Mango Shake

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Shibani

There’s nothing like a mango shake recipe to hit the spot after those afternoon walks or on hot days.

A mango shake recipe is so refreshing and delicious to drink.

It is a simple drinks/smoothie recipe for summer season. Mango Shake is a very popular drink recipe

In India It is one of street food during summer. Mango shake recipe can be a light snack to tide you over before dinner.

Ingredients:

2 cups low fat milk

1 cup chopped mango slices

1 cup ice cubes

2 tablespoon sugar

For garnishing:

1 tablespoon coconut powder

1 tablespoon tutee fruity

1 scoop vanilla ice-cream

1 teaspoon chopped cashew nuts and pistacho nuts

Method:

Blend mango slices, ice cubes and sugar. Add milk in it. Again Blend well except the garnishing ingredients on high speed until completely smooth.

Pour the shake in tall glasses. Sprinkle coconut powder on the shake, and then put the vanilla ice cream, tutee fruity, chopped cashew nuts and pistachio nut on top.

At last garnish a cherry on the top of mango shake. Now Serve it.

Tips:

You can use frozen mangoes for this recipe. You can vary the amount of mangoes/puree depending on how strong you prefer the taste of mangoes in your milk shake.

 

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Beshan Ka Halwa (Gram Flour Pudding)

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Shibani

We use gram flour in so many ways and mostly make salty recipes out of it. But it is also used to make sweets and other desserts. Here is a wonderful recipe of delicious and mouth watering dessert “Besan Ka Halwa”.

Besan halwa is a rich, sweet, traditional Punjabi favorite for celebrations and puja. It’s also great for curing sore throats. It is quite easy to prepare and requires very little preparation. It is quite rich as it is made it pure ghee.

Ingredients:

Besan / Gram Flour: 1 cup

Sugar: 3/4 cup

Ghee: 1/4 cup

Milkmaid: 1.2 cup

Chopped Almonds: 1 tbsp

Chopped Cashews: 1 tbsp

Chopped Pistachio nut: 1 tbsp

Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp

Method:

Heat the ghee in a pan. Add and fry the chopped nuts expect pistachio nuts. Set aside when the nuts turn golden brown color.

In the same pan, add the gram flour and fry it on a low flame stirring continuously till the raw smell disappears.

When it is color lightly browned, add the sugar and milkmaid. Mix well and cook for some time.

When the mixture starts leaving the sides & bottom of the pan, add one tablespoon of ghee, Cardamom Powder, roasted nuts in it and mix well.

Switch off the heat and garnish with pistachio nut, serve hot. You can refrigerate it and cut in to diamond shape. Decorate with silver paper on top.

 

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Kanji Vada Recipe

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Shibani

This is summer time in India; it is one type of summer recipe or chat. You can make it as festival recipe during Holi. Kanji is a liquid extract of a food – usually rice, black carrots or mustard. This is a Marwari delicacy of moong dal vadas, soaked in mustard flavored kanji. The kanji has to be made at least a day in advance so that all the flavors are released into the water. Tangy kanji vada comes to the rescue when you have eaten too many sweets on festivals and don’t feel like eating anything else. The vada can made with split yellow gram, or black lentils.

Ingredients For vadas:

Split green gram skinless, soaked 1 1/4 cup

Black peppercorns, crushed 10

Coriander seeds, coarsely powdered 1 teaspoon

Coarsely powdered Fennel seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Green chili paste1/2 teaspoon

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 3 tablespoons

Baking powder a pinch

Salt as taste

Oil for deep fry

For Kanji:

Mustard seeds, coarsely ground 2 3/4 tablespoons

Sugar 1 teaspoon

Red chili powder 1 teaspoon

Dry ginger powder 1 teaspoon

Chat mashala 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Dry bundi 1 cup for garnishing

Method:

To make the kanji, combine the coarsely ground mustard seeds, chili powder, dry ginger powder and salt in a deep bowl. Add one litre (five cups) of water.  Mix well and set aside for about two days to ferment. Add sugar and chat mashala. Taste to see if it has turned sour. Once the water turns sour keep it in the refrigerator.

Soak the Split green gram overnight and grind it to a smooth paste. Add salt, asafetida, coarsely powdered coriander and fennel seeds, chili paste, fresh coriander, baking powder, salt and crushed peppercorns and mix well.  Whisk the batter with a spoon until smooth and fluffy.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and drop the batter in tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Deep fry vadas on medium heat till golden brown. Drain and place on absorbent paper till cool. Soak the fried vadas in plain water for five minutes. Squeeze gently and dip them in the kanji water. Cover and keep for at least two hours in the refrigerator. Serve chilled sprinkled bundis on top.

