep everything intact. With a slotted spoon, turn the Kankrol halves to the stuffing-side down. Fry again for 1-2 minutes on low heat.

10. The Kankrols should look crusty and golden fried at the end of their cooking time. Its important the frying is done in a wok on low-medium heat so the insides are cooked. If the oil cools down, adjust accordingly.

Choco Surprise

I love chocolate. So this time tried to do some baking with chocolate, differently. We have used chocolate in cake or pudding. But in this thing, I have used chocolate in such a way, so that I don't feel guilty after having chocolate, (forgetting about my weight). I am in little hurry, so here's the recipe & I'll say about the chocolaty effect of this one, on my friends latter.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 & 1/2cups

Chocolate, liquid - 1cup

Semolina - 1/2cup

Coconut, grated - 1/2cup

salt - 1/2tsp

sugar - 1/2tsp (for making dough) + 3/4cup

refined oil - 1tsp

Method:

1. Sieve the maida\flour well with salt, sugar, milk and place in a flat dish. Make a bay in the center and put a little of oil for leavening. Add warm water and make a stiff dough.

2. Divide dough into walnut size balls. Roll between hand palms to smooth. Roll out balls to form thick circles.

3. Heat a non-stick pan. Dry fry semolina on medium heat; after 2-3mins add the grated coconut & mix properly. Fry for another 5mins on low heat. Turn off the heat & set aside.

4. Heat chocolate in a heavy bottmed pan & you may add 1tbsp milk. When chocolate melts completely & mixes with milk, add the semolina-coconut mixture. Mix everything properly.

5. Take some of the choco-semolina mixture & spread it over one of the flour circle.

6. Roll the flour circles & cover with a plastic sheet. Keep aside for 1hr (you can place it in refrigeratoror 30mins).

7. Heat the Cooker (covered) for 15mins on high heat. In the mean time, prepare the rolls for baking. Take out the rolls from plastic sheets & cout each roll into smaller pieces. Arrange the pieces in a baking tray & place it in cooker, over one tiffin box. (I used this idea while preparing my soft cake in cooker, place a tiffin box in the hot cooker & place your baking tray).

8. Cover the cooker, without whistle, bake for 3mins on high heat & then 25mins on low heat. Turn off heat.

9. In a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear, approximately 3 minutes. Add the baked choco-semolina stuffed pieces. Keep it on low heat for 2-3mins. Turn off the heat. 

Eggplant Mixture

The spinach khichdi does not need any side dish, but to increase the expectation level of my "already-highly-expected" friend, I prepared this. He called me from his office (could not wait to finish tiffin!) & said something (he was so happy that I barely understood his words, a good sign!). So I though to post this recipe too. It is very common in my home, my mother prepares it the best. I tried & it was good, reminded me of my mother's cooking (sigh!).

Ingredients:

(for 2)

Eggplant - 1, small

Potato - 2, medium - half boiled

Capsicum - 1, small

Onion - 1, medium-chopped

Garlic - 4-5flakes, chopped

Ginger paste - 1tsp

Onion seeds - 1tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2tsp

Soya sauce - 1tsp (optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves - 1/2cup, chopped

Chilly - 1, small, cut & take out the seeds

Salt & Sugar to taste

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes. Cut into medium cubes all the vegetables (don't forget to take out the white portions & seeds of capsicum). Wash & keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add onion seeds & as they start to splatter add the chopped garlic, followed by onions. Cook in low heat.

3. After 1-2mins add the potato & capsicum cubes. Add salt, sugar, coriander & turmeric powders. Toss a little. Cover the pan & cook for 3mins. Keep checking.

4. When the potato & capsicum pieces are 99% done, add the eggplant cubes. Now mix the vegetables properly. Check the salt, you may add if you need. Cover & cook for 3mins. Uncover & again mix the vegetables properly. After 2mins, add soya sauce (optional) & the coriander leaves & cook for 2mins again.

5. You may have this with my Spinach-Khichdi, just like me :)

Spinach Khichdi

Again!! I am suffering from spinach fever, haa haa! Preparing tiffin everyday seems very challenging, when you have someone whose expectations are high (I have to confess, I am responsible for that high-expectation, sigh!). So this rice recipe fulfilled all his expectations & I was satisfied too!

