Eastern Kadhi [कढ़ी]

        

 The Kadhi is a very popular dish,basically a product of curd and gram flour,with varying cooking methods prevailing in different parts of India.Each has its own unique taste and flavour.

Ingredients

• Gram flour for pakoda       1cup
• Gram flour for kadhi      1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder               1 tsp
• Asafoetida.                     1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek                       1/2 tsp
• Whole red chilly                 3-4 
• Garlic                        5-6 flakes
• Green chilly              5-6 pieces
• Onion                        2 medium
• Cumin seeds                   1/4 tsp
• Garam masala                 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder              1 tsp
• Green coriander leaves   1bunch
• Sour curd                          4 cup
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil for fry       5-6 tbsp
• Pure ghee for sprinkle      2tbsp
• Water                            3-4 cup

Preparation

• Crush green chilly and garlic. 

For the pakodas,

•   Take 1 cup gram flour in a separate bowl,add 1/2 cup of water gradually in small quantities at a time,keep on beating.The batter should be thick.Add salt,turmeric powder,1/4 tsp red chilly powder &1 pinch asafoetida [hing].

•   To judge whether the batter is fit for fluffy pakodas,take it in a spoon and drop a bit in water taken in a cup.If the batter floats,then it is ok and no more beating is required.Batter is ready to make pakodas.

 

 Method: 

 A.For Pakodas: 

• Heat oil in a deep pan on high flame.
• Once piping hot,drop small balls of gram flour batter in oil with help of a spoon.
• Deep fry till golden brown.
• Make 5-6 pakodas at a time.
• Keep pakodas aside.

   B. For the kadhi:

•  Take curd in a separate bowl and beat well.
• Add 1/4cup gram flour.Whisk thoroughly till batter is smooth and no lumps are there.
• Add turmeric powder,1/4tsp red chilly powder 1/4tsp garam masala and 3-4 cup of water.
• Whisk well again.

Mixture of curd & gram flour

•  Heat oil in a bigger deep pan on high flame.
• Add  asafoetida, methi and whole red chilly.
• When these begin to sputter,add both grated garlic & green chilli.Mix and fry for 5-6 seconds.
• Add mixture of gram flour & curd.Mix.Stir well and bring to boil.
• Lower the flame and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Add salt to taste.Stir occasionally.
• Kadhi solution should not be thick.To check its rightness,follow the illustration.

Checking solution

Kadhi solution

• Now add pakodas and simmer again on low flame for about 5 minutes.Be careful pakodas may not be broken.

Pakodas dipped in Kadhi solution 

•  For seasoning,heat a small steel bowl on medium flame.

• Add 2 tbsp of pure deshi ghee, then cumin seeds .

• When  cumin seeds  pop up, add curry leaves,whole red chilly & 1/4 tsp red chilly powder at the same time.Saute for 2-3 seconds.

• Close flame.

• Add it at the time of serving.

• Serve hot,garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Garnished Kadhi with seasoning

Ideal companions include roti and rice.Onion [optional] adds to taste.

With roti,rice & onion

Sambhar [सांभर]

A southern food, healthy, tasty and spicy !

Ingredients:

• Toor [arhar] ki daal  1/2 cup
• *Carrot  2 piece
• *Greenpeas1/2 cup
• *Drumstick  2
• *Bottle gourd [lauki]  1/4
• *Green beans.   5-6
• *Potato  2 medium
• *Brinjal      1small
• Green chilli     5-6
• *[ Note: 3-4 kinds of seasonal vegetables can be used]
• Onion  2 medium
• Tamarind [imli ka guda]  2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds  1/2 tbsp
• Black gram[urad dal]        1tsp ?
• Bengal gram  [chana dal]      1tsp ?
• Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves   5-6 leaves
• Hole red chilli   2-3
• Garam masala  1/2 tsp
• Sambhar masala powder  2tbsp
• Red chilli powder   1/4tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil  1-2 tbsp

Preparation:

•  Sambhar masala powder : 

Take following spices in a plate-

 Black gram & bengal gram 

 [ Urad &Chana dal].  3-4tbsp
 Coriander   2tbsp
 Cumin seeds.   1tsp
 Black pepper  1tsp

Whole red chilli    5-6 pieces
 Fenugreek seeds 1tsp
     [Methi ke daane] 

     Roast every spice separately and then grind together

• Wash the toor daal,soak in water for ...minjutes,drain water.Keep aside.
• Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for 1/2 hour. Once soft,mash tamarind to separate paste from seeds & fibre and get juice.
•  Chop vegetables in small sizes.

