Coconut chutney

Ingredients
For the coconut chutney and tempering:

• 2 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts (It gives nice sweet taste to coconut.)
• 2 tbsp roasted chana dal
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp chopped ginger
• Chopped Coriander
• 4 to 6 pcs curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds (for Tempering)
• 2 pcs red chilli whole (for Tempering)
• 4 Chopped Green Chilli
• Salt to taste
• Hing
• 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil

Preparation

Coconut chutney:

1. In a blender, blend cashew nuts, roasted chana dal, green chillies, coriander, lemon juice, cumin seeds, ginger and coconut into a fine paste with the help of some water then add required amount of salt and mix well.
   
2.  Transfer this mixture in to a bowl and keep aside.
3. For tempering, heat the oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, whole red chilli, hing powder, curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
   
4. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the tempering over the coconut chutney and mix well.
   
5. Now your yummy coconut chutney is ready.

Besan ke laddu

Ingredients

• 1½ cup besan (gram flour)
• 1/3 cup melted ghee
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp raisins

Preparation

Besan ke laddu :

1. In a frying pan, dry roast the besan on medium to low heat for about 15 minutes or till it is golden brown in color. Stir it continuously so that the besan is not burned.
   
2. Keep on stirring the besan till a nice aroma comes out of it. Then add ghee and mix it well for another 8 minutes. Switch off the flame and add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, raisins and mix well.
   
3. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature. If it's too runny in consistency then wrap the mixture in a plastic film and refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes.
   
4. Make medium equal sizes besan laddus and store them in an airtight box.
   

Gujiya Holi vali :)

Gujiya is a traditional North Indian sweet made specially on Holi.

Ingredients
For gujiya cover:

• 2 cup maida
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup milk for kneading
• 1/2 tbsp water mix with 1tbsp maida for sealing
• Oil for frying

For filling:

• 100 gms khoya (Mawa)
• 1 tbsp crushed cashew nuts (kaju) and almonds
• 1 tbsp raisins (kishmish)
• 1 tbsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut

Preparation

Gujiya:

1. In a mixing bowl, sieve the maida, add oil and mix well (use your fingers otherwise it won' t mix properly)
2. Now add milk and knead into a soft and smooth dough. It should not be very stiff.
3. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. In a pan or kadhai, fry khoya on medium flame until its color changes to light brown.
5. Add cashew nuts, almonds, raisins, cardamom powder, powdered sugar and freshly grated coconut, mix well and keep aside to cool.
6. Again knead this dough for 5 minutes and make small balls out of it. Roll it out in a thin circle and place it on gujiya mould.
   
7. Add 1 tbsp of filling on one side of the mould, apply a little maida water on the edges (it will help in sealing) and close it.
8. Press the edges to seal gujiya very well and remove excess sides from mould and keep it with rest of dough.
   
9. Heat the oil in a kadhai and deep fry the gujiya on medium heat till it turns golden brown.
10. Allow it to cool completely and serve.

Tamarind chutney

Ingredients

• Tamarind paste
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp black salt
• 1/2 tsp hing powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 cup sugar and salt to taste

Preparation

Tamarind chutney:

1. Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for 1/2 hour. Then squeeze its pulp very well. Do not strain it. (for tamarind paste)
2. In a kadhai or pan, heat oil, add cumin powder, coriander powder, hing powder and stir for about a minute then add tamarind paste which was soaked in 2 cups of water. Mix it well and add black salt, chilli powder and sugar.
3. Cook on medium to high flame for 10 minutes and then simmer for 15 minutes.( Add a little water if needed)

Pani recepie for golgappa

Ingredients

• Tamarind
• Hot water
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• Ginger ( two small pieces)
• 3 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp black salt
• 1/2 cup mint leaves chopped
• 1/2 cup coriander chopped
• 1 tbsp amchoor (Dried mango powder)
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp jaljeera powder
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup boiled potatoes and 1/2 cup boiled chole (chana dal) for filling
• 1 cup Tamarind chutney
• 1 liter cold water 
• salt to taste

Preparation

Pani:

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of hot water for 1/2 hour. Then strain tamarind juice into another container (Squeeze the tamarind very well)
2. Add remaining pulp of tamarind with mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, green chillies in a blender and grind to a fine paste using a little water.
3. In a mixing bowl, add water, tamarind juice, paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper, black salt, amchoor powder, sugar, jaljeera powder, lemon juice and salt. Mix it well and keep it aside for 2 hours so that all the flavours have blended properly.
4. In another mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes, boiled chana dal, black salt, chat masala and mix well. (For filling) 
5. Take a poori, crack a small hole in the center and stuff it with your prepared stuffing followed by tamarind chutney. Enjoy!! :)

Poori recepie for golgappa

Ingredients

• 1cup fine sooji
• 1tbsp maida
• 1/4tsp baking powder
• 1tsp salt
• 1tbsp oil
• 3tbsp to 6tbsp warm water
• Oil for frying

Preparation

Poori:

1. In a mixing bowl, add sooji, baking soda, salt, and oil (Mix it well). Now add maida to this mixture. (Again mix well)
2. Add warm water little by little to knead a stiff dough. The dough should be smooth and elastic so knead it very well.
3. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

   

   Dough should be like this.

4. Now make small equal sized balls of the dough and roll it out or you can divide the dough in to two parts and roll very thin but in this case you have to cut it into small rounds using a lid. Don't forget to place these balls under a damp cloth.
   

   

   
   

5. Deep fry in a pan or kadhai in hot oil. When poori is puffed up nicely then put the flame to low and cook for few minutes until its color changes to golden.

Aloo-Sabudana Tikki

Ingredients

• 2 cups Sabudana
• 4 boiled and peeled potatoes
• 1 small piece of ginger finely minced
• 4 to 5 green chillies chopped
• 1tbsp kasuri methi
• Fresh coriander chopped
• 1tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Preparation

Aloo-Sabudana ki tikki:

1. Wash and soak sabudana in water overnight.
2. Boil and mash the potatoes.
3. Now add soaked sabudana, ginger, chillies, kasuri methi, coriander, turmeric, salt (Mix all the ingredients very well) and roll in to small tikkis. 
4. Deep fry the tikkis till crisp and golden brown.
5. You can also bake them for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Recipe from the heart of Kumaon.

Rus is a kind of lentils soup prepared by mixed lentils stock.

Ingredients

• 1cup Gahat
• 1/2cup Kala chana
• 1/2cup Bhatt
• 1/2cup Rajma
• 1/2cup Kabuli chana
• 1cup Whole urad
• 1/2cup Lobia
• 1/2cup beans
• 1tsp Cumin powder
• 1tsp Coriander powder
• 1tsp Garam masala
• 1/2tsp Red chili powder
• 2tbsp Ginger and garlic paste
• A pinch of hing, turmeric powder
• 3pinches of clove powder and pepper powder
• 2-3tbsp Ghee
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Rus:

1. Soak all Dals overnight and wash them.
2. Soak rice overnight and grind into fine paste.
3. In a pressure cooker, cook the dals together with water.
4. Strain to seperate the solid dal from the rus. Mix the solid dal with some more water, heat and mash to obtain more rus and strain it too.
5. Mash and strain the remaining pulp again till the water runs clear.
6. In an iron kadai, heat ghee put hing (Aesafoetida), jeera and allow it to crackle. Now add ginger garlic paste to it and saute for a few seconds. Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masal, crushed cloves, peppers and salt.
7. Add the rus (Stock) to this mixture (which is inside the kadai) keep boiling till it satrts to thicken. If its not then add some rice paste and start boiling again.
8. Then Serve hot with lots of ghee and rice. (I like it with roti :))

Ladoos:

1. We can make ladoos from the solid part which is seperated from the rus. (My mom does this)
2. Add chopped onion and little bit pickle oil to the solid dal
3. Shape it into big round balls and serve it with lime and chat masala.

My experiments in cooking-1 Dahi-Vada (without chutney)

The name Dahi vada itself is enough to bring water in the mouth. Usually dahi vadas are made of lentils (urad dal) deep fried in oil. For a healthier version I used moong dal instead of urad dal because it is easy to digest. Instead of deep frying the vadas I made the them in the microwave oven. Cooking them in the microwave is easier, healthier and saves a lot of time.