This leafy vegetable, spinach, is easily available in our nearby local market & it has a huge role in most of my successful "experimental"-recipes. This one is a full meal itself. But if you want, you can prepare my Eggplant recipe & enjoy them both.

One more request I have, please join my blog & give me some feedback, if you like my blog. Your comments are valuable.

Ingredients:

Rice - 100gm \ 1 large cup, uncooked

Sona Mung daal- 50gm, no need to fry

Spinach paste (thick paste)- 1-1/2 cups
Coconut - 1/2 cup, cut into small cubes

onion - 1, small, chopped

capsicum - 1, small, finely chopped

Ginger paste - 1tbsp

chilly - 1

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds - 1tsp

Fenugreek sedds - 1tsp

Bay leaf - 2

oil to fry

salt to taste

sugar

water (do not worry about quantity)

Method:

1. Wash & soak, both rice & daal, together or separately.

2. Heat oil in a cooker. Add bay leaves, cumin & fenugreek seeds. When the seeds start to splatter, add onions. Saute for 1-2min. Add capsicum & coconut pieces, saute for 2mins again. Now add the spinach & ginger pastes. Cook for 3mins.

3. Add rice & daal. Add salt, sugar, chilly flakes & turmeric powder. Saute for 5 more mins.

4. Add 4cups of water. Cover and cook on high flame & wait for the cooker to whistle 4-5 times. Turn off the heat & let it set for 10-15 mins.

5. Transfer to a serving plate & enjoy.

Linking to:  Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam

Veg-Fish

You may think how come a fish recipe is veg!!!!

This dish is a mixture of different seasonal vegetables & adding fish into them. So, what name can be best except this? I was bored with different spicy & rich dishes of fish. So wanted to have some veggies in my food, but my room-mate was into the mood of fish. So instead of preparing two different dishes, I cooked one & combined both of the two tastes. The dinner was without any argument as we both were happy with our taste-buds :)

Here is the recipe (a very simple one) which I followed. Hope to get your feedback :)

Ingredients:

Fish - 500gm, cleaned & washed

Potato - 2, medium

Carrot - 2, medium

Capsicum - 1, large

(you can use cauliflower, brinjal, Gourds, pumpkin etc.)

Onion - 1, medium, chopped

Chilly - 1, coarsely chopped

cumin seeds - 1/3tsp

musterd seeds - 1/2tsp

fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp

turmeric powder - 1tsp

cumin powder - 1tsp

salt to taste

sugar to taste

oil

water

Method:

1. Marinate fish with salt & turmeric powder.

2. Cut your favorite vegetables (I have taken carrot, capsicum, potato, since these were only available in my kitchen store) into medium cubes or pieces.

3. Heat oil in a kadai n fry the fishes. Keep aside.

4. Now keep 2tsp oil in kadai\wok, keep aside remaining oil for future use. In the remaining oil, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds & musterd seeds.

5. When the seeds start to splatter, add onions & fry for 2mins on medium heat. Add the vegetables & saute for 3-4mins. Add the masala powders, salt, sugar, chilly. Fry for 2 more mins.

6. Add water (depending on amount of curry you want), cover the kadai & cook on low heat until bubbles appear. Now uncover & add the fishes. Cook for 3mins & turn off the heat.

7. Serve with steamed rice.

Stuffed Chichinge\Snake-Gourd (different syle)

Here is a combination of baking, frying & stuffing, in a single recipe. First I baked to make an egg-cover in one face of the Chichinga pieces, then I stuffed those pieces with something which I like & finally frying to cover the other side of the pieces with egg. I enjoyed this; enjoyed how the idea came step by step as I was cooking; enjoyed the food finally-a lot.

Ingredients:

Snake gourd 1 medium 

Egg 2, beat with salt in a  bowl

Onion 2 cups, very finely chopped

Chilli 2, chopped

Oil

Salt

Capsicum 1 large, very finely chopped

Tomato 1 medium, very finely chopped

Coriander powder 1tsp

Cumin powder 1tsp

Method:

1. Remove skin of snake gourd, cut into 4 pieces & take out the seeds completely, so that the pices look like hollow cylinder.