Method: 

• Heat 1tsp oil in the cooker, add black gram  & bengal gram.Fry till turned light brown. Add mustard seed turmeric powder chilli powder.
• Add vegetables,drum stick.Cook with lid on.
• When vegetables are cooked,add soaked toor daal in pressure cooker,add 4 cup of fresh water and salt and cook it. Close the flame.When pressure is released,add tamarind juice and sambhar masala powder.
• Boil for 1-2 minutes.
• For seasoning,heat a small steel bowl on medium flame, add 2 tbsp of oil, then add mustard seeds and hole red chilli.When mustard seeds pop up, add curry leaves and at the same time, close flame.
• Add it immediately to sambhar.Mix well. 
•  Sambhar is ready.

 
Serve hot with Idli, Uttapam, plain rice,rice or dosa,vada etc.

Kathal ka pakoda (Jack fruit Fritter)

    

                       

     

          The kathal [ jack fruit] has wide and popular recipes,eg, sabji, kathal pulao,pakodas, etc. Here is a recipe for pakodas,a tasty snack or spicy companion for meals .

 

Raw Kathal

 

 

Ingredients

• Raw Jack fruit        1/2 Kg
• Rice                            1cup
• Gram flour (besan)  1/2cup
• Ginger          1  small piece
• Garlic                  6-8 flakes
• Green chilli         5-7 pieces
• Garam masala           1/2 tsp
• Turmeric  powder     1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil                           3/4 cup

 Preparation

• Peel jackfruit [ katahal ] and cut into small pieces.If seeds are hard remove them.
• Wash rice and soak in water for 2-3 hours. 
• Grind soaked rice,garlic,ginger and green chilli in the mixer to make a smooth paste.
• Boil jack fruit in the cooker. As soon as pressure is built up,close the flame and cool it

Ground Rice

Boiled Kathal

• Drain water and keep jack fruit aside in steel strainer.

 

 

  

Gram flour Mixture

  Method

• Mix well gram flour,turmeric powder,garam masala and salt in above rice paste.Gram flour mixture for pakoda is ready. 
• Heat oil in deep fry pan .
• Dip boiled jack fruit in the rice paste,one piece at a time, ensure it is well wrapped with paste.
• Drop it in pan and fry till golden brown.
• Repeat the process with other pieces.
• Fry 3-4 pieces at a time.
• Keep pakodas in butter paper on a plate. 

Serve crisp hot pakodas with mint or coriander chutney,or,tomato/chilli sauce.

Yummy Pakode !

 

  

Raw Banana Patties

G


  Here is a nutritious and tasty cuisine,can be consumed with meals or as snacks in morning or evening breakfast.





     

Ingredients:

• Raw banana  6 [green,firm &not ripe]
• Dry garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
• Green chilli  5-6 pieces
• Red chilli  powder 1/4 tsp
• Onion  1-2 medium pieces
• Mint leaves1 small bunch
• Green coriander leaves   1 small bunch
• Cornflour  1-2 tbsp or roosted gram powder)
• Bread slices  2
• Salt to taste
• Oil for fry     5-7tbsp

Preparation:

• Boil the bananas in a pan or cooker till green skin turns blackish.Skin them and mash to get the paste.

• Add salt,red chilli powder,garam masala powder,corn flour and mashed bread pieces. Mix & knead with spoon to ensure smooth dough.
• For fillings,finely chop onions,green chilli and mint leaves or green coriander leaves and mix together.

Method:

•  Make a small ball of the dough,flatten it with hollow in middle,place filling on it,make round ball again.Press slightly with palms & keep aside.{ See the pics }

• Repeat the process with the rest of dough.
• Heat oil in deep a fry pan (kadahi).Deep fry 2-3 patties at a time till golden brown on both sides.Take out and keep on butter paper. 
• Serve hot with green coriander chutney or chilly sauce.
• Garnish with mint leaves and onion rings.

Sweet Mango Pickle [Galka]

              Here is another product of raw green mango quite popular in indian kitchens.It is sweet and spicy at the same time.Tastes quite well with Puri & Partha or snack like namkin Mathri/nmkin Puri.

Ingredients

Raw Mango

Raw mangoes          2-4

Cumin seeds       1/4 tsp

Onion seeds        1/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds  1/4tsp

Fennel seeds       1/2 tsp

Mustered seeds   1/4 tsp

Hing(Asafoetida) 1pinch                      

Turmeric Powder     1tsp                    

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Sugar in equal volume of
                     mango pulp

Oil {refined}         1tbsp

Salt                      1/2 tsp

Mango Cubes

Water                  2-3 cup

Preparation

Peel the mango and cut into small cubes.