Serve plenty of kanji with the vada so that one can enjoy a large sip of the kanji once the vada is polished off.

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Misal Pav

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Shibani

Maharashtra’s most popular breakfast dish is Misal Pav. It is one of famous street food of Mumbai. This recipe requires loads of oil, but you may indulge in such an off-diet food once in a while. It is a traditional Indian dish. It consists of spicy curry usually made of sprouts, mutter, chick peas and chilly powder gravy.

The final dish is topped with Punjabi mix, Farsan or sev (Indian noodles), poha (flatten rice), onions, lemon and coriander (cilantro). It is usually served with bread toasted with butter.

Ingredients:

For Usal

Matki (Moth beans) – 1 cup

Chopped onion – 1 medium

Red chilly powder – 1 teaspoon

Misal masala (or garam Masala) – 1 Teaspoon

Salt to taste

Tempering:

Oil – 1 Table spoon

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tea spoon

Turmeric Powder – 1 Teaspoon

Asafetida powder – 1 Pinch

For Gravy:

Sliced onion – 1 big

Chopped tomato – 1 small

Chopped Garlic cloves – 5-6

Chopped Ginger – 1 inch

Grated dry coconut – 3 table spoon

Red chilly powder – 1 table spoon

Mesal masala (Garam masala) powder – 2 tea spoon

Cumin-Corrianne powder 1 tablespoon

Clove-cinnamon powder 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tea spoon

Sugar – 1/2 tea spoon

Oil – 5 table spoon

Salt to taste

For garnishing:

Farasan – 1 Cup

Thick Sev – 1 Cup

Finely chopped onion – 1 Medium

Chopped Coriander leaves – 3 tablespoon

Lemon wedge 1

Preparation:

Soak matki for 6 hrs and drain the water. Now transfer it to a sprout maker or else tie it tightly in a smooth cotton cloth for 8- 10 hrs.

In kadai heat oil, put mustard seeds, turmeric powder. Add chopped onion and sauté it for two minutes. Add sprouted matki, red chilly powder, misal masala and salt.

Pour some water and after keeping lead cook it for some time. Usal is ready. Take marble sized tamarind & soak in 1/2 cup water and boil it and extract the pulp.

Heat oil in a pan, Add chopped ginger, garlic and chopped onion. Sauté till the onion is pink color. Then add chopped tomatoes and grated coconut. Mix well and sauté it for few minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and Grind it in to smooth paste.

How to make gravy:

Heat oil in a pan. Add Asafetida powder .Add the ready paste into oil and sauté it for 2 minutes. Then add salt, red chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder, clove-cinnamon powder and mix it. Add tamarind pulp in it. Then add water in it. Bring it to boil for 2 minutes. The gravy is ready.

How to serve Misal Pav:

Before serving Misal Pav, Toast the pav or bun  with some butter. Then Take a Large Bowl, Add 2 table spoon matki usal, Pour gravy on it. Then add 2 table spoon of farsan, 2 table spoon Sev (in some areas adds one layer of kande pohe), 1 Table spoon chopped onion, Chopped coriander, a wedge of lemon & fresh curd. Serve it with Pav.

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Bundi Ki Sabji

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Shibani

It is a quick recipe. Ideal when unexpected guests drop in our home for a meal, my mom make this recipe. Bundi ki sabzi is an amazing variation to a typical mixed vegetable recipe.

My mom makes different type of recipes and she use simple ingredients in her recipe. The recipes are simple and amazing. The taste is unique. Recipes made by my mom are the simplest dishes taste slightly different and anything she dishes out is truly out of this world. Because she use the traditional mashala powder and lots of love in her recipe. So that it taste so mouthwatering and healthy.

Ingredients

Boondi unsalted 250 grams

Oil 1 tablespoon

Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Asafetida a large pinch

Coriander powder 1 teaspoon

Chili powder 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon

Garam masala 1 teaspoon

Salt as taste

1 small onion

Spring onions with greens, chopped 4-5 sprigs

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they begin to crackle, add the asafetida and spring onions with the greens. Sauté till lightly colored. Add chopped onion. Add salt, turmeric, chili powder and coriander powder. Saute till fragrant. Add the boondi and salt and stir to mix well. Add a quarter cup of water and simmer for two to three minutes.