2. Heat 1tbs oil and saute onion for 1/2 min. Add the chopped chilli and fry for a few seconds. Add the capsicum, tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and masala powders (coriander, cumin & chilly). Cook for 1-2mins. Stuffing is ready.

3. Heat a non-stick pan. Place the gourd pieces vertically & pour 1-2tbs of the egg mixture in each piece. Lower the flame & cover the pan. This will cover one open face of the cylindrical piece.

3. keepthe flame low, uncover & take the gourd pieces in a try & add 2tbs of the fillings inside each pieces. Now pour 2tbsp of the egg mixture over the fillings to close the other face of the piece.

4. Immediately transfer the pieces to the hot pan & fry in hot oil. Fry both the sides of the pieces now.

Linking: Monsoon Of India and JCO.

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!

Fish Stuffed Snake-Gourd\Chichinge

We all love to have pakoda or fry in not-so-hot evenings. In Bangalore, most of the weekend evenings, when I have lovely company & weather is little cool or rainy, my brain gets stuffed with fried ideas. Anything, stuffed or fried, always goes very well with a cup of hot coffee. What you say!

Here is one of my stuffed pakoda, which you can enjoy with pudina chutney, tomato sauce or hot coco.

Ingredients:

Snake gourd 1 medium 

Fish (big) 100gm, cleaned-fried-bone out-mashed

Onion 2 cups, very finely chopped

Chilli 2, chopped

Oil

Salt to taste

Besan 1cup

Turmeric powder 1tsp

Coriander powder 1tsp

Cumin powder 1tsp

Chilly powder 1/2tsp

Method:

1. Remove skin of snake gourd, cut lengthwise into 2 pieces, then make pieces of 2inches (breathwise) from each half. Scoop out the seeds so that a boat like shape is formed for the filling.

2. Heat 1tbs oil and saute onion for 1/2 min. Add the chopped chilli and fry for a few seconds. Add the mashed fish and cook for 2 more minutes. Add salt and masala powders (coriander, cumin & chilly). Cook for 1-2mins. Stuffing is ready.

3. Fill each piece with the filling.

4. Mix besan, salt, turmeric powder with water to form a smooth batter. Dip each stuffed Bottle gourd pieces in the batter & fry in hot oil,in a pan.

Linking: Monsoon Of India and JCO.

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!

Apple Pies

After preparing Sfiha, I was very much satisfied with my no-oven baking thing. So this time when I had some extra apples in my room, I thought to prepare a sweet Sfiha. But since my friends wanted to taste something more soft than Sfiha, so I tried something different without knowing about the outcome. But anyway, the new pies (not sure about the name) were sweet & no-oil (only 1tbsp), surprisingly tasty.

So friends, I want you to try this one & let me know how does it go. No need to mention that these are healthy for kids too. 

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. milk

1tbsp refined oil

1/2 cup water

For the filling:

About 1tbsp sugar

1large apple, peeled, halved, and chopped

1tbsp Milk

1/2cup , ripe papaya, chopped 

1 tsp. cinnamon powder or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

For Syrup:

4tbsp sugar

3-4 strands Saffron

1cup Water

1/2cup Apple skin, chopped

Method:

1. Sieve the maida\flour well with salt, sugar, milk and place in a flat dish. Make a bay in the center and put a little of oil for leavening. Add warm water and make a stiff dough.

2. Divide dough into walnut size balls. Roll between hand palms to smooth. Roll out balls with a rolling pin to form 8 cm diameter circles.

3. For the fillings, mix all the ingredients. I used cardamom powder. Keep it aside.

4. Put 2tbsp of the fillings on a flour circle and place another flour clircle over the fillings in such a way that it falls just on the edge of the bottom half. Gently mold the dough around the apple to eliminate any trapped air. Fold the edge of the bottom half up over the edge of the top half and press to seal. Repeat it for other flour circles.