Method

•  Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
• Add Asafoetida,stir for few seconds,then add cumin seed, fenu greek seed,mustard seed & fennel seed.
• Mix well & fry till it turns golden brown. Lastly,add onion seeds [kalaunji]
• Add mango cubes,turn over with a spoon for 1 minute. 
• Add turmeric powder,red chilli powder and salt,mix well.

 

Testing the thickness

• Cook mango mixture with lid closed on low flame till tender & looking like transparent.
• Add whole quantity of sugar & water.
• Mix and cook on high flame.
• Keep stirring till the sugar syrup turns slightly thick and dark brown.
• Test its thickness by dropping from a height little over the pan as shown in the image.
• Close the flame and keep aside for cooling.

Stirring the mixture

   Your mango sweet pickle is ready.
Keep the pickle in a dry Jar which may be kept in the fridge.

  [ Note: If so liked,it may be prepared in larger quantity and stored in fridge for a longer shelf life.]   

Sweet Mango Pickle [Galka]

  

आम का पना [Panaa: a drink made of raw mango]

                                    
                       

               आम का पना: 3 Cheers to Summer !
                                       An ideal drink for hot summer days as well as a great remedy for heat stroke and dehydration in summer season.

 Ingredients:

• Raw [green] mango  3 medium sized raw green mangoes
• Mint leaves  1 cup
• Roasted cumin seed  1 tsp
• Asafoetida  1 pinch
• Salt to taste
• Black salt to taste
• Sugar  1/2 cup
• Bundi  50 gms
• Water  4-5 cups

Method:

• Peel off mangoes and get the pieces with help of a knife.
• Pressure cook the mango pieces with 4-5 cup of water,salt and sugar till soft.
• Let pressure release,then take out mango pulp.
• Strain and mash the pulp.
• Grind the pulp to a smooth paste.
• Take the mango pulp mixture in a bowl.
• Grind mixture of mint leaves,black salt,asafoetids and roasted cumin seeds to get paste.
• Mix this mint paste with mango pulp paste.
• Keep stirring till a smooth mixture.
• Now mango panaa concentrate is ready.
• Let the mixture cool,then keep it in a fridge.
• When to be served,take a part of panaa concentrate,mix 3 times cool water,add crushed ice.

Garnish with bundi and mint leaves.

 

Roasted Chicken

          My blog has been dormant for quite a long time and i missed my blogger friends and dear readers like anything.Whatever held me back, i had to come back and i am here with the recipe Roasted Chicken,a popular dish among non-veges.

Ingredients

• Chicken full 600-800gm [dressed and cut into 4 pieces,that is,2 breast and 2 back pieces length wise]
• Garlic   9-10 flakes
• Ginger medium size  1 
• Curd  500gm
• Lemon  1 medium size
• Turmeric powder  1tsp  
• Red chilli powder  1/2tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder  1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder  2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Dry garam masala powder  1 tsp
• Corn flour   2-3 tbsp
• Refined oil  1-2 tbsp
• Tandoori color [optional]

Preparation

• Wash and clean the chicken pieces carefully.Make diagonal slits all over with a knife.Rub with lemon and mixture of salt,1/4 turmeric powder,red chilli powder and.Leave it for about 2 hours in the Fridge.
• Prepare paste of garlic and ginger.
•  Strain curd.
• Mix dry garam masala powder,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,Kashmiri red chilli powder,coriander powder,corn flour and 1 spoon refined oil in the strained curd.
• Mix well. Dip all the pieces into paste,marinate again by leaving it into fridge for another 3-4 hours,

 

 

 

 Method 

• Place the marinated chicken pieces on the grilling rack but out of microwave.Leave it for about 15 minutes so that excess marinade may be drained out.
  
  
• Brush with a little oil,put into microwave,adjust on cook mode and cook on the grilling rack on  100% power for 20-30minutes till tender.Turn the pieces over half way through cooking time.
• Now adjust microwave to grill mode.
• Grill for 15-20 minutes repositioning the pieces frequently.Brush again with a little oil 2-3 times for even cooking on all the sides to get tender and juicy roasted chicken.

Roasted chicken is ready.
Serve hot.

[Note: In case you use OTG,then preheat to 350 degree centigrade.Place chicken pieces on grill rack in OTG.Now set at grill mode.Cook at 220 deg.cent. for 20-30 minutes.Keep on repositioning the pieces.]