Garnish with the fresh coriander and serve immediately. This is perfect with chapatti. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately. This is perfect with chapattis.

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Agra Ka Petha

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Shibani

Petha is a translucent soft candy from North India. Usually in the shape of rectangular or cylindrical pieces, it is made from the ash gourd vegetable also known as winter melon or white pumpkin, Petha is usually flavored with rose water.

It is served or sold with some of the rose-flavored syrup that it has been prepared in. In the dry form it can be packaged and has a fairly long shelf life, though it can also be canned with the syrup and sold around the world.

There are many type of Petha, Such as Fruit Petha, Anguri Petha, Coconut Petha, Keshar Petha, AnguriKeshar Petha etc.

In India you find different type of people, different type of food etc. There are various type of sweets made all over India. Agra is famous for Tajmahal and for Petha. Recently I had gone to Agra to see Tajmahal. There also I saw how Petha is made. Lets know how to make Petha.

Ingredients:

Ash gourd 1 kilogram (peeled and cut)

Sugar 750 grams

Alum powder 1 teaspoon

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Hemp Essences – 4-5 drops (optional)

Silver sheets as required

Method:

Take the ash gourd pieces and prick it with a fork. Place the pieces in a large pan filled with water

Add alum powder and boil for about ten to fifteen minutes. Remove from heat, drain and wash thoroughly under running water.

Combine sugar with one cup of water and heat till sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice to remove scum, if any. Reduce heat to medium and add boiled petha. Continue cooking till pethas get softened and sugar syrup is of three-thread consistency

Cook till the ash gourd is completely cooked. Remove from heat, remove pethas and keep the pieces separately, so that they do not stick to each other. Sprinkle essence and rose water. Garnish with silver sheets and serve cool

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South Indian Idli

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Shibani

Idli is a savory cake of south Indian origin popular throughout India. The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils (de-husked) and rice.

The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body. Idli is eaten at breakfast or as a snack, idlis are usually served with sambar and coconut chutney.

Idli is made four parts of raw rice and one part split black lentil. It serves on banana leave in south India.

Idli are made in pressure cooker/steamer or in Idli maker. It is a classic and traditional breakfast in many South Indian households.

Ingredients:

1 cup black lentil

3 cups Rice

1 teaspoon fenugreek seed

Salt as taste

2 tbsps vegetable oil

Method:

Wash the rice and lentils separately and soak overnight. Soak the fenugreek seed with lentil.  Grind separately, into thick pastes (adding a little water at a time) in a blender.

Grind the fenugreek seed with lentil. Remove the batter in separate bowl and whisk the lentil batter fast. Mix rice batter in the lentil batter. Stir well to avoid lumps.

Mix salt. Cover and leave it to ferment overnight or 6-9 hours in a warm place.  Once the batter is fermented, mix well. Idlis batter is ready to be cook.

Grease the Idli moulds and fill spoonfuls of the batter into the moulds and steam for 12-15 minutes.

Steam cook idlis on medium flame for about 10 minutes or until done. They are done when a little stick/spoon pricked in the middle comes out clean.

Run a spoon under each impression to separate steamed idlies from the plate. Remove them all like this and get ready to steam the next batch of idlis.

Serve idlis piping hot with sambar and coconut chutney. It is a healthy and no oil required for making it.

Tips: The batter will be medium tight consistency. Cover and leave it to ferment overnight or 6-9 hours in a warm place.

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Keema Kofta Curry

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Shibani

Kheema Kofta curry is prepared with minced meat or kheema that is blended with herbs like coriander and fresh mint leaves, Indian spices and made into small lemon sized balls which are cooked in a paste of fried onions, poppy seeds and dried coconut. It is a Moglai and Sindhi recipe. Kheema Kofta is a very popular dish of Delhi.

Ingredients:

Keema Kofta Curry

For koftas:

Mutton minces (keema) 500 grams

Coriander leaves chopped 3 tablespoons

Green chilies, chopped    4

Red chili powder 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon

Chopped cashew nut 2 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Oil for deep-frying

For Gravy:

Oil 5 tablespoons

Onions, chopped 3 medium

Green chilies, chopped     3

Ginger-garlic paste 1 tablespoon

Cloves   2

Black cardamom 1

Red chili powder 2 teaspoons

Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander powder 2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon

Fresh tomato puree 1 cup

Cashew nut paste 1 tablespoon

Poppy seed paste 1 tablespoon

Fresh cream 2 tablespoon for toping

How to make:

Wash and drain the keema well. The keema should be really dry. Squeeze the water from the mince.