5.Heat the pressure cooker for 5 mins. Grease and dust the baking container with oil & flour. Place the pies in the container and place the tightly closed container in the cooker. Keep the cooker on low flame, without whistle.

6. Bake until golden brown, 25mins to 30mins, turn off the heat & set aside the container. These go well with the hot\cold sugar syrup.

Preparation of Syrup:

In a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear, approximately 3 minutes. Add the saffron & apple skins. Keep it on low heat for 4-5mins.

Linking to:  Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!

Bharwan Karela\Bitter Gourd Stuffed (my style)

Since cooking is an art, so there is always opportunities of experiments. My father is the one who always encouraged me for trying new recipes. It is because of my father that I fell in love with cooking, trying something different every time I enter the kitchen. In return, he used to give me three classes of smile, defining the grades A, B or C.

Here is one, which I prepared yesterday & this was a hit. Going to prepare again in Saturday lunch (then I'll update a good quality picture!). This November, in Deewali, when I'll visit my home, I am going to prepare it for  my father, eagerly waiting to see what class of smile he will have this time :)

Thanks for bearing with my pictures!

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourds\Karele,halved 4

Salt to taste

Oil 1tbsp

For stuffing

All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1, medium, ,chopped

Garlic - 2tbsp, finely chopped

Coriander powder - 1tsp

Cumin powder - 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Capsicum - 1, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Chilly - 2, chopped

Oil - 1tbsp

Method:

1. Scrape the bitter gourds; make a slit on one side and remove the seeds. Keep the seeds for using in stuffing. In pressure cooker, take 2cups of water, add 1tsp salt, add the gourds & cover the cooker. Keep on high flame & wait till 1 whistle. Turn off the heat & let it set for 10-15 mins. Keep the bitter gourds in a plate.

2. To prepare the stuffing, heat 1tbsp oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic, onion, capsicum & the bitter gourd seeds. Suate for 1-2mins. Add the masala powders, salt, chilly. Cover the pan. Cook on low heat for 3-4mins or until the mixture is soft.

3. Mix water with All Purpose Flour/Maida to make a smooth paste.

4. Stuff the masala mixture into each gourd\karela and pour 3tbsp flour paste over the stuffing, so the stuffing does not come out while frying. Heat the 1tbsp oil in a kadai & add the stuffed karele. Cover and cook over low heat for 5-6mins, till the gourds are cooked. Serve hot.

Partially adapted from the recipe here.

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!

Tangy Roti

Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour. Here is a recipe for roti, with thekera, which will add a tangy taste into it.

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour (Chapati Flour) – 2 cups

Salt – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil – 4 tsp

thekera soaked water (soaked for whole night)

All-purpose flour – for rolling and dusting

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Chapati Flour and Salt well.

2. Add thekera soaked water a little at a time to form a medium soft dough ball. Do not overwork the dough. Add the chopped soaked thekera too.

3. Knead the dough once and divide into golf ball size balls. Dip one ball into the All-purpose flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc. Keep dipping the rotli into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface.

4. Shake or rub off excess flour from the rotli and place it onto the hot tawa. Cook on a hot tava (griddle), until both sides are ready.

5. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Stuffed Sweet Roti

These are Roti filled With Chocolate And Bananas. Anyone with a love for chocolate & sweet taste, is going to fall for it. Do try this recipe as I think you will like it too!

This one can go well with your little ones! For more such recipes, check here.

Ingredients:

2 Roti

40gm Chocolate, chopped

salt

butter

1 Large Banana, sliced

Method:

1. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add butter, spread it all over the pan. Place a roti. Then scatter one side of the roti with a layer of chopped chocolate, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt, and top with another layer of banana slices.

2. Fold the roti in half and then carefully flip over. Continue cooking, pressing down lightly, until its other side is golden brown, crispy, and the chocolate has melted.

3. Keep aside the roti in a paper, and repeat with the remaining ingredients

Linking to:  Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam

Linking to JCO: I M Well Stuffed!

Spring-Onion-Roti with Saffron-Bottle Gourd

Monday mornings are never so welcomed by us. So I tried to give a no-oil-veggi touch to our Monday morning with my special cup of coffee. After having that heavy breakfast we felt, the Monday morning was not so bad.