Non-fried dahi vada

Topped with cumin powder and pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients
Vadas:

• 1 cup moong dal
• 1/4 cup urad dal for taste
• 1 green chili
• 1/2 tsp unflavored fruit salt
• 3 cups chat masala water for soaking vadas
• Salt and sugar to taste
• Oil for greasing 

Dahi:

• 3 cups yogurt
• Black salt to taste
• sugar to taste
• 1tsp roasted cumin(jeera) seeds powder

Preparation

Vada:

1. Soak the moong dal and urad dal together in water overnight or in warm water for at least 4 hours.
2. Drain out most of the water and grind it to a smooth paste in a blender along with the chilies.
3. Add the fruit salt to the mixture and mix well.
4. Pour 2 tbsp of the batter in to 6 small greased microwave safe bowl or you can use egg poacher(I have used it and it works really well) and microwave it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
5. Remove and allow it to cool completely. Once cool, remove the vadas from the mould.
6. Soak the vadas in chat masala water for a few minute,until they are soft.
7. Drain and squeeze out any excess water and place on a serving plate.

Dahi:

1. Add black salt, sugar and roasted cumin seeds powder to the yogurt and whisk it.

Dahi Vadas:

1. Pour the yogurt over the soaked vadas.
2. Garnish it with the chili powder, roasted cumin seeds powder, pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander leaves.
3. Serve immediately.
4. Don't let it soak for a longer time or overnight. It won't taste that good the next day.     "njoy!!"

For all the jalebi fans :)

I love food and that is why I think I like cooking. I usually chill out in my kitchen with my favourite music; without it I can't cook. My hubby and I are very fond of jalebis. In India you will find jalebis in every sweet shop. It is very popular there but not as much in the States. As we are in U.S I thought to give it a try and finally I made it. :) It is made by deep frying maida flour batter in a spiral shape which are then soaked in sugar syrup.

Here I am going to share with you a jalebi recipe that can be made quickly without spending long hours on fermenting the maida batter.

Piping hot jalebis

Ingredients
For the batter:

• 1 cup maida/all-purpose flour 
• 2tbsp corn starch (for extra crunch) 
• A pinch of turmeric (haldi) powder or saffron (kesar) for colour. I did not have kesar so I used haldi. 
• 2tbsp curd 
• 1tbsp hot oil 
• 1tsp rapid rise yeast

For the sugar syrup:

• 2 cup sugar 
• 2 cup water
• 1tsp lemon juice (to prevent crystallization) 
• 1tsp saffron or saffron colour. 
• Rose water

     I did not have saffron and rose water so I used cardamom (ilaichi) powder.

Other ingredients 

• I used oil instead of ghee for deep-frying.

Preparation

Batter:

1. Combine 1tsp yeast with 1tsp sugar and 4tbsp of lukewarm water in a bowl. Ensure that the water is not too hot. Keep aside for 5 to 7 minutes and allow the yeast to rise.
2. Combine this yeast mixture with the plain flour, 2tbsp corn starch, pinch of turmeric, 2tbsp curd, 1tbsp hot oil,water in a bowl and mix well to make a thick and lump free batter. The batter should not have a runny consistency. Keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.  

Sugar Syrup:

1. Add 1 cup sugar to 3/4 cup water, mix well and boil on a high flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the temperature and heat the syrup till it attains a one-thread consistency. Add a few drops of lemon juice to prevent crystallization. (you can add 1/2 cup of water if needed)
2.  Add the saffron strands (or cardamom powder, if saffron is unavailable) to 2tsp of sugar syrup in a bowl and then add to this mixture to the sugar syrup. Keep aside.

Jalebi:

1. Fill the batter in a ketchup dispensing bottle.
2.  Heat the ghee/oil in a broad non-stick pan and squeeze the bottle to form a spiral shaped jalebi, starting from the inside to the outside.
3.  Deep-fry the jalebis until they turn golden brown on both the sides.
4. Place the fried jalebis into the warm sugar syrup. Leave for a minute or until they soak the sugar syrup well and then remove from the sugar syrup. 
5. Serve immediately with curd.

   

   Make this someday and enjoy with your family