Add coriander leaves, green chilies, cumin seeds, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, chopped cashew nuts and salt. Make small round portions and deep fry till golden brown in color and set them aside.

To prepare the gravy, heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add the onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, cloves, black cardamom and cumin seeds and sauté till onions turns golden brown in color. Add fresh tomato puree. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt and sauté till oil separates from the mixture.

Add cashew nut paste and poppy seed paste in it. Add one cup of water and cook for two to three minutes. Simmer for the gravy to cook, when the gravy starts to roll, gently add the keema balls and place them in the gravy. Do not use any ladle, simmer and allow boiling.

This takes about 5 min for the gravy to thicken. The gravy is mostly a well coated keema balls that you can serve with rice or roti. Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream. Make this at home and enjoy with your loved ones!

Tips: Use a wide pan for making the gravy as all the balls have to be placed at the bottom and you shouldn’t stir with ladle.

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Mango Chilli Chicken

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Shibani

This Thai recipe for Mango Chicken tastes like a deep-fried dish, but is much easier to make plus lower in calories and fat. This chicken dish from the Red Hot Chilli Cookbook combines the sweetness of mango with traditional Indian spices.

Chili-Mango Chicken is probably better than the restaurant dishes. This is half Thai and half Australian summer time recipe is perfect for the BBQ and features the classic South East Asian flavor combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Mango Chunks

1kg chicken wings or drumsticks

Extra 1/2 to 1 mango, cut into chunks (to garnishing)

2 to 3 cups sugar snap peas

Fish Sauce

4 cloves of garlic

3 red chillies

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

Mango Chili Chicken

1 tbsp olive oil

1 mango, flesh removed

Juice and zest of one lime

Bunch of coriander leave

1 tbsp Asian chili garlic sauce

Method:

Mix all marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth.

Put the chicken in the marinating pot. Keeping some back for basting.

Dry the snap peas thoroughly, and remove their strings and tails. Leave the pods whole, or cut in half on a steep angle.

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the dry pea pods and stir fry for one or two minutes.

Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer. Let cook without moving the pieces for 30 seconds, and then add the remaining chicken in the spaces around the first pieces. Allow to cook for a further 30 seconds undisturbed, then stir through.

Let cook again the dish for another 30 seconds to 60 seconds, depending on the size of the pieces. If there is any marinate left in the bowl, throw it into the pan now.

Stir the chicken pieces, and continue to stir fry until the meat begins to brown on the outside. Add a splash of water if it starts sticking (at any time). Add the diced mango and lime juice, zest.

Stir just until the chicken is cooked through and the mango has softened into a near sauce-like consistency. Mix the fresh herbs through the rice with a squeeze of lime and serve alongside the chicken. Add a green salad if you need.

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Arisha Pitha Recipe

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Shibani

Pithas are special delicacies in an Oriya home. On different festivals sweet pithas form a part of the celebrations.

The pitha may be broadly put in the category cakes. Different kinds of pithas (Cakes) prepared from rice powder and gram dal.

The various pithas made in Orissa are like Peda, Chitau, Manda, Arisa, Kakara , Podapitha, Chakuli pitha and Enduri Pitha..

The sweet ones, Chhenapoda pitha are delicious. These dishes are also considered as festival specials as they are made in huge quantity during all the major festivals.

The preparation of a good pitha requires skill and expertise and these are delicious to eat and extremely popular dish of this region.

Arisha Pitha is a desert, prepared with rice flour kneaded with jaggery and fried in ghee/oil along with Seasoning of sesame seeds.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

1/2 cup chopped coconut

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 kg: Jaggery

200 gm: Vegetable Oil or Ghee

How to Make:

Soak the rice in water for about 2 to 3 hours. Wash it with water and then drain all the water. Keep the rice to dry for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Grind the rice to make a semi-rough powder of it by using a grinder. Heat ½ cup of water and add Jaggery.

Stir on medium flame. The syrup should be consistent. Slowly add rice powder to the syrup and stir continuously to form dough.

Add chopped coconut in it. Take the dough in small portions and flatten it with your palms in the shape of small puri (thick).

Sprinkle little sesame seed on top of small puri and press little. Now Fry these in oil till they become golden brown. Take them out and serve hot.

Tips:

The softness of the pitha depends on the consistency of the dough. You can save it in a air tight jar and store 15 to 20 days. A hard pitha may be preserved in room temperature for two weeks.

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