The Roti 

Ingredients:

Maida - 200 gms

Wheat flour - 200gm

Spring Onion leaves - 1 cup, very finely chopped

Saffron (optional) - 3-4 strands, soaked in 2tbs warm milk

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Mix Maida & Wheat flour, you will need a little amount of Wheat flour to roll the roti. Sieve the flour mixture well with salt and place in a flat dish.

2. Add chopped leaves of Spring onions. Add the saffron soaked milk and make the dough. If needed, add cold water to get a smooth dough.

3. Knead the dough once and divide into golf ball size balls. Dip one ball into the Wheat flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc. Keep dipping the roti into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface.

4. Shake or rub off excess flour from the roti and place it onto the hot tawa. Cook on a hot tava (griddle), until both sides are ready.

5. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Dudh Lau

Ingredients:

Bottle Gourd - 1 medium, soft

Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp

Chilly - 1

Musterd seeds - 1/2tsp

Ginger paste - 1tsp

Milk - 4tbsp

Maida - 1tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1tsp (if you like sweet taste, otherwise you can avoid this)

Oil - 1tbsp

Saffron - 3-4 strands, soaked in 2tbs warm milk

1. Peel and chop the Bottle Gourd in small thin pieces.

2. Cook about 4 cups of cubed Bottle Gourd\Lauki\Lau with water and a little salt till half-done.

3. Heat oil in a kadai, add musterd seeds & chilly. When the spices pop, add the half-cooked gourd (discarding water) and saute for a few minutes. Add turmeric powder, salt and sugar.

4. Mix remaining 2tbs Milk with All Purpose Flour/Maida to make a smooth paste.

5. When the water has almost dried up, add ginger paste, saffron-milk mixture, maida paste.

6. Keep cooking till there is almost no gravy except the liquid clinging to the it. Turn off the heat. Server.

Note:

1. Before serving you may add 1-2tbs ghee.

2. In this same way you can prepare Rigid Gourd. Just skip step 2, because the rigid gourd is very tender.

Linking to:HFFHK - Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam

Luchi & Split Peas with Spinach-Tomato

The weekends are always pleasant, not because of so much free time for cooking but also for experimenting without worrying about the taste. As you have so  much time you can always prepare something else, if your experiment goes wrong :p

I did some experiment with Luchi\Poori. And we had the successful outcome with this Daal with a toouch of spinach. What to say, it was a lovely beginning of the Sunday morning.

Here is the recipe which is very simple. Hope you enjoy it!

The Luchi

Ingredients:

Maida - 400 gms.

Spinach - 1 cup, very finely chopped, boiled & mashed, don't make paste

Tomato - 1 cup, very finely chopped, boiled & mashed, don't make paste

Sugar

Salt - to taste

Oil to fry.

Method:

1. Sieve the maida well with salt, sugar and place in a flat dish.

2. Make a bay in the center and put a little of oil for leavening.

3. Add smashed spinach & tomato. Add cold water and make a stiff dough.

4. Make roundels of 15 gms and form dough.

5. Roll out on an oily surface into thin discs. 

6. Briskly fry in smoking oil till puffed up and turn over. 

7. Serve hot.

Motor Daal\Yellow Split Peas

Ingredients:

1 tbsp – Oil/ghee

1 cup – Yellow split peas (matar)

1 No – Onion

1/4 tsp – Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp – Turmeric

1/4 tsp – Ginger grated

1/4 tsp – Green chillies chopped

1 tsp – Coriander powder

1 cup – Spinach chopped

Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Clean and wash the dal properly. Soak it overnight in water.

2. Add 2-2.5 cups of water in it and steam in a pressure cooker for 7-10 mins on a high flame. Then turn too a low fame and cook till done (another 5-7 mins).

3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they crackle, add ginger, chillies and onion and cook till deep pink. Add chopped spinach.

4. Add the masalas, salt and stir for a minute. Lower the flame

5. Add the dal and bring to a boil. Serve hot with Luchi.

Linking to:HFFHK - Combo meals for kids @ Nithu's Kitchen & Nivedhanam